#and a shout out to Annie's OC

[cursed-herbalist]

LOTUS EVERETT GREGOROVITCH | DURMSTRANG INSTITUTE

DURMSTRANG • GERMAN • PUREBLOOD • TAURUS • INFP • MAGIC GRAPHIC DESIGNER • CASUAL WANDMAKER • PROFESSIONAL ART HOE

➔ portrayed by Troian Bellisario

Lotus was born on April 21st 1995 and lived in Germany for most of her life. She attends the Durmstrang Institute for her magical education but decides to move around after her graduation and open her own magical graphic design business. With her grandfather being the famous wandmaker, Mykew Gregorovitch, she naturally has an affinity for design and transfiguration, although, Garrick Ollivander would likely deny that she inherited her keen eye for aesthetics from him.

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[gweelczz]

“Til Death”

Bo Chow x OC (Rosetta)

Genre: tooth rotting fluff

Warnings: None

Summary: Bo reminisces about his wedding with Rosetta

Bo Chow stood in the stillness of the early evening, leanin’ against the back door of the Smokestack, a half-finished cigarette burnin’ slow between his fingers. He wasn’t smokin’ it—just lettin’ it burn while the sky above Clarksdale turned the color of old brass and cotton candy.

The wind carried faint music from inside, folks laughin’, glasses clinkin’. But Bo wasn’t really hearin’ it.

His mind was somewhere else.

Somewhere soft.

Somewhere golden.

Their wedding.

The memory came like a warm front after a cold rain—slow and full, fillin’ every corner of his chest.

It had been right here. The back of the juke joint. They cleared out the tables and swept the floors till they shined like molasses. Hung wildflowers from the rafters, twisted ribbons of yellow and green ’round the banisters, let the honeysuckle and magnolia do the rest.

Preacher Boy had stood near the back door, leanin’ against the wall with that beat-up guitar strapped across his chest, hummin’ a love song before his fingers ever touched the strings. The guests sat on mismatched chairs brought in from the neighborhood—folks wearin’ their Sunday best, sweatin’ through silk and linen just to see the moment happen.

And then the music started.

And everything else stopped.

Bo remembered the way the door opened—how Stack stepped out first, his big arm linked gently with Rosetta’s.

And Lord, Lord, when Bo saw her…

That woman stepped out wearin’ gold light and God’s own glory.

A silk yellow qipao hugged her curves like it’d been sewn by the ancestors themselves. The mandarin collar high and proud, the jade buttons glintin’ in the sunlight. Green and yellow flowers weaved through the bouquet she held tight to her chest, but it was her hair that near brought Bo to his knees—her afro piled high, full and soft, golden hair jewelry catchin’ the light like little halos.

And her eyes.

Those gold eyes.

He’d seen ‘em angry, sleepy, laughin’, cryin’, dancin’ in candlelight and dimmed in grief—but never like that.

Never filled with that kind of still, strong love.

Bo remembered how his breath caught. How Smoke gave him a little nudge from behind like, “Stand tall, brother.” But he couldn’t.

Tears rushed his eyes before he could stop them. He was cryin’ and smilin’, heart thunderin’ so loud he didn’t even hear the rest of the music. All he could see was her.

Annie had stood behind Rosetta, fussin’ over her train and beammin’ like a proud sister. Smoke was beside Bo, hands folded, grinnin’ with that crooked smile of his, like he’d known all along Bo didn’t stand a chance once Rosetta came into his life.

Rosetta reached the altar—if you could call the patch of sunlit wood between two flower barrels an altar—and looked up at him.

“Why you cryin’, Bo?” she’d whispered, soft enough that only he could hear.

He chuckled through tears, eyes locked on hers. “’Cause I just fell in love with you all over again.”

She bit her lip, tryin’ not to cry too. Stack kissed her cheek before steppin’ back, and Preacher Boy’s guitar rose up behind them, blessin’ them with melody.

They hadn’t needed a preacher. Rosetta had said the earth and the air and the ancestors would hear their vows just fine.

Bo took her hands and told her what he meant. That he was hers now, in this life and the next. That he’d protect her, honor her, carry her burdens when they got too heavy. That her love made him whole.

And she told him she chose him. That his heart was a safe place she never thought she’d find. That he was hers, too—no matter the storms.

When they kissed, the whole juke joint erupted. Whistles, applause, somebody shouted “Glory!” like it was church. And it was, in a way.

They danced ’til the moon rose. Ate catfish and sweet bread and drank muscadine wine ’til their cheeks hurt from smilin’. Folks were sayin’ it was the finest weddin’ they ever saw.

But Bo didn’t remember all that.

He just remembered her fingers laced with his.

The weight of her ring on his hand.

The scent of her skin—lavender, gold oil, and somethin’ only she carried.

And her voice when she pulled him close that night, pressin’ her forehead to his.

“I’m gon’ be your wife for real now.”

“You been my wife since the first time I looked at you,” he’d told her.

He remembered them heading out back holding each other underneath that old oak tree as they said their vows to each other in private

The sun had dropped low behind the cypress trees, turnin’ the Delta sky a warm honey gold. The wedding was over—folks were inside celebratin’, drinkin’, dancin’ to Preacher Boy’s guitar. But out back, behind the Smokestack, it was quiet.

Just the cicadas. Just the trees swayin’. Just Bo and Rosetta.

He took her by the hand, still wearin’ her yellow qipao that shimmered like a second sun. Her gold eyes were soft and wet, cheeks warm with love and somethin’ older than time. Her bouquet lay forgotten on the step behind her. The flowers didn’t matter now.

This did.

“You sure you wanna do this part out here, Rose?” Bo asked, his voice low, Southern drawl catchin’ on every word like a slow blues song.

Rosetta nodded once, her hands never leavin’ his. “The folks got to hear us promise. But now I want the earth to hear. The sky. Our people.”

Bo smiled. “Alright then.”

He stepped in close. “I ain’t never had nothin’ in my life feel like peace till you came into it. You hear me? Nothin’. Just noise and anger and heat. But you—you like cool water on the worst day. You see me when I don’t even wanna be seen, and you love me even when I ain’t sure I deserve it. I promise to protect you, with every breath I got. I promise to never speak over your spirit, to never let this world make you feel small. I’ll carry what you can’t. I’ll build you a home wherever we stand.”

She let out a small breath, like she’d been holdin’ it in.

“I love you,” he said, voice breakin’ just a little. “You’re the truth I been searchin’ for. And I’m yours, now and always.”

Rosetta squeezed his hands, then placed them over her heart.

“My Bo…” she began, voice thick with emotion. “I used to pray every night for a love that wouldn’t disappear in the light. I used to ask the ancestors to send me a man who’d see my spirit before he saw my skin. Who’d hold me without breakin’ me. And then you came.” Her breath trembled. “You honor me. You let me love you with no shame. You let me protect you without question. And I promise, before the stars and the dust, before our people and the soil, that I will never stop. I’ll pray over you even when you ain’t near. I’ll love you even when you’re silent. I’ll keep our names safe. I’ll walk beside you, not behind.”

Bo’s eyes shimmered with tears.

“I give you everything I am. My hands, my voice, my body, my soul. You’re my husband now,” she whispered, smile tremblin’ but bright. “And I’ll never let this world take you from me.”

They stood there a moment, just lookin’ at one another—like they were seein’ the whole future in the other’s face.

Bo leaned forward, pressin’ his forehead to hers. “You mine, Rose.”

“And you mine, Bo.”

No crowd. No music. No preacher.

Just vows tied up in stardust and soil.

And that was holy enough.

———

The warm hum of laughter and music met Bo and Rosetta as they stepped back into the Smokestack, their hands still loosely laced together like they hadn’t quite come back down from their own little heaven.

Bo leaned over, pressed a kiss to Rosetta’s temple, and whispered, “Gon’ sit with the fellas for a bit. That alright, Mrs. Chow?”

Rosetta smiled, golden eyes shining in the lamplight. “That’s alright, Mr. Chow. I’ll be watchin’ you.”

Bo sauntered through the crowd with that easy, smooth gait of his, cigarette hangin’ lazy from the corner of his mouth, green silk zhongshan suit still sharp as a blade. He pulled up a chair at the poker table in the back corner, where Stack, Sammie, and Delta Slim were already dealin’ out cards and talkin’ trash.

(Act like it’s green y’all)

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Stack grinned, shufflin’ the deck slow. “Mr. Married Man himself.”

Bo just smirked, slidin’ into the seat. “Y’all better hope I’m too love-drunk to clean this table.”

“Too late for that,” said Slim, puffin’ on his cigar. “We all seen you cry when she came down that aisle. Ain’t no way you got focus left after that.”

“Shut up,” Bo muttered with a grin, leanin’ back, one arm slung over the chair like he owned the place.

Cards slapped against wood, laughter rumbled low and steady, the juke joint buzzin’ with life.

Rosetta watched him from across the room, tucked in her chair near Annie and Pearline, her fingers absently twistin’ one of her earrings. Something in her chest stirred—soft, electric, undeniable. A tug.

She rose without a word.

Crossed the floor slow and sure, hips swayin’ like she was walkin’ to a song only she could hear.

Bo clocked her out the corner of his eye, that smile tugging at the corner of his lips just before she reached him. Without askin’, Rosetta slipped down into his lap, slidin’ one arm around his shoulders like it was made for restin’ there. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t miss a beat.

His hand came up to settle on her waist, thumb drawin’ slow, lazy circles on the silk of her dress. His head dipped, and he kissed the curve of her neck, warm and slow, lips lingerin’ like he was still vowin’ somethin’ sacred.

Then he turned back to the game like nothin’ was unusual.

“Your woman got you real comfortable, huh?” Sammie chuckled, slappin’ his cards down.

Stack raised his brows. “Ain’t never seen a man go from altar to poker table with his wife in his lap like it’s Sunday supper.”

Bo shrugged, flickin’ ash from his cigarette. “Ain’t no rule say I can’t love my woman and take y’all’s money at the same time.”

Delta Slim hooted. “That’s a married man right there!”

Rosetta just smiled and leaned into his chest, eyes low, lips curved with the satisfaction of bein’ close.

And Bo? He kept one arm wrapped firm around her waist, cards in the other hand, cigarette burnin’ slow, every bit the man who had everything he ever wanted—right there in his lap.

———

Bo blinked back to the present, the cigarette now just ash between his fingers. He dropped it, crushed it under his boot.

Inside, laughter rose up again—Smoke yellin’ about somethin’, Preacher Boy tunin’ up his guitar.

Bo stepped back through the door, his chest a little fuller.

His wife was somewhere in there.

And just the thought of her still made his knees weak.

———

This Bo and Rosetta LMAO

Tags: @pinkpantheris @fresalana @ironsaladwitch

[koveragewithkiera]

“Stackie Stack’s Mood Time”

Modern-Ish AU: Smoke x Annie

A drabble that turned into something way longer because I can’t help it lmao. Not smut because I haven’t gotten there yet, and my baby steps are very baby like. But it’s kinda cute and kinda funny so here you go!

Time Period: Late 1990’s

WC: 3.1k

Characters: Smoke (18), Annie (18), Stack (18), Dee (OC, 15), Bo (mentioned, 18), and Mary (mentioned, 17)

Enjoy! :)

————————

They actually did it. For the first time ever, the Moore siblings finally managed to have the house to themselves for one marvelously free weekend. Their mother hesitated to leave them alone for so long, having to go on a mandatory work retreat, but after many excruciating weeks of precise planning and persuading, they were able to convince her they could handle it.

She gave them the classic ground rules: no drugs or drinks, no parties, no visitors without her permission, and most importantly, always answer when she calls to check in. They all nodded along with her as she made her way out, shouting I love you’s and Be safe’s before shutting the door behind her. Stack leaned against, turning to his brother and sister with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“So which rule we breakin’ first?” The younger twin smirks.

Dee walks off to the living room with an air of disinterest as Smoke responds with a roll of his eyes. He picks up his jacket from the coat rack by the door, pushing past his brother to reach the knob. “I’m meetin’ Annie at the library, I’ll be back later.”

“Woah woah woah.” Stack smirks as an idea pops in his head. “Why not just bring her here?”

Smoke staggers a bit. “Why would I bring her here?”

Stack huffs a breath at his poor brother’s lack of vision. “Mama gone for two whole days. This would be the perfect time for you and her to finally….”

Smoke just shook his head, trying to reach for the door again. “I don’t have time for your bullshit.”

“Come on, Smoke.” Stack halts his reach yet again, this time bringing his hands up to Smoke’s shoulders. “You and Annie been goin’ together for a while now. It’s high time you seal that deal properly.”

“Watch how you talk about her.” Smoke glares. “We said we ain’t rushin’, and I’m not about to jump at the chance just cause Mama gone.”

“Okay, fine.” Stack throws his hands up, but quickly continues before Smoke could retreat. “But at least be honest with yourself. You really think if y’all two were in this house without any supervision, nothin’ would happen?”

Smoke knows the answer to that. Of course he knows the answer to that. Ever since they’d started dating, Annie had made him discover parts of himself he didn’t think could exist, no matter how many stories his brother told him. He’d never met a girl that could peak his interest the way she did, mentally or physically, and it brought on a lot of emotions for him that he had to learn to deal through… self-love, for lack of better word. A lot of it.

The furthest they’d gotten was a few weeks ago when she’d climbed into his lap at the drive-in movie. That part wasn’t far from the normal for them, but when her soft lips fell to his neck and her hips started grinding harder than usual, his brain began to physically malfunction. Once she’d started letting out those pretty noises of hers, he damn near punched a hand through the radio. He drove her home that night with flushed cheeks and ruined pants, but Annie’s sweet words and warm smile helped to keep him from feeling like a prepubescent boy.

Smoke shakes himself from his thoughts. “I ain’t ever said I didn’t want it to happen, Stack. I just don’t wanna rush her.”

Stack’s head tilts in annoyance. “Look, outside of the fact I’m ready for you to finally get your cherry popped, I actually do believe that Annie wants it too. I’m not saying it’s gotta be this weekend, but… I am saying this house bouta be might empty…”

Smoke hated the fact his mind actually debated the idea, his foot tapping lightly as he responds. “And what happens when her grandmama tries to call Mama to see if she’s here?”

Stack is already thinking ahead as his head turns towards their little sister and Smoke’s follows. The younger teen was lying on the couch lazily, eyes fixated on the television show, but it was clear she’d been listening.

Dee’s tone is clipped. “Nope.”

Stack groans dramatically. “Come on, Dee.”

She gives the two a side-eye. “Not for a free.”

It’s Smoke’s turn to groan. “We listenin’.”

“15.” Dee then quickly adds before either of them could retort. “And I’m not about to deal back and forth.”

There’s a small bit of silence as the twins mutter amongst each other. Dee usually drove a harder bargain than that, so it wasn’t the worst deal.

Smoke nods her way. “Deal. Only if it works though.”

Dee’s eyes roll as she puts her full attention towards them. “I got Mama’s voice down to a tee. Don’t disrespect my talent.”

Stack grins happily as the plan begins to come together, patting his brother’s shoulders excitedly. “This weekend bouta to be one for books y’all! Free house and our older brother finally gettin’ some.” Stack pretends to wipe a tear. “We growin’ up so fast.”

He doesn’t have time to move from the smack that lands over his head, and Smoke grumbles a curse as he finally walks out the door.

It takes Smoke an hour and half to come up with the courage to ask Annie to come over. He decided on the drive here that it’d be better to try things the next day so that her grandmama didn’t think it was too last minute.

Annie’s working on her homework when he asks. She notices the slight nervous creak in his voice and replies to his request with a small chuckle. “Why are you actin’ like this the first time you’ve invited me to your house?”

Smoke adjusts in his seat with a small breath. “Well, this would be the first time… my Mama wasn’t there.”

That additional detail makes her pencil pause mid-stroke, and her widened eyes shoot to his. “Elijah, you know damn well Grandmama not gone let me do that.”

“I know, I know. But when she call, Dee’s gonna answer. She’s done it for Stack a bunch of times, it’s fool-proof Annie.” Smoke’s tone is surprisingly hopeful, he’d actually started getting a little excited himself about the plan.

“I…” Annie sighs. “I would love to, you know I would-“

Smoke scoots his chair closer to hers, their thighs touching fully now. His voice drops a little as he leans her way. “Then let’s do it, baby.”

Annie inhales lightly before continuing her notes as a distraction. Her boyfriend could be trying when he wanted to be. “Do not call me that, right now.” She warns him.

But he doesn’t flinch, instead leaning even closer with a teasing tone. “Call you what?”

Annie’s head turns to his, their lips falling far too closely for a public space. Maybe that’s why they chose the corner sector of the library…. That’s definitely why they chose the corner sector.

Annie’s fingers tap her pencil unsteadily against the table. “Elijah…”

He can’t help but smirk a little. “Annie…”

It didn’t take much more than that and a few hidden kisses for her to say yes, but the hard part still wasn’t over. Smoke leans against the kitchen counter as he listens to the phone call, arms crossed tightly across his chest as his fingers pull at his bottom lip nervously.

Dee’s cheery imitation of their mother echoes through the room. “Yes ma’am, you know Annie is always more than welcome to come over!”

Dee shoots her brother a small glare, his nervous energy stinking up the area before she responds. “Yes ma’am, Elijah will be there to pick her up soon, and he’ll bring her back before it gets too late.”

Dee nods a few times before laughing uncharacteristically. “They do seem to stick to each other, don’t they? Now I gotta finish up dinner, but we’ll have to catch up soon!”

Smoke watches as Dee responds with a few more “Mhms” before turning his way with a smile too bright for her own good. She places her hand out right as the conversation comes to an end. “Alright now, talk to you later! Bye bye!”

Dee’s bright smile drops into a smirk right as she places the phone on its hook, and Smoke rolls his eyes before smacking the money into her palm.

Before Smoke leaves for Annie’s, Stack stops by his room with a devious grin. He looks to be hiding something behind his back. “You ready?”

Smoke pulls the drawer of his nightstand open to reveal a box of condoms. “I already grabbed protection. Bo gave em to me with a nice little ‘I ain’t ready to be an uncle’ speech.”

Stack walks up to his brother, object still hidden. “Nah I figured you had that. I’m talkin’ about this.”

He whips his hand between them to reveal a cassette tape, and Smoke’s eyebrows scrunch as he reads the title “Stackie Stack’s Mood Time”.

His face quickly shifts in annoyance. “Did you make this shit for Mary?”

Stack’s eyes widen in his classic tell. He definitely did. “Hell nah! I made this for all the honeys, and it do the job every time.”

“Mhm…” Smoke nods in clear disbelief before grabbing the tape. He shakes his head at the name again. “This better not be no freaky shit.”

Stack clicks his teeth defensively. “Come on, Smoke, would I ever do that you?”

Stack would in fact do that to him, and it’s Smoke’s own fault really. The plan of the night had him anxious in a way he hadn’t felt since he asked Annie to be his girlfriend. She wasn’t his first one, but she was the first one that really mattered to him. And tonight had the potential to push them forward to something even more.

His hands shook from the time he picked her up to the time they got to his house. Dee and Stack gave their hellos, the latter winking to his twin before receiving a sharp nudge in his ribs from Dee. Smoke didn’t keep them downstairs for long before taking them up to his room, his hands fidgeting yet again.

Annie took her shoes off before taking a seat on his bed, and the smell of her sweet perfume created a completely different scent in the space.

She notices Smoke was a bit frozen in the doorway and questions teasingly. “You gone stand there the whole time?”

“Sorry.” Smoke grumbles the apology before walking towards his TV. He sets up the movie he rented for them to watch then takes a seat next to her. “I know you’ve been liking horror lately, so I got us Jurassic Park.”

Annie smiles, scooting closer to him. “Thank you. That was very sweet.”

Smoke nods shyly before pressing the button on the remote to start the film.

Through the first few minutes, they both shift around to get a bit more comfortable. Smoke takes his shoes off before bringing his legs up to the bed. As he lays down, Annie takes the space between him and the wall.

Smoke turns to her a little. “You not gone fall asleep, are you?”

She smacks his chest before settling her hand on it. “Hush.” She brings her leg to lay over his before putting her attention back on the movie.

They get to about a quarter way through when Smoke feels Annie’s fingers moving on his chest. She does it absentmindedly, just tracing little shapes here and there. It would be a pretty a soothing feeling if not for the buzzing that’s coursed through his body since she’d first started cuddling him. He doesn’t stop her though and keeps his eyes straight.

About five minutes later, Annie’s fingers caress a little lower to his covered stomach. He notices it immediately and tenses a bit under her touch, but she doesn’t seem to notice and that’s making things even harder for him. Literally, he’s feeling the tell-tale signs of something he was not expecting to pitch so early.

Smoke starts thinking of anything from slimy frogs to being eaten alive by a dinosaur, and it seems to settle him enough… until Annie’s hand slips even lower. It stops right where his jeans start before slipping underneath his shirt.

Smoke clears his throat before finally turning her way. “Annie um.”

She turns his way as well, her eyes not showing anything. “Hm? Somethin’ wrong?”

Smoke has to take a small breath. “No, I just…” His eyes search hers for something, anything that would tell him what to do. At some point, hers fall to his lips, and that says enough for him.

He leans over to bring their lips together, a bit quicker than he intends, but it doesn’t catch her too off guard. He places a hand over her hip as her hand runs its way up to his neck. They move together in a bit of a practiced dance, but Smoke’s hands feel unsure all of sudden.

As their kissing grows heavier, Annie crawls into his lap, her back arching a bit as she stretches over him. His hands softly caress the crevice of her back where her shirt had ridden up.

He feels her smile against his lips as she whispers into his mouth. “You don’t have to be gentle, ‘Lijah.”

Smoke nods shakily, trying his damndest to ignore how her words clearly affected him. He immediately adjusts, his grip growing desperate and accidentally pushing her hips into his. Annie’s tongue brushes against his with a small moan, and he can’t help but groan as she continues the grinding. Smoke feels himself getting too excited, something Annie clearly doesn’t mind, but he sure as hell does. When his thoughts naturally shift back to that night at the drive-in, he finds himself suddenly praying for a Hail, Mary.

His mind worked and worked, but it’s Annie’s lips moving to his neck that makes him he finally pull away. “The movie!”

Annie startles back. “What?”

He gently pushes away from her, coming to a standing. “I should turn the movie off, with all that screamin’ and shit.”

“Um…” Annie’s truthfully a little dazed from the change of events, but Smoke’s already taking the tape out before she can say much. “Okay.”

Smoke uses the time to calm himself down then makes eye contact with the boombox on his desk. He bites his lip before walking over, snatching Stack’s tape from his desk drawer.

He turns towards her to ask. “How about some music, maybe?”

Annie’s leaning on one arm, looking at him with both something of patience and impatience. She nods regardless. “That’s fine with me.”

He clears his throat before placing the tape in, shutting it close with a deep breath. He gives himself a small little pep talk before heading back over. The song’s intro begins, but neither of them really register it as Annie leans back against his pillows. He slips between her legs easily, and she’s pulling him down as soon as he finds his balance. This position is a lot more manageable for him, and he allows himself to feel the moment without strain. But as the intro goes on, he feels a pause in Annie’s kissing.

She pulls away only a little, but he uses it as an opportunity to kiss along her neck. She stutters and gasps at the feeling, especially when he nips right under her jaw, but she can’t help but ask. “Elijah? Is this what I think it is?”

Smoke only hums. “Whatchu mean?”

Before Annie can answer him, the first verse begins.

In the thundering rain, you start into my eyes

I can feel your hand movin’ up my thighs

He’s gonna kill his brother.

Smoke’s eyes widen as Annie bursts into a laugh after her initial shock.

“Shit, shit.” Smoke springs up from the bed, taking wide strides to get to the boombox. He tries to take the tape out, but the cassette holder chooses now of all times to jam.

Smoke grunts, almost breaking the thing as Janet spews more and more vulgarness into the air. “Goddamnit, it won’t open.”

Annie’s laughter ceases as she watches Smoke. She didn’t mind the music nearly as much as he did, she was honestly just surprised. She sits up as an idea comes to mind.

“Elijah.”

Smoke continues in his struggle, clicking any and everything. He doesn’t turn at the call of his name. “I’m sorry baby, I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable.”

He hears Annie moving about, but he still doesn’t turn. This time her tone is bit sharper. “Elijah.”

He clicks yet another wrong button and accidentally starts the song over with a sigh. “Goddamnit.”

“Smoke.”

That’s what catches his attention. She only calls him that when she really means something. He turns to her with yet another apology on his tongue, but he instantly chokes on it at the sight in front of him.

Annie took it upon herself to strip not only her shirt, but her bra as well. He practically drools at the sight of all that is her, and there wasn’t a single straying thought of frogs or dinosaurs that could distract him from this. He couldn’t pull his eyes away if someone put a gun to his head. It isn’t until she lays back onto the bed that they finally go up to her face, and she quirks an eyebrow his way. He doesn’t have to hear the words to know what she’s telling him.

Come here.

And damnit if Smoke didn’t listen to his woman.

30-Ish Minutes Later

“Aye Dee! You want a sandwich?!” Stack called out to his sister from the kitchen, finishing his own creation with a sprinkle of pepper.

Dee grabbed the remote, turning the TV down so that she could hear him better, but before she could respond, another sound cut her thoughts completely.

Er. Eer. Er. Eer. Er. Eer. Er. Eer.

Stack walks in the room, and the sound registers to them both as they look up at the ceiling. The ceiling that connects to the floor of Smoke’s room. It clicks for them at the same time, but the only difference is where Stack bursts into a wide smile from ear-to-ear, Dee just scoffs.

“Y’all disgust me.”

Stack smile doesn’t cease as he takes a seat in the armchair. “Power of the empty house, little sis.” He uses his glass of juice to send a toast Dee’s way. “Our brother becoming a man as we speak.”

Dee ignores the comment by turning the volume back up, but the sound doesn’t do much to block and even worse, other noises start coming into play. Stack is practically jumping up and down in his chair, and Dee’s at her last straw. She stands from the couch and struts quickly over to the coat rack.

“I’m goin’ to Mary’s.”

Stack lets out a full belly laugh. “Best 15 buck you done ever made huh?”

She flips him off as she shuts the door.

————————

Like I said, my baby steps are truly very baby haha. But seriously I hope y’all liked it, and I promise I’m gonna come out of my shell for real and hopefully very soon!

[thebumblebeesworld]

MISSISSIPPI • MOONSHINE

part one • annie x fem oc

summary: suga’ sees annie at a local juke in town and comes to talk to her, havin’ been pining after her for quite a while. annie had been turning down suga’s advances until she finally gave in.

cw: alcohol, use of the nword (i’m black y’all)

a/n: first time writing anything on tumblr. i’m usually over on wattpad churning out taraji x fantasia, but i needed to see some love for annie. (also i’m from mississippi so sinners hit home for me :3)

part two

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Annie had a long day of filling orders, conjuring spirits, and settling unruly souls, hoping that her day could wind down with a little tune drifting through the horn of her phonograph and a glass of cherry wine she made from last years spring harvest. Her dreams were soon to leave as Mary dragged her out of her home, touting how she should get out—“live a little.”

Life has been stagnant since Smoke had ran off with his brother. She worked. Tended to her home. Sought after her garden and the few chickens she had running ‘round the yard. But things were stagnant.

Predictable.

Unfun.

“Come on, girl,” Mary shouted, rummaging through Annie’s armoire to find that little black dress every woman kept away for a special occasion. “We gon’ get you some tonight!”

“Get me some from where,” Annie huffed, throwing her body against the cushion of her bed. Her head cocked to the side as Mary quickly moved on to a jewelry box Annie had been passed down from her grandmother.

“Charlie’s juke s’posed to be hot tonight,” Mary sing-songed. She swayed dreamily in her silk white dress.

“Charlie patrons ain’t nothing but grimy men that don’ been in the fields all day,” she rolled her eyes.

“Girl, put this on,” Mary demanded by throwing the black dress Annie’s way. It was simple. A plunging neckline. Slit up the left side to show off her thick thighs. “I heard yo’ woman gonna be there.” Mary knew what she was doing by teasing Annie.

She chuckled, earning a look of reproach from the other woman.

“Suga’ is not my woman.”

Annie dressed, slightly more willing to now. Suga’ had been trying to get under her skin for a long while now. Bringing Annie small gifts and treats. Offering to fix up things around her li’l shack.

Suga’ was sweet on her.

But Annie couldn’t make up her mind ‘bout what she wanted. Her body craved connection, but she was fearful of giving in to someone again.

Smoke had done a number on her heart somethin’ fierce.

“Suga’ want to be your woman,” Mary laughs, helping Annie adjust the straps of her dress as she put on her jewelry. “I think you should let her be.”

A knowing silence settled over the pair, full of a hundred memories and long-lived pasts. They stared ahead in Annie’s vanity mirror, understanding each more than anyone else could.

“Them SmokeStack Twins’ll make it hard for you to see any worth in anyone else,” Mary started, “make it hard for you to see any worth in yourself.”

Mary moved away, and Annie nervously fiddled with the necklace around her neck.

“Let’s just have fun tonight, yes?” Mary encouraged. “No expectations. No men. No sad thoughts. Just good times, good music, and good moonshine.”

Mary’s energy livened, and being the infectious person she was, it immediately rubbed off on Annie as a smile shown on her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Annie and Mary walked into Charlie’s juke—an old run down, one room shack on the edge of an even smaller pond. Blood-sucking mosquitoes swarmed viciously, and the humid Mississippi summer air dampened their skin.

But they strode into that juke like they owned the place.

Annie could feel eyes dancing around her body, greedily taking in her exposed chest and creamy skin.

Not many people had actually attempted to scoop either of them up since the twins left, scared the two would return and hear tales of them fornicating with their women. But that didn’t stop men’s eyes from roaming and minds from dreaming about sex-filled nights under moonlight they’d never get to have.

Suga’ never seemed scared or threatened by the possibility of Smoke returning. She was a strong woman. A capable woman. A woman who knew what she wanted.

Annie.

From the moment the two had walked in, Suga’ gawked at the dress that clung to Annie’s form.

She had only seen the woman in more day-wear clothes and the occasional night gown when Suga’ would stop by late to bring Annie the collards, dandelion root, or delta clay she had gotten when out in the fields that day.

The black dress was a welcomed change from what she knew Annie as, but she adored the woman in all her forms.

“You gon’ play or not nigga,” Charlie shouted, pulling Suga’ from her reverie and back to the card game happening in front of her. She sat amongst a rounded table of men—the only woman there and taking every li’l bit of their money.

Seeing Annie convinced Suga’ that she had a lucky charm, betting everything she had won so far on that last round of the card game.

“You a plum fool if you think you finna get all that money back,” the table laughed at her, but she just sat back, drinking Annie in as she watched her dance to the slow blues playing.

“I know what I’m doin’,” she assured them with a challenging gaze. They each went around the table showing their cards one after the other. Disappointment washing over them. When it got to her, Suga’ flushed out her hand, laughing loudly when saddened and angry looks settled on the faces of the men around her.

Suga’ stood up, politely collected her winnings and turned towards the dance floor, attempting to find the woman that consumed her thoughts day and night.

“You’re lookin’ mighty pretty t’night, Honey,” Suga’ purred into Annie’s ear as she stood behind her. Annie had been talking to a group of her friends, but when she heard that affectionate pet name and smooth sounding voice, her breath hitched and speech stopped.

Her friends laughed—Mary loudest of all—and they each greeted Suga’ with batted eyelashes and waving fingertips.

Suga’ was quick to return a kind nod before shifting her attention back to the woman before her.

Annie turned around, head tilting to look Suga’ in the eyes. But as she did, her nerves overtook her, causing her to face her eyes to the side before looking back again.

A smirk played at the corner of Suga’s lips.

Annie wore one that matched.

“You clean up pretty well ya’self, Sug’,” Annie announced. “Didn’t think too much of you with them dirt-covered hands and clothes.”

Annie knew she was lying. She loved knowing Suga’ worked hard. That she knew her way around the outdoors.

“Oh, quit playin’, woman,” Suga’ laughed, placing a warm hand on Annie’s hip, leaning into her ear with heavy breath. “You and I both know you can’t keep yo’ eyes off me. Even when I’m mud-covered.”

Warmth made its way to Annie’s cheeks and she just hoped that Suga’ won’t call out the way her body is reacting to her, but one thing she can always count on is her friends to make a fool of her.

“Oop- You got my girl bashful, Suga’,” one of them harped, clapping her hands like she’s watching a motion picture.

“Can y’all please,” Annie begged, turning to them with an embarrassed expression.

“Fine, fine,” Mary led the women away, but not before delivering a message Suga’s way. “Make sure you take care of her, ya’ here?”

“No need to worry about that,” Suga’ assured, hands still toying with the fabric on the sides of her hips. Eyes gazing longingly into Annie’s eyes. “She’ll be well taken care of.”

Shivers went down Annie’s spine as she let Suga’ control the situation. She was never a person to let others speak for or around her, but Sug’ was different.

Suga’ guided her and Annie to the bar, sitting in quiet as Annie didn’t know what to say and Suga’ wanted to know how long it would take for the other woman to speak up. They sat on barstools, facing each other with affectionate and wondering eyes.

“You’re interesting,” Suga’ spoke finally, sipping on her glass of moonshine.

Annie snapped her head back a little, eyes wide but mouth still closed. She wanted to ask her what she meant, but she didn’t trust herself enough not to ask her to wreck her body.

In front of her was someone she knew would do so willingly.

With the help of the clear alcohol nestled in her hand, Annie was tingling all over. Body damn near screaming to be taken care of. Every word that poured out of Suga’s mouth added to her dazed mind. She wanted her, and she didn’t know what to do with herself.

Suga’ chuckled melodically at Annie’s hushed demeanor and her inner turmoil. She decided to answer the question written all over her face.

“Sometimes you challenge me. Say all type ‘a things. Try to jab at me. Other times, you get real quiet like this. What be goin’ on in that pretty head of yours?”

Annie didn’t know what to do with Suga’s assessment of her. Suga’ made her question herself and her past. Smoke was her first everything—the person she thought would save her over and over again. But somewhere along the way, she realized she’d have to get over that and start saving herself.

With how stagnant her life has been, she ain’t really had the chance to think about life outside of the quiet bubble she formed around her li’l home.

Suga’ was a new addition to her life after years of running behind a man who knew nothing but creating havoc.

Suga’, in contrast to him, was stable.

Sure of herself.

Dependable.

Hard-working.

And while Smoke has been some of those things at one point in time, he had left a sour note in Annie’s mouth.

So to answer her question, half the time Annie couldn’t decipher what was going on in her head, so she just said that out loud.

“I don’t even know,” Annie spoke quietly, nursing her glass to avoid the other woman’s eyes. “Sometimes I think it’s just hard for me to give in.”

Suga’ relaxed at her confession, finding understanding there. Of course she knew Annie had a thing for her back. She wouldn’t have pursued her so hard if she thought otherwise, but this was the first time they’d be having a real conversation.

“I don’t ever wanna make things harder for you,” Suga’ began, placing a hand over Annie’s that sat on the top of her thigh. “I just wanna hold you, Honey. Kiss you. Make you feel good. Cook you breakfast in the morning. Bring you things home from work. Run yo’ bath water. Make yo’ life easier. Bit by bit.”

Annie peered into her eyes to find nothing but honesty there. Tears prickled in her eyes.

“Ain’t nobody ever tried to court me as genuinely as you have,” Annie cheesed, wiping her cheek.

Suga’ looked at her like she was the only woman in the world.

“I hope you get used to it,” she smiled brightly, “‘cause I ain’t stoppin’ ‘til you mine. And even then, I’m gon’ treat you the way you deserve m.”

Suga’s fingers wandered to the edge of Annie’s dress that was rising up on her thighs. Annie’s hands played with the watch and rings the other woman wore. They were in their own little world.

Moonshine on their lips.

Sweet words on their tongues.

Heat building up in the air between them.

Annie watched as a bead of sweat fell down the side of Suga’s neck, sinking into the soft spot at the bottom of her throat and gliding across her collarbone. It mesmerized the woman as she had never seen anyone’s body glisten the way Suga’s did.

As music churned in the background, Annie found herself fighting to reach out and touch that soft spot at the bottom of her throat. But she couldn’t give in.

Suga’ had the same problem. Not wanting to scandalized the room they were in by placing heavy hands on the woman facing her. But her fingers twitched, attempting to make their way underneath the black fabric.

Annie’s skin was a delicious brown.

The color of coffee on Sunday mornings spent sitting on the front porch.

The color of cool delta clay, putty in Suga’s hands as she works it diligently.

Their eyes danced about each other, urging the other to give in to the temptation. After a while, Annie finally did so, placing a finger under Suga’s chin, forcing her eyes up.

Her voice was low.

Smooth.

Practically purring.

“Wanna get outta here, Sug’” Annie asked.

She nudged her head towards the door smirking at the quickening of Suga’s heart rate.

Suga’ glanced around the room, a soft smile causing her cheek to dimple.

She leaned over in her stool, grabbing Annie’s hips that were seated in her own stool.

“Go say bye to yo’ peoples,” Suga’ demanded, kissing the side of Annie’s neck. That caused the woman’s breathing to stop for just a short second, but Suga’ picked up on everything that had to do with Annie. She left another kiss on her collarbone. This time a small whine erupted from Annie’s lips, but she couldn’t revel in it long as Suga’ stood up, helping Annie down from her stool.

“I’ll be at the door waitin’ for ya’,” she breathed, brushing a hand along the top of Annie’s ass as she went out in search of Mary to say her goodbyes.

[applebutter-and-cinnamon]

Breath of Life

Pairing: Joe Rantz x OC (Sadie)

Warnings: Drowning, Choking on Water, Passing out, Being unable to swim

Disclaimer: I've never actually drowned before, so if I've gotten some things wrong I apologize.

Boys in the Boat Masterlist

This is not meant to be a reflection of the real person that was portrayed in the Boys in the Boat. It is a work of fiction.

Joe's lungs were burning when Bobby finally yelled at them to ease up. Coach Ulbrickson signaled at them to head back to the docks when they were ready before speeding off in his boat ahead of them.

It was an unusually sunny day in Seattle. The water was calm and they had glided through the water easily all throughout practice. He was winded and tired, but in a remarkably good mood. The boys ahead and behind him were tilting their heads back toward the sun and running their fingers through the crisp water outside their boat.

Bobby let them all rest a moment before signaling with a shout to begin rowing back to the shell house. They rowed as if each passing second was a luxury. He and the rest of his shells crew were a well-oiled unit when they were all focused on keeping their heads in the boat and nowhere but in the boat.

They pulled up to the docks, pulled themselves out of the shell, and carried it out of the water into the shell house. Bobby, who was too short to be much of a help in carrying it, walked in front of them. He cleared the way and opened doors, making it easier for them to store it quickly.

Joe only felt the day catch up to him when they hit the showers and he felt the long, continuous stream of water falling softly against the skin of his back. He was hoping to see Sadie later in the day, she liked to study under a giant oak tree after her last lecture of the day and if he caught her in a good mood, he thought he might be able to convince her to study later and spend some time with him instead.

He wasn't the only guy in the boat with a girl he was eager to get to after practice. Roger had a date lined up with his Annie and Shorty had said something earlier about meeting up with a new girl that he'd met the previous night. Joe had never seen Don with a girl, but he was pretty sure that his stroke had plans to study with Bobby.

Joe toweled off and dressed himself quickly, his mind navigating the quickest path towards the oak tree that Sadie loved. He'd finished tying his shoes when the first desperate screams of a young woman echoed through the boathouse.

There was a brief moment, when the guys shared shocked looks with one another before they all burst into motion. Leaving through the locker room door and out into the main storage room of the shell house. Moving quickly, he was able to see the coaches also peaking their heads out of their office in alarm. Mr. Pocock appeared too, out of the workshop on the second story and holding a tool in his right hand.

To Joe's surprise he recognized the girl who was panicking desperately in the face of one of the freshman boys. It was Lily, one of Sadie's friends, who was pulling harshly at the boys arm trying to get him to follow her.

"Lily?" She turned toward him the second he called out her name in confusion. Her eyes were filled with tears that were pouring down her cheeks as she hurried over to him, grabbing his arm and pulling her with him. She was breathing so hard that it was hard to understand what she was saying outside of an obvious call for help. "What's wrong? What is it?"

He didn't like the look she was giving him. It was so full of not just fear, but blood curdling panic. It wasn't for her though, it seemed to be for someone else and at the way she was gripping his arm, turning it white with her strength, Joe had a stomach dropping feeling at who it might be for.

"It's Sadie, someone pushed her in the water."

~~~

Sadie tilted her head back, basking in the beautiful Seattle sunshine. It had been days, upon days of endless rainfall and when the clouds had parted to reveal the sun's golden rays shining through the windows in her lecture hall, she couldn't help but smile. Thankfully, her professor had also seen the rare sunshine and had released them early for the day, rushing his way out ahead of everyone else.

Following the rest of her classmates out into the warm air, Sadie saw the oak tree that normally pulled her to rest beneath it's offer of shade. Whether to study or to stare at a cloudy sky, she normally would take it up on it's offer of respite.

Sadie glanced down at the watch on her wrist, she'd gotten out of her lecture early enough that if she hurried, she might be able to catch Joe after practice. She missed him. He had been extremely busy between rowing, saving money up for his tuition, and his homework that it had been hard for them to find the time to spend together. She was determined to find the time to spend with him today.

She redirected her course and set out for the University of Washington's shell house. It was a little bit far from where her lecture was, but it was so nice out that Sadie found herself enjoying the walk. The breeze messed her hair but it also carried the scent of fresh water and sweet grass. She had to meander around groups of other students but it was so nice to see everyone smiling instead of rushing from building to building.

The ground grew steeper, sloping down towards the water's edge as she drew closer. From a distance, she could make out a group of tall, young men carrying their boats inside. She couldn't see Joe's crew but there wasn't anyone else out on the water either so she assumed that he was inside showering and resigned herself to waiting.

She had begun to look for a large tree to occupy her time under when she spotted a flickering hand in the air, waving back and forth to get her attention. Following the hand down, she was met with the dazzling white smile of Lily. She was smiling so hard that Sadie wondered if her cheeks were hurting, nevertheless, Sadie couldn't help but smile back at her, waving as she did.

"Come over here," Lily yelled, waving her over to where she rested on one of the floating docks. Sadie hesitated.

It shouldn't have been a big deal. Many of the other students liked to lay on the docks during nice weather to watch the rowing teams compete at the end of practice, but Sadie, who had never learned to swim had always found herself a bit uneasy on the docks. They had no railing and the water stretched endlessly down below them.

When Joe had taken her out to row she'd been nervous enough to distract herself from the uneasiness of being out on the open water. Plus, Joe had kept a steady hand on the small of her back, keeping her upright whenever she stumbled. Where Lily was on the docks, she'd have to navigate down a good portion of floating wood around some of the other students who were standing to leave now that practice was over and heading in the other direction.

Sadie glanced at the shell house, thinking over her own fears and looked back to where Lily was smiling brightly. It couldn't hurt, she guessed, and she wouldn't have to stay long. Once Joe came out she could quickly head back to the safety that was dry ground and spend the rest of her evening with her beau.

"Sadie!" Lily called again, laughing slightly in bewilderment at the stalled movement of her friend.

She forced a bright smile and placed a hesitant foot on the first slat of wood, "I'm coming!"

She kept one arm around her school books keeping them close to her chest as more of a comforting pressure than to keep them from falling in the water and she used her other arm, low as it was by her side, for stability. Sadie moved slowly, as courageous as she was trying to be, she could feel how hard her heart pounded and was perfectly fine with taking her time.

Moving quickly in the other direction, the last group of students on the docks walked by her and jostled the wood slightly as they did. She inhaled sharply at the movement then smiling politely as they tossed her concerned glances at the noise. She waited a moment for the dock to steady then continued on at her leisurely pace.

Sadie glanced up to measure the amount of distance remaining between herself and Lily. It wasn't too much further and then she could lower herself on the blue cotton blanket that Lily had spread out carefully to sit on. She'd already quirked a brow to begin saying something to Lily when the thud of rapid footsteps came up behind her. Sadie didn't have time to look to see who it was before they slammed into her shoulders and knocked her unsteady.

Her books slipped from their careful placement against her chest as her feet slid out from beneath her. She only had enough time to draw in a quick breath before she felt the water close around her head.

It was shockingly cold, she thought to herself. Distantly, she could make out the panicked voice of Lily calling out something above the water. Sadie knew enough about swimming to know that she needed to use her legs to propel herself up the surface of the water. Struggling, she kicked her legs, feeling her shoes slide off of her feet as she did. The water swished around her, moving her up before something tightened at her ankle pulling her back slightly, just as her outstretched finger broke the surface of the water.

She looked down to see a tangled strip of net caught around her ankle. Curling down, she did her best to loosen the net to free her foot from it's confines. Her lungs were burning with the desire to inhale and somewhere in the back of her mind, behind the panic that was building inside of her, she scolded herself for every other time in her life that she'd taken for granted the ability to breathe easily.

The water embraced her, keeping her in it's icy hold and caressing her hair as it floated all about her. It was beautiful, the way the sunlight trickled down through the surface of the water in golden rays. The sun was getting dimmer by the second and she wondered if she were sinking further down.

She couldn't hear Lily's voice anymore and but she hadn't caught the moment it had stopped. What she could hear was the hard pounding of her heart in her head, pounding just as hard as it had the first time she saw Joe smile.

In the next instant the water around her shook, moving her about in the water and bubbles danced along her skin. Rough, warm hands grabbed under her arms in an attempt to pull her up, halting only as the net pulled her back down. Sadie guessed it pulled her farther down this time as the sun's rays continued to disappear from her view.

The same rough hands grabbed her cheeks, shaking her gently and she forced her eyes open. The sun, she thought confused, was starting to look an awful lot like Joe. A very concerned and panicked Joe.

The urge to inhale was too strong for her to resist and her muscle began to work despite her telling it not too, forcing her to inhale a large lungful of icy water. Her body convulsed; hard.

The water shook again, moving further below her and she felt a vibrating sensation from the net around her ankle. She didn't have the energy to look down anymore though, instead, Sadie let her eyes fall closed.

The vibrating stopped after what could've been a moment and she felt herself being pulled through the water again. Rough hands were holding her close to a warm body and she let herself rest there as the world faded into nothing.

Distantly, in the part of her brain that was still working, Sadie was aware of many sets of hands pulling her out of the water and away from the warm chest she'd been resting on. In that same part of her brain, she could hear the panicked voices of Joe's crew as they scrambled around her.

It only took a moment for the familiar rough hands to come back to her, holding her cheeks tenderly for only a moment before she felt firm pressure on her chest. Those hands worked repeatedly against her chest for a moment before they parted her lips. Joe's lips slotted against hers, blowing warm breath into her mouth.

The hands stopped for a moment before picking back up, quicker and with more determination. Hands. Pressure. Lips and breath. Hands. Pressure. Lips and breath. Hands. Pressure. Lips and breath.

After a moment, her brain latched onto the repeated sound of Joe's voice in her ear.

"C'mon baby," he was saying, voice huffing as he worked. Joe's lips pressed against hers and as he breathed into her, she felt something begin to work its way up her lungs.

"Come back to me, Sweetheart," Joe sounded desperate, bordering on hysterical as he called out to her. His lips pressed against her's again, pushing the air into her lungs and this time Sadie forced her eyes open.

Joe knelt above her, blonde hair and a very pale face dripping with water. His eyes trained onto her every movement, while his face was twisted into a pained expression. His endlessly blue eyes were full of tears that he refused to let fall down his face as he concentrated on Sadie.

She gazed at him, unblinking. To her, he looked like the Greek gods of old with his wet, tan skin and shining gold hair. It could very well have been Poseidon or Apollo who had decided to bless her with their presence. Sadie couldn't understand though, why someone so beautiful would be crying and internally cursed whatever situation had put him through such anguish, to hell.

Sadie thought all of this in the split second between when she opened her eyes and when the water surged forward from her lungs back out through her mouth. It spilled over her lips and she felt herself being twisted onto her side as she coughed it out. A large hand rubbing her back as she did. She braced her weight on a shaking elbow so she could cough without hitting her head against the wood.

"There you go, Sadie," Joe encouraged, voice still strained. "Get it all out."

Every breath of air into her lungs caused more water to gush out, burning it's way out of her body. Sadie groaned, she had no idea that water could burn, had thought up until this moment in her life, that it was supposed to be fire's job to burn.

Around her, she could hear the sound of relieved murmuring voices that she had begun to recognize as Joe's crew. After a few agonizing breaths she forced herself to sit up, ignoring the voices telling her to lay down and slumped against Joe, who immediately wrapped her in his arms, supporting all of her weight.

She tucked her head into the darkness between his neck and his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat and listening to his breathing. Sadie forced the oxygen in her own lungs to mimic his rhythm and after a few breaths, Joe caught on to what she was doing.

He began exaggerating his breathing, forcing slow and steady breaths that she could replicate on her own. When she felt like she could breath at a normal rate without focusing all of her brain power to it, she pulled back to look around.

It couldn't have been too much longer since she went under. Lily's blanket was underneath her, the sun was still shining brightly, and the breeze was rustling the leaves of the trees around her. Don Hume was dripping wet, standing closest to them while six other crew members from Joe's boat stood closely behind him. Chuck Day with his arm around a crying Lily.

Joe gripped her cheek with one of his hands, drawing her attention back to him, "I'm going to carry you to the shell house, alright?" His voice trembled slightly but after she nodded her consent, he picked her up and held her securely against his chest. She rested her head against his shoulder, closed her eyes and let his steady rhythm of footfalls lull her away.

~~~

When Sadie gained consciousness, she was still in Joe's arms but they were not outside and they were not in the main room of the shell house. She was laying down on a small, twin mattress with her head resting on Joe's chest. His arms were holding her securely to him. He clung to her like she might slip away at any moment.

She recognized this room from when she'd been in it in passing. It was Joe's room, the one that he shared with Roger Davis, though Roger wasn't in it at present. Light shone through the closed blinds, but it was a soft pink of morning instead of the golden yellow of the afternoon.

As she looked around, she felt Joe stir against her. His eyes fluttered open, took in the fact that she was awake and that she was watching him. He seemed more relaxed now, though she made a mental note of the fact that he seemed unable to stop himself from touching her in some way.

"Hey there," his voice rumbled from deep in his chest, still rough with sleep. His eyes were soft and his thumb was rubbing small circles in the small of her back.

Sadie offered him a weak smile, "Hey."

His forehead was wrinkled with worry. "You gave me quite a scare," he confessed to her.

Sadie nodded, dropping her gaze from his. She brought her hand that was between them up to the center of his chest, drawing small shapes as she composed her thoughts.

Joe was quiet, content to lay with Sadie in his arms. She cleared her throat, "What happened?"

At her question, Joe began to sit up slightly and cradled her face in his hands as he studied her eyes and face. "You don't remember falling in the lake yesterday?"

Sadie reached up to hold one of his wrists in her hand, "I remember that part. I don't remember much else after slipping into the water."

"Lily came into the shell house, completely panicking," Joe started. "She said that you'd slipped into the water and hadn't come back out."

Joe stared at the wall as he recalled it to her. His eyes full of anguish and his grip on her tightened with the need to convince himself that she was beside him.

"We followed her out to where you'd fallen in and I jumped in to grab you out but you were stuck on something. Thankfully, Don noticed and jumped in after me. He had a pocket knife that he used to cut you free."

Sadie nodded, it all checked out to her. She could remember the vibrating sensation dancing up her foot while she was in the water.

"You couldn't have been in there for very long, but by the time we pulled you out, your lips were blue. You weren't breathing," Joe paused, breathing deeply. His eyes fell shut and he leaned his forehead against hers.

They rested like that for a short time while Joe tried to calm himself down, clutching to her like she was a lifeline. After a bit, Sadie pulled back and Joe opened his eyes to look at her. They were both sitting upright now but she rose up on her knees, hearing the mattress groan as she did.

She grabbed onto Joe's shoulders to steady herself and swung one of her legs across Joe's hips so that she was straddling him. His hands came up to rest on her hips, stabilizing her as she sat down on his thighs.

Sadie slid her hands from his shoulders and into his hair, caressing his blonde curls and massaging his scalp until his shoulders released the tension he was holding there.

Joe cleared his throat and looked at her, "You weren't breathing so we did CPR until you were. I carried you back to the shell house, Bobby had run to grab a Doctor while I went in after you so they checked you out."

"What did they say?" She asked, moving her thumbs up to smooth his temples. Joe leaning into her touch as she did.

"You were awake for that part," he hummed, "But, you feel back asleep pretty quickly after. Doc said you were fine and that you'd need to take it easy for the next couple of days. You were pretty out of it though, so I took you in here and we both fell asleep."

She shivered and Joe brought the quilt that was covering them both to wrap more tightly around her shoulders, while pulling her closer to him. "Thank you," she whispered.

He shook his head, "Please, don't ever do that again. I don't think I can handle it."

She laughed blankly, "I wasn't really trying to do it the first time either."

Joe nodded, "I know." He cupped her cheeks and brought her in for a slow, warm kiss that had her melting into his touch. It was a kiss that told her just how worried he had been and how glad he was to have her near him now.

Sadie responded in kind, gliding her hands across his skin and pouring all of her love for him into their kiss. Joe's hands flexed against her hips and turning his head, he deepened their kiss. His tongue parted her lips and he kissed her until all Sadie could taste, feel and hear was Joe Rantz.

A/N: Y'all I fell in love with this idea and was having such a fun time writing it up until the end. It sort of died there lol. Thanks for sticking it out til then and I'll do my best to keep writing for the boys.

[try-again-bissh]

"Imagine Being Love by Me" Pt 2

Smoke x Annie x OC Sinners Fic

Modern AU

Hello ! the bees in my brain are screaming, they demand I write so here I am back again. My 2025 motto has been 'don't be afraid to be seem trying" and BOY do I feel seen. I love Pearline and Sammie so there's more of them in this section. Also I now have a summary I guess!

part 1

Warnings: None for this part.

Word count: 2930

Enjoy!

Cassidy has arrived in Clarksdale, Mississippi to visit her best friend from college Pearline. Pearline is excited to show Cassidy around and allow her to sample all Mississippi has to offer, which may include more learnings and love than Cassidy is ready for.

Day 1 of 16

Cassidy hefted her backpack further up her back and wheeled her suitcase out the automatic doors of the airport. She paused the Mississippi heat pressed in on her from all directions. She looked around and took in how perfectly flat the horizon was all around her, past the airport parking lot the world seemed to go on forever here. She turned her face up toward the sun and took in a deep breath, it was so different from New York. Different from the city but even different from where she was living now further upstate away from the noise. A honk to her left caused her eyes to pop open and she turned to see Pearline standing in the open door of her car waving at her. 

“Babygirl!” A smile burst across Cassidy’ face as she shouted, hefting her suitcase up and hustling towards her. She dumped her bag and caught a squealing Pearline in a hug. Arms wrapped around her shoulders she squeezed her friend hard, bending her back and rocking her side to side. 

“Ah, I fucking missed you girl!” Pearline moaned.

“Missed you too, come here lemme look at you” Cassie murmured.

Taking a step back, her hands running down Pearline’s arms to clasp her hands and took a good look at her friend for the first time in a while. Pearline looked amazing. Fresh braids pulled into a high ponytail, her gorgeous chocolate brown skin, glowing and even, her eyes were sparkling. 

“Goddamn girl, is it love or is it the Souf that got you shining like this? I am tryna get like you, shit” Cassidy exclaimed. 

Pearline swatted her in the arm for her terrible impression of a Southern accent. 

“Look at me?! Girl look at you! Daddy got a retwist just for me huh? Look at how long yo hair is.” 

“Yeah you know, I had to get right before I meet all your friends. I can't have people talking shit about us city slickers” Cassie pushed her hand through locs and shook them out, preening slightly. 

Pearline shoved Cassie away and beeped open the truck of her car, “Get yo shit and let's go city slicker” 

After loading her luggage into the car, Cassie settled in the passenger seat as Pearline pulled out onto the road. The flat Mississippi terrain whipping by the window, nothing as far as the eye could see, few trees off in the horizon. 

“I can't believe you made it” Pearline said, awe coating her tone. 

“I promised I would, shit is settled at the farm and it's cold as shit right now I would rather be here.” Cassie replied, turning to look at her friend. 

“I believed you when you promised but damn it's been years I've missed you, girl”

“Aht aht, it's been 18 months not years! And I've missed you too that's why I'm here, I'm ready to root and toot or whatever y'all do out here” Cassie laughed. 

Pearline was her roommate sophomore year of college. Still homesick and feeling lost in the ever swelling crowds of privileged white folks the two of them struck a fast friendship. 

They had been with each other through so much, internships, microaggressions, bad break ups (Cassidy had notoriously keyed Pearl's garbage ex boyfriends car, he spent years crossing the street every time he saw Cassidy in town, bitch ass) and even Pearline finally packing up and moving back home to Mississippi. 

The last almost two years had been filled with daily phone calls and weekly zoom sessions. Cassie listening to Pearl wax about reconnecting with Sammie after so many years away, hearing about her truly making a life for herself now. For the last 8 months Pearline had been begging Cassie to finally come down and visit, the club that Sammie and her performed at regularly was celebrating its 2 year anniversary and it seemed the perfect time for Cassie to take a much needed vacation. 

Cassie pulled her phone out of her pocket, opened the camera and held it forward so both her and Pearline were in the frame. 

“Smile baby!” She shouted, Pearline’s eyes darted briefly away from the road to smile brightly at the camera. 

“I got one y'all! Snagged ha and dragged ha ass out to the Delta!” She called whooping like a cowboy and beating on her horn as they continued down the empty road. Laughter burst from Cassie thick and full and she fumbled to end the video. 

~~~

Hours later in the front room of Club Juke, Annie was leaning against the bar, swiping through Instagram on her phone. A new story posted by Pearline caught her attention and she clicked it. A boomerang showing the arrivals gate at the airport showed from 6 hours ago, “ma girl’s finally here !” The caption read. 

Next a repost from someone else's story showed Pearline driving and a gorgeous black woman sitting in the passenger seat shouted “Smile, baby!” Annie was struck by how bright and wide the woman's smile was; she missed the rest of the post. She fumbled her finger and replayed it again, this time the woman's playful rich giggles ringing in her ear. 

The next story post was from 30 minutes ago, a repost from Sammie's story, it showed Pearline and the women standing in almost a prom pose next to Sammie's truck, Pearline beaming at the camera while the women had one arm around her waist and looked down at her with a smirk. Sammie had caption it “third wheeling with your woman and her stud best friend” followed by a face palm emoji and the crying emoji. 

Annie noticed the woman was tagged and briefly hesitated before clicking on her IG, it was private to her disappointment. Her bio read:

Cassie and sassy.

Brooklyn born n raised

Farmer/Rancher in Seneca NY

She/They/Daddy 💦

Annie bit her lip and swiped back to Pearline's story to watch the video again. Captivated, she didn't notice Elijah beside her till he kissed her temple. She jumped, and he cocked an eyebrow at her. 

“Who dat?” He looked at her phone screen now showing the photo of Pearline and Cassie. 

“Pearline got a friend from school visiting, that's her. Cassie.”

She tapped back to the video and turned the phone for Elijah to see. He looked properly, the corners of his mouth turning up unconsciously at the sound of her laughter. Annie watched him. When the photo of Pearline and Cassie came up she held her thumb to the screen so it wouldn't time out and Elijah turned the phone to take a better look. 

Cassie was taller than Pearline even in her customary 5 inch heels. She had dark brown skin glowing and dark dreadlocks curled and tumbled over her shoulders. She was wearing an oversized white button up held together with only two buttons done up, thick belt buckle at the waist her jeans tight and snug over her thighs till it fell down straight over her huge chunky combat boots. Big gold rings on the fingers of her hand around Pearline's waist matching the gold necklace disappear down the collar of her shirt. 

Elijah's eyes roamed over her as Annie watched his reaction, he was so busy studying her figure he didn't catch Sammie's caption, when he did his jaw clenched and he caught Annie's eyes. 

“She's pretty.” He said, pressing his lips to Annie's cheek as he pulled away. “C'mon baby car’s warmed up” 

Annie tapped back to the video letting Cassie's voice and laughter wash over her. “Pretty.” She hummed and followed Elijah out. 

Day 2 of 16

Club Juke was absolutely packed. Line outside going well down the street and curving in front of the tamale place. Cassie’s eyes widened as Sammie pulled into what seemed to be a VIP parking spot right up front. Pearline was checking her makeup in the mirror, cleaning the lines of her lip look. Cassie patted her pockets to make sure she had her phone and cards on her. Her own lips are lightly red and glossy. She looked up in time to catch Sammie staring adoringly at Pearline, hand forgotten on the keys in the car's ignition. Pearline noticed and gave him a questioning look and gentle smile. Sammie leaned across and ruined all her hard work by giving her a full kiss on her lips. She yelped and returned the kiss, swatted him on the shoulder as he leaned back. 

“You beautiful” he said to her shrugging. He killed the engine and hopped out, walking around the car to open Pearline and Cassie’s door. Cassie looked up startled, from where she was checking out the patrons in line. 

“Such a gentleman our Preacherboy is” she said sweetly as she hopped out. Pearline slid from her seat, like liquid sin. She was wearing a very tiny hot pink sleeveless dress, sparkling tights and shiny black heels that made her legs seem to go on for years. Cassie could completely understand how distracted Sammie was every time he looked at her. 

They were so sweet it made Cassie’s teeth ache looking at them. Pearline deserved someone who was so in love with her they couldn't see the world around them and that was Sammie for sure. 

Sammie’s arm slid around Pearline’s tiny waist in that dress and held out his hand to help her step onto the curb. He didn't follow and hung back so he could watch her walk in front of him. And walk she did. Cassie stifled a giggle, and followed her as she made her way to the entrance. 

Both Sammie and Pearl were recognized by folks on line, calling out to them asking if they would be singing tonight which Sammie denied. 

“Just hanging with family tonight yall, sorry” he said as the bouncer waved them inside. 

Pearline has described Club Juke to Cassie multiple times, having been heavily involved in the place since its grand opening. But seeing it in all its majesty was something else. Unlike the clubs Cassie frequented when she lived in Brooklyn Club Juke was all southern charm and what could only be described as black opulence. Two floors, huge full bar, stages and raised platforms the space was amazing and had all the grandeur of a theater. 

Everywhere Cassie looked there was amazingly dressed gorgeous black and brown folk dancing, drinking and chatting. Glasses clinked and the music was soaring around the room. Cassie was almost breathless with excitement. 

Tonight’s gonna be a good night. She thought giddily. 

Pearline made her way to the less crowded bar away from the stage and waved the bartender over. She plopped herself onto a stool and turned to grab one for Cassie. Cassie was gazing around eyes wide and impressed. Pearline caught her wrist to get her attention and gestured to the seat, Cassie shook her head and leaned against the bar to Pearline’s right keeping the door and the crowd in her sight. Sammie pressed in on Pearline’s left and began chatting with the bartender.

“You can sit. It’s chill here Cassie, I promise.” Pearline leaned in closer to Cassie. 

Cassie was already shaking her head trying to deny that she was on edge but Pearl knew her too well. 

“Maybe I should've wore a dress.” She leaned in to speak in Pearline’s ear. She had already caught people looking her way as they walked in and this isn't even the most masculine she could look. 

“Stop, you look fucking amazing and like I said you good here. I wouldn't bring you nowhere where people don't know how to act.” Pearline swatted her shoulder and then squeezed her arm in reassurance.

“And my cousins don't play about shit like that. People probably not lookin for the reason you think, me and Pearl here most nights. Clarksdale is still a small city you just a new face.” Sammie said, leaning over to hand both Pearline and Cassie drinks. 

“We got you, don't worry.’ Pearline added. 

“Alright okay, thank you and cheers yall!” They all clinked glasses. 

“My friend Therese is performing later tonight, I want you meet her, she's good people. Her and Corey too.” Sammie nodded to Pearline’s words leaning into her side and kissing her shoulder. 

Cassie smiled again watching them, Sammie seemed like he couldn't spend 5 minutes without his lips or hands somewhere on Pearline. They had been together for 2 years already and seemed still well entrenched in their honeymoon era. 

“She been texting me all day nervous as hell but she's gonna be great” Pearline continued snuggling back into Sammie’s side. Cassie nodded along listening as she took in the crowd again. 

Much how Cassie imagined the red sea parting the crowd around the entrance parted giving Cassie clear view what could possibly be the most beautiful woman she had ever seen walking into Club Juke.

A vision in bright chartreuse, one shoulder long sleeved number, deep rich brown skin fucking glowing like she held the light of the sun in her chest, thick as fucking hell, the women was tall and confident her eyes scanning the room.

Cassie swallowed heavily and tore her gaze away, last thing she wanted was to be caught gawking here. She took a gulp of her drink and blinked hard, biting down on her lip she stole another glance up.

The woman had made her way to the bar on the other side of Club Juke, on her walk there she had been stopped multiple times, kissing cheeks, giving out hugs and waving at people too far from her to greet properly. 

The bartender almost tossed himself over the bar to greet her, she asked him something, and he turned and pointed to the upper level. Watching her from the back was almost as good as the front. Her dress was floor length and fit her body like she was born in it. Her ass sat high and full and the curve of her lower back was a vision. The sleeveless side of the dress exposed her shoulder and the tender nape of her neck. Cassie was awestruck. 

Maybe southern women are just built different cause goddamn. Cassie thought, she tore her gaze away and again and realized Pearline was no longer talking. 

Caught out Cassie froze, meeting Pearline's smirking gaze. 

“Ion wanna hear it Pearl.” Cassie said quickly turning to face the bar. 

Pearline was quiet which made Cassie wary, she picked up her cocktail napkin and gestured towards Cassie, confused she leaned closer to her friend. Who then wiped roughly at the corner of Cassie's mouth and shouted “Wipe the drool off ya face den!” 

“Stop it Pearl get offa me” Cassie squirmed out of her hold, her drink spilled over he fingers as she freed herself. Cassie shook her hand out and placed her drink on the bar. Pearline was still cackling as Sammie chuckled beside her. 

“Ugh I hate y'all, where's the bathroom you nosey bitch?” Cassie pouted, wiping both sides of her mouth with her dry hand to make sure she wasn't actually drooling. Pearline burst into laughter again and pointed out the restrooms under the staircase to the second floor. Cassie huffed and made her way through the crowd towards the restroom. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and as she looked down to check it she collided with someone. Her phone clattered out of her hands and to the ground. 

Shea butter, tangerine and herbs filled her nostrils. She stepped back an apology already on her lips. She looked up and met gorgeous almond shaped brown eyes, perfectly lined and surrounded by full lashes. 

Cassie choked on her own tongue. Something that looked a lot like recognition came over the woman's face and she pursed her lips, gaze dragging over Cassie's face.

“Sorry, I wasn't looking.” The woman's voice was rich and low. She had such a smooth accent that Cassie wasn't able to place but it tickled in her brain. She smiled softly. Cassie was already shaking her head, waving away her apology. 

“No, it was me I shouldn't be on my phone like that anyway.” Cassie said. 

“It could've been very important.” she replied. 

“Couldn't be, I've already forgotten what I was looking at” Cassie said finding herself slightly outta breath the longer she spoke to her. There eyes were locked and Cassie had no interest in looking away.

“Well let's see” she bent down, ignoring Cassie's protests and scooped Cassie phone off the ground and held it out to her.

Cassie reached out to take it and their fingers brushed, sending tingles down Cassie's back. 

“So?” The women looked expectantly at Cassie, eyebrow raised. “Is it important?” She asked. 

Cassie struggled to tear her eyes away from her gaze and unlocked her phone. The notification showed a new text message from Cassie's ex Olivia. She involuntarily sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes locking her phone and shoving it back into her pocket. 

The woman's laughter caused her to look up again. She had one hand cupped over her mouth as she laughed. Her face completely lit up in her humor and Cassie felt her jaw slacken slightly again.

“I guess not then” she said still smiling and looking Cassie right in the eyes.

Cassie opened her mouth to reply when the woman’s own phone lit up and she looked down to reply to a text. 

“Sadly this is important, but you have a good night” she said as she held her phone. She turned to walk away and then said over her shoulder “I'll see you later maybe?”

Cassie nodded and replied “Uh I sure hope so” 

She got another beautiful glowing smile in return. The woman made her way to the staircase and disappeared up to the second level as Cassie watched her walk away. 

Mhm they built different down here for sure. Cassie thought as she made her way on to the line for the restroom. She didnt notice dark heavy eyes watching her interaction from the second level of the club.

~~~

Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think <3

[ongreenergrasses]

for fluff prompts, i would love to read annie and finnick in d13. or their first kiss. or them interacting in passing before annie's games. i realize all of these you can turn into angst but still

i’ve written about them in 13 here and here (although they are decidedly NOT fluffy fics lmao) and first kiss here so I did the third option…i hope you enjoy! there’s OCs from my fic Serafina in this, all you need to know is that they’re Annie’s friends.

Annie pulled her sweater a little tighter around herself. The wind had picked up as the sun had started to set, and the way it whipped against her bare, still damp legs made her shiver.

“Joumana!” she shouted, craning her neck down the beach. “Hurry up!”

Delfin elbowed her. “She’s still licking her wounds,” she said under her breath as Joumana came running up to them, something clenched tight in her fist. “Don’t push her.”

“She doesn’t have any wounds,” Annie grumbled. “He didn’t even know she existed, it’s -”

“You’re being mean, Annie.”

Annie clamped her mouth shut.

“I don’t know what to do,” Joumana was panting out as she skidded to a stop in front of them. “I just - it blew down the beach, and I didn’t -”

“What is that?” Delfin asked as Annie snatched the fabric from her.

“It’s Finnick’s shirt,” Joumana said. She sounded like she was near tears.

Annie and Delfin stared at her.

“You just…took it?” Delfin asked. She was clearly trying not to laugh. Annie stepped on her foot.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Joumana said again. “Should I -”

“You have to give it back,” Annie said.

“I can’t,” Joumana hissed.

“Well, you have to.”

“He’s coming,” Delfin said. “Joumana, this looks really weird.”

“I can’t talk to him.”

“He doesn’t even know who you are,” Annie said, exasperated, and winced as Delfin elbowed her again, hard.

Joumana glared at her. “I can’t,” she said again. Her lip was wobbling.

“Annie, go,” Delfin said under her breath.

“But I didn’t -”

“Do you think she wants him to see her cry? Go!”

“But then he’ll think I -”

Delfin shoved her, hard. Annie stumbled down the slope of the beach, almost fell, and when she turned around, she saw Delfin and Joumana disappearing up over the crest of the hill.

Annie squared her shoulders and marched the rest of the way down the beach. “I didn’t take your shirt,” she said as soon as Finnick was in earshot. “It was my friend, she -”

“Joumana,” he said. “I know.”

“She freaked out. You’re probably used to that now, though.”

Finnick shrugged. “Not really.”

Annie looked him up and down.

She’d never really seen Finnick before. She’d seen him on television, obviously, but not in person. He’d been living with Mags even before he became a victor, not in town, and she didn’t think he’d been going to school before, either.

He was a little shorter than her.

“Here,” she said, and held the shirt out to him. “Sorry.”

Finnick shrugged. He pulled his shirt back on, and it mussed up his hair enough that it was sticking up at the back of his head.

“You’ve got -” Annie said, motioning to the side of her hair. “Your hair’s sticking up.”

Finnick scrubbed a hand through his hair. It made it stick up more, and Annie bit back a smile.

She heard a shout from behind them and turned to see Delfin waving at her. “I should probably go,” she said, “it’s -”

“Can you tell Joumana I’m sorry?”

Annie stared at him.

“It’s - a lot’s changed. And it’s better if I -“

“Sure,” Annie said, cutting him off. “I’ll tell her.”

Finnick nodded.

He’d seemed different on television. It made sense, they learned how to present themselves in training, and he’d clearly relied on that, but now, he seemed…

He was shorter than her, but it wasn’t just that. His shoulders were caving in a little bit. It was like he was making himself smaller.

Annie realized, suddenly, that he was alone. Nobody had come up the beach after him.

“Hey,” she said. “If you and Joumana figure out - whatever it is, you could hang out with us sometime. If you want.”

Their eyes met. Annie thought, abruptly, that he had nice eyes.

“It’s okay,” Finnick said. Another gust of wind came in, blowing off the sea, and they both shivered. “But I appreciate it.”

Annie nodded.

“Annie!” she heard Joumana shout. “Come on!”

“Thanks for giving my shirt back,” Finnick said.

“Obviously,” Annie said. “We’re not creeps. If you want to hang out, let me know.”

“Okay,” he said softly. “Bye.”

“Bye,” Annie said, and turned and ran back up the beach.

[scarlettscribbles]

prologue

PART OF neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons by the sea DRABBLE SERIES ↠ masterlist

- Lucy Gray Baird & Daughter!OC, mentioned Lucy Gray Baird x Coriolanus Snow

Summary: 1.7k words - The words were on the tip of her tongue before Coriolanus had let it slip that he'd killed three people.

As Lucy Gray became a ghost lost in the wind, so did her secrets.

a/n: i cannot stop thinking about snowbaird !! inspired by my visenya-verse and also bc i love writing about children being loved :)

also, shout out to PlayingTheGameOfThrones' It's Quiet Uptown! i was reading snowbaird fics and i was so happy to find a secret kid fic. literally squealed in excitement bc i was like, that's what's literally in my brain rn

In truth, Lucy Gray was too young to be doing this. Halfway eighteen, with her heart broken by a man — a boy, really — who almost killed her. Ironically, the suspect of her current predicament was the same person. Oh how Lucy Gray hated it that he still haunted her now.

She had Lucy Gray’s tan skin, her baby girl. The wisps of her hair stuck against her forehead were bright blond. Lucy Gray wondered if her hair would darken eventually.

Annabel Rose Baird was a sickly baby. Her heart was weak and every night, Lucy Gray would have trouble sleeping, afraid that she’d wake up with a cradle gone cold. But she was a survivor, her Annie. Much like her mother. (And father.)

But they could not live on that alone. Lucy Gray, barely recovered from birth, wrapped her baby tight on her back with a sling and took their meager belongings in a bag, setting out to find the community up North Billy Taupe had once talked about. Lucy Gray walked for miles and miles, sometimes wishing she hadn’t left behind that lovely orange scarf her lover gave her. It would’ve made for a more comfortable sleep in their journey. She could’ve given it to Annie as her baby blanket, something to remember her childhood by — the one piece of her father she would ever know or keep. But alas, Lucy Gray had left it behind along with the broken pieces of trust she once thought she could rely on.

Lucy Gray found them eventually. Or rather, they found her. It was in the middle of the night and she’d just put Annie to sleep when flashes of light shone through the gaps between the trees. Cradling her whimpering baby close to her chest, Lucy Gray raised a hand in surrender, hoping that she was saying the right words for them to not shoot her.

They took them to their leader and gave them a small cabin. It was cozy and comfortable but it wasn’t home. Not when their leader, with his calculating eyes and access to Capitol broadcasts, look at her and her baby with such intense scrutiny. Lucy Gray’s paranoia increases every time he “accidentally” chances upon her with questions about the Capitol, about the Hunger Games, about Annie. He’s not as subtle as he thinks he is. Lucy Gray endures his questions, answering casually to alleviate the suspicion upon her. Her heart threatens to beat out of her chest every single time. She could only properly breathe again when she’s back within the four walls of their cabin, with Annie safe in her arms, her little puffs of breath warming Lucy Gray from the inside out.

The one saving grace of the place was Dr. Hartree. She was training under some big shot Capitol doctor when she fled, so she knew more than the District healers did despite the meager hospital equipment she had. She diagnosed Annabel Rose with something called moderate Ventricular Septal Defect; a heart disease she had since birth. Dr. Hartree let her listen to the whooshing sound of her Annie’s heartbeat through the stethoscope. Her baby’s got a hole in her heart. Lucy Gray wept.

Dr. Hartree said that the hole might yet repair itself, that she could look for some medicine that could help strengthen Annie’s heart muscles. But if it did not, Annie would need heart surgery which Dr. Hartree was neither qualified for nor equipped to do. In that scenario, going to the Capitol would be Annie’s best hope, said the doctor. The community’s leader approved Dr. Hartree’s request for getting the medicine. In exchange, Lucy Gray had to take on additional work on top of what she’d already been assigned with to earn her keep. Lucy Gray was both thankful and suspicious. She was no fool, a big favor like that didn’t come without heavier strings. But her baby was alive so Lucy Gray kept her head down. (For the moment, at least.)

Annabel Rose grew up a happy child. She was small for her age but her presence filled the room and her heart was so full of love. Whenever she smiled, a deep dimple showed on her cheek and her warm brown eyes would shine like stars in the night sky. Her baby never did grow out of her blond hair, riotous curls tumbling down her head. She looked like an angel; Lucy Gray’s own angel.

She was truly heaven sent. There were no words to describe how much her daughter made her happy, which was something, coming from a songwriter. Oft Lucy Gray wished the Covey had a chance to know her daughter. Annabel Rose fit in alright with the children of the community, but children can be cruel sometimes. Annie’s body was weak and she ran out of breath fast, making her unable to be included in strenuous physical activities. Lucy Gray was not deaf to the whispers of “runt” that surrounded her daughter, whispers that eventually reached Annie’s ears, causing her to come home tearfully, fisting her mother’s skirt and asking what it meant. Once upon a time, Lucy Gray would have been rearing for a fight but everything was different now. She didn’t have her Covey; her and Annie were alone.

Oh, people were nice enough but, like in District 12, they seemed to be able to sense an otherness in her and Annie that made them unable to accept them fully. It didn’t help that the community leader’s demeanor was like that either. The residents liked and respected him better than the strangers they barely knew anything about, so of course they’d follow his example.

Lucy Gray had been missing her Covey so much that she contemplated going back to District 12, back to her family, when she’d heard that an electric fence was put around it, complete with Peacekeepers patrolling the perimeter. They’d never bothered with that area before, but Lucy Gray had an inkling why they suddenly found it important.

So what else could she do but grit her teeth and bear it? Every night Lucy Gray would sing songs to Annie and tell her stories about the Covey, about her family and the colorful nights and laughter they shared. And Annie’s eyes would shine in the low lamplight, humming along to the tunes.

Lucy Gray did not bring her guitar with her during her journey out of District 12, but she was able to obtain a smaller version — a ukulele — from a traveling salesman. His initial offer nearly took all her saved up money to pay for, but she was able to haggle down to a more reasonable price. At 3-years-old, Annabel Rose learned the basic chords from her mother. The first song she learned was to the tune of Lucy Gray's namesake.

It tugged at Lucy Gray’s heartstrings to hear her Annie’s sweet voice in the warmth of their home. She resolved to write a song for her daughter’s fourth birthday as a gift. Lucy Gray had her song, and so did her Capitol boy. It was only apt that Annabel Rose had one too.

It was the night of Annabel Rose's fourth birthday when everything went wrong. Lucy Gray was humming underneath her breath to the tune of a new song, their tiny kitchen fragrant with the smell of a birthday cake she’d stolen half the ingredients for to bake. She lit up a deformed red candle she attempted to mold from whatever melted wax she could find, cupping the flame between her palms briefly to keep it from being blown out. With a satisfied sigh, she wiped her hands on her apron and walked to the bed to shake her daughter awake.

All Lucy Grey felt was the cold skin of her daughter, her breathing shallow and her skin tinged blue. Her heart dropped to her stomach. With shaking hands, she wrapped Annie in a blanket and lifted her into her arms.

On the way to Dr. Hartree’s cabin, Lucy Gray would not realize that she’d been singing the song she’d written for Annie. And she will sing it under her breath while the good doctor examined her daughter, telling her the heart defect had gotten worse. She’d sing it at the back of her mind while Dr. Hartree tells her that surgery wasn’t an option anymore, that the medicine Annie’ll need is only available in the Capitol, that if she wants her baby to live she’ll need to find some way to get her a heart transplant. She’ll sing it and sing it, hoping the girl she’d written it for would awaken long enough to sing it with her.

She would only stop when Dr. Hartree clasped her hands, telling her in a hushed whisper that she’d found a way to get them to the Capitol discreetly. The doctor’s got family among the Peacekeepers in District 12 who was going to go to the Capitol in two days. Some officer fellow that was high-ranking enough to have his own private train cabin, and kind enough to share it with them. Dr. Hartree had given her temporary antibiotics for Annie with an apology that she couldn’t do anything more. When they arrive in the Capitol, Lucy Gray was on her own. Lucy Gray who had no penny to her name, who would probably be shot on sight once the Capitol had caught wind of her existence.

Her mind was racing on the morn she and a barely-lucid Annie snuck out to the gates. They were met with a heavyset man two heads taller than Lucy Gray, driving a military jeep. Time passed quickly and they encountered no hurdles getting to the train station on time. He lent them warm Capitol-style cloaks so they could blend in upon arrival. He’d even made her a cup of tea, noticing the nervousness in her demeanor. Lucy Gray had not been expecting such kindness from a Peacekeeper, no matter how highly Dr. Hartree spoke of him.

It was nighttime when they arrived, snow falling heavily on the ostentatious buildings. It wasn’t only the cold that made Lucy Gray shiver.

Under the cover of the night, Lucy Gray held her Annabel Rose and rapped on the door of the one she’d hoped would help them. If blood was not an enough reason, she could always appeal to their conscience.

The door swung open.

“Tigris, I need your help.”

[grimicarus]

Mmm, more introspective, I think. The more I gradually flesh out this reader, the more I’m tempted to make a proper oc fic lol

Enjoy. I’ve written this based on a half cobbled memory of how this scene actually went, lmao.

The Gauntlet. A daunting name for an impressively formidable climbing wall. The name brought memories back of childhood games on shiny-squeaky gymnasium floors.

This isn’t like that. No, this isn’t like that at all. No cones line a makeshift corridor, and no children are running gleefully back and forth in an attempt to score points for a game you can’t quite remember anymore. Instead you stand alongside a squad of young adults, too young, who collectively shit themselves at the sight of their next trial.

You, in another life, might’ve been afraid too. But here? In this life? You are a mutt, and when a hound’s master says jump, your duty isn’t to say ‘how high’, it’s to leap with unadulterated faith in the authority holding your leash.

You hold no affection for the Navarre government that sends children to its death, college kids, you think to yourself. In another life, these walking corpses would be studying and drinking. Maybe, in another life, you would be too.

As it stands, your Pretty Bird is determined to fly, and your duty as her mutt is to ensure she can stretch those pretty wings of hers and soar through the deceptively clear skies. Hic sunt dracones.

When your signalled to go, you leap like a dog. Hands thick with callouses that have migrated from the side of your trigger finger to fill out the palms of your hands latch onto rock and wood. You are no graceful dancer, or elegant acrobat. Every move is functional, particular, without energy wasted on petty frills and beauty. You clamber, efficient, clean, sophisticated.

You’ve almost reached the top when you hear it. The shrill cry of your Pretty Bird. Your head darts back, sparing half a moment to pinpoint her location before you’re on the move. Hands wrap around the emergency ropes, stabilizing yourself as you descend twice as quickly as you rose.

“Eyes on me, Pretty Bird.” You grunt, landing with a thunk next to Violet, still reaching for the fallen body of a nameless girl. There’s devastation written on her face.

A shout of your name rises to you, but you spare no thought for the instructor who attempts to scold you from the ground. You may be a hound, but hounds are loyal to their masters and no one else.

“Violet.” You snap, harsh enough to drag wide pretty eyes towards your face. “Keep moving.”

The nameless girl, Audrie or Annie, or some other name you never cared to catch, is gone already. But Violet isn’t. A thick hand, scarred and calloused, wraps around pale thin fingers. “Keep climbing.”

Your Pretty Bird nods, hesitantly, still rattled, but she moves.

Hic sunt dracones. Here there be dragons.

[rose-of-oz]

HOLIDAY SHOUTOUTS

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!! Whether you celebrate or not, I sincerely hope that your day today is amazing and full of love and light <3. That said, I wanted to give some special shoutouts here to all the fellow creators who have helped to make my year that much better. I love every single one of you, and I want to thank every single person who has interacted with my stuff and sent me asks about my babies, but for now these people deserve some special love for all they’ve done for me. Therefore, I want to shout out:

— @luucypevensie, for always listening to my ramblings, no matter how crazy, and for always being willing to talk about crossovers with me.

— @dancingsunflowers-ocs, for being so endlessly supportive of all my plot bunnies and ideas, and for making the most beautiful moodboard gift for my boy Sebastian.

— @carmens-garden, for being my man Wyatt’s biggest fan, for making such beautiful gifts for her exchanges, and for being part of the inspiration for my new Teen Wolf OCs!

— @auxiliarydetective, for introducing me to both One Piece and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen this year (and inspiring my babies Star, Lark, Enola, and Lila as a result), always being willing to listen to my half-crazy ramblings, and teaching me about both ancient Roman society and how German schools work.

— @oneirataxia-girl, for inspiring me to actually introduce my Narnia babies, being my girl Annie’s biggest fan, and just generally being the absolute best.

— @starcrossedjedis, for being an amazing newfound friend this year, being the other person who inspired me to watch One Piece, and just generally being a super cool mom friend.

— @endless-oc-creations, for being the biggest champion of my babies Luci and Carlos, convincing me to watch The Walking Dead, and for the absolutely amazing edits she made for my slasher OC.

— @come-along-pond, as always, for inspiring me to watch The Boys, teaching me British slang, and calling me Mother many times on Discord.

— @ginevrastilinski-ocs, for making such beautiful gifts for my girl Ivana for the Halloween exchange, always sending me asks when I needed them, and being my sister in cool Winchester sister OCs.

— @asirensrage, for always being an inspiration to me and putting up with my rambles in her inbox, and being one of the coolest creators in the game.

— @arrthurpendragon, for always being the best OC fairy godmother any of us could ask for, for her amazing fics, and for inspiring me to create my new Pride & Prejudice babies.

— @nolanhollogay and @witchofinterest, for being some more newfound friends this year and always supporting my ramblings on the queer OC Discord - you guys are the best!!

— @richitozier, for always being an inspiration to me, and for having genuinely some of the coolest OCs and most amazing edits around.

— @bibaybe, for working tirelessly to run the queerocs blog and always hyping up my babies and sending me asks when I needed them most.

— @eddiemunscns, for inspiring me to create three new Ted Lasso OCs, being super nice whenever I chose to bother her, and just generally being a cool person.

And so many more people that I’m so sorry if I’m forgetting!! Again, I really really hope you all have an amazing day even if you’re not celebrating anything, and remember I love and appreciate every single one of you!! ✨🎄

[the-callahan-journal]

Introduction

If you are reading this, hello. My name is Dr. Annabelle Callahan, I have recently moved to Hatchetfield in order to continue my research on the supernatural while also working as a physician.

For years, I have been investigating the origins of an old family heirloom that has passed down through generations, a strange black book with a reverse pentagram drawn in white.

If there are any medical problems you would need to address, any consultations you would like to have, orif you have any other information about the anomalies of Hatchetfield, feel free to contact me and I'll meet up with you right away.

The eyes...they keep watching me...they're Ḛ̴̢̤̣̗͉̯͙̙̘̄ ̶̭͚̟̳̰̹̞̰̻͋͗́̽̔̕͜͝͠V̸̧̺̦̦̜̯̙̊ ̵̤̪̏͌͝Ȇ̴̼̤̤̲̅̉ͅ ̵̻̯̭͚̞͕͉̅̒̒̓͝Ṙ̶̙͔̿͋͊́͑͂̀ ̶̹̯̳̮̼̺̩̑̂͛͌͒̈́͝͝Y̸̢̝̞͍̭̝͕͔̞͑́̏̉̌̽̀̾ ̶̧͍̗̤̍̓̋̆W̶̛͖͎ ̸̧̠̯͉͉̦̫̻̠̒̄̍̏̒͛̂̄͠H̸͙̍͆͗̾̔̍͑̅ͅ ̵̧̱̜̗̭̟̘̭̥̠͑̑̀͐̑̕̕͠E̵̢͕͍̩̅͠͠ ̸͙̺̫̻̳͎͒̈́̌͂͒͐̚R̴̒͋͗̇̒́́͘͜ ̶̛̯̖͈̝̪̋̈́̍̑ͅE̷̹̫͐̿̔̓

(ooc under cut)

Hell yeahh!!! Finally made an oc account! Hello, admin account is @lillazyboithings , any art that will be made in the future, including current and future profiles will be made by yours truly. shout out to my hatchetblr rp moots mwuah mwuah /p

anyways this is my first time doing this kind of account so hopefully it'll turn out well

the way this will be formatted is that this account is free for interaction but besides those i will also be posting journal entries and occasional excerpts of her early years. Sometimes i'll post art here as either an addition to posts or post them as is.

tags:

ooc tag: out of the bowl

in-character tag: annie is here

journal entries tag: callahan journal entries

excerpts tag: annie's childhood

interaction posts: annie talks

all posts will have the usual necessary tags

[koveragewithkiera]

“Father’s Day”

Modern AU: Smoke x Annie Coded (mainly their family lol)

I wanted to put this cute little one-shot together for Father’s Day lol. I might write more about this little family though cause I really liked this one.

WC: 1.3k

Characters: Stack, Dee (OC), Elora (OC), Smoke, and Annie

Enjoy! :)

————————

Stack and his little niece, Elora, give each other a cute high five as they finish their lovely breakfast presentation of mini waffles, bacon, eggs, and intricately placed fruits. Elora was still too young to truly contribute, but he let her help him figure out how they wanted everything to look.

Dee watched the two with a grin as she placed the last dish on the rack to dry. While her brother and niece focused on the presentation, she took the duty of cleaning the dishes they used.

“You like it, Lolo?” Stack picked the little girl up, showing her the platter properly.

She giggled cutely, clapping her hands in excitement. “Mhm! It’s perfect!”

Stack nodded proudly, puffing his chest out as he turned to his sister. “Hear that, Dee? And you said we couldn’t pull it off.”

Dee shook her head at his cocky display. “No, I said I don’t think we should be tryna to surprise him like this.”

“But we have to, Auntie!” Elora pouted towards Dee. It made Dee’s eyes soften at the sight, immediately wanting to take her words back.

Stack catches this, mimicking Elora’s pout. “Exactly, Auntie.“

Dee’s eyes roll with a chuckle as she walks towards the two. “You don’t think it’s weird that Annie ain’t up yet?”

Stack puts Elora down when she starts to reach for Dee’s tablet on the kitchen table. They both watch to make sure she gets in the chair safely before returning to their conversation, and Stack shrugs Dee’s worry off with ease. “I’m sure they both just wore out. Neither of them done had a day off in a minute.”

Dee’s head tilts. “Which is even more reason not to barge into their bedroom at 9 in the morning.”

Stack sighs before picking the wooden board up with both hands. “Just relax, aight? Baby girl wanted to give him a nice lil’ breakfast, so we givin’ him a nice lil’ breakfast.”

Dee throws her hands up in defeat with a small laugh. “Fine by me. Come on, lil’ one.” Dee snatches her niece from the kitchen chair, causing the little girl to giggle.

They let Stack lead the way upstairs, trying to remain as quiet as possible on the steps. They’d done a good enough job at being quiet enough through their morning escapades, but now was time for the big moment. Elora could barely contain her glee, clutching onto Dee’s shoulders as her body practically buzzing in her aunt's arms.

Maybe if not for trying to make sure she was quiet, Stack and Dee would’ve thought something of the light creaking coming from the bedroom.

Maybe if not for trying to balance the board with one hand, Stack would’ve thought to knock before rushing through the door.

And maybe if Stack had just listened to his little sister’s gut (the way he usually would), they both wouldn’t have to witness an eyeful of their sister-in-law’s bare ass.

Stack, Dee, and Elora’s innocent and harmonious voices all shouted the words together as they bustled through the door. “Happy Father’s Da-“

Their words are abruptly cut short as the following events occur in damn near the exact same moment: Dee yelps in shock whilst covering her niece’s face and eyes in her chest, turning them both away from the scene of the crime; Stack’s jaw drops as his body comes to a complete halt, wooden board falling from his limp hands with a loud thud; and Annie and Smoke practically leap from one another as they scramble for coverage, Annie with a shrieking “Oh my god!” and Smoke with a shouting “What the hell?!”.

Stack is still frozen with the door wide open, food long forgotten as his mind clogs up. Smoke ends up covering Annie with his own body under the sheets, and they both meet Stack’s eyes with unified command, “Shut the door!”

That’s what finally gets his feet moving as he scatters for the door knob, slamming the door behind everyone. Dee’s eyes meet his with a strong look of irritation before they soften at the sound of Elora’s muffled voice.

The poor little girl’s voice shakes, her eyes tearing up gradually as her lip quivers. “Papa don’t like his gift?”

“No no no no, sweetie.” Dee plants a gentle kiss on her forehead, walking them towards the stairs as she soothes her niece. “Mama was just um…” She turns to Stack for help as he rubs at his eyes dramatically. She shakes her head with sigh before turning back to Elora, “Mama wanted to give Papa her gift first.”

Stack groans loudly in response, but it seems to be enough for Elora as she settles her head into the nook of Dee’s neck.

The three of them sit at the kitchen table as they wait for Annie and Smoke to come down. The only sound filling the silence is the cartoon that Elora is watching, but it doesn’t seem to distract the other two. Smoke is the first one to come down, a stiff smile sitting on his face as he sees his daughter.

“Papa!” Elora hops from Dee’s lap with a bit of help, jumping into her father’s arms with a squeal.

“Mornin’, baby girl,” Smoke’s voice is breathy, and his siblings have to cover their snickers when he glares their way. He gives Elora a grin. “What you doin’ up so early?”

“We made ya breakfast! Happy Father’s Day!” Her little lisp only further soothes Smoke’s initial annoyance as he tosses her in the air.

“Aww, thank ya, sweet pea! Let’s go wash our hands so we can eat.” Elora shrieked in joy at Smoke’s reaction, but as the two walked off towards the guest bathroom, he sent one last snarl towards his snickering siblings.

This time, their laughter was cut short by the sharp clearing of a throat coming from the stairwell. Their heads whip and their backs straighten in unison to see Annie with her arms crossed and her eyes squinted.

She keeps her voice low as she walks towards the two. “You fools don’t know how to knock?”

“Lolo wanted to surprise y’all.” Dee physically shrinks into her chair under Annie’s stare, humor drained completely from her face.

“She’s four.” Her eyes squint further as they turn to Stack. “I expect adults to know how to enter a married couple’s bedroom.”

“Oh, come on Annie!” Stack makes sure to keep his voice down in whisper. “How was we supposed to know?! Ain’t like we heard nothin’!”

Annie’s eye twitches in that trying way. “We got a child for a roommate, Stack, of course y’all ain’t heard nothin’!”

Luckily, Annie’s demeanor physically cools down as her husband and daughter return to the room. Elora quickly throws her arms towards her. “Mama! I made food!”

Annie coos at her toothy smile. “I know, sweet pea. Let’s see what you made.” She walks them towards the leftover food on the stove and countertop. Thank God they made enough for seconds.

Smoke stays behinds for a bit, giving the two a pointed look. “After we eat, Annie want y’all to clean up that mess you left on our floor.”

His siblings give him a solemn nod. Smoke can’t help but grin though as he thinks of the overall gesture. “But thank y’all. Baby girl seem happy, and that’s all that matters to me.”

He gives Stack’s shoulder a squeeze and throws Dee a happy nod before joining his family in the kitchen. His siblings sit there for a moment of more silence, both mentally flowing through the last 30ish minutes.

Dee’s the first one to speak. “We just saw…”

Stack nods. “Yeah…”

Dee tries again, her face scrunching up. “Annie was…”

“Yep…” Stack ends the word with a popping sound.

Dee sighs. “How you feelin’?”

It takes Stack a minute for that one as he finds his words. “You know, if we was still kids, I wouldn’t have minded. Hell, I might’ve liked it.” He continues quickly before Dee can cut him off, wincing as she kicks his shin under the table. “But now, I think I wanna throw up.”

Dee laughs a bit at that before standing. “Well, maybe you’ll listen to me next year.”

Stack stands along with her with a chuckle, throwing an arm over her shoulder as they head into the kitchen together.

————————

Something short and cute, but Happy Father’s Day to da baddest: Elijah “Smoke” Moore 🫶🏾

[grapefood]

(I made Raggedy Andy fanfiction.)

Summary: Raggedy Andy makes a new cowboy friend from California

Warning: None

Tags: Raggedy Andy & OC platonic, Raggedy Andy centric

Raggedy Andy Makes A Friend

Raggedy Andy lays on the ground as Marcella plays with the twin penny dolls.

“We should dance and sing our favorite song!” Marcella said while impersonating the left penny doll. Marcella giggles and picks up Raggedy Andy from the ground finally.

“Yes! I love singing! In case you lovely ladies didn't know I have a lovely voice!” Marcella said while trying to make her voice deep and raspy as she impersonates her beloved rag doll Raggedy Andy. Raggedy Andy's smile widens slightly due to the way Marcella lovingly holds and plays with him. He wouldn't admit it but he loves it when Marcella would play and toss him around.

Marcella then shoves Raggedy Andy to the ground and started shaking him slightly making him look like he's dancing or what seemed to be dancing. Andy doesn't care how stupid he probably looked right now because he is happy to be loved by his dear friend Marcella so much.

“Sunshine lollipops and rainbows! Everything is wonderful is what I feel when we're together!” Marcella sings the song Sunshine Lollipops pretending that it was Andy and the twin penny dolls singing the song. Marcella would occasionally mess up the lyrics or slur her words together but Andy didn't care, he was having so much fun and if he wasn't pretending to be an inanimate object he would be in a giggling fit just by how happy he was.

But all good things must come to an end when suddenly from downstairs Marcella's mother shouted out to her beloved daughter “Marcella come down stairs! Your friend Maria is here from her vacation in California!” Marcella immediately dropped the toys on the ground as she jolts up and squeals in excitement as she rushes towards the door and turns to the toys “Raggedy Ann you're in charge!” she hurriedly says as she quickly go down the stairs, carelessly leaving the door to her room slightly opened.

After a few seconds of silence, once the toys realized that Marcella was fully gone from earshot the playroom erupted into life as all the toys started to move and talk amongst themselves.

“Oh Andy that looked so fun! Dancing and singing!” Andy's older sister Raggedy Ann said as she twirls and skip around Andy.

“Oh that boring girl stuff? I hated it! I wanted to do something more manly like playing ball!” Andy said as he crossed his arms turning away from his sister but in reality he genuinely enjoyed singing and dancing with Marcella and maybe the twin dolls if he became crazy.

Raggedy Ann would roll her eyes but she is too kind for that so instead she playfully punches Raggedy Andy on the shoulder “Oh Andrew you're just terrible” Ann giggled. Andy's painted on blush became redder as Andy lowers his hat on his head “Annie I told you to not call me that” Andy said slightly embarrassed. Ann only giggled more.

“Oh Raggedy Andy, Oh Raggedy Andy, Why so red? Your sister Ann was just teasing, so just be happy instead! Whoa Oh!” The twin penny dolls sing together as they do a little dance around the two rag dolls. Andy didn't hate the twins but if they fell from a two story building and landed on trash he would smile.

“Anyways have you heard what Marcella's mom said? Maria is back from California! I can't wait to see her again! I wonder if she got new toys with her from the trip to California?” Raggedy Ann cheerfully said as she imagines all the new friends they'll make. Raggedy Andy wasn't a big fan on new dolls especially if they're girl dolls.

Raggedy Andy remembered Maria's toys when her and Marcella were playing together. Maria's toys were nice and there were a few boys but it was mostly girls and Andy unfortunately didn't quite become friends per se with the other boy dolls as it seems the other boys were too busy hanging out with their lady friends or impressing them to be bothered to play rough and tough.

Andy simply looked at Ann and said “If she brings a new doll it better not be a girl.” Ann simply smiled and looked at Andy as she places both of her hands on her hips “Andrew!” Andy looked at her with an overdramatic sigh “Oh Raggedy Ann! Raggedy Ann! I love you! But ever since Babette came I dread the thought of a new dolly from overseas!” Raggedy Andy says with a french accent as he sighs dramatically and leans over towards Raggedy Ann, he is clearly impersonating and slightly mocking the way that Babette is so dramatic with her commentary. Raggedy Ann caught on and simply pinches Andy's cheeks “Oh Andrew you-“

But before Raggedy Ann finished her sentence Grandpa shouted to the other toys “Everyone back to your places! Marcella's coming!” And as soon as Grandpa said that all of the other toys stopped talking and rushed back to where they have been when Marcella left the room.

Marcella entered the playroom with pure childish delight on her face and she looks at all her toys as if they were real people and said “Everyone you guys remember Maria? Well, she is going to play with us in my backyard! Don't worry Babette we'll be extra careful to not get you dirty!” Marcella turned to her french doll Babette from Paris. Babette felt relieved to hear that from Marcella. If only Raggedy Andy wasn't pretending to be an inanimate object because if he wasn't he would be rolling his eyes.

“And also Maria said that she got a new toy from California! She said it was an old toy from her uncle!” Marcella cheerfully explained to her beloved toys. Even though the toys stay still and their expressions were unwavering there was a mutual feeling amongst the toys and that feeling was excitement, curiosity, and nervousness. And Raggedy Andy had those feelings amplified “A dolly from California and it was owned by a man? I hope I can make a boy friend!” Andy innocently thought inside his sweet little cotton head as his candy heart beats from excitement.

Marcella brought all of her toys out onto the backyard. The last time Raggedy Andy saw the backyard it was wet and dirty but the season is spring so the sun kisses the ground with its lovely light causing Marcella's flowers to bloom and the grass was the perfect and healthy shade of green. In the middle of the backyard is a giant clothe and sitting on this clothe is Maria. Maria is wearing a simple green dress and a sun hat and she is surrounded by her many toys that she brought to this playdate.

The dolls are what you expected from an eight year old girl. A bunch of barbie dolls and some plushies. The many barbie dolls were wearing old fashioned early seventies clothing. There are many different animal plushies and one toy that stood out from the rest was an wooden doll that is dressed as a cowboy. Marcella's toys has never seen the cowboy before, maybe this is Maria's new toy.

Raggedy Andy felt delighted to see a boy doll and he looked like a friendly fella. But he can't introduce himself because Marcella and Maria is here. Marcella gave Maria a big hug and they both giggled all giddily, Raggedy Andy felt like an invisible being hugged him when he saw Marcella smile. His smile became slightly wider and thankfully no one noticed… Well, except his sister Raggedy Ann but she wouldn't say anything.

“Is that cowboy the new toy?” Marcella asked with child wonder. Maria picked up the wooden cowboy doll. It was similar like the twin pennies in the way he moved but he was fully clothed in a cowboy outfit and he had a cowboy hat. His hair and facial features were painted on such as his facial hair.

Maria moved the cowboy and made him take off his hat and bow at Marcella “Hello partner, me name be Shirff” Maria said impersonating the cowboy who we just learned is named Shirff. Marcella giggled “Shirff? Like Sheriff?” Marcella asked Maria. Maria's eyes widened as if she just figured something out “Oh! So thats why his name is Shirff! My uncle is a genius!” Maria laughed as she finally understood the name.

While Raggedy Andy is loving the sight of Marcella having fun he is kinda bored and wants to be played with. Raggedy Andy was sitting on the picnic blanket with all the other toys so to get Marcella's attention he simply flopped on the blanket face first causing Marcella to turn her attention to Raggedy Andy. Marcella picked up Raggedy Andy and had a confused look on her face.

“Andy what are you doing silly?” Marcella giggled as she hugs and squeezes Raggedy Andy tight. Raggedy Andy wanted so bad to hug her back but he knew that he couldn't so instead he just stayed in that position and he stared at Shirff. Marcella placed Raggedy Andy on the ground and made his hand do a wave towards Shirff “Hello, my name is Raggedy Andy! I'm an happy go lucky rag dolly with a little candy heart!” Marcella said while doing her Andy Voice(tm) which caused Raggedy Andy to cringe inside.

Maria picked up Shirff and they both started to make Raggedy Andy and Shirff have a little conversation except its just Marcella and Maria pretending to be the two dollies instead of the actual dolls having a conversation.

“Wow! Is it true you wrestled a big scary Alligator mr. Shirff?”

“Uh-huh! But me and the Alligator became friends at the end!”

“Yippee! I wish I have an Alligator-“

Before the two girls could continue playing Marcella's Mother called for both of them to go back inside the house to eat some fish and chips. The girls were slightly disappointed that playtime was paused but they really wanted some fish and chips so they didn't mind too much and they both got up and started walking towards the backdoor leading inside the house. Marcella and Maria before going inside the house turned to their toys. Marcella looked at Raggedy Ann and said “Raggedy Ann you're in charge.” Maria then said to one of her pink teddy bear plushy “Cotton help Ann watch over the others okay?” And with that the two girls went inside.

The toys laid on the picnic blanket unmoving for a few seconds and when the toys were sure that the girls were gone the toys stretched and began talking amongst each other. Raggedy Ann searched for her brother Raggedy Andy and she found him laying on the grass staring at the sky “What are you doing Andy?” She asked suddenly and that made Andy snap out from his trance.

“It's nothing just staring at clouds”

“…”

“Okay! Fine! Ugh! You always know what to say huh?”

Raggedy Andy looked at Raggedy Ann and motioned her to follow him, she agreed and followed Andy to a place away from earshot for the other toys “I want to be friends with Shirff but I'm not sure Annie” Andy quietly said to his sister. Ann looked at Andy confused “If you want to be friends with him just go and talk to him!” Ann said trying to give her little brother some words of encouragement.

Andy took a deep breath (Even though he didn't need to breath) and started making his way towards Shirff. When Andy finally found Shirff he saw that he was having a conversation with Maxi Fixit. Andy finally had the courage to talk to Shirff and introduce himself properly “Hey there.” Andy said with a tiny voice crack. Andy blushed in embarrassment at his own voice crack.

Shirff made a low chuckle and outstretched his hand urging Andy to shake it and obviously Andy shook it. Shirff looked at Andy and said with a southern accent “I like yer voice, it has a rasp like me ol' owner” Andy simply smiled at that compliment “I like the red circles on your face” Andy said awkwardly as he points at Shirff's painted on blush. Andy turns his head around to see his sister for support however Ann seemed to be trying to pretend she doesn't know who he is.

Shirff smiled at the compliment and said to Andy “Maxi over here tol' me all 'bout ye” Andy turned to Maxi Fixit with a strained smile “He did?” Maxi Fixit simply patted Andy on the back with a warm fatherly smile on his face “Don't worry Andy it was all good things.” He said reassuringly.

“He told me that you always wanted to play rough and tough with other boy toys aight?” Shirff said again very charismatic individual. Andy smiled wide and started showing off his awesome and incredibly swollen muscles!!! Wow!!! He's bulking with absolute mass of a man! Wowowoow! No but seriously when Andy started flexing his muscles nothing changed “Well of course! This strong, tough, and terrific boy loves playing manly games such as but not limited to playing soccer, football, cowboy, and pirates.” Andy said with a prideful smile.

Shirff simply smiled and walked his way towards Andy and took off his hat and placed it atop of Andy's own hat “Well, playin' cowboy ain’t soundin' too bad partner. How 'bout we play that?” Shirff said with a warm smile. Andy had a dopey smile on his face as he finally had an actual boy friend to play with!

Raggedy Andy and Shirff spent the time playing as cowboys. Raggedy Andy wanted to use a southern accent but he was afraid that it would offend Shirff. Shirff noticed and decided to make his southern accent thicker to encourage Andy to play along and use an accent as well.

Raggedy Andy was so used to playing cowboys with his sister that whenever he thought he was too rough he would get all soft and apologize profusely but Shirff would always reassure him that he liked playing and being all rough housing with the boys. Andy felt really glad that he could finally have fun and play with another boys toy.

The two boys were having so much fun and eventually the cowboy game they played slowly turned into cowboy pirates then it just turned into pirates that liked playing football then they both just straight up just played football. It was so much fun so when Grandpa announced that Marcella and Maria were coming back from their snack break it kinda disappointed the two boys who thought that the fun just got started. All the toys immediately knew the drill and started scrambling back to where their positions were and became inanimate.

Luckily for Raggedy Andy and Shirff, Marcella and Maria left them basically right next to each other when they left because they were the toys they played with before they left. Marcella and Maria returned and started examining the toys “I hope we didn’t leave our friends out on the sun too long. What if Babette got sunburned?!” Marcella said as she picked up Babette and started rocking her like a baby. Raggedy Andy wanted so bad to roll his eyes when she said that.

Marcella and Maria kept playing in the backyard with the toys until it became afternoon and Maria had to go back home.

“I will miss you Maria” Marcella said as she hugged her dear friend tight, “Do not worry Marcella, I will try to play with you every once a week!” Maria said as the two girls finally let go of each other’s embrace. Raggedy Andy discreetly stared at Shirff with a sad look in his eyes. Shirff noticed and gave Andy a quick wink.

Andy will surely miss his dear friend however that wink made his smile curve up a bit more as he realized that the thought he had was stupid because after all he and Shirff will see each other every once a week. And as Maria picks up her toys with the help of Marcella they went out to the front porch to wait for her father to pick her up in their car.

When Maria's father finally arrived Maria placed all her toys inside the car as they begin to drive off to their home. Marcella then took all of her own toys back to the playroom and when she was about to say something her mother called from down stairs “Marcella dinner is ready!” And as Marcella hears that she went to the door and closed it behind her as she leaves the room.

When the toys were sure that Marcella was truly gone they started to move around and make some small talk with each other about the day and the toys they got to hang around with. Raggedy Andy felt lonely without Shirff to play with so he went to search for his sister. When Raggedy Andy found her she was with Babette talking about some boring girl stuff probably.

Andy didn't try to insert himself into the conversation they were having but instead just stood there next to Ann and rested his head on her shoulder. Ann noticed this and smiled as she gave her little brother a quick kiss at the forehead and then continued to have a conversation with Babette.

Raggedy Andy stood there with a small smile on his face as he closes his eyes and thinks about the new friend he made. He was glad that he got to actually be friends with another boys toy. Moreover, Shirff was really nice and he had quite interesting stories he would tell Andy about Florida and California. He especially liked the story about the alligators. Andy cannot wait to play with Shirff again because despite all those old faces he finally made a new friend.

End :)

[jerseybumpkin]

all about my 80's ocs :3

a huge ass post with info on my 3 80's ocs who're siblings! they're all from massachusetts too. (shout-out to @voiceemporium for providing voice claims <3)

ANNIE DUNCAN

age: 23 height: 5'4 voice claim: Hailee Steinfeld weapon(s) of choice: shotgun, frying pan sexuality: aroace top 5 artists: kate bush, fleetwood mac, cocteau twins, the cure, strawberry switchblade favorite movie: dirty dancing fun fact: annie went to catholic school until she was 16

AVERY DUNCAN

age: 27 height: 6'1 voice claim: Ben Feldman weapon(s) of choice: axe, knife, annie’s shotgun sexuality: bisexual top 5 artists: the clash, bruce springsteen, billy joel, r.e.m, the replacements favorite movie: ghostbusters fun fact: avery has an obsession with wearing hawaiian shirts and undiagnosed autism

PHOEBE DUNCAN

age: 25 height: 5'7 voice claim: Patti Smith weapon(s) of choice: chainsaw, nailed baseball bat sexuality: lesbian top 5 artists: talking heads, the residents, oingo boingo, gary numan, nina hagen favorite movie: the shining fun fact: phoebe was raised in chicago most of her life and she picked up a chicago accent

BONUS!!!

JAMES CORNWALL

age: 29 height: 6’0 voice claim: Stephen Merchant weapon(s) of choice: kitchen knife, meat thermometer, heavy books, knowledge sexuality: asexual top 5 artists: he only listens to talking heads favorite movie: re-animator fun fact: james is a distant cousin to avery, annie, and phoebe. he lives in L.A as well

[jamdoughnutmagician]

A little confusion (S.H. x A.R.)

Steve Harrington x OC (Annie Robinson)

Steve enlists the help of Robin to be his wing-woman when he all he really wants to do is ask the pretty girl at the diner out on a date, but something gets confused along the way.

Word Count:1,777

Warnings - none, just lots of fluff.

dividers by @strangergraphics

Annie could feel the heat flushing across her face already as she desperately tried to pull the stiff material of her candy-cane striped red and white waitresses dress down, tugging it fruitlessly to try and at least cover her knees, her already atrocious uniform complete with a ghastly pair of clunky roller skates. It was bad enough to be forced to wear a dumb and way too itchy costume at a minimum wage job that she hated, but suddenly everything felt way worse as the bell above the door jingled brightly. 

Enter Steve Harrington. In all his perfectly coiffed, pretty-boy glory, looking every inch like the boy that Annie dreamed of kissing when she closed her eyes at night.

And there he was, talking and laughing with the latest in the long line of girls to hang on his every word, Robin Buckley.

Sure, Annie thought to herself, it hurt to see the boy that she’d long been crushing on hanging out with another girl, but she never made any advances towards Steve out of fear of rejection, so she had no right to expect him to come to her. 

And sure, Steve and Robin being coupled together seemed like an odd fit, with neither of them seeming to ever talk to each other whilst they were in school, but they seemed happy together. Love worked in mysterious ways, and if they were happy together, then who was she to judge them?

Her only hope was that she'd be lucky enough that someone else would serve their table. She didn’t need her crush on a date with another girl whilst she was all dressed up in this stupid, god-forsaken uniform.

“Hey, Blondie!” called out her boss from over her shoulder. “Go serve that couple on table 5!”

Apparently today was not her lucky day.

“I'm on it.” she sighed, grabbing two menus and skating over to the table where Robin and Steve sat.

“Hi, welcome to the Retro Grille, where everything is better than anything you can make at home.” Annie starts, launching into her almost scripted work nonsense, handing over a menu each to Steve and Robin. “My name’s Annie, I’ll be your server today, can I get you two started with any drinks?”

“Uh, I think we’ll start with two cokes today please.” Robin says, giving Annie a bright smile.

“Y-yeah, a coke’s good for me thanks.” Steve stutters, keeping his eyes glued to the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

“Alright, then I’ll have them ready for you in just a moment.” Annie smiles, before turning on her heels and rolling away.

“Dude! What the hell was that all about?” Robin chastises her friend in a whisper-shout, slapping him on his arm with the menu from across their shared booth.

“What was that for?” Steve asked, from where he was almost hiding behind the menu in his own hands.

“Y-Yeah, a coke’s good for me thanks.” Robin says putting on her best impression of Steve. “I mean come on dude, I thought you had way more game than that! Like, I knew you had a crush on her, but I didn’t realise it was so bad that you can barely look at her when you’re talking to her.”

It was true, Steve had had a long-standing crush on Annie ever since she'd moved to Hawkins. To Steve, Annie was a breathtaking vision of big, bouncy, blonde curls and glittering green eyes. An almost permanent pink flush across her freckled cheeks with a smile bright enough to light up the darkest of rooms. Of course she was super smart too, far smarter than Steve could ever hope to match up to, an eager hard-worker in and out of school. That was the way of things when it came to the affairs of Steve Harrington’s affections: Always wanting what was just slightly out of reach for him.

“Well, that’s why you’re here, Rob. I helped you score with Vickie, now you’ve got to be my wing-man..er wing-woman.”

“Alright, but you gotta give me something to work with here, Steve. Gotta give me some of that ladies man energy, I know it's still in there somewhere.”

“Alright, alright..” Steve holds his hands up. “I'll get it together.”

Annie comes skating up to their table once more, placing down a glass bottle of coke for both Robin and Steve. 

“Have you guys decided what you want?”

“Yes we have, I'll have the chilli cheese dog with fries please. What’ll it be for you Stevie?” Robin says, smiling across to friend at the opposite end of the table.

“Please may I have the bacon cheeseburger?” Steve says, daring to raise his head up to for his soft brown eyes meet Annie's hazel green ones.

“Absolutely, I'll get that started for you two right away.” Annie nods, scribbling down the order in his small notepad, busying herself as a distraction, before rolling away to the kitchen to place the order with the kitchen staff.

Robin looks over her shoulder until she’s sure that Annie is out of ear shot before she turns to Steve to speak again. 

“So, what’s your big plan then Steve? How are you gonna ask her out, because I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be hard to slip her your number when you’re munching on a mouthful of french fries.” Robin remarks.

“Look, I haven’t worked out all the details yet, Robin.” Steve says defensively.

“You haven’t got a plan, have you?”

“Uhh..no.”

“Okay, so the chilli cheese dog for you, and the bacon cheeseburger for you.” Annie smiles, placing down the food on the table for Robin and Steve before turning her back to skate away.

“Uh-excuse me, Um...Annie..” Steve stutters, clearing his throat with a slight cough.

Annie turns back to him with her sparkling emerald eyes glinting under the tacky neon lights in the diner.

“Yes?”

“Could we get some ketchup for the table, please.” Steve asks, mentally slapping himself in the face for getting so unbelievable tongue tied around her.

He used to be so suave. It used to be so easy for him to flirt with girls when it didn't mean anything, but he didn't want his affections to be lost on Annie, he wanted to mean something to her.

Once Annie turned her back, Steve allowed himself to scrub his hands down his face with a groan.

“Oh wow, you've got it real bad, don't ‘ya, Steve?” Robin chuckled slightly at her best friend's expense.

Annie looked out to the table where Robin and Steve were on their date, and they looked so happy together. She was laughing, and he was blushing, so by her reckoning, their date was going well.

And she wasn't about to be the one to stop them from being happy, even if she so desperately wished it was her sitting opposite Steve, not Robin.

“Look, you’ve gotta man up here Steve, you’re not gonna get a date just by staring at her with those love-sick brown eyes of yours. You’ve gotta actually talk to the girl.” Robin said, stealing the last few french fries from steve’s basket for herself.

“I know Rob, trust me, I know. I just can’t seem to find the right words around her.”

“Well, pretend I'm her, what would you say to her?”

“I'd wanna tell her she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I'd ask her if she would wanna maybe hang out with me sometime, just us together.”

“Well then, that sounds good to me, just go up to her and tell her how you feel. ”

“Fine, fine alright, I’m going,” Steve said.

Pushing up from the booth, Steve walked on shaky legs as he made his way over to where Annie was working behind the counter, wiping down the tabletop surface with a dish-rag.

“Um, hey, excuse me.” Steve started with a slight nervous crack in his voice.

“Oh hey Steve, is everything okay with your food?” 

“Wait, you know my name?”

“Steve, we went to school together, of course I know your name. Besides, you were Mr. Popular, it was kind of hard not to notice you.” Annie laughed softly.

“Right,” Steve said, casting his gaze downwards for a brief moment, cringing at the memory of his high-school years when he cared about being cool and popular, “Actually, I wanted to come over to ask you something.” he said, turning his gaze to Annie.

 Even in her work uniform Steve thought she was beautiful. Her hazel green eyes were framed by thick dark lashes, and her pink flushed cheeks were dusted in scattering of freckles. Her long honey blonde curls tucked neatly in a little bun at the nape of her neck but somehow a few loose pieces manage to spiral free from their confines to frame her face.

“What is it Steve?”

“I was wondering, if you’re not too busy, would you like to go out with me sometime?”

“Wait, but what about Robin? You guys are dating, you can’t just play around with a girls feelings like that!”

“Wait, you thought that Robin and I were dating?” Steve asks, tilting his head in confusion at Annie’s statement. 

“..Well, yeah? I saw you guys laughing together, and I guess I just assumed you were together.” Annie says as a way of explanation.

“Trust me, Robin and I are totally platonic. Like, could not be further away from a couple if you tried.” Steve laughed. “Robin is a tree in a completely different forest.” he said with a slight raise of his eyebrows. 

Annie quickly looked over Steve’s shoulder to where Robin was sitting in her booth, her eyes seemingly firmly fixed on Annie’s co-worker, Katie as she whizzed around on her skates.

“Oh, Oh.” Annie blushed, suddenly feeling very stupid for having read things so very wrong.

“Yeah, she was kind of my wing-woman, because I’d been too much of a chicken-shit to actually ask you out, because I guess I got in my head about how you deserve to be with someone way better than me, and I get so damn tongue-tied around you and…”

“I’m free on Fridays.” Annie says, as a way to stop Steve from digging himself further into a hole with his babbling.

“Fridays. Cool. Do you like movies?”

“I love them.” Annie smiles, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

“There’s a great drive-in theatre, perhaps we can go together?”

“Meet me here, 7pm. Don’t make me wait, Harrington.” and with that, she leaned in to place a small, soft kiss to Steve’s flushed red cheek. 

“7pm, got it. I'll look forward to it, Annie.”

[roseofithaca]

Lullaby 'Cross The Void

(I have the flu. First time. It sucks. My oc must suffer too, but also comfort. What are these Mummy Issues of which you speak? Set in @idiotwithanipad 's Moving On series, after Exile)

-

She could throttle that boy!

He promised. He swore to her on the stars themselves not to breathe a word of what she almost did that night. She thought he understood her pain, her confusion, how demons can throw strings 'pon a person's mind and puppet them to do what they never thought they were capable of.

That had been her moment of madness. Her greatest shame. Silver was never supposed to know. T'weren't necessary for her to.

Just to hurt. T'is all he'd wanted to do, to win their silly spat.

As soon as that ragamuffin gets sucked off, she will slam that dull head of his with her own till it doth crack like a goose egg. For the first time since she arrived in this land, she misses her fire and smoke. She misses having something to channel her rage into. Not that she'd ever had cause to be this angry since.

"Not to play savage advocate, love...But looks like 'e regrets his words to her, same as you regret nearly burnin' the child." Annie reasoned after watching Mary shout abuse at the image of Robin in the waterfall for almost an hour.

"I care not! Let him wallow in his shame! My little'en be sufferin' and the one I did rely on most to care for her in my absence hath wounded her beyond repair." She responds, tears of fury pricking her eyes; "Now she casts herself out, all alone. My darling girl. Be there no one to give hers succour?"

Wiping her soot-free face, she reached her hand to stroke across the vertical water's surface, over the image of Silver crying on that log, in the middle of the woods. How cold she does look, even for one not able to feel the chill of the Autumn night. Mary's arms ache to wrap themselves around the child and hold her tight, take all the pain away.

No matter how loud she explains herself to the waterfall, how much she tries to convey that her sinful attempt was never about Silver herself, it will be for nothing. Her words, her love, none of it can reach her.

Sometimes she wonders if this window into the Before World is more of a curse than a blessing.

"Where be the other little'en?" She asks Annie.

"Still on that cliff. The sky doth darken from her misery." The Puritan sighed, "Not sure my efforts to comfort her brought much fruit."

"The potion of citrus and anxiety did not raise her spirits?"

"Not even a smile. But she did drink it. And she yet to throw herself over the edge."

"Perhaps it be best she does. Then she may teach herself to fly." Mary smiled, "T'is hard for any soul to be morose when soaring on the winds."

"Maybe wes can go flying later on? You is need of cheering too, my love." Annie reached to stroke her hair behind the taller woman's ear.

The temptation was there. Maybe they could try to convince little Amy to come with them.

Then her eyes fell back to the waterfall. To Silver.

Silver without her Amy. Without Robin.

How could she abandon her too? It didn't matter if she wasn't aware of her presence. If her vigil brought even a smidgen of comfort to the girl, then she had to stay.

-

"And so this Fluffy-."

"Buffy."

"Rights. She be younger than yourself and fightin' all these demons."

"Yeah, she's a total badass." Silver gushed, skipping across the rocks beside the lake.

"But you say she also let's them seduce her?"

"Well...one or two. Three if you count that thing with Dracula." The Pagan shrugged; "Girls love a bad boy. Or girl. Like, uhm...Wuthering Heights? Or Jane Eyre?"

"Oooh, I do recall her Ladyship watchin' them on the little box!"

"Well it's kinda like that, but the men are vampires and the women fight more. I doubt Heather will be buying the dvd set any time soon. Shame, I think you'd like it." She giggled, jumping off the final rock, "Especially Willow."

"She be a tree?"

"No!" Silver chortled, "She's a good witch, like me! And she has a girlfriend, Tara. Those two influenced little me a lot growing up as you can tell."

"Ooh, sounds like a thrillin' romp."

Mary could listen to the child talk about her favorite stories from the telly, as well as the myths about her favorite heathen gods, for hours on end.

The girl did always seem to brighten at any chance to chatter about her favorite things to anyone who listened. Many of the others in the big house had no patience for rambling, as Mary herself knew, so she was happy to indulge their newest ghost.

Birds began to chirp in the treetops as they awoke, though the sky remained dark. Mary had always been one of the first to wake, a habit from her farming life she'd never been able to shake. Where once she would wander the land alone, the girl is always up and abouts at all hours during her cycle.

"Next time I'll tell you about Charmed. Not as good as Buffy but still lots of cool witches defeating mostly blokes." Silver promised.

"Do all your favorite tales involve witches?"

"Uhmm...Not always. I mean there's Friends. But I suppose that has Phoebe and she's kinda witchy." The Pagan blushed; "Guess I am kinda a one track mind."

"Nothin' be wrong with that, sweetling. You has your good witches, I has my potatoes." The two shared a laugh at that.

Silver's eyes moved to a set of pale weeds close to the bank.

"Aww, look at all those dandelions. I wonder if ghosts can make wishes on them."

"Ain't stopped me from tryin' all these years." Mary confessed, taking the girls hand.

They knelt down together and tried to blow the seeds into the air.

"Oooh, Is think wes almost doing it, little'en!" Mary cooed as a couple of the seeds began to float off into the air.

"Pretty sure that's the wind."

"Ah, what if we is the wind. Ain't that what you said you thought we became 'pon death? One with Mother Nature."

"Yeah...You were listening to that?"

"'Course I was, silly." Mary reached to ruffle the top of the girl's hair; ""Cor, what I'd give to have a brush to sort that barnet of yours out, it be as untidy as Robin's."

"Shut up, it's not that bad!" Silver ducked, though her cheeks reddened at the offer.

Mary suspected, with a twist of her gut, the child had never been sat upon her mother's knee to be groomed with much tenderness.

"What did you wish for?" Asked Silver.

"Oh, you knows better than to ask someone's to utter that, darlin'." Mary said with a poke to her nose.

"Was it about Annie?"

"Oh, I should never have revealed her to you. Nosy little nymph that you be."

They pushed themselves up to their feet. Silver grinned and began to twirl, humming some modern melody, letting the floating dandelion seeds hover around her. Mary watched her with a besotted smile. The little witchling, dancing among scattered wishes.

"I wished to find someone like that. Don't think there's any harm in saying that, if the Goddess wants it to happen for me." Silver smiled, contently.

"She better or Is be havin' words. Yous deserve to find your Annie, little'en."

The girl shone like the dawn, just as said light began to pierce the early morning sky.

Then Silver's feet twisted beneath her and she fell.

"Shit!"

"Silver?" Mary knelt down, reaching for the teenager; "What ails thee, pet?"

The girl struggled to lift her head, "Nearly coma time. Must have lost track..."

"Oh!"

Mary had not witnessed the transition between Silver waking to her falling under her curse before. It was typically Robin at her side, Robin who carried her to her sleeping spot in the woods. But the caveman was currently resting soundly on the living room floor after he and Patrick watched a marathon of those movies left on the box, about the apes taking over the world.

She was surprised by how weak the child now looked, her energy sapped in but the blink of an eye. The way her skin turned pale and she struggled to lift her limbs, t'was as if she be struck down with consumption, without the hacking cough.

"How long do you has left with us?" Mary asked.

"...Usually 'bout twenty minutes. 'Till the sun properly shows itself." She explained, followed by a yawn.

"Can ye walk?"

The girl answered by trying to test that for herself. She barely propped herself on one knee before crumbling like a paper doll again.

"Hehehe...nope."

Mary tutted; "How doth it feel?"

She shrugged, head listing to one side; "Bit like the flu. My joints go all stiff and sore when I try to move. And my head weighs a ton. S'like the batteries in my body have run out."

"Ey?"

"Uhm....Like the stream has gone dry and there's nothing to spin the water wheel?" She tried again.

"Ah! I sees." Mary nodded, then stroked the girl's hair; "Oh your poor, sweet thing. I hads no idea. I always assumed it were but a sudden fainting before you slept?"

"That would be better." Silver huffed.

She began to curl forward upon the grass.

"Oh, little one. You cants sleep here in the field, the Ladyships gardener will trample thee." Mary fussed, running her fingers across Silver's clammy forehead.

"S'fine...Just fetch Robin when he gets up, he'll move me...." the girl said, eyelids fluttering.

"Tush and flops! I don'ts need no silly boy to help me tends to thee!"

"What you-?"

Mary tucked her arms beneath the girl and lifted her up as she rose, securing her against her front. The child let out a brief sound of surprise before sliding her arms around Mary's neck to help.

"Wow...Julian was right. You are freakishly strong." Silver smiled, eyes glinting, impressed.

"Life of toiling the land since I were old enough to walk, little'en." She explained as she began walking towards the woods; "Skinny thing like you do weigh no more than a newborn lamb."

"Thanks!" The girl snorted. She yawned, leaning her head against the woman's shoulder.

Mary carried the child with relative ease towards the trees, following the trail of cornflowers towards the mound which the girl had claimed as her resting spot.

"Yous sure I cants convince thee to rest in the big house? There be plenty of free rooms for your picking."

"You say this every month....Thanks for the offer, but m'fine out here...."

"Suit yourself. Strange little urchin."

Mary clicked her tongue as she knelt and laid the young woman atop the mound. She did look oddly comfy as her head fell upon the flowers and she settled amongst them, the sharp pink of her fringe set against the striking blue of the petals.

Sitting beside her, the older woman continued to pick and stroke at her hair, smiling down at her.

"You reminds me of my husband." She confesses, her heart aching a little; "He always loved his fanciful tales and saw the joy in every little thing."

"Did you..." She yawned again, wider this time; "D'you love him?"

She nodded, leaning down on her elbow and resting her head on her hand.

"Greatly so."

"You're lucky. You got...two loves of your life..." the girl smiled, those sapphire eyes growing smaller by the second.

Three, thought Mary, gazing affectionately at the sweet ray of moonlight in her afterlife.

"Close them eyes, little'en. Time to visit your dreamland." She coaxes, smoothing her finger down her cheek, same as she once did to her own baby girl in her crib all them centuries ago.

Silver obeys, resting her eyes, chest slowly rising and falling as she settles.

"G'night..."

"'Nighty night, darling. Rest well." Mary whispers. She then sang as the child drifted off, just as the sun made its appearance over the horizon.

A lullaby of old English terms of endearment, barely even recognisable to modern ears. But one her mother had sung to her in her cradle, and her mother before hers, going back possibly to Eve herself, or so Mary had been raised to believe.

It's many hours before she leaves the child's side. Robin appears shortly after eight, looking fretful and guilty for having overslept, but relieved when he finds Mary close to his Moonah Girl, still stroking her hair and gazing at her with pure devotion.

All those doubts and fears and prejudices that had caused her to nearly do the unthinkable all those months before, now felt like a bad dream, barely worth remembering.

And that's how it was supposed to stay.

-

Mary still sings. Any time she looks in on her girl through the magic waters and sees her sleeping - which is most of the time - she sings her mother's lullaby.

"May the winters pass, may night turn to day,

For I do miss thee, gentle heart,

All these many miles away..."

It's the third night of the full moon, back in that world at least. There are many glorious moons in the skies of this land, some silver, others violet or emerald, some as large as Jupiter while others small but dance in circles.

Silver will be falling asleep soon. The dreadful fatigue will pull her under and there will be no loving arms to carry her to bed and see that she's comfy.

A pox on thee, Robin. Sort that filthy head out and get to the girl's side with haste! Fix this!

He promised. He swore to her...

Mary chokes out a sob. In troth, it were not merely Robin she were vexed with. The blame lay at her door too. Had she been honest with the child, had she confessed to her sins when she'd been present, this would not be happening. And she'd have had a chance to explain herself. Silver would at least be aware of all the facts instead of drowning in doubt and rejection as she did now.

But Mary had been a coward. Scardy cat. Once she'd let Silver into her heart, found the daughter she thought she'd never have again, she'd been so terrified of losing her again. As she had her and John's firstborn. As she'd lost Annie.

Forgive me, I beg. Forgive me.

Silver's tears were as much on her hands as Robin's. Except he had a chance to atone where she did not. At least, not until her darling girl was finally sucked off.

"I is here, little'en. I's always here." She sighed, watching the girl weep alone.

Except...

She was no longer alone. There was someone else with her now. Someone...sat with her on the log, cradling her sleeping form on his lap, bundling her in a thick red cloak.

Body Bit?

He had come to tend to her? Not Robin? Mary watched with awe as his hand stroked the girl's hair as she curled into him, eyes shut, black marks staining her cheeks from all the crying.

Oh. Was he mistaking her for his own little'en? Did the husk not understand...?

They had traded daughters, it seemed.

Whether conscious of it or not, he was caring for her little'en now. Mary sniffed and got to her feet, smoothing down her dress. Annie had already gone back to check on Amy. T'was time that Mary joined her.

She voiced a promise to Silver through the water to return soon. But her presence not be of use to her now. She's not leaving her child alone. In the body's arms, she'd be safe.

And the last thing Silver would want is for her dear companion to feel as lost and lonely as she.