#if you saw me post this earlier with a different sneak peak no you didn’t

[lavendermoonlitskies]

Cookin’ up a lil sumn on this fine Fanfiction Friday 👀

Just a lil Good Omens 1941-part-3 action idk

[suckmykawaiidesu]

Compilation of Nessian Moments:  ‘A Court of Wings and Ruin ’ Edition

Hello loves! ♥️

I recently asked for a compilation list of Nessian moments and there doesn’t seems to be one so I decided to hurriedly put one together before the release of “A Court of Silver Flames”. I have probably missed some scenes but these are the ones that I came across during my re-read. I will be making a post for each book and will link them once available:

A Court of Mist and Fury

ACOMAF Target Exclusive Story uploaded by bookofademigod

A Court of Frost and Starlight

Sneak Peak at the end of A Court of Frost and Starlight

A Court of Wings and Ruin

Chapter 15

Nesta had been beautiful as a human woman. As High Fae, she was devastating. From the utter stillness with which Cassian stood beside me, I wondered if he thought the same thing. She was in a pewter-colored gown, its make simple, yet the material fine. Her hair was braided over the crown of her head, accentuating her long, pale neck—a neck Cassian’s eyes darted to, then quickly away from, as she sized us up and said to me, “You’re back.” With her hair styled like that, it hid the pointed ears. But there was nothing to hide the ethereal grace as she took one step. As her focus again returned to Cassian and she added,

“What do you want?”

But Cassian sauntered over to Nesta, a half smile spreading across his face. She stood stiffly while he picked up the book, read the title, and chuckled. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for a romance reader.” She gave him a withering glare. “And, again, why are you here?” She snatched her book from Cassian, who allowed her to do so, but remained standing beside her. Watching every breath, every blink. “Elain’s mate is here,” I said. And it was the wrong thing to utter in Nesta’s presence. She went white with rage. “He is no such thing to her,” she snarled, advancing on me enough that Rhys slid a shield into place between us. As if he, too, had glimpsed that mighty power in her eyes that day in Hybern. And did not know how it would manifest.

“If you bring that male anywhere near her, I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” Cassian crooned, trailing her at a casual pace as she stopped perhaps five feet from me. He lifted a brow as she whirled on him. “You won’t join me for practice, so you sure as hell aren’t going to hold your own in a fight. You won’t talk about your powers, so you certainly aren’t going to be able to wield them. And you—” “Shut your mouth,” she snapped, every inch the conquering empress. “I told you to stay the hell away from me, and if you—” “You come between a male and his mate, Nesta Archeron, and you’re going to learn about the consequences the hard way.” Nesta’s nostrils flared. Cassian only gave her a crooked grin.

Nesta only shook her head, turning toward the chair and her book. “I don’t care. Do what you want.” A stinging dismissal, if not admission that she still trusted me enough to consider Elain’s needs first. Rhys jerked his chin at Cassian in a silent order to leave, and as I followed them, I said softly, “I’m sorry, Nesta.” She didn’t answer as she sat stiffly in her chair, picked up her book, and dutifully ignored us. A blow to the face would have been better. When I looked ahead, I found Cassian staring back at Nesta as well. I wondered why no one had yet mentioned what now shone in Cassian’s eyes as he gazed at my sister. The sorrow. And the longing

Chapter 16 I cringed. “I guarantee Nesta is now guarding Elain. I think she might honestly kill him if he so much as tries to touch her.” “Not without training she won’t,” Cassian grumbled, tucking in his wings as he claimed the seat beside Mor that Azriel had vacated. The shadowsinger didn’t so much as look at it. No, Azriel just walked to the wall beside Cassian and leaned against the wood paneling. But Rhys and the others remained quiet enough that I knew to proceed carefully as I asked Cassian, “Nesta spoke as if you’ve been up at the House … often. You’ve offered to train her?” Cassian’s hazel eyes shuttered as he crossed a booted ankle over another, stretching his muscled legs before him. “I go up there every other day. It’s good exercise for my wings.” Those wings shifted in emphasis. Not a scratch marred them. “And?” “And what you saw in the library is a pleasanter version of the conversation we always have.” Mor’s lips pressed into a thin line, as if she was trying her best not to say anything. Azriel was trying his best to shoot a warning stare at Mor to remind her to indeed keep her mouth shut. As if they’d already discussed this. Many times. “I don’t blame her,” Cassian said, shrugging despite his words. “She was—violated. Her body stopped belonging wholly to her.” His jaw clenched. Even Amren didn’t dare say anything. “And I am going to peel the King of Hybern’s skin off his bones the next time I see him.”

Chapter 17 Not that there was much finery to bother with. I’d opted for my Illyrian leather pants and a loose, white shirt—and a pair of embroidered slippers that Cassian kept snorting at as we flew. When he did so for the third time in two minutes, I pinched his arm and said, “It’s hot. Those boots are stuffy.” His brows rose, the portrait of innocence. “I didn’t say anything.” “You grunted. Again.” “I’ve been living with Mor for five hundred years. I’ve learned the hard way not to question shoe choices.” He smirked. “However stupid they may be.” “It’s dinner. Unless there’s some battle planned afterward?” “Your sister will be there—I’d say that’s battle aplenty.” I casually studied his face, noting how hard he worked to keep his features neutral, to keep his gaze fixed anywhere but on my own. Rhys flew nearby, far enough to remain out of earshot as I said, “Would you use her to see if she can somehow fix the wall?” Hazel eyes shot to me, fierce and clear. “Yes. Not only for our sakes, but … she needs to get out of the House. She needs to …” Cassian’s wings kept up a steady booming beat, the new sections only detectable by their lack of scarring. “She’ll destroy herself if she stays cooped up in there.” My chest tightened. “Do …” I thought through my words. “The day she was changed, she … I felt something different with her.” I fought against the tensing in my muscles as I recalled those moments. The screaming and the blood and the nausea as I watched my sisters taken against their will, as I could do nothing, as we— I swallowed down the fear, the guilt. “It was like … everything she was, that steel and fire … It became magnified. Cataclysmic. Like … looking at a house cat and suddenly finding a panther standing there instead.” I shook my head, as if it would clear away the memory of the predator, the rage simmering in those blue-gray eyes. “I will never forget those moments,” Cassian said quietly, scenting or sensing the memories wreaking havoc on me. “As long as I live.” “Have you seen any glimpse of it since?” “Nothing.” The House loomed, golden lights at the walls of windows and doorways beckoning us closer. “But I can feel it—sometimes.” He added a bit ruefully, “Usually when she’s pissed at me. Which is … most of the time.” “Why?” They’d always been at each other’s throats, but this … yes, the dynamic between them had been different earlier. Sharper. Cassian shook his dark hair out of his eyes, slightly longer than the last time I’d seen it. “I don’t think Nesta will ever forgive me for what happened in Hybern. To her—but mostly to Elain.” “Your wings were shredded. You were barely alive.” For that was guilt—ravaging and poisonous—in each of Cassian’s words. What the others had been fighting against in the loft. “You were in no position to save anyone.” “I made her a promise.” The wind ruffled Cassian’s hair as he squinted at the sky. “And when it mattered, I didn’t keep it.” I still dreamed of him trying to crawl toward her, reaching for her even in the semiunconscious state the pain and blood loss had thrown him into. As Rhysand had once done for me during those last moments with Amarantha. Perhaps only a few wing beats separated us from the broad landing veranda, but I asked, “Why do you bother, Cassian?” His hazel eyes shuttered as we smoothly landed. And I thought he wouldn’t answer, especially not as we heard the others already in the dining room beyond the veranda, especially not when Rhys gracefully landed beside us and strode in ahead with a wink. But Cassian said quietly as we headed for the dining room, “Because I can’t stay away.”

Chapter 17 His focus shifted behind me before he replied—and Lucien shut his mouth. His metal eye whirred softly. I followed his glance, and tried not to tense as Nesta stepped into the room. Yes, devastating was a good word for how lovely she’d become as High Fae. And in a long-sleeved, dark blue gown that clung to her curves before falling gracefully to the ground in a spill of fabric … Cassian looked like someone had punched him in the gut.

Chapter 19 Something drew Cassian’s attention behind me. And even as his body remained casual, a predatory gleam flickered in his eyes. I didn’t need to turn to know who was standing there. “Care to join?” Cassian purred. Nesta said, “It doesn’t look like you’re exercising anything other than your mouths.” I looked over my shoulder. My sister was in a dress of pale blue that turned her skin golden, her hair swept up, her back a stiff column. I scrambled to say something, to apologize, but … not in front of him. She wouldn’t want this conversation in front of Cassian. Cassian extended a wrapped hand, his fingers curling in a come-hither motion. “Scared?” I wisely kept my mouth shut as Nesta stepped from the open doorway into the blinding light of the courtyard. “Why should I be scared of an oversized bat who likes to throw temper tantrums?” I choked, and Cassian shot me a warning glare, daring me to laugh. But I felt for that bond in my mind, lowering my mental shields enough to say to Rhysand, wherever he was in the city, Please come spare me from Cassian and Nesta’s bickering. A heartbeat later, Rhys crooned, Regretting becoming High Lady? I savored that voice—that humor. But I shoved that simmering panic down again as I countered, Is this part of my duties? A sensual, dark laugh. Why do you think I was so desperate for a partner? I’ve had almost five centuries to deal with this alone. It’s only fair you have to endure it now. Cassian was saying to Nesta, “Seems like you’re a little on edge, Nesta. And you left so abruptly last night … Any way I can help ease that tension?”

Chapter 22 The Carver purred to Cassian, “If I tell you a secret, warrior-heart, what will you give me?” Neither of us spoke. Carefully—we’d have to phrase and do this so carefully. The Carver stroked the shard of bone in his palm, attention fixed upon a stone-faced Cassian. “What if I tell you what the rock and darkness and sea beyond whispered to me, Lord of Bloodshed? How they shuddered in fear, on that island across the sea. How they trembled when she emerged. She took something—something precious. She ripped it out with her teeth.” Cassian’s golden-brown face had drained of color, his wings tucking in tight. “What did you wake that day in Hybern, Prince of Bastards?” My blood went cold. “What came out was not what went in.” A rasping laugh as the Carver laid the shard of bone on the ground beside him. “How lovely she is—new as a fawn and yet ancient as the sea. How she calls to you. A queen, as my sister once was. Terrible and proud; beautiful as a winter sunrise.” Rhys had warned me of the inmates’ capacity to lie, to sell anything, to get free. “Nesta,” the Bone Carver murmured. “Nes-ta.” I squeezed Cassian’s hand. Enough. It was enough of this teasing and taunting. But he didn’t look at me. “How the wind moans her name. Can you hear it, too? Nesta. Nesta. Nesta.” I wasn’t sure Cassian was breathing. “What did she do, drowning in the ageless dark? What did she take?” It was the bite in the last word that snapped my tether of restraint. “If you wish to find out, perhaps you should stop talking long enough for us to explain.” My voice seemed to shake Cassian free of whatever trance he’d been in. His breathing surged, tight and fast, and he scanned my face—apology in his eyes.

Chapter 23 “Would you be frightened of her, if Nesta was—Death? Or if her power came from it?” Cassian was quiet for a long moment. He said at last, “I’m a warrior. I’ve walked beside Death my entire life. I would be more afraid for her, to have that power. But not afraid of her.” He considered, and added after a heartbeat, “Nothing about Nesta could frighten me.”

Chaper 24 Mercifully, or perhaps not, Nesta’s retching filled the silence. Cassian gaped at Rhys. “What did you do?” “I asked him the same thing,” I said, crossing my arms. “He said he ‘went fast.’ ” Nesta vomited again—then silence. Cassian sighed at the ceiling. “She’ll never fly again.” The doorknob twisted, and we tried—or at least Cassian and I did—not to seem like we’d been listening to her. Nesta’s face was still greenish-pale, but … Her eyes burned. There was no way of describing that burning—and even painting it might have failed. Her eyes remained the same blue-gray as my own. And yet … Molten ore was all I could think of. Quicksilver set aflame. She advanced a step toward us. All her attention fixed on Rhys. Cassian casually stepped in her path, wings folded in tight. Feet braced apart on the carpet. A fighting stance—casual, but … his Siphons glimmered. “Do you know,” Cassian drawled to her, “that the last time I got into a brawl in this house, I was kicked out for a month?” Nesta’s burning gaze slid to him, still outraged—but hinted with incredulity. He just went on, “It was Amren’s fault, of course, but no one believed me. And no one dared banish her.” She blinked slowly. But the burning, molten gaze became mortal. Or as mortal as one of us could be. Until Lucien breathed, “What are you?” Cassian didn’t seem to dare take his focus off Nesta. 

Chapter 27 Cassian had stationed himself by the doorway, I realized, to be closer to Nesta. To grab her if Amren decided she didn’t particularly care for where this conversation was headed. Or for any of the furniture in this room. Precisely why Rhys now placed himself on Amren’s other side—to draw her attention away from me, and Mor behind us, every muscle in her lithe body on alert. Cassian was staring at Nesta—hard enough that my sister at last twisted toward him. Met his gaze. His head tilted—slightly. A silent order.

Cassian casually slid Nesta behind him, his fingers snagging in the skirts of her black gown. As if to reassure himself that she wasn’t in Amren’s direct path. Nesta only rose onto her toes to peer over his shoulder.

Chapter 30 Both males went a bit still. But Azriel sketched a bow—while Cassian stalked for the dining table, reached right over Nesta’s shoulder, and grabbed a muffin from its little basket. “Morning, Nesta,” he said around a mouth of blueberry-lemon. “Elain.”

Cassian finished the muffin, licking his fingers. I could have sworn Nesta watched the entire thing with a sidelong glance. He grinned at her as if he knew it, too. “Ready for some flying, Nes?” “Don’t call me that.” The wrong thing to say, from the way Cassian’s eyes lit up. I chose that moment to winnow to the skies above the House, chuckling as wind carried me through the world. Some sisterly payback, I supposed. For Nesta’s general attitude. Mercifully, no one saw my slightly better crash landing on the veranda, and by the time Cassian’s dark figure appeared in the sky, Nesta’s hair bright as bronze in the morning sun, I’d brushed off the dirt and dust from my leathers. My sister’s face was wind-flushed as Cassian gently set her down. Then she strode for the glass doors without a single look back. “You’re welcome,” Cassian called after her, more than a bite to his voice. His hands clenched and slackened at his sides—as if he were trying to loosen the feel of her from his palms.

Chapter 31 In the terrible silence, Cassian hauled me out—toward the dim center of the pit. Nesta was standing there, arms around herself, eyes wide. Cassian only stretched out an arm for her. As if in a trance, she walked right to his side. His arms tightened around both of us, Siphons flaring, gilding the darkness with bloodred light.

Chapter 32 I wondered what had happened in those initial moments, when he’d found my sister. As if he’d read my thoughts, Rhys sent the image to me, no doubt courtesy of Cassian. Panic—and rage. That was all he knew as he shot down into the heart of the pit, spearing for that ancient darkness that had once shaken him to his very marrow. Nesta was there—and Feyre. It was the former he saw first, stumbling out of the dark, wide-eyed, her fear a tang that whetted his rage into something so sharp he could barely think, barely breathe— She let out a small, animal sound—like some wounded stag—as she saw him. As he landed so hard his knees popped. He said nothing as Nesta launched herself toward him, her dress filthy and disheveled, her arms stretching for him. He opened his own for her, unable to stop his approach, his reaching— She gripped his leathers instead. “ Feyre,” she rasped, pointing behind her with a free hand, shaking him solidly with the other. Strength—such untapped strength in that slim, beautiful body. “Hybern.” That was all he needed to hear. He drew his sword—then Rhys was arrowing for them, his power like a gods-damned volcanic eruption. Cassian charged ahead into the gloom, following the screaming—

Chapter 39 But Nesta was glancing between us all, her back still stiff, mouth a thin line. “Where is he?” “Who?” Rhys crooned. “Cassian.” I didn’t think I’d ever heard his name from her lips. Cassian had always been him or that one. And Nesta had been … pacing in the foyer. As if she was worried. I opened my mouth, but Mor beat me to it. “He’s busy.” I’d never heard her voice so … sharp. Icy. Nesta held Mor’s stare. Her jaw tightened, then relaxed, then tightened—as if fighting some battle to keep questions in. Mor didn’t drop her gaze. Mor had never seemed ruffled by mention of Cassian’s past lovers. Perhaps because they’d never meant much—not in the ways that counted. But if the Illyrian warrior no longer stood as a physical and emotional buffer between her and Azriel … And worse, if the person who caused that vacancy was Nesta … Mor said flatly, “When he gets back, keep your forked tongue behind your teeth.” My heart leaped into a furious beat, my arms slack at my sides at the insult, the threat. But Rhys said, “Mor.” She slowly—so slowly—looked at him. There was nothing but uncompromising will in Rhys’s face. “We now leave for the meeting in three days. Send out dispatches to the other High Lords to inform them. And I’m done debating where to meet. Pick a place and be done with it.” She stared him down for a heartbeat, then dragged her gaze back to my sister. Nesta’s face had not altered, the coldness limning it unbending. She was so still she seemed to barely be breathing. But she did not balk. She did not avert her eyes from the Morrigan. Mor vanished with hardly a blink. Nesta only turned and headed for the sitting room, where I noticed books had been laid on the low-lying table before the hearth.

Behind us, Amren murmured to Nesta, “Cassian has gone to war many times, girl. He isn’t general of Rhys’s forces for nothing. This battle was a skirmish compared to what lies ahead. He’s likely visiting the families of the fallen as we speak. He’ll be back before the meeting.” Nesta said, “I don’t care.”

Chapter 42 Nesta only lifted her chin. “I …” I’d never seen her stumble for words. “I do not want to be remembered as a coward.” “No one would say that,” I offered quietly. “I would.” Nesta surveyed us all, her gaze jumping past Cassian. Not to slight him, but… avoid answering the look he was giving her. Approval—more. “It was some distant thing,” she said. “War. Battle. It … it’s not anymore. I will help, if I can. If it means …telling them what happened.”

Mor sagged a bit, jewelry glinting with the movement, and went to take Cassian’s arm. But he’d at last approached Nesta. And as the world began to turn to shadows and wind, I saw Cassian tower over my sister, saw her chin lift defiantly, and heard him growl, “Hello, Nesta.” Rhys seemed to halt his winnowing as my sister said, “So you’re alive.” Cassian bared his teeth in a feral grin, wings flaring slightly. “Were you hoping otherwise?” Mor was watching—watching so closely, every muscle tense. She again reached for his arm, but Cassian angled out of reach, not tearing his eyes from Nesta’s blazing gaze. Nesta blurted, “You didn’t come to—” She stopped herself. The world seemed to go utterly still at that interrupted sentence, nothing and no one more so than Cassian. He scanned her face as if furiously reading some battle report. Mor just watched as Cassian took Nesta’s slim hand in his own, interlacing their fingers. As he folded in his wings and blindly reached his other hand back toward Mor in a silent order to transport them. Cassian’s eyes did not leave Nesta’s; nor did hers leave his. There was no warmth, no tenderness on either of their faces. Only that raging intensity, that blend of contempt and understanding and fire. Rhys began to winnow us again, and just as the dark wind swept in, I heard Cassian say to Nesta, his voice low and rough, “The next time, Emissary, I’ll come say hello.”

Chapter 44 “You’re insane,” I breathed to Tamlin as Varian bared his teeth. “Do you hear what you’re saying?” I pointed toward Nesta. “Hybern turned my sisters into Fae—after your bitch of a priestess sold them out!” “Perhaps Ianthe’s mind was already in Rhysand’s thrall. And what a tragedy to remain young and beautiful. You’re a good actress—I’m sure the trait runs in the family.” Nesta let out a low laugh. “If you want someone to blame for all of this,” she said to Tamlin, “perhaps you should first look in the mirror.” Tamlin snarled at her. Cassian snarled right back, “Watch it.” Tamlin looked between my sister and Cassian—his gaze lingering on Cassian’s wings, tucked in behind him. Snorted. “Seems like other preferences run in the Archeron family, too.”

Chapter 45 Rhys lifted a brow. “Your staggering generosity aside, will you be joining our forces?” “I have not yet decided.” Eris went so far as to give his father a look bordering on reproach. From genuine alarm or for what that refusal might mean for our own covert alliance, I couldn’t tell. “Armies take time to raise,” Cassian said. “You don’t have the luxury of sitting on your ass. You need to rally your soldiers now.” Beron only sneered. “I don’t take orders from the bastards of lesser fae whores.” My heartbeat was so wild I could hear it in every corner of my body, feel it pounding in my arms, my gut. But it was nothing compared to the wrath on Cassian’s face—or the icy rage on Azriel’s and Rhys’s. And the disgust on Mor’s. “That bastard,” Nesta said with utter coolness, though her eyes began to burn, “may wind up being the only person standing in the way of Hybern’s forces and your people.” She didn’t so much as look at Cassian as she said it. But he stared at her—as if he’d never seen her before.

Chapter 47 Helion paused his debating the wall to survey her carefully, as he had done earlier. Spell-Cleaver. That was his title. She surveyed him with her usual disdain. But Helion gave her the same bow he’d offered me—though his smile was edged with enough sensuality that even my heart raced a bit. No wonder the Lady of Autumn hadn’t stood a chance. “I don’t think we were introduced properly earlier,” he crooned to Nesta. “I’m—” “I don’t care,” Nesta said with a snap of her wrist, striding right past him and up to my side. “I’d like a word,” she said. “Now.” Cassian was biting his knuckle to keep from laughing—at the utter surprise and shock on Helion’s face. It wasn’t every day, I supposed, that anyone of either sex dismissed him so thoroughly. I threw the High Lord a semi-apologetic glance and led my sister out of the room. “What is it?” I asked when Nesta and I had entered her bedroom, the space bedecked in pink silk and gold, accents of ivory scattered throughout. The lavishness of it indeed put our various homes to shame. “We need to leave,” Nesta said. “Right now.” Every sense went on alert. “Why?” “It feels wrong. Something feels wrong.” I studied her, the clear sky beyond the towering, drape-framed windows. “Rhys and the others would sense it. You’re likely just picking up on all the power gathered here.” “Something is wrong,” Nesta insisted. “I’m not doubting you feel that way but … If none of the others are picking it up—” “I am not like the others.” Her throat bobbed. “We need to leave.” “I can send you back to Velaris, but we have things to discuss here—” “I don’t care about me, I—” The door opened, and Cassian stalked in, face grave. The sight of the wings, the Illyrian armor in this opulent, pink-filled room planted itself in my mind, the painting already taking form, as he said, “What’s wrong.” He studied every inch of her. As if there were nothing and no one else here, anywhere. But I said, “She senses something is off—says we need to leave right away.” I waited for the dismissal, but Cassian angled his head. “What, precisely, feels wrong?” Nesta stiffened, mouth pursing as she weighed his tone. “It feels like there’s this …dread. This sense that … that I forgot something but can’t remember what.” Cassian stared at her for a moment longer. “I’ll tell Rhys.” And he did.

Chapter 48 Nesta let out a breathy, sharp noise and surged from her chair. I lunged for her, nearly tripping over the skirts of my dress as she staggered back, a hand clutching at her chest. Another step would have taken her stumbling into the reflection pool, but Mor sprang forward, gripping her. “What’s wrong?” Mor demanded, holding my sister upright as her face contorted in what looked to be—pain. Confusion and pain. Sweat beaded on Nesta’s brow, though her face went deathly pale. “Something …” The word was cut off by a low groan. She sagged, and Mor caught her fully, scanning Nesta’s face. Cassian was instantly there, his hand at her back, teeth bared at the invisible threat.

Chapter 49 Nesta smoothed a hand down her dark dress. “What do I do now?” A purpose, I realized. Assigning her the task of finding a way to repair the holes in the wall … it had given my sister what perhaps our human lives had never granted her: a bearing. “You come with us—to Graysen’s estate, and then travel with the army. If you’re connected with the Cauldron, then we’ll need you close. Need you to tell us if it’s being wielded again.” Not quite a mission, but Nesta nodded all the same. Right as Cassian clapped Rhys on the shoulder and prowled toward us. He paused a foot away, and frowned. “Dresses aren’t good for flying, ladies.” Nesta didn’t reply. He lifted a brow. “No barking and biting today?” But Nesta didn’t rise to meet him, her face still drained and sallow. “I’ve never worn pants,” was all she said. I could have sworn concern flashed across Cassian’s features. But he brushed it aside and drawled, “I have no doubt you’d start a riot if you did.” No reaction. Had the Cauldron— Cassian stepped in Nesta’s path when she tried to walk past him. Put a tan, callused hand on her forehead. She shook off the touch, but he gripped her wrist, forcing her to meet his stare. “Any one of those human pricks makes a move to hurt you,” he breathed, “and you kill them.” He wouldn’t be coming—no, he’d be mustering the full might of the Illyrian legions. Azriel would be joining us, though. Cassian pressed one of his knives into Nesta’s hand. “Ash can kill you now,” he said with lethal quiet as she stared down at the blade. “A scratch can make you queasy enough to be vulnerable. Remember where the exits are in every room, every fence and courtyard— mark them when you go in, and mark how many men are around you. Mark where Rhys and the others are. Don’t forget that you’re stronger and faster. Aim for the soft parts,” he added, folding her fingers around the hilt. “And if someone gets you into a hold …” My sister said nothing as Cassian showed her the sensitive areas on a man. Not just the groin, but the inside of the foot, pinching the thigh, using her elbow like a weapon. When he finished, he stepped back, his hazel eyes churning with some emotion I couldn’t place. Nesta surveyed the fine dagger in her hand. Then lifted her head to look at him. “I told you to come to training,” Cassian said with a cocky grin, and strode off. I studied Nesta, the dagger, her quiet, still face. “Don’t even start,” she warned me, and headed for the stairs.

Chapter 51 On and on they went, until Devlon looked over Rhys’s shoulder—to where we stood. A scowl at Mor. A frown at me—wisely subdued. Then he noticed Nesta. “What is that,” Devlon asked. Nesta merely stared at him, one hand clamping the edges of her gray cloak together at her chest. One of the other camp-lords made some sign against evil. “That,” Cassian said too quietly, “is none of your concern.” “Is she a witch.” I opened my mouth, but Nesta said flatly, “Yes.” And I watched as nine full-grown, weathered Illyrian warlords flinched. “She may act like one sometimes,” Cassian clarified, “but no—she is High Fae.” “She is no more High Fae than we are,” Devlon countered.

Chapter 56 But Nesta had jolted to her feet, staring at Cassian, at the helmet he had tucked into the crook of his arm, the weapons still poking above his shoulder, in need of cleaning. His dark hair hung limp with sweat, his face was mud-splattered where even the helmet had not kept it out. But she surveyed his seven Siphons, the dim red stones. And then she said, “You’re hurt.” Rhys snapped to attention at that. Cassian’s face was grim—his eyes glassy. “It’s fine.” Even the words were laced with exhaustion. But she reached for his arm—his shield arm. Cassian seemed to hesitate, but offered it to her, tapping the Siphon atop his palm. The armor slid back a fraction over his forearm, revealing— “You know better than to walk around with an injury,” Rhys said a bit tensely. “I was busy,” Cassian said, not taking his focus off Nesta as she studied the swollen wrist. How she’d detected it through the armor … She must have read it in his eyes, his stance. I hadn’t realized she’d been observing the Illyrian general enough to notice his tells. “And it’ll be fixed by morning,” Cassian added, daring Rhys to say otherwise. But Nesta’s pale fingers gently probed his golden-brown skin, and he hissed through his teeth. “How do I fix it?” she asked. Her hair had been tied in a loose knot atop her head earlier in the day, and in the hours that we’d worked to ready and distribute supplies to the healers, through the heat and humidity, stray tendrils had come free to curl about her temple, her nape. Faint color had stained her cheeks from the sun, and her forearms, bare beneath the sleeves she’d rolled up, were flecked with mud. Cassian slowly sat on the log where she’d been perched a moment before, groaning softly—as if even that movement taxed him. “Icing it usually helps, but wrapping it will just lock it in place long enough for the sprain to repair itself—” She reached for the basket of bandages she’d been preparing, then for the pitcher at her feet. I was too tired to do anything other than watch as she washed his wrist, his hand, her own fingers gentle. Too tired to ask if she possessed the magic to heal it herself. Cassian seemed too weary to speak as well while she wrapped bandages around his wrist, only grunting to confirm if it was too tight or too loose, if it helped at all. But he watched her— didn’t take his eyes off her face, the brows bunched and lips pursed in concentration. And when she’d tied it neatly, his wrist wrapped in white, when Nesta made to pull back, Cassian gripped her fingers in his good hand. She lifted her gaze to his. “Thank you,” he said hoarsely. Nesta did not yank her hand away. Did not open her mouth for some barbed retort. She only stared and stared at him, at the breadth of his shoulders, even more powerful in that beautiful black armor, at the strong column of his tan neck above it, his wings. And then at his hazel eyes, still riveted to her face. Cassian brushed a thumb down the back of her hand. Nesta opened her mouth at last, and I braced myself— “You’re hurt?” At the sound of Mor’s voice, Cassian snatched his hand back and pivoted toward Mor with a lazy smile. “Nothing for you to cry over, don’t worry.” Nesta dragged her stare from his face—down to her now-empty hand, her fingers still curled as if his palm lay there. Cassian didn’t look at Nesta as she rose, snatching up the pitcher, and muttered something about getting more water from inside the tent. Cassian and Mor fell into their banter, laughing and taunting each other about the battle and the ones ahead. Nesta didn’t come back out again for some time.

Chapter 56

Nesta did not flinch at the clash and din of battle. She only stared toward one blackarmored figure, leading the lines, his occasional order to push or to hold that flank barking across the battle.

Chapter 57 Nesta laid a hand against her bare, rain-slick throat. Cassian began another assault on a Hybern captain—slower this time than he’d been. Now. I had to go now—quickly. I took a step away from the outlook. My sister narrowed her brows at me. “You’re leaving?” “I’ll be back soon,” was all I said. I didn’t dare wonder how much of our army would be left when I did. By the time I strode away, Nesta had already faced the battle once more, rain plastering her hair to her head. Resuming her unending vigil of the general battling on the valley floor below.

Chapter 61 I squinted at the watery light—the very last before true dark. When my vision adjusted… Nesta stood by the nearest tent, an empty water bucket between her feet. Her hair a damp mess atop her mud-flecked head. Watching us emerge, grim-faced— “He’s fine. Healed and awake,” I said quickly. Nesta’s shoulders sagged a bit. She’d saved me the trouble of hunting her down to ask her about tracking the Cauldron. Better to do it now, with some privacy. Especially before Amren arrived. But Mor said coldly, “Shouldn’t you be refilling that bucket?” Nesta went stiff. Sized up Mor. But Mor didn’t flinch from that look. After a moment, Nesta picked up her bucket, mud caked up to her shins, and continued on, steps squelching.

Chapter 62 Nesta still didn’t move. She could not use the bathtub, she’d told me. Because the memories it dragged up— Cassian said to her, “Nothing can harm you here.” He sucked in a breath, groaning softly, and rose to his feet. Azriel tried to stop him, but Cassian brushed him off and strode for my sister’s side. He braced a hand on the desk when he at last stopped. “Nothing can harm you,” he repeated. Nesta was still looking at him when she finally shut her eyes. I shifted, and the angle allowed me to see what I hadn’t detected before. Nesta stood before the map, a fist of bones and stones clenched over it. Cassian remained at her side—his other hand on her lower back. And I marveled at the touch she allowed—marveled at it as much as I did the mudsplattered hand she held out. The concentration that settled over her face. Her eyes shifted beneath their lids, as if scanning the world. “I don’t see anything.” “Go deeper,” Amren urged. “Find that tether between you.” She stiffened, but Cassian stepped closer, and she settled again. A minute went by. Then another. A muscle twitched on Nesta’s brow. Her hand bobbed. Her breath then came fast and hard, her lips curling back as she panted through her teeth. “Nesta,” Cassian warned.

Chapter 63 Cassian chuckled hoarsely, and looked to Nesta, who remained pale and quiet. What she’d seen, what I’d seen in her mind… The size of that army… “Eat or bed?” Cassian had asked Nesta, and I honestly couldn’t tell if he’d meant it as some invitation. I debated telling him he was in no shape. Nesta only said, “Bed.” And there was certainly no invitation in the exhausted reply.

Chapter 64 “We’ll get her back,” Cassian rasped from where he perched on the rolled arm of the chaise longue across the small sitting area, watching her carefully. Rhys, Amren, and Mor were meeting with the other High Lords, informing them what had been done. Seeing if they knew anything. Had any way of helping. Nesta lowered her hands, lifting her head. Her eyes were red-rimmed, lips thin. “No, you will not.” She pointed to the map on the table. “I saw that army. Its size, who is in it. I saw it, and there is no chance of any of you getting into its heart. Even you,” she added when Cassian opened his mouth again. “Especially not when you’re injured.”

Chapter 66 “Good,” Cassian said, glancing at Nesta. “If I end my life defending those who need it most, then I will consider it a death well spent.” Lord Devlon, for once, nodded his approval. I wondered if Cassian noticed it—if he cared. His face revealed nothing, not as his focus remained wholly on my sister.

Chapter 69 During the brief midday break in a large meadow, Nesta and I climbed inside one of the supply caravan’s covered wagons to change into Illyrian fighting leathers. When we emerged, Nesta even buckled a knife at her side. Cassian had insisted, yet he’d admitted that since she was untrained, she was just as likely to hurt herself as she was to hurt someone else.

Chapter 70 Nesta pushed herself onto her elbows, hair shaking free of her braid, lips bloodless. She heaved into the grass. Rhys’s magic shot out of him, arcing around our entire army, his breathing a wet rasp— Nesta’s hands grappled into the grass as she lifted her head, scanning the horizon. Like she could see right to where the Cauldron was now about to be unleashed. Rhys’s power flowed and flowed out of him, bracing for impact. Azriel’s Siphons flashed, a sprawling shield of cobalt locking over Rhysand’s, his breathing just as heavy as my mate’s— And then Nesta began screaming. Not in pain. But a name. Over and over. “CASSIAN.” Amren reached for her, but Nesta roared, “CASSIAN!” She scrambled to her feet, as if she’d leap into the skies. Her body lurched, and she went down, heaving again. A figure shot from the Illyrian ranks, spearing for us, flapping hard, red Siphons blazing— Nesta moaned, writhing on the ground. The earth seemed to shudder in response. No—not in response to her. In terror of the thing that erupted from Hybern’s army. I understood why the king had claimed those rocky foothills. Not to make us charge uphill if we should push them so far. But to position the Cauldron. For it was from the rocky outcropping that a battering ram of death-white light hurled for our army. Just about level with the Illyrian legion in the sky—as the Attor’s legion dropped to the earth, and ducked for cover. Leaving the Illyrians exposed. Cassian was halfway to us when the Cauldron’s blast hit the Illyrian forces. I saw him scream—but heard nothing. The force of that power… It shredded Azriel’s shield. Then Rhysand’s. And then shredded any Siphon-made ones. It hollowed out my ears and seared my face. And where a thousand soldiers had been a heartbeat before… Ashes rained down upon our foot soldiers. Nesta had known. She gaped up at me, terror and agony on her face, then scanned the sky for Cassian, who flapped in place, as if torn between coming for us and charging back to the scattering Illyrian and Peregryn ranks. She’d known where that blast was about to hit. Cassian had been right in the center of it. Or would have been, if she hadn’t called him away. Rhys was looking at her like he knew, too. Like he didn’t know whether to scold her for the guilt Cassian would no doubt feel, or thank her for saving him. Nesta’s body went stiff again, a low moan breaking from her. I felt Rhys cast out his power—a silent warning signal. The other High Lords raised shields this time, backing the one he rallied. But the Cauldron did not hit the same spot twice. And Hybern was willing to incinerate part of his own army if it meant wiping out a strength of ours. Cassian was again hurtling for us, for Nesta sprawled on the ground, as the light and unholy heat of the Cauldron were unleashed again.

Nesta had her brow in the grass as Cassian landed so hard the ground shuddered. He was reaching for her as he panted, “What is it, what—” “It’s gone quiet again,” Nesta breathed, letting Cassian haul her into a sitting position as he scanned her face. Devastation and rage lay in his own. Did he know? That she had screamed for him, knowing he’d come… That she’d done it to save him? Rhys only ordered him, “Get back in line. The soldiers need you there.” Cassian bared his teeth. “What the hell can we do against that?”

Chapter 72 Rhys made to shoot me back down to the ground, where Amren and Elain were still waiting. Nesta said, “Wait.” Rhys obeyed. Nesta stared toward that armada, toward our father fighting in it. “Use me. As bait.” I blinked at the same moment Cassian said, “No.” Nesta ignored him. “The king is probably waiting beside that Cauldron. Even if you get there, you’ll have him to contend with. Draw him out. Draw him far away. To me.” “How,” Rhys said softly. “It goes both ways,” Nesta murmured, as if my mate’s words moments before had triggered the idea. “He doesn’t know how much I took. And if … if I make it seem like I’m about to use his power … He’ll come running. Just to kill me.” “He will kill you,” Cassian snarled. Her hand clenched on his arm. “That’s—that’s where you come in.” To guard her. Protect her. To lay a trap for the king. “No,” Rhys said. Nesta snorted. “You’re not my High Lord. I may do as I wish. And since he’ll sense that you’re with me… You need to go far away, too.” Rhys said to Cassian, “I’m not letting you throw your life away for this.” I was inclined to agree. Cassian surveyed the depleted Illyrian lines, now holding strong as Azriel rallied them. “Az has control of the lines.” “I said no,” Rhys snapped. I’d never heard him use that tone with Cassian, with any of them. Cassian said steadily, “It’s the only shot we have of a diversion. Luring him away from that Cauldron.” His hands tightened on Nesta. “You gave everything, Rhys. You went through that hell for us, for fifty years.” He’d never addressed it—not fully. “You think I don’t know what happened? I know, Rhys. We all do. And we know you did it to save us, spare us.” He shook his head, sunlight glinting off that dark, winged helmet. “Let us return the favor. Let us repay the debt.” “There is no debt to repay.” Rhys’s voice broke. The sound of it cracked my heart. Cassian’s own voice broke as he said, “I never got to repay your mother—for her kindness. Let me do it this way. Let me buy you time.” “I can’t.” I wasn’t sure if in the entire history of Illyria, there had ever been such a discussion. “You can,” Cassian said gently. “You can, Rhys.” He gave a lazy grin. “Save some of the glory for the rest of us.” “Cassian—” But Cassian asked Nesta, “Do you have what you need?” Nesta nodded. “Amren showed me enough. What to do to rally the power to me.” And if Amren and I could control the Cauldron between us… That distraction they’d offer … Nesta looked down to Elain—our sister monitoring the bloodbath ahead. Then to me. She said quietly, “Tell Father—thank you.” She wrapped her arms tightly around Cassian, those gray-blue eyes bright, then they were gone.

Chapter 74 Nesta surged to her feet, staggering across the clearing, blood at her mouth from where he’d hit her, and threw herself to her knees before Cassian. “Get up,” she sobbed, hauling at his shoulder. “Get up.” He tried—and failed. “You’re too heavy,” she pleaded, but still tried to raise him, fingers scrabbling in his black, bloodied armor. “I can’t—he’s coming—” “Go,” Cassian groaned. Her power had stopped hurling the king across the forest. He now stalked toward them, brushing off splinters and leaves from his jacket—taking his time. Knowing she would not leave. Savoring the awaiting slaughter. Nesta gritted her teeth, trying to haul Cassian up once more. A broken sound of pain ripped from him. “Go! ” he barked at her. “I can’t,” she breathed, voice breaking. “I can’t.” The same words Rhys had given him. Cassian grunted in pain, but lifted his bloodied hands—to cup her face. “I have no regrets in my life, but this.” His voice shook with every word. “That we did not have time. That I did not have time with you, Nesta.” She didn’t stop him as he leaned up and kissed her—lightly. As much as he could manage. Cassian said softly, brushing away the tear that streaked down her face, “I will find you again in the next world—the next life. And we will have that time. I promise.” The King of Hybern stepped into that clearing, dark power wafting from his fingertips. And even the Cauldron seemed to pause in surprise—surprise or some … feeling as Nesta looked at the king with death twining around his hands, then down at Cassian. And covered Cassian’s body with her own. Cassian went still— then his hand slid over her back. Together. They’d go together. I will offer you a bargain, I said to the Cauldron. I will offer you my soul. Save them. “Romantic,” the king said, “but ill-advised.” Nesta did not move from where she shielded Cassian’s body.

Chapter 80 My sister had barely spoken, barely eaten these past few days. Had not visited Cassian in his healing bed. Still had not talked to me about what had happened.

- END - 

[lyranova]

Rain

Hi guys~! So this is the one shot I mentioned earlier and posted the little sneak peak for. It explains how Hikari and Alistar became friends (it also explains what happened to Alistars mom), so I hope you guys like this! Also if you don’t want to be spoiled please don’t read ☺️!

Word Count: 2,854

Genre: Fluff and Angst

Warnings: Death, Mild Language.

Taglist: @eme-eleff

———

Yami frowned as he listened to Julius on the other end of the communication device. Apparently, a Golden Dawn member lost control of his magic and now the entire base was covered in Plant Magic. So Julius asked if Yami would be able to handle it, Yami had said he could and he looked over at his 12 year old daughter Hikari. They were the only ones here, everyone else was out on missions even Charlotte. He sighed as he put away the communication device and crossed his arms.

“ Hikari, do you think you’re ready for your first mission?” He asked her seriously, this would be her first time out on an actual mission. One that could be dangerous. His protective side was screaming at him, telling him to just leave her here for a while that someone was going to be home soon, but the Captain side of him urged him to bring her. She had her heart set on joining the Black Bulls and being a Magic Knight, this would be a good test to confirm and see if this was the path she wanted to take. Besides, if it appeared to be too dangerous he could always take her somewhere safe, he was her dad and would protect her no matter what.

“ Really?! You’re taking me on a mission with you?!” Hikari gasped excitedly as she jumped up and ran over to her father, he nodded and her eyes widened in excitement. “ Yes I’m ready!” She saluted just like Asta had taught her. Yami chuckled and ruffled her hair a bit, she almost had as much energy as Asta when it came to missions.

“ Alright then. C’mon, let’s go.” He commanded and Hikari once again saluted her father before following behind him outside to their brooms. She could be so adorable sometimes.

———

Yami and Hikari both gaped at the sight before them; the Golden Dawn's base was completely covered in various flowers and vines, some stones had been damaged or broken, the vines were moving around, gripping the building tighter and tighter, as though it were a snake trying to squeeze the life out of its prey. It reminded Yami a lot of when he rescued Charlotte from her curse all those many years ago, except these ones weren’t attacking them, not yet anyway.

“ Hikari, stay close to me, and keep your hand on your Katana at all times. Just in case you need to defend yourself.” Yami instructed seriously, he watched the 12 year old girl nod and do as she was told, the smile and excitement were gone from her face. Instead a cold seriousness replaced them, she was focused on her task, and nothing would snap her out of it. He chuckled to himself, she looked just like him right now. He made sure to keep his hand on his Katana as well before pulling out his grimoire and walking forward.

“ We’re going to have to cut through this aren’t we?” Hikari asked in a soft, almost sad, tone. Yami nodded before turning to look at her, she walked up to the vine and reached a hand out. But Yami quickly grabbed her wrist and stopped her. “ This Qi coming from the vines, it’s familiar, like I’ve seen it before. It even feels different, like it’s sad.” She added before looking to her father, he sensed it too, both the familiarity and the sadness. He was glad Charlotte had agreed to teach Hikari Qi.

“ I know, but it can’t be helped. In order to get to the squad members and to the mage casting this spell,” he unsheathed his Katana and Hikari did the same. “ we’ll have to cut these down!”

The two Sukehiro’s slashed and cut their way through the vines, releasing Golden Dawn members that had been trapped along the way. Yami looked around, the mana was beginning to get stronger the closer they got to the center of the base. But the vines, they weren’t attacking them, they were only holding the Golden Dawn members, some were squeezed and held tighter than others, but other than a few bruises and cracked ribs they were ok. Hikari was holding her own, Yami wasn’t very surprised given who her parents were, but still she seemed completely comfortable here, she was in her element.

“ Hey dad, I think the mage is in here!” Hikari called as she looked through a large doorway that used to hold two large double doors. Yami walked over and he felt it; a large concentration of mana, yep this was where the mage was. He started hacking and slashing, occasionally using his dark magic, to cut through the vines. Hikari was behind him helping, he left the thinner ones to her while he cut down the bigger ones. When they finally reached the center of the vines they stood still, eyes wide in shock.

There in the middle of the room, on their knees, was a young boy. He appeared to be around Hikari’s age, his messy white hair stuck to his face, his hands and entire body trembling, his blue eyes stared at the ground in front of him. The vines moved around him protectively after sensing the intruders, but Yami made quick work of them and cut them down in one swift movement. The boy almost appeared to be frozen, but his labored breathing proved otherwise.

“ Dad, isn’t that Captain Vangeance’s son?” Hikari asked softly. Yami looked at her for a moment before looking back at the boy; she was right, it was Alistar Vangeance, William's only son. That's why the Qi seemed so familiar, not only because the movements were similar to William’s, but he had seen the boy use his magic on multiple different occasions. He was extremely talented, like Hikari, well, he wasn’t as talented as Hikari if you wanted Yami’s honest opinion.

Yami noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Hikari approaching Alistar, he reached out and grabbed his daughter by the shoulder.

“ Hikari. You don’t know what’s wrong with him, he could attack you the minute you get close.” Yami told her seriously, but the look in her eyes held steely determination. She was going up there whether he wanted her too or not. The two stared each other down for a few moments before Yami sighed and let her go. “ Fine. But I’ll be watching, one false move, and I’m getting you out.” He warned, she nodded and walked up to Alistar.

The boy didn’t even seem to notice her presence, he stayed in the same spot, in the same position, as she walked up to him. Hikari had known the boy pretty much her entire life, they weren’t very close though as they were in two separate squads, but she had met him numerous times and found him pleasant to be around. Even if he could be a little bit of a ‘by the rules’ type, but he was always kind and polite to her. This didn’t even look like the same boy.

“ Hurt...it hurts…” Alistar struggled to get out, his voice was hoarse as though he had been screaming, there were vines wrapped around his legs and ankles, but they didn’t look tight enough to be hurting him.

“ What hurts?” She asked him as she looked around his body, his shirt was slightly torn, but he had no wounds.

“ Everything…” Alistar told Hikari so softly that she almost missed it, her head shot in his direction. Sweat was dripping down his face as though he were in extreme agony. But when he finally moved his eyes to look at hers she gasped; his eyes, they held a different kind of pain in them. Alistar wasn’t talking about physical pain, he was talking about a different kind of pain, one that couldn’t be seen.

“ Look, I know you’re hurting right now, and I’ll do what I can to help you. But just because you’re hurting, doesn’t give you the right to be hurting others too!” Hikari shouted, shocking both Alistar and Yami. Alistar gaped at the young brunette. She could understand he was hurting and that in return he wanted others to hurt as well, but that didn’t mean it was the right thing to do!

“ I…” He trailed off, his eyes suddenly searching hers, for what neither really knew. But the vines that surrounded them suddenly began to vanish. “ I don’t want to hurt anyone else.” He finished, his voice breaking, Hikari instantly looked away sheepishly. She hadn’t meant to be so harsh.

“ Alistar!” A voice suddenly shouted as they stepped into the room. It was William Vangeance, a slightly out of breath one, but William nonetheless. Alistair's Eyes widened and the pain in them quickly morphed into anger. The boy quickly stood on shaky legs and took off running.

“ Alistar!” William shouted again as he went to take off after him, but Yami stopped the Golden Dawn’s Captain in his tracks.

“ I wouldn’t if I were you. You seem to be the one he’s angry at.” Yami pointed out, William sighed, as much as he wanted to chase after his son he knew Yami was right. “ Hikari! Go make sure the kids alright would ya?” Yami ordered, Hikari nodded and chased after Alistar.

———

Hikari panted slightly as made it to the top of the nearest tower, she had seen him come this way she was sure of it. She walked around and saw him standing there leaning against one of the pillars, he appeared to be lost in thought.

“ Why'd You follow me?” He mumbled before turning to look at her, his eyes were usually so warm, but now they were as cold as ice.

“ I was ordered too.” She answered honestly, he laughed a humorless laugh before pushing himself off the pillar and stood across from her.

“ Let me guess, my father sent you.”

“ No. Mine did.” Hikari saw the surprise in his eyes before it disappeared just as quickly. The two pre-teens stood in silence, neither one knowing what to say or where to start.

“ Alistar,” Hikari asked softly yet cautiously just like her mother would do. “ what happened?”

Alistar looked away instantly at the question, his body began to tremble once more. Where did he start? How did he even begin to describe what he found out today? He leaned a hand against the pillar for support, Hikari went to help but he held a hand out to stop her. He needed to calm down. He didn’t want anyone else to get hurt or worse, because of him again. He took a few deep calming breaths before he bit his bottom lip, the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t sure if he had the courage to say them out loud.

“ I…” Alistar paused, shutting his eyes tightly and squeezing them. “ I killed my mom.” He said, his voice cracking in the middle, Hikari’s eyes widened, what was he talking about? How did he kill his mom? She didn’t understand.

“ What do you mean?” She asked softly, she watched Alistar's hands ball into fists as his shaking only got worse. He finally looked up at her, his blue eyes were full of hurt and anger.

“ My mom...she died giving birth to me. I caused her to hemorrhage, to bleed out, and that bastard lied to me about it!” Alistar suddenly shouted as he slammed the side of his hand into the concrete pillar, probably cutting his skin somewhat.

Hikari blinked, his mom died giving birth? But, she had heard that she was ill and had passed when he was still a baby. She watched his body still shake, out of anger or sadness she couldn’t tell, she just stood there watching him. She willed herself to speak, to say something, but no words would come out. What was she supposed to say in this situation? How was she supposed to react? Oh how she wished her mother was back from her mission to help her!

“ Your dad lied to you?” She asked, that was the only thing her brain could think of to ask in the moment. When he nodded he walked away from the pillar and sat down on the ledge of the tower.

“ Yeah, he told me she died of an illness when I was a couple of months old.” He muttered, Hikari walked over and sat down next to him. So that’s the story Captain Vangeance decided to tell Alistar all these years, but she was a little confused, her father had told her the same thing. Did he actually know how Captain Vangeance’s wife died? Or was he in on the lie as well?

“ Do you think, maybe he didn’t tell you because he knew you’d react this way?” Hikari suggested, causing Alistar to frown at her.

“ What do you mean?”

“ Right now you’re angry, not just at your dad but at yourself too. You’re blaming yourself for something you had no control over, that neither of you had control over.” Hikari explained before turning to face Alistar. “ That look in your eye, I could tell there was anger, sadness, and pain in them. But there was one thing I noticed that I didn’t recognize until now: blame.”

“ Your dad was trying to keep this from happening, to keep you from blaming yourself. Even though I don’t agree with him keeping this from you, I can understand why.” She finished, Alistar blinked and looked away. He knew she was right, and she knew she was right. But she didn’t want to rub it in, not when it came to this.

The two sat in silence again for a few moments before another question popped into Hikari’s head.

“ Who told you about your mom?”

“ No one. I overheard a few squad members talking about it, talking about how if I were their child they wouldn’t be able to look at me, how they can’t believe my father doesn’t blame me for it, how they wished it were me instead of her that died.” He spoke softly, Hikari felt an anger rise in her, how dare people talk like that about him?! She quickly stood up, a hand on her Katana.

“ Who was it? I want names and detailed descriptions.” She ordered, causing Alistar to blink up at her before he let out a small laugh.

“ What? Are you my bodyguard now?” He asked in an almost mocking tone.

“ Maybe I am. Someone needs to watch your back for you. Otherwise things like that are going to keep happening, especially when you climb up the ladder.” Hikari pointed out.

“ You think I’m going to make it all the way to the top?”

“ Hm, not all the way, since I’m going to be the Wizard Queen someday. But I do believe you’ll make Captain of your squad and when you do, I’ll be right behind you watching your back, even though we’re in two different squads. Just like I know you’ll have mine.” Hikari said as she sat back down.

“ How do you know I’ll watch your back?” He teased, his eyes widened in surprise when she blushed and looked away sheepishly.

“ Because, you’re you.” She muttered, not sure what he wanted her to say. That was really the only good way she could describe him; Alistar was Alistar, he was nice, calm, determined, a born leader and above all he was loyal to his friends and squadmates. “ Also, because we’re friends now!” She added with a laugh causing him to look surprised once again, friends? He and her were friends? He shook his head and smiled softly, his usual smile that everyone was accustomed to seeing.

“ Thank you, Hikari.” He told her softly, she waved it away.

“ No problem, you would do the same for me.” Hikari shrugged before she heard him laugh again.

“ My, the rain is really coming down isn’t it?” Alistar asked suddenly as his face was pointed to the sky, Hikari frowned and looked up as well.

It was a completely clear afternoon, not a single cloud in sight.

“ But, it’s not rai-.” She cut herself off as she looked over at Alistar.

Tears streamed down the young boy's face, all the emotions he was feeling finally overwhelmed him. He was sad, angry, guilty. But he was also happy he had finally made a friend, a true friend, for the first time in his life. It was all too much for his emotions to handle, so he cried silently.

Hikari smiled softly before moving closer to Alistar, she grabbed his hand and held it gently, just like her parents would do whenever she was sad. She gave it a small squeeze.

“ You’re right. It really is raining terribly.”

———

I’m sorry if this isn’t very good but I hope you all enjoyed, this last scene with the rain is a small nod to FMA, I noticed Alistar and Hikari’s relationship is similar to Roy/Riza’s (which wasn’t 100% intentional 😅) so that scene was a nod to it haha. Anyway thanks for reading and I hope you all have a good day~!

[jackalgirl]

Telling vs. Showing

I had posted an excerpt from the Turkey City Lexicon a while back, about "Telling Not Showing", which is one of those things that writers are recommended not to do.

Violates the cardinal rule of good writing. The reader should be allowed to react, not be instructed in how to react. Carefully observed details render authorial value judgments unnecessary. For instance, instead of telling us "she had a bad childhood, an unhappy childhood," specific incidents--involving, say, a locked closet and two jars of honey--should be shown.

I was thinking about this the other night -- and I stress that it came to me by itself, please please don't anyone think I'm calling you out on this, because I am not -- and thought it might be fun* to provide an example. Stick around (under the cut) if you're interested.

* I lie. Aethel and Felix told me to write this, and woke me up early to do so. Fine. I'm done, you two, may I please go get some more coffee? Thank you.

Telling

Felix found Aethel in the galley, reading one of Max’s books. He made a face, wondering why she was reading it. When he’d first met her, it probably would have never occurred to him to ask her why — she’s weird and more than a little scary — but he had come to understand that she put all that weirdness and scariness to service in the way she cared for people, and he knew she cared for him, so he sat down and asked anyway. She looked, he thought, a little relieved to be interrupted, which did not really surprise him. She was very much willing to tell him about it, and in fact confirmed his suspicion that she found the text…how did she put it? Tedious. But she was reading it to better understand the way the people in the Order think, so she was determined to read it anyway. Good luck with that, he thought, and got himself something to eat out of the fridge.

versus Showing

Felix found Aethel in the galley, a book open before her on the common table and a line between her eyebrows. It must be one of Max’s books, he thought. He sat down and she looked up. Perhaps he was imagining it, but it appeared to him that she had a look of relief on her face. “Watcha readin’, Aethel?” He asked her. When he’d first met her, it probably would have never occurred to him to ask her a question like this — she’s weird and more than a little scary — but he had come to understand that she put all that weirdness and scariness to service in the way she cared for people, and he knew she cared for him, so in this particular moment, he hadn’t hesitated. “One of the vicar’s books on Scientism,” she said, confirming his guess. He made a face. “Ugh. Why? You’re always arguing with him about it.” And driving him nuts. Another point in her favor, actually. “It’s important to him,” she said. “And what’s more, it’s important to this colony. It would be foolish for me to dismiss it. I want to understand it better.” Felix gestured at the book. “Is that helping?” Aethel let out a sigh. “Alas, no. It is tedious.” “That’s why I like serial books,” Felix grinned. He tilted his head. “Why is it, ah, tedious, though?” “The author uses words like a collector,” she said. “But not like an artist.” Felix tilted his head and his expression must have told her he didn’t get it — I don’t get it — because she leaned back and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Do you remember the Sprat Fancy party in Byzantium?” She asked. Felix felt his face screw up again. “It was awful.” At first, Byzantium had impressed him. It was so clean! But eventually he realized it was as full of trash as the rest of the Colony — just higher-class trash, is all. Plus, the people there were always looking down on him — worse than the crew of the Groundbreaker, if that was possible. Or worse than the crew had been, before I helped Aethel fix the heat. Now they liked him well enough. But in Byzantium, nothing the crew had done had changed the Byzantines’ attitudes towards them. Their disdain is baked in, Aethel had said at the time. And speaking of baking, Aethel said, “do you remember the food?” “Ugh. Do I ever. The prettiest food you ever saw. Tasted like shit, though.” “What would those people have thought of a Boarst Pocket?” Aethel asked. “Ha!” Felix drummed the table with his hands in amusement. “They’d hold up their noses, for sure. Something that plain and simple?” “And yet, it is delicious?” “Yes,” Felix spoke with the conviction of a dedicated cultist. Aethel nodded. She tapped the pages in front of her. “This book is like the food in Byzantium. It is concerned about its appearance, and about all the different colors it can show you — it is very pretty. But it tastes like shit.” “So why are you eating it?” Felix asked, then remembered she’d answered him earlier. “Because you want to understand the system,” he said. She nodded. “I think of it as reconnaissance,” she said. “At some point, I’m going to have to deal with Order people who are higher ranked than Max. I need to understand what they think — or at least, what they’re telling people they think, which may not be the same.” “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they all turned out to be a pack of hypocrites,” Felix said. “I’ll bet it’s all a show for power.” “Perhaps it’s not all a show for power,” Aethel suggested. But then she relented. “But yes, I tend to think that in the end, that’s the Order’s primary goal.” All that talk about Boarst Pockets made him want one, so he got up and got one out of the fridge. “Would you like one, boss?” He said, waggling the packet, knowing her answer in advance: “No thank you, Felix,” she said politely. He chuckled to himself. I don’t get how she can like spratwurst and not like boarst. Some things just defied understanding. I hope she has better luck with that book.

I liked writing this, because it gave me a little epiphany for another scene (the "Sprat Fancy" party) and an opportunity to put Sprat Fancy magazine into the actual fic, as opposed to it remaining as something of a joke.

[ Image description: cover of "Sprat Fancy", showing an adorable pink-splotched, white sprat from above, looking up at the camera with her gorgeous black eyes. Text reads: "Sprat Fancy Magazine - your guide to Halcyon's Fancy Sprats" and "Volume 22, Issue 8, 2 bits" with article leads: "Sacred Beasts: The Role of Sprats in the Faith", "Refuge: Keeping your precious sprat safe from marauders (and hungry neighbors)", "Ooo La La! Jolicoeur Haberdashery releases an all new line of fancy sprat fashion! Get a sneak peak of the latest on the Byzantine spratwalk!", "Place Your Bets: Your comprehensive guide to this season's All-Colony Fancy Spratstravanaza - who's in? Who's out? You may just be surprised by this year's contenders!" and a corner flag: "Ask Doctor Sprat". The cover image is captioned: "'Bakonu' by Captain Pearl Jenkins. With this large beauty take 'Best in Show' from Lord Reginald Kim III?" End ID. ]

Sometimes, having to write stuff out like this (especially between major scenes) is really daunting, because it generally doesn't come to me all at once like the major scenes do. I know, right from the get-go, that this is going to be a time-consuming process (I call it "sausage making"), and it's scary when I don't immediately see a clear way forward or understand how it will turn out. But I find that once I get going, the characters are happy to cooperate. And it's always worthwhile, because most of the time, I get some kind of revelation or epiphany (as above) that makes the story better, or maybe it's just neat and makes me giggle. But that's reason enough.

This is part of the pros of showing versus telling, in addition to giving the reader more to discover, understand, and react to on their own (rather than simply telling them how to react, which is what you want to avoid). The obvious con is that it takes so much longer. I would think that telling would be useful in contexts where you just don't have the column space, or are limited in the number of words you can provide. And I think it could also be useful -- used judiciously -- if you're deliberately trying to hide something from the reader.

But if you've been telling instead of showing because the amount of work you can see in front of you daunts you (or you just can't envision how it's going to go), I can only say: give it a try. You'll be surprised at what the characters are just waiting to tell you, if you only give them the chance.

[cchokemeyoongi]

HE FOUND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT

note: first time posting my work here but hope you guys like this. Also, FLUUUUUUFFFFF everywhere. I'm sorry Jin's were shorter but I just find it really endearing and calm and sweet.

JIN

You nervously exhaled as you wait for your doctor to announce the results. You tried the pregnancy kit three times last night. The first one showed that you're negative yet the last two tested positive so just to be sure you decided to see your doctor.

You felt a hand over you and turned to face your husband who gave you a warm smile. You know deep inside that Jin is as hopeful as you are. You two had been trying for a year now, and each time the result would always say negative. You silently pray that this time, it would be it.

Jin leaned in closer and kissed your forehead.

"Congratulations mommy to be." Your doctor suddenly announced. "You're pregnant."

You felt your eyes tear up and looked up to your husband who's sniffing right next to you. His eyes are teary as yours with a goofy smile plastered on his face.

YOONGI

You jerked when you heard the loud bang from Yoongi's recording room and his loud cursing. He was definitely having a bad day. You fidgeted with the thought of him being in a bad mood.

How were you suppose to break the news to him? Two days ago you found out that you were pregnant. You were ecstatic and scared when you found out. The two of you decided not to have one yet after marriage. You both wanted a family but not now when you're both still busy with work and you decided to enjoy first the company of each other as married couples before having kids.

But 7 months later, here you are freaking out on how to tell you're moody husband that you are carrying his child.

You snap in his direction when you saw him entered the bathroom. You freak out even more when you realize that the pregnancy kit you were staring at earlier was placed on a very visible spot inside.

"Yoongi, wai - " you rush to your husband but stop dead on your track when you saw him frozen in his spot holding the kit in his hands.

"I- I was about- I- that is -" you stammered.

"You're pregnant?" You flinch when Yoongi dropped the kit and walked towards you, surprising you when he pulled you into a hug "Oh my god, you're pregnant!"

"You-you're not mad?"

He pushed you away gently to look at you with disbelief. "Why would I be? This is the best news I had in my entire life. I'm gonna be a fucking father." His face breaks into a grin. "I can't wait to tell the others."

HOSEOK

It's Hoseok's birthday today and you decided to give him the best surprise of his life. Together with your family and the boys you set up his birthday surprise. Today is also the day where you're gonna be giving him the best gift ever.

You were preparing when you received a text from Hoseok.

*I'm coming home babe. Traffic's bad. Namjoon's dropping me off.*

You smiled and put your phone down. Give yourself one look at the mirror and proceeded down to meet the others.

"He's on his way here." You squealed.

"Okay, everbody gather around." Jin said. "Namjoon and Hoseok is on their way now. Y/N you ready?"

"Yes." You said.

"Okay everybody, in their places." Jin announced.

"Turn the lights off." You heard Jungkook said.

"They're here!" Your sister-in-law screamed as she sneak-a-peak at your window pane. Everybody scampered. Moving chairs and making unnecessary sounds. You heard Jimin reprimand Tae for being loud. Everything was in chaos and then everybody suddenly fell silent as the lights from Namjoon's car disappeared.

"Why are the lights off?" You heard Hoseok's muffled voice behind the door as he jiggled with his keys talking to Namjoon. You barely heard Namjoon's reply when Hoseok opened the door. "Babe, I'm -"

"SURPRISE!"

Hoseok jumped with a startled cry as the lights suddenly turned on with confettis popping everywhere. He barely decipher everything as he was so scared when he finally read the words hanging on the wall

Happy Birthday Soon-to-be Daddy!

Hoseok's expression suddenly shifted from scared to confuse to a look full of happiness.

"What?" He grinned from ear to ear. "What is this? What is THAT?" He pointed to the words hanging on the wall. You went near your husband.

"Happy Birthday." You giggled.

"For real? Is that real?" Your husband's voice raising out of excitement as you continuously bob your head.

"Congratulations!" Everybody said as they greeted Hoseok.

"Really?" He said, the information still sinking on him.

"Yes. Really!" You laugh at your husband as he pulled you closer for a tight hug lifting you up and smothering you with sweet kisses.

NAMJOON

You felt a sudden vibration going through your head. You massage your temples trying to lessen the migraine you're feeling.

You've been trying to finish some paper works that you need to submit but ever since this morning you've been feeling not so good. You lack sleep for a week now and stress is eating up on you.

You check the mini clock beside you on your desk, it's almost 1 and you realized you missed lunch again. Your last decent meal was yesterday's lunch, feeling hungry all of a sudden you decided to go and grab something to eat first. Ignoring your throbbing head you suddenly stood up from your seat feeling a pang ran through your head. Some of your colleagues are entering the room, and their happy loud chats is hammering through your head. You grope the sides of your table as you feel dizzy, shutting your eyes close trying to steady yourself.

You feel cold sweats as your vision gets blurry. The last thing you heard was your workmate calling your name before you black out.

---

You slowly open your lids. Adjusting to the light hitting your face. You try to recall the events that happened earlier. Where are you?

"Y/N." You heard Namjoon's voice.

"Joonie-ya." You groaned. "What happened?"

"You passed out." Namjoon said, worry etched on his face. "Your friend said you didn't eat lunch." He sternly said.

"I'm sorry. I forgot."

"You forgot?" He said, scowling at you. You smiled sheepishly at your husband.

"Mrs. Kim" your doctor greeted you.

"How is she?" Namjoon asked.

"She's okay now. There's nothing to worry about. She blacked-out due to stress and overfatigue. You need more bed rest Mrs. Kim." Your doctor smiled at you. "I'll be prescribing some medicines that you have to take but I highly suggest that you take more bed rest and eat more healthy, especially now that it's not just you who you have to look out for."

You look at your doctor in confusion.

"You're pregnant." She said. "Congratulations."

You gape at your doctor. "I'm what?"

"She's what?" You and your husband said in unison. You look at Namjoon. He's just as shock as you.

"You're 3 weeks pregnant." You hardly believe what your doctor said, you felt your husbands hands over yours. You look at him - disblief, shock and happiness etched on his face. "I'll excuse myself now." You heard your doctor say.

"Wow." Namjoon breathed. "You're pregnant."

"I know." You said as well, getting all teary immediately.

You felt Namjoon touch your navel and lowered his head near it and whispered a sweet "hello little one." Making your tears fall as you smile lovingly at your husband, your hands rubbing his hair.

Namjoon grabbed your hands and kissed the back of your palm then looked at you sternly. "You're not allowed to starve yourself and no more work for you."

You started to protest but Namjoon silence you. "It's no longer just you anymore."

You sighed at your husband and nodded. He smiled lovingly at you.

"I love you, Y/N." he said kissing the back of your hands again.

JIMIN

Jimin was in the kitchen washing the dishes when you rushed to the sink from the living room. This was the 4th time that you vomitted this morning and you feel sick to your bones.

"Baby, are you okay?" Jimin worriedly said, stopping what his doing to assist you.

"No. I'm dying." You choked.

"I think we have to go to the hospital." Jimin said. You were about to protest but think twice when you doubled over vomitting again.

You nodded at your husband. You were about to face him when a calendar caught your eye. You suddenly began counting, thinking hard. You suddenly bolted to the door of your bedroom.

"Babe?" Jimin followed you worriedly.

"Y/N" he called. You rushed to the bathroom door just as he was entering your room. Minutes later you went out the door silently.

"What's wrong?" He asked. You stared at your husband silently. You showed him the pregnancy kit that your holding. "What-"

You slowly broke into a grin as you let the information register into your husbands face.

"Your Pregnant?" He asked in disbelief. "Your pregnant!"

You laugh as he jumped with glee holding the tool in his hands. "Seriously, your pregnant!? I'm going to be a dad!"

He pulled you for a kiss before kneeling down.

"I can't wait for you, my mini me." He said and kissed your navel.

TAEHYUNG

Taehyung had been gone 3 months for tour. Little did you both know that you were 1 month pregnant when he left. You wanted to tell him while he was on tour but decided to surprise him at the airport.

You spotted your husband walking towards you as fans scream their names. You smiled at him.

"I missed you so so much jagiya." He said when he reach you and pulled you into a tight hug.

"I missed you too." You laughed. He push you gently scanning you with a weird look plastered on his face. "What?"

"Something's... different." He crinkled his eyebrows. You laughed and quickly gave him a peck.

"I have something for you or rather someone." You grin as you loosen your coat.

You watch as your husbands expression changed from curious to pure shock and happiness when you showed him your bulging belly.

"Oh my god, you're- YOU'RE PREGNANT!" he cried. "I'm a dad now!" You nod your head and laugh when Tae started crying.

"HYUNG! I'M A DAD NOW!" He called to his members. All the members nearing you, all wearing happy shock expressions. You heard some fans scream as news of you getting pregnant spread out. All the boys congratulated you along with their production team. You thank them one by one as you pulled your man who's crying non-stop.

JUNGKOOK

You saw Jungkook staring at some baby stuffs when you spot him in an alley outside your building. You silently went to your husband and sneakily snake your arms around him making him jump and turn towards you.

"What are you doing?" You asked him as he gives a peck.

"Nothing." He said and took your hand. You two started walking. "What do you want to do today?" he asked as you pass by cherry blossoms.

You stared at your husband. "I have something to give you."

Jungkook looked at you as you hand him the paper bag your holding.

"What is this? It's not my birthday." He said excitedly. Your heart pounded as you watch him open the gift you gave him. Jungkook's excited expression turns solemn as his eyes gets teary.

Right before his very eyes are cute little mittens and with a card attach to it reading *happy father's day, daddy."

"For real?" He whispered. You nod your head and he pulled you into a big hug. Both of you crying happy tears.

[rose-vanderan]

Percy and the small Hunter

Rating: G (General)

Characters: Percy Weasley and Harry Potter

Word Count: 2,653

Summary: Harry calls Percy into 12 Grimmauld Place, Harry's now dubbed "Sanctuary", because he needed his assistance regarding some news about a specific little girl nicknamed "Hunter."

Notes: This is a one-shot based on the world building fanfiction I published titled "You'll Be Safe" in which Harry Potter revamps 12 Grimmauld Place in an orphanage and safe place for werewolves to get help and access to safehouses and Wolfsbane potion.

This is posted on AO3 under the same name (”Percy and the small Hunter” by Curious_Feline)

A small audible pop was heard from behind a wooden fence line, concealing the red haired man from any muggles on this particular London residential street. Percy strode out from behind it, traveling down the sidewalk heading towards the now familiar, no longer concealed, “sanctuary” as Harry had dubbed it. He walked up the worn steps, opening the front door, ignoring the obnoxious doorbell that no one bothered removing. The interior of Grimmauld place was bustling with life. He could hear a few pairs of children, giggling and laughing, as he glanced around observing the two pairs of potential parents checking in with one of the assistants. He politely greeted them as he passed, heading upstairs keeping note of the small boy peering over the banister with a mischievous smile.

Percy nearly toppled himself backwards as he reached over and grabbed the small boy before he fell over the bannister as the child had tried to drop what looked like a bright orange and purple water balloon on one of the teenagers that occupied Grimmauld Place as she passed underneath. Percy took a moment to keep his grasp on his nerves, looking up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath, still holding the boy. He gently placed the boy back on the ground and then gave a quick lesson on safety, that the boy surprisingly seemed to listen to. Percy chalk that up as him simply being scared out of his wits, as he almost dropped and got a concussion. The boy had stretched out his arms and Percy crouched to accept the hug the boy wanted. He paused there for a few brief moments, waiting on the small boy to be the one to let go first. Percy knew that some of the children needed the extra affection and had no issue waiting the extra moments, as he knew that it meant more than people realize for them.

Percy watched as the boy let go, watching him turn around after one of the other kids called after him, and rushed off to join them. Percy placed his hands on his knees and raised himself back up to his full height before turning to head towards his destination. He reached a closed wooden door and raised his hand to briefly knock on it in a solid pattern of four. He listened closely for the signal from Harry inside before he entered, closing the door behind him. The room before him stood brightly lit by the window off on the far wall, adorned with multiple bookshelves, and a centered oak desk behind which was the man in question. Harry looked to be glancing over various documents, his dark unruly hair now growing longer pulled into a ponytail. Harry pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, the gravity causing them to slip down before he glanced up at Percy.

“You know you don’t have to knock, Percy. I knew you were coming over, you could’ve just walked in.” Harry said, leaning back in his chair, arms resting on the arms.

“I was just making sure you weren’t in the middle of something. Also I know about Ron bursting in here all the time.” Percy replied.

“Ah, yeah” Harry chuckled “He just slams the door open, announcing himself half the time if he remembers. Usually he just starts talking about whatever and getting a few sentences in before realizing I’m looking at him like he’s lost his head.”

Percy gave a small smile at the image before raising his hand in a dismissive wave. “Sorry, I guess it is just a habit. Well at least I didn’t scare you. Yet anyhow.”

“Yet.” Harry retorted, “Let me just finish this before I continue. They keep hounding me about how important and how dire it is for him to finish it in a timely manner.” Harry grinned, his voice indicating dripping sarcasm as he leaned forward, grabbing a hold of different papers on his desk to glance over. He made a noise indicating he had found what he was looking for after only a brief few moments before he made a quick signature, setting it on the growing stack of papers on the right side of his desk. Harry pushed back his chair and stood before he proceeded to start stretching, indicating how long he stayed hunched over his desk.

“You remember Logan?” Harry asks, glancing his gaze towards Percy, stretching his arm across his chest.

“One of the younger werewolves that got taken in?” Percy asked, more out of clarification that curiosity. He remembered how Logan was one of the first werewolf children that got taken into Grimmauld Place, something that caused an uproar in the wizarding community. Article after article got written regarding how “dangerous” that Potter boy was going to be around a child if he thinks a werewolf child should be allowed near others. The articles quickly stopped after the amount of people immediately jumping to his defense, especially Remus Lupin one of the awarded heroes following the end of the Second War. Harry stayed livid about the articles for a few months following that incident.

“Yes well you know the kid he always sticks around? The older kid with the scruffy blonde hair? Even though it’s clear that both of them seem to get on each other's bloody nerves?” Harry asked, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

Percy nodded, remember the child everyone had nicknamed Hunter, because they always seemed to sneak around Grimmauld Place being light as a feather on their feet. Another reason they adopted the nickname was because they enjoyed being perched on top of various furniture pieces around the house, taking to try to pop out to scare some of the adults as they passed. It worked a few times on Harry.

“She has relayed some information to me about some changes I will be making to her paperwork.” Harry said, taking in how quickly the information had crossed and processed through his mind.

“Oh, I’m happy for her.” Percy smiled but added, “Why did you feel the need to tell me privately? Surely you could’ve told me with the rest of the staff?”

Harry gave an awkward laugh before rubbing the back of his neck, not meeting Percy’s eye contact. Percy raised his eyebrow.

“Oh...uh…” Harry tried to say but eventually cleared his throat. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding....”

Percy understood. He startled Harry because he actually laughed. It was short but still caught him off guard.

“Harry, you’re fine. You want me to talk to her because I’d understand what she’d be going through to a degree and you just want her to be comfortable.” Percy helpfully filled in.

Harry let out a relieved sigh and tried to replace his awkward posture.

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to….” Harry trailed off again but caught himself before the awkward silence ate him alive. “Well, she’s in the library if you could go and make her feel more comfortable.”

“Of course.” Percy said, and with that took his leave.

He walked out the room taking himself up another flight of stairs, landing on the third floor. He made his way down the hallway to the cracked oak near the end of the hall. He glanced inside and saw Hunter perched on the back of the couch, reading some thick hardback book. She glanced up upon hearing the door slowly creak open, and she slid her bookmark onto the page before plopping the book down onto the cushion of the couch. Logan was engrossing himself what looked like homework his rotated tutor had probably supplied him. Logan tapped the pencil on the coffee table he sat in front of, as he had placed himself on the floor, and didn’t appear to have bothered to acknowledge Percy.

“I didn’t think we’d have you for another week or so,” Hunter said, which caused Logan to look up but only briefly to notice Percy entered the room.

“Harry asked me to stop by,” Percy began before he moved himself closer to her. "It’s come to my attention that we should reintroduce ourselves.” Percy extended his hand out towards her, gesturing for a handshake, “Percival Ignatius Weasley and you are, my dear?”

Hunter’s smile grew wider with the passing second before she extended her hand to shake his, the excitement showing in her enthusiasm. “Paige!” She exclaimed happily, and she threw her grin towards Logan who looked up towards them.

“Oh great, now she’s going to go around introducing herself to everyone in her. I’m going to end up sick of the name before she’s even had it for a month.” Logan replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, before dogging the book Paige reached down and chucked towards him.

“Hey it’s alright.” Percy said going over and picked up the book from the floor, watching as Paige crossed her arms across her chest sticking her tongue out towards Logan who returned the same. Percy shook his head and smiled to himself. Paige stopped herself abruptly as she turned towards Percy, her head cocked to one side.

“Wait.” She said, almost a little too loudly, “Is this why Harry asked you to come here?”

Percy placed the book back onto the couch where she originally placed the book, although more carefully. He looked up at her from his slightly slouched position, before nodded and straightened himself.

“Are you like me?” She asked curiosity peaking, starting to lean forward clinging onto the back of the couch.

“Not exactly.” He said with a small chuckle.

Logan let out a laugh that actually startled Percy, almost in the same way that Percy startled Harry earlier. The pair of them both looked down at Logan at the same time, Percy with a confused expression while Paige looked annoyed. Logan had let out a harsh breathe before he settled into quieter giggles. He glanced up at both of them and grinned at Percy.

“What?” Logan asked, his eyebrow raised, his voice full of mischief “It makes a lot of sense now.” When Percy continued to look confused and Logan saw Paige roll her eyes, crossing her arms, he continued. “There’s no way your parents named you Percival Ignatius. It makes sense now knowing that you picked the name yourself”

“Ignore him!” Paige said defensively, watching as Percy shook his head. She didn’t notice that Percy was trying to repress his shaking laughter.

“I didn’t say it was a bad name!” Logan defended, tossing a crumpled up ball of paper at her that she easily dodge.

“Kids, kids, it’s alright.” Percy said, putting up both hands in a mock show to separate the two. “He’s not the first person to comment on my naming choice. My brothers got that honor. Besides my father actually wanted to use the name Percival but never got the opportunity.”

“Don’t you have like six siblings?” Logan asked, oblivious to the weight of the question.

“Five, now.” Percy corrected, and it stung a little at how common he said it was that it was starting to feel like habit to automatically correct others. He quickly caught himself before the silence became deafening so he changed the subject back. “Besides they had a long list of potential names and decided on others instead. I’m happy to have chosen a name my father liked and wanted.”

Logan took that answer and nodded, before returning to his papers lying on the table in front of him. Paige had climbed off the back edge of the sofa she had perched herself on, climbing down onto the couch cushion. She stood standing on the couch as she looked up at Percy.

“I happen to like the name, Percy.” She declared with a grin, placing her hands on her hips leaning around Percy to shoot a dirty look at Logan. Percy smiled down at her, his arms now crossed a motion he didn’t even realize he had done.

“Thank you, Paige.” He gave a nod to indicate politely for her to get off the couch, which she obeyed, before he sat down. She took the seat beside him, after he had made the gesture for her to join him. “I’m going to bring a close friend over tomorrow. She has more information for your specific situation than but we’ll both help you, along with Harry, however you need it.”

Percy didn’t see how quickly she moved, as she moved in a flash, but the next thing he knew she was hugging him. Her face buried into his traveling robes, he didn’t realize he was still wearing, as she started shaking softly as she cried. He gently rubbed her back, making soft calming noises, trying to reassure her that she’s safe and okay. She pulled back and rubbed her eyes, looking up at him, sniffling quietly.

“Thank you” She said softly, almost like a whisper that Percy struggled to hear. Percy smiled down at her and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her, giving a small kiss to the top of her head. He pulled back and rubbed the sides of her arms, watching as she beamed up at him. Realization dawned over her face and she shot up off the couch. Percy and Logan both looked startled at her abrupt movement, she rushed over to the door to the library before turning her head backward towards them both. “I’ll be back, I need to go thank Harry too!”

Percy smiled, watching her rush off out the door to go downstairs. Paige got out the door before she made a noise of surprise. The two left in the room, quickly realized Harry had been outside the door, listening as it sounded as though he almost toppled over as she rushed to hug him. Logan who had cleared his throat before glancing over at Percy, causing him to look over at the boy. He looked to be hesitant to say something and after a few moments he finally did.

“Thank you,” Logan said quietly, “...for helping Paige. She’s been scared to tell anyone.” Logan shifted uncomfortably, showing that he was unsure of how to approach this, not meeting Percy’s eyes. “I only want her to be happy and you’ve definitely helped her a lot.” Logan glanced back up at Percy, getting the courage to make eye contact, his face starting to flush.

Percy smiled, reaching over and placing a hand on his shoulder. “She’s lucky to have someone like you. You’ve helped her a lot too.” Percy told him.

Logan suppressed a smile that was threatening to spread across his face before he cleared his throat again and returned his attention back down to his papers. “You uh...You should probably go help Harry because she might not let go of him anytime soon.” Logan told him, picking up his pencil and started to tap it absentmindedly on the table.

Percy reached his hand over a gave him a small pat on his upper back, the small smile still showing on his face, probably part of the reason Logan refused to look back up, pink spreading over his cheeks as he gets flustered easily from affectionate conversations. Percy leaned back and raised himself from his seat and headed towards the door. Percy turned his head back towards Logan, trying to ignore the noises of children clambering up the stairs to jump on top of Harry, by the sounds of it.

“Let me know if you need anything, okay?” He called back towards Logan. Logan didn’t glance up, just choosing to raise his thumb in the air as a sign of acknowledgement, but Percy saw the smile that crept its way onto Logan’s face. Percy didn’t expect Grimmauld Place to mean as much as it did to him, but he’ll always be here to help out in any way he can.

[ethanramseyyy]

Open Heart Second Year: Chapter 14

Wow, this chapter was really something special. I mean we went to a freakin’ ski lodge with our husband. I couldn’t think of anything more perfect to be honest. Unfortunately, the beginning of the chapter wasn’t the happiest of moment. Our baby Esme, I feel so bad for her. I am praying that she is going to be okay, maybe MC could give her some tips on how to fight a court case as we all know MC will have some great tips after what we went through with Mrs Martinez. I am so glad we saw Zaid again because we haven’t seen too much of him. I am still hoping for a scene with Baz annoying Zaid because they would make such a good duo. Also this is random but did anyone else notice the font change on the character’s names, it caught me so off guard. 

I have mixed emotions about how I feel about Mitch and the name calling. Part of me thinks he deserves it but also a part of me things that it is a bit harsh because you can see he is trying to make Sienna feel better. But then again he did treat her like rubbish. But him later quitting because of the nickname ‘Puddle’ is quite sad!

Rafael, we all know I think he is one of the sweetest characters in the book. I didn’t play the diamond scene with him because I didn’t have a lot of diamonds but I am sure it was beautiful. I really hope he starts working at the hospital again because the Raf stans deserve it after what they have been through.

I literally said in my post about chapter 12 that I wanted to see the Ramsey family back together to try and work through their issues, and even though we didn’t get that in this chapter I have a feeling it might be coming in the next chapter. It was nice to see Ethan’s dad again, hopefully his character becomes more relevant in the coming chapters because I think it would be interesting to see MC and Alan bond more. Also it reminded me how much Ethan looks like his dad, I didn’t notice it before but wow!

I thought it was so sad that Ethan was almost scared to let his mother in again because he thinks she is going to leave again. His relationship with his family is so complicated and I think choices are doing a good job showing that not all families are perfect. When Ethan said we were going to a SKI RESORT, I screamed. This is basically our first outing as a ‘married couple’ or whatever we are at this point and let me tell you I thoroughly enjoyed it. We have gotten some quality Ethan content recently and  I am here for it!

Jackie. I am so glad that she finally told us what she was going through. Not going to lie when Elijah said she was on the roof I was scared. I did not know what to expect. The fact she felt bad for being a good doctor and making sure they got the best and most reliable care just shows how good she is as a person. I know that she said a part of her felt bad because she wanted the extra money but honestly I don’t blame Jackie in the slightest. Let me know what you think about Jackie and the decision she made.

Baz’s ski outfit has to be one of the cutest things. I love this man so much. He does not get enough appreciation at all. Now I might be wrong but the inside of the ski lodge looked almost identical to the scene with Naveen, Ethan and MC when Naveen was ill. I might be completely wrong but it looks the exact same to me. Or at least very similar. I was so ready to hear some High school Ethan stories from Rodney I am not going to lie. But I genuinely thought Rodney was about 20 so when he said he went to high school with him, I spat out my drink. I think Timothy and Paula’s storyline was so heartbreaking. To show a young boy trying to understand his mom’s bipolar disorder by himself is so so sad.

I am so annoyed we didn’t get a sneak peak of Ethan in his ski outfit. I was so expecting a diamond scene with MC and Ethan skiing in the resort investigating the scene. I feel like that was a missed opportunity from choices but anyways. I really enjoyed the scene between Baz and MC. I feel like we don’t really see MC and Baz together outside of the hospital, so it was really sweet to find out a little bit more of his character and relationship with Zaid.

GUYYYSSSS!!!

Try telling me that the scene between Mc and Ethan weren’t the cutest. You can’t. They were perfect. The way Ethan just keeps opening up to Mc is everything we have ever wanted. It is amazing. ‘Why would I want to be alone when I could be with the woman I spend every night longing for’. Did you hear that everyone? He spends every night thinking about Mc. He wanted to be with us for so long but kept denying it, just imagine him being in bed by himself thinking about Mc. I can not deal. The section where he pulled us onto the sofa and we leaned back into his chest melted my heart. Their relationship is the purest thing. And to top it all off they started playing make belief with each other. When I tell you I cried. I need them to move in with each other now please. Imagine the scenes we would get with them leaving the hospital together. I would die. Literally and Hypothetically. I’m not going to go into too much information about THE scene between Mc and Ethan but just know it was amazing. To say it wasn’t a 30 diamond scene it was graphic. Legendary if you ask me.

I was so shocked that Bryce’s sister came back into the story. I thought they had forgotten about her and that storyline. I didn’t buy the diamond scene with them because like I said before I don’t have a lot of diamonds but I think that it was good that they incorporated her again. Hopefully Bryce finds a healthy balance between work and helping his sister because he deserves to become the best surgeon he can.

 Like I said earlier, finding out that Timothy was giving his mum mood stabilizers because of her bipolar disease broke me. It made me realize that there are so many children out there suffering from the same situation by themselves with little to no help. I think it’s amazing that choices is shedding light on situations like these. You could tell that the situation between Timothy and his mother really touched Ethan as he decided to go and see his mum. The interaction between Ethan and Mc was so sweet and you can tell how much her truly treasures her.

I really enjoyed this chapter, it developed so many different storylines. Let me know what you thought about this chapter and what happened during the diamond scenes if you played them. Thanks for all the support, I appreciate it so much.

[nyanbinary-chatnoir]

the lights are shining (so brightly everwhere)

Ladrien - Post reveal and relationship - Word Count: 1802 - A pinch of LadyNoir at the end, just a pinch

Adrien glanced at his phone, he sighed when he saw no new messages. Well, he can't blame Marinette for not replying. It was Christmas Eve so his assumption is she went downstairs to spend time with her parents. His father was had once again holed himself in his office in the evening. No surprise but one would think after two years now his father would learn to spend time with his son on holidays. Gorilla had been kind of enough to spend time with him, exchanging gifts and hugs. His bodyguard gifted him a ladybug shirt, while Adrien gave his bodyguard the newest edition of his favorite comic. After the exchange, Adrien allowed Gorilla time off to read his new comic and relax while he hung out in his room. No point staying out if his father wasn't going to join him. He rolled on his side-scrolling through his phone and news feed, nothing new. Smiling he re-read Nino's earlier text message of wishing him a merry Christmas Eve, and Adrien was more than welcomed to sneak out and join him. Of course, Adrien politely declines, wishing Nino a Merry Christmas too. Plagg swooped beside him, holding his prized Camembert holding out it to Adrien. “Merry Christmas, Adrien!” “Thanks, Plagg,” Adrien took the cheese, giving Plagg a soft pat. He was startled with a knock from his window. Adrien sat up, moving fast as he caught sight of Ladybug. “Ladybug? Wha-what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home?” His eyes furrowing, he'd had been texting Marinette not too long ago. Had that been the reason she stopped replying? Confused as he was, Adrien was more than happy to see her.

Ladybug offered Adrien a soft smile. “I was, but then a thought occurred to me, there is something important I needed to do. I swung by as soon as I could.” She tilted her head. “You trust me right, Adrien?” “Always.” Adrien's replied instantly. No hesitation or second thought Adrien always trusted Ladybug. “That still doesn't answer my question.” He quirked an eyebrow at her. Waiting. She giggled. “Go grab a jacket, wouldn't want your handsome face to get a cold.” Ladybug winked. “You think I'm handsome?” Adrien put on his coat. Ladybug held out her hand. Adrien grasped hers gently in his. “I think you already know the answer,” she teased pulling him up towards her. “Hang on both of you,” Ladybug tightened her hold on Adrien, speaking Plagg and him. Adrien always enjoyed racing over the rooftops as Chat Noir, he felt free and on top of the world. And with Ladybug by his side, those times are his favorite. Standing side by side with his Lady. He felt invincible. However the times she carried as him Adrien were different, he felt exhilarated. Holding onto her as she swung them both. Taking in the sites of Paris, the lights, it also gave him time to examine and admire Ladybug. Her look of concentration, her firm yet gentle hold. As he was precious cargo to her. Ladybug's hold was safe, caring, and warm. One he could stay in forever. The lights of Paris reflecting in her eyes. Mixed in with her blue eyes and he was a goner. He squeezed her shoulders lightly. A small smile surfacing on her lips. She is amazing. As they neared their destination without looking at Adrien Ladybug told him to close his eyes. He did so. Feet touching ground Adrien held his eyes shut until Ladybug gave the okay for him to open them. She took both of his hands guiding him to a stop. “Okay, Adrien you can open your eyes.” Adrien opened his eyes and felt his breath leave him. Ladybug took him to place de la Concorde. The Ferris wheel all lit up along with surrounding the trees for the holidays. With his father, Adrien had never gone out to experience Paris at Christmas time, all the decorations, and lights. His eyes twinkling as he looked up. He'd seen this place a million times in the day time, but seeing it at night, glowing, and with Ladybug brought on a whole new experience. “Thank you, Ladybug,” he breathed. She wrapped her hands around his arm, leaning against him. “You're welcome, Adrien,” Ladybug said. “But this isn't the first stop, turn around and look behind you.” Following her lead Adrien turned, if he thought seeing place de la Concorde was a showstopper seeing the lights and decoration that traveled down to Arc de Triomphe left him speechless. He walked beside Ladybug, letting her guide him. The streets were bare with no cars or people. He hadn't bothered checking the time on his phone. Guessing by the lack of crowed it was late in the night. Just the two of them. Adrien licked his lips. “Did have this planned out for a while, Ladybug??” His heart hammered in his chest. “Ah, it was a last-minute plan,” she answered honestly. Adrien looked down to see her scratching her cheek nervously. A speck of small pink dust settled on her cheeks. Adrien felt his cheeks heat up. She's too cute, he thinks to himself. “So when you weren't responding...” “I was on my way to set up and pick you up.” Adrien smiled. UN-winding his arm from Ladybug's arm carefully he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. “Is this okay?” “More than okay.” Ladybug put her arm around his waist. The two continued light seeing, squeezing each other every so often. The plan had been last-minute but Ladybug regrets nothing of it. Seeing Adrien smiling so happily, his arm around her waist, he looked happy. And that's what she wanted. Earlier when they were texting Marinette couldn't stand Adrien being alone this evening. With her last message sent she gathered her supplies and calling on Tikki for transformation. Thankful for her Ladybug she made it fast to her destination, satisfied with the arrangement she set off towards Adrien mansion. Her heart bursting with joy as he put on the scarf she made him for his birthday. He wore it every day this autumn and winter once he found out she gifted it to him. Not once taking it off at school, the only time Adrien had it off was for fencing practice. Passing a fountain Ladybug helped Adrien balance a crossed, holding his hand to the end. Both laughing as he took a near bath. She clutched his hand tightly in hers keeping him steady. “Adrien Agreste!” Ladybug scolded, “Just because I'm a hero does not mean you can throw yourself danger all the time.” Adrien grinned. “You still caught me,” he said. His grin fell as Ladybug for a nanosecond let go of his hand. “No, I wouldn't.” She helped him down holding onto him again. “Liking all the lights? I've lived here for so long I never got the chance to appreciate as I did.” Ladybug kicked a pebble. “Everything is beautiful, but.” Ladybug up to Adrien blinking. He stopped taking her hands in his. “Not as beautiful as you,” Adrien softly murmured. Ladybug flushed. She knew he was a sweet talker, and he always meant what he said to her. However, he still has his moments of catching her off-guard. “Thank you, Adrien.”Cheeks flushed pulling him along to their final destination towards the end stood Arc de Triomphe. Ladybug brought them both to the top. Oh. Near the edge Ladybug laid out a blanket and a picnic basket. Adrien and Ladybug both took a seat. “I figured with all the sightseeing we would be cold and hungry near the end. It's why I took longer.” From the picnic, basket Ladybug retrieved a thermos. Adrien grabbed two cups, filling them each with hot cocoa. They let their hot cocoa warm them up. “Better?” She glanced at him. Adrien nodded. “Much better.” Taking another sip as he watched the lights. Peaking over when he heard a noise from beside. Ladybug scooted herself next to him holding her hot cocoa. She leaned on his shoulder. A snuggle bug, Adrien thought. He was more than happy to comply. Careful not spilling his hot cocoa he pulled her closer. Snuggling and soaking each other's warmth. The night peaceful and quiet, allowing them to relax and enjoy a moment together. A rare and welcome opportunity. Kissing Ladybug's head he nuzzled her hair. Honestly, this night started  cruddy, but thanks to his Lady it went from cruddy to heavenly. Walking along to look at lights, snuggling, hot chocolate. If Adrien could have every holiday like this he'd be that happiest boy ever. “Thank you so much.” He clutched her close. Ladybug allowed Adrien's heartbeat to soothe her, eyelids drooping. She softly said, “No need to thank me, I was more than happy to.” She pulled away staring into her Adrien's eyes. Eyes sliding closing as they shared a soft and short sweet kiss. Adrien let his lips linger on hers before pulling back, resting his forehead against hers. “Tired, bug?” he softly chuckled. Noticing her eyes drooping. She nodded. A long day of helping her parents, and finishing last-minute gifts. Among Guardian duty. He pulled her into his lap. “I think it's time to bring the lady home for sleep.” Ladybug complained. “Noooooo....snuggle me more.” He couldn't say no to that or her. Adrien kissed her forehead. “How about a deal. Ten more minutes and we call it a night. Sound good to you?” He reasoned. He didn't want to stop holding her forever but knew she needed her sleep. Adrien, Paris, and Chat Noir needed their Ladybug. Briefly, she contemplated before nodding. A moment later he found himself being pulled down to lay on the blanket. Ladybug snuggled into his back. Giving him a quick kiss on the back of his neck. Adrien relished her cuddles. Holding her hands on his stomach in his. He couldn't afford to allow both to fall asleep. Adrien allowed her to snuggle him before deciding to call it a night. When their time reached the ten-minute mark he reluctantly called on Plagg who'd been snoozing, and a flash of green had Chat Noir cradling Ladybug in his arms as she slept. Giving her forehead another kiss and nuzzling his head against hers, Chat Noir took off with a leap. They'd worried about clean up tomorrow.

For now, he had a tired bug in his arms to return home. Not in a million years would Adrien forget this night. It was one of the many reasons he loved her. Her bravery, her kindness, just everything about her, he loved and adored. Chat Noir glanced at the snoozing heroine in his arms. Maybe next year Adrien can repay her kindness. And snuggle her more, lots of snuggles.

[lemonlushff-iy]

OH MY GOD! THIS STORY IS AMAZING! AND YOU HAVE UNTIL CHAPTER 10 DONE! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. PUT US OUT OF OUR MISERY AND KEEP EM COMING! YOU ARE VERY TALENTED! HAIL!

Saucy is on break....SO.......LEMON BACK!

THANK YOU!!!! I’ll post a new part when I have chapter 10 done, but I’m being horrible and keeping 3 chapters on hand in honor of White Day (March 14), when I’m posting that baby reserve throughout the day!

I will post this little (unedited) part from 10 though that I absolutely am LIVING for right now....

Below the cut in case you don’t want spoilers 😘

And you can read parts 1-6 here

One Last Ride - Part 10 Sneak Peak

Still...despite intentionally trying to avoid him, she would be up at 4:30, stumbling down into the kitchen by 4:45 to have a pot of coffee ready for when he arrived fifteen minutes later. He had said he liked her coffee, and he was doing so much for them...it was the least she could do.

Then, earlier that week, she needed to do a piece on muffins. Four different recipes for blueberry muffins, comparing the process to each other, tips and tricks, and end results...It was a pain, and she ended up baking more than they could ever hope to eat. Rather than freeze them, she just put a bunch into a container and labeled it for him. 

There was a symphony chocolate bar waiting for her the next day when she came downstairs.

She had thought it had been from her mother...But it wasn’t. She almost cried when she saw it. He still remembered after all these years that her favorite chocolate wasn’t the traditional hershey’s...but their milk chocolate symphony bar. 

As kids, they used to use them for s’mores in the summer, huddled together around the fire pit roasting marshmallows with her family as they told stories. Not even scary stories, though there were a fair number of those too. They just told stories they made up on the spot, sometimes making games out of it. Her favorite was the one where each person added on a few more words, each person helping to create a weird, hysterical story, unique in it’s absurdness and never again repeated. 

When fall first began tinting the tips of the leaves with reds and yellows and oranges, they would gather around the fire pit with blankets and cups of warm cider. She used to love snuggling up with her father as a child, sharing her blanket with him...and then when she got older, she kicked Souta out from Inuyasha’s as she began to feel herself developing a crush for him.

Not that Inuyasha complained, mind you. He was just as happy to boot Souta off to her grandfather and upgrade to her. She vividly remembered him taking her hand under the blanket for the first time, his small claws scraping against her skin as he nervously locked their fingers together. She had moved a little closer to him after that, as if to reassure him that she liked it. 

Sure they had held hands before, but that was a different kind of hand holding, and they both knew it. 

“Kagome?” her mother greeted uncertainly as she entered the kitchen, her feet shuffling along the wooden floors. “I thought you’d be back in bed.”

“I’m adjusting to the new schedule,” she shrugged, pushing the brew button on the coffee maker. 

“I see…” her mother smiled softly, heading to the refrigerator and opening the door. “Can I make you some breakfast since you’re up? I’m thinking of cooking eggs again...we have a surplus right now.”

“No...that’s alright Mama,” she declined. She wasn’t going to risk running into Inuyasha, and breakfast meant that she absolutely would be. “Maybe I’ll get assigned an egg salad article next,” she joked lightly, trying to change the subject as her mother began pulling ingredients from the fridge. Living Simply, a branch of Gorgeous Gardens, was a home and gardening magazine with a branch in California. She had managed to get an internship while there in college, and somehow snag a full time position upon graduation. She did enjoy working for them, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t question if it was worth it. 

“Oh my...I don’t think I could survive four different kinds of egg salad.”

“We’d be lucky if it were only four,” she joked lightly, and her mother groaned. 

“Well...I suppose we could send home some with Inuyasha. He seemed to enjoy those muffins you made him.”

“Gave him.”

“Gave him,” her mother amended, a small smile tugging at her lips. “He already returned the container. I don’t think they lasted three days.”

“Well, I’m glad he liked them so much,” she replied dismissively. 

“Me too...we’d be drowning in them if it weren’t for him.”

They’d be drowning in more ways than one if it weren’t for him.

[sibillascribbles08]

What, another one already? What can I say I like confrontation. More of that snakeglacier biker AU, this time feat. Cryptor

Also cross posting this on AO3 Now if you’d rather read it over there

   Zane hummed to himself as the garage door to their warehouse shut behind him. While the building the gang hid in was crowded by buildings it was in a fairly empty area of town. As long as they made sure they weren’t followed, people never seemed to find them.

   He took off his helmet, still humming. He kept closing his eyes, the song Cole had been singing looping in his head. The pair had been seeing each other for a couple of months now, not that it was easy with Cole’s school schedule and the whole sneaking out business. It was fine though, Zane would work around it.

   Eyes still shut, still humming, he spun around on his toes and stepped forward only to run right into someone. Zane stumbled back and opened his eyes to see Cryptor standing there. His arms were crossed and his red eye glared at Zane, lighting up the otherwise dark space around them.

   “Oh, hello cousin.” Zane said. “Is something wrong?”

   “Don’t act stupid.” Cryptor spat. “You’ve been out frolicking so much even the boss started to notice. He finally let me tail your ass and what do I find?”

   Zane froze, his whole body going stiff.

   Cryptor stomped forward, his cloaking vanishing as he did so, revealing the scarred dark metal that made up his face. “What the hell have I told you and the others about fraternizing with humans outside of our circle.”

   Zane narrowed his eyes. “What I do in my free time is none of your business.”

   “Wrong.” Cryptor stepped even closer. “You don’t get to risk our entire operation over a stupid crush.”

   “Our operation,” Zane stood on his toes to match Cryptor’s height. “Is to be able to live out our lives in freedom. I fail to see how we can do that if we’re confined to this place. Besides, Cole wouldn’t report us.”

   “Oh, you know that for a fact?” Cryptor shoved Zane back so hard he almost stumbled over his bike. “Does he even know you’re an android?”

   “He…” Zane trailed off, his circuits starting to fire from panic. “No, but–”

   “So what makes you so sure that if he found out he’d treat you the same way? What makes you so sure that if he knew he wouldn’t betray you.”

   “He wouldn’t.”

   Cryptor snatched the front of Zane’s vest, lifting him into the air. “Are you thick? Do you remember what happened last time you kept repeating that over and over again? Our old boss sold us for damn pennies and guess what the damn buyers did.” He pointed to the side of his face with his free hand. The metal around his eyepatch was marred and scraped still. He refused to get the paneling replaced.

   “I didn’t forget.” Zane made minimal effort to free himself. “But Cole isn’t like that.”

   “And how do you know?” Cryptor dropped him. “What damn proof do you have of that when he doesn’t even know what you are?”

   Zane clenched his fists. He wanted to come up with an argument but he couldn’t. Cryptor was right. There was no telling how Cole would react. Zane didn’t even know how he felt about androids in general. Somehow the topic never came up.

   “What’s going on?”

   Zane’s body went rigid again as he turned. Garmadon stood there, only his outline visible in the low light.

   “Ah,” Cryptor’s tone changed in a flash. “I caught Zane out on a date.”

   “Is that any reason to be yelling so loud?” Garmadon sighed. “I only just managed to get Lloyd and Harumi to go to sleep an hour ago.”

   “Sorry, sir.” Cryptor’s voice was now a whisper.

   “I’ll take care of this.” Their boss waved his hand. “Go see Mindroid, he refuses to settle in since you’ve been gone.”

   Cryptor nodded but shot Zane one more glare before he darted off. Zane watched his cousin leave, the red light from his eye slowly vanishing in the dark warehouse.

   “Now, Zane.” Garmadon stepped over, close enough that Zane could actually see his features now. He didn’t look angry, just tired, though sometimes it was hard to tell. “Is what Cryptor said true?”

   “I…” Once again he hesitated, but he knew he couldn’t lie to this man. Not after he saved their lives. “Yes. I helped give Cole a ride back to his school a few months ago. I was somewhat messing around but we’ve… been texting. I’ve seen him a number of times since then.”

   Garmadon nodded. “You understand Cryptor’s concern, I’m sure.”

   “Yes, but he doesn’t know Cole.”

   “Are you sure you do?”

   He didn’t have an answer to that. He liked to think he did.

   “Not all humans are bad.” Garmadon continued. “Me aside, we work with plenty of others who aid our operation, but that didn’t mean we could be quick to trust them. Because, in the end, even with some humans helping our operation there are plenty of others who would sooner tear it down.”

   “I know, sir.” Zane sighed. “I… what if I tried to find out how he felt about all this?”

   Garmadon stared at him for a few moments and shook his head. “To be honest, I’d rather you not risk yourself like that. If he reacts badly and we don’t know where you are we can’t help you. If he finds out who you work with it can also put us in jeopardy. A lot of people don’t know most of the SOG is made up of androids. I prefer to keep it that way.”

   “So, what are you saying?” The android’s voice stuttered. “That I can’t see him anymore?”

   His boss’s eyes were cold. “I’ll give you the time to break it off properly, but yes. We’re all safer that way.” He didn’t give Zane the chance to argue as he turned and headed off. The android wanted to shout after him, put up a fight, but he didn’t dare with the earlier warning. If he woke Lloyd up in the process he’d definitely be in trouble.

   So he stormed outside instead, emotions swirling to a point he couldn’t process them right. He kicked a loose piece of gravel and screamed through his closed mouth to muffle the sound. With some of his energy expended he leaned against the wall and sunk down to the ground.

   This was so stupid. They started this gang to help bring androids to freedom, but it was just a different kind of prison.

   The door opened. He turned his head to see Echo peaking out, skull stickers on his face again.

   “Zane?” His little brother said. “Are you okay? I saw Cryptor come upstairs but not you.”

   “I’m just… frustrated.” He admitted. “Don’t worry about it.”

   Echo studied him for a bit longer before slipping outside. He padded over to Zane, plopping down next to him. Zane wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer.

   “Echo… do you like it here?”

   “Yeah,” the smaller android grinned. “Everyone’s so cool you know? I can’t wait till I can get my own bike after some upgrades. Then I can race you around town.”

   Zane let off a small smile. He couldn’t argue with that. At the very least it was better than where they used to be.

   But was it so wrong for him to want something more out of life?        Maybe he’d take a risk and tell Cole.

   What’s the worst that could happen?

[multisfabulis]

The Road to Forgiveness Be Damned

Ripples of the Past (Chapter 2/7)

Word Count: 3793

As per a poll I ran on Twitter to see if anyone wanted chapter 2 sooner or later, I’m posting this now rather than after finishing chapter 3!

Not gonna lie, this will probably be the most lighthearted chapter of this story and, to me, that’s saying something. This won’t have the dark stuff I mentioned last chapter nor is it going to be an emotional rollercoaster like the next couple chapters will be. Enjoy it while you can.

As always, I hope you enjoy reading this and I look forward to any and all criticism you have!

Read on AO3 | Read on DA

     Dim morning light peeked through the vines as Ferreth waited up for Ven. Were it not for the noise outside, he’d have no idea how early it was. He needed to get better at waking up earlier. If they wanted to accomplish their task within the four day time limit, he couldn’t be sleeping in like this. It’d help if he knew how far they’d have to go to the swamp but nothing in life was that easy.

     He found it weird how Filaurel didn’t tell them of anything to look out for. Nothing of its appearance, its behavior. If he didn’t know better, it was almost as if she was setting them up for failure. By not telling them jack, they’d waste away the four days wondering what they were hunting for till they eventually gave in. It’d be par for the course for that sadistic bitch.

     The way she treated Ven yesterday infuriated him. Barely letting her get a word in, twisting her words around to seem as if she were at fault… She probably would’ve done way worse had he not stepped in. He already resented her for being the core of Ven’s issues but her actions yesterday cemented his hate for her. If only he could make Ven realize she wasn’t to be trusted at her word…

     Ven came out at that moment, struggling to tie her hair up. She seemed to be the same as ever, though that didn’t mean much to him today. With her tendency to hide how she really felt at times, she may be feeling worse than she let on. She proved herself to be a better actress than he gave her credit for sometimes.

     Despite his concern, he mustered up a smile and asked, “Hey, how’d you sleep last night?”

     “The usual,” she replied, becoming increasingly frustrated over tying her hair up without the help of a mirror.

     “Any nightmares?”

     “No more than usual. Hey, can you help me with this? I can’t seem to get it right…” She held out a brush and hair tie to him.

     Although she said that nonchalantly, he was worried. She may be used to the nightmares but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to. Seeing how she acted when they arrived, he hoped being here wouldn’t exacerbate those bad dreams at some point. The only thing he could do was lend an ear, though he wished it wasn’t so.

     Brushing through her hair, he asked, “Ven, you’d tell me if the nightmares got worse, right?”

     “Would that be okay with you?” she asked, the tone of uncertainty he’s heard times before present in her voice. “I don’t want to be more of a burden to you than I already am…”

     “Yeah!” He gathered all of her hair and tied it up into a ponytail. “I know I can’t do more for you than just listen but… I’ll always be there for you, you know?”

     She barely responded to his words. He couldn’t tell if she believed him or wanted to, in any case. His mind flashed back to the time they had to wait out rain in a cave nearby during one of their missions. He promised her she could rely on him in times like this and no way in hell would he back out on that now. Not when she might need him to help her through this.

     Putting an arm around her shoulders, he bumped his forehead against hers and said, “Remember, you can lean on me whenever you want to. I can’t offer much but I’ll be there for you. I promised you that and I’m sticking by it.”

     The smallest glimpses of a smile rose up on her face. Smiles were rare to see from her, making this moment mean more than it usually did. He loved her smiles just as much as he loved her and wanted to make her as happy as she deserved to be. No matter how long it may take him, he was determined to see her smile without anything holding her down.

     Upon leaving, they made their way over to the outskirts. It was considerably busier today, with carts going in and out at the gate and several guards checking the insides of each one. If they were worried about someone bringing in contraband, that person would be pretty stupid to do it in plain sight.

     He felt hands grab onto his arm, knowing them to be Ven’s. This was something she did whenever she felt there were too many people around and needed to ease her anxiety. She was like Eric in that they absolutely hated being in or around crowds because it’d overwhelm them to the point of panic attacks. Unlike him, she still hadn’t gotten a handle on it yet. Being in this place probably didn’t help.

     He also felt as if there were eyes on them. Someone watching them from a place he couldn’t see, no matter how many times he looked. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was Filaurel making good on her threat through one of her lackeys. Nice to know the bitch didn’t trust them to carry out her “assignment” without any supervision.

     Getting through the gates was surprisingly easy. He thought, for sure, they would be stopped and he’d have to waste time convincing the guards to let them go. Instead, they just saw them off without a word. Whatever the reason was, he wasn’t complaining and went on his way. Once they were far enough away from the village, she let go of his arm and walked alongside him.

     Making their way westward, he hoped to find a high place to scout from. It wasn’t necessarily a requirement but it’d be nice to have one all the same. At least it’d prevent him from going into his Dradnach form and waiting a while to turn back once he was done. If he were an Air Dradnach, none of this would matter and he’d just be able to fly up. Just another thing to add to the ever-growing list of “why being an Earth Dradnach sucks”.

     “Ferret, could you… not help me so much with this?” she asked out of the blue as they trekked up a steep hill.

     Taken aback by her question, he stopped walking and replied, “W-what do you mean? I can’t just not help you.”

     “I know, it’s just that…” She stopped at the peak. “I feel like if I depend on you for anything I could do on my own, it won’t feel as if I’ve truly earned my forgiveness. It’s hard for me to explain and I know it doesn’t make any sense but… I’m only asking that you not help me a lot with this task. Not until I feel as if I’ve put in the work. Can you do that for me, please?”

     How could he just not help her with this? It wasn’t that he doubted she could carry this out on her own or saw her as a damsel in need. He knew better than anyone how strong she was and how extraordinary her abilities were. It seemed like she was only asking this because she believed it’d get her into Filaurel’s good graces. Knowing her, it still wouldn’t be enough.

     Even so, he begrudgingly gave in and said, “All right but I’m not promising anything.”

     “It wouldn’t be right of me to ask you to promise something like that.”

     They continued on till they reached a field. A couple dead trees were over to their left while their right had nothing but tall grass blowing in the breeze. Despite the sun bearing down on them, it was a nice day today. The perfect day to do some reconnaissance, he thought.

     Unfortunately, this would be where they’d stop. He didn’t know how much further the swamp was and they needed a good view of it to proceed onwards. No way could they risk stumbling in there blind only to get ambushed. Too bad it meant turning into his Dradnach form but it couldn’t be helped.

     “Hey, Ven,” he called out to her, “I think I know how we can do recon.”

     Tilting her head in confusion, she asked, “We’re not moving ahead?”

     “Nah. We don’t know how close or far we are from the swamp and I’d rather play it safe than risk falling into a trap.”

     “Okay, so what’s your plan?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

     “Well, since I’m about 20 and a half feet tall as a Dradnach, I could just turn, have you on my head as lookout, and turn back in the span of… 10, 15 minutes.”

     “We’re really desperate, aren’t we?”

     “It’s better than nothing. Besides, I know you’ve gotta be dying to see what I really look like. It is a pretty rare occasion, you know.”

     A snort and roll of her eyes gave way to a small smile. He liked making her smile, whether it be through cracking jokes or playful teasing. Her laughs were even rarer than her smiles and he managed to do that twice this trip. Even if their mission came out as a bust, today wouldn’t all be in vain.

     “All right, I’m gonna go change,” he said, heading into the field on his right side, “Don’t freak out if you see a big, fat, brown lizard in a few minutes!”

     The grass was about chest-high as he pushed past the golden blades. He needed to be a good distance away for this. His transformations always took quite a bit of space and there was no telling how much room he had in this field. He wandered down a straight line for some time before stopping.

     This spot was as good as any. He did some warm-up exercises, such as stretching his arms and legs out and cracking his bones, to prepare himself. The last time he did this was in Thornewind several months ago, back before he met Eric. At least the reason for it was different this time around. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind of any and all distractions, and underwent the transformation process.

     He grew to thrice his size, flattening the grass around him. His skin hardened, causing scales that felt rough and rigid to grow over. Steely claws made to dig through the toughest of rock replaced his thin fingers. A stubby tail sprouted out from his backside, resembling that of a docked animal. Despite his grand stature, he was smaller than others of his kin, due to not being a pure-blooded Earth Dradnach. His brother loved to lord that over him when he could.

     Bringing his head down for Ven, he asked, “So what do you think? Pretty cool, right?”

     “If I can be honest, you seem more like a dog than a dragon.” She placed a hand on his snout. “A very scaly dog.”

     “How do I look in any way like a dog?”

     “Well, aside from the both of you being cute, kind, funny, lovable, and protective, you’re very huggable in this form, like a dog. If you just had fur, you’d be even cuter!”

     She let out a laugh as he nuzzled her. Only she could get away with comparing him to a dog and making it sound good. He wished this kind of thing happened more often, though without the “being compared to a dog” part.

     “I’m still cool, though, right?”

     “Very.”

     She climbed up and sat atop his head, waiting. He slowly stood up on his hind legs, carefully raising his head so as to not let her fall. Without any horns or spikes for her to grab on to in case she did, this was especially important. Once he was in an upright position, he could breathe out a sigh of relief. She was still perched on his head, meaning the hardest part of the job was done.

     With that out of the way, they saw what laid beyond the field. A dark forest still miles away from their current location sat before a marshy region. Tall willow trees were scattered across black water, decorated with green lilypads and algae. He hoped to see their quarry roaming about but luck wasn’t on his side. Well, they had the lay of the land now, which was all that mattered.

     Despite knowing all this, he let her relay the information back to him. He stayed silent, remembering what she asked of him earlier. Things of this nature, such as giving her a boost without taking away her instrumentality, had to be fine by her. Although he couldn’t show it, he was beaming with pride.

     Half a day’s travel was his best estimate for the swamp. If he were right, it’d mean they could be out by noon, finish the mission, and be back before dusk. They wouldn’t even need the fourth day if everything went to plan. The deed would be done, they’d report it to Filaurel, and head home the next day.

     Soon as he put her down, he turned back to being human. His body shrunk and became more compact, a far cry from his Dradnach form. The scales that grew over him receded, his skin once more smooth to the touch. His claws straightened, thinning out to human fingers again. The stubby tail he had only in this form vanished, as if it never existed in the first place. Now he was back to regular, human-like Ferreth, with the exception of one last thing---

     Excruciating pain erupted from his arms, as if someone was jamming several knives into them all at once. He muttered an expletive through gritted teeth under his breath as the pain ebbed. That was the one thing he hated about shifting in-between the two forms. Every time he turned from one to the other, he had to endure the pain that occurred in his arms. No matter how much time had passed from his accident, it still hurt like it happened yesterday.

     A hand on his shoulder, Ven was crouched down next to him and asking, “Are you okay? Do you need to rest?”

     “I’m all right, I just need a minute and we’ll go, okay?” he replied, giving her an assuring smile.

     He looked down to see if blood was beginning to seep into his wrappings. While his arms dully ached, the cloth was still a pristine white. Thank god for that, because he’d have a hard time trying to explain why he was suddenly bleeding. She didn’t need to know the reason why he kept his arms bandaged up. It was an unrelated matter, nothing she needed to be worried about.

     Once his small break was done, they began walking back. Cool wind blew in from behind them, ruffling their hair and clothes. It was somewhat reminiscent of Thesriden, a place he didn’t think too fondly of. The times of him being tormented by his brother far outweighed any of the good memories he had of that place. He doubted he’d ever go back there, now that he had an actual home.

     “Has anyone else seen you as a Dradnach yet back home?” she asked.

     “Nope. I prefer staying in this form--” he gestured to himself-- “since it’s just easier doing stuff than it’d be if I stayed as a dragon.”

     “I must be pretty special, then,” she said almost jokingly.

     “I’d say being the girl I’m in love with counts as being pretty special.”

     A roll of her eyes and a warm smile were all she gave in response. This wasn’t the first time he professed his love to her and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. He didn’t need her to reciprocate his feelings because he just liked being her friend. Not like she’d want to be with someone like him, anyway…

     “Oh, I just realized, would your powers be able to work in swamps?” she asked.

     “Maybe?” While he did work best in the kind of environment they were in now, swamps were like gray areas. “I mean, if there’s earth around, I can work with it. With swamps, though, everything’s practically mud so it may be tricky…”

     “You never tried?”

     “My mother died before she could teach me. Trust me, if she were still alive, she’d conquer that swamp for sure.”

     Memories of his mother flashed through his mind. He remembered how strong and confident she was, the way she used the water and earth around her so effortlessly as if they were tools for her to create with. She was a woman he was proud of being a son to and he loved her so, so much. Then she died, leaving him alone with his father and brother to deal with. Years have passed since her death yet the scar it left on him still festered to this day.

     “I wonder if she would’ve been like her…” He heard her mutter under her breath. It was easy to forget she didn’t have such a thing growing up. She had it so much worse than him and he needed to keep remembering that.

     The sun was beginning to set when they made it back. People were either closing up shop or returning home, a scene carried over from yesterday. Quick glances at Ven revealed a face full of melancholic nostalgia. He’ll never understand why she’d want to remember every bad thing that happened in the past when he’d rather just forget it all. Maybe it was just a difference of opinion on how they wanted to cope with the effects of what their crappy childhoods burdened them with.

     Having to stay in her childhood home for the duration of their time here made him apprehensive. Despite her assurances of its security, he felt inclined to say otherwise. How the hell was this rickety old house in any way safe, he wondered. Still, he kept his mouth shut so as to not upset her. This was once her home, even if he didn’t have a good thing to say about it.

     “Oh yeah,” he said suddenly, remembering what he discovered last night, “did you know anyone named Thessalia?"

     Her eyes widened in shock and she replied with, “…That was my mother’s name.”

     “I’m only asking because, after you went to bed last night, I got bored and decided to explore a bit. I found this old journal in a drawer and when I opened it, the first page had the name Thessalia on it.”

     “Could I see it, please?”

     He went over to a dusty cabinet and pulled out the drawer. An old leather book full of yellowed pages sat inside. If this really was her mother’s journal, then it’s been laying in that drawer for about twenty years. The fact she hadn’t known of its existence meant this would be the first time she’d see this.

     As he handed the book over to her, she said, “I’ve wanted to know about my mother and who she was for so long and the answers were here the whole time.”

     Several different emotions flickered across her face as she held the book in her hands. She took off a glove to feel the crinkled leather from underneath her bare fingers. Then she opened the cover to touch the first page, only to quickly flip through the rest of the musty pages. This was easily the most excited he’s ever seen her and, considering how she was normally, it’s become a big highlight of the trip so far.

     Still holding the journal, she hugged him and said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

     The sudden hug rendered him speechless. Not noticing his lack of a response, she bid him a good night and walked to her room with a bounce in her step. He patted his cheeks to get rid of the blush, flabbergasted at what just happened.

     Despite how dazed he was, seeing just how happy she was right now put him in such high spirits. That journal was a goldmine of answers for her, who had been wondering just hours ago what her mother was like back then. No doubt she’d be reading through that book all night tonight.

     Even if it ran the risk of her being tired for tomorrow, she deserved this. Hopefully, they didn’t die tomorrow and she could be forgiven for her crime. So long as they kept their wits about them and protected each other, it’ll be smooth sailing. Then, when the four day time limit was up, they could go back home.

[theostry]

TW Script liveblog - Season 1 Episode 1: Wolf Moon

Or, as it is otherwise known:

Teen Wolf Scripts!

Check it out, Wolfiends. This is a loooooong post consisting of screenshots of the Teen Wolf script alongside my own rambling commentary. I'm not here to review the show; finer minds than myself have got that covered. Nor is it a photo-recap; that has been done by crazier bastards than myself. What I am here for is scraping the bottom of the barrel so hard I'm eating splinters, give me that Teenage Lupine content, give me ALL OF THE CONTENT--

*ahem*

Excerpts have been selected based on the following criteria: 1) It did not make the final cut; 2) It substantially altered; 3) It offers extra detail not apparent from the show, such as description and direction; and 4) I felt like including it. 

Fun times (and, obviously, a hell of a lot of spoilers) below the cut.

(What the heckie do these colours mean? We may never know)

So let's get started.

Answering the real questions here: Scott's shirtlessness was script mandated, not just a case of Posey being slightly allergic to clothes. Let's all take a moment to think about Scott's lithe frame and then go to jail reminisce over how it felt when we had no idea what he would come to mean to us. Sigh.

Aaaaand paydirt! Here is a lovely little scene we never saw on screen.

Doesn't really tell us anything we didn't learn soon enough, but any McCall family time is time well spent. And I'm not sorry they deleted the casual clumsiness from Scott's intro, so I can keep my headcanon that he had mad lacrosse skills from all his practising but just couldn't play due to asthma.

A wild Stiles appears!

And it is the perfect intro to his character, easy to see why they didn't change a thing. DOB nailed it. 

Before long, we are introduced to--

-- Wait, hold up, who? Looks like Stiles's dad got a promotion sometime between "Double Buff" and filming. Congrats, John  Michael  Noah!

Seriously, though, consider the extra layer of politics and secrecy that would have been going on if he was just a deputy rather than Sheriff.  What a different show it would have been, especially in later seasons. 

WHY, JEFF DAVIS?  WHY ARE YOU COMMENTING ON THE ‘BEAUTY’ OF A GHASTLY SEVERED CORPSE?  HOW IS THIS WOMAN'S ATTRACTIVENESS OR OTHERWISE RELEVANT TO THE SITUATION?  DID SCOTT PAUSE MID-PANIC TO THINK "WOW SHE IS HOT (ALSO DEAD AND BISECTED)"? /end rant

But now it's time for--

--and that means

Back to school time!

Setting the scene. Californians, is this a fair representation of your high school experience? Asking for research purposes.

Also, petition for girls and girls also to be able to hold hands. Down with the patriarchy.

It's everyone's favourite juice enthusiast! Looks like the Sheriff wasn't the only one who moved up in the world over the course of the script revision process - Jackson only had a BMW here instead of his Porsche.

As with Stiles's intro, we achieve Peak Jackson in his very first scene:

*snort*

And while we're doing intros--

But wait, this is a game changer -- you think you know how it does, right? Breezing past Stiles as if he wasn't even there, completely ignoring him? Well THINK AGAIN!

Yeah I lied.

So this is new - Scott's hearing was going to be much stronger here, perceiving the caller's voice as well from that distance! What secrets shall be revealed from the other half of this conversation?

Huh. Yeah, that contributed nothing, and would have had absurd implications for werewolf hearing. Also would have been a totally banal first glimpse of Victoria Argent, which is just unacceptable. 

Did this happen? I don't recall it. Would have been a cool shot. 

*Curiosity is piqued*

I confuse. Is this an editing fail? Two versions of the scene that got smooshed together? Or does Lydia swoop twice (possible Banshee prefiguring)?

 I like the book-spilling version. It establishes Allison as kind.

But this bit --

-- I do not like. It seems to suggest that there was always something about Allison that helped Scott control his shift, or even suppressed it? Rather than it being his feelings for her that reminded him of his humanity and strengthened his will. Nopity nope.

Now for another intro:

It's Harley! 

Yeah, I didn’t know either. I guess she got shafted for some reason…which is a pity, because the girl has got snark.

SHOTS FIRED.

Meanwhile…is Harley into Scott? Were we going to have a triangle of luuurve? Not sorry we didn't, triangles are an overrated romantical shape (unless they're equilateral ones, but for some reason teen shows are all about the isosceles and I am over it), but Harley could have been an actual character. RIP, girl I could have liked.

Also RIP Harley's heart, because

Thus far we have had character intros that were Peak Stiles, Peak Jackson and Peak Lydia ('s queen bitch façade). Now we have one that is a massive understatement:

Oh, sweet summer children. We ain't seen nothing yet.

Do you sometimes forget how mutually toxic Lydia and Jackson's relationship was? Ugh.

Excellent priorities, Scott. But so far so canon.

A FIGURE

Who's it gonna be, ohmigosh mysterious figure--

Ohmigosh, is it--

*ahem* sorry

Okay I think I'm beginning to understand why we absolutely had to know about the ravishing beauty of corpse-lady:  Jeff Davis is simply incapable of giving a description of anyone without reminding us how attractive they are. HEY EVERYONE!  THIS IS A SHOW FOR HOT PEOPLE!  EYE CANDY OVER HERE!

…waitaminute, back the truck up. 

WhaaAAAAAT?

*thinking forward to skeevy Kate plotline, Hale fire was 6 years ago, runnin' the numbers, doin' the math*

19 minus 6 equals …KATE you EFFING PEDO GET in the BIN RIGHT NOW--

--nah just kidding, they obviously decided to age him up sometime after this edit. Also, as has been observed, Jeff Davis inhabits a world blissfully innocent of such things as calendars.  

Now I hope I have sufficiently distracted my audience with squicks and figures, because I want to sneak this one through without getting crucified.

Okay we're done here, on to--

Really, there's nothing--

One million hardcore Sterek shippers:  *collectively lose their shit*

One innocent liveblogger:  *hides*

All twelve Scerek shippers:  *are validated*

Someone sensible:  It's just one line of direction in a first meeting, it doesn't mean--

One desperate liveblogger:  OKAY, MOVING ON

This is such a great scene -- the terror of all those panicking cats, Scott wanting to calm them but, realising he is the problem, freaks out himself -- and it just got even better, because there's something missing here that we saw on-screen.

While it could have come in a later revision, I choose to believe that singing "hey, kitties!" in greeting was just Tyler Posey's natural instinct upon walking into a room full of feline friends.

But now Allison is here, and Scott has passed off the panic baton to her.

Woooo Scott is getting his wolf on! But he doesn't seem to know it yet. I wonder from whose perspective Scott's calm is supposed to be 'odd', because I wouldn't have expected him to get worked up about an injured dog given his job. And how many wolves has Jeff Davis met? I don't think their eyes typically glow, outside of tapetum lucidum reflections. But what do I know, I'm not a zoologist.

Also -- they were supposed to have an umbrella? Budget cuts are brutal.

Do you ever forget how adorable Scallison were before things got complicated? Can I get an "Awww"?

It's also nice that they gave Allison reasons to be interested in Scott beyond 'he's cute' and 'he noticed me'. She admires him for his competence and gentleness here, she's seen him excelling at sports without being a douche about it, and their first interaction was one of generosity. This is why it's disappointing that they cut the bit where Allison helps a stranger with her books -- it's a pity they didn't show us Scott's reasons for liking Allison beyond 'she's pretty'. A sadly typical imbalance in Hollywood: boys are admirable for what they do, girls for how they look. Thank all the gods and little fishes that Allison subverts the hell out of this trope later on.

Is this or is this not the cutest interaction? It gets better:

Cats are one thing, Scotty, but you gotta think about your choices when dogs are judging you.   

Now who’s being judgemental

'Litigious', Scott? And before the word-a-day calendar regime, too. Insert comment about American litigation culture here.

Scott is definitely talking about the dog not at all about himself why would you say that--

Okay so Scott's having his weird woodsy sleepwalking dream now, and I have to go back and check because -- white? Why are the Alpha's eyes white? Sure enough:

Did they retcon the Alpha red eyes thing after the Pilot/Wolf Moon was shot Even in the earlier scene where Scott was bitten: 

White eyes. What gives, Jeff?

While we're here, let's just take a second to appreciate Peter the Cartoon CGI Gorilla-Wolf. LOL.

Get back to the scripts woman, the photo recap thing has been covered, stay in your lane

AWKWARD. Anyway that's the same as in canon, but I initially read that as 'mysterious smile' and freaked because was that pool owner person supposed to be significant??, but no, never mind, carry on.

Meanwhile, this ep is just FULL of iconic moments.

All together now,

*sighs happily*

Was it as good for you as it was for me?

Later, at the lacrosse scrimmage:

I checked the episode, and…nope. No Derek stalking around on the field in this scene. That we saw.

 Oh good, we hadn't seen a naked torso in a while, I was starting to worry

Who can get enough of Melissa--Scott moments? Not me, that's for sure. But wait--

Voices becoming TINNY what is happening

Someone's  creeping

*sings* ‘Who can it BEEE no-ow?’

*snort*

In other news, Jackson is not the only one who got a vehicular upgrade. I don’t know enough about cars to discern the mystical significance of these changes. Experts please?

Ah, can't believe they cut this! Is he just embarrassed to have an inhaler in front of Allison, or does he realise on some level that his asthmatic days are over? 

Oh yikes, is this another scene of which we were ROBBED? I want my absolute and agonizing awkward teen silence!

ROBBED, I say! Robbed of canon confirmation of Scott's dorky music taste!

Awww.

I liked Scallison well enough, but if these scenes had been included I would have been 200% sold on it from ep 1.

Confused Scydia moment! I wonder if Lydia greeted Stiles like that too, and if so how hard he flailed.

Harley again! In the version that made it to screen she and Stiles both ask Scott if he's okay. That girl should have stayed a character. *grumpy face* 

"Deep black eyes"? "Strangely hypnotic"? Preeeeetty sure he was just standing there with his regular (insanely pretty) ambiguously green-hazel eyes; and while that was a fair attempt at a charming smile (for Derek), "hypnotic" it wasn't.

That would have been a cool visual.

“Powerfully muscular”; “strangely seductive”; “He's given into it” 

I'll tell you who's into it, Jeff Davis is into it And you know what?

So am I.

*Curiosity intensifies*

A nice little moment of realisation we never got to see

This is changed up a bit -- in the show the dialogue comes before the wrestling, there's no throat-gripping (Derek holds Scott down with a hand on his chest), and we have yet to see those shiny blue eyes.

Also, demonic. *shivers* 

That's interesting - obviously was going to be more support to the false lead of Derek being the Alpha, but they walked it back.

A bit of added urgency here

"Steps out of the darkness" -- from what we saw, Derek was just standing there next to Scott, no added drama. Add this to the 'hypnotic deep black eyes' we never saw -- can it be that the creeper-wolf that graced our screens was actually the less spooky version??

I guess they forgot to talk to the sun’s manager about their filming schedule.

Well that answers my question about how Stiles knew where to find Scott. Sort of.

Also: Aaaaaaaangst.

Aww, my heart. The bromance.

I love how it's "instantly recognisable," but in the final cut they can’t help throwing in a flashback to all of three minutes ago just to make sure we recognise him. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Teen Wolf.

Yes, apparently that is Chris Argent's idea of a 'friendly smile'.

Also, sworn enemy. Lol.

Great ending to a great pilot episode! And what extra-delicious and not-at-all mouth-perforating splinters of teeny wolfy goodness does our script-reading scrape up for us?

Well, we have extra delightful domestic scenes with the McCalls; extra adorable baby flirting between our star-crossed lovers (not that they know the heavens hate them yet, shhh); a wonderful character who could have been in Harley (will she show up more in future scripts? At what point did they decide to consign her to the trash can of oblivion? Or did she just disappear because she realised she had no chance with Scott now that Allison is here?); and honestly, it ws worth it for Jackson’s favourite word alone. 

But clearly the most important thing we leaned from the Teen Wolf Pilot script (Double Buff edition) is that the

we know and love is NOT, in fact, the creepiest, most melodramatic, most stalkerish version of himself. He could have been worse. Watching Scott at practice earlier than we knew eavesdropping on him shirtlessly discussing sex with him mum, using strangely hypontic deep black eyes on unsuspecting teenage girls, emerging theatrically from the shadows -- just imagine, if he'd been behaving like that from the get-go, no way would Scott have trusted him. Good job toning it down, Jeff Davis!

Exeunt.

[britishchick09]

sherlock s2 ep 2 livewatch

after seeing so many sherlock posts on my dash today, i’m in the mood for some johnlock! and what better way to get that than with one of the most iconic stories? :D

fun fact before i pop the dvd in: in samantha’s first mystery, ‘the curse of ravenscourt’, she reads the original ‘hounds of baskerville’ book! :D

YAS MASTERPIECE MYSTERY YYYYAAAASSSS!!!!!! :D

also i love how my dad put ‘series II’ instead of ‘series two’ or series 2′. classy! ;)

masterpiece yaaasssss :D

aand we just jump right in with DOG REDRUM >:)

DRAMATIC INTRO YAASS!!!!!

yo lockie civil war wut?

john: “you went on the tube like that?” why did he go on the tube like that

john: “another photo of you with the-“ sherlock: *BIG SIGH*

sherlock: “nothing of importance... OH GOD!!!!!” LOCKIE IS P-I-DOUBLE S- ED YO!

sherlock: “i need some, get me some!” john: *plays john lennon’s ‘cold turkey’ at full blast* lol this didn’t happen but i wish it did :D

NO LOCKIE DON’T CALL FOR MRS. HUDSON SHE’S YOUR NOT HOUSEKEEPER NOT YOUR NOT DRUG DEALER

lockie be like ‘Y E E T !”

john: ‘you’re doing great, don’t give up now!” THE TONE IN HIS VOICE LOL :D

mrs. hudson: “yoo-hoo!” big tea blowout, yah? :D

they just played the racist ‘oriental’ tune from ep 2 ugh :/

omg DID SHERLOCK JUST MAKE MRS. HUDSON CRY??

sherlock: “I NEED A CASE!!!!” oh so it’s not drugs?

someone needs to find a bunny awww :)

sherlock: “this is brilliant call lestrade” i think this is a stuffed bunny AND THAT’S SO CUTE!!!!

samsung THAT BE THE BRAND OF MY MONITOR AND TV!! :D

he’s twitching his fingers cute lockie ♥

welcome to dateline nbc!

OMG HE’S ACTUALLY AT THE FLAT :D

henry: “i was just about to say it on the-” sherlock: “i prefer to do my own editing” same :D

geez the dog redrum was his dad violently killed geez :?

john: “did you see the devil that night?” i think you mean cujo ;)

ew cujo tore the dad apart :(

cujo’s a genetic experiment according to sherlock woah :o

wowza that was 20 years ago :o

of course sherlock knows everything that’s happened to this guy earlier!

sherlock: “please smoke mr. knight, i’d be delighted” you can join the smoking guy i saw outside of cvs yesterday ;)

sherlock: “i’ve been cooped up for ages!” covid quarantine who

i love how sherlock infodumps about people it’s so cool :D

henry: “how did you know that so fast?” sherlock: “it’s my job, now shut up and smoke” ...daaaang :o

john: *is asking henry questions* sherlock: *SNIIIIIIFFFF* yo what up lockie O_o

woah henry has to ‘face his demons’ :o

sherlock: “if i wanted to read poetry, i’d read john’s emails to his girlfriends” OHHHHH

but what about emails to lockie? ;)

sherlock: “bor-ing! goodbye mr. knight, thanks for smoking” lol :D

henry: “they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!” masterpiece trailer moment! :D

sherlock: “repeat those words exactly as you said them a moment ago” he wants it for the trailer

he didn’t say them exactly as he said them a moment ago :/

awww john is sherlock’s ‘best man’! ♥♥♥♥♥

AND LOCKIE’S TAKING ON THE STUFFED BUNNY CASE AWWWW!!!!! :D

sherlock: “a monstrous hound, i wouldn’t miss it for the world!” says the guy taking a different case

frozen 2 much?

john has a jeep how very army of you sir

i paused this at just the right moment ;)

henry tells his therapist he’s been seeing ‘liberty’ and ‘in’... liberty in the hound?

hotel guy: “it’ll be a double room for you boys” john: “that’s fine, we’re not-”

p

he knows ;)

OMG ISN’T THAT THE GAY INNKEEPER??? :o

the innkeeper’s accent is cool B)

sherlock’s talking to a shepard fairey guy woah :o

p

a smiley little lockie!!!! ♥♥♥♥

sherlock bet this guy 50 quid that sounds like a lot!

p

:/

p

aww he gave a little snort! :)

sherlock: “ooh, is it haunted?” his sarcastic soft voice tho :D

guy: “he said i’ve seen things i’ve never seen again” like henry! :o

guy: “rats as big as dogs and dogs the size of horses” oh noes

so when is that bunny thing showing up?

they just snuck in as mycroft SHERLOCK WHY

p

a good ol’ salute! :D

p

another johnlock screenshot ft antiques roadshow! ;)

p

JESUS CHRISTMAS MONKEY

the corporal guy is so nice! :)

p

ooh word wall! :o

p

a sarcastic happy lock!

dr lady: “i have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies...” wut

p

THERE’S THE BUNNY!!!!! :D

it glowed in the dark! :o

john: “did we break into a military base just to investigate a rabbit?” indeed you did ;)

p

OH SNAP MYCROFT :o

he’s like ‘ugh what’s my little pesky bro doing now?’

sherlock: “23 minutes, mycroft’s getting slow” lol :D

oh no the major looks crankyyy :o

OMG WHY ARE THE LIGHTS FLICKERING

the dr guy thinks sherlock is mycroft!

sherlock just goes with it lol :D

p

someone’s not convinny....

the dr knew it was sherlock the whole time! :o

he’s read the blog! and he wants sherlock to wear the hat lol

the dr guy likes ‘the pink thing’ ;)

dr guy: “i’d love to tell you what i do, but i’d have to kill you!” sarcastic yet >:)

p

that’s a look of luv bby ♥

john: “don’t be all mysterious with your... cheekbones and turning your coat collar up so you look cool” cheekbones?

sherlock: “i don’t do that” john: “yeah you do!” yeah lockie you kind of do...

p

happy john! :)

sherlock says the mystery words are liberty in death! :o

his plan is to go out at night and john’s like ‘that’s not a plan’ lol

p

squinty smile!!!! ♥

p

sherlock 2 NOW

a kid scream just played twice in a few seconds... transition perhaps?

i’ve always thought sherlock was darkly lit, but night takes it to a whole new level! :o

bird tweet!

maybe the scream is actually a weird bird idk

p

ooh a code!

john whispering ‘sherlock!’ over and over ♥

henry after sherlock mentions his parents: “look at you and john” ;)

OMG IS THAT CUJO

p

cujo see you... ;)

sherlock claims to not have seen cujo BOI HE WAS RIGHT THERE

p

two bros sitting by the fireplace, five feet apart ‘cause they’re not gay!

john: “i guess it’s morse” boi that was definitely morse

oh no sherlock heavy breathing?

john: “maybe we should just look for whoever has a big dog” lol :D

sherlock: “i saw it... i saw it too... i saw it too, john!”

john’s the rational one AND SHERLOCK SAW A RATIONAL HOUND BOI

sherlock: “look at me john, i’m afraid... i’m afraid!” :(

did john just call him ‘spock’

aww john wants lockie to take it easy ♥

sherlock: “there’s nothing wrong with me!” that shaky breath tells otherwise...

sherlock nervously infodumping although there’s ‘nothing wrong with me’ shows that there’s something wrong with him! poor bby :(

john: “i use my senses unlike other people” ooh sick burn lockie B)

john: “why won’t you listen to me? i’m your friend!” sherlock: “i don’t have friends!” john: “no... wonder why” aww :(

p

ooh johnny carson :o

p

OMG WAS SOMEONE DOING IT IN THE CAR WTF???

john: “...oh god.” same john same

p

nice blackberry john ;)

henry’s watching home movies and the lights are suddenly way bright! :o

HENRY JUMPSCARE!!!!

he’s so freaked out poor guy :(

p

ooh john’s on a date!

he’s talking to henry’s therapist so maybe it’s not?

john: “i have another friend who might be having the same problem” aww it’s lockie :(

franklin: “don’t you read the blog?” we all read the blog ;)

therapist: “sherlock who?” HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW SHERLOCK FLIPPING HOLMES???

franklin: “this is his p.a” john: “p.a?” franklin: “live in p.a” therapist: “live in...” ;)

p

eyyy reusing the same shot but with john digitally removed ;D

p

lockie’s so happy to see henry! :D

p

coffeelock! :D

john: “funny doesn’t suit you, let’s stick to ice” yep!

sherlock wasn’t afraid of the hound... he was afraid of his doubts! :o

john’s not too convinced...

sherlock: “i don’t have friends” you have- “i just have one” AWWWWW HE HAS JOHN!!!!! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

john: “...right” thanks for making it akward bud

sherlock: “john! you are amazing, fantastic-” john: “don’t overdo it” :)

p

cool font ;)

LESTRADE IS HERE!!!!

sherlock: “is that why you call yourself greg!” john: “...that’s his name” lol :D

john: “scary inspector from scotland yard could put in a few calls...” lol :D

sherlock apologized to john with coffee aww ♥

IT’S THE GAY INKEEPERS YAS!!! :D

p

that smirk tho ;)

wait the hound is dead?

omg sherlock has asbergers! :o

lockie saw a glowing superdog huh

p

sherlock: “hello brother dear! how aaare you?” lol his sarcastically sweet tone :D

and john’s look tho!

henry jumpscare!!!

man that one scared him so much poor guy!

john’s sneaking around ;)

brightening sherlock screencaps be like:

p

also why isn’t the show lit closer to something like this all the time

john muttering: “what the fu ‘ell” OMG JOHN BASICALLY SWORE :o

now it’s super dark!!!

OMG MONKEY SCREECH JUMPSCARE

john swiping the card over and over is like my dad trying to get his debit card to work at the store

or like that thing john did at his own grocery store ;)

john’s breathing heavy just like lockie.... :(

OH CRAP CUJO GROWL

RUN JOHN RUNNN!!!!!!!!

cujo’s out there

john just made a noise that sounded like that puffy fish eating a carrot :o

john to phone sherlock: “it’s in here with me..” OH CRAP HIDE IN A CAR FOR A MILLION HOURS

john’s whisper squeaked awww :(

sherlock wants john to keep talking awww :(

john doesn’t know what he sees but he’s scared af

AND HE CAN’T SEE CUJO

p

super sherlock!! :D

p

awww he was hunkered in a cage poor guy! :(

john: “jeeesus i saw the hound! it was here sherlock it was here!!! did you see it you must’ve seen it-” sherlock: “it’s okay john-“ john: “NNNOOOO IT’S NOT!!!!! IT’S NOT OKAY, I SAW IT, I WAS WRONG!!!” OMG JOHN :o

wait now sherlock’s denying what he and john saw wut

...they’ve been drugged?

is cujo just drugs?

dr lady: “are you okay? you look very peaking...” very what now

oh so it was a real bunny? when i was researching a sherlock return, i saw a website saying sherlock went through london for a stuffed one what was that about

what if cujo’s real and not a drug hmm lockie?

the drugs were in sugar?

OMG WHAT IF SMOKING IS THE DRUGS???

sherlock needs to go to his mind palace YAS!!!!! :D

oh no is this the cringe mind palace clip on tumblr

p

OH DEAR BLOODY GOD NO HELL IT IS

p

change the font I’M BEGGING YOU CHANGE THE BASIC AF FONT

p

elvis?

good it’s over!

henry’s running from the cujo drug!

oh no there’s a lady crying!

DID HENRY HURT THE LADY????

ooh it’s project h.o.u.n.d in liberty indiana? why would a cia project in the us be in the uk?

ew henry has 5 biographies of margaret thatcher :/

p

first off what pretty eyes! and the hound is names!

h.o.u.n.d was hidden in 1986... courtney did moore than reagan ;)

20 years ago for them is 1992 but the drug was hidden in ‘86 so lockie’s probably not being specific since it’s 2012 there and not 2006

the dr guy is american because he says ‘cell phone’?

oh no henry’s missing! :o

HE HAS A GUN WTF

did smol henry take the drug before ‘86 and hallucinated his dad’s death?

OMG HENRY DOESN’T KNOW ANYMORE

a man murdered his dad!

the guy sounds like darth vader :o

awww john’s comforting henry but it’s too dark to see :)

man henry’s so messed up poor guy!!! :(

lestrade: “oh my god! oh christ!” lol :D

oh no is henry reliving the murder?

the drug is in the fog!!!!!

THE DRUG IS IN THE FOG!!!!!

OMG THEY’RE SHOOTING AN INNOCENT DOG BECAUSE OF THE FOG DRUG

HENRY SCREAMING NO :(

RUN FRANKLIN RUN!!!

frankin’s down!

p

OMG DID HE DIE????

p

domestic eating right after that!

also why does sherlock never eat :(

did sherlock just say ‘is this ketchup brown’

sherlock put the drug in john’s sugar and locked him in for an experiment BOI

that explains why he appeared so fast...

p

flashback! with that face HE BEEN KNEW

i think there’s an s4 thing where lockie plants a bomb or something and laughs at john so this is unfortunately a thing :/

sherlock: “won’t happen again” WHAT DID I JUS SAY

sherlock: “you’ll be fine once you’ve excreted it” ...ew

john: “i think i’ve already taken care of it” EW

p

omg so many sherlocks

p

spooky...

is that moiarty setting up for the fall next ep?

p

and it ends with only the winky man knowing...

this was a very suspenseful ep! there were so many heartstopping moments and cujo being a drug was really clever. i can see why samantha liked reading the original book!

[superheroabc]

meddling kids

Barry Allen x reader

Request: Can you do a female reader and barry where they have feelings for each other but are afraid to tell each other. And one day their children somehow end in the past and they decide to bring them together.

I’m so sorry this took so long to write. I also apologize for not posting at all this week. I’m planning on posting a Tom Holland imagine on Saturday and a Bucky Barnes fic on Sunday or Monday, so stay tuned for those.

2034

“Bet you can’t run faster than me Harry.” 

“Bet I can Nora.” Yup That’s us. Harry and Nora Allen. Son and daughter of Y/N and Barry Allen, both graced with the gift of super speed. We were both making our usual bet of the week and I’m pretty sure I’m going to win. Nora claims that Uncle Cisco has been giving her extra training because she’s his “favorite” but Uncle Wally has been giving me extra training and he’s an actual speedster.

We both quickly suit up in the hopes of no one seeing us (because we aren’t allowed to race unsupervised) and sneak off to the particle accelerator (we aren’t allowed in there either).

“On your mark.” Nora says before crouching down.

“Get set.” I crouch down next to her

“Go!” We yell and we’re off. Ten times around is the rule. By the ninth lap I’m in the lead, but something weird happens. It’s like I can’t stop. Neither can Nora until we both see a bright blue light and were outside.

2017

“I so won that one.” I say dusting myself off the ground.

“Whatever,” She says rolling her eyes. “ Come on. Let’s go home and change real quick, we shouldn’t be out in the open like this.” We both sped home. When we got there the spare key wasn’t where it normally is so it took awhile to find it. Once we finally got inside I ran upstairs while Nora went to the kitchen. I opened the door to my room and I’m so confused.

“Nora! Come here!” She didn’t respond but I could hear her feet padding up the stairs. When she gets to my room she bust out in laughter.

“Dude where’s your stuff?” She asked still laughing.

“I don’t know. What should I do?”

“Nothing. Mom and dad are probably kicking you out.” She said before taking a bite of her stupid apple.

“They can’t do that, I’m only ten. Let’s go check your room out.” We both walk across the hall to her room. Once we got there we saw that hr room was in the same condition as mine. Nora gasped and dropped her apple as she started to look through the room.

“Harry this isn’t funny!” She says, still looking through the room

“I didn’t do anything!” I yell, offended that she thought I would do something like this (Although I would).

“Ugh! I’m gonna look through the rest of the house.” She says before stomping away. We both looked around the house and almost everything is different. Mom and dad’s bed is smaller, only mom’s stuff is there and most of the furniture is different. I plopped into the chair by the desk and sighed, planting my hands on my face. When I open my eyes I see Nora’s widened in shock.

“What?” She simply just pointed at the computer that was behind me. It read January 8, 2017. I back away from the computer as if it was going to attack me. “How did we get here?”

“We must’ve opened a breach when we raced. How are we going to get home?!” She says before pacing back and forth. I sat on the couch as I watched her mumble and pace across the floor. “Okay so I think that if we sneak back into the accelerator and run the opposite way we did and just as fast, then we can go back home. What do you think?”

“Sure. Let’s get out of here. Everything is so old.” We started to run out of the house and through the park until I gabbed Nora’s arm and pulled her behind a tree.

“What is your problem?” She asked furiously.

“Just look.” I say pointing at dad and Uncle Cisco.

“Dude just ask her out! She likes you, it’s obvious!” Yells Uncle Cisco.

“No she doesn’t like me. Y/N is way out of my league and would never agree to go on a date anyways.” Dad says looking depressed.

“Did you hear that? Mom and dad aren’t together yet. We should do something.” I said excitedly.

“Oh no we aren’t. We are going home. What if we mess things up and get erased from time or what if-”

“Nora that’s not possible. In case you haven’t noticed yet, are parents are a living rom-com. They love each other way too much to not come together eventually. What’s the harm in bringing them together sooner?” Her face changed in many ways thinking about what I just said. She then sighed, finally giving in.

Once we devised the perfect plan we went our separate ways. Nora sped off to the flower shop while I sped back home and somehow figured out how to type and print out two notes. We met back in the star labs parking lot and snuck inside. When we got there everyone was in the med bay or somewhere else. 

I crept closer to dad’s suit and placed a note on it that read

Meet me at Jitters at 8

                                    Love, Y/N

While I did that Nora went to mom’s office and placed the flowers and the note on her desk. The note said 

Hey I was thinking we could go on a date tonight? Meet me at Jitters at 8

                                                                       Love, Barry

Since it was 6:00 pm already we wouldn’t have to wait long to see our plan unfold. Once everything was in place we ran outside and waited.

Mean while at star labs 

Barry, Joe and Cisco went to the cortex while Y/N and Caitlin went to Y/N’s office. When the boys went to the cortex they immediately saw the white piece of paper on the red suit.

Barry opened it and his eyes went wide in shock as he read it.

“You good Barr?” Asked Joe.

“Yeah... I think Y/N just asked me out on a date.”

When the girls went inside they instantly saw the flowers. Y/N shuffled over to the desk and saw a note peaking through it. After she read it she showed it to Caitlin.

“Finally. I thought neither of you were never gonna have the guts to do this.” Said Caitlin as Y/N rolled her eyes at her.

“Whatever Cait. I’m leaving, gotta go get ready for my date.”

8:00 

Once it was time dad got there surprisingly first. He was wearing a blazer and had a giant bouquet of flowers. About fifteen minuets later and we were all getting nervous. Dad was shaking his leg up and down, staring at he door until mom walked in. She was wearing a f/c dress. It was simple but it fit well and went right above her knees. 

“Hey.” Dad said handing mom her flowers.

“Barr how many flowers are you going to get me today? As much as I appreciate these, the ones you got me earlier were enough.” Dad’s eyebrows knitted in confusion while Nora and I quietly laughed at them.

“I didn’t get you any flowers earlier.”

“Yeah you did. It had this note in it.” Mom fished through her purse, looking for the small piece of paper. Once she found it she uncrumpled it and gave it to dad. He read over the note a few times before grabbing the note that was in his pocket.

“I didn’t ask you out. You asked me out.” Dad handed her the note and she was just as confused as dad.

“Looks like someone set us up I guess.”

“Yeah, but I’m glad they did. I like you a lot Y/N. I was just too afraid to tell you.” He said grabbing her hand.

“I like you too Barr.”

Nora and I look at each other with bright smiles. We did it. We brought our parents together.

“They look so happy.” Says Nora still staring at them.

“Yeah they are. Ready to go?” I asked. She simply just nodded as she hopped off of her stool. We then run off, sneak into the particle accelerator and run home. Happy with the fact that we are the reasons are parents are together. The reason they’re in love.

[jiminthestreets-bonesinthesheets]

Avengers: Storm

Summary: The avengers have just defeated Ultron, a much needed victory for the weary team, but another storm is coming their way. A new member joins the team and has some very unexpected effects on everyone, especially the Captain himself, Steve Rogers.     Secrets are revealed, scars revisited, and new wounds formed as they battle one of their toughest and most personal battles yet. All they can do is hope this wont be their breaking point…

characters: Steve Rogers/Captain America, Tony Stark/Iron Man, Widow, Hawkeye, Banner, Thor, All the Avengers, and a few original characters

Rating: Mature (just in case, still haven’t fully decided yet)

Pairing: Steve/Original character

Note: So yay, I’m finally posting this after I said I would do this a week ago… opps! And this is my first Avengers fic so be nice :)     But before you read, just a little tidbit about my writing. I love to add in new characters and it usually involves some sort of romance of some kind, so if you don’t like OC’s then this might not be the fic for you, and that’s ok! I also love making everything into series which this will probably end up being, so be prepared for that. But for those of you who do read it I hope you enjoy it!! And be sure to let me know what you think and if you would like to be tagged for future updates!! :D

Masterlist!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 2:

    Tony returned to the circle of friends sitting around one end of the large dining room table, looking completely exhausted as he took a seat beside Bruce.

    “So, Uncle Tony,” Natasha mocked, “what's the story with this one?”

    Covering his face with his hands he said, “Wait till Rogers comes back, I'm not explaining it twice.”

    Seconds later Steve came walking in the same way Tony had, sitting on the other side of him. Placing a hand on Tony’s shoulder as he sat saying, “She's asleep.”

    Everyone then turned to Tony, eyes fixed on him waiting for an explanation and after a lifetime of press conferences and countless speeches, Tony found himself lost for words.  “I don’t even know where to start,” Tony mumbled into his hands.

    “Well let’s start with Uncle,” Clint chimed in, “we thought you were an only child.”

    Running his hands down his face he prepared himself for a long night as he began, “As I'm sure you're all slowly figuring out, like many things you all think you know about me, that’s very obviously not true. Turns out my Dad was a bit of a playboy back in his younger days.”

    “The apple didn’t fall for from the tree then, did it?” Natasha quipped.

    Staring her down Tony replied, “Funny, Natasha.” Turning back to the rest of the group he continued, “I spent my life thinking just as you all did, that I was Howard Stark’s only child. It was later in life after my father died that I discovered that indeed was not the case. After his funeral Nick Fury handed me a file marked classified. He told me that up until now he was the only one besides my Father that knew the contents of this file and that he thought I had a right to know the truth. Inside was information on my Father’s secret second family. He had a daughter to another woman before having me with my Mother, not even she knew this information. Turned out I had a twenty-eight year old sister, Marina Stark or rather Burke her married name, and I also had a two year old niece who is currently sleeping down the hall.”

    “You mean to tell us that your father kept all this information secret? How could he do such a thing?” Thor spoke for the first time, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

    Standing in defence Tony spoke directly to Thor, “If I remember correctly your father kept a secret that in the end ruined your brother and almost destroyed several planets.”

    “Hey!” Steve placed himself between the two men, pushing them aside, “We just finished a war, the last thing we need is another one. Tony, please go on.”

    Returning to his seat he continued his story, “It took almost a year before I contacted my sister. We agreed to meet so I drove to her place, met her and her husband Richard, and Leeanna. She was this adorable, perfect little porcelain doll, almost three at the time. I was never one for children but…she was different. After that I spent as much of my time as I possibly could with her but we all agreed that with my line of work it was in their best interest for my father’s second family to remain a secret, Leeanna too, so I had to see them away from the eyes of people, press, and it’s a good thing we did. After Leeanna's seventh birthday, her and her parents showed up at Stark Tower in the middle of the night. They had to sneak her out of the state after she started a tornado in the playground at school after some kid pushed her. She was so scared the poor kid ran all the way home.

    They told me that they had to grab what they could and run, every cop in the state was looking for my little girl. I did tests on her that night, discovered that for some reason her genes had begun mutating themselves and that’s the cause of her powers but I can’t explain why, after her seventh birthday, this started happening or how. Every so often her genes mutate again and create more powers, what you saw today was just the beginning of what that girl can do. And it seems to be linked to her emotions which, once they reach a certain point, they take over and she can’t stop.

    I did what I could to help them start a new life, after what had happened that night there was no way they could return to their old home. I gave them a new name, Collins, a new home, new jobs. As she grew and her powers multiplied and became harder to control she spent more time here with me. When it became to overwhelming for her, her parents and I would sneak her into the tower and I would take care of her. This became her sort of…sanctuary, somewhere she wasn’t so trapped.”

    “Trapped?” Steve cut in.

    “Yes. Her parents tried everything they could to give her a normal life, but after several accidents that luckily were not as eventful as the playground incident, Leeanna locked herself away. Afraid that one wrong move from her would find someone hurt or worse she cut all human contact besides her parents and me. Her parents somehow managed to convince her to vacation in Washington with them this weekend and, well, now we’re here and that’s the story of my poor little girl.”

    “How old was she when she locked herself away?” Bruce asked.

    “She was nine.” Tony answered with a distance to his voice.

    “If my math is correct she would be twenty-six now and if she locked herself away at nine then…that’s seventeen years alone.” Clint sat back in his chair with a hard sigh, “that can’t be easy.”

    “I did everything I could to make her life a little more bearable, but my poor little girl…” tony stared into her past, only sorry he couldn’t do more for her.

    Steve stood from his spot beside Tony, placing his hands flat on the table leaning forwards, “It’s late. We’ve all had a rough night and so has she, but none of us are going anywhere for the next little while so I say we carry on tomorrow. I think everyone needs some rest.”

    All in agreeance the group got up from the table, slower then usual due to the days earlier events, Tony showing them all to their rooms for the night before peaking in on his sleeping niece. Tears still streaked her cheeks and her breathing remained laboured. Closing the door behind him he entered her room quietly, climbing softly into the bed beside her and pulling her close. Tucking her head under his chin he too eventually fell into a deep sleep.

[lynchgirl90]

#TwinPeaks Sheryl Lee Explains What It Feels Like to Be in the Red Room

By Devon Ivie

“You can go out now.”

A quarter of a century after warning Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) that she’ll see him again in 25 years — nice timing, Showtime — Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) returned to the Red Room in the second episode of Twin Peaks: The Return to give him permission to finally leave. It’s a smoldering, surrealist scene that will undoubtedly make fans of the original series squeal with joy, which culminates with Laura whispering yet another secret into Agent Cooper’s ear before flying off into an oblivion of curtains. We’ve missed you and your screaming, girl! Earlier this week, we spoke to Lee about coming back to the show, smooching MacLachlan, and why searching for the show’s true meaning is pretty pointless.

It must be pretty exciting to be able to talk about your return to the show now. What I’m enjoying more is being able to see what David’s been working on. I’m a fan of his and of all of the other actors on the show, and I hadn’t seen anything until the rest of the world saw it. Well, we had the premiere two days before, but that was the first time I’d seen anything. So that, to me, is the most exciting part. As a fan myself, to get to see what magic he’s created this time around.

How did David let you know that the show would be returning? When I talked to Angelo Badalamenti last year, he said David actually came to his house to give him the good news. Not like that. I had heard rumors for a long time, so I didn’t pay much attention to them. And then this time around I started hearing some rumors again, and they seemed to keep staying, and then I heard something from a cast member. I then either sent David an email or heard pretty quickly after that it was true. I don’t remember exactly how it went down. I believe it was first an email exchange of “yes, it’s true, more to come” or something like that. Don’t quote me on that because I can’t remember exactly!

Can you walk me through what was going through your mind during the very first take when you walked into the Red Room, being back together with Kyle once again? You know, the thing is because of the focus it takes to work in the Red Room, it keeps me so present and in the present moment, that yes, there’s a little bit of surrealness. In one way it seems no time has passed, and in another way it seems as if lifetimes have passed. Especially in that Red Room, it kind of does that to you. [Laughs.] Of course working with Kyle is always a wonderful delight. I’m such a fan of his work, he’s absolutely brilliant. So it was wonderful to get to see him again. What I had to do in that scene required so much focus that it didn’t allow for a lot of space in my brain to go back to the way it was before. I had to stay very present and focused on what I was doing now, if you know what I mean. I don’t know what I’m allowed to talk about and what I’m not allowed to talk about! So I’m just going to say when you work in the Red Room you don’t work in the way you normally work, like if you’re not in the Red Room. It’s not scary, it’s just different, and has its own set of wonderful, creative challenges.

Does that relate to the mechanics behind your backwards-talking, as well? Honestly, I don’t know if I’m allowed to answer that, either. So I’m going to have to leave my answer with “when you work in the Red Room, you work in a different way than when you’re not working in the Red Room.”

What direction did David give you when you were actually filming your scene? The acting on the show is so specific to Lynch’s world, I’m curious what his directives are. It completely depends on what scene you’re in. He’s a master at creating an environment where you really get to stretch creatively and go to places that you maybe wouldn’t normally get to go to, and he created an environment that feels safe enough to do that. And at the same time he has a very, very clear vision of what he wants. So he’s able to give very specific directions about that.

During Laura and Cooper’s conversation about why she’s still in the Red Room, Laura says that “I am dead, yet I live.” How did you interpret this?

You’ll see how I interpret it if you keep watching the show. [Laughs.] That will be revealed.

You also have some slightly more CGI-heavy moments compared to the series’ initial run, like taking your face off.

I had to have quite a bit of that before working with David, so nothing about those particular moments felt like it was the first time. I didn’t take my face off necessarily, but I did have other moments that felt very surreal in that way, or that they went out of our everyday interpretation of what reality is or what reality looks like. For me, I know that’s part of the wonderful creative experience of working with him, that you get to explore these other aspects of life, not just the physical plane of existence that we see with our eyes.

Did you lose your voice from doing so many scream takes? I’ve had to scream so many times for David, haven’t I? I learned 30 years ago how to take care of my voice on those days, thankfully, and to scream in the right way.

What was like to make women across the world jealous by kissing Kyle? [Laughs.] I don’t think of it that way. To me, he’s this great guy that I get to work with. For me, the joy is in getting to work with him, and I don’t think, Oh I get to kiss him, I think, Oh, I get to work with him. He’s a true gentleman. A true gentleman. That’s greatly appreciated in this day in age. And when you see it, you appreciate it so much.

What does it mean to you that the show is back and thriving after 25 years? Getting to work with all of those people, like David and [co-creator] Mark Frost, and creatively being able to to be challenged and grow — and to work with all of those artists in every department, it’s such an incredible group of artists. From the cinematographer to the sound to the editing to the art department, the actors, the writing. It’s all so delightful to dive back into the world and see everybody again. We’ve known each other for 30 years, a lot of us. It’s certainly a relief that it’s being well-received, too.

I was going to try to sneak a question about if we’ll see Laura again later this season, but I’ve been shut down so many times about plot-based questions. [Laughs.] It’s not even like I know! I’m watching it with you guys. I can’t wait to see what happens on Sunday. It’s like a dream world, it’s not meant to be dissected.

And I really appreciate that. I feel showrunners are always obligated to do requisite post-episode interviews and such, and David’s clear reluctance to talk about anything in the narrative has been a nice breath of fresh air.

Yeah. Part of what’s so fun is that when each one of us looks at a painting, we draw a different meaning from it based on the lens on which we see it. We don’t all listen to music the same way. We don’t hear the same thing in the song.

We all find different meaning, and not only do we each find different meaning individually, but we find different meaning at different times in our lives. I can reread a book now at 50 that I read at 25 and draw completely different meanings from it. And that’s a gift of art. That’s one of the gifts of it — there is room for all of these different interpretations, and then it ignites the viewer’s own creativity.

link (TP)