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ben-talks-art · 2 months

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Lin Beifong has no wins in Legend Of Korra

Something that always bothered me in regards to the way this series treated the character of Lin was the fact that it never felt like any of Lin's victories actually gave the feeling of being victories.

Maybe it's because it's been years since I watched this show, and I'm being selective in what I choose to remember, and I'm just unintentioanlly choosing to remember the bad over the good... but it feels like this series just felt a lot more comfortable dunking on Lin than actually trying to raise her up... And that kinda annoys me a little.

Lin is part of this character achetype that I like to call "The Antisocials", people who, because of personal events in their past, prefer to avoid or have trouble dealing with others. She's basically meant to be the "Zuko" of the team.

I really like this trope, and I really like to see the earth element getting some love, so I was really excited to see Lin getting her moments to shine and kick some ass in the series... Which... for some reason doesn't feel all that prevalent.

Now, don't get me wrong, when Lin needs to fight, she WILL fight, and she looks cool while doing it... But when it comes to her more memorable moments, her getting defeated sadly feels more frequent than her getting some victories.

Like... Let's take a moment to count her Ls:

She got dumped by Tenzin after another woman seduced him

A terrorist started to attack her city and kept getting away from her

She was unable to stop her men from getting captured and losing their powers

Eventually she herelf got captured and lost her bending

She's constantly getting mocked and looked down upon by other characters

Her own sister left a scar on her face while committing a crime and faced basically no consequences, only to years later have a life filled with success while Lin is all alone

Her own mother acts like she couldn't care less about her struggles

Neither of the two ever gave Lin a proper apology and instead just tried to pull an Mirabel from "Encanto" and tell her to get over it

She basically played no role in all of season 2

And when she tired to face her family about her problems she was simply treated as the one in the wrong

Now let's count her "wins:"

She allowed Tenzin's family to get away from Amon in season 1... At the cost of her getting captured... Only for the family itself to get caught later anyway

She saved Korra from falling, which allowed Amon to get away with her men

In season 3 she gets clobbered by the combustion woman so her sister can land the finishing blow

and In season 4 she tries to rescue her family, only to nearly fail and needing to be saved by her mother, who proceeds to give her the most bare-bones of moments of reconciliation, because God forbid we let our fan-favorite character from the first series show a little humility for her own daughter in her moment of weakness

It just felt like the show was afraid of ever letting Lin be a badass and giving her a real win moment.

It doesn't even need to be a battle win. She could have had a moment with Korra where she teaches her some life lesson, or teach her how to metal bend and listen to the earth, or she could have had some scenes where her actions save the day, like, how come she never gets to save her sister and mother but both of them end up saving her? Or even some character moments like her bonding with Mako, or Tenzin's kids or something... I don't think she even really interacts with anyone in a meaningfull way.

If you were to ask me who her best friend in the series was, I would have no idea what to say.

Her biggest "win" in the series was getting to wake up all happy after "solving" her personal demons, an act she achieved by... fighting her sister and venting out all her anger, I guess.

I don't know if it's just me but Lin's victories on the show all feel so shallow, as if they were telling us she was achieving things instead of actually feeling like she was. At times, she felt like the show's punching bag. Insted of being the Zuko of the story, she came more as the Squidward.

Someone who's there just to lose to the villains and make them look strong and making other characters look cool while they save her with her big lesson being that she needs to learn to be less grumpy.

Lin should be so easy to make cool! Like, you see her design, her powers and abilities, her personality, her verstility for several different types of action scenes and versatility for also different interactions with the rest of the cast...

But instead it felt like they were throwing darts at a wall trying to pick a different way to dunk on her every time, as if they were afraid of makiing her too cool.

I don't know, maybe I'm just being salty and petty because I wish more had been done with her and that's causing me to only focus on the negatives, making them look and sound a lot worse than they actually were, while also ignoring all the big positives about her time on the screen...

But sometimes it felt to me like the show was more interested in hyping up everyone else and giving them a moment to shine over Lin.

Like, again, her own sister got to take down one of the big members of the Red Lotus, and she basically becomes one of the main characters in season 4, while Toph gets to train and help heal Korra.

These two got to look so much cooler in just two seasons than Lin got to look in all 4, and I can't even fully enjoy them being cool because all I keep thinking when I look at them is "You two did Lin dirty."

If they had had an actual honest earned moment of reconciliation, I feel like I would be in heaven watching both of them kicking ass, cause again, I love the earth element, but instead I would just be "God, I wish this was Lin doing all this cool stuff instead."

I'm not exactly sure what the mindset was behind the way they wanted to handle her, not sure if there was studio interference, or mismanagement, or if Nickelodeon's meddling affected things, or what...

I'm just trying to say, I feel like Lin deserved better. I still like her character a lot but I can't help but feel even more could have been done with her.

#avatar #avatar the legend of korra #the legend of korra #lin beifong

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vivgst · 1 month

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TOXIC!VALERIA

Go to part one here

Crying internally while writing this because it was the happy ending that I couldn't have.

You watched TV or at least that's what you tried to do, you had already returned to your apartment and a week had passed since the last time you saw Valeria, you got depressed, cried a little and decided to watch romantic comedies that would rub you in the face that she would never give you something like that. You were feeling like shit, but habit had wrapped your feelings in a warm blanket and numbed them, so you no longer suffered with the same intensity.

However, life or fate, maybe fucking hell itself, insisted that you had to remember your pain and that you not only stare at it but embrace it, so the doorbell rang and you didn't need to open the door to know it was her.

Valeria collapsed in your arms and you almost fell to the ground, she was considerably taller than you, her muscles were not light either but you managed to help her reach the couch, she let out a barely audible hiss and you grabbed her face in your hands, examining her bruised face.

“What the hell happened?” You asked, your gaze dropping to her collarbone which had a cut, not too deep but noticeable enough and it was swollen around it, purple.

“Un hijo de su puta madre… he lied to us, it was a trap.” She murmured in annoyance and leaned her head against the back of the couch, closing her eyes. Her clothes were full of dirt and she was not severely injured, but her body probably hurt all over.

“I imagine he couldn't get away with it.” You said and she shook her head, of course not, it had been too much of an achievement for him to have fooled her.

“Estoy hasta la madre… I'm so fucking tired.” Valeria opened her eyes to look at you, only then did you realize how marked her dark circles were, how her eyes seemed to struggle to stay open and you raised your hand to her cheek to caress it, seeking to give her some kind of comfort although you knew she wasn't too much of a lover of physical contact, or at least that's what she said.

“I’ll help you take a shower.” You spoke in that sweet voice that made her melt so she couldn't say no and followed you to the bathroom at a slow pace, taking off her clothes to get into the shower and she felt her muscles relax when the water began to fall all over her body.

“You can't help me much from out there.” She spoke and you looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds before sliding the silk robe off your body and stepping into the shower, the water was ice cold, just the way Valeria loved it and it made you shivered.

Her arms rested on your shoulders as her gaze met yours, but your eyes looked at her stomach, she had a few scars and even though she knew how damn sexy she was, she was still a human being with insecurities, like everyone.

"They are disgusting".

“Nothing about you is.” You responded softly as your hand rubbed one of her biggest scars, a stab wound that almost killed her, you remembered it very well, how she arrived at your apartment bloody and almost with no oxygen in her lungs but she refused to leave, she had her men come to help her.

You were the only home she knew and every time she felt broken she came to you, her only spiritual healing, the only one that caressed her soul without even trying and she would return from death just to give you one last kiss, it's a shame you weren't aware of that thoughts.

You stayed immersed in your own mind as you helped her shower, washing her hair that was full of dirt and handing her a towel at the end so she could dry off, which she did carefully and quickly.

You gave her one of the many pajamas she had left there in your place, but she only put on the pants, her torso felt on fire.

You both lay down, the only thing you saw was her back and you drew shapes on it with your index finger, being careful not to touch her bruises because you would hurt her.

“Are you asleep?” You asked in a whisper and she shook her head slowly, she always had trouble sleeping, stress and all her worries being one of the main causes. “You've never told me if you have a favorite color.” The room fell silent once you asked your question and you thought she wouldn't answer before you heard her barely audible voice.

“I've spent so much time living on the edge that there are many things I don't know about myself, my favorite color is one of them.” She paused, she hated casual conversations with you, she felt exposed and vulnerable, it was a bittersweet feeling. “But I hate light blue and orange.” She smiled as she heard you giggle, of course she would hate orange.

“You might like green.” You suggested and she nodded weakly, her head barely moving. “Why don't you ask me what my favorite color is?”

“Your favorite color is pink, maybe black.” You frowned and hugged her tighter, your arm hanging casually over her waist and she gave your hand a light squeeze, bringing it to her lips for a kiss that made your heart race.

“I don’t remember telling you that.”

“Yes but you are too noisy.” She said and you felt her smile against your hand, it was true, you never shut up and she partly envied that about you, the ability to be absurdly happy all the time. “Also, whenever I buy you clothes you choose those colors.”

“You like pink too.” You said and it was true, she had forgotten, which was pretty ridiculous considering she had her nails painted with said color.

There was a moment of silence, you heard her let out a sigh and you didn't really know what to feel, maybe she would tell you to go fuck yourself again because you knew how much she hated opening up to you.

But she rolled over to look into your eyes, she rested her hand on your cheek as her gaze searched for something in your eyes that you didn't know if she would find.

“You are the constant reminder that my life is more than blood and death.” Valeria said and you felt the lump in your throat, something usual when you were with her. And you felt helpless hearing those words that would mean nothing tomorrow once she got up to go and leave you.

She always did that, she came to you broken so that you could put her pieces back in their place, so that you could put her together like a puzzle and fill her with all the love she needed.

Then she would leave you, bleeding because you were tearing off pieces of you own skin to fix hers, and she would leave, leaving you all alone without caring if you were going to survive or not.

“Please don't do this to me.” You spoke and the pleading tone in your voice made her clench her jaw, she asked herself how she had been able to hurt you so many times if now seeing you like this was destroying her.

The hand she had on your cheek moved slightly across your face, as if she wanted to memorize it forever, immortalize it on her skin so she couldn't forget it even if she lost her memory.

“I haven't said it, but you know I do, right? I do". You looked down when you heard that but she put her finger under your chin, raising your face so her eyes met yours. “I love you, probably before you did.”

Your now teary eyes widened in shock and you couldn't process anything other than what was happening in front of you, the words you had wanted to hear for so long and it didn't feel real.

“And I won't be able to be there for you all the time, I have a shitty life, you know that-”

"I don't care, I want to be with you." You responded and gasped because the lump in your throat was consuming you, you couldn't believe it. She pulled you into her arms and you clung to her warmth, snuggling into the softness of her body careful not to hurt her.

Not many words were needed, both of you were comfortable in the silence that surrounded you and you felt your eyelids begin to feel heavy, you would fall asleep, like always when you were with her.

And this time you didn't wake up in an empty bed with teary eyes, you didn't wake up feeling desolate and used, you woke up in the arms you always hoped to be in, in the only arms you would hold on to from now on.

You woke up hugged by someone who loved you so much more than you could ever imagine.

#valeria garza #valeria cod #valeria garza x reader #valeria mw2 #valeria x reader #valeria x you #valeria x f! reader #call of duty #cod #cod x reader #valeria garza smut #lesbian #wlw

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kurain-genealogy · 7 months

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i said i was gonna post about it and i am. i don't think william afton hates his kids. i don't think william afton is a mad scientist that kidnapped and put children in hallucinogenic gas chambers. whatever the fuck dittophobia said about afton doing all that, plus not stopping/furthering the bullying between michael and cc, is just dumb & wrong. william wanting his kids to fight, even die, is comically evil in the "bad writing" way. him being characterized as someone who experiments on children (including his own with no regard for their lives) in order to achieve immortality or whatever his supposed motivation is, is just really... nothing? as a character there is nothing to make him feel real. in an attempt to flesh out this character, they made him into a cartoon villain with "evil" being his only defining trait. whatever, i could talk for so long about how dumb i think all the dittophobia stuff is but i think most ppl on tumblr are on the same page regarding that.

to me, william afton is best characterized as someone who, at the Very Least, Doesn't Want His Own Children To Die. he can be a shitty father all around, or he can be a genuine loving father who is also a serial killer, as long as he Cares if they Die? most of what makes william afton an interesting villain, and where a lot of people interpret his motivation comes from, is how despite all his best efforts, he cannot prevent the death or downfall of his own family. he is in a tragedy of his own making, a self-imposed hell crafted by his hubris and violence. if you take this away, why should i care what happens to him? william afton was scariest when he was just purple guy and we knew nothing. william afton is most interesting when we have all these relationships and dynamics where we can seriously study and speculate the circumstances behind/around his actions, when he has something to lose (and will lose). william afton is most stale when more things are added to his story without purpose, filling in gaps that were better unfilled or we didn't even know were there – anything after UCN, basically. bro isn't scary anymore because he's either peepaw afton who's brought back despite his story being over, or he's cartoon network's newest over-the-top villian that you can't take seriously.

okay anyway. ANYWAY. william doesn't hate his kids. even if he's a shitty father, i think he still loves his kids. why else would he try and scare his kids away from the robots if he didn't want them to die? why would he design circus baby after his daughter if he didn't care for her, adore her, even? if you believe the theory that he talked to cc through the fredbear plush (idr if that's actually canon), why would he be trying to protect/comfort him?

i don't think he's a perfect, or even a good father, by any means. if you interpret him to be on the better side, that's great and fine. i'd love to hear how other people interpret/characterize afton if you wanna share! continuing on for this post, i'm going to lay out how i personally see william afton.

to me, he is someone who is very concerned and preoccupied with his image and how others view him & his family. even if he's super shitty and awful towards his kids, he at least cares that they all look good as a family unit, that they're well behaved, that he can send family portrait holiday cards to all his business partners and investors.

he strikes me very much as the typical authoritarian parent of the 80s. harsher on his sons because "men don't cry," wants his kids to say "yes, sir," and "no, sir," believes in "tough love," often says "my house, my rules," he has the final say in everything, maybe thinks hitting them from time to time is a normal, necessary punishment. not all entirely malicious, but thinks he's doing what's best, what's right, acting like a parent and father Should act, perhaps how he himself was raised. unfortunately, a very common parental mindset (even outside of serial killers). maybe he was a little scarier sometimes though, a little more unhinged or violently angry. who's to say.

but he's still just a guy who could exist in real life. he still eats dinner with his family every night, hangs his kids' drawings on the fridge, had to turn the car around because they wouldn't stop fighting in the backseat, attended awkward parent-teacher conferences, everything. he was once a new father who happily came home with his first newborn, lost countless nights of sleep over the course of two more, loves them because they're his.

meticulously and senselessly killed children, then came home and tucked his own into bed and kissed them goodnight.

he can be abusive and still love his kids. he can be a murderer and still care for his own kids' lives. maybe the loss of his own kids is what triggered his actions, or maybe it was something else. i'm fine with not knowing because we don't need to know everything, and it's more interesting when we don't.

Something Is Seriously Wrong With This Guy And We Don't Know What or Why. when acquaintances find out he's a suspected murderer, it should be shocking and upsetting. he's such a great man and father, he wouldn't murder those kids! when michael discovers his father's crimes, he should be in denial. sure, he could be scary sometimes, but he wouldn't kill anyone... right? there's a great cognitive dissonance between who he appears to be and who he actually is.

whether william descended into grief-induced madness and obsession, or was just always some kind of freak, or both, i don't think he saw his own family as disposable. even if he didn't truly love them, he at least needed to keep up his own facade as a friendly family man. personally i like to see him as someone who was a shitty father but still loved his kids, because people like that exist, and it makes him a much more interesting, realistic, and nuanced character than if he just didn't care about them At All.

#fnaf #five nights at freddy's #william afton #purple guy #dontlistento me #sorry if this is so incoherent or all over the place or rambly. im insane.#fuck it im posting

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pumpkinbxtch · 2 months

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“Strong enough”

|| leo x reader || no HoO spoilers ||

— leo valdez x daughter of hecate ! reader

a real note: English is not my first language, so sorry if it's bad and i'm new in this. /// second note: Leo and the reader are in the middles 20's and in my writings it will always be like that.

Summary: It is practically an everyday situation. Leo doesn't feel confident with himself.

— My dear, are you going to participate in the capture of the flag?

Leo let out a small laugh, he found it a little funny when from time to time you called him what according to Leo said "sophisticated nicknames" however he couldn't stop loving it.

He, standing behind your back, took a look at you. It seemed he could never beat books when it came to fighting for your attention, so he continued with his thing.

— I don't think so. You know I'm not one of those who fight on the front lines.

You made a small clearing of your throat. — I think you would do very well, you would be very helpful to your siblings.

A small pause filled the bunker and before you turned around, he spoke.

— I'm not strong enough

You frowned and put the book down.

— As you say?

Leo just hid under the wheels of the Stolls' scooter and continued tightening the nuts in silence.

You turned to look at him, and, still with the witchcraft manual in your hand, you made a sign to get his attention, however, now the vehicle of the children of Hermes seemed to be something really interesting to Leo which made you snort.

You settled back into your place and gazed at the glass table that Leo had created for you, especially made for when you visited him in the bunker and wanted to spend some time there. Even of all the things in that workshop, that table was the only space that Leo purposely kept unoccupied and clean of grease, always ready for your arrival.

"Creator of such wonderful things and still thinks he's not strong" you thought. " What a stupid thing"

You marked your page before closing the book and gently placing it on the glass surface, you stayed still for several seconds before turning your gaze towards your boyfriend who was still working effusively on the scooter, giving you to understand that he really didn't want to continue the conversation, but as you watched him work it became more difficult to keep your mouth shut.

The way Leo grabbed the key and tensed his muscles when he turned it gave you reason to think that he was stronger than he thought and, even if he didn't see himself on the front lines of a fight, that thought was merely the reflection of what other people said and that over time he ended up believing.

Those thoughts frustrated you and led you to silently make your way behind his back to take him by surprise.

Leo jumped up and hugged the key to his chest.

— Hello? — He said, feigning annoyance, although you knew there was no trace of her anywhere.

You moved a little closer and grabbed the hand that held the key as Leo stood there stunned. You analyzed it: the whiteness of the knuckles when gripping the tool, the scars. Leo's fragile appearance was just that, appearance. He was already taller, stronger, smarter.

— They're strong

Leo swallowed dryly and looked for your gaze, trying to appease you.

— Linda?

Your eyes met his.

—Your hands are strong, you are strong. When are you going to believe it yourself?

Leo took a step back and gently released himself from your hold.

— You know that...

— I know what? — you raised an eyebrow and took your boyfriend's silence — I know you are the creator of many weapons but you can also be one.

You took a step forward and took the key from his hand to throw it on the floor. Not even the thunderous metallic sound made Leo look away from you, and he wondered if you had achieved it with a spell, however he couldn't move, much less formulate a word. He screw the stupid key, he could get a thousand of those out of his belt.

He tried not to look intimidated by placing a hand on the curve of your waist.

That made you raise your eyebrow even more.

— I'm not seducing you, darling.

—With that concern of yours, I would say the opposite.

You snorted and your eyebrows met, Leo immediately put his other hand on your cheek, still not taking his brown eyes from yours.

—I'm serious, I need you to believe in yourself. I do it...

Those words melted like butter in Leo's heart. How many people believed in him? Probably not many, but you doing it was more than he could ask for. So he chose not to give you a concern that he could fix, only if it left you at peace.

Still silent, Leo smiled and moved his fingers from your cheek to the wrinkle that caused your frown; With his fingertips he rubbed gently, forcing you to soften your gaze, he gave you a small touch on your nose and finally kissed your forehead.

Your gaze flashed but your eyes still gave off determination.

— Leónidas...

He raised both hands.

—You win, you always do. — He wrapped both arms around you and crouched down to press his forehead with yours — Where do I sign up, magical woman?

#leo valdez x y/n #leo valdez x reader #leo valdez #pjo hoo toa #pjo #hoo #heroes of olympus #leo valdez x you

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engie-ivy · 4 months

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(Wolfstar Meet-Cute with Fancy Guest Sirius and Waiter Remus!)

Read Part Two here

1697 words

When the best thing about a party is the waiter, it's either a very lame party, or a very appealing waiter. Or, as in this case, both.

There's Bound To Be Talk Tomorrow

Baby, it's Cold Outside - Frank Loesser

Sirius has to resist the urge to just lay his head down on the table and groan when Rabastan walks away for a moment to chat to the prime minister. The main course hasn't even been served yet and the evening already feels much, much too long.

“He's an asshole.”

Sirius looks up to see his table’s waiter having sat down on the chair next to him. Calloused hands, scars peeking out from under the collar of his shirt, floppy hair and a somewhat challenging look in his amber-coloured eyes.

Around them, people are milling about, dressed to the nines, seeing and being seen, exchanging polite conversation with existing connections and trying to make new connections, at the annual Christmas benefit gala dinner for high society's rich and powerful. Sirius can already see curious, and some scandalized, looks being thrown in their direction for an employee sitting down at one of the tables and talking to one of the guests. The waiter must also notice, but he doesn't seem to care, or even might enjoy causing a little controversy.

Sirius is intrigued.

He has been exchanging looks with the waiter all evening, it's actually the only thing that has made the evening bearable so far.

“I know things are unequally distributed,” Rabastan said. “Of course I have achieved everything by working very hard, but sometimes I think it's just so unfair that I'm also highly intelligent, well-spoken, and a naturally gifted businessman. I feel bad for those who don't have my skills and talent, but giving money to the poor will not solve anything. They will just squander it.” He shook his head. “No, I believe I'll help most by leading by example and giving advice based on my own successes.”

“Mmm,” Sirius hummed. “I don't think ‘let your dad make you CEO of his company’ is very useful advice to many.”

Sirius heard someone snort, and when he looked up, he saw the waiter quickly covering his mouth with his hand. They exchanged an amused look.

“Why would I have to pay for other people's health care?” Rabastan asked loudly, wine almost splashing out of his glass. “I take good care of myself! I spend precious time working with a personal trainer, I only let my personal chef prepare healthy meals, and I only eat at restaurants serving the finest organic foods.”

One of the women at their table looked at Rabastan with admiration.

Rabastan sat back in his chair, smirking. “If other people want to stuff themselves with fast food, it's their problem if they get sick. I'm not going to pay the prize.”

The waiter glanced at Sirius in a ‘is this guy for real?’ kind of way, and Sirius had just shrugged helplessly.

Rabastan lifted his glass. “I'd like to propose a toast! But not to myself, no. The excellent year I had, all my personal achievements, all my impressive financial gains, it all means nothing in light of the good cause for which we are gathered here tonight; the orphaned children.”

“Orphaned children,” Sirius repeated with a raised eyebrow. “You do know tonight is to raise money for children fighting cancer?”

Rabastan gave him an annoyed look. “Of course,” he said pointedly. “That's what I meant. When you give so much to so many charities all the time, you sometimes lose track.” He placed a hand over his heart. “I'm just such a giving person. It's my biggest flaw.”

Sirius almost automatically searched the waiter's gaze, and when their gazes met, they rolled their eyes at the same time.

Yet, Sirius hadn't expected the waiter to be so bold as to sit down in the vacant chair next to him the moment Rabastan’s back was turned, and talk to him like that.

“Your date, I mean,” the waiter says, as if Sirius might not have understood. “Your date’s an asshole.”

His refreshing straightforwardness, his ‘I don't care’-attitude, the challenge hidden in those eyes, it's… Well, it's damn hot, is what it is.

“I know,” Sirius agrees, taking a sip from his drink.

The waiter smirks. “So, is that your type then? Egocentric pricks?”

Sirius chuckles. “Not quite, no. It was my mother who insisted on this match.”

The waiter arches an eyebrow. “Does your mother always pick your dates?”

“This was a special case,” Sirius replies. “Her brother's daughter just got engaged to a Lestrange, so of course one of her children simply had to attend tonight's event with a Lestrange as well.” He rolls his eyes.

“You do know that you are allowed to say no to your mother, right?” The waiter asks.

“Oh, believe me, I do,” Sirius replies. “Going against my family's wishes is actually one of my specialties, but in this case I decided to oblige.”

“How so?”

Sirius nods towards a couple a few tables to the right and the waiter turns to look.

A young man with features similar to Sirius’, but shorter and slightly thinner, with also shorter hair, styled in an old-fashioned haircut, is talking to another young man, with blond curly hair and a face that seems permanently flushed. They seem not to notice anything else in the room, leaning towards each other with similar smiles on their faces, talking animatedly.

“Cute,” the waiter states.

“My younger brother, Regulus,” Sirius says. “He got asked by Evan Rosier to attend tonight's event together, and he was just over the moon. I knew that our mother wasn't going to let go of the idea of one of her children attending with a Lestrange, and that if I would say no, she would ask Reg, and he has never been as good as I am in telling our parents no. He definitely would've agreed for some stupid reason as ‘placing the family's interest above his own’ or something like that, even though it would've killed him to turn down Rosier.” Sirius shakes his head. “I decided to give Reg this one night with Rosier that he had been so looking forward to, and the only way I could, was by agreeing to attend with Rabastan Lestrange myself.”

“And here I was thinking you just had awful taste in men,” the waiter says. “But there's actually some noble, self-sacrificing reason behind it.”

“It's just one night of sitting in a chair eating fancy food,” Sirius says. “Not much sacrifice.”

“Well, I couldn't do it,” the waiter says, glancing at the many rows of cutlery on the table. “Sitting next to him with so many knives within hand's reach. I would've stabbed him by now.”

Sirius chuckles. “I admit I came close to jabbing a fork in his hand at one point, but I feared I would hit my own leg, as his hand happened to be positioned on my thigh at that moment.”

The waiter makes a face. “I'm sorry.” Then he looks at Sirius with a sincere expression. “Listen,” he begins a tad awkwardly. “You definitely don't strike me as some damsel in distress and I'm sure you can take good care of yourself and don't need to hear this from me, but I hope you're not letting him bring you home? I know it's none of my business, but I don't like the way he's looking at you, and he seems like the type of person who's not used to being told no. I don't like the idea of you being alone with him.”

“Don't worry,” Sirius says, tapping his glass of water. “I made sure I have my own ride. I drove here on my motorcycle.”

“Motorcycle?” The waiter groans, placing a hand over his heart. “God, just when I thought you couldn't get any hotter.”

Sirius barks a laugh.

The waiter tilts his head and smiles while looking at Sirius. “I like your laugh. I didn't hear you laugh like that before.”

Sirius, who can't even recall the last time he blushed, feels his face flush. “That's because it's my real laugh. And Rabastan told me not to laugh like that in public. He says I'll embarrass him, and that it makes me sound like a barking dog.”

The waiter frowns. “Like… that's a bad thing? I mean, can you imagine a better sound than a barking dog?”

Sirius barks another laugh.

“That's two,” the waiter says. “Two times I made you laugh your real laugh. Take that, Rabastan. You know,” he leans forward smiling at Sirius. “I think, given the chance, I can increase that number.”

“What do you mean?” Sirius asks.

“How about we just get out of here together?” The waiter asks.

“Really?” Sirius asks, and then he smirks. “Didn't you just warn me against being alone with a man who might have an ulterior motive?”

“Ah,” the waiter says, holding up a finger. “I said a man who isn't used to being told no. I, however, am very much used to being told no!” Then he cringes at himself. “Good god, did I really just try to flirt with a cute guy by emphasizing how used I am to being rejected?”

Sirius barks a laugh again.

The waiter says nothing, just holds up three fingers.

Sirius shakes his head, but he can't suppress the smile on his face. “You'll lose your job.”

The waiter shrugs. “It's a shite job, with shite pay.”

“Still,” Sirius says. “You'll give it up for someone you know nothing about?”

“I know that I want to hear that laugh more often,” the waiter says. “As for the rest? I'm willing to take a risk.” He holds out his hand. “So, what do you say? Is it too much of a cliché for me to sit on the back of your motorcycle with my arms wrapped around you, while we drive off into the night together?”

It will undoubtedly be stupid. The waiter will lose his job, Sirius will get in all sorts of trouble with his family, and they don't even know each other's name. Yet, there's something about the man that Sirius finds himself unable to resist. “It is a terrible cliché,” Sirius agrees, while still reaching out to take the man's offered hand. “But I guess I can appreciate a good classic.”

Now with a Part Two!

#my tumblr writing #wolfstar christmas fics #wolfstar christmas #wolfstar holiday fluff #waiter remus lupin #wolfstar meet cute #wolfstar #wolfstar fanfiction #wolfstar fic #marauders #marauders fanfiction #marauders fic #sirius black #remus lupin #remus x sirius

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konfuchsius · 4 months

Text

Visions and Dreams

Chapter 1 out of 2 for my Fanfiction as part of the @dcmkgenbigbang2023. It was a long way but now we are here. :D Big thanks to @fure-dcmk for creating the art for this and beeing my Heiji-speak-translator ;). An equally big thanks goes to @hilplusterrorss for being my beta.

Teaser Heiji hadn't slept for days and it was showing. Dark circles ran below his eyes, his hair was all shaggy as he often ran his fingers through it. Even his fingers seemed to quiver occasionally when he held his pen. But no matter how many times Kazuha asked him about it, he only mumbled something about a nightmare and otherwise kept quiet about it. When the recess bell announced the end of school, she finally couldn't take it anymore.

wordcount: 5508

Chapter One

Heiji pulled off the side of the patch a bit to peek underneath and look at the fresh wound on his stomach. It would surely scar over, reminding him forever of Sakata's betrayal and how he had exposed him far too late.

Sakata of all people. Heiji still couldn't believe it. He had used him, put him on the wrong track, and murdered all those people behind his back.

It just didn't fit the image he has always had of him. The quiet, helpful Sakata who had been doing him little favors with a smile on his lips for as long as he could remember. Just like Otaki, he had known him forever, never suspecting that Sakata was pursuing such a sinister plan from the beginning. Would Kudo have noticed? If he had known him as long as he had?

"What are ya doin'?" An all too familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Kazuha was standing in the doorway, looking at him reproachfully. "Yere supposed ta leave the bandage alone. Ya just had a recent operation."

Heiji demonstratively rolled his eyes, but pressed the bandage back in place and pulled his hospital gown over it. Maybe it really hadn't been a good idea to pull it off, but he needed to see it: The memorial he would now carry with him forever. The memorial for the fact that he had trusted Sakata.

Behind Kazuha, Ran as well as Shinichi and Kogoro entered the room to check on their friend. They all looked so serious and gloomy that Heiji couldn't help but try to lighten the situation a bit.

"Ya acting like it's a funeral, lighten up!", he joked. However, this attempt seemed to achieve the opposite.

"That's exactly what ya almost roped yerself into!" Kazuha admonished him with a scowl. "Ya just faced Sakata alone like that! And ya gave away yer lucky charm too!" There almost seemed to be more reproach in her voice for the latter.

"The lucky charm saved Conan's life, otherwise he would be the one lying here now," Heiji interjected. "And I'm fine, so what’s yer problem anyway?"

"What’s my problem?"

Oh dear, wrong question.

"What’s my problem?!" Kazuha became noticeably louder and furrowed her eyebrows in anger. "We're visitin' a guy who got a bullet plucked outta his guts and ya asking what's my problem?! Ya even worried us by actin like yer dyin' on the way here!" She probably would never let him live that down.

"I was just tryin' to sleep!" It wasn’t his fault that she went ahead and assumed something morbid. "Ya've already paid me back, so isn’t that enough?" he asked annoyed.

Kazuha's lips narrowed and she continued to give him a death glare, but other than that, she actually let the subject drop. He wondered if she had noticed from his tone how serious he was, so she postponed this discussion. Or maybe she just understood how he was feeling right now, after all, she had known Sakata too. She had been friends with him as well.

But before he could think about it further, Ran and Conan engaged him in a conversation, in which he reiterated that he was fine and that he would be out of here by tomorrow. Otaki also checked on him. Only his parents didn't show up, even by the end of visiting hours. It didn't really surprise him, yet it caused a slight twinge in his stomach area. But perhaps this also came from the wound.

When Heiji was alone in the room again, he let himself sink back into his pillow with a sigh and thought about what had happened. His fingers touched the talisman, which he now wore safely around his neck again. It was crazy that this little thing had saved Kudo. Then the knife had to be right- Heiji tapped his finger against his chest where he suspected the knife tip to have been and froze slightly. Just like in his dream. At this spot, the blood had oozed out from under Kudo's T-shirt, he was sure of it.

It was kind of creepy, as if this dream had warned him. In the end, however, it could only have been a coincidence. A happy coincidence.

Although, of course, Kudo would never have been in danger either if Heiji hadn't invited him to Osaka because of that dream. So if it had been a prophecy, it was a self-fulfilling one.

That he even thought of such a thing. Kazuha's talk of fate and supernatural powers must have rubbed off on him. Foreseeing the future, such a thing was humbug, which really only someone as gullible as Kazuha could believe.

Instead of continuing to rack his brains unnecessarily, he lowered his hand again and closed his eyes to finally get some sleep. The day had been exhausting enough and the nag had not let him sleep in the ambulance.

o0o

Heiji stood at a tram stop and waited. He didn't know what exactly he was waiting for. While the cars passed him by and he felt the vibration of the nearby subway under his feet, an older man approached him. He was about in his mid-forties and caught Heiji's eye because his gaze seemed to be fixed on him. Heiji sensed this, even though the man had his brown peaked cap pulled down low on his face. He seemed to be saying something, at least his lips were moving, but no sound came out of his mouth. Leaning further forward to better understand him, Heiji suddenly saw horror form on the man's face. A loud bang, and blood splashed towards Heiji. He frantically wiped it from his eyes, blinked several times, and stared at a hole emblazoned in the man's forehead. Before Heiji could react any further, he snapped out of his sleep.

Damn, what was that?! His pulse raced, even though his head had long since realized that this had only been a dream. It had just felt so damn real. Just like it had with Kudo.

He pressed a hand over his heart and took deep, long breaths to bring his body back under control. The fact that he had to dream about something like that, surely it was because of what had happened with Sakata yesterday. It had probably taken more out of him than he thought, or would ever admit.

A shot to the head, Sakata almost ended it that way. Heiji ran his fingers through his hair and tried to divert his thoughts to something else. There was no point in brooding over the past, so instead he reached for his cell phone, which lay on the nightstand next to him and was already blinking diligently.

There was a message from his mother - so she had heard that he had been shot after all - one from Ran, who wished him a speedy recovery, and the last one was from Kazuha:

>>When ya get discharged today, we'll celebrate it with a round of okonomiyaki<<

There ya go, if anything could take his mind off things, it was a good meal!

o0o

Heiji and Kazuha were on their way to their favorite restaurant. The traffic light at the intersection in front of them turned green. As the crowds began to move from both sides, Heiji noticed something brown flashing between their heads. A cap that reminded him of the old man from his dream. After crossing the street, he stopped on the other side and looked around for the wearer, but the brief glimpse he still caught of them was from their backside. He had not been able to make out the face, but the stature had seemed masculine.

"Are ya comin'?", Kazuha's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He took another quick glance back, hoping to see the man again, then shook his head free of those thoughts and continued walking.

"Comin'." This was mere coincidence. It could only be one.

o0o

It felt good to sit and laugh with Kazuha. To take his mind off the dream and Sakata for a bit. He had even almost forgotten about the old man when they stepped out of the little store back onto the street and heard police sirens in the distance. Heiji's stomach tightened instantly. He had a hunch as to why the police were on the scene, and no matter how ridiculous it was and only based on his gut feeling, he couldn't shake that thought. He had to go and see.

Without another word at Kazuha, he ran off, turned around several corners and finally stopped breathlessly in front of a crowd that had formed around a train station. The horrified whispering of the people told him what had happened before he could see it himself. His stomach had been prepared to contract as Heiji fought his way forward through the crowd, but he didn't have to. The scene that presented itself to him was gruesome and anything but appetizing, but the victim was unknown to him and he had not been shot. It was not the man from his dream and now Heiji noticed how a burden fell from him at this realization. For a moment he really believed that he had foreseen the future.

The murder turned out to be a simple accident. The man had fallen drunk on the tracks and so there was nothing for Heiji to do. Probably he had never been so relieved about it.

Thus, Heiji returned to Kazuha and they took the train home together.

"Yere unusually happy fer a detective that didn't get a case to solve....” Kazuha remarked. Normally Heiji would be sulking about something like that but he just waved it off.

"Now why did'ja have to word it like that. It's not I like I enjoy seein' people murdered. Besides, I`m not in the mood fer a case." He grinned at Kazuha. "I'd much rather watch a movie with ya."

Kazuha looked at him in surprise. He loved it when he could rattle her like that. Regaining her composure quickly, she demanded, "But none of your horror flicks."

"Oh, why not?" Heiji laughed at the sour look she gave him. "It'll be fun, I'm tellin' ya! I got a knack for predicting the ending fer this stuff," he joked. However, the grin slipped from his face as the train stopped at the next station and a familiar face stared at him in horror through the glass. Heiji saw his lips move in slow motion, then a loud bang sounded and he fell to the ground. The man in the brown cap was dead.

It had taken him a moment to process this. A moment too long for anyone to not have noticed. It had been a long time since he’d felt such horror because of a corpse, now he stared at it as if he had seen a ghost. He had been able to dismiss the Kudo incident as a coincidence, but he had not known this man. Sure, he could have caught his face sometime in passing and his brain processed it in a dream, but that this very man then died at a train station by a bullet in the head. That he formed the same sounds with his lips. That he wore the same clothes and the same expression of horror before. No, here the coincidence ended. He had really foreseen the future. He had done something impossible.

"Did ya know him?", Otaki asked his young friend. Heiji hadn't heard him coming and was accordingly startled, but this finally allowed him to snap out of it. He almost said yes, but pulled himself together and shook his head.

"No." His teeth gritted with tension. What on earth did that mean?

o0o

There was no movie with Kazuha that evening after all. Heiji had to think, but it all seemed to make no sense. He had never known the victim or the perpetrator or been able to find any other connection to them. So why had he had this dream? - This vision, even though he still resisted calling it that. Was he supposed to save the man? But how? It gnawed at him as if a thousand little rats were biting in.

The talisman had protected Kudo, but he could hardly hand it to a stranger. Besides, he didn't believe that the lucky charm Kazuha had made really had any powers. Even if he himself apparently had something like that.

In the end, this is just a crazy long dream, Heiji thought. He was just dreaming about all this, that's how it had to be. A crazy long dream, but when would he wake up? To be on the safe side, he should probably still assume that this was reality. He sat down on his bed and typed the word "psychic" into the search engine on his phone. Even though every one of his detective instincts told him it was humbug, he couldn't ignore these two incidents. If there really was such a thing as clairvoyance, there had to be something about it on the Internet. His finger hovered over the enter key to confirm his search, then he deleted the term. Even if he found something that looked halfway serious, he wouldn’t be able to tell if it was real. It would get him nowhere. So the only thing left for him to do was to make his own observations, should he have another dream - and he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Apparently the gods did not think much of his wish, because not even one day later, the next vision haunted him. This time it was a woman he saw dying. She sank to the bottom of a body of water with her arms and legs bound, and although she could hardly move, she did not give up without a fight. Heiji's stomach turned at the thought of the brackish water filling his lungs as well and gradually suffocating. A cruel death. He reached out for the woman, but could not touch her. It was in vain, as was trying to recognize anything of the surroundings. Heiji already knew that he could not save this woman. She could drown anywhere in Japan and he didn't even know when. Even if he could convince his father that he somehow knew about this impending murder, he lacked any clue to prevent it. But there had to be something he was missing. There had to be a way, otherwise why was he having these visions? There had to be.

When he finally woke up, his clothes and skin felt wet. He must have been sweating, but after that dream it felt like he had emerged from the water. As if he had also been drowning for a short time. If this continued, he was going to go crazy.

This time, he didn't hesitate before hitting the enter button on his phone. Somewhere there had to be trustworthy information about why he was having these dreams. If he really saw the future, then he couldn't be the only one in the world capable of doing so.

o0o

He was alone in this, or at least there was no one on the World Wide Web who was bragging about his abilities and seemed serious. After the visions became more frequent, Heiji had even made a post of his own in an anonymous forum, but so far only trolls and know-it-alls had responded. He did not even know what he really hoped for. Answers to the why and how. Then he could possibly control the visions and really help the people he saw dying. Except for Kudo, he had not been able to save anyone. He had tried, but there were no files on crimes that hadn't happened yet, and Otaki wasn't much help either, since he was only called in when there was already a dead body. It was enough to drive him up the wall, and with every night the fear grew that he would see a familiar face in his dreams again. Someone who was close to him and whom he could not save just like all the others. (Wasn't it then somehow his fault if they died?) Some nights he preferred not to sleep at all, but even this could not prevent his worst fear from coming true.

The cool evening air was permeated with the smell of iron. Heiji breathed it in, and though each puff slit his throat, his breathing was far too rapid. His eyes were locked on the scene before him, unable to break away from the sight. It was his parents lying there. His mother was lying on her back, her kimono soaked with blood. His father had fallen belly-down on her arm, facing her when it happened. A hole was emblazoned in both of their skulls. Heiji wanted to look away from this cruel picture, but he forced himself to study everything carefully and to memorize it. He had to stop this, at all costs. His father seemed to have another injury, judging by the pool of blood under his belly, but as he lay on top of it, Heiji couldn't see anything else. The surrounding area, he had to think of where it would happen.

He was apparently in a small shopping alley, but although he knew Osaka like the back of his hand, nothing looked familiar. There was a street sign further back, only the writing was too indistinct to read. He was probably standing too far away, but he couldn't move, his feet were stuck to the ground. A glance at his wristwatch at least told him what time it was: half past one and, judging by the lack of daylight, the middle of the night.

Rising from his sleep, he didn't hesitate long and grabbed a pen and sheet of paper. He wrote down everything he had seen and sketched the alley as best he could with his shaking hands. His parents wouldn't die, he wouldn't let that happen.

Over my dead body.

He wouldn't be able to sleep the rest of the night anyway, so he used the time to sneak into his father's office. The key was in his jacket pocket, with the toothed bit facing up. He had to put it back the same way afterwards, or his father would kill him for it. But their lives were at stake, after all, so Heiji took the risk. The cause of death was clean shots to the head, so it had to be a planned murder. Maybe his father was working on a particularly dangerous case, in which case he would find clues to it in his files. Except that was quite a pile. Heiji broke into a sweat just looking at the piles of paper on his father's desk. Better he worked fast.

o0o

The night passed and Heiji was not a bit smarter. Potentially any of these criminals could hold a grudge against his father, and on top of that, there were a bunch of people who had already been in prison and wanted revenge for it. He was kind of hoping for something bigger. An investigation against the yakuza or a drug ring. Anything that would have gotten him ahead so he could focus on those people.

Half past five, he gave up, knowing his parents would be up soon. Heiji sorted the papers and files back together and placed them in their original places as best he could. It was a little more difficult because his hands were still shaking. Then he pushed the office chair back to the table and locked the door. After the key was also back in the jacket pocket, he slipped upstairs as quietly as possible, skipped over the floorboards that creaked and disappeared into his room. There he waited until he heard the all-too-familiar clanging from the kitchen. His mother was making breakfast.

He waited a few more minutes, pretended he had just woken up and came down the stairs.

" Oh, yer awake already?" his mother asked him in surprise as he stepped into the kitchen. Usually, he didn't get up until after his father had already left for work.

"I couldn't sleep somehow," Heiji said casually. He squinted a little at his father, who was at the table with a newspaper, eyeing him as well. How on earth was he going to start this conversation? Heiji pushed back a chair and sat down, then kneaded his hands nervously. "Ya guys...aren't planning on goin' out late anytime soon, by any chance?" he finally just asked freely. Seemed weird, but whatever.

His parents looked at him strangely, as expected, but it was only Shizuka who answered, "No, what makes ya think that? Yer not plannin' anything improper, are ya?”

Heiji shook his head vigorously. "No, nonsense. I just thought ya guys hadn't done that in a while." Well, that's some bad luck. If they had said yes, he could have just stopped them from going. As it was, he still had nothing in hand and the clock was ticking while he didn't even know how fast. Between the dream of Kudo and the actual occurrence of the vision had been several days, between that of the man and his death only about half a day. What if the time was getting shorter and shorter?

o0o

A week had passed since Heiji had had this vision. What if this attack would happen only after several weeks or months? By then, he would surely have forgotten all his caution. It would happen suddenly, so that he could not prevent it.

This horror did not let him sleep at night. He couldn't concentrate at school either, and certainly not during kendo training. So the coach sent him home early and Heiji used this time to investigate further. He walked the alleys of Osaka, every single one, no matter how long it would take. He had to find this place sometime.

And what if it didn't happen in Osaka?, it crossed his mind. What if it happened out of town? He would never find the place. Frustrated, Heiji settled back against a wall and ran his fingers through his hair. Could he really do nothing? But then what were these visions good for? Were they just there to torment him? Had he angered some god? He just didn't know what to do anymore.

o0o

Heiji hadn't slept for days and it was showing. Dark circles ran below his eyes, his hair was all shaggy as he often ran his fingers through it. Even his fingers seemed to quiver occasionally when he held his pen. But no matter how many times Kazuha asked him about it, he only mumbled something about a nightmare and otherwise kept quiet about it. When the recess bell announced the end of school, she finally couldn't take it anymore.

"I can tell yer hiding somethin', ya moron! " she confronted Heiji on the way home. "Did somethin' happen? Is it because of a case?" When he still didn't respond, she continued, "Is anyone in danger?" At the last word, Heiji flinched almost imperceptibly. Still, he denied it.

"It's nothin'. Just leave me alone." Kazuha narrowed her eyes scrutinizingly and stepped into his way.

"Either ya tell me what's going on now, or I'm gonna ask your parents."

"Are ya crazy?!" Heiji reacted quite annoyed, but still didn't dare to just push her out of the way, and when he tried to avoid her, she just kept running with him. Finally, he stopped and scowled at her. "Kazuha, Let. Me. Through."

"I'm just worried about ya!" she exclaimed. Why did he have to be such a stubborn jerk and keep it all bottled up? What were they friends for if he didn't want to be helped?

"Well, ya don't have to."

"'Course I do need to. After all, I'm practically yer big sister." When Heiji sighed at those words, she followed up, "And we're friends. Best friends." More than that, basically, at least to her. "The kind that let each other know what's troubling yer head so badly that ya carryin' an entire Mariana Trench under those eyes."

At first Heiji seemed like he was going to push past her now, but then he grabbed his forehead and shook his head slightly. "Ya wouldn't believe me anyway."

"Why wouldn't I believe ya?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly, in that way that only she could, so that it looked like a question and a threat at the same time. At that, Heiji's gaze fell on the lucky charm dangling from the cell phone in her back pocket.

"... Maybe ya would actually believe me."

o0o

Heiji didn't explain it to her directly, here on the open road. Instead, he took her home and pulled her up the stairs to his room.

"What did’ja want to show me?" asked Kazuha, confused. Heiji didn't answer her, but went to his desk and pulled something out of his drawer. A map covered with red crosses and more sheets. He picked out one in particular and thrust it into her hand. It was a sketch of an alley and in the middle lay ... two corpses? Kazuha didn't understand.

"Why did ya draw that?" She looked questioningly at Heiji and then back at the sketch. If it was a case, he would rather have photos of the crime scene than sketches like that - even if he wasn't allowed to have the photos, Heiji always got to them somehow.

"This is what I dreamed of," Heiji explained. Kazuha looked up again and noticed how he fixed her with his gaze, as if expecting a certain reaction. When none came, he added, "And lately, my dreams are comin' true."

"True? What do ya mean?"

"'Exactly what I said. I've also been dreamin' about the man who was shot in front of our train and how Ku- how Conan took that knife."

Kazuha frowned, then put the papers aside to devote her full attention to Heiji. "Ya mean ya dreamed about it before it happened?"

"That's why I gave Conan my lucky charm."

That's why he had...? She didn't know exactly what to make of it, but if Heiji was claiming something like that, then he had to be serious. He had never believed in the supernatural, unlike her. Unless... this was supposed to be a joke, but the rings under Heiji's eyes looked too real for that, and he didn't have the patience for such a long preparation, to pretend the whole time. "Who are the two in the sketch?" she finally asked as a dark foreboding crept up on her. The implied clothing and hairstyles did seem a little too familiar now, but she still hoped to the end that she was wrong.

"My parents."

o0o

"And yere sure ya saw the future?" inquired Kazuha again. "What if it was just a nightmare after all?"

"It wasn't a nightmare, neither were the other times!" retorted Heiji irritably. "It feels different, not like a dream, much more real," he tried to explain. He gestured additionally with his hands, but he couldn't seem to make this feeling tangible to Kazuha. That was probably a futile endeavor anyway, because how could one imagine something that shouldn't exist/ defied all reason? "Ya better take another look at that sketch and tell me if that alley looks familiar to ya in any way." He himself was already back at his desk hunched over his map, checking off the places he'd already ruled out. It had to be an alley where the houses were very close together and there was also a konbini. Unfortunately, this was true for far too many places. He was circling another one when Kazuha interrupted his train of thought.

"That's strange ..." Heiji looked up and glanced at Kazuha, who was sitting on his bed.

"What, did ya notice somethin'?!" Kazuha's eyebrows drew together thoughtfully, then pointed to the strokes that were supposed to represent Shizuka. "Yer mother's kimono, it's folded wrong."

"Folded wrong?" Heiji virtually snatched the sheet from her, causing her to let out an indignant sound. He ignored her, however, and let his gaze wander over the drawing as he plopped down on the bed beside her. Indeed, the right side of her kimono was draped over the left, but that was something one did only with corpses. Has someone tampered with her body after her death? But then there would have to be signs. The blood would be distributed differently, the binding messier.

"Maybe ya just remembered it wrong, or ya didn't draw it properly," suggested Kazuha, who had slid next to him and was now peering over his shoulder. Heiji shook his head.

"I drew it right after I had the vision. It was all still so clear, I-" He thought feverishly, wondering if he could have made a mistake after all, but that would be unusual. He had always trained himself to memorize details well for his detective work. On the other hand, he had been in shock.

"If yere so sure, maybe it was just a nightmare after all," Kazuha mused. "That would explain it, and it would be good too, wouldn't it?"

"But-" Of course Heiji wished that too, yet how could he be sure? "What if it wasn't? What if it is a vision and I don't stop it from happening?" There was so much pain in his voice that Kazuha got a clear picture of what he must have been going through the last few weeks. It made her shiver.

"Maybe there are other inconsistencies that make it definite," it then occurred to her. "Yere not supposed to be able to read in dreams because the letters blur. Or the time on a clock jumps around too fast. Do ya remember anythin' that was weird?"

"I don't know." Heiji suddenly wasn't so sure what to believe. Had he imagined the visions after all? But Kudo and the man couldn't both be coincidences. Some of the victims from his other dreams had also appeared on television afterwards. No, the visions were real, but maybe he was wrong at least this time. It was to be wished.

"Try to remember," Kazuha urged him. She placed a hand on his back for support. "What exactly did ya see? Try ta recall from the start."

"Okay." Heiji took a deep breath and closed his eyes to concentrate better. Then he willingly recalled the images that had been tormenting him day and night.

"I was standing in this alley, my parents were walking down it, a-as," he faltered, and though his eyes were already closed, he squeezed them even tighter at the scene that followed. Only he couldn't escape the image behind his eyelids that way. "Someone shot them, the bullets came from somewhere behind me, but I couldn't turn around. Not even my head." If only he had tried harder. Heiji didn't realize he had clenched his hand into a fist until he felt Kazuha's on it. She gently pulled them apart again.

"And then?"

"I tried checkin’ my wristwatch for the time, at least, and-" He held his breath.

"It's okay, ya don't hafta force yerself."

"No!" She had misinterpreted his repeated halting. Heiji's eyes snapped open and he beamed at her. "Yere a genius!" Kazuha gave him a more than puzzled look in response. Not that she was averse to the compliment, but what had she done to deserve it? "The watch! My wristwatch! I was too busy flusterin' over the time that I didn't notice it, but the hands, they were all wrong."

"The hands were wrong?" repeated Kazuha, still baffled. Heiji nodded eagerly.

"The small hand and the big hand were on the same line. If it was really 12:30, then the hour hand shoulda been between the one and the two, but definitely not straight on it." He breathed a sigh of relief and flopped backwards on his bed. "In other words, it really was just a nightmare." Now that that was cleared up, he suddenly felt extremely tired. His limbs and eyes were heavy but still nothing was more relieving than this moment. He had been so scared. So many people had died that he hadn't found enough information to save, and each of those lives weighed on him. He couldn't have borne having his parents on his conscience as well. "Thank you."

Kazuha smiled weakly, she too was glad that Heiji's parents weren't really in danger, yet something still worried her. That vision had only been a nightmare, but if the others before it had really been real, what would Heiji get to see in the future? And how could he learn to keep dream and reality apart? She didn't want to see him so completely wrecked again, but something told her that's exactly what would happen. Maybe some of his psychic abilities were rubbing off on her, or maybe she just knew him too well.

#dcmkgenbigbang2023 #heiji hattori #kazuha toyama #dcmk #detective conan #case closed #meitantei conan #fanfiction #gen #angst #heitorture #visions and dreams #au #alternate universe #dcmkgenbigbang23

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howlsnteeth · 2 months

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hi, just wanted you to know that if you ever wanted to like. interest-dump about cotl and your thoughts about the lore/storyline and stuff as ive seen you show in your art, id read PARAGRAPHS. im so curious and love to hear about people's interest in game/story/media lore and the interpersonal relationships within the universe!!! - from an autistic system who has loved your art since like. forever. (u can call us moss)

okay hi moss :3

i'm kind of due for an infodump on my cotl headcanons, so! i'll try be somewhat concise because this is going to be a long post anyway rip. i drew some pictures :D

(i can't really think of any warnings to give outside of usual cotl themes/killed race/dying/blood/etc but let me know)

obviously watching the destruction of your entire race is traumatic as fuck, also because it likely took a few weeks or months to achieve. so they died pretty underweight/weak bodied/pretty shut down. the bishops are gone by the time lamb is revived by toww, and their body hadn't quite made it to a 'body pit' (or food pit). still, they get Their Bell from another of their race on the way out. probably weren't thinking about it too hard and just desperately wanted to grab something while their eyes burned in their sockets and this red crown fit like molded clay in their hand. my lamb has a little notch out of their left ear which was caused while escaping, which ends up never healing because of a few reasons but mostly because i like it.

over the course of the game/story they start to slowly physically change. after revival it takes scars a Long time to fade, considering lamb is technically a walking corpse, and also because of their affiliation with Death (narinder, who has similar i'll mention later). they get dark marked lines under their eyes from that classic 'bleeding eyes' action during rituals/etc. their ears but especially horns get longer and sharper. their way of coping is similar to most lambs, jokes and pulled punches.

by the end of the 'main game/toww fight,' they've already made their choice, and start flexing their control/communication with the red crown itself. it gets harder for toww to view through it, and lamb gets somewhat intoxicated with the idea of an ultimate revenge, having killed all the other bishops. they've done everything they can to stop their cult members noticing signs of weakness, but as things get more stressful this kind of rubberbands around to them seeming extremely unstable. by the time they go to fight toww they're muttering nonstop, barely aware, and also they let their wool get longer and basically end up with a mullet. <3 because it's funny to me

they obviously beat toww and for them it's like a smashing of clarity, like a gripped handle let go, standing up from the river of blood. it's freeing but also the most pain they've ever been in. and instead of killing toww this pit in their stomach spares him. lamb went from a corpse to a god and now, in some sick way, they want to watch a god turn into a living corpse, just like them. because with every other sheep dead, narinder is the only one with a connection to that genocide, the cause of the other bishops doing it.

narinder hates their fucking guts. obvs. he thinks, or knows, that lamb is doing it on purpose. but narinder's body hasn't been normal for far, far too long. even before he was made death (as in artworks i've done with him), his body turned skeletal and rotted away. lacerations open all over his body, but especially down his front torso. when he's first brought to the cult, lamb gives him red robes, also because of this 'problem'. but narinder does every single thing he can against them. he gets white robes and lets them turn bloodied and disturbing to everyone around him.

even washing them stops working, and lamb does resign slightly to letting him sit in his dirty stupid robes. it's the pettiest shit. narinder also keeps his veil, and lamb can't bother with a reason to take it away. let that dumbass keep his yuck robes and veil. you can only stick him the stockade for a week before your other followers get too concerned.

over time, they do end up getting closer, but it comes from a place from both being touched and changed by Death, the red crown, and the choices of the other bishops. it takes a really long time and only after all the other bishops have been recruited (another whole thing). both of them catch themselves enjoying little things, and then having moments of all the pain bleeding through. an example is over time narinder does end up wearing darker robes, but it's fairly gradual. in this piece, it's lamb getting too deep in the countless lives that were taken from their race, triggered by blood (a whole little story thing), and narinder does make the (semi subconscious) choice to wear dark robes.

anyway you're probably looking at that giant shadow in the picture huh. it takes a long time but lamb Does end up truly becoming a bishop.

not 100% done with this design, but it has the basics. their main horns end up breaking off (thinking of a story behind that still). the main thing with them that i really like is they have multiple strings of bells on them. so everyone starts associating the sound of ringing bells as Death. so if you hear them, they're coming for you. that being said, they also have the ability to move completely silently, despite being covered in bells. which adds to the scaring-the-fuck-out-of-everyone factor.

there's a ton more i could get into with the other bishops, ratau, the duck siblings, the crowns themselves, more aym and baal, but i'm probably gonna do more artworks with them so i can talk more then :3 this is already too long lmao

thanks for the ask though!! it's nice knowing people are interested in my stuff :D (it's also worth mentioning that i am also a system and have alters of lamb, narinder, and aym and baal, who all contribute to this stuff)

#barks #cotl #cult of the lamb #long post under cut

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namelessedospuntosp · 1 month

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What would GTA SA be like if we could take woozie and Claude out on a date?

I'm well bored, so I wrote how I think dating woozie and Claude would be in GTA sa if rockstar hadn't been afraid to make cj bi/pan/omnisexual.

First let's go with my beautiful king woozie.

WOOZIE

After completing ALL the woozie quests, you will be able to make him your (secret?) boyfriend in the "fours dragons" in his office or a more secluded place. After that, he will be idle from 22:00 to 0:00 (I imagine being a casino owner won't give you much free time, so be quick to ask him out on a date.) you can meet him at his house somewhat far from his casino. (It would be a bit silly to live in your casino knowing that a mobster wants to kill you because you stole money from him in his casino with your boyfriend and he knows where you work. Lol)

Requirements: None, at the end of the day, he is blind and wouldn't care much what kind of body cj has, but he would be curious to touch it (Not sexual way) and find imperfections or scars. (I feel he likes scars because of their origin, he finds it boring if an object or a body is all smooth and has no shape or an imperfection).

Food: He will go to any restaurant, bar no matter if it's far from home. Except junk food restaurants, he hates the strong smell of that place (he gets pretty dizzy when he smells something strong) and the taste of the food there. (I can imagine trying to throw a plastic bottle towards CJ's head but misses and hits another guy who was eating his burger in peace. Xddd)

Places to dance: Oh baby, this won't be like all the dancing you did with the other girls. You'll have to beat the woozie out of a dance competition, whoever has the most dance points wins. (Accidentally woozie will get the girls' attention and when the competition is over, you'll have to rescue him from them). Rides: I remember hearing woozie's dialogues asking Carl to increase the speed. So yes, he is going to ask you to go more but faster, he is going to have a lot of fun. (Another tough challenge, try not to crash or he will call you blind.) but there will be times when woozie is going to ask you if he can drive, if he says yes, you will have to guide him, what directions to go and when to stop or follow the car. If you don't respond or don't respond in time, woozie will crash, first he will ask you if you are ok, then he will scold you and tell you to be more attentive.

He doesn't care if you take him far away or close to his home, as he won't notice. Moments that can happen during the date: Remember when Salvatore threatened Carl about killing him, his family and friends? Well, I highly doubt that threat was null and void knowing that he had Claude kill people (if I'm not mistaken) who were indebted to him. So he will send the assassin to kill you and woozie. If you choose to attack, this may affect negatively, as it will cause woozie to become more stressed.(He already has a lot of stress with his casino.). So it's best to get away from them as quickly as possible, before woozie gets screaming mad and shoots you. If this keeps happening too many times, the two of you will have to let each other see each other for a while for the safety of both of you, but you're not going to stop getting calls from woozie.

Hot coffe: Mmm... if I tell you he's asexual? (Rockstar confirmed it to me. 🤑) Or well, at least he's on the asexual spectrum. You have a better chance of him inviting you to play video games, very rarely is he going to ask you if he wants to have coffee. (10% chance you have that he does, there should be an achievement for that.) but you're not going to hear woozie's moans, if not Carl's. (Just because he's blind, doesn't mean he'll leave all the work to cj.) Prizes: 40% He will give you another car much faster than the one we got in the mission "Wu Zi mu". 60% you can now gather woozie members, he can help you to conquer neighborhoods in the saints or assassinate Salvatore's guys. (Same as Grove Street members, only with better aim,

more useful and they are not a nuisance in battle). 80% Hot coffer. 100% a Mountain Cloud Boys suit, with this suit you have high chances that woozie members will agree to go with you, bets will be easier to win and if you fail, you won't be in debt and you won't get those annoying calls. The only negative is that Salvatore's men will identify you easier and will try to kill you.

Ways to break up with him: Woozie's relationship at zero percentage: although woozie looks like a nice guy and peaceful, he is not patient and does not like to waste his time if he sees that his relationship there is no good communication or if he is treated badly. He will end up with Carl sadly, but not the friendship, so the gifts and benefits will stay there. Kill woozie: I don't know who will be very cruel to kill him knowing what woozie did for Carl, but if someone is able to do that, he will lose everything he got with him and now you already have two mobs wanting to kill you.

Claude speed

is at the place where Carl first meets woozie and Claude. Most likely looking at the state of his car or observing people's attitudes. He will be free from 12:00 to 15:00 at his house in san fierro. ("But Nameless, you can't go to san fierro yet, you must do the mission of-" shhhh... cj went there by the power of headcanons). Maybe I will ooc with him, because I imagine a young Claude speed very contrary than the speed of now, the only thing that doesn't change is that he is mute and full of traumas. Requirements: Ability to drive cars at 70% or max and stamina 50% or more. Food: He likes to eat everything and doesn't get fat and no matter how much food he swallows. (Currently he barely eats.) And he's not a big fan of bars but he's not going to refuse to drink it. (Later he got used to alcoholic drink, but he still doesn't like the taste and they don't drink too much because of a bad memory.) but his favorite choice will be Burger Shot. Places to dance: He doesn't really mind what place you go to (does this guy have an opinion and tastes of his own?). He's not a very good dancer, but he'll have a lot of fun if you dance worse than him. Lol

Things that will ensure that the date is a success: The fastest way to make the date go well is to play pranks on each other or drive at high speed, regardless of whether it's a ride or not. Problems that can happen on the date: CATALINA Oh shit... can you imagine how Catalina would react if she knew her boyfriend and her ex were together? She will do everything she can to hunt him down or find another man to make them both jealous. Walks: Oh man... not for nothing his last name is speed (I know rockstar said maybe that's not his last name, but he also let us create headcanons about him.) instead of a ride, he's going to challenge you a race, the one who wins can do anything or make her boyfriend a challenge. Hot coffee: He's not going to invite you for a coffee, speed is going to make eyes at you to conquer you and go straight to his dirty game. 👀 And if you ask me, Claude barely moans. That way you're going to hear Carl's moans more and very rarely hear someone else's moan. Ways to end it: Three ways this time.

Canonical: everyone already knows it, Claude Speed leaves with Catalina for Liberty city and is never heard from again. Bad boyfriend: not dating him and lying to him with "see you soon." knowing that Claude stayed with Catalina for many years (if we recall ALL the things Catalina did to cj, it must have been hell being with her for 10 years and cause you can't empathize or be cold as a defense for fear someone else will hurt you.) He may not say anything, but pretty disappointed in you, think he is not important to you and maybe he thinks this is normal between couple and the percentage will go down, but he can still date him no matter if he is 0% processes with him. Kill him: eh... the good thing is that you prevented Catalina from ruining Claude's life(? Rewards: 30% he'll lend you his key to use his car that he won in a race with woozie (Headcanon or not?). 50% hot coffe. 100% Claude will give you his clothes, having that on will increase 40% the speed of all cars but the car resistance and the bullet resistance of other enemies depends a lot on the advance of the speed ratio, if it is good or at the maximum, the cars will be much more resistant and very rarely the other enemy gangs will follow you, but if it is low or empty, they will be very easy to destroy and the enemies will shoot you no matter if you arrive green or ask what gang you are.

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jabberwockprince · 1 month

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I'm cooking r1999 OC stuff so i need to ramble about it hehehoho rubs my evil hands together

i had to rewrite this because i lost it but i also sound like a madman so i dont expect absolutely anyone to understand my train of thought <3

I OC-fied Tartaglia a few days ago but I just got around to thinking about his whole character and lore, and it hit me that I can just put his ass in Apeiron <3 I'd like to have an OC in each faction but we'll see how much my attention span lasts

BUT! THIS MF.

I want him to be from Apeiron specifically because the idea of an integer or equally valid number within the island acting like the most fucking feral irrational number is so funny to me. a complete betrayal of the scriptures but that somehow ends up making sense, so you cannot be mad because He Still Operates Within What Was Expected. a guy whose entire existence is just ANNOYING AND IRRITATING AND INSUFFERABLE. perhaps he's a fraction, I'm not sure yet. I'm not looking forward to researching numbers to find one that suits him thematically and shit

most likely considered a genius in an unconventional way, not similar at all to 37. more like still following the theme of opposing/overstepping while working within the guidelines. so maybe something to contrast her

37's talent for numbers is explained as an innate ability to see the numbers in everyone and see their true essence, which causes her to be isolated from the physical world and the people of her own community because she does not experience nor care about reality the same way others do. its impossible to try and understand her, because her insight is so vastly unique, but she can still provide solid proof to support her discoveries with no problem at all, as seen when she confirmed Vertin's number is 0. she cares about the scriptures and numbers, and yet she likes taking the chance to discover one's number away from others just because she can be the first one to do it

so im thinking. Aianteia could be the opposite. he cannot see the numbers in people like her, but their true Forms. the perfect geometrical shapes that can only exist in the abstract world of Forms, impossible to achieve beyond a close approximation. and because he essentially sees the "beauty" in people, he cares for the community, he is friendly and often befriends others rather easily. but he can't fucking explain why he sees the world Like That. nor provide any proof as to why someone is This Form or That Form. which renders him totally useless within Apeiron, because of the importance of proof. he cares about people figuring out their number, to discover themselves and whatnot--he cares so much that he will gladly show you which Form you're meant to be, the way the universe intended it

and THIS is when the themes of battle and war and carnage come into play. when it comes to irrational numbers or the impure, Aianteia connects their "floating points" and knows exactly what to do to purify them. to make their bodies as pure as their Forms. im saying that he basically sees fancy ass geometrical shapes and lines that let him know where to start cutting and slashing and killing. this is something he does out of genuine love and care, so that those who cant even DREAM of studying the scripture can get a fair chance at discovering their number, as irrational as it may be. all they have to do is survive

im thinking. that his scars are self-inflicted because he attempted to do the exact same thing to himself. and he survived. and he figured out his number this way. he cannot explain why or how or give proof as to why he knows THIS is his number (in a way, similar to how 37 knew from birth that THIS was her number) but i like to think that 77 took a good look at him and went "hes right." and everyone had to just. accept that this guy, most likely a very young teenager, found out his number THROUGH THE "WRONG" WAY

WHICH. IN TURN. FALLS WITHIN WHAT 37 INSISTS DURING CHAPTER 05--numbers are the eternal truth because no matter when or where or how you prove something, you and the person at the other side of the planet will come up with the same result. Aianteia has an entirely different approach that led to the same conclusion as 77's mother. once again, the issue is that this is something that cannot be corrected nor given proof. relating to the gnosis of an arcanist, and how arcanum is not a viable method of study because it cannot be verified by a third party. my brain is making connections at the speed of SOUND. anyway. the issue is that he's RIGHT. which would make him a fraction, potentially, since 37 describes them like this

Integers are the living examples of virtues. Fractions can be understood through specific means. Irrational numbers are the free spirits, while imaginary numbers are the existence which doesn’t belong to this dimension of the number axis

so he can be understood through specific means, but no one can figure out WHICH means exactly

I do think that he starts out genuinely wanting to help people achieve their purest self, and somewhere down in the middle of the road he started to have a little too much fun with the idea of being the hand that brings Forms to the world of Matters. and then as he spends more and more time outside of Apeiron, it becomes a dog eat dog mentality, whoever survives gets to be their truest, purest Form -> the strongest get to impose their ideals onto the rest. Aianteia SAYS that he's doing this to uphold the scriptures and defend them in the outside world, and this is partially true as a childish leftover desire from his initial journey. but really, its all about getting the shit beaten out of him and beating the shit out of others now to see who earns the right to live

if the Storm has been going on for 7 years, it started when he was 19, so im thinking he was around 14-15 when he left Apeiron during one of those expeditions. and they let him go specifically because pretty much everyone wanted him gone

from what I remember, both Manus and the Foundation existed BEFORE the Storm? so im willing to say that Aianteia joined Manus before the first Storm ever. but i also dont want to think too hard on time logistics because we dont have the full timeline of the game yet

#purinsu art #reverse 1999 #reverse 1999 oc #spina venatores #<- tentative tag because im not sure if im sending his ass there yet #just in case

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tathrin · 7 months

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🖤 a dark ship?

[from this ask meme]

I think I have to answer Silvergifting for this one. (And let me also throw you a rec for my brand new Celebrimbor joins the Fellowship AU, with lots of post-Silvergifting trauma baked-in.)

For starters I'm completely obsessed with the very idea of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain and desperately need some kind of hardcore world building 75-chapter story set in Ost-in-Edhil about these crazy smiths and the culture of their city. And of course you cannot talk about Ost-in-Edhil without talking about Sauron, and how he wormed his way into their lives and forges and was probably happier there than he'd ever been in his life before he destroyed it.

But it's about how much they had in common, and how great things could have been if only Annatar had meant any of his pretty lies (and maybe he did, just a little; maybe he wished he did, just a little; a Sauron who is at least tempted to Be Someone Other Than Sauron is my favorite flavor of this; a Sauron who destroys his own happiness, too in his pursuit of his dreams of power and does it anyway...) and how impossibly terrible everything was instead.

Doomed less by the narrative than by yourself: by looking at the blood that stains your own lineage and being forgiving of a maia who has blood and shadows in his own past as a result of wishing that you could ever forgive your family and yourself for their sins (because Celebrimbor might not have known that Annatar was Sauron, but he had to have figured out that something was wrong eventually; had to have made a conscious choice to ignore the warnings of Galadriel and Elrond, even if he didn't want to admit to himself quite how conscious; had to have sensed something off eventually, after so many years of working so closely together, and either decided to ignore it or to accept it because maybe everyone deserves a second chance, right? And what else is Ost-in-Edhil for...?).

Doomed by the knowledge of the horrors that resulted from your family's smith-craft in previous years, and your fear of what your own hands could make as a result; and being coaxed to step beyond the self-imposed limits that you set upon yourself because of that fear. By the fact that you finally, finally feel comfortable and safe enough here working with the Gwaith-i-Mírdain to take a risk in the forge and try something great...and the damnable results of that risk being taken alongside the worst person you could have possibly chosen to craft with, and knowing that you've doomed not just yourself but the world, too...

Knowing that in the end, you've done exactly the sort of damage that you once swore you would never do; that the only good thing left for you to do is to die without giving every last scrap of yourself away again; of having the precious knowledge of the Seven and the Nine dragged from your bleeding lips by the one who'd helped you walk the beautiful paths of their forging in the first place; to have spent so long waiting to show Annatar the glories you achieved with the Three while he was gone, and then realizing too late that their glory was just another form of doom and you could never, ever let him see.

To die at the hands of the lover who taught you to trust yourself again but who was himself lying all along... (But was he lying to you, or to himself?)

There's nothing good about silvergifting, but there could have been. In a kinder world, there would have been; should have been. And that's the appeal, I think: it's the tragedy that was always going to happen, but shouldn't have had to. They should have been able to heal one another from the scars of the First Age and the Years of the Tree; to use the combination of their great skills to heal the world from the damage that Sauron and his Master and the Oath of Fëanor did to Middle-earth; to make things better...

But they didn't. They didn't.

Instead all breaks to ruin and Celebrimbor dies broken in the dark, and love isn't enough to save him; love is only enough to damn him. To lift his shattered dreams like a banner before the Enemy and see his home and all his hopes burn to bitter ashes.

The Lord of Gifts and the Silver-handed Smith should have been able to create beautiful things between them; the most beautiful things seen since the Silmarils. But instead, all they wrought was destruction. Which is another, terrible form of beauty, in its own wretched way.

*Also see this previous post where I ramble deliriously about the joys and horrors of Celebrimbor/Annatar/Narvi.

#emoji shipping asks #asks meme #silvergifting #celebrimbor #sauron #annatar #gwaith i mirdain #shipping

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theflyindutchwoman · 1 year

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Those little league moments though… They were everything. From Lucy showing up (thank you Aaron for your service) to her taking charge… It was full of little crumbs that were delicious.

Lucy teasing Tim immediately about his coaching style was cute. It reminded me of when he was training Katie. But the best part was that, for all her teasing, she clocked right away that there was a story behind this. Having Lucy portrayed as the competent, insightful person that she is, is simply the best. And she knows Tim. So of course she would notice this. Tim being the soft coach and trying to be as encouraging as possible made perfect sense in light of what Genny said. Again he's someone who has always adapted his coaching style to what his student needed. But here, he just wanted the kids to enjoy the game and have fun. I'm so grateful that the show didn't force Tim to forgive his father back then or forget about his scars… Like he said to Lucy in Now and Then, these scars are a part of him. And I really love that we had Lucy take the role of the more demanding coach. For one because she could immediately see that Tim was overcompensating and needed someone else to counterbalance. This scene really highlighted the strength of their partnership : they can read the other and adapt to their needs so they can balance each other. She didn't berate him or try to tell him to do differently. She just took on the role. And secondly, she has always been a bit of an over-achiever and extremely competitive so of course she was going to take that very seriously.

And listen, I know it's probably an unpopular opinion, but I'm of the mind that we might never really get to see Chenford as parents on screen - unless we have a time jump or unplanned pregnancy #3, I'm not sure the show is going to be in the air long enough for that to happen. So seeing them coach kids was a really good way to showcase how well they would work as parents… And how good they already are as a team. Because that's how it started. They've always complemented each other and it's nice to see this dynamic is still there, only with a new kind of slow-burn now.

Last thought - Tim being absolutely turned-on in front of the kids will always send me… Assertive!Lucy is clearly a thing for him at this point… Add a side of Baseball!Lucy and the man was shook and a complete goner. Someone who not only doesn't mind his love of sports but actually knows about baseball? That boy never stood a chance. And Lucy was on a softball team, right? That scene of them with their matching orange outfits and their matching body language (the way they perfectly mirrored the other…) was so nice. They might be different but they always face everything as one.

#The rookie #Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Little notes on a piece of paper #5.11

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holden-caulfield · 2 years

Text

iii. the twist

main m.list - series m.list

previous chapter - next chapter

summary: jason's life had always revolved around secrets, but some of them are better left uncovered.

pairing: jason todd x reader

warnings: scars mentions, sexual innuendo and jason is a cutie

word count: 1364

It had left Jason quite shocked, to see how she had managed not only to hurt him, but to equal him in fighting. It almost made him regret hurting her. Almost.

But as he had just gotten out of the theater, hand in hand with Y/n, it didn't really matter anymore. He had a day off, thanks to Dick who had agreed to go on patrol for him, and he couldn't envision a better way to spend it than with her.

"Quite depressing, i think." She said, as the two of of them walked away, once again mindlessly in the night.

"Did we watch the same movie?" He asked, bringing his brows together in confusion. "It was a comedy movie, darling."

"I know, what's depressing is that they actually thought it was funny." She said, face blank as she thought back of the movie. "It was like your humor, Jason, awful."

"I'm sorry, i didn't know i was in the presence of the greatest comedian of all time," he said, bringing his hand around her waist and bringing her closer to him, almost flush against his sturdy frame. "Please teach me your ways."

"It's not something you can learn, either you're funny or you're not!" She said, shooting him a defying grin. "And you're not, Jason Todd."

"Full name, huh?" He asked, stopping to look down at her, both his hands now on her waist, squeezing lightly; not enough to hurt her and enough to feel her presence, soak it in, bask in it. "That implies very serious offenses."

"The worst," she said, gazing up at him through her eyelashes; inebriating with every movement of hers. "Think you know of some way to be forgiven?"

He smiled down at her, placing a chaste kiss on her lips; a kiss she immediately deepened, her hands on the nape of his neck, pulling him even closer. He complied, tightening his hold on her waist.

"I think i do, my apartment is not very far, if you're not too tired to walk, m'lady." He said, cockiness dripping from his every word.

She carded her hands through his hair and he swore he could have given in then and there, lost in her just as much as she was lost in him. "I thought comedic royalty such as me didn't need to walk to places."

"Want me to carry you?" He asked, oh so nonchalantly. "But be careful, if i do, i'll become insufferable. I will never shut up about carrying such a pretty girl in my arms, i'm warning you."

"Even more than now? I find it improbable not to say impossible," she said, bringing her head up to kiss him again.

He bit her lip, gently and roughly at the same time, something only he could achieve. "Careful, or i'm gonna prove you wrong."

The door of Jason's apartment opened and it closed even more rapidly as Jason pinned her to it, their lips irrevocably melted together in a searing kiss.

His hands were restlessly traveling her body, hers were pulling him against her, cupping his face with coarse kindness and entangling her fingers in his hair, now a mess.

She moved her hands to rest them on his, guiding him to the hem of her shirt. He pulled away for a brief moment, breaths still mingling together as he looked deep into her eyes, trying to steady his voice. "Are you sure, lovely?"

She looked up at him with that same defiance that characterized her, that glint of challenge that never seemed to leave her. She seemed vulnerable, as he had never seen her, and Jason felt his own barricades tremble slightly in front of her.

"Never been surer, Jay." That was it: Jason didn't need more than three simple words for him to take her up in his arms, lips locking once more as she brought her to his couch; much more comfortable than his door, he reckoned.

He laid her down onto it, placing himself above her and surveying her face once more, just to make sure: make sure she was okay with it, make sure he was too. He could always turn back, he had done so many times before, but it was different, it felt different. Taking the leap with her meant more leaps to come: about his life, his death, his 'job'. And he was scared.

But as he gazed into those eyes, all worries seemed to melt away.

His hands found the hem of her shirt once more, slowly, almost painfully, bringing it up. As he did so, he dragged his calloused hands over the expanse of her stomach, touching every burning inch of skin. He began kissing those lines of skin he was slowly uncovering, finding scars and marks, worshipping them nevertheless; they looked holy on her.

Once the shirt was out of the way, she did the same, tugging at his, begging for it to stop getting in the way. He removed it with a single fluid motion and her hands wandered free: soft and sacred as her whole being, they graced him with her touch, igniting him both inside and out.

He went back to his previous action; he wasn't done. He found her lips as he touched and subconsciously memorized every single inch and curve of her body, a new and sweeter mental image for his lonely patrol nights.

Until he noticed an unusual detail. Unusual and oh so peculiar. It shouldn't have been there.

He stopped what he was doing, eyes clouding with questions; she stopped too. "Jay, what's going on?"

He brought his eyes on her, then on her shoulder where his finger was still mindlessly rubbing; a scar. An all too familiar one; one that looked an awful lot like the one he had caused.

"Jason, is something wrong? Is- are these bugging you?" She asked.

A coincidence, perhaps. But as he looked at her whole body, covered in scars, as he thought of his own, matching hers in a too scary manner, he realized.

His hand flew to her throat on his own accord, squeezing more than he would have liked, but he hadn't control anymore: it was the assassin of the rooftop, with or without longsword.

She looked up at him hurt, and then hurt turned into realization, and with realization came anger. She hooked her legs on his waist, punching him square in the face and gaining enough momentum to roll over the couch, onto the ground. Her hands were now on his throat.

"You are that Red Mask," she said, tone accusatory. He should have been mad, not her.

"Hood," he said, and rolled her over again, but she escaped from his grasp, getting up on her feet with that same velocity he had once seen on the rooftop. "Who do you work for?"

He got up too and started circling her; he knew where his weapons were hidden, he just needed to get close enough.

She looked at him slightly confused, so he asked again. "Who do you work for? Who sent you to kill me?"

Her gaze got progressively more confused and angry. Jason scoffed. "Or is it just personal? I thought we had shared something on that lovely rooftop."

"Blood, that's what we shared," she uttered, eyeing the place, looking for an advantage. "And believe me, if i'd known you were him, i would have steered clear of you."

Now it was Jason's eyebrows that wrinkled together, stopping to look at her. She did the same, but her arms were still up in defense position, ready to strike at any given moment.

"You did not know?"

"I thought it was clear enough i did not know, idiot." She retorted, swiftly grabbing her shirt and putting it on; her voice sounded nothing like the girl she had met in the refrigerated aisle and he wondered if that was all a trick.

But before he could speak again, she took advantage of the apparently still moment, leaping outside the window and into the night. And Jason was left there, alone once more, wondering why every thing he got himself into turned out to be a nightmare.

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filypadreams · 1 year

Text

[ Guardian Angel ]

(Obey Me Brothers x gn!reader) angst/fluff ] based on Nightbringer's initial synopsis.

A-Asmo-chan!? It's ok Asmo, it's gonna be ok, look at me sweetheart. H-hey now…crying isn't a good look on you, let me help.

I had been looking for Asmo since Michael's blast. We were right next to each other but the light was so strong I was scared I would go blind.

(Y/N)...? (Y/N)! My wings!! The left side hurts and, and… I think I smell iron? Is my wing ruined? Please fix it, fix my beautiful wings!

Silly goose, you shouldn't be worrying about at a time like this. What if your flight gets impaired? Turn around, will you? Let your local dashing doctor see them~!

Asmo had a broken wing. He still looked as beautiful as the day he was born. Even whilst sobbing.

*sniff* I-I know but it's important! Michael always called me the cutest of archangels. Not that it matters now…

《It never will but at least you'll always be beautiful even without my help.》

_________

Levi? Leviathan where are you?!!

Ah! Finally I found you! Where were you? You got Lucifer worried.

I hadn't meant to be a burden to them but I couldn't shake away my worry for Asmodeus. Besides, there were so many casualties.

That's my line, I've been looking for you since the blast! Are your eyes ok? It was really bright.

…To be honest it's all a little blurry. The only thing that differentiates you from all the white plumage around me are the jewels decorating your wings!

Levi…they are quartz. Clear quartz, how can you see them if everything looks as bright?

Is my Levia-chan hallucinating??

The only assurance I got that he didn't hear the shake in my voice was his goofy smile. Like me, Levi was trying to keep himself together. He was happy to see a familiar shape.

I brushed his bangs away, his eyes were unfocused but nothing too serious, I hoped.

Hahaha! Silly normie. Your wings always shone brighter than most! My eyes do hurt, can you fix them? I'm…afraid to be honest.

《Oh, Levi… you ain't alone. I'm also afraid. Afraid I couldn't help anymore.》

__________

(Y/N), stop for a moment, please! You've been flying around non-stop. Aren't you hungry? I managed to keep some Pão de Deus* stashed away.

…Beel where did you even stash it?? In your pants?!

Probably the only time I got a good laugh out of this war. The bread tasted great regardless of where he took it from. Beel was relatively fine even if he looked worse for wear.

I assure you it's not contaminated. I need to go back and look for Belphie before he gets himself… … Please be safe.

He didn't dare speak his thoughts less they became reality. Which it almost did. He was always so gentle. Too gentle.

Wait Beel, you have a huge gash on yoru chest- LET ME FIX IT!

《How pathetic could I be at this point. To still even try, to believe I wasn't forsaken!》

__________

MAMMON!! Come back here this second or I'll throw you down to Earth myself!

Oi! That's not funny at all (Y/N)! We could end up there ya know?! Stupid Belphie…

I admit, bad choice of words. I couldn't let that idiot roam around with a gash in his chest though!

You don't mean that…nor did I mean to sound callous. But you need to sit down this instant, a gold piece fell off and you are bleeding! Honestly, what were you thinking when you got those??

Got a problem with my war medals?! They represent my proud and precious achievements for your information.

They say to be proud of your scars for those are marks of bravery. Of life.

Those are also heavy and attached to your skin in an impractical and unwise way. Let me fix that gash for you then we can look for Lucifer together.

Hmph! If you insist. Take haste, I can't stay idle for too long!

Really though, thank you. I'm scared for once…

《It's tragic you couldn't see yourself equally as treasured as your hoard anymore. I wonder how many you'll have. How many scars once this conflict is over will mark your body, that I couldn't heal?! There's too much gold on you.》

__________

…

…..

Lu…Lucifer? Hold on I'm here to help!

Even if for a moment, Lucifer had fallen on his side. The first of many during that battle.

I never saw him as damaged as in that moment. I had to do something!

Get…away from me! It's not safe out here for guardian angels! Hasn't Raphael provided you with shelter or something like that?

My brothers, sisters and, and… e-everyone was dutifully safely guided, sir! You need to worry no more, I'm here to…

To help.

(Y/N)...thank you. But I'm afraid you are of more help alive than with dead weight. Don't make me drag you with us.

Every guardian angel under Raphael had been dispatched to safety to help the wounded. I was one of the strongest but still low in rank, especially compared to someone as prideful in their capabilities as "The Light Bearer" himself. Please sir, don't push me away this time. Let me.

What are you saying…? Lucifer what are you doing you baboon? Stop being so incoherent, you know this is not like you.

I think the blunt end of a spear hit your head pretty hard, let me fix that for you, sir! It's my duty to be here.

《To be a useless withering and trembling angel. How can I expect to clean all that blood if I couldn't even fix Asmo's wings?!》

__________

Where is she? My sister…where's my bubbly, kind, naive sister?!!!

He screamed into the void, voice hoarse. No one was in the right mindset to help him. It's a blessing…it's lucky we survived. Most of us.

Belphie don't force yourself to speak! You…it was a huge fall. It's a miracle we are not as mortally wounded as I expected, hehe… let me have a better look at your leg, it seems to be broken. I'm sure I can fix it-

SHUT UP! Who have you "fixed" since we started fighting?! You can't help anyone anymore, you couldn't "fix" any of us. You were useless, (Y/N)!!!

And you fell just like that, like…like an incompetent!

Belphegor, please don't say that, I tried…I'm sure I can… I can still…

I let my tears spill after holding them in for so long. He was right, I had long lost my powers or at least I was forbidden to help them.

There's nothing I can do.

If you could fix this you could help Lilith. Where is she? Please tell me she's going to be ok, (Y/N). Can you do that?

He sounded desperate. I myself wasn't sure of what Lucifer was doing but I didn't have it in me to tell the truth.

Beelzebub saved you. Lilith was mortally wounded. If she's not gone yet then she's about to die.

Belphie would be none the wiser by looking me in the face, as I would find out.

… …

Yes. She's- There's someone much stronger than me. Lucifer is talking to him right now. I'm not sure what will be of dear Lilith but it's hard to deny that thanks to him, everyone will be fine.

Better tha-

Thank you. I apologize, you never disappoint. I should know.

I can't see anything, could you take me to Beel? He doesn't feel quite right.

Of course. I'm so lucky to be blessed like this even down here, uh? Your local doctor will fix all your troubles!

《Better than with someone as useless as me, who left you blind.

Who even Raphael* has forsaken》

_____[ House of Lamentations]_____

[ Some unknown time in the future]

Fix them. Fix them, fix them, FIX THEM (Y/N)!

In the silent living room your form shakes on the sofa. You fell asleep again.

" Oh? Mammon, call Lucifer!! I think (Y/N) is having a nightmare again! "

Asmo shrieked in panic at his older brother. He had stayed to look after you. You were such a cutie in dreamland!

" Another one?? On it!

Oi, Lucifeeer!"

Mammon's voice is carried through the halls, echoing his worries. Meanwhile Asmo tries to find a comfortable place to sit close to you and pets your head.

" What are you dreaming of this time, angel?"

" Fix…"

Asmo inclines his head curious. Fix? Mammon's garage?

" Fix them. You can't… useless… why?"

Why are you also alive? Why were you able to walk, why did you keep wings stronger than Asmo's to fly?! Why do you still exist-

You feel a pair of hands on your shoulders, shaking you awake.

Your eyes unfocused on orange eyes and hair that today is brown, some other days is pink and in-between.

" Angel?! Wake up beautiful you shouldn't be in dreamland right now. It's not yours to live in."

" Asmo? Your wings, where are they? Oh, look at your face, you'll get wrinkles if you look at me like that. Don't be sad!"

Asmo blinks at you, worried. You lift a hand to his to caress his cheek.

He manages to force out one of his signature giggles.

" Silly goose~ Did you forget? This is how I look when I want to rest my wings! No need to use them indoors. Hehe."

" Rest… oh, I fell asleep again in the sofa. So… Levi and Belphie…?"

" Their eyes never worked better. Well, bright lights are not as easy to take in anymore but we are healthy. Thanks for always guiding us, angel~"

You are silent for a long moment, looking who knows where while Asmo puts a hand on your forehead. You weren't sick at least.

" Did Beel eat yet? That scar-"

" Yet?! (Y/N), he's always eating! Hahaha, I'm so jealous of his metabolism~

What scar? He hasn't gotten hurt since the last time Dia sent us to scout the lower levels. I tell you, I might be 5th but those restless incubi have sharp nails and temper!"

He jokes. That's all he has ever done whenever you wake up from a memory. It's all he knows to do whenever you have such a vivid nightmare.

" I admit that Mammon looks as dashing as ever, although I have better taste of course. He went to go fetch Lucifer."

Oh, oh. He started sweating once he said that name. Your bulging eyes didn't help.

" No, wait. What I meant- (Y/N) it's fine, Lucifer would be in a worse mood if he wasn't there to comfort you!"

You grab his arms, quite painfully, begging him with your eyes to not tell Lucifer.

The guilt in them makes Asmo tremble.

Luckily someone unexpected was reading close by.

You were never as close to Satan as you were with the other brothers for obvious reasons. Yet he never minded your presence.

If anything you were a great reading buddy. Not too loud, not completely silent and a great listener.

He didn't need to know the details to help you whenever Asmo talked too much.

" Even I would panic at hearing that name. Did he find out about one of my pranks? Truly scary."

He says condescendingly (at Asmo) but also with a lilt of humorous sarcasm. He aproaches you, ignoring Asmo's tantrum and shows you the new book he picked up.

" Sorry Satan, I didn't mean to disturb your reading time!"

" Any time is reading time (Y/N), don't sweat about that. Have you heard the tale of King Midas? I think that Solomon had a hand in it if this book is to be believed…"

Any shady business done by the shady wizard is worth your immediate notice.

Fifteen minutes of gossiping about Solomon and what he might or might not have done pass before Lucifer pushes the doors open, the poor things weren't a match to his strength as they hit the walls so loud everyone except for Satan jumped on their sits.

" Lucifer! (Y/N) had another nightmare and I might have said too much-"

" Calm down Asmo, you are fine. Everything 's fine.

It's late, you better get your beauty sleep. I'll take it from here."

Asmo nods fervently, ruffling your hair as he gets up. You giggle at the gesture, Satan pats your leg before he also takes his leave.

" Do I also have to go? Doesn't The Great Mammon, deserve to help our miracle worker~?"

Mammon jokes. Lucifer doesn't take it kindly if his glare is anything to go by.

" I trust we both know why it's best if you go to bed too."

" Fine, sorry… welp, see you tomorrow (Y/N). We are still having that shopping trip, daddy needs some new specs~"

" Daddy doesn't look good on you Mammon. RIP your future significant other."

With a grumble he stomps away.

" Don't forget you still have a huge debt to Lord Diavolo!! I swear if he breaks another statue…"

Lucifer rubs the bridge of his nose before helping you sit up.

" Don't you prefer to go back to your room? Or talk in the study?"

" … Can we… talk in yours?"

Lucifer is caught off guard by your proposition but relents.

He clears any other doubts you might have about the state of the family while you walk down the corridors to his room.

" Belphie is still grieving, I don't think that will ever be fully healed. Levi is faring well, he sees her in Henry…both of them."

You laugh, the memory of the giant serpent who now inhabits the catacombs coming to mind.

" Satan couldn't be happier to have a friend who isn't as closely related to us or the war. Take it as you will, I guess."

" And you…sir?"

Lucifer pauses for a moment, solely the sound of his footsteps is heard.

You arrive at his lascivious bedroom and he locks the door behind.

" I enjoy my privacy so forgive me for locking you in."

You shake your head, shrugging your shoulders in indifference. At any other time it would feel quite intimate, possibly.

" I'm doing well as you can see."

" I'm worried about what I cannot see."

Once again Lucifer's eyes widen but he let's you speak.

" There's Satan, your new job, position…workload."

" I told you to stop worrying about my work ethic. I sleep enough."

… …

" Enough to take care of my family."

You smile, a little smug perhaps.

" You couldn't have done anything. Not because your blessings were stripped from you, at least some of them."

He adds remembering your state after the fall. You were for the most part healthy save for ripped bloody feathers, a bent arm and a bruised face.

" Simply, I wouldn't let you. I ripped them out of my sheer will, wings I didn't need anymore. You shouldn't be in the middle of a rebellion you aren't part of. You would have been happy with the others. No need for nightmares."

You fidget in place.

" You can't be so sure. I couldn't bear to see everyone I cared for hurt. Yet I was powerless for once. If not for the prince…

Is it my fault…?

Are you a slave of another because of me?!!"

Lucifer grabs a hold of your shoulders as you scratch as your scalp with both of your hands, helding your head in place.

He guides you to his bed, leaving to start a fire in the fireplace and returning with a handkerchief in hand to clear your tear stains.

" I'm no one's slave, (Y/N). You haven't stripped me of my most valued aspect. It's simply a different job in a different world under a different ruler. I take pride in my achievements here and my prowess the same way.

Stop blaming yourself. No one holds resentment towards you and no one wishes to go back, if we are to be quite honest.

The nice days are gone so we can have new days."

He holds both your hands.

" I told you I would drag you with me if you kept pushing your luck. You made the choice to be at our side. We are happy to have you."

He cleans the snot like one would do to a toddler, his thumb making circular motions on your hands still clasped in his gloved one.

" I can't make them stop Lucifer. The nightmares, Asmo's face- every time! I want them to stop. I don't want to disappoint anyone ever again… sometimes I wish I could disappear so this wouldn't happen again and again and again!"

Lucifer hugs you against his chest, taking deep breaths waiting for you to follow along.

" I'm only good at making people sad now."

" I know this won't help. It never goes away. But a reminder, (Y/N), that it was never your job to fix the already broken. Those who deny help won't get help and you never let anyone down. Even Belphie has a soft spot for you.

For we remember you as our guardian angel who still fusses over Levi's addiction to technology because he might hurt his eyes.

Who worries that Beel's stomach might burst someday, the one person who relents to having a self-care day with Asmo even when it's mostly him who gets the self-care.

The angel who takes responsibility for half of Mammon's debts, don't think I haven't noticed.

What you couldn't do back then, you do now.

Thank you for your sacrifice."

You burst into tears, hiding your face on his chest.

" I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, sir! But everyone is taking care of me when they should move on…I'm tired of being kept behind by my own mind!"

Lucifer ponders for a moment, checking your scalp for signs of self-inflicted injuries.

"Hmm. I also have my fair share of nightmares.

How about we help each other? Do you want to stay the night?

Like back in the day."

You nod your head. Lucifer lays you down, covering you under the sheets.

Before changing himself into anything comfortable he adds:

"Also, stop addressing me as sir."

" Sorry. Force of habit."

You say eyes looking as the flames dance beautifully. Back then seeing everyone naked as a baby wasn't as embarrassing as it is now. You sometimes wonder how much you, yourself changed.

Something brown and fluffy is put on your line of sight, moving up and down like a cartoon character.

" I couldn't find one like Mrs. White Feathers, the Dove. So I hope you like Cerberus Jr. as much."

You smile picking the three headed plushie.

" Thank you…Lucifer. I still miss Mrs. White Feathers."

Lucifer nods, thinking of mentioning it the next time he speaks with Michael. Or perhaps Raphael could retrieve it for him.

" Sweet dreams, angel."

___________ Notes! __________

*Pão de Deus > a portuguese crunchy and sweet bread usually topped with grated coconut. It's one of the delicacies baked by nuns back in the day where they would take offerings like eggs to help bake sweets for religious festivities or for themselves to have something different to eat (some nuns were previously noble women).

**Raphael > an archangel cited to be the patron saint of healing the sick and ill and the angel of all healthcare workers. The staff that he carried can be a nod to the caduceus, Hermes' own staff and symbol of health.

#obey me #om! nightbringer #fanfic #obey me brothers x reader #platonic #romantic #can be read as both #angst #fluff #mentions of war #mentions of injury #shikibutterfly

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embodyingchaos · 10 months

Text

❥ melt your heart | chapter four

pairing: draco malfoy x oc genre: best friends to lovers! slow burn! warnings: light angst, talking about dead parents word count: 3.5k masterlist: melt your heart last chapter: chapter three next chapter: chapter five

THE THREE STARE at harry with worried eyes. "take a bit of toast, mate, go on." ron encouraged, "yeah, you're gonna need your strength harry." julianna tells him, rubbing his back. "i'm not hungry." harry simply said, pushing his plate away. suddenly, snape came up to them. "good luck today, potter. then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll. a little game of quidditch should be easy work for you." he tells him, "even if it is against slytherin." he added before walking away in his usual snape-like fashion.

"that man is extremely confusing. his walk is brilliant though." julianna admitted, admiring the way the potions master dashed away with his cloak following after him. "that explains the blood." harry commented as he watched him walk away, "blood?" julianna asked, "listen, last night, i'm guessing snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that three-headed dog but he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping." harry's explanation made julianna flabbergasted.

"i'm sorry, you think professor snape, our potions teacher, let that ghastly troll in, endangering students' lives, in order to get past that three-headed dog from the forbidden corridor?" she tried to understand and harry nodded, "why would he want to do that exactly? i mean, what would it achieve?" "that dog is guarding something. it was standing over a trap door." "you had time to look at its paws?" hermione ignores julianna's incredulous question. "the day i was at gringotts, to get some money out, hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. he said it was hogwarts business, very secret." harry explained further, looking at all three of them. "so, you're saying-" "that's what the dog's guarding. that's what snape wants." harry was so sure of himself that it worried julianna. "harry, i don't think you should jump to conclusions so fast. why would professor snape even want whatever was in that vault?" a squawk then interrupted their conversation, harry's owl, hedwig, swooped down, letting go a package for harry. "bit early for mail, isn't it?" hermione commented, "but i never get mail." a perplexed harry muttered, the four decide to open the package together.

when they opened the package, it revealed to be a a sleek broomstick. "it's a broomstick." harry said, "not just any broomstick, harry!" "it's a nimbus 2000!" ron and julianna exclaimed excitedly, their eyes roaming all over the object. even oliver wood, the gryffindor keeper and captain, was gawking over it. julianna followed the lightning-scarred boy's sight and saw professor mcgonagall petting hedwig. "must be a gift for your match today, potter." julianna teased him, winking and harry smiled contently.

hours passed by quite fast, everyone's excitement for the first match of the season made time go faster. julianna spent most of her day with neville, and they got seats next to each other on the gryffindor bleachers. the brunette was nervous for harry's first game but knew he could handle it.

once the game had begun, there was no surprise that slytherin was already doing some foul play but gryffindor had 20 points by the time harry had found the snitch. suddenly, harry's broomstick was jerking left and right, similar to what happened with neville's. "what's happening?" julianna asked hermione, shouting over all the noise. "it looks bewitched!" she added as the gryffindor looked through her binoculars, "it's snape! he's jinxing the broom!" "what?!" julianna had a hard time believing snape was trying to kill harry. when hermione went to go "deal with it", the hufflepuff snatched the binoculars from ron to look at where snape was. yep, he was definitely chanting something. then she looked a little higher up and observed quirrell, his eyes weren't moving and his body was jerking back and forth slightly. "something isn't right." julianna muttered to herself as she stopped looking through the binoculars. however, it didn't matter because now harry was back on his broomstick, safe and sound.

gryffindor had won, of course. harry had ended up swallowing the snitch. luckily, there was no rule against that, so no harm was done. the whole crowd, excluding the slytherins, cheered for the young boy, the youngest quidditch player in a century, chanting 'go, go, gryffindor!' over and over again. julianna was happy her friend succeeded in his first game of quidditch ever.

after the game the four of them decided to go see hagrid and tell him about snape bewitching harry's broom. "nonsense! why would snape put a curse on harry's broom?" hagrid asked, "who knows? why was he trying to get past that three-headed dog on halloween?" the half-giant gave them a look, "who told you about fluffy?" "fluffy?" "that thing has a name?" ron and hermione said simultaneously. "of course he's got a name. he's mine. i bought him off an irish feller i met down at the pub last year. then i lent him to dumbledore to guard the..." "yes?" as soon as hagrid realised where this conversation was going to go, he cut himself off.

"shouldn't have said that. no more questions! don't ask anymore questions! that's top secret, that is." he tells the children who huffed, "but hagrid, whatever fluffy's guarding, snape's trying to steal it." "codswallop. professor snape is a hogwarts teacher." hermione stepped forward, "hogwarts teacher or not, i know a spell when i see one. i've read all about them. you've got to keep eye contact, and snape wasn't blinking." her words made julianna remember back to what she saw professor quirrell was doing, "actually, what ab-" "now, you listen to me, all four of you." hagrid interrupted julianna before she could explain what she saw, "you're meddling in things that ought not to be meddled in. it's dangerous." he warned, "what that dog is guarding is strictly betweem professor dumbledore and nicholas flamel." the four looked at each other, "nicholas flamel?" harry asked and hagrid realised he did it again. "i shouldn't have said that. i should not have said that." he muttered as he walked away from them and now the group had a new question, who is nicholas flamel? well, i can tell you julianna could care less, the last thing she wanted to do was die from being stupid.

the next week, it had started snowing. the grounds of hogwarts were covered in snow, even hogwarts itself. everyone was getting ready to go back home for the holidays, everyone except julianna, harry, ron and the rest of the weasleys.

in her purple-maroon scarf, julianna made her way to the great hall. she was surprised to see draco there with his suitcase, holding a tiny box. "merry christmas, draco!" she greeted, incredibly jolly. draco smiles at her cheeriness, "merry christmas, juli." he greets back before handing over the tiny box. julianna stared at it for a while before pointing at herself, "for me?" "yes, it is. why else would i be handing it over to you, candy?" he rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, placing the box in her hand. "don't open it till christmas day, alright? bye." draco's random rush to leave confused julianna, "wait! i didn't get you anything!" she calls after him and he stops walking, "it's okay, you've already given me enough." "...enough of what?" "headaches- ow!" his joke received a heavy punch from the hufflepuff, "arsehole!" she shouted but the slytherin only smiled smugly, "i'll see you after the holidays, candy." they bid each other goodbye, not without julianna telling him to write to her for if he didn't, he won't ever see the light of day ever again.

she stared smiling at his fading figure before two certain redheads place their hands on her shoulders. "now, what do we have here?" fred and george asked in unison, they were in their weasley jumpers with the letters of their first initial on it. they snatch the tiny box out of julianna's tiny hands. "hey, give it back!" she whined, the two exchange mischievous looks. "why? is it from-" "-someone special?" "what? d'you-" "-fancy malfoy?" julianna's eyebrows furrowed, frowning at the pair. she grabbed the box back and tucked into her pocket. "are you still up for joining us?" "for the merry of christmas pranking?" they wiggled their eyebrows and the hufflepuff smiles before giving them a hearty 'yep'. "also, our mum wanted you to have this." fred handed her a thick, pink, perfectly wrapped present, "ever since we told her about you in our letters, she's been bugging us about giving you a present on christmas." george explained, julianna was touched. their mother has never even met her and still gave her a present for christmas? is she a saint?

"oh, tell her i said thank you so much! i didn't get her one though." the brunette frowned, the twins snort. "please, your thanks is gift enough." "if it makes you feel any better," "you can give her a christmas present next year." they say back and forth before leaving out the great hall. "merry christmas, jules." hermione said from behind her, julianna turned around and saw she had her luggage with her. "merry christmas, 'mione!" they hugged and the girl gives her a gift, "it's not much but you mentioned you liked lanterns a few weeks back and i found this." the gift was a key chain of a lantern, "this is the best part." hermione whispered, taking out her wand and tapping the keychain with it three times. the lantern started to glow and patterns of flowers and vines could be seen on it. julianne was in awe, "thank you! i love it so much!" she gave her a bear hug before taking out a flat package out of her bag, "this is for you. i think you'll like it." she tells her, "i was thinking of getting a book but honestly, i'm pretty sure you've already read everything in existence." the two laughed and decided to go see what harry and ron were up to, seeing as they were sitting at the tables.

they were playing wizard's chess which hermione had deemed barbaric as ron smirked, "that's wizard's chess. i see you've packed." the redhead fired at her, "i see you haven't." hermione fired back, "change of plans. my parents decided to go to romania to visit my brother, charlie. he's studying dragons there." ron explained and hermione crossed her arms. "good. you can help harry, then." julianna looks at them with confusion in her eyes, "help harry with what?" she asked, "he's going to go and look in the library for information on nicholas flamel." "we've looked a hundred times!" ron exclaims at harry, hermione leaned closer to them. "not in the restricted section. happy christmas." and just as she was leaving, ron whispered to harry. "i think we've had a bad influence on her." julianna scoffed, "tell me about it." she said before going back to the subject at hand.

"why are we digging further into this when we really shouldn't?" she asked, taking a seat next to harry. "because we're trying to figure out what was in that vault." he said, "honestly, harry, think you should stay out of trouble." she tells him as ron left to go get something from the kitchen, "i just need to know what snape wants so badly-" "and how do you know it's really snape?" harry sighs, frustrated. "just look at the signs, juli!" "the signs aren't as clear as you make it out to be, harry." she tells him and they both go silent for a while.

julianna held her locket that was attached to her bag in her hand, a locket she's had since a baby. inside contained a photo of her parents, moving and smiling at her, kissing each other's cheeks. "are those your parents?" the boy asked and julianna nodded, "they're dead. i'm assuming you don't know." she smiled, "you're right, i didn't. i'm sorry-" "i never truly understood why people keep saying sorry as if it's their fault they died when it's my parents' own fault." she blankly shared her opinion and harry sat there taken aback. "hey, we have something in common. dead parents." she lightly jokes, smiling. her smile wasn't happy however, it was more morose. harry smiles the same smile, realising they did have something in common, something depressing, but it was something. they began to talk about what it would be like if their parents were still alive, would things be different or the same?

the two talked until ron came back and julianna decided to go back to her common room. there were barely any hufflepuffs who were staying back for their holidays, possibly two or three, but nobody she knew. spending the holidays wasn't unfamiliar to the candy, her grandmother barely tried to celebrate it, not even getting her a gift. julianna still got her grandmother a gift, usually something handmade, but she's never seen her hang the paintings she makes for her, or place the flowers she picked for her in a vase. she doesn't care.

julianna went up to her empty dormitory and grabbed pudding, placing her out of her area. "free roaming time starts now!" she tells the brown kitten, scratch beneath her tiny ear. the kitten mews and used the tiny steps to get up to her bed, finding a comfortable position to sleep in. julianna cracked open herself a new canvas and started painting whatever came to mind.

on christmas day, julianna woke up and went down to the common room that was so empty that if she spoke, it would echo. she sighed, spending christmas eve and day alone, how lovely. she opened up the weasleys' mother's present first, which inside was a baby pink jumper with the letter j on it and some homemade fudge. julianna was so ecstatic, she immediately put the jumper on. it was a little too big but she knew she would grow into it just fine. the next present was neville's, he'd given her a succulent which she had kind of figured since it was given in its pot with a bow wrapped around it. she had gotten a bunch of sweets and candy from ron and harry, even from cedric, hannah and susan.

last present she opened was the one draco had given her, a tiny yellow box with green accents and a silver bow on top. she opened the box and gasped, a pretty silver charm bracelet was laying in the box and a note was stuffed behind the pillow of the jewellery. julianna took out the note and it read:

"thanks for the drawing. my hair actually doesn't look that bad in it. i wasn't going to get you anything but i thought, why not?"

julianna grinned reading the note, she could hear draco's voice as she read it. she folded the note and put it inside her pocket before taking out the charm bracelet and sliding it onto her wrist. like magic, literally, it adjusted its own size to fit julianna's wrist. the charms of the bracelets included a snake, a badger, a flower and a leaf. 'that softy.' she thought, rolling her eyes as she admired the bracelet.

the next day, she grabbed pudding and left the common room with the kitten sitting on her shoulder. she made her way to the great hall for breakfast and along the way, the weasley twins joined her. "pudding is scrumptious-looking." fred says, staring at the brown feline who only mewed. "don't say weird things like that, fred, you'll scare the kitten." george scolds, "don't look too scared to me." fred raises an eyebrow at his brother while julianna only shook her head as they entered the great hall.

everyone had breakfast together, julianna placed pudding on the table and the kitten laid down next to the eggs. julianna noticed harry was off at another table, staring at the fire and sitting by himself. "ronnikins, what's wrong with harry?" she asked the boy who was stuffing his face full, "he's recently discovered something, it's a mirror, and he saw his parents in it. i know that's what he's thinking about- and also, don't call me that! merlin, fred and george are starting to rub off on you." he huffed before going back to his sausages, julianna wiped her mouth. "george, look after pudding for me, would you? i'll be right back." george nods, stroking the kitten's head.

julianna stumbled across the tables and made her way over to the golden boy. "morning, harry." she only received a mumble of 'morning' back, "i heard from ron you've found a mirror? you can see your parents in it?" her mentioning it snaps harry back into reality and he looks at her. he nods, "well, how were they?" "warm, but cold. they looked warm, but i couldn't feel them." he explained, "i look just like my father." he spoke so quietly but julianna could hear it clearly. she understood what he was feeling. "maybe you could take me to see them?" "i can't. i took ron and he couldn't see them. only himself as the quidditch captain, winning the quidditch and house cup." julianna snorts, 'typical ron.' she thought, "well, that's ron, and i'm me, so let's go see the mirror." harry nodded, "but we need to go after curfew." "what?! why?! and how?" the gryffindor then explained how he received an invisiblity cloak from someone but the note was anonymous and that he stumbled upon the mirror when he was running away from filch after sneaking into the restricted section of the library.

"harry, that's dangerous! you could get in serious-" "i know. i don't care." harry's straightforward attitude made julianna annoyed but she ignored it. "fine, we'll meet tonight in the kitchens and then go see the mirror."

when night fell, julianna got out of bed and freely hopped down the stairs. she could make as much noise as she wanted to and that was a gift. she opened the common room door and there stood harry. "hey! where's your cloak?" she asked, harry held it up as if to say 'right here'. the two got underneath it and made their ways through the hallways and corridors to an empty, dark and dusty room. there were desks and chairs stacked up at one side of the wall and on the other side stood the very mirror harry was talking about. julianna moved closer and read the reading on the top of the frame. "erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi..." a bunch of gibberish? wait, no, this wasn't even latin? this made julianna read it backwards. "i show not your face but your hearts desire." she read out loud but harry couldn't take his eyes off his reflection, or his parents.

"do you see them?" he asked her, julianna looked into the mirror but she didn't see harry's parents, she saw her own. "i see..." she trailed off, moving closer. "my parents." her parents were smiling at her, her mother waving at her like how she did in her dreams. her father leaned his head to the side and mouthed 'we love you'. from there, julianna could feel a single tear roll down her cheek as she clenched her locket, her fist turning white. the two of them sat before the mirror for hours, staring at their parents who were somewhat interacting with them.

around 3 o'clock in the morning, another voice was heard. "back again, harry? and you brought julianna along as well, hm?" the two turned around and saw a familiar, long white beard, immediately standing up, scared they were in trouble. "i see that you two, like so many before you have discovered the delights of the mirror of erised. i trust by now you realise what it does." harry shook his head while julianna nodded, "it shows us our hearts desires." she answered, dumbledore eyes twinkled as he walked towards them. "yes. the happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself exactly as he is." the analogy finally clicks in harry's mind, "so, it shows us what we want, whatever we want." dumbledore clicks his tongue, "yes, and no. it shows us nothing more or less, as ms. candy said, the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. now, you both, harry and julianna, who have never known your parents, you see them standing beside you." the two look back at the mirror, and their parents were still there, looking back at them.

"but the both of you must remember this. this mirror gives us neither knowledge or truth. man have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. that is why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home, and i must ask you both not to go looking for it again. it does not do to dwell on dreams," for a moment, dumbledore looked at julianna only. as if he knew about the dreams she constantly had of her parents. "and forget to live." dumbledore warns them and leaves the two alone.

julianna and harry went back to their common rooms and julianna was left to her own thoughts. she sat on the couch near the fire, her parents' faces stuck in her mind. at times like this she wished draco was around so she could distract herself by talking with him but he wasn't there.

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