#as well as the night we met but as the opposite person’ perspective if that makes sense?

[eclipsewxtch]

a trope i absolutely love is a really good “where did they go”/runaway trope. i love that shit. i go FERAL for it. runaway/missing persons/whodunit but the person in question’s body HASNT BEEN FOUND??? i eat it up. allison from pll; sadie from sadie (courtney summers); lucy gray baird (tbosas); the list is ENDLESS!

‘she’s missing?’ someone asks.

‘he’s never been found.” your teacher says solemnly, head bowed.

they left that one sunny afternoon, before the clock struck twelve, and haven’t been home since.

one day, zir was just gone. and zir was here, once. that memory is there—faded like an old photograph, like the indents of your nails in your palm. Zir had been here, it says. but time passes, and those little truths suddenly aren’t truths at all.

i love that shit. i love that opening—it’s a day like any other, or maybe it’s not (maybe the earth swallowed you whole before you even woke up and you know you know before your eyes even open) and this person (they loved you; you knew them; you hated them; you love them; when did you meet?; that face…; did you even know them, who was that?) is gone. it may be a mystery to a small town, or a simple statistic in a big city, or a person you never even met, or someone you tried to, or wish you knew more, or loved like your own family.

they’re gone. but are they dead? you hear whispers wherever you go, like a haunting melody, or a rickety creek of a staircase, or a broken pipe that wind and water can’t help but come through. it’s present; but time moves on; and you listen.

“strange, isn’t it—how someone can leave so suddenly.” was it sudden? was it?

what did you really know about them? is it an open-shut case? is something darker at play?

really, all you want to know is: what the hell happened to—

but you won’t know. it’s not a mystery you’d solve easily, maybe not one you’d solve at all. it is not YOUR story.

…but maybe it could be.

[aceofpatience]

Love reading for singles💋

Hello, my dear oysters 🐚 Hope you doin' well.💎 There's some PAC mainly for singles but if you're just looking for the love, it can work for you as well. There are some messages about your meeting, first date etc... Please let me know if anything resonated, I always love your comments. Now, take a deep breath and... shall we sea??🌊

Pile 1. ❤️

Why haven’t you met the one: Your current goal is independence, right now you’re mainly focused on building up your position. There are a lot of things on your mind right now, but you kinda like it that way? Or it’s more like you need to keep yourself occupied all the time lol. You have a lot of determination and strength to do what’s right, but it keeps you far from creating connections. + You haven’t always been very strict and conscientious towards duties (other things have always come first). BUT now things are starting to shift. You were put in a situation or position that requires a lot of responsibility out of you.

What should you do to attract your partner: Rest. Sleep. Allow yourself to feel, to have desires about your future and to act on them freely. It’s YOUR future. If you know what you want, others wouldn’t have to guess what’s on your mind. So allow others to see you without your shell. I also see a man kneeling in front of a woman. Let them worship you as you deserve, you’re the goddess.

The first meeting: Opposites attract. You two may be quite opposites and this will be very much visible in the circumstances of your meeting. For example in the place where the dress code applies, one of you would be wearing a bright outfit or stand out from the crowd. But both of you will have the energy of „I’m on mission”. Also, one of you follows the law, while the other prefers to break it lol.

The first date: 333 Longing and desire. Some anxiety at the beginning, but there will be strong attraction regardless. Some bold action might happen rather quickly if you know what I mean heh. And again, there will be a duality of energies - strong confidence on the one side and some uncertainty on the other. First kiss is very likely to happen! And even something more. As for physical things I think there won’t be any awkwardness, you will be exploring each other’s bodies at ease. Even if you're not usually that kind of person who would have sex on the first date, everything will feel just right with them. Also, if you have some body insecurities (I’m getting especially stomach and breasts) - that person will show you how beautiful you are. Gosh, they are so… empowering. loVE IT.

Etceteras: They might call you princess or something like that (some nickname for sure). For some of you, after the unearthly first date (and night??) some circumstances will keep you separate for a short while and it might be tough for you. I’m seeing both of you talking to yourself „It was just one date, I need to chill out duh. What is wrong with me??” *than checking phone and opening messages for 45782 time*. And for some of you - important words: Winning. Golden crown. Sooner or later. See me through. Neck kisses. Honoring. „Winning you will be a damn price itself.”

Pile 2. 🖤

Why haven’t you met the one: „Just chill for a minute, ok?” Lol. Maybe you’re too quick to judge people, you try to rationalize everything instead of listening to your gut. Definitely an overthinker. You feel the pressure to change your life or whatever (looks, personality) every damn week and it’s tiring. I’m hearing „take a deep breath, look around you - you’re safe”. You probably keep some distance between yourself and the world around you and the change of perspective might do some good to you, you will see.

What should you do to attract your partner: Omg, this message is really damn strong - connect to your inner child! For some reason your inner child wants to communicate with you, they have some important message for you. Also, you might feel better if you would openly embrace your sexuality, your passion - in your mind and soul as well as your body. Don’t be afraid to express yourself and your feelings through your body.

The first meeting: Very romantic scenery, maybe evening, night time - it will feel like a proper date (for some it might be on the roof of a tall building or sth like that). Even if your first meeting will be purely accidental or happen to be in a very crowded place, the moment when you notice each other, will make you both feel like it’s just the two of you in the world at the moment. It’s giving me the Darcy and Lizzy moment when they danced and the whole world disappeared for them, gosh, that’s sooo beautiful.

The first date: 11. One of you might come late and feel awful about it. This date, I feel, will take place after a really hard day at work or after a tiring week - perfect distraction from everyday problems. You might be surprised how good it felt to just talk with this person, how smoothly and charming the meeting and conversation went. You will be bewitched and you as well will be casting a damn spell on them. I’m seeing dark dresses and dark lipstick. Quite an elegant place. Expensive alcohol. Butterflies in the stomach while putting-on a straight face. But surprisingly open and sincere conversation. You may dance around each other (or literally dance!), and flirt and all, but the connection will be serious af.

Etceteras: Spider and the full moon. For some of you, the decision about starting a relationship will be at odds with your rational mind, but the answer in your heart will be one big fat „YES”. I’m also seeing that one of you might debate with themself about whether to start something serious, but then see the picture of the other person and any doubt immediately fades away. „It’s you”. After this everything is developing quite rapidly between you. You know each other so well! In this relationship: seduction and courtship will last. ALSO: this person might come across as rather sophisticated and official but they might be really kinky in bed. I’m also hearing: „hypersensitivity to details” and „This person will be the one you want to look at all the time.”

Pile 3. 🧡

Why haven’t you met the one: 8 You party a lot lol. You also know how to take care of yourself, you don't need others for that. You have a lot of self-assurance and I love that for you. However, coz you prefer to focus on the part of your life which is profitable, stable and gives you joy - you can’t really see whenever you lack something. Maybe it’s just this quite timid voice in your head that tells you that you want more. You keep your circle of friends tight, you do not expand it. You may come across as fearless, but change is always scary af. And your potential to create is enormous.

What should you do to attract your partner: Share your sun. You can make the first move or just tell yourself mentally that you’re ready for something new. You are able to balance your life and make place for somebody unique. I also wanted to know what your person loves about your body and they said „everything”. Everything, it is. You have every right to feel powerful and confident. I think your person will be at first very much attracted to your look, your demeanor and then they will fall in love with your mature soul and fresh joyful mind. Sorry for the cliche, but just be yourself. And don’t be afraid to show your loneliness to others - ultimately, we are all alone.

The first meeting: Winter or spring solstice. You will meet „the one” when some cycle in your life comes to the end and something new will start to grow. Of course it will be scary, even though the change will bring you a lot of abundance and strength. There may be some trip or vacation journey. You will have to make a responsible decision that will likely affect your future (and that’s itching you). I'm seeing the garden (nature for sure!) - that might be the place where you meet them. Air heavy with tension. The connection is so strong and all-consuming it might even start as a one-night stand (in your case rather one-day and night stand lol you can’t keep away from each other). But both of you will be motivated to go further no matter the possible complications. You both will be equally engaged in this relationship.

The first date: Your first date might be the extension of your first meeting. Having breakfast together the day after something like that. Picnic, nature again. Roses. Peace and harmony. Trees around you. I think both of you will quickly think about the next step. Your date will be very emotional and I think it might be very new for you to be that open with someone you barely know. Very much thanks to your lover's energy - you will be revealing your darkest secret lying naked in another person’s arms. Sealing your union.

Etceteras: Spiritual connections. Soulmates. Eros and Thanatos. Tree again! (Nature might be important for both of you). You might get married very quickly if that’s what you’re into. You and your person have a very mythical bond, your conversation might sometimes get very deep and philosophical. I think you will get to grow old with each other. Your energies are quite similar - this strange combination of steadiness with complete chaos and impulsiveness. Strong love and friendship.

[cissyenthusiast010155]

Hi! This is the Morissa x Reader requester, finally got it edited, lol. (If u don't want to do it that's completely fine ☺️)

(Would love it being split into or a long chapter with the build up and then the fucking lol)

Sub!Morticia x Sub!Larissa x Top!Tall!Fem!Shapeshifter!Reader, Morticia and Larissa loved being carried and had been begging to be manhandled during sex but Reader is too scared to because of her werewolf strength but Tish and Rissa conduct a plan to get Reader to break and do it, and when that happens Reader snaps and fucks them both into nothing but babbling nonsense messes.

(Morticia loves being manhandled during sex and moved by Reader into the position Reader wants her in, Morticia loves being carried upright, legs wrapped around readers waist, arms around readers neck and head tucked into neck(doesn’t care where y’all are will just jump into ur arms and snuggles into you, been that way sinceur time at Nevermore together, Same with Rissa but she loves being carried bridal style and curled up with head tucked into readers neck. What sets Reader off is when she peaks into Rissa's office and sees them masterbating side by side but they don't know Reader saw till she gets home)

(Biting kink(likes to bite and be bit, Morticia), spanking(both), Daddy kink(both), shapeshifter peen(Reader), praise kink(both), they both absolutely PREEN at being called good girls and melt on the spot (literally ruined underwear).

Hey there anon, thanks for being so patient 💕 I would love to write this!! We love sub!larissa & sub!morticia 🤭🏳️‍🌈 AND we LOVE some build up! I added a song for inspiration and some extra spice 😉 SMUT to come in later chapters!

Bend us, Break us Pt. 1 ~Sub!Larissa Weems xSub!Morticia Addams xFem Dom!Tall!Shapeshifter!Reader

Link to Part 2 & Part 3

Mommy…Master List

Requests & Prompt-List

Warnings: NSFW, implied smut, Dom & Sub relationships, polyamorous lifestyle, etc…

Part 1 of a mini series

Enjoy (;

After the fiasco with Wednesday and Marilyn Thornhill almost destroying the school, Morticia had found it best to join the faculty to keep an eye on Wednesday.

The new school year welcomed Morticia Addams as the official Potions instructor as well as You as the new Herbology Professor.

And Larissa being lucky to be alive was an understatement.

You as the Marilyn’s assistant had found Larissa with the poison already in her system and everyone else having left. You had managed to counter act the poison with a rare healing plant that you had been secretly growing on the side.

From there, Larissa had immediately given you the job of being the herbology professor.

~~~

Morticia and Larissa had always had a thing.

And now that they were working together, it made their thing even more apparent…

But there was one singular, nagging issue…

They were both submissive.

Larissa spent her whole day and night dominating in her life, so when it came to her sex life, she was more than willing if not insistent that she hand over the reins of control.

Similarly, Morticia was the matriarch over the entire Addams family and she had such a submissive husband, that she couldn’t handle another thing in which she was expected to be in control.

Both women just needed a break for gods sake…

And this thing between them, only made the pair even more sexually frustrated.

Luckily, They found you.

~~~

After Larissa’s near death experience, she insisted to take you out for coffee as a thank you.

From the time you had been working as the herbology assistant, Larissa had gauged you to be introverted, calm, and shy person. Overall very submissive.

This was ironic to her as your build screamed the exact opposite; You were toned and quite tall (and that’s a big claim coming from Larissa), you carried yourself with elegance and dressed well.

But your presence was quiet, you did as you were told, and you rarely raised a hand against anything.

But Ohhh how her perspective changed when you two met for that coffee…

She had insisted that you call her Larissa, and you had immediately insisted the same for you as well.

Unlike at the school, you were far more talkative to the blonde and your laughter and smiles were far less contained.

Larissa quickly came to find your laugh rather intoxicating…

You were a lot more straight forward and clear on what you wanted and what you thought.

She realized that while you were introverted, you were certainly not submissive.

And as you and her were chatting, a thought sparked in Larissa’s mind…

You were the solution to her and Morticia’s little dilemma.

That was of course if a) you even liked women and b) you were even interested.

Which both of these things stumped Larissa a bit as she had no clue.

So naturally Larissa decided that after her coffee with you she would go directly to Morticia’s office to confer with her.

~~~

“I’m sorry, what?” Morticia asked, a bit stunned from the retelling of events which Larissa had just given her.

“It’s a lot I know. But I think it could work… But I don’t know if she’s interested or even gay, ‘Tish…” Larissa continued.

Their cute nicknames for each other always made the other woman blush…

At that, Morticia let out a elegant giggle if there ever was one.

“She’s gay, ‘Rissa…” Morticia chuckled.

Larissa looked at her with confusion.

Morticia burst into more laughter at her face, “You really have terrible gaydar…!” She chuckled once she had composed herself more.

“I do not…” Larissa grumbled.

“Yes you do.”

At not wanting to discuss this topic anymore, Larissa pivoted the conversation.

“Alright, but even if she is gay, there is no guarantee that she would be interested in something like that…” she spoke with a hint of disappointment laced in her tone.

“Hmmm…” Morticia mused, “Well why don’t we just ask her…?”

“Who?” was Larissa’s immediate, next question.

The room went silent.

“Not it!” Both of the women yelled simultaneously.

They both groaned and laughed at their own unwillingness to step up and ask.

“Perhaps it would be better if we both approached Y/N.” Larissa stated.

And Morticia couldn’t agree more.

~~~

Everyone knew that being called into the principals office was never a good thing…

So when you got requested by the principal at the crack ass of dawn on the following Monday morning, you were nervous to say the least.

Had you done something at the coffee meet?

Did you forget to turn something in?

Where you in trouble??

As you reached Larissa’s office doors, you took a deep breath and knocked with a slightly shaky hand.

“Come in!” You heard two muffled voices yell.

Two people?

Maybe you had offended or hurt somebody??

You took another deep breath before opening the door to be met by none other than Larissa Weems and Morticia Addams standing in Larissa’s office.

~~~

The second you had walked into the office, Morticia and Larissa shared a look and both committed in that moment.

“Professor, Lovely for you to join us. We had a matter that we wanted to discuss with you.” Larissa began.

“Alright. What’s the matter?” You asked.

Larissa looked over to Morticia for help.

“Well… Why don’t we all have a seat first.” Morticia suggested, glancing over to Larissa dottingly.

Larissa let out a small sigh of relief which she hoped you hadn’t caught before continuing, “Yes! That sounds like an excellent idea. Please Morticia, Miss L/N, do sit.”

“Thank you.” You spoke, “And Professor or Y/N will be just fine.”

Larissa didn’t meet your gaze but rather have a curt nod and a small smile as she too sat down.

“So… What would you like to talk about?” You asked again.

Both women took a deep breath.

They exchanged glances, in an almost fight for who would ask you…

Morticia won.

“We… We are looking… Well, we thought…” Larissa stumbled over her words.

“We’re polyamorous!” Morticia blurted out.

Larissa’s eyes widened at Morticia’s bluntness, “Yes, and we’re interested in you…”

Silence.

Both women sat there on the edge of of their seats, awaiting your response.

A small smirk crept up on your face as you finally responded, “Ah I see… Well then what do you want from me?”

Both woman stared at you doe eyed with their mouths agape as they both audibly gulped.

~~~

When you knocked on Larissa’s office door, you were nervous.

When you heard two people calling for you to enter, you were still shaking.

But then you walked in met by none other than Larissa Weems and Morticia Addams…

There was something off.

You knew from the second the pair had exchanged glances as you walked in. It looked like glances of reassurance almost…

Suddenly, you felt a little less nervous.

“Professor, Lovely for you to join us. We had a matter that we wanted to discuss with you.” Larissa had said.

Her voice was faltering and she was straining and struggling to keep her authoritative tone…

You knew this behavior…

“Alright. What’s the matter?” You matter of factly stated.

Seemingly the entire power dynamic has flipped on its top in a matter of seconds…

Then Larissa looked over to Morticia AGAIN. You had never seen such a dependent, questioning side to the woman.

“Well… Why don’t we all have a seat first.” Morticia said,

in what you assumed she tried to convey as a decision but came out a lot more like a questioning suggestion…

Then you heard Larissa’s breath hitch in a sigh.

You flickered your eyes in her direction, but she quickly looked away.

“Yes! That sounds like an excellent idea. Please Morticia, Miss L/N, do sit.” larissa managed to choke out.

She was back on a last name basis… desperate to try and front some sort of formality and power, you noted.

You were sure to correct her, something inside you was driving to put Larissa back in her place…

“Thank you. And Professor or Y/N will be just fine.”

At that Larissa still couldn’t meet your gaze, and Morticia was conveniently staring out the window.

But you caught her recognition with her small smile and nod.

That would never do if she was yours…

But she wasn’t yours.

“So… What would you like to talk about?” You asked again, now even more curious than before.

Both women’s breathing hitched, which they corrected almost immediately with a deep breath.

You were fully involved at this point. You wanted to know what had them so riled up.

And then they started flickering their gazes back and forth…

It was only for mere seconds, but you wouldn’t miss something like that.

And this is when it clicked for you…

These two strong, independent women in front of you were submissively squirming underneath you…

They were fighting for dominance.

And Morticia most definitely had won.

“We… We are looking… Well, we thought…” Larissa stuttered, causing a blush to tint her cheeks from embarrassment and causing you to have to stifle a giggle.

“We’re polyamorous!” Morticia blurted out, but immediately becoming red after her own statement.

You could tell that that made Larissa shift and squirm in her seat…

They were getting to the matter which made them squirm so deliciously…

“Yes, and we’re interested in you…” Larissa added on in a desperate attempt for their desperation to be salvaged.

But it was too late.

You knew…

“Ah I see… Well then what do you want from me?”

You knew what they wanted…

But you wanted to make them say it…

~~~

Part 2 linked here 😏

[cherrygukkie]

Late Night Encounters Pt. 3| jjk

Word count: 4,114+

A/N: Here is part 3 of Late Night Encounters. I hope you all enjoy reading! please don’t be afraid to give feedback. <3

••••

Questions raced throughout your mind.

How did Jungkook and Gaia know each other?

How was it possible that both of your enemies were friends?

Most importantly… What was their connection?

Her arrival was expected, but her and Jungkook being a pair was unexpected. Everyone knows that you and Gaia hate each other's guts, which is why you thought Jungkook was doing this for some twisted joke…

The history between you and her goes way back not from only being rivals...

Others would assume the opposite because she’s the captain of her team. A title like that is important and it means a lot.

A captain is someone who can guide others with responsibility and authority. They are filled with empathy, understanding and fairness while also valuing others opinions and treating everyone with respect.

Of course from your perspective, her character didn’t suit any of those things.

Her body stole the gap between you and Jungkook and ignored your existence as if you were invisible. As she turns around in front of you, her dark brown wavy hair dances in the air, nearly flying in your face.

You took a step back without a word. You knew it was most likely on purpose.

“Hey kook,” she says, pleased to see him. She wasted no time wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a warm hug. Jungkook, who reciprocates the gesture, returns the same affection that was given.

“Thank you for coming.” The hug lasts a minute until they finally separate, but her hand remains on his arm. “I do appreciate it. It means a lot to me.”

“Of course.” He seemed happy to see Gaia. His eyes lit up like a puppy once he spoke to her. “You know I’d show up for you.”

After Gaia shows her appreciation by sending Jungkook a pretty smile with batting lashes, she turns around to finally acknowledge your existence.

The eyes of both of you immediately met with a fiercely piercing gaze, refueling the same flames from the last time you locked eyes. After all, this was the first time you were face to face since last year at the tournament.

As the tension lingers on in the air, Gaia breaks it with her words. "Well, hello Y/N.” You couldn't help but notice the judgmental look on her face as her eyes scanned your figure from head to toe.

It reminded you of the same look you shared moments before the buzzer went off. Both teams were divided on each side of the net and you and Gaia were intensely staring into each other's souls, ready to rip each other apart.

“Gaia,” you replied, voice steady and even.

Jungkook’s eyes bounced from you to Gaia back and forth sensing the unspoken tension between you both. He felt it getting heated…

“I see you finally decided to step out of the shadows after a few years…” The grin on her face didn’t even reach her eyes.

Who does she think she is calling that cheap shot a win? Then dares to make it seem like you’ve been embarrassed to show your face?

But it’s fine, she wasn’t the only one with words to exchange. You've been waiting a long time to get this opportunity.

“I see that you're brave enough to face me alone now,” you hissed coldly, “I remember the last time we faced each other, you had to hide behind security.”

You both were referring to the night of the tournament. It was a clashes between your schools and things started to get rowdy, so security had to personally escort your team to the busses.

Gaia’s team came out right after you and let’s just say you weren’t too happy seeing them hold the trophy… and you went face to face with her and gave her a piece for your mind.

“You were angry that night and it caused you to act violently, I get it.” She stepped forward, getting into your personal space. “The truth hurts.”

“The truth?” You retorted sharply, "Everything in your entire life, including that trophy, has been handed to you on a silver platter."

It's not hard to believe that they flashed a stack of cash to keep their school’s reputation, The Most Undefeated School. And that’s exactly what they did, leaving your team no choice but to accept it and move on.

Gaia's eyes narrowed at your words, and she nodded in denial. "I worked hard for that trophy, Y/N. Don't try to diminish my accomplishments just because you can't handle losing."

Jungkook sighed, seeing that things were getting out of hand, and tried to step between you and Gaia. "Come on, guys, let's not ruin the night. Save the drama for later.”

All he wanted to do was steer the conversation towards a more positive direction, but the tension in the air was palpable and neither of you paid attention to Jungkook.

“The trophy is with me, in my possession, in my school's showcase and it’s never leaving.”

“Never leaving?” You question her confidence. “That’s cute.”

“No.” Her lips form into an O as she empathizes her words slowly. “So stop making excuses and accept the fact that your team got kicked to the bottom where they belong.”

You entered defense mode the second you inched closer, perfectly angling your face with hers. “Keep my team out of your mouth or you will get kicked to the bottom, Gaia.”

Her emerald green eyes bore into yours as her lips curled into a smirk with a slow deliberate movement. “Still the same feisty Y/N I see. You haven’t changed a bit…”

Snapping back you say, “And I don’t plan on it either.”

Jungkook steps forward, in an attempt to divide you apart, until Gaia prevents him from getting any closer with her hand.

Surprisingly, he obeys Gaia without hesitation and stands in place with zipped lips. “Y/N is still in her feelings about her loss. Her empty threats won’t change the fact that I have what she wants.”

“You won’t for long and that’s a promise, Gaia.” You make it known before Jungkook briefly interjects again. This time he takes action and grabs Gaia by the wrist.

“Alright, that’s enough.” He takes action, separating you both by pulling her away. “Now isn’t the time for this.”

You glance at him, realizing that he was more than right. There’s a time and place for this and it isn’t here and you weren’t going to let Gaia and her pointless taunts ruin your night.

As you close your eyes for a split second, you exhale putting yourself back at ease. You reminded yourself that you are here to support and represent your team not to have a catfight with Gaia.

Not now.

“I have better things to do, you know, like find a table for my team to sit.” After she shoots daggers at you, she looks over at Jungkook and smiles. “And I’ll see you around, okay?”

•the switch up is insane

He gives a subtle nod and she pats his shoulder before spinning on her heels leaving you and Jungkook alone.

Your arms remained over your chest as you waited for the sound of her footsteps to fade away.

When she’s gone, your hand instinctively reaches for his tie, gripping it tightly. You drag him along with a swift motion and lead him away from the loud crowd.

He attempted to speak while being dragged and his words tumbled out like a rush. Your grip tightens, intertwining with the silk and you yank his tie even harder.

“Shut up.” You were too determined to let Jungkook slip from your grip. He had his chance to speak and he has said enough. Now it’s your turn to talk and just like you wanted, he didn’t say another word.

The forcefulness of your action silences him and from then, he remained quiet until you found a secluded corner and led him there.

“Why?” Is all you ask before you release his tie, sending him stumbling backward from your vicious hold.

He doesn’t respond to your question, he just blinks and stares at you with bewildered eyes as if you lost your mind.

“Jungkook? Hello?” You waved your hand in his face, demanding an answer. “Why the hell are you here? Here with her?”

He scoffs, readjusting his tie that was ruined by the hands of you. “Why does it matter?” Jungkook’s tone grew defensive.

You roll your eyes in disbelief, “You are here with Gaia Watson, the same person who tarnished our school name all on her Instagram. You do know that, don’t you?”

“Who gives a shit? It happened a year ago. Get over it.” Jungkook stuffed his hands in his pocket, then looked in another direction to avoid your face.

You had to remind him. “She’s our rival, Jungkook. You should be ashamed showing up with her.”

"Gaia is your rival, not mine," he clarified, expressing the irritation in his tone. "Now can you not make this a big deal?”

Big deal? It’s a bit too late for that. You already formed your theories about their relationship and couldn’t help but ask.

“I see you clearly don’t care about our school’s reputation.” You use air quotes. “She isn’t your rival. She’s your girlfriend, my apologies.”

“Woah woah…” He instantly puts his hands up in denial. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Gaia and I are just good friends. We’ve been good friends for years.”

Your strained chuckle doesn’t reach your eyes. “Good friends.” Jungkook peeped your sarcasm.

Something about that rubbed you the wrong way, but you can't quite put your finger on it.

Quickly noticing your expression, Jungkook makes a muffled noise. It sounded like he was trying to hide a chuckle.

Your eyes shift to his, which were already on you. "Jealousy isn’t a good look on you beasty…”

The expressionless reaction you gave him was so surreal. You couldn't help but feel a little surprised by his foolish question. You weren’t sure what he was trying to imply, but you don't want to give him the pleasure of any reaction.

“What?" You humed confused and his lips began to morph into an amusing grin.

You tried to play it off as if you didn’t hear him, but in reality his words were crystal clear.

Jungkook gave you a knowing look. “Don’t get your balls in a twist. I’m not jealous, I could care less.”

“You could care less, yet you just tried to give me a lecture about it.” He teasingly shoots up his brows, “I’m not quite understanding.”

Jealousy was out of the frame. It was about how careless Jungkook is when it comes to representing our school.

“Yeah you don't quite understand a lot of things, Jungkook.” You roll your eyes. “I’m not jealous, it’s about our school’s image.”

Smirking, Jungkook shakes his head. “School’s image, huh? Whatever you say, beasty.” It was obvious that he could see right through your act. “It’s your job to care about our schools image, not mine”

•There he goes with that stupid nickname again!

“Y/N?” The sound of a clueless man caused both of you to turn your heads in her direction.

It was your best friend, Yoongi.

You smile. “Oh hey Yoongs.”

“Hi Y/N and Jungkook,” he greets you both with a surprised look.

“Hello, Yoongi.” Jungkook nods and returns the greeting.

An awkward moment of silence passes…

He bit the inside of his cheek, unsure if he invaded for a moment. “Did I interrupt something?” Yoongi asks suspiciously, pointing between the both of you with his finger.

“No, you didn’t,” you answer immediately, moving away from Jungkook. “But I’ve been looking for you.” Taking Yoongi’s arm, you led him away from Jungkook into the crowd of people.

He gives you a confused expression, but doesn’t say anything. He glances in the direction Jungkook was in, an eyebrow raised. “What was that all about?”

You sigh and shake your head. “Nothing.” You continue to lead him through the crowd.

Yoongi’s expression remains mostly blank as he listens to your reply. After a moment of silence he finally speaks again, “He was giving you a hard time wasn’t he? You want me to beat his ass?”

“No, it’s okay. I can handle my own.” You let out a small chuckle and Yoongi does along with you. “If anything I was giving him a hard time.”

His expression doesn’t change from his usual stoic self as he asks his question. “And why were you giving him a hard time?”

“Jungkook came here with Gaia,” you inform him, not pleased with the interaction between her earlier.”

“What?” Yoongi’s eyes widen as he hears you, clearly appalled by the information. “Do they have something going on?” He asks, curiosity getting the best of him.

“I don’t know, but he did mention that they were good friends.” You sigh as you think about it. Was it possible that he and Gaia were really that close?

He raises his eyebrows. “Mmm you don’t seem to be happy about them being friends.”

“Really yoongi?” You give him an icy glare.

It took him a minute to notice the stare you were giving him, he glanced at you confused. “Did I say something wrong..?”

•completely all the way fucking wrong

“I am not jealous of Gaia-”

He talks over you mid-sentence, “You’re prettier than her anyway. You have nothing to worry about as far as competition.”

“Again, I am not jealous. Can we just move on and enjoy the event? I don’t want to talk about Gaia any longer.”

Yoongi gives you a look, then rolls his eyes at your denial. He knew that you were stubborn and there was no point of pushing the conversation.

“Alright, no more,” he says with a chuckle.

“Good.” You grab your best friend's hand, then sigh. “The speeches and announcements are about to start soon, so let’s take our seats.”

He smiles, allowing you to take his hand and lead him to your seats with your team. Both of you sat down and waited for the lady with the microphone to get everyone to settle down.

Things were getting serious and your coach was still nowhere to be found. She has never been late before, so this was completely out of character.

“Maybe she got caught in Traffic,” he suggested, trying to reassure you and make you feel better. Yoongi saw the worry in your eyes as you looked around for your coach.

You smile at your best friend when he pats your shoulder, giving you a comforting smile.

Mindy, seated on your other side, offered you a gentle smile before reaching over to grasp your hand, seeking comfort.

“You got this, don’t worry,” you mouthed, giving her reassuring nod. In return she smiles taking in your words.

It was officially time to announce the players that were scouted this season along with the captain speeches.

Everybody was seated at a table with their teams and additional guests. The lady on the microphone announced that it was time to reveal who was getting recruited this season.

The lady had certificates in her hand along with an envelope. When she began to open it, the crowd fell silent as intensity built.

She raises the envelope, her voice filled with anticipation, and announces, "The very first person who will be joining Team Legacy this season, bringing their exceptional skills and dedication to our team, is..."

The entire venue is filled with a tense silence, as all the teams eagerly await for the announcement. The atmosphere is thick with curiosity, as everyone is curious about the identity of the first new addition to Team Legacy this season.

With heads respectfully bowed, the girls sat around the table with their eyes closed and hands clasped tightly together. Everyone was fully aware of the importance of the moment for Mindy. Team Legacy was her dream team.

“….Mindy Bowie!” She finally announced, reading the name aloud from the envelope.

The entire venue explodes with applause as Mindy stands up, a stunned look on her face.

Everyone including you cheer her on, beaming with joy as she starts to make her way towards the stage. She seemed more uplifted than she was earlier when she spoke to you at the bar.

Mindy had that look of confidence she always carried in her face, the confidence you always admired. You clap along with the crowd with a proud smile on your face, knowing that she would absolutely kill it.

Sneaking a glance around the venue, you saw Jungkook sitting with Gaia and her team and he was surprisingly clapping for Mindy too.

His eyes landed on you as briefly made eye contact with each other, then you turned your focus back to the stage.

The lady on the microphone and the coach of team legacy greeted Mindy with a warm hug and a proud smile.

She takes the microphone and takes a deep breath, trying to calm down her overwhelmed excitement. “I can’t put into words how I feel right now, but I will say thank you. Thank you to my amazing team, my coach and my parents for believing in me and fighting for my dreams with me.” Mindy chuckles, still in shock of her dream coming true.

“And as for being recruited, I'm so honored to be joining Team Legacy, and I promise to bring my skills and dedication to the team. I can't wait to start this journey and contribute to the team's success.”

She smiles and holds up her certificate and the venue buzzes with excitement as they clap for her even louder this time.

Once Mindy and other girls finish with their speeches, the audience erupts into applause, cheers, whistles, celebrating the girls once again.

Yoongi can’t hide how much he admires Mindy too. ”I think she’s better at speeches than you. You should learn a thing or two from her.”

You instantly shook your head at the thought of you up there in front of all these people. “Oh me and my social anxiety could never…”

Many girls from other teams were successfully recruited into the teams they had hoped for. The room was filled with joyous celebrations as players hugged their loved ones, their faces beaming with excitement. Friends and family members cheered and took pictures, capturing the memorable moment.

🏐🥊

All the recruitments and speeches were finally done. Mindy was surrounded by the girls hugging her and clapping her on the back.

You finally got the chance to wrap her in a warm heartfelt hug and graduate her personally. “Congratulations. I am extremely proud of you, girl,” you whispered, your voice full of admiration.

Mindy pulls back slightly, her eyes glossy from the tears of joy forming. “Thank you… that really means a lot to me.”

“I’m impressed,” your coach says, amazed.

The unexpected sound of her voice leaves you all momentarily stunned. You turn around to see her standing there, a proud smile lighting up her face.

She chuckles, “Team Legacy? Not bad, senior.”

In an instant, everyone rushes over to her, and hugs her pleased to see her. She returns the love and affection, hugging everyone as much as she can.

“When did you get here?” Mindy asks, still processing the coach's appearance.

“I’ve been here since they started calling people on stage.” She squeezes her arms around all the girls. “I’m sorry for being late, but I couldn’t miss this important moment.”

The group hug separates and all eyes are on your coach as she continues to speak, “I would never ever miss something like this no matter what, okay? And I got stuck in damn traffic and my phone was dead-” Coach takes a moment to breathe and relieve the stressful process it was to get to the venue.

“Again, I apologize for my tardiness. But I am here now and ready to celebrate and congratulate our newest member of team legacy.” Coach nudges Mindy’s arm with a wink on her face.

“Congratulations babe.” She hugs Mindy personally, showing her love. “I am so proud of the player and woman you are becoming. You deserve it.” They both pull away.

“Thanks coach. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Mindy smiles gratefully.

Coach pats Mindy on the back, "No need to thank me, you put in all the hard work. I'm just here to guide you.

Mindy nods, "I know, but your support and encouragement made a huge difference. I'll always be grateful for that."

Coach smiles, "You're welcome. Now, you girls can carry on celebrating. I am going to celebrate with a drink from the bar.”

She walks a few steps ahead of you, her confident stride and broad smile evidence of her pride and happiness. "Mindy and Y/N come keep me company.” she calls out, gesturing for you to follow her.

With no hesitation, you and Mindy follow her towards the dimly lit luxurious bar. The three of you slide onto the plush read leather stools. Your senses are immediately awakened by the mingling scents of alcohol and polished wood.

She orders sparking water for you both and whiskey for her. Shortly, the drinks are placed in front of you and you grab yours.

“Cheers to a fantastic season!” She takes a sip, savoring the moment. Then, she turns her attention to you and Mindy, her expression growing more thoughtful.

“How do you girls feel about this season?” She asks, her eyes curious.

You speak up, “I think the season is going very well and it will continue to do so.”

Mindy nods in agreement, “I’m with Y/N on that. This season has been our very best because we’ve pushed ourselves harder than ever before.” She glances at you and smiles, “I know that you girls will be fine without me.”

Coach sighs, “And that’s exactly what I wanted to talk about with both of you.” She looks at you and Mindy, her expression serious. “Mindy, you just got recruited and that means you’ll be leaving soon. How do you feel about that?”

That was a pretty good question. Mindy was officially recruited to Team Legacy now and like your coach said that means she will be leaving and you'll no longer have her as a captain anymore.

Mindy shifts in her seat, her fingers tracing the edge of her glass. “I’m excited, of course. It’s a great opportunity. But… I’m also worried about leaving the team. It’s been my family for so long.”

Coach nods, her gaze steady. “I understand. It’s a big change for everyone. You’ve been an excellent captain, Mindy. Now it’s time for the next step.”

Mind tries to smile, though there’s a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Thanks… and I know it’s time for the next step. I’m just trying to prepare myself for it.”

Then she turns to you. “And you? How do you feel about Mindy leaving? Think you can step up?”

The question catches you off guard, your eyes widening in surprise. “Me? Step up as captain?” Mindy chuckles when you point to yourself.

You as captain? You wondered how things would be if you had that title. That would be a change, especially for you.

Coach nods and watches you intently as you blink, feeling the weight of her question. “Of course I think I can step up. I’m just shocked that you chose me out of all the girls.”

Her expression softens, a smile spreading across her face. “You’ve shown great leadership this season. I have no doubt you’ll make an excellent captain.”

“Also you had the second most votes for captain,” Mindy adds in before taking a sip of her drink.

You glance at Mindy, who grins at you over the rim of her cup. “Second most votes, huh?” you mutter, trying to wrap your head around the idea. “That’s not bad…”

“Not bad at all,” Coach replies with a wink. “Looks like the team believes in you.”

“Yeah,” you say, a small smile forming on your lips. “I guess they do.”

As you sip your sparkling water, your eyes wander to the back of the venue where Jungkook and Gaia are standing close together, deep in conversation. They’re laughing and leaning in, clearly enjoying each other’s company. The way Gaia lightly touches Jungkook’s arm and the way he smiles at her makes your stomach slightly twist.

You couldn’t tell if it was your hatred for both of them or something else…

You try to focus on the conversation at hand, but your attention keeps drifting back to them. You watch as they walk out, side by side, disappearing through the glass double door.

Jungkook had told you they were good friends, but seeing them together makes you wonder if there’s more to it.

To be Continued....

@coralmusicblaze @hobismoon @tumeperds @binniethegiant @xumyboo @babycandy111 @btspurplesky @bangtans-momma @snkyuv @busanbby-jjk @sublimewitchdreamer @seulrene @seokjingrande @junecat18 @babybella337

[biblio-smia]

at the top of my list [ethan landry x reader]

pre-ghostface / no ghostface alternate - no spoilers for scream vi

masterlist | requests are open!

warnings: underage drinking (brief), brief angst but mostly fluff

pairing: fem!carpenter!reader x ethan landry

Rooming with Mindy Meeks-Martin came with its pros: for one, she got you out of having to room with your two sisters — as much as you loved them, you couldn't bear the thought of having to live a tiny, cramped apartment with them, — plus, she was your gateway to the "full college experience" (her words). Then, there were things that came with Mindy that you hadn't decided were pros or cons; after all, she was the reason you met Ethan Landry.

It wasn't entirely her fault — but Mindy was Chad's sister and Ethan was Chad's roommate and in no time, he was part of the group.

It was strange, allowing new people into your lives, but first came Ethan, then Quinn, then Anika and eventually you got used to the feeling.

You warmed up to Ethan first and the fastest, despite making the worst first impression. You'd misheard his name as Ethan Laundry and laughed little too loud for a little too long at a joke only you were in on.

Ethan looked past this; he was far too focused on not stumbling over his own words even to recall the event that mortified you for weeks.

Your relationship with Ethan grew steadily as he came around more and more. It was always in a group setting and usually alongside Chad, but as the months grew on you engaged in more conversations by yourselves. Always somehow left alone with him, you felt yourself becoming increasingly comfortable around Ethan.

Anytime Mindy attempted to make a comment on you and Ethan, she was shutdown immediately, sometimes even before she could get a single word out.

You enjoyed Ethan’s company and he enjoyed yours — the dynamic you had now didn’t need to be changed.

Moreover, you certainly didn’t need Mindy messing things up.

You were adamant enough in your position that Ethan and you were just friends and you didn’t want anything more to Mindy that she cooled down on the would-be comments at least to your face.

“I just know they like each other. I can feel it.” Mindy argued.

“Jeez, I thought Chad was the matchmaker here.” Sam joked.

“Hey, it runs in our blood.” Mindy grinned. “But seriously, all I hear is ‘Ethan this, Ethan that.’ It’d be cute if the two of them weren’t so painfully clueless.”

“Well, why don’t we let them figure it out on their own?” Tara suggested, taking a sip of her drink. She knew how you felt about others meddling into your life, even if it was people you loved — she and Sam learned that the hard way.

Mindy groaned. “That’ll take months. Maybe even years. Do you really want to watch these idiots pine for each other for that long?”

Sam let out a “Hey!” in your defense, while Mindy and Tara looked around for support, both sets of eyes falling on the only person who could clue them into Ethan’s perspective: Chad.

“Well,” Chad glanced nervously from his sister to both of yours, eyes settling on to Tara’s warm brown ones. “He does talk about your sister a lot. Like… a lot.”

“That doesn’t mean we should do anything.” Sam said before Mindy could say anything. “She really wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“Even if it would get them together?” Mindy pleaded desperately.

“Let’s leave them be for now,” Sam stated decisively, offering Mindy a small smile. “Let them figure it out on their own.”

「 ... 」

Knowing Ethan Landry was the best thing that’d ever happened to you in moments like these; it was another group movie night in the apartment your sisters shared with the usual seating arrangements — Mindy, Anika, Chad, and Tara were comfortably squished on the couch meant for three while Sam stretched out her legs on the second couch; effectively shunning you and Ethan to the love seat.

At first, it was awkward — you and Ethan crashed into your respective, opposite, sides of the couch, trying to create as much space between the two of you as possible. Then, as time went on, the distance between you grew smaller; as Ethan grew more comfortable in your presence, he began a habit of whispering random movie trivia into your ear, always carefully watching for your reaction, whether it was a gasp of shock or a cute string of giggles. You weren't sure when it started; despite your tendency to hate people talking during movies, you began to look forward to Ethan's voice in your ear more than the actual movie. By the midway point of each movie, you would always end up leaning against Ethan's warm chest with his arm wrapped around you, insisting it was so Ethan didn't have to work hard to whisper in your ear.

Tonight, Ethan was huddled next to you, the fluffiest blanket you owned draped over the two of you. His hands found yours, playing with your fingers. The movie started around fifteen minutes ago; a fact from Ethan was overdue now. However, as you looked over you realized that Ethan's fidgeting with your hands was nervous and accompanied by frequent glances toward his phone.

"What's up?" You were the one whispering now, a look of concern on your face.

"Hm? Nothing..." Ethan trailed off, distracted, his eyes never leaving his phone.

Ethan wasn't much of a phone guy — especially not during movie nights.

However, you didn't press further, leaning back to try to watch the movie for once.

It wasn't until Ethan's phone dinged, and he reached for it faster than you'd ever seen — breaking the only contact you had with him —, that your suspicion began to grow. Ethan's phone was always on do not disturb, a habit you'd chided him for when he was unresponsive in the group chat — though you were the only exception, the only one he always responded immediately to.

It was surprising to see — you wondered if he was waiting for a grade to be submitted; but as far as you knew, Ethan had no big assignments due recently.

The notification was just an email and the disappointment was clear on Ethan's face. As soon as his phone screen turned black — his home screen photo of you and him disappearing — the screen lit up again, as did Ethan's expression. You averted your eyes. Whatever Ethan was excited about, he'd tell you. On his own time.

You were painfully aware of the minutes that ticked on and on as Ethan typed, waited, stopped to think, then typed again. The sounds of a text conversation suddenly seemed like the biggest interruption to the movie you could have experienced.

Just as your curiosity reached its peak, Ethan turned to you with one of the biggest smiles on his face.

"So, there's this girl..." He went on, eyes bright as you felt your heart drop. You weren't paying attention to his words, only mustering up smiles and nods at the appropriate times to make it seem like you were.

Just like that, the sacredness of movie nights, the hour and a half you intimately shared with Ethan, was gone. It was tainted by the prospect of another girl on Ethan's mind and you suddenly couldn't stand being within five feet of him, an unfamiliar ache sprouting in your chest. The pain only worsened the longer you sat there, processing as the sound of your heart pound drowned out everything else.

You got up suddenly, clutching the spot that screamed in agony. "I don't... feel good." You looked around, cheeks heating up as you realized you caused a scene, glancing at the one now paused on the television.

"Are you okay? Do you need medicine?" Sam asked, suddenly sitting up. She made a motion to get up and you waved her off; if she came up to you know you knew you'd cry.

"No, no, I'm just gonna... go lie down. I'll be fine." You stood true to your word, making your way through the small apartment to the closest room — Tara's — before anyone could say anything more. With your back turned to the living room and your quick exit, you missed the way Ethan sprang up, only discouraged from following you with a shake of Tara's head.

「 ... 」

Being alone with your thoughts in the dark might have been your worst idea yet — but at least you had no audience.

Ethan was talking to a girl. They weren't dating — he would've told you that immediately — but they were talking. Worst of all, there was no reason for Ethan not to talk to other girls. It wasn't like you were dating.

You began to analyze the entirety of your relationship with Ethan, trying to pinpoint where everything went wrong. Somewhere along the way, Ethan had climbed his way up and became the person you cared about the most — sometimes even more than yourself. You'd tried so hard to convince yourself that the love you felt for him was platonic, but you weren't sure platonic friends felt so strongly when there was a romantic involvement with someone else. This was jealously in its purest form.

You groaned, hands on your head as it began to pound. The sudden thought that Mindy was right popped into your head, making you groan even harder.

Knowing Ethan Landry had suddenly become the worst thing that ever happened to you as you realized, too late, that you were hopelessly in love with him.

「 ... 」

Tara and Sam came in after the movie ended, much sooner than expected. Tara instinctively flipped the light switch on, flooding the room with bright yellow light. The sudden irritation led you to cover your eyes with a pillow and groan once more.

"Do you still feel bad? What hurts?" You felt Sam take a seat on the bed, pulling your hands away from your face. You squinted, your eyes still not adjusting to the sudden light when Tara spoke up.

"You're crying."

Your eyes opened and saw the looks of concern on Sam's and Tara's faces, hands reaching for your cheeks where, as correctly observed, tears had streamed down.

"I didn't realize." You said softly, wiping your face quickly. An uncomfortable silence laid upon the three of you, unsure of what to say. Tara and Sam exchanged glances before Tara took a seat on the other side of you, placing her hand on your leg comfortingly.

"Did... Ethan do something?" She asked cautiously.

"What? No!" You shook your head to emphasize. "Well... not purposely."

Sam took your hand in hers, a knowing look on her face.

"He's... talking to someone. It's stupid, I know. It's my fault I didn't give him a reason to... I just didn't realize I..." Tears welled up in your eyes again as you trailed off. You didn't need to finish. Your sisters knew exactly what you were feeling.

「 ... 」

Mindy was next to find out about your feelings toward Ethan and the situation you found yourself in. To your surprise, you weren't met with the "I told you so" or other celebration you expected. Mindy accepted your statement quietly as the two of you lay on your separate beds, dark encompassing your shared dorm.

"What are you going to do about it?" Mindy asked.

"Nothing." Your voice came out shakier than you'd expected. "What can I do now?"

「 ... 」

Chad was the last to find out, after your permission to let him in was granted. You would've told himself if you didn't think it was useless to. There was no point in admitting something that was too late to act on. To say you were hopeless was an understatement; you no longer left your dorm for anything other than class. You hadn't hung out with your friends in days, including Ethan. You were running out of excuses to throw at him and you knew you were running out of time to be upset. You'd have to pick yourself back up eventually — but for now you let yourself be sad.

This decision, however, was not supported by your friends. Tara and Sam's position on their involvement in your life changed drastically. It started as a plan to get you out of bed, they swore, but ended up changing as they realized who the girl Ethan was talking to was.

Chad had reported back to the group everything Ethan had told him about her; Tara recognized her as the girl you sat next to in your English class. You'd mentioned her a few times in passing; she was a friend of a friend of Tara's.

"She's weird," Tara said, eyebrows furrowing as Chad pulled up her instagram profile. "Not in a mean way. As in, she's kind of obsessed with my sister way." Tara crossed her arms, suddenly defensive.

"So what do we do? I mean, I don't think she actually likes Ethan?" Chad asked, looking back and forth.

Sam shrugged. "She might. If we gave her the benefit of the doubt. But it's starting to sound more like something else..."

The four exchanged solemn glances, all understanding what had to happen.

"We have to break them up."

「 ... 」

It was a party that got you out of your room (after days of pleading from Mindy). You were warned beforehand that Ethan and that girl would be showing up. You were only attending, despite this fact, due to the promise of alcohol that you knew would help you get through the inevitable. It was going to happen eventually. Why postpone it?

You separated from Mindy immediately, downing a cup of whatever drink was available — that and a refill was the only prerequisite you had before you forced yourself to find Ethan. Though, it seemed to be the other way around as you turned and were met with an overly-enthusiastic girl on an uncomfortable looking Ethan's arm. It took you a moment to recognize the girl in the dim party lights, but when you did, you didn't bother hiding the shock on your face.

"Madeline?" You almost dropped your cup in surprise, recalling an interaction that had occurred a few weeks ago.

Your teacher was running late, and you were unsure if he was going to show up. You pulled out your laptop to try and take advantage of the hour and a half you had of your lost lecture to get some work done.

Madeline, who was always late, took a seat next to you, as she usually did. She was sweet enough from your limited interactions with her, though the class you were taking didn't leave much room for you to talk.

Though, as there was no excuse not to now, Madeline had the opportunity to engage in small talk with you.

You responded politely but shortly, a little irritated that she continued trying to talk to you despite your obvious desire to get work done. You quickly concluded that Madeline was one of those people who enjoyed the sound of their own voice; a normal person would've stopped talking by now at your short replies.

Your phone lit up out of the corner of your eye and you knew it was Ethan; his class had just ended and the two of you had plans after you got out of this one. You'd always told him to head back to his dorm and wait out the rest of the 45 minutes you had of class there; but he always insisted on waiting for you and walking back together.

"Ooh, who's this?" Madeline giggled, snatching up your phone, much to your surprise. You thought you'd left people like her back in high school.

"Your boyfriend?" She inquired suggestively, pointing at your lock screen — a picture of you and Ethan celebrating his birthday exactly at midnight.

You shook your head, grabbing your phone back a little aggressively.

"No." You responded. It was none of her business; but you weren't assertive enough to say that to her face.

Madeline gasped exaggeratedly. "But he's your lock screen? You sure you're not dating?" She asked as innocently as she could muster.

"No." You repeated, harder this time. "We're just friends."

It was weird enough of an interaction to make sure you were never in a situation where you had to sit near her in that class again, but you chose not to say anything. It was a standalone, isolated event. But now, she was here with Ethan and you weren't sure what to think anymore. However, you were certain you did not like her.

"Oh my God! Isn't this the biggest coincidence?" Madeline exclaimed, though the tone of her voice suggested it wasn't.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Ethan asked, his own surprise evident.

"Of course we do!" Madeline said, letting go of Ethan and bumping her shoulder with yours, your drink dangerously close to sloshing onto your shirt. "We're like, best friends!"

You couldn't help but scoff.

"Really? You've never mentioned her..." You weren't sure if Ethan was talking to you or Madeline, but it pissed you off regardless. Maybe the alcohol had been a mistake.

"Well, have fun." You said curtly, taking one last look at Ethan before walking off. You quickly found Mindy, Chad, and Tara hovering close enough to watch the interaction but far enough that you hopefully wouldn't notice; too late.

You made your way over to them, sighing as you took another sip of your drink.

"What are you guys up to?" You asked suspiciously.

Mindy and Tara looked around at anywhere but you; Chad, however, was not so fast. Your eyes landed on his and you could see the fear in them.

"Nothing!" He insisted too quickly. "Just waiting for her to make a fool of herself so Ethan hates her?" It came out more of a question, but a smile grew on your face. You'd caught them.

Mindy groaned, smacking Chad's arm. "Seriously, you are the weakest link."

"Guys, seriously, it's fine. I'm fine. Can we stop worrying about it and just have fun?" You insisted.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Chad asked, eyes looking at something behind you.

You turned just in time to see Ethan storming away from his date and to the kitchen where he poured himself a drink. Ethan never drank.

"I'll go... check on him." Your words were quiet but the rest of the group nodded anyway, pushing you towards Ethan.

"Slow down, there," you said, a little hypocritically as Ethan chugged the mystery contents of his cup. He reached for a refill but you placed your hands on his, stopping him. That was more than enough alcohol for someone who barely tolerated it.

He was agitated, you could tell, but not at you.

"Have you been avoiding me?" Ethan asked boldly despite the hurt in his voice. Maybe a little at you.

You sighed, stepping closer to him. "Let's go home?"

He hesitated, but nodded, letting his hand fall in yours as you motioned to Mindy across the room.

「 ... 」

You didn't let go of his hand even after you left the crowded sea of warm bodies and were met with the cool air outside. You glanced at him from time to time, though for the first time since you'd known him, his expression was unreadable.

"I wasn't avoiding you. I mean, I didn't mean to. I mean, I just... wasn't in the right mindset to see anyone." You attempted to explain, feeling ashamed all over again.

"You should've told me. I wouldn't have been mad."

"I know. I just didn't want you to think it was your fault."

You continued in silence, though you took your still interlocked hands as a good sign.

"Are you mad now?" You asked carefully.

Ethan shook his head. "I could never be mad at you."

Though instead of relief, you felt guilty.

"She said you were weird." Ethan started after a while. You raised your eyebrows, but kept quiet. "She said it was weird I'm your lock screen. And that you were obsessed with me." Ethan paused and laughed a little, as if acknowledging how ridiculous the accusation was. "She didn't realize you're mine." Ethan flashed his phone up to prove it as if you weren't well aware of the picture. But isn't it weird how she knew we knew each other? And she didn't say anything to me? I thought so." Ethan didn't give you a chance to reply, but he didn't need to; he made his decision, on his own. Though, you couldn't help the relief you felt at it.

It wasn't a long walk back to your building, and the two of you made your way up to your room quietly. Ethan habitually kicked off his shoes as he entered, making his way to your bed and taking a seat. You joined him and sat there, staring at your hands. The two of you looked at each other and opened your mouths to speak at the same time, suddenly stumbling over your words to try and let the other go first.

"You. Go." You said a little awkwardly.

"I love you. I'm in love with you." Ethan started.

"Ethan—"

"Let me finish, please. If I don't say this now I don't think I ever will." He looked to you and you nodded your encouragement.

"I love you so much it's terrifying. I don't know how to date or what any of that is like... but I know how I feel. I love you and I know you're my best friend and I don't know what to do anymore..." Tears were beginning to pool in his eyes as Ethan sighed. "Your turn?"

You couldn't help but laugh.

"I love you, Ethan. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize and even more to accept it... I think I picked the worst possible moment to realize..." You took a shaky breath. "But I think it worked out?"

"Yeah. It most definitely worked out." And with that, Ethan's lips clumsily crashed onto yours, your hands immediately moving to his face to guide him. You could taste the last hints of liquid courage on his lips and you were suddenly grateful he'd had that spiked punch; there was no way you'd gotten a confession out of him otherwise.

You separated to catch your breath, taking a chance to admire Ethan as you ran your thumb over his cheek. He grinned toothily, placing his hands on yours. You kissed him, softer this time, savoring the feeling of his soft lips on yours.

"I knew it!" A voice exclaimed from the doorway, causing you and Ethan to jump approximately five feet from each other, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

There they were: Mindy, Chad, Sam, and Tara with smiles on their faces as they high-fived each other proudly.

"This was all my idea," Mindy said excitedly. "I said we should make a plan—"

"That's enough out of you." Tara said, placing her arms around Mindy and beginning to drag Mindy out.

"You two should be thanking me!"

"We'll leave you two alone now." Chad said with a smile and a wink, causing you to roll your eyes playfully.

"Remember, it's my room too!" Mindy's voice carried from the hall as Chad shut the door behind him, leaving you and Ethan alone in the quiet once again. You groaned at Mindy's comment while Ethan laughed.

Ethan flopped down on the bed, patting the spot next to him. You joined him and he wrapped his arm around like he loved to do.

The comfortable silence was broken by Ethan — it was a whisper so quiet you almost missed it.

"You're my number one," Ethan confessed. "You always have been."

"Good," you replied with a smile as you leaned in to place a kiss on his lips. "Because you're mine, too."

[000marie198]

There is another artistically incredible thing I noticed abt the first Httyd movie.

The movie, it's from Hiccup's perspective. And it conveys his perspective throughout, in details both subtle and clear.

Like the Book of Dragons clip; Chilling and terrific with sound effects and feels induced exactly as Hiccup was imagining it. That scene alone gives me the shivers and the way it ends on Night Fury (I absolutely love the fear inducing Night Fury theme from the first movie). I've been noticing that every single piece of score fit the emotions and situation Hiccup was in, affirming his perspective, his experiences, conveyed through the movie as if they were the viewers' own. And that scene when Hiccup is listening to his father speak just before entering the arena to face Hookfang, the way the lighting and expressions and sound of Stoick's voice was set apart from everything and felt resonated, Hiccup's dread and anticipation and anxiety and worry and fear were palpable. He was planning to do the exact opposite of what his father, the one he's been trying to make proud his entire life, was hoping and oof that few seconds HURT!

And with how the background score and scenes were animated so splendidly, there's one very subtle but greatly well integrated detail I just have to mention

If we take a note of all the dragons throughout the movie, there's a gradual pattern. The movie starts and every dragon looks wild and dangerous and animalistic. Beastly and emotionless, except for displaying an urge to cause harm or look vicious.

Aside from Hookfang. Every other dragon didn't look nearly as expressive and clear in intention as Hookfang did. And if you notice, he was the only dragon in the beginning of the movie whom Hiccup made a direct encounter with and sassed at. We saw Hookfang being angry and vicious and even worried and scared when he ran out of firepower and got captured, he seemed to display emotions more clearly than any other dragon. But he was also the only dragon so far Hiccup had a direct communicative encounter with. The movie is from Hiccup's perspective and we saw Hookfang from Hiccup's perspective.

But! It gets better. If you notice or think about it, try to remember the details in the movie with respect to the dragons, all the dragons earlier on looked wild and deadly and nothing else. Just wild and dangerous and vicious, the opinion every viking has on them, the opinion Hiccup during those earlier moments had on them.

But then he met Toothless. And it all began to change. Notice how the dragons seem to become more and more expressive and emotionally intelligent or humanly as Hiccup and Toothless' friendship proceeds to grow. How the snappy Terrible Terrors would gradually start to look like small little dragons who are mischievous and naughty and silly little guys, how the quick and swift Deadly Nadder started to look like a playful and curious friend, how the once sneaky and scary Zippleback who seemed to set it's target on everyone and everything became expressive and displayed worry and fear, how the powerful and dangerous Gronkle gradually started to look more kind and friendly and sleepy etc.

This happened with literally every single dragon during the movie. The more Hiccup began to understand them and got closer to Toothless and realized they are living beings who have individual personalities and feelings and are misunderstood, the more these mighty creatures felt more alive and expressive to the viewers. And this was done without the slightest change in the dragons' models or designs. They conveyed Hiccup's perspective splendidly throughout the movie.

Point in case;

Httyd 1 is a cinematic masterpiece

[xxkiller-muffinxx]

༺Yes, the past can hurt Pt.1༻

Pairing: Ebenezer Scrooge x reader

Summary: you are Scrooge’s long time friend, and from your perspective, Scrooge has just been the most perfect friend anyone has asked for, until he changes. Harry pokes the bear a few times, and suddenly, you tell your life story.

Word Count: 4.1k

Warning: Angst, Arranged Marriage

A/N: first Tumblr story! Sorry if it’s a bit awkward in some areas, and how rushed it might feel, but I really hope you enjoy it! Just realized I may have forgotten to accommodate for Hela’s accent and I apologize dearly.

The ice-cold floors of London shimmer as they blanket the streets, far and wide. The snow crunches under people's shoes as they walk. Townsfolk spoke to one another as a feeling of festivity launched itself into the atmosphere.

Christmas was tomorrow, and you had been with a dear friend of yours, Harry, spending your lonesome holiday there. It was somewhat of a party. A Christmas party to celebrate the season. Everyone was enjoying themselves until a toast was made.

A toast to someone you hadn't been very fond of for years. When Harry began his speech you had snuck out of the room, and stood alone for a few moments, before returning to finish the party strong, and finish it strong you did.

Once the party was over you felt rather glum, so Harry came to ask what was the matter. You could only respond with so much. “Mrs. (L/N) is everything alright? You seemed so low after my toast.” His concern garnered a warm feeling in your chest.

His wife Hela came along as well, sitting next to you with a soft hand on your shoulder. “I'm sorry if I ruined the party for you, Harry.” Harry shook his head. Placing a hand on her shoulder opposite his wife. “Oh heavens no! I just want to make sure you're alright.”

Hela leaned forward, to catch (Y/N)’s eyes as they looked toward the ground. “(Y/N), we are here to listen. Share what's on your mind.” their eyes met and (Y/N) smiled, her joy returning to her heart, but not for long.

(Y/N)’s eyebrows furrow deeply as she spits out her one thought. “That Scrooge makes me so angry, he used to be a good man, and yet, because of that old scum Jacob Marley.” Harry’s eyes widened at the statement. Shuffling in his seat as he's anxious with another question.

Hela seems to steal his question before he could ask. “You knew Scrooge? Before he became…Scrooge?” (Y/N) groans crossing her arms as she formed her next words carefully in her head. Hela and Harry patiently waited.

“To put it plainly, yes I knew Ebenezer before he became Mr. Scrooge. In fact, I've known him since we were children.” She sighs as she begins telling the story of her and Scrooge’s past. A knot found itself in her stomach.

———

There were barely any people around this time of year, all trying their best not to freeze to death on the roads. (Y/N), however, was not confined to her home. The cold winter air makes her shiver at night. The smell of baked goods made her stomach growl, and the colorless world made her feel gloomy, but her spirit never left.

The sky was cloudy, empty, and grey. As was every sky in recent months, but today was different. (Y/N) was sent to find a person she didn't quite remember the name of. Honestly, she was just wandering London’s snowy streets until she found someone who could help her.

She decidedly looked at the note, then looked up again. “Mr. Jenkins. He sounds familiar. He must be the kind man who makes toys!” she recalls. She suddenly feels the note in her hand fly away. In a panic she follows it, reaching up for it.

She follows the flying letter until she winds up tripping on her foot and falling into the pavement. She lifts her head, seeing the paper fall to the ground. She stands up, wiping the snow off her face and arms, before noticing a boy lifting up her letter.

“Mr. Jenkins?” he says softly. He makes eye contact with (Y/N) “is this your letter?” she looks around for a moment, and then nods. A light blush dusted her cheeks.

The boy walks up to her with a smile, handing her the letter. She can’t help but notice his big blue eyes. “What's your name?” he asks simply in response she stammers out her introduction to him. Her blush deepened. Oh, how embarrassing it is to be her. The boy simply smiles “it's nice to meet you (Y/N) I'm Ebene-” he's cut off by an urge to sneeze. When he sneezes he finishes his sentence “Ebenezer Scrooge, it's a pleasure.”

(Y/N) could barely hold in her giggle. “A pleasure to meet you as well, Ebesneezer Scrooge!” Ebenezer seemed to take offense to the name, yet he let it go. “Where are you going? Sneezer?” It doesn’t take long for Ebenezer to realize that her previous shyness shouldn’t have been taken for granted.

He looks at the time, he’s actually quite early. “I’m on my way to work.” He hugs himself as he continues forward. (Y/N), a bit puzzled, follows him. “Work? You're far too young to have a job.”

“Hm? Oh well, I’m the only one who can truly provide for my mother and sister in this moment and time.”

“Why not your father.”

“My father’s in debtor’s prison”

“Oh.”

“Why are you following me?”

“Because I'd like to be friends, and I don't know where Mr. Jenkins lives.”

Ebenezer stops in his tracks. Checking the time once more. Then he looks back at (Y/N) “I'll show you the way, are you new here?” he asks her. (Y/N) nods explaining how she's lived there for half a year now, and things are still quite new. Thus, the letter is safely delivered, and the two part ways, but that's not the last time they see each other.

For years to come, (Y/N) walks Ebenezer to work, and they soon become closer than most. Becoming almost as inseparable as Scrooge. It didn't take (Y/N) long to catch feelings for him.

———

“You. Had feelings for him?” asked Harry. He shook his head “that's not possible. Was he that nice before I was born?” Hela sent her husband a glare. Harry retreated promptly.

“Did you tell him?” she asked her. (Y/N) sighs before she admits, she never did, but God knows she tried.

———

Attempt 1: love letter.

(Y/N) and Ebenezer, now older, were walking with one another to Ebenezer's Job when (Y/N) handed him a letter. “Read this, when you get home that is.” Before Ebenezer could take it. A gust of wind tosses the letter out of (Y/N)’s hand and knocks it into a puddle.

(Y/N)’s flabbergasted expression warrants a sad one from Ebenezer. “I'm so sorry (Y/N), do tell me what was in that letter?” She combs back her hair and turns to Ebenezer. “uh…just a list of groceries to keep in mind next time you go…shopping!.” she grins awkwardly.

Attempt 2: a hidden message

(Y/N) knew Ebenezer wasn't the smartest, but still tried this method anyway. She wrote a letter, with certain letters capitalized, it was a simple “I think you're greater than most” message, however, it failed tremendously when (Y/N) didn't know what to write about.

“Thank you for the letter (Y/N) but what do you mean by…Horses lashing out at kite slugs?” Ebenezer asked later after the letter was delivered. His blue eyes shimmering against her own. (Y/N) laughs impatiently, but who could blame the man, that could sound scary to a multitude of others.

Attempt 3: get it over with.

“Sneezer!” she shouted as she jogged, stopping next to him as he bought something from the Market, “oh miss (Y/N)! A pleasurable surprise, is everything alright?” He walks up to her and the two meet halfway.

She heaves as he asks that question. “I'm fine, perfectly perfect, especially on a day such as this.” she took a step closer to him, a smile on her face as she spoke. “Ebe…Sneezer. I just wanted to let you know that I…I…I would like to-” the sound of a slap alerts both (Y/N) and Ebenezer.

The slap had hit a horse in the rear, and the horse was supposed to be attached to a cart, but unfortunately, the rope hung loosely below (Y/N)’s feet. When said horse was ready to run, the rope itself would tie around her ankle. She looks at Ebenezer and frowns “ah Humbug.” she's dragged off as the horse ran. Ebenezer and a few others gave chase.

———

“So I gave up.” Hela couldn't help but laugh at the last story, how unreal it felt. Harry patted his friend’s shoulder. “I'm sorry all that happened (Y/N).” he pulls her in close.

“Don't be, God just didn't want me to love then, and didn't want me to love later either.” Hela raises a brow at the statement. “What do you mean?” (Y/N) frowned. Shifting to a more comfortable position.

Hela, and Harry’s attention still on (Y/N) “My father got tired of me waiting for someone, and arranged for me to marry a man by the name of James Lincoln. That same year he met Isabel.”

———

(Y/N) watches as Ebenezer paces with a grin on his face. He's been talking non-stop about his new “friend” Isabel. “She just…I can't even name it!” he said joyously. His joy infected (Y/N) with her own sense of joy, but it wasn't the same, it was blanketed with selfish sadness.

“Sounds to me like you two are seeing each other like you're in Love!” that word made (Y/N) grimace internally, but she dealt with it. “Oh no…that's not possible! Besides, Isabel wouldn't love me the same way…would she?” he looks at (Y/N) who sits wide-eyed.

The bench she was sitting on moved slightly as she shifted her weight. “I don't know,” she says indifferently, and Ebenezer sort of looks at her longingly for a moment before his eyes lit up, grabbing her shoulders. “I'm going to go find out. Good luck with your engagement (Y/N)” he turns and rushes away, to find Isabel.

Oh, right. That. Her wedding was in less than a month and she was terrified of what it entailed, and where it would lead her. But she knew one thing. She'd be leaving a week before the wedding, Christmas day, and she had to tell Ebenezer before it was too late.

Days went by, and Ebenezer and Isabel became one, and (Y/N) was forced to spend more time with Isabel, and soon became another close friend of Fezziwig’s. Fezziwig is smart but not as smart as his wife.

Flora Fezziwig had a knack for picking out one’s emotions before one can even act on them. (Y/N)‘s sad eyes and clumsily loving looks toward a cheerful Ebenezer, never went overlooked by the patient woman.

(Y/N) was surprised when Flora stopped by her home, offering a walk through the streets to speak to her. During that walk she read (Y/N) like an open book, flipping through every page without a single paper cut. They stopped at a bench and spoke for a while longer-

———

“When are we going to meet James?”

“Harry!”

Harry covers his mouth and silently apologizes as his wife stares daggers into him. (Y/N) laughs and continues.

———

“You’re in love with Ebenezer.” Asks Flora.

(Y/N) is offended by the accusation. “What now?! I’m engaged.”

“So what? I’ve heard plenty of your relationship with that man and it’s never good, besides you don’t have to be single to be in love with someone else, it’s sad but it’s true.” She admits. A sigh escapes her as she squeezes her dress. (Y/N) mirroring her.

“I won’t tell you to change what you're doing, but I will say, when your past comes back to you, I wish you the best. “ (Y/N) confusion didn’t last very long, when a voice called out to her, and she got up and left. (Y/N) understood.

More days flew by, faster than a child’s first Christmas. Christmas Eve is normal until she’s invited by Flora to a Christmas lunch that apparently Ebenezer is going to as well, and apparently now your fiancé. As Flora would love to finally meet him.

The start of the party was slow, as it was the lunch part, but she didn’t mind, she got to reconnect with Ebenezer whom it’s been weeks since they last spoke. The smell of the food filled her nostrils.

She licks her lips when across the table Ebenezer clears his throat. She looks up at him, and places her hands in her lap, sitting up straight. Ebenezer couldn't help but laugh. Isabel looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he too sat up straight. Everyone spoke to one another, James not giving you much attention, despite being your fiance.

Ebenezer and her gradually send messages through quick movements, he points at her fiance with a tilted head, and she responds with a thumbs down and a deadpan look. He then raises an eyebrow pointing at his ring finger, she just leans back in her chair with bored eyes.

The two smile at one another, and Fezziwig stands up to make a toast, “before we begin our Christmas festivities, may I say thanks to my daughter, Isabel, and Ebenezer, for bringing and spreading their happiness today.” Ebenezer turns red, but a comforting hand rests on his shoulder. Isabel and Ebenezer share a loving moment, again.

James looks down at his fiance, and rests a hand on her shoulder as well, pulling her close. She looks down at the food, having lost her appetite. Once Lunch was over, (Y/N) sat by her lonesome as her usual dancing partner danced with a few other women from the group. She also watches Ebenezer and Isabel get along nicely.

An odd feeling of being watched enters her body as she holds herself. The music slowed to a stop, and as it did Isabel and her dance partner never parted. It was selfish for (Y/N) to love Ebenezer. For everyone involved, she’d never let anyone find out about her feelings, beside Flora. The music started slowly once again.

James comes to his senses, he reaches for her. He dances with her, spinning her in slow circles and holding her waist as gently as a stranger would. The music went quiet as a cold wind re-emerged. Memories and emotions wash through her as she dances.

She looks at James and then looks down again. Why now? Why after so long she’s forced to leave her home? Why? She’s taken off guard when James speaks to her. “(Y/N) are you ready to go?” He asks, she looks around, and the music has stopped, yet again.

(Y/N) shakes her head “let me talk to a few people first, before we have to go.” The sweet sounds of claps descend into silence as she turns to Flora. “Flora, my beloved friend, I must tell you something.” Flora leaves her husband and joins hands with (Y/N).

She couldn’t bare telling her friend face to face and decided to make it a wiser man’s burden. (Y/N) apologized over and over, her head on Flora’s shoulder, as tears fell down her cheeks. Flora honestly said nothing “tell Sneezer I wish him luck on his future Engagement.” Flora hugs her friend tightly “stay safe (Y/N)”

—----

“So, you left? My only question is how do you know Scrooge was as cruel as he is now?” Hela asks, rath level-headedly.

At this point Harry is sound asleep, while Hela is still listening, “do you want to hear more or get him to his room?” (Y/N) chuckles, and Hela sighs. Standing up to grab a hold of Harry’s arm.

Harry stirs for a moment, then his eyes open wide. Hela lovingly leads her sleeping husband to their bedroom. The newfound silence reminds (Y/N) of the peaceful, calmness of being in silence. Hela did return at one point or another, sitting down and relaxing next to her friend. “So continue,” she breathes heavily as if she’d just had to fight a bear.

Hela’s unlikely exhaustion proved amusing to the older (Y/N), who just giggled at her now messy hair and scooted over to allow her to sit down. “Alright, now talk to me,” Hela says as she relaxes into the seat, resting her cheek on her hand gently. “Alright, so I did leave, unfortunately. However, years later I returned, and just in the timely demise of Jacob Marley, I'll never forget that day.”

—---

(Y/N) had allowed years to go by, and she had no idea what was happening back home. When news spread about Jacob Marley’s death she begged James to allow her to visit her old home. It took weeks, but her plea was granted.

When she returned home things didn't seem so different at first glance, maybe save for old Mr. Jenkins being deceased as well, leaving only his son and grandchild, and the disappearance of Miss Isabel Fezziwig.

She wandered the streets, and through wandering, she heard word of her old friend through aimless listening. “I'm sorry for his loss! But he has no right to deepen me in debt any further! That old Scrooge.” the voice didn't sound familiar, so she chose to strike up a conversation.

She walks up and smiles at the stranger “Hello, ma’am and Ma’am may I trouble you for what you're speaking of.” because it certainly couldn't be HER Scrooge, could it? She lifted her nose in disgust. “Ebenezer Scrooge!” there it is. “That Flapdoodle is far too concerned with money than anyone’s well-being and I'm sick and tired of it!” the insult gets a chortle out of (Y/N), but she quickly composes herself.

“Where can I find him these days?” (Y/N) asks. The woman points in a direction, and she follows it. Walking towards a big, dusty old building covered in snow. The door isn't even locked when she tries to open it. It slides open slowly, creepily.

The sound of a dog barking causes (Y/N) to grab her chest tightly. She covers her mouth as to not curse. The barking ceases, but the sound of footsteps guide her attention to a door ahead of her, it's open. A dog pops it's head out and runs towards (Y/N). The dig promptly jumps on her and pins her to the wall behind her. (Y/N)’s laughing through all of this.

A voice calls out a name, the dogs presumably. “Prudence!” the dog falls back to the ground, and (Y/N) scratches the dog's head before it joyously runs off. “Back to pay off your debt I hope, come in.” (Y/N)’s blood went cold. No holding back now.

The walk feels longer than expected, stairs up to heaven that never stop. Her feet moved without warning, and she enters the room, warmly lit with candles, but otherwise dark. “So, Mr. William, tell me why it's taken you this long to-” his eyes float up from the paper he was writing on. His eyes widened.

(Y/N) stood in the doorway. A smirk hugging her expression as she raises an eyebrow. “Sneezer.” Her voice bluntly spoke, the warm hues danced on the two’s skin. Ebenezer slowly stood from his chair with a hopeful smile. “(Y/N) you’re here!” He walks around the desk. (Y/N) struts to the center of the room, to meet him halfway. He stops his body inches from (Y/N)’s, yet he doesn’t move.

“Where on earth have you been?” his eyes scan her whole body, seemingly waiting for her to move. She sees his eyes tailing up and down her body, and just looks into his blue eyes, and their colorful beauty, now wilted. “What have you been up to?” She crosses her arms, she laughs gently. She scans his face, side burns are growing larger and gray hairs short, but present. “You really age perfectly don’t you?” Ebenezer chuckles, a faint blush on his cheeks.

Ebenezer leans toward her “how’s your husband?” he asks, and (Y/N) shrugs her shoulders. “As good as a husband can be.” Ebenezer laughed. The two stand in silence for a moment longer. The moment feels like it could last forever, as memories splash in the puddles of yesterday.

(Y/N) clears her throat, turning away from having man, and sits in a seat across from his desk. “Sit with me Ebenezer, and catch me up with recent events. The good, the bad, the Merry?” Ebenezer sits back at his desk. He holds the bridge of his nose tightly.

“Though I do miss you. You are one of the best friends I could ever ask for, I have work to do.” he looks down at his paper, and begins scribbling something down yet again. “Sneezer? Ebesneezer if you prefer-” she ignores his look of blatant disgust at the name. “We're friends! it's been decades, A little work can't come between that!” she begs. Ebenezer shakes his head.

(Y/N) realized that moment they just shared, was wasted, and now (Y/N) stands alone. “What happened? Was it Jacob that made you this way, I wish that man peace in the afterlife, but good heavens he was such a horrible influence on you. Fezziwig was a kinder man. When you sent me that letter-” (Y/N) blabbers on, and soon Ebenezer’s anger got ahead of him.

He slams his hands on the table as he stood, silencing the poor woman, his eyebrows furrowed deeply as he glares at (Y/N), before his eyes soften “Can you please just leave?” he says, (Y/N) knew something was wrong, and walked over to his desk, leaning on it. “It's not Jen? Is it?” Ebenezer looked up, eyes wide, and full of shock.

(Y/N) frowned as she realized “their child…did she-” the sensitive topic caused Ebenezer’s glare to return. “(Y/N) can you please leave” the tone flew over her head, and she began walking to comfort the man. “Oh Ebenezer I'm so sorry for your-” “(Y/N)!” his voice seems to boom in the quiet room.

Ebenezer stares at (Y/N), and slowly begins walking up to her. His silence being ever more threatening than his voice ever could. “Ebenezer I-” she hits a wall, and her words choke in the back of her throat. “It’s Mr. Scrooge if you please. And would YOU please, leave me alone.” (Y/N) opens her mouth to speak when she’s forced out of his office.

The feeling of Scrooge’s hands on her shoulders never leaving

—-----

“My word,” Hela says simply. “I-I just don't know what to say.” The fireplace warms the room, the dancing flames seem to twirl, to spin, and to move to whatever music is playing, despite the silence. (Y/N) sighs. “Not much to say, other than “Humbug”.” She laughs awkwardly.

The bell. Chimes at 4, and (Y/N) stood up. “We’d better get to bed, and you need to go get your rest before your husband wakes up.” Hela walks with (Y/N) to her room, Hela is one of the kindest friends she could ask for in this day and age.

Hela left her alone, and she laid in her room, contemplating her lonesome emotions. The cool air passing through the windows, and the sweet sounds of silence ease her off as she drifts to sleep, but she wishes it were that easy.

She stays up late, thinking of what ifs, what could have beens and what's next scenarios. Almost driving herself mad in the process. A swift wind passes through the room. (Y/N) grabs the thin blanket, covering her body with it.

The ice cold floors of London stand silent at night, snow thickening as Christmas brings new layers of joy to children and adults alike. The whispers of the ice, and the giggles of the moon carry (Y/N) off into a peaceful night sleep, but still pondering by morning.

Christmas morning…

(Y/N) chose to sleep in on Christmas day, because what the hell? It's Christmas! (Y/N) was wrapped in her sheets, late into the day, when there was a knock on the door. (Y/N) groans, finally getting out of bed, and walking to the door. When she opens it up, she's surprised to see Harry's big smile. “(Y/N) uncle Scrooge invited us all for dinner! You truly must come! It could be a surprise!”

(Y/N) is surprised by the sudden outburst of her friend, but it doesn't take long for her to take in what he said. “Get dressed, get dressed! I just can't wait!” he turns on his heel, dancing his way to his wife who is more than elated. She laughs, ignoring the pit in her stomach. It's one dinner. What could go wrong?

End of part one <3

Pt. 2 “But it can heal, if you learn from it”

[why-is-it-always-autumn]

An incomplete list of "Supernatural" characters who I think would be really really interesting as protagonists of a peggy sue-style time travel fix it:

Meg, from "Goodbye Stranger" to "Scarecrow". She never betrayed anyone but when she died she was friends with the Winchesters and half in love with Cas but now none of them know her, and with Azazel and Lilith back in play they're on opposite sides of a war. How does she reconcile her new perspective with her old one? Does she switch sides? Does she commit harder to freeing Lucifer, even knowing the costs?

Crowley. He would cause so many problems and get so silly with it. The plot is getting so wildly derailed so fast. Calling this a "fix it" is such a stretch

Mary, from post-canon to the night she died the first time. She would take this whole story off the rails. Angels and demons hate her.

The Ghostfacers, speaking of getting silly with it. They'd be solving exclusively their own problems. Somehow this snowballs into indirectly helping Sam and Dean? They could not care less what the Winchesters were up to but they set off some wacky chain of events that somehow ends up totally preventing at least one apocalypse

Becky. She would interfere so much and it would be so weird and confusing. She knows everything but literally who is this chick.

Claire Novak, from post canon to right after Jimmy gets possessed. This is a small child who knows too much but also has weird gaps in her knowledge. Her dad is possessed but are we sure she isn't also possessed?

Adam Milligan, post-canon to pre-Jump the Shark. Again with "this is a time travel fix it but only for this one specific character." Secret third Winchester brother throwing major wrenches into the Divine Plan

Jody. I just think she's neat. Bobby would be so confused. Jody is speedrunning her troubled child collection/trying to intervene before the children are traumatized

Ash. Yes he's been dead for well over a decade, but he finally broke into the secret room in heaven where they keep the time machines and he is going to cause problems on purpose. He knows most of what happened but it's dependent on what the angels thought was noteworthy enough to gossip about.

Sam, waking up like two days before Halloween 2005 with memories all the way through dying of old age in the last episode. His powers kicked in Way Too Strong wtf

Any random one-off monster with human intelligence, but it turns out after they died they met up with Benny and they're invested in whatever this is now. They keep following the Winchesters around and "helping" because they're just so interested in getting a first person view of the Drama.

Any random victim of the week, possibly doing a groundhog day loop until they can save themself. Sam and Dean don't even need to do anything this rando has solved this problem. This would probably be a oneshot.

A group of dead angels/demons working together to break out of the Empty, but as soon as they get back they all have wildly different goals and keep fighting each other. Maybe as a limiter if any of them die they all get kicked back to superhell, so they have to keep each other alive while thwarting each other, with Sam and Dean caught in the crossfire?

Similarly, a group of one-off monsters of the week teaming up to break out of Purgatory and get revenge, but a couple of them actually like Sam and/or Dean and are working against the others. Sam and Dean, again, have no idea about any of this

[cavorta]

Visualisations with "inner guides"

Over twenty years ago, I learned something in psychotherapy: visualisations with »inner guides«.

The idea is quite simple: You invent some kind of helpful person or animal or another entity whom you can trust and then you visualise having conversations with them. This inner guide may have a different perspective on your problems and help you solve them - or at least find a state of mind with which you can better deal with them. If you cannot visualize, because of aphantasia or something else, you could also try to hear the conversation you have with your inner guide instead of visualizing them.

You could say, that you tap into your inner wisdom while talking with such a guide, or into the Collective Unconscious. And this can be easier with a visualisation or a similar method, than in your every-day state of mind.

I am a spiritual person and these days, I differenciate between spirit guides and inner guides: The inner guides are made-up, a product of my imagination. The spirit guides are real entities (at least in my personal experience or my unverified personal gnosis).

The therapist who told me about this mentioned that some religious folks use angels as such inner guides, so the line between imaginary guides and spirit(ual) guides gets blurry there.

In 2019, I chose a fictional character whom I really like, as an inner guide and I am glad I did, because this has helped me a lot.

My hyperfixation on Good Omens has given me the idea to use Aziraphale and Crowley as inner guides, too.

I think it might be really interesting to have two such polar opposites and see their different viewpoints on things. There is this well-known image of a tiny angel on one shoulder, whispering in your ear and the devil (or a demon) is also there, whispering in your other ear and both try to persuade you to do some things (or not do them).

So I tried a respective visualisation last night. In it, we met in the book shop, Aziraphale was very welcoming and offered me a cup of tea, as he would. Crowley on the other hand was sarcastic and thought-provoking – as he would be. This visualisation was helpful to me, so I am looking forward to more such conversations with them.

[pureamericanism]

Addressing controversial topics with subtlety and nuance without resorting to fence-sitting is a difficult thing to do, so I've thought for a long while about how I'd word this post so it would actually reach people. I'm fairly sure it'll fail, but I'm tired of mistaking my own confused silence for cowardice.

So, how about that culture war, huh? Pretty wild stuff, innit? For example, I had thought that there was a pretty vast space for productive compromise in between "men should be banned from wearing kilts on the grounds of sexual immorality" and "pushing pro-sterilization propaganda on children from the age of 4 onwards from every available uncensored platform is fucking awesome, actually," but it seems in the current state of things that's not the case. It's either one extreme or the other. Indeed, that dichotomy forms a depressingly thorough scissor statement for much of our terminally online class.

Including myself, of course. For my part, even though I regularly wear a kilt on formal occasions - including for my own wedding - I would much, much rather have to quietly hush up that fact, deleting all pictures thereof and having A Word with my friends and relations, than have my nieces, nephews, and my own (future) children subject to non-stop pro-sterilization propaganda from their teachers, media heroes, etc. And it isn't even close. In fact, the idea that someone might hold the opposite point of view seems to me as obviously, transparently abhorrent as the parenting practices of Walter Breen.

And yet, many of the people I follow here on tumblr seem to hold that opposite perspective. I won't call my mutuals 'friends' - I don't personally hold with having friends that I've never met in person - but you're all people who, if I heard you'd suddenly died, I'd feel really quite sad for a good long while. You post interesting, insightful things, sometimes things I already agree with, sometimes things I find novel and interesting, and sometimes things I heartily disagree with. Whichever way, though, they're things I find interesting and am glad to read. But there's some of you who seem to hold quite the opposite opinion as me on this scissor statement, who think 'banning men from wearing kilts' to be the greater of two evils here, and who don't seem to be afraid of proclaiming that fact.

I don't know what to make of this fact. I've always thought of rationality as the only arbiter of judgement that we can possibly rely on, and so I can think of various arguments in favor of my opinion, but I can't imagine they would actually persuade anyone who disagrees. There are a lot of moral, ethical, and political questions where I can imagine close, scientific reasoning would persuade me, but...well, as I said above, I view my opponents' position as being morally equivalent to advocating for Walter Breen's systematic sexual abuse and exploitation of his pre-pubescent children over the course of many years, and I can't imagine any possible argument that would persuade me that that's fine and dandy.

And yet, many of the people who seem to espouse this horrifying position seem otherwise to be sensitive, caring and intelligent people. What is one to make of this? Is morality really completely, entirely, 100% arbitrary? If it's this arbitrary, that there can be no common ground on such fundamental questions as this, then I find it hard to avoid agreeing with the poet that "if we knew what we are, we should do as Sir Arthur Jermyn did; and Arthur Jermyn soaked himself in oil and set fire to his clothing one night." I don't know.

I'll confess that my secret hope in writing this is that one of my mutuals who falls on the other side of this scissor statement from me will read my framing of the issue - "massive, government-sponsored pro-child-sterilization propaganda" - and come to the slow, belated realization that they've been wrong the whole time. But, realistically, I don't have much hope that'll happen. After all, I've seen the other side frame the debate in equally apocalyptic terms - "trans genocide!," an' a' tha' - for years, and it's failed to move me even the slightest amount. Frankly, I'll be surprised if any of the people I'd be happiest to persuade have even read this far. Reading an effortpost can take a lot of effort, after all, and most especially when it disagrees with you.

Still, I would like to extend a hand to all of you awful, reprehensible, and yet somehow morally decent people. As I said in the very first paragraph, even though I find your moral priors horrible beyond measure in ways that shake my belief in the very idea of a common morality to the core, I still think there's a really vast space for compromise. Surely we can all agree that it's perfectly fine for men to wear dresses and eyeliner, and for women to drive motorcycles and chew Copenhagen, and that it's also probably a bad idea for 3rd-grade teachers to be telling kids how fucking hip double mastectomies are? Right? Hell, I'll go further - I really don't care who uses what bathroom, tbh, as long as they're not doing something that is already considered awful for innumerable other, non-gender-related reasons. As long as you can agree that, actually, prescribing chemical castration drugs to otherwise healthy 10 year olds is not the sort of thing that should be considered consistent with the rest of our medical ethics.

Here, I've even prepared a light-hearted cartoon about my attempt to find common ground and compromise in the broad space in between our two positions:

If it seems pessimistic about the likelihood of genuine long-term peace and compromise over this or any other culture war issue, well. That's because I am.

[tamaharu]

can you do an aita post for haruhi "AItA for marrying a mutual friend that my gay best friend has been in love with since he was 14"

i dont know how funny this is going to be btw. tried to craft it into an actual post haruhi might make and. well haruhi is fundamentally very boring.

necessary context for this is a situation me and my friend reuben ramón came up with when we were both more into ouran: an unhappily married tamaharu go to their high school reunion where they meet up with everyone else, including kyoya and renge. tamaki and kyoya share some heated moments but also think Its Far Too Late For Any Of That... meanwhile haruhi fucks renge in a janitors closet and they break up. you can read some of the stuff i wrote about it here

r/relationship_advice

Posted by u/FHNatural 4 months ago

Feeling conflicted about my marriage of five years.

Me (27NB) and my husband (28M) met by chance in high school. We started dating during his last year of high school, and got married a little after I completed undergrad.

For the actual issue: I love my husband, but more and more frequently, I've felt as if I love him like I love a friend. Intimacy and basic affection between us seems off-putting, I've been spending more time away at work just to achieve solitude, and I just feel like I've grown into a person too different from who I was when we began dating. He clearly wants more. He's not demanding anything of me, but I know it upsets him to see me pulling away. Or, he wants kids, and that's something I've always been reluctant about.

We've spent so much of our lives together, and I'm sure that's coloring some of my opinion. I've never been the most adventurous, and I'm confused if I still love him, if I want to split but my own passiveness is holding me back, etc... I'd appreciate some outside perspective on this, but all of my friends are his friends as well, so.

TLDR; How do I deal with feeling like I've fallen out of love with my husband?

UPDATE: I want to start this update, four months after my original post, by thanking everyone who spoke with me through comments and DMs. Some of it was unhelpful, but for the most part I was pleased to find honest, sincere advice. Which makes me feel bad because I probably did the exact opposite of what I was advised to do. The full story of what happened is a bit long, so I'll do my best to summarize:

1. Was looking into both marriage and individual counseling, but was unable to find the time or courage to pursue further with husband.

2. Me and husband were invited to high school reunion with most/all of our mutual friends, including his best friend from middle school. Best friend has been in love with husband since they were fourteen, I was unaware until a little before we were married. This becomes relevant.

3. Re-encountered old friend from high school whom I had lost touch with, found our short connection to be more fulfilling than the one me and my husband had been sharing for some time.

4. Had an affair with said lost connection during the reunion. Husband found us.

5. On impulse, made it worse and handed over my ring. Went and stayed at her house for the night, felt horrible in the morning. He stayed at best friends house.

6. Had actual conversation about everything. Began official separation. I stayed at her house, he stayed at friends house. From what I can gather, this is around the time best friend spoke about his feelings for him, (ex-)husband reciprocated.

7. We're doing better! Things are still fairly uncomfortable, and I admit that I did not make good choices, but I think we're both going to come out on top of this. Again, I want to thank everyone for giving me such kind advice. Sorry, I didn't follow any of it. 😊

[newmusicradionetwork]

Griefcat Announce The Release Of Late Stage Capitalism Out April 19

Annie Nardolilli and Louisa Hall, the masterminds behind DC duo Griefcat, are set to release their brilliant album Late Stage Capitalism, April 19.  They’ve been compared to Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D, Norwegian duo Ylvis, and Garfunkel and Oates by fans but Griefcat brings their own unique voice to the genre. The nine tracks on Late Stage Capitalism range from flat out hilarious to unexpectedly thought provoking, each with a unique sound, beautifully blended harmonies, and brilliant lyrics all with an unpredictable twist.  The musicianship stands out on its own too; traditional instruments abound but you will also hear slide guitar, ukulele, trumpet, trombone, violin, and cello peppered throughout the album. Says the duo, “We are overjoyed to finally share these songs with the world! We’ve been working on this album since 2020, and it has been a labor of love to bring our full vision to fruition.” Late Stage Capitalism explores how unbridled capitalism has invaded every facet of modern life, from workplace politics to interpersonal relationships, and even our most private moments. They came up with the title in early 2020 when they wrote arguably their most well-known song on the album to date, “Revolution (Poop At Work),” a song about how even the smallest acts of defiance can be revolutionary, catapulted the duo to viral infamy and a strong following with over 25 million organic views of their videos, more than 15 million of those views for that song alone.  Even Questlovecommented on the song, saying “LOL I feel seen, I see my version as a political act.”  They’ve also received likes from SZA and actor Alan Tudyk for their posts, among others. Other songs on the album include “I Just Want To Get Inside (Your Bank Account),” an unanticipated, ‘90s-style love song with a hilarious contradiction between two women looking for two different things when it comes to a new relationship.  Are they looking for love or money? It also shines a light on dating culture and how much sensitive personal information we share online every day.  “Crytpobro” is a traditional country tune with all the makings of a hit song.  It’s a melodic, catchy, and current, and a breakup song about losing love, in this case to the cult of Cryptocurrency and the church of Elon Musk.  The opening track, “Benevolent Billionaire,” featuring standout vocalist Jarreau Williams along with many of DC’s brightest musical talent, is loosely based on ‘80s supergroup charity singles like “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and “We are the World.”  “Love The Sinner” was written while Annie was working as a deputy sheriff and was inspired by two narrow-minded coworkers she didn’t get along with. All these songs would never have existed if it weren’t for the mind melding of the opposites attract duo.  Annie, from Arlington, VA is a Mormon and former sheriff’s deputy while Louisa, from Alexandria, VA (now lives in Reston VA), is a long-time lapsed Catholic and a career tech employee.  That dichotomy in perspectives has been the key to the duo’s success both in songwriting and in their friendship.  They met at a DC-based variety show and were the only musicians in a group of comedians performing that night. They scheduled their first rehearsal, wrote a song about vaccines and egg rolls, and the rest is (recent) history. Now, with Late Stage Capitalism, Griefcat has all the potential to be more than just a musical act.  With each live show, they invite their audience to step inside their world, creating a fun and exciting atmosphere that becomes a universally shared experience for all.  Tour dates are listed below, more to be announced soon. Griefcat Tour Dates: Feb 08 – Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington, DC Feb 29 – Jammin Java, Vienna, VA Mar 16 – The Pocket, Washington City, DC Mar 21 – The Heist, Bowling Green, VA Griefcat Website Instagram TikTok Spotify YouTube Facebook #  #  # Read the full article

[omgpurplefattie]

Snippet!

I am writing Chapter 16 of "Detoxify" after successfully cracking the conundrum of how I wanted to get out of this particular corner I had written myself into. Here's a little snippet:

[[Li Lianhua's PoV]]

“Well,” Li Lianhua said, “last night, the actual brains behind the team and maybe the entire CSS, some young genius called Wang Zhi, dropped by without the pretense of beer. Apparently, they had found out enough with research and legwork and now wanted our perspective. They are taking the whole thing with Jiao-jie quite seriously, not because she is stalking A-Fei but because she’s practically conducting some industrial espionage, sabotage, what have you, and is also employing a shadowy hacker the CSS would quite like to talk to.”

Shulin nodded. “I told you who that is,” he said, “but official channels probably don’t believe that such a chaotic airhead can actually do work that matters. You can be both delusional and very skilled in something else. It’s a common fallacy to think the opposite.”

“I guess so,” Li Lianhua allowed, “and they probably wouldn’t mind Jiao-je, or leave her to the police, but they have proof the hacker is connected to her somehow. So, Wang Zhi came and grilled us about all the details of our association with her. He’s this young guy with an old-fashioned face and absolutely no qualms about anything. Sweet and innocent, he asked us about how we met in Shanghai, about how we fell in with each other and the part that Jiao-jie played, and he asked Di Feisheng about the way she came on to him, asked me about what drove me to offer myself instead, even asked about who topped when I first slept with A-Fei. I mean, honestly…”

“Local pillow princess outraged not by personal questions but by the insinuation they were ever anything but a pillow princess,” Shulin stated, nodding. “Go on.”

“This is not funny!” Li Lianhua protested.

“It is very funny,” Shulin said, not smiling even the slightest bit.

[bluepenguinstories]

Duck, Duck, Goose Issue #6

Nemesis had been defeated.

It wasn’t her first time, either.

Her encounter with Don Treble’s gang a couple of years ago ended in failure that could have resulted in her death if not for the durability of her armor. The first couple of fights against Maple Man, the syrup obsessed villain who had managed to evade capture due to the stickiness of his syrup cannons.

As far as things went, the fight with Raccoon Woman was nothing new for her. In spite of this, she couldn’t help but smile as she lay on a rooftop near the museum. All of her other defeats soured her, but this one was different.

She opened up communications on her wrist.

“Hey Mac. I just got done confronting the thief. Wanna hear how it went?” She asked.

“I take it you stopped the thief from getting the emerald considering your good mood?” He replied.

“Nope. Opposite.”

“...And you’re happy about that?”

Nemesis then went on to explain in detail what had transpired back at the museum.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s really given me some perspective on things. She said how I should treasure the ones I love and it really made me think.”

“You’re saying a villain made you think?”

“Oh, come on,” Nemesis waved away the notion, “she’s not a villain. Sure, she’s a thief, but she’s probably got a reason why she’s doing it. I think I should try to find out what that reason is.”

“You’re head over heels for her, aren’t you?”

“What? No way. I just met her. That would be ridiculous. Really, don’t you think this is better for the both of us? It’s been a while since we’ve hung out. How about I treat you to smoothies tomorrow? You can tell me all about Raclette and I’ll listen.”

“Really? You wanna talk about boys with me?”

“No. I wanna hear about the things you’re interested in. Come on, it’s my day off tomorrow and I know a place. I’ll even pay for your meal.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Nemesis?”

She laughed at that remark.

What Nemesis didn’t expect was to have felt so exhausted after her night around the town. When she and Mac met up at The G Spot (a smoothie place which only used ingredients that started with the letter ‘g’), she had her head down at the table. Next to her was a half-drank guava smoothie.

“Neat place,” Mac commented as he sipped on his gorgonzola and garbanzo smoothie.

“Yeah...I looked it up online,” she muttered, her voice as dead as her sleep schedule, “apparently it’s been in business since 2019.”

“Wow. That’s a long time for a place to be in business. I wasn’t even alive in 2019,” Mac observed. From the looks of things, the place was quite popular. Crowds of people lined up to try out different combinations of g-named smoothies. The walls of The G Spot had a bright, green hue to them and golden tile floors. With all the commotion, Mac was surprised he and Nemesis could communicate.

“No kidding. Neither was I. We’re the same age,” Nemesis groaned.

“Whoa. Since when are you the grumpy one?” Mac asked. “Did we switch personalities this morning?”

Nemesis lifted her head up and shook it. There were bags under her eyes.

“No. I just didn’t get much sleep. After I got home, mom talked my ear off about going out late even though I’m an adult now.”

“To be fair, you were going out late even when you weren’t an adult,” he pointed out.

“Well, not only that, but when I got to my room I replayed the events of the night in my head and...ugh. I can’t get that woman out of my head. Just what was her deal? I know I could take her in a fight, for the record, but her acrobatic skills were better than my own.”

“So a girl flirts with you once and all of a sudden you can’t get her out of your head?” He rolled his eyes.

“That’s not what I’m saying. What about Raclette? Why do you like him?” Nemesis decided to change the subject. Especially since Mac’s being so stubborn whenever I bring last night up, she thought.

“You mean aside from the fact that he’s hot? Well, he’s also buff and kind. I was struggling just trying out the treadmill and he encouraged me to start small. We started chatting a bit, I told him how I was into computers, and he said how he wanted to learn to code, but didn’t know how if/then statements worked so I explained to him that if you start a statement with ‘if’, then ‘then’ follows after. I think he understood after that.”

“Wow. Sounds like a fairy tale romance right there. But he’s right about the starting small thing. Good advice in general.”

“Yeah. Since then, I’ve been his spotter when he bench presses. He keeps wanting to get me to try squats, but they scare me, so I might start out with deadlifts.”

“Never thought you’d get so into working out, but I guess if it’s to impress this Raclette guy, it makes sense.”

“Actually,” Mac shook his head, “the truth is that I’ve wanted to get buff for a while. I still want to eat all the stuff I love eating, but I love the idea of being big AND muscular.”

“Eh. Being buff’s overrated,” Nemesis waved off and took another sip from her smoothie.

“Sure. Says the buff woman,” Mac rolled his eyes. “What about your little raccoon problem? Think she’ll hit up any other places?”

Nemesis’s face lit up.

“Now that you mention it, I’m wondering that too. It’s clear she has expensive taste. The question is whether that emerald was enough to satisfy whatever she’s after.”

“Maybe she’s just a kleptomaniac,” Mac suggested.

“Sure, it’s possible, but I think we should rule out other possibilities first,” Nemesis shook her head.

“You really wanna help this person after one meeting, huh?”

“I mean, I helped you. I don’t think doing bad things necessarily makes you a bad person. At least, depending on what the thing is and the reason for it.”

“True. I can’t deny that. Speaking of, have you heard the news? Apparently people gone from using the name ‘Armored Warrior’ and now changing it to ‘Goose Woman’,” Mac pointed out.

“Really? I preferred Angry goose, but whatever,” Nemesis shrugged, then thought, all these names are a pain in the ass, anyway.

“Doesn’t all this attention bother you?” Mac wondered.

“I guess, but I’ve got classes and my day job. I can’t exactly fret over something like that.”

One person who had just received her grapefruit smoothie from the counter, couldn’t help but notice the tail end of Nemesis and Mac’s conversation. She had never met those two before, but just the fact that the topic turned to that armored vigilante known as Goose Woman intrigued her. She just had to find out what they were discussing. So, smoothie in hand, she walked over to their table.

“Hey, talking about Goose Woman?” The young woman asked with stars in her eyes. Her coworkers were used to how often she would talk their ears off about the Armored Warrior, and it was just this morning that the news reported on her name being Goose Woman. It was fitting for someone so fierce and brave.

Both Mac and Nemesis looked over. Mac was a little irked by how excited this woman seemed over the topic, while Nemesis, tired out of her mind, stared at the young with with dead eyes.

“What’s with her?” The young woman pointed her thumb at Nemesis, who was close to drooling when Mac’s voice snapped her out of it.

“She was out on one of her evening strolls and came across a furry creature. She startles easily,” Mac explained.

“Ha-ha,” Nemesis groaned, then as she looked up at the young woman, she flinched and her face turned as red as her hair. In front of her was a slender woman with smooth, tanned skin. On her face were a series of freckles and her flowing, black hair reached down past her shoulders. After being so captivated by a stranger, Nemesis shook her head real hard and drank more of her smoothie.

“Something wrong?” The young woman asked.

“No, I think you just looked familiar, is all,” Nemesis said.

“Gee, I’ll take that as a compliment,” the young woman raised an eyebrow and smiled at the remark.

Damn. Even her bushy eyebrows are captivating, Nemesis observed.

“Told you she startles easily,” Mac joked.

“May I sit with you guys?” The young woman asked. Both Mac and Nemesis shrugged. The young woman chose to sat next to Nemesis, which prompted Nemesis to scoot over and lean toward the window facing the crowded streets outside. The sun was far too bright that day, not to mention how much her eyes had adjusted to the dark.

“Name’s Gracie, by the way. Gracie Palms,” she extended her hand for Nemesis to shake it. She did, but also did her best not to look Gracie in the eye.

“Nemesis Clemens,” Nemesis introduced herself as well.

“What an interesting name,” Gracie scratched her chin, “by the way, you can let go of my hand now.”

Nemesis reeled her hand back as if a dog were about to bite it.

“Ha ha ha! Has anyone told you that you’ve got a gorilla grip?” Gracie asked.

“I think so…”

“So what were you two talking about before I got here?” Gracie leaned in.

“Just naming conventions. People were calling this mysterious individual ‘Armored Warrior’ at first and now it’s ‘Goose Woman’. To be honest, we don’t know which name is more apt.”

“Come on, don’t you think Angry Goose is a cool name?” Nemesis argued.

“I think she’s amazing no matter what name she goes by,” Gracie replied.

“Or maybe Canadian Goose…” Nemesis stared down at the table, lost in thought.

“What does it matter? It’s not like you’re that vigilante, anyway,” Mac glared at her.

“She could be,” Gracie shrugged, “we don’t know who is.”

“I have too much on my plate to do that,” Nemesis groaned, having taken cue from Mac’s glare.

“Oh yeah? What do you do?”

“I attend classes at the local university,” Nemesis explained, “and I also work at the Golden Egg Diner as a fry cook.”

“Interesting. I might have to check that out.”

“What about you?” Nemesis asked and noticed the black fingerless gloves Gracie wore.

“Me? I’m a mechanic. I fix up motorbikes. Cars don’t really interest me, but I love those little cycles.”

“Oh yeah. I’ve done some mechanic work, too.”

“Like what?”

Mac glared at Nemesis once again and this time, Nemesis took the cue.

“Uh. Well, I’m studying mechanical engineering. That’s gotta be similar, right?”

Gracie chuckled and scratched the back of her head.

“Heh, I suppose so. I don’t know anything about that!”

“I can teach you a thing or two sometime,” Nemesis offered.

“Please do,” Gracie snapped her fingers and smiled. Nemesis couldn’t help but smile along.

“What do you like to do for fun?” Nemesis asked.

“Oh, besides working on motorbikes? Well, I like acrobatics. I was a gymnast when I was younger and I don’t think I ever really stopped. I also like cheesy romantic comedies and trips to the zoo, if you’re looking for ideas.”

“Ideas on what?” Nemesis tilted her head in confusion.

“Ha! Never mind, eh?” She nudged Nemesis on the arm, “I gotta get back to work, but it was nice meeting you two.”

As Gracie got up and walked away, Nemesis turned back and stared.

“So now there’s two women you have a crush on all in the span of a day,” Mac scoffed.

“What?” Nemesis turned back, “I don’t know how you could come to that conclusion.”

“Right. Or maybe I should say one, seeing as it’s pretty clear that Gracie Palms is Raccoon Woman.”

“Eh? Don’t be ridiculous. We just met her. She’s nothing like Raccoon Woman.”

“Oh yeah? What about the acrobatics, and the fact that she came over as soon as she heard about Goose Woman?” Mac pointed out.

“First of all, coincidence. Are we going to round up all the people who are into gymnastics and line them up as suspects? Second, so she’s a fan? That hardly proves anything.”

“You’re right,” he admitted while taking another sip of his smoothie, “it just seemed a little too coincidental, y’know?”

“Maybe you’d have a point if there were a few more coincidences,” Nemesis argued, “besides, she has a job. What would she need to steal things for?”

Later that day, at the Back Bay Hospital, Gracie Palms sat outside of the room where her brother, Harry Palms, rested in.

Gracie and Harry both practiced gymnastics as part of a team. One day, during practiced, he slipped and fell, fracturing his spine in the process and falling into a comatose state. Since then, he rested at the hospital where Gracie paid his medical bills.

The doctor stepped out from the door to Harry’s room.

“You can go see him now, Miss Palms,” the doctor informed her.

“Thank you,” she said before walking in. Her voice was much quieter than it had been earlier in the day when she met those two at the smoothie place and the air inside Harry’s room felt stiff and stuffy.

She walked over to his bed. He had a blanket over him, while his face had tubes through his nostrils and his short, brown hair was a mess. Every now and then, his eyes were known to open, but they never stayed open for more than a few seconds. Same with the tapping of his fingers. Sometimes, they played out a little rhythm, but none of the doctor, nor Gracie, were sure what message could have been conveyed through that tapping, if any.

Little signs of life like that were the reason why she hadn’t given up hope and why she stood in front of him. She pulled a chair from the corner of the room and dragged it toward his bed. There were flowers on the desk beside his bed that their mom had left for him. They were beginning to wilt, and a cynical part of Gracie wondered if that was her mother’s way of accepting him as already being dead.

“Hey Hare-bear,” she spoke softly and with her elbow leaned against the desk, “you always hated when I called you that, right? To be honest, calling you by your name just sounds weird, so you’ll have to deal with it for a little longer until you can tell me to stop.”

Next to the vase of flowers was a photo taken of her, her mother, and Harry, all smiling. She never did like looking at that picture whenever she visited him, but she couldn’t help herself from stealing passing glances.

“Last time we talked, I think I told you about that armored warrior, huh? Well, now I know that the armored warrior is a woman, and she goes by the name of Goose Woman. Pretty cool, huh? I’m sure you would have loved that stuff. You were always into those fantasy novels, weren’t you? Well this is like one of those come to life. It’s not lost on me how lucky I am,” she shook her head and smiled.

“Oh, and this morning I met these people at the smoothie shop named Nemesis and Mac. They seemed like pretty cool people. Especially Nemesis. I wouldn’t mind meeting her again. Maybe you can meet her, too. Wouldn’t that be something?”

She ran out of words. It was a shame, too, as she always felt like she should have said more.

“Well, goodbye for now,” she got up and waved away. Near the door was the doctor. She approached them and asked if there was any progress.

“Miss Palms, I think it would be for the best to let him pass. Both for you and him. At least that way, he wouldn’t have to suffer any more.”

Gracie’s smile lowered to a frown and was close to a scowl.

“Really? That’s what news you have for me? Isn’t there something? If his spine won’t heal, can’t you create a prosthetic to fill in the missing piece?”

“Even if we do, there’s still the matter of the damage to his brain. It’s unlikely he will ever return to who he was, even if he does regain full consciousness.”

“I don’t care! I’m not giving up on him! Do whatever you have to, there has to be something!”

She stormed out of the room.

She had already paid up to keep him going for another year. That was, if he didn’t pass away on his own. For the first couple of years, her father had paid the necessary expenses. After that, she was on her own, and had to scrape together whatever money came her way.

The next day, Nemesis worked the afternoon behind the grill. She wasn’t paying attention to who walked in and just checked the tickets over the grill and made what was printed. Most people loved their pancakes, some wanted crepes. Everyone seemed to want eggs to go along with whatever they were eating and it didn’t matter what the eggs accompanied. It was tiresome work, but she hadn’t been at her job for the past couple years for nothing.

The bell above the door chimed as someone walked in. She couldn’t catch who, as the grill overhead was blocking her view. It didn’t matter, though, because whoever it was noticed her.

“So, this is where you work, huh?” Gracie leaned over the counter and peeked her head up.

“Careful, lady, you don’t wanna inhale these fumes,” one of the other cooks warned her.

“What? The sweet fumes of comfort food?” She joked. By the time Nemesis noticed, a spike of adrenaline rushed along her arms, but she managed not to startle so easy this time.

“H-Hey. What are you doing here?” Nemesis asked while holding a spatula in one hand. Someone seated at one of the corner tables wanted an elk burger with a sunny side egg on top of the elk patty. And they also wanted that elk burger wrapped up in an omelet, covered in cheese. Sometimes cooking really was exhausting.

“I said maybe I’d check this place out, so I came to see what all the hype is about.”

“Really, Nem? You been hyping this place up?” The cook next to her nudged her and asked.

“Er...not really? I just said that I work here,” Nemesis explained, flustered at all the attention brought onto her.

“So, can’t you tell little ol’ me what this place is all about?” Gracie asked while pursing her lips and giving wide eyes.

Customers asking such questions weren’t unheard of. There was a routine that the cooks did as a sort of ‘tough guy’ act. Usually it was meant to scare off customers, and while Rocko didn’t like losing customers, he was fine with ignoring his cook’s antics as long as food was made.

Nemesis decided to perform said routine.

At least this way I can finally get back to work, she thought as she shook her head and put on a gruff expression.

“So here’s how it works around here,” she flung her spatula over her shoulder. The two cooks next to her looked up and balked as they knew what was coming next. “If you don’t leave us a tip, we’ll spit in your food. And if you tip us real well, you can taste the spit.”

“Will I be able to taste your spit?” Gracie asked without missing a beat.

“What?!” Nemesis spat. “Why would you say something like that?!”

“Uh, Nem. You do know that we’re not actually supposed to spit in people’s food, right?” One of the cooks next to her asked.

“AAA – I didn’t mean to on purpose!” She cried.

Gracie cackled.

“Aw, does this mean I’m not special?” She joked.

“You are! Er...you’re not! AAA –” Nemesis panicked.

“Hey! No flirting on the job!” Rocko shouted from his office.

“It’s not my fault! She started it!” Nemesis pointed and shouted back.

“Ha! It was worth it! I’m gonna go order. You better fill me up,” Gracie winked and waved.

“Ugh…” Nemesis groaned.

“You know, you’re gonna have to remake that food,” the other cooks pointed out.

“I know,” she groaned again.

After ten minutes of waiting, big plate of blackberry covered waffles was brought over to Gracie’s table by Rocko himself.

“Thanks, mister,” she had her palms under her chin and smiled at the manager.

“Eh, don’t mention it. Nem’s a good kid, she just gets tripped up sometimes,” he told Gracie and chuckled, “you should’ve seen her when she was first working here. She claimed she could make a mean pancake, but I swear she didn’t even know how to crack an egg before she got here!”

“Ha, really?” Gracie wiped her eye and smiled, “that’s rich!”

“Quit making up lies about me,” Nemesis groaned just behind Rocko, “I don’t need anyone else to embarrass me when I already did a good enough job of that myself.”

“You know it’s all in good fun, kid,” he tapped her shoulder and let her be.

Nemesis sat down across from Gracie and handed her a milkshake.

“I’m on break now, in case you’re wondering,” she explained, “also made this myself.”

“Gee, how’d you know I was lactose intolerant?” She joked.

“Oh. Sorry. I’ll just take it back, then,” Nemesis reached over for the milkshake, but Gracie swiped her hand away.

“Nope. No take backs. Also, I was kidding, anyway.”

“Ah. Ha..ha…” Nemesis let out something like a combination of a sigh and a nervous laugh.

“Hope I didn’t get you in trouble, by the way,” Gracie said before taking a sip of her milkshake.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ve done worse,” Nemesis waved off.

“You’ll have to tell me about it sometime.”

“Maybe I will.”

They both laughed together.

“So, do you wanna go on a date sometime? Sorry if this is too forward of me, you just seem pretty cool and I’d love it if we could spend a day together.”

“Are you sure you mean me? I’m pretty boring.”

“Nope,” Gracie shook her head, “I don’t date boring people. Which means you can’t be boring.”

“Well, sure,” Nemesis shrugged, “if you don’t think you’ll fall asleep partway through, I’d love to.”

That weekend, Nemesis met with Trey Cherry at the abandoned factory. He stood against a wall with his head down while tossing and catching a pair of dice with his head down. That day, he wore a bowler hat.

“So, how much you wanna bet it will land on snake eyes?” He asked without looking up.

“Sorry. I don’t gamble,” she replied.

“Shame. Then how about this? I found someone who went by the name of Misty Eyes.”

At the utterance of such a name, Nemesis’s eyes widened.

“You did?” She asked.

“Yeah,” he caught both pairs of dice in one palm and held them tight. “But I doubt it was your gal.”

“Why do you say that?” She slouched and found the enthusiasm she once held drain from her.

“I asked around the company – no janitor on record who went by that name. So, I turned to another avenue and found someone who went by that name. Now, this other lady’s a real piece of work, but for entirely different reasons and the company she works for is all sorts of messed up. That said, unless your daddy cried himself to death, she ain’t the one.”

“Cried himself to death? What?”

“Yeah. Her name was Dr. Newton, though she went by the nickname ‘Misty Eyes’ for fairly obvious reasons: she was white as a ghost, save for the deep red scratch marks across her face. She said she made them herself ‘cause she wanted to get the sadness out of her. Can’t say I blame her, really. But most importantly, her eyes were clouded over. Hence the name. Oh, and she was constantly crying.”

“But how would she make him cry to death?”

“Sadness is contagious. But also, I doubt she’d be potent enough to kill anyone with her sadness. I mean, I met her, and I turned out okay,” he shook his head, wiped his eyes, and smiled, “or more like I was never okay to begin with. I’ve already got enough sadness to last me several lifetimes. Not saying I’m immune, but…”

He opened his palm.

“Oh look. Snake eyes. I still got it,” he chuckled.

“Was this snake eyes thing related to Misty Eyes?” Nemesis tried to figure out what the point of that whole dice demonstration was.

“Nah. Just that sometimes you get lucky, but it’s not the kind of luck that’s useful.”

“Fine, then,” Nemesis shook her head, “tell me about this other girl.”

“What’s there to tell? I came across her in the main lab for the Astrology Department. I asked if she killed anyone’s dad and she just looked up at me in the middle of crying all confused and went, ‘is someone else using my name?’ And, well, that was that.”

“Strange…” Nemesis sat down on the ground. Even if it was some kind of information, she couldn’t help but feel defeat. “So someone else used that name not knowing it was already taken?”

“Now you’re thinking. Question now is who.”

“Um. If it helps. I think she had short, blue hair,” Nemesis recalled.

Trey Cherry tapped his foot and hummed.

“Helps? I think you cracked the case, missy,” he looked up with a glint in his eye and a toothy grin. “So that’s who they chose, huh? I suppose it makes sense. Who better to kill a hunter than another hunter?”

“You know who it was based on that description?”

“Rhea Flection. The literal cold sniper. As for why she went with ‘Misty Eyes’...bah! Who knows what goes on in that head of hers? Her brain was probably replaced with an ice cube.”

“Hey! Be serious!”

“Sorry. There just really isn’t much to her.”

“But there has to be something! There has to be a reason she took on a job like that!”

“Really? You think there was a reason other than because it was a job? Don’t you know what would have happened if she refused? They’d have sent people after her too!” He scowled. “I loved your dad, too, but that’s the reality of the situation.”

“But...he deserted. She could have too.”

“You think everyone shares the same mindset, especially when the threat of death is looming over them? In her case, she probably didn’t care either way. She’s killed so many people that she’d probably get killed and it wouldn’t even bother her. You want a different reason, then? Maybe she did it simply because she had nothing better to do. If all you’re good at is killin’, may as well do what you do best, right?”

Nemesis clenched her fists and growled.

“What? You got your answer, didn’t you? Or were you expecting some kind of closure? But closure doesn’t really exist, or at least not in any meaningful way. I’m sure I’m responsible for a few lives, myself. You thought I was some guy fallen on hard times or some shit? Nah. This is exile. I’ve had enough money to last me several lifetimes, not that it means anything to me. At least this way, I’m not the reason why someone close to me is gone.”

“Why...why was I born?” She growled out the words. “Why if all he was good for was killing? Why did he decide to raise me?”

“That’s not a question I can answer, now is it?” He flashed a smile.

Nemesis lost it at that. She turned and ran off.

[thescarletwitchsapprentice]

A Pure Soul: Nearly Taken (Yandere!Wanda Maximoff x ADD!autistic!reader)

*Not my GIF.

Summary: The day (y/n) comes back to the compound after being told all those nasty things takes a toll on their mental health and self-esteem. Unfortunately it gets to a point that Wanda hoped it would NEVER reach.

Request?: Still none.

Word Count: 3,456

Warnings: Ableism, eugenics mention, r-word slur, attempted suicide, attempted overdose, hurt and comfort.

Notes: This is a sort of “in-between scene” from “A Pure Soul.” The rate of suicide is 3 times higher in autistic people because of the world’s lack of understanding and willingness to accommodate us. Plus being told the world would be better off without you, along with people looking for ways to make sure we’re not born....that’s gonna take a toll. So it makes sense for these feelings to emerge.

=============================================

You know that the world isn’t very kind to the disabled.

You know that the world wishes people like you wouldn’t exist.

But that doesn’t make what happened hurt any less.

You were out shopping when you ran into your best friend from high school. Except....this friend wasn’t the same as you knew them. No, instead they showed you their true colors.

“Oh hey, (y/n),” they said.

Tone has never been your specialty.

“Hey!” you exclaimed happily as you were looking through the books at your local bookstore. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! How are you?”

“Better. How’s the treatment coming along?”

This confused you.

“Treatment?”

They nodded.

“For that disease you call autism.”

This struck a chord, and it struck HARD. How could they say something like that?!

“D-disease?!”

They smirked.

“I mean, it just makes us humans lives harder to be around your kind.”

What?!

“What the hell’s gotten into you?!” you exclaimed. “I thought you were my best friend!”

“Oh?”

They pretended to wrack their brain.

“Oh! Yeah, I was such a great actor in that part. I should get an Oscar. Here’s the tea; I lost a bet and had to be your best friend for those four hellish years. I can’t believe they wanted me to suffer that much.”

Your heart began to crack. It was all....an act?

“You took my high school years away from me, made me miserable. I could’ve won prom royalty, but no one voted for me because I associated myself with your species. I’m glad you’re out of my life now. You’re nothing but a burden and the world would be so much better off without you. Why not do us that favor?”

Your heart shattered. You were so plagued with shock that you didn’t notice them push you to the ground and spit on you before walking away with a satisfied chuckle. For the next few minutes, you couldn’t say or do anything. You were just frozen to the spot, their words bouncing around your head.

Finally you were able to feel both the physical and emotional pain. Pursing your lips, you got up, kept your head down, and quickly left the bookstore, trying not to let the tears fall.

===============================================

In the elevator, heading up to your floor, you can barely form a new thought. All you can think of is that hurtful interaction. 

Burden, your kind, your species, disease....

It all hurt. 

And the worst part is that you can’t help but think that they’re right.

But your thoughts are jolted by the elevator bell. As usual you find the Avengers hanging out in the lounge. Nat and Clint are chatting with Wanda. Tony and Peter are working on homework. You can barely see what the others are doing. 

Almost instantly, Wanda’s eye falls on you. She has a smile on her face, but it falls when she sees you, as she instantly knows that something is wrong. 

“(Y/N)!” she whispers worried.

She rushes over and gives you a gentle hug, but you practically squeeze the life out of her. The other Avengers also come to your aid. 

“What happened?” Wanda asks you.

You gulp as she and Nat lead you to the couch.

“I....” you begin as you sit down. “I was out shopping....and I ran into my best friend from high school....”

You tell them the entire interaction. Shocked looks are nearly all around by the end.

“That’s seriously messed up,” Nat says in a mix of disgust and anger.

The others nod in agreement, except for Wanda. Instead she begins to tear up. 

“My sweet angel,” she weeps softly as she hugs you closer and pets your head. “Oh, my sweet, sweet angel. None of what they said is true, not one bit of it. You’re an absolute joy to have around and you’re one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met. You bring so much to the Avengers and to our lives. Autism is not a disease. It’s a part of who you are, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

“Wanda’s right,” Peter nods. “You’re wonderful, (y/n). You’re one of the best friends I could ever ask for.”

“And you bring a lot of new perspectives,” Nat adds. “You came into our lives when we needed you the most, especially Wanda.”

They all take turns giving you words of comfort and encouragement as well as letting you cry. Wanda stays the closest to you, to no one’s surprise, hugging you tightly. Her embrace is exactly what you need right now; so warm and loving. 

Tony, though not the most emotional person, does feel sympathetic and even angered at the person who said that to you; even though you’re on the opposite side of the Accords, he decides to get your favorite food for dinner. It’s not the greatest gesture of sympathy, but it’s definitely something. After that, you take a nice, warm shower and get into some fresh, soft pajamas. Wanda’s waiting for you in your bedroom, and surprises you with some soft socks that match your pajamas.

“I removed the fabric tags too,” she tells you.

Your heart melts a bit more for her. How someone as kind, attentive, and loving as her could ever be considered a terrible person is beyond you. You let her put them on your feet and they feel amazing. You wriggle your toes in them, smiling. 

“You like them?” she asks you.

“I love them,” you giggle before turning to Wanda. “And I love you.”

She smiles and gives you a kiss on the forehead.

“I love you too, my angel.”

The two of you spend the rest of the night together, cuddling up close with one another, watching sitcoms, singing quietly. You doze off in her arms.....

But that doesn’t mean it’s over.....

==============================================

You’re not someone who easily forgets how things make you feel, and what that person said still makes you feel like shit. Now whenever you go out, you’re worried that you’re going to run into them. You keep your guard up and walk as quickly as you can. Every outing feels like a fight for survival, but you try to stay strong so that you don’t bother the others. You try to keep a smile on your face. You need to be strong.....

.....But even the strong reach their limits.

It’s a little after you found out they became catatonic. You’re at a coffee shop, nearly empty, when someone else walks in. It’s a friend of that person. You keep your head low as they place their order; four cups of black coffee, extra hot. Your anxiety is increasing, but you don’t want this person to think you’re weak. You keep your back to them, hearing the door open again. 

The other person is called for their order. Maybe you can finally get out of here.

The next thing you know, you feel something steaming hot being poured down the back of your shirt, on your head, thrown in your face, (which you luckily cover most of with your arms) and splattered on your arms and legs. Standing up, you cry out in pain as you whirl around to see 4 people from high school, among them the friend of your former best friend.

“It’s your fault my best friend can’t function, you retard!” the friend snaps as they push you around roughly.

“No one wants you on this planet,” spits another.

“You’re nothing but a parasite!”

“You just weigh people down!”

“You’re an embarrassment to society!”

“Why don’t you just end this?”

“It’ll be better that way!”

“Your birth was a mistake!”

By this time, you’re hardly a thread’s width away from a meltdown and you look at the cashier for help, but nothing. You try to take out your phone to call for help, but you end up slipping on the coffee, falling to the ground hard and in an odd position, hearing a crack. Pain surges through your body as you look at your arms; burn marks are beginning to form.

After they kick at you for a bit and spit on you, they leave. You look up at the cashier. 

“Why....didn’t you help?” you whimper with a whistle in your voice.

No answer. 

They don’t help you up either. Crawling to the door, you use a nearby booth to bring yourself back up to your feet. Suddenly you feel an intense surge of pain in your left leg, and not just from the burns. You look to see that it’s swollen and turning reddish-purple. You reach into your coat and get out your phone only to discover that it’s dead. Wanda’s going to be worried sick....you hate making her worry, and she’s been worried sick these last few weeks to the point where it’s taking a toll on her; so on the way back, you decide to take one worry out of her life for good.

======================

It’s dark when you get back to the compound. And lucky for you, the elevator is closed for repairs. You limp up the stairs, finally reaching the compound. As quiet as a dust mite, you open the door, biting down on your lips to keep yourself from crying out in pain; unfortunately, your lips took some burn damage as well. Limping to the bathroom, you shut and lock the door. You search the medicine cabinet and find some pills.

“This should do the trick,” you whisper.

You try to quietly position yourself on the floor so that you won’t hit your head. You want to be able to pass as peacefully as possible. But something gives in your left leg and you fall, letting out a loud cry of agony. Realizing your mistake, you quickly fiddle with the lid of the bottle as you hear footsteps rush in. You finally get the lid open and begin to pour out the whole bottle into your hand, hoping to get it in in time--

Click!

The lock turns scarlet, clicks, and the door swings opens. 

“(Y/N)!”

A terrified Wanda immediately snatches the pills and bottle from you with her powers. She makes them disappear before heading to your side, tears already flowing from her eyes.

“My sweet angel.....” she squeaks as she kneels in front of you gently taking ahold of your hands. “I didn’t realize you were feeling this terrible. I’m so sorry things have reached this point.”

You look away guiltily. 

“No, I’m sorry....it’s my fault. I never said....anything. You....you’ve been so stressed these past few weeks....all of you. I didn’t want to make it worse on you, so....I just kept quiet.”

Wanda shakes her head.

“You have nothing to apologize for, (y/n). It can be scary, but there’s no shame in reaching out. We all need help sometimes.”

Other footsteps rush in.

“What happened?” Nat asks. “Did (y/n)---?”

“Almost,” Wanda gulps. “We need to get them to the emergency room.”

“I’m fine,” you lie.

“Are you fine?” Wanda asks.

You realize that it’s pointless to lie, and you shake your head.

“No, I’m not....”

“Then we need to take you to the emergency room.....”

That’s when she sees the burns and leg.

“Especially to treat these.....what happened?”

As they carry you to the car, you tell them about the run-in at the coffee shop, them pouring the hot coffee on you, how they were telling you all of these things, how the cashier did nothing to help, how you heard that crack. Both of them are disgusted and horrified at those monsters.

“I don’t care what they say,” Nat tells you as they get you inside. “I’m glad that you’re here.”

“I am too,” Wanda agrees as she gets in the front seat. “We’re here for you.”

“But.....my autism.....”

Wanda gently takes ahold of your fingers, careful to avoid the burns.

“My angel.....I can only imagine how isolating it feels to be in a world that’s not made for you, but your autism is part of who you are. It’s what makes you unique. If the world refuses to accommodate for people like you on their own, we’ll help them to see that they need to, and we’ll help advocate with you.”

Nat nods as she starts the car up and the three of you head for the ER.

“I....I feel selfish worrying you like this and even attempting....I just thought....you’ve been so stressed and I thought it’d be better to take one worry out of your life.”

“You have nothing to feel selfish about,” Wanda assures you. “What you did wasn’t selfish. You’re in pain, and wanting to do something to stop that pain isn’t selfish. But there are better ways to deal with the pain, and I want to help you with those. (Y/N), I can say with 100% certainty that I’m glad to have you in my life, through the good and the bad.”

Tears flow down your face as the three of you silently drive to the ER.

=============================================

It takes several hours for you to be treated, along with a few more hours of consultation for your mental health. Some of the burns are treated through surgery, so you have to stay for a little over a week to make sure you recover and stabilize. Your leg is put in a cast, and Wanda comes to visit you everyday. You feel much better with her and Nat.

A psychologist comes in to discuss a safety plan with you. You decided to ask Wanda if she’d come and discuss it with them. She said yes and Nat also decided to help. You all work out what works in terms of coping mechanisms, people you can talk to, calming techniques, etc,. The psychologist also recommends regular counseling. Wanda asks if there are any remote options for counseling, as it’s going to be difficult for you to get there with your leg, (Also, she’s a little worried that the therapist might try to take you away from her, but she does show concern for your leg) and to her relief, there is. 

You’re discharged after about a week, but you’re not to be left alone for a few days to another week or two, just to be sure. Well, it’s more of Wanda’s recommendation than psychologist’s orders, but the psychologist also thinks that that could be a good idea. You’re not really complaining; it’s more time to spend with Wanda. And she’s certainly not complaining either.

For that time, especially, she makes sure you know that you’re loved, wanted, valued. She practically dotes on you; as if she hadn’t been doting on you before, she’s especially pampering you now. The other Avengers also get the 411, and decide to help. If you need pain or sleep medications, one of them brings the proper dose to you. They take turns spending time with you and getting to know you more. If they need to go out on a mission, Wanda volunteers to stay with you, but if she’s absolutely needed there, she entrusts your care to Vision, a robot who’s exceptionally caring. You and Wanda regularly discuss possibly adding him to the relationship, but you’re not sure if she’s being serious or not. 

On one night, Wanda’s caring for you. After applying the prescribed cream on your burns, she helps you find an oversized t-shirt to wear as PJs. 

“This one’s softer than the others,” you note.

“I went looking for a shirt with a softer material than normal,” she tells you as she prepares a small dose of melatonin for you, one that you’ve been taking to combat the nightmares of those events in the hospital. “I know how much it tends to make you feel discomforted if there is one. I also made sure it was a tagless shirt.”

You smile and sigh.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve an angel like you, Wanda,” you tell her.

Hearing this she smiles and blushes.

“If anyone’s the angel, it’s you,” she says as she gives you the melatonin. “You’ve been there for me even when I’m at my absolute worst.”

“So have you.”

You take the melatonin before Wanda brings you your toothbrush and toothpaste. You brush thoroughly before spitting it into a cup that Wanda disposes of. 

“You know, I could go to the bathroom and do this myself,” you tell her kindly.

“I know,” she sighs. “I’m just worried, my angel.”

“What if I wash my face tonight with the door open?” you suggest.

Wanda gives this a little thought and nods. 

“I can work with that.”

Using your crutches, you walk to the bathroom where you sit on a stool in front of the sink. You wash and dry your face before heading to the bed with Wanda helping you get tucked in.

“You’re seriously an angel,” you tell her. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone outside of my family that’s been as concerned about my well-being as you.”

“And you’re too sweet,” she smiles again as she finishes getting ready for bed herself. “If anyone’s the undeserving, I don’t deserve you.”

“No, it’s the other way around,” you say.

“No, I’m certain I’m right.”

You giggle.

“Wanda, if we try to prove one right over the other, we’ll be going at this all night.”

She smiles as she goes over to the other side of the bed. 

“Well, I know you’re an angel,” she tells you as she gets under the covers. “You came to me in a dark time, and you shone a beam of sunlight through the shadow.”

The two of you look at each other as the fairy lights hang above you. Of course you’re looking at the bridge of her nose, but you can’t help but glance up at her eyes a few times; one time they catch you, and they are stunning. They’re like emeralds to you; vivid, entrancing, mystical. Just a single glance, and you know there’s so much to know about, so much to discover, and you become lost in them. 

“I’m so proud of you, (y/n).”

Wanda’s gentle voice echoes against your eardrums and dances around your mind, soothing you into drifting even more. But then she boops you on the nose, making it twitch like a bunny’s and snapping you out of your trance.

“Huh?” you ask, looking lost.

Wanda giggles.

“You are too cute,” she tells you. “I was saying that I’m so proud of you for pushing through all of this. It’s not the easiest thing to do, and.....well.....I’m glad you’re still alive, my sweet little sunbeam.”

You blush upon hearing this and turn away, but Wanda gently redirects your face forward.

“There’s no need to hide, my angel. I want to see your lovely face.”

At that moment, you begin to feel drowsy and bring yourself closer to her.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you enough, Wanda,” you sigh.

She brings you in closer and you melt into her embrace.

“Being with you, and you being safe and happy and alive.....that’s the only thank you I need.”

Leaning in, she kisses you gently on your forehead and you shyly return one on her cheek. 

“Goodnight, my angel,” she tells you as she brushes a strand of hair out of your way.

“Wait,” you say as she turns to switch the lights off. “Will....will you sing me those lullabies again? Please?”

“Of course,” she smiles. 

Turning the lights off, she returns to embrace you and softly sings the Sokovian lullabies her parents used to sing to her. As you drift off to sleep, you don’t know what’s going on in her mind. What’s going on with her mind? Her master plan, of course. Tonight’s the night she will finish what she started. Those monsters at the coffee shop messed with the wrong person. For the past few nights, she’s been paying them visits, doing the same things she did with your former best friend, and sending subconscious suggestions for them to gather in one place, thinking they’d be safer together. And now they have.

Tonight she’s going to make sure their minds are gone for good, but not before making them feel the pain and agony she imagines you felt. Her anger with them is in full throttle, so it’s going to be even worse for them. Telekinesis, fear projection, hypnosis, inducing extreme fear, she’ll do whatever she has to. Wanda will not leave until they’re nothing more than hollow husks, shadows of their former selves. With how they’d been acting on those nights, and how much Wanda has done so far, it won’t take too long. 

Because no one-and she means no one-gets away with hurting her precious angel.......ever.

[tokoyamisstuff]

Tender Ch. 2 - Loki x Mute! Reader

Summary: Winning the favour of the God of Mischief is not an easy task - even if he has already fallen for you.

Warnings: None.

Words: ~1600

A/N: Since I am writing several Series at once, together with Oneshots in between, the chapters are gonna be a bit shorter so I keep no one waiting. Hope that is alright!

[Story Masterlist] [All of my Works]

Taglist: @austynparksandpizza​ @queenariesofnarnia​​ @commonintrest​​ @buckylokisimp​ @just-someone-who-likes-to-write @lxdyred @frostay​​​​

The first weeks after your arrival at the Avengers Compound passed by rather uneventful.

Due to the fact that you neither had a family you could be attached to, nor many belongings ever since HYDRA had kidnapped you and destroyed your home, Tony insisted on you living at the tower - like many of the other members as well.

Everything was just so new and exciting, not even Loki’s gleeful mockery could bring you down from that high.

Little did you know that all of his pep talks about those ‘inferior heros’, the ‘illusion of power’ or how no one was ever truly good or evil had a completely different reason:

An attempt to get you to leave, for your own good. After everything that had happened to you, the god was worried how another fight would affect you.

Anyway, it was a luxurious life compared to your old one, with so many kind persons and new perspectives. And you were sure to return that favor once you’d learn to control your powers!

So until then, you would train as hard as possible and care for your new friends through little acts of service. Caring for others came quite natural to you, may it be listening to their problems or simply complimenting them to see their faces brighten up.

And for some reason, that particular character trait was the one thing Loki found the most annoying.

How could a person so naive and pure think they could actually join in battles against evil? You’ll only end up getting yourself killed - and to be honest, Loki thought this to be a waste.

And even though he’d never admit it, but jealousy was starting to get the better of him the more he observed you getting along with everyone.

They adored you - and they were very right in doing so!

But that would mean that you were just nice to everyone, not especially to him, right?

Every time you’d help Bucky through a panic attack, braided Thor’s hair or helped Banner in the laboratory, Loki only wished you’d be with him instead - and if he had to burn this whole place to the ground for this to happen.

Yet his pride kept him from voicing that desire.

For you on the other hand, it was frustratingly hard to get through to the God of Mischief. In comparison to how he treated the other Avengers, he was always reserved and courteous towards you, yet also unreachable distanced.

Only on a weekend where the other Avengers were on a mission, the two of you found a way to actually bond with each other, if only a little.

Loki had once again read every book he borrowed from Stark’s library, now having a reason to leave his room again. At least those subhumans won’t be there to drain on his nerves...

When he crossed the living room on his way to the elevator, he blinked heavily as he saw you plainly chilling on the sofa. He was just about to turn around and leave, when you hectically gestured for him to stay.

“Hey, Loki! 😊” you wrote on a notepad, holding it up for him to read.

“Greetings...” he spoke between gritted teeth, but your smile wouldn’t falter, so he stood rooted in the middle of the room.

“Do you want to watch a movie together?” How blunt could you be to ask a literal god directly, just like that?!

“Actually, I-” When your eyes met, Loki cut himself off, the words being caught in his throat. “Well, if you’re in dire need of my sublime company...”

You were quick to sit up straight, offering a bowl with popcorn to the Odinson which he curiously accepted. When he answered your question about what sweets they eat on Asgard, he wouldn’t understand why you’d laugh. Apparently ‘nuts and grapes’ are not considered treats on earth. Got it.

Yet that little huff you blew out of your nose instead of making an actual laughing sound came somewhat endearing to him, especially in contrast to your other noisy companions. “Adorable...”

Without even asking first, you’d wrap the other half of the blanket around Loki, effectively closing the gap between you two.

“Wha- I’m not cold!” he blurted out, visibly overchallenged by the sudden closeness. “I’m a Jotun, hel!”

What was he even so worked up about? Geeze...

“But the weather on Asgard is rather humid, right?” you wrote down, with him nodding approvingly. "It allows all kinds of flowers to blossom, other than this metal brick” he explained, your excited look not failing to keep him talking. “You should see it some time.”

Loki’s eyes were now locked on the screen, and you could basically grasp his homesicknes, very well aware that a failure and war criminal like him would never be tolerated in those holy grounds ever again.

Great...now you had achieved the exact opposite of what you wanted.

You tugged on his arm so he’d shift your attention to you again, quickly writing something with a barely there sulk on your face:

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you sad.”

Tears were already forming on the rim of your eyes, making Loki’s insides churn. “So sensitive...gods. Keep yourself together, would you.”

The Odinson instinctively wrapped an arm around you, his free hand petting your head as he pulled it to his chest. He was awfully warm for a frost giant, and his heart was hammering against his chest in a fastened pace - maybe just your imagination, though.

“Well, it’s winter...” he uttered, acting as if he actually cared about the plot of the movie. “I may not freeze, but you seemed cold. That’s all.”

You let your hand run across his collarbone, making him look down to you once again. He bit his lip as his icy glare met your warm one, eyes shimmering with earnest affection while you formed silent words with your lips:

“T-h-a-n-k y-o-u.”

“N-no need to thank me.” Just now Loki wondered what kind of spell you were using on him, being reduced to a shaking and stuttering mess.

No curse, no beauty ever before had bewitched him so much that he would lose his cool, let anyone peek under his confident mask, after all.

Not so long ago, when he was still considered the handsome Prince of Asgard, he would bed a different lover on each night, though never settling for anyone.

And after the revelation of his true heritage, even those fleeting encounters to ease his loneliness would falter - all that’s left was certainty that the theory he had ever since his childhood had proven to be true: 

That everyone had always secretly despised him, the failure of the family and disgrace to all of Asgard. Only through his Jotun blood they had found a reason to not play along with the royal courtesy anymore, showing their resentment up in the open.

But you...you looked at him with completely different eyes than anyone ever did.

Maybe he had become softer, weaker over time - or simply more mature. His mother once told him to seize the moment when someone truly special would cross his way, and to never let them go.

“We could do this more often.” You shoved the notepad in his line of sight, and just now he noticed that two hours had sure passed in an incredible speed.

Just the two of you, cuddled up on the sofa, enjoying each other’s presence instead of dealing with the troublesome past.

“Well...” Loki clawed into your upper arm softly, no intention of letting you out of his grasp already. “I am sure your other companions are more fun to be around. As you most likely already noticed, I am known for ruining the mood.”

Loki had a habit of talking ill about himself, and letting himself down as well. Yet as he saw you eagerly scribble on the notepad, he knit his brows together, impatient to what you’d say next.

“But I want to see you.” The word ‘you’ was written in a thicker font, underlined several times.

“Why?”, that was the first and only thing crossing his mind. And yet there you sat, shoving the notepad into his face with a stern look on your face.

Loki was rooted on spot as you put the notepad on the table, instead laying your hands on his cheeks and softly tugging on the edge of his lips. “S-m-i-l-e!”

“E-enough!” he carefully pushed your hands away, afraid you’d detect the mild blush on his face. “Then it shall be. What did you have in mind?”

“Whatever you want.”

Loki finally arrived at the library to return his books, even though with a few hours delay. Realizing just how much he had enjoyed that spontaneous meeting with you, he began to panic.

Was it really a good idea to repeat this?

He was almost 100% certain that it would only end in him ruining your trust in anyone completely, if he’d ever allow you to come close to his core.

Due to him having saved you back then, you probably see him as something better than he actually was - and gods, how disappointed you’ll be once you’d find out what he really is like...

It was probably for the best if this would never happen, with him just keeping on to admire you from afar...

After a while of just staring into the void, mentally debating about your offer, he couldn’t help the fact that he was already looking forwards to meeting you again.

Uncertain how to approach the matter, Loki was at least eager to show you his goodwill.

For you have been the first person who - despite everything he had done - was willing to give him another chance.

"Greetings. I need every available book about sign language.”