#regardless of what happens between me n this girl i’m just v grateful to have done that

[harrylights]

✨ I GAY STARGAZED ✨

[keyboardink]

“crushed”

Sam and Deena are completely oblivious that their feelings are mutual, especially when Sam thinks Deena and Kate are together and Peter enters the picture.

pairing: samantha “sam” fraser x deena johnson / media: fear street trilogy

genre: friends to lovers, angst with hurt/comfort & fluff / word count: 2.6k / rating: pg-13 / warnings: bullying, a bit of swearing

a/n: so this is an au where deena and sam aren’t exes so sam never left shadyside (& kate isn’t all “screw ur ex” ya know). also kate is bi and no one dies. this is based mainly off 1994 (since 1666 hasn’t come out yet haha). please lmk if you like this & want more fear street fics from me. enjoy! :)

"I still can't believe you're dating a Sunnyvaler," Kate said, popping a potato chip into her mouth.

"Doesn't that totally go against the rules of this town?" Simon chimed in, stealing a tater tot from Sam's lunch tray.

"Oh, please," Sam scoffed, swatting Simon's hand away as he reached for a second piece. "He's actually a nice guy if you got to know him."

"Since when has the star quarterback ever been a nice guy?" Kate replied, earning a raised eyebrow from Simon. "Look, just because I cheer for them doesn't mean I like them."

The stiff wooden table rattled as Deena dropped into a seat across from Sam and next to Kate. She tried to pull her bomber jacket around herself quickly--

"New shirt?" Kate asked.

--but she wasn't quick enough.

"No," Deena sighed, letting the jacket hang open to expose a black, skin-tight tank top underneath. It used to be her favorite, previously baggy in all the right places, but it returned from her last laundry day one-size-too-small. "It just shrunk in the wash and I was running late." She kept her eyes down, focused on the unappetizing cafeteria food in front of her.

Kate eyed her for a moment, then looked over at Sam, who was practically drooling over this new shirt that provided a perfect V-shaped view from where she was sitting.

"I know you're not a fan of tight clothes," Kate countered, "but it looks nice on you. Makes your boobs look amazing."

Deena playfully elbowed Kate's arm, a small smile brightening her downcast expression.

Sam watched the two girls as it unfolded - the low-cut shirt, the raised eyebrows from Kate as she scanned Deena's body, the laughter following her joking shove. Had she imagined the flickers of lighthearted tension between them? She averted her gaze, envy bubbling up in her throat. She pulled her tucked hair out from behind her ears to cover the burning, red blush she felt building there.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Deena asked, insecurity still swimming in her mind despite Kate's compliment. She looked up at Sam, who appeared to be too interested in her tater tots to hear the shirt dilemma. Although she was somewhat relieved, she felt a pang of disappointment at Sam's disinterest; she was the only person Deena had hoped would look at her.

"Sam's got a new boyfriend," Simon answered, his voice half-muffled by a mouthful of dull-brown burger, oblivious to the sideways glances being thrown around the table.

"And he's from Sunnyvale," Kate added, spitting out the town name as though it tasted worse than the school lunch.

"What? Isn't that, like, against town law or something?"

"That's what I'm saying!" Simon accidentally spewed small chunks of meat on his tray in the midst of his excitement.

"What's his name?" Deena covered herself with her jacket again.

"Peter."

"Peter? Oh, come on, you could've at least picked a guy who didn't have a basic name," Simon rolled his eyes, as if 'Simon' was the most unique name on the planet.

"Honestly, yeah, kinda sounds a little too basic," Deena said, her eyebrows furrowed. She felt a heat tightening within her chest. She was angry at herself, at Sam, at the world.

"I'm not making him up, if that's what you're suggesting." Sam cast a glare across the table, but it didn't stop them.

"Which Peter? I mean, there's Peter Williams, Peter Anderson, Peter Moore..." Simon counted along on his fingers.

"Oh, no," Deena interrupted, a smirk pulling her lips. "He goes to another school. You wouldn't know him."

The two threw their heads back and laughed. Deena felt the fury in her chest loosen slightly, a bit of relief found in the pain she caused others. It was her defense mechanism: when the world turns to shit, you act even worse - that's how you survive.

Sam was on her feet, her eyes full of tears and frustration. "His name's Peter Brody, and he's number 29 on the Sunnyvale football team, and he's actually a good fucking guy, unlike you." Her eyes narrowed, focusing on Deena, who suddenly didn't find the whole thing all that funny anymore.

And with that, Sam picked up her lunch tray, turned on her heel, and walked out of the cafeteria.

***

Monday dragged on, every class seeming longer than usual for both Sam and Deena as they sat in separate silences. Though apart, they each felt the same waves of guilt, anger, and sadness wash over them in cycles as clocks ticked their way to the end of the school day.

Deena was walking out of band practice, which had only extended her already-exhausting day, when she spotted a familiar head of blonde leaning against the cinder-block wall across the hallway.

"Hey," Sam said, reaching her hand out slightly. Her hair was tied back, adorned with an azure bow, and she wore her cheerleading uniform to match.

Deena stopped as guilt flooded her lungs once again. "Hey," she replied in a whisper muffled by her emotions.

"I just got out of practice. Want to walk together?"

Deena could tell Sam was lying. Kate normally waited with her, and they would both be shiny with sweat. The water bottle in Sam's hand was almost empty, meaning she had likely been waiting for quite a while.

Deena nodded, and they started to make their way towards the exit that led to the student lot.

"I just wanted to say sorry," Sam began, "for earlier. It was pretty shitty of me to say that."

"Yeah, but I was being shitty, too." Deena pushed open the heavy, navy-blue door. Sunlight blinded both of them. "I just can't believe you'd get a boyfriend and not tell me."

Sam stayed silent, unable to come up with a reply. Deena had been the first person she wanted to tell, but Kate saw Peter grab her ass after last weekend's game, and suddenly her boyfriend was all anyone could talk about. Sam didn't even know why she had agreed to go out with him in the first place. Everyone had said it must've been a prank, because why else would a Sunnyvaler date a Shadysider? Something about the whole relationship gave Sam a twinge of nausea if she thought about it too much, so she just tried not to think about it.

But she had wanted to tell Deena. She had wanted to see if she would be even a little jealous at the idea of her having a boyfriend. It just hadn't played out that way.

"See you tomorrow?" Sam said, stopping at the curb.

"Is your dad picking you up?" Deena looked around for the familiar, beat-up Ford that Sam's father drove, but to no avail.

"He should be here soon."

Deena knew he had a tendency to flake on his daughter, despite being the one who got custody in their divorce battle. Although Deena hated him for his neglect, she was silently, selfishly grateful that Sam didn't move to Sunnyvale with her mom. Regardless, if her dad wasn't here now, the sun would probably set before he'd remember to show up.

"Come on," Deena said. "I'll drive you home."

The drive was almost-silent. A disc played Pixies at a volume low enough to just barely understand over the sound of rumbling tires on uneven gravel. Sam's house was a bit out of the way for Deena, but as she was slowly realizing, she'd do almost anything for her.

"Thanks for the ride," Sam smiled sheepishly, pulling her backpack up from the floor. She started to open the car door, then hesitated. "Actually, wait, can I ask you something?"

Deena's heart leapt into her throat. "Shoot."

"Are you and Kate, um... like, together, at all?"

"What? No, no no no." A chuckle slipped past Deena's lips at the idea.

Sam must've thought Deena was laughing at her, because she felt her ears grow warm in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry, I just thought... I saw how you two were at lunch today and it just, I don't know. I thought you weren't telling me something." Sam looked at her sneakers, almost pristine white with the exception of faded grass stains on the toes.

"No, we're just friends, I promise. We've been best friends forever. I mean, she was there when I first got boobs, so, I mean, that's just how we are." Deena immediately cringed at that sentence. Way to make it better, dumbass, she thought.

"Oh. Okay. She just talks about you all the time to me, whenever we're at practice, you know? She'll say things like 'Damn, didn't Deena look really good today?' to me, like, all the time."

Deena let herself laugh at that. "Oh, really? Wooow. Good to know."

"I mean, from that I just kind of assumed that you guys had a thing. How could I not, right?"

Deena nodded, understanding that Kate's comments were her attempts at being a good wingman and not confessions of underlying feelings. "Kate and I both like girls, yeah, but not each other, not like that." Deena's gaze flickered over Sam's face, taking in her eyes, her ears, her lips. "Definitely not like that," she added in a soft whisper.

Sam looked up and smiled sweetly, her stare lingering for a moment too long before she returned to the moment. "Well, thanks again for the ride. See you tomorrow." She gave an adorable little wave as she stepped out of Deena's car.

"See ya," Deena replied, her stomach fluttery.

***

The days passed, and the friend group of four had returned to almost-normal. The only thing out of place happened on Friday night, after the second football game of the season. Normally, they would all grab pizza and watch a movie after the game, but this time was different.

"Peter invited me to a Sunnyvale party," Sam explained when they met in the middle of the field as the crowd started to file out. "Maybe next week?"

So Deena, Kate, and Simon ate their pizza without Sam, feeling a tangible emptiness where she would normally be.

Kate's house was on the so-called "good side" of town, where the roads had less potholes and the houses had more structure. It was the most Sunnyvale-esque part of Shadyside. Her living room was homey, with family portraits on the walls and a couch that was lived-in but not worn-out. They had rented Candyman from the town's Blockbuster, which played on Kate's boxy TV.

"I don't like this," Simon said, chewing a pepperoni slice.

Kate responded without looking at him. "The pizza or the movie?"

"Actually, I like both of those things," Simon replied with conviction. "I was talking about Sam. It feels... I don't know, lonely?"

"What are we, chopped liver?" Deena joked.

"I mean, some days you can come close to it," he teased back.

They all returned their attention to the movie, red and white light bouncing across their faces. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door at the exact moment a jump-scare flashed on-screen, causing the trio to startle.

"I'll get it," Deena offered, jumping up from her seat.

She opened the front door to reveal Sam, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her hair was slick and her blue uniform looked damp. Her arms were wrapped around herself as she shivered in the cool October air.

"What the fuck happened?" Deena stepped out of the way to let Sam in.

Simon and Kate scrambled to join them when they realized who had arrived.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Kate plucked her school cardigan off the coatrack and wrapped it around Sam's shoulders.

"Did Petey break up with you?" Simon asked. "I mean, you guys were only dating a week. It couldn't've been that serious, right?"

Kate elbowed Simon in the stomach at his insensitive comment, eliciting a pained groan from him.

Sam hugged the cardigan around herself, but moved her arms enough to reveal "IT" scribbled in black Sharpie under her cheerleading uniform's "SH".

"What the fuck?" Deena repeated, this time more to herself than Sam.

"God, those assholes really have no idea how much uniforms cost," Kate muttered.

"And they... they p-poured ice water on m-me," Sam stuttered just as Simon returned from the living room with a throw blanket. She gave him a grateful smile as she enveloped herself in it.

"C'mon, let's sit down, alright?" Kate suggested. "You want a hot cocoa?"

Sam nodded and followed Deena and Simon to the couch, while Kate split off to the kitchen.

"They poured ice water on you?" Deena asked as she sat next to Sam, a hand around her shoulders.

"Th-they got someone to hold my arms back so they c-could write 'shit' on me, and then someone came outside with a bucket, and-" A small sob came out of Sam's throat, and another tear rolled down her cheek.

Deena didn't stop herself before reaching up and wiping it away. She let her fingers stay there for a moment, unable to think clearly.

Simon stood up quietly, making a hushed excuse about helping Kate with the hot chocolate before disappearing into the kitchen.

"He's such a douchebag," Deena muttered, furious that someone would hurt such a sweet creature like Sam. "I'm so sorry. I'll kick his ass for you."

Sam chuckled at her offer. "Can I watch?"

Deena laughed softly at her response, then realized that her hand was still pressed against Sam's cheek and pulled it away. She let it fall onto her leg, but Sam reached over and rested her own hand on Deena's.

After a minute of silence, Sam had almost stopped sniffling when she spoke again. "I don't even know why I agreed to go out with him. Like, damn, he's not even that hot. I could've at least gotten played by a hot guy." Sam half-giggled at herself then sighed. "I should've seen it coming."

"Hey, it's not your fault," Deena said, placing her other hand on top of Sam's. Her hand was cold and delicate between hers, and she hoped that holding it would provide some warmth to her.

"If I'm being honest," Sam continued, "I think I only really went out with him to forget about this other crush."

"Hold up, you never told me about that. Who is it?"

Deena's obliviousness faded away as Sam looked up at her with wide eyes. The jealousy, the talk in her car, the longing that filled the space between them now - at this moment, it all clicked into place.

"Oh," Deena whispered.

"Deena," Sam spoke, hushed as she leaned forward. "Can I...?"

"Please," Deena breathed as their lips touched, soft and scared and new all at once. The thought of crossing a line beyond the point of return flashed through their minds, but it seemed as though they both wanted to push the boundaries. Sam's free hand cupped Deena's cheek shyly, as Deena squeezed her other hand between hers. They treated each other carefully, as though kissing too hard might break the other, which would be a crime worse than death.

"YES!" Kate shouted, giving Simon a high-five. Some hot chocolate spilled out of the mug in her other hand and onto the floor, but they were both too enthusiastic to care.

"Finally, you guys!" Simon ran over to them, wrapping them both in a wide hug from behind the couch as a giant grin spread on his face.

"You guys were watching?!" Deena asked. She felt her cheeks flush as she pulled away.

"Duh!" Simon answered. "We've been waiting for this!"

"Took you guys for-fucking-ever," Kate said with a smile, handing Sam her cup.

Sam held the cup up to her newly-warmed lips, courtesy of Deena, and took a sip, looking over the edge at her. Deena saw her blue eyes crinkle into a smile, and her mouth returned the sweet sentiment.

[fatiguing-thoughts]

“Natural” - Chapter 10 - Embry Call x Reader

Campsite

Embry and I laid there for just a little while, him whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

“It’s probably time we go to the campsite, it’s getting late, Em.” I rub a circle onto his chest.

“I know. It’s already almost six. They’re already there for hours.” Embry exhaled. 

“Wait, only six? I feel like it’s so much later.” I say.

“Because we’re laying in the dark, bean.” He laughs. 

“You got me there.” I giggle. 

I stand up, getting dressed.

“You don’t have to close your eyes this time, Em.” I blush. 

He just smiles, his cheeks deepening a shade of red. 

I grab one of the hoodies I took from Embry years ago, throwing it over my t-shirt. The sleeves coming past my hands, the bottom of the hoodie going well past my hips. 

“You just look so much better in my clothes, I still suggest you wearing them more often.” He smirks, grabbing my hips and bringing me into a kiss. 

“I’ll do it more often, okay? Now get dressed we have to go.” I smile softly, leaning my head against his chest. 

“You got it, babe.” He kisses the top of my head before getting dressed. 

“We’re gonna have a nice night. We’ll be camping like we always wanted to.” 

“(Y/N), we will have a nice night. But this isn’t camping like we always planned. We can go camping soon. After all this.” Embry tells me, slight disappointment ringing in his voice. 

“I can’t wait.” I smile as I go into my desk and grab my old pocket knife and a backpack.

“Damn, what’re you gonna do with that?” He chuckles.

“I don’t know, I figure I might get bored up there. What if I find a cool stick? Then I could have a cool spear.” I giggle.

“You’re still the same girl I fell in love with so many years ago.” He whispers, chuckling to himself.

I couldn’t help but smile at his words, feeling so much joy to hear those words. 

With that, we walked outside and Embry started taking his clothes off to phase. I put them and his phone into my backpack for him to change into at the campsite. 

“It’s not as dark as I remember it being a couple of hours ago.” I question, realizing it was probably just me feeling that way from how dreadful that car ride was.

He lowers himself down, laying completely on the floor. 

“Alright, Em. Let’s hope I don’t fall flat on my face.” I chuckle. 

He begins standing up, I lost my balance and had to find my grip again on his back. 

“Shit, sorry. I don’t mean to hurt you, Em.” I apologize profusely for pulling on his fur.

He huffs and shakes his massive head before trotting off into the treeline once I got my grip. 

Embry ran quickly up the mountain up to the campsite, the sun beginning to set. 

“Thank you for coming.” Edward greets us.

“Really, thank you.” Bella reiterates. 

“Of course.” I nod. 

“Do you need help getting down?” Jacob offers, walking over to us. 

I nod and his warm hands lift me off Embry’s back, earning a low growl out of Embry.

“Em, please.” I plead. 

His head faces me, eyes softening. I hand my backpack over to him. He takes it in his mouth and going behind the treeline to get changed. 

“I really can’t thank you enough.” Edward speaks, golden eyes peering into mine. 

“It’s what I can do to help.” I smile and nod.

“Do you know anything about vampires? Do you need a rundown of anything before tomorrow?” Edward asks.

“Well, I know they’re very fast, very strong. I know about the difference between the red and gold eyes-- I’m assuming who’s coming will be having the red ones.” I chuckle to myself. 

“Precisely. Just stay with Bella at all times, that way Seth and I have a clear area to protect. You’ll be okay.” He says in a comforting tone. 

“Okay. That works.” I nod, feeling Embry appear behind me. 

His arms snake around my waist and he looks at Edward with a displeased face. 

“Hello, Embry. I’m sorry to put her and you in this position, just know that I am beyond grateful.” He thanks Embry, trying to ease the tension. 

“Don’t let anything happen to her.” He warns and I give Edward an awkward smile. 

I know he was plagued with the ability to read minds. And I knew damn well how unsettling it must be to be around people who wanted nothing more than to kill you, berating you constantly. Whether or not he deserves it is another story, I just understand it would be difficult to hear those things and have to be civil regardless. Edward hasn’t been rude to me, but I sure do understand why nobody was fond of him. 

He gave me a gracious smile, sending me into the realization of his ability to read minds once again. 

Jacob built a fire, so Embry and I decided to sit down and join him while Bella and Edward went into their tent. 

I sat with them, the tension filling the atmosphere. I almost felt as if I was holding my breath, fearing another scuffle between them.

“I’m sorry about before, Embry. I shouldn’t have been bitching at you when you were so upset.” Jacob breaks the silence. 

“Thanks, Jake.” Embry nods, giving Jake a small smile. 

“(Y/N), I wanna apologize again. For you getting dragged into this, you’re really one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for. But I also want to apologize for scaring you back at Sam’s.” He looks at me with sad eyes. 

“Thank you, Jacob. I appreciate your apology.” I smile at him, reaching my hand over to place on his arm. 

Embry’s face fell hard with realization and his arm around my waist slightly tightened its grip, pulling me into his lap. Thankful for his body heat, my blanket, and the fire keeping me warm.

I look over at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“Do you hear that?” Jake asks.

“Bella freezing to death? Yeah.” Embry huffs.

“Maybe you should check on her.” I suggest.

“I might have to.” Jacob gets up and unzips their tent. 

We watch him as he walks over, listening to hear him and Edward argue. 

“(Y/N)?” Embry asks softly.

“Yeah, Em?” I look back at his soft eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you earlier. I didn’t want to fight with Jake in front of you.” He whispers in my ear. 

“I understand. I know you didn’t mean to scare me, you were just very protective.” I lean further into his chest. 

“I just, I couldn’t stand you being roped into this. And here you are.” He presses a kiss into my shoulder. 

“I’m here. But I’m here to help. I know you’d do anything for me, and here I am. Doing anything I can for you.” I smile at him.

“You shouldn’t be. This isn’t in your realm. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He promises.

“I know, Em. You always make me feel safe.” I kiss his cheek. 

I yawn, and lay my head further against Embry’s chest.

“Are you tired, bean?” 

“A bit.” I admit, yawning once more.

“Let’s get you in the tent.” He says, picking me up and bringing me over to our tent. 

We unzip the sleeping bag and get in. It was colder without the fire, but thankfully space heater Embry would be keeping me warm throughout the night. 

“How’s it going in their tent?” I ask, laying on his chest. 

“Very tense. Thankfully we didn’t have to share.” He chuckles. 

“Good thing. I love you, Em.” I close my eyes. 

“I love you, (Y/N). Goodnight.” He strokes my hair, holding me tight.  

Only Embry could keep me at peace when I was the most fearful I had ever been. I couldn’t show it to them, not to any of them. I had to be strong, I couldn’t let anything discourage me from tomorrow. I had to be on my A-game. 

I had to do it for those who would do anything for me. 

________________________

Word Count: 1377

taglist: @jjpogueprincess​ 

 I  II  III  IV  V  VI  VII  VIII  VIIII  X  XIR XIE  XII  XIII  XIV  XV XVI  XVII  XVIII  XIIII

[muthaz-rapapa]

StarPre Ep 40: A lesson in judging immaturely.

Dude, this episode hurt like a bitch to watch.

I mean, the preview suggested it would be but I will never be alright with seeing Lala cry, ok? N-E-V-E-R

Also, FUCK MADOKA’S DAD!!

Don’t you ever come near my daughter again! D:<

*cough* Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Rumor mills and ostracization.

Ok, let’s set aside the fact that Lala is indeed an alien, that strange things started happening around the same time she transferred in, that people woke up with no memory of what happened before they fell unconscious, etc.

Let’s set aside the fact that despite being a grade-A tactless asshat, Madoka’s dad was just doing his job on investigating things he found suspicious. That it probably wasn’t his foremost intention to disrupt peaceful school life by having everyone in Lala’s class turn on her just because he wanted confirmation on who she truly was.

Does that make his actions excusable?

NO.

You do not approach a middle school girl, tell her that her classmate is “highly illegal and dangerous” with absolutely no proof to your claim and simply not care about the consequences afterwards.

Look, we all know the kids in Hikaru and Lala’s class are good people. Nobody gangs up on others, nobody gets left out of the group and they all get along very well.

Most importantly, they welcomed Lala with open arms when she joined their class.

So for that to turn completely upside down overnight, there’s got to be reason for it and it certainly can’t be because they’ve all been rotten deep down this entire time. Naw, that makes absolutely no sense.

The reason is panic.

As good as these kids are, they’re still just kids, y’know? They’re children.

How do you think they’re going to react when an adult (who just so happens to be the former school president’s father AND a government official) says “your classmate may be behind all the strange things that’s been occurring all over town”?

Children are taught to listen to their elders.

Children also have very vivid imaginations.

If you tell them there is reason to fear, then they will fear.

They are not the cause of the problem (the one who set that fear loose is) but their misunderstanding of it can make things so much worse.

And in this case, it created a scenario none of them wanted.

They all went on the defensive against one innocent girl. They excluded her out of self-preservation and hurt her as a result.

Again, like Himenojou later clarifies, nobody in the class wanted to suspect Lala. They felt awful about it when Lala ran off crying after hearing their conversation.

But since Madoka’s dad tried to expose Lala’s true nature, it’s very hard for them to ignore the possibility of a connection between Lala and the strange happenings. They just can’t help but doubt.

And it’s so very easy for humans to doubt each other. It’s such a sad thing to admit but people in general tend to give in to their negative thoughts more than they want to try to believe the actual truth.

I mean, take a look at what happens on social media every single day. People are vicious and merciless when it comes to their opinions. We think we know what’s right when in reality, we really don’t know what to believe.

But more than how it affects us, how do you think it fares for the target of these “discussions”?

Do their feelings not matter? Are they supposed to just sit quietly on the side like an object as we tear into them with our suspicions?

That is just so WRONG.

Which is why I’m so glad, so eternally grateful, that even in times like these, there will always be at least one person in the world who’s going to stand by you no matter what. Who will cry with you but defend you to the bitter end regardless.

Nevermind that Hikaru’s been in on Lala’s secret since the very beginning. Nevermind that they’re very close friends or are on the same team.

Hikaru chose the Lala she knows over the vague accusations pointed at her friend.

Hikaru chose Lala for who she is, not what she is. 

And like so many instances before, the theme of these season comes full circle.

It is worth it. Learning more about what you don’t know. Understanding and comprehending what you don’t know.

So that when you finally know, truly know, there is no need to doubt.

Because you already know what’s true so why should you doubt anymore?

Then of course, there’s Lala.

Oh, Lala.

You sweet, wonderful, beautiful girl.

Despite having such a shitty day bearing the distrusting looks of her classmates, Lala knows that they didn’t mean to hurt her. They were just afraid. They couldn’t help it.

It doesn’t erase what they all did for her when she became their classmate. It doesn’t render all the good times she shared with them moot.

No. Lala still sees them as her friends, people who are dear to her. People who have made her happy. For that, there’s no reason why she shouldn’t protect them.

They’re important to Lala, regardless of what they think of her or whether they can understand her or not, so of course she’s going to protect them!

And again, it comes full circle because now that everything’s out in the open, then it also means the entire class can see Lala for who she truly is.

And what they see isn’t a scary alien out to abduct them and take away their memories but a brave girl who’s doing everything within her power to keep them from harm.

A girl who’s also their precious classmate and who’s also an alien.

She isn’t just one and not the other. She’s both.

But most importantly, she’s Lala. Their friend, Lala.

By cheering her on and later defending her from Madoka’s dad, they’ve fully accepted her situation and choose to stand by her just like Hikaru did.

It doesn’t matter what she is. What matters is that she’s important to them and that she’s here to stay and they won’t tolerate anyone who says or think less of her.

The fact that it’s gotten to the point where even Madoka is tired of Daddy-o’s invasive shit and firmly tells him to leave them alone is just...gratuitous icing on the cake.

*chef’s kiss*

Anyways, out of all the individual-centric eps in this last stretch before the climax, Lala’s focus ep amazes and excels over everyone else’s (not sure about Madoka’s yet which we’ll see next week) again.

Because you gotta remember that on her planet, nobody cared about her, much less acknowledged that she has the potential to be more than what they believe she’s capable of.

Lala yearned so much to be treated with respect but Saaman would not give that to her.

However, on Earth, she’s loved for who she is and not rejected for what she’s not.

And then she came so close to losing that so she fought to prove herself. Even without knowing if they’d welcome her back now that they’re aware she’s an alien, she fought anyways because here on Earth, more than on Saaman, she feels like she belongs.

Lala is infinitely more happy with her Earthling friends than she has ever been on Saaman and it will be terribly heartbreaking when she’ll have to leave after the final boss battle.

T_T

...that said, as much as I loved the resolution of this episode, I can’t help but find the buildup towards it a little...tilted?

Please don’t get me wrong, the message was solid and everything does make sense in context (more than Yuni’s episode did, anyway) but...

I dunno, I just can’t shake off the mild impression that in order for people to accept you, you literally have to take a barrage of bullets for them. But it’s a very insignificant feeling and I know that wasn’t the writers’ intention so nevermind. Forget this nonsense I’m spouting. :P

Anyways, all’s well that ends well. Lala will be even more loved than ever and frankly, that’s all that matters.

BEST GIRL, YEP

:D

[ayellowbirds]

Sixth night of writing! Up to 10,952 words, more than half a day’s writing over the target number for last night. I’m almost up to a full week of working on this; what do you all think so far?

i’m currently only able to work for 14 hours a week; donations to support this are welcome! Feel free to let me know when you’ve donated, I’ll see about including a tribute of some sort to you in the text of the story:

https://www.paypal.me/ayellowbirds

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As always, keep track of the tag for updates!

(logo fonts are Bradley Gratis and Yiddishkeit Bold)

Click the Read More to continue, or click here for the previous part, and here for the first part!

“Tasty, though.”

“The trick of it is cutting out the core,” Menax explained. “There is some property of the juices in the center that is excellent for tenderizing meat, but can be most unpleasant to the mouth in more than small quantities, unless it is well-cooked.”

He popped a small section of a ring into his mouth, and chewed at it a bit. He looked around the room; Belaset was taking her time to enjoy the ring, taking small nibbles that seemed even more delicate for all her height, while Musick had swallowed down all that she had been offered and was licking her chops. Her ears perked for a moment, and Menax smiled.

“I learned that the hard way,” he added, speaking around the morsel. “That classmate of mine had given a very large quantity in exchange for, ah… assisting him in some unpleasant business. And I found that eating too much in one sitting could even cause the soft palate to bleed. So, I am always overly cautious in cutting out the core, when I can get an ananas to myself.”

Belaset swallowed her mouthful. “Wait, so you mean that, while you were eating the—ananas?—it was as if it was biting you—”

There was a loud and unmistakable thudding sound from directly beneath them. Belaset and Musick both looked to Menax, who swallowed hard. He found that his hand was on the cutting board behind him, already grabbing the knife. The question went unspoken as both of his guests looked down towards the secret cellar.

“Yes,” he said. “We had best investigate.”

Menax’s mind raced as he moved towards the study, grabbing a skillet from a hook on the kitchen wall and holding it as if it was a shield. There was a ventilation grate—doubled up and leading to his small backyard, where nobody out to be entering without his notice. It was possible some intruder had been keeping an eye on his home, and had pried it open while he was distracted in the kitchen. It was just wide enough that a smaller person than himself could fit through.

There was another exit besides that, but he was certain it was even more secret, and he was all but certain it could not be discovered even under extraordinary circumstances, and he had never revealed it to anyone.

But then, if it was his worst fear and the imperial authorities were there to arrest him for theft and experimentation on bodies—he had conducted more than one study specifically of Icosan remains—then it was possible there was sorcery involved, and any number of explanations could be at hand. It could even be a sheyd, having found some way into his home from the other world.

“I’ll keep here the door,” Belaset said, standing between the kitchen and the study. “Might need to shut it, might need to hold it open for you, right?”

“Sound reasoning, Miss Alazraki,” he replied. He noticed that Musick was simply letting out a low growl rather than speak, her muscles taut and her ears held back.

He moved to open the secret door.

BEFORE

Pain!

Cold, much, much too cold.

Never such a cold, empty, too empty, hungry thirsty feeling too dry and wet at the same time—cold outside, colder inside, darkness on darkness.

Where? Think, remember.

A fight?

“Wait, stop, I’m Icarian Se—” pain!  “—you’re screwing up weeks of investigation, look, my badge!” SHARP! Burning, fire, angry! Hate! Screaming! Teeth, hooves? White and red and red going white going black.

Don’t belong there? Where? Why? What do you mean, won’t have me? What did you call me? I—maybe?

Where are you going, where am I going, where am I?

Can’t talk! Can’t move? Move, move, move—something—my throat?

My mouth? Clay? Stone?

Bone?

Got to get out!

Move!

PUSH!

Where? Cold, cold box, get up, still cold inside, too cold inside, too dry, too thirsty, too hungry, too empty, move!

Can’t move right, where—table, floor, walls, air flowing—a grate?

Can’t move it. Sound? Footsteps, one, two. One very big. No, three, an animal?

Above! Above, so—stairs?

There, stairs!

Sound, light, warmth!

Too cold, too dry, too empty, thirsty, too hungry!

Light, more light, opening—it’s warm it’s big it’s hot meat blood I’m empty I’m cold I’m dry I’m HUNGRY!

NOW

As Menax opened the door, too many things happened at once. Something that should not have been up and moving about loomed over him, very much up, and lunged at him, very much about.

He somehow had the presence of mind to realize that the cadaver, the distinctly and definitely deceased body, was attacking him. He managed to thrust his knife into its—her?—raised hand, but a fleshless jaw closed on his shoulder.

He was ever so thankful that his daily attire involved several layers, including a durable undergarment.

Dropping the pan and letting go of the knife, he brought up both hands and all of his strength to push the walking corpse away. Questions sprang into his mind as his body acted. A dybbuk? He knew that sometimes the dead could possess unliving things if they were in the likeness of the living, and some were quite hostile.

The corpse paused, chewing cotton shreds, and slowly looked at her hand, where the knife was embedded. She mouthed something, seeming unable to speak—the vocal cords were part of the damage to the throat, of course—and with a strange stiffness, settled into some kind of fighting stance, holding out the knife as if wielding it.

Menax was vaguely aware of Belaset swearing in incredulity, while Musick uttered a long string of prayers; all he could do was fall back on the two ways he had been trained. The first, was academic—the second moved his hands and feet, and he did not dwell on it as his mind raced. If not a dybbuk, a vampir? No, this corpse seemed to conscious, now. He had studied cases of vampir attacks, and although they looked like the living, they were feral things driven solely by bloodthirst.

His opponent was measuring his own stance, taking in the situation as he made adjustments in his footing, retreating in a way that he hoped was not too obvious, to invite another attack. His hands were raised, fingers ready to curl into fists but not openly presenting either a threat or an invitation.

Not a vampir, and not a phthisick, either. The cause of death had been injury, not a wasting illness such as consumption, and he seemed to recall that pthisicks did not move their physical forms much, preferring attacks of an invisible nature.

The corpse’s yellow-stained eyes moved to the windows, to the door Belaset was blocking. Her feet moved back just a touch, as if considering retreating back to the cellar.

Certainly not a neveylah, as there had been no proposal of marriage, nor one of the headless hunters, as the body quite plainly still bore a head.

Slowly, cautiously, the corpse crouched. Not readying to lunge again, no. Hands held up—then pausing, lowering the hand with the knife in it, wincing. One hand still raised. A gesture of caution, or conciliation. Sitting, watching, waiting.

Menax moved back with more haste, keeping one hand up and using the other to gesture to Belaset and Musick.

“Back, back up,” he said, and as they moved through the door into the kitchen, “shut it—hold it!”

Belaset did so, putting her whole body against the door.

FIVE YEARS AGO

“I’m just saying, this is, like, the third time you’ve volunteered to disguise yourself as a girl,” H. said, rubbing a salve into his cheeks and forearms. His appearance changed slightly as he did, looking older, gruffer, more worn. His clothing fit the look more than his casual attire did, dressed like some kind of laborer, with an apron covered in stains of uncertain origin covering most of his body.

“And I’m just saying, it just works out that way,” V. replied, rubbing a differently-colored cream into… her, yes, that was appropriate right now. Rubbing it into her chest, reaching down through her collar. She felt the ache of fatty tissue growing where there had been flatness a moment before, a few nascent hairs falling away. “F. is disguised as a boy, we had to balance things out for this mission. They’re expecting even numbers.”

“Yeah, but—” H. gave up, throwing his hands up in the air. “Whatever. You’re not my row, anyway.”

True, F. Ferdbin had disguised herself as a boy because her natural appearance was the closest fit to that of the person of interest she was replacing, and that her expertise in chemicals made her the best choice to eliminate the target up-close. The rest of them were just meant to be the schoolmates of the boy whose visiting uncle was, in secret, a notorious firebrand.

And while it was true that the letters they had intercepted suggested a group of five other friends—D. joining H. as the other boys, with B. and N. together with V.  on the girls’ side, while O. and J. observed the situation from a distance, ready to effect their ‘exit’—V. had to admit to herself that there had been no particular statement of the actual genders of the rest of the party.

But it gave her an excuse to be, well, her, at least for an hour or so, as long as the mission went according to plan.

An hour or so later, all had gone according to plan, the mission was entirely successful, and V. and F. were dead.

ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THAT, OR FOUR YEARS BEFORE NOW

“Me? Specifically, me? As… a girl?” V. asked, surprised.

“Yes, you’ve demonstrated exceptional skill in taking on disguises regardless of gender,” Chief Nurse Eciurtal explained, reviewing V.’s records. “The officers have taken note of this, and in light of your exemplary performance as a member of  the Corpse—”

Not exemplary enough, if she was still ranked just number four, she thought to herself. She was leader of a whole row, and still only counted as four out of twenty? It was absurd. And what a rank. Out of all the parts of the metaphorical “Corpse of the Empire” represented—‘corpse’ being in the more general sense of a body and not just a dead one, or even an organizational ‘body’—she was….

The “Pit”. The lowest point of the stomach, the point in the abdomen where ‘gut’ feelings laid. Oh yes, important. But not The Brain, not The Crown. Not even one of the eyes, ears, The Neck. On the diagrams they used to map it out when they explained it to her and the rest of them all those years ago, the part circled to indicate The Pit included, well. Well! It was an unpleasant, smelly area. Including some parts she didn’t like being reminded of, much.

And the damnedest thing was that her own body decided that was correct. She always had excellent ‘gut’ feelings, an instinct for things. It felt like the center of her balance, too. And she effortlessly shrugged off certain illnesses and poisons, like that one time that left the rest of Row Four in the latrine for a whole day. At least that, she was glad for. But, well. There were other things. Things that she was told were the result of being particularly healthy there, ways her body was betraying her hopes.

So, she was very glad to be receiving this assignment.

And she was trying not to think too deeply about the fact that she was thinking of herself as “she” before even putting on the disguise.

[blissfullylostinarabbithole]

Tender Pt. 1

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Summary: Reader and Seb lock eyes at a convention, and he hopes to see her again.

Warnings: It’s ‘real life’, so there’s going to be naughty language.

A/N: I need to be stopped... No clue why I started writing this in third person, but I hope it works regardless. My first RPF! I’M SCARED! Reader is part of the Game Grumps in this; cousin to Suzy and half sister to Ninja Brian. Oh! And I made Tom Holland younger than drinking age in the U.S. (21).

@cassandras-musings Idk if you want in on this. If so, let me know and I’ll tag you as usual.

Next >>

“Come on, guys! The sooner we can decide, the better the chance we'll have of getting the days we want,” Suzy chided.

Y/N pouted. “But it's so hard when we don't know who's doing what or when. I don't wanna miss something awesome because we scheduled too early.”

Suzy sighed, “Fine. What's the one thing you'd hate to miss if it happened?”

“Shit...” Y/N pondered it for a moment. “Hannibal or Supernatural cast appearances.”

“That's two!” Arin yelled in his typical fashion. “You don't know how to count ‘one’?!”

“I can't choose! How about you choose which eye you wanna lose?”

Suzy looked to Danny for help, who just giggled from his spot on the couch. She should have known better than to think anyone would be of any help. Ross and Barry stepped out as soon as Suzy walked into the game space looking all business, and Kevin had his headphones on, determined to focus only on his work.

She threw her hands up in the air, “You guys are impossible! That's it,” she said as she pulled her phone out. “I'm calling Brian.”

Y/N groaned. “Suuuuze,” she whined. “I'll die if I miss either of those. You remember how bad I took it when Hannibal was canceled.”

“God, don't remind me. You were so adorably pathetic,” Dan finally spoke up.

“And it'll be worse if I'm at the same convention unable to see them.”

“What about you guys?” She gestured to Arin and Dan.

“Uhhhhhhhhh, Sailor Moon,” Arin said. Suzy facepalmed. “Uhhhhhhh, I guess I just wanna check out the anime booths and the gaming demos.” Suzy looked gratefully at her husband.

“Ok!” she said more cheerfully than she had previously felt. “Dan?”

“Gaming demos for sure, Zelda, um…”

“Cool! Barry picked the same. Ross said Doctor Who and Brian said Marvel.”

“Oh! Game of Thrones!” Danny yelled, making Suzy groan.

“Hell yes!” Y/N agreed, sharing a high five with him. “I wanna meet Jorah fucking Mormont.”

“Giiiirl, me too.” Danny did a hair flip.

“And Jaime Lannister.”

“Oh shit, yeah!” This time it was Arin that spoke.

Suzy sighed again before leaving the room. “I'll go make some calls.”

“Wait!” Y/N called out. Suzy turned expectantly. “Bruce Campbell?” She expected Suzy to roll her eyes, and was surprised when she was met by a grin instead. “And Aliens!” she tacked on, earning her a glare. “I love you, Cuz,” she said sweetly, causing Suzy’s stare to soften.

“I love you too. But no more!” she sent her a pointed look before finally leaving the room.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

A week later, Suzy called them to the meeting room to go over the convention schedules.

“Ok!” she clapped her hands together. “Thursday, the first day of the convention, is our only day off, but-” she tried to bypass the groans she knew they'd let out. “BUT!”

Arin laughed, “You said butt twice, babe! Butt butt!”

“Anyway!” she continued. “The Game of Thrones and Civil War casts are doing their panels, photo ops, and autographs then. Y/N, I'm sorry, but hardly anyone you wanted to see is going to be there. No Jorah, Jaime, anyone from Hannibal or Aliens...” she trailed off.

“Dammit!” she yelled. Ross laughed, causing Danny to give him a quick smack to the back of his head.

“I know, I'm sorry.” Suzy still felt guilty, even though she couldn't control it. She sighed. “Ok, so Friday is a full day for us all. Arin, Dan, and Y/N, you guys are doing Game Grumps Live, then photos, then another Live, then the first Grump panel, and autographs. The rest of us are doing photos together, then we split for different panels. I'm  doing a ‘Girl Gamer’ one, Ross, you're doing an animator’s one, and Barry and Brian are doing a YouTube one. Then we all meet up and do the panel and autographs together. Everyone got it?”

“Do we get any breaks?” Barry asked.

“Yeah, we get about an hour for lunch, but that's all.”

“So carry snacks. Got it.”

“Ok, on Saturday, Y/N and I are running the Grump merch booth, while the rest of you will have the morning off. The Doctor Who, Batman v. Superman, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff will be going on then. Then Barry will join us in doing photos. We're going to be in our Victorian costumes, guys. I'm so excited. Y/N, after our photos are done, we're going to get some of our own with the Supernatural cast.”

“Fuck yes!”

“We can get autographs too, if you want?” Y/N could tell she was still feeling bad about her not being able to meet anyone else.

“Pictures are more than enough. Thanks, Suze.” She smiled when she saw the tension leaving her cousin's body.

“It's no problem. OK, in the afternoon, Arin and Dan, you have a gamer panel and then autographs. Ross, you’ll be running the booth with Brian until he has to run his workshop, then you’ll be joined by Barry after he’s done with photos. Sunday is another full day. Dragon Arin, Sir Daniel, Ninja Brian, Princess Y/N, and Barricorn will do photos while Ross and I run the booth. Then we do our second panel and autographs, then you guys do your Starbomb/NSP show while we sell more stuff. Aaaand that's our con schedules.”

“Why are we only working the booth two days?” asked Ross.

“Because then we wouldn't have time to do anything fun!” Arin yelled. “Unless you wanna not meet the Game of Thronses people and work the booth yourself…” Ross sank down on the sofa.

“It sounds perfect. Not only do we get a chance to see whoever we want, but you gave us a half day in between two really busy ones,” Y/N praised, causing Suzy to beam.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sebastian loved going to the conventions. That was where he could see first hand the impact his work had on others, and he was never disappointed. Fans would often get emotional when being in his (and his co-stars’) presence, not realizing that the encounters mean just as much to him as they do to the fans. The whole cast was scheduled to begin the first day of the con with autographs, and he was grateful. He could have his coffee on the table and he wouldn’t be all sweaty from the day’s heat and activities for the selfies he was taking with fans.

He was in the middle of signing a shirt with Bucky and Steve on it when there was a commotion just beyond the crowd. He ignored it as best he could, talking to the fan about the shirt and her favorite character, but the noise only got louder. Suddenly, the girl who was stood in front of Anthony to his left started cheering, too.”

“Who just walked in?” Anthony asked her.

“The Game Grumps!” she answered excitedly.

Sebastian knew Anthony would ask who they were, but he never got the chance. On his right, Tom jumped up onto his seat. “Where?!” he squealed, attempting to look over the crowd. “They don’t have anything scheduled today, do they?” he asked the fan.

“Not that I know of.”

Sebastian laughed at the young man’s excitement, and gave a passing glance through the sea of bodies before returning his attention to the shirt in front of him. He did a double take and his breath hitched, eyes growing wide. Among a small group of people was the cutest girl he’d ever seen. He was in such a daze that he barely notice the ‘HEY GRUMPS!’ that the boy beside him called.

Everyone, including the girl, turned their attention to their section. What they responded, he didn’t know, all he saw was the sweet smile the girl sent Tom’s way. She scanned the tables, and when her eyes landed on his, he forgot how to breathe. She held his gaze, her own eyes gone wide, until she looked down. Sebastian released the breath he was holding, but still only watched her.

She slowly looked back up at him, cheeks burning. His eyes softened and his lips twitched, wanting to smile. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and offered him a shy smile. He gave her a big grin in return, fighting the urge to turn away at the blood rushing up his own cheeks. Her attention was abruptly torn from him, and he felt like someone had pulled the chair out from under him. When she turned back, her smile was replaced by an almost sorry look.

“STAN!” he heard from his left. Chris was sat on Anthony’s left, and both men were looking at him, clearly amused. “What are you looking at over there, bud?”

“What? No- nothing,” he blubbered out, ignoring their snickers. He looked over to where the girl stood, and his face fell. Just like that, the moment was over. She was gone.

“Well, if it’s nothing, mind finishing up on that shirt? You’re holding up the line,” Anthony teased.

His eyes snapped to the girl still standing before him, patiently waiting for her shirt with a knowing look.

He face- planted the table and groaned, quickly composing himself and offering the fan, and his friends, a sheepish apology. He went back to signing and chatting with fans, but the girl never left his mind. He couldn’t help but feel hope as he replayed her reaction to seeing him over and over. Maybe she recognized him and was a fan, and it was only a matter of time until she appeared before him wanting something signed. He’d ask her name, and it wouldn’t be weird; they always asked fans their names. He wasn’t sure whether to ask her out for drinks or dinner. He supposed he’d know when the time came. But that hope waned as time passed with no sign of her.

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