#especially jane but it’s hit everyone

[lorelaiislatte]

cool great to know our shortened suddenly-final season not only was missing a principle character for about a third of it but also wasted over half of the season focusing on a guy from a different branch of the franchise that nobody asked for and who has genuinely done nothing but detract from the characters we were all actually there for

[sapphicantics]

Two Sides of the Same Coin | Chapter One

Pairing: Regina George x fem!reader

Summary: After a nobody destroys the Jocks and insults the Queen Bee without a care or an apology, you get catapulted to the top of the social food chain next to aforementioned Queen Bee, Regina George, who now has to learn to share the spotlight with North Shore’s new bad girl. | Or alternatively, your ‘don’t give a fuck’ attitude sucks you and Regina into each other’s worlds sending you down a path you never expected.

Chapter word count: 1.7k

Contents: vaping, underage drinking, mentions of weed, threats of violence, mentions of broken bones, shitty comebacks - I think that’s it, lemme know if I missed any

Note: Alright, I’m finally here with the first official chapter of Same Coin. Now I don’t know how often updates are gonna be for this fic but they will be coming, I’ve got so many ideas for it.

Intro - Chapter 2

— — — —

Menace is a bit of a crazy term to use to describe someone who sticks up for themself, but this is high school and everyone loves to exaggerate, especially boys with fragile egos who can’t stand the school knowing they got their asses kicked by a girl.

And when the girl is you — a girl who keeps to herself and minds her own fucking business like people should do any-fucking-way — oh, there’s bound to be countless descriptors thrown onto you to help rebuild their fragile masculinity.

Volatile, temperamental, crazy, psycho just to name a few.

You’re not sure how those are supposed to rebuild their masculinity, especially when you can just kick their asses and knock it right back down again. Despite those seemingly negative connotations that come with your new title, it does, admittedly, have a rather nice ring to it.

Anyways, nice ring or not, negative connotations or not, title or not, you’ve got far more important things to focus on instead.

Like why the fuck Charlie Hudson is in front of you right now.

It’s lunch and you’re under the bleachers with a strawberry flavored vape pen in hand. You take a hit and blow a cloud of smoke past your lips, raising a brow at him.

He doesn’t speak for a while probably assuming you’ll do so first, but you just take more hits from your vape and continue to stare at him. He approached you, he came over here to you, he’s interrupting your time so he must want something from you and he either tells you on his own or he doesn’t tell you at all. It makes no difference to you, but you’re definitely not gonna ask what he wants.

It’s only when you check your watch does he remember he’s on a time crunch and finally opens his mouth to speak. “I’m having a party tonight. I was thinking you could swing by for a bit.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Well, it’s gonna be a whole thing, you know?” No you don’t know, and that really doesn’t answer the question on why he’s inviting you or why he thinks you’d even want to go, but thankfully he continues. “Real big, real fun, real cool…” he reaches into his pocket, pulling his hand out and passing some cash over to you. “…really need someone to bring the Mary Jane.”

You tilt your head at him, looking between him and the cash before sliding your vape into your jacket pocket. You pluck the cash from his hands and flick through the stack. There’s a couple thousand dollars here — broken up into smaller bills because why not — a little over a thousand by your count, sixteen hundred to be exact, which is far more than you usually charge to supply a party, but if the rich boy wants to give you all his money then you’re not gonna stop him.

Perhaps, this might make you a thief to some, but really, what’s one more negative connotation added to your name?

You slip the cash in your pocket and nod. “I’ll be there at ten.”

He flashes you a smile as you walk past him and brush your shoulder against his. There’s no force behind it — okay there’s a little force behind it, not a lot though — but still he flinches at the pressure and you don’t miss the way he reaches up to rub at his shoulder out of your peripherals.

That reminds you that you need to make a few things clear. Well, one thing, specifically.

“Oh, and Charles?” He hates that name, thinks it makes him seem like an old man and what better way to ensure he knows you’re serious than calling him by his government. He seems to understand this as his eyes snap to yours and he tenses. “If North Shore wants a chance at making it to state this year, it’d be in your best interest to ensure your brother is on his best behavior tonight. Unless, of course, Lucas wants more broken bones. You got me?”

The bell rings behind you then, a seemingly ominous warning to the boy whose face is now alight with fear. You don’t bother waiting on a response, you know he’ll obey your wishes. You smirk and turn on your heels, disappearing into the school.

— — — —

You show up at 9:45.

Fifteen minutes before the agreed upon time, a rather gracious compromise in your opinion.

One you’re already starting to regret as you walk into the house.

The music is blasting so loud you can barely hear yourself think. The house stinks of sweat from the hundreds of people crowded around each other, dancing, singing, laughing, and making out.

Everyone is drunk — some way more wasted than others — but somehow they all seem to sense your presence and part for you like the Red Sea. Some of them even turn their heads to see if it’s really you before quickly looking away and whispering to their friends.

You roll your eyes at that and Charlie takes this moment to finally make his appearance, trudging his way out of the kitchen. He makes a detour once he spots you and after a quick greeting, he leads you out to the backyard. “You got the stuff?”

“What a stupid question,” you scoff. “You think I’d take your money and then show up to this party empty handed with this duffle just for fun?”

You shrug the bag off and place it on the ground between the two of you, unzipping it as you do so. Inside is a bunch of pre-rolled joints and plenty of bags of weed for those who prefer to use a bong. There’s some rolling papers in there so people can roll their own joints, but you’re pretty sure if anyone does rolls their own joints tonight they are not using the weed you bought — because they don’t trust you so they won’t trust the weed you bought, and also no one goes to a party without their own weed. On the off chance that they do use yours, however, the necessary supplies are there.

Charlie whistles at the haul, eyes wide, clearly not having expected this much from you, but that’s not really surprising.

“Damn, I knew you were a pothead but that’s pathetic even for you.”

It is surprising, however, that Charlie took time out of his day to summon an actual demon from hell to this party.

You say this out loud. On purpose. Because it’s your mouth and you’ll say whatever you want.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

You turn your head to see none other than the devil herself, Regina George, glaring at you.

“You fucking heard me, Regina. You’re a demon and you should go crawl back into whatever fiery pit of hell you came out of.”

“Yikes, someone’s feeling dramatic today. But if I left, who would teach you how to dress?”

You chuckle and shove your hands into your pants pockets. “Rather presumptuous of you to assume I would want fashion advice from someone who looks like a copy and paste Barbie doll.”

“Oh, sweetie, it’s adorable that you think your opinion matters-,”

You hold your hand up to stop any further comments and start talking over Regina, effectively cutting her off and shutting her up. “I’m so glad you said that because your opinion does not matter at all, not to me especially when I didn’t even ask, and acting like it does is only going to do you a disservice so I’m gonna go ahead and let you know - I don’t care and you can keep the rest of your shitty opinions to yourself.”

Regina scowls and steps into your personal space, pointing her finger at you, inches away from jabbing into your skin. She’s towering over you slightly and now that she’s so close, you have to tilt your head up to hold eye contact with her. “Listen here you little bitch-,”

For the second time in less than a minute, you cut Regina off, smirking at the little vein that bulges on her forehead. “No, I don’t think I will, actually.”

Regina is about to blow. You can see it in her eyes, in the way her shoulders are so tense, and if you can see it so can anyone else in the vicinity. You lean closer, lowering your voice to a whisper so only she can hear. “Be honest, are you just mad this shirt got to come out of the closet, and you didn’t?”

Regina’s hands are fast.

SMACK!

But so are yours.

You catch her wrist in your hand before her open palm can collide with your cheek, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the backyard. A hush falls around those outside and you feel dozens of eyes lock on the two of you.

Regina tries to pull her hand away and you tighten your grip in response - not enough to leave marks or to cause pain, just enough so she’s forced to stay where she is.

She glares at you, her eyes alight with fury and jaw tense. The air crackles with the intensity of her anger, and you can feel the heat of her rage radiating towards you. But there’s no backing down now.

“Enough, Regina!” you snap, your voice firm and unyielding. “This isn’t the time or place for this!”

Her eyes narrow, and for a moment, it seems like she might explode again. But you hold your ground, your own anger flaring to match hers.

“We’re not doing this,” you continue, your tone brooking no argument. “Not here, not now.”

She looks ready to argue, but you cut her off, stepping forward with a fierce determination. “Back off, Regina. We’ll settle this later.”

The tension hangs thick in the air, but she finally takes a step back and you release her, her jaw still clenched. Without waiting for her to respond, you turn on your heel and stride away, your heart pounding with the adrenaline of the confrontation.

You venture inside and slip into the kitchen, grabbing a beer. You down it in one go and grab another one for the road before leaving out the front door.

It’s gonna be a hell of a day tomorrow.

[sunflowersteves]

when you're gone || j.m.

pairing || joel miller x f!reader

summary || Jackson, Wyoming was supposed to be a calm and quiet town. Joel wasn't so sure when he wakes up alone after another unbearable nightmare.

author's note || without @themarcusmoreno, this fic would not have been made so I thank ash a thousand times for enabling me into writing soft joel comfort with some filth!! and tbh, i think i have an addition to soft!joel so i hope you all enjoy (especially after that episode). also yes, i may have gotten the title from the cranberries song!!

warnings || nightmares, ptsd, apocalypse ptsd, pure disgusting fluff, hurt/comfort, joel needs a break so i'm giving him one, soft!joel, SMUT, oral sex, blowjob, praise kink, [18+ only!!]

masterlist

In Wyoming, it was a quiet and peaceful night. The crickets chirped, and the cold icy wind blew against the logged cabins. Everyone in Jackson was under the cloudy haze of a tranquil slumber, and so were the trees as they gently swayed underneath the stars. 

In a quaint cabin, Joel was mumbling in his sleep. A dark shadow cast over him from the troubles of his active mind. His eyebrows furrowed in despair, and his cheeks were hot from the pain that shot through his chest. He could picture her. He could picture you. He could picture Ellie. A sharp cry and scream thwarted against his eardrums, and he panicked. 

His eyes snapped open in an instant, and his chest heaved at the alarm that spread across his chest and down to the pits of his stomach. He looked around the room—his eyes frantic. An old chair, a bookshelf, and a pile of clothes. 

A nightmare. Just a nightmare. 

He turned to look over at the silhouette of your form under the covers, but his heart froze once more as you weren’t even there. 

You were gone. 

It struck deep inside him—empty and sullen—as the questions started to roll over one another. Where are you? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Are you alive?

He didn’t waste any time by putting some pants over his boxers or taking his flannel. He just needed to run. The strong pads of his feet hit the floorboards, and he sauntered down the stairs. He had to find you. 

He needed to find you. 

The pure, hard feeling of desperation rose in his throat. His hands were shaking by his sides as he whipped around the archway that leads into the living room. His eyes scanned every crevice of the room—starting from the tall bookshelves and guitar stand that sat in the back corner. Then, he saw it. He saw the movement of a hand flipping over a page in a book. 

You.

He let out a big puff of air, the relief washing him over like a cold splash of water to his face. You were safe. You were okay. He could feel the panic rush out of his chest, and pure adoration sunk in between his heart and his lungs. Just you.

He watched, quietly, at the soft rise and fall of your chest. The hand that wasn’t holding the book in your lap was tapping gently on the edge of the sofa.

A lukewarm cup of tea, the one you most likely forgot from the riveting pages, sat on the coffee table in front of you. Your eyes rapidly scanned each individual page, and your lips pursed into a small smile. 

He could tell you were reading a Jane Austen novel. You always had the same expression when you were reading Pride & Prejudice, Emma, or Persuasion. Your left brow would always twitch when you got to a familiar scene that you had read a million times before. 

He suddenly could feel the warm breath of a calm mind take over his body. He felt like he could relax now. You’re here. You’re safe. You’re alive. 

As if you feel his soft stare, your eyes turn to his—your smile even larger than before. “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed, handsome?”

He doesn’t say anything. His mouth doesn’t even form a smile. He wasn’t sure he could. While his body relished in the feeling of relief, the whiplash of feelings that swirled around in his head was starting to get to him. 

“Joel?”

Your eyes turned cloudy with concern, and now his heart sank just a little. He didn’t want to make you feel worried. The last thing he wanted to do was open a deep wound in your chest like the one that settled in his. 

He quietly sat down next to you, arms pulling in your shoulders, so your back lay rested against his chest. You sat the book down on the coffee table right before making home into his arms.

He breathed in deep, familiar senses of your own musk and the spices you had been picking earlier that day. Rosemary, bay leaves, and parsley were your favorite plants in the garden that Ellie had asked you to build. 

You sat there for just a moment, knowing that he needed to take his time. Joel was never a man of words. He was silent and calculating, watching everyone and anything around him.

You were one of his soft spots over the years—you and Ellie—but his hardened heart still prevented him from allowing his deepest affections to shine through. So, when his thoughts came barrelling down on top of him, he needed the time to articulate them. You would always patiently wait for him, each and every time. 

“Had another nightmare.” He paused, noticing the small intake of your breath. He could tell that you felt bad for waking up in the middle of the night and not being there for him. “Woke up alone.” 

He chose his words carefully. He didn’t want to say, “woke up, and you weren’t there.” In truth, you weren’t, but he knew you had insomnia. He knew that he wasn’t the only one suffering under this roof from the dangerous, violent, and pure aching pain that the world had caused. 

“Joel—Baby—” God, you were too good for him. You were a badass throughout all of the years of fighting and violence, yet your heart shined brighter than ever, just for him and Ellie. 

He whispered just under his breath, “I had the same nightmare. I know you’re there. I know Ellie’s there. I know Sarah’s there—” He shakes his head. “—But I can never find you. Any of you.”

He can picture the frown that forms on your pretty, plump lips. It wasn’t your fault. You know that. You couldn’t have known, but the burning guilt in your chest wants to say otherwise. Your hand grabs onto his own, which is splayed across your abdomen, and you squeeze—making sure that he knew you were here. 

“I’ll never go anywhere, Joel. Not without you.”

A deep, crackling affection sprouted in his chest at your affirmation. He could almost smile—bright and pearly white. His worn heart thumped loudly against his chest, surely pumping loudly against your shoulder blade. 

“I know, darlin’. My brain is just funny sometimes.” His lips crack just a little at the snort he was able to pull from your nose. 

“Hell of a way to put it, Miller.”

After a couple of beats of silence, you bite your lip—contemplating whether you should act on what your brain was currently concocting. You knew that Joel wouldn’t be able to sleep for the rest of the night, and by default, you wouldn’t, either.

You could tell he was still lost in the faraway lands of his mind. His eyes were glossy and dazed. You knew he was, in no doubt, trying to unsee the darkest parts of his nightmares.

You decide to say fuck it, and you attempt to untangle Joel’s arms from yours. You hear a disapproving grunt from the man behind you, followed by another confused sound when you started to leave the couch.

“Darlin’, where are you—” His question dies on his tongue, though, all while you sink down onto your knees. His eyes are blown wide—dark pupils dilating under the soft glow of the eucalyptus candle you started to burn earlier. 

You give your best innocent smile. By the way his lips open just a smidge, you knew your idea was a good one. “Wanna take care of you, Joel.”

You bite your lip, sinking your teeth into the plump skin, and he curses under his breath. “Will you let me take care of you, handsome?” Your palms flatten across his splayed-out thighs, and you rub back and forth. He could feel his boxers become tighter as you wait for his answer. “Hmm?”

His body involuntarily leans back so he could sink further and further into the couch. His body acts, once again, before his mind can even comprehend the pure lust and desire he has for you. His hips jump forward to allow your soft hands to shuffle his boxers down and pool around his legs. 

Finally, he says, “please.”

You didn’t need to be told twice.

You grab a hold of his half-hard member, and he groans at the sight of you practically drooling for his cock. Your eyes are glistening with such lust, and he sees that speckled look of love that fills them.

His own eyes are dark and heavy-lidded as you press a couple of sweet kisses on his inner thigh—causing him to jerk. You pump his cock a few times, jaw slacking at the pre-cum that is already dribbling against his tip.

“Darlin’.” He gasps.

He watches as you wrap your soft lips around his head. He can feel his cock twitch and become harder—pleasure throbbing against his bulging veins. “F-Fuck, just like that. Yes.”

You flatten your tongue along his ruddy tip and then swirl in between his crying slit. “Fuckin’ mouth on you, I—” He lets out small puffs of air, teeth biting his lower lip in pleasurable agony. If it weren't for his fat cock in your mouth, you definitely would have smiled at the praise. He moans, almost as if he could feel it. 

"Joel—baby—so needy."

Joel was pretty sure he could die happy, right with your lips on his cock because when you rasp that out, there was a bead of your saliva and his pre-cum connected to your lips.

His knees twitch in between you, not being able to help it. He drags his hand to the nape of your neck and squeezes the base of it. “Takin’ care of me so fuckin’ well. My pretty girl—suckin’ my cock.” His words slur together with each syllable of his honeyed Texas accent.

The soft cries and whimpers that leave his mouth are really addicting—your hand squeezes against the base of his thigh from wanting more. 

"You taste so good, Joel. 'm—I love you. I love your cock."

You bop your head even lower—esophagus spasming at the pure thickness of Joel. No matter how many times your sweet cunt or stretched mouth took him, you were never used to his swollen size. 

You hum against him as you feel the sticky substance of pre-cum leak from his tip and onto your tongue—salty and earthy. His hips sputter slightly upward, lips cursing up a storm. “Oh-fuck-fuck. C-Can’t–ugh–can’t take much longer, sweet girl.” 

His body almost shutters from the drool he feels slowly drip down to his balls. Your mouth is warm and balmy, slick tongue working excellently against his hardened shaft. He gasps out your name, mixed in with one of his pet names for you. 

He lets himself become lost between the soft pillows of you and your expert tongue that brings him to the brink of pleasure. He lets the stiff trauma that makes his shoulders and muscle tense slowly wash off of him. “Love when you suck my cock, yeah, f-fuck—my pretty girl takin’ care of my fuckin’ cock.”

His mouth hangs open as you hollow your cheeks and suck on his ruddy tip before shoving your throat back down to the base of his cock. He wasn’t sure how he was sane at this moment—watching the saliva drop from his cock down to his balls—as he was throbbing with pleasure. 

His head drops back onto the couch, and he moans and whimpers out your name. It stays on his tongue—repeating over and over as if it was the only thing that ever mattered in the world. He feels his tummy squeeze, thighs tensing and pulsating as he feels that familiar coil tighten. “Oh, baby—darlin’—my girl—”

You suck in, swirling your tongue just over his slit once more, and he gruffs out a gasp. "Fuck, I love you, I love you, I love you—" Thick beads of cum spew to the back of your throat—causing you to gag. His cum rolls over as his cock twitches and spurts in your mouth. 

You swallow every drop that Joel gives you—gulping it down on his shaft. He was already sensitive, cock already softening, but the whimper that left his mouth seemed one of ecstasy.

You relent, though. Your jaw was a little sore, and you had a feeling Joel was going to want to return the favor. You unhinge your mouth from him with a small ‘pop’ and pat his knee in affection. 

“Feel better, handsome?”

“Loads.” He snorts. “Literally.”

You roll your eyes, getting up from the floor and taking your usual seat on his thighs. “Hilarious, Miller. Real funny.” You were happy, though. You were able to give him the distraction he deserves.

His smile never settles as he pulls you into him. A weight had lifted onto his chest at the true realization that you’re here.

You’re with him.

You’ve alive.

You’re here. 

Joel knew that the nightmare would haunt him for a long time, but for now, you are all he needs.

[scribere-flores]

Sabo x Reader

~Just a hypothetical question~

Part 2. Other Parts

Word count: 2569 words

Short summary: how exactly does a shower work?

Once again, flirty stuff and even more spiraling thoughts in this chapter. But nothing graphic.

MDNI 18+

___

Koala felt exhausted as she fell flat on her bed.

It’s true that they were in the middle of a ceasefire at the moment, but that didn’t mean the other work related to the ongoing revolution stopped. There was a lot that needed to be done around their makeshift base, which had previously been a hotel before the owners offered to let them use it.

So she had been on her feet for most of the day. Sorting out useful intel from various documents, taking stock of things they needed to keep the civilians healthy, checking in with the volunteer army. She even held a strategy meeting Sabo was supposed to lead.

Running a revolution was not an easy task. Especially when you had to pick up the slack from your so-called partner, who had been missing for most of the day, doing God knows what.

Koala let out a deep sigh. She was already half-asleep when her bedroom door suddenly slammed open.

“Hey Koala! Cool if I sleep here tonight? Oh, great! Thank you!!” Sabo said without taking a break, not waiting for permission before he walked into her room and threw a pillow on the floor.

“NO YOU CAN’T! Sleep in your own goddamn room!” Koala shouted, sending him an angry glare.

“Can’t. Got kicked out.” Sabo answered as he laid down on the floor, putting his arms behind his head.

“By who?” She asked, confused, and then threw a book towards him. “And don’t make yourself comfortable!”

“Jane Doe.” He stated, catching the book before it hit his face, to Koala’s disappointment.

“Sabo. Don’t tell me you trapped that poor girl in your room?” She asked in a sharp tone.

“You make me sound like a pervert.” He stopped for a second as Koala gave him an unimpressed look. “That’s not what happened, I promise. She twisted her ankle when she was cleaning, so I took her to my room and wrapped it so it wouldn’t get worse. Then she got sleepy so I left. Oh, and I cleaned the cafeteria before I came here, so don’t worry about it.”

Oh, so that’s what’s going on.

Koala had of course noticed Sabo taking special interest in the mystery girl. In fact, everyone had noticed pretty early on, because Sabo hadn’t exactly been discrete about it.

He had been practically stalking the poor girl whenever he had some spare time. And if Koala hadn’t known Sabo for 10 years at this point, she would've punched him as soon as he started to torment the girl.

But she knew Sabo. And she knew that he would never do something that could harm that girl in any way, shape or form.

This was also a first. She had never seen Sabo actually take this kind of interest in a girl before. He had flings before, of course. Fleeting nights at various inns, before setting out to a new Island the next day. But all of them had those, even Koala at times. Romance didn’t exactly fit well with their line of work, so it could get lonely at times.

This was different. She hadn’t been sure at first, but now after hearing Sabo’s explanation, she knew. This wasn’t some fling or fleeting crush to temporarily fill the hole of emptiness.

“You like her.” Koala said in a teasing voice.

Silence.

“Sabo?” She asked and peeked down from the bed.

Then she flew back on her bed as a loud snore scared the shit out of her.

“Well, it’s better if he finds out on his own anyway.” She giggled quietly, before tucking herself in for the night and drifted asleep.

___

Y/N wished she could say she had a peaceful night, she really did. But if she said that, it wouldn’t be true.

She had been tossing and turning all night, unable to stay asleep more than 20 minutes at time, before remembering where she was. And the scent… The scent in this room was the biggest reason for her lack of sleep.

Everything smelled like him. The blanket. The Pillows. The Bed. She could even bet her life on that the curtains in this godforsaken room smelled like him. And it had been driving her insane.

Everytime Y/N drifted to sleep during the night, she had been greeted by Sabo in her dreams. Gentle touches by cold leather gloves all over her body. Sweet whispers in a honey-like voice tickling the skin by her neck. Big hands on her waist, pressing her back against his body.

And every time, Y/N woke up with heavy breaths, her whole body feeling hot and tingly.

She wasn’t stupid. Her mother had a rather uncomfortable talk with her once, about the birds and the bees. But this was nothing like her mother had described. What she had been told had sounded rather unpleasant, and to be frank, boring.

Yes, this was certainly nothing like that. So she chose to blame her lack of sleep and the weird dreams on Sabo’s lingering scent when she woke up this morning. For her own sanity's sake.

Y/N eyed the door as she sat on the edge of the bed. She should probably get out of here soon, go eat breakfast and then take a bath in the communal bathroom, to wash the lingering scent of her body.

The concept of a communal bathroom had baffled her at first, the thought of several people sharing just one bathroom sounding completely foreign to her. She had imagined it being a normal sized room and she couldn’t wrap her head around how it worked.

But it had all become clear to her when Koala showed her around on the day Y/N was released from the infirmary. And she had to admit, she had felt rather dumb after seeing the big, tiled room.

The concept had grown on her during the week she had spent here. She liked the feeling of… what did Koala call it again? Oh right, community. The only inconvenience she could think of was the waiting line, especially in the mornings.

Y/N looked over at the bathroom door in the room. Maybe if she was quick, she could wash up before Sabo got back, saving the time she would otherwise spend cueing. She placed her feet on the ground, pleasantly surprised when she didn’t feel the stinging pain in her ankle anymore. She took careful steps across the floor and opened the bathroom door, surprised to see the lack of a bathtub in the room.

“Oh… it’s one of those instead.” Y/N said to herself as she eyed the strange contraption. “Hmm, I’m sure I can figure it out if I give it a try.”

___

Sabo sighed as he stepped into his room, loosening his cravat and threw his coat and hat on the bed. He had unconsciously hoped that the girl would still be in his room, sleeping soundly in his bed. He didn’t exactly understand why, but he had felt eager to see her when he woke up this morning.

That girl and his urge to touch her in every possible way, was slowly driving him insane. He was glad Koala was still asleep when he woke. The effect last night's wet dream had on a certain part of his body, would have made things extremely awkward if his childhood friend had been awake.

The fact was starting to become more and more clear to Sabo, he needed to get his spiraling thoughts about the mystery girl out of his system.

He knew he had a tendency to become a little bit obsessive when it came to achieving his set goals. And right now, making that girl crack was at the top of his list. Making her moan his name over and over, a close second place.

But before he could do that, he first needed to figure out who the fuck she was. Or, at least know what her goddamn first name was.

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted when he heard a familiar, sweet voice coming from the bathroom.

“Why isn’t it working?”

Maybe he shouldn’t have given up hope so soon.

Sabo carefully opened the bathroom door and sure enough, there was the self proclaimed Jane Doe, back turned against him. Wearing the same dress that had traveled up her thighs last night and giving him the perfect, lewd view of her sitting on top of him.

And apparently, she was struggling to get the shower to work. Maybe if he helped her, she would ask him to join.

Sabo knew that was probably wishful thinking on his part. But hey, it could never hurt to mess a little with the poor girl. He did enjoy seeing her embarrassed so very much, a little too much in fact.

He walked with soundless steps until he stood only a few inches behind her, grateful that the girl seemed to be too focused on the shower to notice him.

“Maybe it’s this one?” The girl pondered.

“Need me to help?” Sabo whispered with an amused smile, placing his face right beside her neck.

A frightened scream left her mouth as she turned around and faced him.

Then Sabo heard a knocking sound coming from the pipes. And the hand placed on the shower knob. And the showerhead facing him.

He tried to back away, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye the water came bursting out, making him drenched wet in his clothes.

“I’m so sorry! I got scared, and then the water just came bursting out. And now you're soaking wet and…” She rambled on and made apologizing gestures with her hands, dropping the shower head in the process.

The girl’s panic only grew as the showerhead started moving over the tiled floor, spraying anything closeby with water. As Sabo watched the girl frantically try to catch the shower, and failing miserably, he reached his hand out and turned the knob off.

He took a deep inhale through his nose, trying to stay calm. Only the problem was, the image of her kneeling on the floor in front of him, in the now soaking wet dress that was clinging to her body and leaving little left for his imagination.

She looked up at him with glossy eyes and fuck… He was about to lose all control over himself if he didn’t get out of here fast. So he turned and started to slowly walk out of the steamed filled bathroom.

“Wait! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” The girl quickly moved in front of him. “I’ll fix it, please stay.”

She was obviously still in a flustered state. Maybe that was why she didn’t seem to reflect over the fact that she was basically undressing him, frantic fingers moving from button to button down his shirt.

Yeah, he was definitely about to lose the battle against his own urges. Control? What was that even? Sabo had no idea anymore.

All that occupied his thoughts was the water drenched girl in front of him, face tinted red from embarrassment, fingers ever so often drifting over his chest, as her eyes stayed fully focused on the buttons.

He wanted to, no wait… He needed to feel those soft hands all over his body, clinging to him, fingernails pressing against the skin on his back. Lips, gently pressed against his neck, as he held her tight against his body. Sweet, airy moans escaping her mouth as she squirmed from his touch.

He needed all of those things, and he couldn’t stand to wait a moment longer.

“Guess I’m a lost cause…” Sabo chuckled quietly, as he placed his hands with a firm grip on her waist.

“W-wait,why-” The girl stuttered as he lifted her and placed her on the bathroom counter.

“Why? You were practically undressing me a moment ago, and you’re asking me why?” He said as he moved closer, caging her in.

He saw how her focus drifted down to the unbuttoned, wet shirt that hanged loosely over his torso, her eyes widening in panic.

“I didn’t think- Or I did, but I didn’t mean to- Dear God-I’m so sorry.” The girl’s incoherent words came out as small, baffled gasps.

“You’re fucking adorable when you’re flustered, you know that right?” His body moved on its own, placing soft kisses on her neck, making a small whimper slip past her lips. “Every time I see you like this, I get the urge to just-”

The spiraling, dirty words that came out of his mouth were stopped when he felt a small push against his chest. He moved his head back and was surprised to see the girl staring at his torso with a concerned look on her face.

“Are you okay?” She asked as her hand carefully grazed over the healed burn scars on his body.

This was definitely not how he thought things would go.

She looked up at him, genuine concern for him showing in her eyes. Sabo could have sworn he felt his heart stop for a moment.

He had processed what had happened years ago, so the scars from it rarely bothered him anymore. He had a small relapse when he got his memories back, because he could actually remember how he felt when the flames, caused by that fucking World Noble, wrecked havoc around him on his small boat.

But she didn’t know that. Sabo realized that the girl in front of him knew just as little about him as he did about her. And that bothered him, for some reason.

“I’m fine, it happened years ago” He gave her a smile and moved her hand away. “Does it bother you?”

Why did he ask that? He usually doesn’t care about what other people think.

“No, not at all. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, you know after I…” The girl's face turned red.

Why did her answer make him feel so relieved?

“Relax, it’s okay. In fact, I’d be happy to let you undress me any day of the week.” Sabo joked, trying to ignore his strange thoughts, not thinking about the bold statement he had just made.

An awkward silence hung in the air for what felt like hours.

“So, I’m gonna go…” She said as she gently pushed him away, making Sabo take a step back.

“Yeah, you do that.” He answered, feeling uncharacteristically unsure of what else to say.

Sabo watched as the girl hurried out of his room, before he walked over to his bed and fell flat on his back.

In any normal case, he would’ve just joked the question away and continued seducing the poor girl. This wasn’t the first time that some girl had asked about his scars when they saw his body, so why was it different? Was it because she had looked at him with concern, instead of morbid curiosity as most strangers did?

The fact that she had been unbothered by his strong advances and completely focused on making sure he was okay, made him even more confused. He had expected to see a stuttering, cute mess. But instead, she did that…

He let his hand drift over the places she had touched. It felt warm, and in some ways, comforting. The inside of his chest felt strange.

Weird…

___

[m1ssunderstanding]

You know if even Francie is saying it I'm starting to think old Jim Mac may have been slightly abusive, I don't think that's the right word since what happened it was a different time and place etc. But with the way he treated Paul and Mike, especially after Mary's passing and how he expected so much more when his son was one of the most famous musicians in the world, it's just - his whole family to he fair it's like they never really saw him as human and more akin to a musical monkey

Yeah I would actually call it abuse. I think Jim probably had mostly good intentions and genuinely loved his sons, but that doesn't mean his treatment of them was just or didn't have any affect on them. By my definitions, there's emotional as well as physical abuse going on (Paul was expected and pressured from the time they started to realize how intelligent he was to grow up and save his entire family from poverty; Appearances were everything and emotional needs suppressed; There was no financial security; After Mary's death, Paul was extremely patentified, depended on emotionally and materially by the person who was simultaneously physically abusing him)

About the normalization of the physical abuse specifically for a minute, if it was so normal for the time, why is Paul the only one of the four Beatles to have experienced it? My family has always been working class, and my grandparents who are Paul's age were not subjected to the violence that Paul was. Not saying it wasn't more common then and more accepted, but it's also not something you can just pass off as "that's what everyone did in those days".

Also, I wouldn't be surprised at all if even in that one interview where Paul specifically talked about how he got Jim to stop hitting him, he was downplaying. That's what Paul does. We have no way of knowing. But it does fit with Paul's usual story-telling and framing of events that maybe it was more than what he said.

And yeah, the financial abuse started early and clearly continued far into adulthood, maybe up until Jim's death when Paul cut Angie and Ruth off for selling his birth certificate. Paul was trained as a door-to-door salesman for Jim's club as a nine year old in the literal projects. He figured out how to snatch other people's lunch tickets out of the fire at the inny and pass them off as unused. What are we going to do without her money? He first saw John when he was a paper boy and John was buying chips. As soon as the band started making money, he became the head provider of his family (Jim made 10 pounds a week at the cotton brokers while Paul made 15 a week in Hamburg) and when the band wasn't making money, he found whatever work he could to make up for it. Meanwhile, we have no reason to believe Jim wasn't gambling insatiably. As the child of an addict, I know addictions don't just go away and then resurface when they're affordable again, and Jim was certainly an addict. He gambled so much Paul had to buy his house back for him (that he'd bought for him in the first place while Paul himself was living in an attic room like some kind of starving artist at the same time as the rest of the band was buying their mansions).

Paul clearly loved his dad so much and craved Jim's approval, trying to find a girl Jim would approve of after Jane, trying to be a good family man, trying to stay close to his working class roots. You can even see it in his music, from When I'm 64 to A Walk in the Park with Eloise. (I think the 1920s & 30s influence in much of his music came from him genuinely loving it and also from a desire for his dad to appreciate his talent). But he also had no patience for Jim's frailty toward the end, didn't go to the funeral, and didn't write about Jim's death in MYFN.

I really don't know too much about the extended family, anon, but it does seem the case that part of Paul's role in it, from the beginning, was to be a savior and a cash cow, and no one considered his humanity.

[panlight]

What do you think Peter’s (and Charlotte) initial reaction was to meeting Alice vs the meeting both Alice and Jasper with The Cullens?

Peter and Charlotte seem, for the most part, to just sort of roll with Jasper's strange associates. Like, sure. This might as well be a thing. At least he's not spiraling in depression.

Alice was probably A Lot at first. I always think about how vampires are "socialized" or not. Jasper, Peter and Charlotte all came from the background of newborn armies, they were raised initially to believe that the world was just constant vampire war and the smartest thing to do was ally yourself with someone powerful. They eventually learned that was a lie, but it's going to shape them. They also all 'grew up' among a bunch of other newborns, most of whom didn't survive their first year. Charlotte nearly didn't survive hers.

Then there's Alice, who awoke alone, and was 'raised' by visions of Jasper, sure, but also visions of the Cullens and her future family life there.

When Peter and Charlotte meet her she's probably already got golden eyes and is dressed in nice clothes that she bought with money she earned some way or another and it's probably Very Weird but hey they're happy for Jasper even if the idea of going without human blood sounds impossible. I think the guide says that Charlotte enjoyed Jasper's company a lot more after he found Alice and wasn't so depressed, so there's that.

In Midnight Sun they seem to like the Cullens well enough even if they think their diet might slowly drive them insane, especially Edward, who was "so normal and pleasant last time" and is flailing around like one of those inflatable tube man things in Twilight/MS trying to keep Bella from getting bitten by spiders or hit by a meteor. But the first meeting was probably also Very Weird. I think of Jane's comment in Eclipse of like "it's nice to meet you Carlisle, I thought Aro was exaggerating," and it was probably similar with Peter and Charlotte. I mean here was Alice explaining this BIG coven of vampires who all get along like family and don't drink human blood and live in a house and go to school and the leader is a doctor who treats humans and, no, really, he is and doesn't even steal blood from the hospital! And they're like, sure Alice. And then they're standing in the foyer of whatever Cullen house while Carlisle sets down his doctor bag to shake their hands and Edward plays something on the piano in the next room and Esme gestures for them to have a seat on the sofa and Emmett's all "WANNA PLAY VAMPIRE BASEBALL, BRO?!" and it's like "huh, nice to meet you, thought Alice was making it all up."

The hippie vegan diet stuff is still weird, though. And Jasper begged everyone not to tell them that he, also, goes to high school now.

[brucewaynehater101]

All of this is just so. Chefs kiss. I do have another layer of angst and a layer of comedy. After all, the angst stops hitting as hard if you don't have something light hearted to compare it to. After all, how can you know what darkness is if you have never seen light?

I said at the start that Tim gives discounts for secrets. He always seems to be able to tell when people lie and those that do tell him lies well. Bad things happen to them. Nothing can be directly traced back to Jane Doe, but everyone knows. Of course this does lead to some rouges and GCPD pigs trying to intimidate Jane into telling them what she knows. Everytime, Jane offers to play a game with them. 5 rounds, whoever does the rounds gets to ask the questions and no one else but others can listen. Should the challenger win a round, they get to ask one question and Jane promises to answer truthfully. If they win two, he will answer two and so on. They only get a 30 second break between each round and the Playlist is set to shuffle.

Tim lays out these rules and once the person agrees, thinking it's either a fight or sex, only then does Tim reveal they will be playing Dance Dance Revolution that Tim "upgraded" so it has the four diagonal pads too instead of the usual just 4 pads. He sets it to max difficulty for Rouges, second highest for everyone else. The most anyone has ever gotten is when Harley managed to ask Jane to questions.

Of course there are rules about the questions, like you can't ask Jane for any of their own personal details, and if Jane doesn't know the answer to a question you get one do over question. Joker has never threatened to hurt Jane over the way they sell secrets back with DDR because he thinks it's the funniest possible way to humiliate people who demand answers. Sometimes he has his henchmen challenge Jane knowing they'll lose just to laugh at them as they fail.

But on the flip side. Do you think any of the Rouges, before they knew Jane was Robin ever hired Jane? Tim would *hate* it but... those he goes on dates with are often very loose lipped about things and one time he got paid to just hang off a drug dealer's arm all night and look pretty while the guy drank. The guy was a *very* talkative drunk and after he passed out Tim was able to look through his shit with the potential excuse of "im just looking for the bathroom sweetheart~" of course none of the Rouges would ever hire Jane if they knew how old he was but Tim doesn't advertise that. Especially if he's been on the street for a few years at that point and has a reputation. He has to be at least 20, right? Right? Plus the mask and the fact it has a filter to obscure his voice he's just... there was no way for them to know, right? They can justify it to themselves all they want but if a Rouge did, they would definitely feel Really Gross.

Yeah! You've got to have some light-hearted or happy moments to really drive in that angst.

For Jane's age, it definitely depends on the Rogue and their characterization. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Black Mask was a bit creepy to Steph when he was torturing here. So, whether or not they would feel gross/horrified depends on who it was.

I can see how they wouldn't have known (especially if Jane refused to answer questions about themself including age).

As far as the Dance Dance Revolution? That's a brilliant idea. I wonder if he's ever practiced that with YJ or Dick. I could definitely see then doing that. It would be a cute bonding activity (until they learn he used it as a form of protection).

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

Hi! I found your house of mouse au pretty recently and I am LIVING FOR IT. And I wanted to ask... How do you think Miss Yuu's interactions with Peter Pan's characters would be like. I'm dieing for seeing how she would get along with Peter, Wendy, Jane, the lost boys Captain Hook and the pirates

Alright so my Yuu is actually kind of a mix of Wendy Darling (sweet, motherly, mature yet innocent, protective, a pacifist that will get angry/annoyed when the situation calls for it, loves children, very imaginative with a love for stories, etc) and Snow White (a forest nymph that has animals flocking to her, angelic singing voice, enjoys baking and acts of service, loves to tease and will put her foot down if things aren't right/up to standard, forgiving, feminine, sees the good in everyone but understands danger, etc)

So I see Wendy and Alice as like the quote-unquote 'leaders' of the younger Disney girls and those two definitely look up to Miss Yuu as an older sister. Since Wendy's mature for her age, she kind of sees Yuu as a sort of mentor(?) and has a lot of respect for her. The two of them especially love to tell stories to each other since they love fiction and magic and all that. She's not exactly part of the shipping war since she's so young and her idea of love is 'girl likes boy so girl kisses boy' but she is a huge romantic and does sigh happily whenever she sees Malleus act all prince-like with Yuu.

John and Michael (and the lost boys), like Wendy, look up to her as a big sister. she does entertain their adventurous spirit when she's with them and she cares for them deeply. The Darling brothers and their friends usually hang around with the other little boys though so she doesn't get much time with them - but they are 100% down to stand up for her if they see her in trouble.

I've answered an ask about Tink and Yuu's relationship before but to add on I think she was insanely jealous of the attention Yuu got from everyone else at first and then was hit by the Yuu charm after one (1) conversation with her where Yuu just gushed about her and praised her so know they're bffs.

Mr Smee dotes on her. Like Kronk and LeFou, he's a henchman that's not evil, he just cares for the villain. The pirates have accepted her as one of their own and since she loves hearing about their stories Hook and his men just love to hype themselves up. I don't really know what else to write.

Okay Peter, I think would first not like her because, well, girl. He does try to pull that whole 'girls talk too much', 'well, get on with it girl', 'wendy's enough' thing that he did with Wendy but Yuu was very quick to put a stop to it. He doesn't have any real strong feelings about her but he lives for chaos and chaos always follows her so he'll help her if it means causing annoyance to the villains/nrc boys.

Thanks for the ask ☺️

[possum-quesadilla]

Chapter 9 of Time’s Arrow, “I am selfish, I am broken, I am cruel, I am all the things they might have said to you” is here! Woof. Sorry everyone. Happy Beetlejuice 2 premiere! :,)

THIS CHAPTER IS PARTICULARLY ROUGH. PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING.

Extras below!

- The lyrics for this chapter’s title is from “Never Love An Anchor” by The Crane Wives.

- “The next ten months moved at the speed of a dream.” - A call back to a line from Time is a Flat Circle, which itself is a reference to “Asteroid City”! Gotcha again!

- “They read ‘Flowers for Algernon’, ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’, and… some sort of Jane Austen novels.” - I wonder if those stories are thematically relevant to this chapter?

- “He had no idea what to do about his fur anyhow. It had never grown in that long and thick before, how was he supposed to know it would do that?” - It was growing properly because he was finally happy and healthy enough for it to do so!

- “She was tall. Well, at least taller than him. Damnit.” - Bela is 5’9”! She is on the shorter side for demons. Beej is just especially small, since he was malnourished.

- “Her roots were black, the rest of her hair cascaded down to her shoulders in similar curls to his own, colored with a gentle lavender hue.” - Bela’s resting hair color is purple instead of green like Beej!

- “She had an orange-jeweled nose ring.” - Bela and Deb have matching nose rings, since exchanging jewelry is how demons court each other!

- “Shades of a gentle maroon red flickered through Bela’s hair.” - Bela has different colors for her emotions than Beej does!

- “Most were “whales”, stolen away in malevolent Deals to forever be a supply for the demon they were tied to. Slowly withering away to nothing.” - this is inspired by “Doctor Sleep”, because I’m a huge Mike Flanagan fiend.

- “They were all strange, all lacked the innate ability to socially adapt that the other demons thrived off of.” - Autism can run in a family, and it sure does run in the Shoggoth family!

- “He didn’t know why she was upset, but he knew it was up to him to make it better. (Why else was he here?)” - Still partially believes his only purpose is to make others happy, or they wouldn’t want him around.

- “… she hesitated, still firmly grasping the bright green fleece blanket he’d summoned from his room around her shoulders.” - The same blanket Charles got Beej for his room!

- “ “I watched this movie last night, since I couldn’t fall asleep. It was..” their voice caught in their throat, and their breath hitched. Beetlejuice slowly rose from his chair, setting the ice pack on the counter. “… lotta.. big feelings about it, huh?” They rapidly nodded, wrapping their arms around themself. “I don’t… I can’t keep living the way I do.” ” - Ash watched “I Saw The TV Glow”, which is a horror movie about being trans. It gutted me the first time I saw it. Ash had a similar visceral reaction, and it made her rethink how she is living. It also informs a lot of this chapter’s theming, but it is not required viewing for this fic. It is very, very difficult to watch for neurodivergent queers.

- “The living need attention too, Ash. It’s okay.” - This line is partially taken from “Dead Girls” by Penelope Scott, which is a very important song on Ash’s playlist.

- “You feel like you’ll die if you stay there. Or… worse.” - An “I Saw The TV Glow” reference. There’s quite a few in here.

- “Thank you, Beetlejuice.” - the first time they’ve called him by his actual name!

- Anyone spot more Time is a Flat Circle parallels?

- “It was then that Beetlejuice got hit by his first car.” - This is mostly a joke about how I, the author, have been hit by 4 cars. I feel like Beej would be similarly unlucky.

- “… it’s like being a wolf dog.” - This is based on how I’ve explained what it was like to grow up in my household.

- “Memories washed away like chalk on the sidewalk.” - Another “I Saw The TV Glow” reference.

- “Adam and Barbara celebrated their birthdays, which landed a couple days apart from each other, by smelling wine and watching ‘Lord of the Rings’ together. Beetlejuice was invited to join them.” - Based on something Adam made Beej he would promise to do in an earlier chapter!

- “June was full of beautiful sunsets he watched with his family.” - This was, like the previous thing, also listed among the reasons Beej should keep “living” in a previous chapter.

- “At the end of the month, walking to school and the store with Lydia, Beetlejuice realized with horror that Lydia was taller than him. Like, at least half a foot taller.” - Lydia is 5’7” now, he’s just being dramatic.

- “(How could no one see it? He felt so happy, but still he felt pieces of him slowly dying and rotting away. How could no one see that he was rotten? That he was dying?)” - This is partially another “I Saw The TV Glow” reference, and a reference to the ending of the song “you smell of dead flowers” by vslush and cliesel

- “August came like a thief in the night.” - A callback to Time is a Flat Circle! Which is itself an Edgar Allen Poe reference.

- “… they say old man Hirsch signed up for it right before he went missing.” - Yes he is named after Alex Hirsch, creator of “Gravity Falls”. Love ya Alex!

- “ “I managed to talk him down from another viewing of ‘Pride and Prejudice’!” (Another? What was that? They’d seen it before?)” - This is meant to alert the reader that something is very wrong, as “Pride and Prejudice” was brought up before by Beetlejuice himself.

- “Beetlejuice scratched at their left arm. The scars had started to fade.” - He was resorting to self-regulating self harm less enough that his arm was healing before this point.

- “I… I couldn’t.. I didn’t have enough energy to resist the Seal w-.. without a cult.” - Beetlejuice was tricking people to sign up for his cult under the guise of a “Loyalty Program”.

- “Why have they been going missing, then?” … “They swore they were choking on the taste of blood, bile rising in their throat as they felt their flesh between their teeth.” - Beetlejuice ate a few members of his cult. That’s why there’s missing persons in the town.

- “Someone’s hand gripped the back of their shirt, trying to pull them out of the kitchen. Panic spiked within them. Beetlejuice felt the blow to the back of their head, the horrible stabbing agony in their chest. That familiar, terrifying sensation they’d felt over and over and over and- ”- Beetlejuice had flashbacks to being killed during the loop over and over because Charles touched his old wound and it scared him, hence why he lashed out.

- “There’s still time. There has to be.” - Yet another “I Saw The TV Glow” reference.

- “ “Hello, pet.” Time’s up.” - Meant to envoke a terrifying line in “Yo, Girl” from Heathers the musical.

- “I’ll make you wish you could die!” - This line was originally going to be a more blatant reference to a line that Circus Baby from the FNAF series says often, “You won’t die, but you’ll wish you could.”

- “You always bounce ba- ” - Meant to be a reference to this scene from “Adventure Time” which I’ve… never seen…

- “Beetlejuice was distantly aware that Cyrus brought his claws up to his mouth to lick some of the blood off of them. “Choke on it,” they sputtered, although they weren’t sure if Cyrus could understand them through all of the blood that bubbled out of their mouth.” - Meant to be a reference to the horrific death of Captain Rhodes from “Day of the Dead”!

- “Beetlejuice wheezed out a last croak as Cyrus once again gripped their hoof and continued dragging them towards the portal.” - This is meant to evoke the gut-wrenching opening scene of “Scream”. Specifically, the part where Ghostface is dragging Casey away, and she is wheezing out her last breaths, which her parents can hear over the phone. The music in that scene never fails to make me cry. (I cried my eyes out rewatching that scene and imagining it playing when the Maitlands see the basement, but that’s not how things will happen…)

- “I’m sorry I was the one you loved.” - From “I’m Your Man” by Mitski.

[watermel0ns-dumb-cringe]

Okay SINCE I DID A YAP SESSION ANALYSIS ON CONNIE. IM DOING ONE FOR PENNY/JANE. buckle up this might be a tad longer since I'm obsessed with funky lil tragic girls that are doomed to the dramatic irony of their worst fears

Okay. So. Jane/Penny IMMEDIATELY sets up the overall undertone of the musical during Karnak's Dream Of Life. I was admittedly a tad confused upon first seeing it— especially with how it seemed to be brushed off for a good 15 first minutes of the musical. Then- woah. Holy shit. Jane appearing from behind the curtains out of basically nowhere as the "mystery contestant" gave me chills. Her tone as a character is so vastly contrast to the others in such a surreal and unnerving way that you can't help but be so intrigued but wary. Especially with how, like— so many characters similar to her that I've seen tend to be villianized a lot. But- no. She's- she feels more- human. To me, at least. That's the irony of it, huh? She doesn't know who she is. She walks with only the lingering regret & guilt of mourning a distant memory that she might never get back. Cursed to a fate that's admittedly horrifying when you think about it; all without knowing or remembering what she did to deserve such fate. Jane- DEFINITELY has some catholic guilt themeing going on, and it's fun to speculate all the religious undertones and details of her character!

She's just- so interesting to me. I deadass had to pause the musical and stare at my screen for a few minutes after TBOJD just so I could like- take it all in. Since it REALLY. REALLY. Hit close to home for me, as someone who's very much struggled and even temporarily lost their sense of identity, often being deemed forgettable by most— or just straight up cast out and alienated. Being formerly religious and deathly afraid of messing things up and ending up in the bad place was just the cherry on top!

Jane is. Such a complex character to me, ESPECIALLY if you bring (Legoland)Penny into the mix, viewing them as the same person. There's so much dramatic irony and slight foreshadowing in both shows that only deepens her as a character.

She's definitely not dumb or anything, that's for sure. She seems to be pretty damn smart! Guess it runs in the family, lol.

But like- being forgotten by almost everyone, well aware of the horrible fate you've been condemned to. Confused and lost, yet simultaneously an empty shell of someone who used to be "human." Now just. Only viewed as a creepy, unfeeling empty "doll." Not knowing how to properly express your emotions and desperately trying to connect with others, seeking that warmth of familiarity that deep down you know you'll NEVER get back. Nothing is waiting for you after the smoke clears. You've been abandoned by everything you currently know, including "god" itself. Swallowed up whole by time itself like you never even existed. You just want to go home. You just want to feel something— anything. You just want someone to treat you like a person and tell you who you are.

It's. So heartbreaking once you realize some of the implications and slight foreshadowing placed in Legoland. Penny says something about how she was afraid that nobody would notice if she died. There's multiple references to decapitation. Both Karnak & Ricky repeat lines that Penny’s said in the Legoland script. There's so many little details about her and it's just JRHRGSHAHAKJSEGGAJA/vvpos

SPEAKING OF LEGOLAND & PENNY!!

She. Probably harbors a lot of guilt, going off of all the implications & themeing around her in both LL AND RTC. Penny's shoved around a lot from what we know— even to the point of people burning her backpacks & having to avoid the stairs entirely just so she doesn't get shoved down them, risking breaking something. Yeah, she DEFINITELY has her flaws; but that's honestly what made me connect with her. Even without the flaws, I very deeply related to her as well, just as I did with her inevitable future "self." (If you believe in the LL! Penny = RTC! Penny/Jane Doe thing like I do!!) How she just- kinda attaches herself to her interests & the whole lashing out and fucking MAIMING A GROWN MAN reminded me of myself a lot. (I have not maimed anybody for the record. But I did lash out at other kids and have actually hurt them before. Not severely, but- I'm definitely not proud of it. I had BAD. anger & mood issues.)

OH. And then you discover Ezra's existence!! Which. Makes shit a LOT worse! Adds a lot more potential with how you see Jane Doe as well, along with a LOT of potential for Ezra's character as well. UUGauahah it's always the doomed siblings that get me I totally haven't cried over this damned trope before multiple times wdym

But yeah! There's. So many intricate details about everything— the themeing, the implications, hell- even in the character design & NAMES‼️‼️ (The last name being LAMB is just. Really ironic to me. Lamb to the slaughter,,)

RGRHJSSGHD THERES SO MUCH DRAMATIC IRONY ESPECIALLY WITH THE LUCKIEST GIRL IN TOWN THING IAAGKKFK AND ALL THE DETAILS WITH SYMBOLISM I AM NOT NORMAL ABOUT ALL THE DETAILS THEY PUT IN THIS GOD FORESAKEN SHOW SOMEBODYHELPM

so yeah uh I'm. Not normal about Jane/Penny in the slightest! You can definitely tell the Lambs are my favorites JSHSHSSHSJ (Connie's also one of my favorites if you can't tell sHES SO SILLY AND DESERVES SO MUCH LOVE TOO AIAYSGSUIAK)

Everyone in this fucking musical deserves better you can't change my mind (excluding the carnie. That fucker can go die in a ditch <3)

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

So post Beyond the Spider-Verse. Miles and Gwen have things patched up, you know those two are EXHAUSTED and Peter B. is gonna turn around from whatever celebration they're having (they BETTER end this movie with a cookout if Miles' parents learn he's Spider-Man) and you've got Gwen curled into Miles passed out while Miles is snoring. Gwen's got her hood pulled up to keep the lights out of her eyes and Miles' jacket is spread across them.

I like this idea, mind if I write a bit about it with some variants?

Headcanon: Gwen when she is sleepy defaults to following people who she is close to; Miles may be closer to the top of the list that he may realize.

AO3 link

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In a liminal space, we still find ourselves reaching for each other

As much as Miles wanted to kiss his parents goodnight and hit the bed, Peter's proposition to stop by his house to recharge seemed like the best idea.

He still needed to tell his parents that he was Spiderman, and maybe would be better to do it when he is less beaten down and with some sleep. Miles isn't sure when was the last time he slept; dimension hoping made time very confusing.

As they stepped into the house in Queen's (Miles assumed it was the living room but he couldn't be too sure,) Mary Jane stepped in from another room. It was kind of weird knowing who she is without even being presented first.

"Hi, I'm-" He started, a bit slower than he would like to. Too many hits in the head for one day.

"Miles" She completed seamlessly, smiling brightly at him as she put her hands on his shoulders "I had heard so much about you," And out of nowhere, she hugged him "Thank you for bringing him back to me," she told her in a really low voice, one he wasn't sure if it was meant just for him or not.

As tired and beaten down as he felt, he couldn't help but smile fondly as he awkwardly hugged her back. It was a good reminder too, that some of the greatest things he did weren't for being Spider-man, just by being Miles.

"C'mon honey, let the kid breathe," Peter says as he walks up to them.

"And you-" Mary Janes puts a finger on his chest, she doesn't look especially pleased but not too angry "I imagined it was serious when you went back to leave Mayday with me, but what happened? All of you look like you were thrown into a blender."

"Is a loooong story," Peter said, putting his hands up as he is trying to placate her anger, "Speaking of which, I promised them they could crash here until they recharge, hope that's okay-"

"Hmph," Mary Jane crosses her arms, looking at her husband unimpressed "I prefer a little bit more of a warning when you invite people, but I guess this was an emergency. Help me out to get some stuff for our guest."

"On it ma'am," He said with a mocking salute, to which she rolled her eyes before going to what seemed to be the kitchen. Despite how tired Peter B should be, he smiled brightly at them and said "Relax guys, my house is your house."

"Don't need to tell me twice mate," Hobie said as he looked around for a place where to drop dead, which seemed to be everyone's idea. They were all beaten down.

Miles, despite being ready to sleep for an eternity, followed Peter B and Mary Jane because even half dead his upbringing was stronger than any tiredness could be, and he could hear his mom in the back of his head saying "Be polite, bring a gift, and ask if you can help with anything they may need when you are visiting someone!"

Sadly he couldn't bring anything after trying to defy fate and time itself, but at least he could still be nice.

Aparently the couple didn't realize he was following them, because when Mary Jane turned around with cups in her hands she said "Oh Miles! Do you need anything?"

The place was homey, almost in an old-timey way. Pictures everywhere, a floral wallpaper that reminded him of white old ladies, but the warmth he feel around wasn't exactly for the warm lighting.

The kitchen seemed to have the same vibe, kind of similar to the one the Aunt May of his universe had.

"Um, I was going to ask if you guys needed any help?"

"Oh you are sweetheart," She said cheerily, before softly shaking her head "But you don't need to do anything, you are our guest and you had done more for us than you can ever imagine; please go to rest."

"You hear the lady, sit this one out, we will handle it," Peter said as he patted his back, before looking behind Miles and saying "Hey Gwen, you want anything?"

Miles turned around once he saw Peter looking behind him. Gwen stood at the entrance to the kitchen, she has been so quiet Miles also didn’t hear her come.

At the sound of her name, Gwen straightened her back and blinked a bit, as if she has been falling asleep on her feet, yet somehow she has decided to follow them here for some reason.

As she looked on to the front, she seemed to have the faintest blush, before she groaned and scrubbed her eyes “No, I- sorry, I guess I need some sleep.”

“Oh you can say that for all of us,” Peter laughed gleefully, before leaning his head to the side for Miles “You guys go to the living room, we will see if we can whip something quick to eat and see what we can do about emergency sleep arrangements.”

As they went to the other room, Miles realized that everybody has somehow found an answer to that last issue.

The living room had two loveseats and one armchair, and everyone more or less had found a place. On the loveseat that closest to the entrance, Noir was sleeping with Peni and Ham in his arms, Peni’s robot was turned off in a corner, and on the arm closest to Peni’s and Noir’s head was a hologram that read “Say ‘Spider-byte’ to bring user’s attention. P.S: Don’t wake me up unless the dimensions are collapsing.”

Pavitr has decided to go on the armchair, and you would believe he has been sleeping there for a long time because his head was hanging on the side, one of his legs was on the arm of the couch and the other lying against where your back is supposed to go. If it wasn’t because he was breathing fine, Miles would have thought he lost conscience and someone drop his body from the ceiling.

Speaking of the ceiling, even with one more loveseat available, Hobie had opted to make a hammock out of webbing as close to the ceiling as possible, on a corner of the room. From his position, Miles thought Hobie was using his mask on; maybe he needed more darkness to sleep than he needed to breathe properly.

At least it meant his decision was easy.

Dragging his feet on the ground, he let himself fall onto the side of the loveseat, he would have rejoiced in glee at how soft the couch felt against his beaten body if he himself wasn’t so tired.

Yet he didn’t have time to even sigh before he felt someone else not only fall right beside him but had her head leaning towards him. Miles felt himself go still as he felt the warmth of Gwen right beside him.

Despite the loveseat being big enough to have space for both of them.

How rigid his body was must have alerted Gwen because her eyes fluttered open, and seemed to look a bit confused towards him before she almost jumped on her spot and moved away enough that their bodies weren’t touched anymore.

“Shoot,” She muttered to herself before she hit her forehead “Sorry, when I am sleepy I just- sorry.”

Perhaps is because he was tired and his mind was making stuff up, but somehow things were starting to click in his head. The sleepiness in Gwen seemed to make her follow someone, and for reasons beyond his understanding, Miles has been the person she has decided to attach herself to, even if subconsciously.

“That’s different” Gwen had said to him before in the Williamsburg Tower, saying it as if somehow what they had was different from what she had with anybody else. That conversation felt like a lifetime ago, and yet his heartbeat raced all the same.

There were still a lot of things to talk about, of the lies and the secrets that she has keep, and how he has been feeling about all of this. Even now he wasn’t sure what to say.

“Is fine, we are all tired,” He said casually, before raising the arm that was closest to her side, “Come here, we can catch some zzz together.”

And regardless of all of it, he felt himself wanting to reach out to her too, missing her warmth even if he only got to have it for a second.

In a way, that’s what had ended up happening to him, wasn’t it? She came for what should have been just a blink in his lifetime, and he still was unable to let her go.

Her eyes opened slightly, as if she was surprised he had actually said that; probably thinking all the same things that were still between them and neither of them had the brain to talk about. He saw the hesitation in her eyes, as if she herself wasn’t sure if it was okay to accept.

Maybe it was a bit of wishful thinking on his part to think that way, as he said “Is okay, you can lean on me Gwen.”

Miles has really meant that in a literal way, even if deep down, he knew he meant it all the way. As upset as he was, he couldn’t bring himself to be mad at her, not when they were like this.

That seemed to be all the encouragement that she needed, because she quickly went back to his side, in fact so quick he was a bit shocked.

“Thanks,” she whispered to him, bringing her knees up to her chest as she rested her head on his shoulder, one of her arms hugged Miles’ waist as her other hand was left between her knees.

As it was the most natural thing in the world, his arms went around her, holding onto her as he rested his head on top of hers, “No problem.”

Despite the pain, the couch and still being in his suit, it was the best sleep he had in months.

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This was supposed to be a drabble, oops?

I Will upload this to ao3, may as well. I like it more than I expected for something that I made on a whim.

Sorry for not having any analysis yet, I am kind of sick and I feel my brain is fried 80% of the time, HaShem knows how I managed work like this.

Hope you guys like it!

[dhiings]

𖦹 Jane w/ Hip Hop Unit

Jane’s masterlist ⋆｡˚ Moodboards ;0

જ⁀➴ Scoups x Jane

Relationship Dynamic : always look at her with sparkles and adoration, "Never call yourself a burden, all i ever wanted to do is care for you.", "Where are you going? Don't go. Let me hold you for 1 more minute." "We've been hugging since 3 hours ago.." Nickname given by Jane for Scoups : seungcheol/coupsi/abeoji(=dad) Nickname given by Scoups for Jane : jein/nooka

• Loves to take care of her during drunk moments. Taking Jane's punishment shots (especially in TTT eps).. He always said, "She's still a kid, she can't drink that many alcohol you guys" i mean he's right tho, she's a lightweight and always causes chaos when drunk • Jane confessed that she's scared of Scoups when she first arrived but everything changed when he come up to her and said "You can tell me if you have a hard time, i'll be there for you, and the others too i mean..". • Did i mention that Jane actually have a teeny tiny bit crush on him because of his smiles • Scoups always beside her and never let go of jane's hand in crowds, especially in airport kind of situations.

જ⁀➴ Wonwoo x Jane

Relationship Dynamic : first glance crush, if charging station is a human, "Can i hug you?" "Get away from her, i don't like sharing.", "You do't have to tell me anything, we can just sit in silent" Nickname given by Jane for Wonwoo : wonu/jagi (jokingly.. but we never know tho) Nickname given by Wonwoo for Jane : jein/sunu/ jagi (jokingly.. but we never know tho)

• When they first met, Wonwoo can't get anything out of his mouth. So, when getting introduced to each other, he just smile awkwardly. • Wonwoo likes hugging Jane. A. LOT. Jane said that the way he hugs reminded of her dad. They are the type of someone who's not very good in expressing themselves by words, so they show it in their own way. • They like to hang out together, but not many words were shared. Sitting in silent, one of them playing games and the other reading rom-com books. • If, there's GoSe content that involved in ghost and dark mystery, she preferred and insisted to be paired up with Wonwoo.

જ⁀➴ Mingyu x Jane

Relationship Dynamic : big siblings energy. can't be separated too long because they will start yelling "Where's Jein ?" "Anyone saw Nokia?" "Where's my ane, we can't be miane if there's no ane" Nickname given by Jane for Mingyu : mingyu/mingoo Nickname given by Mingyu for Jane : jein/nokia

• Has a popular ship name called "MiAne". This started off as Mingyu jokingly saying "miane" for their team name, which also meant sorry in korean. "miane" = Mianhe (미안해). Then, it became a hit among the carats. • Love to mock each other. • Even though Mingyu is bigger than her, he got "bullied" a lot by everyone, including her ofc. • The loudest when they are together. There's so many footage of them making funny faces and poses during pre-debut.

જ⁀➴ Vernon x Jane

Relationship Dynamic : "someone that you could rely to each other when the world is too noisy and hard to understand" Nickname given by Jane for Vernon : vernon/bonbon Nickname given by Vernon for Jane : jane/jane(tte)

• When Jane first joined Pledis, she was very glad that there's at least one person that could understand her (also her nonstop mumbling in english) . • When there's word or instruction that Jane can't understand that well, Vernon is there to translate and help her. • Dry joke lovers. Not them dragging joshua to their dry joke lovers club. • There's soo many photos (even in some Seventeen's youtube contents) that they slept together. Literal duo sleepyhead.

*of course all of them are going to be called with "hyung"/"oppa", depend on jane's mood (beside dino)

[steddieunderdogfics]

Idk if I’m doing this right, but for Monday here are couple fics for the challenge:

Three Weddings and a Funeral by materialism, sparklyslug

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40426446

It’s a part of a much larger series, but this was the first I read of it and oh is it a fic worth reading.

Turn Your Back on Mother Nature by gr0gu

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39346095

This one I’m currently reading so I haven’t read the full thing yet, but already just 3 chapters in am I more than satisfied. I tried to hit the kudos button multiple times now lol

Three Weddings and a Funeral by materialism & sparklyslug

Rating: Explicit

35,572 words, 4/4 chapters

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Voyeurism, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Weddings, Closeted Character, Alcohol, Drunkenness, pining like mega pining, Mutual Pining, HIV/AIDS crisis reference, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Oral Sex, Minor Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Everyone is Queer, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Future Fic, Eddie Munson Lives, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Fantasizing, POV Steve Harrington, Minor Argyle/Jonathan Byers, Character Death, tender sharing of ice cream, Light Dom/sub, Light BDSM, Spanking, Anal Sex, Masturbation, Facials

Summary:

Steve Harrington falls in love and gets married. Not in that order. Some other stuff happens along the way too. But those are the two big things. That first one especially. (Or: celebrations of life)

AND

Turn Your Back on Mother Nature by gr0gu

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

16,996 words, 4/4 chapters

Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings

Tags: Canon Compliant, Period-Typical Homophobia, Sharing a Bed, Saving the World, Steve Harrington Being an Idiot, the three 'S'es, Internalized Homophobia, Gay Eddie Munson, Drinking and Smoking, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Tending to Wounds, Drunken Confessions, Coming Out, Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Making Out, Sexual Identity, Sharing Clothes, all the love languages, Happy Ending, Bonus Chapter, D&D, Love Confessions, First Time, giggly sex, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Getting Together, Fix-It

Summary:

It wasn't supposed to go like this. Steve was supposed to work with Robin at the Family Video, flirt with the many many girls who came to browse the expansive selection of VHSes, go on some dates, and hopefully find The One. It was supposed to be a notably upside-down free year. And, hey, for what it's worth? He wasn't supposed to be pinned down on a mattress by Eddie Munson either. And he certainly wasn't supposed to be enjoying it. But that's getting a bit ahead of things…

Thanks for the rec!

Know a fic that deserves extra love? Submit through our asks or the submission box!

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hades , Poseidon , and Qin Shi Huang with a fem gothic lolita reader please ?

I literally squeed when I saw this! I absolutely adore Lolita fashion!!!

-Your fashion choices were certainly unique, dark with frills and bows, platform Mary Janes to make yourself seem a bit taller, you looked like a little doll, dark but beautiful.

-It did take time each day getting ready, between getting dressed, doing your makeup, doing your hair, and choosing the accessories to go with your outfit for the day, but he loved it.

-He knew the work you put into looking like this, it wasn’t just something you could roll out of bed and change into, this was something that required time and dedication, and he fully supported it!

-He was fiercely protective of you, as you looked so delicate and adorable, you caught the eyes of many, and those wouldn’t hesitate to try to come up and flirt with you, thinking you were as innocent as you looked.

-However, you were extremely loyal to (Love), you only had eyes for him, something he loved, and you wouldn’t hesitate to open your umbrella in their faces to block them, telling them to leave you alone.

-That’s usually when (Love) would step in and handle things.

-Hades- Adored your fashion choice, would give you his arm to escort you like a gentleman and would always compliment your outfits and accessories. He would tease you for your platforms, when you would take them off, making fun of your height which would make your cheeks puff up in a pout, getting angry with him. It’s not you’re fault you were short and that most Lolita fashion looked good with tall shoes like that.

-Poseidon- As a king, he would always be there for his queen, letting you hold his arm and if he had his way, he wouldn’t let anyone approach you, as nobody was worthy. You were his queen, nobody else, and he loved it when you would pair little hints of nautical accessories with your outfits, it’s like you’re telling everyone that you’re his. Loves when you wear fishnet stockings, can’t help but stare when you wear them.

-Qin Shi Huang- You were his beautiful doll, one that he loved to have sitting in his lap, especially when he’s on his throne, showing you off to everyone with a secret smile that seemed to say, ‘she’s adorable and she’s all mine!’ Hates it when you get hit on, he knows you’re adorable, but when you’re with him, he expects others to respect him by not hitting in you. If you ever get uncomfortable that’s when he won’t hesitate to throw hands.

[cowgurrrl]

Blue Sunday

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader (plus platonic Ellie Williams x fem!reader)

Author’s note: I love a big happy family <3

Summary: “You are here to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart.” - Louise Erdrich aka Ellie calls you mom for the first time

Warnings: fluff, time jump (Charlie is 5, Ellie is 21, and JJ is 2), talk of deceased loved ones (Anna, Sarah, Jane), Charlie being curious, Ellie being a good mom, Jesse’s alive!!

"Bellie, I have a question," Charlie announces from her place next to Ellie at the dinner table. Joel smiles at the nickname and leans forward to watch his girls interact. 

"I have an answer," Ellie says. 

"Why do you call mommy and daddy by their grown-up names?" She asks, and the table freezes. You knew this question would come up eventually, but you didn't think it would hit you as a rapid-fire question from your five-year-old.

"You know how sometimes we talk about how you lived in my belly, and JJ lived in Auntie Dina's belly? Well, Ellie didn't live in my belly. She lived in someone else's belly." You explain. Charlie nods as she listens and looks between you and Ellie. 

"Who?"

"A very nice lady named Anna." 

"Anna," Charlie tries the name on her tongue. "Anna is Ellie's mama?"

"Yep."

"Why doesn't Anna live with us?" She asks, her eyes full of curiosity. You look to Ellie, unsure of how much of her story you're allowed to tell. Ellie puts her fork down and folds her hands together.

"Do you remember how we talked about Sarah and Jane?" Ellie asks, and Charlie nods. "Do you remember how we talked about the tattoo Cat did for me?" Again, Charlie nods, before reaching out to trace the ink on Ellie’s forearm with her little fingers. "Well, my mommy got hurt in the same way I got hurt when I was little, but my mommy got really sick, and she died."

"That's sad." Charlie frowns. 

"It is, but she made sure I was safe. When I got hurt, your mommy and daddy found me and brought me all the way here to Jackson to get medicine. Then, they got married, and then they had…" Ellie trails off and points to Charlie for dramatic effect.

"Me!" Charlie yells, and she laughs.

"Yeah, that's right. So, even though my mommy died, I was okay."

"Because my mommy and daddy were your mommy and daddy for a little bit?" She asks, and Ellie takes a deep breath, looking at you and Joel. 

"Yeah. Yeah, they were. That's why we're sisters."

"Do you remember…" Charlie trails off, scowling as she searches her brain. 

"Anna?" Joel supplies, and Charlie lights up.

"Yeah! Anna! Do you remember your Anna mommy?" She asks, crawling into Ellie's lap to play with her bracelets. Ellie takes it in stride, tucking Charlie's hair behind her ears. 

"No, I don't remember my Anna mommy, but I know she was funny and kind and a badass just like me," Ellie says. You don't have the heart to correct her swearing, especially in such a sweet moment with Charlie. You just sit and watch.

"So, you call mommy and daddy by their grown-up names because you have an Anna mommy in Heaven just like I have Sarah and Jane sissies in Heaven?"

"Mhm."

"Does your Anna mommy take care of my Sarah and Jane sissies?"

"I hope so." Ellie hums as she wipes crumbs from Charlie’s shirt.

"Oh," Charlie says. "When are Auntie Dina and Uncle Jesse gonna come over with JJ?" She transitions seamlessly, and you laugh. The mind of a five-year-old will forever be an elusive one. You get through the rest of your family dinner without a hitch, although you have to admit that you miss Dina, Jesse, and JJ, too. 

It's hard to get everyone together, especially with Ellie splitting her time between her own little family and us. Every Friday, the motley crew of parents switches off where they go for dinner. Some Fridays, JJ, Dina, Ellie, and Jesse go to Dina's mom's house. Some Fridays, they all go to Jesse's parent's house before finally coming to yours and Joel's. It's pretty complicated, but they have a system. The other three couldn't come this time because Jesse unexpectedly got assigned a patrol shift, JJ got the flu, and Dina didn't want to risk giving it to Charlie. But Charlie practically begged to see her sister, so she made the solo journey out. 

Once you're done with dinner, Joel gets Charlie ready for bed while you and Ellie do the dishes together. You didn't ask her to, nor do you expect her to when she comes over, but she always takes a place next to you at the sink. She tells you about JJ's birthday party coming up and how difficult it's been trying to find a time that fits all sides of the family. You tell her about how Charlie's doing at school and how she's taken a particular interest in music, one you're sure was influenced by Ellie and Joel. 

"I'm sorry for what Charlie asked about at dinner. I had no idea." You say as you walk with Ellie towards the front door once the dishes are all dry and put away. She waves you off.

"No, it's okay. She's smart. I didn't realize how much she understood," she says, and you nod, tucking your hands into your back pockets. "She has a point, though."

"About what?" 

"Maybe… I should start calling you and Joel my parents. At least until she's old enough to know the whole story. Same thing with JJ. I mean, he already asks for Grandpa Joel." She explains hesitantly, wringing her hands as she talks. You smile at the nervous habit and take a deep breath, processing her request.

"I'd really like that," you say, and she smiles back. "But do I have to be Grandma? I mean, I'm old but not that old." 

"No. I'm sure Jay will come up with a cool, non-old name for you. Plus, he's already got Dina and Jesse's moms," she says, furrowing her eyebrows as she thinks. "And two moms and a dad. And an aunt that's really not that much older than him. Oh, god," she scrubs a hand down her face, and you laugh. "I'm going to have to explain so much to him."

"Welcome to the club," you grab her jacket off the hook and hand it to her. "You're a really good mom. I hope you know." You say, and Ellie blushes as she pulls the jacket over her shoulders. 

"I've learned from the best." She says, and your heart feels like it could burst. You pull her close and hug her tightly like you always do when she gets ready to leave. You never thought you'd miss the days when she was just down the hallway, playing guitar loudly or gossiping with Dina in the late hours of the night. You kiss her temple and squeeze her. 

"I love you, kiddo."

"I love you, too, Mom."

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Tag list: @evyiione @nyotamalfoy @abbyhaslongshorts