#nevertheless i'm tagging it for reference...

[the-priestess-of-dawn]

Been thinking about a postgame scenario that goes in a direction I don't think canon would ever take in a million years, but like... I think it could be really compelling...

And that's the idea of Chrom becoming Plegia's king after Grima's defeat. And specifically giving up his claim to Ylisse's throne to do it (leaving it to Lucina when she's old enough).

Because here's the thing... The game ends with Grima's defeat/Robin's return in the sacrifice ending. It doesn't address what happens to Plegia at all, and while I personally maintain that Aversa is the most qualified candidate to rule, her canon ending provides that she goes back to the village she was born in. So, fine. Let's give her that.

But SOMEONE has to do SOMETHING because realistically, Plegia is in dire straits. Validar, the king and the leader of the Grimleal, is dead. He gave, like, ALL of Plegia's resources to the Ylissean League (well, okay, we don't know how much, if any, he left in reserve, but... He really needed Walhart gone and it's not like he had any reason to think that anyone would need resources once Grima was running around, so... chances are good there's little to nothing left in the wake of the averted apocalypse). And the population has been utterly devastated, because not only did people (exactly how many is unclear, but presumably it took more than just a couple) have to sacrifice themselves to renew the fell dragon's power, but Grima was also spawning Grimleal onto their back at the final battle. Their losses are so immense...

So first of all, Chrom is definitely responsible for taking all their resources and setting half of them on fire (Now to be fair, Flavia and Basilio are also responsible, but... Idk, I kinda feel like they'd bicker with each other over who has to do the crappy parts of the job and then agree that they should just ask Chrom if he can do it. Like "Haha, if you didn't want to deal with thieves ambushing the Longfort to steal construction supplies, you shouldn't have gone and beaten me at the last tournament!" "Oh, shut up. Let's see if Chrom can send his thief friend over to talk these guys down. Or kill them, whichever." I mean, Chrom is always going to be their guy who knows a guy.) There's just no way Chrom would abandon the surviving Plegians who need help anyway, but especially not when he knows the war with Valm would've ended before it could begin without them.

Of course, there's the historical hostility between Ylisse and Plegia to consider, but... If anyone's protesting, it's probably the Ylisseans. Because the survivng Plegians, uh... probably were never Grima's most devoted followers in the first place (if you really wanted to give Grima your life, you'd rush to the front of the line at the Dragon's Table, right?) and even if they used to consider themselves true Grimleal, the religion's leadership is destroyed, and—for the purpose of this scenario, I'm considering it post-sacrifice ending—the fell dragon is gone and not coming back. These people narrowly avoided becoming Grima's breakfast or Grima's meat shields. They all almost certainly know someone who wasn't as lucky. And the one who saved them... Well, it was Chrom, wasn't it? Because he believed in humanity enough to challenge the concept of fate, a fate that the people of Plegia were surely taught was inescapable. Despite their history with Ylisse, it's hardly unreasonable for them to see Chrom as a savior to them specifically. The second coming of the Hero-King who ought for the lives of all humans, really.

And yeah, I'm going here... Chrom is Marth's descendant. Marth was Altean. Former Altea is is modern Plegia, so technically, the people can argue that he's actually theirs.

Doesn't it sort of make sense, even? Plegia is ruined, the god to whom the theocracy was devoted killed. "What we need is to restore the glory of ancient Altea!" And who better to help them than Chrom, Marth's successor in blood and in spirit?

But Chrom would frown and say no. Of course he's going to help them restore their country to prosperity—or at least to independent, peaceful functioning. But king? Sheesh, that's going too far. Come on guys, you don't really want that. Besides, he's already ruling Ylisse...

Except, he's not ruling it as Exalt. At least, not at first he's not. He forswore the title when he started his rule and in canon he is only official welcomed as Exalt after Grima's defeat. But what if he just... continued to not accept it. It's not like he ever wanted to be Exalt. He only has the right to rule because Emmeryn died—because he failed to protect her. It has nothing to do with any of his successes.

But if the Plegians made him their king, then it would be because of his own accomplishments.

And in a way I also can't help but find it heartwarming, because it was the Plegian people who got him to truly understand Emmeryn's ideals. He wanted peace, he wanted to follow her path, but it wasn't until the Plegians took her sacrifice for the peace offer it was and refused to continue fighting Ylisse that Chrom was finally able to comprehend what it meant that Emmeryn believed that all people wanted the same thing, that peace is something for everyone and not just purehearted saints like her who would never hurt a fly. So wouldn't it be sweet to expand on that existing connection? For the people who once bore a grudge against him and his nation to say, actually, our home is your home and you belong with us... For Chrom to reach back and decide that these are his people and that he will protect them...

Especially because that's what he's always done for Robin. Your father doesn't get to determine your path for you, your past doesn't dictate your future, you always have a place beside me because we are two halves of a greater whole. This AU is definitely a chrobin AU, because when Robin gets back I want them to rule at his side (after all, I do have feelings about Grima's loyalty to a people who have been praying to them to end their suffering for a thousand years).

Now, I do think that Chrom would never leave Ylisse while little Lucina was still growing up, but... Honestly it would probably take quite some time to establish a castle for Plegia's new ruler anyway (especially if they go super hard on the Altean revival theme and want it to be IN former Altean territory, which has become the "border wastes" and undoubtedly needs some help... But EVERYWHERE in Plegia needs help, so what better time to give the land some attention?) So when Lucina is an adult she can take over as Ylisse's true Exalt, and Chrom can focus his efforts on the other side of the border. I think he'd still be awkward about the whole thing, approaching it like "Well, I guess I'm here if you all still want me..." but Robin's there to give him confidence and the people there are SO excited for their hero to come and live with them and together they all usher in a new era of peace and prosperity as Ylisse and Plegia themselves become like two halves of a greater whole.

[witchyafterdark]

Consolidated HL Character Profile #2:

— Sebastian Sallow —

Note: Finally, here is Sebastian's version of the complete profile analysis I've done before! I actually started doing his profile before Ominis' but his character information and background became more difficult for me to understand. Nevertheless, I'm happy to post this one for all the Sebastian girlies — and fans in general! 💕

As always, tags and shoutouts are at the very end of this post.

This is a very, very long post. Pace yourself and take your time.

—---—---—---—---—

I. Possible Birth Place

NOTE: These are all speculated places backed with cross-referenced research, and other people’s headcanons. This was the most difficult part of this post, and I am open to other suggestions and ideas.

Before we begin to even tackle all the possible birthplaces of Sebastian (and Anne), there are a couple of important things that needed to be discussed. At the end of this segment, there will be options to choose from based on narrowed down (and specified) locations.

Firstly, we know that Sebastian’s parents were professors who unfortunately passed away before he and Anne developed their magical abilities. Therefore, majority of people in the HL community have an unspoken agreement that the Sallow family (except Solomon) used to live near Hogwarts—if Mr. and Mrs. Sallow were to fulfill their work as professors during the day, and come home to their children at night every single day. They had to live near their place of work because it was indicated that they spent nearly every waking moment in the cellar attending to their academic pursuits.

But wait… where exactly is Hogwarts located?

Scotland is a massive place with lots of towns and cities. In order to narrow down the possible locations of where Hogwarts is situated, I have referred to this source that had studied this whole topic with as much precision as possible that simultaneously pieced together book-canon mentions of the castle itself.

This map shown below is the route that the Hogwarts Express travels from London (at King’s Cross Station) to the castle that oversees Hogsmeade as well. According to the website linked above, standard Victorian steam-powered trains run for 80mph (or 128kph). But under route calculation and terrain consideration, the train would have had the speed of around 65mph if it is to comply with the fact that the students reach Hogwarts by nighttime. And since the entire magical community of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade (and the entire magical Scottish Highlands) are hidden from muggle view, the estimation of Hogwarts’ location is either the Galloway Hills or the West Highlands.

For the sake of congruency between book-canon information and the landscape of the game’s map, this post will settle on the West Highlands instead.

Fun Fact: It was said that Hogsmeade was founded by an Englishman named Hengist of Woodcroft. I noticed that places with the word “-croft” is predominant in Hogwarts Legacy. There’s the Undercroft and Feldcroft, and I think it wraps up nicely alongside the origins of the founder of Hogsmeade himself.

—

Now that Hogwarts’ location has been established, let’s move on with Sebastian’s possible birthplaces.

1. Aranshire

It has been such a long while ago, but I have asked permission from @hogwartslegacypics to reference the post she did before. (Thank you for allowing me to use your work for mine. All pictures used in this segment are credited to you).

There have been deleted voice lines that Sebastian would say or be triggered when you walk with him around this area using the Companion Mod. The quest in Aranshire would have the main character investigate what happened in the village becoming abandoned by its townspeople. This would lead to a house inhabited by Mary Portman, and she was responsible for breeding all sorts of spiders in the cellar of her house.

Furthermore, Sebastian would have a specific voice line once you get inside the cellar. I have tried to activate this dialogue with other NPC’s but it’s only him that says it. There is the possibility that this quest was supposed to be done with Sebastian as part of his questline.

In this video, with the timestamp 59:39, only Sebastian says this line:

“I suppose we know what happened to Mary Portman. She was breeding the spiders.”

It would be both economical and logical for the Sallow professors to have a house near their place of employment instead of boarding with the other professors in the Faculty Tower without a live-in sitter watching their two children. And even if they did hire someone to watch their children, we were never given any indication that the twins were left under someone else's care when Mr. and Mrs. Sallow were still alive. Plus, it would put quite a dent on their finances to rely on childcare services for the whole school year that they'd be at work.

Lastly, giving birth at home is the norm during Victorian times. According to the Victorian Web:

"... for much of the nineteenth century the safest place to be delivered, regardless of social class, was at home by a well-trained midwife. Until the widespread use of antisepsis in the 1880s, male practitioners were more likely to carry infection, using unclean instruments and moving as they did between different types of medical cases and post-mortems to deliveries."

And so, it would make perfect sense that Mrs. Sallow would give birth at the comfort and safety of their home—which would indicate that Sebastian and Anne's birthplace would be Aranshire, or at the very least, near Hogwarts.

2. St. Mungo’s Hospital, London

Another possible place where Sebastian and Anne might have been born is actually at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

I would like to believe that Wizarding medical practices have stark differences from their muggle counterparts, and that the use of magic may have provided the Wizarding world some medical advances long before muggle technological discoveries.

While all of this is just speculation, there is also the possibility of complications with giving birth to a set of twins. Given that most women of the Victorian age preferred home births due to the higher maternal mortality rate with hospital births, there could still be the possibility that Mrs. Sallow had Sebastian and Anne at the hospital.

Both of his parents are professors, and was said to be open-minded folks. It wouldn't be surprising if they are the type of new parents who had read every maternity book they could get their hands on, and may have chosen the option of having medical witches and wizards to aid the delivery of the twins—should any sort of complications arise in the midst of labor.

St. Mungo's Hospital is located in London, concealed in such a manner similar to that of Diagon Alley.

"To enter the premises, one might step through the window of what appeared to be a red-bricked, condemned department store called Purge and Dowse, Ltd. This acted as a magical gateway to the main building, much like the barrier at King's Cross Station to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Although the "department store" building housing the hospital might have been relatively small, this was not an indication of the true capacity of a magical building, the interior looked exactly as a hospital should. One way an individual could enter the building was speaking to an apparently inanimate dummy in the department store."

3. Fort William, Scotland

For Sebastian's last possible place of birth, I had to resort to looking at his wiki page. There was one little thing that I noticed written on his biographical information. There is chance that he is a half-blood.

Given that both his parents are professors, we don't actually have any actual confirmation or evidence that they taught at Hogwarts!

It could be feasible that one of Sebastian's parents was indeed a professor at Hogwarts, while the other one taught at a muggle school. If that's the case, then the Sallow family might have to settle somewhere in the "middle" of their place of work—one goes to the Wizarding community while the other goes to the nearest muggle town.

And according to the map below, the nearest muggle town that was actually the final stop before Hogwarts was Fort William.

Although, just because Sebastian and Anne were born here doesn't mean that they were raised here. It was still canonically stated that Sebastian grew up within the Wizarding community; which is around Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Aranshire, and other hamlets deep in the Scottish Highlands.

Nevertheless, if one really wants to pinpoint an actual location on the (muggle) map, then Fort William is the nearest and most likely place. And yes, the Hogwarts Express Train passes by this beautiful town.

—

End Results:

Sebastian (and Anne) was most likely born in Aranshire, given the amount of evidence we have in the game—alongside exclusive deleted voice lines from the character himself. Then again, the two other options listed above can be considered as well if we entertain the idea of expounding on the tidbits and hints of information we have about him (such as the possibility that he is a half-blood).

—---—---—---—---—

II. Possible Date of Birth

NOTE: If you're not interested in astrology, you can just skip this one, and go to Part 3, 4, and 5!

This section of the post is pure speculation, and no solid proof at all. But we do know that Sebastian should be born between September 1, 1874 and August 31, 1875 if he was to be eleven years-old during the start of his first year at Hogwarts. Therefore, all of the following information is gathered by astrological observations of his character.

(I have a personal tarot and astrology account, @tarotwitchy, if you guys are interested in knowing more about this type of content).

Based on character analysis, I believe that Sebastian is a Virgo Sun, Scorpio Moon, and Sagittarius Rising.

Now, what does that mean?

Let's break down his character one astrological placement at a time.

1. Virgo Sun

— A lot of people think he is a Scorpio Sun. But as one myself, he doesn't quite fit the bill. Instead, based on his actions throughout the game, he represents the hallmark traits of a Virgo Sun. A person with this placement is someone who gets things done. They have laser-sharp focus on things that matter to them, and they will stop at nothing until they've satisfied their own thirst for knowledge and understanding and experience of whichever captivated their whole attention.

— It's because of this "obsessive" behavior that he is tagged as a Scorpio. But in his case, obsession is a manifestation of an unhealthy Virgo; one that cannot admit defeat and accept their losses. It's like beating a dead horse. It's not actually obsession that took over Sebastian. It's his stubbornness. It's his refusal to acknowledge that he is, in fact, not correct in his methods, and disregards anyone else's advice and pleas for him to stop.

— Before the whole Scriptorium and Relic debacle, you get to know him as someone who has a great reputation around school. The professors and the librarian acknowledge that he is a bright boy, and a notable duellist. When done right, a person with Virgo Sun shines brightly in perfecting their crafts and honing their strengths. The best part is that they have no qualms about helping others reach their full potential as well (and this is evident with the way he helps the MC perform well in practicing spells and teaching them Confringo. He loves knowing beyond what the school is willing to teach. For him, knowledge is knowledge).

2. Scorpio Moon

— This is what most people think he is. But in astrology, the basest of our instincts and emotional fallback is not reflected by our Sun sign but by our Moon sign. Our Moon sign is our last line of defense when the going gets tough. We fall into the characteristics of this placement when our "public façade" has failed to mitigate whatever issue we're dealing with.

— As for Sebastian, his Scorpio Moon took hold of the reins during the time when he was running on fumes; mentally, emotionally, and physically. In Ominis' only note, he mentioned that Sebastian is not acting like himself. As much as he is severely influenced by the Relic, it is believed that Dark Magic amplifies the wizard's emotional status.

— With Sebastian, he was already emotionally worn out from the knawing hopelessness of his sister's condition and from the verbal assault he endures from his uncle. When you combine all these elements together, you get the unhealthiest version of a volatile Scorpio Moon.

3. Virgo Mercury

— People with their Mercury in Virgo are reservoirs of both knowledge and the ambition to understand more than what they already know. They aren't the type of people to stop searching for answers simply because they already found a half-baked solution to their problems. They go the extra mile, and then some more.

— And as we all know, Sebastian had turned the entire library upside down reading tome after tome on possible solutions for Anne's dilemma. A Slytherin main character would first encounter him pacing back and forth in the common room reading a huge book... on the first day of school.

— Majority of people with this astrological placement report that they just have that intellectual "itch" that needs to be scratched with more and more information, experimentation, research, and discovery. Until that hunger is satiated, they will not stop their quest to find out the truth they seek. We see Sebastian's downward spiral with this attribute. He was willing to go as far as casting the Cruciatus curse just to get his hands on Salazar Slytherin's spellbook.

4. Scorpio Venus

— Men with Scorpio Venuses are those who aren’t afraid with the nitty gritty of interpersonal and romantic relationships. Some people like to keep things on the surface level, not really bothering with really getting to know other people on an intimate level. And yet, Sebastian has shown to be yearning for more information about the people he’s involved with.

— In the game, when the main character was starting to understand their abilities with ancient magic, Sebastian was quick to ask, “what aren’t you telling me?” He’s the kind of person who goes beyond the hi’s and hello’s, and wants to understand his companion’s current situation. This is the hallmark trait of a person with their Venus in Scorpio. Furthermore, he also exhibits the mentality of wanting to always be in-the-loop of his loved ones’ lives, even if he’s dealing with his own problems at the same time. In his mind, your problem is also his problem, and he will not abandon you in your most trying times.

— This kind of closeness can sometimes be overwhelming for people who aren’t used to another person being very personal and up-close with their lives. But this is one of the way a Scorpio Venus shows their love, and this is very evident with how Sebastian is also helping the main character in their quest find out more about Ancient Magic in spite of drowning in his own research on Anne’s cure.

5. Leo Mars

— If Mars in Leo had a textbook example, Sebastian’s face would be on the cover. To name a few examples of how he exhibits some of the qualities this astrological placement has, let’s start with the fact that Mars is the planet responsible with body language. The way Sebastian was portrayed during his cutscenes and with his routine walks around the castle, he has a very confident gait and posture. He naturally carries himself with his own brand of masculinity; not aggressively so, but securely taking up appropriate space for himself.

— Another quality that people with Leo Mars has is that they are not afraid of being under the spotlight. They live up to people’s expectations of them, and they deliver a spectacular show of presence. In Sebastian’s case, he was one of the best duelists of Crossed Wands, and he doesn’t shy away from being the main character’s opponent during Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

— He is charismatic, ambitious, and playfully adventurous and competitive. Then again, Sebastian is shown to be stubborn, dramatic, and prone to anger. These are the characteristic manifestations of Mars in the sign of Leo.

(Not to mention that his favorite spells are fiery in nature!)

6. Sagittarius Rising

— A person’s ascendant has something to do with people’s first impressions of them. There are some astrological analysis of what Sebastian’s ascendant (or rising) sign would be. Majority of them are saying he has a Scorpio Rising. To have a Scorpio Rising, one has to have a demeanor of being unapproachable, have an air of enigma, and being quite intimidating. However, our first interaction and impression of Sebastian couldn’t be further from the truth. He is open, he is approachable, he is playful, and he is chatty. Ominis, on the other hand, has a Scorpio Rising for the same reasons I stated above for this sign.

— Therefore, Sebastian has a Sagittarius Rising. Traits of this sign include having a curious glint in their eyes, being quite effortlessly popular amongst his peers, charmingly clever, and has an intellectual brand of humor.

— Sagittarius is the sign of higher learning. If the main character was a Slytherin, the very first cutscene of Sebastian is with him pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, with a massive book in his hand, and reading and learning what he can about his dilemma. That is a very obvious and blatant display of a first impression of a Sagittarius rising.

—

End Results:

Sebastian Sallow was born on September 15, 1874 at around 1:00PM, during the autumn season.

Of course, all of this is just my personal headcanon but I made sure to back them up with research and imbued them with my own astrological knowledge when it comes to matching his personality and his possible birth date.

—---—---—---—---—

III. Psychometric Analysis

NOTE: I will be linking the sites for these tests should you want to take them yourself! 😊 Have fun!

1. MBTI

— ENTP (Extrovert, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving)

"ENTP's are known for their rebellious streak. For this personality type, no belief is too sacred to be questioned, no idea is too fundamental to be scrutinized, and no rule is too important to be broken or at least thoroughly tested. This could make them seem overly cavalier or defiant, but at their core, their innate tendency to test boundaries has more to do with their desire for innovation and change."

Sebastian is, quite literally, the poster boy for ENTP. He embodies the trademark inquisitive nature of this type, and he has the signature charm to back it up as well. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to understand a certain topic he zeroes in on, and he doesn’t shy away from topics that would be considered taboo. As a matter of fact, he thrives in the taboo. Sebastian doesn’t discriminate the information that comes his way; instead, he has his own mental compass and filter that systematizes the knowledge he comes to possess.

2. Enneagram

— Type 8 with wing 7; SX/SP (The Maverick)

“8w7 people are action-oriented and powerful people with a passion for pursuing new opportunities. They tend to be self-confident, sociable, pragmatic and comfortable with conflict. They’re ambitious and independent, preferring to follow their own path. They dream big and have the dedication to achieve their goals. They thrive in environments that encourage their idealism, while granting them the authority to make a difference. They don’t settle for anything; they always seek more. They are also strategic and tough if needed.”

True to the name of this particular Enneagram, Sebastian is known as a rebel and a maverick. He’s the kind of person that questions the rules and authority instead of following blindly. He has his own moral code that he abides to because he is secure in his ability to make the correct decisions, even if we know that he’s going down a dark path. As a rebel, he will stubbornly insist to everyone that his way is the right way because he has already examined the possible courses of action outside the constraints of authority.

This is why he ended up butting heads with Ominis (who thrives in his own systematic order). To Sebastian, no rule is too sacred to break. As long as he sees the alternative outcomes to a specific goal, he will march to the beat of his own drum.

3. Four Temperaments

— Choleric–Sanguine (The Executive)

"The Choleric-Sanguine has a natural drive to quickly get results. They are goal and bottom-line oriented, and can be very persuasive in promoting their ideas and goals. They are easily annoyed when others do not comply with their instructions or direction but it passes quickly; quickly aroused, easily calmed. They are not angry, although others may at times think they are furious. They are impatient and will push others to obtain results and be productive."

This is blend of Temperament fits Sebastian perfectly, especially towards the tail end of his plotline. It’s very evident is his voice lines that he isn’t afraid to push people to their limits and persuade others relentlessly. He jumps into the heat of the battle without much thought, and he expects people to follow suit. He doesn’t appreciate it when his close friends question his motives because that would be an insinuation that they don’t trust his judgments. He is quick on his feet and even quicker with executing alternate routes to get closer to his goals instead of wallowing in his failures.

—---—---—---—---—

IV. Corporeal Patronus

NOTE: An Animagus is a witch or wizard's animal representation of their basest instincts and behavior. A Patronus is an animal manifestation of what makes them happiest. While most people will have the same animal for their Animagus form and Patronus, it's not always the case. We know that a person's Patronus can change throughout their lifetime.

Majority of people in the community have an unspoken agreement that Sebastian’s Animagus is a fox. By extension, his Patronus must take the corporeal form of a fox as well. However, I personally disagree with the definitions that I find in most sources. Therefore, I researched every possible Patronus result in the Wizarding World official test, and painstakingly reviewed their meanings using multiple sources. I have also enlisted the help of my cousin, who also completed her gameplay as a proud Hufflepuff, to determine which amongst all the extensive Patronus possibilities suit Sebastian the best. And after two hours of combing and debating through it, we have decided on the Buffalo.

This source defined this patronus as such:

Few possess just the right strength of character for their patronus to take the form of a buffalo. Those that do are dedicated individuals who are fiercely protective of those close to them, and not in a general way, either. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to harm another under a buffalo’s care is unlikely to come out unscathed. They are fighters, and it’s not uncommon for a buffalo to have their own personal code or way of acting to which normal morality simply doesn’t apply, which can be dangerous even for the buffalo. When all is well, they are placid but often outgoing, with strong personalities and who like having fun with those they bond to. However, going too long without contact with friends or family can lead to a buffalo feeling anxious or sad, and they will usually be at their best when sharing time with others. They are steadfast friends that enjoy being helpful and lending a hand to complete a task, or just making someone feel better. The buffalo is full of many feelings, the strong stature of them showing through a person in this way. They try to appear stoic, but it often backfires and they wear their hearts on their sleeves. They are passionate about everything they do and headstrong. They make sure their opinions are known by all that they concern, because they want to show that they are not weak. They feel as though their emotion and lack of control over it does in a way give them weakness, and it angers them greatly. They have strong tempers that are easy to lose.

A witch or a wizards Patronus has been proven to change over the span of their lifetime, and is influenced by major milestones such as marriage, relationships, or simply being influenced by your parent’s Patronus. However, based on the game material itself, a Buffalo Patronus fits Sebastian the best. Yes, he can still emulate the trickster and cunning nature of having a Fox Animagus. But based on his emotional state throughout the game, this animal’s spirit and its subsequent meaning perfectly reflects why he did the things he has done. He bulldozes his way through things without much contemplation, and he does wear his heart on his sleeves. Sebastian is the type to also care about the problems of his friends and loved ones personally, and will be their pillar of strength when needed.

—---—---—---—---—

V. Wand Analysis

1. Wand Wood

Based on the physical characteristics of this wand and the meaning of the wood, it's highly possible that Sebastian's wand is made from Yew Wood.

According to the wand wood information:

"Yew wands are among the rarer kinds, and their ideal matches are likewise unusual, and occasionally notorious. The wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses. However, it is untrue to say (as those unlearned in wandlore often do) that those who use yew wands are more likely to be attracted to the Dark Arts than another. The witch or wizard best suited to a yew wand might equally prove a fierce protector of others. Wands hewn from these most long-lived trees have been found in the possession of heroes quite as often as of villains. Where wizards have been buried with wands of yew, the wand generally sprouts into a tree guarding the dead owner’s grave. What is certain, in my experience, is that the yew wand never chooses either a mediocre or a timid owner."

There have been a plethora of different wand woods that are actually suitable for Sebastian's magical disposition. Most people have hypothesized that his wand is made from Aspen due to its duelling nature. However, I have considered that Sebastian's duelling skills are not emphasized because of the wand he uses. It is through his innate magical skills and strength that made him an exceptional duellist.

I also do not see him joining a duelling club (Silver Spears) as a way to flaunt his wand and the exclusivity of what it entails. He was most likely recruited due to his consistent displays of sheer talent and capabilities in martial magic during classes. Sebastian doesn't seem to be the type to use a personal artifact to bolster his reputation. Rather, he utilizes everything he has with efficient resourcefulness to hone his abilities manually and with hard work. You can take his wand from him and provide him with another, and he'd still be formidable with it. That is the kind of witch or wizard Yew wands choose — just as it chose Tom Riddle and Ginny Weasley.

2. Wand Core

This one is easy to determine. Sebastian's wand is imbued with a core of Dragon Heartstring. According to Ollivander, this wand is powerful yet volatile at the wrong hands.

"As a rule, dragon heartstrings produce wands with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. Dragon wands tend to learn more quickly than other types. While they can change allegiance if won from their original master, they always bond strongly with the current owner. The dragon wand tends to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, though it will not incline that way of its own accord. It is also the most prone of the three cores to accidents, being somewhat temperamental."

With how quickly Sebastian reads and practices a lot of things in such a short period of time (and simultaneously juggling his studies along with it), it's safe to say that he is a quick learner. He easily absorbs what he reads and witnesses without trouble, and he is able to put into immediate use what he discovers just moments ago. It makes sense that he is paired with a wand with this kind of core, as he needs a magical conduit that doesn't hinder his fast progress.

Furthermore, it is a matter of fact that he truly is drawn towards the Dark Arts, and he was able to cast all the Unforgivable Curses without any error nor did he fumble with them. It takes a great amount of skill a wizard possesses in order to execute these highly complex, powerful, and very dark magic. This is something that a Dragon Heartstring wand core looks for in its owner; the innate drive and relentless energy to fulfill advanced forms of magic. Sebastian just so happens to tick all of those boxes seamlessly.

3. Wand Flexibility and Length

According to the official source:

"Wand flexibility or rigidity denotes the degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the wand-and-owner pair."

Because of that, his wand's flexibility is most likely Hard. This source had explained it perfectly:

"A wand of this flexibility is very difficult to work with and its loyalty is not won easily. Hard wands are great for complex and advanced levels of magic, so beginning wizards and witches may find extra difficulty with this wand when it doesn't perform well for simple magic. As such, this type of wand is best suited for wizards and witches who are gifted, stubborn, and never give up. Owners of this wand also have a tendency to view things in absolutes; black or white. Some people may find them intimidating or difficult to approach."

Majority of Sebastian's wand analysis categorizes it as Unyielding. And while that was the initial decision in this post, I ultimately decided otherwise. With this flexibility, it really puts emphasis on his natural affinity for difficult spells and his tenacity to see through what he started. This kind of wand is not for the timid witch or wizard but someone who is comfortable being challenged time and time again. And of course, Sebastian sees a challenge as a test of his magical progress and curiosities.

As for the length of it, a standard 12 and 3/4 inches suits him just fine. He isn't too cocky about his skills but he also has confidence in himself to get things done.

—

End Results:

Yew Wood, Dragon Heartstring Core, Hard Flexibility, and 12 3/4 inches long! (It isn't a mystery that Confringo is one of his favorite spells!)

—---—---—---—---—

Honestly, this is a difficult one to finish. There wasn’t much to go on with, and every information here was based on very limited information. And most of my posts took a back burner because I feel like I needed to finish this one first. And I had this post sitting in my drafts for more than a year now!

Nevertheless, I am happy with what I produced, and this was given the same amount of thought as the one I had with Ominis. This one’s for all the Sebastian lovers! I hope this is up to par with other character analysis we already have in the fandom.

Tags:

Just a shoutout to my cousin, Marsha, for helping me with this post! I had so much fun doing this at the crack of dawn while we FaceTimed. Without your help, this post won’t be published. Love you to bits, and I’ll see you in December!

@sunnyrealist: I promised, didn’t I? I’m sorry it took a year, though!

@pufflehuffing: I swear, our conversations will always be the highlight of my social media presence in this fandom. This one’s for you, too!

@ravenwind-75: I know you’re an Ominis girlie but I also promised to share this with you once I wrapped it up. Our chats have always been so nice, and I genuinely enjoy being a part of your community.

—

Look at the date when I first created this post. It's been rotting in my drafts for more than a year now... just like the rest of my other posts. 🥲

[jezabelle9299]

Halloween S.R x Fem!Reader

Overture- You and Spencer are the only ones wearing costumes in the bureau this Halloween, he just got called in for a case, and you're dropping some things off for your roommate (Y/R/N). I want it to be fall so bad, it's 90 degrees where I live and my car does not have A/C. Also reader is a weeping angel from doctor who, which is essentially a creature that while it is being perceived by anyone looks like a statue (Specifically of an angel usually), very freaky, but reader's costume is a little more cutesy. (They're also only in the second iteration of the show, but as far as I'm concerned Spencer and reader are still matching.)

C-Ws- It's all fluff, there's a kiss? Teasing, reader is referred to as a girl, wears makeup, heels, dresses, etc, holding hands, they're like in love almost immediately.

Your roommate forgot the paperwork she needed. Again. This time she called you while you were on your way out the door to your halloween plans, begging you for a stack of files she definitely was not supposed to take home, that were nevertheless on your dining room table. This was far from the first time she’d asked you to bring her something, but it was the first time she said she wouldn’t meet you in the lobby or the coffee shop around the block. She was, in her words, “Chained to her desk”. So she required you to actually check in with security, and bring her files to her desk. The lovely kicker being that you were already in full costume.

She shut down your contesting with the promise of making her amazing pumpkin bread when she got home.So you swallowed your ego as you took one last look in the mirror. Your costume was cute, verging on sexy, but dorky enough to keep it from fully reaching that point. You were a weeping angel from Doctor Who. You were in a short gray dress with a stone pattern, gray tights with accompanying high heels, and gray lace gloves with don’t blink embroidered on them. The look was completed with some small angel wings and makeup that was smokey enough to tow the line between sexy and spooky. 

You walked into the building files in hand, up to the security desk. After picking up your visitor pass, you made your way to the elevators. Safely alone in the silver box, the doors started to close. That is, until someone turns on their side to slide through them. He’s exhausted, after clearly running through the lobby somehow not spilling the coffee in his hand. He was also in costume, giving you huge relief after passing all of the serious suit-clad agents in the lobby.

You smiled at his choice in costume, he was dressed as the 4th doctor, making your costumes kind of match. The doors closed once again and you stood side by side in silence. He was looking at you, almost like he was trying to figure out what you were. You expected this of course, but he clearly watched the show. Until he cleared his throat as you were approaching the 2nd floor. 

“I’m sorry-Hi-sorry I just, I have to ask. Are you… a weeping angel? You smiled at that. He did get it. But you pushed down some of your excitement to make an attempt at a cool headed response.

“I am! I’ll be very disappointed if that was an odd pickup line and not a guess.” His eyes got as big as saucers, and he put his hands out like he was trying to stop a runaway train, still clutching a coffee cup in his right hand, but doing the motion all the same. 

“No!-That’s-It was a guess. It’s a great costume.” 

“Thank you, I like yours too, a doctor dressed as the doctor.” You said that referencing the ID tag hanging from his bag, but he looked.. Skeptical? 

“How did you know I was a doctor?” He was just too cute. He worked at the FBI and couldn’t seem to gather that his name tag was giving him away? You just gave a small giggle and pointed to the plastic. When he looked down confused, he came back up embarrassed. Then the elevator did a final chime as the doors opened to the 5th floor.

“I guess on that note, this is my stop. Will I see you around the building?” He looked hopeful in a way that made you wish the elevator hadn’t stopped just so you could spend a few more minutes with him. That is, until you realized you also needed to get off at this floor. 

“Actually, could you help me? I’m supposed to drop some stuff off for my roommate, but I don’t know where her desk is. It's somewhere on this floor.” 

“Definitely-sure, what’s her name I can-” He was cut off by a man who was the epitome of the phrase ‘Tall, dark, and handsome.’ Not your type, but very classically handsome.

“Well, well, well, pretty boy who did you bring to work?” He reached his hand out to you, but you were busy with some extreme embarrassment, feeling even more out of place than you had in the lobby. The man next to you was’t better, his face reading as exhausted and humiliated. You eventually pulled your mouth shut where it was agape and offered your hand back to him. 

“Im Y/N, I'm actually just dropping some things off for my roommate, Y/R/N. Dr.Reid and I only met in the elevator, just similar tastes in costumes I guess!” Now the embarrassment that was once dawning on your face, dawned on him as he realized his error.

“Apologies for the presumption, I’m Derek Morgan, I work with Spencer.” 

You just couldn’t stop the words that came out next. “No worries, I should be so lucky to accompany Dr.Reid.” Derek raised his eyebrows in a small expression of shock and clapped a now beet red Spencer on the shoulder. 

“Well it was lovely to meet you Y/N, I would love to leave you two to it believe me but we’ve got a case.” You forced yourself to look Spencer in the eye again. 

“It was nice to meet you Derek and you too Dr. Reid.” Derek gave you a smile and a nod as he turned back to head up a small staircase, but Dr. Reid didn’t follow him. 

“You can call me Spencer, Dr. Reid is too formal for someone wearing this silly of a costume.” 

“I happen to like your costume, Spencer. And as much as I’d love to keep talking to you, your boss is staring at us.” you gestured to the dark haired stern man in a suit looking down at you from the door to the conference room. 

“Happy Halloween Spencer, I hope I’ll see you around.” You turned back towards the clusters of desks and started looking for the one your roommate was sitting in. It didn’t take long to find her despite the hustle and bustle still crowding the floor at this late hour. When you spotted her she was fixated on even more paperwork, not noticing you until you approached her desk. 

“Thank you so much, you are my savior. I promise that pumpkin bread is coming your way.” You laughed at the unnecessary seriousness with which she said that. 

“Thank you, and it’s no biggie since I was going out anyway. But I do need to ask you something. Spencer– Dr. Reid, is he single?”

“Wow, you’ve been here 5 minutes and you’ve already found your dork match. I saw him walking with Hotch a second ago, you’re even matching!” She was keeled over and cackling, when you stomped your heeled foot to get her to stop and answer your question. She pretended to wipe tears of laughter from her eyes just to rub salt in the wound. 

“Ok, ok, yes he’s single as far as I know, but I’m not setting you up. If you’d like to do something about your freaky little crush, you can leave a note on his desk.” She pointed to a neatly kept desk, piled high with books on every subject. 

“They have a case, so he’ll probably be out of town for a few days, but he might see it before they leave. No go on, do, and get out of here. I do still have a job to do, and no offense, but you’re kind of making me look ridiculous by association.” She tossed a notepad with a purple pen clipped to it towards you. You grumbled a quick thanks, still annoyed by the dig at your costume. But you jotted down a quick note, hopeful he’d see it sooner rather than later,, because it would be all the more humiliating if he’d forgotten about you before he saw it. 

Spencer, 

I only got to talk to you for a few minutes but I’d like to get to know you more in a place with less costumes and government agents watching over us. Call me if you’d like to go out sometime ♥️ 

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

You drew a small pair of angel wings as a signature, then left it on his desk on your way back to the elevators. 

When Spencer left the round table, with only 30 minutes before he needed to be on the plane he made a beeline to Y/R/N’s desk approaching cautiously with a small wave. 

“Hi– Sorry to bother you, but I was talking to your roommate earlier, and I was wondering–” She cut him off, putting her hand up to stop him in his tracks. 

“I’ll tell you what I told Y/N. I’m not getting involved in this cute freaky little thing you guys have going on. Check your desk, go on your case, thank me later.” He turned back towards his desk, made it about two steps before turning back. This time with a hopeful look on his face.

“What you told her? Did she– Did she ask about me?” Y/R/N just rolled her eyes and refocused on her paperwork. 

“Goodbye Dr.Reid.” She left no room for argument, so he turned back to his desk, later finding your note neatly placed on top of some files. He read it twice, just to make sure he wasn’t daydreaming. He felt like he was in a high school movie, with the prettiest girl passing him a note in class. He was just getting lost in that train of thought, when he saw the rest of the team heading for the elevator bank, ready for the case. He’d gotten so distracted mooning over your note, he’d run out of time to change. He’d have to make his best attempt to get into his regular clothes in the small airplane bathroom.

It was a fast case, a spree killer in Georgia they were able to catch by sunrise the next day. He’d re-read your note maybe 20 times in less than 12 hours, even though he remembered every word, garnering significantly more teasing from Derek, along with the rest of the team after he caught them up. He could tell they were all happy for him though, despite the teasing. 

When they landed back in Quantico he swiftly deboarded the plane, and headed home paperwork in hand, to be done later. He’d typically do it at his desk, but he wanted to call you with minimal chance for interruption.

It was barely 6am. It was your day off, and your phone was still ringing. Normally you’d check and see if you could ignore it, but you couldn’t even gather the energy to look before answering. Luckily you didn’t drink last night, so you weren’t hungover, but even without that added layer of discomfort you were not in the mood to be up and talking to people. So you grumbled a dreary hello into the line, eyes still closed. 

“Hey– Hi, I’m sorry, I woke you up.I just– we just got back from that case and I wanted to know if you wanted to..go out? Tonight? If you don’t have other plans, that is.” You perked up at the sound of his voice, and fully shot up in your bed when he asked you out. You weren’t tired anymore. 

“I’d love to! I actually have tickets to this  re-showing of the original Frankenstein, if you'd like to go with me?” You could hear a shaky exhale coming from his side of the line. 

“That sounds great! What time should I pick you up?”

“8 o’clock would be perfect.”

“Awesome–I’ll uh, I’ll see you then.” 

“Ok, bye Spencer. Now go get some rest? I’m assuming you haven’t slept yet?” You were sure he could hear the smile in your voice. 

“You would be correct. I’ll do that, and I’ll see you tonight?” You said your goodbyes, hung up, and squealed into your pillows. You were up for good now, but luckily that gave you more time to plan. You wandered to the kitchen to make your roommate some of the expensive coffee you usually saved for special occasions as a bribe for her to break her silence about Spencer. She told you he was a literal genius, a fact that did not help your nervousness. She also told you he was a behavioral analyst, that he didn’t like touch, and that he was from Vegas. That was all she’d tell you before heading out the door a half hour early, while denying any further questions. 

Then you threw on some sweats, removed the last bit of makeup that was clinging on from the night before and headed out the door. You got another coffee, before picking up some of the things you needed around the house, in addition to things that would help you feel ready for your date. You’d gone on a few, but not enough to feel like you knew what to expect, and you were usually focused on making sure the person you were out with didn’t think you were dorky or weird, but that was kind of out the window already. 

You were already supposed to go to lunch with some of your friends, so you chose to ask their advice. They were the only people you could really trust with that sort of thing, but that didn’t stop you from immediately looking up every trashy advice column you could find online, most of which were filled with categorically horrible advice, but it was a great way to kill time. 

Once it was all said and done, you decided to start getting ready 3 hours early, taking a long shower, spending almost a half hour getting your eyeliner to be perfectly even, instead of the sort-of even you usually settled for. You threw on a comfortable skirt, with a form fitting sweater and some matching boots to keep you warm in the cold theater. Ultimately you were glad you got ready early, as it was still 10 till 8 when Spencer was knocking on your door. He looked petrified. In a good way?

“Wow– you look, wow. I’m–uh sorry I’m so early. I was just–really excited for this.” You smiled, and gave yourself a little internal high five that you picked the right outfit. 

“It’s ok, I’m really excited too.” Then you gave yourself a second to really look at him, no costumes this time. His hair was different–good different. He was dressed really nice too, in a polka dot button up, with a purple sweater vest, and a black tie tucked into it crooked. At first he was staring back at you, studying you as you were him, until some insecurity crept onto both of your faces at the close observation. You straightened your posture as much as you could, and asked if he was ready. When he gave a shaky exhale and a resounding yes, he walked you from your apartment door with a hesitant, almost hovering touch on your lower back before arriving at his car, only removing his hand as he opened the door for you. 

He played classical music, and you talked about your days, his case, and your Halloween plans from the previous evening. When you arrived at the theater his hand once again found your lower back, until you got in the concessions line, when he dropped it to brush your wrist before looking to your face. 

“Is this…alright?” He moved closer to clasp your hands together as you smiled up at him. 

“It’s more than ok, although I am kind of surprised.” You maintained your smile so he would know it wasn’t nervousness or reluctance, but confusion painted his face at the perceived contradiction. 

“Y/R/N said that you weren’t a big fan of touch with people you don’t know very well.” 

“She said that?”

Oh. I guess that’s not something someone would say out of the blue. 

“Yeah I sort of–asked about you. Is that too weird?” He blushed at that and a little of your anxiety dissipated. 

“I don’t think it’s weird, I tried to ask her about you but she sent me away so I could find your note. Which was definitely better, by the way.” The idea of him liking your note sent you into the stratosphere. 

“She wouldn’t tell me anything about you either at first, which is why I wrote the note. Which I’m glad you liked, I was worried it was too dorky. But I got her to tell me a little bit about you by bribing her with coffee this morning.” He laughed a little at that, and you realized how easy it was with him. I mean not that you were particularly experienced, but you were certain they weren’t usually this natural. You were pulled from spiraling into that train of thought when you realized there was only one person ahead of you in line, and Spencer spoke. 

“What would you like? I think they have most of the regular snack and candy things, but they might have real food if you’re hungry. I’ve never actually been to this theater before, I didn’t know they did re-showings here.”

“Me neither, I only found out about this because I saw something for it online. But a cherry coke would be great. And if you’re sure you don’t mind my germs we could share some popcorn?” 

“Popcorn sounds great.” And without a second thought he kissed your hands where they were laced together. He was just about to horrifiedly ask you if he took it too far, when you giggled and smiled like there was nowhere else you’d rather be, and no one else you’d rather be with. Truthfully there wasn’t.

You got your concessions from the apathetic teenager behind the counter, and quickly found your seats in the back of the theater. You’d gotten there well before the movie started, so Spencer told you all of the fun facts he could think of. And as shocked as you were that he knew them, he was even more surprised he’d found someone to listen to them. 

After sitting in one spot for so long, you were starting to feel the exhaustion from this morning creep back in. Emboldened by the fact your hands were still clasped, you decided to lay your head against his arm. His button-up was surprisingly soft and you had to fight the urge to fully rest the side of your face on him, in an effort to not get makeup on his mostly-white shirt. He relaxed into your touch immediately, giving you the validation you needed that it was ok. 

When you left the theater, and climbed into his car once again, you talked, but the conversation was decidedly less nervous. You talked about your friends, your job, and your family, and he talked about the coworkers he loved as family. When you arrived back at home he walked you to the door. Had it been anyone else you would have assumed that was a ploy to stay the night, but you felt like you’d known Spencer much longer than you had, and were certain that was not why. So you let him, and when you reached the door, his hand finding yours once again, he pulled you in for the best first kiss. 

His lips were a little bit chapped, you’d seen him biting his inner lip a few times when he got especially bashful, so you kind of expected it, but his hands found your face, and his touch was so reassuring it melted all of your nerves away. When he pulled away, you were both beet red and smiling. 

“Can I see you again tomorrow?” 

“I’d like that, as long as you don’t have to go away for work.” You were on cloud nine, but you didn’t want to get your hopes up for a second date to happen tomorrow, his work schedule was unpredictable, and you wanted to be as prepared for that as possible.

“Dear god, I hope not. Tomorrow already feels far away. I’ll make reservations and I’ll take you to dinner? When would be an alright time to pick you up?” You wouldn’t usually like someone offering to drive you twice in a row, but Spencer didn’t even sound like he was offering, it was just a given. 

“I get off work at 6, so I could be ready at 7?” 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Goodnight Y/N” And with that he placed another kiss on your hand as you said goodnight, before he let go, and headed back to the parking lot. 

[the-unconquered-queen]

I had a realization about my Blades MC x LI dynamics which means absolutely nothing but has been living rent-free in my head all day regardless. Here goes:

TyrilMC/AerinMC - Lovers who happen to be best friends

MalMC - Best friends who happen to be lovers

Ramble I had to add under a read more because it was originally going in the tags before I realized I was approaching 30 tags with no end in sight (it's gonna show):

Look, I can't speak for y'all's MCs and pairings and playthroughs, but that's literally how it is in mine. And I'm not favoring one type of dynamic over the other, it's just a difference I've noted and this is how I finally put it into words. And I can't speak for all LI/MC dynamics either, which is why I'm limiting this to the LIs I personally romance.

I was just thinking that Mal's scenes often feel like they have a bit more of a friendship element to them even when they're romantic compared perhaps to the others, if that makes sense? I mean, MC is literally said to be Mal's best friend regardless of whether you're on his route or not, whereas for my other two LIs, there is definitely a strong friendship, but it feels like it is strengthened by their relationship with MC.

The more obvious example of the two is Aerin. Lbr, who is his best friend if not MC. And I feel like being on his route emboldens his being intimate with MC, and I'm not even referring to physical intimacy, just in an opening up kind of way, an expressing himself more freely kind of way. 'Cause if you're not on his route, there's no real reason for him and MC to be particularly close as a duo within the larger group, and they are not portrayed as one by the book either. MC is often not even particularly nice to him outside of his diamond scenes. So while my MC does genuinely enjoy Aerin's company, I know their bond is harder to justify on canon alone if they're not dating.

And then in Tyril's case I think his romantic relationship with MC really propels their specific Kilvali, even though I think there'd be a special kinship between them regardless if he and MC are the only elves in the party (which is the case in my pt) and they nevertheless would grow closer by virtue of him being a link to MC's lost culture and heritage that he enjoys teaching her about, but I think their love is what makes them such a close duo and therefore reinforces their friendship. I mean, consider how long it took for Tyril to recognize his relationship with MC as Dinvali vs how much longer it was for Kilvali, even though they had a blossoming friendship before it turned sexual.

Meanwhile, with Mal, it's like their relationship was the natural progression to their friendship, making it the other way around for MalMC—as in, their friendship strengthens their relationship. Because if I take away all romantic elements of my MC's relationships with them and leave only the platonic—and also strip personal headcanons about their dynamics and personalities to focus on what the books actually wrote (because, for example, you can hc an MC who has basically the same personality as Tyril/Aerin which is why they get along so swimmingly, so maybe a sarcastic, blunt MC for Aerin or a cool, sort of stoic MC for Tyril, who then is a perfect fit for their respective LI, but that doesn't mean that's how the writers wrote MC, who, like it or not, does still have a canon personality that is closer Mal's and not much like the other two), anyway yeah, so strip all of that and Mal would likely be the one of the three MC is closest to. I think that canon MC personality is a big reason why the MalMC dynamic is pretty effortless, while I feel like if I don't make the active effort to include TyrilMC/AerinMC in my playthrough (with romance being the more effective method imo, bc it leads to coded moments instead of just vanishing entirely as soon as a diamond scene is over), the game will not do it for me and they will not be as prominent.

And this is something that I think works for these LIs' personalities! Because Tyril and Aerin are more reserved characters who need to be close to someone (in this case, through a relationship) before they are comfortable letting loose and truly being themselves. As in, you have to get past their initial lack of charm to get to their actual charm. Whereas Mal is the opposite because he is very charming and charismatic right off the bat, so you don't need to tease that out of him, but it's within the relationship that he can be more real, such as him admitting to MC after a b1 hookup that (before her) he wasn't used to wanting certainty, a home, and someone to share it with, plus the rest of that vulnerable conversation. So then, instead of Mal starting out more serious and having the relationship show him how to let loose, he starts out casual and the relationship emboldens him to be serious, I think is a way it could be put.

Aside from personalities, it's possible that the timelines play into this as well, when you think about it. Yeah, all three of these LIs have stated at different points throughout the series that they were attracted to MC upon meeting her, but Mal was the one who was a friend the longest before the dynamics took a turn for the romantic. Because while Mal's and Tyril's relationships with MC were both taken to another level that night they had their first kisses in the lodge, Mal had been traveling with MC longer (consider how long it takes the group to get from one location to another off-screen) and therefore had more time to grow platonically before something else was added to the mix.

And Aerin, of course, took the fastest track, given that MC could kiss him the very day they met, and, if romanced since book 1 (which is the case in my playthrough) at no point has their relationship ever been solely friendly as a result, and even when they grow back together in book 2, MC learning to be friends with him post-betrayal happens simultaneously as MC and Aerin rekindling their past romance. Considering his characterization, I'd like to point out that Aerin seems to have an easier time with romance than friendship, as (so far—shoutout non-VIPs) he doesn't really show hesitance when it comes to being with MC romantically (aside from worrying—completely reasonably, may I add—that she wouldn't want him after the stuff he's pulled) and does often take the lead in that regard, but it's the idea of budding friendship that sent him running for the hills. Even now, as of b3 ch 11, he's said he's "not there yet" about his closeness to the party, but didn't even hesitate before proudly introducing MC as the "love of his life" to his mother. In his case, it's definitely the relationship helping the friendship progress.

To finish this off, I'm not saying all of this stuff I've been pointing out is exclusive to the romance routes. Certainly someone who's not romancing these LIs can have moments in their playthroughs where they let down their guards to their MCs, but I feel that, within my playthough in which they are romanced, this is how their dynamics appear, and this recontextualizes scenes and dialogues that any player can get outside of their romances. So yeah, I'm not trying to minimize whatever friendships other people's MCs might have with these LIs and I'm definitely not implying that either friendship or romance is inherently better or more profound than the other. But just that ever since I came to the conclusion that the MalMC friendship feeds and elevates the MalMC romance while the TyrilMC/AerinMC romance feeds and elevates the TyrilMC/AerinMC friendship, I feel like I'm seeing their dynamics in a new light.

[translatingpostsintoitalian]

Hi!

This is my main. I did the translation of that one post into Austrian German (Or, well, my specific dialect).

Just wanted to pop in to tell you that you're 100% correct on what you said in the tags. "oba jo" is "aber ja". I even had "joa" written there for a sec, lol, but then I thought about it and realized that I would probably say "jo" in that context.

Bavaria is pretty much the closest to Austrian dialect you can get outside of Austria, lol. And fyi, we also say a bunch of "joa" here as well.

I genuinely put a lot of though into how i should translate "alas". Because there obviously isn't a direct translation. I thought about doing "leida/leider" or "najo/naja" or something else. But then I thought that a word for word translation wasn't the point of this anyway. And that I wanted to write like a person here would say it. (if I'd pay attention in my translation lectures I's probably be able to use the right vocabulary to describe this, because I know we learned it, but alas, lol). Generally I just think that for my blog specifically it makes the most sense to really focus on how an actual person would say something. Because dialect is so fundamentally a verbal form of communication. So I'm always kinda trying to get away from my first instinct of accuracy and instead use how I would verbally communicate this with another person here. (Luckily, I think the translating posts into German blog has the accuracy covered)

Also, istg, it's so hard to figure out how to spell dialect. I do write in dialect when I text friends, but that's really only some. Trying to really write every word like I say it is so much harder than you'd think. Because there isn't really standardization, obviously. So I'm purely going by my gut. I just hope it's at least sorta readable for anyone who knows some dialect.

I'm also itching to bring some Carinthian specific dialect in there. Like, words that confuse my friends who are literally from one state over. Someone please start talking about green beans or smth, lol.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a bit of an insight into my thought process, if you were interested, but somehow it turned out sorta long and a bit ranty. So I'm sorry about that, lol. And hope you can find it a bit interesting anyways (I hope it makes sense, lol). I wish you a lovely rest of your day/night!

- translatingpostsintoaustrian

:)

For clarity, this is the post (and the tags) that aceoflights is referring to.

My answer's gonna be lengthy and it doesn't concern Italian, so I'll hide it under here. Everybody else, feel free to skip!

---

Hi! I don't know if you have any idea how incredibly happy this ask made me. Finally I know that I'm not the only crazy person on earth that loves to ramble about every little detail of a language or about a seemingly innocent word like "joa" when translating! I mean, our beloved [tumblr] does host language enthusiasts in general, but nevertheless I feel very validated right now, because it seems that you're a translation student. (I don't have any sort of degree that's related to languages and my German is self-taught.)

Okay so, clearly your endeavor with Kärntnerisch is harder than with Italian, German, Russian etc. because the Carinthian dialect has a weaker written standardization, and I'm guessing that it's also more phonetically "unstable". On top of that, it seems that it has sounds that standard Austrian German doesn't have as well? So that's a bit of a head scratcher.

I too speak an Italian dialect, Salentino, for which basically no written standard has been established, also because it's VERY unstable phonetically, especially in my area. Each town has its own dialect, which can be relatively quite different from the neighboring ones. There is a magazine written mostly in my hometown's dialect that gets published every few months, and let me tell you, it's funny to read but sometimes it's also annoying. Every individual writer brings their own influences from neighboring dialects and their personal take on orthography (LMAO), so the result is always very heterogeneous.

I rarely write in salentino, and when I do I tend to overlook formalities or precision with the orthography because the sentences tend to be very short and recognizable. When I try to be complete though, I use my own personal orthography. I'm trading readability to other users for a more phonemic and unambiguous orthography. So, as a practical example, Italian has the trigrams <sci> and <sce>, in which <sc> is always pronounced as a geminated [ʃʃ]. However salentino has both geminated [ʃʃ] and single [ʃ] sounds, which are commonly both written as <sc>, which means that for example "sciamu" (we go, single [ʃ]) and "sciamu" (we ski) are homographs. Thus I tend to write the single [ʃ] with a <š>. It makes sense when [t] palatalizes the preceding [s] into a [ʃ] in words like štamu, bašta, rištacca (Italian: stiamo, basta, stacca). It'd be crazy to write it instead as sctamu, bascta, risctacca as it would cause the average Italian speaker a stroke.

Anyway, sorry, I definitely got carried away. What I meant to say was: should you look for a standardized orthography for Carinthian (or in general sudbairisch/south Bavarian)? Should you just conjure up your own orthography and write it in the description of your blog? Something in between? The choice is entirely yours. I follow @mundart-ch, who translates posts in Swiss German (specifically their dialect which should be Bern if I recall correctly it was Lucerne. fuck). Swiss German is another example of a messy language that's not fully and neatly standardized, but I think they make a pretty good job at, let's say, transcribing what's essentially a heavily spoken language. I don't speak Swiss German myself but I sometimes show the posts to my mother, who speaks a little bit of it, and she approves lol

In general I agree with your sentiment of seeing the translation as something a Carinthian would say, instead of a word-for-word (wortwörtlich, heh, one of my fav words) translation. I have beef with Italian and German translators/VAs not sounding natural, so...

So please keep up the good work with the blog, and most importantly, be sure to always have fun!

props to @translatingpostsintorussian who made me find out about @translatingpostsintoaustrian and many more cool translation blogs!!

[thegreatwicked]

Writing Resources Part 2

My first list was so long I decided that I reached the character limit! So we have a part two! I'm going to try and keep them a bit more organized too! Hope these help you all in your writing endeavors and if you happen to use any of them try to give the original source some love!

Also, apologies if I've tagged you more than once and it's annoying! If I reference your material more than twice I will just link your whole Tumblr. I really do want to make sure everyone gets their credit and spotlight!

General Information and Research:

The Fantasy Guide to Royal and Noble Marriages or anything by @inky-duchess Her blog is extensive and is a wealth of information regarding things like royalty/nobility/Period social politics and is a fantastic resource, go check her out! Ink I do appologize I might be tagging you more than once!

@type1diabetesinfandom This blog is an amazing resource if you are interested in writing about characters with any form of diabetes or similar health issues. It was ana amzing find when I was writing my character Belladonna Black from Shadows of Deception who is hypoglycemic. What an amazing source!

How to Cook in a Medieval Setting: by @alpaca-clouds Food is the best way to know a culture and this particular blog post is a trove of information for your fictional foodie set anywhere in this spectrum of time or a great find for a fictional setting! This post obviously gets a chefs kiss!

The Symbolism of Flowers by @novlr Yeah! Leopold knew what he was talkign about, every flower has a meaning and it is entirely possible to send some a bouquette that translates to 'Fuck You' btw it consists of geraniums (stupidity), foxglove (insincerity), meadowsweet (uselessness), yellow carnations (you have disappointed me), and orange lilies (hatred). it would be quite striking! and full of loathing. THE MORE YOU KNOW. This blog is also a fantastic source for writers.

Writing About Body Pain by @slayingfiction I just came across this gem of a blog and if you're one who likes to make your characters sufffer than look no further, also, how ya doing? You ok? Just checking. This blog is also a fantastic writing resource.

How to Accurately Describe Pain in Writing by @hayatheauthor kinda piggybacking off the previous source but nevertheless lets make sure we make these characters suffer realistically? I'm ok too, if you're wondering. This is another great blog that focuses on the aspect of being a writer.

How to Use Canva to Make Mood Boards by @saradika I did not know much about mood baords but I'm telling you they are a gaem changer! They bring a life to your story in a way that is just so stunning and saradika has been so lovely as to make this helpful guide! She's also a very talented writer and is quite the Star Wars Fan! GO check out her stories!

Researching as a Writer by @so-many-ocs Research is a tricky topid to delve into and sometime sit hard to know where to start, this blogger has been so kinda as to make a bit of a roadmap to help you narrow down what you need to research and how. Wonderful blog! Very helpful!

Resources for Writing Deaf, Mute, or Blind Characters by @thecaffeinebookwarrior THIS! This right here is a gem and the only reason I don't write these types fo characters is because I've never known how to do so respectfuly and realistically! Not a problem anymore! Also a wonderful artist!

How to Write and Research a Mental Illness another gem from @hayatheauthor again if you're going to wrote a character with a mental illness lets make sure we get it right!

@namesforwriters It's little but a wonderful source of unique names for your story! Including mythology and music themed names!

Nightmare Disorder vs Night Terrors by @redd956 Some great clarification from a blogger who is diagnosed! So happy I found this as I was wondering about the distinction myself for a little while!

Types of Gemstones by @blueboxbeagle and brought to my attention by @keffirinne

A General Cane Guide for Writers and Artists by @deoidesignand brought to my attention but @cripplecharacters I was so excited to find this fantastic little gem recently and I look forward to using it! I'm keeping an eye out for more material in portraying characters with disabilities and disorders maybe it'll get it's own post!

@cripplecharacters linking this amazing blogger if you are wanting to expand your characters and write them with disabilities or diaper fees, this is a wonderful source of how to do it and stay respectful!!

@writingwithcolor use that painters pallet and write diverse characters and when you’re not sure what or how to write something check this blog out! Such a wonderful source for all questions concerning ethnicity, race and diversity!

@writinglgbtq I was looking for this blog!!! Your source for all things concerning writing the LGBTQ community respectfully and believably! So happy to ah e found this!!

@macgyvermedical I have been looking for a blog like this for some time and I'm so happy to add it to my writing resources list as tehre are far too many great and helpful posts to pick just one. Check out this amazing blogger who offers medical beta reads and asks for fanficiton!

Make it Pretty! My own contribution to help make writing a bit prettier! ꧁☽✶☾✶☽꧂ Enjoy!

Adding Page Breaks & Art to Your Stories Another of my own contributions for adding in nice clean page breaks to your stories as well as how to upload art to AO3, FFN and Wattled.

More will be added to this post as I find it and if you find anything that fits the general research on broad topics or specifics please let me know so I can continue this collective writing resource! And make sure to give some of these wonderful writers and bloggers some love!

[dearmura]

daydreamin'

☆ cw. reader uses she/her pronouns + is referred to as girlfriend, a teensy weensy bit of cursing, the reader is hit on by some creep at one point, not proofread

☆ pairings. non-idol! riki × fem! reader

☆ genre. fluff, strangers to lovers

☆ synopsis. summer would've proven to be monotonous, the greatest thrill being the audacity of the ice parlor's customers. that is until a new face walks in, leaving you daydreamin'

☆ a.n. enhypen exists in this au but let's pretend that riki isn't an idol for story purposes

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

"one scoop of mint chocolate ice cream, one of cookies and cream, one of rasberry, and one of chocolate in a sugar cone with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate drizzles and Oreos on top. and get it right, it's for my kid" they end with a forced smile, not even bothering to say please or thank you, not that you weren't used to it. sadly, you wish you could say that was the weirdest order you've gotten but, one thing this job has taught you is that kids, and parents alike, are weirdos. nevertheless you make the salty parent's order with a feigned smile and don't bother when they snatch it from your hands, throwing you the cash and not even bothering with the change

one would think that working in an ice cream shop in the hot summer heat would be ideal

if they didn't have the job, that is

but you were in no place to complain. while scooping questionable orders for ipad kids and karen parents all summer wasn't your passion project per se, it did help bring money in, money you desperately needed to afford tickets to enhypen's tour. with your unfortunate luck last year, you couldn't afford to not see them again this year. therefore, you were left to deal with a customer service job you hated where you feigned smile all day, motivated by the motto 'enhypen's worth it'

you wish you could say you at least made a friend in the process, though, your co-workers consisted of retired old folk who were too much of overachievers to at stay home and bask in their retirement money and kids around your age who you can only assume were too popular to be in your league

mentally cursing as the rude woman walked away, you compose yourself before serving the next customer who only makes you double take. a boy around your age with a height no one other than a k-idol could bear. he spoke in a low voice you'd be lying if you said wasn't attractive

"wow, that woman seemed really rude umm...y/n" he eyed your name tag before meeting your gaze, making you furrow your brows and shake your head on instinct

"no no no it's alright, I'm used to it" you reassure him. though, your answer doesn't seem very convincing to him. he frowns

"no, no it's not, no one should be used to that, I'm sorry" he apologizes, albeit, you don't know what for but, nevertheless, you nod

"thank you, babe. I'm sorry, what can I get for you?" you mentally curse at yourself for the term of endearment that slips past your lips. though, he doesn't seem to mind

"it's alright. actually, that woman speaking to you like that rubbed me the wrong way. what would you recommend, y/n?" he asked, looking at you with expectant eyes, which only make you blush

"um, I usually like to order a chocolate and vanilla swirl with rainbow sprinkles" you giggle a little

"it's the best of both worlds I guess, no need to choose a flavor when you have both" you reason, looking up at the boy whose eyes crinkle in joy. a warm laugh comes from the boy that only warms your heart

"valid. I'll take that then, please" he ends with a smile, which you return

"coming right up!" you say too giddily, as you turn around to make his ice cream you mentally curse at yourself for being so excited for no reason. though, you don't stop yourself from swirling the ice cream a little slower than usual to ensure his cone was perfect and a little higher than you're supposed to serve them

smuthering his cone in sprinkles, you hope he actually enjoys it considering you gave him extra of everything, not that he needed to know

"here ya go. that'll be $2.50, sir" you say, carefully handing him the cone, your fingers grazing his. your ignore the quickening of your pulse at the contact

"thank you so much" he hesitates a little before he continues

"and you can call me riki by the way, sir makes me sound way too old" he jokes, handing you a $5 bill as he laughes. nodding, you take the bill, your fingers failing to touch much to your dismay. upon handing him back his two bills and quarters, he doesn't even look before immediately placing them in the tip jar. thanking you again, he turns to leave, beginning to lick a stripe off his ice cream. though, you couldn't quite catch his reaction

as the door closed behind him, you catch your smile lingering a little too long for your liking. clearing your throat, you attempt to compose yourself, eying the clock until the very last minute. wiping down the tables and cleaning the ice cream machine kept you busy until closing. you wish you could say the thought of the sweet boy didn't entertain you through those last few hours but you'd be lying. in the back of your mind, you secretly hoped he would return soon

to let you know if he liked your recommendation of course...

✧

the next sale will begin in:

34 days 9 hours 0 minutes and 5 seconds

as if checking every hour would suddenly make them appear, you couldn't help but stalk the ticketmaster page, desperately waiting for seating charts, vip packages, or just prices in general to drop. with your entire happiness this summer being determined by whether or not you were going to enhypen's concert, you couldn't help but be utterly paranoid

with a heavy sigh, you peel your eyes away from your phone, dragging your feet slightly as you add the ingredients into the ice cream machine. as if the stress of ticketing and insensitive customers had not been enough, you'd been assigned the opening shift, a time you thought was ungodly to buy ice cream, but, you couldn't complain. overtime did mean more money in your pocket, so you opted to keep your complaints to yourself

as the day continued, you couldn't deny that the boy was on your mind again. even amongst tamer regulars, he was the one person you genuinely wanted to see

"um excuse me. I don't know why it's so hard for you to get it through your thick skull, but I ordered my ice cream in a waffle cone, not sugar cone" a woman spat out, shoving the cone in your hands before you could begin to unpack that statement

"I'm sorry ma'am but you ordered your ice cream on a sugar cone so I made it that way" you tried to reason, knowing damn well that she specified sugar, not waffle

"well the customer is always right! so quit the sass and do your j-"

"ma'am, I know this is none of my business but this young woman said she made your order to the 't,' so would you please have some human decency, admit your sorry, and leave her alone, please" the voice you'd been waiting yearning for all day rang out, interrupting the bitter words that came from the woman's mouth. looking up, your eyes meet his, which only give you a look of reassurance. completely stunned by his actions, the woman finds herself at a loss of words, grumbling as she stormed out of the parlor like a child throwing a tantrum

giggling as the door jingled behind her, he stepped forward, now directly parallel to you across the counter

"you never seem to catch a break, now do you?" he almost laughs, still amused at the woman's childlike nature. trying to keep your composure, you only shrug with a smile

"thank you, again. for caring I mean. you didn't have to do that" you insist, unable to meet his eyes, a little nervous being around someone you deemed way too out of your league. he only frowns

"y/n, this is only my second time meeting you but I swear if someone tries to disrespect you again, I will defend you towards the ends of the earth. who else is gonna recommend me ice cream flavors?" he ends with a teasing smile, which you only scoff at, ignoring the butterflies in your stomach at the implications of the beginning of his statement

his smile grows, a contagious expression which only reflects back to you

"speaking of ice cream recommendations, that was quite possibly the best ice cream I've ever had. when I got home, I couldn't stop thinking about coming back here. please share some more of your ice cream secrets, oh wise one" he teases, making you giggle. you ignore how your heart skipped a beat at the thought of him thinking about you like you had him

no

it wasn't like that

right?

you tap your chin comically as you think. the whole time, he bears an expectant look on his face, giving you his full, undivided attention, making you a little nervous if you do say so yourself

"you fancy me as a cookie dough kind of guy" you joke, playing along, making him smirk

"is that so?" he gives you an amused look. you don't miss the way his eyes rake you before returning to yours

"I'll take your word. I'll have that then, please" he smiles, sitting down on a stool in front of the counter, still parallel to you, watching as you make the treat

"so, if you don't mind me asking, what brought you here? there must be a reason why you wanna stay here even after all these fussy customers" he asks curiously, eyes never leaving you. as you scoop a few spoons of the cookie dough, you smile to yourself

"just trying to save up for a concert that's all" you tell the truth, opting to not elaborate, guessing he wouldn't care to ask anyways. your answer seems to pique his interest as he rests his chin in his hand, eyeing you with a curious look

"ooo what artist?" he questions, much to your surprise. you decide to tease the boy a bit, feeling oddly comfortable with him already though you just met him the previous day

"you sure do ask a lot of questions don't you? definitely cookie dough" you don't miss how he smiles to himself at your comment. he lifts his arms in defense with a warm smile

"got me there. now who are you seeing?" he continues. at this point you hand him his ice cream, making sure to add rainbow sprinkles on top. though he didn't ask for them, you did so nonetheless considering how he seemed to enjoy them the previous day. your guess seemed to be correct as his eyes lit up immediately

"oh thank you" *gasp* "how'd you know I love sprinkles" he takes a spoonful of the treat, humming in delight as his eyes shut, his head thrown back dramatically

"you're a genius, y/n, I swear" he says through mouthfuls of ice cream, making you laugh

"thank you, and, to answer your question, I'm seeing enhypen. have you h-" he immediately lets out a gasp, almost choking on his spoonful. bracing his chest, he swallows his bite before looking at you with wide eyes

"you like enhypen?" he speaks in a hoarse voice which you only guess is from the coldness he quickly swallowed. you nod questionably, still confused as to why he had such a visceral reaction. he throws his head back in disbelief before craning his neck back to face you, leaning forward over the counter, resting his chin in his hand once more

"I literally religiously listen to their music it's not even funny" he jokes, taking another spoonful of ice cream

"what can I say? only hot people love enha" you state, not even processing your words until they come out of your mouth. eyes widening, you immediately regret it after seeing him look up from his ice cream with a teasing smile

"so are you implying I'm hot?" he teases, cocking his head to the side as he raises his eyebrows, making you freeze, scrambling to come up with some witty response to save yourself

"well I was implying I was hot actually but I guess you're included in there too" you state, masking your nervousness with feigned confidence. he bursts into a fit of laughter, throwing his head back and clapping his hands, a habit you found way too cute for your liking. calming down, he wipes away the tears that formed in his eyes, giving you an approving nod

"touche, touche"

high from your sudden boost of confidence, you continue playing along, matching his energy

"so then you're implying I'm hot. touche, am I right?" you say with a look way too innocent for your intentions. giving him your best does eyes in an attempt to amuse the boy. you could see his act falter a bit as he scoffs taken aback by your words, low-key finding it really attractive

"if the shoe fits" he states simply, as if his words weren't going to replay in your mind the rest of the day and keep you up at night pondering their intentions. taking one last spoonful of his ice cream, he walks toward the counter to pay, immediately putting his change in the tip jar just as he did the previous day. before leaving, he didn't forget to bid you a goodbye, promising to come by the next day to see you

a jake stan you presume

✧

the next sale will begin in:

12 days 6 hours 0 minutes and 2 seconds

though the shop had it's flaws, one thing about it you adored was the days off. with every employee being part time, the manager decided to just give everyone a day off every week to meet the hour requirements for part timers. having a day to yourself to escape the antarctic temperatures and even colder people was essential

normally, you would have stayed home and basked in your ability to sleep in. though, you ultimately decided against it when finding out the local pool was open. now you weren't a fan of public pools, infested with children who fail to control their bladders. but, with your oddly good luck, you arrive at a time earlier than most head for a swim, ensuring the pool all to yourself

slipping your towel off your skin, you gently make your way into the water, hissing at the cold temperature. sighing in relief as your muscles seemed to relax, you bask in the sunlight. bracing yourself with your arms off the edge of the pool, you sway your feet up and down, almost like a mermaid. you laugh to yourself. suddenly getting an idea, you slide yourself into the water fully, gripping onto the edge of the pool with just your hands. dipping your hair in the water, you wip back singing "part of your world~" as water splashes all around you dramatically

as you look up, your smile slowly drops as a heavy blush takes over your face

"hey, princess" that same voice you found yourself replaying in your mind rang out just above you. he gives you a smile but you only widen your eyes at the name, making him suddenly go into a frenzy

"no no no, I didn't mean it in like a player, f-boy way. like princess as in princess ariel. and you were just ariel so I-" you only giggle at his panicked stage, finding him increasingly adorable by the minute

"are you gonna keep rambling or are you gonna join me?" you tease, suddenly getting confidence boost. you immediately pat yourself on the back when you see a blush take over his face. you pretend not to notice. he shyly slips his way into the pool beside you, albeit a few feet adjacent to you, only amusing you more

"don't worry, riki. I don't bite on fridays" you slip your sunglasses down your nose, giving him a teasing look which he only returns with a shy smile. for a few minutes, you two sat in silence like that. it was then when it finally occurred to you that your conversations never went beyond the shop. desperately trying to think up a conversation, he thankfully starts

"I really like ariel" he finally speaks up, meeting your gaze with an unsure look. you smile warmly at his comment. he continues

"my older sister, konon, had this bright red hair when we were little. I always told her she looked like ariel" he laughs at the memory, almost making you feel like you were there too

"I guess she kind of became my favorite Disney princess 'cause she reminded me of her. you know how younger siblings kinda idolize their big sisters at that age. and my little sister, sola." he smiles to himself "gosh she's a character"

"you and your sisters must be close" you say, orienting yourself to face him, giving him your full, undivided attention. he pretends not to be flustered by the sudden attention, nodding with a smile

"what brings you here by the way? I WAS planning on having the pool all to myself so you at least owe me an explanation" you joke. he hesitates a little before responding, refusing to meet your gaze

"well, I was gonna get ice cream butsawyouweren'tthere so I decided to come here to cool off" he mutters his words in the middle but you understand nevertheless. with a smile, you lightly push his side a little. you don't miss the way he tenses at the contact

"it's not like scooping ice cream is a skill. you could've gone in even if I wasn't there" you tease, seeing him smile to himself a little at your words

"I dunno, it's not the same without you there" he finally meets your gaze as he speaks. you panic a little at his confession

"ya! you ruined ice cream for me. now I can't have it without you" he complains dramatically, making you giggle. you don't notice his smile forming at your happy state

"well I'm sorry I let you down today. how about we have some now, my treat" you offer, seeing the glimmer in his eyes at your invitation. you can practically see the cogs turning in his head as he contemplates the right response. deciding to tease him further, you gradually climb the steps to get out of the water

"I'm not getting any younger~" he is immediately snapped out of his thoughts at your words. without thinking, he gently grabs your wrist, stopping you in your tracks

"it's a date" he gives you an unsure look, biting his lip a little in anticipation. you try to keep your composure but the look on his face was too priceless. giggling like a teenage girl, you shake his hand away playfully

"don't get ahead of yourself now" you tease, flashing him a smile as you run off playfully. searching for you things, you rummage through your bag in search of your towel. mentally cursing at yourself, you realize you had forgotten it at home. pouting at the implications of you walking around town all wet, you sigh

emerging from the water himself, riki quickly takes notice of your frustrated state. searching for his towel, he wordlessly approaches your wet figure

"may I?" holding the towel just before it made contact with your back, he gives you a warm smile. giving him a shy nod, you quietly thank him, not missing the way he tries not to touch you out of respect as he helps drape it around you

"let's go, yeah?" waiting for you, you stop dead in your tracks at his actions. inhaling, you didn't miss the boy's scent hitting your nose, soothing you. in a weird way, you felt a gravitation towards the boy you couldn't quite explain. felt so safe with him though you'd only met him not long ago. shaking your thoughts, you hold the towel around yourself, nodding a shy thank you before following him

upon reaching the ice cream parlor, he insisted you choose for him, requesting you "surprise" him. with a playful roll of your eyes, you order for the both of you, reaching for your wallet to pay only for him to hand his own bill to the woman behind the counter, much to your surprise. with a smile, he insists its his treat as an apology for interrupting your pool day

making sure to hand you your ice cream first, you thank him before you begin to walk. about to leave himself, the employee stops him before you notice

"your girlfriend is beautiful by the way, you're a very lucky guy" the old woman gives him a smile as she hands over the soft serve. blushing to himself a little, he returns her smile

"I know"

"riki!" you call after him after noticing he wasn't next to you. beckoning him over, he takes one last glance at the woman before running to catch up to you. smiling as he slowly reached you, your eyes catch an arcade down the street. both giving each other a challenging look, you wordlessly agree to head there

✧

"but you already bought me ice cream. that's not fair" you complain with a pout, refusing to let riki pay for your tokens. trying to stop him from inserting his bill only proved to be fruitless, using your height against you. raising it above his head, he smirks as he sees you struggle. fingers gripping onto his shirt as leverage, you use the other to futility reach for the bill. he masks his blush with a smile, pretending as if he wasn't internally screaming at your touch

"come on! you're holding up the line! just let your boyfriend pay already" a bystander stresses, causing a blush to come over both of you. suddenly aware of your proximity, you let go of the boy, stepping away as you let him slip the money into the machine. collecting the tokens, you two walk away together, trying desperately to hold your laughter but mutually breaking after only a few steps of silence

with a gasp, he immediately pulls you to two basketball machines adjacent to each other off to the right of the arcade. giddily inserting the tokens into their respect slots, you shoot him a smirk

"watch and learn pretty boy" you tease, knowing VERY well you were all bark and no bite. you can see his tongue poking at the side of his cheek, amused

"we'll see about that, babe" he challenges, his voice dropping an octave in a tone too attractive than you'd like to admit

as if on cue, the clock starts and basketballs roll down the ramp. your eyes widen at the boys lightening reflexes, immediately grabbing a ball. taking a gulp, you swiftly pick up a ball yourself, shooting and (thankfully) succeeding much to your surprise

with new found motivation to beat the boy, you keeping shooting, glancing over at his score every so often as you waited for balls to roll down. as if feeling your eyes on him, the boy turns his head, throwing you a wink

"this one's for you, y/n" he says in a voice you assume was supposed to sound flirty. rolling your eyes, you watch as he dramatically dribbles the ball, flicking his wrist as he throws it only to completely miss the net. a wide-eyed look comes over his face, absolutely crushing his ego. you can't help but burst out laughing, doubling over as you brace yourself against the boy

soon enough, the buzzer goes off with you two only making a couple of shots, not that you cared. eyeing the scoreboards, you smirk. turning to the boy, you bat your eyelashes mockingly at him, rubbing your win in his face. with a smile, he accepts defeat, satisfied enough by seeing you have a good time. with a giggle, he watches you flaunt the tickets you won

with a gasp, you tap the boy excitedly, pointing toward a claw machine just a few games down. you (of course) take the opportunity to tease him

"if you get me something from there, maybe we can all forget about that excuse for a shot back there" you cock your head, giving him a challenging look. he hates the way your attitude worked wonders on his mind. how it makes it much harder to resist looking at your lips. how it turns his mind into putty and makes him eager enough for your attention to instantly take you up on the offer. though he would've done it anyway if it meant your happiness

"which one do you want?" he asks, scanning the plushies for himself, mentally playing a guessing game of which you would choose. as soon as you laid eyes on the machine, you knew exactly which one you wanted. with a smile, you happily pointed to a little duck plushie. he gives you a questioning look but inserts the tokens nonetheless

being places in be middle of two games, the claw machine had only the facet facing you visible. combined with his tall frame, you found it hard to watch. with a pout, you searched for a way to observe him play, eyes lighting up when you see an opening just in front of the boy

slipping just under the boy's arms, you feel him freeze a little before resting his chin on your forehead, continuing to jut the switch "strategically." the same feeling took over yourself. you were nothing to him but why did it feel right to be this close to him? why did you feel so safe at this proximity and crave more than just the contact of his chin on your head?

your thoughts are interrupted by him pulling away, much to your dismay, shouting in celebration at his win as he happily danced around like a child. swiftly grabbing the duck plushie from the slot, he handed it to you with a smile, which you only returned

"okay, okay, I'll forget about that lame shot. thank you riki" you smile, eyes lingering a little too long as they meet his. giving you a playful nudge, you giggle as you watch him feign annoyance. hugging your duck plushie, you hold it up next to his face, using your other hand to caress your chin in a pondering manner

"hmm there's definitely a resemblance" you tease, looking up at the boy who only gives you an unamused look. you giggle as he pouts a bit, further proving your point

"you're too cute" you say with a laugh, only further annoying him

"not cute" he mumbles under his breath, crossing his arms like a child, earning a chuckle from you

"if you insist my little duckie" your voice raises in a teasing manner toward the end, already sensing his annoyance growing

he was too easy

"oh you're gonna get it" he threatens with a scoff too attractive for the situation

"not if you can't catch me~" you tease, running off before he could realize it, searching for a hiding spot amongst the neon lights and laughing crowds, face lighting up at a perfect spot just behind the basketball machines. being on a slant, you'd be under the upper portion of the game, giving you enough space to hide without being too claustrophobic

you almost laugh at how childish you were being but he didn't seem to care, eagerly searching for you through the crowds. with the spot in sight, you try to slip your way through the many people huddled around the arcade machines, running as fast as you could. your tunnel vision didn't seem to take notice of a quite everything in front of you, though. you immediately stop in your tracks at a figure in front of you just before you ram into them

"hey hey what's the rush pretty girl?" a boy around your age stood before you, a smug look on his face. your breath quickened a bit. for some odd reason, you couldn't help but feel disgusted at his words. like they were wrong to hear. like you were betraying riki in a way but letting the boy very obviously flirt with you. flashing him a fake smile, you try to slip through the crowds to lose him but he persists, taking hold of your arm with a vice grip

"let me go!" tears start to well in your eyes in fear, no one seeming to notice. scanning the crowds of people for the boy seemed futile

"relax, babe. we can talk this over somewhere else, yeah?" he smirks, starting to drag you toward the door. hot tears roll down your eyes as you try shaking his grip away

"hey! she told you to let her go" a familiar voice appears. with a hopeful look, you lock eyes with riki whose face bares a petrified expression. you can see the pain in his eyes as he feigns a confident look

"and who are you?" the stranger asks bitterly. you see him hesitate before he speaks, giving you a look beforehand, almost an 'im sorry'

"she's my girlfriend, so if she told you to let her go, then let her the fuck go" his voice shakes, his anger not masking his fear entirely, but you suppose the boy doesn't notice, immediately letting go of your arm, lifting his arms defensively before walking out the door

as your eyes finally meets riki's, his gaze softens, enveloping you into a tight hug. hit with the gravity of the situation if he weren't there, you cling to him, letting your tears dampen his shirt as he holds your head, massaging your scalp

"I'm so sorry I let you out of my sight, angel. I promise it'll never happen again" his voice was soft, his breath tickling the shell of your ear as his arms never left your side. you ignore the butterflies in your stomach at the name, too focused on his warm hold seemingly washing your worries away. cupping your cheek, he looks into your eyes with a soft smile as he rubs soothing circles onto your skin as he gently wipes a tear away

"how about I take you home" he whispers, looking down into your eyes as he towered over your figure. nodding wordlessly, you let him lead you towards the door, hand still around your waist, too afraid to let you go. you knew by now he was a man of boundaries, one of respect. but he couldn't bring himself to leave your side. placing a hand over his on your waist gave him the reassurance he needed that he had your consent

in that moment, you realize he never corrected himself when he addressed you as his girlfriend

you didn't seem to mind

walking through the streets as he led you home, you couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. the fact that a bystander would probably mistaken you two for a couple and you wouldn't correct them. you couldn't help but shake the thought that you could get used to it

upon reaching your door, you could see the hesitation in his movements, slowly dropping his hand from your waist. he scans you before speaking, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear

"are you sure you're okay, y/n" his voice softens as he searches into your eyes for any sign of discomfort

"never been better" you smile, slipping your hands around his neck, embracing him as an expression of your gratitude "thank you." you close your eyes as you squeeze him tighter, knowing he would never truly know how grateful you were for him through words alone

"my pleasure" he watches intently as you pull away, pulling your keys out to unlock your door. as your back faces him, he can't shake the one thought he had on his mind, couldn't let you slip away from him once more. with a gentle grip on your wrist, he pulls you back into his arms. hands coming up to cup your cheeks, he tilts his head, lips colliding with yours

for a second, the world stopped, the only thing running through your mind being the sweet taste of vanilla on the boy's lips. as the reality hits you, you follow his movements, tangling your fingers through the boy's soft locks. you feel a hot tear roll down your cheek, feeling utterly complete at the contact you've been craving for too long. as if this very moment answered all of the burdening questions and doubts that previously ran through your mind

and just like that, it got stripped away from you

he pulls away abruptly, eyes shifting frantically as his hands came up to his hair, pulling at the strands you once touched. you can hear his breath quicken as he speaks

"fuck, fuck, fuck, I didn't mean to do that. I didn't even ask for your consent. you were just hit on by some creep and this is what I do. God, I'm such a horrible person" you hear his voice shake as he paces back and forth

"please don't hate me" he locks eyes with you. only then do you see the streaks of tears rolling down his cheeks and the bloodshot nature of his eyes

"oh, ki, I could never hate you" tears begin to well in your own eyes. you attempt to approach the boy, cupping his cheeks in reassurance. he only feels disgusted with himself at your actions, feeling as if he manipulated you to feel that way. knowing you would never feel the same as he did you, he mutters an 'im sorry' before leaving

in that moment, it was as if every foot away from the boy was another one you'd never get back. you wish you could blame someone, something, but you couldn't shake the feeling that you were part to blame. like sand, you let the boy slip right through your hold. only the remnants of what used to be remained, leaving you completely empty

✧

the next sale will begin in:

8 days 18 hours 9 minutes and 26 seconds

"one scoop of mint chocolate ice cream, one of cookies and cream, one of rasberry, and one of chocolate in a sugar cone with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate drizzles and Oreos on top. and get it right, it's for my kid" they end with a forced smile, not even bothering to say please or thank you, not that you cared. every day felt like an endless loop, a time without meaning ever since the boy left you that day. how much you wished to see his puma eyes and tall figure walk through those glass doors. how you wish you could've hugged him tighter that day, then maybe he would still be here with you

forcing a smile became increasingly difficult. anybody could see you were at your breaking point. as the days passed and the voicemails accumulated, it felt as if you deserved to be ghosted, deserved the rude treatment, only pulling yourself through the day by pure muscle memory

eyes flickering to the clock, you began to lose hope that the boy would ever walk through those doors again. taking your last order, you greet the family goodbye with a feigned smile before you heave the heavy mop onto the tile floor emotionlessly. hearing the bell at the door ringing, you take in a sharp breath

"sorry we're closed" you force out, not even feeling like feigning a peppy voice. hearing a pair of shoes shuffling closer, you clench your jaw, ready to break at any point. looking up, your eyes meet the ones that have kept you up on sleepless nights, haunted your thoughts

wordlessly, you run to the boy, not even bothering to stop the tears from streaming down your cheeks. immediately doing what you dreamt of doing these past nights, you tiptoe to reach the boy, cupping his cheeks softly and letting his lips meet yours. your breath hitches and you taste the saltiness of your tears as you feel the boy's soft lips you missed dangerously. letting his forehead meet yours, you whisper painfully

"please don't leave again. please, ki" you breath out, interlocking your fingers in his hair as you did that day

"I promise, angel. I promise. I'm so sorry for being such a coward" you only shush the boy, relishing in the warmth you missed oh so much. you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding when his hands find purchase on your waist. you can't help but think the fit was too perfect for it not mean to be

"angel" he whispers sweetly into your ear, making your breath hitch. you only hum in response, not wanting release your hold on him just yet

"will you be mine?" he caressed your cheek softly as he whispers. you only giggle through tears

"only if you come see enha with me" you smile, leaning into the touch. wiping the tears from his cheeks, he chuckles

"you got yourself a deal"

fin

author's note: I hope you can tell I love angst but only to a certain extent cuz this one lasted a grand total of 5 seconds😍

also this is my first longer fic so pls let me know what you think!!! I would really appreciate it<3

@hachimarii 🤭🤭

[littlerosetrove]

Sorry y'all, I just need to work this out of my system. I always tag my posts accordingly.

I don't understand the writing choice to make Eddie be such a dick this episode. Let me try to break it down via bullet points.

Karen/Hen/Eddie scene

They all admit Buck is checking in on them, just in a unique way (which I guess they find a little weird...), and they're worried about him. Nevertheless, we learn in the episode No One is actually talking to Buck.

Eddie tries to weasel out of telling Buck that he got a firefighter job offer in El Paso, and may remain there. Why? Eddie says Buck would be mad about it. This is baseless and false because Buck had already accepted Eddie moving to El Paso to be with Chris. Thus, Buck would not be mad that Eddie will remain in El Paso.

The kitchen scene

Buck was mildly passive aggressive with Eddie because he had to learn about the job offer Eddie got through a game of telephone. Buck was only a bit upset that Eddie, his "best friend" did not tell him this news, not that Eddie may/will remain in El Paso.

Out of nowhere Eddie, instead of acknowledging this or apologizing, changes the subject to his grief over Bobby. But not before saying he didn't think Buck would be happy for Eddie and the job offer. Again, this is baseless.

Eddie throws out "you make it all about you," when in fact Buck has not been doing that at all. Buck has actively not been talking about his own feelings and grief over Bobby's death, except once at a confessional. Rather, Buck's been reaching out to everyone else, and trying to help them.

We all know by now that this is a pattern of Eddie's, particularly when it comes to Buck.

Eddie implies Buck did not do everything he could to save Bobby.

Eddie actually makes the whole thing about himself and his grief. This really gives the impression - since we've only seen Buck helping others - that Buck isn't allowed to grieve, or, he needs to grieve in such a way that Eddie approves of.

Eddie physically advances on Buck. Is this only okay because Buck is a big man?

Buck has to apologize to Eddie, when Buck did nothing wrong.

The next day scene

Eddie leaves a vague note of "went to the airport." Eddie isn't stupid, he had to know Buck would take this badly. It was not hard to clarify "went to the airport, be back soon" or something similar.

When Buck points out how Eddie's note was crappy, Eddie tries to be all coy by saying "the airport is not El Paso" or something. Eddie was brushing off Bucks feelings, again.

Instead of apologizing, for the note and more importantly how he acted in the kitchen, he refers to himself in the third person with "heard someone was being a dick," which is barely an acknowledgment, let alone an apology, and then shoves Chris and Tía Pepa in front of Buck. Meaning, Eddie took zero accountability for his wrong doings, did not apologize, and yet was still forgiven by Buck, because that's all the writers ever do at this point.

I genuinely do not want to hate Eddie. He used to be one of my favorite characters. But man I am not loving how Eddie has been written this season in particular, and I'm also just tired of the fact that Eddie has had zero growth in three seasons.

[thatfriendlyanon]

tagged by @liuisi to shuffle my on repeat playlist and share the first 10 that come up, and @sunflower-chai encouraged me to put my results in a playlist, so here you go :D i couldn't help but ramble a bit about each song as well :]

(i skipped any songs that i Only listen to on repeat to fall asleep to; i've been trying to exclude those from my listening profile but some still found their way in)

more and more beautiful // skye peterson one of my favorite songs Ever rn. skye's current music is so comforting to me because of how it acknowledges the messy pain & confusion of being alive while still wrapping the hurt & questions up in gentle, compassionate hope.

invictus // brave saint saturn i don't think i've listened to this That Much tbh but last week i remembered how awesome anti-meridian by brave saint saturn is, and this is one of my favorite songs from the album :D

your worst day // andy gullahorn ohh this song... i've been really into this whole album recently, after not listening to it much since like 2019 sdljsdg. this song especially has been such a balm to my heart rn. how comforting to know i am loved even on my worst days; and if i struggle to believe in people's love for me, i know without a doubt that God is singing this over me too. <3

sisyphus // almost always ahh yes my tried-and-true "i miss Jesus & wish i could just give Him a huge hug & have all the doubts & distance disappear." <- honestly an emotion i feel Very Often and is so specific that it's hard to find songs that express the particular ache, and yet this one? is so perfect?? i’ve never looked into Your eyes / but i’ve heard them described to me so very vividly and i’ll touch Your robe if You come close / whether or not it seems You recognize me.....!!!

eustace scrubb // sarah sparks i love this song for many reasons, but it's been a particular companion for me in relation to certain topics that i know sarah sparks did Not intend for it to refer to but nevertheless it is a really beautiful, honest yet Christ-centered response. just.....the struggle of trying to make yourself into something else, failing, only to find bottomless mercy & True transformation in the hands of Christ. <33

ancestry // lena raine & minecraft KLDKFJFDSSD this song is on here because i looped it for like 3 hours straight a few weeks ago. rozu, crim, and i were having a gigantic lore confrontation on the deep green and i needed background music that wasn't too distracting, and this was perfect for wandering through a skulk-lined labyrinth and killing my oc's best friend

broken into beautiful // hillsong chapel the church i've been going to played this sometime in january, the morning after i'd had a Really Hard night. it was the first time i'd heard this song & multiple pieces of imagery in it were exactly what God had spoken to my broken heart the night before, so it's become very dear to me during the season i'm in rn.

enough // the jellyrox YEEAHHH i looped this SO MUCH after our first night of Big Lore, when icarus & kore finally found sisyphus (after eIGHT REAL-LIFE MONTHS) and a huge fight ensued and this song perfectly articulated the partially unmerited anger & bitterness blazing inside icarus afterwards. also this song is just SO FUN like i cannot help jamming to it whenever i listen to it. i do really like Angry Music tbh what can i say sdlkjsdglj

plead // joel ansett mmmmm another Theme Of Right Now (alongside "more and more beautiful"). it's similar to "sisyphus" to me in that it articulates such a specific type of emotion, that weight you feel when living in a broken world & with a broken heart, and God seems distant or inactive, and your faith feels too brittle & weak, and your prayers are more often single words over & over instead of anything eloquent or fervently faith-filled. when i could barely pray in october i just sang this chorus over & over and trusted that Jesus could receive it for what it was. idk man. i can't really explain what this song does for me but it has helped strengthen my soul.

receiver of wreck // the narcissist cookbook HYMN BY THE NARCISSIST COOKBOOK!! IS SO SO GOOD!!!!! it's a nonlinear exploration of grief, avoidance, art as catharsis, and the painful necessity of confronting unprocessed emotions. it's a mixture of stunning spoken word pieces and aching songs. i love it so so so much and i think it's one of those pieces of art that will honestly stick with me forever. i listened to this particular track on repeat a lot in january, something about it helped ease my ruminating brain & i love how it's such a soft & gentle conclusion to the journey of the album. <333

if you're listening to music when you see this, consider yourself tagged tagged if you want to! (& i'd loved to be tagged so i can see other people's songs :D)

[yeosboba]

perfume - l.mh

another one i'm transferring here from @yeosluvr

______________________________________________________________

Perfume - Lee Minho Featuring: Lee Minho of SKZ

Genre: Angst, a little fluff

A/N; This is an idea I’ve been thinking of for a long time, and is actually part of a series that I’m currently (slowly) working on, so for now, just enjoy the random word spill huhu. Do leave some feedback and reblog

Disclaimer; this is just a fanfiction and doesn’t portray how lee minho or any stray kids member behave irl. sorry for the late updates.

...

Minho stares at the bottle of perfume now standing - out of place - on the top of his vanity, away from all of his other belongings. It’s cheap perfume, still a quarter to be full, and he doesn’t even remember the brand - maybe there was no brand, to begin with? - but he remembers her being used to coming up here, to his room, lying down on his bed and having breakfast in bed with him, having that cheap perfume stashed in her pocket for emergencies. He remembers the first time he ever officially talked to her - scratch that, it was her who talked to him first. It was about his perfume.

“Where’d you get your perfume?”

He also remembers at the time that it was after his very first breakup - and he even liked her a lot too despite his flirtatious ways- and after that, she came into his life through a simple tap on his shoulder and a seemingly trivial question with a much more trivial intention. She didn’t really expect that it’d hurt to fall in love. He grimaces at the thought and stands up to take the bottle of perfume on the stand.

Twelve months ago, she had come up to him, jet black eyes behind thin rectangular glasses, in a librarian uniform with her name tag stuck proudly on the left side of her vest. He remembers her looking down at her polished leather shoes and the frantic eye language she gave him - the wrong person to ask for help actually since she needed help asking him a question. He chuckles at the memory, and remembers that he answered, “It was a gift from an old friend.”

His ex. Anyone would refer to their ex as an old friend, right?

He could see the surprise and embarrassment eating up on her when she bit her inner cheek and crimson flooded her cheeks, and he thought to himself that he found this girl cute. Awkward, sure, also highly introverted, and not to mention her addiction with books and the school library was beyond what he could fathom, but she was cute nevertheless. Her chuckles rang through his ears, and he found himself smiling over that little action alone.

And without even thinking through, the words passed through his lips.

“Are you free tonight?”

Minho lays down on his bed, legs hanging off the edge as he sighs quietly, closing his eyes, the quarter-full bottle of cheap perfume held tightly to where his heartbeats quicken over a memory he’d do anything to replay.

*

Waking up to her tidying his room was one of the most wonderful things in life that happened to him. He’d rate her existence as a blessing, God-sent. He had needed this kind of person since the breakup and she was the perfect fit for the requirements.

“So…

You want me to help you forget about her?”

No, certainly not in a dirty way. Not to such a pure, innocent creature as herself, who admitted to never having been asked out on dates or even been in a relationship, although she had embarrassedly confessed to wanting to know what real love feels like.

As if he knew. He scoffed at her request at first, because he thought that he knew what love was. Before the break-up, he thought he knew what it was. Post-breakup? Not very sure. But he wasn’t sure as to why he wanted to grant her wish when he saw her looking down to his hands hesitantly.

“I really wanted to know what love is, Minho.”

“Okay.” He didn’t know what drove him to agree after only the second time she asked. After all, it wasn’t unknown that Minho was one of the people who were very hard to convince.

Minho looks across his room and finds the tulips she sent him months ago in a vase. One of them is starting to wither, he observes. “Red tulips,” she once said to him, he recalls. It’s one of his favourite quotes from her still, and he tries to remind himself of her everyday. “To love someone so great is a wonderful gift. I wish I could love and be loved like that.."

He grumbles at the squeaking pipe at the kitchen sink, and the slow flowing of water into his glass, and as Minho impatiently taps his foot on his kitchen tiles, his cousin Felix walks in.

"Hey."

"Morning, cousin.” Felix chuckles, and Minho shakes his head at the younger man before he notices that the glass is already full, so he retreats into his room quietly. He doesn’t miss the pity in Felix’s eyes as he slowly retreats to his room, not wanting to miss watering the tulips that she gave him months ago.

*

Climbing up to his upstairs apartment was a routine for her, because God knows how Minho can get freakish headaches in the morning if he wasn’t woken up the right way. Minho discovered that she had approached him moderately, just the right amount as to not let the pain rise to his head.

There was a pattern to it too.

Of course, he gave her the spare keys to his apartment so she could help him get up in the morning. He’d groan first, before finding one of her cheeks and pecking it, give her a little smile, and he’d greet her afterwards. “Morning, beautiful,” was an accustomed one that even she got used to.

Afterwards they’d be eating their breakfast together, her snuggling into his chest, and he’d make comments about some random reality show that came on TV. An hour before his first class for the day, she’d get up, tidy her clothes and fix her hair before she’d kiss his forehead - her kisses were always longer than his. It made him feel somewhat strange, something stirring inside him that he couldn’t name. She’d wish him a great day and to text her if he wanted meals together, and he’d follow her out after he gave her a kiss on her cheeks.

Another thing he got used to doing was to walk her back to her studio after classes and meals. They didn’t even talk much on the way back, just comfortable silence and her asking if she could put her hand in his pocket, and later on he’d hold her hand in his pocket. He couldn’t explain why he loved it when she simply smiled at this little skinship, but it felt so pleasant and familiar that he didn’t even disagree with it.

Were they something more than friends when they had that, he wondered.

Perhaps it was something else. It was also possible that friends would do that. It would be the feelings that come with it that’d be inappropriate, in his opinion. Feelings that made him feel his cheeks go warm, feelings that made him stutter in his words, feelings that simply told him that he wanted her with him always, feelings that told him she deserved better. So he had to shake it away one way or another.

They were friends, he’d remind himself. Very close ones. He’d tease her and she’d smile through it, and truthfully it made him happy that simple gestures that told him that the weird friendship they had didn’t go one way made her happy. Simple things in life like buying her her favourite coffee. Remembering to wish her good morning first thing - if she wasn’t in his apartment, that is. Remembering to wish her good night.

In truth, he was scared of it.

It grew to be even more frightening when she accidentally left her cheap perfume- the one that he’s holding at the moment- in his apartment. He was so curious that he picked up by means of teasing her when they’ll be having Literature in a few hours. That was until he smelled it and thought, ‘she smelled nothing like it.

She smelled better.’

Literature was fun. She was one of the tutors in their year, and he’d always tease her when she came round to teach his group about literary components. It usually amused him to see her cheeks flare in red and she’d swat his hand in furious embarrassment, but that one specific Literature night class was … he didn’t know how to describe it, but he felt all giddy reminiscing that one particular night.

“Ah, hey guys. Need help?”

“I think we’re kinda good here, princess.” He was the one who answered, and he had ideas in his head that might’ve shown on his face that made Seonghwa choke on his water and Hongjoong had to poke Minho on his shoulder. “Yeah well, stop kissing her in your head, Lee,” Hongjoong smirked, and if that didn’t make his heart race he didn’t know what would. And surprisingly, her face had seemed to be the same shade of a ripe tomato- if it wasn’t redder.

And then came the teasing.

He didn’t know what drove him. He really didn’t know, but the only thing in his mind at the moment was to see her smile goofily. He had to do it, right?

He leaned forward in his seat, closing the proximity between them two, until their breaths mixed with each other - which actually took her by surprise because she was too focused on drawing a mind map on their whiteboard- and said, “You left your perfume in my apartment, sweetheart.”

At the sound of his voice so close to her, she whipped her head up to see his smirking lips first, then his incredibly shining eyes - that was what she said to him anyways - and she leaned back. Her face was red. She was stuttering on her words.

It was nice to see he wasn’t feeling one-sided about all the arrangement wasn’t it?

“I’ll see you later, honey,” he winked at her.

She nodded, before walking to another group, fanning herself.

*

Minho really badly wants to cry at the amount of memories that are replaying in his head as he clutches the perfume to his chest. Where it hurts. He’d see her smile, and the glow in her eyes whenever she looks at him. Looked at him. It’s getting harder to breathe, so he walks up to his window and for the first time in months, he draws the curtains open.

Senior year was about prom. Of course it was always about prom.

Lee Minho asked her if she’d wanted to be his date- “As friends, of course. Single friends,” he laughed- and she had agreed to it. Which led to the agreement that they’d go with matching colours. That time, she made a request for him to take him out shopping for black ties. He’d groaned, actually, but it came out a whimper, then a sigh, when he glanced her way and saw her big hopeful eyes, blinking at him.

“Okay.” He smiled.

It didn’t help that on the day of said purchase of tie, she’d hurriedly took some cash out of her wallet and handed it over to the cashier before he could even protest. “I’ll pay for this,” she affirmed firmly, and the cashier squealed over how cute of a couple they were. Which led him to the first of his many regrets in their 'friendship’.

“We’re just friends,” he chuckled, not noticing the way her smile faltered and the cashier nodded awkwardly at her. By then she felt very weak in her knees, but he didn’t really notice it because she was too quick to hide it when he turned to her and asked her if everything’s okay. Of course, she’d answer that it was all fine. All very very fine.

He didn’t get a good night reply that night.

She seemed okay in the morning, though.

She had told him how excited she was for prom, and when curiosity came to him and urged him to ask her about her gown for the night, she just gave him a plain smile emoji and told him that she wanted to save the surprise for the night. He’d smiled at that comment and had waited patiently for the sun of the day of prom to set.

Minho takes in one breath as he remembers the night where he first sees her in the black gown. He wants to remember taking in the sight of her in that black gown of sequins and the frilly neckline and her face was shaded with the lightest tones of make-up and even her hairstyle was simple, her bangs pulled back in bobby pins, and her hair was pulled back with a flower scrunchie, flowing in a wavy side ponytail.

Beautiful. He tells her, the her in his memory.

Thank you, the her in his memory replies. Same voice, same shyness.

She got him tripping and she didn’t even know.

“You look gorgeous, Lee Minho,” she smiled.

“Likewise.” He bowed his head, knowing full well that in her eyes he’d be very flushed-face in the mere presence of her. In a black gown. With that hairstyle. At that point, he was very confused with the border that separated friendship and something that he’d labelled as 'something more’.

The rest of the night, to him, was a complete haze as he kept his hand firm on her waist, keeping her close to him at all times. He didn’t know why he acted like it, but she seemed to not mind, only excusing herself at one point because she needed the toilet. He thought the night went perfectly, and her presence with him had kept him at ease and composed, and he didn’t even remember that he used to have someone that wasn’t her.

Well actually, that thought was interrupted by a gentle poke on his shoulder, and what greeted his sight - to his shock - wasn’t her, but his ex. All in her glorious emerald green dress, all smiley. All beautiful for someone that wasn’t him. His heart stopped at the thought and for a moment all he could think of was how pretty she looked. If only she was his.

“Hi, Minho.”

“Hey yourself.”

A moment of awkward silence passed as she sheepishly grinned at him and he struggled to keep his breaths in check, because he finally remembered what it was that made him stay with the girl in the black gown all along. She was able to make him forget his misery. Had he really used her for his own good? He didn’t know he was capable of doing that, but when his stomach turned and flipped and made him feel sick, he realised that maybe, it wasn’t love that he felt for the girl in the black gown.

So why was he crying?

So why is he crying?

“You came."

"Yeah.” He gulped, not wanting to meet her gaze.

“I saw her just now.” She chirped, and from that voice alone he knew she was genuinely happy for him, thinking he had found someone for him. Someone that could make him happier than she did. “She’s really pretty isn’t she?”

He couldn’t speak.

“I’m glad you’re happier with her, Minho.”

Supposed that she only made him believe in temporary happiness, and not actually him feeling happy with her? The girl in the black gown? Then what should he do? What had he done to himself?

What had he done to her?

“I’ll see you around, Minho.” She smiled, and before he knew it, she had tiptoed up to his cheek, felt a brief second of a kiss on his cheek, and left without any more words exchanged. He felt slightly ashamed of himself, felt as though he was undeserving of any kind of love at all.

But he didn’t know why he’d feel so, so terrible when he looked up to see the huge eyes, those huge, terribly tearful eyes - in terms of trying trying hold back tears from overwhelming - looking at him, who stood in the middle of the room, and her, from the entrance to the hall where the prom was held.

He didn’t even know why he felt so broken, felt as though he’d begged her to stay when she let one of her tears fall and wiped the others away with her hand. He was waiting for a slap - some kind of physical pain on any part of his body - as she crossed the room in small steps. But there was nothing.

She’d crossed the room, took his hand and kissed his knuckles gently, and he felt some more tears falling onto his fist.

“Was I not enough, Lee Minho?"

"No, sweetheart,” his breath hitches at the memory, and he feels his gut kicking against the walls of his stomach as he says so. “You’re more than what I deserve, more than what I asked for,” he says to her in his memory. The words that he didn’t say to her that night.

“Minho?” Another hand came to hold his knuckles and he felt her shake. And of course, the tears. Waves of slow music echoed against the walls and Minho was so thankful that nobody had noticed her. Or him. Crying.

“Hey.” He whispered, bringing his hands to wipe the streams of tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered close to his touch, and he felt the pain throbbing inside him again as he kissed her eyelids. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s dance,” he whispered, and his arms went down to her waist as he buried his head in her neck.

She nodded quietly, soft sniffs still loud in his ears as he took in her scent, and before long he felt her arms gently going around his neck, and felt her wet cheeks against his chest. Still shaking, he felt her swallow her sobs, prompting him to slide his hands against her back in an attempt to calm her down.

“I’m so sorry,” he says to her in his memory. “I thought it was for the best.”

“I know, Minho.” Figured that he had said the same thing, because he had remembered her saying this all, and her looking up to him, wet eyes and sad smile. “I’m so sorry,” she sniffed again. Minho ignored the urge for him to kiss her right then and there.

Shaking his head, Minho swiped his thumb across one of her cheeks and she smiled. The lump in his throat remained as he felt his cheeks becoming wet after seeing that broken smile of hers. As if she was somehow… just giving up her happiness for his. Although he couldn’t really explain why that thought that might’ve run through her head made his heart sink.

Afterwards Minho had taken her to the photobooth, by means of making her smile. At least they could make funny faces at each other when they sit there, right? At least they’d laugh at each other right?

But he couldn’t really do anything at the moment. Not when she seemed to force herself to enjoy the night because of him. The first take she was laughing because he had tripped on her and she had pulled him to sit down on the seat beside hers, and the cameras flashed on their faces before he could comprehend anything.

The second take was more like him laughing at her as he teased her about how beautiful she looked in that gown. How he wished he could make her his, the voice in his head had whispered. A pleasurable shade of cherry red again coated her cheeks, like the previous times where she had been teased by him, and the second take was her stifling a silly grin and playfully shoving his shoulder.

The third take was him pulling her to sit on his lap, and that the cameras had caught her surprised look on the cameras made his stomach turn. She had her arms around his neck to keep herself balanced, and for that matter she needed to look up.

The fourth take was unexplainable. She was sitting on his lap, and the cameras caught him looking at her with the same confusing emotions he had felt the whole time he was with her. And he had mistaken those feelings to be similar to what he’d felt for a friend when he knew she wasn’t just a friend. She was smiling so beautifully, looking into his eyes as she did so, and he knew he felt warm, as though something inside him was melting to the sensations she was making him feel.

“Lee Minho, I love you."

Between the bright lights of the camera flash and the sound of shutters being clicked open and close, he heard the small voice of her amidst everything.

That night had somehow ended with shaky breaths and hushed voices as he walked her back to her studio, and somehow it felt as if it was the last time he’d hold her hand.

Minho stands up from his position and walks to his desk. His very, very dusty desk, pulls out an old book - that’s for another story for him to tell - and takes out the set of four black-framed polaroids they had taken that night. Brushing his hands across the pictures, he sighs at the sight of her in that gown he adores so much.

But even without the gown, she looks so much more beautiful than any other girls he’d ever known.

Is this love?

He brushes his thumb across her cheek in the picture and feels a weird sense of … something unnamed overwhelming his five senses. Bringing the perfume in his hand to his nose, he gently sniffs on it, before he brings the Polaroid set to his nose. It smells the same, he hears the voice in his head speaking fondly. It smells wonderful. This is her smell.

Brushing the pads of his fingers against her wet cheeks, he bent to her forehead, leaving unspoken feelings and hidden meanings behind a simple lingering kiss to it, but it wasn’t just that that broke her. He had said something that made it particularly difficult for her to forget- and it was such a Lee Minho thing to do when parting ways.

"Don’t ever change for anyone, darling.

You’re perfect the way you are,

Stay the same, love.”

Goodbyes were hard, but it was extremely- surprisingly- difficult for someone who had said a lot of goodbyes such as Lee Minho, and he hadn’t expected that to happen with anyone. Except he didn’t expect meeting her would be the end of that statement for him.

He turned on his heels after the kiss, begging his heart to not even spare a glance, because this was her. She’d make it especially difficult for him to leave.

But long after he reached his apartment, changed out of his suit, and drank a mug of hot choco that Felix had made for him, he found himself staring into darkness, his mind drowning in the remaining memories he had of her.

He sighs again, clutching the two items to his chest and takes in the smell of her. As he closes his eyes, he remembers feeling a sense of warmth flooding him as her smell engulfs him in what he can only as her comfort hugs. How can she smell good even without perfume?

She always does that when she knows he’s upset.

Somewhere in between his consciousness and his dreamstate, he hears a little voice pleading with her in his memories.

If I ever get to meet you next time, I’m praying to God that even if you find someone that’s not me, please don’t ever change.

*

It’s early morning the next day when Minho next opens his eyes. Since his curtains were drawn open yesterday, he’s greeted first thing by the little rays of sunlight. The sun is rising. Groaning, he fights the urge to curse the sun for being up too early. It’s the weekend, what the heck?

The first thing that he registers is that he hears Felix singing as he makes his usual pancakes, and that if he’s very much awake he’d realise Felix is actually having a pleasant conversation. With a girl. But Lee Minho’s not in his right mind, so he doesn’t think of it too much when he realises that the voice is hers- because he thinks he’s still dreaming.

“Hyung!”

He hears Felix’s three soft raps on his door, and he swears that he can hear Felix smiling when he presses his ear to the surface of the wooden door when Felix says, “Someone’s out here to meet you, hyung.” Minho doesn’t think too much of it, because Felix usually invites his friends over, and his friends- Hyunjin, Jisung and Seungmin- he can say they’re basically fond of him.

What he didn’t expect was to see her.

With a box of Pepero sticks that he remembers mentioning to her that he craved for. That was over a year ago.

He blinks, grip tightening on his door handle as she lowers her gaze in a small bow. Minho feels all his senses heightening at an alarming rate, so he turns to Felix, who throws worried looks in his direction as if wanting to ask if he’s okay with her coming. He notices her gulping, wondering if the anxiety hits her the same way it’s currently hitting him.

“I’m just stopping by,” she stutters. “To drop this.” She gestures at the big green box, giggling nervously as she picks at the skin of her arm. When his gaze finds hers again, she looks down to her stockinged feet. She’s still the same, he whispers to himself.

Felix eyes him nervously, an eye language of, “Maybe I should leave you guys alone.”

Minho nods at him, and before she can look up to stop Felix, he’s gone.

The sound of a slammed door surprises her and makes her jump in her position, but Minho stifles his chuckle because he doesn’t want to scare her away like he did last time. It seems as though they’re both thinking the same thing, because Minho notices another gulp going down her throat, and that’s what he’s currently having a problem with. His throat feels dry and it feels particularly difficult to breathe.

“Hey.”

She looks up.

“Let’s sit down. Talk.”

“Like old times?"

He sighs. He knows that it won’t feel like old times anymore.

"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t bring that up.”

“It’s okay, darling.” He says, and he feels the nerves in him relaxing. “I wanted things to be the way they were too."

He sees her open her mouth, but then she closes it. Considering her words and actions before she regrets it.

He walks towards the couch in front of the TV, prompting her to follow him. She doesn’t sit when he sits, slightly troubled and confused, but he knows she can’t refuse him when he holds out one hand and something else in his eyes that begs her to do so, so she sits.

He then carefully slides his arm around her waist, glancing at her to assess her reactions. Under his touch, he notices she tenses, the red spreading to her ears and he sighs and before anxiety can creep back up to eat him from inside out, he pulls her closer to him, putting his chin on her head.

An involuntary content sigh leaves his slightly parted lips, and he relaxes into her figure. Gradually, she leans against his chest too, and he hears a heavy breath coming from her. Another bold move that he attempts is to take her other hand in his, and he cheers quietly when she doesn’t budge, instead leaning more into him, and this time he hears a happy hum from her.

It’s so tempting for Minho to sway her in that position, so he does that, and he hears a giggle from her. The giggles that he’s deprived of for over a year. Immediately he feels as though a huge amount of oxygen is being returned to him, as though his sleepless nights will be no more.

"Minho.”

He hums.

“What are we?” She looks up to him, and he lifts his chin so that he can see her expression.

She’s hopeful.

Tired, but hopeful.

“Are you willing to wait for me?” I promise I won’t be long, he promises quietly, tightening the grip he has on her hand.

“I’m willing, Min,” she affirms, responding to him with a reassuring squeeze of her hand around his. “So long as it makes you happy,” she adds, before leaning into him again, another happy hum escaping her lips.

“Then let’s just stay like this for a while,” he whispers into her hair.

“Okay, Minho."

It takes a minute for him to take in the smell of her, this fresh her, smelling like that perfume he has in his pocket, like the Polaroid set in his old notebook. Everything’s going so perfectly, the way he’s holding her, the way she’s fitting so adequately into his arms.

"We’ll be alright this time.

I won’t run away again.”

She doesn’t look up to meet his eyes when he lowers his eyes to meet hers, stiffening in her position, but remains there on his lap, and Minho understands her too well that he knows she’s slightly uncomfortable with his promises. Ones which he knows that she knows he’ll struggle to keep, and she doesn’t want that. No hurting Lee Minho if she could ever help it, she’d say. If anyone is going to get hurt, it should be her.

“I don’t want you to promise, Lee Minho.” She sighs, playing with the fingers that are intertwined with hers. “I’m more than willing to wait for as long as I must, so please, don’t hurt yourself,” and Minho just doesn’t know what it is that stabs him deep inside but it really hurts to hear the pain hidden in the fake calmness of hers.

“I won’t promise then."

Her perfume in his pocket long forgotten, and the Polaroid set lies abandoned in their shared notebook, Minho takes in the scent of her wafting through the air around them. It’s the first time in over a year that he’s able to sleep so peacefully, and he doesn’t even need her perfume to help him sleep.

She never changed.

[neteyamssyulang]

▸ Sinful Temptations ▸

▸ Pairing: Alastor x Fem doe reader ▸

▸ Summary: You thought your wedding night would go well considering how sweet he had been, man were you wrong.

▸ Warnings: Arranged marriage, Mentions of slight abuse, Manipulation, Oral (M receiving), Creepy vibes from John, Cheating, Drowning, Death, Decapitation.

▸ Word count: 4,149 ▸

▸ A/N: My longest fic by far so hope you all enjoy! <3 Just for clarification, This takes place in the 1960’s🥲

▸ Also, I know this is an Alastor story but he only makes an appearance at the end, the other chapters will involve him alot more I promise😭. This is just meant to be a backstory for reader since in future chapters there will be references to this and how it affects her and Alastors relationship <3

▸ Tagging: @aria-tempest @alastorthirsty

The day you were born your parents were overjoyed, their beautiful baby girl had finally been born into the world.

Unfortunately though, this came at a price. See even with your father working as a buss driver and your mother doing homecare, they still barely had enough to raise their little girl and pay all the bills.

So a deal had to be made, much to your mothers distaste. She would've been fine living this way if it meant her daughter could choose her own path, your father only wanted what was best for you regardless of the price he was willing to take.

There was one wealthy family that was very well known, they were selfish, stuck up and just so awful. All they wanted was more and more land for themselves, offering money to those who were dumb enough to sell their property.

With the help of a family friend, your father managed to sign a contract with the family stating that your parents would be able to keep their house and get the money. As long as on the day you turn 18, you would be wed to their son, John.

-18 years later-

"Mom I'm going out!" You called out to your mother who was in the kitchen, fixing up dinner. "Alright sweetie, be safe" she responded.

Humming, you opened the front door making sure it gets shut behind you then started walking to the meet up spot you and your friend have.

It wasn't very far, maybe only a 7 minute walk or so. Your mother loved your friendship while your father dispised it, he thought that females shouldn't have male friends.

Nevertheless you kept your friendship, only going to see him when your dad was working.

Soon enough you made it to the spot, it was a quiet area in the park with flowers surrounding it.

"Y/n you made it!" Andrew exclaimed, walking over and engulfing you in a tight hug. Smiling, you hugged him back before pulling away "Wouldn't miss it Andi."

Taking your hand, he led you to the clearing where you both sat down "I can't believe we won't be able to see eachother after this.." he spoke softly.

Sighing, you pulled your hand free "Andi we can still see eachother, it will just have to be in sec-" "Why are you lying to yourself?!" He cut you off, startling you a bit.

"You know that the minute you marry that selfish skumbag, we won't see each other again. People like him don't socialize with people like us.." he spoke, turning to look you in the eyes "You can't marry him y/n."

Looking down, you hugged your knees to your chest "I don't have much of a choice, this was already planned since I was born Andi."

Andrew scoffed, "So that's it then? You're just going to be the wife of a stuck up rich boy whom he will never care about?" Shaking his head he stood up "You're going to turn out just like them."

Before you had a chance to reply back, Andrew was already walking away. Why was he so upset with you? It's not like you had a choice in the matter. Did you want to marry him? Hell no, you wanted to find someone who would genuinely love and care for you.

But this is how it had to be, the deal had long been done. Once marrying John, you would become his little housewife and maid from what your father told you.

Standing up, you brushed the dirt and grass off your dress before starting the walk back home.

"And where have you been young lady?" You heard as soon as you entered the house. Gulping, you took off your shoes and walked into the kitchen seeing your father and mother.

Your mouth opened or speak but nothing came out, instead you went to the table and sat down."Well? Speak up child" he spoke.

"I-" "I sent her on an errand for me, to drop off something at the neighbors. You know how much they love her so they probably made her stay for tea" your mother calmly said.

Meeting his gaze, you could see your father raise a brow at the both of you but shrug it off afterwards "Alright then. Well as you know my daughter, your 18th birthday will be coming up in two days time. Until then, The chanlers have been most gracious to let you stay there with them. Gives you and their son time to get to know one another."

Your mother clenched her fists, she hated this, hated that her daughter had to marry such a skumbag of a boy. She could never go against your father though, too afraid to try and reason with him.

"Something you would like to add my dear?" He asked her, your mother shook her head "No.. I have nothing to say darling."

Everything went quiet after that, you all ate in silence besides the occasional talk of how everyone's day went.

Once everyone was finished with dinner, you were excused to go to your room and start packing since you would be getting picked up tomorrow by the chanlers butler.

You placed your suitcase by the door as soon as you got everything you would need packed, changed into your pajamas you had left out and got into bed, turning off the lamp.

Tomorrow would be fine.. you would just be going to stay with your soon to be husband's family that's it, nothing bad would happen..

Right?

Wrong.

The next morning you woke up to your mother bawling her eyes out, confused you got out of bed and opened the door to your room when your dads yelling caught you by surpise.

"She is going to their house and staying there do you understand?! You know better than to go against the deal, know better than to go against me!" He shouted at your mother,

Did he?.. no he couldn't have.. your father wasn't the type to hit a woman. Nevertheless you backed away silently from the door, changed out of your pajamas and into a simple blue dress with stockings then pulled your hair up into a small bun.

You tried not to let tears fall, worrying about your mother. Your father was never like this, sure it wasn't the best to go against your husband as a woman but hitting?..

The door to your room swung open with your father looking angry, he marched over and grabbed you by your right arm "You're leaving, now. I don't care if you haven't eaten or aren't fully dressed, your getting out of this house right now!" He yelled.

Grabbing your suitcase with his other hand he dragged you out the room, down the hallway and to the front door where he threw you and the suitcase on the ground all awhile your mother stood in the kitchen looking away.

You could see the mascara lines running down her face from her tears, it made your heart ache since you knew she just wanted to help and keep her baby safe.

All that was short lived from your fathers voice "Get up and go to the Chanlers car, there is a surpise guest waiting for you" he simply said before slamming the door.

Not having much of a choice, you got up dusting your dress off, grabbed your suitcase then walked to the car.

Someone who you would presume as the butler came around the car, "Allow me, madam" he opened the door to the backseat and once you were in he closed it. Following that, he took your suitcase putting it into the trunk of the car before making his way back to the drivers seat, starting on the drive to the Chanlers residence.

Upon getting into the car you noticed him right away, "Well if it isn't my future wife" he spoke smugly, moving closer towards you.

"H-hello" you spoke softly, feeling a bit uncomfortable by him moving closer. Either he noticed or he didn't care since he took your right hand in his, bringing it to his lips kissing it."Is the little girl shy?" He teased, placing his left hand on your cheek.

Your heartbeat increased and not in the good way at that, sure he was semi good looking (not really) and all but his breath reeked of fish.

It made you want to vomit but you chose to instead hold a fake smile "Not shy, just um uncomfortable kind of.."

John raised a brow, "Uncomfortable around me? Your soon to be husband in two days?" He scoffed, but quickly smirked and rubbed your cheek with his thumb.

The action would've made your flutter if it wasn't in such a creepy way."You sadden me sweetheart, but I know how you can make up for it."

Your eyes met his and you spoke softly,"How can I make up for it?" John moved away, sitting with his back against the door and one leg up on the seat with his other on the ground still.

He beckoned you over with two fingers which you obeyed, moving over but stopped when he held his hand up "On your hands and knees baby, this is how you can be a good girl and make it up to me."

Nodding, you moved to your hands and knees causing a grin to appear on his face "What a good listener you are." John pulled down his pants just enough for his cock to spring out, his tip already oozing pre-cum.

He placed his left hand on the back of your head, guiding you down onto his cock "Don't bite, there will be consequences if you do" he spoke.

Your jaw ached, being force to stretch to take his length. John grunted as he began to guide your movements, breathy moans leaving his lips.

His hand soon disappeared from your head and you could've swore you heard the sound of a camera shutter go off. "Such a good toy, that's all you are for me hm? Just a little toy for me to use as I please."

Tears welt up in your eyes and you felt nauseous as if you were about to throw up, either from his words or the smell radiating off of him.

With your constant squirming trying to get away, he eventually huffed and pushed you off him "Ugh, the girls in my neighborhood can suck dick better than you. What are you even good for?!" He snapped, making you flinch.

"Pathetic."

The rest of the car ride stayed in silence, he had already tucked himself back into his pants by the time the car stopped infront of the Chanlers residence.

John didn't even bother to help, he just got out the car slamming the door shut then walked to the front door of the mansion heading inside.

Looking down, you got out the car closing it when the butler cleared his throat behind you "If I may madam, do not let master John belittle you. The boy cannot even brush his teeth or shower without needing help, his parents are no different."

A small smile formed on your face,"I will try not to, and yeah I kind of figured when I got into the car with him." The butler, who's name you know now as chives took your suitcase while chuckling softly.

"This way madam, I will show you to your chambers" he spoke, starting to lead the way inside.

The mansion was huge, as expected. On the left side was a medium sized library along with what you think is the living room, while on the right side was the dining area along with a big kitchen.

Each wall was hung with either family portraits, animal heads or just small portraits of John, the flooring was a beige color with gold swirls while the walls were a beautiful pink pearl.

In the middle of all this, a grand staircase stood. Chives led you up the staircase, down the long hallway where you turned right then finally stopped at a door,"This one is yours madam."

Reaching a hand out, you turned the knob and pushed the door open gently. Stepping inside your eyes widened, this room looked bigger than your house.

It had a beautiful bed with a light pink and gold canopy ontop, a bathroom, large walk in closet that was fully stocked with jewelry, shoes, heels, dresses etc. Hell it even had a space that looked to be a medium sized library of your own, chives must've seen your excitement as he set your suitcase down and dismissed himself.

The sound of the door closing brought you out of your thoughts, this place was beautiful yes, if only the people living here were nice too. There were no expectations that the parents were nice, they were probably the worst ones here besides John.

Two days came around fast, faster than you had hoped. One of the maids named Hellen was tasked with getting you into your wedding dress along with fixing up your hair, she was quite nice actually.

Hellen had been working for the Chanlers for a few years now, not because she had to but because she wanted to. Even though they were stuck up and rude to everyone, the lady of the house who’s name was Priscilla never made any remarks to Hellen.

She was like a mother to her in a way so Hellen always felt welcome and safe there, unlike the other staff members who would get verbally abused 24/7.

Currently, you were standing on a platform in front of the large mirror in your room while Hellen made some adjustments on your dress.

The dress stopped just below your ankles, it was strapless with lace going around towards the bottom. White beads decorated around your waist along with a few gold swirls.

It actually looked pretty beautiful, even if your being married to a complete self centered piece of shit. “I know you do not want to marry master John but please madam, give him a chance he may surpise you” Hellen commented.

You didn’t say anything back, instead opting to nod. Once Hellen was finished, she did a quick bow before leaving the room. Sighing, you stepped off the platform, looking at yourself once more in the mirror then decided to go find where John is.

The halls were now familiar to walk through, you knew where everything was but there was still no sign of your soon to be husband.

Turning the corner, you saw a door slightly ajar down the way with noises coming from it. Curious, you quietly walked towards it and what you heard completely shocked you.

“Yesss! Ha-harder John!” The woman’s voice wailed, “Good girl baby” John muttered to her “Your so much better than that pathetic bitch I have to marry.”

Not wanting to hear anymore of that, you stepped away and started on the walk back to your room. Truthfully you wanted to cry, wanted to just break down then and there but you couldn’t.

This was bound to happen with a man like him, it was going to be your life now. You would just be nothing but a piece of meat for him to use as he pleases, never able to feel what it means to be truly loved.

You will never live out your dream wedding and life with someone who could truely love you, never know real happiness.

All you would know is pain and suffering.

Taking a deep breath, you faced the doors while they opened, all eyes were now on you as the wedding march began playing.

Your hands began shaking a bit, in reality you were never good with crowds. It made your anxiety go up big time, unfortunately though you had no choice with this. So slowly you began making your way towards the alter.

A fake smile plastered on your face the whole walk up, upon reaching him you gave the flowers to Hellen who came up to you smiling “You look so beautiful madam, master John will surely think so aswell.”

You managed a small thank you, watching as she sat back down beside Priscilla before you felt a forceful jerk on your hands as you were now standing in front of him.

Leaning in he muttered, “Be good for me and this will all go smoothly ok?” then stood up straight again with a smile on his face.

Rolling your eyes you kept the fake smile on your face while the wedding officiant began speaking.

“Welcome, We are gathered here today to witness the sacred union of Y/n L/n and John Chanler. We stand here to honor and celebrate the love shared between these two people, as they come together to start their new life with a solemn vow, surrounded by their closest family and friends. Y/n and John are overjoyed that you are able to join us here today” he starts.

All you could think about as he was talking was that this was all a lie, these people didn’t know that this was an unfortunate arranged marriage, they didn’t know that you didn’t want this.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when the officiater spoke “There are no vows more meaningful and powerful than those which will be shared here today. Your wedding vows are a sacred declaration of your love for each other, the foundation of your relationship as a married couple, and the life you want to build together. Please face each other as you declare these vows to one another. John, you may start.”

Clearing his throat, John rubbed your hands gently with his thumbs while looking into your eyes “I, John, take you, Y/n to be my wedded wife. I promise to stand by your side through good and bad times, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I vow to stay true to you and love you unconditionally for the rest of my days.”

“Y/n, please now make your vows.”

You stood there silent for a few moments, were you really about to do this? Give your life away all so your parents deal could be finalized?

John squeezed your hands, glaring at you as a way of saying ‘Hurry up with it’

Sighing, you finally spoke “I, Y/n, take you, John to be my wedded husband. I promise to stay by your side through good and bad times, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I vow to stay true to you and love you unconditionally for the rest of my days.”

The rest was all a blur, whereas you would’ve meant some of it John didn’t mean any of that. He would leave you the first chance he got for another woman, not bothering to care if anything would happen to you.

“Do you, John, take this woman to be your wedded wife?” The officiater spoke, looking between the both of you. John nodded “I do”

Oh fuck it was gonna be your turn now..“And do you, Y/n, take this man to be your wedded husband?” Your eyes adverted from his for a second, your smile fading “I.. I do..”

“By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss.” Your now husband didn’t waste any time, he pulled you in and smashed his lips against yours making everyone clap and cheer.

You managed to push him away after a couple seconds, not standing the taste of him. The last thing the officiater spoke was “It is with great honor and delight that I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Chanler.”

Normally one would’ve had a wedding reception but nope, John had managed to wisk you away, driving the both of you to his own mansion. It was apparently a wedding gift to you and him by his parents.

The car soon stopped two hours later with John getting out almost instantly, for once though he walked to your side, opening the door and helped you out of the car, “My beautiful bride” he smiled.

Your brows furrowed, why was he acting so…nice? As if he could read your mind John chuckled, “What? Can’t a guy be nice to his perfect little wife?”

Giving you no time to answer, your husband picked you up bridal style causing a small squeak to leave your lips.

As soon as you reached the doors, a butler was already there opening them for you both. “Now, a tour can wait till tomorrow. Right now why don’t we enjoy a nice swim hm?” He offered, already walking up the staircase and to your shared room.

“That sounds nice actually” you giggled, feeling a bit more comfortable around him. Why he’s being nice you have no clue, but it’s better than him acting like a dick that’s for sure.

The two of you got changed into your swim suits, his was simple black trunks while yours was a grey two piece. You had layed your dress out on the bed so it wouldn’t get all wrinkly in the closet, later you’d find a nice place to put it.

John had led you downstairs, down the hall, and to the large glass doors where a different butler opened them. The backyard was beautiful, filled with a large pool, grilling area, a hot tub, even a small playground for future children.

Too excited you ran towards the pool, jumping inside once reaching it. The water felt so cool and refreshing on your skin, kicking off the bottom of the pool you resurfaced, breathing in much needed air.

“Having fun baby?” John asked, hanging by the edge of the pool in the shallow end. Smiling, you swam towards him wrapping your arms around his neck, “I really am, this is perfect. Thank you John, your really not so bad after all.”

Laying your head against his chest, you sighed happily. It had seemed like he had changed, like he now genuinely loved you.

Unfortunately, that was all he needed to complete his plan. Placing his right hand on your hip, he used his left to quietly slip a knife out from his trunks and slowly brought it to the middle of your back before impaling it into you.

You choked on a gasp, feeling searing hot pain coursing through your body. “Did you really think that I would ever love someone like you? Your weak” he scoffed, twisting the knife in you.

A pained scream left you as tears pricked at your eyes “B-but I..” “Shut up!” He cut you off, pushing you down into the water.

The next few moments were you trying to get away but failing miserably, John now had both hands on your shoulders keeping you underneath the water.

The knife had already been pulled out so blood oozed out of your wound and into the pool, turning it a dark crimson color.

He watched as the life eventually left your eyes, your body going limp. Humming, he picked up your lifeless body then got out the pool.

“You actually did it? You killed her?” The woman from earlier spoke, “Yes Mary, the bitch actually thought I loved her” he laughed.

Mary chuckled, taking out her own dagger “Lay her down for me will you?” John obliged setting you down on the grass, watching as Mary kneeled down slicing your head clean off your body.

Standing back up, they both walked inside where Mary mounted your head on the wall. “She looks much better like this doesn’t she?” Mary purred, laying her head against John’s shoulder.

“She sure does babe, come on” John took her hand, leading her upstairs to your shared room. “Since she’s no longer here, why not try on your wedding dress?” He suggested, picking up your wedding dress from the bed and handing it to her.

Blushing, Mary took it and changed into the dress before admiring herself in the large mirror on the door. “She was so stupid, her and her family. They really thought this deal of theirs would work.” Mary giggled, turning to face John who only smirked “Fuck them and fuck her, she’s better off gone.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

*Meanwhile in hell*

“Alastor, you really should visit more. We have this festival coming up, you should come!” Rosie exclaimed, taking a sip of her tea.

Alastor merely chuckled,“My dear Rosie, I would love to join you bu-“ he’s cut off when a scream sounded in the air and something landed ontop of him, causing his seat to fall back onto the ground.

Rosie’s eyes widened with both excitement and curiosity upon peering over the table, “Oh my satan..”

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting Results: Kraegrat

Allow me to start with a disclaimer: I woke up sick this morning, so if it seems like I'm doing a worse job than usual stringing words together, let's all agree to blame fatigue & cold medicine.

Now, on to our beast for the week. The entry people are working from can be found here:

This is kind of an interesting one: not only is there no physical description, but the entry consists entirely of describing a single behavior that has at best a tenuous connection to reality. Nevertheless, a number of people indicated that they recognized it, because this is one of those "bestiary fun facts" that tends to stick in folks' heads.

As usual, we're going to go through the depictions in roughly chronological order -- let me know if I missed yours. This week, for some reason, my original post doesn't appear under the #Kraegrat tag, so who even knows what's going on there and I'm fully willing to believe yours is hidden for some kind of absurd Tumblr reason. (Maybe it got flagged under the "don't go nuts don't show nuts" policy -- I kind of suspect that's what happened with the entry post.)

Images below the cut, because (1) aforementioned nuts, though i'm pretty sure this is within Tumblr guidelines, and (2) i really should be doing a cut for all of these but i keep forgetting.

@mobileleprechaun (link to post here) has gone all in on the pathos, making the Kraegrat small, fuzzy, and sad. They describe it as "beleaguered and persecuted" and "a poor guy" which honestly I think is pretty fair for anyone in a situation where you're constantly being hunted for your testicles. They also cite "tanuki inspo" for obvious testicle-related reasons, and yeah, I see it. Very good Sad Gentle Beast here.

@embervoices (link to post here) has done a few different species of Kraegrat, all of which have kind of a lemur look. (They also provided their own alt text, which I really appreciate, thank you.) The linked post has an explanation of design decisions, and also references that Anansi story about tiger balls. (I googled it just now, and all the results reference American Gods -- did Neil Gaiman make that one up?) Anyway, excellent whimsical lemur thing, love the depiction of it throwing the testicles.

@mayhaps-magical (link to post here) notes their "appropriate medieval disregard for standardized spelling" and explains that they reinterpreted it as "Kragen-rat". My German is almost nonexistent, so I had to do a quick check...

... okay, yeah, I see how that comes into play. I also like the idea of playing around a bit with the spelling and etymology, because gods know the medieval authors did the same with no regard for accuracy. (The vastly-encyclopedic, frequently-inaccurate work that has led Isidore of Seville to be put forth as a potential Patron Saint of the Internet is ostensibly a book of etymologies.) Anyway, I like this guy here. It kind of looks like one of those big dogs that are always kind of shy and nervous around new people, which I think fits with the description as "gentle". Also like that it apparently has both claws and I think thumbs for the throwing of testicles.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) acknowledges that they're pretty sure they know what this animal is supposed to be, but they're trying to put it out of their heads. I think they've done a very good job of that: this is a pretty naturalistic drawing of a ground-dwelling mammal that doesn't quite look like any real animals, including the one that this entry was based on. The post linked above contains a description of the design decisions behind this critter, which I of course recommend checking out.

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) has, as usual, done a beautifully stylized rendition of this one. She cites the famous unicorn tapestries as inspiration, and I can absolutely see it. I think it's an interesting artistic choice to focus on the hunter rather than the beast in this drawing, but one that absolutely makes sense: the entry doesn't tell us anything about the Kraegrat except how it interacts with hunters. Enjoy your bounty of severed testicles, Sir Hunter... and, um, keep an eye on your dog if you want to make sure you still have all of them when you get home. I think it's contemplating something there. The linked post contains a brief description of design decisions, and also this line, which I enjoyed:

I'd also like to state for the record that when I started this challenge, I was not expecting to draw a field of severed testicles, but here we are. It was more fun than I expected.

@rautavaara (link to post here) has again taken an unusual direction with this one. They describe their interpretation as:

Medicinal plant-like lizard that loses its tail when scared off.

Considering this and the drawing, I think I can see the path of creative interpretation. The animal as presented in the bestiary entry is obviously ridiculous: a mammal that self-castrates to save its life is not an evolutionary success. So what could it be other than that? Well, lizards detach their tails to escape predators; what if there was a lizard with nodules on its tail that medieval people interpreted as testicles?

I can't swear that that is rautavaara's thought process, of course, but it makes sense to me as an interpretation of the material provided, and if that is what they're going for, I think it's quite clever. Also, as usual, the art style here is excellent.

@sweetlyfez (link to post here) explains that her design process consisted of blending together various animal features and then giving it sparkly magic balls, because that's all the entry really provides. Which, fair. Also I appreciate the taste in choosing what I think is "tapir + deer" as the animals to blend here. Those tusks kind of remind me of musk deer, which is actually pretty appropriate, as we'll see later. The facial expression plus the sparkly balls strike me as very funny, I have to say. Good beast.

@karthara (link to post here) was apparently also skeptical about the idea of a self-castrating animal, and if you check out the linked post, you'll see a brief explanation of how they resolved that as well as some other thoughts on design decisions. The gist is that the Kraegrat has decoy testicles, which I love as an interpretation. Fantastic. No further notes.

@cheapsweets (link to post here) has done another ink drawing that is, frankly, delightful. Love the Kraegrat escaping into the Nonspecific Medieval Trees. Love, love, love the hunter getting smacked in the face with a set of thrown testicles while his dog watches. The above linked post also provides an explanation of design decisions which I think is worth reading, go check that out.

@treesurface (link to post here) has drawn us a rat-kangaroo thing (not to be confused with a kangaroo rat) calmly displaying its lack of testicles. Looks fairly good-natured about the situation, really. They provide a brief discussion of their design decisions in the linked post, and also express a desire for more "weird scary beasts" in the future -- so I checked, and while I can't really define what is or isn't a weird scary beast, I think we should get at least one qualifying entry in January.

@pomrania (link to post here) has made the understandable decision that they aren't going to draw animal genitalia today. Fair enough. I also think this is a pretty good depiction of a Mammal that is clearly not any animal we're familiar with -- I'm impressed by how many of the drawings we're getting for this are Plausible Yet Unfamiliar Beasts. Anyway, pomrania provides early sketches and an explanation of design decisions in the linked post. They also express relief that this is not "Yet Another Bird", and I regret to inform you all that there is a small cluster of Bird entries coming our way.

Anyhow, let's take a look at the Aberdeen Bestiary depiction for this one.

I have to say I find this illustration very funny. That bizarre pose where it's wrapped around a tree is good, but what really makes it is the hunters. Look at those two. Spear Guy looks like his eyes are about to bug out of his head, while Axe Guy seems like he's going "hey, is that normal? should we be doing something about that?"

Anyway, as some of you guessed (and as I'm sure more of you picked up from that very accurate Aberdeen illustration above), this is a Beaver.

Yeah, the whole testicle thing is probably a misunderstanding of the castor sacs that beavers use to scent-mark their territory. Castoreum is still used today, mostly in the perfume industry I think, but apparently the medievals had some kind of medicinal use in mind. So the people who surmised that this isn't actually talking about testicles but rather some other anatomical feature that looks like testicles were correct. I have no idea where the idea came from that the beaver would rip them off voluntarily, though.

So! There's this week's bestiaryposting. I will now Retreat to My Chamber and Lay As One Dead (scroll Tumblr in bed until I fall asleep).

[toruro]

LOADING [INTRO] ... !

— ✧ as i am close to 3k followers (what! the! heck!), i wanted to do a little something for u all ^^ now i have never held a milestone event ever so pls bear w me as i try to navigate this hehe but i hope u enjoy nevertheless c: i have a few ask game options listed below so i hope ur all excited! i'll be traveling for the next 2 weeks, so i'm starting this a bit early so i can have some responses queued for u all >_< thank u all so much for all the support, i still cannot believe there's so many of u :3 it means the world to me ^^

LOADING [RULES] ... !

— ✧ as i said, i'll be traveling for a bit soon, so responses will be a bit slow. be patient and understanding ^^ — ✧ i plan to have this event open for around 2 weeks, so from july 29-aug 12, however this is subject to change (the drabble collection will continue to be posted as i finish them after these dates) — ✧ you can participate in multiple games, but please send them as separate asks if you do c: — ✧ some games are limited as they will take me some more time than the others. please refer to the status next to the title to see if it is still open! (open — accepting, on hold — not currently accepting, but will be open later, closed — no longer accepting) — ✧ all posts for this event will be tagged under ''🎊 3k event"

LOADING [GAMES] ... !

— ✧ q / a

✘ send me an ask w a question abt myself or my fics! i will respond as long as i am comfortable w it

— ✧ moodboard [open]

✘ limited ! refer to status next to title to see if still open ✘ send me an ask and i will make u a 3x3 moodboard based on ur blog! must be off anon so i can see ur blog, and u can tell me ur bias so i can possibly add them into the mix as well

— ✧ ship game [open]

✘ limited ! refer to status next to title to see if still open ✘ send me an ask & tell me a little abt urself and i'll assign u a svt member i ship u with (hao & chan r likely off limits bc i'm insane and i said so)

[lifeislikeasong]

Hiking Leads to Injury - Ellie Bixler x Fem Reader

For @hediiiiedlottie 💜

@scarletblink (tagged as requested)

Technically, I'm still on a little break from EDR; but I couldn't get this story idea out of my head. I loved the requests you sent through, @hediiiiedlottie; so I hope you enjoy this one! 😊

Request: Could you do a Ellie x gf one shot w/ this prompt from the paradise list “piggy back rides when one gets tired from walking for so long?”. It would be cute if Ellie gave her gf a piggy back ride when they go on a hike or something. Could you do one with I is for Injury (How would they react if you were hurt) from the angst alphabet where Ellie reacts to her gf who’s hurt?

Ellie is worried and attentive AF in this one 😉 There's also a reference to a previous fic...who can spot it??

Keep sending requests in and Imma see what I can do 🙊🙈🙉

Happy reading xx

It was a beautiful, sunny day in the middle of the working week. You and Ellie had a rare day off together so decided to make the most of it and drove out to a cute national park for a picnic and hike; it’s been a while since you were last in nature together and you couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day.

Dropping the kids off at school, you and Ellie drove out to the park which was about 45 minutes away, enjoying every minute together; talking, laughing, flirting, singing along to daggy songs on the radio - just completely wrapped up in your little love bubble. Upon arriving, you stopped for coffee before finding a secluded spot overlooking a little creek where you cuddled up together as you enjoyed the picnic. It was a super cute date; you two sharing lots of sweet kisses and snuggles before you embarked on your hike.

Almost an hour later, the incline gradually became steeper; more dangerous. Huge rocks and tree stumps were popping up out of nowhere and you lost your balance a couple of times; Ellie catching you each time. 

Taking a quick break, you leant up against a tree, drinking your water. You didn’t want to tell Ellie your ankle was hurting, so you played it down; not wanting to worry her.

It’s nothing. You figured.

Turning around, Ellie came up to you, placing her hand on your hip; frowning slightly.

“You okay, baby?”, she asked sweetly.

“Yeah, yeah I’m all good. Just need a sec”, you smiled.

Kissing your forehead, Ellie then took a swig from your water bottle before she reached out her hand to you. Like a moth to a flame, you entwined your fingers together; ready for the next part of the journey.

A few minutes later, the incline was evidently too much for you to handle and you slipped; your ankle getting caught between a tree stump and boulder; as your knee somehow brushed against the tree bark, causing you to bleed.

Ellie unfortunately didn’t catch you in time, but nevertheless still came to your aid; instantly fussing over you.

“Ahh! Fuck!”, you yelped in pain.

“Y/N! Shit, I’m sorry sweetheart”, she said.

“It’s okay, Ellie. It’s not your fault”, you smiled through your pain.

She swiftly got to work, gently manoeuvring your ankle out from under the stump without causing further injury before she used a tissue to wipe away some of the blood on your kneecap. She inspected your ankle, and it looked like a definite sprain and as she looked at your knee, she noticed it was popped sideways. You noticed too, but ignored it, attempting to stand on your own, as Ellie held your hand, wrapping her arm firmly around your waist for support.

“I think I can walk on it”, you said.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea”, she said.

Ellie furrowed her brow, worried that you seriously hurt yourself; not wanting you to further exacerbate your pain. She didn’t lose her grip on you, instead tightening her arm around your middle. Yelping in pain, you felt your knees buckle under you once again; clearly unable to stand up straight.

You ignored it, attempting to push through as Ellie stopped you.

“It’s just a sprain, I’ll be fine, babe”, you said, assuringly. 

“Okay, you’re not walking anywhere. I’m taking you to the hospital; no questions”, she said, her tone strong, but loving.

“Here, let me piggyback you to the car, please”, she said, tucking your hair behind your ear.

You felt a sense of embarrassment wash over you, as you avoided her eyes. You didn’t like feeling helpless, and you didn’t want Ellie to unnecessarily worry about you; even though you knew she would.

Before you had a chance to answer, she stepped in front of you, bending at her knees so you could climb on. 

“C’mon, baby. Let me take care of you”, she said, softly.

Careful not to bump your knee, Ellie gently grasped the back of your thighs as you wrapped your arms around her neck from behind. Holding on to you tightly, she slowly descended her way down the incline; not losing her grip on you even once. You were always very self conscious about your weight, although you were quite fit and thin, you were still impressed by Ellie’s efforts. Her gym days continued to pay off quite well…

Reaching the car, Ellie propped you on the hood so she could open the door for you. She inspected your ankle again; it looked worse than it did a little while ago, and she suspected it could be broken. Grabbing ice and bandages, she hurriedly cleaned you up; guilt and sadness creeping into her as she tended to you. Picking you up bridal-style, she placed you in the passenger seat, kissing you on the forehead as she made her way to the driver's seat enroute to the nearest hospital. You were genuinely touched by her loving efforts and smiled sweetly at her. Arriving at the hospital, Ellie quickly made her way back to the passenger side, insisting on carrying you inside; again bridal-style. Draping your arms around her shoulders, you rested your head in the crook of her neck.

A triage nurse came up to the two of you and Ellie explained the whole situation; thankfully the emergency room wasn’t busy, so you were seen to almost straight away. Ellie never left your side, feeling guilty over seeing you in so much pain. She fluffed your pillows and pulled the blanket over you, making sure you were comfortable.

Doctors came in and assessed your ankle; finding that you had actually shattered your bones and torn multiple ligaments and tendons; rather than spraining it. Looking at your knee, they determined that you dislocated it. They explained you would need to be prepped for surgery on your ankle, then left the room to retrieve pain relief so they could pop your kneecap back in place.

Ellie began pacing back and forth, looking sad, worried and guilt ridden.

You layed in bed, watching her intently; knowing what was on her mind.

“El?”, you asked.

“Mm?”, she asked.

“Come here, please”, you said, gesturing for her.

She met your eyes and walked slowly towards you. Holding her hands, you encouraged her to sit.

“I’m sorry you got hurt, baby. It’s my fault - I shouldn’t have suggested we go hiking, it was a stupid idea”, she blurted out, tears forming in her beautiful eyes.

“Hey, hey. It’s absolutely not your fault, okay? It was a silly accident, and you know how clumsy I am. Please don’t cry”, you said gently.

“I just don’t like seeing you hurt. You poor thing, you’re in so much pain”, she cried.

“It’s just a broken ankle, my sweet girl. It’s not like I’m dying or anything”, you giggled quietly.

“Don’t even joke about that, please”, she mumbled sadly.

You smiled apologetically, reaching out to wipe her tears from her cheek. 

“I’m sorry. Just…don’t blame yourself okay?”, you asked.

“I-uh”, she mumbled.

“I just feel so helpless, I wish I could make you feel better”, she continued.

“I never meant to hurt you, baby”, she said, sadly.

You were touched by her words and reassured her once again.

“I know, sweetheart. Like I said, it was an accident; we didn’t know this was going to happen”, you said, wishing you could erase the sad look from your girlfriends face,

“Please don’t worry, I’ll be in and out of surgery in no time, okay? You could always bridal-carry me again; you know how much I love being in your arms”, you said, smiling as you saw Ellie relax a little bit as she hummed.

Leaning forward, she reached up and cupped the side of your face as she kissed you sweetly. You held on tightly to her free hand and murmured against her lips; your pain forgotten.

The doctors returned with your pain relief and set your knee back in place. Ellie held on to your hand the entire time, and even though you screeched in discomfort, you were glad to have at least one of your injuries sorted.

“Okay, Ms. Y/L/N, we’re ready for you in the operating theatre. This procedure shouldn’t take too long at all”, the doctor said.

You looked up at Ellie and saw fear in her eyes again, noticing how worried she was. You tugged lightly at her hand, she blinked; as her eyes shimmered with tears. She bent down to kiss you on the lips again.

“I’ll be okay, honey. I love you; thank you for looking after me”, you smiled.

Ellie smiled, relaxing again.

“I’ll be waiting for you; I’m not leaving. I’ll take extra good care of you, I promise. I love you, too”, she said.

You smiled, feeling the effects of the drugs kicking in.

“Mmm…you’re so pretty. I can’t believe I get to go home with you”, you mumbled.

Ellie giggled, feeling lighter as she placed another kiss on your lips.

“I’ll see you soon, my love”, she whispered.

“My pretty girl”, you mumbled as the nurses wheeled you away.

Ellie laughed again and called out to the doctor.

“Hey, doc! I’mma check your work. You better look after her!”, she said, jokingly.

It was your turn to giggle.

She’s back. You thought.

“You got it, kid”, the doctor said kindly, winking at her.

Ellie sat patiently in your room, waiting for you to return to her so she can make good on her promise.

[triflesandparsnips]

What’s this about trifles and parsnips?

THANK YOU FOR ASKING @asquared-ohgodnotthehorrors AND ALSO A+ NAME.

It took me until, like, last month to realize that my username could suggest that this is a shared blog or whatever. The real origin is both mundane and self-referential, as most things are.

I'm one of those tumblr cryptids who've never changed their username or icon; I came over to tumblr after spending some time lost in the wilderness after the big fandom exodus of Livejournal. So trifles and parsnips refer to my two main LJs at the time, whose names I quite liked and wasn't ready to give up entirely.

trifles was my username for the personal LJ I'd been keeping since college, named for a bit of poetry that resonated with what I was trying to accomplish then (and, I suppose, now):

Think naught a trifle, though it small appear:

Small sands the mountain, moments make the year,

And trifles life.

(The poet is Edward Young, writing in the 1720s-- which suggests that I have Always Been Like This.)

The parsnips LJ was a journal for posting fanfic and such, disambiguated from my personal LJ so that elderly family members who read the one would really have to work to reach the devil's sacrament at the other. That one I named for the proverb "Fine words butter no parsnips." (The earliest attestation of which, I have literally just discovered, is from 1639 why do these centuries haunt me)

Then the AO3 came around and "parsnips" became my main pseud, with "trifles" being the one I somehow decided to use for the rare-fandom Yuletide exchange, back when it was shiny and new and not yet migrated to the AO3. When it did migrate, though, those two names became more thoroughly linked than they'd really ever been on LJ, so when I came over to tumblr I just said to hell with it and tied them together for good. Leaving us here, now, ta da.

--All this, by the by, also slightly explains why, when referring to myself in the 3rd person in meta or whathaveyou, I say stuff like "but trifles, where's the 18th-century soap", but often when posting fanfic I'll go for tags like "triflesandparsnips writes things".

------And as an entirely extra bit of information that is not at all relevant to my naming conventions but is nevertheless something I wish to share for reasons that will soon become apparent: My favorite kind of birthday dessert has, since college, been trifle. Whose recipe, under the actual name "trifle" and not just "a layered cake thing", is first recorded in 1585 because of course it fucking is.

[sunlightedcockroach]

"When you get this, you have to put 5 songs you actually listen to, publish, then tag others"

Tagged by @okunewww

I don't really know many people here to pass the baton properly, so to speak, but the idea seems cool

Unless I can't write the songs that I'm listening to right now, because they change quite often and in most cases I rather use them as fuel/reference to represent all sorts of concepts, as if tying their vibe to certain ideas.

Nevertheless, there are songs that I deeply enjoy and admire, as it were, including in the "vacuum", here are five of them:

@aegisofworms @dead-dog-dip @thesolidar

I have tagged three of those accounts that I have in mutual followers that were not tagged by the previous participant

Don't be angry please if it's not comfortable interaction for you,fell free do do whatever you want with this