#candy dorothy day

[kfrances]

bits and bobs from last night

[frankforested]

GIRLS <3 left to right: clara ( @cozylittleartblog ), candy (my girl), prudence ( @dolphindoodles )

[animenekolover]

I wanted to practice some facial expressions so what better way than to use others characters!

Candy belongs to @kfrances

Clara belongs to @cozylittleartblog

R1NGM45T3R belongs to @dreamingmage18

Delray belongs to @asavt

Thank you for having such amazing ocs, please check them all out!

[iwantyoursexmp3]

my dad watching the 2000s music compilation channel girl you do not realise how much of a vibe you are

[dayzsaclark]

Picture I made for St. Nicholas Day. 🥳🎉🎊🍾����️🎅🏻

[violetrainbow412-blog]

hii, I wish to request a Willy Wonka x reader 😭🙏 where reader doesn’t like chocolate at all because it’s too cloying, so Wonka tries to make the right candy (or chocolate) to give it to the reader at Christmas Eve (he wanted to gave reader a small gift before Christmas day, like a form of confessing his feelings to the reader). And reader also prepares a small gift to Wonka bc they also want to confess their feelings to him

Reader can be gender neutral, or however you want

English isn’t my first language so sorry any grammar mistakes, also sorry if I didn’t explain myself well

have a good day and thanks for reading 😭🫶💐

The Bittersweet Gift of Love [W. W]

Willy Wonka x gn!reader

word count: 1.8k

note: don't worry! English is not my first language either. I have to admit that writing with neutral readers is always a challenge for me because I translate my texts directly, but I think this time it's a decent thing. I hope you like it!!

taglist: @dyieying @reallysparklychaos [Timothée masterlist]

What could a chocolatier give to a person who didn't like chocolate? That was the question Willy had been asking himself for the past few weeks.

You hadn't specifically said that you didn't like chocolate, rather it was a matter of not liking the excessively sweet or sticky taste that some had. That is, most of the chocolates he made.

“Maybe it's just that you haven't found the right flavor,” he had told you once, while the two of you were talking.

And he was quite convinced of that, even thinking that if he managed to make something special for you maybe he would earn some affection from you. It would be as if he gave you a certain part of himself, so that you could make it yours.

So it was that Wonka, after reflecting a lot, decided to try all kinds of combinations until he found one good enough to satisfy you. Christmas was approaching and he believed that the occasion would be perfect not only to give you the present, but also to take an important step for which he had not yet had the courage: he wanted to confess his feelings for you.

The man didn't know much about love, however, he knew that he liked you a lot and he wanted you to know it. It was just that he was pretty nervous about it and he hoped everything would turn out as perfect as possible, after all, you deserved it.

Christmas Eve came when he was least expecting it and then it was time to dress in shades of green and red to attend the party that the Smith family would throw, as a thank-you to everyone after Dorothy had heard what the entire group did for help Noodle when she needed it most.

Willy put a lot of effort into buying, with some of the few coins he had left, a cute outfit appropriate to the occasion that he combined with his characteristic coat. When he was in front of the library door he felt the little purple box in his hands extremely heavy and he thought it would be a better idea to put it in his pocket, or else you would realize ahead of time the surprise he had for you.

“Mr. Wonka,” Dorothy greeted, as she opened the door “Come in, come in. It's freezing outside”

“Good night, Mrs. Smith,” he murmured cordially, removing his hat and placing it on a rack in the entryway. Apparently he was the last to arrive, since everyone else was already talking happily in the room.

Of course his eyes went directly to you, who was wearing a green sweater that highlighted your beautiful skin tone and you already had a huge smile on your pink lips from the cold.

“It's good to see you, Mr. Wonka,” said Abacus, being the first to speak “Sit over here.”

He smiled internally at the good fortune that the place the man had left him was right next to you and when you gave him a look, he felt himself blush.

“Hi,” he murmured shyly.

"Hello! I'm so glad you could come."

“I would never miss it,” he responded smilingly. His knees collided with yours and suddenly your warmth seemed to invade him as well, perhaps because of the closeness, but also because of the overflowing love he felt for you “How are you?”

With this question you began a pleasant and private conversation, which developed between close whispers and giggles that made him increasingly nervous. The others didn't mind too much that you didn't participate in the general talks, as they knew that certain unresolved matters probably needed time.

You ate the delicious dinner that the family had prepared, you drank punch, you sang some Christmas carols and when the night had advanced enough you returned to your previous place, although now with fewer people around.

“This is so nice, I love Christmas. The atmosphere is always so homely and warm” you said, with your eyes resting on the simple tree that adorned the room.

It was almost midnight and the others were in the kitchen sorting through some of the cookies that Noodle had put there an hour ago, which only left you and the chocolatier in the living room.

“I guess I believe you, your eyes are literally shining now,” he said happily. He felt like sliding his hand into yours and this time, steeling himself, he didn't hold back. You flinched slightly when you felt that.

“What are you doing?”

“I have something for you,” he breathed, feeling strangely excited by what he was about to do “It's a gift.”

“Oh, Willy,” you responded, a bit incredulously, as you bent down to grab something from your bag on the floor. “I have something for you, too.”

He chuckled when he saw the box lined with bright red and a purple bow decorating it, since it was a pleasant coincidence that you had also prepared something for him.

“But don't tell anyone, because he didn't bring gifts for the others,” you added, quietly, and then he helped you up, still holding onto your hand.

"Come with me"

He led you to an empty room and he closed the door behind you, hoping he only needed enough minutes to not raise suspicions among the rest of the guests. You were nervously holding the gift, with both hands now that he had let go of you.

“Okay, listen. I wanted to do something special for you today,” he began to explain, as he pulled the box out of his pocket. “And I also added, uh… a note. You don't have to read it now or anything, but it says something in it that I want you to know."

“You're starting to scare me,” you stammered, obviously nervous. Willy was going to ask what you meant until he saw you take a small envelope out of your pocket, which you placed on the red paper. “Because I have the same thing for you.”

He stumbled a little at the second coincidence of the night and he wondered what your note could be about. He knew that he had written a little poem confessing how he felt about you, but... what if you were just wishing him a Merry Christmas? He was going to look like a complete fool.

“You can read mine in a more… private place if you feel comfortable. Maybe alone,” he suggested, though he knew it was more for his comfort than yours.

“Huh, how about we just open the gifts and leave the notes for later? I wouldn't want you to read mine now either” you murmured, just as shy as him.

Willy agreed and you extended your gift in his direction, hinting that he would be the first to open. He undid the bow, carefully, and then opened the box, revealing a beautiful scarf.

“Wow, I…”

"Do you like it? I made it myself”

“I don't believe you,” he said immediately, looking even more surprised. “It's beautiful, I really love it. Thank you so much"

He wasted no time and placed the garment around his neck. Curiously, it matched the rest of his outfit.

"It looks pretty"

“Mine is also a gift made by me. Feel free to tell me if you don’t like it, I… I’ll understand, okay?” you looked a little confused at that and then he took out the piece of chocolate, carefully placed inside the box “I know you don't like chocolate, but I don't think anyone should live without consuming such a great delicacy. So I made you this, because it doesn't have those things that you don't like. It's... different, but I hope you like it”

With some shyness he offered you the sweet and you put it in your mouth, under his watchful eye during the process. You tasted what he had offered you: it was a little bitter, but not in that way that makes your head hurt or leaves a bad taste on your palate, but with just the right touch. It was firm and didn't melt in your mouth, but decent enough to chew on. And finally, it had a touch of something indecipherable to you, but that gave it a certain exotic flavor that was pleasant to your senses.

He, without knowing everything you were experiencing, kept looking at you because he wanted to analyze your reaction to know what you really thought, and luckily your reaction showed agreement with what your chocolate lips said:

“It is the best chocolate I have ever tasted”

Willy felt that like the greatest compliment in the world and he couldn't help a smile crossing his face, satisfied with himself for having achieved his goal, but above all for seeing the happy expression on your face.

“You will never have to eat chocolates you don't like again, I have a jar full of these just for you. They will even bear your name."

It was inevitable not to take a step towards him to hug him and the boy, although at first he seemed surprised, soon responded to you.

“No one had ever done anything like this for me. I appreciate it a lot"

“Well, it's my Christmas gift. I wanted it to be something special,” he confessed, feeling his heart beating in time with yours “Merry Christmas, Y/N”

“Merry Christmas, Willy,” you said. The note in his hand felt extremely heavy and he was eager to read it, but he knew he would have to wait a while.

Suddenly you heard Noodle calling your names and you got out of there before anyone else noticed your absence, which worked because the girl was walking around the hallway when you were closing the door.

“It's going to be midnight, come here,” she said and you obeyed.

Dorothy revealed that she had a small present for each person and you began to look under the tree, eager to find out what would be in those little boxes. It wasn't something very ostentatious, but you were grateful anyway.

So, when no one was looking, you ran to the bathroom to finally read whatever he had written to you, hoping it wasn't as embarrassing as the confession you had made. You were stunned to learn the content and for a moment you feared you were dreaming, but you weren't.

When you left you knew well what your intentions were and your heart stopped for a moment when you noticed that Willy was nowhere to be seen, until Lottie told you that she had seen him heading to the kitchen. You rushed over and when you opened the door you noticed that he was about to do the same, with a bright expression on his face.

A second later he had already pulled you inside and without saying another word, he kissed you.

[instructionsnotincluded]

True North - John "Bucky" Egan x Original Female Character

Summary: Struggling to defy expectations during the height of WWII, Captain Stella Frank is determined to prove her worth as an Air Transport Auxiliary Pilot in the male-dominated world of aviation. As she navigates the skies with skill and determination, she encounters a diverse array of characters, each with their own struggles and triumphs. Among them is John "Bucky" Egan, whose charm, bravery, and dedication to his fellow pilots catch Frank's attention amidst the chaos of war. Can they navigate not only the treacherous skies but also the complexities of love and loyalty in a time of uncertainty and sacrifice? Or are they doomed to go down in flames like the world around them?

Chapter I

Excerpt:

Planes dotted the landscape, the tower looming in the background. Most of the planes would find homes on other bases or airfields, another tool for the boys to use in their battles. For a while it felt like production was stalling, they had so few to ferry around, but it seemed in the last year or so it had definitely picked up, so many different classes of aircraft ready to be delivered to the Allies. Frank hadn’t yet flown into Thorpe Abbotts, the Royal Air Force station just a handful of miles to the east of Diss, Norfolk. It was fairly new, having been built the previous year, but once the United States Army Air Forces took possession of the airfield, it seemed like activity was picking up. 

The boys at Thorpe Abbotts seemed to be going through planes like candy, and Frank was pretty sure this was their fifth ferry to the airfield in less than two weeks. Typically they flew to the smaller satellite bases once a month, maybe twice if there were mechanical issues, but five timesin two weeks? Something was definitely going on in East Anglia. She’d heard low rumblings of the amount of planes that went down during their missions from the British pilots—the men criticizing the Americans for bombing during the day rather than waiting until evening. One conversation she overheard at dinner a few weeks ago seemed to be about the recently arrived 100th Bombardment Group and how they kept losing men to dumb tactical decisions. “It’s war,” one of the heavier accented men had said, slumped backwards in his chair as he rested a beer on the table, “you do what you need to survive.”

“...are you listening to a word I’m saying?”

Frank’s eyes snapped back to those of Commander Dorothy Skylar’s, the three gold stripes she wore on the shoulder strap of her jacket seeming to catch in what little sunlight they had today, making Frank’s two stripes seem even less important than they already felt. “Yes, sorry,” Frank shook her head and the memories away, forcing herself back into the present, “I was just thinking about Thorpe Abbotts and some of the conversations that I’ve heard in passing about it.”

“They’re losing men and planes at a rapid rate of speed,” Dorothy nodded, glancing down at the folder of papers Frank just realized the woman was carrying, “I don’t think this will be your last ferry there.”

“No,” Frank turned her head as she watched the massive Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress come into view, eyes slowly taking in the matte green of the plane, white lettering and stars decorating the wings and body, “no, I don’t think it will be either.”

[best-character-named-x-poll]

Best Character Named X Poll

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day. New polls scheduled for 1:30PM BST everyday. Run by @femmehysteria

please send suggestions via ask so i can see them, replies get lost in the notes. I reply chronologically so very sorry if it takes a while for me to answer

If your favourite character is not included in the poll very sorry i have either never heard of them or actively chose not to include them as theres only 6 characters per poll. Characters will only count of that is their first name, surnames do not count.

Round 171: Sophie

Round 172: Jake

Round 173: Ellie

Round 174: Leo

Round 175: Annie

Round 176: Julian

Round 177: Lily

Past Polls

Poll Ideas under the cut

Names that I have a complete list for*

Caroline, Rebecca, Steve, Victoria, Katherine, Robin, Clark, Phoebe, Julian, Nancy, Penny, Erica, Theresa, George, Felix, Michael, Charlotte, Diana, Zoe, Connor, Daisy, Maya, Andy, Alma, Nora, Juno, Chris, Otto, Donald, Todd, Angel, Judy, Jo, Hazel, Diego, Miranda, Lila, Duncan, Dexter, Meredith, Pearl, Malcolm, Napolean, Joan, Nico, Jamie, Kiera, Tam, Klaus, Luna, Laila, Zack, Imogen, Felicity, Cindy, Alicia, Kelly, Alan, April, Astrid, Delilah, Jodie, Claudia, Juliet, Jonas, Milo, Celia, Joy, Katya, Atticus, Ian, Cynthia, Boo, River, Corey, Minerva, Ebony, Zia, Beverly, Rudy, Quentin, Marvin, Miriam, Roxy, Percy, Bianca, Shirley, Beatrice, Amara, Cleo, Cecil, Amaya, Ryan, Mabel, May, August, Leela, Manny, Francis, Matilda, Deborah, Josh, Jared, Sabrina, Kendra, Angus, Ophelia, Liesel, Zelda, Fitz, Aurora, Ramona, Misty, Talia, Orion, Roy, Kala, Madeline, Anastasia, Anna, Kit, Marian, Lena, Polly, Cora, Leah, Jules, Artemis, Irene, Margo, Laurie, Laurel, Hilda, Valentine, Reggie, Felicia, Joe, Monty, Quinn, Skye, Walter, Christine, Marissa, Edmund, Hope, Oberon, Lorna, Ace, Wally, Calvin, Alana, Jasper, Fergus, Bridget, Ulrich, Roger, Mason, Stella, Lenore, Wanda, Miguel, Winona, Hannibal, Newt, Aiden, Oscar, Tobias, Dorian, Dorothy, Una, Marnie, Mirabel, Wendel, Dora, Mort, Olympia, Toby, Chip, Harvey, Mara, Fearne, Axel, Gil, Bo, Remy, Rue, Leslie, Isabelle, Silas, Agnes, Luther, Sally, Delia, Zeke, Richter, Skylar, Scarlet, Bernard, Rusty, Ray, Nigel, Cosmo, Ruth, Selina, Harley, Blue, Cain, Warren, Missy, Perry, Paige, Duke, Tao, Gemma, Cornelius, Declan, Wendy, Apollo, Celeste, Clyde, Nicole, Summer, Hugh, Esther, Cole, Jean (french), Tatiana, Carl, Kieran, Melody, Adrian, Travis, Vivian, Haley, Elle, Prudence, Hans, Ralph, Azrael, Constance, Lauren, Molly, Agatha, Pauline, Athena, Darcy, Stan, Dana, Lee, Ford, Red, Stuart, Camille, Bruce

Names I have an incomplete list for (welcome to send character suggestions)

Richter, Dylan, Chad, Moe, Dean, Guy, Yasmin, Woody, Alina, Freya, Adora, Piper, Gabriel, Owen, Noah, Taylor, Dawn, Ayesha, Parker, Chase, Hunter, Tina, Tanya, Cameron, Rudolf, Melvin, Melanie, Melissa, Melinda, Wolf, Orlando, Adele, Adeline, Jem, Dolores, Jude, Callie, Irma, Lara, Ginger, Terry, Bellamy, Jacob, Jackson, Reese, Nemo, Addison, Adelaide, Candy, Harriet, Abraham, Ragnar, Rupert, Ella, Destiny, Wendy, Bernard, Hero, Drew, Anita, Raphael, Wallace, Jean (feminine), Elena, Cheryl, Rita, Blair, Hugo, Ike, Gaius, Lance, Lois, Riley, Shane, Cliff, Rod, Tegan, Matthias, Liam, Jed, Caeser, Ellis, Dennis, Josie, Mick, Mike, Heather, Trixie, Amber, Bailey, Esme, Ada, Briar, Puck, Eden, Annette, Letitia, Giselle, Suki, Zain, Keith, Ron, Olaf, Wilfred, Blaine, Pam, Brianna, Clive, Sabine, Roman, Carina, Kalina, Mindy, Wade, Julia, Marlene, Lex, Edith, Monet, Marina, Zara, Tsukasa, Octavia, Marcus, Elias, Mira, Sasha, Glen, Yukari, Dinah, Sloane, Farah

Feel free to send more suggestions

*subject to change, you can still submit a character if there is no strikethrough if you think theres a character that its an absolute crime i dont add. Please don't suggest anything for the names with a strikethrough as they are polls that are already in my queue waiting to be published.

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Catfish and Dog Cemeteries

Chapter Nine of Sweet Home Alabama

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x OC (Linley Mitchell/Floyd), Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x OC (Linley Mitchell/Floyd)

Description: The Annual Pigeon Creek Catfish Festival is always your favorite event of the summer. Being back here after seven years feels different. It should be a consolation that you're only going to be in Pigeon Creek for a few days more. But instead, another encounter with an old friend makes you question everything you thought you knew about your soon-to-be ex-husband. A chance encounter with the man himself makes you question everything else in your life, too.

Themes: love, attraction, angst, sex, cheating, lying

Warnings: discussions of grief, discussions of miscarriage, discussions of animal death

Word Count: 2665

A/N: This chapter is one of the saddest in this entire fic. I know, I know. It's awfully hypocritical of me to say that when most of Sweet Home Alabama (the movie) is really really sad. This is the chapter I sobbed while writing. It's also the first time Jake and Linley address the pain they have put each other through. I hope you love it!

Thanks to the gorgeous @desert-fern for reading over this chapter and smacking my imposter syndrome demon when it refused to give up.

AO3: Cross-posted here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted here!

My Masterlist

Previous Part | Series Masterlist | Next Part

Pigeon Creek's Catfish Festival is busier than you've ever seen it when you pull up and park your rental car on Main Street the next day. The festival used to be your favorite day of the summer, the one day during summer vacation when you could run free and eat as much candy and fried things as you wanted. You walk through the crowd on autopilot, walking down the line at the buffet until your plate is filled with all of the things you never actually let yourself eat anymore, and slip a twenty into the donation jar at the end of the table. The fried fish and steaming french fries had looked so good that you couldn’t stop yourself. 

But as you stand in the grass with your plate in your hand, it reminds you of something else. Nobody in Pigeon Creek likes you very much. Everyone you know is chatting and laughing and enjoying the good food. Yet you’re still the outsider. Like you were before Jake became your best friend like you have been every minute of every day since you left town. Not a single person wants to meet your eyes. A part of you understands why. Jake was the golden boy of the town. Jake is still the town hero. You’re just the girl who threw him away.

Of course, what you don’t expect to see is Dorothy sitting at one of the tables with a baby in her lap. She’s the only person who doesn’t glare at you as you walk up.

“D’you mind if I sit here?” Gone is the confident Linley who took New York by storm. In her place is the four-year-old with a lisp who used to get pushed off of picnic tables because she was too different.

“Sure.” You sit silently, gratefully, smiling at the chubby-cheeked baby in Dorothy’s lap.

“I, um..” You’re captivated by the shocks of tiny dark hair and big eyes and the way the little sweetheart is waving their fists around. “I didn’t know you and Mickey had a baby.”

“Aww, yeah. When you came around the bank the other day, there wasn’t much time for us to catch up now, was there?” She hums to the baby for several long moments before turning all of her attention to you.

It occurs to you at that moment that maybe you were more than a little prejudiced yourself as a kid. You have more fun with Dorothy than you’ve had in years. Getting to eat good food and just be yourself probably helps, too. Every time you see her snuggle her daughter, it feels like your heart breaks a little more. You can’t turn back time or change history. Seeing the baby squeal as a calf licks her hand makes you smile.

“Y’know he went up there?” There’s a secretive smile on Dot’s face as she rescues the baby from having her frock eaten by a goat.

“Who?” You drag your eyes away from the kids playing in front of you and focus back on Dorothy. “Dot, who went up where?” When she just looks at you, the lightbulb goes off in your head. “Jake? When?”

“About a year after you left.” That little tidbit of knowledge hits like a dart hitting a bullseye on a dart board. “He doesn’t know that I know, but Mickey let it slip once.”

“Jake was in New York?” You sound like a stuck record, but you can’t believe that Jake ever went to New York. Jake has always hated the idea of the big city, much preferring the country to the city. 

“He told Mickey he'd never seen anything like it.” Your heart is six feet under the earth.

“He realized straight off…” You’re leaning in despite yourself, some sick sense of curiosity expecting you to know, “That he'd need more than an apology to win you back. He needed to conquer the world first. He's been tryin' ever since.”

You didn’t think that you were so cruel a few days ago, standing in the middle of that fashion show back in New York. But now? Now, you feel like the worst person on the planet. 

“That's why he kept sending the papers back.” Is the world spinning off of its axis, or is that just you? How is it that you can know someone for most of your life and that they still surprise you every time?

“Yeah, it's funny how things don't work out.” The baby starts fussing in Dot’s arms, and the sweet burble of sound puts a smile on your face.

“It’s funny how they do.” 

You spend the rest of the day hanging out with Dorothy, smiling and laughing like a fool while playing with the baby. But it’s as night falls and the kids all go home to bed that excitement starts to course through your veins. The first twang of the guitar sets your feet tapping. For the first time since you came back to Pigeon Creek, you feel like you’re at home. With good music and even better alcohol in your hands, you finally feel free. 

Of course, what you’re not expecting, even though you totally should be, is Jake and Bob walking up to the small gathering you’ve found yourself in. It’s almost like once Dot approved of you, everyone else did, too. He looks like sin, his worn jeans clinging to his thighs and a soft red flannel clinging to his broad shoulders. His eyes and hair glisten in the soft light, and if you were a younger, less encumbered woman, you would have climbed him like a tree. But as it is, your soul feels heavy, and your left-hand feels even heavier. The worst part isn’t just how you lost the love of your life. It’s in how you’ve lost your best friend, too.

You can’t look at his smiling face, not when it hurts to see him happy when you’ve never been sadder. So, instead, you fixate on the glass your beer is in. It’s crystal clear and gorgeous, and well, it’s glass like you’ve never seen in New York. Is it any wonder that you lift the glass to see if you can see the manufacturer? Of course, just as you lift up the glass, it’s Dot who notices what you’re doing.

“Oh, honey, you…” She giggles, looking at you, “You drink that from the top.”

“I know that, Dot. I’m just lookin’ to see who makes this Deep South Glass. I wonder if you can get it in New York?" You take a sip of your beer and sigh. "It's beautiful."

"D'you hear that, Jake?" There is mischief in Dot's voice. "Lin wants to know where she can find that snooty-faluty glass." Why's she asking Jake, of all people?

"Why ask me?" See that? That's why Jake Seresin was your best friend. He always knew exactly what you were thinking and had the courage to express the thought, too.

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe it's because…" You've only had a few sips of your beer, so you don't miss the glare Jake shoots at Dot. You don't know why he's keeping secrets, but you have a feeling it isn't for a good reason. "You're all spiffed up and all."

"Wait, y'all." You probably look as confused as you feel. "Am I missing something?"

But all of a sudden, the familiar tones of Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd echo across the dance floor. You can count on one hand the number of times you've passed on dancing to this song - and all of them have been when you were in New York. It's a right of passage, a way of life. A part of you is sure every 'Bama baby has been put to bed at night with a crooned-out rendition of this song since it came out. Already, you can feel the beat tapping your toes, but a part of you isn't sure if anyone will ask you to dance. You smile vaguely as Dot marches off to the dance floor, Jake in tow, leaving you standing at the edge of the dance floor yearning.

"Y'know, she says that I've got two left feet, but the truth is she's got no rhythm." You startle just a bit at Mickey's voice, though you smile when you hear the pure love in it for Dot.

"Why don't we show her just how well I can dance, then, Miss Linley?" 

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Garcia." 

You're smiling from ear to ear as Mickey twirls you around on the dance floor. Your eyes flutter closed as you feel the beat in every hummingbird thud of your heart. But when you open them again, it feels like the world's standing still. The music is gone. There isn't another person on the dance floor other than Jake and you. He's got his hand on your waist, and your heart's not beating in time anymore. Your palms grow clammy, and your tongue feels like it's swollen in your mouth.

There is something unreadable in Jake's gaze as he twirls you once, twice, and then one final time before applauding for the band and walking away. You spend the rest of the night as far away from Jake as you possibly can. You know where he is; you always have. But it's different going out of your way to avoid him. Everyone's cleared out for the night when you finally see the sign for the dog cemetery.

Bear used to love clear nights like this, and something about it makes you remember him. His little plot is the newest, and it hurts to think of the puppy you bottle-fed lying six feet under the ground when you never even got the chance to tell him you loved him one final time.

"Hi there, boy." Your hands shake as you clear away a couple of twigs ensnared in his grave marker. "Sorry, it took me so long. I would have come sooner if I'd known you were sick."

Sitting here tonight, you don't think you can lie. Not to Bear. "Actually, that's probably not true. I've been pretty selfish lately."

Tears track hot down your cheeks as you remember the dog you loved with all of your heart. "Dogs don't know anything about that, do they, though? You were always like a big old pillow. Like when everything went pear-shaped…" Your voice cracks on the words because pear-shaped is an understatement for how your life splintered. "You never left my side. And then I just left you. I bet you sat there wondering what you'd done wrong."

"I told him it was my fault." You stand up so quickly that you nearly fall over. It's Jake because who else would it be when he's so close that you can smell his cologne and feel the heat radiating off of his skin?

"Quit bein' so nice." 

"It's the truth." It's not. Not in the slightest. It was your fault. Your body, your mouth. Your fault. But you can't verbalize your words or how sorry you were for everything that you did.

"How come it has to be so complicated?" You sigh the words even as you wipe your tears away.

"What?" Despite his hatred for you, his voice is gentle, a melodic hum over the buzz of a summer night out in the country.

"The truth, life…" Finally, you trace your fingers over Bear's name. "This."

"He was one hell of a good dog, wasn't he?" You can only nod, moving to sit on a stone bench nearby. It's quiet for several moments, just you and Jake staring at the graves.

"You looked like you were having fun out there tonight." It's true, you did have fun. But it wasn't quite as easy as he thought it was to let loose.

"I'm happy in New York, Jake. But then I come down here and…” You gesture around you to all of Pigeon Creek. “This fits, too." Who are you trying to convince? Him? Or yourself?

"Since when does it have to be one or the other? You can have roots and wings, Lin." Not possible, not with your all-or-nothing life.

"Maybe I could just fly south for the winter." As if the Honorable Carole Bradshaw would ever let you do that.

He sits down next to you suddenly, warming the left side of your body as he gets close.

"Look." It takes you a bit to figure out what you're looking for, but when you see it, it makes you feel like a kid again. "There. Do you see 'em?"

"Only you. Lightnin' bugs." There's a childlike wonder on his face. This close, you can feel each exhale and can see the specks of amber floating in the green of his eyes

"You know, I still go out there sometimes. I see those big thunderheads rollin' in. It's like a religion." Of course, he still goes out on the beach in the middle of lightning storms.

But his confession has you spilling one of your own. "I had a dream about it the other night." You watch the lightning bugs track pinpricks of light through the dark night.

"It had me thinking, Lin. You ever wonder what would have happened if we hadn't have gotten pregnant?"

Your heart falls to your feet at his words. Please let him regret you, but not that sweet baby. Please, not your sweet baby. Your throat barely pushes out the sound as you whisper, "Jake."

"Just," His eyes are pleading, and the sight of the pain in his eyes blanks all the thoughts out of your mind. "Let me get this out before I can't. I thought that baby would be an adventure."

"And it took me a while to realize that it would have been your only adventure." Yup. The sound you hear despite the blood pounding in your temples is your heart shattering into infinitesimal pieces. "I just guess Mother Nature knew better, huh?"

Your hands make abortive movements in your lap. But you can't reach for him, not with the ring weighing your left hand down. "I was so ashamed, Jake. 'Cause I felt relieved. How selfish am I, huh? I lost our baby, and I felt relieved. I felt relieved. And I couldn't handle that. All of a sudden, I just needed a different life. So I left."   

Your voice is so quiet you're not sure Jake can actually hear you.

"You’ve done really well for yourself. I'm proud of you, Lin." He's so close all you want to do is fall into him. But you can't. You can't.

"I'm just sorry I never danced with you at our weddin'." How does he make your heart feel so full that you're sure it's going to overflow?

"I'm sure this next one's gonna go better for ya." His hands are strong and warm and perfect as they cradle yours. But every press of his hands rubs the ring, Bradley's ring, into your hands. It feels like a brand, the guilt turning into a five-ton weight sitting there. And it's that itchy, heavy feeling that has you yanking your hands from his own. 

"Jake, I can't do this." Who are you trying to convince as you walk away? Like so much of this conversation tonight, you're not really sure.

"I know."

Something about those words has you turning around. It's not a feeling or an expressed desire, but you still stand on your tiptoes and kiss Jake. Just once, you promise your traitorous heart. Just once. But he feels like home and tastes like it and smells like it. The electricity ricocheting through your veins makes you feel so good that you don't break the kiss until Jake does. Your lips are swollen, and you can barely breathe. But Jake? Jake just looks angry.

"Go home." Is it any wonder that you do so with your tail between your legs?

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR ON AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

@atarmychick007 @the-romanian-is-bae @lt-spork @buckysdollforlife @blackwidownat2814 @praline357 @seitmai @cheyrenee @trickphotography2 @abaker74 @marrianena-library @angelbabyange @temptest13 @kmc1989 @im-an-adult-ish @chaoticassidy @inkandarsenic @lynnevanss @shanimallina87 @khaylin27 @mizzzpink @emma8895eb @hookslove1592 @leahnicole1219 @djs8891 @sarahsmi13s @desert-fern @horseshoegirl @dakotakazansky @teacupsandtopgun @footprintsinthesxnd @thedroneranger @cherrycola27 @roosterforme @mak-32 @beyondthesefourwalls

[girlwithwolftatoo]

Bunny and Hat

Pairings: The Grabber x Reader

Summary: Your fun time at the carnival takes an unexpected twist.

Warnings: None.

Word count: 3516

Part three

"Thank you" you said as you received the caramel apple. A sincere, almost childlike smile appeared on your face as you saw the fruit stuck on a wooden stick, covered with red candy that made it shine like a jewel among the yellowish spotlights hanging from the tents. 

You longed for the arrival of September because with it came carnival. Almost all of your fond memories came from the walks you took, first with your parents, then with your friends, through the barley field that was used to set up the traveling rides that came to town. Fairground rides with prizes that ranged from the outlandish to the unimaginative, mechanical games that had their own lighting, tents with weird amusements that teenagers would bet each other to enter, and of course, the food and candy stands, like your beloved caramel apples.

"There you are!" Dorothy caught up to you, carrying what looked like a ball of pink fabric in her hands. Next to her was Dean, her brand new boyfriend "We were looking for you...look what Dean won for me" she then showed you that the ball was in fact, a stuffed rabbit in bubblegum pink. The bunny had an almost cartoonish expression, and a red ribbon around its neck.

"Very cute" you nodded just to say something. It was awkward being the third wheel on that outing, so when Dorothy practically dragged you along with her, you averted your gaze so as not to run into her companion's.

"How can you eat that?" protested Dorothy, giving your apple a dirty look "Sugar is very bad for your teeth, my dad always says so."

"Ya, but your dad's a dentist, isn't he? Shouldn't he recommend more sweets to get more patients?"

"Oh, that's awful!" and the girl laughed.

You arrived in front of the flying chairs. Dorothy squealed and hung on Dean's arm, a tendency she had adopted since they became sweethearts in which she pretended to be more innocent and clumsy than she was, because she thought boys liked that sort of thing. You disagreed, but her strategy seemed to work after all, and you told them that you passed on coming up.

"I'm not that into those games" you explained.

"Oh, suit yourself, but you're going to have to go in with us on some game, you hear?" warned Dorothy, handing you her stuffed rabbit "Can you watch it for me, don't get it dirty with candy."

You watched the two lovebirds walk toward the line, content, and you stepped back a bit, the bunny under your arm, to take a bite of your apple. The sensation was always delicious, the hard, sweet caramel shattering, like glass, under the pressure of your teeth (which contrary to what Dorothy said, were quite healthy), only to release the juice of the apple trapped underneath, fresh, a little tart and soft, really soft. You closed your eyes with an expression of immense pleasure, you were no longer a child to celebrate by jumping up and down, but you sighed as the mixture melted in your mouth.

Something caught your attention as you looked around lazily. It was not so obvious, but it was peculiar amidst the tumult of lights, noises and above all, colors. A balloon, but the most unusual balloon you had ever seen, black in color, whose string was almost miraculously stuck between a string of lights. The object moved awkwardly, in the wind, almost invisible against the night sky.

You ended up going for it, black balloons weren't something you saw every day, and when you got close enough, you looked down at your two busy hands, and exhaled a snort of frustration. Not for anything in the world would you let go of your apple, but if you left the rabbit on the ground, Dorothy was going to go nuts. You made an unorthodox decision, biting down on the apple as hard as you could, and then stretched out to reach the balloon, standing on your tiptoes.

You almost screamed when you achieved your goal, and immediately passed the balloon to the hand you were holding the rabbit with to take the apple out of your mouth. You had gotten a smear of caramel on your lips, and were still licking it off when again, Dorothy came up beside you.

"You should have come with us, it was fun and not scary" she added, looking tenderly at Dean "What about that balloon?"

"I found it" you replied simply.

"It looks like from a funeral home... Anyway, come on, let's go, I want to go to the fun house."

"Really? That's for kids" Dean pointed out, but there was no choice and the three of you headed off to where the energetic Dorothy was leading you.

The fun house was the biggest and most eye-catching attraction, if you didn't count the carousel and the Ferris wheel. Its light wood exterior was painted white with scenes of a fairy-tale forest, though the artist had taken pains to make the faces of the fairies and goblins less sweet and more mischievous, Next to the huge sign in letters that looked inflated, the entrance was in the shape of a Chesire cat's face, its mouth veiled with black cloth.

As soon as you entered, the first room was lined with mirrors. You remembered with a certain nostalgia the laughter you had as a child, on your first visits to the fair, when you saw your body comically deformed in the reflection. Dorothy squealed and exaggerated her movements, Dean seemed to force his smile more and more, uninterested in what he considered boring, and they continued on through a small wooden door to which they had added a giant, unevenly striped red and white doorknob. You lingered a little longer, looking at yourself in a mirror that made you blur, like a pointillist painting, the red apple and the black baloon framing your figure.

You went behind the same door as your uninteresting company, and found yourself in a narrow, crooked hallway, across whose walls hung different pictures. You knew that old trick, some of those pictures seemed to follow you with their eyes, and the flickering gas lights made the experience more frightening than amusing. You started walking, and then, you stumbled.

"Fuck!" you blurted, some of the flagstones were loose, so that when you stepped on them, they tilted. You continued on your way, carefully stepping on each slab to make sure you didn't fall into the trap, and inside the enclosure an old song could be heard.

Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run run run run run

Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run run run run....

At the end of the hallway, two extravagant doors stood waiting, and the wall was positioned so that it formed an angle of about ninety degrees. The doors each possessed a hand from which two signs hung: "One of us always tell the truth," read one, "One of us always lie" read the other, an old riddle that basically, led the traveler down one safe and one, terrible path.

"Let's see..." you reasoned, biting again into your apple "If the one who always tells the truth lies, then the other one tells the truth, but actually lies too..."

The lights flickered brighter, and the song stopped for a moment. You looked back, puzzled, and after a few seconds where everything returned to normal, you focused your attention back on the doors. Power problems were common at the carnival, and almost never lasted more than a couple of minutes. 

Then, the lights went out completely, and with it, so did the music. You snorted, and chose almost without thinking the door on the left, popping the apple back in your mouth to open it.

"Run, rabbit..."

This time your jump was one of real fright. You spun on your heels, eyes wide open. Someone had spoken not far from you. The interior was still dark, but you heard nothing else, no footsteps, no voice.

You stood still for several seconds, your eyes struggling to see something in the gloom, maybe, you thought, that was part of the show, maybe even Dorothy and Dean went through the same thing before you, although it hadn't taken you too long to walk after them, so... Yes, surely it was a trick, there was nothing to fear.

Or so you thought until you noticed something moving next to you, and a flash of something small and shiny came close to your face.

With a slight scream, you opened the door on the left, entered almost throwing yourself through it and closed it, using your body to block it. You heard your breath hitching, thinking maybe you were scared for nothing, but you couldn't help it, it had been so sudden....

The lights came back on, and you found yourself in the new room. The furniture, a couple of tables, armchairs, chandeliers, everything was nailed up, so that the floor mimicked the ceiling. There you realized that you had lost the balloon, possibly dropping it when you slipped through the door, but you didn't decide to go for it, it was better to move forward and get away (from what?) as fast as possible, and so you did, thankful that there, the only "trap" were some automated doors that opened on the sides and, on inconspicuous rails, some toy rats were advancing. 

Stairs waited at the end, half hidden by the wall, and you began to climb them. The last stretch of the house was always a maze, you knew from experience, sometimes of mirrors, but since this one was on the top floor, it must have been somewhat less elaborate. Upstairs, a ceiling lined with lights imitating a starry sky, and a huge smiling moon pointing to the center of the labyrinth, awaited you next to an entrance flanked by two cardboard trees, where a mechanical owl blinked and, along with the music, a mixture of forest sounds created the atmosphere.

You squinted your eyes, the moon would be your only visible reference to go through the labyrinth, dark walls and just over six feet high, and began to walk. Right, left, right... zigzagging was the safest thing to do in the labyrinths, as your father had told you, because at least that way you were sure to get somewhere. Left. The lights flickered again and you crouched down, uncomfortable. Nothing. You moved forward again. Right. Right again.

You thought you heard voices, there were still more people in the labyrinth. Relieved by that thought, you looked again at the moon, which was a little to your left. Left. Right. Your foot found something soft and you looked down. Your surprise was enormous to see that it was Dorothy's pink bunny.

"How did you end up here, buddy?" you muttered, looking at the stuffed animal's silly, adorable face. You couldn't think of a good reason for your friend to forget something she apparently held dear, unless she'd had an argument with her boyfriend (most likely) or something had led her to drop it, like you did with the balloon (which gave you the creeps).

Hugging the stuffed animal against your chest, you kept walking, but didn't get very far before the lights again went out. 

"Goddamnit" you growled, fed up, the moon still emitted a sort of greenish glow, useless for illumination, but the truth was that the whole place was already a bit dark with everything and electricity. You had practically finished your apple, so you stuffed what was left of it in your mouth to grope for the walls and keep walking, the last thing you wanted was to stay there, in that horrible silence.

You had just turned around when you saw someone standing at the end of the new hallway. The lights flickered in a lazy attempt to return, so you got glimpses of the person in front of you: a little taller than you, dressed very plainly, and you guessed from the build that it was a man. 

The lights buzzed before coming back, but much dimmer. The man turned around, he was wearing something on his head, a tall hat, apparently, and despite the semi-darkness and remoteness, you felt his eyes on you... and that made you uncomfortable.

"Rabbit..." 

It was that voice. It was him.

You ran back, scared, no longer caring where you were going, sure that he was following you because you heard him, heard the loud footsteps behind you. You turned several times, desperate, wanting to scream for help but without enough breath to do so, until you ran into a single wall that marked, almost sadistically, a mocking phrase:

Dead End.

 You had reached a closed alley of the labyrinth, because of course, that was precisely what had to happen, it happened in horror movies, and now it was happening to you. But that wasn't a movie, and no one was going to help you. Screaming was not an option, because then he would find you more easily, so you cowered on the floor, with your back against the wall, hugging the stuffed rabbit and trembling like a child.

And then, he appeared. He stopped for a moment in front of the hallway, silent, as if pondering what he was about to do. You looked at him, horrified, paralyzed with fear, and then he began to move forward. You closed your eyes as if by instinct, maybe he was just an attraction worker, put there to make the game more interesting, that would explain him wearing a top hat and whispering such terrifying things, yes, it must be so, God, it must be so....

The man planted himself in front of you, his shadow covering you from the dim light. Against all your wishes, you opened your eyes and looked at him, feeling like crying. He was dressed in black pants and short-sleeved shirt, though underneath, another piece of clothing revealed a high, red, almost proverbial collar. He wore the hat, just as you had already seen, but something else: half of his face was covered by a mask that simulated an eerie smile.

"Did you get lost, little rabbit?" 

You swallowed saliva, unable to speak. The man stretched out a hand, and you shrank back.

"Don't touch me," you muttered. The hand remained still in the air, not far from your head. 

"I'm not going to hurt you" he expounded. How you wished you believed him, but your instinct said otherwise.

"What were you doing then?" you asked.

The stranger cocked his head to one side, his hair was a bit long, shoulder length.

"You need help" he inquired "I can help you". 

"Do you work here?" you shrugged your legs, almost sticking them to your body "What's your name?"

A sort of hollow chuckle was the initial response.

"I'm Fantastic Al" he introduced himself "I'm a part-time magician. I came here during a break, sorry if I scared you back there."

Since you didn't move or say anything else, the man squatted down. You could see his face a little better, at least the uncovered part, he had peculiar eyes, blue and almost friendly. Still...

"And what's your name, bunny?" he asked.

No talking to strangers. It was a basic rule of all life, you thought, so you just went about looking at him, ready to react to any of his moves, even though you had no way to defend yourself. 

"I get it" he murmured "Let's see... how about this?" he showed his hands in front of you, wiggling his fingers "Nothing this way, nothing that way... aha!" in an imperceptible gesture, he made a small bouquet of wild flowers appear, "For you, young lady" he crooned, holding it out to you. You looked at the bouquet, then at the man, and very stealthily stretched out your hand to take it.

Your instinct was not wrong. As soon as you took the flowers, his free hand went to your wrist, holding it so tightly that you feared he was going to hurt you. You let go of the bouquet and kicked him, but the blow was useless, and the magician lunged at you, pressing you against the wall, one of his knees between your legs. You opened your mouth to scream but his other hand went to your face, gagging you.

"Don't you dare!" he commanded "Quiet!"

Your gasping breath was the only sound you could utter. Your eyes filled with tears at the horror of the situation, trapped as you were between the man and the wall.

"I'm sorry" he said suddenly, in a kinder voice "I didn't mean to make you cry, forgive me... I'm going to take my hand away, okay, but don't scream, don't scream, please, just-"

You were sure that, if you disobeyed him, he would not hesitate to hurt you, so when he released your face you just pouted, resigned. The magician brought his hand to his mask, and took it off. Now you could see him well, with his nose straight and his lips twisted into a kind of gentle smile.

"See?" he continued "I'm not a bad person, I don't want to hurt you..." his fingers met your cheeks, wiping away your tears "Sorry, really... Don't cry, okay? You don't have to cry, I won't hurt you... you're so pretty..."

"Please let me go" you whispered "I won't say anything, I swear, but..."

The man ducked his head, sorrowful, then, he looked at you again. His voice grew deeper.

"I can't do it."

"Please" you begged again "I don't even know your name, I'm not going to accuse you, I swear."

"I believe you, I believe you...it's just that..." his eyes went down "What a cute little bunny."

You looked down too. On your belly rested, half cocked, the stuffed animal. The man picked it up carefully, looking at it as if it made him curious, and let out a chuckle.

"That's adorable, where did you get it? I'd love one for my tricks, rabbits get really sore when you grab them by the ears, you know?"

"Keep it" you blurted out "But let me go."

"But if it's yours" he repeated, ignoring your plea.

New tears appeared in your eyes. 

"What do you want from me?" you sobbed.

His face changed again, serious, indecipherable. He put the little toy aside, carefully.

"I just wanted to look at you" he said at last "You are truly beautiful, really, your face, your hair, your body..."

The lights went out again. You gasped, and that again caused your captor to cover your mouth.

"I told you to shut up!" he growled, angrily. It was amazing how quickly his mood changed. You noticed him glance over his shoulder, nervously, before turning his attention back to you, again, his voice sweetening "Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run run run run run..." he sang in a whisper "Don't give the farmer his fun, fun, fun..."

He stretched his neck, moving closer to your neck, and you felt the tip of his nose brush against your skin.

"Oh you're pretty, bunny, may I come near?" the man sang and you felt his warm breath on you "Can I hold you and touch your ear?"

The tip of his tongue brushed your earlobe. You struggled to turn your head away, but he still held you and his fingers tightened around your cheeks, holding you still. He placed a brief kiss on your cheek, then another, and another, reaching up to your nose.

"I'd like to..." he murmured, kissing your face again "How I'd like to... May I kiss your lips?" he asked, almost tenderly "May I? They're so pretty, so red... If I kiss you you won't bite me, will you? I wouldn't like that at all-"

Again, he turned his head. You both heard it, new footsteps, and voices asking for some straggler in the game. Hope returned to your heart, but the captor's gaze suddenly seemed to darken.

"Too bad, I wanted to have more time with you" he spat, twisting his lips in such a way that he looked like a dog showing his fangs. He reached out and picked up the stuffed animal from the floor, placing it on your legs "Here you go...just one more thing, but promise me you won't scream, okay?"

Resigned, you nodded. The man removed his hand from your mouth, only to hastily replace it with his own. It was a bold, aggressive kiss that barely lasted a few seconds but left you breathless. With the same haste he pulled away from you, looking into your eyes and licking his lips.

"Caramel apple..." he whispered "I love it."

The man stood up, readjusted his mask and waved a gallant goodbye wearing his hat.

"See ya, bunny."

Before the lantern lights had even approached the hallway, the captor had already disappeared. Two workers found you, cowering on the floor, hugging the pink bunny.

"Are you okay, miss?"

[kfrances]

what if they were 90s kids

[softlymaximoff]

Wanda assumed that Nat and Steve are together cause they are always close. Cooking together, workout out and sparring at the same time. Wanda even saw Nat laying her head on Steve 's lap during movie night. To top it all, Wands caught Nat hugging Steve from behind while he is frying some pancakes. It hurts Wanda everytime they see them being so close to each other and would suppress her feelings towards Nat.

But Wanda also enjoys the moment where she is being flipped on the mat by Natasha when they are training. She would blush non stop and Nat would tease her for it. From then on, they also became friends and got to know each other more. Then one time, Wanda was being bold cause she's super jealous of Steve and outright asked Nat if they were together. Nat just laughed at Wanda and said that they were only friends and she only see Steve as her brother.

Oh poor wanda was always insecure of overstepping the friendship she already had with nat and just tried to avoid her at all costs when she realised that “shit I’m falling for the damn widow” And natty ends up all moody cause her best friend was suddenly shutting her out.

Comes training one day and Natasha had enough, flipping the witch, thighs on either side of her head for a little too long. “Nat- c’mon let me up, you win, you pinned me, your score” the sokovian mumbled blushing as the widow pressed further. “Why are you avoiding me” “you’re insane I’m not doing anything” and with a flash of gentle red, Natasha was lifted off her and tossed to the side. Wanda had never used magic on her? “Fine be like that” the spy grumbled and stormed out of the training room leaving a very guilty wanda on the mat.

><><><

Two nights later tony was hosting one of his monthly get-togethers where the team was exempt of missions for a couple of days. And Steve had of course asked his long time best friend to accompany him as his little arm candy. Wanda of course had vision but he was a last minute desperation. The poor robot was completely unaware of his date’s jealousy. “Care for a drink Wanda?” “Not now vis, I’m gonna go play pool” She grumbled when she saw the other coupe-like pair already at the bar.

Unbeknownst to Wanda, as soon as she walked in Steve motioned over to her “there’s your girl Tasha” “she’s not my girl Steve, she’s been avoiding me and I haven’t even done anything wrong” the Russian sighed and downed her shot of vodka when Bruce passed it to her. “Alright calm down widow, the nights still young” Steve chuckled at his teammate but tensed when he felt eyes on him.

“Oh for goodness sake nat do something, she’s burning holes on the side of my head I can feel it” he practically whined to the readhead and she rolled her eyes before venturing off to find said angry witch. “You’re up Sabrina” Tony snickered at the young witch’s scowl “you’re so lame Tony, shouldn’t you be trying to find a heart with Dorothy on the yellow brick road? Tinman looking ass” she challenged back and set up her shot but a chuckle made her freeze. “Finally someone’s putting him back in his place” Natasha giggled, the vodka making her a little less cold and a lot more flirty.

“Here, line it up like this moya lyubov” she whispered and guided Wanda’s position. The interaction making her blush furiously. “Uh, nat why aren’t you with Steve?” She mumbled and moved out of Natasha’s little body trap, just letting her take the shot. “Cause he’s flirting with Bucky” she smirked at Wanda’s prominent blush. “Why, you’re dating him aren’t you?” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, a frown forming on her lips.

“Oh my god, is that why you were avoiding me? He’s like a brother! Ew he’s so old and gross, Wanda, I’m part of the alphabet mafia” the redhead chuckled drunkenly and cheered when she sunk her number in a pocket. “You’re- you’re not straight?” Wanda was dumbfounded. “No you goof, i don’t sit properly on chairs, I wear boots, listen to girl in red and Taylor swift religiously, and tony won’t let me get a cat for the compound but I’ve managed to convince pepper so we’re halfway there already!” All Wanda could do was blush at her own obviousness

“Oh”

“Yeah oh, now come here and taste some vodka you fool”

[ejzah]

A/N: The Deeks family with the twins on their first Halloween.

***

Kensi: You know, they won’t remember any of this, right?

Deeks, cradling a twin in each arm: I know. But how many Halloweens are we going to get with them? Plus, they look absolutely adorable.

He glances down at the twins. Sophia is dressed up in a mini cowardly lion costume, and Caleb as the scarecrow, while Kensi and Deeks take on the roles of Dorothy and Tin Man.

Kensi, pushing the wagon the twins got tired of long ago: Yeah, they do. The question is, what are we going to do with all this candy? It’s not like they can even eat half of it.

Deeks, reasonably: Freeze it for those days when we feel like we’re going to die of exhaustion. Don’t pretend you don’t know the glory of a frozen Twix bar.

Kensi, shifting one of her pigtails: I guess I’m just surprised how much you wanted to go trick or treating. Over the years, you’ve never made that big of a deal about Halloween.

Deeks, shrugging: I remember having a lot of fun with my mom on the years she could take me out. Sometimes she was working and couldn’t. All my costumes were homemade, sometimes stretching the imagination, but I didn’t care. I guess these guys gave me a good reason to remember those days.

Kensi, tugs him to a stop and stretches up to kiss his cheek.

Deeks: What was that for?

Kensi: You’re pretty cute too.

Deeks, smiling: C’mon, I heard the house on the end is giving out full size candy bars.

[jazzy-man13]

Halloween with the Maltos

Kinda late, but I had this silly goofy story to share- please excuse any mistakes, I'm trying to get this posted before Halloween is over lmao

It was the first day of October. The maltos were in the middle of a training session when Dottie called them in. "Kids! Come take a break, it's time for lunch!" Excitedly, they all ran to her, tripping over one another in the process.

"Ooh, what'd you make for lunch?" Mo asked. Looking at the dish on the table in front if her, she could clearly see pumpkin shaped cookies next to her empanadas. "I see you've noticed the cookies," Dottie chuckled. "Well, since it's getting close to Halloween, I picked up some small treats as a snack. You still have to eat your lunch first though."

Robbie gasped. "Halloween! I almost forgot about it. This is gonna be the terrans first time!" Twitch squealed excitedly. "Yippee! I can't wait for Halloween!" She paused. "Um... what exactly is Halloween anyways?" The other terrans looked at Robbie with curiosity. "Is this another one of your earth holidays?" Nightshade asked.

"Yep, Halloween is the best holiday!" Mo exclaimed. "You get to dress up and go trick or treating!" Hashtag looked at Mo. "What's trick or treating? Wait, don't answer that, I can look it up-" Giggling, she immediately started to search the web for information on it. "Ooh! I got it! Trick or treating is when you go to strangers houses and demand candy from them!"

"Well... you're not entirely wrong," Dottie said. "Trick or treating is when you wear a costume and go around your neighborhood to ask for candy by saying "trick or treat!". It's a fun tradition that we do once a year, on Halloween." She explained. "So... can we go trick or treating?" Thrash asked. Dottie smiled at him. "Of course, baby. We'll find a nice town that accepts transformers, get y'all some costumes, and we'll go have fun." At this, the terrans cheered in unison.

Alex walked over. "What's got you so excited?" He questioned, chuckling at the kids' enthusiasm. "WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN!" Twitch shouted excitedly. "Oo-kay then! You do realize it isn't until the end of the month though, right?"

"You mean we have to wait the entire MONTH before we get to celebrate?!" Twitch hung her head in disappointment.

"We only have to wait that long to go trick or treating! Until then, we can still decorate our house, prepare costumes, and go to festivals, if there even are any around here." Robbie said the last part quietly.

Jawbreaker looked over at Alex. "What do we decorate with?" He asked curiously. Alex grinned. "I thought you'd never ask!"

A few days of chaos later, the Maltos home looked like something straight out of a horror movie. Well, not quite, but it was definitely close. Fake bodies laying around, graves, cobwebs (courtesy of Tarantulas), ghosts in the trees, and some cuter props, (like a black cat inflatable that Jawbreaker had wanted), were all around. Hashtag motioned for everyone to stand in front of the house and pose. While she was taking pictures, they were interrupted by the sound of an aircraft.

Transforming, Megatron looked around. "My goodness, you really went all out this year, ey Dorothy?" Dottie grinned. "Well... I can't take credit for all of this. I had some help from the kiddos, of course." She said. The rumble of a truck pulled them away from their conversation.

Optimus rolled up, transforming and peering at their house cautiously. "I've never seen you so... prepared for Halloween before." He commented with a grimace. "Yep, it's the terrans first Halloween! We had to get in the spirit, you know?" Alex said with a smile. "By the way, where's Bumblebee?"

"I'm here!" A voice from behind them called out. Looking over, they could clearly see Bee tangled up in some of the cobwebs that Tarantulas had made. "I'll get you out!" Alex laughed, running over to assist Bee. "Well. I'm sure the kids are loving this," Optimus said. "Anyways, I better be going now, primely duties and all." He said, backing away slowly.

"Nonsense! We just got here." Megatron said, grabbing Optimus's arm with a mischievous smirk. "Yeah, stick around!" Twitch said, flying over to see the commotion. Optimus sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt..." Dottie grinned. "Someone isn't a fan of the spooky season." She whispered to Megatron. Megatron chuckled.

On Halloween, the Malto kids were unable to contain their excitement. Twitch was dressed as a tiger, Jawbreaker chose to stay as his dinosaur alt mode, Thrash was Frankenstein's monster, Hashtag was a detective, Mo was a dragon, Robbie was Ironman, and Nightshade chose not to dress up.

With an innocent smile, Twitch started tallking to Megatron. "Are you dressing up this year?" She asked. "No, I choose not to participate in such affairs." Megatron said, distracted from the looming figure behind him. "GOTCHA!"

With a yelp, Megatron was quickly covered by a white sheet. "What is the meaning of this?!" Megatron nearly yelled. Laughing, Optimus pulled out a mirror and showed Megatron. The white sheet had cutouts for his optics, and he presumed that he was meant to look like one of those "ghosts". "Dont blame me, the kids dragged me into this." Optimus said with a chuckle. Megatron turned around to see Optimus wearing a black robe with a scythe on his back. "They said I'm supposed to be the "grim reaper", whatever that means." Megatron sighed. This was no doubt going to be a long night.

"Who wants to go trick or treat?" Dottie called out. "ME!" Robbie, Mo, Twitch, Thrash, Hashtag, and Alex all shouted. "Alex, honey, you're the one taking them, remember?" Dottie said with a laugh.

"Oh yeah! Alright kiddos, you ready?" He was met with five cheers from the kids.

"Jawbreaker, Nightshade, do you two want to go as well?" Dottie asked. "Um.. no thanks mom, it's a bit too scary for my tastes..." Jawbreaker mumbled. "Agreed, I'd rather stay home this time around." Nightshade said. "Alright then! Alex, Elita, you two go ahead and take the kids into town. Megatron, Optimus, and I will stay here with Nightshade and JB." Dottie said, smiling. "Have fun! Stay safe!" Nightshade and JB called out as the others left.

With that, the rest of the night was spent telling scary stories around a fire, and the rest of the maltos came back with ridiculous amounts of candy. Dottie questioned the kids, and was met with a shrug. "Hashtag looked up the best places that were handing out candy," Thrash said. "Besides, we had to get some extra for our siblings!" Twitch explained excitedly. "I thought y'all don't eat candy?" Dottie commented, holding back her laughter.

"Oh... well, it's okay! Robbie and Mo can eat it!" Twitch said. "Yeah!" Mo squealed. "Nuh-uh, not in one night you won't. Save some for the next few days, alright? Don't want any of you getting sick off of candy now."

The kids ran to rejoin their siblings at the fire, begging Megatron and Optimus for more stories. There was no denying that this had been their best Halloween ever! Of course, it had been the terrans' only Halloween, but that's irrelevant. Laughter lasted throughout the night, only ceasing when Dottie and Alex finally wrangled the kids to go to bed.

It had been a wonderful night, even Optimus had fun. Nobody could wait for next Halloween.

[kulturkorner]

Fran Lebowitz

Frances Ann Lebowitz (born October 27, 1950) is a loud-mouthed, opinionated American author, public speaker, and occasional actor. Lebowitz is open about her personal life and is a lesbian. She is known for her sardonic social commentary on American life as filtered through her New York City sensibilities and her association with many prominent figures of the 1970s and 1980s New York art scene, including Andy Warhol, Martin Scorsese, Jerome Robbins, Robert Mapplethorpe, David Wojnarowicz, Candy Darling, and the New York Dolls. The New York Times has called her a modern-day Dorothy Parker. Lebowitz gained fame for her books Metropolitan Life (1978) and Social Studies (1981). She has been the subject of two projects directed by Martin Scorsese, the HBO documentary film Public Speaking (2010), and the Netflix docu-series Pretend It's a City (2021).

As an adolescent, Lebowitz was deeply affected by James Baldwin: "James Baldwin was the first person I ever saw on television who I heard talk like that—by which I mean, he was the first intellectual I ever heard talk... And I was just flabbergasted. That made me read him." She also enjoyed watching television appearances by Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, though she did not agree with Buckley. In 1978, her first book, Metropolitan Life, was published. The book was a set of comedic essays mostly from Mademoiselle and Interview, with titles such as "Success Without College" and "A Few Words on a Few Words". She often detailed things that she found irksome or frustrating in a dry, sardonic tone.

Lebowitz said in a 2019 interview:

"What is culture without gay people? This is America, what is the culture? Not just New York. AIDS completely changed American culture... And with AIDS, a whole generation of gay men died practically all at once, within a couple of years. And especially the ones that I knew. The first people who died of AIDS were artists. They were also the most interesting people... The knowing audience also died and no longer exists in a real way... There's a huge gap in what people know, and there's no context for it anymore."

[sydneyofalltrades]

*barges into your house at two in the morning*

TRICK OR TREAT

WHAAA I HAVE NO GIFS/IMAGES FOR TREATS SO YOU GET WRITING!!

"And the winner of the Saint Cassian High School Halloween Costume Contest is...!"

Penny squeezed her eyes tight and crossed her fingers. Ocean quickly fixed up her braids. Mischa was quite too busy being on his phone to care.

"Richard Potts with his creative and dazzling outfit!"

Ricky didn't expect to win, but he did get to gloat about how the big bag of Reese's that Ocean had been vying for was now his.

"The Space Age Bachelor Man reigns supreme once again!"

Ricky was passing around the Reese's he'd won to his friends, and even Ocean had to admit it was a really smart idea.

"Not even Noel and his actual Lola Lola costume won this year," she teased, playing around with her Dorothy braids.

"At least I went as Lola Lola this year," Noel snapped, stealing some of Mischa's Sour Patch Kids.

"You guys just need to see that Ricky's costume was clearly the best," Constance mumbled, her dress of pinks, blues, purples, and golds getting crumbs from the candies she gleefully munched on.

"And you get an A for creativity," Penny said, fixing her skirt. She had went as herself, Jane Doe, so it was hard to explain the context of her in her uniform, slightly torn, with a face full of doll-like makeup.

"Whatever the case, Space Jesus won the day," Mischa said, slapping Ricky on the back with pride. He hadn't tried very hard for the contest, just thrown on some of his most inappropriate apparel and said he was "the modern teenager's brain."

"Yes, he did," Ricky signed happily, fixing up his wig with a cheeky grin.

The rest of the Halloween night was full of fun and laughs, as Ocean led the others to a candy filled mayhem of trick-or-treating, Mischa getting irresponsible and stealing candy, which led to the six of them rushing to Constance's house for spooky movies and orange and black themed treats.