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neocatharsis · 3 years

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NCT’s Mark Lee on Dreams, Instagram Poetry, and Growing Up

Mark has a lot going on — but he’s making time for poetry, introspection, and, of course, the members of NCT Dream. - Vivien Wu

“I’ve been thinking about dreams a lot these days!” Mark Lee exclaims over Zoom from SM Entertainment’s Seoul headquarters.

The 21-year-old leader of NCT Dream is enthusiastic as he mulls over the meaning of dreams, his back against a wall of pink and yellow flowers assembled by his fellow NCT members. He’s wearing a simple, white tee, and when he gestures with his hands, you can catch glimpses of the friendship ring that all seven members of NCT Dream wear as a symbol of their bond.

“I actually feel like dreams hold a large portion of a life, and I’m not just talking about the subconscious dreams that we all have when we sleep,” he continues. “If you put it in a way where dreams are actually things that motivate us, and the drive that keeps us going, especially as a strongly driven person myself, I feel like… a guy with no dreams is like…” He looks up, thinking. “…A car with no engine. So, I think it’s as important as yourself. That’s how deep I go with dreams.”

His interest in dreams is fitting, considering that they are also the central, underlying concept to the lore behind NCT Dream’s parent group, NCT. They connect their three subunits, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV, in a complex, Inception-inspired fictional universe where dreams are the only way they can find each other, and where upon uniting they can mix to form new subunits collectively referred to as NCT U. In practical terms, this has resulted in a 23-member mega-group that is multifaceted in every way — from their musical styles and visual aesthetics to their cultural backgrounds and spoken languages.

NCT Dream’s original teenage concept meant that members were supposed to “graduate” when they came of age, and as the oldest, Mark was the first to leave the group at the end of 2018. Having grown attached, however, fans were devastated at his departure; after a year of separation, SM announced that the graduation system would be scrapped and that he would rejoin the group. Their new album, Hot Sauce, is the first with Mark in over two years. As fellow member Haechan declared in an interview with Teen Vogue earlier this week, “Mark [is] very special. NCT Dream means Mark.”

But before the rapper led NCT Dream, and before he joined NCT U and NCT 127 and SuperM — the man is in high demand — Mark’s childhood dream was writing. He grew up in Toronto, and through doing school projects and essays quickly discovered that he had a natural way with words. Inspired by Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan, Harry Potter, and James Patterson, Mark dreamt of becoming an author, long before he was recruited by SM at a global audition in Canada in 2012. “When I was in school, I was always the kind of guy who would write more than expected, and that became a thing that clicked for me,” he says. “I was like, ‘Maybe it’s something that I naturally do?’ But then that kind of turned into rap writing too, so I guess they kind of clicked together.” It explains his prolific career as a lyricist; since debuting, he’s amassed over 30 songwriting credits across his various groups, contributing to songs as iconic as NCT U’s “Boss,” NCT 127’s “Cherry Bomb,” and NCT Dream’s “Chewing Gum.”

Even with such an extensive body of work, however, penning lyrics hasn’t satiated his appetite for literary expression. In an interview with Japanese magazine Men’s Non-No, he revealed that he still hopes one day to write a book, whether that be a novel, autobiography, or something more philosophical.

In the meantime, he’s taken to writing what are basically short poems on his Instagram, which he created just a few months ago. He’s gathered over 4.5 million followers since then, but having such a large audience hasn’t deterred him from being endearingly vulnerable with the way he writes. When I refer to them as poems, he laughs and looks embarrassed, but when I ask him to tell me the stories behind them, he’s enthusiastic again. They’re short, but offer brief glimpses into Mark the writer — sharp, inquisitive, and thoughtful. As pieces of literature, they’re a little rough around the edges, but the sincerity he’s known for shines through, illuminating the introspective, philosophical side that may not be so obvious in person.

His first poem, loosely titled “Late Night Scribbling,” put into words his musings about sleep, thoughts, feelings, and writing. It meanders from topic to topic, hovering between feelings of hope and hopelessness, before ending with a comically awkward “haha.”

“I actually wrote that by imagining how I wanted to organize my Instagram page,” he explains. “I was thinking of creating an Instagram, then I realized that, well, I’m not really a picture kind of guy, I’m not really a travelling kind of guy… I kind of studied who I am first, and I [asked myself], ‘What’s something that I can really portray in an intimate way?’ and it turned out to be writing.”

“I started to brainstorm what kind of topics I could write about, and then from there on, I started to write a little each and every night, and that turned into Late Night Scribbling,” he continues. “That kind of gave me courage to start Instagram in the first place, that piece of writing.”

Two weeks later, he followed it up with “Black Socks,” a whimsical ode to, well, black socks — complete with accompanying photos of him wearing said socks. Immediately, it feels more confident and cohesive than its predecessor. Using the neat and tidy look of black socks as a metaphor, he describes his own mindset for living life: “Pleasure from perfect alignment; That also goes for my ability to be parallel with my thoughts and actions; I try to live out what’s in my mind, and keep it consistent even when forgotten like a working habit.”

Comments on the posts praise his writing and encourage him to continue sharing these small pieces of himself. On the stage, Mark takes on a confident, larger-than-life persona, while in vlogs and spoken interviews, he’s a bubbly character full of laughter and boyish charm. What the poems show is that, beneath these outer appearances, there’s another layer of complexity that is yet to be fully explored, and it’s not surprising that fans want to know more.

His day job as a K-pop idol doesn’t allow a lot of time for hobbies, though, and he confesses to not having written much lately. Despite that, he’s determined to stay in the industry for as long as possible. “Longevity is something that I’ve always been aiming for,” he says. “I’m willing to do this for a long time, and that requires a lot of work. I’m willing to take that as a challenge and I’m trying to stay as long as I can, but with quality.”

That focus on quality informs his preparations for the upcoming promotions with NCT Dream. In both their fictional world and ours, NCT Dream are a central component of NCT by virtue of their unique focus on growth — the seven members were aged between 14 and 17 when the group first debuted in 2016. Fast-forward five years, and the members are now 19 to 21, having reached a milestone in January when the youngest, Jisung, finally became a legal adult in Korea. When asked if he feels like an adult yet, though, Mark gives an extremely relatable answer with zero hesitation.

“I still feel like I’m in middle school, I’m gonna be totally honest. I swear to God, I feel like I’m… All right, I’ll put it up — I feel like I’m in high school!” He laughs. “I even had this talk with Jisung, ‘cos he’s the latest that turned into an adult. He said that he still feels like he’s a student, he doesn’t feel like he’s 20 [19 in international age] right now.”

It’s been a long time since all seven Dream members — Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung — have released an album together, and as the first full-length album since their debut, the fan anticipation is palpably intense. Mark himself has mentioned in various vlogs how important he believes this comeback to be, and that conviction becomes obvious whenever he talks about it.

“We had a talk all together, the seven of us, without any cameras or anything. I brought all the guys together and we talked before the whole momentum started, and I said that I’m willing to put my everything on this one. Like, I always had, but I feel like… the whole universe, or like— ” He pauses, trying to figure out how to articulate himself, and his next line is the most emphatic of our whole conversation. “There are things that are out of our control, but we can see and feel when the pieces match together sometimes, and I feel like this specific moment, this particular album, kind of had those essential parts.”

He’s thinking about all of the context surrounding this comeback: the group’s coming of age, the reunion of all seven members, the scale of the album, the fact that Jisung has only just recovered from a leg injury that meant he couldn’t dance for months — even the fact that 2020 was, against all odds, the best year yet for NCT, with release after release bringing them unprecedented success and momentum.

“I felt that coming and I explained all of that [to the group],” he continues. “This whole period of time has a lot of meaning to it, and we’re not taking that for granted, we’re working hard.” With everything that’s happened, Hot Sauce is a historic moment for NCT Dream, and that’s been reflected in their numbers — the album clocked over 1.7 million pre-orders, obliterating their previous record of 500,000 for last year’s EP, Reload.

Their familial bond and the success that has come with it is the culmination of years spent living, working, and growing up together. The members have collectively missed out on key experiences that most teenagers might take for granted, distanced as they are from normal life, and the group also benefits from an unusually loose adherence to traditional Korean age hierarchy. The result is a brotherhood that goes beyond just being colleagues. “What we have is pretty intimate, and it’s also genuine,” Mark says.

About his role, he is matter of fact. “I’m by far the most easily approachable punching bag for the team. I am not… complaining…” He laughs. “But all jokes aside, I feel like my role for this team… Yes, I am the oldest and I am the leader but I’m also… In Korea, in the culture, age is very important, but we’ve come so far that all those borders kind of just vanished and we’re all pretty much friends, and I guess I’m just a friend of theirs too.”

It’s true that, despite being the leader, his friendly personality and endearingly awkward mannerisms mean that he commands about as much authority as a small puppy. Instead, much like a puppy, he is showered with love and affection (fellow member Chenle refers to Mark as his son and his actual puppy Daegal as Mark’s little sister), but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a dependable leader figure. The opposite is true — in Renjun’s words, Mark’s presence unites the group in a way that makes him irreplaceable.

And while this may be the fifth year since their debut, in the grand scheme of things, the members of NCT Dream are still very, very young — by most standards, they would still be considered to have their entire careers ahead of them. Growth has brought them here, but where does Mark think it will take them in the future?

“Growing just never stops for us, I can see us growing continuously, endlessly,” he replies. “What the future holds is something that we will never know, but we always do try to prepare during the present, and so with whatever time we have currently and with whatever album, or whatever stage, or whatever piece of music it may be, we’re willing to make sure that we have the next one coming too.”

A final thought. “I’m glad that we’re striving for that, ‘cos we started off as…” Mark shakes his head, “…as babies.”

#nct #nct dream #Mark #nct 127

52 notes · View notes

wonderful-writes · 3 years

Note

8. Like reader drops of the face of the earth before graduation for like 4 years, and Charlie just realized his emotions in that time frame.

Disappear

Charlie Weasley x Female!Reader

Summary: Y/N and Charlie were best friends during their Hogwarts days, and there might have even been a time when she hoped for something more. But all those possibilities were dashed when she mysteriously went missing, leaving her best friend alone and confused.

Prompt:

8) I never forgot you.

“Race you to the castle?” Charlie Weasley challenged, looking over at his friend Y/N.

“Oh, you’re on, Weasley,” she replied, already getting a head start.

“Hey, no fair!” Charlie protested. He sprinted ahead, attempting to get in front of her. He easily passed her and jogged the rest of the way back to the castle.

Soon, she came up behind him, just as breathless as he was. They stood panting at the Hogwarts steps for a moment.

When he had regained his composure, he teased, “Even when you cheat, you still manage to lose to me.”

She gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “Well, I’m not the star of the quidditch team.”

Charlie laughed. “You’re right. Not everyone can be as great as I am.”

Y/N delivered another punch, this one harder than the last.

“Hey!” Charlie shouted, though he didn’t hit her back. “Come on, we’re going to be late for dinner.”

The two friends headed into the Great Hall and quickly found seats at the Gryffindor table.

“Where have you two been?” asked Percy Weasley, Charlie’s younger brother, upon your arrival.

“We were just visiting Hagrid,” Charlie replied. “He wanted to show me a new dragon book he found, and Y/N invited herself with me.”

“I did not!” Y/N argued, crossing her arms over her chest. “You were the one who asked me if I wanted to come with you.”

Charlie chuckled. He knew how to push her buttons. Teasing any of his friends was always fun, but it was especially hilarious to tease Y/N. She never failed to get worked up, or at least pretend to get worked up.

After dinner, the students headed to their dorms. Y/N walked with two of her roommates, and the three chattered about graduation and plans for the future all the way up to the Gryffindor common room. It was the second-to-last week of their seventh year, and the end of their Hogwarts days was fast approaching. It made Y/N sad to think that she would be leaving all her friends, professors, and memories behind, but she was also excited for what was to come. She had scored an apprenticeship at the Ministry of Magic, and she was set to start immediately after graduation.

As she was about to walk up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory, she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Charlie waving her over from the sofa in the middle of the common room.

“I’ll be up in a bit,” she told her roommates. “I have to go see what that idiot wants.”

Y/N made her way over to the sofa, taking a seat next to Charlie. “What do you want, Weasley?” she asked with fake annoyance.

Charlie grinned. “What? I can’t talk to my friend?”

Y/N rolled her eyes.

“I can’t believe we’ll be leaving Hogwarts soon,” Charlie mused, staring into the fireplace. “Next week is our last week.”

“Yup. And after that, I’ll be heading off to the Ministry. And you’ll be going to Romania.”

He turned towards her. “I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we’re growing up. I mean, you’ll be working at the Ministry, and I’ll be working at my dream job on the dragon reserve. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were boarding the train as first years.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, well, that was nearly seven years ago, Charles.”

Y/N looked at him. She would miss him. Sure, she would miss her roommates and all her other friends, but Charlie was different. He was playful and witty, but also kind and caring, and not to mention bloody attractive. She had to admit that she had developed a sort of crush on him during their fourth year, but she had suppressed those feelings because she knew he would never feel the same. He saw her as a friend and nothing more. But no matter how many times she told herself that, her feelings for him never completely went away.

“Hello? Earth to Y/N?” Charlie said, startling her from her trance. “You’ve been staring at me for an awfully long time. Makes me wonder if I really am that hot.”

“Oh, get over yourself, you git,” Y/N retorted, hoping that she wasn’t blushing like a tomato. “I was just lost in thought.”

“Uh huh, sure you were,” he said with a smirk.

Before she could say anything else, someone called for Charlie from the far side of the common room, the side by the portrait hole. She turned to see that a group of boys were beckoning Charlie over.

“We’re planning to sneak out,” he explained when he caught her confused look. “Well, I better go. They’re all waiting for me over there.”

With a wave goodbye, he was off the couch and making his way over to his friends — some of which were Y/N’s friends as well. She watched as the group disappeared through the portrait hole, a twang of sadness reaching her heart. At least at school, she could be around Charlie and spend time with him, even if they weren’t dating. Once they graduated, they would probably never see each other again, or at least not for a long time. She stood up from the couch and trudged up to bed, hoping that a good night’s sleep would ease the dread she felt about leaving Hogwarts and leaving Charlie.

The next morning, Charlie walked into the Great Hall with an extra spring in his step. It was Saturday, and he and his friends had planned on going to Hogsmeade. It would be their last Hogsmeade weekend of the school year, their last time going as Hogwarts students.

He sat down at the table in between Percy and one of Y/N’s roommates. “Hey, where’s Y/N?” he asked when he noticed she wasn’t at breakfast yet.

“Didn’t you hear?” the roommate responded. “She left early this morning. She must have wanted to start summer vacation early or something. She didn’t say where she was going.”

“Maybe her family is taking a trip,” another Gryffindor offered. “Once, in third year, I got special permission to end the term early because my parents had planned a trip to the Caribbean.”

“I’m not sure,” a third voice said skeptically. “She wouldn’t tell me what was going on when I saw her packing this morning. She just said that she was in a hurry and couldn’t talk.”

Charlie was flabbergasted. Why would Y/N leave so close to graduation? She never mentioned any trip with her family or any special event she had to attend. Had an unexpected emergency popped up? Did the professors know about her departure?

The rest of the day went on as usual. Professor McGonagall visited the Gryffindors after breakfast to discuss graduation protocol. A few students asked her about Y/N, but all she would say was that Y/N had a family matter to attend to. Even she did not know whether Y/N was to return for graduation or not.

After the meeting with Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindors made their way to Hogsmeade. Charlie chatted with friends, visited shops, drank butterbeer, and had an overall good time. But in the back of his mind, he still had questions about Y/N. Where had she gone? The professors seemed to know about her leaving, but they weren’t sure when she would be back. Was it a serious emergency? Was her family alright?

To ease his concerns, he decided to send her a letter once he got back to Hogwarts. He assumed she was with her family, so he sent an owl to her home address. He had never visited her home, but he knew her address from when they used to write each other over summers. In his letter, he asked what happened, if her family was okay, and when she would be back. But she never responded.

The last week of seventh year zoomed by quickly. Throughout the week, Charlie and the rest of Y/N’s friends waited for news. Most of them had written her, either asking about her situation or sending warm thoughts, but none of them ever received a reply. The professors did not seem to gain any new information either. It was either that or they were withholding information about Y/N’s whereabouts from the students.

On the day of graduation, exactly one week from Y/N’s disappearance, all the seventh years lined up on the lawn in order by house and last name. Y/N’s friends, acquaintances, and even those who only knew of her through the grapevine glanced around to see if she had showed up at the last minute. But she was nowhere to be found. The ceremony proceeded as usual, ending with the seventh years being rowed across the Great Lake in the same boats that had taken them to the castle in their first year. Afterwards, the students departed with their families, starting their futures as newly-graduated witches and wizards.

Charlie Weasley headed straight for Romania immediately after leaving Hogwarts. He was offered a job at the dragon sanctuary there, and he had never been more excited for anything in his life. He bade farewell to his family and didn’t look back as he left to pursue his dream.

In Romania, he lived in a quaint little house, one of many houses dotting the hills on the outskirts of the dragon reserve. He quickly became accustomed to life there, enjoying every minute of his busy work schedule. During his leisure time, he found himself sketching and taking walks outdoors. He never expected to be the artistic type — he truly wasn’t — but it was fun making bad attempts at drawing dragons and landscapes. But the most fun he had was working with the dragons. He loved every aspect of caring for them, training them, and spending time with them. He didn’t think he could ever be unhappy there.

But sometimes, his mind wandered back to his childhood and his Hogwarts days. He missed his parents, his brothers and sister, and his school mates. He found himself thinking of Y/N most of all. No one had heard from her since her disappearance, and her parents hadn’t contacted anyone Charlie knew either. He suspected that perhaps her family had moved to a new house, and that was why they weren’t receiving any letters. But why couldn’t she send a note informing her friends of her new address? The whole situation was bizarre.

Charlie realized that he had become lonelier during the time he was in Romania. He and the other members of his class occasionally wrote to each other, but letters were infrequent. Keeping in touch became more and more difficult as people grew up and moved on with their lives. His parents and siblings still wrote often, but wasn’t the same as having their presence with him. He had made friends with his coworkers at the sanctuary, and he of course had the dragons to keep him company, but it was Y/N he kept thinking of. Part of it was worry for her well-being, but another part of it was that he genuinely missed her.

But why? Why her? He hadn’t seen his other friends from Hogwarts since graduation either, but he didn’t yearn for their company the same way that he did hers. He supposed it was because he had gotten a chance to exchange proper goodbyes with his other friends. Y/N had left so suddenly that no one had the chance to say goodbye to her. That must be it. Why else would he be so hung over her?

About a year after moving to Romania, Charlie received a letter bearing good news. His older brother, Bill, just had a child with his wife, Fleur. Charlie immediately asked for leave and took a trip back home. It was his first time returning home since moving to pursue the career he had always wanted, and he was excited to see his family again and meet his new baby niece. The past year had been wonderful, but it had also been hard on him. What he needed the most was to see the faces of the people he loved.

Charlie spent a week at the Burrow and savored every second of his stay. He caught up with his parents, spent time with his siblings, and played with little Victoire, Bill and Fleur’s daughter. By the time the week was up, he was thoroughly relaxed and back to his joyful self. He was just packing up his trunk to leave when he noticed a knitted winter hat at the bottom of his drawer.

“Where’d you get that?” asked Ginny, his younger sister, as she came into the room. “I’ve never seen you wear it before.”

“That’s because it isn’t mine,” Charlie replied. He examined the hat closely and instantly knew where it came from. “It belonged to a friend of mine, Y/N. Remember her, the girl I told you about? She was the one who left school a week before graduation and never wrote back to anyone since.”

Ginny hummed. “Did she give that to you?”

Charlie nodded. “She let me borrow it one time in sixth year, and I guess I never gave it back. I must have worn it with me home for the holidays that year and let it sit in my drawer ever since.”

Ginny smiled. “You miss her?”

“Yeah, of course I do,” Charlie replied without hesitation. “She was one of my closest friends.”

His sister smirked. “And you’re sure she wasn’t more than just a friend? You sounded awfully sad talking about her and the hat.”

Charlie scoffed. “As if. I never saw her as anything other than a best mate.”

“You’re blushing, you know that?” Ginny teased.

“What’s this about blushing?” Fred, another brother, inquired as he sauntered into the room.

“Charlie’s got himself a crush,” Ginny informed Fred, making a point to emphasize the word ‘crush.’

“Ooh, has our older brother found himself someone to fancy?” Fred asked teasingly.

“Shut it, you gits,” Charlie replied before his siblings could say anything else. “I’ve never even thought about liking her that way. I just remembered her when I found her hat, that’s all.”

It wasn’t a lie. He had never considered Y/N to be anything more than a friend before. They were close in school, but he was close with lots of other people. She wasn’t in any way special. But now, he felt something he hadn’t felt back at Hogwarts. A new feeling, one that he wasn’t familiar with. It was close to that of having a crush, but he couldn’t be certain. Sure, he’d fancied other girls in the past, but he never had those feelings for Y/N. During their school years, he just wasn’t interested in her in a romantic way. Why would that change now?

When Charlie returned to Romania, he took the knitted hat with him. It comforted him to have a piece of her when nobody knew where she was. He spent the next few years of his life as a talented dragonologist. He devoted himself to his work, extremely happy to be in the profession of his dreams. He even attempted dating, going out with a coworker and a couple women he met in the nearby town. But his dates never went anywhere. No matter how interesting they were or how many things they had in common with him, he didn’t feel like starting serious relationships with any of them. Eventually, he stopped dating altogether.

A year after his trip to the Burrow and two years after his initial move to Romania, Charlie found himself sketching portraits in his living room. It was his day off from work, and it was far too cold to go outside. He had a cup of tea beside him and a fire in the hearth. He spent hours drawing from the comfort of the sofa, and by the end of the day, he had a hefty stack of sketches next to him. He leafed through the stack and discovered that a good number of the sketches were of a woman — one that looked strikingly similar to Y/N.

That was the moment when he realized that he didn’t just miss his friend. He had developed feelings for her, ones that weren’t just platonic. Maybe he had always felt that way, but he couldn’t see it. Maybe all along he had liked her, possibly even loved her, but was blinded by his own stupidity. He racked his brain for all his memories of her and remembered just how amazing she was. She was always so kind, so sweet to everyone. Yet she also had a biting sense of humor and could be brutally honest. He looked back on all their conversations and realized that perhaps he had been pining for her all throughout their friendship, but he had never admitted it to himself.

It was like he was finally receiving clarity. The reason why his dates never progressed into anything more was because he didn’t want anyone other than Y/N. His siblings had seen the way he looked when he thought about her, and now he was finally seeing it for himself. He was finally admitting to himself that he had fallen for Y/N. The only problem was that no one knew where she was.

For the next two years after his epiphany, Charlie tried to resume his normal life. He still cherished his work and adored the dragons. He still had friendly relations with his coworkers and even became close with some of them. He still kept in touch with his family and a few of his childhood friends. And he still couldn’t get over Y/N.

Everything about her occupied his mind. Her laugh, her compassionate heart, the way she listened to him like he was the only person in the world. But he would never be able to have her. She seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth, cutting off everyone he knew who knew her. Maybe there was a reason she didn’t reach out. Maybe after her family issue was resolved, she simply decided not to talk to any of her old friends anymore. Maybe she didn’t want to talk to him. And even if she did miraculously come back, there was no indication that she would be interested in pursuing a relationship with him. She had never mentioned liking him when they were in school, but then again, neither did he.

It had been four years since he started working at the sanctuary. Four years that seemed both incredibly short and torturously long. Charlie Weasley still had his zest for life and his passion for dragons, athletics, and the outdoors. In many ways, he was very happy. But he couldn’t escape the heartache of losing what he felt was the love of his life.

One night, it became too much, and he needed to drown his emotions. He went into town after work and purchased a bottle of firewhiskey. He had intended on getting drunk and using his day off the next day to recover. But when he arrived home, his better judgment decided that drinking away his problems would not be the best idea. Instead, he made himself a mug of tea and situated himself at the kitchen table, attempting to get his thoughts in order.

After a few hours of being alone with his thoughts, Charlie finally decided to retire for the night. Just as he was getting up from the table, there was a knock on the door. Puzzled, he approached the front door of his house. Who could be visiting him at this hour? It was nearly ten o’clock. Was there an emergency at the sanctuary? Was one of his coworkers coming to get him?

His mind reeling with possibilities, he opened ten door. When he saw who was there, his jaw dropped.

“Y/N?” he whispered, staring at the young woman before him. She didn’t look any different since the last time he saw her — same hair color, same expressive eyes, same soft yet defined features. She was unmistakable.

“H-hi, Charlie,” she stammered. She shifted uncomfortably, seeming to be looking everywhere except at him. When her eyes finally met his, she held her breath. She hadn’t seen him in four years, and she had no idea what to expect from him.

He was almost exactly the same as he was at Hogwarts. He still had unruly red hair and freckle constellations all over his face. Although, he was broader, more muscular, but she wasn’t complaining. After what felt like an eternity of staring at each other, he asked her to come inside.

Charlie made her a cup of tea and replenished his own. He set out some biscuits and fruit, apologizing for not having much else to offer. Y/N assured him that whatever he had was fine.

“Where were you?” Charlie blurted. It was the first question that came to mind.

“My sister got sick,” Y/N said quietly. “I received an owl in the middle of the night and left for home at first light. She...she’s no longer with us.”

Charlie nodded sympathetically, his heart lurching at her words. He remembered her talking about how close she and her sister were. He wanted to comfort her, but questions still flooded his head. “Why didn’t you tell any of us? And why haven’t you written anyone back?”

“I wanted to, I truly did,” Y/N said helplessly. “But I was hurting so much from losing her that I couldn’t even think, let alone write.”

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It’s alright,” he whispered.

“I had to postpone my Ministry job so that I could have time to grieve,” she continued. “But when I was ready to start working, they had already given the position to someone else. I was already distraught over losing my sister, so losing the job that was supposed to be the starting point of my Ministry career was a heavy blow.”

“I’m so sorry,” Charlie said, searching Y/N’s eyes.

“It’s okay,” she replied, offering a small smile. “Anyway, for the next year, I worked odd jobs all over Britain, trying to make enough to help out my parents in their difficult time. By then, I felt comfortable enough to interact with people but was too ashamed to write.”

“Ashamed?” Charlie asked incredulously. “Why? We’ve all been dying to hear from you! We were worried sick.”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Y/N said. “But I had been avoiding the letters for so long as I mourned my sister that it felt rude of me to suddenly reply a year later. Plus, I didn’t want anyone to pity me. I didn’t want anyone to think I was only writing because I needed help either.”

“I understand,” said Charlie. “So what are you doing now?”

“Well, after that miserable first year, another internship opened up at the Ministry. I ended up working in the field I had wanted to get into after all. My internship ended after a year, and I applied for a permanent position in the Department of International Magical Cooperation right after. That’s where I’ve been ever since.”

“International Magical Cooperation? That’s your dream job!” Charlie exclaimed. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you,” Y/N said shyly, suddenly bashful. “I see you landed your dream job as well.”

Charlie grinned. “Yeah, working here is better than I could ever have imagined. I never want to leave.”

Y/N looked down and noticed that both of her hands were now in Charlie’s. Her breath hitched. After all these years, her feelings for him never completely subsided. That was part of the reason why she had decided to visit him. She couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing him again, even if he only ever wanted to be friends.

“Something the matter?” he asked when he caught her glancing away from him.

“No, not at all,” she managed. “I’m just a little tired. It was a long journey getting here. Your parents accidentally gave me the wrong address, if you can believe it.”

He chuckled. “That sounds like them, all right.”

Something about her writing to his parents made him feel warm inside. They had met her before, usually at the train station when they picked him up or dropped him off for school. But the fact that she was comfortable enough to talk to them all these years later made him feel unusually happy.

“I’ll go prepare the spare bedroom for you,” he said, letting go of her hands and getting up from the table.

“Thank you,” she said gratefully.

When he walked away and disappeared into a hallway, she let out a breath. She was relieved to see that he didn’t have a wife or children, though she already knew that much from his parents’ letters. But there was still the possibility that he had a girlfriend. She realized that her hands were shaking as she though about it. She was in love with him but had no idea if he would reciprocate her feelings. When he returned from the bedroom, she decided to pluck up her courage and ask him.

Standing up and taking a shaky breath, she began, “Charlie?”

“Yes, love?” he answered all too quickly. He instantly realized what he had said and blushed furiously.

Y/N took his response and reaction as a sign that maybe he did feel something for her. Or maybe it was an honest mistake, and he was just embarrassed at having called her ‘love’ without meaning it. Either way, she proceeded.

“Do you...do you have a girlfriend?” she asked timidly, almost inaudible.

“No,” he softly replied, meeting her gaze.

“Why not?” she asked, not breaking eye contact. She felt as though she could stare into his warm, brown eyes for all of eternity.

“I couldn’t...I couldn’t move on with my life,” he admitted, “because I never forgot you.”

And just like that, Y/N had heard enough. She swiftly closed the distance between them and connected her lips with his. He was shocked at first, but his hesitation was brief. He kissed her back, matching her intense passion with fire of his own. The moment was electric, but it was over too soon, as the need for air caused them the break apart.

“I love you,” Y/N breathes, her hands still tangled in Charlie’s hair.

He grinned. “I love you, too.”

“Oh, and guess what?” she said, a smile forming on her lips. “My department has a branch in Romania, and they’re willing to let me transfer.”

Charlie returned the smile, his cheeky and mischievous. “Well, then, that calls for a celebration.”

Not a fraction of a second later, his lips were on hers again, and neither wanted to ever let go.

#charlie weasley x reader #charlie weasley #writing #harry potter x you #harry potter x reader #harry potter fanfiction #charlie weasley fanfiction #charlie weasley x you #Harry Potter

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brelione · 4 years

Text

Marvel Movies (Rafe,Topper,Kelce X Reader)

This takes place about a month after this.

Mentions of choking,fighting,Captain America Spoilers,Kelce being a Disney Hoe

Series Masterlist

You could hear the sound of “Lost In The Woods” from frozen two along with the sound of a car door shutting.You grinned,looking outside your window to see Kelce walking up to your front door.He had been obsessed with the sound track since you,Rafe,Topper and him had watched it last weekend.He swung open your door,pointing at you. “DONT YOU KNOW THERES PART OF ME THAT LONGS TO GO INTO THE UNKNOWN!”He sang,swinging his arms to the tune of the song that was now playing from his earbuds.

You smiled,taking out your phone to record him. “Kel,what are you singing?”You giggled,zooming in on his face. “Bitch,you already know!!!”He said it to the same tune,making you bite your lip to hold back a snort as you saved the video to your snap chat memories.He sat down nexto to you on the couch,pulling out his earbuds. “Rafe and Top are late?”He asked.You shrugged,checking the groupchat to check what time Rafe had left his house. “Kind of but like its fine.Its my night anyways.”You reminded him.Kelce nodded,pulling his legs onto the couch and resting them across your lap. “What are we watching?”He asked,looking up to see nickelodeon on the TV.

You smiled,telling him it was a surprise before throwing his legs off you and going into the kitchen to snack prep.He followed you,not wanting to watch nickelodeon. “Hey,do you remember those brownies we ate when we were little?Like the ones with the colorful chocolate things?”You asked,opening a bag of doritos and pouring the chips into a large bowl.His eyebrows furrowed as he thought about it,grabbing a capri sun from your fridge. “Debby Ryan brownies?”He asked.You turned to look at him,the empty chip bag in your hand. “Do you know who Debby Ryan is?”You asked,laughing at him.

The realization hit him,making him laugh too. “The girl from tik tok!The meme one!”He answered.You nodded,throwing the empty red bag away.You grabbed the bag of sharable m and m’s,pouring the colorful candies into a bowl as well before bringing them both into the living room and setting them down on the table.He somehow ended up laying down half on top of you,the back of his head resting on your stomach.You didnt even hear Rafe pull up,the door opening with him standing with a paper bag in his hand.You missed the way his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Kelce laying on you,he quickly covered it with a smile.

Topper was right behind him,you turned your head to look at the blonde.You immediately burst into laughter upon seeing the pink,purple,yellow and green striped shirt he was wearing. “That’s gotta be the ugliest shirt ive ever seen.”You grinned,running your hand over Kelce’s curly hair.He rolled his eyes,sitting on the floor while Rafe put the paper bag down on the table next to the M and M’s,pulling out the contents.Sour gummy worms,dark chocolate chips,werthers caramels and a can of your favorite soda.He held the can,sitting at the end of the couch by your head so you could rest your head on his lap.He held the cool can to your forehead,knowing that you liked the feeling of the coolness.

You removed your hand from Kelce’s hair,putting on Disney Plus. “OOH-are we watching Winnie the Pooh?”Topper asked.You laughed,shaking your head as you went down to the row of Marvel Movies.Rafe had only ever seen Iron Man 2 so he wasnt very familiar with the films.Kelce preferred DC and Topper just sucked.You eventually came to The First Avenger,pressing on it.You squealed as the movie started,excited to annoy your friends.

“I have a husband in this one too.”You smiled,remembering your huge Bucky phase in sixth grade that Rafe couldnt quite understand.He had only seen your Winter Soldier hoodie so he didnt really have a good idea of who Bucky actually was besides the fact that you loved

him.During the scene where Steve received the Serum Topper had sat up,glancing between Steve and Rafe. “Am I the only one that sees a resemblance?”He asked.You sat up slightly,Kelce moving off of you so you could turn and look at Rafe properly.

He blushed,turning his head and looking away so you had to cup his face and get him to look at you.He bit his lip slightly,looking down at you.Topper rolled his eyes,regretting bringing it up in the first place. “Steve is more handsome.”You grinned,returning to your place on his lap.Kelce broke into laughter along with Topper,Rafe just a red mess as you continued watching the TV. “Isnt Spencer your husband?And 10K?”Kelce asked.You nodded,still watching the movie. “I thought Spencer was the love of your life?”He waited for your answer.You rolled your eyes. “I can have multiple loves of my life.”You answered,still watching the movie. “Can you pause this?”Topper asked,looking up at you from the floor.

You paused it,a bit annoyed. “What?”You asked.He opened a bag of sour gummy worms,popping one in his mouth. “How many husbands do you have?”He asked.You bit the inside of your cheek,thinking about it.Spencer Reid,Newt,Draco,Percy Jackson,Jack Frost,Peter Pan,Zuko,Prince Eric,Kristoff,Aladdin,T’Challa,Killmonger,Dallas Winston. “Uh...16.”You answered.Rafe laughed,fingers brushing against his chin as Kelce just looked up at you with wide eyes. “Who?”He asked.You blushed,counting off on your fingers. “Spencer,Newt-”Topper interrupted you. “Who is Newt?”He asked.You glared at him. “Do you not pay attention on Movie Nights?Eight months ago we watched The Maze Runner,the handsome blonde boy with the british accent.”You explained.He tried not to laugh at your passion for the topic.

“Draco Malfoy,Percy Jackson,Jack Frost-”You were interrupted again,this time by Kelce. “The animated dude?The albino one?”He asked.You sighed,nodding.Rafe’s eyebrows knit together,frowning down at you. “You have a crush on an animated albino?”He asked.You sat up,looking between the boys. “You’re gonna tell me hes not cute as hell?Dont even act like you’re not a simp for Meg,Rafe.You too,Kelce,I saw the way you looked at Elsa when she let her hair down!”You reminded the boy.Topper laughed,forgetting that you knew all his secrets. “Dude,you were in love with Ariel when you were 10!”You exclaimed,making the boy shut up. “Who else?”Rafe asked,still curious. “Um...Peter Pan,Zuko-”You were cut off once again.

“Birth mark dude from Avatar?”Rafe asked.You huffed loudly,stealing the bag of gummies from Topper and eating one. “ITS A BURN!”You nearly shouted. “You have such terrible taste in men.”Topper rolled his eyes.You glared at him,biting hard on your lip. “Get out.”You told him.He bit back a smile,looking up at you. “What?”He laughed.You pouted. “Go stand in the rain for two minutes.”You told him.He shook his head until you got off the couch,grabbing his hand and dragging him to the door. “You’re being mean so you have to stand in the rain.”You told him,opening the door.

He blushed,stepping outside and into the rain.He would never do this for anyone else but the smile on your face was worth it.Rafe looked outside the window,recording Topper standing in a T pose as water drenched his ugly shirt and hair.Once the two minutes was up you opened the door again,letting the wet boy come inside.He smirked before hugging you tightly,getting you completely wet. “TOPPER!”You shouted,pulling off your wet t shirt. “Dammit.”You huffed,pulling off your wet shorts and leaving yourself in just your bra and underwear. Dancing in bikinis multiple times so it wasn't that big of a deal but you didn't notice their wandering eyes. You turned to walk upstairs to change into new into new pants while top or just stood a blushing mess.

At this point you'd forgotten about the movie and you were more focused on annoying your friends.Topper knew better than to sit on your couch in wet clothes but unfortunately he hadn't brought a new pair to change into. So when you return downstairs in a tank top and pajama bottoms you saw topper in just his boxers sitting on your couch watching the movie.You went to sit on the couch,being pulled into Topper’s lap.When the scene of Bucky falling off the train came along Kelce had become attached,standing up to shout at the tv while you started crying a bit,Topper kissing your forehead lightly. “WHERES THE NEXT ONE?”Kelce asked.You grinned,grabbing the remote and moving on to Winter Soldier.

“Theres like a ton of movies between these two but like we can watch those eventually.”You shrugged,ending up wedged between Rafe and Topper,Rafe’s fingers twisting your hair and tracing figure eights along the back of your neck. “On your left!”You spoke at the same time as Sam,grinning.Kelce grinned. “So thats why you always say that!”He put the puzzle pieces together.When Nat pulled up you saw the way Topper’s jaw dropped,you smiled. “I know,right?Shes like really fucking pretty.”You grinned,head against Rafe’s chest.Topper had began to doze off when Bucky came on with his metal arm,waking up fully again when he heard you whisper “He could literally choke me with his metal arm.”under your breath.He burst out laughing for a reason that Rafe nor Kelce could understand,plotting to use it against you in the future.

Somehow Topper had managed to fall asleep against your leg while Rafe had gotten you onto his lap,your head in the crook of his neck as you watched Steve get the living shit beat out of him.Kelce was on the edge of his seat,completely invested in the story. “Can we watch the next one?”He asked.You smiled,pleased with his excitement. “Tomorrow morning,okay?”You asked.He huffed but nodded,grabbing the blanket he usually used.Rafe pulled a blanket over the two of you,allowing you to sleep on top of him.The four of you must’ve slept in pretty late,waking up to your 1 P.M alarm that told you to take your daily vitamins.You groaned,attempting to move but being held by Rafe.

You yawned,seeing Topper in his deep,drooling double-chin sleep.You flicked Rafe across the head so he’d wake up,the brunette waking with a grumble. “Rafe,you gotta let go.”You smiled,kissing his nose tiredly.He grinned,letting you off his lap.You shook Kelce’s shoulder as you walked by,your shorts riding up.Kelce got up with a groan,the blanket rolling around his body like a burrito as he stumbled into the kitchen.You got yourself a glass of water,putting your four vitamin pills into your palm.He watched as you took them,grinning at you. “Good girl.You want breakfast?”He asked.You shrugged,still tired.Topper walked into the kitchen,wiping his face of drool and carrying the bowl of m and ms.

“Hey,do you still have those frozen strawberries?”He asked.You nodded,watching as he grabbed the bag of fruit from your freezer along with almond milk,whipper cream,hot fudge and banana. “Where’s Rafe?”Kelce asked,his question being answered by the universe when the Steve Rogers look alike walked in,turning on the keurig.Kelce put some bread in the toaster,taking out the eggs and a frying pan and starting to make some scrambled for Rafe,some fried for you and an m and m omlet for Topper.Speaking of the blonde,he was pouring frozen strawberries,fudge,banana slices and almond milk into the blender,switching it on and dancing to the sounds of the strawberries being crushed.As the eggs began to cook Kelce quickly handed Rafe his mug before grabbing a glass,putting a layer of m and ms and whipped cream at the bottom,adding two spoon fulls of sugar,some milk and mixing it all together until it was a colorful slop,pouring ice in the cup before brewing some italian coffee to top it off.

As it brewed he rushed to flip the eggs,cursing when he realised the edges were burnt.He tossed it onto a plate,sprinkling some italian seasoning on it and taking the toast out of the toaster for you.He grabbed a jar of your favorite jelly,spreading a thin layer on both slices,reaching over Rafe’s head to hand you the plate.You thanked him,ripping the slice of toast in half.Topper turned off the blender,pouring its contents into a glass and making a huge mountain of whipped cream before sitting across from you.You smirked,reaching your fork over to get some whipped cream.He gasped,jaw dropping as he stared at you. “So you’re gonna put me in the rain for two minutes and now youre taking away my whipped cream?Do you wanna fight?”He asked,leaning forward.

You used your fork,knocking over the mountain of whipped cream before getting up and running down the hall.He ran after you,grabbing you by your wrist and pinning you against the wall of the guest room,panting.You two stared at eachother for a while,his bare chest pressed against you.His eyes flicked between your eyes and your lips,leaning down so his forehead was pressed against yours.So much was happening at once,you couldnt even comprehend it.But then from the kitchen you heard an argument starting,Topper letting go of your wrists as they two of you went back to the kitchen. “The third one is the best!” “FUCK YOU IN THE ASS,BITCH!”You walked in,looking between the two boys.

“What is going on?”You asked.Kelce looked over at you,spatula in hand. “Which Descendants film is better?Two or Three?”He asked.You shook your head,sitting back down to eat your toast. “Fuck-dammit,Topper!You made my toast untoast!”You exclaimed,waving the uncrunchy bread.Kelce frowned,eyes softening. “Do you want me to make you more?”He asked.You shook your head. “No,its fine,Kelce.”You grinned,taking a sip of your coffee.It was sweet and creamy and pretty good,somehow Kelce always made the best coffee no matter what he put in it.Rafe looked between you and Topper,sensing that something had happened in the room.He hoped that Topper wouldnt intentionally hurt him like that,hoping Kelce wouldnt either.A plate of scrambled eggs was put in front of Rafe along with a bottle of barbecue sauce,making you stare at him in disgust. “I cant believe you put barbecue sauce on your eggs.”You shook your head,taking a bite of the toast and getting excited when you heard a crunch. “Oh-hey,dont worry!It didnt untoast”You grinned,enjoying it.

@sexytholland @28cnn @popcrone818 @fttayla @cherryobx @n1ghtsh4d3-67 @drewstarkeyobx @poguestyleskye @judayyyw @jjtheangel @outerbongs @copper-boom

If you’d like to be tagged in all future JJ imagines/headcannons/series comment with a heart,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Pope imagines/headcannons/series comment with a smiling face,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Rafe imagines/headcannons/series comment with a frowning face,if you’d like to be tagged in all future Kiara imagines/headcannons/series comment with a question mark and if you’d like to be tagged in all future Sarah Cameron imagines/headcannons/series comment with a plus sign.Or if thats too complicated you can just comment whose name you’d like to be tagged in.

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sidigtal-anim · 3 years

Text

AMPHIBIA: SEASON 2B SPECULATION

So! Since ‘tis the season to be jolly, we have new confirmation from the creator of Amphibia himself, Matt Braly!!! He’s given out the Episode titles for all of Season 2B as a Christmas gift, and has confirmed that the episodes aren’t done enough for a trailer. You can find the video link here.

Now I’m giving you a warning! These will contain spoilers and discussion for Season 2B. If you are trying to avoid spoilers, I suggest leaving now! If you’re cool with spoilers and speculation, stay for the ride!

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR AMPHIBIA: SEASON 2A!!!

END OF SEASON 2A - WHERE ARE WE IN THE SHOW?!

Currently, the last episode of Season 2 we’ve had was “A Day at the Aquarium,” with Anne and the Planters are heading to Wartwood for the Harvest and to collect the Calamity Box to take to the Temples. Marcy has a sketchy deal with King Andrias offered, and Sasha and Grimes haven’t been checked up on since “Toadcatcher” where they said they’re going to storm Newtopia.

We have new information on the Calamity Box with the three temples, and even more information on the colours representing the three girls. The Robot following Anne and the Planters to Newtopia (revealed as “Frobo” by Disney Amphibia promotional game) is still stuck at the edge of Newtopian Land, not entering the water as seen in the first minute of “Lost in Newtopia”. It’s still unknown what the glowing coloured eyes represent, since we’ve only seen them twice: Anne’s eyes with “Handy Anne,” and Marcy’s with “Marcy at the Gates” when she saved Sprig.

The Season 2 opening with the new animated sequence of the Sasha vs. Anne sword fight seems to take place in the location of one of the temples. In the end credits, the temple in the leftmost corner with the fallen pillars seem to be where Sasha and Anne are fighting as the sequence zooms out to Marcy holding the Music Box.

This means that Sasha and Anne are going to have a altercation at one of the temples, seemingly at the Third temple, since that location is the closest one to the Volcano temple. It could even be during the return to Newtopia, and Sasha and Grimes try to seize Newtopia like the Fire Nation did with Omashu. And we know the order of the temples from King Andrias’ book from “A Day at the Aquarium.”

It’s unclear which temple represents what jewel, but from the image above seems to infer that it goes in the order of green, blue, and finally pink. Meaning Marcy, Anne and Sasha. From a visual perspective with shape language, that correlation of people with the temples would make sense! Since the first temple seems more like a pyramid which usually has booby traps and requires wit (Marcy) to solve it. The Second Temple is represented by an arch, giving a sense of safety and welcoming. (Heart)

The Volcano...? Definitely Sasha.

No more information on Sprig’s mom or the things in the Castle’s basement (the Jelly Ghosts, the Chained Moss Men, or even the torn painting of young Andrias’ with the Toad and Frog).

That’s where we are in the hiatus. So now let’s dive into the episode titles.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR AMPHIBIA: SEASON 2B!!!

EPISODE TITLE SPECULATION

These are all my ideas and speculation based off of the episode titles. These are not confirmed summaries, loglines or events of the episodes.

S02E11 - Night Drivers/Return to Wartwood

211A - Night Drivers: This episode seems to mainly be a returning travel episode. I don’t know what we’re getting here, maybe a nightmare creature? Or perhaps an actual nightmare? My guess is something with Anne and Hop Pop since they’re the only "Riders” who know how to drive Bessie. I do expect some talk or at least mention of Frobo since it’s outside the Newtopian area.

211B - Return to Wartwood: It’s here! The return to Wartwood! I don’t think Hop Pop will immediately unearth the Music Box and show it to the kids to give an exposition dump. I think this will talk more about people catching up with the Planters and asking how is Newtopia. Some shenanigans happen, maybe a monster, but I see this being kinda lowkey too. Perhaps the Calamity Box plot at the end as a short stinger, but nothing more really.

S02E12 - The Shut-In!: Halloween Special

212 - The Shut-In!: This episode is already out. It doesn’t fit in continuity-wise and could be placed anywhere in the season. There’s not really much to speculate upon, especially within the season. The only real speculation I see is that Hop Pop probably hasn’t told the kids yet, because I don’t think they would be as calm as they were in this episode if Hop Pop explained.

S02E13 - Ivy on the Run/After the Rain

213A - Ivy on the Run: We haven’t seen Ivy this season. The only episodes the audience is reminded of her are “Hopping Mall,” where Sprig bought that ninja pole for her that broke; and, the Halloween special. I think this episode is a follow up episode to Sprig and Ivy’s relationship, perhaps she feels as though Sprig is leaving her again for the Temples arc and is upset by that. Or some shenanigans with her mom and a new suitor for her, since that’s what originally happened for Sprivy in her Intro episodes. I see the resolution being about long distance relationships and how it can be difficult, but they trust each other and they’ll work through it.

213B - After the Rain: This. This seems like the perfect episode for Hop Pop to talk about the music box. Stormy nights are perfect impeticis for reveals and exposition dumps. I see this as an episode where Hop Pop is trying to say his “sources” can’t seem to get the box back because of the rain, or something. Anne freaks out and is constantly bothering Hop Pop. She pushes him to a point where he cracks, and explains everything about the Music Box. Or he just tells them because he thinks that if they know what they’re doing, they should know.

Or a third idea is that it is more like “The Storm” from Avatar: The Last Airbender where Hop Pop explains the horrors of the Music Box to the kids, while King Andrias’ explains to Marcy how he utilised the Music Box and how he’s lied about his age and he’s actually centuries of centuries older than he says. Then King Andrias’ reveals his deal for Marcy, which I believe is stealing the music box from Anne, so he can rescue the people trapped within the portrait from the other worlds. She may not actually steal the Music Box until the Third Temple, where all the gemstones have been recharged. How does Marcy benefit from this? I have no clue. But he’s telling Marcy this because he has to stay to help Newtopia, or because he wants an ally in a time of need.

And Anne ends up saying, “We have to tell Marcy, and warn her!.” But Hop Pop says that they can’t since she may follow the King. A new reversal of Anne having to choose to use her head instead of her heart, which we see her struggle with in “A Day at the Aquarium.” This perhaps starts an arc where she’s acting similarly to Sasha in terms of peer pressure tactics and gaslighting to avoid Marcy learning the truth.

S02E14 - The First Temple

214 - The First Temple: This episode is a freaking two-parter! An introduction to the mythology of the Temples. Discussing the location, Act One is travelling there. Marcy talks to Anne about Wartwood, and maybe a bit more into her own family life. I see Sasha, I think we’ll get hints of Marcy’s conflict from her deal with the King, their only way home. But at the same time, Anne is having her conflict about telling Marcy the Frog side of the Music Box, after learning the secrets Hop Pop reveals.

Act Two is arriving at the Temple, and entering the Temple using Marcy’s big brain skills. Act Three is recharging the Green Gemstone and learning the location of the Second Temple. Something I do find interesting about this is the glowing eyes subplot adjacent to the Music Box. Will it somehow affect Marcy? Will she lose her “Wit”? Or does this unlock a new power within her or something? We’ll see!

S02E15 - New Wartwood/Friend or Frobo?

215A - New Wartwood: I do think this has been a while coming. Wartwood has had issues with accepting change and differences. Like in “Toad Tax,” where Hop Pop makes an off-hand joke that the town’s Motto is “Slow to accept, and even slower to respect.” Even though that is not okay, there have been plants for a change to Wartwood. Redoing and improving on themselves. Or it could just be a plot where the Mayor has to redo everything in Wartwood and making it fancy hotel, and the Plantars have to stop him. Then creates a moral of change is within, not outside.

215B - Friend or Frobo?: Okay, a Frobo episode! We haven’t talked about Frobo, and don’t even know its name from the show itself. This is probably a big mythology reveal. In case anyone doesn’t know, this robot is seemingly inspired by the one from Hayao Miyazaki’s “Laputa: Castle in the Sky.” There are a lot of theories, but I think Marcy’s curiosity would want them to follow Frobo, but her head will say something against that. Anne’s “Heart” will tell her to follow the Frog Robot and lead them to a new area of knowledge unknown previous.

S02E16 - Toad to Redemption/Maddie and Marcy

216A - Toad to Redemption: A possible Sasha episode???? Whomst? Whenst?? Since Season 1, I basically expect minimal Sasha episodes. Sasha and Grimes having two episodes in one season?? What?!

But “Toad to Redemption” is an interesting title. Perhaps Grimes or one of his remaining soldiers of Wanda and Percy change their minds? Or perhaps Anne and Marcy encounter one of the Toads that split up with Grimes post-Reunion. And they’re trying to learn to combat their racist beliefs of Frogs being less than Toads. A bit more of a Hop Pop episode since it deals with moving on from traditions that hinder you, but also realising the things that are necessary. I think the latter is more likely, but a Sasha and Grimes episode would work really well, especially this deep into the season.

If this is a Sasha and Grimes episode, I do believe that Yunnan will come back and try to get payback for them defeating her. And getting Grimes would be her “Toad to Redemption.”

216B - Maddie and Marcy: Yas! Creepy goth-like girl with a sunshine klutz. I think this is going to be a more fun episode after the heavy stuff in the previous segment.

S02E17 - The Second Temple/Barrel’s Warhammer

217A - The Second Temple: Temple Number Two!! The one for Heart. I think this one deals more with the idea of “Pure Hearted”. Therefore, I think that Anne is holding in the secrets of the Music Box, not making her “Pure of Heart” and therefore will have to tell Marcy. She reveals the information here, and Marcy tells her she can trust her, but she doesn’t reveal her deal with the King.

217B - Barrel’s Warhammer: Who is “Barrel”??? Seems like a new side gag character like The Curator or The Theatre Troupe. I have no idea what Warhammer means, either a literal Hammer for War, or it’s the game with the miniature objects.

S02E18 - Bessie and MicroAngelo/The Third Temple

218A - Bessie and MicroAngelo: I haven’t even watched the episode or seen the descriptor, but I know that this is going to be the cutest episode to ever exist on television and I absolutely am here for it. Perhaps on their way to the Third Temple, MicroAngelo is feeling down on his accomplishments as a snail, and sees Bessie as a mentor. I think the episode last season “Children of the Spore” will come back, since the mushroom still lives on that bug. So Bessie and MicroAngelo will save the day!

218B - The Third Temple: I am absolutely terrified for this episode. Much like with Infinity Train: Book 1 with two very specific episodes, and just as a general rule of writing, when you begin with a segment that is happier, it highlights and accents the horror and angst. Especially because this seems to be an episode where Sasha is necessary since she’s the last colour/gemstone.

S02E19 - The Dinner/Battle of the Bands

219A - The Dinner: This episode would make sense. Immediately upon seeing the title I thought of an Adventure Time episode, S10E05 - Seventeen, where a group of characters thought to be gone return at a party. Upon further development, I believe this would be a banquet to celebrate the recharging of the Music Box and returning Anne and Marcy home. Unsure about where Sasha is at this point, but she exists and they’ll most likely find her to get her home as well.

219B - Battle of the Bands: Now this is absolutely bonkers level of random. The penultimate episode of Season 2 is a Battle of the Bands???? The only person that can play an instrument is Sprig, and the only one that has really been seen dancing is Anne.

The only real idea I have for this is that it does what “Anne of the Year” did last season, where it wrapped up the character arc, and the plot surrounding that, but the actual plot is what will get touched upon in the finale. “Anne of the Year” resolved the plot of Anne being a stranger to Wartwood, which was the whole season’s conflict. While the finale, “Reunion” dealt with Sasha and the Toads. So I think “Battle of the Bands” will resolve Anne’s arc of being the Heart, and the finale will deal with the plot.

S02E20 - True Colors: 24-Minute Finale

220 - True Colors: This is a very interesting title. Since we know that the three girls represent three colours, that probably would mean a clash of them. This is probably where the full culmination of all the plot threads come into play. (The Music Box, King Andrias, the stuff in the basement, Sasha and Grimes, Sprig’s Mom, Marcy, and even Frobo) The title could also refer to a truth being revealed, with someone speaking their true colours.

I have no thoughts on the season finale so far, but I do hope this will be as satisfying as “Reunion” or more so. My expectations are super high! I’ll probably update more on my thoughts either when the trailer releases for 2B or the week of the finale airing.

END OF SPOILERS AND SPECULATION!!

That ends the speculation for 211 to 220 of Amphibia! Who knows when the episodes are releasing! (Matt says around February or March 2021! Which is a couple of months away!!!)

Let me know what you think and if you have any thoughts, ideas, responses to the speculation! I’m more than happy to hear you out!

#amphibia #amphibia spoilers #amphibia season 2 #hop pop #hop pop plantar #anne boonchuy #anne amphibia #amphibia season 2 spoilers

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avatarvader · 3 years

Text

A New Year’s Resolution

So this was made for the Romione Secret Santa Event in the HPRomione Discord (It’s a lot of fun and there are some great people in the server.). I was the secret santa for @be11atrixthestrange Hope you enjoy and happy holidays to all!

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Resolution

noun

A firm decision to do or not to do something.

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The night was waning upon the Burrow as snow trickled down upon its brightly lit windows. 2004 was coming to a close in about two hours. Ron was excited for the new year, another one in which he would get to spend with the most amazing and interesting person in the world to him. Ron felt his breast pocket for the box he had shrunk while Hermione was in the shower and grinned to himself.

He had it all planned out, when the clock would strike twelve everyone would cheer and Hermione would turn to give him a New Year’s kiss. He’d already be down on one knee, in one hand the ring he had purchased for her and roses in the other. He’d mastered the summon flowers charm when he learned that she’d gush over roses.

He had his speech already written down and he’d gone over it twelve times in the last week alone. Truthfully that’s why he worked at the Ministry so late recently. That and he was scared of blurting it out in the middle of dinner.

Thinking through everything and knowing it was finally happening tonight had made Ron parched. He made his way into the Burrow’s where he heard Angelina chatting with Ginny about their pregnancies while George was howling drunkenly about Verity to Harry.

“I can understand the need to make Christmas special,” George slurred “But Christmas is already a special time!”

“You don’t think that proposing on Christmas isn’t sweet?” Harry laughs, he too is on the tipsy side. “Better than what I did.” Harry lamented as he remembered his attempt to make his proposal to Ginny special. Harry had wanted to take her on a fly around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, before stopping on a cliffside overlooking the Black Lake. However, when he had gotten to The Burrow and saw her grinning face he panicked and proposed right there, in the Burrow’s kitchen…. as Molly was cooking. To say that his mother-in-law was enthused was an understatement.

“Well at least yours was memorable,” George nudged. “Verity won’t be able to remember whether it was Christmas or her proposal in a few years. Holiday proposals are stupid and overrated.” George declared.

Ron felt a sinking feeling in his stomach hearing his brother’s words. Of course, it was stupid. Why did I think this would be special? Ron picked up his drink and walked into the family room, his mood shot to hell.

Ron sat down on the love seat and stared at the fire that was roaring in the family hearth.

“Ronnie, you alright dear?” His mum asked with a smile. “You seem down.”

“I’m fine, mum.” Ron glanced away to see Hermione talking with Percy about a policy she was trying to pass. “Just- not feeling great is all.”

He felt his mum’s cool hand press on his forehead without warning. “Well, you don’t feel warm. Is it your stomach?”

It’s my heart, I really wanted to do this today.

“I’m sure it’s nothing Mum, how was Bermuda?” Ron replied, deftly wanting to change the subject.

“Oh it was lovely,” Molly gushed, “Your father and I had so much se-“

“Is that Charlie?” Ron cut in, blushing at what his mum was about to say. “I really don’t get to see him enough. Oi Charlie!” Ron got up and made his way over to Charlie and his lady friend he brought from Romania.

“5…4…3…2…1, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!” The Weasleys shouted as the clock chimed midnight, George and Angelina popped off some fireless fireworks in the house. They bounded from person to person pinging off of their noses before zooming away. Around them, couples turned into their respective partners and kissed in the New Year. Hermione turned to him and sank into his arms, her head pressing against his chest.

How perfect it would have been.

Hermione’s hands rested on Ron’s chest as she stood on her tiptoes to capture his lips with hers. Her hand pushes the small box in his breast pocket in his chest.

Oh fuck me, she’s going to find out!

“Ron, what’s that in your pocket?” She pressed his chest to feel the object again.

“N-Nothing.” Ron lied. Make this work in your favour, old boy.

“Did you forget to clean out your pockets?” Hermione scowled. “You KNOW they put cardboard in there so the shirt doesn’t wrinkle. I swear if our brand-new washing machine gets clogged up by cardboard you left in there, I’ll make sure you sleep on my side of the bed…” Ron cringed knowing her side was lumpy and stiffer than he cared for.

Execute this properly chap, timing is key.

“Hermione,” Ron sighed as she reached into his pocket and pulled out the deep blue box.

Ron watched Hermione’s eyes as she gazed at the box, he saw her eyes widen as she realized what it was.

Now old boy!! On your knee!

Ron sunk to his knee as he flicked his right hand to draw his wand from its holster. (Auror technique that makes for easy drawing.). He swooped it high over his head, never once letting his gaze be torn from Hermione’s eyes.

Rose petals appeared from nothingness and fell gently like snowflakes around them. The pair of them, despite being surrounded by the Weasley’s felt like they were alone in this one instance in time. All distractions unseen, all voices tuned out.

“R-Ron?” She gasped. “W-What are… What is this?”

“Hermione.” Ron’s heart was thumping in his chest. He held the box out for her to take from him. "Open it, love."

She opened the box and saw a beautiful, yet simple ring. It was the home to three (rather small) stones, Aquamarine and Sapphire on either side, with a slightly larger diamond in the middle. The band was silver, and woven in a lattice pattern. It was simple yet elegant.

“I-is that our birthstones?” Hermione said as she turned her attention back to Ron.

“I've wanted to ask you this to ask this for a long, long, time.” Ron swallowed thickly. “I love you. I love you so much a-and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.” Hermione’s free hand covered her mouth to stop herself from blurting out her answer, he clearly planned this for her and she wanted to make sure he said what he wanted to.

“As daft as it may be to ask this question-” He took the box from her hand and took the ring out and held it just over her left ring finger. “-Hermione Granger. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

“Yes, of course, Ron. Of course!” She said, her eyes brimming with tears. Ron slid the ring onto her finger and she crashed into him, hugging him as tightly as she ever had before.

Ron stood up and leaned in to kiss her again, which she happily responded to.

Reality snapped back, all of the Weasley siblings were watching the newly engaged couple.

Bill and Fleur hugged each other and smiled knowingly, they had seen how tenderly and affectionately Ron cared for her during their stay at Shell Cottage during the war.

Charlie grinned at his little brother, he knew that Ron would eventually get the courage to ask her. Charlie had helped Ron move into their place together and when Ron took Charlie out for obligatory drinks afterward, Ron couldn’t stop talking about how amazing Hermione was.

Percy smiled at the couple, reminiscing at how he watched their friendship blossom, growing up and becoming friends together during their first three years of Hogwarts. Hermione would come to Percy in a huff to ‘Sort out that brother of yours! He doesn’t care about his studies!’ Percy would never say it to her face, but he always thought Ron was a calming force for Hermione.

George was crying. The combination of a generous amount of alcohol and seeing his brother proposing had sent him over the edge. He wasn’t crying because he thought Ron was making a bad decision, or that Hermione and he weren't compatible. He was crying because of the bet he lost all those years ago. Fred bet him during their 6th year that Ron and Hermione would get engaged at a family function and that Ron wouldn’t hesitate for even a moment. George thought that Ron would be a mumbling and stumbling mess. He owed Fred now and his twin wasn’t around to collect.

Ginny was surprised to find Ron on his knee, he was talking to Hermione in low tones, so only they could hear each other. It was quite clear what he was doing though. Ginny’s heart leaped as she saw her brother, her closest friend growing up, slide the ring on Ginny's best friend. She muttered a quick “It’s about time isn’t it?” To her husband jokingly when she realized. Harry was crying. She rubbed Harry’s back soothingly.

Harry took off his glasses as he watched his best best friend in the whole world propose to his other best friend who was like a sister to him. Harry knew they’d be happy together. Despite all their bickering and arguments at Hogwarts, it seemed that dating and living together seemed to ease the tension between them. Admittedly, there was PROBABLY another factor, but Harry didn’t want to think about their intimate life that deeply. It was bad enough walking in on them in the kitchen the one time. Harry knew they would make each other happy. That was all he wanted for them. His best friends, who gave him so much joy and happiness in his life when he needed it most. The pair that had almost acted as parents to him during school. They had a certain way with each other, their love for each other came naturally, all they had to do was get there. Harry only wanted the best for his closest friends, and the fact that they seemed to choose each other filled Harry’s heart with so much emotion.

Molly turned after kissing her husband to see Ron on his knee in front of Hermione a ring of rose petals shower down upon them and Ron slipped a ring on her finger.

“What just happened?!” She squeaked to her husband. “Oh, Merlin I missed it!!” She lamented as Hermione sank into her now Fiancé’s arms. The newly engaged couple kissed, both smiling into each other's lips. Ron pulled back and looked around the room and flushed red with embarrassment.

“So, erm…. Happy New Year?” He said sheepishly. Molly squealed with joy and rushed to wrap her youngest child in her arms. She kissed his forehead before she moved over to her future daughter in law.

Arthur smiled at his youngest boy as he was congratulated by his siblings. Ginny, Fleur and Molly were cooing over the beauty of the ring. Ron was being pounded on his back by Charlie, and George had slung his arm around Ron’s shoulders singing a hearty and happy song.

Arthur made his way into the crowd. “I believe an official 'welcome' to the family is in order, Hermione. We're so excited it's finally official.” Arthur opened his arms wide as she hugged him rather tightly.

“There’s no other family I’d want to join,” she said with a beaming smile as she pulled out of the hug. Hermione was soon distracted by Molly fretting over wedding plans so Arthur turned to his boy.

“Ronnie.” Ron looked up and saw his dad with slight tears in his eyes, “You’ve found your perfect person. I’m so happy for you, my boy.” Ron gave his dad a big hug and Arthur almost broke down then and there.

“What can I say, I know what a good match is after all.” Ron nudged his dad's side, “After all, I got to see how happy you and Mum were all this time. Gave me something to look forward to, y’know?” Arthur gave his son another hug.

The night progressed rather quickly after that. Soon enough it was two in the morning, and Ron and Hermione had flooed home. They were both dog tired after the events of the night and just wanted sleep. Ron had changed into his pajamas and laid on his side of the bed looking at the ceiling. He was remembering every little detail about his proposal, but he kept coming back to seeing Hermione’s eyes during his speech. They were the perfect shade of chocolate brown and he watched her eyes as they smiled at her new ring.

Hermione came in from the bathroom and sat down on her side of the bed. She snuggled up on Ron’s chest, her left hand resting on the other side of his torso. She looked at the ring again and her heart did flips at how perfect it was.

“So I have to ask,” She started, “How much of that went as planned?”

“Honestly? Pretty much exactly as I wanted it to.” She could hear the grin on his face without looking at him. “Didn’t expect you to find the ring, but after that, it went right as I wanted it to.”

“I'm so happy right now, Ron.” She sighed.

“Well good, It was my New Year’s resolution last year to make you happy and in typical Ron fashion I got it done… just a tad late is all.” Ron placed a hand against her back and she pressed against him closer.

“If that was last year’s then what is this year's?” She looked at him coyly.

“This year’s? Propose to you.” He laughed.

“Well, that job's done then, isn't it?!”

“Gotta be early for some things, right?” He ran his hands down her arms. “How about you? Any resolutions?”

“Marry the love of my life.” She kissed him deeply and tugged at his trousers. “And I fully intend to enjoy married life with him, as well.”

THE END

#2020 hpromione discord secret santa exchange #romione #ron weasley #hermione granger

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

Text

THE PORTKEY

Lily excused herself before she started the next chapter, scrounging up a quick lunch for the boys, and Harry happily followed, leaving the other three in a rather awkward silence. They hadn't really had a chance to talk since the end of the last book, but now that Remus himself had read out that he clearly wasn't having anything to do with Harry, James and Sirius weren't even sure what they could say to Remus. Clearly something had happened to him after James's death, something that made him believe Sirius had done all of those terrible things and not go to check up on Harry, and he'd never given a reason why to Harry. They weren't even writing to each other, for all they knew he wasn't even out there helping Sirius either. It bothered them greatly, but considering what that rat was destined to do to them, it wasn't the highest of treason he could pull either, no matter how much it hurt, so neither of them were going to acknowledge it for as long as they could.

Which is why it surprised them all the more when Remus whispered, "I'm sorry."

Sirius snorted, with surprising ease brushing that off as he told him, "for what? Ignoring Harry? You haven't done it yet, so don't apologize until you have. You should be partially glad you are, otherwise James would be getting jealous of you too."

James threw him a sharp look, opened his mouth, but then turned away with a wince of shame, had he been that obvious?

Sirius nodded though like James had agreed with him anyways. "Our future is a mess, but there's no sense in apologizing to each other until we can't fix it anymore."

Remus studied him for a few moments longer before he fully grinned at him, not a trace of sarcasm present as he demanded, "when did you get so wise?"

"Because I know there's someone else I'm never going to forgive," Sirius said back in such a low voice, it no longer really sounded like him. "Trust me Remus, whatever you do or don't do, it won't get that bad."

Remus's and James's face twitched, like their insides had just been slammed against their skeletal systems unexpectedly, but thankfully Lily and Harry returned then.

Once they'd all eaten their fill Lily quickly retook her spot. She found her place and began reading with genuine interest, very curios and more than happy to be reading about her son going to something as innocent and fun as the World Cup, even if Quidditch wasn't her idea of a good time. It was still better than, say, running into Fluffy again.

Harry felt as if his head just hit the pillow when Mrs. Weasley was shaking him awake, whispering for him that it was time to get up. He fumbled in the dark for his glasses, light wasn't even peeking in the window yet.

Lily made the appropriately disgusted face at being awoken before the sun, but the boys looked far too giddy for what was to come to care.

Ron and the twins were roused as well, and all four made their ungainly way down the stairs to find Mr. Weasley dressed as Muggle as he could get, in a baggy golf sweater, and worn blue jeans held up with a belt.

"And you said you weren't sure if Arthur knew how to dress like a Muggle," Remus chuckled.

"I'm guessing that's good then," James shrugged with disinterest, more curious as to why he had to dress like that at all, where were they going that involved Muggles seeing them?

He asked Harry if he passed, and Harry said he did a very good job. George tried to get out around a yawn where his eldest three brothers were, and Mrs. Weasley explained for them they were Apparating there later while dishing out porridge for them. Fred grumbled why they couldn't just apparate as well.

"I'm guessing because, they don't know how," Sirius snorted. "They're only just now going into their sixth year after all, they won't even get the practices until then."

"I'm guessing that hasn't stopped them from trying though," Remus smirked.

Mrs. Weasley reminded that they weren't of age yet, then went back out of the kitchen to fetch the girl's. Harry asked that you had to take a test to Apparate? Mr. Weasley explained that yes you did, and it was looked over by the Department of Magical Transportation, who'd just got done fining a couple last week who tried and failed, managing to splinch themselves.

Harry watched the others around him give a little face twitch of sympathy, but as frustrating as always, he was truly lost what that word meant, but since he knew Arthur was fixing to explain he chose not to ask now.

Harry watched everyone around the table flinch, while Harry asked what splinched was? Mr. Weasley explained it meant they left part of themselves behind when they disappeared.

Harry went bug eyed in shock, now gaping at all of his limbs as he thought back to his most recent apparition, and how he'd managed to do it with only a gut feeling on how! He felt fortunate to have come out of it unscathed now!

It had taken some work to get them back together, and a lot of paperwork for the Muggle's who had seen the left behind parts.

Harry continued to crinkle up his nose all the more as he pictured that, making the others give half hearted smiles at his expression, grateful themselves he hadn't been hurt by the experience, because they wouldn't have been able to help.

Harry had a sudden vision of a pair of legs and an eyeball lying abandoned on the pavement of Privet Drive.

Yet Harry blinked spastically for a completely different reason at the mention of the eyeball. Something about a singular eye, and his fourth year...the memory fell through the moment he tried to grasp it.

Harry quickly asked if those people were okay, and Mr. Weasley brushed it off, saying they were fixed up fine in the end, but they weren't likely to try it again soon. It was a rare occurrence, most wizards prefered the safer travels like brooms. Harry asked that the three eldest Weasley boys could all do it? Fred happily butted in that it had taken Charlie twice to pass his test, the first time he'd landed five miles away from where he was supposed to be onto some old lady.

Causing the others to do a little snicker of appreciation, making Lily feel a little better about her's. When Harry was looking at them expectantly, clearly hoping they'd share some funny story as well, she sighed, swallowed her pride, and went ahead and admitted, "Charlie's lucky, it took me till my third try to pass."

James had to keep his expression very carefully neutral, he'd paid dearly the last few times he'd laughed at Lily for this.

"The first time, I did splinch myself, and they obviously won't let you pass for that. The second time I somehow wound up five feet in the air and crash landed, sprained my wrist, and also didn't pass. Apparition is not my friend," she finished with a little huff, finishing with a glare at her husband, who was shaking with repressed laughter by the end.

Her then boyfriend had taken the mickey out of her for ages both times, after being appropriately concerned that she was alright of course, but never could seem to resist the expression he held now whenever this came up. It didn't help he'd done it perfectly his first try.

"It took me tell my second try as well," Remus shrugged, "I apparated into the middle of some bar, made some bloks piss themselves in shock. That wasn't very fun for the ministry to fix."

"Can you apparate with animals?" Sirius inserted with interest. The idea had never occurred to him, but now that he knew he was taking care of Buckbeak, he wondered if he was making the hippogriff do all the transportation. Then again, when he'd left, he was 99% sure he hadn't a wand, and he doubted he'd pop into Ollivanders to get one, so maybe he was being too enthusiastic.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Lily frowned in sympathy at him, as they all guessed where his mind had jumped to. "They get to easily startled, I'm positive they could get splinched as well, in fact it would be more likely of the animal and then you'd have a real mess on your hands."

Sirius realized he'd successfully brought the mood back down to a pitying level on himself, and as he in no way wanted that, he instead forced a chipper smile back onto his face and declared, "well fine then, miss know it all, I won't try it. Why don't you get back to reading now, I know you're just stalling for the Cup."

Lily gave him a look that said quite clearly she knew what he was doing, but didn't argue the point either.

Mrs. Weasley came back in time to hear that, and reminded he had passed his second time. George added on that Percy had only passed two weeks ago, and he'd been Apparating into the kitchen every morning to prove it.

"As if he won't be doing the same," James remarked.

Hermione and Ginny came into the kitchen then, and breakfast was consumed before Mr. Weasley tried to start bustling them out the door, saying they had a bit of a walk. Harry asked in shock they were walking to the World Cup? Mr. Weasley began to explain they only had to go a couple of miles, it was difficult after all for wizards to set these types of things up outside of Muggle notice, puts a huge strain on the Ministry- but was cut off by Mrs. Weasley snapping George's name.

Lily managed to pull that tone a little too well, making all four boys jump as well like she'd shot that at them, though she kept reading with a smug smile in place.

He turned back with an innocent expression that no one bought. His mum demanded to know what was in his pocket, and though he tried to deny it, she shout an Accio spell at him, and brightly colored sweets came zooming out of his pocket right into Molly's hand.

They frowned now, feeling sorrow at once for the twins. Of course it wasn't their right to interfere with how Mrs. Weasley dealt with her kids, but they still felt it wasn't fair either for her to be treating them like this. All of them agreed there were certainly far worse things they could be doing with their time then trying to invent joke items to make people laugh.

Lily kept herself going though, knowing there was nothing they could do about it.

She began shouting at them that she'd told them to trash these things, then forced both twins to empty out their pockets. They'd clearly been trying to get out as much as possible,

"Why?" Harry asked with some interest, feeling like he should know the answer anyways, but now hoping just to distract them a bit.

"Were probably going to sell them at the Cup or something," Remus sighed.

and it took Molly using several Accio spells to make them appear out of the lining of their jacket's, and the turn-ups of their pants.

"Inventive," Sirius sighed in pity for the two, Mrs. Weasley wasn't nearly as bad as his mother, but he had a good idea how the twins were feeling towards their own right then, and it wasn't good.

Fred shot back at her that they'd spent months developing those! Mrs. Weasley ignored them as she dropped them in the trash.

"Only tossed them in the bin?" James raised a brow in surprise, "she must know they'll just dig them out later."

"Only six months?" Lily rebutted in surprise. "Those are pretty inventive, I'm genuinely surprised that's only how long it took them."

She snarled back that they could have spent that time studying for their O.W.L.s!

"Ouch," all five of them muttered, wishing she wouldn't keep harping on that.

It was not a happy departure, as Mrs. Weasley tried to give them all a hug goodbye, though the twins ignored this and quickly left without turning to say goodbye.

Harry couldn't help a little creeping feeling up his spine, wondering why that felt ominous to him. Something to do with the World Cup, something that happened there that would upset Mrs. Weasley about this...then he sneezed, losing all trace of the thought.

They all set off into the dark towards the hill. It was still chilly outside, and only the vaguest of pink was in the distance hinting at sunrise. Harry, who had before been thinking that thousands of wizards would be flying towards the Cup,

"Wouldn't say they're not doing that as well," James nodded enthusiastically, "as Arthur said, apparating and Portkeys aren't the only way to travel, and flying's just more fun."

"What are Portkeys?" Harry asked in surprise.

"An object that you can charm to take you anywhere at a set time," Sirius explained. "Like, apparating through using an object. It's much safer though, used for large families, because you don't have to concentrate on anything. You just touch it, and it drags you along."

"That's where you're headed now," James added on, "at least, it makes the most sense why you'd have to be there at a specific time and all this."

jogged forward to talk to Arthur some more, asking how all the Muggle's don't notice this going on? Mr. Weasley explained it took massive coordination through the wizarding channels, they'd had to find a place to set up that was big enough for this congregation, and places like Diagon Alley wouldn't do.

"That would be a sight," Remus snickered at all of that offered mayhem.

They'd found a deserted moor, then spent time setting up the anti-Muggle protective charms. Then they'd had to handle the arrivals, the cheaper the tickets the earlier you had to arrive. Some had to show up two weeks in advance.

Lily whistled in surprise, imagining missing that much work for this game, but it would come with a bit of a camping trip along as well, so it was probably worth the fun.

Some had chosen to take the train and other Muggle transportation, but not to many were allowed, they weren't supposed to be clogging up Muggle buses.

"Plus, we stick out like a sore thumb," Sirius smirked over at James, who definitely was ignoring him now.

There were those who chose to apparate, but most prefered Portkeys. They were used to take large groups all at once at a set time. Over two hundred of them had been set up all around Britain, and their nearest one was up on Stoatshead Hill, where they were headed now. Mr. Weasley gestured to the hill they were approaching, one of the ridges to Ottery St. Catchpole. Harry asked what type of objects Portkeys were?

They all noticed that Harry hadn't asked them that, but he was getting so much better about interrupting them when he did have a question, they decided to let that one go.

Arthur explained they could be anything so long as they were charmed properly, but the items the Ministry chose were throw away things Muggle's would have no want of picking up. In the distance beyond, the sky was just starting to fade from the inky black to the deepest of blue.

Lily couldn't resist the charm in her voice as she read that. Despite begrudging the early rise, she'd never moan about it in person if she'd got to see that beautiful sunrise on top of a hill which Harry was fixing to witness.

Then conversation came to a halt all around as they reached the hill and began to climb. It was a steep hill, and they made it up mostly through rabbit rolls and thick tufts of grass. By the time he'd reached the ridge, Harry could feel sharp pains in his chest.

"Dang, and you lot are all in shape," Remus said in surprise. "Imagine someone elderly, or some little kids trying to make that trek."

"I'm sure someone could help magic them up," James shrugged, "Arthur just didn't because he didn't have a need to."

Conversation wasn't picked back up as they all began spreading out, looking for this supposed unobscured Portkey, but were hailed down by a man calling out to Arthur. They walked over and Mr. Weasley introduced him as Amos Diggory, who worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Remus couldn't help but stiffen a little in unease, stupidly yes, but he'd always had an instinctual fear of that department.

Lily noticed, and though she felt a wash of sympathy for him, she didn't break to say anything, knowing it would only embarrass him.

And they all knew Cedric of course.

"Wasn't that the Hufflepuff from last year?" Sirius asked with his head cocked to the side.

Harry felt an odd stirring in the pit of his stomach, unable to stop a frown as he heard that name again. He'd felt something the first time as well, the ghost of a feeling he knew he should have at the name, but it was so hard to hold on to. The most dominant thing was his fourteen year old agitation that this bloke had beaten him out at Quidditch, rightly and had even tried to correct himself when he found out how, but he was the reason Harry lost his first match none the less.

There was something else there though, something he desperately knew he needed to remember about Cedric...but all he was getting for his trouble was a terrible mounting headache, one he knew would only get worse if he pressed on this. He had to blink a few times to realize the others had been watching him with a touch of concern, and he tried for an easy smile as he said, "just, trying to not remember something. There's something about Cedric, this year in particular, I don't know what," he finished with a helpless shrug, unable to elaborate.

"You probably face him in Quidditch again or something," James happily offered.

"Maybe you're trying to remember that you beat the dickens out of him this round," Remus smirked.

Harry gave him an unenthusiastic smile back, knowing quite well that wasn't it, but at a loss for what it could be.

Lily kept frowning at her son for a moment longer, she didn't even recognize that expression her son held while he tried to remember this, but it gave her a foreboding feeling. Knowing there was nothing for it though but to let it come back naturally, she decided to keep reading.

Harry's mental dialogue kicked in as he described Cedric Diggory as an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen.

"Extremely handsome eh?" Sirius couldn't help but tease, still looking for a way to get rid of that look on Harry's face the boy didn't even seem to realize he was holding. "Maybe we were wrong in saying you fancy Hermione."

Harry rolled his eyes good naturedly at the teasing, but still seemed to distracted to really say anything back, leaving them all just that little bit more uneasy.

He was Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team at Hogwarts. He greeted them politely enough, but no one gave a very enthusiastic reply. Fred and George in particular didn't look very happy to see him, having taken his team's win over theirs personally last year.

"And rightly so," James nodded seriously, having held onto a few grudges as well of perfectly friendly people who had the gall to beat him as well.

Lily wanted to smack him, knowing he was mostly kidding, but not wanting Harry to get the idea otherwise. One glance at him though showed he was still only half listening at best.

Amos continued talking to Arthur, asking how far they'd had to walk, saying he'd had to get up at two just to make it. He wasn't complaining of course, this was the Quidditch World Cup! He wouldn't miss this for a sack of gold, which was how much their tickets cost. He'd gotten off easy though, he amended as he glanced at their group. Asking if all of those kids were Arthur's? Mr. Weasley corrected only the redheads.

"That doesn't drop the count by much," Lily muttered.

Pointing out first Hermione, then Harry as Ron's friends, but Amos cut him off as his eyes latched onto Harry, exclaiming his full name in surprise.

"No, Harry Houdini," Remus grumbled, his along with everyone else's eyes narrowing with distaste at Harry's fame being brought up like that again, most annoyingly by an adult who should know a little better.

Harry was plenty distracted now, finally snapping himself away from whatever reason Cedric's name was bothering him, to begin blushing and looking embarrassed all over again at the mention of his full name like that.

Harry agreed, far too used to the way the man's eyes darted to his hairline to find that lightning scar, but it always made him uncomfortable. Amos began talking loudly about how his Ced had mentioned him, how they'd played Quidditch last year and his son had gotten the better of him! Amos had praised Cedric, telling him that was a story to tell his grandkids, he'd beat Harry Potter!

"That was his take-away?" James scowled. "Not that his son tried to call a redo when he found out!"

"Guess we're lucky Cedric hasn't turned into a Malfoy," Sirius muttered with distaste. So what if that was a bit harsh, his comment had stung.

Harry couldn't think of anything to say back to that, while he saw the twin's scowl deepened. Cedric looked very embarrassed now as he tried to curb his dad, saying that Harry had fallen off, it had all been an accident.

"Do I somehow get the feeling they've had this conversation before?" Remus sighed with pity.

"Least Cedric isn't acting like that," Lily nodded in agreement.

Mr. Diggory was not listening, continuing to boast about how his son had stayed on while the Boy Who Lived had fallen off, clearly it was obvious who the better flier is!

All four of them were starting to get more then agitated now, not at all appreciating the reminder of what had made Harry fall off his broom! Let's see Cedric hear the echo of his dead mother and see how well he hangs on! None of them could bring themselves to shout that though, as it wasn't Cedric saying this, but his father who was simply acting like a pompous, but proud father. They just hoped that stupid Portkey would be activating, soon.

Arthur quickly jumped in now, looking anxiously at his watch as he said it must be nearly time for them to leave.

"Least he's being perceptive," Lily grumbled.

Then he asked if they were to be expecting anyone else? Amos said he knew the Lovegoods

Harry started blinking spastically, there it was all over again, a name he was sure he recognized. At least this time he was positive of the feeling it caused him, a nice warmth that meant he was sure he liked whoever that name was attached to. He didn't linger on it though, as he'd had enough of a headache this chapter from Cedric and his dad.

were already there, and the Fawcetts hadn't got tickets. That was all in the area. Mr. Weasley agreed, then the eleven of them all crouched around the boot/portkey, all putting a finger on it. Harry had a sudden realization how odd this would be for a Muggle to walk into, seeing all of these people crouched around a manky old shoe at sunrise.

Lily and Remus at least couldn't help light snickering at this description Harry was painting, while James and Sirius didn't get it. They'd grown up so that this wasn't even close to odd to them, but sometimes for Lily and Remus at least, the magical and blasé' way wizards did or didn't realize something was off still amused them.

Mr. Weasley was still looking at his watch as he kept a finger in place, counting down, and the moment he struck one, Harry felt a hard jerk behind his navel and was yanked off his feet.

Harry couldn't help going a little round eyed in shock, placing his hand carefully on his stomach to remind himself that feeling washing back over him was not rehappening to him now, causing both boys on either side of him to start laughing this time.

He was flying through nothing, sounds and sights being ripped away as he sped forward to fast, his finger glued to that boot without his permission, then he was slammed back into the ground, Ron falling hard on his butt on his other side, the Portkey tumbling away. Harry blinked and came back to himself to find Arthur, Amos, and Cedric still on their feet, though looking slightly tossed around. Everyone else was on the ground with him.

Harry had been feeling a little abashed at once hearing that Cedric had clearly stayed on his feet, but then it melted away at once as clearly he wasn't the only one put off by this mode of travel. James still noticed the expression and gave him a small nudge muttering, "don't worry, Remus still falls down more than half the time with those to. They are not a comfortable ride to get used to."

Harry gave him a grateful smile at once.

Then a stranger's voice called out the time as seven past five from Stoatshead Hill.

"That's the end of the chapter," Lily shrugged, giving the book a toss to James.

"Man these are short," James noted.

"Yeah, all the more buildup," Sirius reminded eagerly, already rubbing his hands together in anticipation, knowing that Cup wasn't going to come fast enough.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #Marauders #reading the books #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Lily Potter #GoF

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perseusjackson-jasongrace · 3 years

Text

Day 6: “What book is that?”//”Is that smut?”

masterlist

non-descript, non-canon-compliant AU

Leo Valdez sighs as he stares at the gloomy weather taking over his Saturday. It seems that while winter is well and truly underway the sun would not be making an appearance, or at least it hadn’t for the last week. He looks back at the rough sketches he’s drawn for his practical assignment due after winter break and decides he’s worked hard enough for the day. Writing down measurements and ruling a few lines counted, right? He didn’t care. Heaving himself out of his chair he pulls up the socks that had slowly started slipping down and shoves his feet into his giant Yoda slippers that are truly a wonder and a disgrace in equal parts. His friends take turns wearing them and pretending to be everything from big foot to Yoda-crushers. He has a polaroid hall of fame behind his door.

As he trudges across the wooden floor of his apartment his mind wanders to the upcoming days and the time that stretches before him. His roommates are gone to their homes for the break but Leo, ever the orphan, was still stuck in their shared apartment, the weather and his lack of plans keeping him steadfast. He hops onto the kitchen counter and slides across it, landing on the other side in a smooth glide to the fridge. With a self-satisfied smirk he prepares a hot chocolate, laced with coffee because he doesn’t need a sleep schedule when he’s on holiday! He dances at the thought, slurping up a marshmallow and burning himself on the steaming mug.

A knock at the door interrupts his little moment. He glances at the time on the microwave and frowns as he sees 13:30 flashing on the little screen. Who would be here at this time? Everyone he knows is well on their way to family homes or tropical vacations. Stupid Piper and her stupid rich father. He should call her and check in. The knock sounds again and he hurries to open the door.

“Jackson?”

Percy looks up from his phone, a small smile tugging at full lips, “Hi Valdez, can i come in?”

Leo instantly moves aside, as his mind runs a mile a minute. It’s not unusual for Percy to pop around, considering they went to the same university and hung with the same people. It just seemed odd that he’d be here now. When he was supposed to be in New York.

“Is uh, is everything okay?”

That signature smirk takes over that lovely face and it makes his heart beat just a little faster. Well that’s a new reaction. “Everything is fine. I just wanted to come back before the semester reopened, so I could catch up on sleep and video games without Estelle trying to press every button.” His nose scrunches in what’s supposed to be irritation but the soft look in his eyes offsets the whole charade.

“Oh, well make yourself at home.” He gestures to the lounge, which looks relatively neat for once.

“Thanks,” Percy looks around, setting his keys on the kitchen counter and flopping onto the double couch. “Want to play a video game with me?”

“Sure, mind if i go shower first though? I kind of got distracted with school stuff and haven’t actually gotten any self-care stuff in.”

A laugh that reminds him of forest brooks, catches around the apartment. “Go shower, you hazard. I’ll wait for you.”

Sticking his tongue out at the jab he hops off to the bathroom, all the while thinking how nice it is to have a friend here. Even if that friend came back from two months of holiday with sun-kissed skin the colour of maple bark, and green eyes that twinkle as bright as the evening star. It’s never really been fair how gorgeous Percy Jackson was, with his whole skater boy-badass-saving the world-looking-out-for-the-little-people thing going on, but now he seems to be from another galaxy. One where they make humans out of gemstones. It is almost a shame he’s still dating Annabeth because Leo would happily set his heart on fire for a chance to be Percy’s flame. But no matter. He is allowed to appreciate without disrespecting.

His shower is quick and steaming as he tries to fight off the strange chill in the air. Soon he’s in a fresh pair of sweats and is running his fingers through damp, unruly curls to try to organise them into something that won’t resemble a bird’s nest when it dries. He doesn’t have much luck but at this point his interest is far below his luck. With a shrug in the mirror to make sure his top is on the right way- inside out, back-to-front shirts are a common occurrence- he pads across the cool wooden floors and into the lounge. There he finds Percy, sitting on the floor, back against the couch, with his nose buried in a kindle and the most adorable wire-framed glasses pushed up his nose.

Without saying anything he comes up behind him and settles himself on the couch. He knows his friend notices his presence because he shifts slightly so Leo can get comfortable and then settles back down. He sees two video games lying on the table and the controllers connected and waiting to be used. And then he glances down at the book Percy is reading, curiosity pressing on his lungs.

“What book is that?” He leans in closer, his curls brushing the balck-haired boy’s cheeks. ”Is- Is that smut?”

Instantly his friend blushes, skin turning a deep red. “N-no.” He stammers.

“It totally is.” Leo smirks, delighted by the recent discovery. “You trying to learn some tricks for Annabeth?”

“Oh my gods Valdez!” He blushes harder and it is possibly the cutest thing he has ever seen.

“Well there’s no need to be embarrassed. I think it’s very cool that you’re putting in the effort to try and impress your lady. I know Annabeth would love this, she’ll see it like studying.”

Percy drops his head into his hands and groans in embarrassment. It sets Leo off cackling with glee.

“Annabeth and I aren't together anymore.” His friend mumbles.

‘Wait what?”

“Yea she went halfway across the world and we felt it was better to break up, If we find each other again then so be it.”

“Holy shit are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?” The scandalous book is all but forgotten.

“No, I’m good.” When he sees Leo’s raised eyebrow he rolls his eyes. “I swear. I was a bit all over the place in the beginning but the holiday with my family and talking it over with my therapist really helped. Besides we didn’t lose all contact. She’s still my friend.”

“Okay,” He is still a little skeptical but he drops it. “Let me know if you ever want to talk.”

“Will do love.” And he goes back to reading.

But Leo sits there frozen in shock as he processes the words Percy had just said. Love, love, love. Oh gods. This little crush was turning into a big problem in his life.

“Want to play a video game now?” He asks a little too loudly.

The black-haired boy gives him a weird look but locks his Kindle and grabs the controllers from the table. “What am i beating you at Valdez?”

He scoffs, as he scrolls through the options, and then grins when he lands on the perfect one. “I’m going to absolutely crush you at Mario Kart.”

“Oof, wrong choice love. I’ve been playing this game since before i could talk.”

“Big words for a man who chooses Luigi over Princess Peach.”

“Hey don’t judge my avatar. Luigi is a beast.”

“He looks like the creepy brother who’s plumbing business is a front for the mob.”

“Good then at least you know not to mess with him.”

“Oh you are going down Jackson!”

The screen flashes with 3, 2, 1. And they’re off. Yelling obscenities at each other and slamming their little cars off the roads. Percy lands up in the ocean, and growls so loudly Leo is sure he has a stray animal in his apartment. But then a blue shell is hitting him and he’s the one making animalistic sounds, as he shoves Percy’s shoulder and zooms past Luigi’s car.

“I’m getting the family inheritance sucker!” He whoops as he crosses the finish line.

“Listen Mario. If i’m tied to the mob you’re tied to the mob so buckle up buddy, we got shit to do.” Green eyes flash, dark eyebrows knitting in faux seriousness and then they’re both keeling over with laughter.

Percy flings his head back and it hits the couch seat with a soft thud, but he’s too busy laughing to notice. Leo’s head falls forward until his curls are brushing his friend’s forehead and they are breathless with amusement.

“You’re a clown Jackson.” He whispers, still only centimeters away from beautiful brown skin. His lips a mere inch from brushing against the crease between those eyebrows

“At least i’m not Princess Peach.”

“Maybe you should be, and then you could actually win.”

“Oh you did not just say that!” He gasps, and Leo feels the intake against his knees, which are pressed to his back.

“Round two?”

“You’re on, mobster.”

And with a determined gleam in those green eyes they race into another round. And Leo thinks, maybe this is what paradise feels like. And Percy laughs as he releases a blue shell. And Leo knows this is what happiness looks like.

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

Tags:

@spoopylucy

@leydiangelo

@nishlicious-01

#valjackson #pjjg series #pjjg fanfic #12 days of fanfics #percy jackson #leo valdez

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lovelystarlings · 3 years

Text

Chapter Four - The Feast

——————————————————————————

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. The happiness of it all sent a rush of pleasantness through the girl who began to applaud with the rest of Hogwarts as he began his speech.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" The four houses began to cheer an clap as the headmaster sat back down in his chair, food covering every inch of the table he sat at too, all the staff immediately digging in, the clashes of cutlery echoing through the great hall.

"Is he a bit bonkers?" Harry asked, the ginger next to him-Camille had learnt his name was Percy and that he was Ron, Fred and George's elder brother-pulling a face of disgust at his words.

"Bonkers?" said Percy. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit bonkers yes. Are you not very hungry, Camille?" He spoke, looking at the plate in front of her, of which contained just a few roast potatoes and a measly slice of roast chicken, all of which was covered in gravy. Hermione shot the girl a worried glance from her seat, she spotted how small and frail the girl seemed, her wrists resembling sticks and circles surrounding her deep brown eyes.

"I do hope they start right away," Hermione spoke, stealing Percy's attention away from Camille's eating habits, "there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"

"It's not as hard as it seems," Camille said softly, remembering what Madame Maxine had taught her during their private lesson's, "You just have to put your mind into it."

"You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - " Percy spoke, leaning close to the two, as if he was telling them some sort of important secret. The conversation was cut short however, as Harry hissed harshly and clapped his hand to the scar on his forehead, drawing Percy's attention back to him.

"What is it?" The prefect asked.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" He asked, hands pushing his jet-black hair to cover his aching forehead.

"Know Quirrell already do you? Well, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape. It's no wonder considering who he used to work for, but you didn't hear that from me."

At last, the great desserts disappeared from the table to the relief of Camille, who at one point was afraid a tower of profiteroles was going to fall on her head. Heads turned once again to the front of the hall and Dumbledore rose, stepping forward to make another speech; one which Camille hoped she would understand this time. The hall silenced immediately.

"Ahern -- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you."

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins, who had their heads close together and whispered furiously, smirks painting their identical faces.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Camille turned her head to Hermione, not sure whether he was being sarcastic or she should really fear her life. She was tempted to take Fred and George and find out.

"And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Camille was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. She leant her head on Hermione's shoulder, kitten like yawns leaving her mouth as the trail went on. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Camille had just about had enough when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in mid-air ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them, they started throwing themselves at him, Camille flinching for him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." That grasped Camille's attention, she had never come across a poltergeist before, but she had watched plenty of muggle films about them and was dreadfully curious. Percy raised his voice, "Peeves -- show yourself!"

A loud, vulgar noise answered, coming from behind the bundle of walking sticks.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?" Percy spoke in a threatening voice.

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks. "Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle as he circled the group. "Ickle Bickle Firsties! What fun!"

Camille jumped back as the poltergeist suddenly jumped forwards into the group of children before zooming off around a corner.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again.

"The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said. "Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs, tables, and a bulletin board where school notices, ads and lost posters were posted. It was decorated in several shades of red, which Camille assumed were associated with the house.

There were many windows that looked out onto the grounds of the school, and a large fireplace covered one wall. The mantle of the fireplace was adorned with a beautiful portrait of a lion. The walls were decorated with scarlet tapestries that depicted witches and wizards, but also a variety animals. There were also bookcases located in the room, filled with various novels that Hermione seemed to have a watchful eye on.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Camille quickly familiarised herself with the girls she was to share a room with for her further years at Hogwarts. Hermione, to her relief, a girl called Lavender Brown who had the most amazingly tame curly hair Camille had ever seen and a dark skinned girl called Parvati Patil, who had been extremely welcoming to Camille, the two instantly initiating a conversation about Camille's favourite thing; dresses. Too tired to talk much, the four girls pulled on their pyjamas and fell instantly into their beds, Lavender and Parvati taking the two closest to the bathroom and Hermione and Camille being left with the two nearest the staircase.

"Hey Hermione?" Camille whispered through the darkness, hearing Parvati and lavender's snores, knowing instantly knowing they were asleep.

"Hm?" Hermione mumbled sleepily, obviously close to falling completely.

"We're safe here, right?" The French girl asked, her voice cracking ever so slightly.

"Of course, why wouldn't we be?" Hermione spoke clearly this time, looking at Camille through the darkness, worry shining in her eyes.

"No reason."

That night Camille dreamt strange things. Strange men with strange faces fighting off strange creatures with strange voices.

Harry Potter had dreamt a similar dream.

#harry potter #harry potter x reader #harry #hermione #hermione granger #hermione granger x reader #fluff #hogwarts #veela #fleur delacour

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okay-what-if-rumir · 4 years

Text

What if Amir really did kill Rupert in the Hollow? (Part 2)

If you thought the Heartland Discord server got angsty in that first part... you better hold on tight. (P.S. This is a separate AU than Part 1, no need to read the other part first.)

Okay hear me out… Amir ends up killing Rupert, but that's not what breaks the curse. The bastards still sink into the ground, but the Forest is still there. Amir and the Queens head home and try to rebuild something from the ashes of their kingdoms. It's too late for fighting. They've already lost so much. So the East and West become allies.

Amir runs himself ragged going back and forth between the two kingdoms.

Slowly enough that they barely notice at first, the forest begins to retreat.

Because "one kingdom triumphing" never meant one conquering the other. And their cooperation and trust with one another is what eventually breaks the curse.

Okay but what if then… Upendo comes along and she doesn't know who Rupert is but she ends up reviving him but Rupert has no memory.

And then the two of them go undercover to the kingdom (it doesn't have a name, so I'll just call it The Kingdom) but Amir is also passing by and he thinks he sees Rupert (which he does) and he just zooms around but he doesn't see him again. He's just like "I'm probably still in grief" and brushes it off

Upendo remembers hearing some rumors about how the Prince of the East lost a guy who he may or may not have liked and she puts two and two together and she realizes that Rupert (now named Fitz, as that is the name that he remembers the most) and she keeps it on the down low but lowkey interrogates Rupert about it.

Upendo: Do you remember having a significant other? Rupert: I mean I… slightly remember going to… a pool? With someone? It might not have been a pool, all I remember is water and some guy. It might not have been a significant other though.

Okay but what if the only thing he remembers is Amir's name. Like in Percy Jackson.

Upendo: Do you remember a name? Rupert: Amir Upendo: *lies* I don't know who that is, sorry.

So Upendo keeps making excuses to go to The Kingdom in hopes of having them reunite. And Amir, being the good guy he is, always goes around The Kingdom to check on the citizens and a few times he thinks he sees Rupert and he slowly calls out his name but he doesn't respond so he's just like "It's not him :( I'm seeing things"

But he notices the Rupert-look-alike keeps popping up around The Kingdom so he makes an effort to talk to him to "Check On The Citizens" (but in reality it's to satisfy his curiosity). Amir: Hello there! What's your name? Rupert: I go by Fitz! Amir: !!!!!!! Rupert: I'm not… completely sure that's my name though. Amir: Oh

And then "Fitz" mentions that he has amnesia and asks if he knows anyone named "Amir." At which point Amir short-circuits.

Amir: I… I… uhm Rupert: I guess you don't :( Sorry to bother you *Rupert walks back to Upendo*

So Amir just stands there for a good solid minute trying to process what just happened and when he kinda realizes "Oh, I'm blocking the road" he walks back to the castle and just kinda… sits down and stares at the wall. Still trying to process.

Why do you guys do this? JUST LET THEM BE TOGETHER!

Amir: … Amir: *walks back to the castle* Amir: *enters his room, locks the door* Amir: *sits and stares at the wall for a bit* Amir: *lies down on the bed and buries his face in the pillow* Amir: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA---

(Artwork by @fluctuating-fangirl)

Atossa, from downstairs: Amir are you okay? Amir, still screaming: I'M FINE DON'T WORRY

Amir: I'm fine, I just keep seeing my friend who is supposed to be dead and may or may not be a vivid hallucination brought on by grief!

(I like to think that Amir picks up Rupert's sarcasm after spending so much time with him)

Atossa: *breaks in* Okay you don't scream for no reason Amir, reluctantly: I think I've been seeing Rupert in the kingdom marketplace (or something) and I talked to him today and he said his name was Fitz which is what I called him back then and he says he has amnesia and he said he was wondering if I knew anyone named Amir and I didn't say anything and he thought that I didn't know so he said sorry and walked away and I'M AMIR AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON SO YES MOM I'M FINE. Atossa, takes 10 seconds to process this (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree): Do you think he's real? Amir: I DON'T KNOW Atossa: Maybe go to the marketplace again tomorrow and see if he's there and if he is then go talk to him again

Amir nods and she walks back to what she was doing and Amir just lies back on his bed and gets absorbed by his thoughts for the rest of the day.

On Rupert's end, Upendo is still relentlessly trying to get his memories back and she's desperately looking through her magic spellbooks or something and Rupert's sitting there playing with the wolves and then she finally sees a spell and then she realizes that it needs something from an important thing from the person's old life and so she calls Rupert over and asks "hey do you remember anything from your past life?"

Rupert: All I remember is "Amir"

And so she decides to go to the marketplace with him tomorrow saying they're bound to get something if they walk around. Plus she needs to restock up on food.

So Upendo and Rupert just walk around the marketplace the next day to get some things. Upendo: Okay we'll split up and that way we'll cover more ground.

So they do and lo and behold guess who's also at the marketplace that day it's Amir.

So they all kinda walk around the place until Amir sees Rupert again. Amir: Hello again Rupert: *smiles* Hello!

And they talk for a bit, and Amir's asking about how he got his amnesia and Rupert says he doesn't really know. The person who's taking care of him right now just kinda found him lying on the ground with a stab wound so… loss of blood?

And then Amir asks if he remembers much from his other life. Rupert: Well I told you yesterday, I remember being called Fitz, and I remember a name: Amir. I don't know who they are or were but they must've been important to me. I kinda was sent here to find some things that could be important to my past life so if you meet a guy named Amir please let me know. Amir: Well actually… uhhh Rupert: YOU MET A GUY NAMED AMIR??? Amir: ...my name's Amir.

They both are silent and then Rupert takes a piece of Amir's hair and runs back to Upendo.

He's running back to Upendo at full speed clutching the strand of hair like it's his lifeline and once he sees Upendo in the middle of a transaction he screams "HELLO YES I HAVE SOMETHING LET'S GO" and he runs back to wherever she lives and she's just ??? so she finishes paying the person and goes back to wherever she lives.

Meanwhile, Amir still isn't convinced that this "Rupert" isn't a hallucination but the slight prick of pain he gets from his hair getting pulled out may convince him that this Rupert is real and honestly at this point he's not sure which is better, him being real or not

So, once again he slowly walks back to the castle and just stares at the ceiling trying not to scream.

Atossa once again walks by and sees her son staring at the ceiling and so that has to mean something and so she decides to check in with him. She asks if it went well he's like "if the definition of well means the guy takes some of your hair and runs away then yes it went well" and honestly I don't know if anyone knows how to react to that so she just kinda… pats his knee and sits with him for a while until she has to go do something.

And I’ll leave you, dear Tumblr-er, to imagine the rest of the story because after this point the conversation turned or everyone went to bed or something.

@cat-copnt @fluctuating-fangirl

#thetwoprinces #rumir #au #season 1 #angst #upendo #atossa #fanart

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amiandthechaos · 4 years

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fire has no shadow, but you have me

Leo is not hiding this personal moment with a mask of light-hearted comments or jokes. So Nico won't shy away from it, either.

"I'm glad you want to come back." He summons courage harder than it takes him to summon an army of skeletons, and he leans his head on Leo's shoulder.

They remain like that for a while, Leo's hand covering his and Nico's head resting on Leo, and Nico had never felt so safe outside of camp and he wonders if it can last.

It starts with a blinding flash of light. And at this point, Nico has seen enough of those to know that it can't be anything good.

And he couldn't be less prepared for it. He was just lying on the grass under the sun, getting more vitamin D on doctor's orders.

And of course, his doctor is right there next to him. Will insists Nico needs more sun, and Nico begrudgingly agrees because at least his skin color is returning to normal and he sleeps better at night. Not well, but better.

He feels warm and drowsy while Will's voice fills the silence by talking about music and bands. Nico hasn't really had time to listen to music in the last… decade. But he appreciates Will's suggestions, however disconcerting they may be.

And then he feels it. The sun's getting hotter, which doesn't make sense since it was supposed to be going down soon, and when he opens his eyes, it's there.

His senses heighten, every nerve suddenly into overdrive, and Will is already on his feet, hauling him up and dragging him away.

But it's too late, Nico thinks. It's coming way too fast.

He still runs, but not for long before the crash is heard. It's not as big as he imagined. It's not Armageddon, it's not the end of the world, but it is something.

Nico spins around, making Will stumble, but he's glad he did because he immediately recognizes something that makes his heart thud painfully.

A bronze wing.

He breaks free from Will's grip and runs back towards the mess of fire that's still burning in a big pile. Will yells out his name but then he and some others are right behind him, slow realization dawning on all the campers.

Even among the flames and smoke, Nico can see the broken-down body of Festus the dragon.

"Where's Leo?" Will asks and Nico was thinking the same thing but with each passing second his heart sinks more and more. Leo's fireproof, his mind supplies, and still the fear that he might have burnt to a crisp seems far more real.

Nico looks around wildly. "Can't anyone summon water?! Where's fucking Percy Jackson when you need him?!"

Everyone seems to click into motion, moving around to help. Nico focuses back on the fire. Perhaps he can make a hole on the earth below and pull Leo out?

He tries to feel the presence and a more sinister thought enters his mind. Maybe he was never alive. Maybe Festus just brought Leo's body here.

The fire is receding a bit, but it's still hard to see beyond the flames and reflective bronze. A moment later, three different people shout to make room. From the right, Chris Rodríguez and a bunch of dryads are bringing in buckets of water from the lake. From the left, Leo's siblings from the Hephaestus cabin are running with Harley at the front, all dressed up in a full metal welding suit that the others are still trying to attach to him.

And then, from very far away there's Paolo Montes waving a hose.

Harley gets there first, and he would have thrown himself on the fire if Nyssa Barrera hadn't stopped him.

"Wait! The suit is not sealed yet!"

And then it came. Nico gasps and almost stumbles backwards with the force of it and everyone looks at him, alarmed.

But Nico's eyes are fixed on the blazing heat.

The metal rumbles and pieces fall to the floor, and from the very center of Festus' belly, Leo Valdez's head pops up, his hair wild and moving along with the flames.

He looks around at the dozens of shocked faces and finally settles for a toothy grin.

"Hello. Bit hot today, no?"

This time Will had to stop Nico from jumping into the fire and slapping Leo in the face.

Nico had been spending some of his time hanging out in the infirmary since Will was there a lot, teaching healing practices to other campers because, in his words 'With the number of dangerous situations demigods get into, the Apollo cabin can't be the only ones who know basic first aid.'

And now he was there a lot because he was in charge of organising the queue to punch Leo and Leo was there getting patched up.

He had never been very close to Leo. At least not the way he was close to Hazel or even Percy at some point. But over their time aboard the Argo II, they had at least shared some kind of kinship a few times, especially when Nico realized how much of a seventh wheel Leo had been feeling, and how similar that was to how Nico himself felt in that ship. An eight wheel, to be precise.

And by Gods, did Nico want to hate him. He was insufferably obnoxious, always cracking stupid jokes, and with no shame whatsoever. Nico's worst nightmare.

Until Nico saw through all that for what it really was; Leo's way of keeping people at bay. Diametrically opposed to Nico's way, but a way nonetheless.

Plus, a few times Nico had walked in on Leo sleeping curled up next to the engine and it was hard to hate him after that.

"What happened to Calypso?" Nico asks one morning after the first shift of punchers. Leo had just finished explaining everything he went through, the physician's cure, the trip to Ogygia, rescuing the forgotten sorceress.

His face reddens somewhat. "I dropped her off inland in Europe. I think it was Croatia. She um… She wanted to see the world."

Nico doesn't want to push it if Leo's reluctant to discuss it but he had imagined that after all of that he and Calypso would be together.

Leo shrugs and then winces as his left shoulder is still injured from the fall. His skin was thankfully all untouched thanks to his abilities but his clothes all turned to ashes. That was the most awkward part of the rescue. "I get it. She was tied to that island for thousands of years, I can't blame her for wanting to be free and not tied to something or someone else now." He sounds sad, but also braver than Nico had ever seen him. "I promised to rescue her and I'm glad I did."

Nico nodded. He raised his hand, planning to pat Leo's shoulder but regretting it at the last second and landing awkwardly on the pillow next to him. "That's the demigod life."

Leo smiles one of his huge smiles and nudges Nico's hand with his shoulder. "That, and catapulting annoying augurs up in the sky. Tell me again how you launched Octavian up to meet me."

Nico rolls his eyes. "I didn't launch him."

Since communication was still down on all fronts, Leo couldn't let anyone at Camp Jupiter know that he hadn't actually died, so he decided to just make the journey.

Him and a few other campers sat at a table trying to figure out the best method to get him there.

"Festus would take at least a month to rebuild again," Leo sighs, genuinely depressed about the topic. "I can't let the others wait that long for Admiral Valdez's resurrection."

Everyone groans. Leo had been bragging for days about how he was basically the modern version of Jesus of Nazareth.

"What about a jetpack? My design is nearly ready!" Harley exclaims excitedly.

Leo ruffles Harley's hair. "Oh Harley, I'd rather let Zeus zoom me halfway across the globe again. I saw your designs and I think fuel tanks like those would send me on my way to an explosion even I couldn't survive."

"You could take a bus?" Kayla says. "Cheaper than an airplane."

"I will take you."

It almost takes Nico a second to realize the words came out of his mouth, especially when they all look at him like that.

"Nico, are you sure that's a good idea?" Will asks, his golden eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I shadow-travelled from Europe with a ten-foot statue and two others. I think I can handle Leo from here to California."

"I feel like that was a jab at my stature," Leo says into the silence.

Nico smirks.

The Hephaestus cabin organized a congratulations-for-not-being-dead/going-away campfire for Leo. Nico usually didn't attend campfires, but Will had dragged him to a couple and this one seemed to be more up his alley, with less corny songs and more people making fun of Leo.

Plus, Pollux had appeared with a few bottles of homemade wine and the results were entertaining.

Will was, no surprise, a very touchy drunk, which made Nico uncomfortable but not as much as he would have thought. He lets Will rest his head on his shoulder when he says that the world is spinning.

Leo chugs more wine and tells another joke and people laugh harder even though it makes no sense, and that's when Sherman Yang decides they've all had too much.

"Okay, let's pack it up, people. Leo has a long day tomorrow and we all have target practice."

Some groan, a few giggle, most don't react and just let themselves be dragged away after patting Leo on the back and wishing him luck.

No one tells Leo to leave, perhaps because after helping defeat Gaia, coming back from the dead, rescuing an unrescuable ancient sorceress and then surviving yet another explosion, no one felt like they had much authority over him.

Will, held by Kayla on one side, turns around to look at Nico. "Are you coming?"

Nico looks over at Leo, who chooses that moment to fall backwards from his log. "I think I'll stay and make sure he doesn't die."

Will smiles crookedly. "Aw, you're taking care of someone. I've taught you well."

"Shut up."

Leo manages to sit up and realizes he and Nico are alone, the fire slowly dying between them. "Are you cold? I can make more fire."

He opens his palms towards the flames but Nico rushes over and stops him. "No no. Don't drink and summon fire. Didn't you see the safety video on your first day here? Dionysus had a whole section about wine safety."

Leo snorts a laugh. "No. When I arrived everything was very rushed. I never met Mr. D"

Nico nods. Leo must have heard that name from Percy. Nico wonders if Percy got the letter they sent telling him that Leo was alive. It was Will's idea to use regular mortal mail, but even being in the same estate as Percy wouldn't guarantee that he'll receive the letter. Strange things happened to demigods' correspondence in the postal service.

"You know, this is the first time I drink wine." Leo waves his plastic cup, stained burgundy.

"Really?" Nico asks. "Not even sips as a kid?"

Leo shakes his head and his curls move with it. "Mexican moms don't really believe in that."

Nico had been drinking wine since he was very young. "I always used to have dinner with my family."

"Maybe that's why you're not drunk."

"Or maybe because I'm not eighty pounds and had ten glasses"

"Hey!" Leo protests and then he is silent as he sizes Nico up with a look that makes Nico wish he could blend in with the shadows. "How are you already taller than me? It's not fair."

That makes Nico smile. "Get used to it, Valdez."

They stay in silence for a while longer, which must be a record coming from Leo. He pulls out a small device from his pocket and starts to tinker with it, not even looking at it. He seems thoughtful, as though he's trying to figure out a different device than the one in his hands.

"I heard something from Drew yesterday," Leo says, a little too quiet to be the start of a joke. Nico's heart starts racing. He knew people would talk, and he knew Leo and all his friends would find out eventually, but he never thought Leo would want to talk to him about it.

He presents Nico with his closed fist as if he wanted Nico to bump it and Nico can only frown.

"This is for telling Percy he isn't your type. What a boss move."

It takes a second, but Nico throws his head back and laughs. The first time he's properly laughed in a long time, but it just takes him completely by surprise that this is what Leo has to say on the subject.

He bumps Leo's fist as his laughter dies down and he shakes his head in disbelief.

Leo can't seem to stop smiling, but in this drunk, lazy way that makes him seem a bit more down to earth.

This isn't a mask, Nico thinks.

Leo sways and his shoulder grazes Nico's. "If it makes you feel any better, I get it. Like, who hasn't thought Percy's hot? Like, objectively, you know? They're tall and conventionally attractive and stupidly heroic-"

"They?" Nico asks, not really wanting to interrupt Leo's tirade but confused by his wording.

"Percy and Jason. Everyone has crushes on them, right? And you kind of want to hate them because like, shit man, you look like that and you fly, and you're ridiculously friendly and like noble and stuff? Just stop it. You know? But you can't hate them because they're really nice to you and they don't deserve it. But it's nothing to be ashamed of, you know?"

Nico blinks a few times, Leo's confession of basically having a crush on Jason in particular, hitting him like an electrical shock that left him short-circuited. If Leo was sober he probably wouldn't have said anything, so Nico wonders if he should feel bad for letting Leo say something so personal in this state of vulnerability.

But he doesn't. Because it's the first time someone tells him they understand him and actually give reasons and examples why, not just an empty attempt at empathy. He hopes Leo doesn't regret telling him this.

"They are so stupidly noble. I hate that," Nico says.

Leo stands up on wobbly legs. "Oh look at me I'm the son of a famous, powerful God and I can control the elements and I have light-colored eyes and a dreamy smile. Who am I?"

Nico has to laugh again because Leo is pulling a full-on performance pretending to fly like Jason or raise the sea like Percy and it makes Nico feel lighter than he has in probably years. He can laugh about it now. He can let it go.

Leo stumbles around the fire and even though he'd be fine if he falls in, it still doesn't seem right to let him, so Nico grabs his arm and pulls him away from the danger zone as they both keep laughing.

They sit back down and their knees knock together and Nico doesn't mind.

"Some of that could also describe you," Leo says breathlessly. "Son of a major God. Powerful."

Nico nudges Leo with his arm in acknowledgement. "And you. You can control the elements." He nods towards the fire.

Leo seems relaxed in a way he hadn't seemed to be since he came back.

They remain like that for a while longer, watching the flames get smaller and sitting in comfortable silence. Nico's favorite kind of silence.

"We should probably get some sleep." Nico hates to be the one to say it, but shadow-travelling really is easier when he's rested.

Damn Will. He got inside Nico's head.

Leo lets Nico help him up and then Nico does something that he only does when someone is injured in battle; he wraps one arm around Leo's waist and helps him walk. Leo throws his arm over Nico's shoulders.

As they walk away from the campfire, Leo sighs happily. "Have you ever noticed that fire doesn't have a shadow?"

Nico was right when he thought that travelling with Leo would be less tiring than the last shadow trip he had done.

That didn't mean it was easier.

"Y'all should've told me we'd be coming here." Leo digs into his plate of ribs, sauce all over his face. "I'd've made some reservations."

Nico sends him a death glare. He's good at those.

Leo had decided to adopt a heavy southern accent ever since they landed in Oklahoma instead of Kansas like Nico had been planning. Nico's ears were going to bleed from over-stimulation.

The food was good, though.

Leo inhales deeply and sighs contentedly. "We're so close to Texas, I can feel it."

"We're always close to Texas. That state is inescapable. I think its gravity drew us off course."

Leo pulls out two wet hand towels from his magic pouch- as Nico has started to call it much to Leo's annoyance- and then he warms them up by heating his hands. He has a much more sophisticated control on his fire abilities than Nico remembered.

Leo hands one to Nico while he himself wipes basically his entire face and arms. "Well, we're here now so let's find a spot to sleep tonight. I hope you like camping, Neeks!"

Nico frowns. "You should know I don't. Also, stop it with the Neeks."

Leo smiles. "You have barbecue on your nose."

Nico groans and wipes it off.

They end up finding a not-so-terrible spot to spend the night, but the heat in this Hades-forsaken place was so insufferable that they decided not to use sleeping bags and instead hang hammocks, of which Leo procured two from his magic pouch.

"Why in the world do you have hammocks on hand?" Nico asks as he unsuccessfully attempts to tie his to a tree.

"Hammocks are an incredible feat of engineering. You need fabric and weaving that are strong enough to hold you but not so tough that it's hard to sleep. It minimises your travelling load while maximising sleeping space, and it works on all surfaces because it precisely keeps you away from surfaces." Leo comes over and ties Nico's hammock for him. "It also keeps you away from snakes."

Nico blinks at him. "You have a lot of feelings about hammocks."

"They are perfect and need to be more appreciated."

"I've never actually slept in one."

Leo's eyes seem to light up with fire. "Oh I can't believe you're a hammock virgin!"

"Please don't call it that."

"This is going to be great. Shed all your preconceived notions right now and prepare for the best sleeping experience of your life."

Nico would hardly call swinging in the air the best sleeping experience of his life, but considering the things he's been through, it also could be far, far worse.

Leo is too delighted with the swinging and even pushes off against the tree with his foot to go even faster, his hands busy with a mechanical box he's been tinkering with since West Virginia. The movement is making Nico slightly dizzy so he lies as still as possible until the soft swaying actually feels nice, and it seems to be lulling him to sleep faster than anticipated.

He's almost gone when Leo speaks into the silence.

"Nico?"

"Mm?" He opens his eyes and turns to see Leo still swinging madly, almost nervously, under the orange light of the lantern he hung on a branch above. Thank the Gods they're on different trees or the movement would rock Nico's hammock as well. He also decided to remove his t-shirt, which is fine by Nico because then all the mosquitoes would get Leo instead of him.

"You're fifteen, right?" Leo asks.

"Last I checked."

Another pause. "How did you, um… how did you know?"

It takes Nico's sleepy brain a bit to process the question but it still doesn't make much sense. "How did I know what?"

Leo keeps his eyes on his box. "You know… how did you know you… liked boys?"

Suddenly Nico is as alert as the day Leo came crashing down above them.

Usually, Nico would say something snarky and then refuse to discuss the matter entirely, possibly adding about a day's worth of brooding and death glares.

But this question seemed to be a lot less about prying into Nico's business and a lot more about something else.

Nico looked away from Leo nonetheless and kept his eyes on the dark canopy above. "It's kind of hard to ignore when you, you know… when you like someone and that someone is, well, a boy."

Leo's swinging sounds less intense. "Sure. I suppose when it's the only kind of attraction that happens to you, you can't really miss it, can you?"

"Nope," Nico confirms. He could see where Leo's mind was at. "But I guess that if someone was attracted to a lot of different people… it'd be harder to recognize."

"I guess so."

Nico thinks of all the things he wished someone had said to him when he was driving himself mad with questions and confusion, and out of everything, the thing that would have meant the most was very simple.

"And it'd be okay. It'd be more than okay, actually, it'd be great."

Nico can't see it, but he can hear the soft exhale that Leo does when he smiles. The rustling and thudding of his magic pouch follow and then the light is turned off.

"Thank you, Neeks."

"I'm going to murder you."

This was the first time in Nico's life that he has managed to leave a camp for more than five minutes without encountering a single being that wanted to kill him. He had been prepared for attacks from the get-go, especially since Leo literally couldn't go two breaths without doing something demigod-like such as warming up their chilaquiles with his bare hands or making weird artefacts appear as if out of thin air.

But this had been the most peaceful trip of his life and it almost felt akin to a vacation. Camping, taking dips in rivers and lakes, eating something different every day (Leo even agreed to go to McDonald's once) and keeping the worrying to a minimum.

It was even nice to be around Leo most of the time. Ever since the other night, he seemed to be making fewer jokes and nervous tinkering than usual. He still did it, because it's part of him, but he seemed more relaxed about it. It wasn't a necessity but a choice.

"What are you going to do once we arrive?" Nico asks one afternoon as they sit on top of a hill and take in the view. They're most likely just a jump away from getting to their destination, and in all honesty, Nico's rested enough that he could manage it that same day.

But he decided to drag this out a bit longer. They stopped just outside of San Francisco at some unknown mountains with enough trees to make it the perfect spot to tie hammocks and, damn it, Nico loves them by now, and he just wants another opportunity to use them while he's still with company. His return trip will be a lot lonelier.

Leo shrugs. "I don't know what Pipes and Jason might be up to. Jason had his plan to make shrines for all the Gods, so I might help him with that. But honestly, I wish they'd come back to Camp Half-Blood."

Nico raises his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Sure. It's the camp me and Piper were meant to be in, all my siblings are there, plus there's the bunker and Festus… I don't want to give it all up."

Nico feels a spark of hope in his chest. Perhaps he won't have to return alone. It's still bittersweet, though, because once Leo rejoins Piper and Jason, things will be different. Piper and Jason are very nice and all, and Nico gets along very well with Jason in particular, but he has a feeling Leo won't be the same with them around.

"And you're there, also," Leo adds.

Nico feels some heat rise to his cheeks and he tries to push it down.

Thankfully, Leo doesn't press it. "What about you? How do you decide which Camp to be in? You were in Camp Jupiter for a while, you have Hazel there, but you're originally Half-Blood and you have Will over there…"

"Will?" Nico asks, surprised that Leo would put him on the same level of importance to Nico as Hazel.

"Well, yes. I assumed you two-"

"Oh, no." Nico must be properly blushing now. "I mean, I don't know. But we're not. He's very nice and I'm glad to have a close friend there but…"

"Well okay, so you'll have two close friends there, then." Leo puts his hand over Nico's and it's the first time they're so purposefully touching like that.

Leo is not hiding this personal moment with a mask of light-hearted comments or jokes. So Nico won't shy away from it, either.

"I'm glad you want to come back." He summons courage harder than it takes him to summon an army of skeletons, and he leans his head on Leo's shoulder.

They remain like that for a while, Leo's hand covering his and Nico's head resting on Leo, and Nico had never felt so safe outside of camp and he wonders if it can last.

It turns out it can last. They manage to make it to Camp Jupiter without a single unpleasant encounter. And just when Nico thought they may break Percy's rule about feeling safe, they cross the gates and they are actually safe. Hazel sees them first. She's in full uniform and looking tiny but powerful as always, and her eyes go wide and shiny like dark gemstones.

She drops everything, her spatha, shield, and a book she'd been carrying and she sprints at them. She crushes Leo in a hug and starts weeping immediately.

"You! How? I was- Jason and Piper- ugh!" Each word is punctuated by a sob and a slap on Leo's chest.

Then there's Frank, who is so surprised that he turns into a ferret by mistake but then seizes the opportunity to climb onto Leo's head and claw at his hair with tiny, shrill yelps.

"I missed you too, buddy," Leo says, only grimacing slightly.

When he's back in human form, the bear hug is so engulfing that Leo almost disappears from sight.

Apparently, Piper and Jason are around somewhere but Hazel and Frank are too busy with their new duties that they can't keep track of them. Hazel summons Arion and writes a note, tying it around his neck.

"If you find Piper or Jason, get them here as soon as possible."

And off he goes.

Hazel spends a while telling Leo how much they looked for him the days after the battle back in Camp-Half Blood, which Nico had already done, but not in so much detail. Especially about the extent to which Jason and Piper in particular had driven themselves mad trying to find him, to the point where after weeks of futile search, Percy and Annabeth had to drag them back to camp and eventually convince them to come to California and get their minds off it.

Of course Nico wanted Leo to know they didn't give up on him, that he was missed, but he didn't want him to feel as guilty as he looks right now.

Other people also greeted them, including Reyna who Nico was glad to see. She was looking healthier than before.

Just as they were about to go to the Fifth Cohort to see if anyone knew about Jason or Piper, a loud zoom fills Nico's ears and a blurry second later, Leo is on the ground, tackled by Piper.

Arion neighs and stomps his front legs down before taking off again.

It takes about two minutes of Piper holding onto Leo and crying "I hate you!" before they can stand up. Leo's eyes and face are red too and he can't stop sniffling.

"Explain. Now," Piper orders him, wiping tears off her face.

"I thought we'd wait for Jason," Leo tells her.

Piper sighs. "He's been so moody lately I can't even tell you when he'd be coming back. He's been hard to read."

"Jason? Moody? Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"

Piper hits Leo.

And then, it happens again. This time is a whooshing sound that gets progressively louder and Nico barely has time to catch a glance of Jason flying at them at full speed before Leo is lifted off his feet and carried away.

Nico typically refrains from showing any emotion other than annoyance in front of others, but even he can't keep a straight face upon seeing Jason and Leo embracing up in the air, clearly crying and laughing at the same time as Jason slowly lowers them to the ground.

Everyone is at least tearing up by the time they make their way towards them, but Nico is okay with it. He's happy for Leo and he doesn't care who sees. Hazel grabs Nico's hand and he squeezes it.

"So," Leo says with a rough voice. "Ready to hear the Tales of Tio Leo?"

Nico hadn't realized how much he missed this camp, especially Hazel. He wishes he could be with her year-round or at least visit more often. There should be a faster way to get from one camp to the other.

Eventually, though, the time to return was drawing nearer and it was hard to acknowledge it. Nico still didn't know if Leo was coming back or not and he didn't want to ruin his reunion. He was still so happy to be around Piper and Jason.

Nico sits outside at a table after dinner. They all managed to squeeze in a dinner together before their respective duties took them in different directions. Of course, the only ones who didn't have anything to attend to were Nico and Leo, so it isn't a surprise when Leo returns to the table after saying goodbye to the others.

Leo plays with the candles there, lighting them on and then putting them out over and over. "I was wondering…" he begins and for some reason Nico's heart speeds up.

"Yeah?"

He lights the candles again. "Is Nico short for Nicholas? And if it is, can I call you Saint Nicholas?"

Nico kicks him under the table.

"Ow!"

"Is Leo short for Leonardo? And if so, can I call you Da Vinci?" Nico asks, trying to sound as stupid as Leo had.

"Definitely!" Leo answers, a big smile while still rubbing his leg. "Da Vinci works, though I think I look more like a Di Caprio."

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

Leo is still smiling even after a few seconds. "Da Vinci and Di Angelo. We should form a band."

"Over my dead body," Nico says, but he has to really bite back a smile.

Silence ensues and Nico thinks this would be the right moment to tell Leo that he plans to return the next day. He opens his mouth to speak but as it often happens with speaking, Leo beats him to it.

"So when do we leave, Hermano Hamaca?"

Nico is so confused by that last bit that he doesn't even process the first. "What?"

"Hammock Bro," Leo translates.

"Oh." Leo wants to go back with him? "I thought you'd want to stay with them a bit longer."

He shrugs. "Well, you're the shadow-travelling boss, but if it was up to me I could leave tomorrow. Piper and Jason are working on the shrines and they'll be at Camp Half-Blood soon. I can help from there. I'll miss Hazel and the big guy, but I'll see them again. Plus, it'd be nice to see Percy and Annabeth too, if they got the letter."

Nico nods. "Sure. We can leave tomorrow." He doesn't let it show how happy he is not to be travelling alone, but he still hopes Leo can see it a little bit.

"Hey," Leo puts out a candle with his right hand and lights up another with his left. "Thank you for bringing me here. I know it's a long road trip for something that could have been a phone call in normal circumstances. But even if I could have contacted them somehow, I think I needed to come. See them for myself. So, thank you."

Nico does smile then. "You're welcome. I know I would have liked to see you in person if you hadn't almost killed me on impact when you arrived."

"It's settled, then. We leave tomorrow. Maybe we can stop in Houston this time? I'll show you my mom's old repair garage and the best gorditas you'll ever have in your life."

"Sure," Nico agrees. It might take them a bit longer but it's not as if they have anything else to do. No prophecies to fulfill, no quests to carry out, no world-destruction to stop.

Leo puts his hand over Nico's again and this time Nico turns his hand over and laces their fingers together. Leo's hand is downright hot from playing with the candles so much, but Nico thinks it's nice.

As the candlelight dances in the wind along with Leo's hair, Nico realizes that even though he has always felt safest in the shadows, fire is not too bad either.

#nico di angelo #leo valdez #valdangelo #leico #hoo #pjo #it's both romantic and platonic #your choice #i just want them to be happy #so it's all fluff there's no danger or angst #they deserve it

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thejudgingtrash · 4 years

Note

Hey uh i don’t think you have done hazel and piper for the head cannon question thing? if you did sorry.

Oh no! I haven’t yet!

But let’s go ahead and do that! :D

First of all: our sweet sweet Hazel Levesque!

Songs that Hazel listens to are Do It by Chloe X Halle, Don’t Touch My Hair by Solange, Got To Be Real by Cheryl Lynn and You Can’t Hurry Love by The Supremes. Just a lot of R&B, Soul, Contemporary, Alternative Pop and stuff from the 30s-60s

Hazel is the type of person that is able to fall asleep while standing. You just see her head fall back and it bops as she snores away

Hazel will destroy you at Scrabble with her extended vocabulary

I think Hazel is also the kind of person that uses emojis to describe nearly everything. But I think gestures and the human-esque emojis are her fave. So I’d say she’d go for this one 🙋🏿‍♀️

Hazel is the type of person that just zooms out whenever she didn’t have enough sleep. You’re talking to her and after a minute or two you realize that there’s no response coming back from her

I think Hazel’s a simple lemonade girl. But the homemade stuff, nothing store bought or anything!

Whenever Hazel’s in a slump she grabs herself a little sweet treat. But only one.

Hazel wanted to become a jockey as a child. I think she was a big horse girl

She loves it when the sun breaks the front of thunderclouds and a rainbow shows up towards the end

I think Hazel is a soprano with a yet undeveloped voice in a sense that it easily breaks and can sound very nasally.

I think Hazel likes to doodle horses but also scenery and whatever’s in front of her eye as long as it’s doable and interesting

Next let’s move on to Piper!

Songs that Piper listens to are September by Earth, Wind and Fire, Electric Pow Wow Drum by A Tribe Called Red, Wait by M83 and Girls by The 1975. Kind of an all-rounder with an EDM and rock leaning taste

Piper is the type of person that instantly falls asleep in the car. If you plan a trip with her, don’t let her be the driver!

I think Piper would be good at any game but I think she’d crush you at Uno!

I also think that Piper is big on gestures and nature emojis, so I’d think thumbs up 👍🏽 and down 👎🏽 would be the way to go for her. Also this one right here 🖕🏽

I think Piper is the type of person to bemoan that she didn’t get enough sleep and is constantly repeating it and kinda sways if it’s really bad

I think that Piper is a simple cherry cola girl but is also keen on green and white tea

Whenever Piper’s in a slump she grabs her materials and crafts or paints something and gets really worked up into the project. And it always pays off

I think Piper wanted to become a singer as a child but then she realized and reflected that she would probably live a busy and hectic life similar to that of her dad and then her wish slowly faded away

Piper loves the howling wind and the gusts that lift her hair into the sky

Piper for me is a clear mezzo. Has a nice deep range and sustains the end of her range but has trouble supporting the higher notes

I think Piper doesn’t really doodle. She’s more of a writing my thoughts and poetry type of person? I think she just writes quotes all over her things.

Thank you for your ask! Send me a character for the super cool headcanon meme!

Previously done characters: Percy and Annabeth

Luke

Reyna and Frank

#pjo #hazel levesque #piper mclean #hoo #heroes of olympus #toa #trials of apollo #mel answers

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bigfan-fanfic · 5 years

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Not Too Fast to See

Requested by @inhumanshadows for a Percy Jackson x Male Speedster Reader who can see through the Mist.

I love this idea so much!

People think that because you’re fast, you’re unobservant.

When in fact, you see a heck of a lot more than others do.

You’ve been a speedster for a while now - long story involving a freak accident with a lightningrod and a science fair - but you’ve been... Seeing for a lot longer.

The world is full of monsters. And strange people with swords and mystical powers and such.

It’s hard to not feel crazy when a giant black mastiff comes barreling through the streets of Manhattan, it’s woofs like machine-gun fire.

And everyone else just moves out of the way, pointing at it’s trash-can-lid-sized feet and squealing, “Puppy!”

And you are fed up with it, so you superspeed in front of the giant hellhound and roar at it. “STOP!”

There is an “oof” from behind the beast as the boy who was chasing it runs right into it’s rear.

“Mrs. O’Leary? What’s wrong?” you hear his voice from around the dog.

“Hey, man!” you yell, zooming around to the other side of the dog to meet a rather handsome guy with jet black hair and sea green eyes. “Can you see this?”

“Uh... no?”

You cross your arms. “You called the giant tank-sized dog Mrs. O’Leary.”

The dog WOOFS at the sound of her name, shaking the very ground around her like a mini-earthquake.

The guy curses under his breath. “You can see through the Mist, too.”

“The Mist?” you ask. “What?”

So you follow Percy while he walks Mrs. O’Leary, and he tells you a lot about what’s going on. And it makes -

SO.

MUCH

SENSE!

You’ve been obsessively reading every Greek mythology book you could find after you noticed that one of these things only you saw was a pegasus.

You follow Percy to his mom and stepdad’s apartment.

Paul Blofis cries out in shock. “Oh, wow! It’s you! You’re Tempo!”

Sally looks confused. “The superhero?”

Percy has no idea what they’re talking about. Being a demigod doesn’t exactly keep one informed of the current events of superheroes popping up.

But anyway, Sally Jackson tells you all about her time seeing through the Mist, and how it started to leave as she got older, although her sight was never as strong as yours.

“So, now that you know you aren’t going crazy, what’s next?” Percy asks, walking you to the street.

“These monsters,” you say. “Can they hurt mortals like me?”

He nods, not sure where you’re going with this.

“Then I want to help. It’s kinda my job to protect people.”

His first instinct is to shake his head. You’re a mortal. But then he remembers that you’ve superpowers to you. “Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. But first, I think you should meet Chiron.”

“Oh my gosh, he’s still alive?”

And it’s awesome to go to Camp Half-Blood and meet Chiron, who tells you mortals have been blessed with speedster powers by Hermes for centuries, and you must be a very special mortal indeed.

Percy thinks it’s cute how excited you are. You might know more about Greek myths than even Annabeth, but the way you keep pointing at things and talking to yourself is adorable.

Wait a minute. Adorable?

So, for the next few weeks, you race cross-country, helping out demigods by speeding through monsters or distracting the media with your presence so they can evade awkward situations from mortals who can’t see like you do.

Percy doesn’t have a cell phone, but he sends you Iris-messages. You had to exchange a lot of money to drachmas in order to receive all of them - Iris charges through the nose for calls from demigods to unrelated mortals.

And one day, Percy asks if you’ll come to camp to play Capture the Flag with the demigods. The Hermes cabin immediately tries to call you for their team, since obviously you have their dad’s blessing.

But you go and stand near Percy, because you kind of have a crush on him

But Mr. D - who doesn’t seem to hate you, probably because as a mortal, you don’t remind him overmuch of any of his relations, and Dionysus has always been kind towards mortals that haven’t done anything to anger him - puts you in the forest as an obstacle.

Since with your speed the game would be over before Chiron could finish blowing his horn to signal it had begun.

You can literally be almost everywhere at once during the game.

None of the Celestial bronze weapons can touch you, so most of the campers have no hope against you.

And eventually you come across Percy, who smirks at you.

“Okay, Y/N, let’s make a deal.”

“You’re awfully cocky. What makes you think you have anything I want?”

He smiles wider. “I think you’ll wanna hear this.”

“Okay. Shoot.”

He steps closer. “You let me capture the flag, and I’ll take you out on a date.”

You are stunned. “A-a date?”

He moves even closer. Your faces are very close together. “Yeah. We’ll grab pizza. I know this great place near Central Park.”

You’d like that. A lot. “I-”

But the horn sounds. While Percy was distracting you, his team had snuck across the river and captured the flag.

You feel a bit used after the game and during the festivities where the winners are crowned. You get a laurel wreath too, for being such a great obstacle.

“At least, until that last bit near the end...” Mr. D. says, tapping his nose and looking at you until you blush.

Anyway, the half-bloods start to clear up, and you go behind the Hermes cabin to maybe cry a little, but then you hear Percy’s voice, followed by Annabeth’s.

“Just tell him, Seaweed Brain.”

“Did you see how he looked at me during dinner? He hates me. He probably thinks I was just playing him during the game to win.”

Annabeth pauses. “You were playing him. It was the plan.”

You can almost hear Percy roll his eyes. “Yeah, but I wasn’t just playing him.”

“Well, tell him that!”

You stand up and pop out of your hiding place. “What’s going on?”

He apologizes for the game.

“But, you know, I wasn’t joking about the date or anything. If you still wanna go. I mean, it’s pizza! And hey, look, if you don’t want to, I can take you anyway, ‘cause that was kind of a dirty trick and I-”

You lean forward and kiss him, because you can tell that this boy is just gonna keep talking.

“Alright then, Seaweed Brain. Send me an Iris-message when you’re in New York, and I’ll come find you.”

He sighs. “I told Annabeth not to tell you that nickname.”

“It’s just so fitting.” You kiss him on the cheek, and he grabs your hand.

“So... it’s a date?”

You nod. “It’s a date. One that I am very much looking forward to.”

After you speed away, Percy goes back to Cabin Three. There, in the privacy of his cabin, he shouts with joy.

Running as fast as you can, you let out an excited whoop.

Neither of you can wait to see the other again.

#male reader #percy jackson x male reader #pjo x male reader #pjo headcanons #headcanons

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weekendwarriorblog · 4 years

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The Weekend Warrior Feb. 14, 2020 – SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, FANTASY ISLAND, THE PHOTOGRAPH, DOWNHILL, OLYMPIC DREAMS

It’s Valentine’s Day on Friday and President’s Day on Monday, which means that this weekend is going to be absolutely nuts in terms of getting four new wide releases. Last week’s Birds of Prey did not do even remotely close to where I predicted/projected – almost half!! -- and here I thought all those raves reviews might help, but apparently not. It will still make money with its global release but it’s gonna fall short even of last year’s Shazam! and many have already started questioning whether an R-rating is the way to go with a movie semi-targeted towards younger women. (Warner Bros. has already sent out a mandate to theaters to change the title of the movie to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. I cannot believe that it took this long for them to figure out what a terrible title they had previously!)

With the four-day weekend, it’s very likely that Paramount Pictures’ SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, will prevail, as it brings the beloved SEGA video game character to the big screen with James Marsdenand Jim Carrey, the latter starring in one of his first big-screen appearances in a while. It should be an easy victor this weekend in a market that could desperately use another strong family film.

For those unfamiliar with SEGA’s flagship video game “mascot,” Sonic has appeared in all sorts of other media including animated series and comic books, so one can say that the character is almost but not quite as well known and popular as Nintendo’s Pokemon, which has had a much wider reach in terms of both games and cartoons.

Of course, it’s impossible not to look at Sonic the Hedgehog and completely ignore the relative success of last year’s Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, which had the added benefits of a popular A-list star in Ryan Reynoldsand a summer release. That opened with $54.4 million and made $144 million domestic and $429.7 million worldwide.

On the other hand, Sonic does have Jim Carrey, who hasn’t been in an American wide release since the 2014 sequel Dumb and Dumber To, which only made about $156 million worldwide. At one point, Carrey was one of the biggest box office stars with multiple $240 million plus domestic blockbusters. Maybe the kids won’t be as invested in Carrey’s Mr. Robotnik, but many parents who grew up with Carrey’s comedies will be happy to see him in such a perfect role.

The Presidents Day weekend allows one extra day for parents with kids needing something to do with them sans school. Even so, the biggest movies on the weekend have been superhero movies, including Black Panther, Deadpool and Fifty Shades of Grey, the latter two definitely not for kids. (Daredeviland Ghost Rider also fared well on the weekend.) In fifth place for the weekend is Warner Bros’ The LEGO Movie, which made $62.5 million over the four-day weekend, but that was in its SECOND WEEKEND! So yeah, lots of money to be had for a family movie even though the biggest opener was Christopher Columbus’ Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (now on Broadway!), which opened with $38.7 million ten years ago.

I have to imagine that Sonic is more popular, and even with the tragic misstep of that first trailer last year which got such a negative reaction to Sonic’s appearance, Paramount delayed the movie and went back to the CG drawing board, there will be enough fans interested to see how he translates to the screen that $40 million over the weekend should be doable even with three other wide releases. I also don’t think reviews will be so bad, so it should be good for $100 million plus.

Mini-Review: For whatever reason, Sonic the Hedgehog is the kind of movie that lazy critics love to dump on, maybe because it’s a kids’ movie or because it’s a movie based on a video game they played as kids, or more likely, a character their kids know from popular cartoons and comic books. It doesn’t help that judgments were mostly cast when the first trailer hit last year and Sonic looked different than what people expected. Regardless, I went into the movie with very low expectations, maybe because I really had no passionate connection to the character despite being generally familiar with some of the games.

We meet Sonic as he’s being chased by robots, and we flash back to him as a kid on a planet where he’s able to zoom around freely, until he’s discovered by predators that are hunting him (it’s never explained why), so his mentor owl gives Sonic gold rings that can take him off-planet. Sonic ends up in a small town called Green Hills where he watches the townsfolk in hiding for years, including a local police officer (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter). The former eventually discovers Sonic after he causes a major power outage that gets the attention of the government and its genius robotics scientist, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey).

Despite not having much previous connection to Sonic, it’s hard for me not to appreciate this character, because I’ve been known to zip around myself. I also enjoyed Sonic’s haste since who knows when we might see that movie based on one of my favorite comic characters, The Flash. Sonic does a good job capturing the intensity and yes, speed, of having speed powers in quite a masterful way compared to previous attempts, giving me hope that a Flash movie is possible. (Granted, they do rip-off the fun thing Quicksilver does in the recent X-movies by slowing everything around Sonic down to a halt, but it’s still amusing.)

Probably the most genius idea by Sonic’s filmmakers was to convince Jim Carrey to return to the big screen as Dr. Robotnik. He quickly reminds us how hilarious he can be when going as fully into a character as he does this one, and it’s prime Carey vs. the semi-lazy Carrey that made movies in the early ‘00s. Robotnik is a super-genius with no patience for anyone on a lower level of intellect (aka everyone), and Carrey takes that idea to the utmost extreme. (It’s hard not to compare what he’s doing in this movie to what Ewan McGregor does in Birds of Prey and see how Carey does it effortlessly whereas McGregor was clearly trying too hard.)

That’s not to take away from Marsden and Sumpter, Sonic’s other prominent human co-stars, who bring such a warmth and humanity to those characters that you rarely even think that you’re watching them interact with a fully CG-character. (Kudos to Ben Schwartz and what he brings to Sonic as his voice.)

Sure, the plot can be a bit predictable with certain parts clearly geared to kids, but there’s also slew of pop references that display some real talent in the writing of the movie so that it can be watched and enjoyed by people of all ages.

Is it possible that Sonic the Hedgehog is the first thoroughly entertaining movie of the year? Yes, indeedy. (Definitely stay through the first bunch of credits if you are a Sonic fan!)

Rating: 8/10

One of the more interesting releases of the weekend is BLUMHOUSE’S FANTASY ISLAND (Sony Pictures Releasing), which as you can guess is a PG-13 horror version of the popular ‘80s show, starring Michael Peña as Mr. Rouke, the head of a program in which people can pay lots of money to achieve their greatest wishes… with a catch! Since this is Blumhouse, you probably know that the catch involves some sort of horror/thriller premise, and if you’ve seen the trailer, you might get some idea how it works… or not. (I wish I can say more but I’m under embargo!)

The rest of the cast is decent including Maggie Q (from Mission: Impossible 3), Lucy Hale, Portia Doubleday, Michael Rooker, Ryan Hansen, Jimmy O . Yang and more, plus it’s directed by Jeff Wadlow, who last did Blumhouse’s Truth Or Dare (a very bad movie!) and then Kick Ass 2 before that. (He was supposed to direct Sony’s upcoming Bloodshot movie but he left that to do other things, like this.)

Unfortunately, Sony Pictures Releasing (another specialized imprint from the parent company?) seems to have taken a cue from Screen Gems by deciding not to screen the movie for critics until Thursday afternoon (just like with The Grudge!), plus there won’t be ANY Thursday previews for this. It’s a shame since… well, I can’t really tell you if I liked the movie or not since I’m under embargo until Friday. J

Either way, it seems like a strong enough counter to Sonic and Birds of Prey that it should be good for $15 million plus over the four days. Personally, I think it would have opened even bigger if Sony and Blumhouse had shown some balls and screened it for critics in advance, but what do I know? I’ve only written about this stuff for ALMOST TWENTY FUCKING YEARS! (Not sure I’m gonna review the movie but we’ll see.)

I know far less about Universal’s Valentine’s Day offering THE PHOTOGRAPH (Universal), which I guess is a romantic drama that’s targeting African-Americans looking for something to see on the biggest date nights of the year. In fact, we’ve seen some interesting hits on this weekend just by putting “Date” in the movie title, as was the case with Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore’s 50 First Dates ($45.1 million four-day opening) and even Date Movie ($21.8 million), which satirized romantic movies. But the real winner has to be a movie that went all out for Valentine’s Day by actually going with the title Valentine’s Day, which helped it open with $63 million over the four-day weekend ten years ago. ($23.4 million of that was on Valentine’s Day alone!)

Since I won’t see The Photograph until Weds. night, I can only talk about the little bit of marketing I’ve seen and what’s out there. Apparently, this is more in the vein of Valentine’s Day in that it’s a series of intertwined romantic stories, but it has an impressive cast of African-American actors who are on the verge of breaking out such as the great LaKeith Stanfield and amazing Kelvin Harrison Jr., as well as Rob Morgan (from “Daredevil” and Mudbound) and Courtney B. Vance. I’d be neglect if I didn’t mention any of the women involved and having Issa Raefrom the TV show “Insecure” as the primary female lead is something that shouldn’t be ignored. Stanfield isn’t the only connection to Jordan Peele, though, asLil Rel Howery from Get Outis also in this movie as is Peele’s actual wife, Chelsea Peretti!

I actually had to double check to make sure Peele wasn’t one of the film’s producers, but no, this is from Will Packer, a producer who is responsible for so many huge hits among African-Americans that one of these days I won’t underestimate his drawing power, even though all three of his 2019 movies underdelivered, including the comedy Little (co-starring Rae), although did well compared to their lower budgets.

In that sense, The Photograph could be compared to Packer’s Screen Gems comedy About Last Night, which opened with $27.8 million in just over 2,200 theaters in 2014, but that also had the power of proven box office draw Kevin Hartto bring in audiences. I certainly don’t want to be accused of underestimating Packer again, but with such a generic title and premise (and next to no marketing?), I’m just not sure the movie will deliver despite being decent counter-programming for AA audiences. With that in mind, I think the movie will probably make somewhere between $12 and 14 million.

Then there’s DOWNHILL (Searchlight Studios), the new movie from The Way, Way Back directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (who also won the Oscar for cowriting Alexander Payne’s The Descendants), this one being a direct remake of Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund’s 2014 film Force Majeure.

In this version, Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus play a squabbling couple who travel to the alps with their kids, but after barely escaping an avalanche – one in which he runs away leaving his family behind – they start questioning their lives. The film also stars Zach Woods (also from “Veep”), Miranda Otto and Zoe Chao, and though it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival (just like the duo’s previous movie), it did not receive great reviews, as it currently sits at 48% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I don’t think that will matter since like Carey above, Ferrell hasn’t been oversaturating the market with movies in the past couple year, maybe because his last movie, Holmes & Watson, reteaming him with John C. Reilly from Step Brothers bombed with $41 million worldwide after horrifying reviews. Fortunately, Louis-Dreyfus is far more loved thanks to her run on “Seinfeld” and her Emmy-winning run on HBO’s “Veep,” and that should help get people into theaters despite all the competition aboe and below.

Searchlight (no more Fox!!) will be releasing the movie into roughly 1,500 theaters, a moderate release to see how it fares, and the extended holiday weekend (plus the chance of it attracting older moviegoers on Valentine’s Day) should help it make $5 million plus over the extended weekend.

Mini-Review: If you’re reading this review hoping for a play-by-play of how Downhill differs from Ruben Ostlund’s Force Majeure, then you’re bound to be disappointed, because a.) I don’t really remember it, b.) I wasn’t as big a fan of the movie as so many others, and c.) I’m going to assume that a lot of people never got around to seeing it.

In this version, it’s Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus as Peter and Billie Stanton, and there’s much more focus on their roles as parents and the responsibility that goes with that. Once again, Peter runs off when a controlled avalanche comes their way, but they don’t really talk about it so much even as it hangs over their heads.

Nat Faxon and Jim Rash once again find a manageable way of making “dramedy” out of a situation, making sure not to go for constant visual laughs or the zaniness Ferrell usually goes for. (Granted, we can totally believe him as a careless father/husband who does dumb things.) In fact, Ferrell plays his role fairly toned down, which allows Louis-Dreyfus to shine in what’s, oddly, a quite rare movie appearance. How they deal with the aftermath of the avalanche comes to a head when Pete’s work-buddy Zack (Zach Woods) arrives with a ladyfriend (Zoe Chao) allows the two to go at each other. It doesn’t get quite as intense as Marriage Story, but it’s obvious that they both have reached the point in their marriage where they need a separation.

It is kind of amusing that Miranda Otto almost steals her scenes with the two leads because she’s so funny as a hot-to-trot European guest they keep running into and who sets Billie up with a hot Italian ski trainer. There’s a few other funny characters but it mostly stays on Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus either alone or together, and that’ll be enough for most people.

Faxon and Rash find interesting ways to play with the basic premise, although Downhill is very much comedy with a lower-case “c,” and like the original movie, it should lead to some interesting conversations.

Rating: 7/10

This week’s Top 10 should look something like this… (bearing in mind that the below are all four-day projections). It’ll be interesting to see if the name change for “Birds of Prey” will make a difference, but look for NEON’s Parasite to make its first foray into the top 10 this weekend after 19 (!!!) weeks in theaters, thanks to its Best Picture win last Sunday.

1. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) - $44 million N/A (up $1.5 million)* 2. Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (Warner Bros) - $20 million -39% (down $1.5 million)* 3. Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island (Sony) - $15.8 million N/A (up $.3 million)* 4. The Photograph (Universal) - $13.5 million N/A 5. Bad Boys for Life (Sony) - $8 million -35% (up .2 million)* 6. 1917 (Universal) - $7 million -23% 7. Downhill (Searchlight) - $5.6 million N/A (up .2 million)* 8. Parasite (NEON) - $5 million +300% (up .4 million and one place) 9. Dolittle (Universal) - $4.5 million -30% (down .4 million and one place) 10. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) - $4.2 million -24%

*UPDATE: A few minor updates based on actual theater counts with Parasite being expanded into 2,000 theaters, the widest its been so far. I feel like most of the new movies will do well, including Downhill (which will be in 2,301 theaters vs. the 1,500 estimated earlier in the week). Anyway, it should be a fairly hearty and robust weekend at the box office.

LIMITED RELEASES

Before we get to the regular limited releases opening Friday, I want to mention two special releases for Weds. night, Trafalgar Releasing is giving a one-night screening of The Doors: Break on Thru - A Celebration of Ray Manzarek, which I haven’t seen but I’m definitely interested in as a fan of the ‘60s group (and Manzarek’s keyboard work). You can get tickets for that here. Also, Kino Lorber is giving one-night release of Emily Taguchi & Jake Lefferman’s doc After Parkland to commemorate the second anniversary of the shootings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people and began a nationwide student movement for gun control. It’s a fairly sobering and emotional doc, as you can imagine, especially since so little has been done to prevent incidents like this even two years later.

My favorite movie of the weekend is Jeremy Teicher’s OLYMPIC DREAMS ( IFC Films), opening at the IFC Center Friday. It stars Nick Kroll (who you’ll know from “The League,” “Oh, Hello” and other things) and (actual Olympian distance runner) Alexi Pappas, who you may or may not be as familiar with. Pappas plays Penelope, an American competitor in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, who is feeling lonely and unable to connect with others until she meets Kroll’s volunteer dentist, Ezra. While at first, it wouldn’t seem like they would have anything in common, they spend a night hanging out and while some might be expecting something romantic, since this is opening on Valentine’s Day, well I won’t ruin what does or doesn’t happen, k? Either way, it’s a wonderful film co-written by Teichter, Pappas and Kroll, and if that sounds like a familiar formula, then it is indeed the one Richard Linklater used for his sequels to Before Sunrise with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Olympic Dreams isn’t nearly as deep and philosophical (or wordy), but the two actors are so wonderful together, and they actually filmed this in the Athletes Village at the Olympics (the first film to do so) which adds some authenticity to the sweet little movie. (There will be a sneak preview Weds night at the IFC Center with Teicher, Kroll and Pappas all in attendance!)

Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig returns with THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS (Vertical), a star-studded ensemble piece starring Zoe Kazan, Andrea Riseborough, Caleb Landry Jones, Jay Baruchel and Bill Nighy (who appeared in Lone’s previous film Their Finest). This is a New York City story about six strangers whose lives intersect and mingle while trying to find help, hope and love. I know it sounds like the Crash-style movie we’ve seen far too many times before, but I have faith in Ms. Scherfig and hopefully I’ll have a chance to watch it in the next day or two.

I also still haven’t gotten around to watching Kenji Tanagaki’s action-comedy ENTER THE FAT DRAGON (Go WELL USA), starring the always-amazing Donnie Yen as police officer Zhu, who is sent to Japan on a routine police escort of a suspect… who mysteriously dies, forcing Zhu to call upon a former undercover inspector to help solve the murder. I’m assuming the latter is the “Fat Dragon” and Yen didn’t gain 200 lbs. for the part.

Opening at the Quad Cinemaon Friday and in L.A. on Feb. 21 is Dimitri de Clercq’sFrench/Belgian film You Go to My Head (First Run Features) about an architect who finds a young woman lost, alone and in a fog in the Sahara after a mysterious accident, but when he takes her to the hospital, he claims to be her husband. As she gets better, he creates an elaborate life to fill in the life they shared which she can no longer remember. It also sounds perfect for Valentine’s Day, so you have plenty of options!

I didn’t have too much to say about Céline Sciamma’s PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (NEON), because I think I wrote about it last year, and I haven’t seen the movie since the New York Film Festival. Set in the 18thCentury, it’s about a woman painter who travels to a remote island where she’s commissioned to do a painting of a grieving widow, who she ends up falling in love with. I probably should see the movie again as it didn’t really connect with me the first time, but I can totally understand why others love it so much. (Unfortunately, the 7:10 screening on Friday night at the Angelika with a QnA moderated by my pal, Valerie Complex, is already sold out!)

The second documentary in the last year about a man named “Cunningham” (a different one this time) is Mark Bozek’s The Times of Bill Cunningham (Greenwich) about the famed photographer who died in 2016… and whom I know even less about than I did dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham. Apparently, he was a New York Timesphotographer for four decades and had a long relationship with First Lady Jackie Kennedy, and this doc is even narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker! It also opens at the Angelika and City Cinemas 1, 2 & 3, and maybe L.A.?

Due to the usual conflicts and circumstances, I wasn’t able to see Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn’s Ordinary Love (Bleecker Street) as planned, but it’s an appropriately-timed romantic drama starring Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville as a middle-aged couple who must deal with her beast cancer diagnosis. I actually am interested in seeing this, especially to see Neeson back in serious drama mode (it’s been a while), so hopefully I’ll have a chance to see this down the road.

Also opening Friday is Tanya Wexler’s Buffaloed (Magnolia), starring Zoey Deutch as Peg Dahl, a young woman living in Buffalo, the debt collection capital of America but hopes to get out of town and into an Ivy League university. When she’s accepted to her top choice but can’t afford the tuition, she gets pulled into the rope of debt collection. Also starring Judy Greer, Germaine Fowler, Noah Reid and Jai Courtney, it will open at New York’s Quad Cinema, the Loz Feliz 3 in L.A., Buffalo’s North Park Theater and more theaters.

Another SXSW 2019 movie is Richard Wong’s Come As You Are (Samuel Goldwyn), starring Gabourey Sidibe, Grant Rosenmeyer, Ravi Patel, Hayden Szeto and Janeane Garofolo. The three guys in the middle play men with disabilities who go on a road trip to a Montreal brothel to get away from their suffocating parents. Sidibe (from Precious) plays their travelling nurse who drives them across the border to help them lose their virginity. This is an English remake of the Belgian Film Hasta La Vista about the real-life adventure of Asta Philpot.

Sara Zandieh’s indie rom-com A Simple Wedding (Blue Fox Entertainment) also opens in theaters and On Demand on Valentine’s Day, this one following an Iranian-American named Nousha (Tara Grammy) whose hopes for a Persian wedding are dashed when she falls for a bisexual artist/DJ named Alex (Christopher O’Shea). She has to make sure her parents don’t realize they’re living together before marriage. The film also stars Shohreh Aghdashloo, Rita Wilson, Maz Jobrani, Peter McKenzie and James Eckhouse.

LOCAL FESTIVALS

Some cool festivals and series in New York are happening this weekend to offer competition for all the choices above.

Let’s begin with the “Winter Showcase” for one of my favorite annual film festivals, the New York Asian Film Festivalsubtitled “Love at First Bite,” since they’re including a special Valentine’s Day screening of the Korean hit Extreme Job followed by a reception including delicious Korean food. The rest of the line-up is probably more appropriate for the rep section as it will including Asian classics like Stephen Chow’s God of Cookery (1996), Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman (1994),Tampopo (1985) on Saturday, as well as Ritesh Batra’s amazing The Lunchbox and more on Sunday.

Up at Film at Lincoln Center, there’s the annual “Neighboring Scenes,” the annual celebration of “New Latin American Cinema,” opening Friday with Joanna Reposi Garibaldi’s Lemebel, a documentary about writer/visual artist Pedro Lemebel and his controversial performances amidst Chilean upheaval. Of course, I’m most interested in the Brazilian offerings, but sadly, there just isn’t enough time in the day/week to see as many of the films in this series I’m curious about including the New York premiere of Ema from Chile’s Pablo Larrain (Neruda, Jackie). Click on the link above and check out that line-up.

Further North (in terms of global geography) but South (in terms of New York City geography) is this year’s “Canada Now” series, taking place at the IFC Center from Thursday through Sunday. It will kick off with Guest of Honor, the new film from Canada’s Atom Egoyan, starring David Thewlis and Laysla De Oliveira as father and music school teacher daughter whose lives become complicated when she’s put in prison for earlier crimes. There are seven other movies in this series, most of them getting their U.S. debuts, so that’s another alternative for what could be a busy movie-going weekend.

STREAMING AND CABLE

Lots of stuff premiering on streaming services this weekend including the British animated sequel A Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon on Netflix, as well as the rom-com sequel To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, which will premiere on Weds and may end up being the “Netflix and chill” choice for many young people on V-Day. (I honestly never got around to seeing the first movies of either of those yet!)

Over on Hulu, they’re premiering the gender-swapped series loosely based on Nick Horny’s High Fidelity, this one starring Zoe Kravitz, the daughter of Lisa Bonet, who appeared opposite John Cusack in Stephen Frears’ adaptation of Hornby’s book from 2000 that was one of my favorite movies that year! Wait a second, even though Kravitz plays a character named Rob, just like Cusack, is she meant to be the daughter of Cusack and Bonet’s characters in that movie? That would be intense! (But probably not. I’m sure I’ll check it out.)

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

The Metrograph’s Valentine’s Dayweekend offerings include Casablanca (1942), Howard Hawks’ 1944 film To Have and Have Not, the 1932 film Trouble in Paradise, Douglas Sirk’s Written on the Wind (1956) and another screening of Makoto Shinkai’s animated Your Name. The “To Hong Kong with Love” series continues through the end of February, this weekend screening Yellowing (2016), which I haven’t seen.This weekend, the Welcome To Metrograph: Reduxwill offer two more screenings of Edward Yang’s 4-hour 1991 film A Brighter Summer Day, while Late Nites at Metrograph will screen Nagisa Oshima’s 1978 film Empire of Passion, also which I have never seen! Rounding out the weekend’s Asian offering is the Playtime: Family Matineesoffering of Yoshifumi Kondo’s 1995 animated film Whisper of the Heart, which guess what? I haven’t seen that either! Clearly, I need to try to get to one of the four movies, right?

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE BROOKLYN (NYC)

Tonight’s “Weird Wednesday” is the Susan Sarandon-James Spader romantic drama White Palace (1990). Oddly, the Alamo is CLOSED on Valentine’s Day.. is this true?!? On Sunday is a special “Drew Believers: Drew Barrymore Movie Marathon” with four of Barrymore’s movies in 35mm! (As of this writing, there are a few seats available near the front.) Monday’s “Fist City” is Sam Raimi’s The Quick and The Dead from 1995 and that’s quickly selling out as well. The “Terror Tuesday” is James Gunn’s hilarious Slither and then next week’s “Weird Wednesday” is the 1987 Ken Russell film Gothic.

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

Wednesday’s “Afternoon Classic” is the 1961 Oscar-winning musical West Side Story. Weds and Thursday night’s double feature is Robert Altman’s 1971 film McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Sydney Pollack’s 1972 film Jeremiah Johnson, starring Robert Redford. This week’s “Freaky Friday” offering is the classic The Bride of Frankenstein (1935, while Friday’s midnight movie is True Romanceand Saturday’s midnight is 1978’s Mean Dog Blues in 16mm! This weekend continues the “Kiddee Matinee” run with the Alfonso Cuaron-directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Monday’s matinee of David Lynch’s Wild at Heart is already sold out but that night is a Robert Clouse double feature of The Pack(1977) and Darker than Amber (1970). Tuesday’s Grindhouse double feature is 1976’s Sky Riders and 1981’s Force: Five.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

Thursday is a “Black Voices” double feature of Car Wash (1976) and Cooley High (1975) with guest including Bill Duke in person. John Sayles and Joe Dante will be on hand Friday night for a “John Sayles: Independent” double feature of Piranha (1978) and The Howling (1981). This weekend is the “HFPA Restoration Summit” including a Saturday afternoon presentation called “Serge Bromberg Presents from the Silent Era” with the Lobster Films founder, while the one and only Jane Fonda will be on-hand Saturday evening to present a 4k restoration of the 1972 film F.T.A., which she produced with Donald Sutherland. Saturday night is a screening of The Black Vampire, the 1953 Argentine adaptation of Fritz Lang’s M, and there’s more classic cinema on Sunday as part of the series.

AERO (LA):

Thursday’s “Antiwar Cinema” matinee is Richard Attenborough’s Oh! What a Lovely War from 1969 with an all-star cast, while that night is a Eugene Levy/Christopher Guest double feature of A Might Windand For Your Consideration. The AERO is ALSO showing Casablancaon Valentine’s Day and then Saturday is another Levy/Guest double feature of Best in Show (2000)and Waiting for Guffman (1996) with Levy doing a discussion between films. John Sayles and Frances McDormand will appear in person for a Sunday afternoon double feature of 1996’s Lone Star and 1999’s Limbo.

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

MOMI is going a bit crazy with its Valentine’s offering but it’s a good one…Jane Fonda in 1968’s Barbarella as part of its new 2001-inspired series “See It Big! Outer Space”! (If MOMI wasn’t all the way in Astoria, I’d totally go.) It will play again Sunday with Tarkovsky’s Solaris (1972) playing on Friday and Saturday and 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Pictureon Sunday. Sunday will also be a repeat of Kubrick’s 1969 film 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm with a discussion before the movie between Doug Trumbull and Piers Bizony. There’s also the usual DCP screening of 2001on Saturday afternoon, as part of the exhibition. On Saturday, they’ll screen Marjane Satrapi’s excellent Persepolis(2007) as part of its “World of Animation.”

FILM FORUM (NYC):

Starting Friday, the Forum will be screening a DCP restoration of Luchino Visconti’s L’Innocente (1976), starring Giancarlo Giannini. This weekend’s “Film Forum Jr.” is Guys and Dolls from 1955, starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra. (If you read this on Wednesday, you can catch Joseph Strick’s 1963 film The Balcony, starring Shelley Winters, Peter Falk and Lee Grant, in 35mm.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

The Quad’s run of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman continues through the weekend, and there will be Valentine’s Day screenings of Alex Cox’s Sid and Nancy on Thursday and Friday night. (How romantic!)

ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES (NYC):

The Anthology’s great “The Devil Probably: A Century of Satanic Panic” continues this weekend with screenings of Robert Eggers’ The Witch, Alan Parker’s Angel Heart, another screening of Rosemary’s Baby, as well as screenings of Race with the Devil on Weds. and Thursday night. I missed it last week but they’ve been showing Mark Rappaport’s 1975 film Mozart in Love the past week, as well.

ROXY CINEMA (NYC)

The Cage-athon continues Weds. with Neil Labute’s The Wicker Man (2006) and 2009’s Knowing on Thursday. Valentine’s Day sees screening of Baz Lurhmann’s Romeo + Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, as well as the 1987 Nicolas Cage movie Moonstruck, co-starring Cher. Spike Jonez and Charlie Kaufman’s Adaptation (2003), starring Cage, repeats on Saturday.

NITEHAWK CINEMA (NYC):

Williamsburg‘s “Uncaged” series continues Friday with last year’s Mandy at midnight and 1983’s Valley Girl on Saturday morning. Casabalanca is also playing at the Prospect Park on Thursday, and unrelated but Back to the Future will play there on Monday night. Billy Wilder’s 1954 film Sabrina, starring Bogart, Hepburn and Holden will play on Saturay morning.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

Weekend Classics: Luis Buñuel is back with Belle de Jour from 1967, starring Catherine Deneuve. Waverly Midnights: Hindsight is 2020 will screen the animated Ghost in the Shell, while Late Night Favorites: Winter 2020 will also go with an Anime film, Paprika.

MOMA (NYC):

Modern Matinees: Jack Lemmon is off Weds. and Thursday but will return Friday with Billy Wilder’s Irma La Douce (1963).

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

BAM will continue to show Horace Jenkins’ 1982 film Cane River through the weekend.

Next week, the second to last week of February (man, it flew right by!) will include Fox’s The Call of the Wild, starring Harrison Ford, and the horror sequel, Brahms: The Boy II.

#TheWeekendWarrior Movies Reviews SonicTheHedgehog FantasyIsland Downhill ThePhotograph OlympicDreams Repertory Streaming

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shikai-the-storyteller · 5 years

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CYBERVERSE WATCH: Season 3, Episodes 15, 16, 17, and 18!

MAN IM SO SAD THERE’S ONLY 4 EPISODES LEFT IN THIS SEASON....I’m really glad we got confirmed for a Season 3, but the thought of this show ending period makes me sad. I’m having so much fun watching it

Episode 15: Wiped Out

Alright enough moping around, let’s get down to business and actually start this episode

The Ark looks like Samus’ ship!

Omg Roddy and Bee complaining about their chores, they’re so cute....”I can’t believe Dad is making us scrub his car, ugh”

“I’m gonna buff the ugly out of you!” THERE IS NO UGLY, THERE IS ONLY CUTE

Optimus with his hands on his hips is so cute

Oh no is Rodimus going to go surf on the asteroids like in MTMTE--HE FRICKIN IS IM SHRIEKING!!!!!!!

RODIMUS PRIME ID DIE FOR YOU, YOU BIG DUMB JOCK

I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to join them though lmao, that looks fun as heck

Seeing Roddy flame out is so soul-soothing, Cyberverse was absolutely made with me in mind

OMG CAT ON A SURF BOARD “Behold! I am awesome!” YOU SURE ARE BUD

Oh no is that a sharkticon THEYRE TOTALLY SHARKTICONS

THEY’RE CALIFORNIAN IM SOBBING

CHEETOR IS SO NICE “Is this all of it?” PFT that dramatic zoom was great, I love the humor in this show

This means Bee and Rodimus probably got picked up by the other gang huh

“Yeah our world got destroyed but at least we still have this sick skate park left”

Omg it’s the Californians vs. the New Yorkers, I’m cryin

RODIMUS COME ON BUD, HAVE YOU GUYS LEARNED NOTHING FROM YOUR OWN GIANT CIVIL WAR

I love that Cheetor gets recruited and he’s like “Um I really don’t wanna”, Bee went with and even got painted all fancy but went “Cheetor! :D” upon seeing his bud, then Rodimus zooms in decked out in paint like he’s the king of the gang like “Yo back off from our skate park noobs” Hot Rod you’re terrible and I love you

“Wait was that one of my snouts” RODIMUS

LMAO WAY TO BE RACIST CHEETOR

They’re gonna get back to the Ark and Rodimus is gonna be like “WHAT’S UP OPTIMUS guess what we did? We joined a gang” and Optimus is going to be like [deep sigh]

Uh Cheetz what are you doing OH SNAP HE’S FIXING THEIR WORLD aw way to go Cheetor

Episode 16: Ghost Town

Oh no are they going to get to Cybertron finally and find it empty...or wait Cybertron is dead in this show already isn’t it. Are they gonna find out the ‘Cons already got to Cybertron and shoved Percy in a locker?

Oh snap what’s up with Windblade Oh no is this Starscream in disguise or something WHAT’S GOING ON

LMAO TELETRON X IS SERIOUSLY OUT HERE GIVING STARSCREAM THERAPY IM SCREAMING

“HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES ME FEEL!?”

Where is Rung when you need him

Is some kind of MetroTitan speaking to her or something, calling out for help?

oh absolutely this city looks like it’s part of some giant Titan, I AM LOVING THIS PLANET man whoever does the background drawings in this show does an awesome job

I I love that Optimus specifically says “We must help her” and not “we must stop her” or something, nice distinction

GO RODDY GO!!!!!!!

“I’ve determined you have an emotional need for someone to trust you” JUST STAB ME THROUGH THE HEART WHY DON’T YOU CYBERVERSE, IT’D BE LESS PAINFUL

*Flashbacks to Starscream on one knee, offering Jetfire his hand* GUHHHH

LMAO Teletron gave him more cell space and Starscream is immediately like “Haha IDIOT”

Well that can’t be good

YEAHHHH HOT ROD AND BEE WATCHING EACH OTHER’S BACKS, I LOVE THAT

METROTITAN METROTITAN METROTITAN METROTITAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Croatan!!!!! YOOO

“My citizens were taken from me” QUINTESSONS???

THAT BACKGROUND HISTORY ANIMATION IS SO PRETTY

AHHHH I CANT STOP GRINNING, I CAN”T BELIEVE THEY ACTUALLY HAD A METROTITAN IN THIS SHOW, THAT”S SO AWESOME, THIS IS SO COOL I”M LEGITIMATELY GETTING SHIVERS

Just goes to show not all red-eyed things are evil

Oh yeah Starscream escaped OH SHOOT HE’S WITH A TITAN NOW OH MAN??? OH MAN!?!?!?!?! I don’t know who I’m worried about more, Starscream or the Titan--well no, the Titan, Starscream is a menace and there’s no way he’s not gonna show up 10 episodes later using it as his latest new death machine to kill Megatron

Episode 17: Perfect Storm

Optimus sitting in his chair looking bored.....cute......

AW ARCEE IS SO CUTE Finally we get to see her do something. And she and Grimlock are buddies!! That’s sweet

Gosh that red nebula is GORGEOUS

Oh no is this going to be like some kind of storm that knocked everyone out while they were all gone

LMAO I love that they’re not even worried, they’re just like “UGH something happened while we weren’t here! >:/ ”

I LOVE ARCCEE SHE’S SO CUTE

OHHH I don’t know what those things are but they look pretty and dangerous

LMAO SHE JUST SHOVES HOT ROD OVER

ARCEE MIMICKING THEIR CRIES...THAT”S SO CUTE

LMAO THEY REALLY CANT CATCH A BREAK CAN THEY

GRIMLOCK AND ARCEE ARE JUST STANDING ON TOP OF THE SHIP FRICKIN MACHINE-GUNNING THESE COMETS DOWN IM CRYING

PEAK ARCEE CHARACTERIZATION RIGHT HERE I love that she’s snapchat girl AND machine gun warrior girl

They’re just hitting Cheetor on the Allspark....I love these morons....

UHHH ARCEE THAT SEEMS LIKE A BAD IDEA

LMAO “NO IM GONNA SACRIFICE MYSELF FIRST”

Wheeljack what were you doing back there

MEANWHILE THE SUPERNOVA’S ABOUT TO KILL THEM ALL gosh I love these dummies

I really hope they both just wind up powering it with botht heir sparks, that would be a nice middle-finger to the Soul Gem thing that happened in Endgame

LMAO I love the ominous music when Teletran X knocks on the window

That was such a cute episode :’)

Episode 18: The Crossroads

OHO SPACE BRIDGE

“I’m no Quintesson!” SO THERE ARE QUINTESSONS IN THIS SERIES....I BET THOSE ARE GONNA BE THE BIG BAD GUYS IN SEASON 3 also Wheeljack could you have said that in a way that was even SLIGHTLY less suspicious

CHROMIA CHROMIA CHROMIA CHROMIA!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH

Oh so Cybertron is still alive GOOD TO KNOW

UNSPACE?!

GASP there’s another autobot ship!?!

OH MY GOSH IS THIS GOING TO BE THE SHATTERED GLASS VERSION OF THEM!?

“I wish that made me feel good” Grimlock you’re so cute

Wheeljack PLEASE don’t touch it

THIS IS JUST LIKE MTMTE IM SCREAMING

OPTIMUS NO!!!!!!!

Oh ok they’re fine

OK BUT WHY WAS THERE ANOTHER ARK THERE

HOT ROD AND OPTIMUS

Is this some kind of weird time-space thing going on where they’re stuck in an infinite loop

“Grimlock hurt Grimlock feeling :(” THAT MADE ME SO SAD???? GRIMLOCK BE NICE TO YOURSELF

“Are you my Bee, or are you the new Bee?” MY BEE...THAT’S PRECIOUS

CYBERVERSE YOU CAN’T KEEP THROWING CUTE STUFF LIKE THIS AT ME, I CAN”T HANDLE IT, I’M GONNA GET TOO USED TO QUALITY CONTENT

Rodimus please don’t hit on yourself

IT”S A MULTIVERSE IM CRYIN. THEY REALLY DID DO AN “INTO THE CYBERVERSE” GOOF, I LOVE YOU CYBERVERSE WRITERS

I’m still so worried a Shattered Glass version of them is gonna pop up

But won’t that mean all of them will pop out in the same universe?

THERE”S SO MANY ARKS

All of them saying “Autobots Roll Out!” is so sweet...

OH NO THEY HAVE CHROMIA.....CHROMIA WHAT HAPPENED

EXTREMELY RARE BLESSED OPTIMUS SMILE....HE LOOKS SO SWEET.....

Dang boy Cybertron looks jacked up

NOOOOO IS THAT IT??? AM I REALLY GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT TIL NEXT YHEAR FOR SEASON 3??? Man those were such good episodes though, I can’t even get mad I LOVE CYBERVERSE SO MUCH Y’ALL......... :’) I’m so glad we have a series like this

#i talk #Cyberverse spoiler /#I'm watching Cyberverse #Primordial Robot Hell

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authormitchel-blog · 6 years

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GOF: Part 13

Throughout his life, Harry had woken up to quite unsettling and unusual things. Aunt Petunia in her rollers and green face cream, Percy’s bottoms on top of his face as he ran around Ron’s room chasing his Prefect’s Badge as Fred and George had enchanted it to fly away at his touch, Goyle’s bare chest every morning since he started getting chest hair, so Dobby’s big eyes almost didn’t scare him out of his seat. Almost.

He had fallen asleep in the library, his invisibility cloak slipping off him some time during the night.

“Harry Potter needs to hurry!” squeaked Dobby. “The second task starts in ten minutes and Harry Potter….”

“Ten minutes?” Harry croaked. “Ten….ten minutes.”

“Harry, Harry Potter,” squeaked Dobby, plucking at Harry’s sleeve. “You is supposed to be down by the lake with the other champions, sir!”

“I can’t. It’s too late, Dobby,” Harry moaned hopelessly. “I don’t know….”

“Harry Potter will do the task!” squealed the elf. “Dobby knew Harry Potter had not found the right book so Dobby did it for him.”

“What?” said Harry. “How?”

Dobby thrust something into his hand.

“You has to eat this, sir,” squeaked the elf. It looked like slimy, grayish green rat tails.

“Eat this right before you go into the lake, sir…..it’s gillyweed! It will make Harry Potter breathe underwater, sir!”

Thoughts of the last time Dobby tried to help him ran through his mind.

“Dobby, are you sure about this?”

Dobby nods solemnly.

“Dobby is quite sure, sir!”

And since Harry had no choice. He accepted it.

“Thanks, Dobby,” Harry said with a broad smile.

“Dobby will be missed….good luck, Harry Potter, sir, good luck!”

Harry made it to the lake just in time to be scolded by Percy Weasley.

“Where have you been? The tasks about to start!”

He was sitting at the judges’ table, Mr. Crouch had failed to turn up again.

“Now, now, Percy, let him catch his breath!” said Mr. Bagman.

Then after assuring him that Harry really did have a plan. Bagman announced the task.

“All of you champions are here, and are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. It is easy and admirable to save and love what is natural to us, but difficult and even more admirable to accept the traits in others that confuse and challenge us. Champions find the thing you despise the most and embrace your envy. On the count of three. One, Two, Three!”

The whistle sounded, Harry pulled the handful of gillyweed from his pocket, toasted Dobby, stuffed it in his mouth, and jumped into the lake.

Harry thought he was drowning. The gillyweed hadn’t worked. He opened his mouth to scream as he felt a slicing pain on each side of his neck.

Harry felt his neck….he had gills? Great, Dobby had turned him into a merman. He hoped they would fade in the hour or else Harry was going to have to get quite cozy with the giant squid. Fred and George had always said he could be a tad prickly.

Small fish zoomed past him like silver darts. Dark shapes flirted just outside his vision. Harry swam past seaweed and large rocks that turned into caves and a ….village. The merfolk looked nothing like the image in the Prefect’s bathroom mirror, but had greyish skin and wild green hair. They blended in so well, Harry wondered how he had noticed them at all. In the center of their town rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a large boulder.

Four people were tied tightly to it’s tail. Ely McGovern, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Hermione Granger.

Bagman had said who you despise the most, what you envy, the clue was what you’d never miss. Harry immediately swam towards Draco, but then thought who did Ely belong to? Surely Fleur and Krum wouldn’t have cause to envy or despise Ely. Harry doubted they really knew him, but as Harry swam to look at Ely. Cassius Warrington swam right beside him. Some sort of bubble was wrapped around his face. But Harry could see his face clearly. He stared at Ely in what could only be seen as horror.

And Harry knew that it wasn’t Ely that he was taking back up to the surface. Harry drew his wand and sent a burst of fire toward the rope that held Draco to the statue, grabbed the prat by the arm and tugged him toward the surface, leaving Warrington behind him.

When they popped to the surface Malfoy woke out of whatever state he had been placed under and instantly started screaming that Harry was attempting to drown him.

“I’m trying to save you, you prat!”

Harry was announced as being the first to complete the task as he dragged Malfoy to the platform. A towel was tossed over his shoulders as an eager and lost looking Crabbe and Goyle told Draco about the clue?

“Aw, ack… Potter…I never…kkknew…you admireddd meee so…” Malfoy carried on despite his shivering.

Harry could barely roll his eyes he was so cold.

Thankfully someone thought to cast a warming charm over the platform that they were on. The way Malfoy looked you would have thought they did it just for him.

“Ever want a repe….”

“No,” Harry said, stopping the boy from discussing anything that had happened in that bathroom. Harry certainly wasn’t thinking about it, no, definitely not.

In quick succession, Hermione and Fleur broke the water and then Viktor and Blaise. The two champions were only a few seconds apart, but Cassius was still under the water. The look on Fleur’s face as she stared down at the murky water hinted that the witch knew why Warrington was yet to finish.

Then Warrington and Ely’s head popped above the water. Cassius seemed to cradle his boyfriend as the two made their way to the platform. Ely was enjoying the attention, allowing Cassius to garner the cheers of the crowd for saving him. Cassius helped Ely on to the platform and the Slytherin boy took a deep nod toward the people.

“Well done, all of you,” Bagman’s voice boomed from the crowd.

“Alas, the task is not over. Each of the champions must confront the object of their envy, the vessel of their distaste for the only way to overcome an obstacle is to face it.”

Viktor held out his hand for a shivering Blaise and the two moved off into a secluded corner. Harry watched for a moment in case Blaise needed him, but in a matter of moments Blaise was laughing at something that Krum had said. And Krum seemed to be blushing. Some of the other Durmstrang students fought to hear what the pair were saying, but neither seemed to care.

“I do not hate you,” Fleur said near Harry’s ear. But she wasn’t talking to him, she was addressing Hermione.

“I envy you.” The blonde part veela was soaked to her skin, her wet hair plastered to her skull, and yet she still looked enthralling.

“What?” spluttered a recovering Draco Malfoy before Hermione had a chance to say anything.

“You’re jealous of this mudblood?”

Fleur turned sharply in Malfoy’s direction.

“I don’t know what that word means, but I do know that she is far better a wizard than you. It was like dancing with a piece of bamboo. Not to mention trying to talk with one.”

Malfoy scoffed. But Fleur continued.

“She is strong and independent. She is smart and doesn’t care to cover it up. She doesn’t hide herself from others like I do.”

“And you,” she turned on Malfoy.

Hermione looked at her.

“But you’re a champion?”

“Yes,” said Fleur. “But several Beauxbatons students believe that a woman’s place is secondary to their husbands. Ruthlessness is not an attriubute that we are taught to strive for. Intelligence is neglected in favor of more aesthetical charms. But you,” she turned to face Hermione.

“But you have no fear in being the one who stands on her own. And that is why I envy you, that is why I despised you without knowing.”

“But, France is full of independent women, most of the queens took a quite active role in the making of society and even modern culture.”

As Hermione pulled Fleur to the side to educate the girl on her own fierceness it suddenly made sense to Harry. The girls who had cried and balked when Fleur had made champion. The looks from the people when Fleur was at the ball dancing with more than one person before she quickly peeled off to give attention to just the one.

Harry could see how even a girl who seemed to have it all like Fleur would envy his friend. Hermione was a force to be reckoned with. She knew it, and she made sure that others knew it too.

Malfoy having recovered from Fleur’s verbal beat down turned to Harry.

“Anything you’d like to say to me Potter? I can list at least several things that I have that you would be jealous about. My confident personality,”

“Cocky,” Harry supplied.

“My handsome looks,”

“Protruding cheekbones,” Harry corrected.

Draco stopped. “That’s a compliment, Potter.”

Harry ignored that one.

“Mother always does say that us Malfoy’s have exceptional bone struct….”

“It’s that!” Harry said. He hated himself for raising his voice, but Malfoy always did get the better out of him.

“It’s the fact that you have a family that loves you, and that supports you!” Harry shouted. The whole platform now had eyes for the pair. “It’s that you got to be raised by a mother and father who loved you and who wanted you. Yes, maybe they spoiled you into the little rat that you are today, but at least you have them.”

Malfoy looked stunned.

“I envy that you have that, but I also despise you because all that love seems to have been wasted.”

Harry stood from the platform, prepared to make a grand exit when Ely McGovern and Cassius Warrington knocked into his shoulder.

“Don’t touch me,” Ely hissed. “I can’t believe this.”

“Ely, wait, it’s not like that.”

Ely turned on him, his blonde hair disheveled but still nicer than Harry’s ever is.

“I heard what the man said, Cass. Am I what you hate? Really? Am I something that you would never miss? Am I the thing that you despise the most?”

“No, no, E, let me explain. You just have to listen to me.”

Ely laughed cruelly. “Actually, I don’t.”

He turned and jumped in the water as graceful as could be. His body barely made a splash as he swam towards the shore faster than Harry thought possible. And without hesitation, Cassius jumped in after him. But he wasn’t fast enough. Ely was already to the shore by the time Cassius was almost halfway. Harry watched as Ely walked up on the shore and headed toward the castle. The Slytherins around Harry gave each other a look. This was something that couldn’t be missed.

The scores were announced as soon as Ely hit the water, each of the champions having completed their tasks of facing their envy and in Harry’s case his enemy. Millicent pulled his arm and the two got on one of the first boats back to the castle, Malfoy far from his mind.

The other Slytherins looked eagerly toward the castle. If there was one thing that Slytherins loved more than the possibility of watching people nearly drown to death it was drama. And that’s exactly what they were due for in their common room. Ely McGovern would go no where looking like he did now, and both were too proud and too involved to let this go that easily so Harry walked steadily toward the castle.

To anyone else it would have looked like the horde of students were just returning to their rooms eager to get close to the fireplace. But as Tracey Davis nudged Millicent in comradery Harry knew there was something in the air.

Someone whispered the word to the common room, and they were let in.

Ely McGovern was standing the middle of the common room, dripping water on to the carpet from his clothes. Cassius stood in front of him.

“Please, Ely, you know it isn’t like that.”

“Then explain it to me, Cass, because that’s not what it seems like. It seems like you have been lying to me all this time, and that I don’t mean as much to you as you.”

“Of course you do, it’s not just that…it’s just…”

“Just what, Cass?”

“That you’re so free with it,” Warrington mumbled.

“Free with what?” Ely asked. “I don’t understand.”

Cassius sighed. Neither boy seemed to be conscious of the crowd that had gathered around them.

“With us, with being who are, with not having the expectations of a father who refuses to acknowledge anything that his son tells him.”

Ely seemed to drop his guard.

“I know how your father is Cass.”

“Yeah, but did you know he’s literally been counting down the days until I leave Hogwarts.”

Ely’s eyebrows scrunched together. Then recognition.

“He’s been counting down the days that you leave me.”

Warrington nods.

“He doesn’t think that we’re going to make it. He thinks I’m just going to lay down and join him at the ministry. And I’ve never once told him no. I’ve never told him that it’s not going to happen. I’ve never told him that I wasn’t going to join the ministry or marry a nice pureblood witch. I’ve never told him that I want to live my own life, but I know that you would. You have no issues in being exactly who you are, and I can’t even tell my own father the truth when he’s throwing lies in my face.”

Suddenly, Harry feels like he is intruding on a very personal moment. He feels sick with it. But just when he thinks that the pair are going to launch into another tirade. Ely crossed the room and kisses Cassius in front of everyone.

“This,” Ely says when he pulls back. “This is who you are, Cass. And I don’t give a damn about your father or about what he thinks because I see you. And while he may doubt the kind of man that you are, I don’t.”

Harry was warmed by the conviction in Ely’s words. He could only wonder what the effect they had on Warrington was. But as Ely took Warrington’s hands they seemed to become aware of everyone else in the room, and Ely dismissed them with a cool look.

“Enjoy the show, kiddies?” he taunted. And the people in the room disassemble like they just hadn’t been watching the whole thing at all.

#Harry Potter #Slytherin!Harry #Slytherin Harry #Harry Potter rewrite #Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire #Harry Potter and the goblet of fire rewrite

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