#they never refilled the tea... sad...

[birdmenmanga]

the teppanyaki place was so understaffed today... what was the deal with that....

[hrrtshape]

things that my boyfriend does in my better cr that truly warms my heart ( aka emma yaps about coryo . . again )

i just have to say that like every time i am with him it might as well be raining rose petals because GRAH . i love this man so bad fuck

he steals the hair tie off my wrist mid-conversation just to snap it lightly against my arm. menace behaviour. then kisses the spot he snapped like it's reparations. it's not. but okay.

he uses my perfume when he misses me. pretends it was "accidental" because he was "in a rush" but i literally caught him spritzing it on his pillow. okay scented softboy.

him scribbling my name in the margins of his physics homework.

when i'm sitting on the counter he stands between my knees like it's just. where he belongs. like we're in a 2007 coming-of-age movie starring people with tumblr edits. which we are.

he bought a stupid little charm for my pandora bracelet when he went on a trip without me. i asked why that one. he said "it looked lonely." shut. UP.

he hates when i'm crying, like. goes feral. paces. brings me tea and tissues and then blames the weather. he’ll be like "it's always cloudy when you're sad" like okay shakespeare.

he always knows when i'm cold before i say anything. he'll just silently drape his jacket over my shoulders like it's a cape.

he keeps the receipts from our dates in a box. they're relics. we're going to bury them under a tree one day and kiss above the grave.

he'll grab my wrist when we’re crossing the street. dramatically. we're in a victorian and there’s a carriage hurtling toward me. we're literally on a suburban sidewalk.

he kisses my knuckles. ALL. OF. THEM. slow. one by one.

he makes me playlists with stupid names like "songs for when you're being dramatic (but i love u anyway)" or "music to study the divine tragedy of your smile to" and then says "it's not that deep." shut up it IS.

his mom super duper likes me because i helped carry the groceries once and he hasn't stopped bringing it up like i saved a child from a burning building.

he'll just. rest his head in my lap. no words. he's safe there!!!!!!!!!! that's home.

every time he kisses my temple i lose two years off my life expectancy. every. single. time.

he eats around the onions in my burger. without even saying anything. and then gives me the side-eye like how did you not check for onions.

he always opens my drinks for me. bottle caps, soda cans, vitamin waters. he lives to hear the hiss-pop and hand it to me like some sort of carbonated chalice. boycoded service.

he lets me pop his zits. i don't even want to unpack this one. i think it means we're married.

he pulled a leaf out of my hair and kept it in his wallet. it's still there. crunched and dry and maybe disgusting. romantic rot. ROMANTIC ROT.

every time we're walking past those claw machine games he makes me stop. wins me a plushie.

he saves the voice notes i send him.

he fixed the chain on my necklace with his teeth. we were running late. i was spiralling. and he just said "come here" and bit the clasp back together. yea. yea.

he let me win at chess once and i knew.

if i fall asleep anywhere near him, car, sofa, bench, airport floor, he'll tuck something under my head. his hoodie. his bag. his own arm. i'm never on tile. i'm on love.

i dunno if i ever said that....but yes....he has...indeed....put his jacket over a puddle.

he wrote "ema was here" in the dust on the back of his car. left it there for days. weeks. i checked. he washed everything else. not that. (p.s., i have an obsession with him writing ema instead of emma. just something about that.)

he carries my water bottle like it's his cross to bear but also refills it without me asking. i’m not a girl. i'm a beloved houseplant.

he figured out my coffee order before i told him and now i feel unsafe (in a romantic way).

my phone dies and he lets me use his. like "here. text your mom." and i'm like ??? i'm texting my pinterest mutual actually but thank you!!!

he keeps gum in his glovebox just for me. like i asked once. in january. and now it's always there.

when he walks behind me he'll tuck my tag in.

sings along to my favourite songs under his breath while driving even though he acts like he's too cool for them. you know. he knows every word.

when i wear lip gloss he won't kiss me right away. just stares. and says something stupid like "you're too pretty. it's a trap."

sometimes he picks me up and spins me like we're in a musical. usually in the kitchen. mind you, i'm just trying to get juice.

he learned how to tie a silk ribbon in my hair. doesn't talk about it. just does it when i can't get it right.

once i got mascara in my eye and he said "blink at me. i'll get it out" as if i was a disney princess.

he has my shampoo. doesn't use it. but. it's there. help.

he never lets me carry a takeaway bag. even if it's like. one (1) croissant. "you're not meant to suffer," he'll say, already loading five things into his arms.

he lifts me onto countertops. regularly.

he puts my earrings in his wallet if i take them off.

every time we hold hands he presses his thumb into the back of mine.

if i fall asleep in his bed he'll put socks (his!!!!!) on my feet and act like it's just something that happens.

when i talk about something i love, he looks at me instead of the thing. full eye contact. the whole time. THAT one image from pinterest. you know the one.

when i'm talking and he wants to kiss me, he just. does. mid-sentence.

once when i was crying he wiped my tears and went "you're gonna get dehydrated." (hrrtshape dot com is malfunctioning currently i need a moment)

knows how i take my tea. knows what brand. knows i like the ugly mug.

he put the 'emergency chocolate' in his bag. for me. not himself.

told me he dreams about me. casually. just said it.

when i send a selfie he'll say "come home."

he walks slower when we're holding hands so our steps match. who does that. freak behaviour. soulmate behaviour.

sometimes i catch him just watching me, smiling, and when i ask why he says "nothing." MHMHMMHMHMHMMmmmmmmm.

[dismalflo]

hi lovely <3 I was wondering if you’d be interested in writing a coworkers! james x reader fic? maybe one where james and reader work in the same building and sort of have tiny office crushes on each other but it was purely superficial, they never really had an opportunity to talk until they get moved into the same area and suddenly they’re running into each other all the time and their feeling start to grow? it’s just an idea but if it strikes your inspiration i’d love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you for the request!! I looove an office au and this idea! <3

James Potter x Reader who are each others office crushes ✩ 1k words

cw: fluff, so much pining, James the sweetheart

Work is just work. A routine. An endless loop of predictable tasks.

James clocks in at nine, ticks things off his list, grabs a coffee, shares a smile with that person from accounting—the very pretty one—then dives back in.

Lunch rolls around. Another polite smile. Back to it.

Out of the office by five.

Repeat.

It’s easy. Mindless, even.

Even when the news spreads—something about the accounting department merging with his team to save space—James barely registers it. He nods along with the chatter but doesn’t give it much thought. Why would he?

That is, until you appear, setting your things down gently on the empty desk beside his.

James feels it immediately—his heart kicking into gear like it's just remembered how to beat.

And when you turn and meet his eyes, something in your expression shifts—recognition, maybe. Relief washes over him. So the shy smiles weren’t just in his head.

“Hello,” he says, his voice steady, warm. “Nice to meet you properly. I’m James.”

You offer him your name in return and James finds himself repeating it over and over in his head.

The rest of the day is mostly filled with logistical chaos—desks being shuffled, IT scrambling to get everyone logged in, and a lot of awkward introductions over the hum of printers and clicking keyboards. But James keeps glancing sideways. Not in a creepy way, he tells himself. Just... curious.

You’re calm in the chaos, focused but not distant, polite without being stiff. And when he makes a dumb little joke about the printer being a sentient, malevolent force, you laugh. Not just a polite chuckle—a real one. He doesn't even mind that it comes with a tiny snort.

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

By the end of the first week, there’s a new routine. You bring your own tea bags. James learns how you take it, and by Monday of the second week, he’s refilling the kettle before you even stand up.

“You’re dangerously close to becoming my favorite person,” you say, cradling the mug he hands you.

He grins, ducking his head slightly. “Dangerously close? Guess I’ll have to keep trying.”

And he does.

Every morning he makes sure your desk is cleared of the stray reports someone always dumps there. He waits a little longer at the elevator so you can catch it too. At lunch, if you’re buried in work, he comes back with an extra sandwich, just in case.

He doesn’t say anything. Not yet. But the office starts to notice. The way his eyes light up when you walk in. The way his jokes are suddenly 20% funnier when you’re around. Even the guy from HR gives James a knowing look one afternoon, followed by a dramatic wink. James pretends to ignore it.

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

By week three, it’s not just coffee and shared eye-rolls at meetings. There’s talking. Real talking.

You tell him about your cat who thinks she’s a dog. He tells you about the time he tried to build a desk himself and had to call Sirius to rescue him from under it.

He says, “I’ve never actually looked forward to Mondays before.”

You smile and nudge his shoulder with yours. “That’s either very sweet or very sad.”

“Both can be true,” he replies, smiling.

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

One Tuesday morning, he stands up, stretches, and grabs his empty mug. “Refill?” he asks, raising his eyebrows toward you.

You beam—soft, a little surprised, like it still catches you off guard that he remembers. “Yes, please. You’re spoiling me.”

James shrugs, trying to play it cool, but his face flushes. “Just doing my part for interdepartmental relations.”

You laugh, warm and effortless, and he wonders if anyone else’s laugh makes the air feel that much lighter.

As he walks off to the kitchen, he hears one of the designers whisper behind him, “Oh yeah, he’s gone.”

And honestly? He’s not even embarrassed.

₊✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊

By Thursday, James has developed a sixth sense for when you’re about to speak. It’s in the way you tilt your head slightly before turning toward him, the way your fingers hover over your keyboard when a thought distracts you. And today, you’ve done that three times in the last hour. Like you’re turning something over in your mind.

He waits.

You finally shift in your seat, twisting slightly to face him, one elbow resting on the edge of your desk.

“I was thinking…” you say casually, your voice light, “you should take my phone number. You know. Just in case.”

James blinks, caught mid-email. He turns to you slowly, trying not to let the stupidly wide grin spread too fast across his face.

“Just in case?” he echoes, a teasing lift in his voice. “In case of... office emergencies?”

“That or…” you say, stretching the syllables. “For you to call me and ask me on a date.” you shrug, feigning nonchalance. 

James stares for half a second too long. His brain short-circuits somewhere between Did that just happen? And what the fuck?. But then the grin wins. It takes over his whole face, slow and bright. 

“In that case,” he says, voice soft but sure, “I’d better take it. Could be urgent.”

You chuckle, and he watches as you grab a sticky note and scribble down the digits, sliding it across the space between your desks like it’s a secret note in class. His fingers brush yours as he picks it up, and the touch lingers longer than it needs to—but not long enough to feel like too much.

When five rolls around, James finds himself packing up with nervous energy buzzing under his skin. He glances your way as you sling your bag over your shoulder. Your eyes meet, and you give him a look—half excitement, half dare.

The text comes at 5:27 p.m.

Hey. I have a situation. Might be urgent. Symptoms include: heart racing, inability to focus, and the sudden, overwhelming desire to see you outside of office hours. Any advice?

Your reply is immediate.

Sounds serious. You should probably take a night off. Pick me up at seven?

He stares at your message, grinning like a complete idiot.

masterlist <3

[tomriddlehyperfixataion]

Not sorry for loving you- Tom Riddle x Reader(alt Part two)

request from @serenamultifandom ; hi,If you're not too busy, may I ask for an alternative happy ending for "Not sorry for loving you"? Tom and the reader raise Mattheo together.

here you go, not long-8 pages and 2000+ words, but i feel its satisfying. enjoy!

Part 1 Part two(sad ending)

=

Tom had left for work that day, planning to finally swindle the Locket and Hufflepuff’s cup from that boorish tacky woman; descendant of Hufflepuff she claimed to be. If she was indeed one, it would be a shame to rid the world of the last Hufflepuff blood but Tom would do what needed to be done to secure his prize.

But (y/n), his beautiful wife and very oldest and cherished friend, caught him before he left for the morning, leaving a sweet kiss on his cheek, his family ring glinting on her ring finger just below her wedding ring.

“I have something to tell you when you get home from work,” (y/n) said with a soft smile, squeezing his shoulder as he returned the kiss to her cheek, humming a bit at her words.

“Should I bring anything home for dinner?” Tom asked, guilt already eating at his gut for lying to her, again. (y/n) hummed.

“Get something from that Italian place, you know what I like.” (y/n) said with a chuckle and Tom gave her a quick goodbye kiss, taking the lunch she’d packed for him and leaving their quaint house that sat in the middle of a wizarding neighborhood.

He went to work, (y/n) thought he was working at a magical items shop-which was true, but she didn’t know it was a dark magical item shop; Borgin and Burkes. She’d never find out, he wanted her to think he was safe at a shop in Diagon Alley, not facing dark wizards every other minute and making deals for their dark artifacts.

At lunch he made a visit to Hepzibah Smith, the flirtatious woman who somehow possessed both Salazar Slytherin’s Locket and Hufflepuffs cup. He entered the tacky apartment of Hepzibah Smith, greeting the old plump woman with a charming smile-the same one that made all others swoon at him. The older woman was easily charmed just like the last several visits, inviting Tom further into her apartment for tea where she talked for what felt like hours, before she finally showed Tom what he was there for.

The Locket.

“Burke said he’d bought it off a poor woman-probably stole it herself she did.” Hepzibah said with a chortle and Tom felt hot anger in his chest, hearing his mother being talked about this way. He thought his mother to be weak-dying upon giving birth to him, but in no way would he allow his mother to be talked about in such a way.

“Such a thing was kept quite close in the Gaunt family, the last descendants of Salazar himself, I don’t think they’d part with it easily.” Tom said cooly, keeping down a smirk as Hepzibah ‘allowed’ him to view the locket, his locket, closer. “i heard they were quite down on funds, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one got desperate enough to sell such a precious artifact.”

Hepzibah hummed, sipping at her tea. “I do suppose you have a point Tom,” she rambled on further but Tom wasn’t listening, eyes locked onto the Locket that gleamed in the sunlight pouring through the sitting room window behind Hepzibah.

A cruel wicked plan grew in his mind, glancing around the room, then at Hepzibah’s very old house elf that was refilling Hepzibah’s tea with very shaky hands. It would be too easy, hilariously easy; to frame the little house elf, to poison Hepzibah and implant an easy false memory into the house elves’ mind.

He looked back at the locket, then his gaze caught onto his wedding ring and he paused, turning his hand to look at this wedding band closer, staring at it for a long moment.  

‘I have something to tell you when you get home from work’ (y/n)’s words echoed in his head and he frowned gently, setting the locket back into the protective box.

Perhaps it would be smarter to wait, if he poisoned Hepzibah now, there would be too many links to him being present at the time of her death. No he’d wait, besides-his wife was expecting him for dinner with Italian.

He checked his watch obviously and stood, giving the older woman a charming mile. “Well this has been delightful Hepzibah, but I must be getting back to work.” Tom said, giving a small bow as the house elf escorted him to the front door.

“Of course, of course, and shall I be seeing you again soon, right Tom?” Hepzibah asked and Tom nodded, leaving the gaudy plant-filled apartment to head back to Borgin and Burkes, spinning his wedding band around his finger-curiosity eating at him.

What did (y/n) want to tell him?

-

“I’m home!” Tom called out, locking the door behind him, putting his keys onto the hook next to the door as he carried the paper bag full of Italian food into the dining room-pausing as (y/n) emerged from the kitchen, holding a tray of two cupcakes, a card between the cupcakes. “Did I miss something?” Tom asked, hoping he hadn’t forgotten an anniversary between them, setting the food down and meeting (y/n) halfway-taking the card as she nodded to it.

“No, you didn’t miss anything,” (y/n) said softly, an eager grin on her face as Tom opened the card. He read through it quickly, then again-and then again-his eyes snapping up to (y/n), who was biting her lip, nervous yet excited.

“You’re-“ Tom breathed, the card dropping to the ground as (y/n) handed him a potion pregnancy test-it was positive. “you’re-you-we’re,” Tom stumbled over his words-his eyes wide as he shakily held the potion vile; staring at it as his breath shook.

“I’m pregnant,” (y/n) said softly, quickly setting down the cupcake tray as Tom engulfed her in his arms-squealing as he scooped her up and spun her around-making her laugh as he held her tight.

“How?” Tom breathed out as he sat her down, trapping her against the edge of the kitchen table. (y/n) gave him a look and he let out a huff as he rolled his eyes fondly. “I know how but-how?” Tom asked and (y/n) laughed, shaking her head.

“We’ve never exactly been, careful,” (y/n) said with a shrug and Tom let out a small chuckle. No, they hadn’t. (y/n) did have contraceptive potions and he did usually wear condoms but, in recent months-they’d been not exactly-trying to be careful. Her pregnancy was only a matter of time.

“Is this okay?” (y/n) asked Tom and he leaned in, kissing her softly, sweetly, slowly, letting her feel every inch of his emotions-surprise, happiness, shock, and love.

“It's more than okay, we’re going to be parents.” Tom breathed as he pulled away, smiling as she jumped on him to kiss him again, his arms wrapping around her waist as he held her above him-foregoing their meal as he took her to the bedroom.

“What about dinner?” (y/n) asked with a giggle as he tossed her onto the bed, pinning her a second later. “I’m having mine right now.” Tom purred, hooking her legs over his shoulders-which made her let out a peal of sweet laughter as Tom pulled off her clothes.

-

Much later that night, while (y/n) was asleep, half curled up on Tom’s side of the bed, he slid down to be face to face with her belly-there was no taught skin yet, no sign of the baby-but they were in there, his little baby, his son and or daughter. “hi,” Tom breathed out, rubbing his thumb against the skin of (y/n)’s lower belly. “I’m your dad, I don’t think you can hear me yet, since you’re still so small-no bigger than a seed-but I’m very excited to meet you.”

Tom whispered out, glancing at (y/n), who was still asleep-breathing deeply, arms up and under her head. “I had plans, ones that would’ve cost me so much,” Tom murmured, lowering his head back down to (y/n)’s belly, where their baby was growing inside her. “I would’ve lost you, and your mother, and both of you are so precious to me. I can only thank you, for saving me.” Tom whispered, he knew if he had gone ahead with this plan-he would’ve never known (y/n) was pregnant, he would’ve made her think he had died, that she was going to go through this completely alone.

Now that ending was for another universe, in this one, he was going to stay, and watch his baby grow.

“Shit I should get a better job,” Tom mumbled to himself, realizing his job at Borgin and Burkes would not hold up for a family of 3.

-

Tom entered Hogwarts after nearly 10 years, the last time he’d been here he was just graduated and had attempted to get the DADA professor job. Now he was older, refined, and experienced. Rumor has it the professor that had taken over for as the DADA professor had left, apparently starting a family and wanting to have a job that would allow them to be at home more often-but Tom knew this sort’ve job would be good-once his child was of age-he’d be able to keep an eye on his baby for 7 years.

“Headmaster Dippet,” Tom says with a charming grin to the old headmaster, the man greeting him with a cheerful grin and open arms, to better his changes, Tom allowed the hug. “it is good to see you again sir,” Tom said, and the headmaster chuckled, nodding.

“It Is good to see you again too Mr. Riddle, it’s been quite a long time. Ten years correct?” Dippet asks and Tom nods, accepting the tea he was offered, stirring milk and sugar. “But I suspect you aren’t here to catch up, are you?” Dippet asks and Tom nodded.

“Yes sir, im here to inquire about the Defense against the dark arts teaching position. I know when I first asked, you said I was too young-now that I look back, I agree. I was far too young, fresh out of school, and immature. However, now I hope you’ll reconsider.” Tom said with a charming smile, easily swaying the old headmaster as he chuckled.

“Yes yes, I’m glad you understand why I originally declined your request, you were much too young-so many things to see and do at 17. I heard you and Ms. (last name) married, how is that going?” Headmaster Dippet asked and a real smile grew on Tom’s face, his eyes softening.

“Wonderful, I couldn’t be happier, and we’re expecting a child now. Which is why I'm here, I wanted a stable job that would allow me better understand children and ensure my child's future.” Tom says, completely honest for once and Dippet smiles.

“Oh my! Congratulations Tom. And you’re just in time, our current professor is resigning for nearly the same reason, his wife is heavily pregnant and he is looking for a job that allow him better time at home. Now, I must ask, what experience do you have with dark magic? Or rather, defending against it?” Dippet asked, resting his hands on the desk in front of him as Tom pulled out his papers, handing them to the old headmaster, who was impressed by it all.

Of course, Tom was top of his class in all 7 years of DADA, as well as every other class he took in his years at Hogwarts-after all Tom was the brightest student Hogwarts had seen since Dumbledore. Tom’s experience against dark wizards at his clerk job had gained him points as well, defending against them when necessary and he’d even invented a few spells-all in aim to better protect (y/n) but now-they landed him the job he’d been wanting since he was young.

He returns home, a grin on his face and a pep in his step-opening the door to tell his wife that he’d gotten the job he’d wanted for so long. “I got it!” Tom yells into the house, slamming the door closed behind him in his excitmet. He years (y/n) gasp from the dining room and he quickly makes his way to her, beaming as he spots her sitting at the table-eating her lunch.

“Oh, Tommy that’s great!” (y/n) says with a cheer, throwing her hands up as Tom gets closer, he leans down to kiss her-then pulls back-making a face; which made (y/n) laugh. “Sorry,” she giggled as Tom looked at what she had been eating that tasted bad to him. Egg salad on a pickle.

“Eugh,” Tom groaned, pouring himself a cup of water to wash his mouth from the taste while (y/n) kept giggling, finishing her pregnancy-craving lunch. “go brush your teeth love-I’m not kissing you when you taste like that,” Tom said with a scrunch of his nose while (y/n) snickered.

“You’re plenty eager to taste me in other places,” (y/n) teased, wigging her hips at him and squealing when he smacked her butt-sending her down the hall.

“That’s different! You taste heavenly, a pickle and egg salad are gross.” Tom said after her as she went down the hall and she let out another laugh before going into the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she re-emerged Tom took her into his arms and kissed her, nodding in approval. “Never kiss me again when you’re eating egg salad.” Tom said and (y/n) let out another giggle, squealing as he picked her up and carried her to the couch in the sitting room, keeping her tight in his grip as he sat down.

“You kissed me first,” (y/n) defended herself, snickering as he kissed her deeply again, forcing her back into the couch-her legs automatically wrapping around his waist as he climbed on top of her.

“No excuses,” he murmured against her lips and she laughed again, wrapping her arms around his neck as he kissed her again, deeper and longer.

He pulled away, kissing her cheek, then her jaw, then neck, trailing down till he was level with her lower belly, pulling up her shirt to leave the softest kiss on the just barely there baby bump. “Stop making your mom eat gross stuff,” he whispered and (y/n) let out a loud laugh, kicking him playfully as he smirked against her stomach.

As the months went on, (y/n) and Tom got excited for their baby, Tom got a temporary job at the ministry to help buy all the stuff their baby would need, since he wouldn’t be starting at Hogwarts until September, their baby due in November so Tom also would have to find a good substitute while he helped (y/n) care for their newborn.

(y/n) and Tom watched the baby grow within her, the sight a blessing as they breezed through the 2nd trimester, soon it was summer-and only three months left till their baby boy was born.

They agreed on his name soon after finding out the gender. Mattheo, after Tom’s middle name, Julius, because (y/n) liked it, Riddle. Mattheo Julius Riddle, a perfect name for their first baby.

Tom started his teaching job at Hogwarts on September first, interacting with children of all ages from 10 to 17-18, he enjoyed it, being back at Hogwarts, helping other understand the dark arts better, both to use it and defend against it.

(y/n) went into labour on November 27th late at night, thankfully while Tom was home. She smacked him awake after he’d knocked out from a very long day-he jolted up-eyes widening as (y/n) looked down at him, holding her belly and he felt fluid soaking the bed. “shit-baby-“ Tom cursed, almost falling off the bed as he went to help (y/n) get out of bed.

Contractions started soon after, but were pretty far apart-Tom didn’t call the midwife until 3am the next morning, hours went by, and at 7am; November 28th 1958, Tom’s first son was born, all red and wriggly and crying and perfect.

The moment he took his son into his arms, his new love, someone brand new-all his. His to protect, and raise, and love.

In that moment, his plans all shattered, transforming into something new.

He was going to make sure Mattheo grew up safe and happy, he’d never worry about someone hurting him, or being without his father. Tom would make sure neither him nor (y/n) would lose him. Tom changed that very moment, love overpowering everything else.

At that moment, Voldemort died for good.

-end-

[a-hermit-pining]

Geto as a House Husband

Genre: Fluff Pairing: House husband Geto x Reader AN: I love him. He's so damn pretty. Who should I write next?

Have you seen him? He is mother material. Born to cook forced to slay. Let's say in a different world, you whisk this beautiful man into the domestic bliss of marriage.

Massive cottage core vibes with this one. He is very taken by the idea of not being regarded as a killing machine. Immediately busies himself with the task of decorating your shared home.

Just take this man away. Elope to mountains and save him (hermit begs you).

Wedding planning is another demon. He debates every single decision. Asking you about your preference between white gardenias or white peonies. (You love him and he is too sweet for you to say out loud that you for the end of the world cannot distinguish the flowers)

He creates elaborate flowcharts to compare the pros and cons of different cake flavors, or insists on stress-testing the honeymoon resort's structural integrity with a cursed technique (much to the staff's bewilderment).

Let's not even get into Gojo's best man speech. No one really recovered from that.

DIY projects are his shit. Renovating a raggedy old dresser into a vintage masterpiece is where his magic lies. Let this man cook.

Your home with him is a a whimsical blend of vintage finds and hand-stitched throw pillows adorned with subtle wards against lingering curses. Even the strategically placed spider plants weren't just decorative – they doubled as a natural barrier against negative energy (a discovery that both surprised and amused you).

His transition into a normal 'monkey' life was endearingly awkward, like the time he spent hours meticulously decoupaging a floral pattern onto a chair, muttering about the inefficiency of glue compared to a simple binding spell.

And the day Suguru is introduced to the world of crocheting, your world flips on its axis. The pure look of joy on his face unravels the seams of your heart as he presents you with the mood changing octopus on your birthday.

Weekends with him are craft days. With a classic rom-com in the background as he sits next to you, his hands busy in the dance of needles and yarn. Better even your fingers run through his hair, braiding his hair only to wake up to your husband with perfect mermaid waves next day.

You both are the kind of sickly sweet couple that cause Shoko to gag in cringe during holiday gatherings.

Your husband glows with the simplicity of life. His hands busy themselves with crafts, chores, gardening, never a moment of rest even in the hull of domesticity.

He is your Disney princess that rushes out to refill the bird feeder with the first rays of Sun, hums pleasantly at the sight of a perfectly baked batch of cookies, or paints the most delightful sceneries on your ceilings.

Geto Suguru was made to create. He loves the fresh scent of sheets, experimenting with new flavors of tea, or going down the path of BookTok with Faerie romances much to your astonishment.

It isn't long before, you both end up adopting teeny tiny twins from the local orphanage. Suguru's darling girls he spends his life nurturing.

He took to fatherhood with the same surprising zeal he brought to everything else. His days were filled with braiding tiny pigtails, reading bedtime stories with dramatic voice inflections (complete with a surprisingly convincing rendition of a grumpy troll), and building elaborate pillow forts that rivaled any jujutsu barrier.

And on nights when dreams of a different reality kept him away, you held his hand in yours. Calling your girls for a family sleepover in the living room. That was all it took to whisk the sadness away from your beloved's eyes.

[cherriemybaby]

harry with f!reader during her time of the month - headcanons

warnings-none!

he always notices the signs you’re sleeping in longer, you begin to get a bit more sad at little things and overall you want more attention which he happily gives to you

he brings you treats, your favorite snacks and warm soup, a new colorful heating pad (you have a million at this point), and always a fluffy new stuffed animal friend that always matches your current favorite pjs, and without a doubt your fluffy socks. having all of this he make sure to turn down the temperature in the house so you’re never uncomfortable or get too warm in your favorite clothes.

he keeps refilling your water bottle you’ve taken three sips? those need to be replaced, with the pretty pink tinted strawberry ice cubes he makes specially just for you. he also sets alarms on his phone every 15 minutes to make sure you drink your required three sips.

he doesn’t let you do anything, you need tea? its made in two minutes with a drizzle of honey just how you like. you need your charger? he magically has one in his hand? laundry, dishes, cooking, breathing? forget about it, he’s already done it hours ago.

when you’re falling asleep and the pain is bad, he’s right behind you, rubbing your back, kisses your head and whispering sweet nothings into your ear “you can drift off honey, m’right here and m gonna protect you” “its okay baby i know it hurts and m soso sorry gonna make it better i promise”

he’s just the sweetest <3

[mugentakeda]

the tapping of his fathers pacing on the tile is almost enough to drive him mad.

“don’t let your brother’s incessant whining cause you to falter. this is merely a short visit to discuss the matter at hand, and then you’re on your way right back to ba sing se. he will try and whisper doubt in your ear.” the firelord stops to shake a finger at him. “do not listen to him for anything! i will help you in the best of my ability to have this taken care of.”

“i’m not,” iroh snaps impatiently, digging his palms into his eyes. “i’m not listening to him, father. he doesn’t care for lu ten and he doesn’t have to. he has his house and i have mine. empty words have little meaning to me at the moment.”

his father purses his lips. the sting of his stare digs down to the core.

“you say that,” azulon snaps, “but i believe this to be a family affair. its possible lu ten was taken advantage of because he was too busy protecting ozai’s wife and ozai’s children to protect himself. if that’s true, then ozai owes him. i don’t give a damn if he cares about him as his nephew or not. lu ten honored his house, so he shall honor lu ten in return by shutting his trap for once.”

iroh doesn’t have the strength to respond. he’d left ba sing se in a rush after receiving the news, and ordered the shipmen to get him back home on the double. he’s sick, he’s tired, he’s terrified and angry, and he misses his son something awful. the last thing iroh cares about right now is what ozai does or has to say.

there’s a heavy, sad sigh from above him. azulon slowly makes himself comfortable on the sitting cushion next to him, grunting as his bones creak. he sets the knocked over teacup straight again and refills it. the familiar heat and fragrance does nothing to soothe iroh, however.

“there is nothing i can say to make you feel better as of right now,” his old man mutters, sitting the teapot back down with uncharacteristic gentleness, “nor can i say anything sure about ursa or the children. but lu ten, he…. he is a remarkable young man. thick skinned and ornery. lightning generation at only 21, can you believe that? he beat you by a whole year. you must have faith in him.”

“it’s not about having faith in my son, father, of course i have faith in my son. but i have no faith in whoever has- has stolen him from me!” iroh suddenly exclaims, gesturing wildly. azulon flinches as his hands come dangerously close to knocking over the tea again.

your boy flagrantly disrespected you and stayed home to laze around, ozai had hissed, his narrow eyes locked straight up at the throne. both were kneeling before their father’s throne, side by side. i don’t know why you even bother. if he thinks he’s so grown up then he can save his own skin.

iroh didn’t bother to respond. he has nothing to say to his brother even on the best of days. all his life, he’s been nothing but a background character to iroh. always insisting on holing up in his room or office, never joining family dinners or celebration banquets. never one to offer his congratulations, but expects his older brother to offer his. yet, he always liked to think his word was of any significance to iroh. that he was always to be heeded. respect to his elders only means something to his little brother if there’s something to be gained.

flagrant disrespect. lu ten did not disrespect him if iroh never directly asked or ordered anything of him in the first place. he implied it, and lu ten pushed back. it hurt, but it would’ve also been the boys first true venture outside the fire nation. so iroh understood the hesitancy.

iroh would’ve just had lu ten by his side in his war council anyway. he would’ve never seen the battlefield or the city until iroh leveled it. not a spot of green would be spared by his men.

he had envisioned himself shooting a hole right through the flimsy palace wall with his lightning, and his son by his side. winning.

nothing has gone the way you made it out to be, great spirit. i don’t feel very lucky, as of late. the evening sun peaking through the tall windows of the corridor offer his thoughts no response. the general sighs heavily, and continues on his way.

the royal procession had gone through the beach house, along with the rest of the island. not a trace left behind. no sign of a struggle, either.

the procession claims it’s like they vanished out of thin air, sir, jee had whispered.

delicate situations such as this one call for holding the ones you trust most closer than ever. thus, iroh took only his personal guards from ba sing se back with him. jee is a rugged and introverted man, one that iroh knows can keep a secret, so he has been acting as his messenger man and valet for the time being.

another member of his most trusted circle is one of his longest working servants, one that belongs to iroh’s house personally. her name is su, and she is a stout woman around his father’s age. stern and silent, but trustworthy. she was the one that kept a close eye on lu ten from a distance during the periods of time iroh wasn’t around in his youth. she had been the midwife at his birth, she had been the one to pick the wet nurse.

and she had slipped iroh a journal outside of lu ten’s room. leather bound and stained in a deep red, with delicate embroidery of lotus flowers decorating its cover. it looked like something the lady ursa would gift him.

i came across this left behind in lady ursa’s garden, your highness, she had murmured fiercely. i snatched it right up and held it for you upon your return, lest it fall into the wrong hands.

the dark, warm silence of iroh’s own chambers is a small comfort, but the cold leather of the journal in his hands chains him to the cruel reality.

one of the vows iroh made for himself when lu ten came into puberty was that he would never violate his son’s privacy. he’d like to think that his son’s life possibly being in danger is a good enough reason to break it, but it still feels… wrong. especially now that he’s an adult himself.

it’ll be like eating a dollop of wasabi, he tells himself. spicy and painful one moment, then fading tingling the next.

with a sigh, he cracks it open to the back page. a few lines of familiar scrawl.

and the reason i torture myself trying to ignore all these things about him that bother me is because….

he looks away, shame crawling up his back. the candle sitting at the corner of his desk flicker along with his irregular, fear ridden heart.

a dollop of wasabi, he reminds himself. he opens his eyes again with a long breath and looks back down at the journal once more.

…well, that’s the crux of it. i just don’t know how to finish that sentence anymore.

that tells him a whole lot of nothing.

iroh flips the page back again, and is immediately overwhelmed by completely filled pages. then startled, by the sheer amount of times his own name pops up to his searching eyes among walls of scrawled text.

unease curls in his gut, like a dragon slowly rising from a slumber.

the ink doesn’t look too old. and su had said she found it in the lady ursa’s garden. and then jee said the royal procession claimed the fours’ trip to ember island was only to last three days, tops.

and as far as iroh knew, lu ten had been keeping quietly busy after iroh’s departure to ba sing se. lu ten willingly buried himself in paper work, always hunting for things he had the power to make into his business. training with lightning generation was grueling, and took hours, on top of the meditation necessary. and it takes a clear mind to even work with lightning, so…

had he done something recently to upset lu ten, and didn’t realize it? what things about iroh did lu ten torture himself trying to ignore? dramatic wording like that is difficult to overlook.

the general thinks back to how well his son can hide his emotions. lu ten’s court face beats even ozai’s, so it made him a gnarly pai sho opponent, but… he never did the backhanded comments. he can lie, but he’s a man of action before a plotting one. so you’ll never see the storm coming until it hits you directly in the face.

the letters he got back from him in ba sing se were… neutral. unbothered. he hadn’t seemed very troubled at the palace gates during his departure, either. tired and a bit wary, maybe.

but now that he thinks about it, the way lu ten looked at him had been… strange. his eyes had an emotion swirling in them that the general couldn’t read.

he rapidly rolls over the most recent letters in his head, the days right before leaving, trying to think of what he might have done to set lu ten off-

…the tiff they had on the evening before iroh’s departure.

he had forgotten about it completely.

spirits, he’d forgotten about it by the time he stepped foot on the shore. the elation of finally arriving at ba sing se, the first big step toward fulfilling the biggest thing he’s wanted to accomplish his entire life, the ultimate win, decades of planning and dreaming, inspired by agni herself…

he’d been caught up in the heat of the moment.

it didn’t even turn into an actual argument, that’s how small the tiff had been- a few things thrown back and forth during their private dinner, and the rest of it had been spent in awkward silence. iroh had let his hurt get the better of him, and he got testy.

the only thing that spoiled his ongoing luck, his relief of finally being able to go and crush his country’s most stubborn opponent, to make the second biggest win since sozin- was his own son not joining in, or showing any interest.

and that wasn’t even it. the closer iroh and his advisors got to bringing their planning to a conclusion, the more withdrawn lu ten became. whenever iroh brought it up, his son would close like a firelily in the night.

i assumed you were above teenage rebellion, iroh had muttered. i understand you want accomplishments of your own, but-

teenage rebellion? you’re joking, right? why do you always insist on- on patronizing me whenever we don’t agree on something? if you think you’re gonna guilt trip me into changing my mind, you’ve got it all wrong.

the disbelieving, ever so slightly shriller tone lu ten’s voice took on reminded iroh of his mother. she always had the habit of raising her voice a few pitches when she got upset. it reminded iroh of a coyote-eagle, once upon a time. the older lu ten got, the taller and leaner his face and physique became, the more time they spent apart, it’s like a vivid repeat of his mother. he even became a hand talker when iroh hadn’t been looking, just like fuhua.

(are habits hereditary, or had fuhua died after running away, and came back to haunt him?)

it’s probably best to start a bit further back in the journal. it might provide the context this father needs. he flips the pages for a few moments, and stops at random.

i spoke with a gentleman from the earth kingdom today during my observational trip through the colonies closest to the homeland. if you didn’t look close enough, you would’ve thought him to be any old fire nation fisherman, but i know green eyes when i see them.

his wife was a sailor that hails from caldera city. they met across the seas, in a neutral port town. they have two young twins, just barely older than zuko and azula. isn’t that something?

now, that is something iroh never bothered doing when he was a young man- it’s only now that his joints won’t let him run around chasing skirts anymore that he’s become a people person. but he’s proud of his boy for taking that initiative and having such a sense of responsibility, to go and mingle with the common man. an empathetic ruler that’s popular with his people will have the surest and furthest reaching authority, after all. iroh couldn’t name a single councilman off the top of his head that would be willing to even breathe the same air as a commoner, much less a colonial mutt.

however… this isn’t a colonial. he’s too keen on the idea of his family members’ abductors being petty, revenge seeking crooks from the earth kingdom to be okay with the idea of his son even conversing with one. for all they claim to be true and steadfast, them sneaking in and attacking an unarmed woman and her young children in their beach house just to get back at iroh is all too realistic of an idea.

but lu ten wasn’t unarmed. lu ten is one of the strongest men in the fire nation, and iroh isn’t even being biased about that. it takes prodigy to conjure lightning, and mastery to control it. and lu ten was very protective of ursa and the children- almost too protective. back in the day, during celebration parties at the palace, lu ten would damn near prowl around a pregnant ursa to fend off the careless crowd, lest they bump into her and jostle her. and he’d only been just a young teenager himself, so it was like watching a polar bear puppy that thought itself a snarly guard dog.

then a few years ago, there had been an incident where lu ten claimed zuko’s instructors were smacking him around. he’d grabbed both of the men by the collar and dragged them both viciously through the palace and right out the door- only after the sharpest scolding iroh’s ever heard since his mother was still alive. he’d never seen his son so angry. he’d chuckled at the way those old instructors had babbled apologies and fell to lu ten’s feet, while patting ursa’s back gently as she floundered.

no, it’s doubtful that an old fisherman had anything to do with it. earth kingdom or not. this is just something he needs to talk to his son about once he’s found. it would take a group of very strong benders to take lu ten down, at the very least.

he was wisecracking and friendly. we talked about his business, the officials that take care of the town and the surrounding environment, how he met his wife. he even shared his lunch during our time together- grilled fish, fragrant with sumac and citrus, and a chilled earth kingdom style mint tea. it was refreshing and unique, and i want to do it again. you’d think the fire nation would pick up these little things as it expands, but it just drowns it all out. i’m not sure if that’s a good thing. what made the food good was its earth kingdom style and seasoning, after all. what made the man interesting was his earth kingdom raised manner.

…what made lu ten think it was a good idea to write such things in a journal, and then be so careless to just forget it in ursa’s garden? he’ll have to thank su for her keen eye. if someone lacking critical thinking happened to pick this up and turn it in to his father, he’d have to deal with his son having allegations of sedition on top of everything else.

iroh, personally, is more than happy to let all traces of chilled tea get drowned out. it’s a frequent and light hearted debate between a father and son, the do’s and don’ts of tea. iroh is a stickler for tradition and enjoying the natural flavors. the fire nation boasted only the most fragrant flowers to enhance only the most delicate flavors of only the finest tea blends, after all.

his son claimed it all tasted like dinky dirt water, and stubbornly stuck with his cold hibiscus teas with herbs, and his heavily spiced and creamed saffron teas. it had been a big joke back then, but now… not so much.

a whole lifetime of a father making his son tea, sharing one of his passions. conversations over tea, tea for soothing a sore throat after screaming matches with councilmen, tea to wash down sea water accidentally swallowed at the beach. traditional methods, ceremonies, porcelain pots precious enough to buy a whole town- but it’s dirt water. yet an old fisherman from their greatest enemy shares ice water with a few mint leaves in a tin cup, and its unique.

and he wants to do it again.

the personal betrayal somehow hurts more than the blatant treachery written out plainly on the paper.

to be honest, i think that it’s a great shame that a good man like that has to be careful on his own property-property he paid for with his own money and built with his own hands- due to being from the earth kingdom, even if he has a strong marriage to a fire nation citizen. i thought about it for a long time, and realized that even if he wasn’t loyal to the crown, i didn’t mind. i don’t get angry at the idea, and i don’t think i ever have. i didn’t even think about it until i left. he made good company, offered to share his food with me, and introduced me to his beautiful children as if i was his new neighbor. i think community like that is something the fire nation needs. especially the nobility, who you’d think all have iron sticks shoved up their asses.

interactions like that are the most important ones to me, because they challenge me the most. i hate to cheapen that by thinking i just enjoy being challenged to spite my traditions and elders, or to be contrarian. that’s what coming of age means to me- looking inward, and asking the big questions.

…this can’t be why lu ten has been so distant lately.

the general slowly shuts the journal in dull horror. how long has this sickness had time to fester his son’s soul?

he swallows hard, and gingerly slides the journal in the folds of his robes. under no circumstance can anyone get their hands on it.

and later, when his gut quits churning and the candles around him quit threatening to set his room on fire, he’ll read this whole journal, front to back. brand every sentence, every symbol into his eyes. then he’s gonna burn it, bring his son home, and ask him what the hell he’s thinking.

the next morning, after letting the foul scent of burnt leather fade from his chambers, iroh finds jee.

“what can i do you for, your highness?”

“i need you to bring me the finest bounty hunter money can buy,” iroh murmurs. there’s a madness in his eyes and in his grip now that he’s had time to ponder the contents of his son’s journal, and what they entail. “and no matter what, it stays between us. i do not care what measures you must take to keep it that way.”

jee swallows hard and salutes with purpose. the poor man must be able to his see stress all over his face, but he’s barely containing himself the way it is.

this was no kidnapping. the blasted earth kingdom has everything to do with it, naturally, but it was no kidnapping.

jee returns to him that evening, followed by a lovely young woman, head to toe in black leather. her gait oozes confidence, and her narrow eyes scream danger.

this is definitely not the kind of finest iroh meant by finest bounty hunter money can buy, but he’ll take it.

“…i’ve, uh. fulfilled your request, your highness,” jee says. he looks flustered, and is clearly refusing to even glance at the woman.

“with a few breaks in between, i’m guessing. your collar is uneven, soldier,” iroh deadpans. he’d call it a shame if he wasn’t curbing an episode at the moment.

jee makes a faint noise of distress and fumbles with his uniform, blushing a deep red. iroh realizes that was the wrong thing to say at how the fair lady scowls at the crude jab.

she shoves past jee with an aggressive shoulder clip and crosses her arms before the general.

“i was promised a shitload of coin in exchange for some missing royals,” she says, voice clipped. “i don’t like to work with your kind, but good money is good money. and i can promise better and quicker results than any phony bounty hunter in the world- my companion is a shirshu. she can sniff out a rat from a whole continent away.”

a shirshu, eh? it would seem my luck has made its return after long last.

“impressive,” iroh praises truthfully. he’s a weak man for crass and foul-mouthed women. “i’d like to take a look at this beast, and then we can discuss the details and prices. i also hope you’re alright with keeping this transaction under wraps, my dear.”

she sneers. “you can call me june. and i’d highly suggest keeping a few steps away from my nyla, for your own good.”

jee clears his throat. “i’d listen to that one, sir. her creature is something else.”

iroh hums pleasantly, and keeps a few paces behind june as they go. a strange calm has washed over him now that the universe finally makes sense to him again; he has a few more people he’d like to question, and he’ll be all set. then sooner, if he’s lucky, rather than later, his sister-in-law, his nephew, and his niece will all be found and returned home, safe and sound. his son will be in his arms, whole and unharmed. ba sing se will simply have to wait.

and if they’re lucky, the dragon of the west won’t have thought up a better solution to finally grinding their sorry ashes into their own dirt by the time he gets back. but regardless, he will win.

[cuddlepilefics]

I don’t see it

Fandom: Enhypen

Sickie: Sunoo

Caregivers: Enhypen

Prompts: Fever dreams / “It’s just a nightmare. You’re safe.”

@whumperless-whump-event

No one’s POV.:

Sunoo had already been down with the sniffles for a week and the members had tried their very best to convince him to take some time off to recover. He was adamant though, he could keep going, it was just a cold. Jay already made a point of serving him a glass of orange juice every morning to hopefully boost his immune system, while Jake secretly slipped a fresh travel pack of tissues into their dongsaeng’s backpack every day, chuckling to himself that the boy never remembered to refill them. Sunoo always complained that he could take care of himself perfectly fine and that they shouldn’t go out of their way to help him out but would they listen?

Niki had decreased his teasing significantly, the more he watched Sunoo’s energy fade, though he did occasionally throw cough drops at the older. Jungwon had notified their manager of Sunoo’s condition in case they could make adjustments to his schedule to make it less straining on him without him having to sit out. Watching Sunoo struggle for air during one of their dance practices, the manager ordered him to sit out of dance entirely for the time being but agreed to allowed him to participate in every other part of the groups schedule, requesting the vocal teacher to reevaluate and decide on a daily basis. Initially, Sunoo was upset but he soon found himself too sore and fatigued to dance.

With him having been tired and out of it for multiple days, it went completely unnoticed when he eventually started to run a fever. None of them had really gotten much sleep that night, Sunoo’s cough getting worse at night, keeping him up for hours. His roommates weren’t spared from the disruptions either, so they were all still a little hazy when they were collected for their schedule. Heeseung quietly walked beside Sunoo, occasionally resting his hand on the younger’s arm to steer him into the right direction.

“Should we get you some tea when we stop for coffee?”, Jay asked softly, “Sunghoon-ah said you probably had a sore throat, that you didn’t have too great of a night.” Feeling guilty for keeping his friends up, Sunoo rasped: “Tea sounds awesome. My throat hurts.” – “I can hear that”, the older winced sympathetically, “I’ll ask for extra honey. Anything else we can get you?” Sunoo shook his head and mumbled a shy ‘thanks’. “Has it been that bad?” Heeseung whispered when Jay had gone back to Jake and Sunghoon, “I only heard you cough a couple of times.” Nodding, the younger admitted: “Been coughing through most of the night. I’m really sorry for the others. Though I tried to be quiet and muffle it into my pillow, they didn’t sleep much either.”

Aside from Sunoo himself, Jungwon seemed to be the worst off. Turns out having to lead a team while being sleep-deprived was a challenge but it also helped him relate to Sunghoon and Niki. Aware of the groups situation, their managers tried to take away as much of the stress as possible, providing breaks for coffee and snacks to help everyone function to the best of their abilities. They didn’t like what they saw in Sunoo though. Sure, he had already had a cold but he seemed a lot more out of it than he had been the past few days. That could be explained away by the sleep-deprivation but there was something about the glossy look in the boy’s eyes that gave them pause.

While everyone else filed into the studio, Sunoo was taken aside by one of the managers. He was hesitant to admit that his condition had declined over the course of the night, feeling insecure about his health, but there was no point in lying to their manager. It was easy to figure out why he was feeling worse, a quick temperature check confirmed a fever. Truly upset at his body, Sunoo joined the group in the studio, his expression resembling that of a kicked puppy. “Noo, why so sad?”, Jake frowned, pulling his dongsaeng into a hug. Holding back tears, Sunoo sniffled: “Manager-nim said I have a fever.” For a moment, his breath hitched before he managed to get it back under control. “Can’t my body just function for once?”, he pouted, resting his head on Jake’s shoulder, “This sucks.”

“Come on, you wanna lay down, Sunoo-yah?”, Jay hummed, patting his lap. Him, Jungwon and Niki were sharing one of the couches and gladly let their friend stretch out across their laps. Lightly scratching Sunoo’s head, Jay felt his forehead and winced. Why had they even taken him along today? If only the younger had said something earlier, he could’ve stayed home. Taking off his hat, Heeseung instructed: “Try to sleep. There’s little use in having you try to record with how hoarse you are and you’ll need some energy for our meeting later.” – “Good thing you can leave after the meeting”, Jungwon smiled, “No need to sit through dance practice and watch the rest of us.”

“’m sorry for being an empty weight needing to be dragged around”, Sunoo mumbled, tears stinging his eyes. Firmly cupping the boy’s flushed cheeks, Jay wiped away the tears and scolded: “That’s not a way I wanna hear you talk about yourself. You hear me? You’re not an empty weight but you’re right, we shouldn’t be dragging you around. You should be in bed and nowhere else.” – “We’re glad to have you with us, Sunoo-yah. We love you but we’d much rather know you’re resting”, Jake shushed, squeezing the boy’s hand, “It hurts my heart to see you spreading yourself so thin and still push yourself while you’re not okay.” – “Sleep, so you can get better for us, ‘kay?”, Heeseung smiled, covering Sunoo’s eyes with his hat to shield him from the light. Hopefully, he’d get some shut-eye before their meeting.

Despite his friends’ reassurances, going to sleep with so much self doubt in his mind proved to be a bad idea, no matter how badly Sunoo needed the rest. He should’ve known better. Hell, he had been sick frequently enough to know he didn’t cope well with fevers. They always messed with his emotions and he also had a tendency to get vivid fever dreams and nightmares. It was easy to be fooled by these illusions his fever muddled brain conjured up and they never failed to break Sunoo’s heart. How did he even make it through i-land? If he was so obviously unfit to be an idol, how did he manage to become one and why did the members still lie to him and tell him they wanted him in their group, despite him only holding them back?

He was all alone, which shouldn’t have come as that much of a surprise. It had only been a matter of time till the members would leave him behind, heading for a much brighter future without him. Still, it hurt, knowing to not be enough for them, despite always giving it his all. What else could he do?

Sitting up with a gasp, Sunoo doubled over coughing. His heart thumped in his chest, making it difficult to notice anything else. Like, the hands on his arms for example. Supporting his dongsaeng’s shoulders with one hand, Jay patted his back with the other but tensed when the younger choked on a sob. Jake offered Sunoo a hand, which the other desperately clutched onto, finally realizing that he wasn’t alone.

“It’s just a nightmare. You’re safe”, Jake promised, giving his dongsaeng’s hand a gentle squeeze, “Look around, Sunoo-yah. Where are we, hm?” Sniffing back tears, Sunoo glanced around the room. Looking up at Jake, he pouted: “We’re at the studio. You guys are here…. I thought you had left me.” – “You know we wouldn’t do that, hyung”, Niki denied, hugging the older. Uncapping Sunoo’s water bottle, Jungwon encouraged him to have a few sips and confirmed: “We wouldn’t leave you, we want you here with us but I’m not sure that is actually a good idea right now.” Sunoo looked at the leader with tears in his eyes. “You’re doing worse every day, hyung. Maybe you should take a couple of days off to recover. It’s not gonna get better if you don’t give yourself that time”, Jungwon elaborated.

“Wonnie isn’t wrong”, Heeseung broke the tense silence, “The decision is up to you and no matter how you choose, we’ll support you, just know that you don’t have to force yourself to attend that meeting for our sake. We won’t think any less of you if you decided you’d rather go home and lay down.” Sitting up a little straighter, Sunoo accepted the tissue Sunghoon handed him and cleaned himself up. He sniffled back the thick congestion in his sinuses before rasping: “I can sit through a meeting, hyung. Not gonna lie though, I’m really glad to go back to the dorm afterwards. As much as I’d want to be included in all our schedules, I accept that I’m not well enough to dance right now. My bed really sounds like heaven.” – “As hyung said, however you choose, we’ll try to support you to the best of our abilities, so how about I get more tea and we get you medicated”, Jake offered, already turning to leave the studio.

“Let’s try to get you as comfortable as possible to sit through the meeting and if you want, we can watch a drama for some quality time tonight”, Jay smiled softly, stroking Sunoo’s hair, “I hope you’ll one day be able to see yourself the way we see you.”

[beanghostprincess]

Usopp and Nami being synced up. Nami is more irritated and quick(er) to anger. while usopp is more emotional and low mood his negative personality really shines through during his time of the month.

Nami would usually spend time with Robin she's the only one on the ship she can tolerate at that time. She would steal one of the guys shirts to wear she's not in the mood to put an outfit together or wear something revealing. She took Franky's old Hawaiian shirt. it has drinks and cocktails all over it everyone calls it the bloody Mary shirt because when she wears it, everyone knows she's on her period and she shouldn't be messed with.

Usopp is in bed mostly when his monthly nightmare starts. He's fatigued, bloated and doesn't feel like doing anything unless he has to. wearing an oversized shirt that Used to belong to jinbe but out of kindness it's now his (usopp accidentally bleached it during wash day and he let him keep it) He usually self isolates staying in the cabin. If he's not up by 11am they know why. He usually ignores everyone except for sanji, she (t4t of course) climbs in bed with him and holds him. Lightly rubbing circles on his abdomen humming softly. She puts on a kettle of hot tea and refills it regularly for them. She also yells at Brooke if he tries to take some. She didn't make it for him! She made it for her darling Nami and precious usopp!

They both prefer to eat by themselves Nami in her office and Usopp in his work shop. When they are together it's in the garden (sanji makes him go outside for some sunlight and fresh air can't stay in bed all day) and they usually don't talk to each other they just sit together stuffing in solidarity. You'd think they share products but they don't Nami wears cups it's the most convenient while usopp sticks to pads only. Nami tried to convince him to use tampons at least but he just doesn't like them. When they have to fight they're always checking each other for leaks and will give each other pain killers if they run out. Nami is very open about her period she never had a problem discussing and all the guys on the boat are comfortable with the topic. ( "Ain't no shame when it comes to mother nature"-Franky) usopp on the other hand with a mixture of dysphoria and his fist experience being bad he doesn't bring it up. He refuses to talk about it, mentions it, or acknowledges it when it's happening. He doesn't call it a disease anymore like he used to when he was little (you will still die in 7 days if it is brought up tho that still stands ) but a stomach ache.

Robin and Zoro are synced up but they're just fine. You wouldn't even know they were on their period unless you ask. While Nami and Usopp go through hell zoro and Robin are just chilling. fuck them honestly

This is extremely real and I relate to this on a personal level because I'm the worst when I go through my period. It's a mix of being extremely irritated, sad, or horny, and these two idiots are a menace when they're on that time of the month. I love the whole thing about Sanji staying with Usopp and holding him,, It's just so soft. Sanji would be the most caring lover,, This reminds me I have to finish that fic about Usopp on his period I fucking hate having to work-

And Nami is pretty much like me when I'm on my period except that my cramps are probably a lot worse, but I absolutely love her rage being multiplied because it makes so much sense. And her wearing cups is just so in character and accurate-

Btw I agree the whole crew is extremely open-minded about these things and they don't give a single fuck about them talking about this freely. It's my fav thing ever because that's just how it should always be. Everywhere. And I'm sure they'd all support each other a lot <3

The thing I don't agree on, though, is Robin. Because I'm 100% sure Zoro doesn't even know when he's on his period but I headcanon Robin as somebody with the worst period cramps ever but trying to go through it silently to not worry anybody. It'll pass eventually. But Franky is just the most caring boyfriend when it comes to this and she lets herself be more vulnerable around him. I guess I just find it sweet that she needs a bit of comfort too <3

[justmochi]

lost in solitude

pairing :: mira ft her father

word count :: 2.1k

synopsis :: mira is coping with her breakup and attempts to reconnect with the world.

time :: 2019

warnings :: angst

a/n :: my first oc without any daddy issue so i had to write this to comfort myself. dedicating this one to the people with daddy issues ♡

taglist :: @cafemilk-tea @cixrosie @moonlight-additions @cosmicwintr @astraw-astro @succulentmom @kimhyejin3108 @enhacolor @alixnsuperstxr @hybesunstone @itzy-eve @choihaneul @strmiu @angie-x3 @Kaitieskidmore1 @evaalopezzzz

The first week was terrible. It was the worst she’s slept in her entire life. The amount of fatigue and sadness she felt really weighed her down. She couldn't do the things that were normally a part of her routine.

She tried sitting down at her desk to enter a journal entry, only to sit down and stare at the blank page for minutes before getting back into her bed and falling asleep. She thought it would help to just write in her bed, but her pen never came in contact with the paper.

She thought reading might get her mind off of things. False. She looked at a book and immediately thought of him. She’d see a broken spine and think of him. She saw him in everything. Even more when skimming the titles on her bookshelf and stumbling upon the ones he had picked out for her.

Her company had announced she had caught a bug going around to take time off to rest and receive treatment. Nobody knew, except for her members, that she was going through the greatest heartbreak in her entire life and no doctor could mend her broken heart.

When the second week came around, she could finally sleep. Only because she tired herself out so much that she could not keep going without three straight days of sleeping. The girls were so worried about her, only seeing her come out of her bedroom to go to the bathroom and right back.

Jiu squeezed herself into the room when she was sleeping, refilling her water bottle and slipping snacks onto her desk in case she had any desire to eat. The leader would stay in there for a couple of minutes, heart aching when seeing how thin Mira had gotten. Her cheeks were so hollow, her skin so pale, her lips so chapped. 

Mira’s father kept in touch with Handong. It was unlike her to go days without messaging her dad so her member kept him in the loop.

Her father liked Wonwoo for having not met him before. Mira talked about him a lot and they truly seemed happy together. He wanted nothing more for his daughter. So when Handong told him, he was livid and offered to catch the first flight out of China to see Mira and put Wonwoo in his place in the process. Handong quickly shut him down and relayed everything that happened. Maybe he wouldn’t kill Wonwoo, but he needed to be there for his daughter. She reassured him it was not what Mira would want him to do so he stayed put while her member contacted him daily about her condition.

The ghosting on Mira’s part was going to be the death of Wonwoo. He tried to give her space w but was ultimately worried sick about her. As much as it hurt him to ask, he swallowed his pride and messaged Handong to check on Mira, and see how she was doing. He did this knowing that Handong might hate his guts as well, but her absence was not something he was prepared for. To his surprise, along with lots of scolding and unkind remarks, Handong provided him with all he needed to know. She was hurting. She slept for two hours at most in one week. Her routine was all messed up. She was on a break from scheduled promotions. She was exhausted. Once the first week passed, she was finally sleeping, but entire days of her life were gone. She was trying to hold her heart together from completely collapsing. That this was the result of his actions and that it would be hard for her members to forgive him for this. But she would be okay. She would pull through with time. She was fragile, but strong nonetheless.

Even after Handong was straightforward and, at times, brutally honest with him, she couldn't bring herself to hate him for his actions. Surprisingly, she found herself respecting him more than any other man could have earned. So, she couldn't hate him for that.

And then the third week arrived. She stayed up longer hours, managed to make herself presentable, and even sat down and wrote the longest journal entry to make up for the weeks she didn’t pick it up. She was slowly getting her usual self back. She was among the living again and she hated laying around feeling sorry for herself. But she hated that even more. She hated herself for letting their breakup tear her apart like this. She hated the way she immobilized herself. She suspended herself for two weeks while the world around her kept on turning. It’s not what she would have wanted for anyone. It’s especially not what he would have wanted either.

Her first time outside in two weeks was so refreshing, that she almost forgot why she didn’t leave her bedroom. The sun was out and she could practically feel her skin soaking up the vitamin D. The ambiance of birds, wind blowing, and distant traffic added to the experience. The only problem that still weighed on her chest was finally picking up her phone.

Mira took a walk around the neighborhood to organize her thoughts. She dreaded seeing everything she missed during her time of absence. But it was something she had to face sooner or later.

When she arrived back at the dorms, she went straight to the kitchen. She picked some strawberries out of their fridge and took them back to her room to eat. She cracked her window open a bit, letting some fresh air in and sitting at her desk.

She brought her legs to her chest, holding them tight so they didn’t fall off the chair, and snacked on a few strawberries before picking up her phone. It felt like she hadn’t seen an electronic device in forever. It was foreign material for her. She would’ve thought she had gotten a new phone if not for her lock screen. She had to change her lock screen soon, staring at the picture of the black cat she and Wonwoo spotted when on a date at a botanical garden.

When she saw how many messages and calls she missed, she was so overwhelmed. Most of them were from her father, and she felt a strong urge to slap herself for making him worry. The missed calls were in the double digits, her texts in the hundreds. Surely her father didn’t text her that many times. Her heart sank when she saw the names of all her missed texts. Her dad, Wonwoo, her manager, their choreographer, both of DREAMCATCHER’s producers, Dami, Siyeon, and a few of their stylists and makeup artists. If she didn’t feel terrible before, she definitely feels it now.

She opened her father's messages first, tears pooling in her eyes when scrolling through all his messages. He said that Handong told him everything and his texts lessened over the last week. Instead of asking if she was okay and needed him to fly out, he sent her pictures from her childhood and high school years. Most of the pictures were of him and her, some with Handong included too.

She wiped her eyes, quickly tapping on the button and calling her father. She hoped he wasn’t busy. She let the line ring until she heard a click.

“Xinyi?” He sounded scared but relieved to finally hear from her. She threw her head back, shutting her eyes to keep her tears at bay.

“Hi, bàba.”

“You’re okay, right? Are you feeling better? Do you need me to get on the next plane���“

“No!” She didn’t mean to raise her voice at him. “No– I’m okay. It’s fine. I’m really sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? I don’t mind coming.”

“No, I mean you’re always welcome to come. I’m just sorry that I haven’t been present. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I just–“ She tries to keep her voice even but to no avail. She takes a few deep breaths before speaking again. “I just–“

She pauses again, covering her eyes with the back of her hand.

“It’s okay, honey. I know. I know.” He staggers on the line, making Mira want to cry more. She can’t believe she would ever hurt him like this.

“I’m sorry. To you, the girls, everybody. I didn’t mean to be selfish–“

“You’re not selfish, Xinyi. Listen to me.” He was soft when comforting others, but when she heard the familiar sternness in his voice he would use when he had to get his point across, she knew it was in her best interest to listen in. “You are not selfish. You do not have a single selfish bone in your body. You’ve always been like this. You– You get lost sometimes and then after a while you find yourself again.

“You’re so smart. So kind. You are a gift and a blessing in my life. You may not give yourself enough credit for it, but you are so so good. You, my Xinyi, are my greatest accomplishment in life. You always will be.”

She chokes out a sob, covering her mouth with her palm as her body shakes.

“Do you understand me, Xinyi? You’re just going through a hard time right now and it will pass. You’re gonna get through this, okay?”

The lump in her throat keeps her from pushing out words, instead, she hums into the phone while nodding her head. Right now would be a perfect time to go in for one of her dad's hugs.

Moments pass as Mira collects herself and it’s not as awkward as it would be for most people. She and her father understood this about each other. They understood it more than words could ever compare amount to.

“Did you eat today?” He clears his throat before speaking.

“Mhm. A couple bites.” She says softly. She doesn’t feel the urge to start bawling after every word comes rolling out of her mouth.

He sighs. She can just imagine him rubbing his eyes with his head tipping back. “That’s good. That’s very good. That’s something. Just don’t binge. Ease yourself into it so you don’t make yourself sick.”

“I know.” She smiles to herself, rubbing the sleeve of her shirt across her pants.

“Have you– you know… talked to him?”

He knows the wounds are still fresh. She knows she can’t avoid him any longer if she still wants to keep him in her life. “No… not yet.”

“Maybe it’s time. I’m sure it’s been agonizing for him as well. Especially with your absence.” He just sounds so righteous, so wise.

“Do you think he hates me?” 

“Come on, Xinyi. Who could hate you? Let alone dislike you. That would make them a psychopath.”

She tries to hold back her laugh, but it’s better for her to just let it out for her father to hear. Mira pats her eyes dry with her sleeve, sniffling with a smile on her face. Something she didn’t have before the phone call.

“Thank you, bàba. I love you.”

“I love you more, Xinyi. You are the most precious thing to me. You know I don’t care to come–”

“It’s fine. I’m okay. I have schedules to get back to soon either way. I love you.”

The line goes quiet for another second, waiting for him to say it back or pull something noble out of his brain. “Don’t keep him waiting too long, my dear. I’m sure he’s waiting for you to come around.”

Mira makes a kissing noise into the phone, knowing if they kept this going she would get nothing done. She would only prolong Wonwoo’s torture.

It took her a while to work up the courage to press his call button. She rehearsed what she would say, what she hoped he would say, even what he might say if he was just completely done and wanted nothing to do with her. That thought made her sick to her stomach. She kept hovering until she couldn’t. She didn’t realize her finger had actually pressed the call button, she was just rehearsing it. She pressed her phone to her ear with shaky hands, closing her eyes and taking her thumbnail into her mouth.

It rang and rang until it stopped. She looked at her phone, tears blurring her vision once she realized he never picked up. She tossed her phone onto her desk, not realizing how hard she threw it. She began to sob, her fingers brushing through her hair and stopping at the crown of her head.

She tried to be quiet, but the more she got worked up, the more her breaths became erratic and she was gasping for air. There was no way to conceal her cries. And maybe it was a cry for help on her part, in which case she would be successful because Siyeon had pushed the bedroom door open. It was the most sound any of the girls had heard come out of Mira’s room in weeks. And it wasn’t a pleasant sound.

[shyvioletcat]

2. Do you read/reread your own fics?

19. Give us a small teaser from one of your WIPs.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

2: For my own sanity I try to keep for plot purposes only, but if someone reblogs something I haven’t seen in a while I usually read over it. Then just about die at all the writing errors.

19: I think you’ll easily be able to guess this one:

Rowan tried to keep his hand steady even as the little girl in front of him was determined not to stay still. Ivy had begged him to do face painting at her party, and of course he was going to say yes. He had spent the last month practicing on paper, his daughter and even his friends when they let him. Rowan had been good to start with, and now he was considering making it a weekend job. Not really, being a deputy principal during the week and being a full time dad was more than enough work for him. But at least it was therapeutic.

“Hold still for just one more second,” Rowan told the brown haired girl sitting in front of him. She huffed, but listened, the lure of a unicorn horn and ears overriding the need to see what was going on. Adding a few last details on the horn to really give it some sparkle and then he was done. “There.”

Rowan didn’t need to say more than that and the girl was off. He wiped his hands on an old tea towel and was about to refill some of the snack bowls when his mother approached him looking like she was holding in a secret.

She sidled up close, beckoning him a little closer so Rowan had to lean in then whispered. “Your mermaid is here.”

29: Okay, so I’ve mentioned this scene before but here it is in real life. This is how the big pivotal blow up in It Takes Two was meant to go down:

“You’re scared of the way I make you feel because you don’t want to feel anything at all”

Aelin spat the words at Rowan, each once laced with disappointment and anger. She had thought… she had thought that maybe they were something more. But it seemed Rowan would rather continue his bleak existence than be with her.

Rowan’s back was tight as he gripped the back of the armchair, tense like he was holding back from something.

“Just admit it Rowan. Admit it so we can finally be honest with each other.”

Rowan turned, the look on his face had Aelin rooted to the spot. She couldn’t read it but the intensity of it kept her gaze locked with his. Then he was in front of her and before she could ask him what he was doing or hurl another insult at him his lips were on hers, both his hands cradling her face. Aelin stood there frozen in shock for half a moment before her hand wrapped around his neck kissing him back. When she felt his tongue run along her bottom lip she gasped. Rowan took the opportunity to slip his tongue against hers and Aelin was ready to combust.

This was the first time they had kissed since that fateful night and it reminded Aelin just why she had been so willing to tumble into his bed even though she had hated him in that moment. Kissing Rowan was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

Rowan’s lips became gentle, the kiss changing from that urgent burning intensity to something soft and gentle. When he finally pulled away there was still that unreadable expression on his face but Aelin could at least now read the sadness in his eyes.

“Rowan…” Aelin’s voice was hoarse, evidence of how thoroughly he had wrecked her.

He spoke, his voice hollow. “It wasn’t supposed to be you.” Rowan stepped back from her, his face was so hard when he looked at her again, cold and hard and unyielding. Then he said the words again, “It wasn’t supposed to be you.”

Then he was out the door, leaving Aelin standing there spiralling and falling, to where she didn’t know.

Thanks for asking 💜

[moshintheteagaiwan]

T. Kettle Part 11: The New Year & The Missing Stock

It was a new year and we had successfully gotten through our first Christmas season as a new store. As you would expect after Christmas, the shelves were bare and stock was scarce. We still has a handful of Christmas infuser mugs left and some left over tins of Christmas blends, but overall we sold out of nearly everything. I had to give it to the company, they really did deliver on excellent Christmas tin designs and gift boxes. The teawares left something to be desired but overall, I’d seen worse.

As January slowly passed, we spent the final remaining weeks with our seasonal staff. They really had come through for the store and delivered on everything I had taught them. Around this time one of my original team members had come to me with his two weeks notice as he had gotten a full time position in his field. I was sad to lose him as even though he wasn’t the biggest fan of tea, you would never be able to tell from watching how he sold it. He was a good kid and I wished him well. I initially took this opportunity to extend his soon to be open position to Maggie, but she turned it town because she didn’t feel she could handle two jobs at the time which was fair.

I then extended it to Zack who accepted. I was grateful to have him with us permanently as he was hard working, always early no matter how many times I told him not be arrive an hour early, and he was great to work with and was great with customers. Initially I decided not to extend the offer to him first because I knew Maggie really wanted to have a permanent position in a tea shop again, but she end up circling back around later.

Soon the store was back to three people, but because mall hours had extended and our sales were high I was able to schedule more hours and didn’t have to work alone four days a week anymore. At this time we were focusing on selling off the remaining Christmas stock and awaiting the arrival of new stock to replenish the shelves. But it never came....

Managers were submitting stock orders weekly, trying to push for more stock to refill our shelves, but as time passed and the shelves became more bare, we waited on word of when to expect our orders. But it wasn’t just teawares, ordering the actual tea became an issue too. We placed orders weekly but like the teawares, nothing was coming. Then one day a shipment of tea did arrive, only it was not what we had ordered, but was instead the new Valentine’s Day blends.

It was something but didn’t fill much space. Finally though we got word of the missing teas and teawares on our next conference call. We were told that due to supply issues, as many retails stores were going through that at the time, stock orders had been placed but that when it would arrive was unknown due to lack of supply. This seemed believable at the time but as I’m sure your not surprised to hear by now, this was a bold faced lie.

The actual truth was that the company had become fed up with their teaware supplier failing to fulfill orders and thus decided to cancel their contract with them. However, before doing so they had failed to first obtain a new contract with a new supplier. This meant that not only did they no longer have their old supplier, but they now had no supplier at all, which meant teawares and stock was never coming. As for the tea itself which was supplied through a separate company, the delays were due to the company’s new manager of operations deciding that store managers were not properly capable of keeping track of and ordering their own tea stock.

This was due to an internal issue during the distribution of the Christmas stock. At the time, some stores received large amounts of Christmas stock, while other stores received less stock, and few received almost nothing. This issue was no fault of any store manager as we did not have the option to order Christmas stock, instead it was shipped to us automatically. In either case due to this error the manager of operations decided he himself must sign off on all tea orders made by stores, and he would compare the orders to recorded stock, and decide from there if he wanted to sign off on the orders.

Not only did this create more delay but it came with an extended delay because just before Christmas, Toys R Us was going out of business in the United States and the company had bought the rights to Toys R Us Canada. This meant the same team that was already responsible for our brand as well as three other bigger brands now also had to run operations for Toys R Us Canada. And as you can imagine this meant the new manager of operations had no time to look over and sign off on tea orders.

And so day by day out shelves became more bare and the tea wall became more empty. On occasion we would get random mixed stock from stores the company had decided to close, but this stock was usually very little and last no time at all. And with this everyday my faith in the company diminished and I couldn’t help but think to myself, I need to get off this sinking ship.

To be concluded...

[lenoraslament]

Lenora’s Love: A Tom Riddle Fanfiction

Chapter 6: Worth It

In which our favorite bad boy Tom Riddle duels our favorite sad boy Cygnus Black for trying to take what is his. Lenora.

The knights looked at each other "someone needs to distract her" they said at the same time.

Abraxas groaned, "she's going to maim all of our opponents".

"Black seemed to be doing a good job" Lestrange said and Abraxas cringed shutting his eyes tight.

Tom's wand barely moved and Lestranges chair shot out from under him making him land on his back with a grunt.

Avery stood up, "I'm out so I'll do it" he said Tom glared at him "I'll have her sit with our moms, they're over having a picnic by the lake with most of the other ladies" Avery said picking up his hands.

Tom nodded, "Go then"

Lestrange stood up slowly fixing his chair.

"You're up Lestrange" Mr. Mulciber nodded towards the ring.

"Who's he dueling?" Abraxas asked

"Black" Tom said, "Although I'm not exactly rooting for either. I can only hope they both lose".

Mulciber laughed so hard it made the rest of the boys laugh too.

"Come on Lenora" Avery said placing a hand on her shoulder, "Time to act like a lady".

She turned grimacing at him, Black stood, "it's my turn anyway".

She looked back at Avery, "shove off Avery, I want to watch Cygnus duel".

Avery gave Black an annoyed look.

"If you watch I couldn't perform to the best of my abilities" Black smiled at her, "your beauty is distracting".

Avery resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He tugged on her arm and she stood following him out of the area.

"Hello Sterling" the mothers purred, "we see you found our straggler".

Lenora sat on the blanket and someone passed her a glass.

"Is it lemonade?" she asked and Avery sat next to her.

"Nettle wine" her mother smiled, "see we know how to have fun too!"

Avery guarded her from leaving, redirecting the conversation to her whenever she seemed restless. He knew too well about the women he sat with. Another three refills of the nettle wine and Lenora was leaning back on her arms looking a little blissed out. Her mother was braiding her hair and they spoke about something vaguely political.

Avery excused himself quietly making his way back to the duels.

"What'd I miss?" He asked sitting between Malfoy and Mulciber

"Riddle and Nott. Prepare for a bloodbath".

Tom bowed to Nott who walked away like something was chasing him,

"You win Lestrange?" He asked looking around for Black.

"Piss off Avery" he shot back, "have fun playing tea party with the slut?"

Mulciber shook his head.

"Careful Rudolphus, if our Lord hears you he's going to do worse then a simple stupefy" Black walked up behind them and sat next to his defeated.

"You're lucky, I was distracted from the commotion before" Lestrang grumbled.

"Wouldn't be the first time you lost" Malfoy quipped leaving them all to be quiet and watch.

Tom and Theo returned, "Much better Nott" he had a generous hand on Theos back,

"You kept me busy".

Ten consecutive victories had elevated Tom's mood.

His face soured when he saw Black sitting.

"Last chance to bow out Cygnus" he hissed.

"I wouldn't miss out on the honor my lord" Black gave him a cheeky smile.

Lenora looked up at the sky now a paintbrush of gold, red and orange. Her mother had successfully managed a braided updo that swept her hair up. She tried to sit up but the wine made her legs wobble. Her mother giggled, "oh darling where are you going?"

"I wanted to watch the duels" she whined and her mother smiled. Her daughter was never quite content enough. She secretly loved that about her, she knew she was a strong witch. For a moment her heart ached for her knowing that Nora had wanted to compete.

"Take this first" she handed her a small vile of blue potion of sobering draught.

"Thanks mommy" she said and took it like a shot. It cleared her head right up.

It was brutal, Black was a most excellent duelist but Tom made him look like prey.

"Alright Riddle my boy!" The minister called out.

He hit him with two stinging hexes after the leg locking curse knocked him down. They had been dueling for nearly an hour.

Black winced in pain from a third stinging hex.

"Hey!" Mr. Mulciber called out, "four stingers are a disqualifier Tom".

Tom couldn't hide the smirk when Black started blathering. Then the image of Black kissing Lenora ran across his mind. Time to teach him a lesson.

Crucio he thought

Crucio

Crucio.

Black yelled out in incoherent pain, panting.

Tom threw the fourth stinging hex dropping his silent Crucio.

"Black is the winner by disqualification.", Mr. Mulciber announced to polite cheers from the audience.

"Really Cygnus, it's just a stinging hex. It doesn't hurt that bad" Tom tried to laugh off in good humor for the others in the crowd who joined him. He stood over Black who looked up at him in anguish but said nothing.

Tom removed the hexes and grabbed his arm to pull him up,

"It was fucking worth it to lose. I told you to back off her" Tom whispered in his ear.

His hand kept a vice grip on his shoulder and brought him to Mr. Mulciber who gave him a small medal. Tom kept a charming smile on congratulating him loudly.

A very sober Lenora stood next to Abraxas in the crowd who elbowed Avery.

"She was drunk and distracted when I left her" Avery whispered.

Lenora stood with her hand over her mouth too stunned to think.

As Riddle and Black approached she walked towards them.

"Cygnus are-" she reached for his arm. He shrugged her off.

"Not now Nora" he said gruffly, walked past her.

Immediately she turned to Tom her face full of rage. He sweetly took onto her arm walking her back to the guys.

"Don't you dare embarrass me" he said practically pinching the back of her arm.

She looked around at who surrounded them and angrily clamped it shut.

A reception was to take place inside. Most of the onlookers had headed towards the house. Tom had kept Lenora in a vice grip, by his side. Every time she tried to find Black he called over another important person to come schmooze with. He knew her too well, he knew this was her element. He knew she would behave.

Finally it was only their group and a couple of stragglers who already started to migrate to the Manor. Faint music had began to drift where they stood. As the last of the guests left them Lenora practically threw herself away from Tom.

"You're evil" she took a step back, "why did you have to hurt him so badly?" Angry tears strung her eyes as her words broke.

Abraxas rubbed her back, "he's okay Nora, Mulciber healed him went they went inside he just told me".

Nora only shot daggers at Abraxas ignoring him.

"He's supposed to be one of you!" She followed after Tom enraged he was walking away to join the party.

"Excuse me if I didn't spare your little boyfriend" he turned around for a brief moment.

She drew out her wand, "shut up."

Tom threw his head back laughing sardonically, "or what!?"

He looked back to the house for a brief moment. Abraxas and Avery stood with their wands out ready to stop them. Lestrange only rolled his eyes.

"I will..." she looked at Abraxas and Avery at the ready and put her hands on her hip.

"Will you two stop!" She looked at all of them, "I do not need protecting!"

They looked at Tom, he took his wand and put it away.

"Give it a rest darling" he realized what he said and swallowed, "I don't have time to fight with you".

"Don't call me darling you-" Abraxas clamped his hand over her mouth and Tom walked off with Lestrange and Avery in peace.

Abraxas kept her arm as they walked towards the house.

"Why do you defend him?" she said nearly pleading.

He huffed and knelt on the ground in front of her, "Look at me Lenora," he held her face, "I'm going to tell you and only this once".

He took a deep breath.

"You know what we are. Right?"

Lenora pursed her lips and nodded. She did know. Their little meetings, their infiltration of all pure blood society. Their beliefs. They were hers too.

"Yes Brax but-"

He shook his head and interrupted.

"No! There is no "but". Tom is our leader. We are not in school anymore. You are not a child anymore dammit"

Tears fell down her face. She felt so much on the outside.

"You need to grow up" he said wiping her cheek.

He stood up and offered his arm but she just shook her head, tears still blurring her vision. Abraxas scoffed and walked inside frustrated.

When she finally composed herself she pushed the door open. Music roared inside, people were eating and talking. Someone had enchanted the tables to sweep to the side to make room for impromptu dancing. Wives, sisters, daughters had arrived in time for the reception. Lenora gasped at the sight, embarrassed at her own tear stained face and crumpled dress.

"Dear what happened?" A voice from her side said as they touched her hand. It was Lilith. She put her arms out and hugged her sobbing onto her shoulder. Lilith put her arm around her pulling her up the stairs.

"Let's get you cleaned up, Nora" she said helping her away.

Read More Here:

[mistralblues]

⋆��˚☼˚｡⋆ Elowynn C. Monroe ⋆｡˚☼˚｡⋆

“Kindness isn’t weakness. It’s choosing softness when the world gives you every reason to be sharp.”

﹒﹒Basic facts

Name: Elowynn Clover Monroe

Nickname(s): Wynn, Clover (to a rare few)

Age: 22

Height: 5’4”

Hair: Soft brown curls

Eyes: Clear green, like spring through a window

Aesthetic: Warm diner lights, cherry pie lips, soft socks and jukebox hums

Occupation: Runs the Sunbeam Diner, a retro roadside café just outside of town

﹒﹒The diner

Welcome sign flickers but the “open” part never goes out.

Smells like cinnamon, cherry, old records, and hot chocolate.

Jimmy and the others have their usual booth—far left corner, best view of the jukebox.

No one stares here. No one judges. Just refills, sugar packets, and kindness.

﹒﹒Deeper facts

Piercings: Ears (with mismatched earrings she calls “soul twins”)

Tattoos: none—she says her grandma would “roll in her grave like a jelly roll”

Drinks tea when she’s sad, coffee when she’s nervous

Sometimes hums lullabies she doesn’t remember learning

Saves fortune cookie notes in a mason jar behind the counter

﹒﹒Likes

Strawberry milkshakes

Late-night thunder

People who laugh with their whole chest

Jimmy’s silence (it never feels cold)

Polaroids

Putting googly eyes on salt shakers

﹒﹒Dislikes

Cruelty

Spilled secrets

When the pie crust burns

People who think “different” means “less”

That ache you get right before you cry

﹒﹒Fun facts

Believes aliens visit the diner after hours

Names every cat that wanders by (they’re all “assistant managers”)

Makes playlists for people she’s never met

Once punched a guy for calling Jimmy a freak.

Elowynn cries and throws hands.

“Everyone’s got something strange about them. I just wear mine with rhinestones and a smile.”

[hurryhurry-whatamess]

First Official Offering!

I made my first real official offering to Lord Hermes today, and he seems to have liked it!

I made some tea and lit a LED candle (I don't have access to my actual candles rn ;w;) for Goddess Hestia as thanks for making my little dorm feel like a home this semester

Then I set out a feather I collected, a clementine, and a jar of milk and honey for Lord Hermes. He had just helped me write an 8 page paper in 3 hours, when I'd previously struggled to write 2 pages in the same amount of time, so I felt incredibly thankful and wanted to show it

I want to learn more "proper" prayers, I mostly rambled my way through thanks and bowed. But right after, I felt a sudden burst on energy and used it to empty and refill the dishwasher! I'd never felt such motivation after prayer when I was Christian, I'm tearing up a bit thinking about it now ;w;

Anyway, I asked Lord Hermes and Goddess Hestia later if they liked the offerings. I use my pendulum for yes/no answers, and got a yes. Then I asked if I should leave the offerings out overnight, another yes. I'd leave them longer, but I can't have food out for too long rn, sadness

So yeah! I'm so grateful to Lord Hermes for helping me and Goddess Hestia for helping me feel at home. When I have access to my candles and incense, I'm setting up a proper offering space

[haphira]

Miraculous Ladybug and the Valiant Annuler By: Haphira

37. Step 1 – Planning. - Talking of taking chat noir’s ring, the plan, and meeting up with teammates to tell them of the changes.  

When Marinette reached the door of the parlor, she knocked and stood back. In a few moments Master Fu opened the door and gestured for her to enter. Taking a familiar seat across from Master Fu, Marinette made herself comfortable as he brought out tea. It was starting to become a routine when Marinette came over. Taking a sip Marinette sighed in contentment, the tea was just how she liked it.  

“Marinette, I would like to discuss how to handle Chat Noir going forward.” Master Fu said. Looking over his cup at her, he suddenly looked as old as he was supposed to be.  

“Master...?”  

Master Fu sighed and set his cup down, “I told you before that I made a mistake in the Black Cat holder before? Well, after watching the most recent Akuma fights, I have an idea for a new holder of the Black Cat, but I must ask you, do you feel ready to take Carapace back?”  

Marinette thought about it, Nino had been quiet but supportive lately, texting her periodically and checking in to see if she was doing okay. She knew things were tense between Alya and Nino but that didn’t stop him from trying to be a good friend.  

“I think, he needs a make-over but, yes I would like him back on the team.” Marinette eventually stated. She was surprised at how comfortable she was with the decision.  

“And what of Rena Rouge?” Fu questioned; his expression soft but open. 

“No, I don’t feel comfortable having her back on the team, besides Sionnach has been doing a fantastic job!” Marinette explained, feeling confident in her thoughts.  

“But- what about Luka?” Marinette looked a bit sad and disappointed. Fu realized that she used his civilian name, so she was close with Luka. As he thought back over the fights he saw, he realized the good chemistry they had. Better than what was her and Adrien’s chemistry was, and he wasn’t sure how good that chemistry was anymore.  

“Marinette, you know how I always said that secret identities are important?” Fu asked. Looking very serious. 

“Yes, o-of course Master Fu! I’ve never told anyone!” Marinette drummed her fingers on the table looking nervous. She was worried that maybe she gave something away to someone and now must lose her miraculous? Or maybe someone put it together and now she can't be Ladybug anymore? Or maybe- 

“I think that way of doing things isn’t as helpful anymore.” Fu cut into her derailed thinking, shocking Marinette for a moment.  

“I-I don’t under-s-stand?”  

Master Fu sighed, “During my time with the miraculous it was important for it to stay hidden as much as possible. But it was also I different time back then.”  

“So you’re saying...?” 

“Yes, I believe it would be more beneficial for you and your teammates to share your identities and create stronger bonds. You don’t have to, but I think giving the option is a good thing.”  

“So what does this have to do with Luka?” Marinette asked, still a little confused, it was a relief to not have to hide from her teammates anymore, but it still didn’t make sense to her. 

“Simply, I wish to give the Black Cat to Luka. I believe you two would work well together and give each other support when you need it.” 

“Oh,” Marinette said softly, “Oh! You mean-!” 

“Yes, it is time to replace Chat Noir.” Fu smiled gently. Marinette could help the relief that flowed through her. No more having to deal with his flirting and interruptions and confessions. She would get to work with someone who understood her and helped her out. Oh, the relief was brimming over to tears in her eyes.  

“Thank you, Master Fu, thank you!” Marinette cried. Wiping away tears and smiling widely at Fu. Master Fu smiled back just as brightly. 

“You’re welcome, Marinette, I think I have a plan in mind, but I wanted to hear your thoughts too.” Fu said, refilling their empty teacups. Marinette smiled and went into detail about an attack plan to get Chat Noir’s ring. They went back and forth for a while before a solid plan was made and it was time for Marinette to leave.  

After the meeting with Master Fu was done and Marinette was back in her room, she transformed into Ladybug and sent a message to Hachi, Sionnach and Dìonadair, to meet her in an hour at the place they trained at. She cautioned them to be careful not to be seen by anyone. She didn’t want Chat to get a whiff of something going on, it was better to be careful and safe.  

After collecting a few treats from the bakery after her parents had gone to bed, Marinette transformed once more and headed out. She was going to arrive early, but it gave her time to think about what she wanted to say and how to say it.  

After about 10 minutes, Hachi landed on the platform and gave a nod in greeting. Then shortly after Sionnach and Dìonadair landed at the same time.  

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice.” Ladybug started, gesturing to the rest to sit down.  

“What’s going on Bug?” Dìonadair asked, concern coloring his voice, “You usually don’t ask to meet so suddenly.”  

Ladybug nodded, “Yes normally I wouldn’t but there are some important things I need to go over with you all that couldn’t wait.” She had the attention of them, not wavering in the slightest, it felt good to have people listen and pay attention when she needed them to. 

“There is a Guardian of the Miraculous, he is the one to protect them and give out Miraculous in times of need. You will all meet him eventually; I think it's important that we are all on the same page, so if you have questions, you can always ask the Guardian, Master Fu, or myself.”  

“I remember you mentioning a Guardian once, in your um, spat? With Chat Noir.” Dìonadair said, looking thoughtful. “Is this Master Fu going to help us moving forward?” 

“Yes, he will provide power-ups, and other things related to the Miraculous.” Ladybug answered. The rest nodded and looked at Ladybug once more, knowing there was something they needed to talk about.  

“Master Fu has also given his permission for us to share identities.” Ladybug stated, Hachi looked vaguely surprised, with her eyebrows reaching up above her honeycomb mask. Sionnach frowned and Dìonadair looked thoughtful.  

“You don’t have to share if you don’t want to. But it might be more beneficial for us to share and create stronger bonds if we do. That is to say, we can’t share our identities with anyone outside this group. But we can create a support group for all of us, to lean on each other as people who gets what it is like to be a superhero and the stresses that come along with it.” Everyone was nodding along at this point. Dìonadair had one more question though. 

“Are you going to share your identity, and what about Chat Noir?”  

It was a fair question and one that made Ladybug smile. “Yes, I will share myself with you guys, and the last thing I wanted to talk about was Chat Noir.” She took a deep breath and situated herself to sit more comfortably.  

“The Guardian and I have made a plan to take back the Black Cat Miraculous.” Everyone was silent. “And we have a plan in mind of who to give the Cat Miraculous to, if he accepts.” Ladybug added.  

“Who?” Hachi asked, curious as to why Ladybug was giving so much information about this. 

“You, Dìonadair, if you accept, I have someone in mind for the Turtle Miraculous if you choose to accept the Black Cat.” Everyone turned and looked at Dìonadair, he was looking deep in thought.  

“This is more than just a swap around of Miraculous,” he said, Ladybug nodded in agreement to his unvoiced question. “I would become your new partner and holder of one of the Miraculous that Hawkmoth wants to get.” Ladybug nodded again, anxiety slightly creeping up, wondering if Luka was going to say no. 

“Then I accept, I would love to support you and be your partner, Bug.” Dìonadair said with a smile. Ladybug released a breath and smiled back. 

“Thank you, Dìonadair, when we get the Black Cat back we can talk in more detail about things.” Dìonadair nodded. 

“As for the plan, I’ll need your guys’ help, think you can do that?” ladybug asked, three sets of Yeses sounded back. Ladybug smiled and dived into telling them the plan to get Chat Noir’s ring.  

Chapter 38