#really scraping the bottom of the barrel here

[kallianthiutdr]

@monasticmaestoso

Pff, okay, I should probably clarify. I just meant that Burgerpants obviously had unreciprocated feelings towards Catty & Bratty. Then nice cream guy has an unreciprocated crush on him which he's deeply unaware of, but NC guy gives him free food exactly like he tried to give the girls free food. Now in general proximity TO Burgerpants there's a lot of unreciprocated feelings but those were the ones I, admittedly very dramatically, meAnt. I just find it funny how, oblivious of a man this guy is. It's like he has a concrete wall in front of him. Like, I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel here, but Mettaton calling this miserable bastard in his office to have him try on numerous outfits, then laughing and letting him go back to normal–and Burgerpants being like, "oh well all in a day's work I guess," (he's the only employee that's made to do that) amuses the hell outta me.

As for Jevil. I- I have no clarification which is why there wasn't one in the post. It wasn't one of the serious notes. Just. Vibes man idk.

you cannot remove the queerness from utdr without fundamentally hurting the story. there is no label ever put on it but it's there and it has to be acknowledged.

Frisk, Chara, & Kris being non-binary instead of just–whatever the player wants them to be–adds to the themes of individuality and separation between them and the player. For Frisk & Chara, I've made a whole post about their role as narrative stand-ins but also individual characters. For Kris, it's actually ridiculous if you even attempt to claim they aren't non-binary–because they actively reject the player's influence and are the furthest thing from a self-insert. Monster Kid, Napstablook, etc are also genderless. In Deltarune, Seam also.

Also, Frisk considering to Flirt with literally anyone regardless of gender–and that being a game mechanic in and of itself–to me, implies this kid is most likely pan. Whatever you want to call it, their gender-blind flirting is in fact a game mechanic.

Alphys' and Undyne's sapphicness is the key to the pacifist ending. Without setting them up you literally cannot access the true pacifist ending. If it wasn't for Papyrus encouraging his lesbian bestie to send that damn letter, nothing would have happened. (Maybe indeed Flowey would've used another method to make time, but accessing the true lab with Alphys' permission would've been near impossible.) In fact, Alphys' bisexuality and her subsequent crushes are in fact a big part of her character. Not the most important–obviously, Alphys is one of the most layered characters in the game–but in hating herself, the lies she says to appease to Asgore first and Undyne later are undeniably a big part of what makes up her character.

Mettaton's allegorical transness kick-starts the events that lead to the creation of Flowey and the amalgamates. Without him, Alphys wouldn't be royal scientist. No determination experiments, no Flowey, no game. No Mettaton? Half of the hotland segments wouldn't exist, including the MTT resort in which the infamous it's raining somewhere else sequence happens. Mettaton also helps other trans people with their transition, like when he gifted his blue dress to the beautiful trans lioness after being done with it.

Mad Mew Mew's transness, even if unacknowledged by the main game, is constantly brought up by Toby since she appears in occasional News Letters, the alarm clock dialogue, etc, as a way to remind everyone that she exists and is as much s part of this found family as everyone else. She's also a sapphic, with her crush on Undyne also being acknowledged.

Asgore's implications of bisexuality and his inherent homoeroticism when talking about Rudy in the Alarm Clock Dialogue & Deltarune alike aren't game changing aspects of his character but nice touches that inform his relationships outside of Toriel.

The two Royal Guards in Hotland can only be spared through being set-up. Also, their romance cuts the player's nice cream supply.

Papyrus, though nothing game changing can be said about his sexuality, has a well-documented celebrity crush on Mettaton. Also, if you want to bring Toby's twitter joke into consideration, the skeleton brothers could in fact exist in the ace spectrum. And I say spectrum instead of outwardly asexual because Sans befriended our mom last night-

Even though Nice Cream Guy gives free Nice Cream to Burgerpants, he refuses to give free Nice Cream to the human. Burgerpants is so oblivious this could be considered flirting that I wasn't sure if I could count it, but then again Burgerpants is the nexus of a complex, interwoven web of non-reciprocated crushes and he's deeply unaware of the situation at large. This dynamic expands in Deltarune, with Bpants saying that Blue Ears is obsessed and has no sense of personal space–and the latter noting a love for his co-workers and giggling.

So then, In Deltarune, obviously, we have a deeply queer group of people and I think that this queer solidarity is really fundamental to it. I already mentioned the importance of Kris being non-binary .

Ralsei is generally understood to be maybe pan due to his general gender-blind openess towards especially Kris. I don't want to really get into his blushing when Kris gets too close or the fountain of love, because, well, he's representative of Asriel–but still. His queer-coding is undeniable.

But onto stronger candidates for this queer conversation, Noelle and Susie's dynamic adds two more sapphics into the utdr franchise. Noelle's crush has always been a massive, dare I say game-changing part of her character. Susie and Noelle met for the first time in Susie's first day of class. Susie had forgotten her pencil, and then Noelle noticed it and offered her candy-cane one. After this nice action of Noelle's, and also by the fact that she genuinely smiled at her, Susie developed a soft side for her and spared her from her bullying.

Then we have Berdly’s whole, “I'M the one Noelle and Susie are falling like dominoes for. And you know what dominoes means, Kris? ,,,You're next.” At another point he calls Noelle to ask her if she will be his date at the festival the next day. Susie tells him to leave her alone. And you can decide to respond that you'll go out with him or sing the Wrong Number song (in any case, Berdly is surprised). If you choose the first option, he says that Kris will have to compete with Noelle and Susie (thinking the two are into him). If it's the second then, he says that Kris will fall under his charm sooner or late. That also suggest a gender-blind attraction. But, in general, his crushes to Noelle and Susie respectively seem performative. And the queer reading that can be done here is undeniable, taking into consideration deltarune being steeped in themes of identity, performance, masks and unspoken internal conflict.

Now, mind you, every single side character can be viewed through a queer lense–in fact, it's damn near impossible not to do that. I just think that's wonderful. Like, have you seen Rouxls Kaard? Queen? Jevil? Spamton? Tenna? The queerness is oozing right through. The side characters in both Undertale and Deltarune are bursting with camp, flamboyance, theatricality–rarely do they conform into typical binaries/boxes wether those could refer to gender, sexuality, or like. Morality man idk.

[anteroom-of-death]

Malcolm tucker, I could make him worse. 💗

[clfixationstation]

mikahisu crumbs

sources: hisu gif || mika gif

[melit0n]

Somewhat of a random thought, but I've always been interested in the slightly distorted voice in Decending.

We've had talks about how some songs are response to others, from Vessel to Sleep or Sleep to Vessel, such as Sugar being a response to The Offering, but I don't think it's been talked about much with the two responding to eachother in one song.

This leads me to Decending, particularly, the main chorus. It's the only part of that song which has some sort of vocal distortion: a reply of sorts.

The lyrics begin to take a bit of a different shape: "You come crawling back to me, but I'm already on the ground", sounds like someone's being brought down to their level. Vessel is just as close to being a forgotten corpse as Sleep is.

Then, we have more of a response in, "And we all know that talk is cheap." to "So come on and save me now". Obviously, this one can go both ways. Both are in need of saving, and the 'response' begins to sound a bit more desperate.

Next, we have, "And you wonder what I believe." to "But you don't wanna be around". This can be joined into one, but I like it better as a two part response.

Finally, "So, what would you do for me?" and "Yeah, what would you do for me?" It's a clear-cut deal. Both know what they have to lose and both are very ready to risk it.

When put into context, it feels like a somewhat desperate, forcefully playful back and forth. Depending on your viewpoint, you could swap who's speaking when quite easily too, and still arrive at a similar conclusion.

Either Vessel is feeling somewhat confident and joking around with Sleep for the sake of a gain, or he's watching a dead and dying God of old tongues realising he's the perfect host.

Just a little thought.

P.S: I am very, very aware that this is half baked-thought and this could easily just be a production choice made for funsies. Hence why it is just 'a thought', lol.

[nichrome-media]

Toasterminator

Slice #342

Hey folks! Just a reminder that we are giving away original copies of our comic! To receive an original, just email us at counterburytales@gmail.com by December 13th, letting us know a few of your favorite episodes and a good mailing address. Stay toasty!

[varreblogger]

*sees him applying deodorant* please stop baby… for me? 🥺

[robo-dino-puppy]

horizon forbidden west | talanah 15/?

[cranb3r]

some designs based on memes

[beepbeepinthecorner]

Hey do y’all think any of these names fit my green oc? I couldn’t think of anything so I’ve been randomizing Wikipedia articles to find something lol. Pics of guy below cut bc there’s a lot and I’m on mobile so my formatting will be trash

[camelpimp]

I guess I never realized how bad the mobage/gacha situation was until I saw that they made a fucking Arc the Lad gacha

[no-psi-nan]

HSFJDLSHFKS LMFAOOOOOOO.... So their second(?) canon verbal interaction was Saiki trying to pretend he didn't jump out of a window to avoid her and then making a stupid face in an attempt to distract her from that, I'm fucking dead that's actually the funniest shit I've ever heard XD XD XD

Explicitly accepting corrections on this one, but haven't Teruhashi and Saiki's only canon verbal interactions ever been:

Teruhashi explaining that Makoto is her brother at the movie theatre (Saiki doesn't actually say anything but at least he reacts honestly iirc??)

Saiki relaying Makoto's message at school from several meters away

Possibly the few group moments where Saiki contributes, like the second half of the birthday party and the volcano planning meeting??

The fairy tale group convo was possibly the most real conversation Teruhashi's had but Saiki didn't participate...

I'm not counting the Yuuta scenarios where Saiki is deliberately not talking/reacting to her, and I'm pretty sure Saiki never says anything to her on any of their "dates". He accepts more cake and points to activities at the arcade, but I don't think anyone would consider that to be a conversation.

Has Saiki's only real conversation with Teruhashi ever just the message from Makoto, or am I missing something here??

[akiisp]

"The new snake"

Slytherin x reader|| One-shot

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Summary: She came to Hogwarts with a reputation; expelled from her last school, a temper like fire, and fists that spoke louder than her wand. Nobody knew the full story — and she didn’t owe them one. But Hogwarts wasn’t any better. The Gryffindors made sure of that. Mockery, hexes, sabotage — it didn’t stop. Until one day, she stopped holding back. With blood on her knuckles and rumors in her wake, she didn’t just earn detention — she earned the famous Slytherin’s attention. They weren’t just impressed — they were all in.

Chaos didn’t follow her. She was the chaos.

Warnings: Contains bullying, physical violence, emotional manipulation, mentions of blood

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The Hogwarts rumor mill was working overtime. Whispers followed her through every hallway like shadows:

“Did you hear about the new Slytherin?”

“She got kicked out of her last school… for fighting.”

“I heard she knocked out three students with one curse.”

Truth be told, no one knew the full story. And she preferred it that way.

But Hogwarts wasn't much of a fresh start when the bullies came knocking — especially the Gryffindors.

It started small. A few snide comments. Looks. A trip jinx here and there. But then came the Weasley twins. Everyone laughed at their pranks — unless you were the target. Their “jokes” always seemed to hit harder when they were aimed at her. Paint bombs in her bag. Stinging hexes. A cursed quill that inked “SNAKE” across her face.

Ron wasn’t much better — constant emotional digs. “No wonder they kicked you out.” “Even Slytherin had to scrape the bottom of the barrel, huh?”

And Cormac McLaggen? He took it too far. Every single time. Too close, too loud, too smug.

She tried to keep her mother’s tear-stained face in mind — the only reason she was still keeping her fists down. Her mum had cried when she got expelled. “Please, no more fighting.”

But peace is hard when war is walking beside you.

The castle was quiet. A few students lingered near the arches, chatting lazily. A trio of Hufflepuff girls leaned against the wall, flipping through magazines. Two Ravenclaw boys sat on the steps nearby, mid-conversation.

She was walking alone when it started.

“Oi! Slytherin psycho!” Cormac McLaggen’s voice rang out like a curse.

She stopped, jaw tightening.

He strode toward her with that obnoxious strut, hands in his pockets and a smirk too wide to be harmless.

“You know, I’ve been wondering,” he said, circling her like a vulture, “what did you do to get kicked out of that last school? Curse a professor? Or did you finally lose it and break someone’s spine?”

A couple students were turning to watch now. The Hufflepuff girls stopped giggling. The Ravenclaws went quiet.

Cormac leaned in, dropping his voice just enough to make it more vicious.

“Or maybe you just couldn’t keep that freak temper of yours under control. Bet even your own house was scared of you. You’re not a Slytherin — you’re a liability with a wand.”

She stared at him. Stone still. Breathing steady.

He smirked wider, thinking he won.

“You gonna snap again? Come on then, show us all what a real threat looks like—”

She moved.

A blur of fists and fury, she shoved him back into the wall with a crack. One hit. Two. Blood.

The Hufflepuff girls screamed. A Ravenclaw ran for help. But no one moved fast enough.

She was on top of him, hands curled tight, every punch louder than the last.

“They expelled me for less than this. Want to see what I really got kicked out for?”

By the time a professor dragged her off him, Cormac’s face was a wreck, her hands were full of blood but not hers. Students stood frozen, eyes wide.

No one said a word.

Snape’s eyes were cold, but something about the tilt of his head… it wasn’t just discipline.

“Would you care to explain,” he drawled, “why you saw fit to launch yourself onto Mr. McLaggen in the middle of the hallway?”

Her voice was steady. “Gryffindors have been harassing me for weeks. I held back for as long as I could.”

A beat of silence. Snape looked at her, and for just a second, his mask slipped. He saw himself — years ago, tormented in shadows by laughing lions.

“…Three weeks detention,” he said quietly. “And twenty points from Gryffindor for instigating.”

By Monday morning, Hogwarts was ablaze with new gossip.

“Did you hear the new girl beat the shit out of McLaggen?” Blaise Zabini said, sliding into the Slytherin common room with a smirk.

“Oh, I heard,” Mattheo Riddle said, eyebrows raised. “She snapped his nose clean in two.”

Theodore Nott whistled. “Not bad.”

Blaise grinned. “That was genius.”

Pansy twirled her wand and smiled dreamily. “She’s very pretty… pretty dangerous. I like her.”

Draco, lounging in his chair, let out a low chuckle. "Finally, someone in this school with an actual spine."

The classroom was electric with whispers the moment she walked in.

Even without looking, she could feel eyes on her — some curious, others wary. Her knuckles were still bruised. Her reputation?

Officially carved into Hogwarts stone.

The legend of McLaggen’s broken face was still fresh, still hot.

Professor Snape stood at the front, robes shifting as he surveyed the class. “Wands out,” he said sharply. “We’re dueling today.”

Snape’s eyes flicked over the class. “Nott. Macmillan. Zabini. Finch-Fletchley.” Names were rattled off, pairs forming. Then his gaze lingered on her.

“…And L/N,” he drawled.

She stepped forward, eyes locked ahead.

“Versus…” He looked to the Gryffindor side with something close to disgust. “Morgan.”

A lanky Gryffindor boy stepped forward — smug, wand already twirling between his fingers.

“Shouldn’t she be in detention?” he muttered to his mates. “Not in a duel.”

Snape heard. “Do try not to embarrass your house, Morgan.”

She took her stance silently. Controlled. Focused. Not angry — not yet.

“Begin.”

The duel was fast.

He fired first, a showy jinx meant more to impress the room than win. She sidestepped it easily, her counter-spell tight, efficient — no flashy nonsense, just power and precision.

He tried again. She blocked it. Dodged another.

And then, one clean flick of her wand — Expelliarmus — and his wand flew from his hand and clattered against the wall.

He stumbled back, red-faced and furious.

The class gasped. Someone whistled.

Snape didn’t smile, but he looked… satisfied.

His eyes met hers with something bordering on approval. “Ten points to Slytherin.”

The Gryffindors glared. Then applause — but only from Slytherin.

Mattheo let out a low whistle. “That was a textbook.”

Blaise leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “She fights like she’s been in real duels.”

Pansy twirled her wand, eyes sparkling. “She’s chaos. I adore her.”

Theodore looked genuinely impressed. “She doesn’t miss.”

Draco let out an impressed chuckle.

No one said it outright, but the shift was obvious.

She wasn’t just the new girl anymore.

The dungeons were quieter than usual, but the buzz hadn’t died down — if anything, it had grown.

She stepped into the common room, hands still bandaged from McLaggen, shoulders loose from that clean win against Morgan. Heads turned. Conversations paused. But no one said anything. Not until—

“There she is.” Blaise, lounging like royalty across the emerald velvet couch, gave her a lazy grin. “Cormac’s still eating soup, I hear. No solid food. Impressive.”

She arched a brow, but said nothing.

Mattheo sat cross-legged on the carpet, flipping a silver sickle between his fingers. “Snapped his nose, dodged every detention hex, then took down Morgan like it was a warm-up round. You’ve had… quite the week.”

Theodore Nott looked up from his book with a ghost of a smirk. “Bet she’s the one who turned the Gryffindor locker room into a goblin’s lavatory.”

She blinked — once — and didn’t deny it.

Mattheo barked a laugh. “Knew it.”

Pansy practically slid onto the seat beside her, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You’re not just pretty. You’re strategic. That’s a dangerous combination.”

The room chuckled.

She let the silence stretch a second longer, then finally spoke.

“They started it.”

The group nodded like that was the only explanation needed.

Blaise leaned forward, interest sharpening. “What did you really get expelled for, though?”

She just smiled — slow, unreadable.

Mattheo nudged Theo. “We’ll get it out of her eventually.”

Pansy rolled her eyes. “Or she’ll murder you in your sleep.”

Blaise grinned. “Worth the risk.”

Draco, who’d been sitting on the other side of the couch, legs crossed, looked up from where he’d been tossing a quill between his fingers.

“Honestly,” he said casually, “if I knew she’d deck McLaggen like that, I would've saved her a seat weeks ago.”

Theo snorted. “You’re only saying that because she did what you almost did last year.”

Draco shrugged. “Difference is, she actually followed through.”

Laughter rolled through the group again — easy, natural. No judgment, no hesitation. And just like that… the new girl wasn’t just a rumor anymore.

She was a storm — and Slytherin? They had just found their new queen.

[ginnsbaker]

All Of Your Pieces (3 - The Neighbor)

Chapter Summary: Agnes sees the perfect opportunity to stir up some trouble while Wanda deals with her jealousy toward your work assistant, Geraldine. Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female Reader Chapter word count: 2.8k+ | Chapter Tags/Warnings: None

A/N: I really have nothing to say except that I enjoyed writing Agatha in this chapter // More author's notes here.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

The team has been at a standstill, figuring out who’s behind this, or how to communicate with anyone trapped inside the town. Every drone they've sent in morphs into something entirely different, thwarting their efforts to gather any useful intel. The people sent underground to scout a safe route through have gone dark, their communication cut off. No one else volunteered to attempt approaching the perimeter after that.

The broadcasts they've been tracking are erratic, cutting out for hours with no warning, making it hard to keep a consistent eye on the town's odd behaviors. But it's during one of these quiet periods when something clicks in Darcy's mind.

“I think I have something,” Darcy blurts out to Jimmy. They’ve been scraping the bottom of the barrel, running out of faces to identify from the snippets of life in Westview they caught on screen. 

“Yeah?” Jimmy gives her a tired look, only half-listening. He can't remember the last time he managed more than an hour of uninterrupted sleep. Even if he could find the time to rest, the bizarre situation they're in won't let his mind relax. 

Darcy sighs and leads him outside the tent.

“So, you’ve seen that radio on Wanda’s kitchen counter, right?”

Jimmy only nods.

Darcy continues, “The next time she’s washing dishes, or whatever—which by my count—happens about once an episode, barf, we’ll shoot a signal to that little guy.” She leads him to a set of computers set up behind a pickup truck. Jimmy doesn’t understand what’s going on with these systems, but he’s hoping Darcy really is onto something.

“This transmitter will mimic the frequency of the broadcast,” she pauses to catch her breath in the cold and to give him time to catch up with her science. “And if my theory is right, it will allow us to speak to her.”

She cuts off any chance for Jimmy to comment and assures him, “This is definitely going to work.”

–

The annual Westview Harvest Festival is in full swing. The town square is packed with booths overflowing with baked goods and fresh fall produce. A small stage is set up for the local band playing tunes from the 70s, while kids dart around in all directions, their faces painted with fanciful designs. Billy and Tommy are with their preschool teachers, who are keeping them and other children their age occupied with arts and crafts that involve tumbleweeds—a material no one seems to think is entirely safe for five-year-olds to play with.

In hindsight, it’s the ideal setting for introductions and mingling. However, everyone here already knows each other—everyone, that is, except for Wanda. She makes an effort to blend in, but apart from a few interactions with the planning committee, which weren’t particularly fruitful, she often remains secluded at home. This makes you, the only one in the household who heads out daily for work, the more socially connected of the two. It’s both amusing and slightly anxiety-inducing to watch you interact with the townsfolk who are essentially strangers to you and to Wanda, if only you knew. You and Wanda never had the opportunity to live a normal life, to settle in a typical city, surrounded by neighbors who could have become integral to the life you might have built together. 

Seeing you interact with these people, she’s realizing it’s harder than she thought to share you with others. Or maybe she’s just as selfish as she’s always been, never really outgrowing it. When you were both part of the Avengers, it was like living in a bubble, surrounded by only a few familiar faces every day. Now, outside that controlled environment, it’s challenging her expectations and stirring up feelings she thought she had under control.

It becomes particularly tough when she sees Geraldine heading towards you, sporting that perpetual, dazzling smile full of perfect white teeth. Wanda's fingers curl into a fist, tiny wisps of red energy leaking from them. You quickly cover her hand with yours, and the effect is immediate—she relaxes slightly, letting you intertwine your fingers with hers, anchoring herself by your side where she feels secure.

“It's so nice to see you outside of the office, just being one of us for a change,” Geraldine says, though she seems to be wearing the same uniform as at work. Not that you're judging, but it does make you wonder why she hasn't changed.

“Definitely beats being stuck behind a desk,” you reply, your attention briefly wandering. Only then do you notice that Wanda has subtly withdrawn her hand from yours, now exploring a booth with homemade apple cider. You hadn't even noticed the exact moment she let go.

“Hello, Wanda!” Geraldine greets her warmly. 

Wanda musters a tight-lipped smile that’s convincing enough, as Geraldine appears quite taken with it. Just then, Geraldine spots Agnes standing a little away from the crowd, lingering behind Wanda with a look that borders on suspicion or disdain. 

Geraldine steps up to her while Wanda continues to busy herself with whatever else is being showcased in the booth. “Hi, I'm Geraldine. Isn’t this a wonderful evening?” She extends her hand to Agnes.

Agnes eyes the offered hand but doesn’t accept it. Instead, she sizes up Geraldine with a quick once-over and nods, foregoing any introductions. Geraldine's smile falters briefly, but she quickly shakes off the slight, tossing a brisk, “See you around, Y/N!” over her shoulder as she heads back to her table.

You wave back and let out a sigh, relieved that you’ve just sidestepped what could have been the most awkward moment of your life. Wanda’s jealousy towards Geraldine seems more serious than you’d realized. You know Wanda can be possessive; it's just been a long time since it's manifested this way. But then, it's also been a while since you've both been in a crowd of strangers like this. Since…

Since when, exactly?

“Y/N, honey?” Wanda’s voice snaps you out of your fog.

You blink. “Hm?”

“I’m thirsty.”

Just like that, you’ve forgotten about your lapse of memory, replaced by a desire to tend to your wife's needs.

“I’ll get us some refreshments. What would you like?” you ask.

“Just some water, please.”

“Water here, too,” Agnes calls out, unsolicited. 

You suppress the urge to roll your eyes. It's great that Wanda's making friends in the neighborhood, but did it really have to be Agnes O’Connor? Ever since you and Wanda moved into this quiet suburb, Agnes has made it her personal mission to be involved in every aspect of your lives. You can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to it than the apparent nosiness of your neighbor.

As you head over to get the drinks, Agnes sidles up to Wanda, her eyes gleaming with an opportunity to stir some pot. 

“Geraldine seems quite taken with your wife.”

It’s not like Wanda doesn’t know what Agnes’s doing, but she finds herself nodding in agreement anyway. Your new assistant does appear smitten with you, and while Wanda gets the appeal—you are, undeniably, crush-worthy—she can't say she's thrilled about it.

“Y/N is her boss,” Wanda murmurs, more to herself than to Agnes.

“Oh, honey,” Agnes laughs condescendingly. “Do you even go to the movies? That's how the steamiest affairs start, you know.”

Wanda bristles at the sound of that endearment from someone other than you. But she keeps herself together—barely. 

“I trust her,” Wanda forces out.

As you're getting drinks, Geraldine joins you, picking up a soda herself. She lets out a light laugh at a joke from the bartender, and you find yourself chuckling too, oblivious to the piercing look your wife is drilling into your back.

Meanwhile, Agnes sees her opening and swoops in, linking her arm through Wanda's with a bit more force than necessary. 

“Of course, you trust her, dear,” she murmurs right by Wanda's ear. “But do you trust her?” She points subtly with her chin towards Geraldine, her lips pursed. “You know what they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…”

Wanda's shoulders tense, her entire frame stiffening. As you return with the drinks, Agnes steps away, leaving Wanda visibly shaken, like she’s teetering on the edge of a panic attack.

“Everything okay?” you ask, handing her a drink. You've noticed before how Wanda's demeanor changes around Agnes; she’s clearly a source of stress for her. It’s going to be a difficult conversation, but it might be time to tell Wanda what you really think about the neighbor.

Wanda takes the water you offer, her fingers trembling slightly as she does. For a moment, she appears distant, disengaged, as if her mind is elsewhere. Then, with a sudden shift, she flashes you one of those smiles that sends a shiver down your spine.

“I'm fine,” she declares, a little too brightly. Then, seemingly out of the blue, she asks, “Is Geraldine here with someone?”

You stop short, realizing you really don't know much about Geraldine beyond work. “I didn’t see her with anyone,” you say.

Wanda nods thoughtfully. Her next suggestion catches you by surprise. 

“Maybe you should invite her over to our table.”

Did you hear that correctly? Had Wanda just done a complete 180 regarding your assistant and was now interested in getting to know her? You shoot a suspicious glance at Agnes. Had she said something to Wanda to change her mind?

“Are you sure?” you ask, puzzled by her abrupt change of heart.

“I am,” Wanda affirms. “It might be nice to make a new friend.”

–

Back at the response camp, Darcy and Jimmy are huddled around the small, grainy television, waiting for the moment Wanda’s in her kitchen so they can send a message through her radio device. However, the usual domestic scenes are conspicuously absent, replaced by static and sporadic cuts to the ongoing Harvest Festival.

“Come on, come on,” Darcy mutters under her breath, shoving her glasses back up her nose. They've been slipping a lot lately, probably because she's been hunching over her work more than usual these past few days.

“It's this festival,” Jimmy says, squinting at the screen. “I think the whole town's out there tonight. I don’t think we’re going to get the chance.”

Their attempts to contact anyone inside the Hex are dwindling, and Hayward's interest leans more towards studying the energy barrier encasing the town rather than resolving the anomaly itself. His latest directive to launch another drone into the barrier feels like a brute force attempt to crack the problem. Jimmy thinks it’s a waste of time—and resources.

“Yeah, and you know what’s worse?” Darcy grumbles. “I have a bad feeling about Agnes. Every time she's around, things just seem to... escalate.”

As they watch, the screen cuts to a shot of Agnes at the festival, linking arms with Wanda, whispering something that makes Wanda’s expression tighten. “See, what did I tell you?” Darcy exclaims, pointing at the screen. “Who’s this Agnes again in real life?” she asks.

Jimmy swivels in his chair, his gaze sweeping across the expansive pinboard filled with photos of Westview residents. Agnes’s face is not among them. 

“No idea,” he says flatly. He had already run a search in the database, but it came back empty.

“So, we've identified Y/N, Monica, and Agnes as outsiders in Westview,” Darcy explains, tallying them off on her fingers. 

“That’s correct,” Jimmy confirms.

“And then there’s Wanda’s sons. But again… we haven’t seen any other children in the show besides the twins.”

Jimmy thinks about it for a while. It had never really occurred to him before. “Maybe they’re bound to show up at some point?”

“Smells fishy to me,” Darcy huffs. Her thoughts circle back to Agnes. “How do you think Agnes ended up here?” she asks, their list of unanswered questions growing daily.

Jimmy shrugs. “She could’ve just been visiting.”

Darcy considers it. It's a possibility, but somehow, it doesn't feel quite right—too simple, too convenient for someone as vibrant and prickly as the character Agnes portrays.

–

It's as if Wanda's animosity toward Geraldine just magically went away. 

They’ve been chatting for almost an hour. Initially, Wanda made sure to include you in the conversation, but as time passed, she and Geraldine started connecting over topics that didn’t involve you as much. Feeling somewhat left out but also at ease that the problem between your wife and your secretary has apparently resolved itself, you decide to check out the festival booths.

This is where Agnes finds the perfect opportunity to get you alone. She starts her approach—to your surprise and discomfort—by acknowledging the elephant in the room.

“I know you don’t like me very much,” she says with a knowing smile. “Maybe we can change that tonight?”

You eye her with suspicion, easily seeing through her blatant attempts to flirt her way into your good graces.

“How exactly are we going to do that?” you ask, crossing your arms in front of you.

Agnes simply laughs off the cool reception you’ve given her. If anything, she revels in it. 

“By getting to know each other, obviously,” she says.

“Right.”

She takes your elbow, and you swear she can feel you recoil at her closeness, yet she doesn’t seem to care. She urges you forward, dictating the pace. Her grip is unexpectedly firm, as if to say you have no choice but to listen—like leaving isn't an option.

With you literally in her grasp, Agnes sets her plans into motion. “So, how did you and Wanda meet?” she asks.

You deliver the narrative precisely as it plays out in your memory, exactly as Wanda implanted it in your mind. “We grew up next to each other. Best friends since we were kids.” 

“How cute,” she says, in that smooth, supercilious tone that usually makes your skin crawl. But this time, with the memories of Wanda filling your head, you hardly notice.

“Yeah, I remember when I first saw her,” you continue, gazing into the distance as if the scene you speak of is right there before your eyes. “It was almost Halloween, and my mom had baked a pumpkin pie to welcome them to the neighborhood. She sent me to deliver it. Wanda answered the door.”

“Love at first sight?”

“More like the opposite,” you say, throwing Agnes a good-natured smile, something you’ve never done before. “She couldn’t stand me, and I felt the same way.”

“Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?” Agnes drawls before accompanying it with a short chuckle. “Who knows? Maybe there’s hope for us yet. You might end up not hating me so much after all.”

“Maybe…” you say, the smile reaching your eyes this time.

“Good, good,” Agnes says. “I can’t think of anything more romantic than growing up with the person you’ll be with for the rest of your life. Almost like it’s… sketched out, no?”

You nod at her, not sure where she’s going with this, but you appreciate the sentiment. You consider yourself lucky to have known Wanda most of your life. 

“So, you've lived in Westview your whole life?” Agnes asks.

“Yes,” you nod without hesitation.

“And you've only ever been to Westview?”

“No, of course not,” you laugh, ready to list off places you've been, but suddenly, you can't name any. The cities and trips that should come easily to your tongue just... don't materialize.

Not a single one.

Agnes watches you struggle with a blank expression. A second later, she begins throwing out suggestions, as if trying to help. 

“Canada?" 

You shake your head. 

“California?” 

Another shake.

“New York?”

No. This time, your eyes sting with the frustration of trying to pull something from the haze, realizing there’s nothing there. 

Have you really never been anywhere but Westview?

“Eastview, maybe?” she offers with a bit of sarcasm as she names the town next door.

“I—”

“How strange,” Agnes muses, driving home the final nail in the coffin of your crumbling peace.

You jerk your arm away from her grip and take a few instinctive steps back. “I need to pick up the twins,” you blurt out, seizing the first excuse that comes to mind. “We should be heading out soon.”

Without waiting for her reply, you start walking away, driven by a sudden, intense need to be with your boys, with Wanda. To hold them close, to find some stability. Because right now, you’re petrified by a fear you cannot name. 

“I heard Australia’s amazing this time of year!” Agnes calls after you.

The idea of not having been anywhere but Westview—it’s possible, right? Some people spend their entire lives in one place. But if this feeling—the one that's been gnawing at you lately—is real, if the world outside of Westview is truly non-existent, then what does that say about your life here?

What does it say about you?

[woso-dreamzzz]

Gone IV

Hardersson x Child!Reader

Part of The Big Adventures Universe

Summary: Your toys are gone

Girl-swan gets juice spilt on her. Girl-moose is dropped in a puddle.

Both of them are filthy, covered in all the dirt that usually gets scrubbed off of you during bathtime.

Magda looks at them both with a raised brow, pinching girl-moose’s tail and girl-swan’s wing. She doesn’t want to really touch them with how dirty they are. She can’t really believe that you want to keep touching them when girl-swan’s wings are literally turning grey from how dirty she is.

She sighs deeply before throwing them into the washing machine, loading it up with washing powder and fabric softener and fiddling with the knobs until it’s on the most intense setting possible. Anything to get all the dirt and germs out.

She glances around before turning it on, spotting your baby blanket lying forgotten on the sofa.

You and Pernille are in your room, getting you dressed for another day at Chelsea training. You must have forgotten to bring it with you.

Magda picks it up. It doesn’t look outwardly dirty but she touches a wet patch and recoils. She brings it to her nose to smell it and relaxes slightly when all she smells is the milk you’ve spilled from breakfast.

She sighs though. It’s still dirty and she chucks it in the wash too, turning on the machine and leaving it to run. It should be finished by the time training finishes so all Magda needs to do is stick it in the dryer and it’ll all be fresh and warm for bedtime.

“We need to go!” She yells up the stairs,” Shoes and coats on please!”

You come barrelling down the stairs holding the gloves Zećira got you for your birthday. You’re wearing one of her full-sized Rosengård jerseys as well. It’s been rolled up as much as possible and tucked into your trackie bottoms and Magda kneels down to help you put on your shoes and coat.

You grab your usual training bag from where it’s sitting on the back of the dinner table chair, struggling to get it over both shoulders until Pernille helps you.

“Come on, come on!” You say,” Zećira’s teaching me penalties today!”

Pernille laughs at how quickly you try to get them out of the house but allows herself to be dragged along.

You have a lot of fun with Zećira at training and she does teach you about penalties. She shows you that you need to anticipate what way the penalty taker will move and you need to be quick enough to stop them.

(One day, you’ll be the most feared keeper to take a penalty against).

You’re happy for most of training until lunch.

Your food is sitting in front of you but you’ve not touched it. You keep digging through your bag. You look through it once then stop. You look through it again, your face getting more and more distressed the longer you search through it.

You practically look distraught by the time Magda arrives with her own food. Pernille’s still in the line but you’re sitting with Niamh, who looks worried over what she’s supposed to do.

Magda’s just sitting down when you burst into tears.

The scraping of cutlery and the chatter of voices dims as you sob.

“Lost!” You cry and Magda gently takes your bag from you. “They’re lost!”

Magda’s confused. Everything she packed in your bag this morning is still there and she rummages to the bottom of the bag and pulls out your keeper glove triumphantly.

“Not lost,” She assures you,” See, they’re right here!”

You look hopeful for a moment before you notice what’s in her hands. “No!” You cry,” Not my gloves!”

“Everything’s here,” Magda assures you,” Nothing’s lost. Nothing at all!”

“They are!” You insist.

“What’s lost?”

“My blankie!”

Magda feels a little bad.

“And my girl-swan and girl-moose!”

Magda suddenly feels a lot worse.

“They’re not lost!” She says quickly,” They’re not lost at all.”

“They are!” You cry, tugging your bag back so you keep empty it all over the table. “Not here!”

“They’re at home!” Magda explains before you start screeching,” They’re just in the wash.”

You take a break from crying to take in Magda’s words. Your bottom lip is still trembling but Magda thinks she’s done a good job at deescalating the situation…

Until you start crying again.

“You’re drowning them! Bad, Morsa! You’re drowning my friends!”

Yeah, Magda’s feeling horrible now.

She tries to pick you up but you refuse her touch, leaning away and clambering into a shell shocked Niamh’s lap, who has no idea what to do but bounce you on her knee.

“What’s going on?” Pernille asks. She’s hurried through the line quickly and places her plate down on the table. “What’s with the tears?”

You point an accusing finger at Magda. “My friends are gone! Morsa’s drowning them!”

“I put her swan, moose and blankie in the washing machine,” Magda explains.

“They’re drowning!” You insist, fat tears running down your cheeks,” They are! They are!”

Pernille sighs, picking you up before placing you on her lap as she slips into your seat. “They’re not drowning,” She says,” Your toys can swim.”

You sniffle. “Promise?”

“I promise. They can definitely swim.”

You wipe away your tears, flopping until you’re resting your ear against Pernille’s chest.

Magda feels terrible. She should have told you that your toys would be taking a little dip. You probably would have whined and made them late for training but that’s definitely a better alternative to this.

You remain morose and depressed all through training and it’s only when you get home that you perk up.

The washing machine is finished and you wrench it open.

Magda grabs your toys and blankie before you can.

“I’m sorry, Princesse,” She says to you,” But they’re still wet. They have to go to the dryer.”

“The dryer’s hot!” You shriek, looking close to tears all over again,” They’ll burn.”

Pernille picks you up, walking you up to your room to get you changed. “It’s just like the hairdryer,” She explains as you go,” And you don’t get burnt on the hairdryer, do you?”

“No, Momma.”

“Then your things won’t burn in the dryer.”

[hamofjustice]

but anyway, yeah, it's a really important aspect of character design, especially in a show-don't-tell sort of game, that kieran carmine and arven have been totally denied

nemona's only other outfits (not seen in SV itself) are plain green pajamas and a modified cheerleader outfit, both of which are still just uniforms. kieran and carmine's jinbei are also basically just uniforms. arven doesn't get anything

i wish scarlet and violet weren't made on the budget of a literal, actual shoestring- as their only funding- because can you IMAGINE how hype it would've been if they actually let those poor teenagers change out of their school uniforms on their vacation

[chunglesworth]

Really scraping the bottom of the barrel here but Explosion…. face? Anyone?