#the last few chapters have been a riot. And by that I mean the implications are terribly interesting but it is also a bit funny.

[anglerflsh]

les mis can be a commedy. To me.

[halothenthehorns]

THE DARK MARK

"Here you go Padfoot," James finally handed over his prize, the widest most stupid smirk still happily planted on his face.

Sirius eyed it, before stretching leisurely and saying, "nah, I'm good, I think I like being skipped. It's technically Harry's turn, have at it pup."

Harry didn't argue the point as he flipped to his chapter, ignoring that stupid little bubble that was trying to burst his good mood and inform him that nothing would be pleasant for much longer now that the Cup had ended.

Mr. Weasley was cautioning the twins not to go telling their mother they'd been gambling as they headed back to the stairwell.

"Oh that's nice," Lily muttered, "encourage them to lie to their mother."

"It's not lying," Remus said at once.

Even not having heard what Lily had said, Sirius agreed with him at once, "it's just keeping information from those who don't need it, a rather kind endeavor really, you should be thanking us."

"I'm sure that was your motto at school," she snorted at him.

"No," James smirked, "it was 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'"

Harry burst out laughing, even Lily couldn't stop a little smile as she shook her head at the lot of these boys.

      Fred promised that wouldn't be a problem, as they both had big plans for this gold and didn't want it being confiscated. Mr. Weasley hesitated for a moment, like he wanted to ask for details, but seemed to decide against it.

"I want to know," Sirius pouted, still happily bouncing in place in hopes they were going full throttle with that joke shop idea.

They were soon back in the crowds, heading back to the tents through the lantern path once again, leprechauns commonly cruising by above still happily laughing.

"That's going to be happening the rest of the night," James snickered.

They reached their tent and as no one was ready to settle down, they all got some cocoa ready, and were happily still arguing about the game.

"What kind of arguments were these?" Sirius demanded at once.

Harry opened his mouth to start saying the many spiraling conversations that had been going on, but Lily quickly elbowed her way in saying, "not now boys. How many times do I have to tell you, we are not spending hours just sitting around talking about Quidditch, I want to hear this."

"But, Quidditch," James turned pleading eyes on his wife.

"And the World Cup at that," Sirius nodded fervently.

Lily didn't budge though, so Harry turned back to his chapter.

It wasn't until Ginny fell asleep at the table did Arthur cut in it was time for them to get some sleep.

"Well that's not fair," Remus smiled lightly, "making all of them go to bed just because one fell asleep."

"They might have to get up early again," Lily offered.

As Hermione roused Ginny and they went to their own tent, they heard a small bang from the Irish side of the campsite, and Mr. Weasley happily said how he was pleased not to be on duty tonight, he didn't envy those who had the task of telling the Irish to settle down.

"I can only picture the bravest of souls taking up the challenge," James said solemnly.

"And the beautiful responses said Ministry employees will receive," Sirius cackled.

Harry lay in his bunk, watching the tent ceiling which occasionally still had a flash of color flying overhead. He was fantasizing about flying his own Firebolt when he got back to the Burrow, wanting to try out that Wronski Feint.

Lily groaned, placing her face in her hands and cursing his Quidditch father, broom giving godfather, and whatever else felt the need to encourage her son to continue with that insane sport.

Remus gave her a light pat on the shoulder in comfort, trying his hardest not to burst out laughing at the boys on the couch who were all laughing lightly at what they felt was an overreaction from her.

Harry was surprised Wood have never told him of this technique.

"Well it is rather advanced," Sirius nodded sagely. "I can understand if he hadn't even shown it to you yet."

"With the broom and experience you've got though," James hadn't thought it was possible for his mood to keep soaring, but speaking of this was doing so! "I wouldn't be surprised if you pulled it off first try."

"You are literally encouraging our son to ram himself into the ground as hard as he can until he pulls that off," Lily got out, her face still buried in her fingers.

"Ah, it won't cause any permanent damage," Remus snickered, "James seems mostly intact after his many attempts."

"Mostly?" James demanded with a challenging brow but, still snickering lightly, Harry decided to keep going himself now.

His daydream continued to morph, so that he was now performing that move in front of the stadium they'd just left, with Ludo Bagman calling out the name Potter to the cheering crowd.

"So now you actually want the attention?" Remus laughed.

"It's for Quidditch," Sirius said like it was obvious. "If Harry goes on to remember he joined the professionals, I wouldn't be surprised one little bit. That's the kind of fame I'd never be worried about him getting."

"You're all fired from giving him advice," Lily said stoutly, finally pulling her face out of her hands so they could see her rolling her eyes.

Harry wasn't sure if his mind's eye changed to actual dreams,

Harry was trying very hard now to force himself to relax. He'd gone to sleep after all, surely whatever was trying to creep up and ruin his mood wasn't going to happen...

but the next thing he heard was Arthur shouting at the lot of them to get up, this was an emergency!

The four who weren't reading felt terrible little twists inside of them, but at once tried to convince themselves they were being paranoid. They'd had an excellent run thus far, there was no way something to bad could be happening...

Harry sat upright and was lucky not to hit something harder than canvas above him as he muttered what was going on? He could still hear in the background some banging noises, but somehow they felt different, and he could hear people screaming now.

Lily began gnawing on her lip again at once, picturing all sorts of terrible things like a fire breaking out. In that kind of crowd it could cause a stampede and get someone hurt. Or worse the rival team and someone had started a riot, one drunk thing had gone too far, or...her mind kept offering up one worst thing after the other, and judging by the boy's faces, she wasn't the only one.

Harry slipped out of his bed and began trying to find a change of clothes, but at Arthur's insistence there was no time, he simply bolted out of the tent after Ron, and ran into a nightmare.

There were several camp fires still burning, now lighting his surroundings with ghostly shadows, and loud noises like gunshots coming closer.

"What on earth?" Remus muttered, his mind spinning to try and understand what Harry's half-awake mind couldn't process yet.

Harry couldn't answer, even if he wanted to. There was a hard knot of dread forming up inside of him, making it hard for him to concentrate on the words and keep going.

There seemed to be a large ring of people, all looking up and laughing at something, then there was another flash of light, and Harry could see that there was something hovering in the air above the crowd...people. Directly below them was a condensed group all wearing masks.

"Oh, oh no. Oh no, no, no, no," Lily was shaking her head so furiously to insist upon her brain she hadn't just heard the worst implication, that her hair was flying into her face and she didn't care.

"It doesn't necessarily mean," Sirius tried, but even his voice failed him and he couldn't keep it going.

"What, what's going on?" Harry demanded, as clearly they understood something.

"It, they-" James tried furiously to get the words out, but he'd switched from cloud nine to the worst form of agitated fear so quickly, he was having trouble processing anything.

"They're called Death Eater's,"* Remus was the first to get out, new worry lines appearing around his suddenly dark eyes. "They're what Voldemort calls his followers. Horrid people who do whatever their master commands-"

"Often while enjoying doing it," Sirius added on.

Harry was looking between all of them, now wishing more than anything they could just go back to talking of Quidditch. He'd sadly worked this out for himself, this wasn't the first time they'd mentioned Death Eaters, but only in passing. He'd long guessed for himself what they must be referring to, but now he was getting a firsthand account of their work, and he did not appreciate it.

When the silence dragged on though, Harry knew he may as well keep going, to get through this chapter and this terrible event and just hope nothing like it came up again. They may even be wrong after all, then again, how many groups of people wore masks and would be doing a thing like this?

High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes.

Lily gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth to muffle a scream at who those people must be. Muggles, or Muggle-born, being put on display, and- she realized she was shaking then, but not in fear as Remus throwing her a concerned look suggested, but in rage. In her last few years at school it had been made more clear than ever that her parentage made her stand out, and while there were those who couldn't care less, there were those who only cared about that. Those second groups were most likely the current Death Eaters, in her own time and in Harry's. She'd stepped in many a time to stop terrible fights breaking out, now she was having to listen to her son witness such a thing happening!

The other boys looked just as outraged at hearing this, and Lily was almost sad to see Harry was as well, because she'd have rather seen him confused. She wanted to shield him from that terrible knowledge that people would act this way towards each other, but then she realized she was feeling all the more proud for the reaction she was seeing. If she couldn't protect him from this, at least she was warmed that he knew how terrible this was, how much worse her son could have turned out if he'd been under the influence of someone like the Malfoy's.

Harry did not want to keep going one little bit, but as always he knew he may as well get the experience over with and just hope they turned out okay.

It seemed the masked people below were holding their limbs in invisible magic, and two of the four were very small.

"They've, got, children, up, there," Remus said slowly and dangerously, his hands curling into such tight fists the tendons were showing.

Harry wanted more than anything just to deny that one thing, but the words failed in his throat as he turned morosely back to the book.

More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies.

"How is that funny?" James seethed. "I, just, you don't-" his temper kept tampering off his words, leaving him a spluttering mess, while his face slowly grew more and more red from outrage.

Tents were being smashed to pieces as the group grew closer, either blasted out of the way or being trampled by the ever growing cheering crowd. The ones that did remain standing were caught on fire, and the screaming kept growing louder.

While Sirius deeply regretted forcing Harry to read this, and was fighting back the impulse to wrench the book away from him to prevent it continuing, he recognized he may not have been able to get these words out himself as his throat kept vibrating with repulsion, forever unable to kick away the mental image of his little brother, and now someone he'd once called a brother, joining in on this group.

The people above were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent and Harry recognized one of them, Mr. Roberts.

There were many times in the past where Harry actually regretted understanding why he'd felt a missing memory and did not appreciate having it returned, and this was definitely one of them. His feelings went beyond just pity for poor Mr. Roberts and his family, who had done nothing to deserve this treatment, but a righteous fury was quickly coming in as well, making him want to draw his wand, his body acting without his conscious mind telling him to go and help those people, you had the experience. He forced himself to shake that off though, blinking until the words below him came back into focus, and recognized that however he felt now, he could only deal with the then.

The others were most likely his wife and two children, all were receiving the same vile treatment. Mrs. Roberts was suddenly hung upside down, unable to stop her dress falling with her, leaving her flashing the crowd below.

Harry wasn't entirely sure he'd gotten through all of that and been completely understood, but he was sure they all got the gist of it by the murderous looks on their faces somehow increasing.

Ron managed to spit out how sick that was as his eyes followed one of the children being spun on his head like a top.

"Please be asleep, please let that poor thing be asleep," Lily murmured to herself, her nails digging into her own palm she was wringing her hands so hard.

Hermione and Ginny came out of their tents then, and Mr. Weasley then instructed all of the underage kids to get into the forest, while Percy, Bill, and Charlie were already running towards the mass with their wands out.

Each of them felt torn in half at that news. Of course they wanted Harry to get out of there, but they wanted Mr. Weasley to stay with him incase things somehow got worse, which seemed impossible at this point but as they'd all thought that before and it still somehow happened they weren't putting it past anymore. Then the other side, which was grateful relief that Arthur and his boys would blow those bloody Death Eater's sky high for what they were doing and make sure Mr. Robert's family was fine.

Harry reluctantly turned away as Fred and George each took one of Ginny's hands, and Ron and his two friends quickly followed them into the path where most of the other bystanders were running. Harry took one last glance behind and saw several ministry people were trying to muscle their way through the crowd to get to the masked people,clearly not wanting to curse anyone in fear it would make the Roberts family fall.

"Understandable that, can't apparate to their side either without risking getting blasted to smithereens, have to be a group effort," Remus was muttering under his breath, tapping away an insane rhythm on his knee in pure agitation he couldn't be helping.

The lanterns from before had been put out, the people shoving into one another along the dark path was causing just as much mayhem inside the trees, children could still be heard crying and still more anxious people were screaming into the night.

James and Sirius remembered their earlier joke about how they'd wanted to start a riot between the two rival Quidditch teams, and how that had somehow been turned on its head into this catastrophe, and now they just wanted to hear that everyone made it out of this night alive!

Harry felt himself being pushed hither and thither by people whose faces he could not see. Then he heard Ron yell with pain.

Lily yelped so painfully, she sounded like she'd been sat on, but she couldn't even pretend to be okay when they all gave her anxious looks. She was picturing those Death Eater's catching up to her son, gagging and dragging him back to that decrepit Voldemort, or any other number of terrible things all because Ron had somehow gotten hurt!

Harry wanted to reassure her, he may feel dread for this night but he wanted to calm them all down that nothing too bad was going to happen to him, but that felt like he was dismissing what had happened to Mr. Robert's family, and he wasn't even sure if he was completely right, so he decided to keep going instead.

Hermione cried out for him, and when he didn't immediately respond she lit her wand to find Ron just a bit off the path lying in the dirt.

"He's going to get trampled like that," Sirius muttered, still jittering in a wholly different way than he had been in just the previous chapter.

He grumbled that he'd just tripped as he got back to his feet.

That was such a mundane thing compared to what they'd been afraid of, it almost caused them to laugh in surprise. Almost. They still felt wound up and wretched, but at least it was a breath of fresh air reminding that everything must turn out okay.

Someone began laughing at this misfortune, and Harry didn't have to look hard to find Draco Malfoy,

"Of course," James spat, his hazel eyes lighting furiously. "Why am I not surprised, it was probably his parents idea to do all of that!"

"Won't find anyone in here disagreeing," Harry muttered with such a vicious flip of the page he nearly tore it out.

leaning against a tree in the most casual of manners, clearly watching the show back on the campsite.

"Oh he's being real subtle," Remus sneered. "May as well go out and wave a sign around."

"Please have Hermione punch him again, please," Lily growled.

Ron told Malfoy to do something that Harry knew he would never have dared say in front of Mrs. Weasley.

"I don't know," Sirius rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, though his tone wasn't up to its normal teasing levels even in appreciation of that statement. "I think she might just turn a deaf ear in light of what's going on."

Malfoy hardly reacted, saying they'd better keep running before Hermione was seen.

Harry felt himself stiffen up in even further disgust, the thought of Hermione up there with Mr. Robert's family making him want to retch, but he drew on every last drop of confidence he could muster that wasn't going to happen to his sister.

At that moment the loudest bang of all went off, green light flooding their surroundings.

Lily shuddered in renewed horror, the color green taking on a whole new light with what could be going on back there.

Hermione snapped back she demanded to know what he was on about, and Malfoy just laughed that those people out there were after Muggles. So unless she wanted to show off her knickers next, which would be pretty funny.

"You can't spot a Muggle just by looking at them!" James ground out through gritted teeth.

"Though I wouldn't put it past Malfoy, either of them, to shout it out," Remus seethed.

Harry snarled back that Hermione was a witch! Malfoy's smirk just widened, saying that if they wanted to test how well someone could spot a Mudblood, they should stick around.

Harry felt an acrid taste burning his tongue as he said that for the first time in his life, now knowing how his father felt. Even when you didn't mean it, it would always feel wrong to say.

Ron shouted at him to watch his own language!

"Do the slug curse again," Sirius suggested viciously, "you've got a proper wand now!"

"That's being kind, but a nice start," Remus nodded.

Hermione didn't seem to care too much, as she grabbed the back of Ron's shirt and began pulling him away.

"Or just punch him," James smirked, "I'll take either."

There was another bang, getting closer every time, and even more people screaming. Malfoy just continued to laugh.

It did not surprise them this was his reaction, not after everything he'd said and done previously, it was just all the more loathsome to continually hear about it.

He mocked the people around him for scarring so easily, then demanded of Ron if his dad was one of the idiots trying to save those Muggles? Ron shot back that Malfoy's dad was probably one of those keeping the Muggles up in the air.

"So proud of you, that's exactly what I was going to say," James sighed.

Malfoy's smug expression didn't even twitch as he said if his dad was out there, he wouldn't be telling them.

"Just put a big ol' sign up to say he was right why don't you, it would be much subtler," Remus hissed.

Hermione was really trying to get the two boys to walk away now, saying they'd gotten too far away from Ron's siblings. Malfoy laughed as she convinced them to start leaving, mockingly tossing back to keep her head down.

"Can't believe Hermione actually did manage to pull you both out of the way after all of that," Lily sighed in honest disappointment. Harry couldn't be out there helping Arthur, but he could at least get his own payback on this pompous child.

"We really did want to get Hermione out of there after that though," Harry muttered darkly.

Ron was still muttering about how he was sure Lucius was one under those hoods.

"Am not taking that bet," Sirius agreed.

Hermione was trying to sooth that the Ministry would most likely catch them, while still looking around desperately for the other three, who'd vanished.

"Of course you got separated from them," James groaned, rubbing furiously at the ridge of his nose and nearly knocking his glasses off he was already so upset by this set up. Nothing good had ever came of these three getting separated!

They kept pushing through though, running into a few random people along the way. One girl caught sight of them and ran up, asking them something in pure French, only the name Madame Maxime coming through.

Harry successfully butchered that so well, it took Remus a moment to ask, "was that French?"

"Err, yes," Harry muttered with a slight blush.

Whether he'd done it on purpose or not, probably not, that actually managed to cause genuine smiles back on all of them for at least this small and funny little distraction.

When they responded back in English, the girl muttered an apology and walked back to her group, muttering something about 'Ogwarts. Hermione said Beauxbatons as they kept walking,

After the last chapter he'd heard about involving several of the foreign schools, Harry didn't need much to put together that must be the French equivalent of Hogwarts.

explaining for the boys that was the French Academy of Magic. She'd read about it in An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe.

"Of course she did," Remus gave a soft snort of delight, remembering how both he and Harry had thought earlier that's how Hermione would come across that information.

Harry agreed with disinterest, while Ron lit his own wand and rose it above his head to look for his siblings. Harry went digging for his own to help, when he realized he couldn't find it.

"It what!" James squaked in alarm.

Harry was gaping down at the book like a fish out of water, patting his own pocket now and feeling comforted his wand was at least there now!

"You, you left it in the tent, or," Sirius began stammering, eyeing Harry like he'd instead said he'd left his glasses behind. Even that would have made more sense.

"I, no I don't think so, the last time I remember having it-" he struggled, his mind floundering because he never used it on his summer holiday, but he always kept it in his pocket, so it was an unconscious feeling. He hadn't used it his whole time while at the Burrow, but he'd brought it along to the Cup. He hadn't used it there either, but it had always been in his pocket. There was an alarm bell going off in the base of his skull, something painful telling him he should know quite well where it had gone, but that was missing like any other important thing he tried to remember!

His frustration was clearly growing on his face, so James quickly jumped in by placing a calming hand on his shoulder and soothing, "relax Harry, I know you find it, and I also know you didn't just leave it lying around." He struggled for a moment, trying to understand what could have happened to it, as a wizard's wand was akin to an extra finger, you were never without it. He couldn't fathom what could be going on, but still persisted, "so let's get to that part where everything gets better again."

Harry nodded without any enthusiasm, but at least appreciated they weren't all badgering him about losing it.

The only thing on him was his Omnioculars. Harry exclaimed in fear it wasn't there, and Ron and Hermione froze as they looked on the ground for it now. Harry kept patting himself down, but it was nowhere around.

"Be a little worried if it was just randomly lying around," Remus muttered, as wands weren't know for just randomly falling out of pockets. If it had been him who'd tripped over a root, that would have been one thing, but no, he was sure something else besides dropping it was going on, that Chamber must have taught Harry about throwing his wand any old place.

Ron suggested it had been left in the tent, while Hermione offered he may have dropped it while they'd been running.

They shifted uncomfortably, finding these fair enough answers, but still as unusual as it could get, and just as unlikely coming from those two as themselves.

Harry absently agreed, suddenly feeling naked. He never went anywhere without his wand, and now felt ten times more vulnerable.

"Glad you agree," Lily murmured, those horrible visions from before still twisting away behind her mind's eye, now more terrible than ever that her son couldn't magically defend himself.

There was a rustling noise to their left, and then Winky came stumbling out. She was moving odd, like she was trying to run forward but something was pulling her backwards.

Harry choked as he got that out, going incredibly wide eyed all over again, but whatever he felt for that description was gone in a flash and his mind was back to gnawing on what had happened to his wand, something that was causing him an equal amount of pain in his head, no need to add more. Then why was something trying to warn him these two things were connected...

She was muttering to herself about how bad wizards were around, people being lifted in the air, and how she wanted to get out of there! She managed to struggle into another clump of bushes and vanish again. Ron asked why she'd been acting like that, and Harry offered it was probably because she'd been doing something without permission.

Even as Harry said that...(again...this time travel thing made that annoying,) he could feel something wasn't right, this was the wrong answer, and still he couldn't grasp hold of it for any reason and instead forced himself to concentrate on the print, much less painful.

His mind was on Dobby, who often acted the same way when he disobeyed a Malfoy order. Hermione was frowning after the little thing indignantly as she said how bad house-elves had it.

Harry nearly sobbed in relief at finally something much lighter for his conclusions to settle on, though he did wonder what about Hermione speaking of house-elves would lead to. He greedily latched onto it though, as he'd nearly developed a second pulse behind his eyes he'd been thinking so much about things he should know better of by now.

Speaking of how that was slavery. Mr. Crouch had forced her to go up to the stadium even though she'd been terrified to do so,

"Did he even show up?" Lily muttered randomly, that never having been noted at all. It was quite rude of him to force his house-elf to go up there and never even bother to show. Surely nothing so important could be going on during the actual cup.

and now she couldn't even run when all the tents were being trampled.

"She's not bewitched," Sirius snorted. "She didn't get permission, and was probably told not to leave the tent for some reason. That's just part of how they are."

"So you're okay with Winky getting hurt, just because Crouch didn't release her from that command before he ran off?" Lily demanded of him in blistering tones.

Sirius threw his hands in defeat at once, saying, "hey, I'm just saying he didn't do it on purpose."

Lily still had her eyes narrowed at him, and while Harry would have been more than happy at this rate watching them bicker about this, he also noticed Remus quickly trying to wave him on before the argument could escalate as well, so he sighed and kept at it.

Demanding of nobody why hadn't this been stopped long before now. Ron just shrugged that the elves were happy the way they were, but Hermione turned on him at once that it was people like him who were too lazy-

"Lazy?" James raised a brow in surprise. "He's just saying it like it's always been for thousands of years. I really don't see what Hermione's so strung up about either."

Lily ground her teeth together, but shook her head in furious silence. She understood completely where Hermione was coming from, after watching poor Dobby for a whole year and now this, she was really regretting her own life that she hadn't looked into this more. All she'd ever known were the house-elves at Hogwarts, treated perfectly well and never a care, and she'd naively believed that all were treated the same. She now realized how ignorant that was, and quite agreed with where she was positive Hermione was heading, there should be a standard for their living as much as anybody's.

There was another bang from behind them cutting off the rest of her words, and Ron suggested they keep moving with a worried look at Hermione. Harry couldn't help but agree, maybe there had been some truth to what Malfoy had said and Hermione was in more danger than them.

Sadly, that really was true. Honestly all three made wonderful targets for any Death Eater. The son of a blood traitor, who readily stood by his father and family. The Muggleborn, though not obvious Malfoy at least could point out. And the Boy Who Lived, which went without saying, and wandless! All three of them really needed to keep their heads down.

They set off again, Harry still searching his pockets, even though he knew his wand wasn't there.

Sadly that pain popped right back into Harry's temple the moment he was reminded of that, somehow doubling since it had gone away in its persistence he should be remembering something.

They continued down the dark winding path still keeping an eye out for more Weasley's, but all they passed were some goblins laughing over a sack of gold,

In his current mindset, he didn't even notice the light flutter he felt that this detail may have been important later.

and then a large group of veela,

"Guess they're not worried about anything," Lily rolled her eyes.

surrounded by a gaggle of young wizards, all of whom were talking very loudly.

"Well that'll make you forget what's going on behind you," Sirius snorted with derision. Even he had to admit this was a terrible time to be flirting.

They were all shouting nonsense at the veela, one saying how he made a hundred Galleons a year!

"Congratulations," James rolled his eyes, "you should be richer than the richest by next month."

Another was yelling how he was a dragon killer!

"Not everyone appreciates that kind of boasting," Lily sniffed, finding that far more sad that this was a needed job then brave or whatever that numbskull was going for. She wasn't even the biggest fan of dragons and she wasn't fond of the idea of killing them.

A boy right beside him called him out on that lie, shouting that he was a dishwasher at the Leaky Cauldron, but then boasted his own that he was a vampire hunter!

"Right, and you happen to be friends with a dishwasher. Good of you to keep the company," Remus muttered.

One who stuck out to Harry who had pimples all over his face shouted next that he was slated to be the youngest ever Minister of Magic.

"I'm sure he'll do a better job than the current one," Sirius snorted, while Harry randomly thought he should find that funny, giving a slight snort as he recognized this young man, and finding irony that he in fact would do better.

Harry snorted with laughter as he recognized him, Stan Shunpike, a conductor on the Knight Bus.

"Oh that's brilliant," Lily snickered. She understood it was the magic of the Veela forcing them to want to impress making them act like fools, but she still found it sad that the way they went about it was lying. At least James never resorted to that in his mad attempts to gain her favor. Not that she was dumb enough to believe half of this bullocks, so it was a moot point.

Harry meant to tell Ron this, but then Ron chose that moment to begin shouting that he'd just invented a broom that could make it all the way to Jupiter.

"Now that I'd like to see," James laughed. "What's the brand you're calling it then, the Zeus model?"

"I'll let you know if he does," Harry promised with an easy smile, thanking once again this lighthearted switch for the reprieve he was getting, no matter how short.

Hermione sniffed as she and Harry grabbed hold of Ron's arms and dragged him away.

"I noticed you weren't affected that time," Remus pointed out.

Harry just shrugged, muttering, "wasn't really paying attention till I heard Stan speak up, then I was too busy laughing."

By the time all of that yelling had faded away, they were now mostly alone in the dark forest, things seemed to have gotten quieter.

Lily felt like goosebumps were smothering her as she said, "well, then perhaps you should go back and laugh at the Veela's admirers a bit more. It's not good for you to be so far out by yourself. Plus, you never caught up to Ron's siblings, I'm sure they're worried about you."

Harry wanted to agree, to voice that he had gone back into the more populated areas of the forest, but the words wouldn't come, something he knew he'd regret.

Harry was looking around as he said they should just wait where they were, they could hear anyone coming.

The four of them sighed in disappointment. Why did Harry have to be the one to suggest that? Was he trying to make their life more miserable by seeming to go out of his way in his younger self to cause these situations?!

He'd hardly got done saying that when Bagman burst from the trees, looking quite disheveled.

Sirius was frowning in concern for someone he'd almost call an idol, wondering what on earth could have happened to him. He hadn't been mugged had he, he'd been carrying around an awful lot of gold for his betting. Had he perhaps run into a not happy customer about a big loss? He really hoped he was okay, or had Bludgeoned whoever it was, causing that other person to look far more than strained.

He caught sight of them and asked what they were doing out here? Ron pointed back towards the campsite and said they were hiding from the riot. Bagman blinked in shock before demanding 'what?'

"So, he didn't know?" Lily raised a brow in surprise.

"What's he been doing this whole time, it's hardly been subtle," Remus agreed.

"Maybe he found an old friend and brought her along for some privacy," James smirked, thinking there were plenty of reasons he could be looking tossed around.

They began to explain, but once they were done Bagman swore in surprise,

"A very appropriate reaction honestly," Sirius huffed.

said 'damn them',

"Them?" They all asked in surprise, Sirius now thinking he may have been closer than he thought, but hopefully Bagman would file a report of it later and get back whatever he deserved.

and then Disapparated away. Hermione was frowning where he'd just been, saying how he wasn't on top of things much.

"You can't blame him for not being on high alert twenty four seven," Sirius muttered, grains of pity still lingering for him.

Ron just shrugged and said that he'd been a great Beater,

"Because that just made everything better," Lily snorted.

his old team the Wimbourne Wasps won the league three times when he'd been playing for them.

Sirius was more than happy to make a triumphant noise in delight at this news, hoping Harry and Ron would whittle away the boring hours until Arthur found them with Quidditch talk.

He took his figurine of Krum out of his pocket, set it down on the ground, and watched it walk around.

Giving all of them a nice laugh as well. They were still tense and uneasy, they couldn't help it until Harry was back out of that forest and safely back at the Burrow, but it was nice that he had Ron and Hermione there in the meantime to keep up distractions like this from the worst of their thoughts.

Ron sat down in the leaves to watch it pace around, and silence lingered for a few more moments before Hermione again voiced that she hoped the others were okay. Ron assured they were all fine, and Harry voiced that he hoped Arthur caught Lucius in the act.

"This whole ordeal will be worth it if that's true," Sirius nodded.

Ron agreed that would make his life, while Hermione whispered how bad those poor Muggles had it, wondering if they would get down okay?

"They will," Remus said at once at the uneasy look on Harry's face. "Then they'll make sure they're okay, before most likely giving them a powerful memory charm to erase this terrible instance from their mind."

"A kindness honestly," Lily sighed, "otherwise they may have gone mad from this."

Ron once again assured her everything would be fine. Hermione then changed to pointing out how mad those masked people were to have pulled this with so many Ministry people around.

"While true-" Lily sighed.

"They don't care," James finished for her with an ugly look in place. "It's all about making a statement with that lot, so long as there were more of them then the Ministry who would help, with a nice loud distraction which I'm sure they easily got, they'd keep at it till they had no other choice."

Harry was frowning sadly out the window, now wondering just how often events like this occurred in their time.

Neither boy got a chance to respond as they heard someone in the nearby blackness stumbling around.

They all went ramrod straight, their hands going instinctively towards their wands, a stupid but involuntary reaction as they heard some stranger was around Harry at this time.

Then the footsteps stopped, and Harry called out if anyone was there? **

James looked like he was visibly restraining himself from snapping as he said, "Harry, did you really just ask that! You're supposed to be quiet and stay out of sight at this time, not go yelling 'hey I'm over here!"

Harry was frowning at him, half feeling chastised that it probably had been a bad idea in retrospect, but also wanting to defend himself that at the time he hadn't seen himself in that much danger. He suppressed it though, they were tense enough and he really didn't want to pick at this.

Another long beat of silence, then a voice shouted out the spell 'Morsmordre.'

"Don't recognize that," Sirius muttered to himself, not that this made anyone feel any better. There were plenty of terrible curses out there these people had never heard of because they wouldn't go out looking for them.

Something vast, green,

Lily felt a scream rearing up in her throat at the thought of any green spell being set off around her baby, again!

and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness Harry's eyes had been struggling to penetrate; it flew up over the treetops and into the sky.

Then she felt foolish and embarrassed when he finished, sounding more puzzled than anything. She was being jumpy and paranoid, he was sitting there reading it, of course he hadn't had the killing curse set on him. It still wasn't helping her nerves one bit though. Maybe she'd made more a noise then she'd intended to, maybe Sirius was just getting to fidgety with all of this built up angst and he knew he was upsetting his charge, but the next thing Lily knew she had her baby in her lap which quickly calmed her down far better than anything else could.

Ron gaped in shock as it continued to rise above the treetops, looking much like the leprechaun formations from before. It transformed itself into a skull, with a serpent coming out of the mouth.

Harry was blinking in puzzlement as he finished the description, just knowing he should know what this was called, but when he looked up expectantly in hopes someone would tell him, he instead found all of them with sickly pale skin and gaping at him like he'd just turned into a corpse.

"Y-You're within shouting distance of a Death Eater!?" Sirius' throat couldn't seem to decide if it was going to fail him or release a rumbling growl as he got that out.

"That's what you got out of that?" Harry asked in surprise. "From some snake in the sky?"

"Th-that's, the Da-Dark Mark. Voldemort's symbol!" James managed to stutter out, wondering far too often for his liking how his son had survived to his current age. "Only a Death Eater knows how to produce it, so yes. That is understandably the first thing he, and the rest of us, grasped on."

"Oh," Harry simply muttered, unable to think of anything else to add to that. None of this explained what his ever growing agitation was, something building in the back of his mind that was quite insistently saying he should know this particular Death Eater, but that must be ridiculous. Hopefully he never got any closer to one of Voldemort's henchmen then he was in that moment, otherwise his family really might have a stress heart-attack.

Deciding to keep reading rather than watching them gasp for air, Harry forged on.

It seemed to grow brighter, like a new constellation forming, and then the screaming began again, louder than ever. Harry had no idea why, though he linked it to the glowing image in the sky. His eyes went back down to where it had been cast, and he again called out for who was out there.

"Harry James Potter, you stop that before you give me a heart attack!" Lily half screeched, only able to strangle off the full volume because even that scolding of her elder son made his younger counterpart begin crying in protest.

Harry was watching her with severe worry, remembering the last time she'd told him off for something he'd done in the past. At least then the other boys had helped her to laugh it off, as it had already happened long enough ago her snapping wouldn't do any good. Looking around now though, he saw they were quite in agreement with her exclamation, which wasn't making him feel any better. Desperately hoping now he had stopped shouting out or he'd probably regret it in this time, Harry tried to keep going in as calm a voice as possible to remind them all he was perfectly fine.

Hermione was trying to get them to move again, tugging on his shirt and begging him to run.

"Least one of you lot has some bleeding sense," Remus hissed, now wishing more than anything Harry hadn't been split off from Arthur, or Sirius had come, or if he'd bothered to keep in contact, anything then this constant mess that was Harry's life seeming to find the most danger when he was at his most vulnerable.

Harry asked what her problem was, as she'd gone white faced with fear.

"Does she know what that is?" Sirius asked in surprise, at least that distracted him from picturing that thing being cast right over his little pup's body while he was on the opposite side of the world.

"I guess I can see how," James muttered through almost chattering teeth as he was picturing much the same thing. "Wouldn't surprise me if the marks shown up in a book or two about Voldemort's reign."

Hermione told that it was the Dark Mark, You-Know-Who's sign!

"Right in one Prongs," Remus muttered, shifting his weight with continuing agitation, no matter how much it aggravated his injuries, that flare of pain was a constant reminder he was in the hear in now, listening to Harry read this rather than picturing it go a more gruesome way.

Harry tried to ask for more, but Hermione just begged them to start walking. Ron paused to pick up his Krum,

"Priorities," Lily mumbled, bouncing her infant in her arms to keep them both calm.

but the three of them only made it a few steps before there were about twenty pops of wizard's apparating into their space, surrounding the three.

Harry hadn't believed they could be more upset than they had in just the last book, but when he read that and their first thought was to jump to the fact that Harry was now surrounded on all sides by Death Eaters like that had been a calling, he was pretty sure his dad having vomited back during the Chamber would be a kind look back.

Harry recognized all wands were pointing at them,

Harry was quite glad he was the one reading, as when he glanced up all he saw was a mask of shocked faces on convulsing throats like they were all fighting back the urge to scream some more, most likely their own voices would have failed them at this point. All Harry remembered feeling at the time was shock, and the urge to hit the deck.

and he reacted first by seizing his friends necks and pulling them to the ground, screaming 'Duck!'

"Anaticula!" Sirius suddenly yelped at his side.

Harry looked at him with great concern, like he thought his godfather had finally lost his bleeding mind, but it had the desired effect of causing James and Remus to snap out of their comas and burst out laughing.

Lily looked just as confused as he felt, but Harry still had more sense about him as he demanded, "what's that mean?"

Sirius had to shake his head a couple of times to make sure his head was on straight and clear, before putting on a farce of his carefree nature and explaining, "it's a curse that makes your wand only able to produce ducks for the next few spells. Great laugh while you're running away." He managed to say all of that with only a few minor spasms of shock still wearing off from picturing all of this being directed at Harry.

"Remus used it on us once," James added on when it seemed Lily was finally calming back down as well, and hoping to keep them all breathing on this subject for as long as possible he turned mock angry eyes on Remus and finished in a 'huffy' tone, "in the middle of dinner. McGonagall wouldn't believe we hadn't done it on purpose, gave us detention that night, forcing me to reschedule one of my Quidditch practices."

"You two deserved it," Remus shot back, an old satisfied smirk in place his friends hadn't seen in awhile. "It was one of you lots fault I got strung up by my foot and missed my Care of Magical Creatures class that day, and since neither of you would tell me who did it, you both deserved it."

Lily was watching between the three with an actual smile in place now, unable to believe she could hold the expression in light of what was happening to her son, but had actually quite enjoyed during school watching the Marauders pick on each other much more than watching them go after their prank victims, so hearing retellings like this were always a treat.

The distraction had worked, they were all much more grounded and feeling at least less likely to have heart failure as Harry continued.

They slammed into the ground,

"Thank Merlin for those Quidditch reflexes," James murmured.

just as all the voices shouted as one 'Stupefy!'

At least that made them all feel better at the situation Harry was in. Certainly not content, but it was nicer to hear he only would have been stunned then something far worse.

Beams of red light went whizzing above their head, ricocheting off of trees and going every which way, and only ceasing when one voice called out above the rest for them to stop, that was his son!

"Arthur," Lily nearly sobbed in relief, knowing that couldn't refer to anyone else.

"So it was the Ministry who went there," James agreed, still looking fairly faint but at least some color returned to his face as he realized that.

Mr. Weasley came stumbling towards them, looking more terrified than Harry had ever seen him as he asked if they were alright?

"I can imagine," Remus nodded, knowing Arthur would have felt the same way they just had of finding his son under that mark.

Someone snapped at Arthur to move,

"Bite me!" James snapped at once, riling up at anyone trying to get in Arthur's way as he checked on those kids.

which turned out to be Mr. Crouch.

"I'll second that," Sirius agreed with a nasty look still in place, wanting to crack all twenty of those ministry fools over the head for shooting at his pup.

He and the other Ministry people were coming in closer as Harry got to his feet, facing Mr. Crouch who had his face drawn with fury. His wand was pointing at all three intermittently as he demanded which of them had done it.

"He actually just looked you in the face and demanded that?" Lily growled, her eyes narrowing furiously. "You? The bleeding Boy Who Lived."

"Plus a Weasley and a Muggleborn, the only ones they caught sight of, oh yeah it's hard to tell who has more motive in that group," Remus snarked.

"I'm just hoping they did manage to stun, incompetently but still, the one who did do it," James grumbled, hoping at least some good came of their heart attack moment.

Harry frowned in confusion as he said they hadn't done that while gesturing up above. Ron agreed they hadn't done a thing while looking indignantly at his father.

"He's the one defending you," Sirius snorted. "What's he glaring at him for?"

"Mr. Weasley looked just as shocked as anyone else," Harry shrugged, "maybe to Ron it looked more acquisitory."

While demanding to know why they'd been attacked.

Crouch snapped at Ron not to lie, while adding on a sir.

"At some point you can drop the manners," Remus muttered with an eye roll.

His wand now pointed right in Ron's face, his eyes popping with fury.

All of them scowled heavily at that, finding it completely uncalled for to be pointing a wand in Ron's face, when he hadn't even drawn his own to defend himself!

A witch in the back reminded Crouch that these were just kids, they couldn't have done that. Arthur turned on his charges and asked them where had the Mark come from?

"At least there are some sensible adults around," Lily sniffed.

Hermione pointed to the space, saying an incantation had been shouted. Crouch turned on her now, shouting about how she seemed well aware of how to make the Mark appear.

"Oh goodness me, you use an incantation to summon a magical image in the sky, who would have thunk it!" Remus snapped, not being able to press any more sarcasm into that if he'd tried.

No one else paid Hermione a second glance though, instead all wands turned to where the kids had pointed.

"Great, good to know it's only one out of twenty we should be really worried about," Sirius grumbled.

The same witch from before sighed it was no good, that person would have Disapparated by now.

"Probably at the exact same time they appeared, so you wouldn't have even heard it," James sighed, mostly in relief whoever that was, wasn't around his son anymore.

Then another spoke up saying he didn't think so, and Harry recognized Amos Diggory,

"Oh great, now I get two people in one clearing to piss me off," Sirius mock cheered, making Harry already long for the carefree chapter they'd just had and see them really happy again.

saying how they may have got a lucky shot with their stunners, they had gone through those trees. He walked off to go check himself, with several people behind him calling out warnings to be careful.

"Or, you know, at least a few of you could go with him!" Lily snapped, taking every last bit of her self-restraint not to facepalm in exasperation. They outnumbered that one lone person who was back there, and even if there were more, it was still more safe than just sending one person.

Mr. Diggory shouted back a few moments later that they'd caught someone,

"Finally, some good news," Remus sighed, actually sagging back in relief, thinking that was one less problem they had to worry about.

Harry though, was wondering why his first reaction was to think Mr. Diggory was wrong, they hadn't gotten anyone that night... but the thought flew away almost at once and he simply agreed with Remus instead.

but then he trailed off in surprise as he seemed to recognize whoever it was.

"That didn't seem like a good reaction though," Sirius frowned in concern.

Crouch did not sound convinced as he demanded who,

"He really still thinks it's those three kids?!" James snapped in disbelief, wanting more than anything to smack Crouch a good one.

as Diggory walked back in, with Winky in his arms.

"What?" All five of them yelped at once.

"There's no way that little elf did that," Sirius snorted in disbelief.

"The voice didn't even match," Harry agreed, still frowning deeply as he gently tried to understand why his earlier feeling was clearly right now.

"What was Winky even doing in that area though?" Lily's frown kept deepening the longer she thought about this. "We heard a Death Eater's voice in that direction, it's impossible Winky would be following them around as she belongs to Crouch."

Harry opened his mouth to reply, then thought better of it and quickly shut it before he vomited instead from the stress of repressing his response. The truth was, none of them had any idea what was going on, and absolutely none of them wanted to find out. They didn't care about this mystery, didn't want to sit on the idea any longer then they had to, because they didn't want it to have anything to do with Harry. They kept hoping any second now Arthur would jump in and say that these kids were no longer needed and take them away back to the Burrow for some actual peace!

Crouch froze as Diggory placed Winky at his feet. Crouch muttered this must be some mistake as he walked off to that same area, going out of sight but could still be heard searching the bushes for another culprit. Diggory called back that he'd checked, Winky was the only one there.

Harry had to blink hard a few times to keep some bright spots out of his eyes, but then kept on after a moment, now working harder than ever to ignore whatever feeling that gave him for whatever reason.

Diggory was shaking his head sadly as he muttered what a surprise this was, for Crouch's elf to have done this.

"They can't really think she did it?" James raised an even more disbelieving brow, somehow managing to find this more ridiculous than them thinking it was Harry. "She's a house-elf!"

While Lily agreed with him it was every kind of ludicrous, she didn't much like his tone of saying it.

Mr. Weasley scolded this was ridiculous, he couldn't really be serious in saying it was an elf to have done this.

"Now why would he think it was me helping the elf?" Sirius quickly inserted, ignoring all accompanied groans. "I like to think mine's gone off and died by this point."

Harry gave him a smile, still not having grown tired of that joke yet, but didn't linger on it either.

Reminding you had to have a wand to summon the Dark Mark, and Diggory agreed she'd had one.

"Had a what now?" Lily demanded, sure she'd heard that wrong.

They all turned surprised eyes at that, as Diggory said she'd had one in her hand, in direct violation to a code stating that non-human creatures weren't allowed to carry such a thing. Ludo Bagman Apparated onto the scene just then, gasping about the Dark Mark!

"Thank you, I hadn't noticed," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Where's he been this whole time?" Sirius asked in confusion, some of the misty eyed awe of a Quidditch star starting to wear off. "I thought the last time he Disapparated away was to go help with the riot. He should have seen it at the same time as the rest of these twenty people and come then."

"Search us," Remus sighed, thinking they'd had more questions from this chapter alone already building up, and it was clearly driving Harry mad as he once again went cross eyed in pain at being unable to answer them. He, along with everyone else, really wanted this chapter to be done with already.

His eyes flickered to Barty, who was coming back into sight, but then he added on another question of why he hadn't been at the match?

"So he never did show up," James murmured.

"That's incredibly odd for him," Lily explained to Harry, who was watching all of the boys holding a puzzled expression. "He was a big hand in putting this event together, he was expected to show up for it. Crouch does not miss that type of thing, it wouldn't look good," she finished with a sniff of distaste.

Harry felt like he was getting a little tick at the base of his skull, a muscle that just kept spasming every other sentence now as more and more of what he was hearing he was sure would come to bite him in the arse later, but for now he thanked his mum and kept going.

Reminding that his elf had been saving him a seat, but then Bagman caught sight of Winky and yelped in surprise what had happened to her? Crouch explained that she'd been stunned, and it took a moment for Bagman's eyes to flicker to her, then up to the Mark, before understanding took him and he gasped in surprise she couldn't have done that! She'd need a wand! Diggory repeated she'd had one, then asked Crouch if it was okay they unstun her to get some answers.

All four of them mumbled something about how it was bleeding obvious from the start she hadn't a thing to do with this and they should be out looking for who really did, but none of it was articulate enough Harry stopped.

When the spell 'Enervate' was used on her and she sat up, Winky burst into tears instantly. Diggory snapped at her to look at him, reminding of his position as a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

"Is he trying to scare her?" Remus' scowl deepened at this, finding this more than uncalled for of the clearly innocent creature.

"He's certainly not going out of his way to pretend otherwise," Lily nodded in agreement.

Then he demanded an explanation of what she'd been doing. Winky sobbed she hadn't done anything, while Diggory flashed the wand for all to see and snapped at her to explain where she'd found this. Harry caught sight of it properly for the first time, and exclaimed that was his!

"What?" They all yelped, finding that all too common an occurrence recently!

"How in Merlin's underpants did your wand end up in the same clearing as Winky, and a Death Eater!?" James gasped out first.

"That sounds like the bad start to a joke," Sirius moaned, rubbing furiously at his forehead to stave away a growing sense of doom.

"I-but-you-when-" Lily could not get out more than one word before her voice failed her and she just kept looking at her gobsmacked son, but he shook off the shock quicker than she did and continued in a hurry now.

Everyone turned startled eyes back to him.

"Guess that wasn't the best time to go shouting that when they all think it's you," Remus muttered.

"There really isn't a good time to say that in this circumstance," Sirius reminded.

Harry repeated that was his wand, that he'd dropped it. Diggory repeated that back in absolute disbelief. Demanding of Harry if that was a confession, that he'd thrown it aside after he'd conjured the Mark?

"Yeah, that's what he said," Remus snorted, his eyes darkening more and more every second the longer he heard about Diggory. His jumping to conclusions attitude along with his no good character was making Remus edgier the longer this carried on.

Arthur jumped in angrily then, demanding Amos think about what he'd just said to Harry Potter. Diggory agreed he'd gotten carried away.

"Damn right you did," James snapped, happy at least Arthur was keeping that man in check.

Harry then explained he hadn't dropped it anywhere around there, he'd only noticed it was missing when he came into the woods.

"But," Lily finally managed to collect herself to get out a real question, "does that mean Winky did take it from you in the Top Box? She's the only other person outside of your group who had the means to do it. I just cannot for the life of me imagine why."

"If not, then it's a really big fat coincidence," James sighed, running his hand through his hair in agitation. Of all the people who could be suspected of taking Harry's wand, as the more they heard of this the more they believed Harry hadn't simply dropped it, and it simply wound up in the grip of a Death Eater to use in the conjuration of the Dark Mark, this was beyond words unbelievable.

Diggory instead turned back on Winky, demanding of the elf that she'd found it and decided to have some fun.

"No one's going to question that she just, found it!" Sirius scowled, knowing the elf probably didn't have a better answer than that, but he wanted one anyways.

Winky wailed that she hadn't done anything!

Lily began wriggling around in displeasure now, feeling bad she'd thrown out a question regarding Winky herself now, and she wasn't even there. The elf clearly had no more to do with this then Harry, couldn't they lay off her?

She'd just picked it up!

Hermione jumped in then, going pink in shock when all eyes turned to her, yet still insisting it wasn't Winky.

"Can't say I'm surprised," Remus gave a small smile, "she's shown time and again she'll do and say what she thinks is right."

"In this case, I'm grateful for it," Lily nodded in agreement.

Explaining that Winky's voice was high pitched and squeaky, and the person they'd heard summon the Mark was definitely male. Diggory did not look impressed as he said there was a way to check and see what the last spell was used on a wand, directing this at the elf.

"That doesn't prove anything," James snorted. "She just said she found it, and she's got witnesses proving it wasn't her who used it last. It's been established Harry's wand was the one to use that spell, showing that off doesn't mean a thing."

Diggory then placed his wand tip to Harry's and used the spell 'Prior Incantato.'

Harry's heart gave a very hard twist when he read that, for some reason leaning just slightly closer to his dad and glancing up at his mother for a moment, but only had a moment to wonder why before he kept going.

Both parents were still so wound up over the situation at hand, neither noticed Harry's second of hesitation.

Sprouting from Harry's wand came a smaller resemblance of the glowing mark in the sky, which Diggory seemed to think proved his point as he shouted in triumph Winky had been caught in the act!

"I am going to punch him." Sirius scowled, beginning to tense up on the spot the longer he kept going. "I don't even like elves and I don't talk to them like that. Use some brains man, she's obviously not got a thing to do with this."

"Thinking he doesn't need to be working with Magical Creatures much," James agreed with a serious nod. "He clearly looks down on them too much."

"He's much too quick to blame as well," Lily added on in the same tones as them.

Remus couldn't help but give them a light smile they hopefully didn't see, he knew for a fact they could get overly touchy about this without even realizing it.

Arthur cut in then though, reminding how few wizards knew how to summon such a spell, where on earth could Winky have learned to do so? Crouch snapped that Diggory was implying he'd taught his elf this?

"Ooh, snappy," Sirius raised an imperious brow, feeling his point had been made quite well, and he didn't even like the man who'd done it.

Diggory went horrified with shock, stammering out of course that wasn't it to Crouch.

"Little late for backtracking you hobnocker," James huffed.

Crouch pressed in though, telling off Diggory for now having accused the two people in this clearing least likely to have done this, Harry Potter and himself! Surely Diggory knew of who Harry Potter was? Diggory agreed in uncomfortable tones everyone knew that.

"Glad someone put him down," Lily gave a soft laugh, not having thought she'd be rooting for Crouch any time soon, but at least she found he was useful for something.

Then Crouch also reminded he'd shown time and again the lengths he'd gone to prove how against Dark Magic he was!

Harry felt a stirring in him again, like earlier when he'd felt something was off about Crouch speaking of his perfect unbreakable vows about rules. There was something there that Harry knew he should have a puzzle piece to, but it faded through his conscious like his brain was filled with cracks.

Diggory tried to protest, saying he'd never meant to accuse Crouch.

"You suggested his elf did," Remus smirked, "and that's as good as."

Crouch shouted back that to accuse his elf was to accuse him!

Diggory tried to say she could have picked it up somewhere else,

"Oh yes, I'm sure Death Eaters pop by all the time selling cookies and just give a friendly tutoring session of how to do that in the meantime," Sirius snorted.

but then Arthur agreed Diggory had spoken true on that one. He turned his own attention on Winky, the first person to call her by name and kindly meet her eyes, but Winky still flinched away from him like all the rest,

Lily couldn't help cooing again, wanting to do something to help the poor dear relax, as she knew there was no way she would be getting in trouble for anything, or at least she shouldn't be.

as Arthur asked where she'd found the wand? Winky's voice still came out watery as she said she'd just found it lying there in the leaves. Arthur stood back up to face Diggory, saying clearly what had happened was that the person who'd cast the Dark Mark had simply used Harry's own wand then Disapparated away. It was actually clever not to have used their own wand. It was just Winky's misfortune to come across it moments later.

"While I don't think he's wrong," James's frown just got deeper as Arthur drew the same conclusions they'd been forced to come to.

"That hardly explains anything," Sirius grumbled.

"It actually just raises more questions," Remus sighed.

Diggory gasped that this must mean that Winky had seen the person who had done all of this!

"That," Lily struggled for a moment before grudgingly admitting, "is a really good point."

"Wish she'd started with that," Sirius huffed, "this could have been going a lot better."

Then he turned on Winky and demanded of the elf if she'd seen anyone!

Winky's eyes flickered to her masters as she whispered she hadn't seen anyone.

Harry had a mad desire to laugh, like he knew Winky was telling the truth in that moment...but leaving something off...

Crouch seemed to decide that was enough, as he addressed Diggory by telling him that he was aware the normal course of events would be Diggory to take her into his department, but if he'd allow him to take his elf home? Amos clearly didn't want to agree, but clearly Crouch was such an important person he wasn't going to argue.

"I'm truly shocked at how pleased I am," Remus frowned in pity for the poor thing, finding just a grain of irony that the very thing she'd feared would happen to Dobby was in fact being hung over her head this very same night, but at least her own master would be a better option.

Crouch added on though that she would be punished for this night.

"Ouch," Lily winced. After hearing about what the Malfoys had done to Dobby, she was actually quite afraid for Winky and what might become of her now.

Winky began sobbing in shock, begging her master to reconsider, but Crouch's face was like stone as he snapped at her that he'd commanded she stay in the tent, and she'd disobeyed! This meant clothes!

"Wow," James blinked spastically like Crouch had just started swearing in Mermish. "That was harsh."

"Yeah," Sirius had his head cocked to the side, his eyes narrowed like he was trying to study Crouch in person. "She did disobey, but it's hardly so grievous she should be sacked like that."

Remus and Lily exchanged a surprised look, considering their usual attitude towards elf's they would have honestly expected those two to agree with Crouch, but for all their laughing at the creatures, they clearly weren't as hard on them as they would lead.

Harry may have input his opinion on them, but he was too busy fighting back word vomit. There it was again, something involving Crouch and Winky that made him want to spew out something like a huge silent chunk of conversation had been taken place right in front of him, but he had nothing to offer except to read what was in front of him.

Winky wailed, crawling to Crouch's feet and begging for anything but that! Crouch shook her off in disgust, but then Hermione jumped in by trying to defend the elf! Saying she'd been frightened, and shouldn't be blamed for running!

Lily looked very much like she would get up and hug Hermione now, as well as shield her, for standing up to Crouch like that in front of everyone.

Crouch did not remove his disgusted eyes from the elf as he told Hermione off to, saying he had no use for a servant who didn't listen, who ruined his reputation!

"Oh I get it," Remus gave an ugly sneer now as his eyes flashed. "He's not getting rid of her because she didn't listen to him, she's getting the boot because she got caught and dragged Crouch into this."

"This is terrible," Lily scowled. "I don't even understand why he's reacting like this, no one's going to look twice at him now that everything's out in the open. Everyone there knows he's nothing to do with the dark arts, he shouldn't be taking all of this out on his elf like this!"

"While we agree," James sighed, feeling like they were hearing about a Dobby all over again, how often were these other house-elves treated like this? "It's no good shouting about it now dear."

She shot him the stank eye, but didn't pursue the point.

Hermione may have kept going, but Arthur put himself back in then, saying Harry should have his wand back, which Diggory did, and then began escorting the kids away. He had to call twice before Hermione would follow, and the moment they were out of sight she began rampaging about the lot of them and how they'd been treating Winky! Everyone just referring to her as 'elf!'

Sirius and James shared a surprised look, they hadn't even noticed that part.

How dare Crouch do that to her, treating her like she wasn't even human! Ron did point out that technically she wasn't.

Sirius closed his mouth sheepishly, he'd actually been about to say the same thing, but was now happy he hadn't gotten it out at the flashing look Lily gave the book for Ron's comment.

Hermione turned on him and began shouting he wasn't acting any better than those- but Arthur cut her off by saying she could go on about elf rights later. Then he asked where the rest of his kids were? Ron said they'd gotten separated, then asked what that skull thing had been?

"I'm actually a little more surprised Ron didn't know," James quirked a brow. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful he's never seen it, but still. You'd think his parents would have mentioned it."

"Not necessarily," Remus shrugged. "In the same concept as Ron not saying Voldemort's name, Ron and the kids of his generation would have been told as little as possible of what would have been a common occurrence to their parents, err us, whatever. The next generation of kids would have been shielded and told as little as possible of the horrors of this war."

James pondered that for a moment, not really in agreement as he didn't think this should just be glossed over, but couldn't argue the point much either. They were only fourteen, James wasn't even happy Harry was so involved with this at that age, so he let the matter slide.

Mr. Weasley didn't relax one little bit as they made it back out of the forest, but were bombarded almost at once by a group of people demanding questions of Arthur, asking if anyone had been caught, who'd done that Mark, and was it Him? Arthur snapped back of course it wasn't You-Know-Who, and the perpetrator had Disapparated away, then he escorted himself and his kids off to bed.

"Snappy," Sirius gave a small smirk.

"Probably still worried about the rest of his kids," Lily added, thinking that as soon as Ron was back at the tent Arthur would probably go looking for the twins and Ginny, most likely as his eldest three were now doing.

Arthur escorted the three to the tent, but upon their approach Charlie poked his head back and called out to his dad that the other three had gotten back, but he didn't know where the others were.

They all released a sigh of relief. They hadn't exactly been worried for their safety, but it was good nothing had happened none the less.

Arthur sighed in relief as he entered the tent, and Harry spotted all three of the eldest Weasley's sporting bloody injuries.

Harry's tone was already pitching in surprise, but he read out;

Bill had a sheet to his arm where it was quickly turning red, Charlie had a large tear in his shirt, and Percy was trying to stop a bloody nose.

before he asked, "what could have happened to them?"

"Probably some of the Death Eaters shot some spells back," Remus sighed. "Either that or the riot got a little more hands on then wands."

The twins and Ginny weren't harmed, but looked white with shock. Bill asked if his Dad had caught whoever had done the Mark?

"Well Bill at least knows what it is," James muttered to himself, thankful that it clearly wasn't going to be erased from history what was going on now. He'd be satisfied if only the older type of kids knew about it then.

Arthur said they hadn't, but instead explained that they'd found Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, which had been used to make the Dark Mark. They still had no idea who'd done it.

"That about summed it all up, yeah," Lily sighed, running a hand through her hair in agitation.

"Was a lot more bloody traumatizing to hear about it," James grumbled.

All of them yelped in surprise, Fred repeating the part about Harry's wand, while Percy in response to Crouch's elf.

"I can't decide who more deserved what was caught on," Remus snorted.

"Fred," Sirius said instantly, knowing he'd happily side with the twins then their immediate older brother any day.

The four who were present explained more fully the entire situation, and when they were done, Percy swelled with indignation.

"I'll agree with you now," Remus rolled his eyes.

Saying Crouch had been perfectly correct in his actions! Hermione snapped at him at once, causing Percy to take a step back in surprise. She and Percy usually got along pretty well, better than with his own brothers most days.

"Well that's just sad," Lily frowned slightly, always having suspected Percy didn't get along with his brothers very well, but for an outsider of the family like Hermione to so obviously be doing a better job, really got to her in that moment.

He pulled himself together quickly though and said that Crouch couldn't be seen going easy on an elf running amok with a wand.

"Run amok?" Sirius repeated in disbelief. "I'm still confounded what Crouch did, blowing that out of proportion. Though I guess I'm not that surprised Percy's agreeing with his boyfriend," he finished with a rude little curl of his nose.

Hermione shouted back that Winky hadn't done anything, but Ron butted in saying that he still wanted that Mark explained. Hermione turned on him and said that was You-Know-Who's symbol, something she'd read about in a book.

"Of course she did," Lily snorted, that felt like Hermione's answer to everything.

Arthur quietly added on it hadn't been seen in over thirteen years, it made perfect sense why people had panicked, it felt like seeing You-Know-Who back. Ron was still frowning though, saying it was just a symbol. Arthur tried again, telling that this mark was left over people who You-Know-Who had killed.

Causing the four around Harry to shiver, leading him to wonder and smother the question all at once who they'd found this mark hovering over. He decided he didn't want to know.

Trying to explain how much fear it instilled in people, coming home to your house and seeing that, knowing the very worst was inside...

Lily paled to the color of new snow, cuddling her baby all the closer to her.

Remus and James winced like they'd just been socked in the gut, but Sirius had the worst reaction. He'd lived that nightmare vividly in his dreams the previous night, coming over to find James and Lily...the only reason that mark had been absent was because no one was left alive to cast it...coupled together with the one responsible for it. He made a keening noise, shaking his head violently to get rid of that. He kept seeing it every time he closed his eyes, no need to dwell on it when he could give an unconvincing smirk to them now that he was just fine and could play this off as long as he dared.

it was everyone's worst fear.

"Okay, I'm appeased, Ron and Harry get it now," James murmured, deciding he'd never complain again about something Harry didn't know involving this type of thing.

There was a thick silence in the tent before Bill finally spoke up again, saying that whoever had cast it tonight had done them at least one favor. It scared the Death Eaters away, they all Disapparated the moment they saw it, and they'd only just caught the Roberts in time.

Giving them all a sigh of relief again. They had not forgotten what had started this whole mess, and it was a very good thing that Bill hadn't mentioned they'd been injured.

Explaining they were having their memories fixed now.

"Best thing that can happen to them," Remus gave a sad shake to his head, wanting to strangle every last one of those Death Eaters all over again at the thought of those poor Muggles suffering through that.

Harry repeated back the term Death Eaters in surprise, and Bill said that's what You-Know-Who's followers had called themselves. The ones they'd seen tonight were those who'd wriggled themselves out of Azkaban. Arthur tried to say there wasn't any proof it was them,

"Who else would it be?" Sirius asked, wishing to mock, but the tone wouldn't come as he would have been glad for an alternate answer.

but then relented it probably was. Ron perked up then, telling everyone what Malfoy had said to them about his Dad being out there. Harry then asked what was the point of doing that to those Muggles.

'Please stay that naive forever' Lily mentally sighed, brushing her baby's hair from his forehead for just a moment, as a reminder that scar wasn't there yet. While she never wanted it to, it was clear how much fiction that dream was since Harry hadn't even asked this now. He hadn't questioned this terrible act, even at his regrowing pace of learning he was already so much more aware of the crueler side of the world then Lily would ever wish her child to know.

Arthur looked sadly at Harry as he said the point had been for fun. What those Death Eaters had done tonight was their idea of entertainment. Ron then asked if those were You-Know-Who's supporters, why would they run at the sight of You-Know-Who's symbol? Shouldn't they have been happy? Bill told Ron to use his head,

"I thought it was a fair question," Harry said with a shrug, as he'd been wanting to ask it as well, but wondering if Ron would for him since he'd had a similar face to what Harry was feeling at the time.

explaining those Death Eaters were the ones who'd gone out of their way to denounce and say You-Know-Who had forced them to do all of that. They'd be as afraid as anyone if You-Know-Who came back, they'd have some retribution to pay.

Sirius gave a twisted little smirk that honestly scared the others, they didn't really want to know what his mind had jumped to, but it wasn't hard to picture either. One Death Eater in particular stuck out to all of them now, picturing that pathetic little rat and his hatred of being returned to his master. Those other loose Death Eaters would probably get much the same treatment if they ever found out any remnant of Voldemort existed. Not that they hoped this at all, the less people out helping Voldemort, willingly or not, the better.

Hermione then asked of the person who had shown the Dark Mark tonight, had they done it in support, or to scare off those Death Eaters?

"My guess is a combination of the two," Lily offered with a small frown, still hating to linger on this subject, but that was a good question. "They'd be showing off that they were winning, but warning it was time to go as well."

"I'm still trying to shake the feeling it wasn't left over a dead body," Remus shuddered, "and that individual wasn't doing some old time celebrating of his own."

"Thank you Sunshine," James groaned.

"That one was terrible," Sirius snorted in true amusement again. "I never understood why you tried to pitch an opposite of our nicknames that day."

"Thought it added an extra layer of mystery," James shrugged, managing to return the smile.

Arthur sighed her guess was as good as anyone's. Then he ushered they should all try to get some shuteye before they went out soon to grab a Portkey. Harry crawled back into his bed, but this time no Quidditch fantasies came to mind to help him relax. He instead let his mind spin back, to three days ago when his scar had awoken him with a burning pain. Now tonight, Voldemort's mark had appeared again. What did it all mean?

Lily's teeth started chattering as she huddled into herself, keeping her baby wrapped protectively in her arms and never wanting to let go. None of them had put those two things together until just now, but Harry was right, and they couldn't have felt worse about it.

'Nothing good' was the one thought that ran through all of their minds for his thought, and yet none of them could bear to say it in hopes they were wrong.

He thought of the letter he had written to Sirius, would he have gotten it yet?

For the first time since this had started, James felt no spike of jealousy in hearing Harry's first thought of help flit to Sirius. He'd happily take the idea Sirius was out there worrying about Harry like this.

James decided right then he wanted more than anything for Harry to work out with Dumbledore and the Weasleys that he'd in fact gotten a new dog and it would be with him at all times now! He'd take every minor annoyance in the world from his brother if he could have some more reassurances Harry would just be that little more safe.

Harry hoped he'd get a reply soon, and was left wondering on these things the rest of the night.

Harry gave one last deep sigh of discontent, already longing for that happy mood of the last chapter as he gave the book to Remus.

HPHPHPHPHP

*I recognized Harry should have questioned this long before now, it has been mentioned many times before, but even I forget sometimes Harry shouldn't have some knowledge that seems obvious. Can't go back and fix it now, just put all previous mentions of them not being questioned by Harry down to the fact that he worked it out himself considering the light they were being discussed in.

**No, really though, did anyone else besides me read this moment and think 'Horror movie alert' Harry is officially the dumb blonde of the series.

[class1akids]

I agree that the Overhaul arc is poorly done, but I'm curious - what are your thoughts on Nighteye? He's one of my favorite characters, mostly because he clearly cares so deeply about so much yet he's rewarded with pretty much nothing but suffering for it. I felt like his fate was handled...absolutely terribly by Horikoshi, with it being glossed over almost immediately after it happened rather than having the profound effect on Deku, Mirio, and All Might that it should have. (1/2)

I feel like part of the reason the Overhaul arc feels so hollow is because it seems like a means to an end in introducing some new characters - Mirio, Tamaki, Nejire, and Eri, primarily - but the arc ITSELF has very little effect on anyone or anything in it once the story moves on. There’s no lasting impact; it barely even gets referenced again. And again, Nighteye’s care and dedication go largely unrecognized and unrewarded. There’s almost nothing to feel good about in the arc. (2/3 lied again)

The longest time I spent away from staying current on the manga - when I couldn’t muster the will or desire to read - was during the Overhaul arc. I think it was poorly executed all around, that the most sympathetic characters in it were unilaterally punished for their best qualities, and that what should have been important was given the same post-arc treatment as filler fluff. What are your thoughts on the problems with the arc? And what do you think of Nighteye as a character, and his fate?

I have several problems with the arc, but the biggest one is that for such a long, Midoriya-centric arc, I feel like I’ve hardly learnt anything new about him, and that he hasn’t changed much.

As for my problems with the arc:

1. Mirio

Mirio was obviously introduced as a foil to Deku, to show that Midoriya wasn’t the only possible heir to OfA, he wasn’t even the best choice by far. It’s an interesting setup, but one that I don’t really know what to do with narratively. 

If anything, it soured my opinion on All Might quite a bit. Because he behaves like OfA is just another quirk, something he can do with as he wishes, and bestow it on a good-hearted, but naively idealistic kid with no body strength or combat experience to speak of. And I can’t help but think of all the times Deku almost died, taking OfA (a legacy quirk, nurtured by generations to be able to counter humanity’s big threat, AFO) to the grave with him, and All Might’s choice starts to feel selfish and short-sighted.

I do think at the end of the story, All Might’s choice will be vindicated, because something will make Deku in retrospect the best possible holder (my bet is that due to quirk singularity, Deku’s quirklessness will play into his advantage in hindsight), but for what we know now:

1. All Might passed up on choosing someone with a quirk to help increase the power of OfA.

2. All Might without ever considering the greater implications and wider responsibility, didn’t even look at the candidate chosen by his close allies, who did have a pure heart, had been training hard for years, managed to turn a very difficult quirk into a powerful weapon and was perfect both in body and mind. Instead, he went with a spur of the moment nostalgia, because he SAW HIMSELF in Deku - and I cannot applaud this. 

Before you come @ me angrily - I don’t hate on Deku - I think Deku from his perspective deserves it, and has done as well as he reasonably could, and even going above and beyond trying to make the quirk as his own. 

This is a criticism of All Might’s choice as framed by the narrative. It feels less wisdom and more selfish wish-fulfillment from this perspective. 

Mirio has to fall and lose his quirk because obviously someone so much stronger than Deku cannot stay in the narrative and not bring up more questions going into the battle against Shiggy. But the way Mirio loses and Deku wins against Overhaul I feel also doesn’t have a lot of lessons - when fighting, have the right Loli-backpack with a convenient power just to make up for your current problem???

I don’t even like Mirio that much as a character - he feels a bit too perfect, a bit too powerful to be interesting to me. I like my characters flawed and conflicted. 

So I think the Mirio vs. Deku comparisons didn’t really deliver anything for me. I came out of the arc not having anything convince me that Mirio wouldn’t have been the better choice and just as deserving as Deku. I don’t know what Deku learnt - he has a bit of confidence crisis, but he’s already had confidence problems, and doesn’t seem to last beyond this arc. 

2. Sir Nighteye

Again, his character seems another way to make All Might less likable. We finally learn that a lot of his splendid isolation at the top of the hero-mountain is self-imposed; that he pushed away his allies and refused a helping hand. 

Sir Nighteye is an idealistic All Might fanboy, a lot like young Midoriya, except he was pushed away. 

His quirk is also quite broken in many ways, which makes you wonder where did they hide him in pivotal moments like Kamino?

I honestly didn’t feel much for Sir Nighteye - he felt more like a plot device than a real flesh and blood character to me. But I feel that the points he was created to make (i.e. All Might’s behaviour in choosing Deku was reckless) were not convincingly refuted. 

Yes, the story may have proven that he cannot predict all ends, that the future can be changed - but still, just because he couldn’t foresee Eri (a deus ex machina device) activating in the crucial moment doesn’t change the validity of his criticism. 

I also feel that his death was a bit hollow - it doesn’t profoundly change Deku, Mirio or All Might. It’s a momentary sadness, but not a kind of emotional devastation. 

3. Eri

She’s cute and all, but her power feels a bit too convenient in the sense that now whenever something horrible happens, it never feels permanent, because we are like - oh, well, Eri will just rewind that.  (Mirio’s quirk, Shirakumo, Deku’s deadly wounds…nothing is of consequence.)

I’m not going to pass a judgement on this until we get the picture of what Eri’s power actually is, what are it’s limits, how it is fuelled - but it’s something that can break the narrative. 

4. Overhaul

Chisaki had a great potential and amazing design, but I feel like him as a villain also didn’t quite deliver. 

I guess he’s put in as a foil of Shigaraki. While Shiggy is the guy trying to bring on a new era, but clinging onto the teachings of his master, and has a quirk that’s only hugely destructive, Overhaul is trying to “preserve the old ways” by basically staging a coup in the yakuza, and he has a quirk that could be a powerful healing quirk, which he uses for evil? 

He’s also a bit similar to Eri in this - that his OP quirk could have been turned into pure good if he was saved from the yakuza’s clutches as a child. Still, in the end of the arc, I don’t have much feelings about Overhaul - nothing that really prompts me think in his ideals (like Stain did), or nothing that makes me feel empathy for him (like Shiggy’s or Toga’s backstory does), or nothing to make me intrigued (like Dabi does). 

5. Too large cast - too little character development

We get introduced a ton of new characters - but in the end, the only ones I feel like I learned something substantial about are Fatgum, Mirio, Sir Nighteye and a little bit Amajiki. 

On the negative side - we leave the characters we spent the last 150 chapters learning to care about behind. We only see Uraraka, Froppy (but they are totally sidelined), Deku (who as said above doesn’t feel coming out having grown from this arc - but yeah, 100% OFA looks cool I guess?) and Kirishima (who got a decent backstory and development). 

We also see Aizawa - and similarly to Nighteye - we also see why he needs to be taken out of every fight, because otherwise his presence would resolve it too fast. He has that one nice scene with Deku, showing that he probably realized that he needs to care about the emotional well-being of his students.

Otherwise, because we are fully following the raid, I’m sitting there thinking after 13 episodes, when will I see the class, and the characters I’ve come to be invested in again? 

In the end, for almost 50 chapters and 14 episodes, the really emotionally impactful moments are few and far in between:

 - Deku - All Might - change the future together

- Kirishima: Red Riot Unbreakable

- The Suneater fight

- Kirishima & Fatgum against Rappa

- Mirio standing up to Overhaul after losing his quirk

- Deku vs Overhaul (spectacular, but not very character-driven)

- Sir Nighteye death (but like I said, not as impactful as could have been)

In the end, it tried to grab too much, and it didn’t deliver a coherent whole. I think Horikoshi is better at writing shorter, more compact arcs.

I don’t hate it, but it’s certainly not one I want to rewatch or re-read and mostly I’m just looking forward for it to be over and for us to get on to other storylines. 

[pandoraborn]

FRAGMENTS OF TIME Chapter 2

Everything’s happened way too fast for Henrik to process. Everything is far too slowed down, with all sorts of people in riot gear swarming the hospital, headed by Jackieboy Man.

They’re all moving from floor to floor, barking orders at each other, speaking into ear pieces as they keep their teams updated. It all matters little to the doctor, he’s barely paying attention to them right now. 

Currently, he’s seated on a bench in a waiting room somewhere, head bowed and hands in his lap. He’s trying to stay out of the way, but he’s having an episode; he’s delirious. He can’t hear any clear voices above the din, and everything is moving in slow motion. He’s sure the color’s faded from reality as well, because it seems black and white, literally. Everything is flashing from one extreme color to the other, leaving only outlines of bodies and objects, and there’s nothing really grounding him to reality.

For a split second, he even sees blood on his hands.

It’s dreamy, maybe he’s dreamed this entire encounter. There’s no actual way the hospital would be under attack from...

“Henrik, hello, are you with me?” Jackie’s voice sounds like it’s coming from far away, and Henrik has to blink a few times as he looks up. He sees Jackie as really far away before the Hero is zooming closer and closer, until he’s positioned right in front of the doctor, crouched down and appearing concerned. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for over a minute now. Are you okay?”

“No,” Henrik whispers. He jerks his head to the side, watching as a police officer questions nearby colleagues for information. No one knows what’s happening, and Henrik can’t blame them. He’d jumped right into action and dragged a tired Jackie into the mess too. He’s terrified that there’s going to be legal backlash for this, against him.

“It was a false alarm,” Jackie says softly. “There’s nothing anywhere that we can find. Doesn’t mean the search is over though.” Even behind the mask, Henrik can see the bags under his eyes. He knows Jackie hasn’t been sleeping well lately, and he knows it’s partially his fault. Jackie’s been away far more often and not telling anyone why. Henrik’s curious about his business, but he respects Jackie too much to get into it with him.

“Am I in trouble?” Henrik’s voice is too small and meek for his liking, but he can’t bring himself to pipe up. He feels just as exhausted as Jackie looks right now -- all he wants to do is go home and relax, pretend today never happened.

“No, you did the right thing,” Jackie reassures him. He clutches Henrik’s hands, giving them a squeeze along with a faint smile. “But I need to ask you a few questions now, and you’re probably not going to like them.”

“I’ve already been questioned by the police,” Henrik reminds Jackie. “I don’t know anything about why the hospital would be under attack.”

“I know,” Jackie replies. With a heavy sigh, he reaches up to tug his mask off, letting it dangle from his fist before it fades back into the nanotech it really is. Henrik is still fascinated by that, not that he’d ever say aloud. “Hen, you need to tell me who called you.”

This...isn’t the line of questioning Henrik had in mind, and it jars his thoughts from science and technology, back to reality. With a slow blink, he shakes his head. “I don’t know,” he says truthfully. “Someone who said he knew me.”

“You already mentioned that to the police, except you said it in German. I don’t like playing translator for you when there’s a crisis. I need you to focus on me for awhile.” Jackie’s voice doesn’t sound happy, and in Henrik’s current panic, he can see Jackie shrinking down before growing even larger. Maybe it’s Jackie’s own irritation, but he’s looming over Henrik now. If this is Jackie’s idea of grounding him, he’s failing.

“Mystery man,” Henrik mutters in German. He clears his throat, trying to force himself to switch back to English. He can hear Jackie’s tut of disapproval already.. “He...had an accent. Sounded like you.”

“What do you mean, he sounded like me?”

“I don’t know!” Henrik leans away from Jackie, turning his head to the side to avoid eye contact. “He had an Irish accent and said he knew us.”

“Irish accent?” Jackie sounds confused, and Henrik dares look Jackie in the eye now. He’s back to normal sized, and his brow is furrowed. At least Henrik no longer has to worry about Jackie drop-kicking him out the window, but the frustration is still evident in Jackie’s aura.

“What kind of Irish accent?” Jackie presses. “Irish like Jack, like me, Marvin-” 

“I do not know!” Henrik protests, throwing his hands up. “He sounded...professional. It was heavy but...more like Marvin than you or Chase. Please, I do not know.” Henrik can feel the onset of an anxiety attack coming on, so he leans forward, pressing his forehead into Jackie’s shoulder as a means of grounding himself. “I am sorry.”

To his credit, Jackie does offer some comfort. His hands come up to rub the back of Henrik’s neck and shoulders. It’s not much, but it’s more than Henrik was expecting, and it allows him to relax enough to breathe easier. “It’s okay. I think I know - nevermind. It’s not important. But I have more information now.”

Henrik jerks back to frown at Jackie. It’s the way Jackie spoke, the way his face is twisted now, he knows something. He knows something about the mysterious caller, and he’s clearly not going to share his secrets with Henrik or any of the others. This alone terrifies Henrik. Whatever has been going on with Jackie lately, he’s been handling it alone. “Jackie...”

“No, nevermind. It’s fine.” Jackie shakes his head. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? I’ll take you home and come back here to finish this out. Regardless of false alarm, I gotta make sure everyone’s safe.” He pulls back to give Henrik space to get to his feet.

“It is okay,” Henrik says. “I’ll call Marvin for a ride. I do not want to pull you away from your duty.” He steps away from Jackie, feeling too anxious to be near him right now.

Jackie opens his mouth as if he wants to say something to Henrik, but he’s interrupted when an agent grabs at his shoulder, pulling him back. “Jackieboy Man, it’s urgent!”

The change is instant; Jackie’s mask is back on his face before he turns, and when he speaks, his tone is clipped, businesslike. “What is it?”

“We found two men lurking outside,” the agent says. “They both had backpacks and they took off running when they saw my men head outside. It would take us too long to catch them...” He trails off, the implication hanging that this is a job for Jackie to handle. He at least has the courtesy to appear apologetic.

“I’m on it,” Jackie says. There’s no sigh in his voice, no tinge of whining, just clipped, to the point, void of any emotion. Henrik’s never see him like this, but none of them had really seen Jackie in the field before. He straightens his spine before sparing one last glance toward Henrik. “Call the magician or the stuntman, Doctor. I trust they’ll get you home safely.” He runs off, disappearing around a corner.

Henrik collapses back on the bench with a groan, stretching his legs out as he tries not to dwell on everything happening anymore. He’s caused enough damage, going home and hiding in his room sounds like a great option now.

Plus, hiding in his room would let him forget whatever secrets Jackie’s hiding, too.

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

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[a-crimson-lion]

Strengths... and Weaknesses

I think an appropriate phrase for this post would be:

"Lord forgive me... I'm back on my bullsh*t."

Anyone who's been viewing my tumblr recently knows of my excessive hatred for one Katsuki Bakugo. I have stated time and time again that he's a gigantic asshole who only managed to tone it down a notch or two as of late. He might be the slightest bit more tolerable then he was at the start (I'm not the type to say that Katsuki had no development; I'm the type to say his development is there, but it's slow and poorly executed), but he's still overall an asshole.

In fact, before I start this post, I want to make a few things clear on where I still currently stand with Katsuki, as a person who has only seen up to Season 3 of the anime and read up to the Shie Hassaikai Arc in the manga.

First off, let's address one of the more triggering parts of the series: Katsuki's suicide instigation. Horikoshi has apparently stated that he "went too far" with Katsuki in the first chapter of the manga, and for me and maybe a few others, that sounds like if Horikoshi was given the option, he might have written out that scene entirely. Well, okay then, I understand that much; I mean, Katsuki was never that level of harsh once the story started to really kick off. So what does that change?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

From where I stand, even if you ignore or flat out rewrite Katsuki telling Izuku to kill himself out of the story, that still doesn't change the fact that Katsuki is still a terrible person with very little development. He still bullied Izuku since they were kids. He still burned his notebook and threatened Izuku while burning his school uniform to not go to U.A. He attempted to harm Izuku on their first day at U.A., and during the Battle Trial, used a highly dangerous piece of support gear which could have very much killed Izuku (instead of, you know, using the capture tape?). He's still anti-social as all hell, which isn't a crime in and of itself until you realize that being a hero requires at least some form of cooperation. Even Eraserhead, an underground hero (which is probably as potentially anti-social as you can get) still at the very least has to work with other Pros and the authorities with some level of respectful communication. Katsuki's on his way to becoming the second Endeavor (which, depending on how the latter's redemption pans out, might be even worse than before).

That last bit is probably more the fault of my second grievence: the narrative coddles him too much. Yes, being consistently kidnapped by villains is very much not okay and is probably very traumatising, but that doesn't mean he's realizing he's becoming a better person. After the sludge incident, he didn't bother Izuku because he was too occupied with his own inferiority complex; he was angry at himself for not being "strong enough," and spent his time up to the entrance exam stewing in his insecurities. While at U.A., he gets no form of proper addressment for his actions. Eraserhead is willing to restrain Katsuki, but he won't expel him, or at the very least talk to him. Katsuki goes volatile during the Battle Trial, but no one discusses and addresses how much excessive force he uses. During the final exam, Katsuki isn't docked for his initial inability to cooperate and the fact that it took a literal punch to the face to begin doing such, and even then, Izuku caried his already beaten body past the gate, which means he technically passed. He should have been failed for his actions, maybe the villains wouldn't have been able to kidnap him during the Training Camp arc. Speaking of which, why doesn't he go back to camp and save his classmates the trouble? He just wants to fight, and this simple-minded desire ends up getting him kidnapped. And what does he learn from that kidnapping? Again, "he's weak." No introspection on his behavior except for a minor one before Deku vs Kacchan 2. No discussing his actions because he can't bring himself to be the bigger man and just talk to All Might. No, he has to bring out Izuku in the middle of the night and pummel him, and we're supposed to feel sorry for the kid because he's going through an existential crisis. Which I would feel bad, had it not been for the fact that it could have been avoided, AND his behavior aside, he's going through all the wrong coping methods. I don't care if he only knows how to express himself with violence, that fact alone warrants heaps upon heaps of propery therapy, NOT FURTHER VIOLENCE.

Before I officially take a complete dive into "anti" territory, let's look at one last thing.

Remember after Kamino Ward when Katsuki had Denki electrocute himself and he gave Eijiro some money as compensation for spending it on some fancy binoculars. Well, some of the antis I've seen have claimed the money was stolen from Denki. Personally, I don't see it. I can see Katsuki causing Denki to electrocute himself to show his begrudging care for his fellow classmates (even if it's still trying to grow). I can see Katsuki giving Eijiro money for his troubles, even if it's a blow to Katsuki's pride. I just can't see Katsuki stealing money from other people. Sure, he's an asshole, but he's not a thief. His morals are warped, not corrupted beyond the point of redemption.

Okay, so what dud I really want to talk about? Oh, right: Katsuki's obsession with strength.

We see this about three times in the manga. The first time is when Katsuki is saved by All Might at the USJ. He quickly dismisses Izuku's praise of him dodging because he didn't dodge: All Might pushed him out of danger. He won't take credit for a feat he didn't do. This segues into the second instance: his fight with Shoto. He wants Shoto to go all out in order to prove once and for all that he's the strongest in their class. Only Shoto is going through personal issues that Katsuki knows about because he eavesdropped. Even when Shoto manages to releaae his flames, he quickly snuffs them out because change is gradual; he still has to get used to the new implications of using his fire. (Sidenote: not an excuse for Katsuki's dickish behavior. Tenya and Shoto were initially percieved as assholes, and they managed to bridge that disconnect eons before Katsuki has.) Of course Katsuki's pissed at this, but I feel like he completely ignores Shoto's personal baggage and instead focuses soley on his physical strength. We'll get back to that later, but for now, let's move on to the third incident I can recall from the top of my head: Katsuki vs Setsuna. Remember that part of the Joint Training Arc where Katsuki saves Kyoka, because he FINALLY understands that saving people is important? Well, yes, but partially no. Katsuki didn't save Kyoka because of whatever goodness there was in his heart; he saved her because he thought getting a 4-0 victory was something worthy of the strongest heroes, and he even explicitly stated this. He's still focused on strength, and completely ignoring the more social aspects if heroism aside from prestige.

Remember after Deku vs Kacchan 2, where All Might says he focused too much on Katsuki's physical strength and not his emotional strength. Yeah, he's not the only one...

Katsuki himself never pays attention to the emotional side of himself. Years upon years of praise and his own decisions have led him to believe that his strong quirk and overall strengths are all he needs to become a hero. His brutal and excessive technique makes him a powerhouse to be reckoned with, but it also makes him predictably stubborn. Running away isn't an option, he has to duke it out with no remorse. The Number One Hero is about to curb stomp you? Don't run away and pass the test, try beating his ass and end up losing your lunch! Potentially dangerous villains trying to kidnap you? No worries, just keep fighting because you're a badass and no one tells you what to do- and oh, you got kidnapped. Even when confronting Izuku on his quirk, the possibility of Izuku getting his quirk for something other than physical prowess is a foreign concept for Katsuki. He ignores any and all chances of it being possibility, going so far as telling Izuku to shut up when he tries to explain himself, and even outright attacking Izuku after he tries deescalating the fight multiple times, only conceeding to Katsuki because he believes he's responsible for Katsuki to some extent (because Shonen Protagonist).

His obsession with strength is in character, but dear God it's getting old... and it's selfish.

Virtually everyone else trying to be a hero has a reason for getting stronger that isn't inherently to flaunt their superiority. Ochako? She wants to make money so her folks can rest easy. Tenya? He wants to live up to his family's legacy. Shoto? He wants to be able to protect his mom. Eijiro? He wants to be like his chivalrous idol, Crimson Riot. Izuku? He wants to get a better grasp on his quirk so he can save more people. Katsuki? He wants to prove that he's better than All Might from a physical standpoint, using the title of "Number One Hero" to elevate his status and earn the attention of everyone around him.

...see the disconnect?

I don't have a well thought out conclusion to this mess, so I'm just gonna close with this tidbit: Katsuki and Izuku sometimes do the same things for different reasons. Getting mad at Shoto? Izuku wants Shoto to go all out because everyone else is going all out, and he wants Shoto to move past his father's control; Katsuki wants Shoto to go all out because he wants to prove he's undoubtedly stronger. Idolizing All Might? Izuku admires All Might's ability to inspire and save people; Katsuki just pays attention to the physical strength and prestige, electing to ignore everything else. Saving people? Izuku saves people selflessly, with no inherent regard towards himself (he will gladly break a few bones or risk doing so just to save kids, for crying out loud); Katsuki only saves people because it strokes his own ego (the only time he ever truly went beyond was in an unnecessary fight against All Might; Two Heroes is the only exception). I'm pretty sure the list goes on.

I just hope that Katsuki learns somehow, some way, that physical strength isn't everything. Victory isn't everything. 'Cause if he doesn't, he's in for a world of hurt...

...and it's not gonna be something he can just explode and be done with.

-Crimson Lion (6 September 2019)

[dw-writes]

Riot Report #21

WOOF OKAY SO some warnings. This chapter contains a very explicit LEMON so please, read ahead with caution. And...well, its a doozy, i have to say. And I DO hope you enjoy it~!

I wrote this lemon containing a reader with a vagina. Please read at your own risk.

To Tag: @i-am-fandoms-and-satan

Issue #1 || Issue #2 || Issue #3 || Issue #4 || Issue #5 || Issue #6 || Issue #7 || Issue #8 || Issue #9 || Issue #10 || Issue #11 || Issue #12 || Issue #13 || First Birthday Special || Issue #14 || Issue #15 || Issue #16 || Issue #17 || Issue #18 || Second Birthday Special || Issue #19 || Issue #20 || Issue #21

You regretted everything.

You watched the news in your office, chewing on your thumb nail. The reporter at the scene was ripping into the heroes as they arrived. It was your fault. The destruction that the villains were able to cause? The death toll? The awful press both Kirishima and Bakugo were getting at that very moment? It was all your fault, and you knew it.

You squeezed your eyes shut as a wave of nausea flooded you. It brought with it the memory of last night.

All Toga had asked was for you to go into a few offices and just…disable the phones. Disable the alarms. Disable anything that could alert them to a villain presence in the city. That was it. You knew it wasn’t going to be easy. So, you planned out the night…

Kirishima didn’t wait when you called him and asked him to come over. It was the way you sounded on the phone that spurred him on: the needy whine, the way his name sounded on your lips, the implication of you wearing nothing. It had him in a whirlwind and at your apartment faster than he ever had been before.

He pinned you to the wall when you opened your door in nothing but one of his shirts. It just barely hit your hips. Kirishima grinned as he kissed you, his hands sliding down your sides and over your hips, grasping them and lifting you up with ease. You gasped at the motion. He took advantage, slipped his tongue between your lips, devoured your moan as he rocked his hips up into yours. You wrapped your legs around his waist. His large hands pushed back and under the shirt, gripping your ass and pulling you away from the wall. You reached out to pat it, gripped the corner, and tugged. Kirishima followed your lead from the living room to the bedroom. Your other hand found the hem of his shirt and hauled it up.

He gasped as he finally pulled his mouth from yours. “Is this the first time—”

“We’ve had sex?” you finished. You used both hands to pull his shirt off and dropped it to the floor. “Yeah, unless you count your birthday.”

“But, I mean, you didn’t get anything out of it!” he whined. He dove for your neck, biting the skin until you moaned his name. He grinned. “This time, it’s all about you.”

You weren’t expecting the bed to hit your back so suddenly. Kirishima shoved his hands further under your shirt until it was off and on the floor. Your own hands were busy unbuttoning his shorts. He lowered his mouth to your chest, pressed his tongue against your nipple. The cold metal of his tongue ring on your hot skin had you whining. He bit the pert nipple and tugged until you swore. His fingers pinched and twisted the other.

You bucked your hips against him. He groaned your name as he followed you down, pressing you into the mattress. His cock slid against your wet entrance. Your fingers traced over him until you could cup his girth in your palm. He hissed. His mouth traveled down, his cock slipped free, and you felt his tongue trace circles over your hips.

“Eiji—”

“I told you,” he whispered, “It’s all about you.” You watched him dip his head between your thighs. He pulled one over his shoulder, then the other. Your head dropped back when the metal bar in his tongue brushed over your swollen clit.

Kirishima might have said it was a night about you, but you made sure to shower him with attention, too. Made sure he would be exhausted when you were done with him. The third time was the charm. He held you tight as he came again, burying his head into your shoulder, letting you ride him until you had reached your own climax. He rolled over and gently pressed you into the pillows. As he dislodged himself from you, he peppered your skin with the softest of kisses. You were giggling when he finally rolled away.

“That was…” Kirishima started. He draped an arm over his eyes. “That was amazing,” he whispered. You rolled onto your side. He shoved his arm back against the pillow and stared at you. Smiled. Yawned.

“Sleep,” you murmured.

He reached out and stroked your cheek. “You too…”

You hummed, pulled away, sat up on the edge of the bed. “I will, but I need to shower first.” He whined when you stood up. It was hardly a sound.

By the time you were clean, he was out like a light.

You plucked his keys from his shorts and left.

After that? It was easy. Walk into the office, disconnect the right wires, lock back up, leave. You made sure to grab something from Kirishima’s marked office, too. An alibi. “He left this here and asked me to get it,” you would say if you were asked.

But you weren’t asked. It was hard to see who was walking in and out of the office when you were wearing Kirishima’s own hoodie.

And now, here were the fruits of your labor. Destruction. Chaos. Both Bakugo’s and Kirishima’s names being dragged through the dirt as though they let all of this happen.

You phone vibrated in your pocket. You didn’t even look.

You knew who it was from.

“Way to go, doll. ♥”

[findmeinpops]

Chapter Three: I’m On Fire

Summary: You’re home alone when you hear an unexpected knock at the door. This is loosely inspired by ‘I’m On Fire’ by Bruce Springsteen, the lyrics are here and you can listen to it here. Enjoy! x

I’m On Fire: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

I Predict A Riot: Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14

Abbreviations: (Y/N) - Your Name (Y/L/N) - Your Last Name

A/N: I’m overwhelmed by the support that this is getting. I am very grateful and would like to thank you for commenting, liking and reblogging. Here’s Part 3, it’s a little longer than the others and I got a bit carried away. I was also a little tipsy when I wrote this. When I proofread there were SO many mistakes but I’m going to stop making excuses now and just let you read it. x

You hadn’t slept the previous night. You were dreading seeing Sweet Pea again; now that you knew it was going to happen, in school no less, you were very nervous. In bed you tossed and turned, images in your head of all the different ways your meeting could go, of all the ways you could mess up or make a fool of yourself.

Ronnie grabbed your arm as soon as you walked through the door. “You, missy, are going to help me greet the South-siders.” She didn’t give you room to argue as she dragged you to the table she had set up in the foyer. This was just great. There was no way in hell that you could hide from Sweet Pea now.

You, Betty, Archie and Ronnie were gathered at the table when you heard the tell-tale slam of the front doors, signalling the arrival of the new students. An army of serpents, all very menacing, walked in, led by Jughead. He seemed very much in his element, not something you had ever seen before. But it wasn’t him that was the main focus of your attention. In the front row of the parade was Sweet Pea. He was almost a head taller than all of the other serpents. His eyes caught yours and that smirk made a reappearance on his face, making you turn a bright shade of red again.

Betty placed a reassuring hand on your back and, when you turned to face her, she offered a reassuring smile.

“Friends,” Ronnie gave a very convincing, welcoming smile as she addressed the serpents, “on behalf of the students and the faculty here at Riverdale High, welcome to your new school. To ease your transition…”

You zoned out as your eyes honed back in on Sweet Pea, he still looked as perfect as he did that night. He sensed your eyes on him and turned to face you. Embarrassed about being caught, you everted your gaze before deciding the scrutiny was too much and turning to walk away.

At that moment, the opposing army of bulldogs and vixens, led by Cheryl Blossom herself, stormed down the stairs, very much prepared for a battle. “Stand down, Eva Perón” she called and chaos ensued as the two groups met – the perfect time for you to escape.

Quietly, you slipped through the crowd and down the corridor, to your locker. Everyone was occupied by the hostility in the foyer so no one was around. You released a breath you didn’t know you were holding and decided to get your books and head to class. As you opened the door a hand grabbed hold of it, Sweet Pea had followed you. He leant coolly against the lockers exuding confidence and bearing a look that told you he knew just how hot he was.

“Thought you’d get away without saying hello?” He looked you up and down with a smug grin on his face. He was pleased with how uncomfortable he made you.

“I didn’t think you needed a personal tour, I’m sure Cheryl would happily oblige.” You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of an easy defeat.

Sure, you almost kissed, but it was an almost. You hadn’t been thinking straight but now you were, in theory.  Just one look at his charming smile and you were fumbling like a little girl. You couldn’t help being attracted to him but you should know better than to follow through with it.

“How personal? I think I’d rather you gave me the whole tour.” To emphasise the implications of his words he roamed his eyes over your body as if he wanted to eat you alive. You pulled your jacket tighter around your body, you were tempted, he couldn’t be that bad if your dad did business with him. Just one more look into his eyes and you began leaning in, closing the gap between you.

“Alright that’s enough pomp and circumstance,” Principal Weatherbee broke up the battle in the foyer but simultaneously gave you an out and saved you from a decision you would have regretted, “everyone let’s get to class. Now.”

Before he finished his sentence, you were gone, leaving Sweet Pea stranded in the corridor.

You were first to class and made your way to the back corner of the room. You tried to control your breathing in an attempt to calm yourself down. You couldn’t believe how stupid you were being and how much he messed with your head. It was as if just being around him made you lose all your inhibitions. He was a drug which made you feel wondrous things, and you wanted more, but you knew you shouldn’t.

The room began to fill up and, to your relief, no one sat anywhere near you. You needed to be left alone. The bell rang as the teacher entered and quiet settled over the class. You began to write the date at the top of the page and took no notice when the door opened.

“Sorry I’m late miss” It was him. Why, oh why, was he here. Sweet Pea made eye contact with you, giving you a smug grin when he saw the empty desk beside you. No.

You shook your head desperately to try and deter him but his grin only widened as he sat himself next to you.

“Hey, Y/N, fancy seeing you here!” The mock surprised look only annoyed you more as you retrained your eyes to the teacher. He was not going to distract you.

During the first half of the lesson you were able to successfully avoid his obvious attempts to gain your attention. It started with him asking for a pen, then what the date was and then how to do the question. And then each and every question. He tried everything to change the topic of conversation but every time you simply ignored him and returned to your work.

He didn’t give up though. When it became obvious his actions were futile he kicked it up a notch. Slowly he skirted his chair towards you, not enough that the teacher would notice, but just enough to make you squirm.

With this new proximity, he placed a subtle hand on your knee. Every muscle in your body tightened and you felt a new heat between your legs. Your head snapped towards him as you gave him a warning glare. He took no notice and simply moved his hand a little higher. This development only heightened the, what only could be described as, electric feeling in your body. It felt like a charge ran through your body with no means of escape.

As if Sweet Pea sensed this, he raised his hand a little higher so it sat on your inner thigh, uncomfortably close to the source of the electric feeling. There was no way you could continue.

If you moved his hand it would only return. If you made a scene it would only draw other people’s attention and give him the satisfaction he needed.

You didn’t know if you didn’t like it, you were pretty sure you did, you just didn’t want to like it. You shouldn’t like it.

You felt his hand begin to creep a little further and that was enough. You stood up, closed your book and fled. You didn’t look at anyone, you just wanted to get out, but you knew everyone’s eyes were on you.

You’d only made it half way down the corridor when you heard the classroom door swing open. The brisk, heavy footsteps told you all you needed to know about the identity of your pursuer. You quickened your pace, turning the corner.

“Y/N! Wait!” You turned to face him. His expression was not one you expected, it was one of concern. “Are you okay? Did I push it too far? I- “

You cut him off before he could continue, “I just- ”

You lunged forward, onto your tiptoes, rapping your arm round his neck and pressing your lips against his. Your lips met for a few seconds before he pulled away, looking to your expression for some reassurance. The flame of desire flickering in his eyes was mirrored in yours, you were sure of it. He felt the same way you did, there was no doubt about that.

This time he was the one who leant forwards, gripping your face and pulling it up to meet his, kissing you forcefully, desperately, hungrily. You felt the electricity discharge as it continued to flow through you and into him. It felt as if every cell in your body exploded, the rush of endorphins was blissful, it was better than you had imagined. He placed his hands underneath your back side and lifted you so your legs wrapped around his waist, evening out the height difference.

Turning, he slammed your back against the lockers as he began to trail kisses down your jaw to your neck. The euphoric feeling intensified and you pushed a hand into his hair, gently pulling against it, your other handing roamed his back.

Then the hallway flooded with students and the two of you leapt apart. His lips were swollen and his hair tousled. You were both breathing heavily and kept eye contact from either side of the hall. However, the realisation that you needed to move broke the trance as you fumbled to pick up your discarded bag before rushing off, getting lost in the stampede of people. What had you done? He was a serpent and you had been taught that serpents should never be trusted. But how you wanted to.

“Sometimes it’s like someone took a knife, baby,

Edgy and dull and cut a six inch valley,

Through the middle of my skull”

Tagged: @swordsandserpents @justmesadgirl @galaxy-hale @nepriaa @wybcalum @happilydeadontheinside @we-chemical-kids @iamaunicorn4704

[theinquisitivej]

SteamHeart Episode 12 Reactions

Chapter Twelve: Launch Day

You can listen to the full episode here.

This episode is composed of a series of scenes in which our main characters prepare for the imminent departure of SteamHeart. All of the last conversations that are to be had play out, and we see a range of responses to this occasion. We see uncertainty, hope, clarity, gratitude for the connections these characters have made with one another, and a tidal wave of elation as Team Steam is introduced to an immense applauding crowd before finally setting off and beginning this journey.

         Raven starts us off with a description of the platform that will display Team Steam when SteamHeart makes its departure. He reminds us that, even without Truth’s media efforts to make the vehicle a household name, its role in subduing the Washington Riots has made it widely known, already establishing it as a point of stability. Raven makes remarks about the damage to the Smithsonian during the American Civil War, and the two hundred oil paintings of Native Americans by John Mix Stanley. The efforts that were made in the following years to fireproof the damaged floor of the Smithsonian puts Raven in an incensed and indignant mood. Perhaps the fact that the government takes such efforts to preserve “some smears of paint” depicting Native Americans but does so little to help actual Native American people is intensely aggravating to him. Raven becomes less convinced in his place in all this, and finishes by saying he will not be submitting what he just wrote to the record.

         Jeremy tells us of a conversation between James and Arlington that he was present for in which James enquires about Seth, the being that leads the Wendigos whom Arlington had met on the rooftops of Washington. We learn that Annie has been given the role of negotiator should they meet Seth on the road, due to their previous meeting giving her some experience conversing with this unknowable figure. If that isn’t possible, Butler will take on this role. James has seen Jeremy’s sketches, but he wants to know what it’s like to speak with Seth. The director remembers how he felt during his encounter with the creature in Arlington, how he seemed so like a lion not only through his appearance, but in his commanding intellect that seizes total control of whatever conversation he decides to engage in. Arlington recalls all that we know about his abilities, his healing, his connection to the Manticore, and we are left to wonder what our heroes could possibly do if the worst comes to pass and they are forced to fight this being. Our thoughts go to sweeter things when Jeremy tell us of Donald pulling him to the side to give him a new, high-quality journal. The gift shows how well he knows him, as Jeremy will have so much to write about as he goes out there to experience everything he’s always wanted. An empty journal represents new possibilities, and that’s an inspiring thing, especially for a man like Jeremy who’s always ached to see new worlds and creatures that no one else has seen. The words Donald has written, the support he shows Jeremy, and the last pieces of advice he gives the man he loves before his departure is a moment of tender human connection that offsets our fear of the inhuman, unknowable danger that Seth represents.

         Truth showing the merchandise that presents the members of Team Steam in the best possible light yields a variety of responses from the crew who are present. Abigail scoffs at the implication that she was a beautiful breaker of men’s hearts from a young age (though James, and I, couldn’t help but snicker at the nickname ‘Abby the Crabby’). Harry, however, is grateful to her sister for the words written on her trading card that call her a marvel mechanic and the best person to pilot SteamHeart, which makes me think that this is Truth’s honest opinion of her sister. Frank quite likes ‘Major Sureshot’, and I’m inclined to agree with him. Annie is being positioned as the brightest star of the bunch, being called ‘Miss America’ like she’s a superhero and a beacon of hope, which, to be fair, she kinda is.

         Annie meets her sister Sarah Ellen Mosey in another room, which has that much more impact because of the story of Annie’s childhood being relayed to us in the previous chapter. Sarah Ellen is a nurse and 26 years old, but she looks much older for having gone through what she has these last few years. In spite of the hardships and horrors both sisters have endured, they have a conversation about what they’ve accomplished, and how the recent times have enabled more women than ever before to do the jobs that were traditionally expected of men and show the world how good at it they can be. Sarah Ellen is especially taken aback by what Annie has become, this hero on posters who looks “like America wants to feel”. That’s a powerful symbol, as the traditional ideal of what America should be and what American people want to be, or want to feel like they can be, is this beaming, triumphant display of welcoming humanity that takes all people on board because they have the strength and resolve to do so. As Sarah Ellen tells her, Annie is someone who embodies and can inspire that idea of self-made strength and kindness. She’s the person for this, even if her shoulders shake at the weight of this expectation that’s been set on her.

         Arlington and Butler find Raven in a bar, halfway through a drink that is definitely not his first. Arlington is furious, and he and Raven have an altercation. Arlington gives him a choice: he either drinks another glass and is off the team, or he sobers up and gets on with his job. Raven digs his heels in, and Arlington shows him one of the trading cards that calls him ‘Reporter Raven’, trying to remind him what his duty is, and why they need Raven to be the one documenting the adventures of Steamheart. Raven’s set himself back in Arlington’s estimations, and possibly Butler’s as well, but if he commits himself to this, then he really is the best writer they could possibly ask to be on this mission.

          Annie and James agree that SteamHeart looks like a land-based Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which we learned from the Special Edition of Secret Rooms is a book that means a great deal to James. The possibility of James dropping by Weirwood at some point comes up, and although he was the one who brought it up, he maintains that he doesn’t get nostalgic for the past like Abigail does. This does gel with what we’ve seen of them in Secret Rooms, as James said it was good when he finally told himself that his parents weren’t coming back for him, whereas Abigail wanted to return to her hometown of Clearwater in case her parents were still there. While James and Abigail are an inextricably connected pair, this does emphasise their opposing nature in certain respects. Arlington arrives with Butler, telling James about the drunken state Raven was in when they found him, and granting him the authority to decide what to do should Raven continue to be a liability. James understands the magnitude of what’s at stake, but he is certainly not comfortable with the prospect of leaving Raven on the side of a road and dooming him, despite Arlington’s orders. Thomas and James may both be logical to the point of coming across as cold, but a key difference is that James will not hurt people due to his Hippocratic Oath (and possibly also because of the guilt he feels due to his perceived responsibility in what happened to Lucy, and his resolve to never let his actions, even inadvertently, lead to the death of someone else), whereas Thomas has no issue with making the call if he believes someone’s death will be for the greater good.

         Butler and Arlington look out over the crowds, discussing his persistent deliberation over all the problems that could rise up at any moment. Butler points out that Harry’s mind works in a similar way, as her mind is often halfway through the process of solving a problem. Arlington refutes this, stating that Harry is always preoccupied with the present and not anticipating the future, as he always is. Butler has become a friend to Arlington, Harry, and James as well, and he now reflects on what living with obsession, in all these different forms, can be like. These are brilliant people, but their brilliance is tangled up in all these preoccupations that take up so much energy to deal with every single day. It’s exhausting, and I suspect Butler sees that in this moment. To help take some of the weight off Harry so that she has more of an opportunity to rest, Butler has been learning how to pilot SteamHeart, and shares this with Arlington. Then the most surprising thing happens – Arlington smiles as he shakes Butler’s hand affectionately. He tells Butler that he considers him a good man, and that he trusts him to do the right thing, and then, before Butler or the audience has any time to take this in, he leaves. This level of trust in anyone beyond his own family is extremely rare for Thomas Arlington. I don’t know if we’ll ever get a chance to see him express this level of sincere faith in anyone else again.

         The last conversation before the big departure is between Abigail and Sarah Arlington, two characters who haven’t had much chance to interact before now. There’s a sense that both they and the audience are lucky to have this opportunity. Abigail commends Sarah for all the progress they’ve made in restoring Washington. Sarah has some news for Abigail and has a little fun in the relaying of said information. She speaks of a promotion to a high station, and when Abigail thinks she means her for a moment, Sarah playfully tells her “not yet, but put a pin in that for later”, showing the faith she already has in Abigail, even though she’s only known her for a short while (Sarah is quicker to connect with and trust people than her husband). She gives Abigail a couple hints as to who it might be, and Tabitha comes up, a bone collector and fellow Cartographer that Abigail took a liking to in Secret Rooms. We learn that the group will be meeting up with her along their journey, which I’m now really looking forward to. Eventually, Abigail successfully makes the connection and correctly guesses that Sarah is referring to Katherine Holloway. The end of Arlington made the audience already aware of this information, but seeing Abigail react to the news is fun and leads to a hopeful moment where Sarah suggests that, when Abigail returns safely, the two of them and Katherine can spend some time together. The final word of this scene, “hope”, makes the impossibility of this future sting.

         But we’re not done yet, because we get a fascinating scene where we hear Harry’s internal thoughts. If you listen to this scene through headphones, you’ll hear Harry’s voice alternate from ear to ear as she bounces thoughts back and forth and expresses her internal doubts, as well as her simultaneous desire to go on this mission. She describes the actions of the other people who are present, giving us a taste of her somewhat detached engagement with those around her which is nevertheless affectionate and glad to have these people as her friends and loved ones. The two voices of Harry speaking through each side of the listener’s headphones unify when her mind takes her somewhere else. The peace of the situation she imagines, gathering resources for the approaching mission, shows us what calms her, which is acquiring the means and materials to do the task at hand. Abigail’s encouraging words and her green eye lead Harry back, grounding her by supporting her and giving her something to focus on that’s there and present. It’s a brief but beautiful scene of introspection and insight.

         And now we’re here. It’s time to depart. Thomas and Sarah tell Harry how proud they are of her, and Abigail wonders if she’s about to cry while she watches this, but she doesn’t. The Special Edition of Secret Rooms introduces this running thread that Abigail doesn’t cry, or, to be more accurate, she cannot cry. She wants to, but time and time again, she thinks she might, and yet no tears are shed. We don’t really know if the things she’s gone through have instilled a form of PTSD in her that makes it difficult for her to cry, or if this part of her runs back even further than the emergence of the Wendigo, but for whatever reason, I feel nervous and uneasy about wherever this may be leading whenever this aspect of Abigail is brought up. After this, the heroes are all introduced to the crowd. At first, Abigail and Annie are scanning their surroundings for any signs of trouble. But as the scene goes on and Annie leads the crowd to applaud SteamHeart and each member of her crew, the energy swells more and more, escalating to an explosive moment of hopeful triumph. These people love them, and they want to see them succeed. Abigail plays to the crowd and even comes back to encourage them to give one last round of applause to the one person Annie forgot to mention; herself. The music is soaring, the mood uplifting, and as the episode comes to a close and the music has died down, we hear a rhythmic beat, as if we’re hearing the engine of SteamHeart move continuously forward. The characters have done all that they need to – they’re ready, and they’ve had the best possible start to their journey.

         Lastly, we get an epilogue that tells us what Robin and Oberon from The Princess Thieves were up to at that very moment. They stole a garden gnome that was partly made of gold from the garden of Captain Baltus, which caused him to fire his housekeeper Claudette. Robin regrets this and thinks about the knock-on effects of his actions, later deciding to leave parts of the gold from the gnome in Claudette’s garden until she finds new work. It’s a short but sweet vignette which connects The Princess Thieves into this significant moment and nexus point of New Century, as well as encourages the listener to consider how knock-on effects may influence later events in the story of SteamHeart. Who knows – perhaps the chain of events leading to these unforeseen consequences is already in progress.

[asiaberkeley]

A BS War: Dispatches by Michael Herr

With the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon approaching I wanted to share this write-up I did awhile ago on one of the best things I read about the Vietnam War: “Dispatches” by Michael Herr.

***

Full color television and easy access allowed reporters to expose the Vietnam War’s battlefield scenes to Americans watching from home. Hawks and pro-war politicians disparaged the media during the war.  These politicians accused “liberal” and “biased” journalists of turning “millions of Americans against the cause” with sensational “images from the battlefield” (Hess 133).  U.S. President Richard Nixon deplored the media’s alleged misuse of power over public opinion. He criticised their reporting for failing to inform readers of the reasons behind the military action.  “The American news media had come to dominate domestic opinion about its purpose and meaning.  In each night’s TV news and each morning’s paper the war was reported battle by battle, but little or no sense of the underlying purpose of the fighting was conveyed.  Eventually this contributed to the impression that we were fighting in military and moral quicksand,” writes Nixon in his memoirs (Hess 135).  

In the 1978 journalistic novel “Dispatches,” correspondent Michael Herr, like the media, dismisses the “underlying purposes of the fighting” as he documents gory scenes from his volunteer stint in Vietnam.  Yet Herr’s novel transcends wartime media coverage by luring the reader into a world of anguish and fear that defined the war in the eyes of its infantrymen.

In “Dispatches,” Herr follows soldiers or “grunts” during the period of escalation in the late 1960s.  He inspires respect and affection from soldiers and relays their experiences in ways that turn on the dime reporters failed to do.  The novel details Herr’s experiences at the relief and siege of Khe San at Langvei which “received the most brutal artillery barrage of the war” and even discusses the riots among troops that resulted from the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.  He weaves in antiwar music lyrics of the era and conversations he has with other Vietnam reporters and photographers.  Through this informal collage of stories and experiences he exposes the anxieties of American soldiers who relaxed the recreational hangout spot called “China Beach” and shares the soldier’s unanimous “obsession with time” (Herr 94, 118).  He describes a soldier named “Day Tripper” with an inscribed calendar on his helmet who is fascinated by the question: “How much time you got?” (Herr 118).

Herr’s inspiration for “Dispatches” arises from his belief in the inadequacies of Vietnam media coverage.  He writes, “The press got all the facts (more or less), it got too many of them.  But it never found a way to report meaningfully about death, which of course was really what it was all about” (Herr 215).  Through coarse language and uncensored details, Herr portrays the atmosphere of death and desperation in Vietnam.  He redefines the conventional reporting that branded the war as a bloodbath by revealing that “secret” and “undeniable history” that got lost in a “communications pudding” (Herr 218).  Brimming with macabre imagery of murder and mutilation, the novel’s title “dispatches” evokes the verb to “dispatch” meaning “to put to death”, symbolic of Herr’s preoccupation with the grave and enduring implications of warfare. “Dispatches” conveys the war’s destructive impact on infantrymen.  Early in his journey he writes about a Marine saying, “He had one of those faces, I saw that face at least a thousand times at a hundred bases and camps, all the youth sucked out of the eyes, the color drawn from the skin, cold white lips, you knew he wouldn’t wait for any of it to come back” (Herr 16).  And later Herr confesses, “I realized later that, however childish I might remain, actual youth had been pressed out of me in just the three days that it took me to cross the sixty miles between Can Tho and Saigon” (Herr 72).  Through his experiences, Herr takes only a few days to become one of the lost and aged soldiers he first sees.

“Dispatches” conveys also the pervasive fear of death soldiers felt during their time in Vietnam.  Herr reveals early on, “I went to the cover the war and the war covered me.”  “Dispatches” shows how the war inflicted its soldiers with a burden of responsibility both for what they saw and what they carried out.  “It took the war to teach that you were as responsible for everything you saw as you were for everything you did” (Herr 20).  Herr’s narrative tells us that the fear of dying reached everyone because no one could escape the unending stories of friends who were dead or injured.  “You could be in the most protected space in Vietnam and still know that your safety was provisional, that early death, blindness, loss of legs, arms, major and lasting disfigurement—the whole rotten deal—could come in on the freakyfluky as easily as in the so-called expected ways, you heard so many of those stories it was a wonder anyone was left alive to die in firefights and mortar-rocket attacks” (Herr 14).  Herr tells a story of a legless soldier who screams out at a priest for lying about his amputations while he was too drugged on morphine to realize the truth.  Such haunting stories exemplify the way Herr recalls specific images to convey the devastating reality of the war.

Amid stories of death and suffering “Dispatches” offers the reader much-needed comic relief in a chapter entitled “Postscript: China Beach.”  He describes China Beach as the highly-coveted escape, a relaxation center for Marines that looked out onto the Bay of Danang.   Herr lightens his own experience as a reporter by describing a conversation with some Marines who try to impress him and each other with war stories about a “dead buddy” they could barely remember.  “They went on like that, they really couldn’t remember it.  It was just a matter of pride or politeness for them to come up with the name of a dead buddy, they were going to try, but when they thought I wasn’t watching, they looked at each other and smiled” (Herr 166).

“Dispatches” convincingly portrays the Vietnam War’s impact on Herr and the soldiers he meets; however, Herr falls into the category of those journalists who did not, as Nixon lamented, remind the public about the purpose of the fighting.  Rather than remaining neutral or providing argued military and political stances, Herr makes his opinions obvious through ridiculing remarks that suggest the war’s lack of purpose altogether —a purposelessness that Nixon denied and deemed as an “impression” conveyed by irresponsible journalists.   Herr parodies the military strategies of the Vietnam War.  The “Heart and Minds” argument, which was designed to win over the Vietnamese, as well as the “Domino Theory”, a “belief that the fall of one country to communism would topple the next, as though in a row of dominoes” becomes the butt of his jokes (Olson and Roberts 27).  “Not that you didn’t hear some overripe bullshit about it: Hearts and Minds, Peoples of the Republic, tumbling dominoes, maintaining the equilibrium of the Dingdong by containing the ever encroaching Doodah,” (Herr 20).  Herr’s use of slang like “Dingdong” and the “ever encroaching Doodah” shows the patronizing attitude with which he regarded the official arguments that set forth and propagated the war.   Herr says he was just in Vietnam “to watch” but his statements showcase his clear disapproval of the war.  His reliance on the opinions of infantrymen to support the view of the war as purposeless shows his impartiality as an observer.  

Similarly, Herr criticizes the Vietnam strategy “Search and Destroy”, which aimed to “find the communists’ ‘threshold of pain’: the point where US power would force them to give up their struggle and accept an independent, noncommunist South Vietnam” (Hess 84).  Herr writes, “Search and Destroy, more a gestalt than a tactic, brought up alive and steaming from the Command psyche.  Not just a walk and a firefight, in action it should have been named the other way around, pick through the pieces and see if you could work together a count, the sponsor wasn’t buying any dead civilians.  The VC had an ostensibly similar tactic called Find and Kill.  Either way, it was us looking for him looking for us looking for him, war on a Cracker Jack box, repeated to diminishing returns” (Herr 61).  Here again, Herr mocks the language of the American military tactics by suggesting the chaos behind the neatly-packaged “Search and Destroy” strategy.  His scattered comments about Vietnam policies support his view that the war was based on “bullshit”.

Herr’s antiwar sentiments propel Nixon’s belief in the existence of a biased media.  The value of “Dispatches” lies in the power and poetic beauty with which Herr describes the harrowing experience of combat life during the Vietnam War.  Yet in his obsession with the horrors of warfare and in his casual affronts on American policies in Vietnam, he offers little context for the combat he describes so vividly.  Although Herr published critical magazine writings about Vietnam during the war, “Dispatches” was published after the war and thus did not serve the political agenda of swaying public opinion during wartime.  Whether or not Herr’s novel would have even affected the public’s stance if it had been published during the war is uncertain given the contradicting evidence set forth by scholars about the media’s impact on the public opinion during the war.  

The Committee on Government Operations issued a document called the “U.S. Information Problems in Vietnam” report of 1963 to show that media reporting had caused serious problems for Washington.  The report covers the “investigation of control of U.S. correspondents reporting developments in Vietnam and, particularly, the joint directive on the handling of U.S. correspondents” (Dawson 6).  Polling evidence shows a correlation between the decreased popularity of the Nixon administration and the media coverage at the time.  During events at Khe San, for example, the president’s ranking decreased by 7 percentage points as the media heavily publicized the atrocities that occurred (Hammond 120).  

Conversely, some scholars deny the media’s hand in defining public opinion about the war.  Professor and senior historian with the U.S. Army’s Center of Military History William Hammond notes, “…official manipulation and journalistic failures are relatively superficial aspects of the story.  The question is, did either the press coverage or the government’s efforts to manipulate public opinion have much effect on the people of the United States.  There is evidence that from the beginning of the war, whatever the efforts of the press of the government, the American public went its own way” (Hammond 295).  Hammond cites an example of a 1966 survey which revealed “deep ambivalence on the part of many Americans despite the acquiescence of large portions of the press in President Johnson’s effort to mold a public consensus in favor of the conflict” (Hammond 295).  According to Hammond, the war’s lack of popularity on the home front only mirrored the media’s negative coverage of events taking place in South Vietnam.  Hammond goes so far as to suggest that the disillusioned political leaders of the war used the press as a scapegoat to fix their “anger” because they were the “most visible element of the society that appeared to have rejected them” (Hammond 296).

Herr’s implicit purpose in writing “Dispatches” was to bring deeper meaning to the violence and death behind the Vietnam War.  Whether or not “Dispatches” should be criticized for Herr’s bias in portraying the war’s purposes is not noteworthy considering the ambiguous debate surrounding the media’s impact on public opinion.  The important question to ask then is if “Dispatches” is a novel of lasting relevance.  What is certain is Herr’s testament that the Vietnam War will forever remain in the hearts and minds of those who served.

[ladykg]

[Naruto HashiObi Soulmate Au] Exchanging sadness for tree sap - Chapter 2

‘Ello lovely readers,

Fair warning: updates won’t be consistent and may not be this often…

Also, I kinda may or may not have played around a bit with canon time tables… in a few ways… because in blackkat’s drabble Obito has the rinnegan (and I really really wanted to use the whole, “no more masks?” line that Naruto said so… yeah). Also ages… ages are a thing… like Kagami will probably be around sixteen? And Tobirama will probably be early twenties because canon is shit at giving ages for when the whole founding of the village actually happened….

 ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FF.NET AND AO3 - PLEASE DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT MY PERMISSION (LADYKG) THANK YOU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What?” Izuna is the one to ask the question, breaking the silent disbelief that has settled over the party. (Really, Obito doesn’t see how staring at him for ten minutes can be a justified reaction - time travel isn’t that farfetched. But maybe he only thinks that because he just experienced it).

Obito sucks in a breath, fortifying against any doubt or delusion that he can go back now, “I’m from the future.” And of course saying it a second time doesn’t actually give any more credibility to the statement.

Except Hashirama is looking at him like the entire world just shifted, “Then the Senju and Uchiha will have a good enough relationship to have a child?” The man is practically vibrating in place, a near opposite to his sulking before. “See, brother, I told you-“

Obito doesn’t hear the rest of his soulmate’s sentence, too busy trying to wrap his mind around the implications of his words. A Senju and Uchiha child? Obito is an orphan, never knew his parents, only that they must have been Uchiha. But… but the clan hated him. He was the black sheep. And what better reason than- No. No, Obito forces himself not to tense, not to think about this anymore. He has no proof (Except he does). The mokuton was because of those experiments, not because… not because he is part Senju. They would have told him. (Except he knows they wouldn’t).

“The future must be a very innovative place for such a jutsu to be created,” Tobirama says, starting the conversation up again while eyeing Obito like he wants to pick apart his brain and root out all the secrets within. “Or was it that eye that gave you the ability?”

“It was my dead teammate.” He shakes his head, both to dispute Tobirama’s point and at the absurdity of it all. But, really, the least he can do for Rin is give her credit for letting him meet his soulmate.

“You said you’re supposed to be dead,” Hashirama picks up quickly.

“I was supposed to die during a war,” he frowns.

“Clearly it didn’t stick,” Izuna mumbles, looking Obito up and down. The comment goes ignored by those around him. (Thinking back on it that was the second time death passed him over).

“And the next thing I know I’m being shoved and falling into the middle of your pitched fight.” He repeats Madara’s own words back, practically spitting them.

“War?” Tobirama shifts, clearly trying to calculate what the threat could be.

“The fourth shinobi war,” Obito gives a wane smile. No more masks, but… he isn’t sure admitting to starting a war in front of both clans would be the greatest of ideas. It would be a power play, surely, and would mark him as a potential threat. “The Akatsuki against an alliance of the elemental nations.”

“Red dawn?” Tobirama tilts his head in question, hand coming up to rest on his chin.

“They were freedom fighters that became corrupted,” Obito hedges. His sins are ones that he is more than willing to accept but trying to gain trust isn’t exactly easy when you out right say you’ve committed heinous acts (even by shinobi standards).

There is a pause while this sinks in. While these shinobi legends think on what a threat this organization must have presented in order to force the entire shinobi nations to band together.

“Perhaps, it would be best to wait for Madara to…” Izuna turns to eye where the Uchiha have yet to fully release there leader. “Join us before continuing this discussion,” the shinobi finishes with the glint in his eyes that says he is enjoying the situation far more than he is letting on. (Made even more evident by his clear lack of help in freeing his brother).

So they wait. Wait the next forty minutes with Hashirama’s bright eyes focused on him. Wait the next forty minutes with laughter attempting to bubble out of his chest in hysterical bursts. By the time they get Madara free his hair is a mess from the ginko sapling’s ministrations, his face splattered with dirt and scratches, and Obito is more than satisfied to see the way he favors one side.

“Your soulmate’s insane,” the man tells the Senju eyes - still sharingan red - skittering between Obito and Hashirama. But it is not this statement that has every instinct in his body screaming to kill with each step the man takes. Practically rioting against all logic that letting his mokuton created plants attack the Uchiha will have to be enough. Telling him to eliminate a threat not only to his person but to the future as well. Because, now, there is no distraction of finding his soulmate, no distraction of human contact that was far from malicious.

And though Obito’s presence will ensure that the spark for the fourth war never happens it doesn’t mean that the catalyst has been dealt with. He could kill him. Even without kamui, he could take a kunai from his unsuspecting soulmate and gut the man who killed Rin, who pushed Obito to bring destruction on the shinobi world. The man who is to become the vessel for a goddess, the man who-

Every muscle pulls tight at the feeling of a hand covering his fist, more than ready to attack, more than ready to feel a weapon punch into him. It never comes though, and Obito blinks away enough red to see Hashirama’s concerned demeanor. To notice that the hand covering his is warm, trickling calming chakra into him like a lifeline. Those around him are silent, studying, and it takes him another several seconds to let his tension fade.

Hashirama doesn’t let go.

Obito doesn’t know how to react in return.

Instead, he eyes Madara for a moment more, examines the man who has done nothing yet but listen to elders and send his people to war for old revenge. The man who is friends with Hashirama. The man Obito logically knows he can’t kill if he wants there to be peace. The shinobi that has the potential to destroy the world and rein war upon all nations. (That doesn’t mean he can’t make the man’s life a living hell, however).

“To think the great Uchiha Madara was defeated by a few plants,” Obito says low enough that only he and Hashirama hear, holding back his mocking laughter all the while. Hashirama, on the other hand, has less luck. His mirth from Madara’s misfortune and Obito’s comment is more than obvious in his poorly repressed smile and gleaming eyes. It doesn’t go unnoticed by an already irritated Madara.

“He’s from the future,” Izuna cuts in, clearly having little-brother senses that are flaring with warning that Madara is about to do something stupid. Obvious choice; bring the conversation into a new topic.

“The future,” Madara raises an eyebrow, hands going to rest on his hips. “Great, even more proof that he’s lost his mind.”

Hashirama is sputtering out a defense, making claims of possible jutsu and dojutsu. But Madara isn’t paying attention, and Obito feels more than violated as the man’s gaze rakes over his figure, landing finally on his ringed eye.

“I’ve never seen a dojutsu like that before,” he frowns. “What is it?”

“The rinnegan,” Tobirama announces before he can. “It’s only ever mentioned in passing,” the future Nidaime continues, curiosity saturating his voice, “I had assumed it was nothing but a legend.”

The question is there, in the tone of the man’s voice and the looks on those in their gathering; if it’s a legend, then how did he get it?

It’s a well-known fact that the Uchiha clan hate non-clan members wielding their eyes. Especially when said eyes are stolen. It is a little known fact that they also hate when an Uchiha steals another form of dojutsu. This disapproval stemming from pride not only in the sharingan but in the clan itself. An elitist view point that they do not need any other dojutsu because no other can compare to the power of the sharingan. Arrogance in the rawest form - the same kind that has them facing the Senju without armor.

When he had been retrieving Nagato’s eyes he hadn’t given much thought to it. Too busy trying to start a war. Too busy drowning in his anger. He hadn’t cared. And, now, Obito stands before the clan head with a stolen rinnegan. He can’t say his feelings have changed.

“I took it from a dead subordinate,” he tells them evenly. He doesn’t allow himself to say comrade because he had never treated Nagato as such - he has no right to claim such ties.

And he doesn’t allow himself to look at Hashirama. Not because he thinks the man knows about the Uchiha’s opinions but because he is sure that the man’s own morals will cry out in protest. He doesn’t want to see the disapproval that he knows is there.

“You’re an Uchiha,” Madara hisses out, face filled with anger and a fire in his eyes that Obito hasn’t seen before

“You’re an Uchiha like Sasuke,” Naruto’s voice whispers through his head before he can even try to deny it, try to push away the name of a clan he had massacred. (And really, he needs to figure out what kind of jutsu that sunshine boy used to get into his head so thoroughly. To make him remember. To make him believe in a future where peace was possible without absolute control).

“It was war,” Obito growls back instead, because the absolute last things he is willing to take is Madara reprimanding him on morals. His life has not sunken so low. The scowl on his face pulls almost uncomfortably at his scars, no doubt making him even harder to look directly at. “I will not be lectured by you on the merits of my decisions.”

“Time traveler or not,” Madara’s voice takes on an authority that has Izuna shift into a more attentive state. “You’re still an Uchiha, and I am your clan head. You will respect that.”

“Actually, he’s a Senju,” a voice calls from behind, demanding and confident in a way that has Obito thinking of Kushina.

(Madara is lucky for this interruption.

Obito likes to think he has patience. He spent nearly twenty years fulfilling his plan to rule the elemental nations. He even helped an elderly Madara with his bathroom needs while under his tutelage. Had let Madara off with nothing more than an attack by plants. Had ignored his instincts that wanted a body at his feet. But his patience has fast run out while faced with this Madara’s judgement on his choices. And he is not entirely sure what he would have done without this new distraction).

“Touka,” Tobirama greets, giving a nod of acknowledgement as he moves to let her find space in their circle.

“Touka!” Hashirama beams as the woman comes to stand on Obito’s other side.

“Little cousins,” the kunoichi - Touka, Senju Touka - says, but Obito notices the way her eyes skitter to Izuna before a blink corrects their direction.

“Uchiha.”

“Senju,” Madara’s voice is sour. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“I disagree.” The smile that she gives is more of a warning. Sharp and clearly a promise to follow through with the threat it gives, “As I was saying, my dear cousin’s soulmate is a Senju. Seeing as he’s fated to a clan head. Or, have you forgotten how this works?”

Obito decides she’s his favorite Senju (baring Hashirama because he is sure that the man would be inconsolable in his sulking if the way he reacted to Tobirama is anything to go by). With how easily she can make Madara bluster. With how easily she can make the man back down.

“I know how the agreement works,” the man snaps, arms crossing over his chest. “Did you forget that it’s only between clans with a treaty?”

Touka swings her naginata down to study the blade with calm features, “Are you saying that Uchiha and Senju aren’t going to ally?”

“Madara?” And Hashirama’s voice comes out equal parts hurt and disapproving.

The man scowls, “I never said that.”

“Then we can move past your stuffy traditions,” she says sickly sweet, ignoring the glare her words earn her with an ease that says she has pissed scarier people off. “Now let me get a look at you,” she turns to Obito, showing the two Uchiha her side - not as direct an insult as placing them at her back, but a clear sign she sees them as unworthy of her full attention. Her critical look pauses on his rinnegan, moving smoothly over his scars and focuses a moment long on his chest where he knows the split between him and the material used to fix him becomes obvious. She gives a hum, “How good is your taijutsu?”

Obito blinks, taken aback by her sudden question, but he obliges to answer - it will give little away anyway. “I’m proficient.”

“Weaponry?”

Obito narrows his eyes. Any shinobi knows better than to just list all of their abilities, and that goes a bit farther than he is comfortable. “Why?”

Touka nods towards Hashirama, “I approve.” The next thing Obito knows she is presenting her hand to him, “I’m Senju Touka, it’s a pleasure to meet my idiot cousin’s soulmate.”

Obito doesn’t even try to suppress his approval, even if he has to force himself not to hesitant in returning her gesture. Definitely his favorite. “Obito,” he pauses for a breath, because Naruto fought hard to make him accept his name again, but denying what she just used to shut up an argument would be suicide, “Uchiha-Senju Obito.”