#jay.....when is that sequel coming jay please

[ando666detonao]

drew this scene from @just-jayy‘s fanfic Painting the Underworld Red (nsfw cw!!) a while back, i loved it so much my hand slipped and if it wasn’t for artblock i could have kept drawing pages djfvbd

if you dig these two dorks together i totally recommend it!!! 

[forjongseong]

pine-fresh // jay (ENHYPEN)

pairing: slytherin!jay x gryffindor!fem!reader

genre: hogwarts!au, somewhat rivals to lovers, smut (minors dni)

warning: profanity, a lot of making out, fingering // word count: ~4k

summary: a dash of bickering and a whole lot of miscommunication in Potions class landed you and Slytherin's Park Jongseong in detention. did you ask for it? no. did you regret it? also, no.

author's note: at last, the Slytherin!Jay of my imagination has now, sort of, come to life...

ever since I came across that edit you see on the header, I've thought about him A LOT. now that his hair is actually silver, I have thought about him MORE. especially when @jaylaxies made this, which I thought about ALSO a lot... let's just say that Slytherin!Jay has been occupying my mind a lot more than I expected.

my knowledge on the HP universe is quite limited, so please excuse if some scenes don't seem too believable (like Snape somewhat being less strict here, or detention being scrubbing the bathroom). the title of this fic refers to the password that is needed to enter the Prefects' bathroom.

now, I know I say when I post oneshots I intend for them to be standalone fics, meaning that I most likely won't write a part two. but for this one??? if a lot of you like it, and a lot of you ask for it, I might be open to writing a sequel (once I conduct a lengthy research on Hogwarts grounds)

anyway, I hope you enjoy this little treat! I'm trying to shake off my writer's block, so please expect secretary!Jay to return soon.

taglist: @jaylaxies @excusememissiloveyou @thots4hee @end-hyphen @nyanggk @maggstar @bucketofhiros @shinkenprincess-oh @mydarlingjay @mochimchimo @jongseonglogy @strawberrification12 @xiaoderrrr

permanent taglist is open! send an ask or DM if you want to be tagged.

As your House’s Prefect and one of the smartest students at school, you thought it would be impossible to dislike a class. Getting good grades in almost every subject seemed to prove that you liked learning everything, but by God, you hated Potions. Other than the fact that the lessons took place in a literal dungeon, which made it colder than any of the classrooms above, you always had to deal with the unpleasant smell of whatever was brewing in the room. Add the inconvenient detail that half of the class consisted of Slytherin students, which was more than you could tolerate.

You did not know when it started, maybe since the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor or when you witnessed one of your classmates getting teased by a Slytherin, but you had a strong aversion to anything related to that house. It became so bad to the point that whenever you got paired with a Slytherin for an assignment, all you wanted to do was to get the job done quickly for the both of you so you could leave the class as soon as possible.

“Miss L/N,” called Professor Snape. Your head snapped up and you locked eyes with him, somehow convincing him that you had been listening to all his instructions despite staring into the empty vials on your table. “Today you’ll be working with Park Jongseong.”

You nodded softly and once Snape turned his head towards another student, you made an audible groan and leaned back on your chair.

“You don’t sound so happy to be paired with me.”

Jay took the now unoccupied seat beside you and sat with a force that made his robe flutter. The flash of green caught your eye, and you hesitantly pulled your books to your side, making room for his on the table.

“I’ll handle the mixing,” you replied, completely unrelated to his remark.

Jay frowned before letting out a soft chuckle. “Wow, I guess you really aren’t in the mood today.”

You turned your head only slightly enough to shoot daggers at him with your eyes, and his response was just a huff to his face, messing up the silver bangs on his forehead. The sound of Professor Snape’s voice caught your attention, so you straightened up and listened intently, but also noticed how Jay was mimicking you. Once you were all instructed to begin, Jay grabbed his quill and started making notes for the recipe.

For the first couple of minutes, the process went well. You were mixing and adding stuff according to Jay’s dictation. However, after he misread the measurements for a certain ingredient, causing your brew to bubble uncontrollably, you began scolding him and blaming him for everything.

“What’s distracting you? How could you have misread that?” You half-shouted, a handkerchief in your hand as you attempted to clean up your surroundings.

“Maybe if you weren’t shaking so much when you’re holding the vials then I could have paid more attention,” Jay retorted, snatching a vial from your other hand to prevent more spills. “We should switch. You tell me what to do and I’ll redo everything.”

“That will take us even longer, and everyone else is already halfway done,” you complained as you looked around the class. You saw Professor Snape eyeing your table.

“Do you have another solution?” Jay asked, staring back at you.

You reluctantly agreed to switch tasks, but it turned out that Jay was worse than you. He kept spilling liquid, pouring more than needed, and overall causing more chaos than when he was just giving you instructions. Your grunts and groans were starting to gain the attention of the whole classroom, and by the time you were almost done, the bell rang.

The sound of your quill hitting your book was silenced by the footsteps of the other students exiting the classroom. They had finished their potions, and your table was literally the only one in the room that was still messy, with a mixture that looked too suspicious to be called a potion.

“I have been patient enough to let you two bicker the whole time, but for you to not finish making your potions,” Professor Snape said as he walked back to his desk, his cape almost floating behind him.

“Great, he’s gonna put us in detention,” you muttered to yourself.

“That is correct, Miss L/N,” Professor Snape continued. “Once you’re both done cleaning up your table, meet me in my office.”

The frown you wore on your face was so bad that anybody who saw you could easily tell that you were pissed, but between gathering the books and papers and wiping off spills with a cloth, you could have sworn you saw Jay smirking to himself.

---

As you placed a bucket of water in the middle of the Prefects’ bathroom, you sighed at the exhaustion that you felt despite not having even started your detention. You and Jay were both assigned to clean up the bathroom, which, despite only being restricted to use by the school Prefects, Head Boys, Head Girls, and Quidditch captains, was in an alarmingly grimy state.

You purposefully steered away from the side of the room with the toilet stalls and stood by the large, swimming pool-like tub sunken into the ground with bath taps surrounding it. The tub was drained, and you much preferred scrubbing it to cleaning all the toilets.

Jay was standing by the bath supplies on one side of the pool, staring at the different kinds of soap, bath oils, bath salts, shampoo, and conditioner. It took a while for him to realize you were glaring at him, basically waiting for him to start working already.

“Damn, it would be worth becoming a Prefect just to be able to use this bathroom,” Jay muttered, placing a small bottle of bath oil back in its place. “You must take baths all the time.”

You snorted, audible enough to make it echo throughout the whole room. “I don’t have time for baths.”

“Really? What a shame,” Jay sighed, rolling up his sleeves. “How long do you think it would take for us to finish?”

“If you keep using your mouth instead of your hands, probably a lot longer than I expect,” you replied without a pause, sounding annoyed.

Your snarky remarks did not bother Jay at all. In fact, it amused him, and the way he was laughing softly was not helping at all. He walked over to the stalls and finally began to work only minutes after you started.

“Today is really not your day, huh?” Jay’s voice echoed behind the stalls.

“Thanks to you, it’s not,” you answered, polishing one of the hundred golden bath taps that surrounded the tub.

“You know,” Jay started, only to pause to flush the toilet so he wouldn’t have to compete with the sound. “I have a feeling that you don’t like me.”

You rolled your eyes and moved your bucket to polish the other bath taps. Jay cleared his throat as he waited for your reply.

“Is it because I’m a Slytherin?” He asked. “I mean, it’s kinda unfair that just because I’m in this House, you automatically hate me—”

“I don’t hate you,” you finally responded. “Hate is a strong word.”

“Alright then,” Jay walked out of one stall and looked in your direction before entering the next stall. “So, what’s the story?”

You let out a heavy sigh and wrung out the cloth you were holding. It was a long story, you thought to yourself. You came from a family of Slytherins—both your parents and your older brother were—but since you were old enough to understand and remember things, you had always been the odd one out in your family. They would excel academically and go on to achieve things you never even dreamed of. Your interests were always different, and what got you far at school was thanks to your personality and smart work.

It was still a vivid memory to you, the moment you sat down and let the Sorting Hat analyze you. You thought you would hear a confident ‘Slytherin!’ from the Hat, but after a couple of seconds of deciding, it placed you in Gryffindor. Switching houses was never a thing, so you did what you could and made good friends, studied hard enough to make the professors notice you, and eventually, you earned the title of Prefect as you entered the fifth year.

Despite that, throughout the years in Hogwarts, you kept hearing and witnessing stories about Slytherins, how they always happen to achieve so much but at the same time are notoriously problematic. The house you once dreamed of being a part of quickly became one that you were relieved to be excluded from, but somehow, the longing remains.

Around your third year in Hogwarts, you began hearing chatter about Park Jongseong. He became popular, it seemed, after he was assigned to be the Keeper of Slytherin’s Quidditch team, and also after he had an insane glow-up. You then noticed that he was the quiet nerd who used to bury his nose in whatever book he was reading in a dark corner in the library, but since then, he had ditched his glasses and styled his luscious silver locks in a way that—

“Y/N, are you okay?”

Jay’s voice woke you up from your extensive daydreaming, and it made you realize you were polishing one bath tap for way too long.

“How long were you polishing that tap?” Jay asked, tilting his chin towards your hand.

His question spooked you, and you were beginning to think he might have heard your thoughts. You cleared your throat before moving to the next tap. “Not long, why?”

“Because I’m done with all the toilet stalls, and I noticed you haven’t moved an inch.”

Well, that’s embarrassing, you thought. How long exactly did you zone out for?

“Should I start cleaning the pool’s floor then?” He asked, fixing his folded sleeves before squatting down and then jumping into the empty pool.

“Sure,” you said, immediately picking up your pace and trying your best not to steal any more glances in his direction.

“Listen,” Jay began, both his hands firmly holding a mop. “You got really silent after I asked a question, so I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable. We can continue to work in silence if that’s what you prefer.”

You smiled as you moved on to the next tap. “It’s fine. I was just tired.”

You refocused on your own task, determined to leave the bathroom spotless, but after a moment, you noticed Jay moving oddly around the pool floor, dragging his mop in a way that was not normal. When you lifted your head to look at him, you saw that he was singing, no, lip-syncing a song and using the mop as a mic stand, completely immersed in his imagination but being considerate not to bother you with noise.

At this sight, you burst out laughing. Jay stood up straight and turned his heel to face you, looking surprised.

“Please,” you said after you contained yourself, “do continue.”

“Miss Prefect,” Jay sighed, “this bathroom is way too huge for only two of us to clean. Do you think we can sneak out and get our wands from Snape’s office?”

You shook your head. “The door is locked with a password.”

“But you’re Miss Prefect,” Jay said, matter-of-factly. “Don’t you know the password?”

“He literally changed it after leaving us here with these cleaning supplies, Jay. I don’t know the new password.”

Jay paused and for a moment you thought he was figuring out a way to escape, when in reality, his stomach just did a backflip from the way his name rolled off your tongue.

“So, what you’re saying is there is literally no way to get out of this bathroom unless we finish cleaning it?” Jay asked.

“That is the point of detention, yes,” you replied, shrugging.

Jay groaned and turned around, pushing his mop and reluctantly continuing to clean the pool floor. You were almost halfway done with polishing all the bath taps, and you sighed as you looked at all the mirrors waiting to be scrubbed clean too.

After a while, Jay finished scrubbing the floors, and you began to wonder if you should have taken his work instead since the bath taps seemed like a never-ending task to complete. He loosened the tie around his neck and undid the first few buttons on his shirt, making you quickly look away.

“Should I help you with the bath taps or start doing the mirrors?” Jay walked over to your side before pushing himself up the edge and then standing up, towering over you.

“Mirrors, please,” you answered, this time tilting your chin to point at the direction of the sinks.

“Really? Because you seem like you’re taking your sweet time polishing all those taps,” Jay said, tilting his head to one side.

You looked up at him and he had this teasing, lop-sided smirk. Meanwhile, the unintentional doe eyes you were giving him made him almost choke on his own saliva.

“Just do the mirrors, Jay.”

You saw him smile the second you finished your sentence, and when he turned his back to you, it somehow looked like his shoulders were happy. He stood in front of the sink and did a quick count on the number of mirrors he had to clean. You saw him start from the far left, where one of the mirrors was cracked on the edge.

“Be careful with that one. Ravenclaw’s Head Girl almost—”

“Fuck!”

You heard Jay groan as he stumbled a few steps back, wincing in pain and shaking his left hand.

“Jay,” you sighed, standing up and throwing the cloth you were holding to the floor. “I didn’t even finish my sentence.”

You walked up to him and stood before him with your hand out. He looked at you questionably before lifting his left hand for you to take a look.

“Is it bad?” He asked, slightly looking away. “I don’t like the sight of blood.”

“That explains a lot,” you muttered, placing your hand carefully over his. “Oh, my God.”

“What? What is it?” Jay asked, his right hand shaking in panic.

“Your fingers are so thick and stubby, like cocktail sausages.”

Jay snorted before pulling his hand away and you giggled.

“It’s just a scratch,” you said in an attempt to calm him down. “You can carry on.”

“Well, do you have something I can use to treat it?” Jay asked.

You were already sitting by the edge of the pool to continue with your polishing. “Do I look like a walking first aid kit to you? Just spit on it and move on.”

Jay looked at you, unsure of your advice. He then turned around and decided to wash his hands with soap. The suds obviously stung, so he was flinching and wincing quietly, but he could see you giggling silently from your reflection in the mirror in front of him.

“Do you really mean it?” Jay spoke, looking at you through the mirror.

“Mean what?”

“That I have stubby fingers,” Jay clarified.

You were unsure what to make of his tone. He sounded curious but also hurt, or maybe…

“So what if you do?” You asked back, not paying attention to him.

The strands of your hair were becoming loose and covering your eyes, and you were dying to fix the scrunchie on your ponytail, but both your hands were wet and occupied with polishing. You kept huffing and puffing and even attempting to move your hair using the movements of your shoulders until Jay sneaked up behind you and tapped you on your arm.

“Here, allow me,” Jay said calmly, tugging on your scrunchie.

You sat up straight and let him pull your scrunchie off, letting your hair cascade to your back. He began brushing your hair with his fingers before gently bunching it into a ponytail. He skillfully tied your hair up into a bun that was less messy than before. You were about to thank him, but he moved from behind you and jumped back into the empty pool, standing in front of you and tucking the loose strands of hair behind both your ears.

His fingers brushed against your ear, and for a moment, you were lost in his eyes. The next thing you felt was his hand behind your neck, pulling you closer as he stood in between your legs, his lips crashing against yours. You sighed as you let yourself be enveloped in his warmth—his tongue tugging yours, his lips devouring yours, his palms pushing against your back, and his breath mixing up with yours.

You felt his hand travel lower down your back, settling on your ass before he pushed you closer to him, earning a soft yelp from between your lips. His mouth detached from yours only to give you a sly smirk before he dove back into you. Your hands rested comfortably on his shoulders as you gave into his every move, and when you felt one of his hands grazing the exposed skin of your thigh from the gap between your skirt and your knee-high socks, you gasped.

“Wanna see what these fingers can do?” Jay asked, speaking right against your lips.

Your eyes searched for his before you nodded a little too eagerly. He chuckled before sliding his hand between your legs and under your skirt. His fingers easily found their place on your clothed cunt, and despite his gentle moves, you could not hold in your moans.

“Jay,” you whimpered, hands bunching up his shirt.

“Oh, I like it when you say my name like that,” he teased, leaving a wet peck on your chin. “Can you say it again?”

He pressed his thumb on your clit before sliding it down your folds, and he could already tell that you were soaked. You were biting your lip, and he chuckled, bringing the same hand that was caressing you up and towards your chin.

“Come on, now,” Jay cooed. “Prefects are usually good students. You’re a good girl, aren’t you?”

His thumb slid upon your bottom lip, and you could almost sniff the scent of your own arousal. You were trembling at this point, desperate to feel more of him, so all you could give as a response was a nod.

“Say my name.”

“Jay—”

Your voice was muffled as he slid in a finger when you opened your mouth. You instinctively sucked on it before he entered another one, and then he hurriedly placed his hand back between your legs, pushing your panties to the side before easily sliding those two fingers inside of you.

“Jay!” You moaned loudly, spreading your legs wider so he could do whatever he wanted to do to you comfortably. Your fingers reached for the back of his head, pulling on his silver locks before you pushed his head to your neck. He began licking the soft skin under your chin before placing wet kisses down your neck. With one hand, you unbuttoned your top and pulled your collar open, giving him more access to your skin. He sucked on your collarbone softly and, at the same time, curled his fingers inside of you.

You repeatedly moaned into his ear, and at some point, you thought you sounded way too pathetic, but the way Jay was thrusting his fingers in and out of you and the way the squelching sound was echoing throughout the whole bathroom made you believe that the sounds you were making were actually quite tame.

“Jay,” you sighed. “Oh, my God.”

Jay lifted his head from your neck and flashed you a proud smirk before leaning in to kiss you again. You whined at the contact, and as your hands found his face, you began to caress him, pull him, and do whatever was necessary to send the message that you wanted him bad.

You felt the increasing pace of his fingers between your legs, and you began to feel the ache in your ass for sitting on the edge of the pool for too long. Jay pressed his thumb on your clit, and you threw your head back in pleasure, grabbing onto his biceps for support. When your moans started to sound higher and more in sync with the movements of his fingers, Jay leaned in and pressed his cheek onto yours before speaking right into your ear.

“Cum for me, will you?”

The deep tone and gentle vibration of his voice sent shivers down your spine, and with that, you finally reached your high. Your legs were shaking, and to soothe you, Jay began kissing your cheek softly. He kept kissing you and moving towards your lips, giving you a long peck before moving down to your chin and neck. He kissed the parts of your skin that were beginning to turn purple, and once he heard your leveled breathing, he pulled away to take a good look at you.

“Good girl,” he said right to your face.

You playfully, and very gently, slapped his face. He let out a wholehearted chuckle before pulling his hand from between your legs. Just seconds later, you heard the sound of footsteps approaching the bathroom door. Your eyes widened, and Jay quickly registered the situation. He fixed your collar for you to button up before he sprinted back to the mirror he was supposed to be polishing while you frantically searched for the abandoned cloth that you had been using the whole time.

“Why am I not surprised that you haven’t finished cleaning the bathroom?” Professor Snape stated after scanning the area. “It’s almost curfew, so wrap up and continue cleaning tomorrow. I’ll consider your detention done once this place is spotless.”

You stood up and observed as Professor Snape reached into the pocket in his robe and took out your wands. After he handed them over to you and Jay, he turned around without further question and left the bathroom. Jay looked at you, and you sighed in relief, almost collapsing to the floor because of your weak knees, if not for Jay holding you up by your elbows.

“That was too damn close,” you commented, standing uncomfortably since your panties were not fixed the right way.

“I’d say it was exciting,” Jay said, leaning into you and sniffing your neck.

“Jay, stop it,” you said, placing your palm firmly on his chest.

“That’s not what you wanted me to do when I had these stubby fingers inside you,” he teased, raising his hand and wriggling his fingers in front of your face.

You smacked his hand away, and he cackled, almost making the room shake from the echo.

“We still need to come back tomorrow and whose fault is that?” You asked, your back turned to him as you were tidying up the supplies.

“Fault?” Jay tilted his head. “No, favor. You’re missing the point. We get to come back here tomorrow.”

You stood up straight before turning to face Jay. He boldly took a couple of steps towards you, closing the distance and pulling you by your waist to press your body against his.

“Are you honestly telling me you’re not looking forward to it?”

With Jay’s arm firmly around your waist, the heat of his body against yours, his eyes boring into yours, and his silver hair messy from the way you were pulling on it earlier, there was no way you could lie to his face.

“Okay, I am looking forward to it,” you said after gaining enough courage. “Maybe instead of your stubby fingers, you can show me something else.”

Jay’s eyes twinkled at your daring tone, and you both chuckled before letting each other go, nagging at him as he collected your supplies while shamelessly ogling your body.

-END-

© forjongseong 2023, all rights reserved dividers by @cafekitsune

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[florenceafternoon]

━。゜✿ jily fic recommendations ✿ ゜。━

These fics are set in the wizarding world but aren’t necessarily canon complaints.

For reference, anything in italics is taken from the summaries on ao3.

Gilded by @charmingwillow

Beneath her jumper, her heart was fluttering fast. Her free hand rubbed at the spot, willing it to calm. Her eyes ached from all the nights she spent awake, unable to sleep because it hadn’t calmed in days. Weeks.

She knew why; beneath her fingertips, under the soft cotton of her sweater, her skin tingled. She knew without seeing that the spot above her heart sparkled faintly with gold, like stars spinning in the cosmos. Scattered and dancing around a name that wouldn't quite focus. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying.

Someone, somewhere, was falling in love with her. They were close enough that Lily could feel a tug of alignment if she concentrated enough.

Or, Lily and James go on a walk in the forest.

Sunshine in My Eyes (requires an ao3 account) by monroeslittle

Mr. and Mrs. Evans are killed when Lily's only a girl, and she's supposed to go to a home with her sister. Instead, a relative they didn't know they had comes to collect them, and introduces Lily to manners, magic, and a life that's just the slightest bit different from the life she was supposed to live.

Or, an AU in which Minerva McGonagall raises Lily.

Dying Fires by @jamesunderwater

In fifth year, James attempts to comfort Lily by a dying fire - but finds this will require restraint on his part in a number of ways.

Their tentative, developing friendship is something so special to me

basic maths by @gigglesandfreckles-hp

Euphemia cuts Sirius off sharply. “I was simply verifying whether this is indeed the same Lily Evans whose name is written under my dining room table with a heart around it.”

or Lily meets the parents and James tries not to hyperventilate. over and over and over again.

Blue Jay by @neurowriter14

In a world with magic, the only thing that really took Lily by surprise, and trepidation, was the fact that she had a soulmate.

All That's Known by @women-inthe-sequel

Wizards view nearly everything as a problem for magic to fix. Other people might view him that way, but James has never felt broken. He doesn’t need to be wound like an old-fashion toy and programmed to do what everyone else does.

I am in desperate need of more deaf!James (or deaf!Lily). Please can someone recommend me fics

just like a tattoo by sleepygirl0305 (on ao3)

Shortly after he witnesses Remus and Sirius realize that they're soulmates, James gets his own soulmate tattoo. A fairly inconvenient time, given that there is a war going on. And N.E.W.Ts. But no matter, he was going to try anyway.

A Happy Thought by @thelighthousestale

The 7th year Defense Against the Dark Arts Class learns the Patronus Charm.

James is shocked to learn what Lily's Patronus is.

I know that this is a very cliché trope but I'm a sucker for patronus fics.

The Boy (in the bedroom) Next Door by @eastwindmlk

Lily Evans has to move in with her new potion's teacher to finish her apprenticeship. There is one small issue, said teacher? Fleamont Potter, father of infinitely annoying and frustratingly fit former rival James Potter. Who she has not seen after leaving Hogwarts after her third year.

Put on Bed Rest also by @/ eastwindmlk

Hogwarts is covered in snow and James Potter is sick. Who better than Lily to nurse him back to health.

May Moon by Elynn (on ao3)

May Moon- also known as the Flower Moon or Blooming Moon, due to the abundance of flowers that occur as spring arrives.

She glanced up, catching sight of Mary and Marlene in the crowd of unsorted first years, the both of them bouncing on their toes as a new student was called up. She’d already made two friends (she hoped) and Lily was always a bit of an overachiever. “Hiya,” she said, doing her best to sound upbeat. The boy—Lupin—looked up at her, face a bit shocked. “I’m Lily.”

or sixth year, a bad pick-up line, and a secret.

Not really a jily fic (it's pre-relationship) but I really wanted to include it in this rec list

Accidental Magic by @missgryffin

What else is there to do after confessing feelings in the middle of the night than spend a lazy Saturday in bed?

Hell Is Empty (And All The Devils Are Here) by @nodirectionhome-ao3

When an Order mission takes an unexpected turn, James and Lily find themselves stranded together. In the aftermath of the chaos, sheltering together through the storm, a fire catches between them.

Ignore the fact that I can't remember if I've recommended this fic or not. Regardless, the back-and-forth between James and Lily is so good in this fic.

Starlight by @suzyq31

Under the cover of stars, Lily and James go out in search of an elusive flower. The northern lights make Lily contemplate how plans change.

The next few fics are all by @apalapucian because I may or may not have been stalking her ao3 page. Everything, and I mean everything, Jayne writes is incredible.

maybe it was egos swinging (maybe it was her)

James starts rolling his shoulders, wincing. "Jesus, Evans." "back at ya," says Lily, testing her wrists. "ever heard of taking it easy?" "with you? never." "can’t believe you’d use confringo on me." "knew you'd block it," he says. "can’t believe you’d use depulso." she shrugs, grinning. "knew you'd block it."

(or: seventh-year, auror-aspirant, academic rivals, head boy and head girl James and Lily.)

I still can't get over the fact that Jayne wrote me over 11 thousand words of academic rivals jily. ELEVEN THOUSAND WORDS OF ACADEMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS JILY!! The banter, the stakes, I love everything about this fic

calliope calling

in which:

James wields a wand for the first time; Lily giggles, tracing an impossible dancing deer in the sky; Sirius slams the door; Peter sighs; and Remus screams, raw and screeching and piercingly young.

(or: the marauders and lily evans as children, and something about invisible strings glinting in the moonlight.)

green light

There are yellow roses on the kitchen table. a cup of coffee charmed to keep warm for a time. a scrawled "morning! :) –James & Harry" on a scrap of paper, the torn bottom of a receipt for... milk, she finds. and strawberries. harry was signed by Harry himself, and Lily wants to cry at the shaky strokes, the crooked lines. she can hear them in the other room where James' window seat project is almost finished. harry is laughing. he asks questions, mocks his dad's shabby handiwork, drops the things he's asked to hand.

roses and handwritten notes and coffee and giggles nearby. this is her life now. she skims the flowers, the sun itself in her heart.

or: the war is over. everybody lives AU. (well, not everybody everybody, but the potter family + sirius + remus + even peter* live.) old fic rewrite.

* = you'll see.

bad day wall

Lily calls it the bad day wall. it's like this weird communal one-liner diary thing.

every time i think i'm over her something happens and it hits me just as stupidly intense as all the other times. i'm SICK of it

why can't people just LIKE by default the people they LOVE? why do they have to be separate feelings? it would make things so much less complicated

or: in sixth year, Lily starts talking to a stranger(?) through messages on a wall. she also befriends James Potter. These two things are completely not related.

I haven't read this one but it on my marked for later

[poppadom0912]

Holding On Sequel

Warnings: Mentions of guns, injuries, hospitals, angst

Summary: Recovery from the worst night of the Halstead's lives seems impossible.

A/N: Wrote this randomly when I remembered receiving several comments wanting a part two and after much deliberation on the plot, this is what I came up with. I'm not a medical professional, everything mentioned is all from google. Please enjoy the ending of this as there won't be a third part to what was supposed to be a oneshot ;)

*****

Things were never the same following the night of the accident.

Jay and Will found themselves at your beside for however long they were permitted to. During his shifts, at his breaks and whenever he found time, Will found himself in your room watching your coma ridden self and Jay would always call and text for updates, every other minute out of work spent in the hospital.

The surgery had been a success, no one ever doubted it when Connor took charge, but it was the aftermath that had gone downhill.

Cerebral hypoxia caused from the severe blood loss and haemorrhaging, causing damage to your brain, the extent of damage which even Abrams struggled to determine as long as you remained unconscious.

The coma lasted for such a long period of time that Abrams was hesitant in keeping your life support machine on.

Jay had a tiny bit of a go at the man for suggesting such a thing, Will attempting to hold him back from doing anything brash.

So Abrams took a step back for another week and the next time, Charles approached the brothers instead. His ever so gentle and understanding voice with his soft eyes causing them to crumble.

It seemed that everyone had come to a collective conclusion, tonight when both their shifts were over, they'd say their last messages and goodbyes before Abrams would pull the plug.

That day, like clockwork, Will took his lunch break too eat his sandwich at your side, talking and telling you everything and anything like he always did. Eventually, someone would always join him for moral support or for some company, either or, today it being April who also was on her break.

As Will combed his fingers through your knotted and greasy hair, their was a sudden spike in your heart monitor causing his fingers to abruptly pull at a tough knot, his own heart thundering, head snapping up to look at the machine in question.

Both doctor and nurse sat in silence, staring at the machine with sharp eyes, ready for any other fluctuations.

A higher pitched beep went off two minutes later, Will choking out a breathy laugh at the moment he believed was never going to come.

Struggling to formulate any thoughts, he turned back to look at you, his eyes softening paired with watery smile.

"it's okay Y/N." He swallowed harshly, barely listening to April calling for Abrams as the heart monitor continued to go off.

"Take as much time as you need."

*****

"Hey, you all finished?

Jay appeared out of nowhere, walking towards you with his keys in hand very casually like he hadn't just scared the living hell out of you.

"Yeah, almost. I just have to mark these last few questions and then we can go home." You said, gesturing to the test papers in front of you on your desk.

Jay hummed, perching himself on the tables that you forbid your kids from sitting on where he sat whistling till you were done.

Around fifteen minutes later, you were done. All your things were now back in their shelves and drawers, your bag packed as your announced you could leave now.

Jumping off the table, Jay rounded the desk and took hold of the wheelchair handles, pushing you out of the classroom, pausing so you could lock the door behind you.

This was your new norm.

Two months post waking up from your coma and, you were thriving as much as you could adjusting to this new lifestyle.

Only two weeks ago were you able to get back to work, spending all your time in and out of rehab and physical therapy, the latter of which you still attended.

The Cerebral Hypoxia affected your ability to speak and walk, the former which was fixed within a month of rehab but the latter...

Well, you were in a wheelchair for a reason.

To cater to such a sudden change in lifestyle, both Will and Jay took their turns in helping, acting as carers of sorts especially in the beginning of your recovery.

Their shared efforts leading to your current living situation - the three of you living together in a completely new place that had wheelchair accessibility that you were able to afford combining three salaries.

Even now, there were still some things that you hadn't become accustomed to such as: wheeling yourself everywhere, relying on others for small tasks like laundry and the sympathy from the entire world.

You would never get used to the stares you continued to receive at school from the children.

"Will get's off in a hour, he's asking about takeout." Jay said, cutting you off from your train of thought as you reminisced on your current recovery.

"Our usual Chinese place is good for me." You said, watching as he typed something into his phone, most likely texting Will your words. "I'm really craving their duck."

"Perfect." He mumbled, turning his phone off as he started the car to drive home.

It took a very long time to work out how to get you and the wheelchair both in and out of the car but after much trial and error and eventually help from your physical therapist, it all worked out.

Will and Jay were changed men after you woke up from the coma. They were, if even possible, more protective of you than before to a point where the line between overprotective and overbearing was extremely thin.

But all three of you had to learn and adjust, making mistakes and sacrifices necessary in making this recovery and new lifestyle work.

You wished you could turn back time and change things, going back to that fateful night where you could change what you did.

Thinking back to it now, you would've been smarter, used some common sense and put your card some place sensible, maybe walk faster to the station instead of pausing in the middle of a dark street nowhere near the main road or civilisation.

But alas, no matter the regret, it was all in the past now, as your therapist said, dwelling on it won't change the present.

All you could do is what was in your control which currently consisted on focusing on your physio to try and get your legs to improve even somewhat, try to enjoy being coddled by your older brothers like you were all kids again and continue to teach the children who never failed to make you feel better.

While you were well into the recovery process, there was still much progress to be made and in an ideal world, by the end of it all, you'd be back to normal and stable on your own two feet. A life where everyone could go back to their lives, Will and Jay being allowed to live their lives independently without having to help you get into the shower or bed.

For now though, all you had to do was focus on yourself, taking small baby steps to try and get back to being you again.

"For fucks sake- Will forgot the prawn crackers!"

With these morons at your side, being you was easier than ever.

[spinjitsuburst]

ninjago fic recommendations because i have so many Thoughts about them

gonna share some of my favorite ninjago fics bc they're so so so good and i want people to talk about them with me

Land of the Living by @captainbrookeworm - An evil scientist bent on using Lloyd's powers to resurrect his enemies chooses a poor one to start with - with Morro back alive he has to help Lloyd escape the facility, find a way to stop the bad guy, and keep the rest of the ninja from throttling him as everyone learns to adjust (pretty sure this has a sequel that i still need to read)

when you think you're all alone by @mondothebombo - A fic about a deeper look into what things were like for Jay aboard Misfortune's Keep. Lots of hurt, lots of comfort, lots of Jay needing therapy (TW: this fic contains depictions of torture and discussion of sexual assault so please be careful!) (also i've drawn fanart for this fic huehue)

The Ice Emperor and the Earth Dragon by @mcfanely - In the events of Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu, things are changed when Cole gets zapped to the Neverrealm alongside Zane. With two ninja trapped instead of one, we get a different look at how the Ice Emperor comes to be, and just how far Cole is willing to go to protect his brother (this fic broke my brain ngl)

Current Hunger by @thoriffix - After a mission gone wrong, Jay's behavior begins getting more and more unstable. Dangerous. He's hearing whispers in his head, things that aren't there, and the ninja are noticing. Little do they know the danger is much bigger than anything anyone could've imagined (TW: a lot of psychological and body horror)

Play to Win by @sadisthetic - A Skybound one-shot. After getting captured on Misfortune's Keep, Cole didn't expect to be thrown into combat, much less against Jay. A one-shot about Jay and Cole and the worst round of Scrap N' Tap imaginable (tw: violence duh)

Visionary by @k1ngtok1 - A fic about Lloyd, getting an innermost look at the history of the people he cares about most

Would You Like to Enter Prime Empire? by @finn-m-corvex - A fic where Prime Empire carries out somewhat differently, with the ninja separated from Jay and having to work with him from the outside of Prime Empire

There's a Smell of Stale Fear by @spinchip - A one-shot about Jay tending to Zane in the aftermath of a traumatic event. A lot of reflection on Zane and what he's been through. (TW dark themes)

To rise after the fall by @k1ngtok1 - A series of fics centering around Cole and his realization that he has oni heritage. It's so cute and good and yes please read this series i am Begging you

Would You Like to Enter Stardust? by @aureallegories - Something goes wrong when Jay enters Prime Empire. Becoming a corrupted code in the game, Jay forgets the ninja entirely and becomes one of the hardest bosses in all of Prime Empire (i've drawn fanart for this fic too huehue)

Masking and Unmasking by HelloThere3306 - A one-shot set in the movieverse, all the ninjas identities are a secret until Lloyd's gets revealed to the group by accident. The ninja have to set aside their biases to get their green leader back.

[bonesbuckleup]

please please please tell me more about "Tim's having, just, god, the worst time"? also "Things Birds Use for Land"? 🙏👋

Tim's having, just, god, the worst time: A 5+1 fic that I only wrote about 15% of! Five times Tim was saved by his family and one time he saved himself. I really only got partway through Jason's. Basically, in that section, Jason follows a lead into an AA meeting and gets a lil obsessed with the idea of making amends. He doesn't want to owe anything to Bruce, and it's complicated with Dick, so he decides to start with Tim for the whole, like, beating him up in the Tower/stabbing him in Battle for the Cowl/etc etc, but, unlike a functioning human, Jason also can't bring himself to walk up to Tim and, y'know, apologize. Instead he makes a literal list of every injury he can remember giving Tim and decides he's gonna do a 1:1 amends thing. Like, he broke Tim's arm? Great! He'll stop Tim from breaking a different bone.

From Tim's point of view, the guy who tried to kill him on several occasions is now stalking him around Gotham and doing things, like, popping out of nowhere to say, "D'you think not getting shot by a hidden sniper is more equal to a bullet in the leg or a moderate concussion?" and basically reducing Tim into even more of a paranoid mess than he normally is.

Things escalate from there.

Things Birds Use for Land: the Like a Hinge, Like a Wing sequel! Please enjoy this snip:

“Hey, Jay, it’s me. I just got back to Blud. Everything’s good,” says voicemail Dick. “Can you tell B and Alf for me? I’m about to go to sleep for three, maybe four years. But, hey, one thing, while I have you…why do I have a hundred and twelve texts from you when you knew I was out of range, how come Alfred venmo’d me a hundred dollars and congratulated me on winning a bet I never placed, and who the hell is Tim? Anyway. Your texts came in out of order, so I’m not going to read all that. I’m happy for you though. Or sorry it happened. Talk to you soon.”

[kingarthurflourofficial]

june books

The good soldier Švejk : and his fortunes in the world war 3/5 (i have to confess i skimmed over the last quarter of this bc it got VERY samey very fast but it absolutely does what it sets out to do which point out the absurdity of creeping fascism)

trouble 4/5 (the hands down winner of this library trip - not only a great homage to the sound of music but also features a bisexual lead and one of the best period representations of a trans character i've ever read. didn't realise until afterwards it's the same author as art and gwen are not in love but it makes sense bc i loved that one too!)

the jungle book I 4/5 (every time i have to apologise for loving this imperialist author but i re-read this and kim every few years and there are many and many quotes that form part of my DNA at this point)

swordheart 4/5 (re-read - love an unlikely love affair!)

paladin's grace 4/5 (re-read - upsettingly accurate portrayal of trying to love again post trauma/post domestic abuse with a cracking mystery/adventure happening in the background. really sets the scene for)

paladin's hope 5/5 (re-read - i can't help it i love the way men love! [steering one another through an ancient murder maze and having desperate life affirming sex while a long-suffering gnole waits in the hallway])

britt-marie was here 4.5/5 (re-read - BACKMAN!!!!!!!!!! i am in your WALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! britt-marie is about finding how to impose your social structure and important base beliefs onto the world in a way that benefits both you and the world and ALSO it's about waking up after a long bout of depression where you burrowed into a cave and thought you'd never come out again and discovering there were people waiting for you all along and ALSO it's about going to paris and ALSO! it's about cleaning things with bicarbonate of SODA)

castle in the air 3/5 (re-read - alas for the days of my youth when i picked this book up as my first diana wynne jones and it changed my life! re-reading as an adult you notice a little more fatphobia than the first or second time around and feel a Trifle uneasy about the Fantasy Desert Culture Trope)

death by silver 3.5/5 (a rare non-reread! a great victorian gaslamp mystery featuring two interesting OCs. tw for past period typical abuse in all boys boarding schools)

a death in the dionysis club 4.5/5 (sequel to the above. loved the second one better than the first! is this bc there were fewer flashbacks? MAYBE! there's also an excellent negotiation scene halfway through that doesn't stick in my craw unlike Many that try and superimpose modern bdsm onto historical times)

and novel length fic!

An Ace that I Could Keep 4.5/5 (i've missed harriet_vane's writing so much! what a joyful return!)

WWMMD? (What Would Mianmian Do?) 4.5/5 (beautiful worldbuilding and thoughtful bdsm etiquette without veering into 'he would not fucking say that' territory)

Peerless Melons vs the Patriarchy 4.5/5 (hands down one of the most IC shen yuans i've ever read)

True Treasure 3/5 (love a rare-pair)

hey, share the weight a little 4/5 (LOVE A RARE-PAIR)

pale shadows of forgotten names 4/5 (madam lan lives!)

A word, a look, will be enough 5/5 (jaytim! jay! tim! by FEYBURNER!!!!!!)

Who is holding your hand? 4/5 (yiling patriarch supremacy!)

Palimpsest 4/5 (growth and healing? in yue qingyuan's economy?!)

now you’re tearing through the pages and the ink 4/5 (this fandom does SO MUCH with minor characters and every time i am more in awe)

anything you've read lately that i absolutely have to add to my list for july? please share if so!

[equallyloyalandlethal]

WIP Wednesday but on Thursday!!

(I swear one of these days I'm gonna get to this on the actual day...)

Tagged by @outcastpack and @transdunbar

Excerpt from the Tough Like Dandelions sequel (which already has like 50K written, thanks to Jay), henceforth it shall be known as:

Love Like Hellebores

"Go!" he snarled, lashing a clawed hand out at the air, letting his eyes flare as the coyote slammed itself forward. “Go to Scott or Derek or whoever, I don't care. Just leave.” His fangs dropped, slurring his words together, and he knew the full beta shift had bubbled up beneath his skin and boiled over when he felt his ears get caught in his hair. “Scram, kid. Get the fuck out of here."

The weird dualism of the animals scared most people, and Alec's wolf was no exception, despite the weeks spent together. He stalked forward, letting the two animals in him bleed out, forcing the kid back towards the door. 

Alec’s eyes were wide and fear wild as he stared up at him. The shake of the kid’s hands almost broke him. The wolf hated this plan, pushing out their pack, but he had to. He was just…done, but Alec, he needed someone, he needed something else to rely on, something that wasn’t a broken, mangled fuck-up of a science experiment. 

"Wha… Where is this coming from?" he asked, voice trembling as much as his hands.

"Does it matter? I'm telling you to leave!" Theo stepped forward again, shoulders up and back, looking every bit the beast he felt like as he stared down the young wolf.

But the aggression didn’t cow the kid like he expected. Rather, the confused scrunch of his face settled into something stronger, stiffer, and he stretched up taller. "Yeah, it does, because you're not making sense."

"I never do," he huffed, deliberately parroting what the kid had said earlier that night. 

"That's different. That's about your weird food choi-” Alec cut himself off, a snarl taking over his face, eyes flaring along with it. “Don't deflect, asshole! Tell me what the hell is going on."

And there it was, the reason he liked the kid. He was so similar to the only other person Theo had ever let himself care about. That temper, that need to know and protect, to be good and do good just because. Fuck. He rubbed at his scar before realizing his hand had moved at all. A harsh snarl, directed at himself more than anything, filled the suddenly too quiet apartment.

His eyes, no longer flared, found Alec's. His chest clenched at the tears rimming his eyes, the tears and pain he put there. Again, he was trying to do the right thing, and it was just hurting the people around him, the only thing he was ever really good at, honestly.

"Just go, Alec," he sighed, anger shriveling up, his tone implying a please he never wanted it to. "Go. Find one of the others. I'm sure they're all dying,” the sad acidity creeping back into his voice for that one word, “to get hold of their newest puppy.”

TAGGING; ignore as desired bc I know I'm late.

@theoceanismyinkwell (you asked about the sequel, so here's a snippet...)

@pansexual-puppy-pack

[minisugakoobies]

Just leave me here...

This look actually sent me spiraling back into my Jay bad cop!au sequel (did I ever give it an actual name??)...

Da-som needs a break. It's supposed to be her summer vacation but she's spending it knee-deep in stitches at the hospital thanks to her internship (she's applying the stitches, not getting them), working late hours and coming home exhausted every morning. On her day off, she and Jay get into a fight. It's over nothing, some minor complaint she has about something Jay does that blows up completely out of proportion. Jay's so headstrong and stubborn that he won't admit he's wrong. He reminds Da-som of her father Yoongi... maybe a little too much. Jay ends up storming out of the apartment, mumbling something about needing some air. With every hour that passes, he doesn't return, and her anger grows and grows. Is he some sort of coward, afraid to face the truth?

So it's 1 in the morning and she's wide awake and fuming and decides she needs to get out of the apartment, too, because she doesn't want to be there anymore. She grabs her jacket and puts it on but pauses at the front door, because where is she going to go? Everything's closed except the bars and she's not a big drinker. She doesn't own a car, so she can't go for a drive. While she ponders her options, her fingers brush a piece of paper in her pocket. It's the note from the flowers Sunghoon sent her - with his phone number.

Impulsively, she punches the numbers into her phone.

"Who's this?"

The voice on the other end is low and raspy and slightly annoyed, and she realizes it's 1 in the morning and she probably woke him up and she nearly hangs up, but that same stubbornness that drives her father compels her to answer.

"It's Da-som."

"Oh, hey." Sunghoon's tone changes. Now he sounds pleased. "I was hoping you'd call."

He picks her up a few minutes later, driving a car that seems way too nice for someone so young, dressed in a hoodie and Timberlands. He looks sleepy, but he smiles and shakes his head when she apologizes for waking him up, saying he's a night owl and rarely gets to bed before dawn. She doesn't ask what he does that would keep him up so late - a lifetime of dodging personal questions keeps her from starting conversations like that. If he wants her to know what he does, he'll tell her.

He asks where she wants to go and she has no answer, so they just drive through the city until they reach the outskirts and head up one of the hills to a scenic overlook. Sunghoon parks near the edge and they sit on the hood of his car, looking down at the shining lights of the city below.

It's odd. Even though he's practically a stranger, Da-som feels so comfortable around Sunghoon. He's very warm and open, a contrast to Jay, who is nearly as guarded as Da-som herself - yes, he won her over with his jokes and flattering words, but she's always felt his personality was some sort of front, protecting his true nature (she's never known why but she's never questioned it, having been there herself so many times). She finds it so easy to talk with Sunghoon, who is funny and easygoing, drawing her out of her shell with his conversation. He doesn't pry into why she called him, but she tells him anyway, something in her urging her to be honest, and he's sympathetic and supportive, and she feels validated. She feels seen.

Before she knows it, the sun starts to crest over the horizon. She's starting to get sleepy, so he takes her home at her request. She stares out the car window at her apartment building, but instead of feeling anxious about seeing Jay again after the fight, she feels strangely calm, like everything will be all right, and the warmth in her chest only grows as she looks at Sunghoon.

"Thank you," she says, placing her hand on the door handle. "I really needed this."

The corner of Sunghoon's mouth lifts. "I told you, whatever you need, you call me."

Again a wild impulsiveness comes over her and she leans over to press a tiny kiss to his cheek. Something flashes in his eyes, and before she can move away, he's cupping her face, lips meeting hers. She thinks that she should stop him, should pull away, but the kiss turns heated, and the hand she places on his chest curls, fingers digging into his hoodie to bring him closer.

It's the realization that Jay could be watching from her apartment window that finally convinces her to push him away. She stares at Sunghoon as she catches her breath.

"I'll be waiting," Sunghoon murmurs, and Da-som fumbles for the door, not trusting herself to stay there one second longer.

[bashsbooks]

Iron Widow Book Review

★★★★★ ~ 5 out of 5 stars

Due to its popularity on Tiktok and Tumblr, I have long heard rumors about Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow. I tend to be skeptical about social media hype, but after a friend recommended it to me personally, I added it to my to-read list, forgot about it for like a year, and then promptly remembered it when I was figuring out what books to read for my 2023 reading challenges. And as soon as I started reading, I was like, “Oh shit. I should’ve read this sooner.” 

Iron Widow lives up to the hype. Actually, it smashes through the hype and goes way past what I expected. Set in a futuristic alternative universe based on Chinese history and mythology, Iron Widow follows Xu Zetian as she volunteers to be a concubine-pilot, a deadly but supposedly necessary role required to power Chrysalises, which are basically giant supersuits used to fight off aliens. Concubine-pilots usually die in the process of powering Chrysalises, though their families are heavily compensated for this sacrifice. At the beginning of Iron Widow, Zetian is desperate to get vengeance for her sister was forced to become a concubine-pilot by their family - and then murdered by a male pilot before she could. (Interestingly enough, piloting the Chrysalises is not deadly for men - usually.) So Zetian volunteers with the ulterior motive of killing her sister’s murderer and quickly finds out that everything she knows - about the piloting system, gender and social dynamics, about the war - is a lie. 

Although the patriarchy is a primary antagonist in Iron Widow, not every man in the book sucks  sucks; in fact, Zetian manages to find not one but two love interests in Gao Yizhi, the son of the richest man in the country, and Li Shimin, a man who murdered his whole family (for good reasons, he’s valid) and is only being kept alive because he’s the best damn pilot in the war. As a hater of love triangles and a lover of fellow bisexual men, I am pleased to report that Yizhi and Shimin are also very interested in each other. 

Iron Widow contains such a nuanced and fascinating take on how the patriarchy fucks over everyone. Zetian is understandably upset with the way women are treated, but she learns over the course of the novel that things aren’t all sunshine and roses for men, either. This does not diminish her passion for fighting for women (and indeed, it is never really poised as a competition of who has it worse; it’s pretty clear that it’s by-and-large worse for women), but it allows her to see men as fellow humans rather than inherently The Enemy. 

Zetian is also disabled, having had her feet broken and bound from a young age to turn them into ‘lotus feet’, which are considered beautiful in her culture. She has trouble walking, even with the aid of a cane, and she constantly feels pain in her feet. This is a central aspect of her character, not an afterthought, and it’s woven into the novel thoughtfully. It parallels and interweaves with the novel’s exploration of gender and gendered expectations - much like Zetian cannot be reduced to the caricature of womanhood expected of her, nor can she be reduced to a caricature of her physical disability. Instead, the integration of these aspects into her character are complex. Her successes are not in spite of her womanhood and her bound feet, but because of them, and that makes her all the richer as a protagonist.

I love Iron Widow, and I’m happy to recommend it with a full 5 out of 5 stars. Its sequel, Heavenly Tyrant, comes out in August, and I can’t wait to read it. Xiran Jay Zhao, Iron Widow’s author, is here on Tumblr (@/xiranjayzhao) and they have already posted some Heavenly Tyrant memes to tide me over until then. (And if you like authors commenting on their books outside of the text, then I recommend following their Tumblr after you’ve finished Iron Widow.)

[kidflashimpulse]

I feel like the aftermath of Bart's return from the space-kidnapping would be hella awkward

Like, yes, Jay is over the moon that Bart's back and to have him home but also like

Jay had to go to THERAPY because Bart was missing. That man had been Going Through It and now his ward is back after not saying anything on where he was going and severly breaking Jay's trust

Jay would have felt so guilty and worried, thinking that he might have failed Bart as a guardian, which resulted in his disappearance

And because both of them are not exactly in the right mental state to properly talk about it, I feel like they'd be avoiding each other in the beginning until they can finally confront each other about it without causing argument

please it LITERALLY keeps me up at night and honestly ur so right 😭 i keep thinking about it and whilst it would be kinda (i.e SUPER) sad that there’d be that tension of distrust and heartbreak between essentially family members, i would LOVE to see it actually unfold out !

the biggest reason would be because i think it would be a great opportunity for this very natural family drama to bring up a lot of buried/compartmentalised stuff that bart’s been keeping away from his family for so long (as some of y’all might know by now from my HCs, he doesn’t do this intentionally it’s just how he is/a habit). Not necessarily in terms of hidden trauma or backstory, but more so in terms of revealing aspects of his character and thought process and how he prioritises things that’s all a result of how he’s been moulded by his original timeline. In retrospect ig that is practically trauma lol

I think it would also be incredibly cool to see Jay in that position too, because whilst we know he’s grieved and has been grieving over Joan, it’s a different type of hurt that it would be interesting to see him face. He’s lived so long with Joan thinking they wouldn’t have kids, so they had given their everything to foster a community of love and support to those around them, being the poster couple of found family. So when something like this comes along, it’s a dilemma that is so new and upsetting to Jay, combined with how he’s clearly been through a lot with his grief for Joan and just his life of being a hero in general, it all just comes to a bit of a head, making the hurt all the more potent.

Basically lots of hurt and upset and sadness and I am SO here for it SDFGHJkL

i would LOVE to do a sequel to AAIT (my fic) which would explore this plot (making it a series) but i really wouldn’t do that until AAIT is completed, but i’ve had SO MANY thoughts about it and hearing others thoughts on the topic is everything for real.

Thanks anon for sharing this with us <33 and sorry for the huge delay in the response as always 😅

[selfdiagnosedeyemotif]

hi so i must ask bc you've been posting abt em a lot and they do look cool but who/what are these The Bad Kids and how can i see them

I'm So Glad You Asked, Jay.

the bad kids are the protagonists of the

wonderful

amazing

SPECTACULAR

piece of media that is Dimension 20: Fantasy High and its hit sequel, Fantasy High: Sophomore Year, the d&d actual play show run out of the ruins that once were collegehumor

its... really long. like insanely so. freshman year is 18 episodes of 1-2 hours in length, and sophomore year has both more episodes and longer episodes.

BUT DONT LET THAT DETER YOU

this show is the best! its great! its queer! its funny! and you can get access to it now for only

ZERO DOLLARS

because i can SHARE THE LOGIN FOR MY DROPOUT ACCOUNT (the streaming service its available on)

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL

what could have inspired my sudden fervour of fantasy high reblogs? well, as im sure you've guessed, fantasy high is getting (drumroll please)

A THIRD SEASON

thats right, girls, gays, and coleman,

A THIRD SEASON

Fantasy High: Junior Year will be coming to Dropout.tv some time in january and i DO NOT REMEMBER WHEN

But That's Not All

Dimension 20 also has... uh... lemme google this...

EIGHTEEN OTHER SEASONS

a fact that i myself knew off the top of my head yes totally absolutely

not sure if you want a stupid long season like sophomore year? try a side quest season, like the fun mystery Mice and Murder! wanna CRY? A Crown of Candy has got you covered!

this post was NOT inspired by the spamton sells you ghost trick post and is MY original idea. now please consider watching this inredibly long show i live and get out of my house

[lokislytherin]

this is ver vermillion from nijisanji en 7th wave xsoleil’s korean cover of millie parfait (ethyria nijisanji 2nd wave) tagalog shitpost song sana ako na lang (i wish it was me), this version is called  왜 내가 아닐까 (why isn’t it me)

ik it’s a shitpost song but every single version of sana ako na lang slaps? reimu’s spanish version? ver’s korean version? every version slaps i kid u not (as does millie’s new shitpost song and sequel kaibigan lang naman! 

the way this song is so perfect for jaeseok too like the sheer pining? the unrequited love? the 큰형석은 짝 사랑한다 vibes? sheesh

there’s a reason i’m using ver’s version for this purpose and it’s bc the original version is female bc millie is female but ver is very clearly not so let’s take a look at the lyrics:

why isn't it me? the man who is holding your hand? why isn't it me? we look so much better together i know you are happy with the man you are holding hands with still every day i wish you two will break up soon

why isn't it me? the one who is talking to you under the night sky? the one who walks in the park with you and buys two ice creams from the convenience store? why isn't it me? oh please, look at me only oh please, only me can you look at me only me, please (sigh)

why isn't it me? the man who is holding your hand? why isn't it me? we look so much better together however deep in my heart, i may have already given up i hope you are happy with that bastard who isn't me

what if gundaniel, but from jay’s pov

gun is in a relatively good relationship with allied bc of hyungseok’s training, hyungseok went from hating gun to ‘ig he’s ok’, meanwhile jay knows Nothing about gun except what he’s heard from kitae about crystal’s battlesexual bodyguard, and now he’s seeing this creepy guy who likes to fight being all chummy with his bff park hyungseok, who he’s been crushing on since phs first transferred to j high?

and it hurts to see the person you like gradually leaving you behind, especially when you would give away everything you have for them: money, time, affection, your life, even, if it comes to that.

jaeyeol knows that what he has with hyungseok isn’t technically good, because he doesn’t speak, all he can do to show affection is do things for hyungseok, but hyungseok doesn’t necessarily understand the intention behind what he does? jaeyeol also knows that what hyungseok has with gun is even less healthy than what he has with hyungseok, bc gun beats hyungseok up as part of hyungseok’s ‘training’ but he’s technically taking advantage of hyungseok bc let’s face it. gun gets off on beating people up + getting beaten up

jaeyeol sacrificing everything for hyungseok... and for what? hyungseok will never see him as anything more than a friend anyway. because lookism is not a romance, and koreans are pretty conservative.

[smalltownfae]

23 Books I Want To Read in 2023

This post is based on this tag because after the disaster it was with me picking those books I hope I make better choices for this year. No one tagged me though.

1. The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard: As I mentioned before this one was recommended by friends that love it so hopefully I will like it as much. (DNF)

2. The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe: I heard interesting things about this one and the synopsis makes me really curious. I am sure it will at least be an interesting experience.

3. East of Eden by John Steinbeck: I don’t know a single person that did not really like this book and that makes me really curious. Even people that usually have different tastes from each other seem to agree on this one.

4. Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata: I only have this book left to read by this author (I think). It’s a short story collection but I hope it will be as impactful as her novels.

5. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro: I am really hoping this one doesn’t disappoint me. If I have time I would also like to read The Buried Giant.

6. Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto: I want to try some books by this author this year and I hope I chose well. 

7. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner: After loving I am Glad My Mom Died I want to try more memoirs and I heard good things about this one.

8.The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez: I’ve heard good things about this one so I am willing to try a space opera for once.

9. Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler: I only have this series and the short stories left from this author. Please don’t disappoint me again, Butler.

10. Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo: I listened to 3 of her books this year and it was fantastic! I hope I can also listen to this one on audiobook because it’s written in poetry and narrated by the author so the performance is amazing.

11. Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao: I really liked Iron Widow so I am sure I will enjoy the sequel when it comes out this year. (publication moved to 2024)

12. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett: Hopefully I will be in the mood to read more Discworld novels this year and I own a physical copy of this book so this is the one I picked.

13. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: Honestly I am just curious about this author’s works in general. I don’t even know what they are about, but apparently they’re really good.

14. In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune: This book seems to be in the same line as the last two by the author and I enjoyed those. Plus, it has robots in nature and one is named HAP! Hopefully, it will be good. 

15. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin: I just want to be done with this trilogy. I love the first book, but the second not so much. I heard the 3rd is better than the 2nd but not as good as the 1st. I was hoping to reread the first two before starting this one but I don’t think I will have time for that.

16. The Poetry of Robert Frost by Robert Frost: Hopefully an entire year is enough time for me to read all his poems.

17. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper: I know someone that loves this series and the first book was alright, but the 2nd is her favourite so I want to give it a try.

18. The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison: Need to catch up even though I thought the previous book was just ok.

19. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett: I heard good things about this author and I hope I picked the right book to start with her works.

20. I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé: I heard only one person talk about this book, but that person has good taste so I bought it.

21. Emma by Jane Austen: I have a feeling that I might like this one more than Pride and Prejudice. If I read this one and Persuasion this year I am done with Austen works.

22. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell: Another one I heard good things about. 

23. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater: This seems like a fun and cozy book for whenever I am in the mood.

[andrewmoocow]

Steven Universe Snake Eyes chapter 1: Home is Where the Heart Is (originally posted on August 28, 2023)

AN: This is it, everyone. The end finally begins here. We are about to embark on the final installment of Steven Universe: Alternate Future, a grand finale three years in the making. But before we begin, a little history lesson. I intended to follow up Alternate Future with just one sequel, but because I just can't stop at just one story, it soon sprang up into the little shared universe you see before you. Afterwards, I got the idea of the Snake People after watching Planet Hulk on Netflix, which some of you may remember from an answer to an ask I got on my Tumblr, in addition to Thor Ragnarok and Ratchet Deadlocked. So, I slowly began planting the seeds for this epic conclusion throughout most of the previous stories, mainly in The Black Pearl Brigade, which I used as an outlet to expand on this version of Steven's universe and introduce new characters that would play a role in Snake Eyes. Now that we've set the stage, let us begin at last.

Synopsis: Steven returns home to Beach City, but the Gems have gone missing. When Black Rutile explains where the Gems have been taken, Steven goes on a rescue mission.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Grace Rolek as Connie

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Dee Bradley Baker as Lion

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball, Doc, Navy, Leggy, Army

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid, Eyeball Demantoid

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald, Chest Emerald

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Halsey as Tanzanite

Idina Menzel as Amazonite

Mia Barron as Apatite

Jennifer Paz as Phoenix Lapis

Gina Torres as Andesine

Barbara Dunkelman as Amber

Kristen Schaal as Howlite

Olivia Olson as Citrine Twins

Neil Flynn as The Officer/Aescul

Chris Jai Alex as Sneople Soldier Leader

Henry Rollins as Captain Boa

--

"Another day, another minute spent in this hellhole." Black Rutile groaned to herself as she scratched another tally mark on the wall of her Revanche 666 prison cell before lying on her back. "A great man once said that a wise strategist gathers all his information before deciding on a course of action. Well, guess he wasn't talking about me when he said that."

Three weeks ago, by Black Rutile's estimate at least, she was taken to prison on Revanche 666 after the Crystal Gems finally had enough of her scheming to take over the universe and destroy them once and for all. She had everything all planned out too, she manipulated several Crystal Gems to her side, got the support of humans who shared her worldview, and expanded her army with previous allies and innocent Gems she brainwashed into joining her. But once again, thanks to a certain human whose last name she can never get right, Black Rutile's plans had been foiled and she was forced to face the consequences for it. Now all that she had left were the mindless conversations of her subordinates to keep her company.

"Come on, they have one female servicing a large group of males," Kyanite said while in a heated debate over the reproduction of a certain species. "That implies a species that lays eggs."

"Oh my Diamonds, you're crazy!" an irritated Bloodstone yelled. "They are so obviously mammals!"

"Please, she'd be in estrus 24/7 if she didn't lay eggs!" Kyanite objected to Bloodstone's point.

"But they don't lay eggs!" Bloodstone replied. "I don't have to keep telling you this!"

"You're both wrong." Howlite butted into the two's conversation. "They are beings who reproduce asexually, therefore they have no reproductive organs to procreate with."

"Dang Howlite, why you always gotta get so smart on us?" Kyanite asked Howlite.

"Can you nitwits shut up with your insane babbling?!" Aquamarine shrieked from her cell. "I am trying to plot our revenge here!"

"Hey, why are you the one making plans?" Cat's Eye asked Aquamarine while waking up from a cat nap. "Shouldn't Black Rutile be the one arranging everything and gathering forces like she always does?"

"Unfortunately, it seems Black Rutile is no longer fit to lead us," Aquamarine stated, cringing as she insulted the Rutile Rebels' grand leader. "Just look at her, she's become like a pathetic wet cat who's been left out in the rain for way too long."

"You know I can hear you, and I do not like what you're saying." Black Rutile snarled at her tiny second in command.

"But it's true!" Eyeball agreed with Aquamarine. "You've lost your touch, my Rutile! It was because you couldn't accept defeat that we're stuck here today, stripped of our rights and locked up like animals!"

"Yeah, I just wanted my family back!" Tanzanite yelled.

"You need to accept that we lost!" Holly Blue added.

"Yelling feels really cathartic right now!" Amber cheered, only wanting to join in as the other Rutile Rebels snapped at their leader with accusations, making Black Rutile's already low self-esteem worsen before they heard a knock.

"Hey, keep it down, all of you!" a Bismuth guard shouted. "Lights out everyone, see you all in 0800 hours!" However, lights out soon arrived earlier than expected as the imprisoned Gems heard a loud explosion from the entrance of the prison, followed by alarms blaring as a group of snakelike soldiers dressed in black and white armor marched into the prison with blasters at the ready.

"Wow, look at all these Gems!" the leader laughed in surprise. "It's like they had them all wrapped up for us as presents! Okay boys, move out. This should be easy pickings."

"No, not them!" Black Rutile cried in alarm as she instantly recognized these intruders' reptilian bodies. "It can't be!"

"Attention prisoners of Revanche 666, prepare to be enslaved in the name of the Jormagundr royal family of Serpentes!" the leader declared, striking a dramatic pose. "Everybody out of your cells, no need to make a ruckus." At the leader's command, the other snake soldiers released the Rutile Rebels from their cells and forced them into one large group.

"I gotta get out of here!" Black Rutile yelled before she stabbed a snake-man as soon as he freed her from her cell with her bowie knife and made a run for it.

"Hey, that black Gem is escaping! After her!" another soldier yelled as he helped his comrade to his feet and began firing at Black Rutile.

"If you want my soldiers, you're going to have to catch me first!" Black Rutile yelled as she turned her knife into a sword and began cutting down any snake people in her way while trying to find a way to escape.

"Where are you going?" Cinnabar asked Black Rutile. "You can't just leave us behind like this!"

"On the contrary, if you don't need me anymore, then I guess I don't need you anymore either." Black Rutile corrected Cinnabar. "In other words, adios turdnuggets!" After throwing out a few obscene hand gestures with a maniacal laugh, Black Rutile charged to the nearest escape shuttle and began taking off.

"So she's really ditching us, huh?" Emerald mourned as the Rutile Rebels watched their so-called commander escape like a coward. "I should've known it was going to happen soon enough."

"What are you going to do to us?" Pyrope asked while the snake-men busted out sets of handcuffs to put on their Gem prisoners.

"Our lord Cobralan Joramgundr has had his eyes on you for a while, and thanks to some informants, all of you are now ours for the taking." The snakes' leader stated while applying the cuffs to the Ruby squad. "Hope you like fighting for your lives."

"Finally, some action!" Dalmatian Jasper cried excitedly while the snakes tried to work around her lack of a left hand to put the cuffs on her. "Better than rotting in prison for the rest of eternity."

"Oh my sweet Jasper, you have no idea what you and your friends are getting into." The leader snake said forebodingly while applying the last of the handcuffs on Andesine. "Okay, that should be all of the prisoners! Any update on the personnel?"

"Presently restrained, sir." Another snake soldier replied as the Peridots, Bismuths, and Black Pearls were led away from their posts in a chain gang. "Preparing coordinates back to Serpentes. Our leader will be most pleased with our findings."

"Well, this could've turned out a lot worse," Amazonite muttered disdainfully while Phoenix Lapis tried to open her mouth. "And don't even ask how it could get even worse."

Meanwhile, Black Rutile was reclining back in her captain's chair as the shuttle she hijacked flew far away from Revanche 666. She had long dreaded the day that the Snake People would come for the Gems, but she didn't expect that to be today of all days. "It was only a matter of time before our ancient enemies came looking for us." She sighed in relief. "Now all I need is somewhere to hide until this all blows over." As it just so happens, she flew away so fast in her escape, that Black Rutile could see Earth in the far distance, just a little blue ball from her perspective. "Okay, not what I had planned, but maybe I can work with this."

With that, Black Rutile veered the ship towards Earth and began flying to the planet she despised so much, hoping that it would be the Hail Mary she was looking for.

--

To think it was only a year ago when Steven left Beach City to find himself. A year since he had a meltdown to end all meltdowns, nearly destroyed Beach City, was used by Black Rutile to try and destroy Earth, and finally got the recovery he was so desperate for. Now, after a year of touring the country, he decided it was time to visit his old friends, and it was a very special time too. Steven was going to turn 18 today, and he was eager to see all of his friends and family back home again. But as he pulled into Beach City and was warmly greeted by the excited townies, Steven couldn't help but ponder that something was missing.

"Gooood morning Beach City!" Steven cried as he pulled up to the Crystal Temple and burst out of the Dondai Supremo with a thunderous aplomb. "Everybody's favorite half-Diamond is back for the big One-wait." He stopped short once he realized what was missing. "Where are all the Gems?"

"Steven, is that you?" Steven could hear Greg's voice suddenly appearing behind him. "How you been, Schtu-Ball?"

"Dad!" Steven cried as he rushed up and hugged his father. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Glad to see you too, kiddo, and happy birthday!" Greg laughed jollily before letting his now adult son go. "Wow, eighteen. Funny how time flies, huh?"

"I still can't believe it either." Steven agreed. "Feels like only yesterday that I first discovered my powers and thought Cookie Cats were connected to them. But that's not important right now, because I have a problem. Have you seen the Crystal Gems anywhere?"

"Not since this morning." Greg nodded. "Pearl got a message from Little Homeworld saying something was wrong and they went off on the Warp Pad. And that was the last I saw of them."

"Something was wrong?" Steven said to himself before he made the first conclusion that came to his mind. "Black Rutile, of course. Come on Dad, we have to save them!"

"Right behind you, sport!" Greg saluted as the father and son took the Warp Pad to Little Homeworld, which was just as barren as the temple, if not even more so.

"I don't get it, where is everyone?" Steven asked as he looked around the empty Little Homeworld. What was once full of happy Gems finding their way in life was now home to a few tumbleweeds and worried pets. "They couldn't have just vanished overnight!"

"Maybe they're all putting on a really elaborate surprise party!" Greg replied with an awkward laugh before giving it to his son straight. "Okay, you got me. I have no idea what's going on." Just then, the two heard a nervous moan, followed by a little Flower Buddy scuttling towards Steven while shivering in fear. "Oh, hey little guy. Is something wrong?"

"Dad, this is Zuli's Flower Buddy!" Steven stated as he held the little creature in his arms. "What's wrong, you little cutie? What happened to your momma?" Unfortunately, the Flower Buddy nervously shook its head before leaping out of Steven's nurturing embrace and running away. "Wait, come back!"

"I guess it must be too scared to say anything," Greg concluded. "I mean, it's not like the great big answer to all of our questions is going to fall out of the sky!"

Just then, Steven noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Above them, a streak of light was falling to Earth, immediately answering Greg's question. "A shooting star in the middle of the day?" Steven wondered to himself as he tried to get a closer look. "Wait, is that star screaming?" Indeed, the star was shrieking loudly before it crashed into the woods nearby, creating a large explosion that could be seen from Little Homeworld. "This day just keeps getting weirder! Come on!"

The Universes then raced out of Little Homeworld and took a journey to the nearby forest, the air now polluted by smoke and fire as the trail of destruction led the duo to what was once Jasper's cave, now smashed to pieces by a crashed spaceship. The two watched as a familiar black hand burst from the wreckage and pulled Black Rutile from what could've been her tomb, haggard and frantic while glaring straight at Steven. "Steven Universe, we meet again at last."

"Stay back Dad, she looks dangerous!" Steven reflexively drew his shield to defend his father with as Black Rutile lurched towards the two. However, Steven slowly realized that maybe this time, Black Rutile wasn't here to hurt. In fact, she didn't seem to even have a weapon drawn and was instead futilely reaching out to him and Greg. "Wait, something's wrong."

"Help me Steven Universe, you're my only hope." Black Rutile wheezed before she fell flat on her face, seemingly passed out from the crash.

"I don't know about you Steven Seagel, but she looks like she's seen better days," Greg said while looking over at Black Rutile's struggling body. "Shouldn't she be pretending to twirl a mustache while going all 'MWAHAHA, I'm going to kick every puppy in the world and there's nothing you can do to stop me!'?"

"Something definitely isn't right here." Steven agreed with Greg while helping Black Rutile to her feet and waking her up. "Black Rutile, it's me, Steven!"

"Someone set us up the bomb." Black Rutile woozily said as she slowly regained consciousness and quickly realized she was in the right place. "Eureka, I arrived just in time!"

"Just in time for what?" Steven asked before Black Rutile frantically grabbed his shoulders.

"Just in time for their return!" Black Rutile manically shouted. "It's been eons since we last saw them, but they found us! They're hungry! AND THEY'RE COMING!"

"Who's coming?" Greg nervously asked, shocked at Black Rutile's sudden burst of insanity before the megalomaniacal Rutile ominously turned to face him.

"The Snake People." Black Rutile muttered fearfully before the three heard a rustling in the bushes.

"Did someone say Snake People?!" Ronaldo Fryman cried as he burst from the bushes at the mere mention of Black Rutile's enemies. "I totally knew they were out there!"

"Ronaldo, what are you doing out here?" Steven asked Ronaldo, confused about whether he'd been hiding there the whole time.

"Searching for Bigfoot. What else would a hunter of the supernatural like me be doing in the great outdoors?" Ronaldo answered. "So anyways, what's this I hear about snake people?"

"Who's this idiot and what does he think he knows about the snake people?" Black Rutile asked harshly.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I somehow managed to accurately predict a good portion of Gem society lore!" Ronaldo argued with Black Rutile, utterly offended at this jab at his intelligence before Steven broke them up.

"Okay you two, break it up!" Steven said as he put the two's argument to rest. "We have something much bigger to focus on here. Apparently, all the Gems on Earth have gone missing, and now Black Rutile comes crashing to Earth rambling about snake people or something."

"My point still stands." Black Rutile said firmly. "What do you know about snake people, you fool?"

"I am so glad you asked!" Ronaldo smirked before presenting a briefcase full of information he gathered on the snake people. "Behold, the truth!" However, all Black Rutile saw was a bunch of news articles and other miscellaneous objects that seemed to her like she was talking to a complete nutcase. "Snake people, or sneople, control our government at the highest level. Look." Ronaldo then brought out a dollar bill sign while gesturing to the snake and diamond symbols. "The snake represents their hold on our country, while the diamond represents their underground mines. Or their sharp teeth! The details aren't important!"

"How does he function?" Black Rutile muttered in silent alarm as Ronaldo continued his explanation.

"However, it seems that the creatures you encountered may be invading from their home planet," Ronaldo stated. "Perhaps they were abducting other races from across the universe to fulfill their evil deeds, like maybe creating a super-diverse army to conquer the entire universe with!"

"Okay, Ronaldo, was it?" Black Rutile bluntly interrupted Ronaldo. "I'm just going to be frank with you. You're a complete idiot. I mean, snake people secretly controlling our government and your only evidence is but a scrap of currency?" She then snatched the dollar bill from Ronaldo's briefcase and ripped it to shreds. "I care little about this planet's history, but even I know this is all the claptrap ramblings of a lunatic!"

"No, my proof!" Ronaldo wailed while trying to collect what remains of the dollar he could find on the ground.

"However, I'll have to give you this." Black Rutile added. "Your description of the Snake People abducting races and people from across the universe is actually quite accurate as I've come here from Revanche 666 to tell Steven that the Snake People have abducted my minions, and they've no doubt done the same to the Crystal Gems."

"So what are you proposing?" Steven asked his archnemesis.

"I'm proposing, and I can't believe I'm saying this, we join forces against a shared enemy." Black Rutile declared, trying not to cringe in agony from making that declaration. "Steven, I urge you to assemble any remaining allies within this area and meet me in that little town of yours. The crazy theorist and I have an announcement to make."

"I can't believe I'm saying this too, but you have my word Black Rutile," Steven replied. "Wait, this isn't another excuse to plot your revenge on me, isn't it?"

"You have my word, little one." Black Rutile promised Steven, crossing her fingers behind her back as the two very reluctantly shook hands.

--

"Attention organic idiots of Beach City, heed my warnings!" Black Rutile commanded the townies' attention as they all gathered around her, Steven, and Ronaldo. "You may not trust me, but I am here today to give you all a warning. All Gems on Earth have been abducted by their ancient enemies, the Snake People!"

"That is right, the Sneople have finally come for us and they're stripping us of our defenses to make it easier for them to conquer!" Ronaldo added before getting a slap on the back of his head.

"No, you twit, they don't want to conquer us as far as I know." Black Rutile grumbled before her visor gave a demonstration. "The Snake People, as you should know, is a primarily gladiatorial race that has thrived on abducting beings from across the universe to fight in their twisted games. Their king is one of what are known as the Universal Lords, who are among the most powerful beings in the known universe who all lay claim to approximately 36.3% of it compared to the Diamonds conquering 63.7%. Any questions?" Black Rutie then saw someone raise their hand. "You there, all the way in the back?"

"Yeah, I got a question." Connie's voice called out as she walked through the crowd to meet with Steven and company. "Why are you here and how did you break out of prison?"

"It was because the Snake People came for Revanche 666 and abducted all the Gems imprisoned there, except for Black Rutile," Steven explained to Connie. "And now she wants our help."

"Wait, seriously?" Connie asked while she tilted her head in confusion. "Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming." Much to her annoyance, however, Black Rutile did exactly that. "Ow! When I said someone pinch me, I didn't mean literally!"

"Well, I'm sorry Mecha-lecha-chimichanga-habba-hooga-swagger, I don't get your human sayings!" Black Rutile replied, making Connie facepalm as Black Rutile didn't even come close to getting her last name right, almost like she was doing it to make her mad. "Anyways, they reside on the planet Serpentes in the Ophidian Nebula, which is unfortunately a couple of galaxies away. We're going to need a really good spaceship to survive a trip there, otherwise, it'll take ages to even reach the planet!"

"I believe I can help!" another voice said as he emerged from the crowd. To Steven's surprise, it was that strange police officer he met back in Empire City. This officer seemed all friendly whenever they'd cross paths, but Steven had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to him than he seemed. "Now, apologies for the sudden intrusion everyone, so allow me to introduce myself. You may know me as just the Officer, but that's just another name for the man I am underneath." The Officer then closed his eyes and began audibly straining as he slowly transformed from a human policeman into a large rat snake wearing a police uniform. "Ooh, transforming still kinda hurts sometimes."

"Oh, my, god!" Ronaldo gasped in utter surprise and delight. "YOU'RE A SNAKE PERSON, I KNEW IT! A REAL LIVE SNAKE PERSON RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, IN BEACH CITY, ON EARTH!"

"Snake Person? I see you're using those old-fashioned derogatory terms for our people." The Officer laughed and patted Ronaldo on the head. "We're actually called Slytherophidians, thank you very much. It's pretty easy to get mixed up since, well, we look like the reptiles of your planet. Anyways, y'all can call me Aescul."

"Wait, there really are snake people, I mean, Slytherophidians, on Earth?" Steven asked Aescul. "I thought Ronaldo was just making up crazy conspiracy theories."

"See, I told you all they were real!" Ronaldo declared proudly before turning to Aescul. "Now then, would you care to answer a couple hundred thousand questions I have about your people?"

"Okay, I'll only answer a few, my boy," Aescul replied. "Now fire away."

"Mister, you have no idea what you just unleashed," Steven said as Ronaldo began with his questions.

"First off, do you control our government at the highest level?" Ronaldo asked.

"Yes, and no. We have several hidden agents not only on this world but several other worlds as well." Aescul answered. "However, any one of them being in charge is quite rare, but not completely impossible."

"Care to list any examples?" Ronaldo responded.

"No." Aescul declined.

"Alright, next question." Ronaldo continued. "Do you put us mammals against each other in things such as elections, sports, or even message boards for anime?"

"What? No! We don't do any of that!" Aescul exclaimed. "If anything, you humans are already very good at having conflicts with each other!"

"Hurtful, but true," Ronaldo said.

"If anything, we prefer peace and order," Aescul added. "Now then, you get one more question kiddo, so make it count."

"One last thing, do you recognize these symbols on our currency?" Ronaldo asked before presenting what was left of the dollar bill that he still had.

"Oh, it looks like our homage to our insignia! Although, ours is a bit more different." Aescul declared as he revealed a near-perfect replica of the snake on the dollar sign. "My theory is that of our earliest scouts of this planet played a role in the foundation of this country. You know, your national animal was going to be either a rattlesnake or a bald eagle, and we all know what they went with. But as for the diamond, well, I think it might be because our king was an old friend of the Gem you all idolize."

"You mean Pink Diamond?" Steven asked. "Honestly, after all we've learned about her over the past few years, I'm honestly not surprised."

"And what about those earliest scouts?" Connie added with a question of her own.

"Oh yeah, that guy," Aescul replied awkwardly. "Last I checked, one of them went under the name Christopher Columbus or something and did some pretty messed up stuff to the natives of this land. We don't like to talk about him much, no offense."

"That's okay, we don't like to talk about him much either." Connie accepted the Slytherophidian's apology. "So now that we know what we're up against, why have they been spying on Steven lately?"

"That's because we've been watching Steven for quite a while now because my superiors have been scouting Gems to bring to our games," Aescul revealed. "This was their way of getting your attention, by snatching up every Gem you know and taking them to Serpentes so that you'll eventually come to rescue them. And now, you've just about taken the bait."

"Then I guess we have no other choice." Steven declared firmly. "We're going to Serpentes."

"Uh, hey, quick question," Greg asked. "How do we get there again?"

"Allow me to offer my help!" Aescul declared as he hailed his police car, which transformed into a spaceship large enough to fit him and his new passengers on their journey to Serpentes. "Seatbelts, everyone!"

"Please tell me this is going to be a normal, non-life-threatening adventure." Steven prayed as he, Black Rutile, Connie, Greg, Ronaldo, and Lion boarded the disguised cop's ship.

"With you? No way!" Black Rutile laughed as the people of Beach City waved Steven goodbye. "Now snakeman, make it so!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Aescul obeyed the Rutile's command before he prepared the ship for takeoff. "Now then, any last words before we leave Earth?"

"I got some," Steven said as he peered out the window to face Beach City below them. "Don't worry everyone, I'll bring the Gems home safe and sound! You have my word!"

"And I'll bring evidence that'll make me famous too!" Ronaldo added eagerly, making Steven wonder how he invited himself on the journey before deciding that he already knew.

"Okay, here goes nothing," Aescul said as he prepared to blast off. "Booster fire! Full power!" he yelled before the ship left Earth behind and took off for the great beyond on what was possibly Steven's greatest adventure yet.

--

Elsewhere in space, a large freighter was sailing gently toward a distant planet, filled with alien species from across the universe locked away in prison cells. A hapless buglike Moarchean was banging desperately against his cell bars, crying to be returned to his family. A humanoid cyborg man with gears for fear dressed in pirate attire carved tally marks on his cell wall with the sword he had in place of a hand. An immaculately dressed galactic rockstar tried calming his nerves by performing his over-the-top dance moves. A massive, tattooed giant stood chained to the wall. An angelic woman prayed to her people that she'd be safe wherever she went. The space heroine Sylvia Spectre tried desperately to escape her confinement only to be obstructed by the collar restraining her powers, while her cellmate Envyrno has long since accepted her fate. A group of Metals waited patiently for what fate would await them. A flying woman resembling a jester played a mournful tune on an invisible flute.

But the most notable prisoners in the freighter were the massive amounts of Gems kept away in specialized cells to restrain their powers. Chief among them, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl stood resilient as they were face to face with Captain Boa of the Jormagundr Royal Family's personal guard. "We're almost there, Gems." Boa sneeringly announced to his prisoners. "Are you ready for the Contest?"

--

With that, the end begins here. What awaits Steven and the Crystal Gems on Serpentes? Are the royal family really out to get them, or are they more than they seem? Does Black Rutile have anything else planned once she reaches the Snake People? And where does that mysterious Lapidarist fit into all of this? All of these questions and more will be answered in the epic twelve-chapter finale to the Steven Universe: Alternate Future series.

[whats-wild-to-you]

Thank you so much for the single mom scenario! Why so cute!!! I love it!! If only there’s a sequel to it where they got together but Jay and Daehyun became super best friend and mom got jealous of her own son. Hahaha!

🥰 I can’t 😍 it’s so cute

________________________________________

Hana got used to having Jay around way too fast. It just looked right, having breakfast together in the morning or him getting Daehyun ready for kindergarten. She knew she was playing with fire, letting Jay in her life so soon and then there was her son. He loved Jay, loved hanging out with him.

Doubts started forming in her mind. If things with Jay didn’t work out, her little boy would be crushed too.

A knock on the door startled her and she rushed to get it.

“Hey!”

“Hey you.” Jay said, engulfing her in a hug. Daehyun ran over as soon as he heard Jay’s voice, squeezing himself in between his mom and him, telling Jay to pick him up.

Jay had a soft spot for the little guy and immediately picked him up and carried him to the kitchen.

“I brought dinner!” He said proudly. Hana had mentioned in one of their conversations earlier that she was swamped with work.

“Will you stay? Please stay!” Daehyun asked, poking Jay’s chest to get his attention.

Jay looked over Daehyun’s head to Hana, raising his eyebrow.

“Honey, Jay is very busy.” Hana hadn’t actually seen Jay in days, they only texted back and forth and sometimes Jay would call her late at night.

“Actually, I’ve cleared my schedule. I can stay for dinner.”

Daehyun squealed with joy with his mother sported and unreadable expression on her face.

“We can play afterwards!” Daehyun said to Jay, completely ignoring his mother.

“You know what comes after dinner! You’re supposed to wash up and go to bed.”

“But mommy!” Daehyun looked at Jay for support but Jay simply shrugged his shoulders.

After dinner, Daehyun reluctantly went with his mother to wash up while Jay did the dishes.

“Finally!” Hana announced, plopping down on the couch next to Jay.

He put an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close to him. She all too willingly rested her head on his chest while Jay played with her hair. There haven’t been many moments of intimacy between the two of them so they made the most of every second they could spent alone together.

“I think my son likes you better than he likes me!”

Jay chuckled softly, he definitely was smitten by Daehyun. “Ditto!”

“What? You like Daehyun better than me?”

“I mean, look at him! He’s too cute!”

Hana scoffed, peeling herself off of Jay’s embrace.

“You’re not jealous, are you?”

“What if I was?” Hana countered cockily.

“Are you okay with me being so close to him? Or does it freak you out?”

Hana lowered her head as Jay spoke but shot it back up as soon as he was done. She had no answer to his question. Obviously, things between her and Jay were great right now and of course she was glad that Daehyun liked Jay but sometimes wondered if things would always stay as they were now.

“I might get over a broken heart but I know that Daehyun would suffer, so …”

“I’m not planning to break any hearts!”

“Yeah, but-”

“I love you, and I love Daehyun, and I want to be part of your lives.”

Hana released the breath she was holding, breathing heavily as Jay inched closer to her. He held her head in his hand, tilting it slightly to the side, crashing his lips on hers. The kiss was longing but not forceful. Rather than that it was a promise, a promise that Jay intended to stick by their sides forever.

Both of them broke the kiss slowly when they heard little footsteps approaching.

Daehyun was rubbing his eyes, clumsily climbing on the couch, claiming the spot between Jay and Hana. With his big dark brown eyes he looked up to Jay, asking him if he could sing him a lullaby and lay down with him because he couldn’t sleep.

Usually it was his mum’s job to do that and Hana sulked when she realized she was being replaced.

Jay nodded, carrying Daehyun to his room.

“Now I’m jealous!” Hana called after Jay. “He gets a private serenade.”

“And all he had to do was ask!” Jay winked, looking back at Hana, before he disappeared out of sight.

Whether she was ready for it or not, Jay had already become an irreplaceable part in her life. And if she was being honest with herself, Hana couldn’t imagine life without him in it. Without realizing it, they had already become a family.