#they don't quite have echo's talent for magic but they make up for it in charisma and violent tendencies

[mumblesplash]

don’t you hate it when your civilization flees deep underground to escape the wither only to find yourselves trapped down there with something even worse. anyway surprise! i can still draw

[sparrowrye]

Demi Demon || Alastor x Reader, A2 part 7

Summary: It’s been over a year since we were brought under Alastor’s watchful eye. We’ve unlocked our Demonic powers, discovered our own talents, and began building the Safe Haven with Charlie and co. Alastor seems increasingly interested in the power we hold as one and intends to use it properly.

Previous part

Part 7: new revelation

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

"I can't find him!" A woman burst through the doors. Her boots were barely on and she wore no jacket.

"Find who?" Althea asked, one wolf ear flicking at the sudden noise.

"Rodney!" She ran over to us and spoke directly to the healer. "We-we were arguing and he ran out but I thought he would come back."

"How long has he been out?"

The woman was hesitant, eyes jumping between all of us. Althea had to prompt her again, pressing that we needed to know as soon as possible.

"Since...since this afternoon."

Althea and I locked eyes. The sun was about to set which meant the boy had been out for hours in the freezing cold. "Which way did he go?" she asked.

The woman was in tears now, guilt probably pulling her heart in two. She shook her head in her hands as an answer. She had no idea.

"Where do we start?" Althea looked to me. I almost wanted to ask 'why would I know?' but I did in fact know. I had been on this land for two years now and ran or explored most of it.

"Either the shore or the forest," I answered.

"We don't have any winter clothes, though," Vivian warned. She was right. We had yet to make winter clothes for everyone since they only moved in the cold when going between warm buildings. Someone going out could get frostbite themselves before they found the boy.

I thought for a moment before an idea came to mind. "Find Husker. His magic lets him keep himself warm and he can fly along the shore."

"What about the forest?" Althea asked.

"I'll go. I can also keep myself warm and can move fast as a dragon."

"As a what?" Vilcin popped their head out from behind Vivian. I noticed by the looks on their faces that I had yet to let my friends know of my abilities. They mostly seemed surprised but I worried if there was a hint of anger at keeping a secret from them.

"I'll be back." I turned swiftly on my heels and out into the cold. The wind caught me off guard but I pushed the cold away and replaced it with warmth. I took a few steps in the shallow snow, some Humans having shoveled for easier walking, and jumped forward. My claws enlarged and it took a second jump for my whole Dragon form to come out.

I moved swiftly out of the haven and into the forest. It was much easier to maneuver through the forest with four feet. My tail whipped behind me and I felt a rush of adrenaline run through my veins. I loved running like this. I felt so free and natural, like I belonged doing exactly this.

A presence came to my mind and I instantly recognized it as Alastor. He seemed to wrap around my mind but not quite pass through my shields. I slowed to a trot and looked around for his stark red coat against the white snow, but he was nowhere to be found. Was he close?

I shook my head and picked up my pace back to a run. I had only so much time before I lost the sunlight. It was taking a lot of magic to keep my Dragon form, keep myself warm, and move as quickly as I could through the forest.

The sun was moving faster than me, though, and the forest became next to impossible to run through. I was forced into another trot to avoid running face first into a tree.

"You lack imagination." Alastor's voice echoed in my head. He was always saying those exact words. How could I use my imagination when my entire world has been grounded in reality and the limits of the physical body? I could only do so much.

I came to a stop and stomped my front foot. I wasn't going to return without this boy, dead or alive. I could manage to find him, assuming he even came into the forest to begin with and not the shore.

I took a deep breath to let out a sigh but stopped. I quickly let out the breath and took another huge one through my nose alone. I could smell something. It wasn't natural, nothing like wood or snow. It was something else—someone—else.

Bringing more magic energy to my head, I started taking short, deep breaths. I padded through the cold snow keeping my head close to the ground. The boy was young so he was shorter. If only it was light enough then I could see footprints.

I tried brightening the dark shadows, reverse shadow work, and watched everything brighten. I picked up the pace as I followed the boy's trail. He was close. The smell was getting stronger and the snow wasn't smooth - he had come this way.

Then I spotted him. He was laying on his side curled up against a tree. I sprinted over and slid to a stop. He had dug himself a little burrow in the snow but it did him nothing. His body was barely moving and his fingers were already purple.

I lifted his cold body into my arms and took flight. I kept the cold away and gradually pushed warmth into him. He wasn't dead but he was awfully close. I flew as fast as I could back to the haven and found Althea in the grand hall. She rushed him over to her hut, wrapped him in blankets, and immediately started attempting to heal him. The mother was hovering but fortunately Vivian convinced her to sit to the side with her.

"What about his hands?" I asked nervously, touching the poor boy's black tipped fingers under the blanket.

"Healing speeds up the process, it can't undo anything," Althea explained. She was bringing color back to his skin.

Surely that can't be right.

I pulled his arm out of the blanket and gently ran my fingers across his own. The mother was sobbing at this point and mumbling her guilts to our teacher.

I looked down to the boy's fingers. I remembered Lucifer, King of Hell, saying that magic was ever expanding and not constrained to the categories already set in place. Vox was obviously a new improvement to their type of magic. Surely I could do the same? Alastor himself said I had a lot of power.

Carefully and slowly, I imagined the black skin crawling away from my own hand and fading into the tips of his fingers. I was shocked to find it actually working when I opened my eyes. A surge of happiness filled me as I continued my work until the black had disappeared entirely. I watched one of his fingers twitch.

I did it!

Alastor's presence surged through my shields and his hand suddenly gripped my wrist, wrenching it up so quickly and painfully that I was spun around to face him. His eyes were narrow and I could see his black gums on his terrifying snarl. He was angry.

"How did you do that?" he demanded. My fingers were feeling funny from the death grip he had on my wrist. I could feel him searching my memories and I tried to pull my hand free to break the connection.

"Let go of me, Alastor." I met his sharp, cat-like eyes with equal anger. He was violating the peace we had managed to build these past few weeks. He was reverting back to his self that I first met.

I was pulled into the shadows and transported into the library. I stumbled back into the wall from the motion and Alastor chased me, slamming a hand on the wall beside my head and bringing his sharp teeth close to my face. "How. Did. You. Do that?" he demanded again.

"You don't get to treat me like this!" Still in my Demon form, I made myself a few inches taller and pulled my lips back in a snarl. It still felt much weaker compared to his yellow one but I wasn't about to drop the challenge.

"Answer me," he ignored my response, "how? You shouldn't have been able to do that."

"Well I did. You're the one who keeps telling me I lack imagination but when I use it you get mad at me."

"I want to know how. Explain it to every detail."

"Why are you so upset about this? Tell me that first."

"This isn't a negotiation, darling~" the name was anything but sweet, sending a chill down my spine that I repressed.

"You don't get to control me. We've been over this time and time again. You. Cannot. Control me!" I went to shove him away but he grabbed both hands at the last second. He moved them barely to the side and my momentum took me into him. He took advantage of my loss of balance, holding my hands far enough past his shoulders that I was leaning on his chest and craning my neck back away from his teeth. His breath smelled horrible.

Without warning, he invaded my mind and went through my memories. I brought my back foot up and shoved against his leg. His tentacles came up to keep me in place, his eyes seeing through me as he fished for his answer. I did the next best thing and brought my forehead to his teeth.

His ears pinned back, something I didn't know he could do, and jerked his head away. The tentacles reached up to my shoulders to hold me down further. So I went the magic route.

I closed my eyes and followed the connection, reaching into his mind this time. I barely got in when he withdrew quickly from my mind to shove me out of his.

"I told you-"

"Then don't search through mine!" I let Alcine, my shadow, free from my form and she towered on the wall behind me. She morphed into the dragon and attacked Alastor's shadow. She wrapped around him like a snake and held his face in her claws, ready to snap his neck.

Alastor's eyes widened at the loss of his shadow. They then jumped back to me, a smirk pulling at my lips. It's only been two years but I was already giving him a run for his money. Something in me had unlocked tonight and he was furious about it.

His tentacles suddenly disappeared and he shoved me against the wall by my neck. He leaned down close to my ear as my throat squeezed shut. "You have been gifted by the force of the universe that our fates our tied."

I put my weight on his arm and looked up at him through half lidded eyes. I put both feet against his leg but without oxygen I was useless. I tried using magic to fill my lungs but I felt him block me. My anger boiled from being unable to do anything.

He suddenly let go and I fell on my tailbone, letting out a strangled gasp and high pitched noise. "No matter," he said, his cane appearing in his hand so he could lean over me, "I found my answer. For the time being, you are not to tell a soul what you did. It could mean worse things for both of us."

I watched him disappear into his shadows to who knows where. I retracted my horns so I could slam my head into the wall and punch the floor. I let out a deep yell and looked at Alcine on the wall. She had turned back into her elegant long hat outfit.

I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. He was always going to beat me. Two years felt like awhile but to him it was milliseconds. It would take me so long before I could match him on skill level. Why couldn't he just be normal? Why did he have to push and invade my boundaries?

I glared up into the dark library, my Demon side fully out. This meant I would have to go about this a different way.

****

"Since when do you willingly want to speak with me?" Lucifer Morningstar asked, closing the door behind the Radio Demon. Alastor spun to face the short king and placed his hands atop his own—better—cane.

"You have information only you would know. I came to retrieve it."

"Oh? And why would I give it to you?"

"I think you'd find it rather interesting what I'm about to tell you." He cocked his head to the side.

"And what is that?"

Alastor took a few steps to close the distance. "My soulmate healed completely frostbitten fingers."

"Why is that so interesting?" Lucifer kept his arms crossed. Alastor's eye twitched at the king's oblivion. He remained silent, waiting for him to figure it out himself. Indeed he did because his eyes widened and his arms dropped to his sides.

"She healed...that's not how Demon magic works," Lucifer said slowly.

"Precisely," the word rolled off Alastor's tongue. "She healed it. Who else wields such magic?"

"Well...that would be me, Lilith, and Charlie. And any and all Angels who—" It clicked. "She's...you think she's a..."

"A fallen Angel," Alastor finished for him. This man's mind worked so slow yet he was running all of Hell.

Lucifer started to laugh. Alastor watched, completely unamused by the behavior. Why was this so funny? This meant the Angels were losing more of them and allowing them to fall to the surface instead of Hell.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Lucifer wiped a tear from his eyes. "It's just...I find it hilarious that you, the Radio Demon, are soul bound to a fallen Angel."

"Why is that? She must've done something to earn such a banishment."

That made Lucifer go quiet. He put a hand under his arm and another under his chin to think. "Have you not seen her memories? Or has she been making sure you can't be twenty yards from her?" He smirked, knowing full well from Charlie what the status of their relationship was like.

"I have. She has no memories of Heaven, though. Hence why I thought a fallen Angel himself would certainly have more information." Alastor was trying to threaten Lucifer with a lack of knowledge, hoping he'd try to prove himself and give up the information willingly.

Lucifer didn't find it amusing, mostly hurtful, but he played the part. "Then she must be a child of a fallen Angel. It would explain why I didn't see a halo when I first met her."

"Excuse me?" Alastor tapped his fingers on his cane.

Lucifer ran his black hand over his smooth hair then pointed an inch above it. "Fallen angels have a faint outline of their halo above their head only I can see."

"She did not have one?"

"No," he shook his head, "but I can imagine she would have some Angelic magic if one of her parents were one."

"Outstanding."

Lucifer watched Alastor's expression intensely. "Why is this so important? What do you intend to do to her?"

"That is for me to know." He held his cane and arms behind his back as he smiled down at the King of Hell.

"I feel real bad for your soulmate." Lucifer's tone was somber as he crossed his arms again.

"You will envy us with time. Ta ta for now." Alastor slipped into the shadows.

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

Author's Note:

I'm back on a roll! Time for feelings!!!

[prongslvl]

BY YOUR SIDE, THAT'S WHERE I STAY - james potter

PAIRING james potter x gn!reader

SUMMARY a conversation between friends makes you question your boyfriend's career decisions. james reassures you.

a/n: just something short and sweet! i had a pretty long day so i thought writing something cheesy would cheer me up (it did). happy reading!

"say, i heard your boyfriend's pretty talented in magic?" your friend, whom you met working in hogsmeade, leaning towards you with a smile. 

you weren't aware of the reason she brought james up, but you didn't complain. if anything, you're glad you finally have a reason to gush over him. 

"yes, especially during our time in hogwarts, a little genius he is. especially in one of our old classes, defense against dark arts." you said with a grin, your pride for your boyfriend grew in your chest. "he even got scouted by the ministry of magic— they've never scouted anyone." 

your friend gasped in amusement, "really? that must've been an honor! i presume he accepted it?" 

you chuckle, "yes, but he decided he wanted to work with me in the shop."

"right, you own a bakery, yes?" you nod in confirmation. "that's sweet of him!" she placed her butterbeer on the table after she took a sip. 

the memory of james declaring that he wants to spend more time with you and revealing that he quit his job to work in the bakery is one of the many moments of the curly-haired boy that made you giggle to yourself. it did worry that it might give him a bad record in the ministry of magic, but your worries were relinquished as soon as you brought it up when he showed you the departing letter he got from them. 

ever since then, he'd be behind the till, managing the customers while you baked their orders. you two had unbreakable teamwork. it was way better than when you were alone. 

"but it is a shame, though?" her words made you stare at her in confusion. 

"what do you mean?" you asked, fiddling with the wooden mug. 

"i mean, i'm pretty sure he got a really good position in his old job. it's just a shame he had to give it up. the ministry of magic could've gained a lot of help from potter." she shrugs, laughing to herself. "but that's just from my observation of my customers." 

you weren't really sure what to say, and you were suddenly uncomfortable in your seat.

she seems to notice this, waving her hands. "but i'm pretty sure he knew what he was doing." if her words were meant to reassure you, they didn't really help. 

you remained tight-lipped throughout the one sided conversation before she had to leave to get ready for her shift. you left the pub with a heavy heart and doubts in your mind. 

you've known james since your fifth year at hogwarts and his love for the ministry of magic, specifically their auror job. there were times in your relationship where you'd both talk about your future together after hogwarts. 

"once i get my job as an auror, i'll spoil you to the brim." james said as he held your hands, a grin on his face. "i'll support your business in every financial way." 

"james, you do know you don't get a paycheck on your first day?" 

"guess they'll have to make an exception for me, then." he joked, making you laugh at his antics. 

but what both of you didn't know was how time-consuming it was for james to be an auror. in his first week, he'd leave in the afternoon and come back at breakfast. you'd be lying if you said you didn't hate it, because you did. you both rarely saw each other out of uniform, too focused on your respective jobs. 

at first, you didn't mind it. it was yours and james' first time getting a job together, and you understood it always starts roughly. but when a week of not seeing each other turned into a month, even missing your anniversary, james knew it was the last straw. both of you haven't looked back since then, working happily together. 

.

.

.

when you got home, your friend's words continued to echo in your mind.

has james ever regretted it? 

was there a time when he talked to a rude customer and wished to be anywhere but here? 

did he ever look at you mid-conversation, wanting to bring up his mind changing? 

you frown, hugging yourself on your shared couch. the last thing you wanted to be for james was a burden, a shackle that prevented him from doing what he actually wanted. the mere thought of it made you teary-eyed. 

you lightly sniffed as you wiped your eyes. this caught the attention of your boyfriend in the kitchen. james was writing down something for the bakery when he heard you. he immediately drops anything, rushing to your side. 

"hey, hey. darling?" he kneels in front of you, holding on to your face. you didn't know what came over you; when you saw his face up close, it broke the dam in your eyes. tears began to fall even harder, no matter how you tried to stop it. 

james furrowed his eyebrows in worry. he hugged you in his arms, burying your face in his chest. he didn't know why you were reacting this way, and concern was definitely an understatement. he kept hearing you mumble a bunch of sorrys, making him confused about whatever made you feel the need to apologize. 

"don't apologize for anything. you didn't do anything wrong." he buries his face in your neck, tightening his grip on you. 

you finally calmed down after a while, james sitting next to you on the couch. he still had his arm wrapped around you as you leaned on his shoulder. 

"did something happen today?" james asked softly as he laid his cheeks on your hair, sneaking a kiss on your crown. you let out a ragged breath, preparing to answer. 

"it's just— me and my friend from hogsmeade, we talked today." you start hearing and feeling james' hums as he continues to listen to your words. "she talked about your job, i guess, jobs." you chuckled bitterly. 

it wasn't rocket science for james to realize what might've probably happened, he knew how sensitive a topic his decision was for you. 

"i've never wanted you to give up on pursuing your dreams, james." you look at him, his eyes meeting yours. "i could never take that away from you, james, never. but i think my selfishness still did it." 

he shakes his head immediately. james grabs a hold of your chin, caressing your cheeks. 

"there wasn't a day where i regretted choosing you, choosing us." 

"but it was your dream—"

"it was, my love. it was." james gently pulls your head towards him, giving you a kiss on your lips. "dreams come and go. a person can always change their mind." he gave your forehead a peck as he continued. 

"meeting you made me change and realize what i really want, my love. you showed me the future i want to have as soon as you said yes to me." tears began to form once again in your eyes. james immediately caught them with a swipe of his thumb. 

you sigh, interlocking your hands with his, "i don't deserve you, james."

he chuckles, "you deserve the whole world." 

james pulled you into a hug once more. 

"you're my dream and i'll never stop pursuing you." 

[himanshis-world-blog]

Once upon a whimsical night, Snow and Moon found themselves engaged in a comical conversation that echoed through the serene night sky

Snow: Hey, Moon! I have a bone-chilling joke for you tonight. Brace yourself!

Moon: Oh, I'm all ears, Snow. Let's see if you can make me laugh!

Snow: Alright, here it goes. Why don't snowflakes like going to parties?

Moon: I don't know, Snow. Why?

Snow: Because they always feel a little flakey and never want to make a slushy impression!

Moon: (laughs) Oh, Snow, that's snowtastic! You never fail to bring a chilly chuckle to my night.

Snow: Well, Moon, laughter is like a warm winter sweater for the soul. Speaking of which, have you heard about the time I tried to build a snowman?

Moon: No, do tell!

Snow: I started rolling a tiny snowball, but it grew so fast that I couldn't keep up. Before I knew it, I was being chased by a giant snowball, running through the forest like a frosty Indiana Jones!

Moon: (laughs uncontrollably) Oh, Snow, that must have been quite the frosty adventure! I can imagine you speeding through the trees with snow flying everywhere.

Snow: Indeed, Moon! It was a wild ride. But tell me, have you ever tried snowboarding down a moonbeam?

Moon: (laughs) Snowboarding on a moonbeam? That's a unique idea, Snow. I might just give it a try one day. Imagine the tricks I could do!

Snow: Oh, the moon would become the ultimate snowboarding champion, dazzling the world with its lunar moves!

Moon: (laughs) You're too kind, Snow. But let's not forget about your impeccable talent for creating winter wonderlands. The way you blanket everything with your soft embrace is truly magical.

Snow: Aw, thank you, Moon! Your gentle glow and radiant presence make my snowy landscapes even more enchanting. It's a true collaboration between light and snow.

Moon: Absolutely, Snow. We make a great team, don't we? Bringing joy, laughter, and beauty to the world.

Snow: Indeed, Moon. We are nature's entertainers, spreading laughter and wonder to those who look up and embrace the magic of the night sky.

Moon: Well said, Snow. Let's continue lighting up the night with our unique charm and keep bringing smiles to faces all around.

Snow: Absolutely, Moon. Until our next snowy adventure and moonlit chat, let's keep the world aglow with laughter and joy!

[jonnyparable]

Cottage Hills : A Winter Tale, Part XV

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

Echo Dela Mode once more brings you the most exclusive news about the lives of the rich and famous! We travel down to the the small countryside town of Cottage Hills at the invitation of Gourmand Du Swindleton, eccentric billionaire and proprietor of Swindleton's Sweets and Chocolates, and lifelong friend of the Lady Divadonna.

We meet the pair outside of the town's church, along with several other members of the press, and are greeted warmly by none other than Mr Swindleton himself. A meeting in front of a church? Surely wedding bells are imminent! Read on, to find out, dear reader!

Gourmand:

"Greetings dear friends! Thank you everyone for coming such a distance in this winter cold. Now, I have an announcement to make, and I'm sure your readers will be delighted to hear it! Welcome, first of all to Cottage Hills! This town has been a personal interest of mine for decades now! And I have been investing heavily in this town's authenticity and charm for years. I'm sure you will all be pleased to know that this town is under new management and you are now speaking to the new Mayor of Cottage Hills!"

Echo :

"Mayor? Congratulations! That is big news indeed! This town must be excited to have such illustrious and accomplished leadership!Can you tell us more about your plans for the town, and what Madame Divadonna has to do with it?"

Gourmand:

"Of course! My goal is two fold. Firstly, to open up this town as a charming lakeside holiday getaway for the region's rich and famous, and second, to build a new Swindleton Chocolate Factory right here in Cottage Hills!

Echo:

"Incredible! A new factory? How exciting!"

Gourmand:

"Yes! Think rides through my cacao plantation, chocolate tasting and tours of my factory floor where the magic happens, not to mention a trip to the gift shop where you can buy all my newest candy! But before all that can happen, I've been here to make sure everything is in tip-top shape, and finding suitable sites for construction. This town has it all, amazing scenery, a quaint little village, historical sites, stupendous food, friendly locals and traditions and its surrounded by hectares of fertile, untouched land! All it lacks is some pizzazz, and Madame, a dear friend of mine, has graciously agreed to join me to come assess the town's many qualities, and to lend the town her unique blend of glitz, glamour, talent and charm! She's been staying at the local inn and enjoying the town's hospitality! Haven't you, Contestina dear?"

Echo:

"Madame, you must be excited to be part of Mr Swindleton's plans! After all, everything he touches famously turns to gold!"

Contestina :

"Why, yes of courrrse! Everything my Gourrrrrrmando does is simply magnifico! This town is full of prrromise! I've been enjoying myself immensely, despite my near-death experience!"

Echo:

"Near death experience?? Oh my, do tell!"

Gourmand:

"Yes, it was frightful disaster! The dear Lady Divadonna was almost injured by the falling bricks from the town's old tower, mid-song too! Which is why, I've decided to personally replace the old mayor, for his negligence and additionally, as this town's new Mayor, I've decided to demolish the old eyesore of a tower once and for all! Safety in my new town is paramount!"

Echo:

"What a truly horrific experience for the Madame! Madame Divadonna, can you tell us how you managed to survive such an ordeal?"

Contestina :

"Cerrrtainly! It is all thanks to my herrro, my saviourr! Adora Belisa, here he is!"

Echo:

"Wow! You're quite the looker, gorgeous. I don't see a ring, so I think our readers would love to know, are you seeing anybody?"

Cliff:

"Huh? Seeing? Oh, like a girlfriend? Umm it's complicated.... But there is someone I like....I think... "

Echo:

"Lucky gal! And looking at the badge on your jacket, you're a pilot too, what a catch!"

Cliff:

"Badge? Pilot....??"

Echo:

"All looks no brains, huh? Can't have it all I guess! So give us a name, handsome! How do you feel, being a hero, and saving the life of the world's most beloved songstress? You're gonna be famous!"

Cliff:

"Uh right, well I suppose my name is Cliff Winters...I'm not a hero really, I just acted on instincts I suppose, I'm... Actually not really sure what happened either...heh heh...? "

Echo:

"Wowza! Looks and modesty! Now let's get you, the Mayor and Madame together in a picture. Look this way, Captain Winters!"

Contestina :

"Gala Adora! Thank you everyone! But alas it is time now for us to go, I must rehearse for the town's music festival, where I'll perform all my songs from Shalabar!"

Gourmand :

"Yes, quite right! We shall be hosting a grand recital here in the church, and the who's who of the entire region will all be there! It will be a glorious event that will finally put this town on the map! And..... You're all invited! Join us at the town's inn later this evening for champagne on me!"

You read it here first, folks! Cottage Hills has a perfect new Mayor, and looks like exciting things are finally coming to this sleepy town. This town is about to be completely transformed into a glamorous haven for the world's most beautiful people, and as always, Echo Dela Mode will bring you all the latest updates from right here, the hea-

Unknown Man:

"All great stuff, but Madame Divadonna! Aren't you worried about performing in a creepy little town filled with rumours of strange creatures, a haunted forest and.... missing people?"

Gourmand :

"What? I've never heard of such nonsense. Who are you?"

Unknown Man :

"Why, I'm none other than Kano Kandidi, paranormal investigator extraordinaire and writer at the Supernatural Times, at your service!"

Kano:

"So tell me, Mayor, what do you know about the rumours of strange half-man, half-tree creatures that are said to skulk about at night in people's gardens, the eerie music from the woods, and even rumours of man-eating werewolves?"

Contestina :

"Werewolves!!?? Miseria Mystico! Gourrrrrrmando!! What is he talking about?"

Kano:

"Surely you must know, Mayor. After all, famed botanist Basil Reed disappeared here 20 years ago. Maybe this town isn't the paradise that you think it is. I mean, if its so perfect, why have people been leaving for years? Why all the empty buildings? What if this town is... Cursed??"

Gourmand :

"Cursed!? Absolute hogwash! How dare you, sir! This interview is over! Come, Contestina!"

Contestina :

"Ye-yes, Gourrrrrrmando, coming! Goodbye my dears, for it is time for my rehearsal! I shall see you later at the inn!"

[forthehpfanboys]

Nifflers Don't Help

Pair: Remus Lupin x Reader; he/him.

Summary: Remus and (Y/n) have been pining after each other for far too long, but what happens when Lupin finds out through a very specific glasses wearing student that the professor who handles magical creatures likes him back?

Warnings: Suggestive, Lupins Sass, your sass. Remus is probably out of character, Swearing. I swear a lot-

Notes: Requested! I hope this is OK! I kinda ran with the idea of the reader being a teacher at Hogwarts. Hope you like it! Sorry it took so long.

~DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE~

-

Being the Care For Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts was absolutely the best job you've had in such a long time, like galloping hippogriffs, it was everything you loved! Magical creatures! Teaching! Teaching about how to care and handle said magical creatures! It was literally your dream come true.

It was even better because you got to meet Remus Lupin, a very kind man who worked as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Now you'd gotten to know him very well over the past year for obvious reasons. 

And yes, you knew of his.. I wanna say a little but it obviously isn't, problem. Lupin hadn’t necessarily told you, you found out by coming to Hagrid's hut to look over some of the creatures he had while he was doing some secret Dumbledore business and found him cowering in the corner, full werewolf. 

Of course you slammed the door and made a mad scramble toward the castle like a hippogriff after a ferret. Luckily, you did manage to escape his claws and hide away in the castle. But when he found out what happened, he felt so much guilt he came to find you immediately. 

You ended up telling him the full story of what happened the night before, and it took him about 30 minutes to stop apologizing profusely. He'd simply forgotten to take his potion again and didn't mean to cause you any harm. 

You forgave him. How could you not? He was quite literally begging for you to and you did fancy him. In the end, you really couldn't say no and everyone knows werewolves could kill their best friend if they had the chance. It wasn't his fault, really. 

You shook your head away from the memories and smiled across the field at your class. "Alright everyone! That's all I got for today!" you smiled wider when the kids let out a groan of dismay. "Oh, I know! We always have tomorrow, now say goodbye to Goldie!" you held the squirming brownish yellow colored niffler in your hand as all the kids grabbed their books, waved to the tiny adorable mass of furr and said goodbye. 

You couldn't help but keep smiling once everyone left. Today's lesson had ended successfully, as per the usual. Every student loved you!

You were extra kind to students who had fears of certain creatures (Ron) and understanding to students who couldn't always finish the homework because of helping others (Neville) and didn't even put up with one very specific blonde who was lowkey a twat (I don't even have to put his name in for you to know who I'm talking about). 

You paced over to the table you placed outside before class and opened the small case laying on top, checking the inside of it while you held the wiggly creature to your chest.

The case was similar to Scamander's in the sense that the inside was bigger, but not by much. This one case was supposed to store the niffler and the niffler only, so it only had to be so big. The case on the inside had a water bowl, a nice soft makeshift bed for the baby and a few gems and coins all for comfort. 

You placed the little sweetheart into the case and shut it gently, locking it closed. You hummed gently, not hearing the person approaching you from behind. 

"You handle them so well." 

Your cry of shock echoed in the woods around you and you could've sworn your body jumped up at least 6 feet in the air. You basically got whiplash from how fast you turned around, looking at the man standing behind you. 

"The creatures, I mean." Lupin was leaning against one of the trees, a smile on his face as he nodded toward the creature. 

You couldn't help but giggle a little bit and shift your suit tie out of nervous habit. "Oh! Yeah, well, it's kinda needed for the job." you stumbled over your words a little bit, rubbing the back of your neck and avoiding his piercing eyes.

It was obvious to your class, it was obvious to the other professors, just about the entire castle knew about your 'tiny' crush on the professor. 

Everyone knew. 

Literally everyone. Harry, Dumbledore, even Snape. SNAPE KNEW!

But guess who didn't? 

Remus Lupin, the gentleman you'd fallen head over heels from the minute you stepped into the dinning hall. 

If looks could kill, you'd be more than 6 feet under, that's for sure. He was so handsome and kind and his eyes- Godric, his eyes. 

Why would he figure it out, anyway? It isn't like he's a very smart man who literally teaches children how to protect themselves against the darkest of evils known in the wizarding world. 

"Well, yeah, but you have talent. I could tell from when you walked into the dinning hall." Remus stepped forward, causing you to snap out of your thoughts. "Keen eye." he tapped his temple, a side smile on his face. 

"Uhhuh." you nodded your head, taking your own step forward, leaving the bag on the counter. "Sure. Very keen eye." you crossed your arms over your vest covered chest. 

"It's true! I'm very observant-" this caused you to snort. "What?" 

"Yeah, ok!" 

"What? Are you hiding something from me (L/n)?" he stepped closer, his chest almost touching yours. "Should I be concerned?" his smile turned into a lopsided smirk, causing butterflies to make themselves known in your stomach. 

"Oh, no, of course not, Mr. Lupin." you shot him an innocent smile and stood on your tippy toes, only to pop back down onto your heals. "If you haven't noticed it by now, I fear you may never." with that, you turned around and all but strutted to your way to the table, making sure to sway your hips just enough to tease. 

Remus' eyes fought to look away, but in the end his eyes were glued on your bum. The thin man felt his jaw drop to the floor. It was no lie that the professor had a crush on you and, like everything else, the whole damn castle knew.

 Everyone supported you two and it physically pained them to see you act so oblivious to each other and do nothing but flirt, but you were sure it was just playful banter! It had to be. 

"Well, maybe I need some hints to figure it out." he stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed you to the table, his eyes following your hands as you picked up the case gently.

"I don't think you need hints, I think you need glasses." you turned to him, shaking your head back and forth, tsking at him. "You're keen eyes might be fading." 

Wizard Gods did he love you. He missed being able to banter with James and Lily and this made him feel like.. Well.. Like new. He couldn't help but smile wider and lean against the table, his confidence coming back in a full stride. 

"Ouch! Are you calling me old?" 

"We both know the answer to that." 

"Damn, ok. My pride." He snickered. "But what is the great and adorably luring Mr. (Y/n) (L/n) hiding from me, hmm?" he leaned forward. 

His words caused you to blush and rub the back of your neck. 

"Well, I-I want you to figure it out!" You adjusted the bag, the handle growing uncomfortable as your palms began to sweat. 

"Ooh~ Really? Like a," he paused, scratching his chin with a free hand, "like a game?" he stepped toward you again mindlessly, his hands clasping behind his back. 

You looked at his face and had to do a double take. Were his eyes always that dark? With every step he took, you subconsciously took one back. 

"I-I guess you could say that."

"Interesting. If I get it right, do I get a reward?" 

Before you knew it, your back hit the wood of a tree and his body all but trapped you in place. All of this was causing you to feel dizzy in the best possible way. 

"Su-" you cleared your throat, ignoring the way it cracked and was higher in pitch, "Sure!" 

"Is it an emotional connection?" 

You set the case down haphazardly, almost dropping it. The question only made your palms sweater. "Are you allowed to be asking questions? Besides, shouldn't you know it?" you asked as you wiped your hands on your work pants.

"Maybe I'm asking to see if I'm right before I jump headfirst and embarrass myself." he chuckled lightly, his hands coming up to trap your head between them and all but pin you to the rough bark. 

"Oh.. Well, I.. Yeah, it's emotional." you don't remember losing the ability to talk with authority, but your voice was barely a whisper by the time it came out.

"Aaahh, ok. Here, let me see if I nailed this on the head, shall we?" he paused and moved his wand hand to rest against your hip, causing you to jump ever so slightly. "I think that you," he spoke as his thumb rubbed against the bone of your hip, "fancy me and that you have since you started teaching here." 

You stayed completely still against the tree. You didn't blink, breath, nothing just stared at the man against you as your heart pounded in your ears. 

"What?" 

"Am I wrong? And don't lie, that would be cheating." Lupin leaned in closer, causing your cheeks to erupt a deeper red.

Let's be honest, he didn't figure it out by himself. Harry, bless the little termite, had been kind of joking with the teacher when the confession slipped free. The poor kid was basically stalked by the teacher who kept asking questions for a week before Hermione finally snapped, saying he should go ask the creature handler himself instead of waiting their study time. 

While Remus was fighting the memories and waiting for your response, you were having an inner war with yourself. For example, you were trying to figure out how in good ol' Godric mother fucking Gryffindor he figured it out! You snapped out of it when his other hand came up to cup your cheek. 

"I-I-" 

Lupin smiled wider at your stutter and blush and everything. Harry had been right, bless his soul. That kid was gonna ace his class for this alone. He shook his head, teasing about your shy state and let out a sigh. "Am I wrong?" he asked, figuring it was easier for you to say yes or no to that than say you loved him out in the open. 

Once you arranged the courage, you shook your head no as your eyes darted between his eyes and lips. He pushed himself impossibly closer to you, his head leaning down so he could press a kiss to your lips. 

Holy Merlin. Moony wanted to stay like that forever. His hand on your cheek slid  to the back of your neck to keep you there, managing to deepen the kiss even more. 

Your brain actually shut off. 

It took some time for it to reboot, but when it did, oh boy, did you kiss back. You poured all of your emotion and love and passion into it, causing the man to let out a groan. 

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against your shoulder. He didn't want you to see the blush on his face or the huge grin spreading across his lips. 

"Should'a done that ages ago." He whispered against your neck, then pressed his lips against the skin resting at the base of your neck. The action caused you to shiver and wrap your arms around his neck. 

"Wait, you like me too?" 

Lupin pulled back to stare into your eyes, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he just kinda.. He just kinda stared at you. 

"Really?" 

"What?" 

"I kissed you and you're worried if I like you back?" 

"W-well, yeah. I'd hate to get the wrong signals." 

Remus ran a hand through his hair in frustration. How were you so innocent? Literally how? He kissed you and you can't tell he likes you back? How did you not know?

"Lupin?" Your voice cut him out of the inner dialog. "Are you ok?" 

"Yeah, just bloody curious on how you could be getting the wrong signals when I kissed you." 

"Well I don't wanna assu-" he cut you off by grabbing your shoulders and slamming a kiss against your lips, causing you to actually squeak against his. Your eyes fell shut as your hands absent-mindedly pulled bark off the tree as you kissed back. A whine fell from your lips when he pulled away to speak. 

"(Y/n), you are oblivious and so smart and so attractive that you managed to make me fall for you everyday and you don't even know. That should be a crime. How are you so perfect but you can't see it?" 

You opened your eyes to see him looking at you, holding all of his love for you in his eyes. You quickly broke out in a grin. His words were like the last piece of a puzzle and it fit so perfectly. You let out a laugh and shook your head. 

"I know now, don't I? And besides, you can't talk. I've been sending you signals since I came here and you haven't noticed either." 

"Did you now?" Remus teased, gently reaching up to fix your (tie/glasses). His hand then came back up to your warm cheek. "Then how come the first time I kissed you you didn't catch on? Were you trying to tease another kiss out of me?" 

"Nope! Just watched to make sure I was reading it right." you stuck your tongue out at him like a child, causing him to let out a breathy chuckle. 

"I literally did a romantic thing to show I romantically like you and you're asking if you were reading it right!" 

"Well, yeah! Assuming is a big no-no, Moony." 

"Unbelievable, Fluffy!" he laughed, tossing his head back. You stared at his face in confusion, your cheeks burning a little bit brighter at his laugh. 

"Fluffy? What kind of nickname is that?" 

"Well, you care for creatures and your hair is soft. It fits." 

"Isn't that the name Hangrid gave that dog?" 

"What dog?" 

"Never mind! Besides, It isn't unbelievable! People do weird things all the time!" 

Remus' wiggled his eyebrows at you, loving the way you blushed and stuttered. This only gave him more material to tease you over.

"Is a kiss weird to you?" 

"No b-" 

"So you should've known. How are you so smart but so dumb?" 

"Good question! Let me ask you, Moony! How do you manage to be so hot but so cool?" 

"But that didn't answer my question!" Lupin let out a laugh, his shoulders bouncing. He shook his head and leaned back into your neck, trailing butterfly soft kisses across the skin. "I'm fact, you just dodged it completely." 

"I-I don't have to answer anything." your Adam's apple bounced as you swallowed thickly. 

His hands went from your hips to the back of your thighs and suddenly he was picking you up, your back still hard against the tree. 

"I think you should do everything I tell you." his voice was deep in your ear, causing you to let out a whine.

"Oh, but I won't." You were trying to act like your face wasn't bright red and blood wasn't rushing south. Stupid werewolf strength and stupid hot man and ug H-

"I might have to do something about this disobedience, then, hmm?" 

Tossing your head back against the tree, you bit your lip to hide back a groan as his teeth gently niped along your Adam's apple. You tilted your head back and let out a sigh as he sucked on the skin. Your  eyes slowly opened and grew wider at the sight above you. 

"Goldie?!" Your mouth hung open as the golden shit looked down at you and tried to scurry up higher, Lupins pocket watch chain hanging from it's pouch. 

"Never called me that one, love. I don't get the reference. You might have to explain it for me." Lupin laughed against your skin, causing goosebumps to spread across it. 

"What? No, Lupin, the niffler!" 

"Shouldn't it should be in the-"

"She's in the tree!" 

"What?" he pulled away from your neck and looked up. "Oh.. You're gonna have to grab him, aren't you?" 

"Her, and yes." 

"And I'm gonna help?" 

"Yup." 

"Which means we can't snog anymore, right?" he shot you a smirk, trying to be playful while you were losing your mind. 

"Remus! She has your watch!" Your voice held bite, which he'd never heard before. It was hot. He found himself licking his lips, wanting to just grind into you, but the smack to his chest pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Ok! I got the hint!" 

The grown man whined and set you back down, giving you a look of disappointment mixed with child grumpiness. He watched your ass as you rolled up your sleeves and climbed up the tree with little struggle. 

"... Did we just get cock-blocked by a niffler?" 

"Don't use that language in front of the baby, Lupin! She's just a young thing!" 

"First of all, she can't understand us." he looked up at you, admiring your legs. "And second, If it's our baby, someone has some explaining to do." 

"Lupin, just climb the damn tree and grab the baby." you plucked a pine cone off a branch and hurled it at the brunettes head with accuracy that scared him. 

"Ouch! Alright! Alright. Jeez, I didn't know you could be so pushy." He took off his suit jacket and laid it across one of the lower branches before rolling up his sleeves and following you up the tree. 

"Yuck." 

"What now?" 

"I touched sap. It's gross." 

"I'll push you right off that branch if you don't take this seriously! Grab him-!"

"Her, (L/n.)" 

"Do no-. Don't. Don't even do that." 

"Love you too, (L/n)." 

[chaotichedonist]

Tharunka (Kensington, NSW : 1953 - 2010)

Wednesday 9 June 1976, page 14

   Some funny moments to tease you into reading:

Press: Roger, you're noted for your amazing screams.

Freddie: It's a controlled scream. I'd rather call it art.

/

Freddie: You're joking dear. I'm just a singer, dear.

/

It’s been a struggle, because in the beginning nobody knew what we were doing. We were the only people who believed in ourselves.

  back at the hotel sleazy

  For all those fans who were misled by the media, Queen did not spend a couple of days-relaxing on sunny Perth beaches - it rained the whole bloody time they were there. (In Melbourne the hotel was 'besiged' by fans, who to quote Pete Brown — Queen's personal manager — seemed to be emerging from the wood work). Not to be put off however, by the Australian conditions Freddie Mercury (lead vocals and keyboards) attended the press conference in white pants and a simply sumptuous summer synthetic top with delicate butterfly sleeves curling gently over his shoulders. He was even more beautiful than Sophia Loren.

  They were all quite chatty only Roger (Meadows-Taylor, the drummer) would keep interjecting, usually over John Deacon (bass) who said not an audible word.

Press: Would you describe your music as mock opera? 

Freddie: They call it cock-opera back home. 

Roger: I suppose because the vocals are in the 'grand style'. 

Press: When is your next album coming out? 

Freddie: We'll have a rest and think about it.. 

Roger: We just don't bung'em together. 

Brian: We don't sort of write sitting in hotel rooms you know. 

Freddie: We gather influences. 

Press: Your music has been described as snob rock. What do you think? 

Freddie: I couldn't describe our music as anything. We certainly don't put across that this it intelligent music that is on a completely differenrt level to the people who come to it. 

Roger: It's written for the people. That's what it's all about. 

Press: The theme of death recurs on your albums. Why this preoccupation?

Roger: Freddie's morbid mind.

Press to Freddie: Do you consider yourself a sex-symbol?

Freddie: You're joking dear. I'm just a singer, dear.

Press to Roger: Do you consider yourself a superstar? 

Roger: As meaningless, (blows kisses).

Roger on the media - absurd for a magazine combine rock and politics. 

Press: Roger, you're noted for your amazing screams. 

Freddie: It's a controlled scream. I'd rather call it art. 

Undauted by the fearless Australians they continued talking about their lyrics and the esoteric implication.

Roger: Freddie just loves the word 'Beelzebub'. 

Freddie: Yes, well, Brian's got a taste for unusual words. 

Roger: You talking about dandling on your knee and things? 

All four of them write songs and each has at least one song on 'A Night At The Opera'. 

Brian: It's very difficult to talk about our songs as a group because we all have different ideas of what the songs are about. 

Roger: No we don't. 

Freddie: Roger's the sensitive one. 'I'm in love with my car' is the most sensitive song on the album (Night At The Opera). 

Roger did tend to sit there pouting at the bows on his pink lame gym-boots. One hardly noticed the dark roots in this gold angelic hair. We did ask, but unfortunately Roger didn't have a pic of himself in the gymboots. Roger was later accosted by David Essex fans in the foyer of the hotel, who wished to know if he was a popstar, girls now have Roger's autograph. Back to the lyrics..

Freddie: Every song is written by one of us and means something special to each one of us. Certain songs have a very literal meaning and can be understood straight away. Then there are some songs that can be taken on a lot of different levels.

He describes a lot of his songs as fantasies. 'We want to consciously lose ourselves. There are certain things we want to escape from in our lives or whatever.' He feels that people should create their own private fantasies from the images in his songs and so doesn't like to talk about what they mean to him. 'I'd hate to shatter someone's illusion. If I listen to somebody's songs I conjure up a fantasy of what its about and I like to keep it that way.'

He elaborated further.. 'Lyrically it is helpful to use certain words. You see it depends.. sometimes I want to use words that are phonetically useful. In the beginning they're surface words but you entwine them into the meaning of a song. That's what I mean about different levels.' 

Brian May has a different approach to his songs, 'There's usually something serious behind them, but I feel a big responsibility not to over-indulge in idealogies. In 'White Queen' I was very interested in the significance of Queens and White Ladies in English folk lore. The song started off as a personal experience, the frustration of not being able to communicate, I was thinking about Robert Graves' ' White Goddess' and that became involved in the song.' 

Roger: Romantic slush.

Brian: Our 'Now I'm Here' song is really about our first American tour. A big experience for anybody. It's a conglomeration of all the experiences we had on that tour. We had a great time with Mott the Hoople. I suppose they taught us to be a touring band.

We're very critical about each other and very cynical. We don't get deeply into meanings because you're living with it all the time. You have to be a bit light-hearted about it.

With four individual writers the albums were not done with a specific concept in mind. The 'White Queen' was written four years before the 'Black Queen'.

Brian: I don’t think that Freddie’s 'Black Queen' was a reaction to the 'White Queen'. We just discovered that we had these songs and the rest of the album seemed to fit around it.

Freddie: It probably subconsciously coheres.

Similarly ‘A night At The Opera’ has no overall concept though the name of the album is related to Freddie’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

As Brian puts it ‘We are four very different people with four very different directions, but there is a musical development that does make some kind of sense. Queen is very much an independent thing. We are always bouncing ideas off each other. We are very aware that we need each other.’

The rapport between them onstage bears out this statement. They work off each other in a carefully intergrated show thatt creates an atmosphere of spontaneity for the audience.

At the opening of their set there is a flash of fire and smoke as Queen emerge on stage. While music winds up they launch into ‘Orge Battle’. Like a Greek God or a simister Mephistopheles Freddie's powerful vocals cut through the smoke and flames. 

With the stage show the band is doing something different to stimulating their records. Brian: "You don't get up there and behave like you do in the street. You go up there to entertain people and give them some kind of excitement". They have rearranged some of their songs especially for stage performance, including a medley of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Killer Queen', 'Black Queen' and 'Leyroy Brown', which grinds down into 'March of the Black Queen' and then skips out on a lighter note which features Brian on genuine Japanese ukalele. 

The brilliant solo Brian performs in 'Brighton Rock', with sweet high Paginini frills and harmonies, stimulating two or three guitars on stage, is in a style he has evolved himself. He got the idea the first time he was in a recording studio. Says Brian: "It was my first experience of doing multi-tracking. It happened to be in the cannon-things which repeat themselves. You play one, then you play the same over the top of it after a time interval. Later we started to do those things on stage but there was the problem of how to do it. We started having a single delay and then another one over the top of it. Then afterwards you do another repeat on the second. You can then do three part harmonies with yourself. We started to base it all on ten second solos and it grew and grew. There's a lot of other people doing it now and I'm glad because it’s a thing you can play around with.' 

In the stage arrangement of "Prophet's Song' Freddie uses a similar echo feedback system which multiplies his voice into a celestial choir. His voice floats as a vision - "Listen to the madman' - while Brian plays some beautiful guitar.

encore amore

Brian describes their encore performance as the time when the band really unwinds. "It's nice at the encore to just completely unbend and make a fool of yourself. It gets rid of the tension between the band and the audience. I used to get a kick out of going to concerts to see rock groups like the 'Who' and feeling involved, like the group knew you were there. WE go by the kinds of things we think people would like at an encore. It's at a very basic level really, an energy level, a physical level. Rock and Roll is kind of a body music. I get as much satisfaction out of basic rock'n'roll like Status Quo as the most sophisticated music I know.' 

The audience certainly enjoyed it and really let loose their energy. Roger (who claimed the most female screams) in rainbow mop-wig opened the encore with slow heavy rock-beat as Freddie did a dramatic entrance in a silk kimino. As he eased into 'Big Spender', he peeled off to striped hot pants for an outrageous version of 'Jailhouse Rock' - simple hard-driving rock'n'roll that had everybody out of their sets.

gettin' feelin' thru th' transistors

Brian was rather upset that the Australian Press should braiid them as a manufactured band. If 'Bohmeian ,hapsody' can be seen as incorporating the spectrum of s talent - mood changes, heavy stuff, the soft ballad - it is not because they (men of letters from universities) have developed a magic 'X' formula. Rather the song can be seen as a musical progression, a reworking of motifs off their other albums. 

Brian can only say that, 'They obviously didn't see us in the earlier days. I can understand why they'd say that over here. Big impact. Overnight success. It must have been all calculated. If you’d seen the way it happened in England, you wouldn’t think that. I’ve had years playing pubs in England where people were drinking beer and discussing what other people were doing and not listening to the music. I want to build up this thing where people do want to go to a concert. While it begins to look like the commercial side, it;s what it’s all about. I want knock it because I want people to come and hear what we do. 

It’s been a struggle, because in the beginning nobody knew what we were doing. We were the only people who believed in ourselves. We started playing because we had some kind of vision that we thought was worthwhile. For over a year and a half we were playing to ourselves. Gradually you gather people around who believe and that’s the way it happened.

Nobody is going to tell us to play what is commercial. What we play comes from us. We’re very lucky really in that we have a kind of audience who are attentive to whatever direction we choose to follow. One of us will come up with a song and we'll say, 'Yeah, it needs that kind of treatment and maybe that turns out to be something you call heavy and sometimes something which is light.' 

To get back to the charge that they are a manufactured band, while he doesn't like it, he can only take it as a compliment that they think the band is so good. He doesn't consider himself a technician "technically I've stayed the same for the last six or seven years. Progress is what you feel and what you are putting across. That's what playing is about for us.' 

Freddie: There's a lot of music there too.

Roger: A bit of music, yeah.

low key queen

By Anne Finnegan

Wednesday 9 June 1976

If you save, do not forget to leave a link to this, coz i kinda found it by myself and made and transcipt. Thanks :)

[eveenstar]

𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 [𝑨 𝑨𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒙 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒙 𝑲𝒚𝒍𝒐 𝑹𝒆𝒏 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 || 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒛𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝑼]

||➸𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐧||

Summary:  After your sister's coronation, you hoped destiny had bigger plans for you. With the arrival of the king of Alderaan, you finally feel like your life will turn into a fairytale after so many years of being isolated. Maybe you shouldn've have been so hopeful. But not everyone gets a happy ending, and maybe the answers you seek are right down the hallway.

Tags/Warnings: Angst.

Author's Note: Hello! Well, here's chapter 2 as promised. Kinda didn't like the ending, took me 3 takes. I also left a easter egg somewhere in this chapter, wanna see who'll notice it :)) Feedback is much appreciated ♡ Hope y'all enjoy!

Taglist: @girl-next-door-writes

The ball room has never been so colorful like before, and you were certain you had never felt so many eyes laid on you like shadows in the dark. Like they were waiting for one single wrong move from you, a false step, so to say.

Your feet almost slid across the floor as you searched for your grandfather Palpatine in the crowd, he was nowhere to be seen. So many unfamiliar faces and no one to recognize, but again, you had no friends.

"Hello."

You turned around and met the brown eyes of your sister, Rey, who was staring at you with a relaxed smile.

"Oh, hello me?" You stupidly looked around in a brisk, "Uh, hi. You look beautiful! Is that mother's dress?"

An astonishing scarlet dress with a V neckline, you wouldn't say it was adequate for the coronation, but she looked amazing in it. Rey's new crown fit her head perfectly, you swore it was your father's crown but the newly red crystal on it made you doubt a little. What kind of crystal was that, anyway?

"I can say the same about you." Rey sweetly smiled and looked to the huge crowd dancing around the large gala room. She never looked at you for too long, you guessed it was merely because...well, you actually had no idea.

"Your Majesty, the duke of Alzakan."

"Alsakan! Duke of Alsakan! Ahem," You stared at Rey, and given to you two being sisters, you could sense how tense she'd gotten when a taller man approached her and overly exaggerated bowed down. You don't remember hearing about this duke's arrival, even if he made it seem like he was the brightest star of the room.

The queen gave him a polite nod.

"Your Majesty, as your most profitable trading partner, it is an honor to finally meet the true queen of Naboo." The man gently kissed Rey's hand, but even if it was just a respectful greeting, you didn't blame her for being tense. This duke had the energy of a child that ate too much sugar.

Behind Rey, you coughed by accident and it caught their attention as you saw both heads turn to you with brows furrowed. You got your perfect princess posture back and offered them a apologetic smile and a wave.

Rey put herself in front of you as a way of ending this embarassing moment and distract the duke as she offered her hand for a shake.

"I must say the same about you, Duke Pryde. My grandfather spoke very highly of you." This surely boosted Pryde's ego as he smug smirked to his guards behind him, "I hope our trade routes will remain as sucessful as they were with my parents."

"Well, I, uh." Their conversation faded to background noise as you tried to distance yourself from the spotlight and pretend this never happened, maybe if you slowly backed off nobody would notice the younger princess slinding off somewhere.

You felt too many eyes on you, even if your eyes were certain nobody was watching you. You did not plan on disappointing anyone, at least, not at your sister's coronation party. Full of grace, you looked to the crowd and surroundings, and your eyes paused on a strange symbol on the far away wall just to your right. It was a sixteen-rayed symbol inscribed within a hexagon, denoting an explosive force pushing against attempts to contain it.

You were quite sure you'd seen this symbol before, somewhere. Your eyes only focused on the sigil as you tried your hardest to search your memories for it. But, the closer you got to it, an invisible force pushed it further from your grasp. Just like sand slips through your fingers when you attempt to hold it.

In fact, you do not remember your childhood, nor your early teenage years. Not a single thing. You just remember the feelings after something traumatic had happened; the loneliness, the pain, the anger and more loneliness. Sometimes, as of right now, your mind didn't feel like your own, nor did your memories. They felt like they belonged to someone else. Someone who was not you.

Tu'iea eyes deceive tu, isar nenx jostas savimi

The whispers in the walls. There they were again. They always came from the walls, but you only say that because you hate to admit that they sound right next to you.

"(Y/N)?"

You loudly gasped as you turned around in a fright, your eyes met Rey's once more. She was frowning, and with a slight worried look painted on her eyes. Oh, you hoped nobody heard it.

"Is everything alright?"

You quickly washed off your scared face and laughed to ease the situation you were currently stuck in, hoping she wouldn't do any questions about it. Or mention it by any case.

"Dear stars, yes, I'm quite alright, thank you. It was probably just some bug."

She nodded, and only when she moved away from you that you realized Rey was holding your hand in a way of calling for your attention. Before moving to her side, you glanced an eye to the wall where the symbol was, but it wasn't there.

"This party looks so alive." Rey commented besides you, her eyes were as bright as stars in the sky as she watched the people dance like there was no worries in the whole galaxy.

"Maybe we could keep the gates open." You suggested, your heart full of hope. "Your queen now, Palpatine can't control us anymore. We can bring life back into the palace!"

"We can't just change things without thinking, (Y/N)."

"But why not? It can be like before. I don't understand." You softly grabbed her hands and stared into her eyes, "This party doesn't have to be the only one. We can have plenty of more!"

"That's right," She replied, and your smile stretched further, "You don't understand. You never will. Things will never be like before."

And just like that, you felt your heart shatter into millions of pieces, like somebody just pulled your heart out of your chest and stabbed it right in front of you. Even if you and Rey weren't close, she had never spoken to you that way. No, something changed about her.

Upon realizing her mistake, Rey let go of your hands and smiled, but a strange one. A forced smile.

"Forgive me, I...Excuse me."

Not even giving you the chance to apologize, you watched Rey disappear behind some group of horned beings, which you didn't even try to remember what they were before you heard another voice behind you.

"Princess (Y/N), we meet again." Kylo Ren, that voice was impossible to forget. "I was just about to meet the queen, did something happen?"

"Oh, no, she had to...to talk to some duke of Alzakan." You looked back at with, forcing the same smile Rey had just pulled ten seconds ago.

"You look upset." His coal eyes were analyzing you once more, as if he was trying to read your inner thoughts. His eyes were like black holes, you quote internally, so easy to get lost in. They held so many emotions within. Your mother used to tell you that your eyes are mirrors to your soul, and you believe it, most of the time. You wonder what kind of soul Kylo Ren had.

"I'm sorry, do you want to get some air?"

The king silently nodded and gave you the front lead to the palace private gardens, your most favorite place to wander around and be in contact with nature, since you weren't allowed to leave the palace's grounds.

The echoes of the enchanting gala sounds began to fade in the background at each step you took farther from it. The shiny walls were replaced by glass ones, the only barrier between you and the actual garden. It was ethereal at moonlight, a complete breathtaking view. If you were to choose a place to spend all of eternity, this garden would be the chosen one.

Saturn Gardens.

The name you remember choosing for them when you were a child. Which doesn't make a lot of sense since it's only one garden, but hey, who cares right? Saturn was a funny name, you had a slight feeling it belonged to a name of something you were deeply fond of, but you couldn't quite grasp what it was. Nonetheless, you were thankful you choose a good name for them.

Yvir always told you how heavenly you looked at moonlight, and you're sure of it. This place is almost magical, so peaceful and silent even when there's a party happening just on the end of the hallway. You remember falling asleep here a few times, either it was reading or painting. You were quite a multi-talent person thanks to growing up bored and isolated on a huge palace, so you've gained a few skills here and there. This place was your big centre of inspiration.

You felt free here, from all responsabilities and troubles of life.

You discreetly glanced a curious eye to Kylo, who was walking besides you and attentively exploring the garden with his eyes only. In your mind, you wondered if he had a safe place too. A place where he felt free of everything, where he could relax without troubles, or where he felt inspired. Maybe everyone has something like that, you're not sure.

"Truth be told, I have no idea why my grandfather ordered the gates to be closed, or why most staff was fired." You sighed while your fingers gently passed through some book pages laying there on the pale blue glass table. Kylo looked over to you with an intrigued gaze. "Or why my sister shut me out. It was always me and myself."

So distracted by your thoughts, you barely noticed Kylo taking your hand from the book and hold it. His hands felt warm, surprisingly, as you had imagined that they were cold as ice. In difference to yours, his hands were also far larger. It caused a small smile across your lips.

"I spent most of my childhood lonely too." He admitted, his eyes never leaving your hands. "My parents were either ignoring me or too busy to hear me."

You remember the stories about them, but you didn't want to cross the line and ask him. This conversation you and the king of Alderaan were currently having was something that already cross rule number three; never mention his parents. So this caught you off guard.

Probably noticing your tense posture, Kylo's eyes shifted to yours; they held such a curious yet comforting gaze, as if this was his attempt to say "it's okay" without actually saying those two words. The moon behind him made him seem like an angel.

"I know how you feel." He assured you calmly. You were so lost in his eyes, so lost in the way they stared at you. "You can talk to me."

If you could preserve this moment, you would. You'd keep it close to your heart and protect it from all darkness in the galaxy. The mighty and mysterious Kylo Ren, former prince and now king of Alderaan, just opened his heart to you and pronounced those five words that you had never been told before.

You hoped this wasn't a dream. It'd break your soul if it was.

"Do you dance?" Upon your sudden question, Kylo raised an eyebrow. You got up from your seat and twirled around, loving the way your dress moved. "Will you dance with me?"

Even if his lips didn't move, his eyes expressed all the emotions you needed. They were like a calm ocean, or the rising sun in a early morning.

"My lady," He politely offered you his hand, once more. "It would be my pleasure."

You smiled, the most genuine smile you'd had in a long time. Your heart was filled with joy and excitement, hopefully it wouldn't jump out of your chest by the way it was beating so fast. Faster than the way you rushed to the coronation. You never felt like this for someone, no, and definitely not for him.

His moves were calculated, but so tender-hearted and light. He twirled you around again and kept you close to his chest, one hand on your waist and another one guiding your other hand. At this point, you weren't even worried about making the wrong turn or stepping your foot on his. No, no, it was like your body was no longer your own, but knew perfectly which steps to take and you were glad for that.

In your mind, you imagined dancing like this with Kylo in the middle of a royal ballroom, but it was only you two. With or without music, it didn't matter, you and Kylo were too busy staring at each other's eyes to notice any background sound.

You had no idea how long you two had been dancing, but it ended so quickly.

"May I ask you something?" He asked in a strange, low voice.

"Of course, anything." You stepped a bit away from him once the dance came to an end.

Kylo traced lines alongside your hand, back and forth, and another hand came to meet your cheek as he slowly caressed it.

"Will you marry me?"

Oh dear stars.

Everything stopped around you, at least that's what you felt. You didn't even know what to say or do. Maybe, just maybe, the universe was finally showing you your destiny. That you were worthy of something just like Rey is.

The king of Alderaan had just asked you to marry him, and there was only one answer available to your heart.

You laughed and smile, nodding in happiness, "Yes!"

The ballroom was still full, everybody seemed to be having a great time just like you. Palpatine was nowhere to be seen, but Rey was seen talking to Duke Pryde and some others you assumed were also trading partners. Poor thing, a part of you felt guilty she had to spend her party talking to them. She didn't look happy. But maybe the news you're about to give her will make it up. That's what you hoped for.

Moving through the crowd as you held Kylo's hand had already got you lots of side-eyes and surprised gasps and whispers. This will entertain them for a very long time, and you didn't even try to hide your smile. Why would you? You're the most happy person in this room right now, and you were not going to hide your emotions again.

"Rey! I mean, your Majesty, may I speak to you, please?"

She nodded, excusing herself from the boring companies, and followed you to a more empty space of the room.

"I, I mean, we'd like to ask for your blessing on," You and Kylo looked at each other for a brief moment, "on our marriage!"

Rey almost chocked on her drink and quickly put it down on a table.

"Ma,Marriage?" You nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm quite confused here."

"Well, I know it's a bit of a sudden, and we haven't planned the ceremony, but it could happen here! Just like mother and father's wedding." You chuckled innocently at the thought of it.

"If Your Majesty doesn't mind it, of course." At this comment, that you didn't spare a thought, Rey furrowed her brows at Kylo in a angry stance and dismissed him completely.

"We could invite everyone in the kingdom! We could get so many songs to play and the decoration, oh I'll need to talk with Yvir." You put your hands on your hips, going through a mental list of preparatives for the wedding. You couldn't wait to tell Yvir.

"(Y/N)-"

"Oh stars, I hope you don't mind if Kylo stays here until the wedding! I'll need a few days to plan everything-"

"Absolutely not! (Y/N)!"

You stopped, her loud voice kicking all thoughts you previously had. Kylo, next to you, stared at her with indifference, like this somehow didn't even surprise him.

Rey inhaled calmly, "With all due respect, your Majesty, but my sister can't marry a man she just met."

"What? You can't decide that for me, Rey. I'm an adult, just like you." You crossed your arms, eyebrows furrowed just like hers. Your sister's expression turned to a more uncomfortable one, and you had no idea why this was making her be like that.

"(Y/N), you're too young to know about love."

"And I suppose you know instead? All you ever did was shut everyone out. You shut me out."

All the eyes in the room were now on you three, this time not even a single whisper was heard. Even more silent than the gardens. Rey shifted uncomfortably on her feet, moving her fingers repeatedly, a panicked gaze on her eyes.

"(Y/N)-"

"Just why, why do you do this? Why did you shut me out? What are you so afraid of?" Unlikely and unexpected, you screamed at her, only to regret it the moment that sentence left your mouth. But it was too late.

"That's enough, (Y/N)!"

A rash strong blow sent Kylo flying across the room. Hadn't it been for Kylo placing himself as a shield in front of you, you knew that was intended for you.

"That's the force." Somebody said.

"She's a Jedi!"

[grimoire-of-geekery]

Detect Magic: the Sixth World Tarot by Echo Chernik

(pictured here- the deluxe edition [left] and the Arcanist edition of the Sixth World Tarot by Echo Chernik)

Y'know, it's been a long time since I did one of these, but here goes. It's time for another Detect Magic review. I haven't put the Dork Magician hat on for a while, so let's give this a whirl!

Today we're taking a look at the Sixth World Tarot, by Echo and Lazarus Chernik. She has this available on her website (click the above link), which come signed by the artist and the author. I'm a bit bummed, I bought a copy of this deck juuuuust before she started signing them. Not her fault, but still. XD

For those of you unfamiliar with Shadowrun, it's a cyberpunk dystopian magic-and-mech RPG setting and fantasy novel universe which originated in the late 80's. The premise is that magic is growing stronger, the world experienced a big Awakening in the early 2000's, right around the same time that corporations managed to gain extraterritoriality. So, you have dragons running huge megacorps, which basically enslave people to be lifelong wageslaves from birth (or as soon as they can get their hands on a desired talent), immersive VR Matrix hackers, cyberware enhanced fighters and magic practitioners acting as "deniable assets" to said corps for all sorts of shady business.

Hence the name "Shadowrun."

This setting, one of my absolute favorite settings out there, has had the misfortune of developing a sort of eerie prophetic element akin to the Simpsons and its bizarre track record of prediction of ludicrous world events. Shadowrun was intended to be a cautionary tale, not an oracular one. That being said, that does make a tarot based on Shadowrun more than a little on-the-nose for predictive purposes. After all, they're telling the future without even trying. Wait until they actually put some effort into it...

All right, time to Detect Magic!

Accessory- Crit (4 out of 4) Stunning artwork, evocative imagery... this deck is gorgeous. It's so beautiful, and so intricate and well made, that people who don't even read tarot (or even particularly like tarot) buy several copies for their geeky collections, and even people who don't particularly care about Shadowrun have dropped their jaw when I showed the deck to them.

A bit busier than I'm used to working with (not the art, but the extras which I'll explain later), I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved the cards when I first got them. The box for both editions I own are a nice durable gloss with a magnetic foldover closure, there's a ribbon inside each to help pull the cards and book out of the box, and the decorative artwork is gorgeous and fitting with the setting. Definitely aesthetically pleasing enough to take places, and durable enough to resist scuffing or tearing for on-the-go divination and gaming use.

Tome- Crit (4 out of 4) So, the Tome section of this review is supposed to be about how well the cards help one in the pursuit of learning magic and practicing geekomancy. And... really, I don't think I've found a deck (or any artifact of fandom) quite as good as this.

Let me explain.

Tarot, in the sorcery practice I teach, are already basically a pictorial grimoire, describing life in a way that allows us to learn the hidden movements, mysteries, and forces at play in our world. Art is good for things like that in general. It helps you see the world through a special lens, one which allows you to see things you might have missed.

The thing is, the lens of this deck is the Shadowrun continuity, which as I said earlier, has proven to be more than a little prophetic, and alarmingly so.

The magic system of Shadowrun is pretty adjacent to our own. Life force lines, spiritual power sites, astral projection and spirits and magical "energy" forms, initiatory mysteries... it's all pretty much the same as our own reality, just juiced up a bit, with some extra game elements added (don't even ask me about insect spirits).

This makes the deck particularly helpful if one wishes to learn magic in any of the myriad ways described in Shadowrun (and they're particularly respectful and diverse and true-to-life in their tradition descriptions).

BUT, it also has an entire lore-book called the Book of the Lost associated with it, which explains all these little secret sigils and images and easter eggs stored throughout the deck, which can be used for gamebuilding and storytelling, but are designed to be arcane indicators and omens, among other things. And the kinds of symbols they use range from sentences or mottos in dead languages, all the way to waveform patterns and dot-matrix maps. I swear, if you're one of those people who like puzzles and cryptography, this deck is even more fun than the Hermetic Tarot.

In summary, while you'll have to get some Shadowrun sourcebooks to really get deep into the canon lore, there's so much of it that the cards really show you on their own that I don't consider this a setback at all. Feel free to deep-dive with this deck, you'll learn a TON about magic if you let it guide you.

Relic- Success (3 out of 4) If you read the Book of the Lost, or Unearthed Arcana, or any of the 5th edition Shadowrun magic sourcebooks, you'll see that "tarot magic" is an up and coming thing in their canon. Each text helps you see how practitioners use the cards in-game for spellcasting, ritual magic, initiation practices and spirit summoning. The Tarot are already really valuable as central objects of importance to certain kinds of magical practice. This particular deck is designed to be so handy a central object that there's an entire book dedicated to it.

Weapon- Success (3 out of 4) The only reason I'm rating this a success instead of a crit is because they don't provide enough spreads in the various associated books for one to immediately begin casting spells with them, which means you'll have to do some designing. They do have a couple solid unique spreads for basic divination though.

The deck's canon in-game suggests ritual practices like gathering and doing a ritual with sets of related cards, and one such ritual was easily adapted in my own practice, into the Lucky Kimono spread I designed (which people can read about on my Patreon at the higher tiers). So, even without outright including spell-spreads, they sort of gave us clues anyway.

Again, you're going to need the sourcebooks, but it's only a few of them, and they're well worth a read even if you're not planning on playing the game (and I don't play in the actual Shadowrun mechanical system, though I do like the sourcebooks for campaign setting ideas).

Overall Rating: Critical Success (14 out of 16)

Achievement Unlocked: Novahot Echo's artwork is already legendary in the dork realms of geekomancy. She's done work for Dungeons and Dragons, Mage: the Ascension, House of Night... she's even working on a Fate: the Winx Saga playing card deck right now. Her art-nouveau delicacy combined with the powerful non-pandering way she draws women means that her paintings pack a punch!

That being said, it's rare that we see professional artists create a tarot deck of this magnitude as a gaming accessory. Most tarot decks of this caliber are found in professional occult catalogues or as independent projects by artists just wanting to flex their skills for their own reasons. To have a deck like this, clearly a labor of love by all involved, as a major element of gameplay within a franchise is really very special. And something this diverse, deep, and absolutely saturated with layers of ciphers and riddles... it's a geekomancer's dream come true.

Level Up: 2 Levels I think the only way anyone's going to be able to top this deck is if they manage to design a tarot deck that's also a fully immersive VR video game AND an AR game and divination tool useable with one's iPhone or Android. Legit, Echo and Lazarus left everyone in the dust. I haven't been this excited about Shadowrun since Shadowrun Returns first came out, and I got a set of dogtags that had a USB drive with the game on it.

It's just... crazy cool.

Full disclosure, I've had the deluxe edition of these cards for a while now, so I've basically been low-key squeeing about this deck since I first heard about it in 2018, even before I got it. I've been utterly astonished that people weren't more excited about them, and I wasn't hearing about them everywhere.

Before this, I created my own Shadowrun tarot method using the Universal Transparent Tarot (cuz, y'know, plastic and see-through and weird little mosaic readings all in one place, seemed fitting to me), and when I got the Sixth World Tarot? I don't think I've opened the UTT since!

Anyway, this is my review of this deck! Go follow the link up at the top of this post, and buy yourself one! And hey, let me know if you figure out the cool little map trick. My jaw literally dropped when I was shown that!

[soybeantree]

pairing: johnny x reader

genre/warning: fluff, magic!au

word count: 3k

description: you hated him. his stupid face smiling. his stupid charisma that would always woo the customers - of which you had no doubt was aided by the use of magic. his stupid cousin - that you actually adored and would kill to have him even notice you, but who continuously chose johnny over you for assistance. and most of all you hated how your lungs forgot their one job whenever he was within 5 feet of you.  

a/n: from the essem: rosemary by moonlight universe. not necessary to read that first, but some things may not make complete sense.

"I'd like an iced caramel Frappuccino with low fat milk and a pump of pep. To go." The customer rattles off her order as she approaches the counter, never sparing you a greeting or even a glance. From her clean-cut bob to her khaki shorts and salmon button down, you know exactly how this conversation is going to go.

Contorting your cheeks into your best customer service smile and using your most pleasant tone, you inform her, "I'm sorry ma'am, but any drinks with magical add-ins must be consumed within the cafe."

Now, she glances at you, her wallet poised in her hand as her face falls into what you refer to as the entitled scowl. "Excuse me?"

“Any drinks with magical add-ins must be consumed within the café.” You repeat, despite the fact that you enunciated clearly the first time. To help with any possible confusion, you gesture to the bright golden script at the bottom of the menu which states the same.

The woman scoffs, and you inhale a deep, imperceptible breath. “Why?” Indignation laces the word and colors her cheeks red.

Many reasons. Most of which revolve around negligence and exploitation, but that explanation drags. Reminding yourself that you want this job and have jumped through hoops to get it, you dredge up every ounce of patience in your body. With a smile still in place, you say. “We strive to abide by the standards set forth within the Council’s Magical Charter. I would be more than happy to complete your order, but any drink with magical add-ins must be consumed on property.”

“I-“ You brace yourself for the entitled tirade, but the woman’s face melts into a bewildered smile. A glance over your shoulder reveals the reason. Johnny, your fellow barista, stands behind you, his cheeks pulled back by a swoon worthy grin. 

With a sigh, you step away from the counter and let Johnny work his magic. Quite literally. Johnny, like you, has the skill of enchantment. As a member of the Essem Family, he has had access to training and knowledge all his life. You on the other hand come from a no name family who has one grimoire passed down from generation to generation, and the two-page section on enchantment only works for curing melancholy. 

In moments, Johnny has the woman pacified with an iced caramel Frappuccino with low fat milk and no pump of pep, to go. She sends him another smile before she nearly collides with the door on her way out. After a giggle which Johnny echoes, she is gone, and you’re ready to vomit. 

"Did you add a shot of charm to your coffee this morning?" You ask as you resume your position.

Johnny flashes you a grin while raising a single smug eyebrow. "No, I'm just naturally this charming." You gag as you turn away which elicits a chuckle from him. “What, you don’t think I’m charming?”

“I think you are a talented witch.” You say as you reorganize your station. While leaning over the counter to schmooze the woman, Johnny managed to throw the entire place into disarray. You return the business cards to their holder and the pencils to their cup.

“You really think I’m using magic when I calm irritated customers?” 

A twang in his voice draws your attention back to him. Glancing over your shoulder, your stomach twists. For such a tall man, he can make himself appear so small. His shoulders hunch in as he fiddles with the ties on his apron. The posture throws his long bangs into his eyes, obscuring them from your scrutiny.

The answer to his question is “yes”, but the answer brews from a petty spite which you stoke every time Minseok, the café’s owner and the foremost expert on enchantment magic, chooses him as an assistant over you. The whole reason you strived for a position at the café was to become Minseok’s apprentice, but every day he chooses Johnny to help with his brews. While you enjoy blaming Johnny, you know the favoritism is due to the inclusiveness of the covens. After all, Johnny is Minseok’s cousin. 

“Since when do you care what I think? I thought I was just the hired help.” 

His head snaps up, the ties of his apron forgotten as he gazes into your eyes. The contact cools your spite, and it sours. Your stomach rolls at the discomfort, and you clear your throat and return to your reorganization.  

“Minseok doesn’t hire just anyone to help in the café.”

You know this. You badgered him for a job ever since Johnny told you about his cousin and his café. Minseok had been the sole employee for years after the café’s inception, hiring Johnny only when the café’s popularity grew. Eventually, the work became too much for the two of them, and rather than hire a qualified enchantment witch, Minseok had hired the girl with little-to-no skill who practically lived at the shop.

“Whatever.” You grumble as you throw another pencil into the holder. The force sends the jar spinning. It falls on its side spilling its contents across the counter. With a growl, you reach for the scattered pencils, but Johnny’s long arms reach around you. The pencils disappear into one hand as his other rights the holder before returning the contents. 

You duck out from under Johnny’s unintentional embrace, your cheeks burning. He has to be using his magic. You hold tight to this belief as you breathe to calm your racing heart. 

“Minseok likes having you here. You’re as detail oriented as he is.” Johnny nods to the front and back counters both of which have everything in their place and a place for everything. “I’m pretty certain you’re the only person in the world who understands his organizational method.”

“It’s not that hard. Ingredients are organized first by purchase date and then alphabetical. Supplies are..." You trail off as you catch sight of Johnny’s smirk out of the corner of your eye. “You really expect me not to think you’re using magic when you always seem to know exactly what to say to distract me?”

He shrugs, but his smirk only grows. “There are other reasons, I might know that.” Before you can question him further, the bell above the front door jingles. “Duty calls.” He tips his head to you before disappearing back into the brewing room. 

With a deep breath, you shove the conversation from your mind and rattle off the customary greeting as you turn to face the new customer. 

“Good morning, Y/N. How goes the grind?” You blink a moment as your brain registers that your cousin is here. She misses your confusion as she is too busy chuckling at her pun.

"It’s great. How goes your fruitless endeavor to start a school of magic?"

She scowls which brings a genuine smile to your face. "It's not fruitless. It's slow moving because covens are full of stuck up assholes who refuse to share their knowledge because of what? They're afraid it will diminish their power and their prestige. They need to get their heads out of their asses and think about how much better the world would be if we all worked together and shared our knowledge." 

This tirade is as familiar as the Entitled tirade. "And yet, you always get coffee at an Essem café?" You comment as you punch her order into the register.

"Minseok has the best coffee.” She hands you her card. “Everyone in the city knows that. Everyone in the world probably knows it too."

"But you're supporting the coven with the most stuck up assholes." You return the card to her.

"You're working at the coffee shop."

"But I don't have the same issues with them that you do." Not mostly at least. You would appreciate it if Minseok occasionally asked you back into the brewing room. 

She shrugs. “Did you place that order for here or to go?”

“To go?” You raise a brow. 

“I need it for here.”

“Why?” You stretch the word into two syllables. 

“Because I’m staying here.” Rolling your eyes, you adjust the order. "I'm supposed to be meeting up with Yuri." She explains as she checks her watch. "But, she's late as usual."

Your finger pauses above the register as you gawk at your cousin. "Yuri? As in the hedge-witch of the Stahn Family?"

"Yuri is much more than a hedge witch."

"Okay, whatever,” You hold up your hands, stopping whatever tirade she will surely start. “But she’s a Stahn and this is an Essem cafe?"

"Yes,” she crosses her arm, and there is no stopping this coming tirade. “Why is it so hard to understand what me and the Fantagios are trying to do? We want to create a world where people can see beyond their family covens and share knowledge for the benefit of the world."

Leaning forward, you shorten the distance between you and your cousin. The more heated she becomes the louder she gets. The customers have already started to side eye her, and the last thing you need is for Johnny and, especially, Minseok to hear her. "That's great and all. But your dream is not reality and you agreed to meet up with a Stahn on Essem territory. They're basically mortal enemies. This could end in bloodshed, and I could lose my job because I'm related to you."

"Calm down. Yuri wouldn't have agreed to meet here if she was worried for her safety."

You swallow your rebuttal as you hear the hinges of the brewing room door squeak. Your cousin’s eyes grow to the size of saucers, and you wonder why Minseok is delivering her coffee. He rarely leaves the brewing room, leaving all the deliveries to Johnny.

Minseok extends a mug to your cousin who whimpers a “thank you” as she takes it. She sips. Her cheeks flush, but whether that is due to Minseok or the heat of the coffee only your cousin knows. 

“Is it good?” Minseok’s question raises one of your brows. In the year and a half that you’ve been working for Minseok, you have never heard him ask a customer’s opinion of his work. Pink tinges the tips of his ears, and you have to refrain from pinching yourself. Maybe, this whole day has been a dream.

“It’s delicious.” Your cousin, the queen of social justice tirades, simpers.

The nausea from earlier returns as you suffer through the ensuing conversation. Despite your effort to tune it out, you hear Minseok comment on your cousin’s frequent visits to the café. She explains that you’re her cousin, which you wish she would have left out given what is about to happen, and that he makes the best coffee in the city. His whole ears brighten at the compliment, the red creeping into his cheeks. Surely, a customer is bound to come in soon and end this disgusting display of emotions.

“Y/N can keep you company while you wait.”

 Your name snaps your attention back to the conversation. You blink as you search your brain for the lead into the statement but find nothing. “What?”

 “I was telling Uko,” Your cousin must have introduced herself while you attempted disassociation, “that you can take your break early to wait with her.”

“Oh, I mean sure if you’re okay with that.” The look on Minseok’s face screams that he would be okay with anything that your cousin wanted. 

“Go ahead.” He motions for you to be on your way, and with a slight nod, you head into the brewing room which offers the exit into the main area.

Johnny, busy at a cauldron, eyes you as you walk past him and remove your apron. “Where are you going?”

“I’m taking my break.” You say with a shake of your head as you hang your apron on its hook.

A glance at the clock scrunches up Johnny’s face and puffs out his already large lips. “But, your break’s in an hour?”

“Listen,” you say, turning to face him completely. “I don’t know what I just witnessed out there.” You gesture to the door behind which you are certain the uncomfortable situation is continuing. “But, Minseok said go to break, so I am going to break.”

“What did you witness?” Johnny grabs a mortar and pestle from the counter and adds three pinches to his cauldron. A faint smell of strawberries wafts through the room bringing with it the image of sunlight fields and a gentle breeze. He’s brewing happiness. The ingredient he added was green. Was it an herb? A stone? A mixture of different things? “Y/N?”

“What?” Your mind snaps back to the moment as you remember that Johnny did ask a question. “Is your cousin dating anyone?” You ask rather than answer.

Johnny pauses mid-stir and stares at you. “No.” He draws out the word as he slowly starts to stir the cauldron counter clockwise. “Are you asking for a friend?”

Your eyes narrow at his tone. “No, I’m asking because he’s currently flirting with my cousin, and it’s gross.”

“What?!” His whole face lights up, and he nearly spills the cauldron in his haste to reach the door to the order counter. Sprinting across the room, you reach the door before he does and block it with your body.

“What are you doing?” You pant as your lungs struggle to refill.

“Our family, at least the cool people in our family, have a bet going that Minseok has a wife and two kids in hiding or that he is a celibate monk. I bet that he hasn’t found the right one. Now move, so I can prove I was right and win the bet.” He tries to shove you to the side, but you dig your heels in and refuse to budge. “Come on.” He whines, pulling his bottom lip up into a pout.

“If you want me to move, then you had better use your magic because this is already ridiculous enough.” Fortifying yourself for the oncoming attack, you blink in surprise when Johnny steps back with a shrug.

“I don’t need to. I can ask Minseok about it when he comes back here.” He returns to the cauldron. The potion has turned a putrid shade of green, and Johnny hisses as he tries to fix the problem. 

Staying would provide you valuable knowledge, but Minseok has yet to approve your assistance with the brewing. Staying also means you would witness the next installment of this non-thrilling saga.

Minseok and your cousin are still talking when you exit the brewing room into the main area. They probably haven’t even realized how long you’ve been gone or that their conversation was almost interrupted by an overly inquisitive mind.  

“There’s a free table over there.” You bust into the middle of a conversation about magical vs. non-magical cleaning products. 

“Right.” Your cousin looks to you, then back to Minseok. “It was very nice talking with you.” Her smile stretches across her face. “Maybe we could talk more later.”

Minseok’s smile is more subdued than your cousin’s, but it’s more than what you witness on a typical Tuesday. “Yes, I would like that.”

“Minseok.” Johnny’s head pops out of the brewing room. “I need your help with something.” The stench of rotten fruit leaks through the open door. Minseok mutters a quick apology before disappearing into the brewing room. 

You take a seat at the free table, a smug smile on your face. Your cousin is slower to take her seat, her smile still in place. “Is this really the first time you’ve met Minseok?” You ask when she finally settles in her seat.

“Yes,” she answers though her eyes remain on the brewing room door. “He had already graduated when I started high school. I heard about him from the upperclassmen, but they did not do him justice. He is one fine man.”

“Gross. Can you take your thirsty ass and get out of my place of work?”

“You work in a coffee shop, a place where thirsty people are literally supposed to come.” She quips back, finally glancing at you.

“Please, people don’t come to cafes because they’re thirsty. They come to work, socialize, or take aesthetic photos, and maybe sometimes for caffeine.” 

Before she can formulate a rebuttal, the bell above the front door jingles, and in walks the reason for your cousin’s visit. In your disgust, you had forgotten the threat to your job. Panic races through your veins as your attention shifts to the counter. You wish for all the luck in the world, but luck abandons you. Instead of Johnny coming to greet the new customer, Minseok emerges once again. Habit controls him as he smiles and gives the customary greeting. Only after the last word leaves his mouth does recognition register in his eyes. 

"Yuri." The name is a question and a greeting.

The hedge-witch tilts her head a fraction of a degree in the semblance of a nod. "Minseok." She returns the greeting. You wait - breath held, heart racing - for the coming altercation.

"Kyungsoo's been looking for you. He seems to be worried about something. Is everything okay?"

"You can mind your own damn business." She huffs, her arms crossing over her chest.

You flinch, but Minseok chuckles. "I'm merely a messenger."

"Well messenger, you can tell Kyungsoo - and please make this verbatim - 'I'm fine. Thank you. You can suck my dick'."

Minseok jots the message down on his guest check book, glancing up at Yuri when he finishes. "Anything else?"

"No, that's all."

"Would you like to order anything?"

"Hell, no. I'm here to meet with someone." She glances around the shop. 

You shrink down in your chair, hoping to avoid detection, but your cousin shreds that hope. She waves her hand, drawing both of their attention to you two. Minseok’s eyes rest on you for a moment before shifting to your cousin. 

Yuri returns the wave as she walks to your table. "Hey Uko, sorry I'm late. The potion needed to brew a little longer this morning than I anticipated. I blame this muggy weather. It's messing with everything I make. Is this your cousin?" She nods to you as she plunks into the last of the three chairs at your table. Uko nods her head. "Nice to meet you."

"You might not think it's so nice. She works here."

A hiss slips out as Yuri shakes her head. "Why must the young always be corrupted?"

"Don't worry. I might not have a job for much longer." You sigh as you push yourself out of your chair. "Breaks over. I’ll find out soon enough if I do or not."

"Minseok might be an Essem, but he's not going to fire you because you have a connection to me.” Yuri assures you. “If he does though, let me know and I'll kick his ass." Yuri grins, showing all of her teeth, and you chuckle despite the anxieties waging war in your stomach.

Walking back into the brewing room, you grab your apron and slip it on while keeping your back to Minseok and Johnny. With a deep breath, you turn to face them. Johnny stands over the cauldron which is a deep forest green and simmering pleasantly. You breathe in the smell of strawberries and hope the happiness has rubbed off on Minseok who is standing beside Johnny and whispering instructions. 

With a glance up, Minseok pats Johnny on the shoulder and walks towards you. Lifting leaden feet, you meet him by the door to the ordering counter. 

A volley of words waits on your tongue, but they retreat when Minseok asks, “Can you give this to your cousin?” The “this” he is referring to is a folded scrap of paper.

You take the paper, nodding as you slip it into the back pocket of your jeans. “Sure. What is it?”

A small smile lifts his cheeks, and his voice is soft when he says, “My number.”

You choke on your response, and you can hear Johnny chuckling as you attempt to regain your breath. Minseok offers to get you a drink, but you wave off his concern. “What?” You finally manage to get out.

“I forgot to ask for your cousin’s number when we were talking.” He pouts. “I was hoping you would give her mine and tell her she can text me whenever.” 

“Sure.” You pause before asking, “Should I go back to work now?”

“Of course.” His response is instantaneous and a flood of relief washes through you. “And thank you.” He adds, the corners of his mouth quirking up. With a nod, he returns to Johnny’s side. 

Exiting the brewing room, you shake your head. On the plus side, you still have your job. On the negative side, your cousin might start dating your boss which may not be a complete negative but it definitely isn’t a positive.

[muffindaddystyles]

(CLANDESTINE CHAPTER TWO)

ᗩᑭᑭOIᑎTᗰᗴᑎT, ᖇᗴᗪ ᐯᗴᒪᐯᗴT ᗩᑎᗪ ᗰᑌᖴᖴIᑎՏ

𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚

Rhythmically mellifluous waves of notes echoes after bouncing back from anile theatre's walls, the trill getting softer the more I firmly place my chin over the tail piece.

Eye lids slip shutting at the flurries of heart chasing the last cadences, pinky shivering as the middle and ring finger pushes the string down while the bow touches through the strings simultaneously producing the last chords.

Feels like a voyage over a baby leaf that's leading me through a pallid wind.

My chest heaving vigorously and lifting my jaw from the violin my head snapped in the direction of loud claps flowing. After a hectic performance the seats went empty and instead of going backstage I tried to play a melody for myself.

I was so lost finding my way through strings that didn't even noticed when Azi came. He's the owner of this old hideously beautiful theatre, his love for arts has this place still running without compliance knowing else it would have left baren just like the other popular theatres they shut years ago.

"Well done Harry, people seemed to love your performance last night and today." A smile quenching from my inners causing the bottom lip to tuck in between my teeth.

A feeling like no other spiralling around my ribcages, this's all I ever wanted.

"They were properly soused into your magic and we know what that means, shit loads of money." I remained quite putting my violin and bow aside while he spoke with a tobacco cigar rolled in between his lips.

I never wanted to play for money but nor do I've problem if we're getting it because half of the people in theater needs it. They deserve it.

It's not their fault they've to die in return of loving the devotedness that's gifted naturally.

Their talent and adroitness is the only thing keeping them in this world even though they've to remain veiled from the ordinary people.

Azi drags the stash of money on the table in my direction causing me to shake my head in refusal, "you know that I don't need this money. Save it for the renovation of theatre before we all get buried deep under it." He laughs lungs rumbling from his old age.

For God's sake the ceilings are about to cripple and chandelier might bonk my head one day.

"Or' maybe double pay our ballerina she was prepossesing last night." The twitch of his wrinkles at the corners of eyes smoothed down sadly and he sighed loudly piercing a hole in my stomach.

Anticipation wrapped around my head shoving me into the sea of worry where I'm finding it difficult to process, "what happened-" my words choking in my windpipes when he cuts me off revealing the horror information.

"She was abducted last night, her body was found shot near the suburb of where she lives." Everything's feeling claustrophobic around me and I keep on gawking him in astonished dread.

She was one hell of the great dancers, the only ballerina of our theatre. She didn't not deserved this; fuck it nobody does. I refuse to believe.

Fuck this government. Fuck this stupid world.

Gripping my hair from roots I looked him straight in the eyes, "Tell me if her family needs any help." Then the realization dawned upon me like a heavy dust she never had a family. This theatre, her skills were her only family.

"Harry my boy listen I know you'll take it as a hard toll but believe me we can't do anything for what has happened, go home have a rest you've a performance in the coming month." I was taken aback when he hugged me assuring me like a father would do, not utterly sure how to respond to interactions like these I raised my hands several times only to let them fall back.

Memories of her on tips dancing beautifully on the stage displaying infront of me as I stored my violin into case putting it aside.

We weren't close. But the few times we had exchange of words in the middle of lunch breaks and her full concentration on my foolish jokes was worth than any friendships I ever had; which I unfortunately never had.

Without even noticing the whispers let out of my chest, "I'll miss ya." Never thought you could yearn to have a single glimpse of people last time even though they were barely in your life.

I didn't changed into comfortable clothes letting the flashy suit stick to my skin, so the weigh of it will keep on making me realize that the world has no place for us.

A sacrifice for living praise.

The alley outside's pitch dark with the sun roguishly trying to dawn from the horizon.

Azi Theatre's situated at the most lifeless spot in the city possible, you've to walk through several hidden allies to reach there.

While, walking past the streets and avoiding to ruin my trousers by splashing my boots into puddle my brain havoced with unnecessary thoughts.

Thousand of faces with erastz beauty passing in mili seconds on these vast fulgurant billboards their mocks appearing like arrows to my already wounded guts; though it's all in my head it's still crawling under my skin.

A peek of cognisance from the day she made me ate her red velvet muffins dizzied around in my mind painting sorrow over me.

Even though I protested with my nonsical excuses she won ending up handing me one of her perfectly shaped muffin on my palm with a huge grin.

Just like that alot of people's smiles in my life petered out in the lost pocket of my mind.

In the littlest remembrance of her I made route to the small bakery situated two blocks away from the building I live in. The city's sleeping the only thing's shop's boards blinking and hazy bakeries showing through the thick fog.

It's open twenty four hours seven. The sky tweeked with ribbons of brume and the digital clock showed 5:00 sharp in the early dawn the large glass windows fogy from weather. The counter lady's wrapped into a comfy blanket trying not to fall asleep.

The bell chimed startling the cute old lady when I stepped inside passing by the wooden counter, "uhh..hi sorry to disturb. I'll look in myself." She nodded slumping back into her seat soon about to knock off.

Strolling in between the squeezy aisles my eyes roamed over empty refrigerators ceasing to the one at the far corner.

There in the transparent domed box are four cherry-red muffins attracting every dull view of bakery towards themselves. They're perfectly shaped and snow-flaked into red coconut shudders but failed to water my mouth.

I've no appetite to eat them. Her's used to be baked into undescribeable funny shapes but atleast I had a company while chomping them in one bite.

A reel of same memory binging and before it could permanently imprint in my brain I cleared my throat raising my pointy finger as a habit, "I'll have these!"

We said in a unison. Hold on. We? Am I that exhausted that I've started to hallucinate.

My head snapshoting towards the person from whom the feminine voice billowed in the dense warm air.

Resplendent. Florid and kaleidoscopic were the first words that striked my confused mind when my vision raked from the faux suede ankle boots richer in pigment than the red velvet muffins resting inside the refrigerator; then straight towards to meet their eyes.

Her gaze projecting warmth in this wimtertide and out of curiosity I met her eyes to recognize their colour.

Golden syrup. They're like the glassed honey pool that has squeezed the bee in the syrup lake as if it's greed for honey became it's trap, hazel speckles caged inside the rim of irises flickering with her slightest of eye movement.

We both keeps on looking at eachother the morning peace surrounding us too unsure how to break the spell.

She's wearing a cerise peach long trench wool coat a sweet rose enamel pin attached to where her heart is. Her nose and ears pink from the cold outside, but her lips plump from under the translucent violaceous bubble gum coloured gloss.

Burnette tresses of hair loose till her covered shoulders, the peach tealed beanie intact on her head.

The women standing infront of me is in abstract contrast to the pastels of the bakery and the luster of gray buildings out of these bakery walls.

The pastelish hues still prominent in her and crimson peaked up my neck at the fact that she caught me intriguing her by my peer.

Boldly her eyes remained fixated at my suit that's very exotic for strolling into a bakery. She might think so I'm a bellend idiot.

The cashier lady came to us yawning placing her hands on her hips done with two strangers just looking at eachother but she doesn't know that both of them are inquisitive of what the other is wearing this early where anybody's barely awake.

"We've the only box, decide it quick kiddos that who'll get it." The lady yawned for fiftieth time taking the box of muffins out of refrigerator.

"I came here first and I was the first one to ask." I frowned for an obvious reason and the lady was about to give me the box when a honeyed voice again melted in my ears.

Now I really wanna hear her talk for a long time, "but I pointed at it first!" She whines softly jutting her lower lip.

"But vocalisation matters the most." I quipped arching my brow at her and she glared me but her beatific personality radiating naturally from her is breaking the bitter demeanour she's trying to pull towards me.

"Kay. We can leave it upto the rock, paper and siscorss." She smirks mishveously raising her brows several times in a challenge.

Her tongue poking out from her glossy lips with her one leg straight and other bended perpendicular she placed her on foot over another balancing with only one leg like a flamingo.

The cute small lady groaned, "are you really gonna do this?" Our eyes widening and chuckles spiraling when we once again we said 'yep.' In unison.

She was ready to launch her hand in a paper and mine was stone so I quickly interrupted looking down at her legs, "why are you standin' like a swan?" Her eyes slitting into a squint and lips shrinking into a pout.

Tilting her chin towards me and standing in the same position as before just the difference now's that her hands are on her hips to convey the offend.

She ruched her lower lip inside her mouth to stop from giving a smile, so she's a buoyant person...

"Because maybe I am?" And she doesn't have simple answers to straight questions. Our fists still raised into air and the cashier lady hissed this time ready to throw hands.

"You kids are worse than my grandchildren!" She gasped comically at the words of short lady.

"That's very mean of you..." I'm clearly surprised that she isn't one bit influenced by lady's sharpness instead she's further engaging in a conversation that will result in the loss of time for all of us. "...and your daughter wouldn't be very happy to know."

"Kay. Back to where we left." She quickly turned her head towards me her complete concentration struck over me making my stomach go fluttery and funny.

"Uhm..yes- rock, paper, siscorss!" I never thought I'd play a game with some stranger who's looking so cozy and comfy in the early dew, for some muffins in the middle of empty bakery when I scarcely interact with people.

"Yes! I won." I punched the air when my siscorss cut her paper and her jaw went slack for a moment.

What the fuck you're doing Styles!?

Out of shyness and awkwardness I abruptly combed back my curls rubbing my hand down the nape of my neck not meeting her eyes.

The lady handed me the box with a boring expression while Hers stayed ticked to it, "anyway I don't even like red-velvet muffins." Yeah. Grapes are sour when fox can't get it.

She was about to walk away near to step out of shop. I want to call her but don't know her name; so out of sheer rampage I blurted out the only word that the department of my brain could manage at the time.

"Swan!" She halted in her tracks torso turning and with her chin atop of her shoulder she looked back at me smiling coyly.

"Yes. Sparkly?" She's probably calling me that because of my glittery black suit and I'm sure my ribcages did something at the name. Getting made fun of doesn't sound very good; but it is at the time.

Today's an odd day.

"Um..we can share if you want to?" Her grin etching to the corner of her lips and she jumped excitedly clasping her hands together,"Really!?"

A timid smile crawling over my features watching her get delighted at the littlest of fact. "Yes. There are two pair of muffins we both can have one pair if you like to?" I told her and she bobs her head while going towards the cash counter, patting the counter with a huge grin indicating me to put the box down.

"Your total's $8.25." We both payed half of the total price and I shoved my hands into my trouser's pockets scrutinizing my surrounding while the annoyed cashier lady packed two muffins separately for one of us.

And she rummaged through her wallet which has alot of ebullient key-chains hanging from it, who's this girl?

Why I've never seen her here before? and I've never seen a person this cheerful in the crowd of prosaic people of city.

The lady handed us our respective delights with a roll of eyes and I was the first one to take mine and quickly sprinted out of there, because I didn't know what else to do.

A whiff of pungent vanilla, mulberry pomegranate sprouting with cocoa made it's way in my nostrils when I passed beside her. Her fragrance's divergent.

You know a scent that addictively clouds your senses but it's so rare you never get to smell it again; but if out of nowhere you get to it brings back nostalgia for no reason, she smelled like that.

When I glanced back the two women were still watching my weirdness in amusement through the glass windows of bakery.

It appeared like her rose enamel pin winked at me from far.

Mick was tangled up into cassette tapes when I stepped inside my flat, the tiny bugger he is jumped atop me straddling me to the floor.

"You're lookin' like a disco ball. No need to be so proud." Instead he gave a long slicky lick to my cheek woofing at me.

He's being too cheeky but it wouldn't last long when I'll take him for a checkup. He fucking envy his doc. I'm already sensing sympathy seeking whining from him, happens every year.

Shaking my head I grunted skiding from underneath him but he's fast and climbed up in my lap while I struggled to open the box.

The minute red hilly muffins were infront of me it reminded me of honey the ooze of golden, treacle eyes. Her eyes.

Shit. It's getting hard to get rid of her delicate image that's playing like an aesthetic reel in the back of my mind.

I was jerked into reality when Mick lurched greedily eating the delcious muffin from my hand in one bite, leaving his slickness at the tip of my fingers. Before he could attack my muffin too I quickly grabbed it.

"Mick you wouldn't believe what happened today!?" I spoke in an animated voice scratching his sweet spot under his ear my mouth full of red coconut and he looked up at me with his sick puppy eyes.

"We wouldn't have been able to eat these if I wouldn't have won from...." I stuttered pondering over the fact that the nameless peachy coat girl's too stubborn and wouldn't leave my fuzzy thoughts alone, "...from swan."

Mick just barked at me going to his sleeping pillow and I practically rubbed my eyes with the heels of my palms to bring myself to some consciousness from that bloody bakery fantasy.

_

When the proper morning hit I made myself breakfast and the longer I stared it the more it impeded my appetite.

With one hand offering Mick treats to deceive him into the idea that I'll take him to the park for a walk which instead will end up in a clinic's room and other hand diligent in searching word puzzles over the newspaper my jaw worked to chew the sandwich.

Throwing a sweater over my head and slipping into white washed jeans quickly I got ready to take Mick with me.

I had to scoop Mick up in my arms when he sprawled onto footpath of veterinary clinic the second he realized what was about to happen.

The kid leaning against the wall giggled loudly watching me practically drag my dog across the floor because he's too socially akward, fucking wow.

The waiting area's already full of pupils alongside their pets, someone stood up from the last bench and taking the advantage of opportunity I strided towards it sitting at it's edge.

Fifteen minutes passed since I've been caressing and comforting my scared bud, tucking his crown under my chin to make him at rest.

There's loud raucous noise when the elevator doors to the floor we're at opened wide gaining everyone's attention and when the person in tizzy strided inside the corridor I had to look at her twice.

What the fuck she's doing here? She never owned a pet and the one for whom she'll get this worried about.

Lyida's exactly same, her eyes bright as always and she has become more striking from when she was with me.

But she's not mine now, she never was.

She lurched over the receptionist with the box in her hand and distress of having to meet her eyes creeped inside me. The girl beside me threw daggers at me when I stood up hastily causing the whole bench to shake. I apologised for the disturbance.

My hands fumbled with the knob of nearest door right beside me and I had to shush Mick sternly when he kept on whining.

Heavy puff of breaths escaping my lungs when I stumbled inside some empty doctor's room shutting the door behind me, back meeting against the wooden plank of door, cold sweat breaking under the nape of my neck and I blinked several times taking in my surrounding.

I'm a weak son of a bitch.

It's fuckin' gruelling to be in her presence. It's hellish to meet her sympathetic gaze for me and I'm a bastard who's pathetic as hell.

I have to be away, I've to go right now. Trotting towards the large window panes I uncliped them stepping outside the shared balcony of room.

There's a drain pipe so I can climb it down to the ground and get the hell away from here.

Maybe, Mick was right it was a bad day and idea to come here.

Adjusting Mick inside my armpit I threw my one leg over the rail and then the second, my breath wavering as I gripped the rail tighter taking baby steps towards the plastic pipe.

The smack of air stinging my eyes while the cars are being parked infront of me at the parking lot.

A delucet voice clamoured from inside startling me to death and Mick barked lowly in reaction, "Whoops! Sorry to interrupt your suicidal mission." I turned my head steadily to see who's it even though I can comprehend the sherbet similarity.

Her voice has melted like a hot maroon stamp into my ears since the dawn hour and with the corner of my eyes I watched her leaning against the stretcher.

"But let me tell you Sparkly this height would cause you nothing but two broken ribs, one fractured thigh and you might loose your brain memory. No more than that." I gawked her appalled while she remained peacific arms folded infront of her chest, into different cardinal clothes now.

Again a replete splitness to what every other person's wearing outside.

Even though my intentions are nothing like that but saying this to someone who's about to take their life doesn't seem very pleasing.

I was about to speak something into my defence that she misinterpreted things but she cut me off popping her chewing gum and capturing the ropes of sticked bubble around her lips with her teeth.

Fuck.

.

A/n; Please lovies. Reblog it and gimme feedback alot of kisses!

[okmcintyre]

Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. don’t cheat. tag 10 (or however many) peeps.

The 100

Friends

Grey's Anatomy

BtVS

Lucifer

1. who is your favorite character in 2?

Chandler Bing: if I really could only choose one!

2. who is your least favorite character in 1?

I never really warmed up to Abby, for some reason. Don't get me wrong: Paige Turco is incredibly talented, and there are aspects of the character that I respect (especially now that her story has come full circle). But Abby irked me, for some reason? Idk?

3. what is your favorite episode of 4?

3x10 Amends : Christmas miracles, Bangel, Xander camps out in the back yard, Christmas tree decorating, SNOW!? C'mon. That was magic y'all. 4x21 Primeval : Probably my favourite finale storyline: because it was such a love letter for the Scoobies to have them work as one Super!Buffy unit. 5x16 The Body : This episode got me through a lot of feelings after my mom passed. It's the most emotional, honest hour of television out there... imho.

(yeah I chose three 😃)

4. what is your favorite season of 5?

Lucifer: Season 3! A lot came full circle that season between the characters and old storylines, I think. PLUS some of my favourite stand alones are in that season AND so is my favourite scene of all time.

5. who is your favorite couple in 3?

Owen & Cristina, for sure. Meant to be!

(But also: Merideth & DeLuca, Arizona & Callie, Mark & Lexie, Bailey & Ben, Teddy & Tom, Amelia & Linc... because The cast is HUGE!!)

6. who is your favorite couple in 2?

Chandler & Monica! Chandler & Monica!

7. what is your favorite episode of 1?

4x13 Praimfaya, 5x01 Eden, 5x13 Damocles Part Two, 6x10 Matryoshka. (Yes I chose FOUR, I know I know...)

8. what is your favorite episode of 5?

4x02 of Lucifer: those two are trying so hard to make things work and then Lucifer jumps in front of the axe and THEN the scene between he and Chloe right after?? I lost my mind!! It's why I started watching the show.

9. what is your favorite season of 2?

Season 1 of Friends, as that is where my favourite episodes live! The one that started it all.

10. how long have you watched 1?

I started watching The 100 for the first few weeks it aired... then jumped on board watching live every week starting 5x01

(I watched up to 4x13 over the hiatus and HAD to find out if Madi was secretly a bellarke love child 😂)

11. how did you become interested in 3?

My wife and I used to watch ER together every week*... and in one of its earlier seasons: Grey's would air right after. Quite often we'd forget to change the channel after, and eventually Cristina Yang's sense of humor won us both over.

(*together as in: living an hour apart and watching at the same time, on the phone with each other lol)

12. who is your favorite actor in 4?

Anthony Stewart Head. Legend.

13. which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

The 100 is one of my favourite shows of all time. But Friends has a trump card. It's THE show. If I could only watch one the rest of my life, that would be it.

14. which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3 ?

I've seen every episode of both, but Grey's: because it's been on TV for fifty thousand years.

15. if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

I think I'm the most similar to Tara & Willow from BtVS (bc Im cliche like that!): but to choose just one I'd to go with Willow. We share a love of tech and a corny sense of humour!

16. would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

In 3x01, Buffy could have gone to Seattle instead of LA: and had the doctors from Grey's Anatomy help her through the pain of losing Angel. Sure!

OR: In "Normal Again" she wakes up at Grey Sloan Memorial instead of LA. Has anyone fanfic'd that?

17. pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple.

I find myself looking Echo & Emori together after 6x08? Anybody else see that??

18. overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

Between Lucifer or Grey's? I have to again: give it to GA: on account of their EPIC cast size and their keeping me interested after 15 years (!)

19. which has the better theme music, 2 or 4?

The Friends theme song is iconic AND a radio hit, you can't beat it! Sorry, Nerf Herder.

Tagging: (my last few notifs + anyone else out there in case you'd like to play along!) @blodreina-noumou @cheesemfcake @icantdoanythingwiththiswifi @loophole2000 @andersonbeard @uneminiplume @geekyogicheese

[aaravos-afterdark]

Call Me Sir - Aaravos/Viren

Rating: Mature (18+)

Fandom: The Dragon Prince; Aaravos x Viren (Viravos)

Word Count: 1,800

A/N: Two different versions of the same idea - Viren is a manager and Aaravos is the talent. They're not supposed to be anything more than that. // all writing account: @lokiiwood 

Alternatively read on AO3:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/18441164/chapters/43685489

Version 2 - “Distant from the Talent”

Inspired by the 80's AU fanart of Abigail Salier!

Twitter Link 1

Twitter Link 2  

“Are you my new footboy? Never seen one quite like you.”

“I'm your new manager.”

He laughed. Viren sighed, pushing his sunglasses onto his head. The elf sitting on the raven, plush couch before him had arrived early and Viren had already told himself not to stare before he came into the room. Of course he heard of Aaravos the ‘Shining Rockstar.’ Before they even spoke of his dancing and singing, they whispered about his enchanting, star-studded skin that reflected brilliantly off disco balls. They awed over how even his eccentric, various animal prints he wore all at once didn’t look so bad - on him. Viren was already exhausted from the tiger and leopard headband he wore in addition to his zebra pants and pink, giraffe accessories. Why was the talent always like...this?

Whatever. Viren could handle a delinquent, even if he wasn’t...wearing a shirt? He tore his eyes away after realizing the star on his muscular chest was part of him. He heard Aaravos stand and pretended to check over his clipboard, adjusting his suit as the elf approached.

“Aren’t you a cute, little thing.”

Cute?

The word that had to be sarcasm made Viren look again. What the - oh, they didn’t mention how tall he was. All elves were, but Aaravos was...tall. Aaravos quite literally looked down on him as he fixed his loose headband, glittering muscles flexing. Was that on purpose? Ugh.

“Yes, yes, I’m shorter than you. Anyway, it is a pleasure to formally meet you.”

Viren held out his hand and Aaravos gently took it, softly clasping it between his two, beautiful hands.

“Naturally, it is a pleasure to meet you too,” he grinned, his freckles briefly twinkling as those bronzy coins bore into him. Were his scleras always like this? He thought the black would be off-putting from the photos he'd seen, but in-person they were…captivating.

Viren took his hand back awkwardly, the warmth of his touch lingering. They told him the new rising star was a dangerous one, perhaps even a gamble. And it wasn't because of any violent history or questionable talent, it was because Aaravos knew he was gorgeous and hadn't learned any public speaking - or private, as he duly noted. It was a combination that made the best of them fade as quickly as they rose.

But Viren wasn't in a position to have that happen to his new talent. After the disaster at Katolis Records, this was his last chance to not fall into permanent obscurity and unhirability as a manager. He had kids to take care of, dammit.

“Yes. Ahem, I am Viren.”

“Oh yes! I know of you. Tell me, what will you do for me that you failed to at Katolis Records?”

Viren would not entertain this nonsense. He had enough of people looking down and doubting him, and since he couldn't do anything about Aaravos being oppressively tall at the very least he wouldn't put up with his quips.

“Perhaps save your complaints forafter we begin. Furthermore, if you actually saw my portfolio you'd know I have decades of positive experience.”

“Oh, really?” he mused, stepping forward and beginning to circle him as a prowling tiger might of trapped prey. But he refused to be intimidated. Viren kept his eyes on Aaravos until he finally stopped and hummed.

“Satisfied?” Viren scoffed.

“Very.” The dark and deep allure of his response caught him off-guard.

"Something interests you?" he chuckled.

"Ah - I was just thinking about your vocal range. They told me you're a bass but could go as high as a tenor."

“Oh, that's not true.”

“I figured. I'll ma-”

“I can also go as high as some altos.”

“...Aaravos, that's impossible.”

Aaravos’ eyes narrowed as his smile widened.

“And!” Viren interrupted before he could even start, “I'm not interested in hearing it right now either. We're both going to be very busy, very soon.”

“All business, that's interesting.”

Aaravos’ smile was knowing and secretive as he studied Viren's face.

“And how is it interesting?”

“I just assumed...hm, no wife I take it?”

“No.”

“Nor...husband?”

“What exactly are you getting at here? Can we cut to the point?”

Aaravos adjusted his obnoxious headband and shrugged. “It's just our first meeting is alone in a private room. Me, a youthful and gorgeous star, and you...not.”

Aaravos’ fingers tickled both of Viren’s arms, dawdling up in their alluring slow dance before the entertainer landed his arms on his shoulders. Aaravos took a step closer and Viren promptly took one back. He felt heat rising to his ears. Embarrassment or anger? Probably a healthy mix.

“I-I have nothing but professional interest in you. I'd appreciate it if we didn't discuss such strange things. I don't need a harassment lawsuit on my hands.”

“As if I'd report anything you did to me.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Disappointments aside, you may go ahead and ‘manage’ me, sir.”

Viren's rebuttal died on his lips. How was Aaravos doing that? His already deep voice would somehow echo and rattle him inside as if Aaravos was magically speaking into his ear.

What a handful. What he'd give for some humble talent who knew how to mind their own business, or at the very least not ask him about his ex-wife. Just once. Viren turned on his heel with a grumpy sigh and they returned to the ‘real world’ of the studio.

Aaravos followed him, but they were frequently interrupted by people in awe of his appearance. He towered over most as they passed and stole their attention, and Viren would be lying if he said he didn’t understand why. Aaravos was attractive - really attractive - and unnecessarily seductive. Their disaster of a meeting proved that fact, but Viren decided not to take his innuendos to heart.

Although rude, Aaravos was right. He was a young, gorgeous star and Viren was just a manager who wasn’t getting better in either apartment.

“Where are we going, sir?”

There went that tone again. Forget how - why was he doing that?

“To your new trailer, we have to get you settled in before those hippies start flooding our lots again.”

“Oh, an upcoming concert?”

“A war protest.”

“Oh.”

Aaravos sped up to walk side-by-side with him, glancing over every few seconds and practically begging for his attention as they escaped into the studio parking lot.

“Yes, Aaravos?”

"You let me call you ‘sir'...At first, I was being playful with you, but perhaps you really believe my good looks make me your junior?”

“...What are you saying?” Viren paused his walking to shoot an eyebrow up at the man with the most cat-like expression he’d ever seen.

“I’m much older than you. You should be calling me ‘sir.’”

“W-what? Do you mean by elf standards?”

Aaravos laughed and hooked his arm around his, tugging him to continue walking. Nervously, Viren’s eyes skimmed around them.

“I’m old by all standards. But we’ll round down to a 1,000 if anyone asks, alright?”

“Round down? Are you messing with me?”

“Not unless you want me to,” he purred. “So...how about calling me ‘sir’? Hm?”

Viren’s mouth trembled as he checked the clipboard. It was right there in print. Impossible. Aaravos was older than him. He couldn’t believe it. Aaravos was older than him and still looked like that.

“The...the trailer is the one with the star on it,” Viren mumbled, pointing with his chin and trying not to blister in his favorite tailored sweater.

“What a wonderful manager you are,” Aaravos gasped, although Viren wasn’t sure if it was sarcastic or not.

They arrived and Viren snatched his arm away and reached to unlock the vehicle, but Aaravos’ arm stopped him. It softly hit the door and Viren was trapped between the side of the trailer and his chest.

“Aaravos! D-dammit I told you-”

“Told me what?” he whispered, his white hair blocking out light as it fell down his face.

“I told...I told you...t-to…”

He couldn’t remember. Viren couldn’t remember a damn thing.

Aaravos’ free hand leisurely pulled his sunglasses down from his hair to settle on the bridge of his sweating nose.

His long fingers teased around his ear and Aaravos chuckled.

“Call me ‘sir’ if you want me to stop treating you so sweetly. I can be professional.”

Viren’s mouth parted, but he couldn’t even remember the magic word that Aaravos just promised to release him.

So he said nothing.

And he continued to say nothing when Aaravos’ perfect, buxom lips ghosted over his before muzzling him. Aaravos tasted nothing like how he looked or behaved - sweet and floral, even when he eased his lips open with an equally beguiling and calming tongue. The kiss almost felt natural and appropriate, not that he’d had one at all in years now. He forgot what they were like - but the memories of how nice they felt came rushing back.

Aaravos’ other arm wormed its way under his suit and up his chest, pushing his back fully against the trailer with suffocating seduction. The other arm that had trapped him pinched at his thigh before rubbing over his clothed crotch, coaxing out a straining response. Viren was being completely overwhelmed by Aaravos’ touch as three different sensations sent him spiraling into submission. The hand under his shirt finally found nipple, rolling it between his fingers as his other hand began to stroke the new shape outlining his pants.

“Nm…” It was an accident and embarrassing enough for Viren to shove his head back, thumping hard against the trailer as he rasped, inhaling as much air as he could.

Dammit. Dammit. Oh, what had he just done? Viren quickly shoved Aaravos’ hands off of him as he tried to regain his bearings. They were outside. Anyone could’ve seen how easily he’d been ensnared and how his shame was stretching and aching towards Aaravos.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m – you – no!” Viren attempted. Panic shook his words as his eyes darted around them in the parking lot. “I-I can’t mess this up. I have kids to take care of!” he tried to explain to the elf who moved his arms politely behind his back, completely casual. As if he’d just as easily do it again, as if ravaging his cohorts was just a normal part of his business.

Kids. That would scare him off, right? Viren could take solace in that. He was alone by choice, and he didn’t need to lose his job and what was left of his reputation just because Aaravos was...him!

Aaravos’ eyes crinkled with an amused smirk and Viren’s stomach dropped.

“How delightful, Viren. I love children.”

Alternatively read on AO3:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/18441164/chapters/43685489

Version 2 - “Distant from the Talent”

[echo-the-owl]

Hi, I sent the vmin mob au, it was perfect, I wouldn't mind a part 2 but I have another au.Jimin is the hottest solo artist in S.Korea, what they don't know is that he's too faced. All of his managers quit, Taehyung becomes the newest manager, he notices how Jimin doesn't eat afraid of gaining weight, how he practices so hard he gets dizzy. Jimin falls for Taehyung kindness and gets jealous easily.

For the public eye, Park Jimin had a dazzling reputation. He was kind to fans, amazingly talented, and all over a graceful personality. He had worked hard to get where he was and now he was one of the top solo artists in Korea.

Behind the scenes though, he had a different reputation entirely. No one who had ever had the (dis)pleasure of working with him had ever said anything about him, but rumors spread anyways. All of his managers quit after a short while, all citing different reasons. People assumed that the real reason was that Jimin was actually a monster under his princely persona.

Taehyung, naturally, didn’t know any of this when his friend Seokjin asked if he would want the job. I mean, he really didn’t know much about Jimin anyways. He didn’t pay a lot of attention to celebrities. So, it was a little confusing when the receptionist at BigHit Entertainment came around to pat him on the shoulder and grimly wish him ‘good luck’ when he told her why he was there.

It didn’t take him long to figure it out. Park Jimin truly was a monster, a nickname he had heard shortly after he started working… just not the monster people thought. He certainly wasn’t the nicest though. He wasn’t as nice as he acted on camera or in front of fans, but Taehyung couldn’t blame him for that. He himself wasn’t as nice as he acted when his grandma was around, after all. He figured it was the same concept.

That being said, he wasn’t mean enough to make so many others quit. At first, it perplexed Taehyung. After hearing so much about him in the short amount of time since he was hired until he actually met the guy, he was expecting a total diva, a complete asshole… but when they met Jimin had greeted him politely before more or less ignoring him for the rest of their time together.

Park Jimin had a busy schedule, and Taehyung hadn’t really been prepared for that, but he was adjusting fairly well. He had to be responsible for a lot, which didn’t always work well with his normally shoddy memory, but he put in effort to make it work. He put countless reminders in his phone, where Jimin needed to be, what he needed to have, how much time they had in between schedules. It was hectic the first few weeks, trying to get used to everything in the middle of Jimin’s comeback promotions.

Promotions ended and things slowed down a little bit. He was still busy, but not as busy, and Taehyung was able to get things sorted. The thing is, even as an idol’s manager, you don’t really need to be with them every minute of every day. Taehyung had been afraid of that. You take them to their schedules, make sure they’re prepared for what they have to do. You have to be available if something urgent happens and you have some other things you have to take care of on your own, but in general, you do still have some free time, provided you aren’t in the middle of promoting. He didn’t have to sit there while Jimin practiced his vocals or dancing. He didn’t even have to escort him from the studio to his home. So, when Jimin had no schedules, Taehyung essentially had a day off.

Still, it wasn’t like Taehyung had much of a life to get to anyways.

Jimin had one schedule in the morning, then asked Taehyung to take him to the studio so he could practice for the rest of the day. Taehyung had a few things to do there anyways, so it worked out. He honestly thought Jimin would probably have left before him. He hadn’t put much thought into the words ‘rest of the day’. So, he was a little surprised when he went down to the practice rooms out of curiosity and found Jimin still there, working hard.

He slipped into the room unnoticed, the loud music drowning out the sound of the door, the sound of his footsteps. He watched by the door for a while, somewhat mesmerized by the way Jimin moved. He started to grow concerned however, when he realized that he had been watching for over an hour and Jimin hadn’t so much as taken a break or a drink of water.

Looking around and finding a bottle on the ground next to the stereo, he grabbed it and turned off the music, grabbing Jimin’s attention. He walked over practically shoving the bottle in the shorter man’s face.

“Wha-What?”

“Drink,” Taehyung commanded.

Something about his tone made Jimin sheepishly comply, taking the bottle hesitantly and putting it to his lips. He didn’t like taking orders, particularly not from someone younger than him (even if it was only a couple months). Still, he drank, eyeing Taehyung warily as he did so, waiting until Taehyung’s glare had softened to stop. Taehyung smiled then, a wide grin that caught Jimin off-guard.

“Good.”

“Uh…”

“You should take a break. It’s not healthy to push yourself too hard,” Taehyung complained, completely different from the shy man Jimin had grown used to.

“I- That’s… Uh…” Jimin was absolutely speechless, a rarity.

From that point on, Taehyung became a little less like a manager and a little more like a mother hen, watching his baby chick relentlessly. He paid attention to all of Jimin’s unhealthy habits and made sure to correct them. He no longer allowed him to work himself to exhaustion. He no longer let him skip meals. Even if it meant he had to drag him home and force feed him, Taehyung made sure he was getting the rest he needed and honestly…

Jimin…

He hated it at first. He complained constantly. He tried to make excuses. Taehyung took none of it and it pissed him off. He tried to explain that he wasn’t skipping meals because he wanted to, but that he needed to lose weight. Taehyung had dawned a scarily angry expression at that, practically shoving a burger down his throat. Jimin didn’t bring it up again.

After a while, it didn’t annoy him anymore. Taehyung was a bit weird. He didn’t always make sense, but he had a way of comforting Jimin that no one else had. He rarely actually said the reassuring words that Jimin needed to hear, but his actions were enough, and the few things he did say spoke volumes and Jimin… fell for it.

It no longer annoyed him when Taehyung dragged him away from the practice rooms. Instead an echoing memory played, Taehyung’s voice telling him ‘your dancing is perfect’. It didn’t irritate him when Taehyung scolded him to eat. He was just happy that Taehyung would eat together with him. He wasn’t sure what magic Taehyung possessed, but somehow, the little things that bothered him didn’t matter so much anymore.

Previously, six months had been the record for one of Jimin’s managers. Taehyung had been working for eight, and Jimin hoped to god he’d never quit.

I didn’t realize until after I had finished that you asked for jealous Jimin tooㅠ_ㅠ I’m sorry…

Send me a prompt?

[hookedonapirate]

So this idea I have can be a one-shot. It's based on something I saw on pinterest. "It's midnight when Emma hears someone playing the piano in the apartment above her. They're playing the song from Titanic 'My heart will go on'. She opens her door and yells 'Jack'. The music stops and she hears someone running down the hall above her shouting 'Rose'." Something like that... Just let me know if this sounds too boring for you.. :P You don't have to write it if you don't want to. Have a nice day

A/N: @eagleeyes460​ sorry it took so long for me to write this but here it is. I hope you don’t mind I reversed their roles. Hope you enjoy!

Every Night 

Every night he hears the piano playing from upstairs. The soft melody, the smooth transition of the keys, the familiar ballads that he’s heard a thousand times now. He hears it when he comes home from a long day at the docks, he hears it when he’s sitting on the fire escape nursing a glass of rum, he hears it when he sleeps.

The music invades his dreams even when he’s unconscious. He can hear it occasionally when he’s in the shower or when he’s reading. He has all of the songs memorized, unable to shake them from his mind. He’s often humming the tunes when he hears the smooth melody echoing off the walls above his ceiling. He’s humming the tunes even when he’s not at home.

Killian’s never met the mysterious neighbor upstairs whose songs taunt him on a daily basis. He imagines his neighbor is a woman, he imagines she’s just as beautiful and lovely as her one of her numbers. He wonders what she looks like and what kind of shapes her lips form when she’s playing the piano. He imagines her getting lost in her music, letting her fingers unconsciously work their own magic on the keyboard. He wonders what she wears or how she does her hair when playing such fine tunes. Is her hair long with curls splayed over one shoulder or straight and pinned up in a bun?

He thinks about his neighbor often, hoping one day he will meet her. Would she even like him or would he scare her off? Would she like his leather jackets or his unruly hair? Would she like his AC/DC t-shirts or his sarcastic humor? Would she mind that he drinks rum on occasion or has a tendency to leave the toilet seat up after he uses the restroom. Would she mind his DVD collection or how tidy he keeps his flat? All of these things plague him constantly, hoping someday he’ll get the chance to find out.

What would they even talk about? Music, he fathoms. He used to play the guitar before he injured his hand. Now he can only appreciate the sound of someone else’s songs. Which is fine by him. He could listen to his neighbor’s music for all of eternity. He would never admit it though. He’d never admit that he enjoys a good, satisfying love ballad.

When his mates come over to visit, he often complains about his neighbor and her annoying music. He’d never let them know that he hums along to songs like Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” or the Aladdin number “A Whole New World”. He’d never fess up to the fact that the famous track from Titanic “My Heart Will Go On” is his all time favorite song played by his neighbor. If he did mention such things to his mates, he’d never hear the end of it. The mocking and teasing would never stop.

He would never be able to explain the effect his neighbor’s piano skills has on him; how the melody captures his attention and livens up his small lonely apartment, the sound enveloping each room in such a way that makes him feel less isolated. His neighbor’s tunes often put a smile upon his face when he comes home from a dreary day. He can relax and put his feet up on the coffee table with a glass of rum, just listening to her play.

Tonight is one of those nights. He’s listening to her music, a low rumble in his throat as he hums along to the tune. He only takes a sip of his drink between numbers. It’s the stroke of midnight when she starts playing “My Heart Will Go On” and he gets goosebumps. He always gets goosebumps when she plays that song, a chill shooting down his spine. And maybe it’s the alcohol in his system or the way he gets caught up in her melody. Or maybe he’s just losing it all together that night, but he starts playing out the scene of Titanic in his head when Jack is handcuffed and trapped in one of the rooms while the floor starts flooding with water. Jack hears Rose calling his name and starts yelling back so she can find him.

It’s been awhile since Killian’s watched the movie, but it activates the waterworks every time.

Thinking about the film, he unexpectedly feels the urge to stand up from the sofa and does just that. Getting up on the coffee table, he extends his hand dramatically, calling out, “Rose!”

Suddenly the music stops and he hears a female voice shouting back at him. “Jack!”

Killian jumps off of the coffee table and goes over to the door, opening it, his voice producing a more powerful noise. “Roooose!”

He then hears footsteps running down the hall above him. “Jaaaack!”

Killian emerges from his flat and he hears a door slam shut as he follows the voice and runs down the corridor, taking the first few steps of the staircase. “Rooooose!”

“Jaaaaaack!”

He hears the voice directly above him now and looks up, seeing a woman staring down at him over the banister. Her beauty takes his breath away. Her hair is cascading over the railing in long, golden curls and her eyes are a glistening green, her lips red and parting softly.

Killian runs the rest of the way up the stairs and he’s panting for more than one reason. He reaches her, his eyes taking in her entire form. She’s barefoot and wearing a long, pale blue nightgown made of silk and lace. Her high cheekbones are flushed with a rosy shade of pink, her pale skin soft and creamy.

She looks like an angel.

Managing to summon a warm smile, he extends his hand, offering it to her. “The name’s Killian,” he breathes out in a shaky voice. “Killian Jones. And you must be the mysterious piano player I presume?”

A coy simile curves her lips and she blushes even more. Eyeing his offered hand, she hesitates ever so briefly before slipping her palm into his. Her touch is gentle and warm, and his heart speeds up in response, pounding erratically against his rib cage. “Yes. Emma Swan. And you're the guy from downstairs who's always humming,” she laughs.

Killian nods, feeling his cheeks growing warm with blush. “Aye, that would be me. Sorry if it's annoying.”

“Please... I'm sorry if my music is too loud,” she apologizes. Her voice is just as soft and delicate as she looks.

“It’s not a problem, lass.” Kilian raises her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss to the back of her fingers, his eyes never breaking away from hers. He hears the small hitch in her breath as he brushes his lips along her skin. He reluctantly tears his mouth away, flashing her a soft smirk and offering a flirty lift of his brow. “In fact I quite fancy your music.”

Emma’s smile overtakes her face, her cheeks the darkest shade of red and her green eyes sparkling with curiosity as he releases her hand. “Thank you,” she murmurs, shyly glancing down at the floor.

Killian scratches behind his ear nervously, peering down at his feet as he tries to speak again, but her beauty overwhelms him and he finds it very difficult to form words. He knows the question is bold but he can’t help but ask. “Do you mind if I watch you play?”

She lifts her eyes to his again, appearing to be intrigued by his offer as she speaks in a soft, delicate voice. “Okay.”

Killian follows Emma to her apartment and she offers him some hot tea before allowing him to join her on the piano bench. Her fingers move easily and naturally, stroking every key with so little effort as her mouth purses into a soft pout. Emma's hair is gathered over one shoulder, exposing the other side of her long, slender neck to him. Her  emerald depths are gentle and focused, and every so often she closes her eyes and bites her bottom lip, which he finds to be very enchanting. The music she produces from her fingertips sounds even more magical up close. The tune is gorgeous but doesn’t hold a candle to her physical beauty as she gets lost in her talent. He's completely captivated by her. He watches her play for what seems like hours and by the end of the night, he wants so badly to kiss her.

Before she finishes the last number, she’s gazing over at him with a smile, her fingers still playing the keys as he somehow finds the courage deep inside of him to act on his desires. He slowly leans in, lifting his hand to her cheek as he kisses her softly on the lips. She hits a few wrong notes before tearing her fingers away and curling her hand around the sleeve of his shirt responding to the kiss with the same tenderness. Tilting his head slightly, his thumb affectionately strokes her cheekbone as her other hand slides through his hair, fingers caressing his sculpt and bringing him closer. Her creamy skin is so silky and smooth, her lips exquisitely soft as he deepens the kiss, getting caught up in her warmth. His heart is skipping beats and his breath is quivering when he finally breaks the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers for balance.

The moment is a bit awkward as they try to catch their breaths, so he flashes her a slanted smile, breaking the silence with a breathy whisper. “Promise me you’ll never let go…” He’s not sure if that’s exactly how the line goes but he’s too far gone from the kiss to care.

A delicate smile crosses her lips as she replies, her voice strangled and wrecked as she nuzzles her nose against his. “I’ll never let go, Jack… I’ll never let go.” No longer able to contain her composure, she lets out an adorable snort and they finally pull away from each other so as not to smack their heads together as they share a laugh.

He goes back to his apartment just after two in the morning, his fingers brushing over his lips, still feeling the tingle from her kiss. If there’s one thing he learned that night, it’s the undeniable truth.

Killian’s neighbor is everything he imagined and more.