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onceuponaneverafter · 7 months

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Let's Talk About Jacks's Apples

...and especially their COLORS. I wanted to figure out what they could mean, so I made a spreadsheet!

First, DISCLAIMERS:

MAJOR spoilers for OUABH and TBONA + the Caraval series!

This post was written BEFORE ACFTL and does not contain information or spoilers from it.

This post is based on my interpretations and observations, all of them may not be perfectly accurate. The conclusions I make are my theories, not necessarily canon information.

When I reference page numbers, they're from my OUABH UK paperback and TBONA UK hardcover - it's possible they're a bit off for you if you have different editions of the books.

This is a long post, so grab a snack and get comfortable!

I hope you enjoy reading! 🍎

Table Of Contents

Introduction

Why Apples?

A Detailed Look Into The Apples (= explaining everything I say I'll explain later)

The Colors

Where Do The Apples Come From

Conclusions/TL;DR

This is a long post, so here you can see what's coming and skip over to what interests you most :)

Introduction

Throughout the OUABH series, there are 14 scenes in total where Jacks is holding an apple in his hand (sometimes eating them, sometimes not) while Evangeline is there to witness it. All of those apples are unnaturally colored. To look for connections between them, I made a spreadsheet:

For sake of clarity, I will be discussing 13 total apples instead of 14 - I believe the "undescribed" apple (its color is not explicitly stated in the scene) is the same as White Apple #5, but it appears in two separate scenes, so both are included here. I will get into this later.

The spreadsheet contains various details about the apples, such as what Jacks does while holding them, when he picks them up (or if he's already holding them when they're described), what happens to them (dropped somewhere etc.), how he feels during the scene, etc. I will discuss these later in this post.

Then I realized he also has some apples in Legendary and Finale, so I made another list of the ones he has while Tella is present:

Here's a summary of all the apples:

That would make 20 apples in total, half of them being white.

Now let's go over some relevant context! Then I will get to analyzing what these colors mean and what kind of connections I found between the apples, I promise.

Why Apples?

Before we do a deep dive into the details, let's go over the basics on why Jacks keeps eating the apples. The most popular theory (if it can even be called a theory, it's basically canon) is based on what LaLa tells Evangeline in OUABH:

"When we [Fates] feel, it's intense and consuming. It devours us and drives us. And the strongest of our feelings is always the urge to be that which we were made to be." –OUABH page 270

She proceeds to explain that when she sews wedding dresses, it helps her with that urge, and to say that for Jacks it's similar – he has the desire to find his true love, and supposedly that's the one person his kiss doesn't kill. So, according to LaLa's logic, the apples help him with that. It makes a lot of sense, and everything he physically does with the apples makes more sense in light of it.

When Jacks is first introduced to the Caraval series, he is described eating an apple. While I believe the theory above is true, it was also interesting to notice that he seems to already be holding the apple when he meets Tella practically by chance. In fact, there are only four times he ever picks up an apple during a scene, and they are all during the OUABH series. I will get more into it later.

In OUABH, Jacks is described to have countless apples and apple cores in his rooms and offices, so we don't know how many he eats and why when Evangeline isn't around him. However, I found that he almost never touches Evangeline while holding an apple. (With sort of the exception of the silver apple, where he touches his dagger to her lips, and the blue apple, which he was holding before stopping Evangeline from taking the luck stone back from Chaos.)

Now, this could just be for practical reasons, but he touches Evangeline in about 21 of the 25 (I focused on the apples so this may not be the exact count) scenes where he doesn't have an apple and only in 6 of the 14 scenes where he has an apple, and in 2 of them the touch is barely there or brief and initiated by Evangeline.

An interesting comparison is how he does touch Tella while holding an apple (like Blue Apple #1 and White Caraval Apple #2), so it definitely isn't purely about logistics. Maybe it's related to him thinking she's his true love, that's the greatest difference I can think of. It is also noteworthy that he doesn't eat any apples while in the Hollow, which Evangeline also notices (TBONA 284).

With the theory above in mind, the way Jacks touches his apples is pretty straightforward:

He tosses them when he's in a good mood or needs to distract himself

Him biting them is practically his version of self-control

He drops them when things aren't so fun anymore or there's a clear mood shift (I will discuss this a bit more later).

He stabs two apples in total: the Silver Apple and White OUABH Apple #4. the first time he tells Evangeline how Apollo would be eternally heartbroken if she called off the engagement, the second time he tells Evangeline that the Archer ends up killing the Fox. And what unites these? Great heartbreak.

A Detailed Look Into The Apples

Or in other words, let's get into everything I said I would discuss later. After this, we'll look more into the apple colors.

The Undescribed Apple

I believe that White Apple #5, the apple Jacks holds in his hand before he and Evangeline leave to LaLa's engagement party, is the same as the apple that he picks up in the next scene, in the carriage as they travel - its color is not described, but the narration leads to the assumption that this apple is already familiar to the reader:

"Jacks leaned back in his seat and picked up his apple" –TBONA page 184

13 is also a more meaningful number than 14 (and the total count of all apples would be 20 instead of 21), so even though the total number might be purely coincidental, it also could be a fun intentional detail.

Caraval vs. OUABH

There are some very interesting parallels between apples in Legendary/Finale and apples in OUABH/TBONA.

First, we have the blue apple (in Legendary) that Jacks ends up dropping into a fireplace (see chart below). The only other apple that he specifically drops into fire is the very last white apple in TBONA. Before he drops the blue apple, Tella says that nothing could make her fall in love with him. Before he drops the white apple, Evangeline suggests that maybe Jacks could find another true love.

Second, every apple is either last seen still in his hand or dropped on the floor/ground (or fire), except for two: the sparkling white one in Finale (in Tella's dream again) and the pink one in OUABH, which he tosses to Tella and Evangeline. He directly encourages Tella to taste the white apple, and he tells Evangeline that she might need a snack. In terms of color, the sparkling white apple is especially interesting – I will look into the sparkling later along with the colors.

"Jacks picked up his apple"

The main difference between the Caraval and OUABH apples - and the one thing that keeps messing up my theories - is that during the Caraval series, Jacks never picks up an apple during a scene, he is always already holding one when the scene begins (see chart above). However, during OUABH and TBONA, he picks up four apples in total. And they are all white.

White Apple #1: Meeting Evangeline for the first time

White Apple #3: Evangeline says she'd stab Jacks if she got the chance to

White Apple #5: Evangeline forbids Jacks from killing people at LaLa's party

White Apple #7: Jacks lets go of Evangeline and shuts off from her, he's about to tell her the truth about planning to go back in time

All of them are different in terms of why exactly he picks up the apple, but there is more or less a shift in tone/topic of their conversation during all of these scenes.

The Colors

White Apples

I think that white apples are the "default" color, and/or they represent focusing on what's important.

They make up half of the apples Jacks has, and all of the apples he spontaneously picks up are white. So, if something like his emotions or circumstances affect the apple colors (which I think is at least somewhat the case), it makes sense for white to be the basic color – and what would be a better "default" apple than the one who reminds him not to get distracted.

Even though the apple he tosses to Tella is sparkling white, I don't think the color represents her because he was holding a white apple before he met Tella. He couldn't have been thinking of her, but he most likely had plans that he was thinking over as he was hoping to take the throne from Elantine.

Black Apples

I originally thought the black color could mean bad intentions or regret, but I'm now quite sure it represents doing whatever it takes to get what he wants. The context surrounding the black apples highlights this:

Black Apple #1: Jacks offers his help in exchange for controlling Tella's emotions. He wants to find true love more than anything, and this is his last attempt to make Tella fall for him.

Black Apple #2: He's controlling Apollo in order to make him propose to Evangeline. He needs it, again, in order to reach his goal – only this time he's planning to go back in time. Still to find true love, though.

Black Apple #3: This one stands out a bit from the other two. Jacks brings Evangeline to Chaos' castle so she can be healed after Apollo shot her. Here the black apple might symbolize doing anything to keep Evangeline alive (he also needs her alive, so that checks out, but at this point I don't think it's just that), and possibly his reluctance to either ask Chaos for help or put Evangeline through being infected with vampire venom.

Blue Apples

Blue apples seem to represent happiness and success, because we tend to see them after something went just like Jacks wanted. This could also be connected to his eye color.

Blue Apple #1: It's the first apple we see after Tella didn't die of his kiss, and he's obviously more than happy about that.

Blue Apple #2. He got into Tella's dream, for the second time, and he had successfully tricked her into the "marriage thing" before.

Blue Apple #3. He is holding this one right after Evangeline agreed to open the Valory Arch, while the apple he held in the previous scene (only five pages earlier) was white.

The Golden Apple

The apples that there are just one of are the trickiest because there's less context to go by, but I think the golden apple represents Tella. It's the first one we see in his hand after the events of Finale, and Tella's hair color is close enough to it. She is also a princess now, which the color gold could also represent.

It's worth mentioning that it could also be tied to failure, heartbreak, or Jacks's own hair color (as it is often described as golden). He also lives in the North now, known as Lord Jacks, and he's "friends" (?) with Apollo, a prince, so it could be related to that as well.

The Silver Apple

I think the silver apple is like a "milder" version of the blue apple, in which case the apple representing happiness would definitely be intentionally the same color as his eyes: The Caraval Wiki describes his eye color as "silver-blue".

When Jacks has the silver apple, Evangeline has got married to Apollo just like he wanted, but everything isn't perfect yet. He's quite content, but it isn't quite as big satisfaction as when he has a blue apple. However, because Evangeline asked him to meet, the apple's color could also represent for example curiosity.

The Pink Apple

Because of Evangeline's hair color, the pink apple seems to intuitively represent her. Not only that, he's just spent the night holding her before he appears with the pink apple in hand, so it just makes a lot of sense to me. This is also the apple he tossed to her.

The Purple Apple

I've had the most trouble with the purple apple. It being the apple he holds after talking with Scarlett and the scene leading to Tella's discovery that his heart beats, and the only purple apple during any book and scene, I don't even know where to start.

While basic color symbolism is connected to the apple colors loosely at most, purple as a symbol for royalty, nobility, and power could make sense if he wanted to emphasize those qualities while talking to Scarlett. Purple is also associated with mystery, and with us and Tella not finding out immediately why he met with Scarlett, it could also be a storytelling element.

Bonus: Sparkling/shimmering Apples

There are some apples that deserve a special mention, and that's the ones that are described as sparkling or shimmering.

White Caraval Apple #3, "sparkling white": This is the apple that Jacks gives to Tella (in her dream), urging her to taste it.

Black Apple #3, "shimmering black": And this apple is in TBONA, when Jacks brings Evangeline to Chaos' castle to be healed.

The only similarity between them that I've found so far is that they both stand out from the other white and blue apples: the sparkling white apple is the only white apple that Jacks gives to someone else, and the shimmering black apple is the third one that stands out to me (see "Black Apples" above).

Where Do The Apples Come From

A very good and for now unanswered question is where Jacks gets the apples from. Does he pick them from a tree? What tree? What color are they, do they start off as natural apples or maybe white? What makes an apple something other than their default color? For these questions, I don't have solid theories yet, only speculation.

We're all obsessed with how intensely Fates feel when they do feel something (*cough* the end of TBONA *cough*), but I also think that it could have something to do with the apples, at least some of them. When Jacks feels something or spends a lot of time thinking of something, maybe it could somehow affect the apples' colors? Some of the apples seem to be connected to his emotions, such as the blue ones. No apples are seen changing colors and some apples seem to not have a direct connection to his emotions, though, so there is little evidence to support this.

Conclusions

To summarize everything I went over above,

There are 20 apples in total that Jacks is seen holding throughout every scene he is in, seven of them during the Caraval series and 13 during OUABH and TBONA.

What Jacks does with his apples (tossing, biting, picking up, dropping) is connected to his emotions.

The apples have different colors that I believe represent different things: white (10 of 20, focusing on what's important), black (3 of 20, doing whatever it takes), blue (3 of 20, happiness), gold (1 of 20, possibly Tella? multiple possibilities), silver (1 of 20, possibly happiness mixed with something else), pink (1 of 20, Evangeline?), and purple (1 of 20, power? nobility? mystery?).

The origin of the apples is for now unknown, as is the reason for each color (both the colors' meanings and how they take on the different colors).

With all that said, there is quite much room for interpretation, especially in terms of the apple colors. My theories aren't the only correct ones, and I do not wish to present them that way. As I stated in the beginning, I might have overlooked details or noted some down inaccurately. The purpose of this post was to share my findings and to have fun theorizing!

Let's hope that we get some actual answers for these in ACFTL and that the books treat us kindly <3 Please do not give me any spoilers, not on the topic of apples or anything else, I'm actively trying to avoid them!

If you read this far, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I poured my heart into this research and this analysis, and I'm so happy if at least one person besides myself enjoys looking at my little findings. <3 Here, have an apple as a reward: 🍎

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miokki · 1 year

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# CHOCOLATES

✰ synopsis: valentine’s day with your secret high school sweetheart

✰ character(s): scaramouche x gn!reader, tartaglia

✰ content warnings: nothing

✰ note: happy late valantine’s day! (i forgot to post it yesterday) also if it seems a little rushed it is bc it is. school!au btw.

if there was anything scaramouche hated more than sweet things, it was the day that seem to be filled with them. valentine’s day always repeats itself for the boy, at least since he started high school that is.

this year appeared to be no different, he could already see the first waiting for him at his locker with a box of chocolates. in past years, scaramouche would’ve tried to refuse gifts but after weighing up his options, he’s found that it’s easier to just accept people's gifts rather than outright refuse. the tactic has been working well as he now has fewer problems and the people appear to be okay after the initial rejection.

even after three valentine's days of countless confessions and an overload of flower petals he still has no clue what to do with all the chocolates. he’s figured out what to do with all the teddy bears and he just keeps flowers at home. yet there’s nothing that comes to mind when he needs to get rid of the leftover chocolate his mother won’t even eat. and as much as he hates chocolate or any kind of sweets for that matter, he hates to see food go to waste.

as of right now, scaramouche is eating by himself while working on something in his homeroom. it’s one of the only places he can find escapism at this moment in time due to his popularity amongst the girls. scara doesn’t get it. he doesn’t get why most of the girls at the high fawn over him, he isn’t anything out of the norm. but what do they know? all they see is some boy that always trails behind that group at school. coincidentally, childe doesn’t get it either, he is just as aloof as any other of the loners at this school. the only difference is that he's conventionally attractive.

“how many do you have so far?” childe asks as he barges into the room

scara lifts his gaze to see the redhead gleaming at him from across the room while walking up to his desk.

“23 girls and one boy,” the boy answered as he looked childe up and down.

“a boy too? damn, i'm jealous, i've only managed four and not a single boy in sight,” the tall one whined as he leaned himself against the desk beside scaramouche’s.

“i can see why there hasn't. you act more interested in mr zhongli than any of your classwork.”

“don't start getting cocky with me. i am the sole reason you can eat in peace.”

scaramouche chuckles, “so what did you end up doing?”

childe watches as scara takes another bite into his sandwich before relaxing back into his chair. he hasn’t been in this good of a mood since his mother came back from her trip with her girlfriend. even before, scara has never been this friendly towards him, not that he minds it of course. he's enjoying the conversation they're sharing. childe just wishes that he could see this side of him more often.

“ah. i didn't do much, i just told your fangirls that you were hanging around the fountain on the south side of the school. i have no idea why you'd hang there but they believed it.”

scara sighs, “i told you before, they're not my fangirls,” the dark-blue-haired boy glared.

“but it's true!” the tall boy exclaimed.

“they squeal when you walk past and when i told them you were near the fountain they fucking ran. i swear if you started selling posters of your face they'd sell them out in an instant. it’s like you’re whole of one direction to them. i wouldn't blame (name) if they ever got jealous.”

despite the last sentence being mumbled, scaramouche heard just enough to freeze. he’s sure he didn’t slip up, well not in any area he is aware of. perhaps you told childe, but you rarely even talk to scara himself during the school day so that isn't an option.

“what? you look like you've seen a ghost. you aren't that hard to figure out scara. your eyes drag when they're close by, you never give anyone that time of day,” the redhead explains.

“anyway,” childe sighs as he gets up from the desk, “hey you wouldn't mind if I take a few boxes from your stash, i wanna give something to tonia, teucer and anthon.”

“all yours.”

“thanks, buddy,” the orange-headed boy smiled as he ruffled scaramouche’s hair.

scaramouche waved him off as he exited the room, which left him in this lone classroom. the boy sighed as he started to settle back down into what he was originally doing. picking back up his pen to start writing until he was interrupted once again.

knock, knock.

looking over for the second time to see you poking your head through the doorway. “childe told me you here by the way.” you beam as you let yourself in. it makes his heart flutter; your smile. it’s sweet, the genuine kind, as opposed to chocolate which needs sugar to mask its bitterness. to him you’re like dark chocolate. the kind that isn’t overly sweet. and though still bitter, that's the part he enjoys most.

“do you want some?” scara offered as he waved the assorted box of chocolates in front of you. “i got them on the way here,” the boy clarified just in case. “sure,” you shortly responded before snatching the box from his grasp. “so you told childe?” you asked as you started to tear the plastic wrapping around the box. “i didn't tell him anything,” he begins as you inspect the packaging of the chocolate. turning over the box you notice the price sticker is still on.

“wait, 10,000 mora?” the boy pauses his explanation to look at you, “kuni, your fangirls are treating you so well. you should go thank them,” you teased as you placed one of them in your mouth. “mmh, I will say, they’re are worth at least half of all that mora, the texture is lovely.”

the upturned corners of scara’s lips are now apparent as he watches you devour most of the chocolate. he’s glad you enjoyed them otherwise he wouldn’t know who else to turn to. in all honesty, scaramouche feels strange, this year valentines aren’t like all those years before. he still is bombarded with tens and tens of gifts however he has someone to go to after school rather than home alone this year. and though he is at peace, he still has one more thing on his mind.

“do my uh— fan.. girls bother you?” the boy blurts out.

you almost spit out your chocolates yet you end up choking on them instead. after calming down you decide to speak, “is that what's been on your mind the entire time? don't tell me. did childe say something that made you think that?”

“n-no.”

quickly, you get up from your seat to wrap your arms around your boyfriend's slim figure, “aw my poor baby, there's no need to worry.” you pout, your body hanging over his shoulders.

“i wasn't worried,” scara denies.

“aww, my prince was worried. there's no nothing to be ashamed of, i'll have you know i have my own set of fangirls, so if you were to be worried i’d hope it would be that instead.” scara only shakes his head in shame before taking the last chocolate from the box. notably faster than you did. “I thought you said you didn't like sweet things.” you questioned, raising him a brow as you waited for a response.

“i don't but this one's dark chocolate.”

do not copy of repost any of my works

@ miokki 2023

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thedrunkenreadersreviews · 3 months

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Alastor's Villain Era ...

EDIT: It has been confirmed on Alastor's official Hazbin Hotel Wiki page that he was, indeed, having a panic attack.

Fireball seemed fitting.

*Long sip, sip*

Okay, I have had some time to calm down and think about things. I rewatched it all and thought long and hard.

*Sip, sip*

What the heck was going on with Alastor in the finale? Well, I think it is tremendously complicated.

To be honest, I know the popular theory is that via his deal he HAS to be at the hotel probably to defend it. While I want to agree with this theory, I can't put my full faith in it. It is a good theory, a great one, one that I held onto for most of season one. Now I'm not saying I'm dismissing it, rather, I am having doubts.

Because he left after he was hit. And who in their right mind would send Alastor, a deal-making demon, to where Charlie is?

But for the sake of this post, I'm going with the popular theory that he is there because of the deal he made.

*Sip, sip*

But let's look at episode 7 and episode 8 as sort of a package. Viv is the most detailed animator I have ever seen. She puts the smallest details in everything; from the news crawls to Vox's blue screen, Alastor's coffee mug, Adam eating ribs, the pictures in the background of everyone's rooms, like there are so many things that give you more information than what the characters could give you themselves. Nothing is in there just to be there; it is all connected.

*Sip, sip*

Alastor's microphone is an extension of himself and that is made exceptionally clear in episode 8.

In episode 7, he gives Charlie his microphone.

He's slipping. And by that "fuck" moment in episode 8, he knows he is slipping.

I am of the mind that Alastor made that deal with Charlie for future plans regarding breaking his contract. He didn't ask for her soul (not entirely sure, but I have some theories as to why), and then took her to see Rosie.

Rosie, who he considers to be one of his only few friends. And while Charlie, who is going through a rough spot that Alastor is completely aware of, is trying to speak to the crowd, Alastor offers her his microphone---an extension of himself. He gives her a small thumbs up (such a dad move), and builds her up throughout the number.

And when he is alone with Rosie, watching Charlie sing about her stepping up to be the Princess of Hell, this is what they tell each other:

Rosie: They're marching along. They're singing her song!

Alastor: Surprised? Why, I knew she could do it all along!

Both: She's bound to pass the test as Princess of Hell! Like her daddy, she is madly powerful!

Alastor: She's filled with potential that I could guide.

Rosie: I concur!

Both: Stick with her and you'll be on the winning side!

Now let's look at episode 8 and what he says to Niffty, his other close friend:

Alastor: It's been a surprising thrill to witness these wayward souls find connection. It almost makes one sentimental, ay, Niffty?

Niffty: I really like them, Alastor. They let me put on roach puppet shows without booing.

Alastor: Ah, an enjoyable collective to be around. I admit, one could become accustomed.

It should be noted, that he is looking at them from above with his face in his hands, leaning on the rail of a balcony, as if he doesn't feel like he belongs among them ... but almost wants to be.

*Sip, sip*

While I think his verse with Rosie is more about being on Charlie's side for power, he didn't need to give her his microphone. And he was alone with Niffty, he didn't have to put on a front or say anything like that but he did.

*Sip, sip*

It is obvious that they talked battle strategy prior to the fight. Charlie, without question, is the strongest person in the hotel. Even Alastor knows this as he also knows Charlie does not know how to use her powers in such circumstances. So it is decided that he, the second strongest who knows how to use his powers in a battle-way, would go onto the roof of the hotel. It is decided that Alastor will cast the forcefield.

But more than that. After the "fuck" moment, when Charlie sees Adam return to the main melee, she says, "But Alastor was supposed to ..."

Meaning they agreed that Alastor was going to SOLO fight ADAM! That was the arrangement. And Alastor seemed all too happy to agree to it. But this is how he handles beings he knows have superior powers to him.

With Lucifer, he finds something he knows will get under Lucifer's skin.

With Adam, he openly mocks him and for a while, he may think that Adam is too sloppy to really do any damage.

*Sip, sip*

And then ... "ffffffuuck."

And he nearly dies. That wound is not small. Alastor is cut. Bad. And in that moment, when he is on the ground, looking around, manic eyes, that is pure prey behavior. That is pure terror.

Alastor is terrified. Because he got hit. Bad. And he is on the threshold of death.

In the stream before the premier, Amir refused to answer the question of what scares Alastor, saying it would be too much of a spoiler and Viv agreed with him.

Alastor is terrified of dying. He retreats to heal up; granted, after a blow like that, I am not sure he would have been any help should he have lingered. Was it cowardly? Yes. Did it make sense? Absolutely. He is terrified and too badly wounded to push on after that.

*Sip, sip*

And then we hear his verse in the song. And these lyrics, coupled with Amir's fantastic ability to convey so much emotion into Alastor's voice (who needs it the most on account of his permanent grin), and the eyes, the hand placements, his body language, even his smile is off.

Alastor is having a mental breakdown. He is having the mother of all panic attacks. He is on the brink of foaming at the mouth in madness.

Because he knows he is slipping, and this deal is going to get him killed.

He defended that hotel (probably because he was forced to) but also in part because he cares to some extent for the hazbins. At least, he is rather fond of them, as we see when he speaks to Niffty.

And the thought that he is slipping, starting to have emotions, is forced to be there (possibly), and cannot access all of his powers (as is implied in the lyrics of his verse) because of the deal he made, he cannot fathom it. He cannot accept it. It is mentally destroying him.

I got hurt. I got hurt bad. I almost died. I barely escaped. All because of this damn hotel and my damn deal!

The visuals of that scene, from the background and the accompanying music---which is much darker for Alastor's than any of the other character's verses---compounded spectacularly by Alastor's movements show us that he is slipping into madness. He is becoming desperate to be free of his deal, he wants not power per se but security. If enough people are afraid of him, if he has enough power and influence (which is where I think Charlie comes in) then others won't try to hurt him.

*sip, sip*

Alastor's verse starts off somber, him reflecting on the fact that he almost got killed. And then it is shifts into his own mocking.

I do not think he sings, "Great Alastor, altruist, died for his friends," seriously. He says it like it is a headline in a newspaper. And his expression! His eyes are wide and wild, his smile large and somber, his brows are furrowed, he's dragging a hand down his face. He is distraught at the thought of this. Me? Dying for them? No! Not going to happen! I won't let that happen!

And he immediately corrects us and himself for thinking that that is the case. "Sorry to disappoint [us, those watching]. That is not where this ends!" Here, he is angry. He slams his fist into the control panel, draws his claws through it, and emphasizes that not. He is telling us as much as himself that he will not die for such a noble reason. And he is certainly not done in Hell yet, as obvious by his very next line.

"I'm hungry for freedom like never before." His hands are around him---around where he got cut---before spreading outwards. His eyes, the whole time, are on his hands. This deal is suppressing his powers. And this deal probably put him into the hotel. He is looking at his hands as if willing his freedom and his power to come back to him, because if he had them, he wouldn't have nearly gotten killed.

*Sip, sip*

Now is where we truly start to see him slipping into madness.

This deal, this oppression of my powers, and the people I have met because of those two things nearly got me killed! No way in Hell can I accept that.

Alastor is now more desperate than ever.

"The constraints of my deal surely have a back door."

The animators zoom in on his face. His eyes are going all over the place, his hands are approximately covering his ears, his smile is more clenched teeth than anything. It is the purest expression of a panic attack I have ever seen (and as someone who has suffered from panic attacks so severe I had to be hospitalized on numerous occasions), it is spot on. Everything just seems so loud when you are in that bout of excessive worry. You look all over the place for possible dangers, it is difficult to stand up straight (Alastor has been slouching this entire scene when he usually has perfect posture) and you hunt for an answer with such eagerness that your mind runs a million miles a minute trying to find one while also sifting through every possibility of what could go wrong. That is Alastor's expression at that moment. I have seen myself having attacks. It looks exactly like that.

"Once I figure out how to unclip my wings ..."

You don't even see his face anymore. It's a back shot and he's walking toward an ominous green light, the color of his power when it is manifesting. And he is still slouched slightly, still unsteady.

*Sip, sip*

Now here is the tumble.

"Guess [his "ears" are down in airplane mode, guess who is tormenting me right now] who will [now his ears go up and he fully turns around to face us, but I won't be leashed to them for long] be pulling all the strings!"

This is when we see his face again, back to its more calm appearance. That is him telling himself that he will never be put in such a situation again. He is going to be the one moving the pieces, not the other way around. And he slowly comes out of that slouching position as this line progresses. And he lifts his arms up while emerging from the green light is his shadow---his powers---rising with his voice, his body, his eyes too.

*sip, sip*

And what seals it for me is that laugh. That is not the laugh we have heard from Alastor all season. Alastor starts with like a giggle in his throat that bubbles up into something louder and more sadistic. The laugh that we hear at the end of episode 2 is very similar to the one in episode 5 just before he goes on his rampage.

This laugh is manic. It doesn't start as a low giggle in the throat. It is in full volume from the get-go. The only way I can describe it is sort of like a Joker laugh. He is gone.

*Sip, sip*

It is a treat, a true treasure, to see an evil character again. Every time Alastor is on the screen, you really don't know what he is going to do next. Even though he said he is at the hotel to see people fail, I call BS as I think most people do. Sure, that may be just a perk to him, but that is not the main reason. At the end of season 1, we still do not know for sure what Alastor's motivation is. We still don't know beyond getting himself free what is his goal.

That is why he is so incredible to watch. He can go anywhere, he could do anything, and it will surprise us.

I don't think he is leashed to Lilith but there is certainly something there. As for being gone for 7 years, I have a few theories. Lilith apparently made a deal with Adam or Lute or someone, as when Lute tells her that Adam is dead she mentions that their deal is off now. I want to think more on my theories before I post them but the main one is, for whatever reason, I think Alastor was in purgatory for 7 years.

"How to unclip my wings." That's a very interesting choice of lyric and if there is one thing we know for sure about this show, every lyrical line is chosen very carefully.

*Sip, sip*

Well, I think this post is long enough. I see Alastor soon going into a manic rampage. What I wanted most since the trailer for season 1 dropped (based on some of the scenes that were in it) was for Adam and Alastor to fight on the roof of the hotel. And man, even though Alastor lost, I still loved it! It showed us so much about Alastor's character and why he thought he could handle Adam alone. Going into season 2, I want to see Alastor unleashed. Fully unhinged, manic out of his mind, unleashed.

And please, let me know what you guys think! I love reading your comments. It helps me develop new theories too.

As the King Roach himself said in the Pilot:

Stay tuned!

*Sip, sip*

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin hotel charlie #hazbin hotel spoilers #hazbin hotel episode 8 #hazbin hotel episode 7 #hazbin hotel season 1 #hazbin hotel season 2 #hazbin hotel adam #vivziepop

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siriusblack-the-third · 6 months

Note

Headcanons for Sirius black?

YES YOU CAN HAVE THEM

Smart. Like, really fucking smart.

Has silver eyes. Not grey. It's the brightest hue of silver you have ever seen, and he has this habit of staring straight into your eyes that makes him absolutely terrifying.

Intimidating as fuck. He's six foot four and built like a fucking tank, and has the most intense Resting Bitch Face™ ever. People literally scramble to get out of his way when he's walking down a corridor.

French. I know I've posted about Indian Black Family, but I have a soft spot for French Sirius.

Has the best poker face ever. The only time you will see him fazed is when James is hurt, insulted, or in danger. The whole school learnt very quickly (as early as the marauders' second year, in fact) that going after James is a Bad Idea™. Sirius could and would kill them slowly and painfully if they dared.

Gets annoyed easily, but almost never gets angry. He's scared of his own anger, because it's so similar to his mother, and the only times he has ever gotten truly angry was once when he saw Regulus being tortured by Walburga and the second time at Peter on the Samhain of 1981.

The exact opposite of reckless. Contrary to popular belief, he hates jumping into situations before thinking shit through, and has stopped James from making impulsive decisions way too many times to count. Even when people think he's being reckless, he knows exactly what the fuck he's doing, what the consequences are going to be, and how to deal with said consequences.

Wears black and emerald green the most, but also likes sea/sapphire blue shades. Surprisingly, he hates wearing red, because the colour reminds him of the deep red velvet drapes and cushions in Walburga's room.

Plays the violin, and enjoys it. He's good at it, too. At Hogwarts, people will form a silent gathering in the common room to listen to him as he plays in his empty dorm. It's become a thing. Everyone thinks Sirius doesn't know,but James told him the first time it happened. Sometimes, he plays on the first day of school after the summer, winter or Easter holidays, as a form of comfort to the children who don't really feel at home in their own houses.

Absurdly competent. He's outstanding at everything, even if he doesn't work at it— one of those people who don't need to work to get excellent results. James is the same, and it annoys the fuck out of Remus and Peter, but they help everyone out with schoolwork a lot so nobody actually has too many negative feelings about it (ahem- except for one Severus Snape)

N E R D. Seriously. Will talk nerdy shit with James for hours on end, because both of them are Nerds™. I will die on the hill of Nerd!Sirius Black, and your opinion is invalid if it's not the same as mine bc my opinion is actually canon I don't make the rules.

Long, wavy hair. He had short hair up until the end of fourth year, but then puberty hit and he realised long hair went better with his developing features. Makes him look so much like his grandfather that he has been mistaken for Arcturus several times.

School heartthrob, but didn't actually date anyone/have sex with anyone in school. He found out he was on the ace spectrum in fifth year because asked James to kiss him. He liked it, but the thought of going further didn't excite him like he thought it would. So he asked Marlene, and the outcome was the same.

Biromantic. Sex positive asexual.

No man at Hogwarts is straight, simply because of him. He's ridiculously handsome, and has people fawning over him and falling over these to get into his good books. Unfortunately for them, Sirius knows the names of like seven people out of the four thousand students that attend Hogwarts during his school career, and can't be bothered to remember the names or features of the rest of them.

Rude but polite, if ykwim? Gets called mean a lot, but argues that rudeness is not the same as mean. Rude is when you can't be bothered with pleasantries, he says, and mean is when you're cruel just for the sake of being cruel.

Him not being mean does not negate the fact that his cruel streak is wider and deeper than the Grand motherfucking Canyon. He has a particular talent for weeding out your insecurities, and will not hesitate to use them against you if you piss him off too much.

Prefers verbal sparring rather than a duel, but any fight he gets into, he wins. He has both intelligent quips and powerful magic up his sleeves and he will use them to his advantage if need be.

Absolutely loves mint dark chocolate, for some odd fucking reason. James and Peter always give him shit for it, and he always laughs in their faces before taking an even bigger bite out of the bar.

Nobody knows how many languages he speaks. So far, people have heard him speak English, French, Ancient Greek, Old Norse, Gaelic, Latin and Italian. James gets asked the question "how many languages does your best mate speak?" and he breaks into silly giggles. Refuses to tell the answer, says he likes to keep people on their toes. (Sirius speaks nine languages.)

Wears eyeliner sometimes. It's bold and winged and perfectly done, and has caused multiple fainting incidents because of the way it makes his silver eyes stand out even more than they already do. He says it makes him feel powerful when his eyeliner is perfect, and James answers that he is more than powerful enough, he doesn't need any more.

#sirius black #sirius black headcanon #sirius black headcanons #please do not tag w*lfstar #james potter #marauders ear #harry potter marauders #marauders #james and sirius #sirius orion black

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fatfables · 3 months

Text

Gainfully Unemployed:

A new fat fable about obsessive weight gain.

Gainfully Unemployed

Kyle California was his handle, I didn’t know his real name, not at first. I first came across his YouTube channel in early 2017. I was his first follower. I don’t know if it was his strong jawline, muscular biceps, or Pacific blue eyes that caused me to fall in love. Back then he had short brown hair spiked like a child’s, a deep tan from years spent lying by his parent’s pool, and a soft hairless stomach. His early uploads were of him jiggling his pudge and smiling. He always wore a pair of azure blue Quiksilver boardshorts and spoke softly about wanting to grow bigger. He would post his statistics below his videos. He said that he was 5ft 10 and 183 lbs with a 30 inch waist. He claimed to be 23 years old.

I was the first to subscribe to his Patreon and his OnlyFans. I felt honoured that he allowed me to share in his intimate moments. He invited me to shower with him, let me watch while he sat on his dildo and jerked his thick 10 inch cock right in my face. I really used to love that. I regularly sent him $10 tips that I really hoped he would spend on food. He promised me he would.

Kyle said that he loved to eat and it showed. I watched him working on his legs and arms in the gym. In the changing rooms he would film himself shaking his round belly wearing only a wet towel around his midriff. He wanted to remain healthy and muscular whilst continuing to grow his stomach. I watched him eat pizza and cream cakes. In May 2018, at my request, he bought the same azure boardshorts, 34 inches. He flexed his guns and stroked his swollen round belly. It was so soft, like his face, in contrast to his strong arms and chest. His thighs were thick and round like a fat ballet dancer’s. His ass was perfectly perk and succulent. I loved watching his cheeks bounce while he swallowed his dildo and came. We had such fun.

He first spoke to me when he answered my question on Tumblr and Instagram. Do you think you will always want to keep gaining? He was 220 lbs at this point and had developed nicely thickening love handles that stuck out half an inch over the boardshorts that so beautifully matched his eyes. Yes, I can’t imagine ever not growing bigger. I just love the feeling of too much to ever stop. I believed him.

By 2019 he was one of the most popular gainers online. He regularly got tens of thousands of views on YouTube and had hundreds of followers on his other socials. I was so proud of him. His belly was really starting to balloon, thanks to my encouragement and kindness. Kyle had such a perfect round gut that stuck out two or three inches beyond his 36 inch shorts. He looked so swollen all of the time. Like he had eaten a whole watermelon. He was the perfect all-American gay boy.

When the pandemic hit Kyle lost his service job meaning that his online presence was his only source of income. I felt so sorry for him and really appreciated his honesty and hardwork that he was putting into growing himself and his socials. I more than doubled my contributions and he almost doubled in size.

Being locked-down was so good for Kyle, he got to stay home all day and make a living from eating and jerking off online. I started paying for his Uber Eats and he was so thankful. The weight piled onto his belly, thighs, and ass as he ate junk food daily. Burger King was his favourite. He gobbled down Double Whoppers like they were Tic Tacs and the results were wonderful. During those months he exploded into a real sexy fat boy. His belly bulged and his butt ballooned. Stretch marks started to appear on his love handles as his body grew wider at an unbelievable pace. Quicksilver no longer made the same boardshorts so he would eat in just his underwear. XXL tighty whitey’s that were so deliciously tight. He could no longer go to the gym so his upper body and legs quickly began to soften. Kyle would play with his new moobs for me. Squeezing his thick man breasts while he sucked down supersized shakes. Lockdown was lonely for many people but not for Kyle and me.

By the time he went to get his first vaccination Kyle was 289 lbs. So close to the big 300. His youthful face was soft and chunky with chipmunk cheeks and a thick double chin. I had been with him all the way on his journey and was thrilled to finally be getting the chance to meet him in person.

I had been looking for jobs in Carmel for the previous six months and had finally landed a role at an online shoe retailer which paid enough to support both of us. It was important to me that Kyle could afford not to return to work, or the gym, in order to continue with his gains. When he announced that he was making enough money online to keep doing it full time I was delighted.

I found his parents' house on Google Maps. I had seen the exterior and pool enough times on his earlier videos. Locating his apartment was harder so I had to wait for him to visit his folks. I assumed that he would be thrilled to see me. We had now spoken a few times during his Q&A sessions and had always gotten along so well. I couldn’t wait but his fucking parent’s went and ruined it.

At first meeting him in person was perfect. He was even more beautiful in real life than in any picture or video and I should know, I took thousands of pictures of him during our relationship. He was so circular, a real buxom boy, with a massively plush ass, round and soft enough to turn the head of any Catholic Priest. His balloon belly bounced with every step as he walked up his parent’s driveway. He was wearing a dark yellow t-shirt that did nothing to hide the layers of fat that stuck so beautifully out the front of his distended abdomen. He was very surprised to see me.

At first I was shocked that he had forgotten my name but when he explained how many followers he had I forgave him. I was so proud of his success. When he asked me to leave I was initially furious but he explained that his parents were not aware of his online activities so it was inappropriate to introduce me to them at that moment. I accepted this explanation and told him that we could meet at Burger King the next day. I left in a very upbeat mood. When he didn’t show I was again enraged and sent him twenty seven DM’s. Eventually he responded saying that something else had come up. I tried to rearrange our next date but he was always too busy.

He kept performing online so I wasn’t too brokenhearted. Making videos must have been taking up a lot of his time. His gains had seemed to be slowing down though so I sent him a $200 tip with a short message saying to spend it all at Burger King. I signed it with lots of kisses. I was totally bewildered to discover two days later that the money had been redeposited in my account. Again I DM’d him only to discover that he had blocked my messages. I really started to wonder if I had done something wrong. The idea that I’d done something to upset him caused me real pain.

My mind was put at ease the next day when he posted that he had decided to stop gaining fat and wanted to regain more muscle. This initially relieved me, however, I couldn’t believe that he would make such an important decision without consulting me first. He had after all promised me personally that he would never stop gaining fat. I knew that I would find him at the gym. I had been there many times before.

When he saw me in the showers he completely lost his mind. I think his parent’s must have found out about his gaining or his OnlyFans or something. I’d never realised before that he could have such a short fuse. His heavy ass glistened when wet and his bulbous belly was so fucking beautiful. I gave it a rub as I knew he liked that, but my compliments didn’t calm him down like I’d hoped. He ripped his shorts trying to put them back on quickly and left the gym with his right ass cheek hanging out below his tight t-shirt.

I followed him to the parking lot trying to calm him down but it was no good. He had now gone stoney quiet so I was the only one doing the talking. I told him how much I loved him and how fat and beautiful he was. I even offered to blow him right there in his car. But it was all to no avail. He drove off at high speed.

I decided to follow him as I needed to make sure that he was alright. I hated seeing him so upset. All I wanted to do was take care of him. Keep him as my own fat boy. But I would never get the chance to take our relationship to the next level.

He was so stressed out that he ran a red light. The Uber Eats driver t-boned his sedan on the driver’s side. Kyle had left in such a hurry that he’d forgotten to put his seatbelt on. I never knew this before but airbags are designed to protect people wearing belts. The seat belt stops you from being thrown forward towards the deploying airbag. No belt hence massively increases the impact force. The coroner’s report said that Kyle’s heart had been dislodged. He died instantly. If there’s one lesson to be learned from this story it’s that seatbelts save lives.

His last post update said that he was 5 ft 10 and 296 lbs with a 42 inch waist size. He claimed that he was 23 years old.

At the funeral I met his parents. They were lovely and had no idea that Kyle had a boyfriend. They were pleased that he hadn’t spent all his time alone. His weight gain had been a concern to them and they were starting to worry about his well being. I assured them that Kyle had been fine and was perfectly happy with me. It was just a tragic accident. I didn’t mention how stressed and furious he’d been that day as I didn’t want to upset them. They were very nice people and I couldn’t get my head around why Kyle had been so angry at them. They seemed like such a nice family. It’s a real tragedy. I keep in touch with them every so often.

#gainer stories #gay gainer #feederism kink #gay gainer stories #weight gain stories #male wg #gaining fat #fat belly #fat boy #male weight gain #male gaining

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penmansparadise · 2 years

Text

Billy Hargrove and Max Mayfield ~ Dazzle Me

*I DON’T OWN THIS GIF* *CREDIT TO GIF OWNER*

Pairing: Billy Hargrove and Max Mayfield x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: None

a/n: This was requested from my Wattpad. This is a short one with a little Billy and Max sibling bickering. I hope you all enjoy it! The next post will be a Robin x Fem!Reader and then...the much-anticipated part two to The Adventurer and the Dungeon Master! I know you all are very excited lol. Anyway, as I said before, my requests are open, but it will be a minute before I get to any new ones. If you don't mind waiting, please send them in, and I will be happy to write something for you. As always, thank you for reading and the support!

The sun beat down on you as you stood in the parking lot waiting for Max. This was an everyday occasion since she joined the group of kids. You immediately gravitated to her once you got to know her, and she told you what her home life was like. She told you about her stepdad and how she feared for her and her mother’s safety. She mentioned her stepbrother in passing, but you knew who he was. It was hard to not know who Billy Hargrove was. From the first day he pulled into the school parking lot, he became one of the most popular boys in Hawkins.

At first, you didn’t give him a second thought. You didn’t share any classes or friends with him, so you had no reason to talk to him. But then Max started to invite you to their house after school. In the beginning, you came up with several excuses, but eventually, you gave in to her begging and followed her to Billy’s Camaro. It was that first time when you approached his car that you knew you were a goner. He was leaning against the passenger side door, a cigarette dangling haphazardly from his lips. Up close, he looked so much more attractive than the other girls had let on. His blue eyes pierced through you and his tight denim jeans hugged him in all the right places. You couldn’t help the tingle that zinged between your legs when a smirk pulled at his lips. Max introduced you to him, then hopped into the backseat, leaving you to sit in the passenger seat, and that was the beginning.

He didn’t say anything to you during the first two rides and visits. You would just get in the car, sit listening to his radio, then get out and follow Max to her room. It was the third time that he actually interacted with you. The car ride was the same, but when you got to the house, he offered you a drink. You didn’t get the chance to accept it before Max quickly dragged you to her room, slamming the door behind her. The next time, he didn’t wait till you arrived at his house to say something to you. The minute you reached his car, he told you he liked your shirt, sending a jolt of excitement up your spine. Your relationship started to blossom from there.

Eventually, Billy started approaching you in school until the two of you were skipping classes to talk under the football stadium bleachers. You had always thought Billy was cute, but the more you got to know him, the more you were attracted to him. He confided in you about his father and how he couldn’t wait to get out of Hawkins. He told you how much he really missed his mother and that you would love her if you ever got to meet her. You would just sit and listen, enjoying the little time you had with him. Eventually, those little moments turned to secret dates where Billy would scoop you up and take you to a quiet place where you could be alone. The two of you would curl up on the hood of his car and stare up at the sky, dreaming about the wonders that your future held.

Things went on like that for a while until one night, while resting your head on Billy’s chest looking at the stars, he asked you to be his girlfriend. You never said yes to anything so fast in your entire life. You did your best to keep it a secret from Max for as long as you could. But when she finally did find out, she grew extremely territorial. During car rides, she would prevent Billy from holding your hand. At their house, she wouldn’t give the two of a second to be alone. And on days you set aside to spend with Billy, she would find a way to intercept the two of you. Billy grew more and more irritated, but you just told him it was because she was jealous she had to share you with him. After all, you were like a sister to her. He didn’t agree.

“She has a crush on you, Y/N,” he had said one day while you watched him primp for a date. You laughed him off.

“No, Billy, she doesn’t.”

“Yes, she does. She’s constantly talking about you and trying to impress you. She won’t ever leave us alone.”

You walked up behind him and began stroking his biceps.

“What? Are you afraid you’ll get beat out by your stepsister?”

He turned to face you and cupped your face in his large hands.

“Never,” he said before planting a sweet kiss on the tip of your nose.

You fully anticipated Max’s little “crush” to disappear the longer you and Billy dated. But that was not the case. Instead, she tried even harder to get your attention, doing everything in her power to impress you. When Billy noticed this, he began doing the same thing. So now, it was a constant battle between who could impress you more – your boyfriend or his younger sister.

You were caught up in your thoughts when Max finally ran up to you. She flung her arms around your waist, pulling you into a tight embrace. You laughed at her before hugging her back.

“Hey, Red. You ready to head out?”

She let go of you with a wide grin.

“Yeah,” she said, her cheeks turning the color of her hair, “Thanks for waiting up for me.”

“Of course!” You said, ruffling her hair a little.

The two of you started walking deeper into the parking lot when Max tugged on your hand.

“Hey, so I’ve been practicing on my board and have some new tricks to show you.”

You didn’t get the chance to say anything before she threw her skateboard down and hopped onto it. She began rolling around, flipping the board and landing several intricate tricks. You watched her with pride until she rolled to a stop back in front of you.

“Wow,” you said, breathless, “Max, you’re getting really good! I’m impressed.”

Before Max could say anything in return, two arms snaked around your waist, pulling you into a firm chest. The familiar smell of tangerine and cedar filled your nose, and you let your eyes close for a beat. Billy’s soft tendrils tickled your neck as he leaned down to nuzzle your neck.

“If you want to see something impressive, I’ve got something I can show you.”

You could feel the heat crawl up your cheeks at the innuendo, and you let out a shy laugh as you twisted in his grip. Billy’s palms landed on your low back, damn near on your ass.

“Hi, baby,” you said, and he bent down, planting a warm kiss on your lips.

Billy let out a low moan, and Max scoffed.

“Sick,” she said in disgust.

Billy pulled back and gave her a scowl before taking your hand and leading you to his car. You could see Max’s sour face in your peripherals as you clung to Billy’s side. And as you got close to his Camaro, she ran ahead and opened the passenger side door for you. She gave you a toothy grin and bowed.

“After you, Y/N.”

You chuckled.

“Why, thank you, Max.”

She raised her eyebrows at Billy in challenge, and he growled as he let go of your hand and rounded the car. As he and Max walked around, you could see them arguing about something but couldn’t quite hear what they were saying. By the time they got in the car, the little tiff was over, but the tension was still there.

As he drove off, Billy slid his hand into yours on the center console, his grip a little tighter than usual. You narrowed your eyes at him and Max, but before you could ask what was going on, Max spoke.

“Oh, Y/N, I forgot to tell you I got an A on my math test last week.”

Billy scoffed.

“No one cares about your grades, Max.”

You shoved Billy’s arm, earning an annoyed side-eye from him.

“Hey,” you said, voice stern, “be nice. I care.”

Max leaned onto the center console and gave Billy a smug smirk.

“Yeah, Billy,” she said, “Y/N cares.”

Billy’s grip tightened even more on your hand. You rubbed your thumb over his palm, and it loosened as you turned in your seat to look at Max.

“That’s great news, Max.”

She hummed in response, then sat back. You could see Billy’s eyes narrow at her through the rearview mirror, then he turned to you.

“Yeah, well, I got asked to try out for the basketball team. Coach said I’d be a great asset.”

Max let out a loud groan, then said, “No one cares about your sports, Billy,” mockingly.

You let out a long breath in an attempt to not snap on both of them, then turned to Billy with the best calm smile you could muster.

“That’s awesome, baby.”

The tension only grew in the short time it took to get to their house, and by the time Billy pulled the car into park, it felt like you were suffocating. You hopped out of the car, but your reprieve was short-lived as Max ran up to you, grabbing your hand.

“Come on, I want to show you what I did to my room.”

You sighed.

“Max-”

“Woah,” Billy said, cutting you off, “no, I was going to show her that I can lift an extra fifteen pounds.”

Max dropped your hand and squared up to Billy. She was much shorter than her stepbrother, but that didn’t stop her.

“No one wants to watch you lift weights,” she said.

You ran a hand over your face. Ever since Max brought you home, she and Billy were constantly in competition. They went back and forth on who could impress you more, but today was too much, and you really didn’t have the patience anymore.

“Guys,” you said, but it was no use. Neither of them was paying attention to you.

“And no one wants to ‘see what you’ve done to your room,’” Billy said, giving his best Max impression. She bared her teeth at him as she took a step closer.

“Y/N is my friend.”

Billy went toe to toe with Max and growled, “And she’s my girlfriend.”

Max crossed her arms and stomped her foot down.

“I knew her first,” she shouted, sounding more like a kid than she did before.

Billy scoffed and threw his arms up.

“And!?”

You were about to pull your hair out as you stepped in between the two of them.

“Enough!”

Billy and Max finally looked at you as if they just remembered you were even there. You rubbed your eyes, tired of standing there watching them argue over you.

“What is going on with you two?”

They started talking over one another, attempting to explain themselves, but you held a hand up, silencing them again.

“I don’t want to hear it. I’m just gonna head home, okay? You two clearly need to figure this whole back and forth thing out.”

The two of them started to protest, shouting over each other again, and you shook your head.

“No! Max, I’ll look at your room next time. Billy, I’m sure I’ll see the results of you lifting an extra fifteen pounds.”

Max’s face scrunched up at your comment, and you rolled your eyes.

“I love you both,” you said, giving Max a peck on the top of her head and then Billy a soft kiss on the lips, “but I don’t have the energy to deal with the bickering today. I’ll see you later, okay?”

Billy and Max nodded, both pouting before you turned and walked off. As you made your way down the sidewalk, you could hear the two of them start arguing again.

“Look what you did,” Billy said.

“What I did?” Max shouted, “You’re the one who wanted her to watch you lift weights!”

“Yeah, well, you’re the one who has a crush on my girlfriend.”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

You just shook your head as their bickering slowly faded away. All you could think was that even though you didn’t want them to be arguing, at least they were finally acting like real siblings.

Taglist: @violetrainbow412-blog

#Billy Hargrove #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove imagines #billy hargrove fanfic #billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove x y/n #billy hargrove x you #stranger things #stranger things imagines #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fandom

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curio-queries · 3 months

Text

Run BTS: 047 | Protect the BTS Village part 1

Original Air Date: 03 APR 2018 Episode Length: 29:49 Total Parts: 2 YouTube English Subtitles: No Title Song: Blood Sweat & Tears

Synopsis: The iconic debute of the Blue Village saga. Think scavenger hunt meets a social deduction game (think werewolf/mafia for some, Among Us for others). I am completely biased by this concept. The best birthday party ever has was when my mom set up a scavenger hunt. When escape rooms became popular, i was so excited. so it's impossible for me to be objective with this episode. When I started watching Run BTS for the first time, i honestly didn't think there would be an episode that topped these.

Production: They do a great job with the location and getting coverage. the map graphic is a great piece of storytelling as well, it's a shame that it comes out a little stagnant with how little movement it's actually conveying so a more dynamic version would have helped with the pacing. The explanation screens are pretty excessive. i get that this concept is a little more complex and they are trying to avoid staff just rambling the setup, but this is definitely a crutch in these kind of eps. The art dep does a good job with what they need to do, but overall I'm not a fan. The one before the meeting is even more superfluous. I think we'd all rather have had more footage in the time consumed by that 'summary'. We just watched the scenes that it summarizes and we're about to listen to the members share it all with each other. The one after the meeting is quotes of what we just heard the members say...

Endearment: Call me crazy but I think these episodes have some of the best glimpses into authentic personality traits for the guys. They're honestly so bad at these types of elaborate setups that they have to spend the whole time focusing on that and less on being entertaining. so it feels a little more genuine.

Winner/Loser: see final part

Best Cheater: Jin, for that fake hint

Member Moments:

RM: Mechanic RM, doing such a good job trying to unravel the hints and figure out a meta of who is on his team.

JN: Bank President Jin, first instinct: make up a clue to point to Yoongi.

YG: Flower Shop Owner.... wait you can hear the intro to give it to me during his introduction?? i never noticed that before. Yoongi is so great in these kind of episodes, i don't know how to describe it, he's just the most chill version of dedication to the role playing and strategy

JH: Supermarket owner! I'm loving the irony of his description, "a social person with all the villager's info'... uh, with happens later with Jimin, Hobi clearly did not keep up with that trait! lol Hobi actually is pretty good at the searching aspect of these games, but you can tell he thrives in a team mentality. he knows how to point out what may be important and then brings it to someone else to get it to the finish line.

JM: Delivery man... i adore Jimin but you can tell that he struggled with the act. they clearly cut away from him every time something points to him being guilty. y'all i wasn't expecting to have any feels during this episode. the Jm/jk salute in the police station... i just wanted to watch a silly run ep, not be reminded of the ms.

V: Patisserie V! We didn't get much V coverage this episode, but we find out more about what he was up to in the next one.

JK: The least observant Police Officer in history. He literally picks up the hint and doesn't see it. Now it's obvious the guys were not given any direction regarding what they should be looking for, but the edit kindly points it out to the audience. bless poor JK's heart

Bonus Content: Much shorter than expected for this episode, and it's mostly the same scenes we had. does anyone know when the bonus content was released? it makes sense if it was before the final part, and they were trying to keep the reveal secret.

CQ Rank: 5

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(CQ Eval Date: 04 FEB 2024)

Check out this post for my Masterlist of all episodes and descriptions of how I'm evaluating these.

Previous Episode: 046

Next Episode: 048

#run bts #ep.047 #bangtan sonyeondan #bts #youtube #jeon jungkook #park jimin #jung hoseok #kim seokjin #kim taehyung #kim namjoon #min yoongi

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callmedanquixote · 1 year

Text

Blooming even in the shadows - Chapter 2

~ Blooming even in the shadows ~

Pairing: Gryffindor Hyunjae x Slytherin Fem!Reader x Slytherin Younghoon (feat. a bubbly Ravenclow Juyeon)

WC: 5.5k

Synopsis: Synopsis: Almost all of the Hogwarts student body had made your stay at the school a big nuisance. Just a couple more of years to get out of that place, expecting to go unnoticed and staying away from bigger problems. Unless the popular and obnoxious Bermuda Line (whom you had avoided at max for five whole years), decided out of the blue one day they were going to walk into your life, which for sure, more than one person wasn't going to like.

Genre: hogwarts au, fluff, angst, smut, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers (in no particular order)

TW: swearing, injuries, school violence, mention of insecurities + (I’ll be adding more in the future probably)

A/N: Hello! It’s a me, the most inconsistent writer ever hehe. I’m sorry that this chapter took so much time to finally be posted. Being an adult and having my work it’s really hard sometimes and I don’t have a lot of free time as I would like. But I definitely won’t abbandon this fic, much less when Hogwarts Legacy is around the corner and will give me so much inspiration for it.

I haven't double checked for grammatical errors, but if I notice any, I'll edit it.

Series Masterlist: Blooming even in the shadows

What were you thinking? Yesterday was such a crazy day. Why did you let Younghoon walk you to the common room? Of course, he hadn't accompanied ONLY YOU, he also lived there. But anyway. You felt very nervous as you walked in silence.

It wasn't an awkward silence, but it felt suffocating. As if you both wanted to speak, say something, but neither dared. You walked with your head down that now you knew every stone on the floor from the clock tower to your bedroom.

You honestly didn't want to get in any more trouble, so you tried to prevent anyone from seeing you together.

Near the entrance of the Slytherin common room, one of your classmates looked frustrated and bored. When he saw you arrive, his face lit up and he quickly approached you.

"Hoon! I left very quickly early in the morning and forgot that today was password change. Let me in with you. I've been waiting for hours for someone to come in. Seems that everyone is far away from here." Said the new boy while he took his arm and pouted at him.

While your classmate was distracting Younghoon, you took the opportunity to go unnoticed, you went ahead and practically ran to your room without saying goodbye.

And today, you wanted to hit yourself so hard on the head. You asked for it by being careless. You could've wait for Younghoon to return your books and then run to your room. But you didn't. Now, surely he was going to look for you again to return them to you.

And it was exactly like that. Younghoon had no idea what happened since it was so fast. One minute he was walking with you, and the next one his friend Seonghwa was hanging from his arm like a little kid asking for the new common room password, and suddenly when he wanted to talk to you again, you were gone.

You definitely disappeared faster than the ghosts in the castle.

He first felt disappointed because if you saw each other again, he didn't know how to aproach you to talk again. Finding you in the tower had been a good coincidence, but he knew he couldn't be that lucky. Does he?

Probably yes, because a smile returned to his face when he realized that he still had your books with him. The books that you necessarily needed for your classes the next day. So Younghoon thought it was really nice to be able to have a golden excuse.

Only he didn't think that the next day it would be so difficult to find you in the morning.

The best plan that your silly head could think of was to sneak out very early in the morning to avoid running into that blond boy. It was so early that there weren't any students in the common room yet, so you left with the utmost peace knowing that you were free.

Or so you thought it would happen, if it weren't for the fact that outside, leaning against one of the walls, radiant and forming a huge smile when he saw you, it was Lee Juyeon. That boy really didn't give up, but at the same time, it was very hard to feel truly uncomfortable in his presence.

Apparently his silly head had the same idea as you. Leaving so early in the morning to be able to find you and accompany you to your class even if you didn't have the same schedule. So not wanting to fight, you reluctantly let him stay by your side.

As you headed to the classroom, you noticed that everything was noisier than usual. And it was because while every day you walked quietly and calmly on your own, going with Juyeon, was like making lumos in a completely dark corridor. You both inevitably called (no, shouted) the attention of others. Students from all the houses and all the years greeted Juyeon and wished him a good day at school, and the boy kindly smiled and exchanged a few words with everyone.

It looked like the fucking spring witches parade. And since you weren't used to it, you felt very uncomfortable. Especially for having the curious and not very good stares of people on you.

"I didn't think you were such a morning person. You have too much energy." You complained in the middle of a sigh, avoiding his gaze.

"You could get used to it from now on. The others will also get used to seeing us together because we are going to be friends." He spoke softly.

"According to whom?"

"Destiny. Never judge fate, YN."

Inadvertently, your chest heaved with excitement. But it was something you wouldn't even admit to yourself in thoughts. Don't flatter yourself, YN. You repeated to yourself not with much conviction. What bullshit and nonsense was this guy saying?

"Merlin’s pants! How fucking cheesy you are.

Arriving at your classroom, you quickly entered without looking back and Juyeon stopped at the door while he waited for you to take a seat (away from the entrance, but close to where the professor would be) and you listened to him saying –more like yelling- words of encouragement to you.

"Enough, Juyeon. We'll see each other in the next class." You yelled in a whisper with your head down and you felt a little embarrassed. It looked like the scene of a proud father dropping off his daughter on her first day of school.

Lucky you, there weren't many people yet. Your classmates laughed because Juyeon was like a walking vitamin. You ignored him so he would go away once and for all.

You weren't going to deny that it was nice to hear words of support from him. It was like being given a big gift on a day that wasn't your birthday.

When the blue haired boy left, you finally noticed the place. You started to feel very anxious but excited at the same time. Your heart was beating fast just with the anticipation, and you smiled inadvertently as you thought and thought. You were determined that today would be a good day.

Damn Juyeon with his good humor and all that contagious shit.

You were so engrossed that you barely noticed that someone sat behind you and gently touched your shoulder.

When you turned around, you didn't expect to see him so happy and confident. It wasn't very common to see that young Slytherin being like this. Much less, talking to someone who wasn't part of his elite few friends.

"YN, yesterday Hwa distracted me. That dummy forgot the password." He told you as if it were daily bread to tell you about his life or something as banal as that. "I didn't even realize you were gone. I have your books, but I can give them to you in the next class so you don't have to carry them and you'll be more comfortable."

Observing that strange exchange of words, Lee Jaehyun, who was sitting next to his blond friend, was perplexed. When had you two been together? Were you close enough to lend each other books?

Jaehyun inevitably thought about what happened the day before. He wasn't going to deny that he was embarrassed by the way he acted and by what he said to you without understanding what was happening.

He had to accept that he was deeply upset by what his Slytherin friend had said the day before. How come you didn't feel comfortable in his presence? You practically didn't know him well enough to say that. And then the situation where he found you later with those girls, he definitely didn't know what happened, but they were on the floor crying, and you just looked upset. He had no idea of what happened. It wasn't coherent that you alone had hurt five girls.

Something in all of this was off. But Jaehyun was too proud to ask you about what happened and much more to apologize for his attitude. He didn't owe you anything.

But Jaehyun was curious.

Without thinking, the Gryffindor boy took his stuff and moved to the seat across from him. Right beside you. Right at the moment when Professor Lupin entered.

You quickly turned to look at him with a frown as if he were a three-headed creature, and before you could say something and ask him to leave, you locked eyes with the new Gryffindor boy who was accompanying the professor to his desk. As soon as he met your stare, he gave you one of those huge smiles you always saw on him and waved at you as he helped set things up.

Your heart skipped a beat.

Lee Sangyeon. A sunbae who was a year older, prefect of the red house, and captain of his Quiditch team. He too, was one of the kindest and most attentive people you knew, and one of the few people you talked to in good terms at school. And that's not to mention that he was incredibly handsome and looked spectacular with that cute dimple and his perfectly pinned caramel hair.

Your hands trembled a bit and you closed them tightly to calm yourself down. You felt your cheeks burn and inevitably a smile formed on your face. A gesture that didn't go unnoticed by either of the two boys around you. Younghoon looked thoughtful and Jaehyun was quite surprised.

They both knew (from Jaehyun) that Sangyeon would be going to be a "helper" in Defense Against the Dark Arts class since the boy was excellent at non-verbal spells and that was what's going to happen in your class that school year. Basically any student in the class with the Slytherins and Gryffindors could come up and ask him for help so that the professor could pay better attention to everyone.

Younghoon frowned as he realized what his friend wanted.

"Yah, why did you change seats? A few minutes ago you told me not to leave your side and now you're leaving me." The other boy just gave him a mischievous smile. "At least consult it with YN first. Who told you that she wants to work with you?"

You thought irritably (because of the Gryffindor next to you) that he was right. Ever since Sangyeon mentioned to you last year that you would see each other in this class, you had been waiting impatiently for it. There was a reason you had chosen a seat so close to the professor's desk. Maybe not for anything you had taken a few extra minutes in the morning when you were getting ready. What was this guy doing?

"Juyeon said that his 'girl friend'" he said with a mocking tone the last word. "was very intelligent, wasn't she? This year I need to raise my grades, so with her it'll be easier. You can serve me for something YN." He finished speaking with a haughty air.

Wow, what a despicable guy. You closed your eyes to keep calm and not curse him out in front of everyone.

Younghoon on the other hand, had a lot to say.

"Dude, wtf? Jaehyun! It…it's for a long time." Poor boy looked quite frustrated. "Jae, you know I don't want to work with someone I don't know."

"Tell any of your fellow Slytherins. You get along with some, right? Didn't you say that you were even with Seonghwa yesterday?"

You looked at Jaehyun and thought surprised how was he able to abandon his friend like that. Younghoon clearly talked to a lot of people, but that didn't mean he was an open person. His seatmates had always been either Jaehyun or Juyeon and you had never really seen him during classes with someone else.

"What the hell are you planning Lee? Come back to your seat."

"This is my new seat." Jaehyun suddenly turned around and motioned for Sangyeon to come over. You wanted to hit this guy so fucking hard. "Hyung, will you help Professor Lupin in general, or will you work alongside someone else?"

"A bit of both, Jae." The Gryffindor captain gave you all a confused smile. He didn't knew you three talked to each other. When did you become close? "Hi YN." He gently caressed your head while smiling. You looked at him nervously but you also smiled and greeted him nervously.

"Hyung, do you need a partner?" Jaehyun insisted again towards his captain. Sangyeon looked at him and then directed his gaze at you looking determined. However, Jaehyun interrupted again. "No YN, hyung, you can work with Hoonie. Younghoon, stop complaining, you already have a new partner. And it's the assistant's professor, who better than hyung to be with in this class?"

You, Sangyeon and Younghoon look at him surprised. Why was he so bossy? Younghoon even wanted to tell him then why didn't he pair up with Sangyeon but he already knew, what Jaehyun wanted was what was done. And he knew that this had nothing to do with him or Sangyeon. It was a nuisance. No one there felt 100% satisfied but they didn't say anything else since Professor Lupin began to explain to the class that this course was in pairs because you would practice just non-verbal spells.

The first few classes he would teach you how to cast attack spells and defense spells, and then you would have to practice using them against your seatmates only inside Hogwarts.

"Sangyeon is a sunbae who will be helping whoever needs it in my class. Don't be shy, if you find him outside the castle and have any questions, you can also ask him, or come find me in my office." The professor spoke calmly. "Non-verbal spells are difficult to perform and control, they take a long time, so I encourage you not to lose hope during the class. I hope that maybe you manage to execute one at the end of the course, or at least, I hope that you can avoid the antics of your seatmates."

"Miss LN, I look forward to seeing your performance. I have heard very good things from the other professors about you and your use of non-verbal spells. I hope that Mr. Lee knows what awaits him in the following months, 'cause if not, Mr. Lee, you can consult the infirmary whenever you like. –The students in the class laughed at the professor's joke.

Jaehyun immediately turned to see you.

"So you know how to make potions that Slughorn likes and you're good at this too?" He asked surprised.

"You have no idea Jae, she's more than good." The captain Interrupted before you could answer.

"How come you two know each other?" asked the youngest of the Gryffindors with some suspicion.

Without even looking at him, you answered under your breath, "It's none of your business, Lee."

But it was his business, Jaehyun thought. He didn't understand his curiosity about you, but he was grateful when Sangyeon spoke again.

"Usually we met in nearby places when we studied in the library. YN always has her head buried in all kinds of books; some even very advanced. So there were some things that I needed help with for a class, and she explained them too well." Sangyeon spoke with a smile as he remembered how you had met. "She really is brilliant! And I really wanted to come back to this Lupin class to see what YN knows how to do."

Younghoon watched that exchange silently but his eyes looked very curious. It was to be expected that Sangyeon would have such a facility to approach and make anyone feel comfortable, including you.

"How can it be possible? I thought you were like an outcast who had no friends. Juyeon and Younghoon said it." You heard Jaehyun say with zero shame.

"Lee Jaehyun! What's wrong with you?"

"Yah Jaehyun! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Sangyeon and Younghoon yelled in annoyance at their inconsiderate friend. You felt your cheeks burn with anger and humiliation because, okay, maybe he hadn't told any lies, but honestly, why did he care? You knew that there were rude people with you, you knew that that Gryffindor was rude, but it was completely different when he said it in front of a person whose opinion you did care about. And to you, Sangyeon wasn't just any person. Even if there was no chance, he was still the guy you liked and made your heart flutter.

"YN, you don't have to listen to something so silly… Jae has no manners." The older one whispered under his breath.

"YN, it's not true what he's saying, we never..."

Both boys were trying to caught your gaze, but you didn't want to see his pitying expressions.

You decided to close your mind and thoughts in a black box and ignore everything that happened in that class from now on. You concentrated on listening to the professor's words and pretending that the three boys around you didn't exist.

Jaehyun didn't stop moving the whole time in his place, but he didn't say anything. And even if he had, you wouldn't have listened to him either.

When Lupin announced the end of the class, your seatmate looked with every intention of opening his mouth again, but you took your things and left immediately without waiting for anything.

Jaehyun was bewildered. Not because of how you had reacted (cause honestly, who would want to talk after something like that?), but because of himself. He was a joker, and he knew some of his jokes were very heavy, but that hadn't been a joke, it had just been a nasty, rude and insensitive thing. Besides, he was like that with his friends, not with a person he didn't know or didn't have some trust in him.

Therefore, what was questioned the most was why he was being like this with you? Was it because you were the first person that didn't feel comfortable with him and it bothered him? Was it because he distrusted you because of what those girls told him a day before? Was it because on the contrary, with Juyeon, Younghoon and Sangyeon you were fine? Or was it because all of his friends were sticking up for you and they clearly liked you and he didn't know you?

Before he could leave the classroom, he felt a very strong gaze on him and without having to actually see, he knew that it was a very, very angry captain.

"What you said was really disgusting, Jae. You can be a bully to your friends, you can be a bully to our Quidditch mates cause that's how you all get along, but you can't be like that with her." The older one scolded him while frustratedly touched his temples. "Do you know how much she endures every day? YN is a really good person who doesn't deserve to be treated like this."

And without thinking, like a terrible verbal vomit, Jaehyun only managed to answer. "What do I care about a Slytherin who's an orphan and a mudblood? Or do you LIKE her, Sangyeon, and that's why you defend her so much?

Sangyeon looked at his hoobae and friend just disappointed. "I've seen too many things about you Jae. Too many. As many good as bad. But I never expected to hear you talk like that one day. Do you realize how unpleasant it is?" The brunette let out a tired sigh. "We can be friends, Jaehyun, but not cause we're close I'm going to let you talk to me like that. And I'm not only your captain, I'm your prefect and my duty is to take care that no student behaves like this. Those are not our values as Gryffindors. It doesn't matter who you are."

Jaehyun felt heavy. And yes, he felt very embarrassed. But since he was in a streak with unfiltered replies, he said: "Ok then, where were you yesterday when YN attacked five students with magic?"

Immediately Sangyeon's countenance changed to a surprised one and he asked. "What happened to her?"

Stupid Jaehyun, can't you keep quiet? He berated himself inwardly as he regretted having said too much. He was no fool, Sangyeon was a very good person, but as a prefect he was quite strict because he played by the rules very rigidly. And he knew that this could bring you a lot of trouble.

"Jae, explain to me what happened with YN."

"Hyung, it's getting too late for my next class, see you in practice."

"No practice today. Not all week. You're grounded so you can reflect on your attitude."

"What the fuck, Sang?! We have a game soon, I can't stay without practicing."

"Tell me what happened with YN and I'll only give you 3 days."

The younger of the Gryffindors remained grumbling but stayed silent and left angrily without saying goodbye to his captain.

He was looking like a complete fool. And on top of that he was grounded. He couldn't help but think that these consequences were because you were meddling in his life, and he wasn't going to sit idly by.

As soon as you flew out of the classroom, Younghoon took his things more than quickly and ran after you until he caught up with you.

"YN…"

"I don't want to hear justifications on behalf of your stupid friend." You answered defensively without letting the blond say more.

"I'm not here to justify him. In fact, he is stupid. YN, you really, really, don't have to feel bad about anything that comes from Jae's poisonous mouth." You heard him say firmly while he searched for your gaze.

You turned to the opposite side and remained silent. You didn't want to talk about it.

You kept walking towards your potions class and while looking at the floor you saw that Younghoon was still next to you.

"Don't let Jae get to you… it's not worth it." You heard him say in a pretty low voice that sounded sad.

"I… I receive comments like this, some much worse, every day. What Jaehyun said just joins to the huge list as one more."

The Slytherin boy probably didn't mean anything bad, but when he insisted on speaking again you looked at him and not knowing why, you spoke.

"Younghoon…"

He was startled to hear you say his name so softly.

"It's humiliating for me to have to acknowledge the way other people treat me. I don't want, I really don't want, to hear condolences of someone who has everything so easy in his perfect life." Your chest felt very heavy as you kept talking without thinking. "Juyeon doesn't understand that getting close to me has consequences. And not for him, for me it becomes worse! And if anyone else gets to hear the way Jaehyun is making fun of me, then they're all going to give themselves another free pass to tease me to death. And I… I'm just fed up.”

You felt your eyes sting but you tried not to blink so that no tears would fall. Younghoon was petrified in his place feeling all the sadness that emanated from you without you realizing it. It was heavy and gray. A very dark grey. And he didn't know why, but he just wanted to do something so you wouldn't feel like this anymore.

"You have no idea how horrible it is to hear something like that in front of one of the few people who speak well to me in this castle." You thought of Sangyeon and his worried face. "Mostly I'm afraid that he'll change his opinion about me… because then what will I have left?" You ended up whispering. You were so lost in thought that you didn't even know you were saying it all out loud.

Aloud. You started to panic. You shouldn't have said anything you just practically threw up. You stayed silent.

The two of you kept quiet and you panicked about everything you just spilled so you leave quickly. Younghoon stood there surprised and overwhelmed by the strong feelings of heaviness and sadness that he felt from you. He didn't get into your thoughts, but it wasn't necessary to know that you were feeling very bad even if you put up a strong front every day. And he knew it because he had been watching you from afar for years.

When Younghoon came to Hogwarts, he was even more shy and reserved than he is now. And not precisely because he didn't like to talk to people. On the contrary, he would rather talk to people than have to listen to them ALL the time in his head. But from a very young age, the young Slytherin developed strong abilities as a legilimens and it was very difficult for him to stop feeling or silence others. Also, his parents had constantly warned him about not being able to tell anyone how easy it was for him to get into people's minds because that information in the wrong hands could put him in danger.

So it was never his intention to get into any relationship with anyone other than his lifelong friends Jaehyun and Juyeon. This two guys who even though they knew about Younghoon's ability, always kept this knowledge only with them. And not only that, but they never treated him as someone different or showed that they had any hidden interest in what he could do.

Therefore, he had no idea why since his first day in Hogwarts, as his house prefect took them to their common room after the welcome dinner, he had been interested in the little girl who was frowning and stayed away from her other classmates.

Younghoon had felt something very strong when he met you and he didn't know how to identify it because it was very different from previous times with others. It had never happened to him that he didn't know the emotion emanating from a person, but he thought the easiest way to make it work was to name it after a color that was close enough. And because of that, most of the times he saw you, he subconsciously called you dark gray.

Throughout the years of the boy seeing you from a distance, he had realized how serious, scared, shy and annoyed you felt towards your peers.

He was no fool, he had soon realized the way they treated you, and sometimes he listened to what they said about you or even about your family. And he would always see how you "ignored" all that gossip, but he, far away and secretly, knew that you weren't immune to those attacks.

He also didn't understand the fact that someone genuinely enjoy spreading rumors with no idea where they came from or calling you names.

One of his favorites was the mudblood trash, cause they said you grew up in an orphanage without knowing who your parents were. He had also heard on other occasions that your parents had been drug-addicted Muggles who left you on your own. And still others said that your parents had died in the wizarding war for supporting the dark lord.

But Younghoon simply didn't think there was any truth to all those rumors.

After all, people liked to make up too much stuff about each other just to have something to talk about. They always thought it was okay, as long as it wasn't themselves. He knew it firsthand, and he kind of related because Younghoon wasn't the person everyone said he was.

Just like Jaehyun and Juyeon, but at least they knew each other and had each other for support, and it was still hard sometimes. So he didn't know how you'd put up with it for so long alone.

At first he didn't mean to poke around, and sometimes, even though he didn't like to admit it or was told it was wrong, he would dig a little inside for something he called "curiosity" because he wanted to know how you could look so composed and unruffled with so much on your shoulders. But inadvertently, that marked him when he began to notice your pain deep down when people annoyed you, he felt your loneliness, he felt your sadness, and he felt your anger almost as if they were from himself.

He had never felt a person like you.

But also, by observing you so much, there were moments he had seen that you smiled when you thought no one was seeing you, like when some difficult spell worked out for you, when you drank mint chocolate in winter or when you were in front of the windows of the common room and you saw the giant squid. And in those moments, dark gray didn't exist.

Nor did he think you were a bad person as many wanted to believe, because no one had to tell him that when he had seen you -while reading in the trees that overlooked the entrance to the forest- several times going in alone to play with some animals and to bring them food.

Or how you sometimes helped people behind their backs. Like when Ronda Patkins spent days crying in the common room because she couldn't find her cat and he accidentally looked when you found it and left it near her to make sure it came back to her. All so that days later he would hear the same girl talking bad about you.

He was very angry with people.

Younghoon didn't know why he cared so much about you, but he did and he had decided long ago that it was better to stop questioning him. In the end, no one but him knew and it was his own secret.

Now he knew that he had the opportunity to get close to you, the boy genuinely wanted you to feel safe and content in the company of someone. So you could have what you secretly yearned for inside.

The blond knew that he and Juyeon meant well, but with Jae being more of a jerk than usual, it was going to be hard for you to let them in.

You walked aimlessly just feeling panic. You were debating whether to get into your next class, where Juyeon would obviously want to talk to you, and you didn't feel confident enough to pretend nothing was wrong. And you couldn't see Younghoon either, who would also be there, after having blurted out everything you said to him. Damn, why did he have to be another stupid Slytherin.

So the most "prudent" decision that occurred to you was to quickly leave the castle and hide with a book in front of the black lake. At this time not many students would be in the area and it would help calm all the anxiety you were feeling.

You didn't even know where that explosion of words had come from and you felt too ashamed. For you, for a long time, having real human emotions had felt like something forbidden and wrong for you to do. And the worst thing is that you had dropped this whole facade in front of nothing more and nothing less than one of the members of the bermuda line. And not just any of the trio, but the quietest, most serious and most intimidating boy of them.

You didn't stop over analyzing the situation and probably right now he was thinking about how pathetic you were.

Your chest felt contracted, heavy. Your anxiety was still going at thousand miles. It was like you stripped naked in front of Younghoon and you just wanted to cringe the more you thought about it. And in the humiliating words of the stupid Jaehyun. And in the condescending face of Sangyeon, the boy you admired the most in that place.

As you walked along the shore of the lake, careful not to trip, going over a thousand conversations in your confused head, you felt someone tap your shoulder. You were so absorbed that you hadn't heard that someone was following you and you were so startled that without thinking twice or contemplating the consequences, you took out your wand and with a non-verbal spell (which you definitely couldn't use outside of class) you threw the person to the lake.

Oh no! Shit, shit, shit. What trouble did you just get yourself into? And if you ran from there? Did they know who you were? Have they seen your face? Would they accuse you? Of course they was going to accuse you. Would you help that person to get out of the lake? Of course, you weren't a murderer and you didn't even know if that person knew how to swim. What if one of the creatures in the lake hurt them?

You got as close as you could to the shore, squatted down, and stretched out your hand. Long fingers closed tightly around your wrist as you pulled and you heard:

"The fuck is wrong with you, YN!"

This couldn't be happening to you.

#the boyz fanfic #the boyz fluff #the boyz angst #the boyz imagines #the boyz hogwarts au #hyunjae fanfic #hyunjae imagines #hyunjae hogwarts au #hyunjae x reader #hyunjae fluff #hyunjae angst #younghoon fanfic #younghoon imagines #younghoon x reader #younghoon hogwarts au #younghoon fluff #younghoon angst #juyeon fanfic #juyeon imagines

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fincalinde · 1 year

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Mama Lan

Oh now this is challenging and you are a fiend who will someday pay for your crimes.

a song that reminds me of them

Going to have to pass on this one, I can't think of anything really.

what they smell like

We know so little about her it's impossible to speculate pre-confinement, but post-confinement I presume it would be sandalwood like all the Lans. Let me take this opportunity to raise a point that has also bothered me for several years: unless someone knows more than me about this particular variety (entirely possible!), blue gentians have little if any scent. I believe the roots and other parts of the plant have a stronger scent when processed for extracts or similar, but a mass of blossoming gentians actually wouldn't smell that strongly.

an otp

N/A, we just don't know enough about her for me to have any shipping preferences in that regard.

a notp

While I know there is technically room to speculate that she did come to love QHJ, I don't think it's the most likely conclusion based on the information we have. The idea isn't something that charms and delights me either. I quite like not knowing the details because, although I'm not totally on board with LXC's desire not to know the truth, I think we know enough to be sure that it is not good. The world of MDZS is not a world where a woman who didn't return a man's love somehow conveniently came to fall for him during or after being consigned to solitary imprisonment for the rest of her life.

Reading between the lines I think the most likely sequence of events is that she chose this life over death and therefore her consent to things such as sexual activity is technical at best. I'm sure there's some good work out there around that, but it's not something I would read whether consensual or nonconsensual or ambiguous; the entire situation makes my skin crawl.

Gun to my head I find coercion less distasteful than a theoretical attempt to sell me on a genuine loving relationship existing between these two particular characters.

favorite platonic/familial relationships

Hands down LXC, mostly because this is another example of how LXC's needs are always treated as secondary to LWJ's. I'm fully aware that LXC tells the story of his mother's life and death to WWX specifically to try to communicate something to him about LWJ (I wonder what that could be), but it is still heartbreaking to me that this man describes his brother's grief in detail and doesn't spare a word for his own.

It's even worse to think of how traumatic it must have been to lose his mother, when he loved her just as much as LWJ did but had the additional burden of worrying about and caring for his didi. Both Twin Jades are raised under unfathomable pressure, but LXC's burden is still the greater and he bears it with such grace that no one ever even notices. This is why it's important to note the lengths JGY goes to in order to ensure LXC's comfort and remove as many burdens and stressors from his life as possible.

I also love the little touch that LXC often visits his mother's house—a thing that unless I've forgotten something is not mentioned in relation to LWJ, and that I therefore choose to read as being unique to him. It's nice to imagine that he has his own genuinely private space, even if being in that space is bittersweet. Clearly he feels closer to his mother there than at the family shrine, which is another nice touch emphasising how their love for each other had to exist outside orthodox spaces.

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with

I am deeply weary of fandom's steadfast conviction that the yassification of any and all female characters is a powerful feminist statement. I think I will just leave this one here.

the position they sleep in

I hope she sprawls all over that damn bed every night, and I hope QHJ never stays long enough to fall asleep in it.

a crossover au i’d love to see them in

I'm not saying never, but my instinct is that I really prefer her to remain as mysterious as she is in canon and not feature directly. That doesn't really lend itself to crossovers.

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn

The one covered in the blood of QHJ's teacher. I don't even care whether or not said teacher had it coming.

#ask #xiyao-feels #roquen meta #she functions quite well as a nebulous figure #it's funny because we know so much more about ms #despite ms also not featuring directly #and having died before the narrative proper begins #i realise there are explanations for all this #where qhj comes off slightly better #but not better enough for my money #it's just so damning that we know she didn't return his affections #with that as part of the puzzle #there are still multiple ways to fit the pieces together #but without exception all the resulting pictures make my skin crawl

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mad-as-a-box-of-frogs · 1 year

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Hiiii! I normally see you around on the marcsteven tag a lot and I was wondering if you have any fic recs of them? I’m starving for content it’s been so long 😩 Any site is fine, but ao3 works best in my phone! /nf

Do I ever, anon :D (I'll keep this to fics under 500 or so kudos since I'm assuming you've already read the popular fics like Last Night I Watched Myself Sleep and Making Two Reflections into One)

Adjustments by Nagem is 12k, never got enough love imo, and is my favorite finished fic <3 If you don't mind a side of Marcstevenjake polycule, the sequel Waiting Room is always quite excellent too <3

If you don't mind separate bodies au's, I love the 4 part series And for the first time in all my life I Know I'm more than what I fear by dealthydan

Let me love you while the moon is still out by Lady_Clow is a hauntingly beautiful little fic.

If you don't mind ambiguous endings, I really liked the The Happy Ending by kimmy and Mkocuria. (the art at the end is delicious too <3)

come on, come on, darlin by above the ruins, is the sweetest little 5 things + 1 fic, especially if you love the moon boys using petnames with each other. Their second fic We can live right here (like a memory) is also quite good.

you'll wind me up or you'll wind up dead by opensoulsurgery

You Tried to Be a Hero by highkingpenny. 16k, no explicit sex really despite the rating, but I loved the banter between Marc and Steven (still crying over Marc calling Steven his little noodle boy)

If you haven't already, I'd also say check out anything marcsteven that's been written by the AO3 writers TheCarrot, usurp, lostmagician, gloss, pardillo, nakimochiku, It's_brilliant_thor, kika444, and snapdragonpop007. I'll read anything they write, and total, they make up probably half of my reading list anyways.

And if you don't mind WIPS (most of these update semi-regularly), Consider the Flowers (They Don't try to look right) by sacrificeplay and Narcissus in Blue by chashuu are two of the fics that gave me the most Moon knight brain worms. Fall Into Line by Yersifanel is a beast of a fic that hurts so good, What the Right Hand is Doing by ErinPtah has been really interesting so far (and you might consider checking out their Cover of Knight series if you like crossovers and headspace polycule fic), and if you're looking for angsty Hate to Love fic, friight just posted the first chapter for Love Song for a Deadman (i'm assuming you have but if you haven't, also definitely check out their completed beast of a slowburn fic The Measure of Things.)

Hopefully this helps at least a little bit, anon! Like you, I'm starved for any and all new content, i swear I've been refreshing the ao3 tab since last march. Feel free to look at my ao3 bookmarks as well, the first 6 pages are nearly all Marcsteven/Marcstevenjake fic, and I update as I reread fics and add them to my kindle.

(if anyone wants to add their recs or promote their own fic, feel free to add!)

#this fandom is so insanely talented <3 #marcsteven #moon knight #nonspn #Mollie answers #anonymous

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womanexile · 10 months

Note

Kinda curious...

How Harry Styles Became the World’s Most Wanted Man

Rolling Stone Magazine

BY BRITTANY SPANOS

"In person, Styles looks more like your best friend’s cute, sporty older brother than the gender-bending style icon he’s become. He’s left the boas and sequin jumpsuits in the dressing room, opting instead for a blue Adidas track jacket, gym shorts, and Gucci sneakers. His hair, often described as “tousled,” like he’s a renegade prince in a romance novel, is clipped back with a hair claw, a signature day-off accessory. "

"Those post-Wembley showers were especially gratifying. When One Direction, which Styles casually refers to as “the band,” played the stadium in 2014, he ended up with tonsillitis on the day of the show. “I was miserable,” he recalls. “We played the first one, and I remember I came off, got in the car, and just started crying because I was so disappointed.”

rollingstone.com/music/music-features/harry-styles-harrys-house-dont-worry-darling-my-policeman-cover-1397290/

Lol, her HS description- on purpose? Same person taught TS NYU class too. Pics nice.

Taylor Swift Course Launched at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute

Varety Magazine

BY Jem Aswald

02.22.2022

New York University’s Clive Davis Institute has introduced its first-ever course on Taylor Swift, which launched on Jan. 26 and continues through March 9.

"Taught by Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos, the class will cover Swift’s evolution as a creative music entrepreneur, the legacy of pop and country songwriters, discourses of youth and girlhood, and the politics of race in contemporary popular music, according to a rep for the program, who noted that the course has a long waitlist. Swift has been invited to speak to class, although the status of that request is still pending.

Chaired by veteran music writer and musician Jason King, the Davis Institute has included classes taught by Questlove,“Dilla Time” author Dan Charnas, Q-Tip, legendary producer-engineer Bob Power and many others."

She also provided the NYU transcript

Read Taylor Swift’s Inspiring Speech for NYU’s Class of ’22

"Today, you leave New York University and then you go out into the world searching for what’s next. And so will I," superstar says at Yankee Stadium

BY BRITTANY SPANOS

rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-nyu-speech-1355121/

Rolling Stone journalists know a lot more than what they write. They see the things we don’t. But they’ll keep an artist trust so that artists will continue to work with them.

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checkoutmyflow · 10 days

Text

Star Elite Trivia: De'Andre Wilde

So I'm remaking my old De'Andre trivia post.. I'mma try to post more often about my Blue Lock ocs, but I felt the need to redo this.

Now onto the post! Hope you enjoy?

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Hometown: Detriot, Michigan (June 21: Leo) - He shares his birthday with his twin brother, Amari Wilde. However, De'Andre's 6 minutes older than him.

Family: Father, (Deceased) Mother, Older sister, Twin (younger) brother, Younger brother, Younger brother & Younger sister (Twins)

Height & foot size: 181.6cm (5'11.5ft) and 28.7cm

Blood type: Rh-null (I have the rarest blood type in the world, apparently I get it from my mom.)

Favorite athlete: Joe Frazier

Age when he started playing: 10 years old

Favorite motto: "Wake up with purpose, sleep with satisfaction"

Best trait: His confidence (I know my worth, my skills and what I want to achieve in life.)

Worth trait: His desensitization (Due to being into horror pretty young, I'm desensitized to some things. Things that'd have a person's jaw dropped, or better yet, crying and hyperventilating, would probably be like watching a family movie on movie night for me. Not to say I'm completely apathetic tho.)

Favorite food(s): Anything spicy (I like the way spicy food feels in your mouth.. tho most spicy food doesn't have its spark as it did with me when I was younger tho.), Cajun food - Fun fact: De'Andre's spice tolerance is extremely high, so high that it's almost considered inhuman to other people - Favorite snack(s): Vegetables (Exs: Bell peppers, Cauliflower, Radish, Beets), Spicy peppers, Spicy snacks and candy - Favorite drink(s): Water, Gatorade (specifically red), Coconut milk, Almond milk, Orange juice, Ginger tea, Mint tea

Least favorite food: Natto (It looks like someone ejaculated into some beans... the texture is no better)

Hobbies: Martial arts, Body training, Anything horror related, Sports, Playing trombone, Cooking, Robotics

Favorite season: Spring and Early Autumn (I like the weather and temperature. it's perfect to work out in)

Favorite song: Hit em up by Tupac

Favorite movie(s): Real Steel, the Silence of the Lambs

Favorite manga(s): Black Lagoon, Hajime no Ippo, Berserk, and The Drifting Classroom

Favorite smell(s): Gasoline, Cinnamon, Pine, Sage

Favorite subject(s): P.E. and Science

Least favorite subject: English (It's just more boring to me than other subjects, though I'm good with it.)

Extra curriculars in school: Band (Trombone, Drum Major), Robotics club, Horror club

What makes you happy?: Hanging out with loved ones, Playing soccer with his brother and watching him improve

What makes you sad?: Amari being sad

What is your fetish: N/A (I don't think I have one.)

His type: Muscular people? (I've never liked anyone in THAT way before. Romantically or sexually. I just don't prioritize it? Though, I can admire a muscular person.)

First time someone confessed to him: 6 (It was from this one girl.. she still won't leave me alone to this day. She's a sweet girl, but FUCK is she annoying.)

Favorite childhood memory: When Amari had a nightmare and came into De'Andre's room to sleep in his bed with him. De'Andre agreed stubbornly, but to this day it's still his favorite memory. (Don't tell anyone I said that, especially Vespa, he won't ever shut the fuck up about it.)

Number of Valentine's chocolates he got: 100+ (I'm one of the most popular kids in school. I mean, yeah it's cool but sometimes I really wish I wasn't known like that because I have a whole ass fanclub at my high school... not fucking proud of it. Last Valentine's day I lost count with how many gifts I got... past 100 for sure.)

If he was able to take AllStars out for a day: He'd take them to an escape room. Bonus if it's a horror escape room.

His phobia: Pediophobia/Fear of dolls (I- fucking hate dolls. Fuck I hate them so-- fucking much.)

#blue lock #blue lock oc #original characters #oc trivia #blue lock au

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concussed-to-pieces · 2 years

Text

Verbena: Vibrant Once More!

Fandom: Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia

Pairing: College!Mirio/AFAB Reader

Rating: Holy shit M.

A/N: Written for @hijackser's Hanakotoba (Flower Language) collaboration event! This is a College AU and contains spoilers for most of season four, so read at your own risk! The flower I picked was Verbena, which represents safety, healing, creativity, and joy. While the flower is not explicitly mentioned, these themes will run through the entirety of this story. Enjoy!

Tag List: @hijackser, @nonstop-haikyuu, @zombiexbody, @buttons-beads-lace, @honey-shippies

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: This installment contains emotional distress, mentions of past abuse and past character death. Stay safe!]

"More flowers for you, Mister Mirio!" You chirped as you lugged yet another overstuffed vase of blooms and greenery into the room. Honestly, this was the third one today! You were starting to realize, much to your chagrin, that the no-doubt valedictorian posted up in the hospital bed in front of you was very, very popular.

The aforementioned Mirio laughed sheepishly, trying to clear space on the already-crowded windowsill for the latest arrival. "Guess this encourages me to get better even quicker, right? If I don't, soon this whole room will look like a jungle."

"You take all the time you need," was your firm reply as you shimmied the vase in between its fellows. You turned to leave but a hand lightly grazed your own, and when you glanced back Mirio was looking at you oddly. "What?" You asked, a little perplexed.

"Thanks for that." His voice was quieter, very unlike the happy-go-lucky mood he usually affected. "It's…it's been hard, you know? Losing Sir," and my Quirk, you could almost hear in his brief pause, "...it's just been difficult to smile. Not hopeless or anything, but…tough." As if to contrast, he offered you a weak grin. "Still gonna', though. Promise!"

You gingerly patted his hand. "Even if you can't for a little while, that's okay. People are so eager to give heroes burdens to bear, but I promise you won't always have to shoulder it alone." You had seen far too many chewed-up collegiates from the local campus come through the triage area for you to truly believe your own words, but Mirio was clearly searching for some reassurance. "Let the normies hang onto their problems for a few days. Take your time to recuperate."

"I-" Mirio hesitated, his fingers worrying at the worn edge of the thin hospital blanket. "Thanks. Again, I mean."

A soft chime from your work phone alerted you to the fact that someone was at the reception area and you quickly rushed to check them in, waving goodbye to Mirio as you departed.

Unbeknownst to you, the young man stared at the door for a long time after you had left.

…

While a medical professional in your own right, you had accepted an entry level position at the prestigious UA campus' medical center instead of heading directly to the grind of regular medicine. Entry level though it was, it offered you invaluable insight into the current generation of heroes being forged, and you felt more sympathetic towards the young men and women you would see a little too regularly. Panic attacks and academic burnout were incredibly common. There were also fights that occurred between members, dormitory living difficult for some of the students to adjust to.

Though there were no real fraternities or sororities to speak of, the student body was still not a unified group. Rather, it had splintered into bands of different classes and Quirks, the tight cliques ever-evolving as the semester progressed.

One such group had come to the center early one morning during your first few weeks of work. It consisted of three twenty-somethings; a blue-haired young woman, a dark-haired young man and their towering blond compatriot. The taller of the two men seemed to be gently manhandling the other while the woman spoke to him, but they all quickly fell silent when you approached the counter to check them in.

"Tamaki hasn't slept well for a while." The blond man announced, writing as much down on the intake sheet. You thought you vaguely heard a noise of protest from the shorter, dark-haired man, but he was making a valiant effort to stare a hole in the floor. The blond carried on, "I think it's because living in the dorms is still kinda' new and it can be pretty unsettling. Especially if you start thinking late at night about why we're all in the dorms and stuff."

Like magic, you watched the shorter man's shoulders relax back down into a slouch. The blue-haired woman bumped her forehead into his, as if to offer silent comfort.

The taller man eventually handed the filled sheet back and looked at you expectantly. "I just need to scan your school IDs so I can get your friend seen. And I need the name of the professor that cleared you guys to accompany him." You informed him gently.

"Oh sorry! I'm Mirio Togata. That's Nejire Hado, and our friend is Tamaki Amajiki." The blond rushed to say, collecting his companions' IDs and slapping his own on top of the pile. "We were cleared by Professor Aizawa."

"Alright, have a seat and someone will be with you shortly. Would you prefer to meet with the campus psychiatrist? I can check to see whether she's available." As you carried on speaking you could see Tamaki stiffen back up, though he did nod in reply to your question and mumbled something that sounded affirmative.

His large friend clapped a hand on his shoulder, seeming to half-buckle him underneath the weight. "Don't worry Tamaki, Nejire and I are gonna' stay put! Heck, we can even come in with you if you-"

"That…shouldn't, uh, be necessary." Tamaki hastily cut Mirio off, his voice stronger now. "It's…it's like I told you guys. I'm just tired."

…

"Another care package for you, Eri!" You announced, knocking on the doorframe. From what little information you had been privy to, you knew that the child had experienced a fair amount of trauma at the hands of adults, so you did your best to not sneak up on her when you stopped by. "You have so many friends already!"

The pale girl looked up at you from her spot on the floor, a few interlocking plastic blocks falling still in her hands as her expression shifted to one of cautious curiosity. "Is it from Midoriya?"

"Yeah, how did you guess?" You were thrilled when the child bounced to her feet, one little hand wrapped around the IV pole to wheel it along with her. While she had yet to smile, she was showing more interest and enthusiasm every day. Not to mention her body was on the mend, as it was becoming harder and harder to get her to rest.

You knew you weren't the only one excited with her progress. Midoriya and Mirio were in her room nearly every day, checking up on her. Ever since Eri had vocalized her desire to see the two, she had been allowed supervised visits with them.

It was difficult at first; she had been healing and was easily exhausted so it was all she could do just to keep her eyes open. But Mirio and Midoriya were nothing if not patient, occasionally stopping by to just sit quietly while she slept.

"We're heroes, and she's a person in trouble," was Midoriya's reasoning for his visits. You had never quizzed Mirio, just assuming that he felt the same about the young girl.

The way he looked at her sometimes was enough to break your heart though, all professionalism aside.

You knew that Eri had something to do with why Mirio no longer had his Quirk, but you were uncertain as to the details and the last thing you wanted was to broach such a delicate and upsetting subject with either of them. Better to wait and see. Your curiosity didn't entirely rule you, after all!

"A new coloring book!" Eri's soft exclamation at her present from Midoriya made you smile, the child rapidly leafing through the pages emblazoned with pictures of All Might. "All Might is Deku's favorite." She informed you seriously, little fingers tapping on one such image.

"Oh?" You thought back to the backpack Midoriya sported, covered with pins and patches of All Might. "I hadn't noticed."

…

"Eri should be able to experience the campus festival!"

Mirio felt like he and Midoriya had made a great case, truth be told. If the public at large wasn't allowed to go to the festival, and the security was already ramped up to an insane level…

Aizawa sighed, rubbing his temples. "That's risky, Mirio. We don't know if she's okay to engage with the gen pop yet."

"Aw c'mon teach!" The tall man wheedled, jamming his hands into his varsity jacket. "She's been doing really well!"

"Please sir, at least speak to the dean about it!" Izuku begged earnestly.

"I fail to see why I should whack that particular hornet's nest," was Professor Aizawa's dry retort. "Besides, we would need someone from the medical facility to assist in case of an emergency. All the pros will be otherwise engaged, you both know that."

Midoriya frowned, clearly thinking hard. Mirio however, smiled even wider. "Don't worry, Professor. I know just the person for the job!"

…

"Togata has recommended you as Eri's medical chaperone." Professor Aizawa's infamous stare had you all but pinned to your seat. Even though you understood he was just kind of like that, it was difficult to maintain your composure.

The news that Mirio had thrown your proverbial hat into the ring was a bit of a surprise as well. You weren't sure whether to be grateful or start panicking. Nonetheless, you kept your expression neutral and folded your hands in your lap. "If that's what you all think is best," was your calm reply.

Aizawa nodded, startling you. "We do, actually. The dean decided that we should have a pro manning the triage area, at least for the day of the festival. That way if there's an MCI, we'll have someone familiarized with our procedures." His expression softened to something that vaguely resembled apologetic. "You weren't supposed to need to know this stuff, so don't take it personal. It's above and beyond the surge planning you're familiar with. We're working on a new program for the center. Pamphlets and slides, that sort of thing, to bring people up to speed, but we haven't gotten the chance to implement it."

"Everything seems to be moving so fast." You remarked, glad when the pro hero nodded in agreement. At least you weren't alone in that sentiment!

"You have a rapport with Eri; she clearly trusts you. According to your resumé, you've kept up with your con-ed." The professor leaned back in his seat, looking more worn than you expected. "The question is whether you'd be okay with being in the thick of the action, should something go wrong." His already-flinty gaze hardened even further. "Mirio will be with her as well. While his Quirk is, in theory, temporarily inactive, he is still a capable hero in training. The choice is yours."

Temporarily? You wondered what that could mean. To be fair, you had heard about Quirks being briefly rendered useless, usually with experimental street drugs. But those cases had been something measured in minutes and hours, not days and weeks! "Again, if you think it's best, I won't object." You then dared to venture, "I'm glad that the college decided to clear her for this, in spite of the risk. She's a sweet little girl and I just…I feel like she's seen too much."

Aizawa cleared his throat after a moment, straightening some papers on his desk. "In order to avoid additional stress, we're letting Eri explore the campus before the festival. Dean Nezu wants you there with her during both outings, to ensure that she feels comfortable and safe." He leveled you with that fierce look, making you cringe in your chair. "If anything goes wrong, anything, you and Mirio are to return immediately with Eri. Do I make myself clear?"

…

"Good morning!" Mirio's smile never wavered even while his brain was catching up with how casually you were dressed. He had never seen you out of your uniform before, but looking at your outfit now made him wish he had. He could hardly take his eyes off of you!

You looked…comfortable. Prepared for the day, although you were currently rummaging in your bag to make sure you had the fob to your room. The staff housing was situated diagonally across campus from the student and faculty dorms, so Mirio had taken a few roundabout paths to reach your residence.

Eri had clung to his hand the whole time, wide eyes taking in her surroundings. She hadn't asked many questions, which was odd for her, but Mirio chalked it up to nerves. This was a lot to handle, after all!

"Does she have any sunscreen on? We're going to be out on the grounds for the most part, I think."

Mirio was jerked out of his reverie by your question, shaking his head with a self-conscious chuckle. "Nope! Uh, sorry about that."

"It's okay! I have some in my bag. Eri, can I put some sunscreen on your face? We'll be outside for a while." You waited for her nod to go ahead with the application. Mirio had noticed that you were always sure to ask permission from the child before you did anything. He figured you were doing your part to try and give her some level of control back.

Eri patiently put up with your ministrations and Mirio found himself allowing you to talk him into coating his face and neck with sunblock as well. It was only after he was halfway done that he realized it was a glittery children's brand of sunscreen, and he was now covered in sparkles.

"Finally! Something that matches my personality!" He joked, warmth spreading across his face when you grinned at him. "Alright Eri, let's show you around! You're gonna' love it here, everyone is super nice!"

Eri, while still holding his hand, shyly slid her free hand into your own. You looked startled at first but quickly covered it up with another smile, swinging her arm gently as the three of you walked towards the main building.

Maybe I should have asked Nejire and Tamaki to come along, Mirio thought, shoving his other hand into his pocket to keep from fidgeting. They're a lot better at this kind of stuff. I don't even know what to say! I'm so distracted–

"Mirio? Did you hear Eri?" You asked, sounding a little confused.

Mirio stifled a frantic yelp, quickly jerking his head down to where Eri was gazing up at him. "Sorry, I was thinking hard! Can you repeat what you said?"

"Candy apple." Eri's eyes were wide. "You said there would be candy apples."

"Oh yeah! That will be on the day of the actual festival though. Today's just the warm-up period," Mirio explained. "Everyone is still working hard to get things set up so that it looks nice for you. After all, you're a very important guest!"

"Are you sure?" Her fingers squeezed his hand in what he had come to recognize as an anxious tic. Anxiety already?! I must not be doing a good enough job at explaining things, maybe this was a–

"Of course!" You replied brightly. "Aren't you excited? I know I can't wait!" Eri nodded, apparently satisfied as she turned her gaze back to the hive of activity the three of you were approaching.

"Thanks for the save." Mirio whispered to you out of the side of his mouth.

"No worries. It's what heroes do, right?" You answered softly, winking at him.

The hallways were already festooned with pennants and banners, uniformed students roaming around carrying tape or even more construction paper. A few students stopped to chat, his peers expressing their happiness at seeing him up and about after his 'break'.

"Hey, it's Togata!" The faces were familiar, but Mirio couldn't put a name to the two young men who called out to him. They were from the business major if he had to guess, though that was mainly due to the colorful lecture flyer that one of them was pressing into his hand.

The other, a brown-haired young man with a large horn on his forehead, gawked at Eri, who gripped Mirio's school blazer and half-hid behind his arm. "Whoa, who's that? Don't tell me your temporary leave from school is because you have a kid now!" He exclaimed, seeming bewildered.

Mirio's mind went entirely blank at those words, leaving him standing there with a frozen smile on his face. A kid? Like, one of my own? Huh. I guess it might look that way. And with the added entourage…

His brain caught up just then, slamming the brakes on that particular train of thought and leaving Mirio scrambling to come up with a response.

"Dude you gotta' say something, now I feel like it's for real!" The student protested.

You somehow managed to straighten out the situation while Mirio was still trying to recover from the mental whiplash, explaining that the upperclassman was your chaperone for the day. You quickly steered the conversation off of Eri and onto the topic of the flyers the two young men had handed you. Apparently the business majors were having a lecture (complete with PowerPoint presentations!) to show the fiscal impacts that the college had to deal with due to the dormitory construction and housing changes.

"Sure, Quirks can be helpful, but no labor is free these days!" The brown-haired young man reasoned, continuing, "with a lot of heroes unionizing, we have to make sure that dues are paid and, more importantly, that the hero agencies are offering proper benefits. Like all-inclusive dental, or something customizable in the event of a hero having specific requirements to function at full strength."

Proper benefits. Dental. Customization options. Mirio grimaced without meaning to, realizing that he was vastly in over his head.

You, on the other hand, seemed entirely at ease, expositing about the insurance options that you had seen in your day to day work. Co-pays were apparently on the rise, nearly in sync with the recent increase of villain encounters. There was a clear connection between the two, and you were willing to allege that private companies no doubt had a hand in the current state of the world.

You were obviously passionate about what you did, Togata had to give you that much. Even if he was a little ignorant on the subject matter!

…

Problem implied that this was a thing that needed to be fixed, and Mirio wasn't sure if that was the case just yet. He might need a different word. Panic-inducing was two words, but that seemed closer to the truth. Baffling, maybe? Confusing. Dangerously close to something, and he hadn't figured out whether that something was good or bad.

You had been great with Eri, so at least he could rest easy knowing he had made the right choice when he suggested you as her medical chaperone. If Mirio was being honest with himself, you had been great in general. You were just as familiar with the campus as he was, and you effortlessly answered a multitude of Eri's questions regarding the preparations in full swing.

Heck, you had even brought sunscreen! Mirio felt a little foolish over his lack of preparation. He had kind of just…expected things to work out.

At least the three of you had been able to stop by the beauty pageant area so Eri could see the academy's most vaunted ladies getting their steps in. Plus, both Nejire and Tamaki had been there! It felt like a weight off Mirio's shoulders when you laughed along with Nejire, and the fact that you were able to discreetly enquire after Tamaki's wellbeing…

You were a member of the staff. That didn't technically complicate things even if he did come to terms with the fact that he might be crushing on you; you weren't a professor. I'm in my final semester though! Mirio reasoned later that evening. Augh, why is this such an issue for me? It's not off-limits! I haven't done anything wrong, darn it all.

"You are about a Lemillion miles away, Mirio!"

The young man jerked upright as Nejire's spoon retreated from where she had rapped it smartly against his forearm. "Ah! Sorry Nejire." He chuckled, rubbing the area she had smacked. "Was lost in thought, I guess."

"Oo, do tell!" The young woman exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. "What's up, Mirio? What's got those gears turning? Is it that little cutie from the med center? Y'know, the one you got to walk around with like, alllll day?" She grinned at him and Mirio wished his Quirk would return so he could just…sink into the ground and vanish. Probably forever.

Granted, Lunch Rush was deserted at this hour; most of the other students had filtered back to their dorms. Aside from the Big Three, there were only a few stragglers. But still!

Cutie. Was that it? Did he think you were…cute? He did, the young man admitted to himself, oh God he did. You were so cute. Everything about you was just…

Oh no.

Panic officially set in. Mirio could feel his palms beginning to sweat and Nejire was just looking at him expectantly between bites of her dinner, what the heck was he supposed to say-

"Yeah, Eri seemed super happy when you brought her by," Tamaki added hesitantly. "I know she doesn't smile, so it was more…w-well, her eyes looked happy."

Oh. Oh.

Nejire had been talking about Eri.

Well now he felt stupid and sweaty.

…

You dug the broom into the corner, frowning in concentration. After a long day of checking IDs, setting up temporary pro hero accounts on the medical center's computers and dropping off delivered goods to various rooms, it felt good to perform a portion of your normal evening routine.

Sweeping the foyer, while not required of you, helped your brain settle down from your workday. You were deep into contemplation about heading off campus to get some laundry detergent (as you were nearly out of it), when a large hand waved in front of your eyes.

"Hey there! Just leaving for the night, wanted to make sure you checked me out so you don't get in trouble." Mirio smiled, looking a little embarrassed. "I uh, I called your name a few times, but I guess you were pretty into what you were doing."

"Oh, Mirio! Sorry, I was thinking about the errands I have to run." You apologized, leaving the broom propped up against the wall and going to scan his ID.

"Gosh, you too huh? Adulting is tough stuff." Mirio commiserated, leaning on the counter. "I have to go pick up some laundry soap. Drew the short straw amongst the Big Three, you know how it is." He continued with a shrug. "Might grab a snack or something while I'm there, but that depends on whether I'm hungry once I make it down. Tamaki wants some of those…fancy bead things too, the smelly ones. I can't remember whether he wanted the purple or the orange, though. He said something about a light fragrance? He's really sensitive to smells."

"Oh, you're getting detergent too? I know I could use the campus courier service," you then lowered your voice conspiratorially, "but I feel bad about making those guys lug my heavy junk so late in their day. Definitely not when I can use the exercise, and it's a nice night out too."

"Would you--er, would you want to come with me? It's probably not safe for either of us to leave campus alone anymore." Mirio rubbed the back of his neck after putting his ID away. "I know that makes it sound kinda' grim, and I don't wanna' buy into the whole paranoia…"

"No, I get it. You're probably right. Besides, better safe than sorry!" You agreed rapidly, a shiver going down your spine as your mind supplied you with a myriad of unwanted newsreel images. "Can you wait half an hour so I can finish closing up shop and change out of my uniform?"

"Oh absolutely! Take all the time you need. The place I usually go to is open until midnight."

…

He wasn't entirely sure what he had been thinking. He had just been on his way out! He was going to go buy some soap! But now, the two of you were leaving campus.

Together.

Mirio nervously glanced at you, but you didn't seem to be suffering from the same internal conflict that he was. On the contrary, you seemed more relaxed than usual. Did that mean you were comfortable with him, or that you didn't care if other people made assumptions? Because of course there would be assumptions, word spread like wildfire on campus.

Mirio found himself envious of your ability to ignore the chatter of the student body. Maybe it was because your job required some certain level of impartiality? What he would give for an ounce of your peace of mind!

The sun hadn't fully set yet, golden light still grazing the tops of the taller trees. You tipped your head back, inhaling deeply. "Ah, what a beautiful day it's been!"

"It really was." Mirio agreed, "Nejire wanted all of us to head down for a walk, but she's been super busy practicing for that pageant. I told her to take the day off instead. It's her last year to compete, so I get her dedication."

"Oh, is she graduating soon?" You asked curiously.

"Yeah! We all have our provisionals, so for her it's as easy as passing her finals. She's going to have her associate in electrical engineering, but I'm pretty sure she's still planning on working towards her bachelor and master after that." Mirio could feel himself rambling; it was sort of like watching a train wreck in slow motion. "Tamaki and I are in different programs. I'm trying to get my bachelor in mass casualty incident management via the specialized fire science elective, but after what happened, I'm on a bit of a hiatus. Tamaki is almost done with his associate in bioscience, and he's also debating on continuing to the culinary arts program. He hasn't decided yet."

Your smile was genuine and Mirio breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't seem to have annoyed you. "That's great! I'm glad you guys all have a plan going forward. Times are so weird lately. It's good to have a little stability, right?"

Stability.

Stability had been the furthest thing from Mirio's mind since he had lost his Quirk and Sir Nighteye had passed away. It had been days of him just barely clinging to some shell of normalcy, trying to keep his spirits up after the somber affair of the funeral. He only vaguely recalled being next to the grave site with Kaoruko, Juzo and Midoriya once everyone else had paid their respects, wearing the one ill-fitting suit coat that he owned. The shoulders had pinched the entire time but it had hardly registered; a fleeting inconvenience.

Nejire had returned after giving him the time to say his final goodbyes, the young woman gently steering him back to their dorm where everyone had gathered in the central hall. There amongst his friends and peers, Mirio had done his best to smile. But he was emotionally exhausted, physically still in recovery, and he soon found himself hauled away and tucked into his bed by Tamaki.

"Stop pretending that you're fine," Tamaki had muttered, not unkindly, before shutting the door.

At least he hadn't called it lying.

"Stability is really important." Mirio murmured to you, hoping you didn't notice that his mind had been elsewhere. After what had happened, he found himself spacing out more and more. There were so many things he had to worry about now! Whether he could still pass his practicals without his Quirk, keeping his grades up so that he could compensate for his now-lackluster fieldwork…the academic hiatus was appreciated, of course, but he didn't know how long he could expect that charity to last before the dean reevaluated his usefulness.

You abruptly changed topics to the support majors exhibition and the young man found himself talking, actually talking, not just making polite conversation at the check-in counter. He could talk to people, of course he could talk to people. What kind of hero would he be if he couldn't handle public relations, after all? But this felt different. It was more natural, organic. Like how he felt talking to Eri or Midoriya, that newer sort of friendship. Were the two of you friends? Was it too soon to be friends?

The rustling in the trees alongside the road snapped Mirio's attention upwards and he inwardly berated himself for letting his guard down. He was relieved when, instead of some skulking villain, he made out the bulky form of Hound Dog. Professor Ryo was a youth counselor and despite being…rough around the edges, he made excellent progress with certain students.

The large teacher emerged from the brush, shaking himself off and nodding in their direction before trotting across the road and back into the woods.

"For being so big, he sure can be quiet." You commented after a few moments. "He's been following us since we left the gates."

Mirio turned his head so rapidly he was sure he had pulled something. "H-He has?" He managed to ask, his voice pitching funnily.

You nodded, like it was to be expected. "Of course. You didn't notice? He's quiet, not silent."

Well, now Mirio felt dumb all over again.

…

"Detergent, deterrrrrrgent," you mumbled to yourself, ticking back and forth between two large containers. On the one hand, the pods were lighter. But on the other hand, they were expensive, especially compared to the powdered options. The powder came in a cardboard box, which was easy to break down, but you could also rinse the liquid's plastic bottle and put it out with the recycling–

"Hey, can I ask for a favor?" Mirio's voice interrupted your mental quandary and you turned, finding him next to you with three different containers of scent booster beads. "Gimme' a hand. Which one of these smells the least offensive to you? I think they changed the colors since the last time Tamaki got them, because the purple ones don't smell like I remember."

You screwed up your face and obliged. Two of the scents made you grimace but the last one seemed light enough to suffice, and Mirio thanked you for your assistance. "Alright, now you help me out. Trying to pick between heavier but cheap, or lighter but pricey?" You posed the question, waving a hand back and forth between the boxes, bottles and tubs.

"Pick heavy! I'll carry it for you, so don't worry about the weight!" Mirio reasoned, his easy smile making an appearance midway through his sentence. "After all, you loaned me your nose. It's the least I could do for your heroic service!"

You laughed, waving him off as you slid the box of detergent beneath your arm. "I'll be fine! That's what the backpack is for. This isn't my first trip down the mountain, y'know."

"Oh sure! I uh, I wasn't trying to imply anything."

"No worries. I appreciate the offer! Any other night I'd probably accept, but I've been dying to get some exercise and this is just what I need."

…

"Heard you went on a late night walk with someone."

Accusatory wasn't exactly the right word but Mirio still froze up on reflex, nearly dropping his controller.

Tamaki exhaled through his nose and Mirio caught him sneaking a glance, the dark-haired young man eventually pausing their game to look at him head-on. "You know I don't care." Tamaki finally continued awkwardly, "b-but Hado--er, Nejire, she thinks we talk about…that kind of stuff, and she uh, she wanted me to ask…"

As Amajiki hemmed and hawed, Mirio watched the tips of his ears go a neon shade of red. Finally he decided to have pity on the other man, grinning and explaining, "Tamaki, I went with them when I had to get those things you put in with your laundry. Everyone says it's a bad idea to roam off-campus alone after everything that's happened, right?"

"Still!" Tamaki erupted, cringing a little at his own volume. "I…you should be more careful. Take Nejire or I with you next time, we can at least keep you s–" He paused, shooting Mirio a nervous look. "Uh, n-never mind."

We can at least keep you safe.

Mirio heard his friend's hesitant declaration loud and clear. It was true, he had no Quirk. Neither did you, for that matter! Maybe it had been reckless to go without someone else. Had Tamaki and Nejire been worried about him? "I'm sorry." Mirio apologized sincerely, pressing his hands together in contrition. "I didn't think about it. I'm still not used to needing to be so careful, I guess!"

Tamaki squinted, cautiously asking, "you…you aren't mad? I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have said it like that." A rare half-smile teased at his mouth. "You're really strong, even without your Quirk. But…yeah, Nejire and I were pretty worried when you didn't come back from visiting Eri." He admitted quietly.

"How about I make sure to keep the group chat updated if I head off-campus? Will that be a little less stressful for you guys?" Mirio threw his friend a wink. "As for the walk, you can either tell Nejire what I told you, or you can make up something!"

Tamaki then sputtered and stammered, dismissing the notion with a scandalized expression as Mirio laughed.

…

Tensions were growing as the festival approached. It felt like everywhere you went, there was a blanket of steady pressure. Both the students and the professors seemed hellbent on making sure everything went as smoothly as it could, which led to fatigue, shortened tempers and disagreements.

You had your hands full trying to make sure the triage consoles wouldn't immediately turn themselves inside out once the pro heroes logged in on the day of the festival. Everything else at the college was state of the art except for the CBMS, which seemed to be a relic of a previous establishment. Multiple days during the week before the festival you ended up staying late. At least I'm getting paid overtime, you thought ruefully on Friday afternoon, wiping down the counter and then leaning on it with a tired sigh. A little extra tomorrow too, for my 'supervisory' shift.

You chewed your lower lip, thinking about what might transpire at the festival. You were absolutely nervous, of course! But you knew you had to stay calm. If Eri picked up on your unease, it might ruin her whole day. That was the last thing you wanted, so you would have to do your best.

Really put on a…Plus-Ultra game face.

You snorted, shaking your head at yourself.

…

"Aw, visiting hours are over already?" Midoriya complained when the tones chimed overhead, the usual recorded message playing after a moment. Eri nodded, not even looking up from her coloring page on the table.

Mirio rumpled the other man's hair. "Cheer up! We'll get to spend the whole day together tomorrow, right?"

"Well yeah, I suppose. At least you guys will. I'll need to stick by the group for the tune ups and stuff." Suddenly Midoriya jerked upright, looking perturbed. "Oh no! The rope!" He exclaimed, looking at his watch and then groaning unhappily. "Ugh, the hardware store is closed by now. That means I'll need to go in the morning instead." Izuku gave Eri an apologetic smile. "I guess I won't be able to walk you to the festival with Mirio and your other friend. I'm sorry."

"I'll still get to see you, right?" Eri asked, "you'll still do your dance?"

"Of course!"

The little girl gave him a nod, her expression almost laughably serious. "Okay."

"We'll have to find you a candy apple too! That's half the fun of a festival," Midoriya continued excitedly, "all the cool things to eat!"

"You ready for our big date tomorrow?" Mirio asked Eri as he tugged on his jacket.

She replied with a slow shake of her head, her brow furrowed. "What's a date?" She finally queried.

"Oh! A date is when you go to hang out with people you like!" Eri still didn't appear to understand and Mirio wracked his brain for an example she would be familiar with. "Like what you and I did the other day with our friend from the front desk, right? We got to walk around and see a bunch of things, have some snacks, enjoy each other's company…that's a date!"

"Oh." Eri looked a bit confused. "Okay. Date. Date tomorrow."

"Yup!"

Mirio could feel Midoriya staring at him as they walked down the hall, but he figured he would just wait until the younger man posed his question. When Midoriya next spoke, however, it was a statement. "She still hasn't smiled."

"Nope." Mirio agreed softly. "I'm hoping for tomorrow."

"Yeah?" Midoriya cocked his head. "Why?"

"I don't really know." Mirio admitted. "Call it a gut feeling maybe?"

"I guess."

Izuku still looked a bit dejected as the two of them emerged into the foyer so Mirio nudged his shoulder, giving him a thumbs up. "It'll be fine! Everyone's been working hard. Now go back to your dorm and get some rest, underclassman." He ordered with a grin. "You've got a busy day ahead of you!"

Midoriya returned his smile after a moment, nodding. "Yeah, you're right. Hey, thanks for…" he paused, seeming to be searching for his words. "Well, uh, just for helping, I guess. You did so much during the fight, a-and you've been helping with Eri, too. I wish there was something I could do for you."

We can at least keep you safe.

"You've already done a lot for me!" Mirio protested, "you and everyone else, you keep people like Eri and I safe. That's a really important job, and it's one that I can't really do at the moment, y'know? So I should be thanking you!"

He had learned early on that Izuku was a bit of an easy crier, so Mirio was prepared for the way the younger man welled up momentarily. "We'll…we'll keep doing our best then." Midoriya managed to say, clearly trying to rein himself in. "Oh! My ID, sorry, I need to-" he floundered at the counter, searching his pockets wildly until he found his student card.

You took his card while waving off his apologies, scanning him out and handing the card back with a kind smile. "Be careful walking to your dorm tonight. The maintainers were out earlier so the sprinkler schedule may be off by a few hours again." You warned the younger man right before he bolted for the door.

Togata tilted his head, just barely catching the sound of an indignant squawk outside. You snorted, then composed yourself and took his ID. "So what time am I picking you up tomorrow?" Mirio queried, leaning on the counter. "Uh, you and Eri, I mean!" He rushed to amend, mentally kicking himself.

"Well that's…I mean, I figure probably by ten-thirty?" You suggested, seemingly having forgotten that you were supposed to be scanning him out for the evening. Not that Mirio particularly cared! It was just odd. "Are we bringing food, or…?"

"I got some juice packs in town the other day! Went with Nejire. Figured we'll find plenty to snack on during the festival."

You nodded, appearing satisfied by his logic. Then, you clearly realized that you were still holding his ID. "Oh! Let me get you out of here." You exclaimed, nearly knocking over the counter-mounted scanner in your haste.

Mirio quickly put a hand on top of the device to steady it but you had been about to do the same, which caused your hand to land on top of his for a moment. You glanced up at him and Mirio found himself staring at you, uncertain of what exactly was going on but not necessarily opposed to it. "Everything okay?" He asked finally.

Like you had just awoken from a trance, you blinked. "Okay? Oh yeah, everything is definitely fine." You insisted, nodding rapidly and then dropping his ID twice before you managed to give it back to him. "Sorry, I'm…it's been a long week. I guess I'm a little jumpy!" You excused yourself with an awkward laugh.

"Everything will be fine tomorrow!" Mirio assured you. "There will be pros patrolling the grounds and a whole bunch of precautions have been taken. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Ah, yes. It was definitely that that was making me nervous." You said slowly, seeming to pick your words with great care.

Mirio felt as though he might have missed something, but he wasn't entirely certain. So he simply gave you a thumbs up as he headed out through the sliding doors. He paused once outside the med center, inhaling deeply and then going stiff when he heard a low hiss next to him.

Mirio abruptly found himself getting drenched by a sprinkler. On reflex he attempted to use Permeation, before remembering with a bit of a gut-wrenching jolt that he no longer had his Quirk. All he could do instead was wipe his face and chuckle ruefully as he stepped out of range of the first sprinkler.

Directly into the range of the second one.

…

"Today's the day." You hummed for the hundredth time, digging into your tiny closet once more. "Today's the dayyyyy."

You had been trying to put together an outfit for nearly half an hour now. It had never been this difficult before! Why were you so nervous?

You blew out a breath, a bit exasperated, and finally just picked something at random. Pairing the outfit with some comfortable shoes, you gave yourself a once-over in the mirror and smiled at your reflection encouragingly. "It'll be totally fine. There's pro heroes everywhere today. Everything is going to be just fine." You told yourself aloud, checking the time. "It will all be fine."

Everything will be okay.

With every step you took, the words repeated in your head. Down the ramp to the staff foyer, outside to the small courtyard, across the campus to the medical center. One foot in front of the other, pro heroes stationed both subtly and not-so-subtly, students and staff hustling to get the last few things done.

Everything will be okay.

The sidewalks were still a little damp from the sprinklers, small puddles shimmering at the edges of the grass. You recalled Midoriya and Mirio getting caught by the sprinklers the evening before and a smile crept across your face. You had to fight back your laughter, only just managing to keep it under control.

Eri was waiting in the foyer with a nurse, the little girl already dressed and bouncing in place. "She's had her breakfast this morning," The nurse informed you dryly, "under extreme duress, of course. She wanted to save room for all the food she was promised at the event."

"Candy apple!" Eri proclaimed, grabbing hold of your hand.

"Let's put on your sunscreen while we wait for Mirio, okay?" You suggested, crouching. "I'm a few minutes early anyhow, so we have the time."

"I wanna' do it!" Eri held out her hands, her expression one of intense concentration.

"Okay, but I'll get the tips of your ears for you." You bargained, letting her squeeze a liberal amount of sparkly sunblock into her palm before you took it back. The poor child was still so pale from her previous confinement, you knew it wouldn't take much sunlight for her to burn. "Remember to keep your eyes closed, that stuff stings if it gets in your eyes!"

"Well well, looks like I got here just in time!" said a voice from behind you. It was Mirio, the blond waiting to swing Eri up into his arms until she nodded. "Wanna' put some of that on me, Eri?"

The little girl began sliding her hands over Mirio's cheeks, leaving a white snail-trail of sunscreen in her wake. You smiled, stretching over Mirio's arm to get Eri's ears while she was preoccupied. "Don't forget his nose and forehead!" You teased, laughing when Eri dipped her head solemnly and dragged two fingers across Mirio's once-pristine forehead. She even managed to get some of the sunblock in the young man's hairline, but Mirio just grinned and worked it into his gelled strands.

"There." Eri announced, finally seeming satisfied with her work. "Now we'll be safe."

…

Mirio tried to ignore his heart thundering in his chest when you rested on his arm to apply sunscreen to Eri's ears. Your face was right next to his, your eyes crinkling at the edges when you laughed and–

And then you pulled back and whatever it was was gone as quickly as it had arrived. The young man felt crushed suddenly, like something important had just passed him by. But there was no time to ruminate on that particular issue, as Eri was clamoring to get moving. So with a few sticky patches on his face and glitter stuck in his hair, Mirio took the little girl's hand and led the way.

Eri squeezed his hand tight, sandwiching herself beside his leg. "Don't be scared! I'm right here with you." The blond man assured her, smiling. She nodded with a determined frown, her free hand seizing yours as if to anchor herself.

The campus was ablaze with color and activity. Mirio wound his way in between the throngs of attendees, his large frame easily clearing a path for Eri while you brought up the rear. He knew he had to be mindful of safety but he also wanted to make sure that Eri got to see whatever she wanted to see, so he did his best to be alert for any tugs on his hand.

"Ah!" Eri exclaimed, halting abruptly. Mirio swung her up into his arms to avoid causing a pause in the flow of people, accidentally pulling you in with the little girl.

"What's up, Eri?" Mirio queried, doing his level best to play down the knowledge that your body was pressed to his side. Eri mumbled something he couldn't quite hear, pointing towards a brightly-colored food cart. "Wanna' stop for a snack?" The blond man guessed. She nodded vigorously. "Alright! Remember that we need to be careful in this crowd, so don't stop so quickly next time, okay?"

"Even if we walk past what you want to see, we can always double back!" You chimed in, checking your watch. "We can only make this one stop before the show, but after the show we can go wherever you'd like."

"Promise?" Eri asked you, the fragile hope in her voice threatening to break Mirio's heart.

"I promise," was your sincere response. "Now, let's get you your snack!"

…

Eri munched on a small twist of cinnamon pastry, her eyes roving over the crowd in front of her. You could barely see the stage from your spot next to Mirio, but you waved off his offer of lifting you as well with a laugh. Instead you kept a hand on his elbow, doing your best to maintain your position in the jam-packed area.

It seemed like the whole college had turned up for this particular show! You were a little concerned. While you didn't exactly need to be alert for threats (that was Mirio's job!), you still found yourself scanning the crowd for unfamiliar faces.

Everything will be okay.

Your grip on Mirio's elbow tightened without conscious input and he looked down at you, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "You alright?" He asked, seeming to be keeping his tone light so as not to attract Eri's attention.

"Sorry! There's a lot of people here, that's all." You apologized, smiling weakly.

"Everything will be okay." Mirio assured you, his easy grin making your stomach backflip. "I'm right here with you."

You could feel your face beginning to flush with heat and you quickly ducked, breaking eye contact to rummage through your bag for the set of ear muffs you had brought. "Eri!" You called, getting the little girl's attention so you could hand her the headset. "Can you pop these on? It's going to be pretty loud and we want to keep your ears safe."

Eri donned the hearing protection with zero fuss, Mirio helping to adjust the headband so that the cups fit snugly over her ears. "Man, you think of everything!" The young man praised, the admiration in his words enough to send a frisson of pride down your spine. "Wish I could be that prepared! I'd probably…" he trailed off, his smile fading. "Well, there's no real point to that. I'll do better." He continued quietly.

You opened your mouth to say…something, anything, maybe something comforting? But the lights overhead dimmed suddenly, and the moment was gone.

…

You even brought hearing protection. Mirio was downright awed at how prepared you were. But he supposed it made sense. After all, Eri was just a little kid in recovery to you! Little kids needed things like sunscreen, tissues, band aids…

He felt somewhat ashamed of himself for losing sight of the fact that while Eri was incredibly powerful, she was still a child.

The little girl posted up in his arms had her eyes fixed on the stage as the music began, her hands gripping Mirio's shirt collar. The blond man shifted his weight, giving her a reassuring smile when she glanced down at him uncertainly. "Look!" Mirio exclaimed, pointing back at the stage. "There's Midoriya!"

While the tight frown on Eri's face eased slightly upon seeing Midoriya and the rest of his class dance, it was nowhere near gone. Mirio knew this might not even work, but…

Mirio Togata, pro hero in training, had one goal for the day.

I want to see you smile!

The lights and sounds grew more intense and the crowd around him began to move in time with the music. Mirio found himself rocking back and forth, the rhythm too infectious for him to keep fully still. On his left, your hip gently bumped into his when you began to sway as well.

Eri's hold on his shirt started to loosen, making Mirio look up at her. Her eyes were bright in the shimmering lights, the little girl clearly enjoying the show. Streamers erupted over the audience, confetti fluttering this way and that in the fitful currents of air. Eri's tiny hands reached to grab fruitlessly for the glittery crêpe paper, her eyebrows furrowed with focus.

Your mouth brushed Mirio's ear, no doubt so he could hear you through the cacophony around him. "Lift her so she can get a streamer!" You instructed, giving him a thumbs up.

Mirio made sure that he had enough wiggle room to move safely, then hoisted Eri as high over his head as he could. Her questing fingers finally caught the tail end of a streamer, and he felt her bounce in what he assumed was excitement when she clutched the thin paper to her chest. Mirio lowered her once more, settling her a little higher on his hip so she could still see over the gyrating audience.

It looked like Ochaco was hard at work, several people closer to the stage beginning to hover above the main crowd. There were lasers sparkling brilliantly through the foggy atmosphere, more pyrotechnics erupting from the stage, were those doves-? It was all so bright, so vibrant, Mirio very nearly missed what happened next.

The music was building to what seemed to be a final crescendo and you tugged on his sleeve, pointing at Eri when he looked down at you. Mirio jerked his eyes back up, feeling Eri's arm slide past his face even as he did.

The small child had her hands over her head, waving the streamer in the air as she smiled broadly in blatant, unrestrained delight. The joy was evident on her face, her eyes alight with what seemed to be a mixture of wonder and glee.

It was as if Chisaki's shadow had finally released its stranglehold on her, banished in the brilliant glow of that hard-won smile.

Are you seeing this? Midoriya…Sir! Look at her! She's smiling!

Despite his best efforts Mirio felt a sob grip his throat. The young man hurriedly ducked his face into his shoulder to hide his tears, but something soft touched his cheek and he flinched, opening his eyes. It was you, because of course it was you, gently daubing away the moisture with a tissue. You smiled at him, your own eyes suspiciously damp.

Mirio's heart lurched in his throat. He couldn't help but laugh freely, pulling you into his side and giving you an elated kiss on the cheek without even thinking about it.

"Thank you!" He shouted over the music, trying to enunciate so you would still be able to understand him even if you couldn't hear. "Thank you, thank you so much."

You simply nodded in reply, wrapping your arm around his waist.

…

An enormous weight seemed to have been lifted off of Mirio at the sight of Eri's smile. It was a thing of beauty, the large blond man clearly torn between laughing and crying. You found yourself emotional as well, doing your best to rein it in before you went full waterworks. You were only here in an auxiliary role, after all! It wouldn't look very professional if you were caught sobbing hysterically, so you set your jaw and mentally begged your lower lip to quit quivering already!

At least you didn't have to hide your smile, even if it wavered a little.

You definitely didn't mind Mirio hauling you into a one-armed hug, his body warm and solid against your own as he tried to say something over the music. It might have been a thank you but you were unsure, so you settled for a polite nod even as your hand rested gingerly on his waist. After a moment his own hand slid down to your hip, keeping you tucked into his side.

The show ended with a bang and Eri began clamoring to go see Midoriya once she took off the ear muffs. You weren't sure if you imagined the reluctant way Mirio released you, his hand lingering on your lower back longer than it seemed to need to.

He had kissed you.

You froze, the reality of what Mirio had done sinking in. Granted, it was just a little peck on the cheek, but still! Heat flushed your face and you glanced around guiltily, wondering if any of your coworkers had been in the crowd near you.

Togata's hand grabbed your own, startling you somewhat. "We have to go against the crowd to get to Midoriya!" He explained over the noise. "Stay behind me, okay?"

Eri waved at you from her new perch on Mirio's shoulders, still smiling even as she smoothed down his spiked hair. You couldn't help but smile back at her, struck once more by how happy she looked.

Mirio trudged through the students and faculty on his way to the stage, occasionally detouring or pausing briefly to let larger groups move past him. At one point the two of you were separated and you called out his name, only to hear Mirio laugh and reply, "Polo!" off to your left. He didn't let go of your hand after that, simply angling his arm so that you were slightly behind him. His other hand rested against Eri's shin, keeping her steady on his shoulders.

He had shoved the sleeves of his varsity jacket up to his elbows, no doubt in response to the elevated heat inside the gymnasium. In an effort to ignore the fingers intertwined with your own, you studied the scars on his forearm. Some were clearly from whatever tussle he, Midoriya and Eri had been involved in, the healed skin still fresh and nearly purple in hue. Then there were older ones further up his arm, silvered with age and half-covered by his jacket. You wondered at them a bit, but the world had always been a dangerous place whether you had a Quirk or not.

Your gaze traveled up his shoulder to his face, currently in profile as he glanced around trying to find an opening in the crowd, and you simply watched him. Your mind was suddenly full of the thoughts that you had been trying to avoid, embarrassing you to the point that you forced yourself to look away.

…

"Hey, good work buddy!" Mirio praised Midoriya as he set Eri down. You hovered a few feet away after he released your hand, which he didn't quite understand. Were you still worried about losing track of him? It was much less crowded backstage!

"That was crazy!" Eri erupted, her grin still in full effect. "At first when there was a loud noise it was scary, but then everyone was jumping with the dance-" she raised her arms over her head and started bouncing in place, "and then there was a flash and Deku, you went away for a little bit, and the guy started flying in the air!"

Mirio had been mimicking Eri's motions while she spoke, his own excitement fueling the childish action. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of Midoriya's expression, the other student looking absolutely overjoyed.

"-and a bunch of people said 'wow' and you know what I said?" Eri asked Midoriya, her eyes shining with excitement. She didn't bother waiting for an answer, simply exclaiming, "wow' too! It was so fun!"

Deku inhaled raggedly, the younger man using his arm to wipe away the tears that had started welling up in his eyes. "I'm glad you had such a good time, Eri." He said sincerely.

"All thanks to you!" Mirio clapped the other man on the shoulder. "You and the rest of your class really pulled out all the stops, y'know?"

"Absolutely!" You chimed in, giving Midoriya a thumbs up. "What's next on the Class 1-A agenda for the day?"

"Well, Mineta really wants us all to hurry with the clean up, he's excited to get to see the beauty pageant." Izuku gestured at the smaller young man, who did indeed seem to be working himself into a frenzy. "So I guess we'll head over there once we're done."

"Beauty pageant!" Eri cheered. "Will we see your friend, Mirio?"

"Of course! We should get over there now, we have to get good seats." At those words Togata heard Mineta begin to huff, the younger man scuttling past him lugging a bucket full of ice while muttering curses under his breath. "Watch the language, buddy!" The upperclassman warned him with a smile.

The beauty pageant was…well it was something. Mirio was a little confused by the whole affair, if he was being honest, but Nejire did a fun sort of dance in midair and she seemed like she was enjoying herself. Of course she got his vote. Yours too! You were obviously dazzled by her display. Eri was just thrilled to watch the princess-esque students go through their routines, the show already a clear high moment of her day.

After the pageant Mirio dedicated his time to winning the games at the various booths, the young man determined to send Eri home with a mountain of prizes. His efforts were not exactly fruitful, however.

Down to his last ball on a milk-bottle game, he surrendered it to you instead. You, to his utter bewilderment, actually managed to knock the bottles over and win! Every time he had tried, the bottles just refused to topple.

"There's a trick to it," was your nonchalant explanation around a stuffed unicorn that was half the size of your own body. "Hang on to this for Eri, would you? I wanna' see if they have a duck pond." You leaned in, the unicorn ending up mashed against Mirio's shoulder. "Eri can win that one easy." You continued in an undertone.

Mirio nodded rapidly as he draped the pastel unicorn over his shoulder, thrilled that the both of you seemed to be on the same page.

Luckily, a booth touting the aforementioned game was mere steps away. It was a simple pink plastic kiddie pool, filled with water and a plethora of rubber ducks that looked like they had been scavenged from the student body instead of bought in bulk. No two were alike! There were red ones with devil horns, blue ones with sunglasses, even a few with tiny hats.

Eri rushed forward, the child seeming elated that a game was actually at her height. She then hesitated mere inches away, fidgeting as the booth vendor patiently explained the rules to her.

Mirio lingered a few feet back, scanning the crowd a little more fiercely than he meant to. But this was important, and he would be damned if Eri's first carnival game was interrupted by anything less than a world-ending event.

"Okay, here we go." You muttered, and Mirio noticed you crossing your fingers. "She's totally got this."

Eri pulled up a pair of ducks, checking the bottoms for matching symbols. A pink circle and a green star were revealed, however.

Mirio groaned silently, but immediately perked back up when the vendor held up one finger. Okay, okay! She gets more than one try! The young man clenched his fists, leaning forward slightly in an effort to see the ducks a little better.

Eri took a moment to study the pond, her eyes narrowing in concentration. To no avail though, the next pair she picked was an orange square and a red triangle.

The vendor held up a second finger and Mirio began mentally debating whether he would be bribing this student. On the one hand, it was a dilemma of ethics and morals. But on the other, Eri really, really needed a win to keep the ball rolling–

"Congratulations! You've won a prize!"

Mirio jerked his head up, blinking in confusion. Eri held two matching ducks, both with green stars on the bottom. The little girl smiled ear to ear once more as she happily accepted her winnings, a purple pencil case with a variety of ducks on it. "Mirio! Look!" She exclaimed, bolting back to the young man.

"Gosh, I guess you really ducked out!" Mirio heard you groan at his pun and it only served to widen his grin. He took Eri's hand and then extended his other to you. "C'mon, there's still so much to see and do!"

…

"I had a great time today." You murmured to Mirio, pretending to straighten Eri's hair out in an effort to avoid eye contact.

"Hey, that's my line." was the young man's equally-soft reply as he shifted Eri's dead weight in his arms. The little girl had finally succumbed to her exhaustion moments before, heavy eyes drooping and sliding closed even in the midst of such intense stimuli. You had no doubt that she would need a few days to recover from all this excitement.

You too, if you were being honest with yourself! Mirio seemed to have boundless energy, the man darting from booth to activity with all the enthusiasm of a person half his age. It was endearing, if nothing else. You couldn't help but feel a bit sad that after today, things would return to how they were. "I don't want this to end." You admitted quietly, still fidgeting with Eri's long locks.

A hand cupped your chin and you found yourself looking up at Mirio, the blond man's expression oddly serious. "It…I-I mean, it doesn't have to be over. If…er, i-if you don't want it to be, that is." The uncharacteristic stammering caught you off-guard, your brow furrowing as you tried to piece together what he meant.

Suddenly, "there you are!" rang out from behind you, making you jump and nearly drop all the stuffed animals you and Mirio had won for Eri. It was Midoriya, the younger man's face becoming apologetic when Mirio shushed him. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you, Eri. I made you something though!" He said excitedly, unwrapping the plastic-swathed object in his hand.

Eri rubbed her eyes, staring down at the bright red candy apple. "What is…what is that?" She asked quizzically.

"A candy apple! You remember, Mirio told you about them. They're covered in super crackly sugar!" Deku explained, picking the treat up and passing it to her. "Be really careful with your shirt, okay? The red will stain it, trust me." With a touch of amusement, you noticed crimson splotches still lurking in the lines of his palms and knuckles.

The child immediately bit into the apple, the crunch of the sugar coating meeting your ears. "Oh wow." She mumbled into the fruit, not resisting as you rushed to tie her hair back in a low ponytail. The last thing you wanted any of the staff to have to deal with tonight was trying to get red, sticky residue out of her nearly colorless hair!

"Where did you even get that?! We looked everywhere!" Mirio queried, obviously dismayed that he had failed.

"I couldn't find any booths that had them, so I improvised and got some help from Sato." Izuku replied, smiling.

"Wow, that was really…" you paused for effect, aiming finger guns at the younger man, "sweet of him to give you a hand."

Midoriya groaned while Mirio's delighted peals of laughter rang out. "Guess I should have seen that one coming." The underclassman allowed ruefully, quickly smiling once more when Eri thanked him profusely for the confection that was currently staining her chin. "I'm just glad I caught you guys before you left! You must be pretty tired. It's been a long day!"

"Yeah, but I can say with confidence that this has been one of the best days I've ever had." Togata said sincerely, shaking Midoriya's hand. "And it's all thanks to you guys! Your class, you-"

"Whoa, and what about you?! Everything that you did to make sure that we could even have Eri come…you've done so much to help out!" Deku protested, a little red in the face.

"Guess we all worked hard for this moment, right?" The blond reasoned, tilting his head to offer you a warm smile. "Us, and Eri too!"

Eri took her eyes off of her apple for the barest moment, her serious nod making Mirio chuckle.

Professor Aizawa meandered up as Midoriya was about to say his goodbyes, the older man looking more weary than usual. "I trust there were no further issues?" He asked, those piercing eyes oddly trained on Deku, who rushed through a farewell and then bolted.

"'Further issues'?" Mirio repeated, cocking his head to one side.

Aizawa sighed heavily. "I'll explain later. For now, I'm here to escort you three back to the medical center."

"Mr. Aizawa, I got to see a loud show and there were ducks in a pond!" Eri announced, the copious amounts of sugar in the candy apple no doubt perking her back up.

You were stunned when Professor Aizawa gave the child a thin smile. "That's great news, kiddo. Anything else happen?"

"Mirio tried to win a bottle game, there was lots of food and I saw two people get to fly today! I had a hot dog for lunch, and all kinds of snacks, and I gave a little bird some fries because he seemed hungry-" As Eri carried on regaling the professor with the tale of her very full day, you watched the older man's harsh glare soften. Evidently he had been just as worried as the rest of you, if not moreso! You got the feeling that there may have been an incident earlier in the day.

…

"Someone tried to attack this morning?!" Retroactive panic washed over Mirio in a cold sweat, the young man clenching his fists as memories from Eri's rescue flooded his mind. There was an attack and I didn't even notice?!

Aizawa grimaced, rubbing his temples. "It's not exactly so cut and dry, Mirio. Technically yes, but the situation was managed. Improperly managed. Midoriya is lucky Hound Dog didn't shake him to death."

Midoriya. So the underclassman had ended up being their first line of defense? Mirio wasn't exactly sure how to feel about that. Talk about having a full day! Midoriya seemed totally unphased when we saw him. I guess that was just a show to keep Eri's spirits up. "I'm glad we still got to go through with the festival." The blond man remarked after sorting out his thoughts.

"That was Midoriya's reasoning. He wanted the festival to happen no matter what, I guess." Professor Aizawa shook his head. "He didn't want to alert the pros because he thought it would risk the festival's cancellation. Regardless, he should have called for backup. He's on campus cleaning duty until further notice, so you may see him a little less."

"I'm happy he's safe." You said, unconsciously echoing Mirio's own sentiments. "It couldn't have been easy to deal with a threat all on his own."

"He didn't have to deal with it all on his own." Aizawa grumbled, obviously annoyed. "Kid's got guts and he's smart, but damn he's stupid." He straightened up after a moment, adjusting his scarf. "Alright, I trust the two of you can at least manage to return to your housing without further incident?"

"Of course! You can count on me, teach!" Mirio assured the older man, and then turned to you. "Well, we'd better get you back safe and sound!"

You nodded, falling into step alongside the blond. Mirio hadn't anticipated the silence that stretched awkwardly between the two of you, and he wracked his brain for some light topic of conversation.

Before he could think of something, you spoke up.

"You and Midoriya had a really difficult time when there was the incident with Eri, didn't you?"

Mirio was caught off-guard by your odd opener, clearing his throat. "Well, uh. Yes." He admitted bluntly. "As you know, I lost my Quirk. Hopefully temporarily! But still, it wasn't…" Mirio trailed off, the thought of Sir Nighteye threatening to choke him up. "It wasn't a simple mission."

"Did today make everything worth it?" Your voice was soft, uncertain, and you refused to meet his gaze.

…

There was no way. You had never had a Quirk of your own, but they seemed to be so intertwined with someone's personality and sense of self…there was no way you could imagine the thought of losing such an important piece of your identity.

There was just no way that Mirio's hurt or Midoriya's guilt could be erased with the smile of a little girl.

And yet you hoped so hard, with every fiber of your being, that maybe, just maybe, it could. That maybe the triumph of the day had been enough to, if nothing else, ease the pain, even a little.

But…

"Absolutely." Mirio's reply was instantaneous; he didn't even think before he responded. "I wasn't kidding when I said today was one of the best days of my life."

You couldn't help the way you were staring at him, you just really hadn't anticipated such a quick and succinct answer!

"What?" He queried, "Is there something on my face?"

"Well, no, I just…I guess I'm confused is all." You fumbled to explain yourself. "You lost the use of something important, and Midoriya…I mean you both suffered pretty extensive injuries from what I remember, and while I didn't have any of the specifics it just…it doesn't seem like it would even out in the end to me." You reasoned frantically, hoping that he wouldn't think you were rude.

"To me it does." Mirio's smile was serene. "Life is full of stuff like that though! The things that seem little to other people, but to you…" he hesitated, seeming to search for the right words. "To you, it's the thing that brings you happiness in a day. Like sixteen bouquets of flowers crammed onto a windowsill!" He laughed. "Sure, a smile doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but when you think about it, it's the biggest deal."

You cast your mind back to when you had watched Mirio notice Eri smiling, the progression of emotions that had occurred on his face within the span of bare seconds. The grief, the heartbreak, the joy, and the tears that had come with it. Seeing him so emotional had stirred your own heart, but it was also bewildering.

All this, for one little girl's smile?

Maybe it wasn't for you to understand. His healing was his own, after all, and it wasn't really your place to question his happiness. You hadn't been involved in Eri's retrieval, you had no idea what may have transpired, you probably shouldn't have said anything–

Clearly you had been silent for too long, because Togata quietly said, "I know it seems silly to you."

"It's not that! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or be insensitive. If it makes you happy, then that makes me happy too." You rushed to say, smiling afterwards. "It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that, right? I'm happy you're happy."

The tall blond stared down at you as the two of you walked, his brow furrowed in thought. "Today made me happy." He finally said, his words chosen with care. "I enjoy spending time with you."

You blinked. What?

"I'd like to…" Mirio paused, beginning to fidget. "I-I'd like to spend more time with you, maybe?"

"What, like…tonight?" You managed to croak, nervous laughter bubbling out of you when Mirio's shoulders jolted up around his rapidly-reddening ears.

"What?! No, not like--I-I mean, I wasn't suggesting that!" He frantically tried to backtrack, shaking his head. "I-I just meant maybe we could go get lunch! Sometime! When you have time! L-Like a date!" His voice was getting louder and louder, forcing you to tug on the hem of his jacket to bring him down a notch.

"I would like nothing more than to get lunch with you." You stated plainly, making Mirio slow to a halt. You took a few more steps and then looked back at him, a bit confused. Was that the wrong answer? "Are…are you okay with that?" You asked tentatively.

"I…Yes! Absolutely! I'm super okay with that!" Togata replied frantically, loud all over again. "You make me feel good and I'd like to make you feel g--wait, no, that came out wrong, I promise I'm not--er, I mean, when would you-?"

"As soon as possible." You interrupted his rambling, laughing at his nonplussed expression. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow! Tomorrow works!" A broad grin stretched across Mirio's face, brightening his entire visage. "I'll see you tomorrow, then!" Suddenly, his smile faded. "Oh sorry, I…uh, I promised Eri she and I would have a lunch date tomorrow."

He looked so crestfallen that you nearly started laughing all over again. "Hey, don't worry about it! Tomorrow night, then?" You suggested. "We can get something from Lunch Rush, if you're alright with everyone knowing about this."

"Oh geez, people are going to talk." Mirio groaned, his cheeks pinking up. "Nejire especially."

"We can always order something to campus, if you're worried about that. Or we could go to Lunch Rush at separate times and eat together in my quarters." While placing a reassuring hand on his arm you gently reminded him, "people will always talk."

"No way! If I'm going to be a pro hero someday, I can't get spooked by public relations now!" Mirio reasoned, his hand landing on top of your own. "Tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night." You agreed, leaning into his side for the last stretch of distance the two of you had to walk to your housing. "Looks like this is where I'll have to leave you."

"Uh." Mirio seemed nervous all over again, his free hand jammed deep into the pocket of his varsity jacket. "I…er, I-I don't suppose I could give you a goodnight kiss?" He managed to stammer out, his tone hopeful.

"Absolutely."

"Awesome!" Mirio exclaimed. You closed your eyes in anticipation, but you were met with him giving you a simple peck on the cheek.

You tilted your head, certain that your disappointment was a little too obvious. "That's it?"

"Oh! Oh, you wanted--oh." Mirio swallowed hard. "You're sure? I…I mean it might not be any good, haven't had much time to practice." He tried to joke.

"If you'd rather not, it's-"

"No! I-I do, I have for a while." Togata admitted, stunning you with the confession. "I really…I really like you." He then inhaled, squaring his shoulders. "Okay. I'm gonna' give it a shot!"

This time was…a bit different.

His hands came up to cup your face and you could feel him trembling slightly. As Mirio leaned in, you closed your eyes yet again in a desperate bid to cling to your composure. His mouth met yours and, instead of immediately retreating like you had expected, Mirio slid one hand to cradle the back of your neck while he deepened the kiss.

When the two of you finally parted you were both flustered; you were panting and Mirio's face was bright pink. "Was that…okay?" He asked hesitantly, seemingly unaware that you were still trying to catch your breath.

"That was way better than okay." You huffed, making him laugh and punch the air victoriously. "Who the hell taught you how to kiss like that?"

"Huh? Uh, no one. I just kinda'...I mean I've seen a few movies, and they always…you know what, that's not important! We have a date tomorrow night and it's already pretty late, I should let you get some rest!" Togata responded in a rush, one hand on the small of your back ushering you through the entryway of your housing unit. "Have sweet dreams, okay cutie? I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey, wait-!" You began to protest, a bit more than interested in what exactly he had been watching, only for him to cut you off with another kiss. Then, Mirio bolted back outside before you could recover, the blond man leaving you leaning against the wall next to the elevator in a somewhat-rumpled state.

All you heard over the sound of your heart pounding was an elated, far-off shout of, "power!" which in turn made you burst out laughing.

What a nerd!

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chaoticgeminate · 1 year

Text

Love and Red

Summary: Teagan had always seen the little red strings, never her own for some reason, but always everyone else's.

Rating: General Audiences (Dedication Fanfic is Explicit)

Notes: This is a fanfiction of a fanfiction, which I feel is becoming my thing to be honest. This is dedicated to the lovely @leslie-lyman and Stranger at my Gate. Glimpses of Pero and Tessa's story through the eyes of an outsider. This is posted with her permission!

Please check out her stories (if you're over 18, minors are not allowed) and send her some love!

Teagan had always seen the little red strings, never her own for some reason, but always everyone else’s. Connecting pinkies with little red bows, sometimes they went on for miles and miles with no end in sight and sometimes they were right beside each other. A husband and wife, a pair of brothers, grandparent and grandchild. In the past it was said to be the red string of fate that bound lovers’ souls, but now she knew that it wasn’t just romantic love that the strings would show.

Platonic love between two best friends, familial love between old and new generations, all of it was love and all of it was beautiful. But romantic love when reciprocated glowed like Christmas lights, glittering like something precious, and sometimes Teagan would just watch the people in town who found their string mate.

Wonder why she didn’t have one, or if she did why she couldn’t see it.

This made growing up difficult in a different way than just small-town popularity contests, seeing her classmates with their strings and people around town with theirs; she’d always been called absent-minded or stupid because of the distractions with the colorful shades of red that invaded her life. But there was one girl who had a string that was dull, present but so very faint, and Teagan had thought it unfair that someone as kind as Tessa Walsh had a string that she couldn’t see the end of.

Most people had strings that traveled miles across rooms, across streets and lakes and oceans, whenever theirs wasn’t close by; but Tessa’s string looked like it led to the woods but it never moved to indicate there was someone on the other end. Teagan had tried following it once when her parents had been busy at work and left her on her own, back in middle school, but the string vanished in the middle of the woods near the strangest trees she’d ever seen.

Teagan had no explanation, not that she even knew how she saw the strings to begin with, and after that she could only hope that one day Tessa’s string mate would appear. Taking advantage of the fact that she was as good as invisible to everyone, hiding her eyes -such a pale blue, are we sure she isn’t blind, her mother had once remarked- behind the long strands of mousy brown hair that she allowed to fall over her face when she turned her head down to do her work in school was how she managed to get through her youth.

Learning and observing more and more about the strings while her father taught her all manner of hobbies, it had been his attempt to encourage something to keep her wandering attention and to a degree it had worked, she was sort of an all-around artist. Pottery, ceramics, blown glass, painting… it was things she had done with her dad and things that she did when the loneliness was a little too loud.

University had been the largest factor that stopped her from focusing on the strings as hard as she usually did, there were too many and her schoolwork was so much more challenging, but that behavior carried over even after she graduated. Even as she watched people pair off, meet their string mates, as she watched some strings thin out as friendships faded or break when loved ones were lost.

Teagan’s career practically stumbled into her, if she were being honest, she’d always sold things she made as a small side hustle. Blown glass charm bracelets, beads, and figurines; wooden figurines or beads carved and painted as well as pottery and small paintings. All custom made, all handcrafted, and all of them well loved by the recipients.

One such recipient had been writing a romance novel, had plans to try and sell it, but wanted the cover art style that was practically gone now. Instead of Canva style images she’d wanted an oil painting picture, the classic look, and paid two other students to be the models for it while Teagan had painted it.

Never had she imagined becoming the next Elaine Duillo but it had happened after Time Lost hit the shelves and novelists began blowing up her professional email for requests to paint covers for their books too.

Moving back to her childhood home was done quietly, her parents retired and moved South so she’d bought their place from them since she had no siblings, and the entire ground floor was turned into a storefront and studio. Being as busy as she was with getting her new store situated, her painting studio ready, had meant that she hadn’t been paying attention until one day she went to go shopping and saw something she thought impossible.

Tessa Walsh was walking beside a man at the grocery store, he was tall and imposing but when she wasn’t looking he watched her with the softest expressions, and between their hands the red string was vibrant with the faintest of a glow. Romantic love, not yet requited, but there; Teagan felt like an idiot standing in the produce section with a head of cabbage in her hand gaping but it was beautiful.

The glow of it was red with the faintest glimmers of gold, something she’d never seen before really, and Teagan abruptly snapped her mouth closed to turn around. Unaware that Tessa’s new companion had actually noticed her, more because of her sudden movement than anything, she returned to grabbing her groceries and thanking whatever powers that be for Tessa’s good fortune.

Teagan was hard at work, with Thanksgiving around the corner the ornaments and handcrafted figurines were all selling out so fast, her pottery wheel felt like a slave driver and sleep was hard to manage with the stress of keeping everything on the shelves. Just like last year she’d known this time of the year was going to be a warzone on her sanity, a lonely Thanksgiving coupled with a lonely Christmas had led to her spending more and more time in her studio or in the store for the span of the last three months of the year.

The backlog of book covers to paint was growing, even though they weren’t actually due for at least a few months -as she specifically told people that October through December were dates she would not be painting covers- but they were still there. Thom stopped by to pick up the bulk order of ornaments that they sold at the tree farm for her, after he’d stumbled in looking for a gift for Amie the first year Teagan had her studio open she’d offered to sell them to the Walshes at production cost in exchange for word of mouth advertisement, and he ended up staying long enough to help clear the room out when he saw how frazzled she was.

“You could come to ours for Thanksgiving, you know, not a single Walsh would turn you away. We’ll also cut your tree before the official opening, since your ornaments always do well.”

“I could never impose, Thom, but thank you. Tell the others I said Happy Thanksgiving. I’ll be around for my tree after the farm opens. It’s crazy busy this time of the year, you know?”

He left while reminding her that if she came by she wouldn’t be turned away if she changed her mind, making her grin slightly, and Teagan took the brief respite of an empty shop to restock what she could on the actual shelves before working to paint some of the dried pottery pieces waiting to be finished.

What she hadn’t counted on was Henry making an appearance a few days later, also extending an invitation to Thanksgiving at the Walsh residence, and Teagan laughed at the man before sending him on his way with a painting he’d commissioned of a whimsical forest scene at night with fairies hidden in the shadows of fireflies and a sleeping family of foxes just barely visible in their den.

Teagan spent Thanksgiving with a microwave meal and her pottery wheel, her paintings didn’t sell as fast as the other things she sold so those were fine, and she had a surplus of pre-made pieces that would last at least four days. Which meant that the Saturday after Thanksgiving she could join the others in town and watch the lighting of the tree, spotting Amie and Thom and the other Walshes watching proudly.

But Teagan was drawn to the golden glow that had nearly engulfed all the red in Tessa’s string connecting her to Pero, it was new and strange for her. It made her think of hope and fear and change, like Pero and Tessa were on the precipice of something and unsure of what they were going to do.

“Hey Teagan, didn’t see you for Thanksgiving?”

Henry and Martin’s greeting made her jump nearly out of her boots.

“Oh, uh, I was trying to catch up on stock. It’s uh, I wasn’t expecting so many people to come actually find my studio. Figured they’d just buy what they needed from the tree farm since its all in one place, you know?”

Martin pulled her into a tight hug.

“Hey, don’t you dare downplay your work. People love what you make, Amie and Thom said they give out your business cards to nearly everyone that comes to pay for their tree because they ask about what else you make. You thinking about hiring anyone to help?”

“I mean, I should but right now I just need to find my footing first. So, uh, Tessa’s… boyfriend? He from Chicago too?”

Henry and Martin both chuckled and you peered around them to see Tessa leading Pero away down toward the rest of town.

“Pero and Tessa aren’t dating, not yet at least.”

“Oh, I just- I thought that they were. They love each other so-”

“I knew we weren’t the only ones to see it! Tessa is being stubborn about it, even the kids know..”

“Their string is so bright, it’s obvious.”

“String?”

Panic seized Teagan momentarily, a reminder why she didn’t really go out of her way to converse with too many people on the topic of love, she’d never really been good at stopping herself.

“Red string of fate, you know? They love each other so much that anyone can see it.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed only a little but Martin laughed softly, accepting it as a playful sort of answer, and Teagan could have kissed Miss Moira when she called for Henry and Martin. Sneaking away so they wouldn’t find her, cowardly as it was, led to Teagan nearly stumbling on a lightshow that only she could see.

Pero and Tessa were kissing and the glow of red and gold around them was radiant, in a way that made Teagan’s eyes water, it was a love that was so beautiful but there was something sad about it too. She hadn’t really ever felt the emotions that came from a string, not until she touched it, but their love was so strong that even from so far away she could feel it like a summer bonfire.

They didn’t see her when they left, thankfully, but as Teagan watched them leave she was struck with the realization that the string had lost the golden tint now that they’d evidently figured it out. But that didn’t explain why they had gold in theirs to begin with and she was suddenly wondering who, or what, Pero Tovar was.

Henry cornered her in her own store not long before the Solstice, Teagan suspected he’d put aside time after work before going home for the day, and she gave up the fight and instead let him stay as she flipped the closed sign over and let him sit down in one of the wooden rocking chairs that she’d inherited with the house. He cast a major judging expression over her microwavable dinner that was half-eaten and cold, hidden behind the counter, but she could care less about that.

“What is it, Henry?”

“You weren’t lying or joking, were you, about seeing the red strings of fate.”

“No, and I promise you I’m not crazy-”

He stopped her before she could work herself up, the shaking in her hands as she sat on her counter turned register table stopped as he held them still, and tapped her nose gently.

“Teagan, I come from a family of magic too. Can you tell me about Pero and Tessa’s string?”

“Well… it’s different. I mean, it’s a romantic love so it glitters like red Christmas lights now that it’s reciprocated but there’s gold in it and I’ve never seen it before. It’s also kind of… sad? Like it feels like the two of them have a powerful choice to make and they’re both hesitating.”

“You’re not wrong about that, is the string thing why you don’t really branch out and come to anything smaller than a town size event?”

Teagan felt her throat tighten.

“I just get overwhelmed-”

“Can you see your own string?”

The fact that he figured her out so quickly should have felt painful, it should have made her angry, but instead she felt defeated.

“No, I can’t. I can see all of it, the romantic strings and familial strings and platonic ones but I can’t see my own.”

Henry was quiet for a long moment before he wrapped her into a tight hug.

“If you feel alone you should stop running from us, I won’t tell anyone else about this except Martin -he is my husband- but I promise you that everyone in my family would understand.”

“Thank you, Henry.”

“You should really eat some actual food and not… those.”

“The last time I tried to cook I nearly blew up the oven, so if I do have a soulmate out there they better be able to cook.”

Henry stared at her for a long time before he shook his head and left, the insanity of the solstice had almost made her forget about her Christmas tree but Teagan remembered when she walked into the upstairs living room and stared at the empty corner of the room. Tomorrow she’d have to venture over to the farm, before the shop got busy, and Teagan nearly jumped down the stairs when she remembered she’d left the half eaten microwave meal down there.

Maybe Henry was right to be worried but she was fine.

What Teagan hadn’t realized was that she’d meet Pero the next day, pulling up to see the tree farm busy as ever, and after choosing a small tree -one that was easier to heft up the stairs- she nearly stumbled into the taller man before he caught her so she didn’t fall backward into someone else.

“I’m so sorry-!”

“Apologies, did you need something?”

“Oh uh, I was going to find Thom so I could get my tree-”

“I can assist you, I am Pero Tovar, which tree?”

He looked at the tree that was only a little taller than she was with a faint smile and Teagan couldn’t help but let her hand brush through the golden and red string, it was back to being gold with only flashes of red for some reason, but the overwhelming sense of hope and pleading cut through her like lightning.

They had a big choice to make indeed but she didn’t know what it could be or why it was gold other than magic being the answer. When in doubt just blame magic, after all, since she had nothing else to go on.

“If you are anything like Tessa with her decorations this will be buried in lights and baubles.”

“Oh, uh, I only really put lights on my tree. I sell ornaments, I made all the wood and glass ones that Thom brought back before Thanksgiving-”

“You are Teagan? That is very fine, delicate, work. Very impressive.”

“Thank you.”

“What else is it that you make?”

“Paintings, pottery, ceramics, bracelet charms, jewelry, wooden figures… just about anything really.”

Pero hummed as he carried her tree to be wrapped up, the size of it and his strength making it easy to carry, and Teagan noticed the abrupt way the string seemed to begin moving and imagined Tessa had her own things to handle this season.

“I will have to come by your store then, to find a present for Tessa.”

“Of course, and I make things custom as well so if you don’t see something you like then just let me know. It’ll take a little longer to make if its brand new to me but it shouldn’t be that long of a wait.”

Pero tucked her tree into the bed of her pick up and after she paid for her purchase, along with a light scolding from Amie about missing Thanksgiving, Teagan was on her way home and asking the fates again to be kind to Tessa. They weren’t exactly friends but Tessa had always been kind and Teagan still believed that if anyone deserved a powerful love like what she had with Pero that it was Tessa.

It was sometime after Christmas that she found herself at peace, finally, the shop was less hectic and things were quiet. Teagan had her easel out in the storefront today and was working on the first of many backlog book covers, the likelihood of anyone actually coming in was basically slim except she heard the cheerful bell and looked up to see Pero looking around curiously.

“Pero!”

His string was red, pure glittering red and pulsing like a heartbeat, radiating joy and happiness and serenity at long last.

“This is far more than I expected. Where is it you live if this is your store?”

“Oh, uh, upstairs. I remodeled the downstairs into a large open concept store and studio, so upstairs I took down non-support walls to make a living room area since I live alone and don’t really need all the extra bedrooms.”

The house was an old Victorian anyway, three floors with a basement, though the interior had long-since been remodeled to something much more modern; she still had a lot of space she wasn’t exactly using here.

“Practical.”

He was perusing the pottery and ceramics, the plates and serving trays and bowls, the sets of brightly colored and patterned pieces were always eye-catching. He looked at each plate, each small serving bowl, and each little part of one of the more vibrant tapas sets she’d put together after seeing a few online that she really liked.

“Is this sold as a set?”

“Yep!”

“Tessa does love to cook, this would look good when she hosts dinners.” His face fell when he saw the price tag and Teagan knew that he wouldn’t just take a handout, he didn’t seem like the type.

“I don’t make a lot of pottery because I can’t really afford to keep buying the firewood for the kiln unless I have large batch orders, and I’m not anywhere near strong enough to chop my own.” He perked up, instantly, and Teagan was relieved.

She wanted him to be able to give Tessa the lovely tapas set, the vibrant colors and patterns deserved to be used for lively parties, but she hadn’t really had any other way to justify giving him a discount of any kind.

“I could chop your firewood, if you would allow me to purchase this set.”

“How about I draw up an agreement, I’ll put a sold tag on the set, and once you’ve signed it then we can get it wrapped up?”

“This is acceptable, Teagan.”

The whole set was over $600 but included a lot of pieces. Two jugs in 1 liter volume, one butter dish, two spoon rests, three oil dispensers, 40 shallow plates ranging from a two inch diameter up to a 10 inch diameter, 24 bowls ranging from a 4 inch diameter up to a 16 inch diameter, and three utensil holders to match.

It had taken weeks to get everything made, painted, and glazed but the colorful end result had been well worth it. Nobody wanted to buy individual pieces but the price tag deterred even the most longing of potential customers.

One short call to Amie, so that she knew Pero was going to be doing contracted labor and work out a price for his time, and Pero signed the agreement before helping Teagan box the set up to take home to Tessa.

“You will allow me to take these before I work?”

“I trust you Pero. I hope Tessa likes it.”

When he stared at her for a long, quiet, moment she wondered just what he was thinking until he hummed thoughtfully.

“You remind me of someone I knew, a bastard of an Irishman.”

“Oh, well, my grandmother immigrated over here from Ireland. It’s why my parents named me Teagan, to honor her.”

Pero made a soft sound, not affectionate so much as it was understanding, and she realized belatedly he’d come here with Thom and the kids. The other Walsh let her give him hell for staying in the car, it now made sense why Amie was so confused about her call, but she didn’t keep them long after that.

It was a few days later that Tessa showed up with Pero for his first shift chopping wood, thanking her profusely for the tapas set, and Teagan couldn’t help but grin as Tessa looked at all of the other items she had on display.

“I wasn’t going to let him walk here without it, it’s beautiful… how much you love one another.”

Tessa’s face gained some color but she smiled so softly, so affectionately, that Teagan felt peace knowing that whatever choice had kept them tumbling was finally made and it was very clear they’d made the right one.

The way Tessa’s string gleamed and glittered was proof enough that their love truly was magic.

All Fics Taglist: @haylzcyon @wordsnwhiskey @pagannightwitch @radiowallet @tauralmie @amneris21 @trickstersp8 @practicalghost @rominaszh @alwaysdjarin @alexxavicry @all-the-way-down-here

#gift fic #chaoticwrites #stranger at my gate #lovelyleslie #pero tovar x ofc #told from the eyes of an outsider #the great wall fanfic

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