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hd-fan-fair · 4 years

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THE MASTERLIST OF H/D SEX FAIR 2020 FANWORKS

View the full list on [AO3] or under the cut below!

( Fanwork posted in chronological order by type )

ART

1. How hard can it be? (Digital Comic, Mature) Summary:

Harry and Draco have to stay over at their friends' places for a few weeks, since the renovation of the Grimmauld Place hadn't been completed by the time they were back from their honeymoon. That creates a slight issue with being intimate but the newlyweds are nothing if not creative...

2. Revelio! (Digital, Teen and Up) Summary:

It's that time of year again for Witch Weekly's annual charity event! By popular demand, this year they have prepared a calendar featuring the sexiest studs in the Wizarding World. Gracing the cover in style, the Hogwarts staff is represented by none other than DADA Professor Harry Potter and Potions Professor Draco Malfoy. Grab one before they're gone! Reserve your copy by owl today!

3. Handling Dragons (Digital, Teen and Up) Summary:

Harry brought over dragons to Hogwarts for a new Triwizard Tournament or for a class. Draco is hopelessly turned on by the resident Professor or Hogwarts Medic. Draco wants his dragon tickled by Harry. Unknown to him, Draco is the only dragon Harry wants to manhandle.

4. I plan on getting very wet. (Digital, Mature) Summary:

When they arrived at their private beach holiday, they didn't expect it to rain all the time. Oh well, boys can still find a way to have fun.

5. The Dragon's Boy (Digital Comic, Explicit) Summary:

Harry is chosen to be the next sacrifice to the dragon, but it turns out this dragon is interested in Harry for entirely different reasons.

6. The Art of Trust (Digital, Mature) Summary:

One piece of rope offers what Harry and Draco seek the most from each other.

7. (Intimidating) Brand New World (Digital Comic, Mature) Summary:

Draco's nervously perusing a sex shop for the first time when he sees a flash of dark hair across the store. He'd know it anywhere, but why is Potter here? And what on earth is in that box he's buying? Years of uptight parenting from his parents have left him woefully lacking in knowledge about his newfound interests. Potter's always been rather uncaring of public opinion, perhaps he could be the one to help Draco figure it all out...

ART & FIC

8. as much a light as a flame (6303, Explicit) Summary:

His mother paints a wolf on his chest, its eyes bracketing his heart, and its muzzle pointed towards his groin. His aunt fills in the spaces around his waist and ribs with symbols he's lost the meaning of in the wash of whatever plant had been mixed in with the steam. They move after her brush leaves his skin, turning from incomprehensible marks to his name to wolf to home to hunt and then back to misunderstanding again.

His legs are painted in patterned bands, starting from his ankles and ending at his upper thighs. His groin is left unmarked, the pale and empty skin meant to leave no doubt of the Claim once he makes it.

9. Starkissed (32631, Explicit) Summary:

“Your tattoos!” The intruder says, boldly stepping over Ron’s chaise and crossing in front of Hermione to get to Harry, eyes wide and hungry. Harry immediately sits up, pulling the towel draped across the back of his chair down over his shoulders. “No! Don’t cover them. They’re beautiful.” Harry hopes an indulgent trip abroad will help shake him out of the doldrums of his life. What he finds once he gets to Venice is more than he ever expected.

PODFIC

10. Infuse With Affection, Enchant With Love by bafflinghaze (1.5 Hours, Teen and Up) Summary:

It starts with Draco making protective pendants for himself, his parents, and his friends, after the war. Something that would watch their backs—and their fronts—as people spat on them in the streets and hexed them in the alleyways. Draco gets better at it, does a course on it, and takes enough commissions for charmed jewellery that he eventually opens his own shop.

But Harry doesn’t know any of this. So when he sees Malfoy in a shop of charmed necklaces, he immediately tries his best to uncover Malfoy’s machinations.

11. Things Worth Paying For (1.5 Hours, Explicit) Summary:

After leaving post-war Britain for Paris, Draco is finally happy, with friends and a job he loves, But then his newest client turns out to be Harry Potter, and everything changes.

FIC

12. Three Wishes (10161, Explicit) Summary:

Draco meets his fairy godmother and is granted three wishes. Unfortunately, they all keep coming back to the same thing.

********** Pop!

"Oh, wow," Vince says, and is that sarcasm Draco hears? "I never saw that coming."

"What?" Draco opens his eyes. He's prepared for the theatrics of the puffs of smoke—Vince, despite the sudden career change, was never blessed with an overactive imagination—but what he was not prepared for was the sight of Harry Potter, bare-chested and dressed in arseless chaps, his hands bound and mouth wrapped around a ball gag while lying face down on Draco's sofa.

13. H.A.G.S. (Hogwarts Alliance for Gender and Sexuality) (9517, Explicit) Summary:

When Hermione decides Hogwarts needs a LGBTQIA+ club, of course Ron and Harry are roped into helping. After a rocky start, Harry begins seeing the club as an opportunity to educate students and celebrate diversity and sexuality at Hogwarts. He also starts seeing it as an opportunity to snog Draco Malfoy.

14. You Don't Know Me (Like You Used To) (33106, Explicit) Summary:

"Buy me a drink as compensation for maiming me?" he asks.

"And why the hell would I do that?" It’s a perfectly valid question. A drink invitation from Harry Potter is about as likely of a scenario as me streaking down Piccadilly in broad daylight. Consider me completely thrown off.

Sometimes it only takes a week to change everything. The story of how twenty-five-year-old Draco Malfoy hit one Harry Potter with a door and knocked both of their lives into somewhere entirely new.

15. the best treasure is up Harry’s arse (2891, Explicit) Summary:

Harry and Draco probably had a tumultuous time getting together, filled with angst and denial and pining and brooding. However, this is not that story. Here, Draco makes Harry come (more than once).

16. Breakin' the Rules (3146, Teen and Up) Summary:

Harry and Draco are Auror partners. They're in a relationship that they've been forced to keep secret due to relationships between Aurors being forbidden. Harry is okay with this, as he hasn't come out to anyone other than Draco, but after a mission goes awry, their relationship is exposed.

17. The HogShagMan (31685, Mature) Summary:

Professor Potter is called upon to teach the first-ever official course on Magical Sexual Relations at Hogwarts and, in the process, must navigate the pitfalls of relationship-building, the nefarious schemings of those entrusted with school funding, and the uneven tempers of his boss and several co-workers. Clearly, only ‘the’ Harry Potter can pull it all off.

18. Let's not wait for France (17714, Teen and Up) Summary:

All Harry had wanted from his Eighth year at Hogwarts was a little peace and a little privacy but, from the moment that he stepped onto Platform 9 3/4, it was obvious that nothing was ever going to be that easy.

An accidental bond with Malfoy that resulted in them having to stay together at all times was the final straw.

Things couldn't be worse. So much to a quiet year in Hogwarts.

19. Take All That You See (19666, Teen and Up) Summary:

Draco Malfoy has only two goals for his eighth year are Hogwarts: 1) stay as invisible as possible, and 2) get enough NEWTs to be accepted at a university abroad and get the hell out of the UK. Everything is going according to plan until he is unceremoniously outed by the Daily Prophet and subsequently disowned.

Finding himself the unexpected focus of unwanted attention and harassment, he is suddenly dependent on the good will and protection of the last people he would have expected — Harry Potter and his gang of do-gooder Gryffindors (plus Luna Lovegood). With his world turned upside down, how will Draco make it through the rest of the year? And worse still, as he grows closer and closer to Harry, how will he get out with his heart intact?

20. True Children Still (34240, Explicit) Summary:

After years of dancing around each other, Draco and Harry have finally begun to date, though they're taking things slow. They've got enough to figure out as it is, and the last thing Harry needs is an unexpected introduction to desires he's not quite ready to face.

21. Asking For A Friend? (13734, Explicit) Summary:

Asking for a friend? Don't be shy! I'm Genna Russ with advice! Draco Malfoy, drag queen and agony aunt for the Daily Prophet, is very happy with his life. He loves his job. He loves his drag queen persona. And he loves the fact that the wider Wizarding world doesn't know who is offering them sassy advice with their morning news.

When he starts receiving letters from one Harry Potter – letters that are too racy to publish – he does the only thing he can do: he replies. His carefully constructed secret life is at risk of being blown wide open, but he just can't help himself. Draco never did have any self-control where the Prat Who Lived was concerned.

22. All I Have to Do (9575, Explicit) Summary:

The Patented Daydream Charm (Adult Edition) allows you to enter a top-quality, highly realistic thirty-minute sexual fantasy. Solitude and privacy spells advised.

Or: Draco finally has some alone time; Harry just needs to nip in for a book.

23. Take My Wonder (3949, Explicit) Summary:

Harry Potter is the author of very well-written children's text books. Joshua Starkweather is the author of not-so-well-written erotic fiction. Only one person knows that they are one and the same.

24. (There Is Nothing) More Than This (5431, Explicit) Summary:

Harry Potter returns home past midnight, distressed and anxious about the multiple murder case that he is leading. His husband Draco looks after him, comforting Harry with his hands, his mouth and his unwavering love.

25. the space between (what you want and what you need) (13601, Mature) Summary:

As a specialist Healer in dark magic, Draco has had his fair share of difficult cases and awkward patients. Still, nothing has prepared him for a curse-paralysed Harry Potter.

26. Walk in the sun (18233, Explicit) Summary:

Harry is perfectly content with the life he built for himself; simple and private, it helps him heal the wounds from the war. He then accepts to go out with one of Neville’s acquaintances, never expecting that decision would bring him back to his obsession for Draco Malfoy.

“That was his cue. Had Harry stopped to think about his situation, he could have left. Malfoy was nibbling at his neck, he had his hand down his pants. All things considered, a disaster incoming. And yet, his feet still refused to move. After all, he was not the stop-to-think-of-consequences kind of guy.”

(Features drunken confessions, bathrooms, a lot of smut, sexy pictures, panties, cats and only one bed)

27. You Need to Just Do Whatever You Want (7998, General) Summary:

Draco's confused when he receives a manual explaining his magical inheritance. Being a veela would be good (at least he would be prettier), and a vampire would have been fine (another excuse to hide himself in the Manor). But a descendant of the God of Love, complete with arrows and a love quota? Now that's just bonkers.

A story in which Draco is Cupid (sort of).

28. Under my Skin (8258, Explicit) Summary:

One year after the war and after Hogwarts restorations, Harry is back at school to finally finish his education. He wasn't expecting McGonagall to assign him to protect Draco Malfoy, in case he was bullied during the classes. Although really just wants to relax on his last year in Hogwarts, he'd seen how Draco had changed at the trials. He knew being around him would be easy enough... Wouldn't it?

29. Glory, glory! (16898, Explicit) Summary:

It's 2005 and Harry has recently purchased a new mobile phone so he can easily keep in touch with his friends. Little did he know that the Muggle technology would lead him down a path of self discovery and safe exploration that would lead him into the soft recesses of the last person he ever expected. As it turns out, very good things can be found in the dark.

30. Husbandly Duties (2108, Explicit) Summary:

Draco and Harry leave their wedding after-party early for some quality one-on-one time.

31. Sex, Relationships & Love (3873, Mature) Summary:

Draco Malfoy runs an anonymous sex advice column in the Witch Weekly magazine and gets hundreds of letters asking him for advice on sex, love and relationships. How was he to know that the advice he had given in response to one of those letters would result in Harry Potter showing up at his flat at 6 in the morning?

32. Disparate (6022, Teen and Up) Summary:

Ever since he went to Hogwarts, Draco realized that he wasn't quite the same as the others.

Or: Draco Malfoy over the years as he tries to understand and accept his sexuality.

33. Silver Scales in Pools of Green (26603, Explicit) Summary:

Draco is one of the last sirens of the seas, who escaped to the human world looking for friendship and food, but captivity found him instead. For seven years, he's gotten used to his life as human entertainment, and prides himself in his ability to make humans fall in step to his song.

That is, until everything falls apart when he has an audience with green eyes...

34. It's So Hard (9170, Explicit) Summary:

Draco has posed for some interesting photos, and it is currently making things very... hard for Harry.

35. On Your Shore (35113, Mature) Summary:

Clearing out a remote house full of cursed collectibles in the Outer Hebrides? Not a problem for an experienced curse breaker like Harry Potter. Spending a week with the straight, happily-married man that he’s starting to have feelings for? And sharing a bed with him at night? Surely Harry can handle that, too. But both the house and Draco Malfoy have secrets to uncover, and Harry might be in deeper water than he thought.

36. A Little Less Broken (6417, Mature) Summary:

After the war Draco thought he would never feel again. But a mix of revenge gone wrong and Harry Potter, might help him to feel just a little less broken.

37. Always (20147, Explicit) Summary:

In which Draco is the (in)famous erotica writer H.J. Belladonna, writing successful scandalous novel after successful scandalous novel and hiding his true identity, and Harry is questioning his sexuality after reading one of Belladonna’s books. Until ten years after the war their paths cross again, and Harry doesn’t only question his sexuality, but also the meaning of his obsession with Draco Malfoy.

“You look like something my cat dragged in,“ Blaise said from the sofa. Draco’s sofa, in Draco’s tiny flat. “You don’t have a cat, because you’re too vain, Blaise. A cat would get hair all over your expensive clothes,“ Draco replied and then ignored Blaise in favor of going into the kitchen to get some hot sweet tea into his system. Maybe that would make his day better, even if it had just started and the potential for disaster was high. Blaise followed him. “I’ll take one too.“ “You can’t use my home as your personal hotel, Blaise,“ Draco said, but he was already grabbing two cups out of the cupboard. He was too tired to use magic, after writing the whole night, he felt like all the magic had been absorbed by his parchment. Some of his sanity maybe too.

38. Absurd. (3773, Explicit) Summary:

When Draco discovers a kink that Harry's been hiding from him, he has no choice but to explore said kink, right? Right.

39. For Want Of Five Minutes (And a Locked Door) (4333, Mature) Summary:

It’s hard enough to get five minutes to yourself in a house of five kids, nevermind getting five minutes with your boyfriend for anything else.

40. Let Out the Beast (9649, Explicit) Summary:

In the wizarding world where alphas are looked down upon for their lack of control and unseemly aggression, it is generally accepted that they are not allowed to work in places like schools and hospitals where their nature could risk the people there. When Draco Malfoy suddenly shows up at Hogwarts smelling strongly like an alpha, Harry is beyond baffled. The fact that no one else seems to catch his scent only adds to his confusion. But, of course, the most puzzling part is how Harry’s body reacts to that scent.

41. Flowers, Dildos and Other Courtship Gifts (15853, Teen and Up) Summary:

Harry Potter is the Ministry's star auror trainee, and Draco Malfoy is the cute florist in Diagon Alley who Harry stares at through the window during lunch breaks and leaves. That's all they are and all they would ever be. (Really.) Until Harry accidentally mails Draco an autumn themed dildo (among others). Cue: bad planning, owl kidnapping, and flangst.

Or two emotional gay disasters fall in love in the middle of autumn.

42. he touched me, so I live to know (4729, Mature) Summary:

Five times Harry Potter is unsure about touching someone and one time he isn’t.

43. cut my name into your lip (6321, Explicit) Summary:

Harry can't take it anymore. Seriously. If Malfoy chews on the end of his quill/licks his spoon/sucks on the papercut on his finger one more time, Harry's going to put an end to it.

44. Realities, Unfurling (45487, Mature) Summary:

Draco Malfoy is released from Azkaban into a changed world.

45. The Delicate Balance of Light and Shade (13288, Explicit) Summary:

With the war finally over, Harry tries to find his own path in a world where he is free to make his own choice. On a holiday in France, he unexpectedly falls in love with art and painting. Returning to Hogwarts to help rebuild it, he is paired up with Draco Malfoy to restore the Room of Requirement - and unexpectedly falls in love with Draco. When the rebuilding efforts are done, Harry disappears.

Years later, Draco goes to Muggle London at Pansy's suggestion to visit an art gallery. The name of the Muggle artist is unknown to Draco, but the subject of the erotic paintings is shockingly familiar: it's Draco himself. It's time to confront the past and make some long-due confessions.

46. Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) (9181, Explicit) Summary:

Sex is hard to come by when you're 40 and have kids.

Or: Five times Harry and Draco tried and failed to have sex and one time they were successful.

47. The Spoiling of Sex From Enthusiastic Ignorance (6079, Explicit) Summary:

Draco is going to lose his virginity, so help him god, and he's going to lose it to one Harry Potter. Why? Because of his big cock, his status as The Top Five Quidditch Players in England, and Witch Weekly's Most-Eligible Bachelor for eight years straight. At least that's what he tells himself. Too bad first times rarely go as one plans, and now Harry is looking miserable and Draco doesn’t understand why.

48. you killed me on the moon (4906, Explicit) Summary:

'You barely know me. We do not know each other.’

‘Beyond this overwhelming need to submit to you, completely and utterly?’ Potter raises his eyebrows, stretching his scar. ‘Beyond this bone-deep awareness that you are made for me, and I for you? That our destiny was written in the stars, in the very foundation of our known world?’

An A/B/O Royalty!AU wherein a desperate Slytherin prince faces a proposal from the conquering Gryffindor king.

49. i just want your extra time and your... (9058, Explicit) Summary:

Ron should know better than to speak Latin in a magical library. If he’d just left well enough alone, instead of trying to badger Malfoy for the details of his newest novel, Harry wouldn’t have to listen to all of this chatter about how bloody decent Malfoy is, and he wouldn’t be dealing with all of these...feelings. Really, it’s all Ron’s fault that Harry’s mind is stuck on Malfoy like this again.

50. The Kisses Don’t Count, If No One Else Knows (41492, Explicit) Summary:

Minister for Magic Harry Potter does not love his job. The one bright point in his life is his secret relationship with Quidditch Super Star Draco Malfoy. When they're 'outed' by a peeping tom with a camera, Harry has to decide what's really important.

51. You Do Your Body Work, I Feel My Pulse Working Overtime (1627, Explicit) Summary:

Harry did not have an addiction to watching Draco masturbate on camera. He could stop any time he wanted to. Really.

52. Right Romantic Setting (6266, Explicit) Summary:

On the twelfth day of their romantic relationship, Draco and Harry take Albus, Scorpius and Rose on a weekend trip to Muggle London that Ron and Hermione were supposed to lead. At the fully-booked hotel where they'll be staying for the night, they're surprised to discover that their rather plain room has only one bed. It's definitely not the right romantic setting for their first night together but, as Draco comes to realise, there's good in taking things slow.

53. Portrait of a Marriage (130627, Mature) Summary:

Harry didn't want to marry Malfoy, he really didn't, but he also does want this house and Malfoy looked so smug and well - now they are married, and the house still doesn't like him, and Malfoy only looks more smug.

Draco didn't want to marry Potter, he really didn't, but he also does want this house and he never seems to be capable of escaping Potter anyway, so if he is already doomed to being married off he might as well decide for himself what he is worth, sign the papers and ignore everything wrong with that plan until physically no longer possible.

54. Regardless of desire, life hands you who you are (29803, Explicit) Summary:

When Draco finds himself wrongly accused – of course it's Potter who swoops in to save the day. Isn't it always Potter?

#hd sex fair #Draco Malfoy #Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter #Harry Potter #drarry fic #drarry art #drarry podfic #drarry recs

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ginkgomoon · 4 years

Text

Gavin and MC’s High School History- Detailed Timeline

Dedicated to my amazing and kind friend @cheri-cheri- one of the Queens of the MLQC fandom on Tumblr! I literally didn’t know how to use it before but I had learnt how in order to keep up with her posts. Without her work, I literally wouldn’t be on here making my own blog either. Thank you, Cheri!!

This is a timeline following the years of high school that MC and Gavin had together. Compiled of dates, rumours and secrets, calls, texts, and other from multiple servers. The source will be shown allocated to its corresponding sentence. I created this because I was really moved when I rewatched Gavin’s Old Days Date and suddenly thought of the many things other players could have missed out on regarding their high school years. If there is anything you need clarification on, or if you would like to add anything in, feel free to send a post/ask or just comment and I’ll try to incorporate and adjust accordingly!

Based off of true correspondence of the Chinese education system in Shanghai, where the schools there are very strict, with specific responsibilities and events students must have and attend to. In addition, this is different from Western school systems where years 7-9 are in a seperate schools from years 10-12 before university. Dates and seasons mentioned will also be noted as accurately as possible to suit the Loveland storyline in which different events occurred. I felt like a detective trying to piece a fractured storyline together to solve a mystery, honestly...

Prepare your tissues, your milk tea and your soul because even I almost didn’t make it to publish this...

Timeline

2008

Gavin enters high school.

2009

MC and Minor enter high school. MC does her hair in a nice ponytail, one of the only hairstyles she ever had in school.

Gavin is a grade above her. He is in his last year of high school. [Spring Festival Date]

Late Autumn of October 2010

“I noticed who you were before you ever noticed me.”

On a rainy first day of school, Gavin helps Mr Keller move the tables and chairs in the classroom.

Without taking an umbrella, Gavin leaves.

At the same time, MC saves a cat in the rain with her handkerchief, attempting to shield it from the incoming rain under a roof. She gives it snacks from her bag while sheltering it from the rain.

Gavin thinks she was nerdy-looking, but couldn't take his eyes off her and watches her from a distance for a long time. He feels out of place standing.

She looks back at him in astonishment, not knowing how long he stood for.

She smiles at Gavin.

Gavin notes that MC’s smile just like her eyes, were pure and comforting as they start filling his vision.

The rain starts to get heavier and MC shivers.

Something stirred in Gavin’s heart as he notices this, and kicks a can in frustration then shelters her with his jacket.

He runs away as MC shouts, “thank you!”

She didn’t know it was Gavin who gave her his jacket at the time.

MC goes back and is then told by her fellow classmates that the boy she encountered was the “tyrant school bully”, and “the Underworld Senior Gavin”, and that she should stay away from him. [Tilted Time- Rumours and Secrets]

MC finds piano dull to play the same songs over and over again.

MC in her spare time practices and sings to Liszt’s Liebestraum No. 3 (Love Dream) for a talent show.

At the rooftop, Gavin is wounded by a gangster’s knife. A gradually intensifying melody is heard.

Gavin kicks the gangster boss but then is pursued again. Outnumbered, wounded and losing consciousness due to major blood loss, the gangster boss kicks Gavin off the roof.

Gavin reaches out, to something- anything.

A heavy, surging melody sounded, transcending through time and allows Gavin to reflect on his past- to his father, to his late mother, and invokes deep reflection and epiphanies.

Heavy notes seep into Gavin’s ears as he almost hits rock bottom. He feels his limbs emerging with the wind and awakens his wind evol.

Gavin is now reborn.

The music continued to play. Gavin ends up humming with a bird.

He then hears MC’s singing.

MC stops, mesmerised by the ginkgo leaves flying through the wind. The ginkgo leaves falling was her favourite time of the year in high school. This vivid sight is still engraved in her memory after many years.

Gavin vows to protect her for the rest of his life. [Campus Date]

Gavin saved Minor from bullies.

Minor also happens to be MC’s outgoing, talkative desk mate who sometimes helped old ladies cross the street. How he managed to hang around Gavin and not get beaten up, nobody knew (except us). He would often copy MC’s homework but never dragged her down with him if he got caught. This was MC’s biggest impression of him.

During science class, MC cooked noodles for Minor on the Bunsen burner when he was hungry. The recipe was Shrimp flavoured instant noodles, mix two eggs in well, then add a dab of sea salt and black pepper. [S1 Chapter 7-1]

Gavin is always at the school gates at 7:30am. Carrying his flat school bag, he orders fish balls at the snack kiosk on the north side of the school. It was the third day in a row that Minor notices this. [Minor’s Memory Book]

Gavin would occasionally travel around on his bicycle. (Pre-debut Sparky??) He says he was good at riding it. [Lost Love Date]

It was hard to find Gavin as he’s rarely at school, so she didn’t see him until 3 days later when MC went to the library at sunset.

She tries to retrieve “Byron’s Poetry Collection” from the top of a 2-metre shelf, and since Gavin was a head taller, he was able to help her get it.

He musters up the introduction that he recited many times- but MC quickly thanks him and leaves before he could speak.

Minor notices Gavin watching after MC and that he was SMIL-ING.

He helps him locate MC and reports that every day after school she would go to the library for afternoon revision, always sitting in the same seat.

Gavin sat at a corner not far, quietly flipping through textbooks he hated. People who were reading in the library would be driven away because they were scared of him LOL

MC would then leave at 5pm sharp to go back home.

Gavin commits to walking back 10 metres behind her with Minor every day on forward. [CN Tilted Time Rumours and Secrets]

Gavin saves Minor from bullies again. Minor dedicates himself to be his “bro”.

He finds out that MC is an honours student, but doesn’t know that she’s the school orchestra leader. [Mystery Wings Event] and [Mark Date] However, he does know that she’s renowned as the “campus belle/ school flower”.

Minor idly mentions that more people were giving MC love letters.

Gavin tells Minor to collect all the people who were planning to confess their love to MC. Minor doesn’t want to be wingman anymore HAHA

Gavin stared those boys down as they trembled with fear. He tells them to take them back and if they scare her, he’ll make them regret it.

Minor realises Gavin’s feelings for MC. [Minor’s Memory Book]

MC eats from a small stall outside the school gate selling red bean puffs. ($3 for one, $5 for two. What a deal!)

She also encounters the stall that sells sugar figurines [Gift of Life- Sugar Figurine Call]

MC ate chocolate sticks often at school. It's also a memory of student life for Gavin, as well. [CN 2021 March Sign-In Taste of Happiness]

Students would scramble for the small swing set in the school garden. MC never went at lunch breaks, but she watches the sunset on it after school. Gavin is sometimes nearby. MC never noticed him, but she does however notice the ginkgo leaves dancing in the wind. [Mini House Small Happening- Leisure Time]

Gavin isn’t his usual self anymore. He sees MC out in the library everyday and starts reading “5 Years of College Examinations and 3 Years of Sample Questions” (book for colleague entrance examinations).

MC watches a basketball match at school. She calls someone from an away team “dashing” because they won with a dunk. This has been engraved in Gavin’s memory ever since. [Dreamers Date]

Gavin found out that he was very fond of basketball success stories, rushing into the court to try hundreds of shots after. He writes “I will beat you” beside Sakuragi Hanamichi from a Slam Dunk poster alongside “not a step back”.

(Slam Dunk starts out with a boy wanting to play basketball to impress his crush.)

Gavin then injures his head badly :(

He realises that basketball couldn’t help him to protect anything he wanted. He determines that he will do whatever it takes (to “beat” himself”). [Mystery Wings Event]

Gavin leans against a tree as he watches MC hurry down the corridor as she clutches a textbook. [Boundary Rumours and Secrets]

MC would eat pocky. Gavin would eat them too. [2021 March Sign-In Moments]

MC faints during a sports meet because she didn’t eat breakfast.

Gavin hurries to carry her to the infirmary. [CN Delightful Search Date]

He leaves bread and milk before she wakes up.

MC is on duty during PE class, which happens to be on basketball.

Minor was careless about his aim and the ball almost hit her in the head. Gavin slams the ball away. [Minor’s Memory Book]

Gavin glares at Minor as MC thanks him.

Minor also “accidentally” pushes MC towards him.

Gavin glares again.

Gavin later is continuously shooting hoops.

MC returns late at night to clean up the gym but all had been returned neatly in the basket. MC wanted to thank him but couldn’t. [CN Basketball Court Date]

There was a school sports competition that they attended. Gavin participated in the 10 lap race and came first by an impressive large measure. [Minor’s Memory Book]

MC participates in the sprint race, too. Gavin is worried about her performance, and if she would faint again.

Gavin requests Minor to take a photo of her on his phone (which probably ended up as the photo that he carried with him in his early days at special training where the other men teased him about hiding a photo of a girl.)

Approaching the End of October

Gavin, Minor and MC are walking home.

The weather is cold, and Gavin notices MC shivering in the distance. Gavin, conflicted by this, tells Minor to buy MC a hot drink without telling her that it was from him. [CN Tilted Time Rumours and Secrets]

MC would occasionally spot a hot drink or a carton of strawberry milk in the piano room. [Chapter 31-12]

Gavin one day is conflicted by their early exchange, recalling how MC looks startled at the entrance of the library after seeing each other. His spirit depletes, kicking himself (metaphorically) in the corner of the classroom at how he might have scared her.

Minor rushes in with a pink bandaid from MC for the wound at his mouth.

He carefully took that bandaid, treating it as if it was his world’s most precious treasure.

This pink bandaid was always taped on his heart and whenever he stepped into the swamp-like darkness of the night, it gave off a faint warmth. [Mystery Wings Event]

MC starts to notice Gavin everywhere. At the corners of windows, she would see his figure. At the library, he would help her retrieve books from higher places. She would also see books laid out on his table, but most of the time he would be sleeping. Beneath his overlapping arms, he sees “Byron’s Poetry Collection”. Gavin doesn’t understand the poems, though.

Lord Byron's "Don Juan" - Canto the Ninth, XVI

"To be, or not to be?" — Ere I decide I should be glad to know that which is being? 'Tis true — we speculate both far and wide, And deem, because we see, we are all-seeing; For my part, I'll enlist on neither side Until I see both sides for once agreeing; For me, I sometimes think that Life is Death,

At the music rehearsal room on the fifth floor, she would see a corner of his shirt in the wind.

MC thinks Gavin is friendly and slowly lets down her guard.

At the canteen, he would offer her the last bottle of water.

She begins smiling at him when they see each other, with the small arcs forming on her lips, soon becoming smiles that made her eyes squint.

MC would walk along the Senior hallways and subconsciously stop at a certain classroom- catching the sight of Gavin sleeping. On one particular day, she sees him standing by the window, staring at the sky.

Minor asks Gavin if he could form a band with him. Gavin rejects him. He then asks Gavin if he wanted to join the school’s singing competition. Gavin rejects him again, saying that he didn’t perform for unimportant people or have others tell him how well he could play.

MC plays “Falling Slowly” on the piano. Gavin hearing this, learns to play the guitar. He doesn’t know the name of the song but familiarises himself with the melody. [CN Music and the Past Call]

Whenever school let students out early, she would go to Lynn’s Kitchen. MC gets her noodles with clear broth, chopped scallions and a half-boiled egg. Gavin usually gets his spicy noodles with garlic, cilantro, thinly sliced beef.

Gavin remembers her favourite order.

MC leaves a post-it note at Lynn’s Kitchen, “I might never see you again and I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I miss you”, about a friend who transferred schools.

Gavin knows she hates people who leave without saying goodbye the most.

Gavin, also in the vicinity near Lynn’s Kitchen, writes a post note. “Until I met you.” [Mystery Box Game]

He saves Mr Noah’s son from an accident, immediately takes him to the hospital and pays for the medical fees. [Anime]

Gavin dismisses rumours of high school romance.

“If you confessed on the 7th step of the stairway in the corner of the 3rd floor then it’ll succeed, or if you carved your name and another person’s name on the 6th tree in the courtyard at the back then your misunderstandings will be resolved, or if a guy gave the girl he liked the second button of his uniform on graduation day then the two of them will end up happy together.”

At lunch, he hears MC talking about the second button, and upon seeing her yearning face, he raises his head in thought, suddenly couldn’t wait for graduation. He tears off his second button. [Mystery Wings Event]

Gavin is just in love at this point.

Gavin sees one of the top students stealing money from a shop outside of school. The shopkeeper doesn’t believe him.

He stops the student on his way home to hand him back the money.

MC sees him at the alley then leaves.

Gavin spent all the money on a walkman he wanted for a very long time.

Mr Keller was the only one who believed in him. He said to him, “Since you can’t change what others think of you, you might as well just listen to your heart.” This had a great impact on Gavin. [Campus Date]

Winter

In the snowfall, the school allowed additional ten minutes of break time. The class next to MC’s stuffed Minor’s shirt with snowballs.

Gavin thought of helping him with a counterattack but MC had already returned a snowball to the male student who pulled the prank.

Gavin looks at MC the whole time. [CN Recovery ASMR]

MC overheads girls in her class say that Gavin had bullied students for lunch money that morning.

MC rides her bike back home after studying at the library for her finals.

MC sees Gavin being handed an envelope full of money at Lynn’s Kitchen in an alleyway.

She mistook it for him taking protection money.

Summer of June 2011

On a humid afternoon, MC looks outside the window of the classroom in boredom. A boy in a loose-fitting school uniform ran by. She couldn’t make out his face. [S1 Chapter 7-23]

MC begins to distance herself from Gavin. She rushes out of class and goes straight home instead.

Gavin is sad. He broods by the piano room, goes to the library to brood, then stares at the place MC sits to brood some more.

Minor wonders how he’s able to stare all afternoon at an empty space in the library but sleeps all day during class hours. [Minor’s Memory Book]

Before graduation, Gavin’s father expresses his thoughts for Gavin to join the organisation for special training. Gavin refuses, but his father uses MC to influence him to agree.

Gavin remembers the panic and timidity in MC’s eyes when she first met him. He recalls that moment was probably the hardest to bear in his life.

Gavin in his short period of freedom writes a letter to MC. He ponders about what to say, thinking about their first encounter, and how she started to distance herself from him. But all he writes is-

“Saturday 9am, I will be at the school library waiting for you.

-Gavin.”

MC attends the flag-raising ceremony and rehearses her speech. She then leaves to study for her exams.

Meanwhile, Gavin finishes a fight with other boys from school in an alley after they talk inappropriately about MC. [Old Days Date]

Gavin, bloodied and bruised, asks Minor to make another copy of his letter.

This is the only thing that Gavin had asked Minor to do so of course, he agreed. [Chapter 7-11]

Minor thinks the letter is a symbol of passion and fierce love due to the bloodstains and decides to keep the original.

He writes “GAVIN” and places it on MC’s desk for her to see the next day.

(In the Campus Date, the older MC is the one who finds him instead of Minor and treats him to his injuries. She ends up seeing the contents of the letter to find him later on.)

MC mistakes the letter as a threat and throws it away.

That Weekend

Gavin sits for 14 hours in the library waiting for MC, scanning the library every now and then.

With a fingertip, he rubs “Byron’s Poetry Collection” and carefully sandwiches a dried and yellowed ginkgo leaf into the book. He suddenly felt a measure of self-deprecation.

He stands up, and leaves, his heart filled with regret that he didn’t give it to her personally. [CN Tilted Time Rumours and Secrets]

After Summer Break- July

Minor never saw Gavin, and neither did MC.

“We met often, but never passed by each other. I remember every moment I saw you in school. Time, location, weather, your expression, your clothes...

-I remember them all.”

#gavin #bai qi #mlqc gavin #mlqc analysis #mlqc translation #mlqc cn #mlqc en #love and producer #mr love queens choice #恋与制作人 #mlqc timeline #mlqc storyline #posting early because of exams #im so sad

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littlemisslipbalm · 4 years

Text

“you get me” (famous!y/n x harry)

Famous!y/n x Harry Styles

First Harry fic so please be kind, but feedback is SUPER appreciated

Initially inspired by the picture of Harry leaving the Gucci store with 15 bags but barely has anything to do with that lol

Definitely thought of Ellen for the interview idk why tho - also I struggle with writing Harry’s dialogue because I really want to get it right, but hopefully the more practice I get, the better/more natural it will sound. ALSO i have like no music or music industry background lol. Somewhat proofread, but its 2:30 am so it could be shit

Fluff!

Warnings: maybe some angst over being famous per say, past loneliness

Word Count: 3.7k literally howwww, i’m going to do a pt. 2 though because it was kind of a long set up and feelingsssss

---

Interviewer: Please, welcome our next guest, a woman who’s sure to have her name written up beside the music greats someday, Ms. Y/N L/N!

You can’t contain the grin that spreads to your face as you carry yourself out onto the stage and see the audience cheering for you. It was your third big interview since your first album had been released and you’d seen your fame skyrocket over night. This being the third one this week meant you’d gotten comfortable getting asked questions, but you also weren’t bored of it yet. It was exhilarating being the center of attention, especially for something that had been your life’s work up until this point. You always had to fight for whatever you got and the recognition you were starting to have was reassurance that you hadn’t been a fool to risk a safe and certain life for your dreams.

The interview begins as the rest had, a few pleasantries, how you were feeling, and then the introduction of the album. The host asked you what your inspiration was for some of the songs and the album name and cover. You loved to talk about the music, it was the whole reason you were there. The meaning, the sound, the name, it all meant so much to you and you talked about how music can be interpreted differently by everyone and even the shifts in someone’s mood can change a song’s meaning, but what it meant to you at the time of writing was always something specific. You practiced those answers in the mirror before the interviews because they were important to you and you didn’t want your words on your art to ever be misconstrued. The host then complimented your style and you were at the point where you thought your interview should be wrapping up when they asked you one more question, and it threw you for a loop.

Interviewer: So Y/N, we’ve been hearing some rumblings around, about you and another famous musician, Mr. Harry Styles. Anything going on there?

Your face heated up, you hadn’t been expecting a personal question about possible relationships. Nothing like this had been asked of you at your previous interviews. It’s about the music, the art, and who you were, it’s always about that and nothing more. To be honest, you were a bit annoyed the host had chosen to stray from those topics. You didn’t care for the celebrity side of being a famous musician, the lack of privacy, the prying eyes of media and the general public. They saw enough of you through your art, you bore your soul through music why did they want to peak into your heart as well?

Y/N: I don’t know if I’d rather be with Harry Styles or actually be Harry Styles. Like, he’s literally such an icon, I want to be able to walk out of a Gucci store after spending hours there with 15 bags full of my purchases and helpers to carry it all out c’mon… He’s also an amazing songwriter, musician, and performer, of course. Didn’t mean to sound superficial, but I’d also love to own even half of his closet.

You hadn’t really answered the question, but the audience laughed and the host obviously got the hint that you weren’t interested in fanning any flames of romance with Harry Styles or anyone else. For one, you didn’t even know the man, but you had always been a loving fan of his. You cited him as one of your role models when you were first starting to try and break into the music world. Second, if you did know him, that wouldn’t be an appropriate topic for your album press junket going on, even if it meant more publicity because of Harry’s big celebrity status. The host decided to qualify their original question with a final sentiment.

Interviewer: I totally feel the same way! I only ask because the outpouring of support you’ve received seems to be from similar groups who also follow Harry. Many have been comparing your sound to his solo career work.

Y/N: Ah...well that’s very kind of people to say. He’s definitely a big inspiration, his creativity and drive is incredible. I’d love to be as successful as him someday.

The interview ended. You and the host shook hands and you waved and sent kisses to the crowd before retreating backstage. You were exhausted, but happy. You hoped to avoid anymore stressful interview questions that didn’t truly revolve around music. Of course, life is never that simple.

One month later

You had done countless more interviews and talk shows as promo for your album and the buzz around it had continued to grow. Your fame continued to rise as well and that one question you had dodged at your third interview had come back around to bite you, naturally. Daily Mail’s dumb headline read: “Y/N can’t decide! Date Harry Styles or Steal His Closet?” The Sun was also running with your response and miscontruing it completely, something about how you were madly in love with Harry but jealous of his designer partnerships, you couldn’t even stomach reading the garbage. This was your worst nightmare. Not only was it taking away the focus from your album, but you were also sure this dumb gossip had reached the very set of ears that the gossip was allegedly also about.

You had signed with Columbia Records for your first album, the same record label as Harry Styles, so managers had been in contact with one another about the whole fiasco trying to get the actual truth - which was that the two of you didn’t even know each other and there were no problems whatsoever. Your manager also brought along the good news that Harry had actually listened to your album and loved it, “He said ‘Congratulations’ by the way, loved the sound. Said he’d heard you were very music focused and be open to do some mentoring on songwriting and vocal specifics, if you wanted. It’d have to be in private though, obviously.” She had added the last bit, but you understood why. To have the opportunity to discuss your music with one of your longtime role models, heroes even, was beyond anything you could have imagined coming from your album’s success. And it made the drama all the more palatable because now you at least got to talk to Harry like the media was so adamantly saying you were doing already.

You nodded quickly and agreed, while trying to keep your teenage fangirl excitement hidden below your mature now-famous musician facade. Like you said, Harry was your hero, he’d been your hero since you were in middle school and had Up All Night downloaded on your iPod touch, blasting it as loud as possible, sound hitting your poster-filled walls. You weren’t the same girl as you were then, obviously, you had grown up to be a strong, independent, and confident woman. But, you still smiled at the thought of your younger self with your baby face squealing in the nosebleeds at the Take Me Home Tour (where you swore Harry had looked straight at you) and her seeing you now, dressed in a sleek outfit setting up an appointment to meet with Harry to discuss your first album, a success.

The next Thursday evening

You took a deep breath, in through your nose and out through your pursed lips. You were anxious and excited at the exact same time. Your meeting with Harry was tonight, right now actually, and you hadn’t been able to think about much else since your manager had confirmed the meeting last week. She got you the details a couple of days ago, the location: his house in Malibu, the time: 5:45 P.M. You had brought along a copy of your album on vinyl because you thought it sounded best this way, second only to performing it live.

Choosing your outfit for tonight was probably the toughest decision you’d ever made, harder than choosing between an education and following your dreams, harder than choosing your favorite Beatles song. You didn’t want to worry so much, this wasn’t a date you kept reminding yourself, but everything you tried on earlier kept having something wrong with it, too dressy, too boring, too ‘not yourself’. You had settled for these blue high-waisted pants that you’d worn to your first ever podcast interview, a thin black long sleeve, and a brown leather coat that fell below your hips with vans sneakers, casual, simple, yet still true to you and your vibe.

You raised your free arm and formed a fist, hesitant to knock, as if you’d damage Harry’s seemingly perfect Malibu beachfront home by knocking too hard on the wooden front door. You waited a few moments and could here some shuffling behind the door, some incoherent words were seemingly said, but the walls muffled them before they could reach for ears. Soon enough, Harry Styles in the flesh was before you. He beamed down at you, huffing, slightly out of breath as if he had been clear across the house when you knocked. His strong figure towered above your far smaller stature. He was hanging onto the door since he had opened it only slightly. “Hello, Y/N?” he greeted and questioned simultaneously. “Hi,” you responded and extended the same hand that had just rapped against his now open door. He gripped it, ushering you into his home, “Come in, come in, it’s nice to meet you, don’t want you to catch a cold now do we?” He took note of your strong handshake and ring clad fingers.

He walked you into an area between the kitchen and a sitting area. The kitchen was open aside from a bar high top between the two rooms. You sat down at his prompting and made yourself comfortable. “I brought my record on vinyl, sounds best in my opinion, otherwise I’d recommend seeing it live,” you laughed as you handed the vinyl to him and took off your coat. “Technically, y’know, I could hear it live right now, if you were willin’ f’course,” Harry had responded over his shoulder as he placed the vinyl by his idle record player, “Anything to drink?” “Just water for me, please.” His accent was even stronger in person, especially since he had moved back to London and seldomly stayed in California, except for business and quick trips. As far as you knew, he had already been here on business for the week and was able to pencil you in.

You two settled in, with your waters, seated at the bar top beside each other, but swivelling the chairs to face one another more. Again, you were overwhelmed with the reality of the situation, sitting beside Harry Styles as professionals, peers even. He had heard your work and liked it enough to want to discuss it with you. It was a day you never thought would come to pass. He started off not by asking about the music right away, but about how you were doing with the whirlwind that stardom is. “How are you, Y/N? It’s been somewhat of a out of the frying pan into the fire kind of moment for you?” He stared at you intently, caring to hear your answer.

You couldn’t help but chuckle again and contain your smile, “Thank you for asking, Harry. Yeah, its been definitely stressful, but it’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more so the good is still outweighing any bad. Definitely, fucking exhausted though, dunno how many more interviews I can do before my jaw goes completely rigid from talking so much.” It’s Harry’s turn to laugh, his eyes shone with intrigue at what you said and how you said it. You were gorgeous, but it was how your hands helped you through what you were trying to say and the small laughs you tried to keep in while you amused yourself with your words that really made him want to hear you talk all night long.

He agreed about how the promo junket for an album can get tedious and tiresome, but also the absolute fulfillment you get from people loving the music you’ve made. The two of you chatted about surface level personal matters for a little more, but quickly moved to the music. “I took a listen a couple weeks after the album was released. I especially loved the last track. It reminded me so much of a song I never released, actually…” he trailed off.

Your final track had been a ballad, an homage to George Harrison with your use of guitar and sitar, but the lyrics were a story based off of a poem you had written one night in high school. It surrounded a girl never feeling quite good enough for the person she wanted to be with and how it happened everytime, everytime she was ready to giver herself to someone, they were always closed off. Of course it held some truth to your own life and feelings, but you wrote this girl as someone with a seemingly perfect life - when yours was obviously far from any semblance of perfection.

You wondered what Harry’s song would have sounded like, had it been about a seemingly perfect girl or a guy with a seemingly perfect life, always giving himself to the wrong person and getting destroyed by that very fact because he was impatient as the girl in your song had been. “Can I ask, how so? How’d it remind you of your own song, the words or the music?” “Oh, the story, I felt like that for a time in my life and I like to be vulnerable in my songs because it helps me process, but listening to it back has always been too painful. Could never release that or perform it, it’d wreck me.” You nodded, you completely got where he was coming from. You noticed his downcast eyes and his somber tone, you knew not to push it any further.

It was quiet and you decided it’d be okay to take his hand resting between the two of you. “Harry, I understand,” your sincerity spilled into the words, filling the quiet house, “It’s not easy. Feeling that way. Thinking you’re the only goddamn one and why the fuck does it always happen to you? I used to ask my ceiling ‘why me?’ every night of high school” you smiled then. “But you know how it is,” you rubbed your thumb over his large warm hand and he lifted his head, “it gets so much better - c’mon look at us now! It can get hard, too, all this, I’m sure. But our lives? They’re amazing!” He beamed as he had when he had first seen you at his door and when you’d first really spoke. He moved his hand from under your palm to weave your fingers with his, both of your hands with covered in rings and they clinked to fit together, finally resting perfectly fitted. He shook your two hands up and down, “God, you’re so right! That damn song, m’sorry always puts me in a mood,” he shakes his head, “not yours though, f’course, s’lovely, better than my sodding song” he finishes quickly.

After that, the mood lightened right back up. It filled you with such appreciation for Harry that he would trust you so much with such a personal detail since you two had just met. But maybe, he had trusted you because he had felt that same spark between you. It wasn’t necessarily a romantic spark, but it was obvious the two of you were kindred spirits. Besides your album, the two of you talked about everything. You loved the same bands, movies and books, you both loved to cook and had similar fashion taste, you even had the same person type - something you found out late into the night.

At the end of the Side B of your album, Harry switched to a Bill Evans record that had ‘Peace Piece’ on it. You loved that song. So did he. “So...planning to raid my closet?” Harry raised his brows from the record player and walked back to you. You almost sputtered the water in your mouth. Luckily, you got it down. “Pardon?” “All that bad press the two of us have been getting...I watched the interview that kind of ignited the tabloids. You’re obviously not used to those overstepping personal questions.” You nodded. “It’s fine, even if you’d completely shut it down, the tabloids probably would have picked it up still, they snap up anything and everything, true or not.” You softened at his reassurance. You hadn’t expected Harry to bring the interview up, but you were sure he wasn’t happy about it, he was so private, especially about his love life. “Thanks, I’m sorry I tried to laugh it off, kind of made it worse, didn’t I?” “No! Thought it was hilarious and I totally appreciated the sentiment. Little ol’me, an icon? And an amazing artist? All I gotta do is watch that clip and I’ve fed my narcissistic side for the week!” You giggled and replied slyly, “So does that mean I can raid your closet? As compensation, of course.” Harry threw his head back in an all consuming laughter, when he’d composed himself he looked in your eyes again and said, “You just...God, you get me.”

Harry had continued to put records on throughout the night, diligently flipping sides and asking for requests, he of course had an extensive collection. The two of you had moved onto his plush couch that looked out his french doors to the beautiful ocean view. Finally, your exhaustion caught up to you, mid-Harry describing his latest travel fiasco, you glanced up at the clock. You gasped. Harry stopped. “When did it get to be half 12?” you questioned almost incredulously, “I’ve gotta get home, Harry, but this has been truly amazing, more than I could have asked for, so thank you.” Your speech began to rush as you started to get up and gather your things, that had slowly scattered as you’d gotten more comfortable, jacket by the table, shoes around the back of the couch, your phone forgotten somewhere in the couch. You couldn’t believe you’d spent almost seven hours just talking with Harry Styles.

Harry quickly stood up from his relaxed positioned on the couch and asked if you were alright to drive this late. You scoffed, “Oh please, I’ve driven around at 3 am before, I just have to turn up the music and I can cruise.” He smiled, “This was great, Y/N, I know we didn’t really go super in depth into your writing process, but I’d love to write with you sometime or just hang out again f’course. Your seriously talented and obviously a wonderful person.” He didn’t include that he felt like he’d never met anyone like you, never met someone so perfectly matched to himself, in passions but also in work ethic and demeanor - compassionate yet confident. He felt like you got him perfectly and he got you. You had stopped your scramble to gather yourself and now you were both smiling at one another.

This had really been an unforgettable night, you couldn’t believe how well you two had meshed, like childhood friends reconnecting after years apart. “Can I give yeh a hug before you go?” Harry’s voice had grown raspier as the night had progressed. He had grown rather tired an hour ago, but had pushed through because they had been having so much fun and you hadn’t noticed his physical fading or the time, obviously. You stepped toward him and his large tattooed arms enveloped you into his body. His body truly dwarfed yours now as he held you to his chest. You both were warm and soft. He tucked his head on top of yours that rested on his chest. Your arms were loosely resting where his back met his waist because you would have had to strain to get them to encircle him. His arms rested around your small frame. “Love your jacket,” he mumbled into your hair. His rough voice was quiet, but the house was silent otherwise, Tusk Side C had finished around when you had noticed the time. The embrace lasted long, but it felt so amazing you had a hard time pulling yourself away, but you had to get back home.

“G’night Harry” you said softly at the threshold of his home. He had insisted on walking you to the front door at least, since you had declined his offer to walk you out to your car on the street. “G’night. Safe travels.”

You got in your car and headed to your apartment in the city. You didn’t bother digging for your phone so you turned on the radio and drove home singing whatever came on, including your own song at one point. The whole time you drove with a grin. Harry was the nicest person you’d ever met and you were confident that the two of you were friends now. As you pulled into your parking garage it dawned on you why you hadn’t connected your phone immediately when you got in your car. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” you put the car in park and rested your palms in the depressions of your eyesockets, over your closed eyelids, and rubbed hard. “Fuck!” It was far too late to drive back out to Malibu for your phone and you obviously couldn’t text Harry that you’d left your phone at his place, despite the two of you exchanging numbers during the night for future hang outs, so they didn’t have to be arranged through your managers, like playdates. Even if he found your phone between the cushions, he couldn’t drop it at your place in the morning because he didn’t know your address. This was a whole mess, you thought. You’d have to drive over in the morning and hope he was still there or email your manager from your computer. The former meant you got to see Harry sooner and likely your phone, too.

part 2

@berrynarrybanana

#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #har #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fan fic #I DID IT #I sat down and wrote it #and it took forever #and I need to write a second part but I made something coherent #one direction fanfiction #not my gifs #my writing #I love you h #you get me #my writings

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gt-adventures · 3 years

Text

Like A Good Neighbor (sfw GT story!)

A tale of the Mystic Woods

Featuring the “Evil” Giant Wizard Yonah HaEsh and Myran the Dwarf Witch and many other fun characters!

A story about bad first impressions and the start of new friendships! Lots of GT, and a cute little adventure at a magical farmer’s market!

Warnings: intense fearplay and mild harm involving an intimidation tactic with biting (no loss of limbs!). Yonah is a Fee Fi Fo Fum kind of “Evil” giant but it’s all an act. He’s just very convincing. And in this story he is still new to his Evil job. Also casual mentions of man-eating monsters/giants (no scenes).

For more detailed warnings go to THIS POST

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“Did you hear?”

“Have you been told?”

“A new resident!”

“I haven’t checked it out myself! But Ms Zukkar told me-”

“A wizard!”

“Didn’t there used to be an old sorcerer there?”

“-new guy’s a witch!”

“So, hear about that new giant!”

“A giant wouldn’t fit in that tower! And wizards is all human!”

“A criminal, on the run they say”

“Maybe a magician? They like towers sometimes!”

“His Majesty wouldn’t hire a criminal!”

“-supposed to be evil?”

There were so many rumors being flung around that the dwarf witch Myran Gamadin decided to see for themselves and set out to investigate. Undoubtedly there was a new resident. The story was that he was a Mage, and a criminal, but also just expelled from The Academy of Wizardry. And a giant? That was strange, the old tower was much too small for a giant! Even if it was magic it was only 10ft taller than your average giant in the first place. However… they did hear about the trial of a giant recently… stuff that happened in the civilized court didn’t really concern those in the Woods.

“Why would you go to see a villain? You’re not evil!”

The World’s Largest™ Maine Coon cat trotted alongside the handsome young dwarf, looking more like an oddly fluffy pony than a cat.

“It’s important to know your neighbors! Even the evil ones!”

Siv flicked his tail up into his witch’s face.

“And he’s got to be just a young man! So young and the expectations on evil mages is so high! He will appreciate a friendly face!” Myran had done the math. If this Mage hadn’t even graduated from The Academy, he was at most 23. Unless he started his education late. But they doubted this.

“Why are we walking! You have your broom!” the cat complained.

“That’s for the tower, Siv. It’s one of those designed by assholes who think it’s clever to have the only entrance be the window at the top.”

“Hrfff,” said Siv.

“Do you think he will appreciate the house-warming gift? I didn’t really spend much time on it…”

“Fresh fish would be better.”

“Maybe if he were a cat. This is for a Mage.”

“Clippings of magical plants? Maybe for another witch. This is someone who was studying Wizardry.”

“Wizards use magical plants too!”

“Yeah, they buy them from witches!”

As the pair stepped out of the trees, they froze.

“I think he’ll like the gift,” Siv admitted as he And Myran stood in awe at the largest magical garden either of them had ever seen.

It wasn’t even finished yet! Plots of earth were freshly turned, and piles of wood, half built into beds that lay in patterns across the clearing. And massively spread apart. At least 3 meters between plots. And the finished ones. Well. They already had some amazing specimens. Even if they were just sprouting. Myran noticed the Twisted WyrmFern and harpy’s breath; delicate, but common magical plants that were being used to test out the soil. It was working great.

The garden did make Myran worry a bit.

Maybe this wasn’t a wizard at all! It could be a witch. And he could be very evil indeed. Even evil witches treated their gardens with the utmost care and attention.

But they had come this far. And the tower that looked over the garden was calling to them. Well. Not really. The green-black thorny vines screamed “STAY AWAY!” But when one had a flying broomstick, one didn’t need to heed such warnings.

Flipping their broom around like a baton, they sat side saddle and Siv hopped on the end, somehow managing to balance his prodigious fluff. They took off. And flew into the window.

“WOAAAHHH!”

It was like hitting an unexpected and large wave on a boogie board, but a magical one that flowed through the body! And Myran had never been to the ocean, so it made their brain swim.

The room, which from the outside looked normal, was anything but. The rumors of this being a giant were not just rumors.

This place was HUGE!

And yet, it was much too small.

Growing up, Myran had visited some giant villages with their family. They hadn’t been THAT much smaller then, but the houses and items in the village were definitely much larger. While giant mages certainly existed, they had their own traditions and made their own supplies.

This looked exactly like the workshop for a young wizard, with additions for the wizard being a giant. It was wild to see some of the common arcane tools at such an immense scale.

Flying over, Myran saw that the resident Mage had an ancient book under a magnifying glass, and had been translating it, with notes and commentary. Spell equations and diagrams were additionally copied in a dedicated smaller notebook.

While it was surely a fascinating read, they could tell at a glance the notes were somewhere in the middle of an involved spell, and they didn’t want to be the reason the Mage lost his place. The workbench had plenty of other diverting materials.

Siv had no interest in such things and curled up against the base of the magnifying glass. The sun hit the metal through the window, making it quite warm.

Myran put their broom down and explored the desk. There were several magical tombs! Rare ones! They flipped through and saw fresh handwritten notes tucked inside. Smart, this mage did not want to tarnish the original pages. There was also an open notebook and a few spell components laid out.

They stepped carefully back onto the notebook to get a better idea of what this wizard was up to. The notebook was written in giant, which Myran wasn’t fluent in but got the gist of. So this was indeed a giant wizard. Fascinating.

That’s what they were thinking until...

FEE FI FO FUM!

Myran nearly jumped out of their boots.

No longer fascinating. Very bad. Very dangerous! They’d heard stories that quoted these lines, classic, even amusing. However, hearing them bellowed by an actual giant nearly stopped their heart. These words were so loud and so immediately panic-inducing, especially when accompanied by thundering footsteps.

I SMELL THE BLOOD OF THE-

There was a pause and maybe a stutter

DWARVEN KIND!

The trap door off center in the room burst open and a giant with a mane of black hair, a trimmed goatee, and a wizard’s hat, climbed out. He was smiling, snarling, showing off impressive fangs.

USELESS TO FLEE, USELESS TO FIGHT, FOR YOU WILL BE MY MEAL TONIGHT!

Eat them!? Oh No. Myran scrambled to their feet as the giant advanced.

Siv had gone catatonic, or nearly, and fled behind the mirror. But Myran just stood there. The next thing they knew they were in the giant's fist.

Never had Myran imagined themselves in this predicament. Witches, as far as they knew, were not prone to being eaten by giants! Giants ate thieves, slayers, adventurers! Though... giants were known to occasionally eat random people that happened to be especially rude to them as they went about their business.

Myran had not been rude! They just hadn’t had a chance to be polite! This giant had no business eating them.

Not that any of this was actually going through Myran’s mind. Oh no. Myran’s thoughts were preoccupied with panicking about their impending doom!

They tried to get themselves free of the giant’s grip but like the giant said, it was useless to fight. Then the giant LICKED THEM IN THE FACE. Ugh it was so gross!! They sputtered.

Yonah sighed and pulled the dwarf away from his face just a bit. “It is rather disappointing, dwarves don’t taste nearly as good as most other smallfolk, but I’m not complaining”

He briefly loosened his grip and Myran took their chance to get an arm free. Big mistake. The giant hissed and caught the arm between his fangs!

YEOWCH!

Their arm was free but the giant still held them. Myran was barely paying attention, for the screams of the giant rattling their brain and the giants grip had intensified making it hard to breath.

Something bit his other hand and he waved it violently. Whatever it was released and smacked into the wall that the desk was up against. And crumpled into a motionless pile. Curious and momentarily forgetting his foe he investigated.

A cat!? And still alive but unconscious. Why had a cat attacked him? Then he saw the abandoned broom next to his notebook. And his stomach twisted.

“You’re— not a thief!” Technically he was a villain to anyone, he wasn’t restricted to adventurers. He was still figuring out what kind of villain he wanted to be. But now was not really the time for self exploration.

“I’m a witch!” He heard them squeak.

“A witch? Invading the lair of a wizard? Are you stupid!” He poked at their face. They didn’t like that.

“Let me go!”

The witch was shaking and wheezing, glancing at him with wide fearful eyes. Yonah loosened his grip to allow them to breathe properly.

“If you’re a witch then what the fuck were you doing in my tower?” Yonah demanded.

The witch was still in shock but recovered enough to speak. “I’m… Myran! I wanted to introduce myself!”

“A likely story! Why would anyone want to introduce themselves to me?” Yonah wasn’t really in the mood for conversation, but figured he could use the practice at evil banter.

“You’re… new to the forest” they coughed.

“What’s it to you?”

“I’m your neighbor!” they said,

Yonah narrowed his eyes, “The forest is constantly moving, no such thing as neighbors.”

“I figured I’d try to be friendly!” they continued as if he hadn’t replied. “Everyone was talking about the new mage in the tower, but no one had any definitive stories.”

Another mistake. The giant snarled.

“You are a fool then! I don’t want any friends!” He hesitated briefly as he said it, not sure of the truth, but recovered fast. “But I don’t want you spreading rumors about my mercy either…” he picked them back up. Gripping them hard and getting their right arm between his teeth. He didn’t bite their arm off, but broke the skin with a fang and pinched their hand. They yelled.

“Stop! Stop! I won't tell! I won’t tell!”

He dropped them and they sat, crying, holding their bleeding arm and hand which was turning a plum purple. The cat instantly got up and ran to his witch. Alternating between purring and hissing.

“Good” he hissed steam in their face, scalding the skin red, as his eyes glowed a bright orange. “Now get the fuck out before I decide to actually eat youl!” He flicked the broom at them “And if you ever show your face around here again, I will”

Finally, they listened to him. They got onto the broom along with their cat and with a burst of magic kicked into the air and fled out the window. Yonah watched until they disappeared, then sat down. His hair hadn’t been smoking before but it was now. Additionally, his eyes still glowed.

His first visitor in months wasn't an adventurer and he’d traumatized them without a second thought! Stupid stupid! Stupid!

Maybe this was his destiny. For years he’d trained himself to be restrained. Keep his anger in check, Keep his half giant identity a secret and become a wizard. But that had all gone to shit when he’d been discovered not as just a half giant but as a half fire witch. Chased out of the academy but captured by the authorities of Orr.

Forced to sign a contract with King Ben to become his new pet monster! So why not be a monster!?

But he still wanted friends… his friends from the academy weren’t allowed to visit him. His tower of magic and wonder was so empty. He put his elbows on his desk and buried his face in his hands.

~chink~ his elbow brushed against something.

He looked down and saw a broken clay pot, the soup spilling out and a seedling now helpless and exposed on the desk.

Quickly yonah dipped his fingers into a pouch at his side and licked off the powdered fungus before saying a spell. With a puff of smoke he stood on his desk, a mere 8ft tall, and he knelt down.

With his more appropriately sized hands he gathered the soil and with a wave of his hand and another mutter the pieces of the pot shook and flew back into their original places. The pot was… functionally repaired. The proper repair spell required materials to fuse the pieces properly. So it wouldn’t hold water but it could hold soil.

As he scooped it back in a piece of paper fell from the loose soil. Curious he dug it back out of the pot and cleaned it off enough to read:

“Welcome to the Mystical Woodlands new neighbor! This seedling is from my own garden. A special cultivation of Frozen Thyme.”

The moment he read it he was instantly planning where this would go in his garden. But… this gift. Did he deserve it? He’d terrorized the one who brought it. He chased them away!

With a thump he sat on his desk, looking around him, trying to imagine what this experience had been from the witch’s perspective. Tried to imagine what it would be like to have a snarling giant loom over you and snatch you up, when all you wanted to do was say hello...

He couldn’t accept this gift but he couldn’t just let the seedling wither and die. It didn’t deserve that. And thus, his brain rationalized a way for him to keep the gift. So now what?

Yonah’s brain was too full of rage to do any proper work, so he decided to take it out on the garden, which was still in a state of construction. He’d already torn up old dead pieces of the overgrown mess left behind by the predecessor. Now he was digging spots for flower beds and what would hopefully be an orchard. There was even a designated spot for herbs.

The reason this was slow going was he refused to use magic. For the most part. Thankfully, being giant made digging and construction easier. Now that he had the thyme, he prioritized the herb beds. It was with a sour pride that he completed one as the sun started to go down.

A large wooden box that curved in a lovely arc close to the tower. The wood was specially imported from his The Blue Sky Mountain Giants Tribe in the Implausible Mountains, the smell of it reminding him of home. The frozen thyme seedling was given enough space to grow. He even gave it some friends that he knew would be compatible.

With his mind a little more at ease, he managed to get himself to sleep.

And awoke the next morning with an ache in his heart and a new plan in his brain.

For the first time since he arrived in this prison of a forest, he ventured beyond the boundaries of his clearing. Yonah knew he was allowed, a certain distance from his tower, to walk the forest. It had just seemed pointless. Not wanting to draw too much attention, he wore his gardening outfit: a pink plaid button up and light blue overalls. He had a straw hat that he recently wove to be a wizard hat, as well as his wizard staff. He couldn’t really leave that behind.

The trees in the forest were shorter than back home, but still very large. Thankfully he didn't have to duck so much to avoid branches. In his mind was a list of ingredients he needed to find. Foraging in the forest might seem like a fruitless endeavor, but when you have the keen nose of a giant, tracking down wildberries was a simple feat.

What a bounty! A huge patch of bramble with perfectly ripe berries. He didn’t need a giant’s amount and they would just get squashed if he tried to pick them at his normal size so once again he shrank down. He retrieved a basket from his hat and started to pick berries.

About ten minutes in, the bush began to shift! A section opened up and out ran a gnome with a garden spade. It smacked into his hand mid berry pick.

“Stop! Thief!”

SMACK SMACK!

Yonah was so startled he backed away and returned to his normal size, the basket of berries spilling over.

The gnome yelped. “Giant!” They dropped the spade. “Don’t eat me! Take berries! Don’t eat me or family!”

There was something satisfying about the gnome’s fear and Yonah grinned, “While you would make for a nice little snack,” he said, “I’m not in the mood for gnome today.”

The gnome shook and took up the spade again, pointing it at him as if that would help. From inside the bushes, Yonah heard rustling, and smelled more gnomes. This must cover their burrow.

“Put that away, or I might change my mind!” Yonah growled, showing his fangs. The gnome complied, tossing it aside.

“But you are also in luck. I am not interested in being a berry thief. I have more honor than that. If you would permit me to buy some of your berries, at a discount for me not making a meal of you and your family, I will leave you in peace”

The gnome gulped and nodded, “Am… sure we can make a deal.”

“Pick up the ones I already picked, will you?” Yonah ordered.

The gnome scrambled. “You will need more?”

Yonah nodded. The gnome whistled. And a troupe of younger gnomes carefully came out of the bramble.

“Kind giant has offered to buy some berries. Exchange for not eating us!”

The kids looked nervous and their fear didn’t spark the same kind of joy as the adults. But Yonah had a reputation to build! And he had to admit, it was still a bit fun.

He watched as the gnomes gathered berries until the basket was full and the adult gnome put it down in front of where Yonah had sat down. He picked it up and took off his hat, dropping it in and noticed the gnome’s eyes get wide. Storage space items were not uncommon, but storage hats were tools of professional mages, not common folk.

“That all?” the gnome asked.

Yonah stroked his beard thoughtfully, “Yes. I think so.” He reached into this hat. While he didn’t have a lot of money, Ben had supplied him with funds should he need them, and he had distributed the rings between his various pocket spaces. He got out a large wooden dowel upon which hung many metal rings. Small ones and large ones. With a pair of tweezers, yonah removed a few silver rings and one gold ring and put them into his palm, placing it up in front of the gnome.

Who did not take it.

“Do not insult me by refusing my payment,” Yonah insisted but the gnome did not move.

“More than we charge normally… You wanted discount: berries, a silver a pound!”

Yonah blinked. He still wasn’t good with smallfolk money. When purchasing as a giant, you purchased such large amounts it always cost at least a gold.

“Oh? Er-” he didn’t want to actually exploit these gnomes. “I'm not taking it back! Take the money Or I’ll eat you!” his voice faltered and the gnomes looked a little confused, and a little more relaxed.

“Leave us alone then, yes?” The gnome reached out a hand. Yonah nodded. The gnome finally took the money, giving each of the kids a silver ring. Any fear the kids had was gone as soon as they studied their rings and looked at Yonah with excitement. It was hard not to let the warmth in his heart at their expressions show on his own face.

“Actually!” Yonah announced as the gnomes started to back away into their burrow.

The adult stopped and looked nervous again. Yonah huffed. “I’m not going to eat you, I never was. I just have a question.”

The gnome ushered the kids away, not trusting Yonah, before turning back to the giant. “And if don’t have a good answer, you won’t eat… right?”

With a sigh Yonah shook his head, “No. I won't.”

“Then ask.”

Yonah took a breath, “I am... looking to get some ingredients. I… lashed out at someone recently and I very much regret it, and want to make some amends. I have giant ones back home but… giant sized ingredients do not taste as strong as small ones. Do you know where, or who, I might be able to look for?”

The gnome smiles, “Yes! Mystical Market. Sell our berries there. Open today, also gnome holiday.” They gave Yonah the instructions on how to find the market.

“Thank you- er…” Yonah put a hand to his chest and bowed.

“Kalle” said Kalle.

“Yonah,” said Yonah. The gnome bowed as well, “Don’t be flaunting riches, mysterious half giant. Marketeers take advantage”

Riches!? He did not have endless funds. He would have to be more careful with his spending.

“I am also looking for… Er... Shit!” he exclaimed and was glad the kids were no longer outside, “I don't know their name. Dwarf witch.”

Kalle considered, “Know them. Likes almond cookies. Sorry. Market easier find than people. That all?”

From their tone of voice, Yonah knew the gnome desperately wanted to get back to their family. It was a holiday after all. Yonah stood up and nodded, leaving without subjecting them to any more conversation.

Almond cookies? That changed things. He had only made almond cookies once! He needed a little more help. However, he did not backtrack to the tower. He knew that if he went back, he would lose motivation. Locating the market was his current task.

Unfortunately, it took some luck. According to the gnome, it was a special place that one happened to come across, just by wanting to be there. The more familiar you were with it, the better chance there was of that happening. Yonah really really wanted to be there. So he gathered his will and set off in a random direction.

After an hour of walking yonah felt a weird tingle all over his arms and legs. Like his hair was standing on end and all pointing in the same direction. Had he entered some magical field? No matter, he was fairly immune to passive magic.

Then he took another step and a jolt of magic electricity surged through his body, causing him to freeze up. Before he could collapse, he felt as if a giant hook had caught around his middle. There was no physical hook, but it still yanked him back, pulling in through the forest.

Eventually it stopped and finally Yonah fell over, breathing shallowly as his heart raced. He rolled onto his back and stared up into the trees.

“What’s the big idea!?” Someone kicked him in the side and he sat up. “You’re blocking the way!”

An elf!

Yonah frowned. “You’re so bold for someone I could crush with a finger!” To tease the elf, he poked them in the chest.

“YEOWCH!”

For the second time that day, Yonah got bitten. This time, it was the elf who sank their fangs into his finger, letting go before Yonah pulled away.

“Don’t get sassy with me! Messing with smallfolk isn’t allowed in the market, you'll be banned!”

Yonah looked around “The market?”

He had assumed it was the Mystical Market because it was in the Mystical Woodlands. But now he realized that the name was rather accurate. An entire marketplace incorporated into the forest itself. Stalls and restaurants built into the trees, with carts parked in between. The trees here were also… there was no other word for it: majestic. Larger and older and, compared to the forest he had been exploring before, more deliberate spacing. He couldn’t even see all of it. The forest stretched on for a while, and thus was obscured by the very trees that made up the shops.

There were even buildings in the branches so that ogres, trolls, and giants did not have to bend down to make transactions. He even spotted a few trolls. Amazing! Trolls (and ogres) were much more likely than giants to eat smallfolk. Giants mostly threatened unless the person in question did something really, really stupid.

And yet, there was a troll, large with brown fur and green spots, purchasing a roll of fabric from the elevated section of a gnome shop.

“Yes you idiot, the market! And my cart won't fit through any other path! Move your giant ass or I’ll get the guard to move it for you!”

His elation at having found the market was in conflict with his pride that was being so insulted by this little creature.

“Apologize for biting me, and I’ll consider it!”

The elf looked indignant, “You threatened to squash me! MAGEN!!” they yelled.

Thunderous footsteps were heard and Yonah turned as a proper, full blooded giant, made her way through the shoppers, somehow avoiding stepping on anyone. She was maybe 17, but full grown and taller than Yonah by at least ten feet. Her skin was a light greyish pink and her eyes were a dark red. She wore a lovely headpiece of woven flowers and vines to look like hair, which full giants do not have.

She knelt “This man bothering you?”

The elf nodded. Yonah threw his hands up, “Hey! I don’t mean any trouble!”

“He threatened to squash me!”

The giant glared at, Yonah who glared back.

“How large folk deal with smalls outside of the market is their own business,” she said. “But inside the market we do not even threaten to squash, or kick, or stomp, or eat!”

“I did not intend to and I did not know I was in the market! I have never been before!” Yonah stood up so that he was not at such an extreme height disadvantage. Magen was a rather short mountain giant, only 35ft tall.

She nodded, “I can believe that.” She stood up. “I would have remembered you for sure.” She sniffed and said in implausible Giant: “You are from the blue sky tribe?”

“Yes! I am.” he answered, also in Giant. “I just moved to the forest. I was looking for the market but… I must have… hit something magic. I sort of fell into here”.

The elf took the opportunity to weave their cart around the giants’ feet, disappearing into the market.

“Ah, the seller seems to no longer push this issue. My name is Magen.” she introduced, bowing.

“Yonah HaEsh,” Yonah answered in return.

“HaEsh! I know the name. Fire man who helped save the Implausible Mountains from the Society of Wizards!”

“That’s my dad,” Yonah said, a little embarrassed.

“Mom told me the story! How exciting!”

Yonah brushed himself off and glanced around, “So... What are the rules here, then?”

Magen shrugged, “Just don’t start fights, alright? All sales are final, so don't go making a fuss if you haggled wrong or think you got cheated unless you believe your items are defective. There are ways to deal with fraudulent goods, but we cannot risk collateral damage.”

“Does that happen often?” Yonah asked, “I only mean to buy food, I can tell if that’s fresh”

“Oh, you have a giant’s nose then. Good. It does not happen often. Makes my job easier. And I usually manage to break up confrontations before they get out of hand.”

Knowing he could likely sniff out the stalls he needed, Yonah asked if Magen could show him around and help him find all the items on his list. She happily agreed. He had to walk behind her as there wasn’t room for two giants to be side by side.

As she carefully led him, she took glances back and down Yonah who was getting a little nervous. It had been a while since he encountered other giants. He was watching his feet to make sure he didn’t hurt anyone, and he was stopping constantly to look into the shops and stalls and carts.

“What is it like, being half giant?” Magen asked, who somehow managed to walk without looking at her feet very often at all. Maybe Yonah was being too careful and people here knew to stay out of the way of large folk's feet… Still, he didn't want to take chances.

“Er… I have hair, I guess?” he said.

“I was wondering if that was natural or a wig.” Magen brushed the vines spilling from her head.

“But mostly, things were just a bit inconveniently large for me. I still managed.” Then he countered. “What’s it like being a guard in the market?”

“The shopkeepers pool money to have me stand around, mostly. Smallfolk behave when an angry giant is within earshot.” She grinned with all her fangs.

“I thought you said giants couldnt mess with smallfolk here?” Yonah inquired.

“You can’t. It’s my job to interfere,” Magen retorted. “I haven't hurt anyone… badly. I’ve only worked here for a year. But I know everyone and everyone knows me!”

They stopped at a stand selling nuts and Yonah purchased the almonds he needed. The seller seemed a bit disappointed that he bought so few.

“Shopping for someone small?” Magen asked.

“Er- yeah.” Yonah said. They both had to back between trees to let a trio of trolls go by. One was only 10 feet tall and barely came up to Yonah’s waist, but another was nearly 20 feet! They carried baskets and bags on their furry backs, and even had some tied to their tusks!

Before they continued, two elves leapt from the tree nearby and onto Yonah’s shoulders! He was about to brush them off when Magen stopped him.

“Don’t! They are just hitching rides!” At that, he spotted more elves on her head. “You need honey, yes? I know the best shop!”

He followed Magen around the market, which was much larger than he had realized. The elves had no qualms about leaping on and off him and other largefolk shoppers and eventually he ignored them. Magen even helped him avoid making a bad deal for oat flour, saying she couldn’t believe the nerve of the shopkeeper trying to take advantage of a new resident.

Before Yonah left, he wanted to properly thank Magen. “If there is anything I can do to show thanks. Perhaps er-” he looked around.

“You know, the juice stand behind that tree has new flavors I’ve wanted to try. How about you buy me a drink? You should get one too. It’s very refreshing!”

“They make them giant sized?” Yonah asked.

“Oh, they are made by ogres!” Magen replied, rounding the indicated tree.

Ogres, kin of trolls and even more dangerous due to their magical powers. Typically smaller than trolls, but that was not the way to tell them apart.

An entire family of ogres were operating a massive open storefront. Jugs hung from branches or were strapped to the trunks of trees and fruit swung in baskets. Behind the counter was an elaborate prep station operated by two large ogres. Around the entire display were platforms sticking out from the nearby trees. Smallfolk sat on stools enjoying drinks and food at an elevation that made it easy to be served by the ogres. Magen walked up to the counter, which was not at an ideal height for her but was easily manageable. She spoke to an ogre with straw colored fur, blue spots, and large horns.

“Edna! I’d like two passion fruit smoothies please! One giant sized and one…” She glanced back at Yonah. “Full Troll sized!” She stepped aside and pointed at Yonah. “He’s paying”

Edna nodded and passed on the order.

Yonah stepped forward. Bowing “Yonah HaEsh”. She bowed back, “Edna Baneclaw. That will be a gold bracelet for the giant and half for the full troll”

Yonah’s heart nearly stopped. A gold bracelet and a half !? He looked at Magen who flashed her fangs mischievously then back at Enda.

Edna smiled as well. “We don’t have enlarged passion fruit, not in high demand by largefolk.”

With another glare at Magen, Yonah fished into his hat. He didn’t have gold bracelets but he had rings. 10 silver to a gold. Rings to Rings. Bracelets to Bracelets… 10 gold rings to a silver bracelet… 10 silver bracelets to a gold ring. That’s 100 gold rings to a gold bracelet (he had really overpaid the gnomes for the berries... A holiday gift he supposed), but this was not money to spend on frivolous fruit drinks!

Too late, however. The drinks were ready, and he carefully removed golden rings from silver bracelets. 50 gold rings and 10 silver bracelets exchanged for two smoothies. They came in wooden cups with bamboo straws.

This better be fucking worth it. Yonah took a sip.

His eyes widened as the cool icy tart concoction hit his taste buds and he took a long drink. Finally, he looked at Magen and then Edna. “This is incredible!” he exclaimed. Magen grinned and sipped hers as well. “Yeah. Too bad we’re the last two to have some for at least a month!”

“What do you mean?”

“That took all the passion fruit we had,” Edna informed. “Won't get more for a while”

“Worth it! Suck it smallfolk!” Magen teased the people on the platforms, a few looked a bit annoyed, but most didn't seem to care. She didn't seem to care either.

“Well it was nice meeting you, Yonah. I hope to see you again. Oh, and by the way, you can return your mug to the ogres for a silver bracelet, even if you take it home today!”

Yonah glanced at his drink. “Oh! Thanks for letting me know. But where are you going?”

Magen sipped at her smoothie loudly before answering. “This was my break, silly, I need to go back on proper duty now, and you have all your things.” Magen held out her free hand and Yonah shook it, bidding her goodbye. It was getting late in the day now and he wanted to get to work on the almond cookies.

Wait… which way was back to the tower? How could he be so stupid wandering off like this!? His mom taught him better than that. Forest ranger rule number 1: DON’T GET LOST. ...okay, so that wasn’t really a rule. It was supposed to imply that you paid attention to where you were going so you could get back. This was not so easy in the Mystic Woods.

The moment he had walked far enough away from the market, he turned forward and then back, and it was already gone. He had nowhere to go but forward.

It was to his great surprise that only a minute later, he exited the dense trees and found himself in the clearing. The tower was on the opposite side. While he was elated to have made it back safely before dark, there was a distinct absence of any gladness to be home. This was not his home, after all. It was his prison.

Yonah HaEsh climbed up the tower and back into his prison. He took off his hat and sat down at his desk in the workshop, staring into the reflection on the large, ornate mirror that rested upon it.

To do this right, he needed help. Professional help. So he activated his mirror. Or at least… tried. He stared at his own reflection, then spoke. “Mirror Mirror on the desk,” he faltered, “Could you please connect me to Shoshana at the academy?”

The mirror snorted. “You think politeness will work after all this time? I don’t make exceptions. This is why your friends think you’ve forgotten about them! Put in the effort! Ask me properly or don't at all.”

“They’ve called me!!” Yonah insisted, but the mirror said nothing in response. Just like he would do when he got calls from his friends. Yonah growled and snorted back at the mirror, fogging it up. “Mirror Mirror, oh magical vanity, I wish to call Shoshana, at the wizard academy”

There was a whistle from the mirror. “Now that’s how you do it!” it praised. The fog cleared and for a brief moment, he saw his own face again before the reflective surface turned grey. Another moment and the face of his friend Shoshana emerged.

“Yonah!!!” she exclaimed. “You called! I cannot believe it!”

Yonah’s face turned a bit red. “I’ve… been distracted.”

Shoshana waved her hand, stopping any further excuses. “You’ve been through so much! I was worried! Since we graduated, you haven't called at all!”

/I never called before either... / Yonah thought. /It was always you.../ When Grand Master Sean reinstated him as a wizardling student, his friends would call regularly to work on homework and their theses, as he wasn’t allowed to actually attend the school in person. And while he attended the graduation…

That wasn’t a happy memory at all and he didn’t want to think about how he sat behind all the students in the amphitheater in magic chains looking more like a beast one of the adventuring tract students had wrangled for their final than a student.

“I need a recipe!” he said.

Shoshana raised her brows “That’s it!? First call in over a month, and it’s to get a recipe! You don’t want to catch up at all?!” Yonah’s eyes flickered and Shoshana backed off. “Alright, I can see you’re not in the mood. But please, we’re all missing you so much. We’d assumed you embraced the evil hermit wizard life.”

“I… haven’t meant to. But it’s surprisingly easy,” he admitted, grinning awkwardly. “I’d rather not go full hermit, of course.”

“Well, then dont go a month without calling your friends!” Shoshana chided. “Or make some new friends! The forest is full of interesting people, right?”

Yonah looked away, but his eyes were probably glowing orange now.

“This… is for that.”

“Oh!” Shoshana exclaimed, “I should have figured! Of course, I will give you whatever recipe you’d like.”

Yonah got out his ingredients to show Shoshana and explained what he wanted to bake. She nodded and made some suggestions for ingredients and spices to really make these cookies great. He did not have all the supplies she suggested, which led to some back-and-forth as Shoshana pointed out some substitutions for what Yonah bought or already had in his tower.

“Got that all down?” she asked, as she watched Yonah scribble out the final lines to the recipe.

“Yes!” Yonah exhaled in relief. “Thank you so much, Shosh!”

“Next time, we will catch up properly, but I had fun designing this recipe!” Shoshana chirped. “What a challenge. I wish you had called first, before just buying random ingredients.”

“I was already in the forest, Shosh.”

“I know, I know.” Shoshana blew Yonah a kiss and the mirror flickered back to his reflection.

It was time to bake! Which he did after shrinking down.

By the time he was done baking his jam print almond cookies, it was past midnight. He needed sleep and didn't think finding the witch at night was a particularly wise idea, especially since he was getting tired. That meant he was extra likely to be grumpy and irritable. So he placed the cookies in a special cooling rack to keep them magically fresh, then went to bed.

It was right after breakfast that Yonah HaEsh left the tower and, for the second time, entered the forest.

Once again, he had no direction, not that one could in the Mystic Woods. It wasn't even possible to have a map unless it was incredibly magical. Still, he was determined and willing to wander the forest for days if he must! But he’d do so at his full size, which would allow him to cover more ground.

That’s… That’s a witch’s hut! He hoped it was the correct one. It was more of a mound than a hut, with one side covered in rocks and moss and the other a more sheer side with windows, plus a flatter side with a door.

As he approached, a garden came into view and he heard a yelp before watching a small figure dart into the hut and close the curtains. The door opened briefly and a hand hung a sign that read “NO SOLICITORS”

That was the evil giant! Why was he here!? Why did the forest let him find the hut!? Was he here to eat them?! To finish the job!? Could they take on a giant fire witch?! Myran was a damn skilled witch, and at least 15 years the giant’s senior by their estimate, but they were quaking in their boots.

A knock sounded at their door. It didn’t sound forceful enough to be a giant. Siv was in front of them, hissing at the door. Thinking it better to be safe, they peeked out the window, then ran to open the door. Just a crack.

Red faced and holding a basket was… the giant. Only he wasn’t giant. Not exactly. He now stood at about twice Myran’s height. A little less actually. Right. Wizard. Giant wizard.

“May I come in?”

“Depends… what’s in the basket?” They narrowed their eyes. “I don’t want any nasty surprises.”

The wizard’s face got redder as he removed the cover. They opened the door and stood aside. They took the basket with their right hand… Yonah hesitated. Their arm had a massive scar from shoulder to elbow, but the hand was unbroken. The Dwarf noticed and gave him a hard look as he crouched low to get through the dwarf sized door, Siv still hissing at him in warning.

Myran put the basket on the kitchen table and motioned to the couch. “Please, sit.” Yonah did. The couch was small for him but it took his weight. “I’m going to be honest.” Myran leaned against the kitchen table and crossed their arms. “This is quite the unexpected visit.”

They leaned against the kitchen table and crossed their arms.

“Oh?” Yonah said, of course it made sense, he threatened them, bitten them, chased them out, why would he then try to find them again.

“You bit me! You broke my hand! And You said if you saw me again you would eat me!”

/Ohhhh/

Yonah’s breath caught before managing to say “I did… didn’t I.” He looked down at his feet.

They sighed.

“Yep. Though eating me at your current size would be an impressive feat. So- What the fuck are you doing here? Besides bringing me cookies to fatten me up.”

“I’m not-!” He looked back up to defend himself and saw their cheeky grin. “I didn’t come here to eat you…” they raised an eyebrow in sarcastic disbelief.

“I want to apologize. For chasing you away like that. I was so angry. I still am, though mostly at myself. I shouldn't have hurt you, you weren't an adventurer. It wasn’t right.” He was almost crying. Dammit, he’d gone nearly a month without crying!

The witch raised both eyebrows now, genuinely curious as to the workings of this monster’s thoughts. “Youre sorry for chasing me away!? You threatened to eat me!”

“It’s my job! It’s my job to terrorize people, Especially those who enter my tower unannounced. It’s part of my job! And… and I like it!” He startled himself with that statement. He liked his job? He didn’t even want this job!! He was forcefully employed by the King under threat of more conventional imprisonment! Being evil had never been his plan and he didn’t want that. Didn’t he?

The witch didn’t look completely satisfied with this answer. But they didn’t get to inquire further as Yonah’s curiosity got the better of him.

“Er- your hand…”

Myran smiled “It was rather mangled by your jaws yesterday. Luckily, I am a very good healer, and well-known in this forest. If you had killed me, you would have had a lot of angry forest residents after your head.” Myran began preparing a pot of tea as Yonah Processed that statement. “You’re a lucky giant aren’t you?”

“What?” Yonah voiced. “For not killing you and putting a target on my back?”

“Yes, exactly. And that was curious. It is rare that evil giants are merciful.”

Yonah looked away, “I’ve only been evil for a few months. I… you’re the third person I've faced as my er… villainous self. And I haven’t… I dont plan on... eating anyone.”

That surprised Myran. “I guess I do not know the frequency that giants normally encounter adventurers…”

“You said it yourself, Evil Giants eat people…” Yonah pointed out, “But it comes with a cost… I am worried… even if I don't... It’s only a matter of time before slayers come after me.”

“Most evil giants kill their victims. Right?” they asked more directly.

Yonah shrugged “I met another one once. Said it depended on his mood.”

“Fascinating… though if you keep up your merciful streak, perhaps you are less likely to attract slayers?”

“Perhaps…” Yonah had not considered that. He just felt he wasn’t ready to kill anyone yet, but maybe there were other perks than just his own conscience to continue to let his victims go.

“Cracked some sort of code then? Getting to be a villain without attracting too much attention?” Then they added “Not that this would stop all slayers. I expect you would kill a slayer?”

Yonah wasn’t really listening to Myran any longer. There were other things on his mind. Things he had spent the entire walk over here mulling over, and he had to voice them sooner rather than later.

As tears welled in his eyes he couldn’t look at Myran any longer. He closed his eyes and turned his face away.

“I know I said I didn’t want any friends. But I do! I need them. And I know I can’t be your friend. You came to me and I fucked it up. But I beseech you to not tell everyone else in the forest to avoid me. I already went to the mystical market and-“

“You… how did you find out that I liked almonds!”

Yonah looked up. They weren’t looking at him but reaching into the basket for another cookie. They munched on it thoughtfully, not a crumb falling into their beard. The tea was ready and Myran poured it with magic, leaving their hands free to hold more cookies. They walked over to Yonah, the tea cups floating with. He took the larger one out of mid air. It was very hot! And he drank. It was… It tasted like tea he’d had at home. His village had alway gotten various teas from the dwarves. New tears came to his eyes.

“You alright?” Myran asked, offering a handkerchief. “You’re a very emotional evil giant.”

Yonah took it and dried his eyes. “The tea is… really good.” That wasn’t the real reason but right now he couldn’t process all of his emotions.

“It’s my grandma’s blend,” Myran said. “I’ve tried to replicate it using my garden, but you just can’t replicate those tunnel grown fungi.”

They dipped one of the cookies into the tea. From their expression, it wasn’t really a mistake but likely didn’t improve the experience. Still they munched thoughtfully.

“I’ll be your friend.”

Yonah’s jaw nearly hit the floor and he almost dropped his tea. It was a few seconds before he managed to pick his jaw back up. Were they serious? They walked over to him, placing their much smaller hand over one of his. Then they smiled most disarmingly.

“Just don’t eat me!”

Yonah smiled.

“I think I can manage that”

[FIN]

——

(You can imagine that Yonah got to hug Myran before he left, probably a little too tight but dwarves are tough!)

[THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REBLOG/GIVE ME FEEDBACK!!! I CRAVE IT!]

Big thanks to my editors @j0hnnymouse and @vixen525

#gianttiny #g/t writing #g/t fearplay #g/t fluff #g/t fiction #g/t #g/t angst #giant/tiny

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riceball1759 · 3 years

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Reading Tips from your Hyper Librarian

"So many books, so little time", right? If anyone understands this, it's us bibliophiles and librarians (and publishers) -especially someone like me! My interests are super varied and many times, I'll start reading a few chapters in a book that REALLY REALLY interests me...but then, I have that ADHD SHINY moment and the poor thing is forgotten. Seriously, this is a constant struggle. Being a librarian makes this even more important that I know what I'm recommending. And I do! I just can't get the focus to actually read them>< I'm part of a committee that is assigned reading every year for 3 months (give or take) and -you guessed it- I get that done. Why? It's got a deadline and I churn through them like nobody's business. It also helps that I didn't choose them and they aren't always what I normally like to read. It gives me an edge when helping certain patrons look for something I normally don't read. Not that I don't have an idea already -it's just more cemented than usual since I actually read that particular book. Though I kinda gave you one of my tips in this blurb, I'll rehash later!

A little more on my SHINY moments and then we'll get to my tips! Like I said before, SHINY really takes a toll sometimes on my goals, but it also helps. How? Situation: I hear all this buzz about this upcoming book (debut author/fresh voice/intriguing plotline/etc.). I either miraculously get an ARC or I'm waiting with bated breath, for the dang thing to get shipped to my library so that I can "steal" it for the weekend before it gets catalogued (I tell everyone I'm borrowing it, so don't judge me!). If all goes according to plan, I DEVOUR it within a day and come back exclaiming all the virtues of reading said book. I might even write a glowing review (if I had the capacity at the time). This has happened with a few books in the past years: Stay Gold, Wicked Fox & Vicious Spirits, Ember in the Ashes, Invisible Differences, and a few others, but I can't remember right now. Point: it's super hard for me to get the reading I want done, actually done.

AND NOW, for the star of our show: The Hyper Librarian's Reading Tips!

Please remember, these are things I remind myself of when I'm having a hard time getting through my TBR (the library-books-out-that-are-due TBR). Some lead into or are extensions of others, but being specific is necessary for me. You can adapt them to your needs or or just copy/paste them into your life :)

1) It's ok to DNF. So you gave this book the 'old college try' and just can't do it -it's becoming torturous and you're at risk of going into the dreaded slump... Just stop already and save yourself more grief. Another reason is that you're just not in the mood to finish, so don't. Why torture yourself (again -I seem to like using this word, but it's so accurate at times!) by seeing a book lying close by that you wish was anywhere but? Some of us (incl. moi) have a shelf on Goodreads just for those pesky things. Let's cut the drama and move on! I find it therapeutic as well as final.

2) You are your own censorship committee. We all have that verbal content line where ~once toed/crossed~ our tolerance, belief, comfort level, etc., is compromised to the point where there's no enjoyment because of that one or more 'tidbits' giving you grief. Sometimes, I'll scan several reviews before starting because I want to make sure I don't get any 'surprises'. Most times, I get to that proverbial part that has me slamming the book closed, never to be opened again (dramatic, yes, but sometimes very true!). {{Point}}: you are the only person keeping you from reading something you don't like!

3) Be picky! You are as unique as your fingerprint. Why wouldn't your reading habits follow? If you get a rec that is absolutely not your thing, say no (thank you). It's not fair to you if you're just going to trudge through it anyway for the sake of being polite to friends/family/librarians/coworkers/etc (publishers, I'm sorry). If you like vampires, werewolves, and all things paranormal (like me) don't despair of the current books coming out -look back to the '90s and '00s! Reading is one of the most personal things we experience in our lives. {{Please, for the sake of your sanity}}: read reviews, look for trigger warnings (if that applies to you), verify that historically under-represented voices are portrayed correctly (misinformation is our greatest threat). For example: I won't buy a book about LGBT+ characters without verifying the plot as authentic (i.e. all fluff and no real problems vs real problems with a happy ending). I need to know that the book about that Transgender girl is written by someone who is either also Transgender or very well-informed.

4) Own your reading preferences. Just own it. I read somewhere in a journal interview that the concept of "guilty pleasure" shouldn't exist. So you like SJM's ACOTAR and are all about that fan community life, but are afraid to talk about it even though it's basically a mainstream subculture now? {{Point}}: Stop feeling guilty for what makes you happy! If people judge, that's their problem. I read romance for stress relief and because I just happen to like happy endings. Seriously, people need to stop shaming romance readers and self-shame is a huge part! Don't shame yourself, "SHUN THE NON-BELIEVERS"! (Charlie the Unicorn, RIP in Youtube history)

5) It's ok to read more than one book at a time. If you're anything like me (the Attention Deficit part), you probably have up to 5 books going at the same time: that paperback at home, the ebook on your phone, audiobook in the car, hardcover in your office, etc. (I know that's not 5 -I ran out of ideas!). Point: it's only natural you're in the mood for something different at certain periods of the day, week, or whatever. They'll get finished eventually. Just spare a thought for the 1 or 2 that are a little extra "dusty" cuz that might mean you need to DNF...just a thought.

6) Book clubs are your friend! They can be your enemy, too; but here's what you do: choose one that reads almost everything you want to in a specific genre. I'm not talking the next bestseller (unless that's you). I'm talking genre-specific and something you researched before joining. Online or in-person, this is has the potential for changing your reading habits for the better because you'll actually want to interact and read the books! I decided to join a book club so I could finally talk about a niche genre that is one of my favorites: Christian fiction. No one around me reads this (anymore) and I have no one to talk to (regularly) and trade recs with, so I joined a Facebook group and it's really nice to chat about all these great books and authors I've recently read with others who do the same:)

7) Book journaling. Yes, you may have heard of these things. There are so many ways to journal about your reading: bullet journals, the blank ones where you can let loose your creativity, the ones like from Moleskin where you just fill in the pre-determined spaces (aka: reading log), lined journals for writing your heart out, themed reading planners and TBR journals... Just look it up, the interwebs has you covered. The key is to use them as a tool for expanding and enriching your enjoyment or education (nonfic). I don't journal for everything, but I do like to do it for the ones I know I'm going to review later or for general reflections as I read. I started doing it by chapters, but that doesn't cut it when something jumps out at me from a random page and I NEED to write about it immediately. So, I make note of the page # and we good! I'm very personal in my writing (if you can't tell) and it can turn into tangents, but that's how I roll. I don't do that artsy stuff because that takes away from the reason I'm doing this in the first place. I write about anything regarding my reading -incl my reading slumps. I love it.

Wishing you Happy Reading! Thank you for reading:)

#reading #reading tips #books #reading is life #booksarelife #happy reading #reading problems #reading slump #book journal #booklr #reading blog #book blog #book club #reading advice #bookblr #adhd

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nexyra · 3 years

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Okay so This is just a way to let out some frustration so I can put it out there and stop mulling on it bc I'm bad at this sort of stuff - Feel free to ignore it

I'm putting this under Read More; if your fav past-time is to call anyone who likes Ironwood's character or was disappointed by his V8 turn to villainy a stupid bootlicker who "should have seen the signs he was always a tyrant !!" please don't interact with this post. You're ultimately free to think what you want but honestly I see enough of that in the main tag when left alone, I don't need it on my blog it doesn't make me feel good.

Anyone else... well you can read if you're interested but you don't have to either. Feel free to respectfully disagree though, I'm not that bullheaded that I can't partake in a friendly argument =) I'll just be listing some things about Ironwood's reading by the FNDM who get old or draining as someone who doesn't like the V8-characterization they went with

Can people please stop just... copy/pasting real world issues on a world/characters that have nothing to do with them or a completely different context ?

Like,, I genuinely try to educate myself on real-world issues. I know I'm rather privileged so I try to listen and hear out people who speak out about the issues they live through day by day. I know why the "ACAB" moniker exists. I understand the problem that lies within the american police system (and likely other countries as well). I see why the army, on our blue planet, is criticized & its many failings. Etc, the list can go on...

But I'm sorry to say, Remnant isn't OUR Earth. Their Army's primary job is to fight actual evil soulless monsters, not people. The Ace Opps or Huntsmen are not an organization directly inherited from slave-hunting groups. James Ironwood isn't the US army general bombing Middle East. Clover Ebi isn't the racist cop you want in prison. So WHY are they treated as such by so many people ? Stories are not a 1-1 where you can take everything you know and just apply it to a completely different world.

Has Atlas been presented as a country that suffers from racism & classism ? Certainly. Has it be shown this way ? That's already more debatable since the only racist arguments we got were in Mantle (which is the city we're supposed to be rooting for so that's a weird choice but eh it's whatever). Are the characters, as persons, shown to evoke these issues in a way that deserve our scorn ? Not really.

Is Ironwood depicted as particularly racist for example ? I wouldn't say so seeing as one (or more considering Tortuga) of his Ace-Opps are Faunus & it seems perfectly accepted; and he hates Jacques Schnee's guts. So why does he get to shoulder all of our real-world issues as if he was responsible for them, in a context where (pre V8) his army had most likely never killed anything else than Grimm and was shown to elicit very positive reactions from most of the population (V3) ? (In direct contrast to the polarization that the US army might evoke for example.)

You can totally hate Ironwood because of the feelings he evoke, the trope he stems from or the parallels to be made. That doesn't mean however, that he IS truly guilty of every one of OUR world issues (pre-V8)

Just because classism is prevalent in Atlas society does not make Ironwood the figurehead & leader of this issue.

Is classism an issue in Atlas ? Yes. That's been made clear because of Mantle's state as well as Jacques Schnee entire existence & even Cinder's backstory. Does that mean every single one of Ironwood's decisions reeks of classism ? NO

Trust me, as someone who found Ironwood's V8 characterization not... well-executed & too much; there's nothing more annoying than being assaulted by posts about his fall going "it was so obvious !! look at -" only for them to then list reasons in a really biased way or even headcannons based on (again) irl problems. An exemple...

Reasons his turn was good that I see thrown around : "Ironwood left Mantle behind because he only wanted to save the rich. He's a selfish coward & an asshole !"

What we were actually given : "Ironwood suffers from PTSD, and faced with Salem's imminent arrival, he tried to save what he was CERTAIN to be able to protect aka the flying city and all the people on it including Mantle evacuees. There is absolutely no text backing the idea that he wanted to leave with Atlas because it's rich. We could even suppose that he would have left with the 'poor' Mantle if it was the flying city and rich people were hanging safely on the ground. There is indeed an issue with Atlas & Mantle disparity, but Ironwood isn't directly responsible for it."

Does that make his decision to leave Mantle behind a morally right one ? That's of course NOT what I'm saying. The situation is still very ambiguous. But the classism theme has NO place here.

"Ironwood leads Atlas & Mantle. As such, he inherently holds responsability for the issues plaguing it." THIS is an acceptable reading according to me. I would probably argue that even if Ironwood's the only Atlas leader we're shown; he actually only oversees the military & academy (where we haven't ever seen classism issues), so putting Atlas' classism issues on him still doesn't sound fair to me. However the idea & argument is sound.

Acknowledging only how his actions look/the tyrannical surface reading and not the reasonnable justifications or glimpses we were given (pre-V7) of Ironwood being more than his trope

I'll probably stop after this one, but the last thing that is both tiring & annoying after too much of it; is seeing people boil down all of Ironwood's character to the most basic summary, inherently written to paint him in a bad line. And then saying that everything led up to his downfall by using these watered-down versions of the show's events to justify it. Or worse (imo), saying that people who are not satisfied with his V8 characterization that THEY don't understand how good a character he is and don't really appreciate him.... All the while only ever highlighting his characters flaws. Please stop this.

"Ironwood brought an army to the peace Olympics why are you surprised he turned out this way ?" ==> Ironwood brought an army to a country where the civilians visibly have no issue with said-army, to protect a peaceful event that he KNOWS to be targeted by foes. It's definitely overzealous & his conviction that threats should be dealt with by blunt force IS one of his flaws; but pretending that he did it for fun or because he's a tyran is just as misplaced.

"Ironwood said he'd shoot Qrow if he were one of his men why are you surprised he shot Oscar ?" ==> Do I really need to flip through every joke in this show and consider it as absolute truth & proof that the character would enact these words if given the occasion; even when we're shown with certainty that they actually don't mean it ? (IW hugging Qrow to welcome him, refusing to attack Qrow when he's certain Qrow IS attacking him...)

"Ironwood has his military all over Mantle, there's a curfew, all of this is tyrannical why are you surprised he's also down for genocide" ==> Damn, it sure is criminal to have Mantle defended from the litteral monsters roaming inside & out, and to make sure with a curfew that the people are not at risk during the night. I wonder if any recent events could make us reconsider our stance on how evil a enforced curfew is. Mhmmm maybe a pandemic ? Nah I must be imagining things. For real though, at what point did Tyrian's framing/lies (IW has his soldiers all over Mantle because of politics/he's a tyran who refuses opposition) became the truth of the situation for the FDNM too ? Again Mantle's situations SUCK, and that's a problem in itself. Making up problematic reasoning for the situation is dishonest though.

To end this, I'll just make clear. I do not condone any of Ironwood's actions post-V7. I don't think he had to be the big hero of the Atlas arc. Nor that he was without faults. I merely think that he'd have been a better antagonist than villain. And that it'd have been nice to keep the ambiguity/morally greyness that surrounds him; the knowledge that he's TRYING hard to do what's best for everyone; that he has good intentions. That he cares about individuals too to a lesser degree, and that he had people who cared about him as a person.

For short... Ironwood as an antagonist with understandable issues, flaws & failures; making questionable choices but with good intentions ? Hell yeah. Ironwood as a villain, more irredeemable than Hazel, willing to kill people for NO reason or even wipe out a city ? I'm not convinced.

#rwby #rwde #rwby thoughts #rant #fndm discourse #james ironwood #pro ironwood #canoncrit ironwood

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unfoldingmoments · 3 years

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5 hindrances to self-mastery

TEDxVitosha by Master Shi Heng Yi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-079YIasck

It has been quite a privilege being able to grow up in two quite different ways of life.

I was born in Germany, and at the same time had the chance to learn more about an ancient art coming from the Shaolin Temple.

When you grow up in an Asian family,

it is quite common that firstly, you don't argue with your father, and secondly, you either become medical doctor, engineer, or lawyer.

Elsewise your parents will be very unhappy.

So having that said, I finished my academic education with two university degrees, an MBA, and quite a collection of different certificates and diplomas - everything that my parents thought would be useful to have.

But throughout this education, I felt something was missing. Because I was learning about many different aspects - how the plant is working, what an atom is made out of, how a political system is functioning, but somehow, the subject was missing to learn something about myself.

So with the age of four, for the first time

I got introduced into the monastic practices, and I was very happy to find out that the main part of these practices were dealing with the exploration and the discovery of yourself.

There was mental training, development of behavior combined with the physical training, all aspects of what nowadays is known as Shaolin Kung-Fu.

Now, despite the wishes of my parents to somehow go out in the market and try to manage the world, I decided to continue this monastic life and start learning more about myself first.

Now, in the preparation for this talk, I was asked to share a few words on what is important in this lifetime, and see,

it's already challenging to put 3 decades into a single talk.

But the picture I would like to show you summarizes very much what I consider as being valuable in this lifetime.

There is something about sharing with others.

There is something about connection.

There is the training and development of yourself.

It is to enjoy your time, even doing nothing.

And one main aspect is to find a way and do the things you like to do.

Now, when I received the invitation to have a talk at today's event,

especially under the slogan "High, Higher, Highest,"

something very particular came up on my mind, and a master from the Shaolin Temple once told me a story that I would like to share with you.

A man was living close to a mountain, and every day he was thinking:

How would it be to climb that mountain and what would I see on the peak?

So finally, the day came, and the man went on the journey.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, he met the first traveler.

So he asked, "How did you get up the mountain, and what did you see from the top?"

And so the traveler shared his path, and also the view that he had.

But then the man was thinking,

"The way that this traveler described to me sounds very exhausting.

I need to find another way to climb."

So he continued to walk on the foot of the mountain until he met the next traveler.

So once again he asked, "How did you climb up that mountain, and what did you see from the top?"

And so again the traveler shared his story.

Still not being determined on which direction and which way to go, the man asked 30 more people, 30 more travelers.

When he finished talking to all of them, he finally made up his mind.

"Now that so many people already shared with me their paths and especially what they all saw from the top, I don't need to climb there anymore."

It is very unfortunate this man never went on the journey.

Now, to conclude this story, firstly, each individual needs to find the most suitable way to climb that mountain.

But secondly, there is information possible to be shared with words, but it is impossible to share the experience of clarity when you are standing on that peak by yourself.

To invest the right effort in climbing that peak,

it's very much what all the Buddhist practices, the Shaolin training, or any spiritual practice is about.

Clarity means you see more clear. When you see more clear, interrelations become more apparent.

When you see more clear, there is no need to believe anyone or believe anything. Seeing clear means you can distinguish for yourself which is the proper direction to take and which decisions do I have to make in order to make my goals or aspirations start to shape?

Now, at today's talk, you will have the chance to become inspired by quite a lot of different travelers.

But in this particular talk, I can't, and I won't tell you which way to go.

It's just that along your personal journey, you will encounter challenges.

Those challenges will either prevent you, or some of them even stop you, from moving on and climbing that mountain.

In the Shaolin Temple, we refer to them as "the five hindrances."

The 5 hindrances are describing different states of the mind.

In those states of the mind, it becomes very hard to see clearly and therefore engage in the right decisions.

1. The first hindrance is called "sensual desire." Sensual desire arises in the moment when you are paying attention to something that is giving you a positive emotion.

This positive emotion can originate from five gates of your body: Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling.

So in your mind, you climb up that mountain.

After one mile of walking, you discover a beautiful restaurant surrounded by beautiful people. You smell delicious food and the great variety of beverages.

When you follow that temptation, you have already lost your track. When this temptation becomes so strong that you don't want to leave that place anymore, then the sensual desire has turned into an obsession.

In both cases, remaining at that place means that you can't get clarity.

2. The second hindrance, "ill-will," describes the state of the mind that arises from negative emotions.

In that state of the mind, you have an aversion, a rejection, or simply a dislike against either an object, a situation, or can be even a person.

To simplify, it means: You are climbing the mountain, and it starts to rain, but you don't like rain.

You discover the roads are bumpy, but you don't like bumpy roads. In order to cross the river, you need to swim, but you don’t like swimming. Whatever it is that you dislike, it won’t make it a pleasant journey unless you learn to let go of this ill-will. It’s more likely even that you won't continue that journey.

3. The third hindrance originally translated as "sloth and torpor."

"Sloth" means it’s the heaviness of the body.

"Torpor" means it’s the dullness of the mind.

It is characterized by sleepiness, non-motivation, lack of energy, and oftentimes can manifest itself in a state of depression.

Now, a simile used in Buddhism describes it as "imprisonment."

You find yourself locked in a cell.

It becomes very hard to make any type of mental or physical effort.

So in order to continue your path, there is only one option left.

You need to find a way to get out from that hole, from that cell.

4. Now, the fourth hindrance is called "restlessness."

It is the state of an unsettled mind.

"Unsettle mind" means your mind cannot settle.

(Laughter) Settle where?

Settle in the present moment.

An unsettled mind either is worrying about the future or traveling into the past and rejecting, judging about an event that happened into your past.

A simile used here is the monkey mind, constantly jumping from one branch to another, unable to stay for too long time at the present moment. The problem is there is no time to see clearly anymore.

5. Now, the last of the five hindrances is called "skeptical doubt," and it's very closely related to a state of mind which is based on indecisiveness.

It is very easy in that state of mind getting lost in thoughts.

Can I do this?

Is this the right path?

What will the others say?

What if this? What if that?

The mind cannot synchronize with your own actions anymore.

And the result is that you are getting disconnected with the goals and aspirations that once you have set to yourself.

When the way is filled with too much doubts, more often you will stop instead of moving on.

That we know the 5 hindrances now, what are we going to do about them?

You need to align and structure your life in such a way to prevent those hindrances from arising.

If you are not successful, you need to use techniques in order to remove them. Each of these hindrances is placing the dark cloud on your mind, or on the way of your climb.

Simply remember one thing: Just let it rain.

This is a 4 step method to help you removing those hindrances.

1. The first step is recognize in what state of the mind you are finding yourself in.

[Recognize, Accept, Investigate, Non-Identity]

2. Afterwards, learn to accept, acknowledge, and allow the situation or a person to be the way how it is, to be the way how they are.

3. Investigate your emotional and mental state, and ask questions:

Why did it come up?

What is going to be the consequence if I remain in that state?

4. And ultimately, non-identification means:

It is the practice.

I am not the body.

I am not the mind.

I am not my emotion.

It's just that I can see all these three aspects about me.

All of our lifetimes, all of our lives are too unique to copy the path from someone else.

To bring meaning to your life, to bring value into your life, you need to learn and master yourself, and don't let the hindrances stop you.

If any of you chooses to climb that path to clarity, I would be very happy to meet you at the peak

#ShiHengYi #TedTalks #Life #SelfMastery #LoveYourself #KnowThySelf #Quotes #Buddhism #Zen #LifeLesson #Inspiration

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edgyleswrite · 4 years

Text

Swing- Tenya Iida x Reader^

https://youtu.be/a90tZJHBklk

https://open.spotify.com/track/2ajUl8lBLAXOXNpG4NEPMz?si=eC0Mbj0mRteUAlC4EbVd6A

Sway - Michael Bublé

*Requested by anon*

A/n: I did my best to keep the reader completely gender-neutral. 😙 Please tell me if there's anything I could change 💞💞

I look down at the far too expensive attire that my lovely mother had chosen for me. I take a deep breath, my eyes closing as I do. I begin to change out of the apparel I was wearing and put on the new outfit. I appreciated my mother spending the money on me, not that money was a worry for my family, but she could have taken my opinion into consideration.

My mother is the CEO of Hero Array, a company that specializes in hero merchandise. And tonight there was going to be a gathering of heros and other wealthy people. My mother obviously plans on using this as a business opportunity. The more heros with a contract with her, the more merch gets made, the more money she gets.

She always wanted me to come with her to these parties. Something to do with her "public appearance".

..........................time skip..............................

As the chauffeur pulls into a lot with a scad of other cars I felt my body chill with anxiety. I've been to 100 of these since I was very young, I still get nervous every time.

"By the way, he'll be here." My mother says, looking out the window as our driver slowly makes their way to the front.

"Who?" I ask, completely puzzled by her mysterious and eerie statement.

"You'll know when you see him" she smiled, still looking out the window. My mother has always been a well-composed woman. She had perfect posture, movements, clothing, appearance, she never stumbled on her words, she works hard and she was confident in all of it. I tried my best to be like that, not wanting to look inferior or disappoint her.

The car stopped and I'll wait for the chauffeur to open the door and I stepped out into the crisp night. I could see the bright lights and people inside through the large windows. My mother stepped out behind me and we walked into the venue together, side by side. My mother stood still for a moment, scanning the room to see who should strike up a conversation with that hopefully end with a contract being signed.

I followed my mother as she began to speak to different heros, I just stood silently beside her not wanting to embarrass myself. My mother went through her cycle of scripted conversation. She knew exactly how to get what she wanted and she had prepared to have the same conversation 40x to get a contract. So I quickly grew bored with the carbon copy conversations.

As if prayer was answered I felt a tap on my shoulder from behind. I turned and saw a familiar boy with dark blue hair and small-framed glasses, making my mom's eerie comment make more sense.

"I've been looking for you" Tenya spoke with a polite smile. I and Tenya had been very close for several years. We had both been forced to attend these parties since we were young and being the same age we ended spending time together during them.

I turn to my mother and who has already nodded giving me permission to walk off. I turn back to Tenya and begin to walk around.

"So, what have you been up to?" I ask, curious about what was so important that he has left my message on delivered for several weeks now.

"I've focused on school. I got accepted into UA and want to be the best I can" he spoke as if he was giving an inspirational speech. I loved that about him, he was always trying to do his best and encourage others to do the same. Even when he seemed uppity to others.

"Ah, that makes sense. I'm happy you got accepted! I knew you could do it!" I praised and congratulated him.

"Thank you. So have you been up to lately?" He asked me the same

"Oh, nothing much honestly. Just working with my mom and school." I say anxiously. Tenya knew that I wanted to be a hero too, but my mother wanted me to take over the company. I and her would argue over it constantly until I eventually gave in.

"So, how's UA?" I ask, picking up the mood in my voice.

"It's great. I truly feel like I can be a great hero with the education they are giving me. And I've made some great and dedicated friends." He spoke proudly. I smile at him.

"That's great! It's good to hear you're enjoying yourself!"

"Yes, but I am disappointed to know you aren't pursuing your own dreams." His voice softened as he looked at me.

"Oh, God. Pity" I think to myself

"Oh no, don't worry about me. I'm sure running my mom's business will be great. I'll still be working with heros at least!" I try to fake positive energy.

"You have such an amazing quirk though. I don't see why she can't let you make your own choices. We could be going to school together." He voice was bitter, almost angry.

"So, tell me about your other friends," I ask, not wanting to think about giving up on my dream and losing so many great things that could have been.

Tenya went into detail about the interesting people he went to school with. He always had something positive to say about everyone, even the people he seemed disinclined to. Except he for a boy named Mineta, who he had little to say about.

"So, what brings you here tonight?" He asks me.

"My mother wanted to look for new possible associates and she wanted me to come. And you?" I asked being polite even though I was quite sure he was here for his brother.

"My brothers had asked the rest of my family to go with him." I nod to acknowledge him, but before I could speak Tenya added something to his earlier statement.

"And my mother had mentioned you would be here and I wanted to see you."

"Don't blush. Stay composed" I think to myself. "Stay cool and collected"

"Ah, well that's all very kind of you. I didn't know you would be here, but I'm so glad you are." I show my appreciation for him.

"Would you like to dance with me?" He asked. I turn my head quickly in confusion. I was even more confused when he presented me with his hand.

"Oh, he's being serious right now" I try to figure out where it came from.

I take a deep breath and take his hand. We begin to walk over to the area where people are dancing together. All of the older couples with the exception of an older woman with a young and attractive hero.

"I'll warn you now Tenya. I'm awful at dancing." I laugh softly as we approach the area.

"Don't bring yourselves down, Y/N"

He had his left hand firmly but gently placed to my hip. I securely wrapped my arms around him with our right hands locked together. I would gaze upon his eyes, and he would smile back. The rhythm of our bodies that danced slowly with the elegant music was nervous at first, but as I became more confident under his touch the movements became more passionate.

He twirled me around, dipping me as he'd lean forward closer to me. I could feel his stare the entire time as his breathing became shallow. With our bodies nearly touching one another's and our faces so close to each other, to my surprise, my face would turn to a light shade of pink while my heart would begin to race. As our eyes locked there was something between us. A moment spark lite up. Tenya had taken in a deep breath, as he pulled me back up into his arms.

We both nervously smiled before making our way out of the dancing area.

"I wanna ask you something" He stated, before I had the chance to respond he had taken my head and began walking towards a back door. We stepped out into the cold. The back had a small garden and 2 benches. We sat down at one of the benches in the garden.

"Is everything okay?" I ask, worried by his odd behavior. He had grabbed my hands into his as our bodies turned each other.

" Y/n. I think your very intelligent, hardworking, engaging, witty, and captivating, I would go as far as to say that you are irresistible. And I just wanted you to know that I would be overjoyed and blissful if I could be your significant other." He spoke quickly, I can tell it was planned but I didn't care about that.

"Are you being honest right now?" I ask, unsure if I truly believe him.

"Of course I am. And whatever you say is fine. What matters is your happiness."

I was filled with joy at this moment. I couldn't hold my composure. Blood ran to my cheeks and I couldn't help but smile brightly.

"I would be joyous if you were my boyfriend Tenya." I smile at him as I tried to stay as composed as possible at this moment. But I don't think it matters as I see his face light up with joy, like a small child would when they heard the familiar song of the ice cream truck go through their neighborhood.

"That's fantastic! I was hoping that you would feel the same way! My brother said you did, but I was still nervous about this."

"So you planned this?" I ask, my face still bright with a smile.

"Of course, I wanted to make sure it meant something. Cause you mean everything to me."

#mha imagines #mha #mha iida #tenya iida x reader #bnha #Fanfic Request #fanfic

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hd-fan-fair · 4 years

Photo

THE MASTERLIST OF H/D SEX FAIR 2020 FANWORKS

View the full list on [AO3] or under the cut below!

( Fanwork posted in chronological order by type )

ART

1. herman_the_moth | Tumblr: caroll-in drew How hard can it be? (Digital Comic, Mature) Summary:

2. chachisoo | Tumblr: creeeee drew Revelio! (Digital, Teen and Up) Summary:

3. Pinky_Wisteria | Tumblr: snarkyships-drarryside drew Handling Dragons (Digital, Teen and Up) Summary:

4. digthewriter drew I plan on getting very wet. (Digital, Mature) Summary:

When they arrived at their private beach holiday, they didn't expect it to rain all the time. Oh well, boys can still find a way to have fun.

5. Pinkelephant42 | Tumblr: Pinkelephant42 drew The Dragon's Boy (Digital Comic, Explicit) Summary:

Harry is chosen to be the next sacrifice to the dragon, but it turns out this dragon is interested in Harry for entirely different reasons.

6. sugareey drew The Art of Trust (Digital, Mature) Summary:

One piece of rope offers what Harry and Draco seek the most from each other.

7. Pinky_Wisteria | Tumblr: snarkyships-drarryside drew (Intimidating) Brand New World (Digital Comic, Mature) Summary:

ART & FIC

8. p1013 drew and wrote as much a light as a flame (6303, Explicit) Summary:

9. Zigster drew and wrote Starkissed (32631, Explicit) Summary:

PODFIC

10. Bluedreaming read Infuse With Affection, Enchant With Love by bafflinghaze (1.5 Hours, Teen and Up) Summary:

But Harry doesn’t know any of this. So when he sees Malfoy in a shop of charmed necklaces, he immediately tries his best to uncover Malfoy’s machinations.

11. smirkingcat read Things Worth Paying For (1.5 Hours, Explicit) Summary:

After leaving post-war Britain for Paris, Draco is finally happy, with friends and a job he loves, But then his newest client turns out to be Harry Potter, and everything changes.

FIC

12. palendrome (nerdherderette) wrote Three Wishes (10161, Explicit) Summary:

Draco meets his fairy godmother and is granted three wishes. Unfortunately, they all keep coming back to the same thing.

********** Pop!

"Oh, wow," Vince says, and is that sarcasm Draco hears? "I never saw that coming."

13. Maraudersaffair wrote H.A.G.S. (Hogwarts Alliance for Gender and Sexuality) (9517, Explicit) Summary:

14. dracoismytrashson wrote You Don't Know Me (Like You Used To) (33106, Explicit) Summary:

"Buy me a drink as compensation for maiming me?" he asks.

Sometimes it only takes a week to change everything. The story of how twenty-five-year-old Draco Malfoy hit one Harry Potter with a door and knocked both of their lives into somewhere entirely new.

15. bafflinghaze wrote the best treasure is up Harry’s arse (2891, Explicit) Summary:

Harry and Draco probably had a tumultuous time getting together, filled with angst and denial and pining and brooding. However, this is not that story. Here, Draco makes Harry come (more than once).

16. Orpheous87 wrote Breakin' the Rules (3146, Teen and Up) Summary:

17. tigersilver wrote The HogShagMan (31685, Mature) Summary:

18. Gnarf wrote Let's not wait for France (17714, Teen and Up) Summary:

An accidental bond with Malfoy that resulted in them having to stay together at all times was the final straw.

Things couldn't be worse. So much to a quiet year in Hogwarts.

19. GallifreyisBurning wrote Take All That You See (19666, Teen and Up) Summary:

20. gracerene wrote True Children Still (34240, Explicit) Summary:

21. RoonilWazlibMalfoy wrote Asking For A Friend? (13734, Explicit) Summary:

22. fluxweed wrote All I Have to Do (9575, Explicit) Summary:

The Patented Daydream Charm (Adult Edition) allows you to enter a top-quality, highly realistic thirty-minute sexual fantasy. Solitude and privacy spells advised.

Or: Draco finally has some alone time; Harry just needs to nip in for a book.

23. simeysgirl wrote Take My Wonder (3949, Explicit) Summary:

Harry Potter is the author of very well-written children's text books. Joshua Starkweather is the author of not-so-well-written erotic fiction. Only one person knows that they are one and the same.

24. Ladderofyears wrote (There Is Nothing) More Than This (5431, Explicit) Summary:

25. disapparater wrote the space between (what you want and what you need) (13601, Mature) Summary:

As a specialist Healer in dark magic, Draco has had his fair share of difficult cases and awkward patients. Still, nothing has prepared him for a curse-paralysed Harry Potter.

26. FreddieFoxBaxter wrote Walk in the sun (18233, Explicit) Summary:

(Features drunken confessions, bathrooms, a lot of smut, sexy pictures, panties, cats and only one bed)

27. Countingcr0ws wrote You Need to Just Do Whatever You Want (7998, General) Summary:

A story in which Draco is Cupid (sort of).

28. PollyWeasley wrote Under my Skin (8258, Explicit) Summary:

29. Drarryismymuse wrote Glory, glory! (16898, Explicit) Summary:

30. Enchanted_Jae wrote Husbandly Duties (2108, Explicit) Summary:

Draco and Harry leave their wedding after-party early for some quality one-on-one time.

31. Yesimawriter wrote Sex, Relationships & Love (3873, Mature) Summary:

32. Poison_literature wrote Disparate (6022, Teen and Up) Summary:

Ever since he went to Hogwarts, Draco realized that he wasn't quite the same as the others.

Or: Draco Malfoy over the years as he tries to understand and accept his sexuality.

33. Archaic_Nepenthes wrote Silver Scales in Pools of Green (26603, Explicit) Summary:

That is, until everything falls apart when he has an audience with green eyes...

34. unadulteratedstorycollector wrote It's So Hard (9170, Explicit) Summary:

Draco has posed for some interesting photos, and it is currently making things very... hard for Harry.

35. xanthippe74 wrote On Your Shore (35113, Mature) Summary:

36. lyonessheart wrote A Little Less Broken (6417, Mature) Summary:

After the war Draco thought he would never feel again. But a mix of revenge gone wrong and Harry Potter, might help him to feel just a little less broken.

37. Ischa wrote Always (20147, Explicit) Summary:

38. blowfish_diaries wrote Absurd. (3773, Explicit) Summary:

When Draco discovers a kink that Harry's been hiding from him, he has no choice but to explore said kink, right? Right.

39. Postjentacular wrote For Want Of Five Minutes (And a Locked Door) (4333, Mature) Summary:

It’s hard enough to get five minutes to yourself in a house of five kids, nevermind getting five minutes with your boyfriend for anything else.

40. acupforslytherin wrote Let Out the Beast (9649, Explicit) Summary:

41. Erebeus wrote Flowers, Dildos and Other Courtship Gifts (15853, Teen and Up) Summary:

Or two emotional gay disasters fall in love in the middle of autumn.

42. glittering_git wrote he touched me, so I live to know (4729, Mature) Summary:

Five times Harry Potter is unsure about touching someone and one time he isn’t.

43. MistyDeath wrote cut my name into your lip (6321, Explicit) Summary:

Harry can't take it anymore. Seriously. If Malfoy chews on the end of his quill/licks his spoon/sucks on the papercut on his finger one more time, Harry's going to put an end to it.

44. ebbet wrote Realities, Unfurling (45487, Mature) Summary:

Draco Malfoy is released from Azkaban into a changed world.

45. Nympha_Alba wrote The Delicate Balance of Light and Shade (13288, Explicit) Summary:

46. Pineau_noir wrote Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) (9181, Explicit) Summary:

Sex is hard to come by when you're 40 and have kids.

Or: Five times Harry and Draco tried and failed to have sex and one time they were successful.

47. Cibee (Cibeeeee) wrote The Spoiling of Sex From Enthusiastic Ignorance (6079, Explicit) Summary:

48. epsilonargus wrote you killed me on the moon (4906, Explicit) Summary:

'You barely know me. We do not know each other.’

An A/B/O Royalty!AU wherein a desperate Slytherin prince faces a proposal from the conquering Gryffindor king.

49. M0stlyVoid wrote i just want your extra time and your... (9058, Explicit) Summary:

50. Oldenuf2nb wrote The Kisses Don’t Count, If No One Else Knows (41492, Explicit) Summary:

51. VeelaWings wrote You Do Your Body Work, I Feel My Pulse Working Overtime (1627, Explicit) Summary:

Harry did not have an addiction to watching Draco masturbate on camera. He could stop any time he wanted to. Really.

52. letsdothepanic wrote Right Romantic Setting (6266, Explicit) Summary:

53. pixiedustatsundown wrote Portrait of a Marriage (130627, Mature) Summary:

54. sassy_cissa wrote Regardless of desire, life hands you who you are (29803, Explicit) Summary:

When Draco finds himself wrongly accused – of course it's Potter who swoops in to save the day. Isn't it always Potter?

#hd sex fair #Harry Potter #Draco Malfoy #Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter #drarry fic #drarry art #drarry podfic #reveals are here!

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queenof-literature · 4 years

Text

Signs

Hi all! I hope you enjoy part 4 of my Hero of Wild series. For more information on the signs, please click here if you’re interested.

I just wanted to be upfront and say that this is in no way an exact portrayal of ASL or the culture surrounding it. Hylians are fictional and would therefore have different signs. I based it off of vocabulary from ASL. I know basic sign to help my fellow peers in Special Education, but I am not fluent and am only basing it loosely off of ASL and putting a twist on it I think Wild’s Hyrule would have developed over the centuries. I of course don’t know Wild’s Hyrule’s sign, so these are just my personal headcanons for how I think it would be. Thank you!

“I think we need to make name signs for ourselves.” Twilight pitched his idea while Sky was off distracting Wild. They were currently in Sky’s Hyrule on the surface. Wild’s first time going through a portal went well enough. He went through last with his hand on his slate. Twilight assumed it felt a little bit like a trap, that a group he didn’t know very well told him to go through a mysterious portal. Wild seemed used to strange magic at least, or whatever his slate was. Wild had told Twilight it wasn’t magic but Twilight had a hard time believing that.

It seemed their new member was similar to their traveler in the fact they had to do their best to keep them from running away to explore. Still they both often ran off the path when they saw something interesting to them, Four and Wind joining them sometimes.

Twilight had told Sky his idea of giving signs to each of them for Wild to communicate better and quicker. If he needed a specific item from someone during a fight, quick and efficient would be key. Not to mention the kid shouldn’t have to be forced to finger spell one of their names everytime. Sky smiled and told him what a great idea that was, and that he would give Wild a miniature tour while Twilight brought it up to the group. He didn’t want to spring it upon both Wild and the other Links at the same time, that just seemed like a recipe for disaster.

“Name signs? You mean in sign language?” Legend asked curiously.

“Yeah for Wild. It makes no sense to have the kid continuously fingerspell out names.” Twilight confirmed glancing over to Time.

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that. Since our nicknames are more based on nature or objects, why doesn’t Wild just use his signs? Why doesn’t he just sign Sky?” Warriors asked carefully.

“That’s a slippery slope.” Four spoke for Twilight. “That could cause confusion based on context. It would be easier to assign specific names.”

“That sounds cool but how do we do that?” Wind asked with a tilted head.

“Well when I was working with my grandfather, a girl my age and her family came in. She couldn’t hear very well so her family learned sign. Her father talked to my grandfather about it. Apparently it’s easiest if you take a personality or a defining characteristic, like a personality or hair color or something, and have a twist to it. Her name was Lily, so they signed the sign for a lily flower with the sign for I think happy in front of it? I don’t remember very well but it’s like that.” Four spoke up. The others nodded in interest and began whispering about what their signs could be.

“That’s a good idea. Should we just do our hero titles and a defining trait?” Warriors asked.

“That sounds fine, but we should probably ask Wild what he wants since he will be the main person using them.” Time spoke up, to which the group all agreed.

“Okay well I sent Sky off with him. I didn’t want to spring this upon everyone at once.” Twilight stated, barely resisting beaming when Time nodded in approval.

“Good idea, Pup.” Time smiled as the group descended into evening chatter once again. It hadn’t been a hard day of travel, but it had been longer than usual to find a space Sky deemed safe enough. For now the group settled down for the evening.

Wild didn’t know why Sky was distracting him but he played along for now, doing well to hide his nerves. Maybe he had done something wrong? Something the group hadn’t liked? Sky seemed too nice to be leading him to his execution, but maybe that was the point. Sky seemed too nice in general. He was far too warm and accepting to him, especially right away. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew the others stared at his scars when they thought he wasn’t looking. Had the Master Sword told Sky of his failure? Perhaps the group knew of him dying 100 years ago, and they were going to take care of him before it happened again.

It was a shame. Wild liked them so far, especially Twilight. He seemed so warm and willing to help. And Hyrule seemed similar to Wild in their love of exploring. And Four was accepting of almost anyone, no matter what. Was it all a facade? Knowing Wild’s luck it certainly was. He didn’t think they were Yiga, the Master Sword soothed those fears and told Wild to trust them without using any words at all. Yet that was before they truly knew him. Had the Master Sword changed its mind?

If he was ambushed by the very group he was supposed to trust, fellow Heroes of Courage, he knew a part of him would die. Even if he didn’t know them very well, they were a part of his past, present, and perhaps his future. Incarnations of the same soul passed down and changed for millenia. If they deemed Wild unworthy, he would move on, but a deep part of him would remember and always feel pain that his own past incarnations hated him.

Still for now he listened to Sky talk about his Hyrule. If he wasn’t so deep in his thoughts he would find it more fascinating, but he had plenty to bring back to Zelda. If he made it back to her. Another wave of fear swept over him. What if the group was the only way to get to other worlds? He couldn’t make portals appear on a whim! According to Time, Hylia herself even seemed to struggle to put them in the right place! If they ambushed him, he would fight and he would run. But would he be trapped in a distant Hyrule forever, centuries apart from the Goron, Rito, Gerudo, Zora, and most importantly Zelda? If he had no way to return to his Hyrule that he knew and loved, he would be trapped in this warped reality, forever hunted by the real Link who lived here. Leaving Zelda to fix the kingdom he had a hand in ruining.

Wild (perhaps he wouldn’t have that name for long now, although he truly loved it), barely noticed them approaching their campsite for the evening. Wild readied his hand to launch to his slate. He wasn’t going down without a fight, but he would never attack these fellow heroes first. Wild was met with the curious eyes of the other Links around what would soon be a cooking fire.

This was it.

“So, Wild.” Twilight spoke up. Oh Hylia, why did it have to be Twilight? The very man who offered comfort after his first nightmare within the group. Had he forsaken Hylia that much? “We were talking, and we thought maybe you could teach us some more of your sign? Since it’s changed so much over the years. And maybe we could come up with name signs for each other to make communicating easier?”

Oh.

Wild looked genuinely shocked at the boys wanting to learn his language, which made Twilight feel far more sad than he was expecting. Between his distrust of any other Hylians and his shock at someone wanting to communicate with him in his own way, it was clear that there had been many people who had hurt Wild.

‘You don’t have to.’ Wild signed, snapping out of his shock.

“We want to Wild.” Wind reassured, along with the rest of the group. Wild could feel his face warming up, not knowing what to say. He thought they were going to hunt him!

“Um. Well we were thinking you could teach us how to say our hero titles, and then we could all choose a personality or physical trait that defines us? And we could combine them to make the name sign? It’s completely up to you, it’s just an idea.” Twilight pitched.

‘...are you sure?’ Wild signed hesitantly. He didn’t want to make any trouble within the group.

“Yeah Wild! It sounds fun anyway!” Wind exclaimed, attempting to dial up his excited tone to assure Wild they were happy to do it.

‘Okay. Thank you.’ Wild signed as heartfelt as he could. The rest of the team smiled at the boy’s acceptance.

“Are you okay with the idea we had to make them?” Time asked, to which Wild simply nodded. “Okay, we’ll have you combine them, but let us know if it’s too complicated and we’ll choose something else.” Wild nodded at Time once again, signaling that was fine with him.

“Okay! Who wants to go first?” Twilight clapped his hands, glancing around the group members.

“I can. I’m fine with anything that’s not insulting.” Legend volunteered, tacking on the end when he noticed Warriors’ large smile.

“Well that’s easy! You have a pink strand of hair, and your name is Legend! Let’s combine those!” Wind said excitedly. Legend simply shrugged in acceptance.

“Wild, how do you say those?” Wild paused for a moment. Legend was a person and not a fairy tale, so he should use the sign that leaned more towards legacy and not stories. He placed his left hand, the index finger straight up, the middle finger at an angle while the rest of his fingers curled down. Making a downward stroking potion with the curved finger on his chin, mouthing pink along with the sign. Wild then formed his hands into curved triangles, pinching his fingers together. Placing his hands in front of him with the left above the right, making two motions to shift the hands from the left side of his body to the right. To his surprise the rest of the group copied it to the best of their ability, including Legend who didn’t even seem to want to participate in this.

“I’m fine with that.” Legend stated simply, confirming the sign as his. No one brought up him practicing it close to his chest for far longer than necessary.

“I assume mine is going to be Time and Old Man?” Time asked in amusement.

“Nah, we can do better than that.” Warriors smirked. “How about your ocarina? We could combine Time and music?” Warriors pitched. Time nodded, he enjoyed that well enough. He silently appreciated that it also connected him to the Kokiri.

Wild nodded and mouthed time as he moved his right hand like a dial before shifting to the sign for music, moving his right hand in a sweeping motion above his left arm cradled to his chest. The rest of the group copied, Time nodded.

“If we’re in battle, you can sign these with one hand right? The rest of us should be able to know what you’re referring to.” Four asked Wild, who smiled and nodded.

“Let’s do Four next!” Sky spoke up.

“Isn't the sign for Four still just four fingers held up?” Four asked curiously.

“Ugh that’s boring. What if you’re ‘Colors’ instead because of your tunic?” Wind questioned.

“Wind! Don’t call the Hero of Four Swords’ title boring!” Sky chided, although Four looked oddly pleased at the idea of being deemed ‘Colors’ in sign.

“I like it. Maybe with metal or blacksmithing?” Four nodded to Wild. Wild’s nose scrunched up thought, before nodding brightly. ‘Color’ he mouthed as he spread his left palm out, facing his chin as he tapped the index and middle finger against it. The rest of the group copied. Wild then moved the ‘metal’ which shifted to the hand being in a hook shape, tapping the index finger on his chin once again.

“That’s easy enough.” Four’s small smile had grown the slightest bit wider at his sign. Four was sure it wasn’t as sophisticated as a group of people who were more involved with sign could come up with, but this worked perfectly for their new team.

“Me next!” Wind waved his hand. “Well there’s wind and then… something with music! No! Something with boats! Or pirates! No the sea! That incorporates it all!” Wind yelled out his ideas in rapid succession. Wild waited until the teen finally settled on wind and sea. Wild bit his lip. That would be sort of hard to combine. He used the sign for ‘Sea’, the left palm spread out and facing to the side, tapping his index finger on his chin. Although instead of finishing the sign in the normal fashion, he shifted it to the sign for Wind, keeping his palms spread and facing each other. He then moved his hands in two little circles.

“That's perfect!” Wind exclaimed while copying the motion many more times.

Wild pointed to Warriors next.

“Oh, me next?” Warriors asked. Wild nodded, he had a good idea for Warriors. He moved his right hand in a curly zigzag with three curves. “Does that not combine anything?” Warriors asked, seemingly hiding his disappointment that it seemed not much thought was out in it. Wild bit his lip, taking out the journal Four had given him for talking around the campfire when his signs were too complicated.

‘It combines the sign for sword fight and soldier with the sign for writing. You seem to like writing and drawing in your books. Do you want a new one?’ Wild wrote on one of the pages before passing it to Warriors. Realization dawned on him as he read the pages.

“Oh! Sorry Wild I was just confused. I thought it was just a sign for sword. No, I like it!” Warriors smiled at Wild as he passed the book around for the others to see. There were a couple comments about how it fit well and how Wild was good at this, which made Wild blush lightly.

“How about me?” Sky asked after a moment of silence, being careful not to speak over anyone else.

“What do you want your characteristic to be?” Four asked. “Maybe warm? You have a very warm personality.” Four smirked at Sky’s blush.

“I was thinking maybe red? My loftwing that I told you about is crimson colored.” Sky asked Wild. “If not that's okay I can think of something else.” Wild smiled and shook his head, this one would be easy! He mouthed ‘red’, stroking his chin twice with his left index finger, the rest of his fingers curled in a fist. He then mouth ‘sky’ as he swept his arm grandly upwards towards the trees above.

“That’s pretty! Will you understand it if we use a smaller motion for the sky sign? Just if we’re in a rush?” Sky questioned. Wild thought for a minute. It was slightly similar to other signs in different contexts if the motions were smaller, but having the red in front of it would solidify what they were saying. After a few moments of thought, Wild nodded.

“For mine, maybe we should do what we did for Four and not use my hero title? Just because my name is already confusing sometimes with Hyrule the land and Hyrule me.” Hyrule spoke up, looking slightly sheepish.

“If that’s what you're comfortable with ‘Rule.” Legend reassured. “How about Traveler?”

Wild started furiously scribbling before Hyrule could confirm that he liked that name, everyone pausing to let Wild finish.

‘I don’t know traveler in sign, I can’t remember and no one ever taught me again, it’s just blank. I would usually just say yes to being a traveler or say I’m a wanderer. Sorry Hyrule.’ As if to express his apology more clearly, Wild had drawn a large sad face next to the text he had written. Wild always wrote extremely small in his book, as if not wanting to overuse the gift Four had given him. It was a nice change of pace to see something larger on the pages.

“That’s okay, Wild! I’m okay with Wanderer too!” Hyrule laughed. “What about the other sign?”

“How about magic? No one’s better at magic than you ‘Rule.” Twilight suggested, causing Hyrule to burn red.

“I mean I just needed it for my journey. It’s fun though! I like being able to take out a bunch of monsters at the same time-” Wild tuned out Hyrule’s explanation to think of how to combine those signs. He tried to make them easy and short, for both battle and for conversation. He waited until the group quieted down, turning their attention to him. He mouthed ‘wanderer’ as he swayed his right index finger back and forth. He would replace the beginning of the magic sign with that, instead of clenching his fingers together. He then mouthed ‘magic’, quickly clenching a fist and releasing it with flare, as if casting a spell on the ground below.

“I love it!” Hyrule beamed as the others repeated the sign.

“My turn I suppose?” Twilight turned to Wild, who was writing on the page again.

‘I can’t say twilight, but I can say dusk.’ The page said.

“That’s alright.” Twilight reassured.

“What’s his other name going to be?” Wind asked the group.

“Country?”

“Goats?”

“Rancher?” Wild pondered all of these suggestions. Nothing quite fit together. An idea struck Wild’s brain like lightning when he had his royal claymore out in a storm.

‘Wolf.’ Wild wrote in large letters on half of the page so everyone could see. The others looked slightly confused, but Wild simply pointed to the pelt on Twilight’s shoulders.

“Wild, are you sure?” Twilight asked, gritting his teeth slightly.

“What Wild says goes. Besides, I think it suits you just fine, Pup.” Time spoke over the others, enunciating the word ‘Pup’ with all the teasing venom he had, causing the group to roar with laughter. Twilight couldn’t believe this! Betrayed! By his own mentor! Although all of Twilight’s rage dissipated when he looked over to see Wild silently shaking with laughter. As usual the boy made no noise with his mouth, but he didn’t have to. Twilight could see the joy on his face. It struck him that he had never seen Wild laugh like that before, but it seemed natural, like he should be doing it all the time. Twilight supposed if this was the result he didn’t mind the sign so much. Besides, he secretly liked it anyway.

Wild waited for the group to calm down before making Twilight’s sign. He mouth ‘wolf’ as he formed what looked to be a snout in front of his face, keeping his thumb and index finger together, he made a circle and brought it down. Twilight actually really liked his sign, he thought it reflected him very well.

‘Thank you.’ Wild said again once they were done assigning names, being met with a chorus of ‘no problem’ and ‘of course’. Wild started to stand to make the cooking fire for dinner tonight, committing all the signs to his memory. Ever since he had joined, he had taken over the cooking in the evenings. In the mornings a lot of people did their own thing. Some made themselves a full meal, while others just ate an apple on the road later when they were actually hungry.

“Wait, Wild!” Wind piped, causing Wild to freeze. Oh no had he forgotten someone? That would be so embarrassing.

“You forgot your name sign!” Sky finished. Wild’s nose scrunched up once again, picking up the journal once again.

‘I can just refer to myself?’ Wild was confused as to why he needed one. The others seemed to be alright at talking, but maybe Wild was mistaken.

“Well yeah, but you gave us all names, it’s our turn.” Hyrule began.

“And at this point it might as well be a team thing.” Four finished. Wild’s brain went blank for a moment. A team thing? He was a part of the team now? Officially? Wild didn’t expect anything to solidify that, he was just expecting to continue to trail along like a lost puppy. Wild bit back a smile and nodded.

“Okay we have to make this one really good.”

“It at least has to involve nature.”

“And destruction.”

“Really Legend?”

“What? You saw how the guy fought that Lynel. Make his name fire or something.”

“No! It has to be something cool like morning wood or something.”

“No no no no no no no no no.”

“What why? It’s cool?”

“Wind, no!”

“But why?”

“I’ll explain when you’re older.”

“Oh fuck you!”

“What about fire and grass?” Twilight called out, halting all conversations. The group looked at him curiously. “It shows his Wild title and his Hyrule. Also he lit a shit ton of grass on fire when we met him. The group all nodded, deeming this title fighting of their new member.

“Is that okay, Wild?” Sky asked gently. Wild nodded enthusiastically. Grass and fire, some his favorite things. He mouth ‘grass’ as he tucked his thumb against his right palm, sweeping his index finger over the side of his mouth once before dragging it down in front of his chest in a circle to imitate flames.

“Perfect!” Twilight resisted clapping his hand on Wild’s shoulder. The rest of the group was fine with casual touching, Twilight had to keep reminding himself that Wild was different in that aspect. That was fine, they were figuring it out one by one.

The group settled down once again to chat while Wild cooked dinner, signing as best as they could as they talked. Even though Wild could hear them fine, it was good practice. Overall, it looked to be a peaceful evening.

“Wait, can someone do the signs for me again?”

Thank you for reading! Once again, for more information on the signs, please click here if you’re interested.

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wizardessheart-sideb · 3 years

Photo

When my alarm went off, I was tired, but excited. That weird shaky feeling that comes from too little sleep mingled with excitement as I pulled on the Night Class uniform and got ready for my day. And it didn’t go away as I made my way to classes. Sure, it’d gone away for a little bit when I met my other suite mates, Aika and Dorian, but as soon as I stepped out of our suite, it came back. As I got to campus, I read my class info off my inanimate Acceptance Letter. Room 3-A… Here it is!

I opened the door to see most everyone was already there. And with good reason. The late bell rang and I flung myself into a seat between a boy with purple hair and a girl with bright green curls. At the front of the classroom there were four people. One was a guy a bit older than me with striking blue hair. Maybe one of the Prefects? Beside him were a woman and two girls that looked my age. The girl with curly brown hair and haphazardly-worn uniform looked older, but the one with silver pigtails looked younger. Unlike the other girl, her uniform was in perfect order. The bell rang and the guy started clapped his hands.

“All right, listen up,” he announced. “Today we’re having a guest lecturer and I expect all of you to behave. You’ll be having this special class instead of our usual homeroom for the next couple weeks since you’re all giving Rex and me trouble. Behave.” So that’s Prefect Nox. He gave us a stern look before leaving. The woman just laughed and gave us all a warm smile.

“That’s a way to start class,” she commented. “Hello, everyone! How are we feeling this evening besides vaguely threatened?”

Only the boy next to me and I replied, saying we were okay.

“Well, I’m glad you two are good. I’m gonna guess everyone’s a little tired?” she asked. The girl next to me nodded. “That’s fine. This is an early class for you guys. I get it. Well, I’m just going to go ahead. I’m Dr. Theresa. Some of you are probably familiar with mine and my husband’s business. Or you may know my daughters, Opal and Ruby.” The older one waved and smiled. Her sister copied her, albeit she was a little stiff and didn’t make eye contact. The girl next to me raised her hand.

“Are you a real doctor?” she asked.

“I am!” Dr. Theresa replied. “I went to med school and now I’m a practicing gynecologist. I’d like a doctorate in human sexuality as well, but I’m not keen on the idea of going back to school. I think we can all agree school’s a little draining.” Huh? She’s a gynecologist? Human sexuality?

The pieces fell into place in my mind and my cheeks flared with color.

Oh no. Oh no no no no no.

“My doctorate may not be in human sexuality,” Dr. Theresa continued. “But I’m more than qualified to teach you all about sex education!”

OH NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! I want to learn magic! Not about sex!

“Ruby, please hand out the syllabus. We’ll go over that today and then we’ll get started with anatomy.”

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!

Even though Dr. Theresa was nice, she set the tone for today. I wasn’t as ready as I thought I’d be. I struggled with all my spells that day and classes were hard. But now our last class was done and it was time to go back to my dorm. I’ve really bit off more than I can chew, haven’t I? But at least I’m not Fandamilia… I looked to the girl next to me. She’d been acting funny since Dr. Theresa’s lecture. Maybe she’s new too?

“Hey, uh, Fandamilia, right?” I spoke up. She perked up, looking confused.

“Huh? Were you talking?” she asked.

“No, I just called you. Um, are you okay?” I inquired. Immediately her demeanor changed, from confused and tired to looking perky and smiling widely. To be honest, something about it struck me as weird.

“Oh, yeah I’m fine! We just learned a lot today,” she replied.

“Yeah. I wasn’t expecting a sex ed lecture this morning.”

“Me too! Sex is so gross, I can’t believe people want to have it,” she shuddered.

“It’s a problem. I’m surprised they waited until now to have that class. We needed it at the beginning of the year. I guess they wanted to wait until we got our transfer students here.” The dude with bad vibes that sat by Fandamilia spoke up. He looked over to me and my neighbor, Tsukasa.

“Well, we might as well all learn it at the same time,” Tsukasa shrugged.

“I’d prefer to just. Not,” Fandamilia said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She slumped in her chair. The guy with bad vibes looked a little uncomfortable as he stood up, grabbing Fandamilia’s arm.

“Come on, Millie. Let’s go to the Night Cafe and get something to eat,” he said. The Night Cafe? Isabelle told me about that last night. To be honest, I could really go for a snack...

“That’s a great idea, Viggo! Let’s go!” Again, she perked up almost immediately, shoving her things into her backpack. “You guys should come too!” she added, looking from me to Tsukasa.

“Sure, I’ll come along,” he said.

“I’ll come too!” I said. Viggo frowned as we got up, but I tried to ignore it. After all, this was going to be fun! I would go and have some food with my classmates and we’d become friends. This could save the day!

The Night Cafe looked like a run of the mill pub. A few other students were in there. A few were in duos, but most were sitting and snacking alone. Fandamilia slid into a booth and eagerly knocked on the table. A drink that looked like muddy water appeared in front of her and she immediately got started on it. Viggo grimaced as he slid into the seat next to her.

“Pace yourself, Millie,” Viggo told her. He knocked on the table and a glass of water appeared. He pushed it towards her.

“Uh, how did you do that?” Tsukasa asked.

“Oh, right. That’s how you order. Just think of whatever drink or snack you want and knock on the table!” Fandamilia told us. Huh. Okay. I thought of a milkshake and knocked. In an instant, a lavish milkshake appeared before me.

“That’s cool!” Tsukasa said. He knocked and a sundae appeared in front of him. His face lit up and he immediately dug in. Viggo ordered a glass of water and a sandwich and pushed them towards Fandamilia. “How’s your milkshake?”

“It’s great! How’s your sundae?” I asked back.

“It’s good!” he said, nodding enthusiastically.

“Great, there you are!” An unfamiliar voice spoke up. I looked up to see a tall guy with periwinkle hair come sauntering over to us. Fandamilia squealed, bouncing in her seat. Viggo tensed, lips pursing into a thin line.

“Zeus! You came to see me?!” I could hear her being starstruck in her voice. I couldn’t blame her. The dude was pretty hot.

“Nah, I’m here for the newbies,” he said. Her smile changed into something that struck fear into my heart. Okay, you know what, never mind. He’s not as hot as I thought he was.

“Oh,” she replied softly.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Tsukasa spoke up. He introduced me before adding on, “And I’m Tsukasa.”

“I know who you are. Come with me,” Zeus motioned for us to follow him.

“Is it urgent?” I asked. I mean, of course I’d go with him, but I’d like to finish my milkshake first.

“Very urgent,” he replied with a wide grin that didn’t instill confidence in me.

“What’s going on?” Tsukasa asked.

“You’re going to become real Night Class students!” Zeus told us.

“Uh… We’re undergoing our Trial already?” Panic started to settle in. I thought I had thirteen days! Why was this happening now?!

“No! Man, you guys are slow on the uptake. You have do some tasks to prove you’re brave enough to be in the Night Class,” Zeus said with a slight pout.

“You’re hazing them?” Fandamilia asked.

“No!”

“That’s exactly what it is,” Viggo spoke up, reaching over and taking a swig of Fandamilia’s drink. He wrinkled his nose a bit as it went down.

“Why do you want to haze them? We’re all Unus students,” Fandamilia asked.

“We were hazed, so they should be too.” Fandamilia’s strained smile slipped off her face in a second, a look of anger replacing it.

“That’s terrible! … I, oh my gosh, I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean that!” If she didn’t look so terrified and if Zeus wasn’t pissing me off, I’d think it was funny how many face journeys she was going on. Now she looked distraught, large amethyst eyes pleading with Zeus, who just looked irritated.

“Well, clearly you did, otherwise you wouldn’t have said it,” he told her and she shrunk in her seat even more.

“I-I just, um, I mean, just because we were humiliated doesn’t mean they have to be too. Wouldn’t you rather save them from that pain?”

“No,” he answered. Fandamilia’s knuckles were white as she gripped the water Viggo got her. I was worried she was going to break it.

“That’s so selfish! You shouldn’t want that!” she exploded.

“Why not? Scaring people’s pretty funny.” Now Zeus just looked confused as Fandamilia glared at him.

“No it’s not!” she shouted. He rolled his eyes and although I hadn’t known Fandamilia for long, I was ready to die defending her.

“Ugh, it’s not a big deal! Can’t you just shut up about it?” he demanded. Fandamilia’s eyes were full of tears and rage burned inside me.

“Hey, you know what? Fine. I’ll undergo the hazing if you leave us alone,” I spoke up. I already know he wants to scare me. To test me. Let’s see how well he deals with me passing his stupid test AND using my special magic to get back at him. Fandamilia was in tears because of this guy and I wasn’t about to let him get away with it. He grinned and grabbed my arm, hauling me to my feet.

The walk out of the Night Class was short and pretty easy. Zeus and I stood at the edge of a dark forest. It was a little creepy, but I was too mad to worry about what lurked in the shadows.

“So, what’s my challenge?” I asked.

“I hid a lantern in the forest. It’s gold and shaped like a sphere Go get it,” he instructed. “You have thirty minutes.”

“And if I don’t make it in time?” He grinned.

“You’ll find out.” I knew I’d make it in less time. “Your time starts now!” I walked into the forest, determined to get away from Zeus before I asked the animals where the lantern was. But how to have my revenge? Maybe I should wait the full time and then scream, and once he comes in to save me, I have some birds dive bomb him, or something. Or maybe I could just hide behind a tree and scare him. I had a lot of options.

I walked along the path, looking for an animal to talk to. I couldn’t see Zeus anymore and now he wouldn’t be able to hear me cheating. The tall bushes by me rustled and I headed off the path ever so slightly to chat with the animal.

“Hi, I’m sorry to bother you, but have you seen a lantern around here? It looks like a golden sphere,” I said as I got closer.

“I haven’t seen it, but I could make one for you.” I stepped back at the familiar voice. Zett appeared from behind the bushes, dressed in all black with that cool jacket I’d seen him in last time we met.

“Zett?!”

#zett wizardess heart #zett wh #wizardess heart fan route #wh fan route updates #wizardess heart

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winterreader-nowwriter · 4 years

Text

Can’t Sleep

Details: Tony Stark is an expert at all-nighters and bad self-care, this time it isn’t him staying up, it’s his daughter

Waking up, I got one of my first solid nights of sleep in awhile. I didn’t wake up during the night, no nightmares, and I actually went to sleep at a semi-reasonable hour. Dad knocks on my door, “Five o’clock, baby Avenger has to go to school”.

I stop at Starbucks and grab mine and Peter’s orders. It’s been one of our traditions since we started dating. It reminds us to appreciate the little things and it’s grounding because balancing school and Avengers is hard work. We are also teenagers and need coffee.

As soon, as school is over, I drive back to the Tower. Peter had Academic Decathlon so he had to stay at school, but normally he comes home with me and then eventually we go on patrol. One of my favorite authors just released the last book in the trilogy and I needed to read that book.

I’m halfway through my book on Monday night when Peter calls. I answer and smile when I hear his voice, “Hey babe, just wanted to check-in. You weren’t on patrol and you didn’t answer your phone. I’m not being clingy, I just wanted to make sure you weren’t kidnapped again.”

I sigh, “Yeah Peter, I’m good. That book I was telling you about came out today, so I’m only halfway through it”.

Peter raises his eyebrows, “You just got that book after school. That book’s eight hundred pages! You finished four hundred pages in six hours!”

I shrug, “It’s not that hard. I’ve had a lot of practice”.

Peter says, “Babe, I don’t get how you can read so fast. Your books are my legos. But try to get some sleep tonight”.

I just finished the book when Dad walks in, “Time to get ready for hormone-filled education”.

I blink surprised and look at the clock, “Oh, ok. Thanks, Dad!”

Before leaving, I drink a cup of black coffee and drive to school. Peter is waiting at my locker when I get there. He spins me around kissing me and then MJ interrupts, “Get a room losers”.

We both break away smiling. Peter looks at me and notices I look pretty tired. He frowns and asks, “When did you go to bed, you look pretty tired?”

I shrug, “I don’t know I wasn’t looking at the clock, but I finished the book”

“Which means you probably didn’t sleep”.

He’s still looking at me, so I turn and get my books from my locker. We head to class. During lunch, I make sure to grab another cup of coffee. Finally, the last bell rings, and Peter and I head back to the Tower.

At the end of the day, Peter offers to drive us back to the Tower, normally I drive, but he looks worried and I really don’t want to talk about it so I let Peter drive. I realized I’m definitely more tired than I thought. I started nodding off and before I realized it we’re back at the Tower. Peter probably would’ve let me sleep, but Sam and Bucky ran through getting ready for a mission. That thankfully woke me up.

We both go to the common room and finish our homework. Just as we start putting our books in our backpacks, Steve walks in, “Hey guys, dinner’s in twenty”

I smile, “Thanks Steve”

He walks away, presumably to tell the others. He prefers to tell us face to face, instead of just having F.R.I.D.A.Y. to tell us. After dinner, Peter and I go on patrol. Dad feels better when we go together and it’s more fun that way.

When we’re down, he heads home and I finish my homework and then head down to my lab and get started on my nanotech suit. Dad offered to just build it for me or let me copy the schematics, but I said I wanted to do it on my own. He asked me to finish it for the mission this weekend, so I knew I had to get it done. After a few hours, I’ve made significant progress, but the numbers and lines are starting to blur together. Knowing I should probably get some sleep, I decide to get the drink version of sleep: coffee. I grab a couple of cups of coffee and head back down. I’m almost finished with the nanotech suit and it’s 5 A.M, Wednesday morning. I’m on the last and probably the easiest step, but I can’t decide what I want the nanotech suit to shift into. Uncle Bruce walks up to me and ruffles my hair. “What if you put the suit into a necklace, so you can hide it easily and it won’t get in the way”.

“Good idea. Thanks!”

Bruce looks at me closely,” Are you having trouble sleeping?”

My heart skips a beat, “No, why?” I look at the clock and realize I’ve been awake for more than forty-eight hours.

Dad walks in, “Hey kiddo,” he looks up at me and pauses, scrunching his eyes, before saying, “You look tired. What’s up?”

“Nothing, I’m fine just a lot of schoolwork that’s all. We have a lot of tests, school ends in two months”.

Bruce still looks skeptical, but thankfully Mom calls out from the door to the lab, “Did someone forget to tell me that you have the day off or are you guys going to let Y/N get to school? Tony, you have a meeting you’ve been avoiding in fifteen minutes,” she gives him a stern look, “Don’t miss it. I’m on my way to a meeting”

Her heels click as she walks away. Taking that chance, I slip around them and head to school. I decided to skip breakfast since my stomach is not feeling too great. During lunch, I grab another cup of coffee and blink away the blurriness in my vision. M.J. notices, “What’s up with the coffee, loser? You look terrible.”

Peter turns around at that, “Yeah Y/N, you normally don’t drink coffee, just frappuccinos on Monday or hot chocolate”.

“Guys, just stop pushing, I’m fine. I can drink coffee if I want and I don’t need anyone’s permission”.

“Babe, you can do whatever you want, but I’m just worried about you”.

I sigh, “I get it, I’m just tired. I’m sorry for snapping at you”.

During physics, my second to last class of the day, I closed my eyes, for a second, and then my head slid down, and I jolted awake. Peter noticed and rubbed my shoulders, “Y/N, you alright?”

“Peter, I’m fine, just leave it alone” I snapped.

He looked hurt and I felt bad, but he kept pushing.

After school, we walk back to the Tower. Even though it’s pretty warm out, I’m cold, so I put one of my favorite hoodies on. Normally I drive, but I figured Dad would kill me if I crashed my car. Besides I was fine, I just didn’t feel up for driving. Once the elevator starts going up, I stumble into Peter and he catches me looking worried. I push off him and head to the kitchen where I grab a cup of coffee. I don’t see Peter, but I figured he probably went to his room to grab some stuff. After draining one cup, I pour myself another. Looking at the clock, I see I’m at 60 hours without sleep. I look around for Peter, but I don’t see him, so I decided to go to my lab before we start homework.

I start trying to transform the nanotech into a simple A-shaped necklace, but for some reason nothing makes sense. I reach for the coffee at my side when I see Dad grab the coffee from me before I can get it. Dad? When did he get here? I turn around quickly, but before I can say anything, my vision starts fading and I fall. I wake up a few seconds later. Confused, I realize I’m in someone’s arms. I smell motor oil and fancy cologne. I start trying to move around, but Dad’s voice stops me, “Kiddo, calm down. I got you. Hold on we’re almost there”.

I feel a soft bed underneath me and I open my eyes and see Dad’s face, his brown eyes crinkled in worry next to me. I try and sit up, but I get really dizzy and Dad pushes me back down. “Easy kiddo, stop moving. We’re going to talk later, but just relax and get some sleep”.

I start to protest, but he shushes me and runs his hands through my hair. Maybe it’s the sixty hours without sleep or his fingers through my hair, but I’m finally able to go to sleep. The last thing I hear is, “S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y., put Y/N’s room to Do Not Disturb”

When I wake up the light is streaming through the closed curtains and for the first time in a while, I’m not exhausted. Tired, but not exhausted. I start to get up, but before I can get out of bed Mom walks in, her orange hair down for once, “Y/N, I’m glad to see you awake, but don’t even think about getting out of that bed,” she shakes her head, a worried frown covering her face, “You and Tony need to learn how to take care of yourself. If not for yourselves, then for the people around you.”

I look down at the bed, guilt coursing through me as she pulls over a chair and sits next to my bed, “I’m sorry Mom, I didn’t mean to worry you or Dad.” I sit up suddenly and blink at the black dots floating through my vision, “What about Peter?”

Dad walks in at that moment carrying a cup of tea, “Easy kiddo, the kid’s fine. I sent him home after he told me you weren’t sleeping. I told him you would text him when you woke up”.

“He talked to you?” I frown thinking, “Oh when we walked into the Tower yesterday. I thought he went to his room...”

Tony smirks, “Kiddo, that was Wednesday, today’s Thursday, around one o’clock” his face shifts into a frown as he pulls over another chair next to Pepper, “Y/N, you went more than sixty hours without sleeping. What happened? Drink your tea, it’ll help”

“Wait, it’s Thursday! I need to catch up on homework. I can’t get behind and then I have to get ready for the mission Saturday, the first briefing’s tonight”.

“Y/N, drink your tea, you need it. First, Pep emailed the school, you’re sick and not going to school today or tomorrow. Live with it. You need to rest. You can finish your homework this weekend. Underoos, can you help you. Second, you’re not going on the mission--”

“What? That’s so unfair,” I protest.

Dad continues without stopping,”--till you get some sleep. I get you inherited my amazing sleeping abilities,” Mom rolls her eyes, “but if you need help sleeping, ask. Take some sleeping meds”.

I interrupt before he can continue, “You guys are overreacting! I wasn’t tired, I didn’t need to sleep. Dad used to do it all the time. Besides, Peter’s just overreacting, that’s the only reason you found out!”

“Just because I used to do it, doesn’t mean it’s a great lifestyle choice. Bruce and I looked at your suit’s and StarkWatch’s stats. Your caffeine levels were way too high if you’re not tired then why drink coffee. You don’t even like it! Your blood sugar levels were low because you didn’t eat because you probably felt like shit. Look, I get one night. Everyone pulls an all-nighter every now and then. It’s healthy,” Pepper makes a noise of disapproval, “but after the first night, you didn’t talk to us or take your sleeping meds”.

“Fine” I grumble drinking my tea.

Mom starts, “So you’re going to eat something, rest for the rest of today and tomorrow. Then, you can finish your homework this weekend. Monday you can start patrolling again. I already locked down your suit until then, so you can try as much as you want, but it’s not going to work,” I groan at that part, “For the next two weeks, we’re going to enforce a midnight curfew and you have to take your sleeping medicine”.

“Two weeks!” I complain.

“Midnight, that’s going to suck for you” Dad laughs.

“If your Dad makes fun of you too much, I’ll make him do it too,” Pepper smiles.

My stomach growls and Dad takes that as a signal to pick me up. I protest, but he says, “I don’t want any complaints. I’m not doing this for you. I don’t want any of my furniture dented if you pass out again”.

After I eat lunch, Mom and Dad allow Peter to come over. When he walks in, he smiles, but drops it quickly, “I know you said you were fine and I know you’re a strong, independent, beautiful woman, but I could tell you weren’t sleeping and I just wanted--”

I cut off his rambling with a kiss, “Peter, I know you were looking out for me and I’m sorry for being so mean. If anything you should be mad at me”.

Peter shakes his head, “Baby, I’m not mad at you. Come on, let’s watch a movie”.

We cuddle on the couch and put on Rise of Skywalker, our favorite Star Wars movie. Before the movie starts, Peter slips off his blue hoodie and puts it in on me. I turn around surprised and Peter shrugs, “You’re always cold when you don’t sleep”. I smile knowing I have the perfect boyfriend.

At dinner, most of the Avengers are at the briefing, but Peter and Dad stayed to keep me company. Mom invited Thor to dinner since he just finished a meeting with the United Nations.

“Lady Stark, did your father tell the story of the eve after the Battle of New York?”

I sit up straighter, “No what story? I thought I knew most of them”.

“Your father was able to forgo sleep for--”

Dad quickly interrupts, “That’s enough Thor! We need some mystery and not to inspire her. Actually kiddo, I’ll make a deal. If you sleep on time for two weeks, you get the story”.

“Fine,” I grumble.

After dinner, Peter and I finish another movie before I yawn. Without missing a beat Mom says, “Bedtime for you”

“But Mom, it’s not even midnight!” I argue, but another yawn goes through me and I know I lost the argument. Peter picks me up and brings me to my room. He kisses me gently before setting me on the bed. Dad walks in and hands me a white pill and a glass of water. I swallow the pill and Dad says goodnight and leaves with a warning to keep the door open.

“That was embarrassing,” I mumble and get under the covers.

Peter starts massaging my shoulders, “What was?” I can hear the frown in his voice.

“I don’t like taking the pills because everyone else can go without them. It makes me weak to need the pills to do something everyone can do normally. So I try to prove I don’t need them. I know I have a hard time sleeping without them, so I just keep busy so I can be productive at least”.

Peter turns me over so I look him in the eyes, “Y/N, you’re strong because you overcome obstacles that people normally don’t have to face, just to get through the day. The pills are there to help you. All of us are here to help you if you need it. Everyone needs sleep. I love you, all of you, the good and the bad”.

“I love you, Peter,” with the help of Peter, I am able to sleep.

#insomnia #reader insomnia #reader x peter parker #can't sleep #avengers #avengers imagine #avengers insomnia #marvel #tony stark x daughter!reader #tony stark x teen!reader #avengers x teen!reader #avengers teen!reader insomnia #avengers reader insomnia

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kbstories · 4 years

Text

impression//expression

"It’s not like Kirishima had come all this way to U.A. to immediately break the promise he made to himself upon arrival.

It’s just that Bakugou is as feral as they come, and the moment Kirishima recognizes it’s fear he felt crawling up his spine that day, he makes it his personal mission to face it head-on until it’s gone."

(Or: Being friends with Bakugou Katsuki is anything but a linear experience. Kirishima Eijirou would have it no other way.)

Tags: Kirishima POV, Developing Friendships, Post-Kamino Arc, Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Kiri Has A Dog Because I Said So

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Content warning for anxiety attacks and discussions thereof. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9.

***

Kirishima comes to sunlight shining on his face and an armful of Bakugou.

It’s not a sudden jolt of consciousness that alerts him of this. His brain comes online one synapse at a time with how all-around cozy he is, bundled up in comfortably warm covers with Bakugou’s head nestled in the crook of his neck, his arm wrapped loosely around Kirishima’s waist. In actuality, Kirishima slept so well it’s legitimately hard to get himself to wake up beyond lazily squinting an eye against that bright glare.

Which is why his first move is to pull the blanket up higher and snuggle closer to his Bakugou-shaped pillow. Bakugou, for his part, breathes something between a mumble and a sigh and slumbers on.

Out like a light. He’s onto something there, Kirishima muses. For a while, he lets himself drift to the calm two-step beat of Bakugou’s heart keeping time against his chest, the gentle tickle of Bakugou’s hair under his chin. Blissful oblivion nips at the edges of his mind; his body can’t quite get there, though, that pesky bit of awareness clinging to existence despite his best efforts.

Urgh, fine.

Kirishima blinks with a little more purpose behind it. His vision is blurred from overall drowsiness and the murky half-dark the blanket provides. Bakugou is easy to make out regardless, face slack and close enough Kirishima can see the minute shift of blonde lashes as he snoozes. It’s the residue redness around his eyes that nudges Kirishima’s brain to wonder and think and remember–

Blue fire. Unread texts. The hospital, Kamino Ward, All Might. Bakugou.

All at once, the sight of Bakugou passed out in his arms is anything but a peaceful one. It’s intimate in a way Kirishima suddenly feels uncomfortable with, not because he doesn’t like it – in his educated opinion, any day starting with cuddling is good by default – but because Bakugou is the least touch-y person he knows and this is crossing so many lines. All the lines.

Lines drawn by unspoken rules and implicit understandings Kirishima learned by sheer trial and error. All those other times Bakugou let his guard down around him seem like peanuts compared to this.

But… Bakugou is resting. Catching up on untold amounts of missed sleep, looking far more relaxed than Kirishima could’ve hoped for. Perhaps it would’ve been better to ensure he makes it to his own bed instead of sharing the pull-out couch; perhaps Kirishima shouldn’t have pushed when things are so fresh. Kirishima’s hands ache to move from between Bakugou’s shoulders yet letting him go feels wrong, too.

It was far too easy, last time. To sit there and bicker in class while Bakugou faded from view, mere miles away.

The dread roiling within him is familiar, as are the maybes and what-ifs that accompany it. It returns like an old friend, the thought of losing him to people who mistake his violence for villainy, who disregard the good shining at Bakugou’s very core in favor of the hurt his hands can cause. The brightest star in the sky, burning, desperate to be seen, to be acknowledged.

It makes Kirishima restless, this feeling – like the air is growing thin and the ground is about to collapse beneath their feet, and it’s up to Kirishima to get them out of there. His blood thrums with the need to fight tooth and nail to keep whatever is causing it away, to shield Bakugou until the shaking stops and the debris settles.

Kirishima has failed Bakugou once already. Not again, never again–

“Think any harder an’ your brain’s gonna melt.”

Kirishima’s heart nearly stops, then jumps into overdrive. A hesitant glance proves that, yup, that’s Bakugou stirring, right there. Bleary-eyed and still far too soft around the edges but awake. Kirishima isn’t ready for this.

He’s also dead. Super dead. Buried-so-deep-nobody-will-ever-find-his-body dead.

He swallows, any sort of greeting escaping his mind except a quiet, “Oh.”

Bakugou yawns and rubs at his eye, a gesture made clumsy with sleepiness. “Mm?” He props himself up, a hand laid flat on Kirishima’s chest. “Calm down, will ya? Your heart’s goin’ like crazy.”

There are no words to describe how impossible that is right now. “Um”, Kirishima says intelligently, and: “Sorry.” A little sheepish, since he can’t exactly help what his heart does (or his brain, for that matter).

He is on the verge of panicking, Kirishima notes dimly. That realization alone does little to chase away the half-formulated doubts threatening to choke him, that inkling of fear that’s on the brink of spiraling out of control. A moment later, he has to consciously unclench his hardened hands from the back of Bakugou’s shirt, which–

Ah. That’s what woke him up.

“Shit. S-sorry, I–”

There’s a frown on Bakugou’s face as he sits up. “Nothing’s goin’ on”, he tells him, calm where Kirishima can’t be. “’s just my room.” Just as deliberate, the covers are pushed aside to allow cool air to flow into their private niche of the world. Everything’s so bright, so–

“Kiri? Hey. Give me your hands.”

It takes considerable effort to focus on Bakugou’s voice. “Whuh?”

“Your hands. Like this.”

Bakugou holds out his own, palm-up. Kirishima does the same, staring blankly at his trembling, rock-hewn fingers. When Bakugou holds his palm, it’s with a touch Kirishima can barely feel. “Focus on this”, a low murmur followed by pressure to the meat of Kirishima’s thumb, faint despite the bones in Bakugou’s wrist showing from the effort. Bakugou slides it upwards and to the webbing connecting to his index, marginally more giving.

“You’re okay. Just breathe. Focus, right here.”

The touch shifts again, down to his wrist. Kirishima lets him do whatever, watching with a detached sort of fascination as his quirk relents. Bakugou’s thumb brushes over the spot where Kirishima’s veins are becoming visible again, the skin there thin and delicate. He digs in, an inch or two from his hand.

It’s a little rougher than before. Not unpleasant, just unexpected, and Kirishima’s fingers twitch. Bakugou’s lips press together. He does it again, notably gentler. “You with me?”

Kirishima hums. The question registers a moment later and he nods for good measure. “Yeah, I– It helps. This.”

“Mh.” Bakugou gestures for his other arm; he starts from his wrist and goes up to his hand this time, eyes on what he’s doing. “Pressure points are useful shit. You got one here”, a pinch to that spot between thumb and index, “and here”, a tap to his wrist. “Works best if it’s someone else doing it but you can, too.”

That sounds vaguely familiar. Perhaps something that came up the last time he googled it? Panic attacks used to be much more of an thing for Kirishima – before he hair-dyed and bench-pressed Red Riot into something more real, more than a distant daydream. More than a scared kid with shitty self-esteem.

(Life’s been manageable, since. Chaotic and distressing in a host of other ways as it swings back and forth between joy and disaster like fate’s cruelest pendulum and actually, it might be a bit of a miracle it took this long for his anxiety to make a comeback.)

Memorizing any new info is beyond Kirishima right now; he strong-arms his braincells to hold onto the term ‘pressure point’, at least. And if Bakugou is sharing, Kirishima figures it’s only fair to share back.

“The one I know is like, deep breathing? And, um. Talking through it. Counting things you can sense. What you see, hear, smell, and so on. It’s just…”

“Hard to do that by yourself, yeah.”

By this point, Bakugou is just brushing his thumb along the lines on Kirishima’s palm and that feels really nice, too. The image of his hands clawing up worn fabric is hard to shake off, though, making Kirishima’s stomach churn with guilt.

“Sorry, man. For waking you up, I mean. And freaking out on you. I didn’t hurt you, right? You’d tell me if I hurt you.”

It’s meant to come out with confidence, because Kirishima trusts Bakugou. It’s trusting himself that's the problem, sometimes.

A groan, long-suffering. “How many times…” Bakugou gives him a look caught between annoyance and fondness. “Kiri. First off, after yesterday, I have no fucking room to complain when it comes to– That. It happens, it sucks, it’s fine. It’s not your fault or whatever. Secondly–”

Kirishima almost chuckles at how pointed that one word is. He shelves the comment on his tongue for after the Bakugou Lecture he’s being treated to.

“I fell asleep on you. Which, my bad but also fuck you, I was tired and some fucking sap wanted to talk feelings at screw-this-AM. There’re no… scratches or anything, and you make an okay pillow for being a literal rock. So, we’re even.”

Kirishima does laugh at that. “I’m not a rock! Get your facts straight, bro.”

“And thirdly”, Bakugou continues with a smirk, “I just turned your hands into bombs, you dumb fucking rock. Either you let me spark it off you or I’m kicking you out to wash it off before that shit goes boom.”

“Spark off?” Head tilting, Kirishima looks at his hands. He doesn’t see anything but if Bakugou says there’s nitro, there’s definitely nitro. “Wait, is that what you do when you…?”

The gesture Bakugou does to let rapid-fire explosions flicker in his palms is easily copied, Kirishima has seen him do it countless times. The other rolls his eyes.

“Yeah. I got tired of getting it all over the place and wearing gloves twenty-four-seven is uncomfortable as fuck, I tried. Plus, burning shit is fun.”

Huh. Kirishima holds out his hands once more, a swift grin on his lips. “Sounds cool. One sparking off, please!”

Bakugou slaps them away immediately. “Use your quirk, dipshit. Or d’you actually wanna get ‘em blown to pieces?”

“Oh. Right.”

Everything under Kirishima’s elbow hardens in an instant. This time, Bakugou huffs under his breath and takes them between his palms. “Here goes.”

A flash, the familiar crackle of firecracker explosions – Kirishima braced himself for it to hurt a little despite Bakugou’s insane control over his quirk, and he does feel it. It tickles, mostly, the sensation of tiny bursts of heat rolling from his fingertips to his wrist a strangely soothing one.

Bakugou looks over his hands when he’s done, the tightness between his brows easing. Then he glances up to Kirishima’s face and sees the smile that’s broad enough to make his cheeks ache. The frown comes back tenfold.

“No.”

“Dude, yes. Do that again.”

“Nope. Fuck you, Shitty Hair, no.”

“You said it’s fun two seconds ago! Checkmate, I win.”

“Kirishima.”

Kirishima snickers until Bakugou’s palm presses against his cheek. It’s basically second nature to harden in time for the explosion to go by harmlessly and oh, this is so going to become a thing.

“It’s a thing now”, he informs Bakugou. “Can it be like our handshake? We totally need a handshake. What kind of besties are we withou–” A gasp. “Oh, oh, we can do the thing after training, too! I won’t even need to wash my hands. It’s fun and useful.”

Bakugou’s face twists. “What the hell? That’s fucking disgusting.” In one fluid movement, he’s out of their blanket nest and stomping off the couch. It would be intimidating… if not for his wrinkled shirt and sleep-mussed hair making it kind of adorable, instead.

“I’m done talking to you.”

“Aww, bro!”

Kirishima crawls half-way over the armrest only to catch a throw pillow – hah! – to the face. Another thud follows, turning out to be Kirishima’s phone tossed from across the room.

“Even mooched off my charger, ugh. You got a million missed messages. Take care of ‘em before your moms call the cops, bro.”

Bakugou's tone is practically drenched in sarcasm but Kirishima doesn’t care, he beams. Bakugou called him his bro and there’re simply no take-backs allowed on a declaration like that.

💪🏻 Kirishima Power 💪🏻

Mama K: Honey, are you awake yet? (received 10:10)

Mama K: Your mom and I are ready to come pick you up whenever. (received 11:20)

Mom: also let us know when we can start hunting your teachers for sport (received 11:22)

Mama K: No murder until our son is back, dear. (received 11:22)

Mom: mhmm sure (received 11:23)

aaaa morning!! (sent 11:38)

oh shit it’s almost noon hhhh (sent 11:38)

Mom: language kiddo (received 11:38)

oh crap** sry (sent 11:38)

Mama K: Welcome back! ❤️ (received 11:39)

hey mama ❤️ (sent 11:39)

ok so picking up is good!! we’re eating breakfast rn (sent 11:42)

well more like lunch 🙈 (sent 11:42)

Mama K: Okay! Now or later? (received 11:43)

ah, mitsuki is saying you two should swing by for tea so maybe in an hour? (sent 11:47)

and that the teachers are actually coming here?? later?? idk why tho (sent 11:48)

aside from, y’know (sent 11:48)

Mama K: Yeah 🙁 (received 11:50)

Mom: how’s katsuki holding up? (received 11:50)

umm ok. kinda. he looks tired as heck tbh and i’m not sure how happy he is about the teacher thing (sent 11:55)

it’s all a bit oof (sent 11:56)

Mom: hmm. anything we can do to help? (received 12:01)

def give him his space (sent 12:03)

and maybe don’t kill aizawa @Mom looking at u haha (sent 12:03)

Mom: bummer (received 12:06)

actually… one more thing? 👀 (sent 12:10)

Mama K: You want us to bring the big guns, huh? (received 12:12)

After the hellos and introductions and obligatory fussing over Kirishima – Mama gives him her usual forehead kiss, expertly avoiding his freshly-spiked hair, while Mom wraps him in her patented rib-pulverizing hug – the parents go inside, leaving Bakugou and Kirishima in the yard with…

“Riot.”

Kirishima grins and nods. He heaves the hundred pounds of tail-wagging excitement into a more comfortable position against his chest, big paws coming to rest on his shoulders. “Yeah! Isn’t he the cutest?”

“Your dog is called Riot.”

“Yup!”

Bakugou openly stares at Riot’s drooling smile. After a painfully long pause, he goes: “Okay.”

If all it took to make Bakugou speechless was an Akita with an unexpected (?) name, Kirishima would’ve introduced him to Riot ages ago. As it is, it’s taking all his willpower not to crack up at Bakugou’s expression. It’s like watching one of those ancient Windows computers suffer a system crash so severe even the task manager stops functioning.

Arms full of dog, Kirishima nudges him with his elbow. Reboot initialized. “But?”

Bakugou shakes himself a little. He gestures to Riot, or perhaps to Kirishima, or both? It’s hard to tell. “But… just, like… Why?”

Priceless. Kirishima silently vows to cherish this rarest of blessings in his memories for eternity. It won’t do to rescue Bakugou only to give him an aneurism the very next day. Setting Riot down, Kirishima pats orange-white hair off his borrowed clothes. The Akita immediately trots over to Bakugou to say hi.

“I got Riot when I was really small, like six-ish? Seven? Something like that.”

Bakugou crouches and holds out his hand for a curious black nose to sniff. Kirishima sits down next to them, watching Riot take a deep whiff and promptly sneeze. Bakugou mutters something about explosives and dumb dog, be careful. Despite the forced casualness on Bakugou’s part, it’s clear he’s not used to being around dogs.

Still, he’s trying. Kirishima’s grin tempers to a soft, close-lipped smile at the sight.

“Back then, I only had a vague idea of who I’d wanna be. As a hero, y’know?” He reaches over to scratch Riot’s favorite spot at the base of his curled tail. It starts wagging immediately. “I was tossing around a few names and somehow Riot stuck. So, I tried it out on him and by the time I realized ‘Yup, that’s the one!’, he didn’t wanna listen to anything else.”

Riot pants at him, mouth wide. Kirishima boops his wet nose. “Yeah, I’m talkin’ about you. Stubborn dog.”

“You’re telling me your hero name got stolen”, Bakugou summarizes drily. “By a dog. When you were six.”

Figures that’s what Bakugou would get out of this. Kirishima snorts and shrugs.

“I guess? Riot – the hero, not the dog – existed way before the whole ‘Red’ stuff came along, ‘cause like… Crimson was out there, I knew he existed, but his philosophy was a bit beyond me. He wasn’t my hero yet, you feel me?”

Bakugou hums. “You weren’t a hero nerd yet. Just a space nerd.”

That startles a laugh out of Kirishima. He knocks his shoulder against Bakugou’s. “Exactly! See, you get me.”

“Shut up, nerd”, comes the predictable reply with a rougher knock back.

Eventually, Bakugou joins him in the grass, his knees propped up and elbows resting on them. Riot makes himself comfortable as well, sprawling on his side with his head resting on Bakugou’s thigh. The full might of pleading canine eyes look upwards. Bakugou squints. “The fuck.”

“He wants scritches”, Kirishima translates readily.

A beat, then Bakugou carefully rubs the knuckles of his index and middle finger in-between the white spots on Riot’s face. Riot huffs a content sigh and melts into the gentle touch.

“Hm. He’s soft.”

“Right? As a puppy, he was the softest and tiniest thing you can imagine. Wait, I might have pics on my phone. Gimme a sec.”

A bit of searching, and Kirishima taps on an old photo of him as a kid, pointy teeth flashed in an impossibly big smile as he hugs a chubby ball of brown fluff close to his face. Mama had dug it up from some dusty family album in a bout of nostalgia after Kirishima broke the news he’d been accepted to U.A.

“Behold: Baby Riot.”

Kirishima shows it to Bakugou. Only after Bakugou’s brows rise does he remember he’s probably never seen him with his natural hair color. Whoops.

Studying the photo for a moment, Bakugou continues to pet the adult version of Riot absent-mindedly. “He looks like a potato.”

“Wha–” Kirishima checks the photo to make sure it’s the same one. “Bakugou. It’s a puppy. It’s like, scientifically proven puppies are the one and only road to world peace. Hello? Nobody hates on a puppy, especially this one.”

Whatever face he’s making has Bakugou smirking, eyes sharp under a brow raised in challenge. “It’s got a weird shape and is brown. Potato.”

Kirishima whines. “Why are you like this? Riot, don’t listen to him, man. You’re the best.”

Riot has fallen asleep, oblivious to the outrageous claims being made in his presence. It’s better that way – the good, old boy deserves better than this slander.

Bakugou is looking down to the snoring dog, too, and something about it must soften even a prickly hedgehog heart like his because he sighs and grumbles: “He’s kinda cool. Maybe.”

Gotcha.

Kirishima pumps his fist in sweet, sweet victory. Nobody, not even the eternally grumpy, can resist the Kirishimas’ secret weapon.

On the way back home, Kirishima messes around with his camera until he’s managed a half-decent selfie of himself and Riot sharing the backseat of his parents’ car. A brief moment is spent hovering over his chat with Bakugou.

It’s the first time he’s opened it since– Since.

Baku 💣💥

[riot(s).jpg] (sent 16:58)

thanks for hosting me man 🐶 (sent 16:58)

dorm life, here we come!! (sent 16:59)

The tension in Kirishima’s chest is knocked loose as the ticks turn blue without delay, closing the gap to the ones from the lodge like it never existed. It unwinds entirely when, a handful of minutes later, Bakugou replies.

Baku 💣💥

idiot (received 17:05)

see you soon (received 17:05)

>>Chapter 6

#my hero academia #boku no hero academia #mha #bnha #bakugou katsuki #kirishima eijirou #kiribaku #bnha fanfiction #i wanted some fluff so i gave kiri a dog #this fic is also on AO3!!#reblogs appreciated c:#my stuff

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