#i was busy binging wednesday

[verybadatwriting]

White Fang

ReaderxPeterParker, Teen!ReaderxAvengers

Background: Pre-civil war. Pretend that Spidey-Boy joins the team on Christmas break before the Sokovia Accords are even thought of.  I think I kept it gn, but please tell me if I mess it up anywhere.

Warnings: Reader starts the story off not getting enough food, and is thus dangerously underweight. Unhealthy eating habits. 

(Slight rant: I feel that as a group we don’t recognize the dangers of being underweight as much as we should. Part of what made me write the reader this way was my sister’s ongoing struggle with getting to a healthy weight. I modeled many of the reader’s eating habits after hers.)

Gn!reader

Word count: 3,753

    A few rumpled up newspapers and some wrappers were the only contents of the trashcan. Not to worry, you still had the dumpsters behind the restaurants to raid. Besides, it never hurt to check. Once you had found three rotisserie chickens, still in the packaging! You couldn’t help but wonder what the story behind them was.

    The cold night air sent a chill down your spine, and you decided it was best to switch forms. A shiver descended your spine once more, this time it was warm and familiar. Your hair turned white, and covered your whole body as it grew and contorted to the shape of a wolf. Your wolf form grew until you could walk above street signs with no difficulty.

     Yours wasn’t a majestic form, with your scraggly, matted fur, and bones peeking from beneath thin layers of muscle, but it functioned, and it was significantly warmer than a being human. On a cold New York night like this, it was needed.

    Long legs leapt through the streets, weaving through the shadows. You stuck to the quieter streets, and eventually found your way into the right alleys. First stop was behind Delmar’s Deli-Grocery. 

    You transformed back into a human, and began rummaging. You tossed any edible-looking stuff out of the dumpsters onto the cold ground. It was covered in a thin layer of snow by the time you had finished. The dilemma you faced was whether to eat small bits as you went from source to source, or save it all to eat at the end of the night.

    Measuring how late it was, you decided to munch on what you’d gotten from Delmar’s before crossing Central Park to get back home. On the way back you’d probably pick up a few extra bites. Internally accepting this plan, you transformed into the wolf form, gobbled down the pile, and sprinted towards your home.

    A salty taste stayed in your mouth as you bent around a corner and into the park. You smelled something in one of the trashcans, and were split on whether it was worth transforming again. At that moment, you heard a noise behind you. Turning quickly, you saw a strange teen sitting on a lamppost. 

    He wore a bright red hoodie, a red mask with goggles, a blue shirt and pants, red shoes with knee-high socks, and mechanical looking gloves. On his hoodie, there was the outline of a bug. A spider maybe?

    You weren’t nervous when people saw you. It was mostly crack-heads out this late round where you were. Nobody would believe them if they said a huge wolf was stalking the city. Initially, you assumed this was just a very athletic crack-head. When he launched some sort of rope from his wrists and swung to the ground, you realized you may have misjudged him.

    “Woah…” He whispered in amazement, “What the heck are you?” He reached a hand towards you, but you growled and shrunk back slightly.

    “Oop! Sorry about that.” Without taking his eyes off you, he fished around in his pocket until he found a stick of beef jerky. 

"Here," he said, tossing it towards you. Hesitantly, you picked it up and ate it. 

“How on earth did a wolf get so huge? You look pretty skinny too… Are you eating alright?” He continued speaking.

A moment later, you shifted to a more relaxed position. Neither of you was going to hurt the other, and you both knew that. For a few minutes the two of you sat there. The boy quietly rambled on about how his life was.

Hours later, you stood to leave.

“Hey, wait. Um.. Could we meet up again tomorrow night?” After considering for a moment, you nodded as he hastily added, “I’m Spider-Man by the way. Yeah.” You nodded once more, and ran into the night.

The next morning you quietly got ready for school, so as to not wake Kara. For the past six months, you’d been living with a couple named Lindsey and Walter Miller. They were good foster parents, and thankfully they tried. It wasn’t their fault that you needed more calories than most humans could physically consume in a day.

“Hey there Y/n.” Lindsey said, “Did Kara wake up?” 

You shook your head. 

“Very good.” She said, passing you two muffins. “We were sent an extra. I made the executive decision you would get it. The last thing we need is a fight over a muffin, am I right?” 

You nodded.

“You ready for school?” Lindsey asked, “Need anything else?” 

I’m missing my Physics book. You signed. 

“Unless it’s on the miscellaneous shelf, I can’t help you with that.” Lindsey turned and went back to packing the little kid’s lunches. 

Most of the kids in the Miller House weren’t teens yet. Kara was seven, Nathaniel was eight, Keyon was five, and Finn was three. You and Kara shared a room, which was difficult when you had to stay up late studying (or sneak out for some late-night food-gathering), and especially since you woke up for school at different times.

Waving goodbye to your foster parents, you walked out the door. In the minute it took you to go from the kitchen to the front porch, you had already finished the muffins. They weren’t small muffins either. Despite that, you were still hungry.

At school you had a hard time focusing because of it. You often zoned out, and missed vital parts of lessons. Sometimes when you stood up dots would descend from the sides of your vision, and you’d have to sit back down again. Coughing usually helped, along with focusing on a specific muscle and flexing. From your limited research, this could be from low blood sugar or low iron. 

Either one could be solved if you didn’t have to eat for a gigantic carnivore. Even with all the negative side effects, your wolf form was worth it. Especially if it meant you’d get to know that athletic crack-head more.

    Your whole school was decorated for the holidays. Well, as decorated as they could afford, which meant a few cardstock snowflakes the 5th graders made hanging from the ceiling, and posters of snowmen scattered about the walls.

    Bungling the first half of the day, you made it to lunch. Since you were eligible for free lunch, you got that. You also brought home lunch. Because you were already so ravenously hungry, you couldn’t help but gulp down the food. You knew there was a choking hazard. You knew it wasn’t a good way to eat. You also knew that if food was delayed much longer, it wouldn’t be pretty.

    All too quickly, lunch was over and your food was eaten. Physics was next, and you still hadn’t found your book. That was alright. Probably. (It wasn’t.)

    After the disappointing Physics period, and another boring class, you got to English. From all the way down the hall you could smell the aroma of hot chocolate and other sweets.

    Your English teacher made it a habit to bring in hot cocoa at least once a week in December. “To be festive!” You found it less difficult to focus, especially on the days like today where she brought snacks. The boost in blood sugar probably had something to do with that.

    With that class over, you had officially finished another week of school. You found it boring, partially because it was, partially because it was difficult to form friendships when you didn’t speak their language. Especially difficult when you don’t speak at all.

    You could physically talk, but the mental aspect of it wouldn’t cooperate. You could speak to Kara when you were both alone. Somehow the anxiety dissipated. 

    Skidding on the icy ground, you arrived at Central Park four minutes before midnight. You went to the exact lamppost you had first seen him on and waited. Six minutes later, a red-clad figure swung into view.

    “Cool, you showed up.” He said, “Not that I expected you to flake or anything! Uh… How was your day?” A moment of silence passed before he realized. 

    “Oh, shoot, can you talk?”

    You shook your head.

    “Okay… I’ll have to stick to ‘yes or no’ questions then. Also, I brought more food.” He put a round container of deli meats on the ground between the two of you. “I don’t know what kind you like so I just got an assorted jumble.” He opened the container and slid it closer. It was fairly sizable, at least on the human scale. Nevertheless, you were grateful and ate it.

    Spider-Man swung himself up onto the lamppost, and lowered himself down upside down while squatting. The look you gave him was so confused that he had to explain. 

    “These shoes aren’t really made for the snow. And I don’t want to get frostbite. I love New York, even if it does try to kill me a lot. What about you?”

    You nodded.

    “Do you like the Christmas decorations here?”

    You nodded again. Your conversation continued for a while. He talked about everything and nothing simultaneously. He seemed very interested in your life, especially how you managed to live this long without arousing suspicions from Animal Control.

    “How do you hide yourself during the day? Do you turn human?

    You nodded.

    “Oh my gosh!” He said, “So it’s possible I’ve met you before without even knowing?”

    You shook your head and bopped your nose. After hesitating, Spider-Man took a guess.

    “You… would have… smelled me?” 

    Nod.

    “That’s…” You braced yourself, ready for the disgust you were sure was coming.

    “So…

    “Cool! Can you remember every person you’ve smelled? How does your human nose process those scents? Is the nose fully wolf and fully human at the same time?” The little guy was fully geeking out when your stomach grumbled. 

    “Oh… Is that why you come out here? To find food?”

    Yet again, you nodded. The two of you set off on your trek around the city, to all the closed restaurants and grocery stores you could think of. Spider-Man hopped inside the dumpsters and chucked food out since you couldn’t fit inside as a wolf. And you definitely weren’t going to transform back into a human around someone. 

You met up nightly for weeks after that. With this team effort it was much easier to keep yourself fed, and your grades reflected that. Rumors eventually started to abound that either the rat population was out of hand, or there was a large creature stalking the trashcans of New York.

Sometimes on your walks you’d come across someone in distress. You allowed Spider-Man to take the fame, and opted to stay in the shadows. Occasionally, he’d need assistance, and you’d step in. These happened just often enough for there to be a few credible sources about you.

It was three days before Christmas when Spider-Man said the following.

“My Aunt May has plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Tomorrow’s the last time I’ll see you for a few days.”

You sat up abruptly after hearing this. Logically it wasn’t that long, and there was always a lot of food during the holidays, so you might not need to go foraging, but you’d still miss him. Over the weeks you’d created a strong bond, despite only knowing each other via your superpowered sides. He’d also given you your name: White Fang.

    Maybe that’s what made your friendship work. Another person who could understand, and who you wouldn’t have to worry about spilling the beans. 

    The next night you got there ten minutes early to add a buffer between your arrival and that of Spider-Man. You transformed back into a human and set down a tupperware container of homemade spider-shaped cookies. On top you placed an even smaller box with the label: ‘To Spider-Man, From White Fang.’

    After the boxes were situated, you shifted back to wolf form to wait. Moments later, your favorite arachnid came out of the darkness and landed on his signature lamppost.

    “Hey Fang!” He said, “I dunno if you celebrate, but I brought you a Christmas present!” He hopped down, placed a cellophane wrapped hunk of meat on the ground, and unwrapped it. Then he noticed the boxes in the snow.

    “Are these for me? And can I open them?”

    You nodded twice. He went over to inspect them. He picked up the box, and opened it. Inside there was a small spider-shaped trinket. It was metallic and opened to reveal a small compartment. 

    “Woah…” He whispered to himself then turned to you, “This is so cool! I’m assuming the cookies are for us to share?” He glanced at you as you nodded. “The meat is for you, of course, and I also got you a necklace.” He opened a box he had in his pocket, and held the contents up so you could see.

    He held a tiny silver wolf on a thin chain. You did a little jump of joy, showing how much you appreciated it. The two of you spent the rest of the night hanging out as usual. Spider-Man left around 3, and once he was gone you transformed back into a human to scoop up the cookie container and put on his gift to you.

When the two of you met up next. Spider-Man had a new suit, and wouldn’t stop talking about the Avengers.

“Mr. Stark brought me to the tower, and I got to meet Captain America and the rest of the team! I’m also part of them now. I think. I could be wrong, gotta check. Their last mission was to fight the huge robots – You know, the ones that lifted up that one city? –  and they told me all about it!”

    “How could you be so reckless?” Lindsey said. “This could get my fostering license taken away!”

    “Lin, calm down.” Mr. Miller said, “Let Y/n explain what they were doing.” He handed you a pen and pencil. You froze and couldn’t think of an excuse. How do you explain that you snuck out at night because you had a superpower that required massive amounts of food? You can’t explain that without sounding crazy.

    “At least tell me it wasn’t drugs.” Lindsey said, “If it’s boys – or girls – I can deal with that. But drugs would be the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

    “Y/n?” Mr. Miller said, “Is it drugs?”

    You looked both of them in the eyes and shook your head. The two foster parents breathed a sigh of relief. 

    “You’re still in big trouble kid.” Mr. Miller reminded you, “We’ll be checking in on you throughout the night, okay?” You nodded sadly, accepting that your nights of food and friends would be long gone. You’d never get to see the Spider-Man again.

    The first day back from break, all throughout your commute you kept seeing the same man out of the corner of your eye. You just shook off the feeling. The next two days, you saw him, but never enough to get a description past ‘has an eyepatch’ (which you couldn’t really do much of anything with). Finally, on the third day back, you only saw him on the morning commute.

    On your way home you still kept a look out, glancing behind yourself. You didn’t see him. As you reached the Miller House, you breathed a sigh of relief. Jangling the keys in the door, you opened it. Your horror was immeasurable when you saw the man sitting in your living room, conversing with Mr. and Mrs. Miller.

    “Oh hi Y/n!” Lindsey said. “Mr. Fury was just telling us something very strange. I was wondering if you’d like to weigh in on it.”

    “Hello Mx. Y/l/n.” Mr. Fury stood and extended a hand. “I’d like to talk to you about the Avengers.”

You took his hand.

“Y/n,” Mr. Miller said, “If what Nick here was telling us is true, I’m sorry for punishing you for sneaking out.” 

With a shaking hand, you pulled a piece of paper out of your pocket and wrote.

What, exactly, did he tell you?

“I know about your ability.” Fury said, “And now they do too.”

“He was wondering if you would be willing to be adopted by the Avengers.” Mr. Miller said, “If you don’t want to, nobody will force you. Whichever decision you make, we will stand by you.”

“Both of us will.” Lindsey added.

“At Avengers Tower you’ll get a proper diet for a wolf the size of yours." Fury said, "And all your material needs will be met.”

Are there any others my age? You signed. 

“Y/n wants to know if there will be other people their age.” Lindsey said.

“Yes, there’s one I believe.” Fury said, “But he doesn’t live there. You’ll still go to school, you’ll just live with the Avengers and occasionally go on missions.”

I promise I’ll think about it. You signed, first tell me why you were following me.

“Y/n will think about it, and wants to know why– What what?” Mr. Miller stopped, “Repeat that Y/n?”

Why was he following me?

“Mr. Fury, they want to know why you were following them.” He continued, “And frankly, I do too.”

“We were keeping surveillance on them.” Fury replied simply, “We were unsure if they were a threat to those around them.” 

“Okay… I suppose that explains it.” Lindsey said, “In the future, keep in mind that trailing underage people isn’t the best course of action.”

“If we had another option, we would have taken it.” He stood up and walked towards the door. 

“Y/n” He turned, handing you a paper, “These numbers will get you in contact with me, Maria Hill – a trusted advisor – and Tony Stark. When you move into the Tower, he will be the person introducing you. I hope to see you soon.” 

With that he turned and walked out the door. The next few days you and the Millers discussed the best course of action. Eventually they came to the conclusion that you should be adopted by the Avengers. 

While you were excited, you were a little sad. Leaving homes was never easy, no matter how temporary the stay was. The Millers were a nice family, much better than some of your previous families, and you were very close with Kara. 

Three days later the papers were signed. Normally it takes much longer to even receive the documents, but when a billionaire wants something, it gets fast tracked. A day after the signing, you packed your bags, said your tearful goodbyes, and climbed into the limousine sent for you. To your surprise, Tony Stark was in the passenger seat.

“Hey kid.”

You waved in reply.

“How are you?”

You nodded.

“Not much of a talker, eh?”

I’ve got selective mutism. You signed. 

“I have no clue what you just said.” Stark said. “I’ll have to get an interpreter… FRIDAY? Could-” You cut him off by handing him a paper.

I have selective mutism. That’s what I signed. 

“Ok, I’ll be sure to tell the team when I introduce you.”

Once you got to the Tower, an assistant came outside to get your bags. He had a cart ready and everything. You had a duffel bag, and a backpack, both of which you preferred to keep on your person. 

Stark led you up to the living room, where the rest of the team had been instructed to gather. 

“Hello everyone,” He said, “This is Y/n, our newest recruit. They’re deaf, so be patient.”

I’m not deaf, numbskull. You signed. To your surprise, a man in the corner let out a small laugh.

“They’re not deaf, Stark.” He said.

“What makes you think that, Barton?” Stark asked. “They told me themselves.”

“They just signed that they’re not deaf. And they called you a numbskull.”

“... Moving on… Y/n that’s Steve, Sam, Natasha Romanoff, Peter Parker, Clint Barton, Rhodes, Vision, and the Maximoff twins.” You nodded.

Only Natasha and I know ASL. Clint signed. If you wanna talk behind people’s backs, it’s the best way around here.

I’ll keep that in mind. You replied.

“Peter’s around your age.” Stark continued, “And besides for him the Twins are our newest recruits. If it’s okay with you, I’ll open the floor to questions.” You nodded.

“What are your powers?” Steve asked.

“They turn into a giant wolf.” Stark replied for you. You noticed that Peter’s eyes widened slightly. Taking a small sniff, you tested the air to see if there was anyone you knew. Just one.

After what felt like hours, the questions were over, your room was found, and you were peacefully on your phone in the living room. Peter walked in and sat across from you.

“Hi!” He said. You waved and put down your phone.

“So… This is going to sound really weird, but… do you – were you the same wolf – what I’m trying to ask is.. Did you hang out in the park with Spider-Man?” Recognition dawning, you nodded and pulled up the necklace Spider-Man gave you. At the exact same moment, Peter took the trinket you’d given to Spider-Man out of his backpack.

“Holy shit.” He said.

“Holy shit indeed.” You replied with a voice that sounded like it hadn’t been used in a very long time.

“What the!” He jumped off the couch. “You can talk?!”

“I always could, physically.”

"Why do you sign to the team?"

“The mental components just don’t add up for some situations.” You paused, “I think it also has something to do with how I meet people. Meeting first in wolf form seems to allow me to speak with them… These are all still guesses, even I have no clue why it doesn’t click for some people.”

“This is so cool.” Peter marveled under his breath. “Can I ask something?”

“Shoot.”

“Okay. These past few days, you… didn’t meet up with me…” His voice was laced with pure sadness and confusion, a far cry from what it was a second ago.

“I’m so sorry Spidey!” You said, “My foster-parents found out I was sneaking out, and I didn’t want to tell them about the whole ‘superpowered wolf’ thing. They enforced that I was in bed from 11pm to 6am. I would have kept meeting up with you if I could have. I’m sorry.”

“Oh thank goodness.” Peter said, “I thought that you didn’t like me anymore.”

“I don’t think I could ever not like you, Spidey.”

[edbluemel]

LOUISTOMLINSUN → JAYJMAYBANKS

[camgoloud]

so we’re now officially within one week of the start of ted lasso season 3 which means i’m no longer going to be able to restrain myself from googling the show twelve times a day looking for news of any sort

[lemonmaid]

I'm liking having a mental breakdown and stuffing my fatass with popeyes anyways here is...

Chick Flicks that I think the Dorm Leaders have a guilty pleasure for.

Do to that this a different world everything that is popular reference is going to be different! I don't think TWST world has guns or bombs?? So Legally Blonds JFK reference could refer to a King in Port o' Bliss (since Sam is from there, which is a reference to New Orleans). Heather's reference to the Vietnam War could be an overbolt war between kingdoms (obviously for the very very wrong reasons) and JD could've overbolted and Veronica had to kill him.

And I think TWST do have its own fairytale, Enchanted is one of them like "omg what if magic doesn't exists and someone from our world goes there!"

Riddle Rosehearts : Legally Blonde

I feel like he was forced to 'catch up' on pop culture, Cater showed him ( this world's equivalent movie). Out of all the movies he was shown, he liked this one the most.

"So what what's you're favorite part?"

"I loved the fact she proved to everyone that she wasn't a bimbo. Like, seriously? Fashion merchandising is a business school, she wasn't taken seriously because of her greek fraternity? I'm sorry that pink is "too girly" to be taken seriously".

Leona Kingscholar : Heather's

He only watched it because he crashed moive night at Ramshackle. He actually stayed awake for the musical.

"I didn't take you for someone who liked musicals"

"I don't but this moive was enjoyable. You're not supposed to cheer for the cast but to see their flaws which I understand wanting to fit in"

"So you wanna see the live performance?"

"This is on Broadway?".

Azul Ashengrotto : Mean Girls

Azul wanted more guest to come into the lounge so he opened a moive night, Mean Girls was a popular request so popular it is played every Wednesday.

"You know what Azul, you remind me of the mean girls group"

"How so?"

"Well, you're not a fashion statement but you, Jada, and Floyd are kinda of the "It" group. As in "don't fuck with us".

Kalim Al-Asim : Enchanted

Kalim has forced everyone who befriends him to watch this movie, he is obsessed with this type of romance, the very naive and the smitten serious type.

"Oh Yuu! My favorite scene is obviously the dancing in the city!"

"Aww that's so cute Kalim!"

"Yeah! I love this moive! My parents funded the company to make a second one!"

"Oh... Kalim that's .. precious"

Vil Schoenheit : Crazy Rich Asains

This is definitely Vil's favorite moive, like, we've both cried to it. Because for real best romance movie in decades.

"Vil why are you crying?"

"Shut up, you're crying too! I wished I had someone who didn't care about my appearance or my background. I wish I had someone who stood by my side untill the curtain fell"

"STOPPPP YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY MORE".

Idia Shroud : A Slient Voice

I couldn't think of a live-action Idia would genuinely liked, but this counts. Anyways, we had to show him this movie.

"Idia STOP CRYING ON ME!"

"but he... and she....AHHH"

"You know this is rumored to be based off a true story but the guy actually died"

"ahhHHHHHH"

Malleus Draconia : Twilight

You wanted to try and binge watch this entire franchise with the gang one night for a goof, you happened to see Malleus outside and invited him to watch with the gang. To say he was very very interested in this series was a understatement.

"Child of man, explain to me this. Why is she choose the guy who wants nothing to do with her but stalks her?"

"Malleus, I couldn't tell you but don't be an obsessive dick who tries to have an off and on relationship. That's toxic".

"I think I see, but can you explain why the grown man imprints on a literal baby?"

"I cannot tell you".

[robotsandramblings]

as said, i'm very curious as to fans' watching habits - how many are die-hard must-watch-at-midnight-drop fans, how many will wait, etc.

i'm also curious because i'm always worried about when i post spoilers. for S1 and S2, i'd wait until Saturday to post anything, because i assumed many people had school and/or jobs that might prevent them from seeing new episodes right away.

but i'm starting to think that a lot of fans - at least, the people that i see on tumblr - are posting stuff on Wednesday after it airs? so i guess i'm safe then! depending on how this poll goes, i might start posting spoilerly stuff on Wednesdays too.

(fyi, personally, i'm a "wait until Wed evening" person. i like to still spend my day getting stuff done, so that i can relax in the evening and enjoy the new episode(s). it's also because i live with my family and we share the TV, and i prefer to watch new eps on the TV (v.s. on my laptop in my bedroom) when i'm by myself, so i have to wait until the TV is free lol. which is usually evening or even late at night when they've gone to bed!!)

[sooinbloom]

Bookstore Kisses

pairing: kyungsoo x you

genre: established relationship, married couple, fluff

word count: 1,804

description: wednesday night is date night for you and kyungsoo. tonight, after you beg him to venture into a bookstore, he decides to show you his affection in a way he never has before.

author’s note: hi! this is just a random idea I got while in a bookstore a few months ago. I found it hanging around in my drafts and decided to publish it. also, the photo above inspired the rest… the man looks so good in a cap and glasses. what can I say?! i’m trying out a new writing style, so I hope you enjoy it. sorry, this isnt edited lol (:

- Aria

“Hey, love.” Kyungsoo says as he shuffles into the room, leaving a kiss on my forehead. “How was your day?”

“It was good, a lot of meetings but I’m very happy the day is over. How was your day?” I ask, looking up at my husband.

“Same stuff, different day. I had to tear Baekhyun away from our boss again. Something about the London account again.” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and loosens his tie, “at least today is my favorite day of the week.”

“Date night!” I nod excitedly.

“Yes, baby. How about we go see a movie? We can see that one you’ve been telling me about… The cheesy romcom that you won’t shut up about with your friends?”

“Hey! Hey! Do I call your movies cheesy?” I poke Kyungsoo’s chest as he chuckles to himself.

“No, because I have actual taste.”

“Wooooow this is how you want to start date night? I see how it is!” We laugh together, one thing we never agreed on is our movie tastes. Sometimes we just enjoy the banter, other times it gets serious and hours long debates ensue over which franchise was better or which classic film was better than the other. Tonight was a bantering kind of night.

 “Oh, baby, you’re lucky I’m tired tonight. Let’s go watch the movie and then grab some dinner afterward at the Thai place we like?”

“Sounds like a plan! Let me get ready.” I get up from my chair and walk over to my closet, trying to find a cute, yet practical outfit.

Wednesday nights became my favorite night of the week. We regarded Wednesday nights as almost sacred because it was the only day of the week that we weren’t exhausted from our bleak, demanding corporate jobs. The day of the week where phone gets tucked away and the only communication we have is with each other.

Fridays were too busy for Kyungsoo, given he’s now an executive as his firm. Mondays and Tuesdays were my long days because no one can get their shit together in my office at the beginning of the week. Thursdays just weren’t good for either of us because one of us ended up working overtime and weekends were reserved for decompressing, binge watching TV and much needed naps from being exhausted throughout the week.

Wednesday became special. Wednesday became ours.

After deciding on a casual outfit, I get dressed and meet my husband in the living room as he checks showtimes on his phone. I smile to myself, he’s looking rather comfy in his joggers, hoodie and sneakers, in all black of course. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and grabs his All England Techno Club cap, standing and looking in my direction.

“Beautiful.” He manages between his smile, “ready?”

“Let’s go!” I take his hand and grab my purse from the hook by the door. It’s amazing how to this day, every Wednesday feels like our first date.

Kyungsoo cried during the movie.

I didn’t say a word, but I’ll definitely keep this in my back pocket for a more convenient time. We talked about the plot over the best Thai food in town, the same place we’ve gone since we started dating. Years have past and the owners still remember our really awkward first date. Sitting in the restaurant made me smile, all of the memories that were contained in this place, it’s special.

Once we’re done eating, we start strolling downtown, hand in hand. A certain building captures my attention and I stop walking.

“Oooo! Let’s go in the bookstore!”

“Mmmm.” Kyungsoo whines. I stop and turn to face him, pouting my lip.

“Please, please, please?” I beg.

“Okay, love, let’s go.”

“Yes!” I giddily reply.

“How lucky you are that I can’t say no to you, love.” Kyungsoo mutters in my ear as we enter the store.

I walk through the fiction section and glance across the aisle to the culinary section. My heart melted seeing my adorable husband in his cap and glasses reading an Italian cookbook. He never understood why I called him cute, but this is exactly why. His small pout as he studied the contents of the book and flipped the pages excitedly. His silver ring caught the light just so, little moments like this remind me why I married him. He’s my calm, my center of gravity, my home. I turn and pick a book up from the shelf, reading the summary on the back.

“Anything interest you, babe?” Kyungsoo appears next to me. I grin happily and nod my head.

“It’s a novel I’ve been wanting for awhile. O Beautiful by Jung Yun.” Kyungsoo opens his hands and motions his fingers toward me. I slide the book in his hand and he places it at his side. Kyungsoo takes my hand and laces our fingers together, staring intently at the shelf in front of us. He turns toward me and nods, returning his gaze to the shelf. He’d been working hard and his way of spoiling me was buying me books. He never allowed me to protest or say no. He’d just grab the book, keep it at his side and not allow me to argue that he was buying it for me. His wide eyes scan the shelves, not once did he seem remotely interested in a novel.

“Anything interest you?” I ask.

“Not one thing.” We chuckle softly and Kyungsoo pulls me to the corner of the book section. His shy gaze meets mine and he covers our faces with the book, brushing his lips on mine.

“What was that for?” I blush.

“Do I need a reason to kiss you?” He smirks. This isn’t like Kyungsoo, he’s not the kind of guy that likes PDA. Just the thought of getting caught doing something more than holding hands in public deterred him. We walked the shelves full of colorful book spines, venturing to the mid section of the store where the biographies sat. A David Sedaris novel I read in university sticks out to me. Kyungsoo tilts his head with squinted eyes. “Me Talk Pretty One Day? That doesn’t make sense.”

I giggle to myself and skim through the pages, “That’s the point, the author had a speech impediment and these essays are from his experiences going to speech therapy; and what life was like when he was a child. It truly is hilarious. Sad, but hilarious.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head and shoots me a playful look as he disappears in the romance section. I put the book back and shuffle after him, in his hands the novel Twisted Games by Ana Huang. He skims the pages quickly and eyes me carefully.

Oh no.

He’s on chapter 36.

The spiciest chapter in the whole book.

His cheeks bloom a soft pink, an embarrassed smile on his face.

“I understand why you were so flushed when I saw reading this.” He mutters. “Is this what you want?”

“H-Huh?”

“This book. Is this what you want?” Kyungsoo asks lowly.

“I own this book, Soo.” I reply carefully. He walks behind me and brings his arms around me, the book in front of me. His finger points out a sentence that makes me embarrassed to know that he saw with his own eyes.

“That wasn’t what I’m asking. Do you want what’s in this book?” Oh, boy. I fumble over my words and try to answer in the most in-public appropriate way. Kyungsoo closes the book with a laugh and hugs me close as he places it back on the shelf. “You’re so cute, Jagi.”

I turn and push his shoulder. “Kyungsoo! How is embarrassing your wife in public funny! You…” He pulls me in for a kiss with his laugh still trailing on his lips. We’re tucked away in a corner, only the books on the shelves can see what we’re doing. Kyungsoo proudly steps back and leaves a kiss on my cheek.

“You’re so cruel, Mrs. Doh. Hitting your poor, hardworking, defenseless husband like that.”

I shake my head and allow Kyungsoo to lead me upstairs to the travel section. He busies himself with a book on European travel, occasionally gazing up at me. A book on Korea caught my attention and I thumb through the pages of beautiful scenery, places Kyungsoo had told me about so often. Our jobs both had us leave our beloved countries in favor of job promotions, but The US never felt like home for either of us.

“Soo?” I whisper. His curious eyes always get bigger at the sound of his name being called, standing at full attention. I show him the pages of Seoul and his whole face lights up. “I think we should save to go to Korea. You’ve been missing home, and your mom has been begging us for months now.”

“Really? You want to go to Korea?”

“Of course, baby. It’s where you’re from. It’s part of who you are. Plus, my Korean could use some work.”

“Let’s do it, we’ll go in the spring. It will be nice to show you where I’m from.” Kyungsoo closes his book and kisses my free hand. “Every day you remind me why I’m so happy to be married to you. Even after all this time.”

“I still have no idea why you wanted to marry me.” I chuckle as Kyungsoo takes the book, holds it in front of our faces and leaves a few gentle kisses on my cheeks, nose and lips.

“Because you are like your favorite books. Beautiful on the outside, intriguing and intricately gorgeous with passion between each line. You keep my attention. You soothe me. You make me smile at the end of every day. That’s a big deal.” He softly replies, leaving a needy kiss on my lips. “You make me do things I would’ve never done with anyone else.”

“Like kissing me in corners of a bookstore?” I smirk. Kyungsoo nods and presses himself against the wall, his arms pulling me against his chest.

“Yes. Like kissing you in corners of a bookstore.” Once I feel the temperature heat up between us, I snatch the novel he’s holding from his hands and grab his hand to drag him toward the checkout counter. “Babe! Slow down!”

“After you said all that? No way. Buy me this novel and let’s go home. We have… Things to do.” I stumble through my sentence and narrow my eyes at my hysterical husband. “What?!”

“Nothing. I just love you. And all of the things we need to do.” Kyungsoo emphasizes “things” and takes his wallet out of his pocket. He purchases the book and we dart out of the store, laughing together. The workers must think we’re crazy, but we don’t care.

Wednesdays are our nights.

[thiswasneverthat]

wednesday

ㅡ seven masterlist

❅ chan x fem!reader

❅ smut, fluff (I think), a little bit of jealousy issue, praising

❅ wc: 1.2k

A few days ago, your boyfriend decided to create an Instagram account on a whim, also perhaps sparked by sheer curiosity.

Despite not being one to value social interactions beyond family and closest friends, you found yourself amused by his impulsive decision. Nonetheless, you offered Chris your undivided support. You even helped him to pick a profile picture and username.

And it was no surprise for you to see many of his coworkers and college friends follow him on Instagram cause he had always been a popular guy, even in the past.

When he uploaded his very first post, which was some pictures from your holiday together a month ago, a lot of his friends left some nice commentsㅡ complimenting how stunning he looked in the pictures that you took.

"I see you're getting even more popular on Instagram," you teased him when he just got home from work.

"Can you blame me? I have been told so many times that I am irresistible," Chris answered with a smirk, which immediately had you rolling your eyes at him.

"Just go take a shower, Your Highness. You reek of rotten narcissism."

Chris only laughed at your snide comments before he leaned closer and pecked your lips. "I will be right back, milady."

While waiting for Chris to finish his business under the shower, you seized a can of beer from the fridge and sat down on the couch in the living room. You then turned on the TV and immediately scrolled through the screen to pick a movie.

As you both had planned since the morning, the two of you would be indulged in binge-watching while cuddling. You both even made a pact to switch off your phones so you wouldn't be disturbed for the entire night. 

However, a few moments later, Chris' phone which was placed on top of the drawer beside the couch flickered several times.

"Whoops, sorry but he is mine tonight," you murmured to yourself as you reached for the phone with the intention to turn it offㅡ before you instantly changed your mind the moment you saw the screen.

There were Instagram direct message notifications from someone with a name that was not familiar to you.

sent a photo.

sent a photo.

Are you busy? Do you want to hit the gym together?

And maybe we can also hang out at my place tonight?

Your heart dropped to your stomach after you read the messages.

Well.. maybe it was a little exaggerated to say that your heart dropped to your stomach because it was not physically possible, but the point was, you were simply shocked. 

Not because another girl just sent your boyfriend direct messages on Instagram, but because of the extremely straightforward audacity to flirt with Chris.

So, without thinking twice, you launched the Instagram app to see the pictures that she sent.

"Holy shit," you then hissed harshly, eyes as wide as a saucer.

Displayed on the screen were two pictures of a girl with long hair. She seemed to be in a gym studio and she was only wearing a sports bra that flaunt her cleavage and a biker short that accentuated her plump ass.

And as if your hands had minds on their own, you zoomed in the pictures to see her face clearly.

"Damn, she is so stunning," the words slipped out of your mouth without you realizing.

She was devilishly luscious. She had a demure yet alluring smile etched on her face, while the glint in her gaze seemed to possess a spellbinding intensity that left you momentarily speechless.

Your very teeny-weeny jealousy that was previously ignited by her messages then was quickly replaced by your insecurities. 

As much as it pained you to admit, but if Chris was to cheat on you with herㅡ which you highly doubted, you would still understand his decision. Hell, even if you were a man yourself, you would love to date her.

"Damn, I definitely should start working out again," you said to yourself while still staring at her pictures.

"Why? Why do you want to work out again?" Chris asked from the doorway. He frowned at you while drying his hair with a towel.

"Uh, it's because.."

"Hm? Because of what?"

You thought for a moment as your pursed your lips. You knew he wouldn't be mad at you just because you read his messages, but you couldn't help to feel bad because it was also a part of his personal space.

 "Well.. I didn't mean to, but I accidentally read your DM from Instagram and.."

"And what?" Chris asked casually, he didn't even react when you said you read his messages.

"Come here then. You need to see this."

Once Chris sat next to you on the couch, you handed him the phone and observed his face for his reaction.

"Oh, she is a coworker and she had always tried to approach me at the office but I never gave her any response that was beyond a professional relationship between coworkers," Chris clarified with a shrug, still couldn't grasp what you were trying to convey. 

"No, that's not what I mean, babe. I know you wouldn't do that."

"Then what?"

"Look at the pictures she sent you," you pointed to the screen with your finger. "Isn't she gorgeous? Look at her ass.. and even her boobs. I really need to work out again, I swear."

"Baby.." Chris was visibly stunned for a moment as he raised an eyebrow at you. "Have you seen yourself? At least in the mirror?"

"What..?"

"Tell me you are joking," he shook his head before he put his phone on the table and cupped your face with both of his hands. "Please, tell me you are joking."

"No, I am not," you answered seriouslyㅡ which caused Chris to break into a very wide smile.

"She got nothing on you, baby. You are unrivaled, don't you know that?"

"Liar," you snorted and rolled your eyes. You thought he only said that to make you feel better.

"Oh, you silly," still with a wide smile on his face, Chris leaned forward to playfully nibble on your lips. "But, I can help though if you want to work out."

Shortly after he had finished kissing, nibbling, and biting your lips, Chris carried you to the bed and pinned you underneath him. He trailed feathery kisses along the column of your neck to your shoulders.

"I have just the perfect workout routine for you," he whispered next to your ear as he caressed your tits through your shirt.

And.. Long gone was your insecurity.

When he started to undress you, all you could think about was him.

"You are so beautiful and my heart is aching," Chris said against your skin before he latched his mouth on your nipple. He took his time to suck and lick your tits, leaving reddish marks all over your chest.

"You are the prettiest and you are mine," he continued with a smirk as he buried his face between your legs. He teasingly nuzzled the bridge of his nose against your folds before he spoiled your dripping cunt with wet kisses and delicate touches of his skillful fingers.

"I love you, baby. So, so fucking much," those words escaped his mouth as he glanced up to lock his eyes with you while rubbing your swollen clit with his thumb. "The only workout you need is this. Got it?" 

[mixsethaddams]

Steve was bored.

Like, it was about to become a problem type of bored. He was practically falling asleep at his desk and he was already on warning after being late to work. You’d think his boss would be a little kinder for something as simple as sleeping through an alarm, but noooooo. She had to ‘make an example’, apparently. What a bitch. Instant written warning, no second chances.

Great.

It didn’t even happen for a good reason anyway. He binged some dumb Netflix show and kept hitting ‘Next Episode’ until 4am. It wasn’t even well written. So now here he was with a weight behind his eyes and half a mind to write a strongly worded letter to find out what the hell the writers were thinking with that ending.

He would have called out entirely if it wasn’t Wednesday. Steve’s favourite day of the week, because Wednesday was the day the interns from the business campus across town came in.

They were all Steve’s age or thereabouts, his status as a nepo baby securing his less-than-desirable spot in his father’s business behind this stupid desk, and under the watchful eye of Diane, right out of highschool. He envied how the students came in, sat in the corner of meetings and took frantic notes, before going off in a great big gaggle for lunch together while Steve ate a foil wrapped ham and cheese sandwich alone in the staff break room.

So Wednesday meant interns, meant crowded meetings, meant loud discussions of how to split a deli tab, meant Eddie.

Eddie.

Steve could barely keep his eyes off him any time he paraded through the office. His grey slacks were on the borderline of being too baggy for dress code, his white shirt was never tucked in but it was fitted to the point of maybe it was just a size too small, so it didn’t matter anyway. Even his slim black tie, flying around as Eddie bounced through the office, gave an extra endearing quality to the man. And the mop of curly hair, haphazardly thrown up into a bun on top of his head? Don’t get Steve started.

Steve had been looking for an ‘in’ for months now. Time was running out, the internship programme would be ending soon and Wednesday would go back to being just a regular day. No students, no Eddie. Steve tried once or twice to say hi when they passed in the parking lot but Eddie only ever offered a distracted smile before going back to whatever he was doing on his phone. He never even took out his headphones.

It wasn’t until Steve was sitting in the break room one Thursday, forcing himself to chew through stale bread and ham that had smelled better yesterday, that he finally got a chance. He was silently stewing at the fact Diane was forcing him to reenter a huge data sheet of figures later on that day. He fucking hated reentries, and she knew it.

“Hey,” said Eddie, standing at the door before sitting across from Steve at the table.

Steve realised he’d gone too long without replying when Eddie’s eyebrows quirked inwards.

“Hey, hi, yeah…. Hey,” said Steve quickly. He was suddenly very aware of how bland his grey shirt/navy sweater combo looked in comparison to Eddie’s….everything. It didn’t matter that Eddie was dressed in monotone greys today, it was just him.

“You’re not usually here on Thursdays,” said Steve, aiming for casual.

Eddie smirked.

“Yeah well,” he said, leaning back heavily in his chair. “I messed up some figures yesterday so I offered to come in today to fix it. No classes in the afternoon so, made sense,”

Eddie finished with a shrug. Steve had no idea what he’d just said because this was actually the first time he’d heard Eddie’s voice without the buzz of the entire office in the background and he felt like he wanted to swim in it.

“Cool, cool,” said Steve, hoping that was an appropriate response.

Eddie nodded and regarded Steve carefully, eyes dragging over the parts of him that weren’t hidden by the table.

“You take a lot of notice when I’m here….?” began Eddie, leaning forward and motioning for Steve to fill in the blank.

“Oh, S-Stephen, Steve, uh, Steve,” he stammered, clearing his throat.

“Steve,” repeated Eddie slowly. “I’m Eddie,”

Steve knew his name. Had made a mission of finding it out. Broke six different company policies on privacy to find it after the first week.

Steve just nodded, shy now.

“So tell me, Steve,” said Eddie, dragging his teeth over his lip when he said Steve’s name. “Do you always notice when I’m not here?”

“It’s…It’s intern day, Wednesdays,” floundered Steve. “You’re an intern. Wednesday is your day. To be here, I mean, and this is…Thursday, so…”

Eddie’s eye narrowed as a grin tugged on the edge of his mouth.

“Desk 405, right?” asked Eddie, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. “Third cubicle past the bathrooms, right next to the cooler?”

Steve’s mouth dropped open.

“Yeah, yes, uh, how did…” Steve cleared his throat again. “Why do you know where my desk is?”

Eddie stood, pocketing the paper again.

“You’re the one who’s going to help me fix my mistake,” said Eddie, rapping his knuckles on the table, calling over his shoulder as he left. “Thank Diane, she said you love data reentry,”

Steve did always like Diane.

[ornii]

Ya dun goofed. Now I'm invested in My Bitter Half and I will binge all of it and support it as long as you're willing.

My Better Bitter Half Part 3

Sibling Rival, Part 2

(Y/n) and Wednesday talk about their feelings.

Wednesday was inside her dorm, typing upon her typewriter to the utmost intent. She listens softly to “La Llorona” as she continues but eventually stops to speak to someone.

“You can stop your perverted staring.” She says, In the corner, (Y/n) is leaning against the wall, he walks over behind her.

“Well I would, but I can’t trust you to go ten feet without trying to escape. And I don’t have a tracking collar to put around your neck, so this is the only option.” You say, Wednesday stands and turns to face you, her arms folded.

“As Ive Said before you cannot stop me.”

“Oh I can, and I will. You have no other options Aki Hermana, and I detest the idea of my other half living as some puckish fugitive. So put you big girl garments on, and accept your fate.”

“If you think you can stop me, I implore you to try, you may be taller by a measly five inches but I excel in all things you fail in.”

“Listen Here—“

The siblings bicker until the bed creaks, catching their ears, the two stop and slowly turn to Wednesday’s bed.

“Did you hear that?” You ask.

“Of course I did.” Wednesday replies and the two slowly approach the bed, Wednesday grabs the edge and swiftly removes the cover, and they come across a hand, switches together and living without any other body part.

“Hello, Thing.” The twins say, thing is pinned to the desk as (Y/n) has a pair of sharp scissors in the other hand.

“Did you think my highly trained olfactory sense wouldn't pick up on the faint whiff of neroli and bergamot in your favorite hand lotion?” Wednesday says. You grip him tighter and smirk,

“I could do this all day. Surrender?” You say and he relents, you let go and he begins to frantically tap.

“Mother and Father sent you to spy on us, didn't they?” Wednesday said, listening to Thing disposition.

“Hm, it seems even I’m not above the watchful eye of mother and father.” You say, and Wednesday shakes her head.

“That they thought I wouldn't find out proves how much they underestimate me. Oh, Thing, you poor, naive appendage. My parents aren't worried about us. They're evil puppeteers who want to pull the strings even from afar. The way I see it, you have two options. Option one. I lock you in here for the rest of the semester, and you go slowly insane trying to claw your way out, ruining your nails and your smooth, supple skin, And we both know how vain you are.” Wednesday says.

“Option two.” You chime in, “You pledge your undying loyalty to us.” You say, Thing reluctantly bends his, finger to the twins.

“Good.” You say.

“Our first order of business is to escape this teenage purgatory.” Wednesday thinks.

“Our first order of business is to keep my dear dreadful sister within the confines of her prison.” You think.

Even when the Addams twins are on the same page, they still continue their deception upon even each other. Suddenly the door opens and a tall, beautiful woman steps out, Weems.

“Ah. Addams, it’s good I do not have to search for the other, come. Your therapist is awaiting.”

“Well dear sister, I must say goodbye.” You say, but Weems pipes up.

“You’re coming as well (Y/n).” She says, you jerk your head suddenly to her.

“Excuse me?” You ask.

“Yes, you’d mother wished for you both to attend, to work out your issues.”

“Issues? I have no issues.”

“That’s a lie.” Wednesday chimes in.

“I— if I’m lying then let god strike me down right now.” You say, suddenly they can hear thunder boom in the distance. Wednesday turns back to him coyly.

“It seems he has spoken.” She says, (Y/n) and Wednesday were driven to the therapists office. The two sit in separate chairs, Wednesday with her classic deadpanned demeanor, (Y/n) with arms folded, leg folded as well. The two sir across from a woman with slight dirty blonde hair, Dr Kinbott.

“I read the notes from your school counselors.” Kinbott says.

“Mrs. Bronstein. She had a nervous breakdown after our last session and had to take a six-month sabbatical.”

“How did you feel about that?” Kinbott asks Wednesday First.

“Vindicated. But someone who crochets for a hobby isn't a worthy adversary.” She responds.

“Adversary? I hope we can forge a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.”

You scoff at this.

“This isn’t some Kumbaya ritual.” You day:,

“This is a safe space, (Y/n). A sanctuary where we can discuss anything. What you're thinking, feeling, your views on the world, personal philosophy.”

“That's easy. I think that this is a waste of time.” Wednesdays says. “I see the world as a place that must be endured, and my personal philosophy is kill or be killed.”

“So, for instance, when someone bullies your brother, your response is to dump piranha in the pool. Or in your case (Y/n), when a few boys push your sister down, you burn their houses down.” Kinbott says to the twins.,

“You know the old saying, never bring a knife to a sword fight Unless it's concealed.” Wednesday said, Kinbott turns to (Y/n).

“(Y/n), you can understand why it’s bad to burn social bridges like this.”

“I don’t burn bridges, I demolish them.” You respond.

“Point is, you assaulted a boy, you’ve committed arson, and showed no remorse for your actions, That's why you're both here. He lost a testicle.”

“I did the world a favor. People like Dalton shouldn't procreate.”

“And children should know to keep their hands to themselves, common courtesy. Are done here?” You ask.

“We're not done yet. Therapy is a valuable tool to help you understand yourself, It can teach you new ways to deal with your emotions, it can also help mend bridges with your family.” Kinbott smiles at the twins.

“Why don’t we begin, with You (Y/n). How do you feel about your sister?”

“How do I feel? She’s smart, resourceful, and a genius. But she gets in her own way and is a stubborn black Mule when it comes to people giving her genuine and honest advice.” You say.

“That’s.. something.” Kinbott said, “Wednesday?”

Wednesday looks a bit uncomfortable, but opens her mouth.

“My brother is clever, intelligent and surprisingly deceptive. But his personal issues stem from his inferiority complex. Therefore he has some grandeur ideal to be some savior for me.”

“It’s not some grandeur ideal, you’re going to get yourself killed running away.”

“That’s my problem, not yours.”

“You are my sister, my problems are your problems.”

“It seems you don’t understand, I share nothing with you besides the blood we share.”

“You can’t accept the fact someone is looking out for you.”

“Why would I want a self indulgent Narcissist to help me?”

“Because the antisocial sociopath will get in her own way and get herself in trouble she can’t escape from.”

“Please, you two.” Kinbott said, let’s be more respectful of each other. It’s obvious you two have, issues with coach other and perhaps we can come to an understanding of love, let’s start with Wednesday, Why don't we dig into that?”

[fullofgutsndopamine]

See That Space In Your Head (And I Want To Fill It In)

or; the board game au

tw: cursing

look, it isn't the most nerdy thing you've ever done.

And you aren't proud of it-you aren't sure if that helps or not-but moving into a new town, in a new city- a new state, halfway across the country-known for its cold, dark and long winters well-you had to make friend somehow.

And he was so fucking persistent on Facebook too.

The posts neared non stop, always to the top of the group, right above people always posting the new fox sighting and where it was heading.

The first post was innocent enough.

Still need new members for the board to death club! we meet every other wednesday in the heart of the library.

the only comments under were spam and people looking for directions to the library. charlie didn't comment back to either.

The next post was two days later:

board to death meeting wednesay where we finally find out who's the best. come join us. Thornhill Library @ 6pm!

it's the last post that borders on pleading that makes you comment.

board to death. Thornhill Library. Newbies definitely not invited or encouraged.

look, you can sense the sarcasm in it but the way he's been posting nearing every other day for people to join his club but won't elaborate on what it is or anything besides the fucking name is making your chest boil with rage and your fingers take over across your keyboard before you can stop it

maybe, just maybe telling people what the club is would help and make people join? I dunno, just a thought.

you submit it before you can question that it's too sarcastic, too rude, not a way to make friends in this town-you're wrestling with the idea of deleting it before anyone can see it when your phone bings with a facebook notification.

it's him.

hm. thought the name alone would give it away. join us wednesday and see what we do :-)

bastard.

you weren't planning on going.

planned on leaving the conversation there, letting it die but the idea of it was killing you and you found yourself lacing up your shoes and slipping a coat over your shoulders to brave the Chicago cold before you could stop yourself.

the library was on the only busy street, which figures, and parking was a nightmare almost turned around about five times before you reminded yourself you were just stopping by-haven't gotten a library card yet and while you're here you might as well see what this silly club is about

as you park and enter, a death grip on the envelopes in your hands to get the stupid card, you notice how busy it is. And how incredibly loud it is.

The librarian behind the desk doesn't seem bothered by it either, talking at a loud volume with someone else behind the desk.

you lose the confidence you had, sliding the bills into your back pocket and slinking off to what you think would be 'the heart of the library'

it's not hard to find, fortunately

or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it.

a small group of people stand around a table stacked high with board games and who you think would be the lead stands next to it, hands on his hips.

it takes you a second to recognize it's charlie from the facebook post. he’s laughing with the small circle around him, his glasses are crooked on his nose but if it bothers him, he doesn’t make a move to adjust them. he wears a bright green shirt with a periodic table on it that says i have fun periodically and truly, that’s all you needed to know about what was happening.

you almost have to stop yourself from turning around and leaving but the conversation stops you-

"Yeah well Monopoly ends marriages but none of us are married so who fucking cares?"

"It's a figure of speech, you idiot." someone says back, pinching the bridge of their nose.

They're short next to charlie, a mess of blonde hair that's uncombed.

"Look," he finally holds his hands up in surrender, “i’ll-“

his eyes flash to you.

"well," he smirks, "hello there."

Your face is bright red before you can stop it and you try to wipe the look off your face-

"You're part of the facebook group, right?" charlie steps forward, the smirk high on his face, produces "The one who didn't know who we were?"

The blush is replaced by annoyance.

"What kind of name is board to death that meets in a library?"

he shrugs, crosses his arms over his chest:

"I dunno," he says, the smirk never leaving, "Probably a board game club."

you can't help the oh that escapes from your mouth and his friends behind him are laughing and you want to disappear.

"Right." you shrug, "guess i know now-" you turn to leave and he's at your elbow.

"Hey," his voice is high and comforting, is trying to make it quiet so it’s between you two"Stay and play a game. I was just kidding."

and you feel so fucking dumb like it's so obvious now, and you want to disappear-

"Seriously," he says, "Stay. nothing makes me feel better than beating Nick at Life. Really, whatever you're going through, it'll make it better."

you hesitate and before you can turn around, tell him no, he's pulling your elbow: "come on, i promise. and if it sucks, you can leave."

you obey, sitting next to charlie as he sits with this smile on his face, his face now pink like he's embarrassed as he fumbles with his glasses.

"charlie," he offers his hand, "nice to finally meet you."

you hesitate and shake his hand, introducing yourself as well.

"nice to meet the facebook menace himself," you finally ease up, "ready to lose?"

and it's a big statement, especially considering you've never played and you don't know him, but he leans back into the seat, his shoulder brushing yours as he smirks:

"Bring it on."

[nontoxic-writes]

WIP Wednesday

ive been working on my former-child-star Jake/nepo-baby-rockstar Bradley fake dating/friends-with-benefits hangster fic a lot this week and im loving where it’s going so here’s some pining idiots.

it’s late so im not gonna tag anyone, but if you have something you’re excited about, consider this your tag!

“Okay, give me the full picture. What are you wearing?” Bradley asks, his voice low in the receiver.

Jake barks out a laugh. “Not that kind of call.”

“You could still tell me,” Bradley responds, and Jake can hear the pout in his voice. He refuses to admit that it makes him smile.

He sighs. “Sweatpants and a t-shirt.”

“And how tight is the t-shirt?”

Jake grins. Fuck, he likes him so goddamn much. “Tight enough.”

“You’re so bad at this,” Bradley says with feigned exasperation. “Can we switch to FaceTime?”

Jake hesitates for a moment. “Um, can we talk first?” he asks, his fingers tapping out an erratic beat where they rest on the countertop.

Bradley is silent for a second. “…Sure.”

“It’s just… I have to talk to you about something, and I don’t want to see your face when I do it.”

“Sounds ominous,” Bradley responds, his voice flat and even.

“I got an invite to Logan Lee’s wedding.”

“Who the fuck is Logan Lee?”

“I thought you binged Baby On Board?”

“I watched your scenes.”

Jake blushes. This is why he hates FaceTiming Bradley. “Logan played my brother.”

“Which brother? Wasn’t the whole premise the big adopted family?”

“Well he wasn’t the baby, Bradley, that kid’s only like five years old now.”

“Oh, sweetheart, do I have bad news for you about the passage of time.”

Jake bites back a smile. Asshole. “Anyway, he played my ‘twin,’” Jake says, calling back the not-actually-funny-but-the-laughtrack-thought-it-was-hilarious running joke on the show, since their characters were adopted the same year.

“Oh. That one.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah. Anyway. The wedding is in two months. In Italy. You’re my plus one, if you want to come.”

Bradley is silent for a moment before he carefully asks, “You want me to go with you?”

“You’re named on the invitation, Bradley. And as far as everyone is concerned, we’ve been in a relationship for the last two and a half years.”

“I mean, you can tell them I’m busy, I won’t be offended if you don’t want me there. Could make photos awkward.”

Jake rolls his eyes. “I’ll have more fun with you there. But you don’t have to. I know you’re on tour—“

“Tour ends in a month,” Bradley says, cutting him off. “I’ll be there.”

Jake feels betrayed by the hopeful feeling swelling in his chest, by the grin that takes over his face, by the way he knows Bradley can hear it when he confirms with an uncertain, “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Now switch to FaceTime and take your pants off.”

[gettingskinny]

Okay I feel like shit…

A little update: I couldn’t finish my fast, I almost passed out at work before I had to drive and it wasn’t safe. I can’t fast more then 19 hours it seems like, at least during the work week.

I ended my fast at a little over 20 hours, then I picked the worst food to eat, I should have picked something lower calorie.

I made a go to meal of mine (rice with Alfredo sauce and parmesean and chicken) it came out to 576 calories.

I’m fasting until tomorrow morning.

I think I need to slow down and not push myself (too much, push but safely) I’m terrified I’m going to binge and ruin all of my progress.

Yesterdays total calories was 518 total calories

I think for the rest of the month I’m going to try and stay under 700 calories. Which is doable, it’s been doable the past two days and I think I can do it.

I have a trip at the end of the month with my sister so I know I won’t be able to fast or restrict too much. I’ll be going to Chicago for a concert. I’ll probably count at least Wednesday when I leave as a metab day. I don’t think there’s any way around it.

When I get back from that trip it will be august and I’ll get strict with things.

Monday: 600 cal limit

Tuesday: 500 cal limit

Wednesday: 400 cal limit

Thursday 300 cal limit

Friday: 200 cal limit

Saturday: fast from last meal on Friday and all day Saturday (this I can do because I tend to “forget” to eat when I get busy)

Sunday: 100 cal limit.

I’m gonna do that for a week or two and I’ll update with my weight and how that went.

I feel weak and like I have no self control. Why did I have to eat that? Why did I have to cave? The feeling it passing out passed and I should have kept going. I feel disgusting and I hate myself for doing this. It’s too late, I already ate.

[oh-my-may]

In the span of the last two days I finished both 2.1 Penacony main quest in hsr AND chapter 13 of ff7 Rebirth to say I have thoughts would be an understatement my mind is a labyrinth with an unknown end and the path changes as I make my way through...

Expect two huge posts about my experience soon 😭

Also The Sunshine Court came out (I completely missed release day ofc) and the book is sitting on my amazon kindle but WHEN WILL I HAVE THE TIME TO ABSOLUTELY BREATHE THROUGH IT???

I have also arrived post timeskip in one piece. Why did i start actively bingeing again I HAVE NO TIME.

Why oh why must all this happen when I'm busy... Taylor album on friday, adventurine banner on wednesday, genshin 4.6 next week... I HAVE WORK. My hyperfixations have come united to end me before my birthday this month I am convinced.

[bbarican]

࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ----- holy week 2024

wednesday ended up being not so busy thankfully kasi im pretty sure somewhere along the way narealize ng bosses ko na wala na talagang may gana mag work nung day na yun

we left for batangas ng wednesday night kaso tbh hesitant talaga kami to live nang dahil nga willow is pregnant and we all felt like she was about to give birth anytime soon

ayun, thursday morning, our plans were all over the place kasi nga manganganak na si willow

buti nalang our relatives who live a bit near to us got to attend to willow and bring her to the vet on time and everythings okay naman in the end, we have 5 healthy puppies!

i got a bit frustrated lang yesterday kasi suuuuuper daming plano na hindi natuloy and as you all know i hate it when plans dont really get followed

but im glad na i had fun going to the beach after so long, catching up with some of my really good childhood friends after so long too, and eating good food and relaxing as much as possible

we decided to leave earlier than anticipated; we left kaninang umaga and we just got back home this afternoon

since wala na kaming other plans for the rest of the long weekend, i invited him over to my place and he said yes and im really really excited to just binge watch so many movies with him tomorrow

but before that, i have my things and my room to organize and clean and i have some puppers to take care of too

i hope yall are staying safe and hydrated and are having a peaceful holy week with your friends and family

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Onyx Eyes & Spooky Antiques | Rhett Abbott Imagine | Outer Range x Addams Family

Contains light spoilers to Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’

My Masterlists

Characters & Pairings: Rhett Abbott x Persephone Addams!OC (Romantic), The Abbott Family, The Addams Family, Maria Olivares

Content Warnings: fluff, morbid sense of humor (typical Addams family style), slight profanity, slight spoilers for ‘Wednesday’, bullying and slight animal cruelty. Cannon divergence | Female OC (she/her) | Wc: 9k

Premise: Returning to Wabang with a broken heart, Rhett Abbott longed to be able to open up to someone without history repeating itself. When his niece, Amy, requests out of the blue to go to a antique store he had yet to discover, the familiar name attached to it has him thinking back to his high school days. Now ten years after wondering what happened to the oldest daughter of Wabang’s most peculiar family, Rhett gets his answers…and possibly something more along the way.

Note: omg I don’t know why this came to mind, but after binging ‘Wednesday’ and hyper-fixating on Rhett Abbott and Top Gun lately I just wanna do a Addams family crossover series/dribbles. This was in my head for at least a good day before I got to writing it and it’s probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. I hope y’all enjoy and just know there is some cannon divergence to fit the narrative. Let me know if yall liked this because I’m thinking of doing a whole Drabble list of my Addams!OC x Rhett Abbott (like Rhett meeting the Addams family, his reacting to the relationship, Maria returning, etc) if this gets well received. 🥺

———————————————

“Can you take me to Addams Antiques, Uncle Rhett?” The plate Rhett was washing nearly slipped from his hands. With wide eyes he turned to his side to find Amy holding out her own plate with puppy dog eyes. In his head he thought, ‘did I hear her right?’

“Run that by me again.”

She gave a sound that resembled an annoyed sigh, “Can you please take me to Addams Antiques? It’s over by the farmers market grandma is always going to after church.”

“I don’t remember that being there months ago,” Rhett mumbled, drying the plate before placing it on the dish rack and taking the one from Amy. It had been about a month since Rhett returned home after the shit show that was his relationship with Maria. After years of harboring a crush on her, Rhett thought he finally got the chance he was dreaming of.

But it didn’t go as planned. Now he was stuck home again, bull riding his way to make enough money to leave and helping his parents with the ranch. What he enjoyed the most being back was getting to spend time with Amy. She had updated him on all that was new in town and what he missed when he was gone. Hearing there was an antique store sharing a familiar name he hadn’t heard in a long time was something new.

Though Adams with one ‘d’ was a common last name, Rhett only knew of one family who spelled it with two. The Addams family, who lived on the outskirts of town in the middle of nowhere between the hills and mountains—closed off from the rest of civilization. None of the locals dared to travel close to their spooky mansion that seemed to have its own fog surrounding it along with their private graveyard.

The Addams family had moved to the small town of Wabang over ten years earlier. A wealthy family, they invested in several businesses and owned many of their own including the town’s funeral home and floral shop (which only sold bouquets in the color palette of red, white, black, and grey).

Their appearance was a shock to the many generations of residents who were put off by their gothic style and peculiarity views of life. Rumors immediately spread upon their arrival: that their butler was actually Frankenstien’s monster, that the uncle was a wanted fugitive. Many were certain their fountain of wealth came from dirty money that the father Gomez was involved in. His pinstriped suit and cigar hanging from his mouth made him look like a gangster from the 20s. Women, envious of the beautiful Morticia, voiced her to be a vampire or witch who cursed people that disrespected the family.

They might be right with their suspicions—considering when a drifter attempted to cop a feel on her and began having a seizure.

Gomez and Morticia were the couple everyone in Wabang looked at with distaste yet silently admired. Everyone saw how genuine their love was for each other and their family. Gomez worshiped the ground Morticia walked on, and Morticia always looked at Gomez as though it was the first time she saw him.

Then there were the children. Three very odd children who were known to say or do things that were unorthodox to the conversative townsfolk. The youngest, Puglsey, seemed to always wear a striped t-shirt and shorts who enjoyed vandalism and partaking in whatever his sister Wednesday was up to. Wednesday, the middle child and youngest daughter, was never seen without her long black pigtails and stone cold face. Her monotone voice and habit of saying the most morbid things scared away kids her age—not that she minded, in fact, she enjoyed scaring them. A prodigy on the cello, Wednesday was asked to play for the high school when she was still an elementary student….until she was kicked off for setting fire to the band room at practice when the kids stole her music sheets to sabotage her.

Lastly there was the oldest, Persephone. Named after the Greek beauty herself. She was ten years older than Wednesday and twelve older than Pugsley. Like her siblings, Persephone was pale with straight black hair that fell above her shoulders and plump dusty rose lips she often painted with blood red lipstick. Cheekbones high with jawlines that could cut through wood. She stood out like a sore thumb in school with her black attire that contained lace, leather, skulls, roses, and all things dark. At school she mostly kept to herself, hiding away in the library or the art room during study hall and lunch. People snickered as they would pass her, write ‘freak’ in sharpie on her locker, or gave looks of distaste.

Persephone never paid any mind to them. She never gave the attention they desired which only made them more frustrated. Hardly would she speak to anyone, save for the teachers, but every now and then she’d make a witty comeback to whoever insulted her which left the entire classroom speechless. Like when Destiny Samuels told her she looked like she was always dressed for a funeral and Persephone, deadpan, went, “I’m practicing for when I attend yours.”

Destiny never made eye contact with her ever again.

Rhett remembered Persephone. She transferred to the high school at the beginning of his junior year and was already far ahead than most in their class. At no point would Rhett consider her a friend or even an acquaintance. The only time he ever found himself close in proximity with Persephone was when they sat next to each other in Spanish—though he couldn’t remember ever seeing her do class work because it was learned quickly that Spanish was her native tongue and spoke in full conversations with the teacher rather than partake in the lecture. Then one time Rhett was passing the French classroom during free period and overheard her speaking full French with the teacher.

The week later, Rhett was serving detention and had to clean out the gym where he found Persephone in a heated fencing duel with a person he’d never seen before. Turns out, it was her private coach and Persephone was training to take home the national title.

She did, not allowing her opponent to get a single point in. The news came with her face plastered on every newspaper in the state. To the surprise of everyone, Persephone donated her earnings to the elementary school for new computers and library books. Not too long after, once people got over their jealousy, parents were—with hesitance— approaching Persephone to ask for fencing lessons for their children.

And you can best believe she charged high prices.

There were two times where Rhett Abbott exchanged words with Persephone Addams. The first happened when Persephone was purposely bumped into by Maria and her crew—the group giggling as the contents in Persephone’s hands spilled to the ground. At the time Rhett was sporting a massive crush on Maria and was going to ignore the situation like everyone else, but something in his head told him he’d feel guilty—and his momma raised him better than that. Even if she thought the same of the Addams family as the whole town.

So when Rhett knelt down to help gather some pages that scattered, he saw the visible reaction of Persephone, who paused slightly before shuffling through her bag to throw in pens and markers. Not a word was spoken as the two cleaned up the mess. Rhett was careful to not accidentally tear the papers, which he recognized as some of her artwork. It was all done in charcoal and oils—mostly consisting of spiders, snakes, graveyards, castles, with a few portraits of historical figures and her family. Rhett couldn’t help but let his eyes linger. They were beautiful.

“These are really good,” he said before he could stop himself. The words have Persephone still, finally looking up to him after keeping her head down the entire time. Here Rhett was able to get a better look at her face and he felt the air catch in his throat.

She was mesmerizing.

In class Rhett only ever saw her side profile which was often concealed by her dark hair or scarf. Now it was less than five feet from him and clear as day. There was not a blemish in sight on her pale skin and the contours of her cheeks were what models strived for. Her eyes were nearly black like onyx and accentuated by the eyeliner framing them with thick long lashes that gave her an almost doll-like appearance. It was like she was a character from a Tim Burton movie.

“Thank you,” even her voice was haunting and sensual. The simple phrase sends chills down Rhett’s arms. “And thank you…for helping me. That was very kind of you.”

Rhett forgot how to think, blinking rapidly as he began to stutter, “U-uh, yeah-yeah. No problem.” He extended his hand holding the drawings, watching her own reach out to take them. Her manicured nails were painted the same color as her lips, blood red. Rhett flinched as a spark of electricity coursed through him when her finger brushed over his. When he looked up, she was frozen in a daze. Rhett frowned, confusion filling him as he snapped his fingers in front of her only to be met with no reaction.

It was like she was a robot that lost its battery.

Suddenly he was jumping back when she rapidly blinked. “Sorry!” She said, quickly snatching the papers and closing them into a random book before gathering the rest of her belongings. Standing up in a rush, Persephone turned on her heel and rushed down the hall to the class she was now late to. Rhett was left crouching on the ground, a pink hue to the top of his ears as he tried to wrap his head around what happened. People were looking at him like, ‘were you really talking to the Addams freak?’ Not liking the looks, Rhett scurried off to his class—knowing it was going to be the talk of the school for the rest of the week.

And it did…ending horribly. Well not for Rhett, per say, but for Persephone.

Words spread like wildfire in Wabang and the high school was usually at the center of it. So when the news of Rhett helping Persephone Addams broke, followed by a classmate catching sight of a portrait she drew of him, some people found it as bait.

Especially Maria.

Maria saw it as an opportunity to poke fun at the oldest Addams. Even though it was well known Persephone was a loner at school, it didn’t stop people, especially Maria, from being envious of her. Persephone was naturally beautiful, a prodigy in fencing and the arts, intelligent to the point where teachers hardly gave her class work because she already knew the material inside and out and didn’t give a fuck about what others thought of her.

Getting attention from Rhett and possibly having a crush on him was enough to fuel the fire slowly burning in Maria.

And so the Friday before spring break of their junior year, Maria gathered her friends and broke into Persephone’s locker during their study hall while she was in her AP English class. To their shock, not only was the locker filled with plants, but also found a large grey rat in a cage running on a wheel perched on the top shelf. “She is the type to have weird pets,” Maria cringed, taking the cage in her hands while someone ripped the vines and flowers from their pots. Finally they spotted the black leather bound book they figured was her sketchbook and snatched it.

When Rhett exited his U.S History class that afternoon, the sound of laughter coming from the next hallway drew his attention. People had their phones out and were taking pictures or video recording. “Damn, did you see the look on her face!” He heard someone laugh. “I knew she had a crush on Abbott—I caught her eye fucking him the other day in Spanish.” As he came around the corner Rhett froze at a horrible sight.

Not only was Persephone covered in a red slushie, but several of her drawings were torn to pieces and hanging on the lockers. Rhett spotted Maria on the opposite side, holding her stomach from how hard she was laughing while her friends mirrored her on either side. Then his eyes drifted over to what Maria had in her hand, recognizing the style of charcoal in the portrait. His own face stared back at him.

Persephone had drawn him. The only color being that of his cerulean eyes in contrast to the black and grey of his visage. It was so detailed it was like he was staring in a mirror.

He couldn’t even react because soon the situation took a darker turn when something dropped from the ceiling, hanging in front of Persephone so it was eye level. It was a lifeless grey rat.

“Should’ve known a freak like you would keep rats for pets, Addams,” Maria snickered, watching as the teen’s eyes widened as it stared back into the dead eyes of their pet. “I bet you even have his grave plot reserved at home. Huh?” Maria crumbled the drawing in her hand, throwing it at Persephone which ended up hitting the rat causing it to hit her in the face. It sent another wave of laughter through the crowd. “Oh and forget about that little crush of yours. No one in this town will ever get with a freak like you. Enjoy your spring break—have fun burying your pet.”

Everyone dispersed after that, leaving Persephone—save for Rhett—in the middle of the hall. Shaky hands came up to wipe the residue on her face before gently taking the rat in her hands. Rhett waited until everyone was gone, ignoring the way people clapped him on the back with the snide, ‘go get your girl, Abbott,’ before walking up to Persephone.

She didn’t look at him, keeping her head down to gaze at the dead rat, running a finger over his neck to find it crushed. Rhett picked up the crumbled paper, unraveling it to reveal the drawing of him. When she didn’t react, Rhett took it upon himself to remove the torn pieces of the artwork off the walls. They were the same ones he saw that monday along with a few others he assumed were new.

Anger filled him, furious at Maria and the entire school for committing such a cruel act. The drawings were not only torn but also marked with sharpie with the words, ‘freak,’ and ‘witch.’ There was even a drawing of a stick figure tied to what appeared to be a stake. What the fuck was wrong with people? And to kill a rat and throw a slushie on Persephone to humiliate her? How could anyone condone that when she did nothing to them.

“Hey,” he approached her when he got all the pieces. Her dark hair glistened under the light from the liquid, red staining her face and neck. It just so happened Persephone was wearing a white dress that day under her blazer so the fabric was now ruined. Black streaks streamed down her face as a result of the eyeliner she was wearing. Rhett felt his heart clench, sympathy overtaking his anger. “I-I I’m so sorry. Uh-I had no idea—t-that Maria would do—.”

“Not your fault,” she cut him off gently. Rhett watched in silence as she took the cage sticking out of the trash can to place her rat in before placing it to the ground. Without looking at him, Persephone took the papers and discarded the torn pieces, keeping the crumbled one of him in her hand. Next thing Rhett knew she was handing it to him, “Here. You can have this. Unless you find it weird and then you can throw it away. I don’t mind whatever you choose.” And so she stood with her hand out, waiting for Rhett to take it from her.

He wasn’t sure what to think. Part of him felt confused as to why she felt the need to draw him, another part of him a weird feeling of warmth. Hardly any girls ever paid attention to him. With a slight blush, Rhett gently took the sketch—trying not to react as another spark of electricity hit him when their fingers touched, however Persephone did as a pink hue appeared on the apples of her cheeks.

Finally she met his eyes. Onyx meeting blue. And Rhett frowned at the sight of water lining her eyes. On Monday when Maria had deliberately pushed her, she was obviously annoyed but remained stoic. Here, Pesephone’s face was tight, showing it took everything in her not to become emotional.

“Thank you for all your help,” she whispered, bottom lip trembling as she gulped. “Have a lovely spring break, Rhett.” And again, she was gone before he could get another word out—gripping the cage and her bag in either hand and speeding out the nearest exit.

That was the last time Rhett saw Persephone Addams.

After spring break Rhett was back in school and the first thing he noticed was the empty seat beside him in Spanish class. It didn’t concern him, for sometimes Persephone would spend the period in the library since she already spoke the language. But then Tuesday it was empty again—and Maria was gone too. And then Wednesday. Finally on Thursday, Rhett got the answer to why Persephone and Maria were a no show all week.

“You didn’t hear?” Travis Coleson from his Chemistry asked with wide eyes. Rhett just gave him a look that read, ‘I wouldn’t have asked if I did.’ In response, Travis scotched over and leaned in to whisper so the teacher couldn’t hear. “On Monday during Mrs. Parker's third period, Addams waltzed in—mind you she doesn’t have that class at all—and slammed Maria’s head to the desk. Then the psycho dropped a black widow spider onto her face! It bit her on the cheek from what I heard and they had to call an ambulance.”

Rhett couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “Holy fuck,” he muttered, bringing a hand to caress his jaw. His thoughts were swarming. On one hand he felt a little bad for Maria—mostly because he for some odd reason still had a crush on her—but on another felt she deserved it after the stunt she pulled. Although, ending up in the hospital is a tad bit far. “Is um— they okay?”

Travis made a face at the question, “well besides being traumatized and having a large red spot on her face, Maria is just dainty,” he spoke with obvious sarcasm. “Addams on the other hand got expelled. Last I heard my folks caught sight of their family car leaving town Tuesday and returnin’ this mornin’—but no sign of Persephone. Rumor is they sent her to some boarding school out of state.”

Rhett frowned at the news, licking his lip as he turned away from Travis deep in thought. There was an odd feeling in his stomach—one he had trouble describing. It carried with him all day, turning into nausea when he spotted Maria hiding in the corner of the cafeteria with her friends—a large bandage covering her cheeks. She looked tired with red puffy eyes as if she had been crying for a long time.

The rest of the year Rhett never saw Persephone Addams. Then one year became two, and soon they added on till he lost count. While he never forgot Persephone, Rhett no longer found himself thinking about her after that first year. On occasion he wondered how she was doing whenever his parents brought the Addams family up. Especially when a new business opened that was attached to their name. “Maybe you should try getting a part-time job at that liquor store over by the tobacco shop, Perry,” Cecilia said one random dinner when Rhett was twenty. It made everyone—minus Amy—stop eating and look at her incredulously.

“That’s the ones owned by the Addams family, ma.”

“I know,” she shrugged, trying not to show any sign of aversion. Rhett looked in between his parents with raised brows, commenting, “thought you didn’t like them, ma.”

Cecilia scoffed at the accusation, though it was obvious there was some bit of truth to it. “It’s not that I don’t like them, Rhett. I just find them….odd, like everyone else in this town. But I do respect and appreciate all they’ve done—like the fact they donate to the schools and the one shelter.”

“Maybe ‘cause no one else is selfless enough to do so,” Rhett muttered under his breath, glaring when Perry kicked him under the table in warning.

That was the last time the Addams family was brought up. Flash forward to 26-year-old Rhett and the thought of Persephone Addams vanished when Maria returned to his life. Something he hoped was permanent, but in reality was a complete and utter failure. Now his niece is staring up with him with puppy eyes, begging to go to an antique store opened by the Addams.

“It opened up while you was in Bozeman,” Amy told him, handing Rhett the utensils when his hand extended for them. “Right beside it is their book store—they’re basically connected and you can enter one and exit the other without going outside.”

“Wow,” Rhett said, putting the last dishes on the rack before washing his hands. “When you start gettin’ interested in antiques?”

Amy gave a small shrug, “Grandma was over at the farmers market and I wondered over there. Saw this cool clock in the window and wanted a closer look. It’s pretty cool—spooky and weird, but cool. And the lady who works there is cool too.”

“Really?” Rhett chuckled at his niece. “Do I know her?” He thought hard at the type of people who often took up the jobs at the Addams businesses. The only one Rhett knew of that the family ran themselves was the funeral home. Other than that, high schoolers took on summer jobs when they were desperate for money or teachers worked the weekends to make a little extra for the month.

“No, I don’t think so. I ain’t seen her round before until that day. She’s pretty and looks about your age—you’d definitely like her, uncle Rhett.” He gave his niece a knowing look, but she just smiled back. “Though, I don’t think the same would be said for her.”

Rhett made a sound of offense, playfully pushing her. “Are you dissing my game, little miss?” Amy giggled, pushing him back. “I’d be careful what you say, otherwise you can find someone else to drive you.” Immediately the girl pouted, which made Rhett chuckle, “I’m just teasin’. Go get your shoes, we’ll leave in five.”

With a squeal, Amy ran out of the kitchen to get her things leaving Rhett to finish cleaning up. Once he was done he gathered his shoes, keys, wallet, and hat before meeting Amy at the door. It was just past noon and the town was not too crowded by the townsfolk with many shopping at the farmers market and stores. Rhett found a spot to park his truck and the two hopped out with the man following behind Amy as she sped to the door of a two story brick building, painted black, that read in iron letters, ‘Les Antiquítes de la Famille Addams,’ beside it was a similar building, only it read, ‘La Biblioteca de Clásicos y Misterios de la Familia Addams.’

“Is that…French and Spanish?” Rhett asked his niece, who already had her hand on the iron door knob.

“Yup,” she emphasized the ‘p’ with a pop. “Now c’mon. I wanna see if they got anythin’ new in since last time I was here.” A jingle sounded above them, indicating to whoever was there that someone was entering the store. Rhett froze after gently closing the door, eyes scanning the scene before him.

It was unlike any antique store Rhett had been in. The color palette was like any business related to the Addams family with a vintage gothic aesthetic to its core. It definitely gave off an eerie feel, but it was beautiful. There was an iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling surrounded by melted floating candles. Clocks made of various metals and materials took up the space of an entire wall above the windows. Shelves stacked the many clear bookcases holding delicate china, porcelain dolls, and games that looked to be straight out of the 1920s. And like most antique stores it was laid out like a maze. Already Rhett had lost sight of his niece.

“Amy?” He gently shouted, careful not to scare anyone who could be lurking. As he took a few steps forward Rhett noticed the large opening to his right which should’ve been a wall but instead led to the conjoining book store. It had the same style and layout it could pass as an extension to the antique store—only it held strictly books.

“Back here!” Her voice called out in the distance. Rhett followed the sound, careful not to bump into anything and possibly destroy the items. The last thing he needed was to spend hundreds on irreplaceable artifacts.

When he found Amy, Rhett was confused to see her perched on a barstool in what appeared to be the back room. Doing a double take, checking to see where the worker was, Rhett peaked his head in, “Uh Ames, what’re you doing back here? This is the back room.”

“I know,” she told him, adjusting her position on the stool. “I’m waiting for Ms. Percy to show me her ring collection.” Something in Rhett’s stomach tightened at the name, “M-Ms. Percy?”

“Yes,” the sultry voice sounded behind him, causing Rhett to spin suddenly only to freeze as those onyx eyes stared back at him. Matching black hair framed her pale face ending at the top of her shoulders. The little bit of baby fat she had in high school had vanished, leaving sharp cheekbones with a grey hue to accentuate the contours of her face. Blood painted her lips, which were parted in a small smile showcasing pearly white teeth that people would spend hundreds on to have.

Rhett was speechless. Not only at the sight of Persephone Addams in front of him—still as captivating as ever—but the fact there was a baby girl perched on her hip. They both wore black, though Persephone’s was leather compared to the baby’s cotton onesie. While the baby had a black bow tied into her mop of black hair, Persephone donned a pillbox hat with lace falling down to cover her forehead and one of her eyes.

The baby, who looked to be not even a year old, was a spitting image of the woman holding her. There was no doubt she was Persephone’s daughter. His eyes betrayed him because immediately Rhett was pitching a glance to her hands, finding no diamond ring nor wedding band. There was only a snake ring looped around her left middle finger, with a black pearl on her right index. Rhett did notice the tattoos that coated her fingers and hands, some even crept up on the visible skin of her neck. Speaking of her neck, it was layered with various silver necklaces—including the letter ‘D’ on one.

“Hello, Rhett,” she snapped him from his daydream, no doubt pink coating his ears at the fact he was caught checking her out. Rhett scratched the back of his neck, becoming more flustered when her eyes flickered up and down—doing the same to him. “How nice to see you after all these years.”

“Persephone,” was all he could say, tipping his hat slightly in greeting. He wasn’t expecting to see the oldest Addams child after nearly a decade. The last time they were 16 and Persephone was covered in red slushie with streaking eyeliner. Now she was a grown woman—a mother as one could assume by the baby on her arm.

“You look good,” she complimented, not missing the way his cheeks flushed. “How long has it been? Ten years, give or take?” The man nodded, causing her to smirk. There was no doubt she knew of the effect she had on him. Although most people crossed the street to avoid Persephone, she always caught the way their eyes lingered. Before a morbid comment could scare them off, their attraction was as obvious as the sky was blue. “Once I left that hellhole that was—oh I shouldn’t call it that,” she sighed, “Hell I would actually enjoy, but you get what I’m saying, right?”

“Uhh—.”

“Did you find it, Ms. Percy?” Amy interrupted the moment, making Rhett turn to give her a slight glare. The girl shrugged with innocence, smiling when Persephone peered behind her uncle.

“Oh yes, darling, I did. Excuse me, Rhett.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, stepping back only to run into the edge of the doorway. Persephone smiled, squeezing past him to get in the room. It was then he noticed a velvet box in her free hand not holding her baby. Persephone placed the box on the desk before stepping around to sit in the vintage leather chair and perching the child in her lap causing her to babble and reach for anything on the table. The sight made Rhett smile.

“Now,” Persephone opened the velvet box to reveal a matching cushion holding an array of different rings. Some had gems, some were made of metals with lucrative designs. Almost all gave signs they were worth a lot of money. Persephone removed a golden one that had a large emerald in the middle surrounded by black diamonds. “This is one of my personal favorites. It belonged to one of the First Lady’s.”

“Woah,” Amy breathed, taking the ring as Persephone handed it to her. “Which First Lady?” Rhett moved closer, leaning against the wall beside the desk. He too was curious to know.

“Wednesday wouldn’t tell me,” she sighed, adjusting the bow on her daughter's head. “It was a gift from her on one of her many grave robbing adventures when we visited Virginia.” Rhett’s eyes widened at how nonchalant Persephone’s words were. His gaze snapped to Amy, who seemed unfazed as she admired the ring before handing it back.

Now he wondered just how many times Amy had interacted with Persephone since she returned. It surprised him the girl didn’t react like most would. And on that note, Rhett had a lot of questions he was curious to know.

“What about that one,” Amy pointed to the dazzling ruby ring on the bottom row. Persephone gave a fond smile, removing it from the cushion.

“This one is a good one. It belonged to Anne Boleyn—second wife of Henry the Eighth. She was executed for treason,” Persephone gave a sad look, though it was more in regards to not being alive to witness the event. “This is one of the rings she was wearing as she knelt on the chopping block.”

‘Jesus Christ,’ Rhett thought, but felt a smile creep up. He didn’t know what it was, but he found the whole situation amusing. There was something about Persephone that was endearing. It drew him in. And although he found some of the things she said odd, he wasn’t as put off by it as everyone else. In fact, he wanted to hear more.

One by one Persephone told the story of each ring—becoming slightly more morbid with each. Finally on the last ring, which was stolen by Puglsey and belonged to a French aristocrat that died in war, Persephone noticed how Amy’s lingered a bit longer on it than the others. “Here,” she said, pulling out a small velvet box from the drawer and placing the ring in it, closing it shut to hand to her, “it’s yours.”

A gasped escaped the girl, “I couldn’t possibly—.”

“I insist.” The box was pushed into Amy’s hand. Rhett stepped forward to protest, but Persephone waved a hand to stop him. “Consider it a gift. Amy has been so kind coming to visit me these past several weeks—even helping me organize or clean when the dust becomes too much. It’s the least I can do to thank her.”

Rhett glanced at Amy, who now had a light blush on her cheeks and was smiling at Persephone in gratitude. “What you say, Amy?”

“Thank you,” she said immediately, holding onto the box like it would disappear. “Thank you so much Ms. Percy. I will make sure nothing happens to it.”

Persephone smirked, “I’ll hold you to that.” The baby then made a sound, resulting in Persephone to adjust her so she was cradled to her chest. A hand gently stroked the baby girl’s back and the cries that were about to start soon went away. “Chut, ma petite épine. Nous serons bientôt à la maison.” ‘Hush, my little thorn. We will be home soon.’ A kiss was placed to her head before Persephone turned back to her guests. “My apologies, she gets a little fussy around this hour.”

“It’s not a problem,” Rhett replied with a soft smile. He nodded to the baby girl who’s eyes were fluttering as sleep started to overtake her. “What’s her name? If you don’t mind me askin’.”

“Desdemona.” So that’s what the ‘D’ on the necklace represented. “Mona for short.”

“That’s a pretty name,” he complimented. Never had he met someone with such a rare name. It was like Persephone. Unique and uncommon to hear in the modern day.

“It’s Greek for ill-fated and unfortunate, you may recognize it from the play ‘Othello’,” Persephone said casually, causing Rhett to be slightly taken aback. He recovered as she added, “Fitting for an Addams, don’t you think? After all, my name means ‘bringer of destruction.’”

Amy tilted her head, “I thought it was about the girl who was kidnapped by Hades.”

“That’s what they want you to think,” the woman winked, causing Amy to giggle. Rhett glanced between them, still blown away by how open his niece was at how strange Persephone was. It gave him pride and joy that she wasn’t like everyone else in Wabang. Judgemental to outcasts. She didn’t write the Addams off because they were different and instead found them intriguing.

“‘fore we leave, Ms. Percy, do you mind if I borrow another book?”

“Oh not at all,” Persephone clutched onto Mona as she stood from the chair. “Be my guest and choose whatever you please. Did you enjoy the one I recommended to you last week?”

Amy gave a short nod, hopping off the stool and giving the ring box to Rhett so he could hold it while she explored. “I preferred ‘Carmilla’ but I see why ‘Dracula’ is so talked about.” With that Amy was off to the opposite end of the building that held the book store, leaving Rhett and Persephone alone. With Mona of course, but she was sound asleep.

“She’s reading classics,” Rhett said with bewilderment. “Willingly.” He wondered if Perry and his parents were aware of Amy’s newfound interests. It was difficult to grasp for Rhett, though it sure as hell impressed him. And he damn well knew his mother would have a fit if she caught her granddaughter reading books like Dracula, Frankenstein, and all things spooky at that young an age.

A soft giggle brought him out of his shock. God even Persephone’s laugh sounded like a melody—like a siren singing her song. It made him feel warmth and the desire to hear it again. Fuck why was he acting like a teenager having a crush agian.

Wait, maybe it was a crush. Oh boy.

“Is it so hard to believe young girls would be interested in such?”

“Well, considerin’ me and everyone in high school hated the lessons on said literature…I’d say so, yes.” Something flashed in her eyes at the mention of high school, her smile turning down a bit, causing Rhett to back track at the memory of her drenched in red slushie, “I’m sorry—uh. I shouldn’t have brought up…”

“Please don’t tiptoe around just to spare me from feeling down and depressed, Rhett. I actually enjoy those emotions. Makes me remember I do have a heart.” She flashed a smile, adjusting her arms to make sure the baby was comfortable. There was a distant look in her eyes, as though she was thinking back to a certain time in her life. Rhett bit his lip, contemplating his next words.

“May I ask ya a question then?”

“Of course. I’m an open book. I’ll answer with honesty, Rhett.”

“What exactly happened and uh, where did ya go?”

“You’re referring to when I put a black widow on Maria’s face?” At Rhett’s nod, where he was trying not to react to the confirming truth, Persephone continued. “Well, as you can expect the sheriff was called and her family was furious. They rushed her to the hospital to receive the antidote to combat the venom,” she made a face, turning away, “so dramatic if I say so—they should know there has not been a fatal bite from a black widow on a human since the eighties. All it did was swell her face, make it red, give her abdominal cramps for a few days. It was a baby spider so it didn’t do too much damage.” Her tone implies it was not a big deal. Again, he should find it weird, but was actually impressed.

After a pause, she sighs and meets his eye, “At the station, they wanted to press charges as one does. But fortunately for me, the video of what Maria and her friends did was all over those social media platforms they were addicted to. You know, the ones where they strive for validation from others. Let’s just say Maria and her family were not on board with the idea of her being charged for animal cruelty and harrasment. Especially to the daughter of the family who is the reason Wabang has money. We promised to drop the charges in exchange for them to do the same.”

‘Fair enough.’ He expected that outcome in all honesty. It would not have been fair for Persephone to be punished while Maria got off. The city relied on the donations of the Addams family too much now that the sheriff wouldn’t dare lose that funding.

“Heard ya got expelled.”

“Oh no,” Rhett’s eyes widened in surprise, curious to know the explanation. “That didn’t happen at all—despite how much Maria and the school wanted it to. She would’ve had to be expelled as well. No, I willingly left Wabang High School and my parents sent me to the academy they went to in Vermont.”

“That’s a long way,” Rhett muttered, but she heard him nonetheless.

“Yes, but it was where I belonged. You probably would not understand. The school was…not for everyone. No offense,” she chuckled at the end causing Rhett to do the same. He wondered what kind of school it had to be that someone like him would not fit in.

“None taken.” For a moment the two just stared at each other, the conversation falling to a silence. Rhett, unsure of what to say, felt warmth spread on his cheeks at the eye contact causing him to look away just as Amy was speeding back into the room, “I got something!”

“Wonderful, darling. What sparked your interest this time?” Amy held up the book that looked withered and dated, reading ‘The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales’ by Edgar Allen Poe. Persephone smiled in approval, “A girl after my heart—if you can call it that, of course. Terrific choice, my little Raven.”

“Wasn’t the school you went to named after his poem?” Amy asked, making Rhett look at Persephone with raised brows.

“Why yes. ‘Nevermore’ to be exact. And as you walked the grounds it was as though you were living through the mind of Poe himself.” As she spoke, Rhett’s eyes drifted to the area below her ear that was exposed when Persephone pushed some of her hair back. There were several little black birds tattooed down her neck. How fitting.

“Well, we don’t want to hold ya up,” Rhett spoke when he noticed a customer had entered the shop. He and Persephone locked eyes. “I’ll make sure she gets that book back to ya once she’s done.” It was generous Persephone was letting his niece just take the book free of charge, but Rhett saw how dated it was and assumed it was no doubt an original copy. Actually almost all of the books in the store appeared to be original copies. Surely worth a lot of money.

The woman waved a hand, “There is no rush at all. She may take as long as she pleases.” Together they all walked to the door, Amy thanking Persephone again for the ring and book before rushing to the truck to wait for her uncle. Rhett stayed behind for a moment and when he faced Persephone he was nearly frozen by how beautiful she looked when the sunlight hit her. It threw him off, making him forget what he was about to say.

“Are you alright, Rhett?”

“Uh-yeah-yeah,” he coughed into his hand. “Sorry. I just uh—,” cursing in his head, Rhett tried to man up and say the words he’d been wanting to ask for the past twenty minutes. Usually he had little to no trouble picking up women like the occasional buckle bunny after the rodeo to fuck out the adrenaline he was feeling. He’d go on a date every now and then though it led to nothing. And he was okay with that.

But after Maria everything changed, he was scared to open his heart up again to someone.

Now, standing in front of Persephone Addams, his brain was screaming at him. There was always a small part of him that admired her from afar in high school. A tiny crush that was overshadowed by the one on Maria. Rhett regretted nothing more now than the fact he was so stupid to let his teenage hormonal self desire a girl who cared about no one but herself half the time. When there was someone like Persephone right there.

Finally he mentally kicked himself and manned up. The worst she could do was reject him. Not like he hadn’t experienced that before. Removing his hat, Rhett scrunched his nose and leaned forward, “Would you—would you maybe wanna grab some coffee some time? If you’re available, of course. But if-if you have someone I completely understand.”

He watched as his heart pounded as Peresephone’s lips curled up in a genuine smile. “There is no one.” He internally sighed in relief. She nodded down to Mona, “Her father is not in the picture. Hasn’t been since I was six months pregnant.” That made Rhett frown, upset at the fact she was left alone in her pregnancy and birth of her daughter.

“I’m sorry to hear.”

“Don’t be. He cheated and is now in prison.”

Rhett made an ‘o’ shape with his mouth. “Wow. That’s um…unfortunate.”

Persephone glanced over her shoulder to make sure the customer was nowhere in sight before leaning closer. “Wednesday is one to hold a grudge. I told her she had free reign to ruin his life however she pleased.” She scrunched her nose adding, “Probably should have laid down some ground rules. Having attempted murder on your record is not an accomplishment to some…compared to our family.”

‘Well shit,’ Rhett thought. He could only imagine what the teenager did. And judging by the obvious hint from Persephone, it involved framing someone for attempted murder. What should have had Rhett running away, instead it had him think, ‘Note to self: do not fuck this up.’

“I’ll be sure to not get on her bad side then,” Rhett said, noticing a flash of surprise to take over her expression. It was as though she couldn't believe he still wanted to pursue her. After all, she did just admit her 15-year-old sister put her ex in jail for simply cheating on her. Rhett smirked, “Was that some kind of a warning, I take it?”

Now she mirrored his smirk, liking what he said, “More like a test. You passed.” Rhett placed his hat back on his head, tipping it slightly, “Glad to hear.”

The sound of a bell ringing drew both of their attention, finding the customer: an older lady holding a vintage tea set. Persephone offered a friendly smile, “I will be with you just a moment, ma’am.” She then faces Rhett, “I don’t open the shop until eleven tomorrow and I close at around five. I can meet you either in the morning or afternoon for coffee if you’d like.”

“Tomorrow mornin’ is perfect,” he told her, trying to control the joy he was feeling. “How nine-thirty sound?”

“I’ll be there,” she winked, reaching around him to grab a business card. It had her name, home & cell number, email, and names of the shops on it. “Forgive me if I do not answer you right away if you try to reach me. I am not a fan of technology, but for the sake of family businesses I do my best. I’ll keep my cell phone close by for you.”

Rhett ran his eyes over the information, laughing softly at her and ignoring the butterflies he felt by her last statement. He puts the card in his pocket, “It’s no problem, Persephone. Thank you though.”

“Please, call me Percy.”

Rhett smiles, “Well, Percy, I’ll leave ya to it then.” He tips his hat, “see ya tomorrow.”

“Adiós, vaquero.” ‘Goodbye, cowboy.’ As Rhett exited the store, the bells echoing behind him, he stopped to peer through the window to get one last glance at Persephone Addams. Her back was turned to him, walking to the register to greet the customer where she gently places Mona in a black vintage bassinet. Rhett knew it probably looked weird to passerbyers that he was standing in front of the store, with a dazed look in his eyes as he watched Persephone ring up the lady and carefully wrap the tea set in packaging.

Her lips were moving, but Rhett couldn’t hear what she was saying, only that he was captivated by how she moved and the passion in her eyes as she was no doubt explaining the history of the tea set. Quickly shaking his head, biting back the grin trying to escape, Rhett hurried to his truck before he was caught. When he got in, he was faced with a knowing look from his niece.

“Did ya ask her out?”

“Maybe,” he quipped, buckling his seatbelt before starting the engine. Amy rolled her eyes, but behind them he could tell she looked happy he did in fact make a move.

“Please don’t mess it up, uncle Rhett. I really like Ms. Percy. She’s so nice and lets me ask questions people say I shouldn’t ask. She doesn’t care what people think of her and teaches me things no one else in school or at home does. So please,” her tone becomes serious, causing Rhett to turn his head when they get to a stop sign so she has his full attention. “Don’t play her heart. Or I’ll take her side for whatever she ends up doing as payback.”

‘You don’t gotta tell me twice, Ames.’ There was no way in hell he was going to mess up his chance with Persephone. Not when she actually was open to giving him one after she probably blamed him for what Maria did.

He ends up saying with determination, “I won’t mess it up with her, Amy. I promise.”

Three ½ Years Later

It was a gloomy, rainy day in Jericho, Vermont. Grey colored the sky, ravens chipped in the distance. A truly miserable day.

Perfect for Nevermore Academy’s graduation ceremony.

“Mi amor, do you know where Mona misplaced her teddy?” Persephone was rummaging through her bag that was placed on the seat of the car while she stood outside. Rhett was holding the umbrella above to protect her from the rain in one hand with four-year-old Mona perched on his hip with the other.

“Not sure, darling. Last I saw it was in the hotel room,” When she bent over to get a closer look inside the car, Rhett couldn’t help but let his eyes wander to her ass. Which looked amazing in the tight black dress she was wearing. “Careful, Percy,” he warned when she leaned forward, noticing her baby bump press against the seat.

She was roughly five months into the pregnancy. Just shortly after celebrating their three year anniversary, in which Rhett had got down on one knee and presented a black diamond ring with the promise to love Persephone even after death, she endured a vision showing her holding a baby boy beside him. “I think I might be carrying your son, Rhett,” she gasped as she awoke in his arms. Whenever the visions came Rhett stayed beside her until they ended. The second the words left her mouth he was pulling her to the nearest pharmacy to get a test. The man just about cried when the two little lines appeared on the strip.

Cursing, she moved away and smoothed out the fabric of her dress. Clasping the buckle of her purse, Persephone pulled on her coat and threw the bag over her arm before shutting the door. “Thankfully I have her other toy to keep her distracted.” Lurch locked the car, following behind the couple as they approached the grounds of the school where the ceremony was held.

The rest of the family had already gone in to meet with Wednesday and the ceremony was planned for when night took over. So when they entered the courtyard where everyone had gathered, Mona was already squirming in Rhett’s arms and reaching for her aunt who she spotted first. The rain had settled to a light drizzle, so Rhett set her down when they were only a few feet away, letting the child run and wrap her tiny arms around Wednesday’s legs.

The teen didn’t look happy—then again she never did, but behind that cold, stoic, stare, there was a glimpse of affection. “Desdemona, you foul creature, you should know better than to embrace me with physical contact.” Her words were returned with giggles from the girl. Nonetheless, Wednesday patted the top of her head and gently pushed her back to her parents. The teen clasped her hands, looking up to her sister and soon to be brother-in-law, “I was not expecting you to come in your condition, sister.”

“I would not have missed this for the world,” Persephone grinned, holding Mona to her side as she nuzzled into her coat. “It’s not everyday my little sister graduates school—though I must say, Wednesday, it truly is a surprise.” To anyone else the words would have stung, but for Wednesday Addams, it was a compliment.

“Glad to know my reputation still holds,” the teens eyes flicker to the ring on her sister’s left hand before moving the gaze to Rhett. After years of dating Persephone, he had become a pro at handling Wednesday deadpan stare. It no longer fazed him unlike his family, who still had trouble being in the same room as her. Amy was the only one who didn’t feel creeped out by it. “And that you were true to your words.”

Persephone turned to Rhett, curiosity in her eyes. “What does she mean, Rhett?” There was a light blush to his cheeks as he replied, “When I asked you parents for your hand, I also asked your siblings.” Immediately her face softened, “oh, mi amor,” she reached up to kiss the corner of her lips before actually kissing him, aware of Wednesday’s glare.

“My one request is that you two refrain from acting like mother and father tonight for the sake of my sanity.” Persephone chuckled, pulling away from Rhett who was also smiling as he fixed his black Stetson. She made a gesture of crossing her heart, which only made her sister roll her eyes and stalk away to find Bianca and Enid.

“I’m curious to know how that conversation went?” Persephone teased, reaching up to adjust Rhett’s bolo tie. Mona sped over to her uncle and grandparents who were speaking with Enid’s family, leaving the couple alone in the corner of the courtyard.

“Surprisingly, not bad. Of course she threatened to do worse than frame me for murder if I fucked up. I believe her exact words were, ‘There’s already a plot in the family graveyard with your name on it. I’ll look forward to filling it.’” Persephone shakes her head, but there’s a smirk on her lips. Rhett leaned down to kiss her softly, “But that’s not gonna be filled till I’m old and gray and you can barely stand to look at me.”

Persephone pulled him close, arms going around his neck while he placed his hands on her waist. She could feel his thumbs rub the sides of her bump. “I’ll still always have my eyes on you, Rhett Abbott. You could never repulse me. Even when you start looking like a corpse.”

He threw his head back in laughter, Persephone giggling with him. Calming down, he tightened his arms around her, careful of the bump where their son was growing and stared into the onyx eyes he adored. “I love you, Persephone Addams. Thank you for giving me the honor of having your heart and being a part of this family.”

She kissed him with all her might, pouring her love and soul so he could feel it for all of eternity. “Te amo mucho más, mi querido vaquero.” ‘I love you so much more, my darling cowboy.’

[thoughtsinadaydream]

The Spooktacular Halloween Movies Challenge: October 5, 2023

The Addams Family

Whether you started by watching the 60s black and white tv show or only dipped your toe into the Addams family with the Netflix release of Wednesday, I think we can all agree that the Addams-verse has legs, even if they’re draped in a deathly back shroud. I found myself with plenty of time to play some spooky favorites in the background while I worked today, and I decided to binge watch the Addams family. So I did.

I am aware that there are people with strong opinions about what version of the Addams family is best. For my part, I can’t choose. I am delighted by absolutely every version of the Addams family I can get my hands on. I have two black cats named Morticia and Ophelia after the Frump sisters, so you know I mean business.

Whatever your favorite, I encourage you to dip your toe into versions you maybe haven’t explored yet. Maybe you’ll add some new favorites to the list. And for you die-hard Addams fans out there, if you’ve consumed absolutely everything you can find and still can’t get enough, a less known fact is that the Addams family actually got their start in a comic strip back in the 1930s. It may be time to do some internet grave-digging and see if you raise some copies back from the dead.

So get a witch’s shawl on, a broomstick you can crawl on. It’s time to pay a call on the Addams family *snap, snap*