Spoiler warning: Scroll past this post to avoid Mewgenics spoilers! I am mostly talking about the class minibosses here so nothing big story-wise, but you might learn of minibosses you might rather find out for yourselves. These are primarily about the class bosses, as they are my favorites. They also might be a bit low effort, which I apologize for
That being said, I'm organizing by act, and I'm starting with the Act 1 Minibosses + Pebbles (though other characters may be mentioned)
- Pebbles has only used the boulder once ever (which is when he uses it in the tutorial), and he himself retired after that run, just like your own cats do at the end of theirs, because of overexertion. He later becomes a domestic housecat for Butch, yet still has a tendency to eat rocks
- Pebbles is related to Rocky Bobo
- Maisie's kittens love to play with Draven's crows
- Maisie is super gentle with her kittens and trusts them to Lucy while she's gone
- Maisie's kittens love to use Lucy's cape as a blanket
- Fenrir has, on numerous occasions, tried to ambush the Radical Rat
- Fenrir is a survivalist and has done lots of prepping for the apocalypse
- Lucy (my favorite of the act 1 Minibosses!! I loooove Lucy) practices divination with Alice and Morana
- Lucy spends a lot of time isolated, relaxed, and alone, but she enjoys the presence of most of the other class minibosses greatly (keyword: most)
- Magnus would own a motorcycle if he wasn't a cat, and makes many attempts to create one for himself with scrap
- Magnus has considered beating Arthur into a PULP and has to hold himself back from doing so
And now into the Act 2 class minibosses:
- Morana (it/its, as referred to in-game), like Lucy, spends a lot of time alone. Unlike Lucy, however, Morana prefers to be left alone
- Morana, Gein, and Magnus would form a metal band if they ever had the resources for it
- Marshmallow and Morana (I really love these two by the way!! They're so cute) are romantically interested in each other, but they have not officially become a thing
- Marshmallow has been invited to practice divination, but she turned down the offer
- Marshmallow fears she might bother Morana, and is worried to ask. This is part of the reason they aren't together yet
- Morana believes that it would simply bring Marshmallow down
- The only times Morana gets flustered is when Marshmallow helps take care of its wounds
- Morana would rather be in the Boneyard, but it would not want to leave Marshmallow in the desert. That and Dybbuk is a bitch
- Dack is a stupid criminal- he tries to get away with shit he couldn't ever get away with and always leaves evidence or has found himself stuck at the crime scene. But regardless of all of this, he DOES actually get away with it solely because he is incredibly lucky
- Dack steals meat from Gein all the time. Gein begrudgingly tolerates him
- Gein and Maisie are siblings and visit each other frequently. Gein even hosts cookouts for her kittens and the other minibosses
- Gein may come across as a psychotic serial killer, but he actually just finds it really fucking funny to scare passerbies, and often unintentionally Marshmallow
- Gein is transmasc
And the Act 3 class minibosses + Arthur!!
- Alice's eye was actually partially caused by the experimentation of Dr. Beanie
- She's also transfem because I am and I really really like Alice. I just want this. Please.
- Alice and Franklin are both incredibly smart. They both think the other is absolutely delusional, however
- Alice has seen the future and is so distraught by it that she seeks the support of Lucy
- Alice, Lucy, and Morana get high on catnip at their divination meetings
- Draven enjoys foraging around the lab with his crows as a bonding activity
- Draven grows the catnip used in the divination meetings
- Franklin can actually understand and speak many human languages, but pretends to be unable to do so
- Franklin is in the process of making Magnus his very own motorcycle
- I'm gonna be honest, I have nothing for Chan Hung yet. I'm sorry Chan Hung fans
- Arthur gets along with most of the others, but is heavily disliked by Lucy, Morana, and Magnus
- Arthur tries his absolute hardest to piss off everyone he meets
ever wondered how some paint colours were made back before synthetic paint existed? Well, it’s your lucky day because I’m going to explain a few!
Paris green/emerald green:
back in the late 1800s and the early 1900s, there was a major surge in the popularity of a colour called ‘Paris green’. The pigment, which was used in paints and dyes, was made from toxic substances called Arsenic and Mercury. The paint was popular with artists like Claude Monet and Van Gogh, who used it frequently in their paintings (you can see it being used heavily in Monet’s ‘Japanese footbridge’ which contains his famous water lilies.) People who had the colour within a close vicinity of them for an extended period of time — whether it was in wallpaper or clothing — would get incredibly sick and eventually die. Some reports state that the chemical would tint their skin a greenish colour.
Mummy Brown:
Yep, you read that right, ‘mummy brown’. This ghastly paint was made by crushing up and grinding down mummies that were decades of years old, and then mixing them up into an oil paint. What made the paint as special was the texture of the mixture. Due to the nature of the mummies being ground into a powder, small shards of mummies were left behind, making the powder slightly gritty. This is actually what made the paint rather popular among artists. The grittiness of the paint provided a textured finish to the painted surface, making it like no other paints.
Royal Purple:
It was quite hard to attain the colour purple back then as it wasn’t largely available. Due to the rare nature of the product, the colour was only used for royals! It was typically used as dyes for garments, which the deep richness of the purple signified that the person donning the garments was a member of the higher class, usually those who were royalty. But, how was the paint made? It was made from snail mucus! People would harvest the mucus of hundreds of sea snails and then mixed into a dye. The whole process to collect the mucus was laborious and tedious, the harvesters had to boil hundreds of the snails, and even then, they’d only produce enough to make a small patch of dye.
Realgar:
This paint is, yet again, made with Arsenic! The formula for the toxic mixture was made by crushing up arsenic sulphide, then adding it to an oil paint base. Despite containing similar chemicals to Paris green, this paint is a rich orange colour, as opposed to the greenish hue of Paris green. The chemical has a sinister history; firstly being that it was commonly used as an explosive, and secondly being that the chemical is that powerful, it can remove hair from your skin (and to this day, there are tutorials on how to use realgar to remove bodily hair).
Manganese Blue:
In 1907, a chemist melted different sorts of chemicals with magnesium at a high temperature and created what that called ‘Manganese Blue’! Unlike the other examples of usage that I’ve mentioned in this thread, this colour was commonly used on construction sites. It was used to dye cement a sea-like blue, and then used to line swimming pools to create the effect of blue water. There a three reasons why this saturated blue wqs discontinued. Firstly, it eventually costed too much to make. Sending miners down into the pits to collect each and every substance used in the process of producing the colour, proved to be far too expensive and would overwork miners. Secondly, a small percentage of if the substance could be a carcinogenic. Although no fatalities or injury has been recorded, the mixture of chemicals and substances may have a significant impact on health. Thirdly, as the years progressed, deeper and much richer blues were made more frequently, evidently pushing the manganese blue into retirement.
Sheeeeesh that’s a lot!! I hope whoever reads this, I hope you liked your spot of history :) I have much more to write about if anyone is interested!
I've been having some thoughts about knowledge, understanding, processing, and recall. Why is it that the teachers I got on with best - and most enjoyed the classes of - were my Physics and Maths teachers, yet my worst subjects academically were extension 2 maths and physics? (This one got rather long - 10.5 more paragraphs under the cut).
I think it's to do with what's being tested - knowledge vs understanding. As @dorianbrightmusic recently pointed out to me, I tend to have better understanding than I do knowledge - that's just how I learn.
This means (at least for me) that, for example, I am alarmingly good at pretending to be prepared at uni: I can sit there in my tute, having barely skimmed one of the 3 set readings and not watched the lecture; and yet I'm still engaged in the tutorial discussion - and at the end, it's my one-sentence summary that goes on the whiteboard for our group.
The secret to an excellent participation grade (at least, in my experience) seems to be one's ability to PROCESS information: to absorb, synthesize, and have ideas about the topic of discussion - and while some prior knowledge is useful and highly recommended, it's not always necessary. Unfortunately for my marks, however; participation requires attendance (how inconvenient!); and EXAMS are more a measure of one's knowledge.
In an exam, you're typically expected to apply your acquired knowledge to a series of questions or problems. Rather than your ability to process information, an exam tests your ability to RECALL information - especially under time pressure. Sure, this is partly a comment on my lack of exam preparation; but my high-achieving colleagues went into their maths and physics exams armed with a catalogue of practice problems and a list of formulae used to solve them - whereas I walked into the hall with only the small reference sheet provided, and then mashed formulae and problems together willy-nilly until an answer appeared.
As a brief side note, I find essays to require a combination of both processing AND recall, as they're both persuasive and informative in nature. "Here's the cool idea I had" (processing), "here's my evidence" (recall), "and therefore I'm right" (processing again). Hence the subjects where my enjoyment tended to better match my marks: English and History.
Returning to my topic; unfortunately for me, it tends to be faster to recall stored knowledge than apply acquired understanding - and so my marks were less good than I'd have liked. Sure, I had no issues tackling the hardest problems in the exam; but if the "easy" questions take you just as long, you run out of time before you can get to them. It's much easier to apply a formula than invent one - so if you can just learn them all beforehand, you'll work faster. (Stay tuned for my next lecture: the many problems with how assessment is done, and why it still probably shouldn't change!)
Anyways, that's why I tend to prefer the theoretical to the applied (although other reasons also apply there), and that's why I got on so well with my y12 maths and physics teachers. Some of my earlier teachers were experts in navigating the education system, with a passion for their subject; but these two were experts in their subject, with a passion for teaching. (And also kind, intelligent, and neurodivergent; which helps.)
It's been apparent to me for a while that I'm never going to be a talented student of either maths or physics. The conclusion I've come to recently, though; is that I AM an excellent physicist and mathematician (well, at least I am when that's what I put my effort into). I'd be a perfectly good post-graduate academic - it's a tad unfortunate that "graduate in relevant field" is a prerequisite.
There's a saying that "those who can't do, teach; and those who can't teach, teach PE". That's bullshit. I've met teachers FAR more competent than many professionals in their fields; and one of the best teachers I've had's subject was PDHPE. (And a good thing too - it's Remarkably hard and ENORMOUSLY important to teach kids about consent, especially when your classes consist of a bunch of feral teenagers with VASTLY different experiences, prior knowledge, and sometimes trauma!)
However, I do think we need more people who can't RECALL so easily; who are intelligent but not always conventionally "academically gifted", in teaching. My Gran is admittedly biased (teacher who retired but refuses to stop teaching) but she thinks my vocation is in teaching - and for all the above reasons.
The world could use a few less paediatric bureaucrats with a passion for physics; exceptional though they are at the craft of marks-improvement. Instead, in my opinion, the world needs a few more physicists with a passion for teaching - their students end up with more brilliance than efficiency; and if they choose to stay in their field, they'll end up with more satisfaction for the same productivity.
Remus peered up to the night sky, resplendent with a coruscating kaleidoscope of stars and the full moon. He yawned, acutely aware of his bones shifting, aching and cracking. Resting on a small cot pressed against the wall in the corner of the shrieking shack, Remus felt his temperature rise and skin stretch too thinly across his body.
“I’ll be back once the sun rises, dearie,” Madam Pomfrey called out, the door millimetres from locking shut.
“Wait,” he said and Madam Pomfrey re-opened the door with a warm, motherly smile.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. For always helping, I know it can be… tiresome.”
How long has it been? That Pomfrey had been helping him out, every full moon — had known of his affliction and been there to assist? It was years now, countless hours of her time wasted on him.
Was he that much of a burden? The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, that made his face pucker and heart lacerate itself in fresh wounds.
“Don’t concern yourself with me, honey.” Then the door clicked shut and he heard her utter a spell; to confine the beast within the four walls.
The tormenting plague increased every minute as the countdown to his transformation loomed. His heart thudded stridently and his breathing was ragged and strained. His teeth grinded against each other and his tongue swept across them, feeling them elongate and reshape in preparation.
Remus grabbed the hem of his jumper, exasperated by the overwhelming heat and because he didn’t want to shred it in the process. As he slipped out, feeling the adored red fabric, tattered with holes and frayed yarn in his hands, the door opened and he could already smell Peter and James. Subconsciously, he shielded his body from them, to avoid them from seeing all of his scars.
Remus became dizzy instantly. James wore a particularly strong perfume that day.
More than anything, over the pain and hint of repugnance, he was nervous. It would be the first full moon since… the prank that the Marauders would be together for his transformations. Or all the Marauders aside from one and nobody wanted to address it.
A sharp pain thundered through his skull and he knew time was slipping from him. Remus couldn’t recall the last time the moments before his transformation were that painful.
“You okay, Moons?” Wormtail asked, dropping down beside him. Prongs followed in suit, taking his sweater and folding it neatly.
“I’m fine — umph —”
“Shit! Prongs, get back and turn. Now!”
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After a week of lessons, there were considerable adjustments to the curriculum. Everyone noticed and it quickly dispersed a sombre milieu on all of Hogwarts.
Classes were smaller, many parents deciding to transfer their children to other magical schools around the world. Y/N even received a few worried letters from Matthew that there was an abundance of new British students attending Ilvermorny.
In his worried letters, Matthew informed her that the MACUSA and French Ministry of Magic had been stepping in, fighting forces against the wizarding war. It was all news to her. Ever since James’ parents cancelled their subscription to the Daily Prophet after their beliefs that they were biased, she hadn’t been able to catch up.
More defence and attack spells were taught and everyone became well aware of why someone of Professor Elway’s reputation and skill was there. The same went for the Duelling re-opening and even Flitwick initiated small tutorial sessions for students of all grades to teach them defensive spells.
Defence Against the Dark Arts became nothing more than a Muggle military camp. Elway drilled the students; attack and defence spell after the other, never stopping for a second. Transfigurations focused more on concealment and vanishing charm and every day McGonagall looked as if she aged a decade by the solemn, haunted look that nowadays was permanently carved into her.
Herbology went over a vast majority of life-saving plants, herbs and how to make their own medicine. And Potions heavily focused on identifying spiked potions with poisons and how to create reversal serums in case of emergencies.
The students of Hogwarts weren’t brainless. They knew they were training them for war.
She tried to ignore it, but if anything Y/N felt foolish. The magical world was meant to be an escape, not a guardhouse.
It didn’t help that the murders from the summer played heavily in her mind along with the rumours of Voldemort recruiting students from Hogwarts, prompting a spike of distrust to spread rampantly. It wasn’t time to fight or lose people but to keep those you trusted and loved close. So Lily keeping her distance had her worried.
Sorted into the same dorm as last year, she reckoned she would have some time with Lily but every day it seemed like she was busy with prefect duties, or had homework, or reading, or a new study group she needed to rush off to. She and Lily hadn’t resumed their usual nightly routines either, hadn’t sat with her in the Great Hall since the welcome back feast and hadn’t said more than a word to her.
It was evident that Lily was avoiding her and only her.
Maybe Y/N had gotten clingy, got too close too hastily because it felt too similar to how her mother treated her. It caused the imminent, spine-chilling feeling of wanting to push everyone away.
Extreme distress was starting to pile up.
Luckily, James stayed a constant consistency in her life and a lot of her pent-up fears dissipated by his presence. He never ignored her, if anything he went out of his way to be nearer. Even Peter and most notably, Remus, had become part of her daily life more than ever.
It was terrifying and everything told her to run. Don’t get too close, don’t get too comfortable. But it was hard not to.
That morning, James crept up to her dorm, knocking softly as she popped out, ready for the day. He looked exhausted; his eye bags were prominent, darkened and cradled in his arm, he held Remus’ rabbit.
“To keep him company,” James explained, yawning while escorting her down the staircase, passing the rabbit over. “It was a rough night.”
It would be the first time they would try to incorporate Y/N into replacing Black and balance out James’ other priorities with Remus’ moon cycles. And unable to reschedule Quidditch try-outs to another morning and James forced to leave prematurely, she would have to step in.
But her fears skyrocketed. Were they pushing it? She was only visiting him… It wasn’t out of pity and she genuinely wanted to be there to support Remus.
“What if he doesn’t want visitors?”
James rolled his eyes. “It will be fine. He’ll appreciate it more than he’ll let on.”
But then a faint floral and citrus smell flowed through the distilled air as she took a deep breath.
“James, you smell really good... Are you wearing perfume?”
His frown transformed into a prideful simper. “Bought the same perfume as my mum. Helps when I miss her.”
She gasped. “A mama’s boy!” And then pinched his cheek.
About to step out of the portrait, James must’ve accidentally activated a prank because the moment his hand brushed against the portrait, four Muggle stereos floated above his head, blasting break-up songs on the highest volume. It rattled the walls and made their ears bleed.
“Fucking hell!” James shouted, his wand swishing around to stop the music while Y/N stuffed Remus’ rabbit inside her bag and bewitched a silencing spell around it.
“Students are sleeping!” Lily shrieked, rushing down the stairs and charmed away the stereos.
“Oi! You think we don’t know?” James retorted, a hand clutching his ear. “Emmeline…”
“Emmeline?” Lily repeated, shaking her head. “May Merlin himself save the poor girl daft enough to end up with you.”
The only enlightened that took away from the war and recent murders was Emmeline and her friends pranking and wreaking havoc like the Marauders onto James as a punishment.
He deserved it and even James agreed.
“Where are you two headed?” Lily inquired and for the first time since the train ride, she addressed Y/N head-on.
A glimmer of hope.
“Aw, finally starting to care about me, Evans?” James joked although it’s laced with uncertainty.
Y/N cut off Lily before she had the chance to speak, eager to answer her question. “It’s Remus.”
Recognition filtered through her, gaze shooting up to the large grandfather clock beside the bookshelves. Lily’s head bobbed repeatedly, pressing her lips together sympathetically. She considered James for a moment.
“Will you be back in time for lessons?” Lily then whipped her hands around. “Y’know what, forget it. I’ll take notes for… both of you.”
Y/N felt James nudge her foot, simultaneously forcing out a cough. His hand went to scratch behind his neck. “R-right. Erm, I — we appreciate it, Evans, but ugh — we have a free period this morning.”
Lily’s jaw dropped. “Oh. Sorry.”
“NO!” James said a little too loud. “I mean, no. It’s fine. Thank you.”
Y/N pursed her lips, her neck bending as her shoulders tensed while watching their interaction play out. “Alrighty, we should go. Thank you, Petals.” She interjected. Her hands spun James around as they walked out of the common room and to the hospital wing.
Both students groaned out loudly. Black was there, sitting on the ground and back pressed against the wall to the wing.
“He doesn’t want to see you,” James challenged. His feet pivoted to Black, before her hands pressed against his chest, preventing him from touching Black and starting yet another fight. “Leave it.”
His eyes flickered from her to Black. Sighing, he made a slight rearward movement and removed his glasses to rub his eyes.
“Just don’t follow us.”
They walked inside without sparing him another glance.
“Here comes the fucking sun, Moons!” James chirped, his mood altering drastically. But she staggered behind a beat.
Remus was already awake, quietly chatting to Peter. His bed curtains were half drawn and she took his rabbit from her bag, pulling it close to her chest.
His head snapped in their direction, but instead of his eyes landing on James, it went squarely to her. She smiled, eyes analyzing every ripple of expression. He didn’t seem angry. No, not at all, but stunned.
Once James realized she wasn’t by his side anymore, he turned and looped an arm over her shoulder. He whispered, “Moony won’t bite. It’s okay.”
“Of course I’d come.” Confidence now circulated her body as she approached him, handing over his rabbit. James was delighted at his response while the rabbit nuzzled its way into the crook of Remus’ neck, tickling him. She murmured into his ear, not wanting to peer pressure him by others' wants, “You don’t mind me being here, do you? I’ll leave, no hurt feelings.”
Remus shook his head, petting his rabbit. “No, please stay.” He croaked, voice deep and tired.
“Oi!” James said, albeit quietly.
“Flirt somewhere else,” Peter added with false annoyance.
James nodded. “So, little Moony —”
“Little Moony?” Remus groaned. “What?”
“Aw,” she teased, “Is moody Moony making an appearance?”
“Did you come just to make fun of me?”
But then Peter grinned cheekily, moving to softly slap his hand down on his thigh in the same tempo as Here Comes the Sun. Y/N and James immediately caught on, ready to chagrin while Remus shook his hands in front of his face to get them to stop.
“Don’t you —“
“Here comes the sun, moody Moony —“ “Crikey.”
“Here comes the sun, and we say it’s alright!” They sang, keeping their voices to a minimum to not worsen his potential headache. They had to hold back their laughter as Peter began to replicate the horrible instrumental with his voice. James sang the loudest. “Little Moony, it’s been a long cold moon cycle.”
Madam Pomfrey poked her head from her office, ready to tell the visitors to be quieter than a mouse — or kick them out in favour of Remus’ rest but she froze. Remus was poorly attempting to cover his smile, his cheeks burning a bright red and she hadn’t seen him that happy after full moons. And after what happened last year, his happiness was all she wanted. So she sat back down, smiling to herself at the horrid sing.
“Little Moony, the smiles returning to the faces —”
“Guys!”
“Little Moony, it feels like years since it’s been here.”
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James eventually left, rushing to tryouts with Marlene with a great deal of apprehension. When the bell rang, students rushing down for breakfast, both Y/N and Peter departed momentarily to the Great Hall, grabbing a few snacks and tea Remus requested.
But the moment Peter stepped foot outside the hospital wing, it was as if any sort of energy left his body. He became sluggish, moving slowly and yawned multiple times.
“Pete, go back to him, I’ll get everything,” she implored. “Or get some rest. I can’t imagine staying up all night can be good.”
“It’s —” A yawn. “— Sorry. I’ll be fine.”
She didn’t push. They made their way around fast and exited quickly before a group of seventh and sixth years swarmed Peter. A few even greeted her, attempting to strike a conversation.
Peter sent her a dejected look, passing her the rest of the snacks and teacup.
“I’ll meet you there.”
She rushed back in record time. Black was still sitting outside the wing and she could faintly hear him muttering her name but she disregarded him wholly.
But the sight inside the hospital made her heart shatter.
Remus was haggard, dishevelled and face screwed together in pain. He tried to push himself up multiple times to reach behind his head, to his pillow. But it was futile.
The crinkling of the wrapper in her hand made her wince; it became the loudest object in the world at that moment. It forewarned Remus and she gently padded over. She sat down gently on the edge of his bed, setting down everything on the metal tray.
“Don’t push yourself — here, let me.” Remus visibly reclined into himself, covering his scarred arms with the blanket coiled by his side. But he listened without complaints as she reached behind his head, fluffing his pillow and helped him lay back down gently. “Not feeling too good?”
“Like shit.”
It became awkward fast.
“Um… Peter’s coming. Was held up with a couple of seventh years.” “You can leave if you don’t want to be here,” Remus blurted out, “I won't force you —”
“Woah there!” She felt as if she was slapped by him. The sudden change had her wheeling. “Who said you’re forcing me? You’re my Moony, no?”
He breathed out a chuckle and shifted towards her. She glanced at the tray with a few potions. What he said stuck to her.
“Do you mind if you can pour those into my tea? Thanks.” Remus croaked.
She nodded, unscrewed the cork to the vials and mixed it into the drink. The clinking sound of the spoon tapping against the porcelain cup.
“What is this?”
“Um… a mixture of powder silver and Nightshade,” grumbled Remus, trying to push himself up as she handed him the cup. “Helps with the pain and fogginess.”
Her mind was restless. “Can I ask some questions?”
His eyebrows knitted together. “Questions?”
“Y’know, about being a werewolf.”
He took a giant gulp. “Did you just skip all the Werewolf questions on the OWLs?” Remus laughed.
“I bet half of it’s false.” She admitted truthfully. “Besides, how am I supposed to help next time if I don’t know?”
Remus stayed quiet for a long time after she said that and she wondered if she pushed a boundary. But then he nodded, urging her to continue.
“Okay… so silver doesn’t hurt you, right?” She watched as Remus sip his tea before having to put it down to laugh.
“Myth.”
“So all the silver bullet stuff..?”
He gave a full-body laugh. “Myth. Sorry, not what you were expecting?”
“No,” she admitted after a bit, embarrassed. All those children's stories were false…
“Silver can’t hurt me, I don’t grow hair rapidly. I like eating rare meat; I have trouble sleeping, I don’t have curved fingernails or low-set ears. I can’t run super fast but I can see better in the dark, can hear, smell and am stronger than the average Muggle or Wizard.”
“Can you always smell or hear better? Or does it increase near the full moon?”
“It becomes stronger near the full moon and after for a while.”
“Wait… Does that mean you can smell people. Like me?!” She was appalled and crossed her arms over herself as if the action would suddenly cover any scent.
Remus barked out laughing before wincing as a dull pain shocked through his system. “You smell fine. Don’t worry.”
Her hands found their way to cover her mouth. She was mortified. “You have a way with words, Lupin.”
Remus was on the verge of tears, nearly choking on himself to prevent laughing. He endured the deep bruise on the side of his ribs digging into him but he couldn’t stop.
She slapped his arm playfully and took the now empty teacup from his hand, setting it down on the metal tray and ushered him to slide over in his bed. He doesn’t hesitate.
Y/N slid beside him, and she could feel the fluctuating rise and fall of Remus’ chest as his chuckles came to a slow halt. She took the rabbit from his lap, holding it in her arms carefully.
“Does she have a name?” She questioned, scratching behind its floppy ears. Remus chose the least threatening rabbit.
“No.”
“We should think of one then.”
Remus watched her, listening to the words pouring out. But then he cringed inwardly, reminded of his cruelty to her a couple of months ago. He wasn’t expecting her to visit and it came as a pleasant surprise. It made his heart flutter. She wasn’t scared. She hadn’t been lying that night. He was accepted.
He tuned in to her heartbeat: steady and calm. Slow.
Her words echoed in his head. I feel safe with you.
Safe.
Remus felt a whisper of a smile worm it's way onto him. As soon the realization came, the dull ache in his body subdued, the burning in his throat faded and the hollow ache in his heart filled with a golden glow. Just a bit.
━━━━━━━━━༻☽༺━━━━━━━━━
September 10th, 1976
“I’m sorry,” Black said, his eyes wide and pleading as he sat beside her in the Great Hall. She ignored him.
“I need to explain, please,” Black begged in a hushed voice while she searched the library’s premises for Regulus. She ignored him yet again.
“Tesoro mio,” Black flirted, both sitting in the common room as she added notes in the werewolf section in her textbook. His new tactic caught her off guard but she prevailed, getting up and leaving.
“Talk to me,” Black whined. “Please.” She ignored him, continuing to walk to class calmly and held her head high. She just left the hospital wing and Black was trailing her.
But he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a nearby broom closet and closed the door.
“Get off of me!” She nearly screamed. Thankfully, he was smart enough to keep a healthy distance away. She kept her hands balled into a fist, preventing herself from taking one of the dust brooms and smashing it on his head.
“Sorry! But you won’t talk to me any other way!”
Darkness enclosed them, only the light seeping through the cracks of the old wooden door illuminated Black as every ounce of restrengthen was pushed to the edge.
A flurry of apologies fell from his lips but she wouldn’t have it. Simply looking bored at her nails and tapping her foot against the ground.
“I know you’re mad — you have every right to be! I get that, I understand.”
“Then leave me alone?” She jeered sarcastically, handing grazing the doorknob.
“Wait! Please, just hear me out — let me explain —”
“Explain what?” She lashed out through gritted teeth. “You should count your stars that you don’t have an attempted murder charge.”
Her heart thumped rather fast and would have been distressing had she not been controlled by anger. Everything was overshadowed by a grim penumbra sweeping over them, closing in on her and Black and it wasn’t because of the lack of light in the dingy closet.
She was revolted by him. Sick of seeing his sad face, moping around the hospital wing or looking at her or the other Marauders in yearning.
“Do you think I’ll care about what you want to say?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Apology not accepted, dipshit.”
His head bowed. “I deserved that.” “You think?”
“It’s just that —”
Her temper spiked to the highest level and her hand drifted to her back pocket and grazed the tip of her wand.
“I —”
Something in her snap. “Shut up. Shut up! Stop trying to defend yourself! Stop it! I don’t want to hear it!”
Black was visibly shutting down. “Please, just calm down…”
And then everything poured out.
“Calm down? Calm down?! I gave — I put my trust in you and you immediately ran with it, breaking it twice and then broke everyone else’s! How am I supposed to talk to you like everything’s okay? I get that you don’t like me, that you don’t like Snape, but really? What do you not understand?!”
He was nodding his head, taking it, never once trying to defend himself. His head hung similar to a child being scolded, hands curled around himself.
“You must have never cared for them.”
Black went oddly still. “That's a bold lie and you know that.”
“Do I?” She ridiculed. “Do you want to know the funny part? I was starting to care for you. Apparently, you never did.”
“That’s not true.”
There, a flicker of rage. Finally a reaction other than pathetic regret and guilt. Something cold crept into his eyes, hardening and entirely stormy and silver, reminding her of last year where they constantly fought. But then, it was washed away with a blink.
“I was nothing but a toy to you!”
“Y/N...”
“You. Never. Cared. About —”
“Stop it! Of course I —”
“— Me. Or. The. Other —”
“— fucking cared —”
“— Marauders —” “ — about you!”
Her eyes stung with bitter unshed, frustrated tears and her throat burned, constricting together. Emotions she hadn’t taken a moment to consider hit her within seconds and everything was too overwhelming.
The material of her shirt suddenly turned itchy. Her skin was too tight and she felt herself rock back and forth in a way to calm down.
For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer as it fell silent but she struck a nerve.
“Stop saying that!” He shouted. Now not breaking her stare and took a step forward.
“You’re fucking selfish. You betrayed them.” A step forward.
“You only cared about yourself.” Black shook his head. Another step forward.
“If you ever cared about me — about anyone else you’ve hurt — you wouldn’t have done… that.” A step forward.
They were the closest they had been in months. Their breaths were laboured and ragged. Being that close to him raised all the hairs on her neck in a way she used to love but now hated herself for.
The very notion made her nauseous. Disgusted.
She missed him. Truly. It was such a profound hurt and longing that ran deeper than wanting a quick snog or shag. But that was her problem that she was going to have to hide, bury in an air-sealed chest and throw away.
He opened his mouth and he leant forward inappreciably. But whatever words he was about to spew, he stopped himself. She could feel his breath fan her face, both of their chest raised and fell rapidly.
They stayed like that for a while and she held back from crying, feeling her heart pound in her chest.
“Is there anything else you want to say?” He asked dejectedly.
Why did you have to be so stupid? We could’ve… you could’ve had everything.
Do you miss me?
Did you ever care, even a little?
“This time,” her voice was no louder than a rustle, “I mean it. I hate you. Truly.”
Lie.
Black gave her one last glance through heavy, desolate, half-lidded eyes, closing them shut. “Ti voglio bene.”
Her frown doubled, wondering if he mocked her. Why did he always do that?
“At least you’re consistent in one thing.”
She slipped out, her hand on the door and cracked it open, leaving him there.
“Being a fucking liar.”
She slammed the door shut with so much violence that it made a couple of bystanders passing by yelp and stare. The shattering of glass from within the closet echoed and it made her breathless.
She had to lean against the stone wall, her body buzzing and numb from the adrenaline.
Sometimes everything in her life seemed so… random. What if everything could have been avoided? One simple word, maybe if she said something different, or did something different, would the outcome have been better? Or worse?
What if she had two parents? What if she had been raised by a loving mother? Would she have been that hurt by his actions if opening up was less… impossible?
What ifs…
She stumbled her way to class mindlessly, horribly late. The floorboards creaked, cutting Slughorn off while she lurked in the doorway. The teacher’s head, along with everyone else in the room, snapped up.
Lily looked at her worriedly and concern was written in every inch of her face. James had a double-take and became alarmed while Marlene on the other side of the class looked around nervously.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“No worries, m’girl!” Slughorn smiled. “Please, take the seat next to… Severus! Now, I was saying, I have a small tradition I’d like to do every year with my students.”
Y/N didn’t even interject; too drained after what happened and sat by Snape.
“Can anyone tell me what this is?” The professor held up a tiny bottle. “Or can anyone tell me what Felix Felicis is?”
Lily raised her hand, casting a concerned gaze to her before answering. From the corner of her eye, she could see Barty and Avery, along with a few other students whispering to each other as Lily spoke; all of them forcing down a smile. Y/N vaguely sensed herself prickle.
“It’s known as Liquid Luck. As the name suggests, it makes the drinker lucky.”
“Beautiful answer! Quite right! Ten points for Gryffindor! Now, whoever brews the Draught of Living Death the closest will win this prize at the end of this lesson. Off you go!”
The class was scurrying off quickly while she made her way around leisurely. Snape’s sopophorous bean had been hitting her multiple times.
“Would you fucking —” she grabbed the bean with her hands and threw it at Snape and he hissed at. “Just take your knife blade and squeeze it down on the side with your dagger.”
Snape scoffed. “That’s not going to work you d —”
Snape shut up immediately as she crushed the bean with a sharp knife and flicked the juice into the cauldron.
“Now stop hitting me or I’ll pour your potion on the ground.”
Snape’s attention wasn’t on her, instead of trying to decipher her scribbles before taking her book away from his eyesight. She hit him with her book.
She completed the rest of the potion with ease. Snape was nearly done with his potion, she could tell he was on the right path before Slughorn sauntered around the classroom to observe the students. At James’ cauldron, he made no comment but instead helped stir his potion. Lily was given an approving nod, announcing to the class that she earned Gryffindor a few house points until making his way over to their table, peering into the cauldrons. At Snape’s concoction, he gave a bright smile and opened his mouth until he saw hers and a look of pure delight spread over him, his hands clapping together.
“Oho! Excellent! Miss L/N has done it! We have our winner!”
A small round of claps went around meanwhile James and Marlene cheered loudly, effectively embarrassing her.
“Show off,” Snape sneered. She ignored him.
Once the bell rang, Slughorn called her over to collect her vial of Liquid Luck. She slipped the bottle into her pocket for safekeeping.
But before she left, she stopped and spun around. “Professor Slughorn?”
“Yes?”
“I read in my Advanced Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, but I found that there’s no Potion to help Werewolves. I was wondering if that’s still true? I know books can be outdated.”
Slughorn gave her a pensive look. “I think that’s a matter for Madam Pomfrey. Is there a reason why?”
“It’s just —” She made up a lie quickly. “I’m nervous about NEWTs and how I’ll do in my studies and it’s merely an interest.”
“Oh, my girl! You are excellent. By far one of the best students I’ve ever had. You don’t need to worry!” Slughorn cheered. Slughorn seemed genuine and she smiled at the praise. “And for your question, no. Sadly there isn’t.”
“At all?”
Slughorn thought for a while. “If I recall, there have been recent developments with stewed Mandrakes. It’s rumoured to help lycanthrope individuals ease their way back into the original human state.”
Y/N stored the newfound information in her head. She thanked him, turning to leave until calling out again. Slughorn twirled his head.
“I was wondering if I could practice more — like I said, I‘m nervous about my NEWTs.”
There wasn’t even a delay and Slughorn beamed. “Of course! As long as you clean up after yourself, you may come and go as you please. I’ll make sure to leave the doors open until curfew.
“Oh! I’m planning to host another Slugclub dinner soon, I expect you to be there?”
“... Of course, sir.”
━━━━━━━━━༻☽༺━━━━━━━━━
【 Next Chapter 】
Translations:
Tesoro mio = My treasure or 'honey'
Ti voglio bene = 'I love you' but its not like what you think. It's more of an unconditional and selfless love that means 'I want you to be well.' It places an emphasis on the tender and affectionate feelings you have for the other person. It's the safer option to say to your significant other if it's a very new relationship.
learned how to skateboard young, went to parks and gained attention fast
didn't get into competitions until he graduated high school
won his local competition and got signed within a year
all of the kids look up to him, and he helps give them lessons when he has free time
is the quietest in his skate group, but is also a firecracker with jokes
formed a competition that was sponsored, one of the kids he taught won and they were able to donate the money to a charity
used his competition money to open up a skate shop, gifting jobs to some local kids and helping start more skate groups around town
got branded his own line of skateboards
restaurants offer him and the kids free food because of how much he's helped support his community
oversized clothes. baggy jeans he almost trips over. huge sweatshirts. hightops that are tied under the flap instead of out because that's "safer"
dyes strips of colors into his hair instead of dying his entire head
"snapbacks are helmets!"
forces the kids to wear gear and tries to wear it too so they don't get upset he isn't listening to his own rules
always had the coolest art on the bottom of his boards, with bright wheels and reflectors for night rides
gets frustrated easily, but doesn't like breaking boards
got a friend to weld him a beam to grind on, which he later gifted to his students to use to practice
clean rap songs around the kids, og rap songs when it's the older skateboarders
everyone thinks he's cool and sweet
drinks Gatorade and water like crazy
giggles
Jaebeom: Detective;
takes his job Very seriously
people's lives are usually on the line, so he stays focused
yells at interns and then buys them food
everyone in forensics adores him
has so many connections, barely anything ever gets past him
takes very neat notes in his little notebook.
suit + tie every day
hates when he gets cases that involve kids, always tries to care for them best he can and get them somewhere safe
loves stakeouts because he gets to space out until he sees something
thinks driving fast in his car is the hottest thing he gets to do during the job
is always the bad guy during interrogations, jaw clenched and stern stares as he attempts to get answers
always breaks them
drinks more coffee than a human being should
breakfast + lunch + dinner at diners
got put into one of the biggest cases in his bureau's history
a man had gotten away with murder and managed to escape. after lots of sleepless nights and research, jaebeom found him hiding in a motel holding evidence that made him guilty. he was arrested along with two other men that played a part in the murder
jaebeom was labeled a hero, but he explained he was just doing his job
his mean demeanor lifts when he is off duty, always smiling
people are convinced he's two seperate people
hates when he has time off work because he loves his job so much
Jackson: Firefighter;
the main muscle of the group
always gets called to save kittens out of trees
thinks the uniform doesn't show off his muscles enough
is the best at calming people down / distracting them during a fire in order to get them out safely
smashes through a window at least once a week
his firehouse is his family
gets handed a kid even if the person isn't involved in the fire / emergency
hates driving the truck because it's too big for him to control and he doesn't want to endanger anyone
befriended the house's canine and always sneaks it treats
goes into a fire first
puts his gear on others even though he's not supposed to
loves when his house gets to invite local schools for career days, always gives out snacks and smiles when he gets the help the kids slide down the poles
is always in the firehouse's gym
has such a disorganized locker that every time he opens it, a pile of stuff falls on him
walks around with his helmet on because he thinks he looks like a bobble-head
the captain messes with him all the time
some of the walls in the firehouse are glass, he's busted through two on accident because he wasn't paying attention
second fastest time during practice
refuses to see himself as a hero
cries with families he saves, hugs them and doesn't let them go
Jinyoung: Professor;
always looks pissed
gives out hard assignments but half-ass grades them
can and will fail you for no reason
only talks for half of the class, the rest of the time is sat in silence as he glares over everyone doing their own thing
plays movies on Fridays instead of teaching
thinks Mondays are great test days
slams things on his desk to get student's attention
aggressively circles things in the board to make his point
no phones
all the girls flirt with him, he just sighs and gives more work until they stop
licks his fingers before he hands out papers
will kick you out of you disturb his lesson
never teaches about one subject, everything includes knowledge about other things and if you don't know it you're screwed
always gets forced to sub for other professors
will get up and leave without telling anyone class is dismissed so everyone just sits there until they can go
if you smile at him he will stare you down the rest of the class
always has his index finger and thumb clasped against his nose in frustration
gives extra long holiday breaks just because he doesn't want to show up
eats food when no one else is allowed to
button ups with tight pants and pushed back hair that makes everyone attracted to him to the point where no one can focus
Youngjae: Teaching Assistant;
is louder than the kids
best at coming up with fun learning ideas for his students
is very glad he is only an assistant
wears jeans and dark shirts because the kids are messy
sings every day
helps with choir
works with all grades because he believes every kid is different and he wants to experience them all before he becomes an official teacher
makes the best snacks
loves going to older grades and giving them easy work so they can actually have a break
everyone loves him
loves putting random things on the white boards, drawings, quotes, morse code so no one understands what he's saying
eavesdrops on the teachers drama, but isn't included in the gossip circle directly
loves physical activities with the students because he thinks it helps them learn better
tries to end lessons early so they can play games
always has to help students with homework the main teacher assigned
all of the students agree he would make a better teacher than their own
never has to discipline anyone because everyone respects him and enjoys his teaching tactics
will argue against a teacher if the teacher tells a student they aren't allowed a bathroom break, will let the student go anyways
gets sad when he has to fill out nurse passes
hands out stickers
BamBam: Animator;
used to not draw as often as he does for his job
now can't go a day without drawing something
has the smoothest animations for talking characters
started animating for fun, got to do it as a full time job
does all of his work alone, and though it's a process, he loves it
won an award for his details in backgrounds
created a short film
spends most of his days in baggy clothing, hunched over his graphics tablet
everything he owns has some type of drawing / sketch on it
was able to start up his own animation company
takes long breaks to gain inspiration
screams a lot because he wants everything to be perfect, no matter how long it takes
is less stressed when he has his team to help
chews a lot of gum while working
got lines of plushies for his drawn characters, collects all of them for his office
was able to write his own tutorial book on how to start animating, the profits from it was donated to animation programs in schools around the country
chugs water
hates animating series, prefers movies with solid plots
isn't confident in his animating abilities, can't handle praise
bites his tongue when he draws
Yugyeom: Paramedic;
didn't think he'd do well as a paramedic because he's squeamish, but he really enjoys it
passed out the first time he had to draw blood, concerned the patient
fastest runner
can get in and out of his uniform in less than ten seconds, he knows because he timed it
wishes he was the driver of the ambulance so he could go over the speed limit and not get a ticket
quickest to help someone that's choking, performs a perfect Heimlich or tracheotomy every time
hates that he has to leave the patients with other doctors when they arrive at the hospital
will put himself in danger if it means saving someone
thinks medical gloves are sexy
talks about extra terrestrial theories when they are in the back of the ambulance without a patient
fibbed to a patient that he went to Harvard, they found out he didn't and sent him flowers thanking him for getting their mind off their wound, even if he did lie
always gifts kids teddy bears for their bravery
is friends with all of the first responders so he knows who's who during an emergency
craziest patient he had to save was inside of an elevator, he had to walk them through a procedure to save their arm after it was cut open. even he couldn't believe he managed that
is always around the ambulance even when he's off duty, just in case
works out while studying
has fruit around him at all times, offers them to others constantly
witty toward his coworkers, soft with his patients
keeps a tab on the people he helped just so he can ask the hospital how they are
hi, i love your writings! can i request something fluffy with soonyoung from seventeen? maybe a confession, first date or something like that? thanks already🌈
―GENRE: fluff; just hoshi being the cutest tiger cub.
―CHARACTERS: kwon soonyoung x neutral gender!reader | no supporting character.
―W.C: 1.9K
―AUTHOR`S NOTE: hi! hello! my first svt request on this blog :) thank you so much for requesting. this one sounds cute, i hope you enjoy reading, bub! love u <3 it`s 3 am right now so i guess i`ll go to sleep, for now, lol oh and congratulation to svt for their 2nd win for home:run!!
[05:11 PM] [the papers are flying away but there`s two hands always to hold]
―soonyoung had half of his head in the pattern of folds of the rose coloured craft paper and half of his head on how he must give you the paper rose he will make. will he just leave it on the desk before he leaves the club or give you in person?
oh no, soonyoung thought immediately, sitting straight up in his seat and looking straight ahead while his eyes went wide, he can never do that. that`s simply impossible. that would be too much. he continued to convince himself.
the middle school kid who was sitting two seats away from soonyoung looked at him like, what is this adult doing since the past two hours?
the place where soonyoung was at is none other a simple art club by the neighbourhood of his part-time workplace. it`s a cosy place, almost similar to a library it`s an art-related club―a place for escape from the reality of the harsh world where people who love painting, crafting, sculpting or as simple as drawing for a hobby comes here. you can bring your own materials in here or the manager will provide that for you if you forget some days. you can simply pay for the materials. the place does take a monthly rent but it`s not much.
but for soonyoung, he wasn`t one of those people who came here for an escape from reality. he was here for you and under the influence of the biggest smile you gave him when two months ago, you and he met for the first time at a mutual friend`s birthday get together at a ramen restaurant.
it was a very small get together. most of the participants were just graduates or drop-outs who worked part-times like soonyoung and you for some pocket money until you get a proper job.
when you saw him at the door of this art club two weeks later after that night, he was an awkward mess. he was confused and giving nervous laughter whenever you tried to make him comfortable. you were apparently working as a helper in this art club. most of the times, you help the people who came here by cleaning the brushes for them, cleaning after they leave away any paint splashes or cut out craft papers scattered on the floor or table. sometimes, you helped the people themselves who weren`t that expert in crafting, or drawing.
you liked crafting yourself so you always stuck to helping people who came to craft. painting and drawing isn`t something you were that talented so you avoided them most of the times.
it was quite evident why soonyoung stuck to crafting to himself. he wanted to get as much closure to you as he can. he was a nervous wreck already and it was quite hard for him to talk to you in the eye.
you were like the brightest thing in the room. when he would lift up his face to take a glimpse of you, everything faded in the background, everything becomes something of a blurred image except for you. soonyoung always looked forward to the free schedules on his calendar so that he can see you again. at first, he felt like he was back to school, having a crush on someone from the next class. it was thrilling yet a sad experience because he wasn`t quite sure how to approach you because he had never felt like this with anyone.
soonyoung was worried if his feelings will be able to reach you, will they get a chance to live inside you. he was worried if he`ll be able to grow out of this feeling he has built inside his heart. some days, it gets quite impossible to ignore them, some days it flows like a river. he has been to the clubs a few days and did absolutely nothing but stayed nibbling at various art papers and catch glimpses of you. you, on the other hand, never came to him because obviously, it was a rule that you can only go or approach the visitors only when they call for you and soonyoung, apparently didn`t have anything to ask related to craft so he could never call you. heck, he didn`t know the c in the craft forget doing things that creative. that`s why most of the times, he would waste away his time just catching glimpses of you from afar or when you talked to someone at the table, just give you the most dedicated undivided attention through his ears.
but today soonyoung was hesitating. he was witnessing a fight within himself. a part of him wanted to call you and ask how to make a rose and half of him is telling to stop embarrassing himself in front of you. that once it`s done, once he has said it all and you reject him by any chance, it would be completely over. he would suffer from his first unrequited love for his lifetime. he will never forget about you because you are his first love.
but the youtube tutorial wasn`t helping him at all. when you were doing a silent round around the table, you caught soonyoung kind of struggling. he was sighing listlessly, licking his already chapped lips (obviously from too much licking previously). he looked all over the place but he wasn`t calling for you which kind of frustrated you a bit.
soonyoung had always been the silent craft guy who would always sit at the end of the long table and was obviously bad at the craft itself. you thought maybe instead of meditating, this was the best he could do.
you decided this thing he was trying to make was going nowhere. so you came across his seat and instantly dropped down to act like you were picking up a pencil. you threw the pencil in your pocket a bit against his chair. soonyoung noticed instantly what was happening right beside him and he froze right there.
but as soon as you looked up from the place where the manager won`t be able to see you, you whispered to soonyoung for the first time today, “do you need help?” you moved your eyes towards the paper in his hand, pointing that you want to help him with that.
soonyoung, who was previously a little confused now said in a low voice, “i think i can do it.”
“it`s been two hours, the club will close in 20 minutes. let me help you so that we can accomplish what you`re trying to do.” you said back to him, pushing his buttons a bit.
soonyoung, when he heard what you said looked down at you with a face of realization. the way you said it made it seem like you were talking about how he can help you confess whatever he feels for you, that time is running out and things will flow like as usual and it might be too late for this feeling to grow in a pair and not one-sided.
he nodded at you.
“you`ve to call my name,” you whispered back to him.
soonyoung looked around the room a bit and called your name.
you sat beside him with a rose coloured craft paper showing him how to fold the corners to make it into a rose. soonyoung was for the first time giving every bit of his attention to the creation under construction with your hands.
he was following the instructions as you say to him and after almost ten minutes when the rose was a success, his face broke into a smile. you turned around and faced him in your seat. soonyoung held the rose with the toothpick acting as the stem in his hand. he was looking at the rose with heart eyes and he turned his body a bit towards you, but his mind was somewhere else. his head blanks out for a second and he had no idea what he was about to do.
his heart just decided to take a lead and he lifted his hand up to put the rose behind your ear. soonyoung looked at the rose, at how it looked more pretty now that it`s sitting on your earlobe. his smile never left his face, instead, it was more evident as his eyes became thin crescents on his face. as his hand started dropping from your ear, his fingertips brushed against your cheek which made you look him in the eye.
soonyoung, as he felt the skin under his fingertips, broke from his daze. he looked at you in dismay, he was absolutely scared at that moment of what he had done. his head moved fast and hung low. his palms rubbing on his thighs and his eyes moving from one side to another. he didn`t know a single thing to fixate his eyes on.
“thank you,” soonyoung heard a familiar voice, “thank you for gifting me your first rose.”
soonyoung snapped his head at your direction, “what? i mean, i`m sorry. i shouldn`t have done that―”
“am i getting more of this from next time?” you asked him, breaking his words in halves, “you`re going to make more of this for me, right?”
“huh?” soonyoung voice was lost, his head was somewhere else. suddenly he was void of any words, reactions. his mouth was half-open, his eyes were slightly wide.
“you`re making more of this for me, right?” you took the rose from above your ear and placed it right in the chest pocket of your t-shirt. the rose looked vibrant on your bland faded yellow t-shirt.
“if you want then…” soonyoung tried saying, still unsure how to process all this.
“i want all the roses you make, soonyoung,” you said his name making him know that you know him and what this rose meant for both of you, you wanted to make it loud and clear by saying his name, “it`s only because you gave me your first, i want to have it all.” you looked at him and smiled.
soonyoung could do absolutely nothing but smile back at you shyly and know that some firsts of his like this first love which resonated with this first rose will eventually be a first for you too. all he wished for at that moment is for his feelings to reach you and looking at how you kept the rose on top of your heart, soonyoung saw a bit of hope.
Alright, it’s done. Here’s a list of resources, blogs, websites, books, and master posts to help you draw, write, adult, learn ASL, wtf is make up and what do you use it for, and eating of $4 per person per day (Yay SNAP benefits).
Honestly, I’ve been doing this for a few hours and I’m too tired to keep going on right now. Might reblog again another time with updates/additionals, just let me know what you want tutorials on!
In the interest of not making a super long post, here’s the viewable google doc. Full list below the “keep reading”.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1crJphYIqvPUI1dd0pd_8lsJdAycLhwChfrOc76IX1Ls/edit?usp=sharing
Art:
· Painting Tutorials – My Modern Met
· Drawing Pretty Much Anything – Javi Can Draw!
o I’ve been watching his videos on Youtube, but he also has a website which I’m linking to
o Tutorials he puts out includes the research he did and tutorials he found provided to you as well so you can see multiple tutorials
o Includes:
Drawing Human Figure, Gestures, Facial Expressions, Hands, Feet, Shoes, Clothes, Glasses, Dynamic Poses, Perspective, Backgrounds, Color/Shading, and more
· Hand & Feet Tool – Line of Action
o All the Line of Action tools are a series of images that you can view for as little or long as you’d like to practice drawing from references. Class Mode allows warm ups and breaks otherwise it’s all the same length.
· Animal Drawing – Line of Action
o You can select for all animals, all mammals, no insects, insects/arachnids/other creepy crawlies, reptiles & amphibians, and more!
· Faces & Expressions – Line of Action
o Like both above you can select what kind of expression and also select for male, female, or all models.
· Figure Study Tool – Line of Action
o Choose from all, nude, or covered for all, male, or female models
· How to Draw Fire – envatotuts+ by Monika Zagrobelna
o I found that the tutorials from envato tuts+ all had some hefty “material requirements”, despite that I’m linking them because I think there’s something to be gleaned from the step by step process show.
· How to Draw Ice and Icicles With Pencils – envato tuts+ by James Butler
· How to Draw Dragons – Monika Zagrobelna
· How to Draw and Animate Wings – Monika Zagrobelna
· Lip Sync Mouth References - DarkmaneTheWerewolf
· Best Free Drawing Software for 2019
o Yes this is a top 6 list, I found it useful to at least learn about a few options before diving deeper into a program
· Beginner’s Guide to SketchBook Pro
o I’ll be taking a look around for other types
· Getting Started with Krita – David Revoy
o Krita is a free software for digital art, this tutorial is older and somewhat out of date, still some good advice for using it is included. I’d also rec looking at krita’s website for some of their more specific tutorials.
· MyPaint Manual/Wiki - MyPaint
· 8 Colored Pencil Techniques for Beginners – My Modern Met
· Digital Coloring Tutorial – Martina Naldi
· A Guide on Digital Shading for Beginners – Leigh G.
· Digital Brushes - AaronGriffinArt
Writing:
· Writing With Color: Writing and Resources centered on racial & ethnic diversity – tumblr
o I can’t sing the praises of this tumblr enough, please check them out! They offer not only resources and writing about/by poc, they are also open for Q&A
· Fantasy Name Generator
· Developmental Milestones birth-5 years
o Writing kids is hard
· General Writing Tips from a Beta Reader- Julia Writes Books
· Traumatized Character Profile
o A read only doc you can download to help serve as a quick reference for teen/adult characters with trauma. This includes a section to choose what complicates trauma, any PTSD symptoms, comorbidities, triggers, symptom details, the traumatic event(s), some world building options including stigmas, groups, media presentation, and more, and outside support for the character
· Writing Travel – Jean Johnson
· Writing Muslim Character - missandaei
· Writing Jewish Characters – writingwithcolor
· Branches in Judasim – Rose Lark Publishing
· Resources for Writing Sketchy Topics
o Medicine, Characters, Illegal Activity, Black Market, and Forensics
o Be careful, this has potentially triggering information/descriptions
· Torture, Interrogation, Physical Evidence, Techniques, Survivors, and More - ScriptTorture
o Be careful, this has potentially triggering information/descriptions
· Writing Medicine/Medical Issues - ScriptMedic
· Poetry Structure & Devices – Words N Stuff
· Resources for Describing Emotions – Words N Stuff
o This includes showing emotions (not telling), body language associations, hiding emotion, writing extreme emotion, emotion without making character self aware, how to write specific emotions, emotional wounds, and motivation
· How to Info Dump without sounding Like It – It’s A Writer Thing
· The Thin Line Between Character Strengths and Flaws – Jami Gold
o How tempting was it to post EVERYTHING from Jami? V E R Y!
· General Posts About Writing Skills/Concepts to Improve Stories – Jami Gold
· General Posts About Editing Your Story – Jami Gold
· Cooking Skills (is produce ripe, expired foods, sanitation, to make rice/pasta/eggs/etc, using ovens/stand mixers etc, putting out grease fires, and more)
· Health Skills (CPR, self save if choking, treat frostbite/burns/bleeding, signs of Stroke)
· Mental Health Skills (recognizing problem drinking, how to choose therapist, coping with grief, etc)
· Relationship/Social Skills
· Job Hunting Skills
· Misc (sew on button, change oil, jump start car)
Make Up for Beginners (Huda Beauty)
This talks about different kinds of make up and what they are for
Learning ASL
ASL Rochelle has free youtube videos to get you started
Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown – Eating on $4 per person per day
This is a link to the PDF of the book, no purchase necessary, designed for people living on SNAP and as a resource to help people out and not as a challenge.
Happy birthday! I know I’m very badly late but I still hope you enjoy this a little!
For the rest of you, consider an AU where Zari wasn’t the only one whose timeline got changed by Heyworld.
Ao3
“John!”
Someone grabbed his am, and he spun around as Gary called his name again. The other man looked stressed out and panicked, even more so than he usually did.
“What, Gary?” he snapped. Neron and Tabitha were gone, Nate was back, and the world was safe. There was no reason for him to be this anxious.
“The timeline’s changing,” Gary babbled as everyone continued to celebrate and cheer around them. “And because of that, my timeline is changing. Rip recruited me from the future. I’m a kid right now, somewhere out in that crowd, and I’m about to disappear and I’m scared.”
It was a lot to process in a short amount of time, but John shook his head.
“You’re not gonna disappear,” he promised, grabbing Gary into a tight hug. “You’re gonna be fine, you hear? You’re going to be fine.”
“Of course, I’m fine!”
John frowned as he was pulled back from the hug. For a moment, he drew a blank on the man in front of him. Then he remembered exactly who he was. Jeffery Green, but JJ to anyone he ever met. He worked at a museum in the future and had been picked up with the Tarazi siblings when Kuasa was after their totem. An obscure mixture of brains and chaotic energy that had saved everyone’s lives time and time again, not to mention a close friend to John.
“You saved Nate, man!” JJ cheered, slapping him on the back.
John grinned, but still felt like something had been lost in all this.
~~~~
“I can’t believe you talked me into going on this with you,” John grumbled as he walked down the hallway with Behrad. “You could have gotten anyone else- Ava, Nate, JJ?”
“Dealing with the team, my sister’s ex, and refused to go as soon as I mentioned the word influencers. You’re my only available hope of sanity tonight.”
“You wanted to come to this, Behrad,” Zari reminded him from the front. “You always keep asking what the big deal with these is all about. Now I get to show you around my life and people can hear how my little brother is an awesome superhero.”
Behrad glared. “You’re not telling anyone about that.”
“Are you sure? Because people would love to-”
“I don’t want to be on display, Zari. You know this. That’s why we went on the ship-”
John tuned out the sibling bickering as the sound of muffled music grew louder. They had been fighting a lot more since Heyworld had reignited Zari’s desire to be in the spotlight. The attention and the documentary crew that had been on the ship gave her a taste for it again. She’d been off the ship more often now to film videos or attend events like this one. JJ was even struggling to keep her aboard, and he was always the one with ideas that made her want to stay on the ship.
Things had been different since Heyworld somehow. It wasn’t the attention or the documentary crew or Ava moving in and Mona leaving. Something had changed and John couldn’t figure out what it was. It felt as though someone was missing, but no one else seemed to notice it. Although Gideon did have a problem with some phantom data, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary besides the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
“And here we are,” Zari waved at two doormen. “This is going to be fun.”
The doors were opened up to the trio, who entered behind Zari. The whole room was lit up in purple and music pulsed around them. Huge banners advertising eyeshadow or something were on every wall along with a massive one from the ceiling. So many people filled the room, all standing out in some way. It nearly overwhelming just standing there without engaging.
Zari, however, was unaffected. This was her world, after all. “Come on, go mingle. I’ll find you when it’s time to go.”
“Is there a bar here?” John shouted to her over the music.
“Yeah, over there, I think.”
“Great, bye.”
John followed in the direction that Zari had gestured, squeezing through the throngs of people clustered together or dancing. When he finally got there and asked for whiskey, the bartender looked almost relieved. Probably pleased he didn’t have to make some fancy ass drink like the ones he’d seen some people with. Who the hell needed a color-changing cocktail with a glow stick in it?
“Haven’t seen you before,” someone said as he accepted the whiskey.
John turned and nearly rolled his eyes at the man taking a seat next to him. Clearly, he was one of these influencers JJ had been so desperate to avoid. He was wearing a turquoise suit over a gold shirt and had two studs piercing his right eyebrow. Behind the glasses with frames matching his suit, dark brown eyes loaded with eyeliner looked him up and down. This wasn’t just an appreciate glance, but one that seemed to be trying to profile him.
Something tugged in John’s gut, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Probably disgust of being cornered by an influencer or celebrity or whatever the hell this guy was. “First time. Came with a friend.”
“Anyone I might know?” the man pried as he accepted a glass of something that smelled like lavender and was the color of daffodils.
Now John rolled his eyes. “Zari Tarazi.”
“The Dragon Girl?” the man gasped. “Is she finally coming back into the spotlight? I’ve missed seeing her around. She always adds such class with events like this. And you said you were a friend? Lucky!”
John shrugged as he took a drink. He guessed they counted as friends. “I just came for the moral support. I take it you must be part of some circus with that suit?”
The man snickered. “Cute. I’m in the entertainment business too. I’m Gary. Maybe you’ve heard of my videos? Probably more of the spooky ones than the makeup tutorials. You know Beyond Our World? Exploring unsolved mysteries and other otherworldly events.”
“Definitely not,” John shook his head. “You cater to the conspiracy theorists, huh? Good for you.”
“Actually, the ‘Green Beans’, which my fans love to call themselves, have all kind of viewpoints when it comes to conspiracies,” Gary told him. “It’s the interest that brings people in, not their beliefs. Interest is what always brings people in to see the videos.”
“So how much in your videos is fake?” John asked. “You make up evidence to get people to believe in the things that go bump in the night, huh?”
Gary scowled at him. “How dare you, when you haven’t even seen anything I’ve-”
“I don’t need to see a thing,” John snapped, getting out of the seat and facing the man. “And you know why?”
Gary sat there, no emotion showing on his face.
“I know because I’ve seen it all. Ghosts, demons, villains raised from hell. I’ve walked in the shadows. They’re real, but no one ever believes in it. If they did, they’d all be panicking. There wouldn’t be a party. So I don’t need your content. You have nothing.”
Now Gary stood up. He had only an inch on John, but John was struggling to look him in the eyes when he noticed the hideous lime green loafers.
“I have enough,” Gary told him. “I don’t need you to bring me down. Sorry, Zari’s friend.”
He walked away into the crowd. John watched him go and finished the rest of the whiskey. The funny feeling he’d had before was back.
“Now is not the time for you to be standing around like some hapless idiot!”
John clenched his head as the words, his words echoed in his ears. Something flashed in his head. Trying to hold Neron off with magic and shouting at someone. It was Gary, except looking more like he was with the government. He looked hurt and distraught.
That wasn’t right though. He’d called JJ an idiot and the other man had taken a swing that knocked him out. They’d buried the hatchet about it and moved on. But now that…didn’t feel right at all.
“Hey,” a hand slapped him on the shoulder as Behrad came up beside him. “We’re leaving.”
“Yes,” John exhaled and turned to face the other man. “Please, get me out of here. Where’s Zari?”
Behrad pointed to where his older sister was heading for the door. “She’s got a head start.”
“Then we better catch up.”
They started off in the direction Zari was headed, unaware that they had a tail.
~~~~
“You okay, man?”
John glanced over to see JJ entering the library. As he did, he flickered for a brief second, appearing as the normal version of that Gary guy. He recoiled in confusion and JJ frowned at him.
“Definitely going to take that as a not okay. Was it that influencer party?”
“Yeah, something happened there. Picked an argument with someone. At least it was an open bar.”
“Exactly why I avoid those things,” JJ snapped his fingers at John just as Zari walked by. “Not even for you, my dearest Zari!”
“You’re worse than Behrad,” Zari stuck her tongue out as she joined them. “So you got into a fight? Spill!”
“It wasn’t a fight. I just disagreed with him peddling lies and exciting conspiracy theorists.”
JJ got a funny look on his face as Zari leaned forward. “What did he look like? Did you get his name? Real or screenname, I can clap him on CatChat.”
“It’s not worth it. I just felt funny around him.”
“Ooooo,” JJ hopped up to squat on his chair. “Was he a demon? An Encore? An alien?”
Zari smirked. “Or did you have a crush on him?”
“But monsters, Zari! Look at all the fugitives we’ve met in the past year!”
“But feelings, JJ. Even John has them.”
Thunk!
All three of them went quiet at the sound above them. John held a finger to his lips and started looking at the ceiling. JJ climbed out of his chair quietly and started examining the ceiling as well. Zari also was helping and had decided to start recording. Everything was silent, until there was a series of thumps that went across the ceiling and out the door. The trio looked at each other and then ran after the noise.
They made their way down the halls of the ship, following the sounds into Mick’s room. He wasn’t there, which was probably a good thing. John looked around the room for anything that they could use, but JJ had already found a crowbar and was prying off the cover. As soon as it fell onto the ground, John climbed on Mick’s chair and peering into the open airduct. There was nothing one way, so he turned in other direction.
He only saw the bottom of the shoe a moment before it smacked him in the face. John dropped out of the airduct and lost his footing on the chair. He felt himself crash downward and another body come tumbling out to land on him. It was gone after two seconds and JJ was helping him onto his feet while Zari screamed about a stowaway.
John stumbled out the room and saw a flash of green disappear around a corner. He hurried after it until he caught sight of a familiar lime green. When he turned the corner, John stopped to see Mick holding that influencer Gary tightly as he tried to squirm away. He must have followed them back to the Waverider from the party.
“This is all real!” Gary was screaming, his hand still flailing about with a phone in it. “I found proof of…something. If I die, tell my cats I love them!”
John strode forward and grabbed the phone away from him. “This is all fake, just like him.”
Gary glared at John. “It’s not enough to insult my work to my face, but now you do it on my videos?”
“Shut up!” Mick ordered them. “Who are you?”
“Wow, really? Maybe you two are aliens if you don’t know Beyond Our World?”
“If you’re as annoying on it as you are right now, then I’m glad I’ve never heard of it, Larry,” John smirked.
“It’s Gary! Gary Green, you asshole!”
A shrill scream came from down the hallway before Zari ran up to join the crowd. “You don’t know Gary Green?!”
Gary looked up. “Zari Tarazi?”
“Mick, you can let him go,” Zari told him. “Guys, Gary Green is one of the biggest vloggers. He does the most amazing videos for true crime and supernatural stuff, plus a few make-up ones. We did a collab once. It was awesome”
“Zari?” JJ called out. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fantastic!” Zari squealed as JJ came around the corner. “JJ, you have to see this. It’s Gary Green!”
JJ froze once he got a glimpse of the man Mick was now letting go. “Gary?”
Gary gaped up at him, his mouth opening and closing for a few moments before he finally was able to speak. “JJ?”
John turned to him. “Do you know him?”
“Nope!” JJ turned around, but Behrad had come up to join them and he ran into him. “Oh, come on!”
