#okay should i do that? then I'd own a house. what the heck...

[a-lil-strawberry]

One outcome I didn't expect from an outing with coworkers at a bar after a long week was an extreme state of existential dread, but here I am

[braveclementine]

Chapter 20

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (However they are very few so those under the age of 18 can still read a majority of this book. However please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

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𝕯𝖆𝖉 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖉 𝖚𝖕 a day before Christmas Eve. I was already out of bed and helping Sirius decorate the house. I was in the piano room by myself, playing softly when he knocked on the door. I thought it was strange because I'd left the door open and then I looked over, hopped up, and practically tackled him.

He stumbled, catching me and hugging me back. "Hey." He said softly.

"I've missed you so much!" I exclaimed, pressing my face into his chest. His arms were tight around me.

"I've missed you too sweetheart." Dad said gently. "How are you feeling? Sirius said you were sick?"

"Oh, yeah" I said, turning back to the piano. "Severus said that it was just a cold. It felt horrible though."

"Severus?" Dad asked in a strange voice and I froze.

"I mean Professor Snape." I said weakly, closing the piano lid.

"You're seeing him, aren't you?" Dad asked in a strangled voice.

"I don't. . . dad this isn't something I want to talk about right away. . ." I said, turning around and pleading with my eyes.

Dad's hand was clenched tightly in his pocket over his wand. I walked over and gently pried his fingers from his wand and smiled gently. "Yes, we're together." I said softly. "But we aren't doing anything that you would disprove of."

"Except being with him in the first place. He's to old for you." Dad said adamantly, squeezing my hand.

"Dad. . . I don't interfere with visions. I'm supposed to be with him and even though you don't like that- and you have every right not to as a dad- I do love him. I love you and he puts up with that little fact." I laughed a little. "Because he has to. I suppose if you're really mad at me you could disown me."

Dad inhaled tightly and blew out air, "Fine, but I really, really hate it."

"That's okay." I said, kissing his cheek and then laying my head on his shoulder. "I've really missed you."

"Yes." Dad said, sounding amused, "You've said." He kissed my temple and said, "I'm going to go get some shut eye. I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"Sure." I said, a bit disappointed and I bit my lip.

He observed my face and said, "Oh what the heck, I'll stay up."

"No!" I said a wave of guilt washing over me. I pushed him towards his room. "Go get some sleep or you'll be the next one who's sick."

He chuckled and pulled me into a hug. "Oh I really have missed you Elizabeth."

I hugged him back tightly, a feeling of panic coming over me again about that death thing. My heart thudded in my chest and it was hard to let go and put on a smile. I did it anyways, I didn't want him to be worried.

"What happened to your hand?" He asked, pointing at my bandaged hand after I'd let go.

"Oh." I said, jerking it automatically and then letting it hang by my side, "It's just a little cut up, that's all."

"You should change the bandages." He said frowning. "I can do it for you if you want."

"It's okay dad. Go get some sleep, I can do it." I smiled and kissed his cheek again and then reluctantly went back down the stairs.

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𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖘 𝕰𝖛𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖒𝖊 and there were quite a few people there. Kingsley, Mad-Eye, Tonks, Dad, Sirius, and all the Weasleys except for Mr. Weasley. It was like the party before I'd seen Sturgis. I had taken the bandage off my hand and was keeping my hand palm up whenever dad came over so he didn't see the back of my hand.

Sirius pulled me aside and said, "You're going to have to tell him, you can't avoid it forever."

"I will." I muttered, "but not now, it's Christmas Eve. I don't want him upset tonight."

"When are you going to tell him you're an Animagus?" He hissed.

"When no one from Hogwarts is in the room." I hissed back. "Just because Harry's not possessed doesn't mean that Voldemort doesn't have access to Harry's memories."

"Hello Elizabeth." Kingsley said in his deep voice. "How has Hogwarts been?"

"Horrible." I said, flashing him a smile. Fred, George, Ron, Harry, and Ginny all laughed but Hermione pursed her lips.

"It really has been terrible." Hermione said. "Of course, it's been worst for Harry and Elizabeth but still."

"Why would that be?" Kingsley asked, frowning.

"That horrible Umbridge woman." I said vehemently and though dad's back was turned to me, I could tell that he was listening.

Fred laughed. "She'll put Elizabeth in detention for just breathing."

"Pretty much." I said, laughing too.

"It's not funny!" Hermione said sharply. "She's really horrible. She tried to take Elizabeth's Quidditch Captain badge away from her and her prefect badge from her just because she's-"

"Shut up." I said sharply.

There was a sudden, ringing silence in the kitchen. Hermione's face was pink.

Dad turned slowly and said to Hermione, "Because she's?"

Hermione looked nervously between dad and me. "Um. . ."

"What's that on your hand Elizabeth?" Uncle Moody asked, his magical eye zooming in on it. I flipped my hand over.

"Just something from detention. . ." I muttered. Well, tonight certainly wasn't going the way that I had expected it. Sirius was leaning against the kitchen sink, his face in his hand.

Dad's eyes were looking at me hand and then he grabbed my wrist and flipped my hand over. I tried to jerk it out of his grasp but he just held tighter and read the words, his face grew steadier pink until it was red and he dropped my hand and then said. "Because she's my daughter."

"Dad. . ." I whispered, my heart plummeting. He turned sharply and left the kitchen. Kingsley, Tonks, Bill, and Mad-Eye were looking back and forth, looking extremely confused. I sighed and held my hand up for them to read. "When Umbridge puts you in detention, she makes you write lines with a cursed quill. Harry's got scars on the back of his hand too."

Kingsley, Mad-Eye, Bill, and Tonks looked over at Harry who lifted his hand. The words 'I must not tell lies' burned back at them.

"But. . ." Tonks said hesitantly. "Harry's is no where as bad as yours is."

"Yeah, well, I've been in more detentions." I said with a bitter laugh.

Mrs. Weasley was hovering near the stove.

"Elizabeth, I'm so sorry." Hermione said, tears in her eyes. "I thought he already knew. . ."

"Of course I didn't tell him!" I exclaimed, furious with her. "He was always going to blame himself! I knew that! We're too much alike me and him. . ." Tears were building up in my eyes and I turned away from all of them. "I need to go talk to him."

Kingsley put a hand on my arm and said, "Let me."

He left the room.

"Bed." Mrs. Weasley said softly. Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione all left the kitchen. I heard them walking quietly up the stairs.

I stayed in the kitchen, my face in my hands. I should've kept my hand bandaged. Why was I making so many horrible decisions?

Sirius put an arm around my shoulder. "It's alright."

Dad and Kingsley came back into the kitchen ten minutes later and I looked up. "Elizabeth, don't cry." Dad said, coming over and hugging me.

"Erm, dad, you should sit down because I have another er- secret to er- show you." I said, blushing. Tonks and Mad-Eye who had been talking in the corner looked over. Dad sat down heavily in a chair, looking apprehensive.

I glanced over at Sirius and he nodded encouragingly, smiling. I closed my eyes and then opened them and I was much shorter, so I assumed I was a cat.

"You know." I heard Sirius voice above me. "I always preferred dogs."

I hissed at him and jumped up on the counter. Dad's face was a bit of shock and when he finally spoke he said, "I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, your one of the smartest and most rebellious students there."

"Meow!" I said proudly.

Kingsley chuckled. "I always liked cats." I jumped on his bald head and wrapped my tail around his head. Tonks spit out her butterbeer and started laughing hysterically. Sirius was howling with laughter. Mad-Eye was smiling and Kingsley had that low chuckle. Bill had snorted Butterbeer out of his nose and was now coughing.

"Good look for you Kingsley." Mad-Eye grunted. He rarely ever smiled so I thought this was a bit of an accomplishment.

Dad, I was glad to see, was smiling now, though he looked stressed. I leapt from Kinsley's head onto his lap. I walked in a circle twice before settling comfortably down on his lap. I felt his hand running over my head and back and I purred in content.

I saw Tonks pulling Uncle Moody, Bill, and Kingsley out of the kitchen. Sirius didn't exactly leave the kitchen, but he'd busied himself by the stove like he wasn't paying attention.

"I'm so sorry Elizabeth." Dad whispered. I turned back into a human so that I was sitting on his lap.

"It's not your fault dad." I whispered. "I'm the one who told her to shut up. I'm the one who told her that the other teachers are better than her. I'm the one who kept being disrespectful to her. I'm the one who keeps causing trouble even though I know what my punishment is. I don't care what she makes me write on my hand, I love you. I'm always going to defend you, I don't care who I attack back. You're my dad."

"Elizabeth." Dad said softly. "Has she really tried taking your Quidditch Badge away from you?"

"She said that half-breed brats didn't deserve to be in positions of authority so she wouldn't remake the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. So I tried to give Professor Sprout my badge and she wouldn't take it. Dumbledore intervened. But she's tried taking it a number of other times but hasn't been able to. But if anything, it just makes her angrier that I still have my badge. She'll give me a detention for literally anything."

"It's still my fault." Dad said.

"Fine." I said, a bit angry. "Your fault, happy?"

Dad's lips twitched into a smile. "Not really."

I sighed, pressing my forehead to his forehead. "Dad please, don't be sad. Please? Or feel guilty? It really isn't your fault."

He picked up my hand. "She had you write As a Werewolf brat, I should learn to keep my mouth shut Elizabeth. Even if you'd gotten detentions, if you had a different father, different parents, she wouldn't have made you write that."

"It doesn't matter!" I exclaimed, frustrated and angry. "I'm a werewolf brat! And guess what dad? I'm proud of being a werewolf brat! I'm proud to be your daughter! I'm happy to be your daughter! I don't want a different father. I just want you. And I need you too." I said, much softer than before.

Dad and I hugged for a really long time without speaking. But it was comfortable, I didn't feel that I needed to talk. I loved him and he loved me and if the entire world was against us- well then we were going to fight it- together.

Sometime around midnight, we got up. Sirius had long since gone to bed. We walked past the front door when it opened and Severus stepped inside. Dad stiffened, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Dad. . ." I whispered, taking one of his hands and prying his fingers apart.

"I was wondering if I could er- speak to you, Remus." Severus said with a bit of difficulty.

"Certainly Severus." Remus said with a bite of coldness. Severus looked at me and I rolled my eyes. "Elizabeth, bed."

"Er- actually, it pertains to her." Severus said.

Dad's lips tightened but he didn't say anything and led me and Severus into the kitchen. "What's wrong with him." He muttered in the lowest whisper.

"My hand, and er- I told him about us earlier." I barely breathed under my breath.

Severus' muscles tightened in his cheeks.

"Well?" Dad asked and I wondered if he would've acted this way for any person of the male gender in love with me or if it was just because it was Severus.

"I wanted to ask your permission to marry Elizabeth." Severus said in a quick voice, not taking his eyes off of dads.

I opened my mouth in surprise, just a small little o. I was in shock. I mean, I'd foreseen us getting married, but so soon?

Dad's face turned from pink to red to purple back to pink and then colorless. His eyes jumped to me and saw that I was genuinely surprised. "Don't you- don't you think it's a bit soon?" He asked in a hoarse, strained voice.

"No." Severus said with finality. "I've never loved anyone this way before. Obviously, we won't actually marry until she turns of age, but-" he pulled a small box out of his pocket, "I want to start making things final."

Dad looked like he wanted to collapse into a chair but remained standing. He looked at me. I wasn't sure if I was scared or happy.

"I suppose you'll marry her anyways whether I give you permission or not?" He said, locking his jaw.

"Well." Severus said with a small smile. "I'd hate to do that. I'd much rather have your blessing because Elizabeth's so special, that's what she deserves. I don't want her to feel she has to forsake her father for me."

Dad looked genuinely stunned by the way Severus was speaking. I supposed because he'd known him in school. Oh Merlin, I thought weirdly. Dad is going to be Severus father-in-law. I nearly giggled aloud.

"Then. . ." Dad seemed to be having difficulty getting the words out of his mouth, turning purple again. "I suppose you er. . . have my blessing."

I found that I had been holding my breath and I let it out, relieved. Severus didn't waste any time. In a split-second, he was on his knee with the box open and was saying, "Elizabeth, will you marry me?"

My brain wasn't working. Was this really Severus Snape on one knee in this kitchen? This was not the Severus Snape that everyone else knew. No one but myself, Dumbledore, and dad would ever know this side to him. My throat didn't seem to be working either and I thought about just nodding, but felt it would be more official if I said something so I managed to say, "Yes."

I thought that was the end of it, but he was placing the ring on my left hand, and then he stood up and kissed me right in front of dad, and on instinct, I closed my eyes and kissed him back. Luckily, he did pull back quickly because I thought dad might have a seizure.

Then he turned back to Dad and said with complete sincerity, "Thank you Remus. See you later love." He touched my cheek and then turned from the kitchen and walked out. I heard the front door click and I collapsed in a chair, looking down at the ring.

It had a neat, thin, golden band with a small, singular diamond on top. It was exactly the type of diamond ring that I thought about whenever I thought about getting married. Dad had collapsed into a chair too, staring at the ring like it was a death omen.

"I can't believe that just happened." Dad said in a shaky voice.

My throat was still tight. "Me. . . me either. . ." My eyes were still on the ring and then I burst into laughter. I was so relieved that tonight had gone so well despite the earlier problems. Dad looked at me incredulously.

I sighed, wiping tears away. "Oh man. It's just. . . after everything that's happened tonight I was worried if you'd even talk to me and yet you just let Severus marry me. Or let me become engaged with him, whichever."

"You were afraid I wouldn't speak to you because of that stupid fucking bitch- Er sorry, I usually lose my temper when I talk about her. I just meant that sorry excuse of a woman was torturing you?" Dad asked incredulously.

I laughed again. "You can call her whatever you want. I'll most likely agree with you. Umbitch, that's what we call her at school- behind her back of course. But yeah, I was a bit afraid you'd be mad at me for some reason. Or guilty enough that you'd think the solution was removing yourself from my life and. . . and I wouldn't be able to live with that dad." I said softly. "I'm so worried about you all the time especially since we can't write to each other and if I lost you. . . I don't know. . ." Dad was out of his chair by the time the tears were spilling over and scooped me up into his arms like I was a baby.

We sat down on the kitchen floor and I poured out all my fears to him. That horrible feeling in the bedroom that I was going to lose everyone, my hatred for Umbridge that there were days I wanted to curse her to oblivion, everything.

"I just. . . I think I'm going to lose everyone." I finished, wiping away tears with a trembling hand. "And I can't. . . I'm not strong enough."

Dad's hands were on either side of my face. "You're not going to lose all of us Elizabeth. Maybe one or two, I can't deny that. There are going to be people that die- I can't argue that. But all of us? Me and Uncle Moody and Sirius and Fred and Severus? No one's that unlucky." He chuckled, brushing another tear away.

I nodded, hoping that he was right. Of course he was right. Fred definitely wasn't going to die- how could he? And Uncle Moody had been around for years! "Right." I murmured. "I know that, I just. . ."

"I understand, you know." Dad said gently. "I get the feeling. And Elizabeth. . . if you did lose all of us. . . I know for a fact that you are strong enough to continue, and I want you to remember that. . . alright?"

I nodded again. Dad kissed my forehead and said, "Well, it's been an exciting day. I think we should go to bed."

I looked over at the clock. It was twelve twenty. "Merry Christmas dad."

"Merry Christmas sweetheart." 

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[googleitlol]

My Beloved: Ch. 8

Calabash?

Yeah I was looking for a gif to fit this chapter and decided “oh shit” Wukong worked well enough lol

My eyes slowly opened, the sweet scent of lavender greeting me from my sleep. As I blinked the drowsiness of sleep away, I slowly began to frown. This is not my room.

Sitting up, I scanned the strange and unfamiliar surroundings. The large bedroom was vacant except for the bed I sat on, a wardrobe in the corner and a vanity across from the bed with a large mirror. The action of sitting up so quickly left me lightheaded and I frowned slightly, my hand raising to my head in support.

My brain felt sluggish, like a heavy fog had casted over to leave me wandering through an unfamiliar ground. Taking another look around, my eyes widened as I stared at myself in the mirror. What was I wearing?!

Instead of my usual outfit, I was dressed in a violet hanfu. The upper garment had white blossom-embroidery, the sash had a white ribbon that was tied in a four-looped bow on my side. I haven't worn one of these in ages... wait. "Where are my clothes?!"

Looking under the lapel, I sighed. I was still wearing my clothes underneath. The question still remained, though. Where was I and why the heck was I dressed like this? How did I get here?

The door the the room slowly opened, as if whoever was there could hear my inner thoughts and had come to answer. Out stepped a handsome young man, wearing a male hanfu of the same colours as my own, strangely enough, minus the embroidery. His long silver hair fell down past his shoulders. His eyes had an entrancing violet hue, complimenting the warm smile that formed on his face.

Damn. Oh, damn.

"You're awake." He smiled, stepping into the room. I tensed at his approach. Sure, man looked good and damn was his voice smooth, but I had no idea who he was and why I was here. He paused at my hesitation, smile faltering. "Excuse my manners, you must be confused. I am Jiao Min, who may you be?"

I blinked for a second. "I'm, uh, Yi Lian."

"Lian." Jiao Min smiled, testing out my name. "I found you unconscious not far from my home, you looked tired and in need of rest so I brought you here." He explained, gesturing to the room.

I tried my best to hide my frown of suspicion. What kind of fantasy novel was I living? I could've sworn I was at home earlier, now I'm in some random hot guy's house? Maybe I'd feel safer knowing where exactly I was.

"Thank you for helping me but I don't think I could bother you any longer. If you could show me to the door, I can get out of your hair." I smiled weakly, trying my best to ignore the throbbing of my head.

The man nodded. "Of course. However, I am not sure you should go out in the storm overhead."

"I'll just take the bus."

"Hmm..." He hummed, concern etching itself over his features.

I frowned. "What is it?"

He looked up at me with an apologetic look. "I don't believe you'll find any public transit nearby."

"Why?"

.

.

.

What the actual hell?!

Jiao Min led me to the entrance of his home, opening the door to reveal an insanely intense storm outside. Trees were practically horizontal from the harsh winds, rain poured down like the clouds intended to turn land into sea. Thunder crackled loudly overhead after a strike of lightning.

What surprised me the most, though, was the dense forest around the house. Where the hell am I?! There was no signs of the city anywhere. No cars, tall buildings, nothing!

I stared out at the wilderness with a defeated look as Min slowly closed the door. "I apologize for your situation. Had it not been for the storm, I would offer to take you home myself."

"No, no, it's okay." I shook my head as I thought of what to do next.

"You're most welcome to stay until the storm passes. I was actually preparing for dinner before checking in on you." Min offered, making me look back to him.

I looked back to my host, fighting against the underlying sensation in my head. "Sure... I guess I'm getting hungry."

"Excellent." Jiao Min took my hand into his own with a smile and I tried not to let him see the growing crimson of my face. I'd have to keep my guard up but damn, it had really been a hot minute since I've felt like this.

Sure, I've been 'courted' by many men through the centuries and dated every now and then, but since little MK wandered into Pigsy's shop all those years ago, I'd been more focused on the kid than guys. And Jiao Min made it very difficult to not focus on him.

No, stop! Bad Lian, you don't know him! Besides, hot charismatic guys don't just appear to sweep hopeless romantic hearts away. Stay alert!

Taking my hand, the boy guided me down several halls to a dining area. There, a table was set with an array of dishes, from what I could tell were all Shandong cuisine. Jiao Min pulled out a chair for me to sit in, the aroma of the dishes wafting into the air made my mouth water.

"I do hope you find the meal well, it was my mother's recipe." He pushed in my chair before sitting himself next to me. As he did, a soft glimmer on my wrist caught my attention. I hadn't noticed til now but there was a silver bangle on my wrist. One end resembled a fox head while the other was its fluffy tail.

When did I get this? With a frown, I reached down to inspect it when Min took my hand again from his seat. "Forgive me for saying this, Zuanshi, but despite the circumstances, it is nice to have another guest for dinner." He admitted as my cheeks flushed. "My home is quite large, though I am it's only occupant."

"Oh, I mean, does your family not live with you?" I asked, my eyes glancing away in an attempt to not show how his little nickname made me blush.

He sighed. "Unfortunately, my mother passed not long ago. She and my father have reunited, leaving me with their home."

I frowned a bit, looking down at my food. The fog was getting more dense as I tried to think of a response. "...And their culinary skills, it seems." Min smiled at the words.

"Yes, indeed. Please, tell me what you think." He smiled as I looked down at the golden silk noodles before me. Taking a bite of the meal, I could feel my eyes sparkle. Nothing could compare to Pigsy's, but this could definitely be a close second.

My reaction made the man chuckle and I looked back at him, mid-stuffing my face with the dish. After a pause, I quickly readjusted myself and cleared my throat. "It's good."

"I can see that." He smirked, making my face grow hotter.

To save face, I quickly changed the topic. "So if you live here all alone, what do you do to pass time?"

"I find various ways to keep myself occupied." He replied, eyes trailing behind me to the wall. "I've found painting helps the time go by."

Following his gaze, I let out a small gasp at the artwork that lined the wall. Many pieces were landscapes, all varying in ecosystem with some with wildlife running across the canvases. "They're beautiful, Min."

I stood to walk over to the art, admiring it. The shades of white and silver in his winter pieces were as vivid as the greens in his summer landscapes. From just a glance it was obvious the work put into his paintings.  "Have you been to these places?" The man nodded.

"In my travels I have seen many wonders and wish to replicate the natural beauty of the earth." He explained, standing next to my form. Min met my eyes with a smirk.  "I strive to capture the essence of our world on paper... Though, it seems I have found a beauty that rivals both my muse as well as my art."

His words made me pause, my eyes wide and cheeks flushed. There was no way he just... but he looked on at me, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes from my reaction. A small giggle was all I could express, his flirting had left me speechless. Damn, I've been out of the game for too long.

Ignoring my inability to communicate, he looked back to his work. "Tell me, are you an artist?"

It took me a moment to recollect my thoughts. "Oh, um... no, not really. Heh, I'm not much of a painter."

"Well, an artist can be more than just a painter." He smiled. "A sculptor, an inventor, perhaps... even a blacksmith."

I frowned at that. "A blacksmith?"

"Why, of course." I felt a hand slide around my waist as he began guiding me to another room. It appeared to be where he painted, judging by the inks and paper sitting on a low table. Portraits lined the walls here too, though there were different from the ones in the dining area. I probably would have taken more in if I wasn't focus on the hand around my waist.

Why am I not mad at this? Pretty people get away with everything.

I tried my best to listen to his words. "The design of a spear, the intricacies in the hilt of a sword, each of the choices made with a purpose. The weapons with the most care put into them are often those that are most powerful." He walked me over to a painting of the Qixing Baojian, a well-known sword of the celestial dipper.

"Really?" I looked up to the man, who met my gaze with half-lidded eyes.

"Of course. Like the creation of a diamond." He cupped the side of my face with his other hand and I felt my breath escape my lips as his thumb swiped across my cheek. "With the right heat... and pressure, the most precious of artifacts can be formed."

I subconsciously leaned into his hand, gazing into his strange violet eyes. They completely held my attention, I could barely even notice how he leaned down, his forehead touching my own.

The hand on my waist moved to my back, the other to the back of my head. My own hand found it's way to the side of his face, my other resting on his broad shoulders. For just a moment, everything was bliss...

Then, from the corner of my eye, a portrait caught my attention. I paused as a white sword sat against the wall, the painting capturing all its glory. The blade almost glowed, a stark contrast to the ebony hilt. The sword's hilt was tasseled with silver threads that shimmered in the reflection of a light that wasn't even there. There were carvings on the hilt and guard that were a pure white and seemed to resemble... blossoms?

The beauty of the sword had all but captured my attention in that brief moment. Taking in the moment again, my eyes widened. What am I doing? No! Bad Lian! What would MK think?

I stepped away from Min before our lips could meet, the fog now heavy in my mind. What was I thinking? I'm never this easily trusting, I just met this guy! Even when I used to date, I needed a background check as well as three references before even going out with another guy.

And MK... he must be worried sick! He has no idea where I am, why didn't I think of calling him sooner? "Lian?" Jiao Min gave me a look of concern.

"I'm sorry, I just had a thought..." I shook my head, turning away to gather my thoughts. Taking another look around the room, I frowned. The portraits, all of them were of weapons... they all gave me some strange feeling. "I should have told my friends I'm alright, they must be worried sick."

Patting myself down, I couldn't seem to find my phone. "Where is it? I thought I—" My thoughts froze as I saw the device on the table. Not to arouse suspicion, I looked around a little more. "Do you have a phone I could use quickly to call someone?"

"Sorry... mine is charging at the moment." As he spoke, I made sure to be quick and grab my phone while he wasn't looking. "You are most welcome to use it when it has power."

I nodded slowly. "Right..." My head started to ache now, making it difficult to form any thoughts. "I'm not feeling so well, I think I'll lay down and wait for the storm to pass in bed, heh." I mumbled, backing out of the room.

"If you wish." The man smiled as I exited. Once he was no longer in sight, I made a beeline back to the bedroom. My head was pounding, the fog growing thicker each second passing.

Reaching the room, I sat down at the vanity and opened my phone. A pit opened in my stomach at the sight of several missed calls and messages, all from MK and Pigsy.

Over fifty texts and twenty missed calls. Not only that, there was also a notification saying my location was still... turned off? When did I do that? Placing the device on the desk of the vanity, I quickly tapped on my little brother's icon, the boy picked up the phone immediately.

"Li! Are you okay? Where've you been?" He shouted, voice laced in worry. "I haven't seen you since yesterday!"

I frowned. "I saw you this morning, we had breakfast before work."

"What are you talking about? That was Friday morning, today's Saturday! Where are you?"

"I'm... I'm in a house, ina forest." I had to lean against the vanity, my words slurring as my limbs grew heavy.

My brother seemed flabbergasted. "A forest?! Where did you go???" There was another voice on his end. "Yeah, she said a forest. I know we live in the city! How should I know?! Lian, did you go on a hike or something?"

I shook my head before realizing he couldn't see me. "I th— I think I got—caught in the storm..."

"What storm?"

My eyes widened at the question. What storm? The one that was outside right now! What was he talking about? "Li, it's been sunny all day."

"...I need to get out of here." I muttered, my throbbing head now in relentless pain. The fake storm, the attempted... and successful seduction, I knew what this was. Before I could say anything else, a voice made me freeze.

"My, my... it's seems you've found your phone." I looked up to see Jiao Min at the door. My reaction delayed, I shot out of my seat, the chair falling back at my action. The aching intensified as I did, making me wobble on my feet.

"Lian, talk to me. What's going on?"

I leaned against the wall for support, my limbs sluggish. MK's voice was a distant echo from the phone speaker as Jiao Min approached.  "Feeling drowsy, are we?"

"Lian! Who is that?"

"Wha... What did you do to me?" I glared at the man who let out a soft chuckle. Why couldn't this just be a nice hot guy??

It was like his entire demeanour changed. Arms crossed, he narrowed his eyes in my direction. "Don't worry, I can make it go away. You just have to do what I say."

"Hey! If you go anywhere near my sister, you'll have to deal with the Monkey Man—" MK was quickly silenced as Min ended the call.

He stepped closer as I backed up further against the wall. I tried my best to summon any False Weapon, but they flickered in and out of existence. "Stay away! I've met enough demons to know what you're trying to do." I hissed, seemingly amusing the man.

"Oh, you think of me as one of those dogs that prey on humans to eat them, is that it?" He chuckled darkly with a shake of his head. "Let me introduce myself properly."

He continued to advance, backing me into a corner. "I am a huli jing." He smirked, looking down at me.

"I know what you are, fox, you demons create illusions and take the life force of others." I growled, my eyes quickly glancing around to find something I could use in defence.

He hummed lightly. "I like to think of myself as more sophisticated than that." The fox leaned over, his voice a whisper in my ear. "You know, I've always heard rumours of you, Celestial Balcksmith."

"Celestial what?" I frowned, confused from the pain and now from his words.

He studied my face with a wicked grin. "Mystery of the Heavenly Court, said to have been the creator of some of the most dangerous weapons on Earth." As he spoke, my thoughts wound back to the art room. "Your power pulsing through them, power you've been feeding into my little trinket since I brought you here."

He grabbed my hand, holding it up to reveal the bangle sitting on my wrist. Stepping back with a prideful scoff, he watched as I struggled to pry the jewelry off, to no avail. "Don't bother, the wearer can't remove it. Now, you have two options, my little Zuanshi." I stopped in my attempts to fix him with an intense glare.

"You can keep letting me feed off your power and stay trapped here for the rest of your immortal life, or you can be more cooperative and give me what I want." The fox crossed his arms with a boastful smile. "I prefer the first one, personally, but either is fine."

"What do you want from me?" I narrowed my eyes, fighting through the pain as I looked down to his sash.

The demon answered quickly. "Your last creation, your little pet project said to have been your most powerful. Capable of ending confrontations in a single strike." The description forced me to go through the words again. He thinks I made something like that?

"You got the wrong person. I don't know what you're talking about." I explained, stepping off the wall only to stumble.

Jiao Min was quick to catch me in his arms, an eyebrow raised to extenuate his smug look. "So you choose to wither with me?"

Perfect. "I choose this." Stepping back with the trail of his sash in hand, I gave a harsh tug to pull him back to me. As he tumbled forward, I raised my fist to deck him clean in his jaw.

He fell onto his back with a thud, hands quickly raising to his perfect jaw as he rolled onto his side in pain. Wasting no time, I grabbed my phone and stumbled into the hall. I was getting out of this sick trap.

Bumping into a few walls, I managed to get back to the front door. Just a few more steps to freedom. Running, I swung the door open to find the storm raging on.

Screw the fake natural disaster! "It's fine, this is all fake. Once I get out, I'll stop seeing it and—"

My thoughts came to an abrupt stop as the wind picked up, harshly throwing me back into the house of doom. I hit the floor with a thud, falling onto my back. With a groan, I massaged my beating head and looked up to see the wind quickly slam the door shut. What was that?!

"That... was unwise." My head swivelled back to see Jiao Min leaning against the wall, his hand massaging his jaw.

With a quick shake of my head, I jumped onto my feet. Guess this was the only way out then. He laughed at my readiness to fight. "You think you can take me? You're ready to fall over any minute now."

I narrowed my eyes at the fox. "Yeah, maybe, but I've also stood against Princess Iron Fan. Point is, I've already gone against way worse and way more attractive demons than you."

The demon growled, charging at me just as I ducked under his punch. Jiao Min was quick to spin around, his foot flying up for a kick I only just managed to block. He was fast, I'd give him that. I was mostly on the defence as he struck fast, barely giving me a chance to breathe.

Dodging another swing, I managed to grab his arm. Pulling him forward, I kicked his foot out from under him. The demon lost his footing enough for me to push him over to the ground.

His recovery was quick, the man flipping onto his back and sweeping my feet from under me. I fell back hard, hitting my head against the wooden floorboards. The throbbing only grew worse as I rubbed the point of collision with a groan. I could barely get up now, my limbs were sluggish and the fog in my head was the thickest it's ever been.

"You're more foolish than I imagined if you thought you could get away." He grinned, standing over me. "Even now, more of your sweet essence is strengthening me. You're in a losing fight, Zuanshi."

Before I could bite back a retort, he scooped me up into his arms. However, the instant he did, the ground shook. Both our eyes widened as the door suddenly went flying off its hinges and hit the demon. Jiao Min dropped me and flew back against the wall, crushed between it and the door. I rolled a few metres away from the impact, groaning in pain as I did.

"Lian!"

Arms wrapped around my back, encasing me in a tight embrace. I laid there, still partially limp in surprise at the action as Monkey King held me tightly in his grasp. He was hugging me like I've never been hugged before, it took me a little off guard. "You're okay... you're okay... you're here."

"...I'm here... could you help me take this off?" I tried my best to lift my arm with the bangle. Monkey King slowly loosened his hold on me, though he still kept me in his arms when the door fell over to reveal a dazed Jiao Min.

He glared at Monkey King. "So, you think you can stop me? You can give it up, Monkey King, with the combined strength from both hers and my own power, you don't stand a chance against—" Monkey King gently laid me back down before turning into a dog.

The change made the fox spirit hiss, jumping back before turning into his original form. The Monkey-Dog-King growled, the fox slowly backing away before retreating further into his home. Once he was gone, Monkey King transformed back, looking rather annoyed. "Stupid fox."

Turning back to me, he took my wrist in his hand and removed the bangle. As he did, the raging storm outside ceased, revealing the setting sun as well as the building in ruin we were really occupying. The large trees outside had turned into buildings that looked to be in the warehouse district.

The fog lifted from my aching head, like a pressure that had been pushing down on me had finally been lifted. "Thanks, I really owe you, heh..." I trailed off as the Monkey King pulled me close, holding me once more.

I'd never seen this from him before. Sure, I saw him everyday as a bird, we've spent a few talks together, but this was different. I'd never seen him so serious, so... worried. Seeing the Great Sage like this was surprising to say the least. "Uh, Monkey King?" He didn't respond.

"Monkey King? ...Wukong?" He looked down at me, I'd never seen such a look on his face. From what I'd seen of him in the past, nothing really seemed to bother him much, but now? He was visibly shaken, his eyes wide.

Whatever trance he was in, he quickly snapped out of it with a shake of his head. "Sorry. Can you stand?"

I took a moment to feel if my legs would respond. "I think I just need a sec, then I can—" I didn't get the chance to finish as I was scooped into his arms. Wukong held me by under my knees and my back, hopping onto his somersault cloud as I held on around his neck for support.

In the blink of an eye, we were soaring in the sky. Sun Wukong was uncharacteristically quiet, worrying me. "How'd you find us?"

"Hmm?" He looked down at me before processing my words. "Oh, I've seen that huli jing skulking around recently. I made sure to keep an eye on him incase he did anything and when I heard you over the kid's phone, I knew it was him. How are you, though?"

I smiled at the question. "Better, now." Thinking about it more, I was beginning to recall what had happened, my mind clearing more now. After Wukong dropped off his daily fruit, I came down to find Pigsy on the brink of having an aneurysm.

"I bet he's off at that stupid zero-gravity arcade! Just you wait, Lian, when he gets back, he's gonna get it!" Pigsy fumed, I stepped back a bit as to not be in his zone of rage.

I checked the Find My Friends app MK and I shared with Mei. "Why don't I go and grab him, Pigsy? It looks like he hasn't left the address of his last drop off, maybe he's just chatting with the customers."

"Oh, yeah? Well he better be chatting to them about a new job, 'cause I'm through with him!" I rolled my eyes as I waved a goodbye. Pigsy had a lot of talk, but I knew he wouldn't fire MK. I guess his overdramatic flare from his singing days still lingered.

Walking through the city, I took a few turns, the area slowly becoming more grey and shady. Less people lined the streets as more warehouses appeared, I wondered who MK was delivering to out here. Maybe some workers on break?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crying. With a frown, I scanned the area. It sounded like... a baby? But where? It's cries filled the area with no signs of stopping. Concerned, I followed the sound of the cries, trying to find the source.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I called out, hoping a parent might be in the area. The cries grew louder as I entered an alleyway. After a moment, I was able to find the source of the cries, a box along the side of the alley.

Did somebody abandon a child out here? I frowned, crouching down by the box to see someone fidgeting under a swaddle of blankets. However, to my surprise, my eyes were met with the purple eyes of a white fox. They were the last thing I saw before blacking out.

My mind now clear, I smiled. "Thank you again, Wukong. I appreciate it."

"Yeah, guess even in retirement, I've gotta find ways to stay active." He laughed. "It was nothing, really." I watched him with unsure eyes. His words spoke confidence but I could tell he was still off.

Maybe the whole situation brought him back to his journey to the west, where demons would take Tripitaka to eat him in literally every chapter. It would be understandable why that would leave him so shaken, though I couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to it.

There was something else on my mind as well. "While I was with Jiao Min, he called me the Celestial Blacksmith. Do you know who that is?" Wukong's eyes widened at the question, just by a smidge before returning to normal.

"Uh... who?"

I frowned a little, his actions leaving me suspicious. He glanced away, eyes not meeting my own. Before I could go into more detail on my question, we were interrupted. "Li! You're okay!"

We turned to see MK on the roof of our apartment, Monkey King floating down to meet his mentee. Letting me down onto my feet, I turned just in time for MK to encase me in a tight hug. "Hey, bud."

The boy scolded me. "Do you know how long it's been, young lady? You had me worried sick!"

"But I'm older than you—"

"Worried. Sick!"

With a sigh, I ruffled the boy's head, messing with his hair. "Yeah, I missed you, too." MK groaned as he swatted my hand away, making me laugh softly under my breath. Turning back to Monkey King, I blinked in surprise.

He was flying off into the evening sky.

I frowned a little, thoughts and questions running through my mind. The more time I spent with Wukong, the more confused I became. His reaction to my question definitely set off some flags, I couldn't help but wonder. What did he know that he wasn't telling me?

MK dragged me out of my thoughts as he grabbed my hand and pulled me into our apartment. "Okay, this is gonna sound crazy but hear me out. I went to go deliver some noodles, right? But it turns out there were these demons with really weird accents, and they trapped me in this calabash thing..."

The boy began to ramble about his adventures as I spared one last glance at the king on the cloud.

When we got home, I crashed onto my bed. I felt like I'd seen enough beautiful fox-men for a while. Turning onto my side, I looked out the window with tired eyes. There sat a plum on the window sill, probably from Wukong before he realized where I was.

I couldn't get his reaction out of my head. Both, his reaction to finding me and my question about some Celestial Blacksmith. I'd figure him out, he can try to hide whatever he's hiding but I'll find out eventually.

He can't hide from me.

Word Count: 5048

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[thegoldensage]

OOC: Another day, another day of people misunderstanding Hohenheim's love for his children. I just finished watching a reaction video to an episode on YouTube so I have a few questions I'd like to address.

"A parents love for their spouse is nothing compared to the love they have for their children. Why would Hohenheim seem to love Trisha more? Why does he only have side-love for his children?"

Hohenheim loves his children quite a lot. He could have been content with sitting at home and watching the world go to hell and let his children grow old and die right before his eyes while Father murders everyone but he did not do that. It was because of his love for his children and his family that he sacrificed years of of being there and loving them so he could give them a future, and so he would not have to watch them die while he stayed the same and never aged. That is torture. No parent should have to bury their child or children.

I can bet my bottom dollar that Hohenheim had no clue that Trisha even died until we see his first real entrance in the show, standing at the grave side wondering why his house burned down, his children was gone and his wife was dead. That was quite a lot to come back home to and a lot to process at once. He is allowed to mourn his wife and be shocked about everything that happened. That does not mean that he loves her more. Just loved his kids and her differently. Mourning her does not automatically mean he loved her more.

Imagine being immortal. Hohenheim is literally 450 years old. Would you have the same human emotions as everyone else after living 450 years? No.

He experienced the collapse of Xerxes and carried half of the souls of the people he knew and loved inside of him. Can we say trauma? He feels like a monster, too, afraid to touch someone so innocent and pure as his kids because he's afraid to taint them.

Hohenheim offered his own life TWICE so they could get their bodies back.

"But then why didn't he spend more time in the show with them once they met up?"

Ed made it clear to Hohenheim that he wanted nothing to do with him and didn't care about his "excuses", so Hohenheim was trying to respect his son's wishes despite how he himself felt. He thought that Al probably felt the same as Ed and didn't know what the heck to say to him when he was at Liore with Al, so he f'd off and let Al come to him instead--- which told him that Al wanted to spend time with him and he wasn't imposing himself onto his son.

Hohenheim genuinely believes his kids are better off without him after all, he did fail them when they needed him most. He was so busy trying to protect them from external threats that he failed to see internal ones. He genuinely believed that when he came back home, Trisha would still be there, happy and greeting him with a smile. Perhaps Ed and Al would have been old enough that Trisha would tell them why and they would understand.

TIME also passes differently for an immortal. 10 years to him probably felt like a couple of months.

Hohenheim is not a perfect father. I am not trying to make excuses for him. Ed and Al have a right to their feelings because everything they experienced was very real for them. Their childhood sucked. We all know this. But to say Hohenheim didn't love his children is a big misinterpretation of his character. Everything he did was out of love for his children. He sacrificed his own happiness with them in an attempt to give them a better future. That is true love. He didn't care if they hated him, as long as they were still alive and thriving. That's what he wanted more than anything and he got to see that right before he died and that let him go peacefully. Knowing they would be okay without him.

[thatsuhboldchoice]

okay as promised more into the woods feelings

first i just want to say the sheer ENERGY of the crowd

like everyone got at least a minute of entrance applause

maybe it's just been a while since i've seen a broadway show or been in a truly full house on weekend evening performances but every show i saw there was just an absolute outpouring of love and with standing ovations at all of them

maybe i just went to popular shows but also i think maybe people are just so happy broadway is back and want to show it

i want to congratulate the producers on this show for realizing they could just STACK this cast

it's an ensemble show where everyone and i mean everyone gets something juicy and goes on a journey

also it's fav show of so many theatre folks and everyone wants a chance to sing sondheim

that said i do think it's origins as an encore performance limited it

because it did feel caught between trying to be a throw back to the obc

(which i think for myself and many cast members and many audience members we all have in our BONES like i have watched that vhs how many times)

and trying to be it's own thing

and as lovely and nostalgic as those moments were

the place where it SHINED were where the cast or director found something new

all of the puppetry and set were the stand outs because those were inventive and creative in the way that into the wood asks you to be!!

and also demonstrates what for me is key to producing into the woods

which is to realize that in addition to a healthy disrespect for the fourth wall, the seams of the production should absolutely show

and the bare bone aspect of the staging totally captured that

but i wished they could have taken the space to push it even further and done a proper revival?

i get that they were riding the high from encores and that time was of the essence in continuing that momentum

but like one of the places that felt quite fresh was anything with the princes

(which as much as i love agony okay i do think it's low hanging fruit)

but STILL they delivered something that felt different truly at its core than the obc

little red felt different

cinderella had her moments (esp at the end with the prince krysta rodriguez yelled!!!)

sjb's aforementioned moments in the woods

heck everyone found something that gave me chills and was unexpected but i couldn't help but feel they were brief moments in larger structure that was already set in a show that very much resembled the obc

WHICH AGAIN makes sense given the origins of this production and the fact that almost everyone was a replacement so even more limited rehearsal

but i want to know what sjb's and seb's baker and baker's wife entire arc could've looked like if they'd had a full rehearsal process to find it, you know?

again again not the intent of this production but it's what i can't help thinking

that said mad shout out to gavin creel who i don't really know but did not realize was that goddamn funny

like he would just stand on stage and already i'd be laughing

also i loved that sjb had moments when you could tell she had this massive belting voice just at her fingertips but since that wasn't the vibe of the show she didn't really use it

but i just still hear it in there

also i know that one day i should mature past having into the woods as one of my favorites musicals but i'm sorry i can't...it's rewatchability score is too high and it engages too directly with the themes i'm most interested in

[dusk-outlaw-gaming]

The Owl House... what a great show it is.

It quickly solidified its place as my favorite show, a show I find comfort in.

I know it might sound weird but The Owl House has taught me that it's not only okay to be different but it's also something I'm allowed to embrace.

I've also experienced and still experience the sting of being called a nerd or a weirdo, being on the receiving end of jibes and teasing; simply because I'm passionate about video games, getting hyped about something others may deem as odd or because I live out my creativity by writing fanfictions, making music or compiling funny video game moments into a video edit, layered with music and sound effects. Heck, even for watching The Owl House I get made fun of because it's a cartoon and cartoons are "made for kids" and I'm an adult with a job; am I not allowed to enjoy things?

Being called a nerd/weirdo made me feel insecure about my hobbies, making them seem like something that I shouldn't even be vocal about. As a result I usually either tone down my enthusiasm or don't talk about my hobbies at all if I meet new people unless I know the other person has a similiar or the same interest; even then I'm still cautious.

When I began watching The Owl House - unfortunately way too late - I was immediately drawn in by its undeniable charm.

We have Luz, whose journey through the Boiling Isles showed me that embracing my true self is a strength, not a weakness. I can relate to her because I also am afraid to be made fun of for the the way I am, to not fit in because I like the things that I like, having to pretend to be someone I'm not.

We have Amity - as a lesbian myself, I see a reflection of my own experiences as we catch on to her crush on Luz. I've been there too.

Her fear of being rejected - yeah, I understand.

Amity blushing around her crush, doing stupid things around her - yes, can relate to that too

The way Amity talks about how things have gotten confusing since Luz came to the Boiling Isles, making her think things she's never thought before, making her feel things she never used to feel - absolutely, 100% relatable.

Also the instances of Amity gay panicking over Luz... absolutely accurate! (At least that's how I'd panick around my crush if I had one)

Even the way Luz's and Amity's blossoming feelings for each other are portrayed is so on point; it doesn't feel rushed or "just placed into the show to be inclusive" like many other TV shows these days unfortunately fall prey to and make it seem forced... or being used as a running gag in the show (which also applies to many other stereotypes); instead their relationship develops in such a natural way until we get to Knock, knock, knockin' on Hooty's door (I love that bird tube) which gives Luz and Amity the final push to ask each other out; the way this entire scene plays out... ugh, my heart.

But it's not only Luz and Amity who resonated with me; there are so many characters that just add to the show with their own backstories, personal struggles and fears... Eda, King, Raine, Willow, Gus, Hunter, Lilith, Camila... each character enriches the overall story.

The Owl House is just so good at what it does: The story-telling, having characters with unique personalities and their development throughout 3 seasons (still mad at Disney for robbing us of a full 3rd season) alongside the representation of different sexualities and identities; I also love the fact that homophobia (or any other kind of phobia) just doesn't exist on the Boiling Isles. Everything is depicted as normal (as it should be); heck even Odalia wasn't like "what? My daughter is dating a girl?! UNACCEPTABLE!" Odalia is still effed up but... you get my point.

I'd also like to add that I appreciate the way The Owl House tackles serious matters like trauma and struggling with mental health issues. These themes are never trivialized or oversimplified; instead, they are woven into the plot, into the characters' journeys in a way that feels honest and true. This thoughtful representation provides solace and validation to viewers who may be grappling with their own challenges... like myself. It's a reminder that such struggles are real and complex.

So, in conclusion... The Owl House does an amazing job making me happy and I'll definitely rewatch... multiple times.

It's a show that welcomes all forms of uniqueness with open arms, and for that, I am profoundly grateful to Dana Terrace and the entire crew. Thank you for creating a space where I, and hopefully so many others, can feel understood and seen, despite the challenges you had to face to make this show happen and play out the way you wanted it to.

"The only thing I've ever really wanted... was to be understood" Luz Noceda, S3 E2, For The Future

[wordtowords]

Side-Stepping Pedantry to Get Along With New Neighbors

pedantry - noun - excessive concern with minor details and rules

In this current vastness wherein political correctness rules, pedantry has pushed its way into the populace, particularly real estate attorneys. If you have been following this recent short string of blogs, you have probably figured out that I am selling my house to two nouveau yuppies, now labeled Millennials. Although they are wet behind the ears (meaning young in case that idiom escapes you), I like them. It is their legal representation that leaves little to love. Why? One word: PEDANTRY.  Okay, okay, I get it. The lawyer is doing her job, and Goodness knows that in this climate of litigiousness one with the master key to a law office has to be extra careful. But to what avail? 

Case in point: As any lender must have a property surveyed before a mortgage can be offered, on Monday, an industrious set of two uniformed surveyors flagged my property in hot pink plastic price tags sans prices and measured every inch and boundary of my lot with their collection of transit levels, tripod rods, bluetooth laser distance meters, etc. Just when I thought I'd make it to the end of the game (the closing) without any more complications, two days later, I received a call from my attorney, informing me that two of my three neighbors have been encroaching on my land. One unknowingly erected a privacy fence up against my own privacy fence three feet onto my property and the other, a relatively new neighbor, put up behind my fence a children's play set, half of which is taking up four feet of the portion of my backyard that I can't see. Ugh. Getting the one neighbor to remove her fence was easy albeit I had to rely on an ex-boyfriend to do the job; however, convincing the other one that the survey was/is indeed accurate and he would have to move the one side of the swing set that his kids never use anyway, was a herculean feat. I struck out, but my real agent agents seemed to make it to first and second base. Who knows if they will manage to find their way to home plate. After much cajoling on the part of the agents, the disgruntled neighbor promised he'd move the set but was inordinately angry at the buyers, exclaiming, "That's no way to start out, bossing a new neighbor around. I know I won't ever speak to them unless they come over here with a peace offering." Perhaps he made a valid point.

Adverse possession laws aside (because they require thirty years of proven encroachment in New Jersey), I realize that the lawyer is thinking that if some child falls out of the jungle gym portion of the set, it might just be the buyers' responsibility to cover hospital fees. But isn't that what homeowner's insurance is for? If the neighbor's kids don't even use the monstrosity, is it worth starting off on the wrong foot with someone who is probably not going away for at least twenty years? I don't know about you, but I say to heck with pedantry. Messing with minutiae is just aggravating to everyone except for the one doling out the aggravation. "Don't sweat the small stuff" may not be advice that legal eagles embrace, but perhaps their clients should remind the professionals that stepping outside the bounds of pedantry and making concessions to insure domestic tranquility between neighbors may not be such a bad idea. 

[tekutiger]

Leveling my SAM on Mari, finally 🙃. Am I one of the rare few who levels a class to 87 and then uses Duty Support strictly to see those three? If you know, you know.

Endwalker spoilers under the cut, and by that I mean EW Zone 5 Dungeon. Endwalker has been out for how long now? I probably don't need to do this, but I know sprouts are still out there 💖

At first I only had the intention to get Mari one class to 90 in each role. But somewhere along the way plans changed. I blame Emet (and partly glamour, and housing).

My mindset literally goes 'Oh if I get to level 87 I can go bug Emet' 😇

I was taking so many screenies of SAM skills while leveling, simply out of boredom. I'll be adding those momentarily 🙃, but I'm convinced there's no way I could play, or be, a 'damsel in distress'-type if I were thrown into some 'story' or 'world', (isekai~).

(I'm truly telling you I was bored. Leaving me alone with my thoughts running rampant is a bad thing haha. Perhaps next time I should turn on an Audible.)

I'd be the type that'd constantly want to 'catch up' to the person I want to be side-by-side with. It's fine if I'm 'weaker' but there's no way in holy heck I could settle with being left behind. It'd drive me bonkers. To be useless? To not be able to protect someone you care about? I feel like that's the sort of dynamic Emet and Azem potentially had. Those feelings and those thoughts. I don't want to ramble on about it (I'll end up with a novel that no one asked for), but that's both crushing and sinking.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, or putting my own HC on it. But it's pointed out in story that they (Emet and Azem) spend a lot of time together. And Emet spends so much time searching for hints or fragments of Azem after the sundering. That emotionally stabs me in the heart. So, yes. I will level my classes to 87 just to see him, and the other ancients.

I really need to stop rambling but what even got me on this train of thought to begin with was; First of all leveling my SAM and going to see Emet- and the fact that Bleach TYBW is coming out in less than 2 weeks~! I've had massive brainrot for literal months now 🫠

Why do I feel like my favorites always get kind of... brutally hurt? For no reason? 😞 (more so than other characters, I mean.) I want to protecc, but I can't 😖

I'll post my SAM screenies now~ and save my QQ'ing for another day 🙃. (I have several, but I recommend looking up GIFs or vids of these if you're interested cause screens can only show so much. BUT! I think the screenies are cool because they capture a literal moment in time that's hard to see in GIFs/vids)

Gekko & Yukikaze. I feel like the Gekko graphic could use an update. It's a bit uh... saturated. I realize that's because I'm hecka zoomed in and SE probably doesn't expect people to be playing that way but 🤐

Hissatsu: Senei & Hissatsu: Kyuten.

Shoha & Shoha II.

Hissatsu: Guren. Both screenies - I just love that I got one with Emet snapping his fingers 😊

Midare Setsugekka.

These are from me just removing the HUD (i.e. Scroll Lock) and hitting Print Screen.

Okay, time to go get 89 -> 90 now 🙂.

I should probably also do the role quests so I can dye that Artifact gear set. Red is my favorite color but I'm not sure it goes well with Mari's purple hair... 🤔. Ehhh, maybe.

Also, sorry Hermes~ ♥ you.

[softcrescendo]

stray kids | the things they adore about you !

"there are other things i cherish more than roses and candlelit dinners. for all you know, i'd trade a lifetime of flower bouquets just to hold your hand once."

pairing : ot8 x gn!reader

tw : none !

genre : established relationship, just overall fluff fluff fluff

a/n : do i know this is the first time i post my random ass writing here ?? yes yes i do :)

⤞ BANG CHAN adores the way you sing or hum confidently, especially when it's late at night or early in the morning.

When he wakes up in the morning, he loves to hear it first, more than anything; your voice is incredibly sweet in his ear and listening to your mellifluous melodies makes him feel at peace. It's also quite rare to see you waking up before he does, so he doesn't get to experience it often (that's why he cherishes it even more).

When he falls asleep at night, he always wants your voice to be the last thing he hears that day. He's just so used to it by now that when you two are apart (and unable to communicate due to various reasons), he finds himself having even more trouble sleeping.

Of course, your voice isn't the most amazing voice he has ever heard, but it belongs to the person he loves. So, no matter how odd it sounds or how peculiar your music taste is, when you're the one singing, everything just feels right to him.

⤞ LEE KNOW adores the way you love and appreciate your food.

Now, he knows that food is a blessing and should never be wasted, but seeing you doing your absolute best to appreciate your food makes his heart swell with love. Although he thinks it's one of the principles a decent human being should have, he knows you're so much more than that.

Throughout your relationship, he can always count on you to keep things properly around the house. That includes storing the food you have in the best way possible. Both of you often exchange tips and advices about it. It's a routine that both you and him have grown to love.

⤞ CHANGBIN adores the way you actively listen when someone else is speaking, no matter how boring the topic is.

He also thouroughly enjoys cooking for you, because then he'd get to see you devour them! To him, there's nothing in this world that can beat a warm meal shared with you.

It's one of the first things he noticed when he first got to know you. When someone else is talking to you, you'd absentmindedly give them reactions just so they know you're really listening, like "i see" or "then?"

Once, he heard your friend ramble about random new dramas (he knew you were never interested in them), but you kept on nodding and asking questions. To this day, he still thinks it's very awesome. He thinks you are very awesome.

⤞ HYUNJIN adores the way you bring extra things like hair ties and tissues, just in case someone needs them.

Conversations with him are much more nicer, of course, so you never have to feign interest with him. You still do it when you're listening to him, though, and it makes him feel so encouraged and so loved.

He still remembers the day you gave him your pink scrunchie. He had forgotten his own hair band at home, so you offered yours. The sight of you smiling at him while handing your scrunchie made his heart beat twice as fast then, and it still does now.

You don't only do it to him, though. You gave your friend the last good pencil you had just because she needed it more. You shared your candies with a kid because the kid was hungry. He realizes soon enough that you bring more on purpose, and they're not for yourself.

⤞ HAN adores the way you patiently wait for other people.

He admits that he's not the most meticulous or responsible person (that's why he keeps on forgetting and losing his things), so having you by his side makes him feel so much more complete.

You know what it feels like to be left behind. The memories are very bitter, but they serve to teach you a good lesson. That's why when someone else is lagging, or falling behind, you stop and wait for them.

You wait for him a lot, too. He really tries his best not to make you wait longer than you have to, but he often fails to do so. It can be before going home, or before movie nights, or before dates. He's super apologetic about it, but you reassure him it's alright every time (it's not like he wants to, anyway, so it's all good).

⤞ FELIX adores the way you look at animals, especially the cute ones.

These days, he finds himself doing the same thing. He waits patiently for the people he loves (including you) and frankly, he's proud of himself for growing as a person and as your love.

He loves animals too, he truly does. But when you are the one caring for them, he doesn't know which one is cuter (hint: it's you). Animals are just adorable and marvelous, they're so fascinating! He knows you don't only like the cute ones, though. Almost all animals give you serotonin boosts.

And when you say almost, you mean ALMOST. Because insects certainly doesn't spark joy within you. Heck, sometimes you just seem to be so scared of them. He finds that fact really cute. To be honest, he doesn't enjoy the presence of insects either, but he doesn't really mind as long as he's with you.

All of your family and friends know just how loud you can be. That's why most people (especially the ones who just met you) get intimidated by your thunderous voice and unpredictable actions. But that was never the case when you're with him.

After all, there is no other species (or organism) in the kingdom Animalia he'd prefer over you (his family and friends and the bois come first place with you ofc).

⤞ SEUNGMIN adores the way you can be loud without being annoying or insensitive.

The thing is, he's used to loud people (he can also be very loud himself!) and to him, you're no different. In fact, he finds your personality very uplifting. When he performs or sings, you boost his confidence with your cheers. When he is tired or frustrated, you make sure to shower him with lots of encouragement.

⤞ I.N adores the way you say "thank you" and "i'm sorry" with so much sincerity to nearly everyone.

Of course, there are days when he needs things to be more quiet than usual. No matter what, you try your best to support him! You're still learning, and that's okay because he is, too.

This is a habit that you didn't realize you have until he pointed it out. But like, even if you do, isn't it just basic manners? You think it's nothing special or remarkable. However, he thinks otherwise! He loves the fact that you're polite, even to the people who are often overlooked or looked down upon.

As someone working in the entertainment industry, he has met A LOT of people from all around the world. That means, he has seen characters and personalities of many kinds, and he knows more than a handful of people who are just straight up disrespectful. Meeting you, he once said, was refreshing. Back then, he genuinely enjoyed being your friend and when he got the chance to love you, he's so honored.

Yes, you know this habit of yours is still nothing to be bragged about, but he appreciates it nonetheless! After all, he loves you because of the same reason you're polite - just because.

[chiefbeifongcanrailme]

If you someday have the time...

would you write Linumi Mr and Mrs Smith AU? 🥺🥺🥺

Okay I know I took my own sweet time with this, but here goes nothing. May not be my best work yet and I apologize for that. I don't support Brangelina because justice for Aniston, but if this movie didn't incite a bi-panic in me, I'd be lying:

It was evening by the time Bumi was done with his week's mission and all that was left to do was come up with some form of ridiculous excuse about his whereabouts for the past four days. An excuse his wife wasn't going to buy in any circumstance, but it was a fun back and forth they had where one lied and the other didn't care to be lied to.

What had started a love affair full of passion had rotted into a mundanity so foul, that neither of them could be bothered into confronting the status of the marriage. Eventually, they were both avoidant people and it made total sense that they fell for each other even though there was nothing binding them together anymore. Bumi didn't know what got Lin through it, but he found his release in fulfilling his missions and that was the extent of his reasoning to stay in this misery they called a marriage.

Going into the relationship, Bumi was vaguely aware of the effect his job could have on a spouse- having secrets was normal, right? Sure he cared for Lin as much as he should- but they didn't hate each other.. yet. Bumi couldn't even account for the last time they had sex, something they did a lot of early on in their relationship. They tolerated each other. Heck, even when Lin disappeared for days on end, he never found himself bothered by it.

Things really had changed, he thought to himself at the threshold of his house. (Nope, it wasn't a home anymore. Just two people that coexist in an aesthetically appropriate environment).

"Honey?" Bumi called as he parked his shoes on the rack, "Do you want to go get noodles?"

No answer. Not a sound either.

Weird.

"Sweetie?" Bumi called out again, checking for missed calls or texts on his phone as he distractedly walked through the living room in search of his wife.

Still nothing.

Was she out galavanting again?

Bumi wasn't a good husband- he knew that. What kind of husband chips his wife in her sleep? The kind who just wanted to protect her perhaps, he told himself at the time. But today, he was going to use that to track her.

She's in the house.

Bumi stared at the screen in confusion as he made his way upstairs to enter his- no, their bedroom.

Bumi recklessly walked forth into the dark shared closet room when two metal cables flung out of nowhere and pinned his limbs to the wall. Bumi hit the back of his head with a jerk and before he could register what was happening to him, a hand came and slammed his mouth shut.

Bumi grunted in pain but managed to use his airbending with his free hands to flicker the lights on.

His eyes widened in surprise as the figure in front of him slowly slithered away from him.

"Lin! You're a bender!" Bumi exclaimed.

"And so are you," She side-eyed him.

Only spies were granted bending.

She was dressed in a full black leather catsuit that Bumi was certain he had never seen her wear in all their years together. His mind wandered to the last time he wanted to rip her clothes apart. It was back in Vienna, about twelve years ago and flash-forward to two weeks after, she was his bride.

"It's kinda cute if you think about it," Bumi chuckled uncomfortably, "That we're both spies- you with, what do you bend? Cables?"

"Metal." She corrected him.

"I can bend air." Bumi told her with an innocent smile.

"And you still choose to fart and snore every night?" Lin folded her arms as she walked towards him. She placed a hand on his neck, playing around with the pressure as she brought her face close to his, "Any last words?"

Bumi smiled through the pain.

"Just a kiss, my love."

Before Lin could respond, Bumi pouted his lips and blew a wind strong enough to shove her all the way to the opposite wall- hard enough to crack the concrete before she fell to the floor with a thud. The airbender bent the sharp pieces to yank himself free by cutting the metal. The cable stung against his skin, but before he could attend to his wounds, he had a metalbender to take care of.

He quickly pinned her down, holding her wrists tightly on either side of her face.

"So you finally got the order to kill me, huh?" He grinned.

"As if you weren't coming home to do just that." She countered as she struggled to free herself.

"I was going to have a conversation with you first. Find out why you've been working for-"

Lin slammed her forehead into his chin to throw him off.

She freed herself and instantaneously wrapped her two cables tightly around Bumi's wrists and ankles to immobilize him. She stood over him, watching him struggle on the floor for a second and then leaned down to sit atop his chest.

Bumi grinned devilishly despite his plight, "Ah, now it's been a while since you've been on top of me."

Lin pressed her knee sharply into his bicep, making him squirm, "Enjoy the view while you still can-"

Bumi cut her short, using her weight on him to push himself off the ground. Throwing her off balance loosened her hold on the cables and he quickly scrambled on top of her, pressing his palms into hers to prevent her from using her bending.

"I like this view much better, sweetheart." He smiled as Lin tried to free her hands from inside of his.

"How long have you been working for them?" She grunted, lifting herself chest first and failing.

Bumi bent lower to lick her cheek delicately, making her squirm even harder, "I've been working for them since much before I even met you, love."

"Stop calling me that!"

Bumi chuckled, "But I do love you."

"Sweetie," Lin smiled rancidly, "We haven't been in love in a long, long time."

Bumi used his body weight to keep her pressed down as he flipped her over to her stomach. Lin grunted in response.

He pulled out a pair of handcuffs to cuff her wrists together behind her back- as long as he blocked her palms, she couldn't bend them off her. To Bumi's credit, he didn't know his wife was a bender, let alone a metalbender.

"You're right," He said, moving her hair as he bent down into her neck. He blew cold air over the sensitive skin, "It should make killing you that much easier."

"How are you going to kill me?"

"Slowly," He whispered into her neck, "I know how much you like being choked. So what do you say, I make killing you pleasurable for the both of us?"

"You couldn't pleasure me even if I gave you a map to the female anatomy." She groaned harder as she tried bending her knees to knock him off her back.

"Now don't let your last words be lies," Bumi teased her skin with his teeth now.

Lin whimpered at his touch, forcing a cocky Bumi to continue nipping at her skin until he bruised it.

"Kiss me." She whispered as he softly bit her ear lobe.

Quick to oblige, Bumi flipped her over, raising her wrists as he pushed her hands far up above her with his. He bent down to kiss her mouth, she reciprocated, kissing him back heavily like she did all those years ago.

Lost in the moment, Bumi let go of her hands to cup her jaw to deepen the kiss.

And that's all Lin needed.

The cuffs were gone and her cables scurried over to her command as they tried to catch Bumi's hands again.

But Bumi was smarter than that.

He evaded her cables by bending the air away from him, creating a vacuum that didn't allow the metal to touch him.

He got off her and channeled a wind strong enough to ram her into the wall on the opposite end. Lin's back made a loud sound as she fell from the wall to the floor, but she used that fall to her advantage, wrapping her cables around Bumi's unexpecting ankles to trip him.

Bumi was strong enough to rip the cables in two- his rage taking over him now, as he made his way to now attack his dear wife.

Lin, ever ready as a ninja in combat, stood up and evaded his brute strength with her swiftness.

Alongside this room, the two landed up pretty much destroying the entire house through their fight- the use of bending and shoving the other into concrete surfaces around their property. Their house finally seemed homely in the dumpster fire it had turned into, with ash and blood marring the white walls. Broken glass and furniture adorned the lovely couple's home and it beautifully complimented the way in which they were now clad in shreds.

At some point, Lin kicked the back of his knees to knock him off balance, and immediately flashed back to the night she had applied some ointment to soothe his hurting knee. Caught in the memory, Lin felt her heart sink as he hit the floor face first. Something had awakened inside of her when she bent down beside him and placed a hand on his upper back.

What are you doing? Finish him off.

Bumi grabbed her hand and tossed her over herself, dropping her back first onto the floor beside him.

"It's a pity I have to kill you- you took such good care of my knee that night." He grinned as he stood up.

Lin cursed herself as she stood up angrily.

Bumi raced into her, punching her gut as she retaliated with an elbow to his jaw. But his punch managed to choke the air out of her, and she fell to the floor in a coughing mess.

Lin got on her fours, heaving for oxygen as her lungs only registered char.

Bumi stood there, "Stand and fight, Lin." He ordered.

Lin raised a hand, still between coughs- now sponsored by the fumes, "I'm done. Finish me."

"I said, fight me, Lin!" He ordered again, moving closer to her.

Lin took out the knife from some crevis in her suit and tossed it across the floor in his direction, "I'm done," She coughed out.

Bumi sighed and dropped his knife too, kicking it away from both of them, "I don't want to kill you," He began, leaning down beside her. He rubbed her back slowly to help her cough, and she placed a gentle hand on his chest for support.

"I was hoping you'd kill me," He whispered, "But I couldn't die knowing you hated me. So I had to fight you."

Lin's coughing tampered down as she finally managed to take a deep breath in. Bumi cupped her cheek with one hand to pull her closer to lightly kiss her temple.

"I love you," He said into her hair, "I love you so much."

Lin sighed with a smile and pulled his mouth onto hers, "And I love you."

Bumi kissed her bleeding lips just as fully as she kissed his. No more games. He pulled away to look into her eyes for assurance. He didn't see the anger or the aggression, instead, he saw lust. The same lust that had made them fall in love all those years ago.

In a breath, Lin's knees were on either side of his thighs as he stood up, carrying her with him to the table that was still surprisingly standing amidst the destruction.

He delicately placed her down before ravishing every inch of her body. Kissing Lin ignited an insatiable fire within him, one he had only been burnt by the first time they got together. Lin couldn't hold any of it in either- she felt his electricity course through every bit of her skin.

After the long overdue satiation, Lin melted on top of Bumi's torso on the floor, lightly chuckling over the change in reason behind their erratic breathing. Bumi ran his hands through her already mussed hair once more, before quickly kissing her collar bone.

"I really missed you, baby." He beamed up at her.

Lin smirked at the devastation around them, "What do we do now?"

Bumi sat up with a little effort, continuing to hold Lin up in his lap. Their clothes were a tattered mess, torn and burnt in places, like the rest of the house. He ran his hand over her back, fixing his finger on one scar he would ask her about later.

"We should probably fake our deaths." He commented idly.

"I think we're also going to have to move, don't want to be those neighbors, you know." She added nonchalantly.

[citadelspires]

P1 - Given how great you're track record's been for doing hypothetical interactions of Amphibia kids with the Duck kids and Owl House kids, let's try doing the Duck kids meeting the Owl House kids and who they'd like the best. I'll exclude Violet for this for the sake of evenening things out 5 to 5. I'd assume Luz would get along best with Dewey (both jump into adventure), King with Louie (could see em teaming up for a scheme), Willow with Huey (eh, more leftover interaction but can work)

Screenshot of second half of the ask provided. Text: P2 Gus with Webby (would totally ask each other lots of questions about their species), and Amity with Lena (both got abusive figures they stood up to and would totally talk about their crushes on Luz and Webby LOL). Would love to see you take on Duck kids and Owl House kids interactions.

First of all I’m very pleased to hear you find my track record on these posts good, they’ve been really fun to write and it makes me really happy people like them! Second I am so sorry it’s taken so long to get to this ask, it’s a really in depth one and it took a long time to write, I hope you’ll find it was worth the wait!

Aight! Oh and one last thing real quick before I get into it. I hope you wouldn’t mind me adding Violet back in, partially due to the fact I love her, but mostly because there’s actually another owl house character I think works significantly better with Louie than anyone else and I really want the chance to talk about that. Saving that one for last hehe. This’ll be another long one, writing below the cut.

Luz and Webby So I do like a lot of the possible interactions brought up by your suggested grouping but my mind went in a few different directions. I’ll start with Luz, who would fit in best with another excitable adventuring partner, as pointed out, but I think the best fit for her in that regard would actually be Webby. While Dewey would no doubt get along great with Luz, there’s a special element to the potential relationship between Luz and Webby that really elevates the potential of their friendship to another level, that being: they both want to eat a hamburger.

An aspect of Webby I wish the later seasons of the show got into a little more, but is definitely something I would consider a core part of her character, is the fact that she got held up in the mansion her whole childhood, with no opportunities to interact with the world around her, have all the adventures she wanted, and most importantly to just be seen as the kid she wanted to be. And while Luz was technically able to go out into the world, the place she found wasn’t one that was willing to see her, or give her any of the chances she longed for. Both Webby and Luz fully understand that feeling of being trapped in your own life, of finally getting the chance to break out and just doing your best to make the most of it. I think there’s a lot the two could gain from spending some time together.

(Also, to borrow the bit about gushing about their crushes but from the other end, these two would totally get sidetracked talking about their respective crushes and also trying to play wingman for each other. It’s a massive comic disaster in both cases, but somehow both Lena and Amity manage to find it endearing).

Amity and Violet Okay wait lemme explain. While the two of them don’t have a whole lot in common at first glance, I think they would genuinely get along extremely well. While a lot of Amity’s focus on school came at the force of her parents, you cannot honestly expect me to believe that girl isn’t a studious nerd on her own anyway. Heck even outside the realm of studies she throws her full dedication into literally every single thing she does. Remind you of anyone? Beyond just being extremely intelligent Violet is clever and ready for anything. She takes everything in stride and always has a plan, she can go from “we were sleeping over and you said everybody get on the plane, so we got on the plane” to “I brought an axe” in a minute flat.

I like to think the two of them would have a mutual respect for each other based on their respective intellects upon first meeting, but as they become closer friends they find they can move from more serious respect to a casual enjoyment of each other. I would go as far as to say that both of these characters really value dependability in a friend, and that they each provide a lot of that. To wrap back around to the stuff about intelligence I think Violet could provide a lot of insight to Amity as far as showing her that pursuing studies and academic heights of her own volition can be something that she can just do because she wants to, and that’s no excuse for unhealthy parental relationships. Getting along so well with someone like Violet only to see that her parents are actually really loving and supportive, that would be really eye-opening for Amity I think. For Violet’s part she could get a lot of help from Amity as far as her pursuit of the secrets of magic goes. I suspect Amity would be much more interested in the study of her magic than Violet would be able to get Lena to tolerate lol.

Bonus Round: Amity would absolutely be a senior junior woodchuck and she would love it you cannot convince me otherwise. She starts quoting the JWGB around the owl house kids and they all look at her like she’s crazy.

Lena and Willow I feel like this one might seem a little out there at first but trust me on this one. Initially Lena doesn’t think too much of Willow, being as close as she is to Webby she knows liking flowers and cute things doesn’t mean Willow is automatically to be taken lightly but she feels like she’s got a good read on her that she generally prefers to avoid trouble and turns down opportunities for violence, which isn’t really Lena’s deal. Over time Lena figures she was right about her first impressions as Willow doesn’t seem to take many opportunities to expose some hidden power, even when Lena knows the people around her kinda deserve it.

She learns to adjust her opinion when she finally does get the chance to see Willow in action and realizes that girl is more powerful than any of the other kids she’s met in the boiling aisles bar none(yes this is my genuine opinion of willow if you don’t think she could kick your ass you’re wrong). It’s at that moment where she starts to pay more attention to Willow and notices a lot more of the strength she puts into all the little things, how much she cares for everyone and everything, and it does a great deal to show Lena that maybe having super strong magic powers isn’t mutually exclusive with being kind and gentle. And maybe gentle isn’t her thing but still, it’s nice to know.

For Willow’s part she’s just happy to make more friends. Especially if the opportunity arises, as I like to think it would, when they’re close enough friends, that Lena would start to hint around asking questions about how Willow remains so casual and nice with the ability to do so much damage, and Willow takes the chance to help Lena figure out her magic a bit more, and learn how to better appreciate it as an aspect of herself she doesn’t have to be scared of. (I mean come on Lena never really learned how to do any of it except barely kind of from Magica of all people she could really  use something like that).

Huey and Gus Now there are some certain things about Gus that would drive Huey absolutely nuts. His lack of primary and reliable sources for any of his information being a big one, but at the end of the day I think he’d enjoy Gus’ desire to learn in the first place. Gus would probably be a little dubious about Huey’s “sources” and “citations” but if it helped him get more info on the human realm he’d certainly go for it in the end. In that way the two balance each other out pretty well. Gus is studious and intelligent but he’s a little off the wall, he’s got a big creative streak, and he’s really excitable. Huey is really really good at facts and analysis but he lacks the strength in imagination that Gus has. Huey is able to take all the grandiose concepts Gus is able to think up and help make them actually happen. Gus has that specific brand of an adventurers soul matched up with the fact he’s not actually the type to get into danger and fights, meaning he’s able to drag Huey out of his comfort zone a little and help him reach new heights with his mind that his struggles with creativity prevent him from reaching, while managing to not make him feel like he’s actually in danger. I actually believe the two of them together could get some really incredible stuff done.

What I’m saying is that with Huey’s help Gus could absolutely complete his tunnels under Hexside.

Dewey and King Now this, this is the pair who would go incredibly well together, at the detriment of literally everyone around them. If there is one person King “I Will Rule Everything” Clawthorne should not be exposed to its Dewey Duck. Within minutes of meeting each other the two of them would immediately have so many bad ideas. Between Dewey’s insistence on being the best and most daring adventurer while putting his name on everything and going down in history & King’s trying to rule everything and everyone, the attempts to raise the stakes would be constant and the two would spend literal hours endlessly trying to one-up each other. All in one day they search for legendary treasure, discover an entirely new civilization, try to take over said civilization, create a new species just to name it after themselves, and build statues of themselves in the middle of Bonesbourough. And that’s all before lunch.

Louie Here it is. The one I waited till the very end for out of sheer excitement. I even kept the second name out of the heading thing. That’s how secretive I’m trying to be about this. See, there’s one character in the owl house that works so well with Louie it’s practically canon. Their interactions have so much potential, they each bring so much to the table, I just couldn’t Not talk about it. And yeah, I know this ask was specifically asking about the owl house and ducktales kids, but I just couldn’t resist talking about the relationship between Louie and Eda.

A con artist from another world who was so successful she became nationally famous? There’s no way Louie would pass up an opportunity like that. For his part I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already managed to set up another underworld identity in the boiling aisles, or at the very least that Eda could totally have been to the ducktales realm and heard of his one there.

Either way I’m convinced the two of them would start planning a heist as soon as they figure out who each other are. Eda is a little prideful and wants to show this kid he can’t out-con her, but Louie knows what he’s doing just as much. Honestly with the two of them combined Eda wouldn’t have to worry about losing her stand for a long time. Over the course of their planning and seeing Louie in action Eda begrudgingly gains some respect for the  kid, and while Louie was definitely just using her as a learning/profit opportunity at first, he’s pretty susceptible to getting attached.

For Louie, it’s the fact that she actually respects him for being good at what he does. Even back with his family who all love and care about him and all that he still feels like most of them don’t really get what he does or see what’s special about him, so having someone who made a whole life of it be even a little proud of him feels really nice.

And of course, at the end of their heist when they finally have the money in hand, and Eda just casually hands over his half, he stares at her like she’s crazy.

“You’re just.. Giving it to me?!”

“Well, yeah. That was the deal wasn’t it kid? I mean if you really want I definitely have a few ideas for it.”

“No! Uh, no, thanks, I’ll keep it. It’s just that you really remind me of someone, I guess I was expecting something else.”

[braveclementine]

Chapter 9

Warnings: None. However, future chapters will contain sexual content so readers that are under the age of 18 may have to skip those chapters (However they are very few so those under the age of 18 can still read a majority of this book. However please keep note of the warnings).

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

💙💙💙💙

𝕴 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖑𝖊𝖉 𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖑𝖞 behind Hermione as we made our way to the Gryffindor common room. She promoted elf rights the entire way there, as though I didn't know anything about it. Okay, so I didn't know anything about it. I'd just accepted it was a thing along with literally every other wizard out there.

I guess I could understand her from a point. After all, most wizards accepted that Werewolves were dangerous and didn't deserve to live, and of course, I believed quite the opposite. But it's hard to want to do something for someone who doesn't want it done for them. It's like telling someone you're going to give them a hair cut and they don't want it. House-Elves don't want freedom and honestly, a majority of them love their families and don't want to leave. Hermione was just forcing a rod into the system.

"Hello, I've just finished." Hermione said as she walked over to where the boys were sitting in the corner of the common room.

I sat down on the arm of Harry's chair while Ron threw down his quill and said, "So have I!"

Hermione sat down, laid the things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Ron's predictions towards her. "Not going to have a very good month, are you?" She said sarcastically and a bit disapprovingly. Crookshanks jumped up on her lap.

"At least I'm forewarned." Ron said with a yawn.

I looked over Harry's shoulder as he wrote on the last day of the month he was going to be decapitated because of a conjunction between Mercury and Saturn.

"You should make that Venus and Saturn." I muttered in his ear. "More likely."

"You seem to be drowning twice." Hermione said, looking over Ron's month.

"Oh am I?" Ron looked down and said, "I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff."

"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?" Hermione asked, picking up the box of badges.

"How dare you! We've been working like house-elves here!" Ron said in mock outrage, trying hard not to let his smile through. "It's just an expression." Ron said as Hermione raised her eyebrows. I sighed.

"What's in the box?" Harry asked, pointing, as he put his own quill down having fixed the Mercury and Venus mistake.

"Funny you should ask." Hermione said, giving a nasty look to Harry.

"Bummer that you asked." I muttered in his ear. "You're going to regret it."

Hermione took off the lid showing the rainbow strewn badges. Each was a different color and the letters S.O.E.A. on them.

"'Soea?" Harry asked, picking up a badge. "What's this about?"

"Not Soea." Hermione said a bit angrily. "It's S-O-E-A. Stands for Stop Outrageous House Elf Abuse. Or the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. That's the subline."

Every time that she said that it made me cringe. Where the heck was S.P.E.W.?

"Never heard of it." Ron said with a shrug, rolling up his month chart.

"Well, of course you haven't. I've only just started it." Hermione said.

"Yeah?" Ron asked in a bit of surprise. "How many members have you got?"

"She just finished Ron." I said with a yawn.

"Well- if you two join- four." Hermione said.

I stared at her and said, "When did I ever agree to join?"

"And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying Soea do you?" Ron asked.

"S-O-E-A" Hermione said hotly. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status- but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto." She pulled out the parchment that she'd shown me in the library and underneath that heading was the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. So S.P.E.W. had made it on the parchment somewhere. I still felt weird that another vision had been altered though without me doing anything.

"I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now." Hermione said.

"Hermione- open your ears. They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!" Ron said loudly.

"Our short-term aims are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."

I groaned in frustration.

"And how do we do all this?" Harry asked. Why was he humoring her?

"We start by recruiting members. I though two Sickles to join- that buys a badge- and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer Ron- I've got you a collecting tin upstairs- and Elizabeth, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting."

"Ask Harry to do it." I muttered. "And besides, you will never get the non-wand use law out. It applies to every Magical creature like Centaurs and Mermaids and pixies and Gnomes. You really want a Gnome to have a wand? And Centaurs and Mermaids will be offended if you ever even mention trying to give them a wand!"

Suddenly there was a tapping on the window. Hermione looked mutinous and Harry hurtled across the room saying "Hedwig!"

Hedwig flew inside and landed on top of Harry's predictions. "Hi Hedwig." I said, petting her head feathers. "Have a nice flight?" I prayed Harry was going to keep his calm. "You have her treats, right?" I asked Harry as Hedwig hooted assent.

"Yeah." Harry said, going to his bag and pulling out a small bag full of treats and opened it. "Get Sirius' letter, will you Elizabeth?"

He sat back down and Hedwig settled on his knee. I took the letter from her leg and said, "Harry you better keep your calm."

Then I opened the letter and read aloud,

Harry- I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore- they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. Tell Elizabeth to pay attention to important details, she ought to sort it out before anyone else. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron, Hermione, and Elizabeth. Keep your eyes open, Harry. Sirius

"He's flying north? He's coming back?" Hermione asked in horror.

"Dumbledore's reading what signs? Harry- what's up?" Ron asked for Harry had just hit himself in the forehead.

"I shouldn't've told him!" Harry said furiously and Hedwig having been jolted out of his lap, flew up to my shoulder. I reached up automatically to scratch her head feathers.

"Harry!" I snapped at him.

"It's made him think he's got to come back Elizabeth!" Harry shouted at me. "Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me!" I handed up another treat to Hedwig, watching him, exasperated.

"He was coming back already." I said as Hedwig took another treat into her beak. "Because of Bertha Jorkins disappearance and the Quidditch cup was the last straw. He knew Bertha and she ended up in Albania. She's dead, but he doesn't know that."

"She's dead?" Hermione asked and I gave Harry an incredulous look.

"You didn't tell them?" I exclaimed.

Harry turned red and said, "I didn't know you wanted me too!"

"Back up, who's dead?" Ron asked, and I gave him an exasperated look.

With a little help from Harry, we relived the dream for them and by the end of it, they were both extremely worried- not only for me, but for Harry as well.

"Why haven't you told Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"Well one." I said. "A dream isn't on the same level as a vision. Who can say if the event really happened? Maybe it was my visions causing a nightmare. Does anyone really want to think my dream was real and that Peter isn't dead and that Voldemort's going to find a way to come back? Think about it Hermione, who's going to believe me?"

"Dumbledore will if no one else won't." Hermione said.

"Maybe." I said with an annoyed shrug. "But Dumbledore doesn't have the power over the Ministry to tell them that my visions are right- let alone the fact that what I saw wasn't even a vision."

"But if Harry had the same dream. . ." Ron thought.

"But Harry doesn't remember all the details." I said.

Harry was sitting back down. I fed Hedwig the last owl treat and petted her head again before bringing her over to the window so that she could fly back to the owlery. Then I closed the window and sat down by the fireplace, leaning my head on the brick.

"So You-Know-Who is after both of you. . ." Hermione reiterated slowly, thinking. "Harry to kill him and you. . . for your visions?"

I nodded.

"And Pettigrew thinks your Harry's sister?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Well Lockhart didn't help any." I scowled. "But I think everyone would know if Harry had a sister."

"True." Hermione said with a nod. "Considering the fact there's quite a few books written about Harry, the family, and their history. Dumbledore would've known at least."

"Exactly." I said, though it hurt to say so. "We learned that last year when Dumbledore offered to be Lily and James secret-keeper. If they were that close, he would've known if there had been a girl in the house too."

Harry was looking a bit down which hurt even more. "So what do I do about Sirius?"

My lips twitched. "Early tomorrow you're basically going to write a letter telling him that you must've imagined the pain and that he doesn't have to come back. You don't have to, but that's what I foresee you doing."

"Will he go back?" Harry asked anxiously.

I let out the smile. "No, but his reply is humorous."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I hate when you do this. Write the letter Harry."

"Okay." Harry said, looking curious. "What does the letter say Elizabeth?"

"Dear Sirius, I reckon I just imagined my scar hurting. I was half asleep when I wrote to you last time. There's no point coming back, everything's fine here. Don't worry about me, my head feels completely normal. Elizabeth says hi. Harry"

"Why didn't Harry write down that Ron and I said hi?" Hermione asked, a bit hurt.

"Actually he never put down any of our names, I just added that bit in." I said with a smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

I got up from where I was sitting. "I'll see you guys in the morning, okay? I want to get my Ancient Runes homework done before tonight."

I headed out of the Gryffindor common room and hurried to my own.

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𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 𝖉𝖆𝖞 passed and that night I went to the dungeons because I had my private lesson with Snape.

He was waiting, as he always was, behind our customary table, looking extremely annoyed. It wasn't me, I was two minutes early. Unless he was annoyed that I'd come early- I wouldn't know. But if I were to bet on it, I would've been it was Uncle Moody.

"What are we doing today?" I asked, sitting down across from him.

He glanced up at me and his expression changed. He blinked and then he cleared his throat and pulled out a piece of parchment. "I thought if you'd want to learn a new potion, something we wouldn't cover until sixth or seventh year and we can work on that."

I nodded, taking the piece of parchment and reading down a list of different potions. There were a lot of them and I tried to read all of them but I kept being brought back to a potion called Felix Felicis.

"Felix Felicis?" I murmured.

"Liquid luck." Snape said, gazing at me thoughtfully. "That's the one you want to work on?"

"Well. . . I think so. I keep being drawn back to it when I try to continue down the list so maybe there's a reason I should learn that one." I said, handing the parchment back to him.

He simply nodded, which was his usual reaction to most of what I said. He got up and headed off into his office, most likely to get ingredients or the instructions on how to boil the potion. I found myself daydreaming like I usually did. I was probably the most peculiar person ever. Wanting to learn, taking extra lessons without needing them, and also I had a crush on a teacher probably twenty years older than me.

I tried to work out the math in my head. Thirty when I was twelve so yeah about twenty years. Something like that. I didn't like thinking about the years though. I tried to make it seem like we were only a couple years apart. Didn't matter though- he certainly didn't like me back. Not romantically anyways.

He came out with the instructions. "These are the ingredients for the Felix Felicis." He said, pointing the top left hand corner. Ashwinder egg, Squill Bulb, Murtlap tentacle, Tincture of Thyme, Occamy eggshell, Powdered common rue. All of the ingredients were hard to come by except maybe the thyme, rue, and murtlap tentacle.

"You have to let it stew for six months before consumption." Snape said, continuing. "There's a long list of do's and don'ts as there usually are with potions."

I read the list. Shouldn't be taken in large quantities or every day. Highly toxic. Shouldn't be used in gaming events, etc.

"It's easy to get wrong. . ." I murmured. "The ingredients are expensive. . . Why the heck did I pick this?"

Snape pursed his lips, a sign he was trying not to smile- at least when it came to me. "You tell me."

I sighed and muttered, "Touché."

And so the lesson started.

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𝕺𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 couple of weeks, I wrote to dad twice and Trang three times. I didn't write about anything exciting with dad. Just asked if he'd found a job yet and reminded him about the gold in my vault which he was extremely annoyed about. He told me he had found something to do but I wasn't sure if he really had or if he was saying that to get me off his back. Trang and I just wrote about normal things and I filled her in about the Triwizard Tournament.

Uncle Moody was very demanding with his course-work though of course that was up to my standards. All the teachers, as a matter of fact, were giving out large amounts of homework. Animate to inanimate transformations in Transfiguration, weekly essays on goblin rebellions for History of Magic, researching antidotes in Potions, three extra books to read for summoning charms, coming down on alternate weekends to work with the blast-ended skrewts that Hagrid had gotten from somewhere, and researching how to throw off the Imperius curse for Moody.

Of course, Uncle Moody also told our class that he would be using the imperius curse on us and we had to throw if off. While many of the students dropped their mouths- whether in shock or horror, I don't know- no one complained and we all lined up. I was somewhere in the middle of the line.

Hannah sang in a way that I'd never heard her sing before. Like opera and I knew for a fact she couldn't have done that without the curse- she was tone-deaf. Ernie did handstand pushups, which I also knew he couldn't have done. Susan was supposed to be doing gymnastics, but she fought it a little bit and I thought she was going to break her neck. Moody was pleased with this- she'd come close to throwing it off. Susan seemed pleased as well.

"My Auntie will be happy when I tell her." She whispered to me as she passed by, beaming.

When it got to my turn, Moody turned the wand on me. It was a wonderful feeling, the curse. It was a floating sensation and I found that I had zero worries in my head. I felt relaxed too- a danger, I knew, in the magical world.

Do a backflip. . . do a backflip. . . Moody's voice said in my mind. A backflip? I was going to break my neck if I did that. Yet my knees were bent.

Stop! my brain screamed at me and I paused, trying my best to ignore Uncle Moody's words in my brain. You can't do a backflip! You don't know how to! My knees were still bent. I fixed my eyes on the desk in front of me. What if there's a desk behind you? Of course not, Uncle Moody do a backflip moved all the desks out of the way.

BACKFLIP NOW!

But I didn't do it, I couldn't. I straightened my legs out and I took a step forward. As long as you don't do the backflip, do something else. Do anything else, my brain said. I took another step, fighting hard not to bend my legs and flip. And the curse was gone.

"Look at that, you lot. . . Kane fought! She fought it and she beat it! Did you all see that! On her first try too!" Uncle Moody's eye was burning bright with pride and something else I didn't recognize. I didn't like the second emotion very much, even though I wasn't entirely sure what it was. "Very good Kane, very good! They'll have trouble controlling you! Now everyone watch again, watch the eyes, that's where you see it."

I did it once more, everyone staring at me. It was harder the second time, and I very nearly did the backflip. It took me longer to walk out of it but I managed to do it and by the time I was done, I was exhausted and glad Uncle Moody didn't have me do it a third time.

According to Susan, it took me one minute the first time and two minutes the second time. It wasn't exactly good, especially if I was in a fight. I wondered if maybe I could have Uncle Moody help me throw it off faster when we started private lessons.

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𝕾𝖊𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝖈𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 went and we entered October. I'd started private lessons with Moody. We alternated between throwing off the imperius curse and Occlumency. Dad and I had worked on Occlumency last year and I had gotten pretty okay with it. I was doing okay under Uncle Moody too but his will to get into my mind seemed to be stronger than dad's and so I had to concentrate harder under Uncle Moody and sometimes I didn't do so well.

I found it was harder to throw off the imperius curse when I was tired so Moody had started holding sessions when I was tired, hoping this would help build up resistance and practice but I still ended up doing a backflip anyways.

Cedric had started my Seeker lessons too. From what he could tell, I was a natural apparently. We usually did this on Saturday afternoons. The Quidditch pitch was never being used since there was no Quidditch cup.

When I left Charms on October 23, I made my way down to the Great Hall and saw that there was a large sign in the entrance hall. Many people were standing around it and I saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter the castle. They'd been out with Hagrid for Care of Magical Creatures.

I went over to them.

"What's going on Elizabeth?" Harry asked.

"It's about the Triwizard T-t-t-ournament." I said with a yawn. "Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be here on October 30th at 6 o'clock. Lessons will end half an hour early and students should return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle before the welcoming feast to greet the guests."

"Brilliant." Harry said. "Potions is the class that will be cut. Snape won't be able to poison us."

"Only a week away!" Ernie said who was standing next to me. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him. . ."

"Go on ahead," I said. "but I think he already knows."

Ernie walked off and Ron said blankly, "Cedric?"

I rolled my eyes. "Really?"

"Diggory." Harry said with a smile. "He must be entering the tournament."

"That idiot, Hogwarts Champion?" Ron scoffed as he pushed his way through the crowd.

"He's not an idiot!" I said angrily, blood boiling. "You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at the game last year. He's really smart and a good student."

"And he's a prefect." Hermione said with a tone of finality.

"You only like him because he's handsome!" Ron said scathingly.

I bristled and Hermione said, "Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!"

Ron coughed "Lockhart."

I said even angrier, "Cedric's my friend! And you're just going to have to keep your nasty opinions to yourself!" And I stalked off, leaving them standing there, and headed to the library without eating to start researching antidotes.

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𝕴 𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙 𝖔𝖚𝖙 to the forest later that day. It was cold, as it was nearly winter time, and I wore a thick cloak and gloves.

I saw Firenze immediately upon entering the forest and greeted him cordially. "Hello Firenze, did you have a nice summer?"

"Indeed." Firenze said, "And I suppose you did as well?"

"Yes. I went to the Quidditch cup. Ireland won. I suppose you've heard about the Tournament?"

Firenze nodded. "Part of the forest has been cleared to house some of the creatures that will be used in the tournament."

"Like the dragons?" I asked curiously. Surely they weren't here yet.

"Not yet, though I'm sure soon." Firenze admitted.

"Charlie's going to bring them." I said, smiling. "Charlie Weasley that is. I don't think you know him though."

"The name sounds familiar." Firenze said slowly.

"Hagrid probably talked about him." I admitted as Firenze and I started to walk. "Does Bane like me yet?"

Firenze chuckled. "Not anymore than he has in the past, though he hasn't started any recent arguments."

I sighed. "Well that's something. But I will leave if I become a problem though I wouldn't want to of course. I love the forest."

Firenze's sapphire colored eyes twinkled and he threw his long blond hair back. Trang had showed me pictures of American surfers. Blond hair, blue eyes, tan skin. So basically, Firenze was a horse surfer man. "The forest is not ours to keep or give."

"Tell that to Bane." I muttered, though not loud enough for him to hear, though I suspect he did hear anyways because his lips twitched.

As the moon and stars came out, Firenze led me to a clearing and showed me the different planets. We'd been doing this for three years so I was starting to get good at it. "Is Venus brighter tonight than it usually is, or is that just my eyes?" I asked, looking up at the bright planet.

"Perhaps a bit brighter, but not much." Firenze said, also looking up. "I suppose it simply means there's going to be a lot of love this year."

I thought about that. Maybe dad would meet a woman this year. I certainly hoped so. I'd like a mum. But for unselfish reasons, I believed dad needed someone to love that wasn't his daughter. He was still a virgin after all. But such are the curses of being a werewolf.

I wondered if maybe I'd admit to Snape. . . absolutely not. Jumping jacks Elizabeth, how could you even possibly consider that?

I asked, "Do you have someone you love, Firenze?"

Firenze did not answer for a long time and then he said, "Centaurs are different. Mating is. . . rough sometimes. We're a dying breed Elizabeth Kane. The forest is not always safe for the females and foals."

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

Once again, it was a while before he spoke. Venus seemed to shine brighter as he said, "You are a joy in my life Elizabeth Kane. Never be sorry for perusing knowledge." Another pause and then, "Yes, I loved someone once. Perhaps I still love them, I don't know yet."

I didn't say anything. The cold was starting to get to me and he knew it. He smiled down at me. "Go on back to the castle Elizabeth. I'll see you another time."

"Bye Firenze." I said glumly, wishing that I hadn't brought the question up, and headed back out of the forest and then up to the castle. I'd missed curfew and hurried to the common room before I met a teacher or prefect.

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𝕺𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 before Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived, I sat down at the breakfast table next to Harry, avoiding Ron.

"Sirius letter comes today, that's the only reason I'm sitting here." I said coldly, barely aware of Fred and George nearby.

"Oh Elizabeth, just ignore Ron." Hermione said scathingly. "He doesn't think before he speaks."

"Clearly." I said bitterly.

Hedwig flew down on Harry's shoulder, folded her wings and held out her leg wearily. Harry offered Hedwig his bacon rinds and she took them. Harry glanced down at Fred and George and read out the reply.

Nice try, Harry. I'm back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig, keep changing owls, and don't worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don't forget what I said about your scar. Sirius.

"Why d'you have to keep changing owls?" Ron asked stupidly.

"Hedwig'll attract too much attention. She stands out. A snowy owl that keeps returning to wherever he's hiding. . . I mean, they're not native birds, are they?"

"Thanks, Hedwig." Harry said, stroking her. She hooted sleepily and drank some of his orange juice and then flew back to the Owlery.

"I'll see you guys later at the welcoming." I muttered, getting up from the table now that the excitement was over. At that moment, Sadie flew down with a letter from dad. "Thanks Sadie." I said, petting the top of her head. "Help yourself to whatever you want."

Sadie hooted and I headed off down the corridor and sat down outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom since that was my first class today and opened the letter.

Dear Elizabeth, Stop worrying, I'm fine. Also, I don't think you should be worrying about your visions either. There could be a thousand reasons that there have been tweaks to your memories. I don't know any, but I'm sure if we knew how the visions worked, we could figure it out. Are you going to be coming home for Christmas? I know it's early considering it's only October but I thought about making plans. Of course, considering the tournament is happening, you'll probably want to stay and I wouldn't blame you. I would stay if I were you. I'm glad Uncle Moody is working on the imperius curse with you. Just don't get hurt. Brushing up on Occlumency probably doesn't hurt either. I love you. . . a lot Dad

I re-read the letter twice. I sighed and folded it up. I'd write a letter to him at lunch.

I stood up as Uncle Moody opened the door and shoved the letter into my bag.

People weren't being very attentive in my classes and I tried hard to focus on what my teachers were teaching despite the people chattering softly around me.

At lunch, I wrote a letter back to dad saying:

Dad, I can't stop worrying when I don't know if you're okay or not. And I can't stop worrying about my visions, what if someone's life were to depend on it? I wish I knew someone who could help me with them. I don't know about Christmas yet. I've heard rumours that there might be a dance on Christmas Eve and I think I want to attend that if I get invited. Of course, with my luck, if I stay at Hogwarts I won't be invited and if I leave, I'll get seventy invites. I'll let you know as Christmas gets closer. Uncle Moody's great. I don't know if he has the popularity that you did. He's not as well liked at any rate, but people respect him and think his classes themselves are cool. But you were more liked as a character. And your classes were more enjoyable. And you were more handsome of course. I love you a lot too. XOXO Elizabeth

Then, I scarfed down some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches- a first considering I hated bread. I just tore the crust off and ate the soft parts and it was alright but not my favorite. Then before I headed off to Charms, I wrote another letter.

Sirius, Glad you're back in town. I think I know where you're hiding so maybe I'll run up and give you food. Depends on if Harry let's me have his cloak or not. But maybe I can make it out of Hogwarts without it. I wouldn't go to your hiding spot anyways. I'd hide it nearby, maybe by the Shrieking Shack. Not sure yet and I'll let you know before I do it so you won't have to check every day. By tomorrow we'll know who the tournament champions are. I haven't foreseen them yet- don't know why. Hope Buckbeak and you are alright. XOXO Elizabeth

Then I folded both of them up and put them in my bag. I'd send them off eventually. Probably tomorrow or later today.

Charms ended a half hour early and I hurried to the Hufflepuff common room to put my things away. In my bag, I put my journal, art pad, a couple of quills, one bottle of ink, and an old fashioned charcoal pencil.

I hurried back down the stairs, excited. I knew Viktor Krum was going to be part of the Durmstrang group. Though he would be sitting with the Slytherins, much to my disappointment. But it would be cool to see him in such a different atmosphere.

I had to stand with the Hufflepuffs as we had to stand by house and then grade level. I was standing in the fourth row and I was glad I was much taller this year. If I hadn't grown, I would never have been able to see over the third-years head that I was standing behind.

The cold seemed to be getting to a couple of the other students. I didn't mind. I had my cloak wrapped about my shoulders.

After some time, Dumbledore called from the back where he was standing with the teachers, "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

I looked up in the sky over the Forbidden Forest as other students cried, "Where!" I felt students moving behind me and then Cedric was standing next to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, pursing my lips, looking up at him.

He grinned. "Getting a closer look."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not that hard to miss."

Cedric smiled a secret grin but didn't say anything.

One of the fifth-year girls tutted behind me and I heard her whisper to her friend, "What's he doing with her?"

"Maybe their dating!" Her friend whispered back jealously.

"Oooh I would hope Cedric had better taste than that." The first whispered. "Her hair is so messy."

I nearly reached up to touch my hair and see how it was when Cedric bent down and whispered in my ear, "Your hair is fine."

I glared at him. "You could just be saying that."

"But I'm not." He said and shrugged. "And I personally think my taste is good, what do you think?"

I blushed.

Then the carriage, that had been traveling in the sky, landed in front of us with a large crash. A shockwave went through the ground and a couple people jumped or knocked into each other. Cedric and I bumped into each other and he caught my arm and steadied me. Both girls hissed behind me.

"Are you trying to get me killed by your fanclub?" I asked lightly through my teeth so that they didn't hear me.

Cedric rolled his eyes. "It was a simple helping hand, it's not like I kissed you or anything."

I turned beet red, whipping my face away from his so he didn't see how red my face was. The words 'just friends' kept racing through my mind.

The carriage was the size of a large house, probably a bit bigger than Trang's house. It was powder-blue and it was pulled by 12 palomino horses the size of elephants. The horses had fiery red eyes.

"Wow," I exclaimed, standing on my tip toes to get a better look, wishing I could get closer to them, "Palomino Abraxan horses!"

Cedric looked down at me in surprise and said, "You know how lovely that is that you know what those are?"

I shrugged, not understanding the meaning behind his words. "I just pay attention in Care of Magical Creatures."

The door to the house carriage was opened by a boy in pale blue robes. He was obviously seventeen and had white hair. He unfolded a set of golden steps down from the house and then sprang back in respect.

A large woman emerged, the same size as Hagrid. Her shoes were size children sleds and her dress was of black velvet. She was a handsome woman, despite the large size. She was olive-skinned and had large black eyes like Hagrid's. She had a bit of a beaky nose and her long black hair was pulled back into a low bun that hung at the base of her neck. She had magnificent opals gleaming at her throat as a necklace and had many rings upon her fingers that were laden with opals as well.

One of the teachers, most likely Dumbledore, started to clap and we quickly followed his lead. The woman seemed to relax more and smiled. She had pearly white teeth and she obviously cared about hygiene. I decided that I liked her. She seemed friendly enough. She had good style too.

She walked over to where Dumbledore now stood, having separated from the rest of the teachers. She extended a glittering hand and while Dumbledore was tall himself, he did not have to bend to kiss her hand. "My dear Madam Maxime, Welcome to Hogwarts." He said.

"Dumbly-dorr, I 'ope I find you well?" She asked in a thick accent. I bit my tongue so I didn't laugh. I was probably going to think of Dumbledore as Dumbly-dorr for a long time.

"In excellent form, I thank you." Dumbly-dorr said. I bit my tongue again.

"My pupils." She said and I looked back at the carriage. There were about a dozen boys and girls- more girls than boys- all standing behind Madam Maxime. They all wore one of three outfits. Beauxbatons had three houses: Bellefeuille, Papillonlisee, and Ombrelune.

The students of Bellefeuille were lovers of nature and also had great bravery and loyalty. It was a house as such if Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were combined. They wore outfits made of silk (all Beauxbatons wore outfits made of silk) in the colors of soft green and white. They house symbol was a leaf to represent their love for nature.

Papillonlisee were gifted in arts of visual and musical. Whether performing arts like dance or musical talents like singing or instrumental. They also prided themselves on beauty of mind and beauty of appearance. Their colors were purple and blue and their symbol was a butterfly to represent creativity and beauty.

Ombrelune were the cunning and manipulative group. Basically Slytherin in another school. They were usually best at intricate subjects like Potions and literature. They also rarely displayed emotion unless there was a gain in doing so. Their colors were grey and navy and their symbol was a moon to represent their coldness (I think). I could've made up the meaning in my dislike for them.

There seemed to be mostly Papillonlisee students above the other houses. Two of the four boys were Ombrelune, one Papillonlisee, and one Bellefeuille. About three of the girls were Bellefeuille and the rest were Papillonlisee.

They stared up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madam Maxime was asking now.

"He should be here any moment. Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?" Dumbledore asked cordially.

"Warm up, I think. But ze 'orses-"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures will be delighted to take care of them the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other- er- charges." Dumbledore finished.

I giggled and said, "The Skrewts." Cedric grinned.

"My steeds require-er- foreful 'andling. Zey are very strong..." Madam Maxime said in a doubtful voice.

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job." Dumbledore assured her.

"Very well. Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt Whiskey?" Madam Maxime asked, bowing slightly.

"It will be attended to." Dumbledore said, also bowing, though his was a bit deeper than hers. Perhaps her frame simply didn't allow it.

"Come." Madam Maxime said and her students followed her up into the castle.

"How are the Durmstrang getting here?" Cedric murmured in my ear.

"Pirate Ship." I muttered.

Cedric and I watched the lake though others were watching the sky. Ten minutes later, there was a weird gurgling sound and Lee Jordan shouted, "The lake! Look at the lake!"

As predicted, a ship rose up from the black lake. I wondered briefly where it had come from as the lake did not connect with any other body of water. Though the ship did look as though it was a ghost ship from a Scooby-doo episode- just not glowing.

A tall thin man built along the lines of Dumbledore was leading the students off the plank. They wore heavy fur coats and cloaks along with fur hats. I knew underneath that their uniforms would be blood red. They did not have houses. They also were more selective and would not accept Muggle-born students. This prejudice was not shared with every student, I knew. However, to make up for student shortage, Durmstrang let students come from Bulgaria and other surrounding countries, not just the country it was located in.

Durmstrang was, of course, notorious for its Dark Arts program and I worried for a little bit about the Beauxbaton and Hogwarts champion. I hoped that the Durmstrangs would play fair.

Igor Karkaroff was the one leading in front and his robes were the color of silver unlike his students, which were brown. He had short gray hair and a small black goatee that curled at the end of his chin. He had rather yellow teeth and cold eyes.

"Dumbledore! How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?" he called as he led his students up the walk.

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff." Dumbledore replied, smiling.

They shook hands as Karkaroff then said, "Dear Old Hogwarts. How good it is to be here, how good. . . Viktor, come along, into the warmth. . . you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold. . ." Karkaroff beckoned Viktor towards him and the boy passed. I heard multiple people break out into whispers of excitement.

"Well." I said as the Durmstrang students passed. "This ought to be an interesting year."

We dispersed back to the Great Hall. I sat down at the Hufflepuff table as I was sure I had to and pulled out my art book. I was working on designs at the moment- new Quidditch robes for a new team. The Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students came to sit down. I knew, from my vision that Beauxbatons were to sit at Ravenclaw- Durmstrang to Slytherin.

However, while the Beauxbatons sat down at the Ravenclaw table, Durmstrang came and sat with us. And more to my surprise (as I had foreseen Krum sitting down next to Draco) Krum sat down next to me.

I looked over in surprise.

"Hello." He said in a quiet voice.

"Hi." I said, a bit in surprise.

He pointed to my sketchpad, "You like Quidditch?"

I looked back down at the robes I was working on and blushed. "Oh, yes. I came to the World Cup. You flew wonderfully- but I'm sure you get compliments all the time."

"You ver in the top box, no?"

I nodded, surprised that he remembered. There were curious glances from all around the school- and hostile glares from girls. Great I'd gone from Cedric to Krum.

"You 'ave a very impressive school." He said, looking around. "Durmstrang is not as nice as this."

"Oh." I said in surprise. I noticed the other Durmstrang were picking up the golden plates and goblets and observing them in awe and with impressed faces. They were smiling and removing their cloaks. "Thank you." I added.

I looked up to see Ron goggling at me and Hermione rolling her eyes.

"May I look?" Viktor asked, pointing to the art book. I slid it over. This artbook was completely Quidditch so there wasn't a single embarrassing drawing in there.

I had however, done profiles of both Lynch and Krum and Viktor stopped on his own. "This is very good." He said, sounding impressed.

"Thank you." I said again. "Er- do you think you could sign it please?" I asked, blushing. "I know you probably get requests all the time."

"Sure." He said, sounding pleased. He produced a quill from his bag and signed the page. It was neat and small, quite unlike Lockhart's huge scrawling signature.

"Thanks." I said for a third time.

Professor Dumbledore, Madam Maxime, and Professor Karkaroff quickly came in. The Beauxbaton students leapt to their feet and remained standing- despite the laughter- until their headmistress had sat down again. Dumbledore however, remained standing and our chatter quickly died down.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and- most particularly-guests. I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

A Beauxbaton girl laughed a shrill laugh. I pursed my lips and tried not to glare at her. I got defensive about my school- I'm sure everyone did. It was a bit of an insult that she thought she wouldn't enjoy her stay here.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home." Dumbledore said and sat down. Karkaroff immediately leaned forward to talk to him.

Krum and I talked throughout the meal. He was a very interesting character, very different from who I thought he might be like. I didn't reveal a lot about myself. I'm sure rumours would be flying soon and I wanted to give him an honest view about myself without seeming too open.

Halfway through the feast, I noticed that Ludo Bagman and Mr. Crouch had showed up, taking seats on either side of the two new school heads.

When dessert came, I noticed that there were many different desserts that had never been there before. I supposed they were foreign. Krum pointed to a dish and said, "That is called Kurabiiki. Cookie, I suppose."

I decided I'd try one, per his recommendation. It was really good too. They were sweet, with powdered sugar across the tops of them.

"They're really good." I said, smiling at him after I had finished trying it.

He pointed out some other Bulgarian desserts like Banista, Kazanlak Donuts, Maslenki cookies, Bulgarian Honey cookies, and Tikvenik. He also pointed out desserts like Smelor buns and Kladdkaka which were native to Sweden and Cozonac, Romanian Chocolate cake, and Romanian Sweet Cheese pies which were native to Romania. (duh).

Dumbledore stood up once the dessert plates were clear and there was silence. Many of the students leaned forward to hear better. "The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was polite applause for Mr. Crouch and huge burst of applause for Bagman, even from the foreign schools.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch," Dumbledore continued, "have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts. The casket then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Mr. Filch was wearing his horribly moldy tailor coat for the special occasion. I kept looking at Mr. Crouch. He looked horribly sick. I wondered what was wrong with him. He looked weird in wizard robes after seeing him in a suit at the Cup. His mustache and parting looked peculiar next to Dumbledore's long beard. Had Voldemort gotten to him already?

Mr. Filch carried forward a large wooden chest that was encrusted with jewels. I wondered briefly how much the jewels were worth. Probably millions in Muggle money. The wooden chest looked extremely old and probably very valuable by itself, despite the jewels.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways. . . their magical prowess- their daring- their powers of deduction-and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At the word danger, the whole Great hall seemed to be holding its breath. "As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by the impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

"Oh." I gasped slightly, swinging my legs around so I could sit on my knees and see better. The Goblet of Fire was a wonderful artifact that had to be charged once a year and such. Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped three times upon the jewel encrusted crate. The lid creaked open slowly and Dumbledore pulled out a large, wooden cup, perhaps about the size of the Quidditch House Cup trophy that Gryffindor had won last year. The wooden cup itself was unremarkable but there were blue-white flames that were dancing inside of it, filling the entire cup with its flames.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross the line."

Dumbledore paused, looking around seriously at the students and then said, "Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

The students all hopped up and dispersed. I said good night to Viktor Krum, and made my way with the other Hufflepuffs back to our common room. I stayed up, pulling out a fresh sketchbook that I was going to use to draw scenes from the Tournament. My first drawing was a very detailed sketch of the Goblet of Fire.

💙💙💙💙

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 I woke up early. I grabbed my Nimbus because today Cedric and I were going down to the pitch to practice. I wondered briefly if Krum would see and then scolded myself. I had enough crushes to last me a lifetime.

I made my way down to the Great Hall and grabbed some toast and made my way to the entrance hall. I wasn't the only early riser. Cedric was already waiting there with his own broom.

"Ready to go?" He asked as I chomped down on my jam and toast.

"Not yet." I said, taking another bite of toast and then swallowing. "I want to watch Fred and George."

"They can't enter, can they?" Cedric asked, frowning.

"No." I said, grinning. "But they're going to grow wonderful beards."

We settled down. Harry, Hermione, and Ron came and sat down. Harry sat next to me and Ron sat farthest away.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year in front of him.

"All the Durmstrang lot, but I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet." She replied, not turning around to see who she was talking to.

"You put your name in, didn't you?" I asked Cedric, frowning.

"Last night." He replied.

There was laughter behind us and I grinned, turning to see Fred, George, and Lee coming down the staircase, looking excited.

"Done it." Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I, trying to keep Cedric out of the conversation. "Just taken it."

"What?" Ron asked stupidly.

"The Aging Potions, dung brains." Fred said.

"One drop each." George said, rubbing his hands together. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins." Lee said with a wide grin.

"I'm not sure-" Hermione started in a warning voice and I quickly shushed her.

"Ready?" Fred asked, winking at me. I rolled my eyes. "C'mon then- I'll go first." I watched him take his parchment slip out of his pocket and walked over to where the line was drawn and stood there, rocking on his toes with anticipation. Every eye was on him, knowing that he wasn't of age and seeing if it was going to work.

He stepped over the line and nothing happened. George let out a yell of triumph, jumping in after Fred. There was a sizzling sound and they were thrown out of the circle, landing ten feet away and beards popped onto both of their faces.

I burst out laughing. The beards weren't long and white, the way I'd seen. But they were nice, bushy, and red like their hair. I wasn't sure why the beards had changed but it was great. I think I preferred the red ones better.

"I did warn you." an amused voice said. Professor Dumbledore was coming out of the Great Hall. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

This brought another round of laughter and Fred and George headed up to the Hospital wing. Lee followed them, laughing as well. I wondered how many people Madam Pomfrey would have in the hospital wing by the end of the day.

"Alright, shows over." I said to Cedric, "Ready to go?"

Cedric and I said bye to Harry and Hermione, ignoring Ron, and headed outside to play Quidditch. Cedric had borrowed the snitch from Madam Hooch.

We passed the ship where many of the Durmstrang were lounging around. I saw Krum and quickly looked away, trying not to draw attention to us. I was also trying not to stare.

"Did you support Ireland or Bulgaria?" I asked suddenly. "At the match?"

"Ireland of course, you?"

"Ireland." I said. "But I like all Quidditch teams so I liked the outcome."

"You like Krum?"

"Sure, he seems like a nice person. He was really friendly last night too." I said reluctantly.

"Yes, very friendly." Cedric said curtly.

"What?" I asked, frowning. "Don't tell me your jealous or something."

Cedric kept his mouth closed and I rolled my eyes, "Oh c'mon Ced, we're friends, you and I. I can be friends with whoever I want."

Cedric sighed, running a hand through his hair, blowing air out through is mouth. "Right, yeah, I know that."

"C'mon love boy." I said, hooking my elbow with his and dragged him into the Quidditch pitch.

Cedric let the snitch go and we both mounted our brooms and flew to opposite posts. I had a faster broom but Cedric had more practice so we were evenly matched. The objective was to find the snitch without stopping on the broom once.

I flew in circles around the stadium, looking for a glint of gold. I saw it, near Cedric's foot and I decided to try out the Wonski-Feint. I dived down and to my amazing luck, Cedric dove as well, leaving the Snitch behind him. Then, I curved upwards, shooting past him and held my hand out for the snitch. I caught it as Cedric came up to my side.

"Brilliant move Liz." He said, smiling. "Let's go again."

I let the snitch go and it zoomed away. We circled back to where we started out and tried again.

It started to sprinkle sometime in the afternoon and we both flew down. I had the snitch in my hand again and I gave it back to Cedric. I was exhausted and my butt hurt from sitting on the broom for a couple of hours.

"My butts sore." I muttered. "I'm not going to be able to sit down for a while."

Cedric laughed, "Get used to it."

I noticed that Harry, Hermione, and Ron were at Hagrid's and I said good-bye to Cedric and headed over there, running to get away from the rain.

I opened the door to find that Hermione and Hagrid were having an argument about elf rights. "It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione. It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em." Hagrid said, putting a large bone needle through some yellow yarn.

"Amen." I said.

"Hello Elizabeth." Hagrid greeted me.

"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it! And we heard he's asking for wages now!" Hermione said as though this applied to every elf.

"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it- no, nothin' doin', Hermione." Hagrid said, shaking his head.

"Besides." I said, sitting down in a chair, laying my broom across my legs. "Dobby was in a horrible household. I bet if he'd been under the Weasleys care or Dad's or Harry's, he wouldn't have wanted to be set free because he'd have been in a loving home, not a cruel one."

Hermione was glowering with anger as she put the box of badges back into her coat pocket. I didn't stay for long and I went back up to the castle before the others. As I crossed the threshold, I saw Uncle Moody, observing. I waved, but didn't talk to him as I made my way to the Hufflepuff common room.

A vision crossed my head and I froze in my tracks. But that couldn't be possible. . . could it? I debated about what to do and I quickly hurried into the dungeons before I really made up my mind. I flew through the door, panting, trembling. Snape looked up from behind his desk, annoyed, and then his face turned to understanding and slightly concerned.

"What did you see?" He asked as I approached his desk. I sat down in a chair, trembling. "Is it bad?"

I nodded my head, trying to find the words to speak and then I said, "A fourth name is going to come out of the Goblet of Fire!"

"Whos?" He asked sharply. "How?"

I shook my head. "I don't know who put the name in or how it was done. But considering it had to be hoodwinked, either a dark wizard or a powerful one."

"Who's name?" He asked again.

I licked my lips, trying to get the word out. I rubbed my eyes, caught my breath and then, looking up at him, finally managed to say, "Mine." 

⬅️➡️

[l-egionaire]

Owl House Fanfic: I Did Not Account For This

Amity had kissed her.

Amity had kissed her!

A cheek kiss sure, but still! Her abuela's cheek kisses definitely hadn't felt like that!

She had to talk to someone else about this.

Luz's mind raced as she ran down the street of Bonesborough. Her eyes darted around until they finally locked onto Gus's house.

She headed over to it and hammered on the front door. "Gus, Gus, Gus, Gus, Gus, Gus, Gus!"

When there was no answer, Luz groaned and dug around in her pockets until she found an Ice glyph. She tapped the paper and it morphed into a key that she then used to unlock the door.

Luz dashed inside and up the house stairs to Gus's room. She kicked open the door.

"Gus, I need to talk you! I-."

But Luz fell silent when she saw what was going on inside: Willow and Gus sitting on Gus's room floor, their eyes closed and their lips pressed together.

Willow's right eye chose that moment to slightly open, only to pop wide when she saw Luz standing there. She pulled away from Gus and leapt up, her face burning red. Gus opened his own eyes in confusion only to panic and become flush faced when Willow tapped him on the shoulder and pointed out Luz in the doorway.

"Luz! I can explain! This is, uh, just an illusion!" Gus said meekly

Willow looked at Gus with a raised brow. "Really?"

"What? It was all I could think of!"

Luz regained her voice and cried out "Wha- when did this happen?!"

"Well, kind of just now." Willow said. shrugging her non injured shoulder.. Though her voice was calm, she was still blushing brightly.

Luz eyes ping ponged back and forth between Gus and Willow for a few minutes until her mouth turned into a face splitting smile.

"Tell me everything!" She yelled with glee.

Gus and Willow looked to each other.

"You want to take this one or should I?" Gus asked.

"Lets just both tell it." Willow said.

"Come on! I want to know" Luz said excitedly.

" Okay. So, those Glandus kids turned out to not be that great. Their "quest" turned out to be robbing an illusionists graveyard. I couldn't go through with it, so Mattholomule and I scared them off. It was actually pretty cool. I put an illusion over the graveyard and-."

"Get to the shipping parts already!" Luz cried.

"Okay, okay. So, after I came home, I found Willow here."

"I was worried Gus was still feeling down after what happened with the pixies, so I thought I'd come by and try to make him feel better." Willow chimed in.

"So, we sat down and started talking. About the Glandus kids, the pixie incident, and kind of just us in general. I-I kind of had a crush on one of those Glandus kids and she was the one who was probably the meanest to me. But Willow told that it was her loss and any girl would be lucky to have me."

"Awwwww" Luz 

"And then I started to realize how much Willow meant to me. We'd been friends a long time and been through a lot together. Next to my parents, she's probably the most important person in my life.  And well, I kind of, sort of, started to realize that she was really pretty." Gus's blush deepened.

"And hearing that that Glandus girl shot him down made me think over some things too. Gus was always there for me.  Even when everyone else saw me as 'Half-a-witch-Willow' I still had Gus. And I started to notice he was kind of handsome.  After that we started talking about how we felt and then, well, you saw what happened next." Willow's cheeks darkened as well.

"Oh dios mio, eso es tan lindo! I can't believe this! So, are you guys a couple now?" Luz asked.

The two of them once again looked at each other.

"Well…" Gus started.

"We're taking things slow." Willow said. "The kiss was nice, but we're not going to rush into anything."

"Right! Of course. Taking things slow…..But if I asked If you'd be interested in getting lunch with me tomorrow?"

"I'd like that." Willow took Gus's hand into her own.

"Eeeeeeeeh! Okay, you two are officially my new OTP! Ugh, I'm so happy for you!"

Gus chuckled. "Thanks. But what are you doing here anyway? Did you find something at the library with Amity?"

Hearing the name "Amity" Suddenly returned Luz's mind to its buzzing post-kiss state. Now it was her turn to blush brightly. "Oh. Right. That."

Willow's eyes narrowed knowingly as if she could read Luz's thoughts. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Well. Funny story actually. Amity kind of, sort of…..kissed me."

The two of them stared at her for two minutes until Willow turned to Gus, held out her hands and said "Pay up."

Gus groaned and dug unto his pocket. He pulled out a handful of snails and dropped it into Willows open palm. "Aw man. I'd been saving up."

"I promise I'll put it all towards our lunch date." Willow said. She looked back to Luz. "So, What happened?"

"Well, I went to the library and Amity and I tried to find out more about the last human who'd lived here. But she said that the book was in a restricted area so we had to be careful while looking for it-."

"Get to the shipping parts already!" Gus teased.

"Urgh, fine. So, I accidentally made Amity lose her job. Than, I went through some trials to get her job back. And when I went to take her her job card she had purple hair and was pretty and she helped me realize I have an Echo Mouse with the information I needed and she said I had a way of digging into people's hearts and then she kissed me on the cheek!"

They both stared at her with wide eyes.

"Wow. Good for Amity. I knew she had it in her." Willow said.

"Wait, what? What's that supposed to mean? And why did you two exchange cash?"

"We kind of had a bet going on which of you would act on your feelings first." Gus admitted sheepishly.

"And I bet Amity would act first." Willow boasted.

"How did you know she would?"

"Because I know Amity. When push comes to shove, she goes for what she wants."

"Wha- wait, you mean Amity does like me?"

"Duh. I'm shocked you didn't know. It was kind of obvious." Willow pointed out.

"But-but-but what about her crush? At Grom, she had someone she wanted to ask out!"

Gus and Willow just stared at her pointedly. It took Luz a second to understand and her eyes widened in realization.

"I'm her crush?" She whispered. 

"Duh." Gus said.

"But-no that's-why? Why would Amity have a crush on me? After all the trouble I've caused her, why would she like me?

"Because you're a good person, Luz," Willow said, coming over and placing a gentle hand on Luz's shoulder. "Sure, you can get in over your head sometimes but you're also brave and you care a lot about people. It’s not hard to see what she saw in you."

"Yeah. You're great. Heck, I’d date you! Er, if I wasn’t dating Willow I mean” Gus chuckled nervously.

“Nice save.”

Luz was completely stunned into silence. Someone liked her like she liked them. And not just anyone, but Amity. It almost didn’t feel real.

Finally, she said. “So, what should I do now? With Amity I mean.”

“Well, maybe you should do what Gus and I did.” Willow suggested.

“You want me to go kiss Amity in her bedroom?!”

“What?! No!” Willow spluttered. “I meant that you should go and talk about how you feel. Make sure that you’re both on the same page with what to do next.”

“You’re right. Thanks Willow.”

“No problem.”

Luz went over to the door, but before she left she turned back to Gus and Willow and teasingly said. “I’m going to leave the door open up here. Wouldn't want you two love birds doing anything inappropriate."

Willow glared at her. "Oh why don't you go make out with Amity already?"

"Going to work on that!"

[lilyclawthorne]

Keeping Up A-fear-ance's Thoughts

I finished writing this shortly after 3 am after watching the new episode like three times because I simply had too much energy about it and I have so many thoughts because I simply live for clawthornes and also I tried to break it up with more photos this time sorry not sorry if it's a lot ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

YOUNG EDA!! let me just say I am quite a fan of opening with a flashback like we've done here and the last episode

"we have never seen a curse like this before" Lilith you had shit luck picking out curses huh

"cut it out if we have to" goddamn Gwen let'a calm the fuck down a bit.

anyways we've only really seen young Eda as a wild and confident and happy little child so I appreciate seeing this side of her with the anxiety and fear she's feeling here. I love seeing what the curse stuff was like for her as a kid

Gwen: I raised a perfectly fine kid

Me: no you didn't look at her she's got anxiety

I'm guessing this is their backyard or just some woods behind their house?? wonder if the portal was placed there by another elder family member.

lmao I can't even begin to imagine what small Eda experiencing the human realm was like for the first time

Gwens giving me "I can't accept that my child is disabled/chronically ill/etc." here. y’know the kinda parent that'll put their kid through hell over something they probably will find a way to learn to live with (which Eda did do)

ok that's it I humbly request to know the story behind the fang now (also the noise she made when she put it in was freaking cute)

new dress! new boots! new dress! new boots!

..yikes that fridge is empty

"calm down the curse acts stronger when you're stressed" Eda do you know who you're talking to here

confirmation losing limbs is in fact a side effect of the curse!! (y'know since Eda originally said it just happens when you get older)

please I love these sisters they're so sweet and make me wanna go 🥺

"suddenly curious about my past" "always. always curious" Luz says exactly what we all think

witchlet?? sweet flea?? she's got pet names for them 🥺 (although idk how much I'd like to be referred to as any kind of flea sorry Lilith)

ok Gwen is very much not close to what I expected and I'm kinda grateful for that

she's more like super caring but still managed to royally fuck up which was my original head canon for clawthorne parents so uh that's cool. but literally, look at their body language, Eda's pissed, Lilith's sad and making herself small. she's clearly messed up with her parenting on both of them along the way.

"who knows what they put in those nasty concoctions?" mama clawthorne would be a fucking anti-vaxxer wouldn't she

ok I side with Eda here more than Luz and Lilith. just because Luz misses her mother, or Lilith hasn’t seen their mom in so long doesn’t mean Eda has to feel all grateful for the presence of Gwen, especially if the woman has caused her a lot of trouble over the years

I feel like the fact that its actually both Lilith and Gwendolyn have spent their whole lives dedicated to trying to find a cure could probably have held some kind of weight on Eda at some point. Even though she shouldn't feel guilty or responsible for that, I still feel like it's gotta suck knowing these people have spent so much time on something you know is likely never gonna happen, all for you.

Lilith 😞 her mother really just didn't pay attention to her all these years

hey if this guy does some next level healing magic then why isn't he more well-known, huh? why’d it take so long to come across him?? Gwen do you know what the fuck you're doing cause I think you don't

Lilith just because you're depressed about your mom doesn't mean you have to bring king down too 😠

SUPER irrelevant but is anyone else just bothered by the way Lilith is holding her spoon?? that doesn't seem like a comfortable way to hold a spoon. also is she left handed??

"knife season came early" EDA WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. is this a boiling isles things or is this a it’s common for people to throw knives at you thing

also I want to be surprised Eda fell for the apple blood signs but I am not 😔 

Luz please trust you're gut on this one and not mama clawthorne

ok now I need to know why the fridge was empty but they had 18 cartons of ice cream this is why you guys don't have food you're wasting it all on ice cream.

wow never thought I'd see the day hooty became the voice of reason

also, night market ice cream?? are they implying this ice cream is like, edibles of some sort?? Lilith does seem kinda high here ngl. idk man but at least she wants to stand up for herself so good for her.

PLEASE kings just offering her ice cream while she transforms

"first in a series" Gwen honey oh no. you've been duped. I think we can see where Lilith got her naïveté from huh.

Also, nice snatch Luz 😊

anyways love how this show is basically making fun of moms who refuse to give their kids proper medical treatment or listen to medical professionals here

EXCUSE ME why do we know Gwen's palisman's name before we know Lilith's?????

"I am a mother who'll do anything for her daughter" you're mom who's suffocating obsession with one daughter has left the other neglected and is currently causing her to turn into a full on beast ya dummy

Eda DOES have a right to be upset. it sucks that her own valid emotions that she should get to feel will cause her while body to betray her.

PLEASE I’M SO GLAD LILITH’S BEAST DESIGN LOOKS LIKE HER AND IS NOT THE THING FROM THE TRAILER THAT IS ACTUALLY IN EDA"S HEAD WHEN SHE’S TRANSFORMED

but also why is she SO massive?? also anyone concerned that this is her first transformation and the light glyph trick wouldn't even work??

Gwen look at what you've done, you've fostered feelings of inferiority in one daughter causing her to feel the need for sibling rivalry that the pure instincts of the raven beast cannot suppress no matter how much their sisterly relationship had improved.

HOW COULD YOUR OTHER DAUGHTER ALSO BEING CURSED BE A PART OF THE PROCESS GWEN??

"after Eda was cursed, I joined the beast keeping coven" woah woah WOAH. you're telling me you only joined because of trying to help Eda. that covens existed, before Eda got cursed, and you very much weren't a part of one. combine that with "some words for belos" she has and do I smell wild witch theory still plausible???

anyways at least mama clawthorne is getting some sense into her head here

Morton c'mon help a girl out, that's some dang good art too what the heck dude

ok fine mama clawthorne to the rescue

no pls not raven beast Lilith crying im crying now

Gwen: I raised a fine and self-sufficient child

Me: no you didn't look at her. she's got, SO MUCH.

GODDAMN THATS SOME POWER. ngl this only adds fuel to the fire in my head that there was some kinda reasoning these sisters were torn apart, that someone felt they'd be too powerful together (and they were probably right)

"I heard you but I couldn't stop myself, I couldn't do anything" may be just because she's not used to the curse but again part of me is concerned that because she couldn't pull herself out of it even a little bit like Eda did that there's something wrong there. but she also could've been stressed beyond reasonably calming herself down too.

ok but this is sweet

NOOO im so sad Lilith's leaving :( I literally cried ok

"you lived here?" fine OKAY king that was hilarious even if im sad about this

"reconnect with dad" excuse me where the fuck has this man been in the middle of all of this. curse shit is going DOWN and he's just chilling at home.

I am curious about people's thoughts regarding the whole Lilith regression thing and the fact that she's literally going to be living with her parents again. I feel like it could help nurture that inner child she's been reverting back to and help her out a LOT. but I could also be concerned about it feeding into the regression and making it worse?? idk and this show probably ain't getting that actually deep into psych anyways

"some day my hair is gonna be big enough to do that too" Luz I cannot wait for the day. also mood, I wish I could do that too.

alright who's holding the fucking pen for hooty we need a volunteer RIGHT NOW so we can remain in contact with Lulu

NOT THE ONLY HUMAN? my bets on the real azura rip never mind she said he

Titan’s Blood?? interesting. If the blood of the titan is around I wonder what that means regarding the titans existence, and how long its been since the titan fell.

AHH BABY LUZ PHOTO

ALSO WHO THE FUCK IS THAT?? They're really gonna spring that on us like this??? Camila's gotta notice somethings wrong right??? Unless any differences she just chalks up to the camp?? oh god :(

well, anyways lumity shippers come get yo juice next weekend

anyways im gonna need to add a NOT canon compliant tag on that one Gwendolyn fic I wrote because it definitely do not comply anymore

[frangipansi]

Hi! If your inbox is open, I'd like to request a scenario with all (or any) of the demon brothers, + undatables reacting to a blind MC? Like, none of them expected to have a blind human and Devildom and they have to revamp everything to make it as safe for MC as possible. Can be she/her or they/them pronouns for MC. Bonus points if MC is extremely talkative and won't shut up lmao. Thank you!

OKAY! So, finally got this one out. I’m sooo sorry for the wait, but I wanted to try and do this right, not just some Daredevil nonsense, but I didn’t want to make the mistake of a ‘helpless blind MC’ either; because they’re not helpless.

I am also lucky enough to have a regular customer at my work that happens to be blind and she has been very happy to give me a helping hand to make this ask more real. She’s such a delight and her guide dog is beautiful and I could ramble on with our interactions, like one time she scolded us for moving the fixtures because she had just memorized the layout of the store then told her guide “you’ll earn that pay check today!”

SO! With her in mind, more so from her younger days that she reminisced with me; I have decided to work this piece around this customer’s condition specifically so I’m not just pulling shit out my arse.

To give you an idea, this MC suffers from Retinitis pigmentosa; their symptoms being tunnel vision and night blindness. So while they are legally blind, they can somewhat see. They use a cane when going out, use their hands and/or cane when inside a place knew to them – that happens to be in poor light (Devildom) – until they have the layout in their mind and move more confidently.

~

This also took a while because I couldn’t get a fic/scenario to work cohesively and hc was just not working either! But I’ve hopefully gotten it now, and I do hope you like it. I’ve also placed this under the cut because I’ve waffled on here.

Diavolo:

Interested. Anyone within the Devildom without eyesight, are generally the souls of the damned who aren’t permitted to move freely. Heck, he’s removed some of their eyes himself.

He wants to know instantly if there is anything he needs to change and improve to make sure MC’s stay is not only comfortable but enjoyable.

Absolutely loves how open MC is. He’s amazed at the resilience of humans; delighted to hear MC say how capable they are, though he does insist on one of the brother’s remaining her escort for the duration of their stay. Capable or not, he is well aware of how demons would use MC’s lack of sight to their advantage.

Really wants to ask how amplified their other senses are; disappointed to know most things depicted in movies are – for the most part – an over exaggeration.

Organises a tablet for them with all RAD textbooks uploaded so they have that ability to zoom in so they are able to read the text at their own comfort. Other systems such as braille, text to talk etc are also implemented if that is something MC prefers to learn by.

Lucifer:

Considers Cerberus as a guide dog? Impossible, the human would be eaten alive. Perhaps another smaller hellhound? Goodness no, they’d still be eaten.

Asks MC about their condition –on behalf of Lord Diavolo of course – so he is aware of anything that may help their stay in the Devildom.

Very pleased to see how receptive MC is, very talkative and informative about her condition; he’s surprised to learn the varying levels of visual impairment. Consults Diavolo on brighter lighting to improve her movements around RAD and already planning on improvements within his own home.

During MC’s first few nights in Lamentation, Lucifer appears on edge; always keeping an eye when they’re moving about on their own. Enjoys watching how they learn to memorize layouts, quietly telling themselves how many steps it takes from one room to another, touching hallway objects.

Ready to run to their side that one time MC walked into the wall; turning into the kitchen a little too soon; until he hear them chuckle to themselves and ran their hand along the wall until they found the doorway and walked through it. No damage done. He’s learning to leave them be, understanding that he doesn’t need to dote on them.

Mammon:

MC is blind? Ooh yeah! The things that boy could swipe to make some quick Grimm, and right under their nose. It was gonna be too easy!! Completely stunned when they still catch him out. “How’d ya know it was me?!”

Watches them narrow their eyes as if trying to spot him before coming up beside him and close the drawer he was just rummaging through. The nerve this human has to threaten The Great Mammon by saying they’ll use their cane to whack him.

Surprised at MC’s explanation on how they knew it was him. They recognised his scent; not only did he have his favourite cologne – which he didn’t think he wore that much of – they noted how he had a metallic smell, like the kind you get when touching coin constantly.

Likes to watch MC move around their room; at first using their hand to remember the layout and then moving as if they saw as well as he did. Considered rearranging things to see what would happen.

Okay, so MC isn’t helpless… but, other demons don’t know that. Considers using MC as bait; distract idiots so he can rob them and sell their things for a little Grimm. “I, The Mammon, am a genius!” “No, Mammon.”

Levi:

Couldn’t even imagine being in their position; all that manga he couldn’t read, anime they couldn’t watch… never knowing what Ruri-Chan looks like!!! Gasp! No way. Poor MC!

Really confused when he sees them one day, curled up on a chair in the common room, wearing a pair of glasses and a book in hand. Wanders over and looks over their shoulder before questioning what was going on; nodding when they told him that with reading glasses and preferably larger font, they could indulge in many a storybook.

As their relationship blossoms, he has a dedicated reading nook in his room for the two of them, including a lamp to brighten the area to help improve what sight they have. Likes that they’re happy to listen to him read to them his TSL series. He thinks about writing to the publishers for the next editions to have larger fonts; that way he could buy MC a set of their own.

He likes to sit and watch them bring things close to their face to inspect them better; his figurines which they – to his relief – handle with great care, or his manga comics to see which characters he’s fawning over.

He secretly loves that MC likes to chill by his fish tank wall. Why? They state that while there’s too much distortion for them to actually make anything out, they enjoy the ambient colouring and light; the two eventually just listen to music together like that as a means to relax.

Satan:

Of course he is utterly curious about MC’s condition and is glad to see how open they are to talking about it. He’ll look things up himself in his own time but nothing like hearing it from someone’s own experience.

Asks if those romance and crime novels are accurate; “so, do you touch people’s faces so you know what they look like?” finds it interesting that for the most part, this doesn’t happen; but it makes sense, he wouldn’t be too thrilled by someone he barely knows putting their hands onto him.

Writes down notes that he considers most important from the board during lessons and offers them to MC should they need them for their studies.

Another one who likes watching MC learn their way around Lamentation, like how they touch cupboard handles until they find the one they need while grumbling about how crappy the lights are.

Shared appreciation for just lying on the ground whenever a cat is near them, all responsibility out the window as number one priority is giving adorable little hellcats their undivided attention. Loves that MC is willing to con Lucifer into believing a cat makes a wonderful guide animal.

Asmo:

Oh poor MC, unable to see just how beautiful he is… Oh, they can kinda see? If he gets real close? Oh he can definitely do that! Bummed that MC promptly puts in some boundaries but once their relationship develops they do enjoy the closeness with him.

Learns – albeit slowly – that his looks aren’t going to win MC over, and instead begins to better understand the value of personality and getting to know a person. Should MC like Asmo, it’s because of who he is and not for all the fluffing he does with his looks.

Whenever he happens to be the brother escorting MC, just know he’ll always detour to the main hub; treating the two of them to manicures and pedicures, facials, all that fun stuff.

When shopping, he loves how MC feels the fabric of things he grabs for them and has an even bigger appreciation for how things feel on him. Absolutely enjoys offering explanations whenever MC would ask about colour or cuts if they can’t make them out should the lighting be too poor for them.

Will starting looking around for ‘fashionable’ canes. Yes, he knows it’s about practicality and he’s not going to take that away from MC, but what’s wrong with wanting to match their cane with that gorgeous outfit he’s picked out from them?

Beel:

Having no experience with a visually impaired human, he’ll ask MC if he should carry them places; it’s no big deal, they looked pretty light after all. Apologises if they happen to get a bit defensive so keeps close while they walk together, worried they may walk into or trip over something.

He’ll be curious about whether or not other senses are heightened due to the loss of another and is lowkey disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to hear someone in the kitchen stealing his food when they’re somewhere else in the house.

He loves cooking with them; the tastes of what he creates seem to be more balanced and they’re more than happy to sneak him a few snacks while Lucifer is occupied elsewhere. They’ll fool around, tasting things to see who can pick up more notes.

Things turn into a game between the two of them; if he spots MC in a room he’ll sneak up and try and get to them before they realise he’s there. “Too heavy on your feet,” or “you were giggling,” is something he hears a lot when trying.

Though MC can’t really see while he’s training or playing a game, he really appreciates that there still there to cheer him on; he’s taken to wearing a bright headband in hopes that they’ll be able to spot him out a bit better. They don’t half the heart to tell him they still can’t find him.

Belphie:

In the beginning, he’ll use MC’s lack of sight to their advantage; sly and manipulative to lure them in. Watches how they react to his voice, how their eyes or head move in the direction he’s in, learning how they work their other senses.

Tensions between the two would be tight after that moment and he’ll feel tremendous guilt for what he did to them; keeps himself at a distance, afraid they’ll recoil if they sense he’s too close and understands if they would.

Amazed that they find it in them to forgive him and help mend bonds between him and his brothers, and will spend whatever time he’s able building up trust with MC; whether that’s being their escort around Devildom or just being there for company.

He loves – when trust is established – that MC is just happy to lay with him while he star gazes and talks about what he sees, trying to paint a picture for them while they huddle up together in a fluffy blanket, sharing his cow print pillow.

Simeon/Luke:

They’re angels; their job is to look over and protect humans. So they are already well aware of how capable MC would be – Simeon more so than Luke since he’s younger and more interested in Michael – but they will still offer their assistance should MC need it.

They’re also the sort to take notes down during class that MC may not be able to see on the board; but they’ll ask before assuming.

Simeon has taken to writing a little bigger if it’s something he’d like MC’s opinion on his work; the two forming a bond through fiction and history. The two can be found losing track of time and just talking about any given thing.

Luke enjoys cooking with MC; asking them what they think of the taste of something he creates and asks how he can make it better. He’d love to be able to wow Michael upon his return to the Celestial Realm and MC will always critique his work rather than sugarcoat like Simeon would or just outright scare him like demons would. With a little push from MC, he takes lessons from Barbatos.

Solomon:

Quite unphased; he’s dealt with various impairments before seeing as he is still human despite being a very powerful sorcerer. He doesn’t offer assistance but will give it should MC ask him for help.

He has many a spell in his books that could quite possibly cure or ease symptoms of various impairments and is very tempted to bring this information to MC; but decides on holding back until he can figure out how to approach the subject. He’ll ask them how they feel about their situation and go from there.

Would also offer heightening other senses should MC want them; even temporarily if they’re just a little curious. “Let’s see what’s so crash hot about being Daredevil!” “My thoughts exactly MC.”

[allbrainrot]

Sjfkskd I immediately thought of Ashe for 🖤 from your FE3H prompt list!! If you don't mind adding hcs for Dimitri and Sylvain to the list as well I'd love to see your take on them but just Ashe is okay <3 thank you!!

Woo Allister here!! Heck yeah, I just started this blog two days ago so I totally have time to do all three! I always have time to write Dimi lmao that’s my emotional support Dimitri!! 😭🩹 

Ashe:

- you’re catching up over lunch with the blue lions and someone (we all know it was Sylvain) asks you if you’d spare a dance for them at the upcoming ball.

- you casually reply that you’re actually not going, much to the surprise of your house members. Sylvain is probably incredibly dramatic about it and tells you that you’ve wounded him. Mercedes and Annette will try to get you to change your mind because they were excited to get ready with you, but when you tell them that you’d have much more fun chilling in your room they accept it.

- Ashe on the other hand, is suddenly staring very intensely at the table and silently panicking. He’s been trying to think of a way to confess to you for weeks, and was slowly building up the courage to tell you after asking for a dance. While he internally freaks out, he’ll probably pick up a nervous habit and fiddle with his fingers or the hem of his shirt WHAT THE HELL WE GONNA DO NOW.

- Dimitri is the first to pick up on it, since he knows a thing or two about troubling thoughts. He starts to ask Ashe what’s troubling him, but, being snapped out of his thoughts, Ashe just sort of nervously blurts. 

- ‘are you certain you’d really be alright missing such a big night?!’ You’re a little surprised at having elicited such a response from Ashe, but you assure him that noble events just aren’t your thing. ‘Oh but umm you know that I’m not a noble either! We er-we can work our way through a little party! You really don’t even have to stay long-’ followed by a lot more rambling of Ashe trying to string together reasons that you must attend. You tell him you’re not so sure about that...

- oh this boy clings onto that little sliver of a response and all week he’s constantly proposing new reasons that he thinks you should come. At this point, any member of the blue lions that wasn’t already aware has definitely picked up on the fact that he’s pining for you. Some might even try to help out and encourage you to go just to hang out with your friends. You, however, long ago made up your mind that you weren’t going anywhere near the stupid dance and instead you’re just growing concerned at Ashe’s increasing distress and exasperation for you to go.

- you adore the sweet archer, you really do, but you just refuse to ever attend a ball. As the week goes by with this boy following you around with a very cute pleading look, you start trying to cheer him up in other ways. When he stands in front of you and asks you about attending again, you take his hands in yours and give them a reassuring squeeze as you reaffirm that you’ll be lounging in your room. When he sits next to you while you’re feeding the cats to ask again, you lightly pet his hair. You start sitting next to him with your knees touching in hope of providing comfort, and have even started holding hands when he trails behind you in town. Although your firm answers still make Ashe’s stomach drop, it doesn’t compare to the butterflies he gets when you start giving him affection. Maybe he’s starting to cling by your side more to get pats and hand holds than to try and convince you to go to the dance...

- tonight is the night. You’re finally comfortably leaning against your bed while drawing/reading/sewing (whatever you do in your spare time) as the footsteps of the dance goers fade away when you’re shocked by a gentle knock on your door. When you open your door to see a very blushing Ashe, you’re rather taken aback, but you gently take his hand and lead him to sit beside you in front of your bed. He takes your hand in both of his own and stares down at them sheepishly as you ask him what he’s doing here when he still has the whole night to ask someone to dance. He clears his throat and squeezes your hand a little more before telling you that, with you in your room, he has no need to be at the dance and must be here instead (if it’s ok with you). You are super confused, but tell him he’s welcome to keep you company before asking why he’s suddenly skipping the ball after being so hellbent on it all week. It’s then that he takes a deep breath and looks up at you, his face bright red. He finally confesses and explains what was going on all week, and how he had found he appreciated your affection so much more than any dance.

- you’re very surprised, but you tell him you reciprocate and pull him into a warm hug in front of you. You spend most of the night talking with him in your arms, and you both eventually fall asleep on the floor with him curled up into your chest. It’s a good thing no one there has a camera because when someone came to check on you later, man that would’ve been a wild photo.

Sylvain:

- you’re probably walking down the halls of the monastery when he approaches you, leaning on the doorway in front of you. Gives you a bright smile and tells you he’s looking forward to nothing more than a dance with you at the end of the week, if you’ll indulge him.

- when you laugh at his usual antics and tell him that you’ll be skipping out on the dance, he probably gives you the same reaction of being a drama queen and you punch him lightly on the shoulder before walking past and telling him you’re sure he’ll be plenty busy with any other female in his line of sight.

- once he’s alone though, he’s definitely pretty stressed. Probably tugs at his hair or clenches his fists as he beats himself up for his own actions and the impression they’ve given you.

- when you and Sylvain first started becoming friends, it became pretty quickly clear that you weren’t trying to cozy up to him for brownie points with his family. And by that I mean, you masterfully skirted around any advances he made and teased him about trying it out on every other female at the monastery, much like you had just done.

- because of that, you actually ended up becoming pretty close genuine friends. You were just a cool person being friendly because that’s just how you were. You started sitting next to him in class and giving him a heads up on notes, assignments or tests that he may have forgotten about while spending every hour flirting with someone new. He even started proposing to actually hang out with you as bros. It was pretty sick, until he caught feelings..

- from the moment he caught himself yearning, he knew he was in deep shit because you’d never believe him. In the meantime, you still shut his flirting down, but as close friends you really didn’t mind things like sitting knee to knee with him or leaning on him. You even occasionally ruffled his hair and indulged him in leading you through town by the hand when you needed to get somewhere. You had always thought of it strictly platonically; you just figured he loved physical affection and getting to receive it from a friend was a win-win because he didn’t have to bother courting someone. Well, you were half right.. Sylvain does seek affection from you all the time, but not because you’re friends..

- oh boy as this little crush got worse and worse, Sylvain has to physically restrain himself from showering you in cuddles and kisses. You’re just so cute and every little action drives him crazy! So he’s devised a plan: he’s going to be with you every second of the ball. Dances only with you, talks with you in the corner, follows you outside if you want a break, he figured this was the perfect way to confess to you. Surely you’d have to realize how hard he’s pining for you if you saw his commitment and the contrast to his regular behavior, right? Welp now we officially have a code red for the ONLY plan and Sylvain is freaking out. 

- it’s only after a day of darting around the monastery like a headless chicken and baffling everyone with his antsy behavior that he leans against a wall, takes a deep breath and realizes that he may be a little dumb. Well, more like he can’t think straight when 99% of his brain is occupied by you. He’s going to be just fine, plans have just changed a little last minute. What’s the difference between being glued to your side at a ball and being glued to your side in your room? It spares him from the possibility of being interrupted, but it’s still a pretty grand gesture for him of all people to skip.

- tonight is the night. While everyone else sways around some daunting, packed room with people they probably don’t even actually like, you’re sitting cross legged on your bed flipping through Alois’s ‘hilarious’ joke book that you managed to snatch with everyone else occupied. You almost wish someone else was here to witness this (no one would even believe how ridiculous that book was without seeing it for themselves), when you hear two knocks on your door, a code you’d set a while back. At first you were taken aback and thought it might be an angry Allois, but you mutter a ‘you can come in’. 

- you were even more caught off guard by the fact that it was Sylvain and he looked..incredibly shaky. He almost stumbles on his way to plop down next to you, and the anxious face he’s making confuses you to the max, but out of concern you ask if he’s ok. He looks at the ceiling and mumbles a broken yeah to you, and it’s then that you realize you think he’s..trying not to cry?? Your head is spinning, having never seen him like before, when you put together a narrative of what you assume happened, given the context of this night. ‘Holy shit, Syl are you ok? OH MY GODDESS did you catch feels for some chick?? AWWW MAN did-did she reject you??!’ you’re sputtering out words way faster than he can even start to respond to you, but at your last question, he actually starts to laugh a little at the irony. A bitter laugh, probably mixed in with a little bit of crying out of hurt. 

- you instantly wrap yourself around Sylvain, petting his hair and doing anything else you can remember that he loves as he hesitantly wraps his arms around you to keep you in place. When he’s calmed enough to speak, he mumbles into your hair ‘1.) yes, and it’s been a disaster, so I’m a mess. 2.) I guess..not yet? But I’m almost too afraid to even ask, knowing the odds that it’s not reciprocated.’ It takes you a moment to realize that he’s just answered you while you sit on his crossed legs, pressed against him trying to be good emotional support. You think on what he’s just told you, and eventually give the best advice you can, ‘Hey, you can’t think of it that way! Walking away from a chance is much harsher than the possibility of being rejected.’ He sighs deeply before replying slowly ‘Have you ever just, theoretically imagined..dating me?’ 

- WHAT? Ok, that’s definitely the most unexpected question possible, it’s gonna take you a second to get over the shock. When you’re grounded in reality, it’s actually a pretty easy answer, ‘Well sure, after we first started talking, but naturally I made myself forget about it because it couldn’t truly happen.’ At this, he perks up quite a bit, and you can feel a little bit of his confidence returning to him as he holds you tighter. Time for him to play his cards, ‘So..let’s say, if you ever believed that I was seriously committed, would you have dated me?’ Alright this man may have just officially made this the strangest night of your life. ‘Ummm, I mean sure I guess, if I had believed you I’d have liked to date you.’ BINGO FOR SYLVAIN!!

- ok, it’s now or never for him, ‘So, do you believe me right now?’ he says in the sweetest tone you’ve ever heard from him. OK THIS IS OFFICIALLY BONKERS. You can’t help but tense up and widen your eyes as the realization of the true meaning of this conversation dawns on you. When you come to, your face is burning up and you throw your arms on top of his shoulders and bury your face into his neck to hide your embarrassment. ‘Syllllllll good goddess I’ve never been so utterly shocked!! Goddess, I guess I really do have to believe you after all this insanity!’ This makes him laugh, but a happy, genuine laugh this time, and he flops backward onto the bed with you still on top of him, clutching you close and rocking with joy/relief. At this point reader either conks tf out with Sylvain or lowkey has a makeout sesh idk man I’m tired LMAO imagine as you please

-future note after writing: OK SO it was really a challenge to write how Sylvain would wrap his head around confessing pre-timeskip so I lowkey wrote a wholeass character arc essay I have problem. I hope you like Ashe’s, but ima be posting a part 2 with Dimi because this post is like at its limit lmao!