#it’s like looking back at your youth and saying wow we really lived like this

[khaothanawat]

i’ve been sort of unintentionally sitting on most of my only friends opinions but really they largely just amount to ‘thank you, she was perfect, if you get it you get it, if you don’t you don’t.’

[traveler-at-heart]

Lessons of Love

Summary: So, Nerd!Natasha and Fem!R, their first date and everything fluffy. I just have a lot of thoughts about them and maybe this will be a series (and it will eventually contain G!P Natasha so if that's not your thing, you've been warned). Nerd!Natasha x Fem!Rogers Reader

Don’t count the days, make the days count.

Natasha’s father had told her that as if it was ancient wisdom and not a fortune cookie message.

It was also easier to say it when you didn’t have to attend high school. There were days when she couldn’t cope with it, like when the football team was agitated before a match, or there was some drama around the most popular people in school.

Those times were a stark reminder that Natasha had no one to talk to, a confidant to mock the jocks or a friend to share the gossip with.

Genius comes with a cost.

That one was her mom’s way of comforting Natasha.

She was the smartest person in school, miles above her peers. What she didn’t have in social intelligence, she more than made up with a sharp, quick and brilliant mind.

But as she entered the chem lab, and took a seat at the last table where she was always alone, Natasha wished that things could be different.

If only for a day.

“Morning, everyone” professor Fury greeted as people went to their seats. “You might have heard about an explosion during class” the few giggles that were heard were quickly silenced by Fury’s glare. “So, to keep this from happening again, we’ll switch the teams for the rest of the semester”

Natasha’s heart raced. What if people could choose and then she’d end up front of the class, everyone staring because no one picked her?

“So, alphabetically” Fury read the list, Natasha going over the name that was before hers…

Rogers.

She looked at you, sitting next to Wanda on one of the first tables. You waved at the twins when their names were called, laughing at Wanda’s annoyed stare. Being paired with her brother meant she’d do most of the work while he fooled around.

“Rogers and Romanoff”

Natasha saw you gathering your things and looking around. When you found her, a smile broke out and you walked to join her in the back of the room.

How does one greet the most popular girl in school? Head of cheerleaders, little sister of legendary quarterback Steve Rogers, not to mention the most beautiful girl in all of Shield High.

Not that Natasha was paying attention.

“Hey, Natty” you greeted, sitting next to her and looking around. “Wow, you can really see everything from here”

“I-I guess”

Natasha wanted to crawl under the table and hide. What was she supposed to talk about?

“Guess it’s my lucky day” you said, unable to deal with the silence. Natasha had a hard time understanding if you were being sarcastic. “I mean, you’re the capitan of the Science Club. So, that makes you the best partner anyone could hope for in Chemistry”

Natasha didn’t have time to answer, as Fury finally started with the lesson. Once he gave you all the instructions and wrote some exercises on the board, everyone went silent. Of course, Natasha was done in half the time.

“Show off” you teased and felt your heart beating faster when Natasha actually laughed.

“Want help?” she offered and you went over your notes, nodding.

“I think I got most of them except… this one?” you pointed with your pencil. Natasha leaned, reading again and pulling her chair closer to yours.

“You see, when you choose a coefficient, try to select one as low as possible”

“And that would affect all of the atoms in the molecule” you said and Natasha nodded. “Ok, I think I got it”

But the redhead kept staring as you began to write again, and you poked her side.

“Stop it, Romanoff”

You went back to work, missing the way Natasha blushed at the physical contact.

“Good. Now, I want you to get to know each other even better, so you’ll do a project for next class. Do not sass me, youths” Fury raised his voice as everyone began to protest.

“We’ve known each other our whole lives, can we skip this one?” Pietro said while pointing to his sister, and everyone laughed.

“No” Fury said, turning to write on the board again. “Do some research on why it’s important to balance chemical equations and what other parts of chemistry rely on this skill. Bonus points for concrete examples where it helped advance important research on other fields”

He dismissed the class, and everyone began to pack their bags to move to the next session.

“So… uh… how do you wanna do this? Wanna meet somewhere?” Natasha said, unfamiliar with team projects. Teachers would let her work alone, because pairing her with someone meant she’d do all the work and split the credit.

“Yeah, not my place though. The boys have their weekly pool game after football practice and they can get so loud” you rolled your eyes, walking out of the classroom next to the girl.

Natasha’s stomach turned at the idea of being anywhere near the school jocks.

“So, the school library?” you offered, giving her a way out in case her house was off limits.

“I think my mom has more books about it than the library”

Damn it, where did that come from? She couldn’t handle a class with you and now she was suggesting her place? Where would you even work? And Melina would make some embarrassing remark, or Alexei would ask a million questions and say something silly…

“Yeah, cool. I’ll stop by after cheerleading practice”

“Let me give you the address”

“Natty, I know where you live” you chuckled, surprised that she seemed surprised. “Remember your birthday party? I was there”

“That was like seven years ago”

“Yeah, so? I remember” you smiled. “Gotta run, see you later”

Natasha stared as you walked to History class. You turned around one last time, smiling shyly and waving at her.

Natasha waved back, her cheeks turning red at being caught staring.

Crap, she wasn’t going to survive this assignment.

—

You went up the steps, fixing your hair before ringing the doorbell.

God, how were you going to manage this afternoon with Natasha? You were barely able to keep it together during class.

You were still torn on how to manage your fight or flight response when the door opened.

“Y/N!” Natasha’s sister practically shouted your name.

“Hey, Yelena. I’m here to…”

“You know my name” the girl said.

“Well, yeah, you’re Nat’s sister”

Speak of the devil.

“Yelena!” Natasha went down the stairs in record time.

“What?” Yelena said, talking back as soon as Natasha switched to Russian. They went back and forth for a while, and you stood outside, wondering if you’d ever manage to get in.

“Sorry about that” Nat finally turned to you, Yelena leaving the room in a rush.

“No worries. I couldn’t understand you. Literally”

“My room’s this way” Natasha said, scratching the back of her neck.

A second later, she regretted letting you go up the stairs first. Your skirt moved with each step you took, toned legs in full display. Natasha had to pray she wouldn’t trip on the way up.

“Which door?” you turned to look at her, her ears red. You bit your lip, trying not to think how adorable she looked all flustered.

“The one on the right” she pointed and you nodded, waiting for her to tell you it was ok to open it.

“Wow” you said, looking around at the shelves full of books and scale models of different machines.

“You can take the chair if you want” Natasha offered her desk, and you were so busy reading the titles of the books you almost didn’t hear her.

“Oh, that’s ok. I can sit on the bed” you said, placing your backpack in the corner. You pulled out your laptop and opened a new tab. “I was thinking we can get all the info we need, and then decide how to organize it. I’ll write a draft and you can review it”

It was Natasha’s turn to be distracted, appreciating the way you leaned against her headboard, stretching your arms above your head.

“I-I got some books from my mom’s study.  Let me find the right one…” she sat on the floor and you laid on your stomach, your heads at the same height as you looked over her shoulder.

Natasha began reading and taking notes, while you reviewed some articles on your laptop.

“Ready”

“Ok” you said, changing to sit next to her on the floor. Natasha felt your shoulder against her arm, and your sweet parfume invaded her senses.

You always smelled good. And looked so pretty. It was hard to focus but she managed just enough to dictate some of the things she’d found useful.

“You don’t have to write this down, but let me know if you think any of it is interesting for the paper” she said, and you really wanted to pay attention, but your eyes kept drifting to her lips. “Y/N?”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, I’m boring you” Natasha said, closing the book and looking dejected. She was about to put it away when you reached for her hand, sitting up.

“Now hold on. You weren’t boring me”

“It’s ok”

“Nat, look at me” you asked. The redhead seemed to forget you had moved closer when you reached for her hand, and when she turned to look at you, you were inches apart.

“I…”

Was she looking at your lips? Were you leaning forward? Did she want this?

You didn’t have time to find out, as the door to Natasha’s room opened and you jumped back.

“Oh! Yelena was telling the truth”

“Hi, Mrs. Romanoff” you greeted, hoping she didn’t notice your cheeks turning pink.

“Y/N, it’s so good to see you. Why are you sitting on the floor? Natalia, where are your manners?”

“Mom”

“No, that’s ok. I prefer the floor. Your hydrengias are looking spectacular, by the way” you tried to change the subject.

“Thanks to you! You were right about the change of place. Oh, I should have sent you a plate of cookies, you helped me with it and I didn’t even thank you”

“That’s ok, Mrs. Romanoff”

“Well if you want to stay for dinner, you’re more than welcomed” Melina turned to her daughter, with a more serious demeanor. “And you, remember to put those books right where they belong. I have a very particular system”

“Yes, Ma’am” 

“So…”

“I…”

You both spoke at the same time. 

“Sorry” you tried to breathe, putting a strand of hair behind your ear. “You were saying?”

“I didn’t know you spoke to my mom about flowers?”

“Oh, that” you blushed and Natasha bit her lip, drinking in every word you said. “Yeah, Mom and I ran into her at the farmer’s market. They were talking about plants and we gave her some tips. That’s how we spend quality time, working on the garden”

Natasha nodded, but you still stared at her.

“Can I ask you something?” you said, looking at her lips. Natasha swallowed and nodded. “I… uh… why was Yelena acting weird when she saw me?”

That’s not what you meant to ask, but you had lost your courage.

“Oh…” the redhead looked disappointed. Or were you imagining things? “She’s obsessed with joining the cheerleading squad, and you being the President…”

“I’m not, anymore” you blurted out, surprising even yourself. “I mean, I’m still on the team… but I thought Pepper would do a better job” 

“But they won the Nationals last year because of you” Natasha protested, and you were taken aback by her sudden rage. “There’s no one better than you”

“That’s really sweet, Nat” you placed your hand on hers. “But it’s for the best. Trust me. I’ll have more time to focus on the school paper or… I don’t know, dating?”

“I guess you could do that…” Natasha said, looking at your hands. For the second time in the day, your eyes found hers and then traveled to those beautiful lips.

“Y/N!” 

Bucky shouted from the door. Damn it.

“My ride’s here” you said, disappointed. Natasha nodded, standing up and offering her hand to help you up. You took it, surprised at her strength. 

A gasp left your lips when you were face to face, inches away from her lips. All you had to do was step forward and stand on your toes…

“Y/N/N” Bucky insisted and you had to control the urge to tell him to go to hell.

“Sorry. I have enough notes to write something. Can I text you once it’s done?”

“Sure, let me give you my number”

“I already have it…” you blurted out, trying to hide your face.

“How?”

Now, this time you were grateful for Bucky’s insistence. 

“Coming, Buck! See you later?” 

“Yeah. I’ll walk you out” 

You nodded, allowing Natasha to lead you to the front door. Her father, coach Romanoff, was chatting with Bucky at the door.

“Good practice today” Alexei said and Bucky nodded.

“Thanks, coach” he then turned to you, offering his hand to get your bag. “Ready to go, doll?”

“Yeah. Thanks for having me, Nat. Say bye to your mom and Yelena for me?” 

“Sure”

An uncomfortable feeling took over Natasha as you walked next to Bucky, watching him take your bag and carry it for you. You laughed at something he said while he opened the car door for you and then drove away.

“They make a cute couple, don’t they?” Alexei said, but Natasha shrugged her shoulders and went back to her room, almost knocking Melina over on the way up the stairs. “Did I say something wrong?”

—

Natasha felt weird doing it, but she couldn’t help herself. 

She only opened an Instagram account to watch cool science videos. But she knew your username because Yelena followed you and now, she was acting like a creep, looking at your profile.

In search of what? She wasn’t sure. Maybe proof that you were dating Barnes.

“Hey” Yelena walked into her room and Natasha dropped her phone. “Ew, were you watching porn?”

“What? No! What do you want?” Natasha said, the blush in her cheeks only making her seem guilty.

“Well, just wanted to ask you if Y/N mentioned anything about this year’s tryouts?”

“No, we didn’t really talk about… that”

Natasha didn’t mention the conversation you had about stepping down as president. She had a feeling that was private.

“Ok, go back to watching porn” Yelena said, closing the door before Natasha could throw a pillow her way.

Then, her phone pinged and Natasha looked at it as if it was a cursed object. 

Unknown number: Hey, Nat. I have a draft ready. Lmk if I can send it to you

Natasha: Hi. Sure thing, I’m not doing anything

Damn it, way to be a loser, Natasha. 

She didn’t even wait a few minutes to reply.

Y/N: Ok, should be on your email now.

Natasha: Thnx, reading now.

Y/N: Gotta get ready for dinner. It was nice seeing you today.

Y/N: Outside of school, I mean.

Y/N: So… yeah. Anyway. I’m being weird, haha. Talk soon. 

Y/N: XO

Natasha’s heartbeat sped up with every new text. She caught herself reading them over and over again.

She didn’t have time to worry about what to reply, because her mother came knocking.

“Dinner’s ready. You can take your time… Yelena told me you were busy.”

“Oh, my GOD!” Natasha jumped out of bed, opening the door. “I am not… watching porn!”

“She said you were stalking Y/N’s instagram” Melina said, turning to find her youngest daughter holding a laugh.

“сука” Natasha screamed, running after her.

“Papa, help!” Yelena screeched, going down the stairs. 

“Language! And no running inside the house!” 

Melina sighed. With the way Natasha was looking at you today, she had a feeling that parenting was going to be even more complicated now.

--

Throughout the week, you never left Natasha’s mind. It was a strange feeling. She’d never dwelled on social interactions that much, thinking it wasn’t worth her time. 

But still, when Friday came, she was excited because you shared English class as well. 

And there you were, leaning against the door, speaking to Barnes. Again. Natasha sighed, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her stomach at the way you laughed with him, smacking his arm playfully.

As usual, the redhead kept her head down and went to the last table of the classroom, where she could be left alone. Only, you walked straight to her as soon as Professor Harkness started the lesson.

“Hey” you greeted, sitting next to Natasha. 

“H-hi”

“Sorry, do you want me to find another place to sit?” you said, looking around the room. 

“No!” Natasha practically shouted, making you flinch. “I’m sorry. No, you can sit here”

You nodded, occupying the chair next to hers. It was going to be a slow day, as Ms. Harkness set up the projector to show a documentary about Patricia Highsmith. 

“You have to write a report about this so pay attention” the professor said, taking a seat to start the film.

While the documentary played, your mind kept drifting back to Natasha, sitting a few inches away from you. Truth be told, you had always found her to be beautiful, intriguing… but after spending an afternoon with her, those moments when you touched hands or locked eyes, kept replaying in your head. 

Instead of taking notes, you decided to execute a plan that was saved for the next Chemistry lesson. Drawing on a sheet of paper, you created a game of hangman, double checking the number of letters for each of the three words. 

Without looking at Natasha, you pushed the sheet her way. She looked at it for a second too long, and then at you. You were beginning to regret the whole thing, and then she underlined the letter T. You smiled, writing on the designated place.

Natasha took her time analyzing the sheet, but by the time the lesson was over, she had guessed some of the letters.

_o_i_   o_   _ _ tur _ _ y ?

The bell rang, and as the lights were turned back on, you looked at her, smiling nervously. 

“So… want me to tell you what it says? Or, you can take the sheet and text me if you figure it out?” 

God, you sounded so desperate. No wonder Natasha looked at you as if you had grown a second head. 

“I’ll take it” she smiled, placing it between her notebook and walking out.

“Actually, Nat…” you went after her. Why not just ask straight away and see what happened?

“Yes?” she said, turning to look at you. Truth be told, she was anxious to get out. Your proximity had distracted her during the entire class. And it only got worse when you slid that sheet her way, and she saw the way you were biting your lip nervously.

She had to force herself to look away from your lips. 

“I was thinking, if you’re not too busy…”

“Go on a date with me”

You were both taken aback by the interruption. The words were stolen right out of your mouth by a junior student, Peter Parker. He was staring at Natasha excitedly. 

“Never mind” you grumbled, rolling your eyes and walking away. 

Natasha flashed an angry glare at Peter, but you were walking down the hallway at record speed.

“What is wrong with you?” Natasha said. Peter was a year younger, but knew the redhead from science club. 

“Sorry, it’s just that I… those were the words that came out of my mouth to ask MJ out. MJ! And she said yes!”

“Yeah, start with that next time” 

Natasha spotted you across the hall, talking to Thor. Of course. 

“I have to go” Natasha pushed the boy aside.

She was so distracted, she never noticed where she was going until she opened the door to the computer room, where Barnes was making out with another senior, Sharon Carter. 

“Knock, damn it” Barnes said, but Sharon smacked his arm, looking stern.

“Don’t be a dick, James”

Natasha wanted to call Barnes a lot more than a dick, because who on their right mind would cheat on you? She stared at him a second longer, too angry to even speak, and then turned around, shutting the door behind her. 

You deserved so much better than Barnes. 

—

Y/N: Were you able to figure it out?

Natasha kept staring at her phone. She hadn’t replied to your message since yesterday and the longer she waited, the worse she felt.

Should she tell you about Barnes? Would you believe her? Or would you call her the worst name in the book and refuse to be in the same class as her? 

The girl was pacing around in her room, but of course Yelena chose that moment to play her music at full volume. Natasha let out an exasperated sigh, going to her sister’s room.

“Turn it down!” she yelled from outside, knocking several times to get Yelena’s attention. “Yelena? Your music is too damn…” let the record show she had tried to knock. Natasha walked into Yelena’s room without permission, ready to get into a screaming match with her sister. What she didn’t expect was to see you sitting on her bed, while Yelena showed you different things on her closet.

“I told you it was very loud, Yel” you said, smiling at the girl and then at Natasha, who took a step forward to shut the music down. “Hey, sorry about the noise”

“I don’t recall giving you permission to come in, sestra” Yelena said, examining a t-shirt and her favorite vest. She turned to you. “What about this?” 

“Yeah, that’s better. And hair braided, don’t forget that. Pepper and all the other girls love braids. I think the ones Natasha wears sometimes are really… uh, pretty”

You didn’t mean to sound like a creep, but of course you had noticed Natasha’s fiery hair braided from time to time. 

“So, since you’re standing there and made me turn off my music” Yelena turned to her sister, showing the outfit. “What do you think? Tryouts are on Monday and Y/N is helping me pick an outfit”

“That one’s nice” Natasha nodded, trying to avoid your stare. She thought she had today and tomorrow to figure out what to do over Barnes. But what if you came to talk to her and she just blurted the whole thing out?

So, she excused herself and thought it would be better to hide in her room. Peace didn’t last long, though.

“Knock!” Natasha grumbled when her sister got in. 

“Hey, you didn’t knock either just now. I wanted to ask if you got the tickets for the movie”

“Yes, of course I did”

“Good. I can’t go with you, so you should take Y/N”

“Wait, what?” Natasha hissed, trying to not lose it at Yelena’s ridiculous antics. “You can’t just cancel like that and she probably doesn’t even want to…”

“Ask her” 

“What?”

“Ask her. Or if you’re too afraid, I can do it for you. But honestly, Natalia. Just do it. You’re both driving me crazy”

Natasha didn’t know what Yelena meant by that, so she just rolled her eyes and sighed.

“I’ll ask her, I don’t want it to seem like my little sister has to arrange my outings”

“Fine. I’m getting some water, you should do it now. Don’t pass out” Yelena winked, knowing her sister could barely handle social interactions.

 Natasha felt her heartbeat strong in her chest, but didn’t wait too long before going back to Yelena’s room. She knew her sister meant it and would absolutely ask you out on Nat’s behalf.

“Hey, Y/N” she walked into the room, door ajar.

“Hey. What’s up? Want to try on outfits with us?” you joked. In spite of her nerves, Natasha smiled.

“I wanted to ask if you wanna go to the movies”

“Really?” you smiled. “What time?”

“It starts in an hour so… we can leave in thirty minutes if it works for you”

“Yeah. Awesome”

You didn’t think about asking which movie or anything else really. The fact Natasha had asked you was all you cared about. The redhead left the room once her sister came back, trying to hide her anxiety. Yelena gave her a knowing look, and kept chatting with you but wasn’t surprised to find you smiling out of nowhere, distracted and constantly checking your watch.

Once it was time to go, Natasha waited downstairs to drive you both to the movies. The ride there was quiet at first, until you reached out for the radio.

“Very cool” you praised when OK Go came on. “Their best music video is for I won’t let you down”

“What? No way! This too shall pass. That Rube Goldberg machine was insane”

“But what about all the extras and the umbrellas? Imagine the coordination it took. I tried to talk the girls into doing it for Nationals but they said I was insane”

Natasha laughed at that, humming along to the song, feeling more relaxed. You also smiled, and enjoyed watching her drive. She looked hot as she held the wheel. 

As you were arriving to the theater, you mentioned Barnes and how he always forgot to get the tickets and once again, Natasha’s anxiety came back. 

She was quiet as she parked and you both exited the car. 

“Wait. I’m sorry. I can’t do this” 

“Do what? What’s wrong?” you looked at her, searching her eyes. 

“Please don’t hate me” she pleaded.

“Natty, I could never” you shook your head, the term of endearment almost leaving Nat out of breath. 

“I saw… Barnes and Sharon Carter kissing in the computer room. I’m sorry”

“Ew. Yeah, they tend to do that anywhere they can. I’m the one who’s sorry you had to see it” you laughed, but the sound died down when Natasha looked at you as if you had grown a second head.

“Aren’t you dating Barnes?” she said, trying to understand everything.

“What? Gross. He’s like my other brother. Slightly less annoying than Steve, that’s for sure” 

“You’re serious?” Natasha said, feeling as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

“I’m very serious and very much single… waiting for a pretty girl to come sweep me off my feet” you said, smiling as Natasha blushed. You took her hand, going inside the theater. “Come on, the movie is starting soon”

You waited in line for the candy store, her hand still in yours. Once it was time to get your stuff, you stood behind her, looking over her shoulder by standing on your toes. Natasha blushed at the contact, your chin resting against her shoulder while you asked the clerk for some chocolate.

“Let me” Natasha said, paying before you could give the man money. 

“Chivalry isn’t dead” you said, enjoying how much she was blushing. You smiled, helping her with the soda and finally going inside the room. 

“So, what are we watching?”

“It’s this new zombie movie, like found footage”

“Oh, cool” you muttered, feeling the palms of your hands get sweaty. 

“Sorry, I didn’t even ask if you were ok with that”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just a bit of a chicken” you laughed, settling in your seat. You hoped Natasha didn’t think you were lame and as the movie started, you really did try to be brave. And then a zombie came jumping through a window and you hid your face behind your hands. 

“Hey, it’s ok” Natasha took your hand. “We can leave if you want to” 

“No, I’m fine” you said, forgetting about the movie as soon as her hand let go of yours, arm going around your shoulders to comfort you. 

No way were you leaving now.

You leaned against her chest, hiding when something scary was about to happen. Natasha held you close, her hand going up and down your back in a soothing manner. 

Who knew all it took was some scary zombies to get close to her…

The movie didn’t last as long as you’d have liked, but still, you were happy when she kept holding on to your hand as you left the cinema.

“That was fun” you commented and Natasha let out a laugh. “What?”

“You were hiding half the movie”

“Maybe I liked that part the most” you challenged, pleased when she blushed again. “But next time, we’re watching a rom com or a sci-fi movie.”

“I’d like that” Natasha said and you were looking at her lips when your phone rang. “Want a ride home?”

“I couldn’t possibly ask you to”

“It’s not a problem. Come on” she walked next to you, opening the car door. 

“What else do you listen to?” you played with the radio, going from A-Punk, to Keane and Travis. “Really good taste”

“What about you?”

“Anything really. I have like 45 playlists that are completely random. I could send you one if you’d like” 

“Yeah, I’d like that” Natasha nodded. You smiled, enjoying the view (and by view you meant Natasha, her fingers tapping against the wheel) for the rest of the ride. 

Once you got home, she opened the car door for you again. You didn’t move from your spot next to her, enjoying the proximity.

“Nat?”

“Yes?”

“I like you” you said without a warning, and it was hard to tell who was more embarrassed, you or Nat. “I’m sorry for being so forward but I think I needed you to know. I’m thinking about kissing you and holding your hand and…”

For the first time in her life, Natasha did something without thinking. She pulled you by the waist, connecting her lips to yours. You groaned in surprise, but sighed against her mouth a second later. Your hands went up her neck, to keep her close to you as you moved your lips against hers.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself”

“Never apologize for doing that” you smiled, leaning your forehead against her shoulder. Natasha smiled, kissing your temple. “Are you good to drive?”

“Yeah” she nodded.

“Ok. I don’t want you to do it if you’re distracted or something. It could be dangerous, you know?” you rambled and Natasha saw genuine concern behind your words.

“I’ll text you when I’m home, how about that?”

“Yes, please” you sighed with relief. “Be careful. And thank you for today” without being able to help yourself, you stood on your toes and pecked her lips one more time.

Natasha got in the car, smiling as she drove back home. True to her promise, she texted you as soon as she arrived. 

She was expecting Yelena to greet her with a million questions, but the girl was back in her room, still listening to music.

Going back to her own room, she found the game of hangman you had done for her, now complete with Yelena’s handwriting.

Natasha was really clueless.

Movie on Saturday?

This whole time, you were asking her out. Natasha took a picture of the paper and sent it to her sister.

Nat: You went through my stuff.

Sestra: Ur welcome.

Natasha would never hear the end of it. Her phone pinged again.

Y/N: Glad you’re home safe. 

Y/N: Still thinking about that kiss.

Y/N: So… yeah. When’s our second date?

Coming to think of it, she was happy to pay that price. 

[fanficslvtty]

reader's little brother (16) goes to barca youth training and reader (21) meets Pablo Gavi (24) and he tries to talk to her multiple times but her brother keeps on stopping him every time then Pedri comes out with a great idea , he distracts her brother so Gavi could hang out with her!

☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆..*::*☆

𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭

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Warnings⚠️: none

Genre: fluff

A Serious: No

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your little brother Diego had a chance that not a lot can get, he had the chance if becoming a Barcelona future player but at the time he is currently training at the barca youth academy

diego: you know you didn't have to come with me you should have stayed in your apartment and studied instead

he said clearly not being nice as he changed his shirt in the changing room , you sighed and you looked up to your brother's long figure

y/n: you know that i really care about you and i want to see you successful from the very first step , you don't have to be rude

you look at him firmly , his expression soften up then he looks at the ground and runs his hand through his hair

diego: i know but- listen...this is your last year in college and iam scared iam distracting you....

you suddenly started feeling bad and pulled him into a hug

y/n: idiot, you are not distracting me you are my little brother ofcourse i will fail the year but its only for you

just as he was about to hug you back the door was burst open

Alvero: DIEGO THE PLAYERS ARE HERE-oh hi y/n

Alvaro was tour little brother's childhood best friend, both of you and Diego almost had a heart attack

Y/n: hi alve-

Diego: ALVERO FUCK YOU !

Diego threw a shoe at Alvaro for scaring him and alvero dodged it

Alvero: no time for fighting! Hurry up so we could see who is training us!

Both of alvero and your brother run to the field , you decide to goniome so could actually study and cook dinner

At 8pm your apartment door was knocking you opend the door , it was diego your brother (he lives with you) he went to take a shower and came back later and sat on the chair eating dinner with you

Diego: you won't believe who is training me !

Y/n: who?

Diego: pablo gavi !

At this moment you and your brother were jumping up and down dancing around from happiness you guys kept celebrating for like 2 hours

Y/n: wait..did you see him?

Your brother freezes for a moment

Diego: actually no

You sit him down on the couch and go to the fridge to grab something

Y/n: sit here I'll get you something

You grab something from the fridge and go sit next to him

Diego: what is this?

You open the box revealing a fence chocolate cake with chocolate drizzling

Y/n: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU FOR TRAINING

your brother looks at you rolling his eyes

Diego: are you gonna study?

Y/n: YES

he looks around the living room acting like he is thinking about it

Diego: okay then BUT you stay on the benches ok?

Y/n: YES THANK YOU!

The next few days were really great as y/n only say on the benches and watched as pablo gavi trained her little brother obviously only looking at gavi and gavi giving her glances but turns his head away once she notices but one day

Gavi: alright Diego that's it for now go rest alittle

Your brother runs off to the changing room then gavi turns his gaze at you and starts walking towards you

Gavi: hello there

He sits next to you , your cheeks flashed red for no reason

Y/n: hi

Gavi: I see you are always sitting here watching me train young players , what's your name ?

You tell your self that he is just being friendly and pray that your brother won't come

Y/n: my name is y/n and iam watching you train my brother actually

Gavi is taken back by your words he looks surprised

Gavi: Diego is your brother ??? Wow you guys look nothing alike!

You laugh At his comment then he smiles at you

Y/n: no we actually kinda look ali-

Diego: Y/N!

Uh oh...it's Diego...you know that you are In Trouble....

Gavi: oh Diego you haven't told me about your sist-

Diego: why are you talking to her ?are you here to train me or to talk to girls ???

He says looking mad as hell and you tried to calm him down

Y/n: Diego that's rude !

Diego: no you shut up you don't get anything

He returns his gaze to gavi which obviously looked mad

Gavi: ok calm down its not like I was going to bite her let's go back to training

Your brother was quick to run back to field and while gavi was about to leave you tucked his shoulder

Y/n: iam really sorry he just gets overprotective sometimes

Gavi smiles at you

Gavi: no worries I mean witb a sister so beautiful like you ofcourse I'll be overprotective

He then winks at you and goes back to training your brother

You were a blushing mess at this point

Days passed by and still everything gavi tries to talk with your brother would stand in his way not wanting any interaction between you and gavi you honestly got sick of it so did gavi but one day at the changing room

Pedri: so have you asked her out yet ?

Gavi started yelling at pedri for no absolute reason

Gavi : EVRYTIME I TRY TO TALK TO HER ! EVERYTIME! HER STUPID BROTHER DIEGO INTERUPTS US ! WHY CANT HE LEAVE US ALONE ?! ALLNI WANTED TO DO IS ASk HER OUT !

Pedri was surprised by how much gavi was yelling at this point

Pedri: calm down gavi , you are 25 don't let a 16 years old get in your nerves plus how old is she ?

Gavi takes a breath in slowly exhaling it calming himself down

Gavi: 21 she's 21

Pedri then starts thinking for a moment

Pedri: well I got an idea

Gavi then stumble towards pedri excited

Gavi: TELL ME! Pedri: alright alright calm down

Pedri starts telling gavi the idea planning everything to get your brother distracted for at least 2 hours The next day comes and their plan has started, pedri sees your brother and runs to him telling him that gavi is sick and he is going to train him today and your brother believes him meanwhile Gavi was driving to your apartment (yes he knows the address) to take you out for a walk on the beach You were brushing your hair when your apartment door knocked you opened it

Y/n: gavi??? Gavi: no time go dress up and come with me

You then go to your room changing your clothes into something casual but cute doing a no makeup-makeup then brushing your hair

Gavi:I...wow.... you look...stunning...OH LETS GO!

You ride gavis car not knowing what the he'll is happening nor where he is taking you He drove you to the beach

Y/n: gavi....why are we here?

Gavi leans into you

Gavi: I want to spend time with you ..alone

Y/n: but dieg-

Gavi: pedri got him distracted

Meanwhile pedri was forcing your brother to run around the field 5 times

Y/n: thank God...

You both get out of the car and sit on the beach sand talking for hours until the sun started to go down

Gavi: you know...you were truly hard to get...I mean your brother alone was a big problem..

You laugh at him and he just stares at you

Gavi: I love your laugh from the very first time i saw you I loved it

gavi leans closer to you

Y/n: I love your smile too

gavi then brushes a string of hair form your face while leaning even close to you

Gavi: may I?

You nod slowly letting him kiss you on the lips , his kiss was soft and lovely it made butterflies go crazy in Your stomach

Diego: NOO

both of you and gavi look back to find your brother and pedri , pedri was just putting his hand on your brother's shoulder Pedri: Diego let's leave them I really have to talk to you about something Pedri and Diego wnt back to Pedri's car Pedri sighs

Pedri: listen Diego, your sister is 21 she is old enough to find a lover and take care of herself Diego: but- Pedri: they both love each other , don't stand in their way ok?

Diego sighs and rolls his eyes

Diego: fine if that's what makes her happy

you and gavi were chatting and laughing at the beach

BONUS:

Days passed by and it was your final You were extremely nervous even though you studied hard, you just felt like it was never enough You hear a soft knock on your room's door

Y/n: come in

Gavi slowly opens the door and closes it right behind him

Gavi: hey Diego told me you weren't feeling fien is everything OK?

You sigh and lean your head back as he grabs a chair and sits next to you

Y/n: NO everything is not fine I feel like iqm gonna fail and and and

Gavi pulled you into a hug

Gavi: don't worry about it I promise you everything will be fine

You hug him and he helps you study

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i apologize for incorrect grammar !

please submit your requests! (o゜▽゜)o☆(o゜▽゜)o☆

[theamityelf]

For my last ask I think it would be funny if it was all the different soulmate ways so makoto is going through a bunch of stuff and is also maybe trying to hide it and if you include Izuru it could be something he finds interesting about makoto as maybe no else has had so many soulmates

(previous post re:Makoto and his class)

(original Makoto soulmates post)

Oh my gosh, then I definitely think Makoto would be shy about showing skin.

He walks into Hope's Peak discreetly checking the timer on the back of his hand, which is now down to less than three hours until he meets one of his soulmates. On the back of the opposite arm, there's a sentence he's had memorized for years now: "So, we arrived at the same time!" It's hidden by his sleeve. He has the image of a microphone on the back of his neck, hidden by his hood. The image of a Yoshi (or Galaga sprite) on his bicep, hidden by his sleeve. The image of a half-peeled orange right beneath his collarbone– or maybe there used to be a half-peeled orange there, but now it's just an oddly-shaped scar. That change happened within the last year.

He can't see colors (and he's been told his shoes don't match his hoodie?). Last night, he had a dream that he was a girl named Kyoko, meeting her dad for the first time. This morning, he saw through Junko's eyes while she was getting dressed, and he's barely stopped blushing about it.

He's trying to live in the moment and appreciate the amazing place and all the amazing people, but in truth, he's pretty stressed about how he's going to explain his situation to anyone. Based on his timer and the glimpses he's seen of Junko's letter, he's going to meet at least two of his soulmates here. He's never heard of anyone having as many soulmates as he apparently has. When someone turns out to have two or three soulmates, it's considered unusual and potentially problematic, but usually they meet at different points in life. One in youth, one in old age. Something like that. But two at the same school?

"So, we arrived at the same time!"

Three?!

Makoto turns to see the person who just reached the gymnasium door at the same time as him.

"Nice to see someone else who appreciates the value of punctuality," the tidy young man commends.

Makoto clears his throat. "Uh, yeah. I guess I was just...worried about being late."

And the young man's expression changes to one of astonishment, because as expected, he has Makoto's first words to him on his arm, too. The timer on his other wrist still says a little over two hours, and he can suddenly feel Junko looking through his eyes.

Makoto levels with his new...friend. "Listen, I'm really glad to meet you, and we should definitely have a conversation about this, but maybe not...right now? Can we talk at lunch, maybe?"

The guy remains astonished for a second before he recovers with an affirming, "Of course! School comes first. If we're in the same class, might it be prudent to introduce ourselves?"

And Makoto smiles. "Yeah. I'd like that."

His first in-person soulmate is Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Taka.

As more of their classmates start arriving, Makoto feels more and more of a complicated mix of excitement and anxiety. He introduces himself to a well-dressed, bespectacled guy named Byakuya, and the second they make eye contact, Makoto can suddenly see in color. Byakuya's expression of snobby disinterest drops into one of ill-disguised shock, and Makoto hasn't explained the situation to Taka yet, his timer says he has like an hour and a half until he meets another soulmate, Junko isn't even here yet, and now he has to get used to colors!

And wow, his shoes really don't match his hoodie.

He definitely needs to explain things to Taka and Byakuya before Junko gets here, because despite never having met her in person, he knows that she's a lot. And he'd hate for anyone to learn that he has multiple soulmates from anyone but him.

"Well?" Byakuya says, having returned to snobby disinterest. "Tell me your name already so we can be done with these ridiculous introductions."

Okay, rude. But that's fine. "I'm Makoto Naegi. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student, and...I hate to tell you this bluntly, but I think I kind of need to hurry, so..." He draws in a breath. "I have multiple soulmates...here. Kind of...a few...here."

Byakuya loses his facade of indifference, looking at Makoto again with narrowed eyes. "Excuse me?"

"I know, we should definitely discuss this, but I need to tell Taka, too, before he finds out in a worse way."

And Makoto runs off and explains the situation to Taka (WHOA! Taka's eye color! He is going to have to get used to eye colors.), who is surprised and maybe (almost definitely) disappointed, but he's very polite about it. Makoto promises that they'll talk again at lunch.

He checks his timer again. An hour and twenty minutes.

"Hey."

He pulls his sleeve down to cover the timer, looking up to see who's addressed him, and Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Kyoko?! From his dreams?!

"Makoto, right?"

"Y-Yeah. Kyoko?"

She doesn't say yes or nod or anything. "How many?"

"Huh?"

"How many do you have? I saw the timer on your wrist, and your reaction to Togami. Ishimaru keeps glancing at you. How many do you have?" At least she doesn't seem upset. Though she has completely busted him.

"I don't...know, for sure. I have a few soulmate marks, I just saw color for the first time, I share dreams with you and see through someone else's eyes occasionally, Taka's first words to me are on my arm..."

"Is that your talent? Are you some kind of soulmate anomaly?"

"Oh, no. I'm here as the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"I don't know that I would consider your situation here a lucky one. If breaking things to Togami and Ishimaru has you this nervous–"

He sees a flash of the school from outside and knows that Junko is here.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he says, with forced optimism. "I mean, once I explain the situation to everyone, I'm sure we can all get past how weird this is. I'm glad to finally meet you, Kyoko."

"Hm. Don't worry; I'm not here to socialize anyway."

She slips away before he can say anything else, and then he hears the door open, and Junko's here!

[q-gorgeous]

Broken Dashed Ladybug Chapter 4

ao3

fanfiction

hehehehe

Danny bent over, out of breath. 

Why was gym class a thing? It was cruel and unusual punishment. Pure torture. 

Sam barked out a laugh as she ran up behind him. “Come on, Danny. This is my fourth time lapping you.”

“Just because you have some super human abilities doesn’t mean I do. How are you so fit?”

Sam chuckled. “I don’t spend every waking moment playing video games in my room.”

Danny stood up straight and started jogging again. “I don’t spend all my time playing video games. I do… other things.”

Nothing he could tell Sam about anyways.

Sam snorted. “Gross.”

“No!” Danny shouted. “You’re gross, Sam! You’re the gross one!”

“But you’re not fooling anyone.” Sam ran ahead of him and turned to face him so that she was running backwards. “Jazz says all she hears you doing is playing on your computer. All she hears you listen to is the Doomed soundtrack.”

“It’s a good soundtrack.” Danny was glad that the music tricked Jazz into believing he was in his room when he was really out doing patrol. 

“How come you never invite me to play anymore if you’re on all the time anyways?” Sam shot him a small smile. “I can't even remember the time we-“

Something flickered in Sam’s eyes and she suddenly stopped running.

“I gotta go. I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

“What?” Danny followed after her a couple steps but then she broke into a jog. “Are you okay?”

She waved a hand over her shoulder as she left but didn’t say anything to him. Danny just watched her go. 

Suddenly someone was shoulder checking him. Danny hissed and glared at them, rubbing his shoulder. 

It was Dash. 

“What, did your girlfriend finally get sick of you?” Dash sneered at him, jogging in place as he taunted Danny. 

Danny scowled. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“What, is the loser brigade finally breaking up now that Foley isn’t here to hold it together?”

Danny ground his teeth together, his hands forming into fists and he glared at Dash.

“I don’t know what your problem is, would you just stop talking about-”

Danny stopped talking when he heard maniacal laughter coming from the air above them. He looked up and saw someone jumping through the air towards them. 

Danny’s eyes widened. An akuma.

Dash took a step back and looked around as their classmates started running away.

“Ah! What have we here? These are some tasty emotions, that’s for sure!” 

The akuma landed on the ground in front of Danny and Dash. She was big. Her body looked as if it was made of shadows, or fire pulled from the void. Her eyes glowed red and her smile was manic. 

“Your grief is palpable. How is it that you haven’t succumbed to our Empress’s akumas yet? Your emotions are so powerful!” 

“Who are you?” Danny asks. 

“I am Spectra!” She shouted, flourishing an arm through the air. “I live to make others miserable and to steal their beauty and youth! And you seem to be an excellent meal.”

She moved to dive towards him but he jumped out of the way just before she landed on the ground where he was just standing. 

Dash made a move to run away but tripped over a rock in the grass and fell to the ground. 

“Wow, look at you. Afraid to be in a situation where you are no longer strong enough to defend yourself?”

Dash scrambled across the ground, backing away from the akuma. 

While her back was turned, Danny ran off into a grouping of trees near the edge of the school grounds. 

He transformed and when he swung over to where they were, he saw that the akuma had picked Dash up and held him inside one of her giant hands. 

“Let him go!” Danny shouted at her. He pulled his yoyo out and started twirling it. 

“Ah, the famous Ladybug! We finally meet!” 

“I need you to let go of the civilian.” 

She stared at him, a calculating expression on her face before she smiled a too wide smile at Danny as she gripped Dash in her pointy hands. 

“You don’t like this boy do you? I can smell the hatred coming off of you.” 

Danny pointedly kept his gaze off of Dash. He couldn’t let her get anything on him. Couldn’t let her in on how close she was getting. Or let Dash catch on. 

“What is it about him?” She grabbed Dash by the face and twisted his head to face her. “Is he a little too pretty? Is he popular? Is he everything you aren’t?” 

“Put him down.” Danny said as he stared at her, yoyo still twirling in his hand. She barked out a laugh at that.

“Why would I put him down? The emotions coming out of your hatred for him are delicious!” She licked her lips and then turned to look at Dash. “But there’s not much of anything coming off of him. He doesn’t seem to hate the famous Ladybug. What could this superhero have against an ordinary civilian, hmm?” 

Dash’s gaze shifted to land on Danny, studying him. 

“Ah there it is!” Spectra exclaimed. “That little bit of fear. Why are you so afraid of your hero hating you?”

“I’m not.” Dash said quietly.

“Oh? Are you sure? Your emotions don’t lie. You can’t hide it from me, no matter how hard you try to hide it from him.”

Danny ground his teeth together and looped his yoyo around a street light and pulled himself into the air. He swung around and kicked Spectra in the stomach, causing her to drop Dash. Once he hit the ground he pushed himself back up and started sprinting towards the school. 

She hissed and turned her head as she watched Dash run away and Danny saw a lone earring on the other side of her face that he didn’t notice until now. 

Spectra made to chase after him but Danny looped his yoyo around her waist.

“Now come on, are you trying to play with your food?”

She turned to look at Danny, another maniacal smile on her face. “Forget him. Your emotions are much more filling. More delicious. More complex.” 

“You’re a terrible flirt.” 

Danny looked up just in time to see Chat Noir hitting Spectra in the back of the head with his baton.

“If that’s her idea of flirting, I can see why she wants to make everyone else miserable.” Danny said to Chat Noir when he jumped down beside him. 

“I do have to admit though, you do look pretty delicious.” Chat Noir sent him a smirk and Danny blushed.

Spectra chuckled and they both looked back at her. “Chat Noir is afraid of his partner secretly hating him. Oh, that too is delicious.”

Danny shot another glance at Chat Noir. He was staring up at Spectra with wide eyes. 

“I think the akuma is in the earring she’s wearing.” Danny whispered. “She only has one.”

Chat Noir shook his head. “Right. Any plans so far?”

“No, but-”

Spectra was bringing down a hand over them and Danny jumped to push Chat Noir out of the way. 

“Why would Chat Noir be afraid of Ladybug hating him? Where did he get that inclination from? I wonder.” 

Danny stood up and threw his yoyo into the sky. 

“Lucky charm!” 

A polka dotted tennis racket fell into his hands. The wires in the center were broken.

“Maybe Chat Noir has run into Ladybug as his civilian self and had a sour encounter. Maybe Chat Noir is keeping secrets from his trusted partner.”

Danny tuned her out as he looked around for a way to use the lucky charm. 

“Maybe Chat Noir doesn’t really think he’s a hero at all. He’s losing everything and taking it out on others.”

Danny’s eyes widened. He’s got it.

“Chat Noir!” He shouted. “Be ready!” 

Chat Noir nodded at Danny before they both jumped in opposite directions. 

“Chat Noir fears losing the one he loves.”

Danny swung around behind Spectra who had her attention on Dash. Danny waited and watched, waiting for the right moment to jump.

“He’s worried about not meeting Ladybug’s expectations. What will he do if Chat Noir isn’t who Ladybug wants him to be?”

“Now!” 

He jumped at Spectra from behind, who turned to face him, giving him the perfect angle to bring the broken tennis racket down and around her earring. He pulled it off and flung it in Chat Noir’s direction.

“No!” Spectra yelled as Chat Noir caught the large earring in his hands.

“Cataclysm!” 

The earring turned to dust and fell to the ground. A purple butterfly gently rose into the air. Danny caught it before it could get far. 

“Gotcha.” 

He released the butterfly and picked the tennis racket back up.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” 

Once the ladybugs fixed everything and he saw that Spectra was back to her normal self, Danny jumped away. He could hear Chat Noir following after him.

They landed on the roof together and Danny turned to look at him. He looked a little distraught.

“Hey, are you okay?” 

Chat Noir looked at him, a searching look in his face. 

“Yeah, I’m- I’m.. fine.”

“Oh. Okay.” Danny turned to jump away as his earrings beeped. “I gotta-”

“You would never hate me, would you?”

Danny’s head shot up and he turned to look at Chat Noir again. “What? Of course not.” 

Chat Noir smiled at him sadly and jumped away. 

Why would Chat Noir be so afraid of Danny hating him? Spectra was just trying to get under their skin. Yeah, maybe there’d be some worry with their secret identities. They didn’t really know who the other was. That had to be it. 

Danny jumped in the opposite direction and swung towards the school. After traveling a couple blocks, he dropped down into an alley and transformed just after he hit the ground. 

Danny didn’t know what time it was, but he knew he needed to get back to school before he missed even more of it. 

He ran out of the alley and was looking down when he ran straight into someone else. 

Danny bounced off their chest and took a step back. When he looked up he saw that it was Dash Baxter standing in front of him. 

“Watch it-.” Dash shoved Danny away from him and furrowed his brows. “Fenton? How did you get all the way out here?”

“You watch it, Dash.” Danny brushed himself off. “What does it matter what I’m doing? Too worried about someone catching you skipping class again?”

Dash scoffed. “Like you’re one to talk. You’re literally skipping class right now. You skip class almost as much as I do. Maybe even more.” 

“How would you know? You’re not even there.” Danny stared up at Dash challengingly. Dash frowned down at him. 

“What’s it matter to you?” 

Danny shrugged. “I just wonder what it is you get up to. What’s so important to Dash Baxter that he’d risk his place on the football team for it? Oh wait, he already lost his spot.”

Dash slowly stalked up to Danny and bent down so their faces were level. He grabbed the front of Danny’s shirt and yanked him up. 

“Listen here, you little shit.” Dash hissed into Danny’s face. “I’m losing everything due to my responsibilities. You don’t know what I’m going through. What it’s like not meeting the expectations of those closest to you. I’m not what they want me to be. So stop pulling my whiskers, you flea.”

Dash threw Danny away from him again.

Danny’s stomach dropped as he looked up at Dash.

No.. It couldn’t be. It had to be a coincidence. That wasn’t him that Spectra said those things to. It was-

Danny took a sharp breath. 

Chat Noir. 

Dash was Cat Noir? His partner? His best friend? 

The one he was falling in love with? 

He saw Dash frown at him and he reached forward to wave his hand in front of Danny’s face. His mouth was moving but Danny couldn’t hear anything over the ringing in his ears. 

Dash reached towards Danny but then took a step back as he looked over Danny’s shoulder. Dash’s eyes widened as his gaze landed on Danny’s ear and he could feel something slipping into his necklace. 

Oh no.

“Hello, Danny. I am the Purple Empress.” 

No, no. Danny clenched his head and started walking backwards down the street.

“I never wanted to do this, Danny. Especially to you.”

What? 

“But it seems you’ve had what I wanted this whole time. I’m sorry to do this to you.” 

Danny could feel the transformation take over him and he looked up just as Dash called on his own and started running towards him. Then everything changed. 

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Chapter 3: Stranger's Promise

Narrated by Marina.

Narrator: I glance around Cersei's stall. On the black velvet tablecloth lies an old, frayed set of tarot cards.

Narrator: A tall girl in an elegant, classy gown and a crystal crown is sitting behind the table. She looks like a beautiful princess!

Narrator: She shuffles the cards gracefully. I'm surprised to spot some green stubble under her veil.

Narrator: Cersei's deskmate, the youth in the noble outfit, is also standing at the side.

Noble Youth: Where are you from, young lady?

Marina: The voice...

You: So that "youth" is actually a girl...

Narrator: Meanwhile, a figure clad entirely in metal scraps is attempting to get up from the couch in the back, producing a series of loud clangs.

Robot: Activating... 20%... 30%, 35%... Activation failed.

Narrator: The strange metal man gives up his attempt and sinks back into the couch.

Cersei: Hey, Robot, don't scare our sixth member away.

Marina: What a group of weirdos.

Cersei: Bingo! That's right! We're weirdos indeed. You're indeed destined to be our sixth member.

Cersei: Let me introduce you. This is our Princess. This one is Prince. The robot dude is human, but you can just call him Robot.

Marina: You can call me Marina.

Prince: A very good name. Easy to remember.

Cersei: We all live in the Dorm of the Strange. The other students all call our building a forbidden zone!

Marina: Is that something worth being proud of?

Cersei: Anyway, if you join our club, you get free access to the Dorm of the Strange. You'll be one of us!

Narrator: Her words simply put me in a bad mood once again.

Marina: But I'm not even a student in your school.

Narrator: Princess, who has been standing silently at the side, finally sighs.

Stubbled Princess: Yeah, she's right. She's a kid. Can't you tell?

Cersei: So? She can just join the club now and enter Cicia School of Design later.

Narrator: I look up in surprise to meet Cersei's genuine, intense gaze.

Marina: B-but by the time I get in... you'll all have graduated.

Cersei: Nah, I should've graduated 4 years ago, and I'm still here. Who knows when I'll graduate? We might become classmates.

Cersei: By the way, where do you live, Marina?

Marina: I live on a big, big ship! Bigger than the whole campus, actually.

Marina: We sail all day. I don't know where to, but my brother says we'll find our destination someday.

Cersei: Wow, that sounds amazing. I deserve my own ship, too.

Narrator: Princess nods elegantly, stroking the stubble on her chin.

Stubbled Princess: It'd be nice to go tanning on the deck with a glass of champagne.

Prince: So, do you know how to steer a ship, Miss Marina?

Marina: Of course! I can do anything!

Robot: A ship bigger than the whole campus... It must be powered by cutting-edge technology. Maybe tech from the Ruins.

Narrator: They all start chatting. It's like they've already accepted me and fully believe I really do live on a gigantic ship.

Narrator: I feel right at home hanging out with them. It's almost magical. How should I describe this feeling?

Choose either "It's friendship" or "It's the mutual understanding between weirdos."

If "friendship," ...

You: It's friendship! You've made some great friends.

Narrator: So, is this what having friends feels like? Now I see why people find university fun.

If "weirdos," ...

You: It's the mutual understanding between weirdos. You fit perfectly with each other.

Narrator: Who cares if others find me weird? And what makes them so "normal" anyway?

--

Marina: But... I'm the 6th member, right? Shouldn't there be one more person here in that case?

Cersei: She went out to buy something. Oh, I see her over there!

Aeon: Marina!

Narrator: Before I can see the face of the fifth member, my brother has come looking for me.

Aeon: Where have you been? I've been looking for you for a while.

Marina: Aeon! You're already done?

Aeon: Yeah, it's time to go home.

Narrator: I hurriedly say goodbye to the members of the Research of Magical Humans Club and run over to take my brother's hand.

Narrator: From a distance away, I turn back and let my gaze linger on the stall a little bit longer.

Narrator: A new, grayish figure is standing by the small table now. The silhouette reminds me a little of a mirror we have on the Ark.

Aeon: What are you looking at, Marina?

Marina: Nothing, nothing! I didn't see a thing.

Marina: Aeon, can I study here in the future? I made some new friends and promised we'll become classmates someday!

Aeon: You want to go to school? Of course, you can go.

Marina: Really? You're the best!

Aeon: But if you want to pass the exam, you'll need lessons in history, languages, math, and more. Let's start lessons once we get home!

Marina: Huh? Nooooo! I don't wanna go to university anymore!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

[whipplefilter]

Brickyard 400 (2024)

[Hero shot! Brickyard 400 Cup Qualifying, Turn 4 into frontstretch, 7/20/2024]

When I take race photos, I have a strong bias towards cars I like, but I do try to shoot anyone who seems like they might be part of the race narrative. This is actually the first NASCAR race I've ever attended where the 5, a car I like, was also plot-relevant--which might seem statistically unlikely, but oh, it is not. At last, the stars align!

During the race, a full third of the field was relegated to the DNF trash-heap as a result of several cascading restart conflagrations in the second half of the race. Tire falloff wasn't a factor and teams struggled to find multiple grooves, making this primarily a track position race--and then a fuel-saving race, for much of the field. (JHN was also a factor for an alarming amount of this race, and not just for pit cycle reasons.)

About halfway through Stage 2 during a caution for cause, the 5 had a loose RR and had to come back to the pits and restart P35, which I think somehow... helped? I mean, they were competitive the whole time. But that put them so far back in the field that they could avoid the great Hocevar->Blaney->JJ->Logano domino, and also come back in again for more fuel during the subsequent caution, since they were already restarting at the back. Which may have had a role in shifting the rest of their race strategy such that the 5 (along with the 45) ended up having a lot more fuel than the rest of the leaders at the end of the race. I don't know if these causalities actually line up.

However the cookie crumbled, we ended up here, the most fun and most stressful part of the race for me:

[Turn 4, several laps from disaster (Brad's POV)]

Unlike the cars needing to save fuel, the 5 was free to go full tilt, and after being mired behind the 4 for some time began a wild march up the field. Even though he had the advantage for sure, these weren't easy cars to pass, and wow. It was so much fun to watch I would have been completely happy with a Brad win afterward, and I say this as someone who has never truly recovered from Brad winning the world's coldest 2018 Brickyard.

And then, Controversy #1: Like Joe Biden, an out-of-gas Brad Keselowski suddenly exited the final laps of the race. This was to Larson's benefit and Blaney's classical misfortune, as Larson took Brad's spot on the bottom and there were some questions about who fired when, where.

[the start/finish line from afar with a 500mm lens]

Following Brad's exit, Larson takes the lead. There's another caution, a red, and a second overtime. (I think this is the 48 16 14 42 wreck? Idk I'm not going to look this up.) After restarting once more, Larson clears Blaney for the lead. Then the 41 spins onto the apron toward the back of the field, NASCAR flies a delayed yellow after the white, and Larson coasts to a win under caution, with Reddick behind, and Blaney third.

I think Blaney is justified in his upset (I always think Blaney is justified in his upset); and I agree that NASCAR is not 100% consistent with its yellows (Controversy #2). I get why they didn't fly it immediately; whether they could have flown it before the white is probably 50/50. But I also think with the field re-racked on that first overtime restart, the stars were already aligning for the 5, and I don't think that either of these things ultimately impacted the race's what-ifs. I think the 5 and 45 were probably going to do what they were going to do. As someone who has reffed youth soccer, when you're in medias res and have a flag in your hand/a whistle in your mouth, sometimes you just need to make a decision and commit to it. That's the messiness of a live event. I know, bold words coming from me, who benefited--this time!

Despite Internet grumblings, I do not think NASCAR has Hendrick favoritism, nor 5 favoritism; stupid things happen that don't work in their favor all the time, too. If NASCAR really liked Hendrick that much, Jimmie would have 8 championships and they would have thrown a caution for every one of the 48's spins that did not result in any caution/therefore required pitting under green. THEY'RE NOT SEARED INTO MY MEMORY WHAT'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT HAHA.

Stupid things will continue to happen that won't work in their favor, at even more pivotal moments (I would wager oh, somewhere around the Round of 12). And honestly, if NASCAR really wanted ~storylines, it really had its pick here, given who owns IMS and also the 12 and given who the defending Champion is.

I do think NASCAR probably really wanted the race to end vs. stacking overtimes on overtimes (having exceeded their NBC window), and also because of the fuel situation and having already had recent experience with how messy that could get. Live events be live event-ing.

Regardless, I finally got to see a top fave win in person, and even if I hadn't, the march up to P3 was still my favorite part! <3

[lonely-soul-02]

Noel's Letter To My Younger Self - The Big Issue

Quotes that stood out to me from Noel’s personal essay Letter To My Younger Self with The Big Issue magazine.

Note: for those outside the UK, The Big Issue is a newspaper style magazine that offers homeless people an opportunity to earn money. Homeless people stand on the street with an armful of magazines and will shout out to passers-by if they want to buy one, so to get a physical copy, you need to buy it direct from a homeless person selling it. This might provide some context for Noel's political comments.

“I was always a hopeful child if not always a happy one.”

“All I was interested in was music and escapism.”

"If my upbringing taught me anything, it was resilience, I got that from my mum."

“[Peggy’s] bark was fucking ferocious.  Her bite was non-existent. She had very, very bad language.  That’s where I learned to swear, from my mum.”

“When I was a teenager I romanticised everything…I didn’t know it at the time but I was already laying the groundwork for what I would become - an artist, a romantic.”

“[the Irish folk musicians] can make the most miserable subjects sound amazing and almost spiritual. I love that and I love it to this day.”

“Singing is good for the soul. It releases endorphins in the brain, you get high from singing.  It’s why people sing at church.  Football stadiums are the working man’s cathedrals.”

“And then one day Liam just said, you write songs, play us one of yours…It was only when other people joined in on my music and Liam started singing that the light bulb went off.  And it was like, wow, actually, this could be really fucking good.  I can’t articulate what kind of emotion it was. It was not a massive eureka moment, but it wasn’t indifference either.”

Translating Noel: it was a fucking massive eureka moment hearing his brother sing the songs he’d written

“You never knew what mood Liam was going to turn up in and I found the whole thing really fucking stressful.”

“I might step in to press pause on my younger self a few times and say hang on a minute.  Can we just go back a couple of months and fucking fix this?”

“I feel sorry for young people growing up in this country now, Brexit has been a fucking absolute unmitigated disaster…Politics has come to a fucking dead end…I don’t understand what any of them stand for anymore."

“The Tories are going to run this country into the ground and then pass it over to Labour and say good luck with that."

"[the politicians living in London] might want to get on a train once in a while and get outside of the M25 and you'll see how much of a fucking shithole this country is in."

"In the outskirts of Manchester where I was born, everything is boarded up. Everything is gone. This was supposed to be a modern world where nobody was gonna get left behind.”

N.B. It was David Cameron who said nobody would be left behind in a Tory Britain.

“Music of all forms is so fucking middle class now.  The working class musician is at the bottom of the pile now.  That’s why music is shit because youth culture, 99 times out of 100, comes from the working class.  That’s why so many kids now are loving Oasis. Because we were the real deal."

"Part of me is a little bit sad that no-one came to take our place. No one's come along to speak for them [youth] about their lives and their culture and where they're going next."

"Ive got two young sons...and I feel anxious for young guys. They don't really know how to behave with all this woke shit that's now foisted upon everybody. Angry white middle-aged women telling young guys how to behave and all this bollocks. I look at my sons and I have to put them in a headlock sometimes and say, don't worry about these people, just be who you are...They're shackled by the internet and wokeism and by living in a country where fuck all works."

"My 40s were the best decade of my life."

"Every day since I turned 50 has been a fucking ballache."

"If I could have one final conversation with anyone in my life...I'd talk to my ex-father-in-law who passed away recently. I didn't really get a chance to say goodbye . I'ld like to tell him what a great man I thought he was. And I'd also like to talk to my old granny, my dad's mum. I'd like just to say, you'll never fucking guess what happened to me and the other fella."

[solartranslations]

AF2 Nova Chapter 2 (12/19): Precious Memories

The youth’s Piccolino was a big success. Before anyone knew it, the sun had started to set…

~*Scene: Church Outside*~

Sera: Wow, look at the time

Teo: Oh right, Vir told us to be back by evening

Sera: We’ll get going then

Neve: Today…was a lot of fun

Felicita: Thank you for coming

Sera: I needed to get to know people outside the organization too. I learned a lot

Sera: And I want to keep learning about the Family and Regalo

Felicita: Sure, ask me anything

Sera: …Thank you

Teo: Sera, hurry! Vir’s waiting!

Sera: Right, I’m coming

~*Scene: Church Inside*~

(*shine)

Nova: The children seem happy. By the way, where did Liberta and Ash go?

Felicita: I think they’re still playing with the kids

Liberta: There’s an island where they celebrate Natale in the summer

Tinto: Why?

Ash: Because the seasons are reversed over there

Sara: Wow, amazing!!

Liberta: Hey, Ash! Don’t steal my spotlight

Ash: Spotlight? Oh, you mean to show off what little knowledge you have?

Liberta: Huh!? What’s that supposed to mean!

Sara: You two are so funny!

Nova: Geez… I can’t tell which of them are the children

Felicita: *laugh*

Nova: But the children do seem more lively than usual

Felicita: They’re probably all excited for Natale

Nova: I did also look forward to it when I was a child

Felicita: Me too. I was happy about getting presents

Nova: …We spent it together before, didn’t we?

Felicita: Yeah. I remember eating cake together

~*Flashback: Felicita’s Old House Inside*~

Sumire: The torte is ready for you two

Nova: Okay…

Felicita: Let’s eat!

~*End Flashback*~

Nova: I still remember you opening your mouth wide to stuff it full of torte

>Are you making fun of me?

(No Amore)

>The heck…

(-10 Amore)

>Why is that what you remember…?

(+30 Amore)

Nova: Why do you think so?

Nova: I remember that because…

Nova: I was jealous

Felicita: Jealous?

Nova: Of how happy you looked

Nova: Why are you giving me that look?

Felicita: That didn’t sound like a compliment

Nova: …I couldn’t forget how innocent you looked

Nova: Ugh, it’s too embarrassing to talk about!

Nova: Don’t get the wrong idea!

(*reach) Nova: It’s because you were so cute back them…

Felicita: *smile*

Nova: But at some point, I stopped looking forward to Natale…

Felicita: Nova?

Nova: Because after that…I lost control of my powers on my parents…

Felicita: Nova, are you okay?

Nova: Yeah. I was just remembering the past

Felicita: It still hurts…?

Nova: Don’t worry…Thanks to you, I was able to face my parents. And—

Nova: And I can honestly say I’m looking forward to Natale this year. Not as much as them though

Felicita: I can’t wait to spend Natale with you, Nova

Nova: It’s a relief hearing you say something so simple

Nova: I’m saying that I feel at peace around you

Nova: Let’s make it a great Natale

(*smirk) Ash: What’re you staring at each other for?

Liberta: Yeah, Nova. We’re spending Piccolino together today. You can’t keep Ojou to yourself

Nova: Wha…no I’m not…!

Ash: Really? It looked like you were in your own little world and didn’t want to be bothered

Felicita: Ah…maybe a little

Nova: Y-you…!

Liberta: Yup. Ojou sure is honest

Ash: Yeah, unlike you, Pea

Nova: You’re you calling Pea!

Liberta: Obviously you

(*glare) Nova: Don’t say it’s “obvious”!

Ash: It’s a little late to fight it

Liberta: Yeah, everyone knows you by that nickname. So just accept it

Nova: As if! I’ve grown much taller anyway. So it doesn’t make sense for you to call me Pea

Ash: But you’re shorter than me

Liberta: And me too

(*glare) Nova: …Since you won’t listen to reason

(*shing)

Ash: What, you wanna go?

Liberta: Just for the record, you drew your sword first!

Sara: Are you guys gonna fight? Fighting’s bad

Tinto: It’s a fight between men! They’re so cool!

Felicita: …*sigh*

Felicita: Over here, everyone

Sara: Yes, Miss?

Felicita: You’ll get punished for doing that. So don’t imitate them

Tinto: Punished?

(*shing) Felicita: Yes, like this—

(*whish) Felicita: Hyah!

Nova: Gu…ah…!/Liberta: Wah!?/Ash: Whoa!

(*rumble) Felicita: You three stop it, right now

(*shine) Tinto: You guys are cool, but Miss is the coolest

~*End of Scene*~

(Continue to Common Event Lesson 1)

(Back to Directory)

[yegarts]

“I Am YEG Arts” Series: Frances Whitford

It’s been said that grandparents are the voices of the past and the door to the future. For Frances Whitford, there are few truer sentiments. It’s why she describes her business, Beadwork & Bannock, as a creation of love and legacy to her grandparents and Métis culture. Lucky for us, that gratitude and knowledge are both gifts she’s eager to share with everyone. From passing down traditions to her children to championing the Indigenous Artists Market Collective (I.A.M), Frances looks forward to continuing to promote and support the perseverance of Indigenous art and culture in our city. Artist, advocate, granddaughter, and teacher—this week’s “I Am YEG Arts” story belongs to Frances Whitford.

Tell us about your connection to Edmonton and why you’ve made it your home.

I have a lot of family here. I’m from northeastern Alberta, just outside of Fort McMurray, so Edmonton was the closest major city and our go-to for everything—so we’ve always been connected to it. Even as a kid, we’d go to Lac Ste. Anne every summer, and then to K-Days because my grandmother had sisters and family here. From there we’d go around to Lac La Biche to the powwow before heading back home. So ever since I was a small child, I’ve spent a few weeks of every single summer here.

As an adult, what really drew me to Edmonton were the opportunities for my three children to grow. Being in a small community is great—the support you have is good, everyone knows your name, and your history, and all of those types of things—but sometimes that can put a real damper on personal growth when it comes to just wanting to spread your wings and be yourself. So all the genres of opportunities presented to them here were very alluring to all of us.

I also found the Indigenous Artists Market Collective (I.A.M) here, and that was amazing. I always say that when I found them, I found my tribe. As Lorrie Lawrence always says, it’s like a melting pot of Indigenous artists.

Tell us a bit about Beadwork & Bannock and how it came to be.

I grew up raised largely by my grandparents. They were very old-school, very Métis lifestyle, so I spent a lot of my youth on our family trapline, which my brother still runs with my cousin Jason. Despite being so immersed in my culture throughout my life, I didn’t realize then how blessed I was—not until 2011 when my grandmother passed away. She had developed Alzheimer’s around 2006, so it really felt like we lost her a lot sooner, but during that time was when I really began to realize that, wow, once she goes, all of this is gone.

My grandmother was an artisan herself and used what she earned to help supplement the family income. I loved watching her work, and a lot of time I’d get to play around sorting beads… but watching her create all these amazing things and seeing every part of the process—from trap to this beautiful pair of moccasins—was pretty cool. So when she passed away, I made my decision to allow myself to dream about making a living preserving my culture and being able to share it with others and teach my kids. Beadwork & Bannock was the answer. And there’s just so much good that has come from it. It is literally a legacy of love for my culture, my grandparents, and everything they’ve instilled in me. There were quite a few years of dreaming it up in my mind and wanting to be where I am now, but just knowing that this knowledge is for me to pass on to as many people as I can reach makes me very happy.

What inspires your design choices and the stories that your beading and clothing tell?

Again, it goes right back to my grandparents and realizing how much culture they preserved in me that I didn’t realize I carried until I was older. A lot of my beadwork designs are inspired by the work of my grandmother and from learning and exploring our Métis culture. As I did my genealogy, I realized just how far-reaching my Métis ancestry is when it comes to Canada and the United States. Because we were the landless people, we travelled so often that there are bits and pieces of my grandfathers’ and great grandfathers’ and great-great grandfathers’ families from Montana all the way through Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It’s pretty amazing to see that. So often I’ll look at all this beadwork from all over these places and feel such a connection to it. And at first, I don’t understand why until I realize it’s that ancestry that draws me in.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d had when starting out? And what’s something you knew instinctively that’s still serving you?

The advice I wish I’d had starting out is don’t limit yourself—don’t limit yourself to what you can and cannot do. When I first started, I felt very much that I was in this box and had to stick to mitts and moccasins and the traditional things my grandmother made. But as I’m evolving as an artist, I like to bring in contemporary elements and incorporate new-age thinking with the old—like repurposing fur coats. It’s conservation in itself. And a lot of what we do as trappers is conservation work. Some people have the misconception that we’re out there hauling out these furs and mass-producing and selling them. But, no. We’re actually doing a lot of environmental monitoring. So, for example, if there’s a species that’s low, we’re not going to harvest it. We’re going to refrain. Or if we’ve noticed a species is diseased, we’re submitting that all to the government to be tested to make sure that it’s not something invasive to these species.

The something I just knew from the get-go would probably have to be the importance of transferring knowledge. That was just the biggest driver for me after losing my grandmother and realizing that a lot of her knowledge was gone. Though I only have bits and pieces of it, I’m learning and growing on it every day, remembering more as I carry on. I also realized how important it is for us through truth and reconciliation to share that knowledge back and to give it to our future generations so that they can continue to grow on it and ground themselves with it—because that’s what it did for me.

I strongly believe that the knowledge and traditional practices I was given were meant for me to transfer, not to hold. Letting everyone know there is space for all of us to share and learn these things is something I’m very happy to do.

Tell us about someone who mentored you or helped set you on your path.

That would be my brother. I can really say that my brother has always been one of my biggest supporters and champions. When my grandmother passed away, the two of us sat down and had a conversation about my kids really needing to go to the trapline with him. They were all very small then, but I knew they needed to go with him alone because at that age Mom is everything—Mom, do this. Mom, do that. The trapline is a very wonderful and magical place, but it can also be very dangerous, so I knew they needed to build their relationship with him and the respect he required for them to safely enjoy trapline living—and to learn to grow their wings and be independent. So when my son was around 6 and my other daughter was 10 or 11, they went for their first weekend on the trapline with my brother. And that all started it. That’s when we both realized that if we didn’t transfer that knowledge, it’d be gone. From there, we started to talk about all the things that Grandma would make and decided to give it a try. The rest is history!

Who’s someone inspiring you right now?

Right now, I would probably say the artists with I.A.M. They have so many stories and inspire me so much with their resilience. There’s such an incredible amount of knowledge coming off each of these artists that stems from their families and their histories. And it’s just so inspiring to me to see our art coming back and being appreciated for what it is. The dedication each and every one of them shows to their craft is incredible. We even have one artist, Agnus Jones, who I believe is 89 years old. She does a lot of the similar work that I do, and the last time I saw her at the market I told her that, in my eyes, I am just an apprentice, she is a master, and that—one day—I hope to be as good as her.

Last year, you and your son designed a T-shirt for Orange Shirt Day. What was that experience like for you?

Normally, T-shirts are right out of my element, but I just felt called to tell this story (of our family’s journey of truth and reconciliation)—and to include my children. Part of our coming to knowledge of our past with residential school really shed light on understanding that we have our own story to tell. Knowing that the world is seeing the truth now, we needed to stand in our own truth. So I just really wanted my children to understand their history, as much as I can teach it, and as much as I can learn it myself to pass it on to them so they can understand why we are the way we are these days and which direction we need to move in. I needed a positive outlet to empower them to know that healing is possible, and necessary, and important for them to think about. That’s the real legacy I’d like to leave—that we need to move forward in a positive light, and that sometimes extracting a positive from a negative situation is the best way to grow and heal. That’s what I hope my T-shirts will do.

Tell us a bit about what you’re currently working on or hoping to explore next.

What I’m working on right now is focusing more on my beadwork detail. I just want to grow a little bit more, and explore a little bit more, and venture out into making new things, like satchel-style purses.

I’ve been exploring new mediums and playing around with caribou tufting, too. And it’s like, as soon as I understand my connection to these animals and these things, all of a sudden the creative comes in and I want to work with parts of them!

The kids and I are also working on more Every Child Matters T-shirts and collaborating on some other designs.

What do you want people to understand about the importance of buying Indigenous products from Indigenous artists?

It truly is a preservation of culture and of legacy. Our Indigenous art tells the story of our history, of our connectedness to other cultures and other places, and reminds us of the unity that we need to continue to share. I think it’s good to walk in your individual light and be proud of who you are and where you come from, but it’s also good to be proud of other cultures too—to raise them up and know that you stand in unity with them. So that’s what I’d like people to know: that when they purchase Indigenous art, they’re not only supporting an artist, they’re actually preserving a culture. And that’s an amazing thing.

Describe your perfect day in Edmonton. How do you spend it?

My perfect day in Edmonton would probably be spent exploring one of the many festivals or attractions that you literally find every weekend and everywhere you turn. Spending it with my kids, of course, because I love that.

You visit Edmonton 20 years from now. What do you hope has changed? What do you hope has stayed the same?

Well, I do hope that all the festivals and everything have stayed, but what I really hope to see is more reflection of the Indigenous presence that is here in the architecture and everywhere you turn. It’s starting to look like that now, but I’d really like it to be strongly visible. For example, the history behind the river lot that was here really needs to come to the surface—and in a good way. Because even though it’s a dark history, it’s a very positive place, and I love being there.

Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along! Click here to learn more about Frances Whitford, Beadwork & Bannock, and more.

About Frances Whitford

Frances Whitford is originally from Anzac, Alberta, but now calls Edmonton home. She was raised by her grandparents and grew up surrounded by Métis culture and craft, spending much time on the family trapline. Frances learned most of her craft from her grandmother, a Métis artisan, who made various pieces for the family and to sell in an effort to supplement the family’s income. Her grandfather was a trapper who would supply the furs and hides needed for her grandmother’s craft. Today, Frances’s brother has stepped into the role of trapper and supplies a large amount of the hides and furs that allow Frances to continue to learn and hone her skills.

Frances’s pieces, such as moccasins, mukluks, gauntlet mitts, and other Métis-oriented items, are made mainly of traditional and commercial-tanned moose hides, as well as beaver, fox, lynx, rabbit, and various other types of furs. Some of her Beadwork & Bannock pieces also include her beadwork.

As Treasurer of the Indigenous Artists Market Collective (I.A.M), Frances looks forward to continuing to promote, support, and participate in the advocacy and perseverance of Indigenous art and culture that she sees thriving in this city.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Wonderful World - Sneak Peek!

Hello friends, here is a sneak peek for my new series, Wonderful World! CLICK HERE to learn more about this story!

“Always hits the spot. I haven’t eaten since 11:30.” She disclosed.

“Oh god, I would be a proper grouch if I went that long without eating.” He said and she giggled.

“So you get hangry, I see…” she said and he chuckled.

“Most people do.” He said and she nodded.

“That’s fair.” She responded and he chuckled, “Being a parent often means staving off your own needs for your kids, even hunger. I will admit sometimes I forget to eat-”

“You forget to eat?” He asked in shock and she giggled.

“If I’m really busy. It’s usually during the end of the semester, but I don’t think any of my classes will push me to that this quarter.” She said and he nodded.

“Well good.”

“Yes.” She grinned. Then they called his name and he came back with his own order. He just had a regular black coffee and a capirotada - which is essentially a bread pudding.

“Ooh, good choice.” She said and he glanced up to her.

“He told me it was like bread pudding.”

“It is! They make it really good here, it’s not too sweet or cinnamon-y, it’s just right.” She said and he nodded.

“Oh good!” I just got this because it looks kind of like a dessert from England and I admittedly got a bit nostalgic.” He shrugged and she smiled.

“Yeah, I get that.” She nodded, “So have you been in the US long?”

“Yeah, I came over for med school, so I’ve been here…10 years.” He said, “Oh shit.” He then said lowly and she giggled as he realized how long he had been around here.

“Do you miss England?”

“Some things, but I really like it here. It was a fresh start.” He said and she nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, we need those sometimes.” She hummed, “But look at you now, your own practice and everything. Even teaching now!” She said and he chuckled bashfully as he reached for his coffee.

“Living the dream.” He said and she quirked her face a bit.

“You say that like you’re not convinced of it.” She said and he shrugged before he spoke again.

“It’s just like, you work so hard for something. Literally dedicate everything you are and all of your time and resources to it to get there and once you do it’s kind of the feeling of like “that’s it”?. Do you know what I mean?” He asked and she hummed pensively.

“Kind of… I mean, I hear med school is…horrific.” She said and he nodded.

“It’s definitely challenging…and I don’t know, I was just one of those people that were so focused on school and being excellent in that capacity that I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I could have or made the good kind of memories with the people around me.” He explained and she hummed, “And well now, yes, I have my practice, but having your own business is very time consuming and it makes it hard to have my own life too, you know? I love what I do, trust me, I would’ve never gone through with med school if I didn’t, but like there are times in which I wish I didn’t have to answer a phone call of a patient in distress in the middle of a date with my girlfriend. Or have a patient go through that angry at my therapist phase and fear I’ll get sued and lose everything.” He chuckled and she did as well.

“Yeah, wow, that is…intense.” She said and he nodded.

“It is and again, I love to do it and I love to help people, but I’m still new at this so I’m just getting the hang of it. I’m sure I’ll be able to find balance with some time, but it does feel like I never will be able to start living my life sometimes.” He expressed, “Do you ever feel that way? Being a mum?” He asked and she shook her head.

“Not really… I don’t feel that I missed out on my youth or anything like that. I wasn’t all that social in college.” She said and he hummed.

“And Celeste’s dad? You guys were young, how does he feel about that?” He asked and Diana looked down at her coffee cup before clearing her throat and glancing into his eyes.

“Ummm…h-how’re you liking teaching?” She changed the subject all together, so fast and abruptly that Harry just went along with it, barely even noticing that his previous question had been completely ignored.

“It’s been great! I was dying of nerves beforehand but as soon as I got up there it just felt amazing to know that I could share what I knew like that. It’s made me fall in love with my profession even more.” He said and she smiled.

“Yeah, that happens to all the great teachers I know, at least.” She shrugged and he smiled before digging into his capirotada. 

[journalofagirl-escapingthevoid]

An Ode to My Youth:The Rebellious Youth

It’s early morning, the world is dark and asleep, everything is quiet and peaceful. There’s not a cloud in the sky and the breeze is still warm from the days summer sun. It’s the perfect night to sneak out and star gaze with your best friend. The two of you are laying on the grass and everything is calm, in the background ‘Sweet Disposition’ is playing and you feel like everything in your life has led up to this moment. You look over at her soft face glowing in the moonlight, her eyes shining, and you say,

“If I died right now, I would be happy”.

And suddenly you’re both screaming out your lungs full of deep emotion.

That’s youth.

Living in the hope that things will stay like that forever. That you will never grow up and lose your friends. No fear of death, no fear of anything. It’s just you against the world.

Thirsty and hungry for freedom, tasting values and loosing innocence, smoking cigarettes, not knowing a thing about the future but yet thinking we know everything. No one can tell us how to be. Skipping school, staying up until 2am, going to parties, getting drunk and trying drugs. Youth is full of many firsts. It’s full of experiementing, growing and developing. It’s a time to rebel and learn who you are. The period of time between childhood and adulthood, where you learn what life is and how to live it.

Adventures you couldn’t dare to tell your parents about. Doing anything to escape the highway and gain a sense of belonging. Dreaming of running away and getting out of your hometown. Leaving home in the early morning to go on trips, finding the ‘next spot’, the next thrill. Lying about where you are and who you are with and somehow always getting away with it.

Going through youth, becoming angry. Angry at your parents, your friends, your siblings. Angry at the world. You’ve learnt that this is a cruel place, you’ve lost your innocence and you’re longing for it back. To not know of hurt and harm. Starting to be ignorant - ignorance is bliss after all.

I’ve always been scared of getting old and boring, but no one says you have to. Looking back on the past and thinking,

“Wow I was so young”.

But… I am still young and youthful.

When does youth really end?

I don’t think youth is an age, I believe it’s an experience that is in the heart.

I choose to live in the exerperience of youth forever.

[iscratchdoors]

blah blah trans healthcare rant dont mind me

i know people get pissy about regrets being given voice but holy fucking shit i should have not taken my time trying to get on hrt. i already knew i would eventually have to get top surgery to live my life normally at like 14 years old but for like 2-4 years after i was going back and forth on wanting to go on t, partially bc i wasn't sure i wanted all its effects and to look like a Manly Macho Man (wow a 15 year old struggling with the idea of looking like a 40 year old man? no way) and other gender stuff but mostly because everything i'd heard about trying to get hrt was a fucking horror story and i was already dealing with a ton of shit so i took my time to really make 100% sure i wanted to be on t (coincidentally happened when i became an adult and youthful androgyny stopped being an option, who woulda thought?) before ever contacting a doctor about it and holy FUCK was that a bad idea

it's always "take your time" and "don't rush into things" but holy fuck the waiting game is fucking insufferable. i did exactly that and took my time but turns out, so will my doctor! it does not matter how much Taking My Time(tm) i have done before seeking medical intervention this dipshit needs to take half a fucking year to even start talking to me about treatment. 6 appointments since last year and i've so far done nearly all the talking and gotten 0 information back and for about half of those ive been hearing that "next time we might talk about the next step" and guess what! we fucking haven't! because i need to wait, wait, wait, and make sure, and wait

for fucking what? ive already done all the making sure, giving me more time isn't going to change shit except delay my ability to live a normal goddamn life. he's not a psychologist and clearly doesn't know shit about autism, so i have no clue why he thinks he's qualified to decide if that has somehow tricked me into thinking im trans, a thing that famously happens. he's not telling me shit about fuck about how my treatment might even go and im not allowed to even fucking ask because that immediately gets shot down with "well we cant just give you hormones right away" BITCH FIRST OF ALL its been MONTHS ive had all my psychiatric work done for YEARS before i ever had to deal with your donkey-headed ass and im literally just ASKING. FOR INFORMATION. NOT A PRESCRIPTION.

but noooo we have to wait wait wait, wait before we even talk about the one goddamn thing i came for. like we arent sitting here having talks about my truest inner self and how to best achieve it or whatever the fuck i didnt come here for counseling and it certainly isnt what im fucking getting. like what the fuck does he think is going to happen during an arbitrarily decided waiting period? i suddenly change my mind? without him giving me ANY information about what im getting myself into? hes going to discover some secret psychosis i have that my ACTUAL PSYCHIATRIST didn't for years??? it doesn't make any sense. it's always "oh you can't get hormones on the first appointment" WELL CAN I AT LEAST BE FUCKING SENT TO ENDO BY THE GODDAMN SIXTH???? im not taking shit at my own pace im entirely reliant on someone else's that they decided for me with frankly no justification

and i can't even vent my frustrations about this to acquaintances and relatives because for some goddamn fucking reason, they almost ALWAYS take the doctor's side. i complain about the shit i had to go with my joints, nobody assumes the doctor was in the right when i tell a story of how they fucked something up or were a prick. i say one bad word about THIS motherfucker and suddenly well the doctor has his reasons surely :((( you cant just expect to be given what you want immediately :(((((( what if someone gets on hormones and changes their mind :(((((( not you just Someone :((((((( still your problem tho :(((((((( by the way i need you to listen to this story about how a trans person you've never met annoyed me once :) i dont have anything against trans people btw did i mention that? i really dont. if you want medical treatment die tho.

every single fucking time. what the hell is it about transgender healthcare specifically that always makes people play defense for a medical professional they dont know anything about. i know im kind of unhinged with anger and hyperbolic from rant frenzy but i mean no exaggeration when i say that i genuinely believe that half of these people would rather see 100 trans dudes kill themselves than let 1 confused cis girl end up with a deep voice and extra body hair. it's fucking ridiculous. even my goddamn social worker gave me the "can't expect hormones at first appointment" speech. a fucking WEEK ago. first appointment was LAST YEAR girl. no matter how directly i describe exactly what's wrong with my doctor's approach and why (it's not only the waiting period he's just a general cunt) somehow the narrative of the entitled impatient trans person who is attacking this poor poor medical professional on an unhinged whim when really they could just accept themself and be cis and happy :( is the first thing that springs to their mind. there's not an ounce of trust in me, or anyone else in my position.

and this is all just the first step. i'm already looking into paying out of pocket for surgery because the fucking rate this is going at doing it the standard way seems a last resort more than anything. but to even get into talks about getting surgery done, in ANOTHER FUCKING COUNTRY most likely, at that, because fuck me for being born here, i of course need to be diagnosed and on hrt! haha! amazing! i can't do shit to progress any further until ONE OLD FART decides that i'm allowed! wanna permanently ruin your health with booze and smoking? sure! you're an adult! wanna get a cosmetic surgery in line with your agab? aye if you can pay for it! oh you want to get a different cosmetic surgery to improve your mental health at well over 18? now hold on there bucko we're going to need 2 doctors to sign off on that, what if youre just being an insane wackadoodle and you'll regret the horrible, horrible fate of not having titties while living as a dude. that's not a decision you can just make. have you considered spending the rest of your life unable to comfortably go outside or even move around much inside your own home instead? seems like a much safer option.

and all the waiting and frustration is one thing but the absolute lack of support is what really finishes the job. i go to my dumbass dipshit appointments and do my dumbass dipshit jester dance of how good of a trans i am and may i please please please have a crumb of medical care sir? spare a doing your fucking job sir? and after that goddamn exhausting ordeal of justifying my right to existence and well being i go home and instead of winding down i fucking do it again. no reprieve. and then i go to my room and i wait, wait, wait, wait, and wait, and it never fucking ends, and all i do is wait, wait wait, wait, wait, and i barely even get to talk to people who aren't paid to do it anymore, and i wait, wait, wait, and im slowly going more and more insane, and wait, wait, wait, and life is a fucking nightmare, and i wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, and there's no one left to ask for help, and i wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, and think about putting a hole in my skull, and wait, and wait, and wait

[lets-talk-spirituality]

I’ve never asked, but also intrigued. May I ask about my future spouse? Or anything future career related for me I could know? Thank you!!

Sure! Let’s see what comes up…

I’m seeing snow, it’s rural, somewhere with hills, so you do work in medicine? I’m getting something like you take some opportunity to give back and move to some small town, like maybe also a school teacher? Something where you go to a community with need, I really feel doctor or vet vibes from you, maybe nurse or even administrative, I think this could be where you meet your spouse, maybe they are the doctor who comes to your small town, but something about serving this community is important, it makes a real impact here and that gives you both feelings of warmth.

You two can become pillars in the community. People will look to you too, welcomed with open arms — seeing some like downtown even where everyone knows your name and greets you and this spouse. Very close knit community. It’s very wholesome, very Hallmark movie vibes, you both are drawn to the giving warmth of the other, it’s something that brings you together, you both love animals, I see a dog, maybe even some cats, maybe even some larger animals since you live somewhere with space, horse, cow? Hmmm. I think irl be bittersweet but you guys I’ll move when you want kids because you want to go where there are better schooling opportunities. You’ll miss the people but deep down you’re ready for a change of pace and to go somewhere new. Interesting.

Message from Spirit

Don’t worry about what comes next, only worry about what is happening now, may attention to the now, what you want now. The future can be a fun place to escape to, but it can also exasperate our frustration with where we are. “The fountain of youth is in the present” (Good Days—SZA). We spend so long dreaming of the future and working through the past that when the present leaves us we long for it to come back, always spending time outside of what we can control. In this moment where you are is magnificent, let the peace and joy of that fill you up. From this place of abundance, you can share, and sharing your light is what brings what you want to you! For how can it find you in the dark?

Card Pull— Work Your Light Oracle

Just got a thought that maybe if you aren’t a doctor you do something with healing, maybe spiritual or like counseling?

Imrama— where are you being called to journey to?

Wow! So maybe you already know where you are meant to go, wherever this is calling you to go, follow because this card feels like it’s confirming that piece that says maybe when you move you will meet them. You are being called somewhere that needs you, maybe even just your light is needed there. Sometimes a place yearns for our presence and we are drawn places just to bring our frequency and light where it’s needed. Hmmm. Follow those inklings, stop pushing them away!

I hope this helps you make the leap! Would love to know how or if you feel this connects.

[multi-writer]

Can I request a Eddie Munson x Latina!reader where it’s the first time the rest of her relatives meet Eddie and it’s at a carne asada. Like it’s a lot of her family and Eddie says “wow you have a pretty big family” and reader laughs and says “this isn’t even half” and he thinks she’s joking but when he sees she not laughing he’s like 😳 maybe even the party gets invited

Familia

Eddie Munson x Latina! Reader

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The day was clear, the sun was shining on you and the summer season was bringing waves of heat. There were children running through the streets thanks to the summer vacation. You and Eddie were holding hands as you walked straight home, Robin, Steve, Nancy, Jonathan and the kids were behind you as you chatted animatedly. At last you could all enjoy a summer where you didn't have to risk your lives fighting dimensional creatures.

"What kind of party are we going to?" asked Eddie as he gave your hand an affectionate squeeze. You just smiled and shook your head.

"It's not a party as such, just a little family reunion" You replied and then gave him a kiss on the cheek making the boy blush.

"You're such a cute couple but could you two stop doing that in public? There are children present" Claimed Steve.

"Steve let them. They're finally together, don't ruin their moment" Nancy commented as Jonathan draped his arm over the girl's shoulders making her smile grow bigger.

"Besides, you're the only one without a girlfriend Steve" Max teased.

"Robin and Will doesn´t have a partner either and Dustin's girlfriend isn't here" Replied Steve making Robin giggle.

"Don't drag us into your single life Steve. Will and I will find someone who loves and understands us, right kid?" Robin replied as she put her hand on Will's head causing Will to just let out a nervous laugh.

They all continued walking through a few more houses until they reached yours. From outside you could hear the music playing, you could tell your mom was playing it because 'Mecano' was playing. Everyone in the group turned to look as they were not used to that kind of gathering. As you entered your house you could hear the little ones screaming as they were having fun. The smell of roasting meat and charcoal could be appreciated even though it was being done in your backyard. Inside you could hear the voices of the women in the kitchen preparing sauces and handmade tortillas.

"Finalmente estas en casa. Where have you been?" your mom asked as she hugged you. "Boys, how are you?" she said as she saw the rest of the group.

“Bien señora, y usted?” Eddie asked in the little Spanish you had taught him, this caused your mom to smile even wider as she gave Eddie a hug. The rest of the group was surprised to see your mother's affectionate actions as Eddie hugged her back. You had taken Eddie to meet your parents before, but this was the first time he was going to meet your entire family. And when you say all, it was really ALL.

“Tan bello Eddie. Cuando decidirán casarse” your grandmother commented as she put an omelet on the stove. You just blushed as you told her they were still too young for that.

The rest also greeted your mother as they passed by to see the inside of your house. Your mom told them that the tables were ready outside and then went back to your aunts to continue talking, now the topic of conversation was about them in their youth remembering when they were your age.

"Hey..." commented Robin nervously. "Are we going to have enough food for everyone? There's just too many of us."

"Sure! We always make extra food."

As they went out into the yard they saw your cousins running around the garden while the men of the family were standing in front of the grill watching the meat cook along with the chorizo and some onions. They all had beer in their hands as they chatted about the previous night's soccer game. Eddie approached you again to hold your hand nervously, as you turned to look at him you saw his nervous smile.

“You sure have a big family” he commented with a small smile. You simply held his hand a little tighter and stroked his cheek with your other hand moving his long hair behind his ear.

“Corazón, we're not all here yet. There are more people coming." This caused Eddie to lose his smile and look at you in surprise. You led everyone to the table where they were going to be and they began to talk about the new things they would be doing in the summer. As time went by more of your family members arrived at the gathering, many brought drinks and others brought cakes and pastries. The amount of food made the younger members of the group open their eyes wider while the amount of people in your house caused the older ones to look at you in surprise.

"I thought it was a small family reunion" Lucas said.

"It is, it is a reunion and it's with family" You commented.

"They're all your family?" asked Jonathan as he ate a bite of tortilla with guacamole. They all turned to look at you interested.

"Yes but no. There is family that is my family and family that are friends but we've known each other for so long that we consider them family" you commented as you helped yourself to some carne asada with pico de gallo. "It's like a family tradition to have this kind of reunion. We do this reunion at least three times per year."

"Do you think that in the future we could be part of this tradition" Eleven asked you with a glint of excitement in her eyes looking at you hopefully. At last she could be part of a big family and traditions like she had seen on TV and in movies. You smiled softly as Eddie draped his arm over your shoulders and placed a kiss in your hair.

"I don't see why not, after all, we are family."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translations:

Finalmente estas en casa – Finally you´re home

Bien señora, y usted – I´m fine Mrs. And you?

Tan bello Eddie. Cuando decidirán casarse – So cute Eddie. When are you going to get married

Corazón - Sweetheart

Author´s note: Finallyyyyy. Hope you like it! (a post per day! what a miracle lol) Mecano is a Spanish band but my mom really loved it and thanks to that I know most of the songs. I really recommend their music.

Tbh I really love to write Latina reader. There's not a lot of Latino representation so I really enjoy to write about it <3

[nataliedanovelist]

GF - Timestuck AU: The Power of Mabel ch.2

While fighting over a time machine so one twin can win a pig or the other can win the heart of a girl, Mabel is left stranded in a snowy forest with no time machine and no brother. Oops.

The BEAUTIFUL art pieces were done by @clownwry and @elishevart ! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! 😭❤️💋

ch.1 - ch.3

~~~~~~~~~~

Ford was way more nervous than he was letting on.

She had long, pretty brown hair, braces over her teeth, sneakers, a skirt, and a sweater that allowed the cold air to pass through it. Her cheeks were slightly chubby with youth and nosy, as well as her nose, due to the freezing weather. Her eyes matched her hair perfectly, and though they were clouded with fear and confusion, Ford swore he could see sparkling behind the clouds, sparkling that made itself well-known when she asked if she could make him a sweater or when she saw his hands.

She had long, pretty brown hair, braces over her teeth, sneakers, a skirt, and a sweater that allowed the cold air to pass through it. Her cheeks were slightly chubby with youth and nosy, as well as her nose, due to the freezing weather. Her eyes matched her hair perfectly, and though they were clouded with fear and confusion, Ford swore he could see sparkling behind the clouds, sparkling that made itself well-known when she asked if she could make him a sweater or when she saw his hands.

Ford would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy Mabel’s company, but she was practically a stranger, and keeping a random girl in his house that was located in the middle of the woods was fishy and Ford couldn’t help but feel like it was illegal. But he couldn’t leave her out in the snow and send her on her way to find her home and family, so he decided to keep her warm or healthy, simply because it was the right thing to do.

But then she said she had no parents to call. Only a brother, who was lost, too. Ford can remember the old rule: If you’re lost, stay where you are until you are found. So he then decided that she could stay here until her brother found her, which should be by morning at the latest.

Still, he felt uneasy, so once Mabel was settled in front of the TV, Ford excused himself and went into the kitchen to make a phone call. There was only one man who would have better judgement in this situation than him.

The phone rang a few times. Ford checked his watch to make sure it was a reasonable time to call. It wasn’t Sunday, was it? But then the ringing stopped. “Howdy! This here Fiddleford McGucket.”

“Hey there, buddy.” Ford smiled to himself at hearing that cheerful voice. “How have you been?”

“Stanford Pines! Good t’hear from ya!” Fiddleford cheered. “M’just fine, just fine! How are ya?! Ya haven’t gotten eaten by monsters yet, have ya?” He laughed, making his old friend chuckle along.

“No no, I’m alright.” Ford almost brought up the reason he called, but then he remembered something very important to Fiddleford. “How are Emma-May and Tater?”

“OH! They’re doin’ great! We’re all very happy n’ doin’ well! Ya won’t believe how big Tate’s gotten since ya last saw him! He’s already crawlin’!”

“Wow, that's great to hear.” Ford sat in a chair at the kitchen table. “Has he said his first words yet?”

“No, not quite. Actually, he’s extremely quiet. Not a lot of baby-babble.” Fiddleford chuckled. “The doctor says that’s perfectly normal. Tate’s so smart, he’s reachin’ for specific colors n’ such, n’ ya can tell he’s thinkin’ a lot n’ knows what’s goin’ on, he just got nothin’ t’say.”

“I was very shy when I was young.” Ford commented casually. He didn't feel like mentioning why. “If Tate is anything like either of his parents he’s very intelligent.”

“Oh, he’s so much like both of us it’s scary. Ya know Emma-May, so clever n’ quiet n’ such. Tate’s got all that. But he already looks so much like me! But he’s got his mama’s hair! N’ Santy Claus brought ‘im this fun little fishin’ game where ya fish for plastic fish with a pole with a magnet on it, n’ he loves it! I can’t wait to take ‘im fishin’ when he’s big enough! Ya really outta give yourself a break n’ come down for a visit, he’d move to see his Uncle Ford again.”

Ford’s face felt hot. “Perhaps. Spring is when a lot of anomalies are active and breeding, so i would prefer not to miss that, but maybe I could visit for a weekend before that…”

“Well, no pressure, I won’t assume anythang until ya tell me to, just know there’s always a bed for ya here.”

“Thank you, Fiddleford. The same for you and your family. The clean air will do everyone some good.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Fiddleford sighed happily and perked up. “So! Whatcha callin’ for? Not that I’m not happy just t’chat, but ya never call.”

Ford laughed and shrugged to himself. “I suppose I don’t. I’m sorry.”

“No need t’be sorry, Stanford, just wanna know what’s up.”

“Well, I was hoping to get your advice on something.”

“Shoot.”

“Um… well…” Ford rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to tell him this. “I heard some unusual sounds outside today…”

“What kind of unusual sounds?”

“Cracks, like lightning. And some faint yelling.” Ford answered. “I thought it might be a tree branch or a new anomaly to catalogue, but when I opened the door a young girl was standing there in the snow with no coat.”

“Heavens! Is she alright?!”

“She’s okay, no frostbite. She was cold, but after sitting by the fire, drinking some hot chocolate, and changing into some dry clothes, she’s okay now.”

“Well, good.”

“So of course I brought her in. I tried to call her parents, she probably got lost playing…”

“Sure.”

“... but she says she doesn’t have any parents.”

“Oh.” Fiddleford sighed. “Oh. Now, wait, are ya sure she didn’t just say that so ya wouldn’t call?”

Ford chuckled and said, “I first thought that too, but she looked too sad to be lying.”

“Okay, I see. Does she got somebody ya can call?”

“She says she has a brother, but he was out there, too. So he is probably out there looking for her and therefore nowhere near a phone.”

“Fair enough, okay. So, I reckon y’all are waitin’ for him t’come ‘round.”

“Yup.”

“Well sounds to me like you’ve handled this all pretty well.” Fiddleford said confidently.

“You think so?” Ford asked. “I can’t help but feel like I’m doing something wrong. Like I’m missing something. Am I doing something wrong?”

“Nonsense, buddy, you’re doin’ great.” Fiddleford assured. “Look here, ya can’t just leave a young gurl out in the snow t’try t’find her way home...”

“I agree.”

“... so ya really got one option n’ that’s t’keep an eye on her n’ let her in as a guest. N’ ya tried t’call, but nothin’. The best thang ya can do right now is be there for this lil’lady n’ just be kind t’her. N’ if nobody comes for her by mornin’, why don’t ya go into town n’ see if anybody knows her, then they can help y’all out.”

Ford nodded, then remembered that his best friend couldn’t see it, so he said, “Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Thank you, Fiddleford.”

“You’re welcome. N’ hey, are ya okay?” He asked seriously.

“Yes, yes I’m okay. I just want to make sure I do this right.”

“O’course. I understand. Ya want me t’come down there n’ give a hand?”

“No, that’s not necessary. I’m sure Mabel will find her brother in the morning.”

“Mabel, huh? Well, if y’all don’t, please call me. N’ even if ya do find her brother, call me. Keep me updated.”

“I will. Thank you, Fiddleford.”

“Anytime, Stanford.”

~~~~~~~~~~

When Mr. Ford gave Mabel the remote for the old TV and went into the kitchen, she decided to use her awesome detective skills to figure out what year it was. If it was before Grunkle Stan lived here and opened the Mystery Shack, she must be pretty far back in time. But she had no way of knowing if it was 1999 or 2005 or the 50s.

The TV was old, but so was Grunkle Stan’s in her time. So Mr. Ford could have had this TV for a long time and didn’t want to replace it. 

Okay, so when was the TV made? Mabel didn’t know. Dipper would have known.

Okay, Grunkle Stan mentioned watching TV when he was a kid once or twice. So at least Mabel was when Stan was a kid, okay. 

Mabel turned the TV on and it was in color. Okay, so she wasn’t too far back in time. But the TV was playing a commercial for clear skin. The picture was gritty and all the people in it had puffy hair and long socks and oh my god was that woman wearing legwarmers?! Mabel grinned at seeing her favorite fashion on TV, but then her face dropped. When was she?

She tapped her chin and tried to think of how to know the date without being suspicious. She could ask Mr. Ford, but that might be suspicious. Mabel decided to start flicking through channels to try to guess what year she was in based on what was airing. A lot of shows were about cowboys, space, or game shows. Huh. Okay.

All the TV shows were definitely older. Nothing her dad would watch from when he was a kid, so if Mabel had to guess by everyone’s crazy air, the cheesy TV shows, and the music occasionally playing, she was in the 70s.

Huh. Okay. But she needed an exact year. So Mabel turned off the TV, saw an old radio on a desk, and turned it on to listen.

“... cuz it’s cold doesn’t mean you can't boogie, folks! So grab someone you wanna get warm with, turn up the music, and get your bodies warm in the coolest way possible! Here’s Night Fever, by the Bee Gees!”

Mabel grinned at the disco music. Her personal favorite song from these guys was More Than a Woman, but Night Fever would do. For a moment Mabel forgot her mission, jumped off the couch and left the blanket behind, and in the over-sized gray t-shirt Mr. Ford gave her while her clothes were drying, she danced along to the music, singing the chorus since those were the only words she knew.

“When you reach out for me. Yeah, and the feelin' is right,

Then I get night fever, night fever. We know how to do it! Gimme that night fever, night fever. We know how to show it!”

Mabel laughed at herself as she spun around in her socks and tried to do the point-and-hype dance she didn’t know the name to, but everyone did it when a disco song played.

Little did she know that Ford had returned to check on her, and was smiling at her as she shook her hips and waved her hair around and had fun. He leaned against the doorway and planned to let her dance in peace, but when she did a spin and saw him, she grinned and took his hand. “C’mon, Mr. Ford, come dance with me!”

Ford chuckled and shook his head. “No, no! I can’t dance!”

“You got two legs that aren’t broken?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can dance! C’mon!” Mabel encouraged, let him go when they were both in the middle of the room, and she started to dance again. “Don’t make me dance alone!” She even pulled an evil move and gave him puppy eyes. Rude.

Ford smiled slyly at her and hesitantly copied her boogie moves. It was true that Ford never liked to dance, but there was no one around but Mabel, and though he had only known her for an hour or more, he was sure she would never make fun of him.

And he was right.

“Wow! Look at you, Mr. I-Can’t-Dance! Yeah!” Mabel hopped on the couch, standing, and took Ford’s hand. “Here, I’ll spin you!”

Ford laughed and allowed it, doing a single spin, but then scooping her in his arms to dip her and then let her down, making her laugh as they continued to dance. 

“Alright alright, you crazy cats, that was Night Fever by the Bee Gees! It's a snowy day here in the heart of Oregon, with snow flurries coming in harder all night, but it should clear up by morning and be a fun day to go out and play! The date is January 26th, 1978 in case you gotta write a check or mail a thank you note to a friend or family member. I’m still writing letters for Christmas! We’ll be right back with some of your favorites after a word or two from our sponsors, so don’t go anywhere!”

Mabel stared at the radio. “Wow, 1978.” She breathed. Her parents were only kids right now, maybe only six or seven-years-old. Wow.

Ford chuckled. “I know, I’m still in the bad habit of writing ‘77.”

Mabel realized her mistake, but was grateful her host misunderstood her. “Me too.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for dinner. How about some ramen noodles?”

“Yes, please! Can we play a game after we eat?”

“Sure. I don’t have many board games, but I do have a deck of cards.”

“Do you know any card tricks?!”

“A few.” Ford admitted, wiggling his fingers. “There are some advantages to having more fingers than average.”

Mabel grinned up at him and followed him to the kitchen for dinner.