One thing that I find both fascinating and deeply sad in TSatS is that when Will asks if they're going to Percy's house to ask him to come with them to Tartarus Nico says no on the grounds that he doesn't want to involve Percy in it... but when asked why Bob wouldn't ask Percy for help, Nico's immediate thought is that Bob didn't think Percy and Annabeth would help him. Like, that's his one and only theory. I suspect that there's a part of that where... Nico thinks to himself that Bob doesn't think Percy and Annabeth would help so that he doesn't have to think that he doesn't think Percy and Annabeth would help. In other words he's thinking it's Bob who didn't call for Percy and Annabeth because he didn't believe they'd help him, because the alternative is for Nico to say "I'm not asking them for help because I know they would say no and I don't want to face that refusal". And it's not that he wants them to come! If Nico had had his way he would've gone alone, he doesn't want to put anyone in danger, it's just that he managed to find the only demigod as stubborn as he is and made the mistake of telling Will what his plans were. But it's one thing to not want to involve people in something incredibly dangerous; it's quite another to know that if you asked for their help, and in this case their help saving the person they owe their lives to, they would say no. I'm sure they would be properly apologetic about refusing, they do seem to feel genuinely terrible about forgetting Bob (which... good) and "I'm not going to superhell again" is a perfectly understandable boundary to have, but I think Nico just... doesn't want to admit to himself that he was willing to go to Tartarus for Percy but Percy would never do the same for him. Hence him leaving it at "I don't want to make him do this" when asked if he'll ask Percy to help for his sake, but thinking quite openly to himself that Bob probably didn't think Percy and Annabeth would help, because Bob helped them out of loyalty to Nico so it isn't devastatingly sad to admit they'd never do the same for him the way it would be for Nico to admit that Percy would never go to Tartarus for him despite him going to Tartarus largely to help Percy.

Also, it's deeply disappointing that it doesn't come up again later in the book because please for the love of god Rick can we please have a discussion around Nico's fatal flaw being his "will literally go to hell and back for people who he knows would never do the same for him" level of loyalty and not holding grudges, and also how literally the only evidence even his own sister could offer for holding grudges being his fatal flaw was that he's the son of Hades and also was still upset about his sister dying six months after it happened. Now that he's got someone as loyal to him as he is to everyone else (Will refusing to not follow Nico to hell is so good after so long of Nico constantly being prepared to give up everything for others and getting next to nothing in return) it's a great time to get into how despite basically every other POV character going on about Nico being creepy and morally dubious actually his most consistent character trait is being the most loyal character in the whole series (and possibly the whole Riordanverse, honestly) no matter how many times that loyalty burns him.

hi! so i saw you were asking for requests so could i please request a fluff fred au with prompts 9 and 19 from the fluff part of the list? like reader and fred aren't dating but everyone knows they love each other and fred and reader kinda confess to each other while reader braids freds hair (he has it long like in goblet of fire)? some best friends to lovers kinda thing 🥺 thank you in advance, i love your writing!!

Braiding sessions and confessions

9. “Will you braid my hair?”

19. “We’d be a cute couple, don’t you think?”

Warnings: tooth rotting fluff, unedited

Word count: 2.1k

Masterlist

A/n: Thank you for the request love! I really hope you like this, sorry I didn’t edit it lol.

“Well, hello love,” Fred greets as he sits next to you in the great hall. His twin following on the other side of the table, sitting across from him. As Fred gets settled he puts his arm around you, pulling you closer to him.

“Hi Fred,” you mumble as you lay your head on his shoulder. Tired from the long night you spent doing assignments so you wouldn’t have any to do over the weekend.

“You two are gross y’know that?” George rolls his eyes, letting out a small chuckle when you and his twin's faces blush over. Fred retracted his arm from you to flip his brother off and you hurriedly sat up straight again.

“Oh shove off George, I know you're as emotionally stunted as a mandrake root but it is completely normal for friends to be affectionate,” Fred jokes, putting his arm back around you.

George only rolls his eyes, muttering under his breath, “yeah whatever you say.” His sarcasm radiating off of him.

You just giggle at the boy's antics, before turning back to fixing your breakfast plate.

As you fix your breakfast plate you try to reach across the table to grab the pitcher of pumpkin juice, but before your hand can clasp around the handle, Fred is reaching out and snatching it up with little effort. The boy gives you a warm smile, muttering an “I’ve got it,” before grabbing your cup and filling it up, placing it back down in front of you and filling his own cup.

“Thanks Freddie,” you smile shyly, reaching out for the cup and taking a sip. Small gestures like these were starting to confuse you. Fred was your best friend, so why did your heart flutter when he put his arm around you, or filled your cup for you, or winked at you, or sat by you, or looked at you, or basically existed in the same room as you. Well, you knew why… you just didn’t want to realize it yet.

“Aw what a cute couple,” George teased.

“George, I mean it. Shove. Off,”

“Are you going to hogsmeade today?” George directed at you, while shoving a piece of toast in his mouth.

“I’m not sure. Why?” You answered him, quirking your eyebrow at the question.

“Well, you see,” George started, Fred’s face already becoming hot with embarrassment, “Freddie here got caught while we were pranking filch last night. So he’s been banned from the trip. So I was just curious.” George gives you a knowing look, understanding that even if going to hogsmeade was your greatest wish in life, you would stay at hogwarts for Fred.

“George has already decided he’s going without me, and although I would love to just seek out, McGonagall said if I get caught she’ll be forced to kick me off the quidditch team. So I figured I’d just stay here and relax,” Fred informed. Hoping more than anything that you would offer to stay with him. The truth is he could easily sneak to Hogsmeade, but the idea of spending the day alone with you sounded much more appealing.

“I’ll stay here with you, if you want,” you suggested, heart warming at the thought of spending the day alone with Fred.

“Oh wow I never saw that coming,” George joked, his tongue laced with sarcasm. “You two should just admit you're in love already. You're so obvious even oblivious little ronnikens knows!” George exclaims making a big hand gesture down the table to Ron. Ron sits up straight, his mouth full of eggs, “what?” He questions looking between the three of you. Noticing how close you and Fred are sitting and the blush on your faces he quickly processes what George had said. “Oh, yeah, you two should get a room,” the younger ginger teases before going back to stuffing his face with breakfast. Fred glares at the younger boy for a minute as George quickly finishes his plate and leaves the great hall with Lee Jordan, before you or Fred can respond to his smug remark

A moment passes as you and Fred watch George leave and then you burst into a fit of giggles, “your brother is a real git sometimes.” Fred let out a loud laugh at that, nodding his head.

The two of you continued to eat breakfast, sitting shoulder to shoulder, laughing and joking. After a particularly loud laugh from you at one of Fred’s jokes, you looked around quickly to see if you had caught anyone’s attention. You noticed a group of girls glaring at you, and before you could brush it off as thinking you were annoying, you noticed they weren’t so much glaring at you as they were glaring at Fred’s arm around you. It had happened before. Girls glaring at you and Fred’s closeness, starting jealous rumors about you and Fred’s relationship. You have even had girls rudely ask if you were dating Fred, and when you promptly answer ‘no’, sweetly ask you to put in a good word for them. Despite your growing familiarity with the girls jealous stares. You started to feel uncomfortable as you looked back down at the table, unconsciously scooting away from Fred.

Fred noticed your sudden change in demeanor, glaring in the direction you were just looking, being met with the smug faces of a group of girls. Fred’s frown deepened before turning back to you and lightly bumping your shoulder with his arm. “Let’s get out of here, yeah?” His voice was soft, contrasting the glare he sent the group of girls over your shoulder.

“Yeah.” You answered quickly with a small nod. Fred stood up then, and offered his hand out to you, helping you off the bench and slinging his arm back around you as he led you to the Gryffindor common room.

“Sorry about all that,” Fred mumbled as you two strolled through the halls of hogwarts. He hated all the unwanted attention you got from being his friend. He knew his popularity among their peers, particularly their female peers, was a downside to your friendship with him.

“It’s not your fault, actually I’m starting to get used to it, I mean it’s been like this ever since you joined the quidditch team and got away with pranking Snape,” you giggle slightly at the memory of seeing the greasy professor in pink robes.

“You shouldn’t have to deal with it,” Fred sighed, “I mean we’re not- '' Fred”

paused, honestly saddened by what he was planning to say. “I guess, well, we’re not even together. They should leave you alone.” He finished, shaking his head, to hide his blushed cheeks behind his hair.

“It’s okay Freddie. really. Honestly I’m more concerned about how long your hairs getting,” you joke trying to lighten the mood.

Fred laughs, giving you a smug smirk, “oh, don’t act like you don’t like it.”

“Trust me, love,” you giggle, “I don’t like it.” You try to finish your statement with a straight face but are unable to control your giggles.

“You wound me,” Fred joked dramatically, holding his hands up over his heart. Well you thought he was being dramatic, really he moved his hands to his chest because his heart felt like it was about to explode at you calling him love.

“Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to bruise your ego there,” you taunt before softening your voice and saying, “I’m just kidding Fred, I do like your hair long, it suits you.”

Fred's face broke into a wide grin as he thanked you before suggesting that the two of you go hang out in his dorm considering that the common room was possessed by a very loud group of first and second years playing exploding snaps.

You and Fred made it up to the dorm room in comfortable silence, the two of you making yourselves comfortable on his bed. Fred pulled out one of the twins' inventions fiddling with it as you mindlessly braided a small piece of your hair.

Fred couldn’t help but let his eyes drift to you, he knew his brother was right, you and him act like you loved each other. Fred knew he loved you, but what if you didn’t love him? He could never risk losing your friendship over something like that. Could never risk losing you, no matter how much he wanted you to know how he felt. He watched you silently hoping you wouldn’t notice as you focused on braiding your hair.

“Ginny use to ask us to do that,” Fred murmured with a chuckle.

“What? Braid her hair?” You answered your own question.

Fred nodded scooting closer to you. “Yeah, all of us tried to learn how, George was good at it, I got the hang of it eventually but Bill was the best, Charlie was okay at it, Percy could do like the special kind. French braiding? Is that what it’s called?” You nodded. “Ron couldn't get the hang of it to save his life, not that he really wanted to.” Fred smiled warmly at the memories of when Bill tried to teach him how to braid Ginny's hair when she asked him. “I don’t even remember how anymore.”

“It’s sweet that you all tried to learn for your sister,” you said as you finished the small braid in your hair.

“Yeah I guess. Will you braid my hair?” Fred mumbled, as he realized that his hair now might be long enough for it.

A big smile spread across your face as you sat up. “Of course Freddie, come here,” you patted the place on the bed in front of you, Fred moving to sit there with his back towards you.

You ran your hands through his hair checking for tangles. “Your hair is so soft,” you giggle, in awe of how soft the ginger's hair was. As you braided Fred’s hair you started humming softly. A warm feeling spreading through you as you realized just how much you wanted to be like this all the time. You wanted to tell Fred how you felt, but you didn’t know how.

Fred was having the same tug of war in his mind. A shiver running down his spine each time your skin brushed his. He loved the feeling of your hands in his hair, he loved having you in his room, in his bed, just being close to you.

“Thanks for doing this Y/n,” Fred mumbled tiredly, your hands softly braiding his hair and the soft humming of your voice making him sleepy. “I’m sorry about my brother earlier by the way, and the girls in the great hall.”

“I already told you it's okay Freddie. And your brother was just teasing,” you answered.

“Yeah but he was right though. We’d be a cute couple, don’t you think?” The words had escaped Fred’s mouth before he could even process what he was saying. His heart dropped to his stomach when you quickly pulled your hands away from his hair.

He sat up straight, quickly turning to you, to gauge your reaction. When his eyes landed on you, you were staring back at him with wide eyes. “You- you think we’d be a cute couple?” You whispered breathless.

When Fred realized that your initial reaction was not automatic rejection, the sinking feeling in his stomach lessened as he decided to summon all the courage he had. “Yeah, I really do. Y/n, George was right when he said I loved you.”

You didn’t know what to say. You didn’t know what to think. Fred was your best friend and you were in love with him, and here he is confessing to you. You didn’t snap out of your awe until you registered a sad disheartened look crossing Fred’s face. You cursed yourself for being quiet for too long. So you reached out your hands, cupping Fred’s face and bringing him closer to you. “I love you too, Freddie.” And with that you crashed your lips on his.

After the kiss Fred asked you to be his girlfriend, and after you happily accepted, you finished braiding his hair. The two of you lounged around his dorm for the rest of the day holding each other and wishing you hadn’t waited so long to confess.

“I knew it!” George yelled as he entered the room finding you and Fred snuggled up on Fred’s bed. Lee laughed at George’s loud remark. “I swear if you two look me in the eye now and say you're just friends I’m going to lose it!” George exclaimed, making everyone in the room laugh.

“We’re not just friends.”

Alex and Leo are Cousins

Here are my thoughts. Under the cut because this got looong and is more of a timeline than it is actual hcs my bad anon quq

- I firmly believe they’re first cousins (Esperanza and Mr. Fierro’s other parent had the Fierro surname before it was changed to Valdez, which Mr. Fierro most likely took when he was older cause I’ll admit Fierro rocks) - They met as little kids when Esperanza or Mr. Fierro decided to visit each other for whatever reasons. They go back and forth, honestly. Mr. Fierro maybe sends Esperanza money to fly over or Esperanza saves up - Leo and Alex both got along almost right way. I say YES to Alex being a big part of Leo realizing he isn’t cis, lol. She was just so carefree about how she expressed herself and every time he was uncertain about something, she encouraged him out of it. Biggest 5 year old hype gal - Alex didn’t know exactly what she felt about her gender at the time, but was very pleased when Leo respected her requests to not call her certain things and then allowed them later on, and it changed depending on how she felt. He never questioned it, and if he stumbled he’d correct himself without any theatrics. She loved that - When in Texas, Leo liked to show Alex around in the shop, showing her what tool did what. Mr. Fierro was obviously like ‘absolutely not’ but Esperanza told him that it’s fine because Leo knows how to handle himself in the workshop. And he’d never let Alex get hurt. - Alex is melting in the Texas heat but Leo’s just fine. He’s not good at knowing what cools off the quickest yet but they both raid the fridge and find the ice pops Esperanza sometimes stashes in there and watch TV. - When in Boston, Alex gave Leo a tour of the Fierro residence. Poor boy got lost more than once when Alex left to go get something. - Alex pointedly didn’t want to play around her parents and Leo didn’t really question why. He was happy to spend time with her. [Although he Sort Of understood when he nearly knocked a vase over and Mr. Fierro pinned him with a glare that Terrified him] - Meeting Grandpa Fierro is SO fun cause Alex definitely wants to show Leo the art of pottery and Grandpa Fierro is very willing to teach. Leo is ... pretty bad and whatever he makes comes out sloppy but Alex loves it and it has its own special place in her room - When Esperanza dies and Leo gets bounced around relatives houses before he gets put into the foster care system, he gets put with the Fierros after Aunt Rosa kicks him out swearing he’s the devil. I also firmly believe Aunt Rosa called up every relative and explained how Leo is a menace and shouldn’t be taken in but whatever last shred of humanity Mr. Fierro had left let him take Leo in lol - It’s fun at first. They’re very happy to see each other again. Alex is so sad to hear about Esperanza and when Leo cries in the middle of the night telling her it was his fault that his mom died, she firmly denies it. She’s the first person to tell him this and it means so much for him even if he doesn’t believe it at first - This is also around the time when she shapeshifts in front of him for the first time to help him feel better. She turns into a bird and flies around, and when she turns back she accidentally lands on him because she’s only 7 and just started to get the hang of fully turning into something. She covers Leo’s mouth when he’s about to say something about it. ‘Shh...papi doesn’t know about it, and he can’t know! This is just between us, ok?’ - “Your power is actually really cool...all mine does is hurt people :(....” ‘That’s not true! You’re really warm.’ She then hugs him very hard. - When discussing parents, Alex suspects that Leo’s dad is probably a god, but since she’s just a kid and doesn’t know much she just leaves that topic alone. - Mr. Fierro and his wife suck so much. Without going into detail, Leo then understood why Alex didn’t want to spend time with her parents at all. The Fierro home is the first in the long line of homes he runs away from. And it’s without any warning! [aside from a note he leaves next to Alex’s pillow] He feels so awfully bad about it, but Mr. Fierro keeps reminding him of how much Leo owes him and how he can still make up for basically killing Esperanza that Leo just Snaps and Leaves. - Alex is absolutely heartbroken when she wakes up and finds the bed on the other side of the room empty, but ultimately understands. She throws the note away so Mr. Fierro can’t find it, and doesn’t need to play dumb when asked about Leo’s whereabouts cause she genuinely doesn’t know. She just really really hopes it’s somewhere better - A month or two before Leo is hauled off to the wilderness school, they find each other again on the streets. [Aimless running away had Leo back in Boston without him realizing right away lel] Alex doesn’t recognize Leo. Leo had cut his hair and his clothes were baggier and dirty, his eyes were no longer bright and he hunched over as he walked. But even though Alex had also cut her hair so she no longer had the long dreads she wore in a ponytail as a child, he’d recognize that green/pink kind of style and proud confidence anywhere. - Does Leo basically tackle her in greeting? Yes. Does she almost slug him because it came out of fucking NOWHERE? Also yes. They take their time catching up ! When Leo leaves again, she’s a little sad but happy she got to catch up with him again. - During the quest of the seven when the topic of family comes up, Leo brags endlessly about HIS really cool cousin that can shapeshift. “She can turn into animals like you, Frank! But, like. She’s pink and green when she does it.” [It’s been many years since he’s last seen Alex shapeshift but he still remembers all the times she did. It’s only when she’s older that she gets the hang of it enough to be able to get the animals correct colors down, which he’s not around for] - At some point during the events of the second book of TOA, he stumbles across a newspaper covering Alex’s death and when I tell you he cries, he Cries. [In a bathroom, cause he’d first die than have Apollo try to nose into his business] He’d been planning on finding her while travelling on Festus when he was on his way back to CHB with Calypso, but he didn’t think she’d die before he could find her again. He really really wanted to bring her to CHB so she didn’t have to live in the streets anymore. - Part of Alex’s rampaging around the hotel was also because she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to see her favorite cousin again and was checking to make sure if he was here. When she hears she’s not allowed out, she’s already planning to find a way out of the hotel cause FUCK that rule lol. - Her plan on coming with Magnus and the gang was also part because Loki told her not to and part because she wanted to see if she could give the gang a temporary slip and find Leo somehow . Things got waaaay to hectic before she got a chance to. - Third book I ALSO believe that Percy and Annabeth were bound to have talked about their quest of the seven Somehow and mentioned their friends and when Alex hears the name Leo she [extreme eyes emoji] - Annabeth and Percy are NOT allowed to leave until they tell her everything, answer all of her questions, ask if he’s talked about her (he definitely has and oh my gods he probably thinks you’re dead. because you’re dead. oh my gods), and take a very long letter addressed to Leo with them with the promise that they’ll give it to him first chance they get. - She’s literally just super relieved that he’s alive after having already died (HEY. JUST LIKE ME! WOW!! Well. Sort of.) and doing just fine. - Come the end of the third book she demands a visit and that’s exactly what she sets out to do

An updated timeline:

So, I have reworked a couple of things in Beck’s history but I haven’t written them ON Beck’s history page yet bc that’s going to be a bear to deal with. I’m just going to post this as a hc for right now, and hopefully update the pages in a couple of days.

Look this is LONG and there are trigger warnings for suicide attempt mentions as well as abuse and animal cruelty. None of it is explicit. It’s even more vague than my current history has it. So I’m begging you, if you write with me or want to write with me, please look at this updated canon. But I will put it under a cut for the sake of triggers as well as the insane length that it got to.

Birth - 6

The daughter of a political marriage between the Wolf and the Fox clan leaders. Named Dahlia Adelaida Beck by birth. Born at the height of the winter solstice, marking her as a priestess among her people.

Nicknamed Dolly by her grandmother Alma.

Lives with her mother Élea, her father Oskar, her brother Fenris, and her grandparents Alma and Percy on their family owned land in Montana. She gets Ringo, her first familiar here and learns how to ride a horse, and some basic camping/fishing/farm skills from her father and grandfather. Her grandmother teaches her basic knitting/sewing/cooking. Her mother is, in large part, absent during this period of her life. She and Fenris are inseparable. 

At three Beck makes her first shift into a fox, marking her in the eyes of everyone as a feral witch. Whatever meager affection her mother had for her evaporated completely at that moment.

On her sixth birthday she is given a mare who her father has named Dawnbreaker.

Three months after her sixth birthday her father passes. Her mother takes them on a vacation back to her family home in Sweden that lasts the remainder of the year. They stay with her maternal grandparents, Linnéa and Stefan Tandy

7

A month after Beck’s seventh birthday, Linnéa and Elea have a falling out over the way Elea is treating her children. Elea consistently refuses to take care of Dahlia in particular, and she begins to learn to fend for herself, which is deeply concerning to her grandmother.

Her maternal grandparents ask for custody of both Dahlia and Fenris. Elea responds by taking both of her children back to the states to California where she resumes her master’s program.

Shortly after her mother reverts to her maiden name, and forces her children to do so as well. Dahlia, furious and still deeply grieving her father, declares that her name is Beck, and refuses to answer to anything else.

Elea’s abuse of her children gets worse. Fenris, who was a more passive child, rarely got physically punished like Beck, but he still suffers from severe emotional abuse and manipulation. Beck is, for the most part on her own. She stays out of the house as much as she can, sleeping in parks or other abandoned places, and learning to steal for her food, as there is little to hunt for in the city. This is embarrassing to her mother, and she’s frequently punished for it.

Beck meets Cora, an older witch ostracized by the local covens, who becomes Beck’s mentor in everything she can teach her.

Beck finds the city suffocating, and she frequently wanders out into the countryside when she can, and cries when she cannot. Elea finally consents to bringing the horse her father gave her to a stable outside of town, and lets Beck walk to the stable several times a week. In this time, Dawnbreaker becomes her second familiar.

Both Fenris and Beck are homeschooled by coven members at this time. Most of them are apathetic, some downright hostile to her. She is eventually diagnosed with dyslexia, but is given little help with it.

8-9

Beck is able to stand the city less and less. She begins disappearing for longer periods of time. At first days, then weeks, and eventually she begins to take Dawnbreaker away for months at a time.

Elea, who is using Fenris’ birthright to rule both her people and the Wolves, sends men after her. The fights between them grow even more violent and bitter, and Elea struggles to even cast the appearance that her house is in order. She begins to drive a wedge between Beck and Fen, who still loves his sister dearly. But this backfires, and gives Beck even less reason to return home. 

10

Beck’s mother finds her one final time. When they are brought to Elea this time, they are not taken to the family home in the city, but a secluded section of woods. Her mother proceeds to have her bound, and forces her to watch as Dawnbreaker is hanged from one of the old trees in an attempt to keep her from ever running again.

Several months of inconsolable grief, where she scarcely eats or leaves her bed at all, send her brother Fenris into a mad rage. He begins to plan his revenge in secret. At the next coven meet, he reveals her heinous crime and kills her. The witches absolve him of the murder of another witch in light of what Elea did, and they help cover up the crime.

Shortly after Beck moves in with Cora, but Fenris refuses. He tells her he was offered a chance to learn powerful magic from a coven member, a man Beck doesn’t trust. For the first time in their lives, they are truly separated. 

11-13

Fenris and Beck try repeatedly to mend their relationship and get back to where they were as children, but they fail every time. Beck grows more restless, more wild, by the day, and the magic and fear and anger are twisting Fen into someone she doesn’t know.

Before she can even turn twelve Cora’s loving support is no longer enough for Beck. She has no desire to stay in a house, among people, not even someone she loves. She and Ringo leave the safety of Cora’s home permanently, returning only for visits.

On her thirteenth birthday, Beck is attacked by a mountain lion. After a long battle, before the creature makes its killing blow, she catches the animal’s eye. Understanding sparks between the two of them, and this time when she tells it to go, it obeys. Both she and Ringo are nearly killed in the incident, but her familiar manages to limp to the nearest town and bring back help.

She is taken back to California and returned to her brother rather than Cora. Fenris has grown in power and status among the witches there. Her appearance strikes Fenris with a cold terror, and though he is extremely kind to her in helping her heal, Beck feels as if something is deeply wrong.

14-16

After a long recovery, Beck begins to get restless again. She yearns to return to the wilds. The city suffocates her more and more by the day, but her brother refuses to let her go. 

Tensions between Fenris and Beck reach a boiling point, and she is eventually confined to a room until she agrees to stay in the city with him. The change overtakes Fenris as the year drags on, and he’s not the sweet young boy she once knew. She feels as if she’s living with her enemy rather than her brother.

She is enrolled in a coven school, where they attempt to continue her educate while working around the fact she is almost completely illiterate. This is where she meets Harper, just two months after her 14th birthday.

Beck and Harper fall into a quick, extremely heated teenage passion. All of the grief and loneliness they feel slowly evaporates. Beck reconnects with some of her old friends at this time too. When she’s with them, she feels as happy as she can possibly feel living in a cage, but things only seem to get worse and worse every time she goes home.

 17

On her seventeenth birthday, Harper gives her a ring. Harper is anxious to leave home to move to New York, and asks Beck to marry her the second they’re both eighteen and to move away with her. Harper doesn’t know what’s going on between Fen and Beck. She doesn’t know about the healed bruises and the shouting and the threats. Beck refuses to take the ring without being able to tell Harper the real reason why. Even if Fen did let her leave, she would never survive New York. They don’t break up but Harper vows to leave for Juliard the second she can. With or without Beck.

Between life with her brother and the ever looming deadline of Harper leaving, Beck becomes increasingly fragile and hostile. She knows she cannot stay. 

Harper, older than Beck, leaves for New York a few months later, and without her protective presence, things at home get even worse. When she tells another coven witch, the woman either doesn’t believe her, or she’s too frightened to listen.

After several failed escape attempts, and Fenris’ control getting tighter and tighter, Beck eventually attempts suicide. She is taken to a hospital, a place she’d been a handful of times before because of her brother’s wrath, and a woman there offers her help. She accepts and is stolen away.

Beck is introduced to the Sisters of the Holy St. Marciana of Mauretania, a group of humans, witches, and other supernatural beings who masquerade as an order of nuns. They operate in secret under many names and in many places, helping those that no one else will help. After a brief recovery, Beck leaves them, but not without a promise to help if they call on her. 

18

Beck returns home to her family land, despite knowing her grandparents have long since abandoned it. She finds her father’s old VW bus still in (mostly) running order and begins to use it for travel. 

In the early spring, Beck returns to the wild herds of Montana, where Dawnbreaker lived in the months they were separated, and where she was born. She meets a golden stallion and instantly recognizes him as one of her foals. The stallion begins to follow her around tirelessly, and Beck tries again and again to send him away. But the stallion will not be shooed, and eventually Beck lets him remain with her. She calls him Grani, and soon after he joins her, he becomes her familiar.

Beck begins to do odd jobs and magical favors for people in order to gain certain magical objects, slowly building a steady collection in her bottomless bag.

Beck remains constantly on the run, knowing her brother’s men are only a breath behind her at any moment. She has the van enchanted so it can be easily concealed, can travel off-road, and can haul a horse trailer.

19-21

Beck mostly still lives in the wilds, but takes several jobs helping children and adults escape situations similar to hers. Victims of domestic abuse by powerful people that are beloved or feared by everyone else. These jobs are the only time she goes into cities, and often while she’s doing research and laying low, she steals from wealthy nearby homes and businesses.

During one of these thefts Beck steals a kitten after it follows her out of the mansion she’d just robbed. The kitten becomes her final familiar, and when she gains her sentience, she re-names herself Angrboda.

In the fall before her 22nd birthday Beck sees Harper jogging in Central Park while working on a job. Knowing it was a bad idea, she still approached her. Harper was different in almost every way, and yet some how she was still as hopelessly passionate and deeply furious as the day she’d left for New York.

22-24

Beck and Harper fall back into a relationship. Perhaps both of them knew it was a bad idea, or maybe it was only Beck, but dread grew alongside passion. Harper could scarcely stand her absences, and life in the city was hell on Beck.

They dated for two years. Harper even consented to moving out of the city center to a farm near Roxbury. Marriage was a frequent topic between them both, and yet it never happened.

Eventually even Harper’s power on the East Coast wasn’t enough to keep Fenris away, and the fear of the conflict that would ensue between the witch factions and fearing her brother and deeply missing her life on the road, Beck left. She couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye, and it has been her greatest regret.

24-present

Beck lives in the wilds with her familiars, constantly traveling, and for the most part very happy. There are people she misses, and places she knows she can never return to, but she’s free. Even on nights when she’s hungry or the weather is bitter and savage, she’s free. 

She’s mastered several other forms in this time, and I didn’t want to break down their discoveries by age, but they happened over the years, not just after she turned 25.

Do me a favour

chapter three 

What every mother wants for her son, a nice girl

 Annabeth had officially agreed to be my fake girlfriend and we had a contract that suited us both, I personally looked forward to not being asked a million questions about why I’m single and rather Annabeth being asked a million questions as to why she’s dating me, cant wait to hear her fake reason.

I left the coffee shop and headed home, I knew I was late for dinner, but it was take out night, so when I got home my loving family had thankfully saved me some pizza. We did our usual rounds of chatting. I asked my mum how the new book was coming along and she asked me how school was going, Estelle told us about a new boy in her kindergarten class that was left out so she asked him to play with her dinosaurs, I’m telling you she a great kid, nothing like me, at her age id already been in my first fight at school. Some things never change.

Whilst helping my mum clean up after dinner, she mentioned her book release party

“its next Saturday and the whole family’s going Percy which includes you and you need to look nice maybe a jacket and tie, and you will tuck your shirt in” she laughed

“ I promise mum ill look nice” I told her “anyway about the party I was hoping…”

“you’re not getting out it Percy”

“yeah I know mum I wanted to ask if I could bring someone” mum didn’t even bat an eyelid at my request

“yeah of course Grover can come you know he’s always welcome” she told me. You see Grover is my oldest and closest friend we’ve known each other since we were dorky losers at the age of 11. Both of us were new to the school and had no friends, we quickly had each other’s back and have ever since.

“no mum not Grover” I laughed “ I want to bring my girlfriend” that got mums attention

“girlfriend” she questioned

“yeah mum you don’t need to sound so shocked” she laughed

“I’m not shocked just surprised and pleased for you Percy that’s great it’s about time”

“muuuuummmm” I complained she only laughed at me

“what’s going on in here” Paul asked as he kissed my mum on the cheek. Yes, its gross but its much better than what the last guy she was married to did.

“Percy’s got a girlfriend” my mum proudly told him

“oh really” Paul asked “ who?”

“umm Annabeth chase” I told him

“wow really” he sounded really shocked like it wasn’t real, which obviously it wasn’t but he did know that

“whose Annabeth chase” mum asked

“she’s one of my students, a good one too, high grades she’s very popular at school as well, how did you become her boyfriend exactly” Paul laughed as my mum whacked him, though she was also laughing

I was offended that they thought she was out of my league; she is hence the fact that were not really dating but still.

“she happens to find me funny and charming” I told them

“I don’t believe that for second” Paul laughed “but good on you anyway”

“yes Percy of course Annabeth can come” mum said finally moving on from the fact that she was to good for me “any chance we could meet her first”

“umm yeah maybe” I answered

“why don’t you invite her for dinner this week” Paul suggested

I told them I would and disappeared upstairs with the excuse that I had homework which needed doing (which was true) so I could avoid talking about the fact that I have a new girlfriend (which was not true)

 I didn’t talk to Annabeth over the weekend and I wasn’t planning on talking to her until lunch, however those plans were thrown into the wind when I shut my locker and was greeted by Selina

“good morning” she said sweetly though it felt like she was about to end me

“uhh morning” ok good I sounded confident (not true)

“so what’s this I hear about you an Annabeth” right Annabeth must have told her

“what” I was coming off really dumb in this conversation

“she told me perce” I was really confused now, did Annabeth tell her we were dating or that we were fake dating

“look dumbass” rude but fair “ if you’re gonna be my best friends boyfriend you have to pass my test, Annabeth has a self destructive streak and I need to make sure you’re not the detonator”

I had no idea what she meant when she said self destructive streak, but what I did get from that conversation was that Annabeth had told her best friend that I was her boyfriend, step one of my plan complete.

“uhh ok shoot” I was not ready to be questioned but I had a feeling Selina wasn’t leaving without a interview.

“ok I use to have an intensive questionnaire but I worked out that there’s only one question that really matters and that’s why do you want to date Annabeth”

the question hit me like a train, I wasn’t expecting something so deep, the answer clearly meant a lot to Selina, and I guessed what other people had said before was, she’s hot or she popular or maybe even that she’s smart. And I may be oblivious or not the smartest guy but I’m not an idiot. I knew that they weren’t good enough reasons to want to be with someone.

To be honest with you I’m not really the type of guy to date because its fun or because I can. Even at this age I believe in dating someone to fall in love or spend your lives together however sappy that sounds, and i haven’t met anyone that I want to fall in love with yet, maybe because I’m only 18 or maybe because I’m a dumbass.

And I know that Selina has similar beliefs, I don’t know her well but I’ve know her for a long time and I knew the answer to this question was important because it’s the kind of question I ask myself when I started dating anyone, so I gave her the only answer I could

“because Annabeth isn’t like anyone else I’ve met, she doesn’t look at me like I’m a loser, or a dumbass even though I am. I wanna be with Annabeth because I’ve known her for along time and she never stops amazing me, or growing as a person, she’s hands down the nicest, smartest most thoughtful person I know, (all true) why wouldn’t I want to date her”

Selina looked satisfied by that “nice answer perce” she smiled a real genuine simile “but I’ve got my eye on you” and with that she flipped her fair and walked away

“yeah seaweed brain that was a good answer” if I was more observant I would have picked up on the fact that Selina kept glancing past me or that when she flipped her hair she threw a wink to whoever was behind me, if I paid more attention I would have noticed it was Annabeth stood there

“what can I say I’m an excellent boyfriend” I joked, Annabeth and I both knew I meant what I said but neither of us needed to say it

“apparently so” she laughed

“anyway, I was gonna ask you later but since you’re here, are you free after school at all this week”

“umm yeah I’m free Wednesday, why”

“did you wanna come over for dinner, you know meet the family and stuff”

Annabeth laughed “yeah I can do that”

“ok great ill drive you home on Wednesday then” after that we both headed to our classes.

 The next few days ran smoothly Annabeth and I talked in the morning and in between classes, we got our food together at lunch but we didn’t sit together which was ok, finally Wednesday rolled around, and the final bell rang.

In the time it took me to get to my locker Annabeth had somehow been to her locker, gotten rid of all her books, put a jumper on, said goodbye to her friends and made it to my locker, man that girl was quick.

“man, you’re slow” Annabeth laughed as I finally reached her

“yeah whatever” I laughed as I shoved my books into my locker “so ready for dinner”

“yes I will be on my best behaviour” Annabeth told me in a joking tone

“you know you’re having dinner with me right, you can be on your worst behaviour but still better than me” that made Annabeth laugh and she pushed me (in a friendly way) as we left the building.

Luckily we beat my parents home as we went straight to my house. My plan was to dump our bags in my room then go hang out in the living room, Annabeth however had other plans when she got in my room.

You don’t realise how much of yourself you revel in your room until you have someone stood in there judging it and essentially you. Annabeth turned to my open wardrobe mainly filed with hoodies and flannels, she eyed the photos of my family and friends on my desk, including photos of me holding my baby sister, and spending time fishing with my half-brother, Tyson. She looked at the posters on my wall, the marvel comics going back through the years, the office poster of Michael Scott’s movie threat level midnight, she did a double take at the worn out guitar in the corner, and the laptop which was still playing the good place on Netflix. It felt like she was judging my soul then she simply said

“cool room” I didn’t realise I was holding my breath until I breathed out. “I didn’t know you played guitar”

“umm yeah it was Pauls, when he started dating my mum he wanted to find something we could do together so he taught me, on my first birthday after they got married he gave me his guitar, he told me he always wanted to teach his kids, it was a big moment for us” I told her closing my wardrobe

She smiled at me “wow you really are a big softie aren’t you” I laughed. Annabeth spent the next half hour questioning basically everything in my room, we even got onto the topic of Tyson, Annabeth only stopped when she heard Estelle’s voice screaming for snacks

“ahh the family’s home” I joked as we walked downstairs.

“hello mother, Paul. This is Annabeth” I pointed at her; my mother hugged her instantly

“hi Annabeth, its so nice to meet you” Annabeth took a moment to recover

“umm its nice to meet you too Mrs Jackson”

“oh sweetie just call me sally”

“oh umm ok nice to meet you sally” id seen Annabeth be confident in every situation ever, but for the first time she seemed nervous, she would soon realise that my mum is the easiest person on earth to talk to

“and um hi Mr blofis”

“hi Annabeth, you can call me Paul here if you want”

“hi Paul” Annabeth smiled, mum and Paul went to put the shopping away in the kitchen

“your parents seem nice” Annabeth let out a nervous laugh

“yeah sorry about them being weird and everything, they’re just over excited I’ve never bought a girl over before” Annabeth looked surprised

“really why”

“I’ve never really had you know a proper girlfriend, I’ve been on dates and stuff but you know” I rubbed the back of my neck ( a nervous habit)

“that surprises me”

“umm yeah we’ll talk about it later” I laughed nudging her into the living room

“hi Estelle, this is Annabeth, you know the one I was talking about” Estelle was playing with her dinosaurs on the floor, she turned to look at Annabeth

“this is henry my dinosaur” she told her

“hi henry nice to meet you” Annabeth said sitting down to play with Estelle

“are all of these dinosaurs yours” Annabeth asked, Estelle nodded

“but you can have Tina so you can play as well” Estelle said holding up a stegosaurus which Annabeth happily took and played along with her

“you’re good with kids” I told her

“yeah I have little brothers, they’re twins so they needed twice the entertainment” she laughed

“I didn’t know you had brothers”

“I dint know you had a brother” she countered with

“fair point” I laughed.

Annabeth and I played with Estelle for about an hour before dinner was ready. I could tell you everything that happened over dinner but all you really need to know is that I absolutely made the right decision when I asked Annabeth to be my fake girlfriend. She was incredible, smart, funny my parents just loved her so much. It was a lovely evening.

I drove Annabeth home after dinner. I parked outside her house.

“thank you, Annabeth, for tonight. I mean really it went so well” I told her

“you know what your family are so nice and friendly I really did have a good time.” She said, I thanked her again as I walked her to the door, we hugged good night and I drove home

I walked into the living room where the rest of my family was and asked

“so, what do you think of Annabeth”

(this was my favourite chapter to write so far, thats why its slightly longer also sorry for the long wait, i started writing this chapter ages ago then it deleted its self then i moved to uni so havent really started writing again, sat down this evening and wrote the whole thing in one go. hopefully more chapters to come soon and please let me know what you think of the book so far. lots of love and all that crap)

I Don’t Care

Written for the SIYE “First Time” Challenge. Inspired by I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber. A muggle AU where Harry and Ginny have never met.

Read on: FF.net, AO3, and SIYE

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“Come on, mate!” Seamus yelled over the chest-pounding music. “Stop being such a spanner.” 

  Harry glared at his Irish friend. “I told you I would come with you, not that I would enjoy myself.” 

  “But sitting in a corner is so --” Seamus made an obscure gesture with his hands. 

  “So ‘ Harry ’?” Harry supplied, giving his friend a sideways smile. He still couldn’t understand why Seamus had begged him to go to this damn party. Not once had Harry expressed any interest in going to a house party hosted by Dean (Seamus’ old school mate). Harry hated loud noises and really wasn’t that fond of people, which was why he always let Seamus lead any interviews they conducted during investigations. 

  Seamus just laughed, thumping Harry’s shoulder with his wide hand. “That’s right.” Across the room, a chant started as Dean chugged down his pint. Without a second glance at Harry, Seamus was gone, joining in the shout. 

  Harry felt himself relax. This was what he preferred when forced to be at a party -- being able to keep to himself. It wasn’t that he hated everyone... no, he just didn’t fit in with any of these people. He’d rather nurse his drink, hope that Seamus forgot he was here, and try to sneak out the back door rather than go anywhere near what they were calling a dance floor . 

  “Ah, I found my fellow party hater.” A voice spoke somewhere to his left. Harry turned to see an incredibly attractive redhead. He’d always had a thing for redheads, but this woman -- If Harry had been a cartoon character, his jaw would be on the floor. 

 The woman smiled at him, and even in the horrible blue and green lighting, Harry could see an adorable dimple near a cluster of freckles. 

  “Mind if I join you?” she asked, gesturing to the empty armchair beside him. 

  “Uh --” Harry mentally slapped himself. “Yeah, of course.” 

  The redhead sat down, taking a minute to settle herself before leaning forward and holding out her hand. “I’m Ginny.” 

  Harry shook it, surprised by the strong grip and calluses. “Harry.” 

  Ginny’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Harry, like Harry Potter?” 

  Here we go , Harry internally groaned. People always looked at him differently once they knew his name. The fact that his parents had died taking down Britain's most notorious serial killer since Jack the Ripper was not something he wanted to be known for. Everyone knew about the son of Lily and James Potter, who had been left an orphan because of Tom Riddle. 

  “You and Ron had that midnight duel with Malfoy.” Ginny laughed. “Ron came home during the winter holidays and told me that story!”

  It took Harry a moment to realize what she’d said. “That stor -- yeah!” Harry felt his lips curve into a smile for the first time that night. “Yeah. It was great. We had fake swords that Ron threw aside to punch Malfoy in the nose. But how do you --” It was like a lightbulb went off as he connected the dots. “Ginny Weasley...as in Ron’s little sister?” 

  “Not my preferred title.” Ginny let out a little laugh. “But it’s true. Ron is my older brother.” 

  Harry had heard stories about Ron’s annoying little sister for years. She and her brother, Percy, had been accepted into a prestigious independent school while Ron the rest of the Weasley brothers had been in the same district as Harry. But surely this couldn’t be the “pain in the arse” sister. She seemed too… 

  “I feel like I already know you.” Ginny took a sip from her glass. “Between Ron and the twins. You’re famous!” 

  After only an hour of conversation, Harry felt Ginny was the most incredible person in the world. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also kind, considerate, and funny. 

  As the night turned into the early morning, Harry was unable to look away from her lips as she told amazing stories, wanting nothing more than to kiss them. He was never like this. When it came to women, he tended to admire from afar until he plucked up the nerve to give it a go and pitifully flirt with them. He was awkward on a good day, especially when it came to a beautiful woman.

  With Ginny, he was still awkward... but there were none of his normal flustered ramblings. He was talking with her smoothly, which in his book was close to a miracle. Because with a girl like Ginny Weasley, he should be on the floor in a floundering puddle. But Ginny… she was just so real . No one else in this damn house felt like that. Hell, he could count the number of people who felt like this on one hand. 

  "So, what did you do?" Harry had his face close to Ginny's under the pretense of hearing her, but really he was just enjoying what he assumed was her perfume. It was some sort of flower that he couldn't name, but God, it was one of the best things he'd ever smelled. 

  Ginny grinned as she shrugged nonchalantly. "I had to jump."  

  "So you just jumped off a cliff? Not even knowing how deep the water was?" 

  "It was that or be known as the team chicken."

  Harry shook his head, his smile reflecting hers. "And you couldn’t have that." 

  “That’s right.” Ginny laughed. “I knew they wouldn’t kill their new star striker.” She shrugged with a proud smirk on her lips. 

  “I would love to give cliff diving a go,” Harry mused, taking a swig from his bottle. 

  Ginny gave him an appraising look. “I could take you, see if you’ve got the bollocks to jump.” 

  “There are other ways for you to check that.” The words were out of Harry’s mouth before his brain could form a roadblock. “I -- I mean.” He started to splutter, something he’d impressively avoided up to that point. Fuck, that is not something you say to a mate’s sister, Harry!

  Instead of dumping her drink over his head, though, Ginny gave him a coy smile. “I’d be more than happy to conduct multiple tests, if you’re up for it.” 

  Harry’s brain short-circuited. He had no idea what was happening or where to go from there. He knew his mouth was hanging open, but he couldn’t seem to get his body to listen to any instructions.

  Ginny laughed.“But there are some first steps that need to be completed before we can test out my hypothesis.”

  “Which,” Harry cleared his throat, “Which steps are these?”

  “Oh, you know.” Ginny shrugged. “Dinner one night. Movie another. I’m not the kind of girl who skips the basics.” 

  “Dinner.” Harry let the word roll his tongue as if it was the first time he’d ever said it. “Dinner. Yeah -- um -- are you free tomorrow night?” 

  Ginny beamed at him. “Now I’m not.”

  Harry honestly couldn’t believe his own luck. Here was an incredible woman who wanted to go out with him, and not just for his name. “Great. I can pick you up at seven?” 

  “Seven sounds perfect.” Ginny pointed to his phone that had been sitting in front of him on the coffee table. “Can you unlock that?” 

  He did as he was told. Once the home page glared brightly at him, Ginny took the phone and started clicking buttons. After a minute she handed it back to him, with the screen displaying her contact information. 

  “Now.” She grabbed his beer and downed the remaining drink. “Shall we dance?”

  Harry’s brain was still lost in another universe (which might have explained his answer), but he managed to say, “Hell yes!” 

  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  “I don’t care.” Seamus laughed, taking another large gulp from his cup. “Emma Watson is fit as fuck. And that’s just what I’d want to do if I’d meet her. She'd be the best shag of my life.”

  Harry snorted, which he could barely hear over the deafening music blaring throughout Dean’s house. Somehow, Seamus had convinced Harry to come to another party. It was all a blur in his mind how he agreed, but his girlfriend had said she would come too. Inexplicably, knowing Ginny was coming made everything better for Harry. Just the thought of Ginny coming to his rescue lessened the knots of anxiety in his stomach.

  Before Harry could give his mates a cheeky response, arms wrapped around his shoulders and warm breath surrounded his left ear. “Hello, luv.”

  Harry twisted his neck to find himself enveloped in red hair. “Hello, Gin.”

  Ginny pressed a kiss to his lips. “Come with me to get a drink?”

  Without hesitation, Harry stood up. Seamus made a pointed gesture. “There he goes, lads! Leaving us to be with a bird.”

  Harry grinned at his mates. “She’s my own Emma Watson, can you blame me?”

  “She’s the best shag of your life?” Seamus asked with glee. Ron, however, groaned.

  “I don’t want to know, Harry.” Ron pointed his bottle at Harry. “I’m fine with you dating my sister, but I don’t want to know anything.”

  Harry didn’t speak, he just winked at Seamus who laughed and waved him away. “Don’t keep her waiting then!” 

  It took Harry a moment to make it through the crowd. His eyes were hyper-focused on Ginny’s long red hair. Finally, he reached her. She was pouring punch into a plastic cup. Harry bound his arms around her waist, letting his lips fall onto her neck. 

  Ginny tilted her head, allowing him better access. “If you keep this up, we won’t stay for our agreed hour.”

 Harry smiled into her skin. The previous night, while laying in his bed after an hour of not talking, Harry had complained about being stuck at parties for too long. Ginny had laughed and said they would only stick around for a few hours. Harry had then used some of his individualized negotiation tactics he saved only for her. In the end, he was able to shave three hours from their allotted party time and was able to have another hour of silence. 

  “Works by me.” Harry ran his tongue over a small cluster of freckles by her ear.

  Ginny’s breath hitched. “I’d hate to leave without saying hello to everyone” She put her freshly filled cup down on the table and twisted in his arms. Her mouth connected with his, and just like that, the loud music and people faded into nothing. The only thing that mattered was the way her fingers played with his messy waves and how her tongue worked with his. 

  “Then again.” Ginny pulled back, a coy smile on her slightly swollen lips. “I could make rounds and be ready to leave in fifteen.” 

  Harry kissed her again. He couldn’t believe that only a year ago she’d found him skulking in the corner of this very room, hating everything and everyone. She made him feel like he could deal with anything, all of the crowds, any bad nights that happened. 

  Harry shifted his attention from her mouth, up her jaw, stopping beside that cluster of freckles again. “Shall we dance, first?”

  Ginny let out a low laugh.”Hell yeah.”

Ch 1 • Ch 2 • Ch 3 • Ch 4** 》 AO3

Earth Customs

Chapter 1: Movie

"Wha- what is a.. movie?"

"It's a form of entertainment here in Earth. Something you can watch on your TV or a screen and it has a plot, a story. And an ending! It makes you feel things. It can be exciting and action packed. Sometimes it's sad and it might make you cry. Or it can make you laugh!" Steven enthusiastically explained to Yellow. He wanted her to get acquainted with human customs.

"How can something sad be entertaining? Hmm.. Show me." Yellow barely understood anything Steven said. But it seemed like she was keen in comprehending. She wanted to know what Pink had fancied in the Earth and in its species. Maybe she'll be enlightened why Pink chose Earth over Homeworld.

"Here," Steven took out the TV to the porch so Yellow could see. With her size however, she had to come close and squint. Steven figured it'd best if she'd see it in a TV her size. Her control room, perhaps. "Hold on, I think it'd be better if you watch it in your computer. Let me compile the best!" Steven set off to a gem he knew could help him.

"Yellow clo- I mean, Yellow Diamond? I think I can give her a digital copy of the Camp Pining Hearts movie! I have it in my files, but we may need a homeworld hard drive. So she can watch it in her control room or anywhere in the galaxy." Peridot was doing it more for Steven than for the Diamond she formerly served.

"It should be extra large storage so we can add Lonely Blade and Dogcopter! Ooo, and Crying Breakfast Friends too! Oh geez, I should've asked for her hard drive!"

"Ask for her hard drive?! She'll never give you that! Don't worry, I can make one. I just need a few materials.."

It took about three days before Peridot could assemble a basic homeworld hard drive, and another three days to check its functionality and compile the movies Steven had requested for Yellow Diamond. Given the vast memory space available, Peridot took the liberty of including a lot more movies than Steven had initially requested. It took a week at most before Steven went to see Yellow again. Yellow had been waiting in her ship outside Steven's beach house. She had been busy reading and answering emails from her ship. Also, laying plans for an upcoming discussion with her gems. She'll be conducting a meeting soon.

"Okay, Steven. No spoilers, no spoilers, no spoilers," Steven chanted himself a reminder as he approached one of the leaders of Homeworld. "Yellow Diamond! I have a gift for you!" There was a spark of excitement in Steven's eyes and voice when he handed the hardware to the lustrous gem matriarch.

"A gift? What is.. How do you have this?!" Yellow was baffled for Steven to hand over a piece of homeworld technology. It definitely wasn't Pink's and she was certain she never gave him her hard drive since their conversation last week. The hard drive was colored yellow.

"I had a little help from Peridot! She compiled the best movies in that drive! Also, maybe a couple of TV series too. You're good for the next year. Just don't binge watch okay! Oh and she said, you'll probably like its color," Steven beemed a smile as he said the last sentence hoping Yellow would appreciate the effort.

"Hmm.. I'll look into it. Thank you, Pink."

◇ ◇ ◇

It had been months since Yellow left the Earth and officially got back to her Diamond duties. Every now and then, she and Blue alternately visits the Earth to hang out with Steven. They vowed since Pink's return, despite being in a form of Steven, to build a bond with him. To them, it was a form of atonement for their past shortcomings and negligence to Pink.

Everything outside the huge window was black with a billion blinking lights, stars from afar. Yellow was now staring outside of a huge stationary spacecraft designed to conduct interstellar conferences. She pondered on the meeting that had just transpired. Emerald, a handful of hessonites, a few elite gems from her court, and herself were the attendees. Pearls were not allowed so she left hers in her ship outside. Once in a while, the Diamonds held meetings with a couple of hand-picked gems to discuss the upcoming plans for their respective colonies. Blue was about to start hers, though she and her faction have yet to arrive. Yellow expected them to arrive soon enough.

"I should leave before they-"

"Yellow!" A smile was evident in the voice that called her.

She turned and saw Blue, flashing a grin. It had been years since they've seen each other, so it was only natural to get a bit giddy.

"Blue. It's been a while," as emotionless as it seemed, there also was a sign of longing in Yellow's greeting to Blue.

"Oh, Yellow! I can't wait to tell you the plans for my colony."

"Blue, it should be your gems with whom you should be discussing that with, not me."

"Yes, but.. I also want to discuss it with you too. Is that.."

"Hm. Very well, then. I will divulge you mine as well. Perhaps we can speak after your gathering."

"Yes, of course. Let's speak later, Yellow," there was an obvious hint of glee in Blue's voice.

Blue enjoys their colonial discussions. It was nice to take a break from commanding and ordering gems and talk to an equal once in a while. But aside from talking colonies, she simply enjoyed talking with Yellow. She wanted to hear about Yellow's opinions and thoughts. Whenever they had the chance, they would usually converse about so many things: about Homeworld, about the empire, about gemkind, about White, about Pink, about the Steven, about Earth. Sometimes she simply wanted to hear Yellow's voice. Yellow felt the same with Blue. A bubbling sensation builds up in her chest whenever she thought of or spoke with Blue. And even though she tried to hide it, she knew it was always there.

Yellow was left alone in the hallway as Blue proceeded to where her faction would soon commence with their meeting. On her way to her lemon-colored ship, Yellow instinctively placed her hands in her pockets. She felt the presence of a strange object. Why was something in her pocket? She unearthed the item, it was the yellow hard drive from Steven months ago.

"Oh, the gift from Pink," Yellow still addressed Steven as Pink. Her curiosity had resurfaced. "A mo.. movie," she recalled. Upon boarding her ship and her control room, she immediately commanded her Pearl who had waited for her, "Pearl, scan this hard drive."

"Yes, my Diamond." It didn't take long before her Pearl could finish the task, "My Diamond, it contains an abundance of.. recorded footages. From Earth, it seems. And an encrypted message from its creator."

"What does it say?"

"My Diamond, it says here," Yellow's Pearl cleared her throat and adjusted her voice, "Hi Yellow, in case you get confused. Action equals fighting. Comedy equals funny and laughter. Drama equals crying and feelings. Romance equals love and couple stuff. Horror equals spooky. Mystery equals kind of solving.. Adventure equals the best! xoxo, Steven (& Peridot)," Yellow Pearl was shocked at how ill-written the message to Yellow was. And what the hell was xoxo?! She made a disgusted face while reading the digital message given the absence of salutations to her Diamond, the lustrous and magnificent Yellow Diamond.

But Yellow had her thoughts elsewhere so the absence of salutations was of no significance to her. "Pearl," a certain category aforementioned immensely piqued her curiosity, "play the Romance category." It was her first time hearing love or couple. Peridot arranged the files in a fashion that would make sense to anyone from Homeworld. She also placed per category in a folder so Yellow could easily navigate in case she grows a favorite genre.

"What are they doi-" Yellow felt uncomfortable as she witnessed Percy and Paulette inch closer. They were a couple of episodes in. "Pearl, enough."

"Y-yes, my d-Diamond!" Her Pearl equally uneasy with what she saw. Both of them had only seen a few episodes and it made them uncomfortable. Though Yellow was only uncomfortable because her Pearl was there, her curiosity was raging. She hadn't expected certain scenes to make her feel intensely! She didn't want to reveal to her Pearl another side her, a side she had yet to reveal to herself. Both the Diamond and the Pearl was frozen in awe when an incoming video call agitated the after effect of what they had seen.

Ring. Ring.

"Blue!" Yellow felt relieved. Blue's call broke the tension in the air.

"Yellow! I just finished the meeting. Where are you? What are you up to?"

"A movie. From Pink," Yellow was, unknowingly, blushing so hard, reminded of what she just had watched. She still pertained to Steven as Pink, and to the TV series as a movie.

"A movie? What is that?" Blue had repeated Yellow's query from months ago. The blushing Yellow was a fresh sight to Blue. It made her more curious on what a movie was. She intended to talk to Yellow about the colonial meeting but she became more interested with Yellow's current affairs. "Yellow, I would like to know what.. a movie is too."

"Very well. Give me your coordinates, Blue," Yellow was keen on sharing this new experience with Blue. Hopefully, without their Pearls.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Pearl, stay here," Yellow commanded her Pearl to stay outside Blue's control room. They arrived at Blue's whereabouts not too long after the video chat.

"Pearl, leave us," Blue mimicked Yellow and ordered her Pearl the same. Blue Pearl bowed to her master and obeyed the request. Both the Pearls were outside.

"Yellow," Blue could only say her name with all the burning questions racing in her mind.

"I visited Pink some time ago," Yellow could not accurately recall when, "and she had acquainted me about.. a movie." Yellow pulled from her pocket the yellow hard drive, "Here. Her Peridot made this and it they filled it with.. the movie. A form of entertainment as she put it." Yellow was convinced that the existing gems with Steven was serving him. At the time it was brought up, she had asked him regarding his prior activity.

"I see," Blue was fascinated but couldn't quite grasp the idea. Confusion was written all over her face.

"See for yourself." Yellow plugged the hard drive in Blue's computer and skipped through the descriptions. But instead of continuing the last episode from where she and her Pearl left off, she picked another movie that piqued her interest. The Fault in Our Stars.

One hundred eleven minutes later, "I wouldn't know what I'd do if I lose you, Ye-," Blue blurted out. The movie hasn't even ended, yet she got carried away with what she had seen. A fragile life and especially death was something she could barely relate with. But losing Pink had given her a minute understanding as to how death was. She knew about loss with Pink. But just thinking about losing Yellow indefinitely was something she chose not to fathom.

"Blue, what are you saying? It's just a mo-"

"But you're crying too, Yellow!" Tears brought about by the movie were replaced with shock and amusement. Blue had rarely seen Yellow cry. "Oh Yellow!" Blue let out a soft giggle and brushed closer to Yellow.

Closer.

And closer.

Yellow stood frozen, unable to properly respond. So many things were running through her head, and her chest. She waited for what Blue would initiate next. Why didn't she take the lead when they were alone anyway? More importantly though, what did she want to do to Blue?

Blue's hand slowly wrapped itself around Yellow's back. Her head found its way on Yellow's shoulder. Some parts of her dress drooping in Yellow's skin. They had embraced a couple times especially when she needed Yellow's comfort when Pink hadn't yet returned. But their current form was different. It was warm but in a more internal sense, a more emotional sense. All the feelings she had for Yellow had surfaced in a form of physical contact.

Lo.. Love? What is.. love?

"Yellow, the.. the way they.. pressed their lips together.."

"Blue, what are you-" Yellow almost exhibited a different hue, her entire face blushing as Blue came so close to pressing their lips together. It was a torment to inhibit expressing her feelings for Blue and to want to engage in such Earthly nonsense. Blue was also blushing being so close to Yellow. She wanted to know more about Earth's rituals.

"Yellow," Blue was only a breath apart, her eyes locked on Yellow's lips, "can we.. just once."

Yellow saw Blue gazing heavily on her lips. They were alone in the control room, both Pearls outside. No one would witness them. She inched closer. They were too close she had to close her eyes. Blue did too. Their noses were in the way but, eventually, their lips managed to find themselves. It was only for a split second, and it even left a parting sound. Yellow softly opened her eyes and saw Blue wide-eyed. Blue covered her lips with one hand, savoring the sensation.

"We never speak of this again, Blue!"

"I.. I'm going to visit Pink."

"WHAT?! Don't tell her we.. whatever we did, should remain unspoken of!"

"Yes, and it will. I just.. I want to know more about their customs."

"Well suit yourself," Yellow straightened herself and tried to regain composure. "I will see you.. in a few years, Blue."

Yellow left Blue's control room. And headed back to her ship. Blue pondered on everything she wanted to ask Steven. She made a mental checklist.

"Pearl!"

"Yes, my Diamond?" Her Pearl responded and gracefully strolled towards her.

"Navigate us to Earth. It's time we visit Pink."

◇ ◇ ◇

** Ch 4 = AO3 exclusive WIP

Sir Percival Is Very Nice And Disconcertingly Gullible Part 1

HELLO citizens. Today, I want to share with you the story of a certain Knight of the Round Table who knows how to maneuver his foot around people’s asses, looks like a prim and proper lady in a skirt, and also doesn’t know what a penis is. I am talking about the one and only Sir Percival. But before Sir Percival was a Sir or Percival, he was a lady, a cute girl, an adorable toddler. No, there’s no magic involved, no magic transformation, it’s just that he was raised as a girl (culturally speaking, in relation to the time) by his mother, and he never really questioned it, because to question things, you need life experience, and you get more life experience from cleaning dirty fingernails than you do cooped up in a caslte. Oh yeah, by the way, his mother kept him cooped in a castle and he was ffffffforbidden from ever leaving it. Also, I’ll have to split this in parts because it is TOO LONG.

LET’S ELABORATE: Percival was the prince of certain lands, and his father was either King Pellinore or Alain le Gros, and in either case, the father is a celebrated warrior. Point is, Percival is of noble lineage and the son of a warrior king, which of course means he has superpowers, because this is Arthurian mythos. Regardless of who his father was, he also had at least four siblings, all four of them Knights of the Round Table. Now this is the part where you expect his family to be proud of how many fine warriors it has produced. Except you are WRONG, because my man’s mother was actually Not Too Happy With The Family Business, so when Percival was born, Mom, who is unnamed because being a woman in Arthurian mythos sucks because you either die or are a huge asshole, said “mmMMMM NO” and raised Percival away from everything that could be considered “manly” back in the day (read: knights) and without letting him ever learn of dangerous stuff like “swords” or “holy grails”. Accounts vary whether Mom took Percival and his sister away from their castle and to live in the forest or if she simply raised Percival in the castle proper, but for all intents and purposes, what matters here is that Percival looks better than you and I in a dress, can knit a fierce sweater, weaves the meanest baskets, and can sew a whole dress from the ground up using only dirty curtains and positive thoughts.

So Mom, Sister, and Percival are having fun, living a soft and cute life, when SUDDENLY, knights appear. Mom was busy watching Star Trek reruns and this distracted her long enough for Percival to notice them and ask “MOM HOLY FUCK WHAT ARE THOSE METAL DUDES”. Mom realized too late that He Had Been Exposed, so she acted fast on her feet and said “Ah, Percy, those are... Angels. They are servants of God, so don’t look at them too much, because you see them when you die or when you are close to something that could result in your death!”, so the first thing Percival does is ask his sister if she can tie a sturdy noose, nice and cozy, so he can hang himself immediately to become an angel, they look SO COOL, and his sister, with all the delicacy of a car accident, shuts him the fuck up and asks him to stop being a weirdo for one second.

Since his UNCOOPERATIVE family was made of unreasonable asses out of nowhere, P-Diddy sneaks out of the castle (which is also the first time he ever gets out of that castle WOW LOCKING YOUR KIDS IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA) and approaches the angels, trying to not be seen by them because he doesn’t want to die, but during his Sneaking Operation, he steps on the loudest,most scandalous tree branch in history and mythos because it lets out a CRRRRRCCCKKK SO FUCKING LOUD the knights’ horses go apeshit, one of them kicks a knight in the face, and another straight up runs into a river and drowns, which makes you think what in the fuck are these horses on the field of duty for if a kid in a dress can scare them into Escort Mission AI-levels of idiocy. Well, that aside, the knights obviously freak the fuck out and are like “WOAH HEY WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT STOP!” which quickly turns into “WHY ARE YOU WEARING A DRESS!” and honestly, Parsee was kinda weirded out because angels are supposed to be more solemn than this, and definitely not as loud. P-kun voices these concerns, and the knights have themselves a gigglesnort, quickly and politely explaining that they are knights, not angels, and that yelling, questioning, and killing was part of their job. Then they explained it was a lie, because they never ask questions, only yell and kill, which you guys and gals at home probably think is just me making a joke, except Knights of the Round Table killed each other a SHITLOAD of times simply because they didn’t know who the other guy was, because there was this understanding, this covenant back in the day where, if you were a knight and the other guy was a knight and yelling was involved, as it usually is in the field of battle, you most likely were enemies and had to murder each other, and apparently no one fucking recognized each others’ armor or anything.

What I am trying to say is that people in Arthurian mythos are MORONIC BRUTES and that Britain is a PvP-enabled zone, which is why shit like Camlann happens.

Anyways.

Percival was apparently pretty ok with these metal dudes being professional loud murderers because he immediately asks if he can become a professional loud murderer, but he gets turned away because he is still a kid at this point, and kids can’t be knights, BUT, as soon as his hormones start going nuts and awkward, solitary strands of hair start growing on his moles and around his nipples, he’s old enough to become a knight. He’s content enough with this answer, and so he heads home and gets turbo-grounded the moment his mom catches him. In the process of being turbo-grounded, Percy let out to his mom that he wanted to become a knight, which turned this into an ultra mega turbo grounding instead because he said The Forbidden Word and now Mom’s angry.

Even being his mom and everything, however, Mom knew she couldn’t really oppose the wishes of his son like this, so what did she do instead? What every normal person in a front of a situation that requires cooperation from both ends and that demands maturity and sensibility would do: Lie.

She outright kept telling Percival that he was still 12 years old, even as the years passed. More concerning is the fact that P-kun didn’t question this at all. Well, whatever floats your boat, weirdo Arthurian family.

Percival turns 17 or 18 years of age, depending on the source, which is the age where kids are considered men and can thusly start screaming and killing [for honor], but he is still convinced he is 12 years old because Mom Sucks. All is well as usual in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber Castle WHEN SUDDENLY, a knight appears, except this one is a BAD KNIGHT, his first thought upon seeing the castle was “my, what a NICE and GORGEOUS door, I bet ramming it down and raping whatever girl I find inside would make this an even better day! : )“ so he gets to work and, sure enough, just solo-decimates the entire castle door and is getting ready to Bad Touch Mom and Sister when Percival, now no longer a kid, but rather, a powerfully built, ripped, 24 pack abs superwarrior (remember what I told you about lineage and mythos?) appears before him all like “hey can you maybe not do that shit to my family? It is rude”.

The Bad Knight takes one look at this body building champion, and lets out a “WHY ARE YOU WEARING A DRESS”. Ah, yeah, Percy was still wearing the dress. So the Bad Knight is kinda laughing because this kid, he can be SSJ Broly all he wants, he’s still in a dress. The laughing, however, ceases immediately when Percival grabs the dude, who is encased in armor and that knocked down the castle door all by himself, and just sorta casually throws him past the castle walls and breaks his entire body. Again, Percival, who never has trained his muscles in any way or learned anything more violent than embroidery, just gave this dude the So Long Gay Bowser throw from Mario 64, from the courtyard, launching him ABOVE the castle walls, and right into the ground outside. That huge “CRASH BOOM!” you heard just now was not the knight falling down, it was his self-esteem crashing after having a kid in a dress ragdoll him. No, wait, no, never mind, it was his body, because DEAD PEOPLE can’t feel shit.

“so, uh, mom” “no” “I just threw a fully armored man” “nope” “I think uh” “nu uh” “I might be an adult” “Grounded”

So P-kun is grounded, fine, and more time passes, when SUDDENLY, a cockatrice attacked the castle. Now, what is a cockatrice? It’s a two-legged serpent with a rooster’s head, and it kills you by looking at you and petrifying you. Basically, a gorgon with a funny hat. Sometimes, because the “petrifying” bit is something of a conjecture by latter authors or analyzers of mythology. The cockatrice actually just kinda sorta outright killed you when it looked at you. So this thing is wreaking havoc in the Censorship Castle, shooting rude glares and crying loudly in the morning, and this Deeply Annoys Percival. The young man simply walks out, uproots a whole a tree, as you normally do, and swats the cockatrice with a flick, sending it DBZ-style flying against the nearest wall. When he saw THAT didn’t kill the very confused monster, Percival, with his bare fucking hands, rips the tree he uprooted into a thinner form by legit ripping the bark layer by layer with his unreasonable strength, fashioning a spear with the tree by doing this (what the wtf?) and using that to stab the shit out of the cockatrice, who probably was already dead as fuck the moment it saw this dude just outright manhandling the tree and turning it into a spear with his bare hands.

“mom” “no” “mom I just uprooted a tree and killed an instakill monster with it’’ “NO’’ “I’m no scientist because those still don’t exist but I am pretty sure I am an adult now” “no sweetie that was just a stray dog” “mom I know dogs and that wasn’t a dog. No dog of ours ever shot laser beams out of its eyes or looked like a dragon wearing a chicken hat” “it’s a breed that comes from Scotland” “MOM”

So Percival more or less has enough of Mom’s shit, and finally gets her blessing to leave the castle. Immediately afterward, Mom dies. Because being female in Arthurian mythos means you ei-- Oh, I already made that one. Well, yeah, there you go. Also the sister also died. But Percival is on his way to become a knight!

What exciting adventures are in store for Percival? Stay tuned for PART 2, in which Percival enters a dysfunctional relationship, makes bad business decisions, and headbutts Sir Lancelot du Lac right in the face, and yes, this is all shit that happens on the exciting Road To Knighthood.