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demonslayedher · 3 years

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I lost a bet to myself and paid the price by making another demon sibling AU. Was originally just going to be headcanons and doodles, but I wound up writing the parts I felt like. The names of Tengen's siblings are entirely made up. This will come in two parts due to length.

Clicking each bone in his spine, Yogen stood to his full height, taller than Tengen remembered. It wasn't uncommon to go long periods of time without seeing his siblings when they were on their own missions, but Yogen shouldn't had changed that much. "I'll spare you. It wouldn't do for the Uzui clan not to have a head. Now you're the strongest one."

"...Yogen..."

"I wouldn't had been able to take you on, if not for the fact that you'd never have done it if you knew. You should thank me, Aniki. You know what I've spared you? Father was going to make us all have a fight to the death. You'd have done at least half of this."

"What have you done!?"

"I ate them," he laughed, something Tengen had never heard Yogen do in his adult voice. He had the most infectious laugh when they were children, and this rang with the same pleasure, however dissonant. "I was stunned too, at first. When I came to, I had eaten two of them, they were still warm in my mouth, their cells already nourishing mine. But you know what? I decided to eat the others. I was going to kill them anyway, what difference does it make that I should eat them?"

Tengen's face pearled back into a snarl, his eyes flaring.

"One, two, three... Eizen got away before I could bite him, though. That whelp would had done nothing for me. The one I really wanted to eat was the strongest," he said, his glowing white eyes shifting down to their father's fresh corpse. "And now, even he's nothing to me."

Tengen could stand no more of this. "Yogen!!" he screamed and gripped one of the swords at his back, and charged at Yogen all in one motion. A hard sickle burst out of the flesh of Yogen's arm and caught it, but when Tengen pulled his other sword down through Yogen's shoulder and chest, the sound of ripping sinews what different than it should had been. A look over to the injury revealed that the shoulder was repairing itself before Tengen's eyes. When had he learned any technique like that?

The momentary lapse in focus caught him, Yogen swiped up against Tengen's forearm. It felt too varied to had been spiked knuckles--those were his fingertips, he had grown claws. Tengen drew a sword up to lop off Yogen's forearm, and then his brother let out a shrill scream as his features lit up and revealed how contorted they had become. Yogen didn't look human anymore with how his veins bulged and burned. Burned? From what? Tengen took a look over his shoulder to the sun rising and casting light through the wide open door, and when he looked back, Yogen was gone.

---

Tengen watched the flames consume the house and the bodies of his slain family. He had combed it for any trace of Yogen, but his brother left none. Hope though he did that the flames may consume Yogen too, he knew in his gut that he was still out there.

Behind him, Suma sneezed in a gust of smoke that wafted into her face. Hinatsuru handed her a handkerchief, as she and Makio were already covering their faces in case of poison. Tengen didn't bother, he was resistent to most ninja poisons, and the scratches down his forearm were already less swollen. "You three should go back to your homes."

"No!" insisted Suma.

"We're already members of the Uzui clan," said Hinatsuru.

"Your revenge is ours," added Makio.

Hinatsuru made the most important point, they were already seen as his property. He could hear whispers and feel them all being watched; the other ninja clans knew what had befallen the most powerful family, and the Uzui name was now shunned. Even if Tengen wanted to stay, he had no place in the village, and neither did anything that belonged to him. The only thing left for him now was to track his brother down and drag him to hell.

Someone else was approaching, and Tengen reached for one sword. Uneven footsteps. One didn't have the splat of a foot, it was the thunk of wood--a cane, or two canes? A leisurely, but determined pace. Self-assuredness, even for entering ninja territory. A robust heartbeat. Who was coming?

"Well, is that what you all look like? I feel like I've wandered into one of those storybooks," said an old man. He had one missing leg, a full head of hair and moustache to rival it, a grin, and a telltale scar lining the underside of his left eye. "I had always left your kind alone, but I couldn't when I felt the presence of a demon over here."

"Who are you?" Tengen asked, stetching one arm before his wives while the other hand stayed at his weapon.

"You didn't chop its head off, did you, ninja boy? It's long gone by now, you know. It'll hide from daylight. Be even more trouble to find if it's one of your folk."

"How do you know about us?" Makio shot back.

"How do you children not know about demons? Aye," the old man huffed to himself as he set down a stool he carried. He planted his rump on it, then folded his arms. "The name's Kuwajima Jigoro, former Roaring Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corp. I figured this would be out of your expertise, so I've come to help."

Tengen felt in his gut he could trust that. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head, his wives all doing likewise behind him. Jigoro seemed to enjoy that, but insisted they do not. Instead of bowing, he'd appreciate the ladies rubbing his shoulders to display their gratitude, he said.

While Hinatsuru and Makio set about at each arm, Suma kneeled at his remaining foot with a gasp. "Aren't old people not supposed to be this beefy?"

"Can it, Suma!" chided Makio.

Hinatsuru said nothing, but could feel something was different in this man, not only in his physique. Whatever he had to say was going to change their lives more than the previous night already had. They all listened carefully as Jigoro orated about the existence of demons, how they eat humans, how they are near impossible to kill, but also the methods of those who hunt them, with specialized blades and an organization to support them. As he began describing Breath, however, Tengen stopped him. "I already know all that, that's ninjutsu basics. That's not giving me anything I don’t already have."

"Oh? I figured as much. Always made me curious about you pups. So you you've got the basics of Breath technique, huh?"

"It's beyond basic," he shot him an annoyed frown.

"I'll be the judge of that. See that tree over there? That's probably about the strength of the usual demon neck. Go hog wild on it." As much as showing off was against the ninja code, Tengen wasn't in the mood to argue and made short work of that tree, the only sound being the pop of it seperating into two halves. Jigoro gave him a clap, then stood with his cane. "Good accuracy. Spot on. Now you pick one out for me. Take some mercy, though, I'm only working at half-strength." He balanced on his foot and his peg, plopping the end of his cane in his palm to show off that he meant to use it in place of a sword. Tengen hated when other people tried to be show-offs, so he pointed to a tree a few rings thicker than the one he had cut.

The old man eyed it, then slid his good foot through the dirt, and as he leaned forward, clouds of steam rose from his lips. "Breath of Thunder, Fifth Form. Heat Lightning."

The sound hit Tengen so hard that he covered his ears, and the old man was gone--on the other side of the tree, which was not only cleanly chopped, but split itself in half vertically as it fell. A rarity, Tengen's jaw dropped. Jigoro looked back with a fierce grin, knowing he'd have left them all impressed.

Rather than one knee, Tengen planted his palms and face to the ground. "Please teach me this technique, Master."

"When did I ever say I wanted a student like you? You already said you know Breath technique, don't you?"

"You won't teach him?" Suma sat straight up, little tears in the corners of her eyes.

"I only want students with talents I can mold. You're already set your ways and would just try to make Thunder Breathing into what you want. You can't fill a full tea cup, as they say."

Tengen wanted to insist he's do anything to take his revenge, but the old man was right. As he was, he wouldn't be able to unlearn everything he always knew, it was as much a part of him as every experience and memory, like every scar, such as the ones running down his left arm.

"The true nature of Thunder Breathing would escape you, you'd get too caught up in how powerful it looks. You're too flashy!"

His cheeks flushed. "Say that again."

"You're too... flashy? I don't think a ninja should find that a compliment."

"You can't tell him all that and then not train him!" insisted Makio. "Please! There's got to be something you can do! Tengen-sama works really hard!"

"Tengen-sama works harder than anyone!"

"Please, Master. Tengen-sama can think flexibly, please give him a chance."

"I won't! I can already tell he's not the sort of student I'm looking for!" he barked back, and Suma burst out into sobs, while Hinatsuru hid delicate tears and Makio's face turned dark red. Jigoro flinched at the sight of the upset girls, then looked back to Tengen. "I--I didn't come out here to leave you high and dry, you know. I already told you about the Corp, didn't I? That's where you really need to go. I can't teach you Thunder Breathing, but if you really think you can pick up something new, there's an old scroll I've got of an off-shoot Breath. Someone like you might be able to pull it off. What do you say, ninja boy? How about I give that to you and you teach yourself Sound Breathing?"

---

From there, Tengen took much the same course as in canon. When he became a Pillar and had his meeting with Oyakata-sama, he was upfront about his reasons for entering the Corp. Oyakata-sama appreciated his frankness and assured him that the entire Corp would support him if they found any information on Yogen, but Oyakata-sama was also keen on the undercurrent of Tengen's heart; that he was relieved to leave the murderous ways of ninja, and that he wanted to live an upright life. This finally gave words to something Tengen always felt, but thought he had no right to wish for. He and his wives were moved and they swore loyalty to Oyakata-sama.

However, as time went on, there were no clues whatsoever about Yogen. Around the time they all got antsy, Makio finally couldn't stand it anymore and suggested they may never find him. "Think about it," she said. "This Corp is full of strong swordsmen. Someone might had already chopped off his head long before we got here."

While that should had come as a relief, Tengen couldn't help but find the idea frustrating. That revenge was his to take. He could think of only one person stronger than him who might had done it, so he described Yogen to Himejima one day and asked if he remembered seeing a demon like that. Himejima plainly replied that he was blind.

As they began to accept that they may never have closure, Hinatsuru proposed that they be satisfied bagging an Upper Moon. That should be enough for them to earn their peace, she said, and as much as it grinded away at Tengen's heart, he agreed.

In the course of performing Tengen's Pillar duties, they closed in on what was likely an Upper Moon in Yoshiwara. Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma slipped in, but when he lost contact, Tengen went looking for some female Corp members to sneak in and see what was up. That's when he reencountered the boy whose head he meant to spill at the last Pillar meeting, as well as his two annoying buddies. Inosuke would had been satisfyingly flamboyant, if not for the fact that he was gross. The other whelp was named Zenitsu.

"You write that 'Zen' with the kanji for virtue?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?"

"Nothing," Tengen replied, never saying anything of it ever again. It didn't take long for him to notice that Zenitsu had ears on par with his own.

The boys managed to get in, and soon the plan went awry. Tengen's first encounter with an Upper Moon broke out, and that went awry in the most horrifically flamboyant of ways. Tengen found himself unconscious, needing to stop his heart to keep the demon poison from spreading, as it was many times more potent than any ninja or demon poison he encountered before. There was fire in the wreckage nearby, he'd be consumed if he doesn't move soon. In the odd space where consciousness was returning to him, his hearing reached into a deeper plain, where he could hear the most carnal thoughts pounding though the bodies of those around him.

Tanjiro was panicking.

No scent! No scent! Upper Moon Five--where did--but--no scent! No scent!!

Tengen could hear Upper Moon Six, in both bodies, but he couldn't hear any other demon. It gave off no sound. He struggled to look in Tanjiro's direction, and was stunned by the sight of a demon partway sticking out of the shadow Tanjiro has cast, guarding Upper Moon Six with a kunai stuck in his arm.

"Sakage!" growled Upper Moon Six. That is not the demon's name. "I don't need you here! Were you intruding on my thoughts?"

"I didn't need to. I heard the cacophony from ages away. You wouldn't had seen wisteria coming anyway."

Upper Moon Six looked to the kunai, while Tanjiro panicked that the poison had no effect on the newly arrived demon.

"Quit with all the fuss. I'd appreciate it if you hurry up and silence that Pillar over there," he turned his glance to Tengen. His eyes had writing in them, but that was Yogen. "I can't be bothered."

Yogen disappeared into the shadow as suddenly as he appeared, and Tanjiro fell forward with a stumble. He'd be a sitting duck like that, Tengen had to go save him, he pushed himself off the ground to--but--but his arm was missing--the scars were torn off-----

---

Yogen had been quick to learn some of the ins and outs of being a demon, but not all the finer details. He gathered from the surrounding demons' fear of the drum demon that the "Twelve Moons" were the most fearsome demons, closest to their progenitor, but didn't those other demons notice that the drum demon couldn't stomach humans as he ate them? That demon was weak, and Yogen wouldn't stand for it. He cut off his head.

It did not kill the demon, who screamed at him with the characters "Lower Six" in one of his eyes, but he shut up quick when Kibutsuji Muzan arrived. Despite warning Yogen that this was not how fights between demons were done and he should kill Yogen for acting without permission, Muzan smilingly decided to allow it, and instructed him to absorb the former Lower Moon Six and assume his role. Muzan did not care for how Yogen's name referenced sunlight, though. He renamed him Sakage on a whim.

Sakage went on to learn very quickly how to please Muzan, and how to climb the ranks. While not immune, he could resist wisteria poison, which Muzan was more than pleased to borrow from him and see how he could try to adopt it into his own cells. Sakage could move between connected shadows, and in spying on the Corp, he picked up on the hand signs the swordsmen used and quickly deciphered them, and openly reported so to the demons that outranked him. With hearing far more advanced that his brother's ever was, he listened to the information shared between crows, piecing apart their language to the best of his understanding.

Lower Moons Three and Two later, he used his spying abilities to identify his next target: Upper Moon Five.

Gyokko was startled by the challenge, and under Muzan's gaze, he could not refuse. Sakage made short work of him, and the other Moons all felt a chill. Akaza's chill was excitement.

Akaza wasted no time in chatting up the new Upper Moon, for Sakage likewise had a stated hatred for weaklings. While Sakage did find it a bit of a bother, especially since he knew he was a long way from ever being able to pose a real challenge to Akaza, he learned that the quickest way to stop Akaza from pestering him was to spar. Akaza loved to chit-chat even while sparring, though, and this became a useful way for Sakage to catch up on a hundred years of gossip about the other Upper Moons.

While it did feel they had somewhat of a friendship, one day they got on the topic of poison. "I hate people who use poison," said Akaza, between punches. "It's as cowardly and low as you can get."

Sakage, who could create a myriad of weapons from his cells as needed and always laced them in poison, was not offended, but disagreed. "I see no problem in being effective."

This gave Akaza pause, and an uncomfortable drop in his stomach. He excused himself, and bothered Sakage not so often after that.

Muzan was typically pleased with Sakage, which made Hantengu tremble that the ambitious demon had it out for him next. When Muzan was in a foul mood after Upper Moon Six's defeat, Sakage was likewise in a bad mood for the annoyance he encountered out there, someone who should had stayed hidden away instead of bearing free his inherently show-offy personality by joining the Demon Slayer Corp, especially since he was sure to have his ears set to the ground now for any new sign of him. He was certain Tengen witnessed him. But, for as much of an insult as it was to the Upper Moons that Gyutaro let him live, Tengen wouldn't be much of a threat anymore.

Still, Sakage knew to keep his cool. He had news to report, and he was certain of his deciphering. When he declared where the swordsmith village was located, Muzan had no doubts, and sent Hantengu alone. "Now why couldn't you find that, after all this time?" Muzan smirked to Nakime. She, not being of any rank, could merely apologize. Sakage took no pleasure or pride in looking better than a peer whom he knew he was stronger than. Muzan's mood could never be sustained for long, though, and he very soon frowned back to him. "You've brought no word of the blue spider lily."

"My apologies."

"Aren't ninja supposed to have knowledge of these things? Weren't you of a high ranking clan? Go back and order them to search."

And, at that moment, a dangerous thought escaped Sakage's inner filter, it leaked though to his mind at the same moment it leaked to Muzan's: But I can't show my face back there.

The way Muzan's face bent with disgust drove more terror into Sakage than when he was still a human and first encountered the demon lord. He felt certain of a swift death, but Muzan let him be. Sakage was still too useful. But, Sakage knew he'd have to crawl back to Muzan's graces by providing something of more use to him. He had to unveil a secret of more value.

Tengen, who remained active despite missing an eye and a hand, was present at an emergency Pillar meeting. Tokito and Kanroji were bandaged up, and they recounted how the swordsmith village was attacked by Upper Moon Four. With two Pillars and a few other reliable Corp members all working together they defeated him well before daybreak, but not before discovering an ancient ability known only as "the mark."

As he was now, Tengen knew he'd never attain this. What bothered him more was how the demons found the village, so hidden that he'd have to put his mind to it to have figured out where it was. He could had resorted to old tricks to figure it out, whether that be silently tracking the smiths after their deliveries or flirting with the Kakushi, but what recourse would a demon have had?

'I heard the cacophony----'

A demon may have had ears that rivaled his own, or were better!

Feeling sure of which demon it may had been, he set to thinking of what he would do next. If the demon moved in shadow, listening for the Corps' secrets, what would be a bigger target than the swordsmith village?

Oyakata-sama!

"Uzui-san, are you alright?" asked Himejima. "You seem quiet today."

"You look pale," added Kanroji.

"I'm jealous I won't get one of those flashy marks," he lief without flaw. "We all know I can't take any demons on like I used to. Maybe I don’t belong here."

"Uzui, what sort of talk is that?" Iguro looked to him with his flamboyant dichromatic eyes wide, and brows knit tight over them. "This isn't like you."

"I've got a different sort of mission to go on, I'll see myself out. You all stay here and keep each other company discussing this."

"Then I'll excuse myself here as well--"

"Not you, you've got no excuse," Uzui forced Tomioka back to a seated position by pressing on his head.

In conducting his own investigation, Tengen set his crow to work investigating from the sky. What the crow learned, tracing a few leaks and scolding the birds involved, was that their mid-air communications may had been what spoiled the secret location. This confirmed Tengen's suspicion about Yogen's hearing. He had a feeling about some other spoiled secrets too, and in following up with Corp members involved in previous mishaps, he concluded that the secret hand signals had been divulged.

(Read the conclusion reblog here.)

#please reblog from the conclusion post thx #tw blood #tw violence #tw cannibalism

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omgrachwrites · 4 years

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The Book of Love - Chapter Three

Pairing: Remus Lupin x Ravenclaw!Reader

Summary: After a breakup leaves you heartbroken and miserable, things start to change for the better when you begin exchanging notes in a library book with a mystery boy.

Warnings: fluff, mentions of sex, Jily being adorable

Words: 2285

A/N:Hope you guys enjoy this part! Please let me know what you think and let me know if you would like to be tagged! I love you all! xxx

Chapter Three

It was always a marvel to Remus how electrifying the atmosphere was in The Great Hall on the day of the first Quidditch match of the season. You could strike a match against the tension. All four houses put aside their inter-house unity and exchanged it for inter-house rivalry. Even Y/N and Sirius were rivals today because it was Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw. James walked into The Great Hall, hand in hand with Lily, on the outside he was the picture of confidence though Remus could see through his best mate’s mask and he knew that James was absolutely bricking it.

As soon as he sat down Sirius pushed a plate of toast and a goblet of pumpkin juice towards him, Sirius didn’t look nervous but then again, he never did, “you look peaky mate, you really do need to eat something.”

James merely shook his head and he looked like he was about to throw up and he pushed his glasses up his nose, “I’m not hungry,” he sighed, “Merlin, I don’t want to let the team and the whole house down,” he rubbed a hand over his face.

Lily rubbed his arm soothingly and kissed his cheek, “you won’t let them down sweetheart, you’ve had the team training night and day. You’ll be absolutely fine.”

“Uh oh, here comes trouble,” Sirius smirked and Remus glanced up, feeling his breath get stolen away. It was Y/N.

She was wearing a blue woolly jumper and she’d sprayed one half of her hair dark blue and the other a glistening silver colour. Y/N looked beautiful in that shade of blue, so beautiful that he had to say something, “so, I guess you won’t be supporting Gryffindor today then?” he smirked.

“Wow Remus, you’re so funny,” Y/N said drily but Remus could see the smile that was itching to make its way across her face, “but thank you,” she reached up and touched her hair, “you’re spunky this morning Remus,” she giggled as she sat next to him and stole a rasher of bacon from his plate.

Remus shrugged as he smirked, “just in a good mood is all.”

Y/N rolled her eyes playfully as she gave him a dazzling smile that Remus almost imagined was reserved just for him. Though, in a flash she turned away from him to speak to Peter and he knew that it was crazy to think she had a secret smile just for him.

When it was time for the team to leave for the changing rooms Lily pulled James into a good luck kiss so passionate that Remus and his friends all exchanged awkward glances, patches of pink on their cheeks. Remus wanted to be kissed like that. Just once.

Sirius let out a low whistle as he dragged a hand through his tangled hair, “damn, I need to get me one of those,” he smirked as he looked down the length of the table for someone that would meet his requirements. Peter scoffed with a scowl and Remus shook his head in amusement.

Suddenly, Remus felt warm soft lips against his cheek in a quick but sweet kiss. With blazing cheeks and butterflies in his stomach he turned to look at the girl who was sitting to the right side of him. Y/N was grinning at him mischievously and all Remus could do was raise a questioning eyebrow, the words temporarily stolen from his throat.

“I thought that you deserved a good luck kiss too,” she shrugged nonchalantly while Remus struggled to find his voice.

“But, I’m not even playing, and besides why would you want to give your rival a good luck kiss?” the place where Y/N had kissed him burned pleasantly and he ached to touch it.

“Oh come on Remus, I’m sure no one can be rivals with you for very long, you’re far too nice,” she laughed as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice, “and you’ll need luck because your poor team are going to be simply crushed by Ravenclaw.”

Remus rolled his eyes as he grinned, “wow well, thank you for your kiss, it was much appreciated,” he willed himself not to blush as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had to ask her, the worst that she could do was say no and even if she declined, Remus knew that she wouldn’t make him feel too bad about it, “would you like to walk down to the pitch with us?” he asked as he turned round to find Peter but he wasn’t there and Lily had gone down to the pitch with James, “with me?” he chuckled.

Y/N’s pretty eyes found the table and she smiled almost shyly when she looked back up at him, “I’d like that,” she nodded and Remus could have performed a happy dance, “but of course, I’ll have to sit with my team when the game is on. Lyra would surely disown me if I didn’t.”

“Understood,” Remus beamed as he threw up his hands in defence and they walked out of The Great Hall together. Remus was so happy for this time alone with Y/N that he missed the way that Lucius Malfoy’s eyes followed them, a scowl plastered on his face.

It was a cold but clear day and you could see right across the lack to the snow-capped mountains beyond that was usually shrouded in mist. The amber leaves of the trees in the forest made a gorgeous contrast beneath the white sky. Y/N made a little noise of delight as she took in the scenery and huddled further into her scarf.

“I love clear days like this, it makes me want to draw a landscape of it,” her voice was muffled slightly.

Remus looked at her with polite surprise on his face; he didn’t know that she liked to draw, “I didn’t know that you liked to draw Y/N.”

Y/N shrugged as she tucked a flyaway strand of her hair behind her ear and she rubbed her hands together, “yeah, I got into it over the summer because there are lots of beautiful landscapes where my grandmother lives. It’s not a big deal.”

“I think it’s wonderful,” Remus beamed at her.

“Thank you Remus, that means a lot,” she smiled gratefully.

They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the stands and they both came to a stop. Remus was reluctant to part from her and he selfishly hoped that she felt the same, “well, good luck Remus,” Y/N grinned making Remus chuckle.

“Thanks Y/N, you too.”

“Oh, my team won’t need it but thanks anyway,” she smiled cockily and she gave him a little wave as she went off to find her seat.

Remus was left feeling a little disappointed, he was almost hoping for another kiss but he supposed that he was lucky to even get the first kiss. The young man quickly shook himself out of it as he picked his way through the buzzing crowd and found an empty seat next to Lily. She smirked at Remus but she said nothing and he narrowed his eyes at her as she turned to face the pitch again.

As the two teams made their opening rounds of the pitch, the crowd whooped and cheered, and Remus caught a glimpse of Y/N through a cluster of blue and silver. He found himself smiling as she cheered for her team. For the majority of the game it was a very close match and the crowd were on the edge of their seats as they watched the game unfold before their eyes.

James saved some spectacular goals and it was clear that Gryffindor had benefited from their harsh training regime; they were on top form today. They were better than last year though Remus would never admit it to James, he valued his life.

As James saved his third amazing goal, Lily jumped up and screamed, “yes! That’s my boyfriend!”

Unfortunately, Ravenclaw’s defence was just as good as Gryffindors and for the first twenty minutes the score was 0-0 but the crowd seemed quite satisfied, though the same couldn’t be said for the players. Ravenclaw’s form began to falter and Gryffindor were able to score a few goals and the players zoomed around the pitch, seemingly gaining new heart.

The score was 90-30 before the Gryffindor seeker dived to catch the snitch and when the crowd realised that Gryffindor had won, the stadium was filled with ear splitting cheers and deafening boos in equal measure. Remus’ heart soared as he caught a glimpse of James’ face, he had been so worried but in the end he had led Gryffindor to victory.

“He is so getting laid tonight!” Lily yelled happily and Remus had the sneaking impression that James would be getting laid anyway.

As happy as Remus was for Gryffindor, he yearned to console Y/N.

---------------------------------------------

Excitement brewed in the pit of your stomach – it didn’t take much for you to get excited – as you tucked the Transfiguration book beneath your arm as you walked out of the library. On the first day of school when you realised that you had forgotten your textbook, you had sent a letter home so your parents could send it over.

Unfortunately, they took a week to send it over and by that time you were using the library textbook because for one you needed it and there was another reason. It was why you looked for the same book every time and why you kept on returning it. You had been communicating with a mysterious person – who you had recently found out was a boy and he was in your year – through the post it notes you had stuck on the pages. Sometimes you took the time to get to know each other but sometimes it was really random, like today.

‘Chocolate or sweets?’ at the end of his notes he always drew a little crescent moon.

You smiled down at the note as you scrawled a reply, ‘sweets, hands down. Especially sugar quills, I love eating them in potions! 7th year potions are such a drag!’ you doodled a likeness of Slughorn before you closed the book.

You looked into the hospital wing as you went past it and you stopped dead in the corridor. Sirius, James and Peter were all crowded around a bed and they were talking in such hushed voices that you were sure that someone must have been dying. Before you could think twice, your feet carried you into the room and you walked over to the boys and you saw with a jolt that it was Remus in the hospital bed, so that was why he hadn’t been in class today.

It didn’t look like he was particularly hurt, he just looked really tired and you called out before you could stop yourself. “Remus? Are you okay?”

All four boys looked at you in alarm and a muscle fluttered in Sirius’ jaw as he looked at you with hard eyes, he almost looked angry and protective. Remus offered you a smile as he sat up in bed and winced, “I’m fine Y/N, just feeling under the weather,” his voice was short and you almost shrank back.

“We’ll see you back in the common room, mate,” Sirius told him and Remus nodded, looking warily over at you. Sirius smiled tightly as he kissed the side of your head, “see you later.”

You bit your lip as you sat down on the seat next to his bed, “I’m sorry Remus, do you want me to go? I can if you want,” you stood up to leave and Remus stopped you with a gentle hand on your arm.

“No, Y/N, please don’t go. I’m sorry for being rude, why don’t you tell me what I’ve missed today?” he smiled.

You grinned back at him, watching a trickle of blood ooze from a cut on his head, you knew that he wasn’t telling you the whole story but you didn’t mind, you grabbed a clean cloth from his bedside and began to clean up the blood, “sorry,” you muttered as Remus winced, “and for the record, I don’t think that you were rude. So, what have you missed today?” you whispered to yourself, “well we were practicing our non-verbal spells in Defence Against the Dark Arts,” Remus groaned at your words, “and in potions we were brewing a potion that would change our appearance, you know for us mere mortals that can’t change it at will,” you rolled your eyes with a smile, “Peter accidentally blew up his cauldron and Lily spent the best part of an hour trying to change my hair back from green.”

Remus laughed as he fiddled with a couple of your strands, “I have to say Y/N, that I’m sure you would pull off green pretty well.”

You rolled your eyes at his handsome teasing grin, “thanks Remus,” you laughed. For a little while, the both of you just talked as you tried to get Remus’ mind off his illness and it was working pretty well until you noticed Madam Pomfrey looking over at you, “I should probably go before I get kicked out.”

Remus’ face fell but he nodded all the same, “okay Y/N. Thanks so much for staying with me, I’ll see you later.”

You nodded as you stroked some hair off his forehead, “you’re welcome Remus, I really hope you feel better soon,” you smiled as you got up. “Oh and Y/N?” Remus asked, causing you to turn around and smile at him, “see you in Hogsmeade on Saturday?”

There was a funny fluttery feeling in your stomach that weren’t quite butterflies, “looking forward to it.”

-------------------------------------------------

@hp-imagines-07 @smiithys @pregnant-piggy @unexpectedurl @siriusblackspam @elayneblack @reylo-hope

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ughgclden · 3 years

Note

ahhh congrats on 900 lovely!! may i get a 🎞 for dps or hp pls? i have ~wavy~ shoulder length dark brown hair and i do that annoying little thing where you put on blush to make it look like a sunburn, that mainly covers my freckles. cher horowitz & jackie burkhart are the blueprint when i dress and sometimes my friends make fun of me and call me the pink character :/ i’m passionate about musical theatre, and go to a performing arts school for such and such reason. i also really enjoy baking, doodling, archery. my personality could be described as very warm mom friend who holds ur hand when we cross the street, and worries about you after school type beat. lily evans kinnie :( i’m very loyal, and opinionated and i can be stubborn at times ( all the time babe :( ) thank you so much, and congrats again on a very well deserved 900!!! 💕

ahh thanks so so much lovely !!! of course,, i'll do both bcos i'm a fiend and love writing these things - i hope u like them !!! thanks sm for sending something in <333 i apologise about how long this is - i started writing the dps one completely forgetting i was also doing the hp one,, i have no impulse control

if you were in dead poets society..

i think the first poet you'd meet would be neil! as you're extremely passionate for musical theatre and have a talent for the performing arts, it's not surprising when you end up in a production with him. thanks to your warm personality and neil's extroverted nature and desire to make friends, it doesn't take long for you both to become friendly. he really appreciates your support and help, due to his problems with his dad and such, and thinks you give the most perfect advice. by opening night, you guys are great friends, and he's told you all about the poets who are coming along to watch him and how they'll love you. and he was definitely right, because when mr todd anderson spots you on stage, the lights hitting you just right to where you look like you're glowing, acting like it's second nature to you, his mind goes into overdrive.

after the show, he nervously asks neil about you, trying to act casual, but neil can read him like a book and instantly realises that he has a crush. he invites you over to meet his friends, paying a little extra attention to todd when he introduces the two of you. because he's a devil, he proposes that the poets and you and your friends who've come to support you all go out together - there's a local diner not too far from here that you could all head to at the weekend. everyone thinks this is a great idea, and todd is ready to kill neil. so when the weekend rolls around and you show up, he thinks you're the prettiest person he's seen, the blush on your nose adding to your overall angelic look.

it goes without saying that charlie LOVES your outfits so much - he thinks you have incredible style, and will compliment at least one of your clothing items each and every time he sees you. he will be your main hype man okay. he also definitely wants to do archery with you, because he thinks it's so so badass and he won't turn down an opportunity to add to his self proclaimed coolness.

i also think you'd get on so well with pitts - mom friends stick together, and pitts is definitely a mom friend. you're both the impulse control from the poets, having to convince charlie or knox that their 'genius' ideas are not that genius at all. the fact that you're super loyal is something all of the poets admire - they know they've found a good friend in you, and can always rely on you if they need to.

and when they find out you can bake? oh god, it's chaos. with this new found knowledge, they now desperately want to bake with you and you and pitts have to try and wrangle these overly excited boys so you can make something actually edible.

if you were in harry potter...

again, thanks to your warm nature, people are just drawn to you, so i think you'd get on well with practically everyone at hogwarts. you'd definitely be approached by a lot of the younger students who are nervous or lost, as you look approachable and kind, not intimidating like other students who tower over them and push them in the corridors.

i think you'd be closest to ginny, neville and luna. luna thinks your hair is super pretty, and is constantly placing flowers in it, sometimes even braiding them into the strands if she has time. you and ginny are both stubborn, loyal and opinionated, so you get on extremely well on that front, both enjoying sticking by your friends and standing up for yourself and what you think is right. neville loves seeing your doodles, please slide some towards him during class, it makes them more bearable for him. i can also see you being good friends with angelina johnson!

due to your friendship with angelina, it isn't long before a certain red-head starts catching feelings for you. it's george, i'm talking about george. listen, he just thinks you're super sweet, and he adores your fashion and freckles. plus, with your mom friend attitude and general care for people, how could he not begin falling for you?

BUT if we're talking the marauders era, it's only fitting you're best friends with lily, marlene, dorcas and mary. oh my god, you'd be the most iconic friendship group that everyone else would be jealous of. i'm talking late night karaoke sessions, a silencing charm cast on your dorm to avoid waking up your fellow classmates. there'd be so many hogsmeade outings, wandering around all of the different shops and just enjoying being in each other's company.

i definitely think remus would have the biggest crush on you. he isn't really sure when it started. he just remembers waking up one day with the knowledge that he likes you, and that was that. he'd be a bit apprehensive to make a move, not knowing if you reciprocate his feelings. but if you show any indication? he's jumping at the chance to ask you out

i hope these were okay babe!! like i said, im so sorry about how long they got, i've had a lot of coffee and i'm a menace when it comes to these things- but i truly hope you like them !!! thanks for sending something in, i adore your blog and the fact we're mutuals is mind-blowing <33

#ughgclden's 900 follower celebration

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dl4draws · 4 years

Note

hi there!

lil' preface so i don't come off as a weirdo: i'm somewhat new to tumblr shenanigans™ so idk if it's just normal that awesome writers and artists share a bit of their progress for creating something, but you're the only blog i've witnessed doing it so you're getting this ask.

i absolutely love it here. getting to listen to (or read about?) someone's projects in the works feels like such an awesome thing! you're sharing this passion of yours with us and letting us experience this joy with you?? you're letting us see little doodles and headcanons and even a playlisy?? OMG

again, idk if that's normal on here but to me (someone who does everything on their own because who would care about my silly little craft?) this is absolute pure generosity and kindness on your part and i will never not praise that. i can't really put into words what i'm trying to say here because as much as i love the english language, it's not my first language and i just don't know how to express this properly. i guess what i want to say is thank you? thank you for all the happiness you share, thank you for letting us come on this journey with you and thank you for talking about your passion. that's a scary thing to do but whenever i see someone doing that i will 100% always sit there and listen to them talk about something they care about a lot (even if i don't understand a single thing about the topic) and try to interact and let them know that someone always cares about their thoughts and projects, even if it's just a stranger on the internet, because i know what it's like to run against a wall of indifference and i don't want anyone to feel like that.

keep talking about things that bring you joy and keep sharing them, someone's always going to support you and cheer you on and get excited with you!

this got a lot longer than i wanted it to be but my point is you're amazing and keep doing what you do, no matter how much you want to share of it or how long it takes! there's always going to be support and someone who appreciates you and your work.

idk if this should be anon or not because i don't want to seem so incredibly weird and out of place with my long stupid ask here-- this feels so uncalled for

take this virtual hug

hi hi hi good morning, I am throwing my reputation away and say I’m about to cry

Okay so I’m answering this bit by bit! I don’t think it’s that rare to see a content creator share stuff about their writing/art! At least with the people I’ve surrounded myself, there’s always sneaky posts here, reblogs with tags and stuff about their characters! It’s always so much fun to see those, see people share little details about their work is always fascinating to me! Personally I adore sharing the process because I am having Too Much fun and being extremely chaotic and I think it’s cool to share me having only half a braincell with you all lol

I’m so glad you like it here in my little corner of tumblr!!! I’m not an oversharer in any aspect of my life usually but with aus i go full beast mode and start talking and good luck shutting me up lmao as of right now I don’t really have time for full drawings (which is exactly why the hanahaki au isn’t already finished). Getting to doodle for this au has helped me with wanting to draw but not being exactly able to, and with getting stuff off my mind! I’m not very forgetful but with ideas I usually think about them, have a Good Laugh tm, proceed to think about it for half an hour and then forget about it, unless I scream about it to someone (or just make a post and announce it to you all).

One thing u might not know about me is that I make playlists for everything. If u go through my spotify playlist you’ll see many playlist, but I have so many secret ones bakshssk making a playlist for an au or for a fic (sometimes I make playlists for fics I read!)

I absolutely adore hearing about everyone’s ideas, like you said, listening to someone talk about something they’re passionate about is always so fascinating!! And it makes me so happy to see that someone trusts me enough to open their mind and share their ideas with me, even if (again like you said) I understand nothing of the topic! Honestly I am extremely thankful for you, and everyone who has ever interacted with me or my silly ideas. It hypes me up so much to see you all liking and sending me stuff about it (every time I get a random ask about something I said, or a headcanon or anything 25 years are added to my life ngl). I never thought people would enjoy my aus, be it the hanahaki one or the street racing one (or the beauty and the beast one!!!) You guys really are amazing!! And I totally get what you mean with running with a wall of indifference, I’ve been there and it’s not fun, but I’ve learned who to share with and who not to share with, and that’s okay (for me). I’m not a very good talker but I’ve been told I’m good listener, so if anyone ever has any problems, anything they’d like to talk about please never hesitate on sending me an ask or a message!! (zukka wingfic anon I’m still thinking about you)

Nooooo, please I didn’t find this weird at all!!!! I actually feel so flattered I haven’t been able to stop smiling :D it makes me so happy to see you enjoy my silly content, and that makes me want to create more of it!!!

I hope you have a wonderful day/night, and know that I’ll be thinking about this all month hakahaksb

#thank you so much for taking the time to send this #it truly makes me so very happy to see people enjoy what I do #call it doodles call it little silly hc #i haven’t been this happy in a while and it’s starting to show in my everyday life #making content for u all is making me so incredibly happy #thank you so so so much #really #batcavewitch #🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 4 years

Text

with you [chapter four]

Summary: Clementine pops the question, Louis has nightmares, Violet can’t let go of the past, Mitch doesn’t know how to handle gross feelings, Ruby’s a goddamn sweetheart, Willy doesn’t ever remember to knock, Aasim can’t dance, and James is here, too.

Nothing like a wedding to bring this family together.

Note: tbh working on this story at night is the only thing holding my sanity together while I’m taking care of my grams. But also this chapter was a huge pain in the ass to fix and I’m 0.02 seconds away from punching a hole in the wall. But it’s fine because it’s finished and I ran all the way home just to quickly post this.

Anyway, thank you for reading and your constant support. It truly means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy ch4. ❤️

Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4

Read on: AO3

---

The page remains blank.

No matter how much Violet wills the pen to move on its own, to put all thoughts both known and unconscious to paper, it remains beside the open notebook. As outrageous as it sounds, a small part of her hopes one day the pen will magically come to life and solve all of her problems with its problem-solving ink. Then everything will be okay.

Though she has a feeling the walkers will go extinct before her pen develops a sentient personality or therapeutic skills.

And she’ll be dead by then, so it wouldn’t matter anyway.

“It helps if you pick up the pen,” Aasim said, not bothering to look up from his own work. “Just saying.”

She knows even by his deadpan tone that he’s trying to joke with her, even if he’s not good at it. Laying bait for her to bite back with a sarcastic remark of her own.

“But then I’d actually have to write something down.”

“Oh no,” Aasim smirks, paying her a brief glance. “Effort.”

That cracks a small smile out of her, and for a fleeting moment, they’re smiling at each other as if that’s a normal thing. It’s hard to maintain that connection, so damn hard, so Violet hides her smile from him by turning away to look towards the gates.

The very same gates that Clementine, AJ, and Rosie pass through. Back from patrol, if she overheard correctly. Even from a distance, Violet can see the delighted grin Clementine wears, a grin only matched by AJ’s. Far brighter than Violet’s.

AJ hugs her tightly before breaking away and bolting towards Louis, James, and Tenn. Clementine remains, though, arms folded over her chest as she watches the group of boys with such fondness that it damn near makes Violet want to scream.

Shit, just…. Shit .

“Hey,” Aasim reaches over, tapping on the blank page of her journal with his own worn-out pen to grab her attention. “Lucy had her babies this morning. Seven of them. Well, eight, but one of them didn’t make it.”

Violet tears her glare away from Clementine to instead glare at Aasim.

“Who the hell is Lucy?”

“One of the pregnant rabbits, remember? Not the one that had babies last week, the other one.”

“We’re still naming them?” Violet asks. Aasim made it very clear that no names were to be used when they started up the rabbit farm by the greenhouse.

“They’re food, not pets. No names. No attachments.”

That didn’t last long.

“ I didn’t name her,” Aasim corrects. “Willy did, even though I’ve told him again and again not to. Now when it comes time for us to put Lucy down, he’s not going to talk to me for another two weeks, as if I’m the only one at fault. Remember Albert?”

“Ah, Prince Albert,” Violet nods. “He sure was delicious.”

Everyone agreed that the lovely Prince Albert was one of the handsomest rabbits they had with his snow white fur offset by brown feet and ears. They also agreed that he made one of the best rabbit stews Omar’s ever created.

Including Willy. That is until Omar offered him one of Prince Albert’s lucky feet and Willy realized just who he had consumed.

The boy didn’t speak to Aasim or Omar for a week, but Violet believes that he still carries around one of Prince Albert’s feet for good luck, despite everything.

“Yeah, anyway, did you want to come with me to check on them? Ruby’s out there now. Maybe you could stay with her and help out?”

Violet scoffs.

“Look, I’ll take your night shift, too,” Aasim adds. “That way you don’t spend all day out there and then have to do a night shift.”

“I like having the night shift.”

“Every night?”

“Sure.”

“Well,” Aasim taps his pen against the table, thinking loudly to himself. “I’m giving you the night off anyway. Ruby would appreciate your company.”

Oh, would she, now…?

It’s not that Violet minds Ruby. She’s the only girl Violet has left to talk to at this place- the only girl she’s willing to talk to, actually.

Violet would say that she enjoys evenings spent with Ruby… most of the time.

The problem with talking to or spending time with Ruby is she’s a lot. Not in the same way Louis is, but more in an overbearing mother sort of way. Always asking her how she’s feeling, asking about her day, if there’s anything she can do to help Violet out or if she wants to do this or that. She’s far too pushy sometimes, especially when it comes to shit she doesn’t understand.

“Clem’s tryin’, Vi.”

As if Ruby has all the answers to make her happy. She always makes it sound so damn easy.

“Why can’t ya just talk to each other?”

The problem is that Ruby tries to take care of everyone so that she doesn’t have to think about how to make herself happy. Why focus on your problems when you can bury your pains and wishes beneath fairy tales and other people’s problems?

At least, that’s Violet’s assumption.

Maybe Ruby is happy.

Maybe Violet just wishes she wasn’t.

Fucking hell.

Just when she thought she couldn’t be any more fucked...

“My company or yours?” Violet mumbles, finally picking up her pen, putting it to paper.

“What? My company- oh, I see.” Aasim rolls his eyes, dropping his pen in the book before shutting it. “Ha ha, very funny. I get it.”

Violet nearly rolls her eyes, too. Speaking of those who don’t bother with their own shit-

“I was thinking that it’d be good for you to go out there and help her, that’s all,” Aasim says, tucking his notebook under his arm and standing from the table. He means to walk away on that annoying note but hesitates. Then, lowering his voice to one of disquiet, he says, “I’m worried about you. So is everyone else.”

“I’m fine, Aasim.”

“...Right,” he sighs heavily. “Please go help Ruby with the rabbits. I’m only going to be there for a little bit before heading out to check the traps with Louis, and she could really use the help. Please?”

“Fine.”

Aasim lingers, shifting his weight as he gives her a chance to say something more, a chance she refuses.

“Thank you.”

With that, he’s walking away, leaving her by herself to finish a doodle of a pen with curly hair and fire for eyes with a speech bubble.

“Why are ya still here?”

---

“Is my neck supposed to feel this stiff?”

“Yes. It’s a sign of a good, unmoving model.”

“Well, good to hear that my career is off to a good start.”

Louis is still sitting there at the table, cracking jokes and trying his best not to move while James and Tenn draw. James points to various parts of Louis’ face before motioning to Tenn’s paper, something that brings a grin to Clementine’s face.

“Don’t worry, Clem,” says AJ as he hugs her. “I won’t say anything. Can I go draw now?”

“Have fun, kiddo.”

She can safely leave AJ to catch up on art lessons with James. He promised her he wouldn’t breathe a word of this to anyone- even Tenn- until she had everything all planned out.

Now that Mitch has the measurements, the ring is- hopefully- being taken care of, so all that leaves is how she plans on doing this. Several lingering thoughts follow her as she spends most of the day helping around the school, doing usual repairs to the gate and their walls.

She would’ve checked on Lucy and the other rabbits, but Aasim warned her that Violet was there with Ruby and Louis. She almost pushed him aside and went in anyway, but damn it, she knows better by this point.

Instead, she and AJ help Omar clean out the fire pit and gather fresh wood, briefly considering letting him in on her intentions. Omar’s a trustworthy friend and while she appreciates his opinion, she decides against telling anyone else until she has the ring. She’s found that battling her eagerness to be growing more difficult with every passing day.

So much so that she also considers asking about the progress on said ring when she finds Mitch and James near the library’s entrance, speaking in hushed whispers that she couldn’t make out. All talk stopped when she approached them, and began again when Mitch became snappy with her before dragging James away.

Odd, and not boding well for her, but she firmly believes that if there were any issues she should know about, Mitch would tell her.

When the sky finally turns a lovely mixture of pink and orange, AJ gives her a hug goodnight before making his way over to Tenn’s room for another sleepover.

Before retiring to her dorm for the night, Clementine pokes her head into the music room to find it empty. A slight disappointment falls over her as she hoped Louis would be up for some piano lessons, but that dissipates when she finds Louis kneeling on AJ’s desk with a roll of duct tape hanging from his mouth when she walks in, a stack of drawings placed beside him. He’s taping up one of the portraits of himself on the wall.

“Ey!” He waves at her before spitting the tape out. “Look at these!” He hops off the desk and points at the one he just hung up. “That’s the one James drew. Charming, isn’t it?”

The amount of detail in the portrait is startling, a fully shaded-in head portrait of Louis that seemingly stares right at her. Even the little details, like his freckles and the scar on his chin, are noticeable.

“It’s way weirder than I thought it’d be,” he says, “having someone stare and dissect every part of your face. Did you know I have a very angular jawline?” He tilts his head up to prove his point. “And James said I have a nice eye shape.”

“He did do you justice,” she says, still admiring the picture. “Very handsome.”

His chuckle comes out loud and anxious, not having expected her to say that.

“Hah, yeah, except,” then Louis pushes his jacket back to place his hands on his hips, “uhm, do you think my nose is big?”

“What?”

“James said I have a wider nose. He drew it bigger than it actually is, right?”

“You have a very cute nose.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Clementine giggles. “Your nose is perfectly fine, Louis.”

He eyes the portrait, still uncertain, only to then gasp as if just remembering something.

“Oh, wait though, ready for this?” He searches through the pile before plucking the one he wants out. “ This is the one Tenn drew.” He proudly holds it up.

She can’t say she’s not impressed. It’s nowhere near as proportional or advanced as James’, but Clementine can see the effort and charm within the lines. Definitely Tenn’s work.

“Wow,” Clementine smirks, nudging him. “I see it now. James is right, you do have a big nose.”

“ Hey ,” Louis reaches up and playfully pinches her nose, “big talk from little button nose over here.” Louis sticks Tenn’s portrait on the wall, next to James’. “There! We’re getting quite the art gallery.”

“One’s missing, though.” Clementine grabs Louis’ picture of Rosie off the desk and tapes it up with the others.

“Seriously?” he asks sheepishly.

“Oh yeah. We’re never taking that one down.”

“Terrific.”

Louis continues to look through the rest of the drawings. He hums to himself lightly, a tune she recognizes. He sticks more drawings on the wall; ones that AJ drew of him and Tenn, one he drew of Disco Broccoli.

He pauses when he comes across the one of AJ, Clementine, and him. The one with the beach ball. He smiles fondly at it before sticking it up there with the rest.

She sits on AJ’s bed, leaning against the frame to close her eyes and listen to his cheerful humming.

One of the few things she loves in this world is the comfort she has when he’s around.

It’s a comfort she never thought she’d find again. Before Ericson, she and AJ never had time for comfortable peace. When it was just them, there was always that lurking feeling, that bitterness, that lingered in her thoughts.

Now, they have a place they call home.

Clementine can’t imagine where they would’ve ended up had she not crashed the car. They’d still be out in the world, scavenging every little bit they could to survive. They never would’ve met the people she now considered family.

She and Louis would’ve never met, where she and AJ never met anyone at Ericson.

That’s a really shitty thing to think about.

Finding this place, their home, was the best thing that happened to them. Meeting everyone here- Louis, Violet, Mitch, Ruby, Aasim, everyone - has done so much for them. For years, she worried about her and AJ, about always being on the road in a car that constantly ran on fumes, about running across assholes who wanted to hurt them, about the dead finally getting the best of them. Nowhere to go, no direction. A neverending search.

She sneaks a glance at Louis. He has no idea.

He finishes up, shoving the duct tape in a drawer. Leaning against the desk with arms crossed over his chest, he looks at her with a tired grin, but says nothing.

She raises a brow.

“What?”

He shrugs.

It’s like the weariness of their previous night has caught up to him, like something triggered a sinking reality that weighs him down. The shadows along his face from the setting light do nothing to hide the sadness betraying his eyes.

She slowly approaches him and reaches out to grab his hand, tugging him closer to her.

“Hey,” she murmurs.

“Hey.”

“You feeling any better?”

“Of course.”

“Really?” Clementine locks their fingers together. “It’s been a long time since you’ve had one that bad.”

He keeps his stare focused on their hands. “...It wasn’t that bad.”

“Louis.”

“Clementine.”

“It was about that woman, wasn’t it?”

He says nothing, but she can see the answer clear in his eyes.

Yes, Clem, you know it was. It always is.

The first and only living person Louis ever personally killed, and it was purely accidental. It frustrates her that it still haunts him, and even more so that it’ll always haunt him. Even when he expressed the relief of “having it in him” to protect those he loves, there’s always a suffocating weight that comes with the first. If anyone knew that, it’s Clementine.

That kind of guilt, no matter how irrational, never stops.

“Dorian.”

“Hm?”

Louis closes his eyes and leans forward to press his forehead to hers.

“Her name was Dorian.”

“Lou-”

“I know.” He pulls back, forcing a smile. “I know.”

His gaze falls on her nose. He pinches it again.

“I don’t wanna talk about it right now. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” she smiles sincerely. “Just… want to make sure you’re alright.”

“You don’t have to worry about me so much, Clem. There are more important ways to spend your time.”

More important?

She supposes that’s a good way to put it.

“Y’know, I was thinking about what you said this morning,” Clementine smiles. “AJ’s having another sleepover with Tenn tonight, so we have the whole room to ourselves.”

Louis raises a brow, a slow smirk spreading across his lips.

“Wanna build a pillow fort?”

“You read my mind.”

Without any hesitation, she kisses him. It’s a quick, soft, comforting peck that catches him off guard.

Another kiss to his lips, and then another. Clementine holds onto the nape of his neck and moves to his chin, his cheek, placing soft, intimate kisses against his warm skin.

He looks at her with lidded eyes before his hands caress her cheeks, his thumb brushing just below her eye.

He kisses her, eager for every press of her mouth. He doesn’t stop kissing her, even when she tightens her grip on his jacket and pulls him back with her. The desk hits her hip and he’s quick to lift her up onto the surface, almost knocking over her venus fly trap plant.

A pleased sigh escapes her lungs as she desperately moves to his jaw, down his neck. Her hands move beneath his jacket, trailing down to the hem of his shirt before bunching the material up. His skin is warm. His breathing is quick, shallow.

“Clem! Clem!”

Louis yanks back, their lips parting quickly with a loud smack as she nearly topples over from the force of him ripping away.

The bedroom door slams open and in barges Willy.

She’s disoriented, lightheaded, blinking rapidly and frantically searching for any sign of danger. All she finds is Louis, who’s now over at AJ’s desk, humming incredibly loud, and Willy hurrying in with a triumphant smile.

“Clem, guess wha-!” The second he sees Louis, he stops and gasps. “Oh no!”

“Oh, look, darling!” Louis stops pretending to look at the pictures and glares at the young boy. “It’s Willy, the boy who doesn’t know how to knock! Nice of you to pop in unannounced this late in the evening !”

Willy’s face flushes a scarlet red as his gaze darts between the two, falling down to Louis’ shirt, which remains lifted to reveal part of his stomach.

Louis yanks the material down, fake coughing.

Willy’s face is reminiscent of a fresh tomato at this point. It seems that even he got the sense of what was happening before he ran in.

Clementine slips down from the desk and tries to casually straighten out her own jacket and adjust her hat with an unfazed face, even though she’s positive that her skin is blotchy and red, too.

“I’m sorry!” Willy blurts out, covering his eyes. “I didn’t see anything! I’ll knock next time! I swear!”

“Uh-huh,” Louis frowns. “Said that last time, didn’t you?”

Now she’s not sure who’s redder, her or Willy.

“Willy, what do you want?’ Clementine sighs. She composes herself and approaches the boy.

His eyes went to Louis before meeting hers. That’s all she needs.

“Is it Mitch?”

Willy nods.

Clementine’s heart flutters. Choosing her words carefully, she asks, “Is he done?”

Willy nods once more.

“Done with what?” Louis asks.

“Uh-”

“Watch,” Clementine interrupts. “I completely forgot that I have watch.”

“Seriously?” Louis asks, confused. “Wait, I thought Ruby had watch tonight.”

“I switched her,” she lies, moving towards Willy and adding, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Willy leaves without another word, staring down at the floor. Clementine holds back an annoyed sigh. The previous mood is completely gone and now she’s made a mess of lies that she’s gotta detangle before Louis gets suspicious.

Damn it, Willy.

Couldn’t have waited until morning.

Louis gives a thoughtful frown.

“I’m a little worried about him,” he says, “about Mitch, I mean.”

“Oh, uh, really?”

"Something weird’s going on with him,” Louis nods. “He’s been down in the basement every day for the past week and- ...Well, I went to check on him this morning before breakfast.”

Panic shoots through her stomach and into her heart.

Louis pauses, unsure if he should continue.

“And?” Clementine presses.

“...Well, when I tried going down the stairs, I think- well, it was probably nothing. I probably didn’t see what I thought I saw because I could’ve sworn I saw James down there, too-”

Clementine’s stomach drops.

“-and I don’t know what they were doing but before I could even get down the stairs, Mitch threw a shoe at me.”

“A shoe?”

Oh, goddamn it, Mitch-

“Yeah, right at my face! He about hit me in my big nose!”

Clementine rolls her eyes. “Again with the nose thing?”

“I’ve accepted its abnormally monstrous size,” he says. “Anyway, then I saw him again on my way to the greenhouse and he wouldn’t even look at me. Not that he’s one for conversation or anything, but it’s like… I don’t know. It felt weird. I don’t know what he’s doing down in the basement or what they’re doing if that really was James I saw. I’m not sure I want to know.”

“I’m sure it was nothing.”

“Probably… I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone shout ‘no!’ and ‘out!’ that many times in a ten-second time frame before hurling shoes at me. It was pretty terrifying.”

“Mitch is…” Clementine’s at a loss. While she’s thankful for Mitch’s ability to think on his feet so quickly, she wasn’t sure if she approved of the shoe method. “...Hard to understand sometimes, and he and James are friends so it’s not that weird that they’re hanging out together.”

Louis considers this, though she can tell he’s not completely convinced.

“...Do you think they’re… I mean, it’s none of my business but if there was something going on between them-”

Oh boy.

Louis then shakes his head, changing his mind.

“Y’know what? I’m sure it was nothing.”

She sighs. So much for not making Louis suspicious of anything. Then again, maybe this is her fault. She did tell James that Mitch was working on fixing the ring, and she should’ve known that would lead to him trying to help.

“He’s working on a project,” she says lamely. “He probably wants a second opinion on it from James. ”

“A bomb project? I didn’t think James was a fan of explosions.”

“Firecrackers work as a great distraction for the walkers,” says Clementine, which isn’t a total lie. Mitch brought up the suggestion to James a while ago. They spent a long time discussing the idea if she remembers correctly.

Well, better not let sweet Ruby know,” Louis says. “She’s still got a personal grudge towards Mitch’s bombs ever since that thing in the greenhouse, you know.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” she smirks. “ ‘A bomb? I will whip his ass!’ ”

Her Ruby impression gets a chuckle out of him. “Hope he knows a shoe won’t be enough to stop her. If anything, that’s just provoking the beast.”

“He’ll have to learn that for himself,” she smiles. Clementine approaches him again, fixing the collar of his jacket and apologizing, “Sorry I can't stay and help you build an amazing, comfortable pillow fort. Will you be okay?”

“Don’t worry about me, darling.” He grabs her hand and kisses her cheek. “We can always build a pillow fort another night, or, uhm, finish what we started. Maybe I’ll go tickle the ivories for a while before bed, so if I don’t see you before your finished or if I’m not awake, goodnight and stay warm.”

She gives him a long kiss goodbye before she leaves.

One the door’s shut, she takes a moment to take a deep breath.

Her face still feels warm after all the excitement. She’s still a little annoyed at the interruption, but if she’s right about what Willy was trying to imply, then she has to hurry. She can only hope that Mitch found a way to fix the ring.

The wait is starting to make her anxious.

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grapefruitsketches · 4 years

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Untamed Spring Fest 2020 - Day 3: Flush

Quick note: I’m currently setting up my AO3 page (GrapefruitSketches) where I will also be posting all of these little fics!

1,175 Words, Modern AU - University; Wei Wuxian-centric; Supportive Lan Xichen

Wei Wuxian had never been one to put too much stock, or effort, in getting good grades. He had always done very well up all the way through high school, though, to the great annoyance of his younger brother. Undergrad though, up until his fourth and final year, had been a different story. He had had to shrug off a more than occasional “I expect better from someone of your talents, B-“ or “Please come see me, D+.” He wasn’t afraid to take risks in his answers, and actively tried to avoid the textbook answer where he could help it. He wanted to figure out new ways to help people, to solve mysteries no one had even thought to investigate, and learn about secrets that few understood. It was just this kind of curiosity and out of the box thinking that drew him to a biology degree. So far, however, it hadn’t quite worked out as planned.

It wasn’t that he found his science classes particularly hard, just deeply unmotivating. Why should he bother memorizing the name of every muscle in the body? He was sure he would pick it up over time if he needed to know, and besides, didn’t it matter more to know how things worked than what they were called? His grades were disappointing, and there were a few times he felt lucky just to have passed, but he just had better things to do than review cue cards.

He liked being on campus otherwise: the chance to meet new people, to join new clubs and generally having the chance to learn from people and disciplines he had never been exposed to before. His friends didn’t quite seem to get the problem. Wen Qing tried to help him study, but got frustrated after he asked too many questions that were outside the scope of the syllabus. When Wei Wuxian moaned and complained that he might fail an upcoming organic chemistry exam, Jiang Cheng, who was a year below him and in a political sciences degree, just shrugged and asked whether he meant fail-fail or Wei Wuxian-fail? Wei Wuxian hadn’t had the heart to answer that not only was it the former, but that the difference between those two kinds of fails was quickly narrowing. Jiang Yanli, who was a year into her philosophy PhD, had simply given her brother a hug and assured him that grades weren’t everything.

Only one comment had even given him pause. He had run into his orientation leader, Xiao Xingchen, at the library café last term. Xingchen had asked if Wei Wuxian was happy in biology so far. Was he happy generally? Maybe. With his degree? Not currently. Was he going to say that to Xiao Xingchen who he barely knew but who seemed extremely happy in his Master’s biology program? Absolutely not. Wei Wuxian had reached his final year, and besides the bare minimum of two 4th year biology courses he needed to complete his major, Wei Wuxian had almost entirely invested in humanities courses that Nie Huaisang had told him he would enjoy, and more importantly, pass. He would be out of here after April, and that was all that mattered. What came next? Who knew, but he would get the piece of paper he came here for.

It was with a familiar sense of resigned dread that Wei Wuxian sat in his seat in his third-year level poetry seminar, spying the pile of graded papers in Lan Xichen’s, his TA’s, hands. Wei Wuxian had taken this section of the course specifically because Nie Huaisang had said that Lan Xichen never failed his students. He was a hard grader, to be sure. He only rarely gave As, if ever, but he also never gave Fs. Knowing that he basically couldn’t fail had been enough to draw Wei Wuxian’s attention and convince him to enroll.

He doodled aimlessly in his notebook, not even pausing to glance at the graded paper as it was placed, face down, on his desk. He didn’t really need to know what he had gotten, at least not while any reaction to it could be seen by anyone else in the room. It was only the lingering shadow of his TA, looming over his desk, which made him put his pencil down. That bad then? He had actually enjoyed reading the poems, but had only vaguely skimmed the various academic interpretations that had been assigned. He just didn’t find any of them all that compelling. He looked up and caught his TA’s eye. He was met by a patient, but surprisingly not disappointed, smile on Lan Xichen’s face. His TA glanced down at the paper and then back at Wei Wuxian encouragingly. Wei Wuxian frowned, confused, but sighed and turned the paper over.

“Not the way I would have read it, but very insightful! A+”

Not the way I would have read it, but very insightful! A+

Wei Wuxian looked up towards Lan Xichen, feeling a familiar rush of heat to his cheeks, for none of the familiar reasons. An A+? So it wasn’t shame in anticipation of sharing the grade with friends or family. Very insightful? Then it wasn’t frustration at well-intentioned hypotheses or questions being misunderstood. It wasn’t even exhilaration at a joke pulled off to perfection. He looked to his TA in disbelief, defaulting back to his most casual and teasing tone, “Ah, Xichen, I think you’re losing your touch, I was always told you were tough.”

“I’m sorry that you’re planning on leaving after this year, Wei Wuxian,” Lan Xichen smiled softly, “Based on this work, I’m sure my brother Wangji would have greatly enjoyed comparing notes with you next year as Master’s students. I still hope maybe I can change your mind. You have a unique way of looking at things, but you made me think, and that’s never a bad thing.”

Wei Wuxian laughed this off, “Thanks, but no one would want someone with my grades and study habits in a Master’s program.”

Lan Xichen’s expression softened, “I wouldn’t worry about that too much. If you keep this up, I would be more than willing to get my supervising professor to put in a good word for you, especially if you can fit some more English department courses in next term.”

Wei Wuxian felt the reddening of his cheeks deepen. This was…it was not pride exactly, that made his face burn, but a feeling, foreign to him so far in his university career, of not just acceptance but… but… appreciation?

It was a feeling Wei Wuxian had lost any reason to expect, but as he looked at the comment written neatly at the top of the page, even though it had taken until his last year to see such a thing, it brought just a touch of hope back to him. Perhaps there was more to this university thing after all.

Maybe, just maybe…

After class, Wei Wuxian approached his TA’s desk. Heart racing and acting on pure impulse, he asked “So, it’s not too late to apply for a Master’s?”

#untamed spring fest #the untamed #mdzs #wei wuxian #lan xichen #shout out to the genuinely amazing teachers and profs who I almost directly quote in the second half of this #Jyl is right as always but wwx wants some positive feedback from someone more impartial #Also shoutout to lxc who will find a way to get wwx and lwj together in any lifetime #reposting because the tags weren't working #my writing

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random-mha-thoughts · 4 years

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1.5K and catch ups

I’m back from the dead guys! Finals killed me too much today and I wanted to take a nap afterward but I failed badly at that... But anyway! I hit 1.5K followers a few days ago! Thank you guys so much for sticking around and reading my stuff, I really do appreciate all the love, it’s really a blessing to be reaching so many of you, it warms my tiny heart 🥰 Welcome to all the new dears, hope you enjoy your stay! Don’t be strangers!

This milestone I’ll be shouting out a few blogs since it’s been a while since my last shoutout and I’ve been rummaging through my timeline a lot, so I’ve discovered 3 accounts I think you all will enjoy:

@apriscot PLEASE go follow them, their art is SO GOOD, so pretty, so beautiful, so neat, so...tranquil and fluffy, and they give me some inspo to write some stuff you might see in the future wink wonk if I ever get to the bottom of my request list *sigh* I always squeal when their art shows up on my dash, I just love them so much. Please do me a favor, show them support and go follow them!

@fantasiefulfilled is a new up and coming writing blog that is run by a fellow Shouto simp hehe. Right now, they’re doing mostly headcanons with a sprinkle of some scenarios, but Gabbi sweetie, I’m really looking forward to what they’re going to put out and I hope you find something you like! Warning though, it’s got some dirty stuff, so use your own discretion on that as you wish

@totomochi Listen... This person makes some DAMN good fanart PERIODT!! The sleepy Shouto doodle is my new home screen, it’s just *chef’s kiss* beautiful, I stared at it for a good 5 minutes when I saw it, and I really loved your Jin and Conor arts too 🥺 Thank you so much for blessing us with your wonderful art you talented bean. Go check them out, they’re multifandom and you’ll definitely find something you like!

-AAAAND very very VERY huge shoutout to my friend @league-of-imagination for starting their own writing blog here now! The first fic they’ve written is on Mr. Compress and there’s more where that comes from. Stay tuned for more of their content!

Alrighty my lovelies, I’m gonna have to start rolling up my sleeves and starting on my request list tomorrow. I’ll answer the asks I received in the past few days and start posting hopefully tomorrow! Who’s up for a class 1A beach fic? I’ll see you guys then!

~Tiny

#follower milestone #1500 followers #tiny talks #text #author recs #artists on tumblr

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bunjywunjy · 6 years

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THE LAST DRAGON

if you want to learn about dragons, you’re usually restricted to the Fantasy section of your local library. because dragons are made up, and don’t exist except in the minds of small children and George R. R. Martin.

apart from the ones that live in Indonesia, of course. they may not breathe fire or threaten hobbits, but these dragons are very real and perfectly willing to rip your face off and ask for seconds.

watch out, because it’s the

I AM FIRE, I AM DEATH

Komodo Dragons are actually a kind of lizard, but one on the scale of life on earth back when the dinosaurs were in charge. they’re fucking huge. these behemoths can reach lengths of ten feet and weights of over 300 pounds. big enough to ride, if there were a human out there brave enough to try it. (DON’T DO THIS, YOU WILL DIE. THIS IS EVEN WORSE THAN THE OSTRICH THING, I’M NOT KIDDING.)

naturally these enormous reptiles scared the everloving shit out of the first Dutch explorers to reach the area, forever earning themselves the name “Dragon”. for once, those old European maps with little doodles of monsters everywhere were pretty accurate!

don’t go looking for Krakens, though. those are still mostly fake.

Komodo Dragons are the largest lizard on earth, and the largest of the monitor family Varanidae. but this wasn’t always the case! they’re actually the last and least of an ancient line of giant reptiles that once inhabited the south pacific. the largest of these was Australia’s Megalania, an 18-foot titan that died out at the end of the last Ice Age with the rest of its kind. but not the Komodo Dragon! they’re doing just fine, thanks.

like Megalania, the Komodo Dragon seems to have evolved in Australia. (OF COURSE. THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.) and when the seas rose at the end of the Ice Age, it stranded a population of dragons on five remote islands in Indonesia, where they survived whatever the fuck killed off their continental relatives. (probably us, to be honest.) you thought it was just a tagline but it’s not: these guys are truly the Last Dragons.

go ahead and shed a tear, but don’t expect them to appreciate it.

their isolation and last-dragonism is very sad, yes. but don’t feel too bad about it, because Komodo Dragons are one of nature’s most dangerous predators. there’s a reason locals call them Ora, the Land Crocodile. (actually there’s multiple reasons, and they’re all terrible. stand by!)

their lazy lizard stylings and charming smirk conceal a mouthful of inch-long serrated teeth, razor-sharp claws and a nightmare bullwhip of a tail. Komodo Dragons use all of these weapons, and more! (this is the Super Cool part of the article kids, make sure to read it EXTRA CAREFULLY so you can impress your friends later during recess.)

and yes, they swim! hurray! there is no escape.

the Komodo Dragon is an apex predator, which is unusual for a lizard. they’re filling an ecological niche that would normally be taken by a large mammal predator like, I dunno, a tiger or a lion or a bear. (OH MY!) this means they have some pretty big shoes to fill (metaphorical, bears don’t wear shoes.) but they do it in spades!

Komodo Dragons will eat anything, and that’s barely an exaggeration. They eat plenty of carrion, and lots of small creatures like squirrels and really unlucky snakes. they also eat medium animals like goats, WHICH THEY SWALLOW WHOLE. (if the prey is too big to fit down their throats, the Komodo Dragon often rams its open mouth into a tree until it fits. sometimes they actually knock down the fucking tree. I wish I was making this up.) Komodo Dragons also eat animals you normally wouldn’t be able to take down without a rocket launcher, like water buffalo and uh, other Komodo Dragons. they’re cannibals, because the food chain just moves backwards sometimes.

and yes, they absolutely eat humans. good thing they’re trapped on five remote islands in Indonesia!

WAIT, THEY SWIM. FUCK, HOW COULD I FORGET.

so how does an overgrown gecko hunt animals that normally require an entire pack of lions to take down? well, there’s some Science Controversy(tm) about that. Komodo Dragons have a pair of MYSTERIOUS GLANDS (which would be a good name for a garage band) in their lower jaw, which scientists used to think were full of venom. they thought that the Komodo Dragon was basically using this venom to cheat its way into a niche that should rightfully belong to a more advanced mammal, but THESE SCIENTISTS WERE WRONG AND DUMB.

it turns out these MYSTERIOUS GLANDS (I want this on a t-shirt) actually don’t do a whole lot as far as hunting goes! they secrete what MAY be a mild anticoagulant, but it’s not really strong enough to have much effect. yup, turns out that the Komodo Dragon just mauls the shit out of things until they die, like any decent ‘advanced mammal’ predator. they EARNED that apex niche as honestly as any predator can. (not that predators really have a concept of “honest”, or that it matters, since they’re the ones with the inch-long teeth.)

LIZARDS RULE AND MAMMALS DROOL!

but maybe it’s not such a surprise that these real-life dragons are still on top of the food chain, because they’re some of the smartest reptiles on earth. and okay, maybe “the smartest reptile in the world” doesn’t sound like an impressive title. but Komodo Dragons and their cousins have elaborate social structures, can count to six, recognize individual humans, and play nice games of tug-the-carcass with their friends. (both humans and other dragons can be friends! friends are not for eating.) that’s a better track record than most human toddlers!

and they’re totally trainable, but don’t get your hopes up about owning one or several. (DANG.) Komodo Dragons are a protected species, so having a loyal army of them trained to lay waste to your enemies and fetch the morning paper is still very much a pipe dream. (this is a joke, they make terrible pets.)

FOR NOW.

and speaking of being a protected species, how is the Komodo Dragon doing these days? well, shortly after scaring the absolute pants off the first Dutch explorers to meet one, Europeans became obsessed with them and they were granted immediate protections by the Dutch colonial government. (please note that the Komodo Dragon was also doing just fine before the Dutch came along, thanks.) in fact, the first expedition sent to capture Komodo Dragons for scientific study was the basis for the movie King Kong! (a niche film you may possibly have heard of.)

these protections kept the Komodo Dragon from becoming just another hunting trophy for rich Europeans. (unfortunately this cannot be said of lions, tigers and bears, all of whom decorated the drawing rooms of rich Victorians.) they’re still doing pretty well today, though they are threatened by rising seawater and their limited range.

we hope these gigantic lizard genius cannibals stick around for a long time to come! and remember, if you want to avoid getting munched: BEFRIEND. (very carefully.)

HUMANS ARE FRIENDS, NOT FOOD.

–

thanks for reading! you can find the rest of the Weird Biology series on my tumblr here, or check out the official archive at weirdbiology.com!

if you enjoy my work, maybe buy me a coffee and support Weird Biology!

and if you’d like to see exclusive Weird Biology content, check out my Patreon today!

–

IMAGE SOURCES

img1- elpais.com img2- Time Travel Turtle img3- Smithsonian National Zoo img4- Komodo Tours img5- Michael Pollack img6- Animal Sake img7- ZooChat img8- Calgary Herald

#komodo dragon #lizard #monitor lizard #reptile #biology with bunjy

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