#(to be fair i'm probably in a lot of trouble for that one. BUT)

[vxnillabxn]

hiiii i really love your zayne fics 🥺 they bring a lot of comfort to me. if its not too much trouble, could i possibly request something with zayne and a mc who has insomnia due to depression/anxiety/adhd? it's almost 8am and i am.... still awake 😔

𐙚˙⋆.˚ zayne x gn!reader ꒰੭

𐙚˙⋆.˚ fluff, a bit of angst/comfort! ꒰੭

𐙚˙⋆.˚ sfw! ꒰੭

𐙚˙⋆.˚ do not translate/copy/repost! ꒰੭

﹙♡﹚first of all, thank you so much for the love and support, i'm really happy to know my works are appreciated! i truly try to write cute, fluffy things for all readers to enjoy and get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, hehe. ♡ as a fellow anxiety victim soldier, i too haven't slept at all since yesterday ( ˶•ᴖ•) !! i understand how hard it is to shut your mind up and just... sleep! i send lots of love your way, and i hope you like this one! ♡

finally.

both zayne and you could finally lay down together after two continuous weeks of hard work and unsynchronized schedules.

he was fast asleep as soon as he put his glasses away and held you close.

and you, on the other hand…

could not sleep at all.

sure, hearing his gentle breathing and having his arms protecting you even in his sleep was comforting and brought you some peace.

at least physically.

mentally, however, you just couldn't turn your brain off.

lots of thoughts, lots of things, lots of memories from the past, or predictions for different outcomes in the future.

the room felt warm and comfortable, peaceful, even.

but it also felt silent. too silent.

and that silence enabled your non-stopping brain, even after having a calming tea brought by zayne before bed.

you shifted just a bit, feeling that necessity to move, to stimulate your brain, to find anything that could take your attention away and, hopefully, make your mind go blank.

but you didn't want to wake zayne up, so you moved carefully, escaping from his arms and heading to the kitchen.

you paced around barefoot, the soft, carpeted floor welcomed you and muffled your steps.

you went downstairs for some water.

even though you always do this, the outcome is never the same. some days you're exhausted and go right back to sleep.

other days, no matter how many breathing exercises, how many relaxing videos, or how much you try to follow a healthy sleeping routine you saw online, you truly can't rest.

as you poured some water, you suddenly felt heavy footsteps behind you.

a sleepy zayne followed you, and he leaned down, resting his cheek on your head.

his eyes were closed, and he groaned sleepily.

“my love.”

he mumbled with a raspy voice, and you took a deep breath, feeling guilty. he probably felt your absence and woke up.

it wasn't fair; he came back home exhausted.

and you just interrupted his sleep.

“sorry, zaynie. i just needed some water.”

he doesn't say much. he just wraps his arms around you loosely, letting you move around.

after taking a refreshing sip, you put the glass down and turn around to face him.

he was still half asleep, and his eyelids fluttered slightly.

you cup his cheeks tenderly.

“my love, go back to bed. i'll be back in a minute.”

he, once again, doesn't answer verbally. he pulls you closer and hugs you, starting to rock your body softly, like a slow pendulum.

he sways you both from side to side, and it truly isn't rhythmical, but there is something about his scent; a mix of the laundry detergent, the clean sheets and his cologne, and the way he's holding you ever so gently…

that makes your body relax.

you close your eyes, solely focused on him, on his breathing, on his touch.

he guides you back upstairs, finally opening his eyes to avoid silly accidents, even when you two already know the path by heart.

he sits down, resting his back against the headboard, and he pats his outstretched legs.

obviously, you happily climb and straddle his lap, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

he looks down at you, before kissing your forehead. you know he knows.

he absolutely noticed the lack of sleep in your eyes, the need to find some peace this late.

he absolutely notices when you pretend you just woke up in the morning, when in reality, you never slept.

he knows you try to compensate with some naps here and there during the day, but they are never enough.

you feel guilty once again for not trusting him nor wanting to disturb his sleep with your sleeping problems.

you too feel guilty for not being able to do something as simple as sleep, even when your body is exhausted and is begging for rest.

but your mind simply won't let you.

you feel—

“my love, stop.”

you soon look up at him, not noticing you were —once again— lost in thought.

he cups your cheek with his right hand, and the left one softly pats your back in a soothing motion.

“here, you're right here, right now.”

you blink slowly, eyelashes fluttering as you take in his words.

he's grounding you.

“you are with me.”

you are.

“i will help you. i will always help you, love.”

he will…

“look at me.”

and you do.

you lock eyes with him, this time finally focusing.

your mind isn't running anymore. it has stopped, taking in his words, his gentle tone, the love he carries in his gaze.

he peppers soft kisses all around your face, making you close your eyes and let out a shaky sigh.

you caress the scars on his arms, the hands that rest on your cheeks, and even the back of his head tenderly, focusing on his touch.

your mind is still thinking, but it is now thinking about him.

zayne, zayne, zayne.

he nuzzles and rubs the tips of your noses together, before pulling you properly into his arms, pressing your chests together.

before you know it, he caresses your back with one hand, and he uses the other to pull a book from his nightstand.

a book about dreams.

then, he pulls his glasses from underneath the pillow.

you still feel bad about waking him up. after all, it's not his fault you can't sleep.

but then again, he's offering to help you with so much love and willingness, and you'd feel even worse if you denied his attentiveness.

but once he starts reading in a soft, tender voice, keeping a slow pace for you to follow, you nuzzle against him and listen.

word by word.

the subtle turn of pages, the way he perfectly pronounces the words…

you listen.

and listen.

until the words don't make sense anymore, and your eyelids grow heavier.

you fall asleep in his arms, and he reads a little bit more just to make sure, before putting the book and his glasses away.

he isn't exactly in the most comfortable position, but he doesn't mind.

he just wants you to rest, to feel at peace.

because every single night when you two manage to sleep together, he feels at peace too just by having you close and safe in his arms.

and he'd be damned if he let you struggle with something you can't control; with something you can't help.

and in the end, no matter how many sleepless nights threaten to come, or how many thoughts may invade that mind of yours, he'll try to be your peace.

so he'll be sure to remind you how your worries aren't a burden, an inconvenience, nor a problem for him.

how he understands how much it takes for you to even understand yourself, to clear your mind, to stop the rushing and overwhelming thoughts.

and until you trust him with your mind just as you trust him with your heart, body and soul, he'll lovingly hold you.

every single night, or every single morning.

until your mind quiets down and seeks for him, just for you to rest peacefully soon after.

[coffinclownery]

No, Leyley Was Not Evil, She Was Just a Kid

I was going to be like "If you thought Leyley was an irredeemable devil as a child you probably just hate kids" but I'll be a little more lenient and say you probably either never interacted a lot with kids nor have had to work with kids. Fair enough. But like you're still wrong and I'm going to explain why.

The first part of Decay was an hourlong flashback showing why Andrew hates Leyley, and as a child how easy it was to view her as the evil thing that's ruining his life. And don't get me wrong, Leyley was an absolute brat. She's rude, she's pushy, she throws tantrums, she has no filter, and she has no qualms breaking things.

But from an outside perspective, especially from someone who's worked with kids like this? She's just being a normal kid. None of this surprises or disturbs me. Her attitude and actions made perfect sense. Like yeah when kids are left to their own devices and made to watch each other, when all the adults in their lives want nothing to do with them, this is going to be the result.

If you don't give them the attention they need and the only way they get it is to break things, they are going to break things. And because Andy initially only bothered with Leyley when she breaks things, she learned this is the only way to get and keep his attention.

And this mindset that Andrew will only give her attention when she breaks things is why she continuously pushes Andrew's buttons present day. She never grew out of this belief, which is why it's hard for her to grow out of Leyley.

And reminder, the reason this happened is due to the parents. This was not Leyley's fault, it was the parents who pushed Leyley onto Andy. And I also don't blame Andy for not understanding that as a kid. Later as an adult Andrew does realize that it was his mom who caused this to happen, but it doesn't remove the resentment he festered for Leyley for so long.

On another note I think it was nice how despite this burden put on Andy that made it hard to like Leyley, there's still glimpses of them getting along. Andy defending Leyley from the teacher, them chatting and laughing about getting baked into one of grandma's pies. It really showed that in spite of everything they could have gotten along as normal siblings would, if only things hadn't been screwed up from the start.

It also shows that despite hating Leyley, Andy was still only ever happy with her in the flashback. During that whole sequence not once was he happy interacting with anyone except those few times with Leyley. The only times he acted happy with anyone else was because it was just that: an act to avoid discomfort or trouble.

When the main source of your misery is also the main source of your happiness...yeah no wonder things went so bad.

[rdng1230]

In the movies, everything grows quiet when you see the love of your life across the room. Not this time.

Seeing Tommy tilting his head at another man just makes everything louder, drowning out hope, conversation, reason.

And whatever residual sense he had from the first glance is utterly demolished when the stranger leans forward and pats, no caresses Tommy's face.

Suddenly there's another shot glass in his hand and Ravi's clinking it with his own. "Umm, Buck you know you're staring right?" The sound barely reaches him over the din.

"Right?" Ravi calls again, and this time it's accompanied by enough of a shoulder nudge to snap him back into the bar. "Shit." He stares down at his own feet and clears the walkway he's probably been blocking for at least a minute.

Back in their booth, Buck leans onto the table to keep himself upright. Ravi is better company than he would've thought, keeping him pleasantly distracted and filling him in on all the war stories from his transfer over at the 122. Their gangling probies, crafty paramedics, and the gruff, but solid Captain keeping them (mostly) out of trouble.

It's a funny thing, to hear about other houses and see how they tick. Firefighting is Buck's calling, but his life could've gone so differently had he been assigned elsewhere.

"Speak of the devil!" Ravi calls, hauled out of his chair by none other than Tommy's... ok admittedly handsome stranger. "Panikkar, you don't call you don't write??" They exchange a handshake and a pat on the back and Ravi sits back down, scooting his chair in so the man can stand closer without blocking everything.

"Buck, this is Captain Deluca of the 122. Cap, this is Evan Buckley of the 118." Ravi waves his arms in between them and Buck has to fight biting off his own tongue when the Captain extends his hand. "Sal is fine, heard a lot about you golden boy."

"Wish I could say the same." He fires back, a little more forceful than he means to. "Well that answers that question." Sal says under his breath, taking the seat next to Ravi without being invited. Maybe that's this guy's deal, taking other people's.... everything. Without asking.

"Do I need to guard my ankles?" Sal laughs and the familiarity turns Buck's stomach. Is that what he is to Tommy now? A joke to tell his new flings? Only the way Sal caught Tommy's cheek earlier, he doubts that their relationship stops there.

"Easy, easy Buckley, we've got T minus 3 minutes before my boy over there realizes that his boy is over here. So let me be very blunt."

"All due respect Captain, I don't think you have another setting." Ravi giggles into his shot glass before tossing it back. Sal rolls his eyes at his former employee before continuing.

"He fucked up. He knows it. I know it. You know it. And this is the furthest thing from fair and you're well within your rights to tell me to fuck off, but I swear I can't handle his sad little kicked puppy face anymore especially when he's the one who did the kicking."

Buck's jaw falls open, leaning in closer to Sal like he's afraid he's misheard. "So here's what's gonna happen hotshot. I'm gonna grab the next round, and then flyboy is gonna handle the one after that. I suggest it be you he bumps into and not some rando. Up to you though."

He stands up and claps their mutual lightweight friend on the shoulder. "Good seeing you Ravi." Sal turns his eyes towards Buck and smiles, and he's happy to see the malice in Sal's smile isn't there at all, it's amusement, and maybe just a dash of commiseration. "Don't let him go kid." The graying captain joins the fray on drunkards, tossing a "Trust me." over his shoulder.

"You gonna take his advice?" Ravi finally asks once he realizes Buck has completely stopped paying attention to the story he had been in the middle of when Sal arrived. Buck feels glued to the vinyl seat, his head on a swivel waiting for Tommy to be in sight. "He-he dumped me." Buck finally gets out.

Ravi's shoulders slump like he's disappointed with the answer. "But you miss him?" He prods again, staring at him with kind and inquisitive eyes.

Words are entirely insufficient for the answer, so instead Buck just nods. Ravi points his finger onto the table, drawing his case to a close. "Well Tommy clearly misses you. Cap can be an asshole, but the upside is the man doesn't lie. Tact and him are like oil and water."

Ravi sucks his teeth and takes another shot. "Hey man it's your choice."

Buck tosses back a shot himself for luck. "I think I need another drink." He gets up awkwardly, positioning himself to be just a little too bump-into-able. It's not long until a familiar form collides with his shoulder.

"Tommy." He breathes out, a thousand pounds instantly lifted off his shoulder.

"Evan." His ex breathes out without thinking, not daring to pull away from the hand that's taken his.

[vonlycaonwife]

Omg i love eeevvverryy thing about ur writing so could you pleassee please (if you want to ofc ♡) write some headcanons with lighter, lycaon, seth + whoever you want! where reader loves teasing them? like yknow when you have a crush on someone and you're always like playfully hating on them? like "damn u missed that, u suck!"

I honestly had a bit of trouble writing this because I was having trouble if what you meant was mainly teasing or not? So I may have ended up with that tonaly in my writing just a heads up!

Warnings: semi suggestive with Jane's

Honestly with Lycaon it's a mixed bag?

Like depending on the scene he either shuts it down, like when working for example, or plays off of it expertly, which I can imagine is when he's specifically not working.

So I would just suggest being cautious and know when it's appropriate to do that.

But! To expand on what I said earlier about him playing off of your teasing. I can imagine if you're smaller than him, he would just use his larger frame to tease you back.

In a romantic context he would just lean over and, if no one is around to see, pin you against a wall. He wouldn't do anything, just look down at you until you got too flustered to say more.

Though in a more platonic setting the most he would do is most likely pick you up and walk around with you over his shoulders, because that's the easiest way to shut you up.

With Seth I feel like he would take it to heart too much? Like don't get me wrong, I'm sure he can read the tone perfectly and know you're just teasing.

But something is just telling me that in his brain, his logic is a sort of “why say something potentially hurtful even if in a playful manner?” 

To reiterate, he knows it's all in good fun, but I can see him with this blank face processing your teasing for a moment before playfully rolling his eyes as he tries to brush it off. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

He wouldn't really mention when it starts to bother him, mainly because he knows that's just how some people interact. 

Though I'm sure you would know when to quit it if you do notice it bothering him.

Oh this girl eats. It. Up!

She's absolutely playing along with your game and even playing dirty tactics like physical teasing.

Doesn't matter if you're in a romantic or platonic relationship with her, she teases everyone with her lithe fingers. You'd expect her to go easy on you? Ha! She wouldn't play fair like that. 

The only reason she would is if you are uncomfortable with physical touch in all honesty, but then that just lets her be more creative with other forms of teasing.

For example, using her own good looks. I mean, we can all admit she's hot right? (Lord I would let her do so much-) And she knows this, so I can see her “innocently” doing some things as she's in a tease war with you.

Like taking her jacket off, or repositioning her crossed legs. Honestly she could do it in such a subtle way you wouldn't even think she's doing it on purpose until later.

Honestly she's having a lot of fun with this, probably more fun than you are. (I salute you soldier)

I feel like Lighter is somehow a combination of everyone above?? Don't ask me how exactly it just feels right.

Like I can see him only acknowledging it when on downtime, but also thinking similarly to Seth in terms of “I don't get it but I know it's not actually insulting me”. But also instead of brushing it off he plays off of it like Jane, though less suggestive.

I mean it would work with his whole cool guy persona, playing off of someone lightly teasing him and dishing it back out.

I can just see the shit eating grin he has when he's doing a back and forth. He wouldn't be as good at it as Jane with his own teasing, but I can see him going the more goofy route.

Like exaggerating the ‘coolness’ with almost cringey phrases, but not too cringey to kill his reputation if overheard, and maybe even flexing his muscles if you're into that. (I am)

[saltwaterburns]

Hi, hi can you please do SFW and NSFW ALPHABET for Wolverine/Logan???💕💕💕👹

NSFW alphabet for LOGAN HOWLETT/WOLVERINE

This contains 18+ content, read at your own risk

SFW alphabet (coming soon)

a/n: My take on what kind of a freak logan is, winkwink

A = Aftercare (what they're like after sex)

He comes inside you with a deep groan (could absolutely be mistaken for a growl) and I feel like what happens next depends on his mood. Sex with him is never just sweet and sensual, most of the time it's a primal fuck, so if it was angry/posessive or anything like that, he'd stay inside you until he's soft like butter again (I don't think he ever actually gets soft, though... this man has stamina), plugging you full of his cum so you won't waste a drop. He'll wrap his hands around you, pull you to his bare and so, so warm chest and hold you until you fall asleep. If it was a bit sweeter then he'd pull out, give you a forehead kiss and get a nice fluffy towel from the bathroom, wiping your trembling thighs clean. If he remembers he'll clean himself off too but i feel like he'll sometimes forget

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partners)

He likes your hands. They're cute, they fit into his, they pull at his hair as he goes down on you, they play with his cock, they play with your clit, they claw at the sheets, they cover your mouth so you won't wake the whole building with your sounds, you get the gist. He really does like them for other stuff too - he likes how gentle they are with him.

As for himself, I'm having a bit of trouble. Maybe his arms? Dick? Jesus, this is a hard one. His arms cause they carry you and all the little things you buy but they can also protect you. (He has a love hate relationship with his claws, i shall dive into that someday but not now). His dick because he absolutely loves making you cock and pleasure drunk. What do you think?

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He loves cumming on your tits and then seeing you scoop it up and feed it to yourself, cheeks hollowed like they were around his cock 10 minutes ago. Sometimes after a particularly intense session he just stares at your glistening heat and the way you're clenching and unclenching, his seed dripping out and he feels himself getting hard, again

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

I don't think this man has dirty secrets, per se. His sex life to me at least is an open book. Because he's been around for a long time, he's probably experienced and experimented a lot. Maybe that he's into anal play? Because he so is.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they're doing?)

I think he might be one of the most experienced men in the world. He has fucked his fair share of women over the years so he absolutely knows what he's doing and how to do it, he's an expert in pleasuring a woman. If you've been together for a while he will memorise your body like the palm of his hand

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Doggy 100%. He's so gripping your hips to the point that his handprints are almost permanently bruised onto your skin. He also loves spreading your ass cheeks and dipping his thumb into your other hole just to tease and watch you squirm (both from embarrassment and pleasure)

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He's a grumpy, troubled old man, so sex will be intense. He'll only chuckle/grin/laugh just to mock you, and when you've done a particularly good job then he'll offer you a rare smile

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He is so hairy but in a sexy way. Definitely not clean shaven down there, but trimmed. Very prominent happy trail, hairy pecs, hairy arms

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He isn't a person who connects well with his own feelings so there won't be any of that mumbo jumbo as he's balls deep inside you, but he will press occasional kisses onto your skin before, during and after

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

As long as he's got you I don't think he really masturbates. The most I can see him doing is jacking off while you're on your knees so he can cum on your tits

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

From the top of my head - daddy kink, size kink, dirty talk, breeding kink, breath play, brat taming, (spit play), spanking !!!!

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Not necessarily at home, but on a bed/sofa/etc. (so you're comfy as he destroys your insides). In private because you're his and his only, no one needs to see you in compromising positions

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

You, honestly. You being a brat, you begging, you looking nice, you being domestic, you being kind, just you

N = No (something they wouldn't do, turn offs)

He doesn't really have turn offs, but an immediate no is hurting you with his claws. As much as you might beg him to indulge in knife (claw) play, the most he'll do is rip your clothes off with them. He is so, so scared of hurting you and seeing genuine fear in your eyes because you're too kind, too sweet for him anyway

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He likes both. He loves eating pussy, he's a pussy eating champ, he'll pull you to sit on his face, burning your inner thighs with his scratchy beard but he'll also never say no to you gagging and slobbering all over his massive cock (mr. wolverine, the size kink is calling)

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Fast. And. Rough. Primal. Carnal. Animalistic. Growling, biting, scratching.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

No. Logan wants to take his time with you, really fuck you and claim you, bruise and mark you. It's either all out or nothing with him

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

As I mentioned before, he's experimented a lot during his lifetime, but if you want to try something new he'll most likely say yes (as long as it doesn't involve you hurting)

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He might be old and salt & peppery and grumpy but oh my god can he fuck. 5 rounds straight at least, then maybe a cigar and then another 3. He usually comes right after you because the way your pussy clenches around his dick during your orgasm is enough to send any man jizzing their pants

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

This doesn't really go under toys but he might indulge in letting you tie his hands up to the bed frame with a silk tie but you know as well as i do that when things get serious, he won't even have to move a muscle to "break" free. As for toys like vibrators, wands and etc. he doesn't really know about them or care for them

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Very. Teasing and edging you is his favourite hobby. Riling you up, teasing your cute little clit with his thick fingers or his mouth just to pull away right as you're about to reach the peak gives him serotonin

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Fuck meeeeeee mister Wolverine. He's not that loud but definitely will give you a few sounds, he loves to dirty talk (read as: growl) but mostly he's just grunting and chuckling at you

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

I thought long and hard about this, so, here you go! He's lowkey into Wade, so he isn't particularly against having a threesome. If he's single, then he wouldn't exactly mind having a threesome with Wade and Wades girl, showing Wade how to properly pleasure a woman. If he finds himself achingly hard as you're jacking Wafe off, it's totally not because he's imagining himself doing that, absolutely not you freak !!!!

If Wade is the single one then he'd be slightly more reluctant but you will find yourself between the two men with Wades cock ramming into your pussy and Logans cock stretching your ass

X = X-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)

He's fucking packing. Long && thick. I don't really know penis sizes i'm so sorry so imagine like a borderline massive dick. Rock hard abs, of course. Deliciously hairy pecs, wide shoulders, big. Goddamn. Arms. Biteable thighs

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Sex to him is an outlet, a massive one at that, so i'd say his sex drive is quite high. It isn't the answer to everything, though. He has good days and bad days, bad days mostly meaning that he's in a vicious mood and wants to punch rather than fuck

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

If we're being a bit humorous then he'll fuck you long and hard, clean you up, give you a kiss, smoke a ciggy and start snoring. But he's not sleeping!!!! He's resting his eyes, dummy. If we're being serious then because he's a mutant of immense power and regenerative abilities then realistically he wouldn't be tired out. If you can stay up for that long then he'll get you some water and just hold you, enjoying the moment of peace

- Thank you so much for reading! As always, this is just how I imagine him. I've been influenced by countless of works here on Tumblr and countless of super steamy tiktok edits, so you're absolutely entitled to your own ideas ❤️

[nitewrighter]

Snow White and the Fae Co-Op

Part 5: An Autonomous Collective

Previous Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4

Masterpost

Of course I know where we're going. Circling around the same block four times and threading through the park twice is part of it. Besides, I'm basically at the best part, which is me and the guys, obviously.

Well, I mean it's not the best part for Snow, because she's running for her life with no fucking idea where to go through a dark forest right now, she is having a bad time, but then the best part is when she meets me and the guys, so I'm going to take a quick aside here to talk about how our operation worked at the time.

Remember how I mentioned earlier that me and my guys kind of got compared to the mob? Well... there's a reason for that. See, there was a time when the balance between human and fae kingdoms was maintained by the possession and trade of magical objects...

...and people. Okay, yeah, but our team wasn't the ones stealing kids and replacing them with goblins. We didn't deal in the exchange of living things, which is why Snow's case was so exceptional for us, and also probably why it took so long for the Queen to find her when she started staying with us. God, I'm getting ahead of myself. My point is, we mined, manufactured, and traded in magical trinkets to help maintain this delicate balance. We weren't the ones who made the mirror, that's way the fuck out of our pay grade--but coins that always turn up heads, or a necklace that makes your fuck-ugly daughter the most eligible bachelorette in the county? That was our wheelhouse.

Let's just start with the team.

So basically the one in charge of everything was Seachnasaigh, the Púca. Tailypo-looking motherfucker, but he had a tongue of silver. He was our primary broker with the Fae Courts, you know, the Deep End. He secured the contracts, talked us out of trouble, kept us abreast of most of the goings-on between the two kingdoms so that we would know where there were demands in the market, and when to keep our heads the fuck down. And if we ever had a hard time crunch for a deadline, the shapeshifting also made him pretty useful in a mine, all things considered.

Then there was Grom Gruach--the Redcap. Mostly just known as 'Grom.' Best at stabbing. He was our security and muscle and helped maintain secure exchanges of goods... and as Seachnasaigh's right hand, kept the rest of us on task because he was pant-shittingly terrifying. Didn't use that muscle for the mine as much as you'd think, though.

The more specialized workforce was split between four gnomes. Dok was an architect and maintained structural integrity of the mine as we progressed further into the mountain, Psellus manned the heavier mining machinery and the cruder smithing work and refining, Appius was our main smith, and Pasha was our enchanter.

...and I guess here is where we get to me.

Don't fucking look at me like that.

"I was the stupid one who could wiggle his ears" is that what you want me to say? Yes, I can wiggle my ears. No, I'm not going to do it now. I mean I was the only beardless one so I guess folks got that right. Kind of. (Not that Seachnasaigh counts all that much since he was covered in hair...)

I guess if I gave the names of all the others that it's only fair I give my own. It's not like the name I can give you is very accurate, anyway. Trolls have a very phonetic language. My name literally translates to "A small round stone being cast into still, deep, water in a vast and empty underground chamber." (Obviously trolls have a lot of rock-based names, you understand). The closest phonetic spelling in human lettering and characters is something like "Dhowop~op~op" and you don't make a normal "p," sound, it's more like you close your lips while pushing them forward and also kind of rounding them out in a reversal of that lip-popping sound, and you have to decrease the volume of your voice on the second and third 'ops.' Like an echo! You don't have to--

Yeah no, you didn't get it.

Just--

No, that wasn't it, either. It's basically a sound effect.

Okay, that was closer, but please, for both our sakes, stop trying. This is why my name got gnomicized to Dhopi.

Anyway, you may have noticed that mining formed the basis of the materials needed for our operation, but not a lot of us were actually miners. Well, you don't need to swing a pickaxe if one member of your group can talk to rocks.

I talked to the rocks. That was my job. I asked the rocks to move in a way that was polite to rocks, and the rocks moved.

Rocks are actually a lot more inclined to change than most think. The younger ones wish they got sprayed out by a volcano, but they won't say "no" to the pickaxe, the drill, or the shovel. They sing of seething heat and rivers of pressure...the hands of a loved one pressed hard against your back. As far as actual magical gems within the hills went, those were like little shards of wrongness. You were doing the mountain a favor if you got them out. Magic was an irritant. Magic longed to make contact with a consciousness, a mind, not the mind of a rock, and magic thrummed against the stone like out-of-sync music. They were about equally as naturally occurring and desirable as zits to the other rocks. I like to think of our crew as something like... Oxpeckers, or your sibling who pops that really painful back zit for you.

Sorry, am I still making sense? It's been a long time since I've been able to talk to someone about any of this.

Oh--Snow! Right, of course, Snow. She had a rough time. I don't know how long she was running through that forest, and neither did she, but the way she told it to me was, she was running, her outfit got torn up by tree branches, she fell into some horrible freezing stagnant water at some point, kept running, then she made it to our house, and her immediate reaction was basically, "Jesus fuck this place is a dump."

Well, at first, it was like, "Oh my god this house is so cute." And then it was like "Jesus fuck this place is a dump."

See, we weren't home at the time, me and the gnomes were at the mine, and Seachnasaigh and Grom were... I assume either schmoozing up a high Fae or breaking someone's kneecaps. I dunno. We usually met up about half a mile from home, though.

And I know what you're thinking: "So Snow could just walk right in? You didn't lock the door?" And it's like, fuck, dude, humans weren't supposed to find our house! Like, ever! In theory a human could look right at our house and just not fucking see it like the way your brain won't register keys you were looking for on a counter! She literally found our house because of Chosen One Bullshit. She changes the world--both human and fae. The rules bend for her, and the rules we made for our house bent for her.

She didn't clean our house before she passed out, by the way. It's kind of weird that that was a thing? Obviously she called us on our shit about our place being a fucking armpit, but she had been running through unfamiliar terrain so long that when she hit our place she passed the fuck out. Beds were beds, even if they were fucking disgusting. And it wasn't like she was less disgusting, on account of being covered in boar's blood and whatever the hell was in that stagnant water.

So like... we get home and we find a passed-out, soggy, muddy teenager with blood-stained skirts sprawled across three of our beds shoved together.

And because Seachnasaigh has to be a cheeky clever bitch about everything he's like "Well, isn't this a development, lads?"

And Grom says, "You want I should stab her?"

But I don't want Grom to stab her because everyone basically treated me like shit, and I thought if there was a new person, they'd have someone else to treat like shit, so I say, "Rocks don't find themselves in the middle of a field for no reason. You don't mess with a big rock in the middle of a field." And they all laugh at me and say, "Classic Dhopi."

...okay I get why it was easy to make me the stupid one, in hindsight.

But then Snow wakes up and she screams, and then like, half of us are screaming, and she starts talking rapidly like, "I'm so sorry, I thought this was a magic orphanage or something."

And Seachnasaigh is like, "A magic what."

And Grom says, "You want I should stab her?" again.

And she says, "Please! I am Snow White of Temperate Kingdom, and I beg thee for shelter from the Queen."

...and that combination of words somehow ends up flipping a switch in all of us because Grom takes off his crusty scabby cap and takes a knee, and Seachnasaigh instantly clasps her pretty white hands in his freaky-ass aye-aye fingers and says, "Sweet Princess, our home is yours. How may we aid you?"

And there's a long pause, and her eyes flick to me, and then to the other guys. Her eyes flick around the room, and her jaw sets. She blinks at Seachnasaigh before saying, "You should do your dishes."

And Seachnasaigh bows his head, saying, "It shall be done, my lady," before barking, "DHOPI! DO THE FOCKING DISHES."

So Snow and me don't get off to a super-great start.

But... she was good at noticing things. She noticed me from that first moment. I know that sounds dumb. I know she just had that effect on people because of what she was, but I'm not bullshitting when I say I was her favorite. I know I was. She never said it because, y'know, you don't want to play favorites when you're depending on the hospitality of a collective. It was in her interest to keep the peace, so I don't take it personally. But I felt it. Every time she sat next to me while mending one of our trousers, every time she invited me along to pick berries and herbs and mushrooms, every time she talked about her stupid useless prince with the dishwater hair and the bump in his nose, I felt a slice of loneliness, of vulnerability in her peeking through. A part of her she didn't share with anyone else. Maybe she saw the same in me. The Princess torn between worlds and a troll a long way from home. There are some weights you don't share until you know they're not a weight for the other person.

Snow carved out her niche with us, she didn't try to push or change our lifestyle too much, but I could tell she gave her little nudges where she could to make things easier, to make us fight less, clean more, eat better... but we changed her, too. She went from that neat red hairnet studded with pearls to tying her hair up in crowns or rams horns of braids threaded through with scarlet ribbon. She got calluses on her palms and scuffs on the knuckles of her pretty white hands. She could hike up her skirts and swing a pickaxe, though honestly she made a bigger difference at the house, swinging a hoe. She made a little garden for us, and all she had to do was sing, and the cabbages would be huge and lush and green, and the carrots would be sugar-sweet. She sang to the birds and they would shit on her compost heap for her, can you freakin' imagine?? And... yes, with a little nudge she had us pulling weeds and spreading mulch for her. I'm not too proud to admit that. It felt good to make something grow from the earth, it hit different than just... yanking wrongness out of rocks. And there was yeast bubbling in the kitchen and songs being sung at night and in a matter of weeks our house went from a place you just pass out in to a living thing. A community. A home.

Just like how her poisons just turned into medicines, Snow's cooking just... always turned out good. It was really simple stuff at first, but it got better and better the more she figured out what she was doing. And after every meal we were racing to do the dishes for her. Eventually she did set up her own little apothecary lab just to experiment on slower days when we were all out at the mine. She laughed more. Sang more. Teased and wrinkled her nose. Something about her became... freer. Wilder. Older. It was like the Fae software and the human hardware weren't fighting each other anymore, you know?

Every one of us loved her in our own ways. Seachnasaigh ran circles around the rest of us, but he was an absolute sucker for her. I'd listen to them stay up talking next to the dying embers of the fire, contests of riddles and convoluted stories that ended in puns, and a lot of shit that frankly flew over my head. She made salves for Psellus's hands, and listened patiently to Dok's mutterings as he tried to puzzle through buttress placement, and she backseat drove Appius on jewelry design. Even fucking Grom, who was given to looming, loomed a little warmer when he was escorting her on her little forest foraging trips.

To be honest I never... 'got' Pasha, but Snow seemed to get him? They could just sit in that room full of crystals for hours together, her singing while Pasha played his rebab, and the enchantments came out.. warmer? Stronger? Truer? Seachnasaigh tried to be subtle about it, but with Snow on our team, our products were suddenly a much more hot commodity. Maybe that's why it couldn't last. Maybe that's how the Queen found us, eventually. Maybe Snow was like those magic rocks in the mountains, she couldn't not reach out to those who would make her gifts shine.

We should have kept her safer.

We were fucking idiots.

Oh--! Hey! We're here! Okay, let me talk to the doorman, don't make eye contact with anyone, and keep your voice down, all right? Just keep your head down and I'll get us a seat at the bar. DON'T MAKE FUCKING EYE CONTACT WITH ANYONE. No, I'm fine, you can look at me. No, don't stare at me, keep your fucking head down. Look, shut up, let me talk to the doorman. I'll handle this.

[callme-holly]

Hiiii, could you do the Outsiders x reader who's obsessed with cats? Like, she's always petting random stray cats she sees and is begging to take them home. And I love your writing! 😊😊

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐱 𝐜𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐚/𝐧: I'm getting back into the flow now, y'all. Please keep sending in requests!

Darry Curtis:

Darry doesn’t mind cats; he’s never really had a strong opinion on them; they’re just sort of existing, you know? It isn’t until he meets you that he starts paying more attention to them. He’ll stop and watch you fondly as he pets random cats in the street, and he won't complain when you bring them over to say hello to them. He isn’t against having a cat, but he isn’t sure he can handle having one in the house with their current financial situation, so he’s pretty firm when it comes to you bringing strays back home. “No way. We can’t afford it right now.”  Maybe one day, when money isn’t so tight, he might relent and get you a cat, but don’t hold him to it. 

Sodapop Curtis:

Soda fully supports your love for cats and will stop with you on the street to greet every single stray. He’s the type to pick up little kittens and hand them to you, just to see you smile. He’s always up for trying to convince Darry to let you keep one and will occasionally sneak one in to surprise you, hiding it away from Darry and feeding it scraps from dinner. If you were to get a cat, he’d probably choose a stupid name for it and insist on carrying it around like a baby. 

Ponyboy Curtis:

Pony understands your fondness for cats; they’re quiet, independent, and make pretty good company. He often stops with you, watching as you pet the strays, and might occasionally get down to fuss over one himself, scratching their chin and ears. Sometimes, he’ll sit in the lot with you, sketching the cats and gifting the drawings to you. If you beg him to take one home, he’ll be pretty reluctant, not wanting to face Darry with the question. So instead, he compromises, telling you that you can go out and feed them, and that they can stay in the backyard in the shed. 

Johnny Cade:

Much like you, Johnny is naturally drawn to the strays, mostly from how much he hangs around the lot. He’s probably befriended his fair share of cats from all the nights he’s spent there and has no trouble going to visit them with you. He’ll gladly feed them and fuss over them, letting them rub around him and paw at his jeans. He loves how gentle you are with animals and admires how much you love them. He starts bringing treats in his back pocket for them, just in case you find a new cat to befriend.  If there’s a cat you’re particularly drawn to, he’ll help you make a little shelter for it and will go with you to feed it every day. 

Dallas Winston: Dally isn’t particularly fond of cats and would much rather ignore them than fuss over them. He’ll constantly tease you for fawning over the strays, but secretly he probably thinks it’s a little sweet. He’ll act too cool to care, but the more he hangs around with you (and the cats), the more he finds himself absentmindedly tossing them scraps of food. He might even surprise you by bringing you a tiny, scruffy kitten he’d rescued from a rough situation, tossing it into your lap like it’s no big deal. He refuses to take care of it though; the feeding and other shit is all down to you, and no way in hell is it allowed to sit in his lap.

Steve Randle:

Steve thinks your obsession with cats is amusing and never fails to make little jabs and jokes about it, calling you the “cat whisperer.” But, deep down, he loves the strays just as much as you and will do as much as he can to keep them safe. If you beg him to take one home, he’ll relent after a while, creating a little bed/crate for it that stays in the garage of the DX. The cat soon becomes one of those pets that hangs around constantly, sitting on top of the cars he’s working on and lounging on the backseat of his car whenever he leaves the door open.

Two-Bit Mathews:

Two totally understands your love for the cats. If the two of you are out together, he’s showing you all the cats and befriending them right alongside you. He’ll crouch down and call out to the strays, petting them and scratching under their chin. He’s probably the first to suggest sneaking a cat home, wrapping it up in his jacket, and carrying it along like a little baby. If a cat likes him more than you, he will rub it in and make your life hell over it. 

[cobaltperun]

Eternal Flame (13) - Black Friday

Jenna Ortega x Female Reader

Chapter summary: The distance ended up being exactly what you and Jenna needed to get some clarity.

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Word Count: 5.7k

-I wanna be happy, could you show me how it's done?-

When Hugh took you to Ethiopia you didn't think you would be spending half the day raking leaves with him. “I thought we were on a vacation,” you said roughly four hours into the manual labor he's been putting you through. Granted, he was right there with you, doing the same thing, so at least that made it fair to an extent. His kids and wife smartly avoided this activity and were in a warm house, drinking coffee and getting to know the locals.

“No harm in some work,” Hugh figured, getting up and wincing as he straightened his back. Oh yeah, he was several decades older than, you frankly you were almost sorry for him right now. “We'll sleep a lot better tonight.”

You did have troubles sleeping, so maybe that’s what he was trying to do.

“Yeah, that's right. Keep finding the positive in everything. I’ll ask you what you think tomorrow, when it turns out that your back is hurting, because you couldn't let a twenty-year-old do a better job than you,” and stupidly you got competitive as well. At least you did things a lot faster since you both wanted to see which one of you could do the job faster and better. As it turns out, being young did have advantages in this particular situation.

“I let you win,” he said as he leaned on the rake, but not too hard though, as you were both afraid that leaning on them properly might make them snap, and that would be an embarrassing way to fall to the ground.

You rolled your eyes, amused by his refusal to accept loss with grace. “So, what's really the point of all this? You've had me working, had me meditating, hell, nearly roped me into doing yoga with you. Come on, spill it,” you said once you began making your way back to the shed to leave the rakes before going back to where Deb and Hugh’s kids were.

“You really should try yoga though,” he was trying to change the subject, to avoid answering your question and you just turned to face him, meeting his eyes and just studying him for a moment. And then he slumped slightly, giving in to your silent demand. “I'm trying to keep you occupied, I guess, not sure if that will do any good, but we might as well start somewhere.”

The expression on your face softened as Hugh said that. You could have figured as much. “You're being ridiculous, but I appreciate it,” the truth was that you probably didn't have any idea how to approach what you were feeling and going through either, and he was just scrambling to try and do something. He was making an effort while hoping that maybe one of those things would work for you, and some were actually working.

The first few days he had to pull you to sit down and meditate with him, but this morning you sat down next to him all on your own. For what it was worth you did appreciate spending ten minutes purely on yourself, being in no rush to do anything, feeling no pressure, having no deep thoughts plaguing your mind. It was just ten minutes, and in that brief period of time you could take a moment and relax. Somehow, starting the day like that was good for you, it was making you feel calm at the start of the day instead of tense as you usually were.

And despite the occasional joking complaints you made about the vacation turning into a glorified test of your stamina, you enjoyed yourself. You were gaining a new perspective on life in general, something to help you look at things from a different point of view. And throughout all of that the ring hanging from your neck brushed against your skin and reminded you that at the end of the day this all had to be worth it.

~X~

There has never been a January this miserable in Jenna's life, filled with so much despair and sorrow and exhausting conversations with her family. All of them, mostly her parents, but also her siblings, aside from Aliyah who saw how she was at the airport, were repeating that you weren't good for her. Repeating that she was like this because of you, that she was difficult to talk to, that she was miserable, that she had a short temper and wasn't pleasant to be around, all because of you.

Eventually she just packed her bag and went back to LA, cutting her family time short, because she could no longer take constantly hearing that. The worst thing about it was that it was getting to her head, and she feared that when, and if, she ever got the chance to see you again, that all those words her family kept repeating would end up reaching her. That the moment she saw you that she would start thinking whatever she had with you wasn't worth losing the support of her family.

And yet, as conflicted as she felt, she still often found herself with your shirt close to her and with your jacket around her shoulders as she went and did some small tasks all around her house. She couldn't quite wear it, the sleeves were too long for her, so she just tied the sleeves around her neck and went about her day. She was all alone so who cared if she looked a bit ridiculous.

From what Barbara told her, and she knew Barbara was only giving her the bare bones as far as the information went, you finished filming in Italy and went on a vacation with Hugh and his family. And despite everything Jenna almost felt bitter, thinking you moved on, that you decided to keep living your life with or without her in it, while she was here, having her world falling apart. If it turned out this between you couldn’t be fixed, then yeah, both of you had every right to move on. She just felt, in despair, that you did it way too quickly.

Her doorbell rang just as she finished washing the few dishes she used for her lunch, and she took your jacket off and hung it on the chair before going to her front door. Enrique said he would drop by, and this had to be him, and sure enough when she looked through the camera in front of her apartment building's front door she found him standing there. Jenna quickly opened the door and the front door of her apartment for him, and he came inside, meeting her in the hallway and she just hugged him soon as he was close enough.

“There, there, it's OK, you can cry,” he told her. By now he knew more or less what happened. He didn't know why you began fighting in the first place but he knew everything else. And while she could allow herself to cry in front of him Jenna honestly didn't have any tears left to shed, she spent so many nights crying herself to sleep that she was just tired of crying.

She let go of him and smiled a bit. “Let's just sit down. Do you want something to eat or drink? Anything?” Enrique just brushed her off, showing her he brought hot chocolate to go along, and Jenna was thankful for the a bit of thoughtfulness from someone who cared about her.

“Y/N’s jacket?” Enrique pointed at the jacket hanging from her chair as Jenna sat down.

She nodded. “I miss her,” she confessed softly. You weren’t talking and that was only making things worse right now. “But I don’t think my parents will ever accept her.”

Enrique leaned back in his chair. “Well, I'm here to fix that,” Enrique promised her, and somehow, she believed him. “So, how about you fill me in on the things I don't know,” he asked, and Jenna began. She told him everything she knew, that your parents were in an accident, were left in a coma and that you needed money. That you sold your apartment and that it still wasn't enough, so you went and got involved in a fight club. She told him all of that, and that it wasn't enough, that your parents couldn't be saved, and that you then, despite no longer having to fight, went and fought again, and Enrique just sat there listening taking it all in.

“You know, and this might just be me, but I think it's beautiful. You know, what she did,” his words took her by surprise, she had no idea how he could even come to that conclusion. You went and you hurt people, and you let others hurt you for money. How could that have been beautiful in any way? “Now, hear me out, I know how it sounds. But think about it. Y/N loved her parents so much that she didn't care what she had to endure to try and save them, she didn't get involved in that out of greed or a desire to hurt people, she went and fought because that was her only hope.”

Jenna just sat there, taking his words in. She hadn’t even thought about it that way, in her mind and in her entire family's opinion there was no excuse for what you did, there was nothing but violence in it, even if they understood the circumstances. Well, at least for the period while your parents were in a coma, and you were fighting for them.

“Just think about how much you would have to love someone to be sixteen and willingly go through so much pain, just for a slim chance that you could save that someone you love. Jenna, I've seen the way she looks at you, and you've seen it too. Your parents worry she would end up hurting you one day, but the way I see it there is a good chance she's the person you'll be safest with,” it felt like everything she thought she knew and everything she thought she felt was thrown on its head and changed in an instant. Like there was suddenly some kind of light shining through the clouds and making her see things differently.

“She went back, Enrique,” she fell back on repeating the arguments her parents kept making, afraid that if he convinced her, that she would only break. That she would ignore everything her parents wanted and do everything in her power to rebuild what the two of you had.

“Jenna, she was broken by grief. Y/N just lost her entire family, you said she fought for months to try and keep them alive, and she failed. So, she went and chose an unhealthy coping mechanism,” a lot like plenty of other people, and finally it all just made sense to Jenna, she understood what Enrique was trying to say. Yet it came too late, now it only made her feel worse that she didn't even consider these options, that she didn't even try to understand you and that she just pushed you away.

“I'm too late. I doubt she would ever want to see me again and I can't even blame her,” clearly not all of her tears were dried up, because here she was, crying once again. Enrique just pulled her into a hug, trying to console her and help her through this.

“You don't know that. Hey, we've both seen how she looks at you! I've spent just a couple of hours with her and even I can tell that girl unconditionally loves you!” and yet she went and risked it all over an impulsive reaction and her need to not go against her parents in that very moment.

The phone buzzed next to her, and her and Enrique saw it was from Barbara. “See what she sent,” Enrique encouraged her and Jenna unlocked her phone, and while making sure that Enrique could see it as well, she opened the message. Her eyes widened; Barbara had sent her a photo. It was you, in a place she couldn't recognize, drinking coffee it seemed, and just sitting by the fire with a small smile on your face, but what caught her eye wasn't your expression nor anything else about you, it was her ring clearly on display, hanging from the necklace around your neck.

“See, I told you,” Enrique patted her on the back and Jenna smiled as she spent who knows how long just silently staring at the picture. She stared, taking in the way the fire was reflected in your eyes, the smile on your face was honest, but there was a sense of sorrow in it, like you were constantly missing something. It wasn't the full smile you had when you were with her, and she studied every single detail about you, your hair, your clothes, the way light from the flames and shadows made your skin look, the way you held the coffee cup, firmly grasping it. She noticed the way you were slightly hunched forward, maybe leaning in to listen to whoever was talking to you, and she remembered how you leaned in to listen to her, you always leaned in closer than this. Your attention was always completely on her, and while you were paying attention to whoever you were talking to in this picture as well, she figured at least 10 to 15% of your attention was somewhere else.

And then she got another message from Barbara, and this time it was a video, perhaps taken only moments after the photo. You were silent, just listening and then it happened, you reached up and your thumb and finger brushed along her ring. You glanced down, the longing clear in your eyes, too lost in thoughts to notice you were being filmed.

“See, she loves you! She misses you, she wants you back in her life!” Enrique messed with her hair for a bit and the remark would have seemed like teasing to her a month ago, but now it was more than welcome.

“I still don't know what to do with my parents,” while she could probably convince her siblings that she would be fine, her parents were a whole other story.

“I'll handle them,” Enrique promised her and she trusted him, maybe he wouldn't be able to completely change their minds, but she believed that he would be able to at least make them willing to give the two of you a chance.

“Thanks,” Jenna said, not sure what else to say to show her gratitude. Then Barbara sent one last message for the day. ‘Just figured you should know that Y/N is trying her best. She’s trying to get better, and you are the biggest reason why she's doing that. As you can see by that ring that she refuses to take off unless she absolutely has to.’

And Jenna smiled, a sense of hope, from the conversation she had with Enrique, the video of you she got, and the message Barbara sent, filling her heart for the first time in roughly a month.

~X~

Even with all the energy you've been spending throughout the days, you still struggled to fall asleep, and you really shouldn't be, your days were packed. If it wasn't actually working and volunteering to help people out with Hugh, then it was sightseeing and long walks, and yet as tired as you were by the time you would say goodnight to Hugh and his family, that exhaustion would just vanish the moment you would lay down in your bed. You found yourself struggling to fall asleep each and every night.

You should have known long days of work or walking or some physically demanding activities wouldn't be enough to get you to easily fall asleep. After all, if there was one thing those fights gave you it was almost ridiculous stamina, and you had to admit you were hating that right now. Because no matter how tired or how calm you would be, you just couldn't fall asleep. You've tried meditating, you've tried doing a quick workout, you tried drinking chamomile tea, and yet none of that helped.

You knew exactly what was wrong, you glanced at your bedside table, at the ring Jenna gave you. You only took it off either when you were taking a shower or a bath, and when you were sleeping. You were afraid you could somehow grab the necklace and break it, and then lose the ring somewhere, so you would take it off. And it wasn't that you were missing the ring in particular, it was just that when you were on your own, your thoughts would just wander to the different places, and you had no control over them. You've been thinking about Jenna damn near constantly when you were alone.

Even when you were with other people you knew there was a sense of longing in everything you did, in every laugh, in every smile. You were there and you were happy. You really were doing better, but you just missed her. and you thought it would get better with time, but it didn't. It was just getting worse day by day. You turned in your bed once again for what felt like the hundredth time tonight alone, unable to quiet your mind.

The only thing you wanted was to just call her and see how she was doing, to just know that she was fine. Deep down you knew you left her at potentially the worst possible moment. You saw the desire to reach out to you, and to touch you in her eyes, back when you last saw her. You knew you were leaving her with the family that despised you right now, and you couldn't even begin to imagine just how hard it would be for her to go through all of that on her own. Living alone was in your mind one of the worst ways one could live, but constantly being surrounded by people who disapproved of something you cared about and put you through emotional pain while saying it was for your sake, was way worse than that.

And you despised yourself for leaving Jenna like that, because in the worst-case scenario she wanted to talk to you, but her family wouldn't agree with it no matter what she said. Yet you couldn't do anything about it, you hurt her, you betrayed her trust and you no longer had the right to reach out first. It had to be her, you couldn't force your way into her life, no matter how desperate you were to just know that she was fine.

And deep down maybe you were afraid of what you would do if she wasn’t fine.

And those thoughts plagued your mind. You constantly worried about how she was, how she slept, if she ate enough. Being alone made those thoughts a dozen time louder, and it was almost unbearable.

You glanced at your phone to check the time and tried to figure out what time it would be in Denver, eventually, you figured Barbara would be off work right now, so you went and called her, hoping her voice could calm down your nerves a bit. Besides, you missed your best friend, as much as this vacation helped you, you still wished she could have experienced some of this as well.

As you waited for her to pick up you promised yourself that when you finally come back and when you finished filming with Hugh that you would go and reconcile with her family.

“Babe?” of course she greeted you like that, that dumbass.

“Sure, sure, Babe,” you rolled your eyes. You found it somewhat funny how different things were the last time you called Barbara ‘babe’ back then Jenna heard it, and you had to explain yourself. Now it was much different, and those were just good old times before you went and fucked up.

“I can hear you rolling your eyes,” Barbara laughed, and you were going to take that, because she needed a laugh after helping you pull through those first couple of days after Jenna left. Barbara deserved every chance to laugh and if anyone were to hurt her you would raise hell until she was fine again, which was also part of the reason why you were adamant on sooner rather than later reconciling with her family.

It would also be very strange to suddenly, for example, appear at a celebration of something important happening in Barbara's life and surprise her parents by showing them you were still in Barbara's life. “Yeah, because eyerolls make sounds,” still, it was a bit strange, it sounded like Barbara had you on speaker. “How was your day?”

“Uh, just the usual, you know. Went to work and now I'm just lying around, bored. About to turn on the cheesiest love songs in history,” that was not good news, that meant only one thing, another heartbreak, well sort of, Barbara never took it too close to heart when something like this happened. Especially since she hasn’t really been serious with anyone over the past year.

“Which guy who asked you out ended up being in the closet now?” you would still humor her.

“James,” and that meant nothing to you. You didn't even know the guy existed; this was the first time you were hearing about him.

“How long ago was this again?” you asked, maybe you just forgot since your mind was damn near always on Jenna these days.

“A few months ago, you were filming Scream, meeting the love of your life while I was at the store, meeting James, who, as it turns out, only wanted a girlfriend so his mom would be happy,” she jokingly ranted. “Didn't even get to the first date point, so no harm done,” she may have been complaining, but you were well aware that Barbara didn’t care one bit about it. When someone right shows up he’ll show up, she used to say, and she still believed that. And she was still twenty, she mostly just dated to meet people and if it ended up becoming serious than so be it.

As for you, despite everything you still smiled at the love of your life comment, almost welcoming the teasing.

“I guess that will keep happening, minus finding the love of my life again, doubt that's happening, but you meeting guys while I’m somewhere filming,” considering you were serious about acting now that scenario was fairly plausible. How many things in Barbara and Hugh’s life would you miss with this job? How many times would you only be able to comfort Barbara over the phone? That was the sad reality of your work.

“About that, I think you won't need to find another one,” she said and you sat up abruptly, your heart beating rapidly in your chest at those words.

“What do you mean?” but she just laughed and for a moment you naively thought that she wasn't laughing at you, that maybe there was another reason she laughed. “Barbara, what do you mean?!”

“Oh, nothing, nothing! Don't worry about it! Oh, by the way, I need to go and get,” she paused as if she was thinking of an excuse. “A pizza, yeah, a pizza. I ordered a pizza and it's just about to arrive!” what the hell was going on over there?

“Barbara, you know I know when you are lying!” but she was already saying ‘bye!’ “You come back here and explain yourself, Barbara!” but she just hung up and you stared at your phone, baffled by what just happened. What did you miss?

~X~

Barbara was laughing her ass off and she just sank into the sofa. Your sofa by the way, because of course Barbara would take her to your apartment.

“See, you've got nothing to worry about. You're the love of her life,” Barbara told her with the almost infuriatingly wide grin on her face and Jenna just looked down, her face about as red as a tomato, and she couldn't stop the smile on her face.

For the first time since the end of last year she was actually at peace, and it was almost ironic that it was in your apartment. It was like deep down she could feel your presence around her, even if the apartment was fairly barren from anything personal in it. She could still feel like you were almost right there with her.

“She sounded,” she began, but she couldn't even find the correct word to describe what she noticed. But there was a change in your voice that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

“Like she was struggling, for the lack of a better word,” Barbara offered, and Jenna supposed that would be the most fitting description, though it wasn't quite the word she would use. It was more like you were on the precipice of finally reaching something that she couldn't define, yet she knew it would be important for you.

“I guess,” but she accepted the description Barbara offered.

Barbara gave her a small smile “So, you are going away for filming, right? That's why you wanted to talk.”

This time next week she would already be in New Zealand, about to start filming X, so that would mean she couldn't see you anytime soon. It was a harsh blow to know that she wouldn’t be able to see you for at least a month and a half from now. She didn't think she would be hearing your voice, and while it felt so good while it lasted, it just reopened that wound on her heart, caused by all the longing within her. She missed you so much, but she still wanted your first contact again to be face to face, and in a way she was afraid of your reaction; even if Barbara and Enrique have been telling her that it would be fine, that you still loved her.

“Well at least you’ll both be free after that and then you can figure out when and how to meet up,” that was a comforting thought, that after the filming was done for both of you, you would have the time and space and could actually talk things through. Maybe even find a way to get back to the way things were before because she desperately needed you back in her life.

“How should I approach it?” Jenna asked timidly.

Barbara put a finger on her chin, seemingly thinking about it. “Well, first of all you need to book an entire restaurant, and you have to arrange for a car to come and pick her up, and make sure there are flowers and cookies, and a good movie and some music. Y/N just adores heartbreaking love songs, they need to have soul crushingly depressing lyrics, by the way,” and then she burst out laughing because Jenna was seriously listening to her. “I'm messing with you, Jenna. Just show up. Just like you told me: ‘Hey, can we meet up, I want to talk,’ do the same thing with her. Or if you really don't want to send that message and you want the first thing you tell her to be face to face, then you tell me and I'll bring her somewhere so you can do that. That’s all Y/N wants, just you.”

And that comforted her a lot, that at the end of the day it didn't matter how she would show up, in front of you as long as she did come to talk. “Can we actually fix this?” Jenna asked because Barbara was the only one who knew you enough to give her that answer.

“12 hours,” Barbara said and then just completely stopped. Jenna just raised an eyebrow, not getting what that mean, so Barbara sighed and continued. “That's how long it'll take the two of you to end up in her bed naked, and very thankful the walls of this apartment are thick, not that you'll notice, because you'll be in the throes of passion. I'm telling you right now, that's gonna happen,” she said it with a completely blank face and somehow Jenna got even redder than before, unable to actually respond to that claim in any way.

~X~

With the vacation over, it was time to go back to work, and that meant going straight from Japan to New York to start filming The Daughter, and the first thing you did would perhaps make or break the rest of the process. Everything in the movie rested on the chemistry between you and Hugh, and the first scene had to start building that.

“Action!” you heard from behind the doors. You relaxed your posture, hung your head a bit and made it seem like you had the weight of the world on top of your shoulders, and you were just tired of it. And it wasn't difficult to get into that mental state. You opened the doors with an unscripted sigh, giving away how tired your character must be feeling as you tossed the bag onto the floor and just kicked your sneakers off, not even bothering to put them away properly. Your character was supposed to think she would come back home to an empty apartment, and you already made your way to your character's bedroom instead of at least glancing in the kitchen and the living room.

“Nicole!” you heard Laura's voice from the living room and froze momentarily, almost stumbling over your feet as you scrambled back to put your sneakers away properly and grab your bag. You let the panic in your eyes show well enough without overplaying it.

“Shit,” you cursed under your breath, and then took a deep breath as if pumping yourself up to put on a façade. “Hey mom, shouldn't you be at work?” you asked as you leaned into the living room, showcasing the distance between the characters with a wide shot of the living room, with just your head and fingers of your left hand visible, as well as the hint of your bag hanging from your shoulder.

“I came early,” Laura smiled at you, and the smile was perfect, the pain and uneasiness hidden behind the unconditional love of a parent, it was all there in that quick moment that she would be in the focus.

“You arrived,” you tightened your grip on to the doorframe and flinched as if you were about to fall, and then you looked back to see Hugh coming out of the bathroom. You looked back at the hall, where his shoes were and then just looked at him again, as if trying to make sure he was actually there. “Dad?” you said in disbelief, and Hugh looked like he was stuck between being happy to see you and unsure what to expect from you. You leaned away from the doorframe, guarder, tense as you studied him, just as unsure of what to expect as he was.

“Your mom told me you've been skipping school, and I figured we could talk,” he said, and your entire demeanor changed as you glared at him. “Nicole,” Hugh called your character's name, and you tighten your jaw, starting to open your mouth to speak several times, before just giving up and relaxing.

“Sure, come on in,” you said motioning toward your room, there was no bounce to your steps and just for a moment you met Laura's eyes, and she just looked away as if silently saying sorry to you. You just closed your eyes for a moment, briefly letting the pain show on your face while neither Hugh nor Laura could see. As you let Hugh into the room you went and tossed the bag on your bed, not caring when you slightly missed, and it fell to the floor. You didn’t even wince at the slight mess in the room.

Hugh turned on the lights and walked by you, then he just picked your bag up, placing it on the bed with care, while you slumped into your chair. “You should keep your room tidy, when I was your age everything had to be spotless,” Hugh said and picked up an empty bottle of juice your character left lying there at some point.

“You should remember you have a daughter a bit more often, and yet here we are,” you fired back and Hugh’s eyes immediately met yours, only for you to look away and mumble a ‘Sorry’ under your breath.

Hugh sat down on your bed, and you just leaned back, not even looking at him. “I know we haven't spent a lot of time together lately, and I've been thinking that maybe you would like to spend some time with me, meet your baby brother. We can catch up and see how it works out?” he suggested and you looked at him for a moment.

“What about school?” you asked, sure your character didn't go to school for the past month, but it was still the middle of the year.

“We'll figure something out, enroll you in another school. Have you start over,” Hugh said and you nodded not really caring either way.

“Cut!” the director yelled and you and Hugh visibly relaxed. “That's what I wanted! Great job you two! You as well Laura!” he approached you and Hugh. “Hugh, you were right, Y/N can pull this off!” Florian patted you and Hugh on the shoulders and called you over to go over the next scene because the approach he took was to talk to both of you, or the actors involved in the scene, through it and try to explain all the emotions involved in it, as well as let you give him any input you might have as well.

Overall, even though the subject of the movie would be rather heavy, you wouldn't want to do this with anyone else. And from the look in Hugh’s eyes, you figured he felt the same.

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[lonelydreams-world]

Raf's Notes as originally presented on The Hub's website.

TRANSMITTING FROM INSIDE AUTOBOT HEADQUARTERS

What if you could have secret access to the Autobots' base, getting the inside scoop on their latest missions and battles with the Decepticons? Well, that's Raf! He's got full access to all things Autobots, and he's taking notes.

We've gained access to his laptop, so now you can peek over his shoulder and see what's really happening behind the scenes. (Just don't tell him we gave you the secret password, or he might hack our system.) Check out Raf's Notes every week -- EXCLUSIVELY--here on HubWorld.com!

THE NOTES SO FAR

Gotta keep track of all of this ACTION! This is my stash of all my entries--super-encrypted so that Megatron and his boys (or Agent Fowler) can't get to the goods!

ENTRY # 1

This Is NOT a Diary!

OK, not sure where to start, since a LOT has happened, but I figure I better take notes, cuz ... well, let's just say, life's been pretty different lately. And I want to remember as much as possible, cuz if someone else said all this happened to him, no way would I believe it. I'm saving these notes as a triple-encrypted file in my laptop, so no one will ever see them. I'd do hex-encryption, but who has the time?

AUTOBOTS!!!

Where was I? OK. Autobots. My life hasn't been the same since I met them. They're these huge autonomous robotic life-forms who came to Earth to protect us from these other huge guys called Decepticons. Optimus Prime is the leader of the good guys, and Megatron is the really bad Bad Guy. (Except they used to be friends ... but that was a REALLY long time ago.)

They're all after this stuff called Energon, which is kinda like food and gas and blood and electricity all mixed into one. (Note to self : Eww.) They used to live on a planet called Cybertron, but they destroyed it by fighting for, like, forever. Optimus says he's trying to make sure that doesn't happen to Earth next. They've been here in secret for a while, but since me and these other kids Jack and Miko accidentally saw them and discovered their secret, they're protecting us ... in case the Cons come after us.

Bumblebee's my buddy. Mostly cuz I'm the only kid who understands him. Not sure why ... he makes perfect sense. He just doesn’t use words. Might be the same reason I could understand digital code, even when I was three years old. Anyway, most people talk too much. Best thing? Bee's an awesome muscle car, and he’s my friend.

Arcee is Jack's partner, and Bulkhead watches out for Miko. I guess I should point out that Jack and Miko go to my school, and normally we'd never even talk. But lately, nothing's normal, so the three of us hang out at the secret Autobot base a LOT. It's awesome, cuz they have the sickest computers and other way-cool tech.

My mom asked where I was going after school all the time, so I told her I joined the Computer Club. Which is kinda true.

ENTRY #2

The Bigger They Are....

Woah, what a week! Looks like Megatron, the main Decepticon, went down for good this week, out in space. Lucky for Earth! Most of us felt like cheering, but not Optimus. He never likes it when a spark gets extinguished, no matter whose. A spark is like a Bot's life spirit, more or less.

Game Over?

After that, we were all thinking Game Over. No more Megatron, no more trouble. So we got busy with our science fair projects. I have to say, it was pretty cool getting science help from the Bots. They have so much data to work with, and all that amazing hardware.

But it never stays quiet for long around here. Optimus and Bee went to go check out a blip on the Energon grid. It's how they keep track of all the Bots and Cons everywhere -- like a radar screen for the whole universe. They figured it was probably Cons, but had no idea who or what they were headed for. But soon as they saw Skyquake, it was like -- GO time.

Turns out these other Cons, Starscream and Soundwave, had come to Earth just to find and reanimate this massive guy. Bee said Skyquake made Optimus look small! Even worse, his whole mission was to destroy Optimus, under ancient orders from Megatron. They'd faced off on Cybertron before, but that was forever ago.

Bigger AND Badder!

Thing is, big as Skyquake was, he wasn't as swift as the Bots. Our guys had him down and pretty much out.. until good old Agent Fowler came along in a plane. Skyquake scanned the plane, and then it was ON again. But, then snap -- the GUY BECAME THE PLANE!!! (btw, scanning sounds awesome. Like instant cloning.) Wish I'd seen that!

Anyway, in the end, our guys nailed Skyquake, and his spark went out. Huge relief in some ways, but Optimus was sad again ... he always hopes he can bring the bad guys around to being good.

Meanwhile, Ratchet seriously messed with my volcano project for Science Fair. I will NOT let him help again. I had to stay late at school and try to repair the Energon damage in the auditorium. Which took more than a little explaining.

ENTRY #3

Scraplets Scare!

OMG. What an insane week! We had a Scraplet infestation at the base. Imagine raccoon-sized termites wired on too much coffee! Or zombie dogs on candy! Or ... well, I'll explain.

It all started when Bumblebee and Bulkhead were scouting for Energon in the Arctic. They found this big metal egg/pod thing and brought it back for examination. No one knew what it was. But by the time it thawed, it was too late!

Here's what happened: Once the pod thing was in the lab, Optimus and Arcee went back to the Arctic for more recon while Bee and Bulkhead thawed out. Turns out they get frostbite too, almost like us. Miko and Jack were playing a video game ... and since there's only two controllers, I was like, No, you go ahead. (Mr. Nice Guy. As usual.) So I was just hanging near the lab when I saw the first Scraplet.

It was kinda cute, for a bot. It was like ... well, like a dog, like I said. But a friendly dog. They only eat metal, see, not organic material -- so when it saw me, it was like: "Hmmm. Not tasty."

But then it followed me back to the main area and BAM! It attacked Bee like mad. I had to smash it with a pipe to make it stop. Bulkhead seriously freaked. Never seen him like that before. And then we knew it was an infestation. There were like HUNDREDS of them, all inside the walls, chewing up the pipes and cables! Which explained the Comm-Link and power failures. Optimus and Arcee were out there freezing, but Ratchet couldn’t activate the GroundBridge to bring them in.

Since us kids weren't Scraplet food, we went to fix the hole in the Energon pipeline -- just in time, too. It was scary, but way more scary for the Bots. For once, WE got to protect THEM! It was cool and all, but still ... I'd rather not do it again.

I'm not so much the Protector type. More the Defensive Crouch type. Still ... it's good to know I can work it if I have to.

ENTRY #4

Don't Judge a Bot by Its Cover

I learned something new about Decepticons this week. Something huge happened -- a Bot made contact with us! Wheeljack. He's an old friend of Bulkhead's ... this big soldier Bot guy who just roams the universe solo. Or that's who he was supposed to be.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It started when we got a friendly Bot signal from deep space this week. Bulkhead was psyched to see it was Wheeljack, cuz they used to be best buds, back in this elite fighting unit called the Wreckers. (Sounds like a reality show, right?) When he showed up, we kinda had a party. They played this game called "lobbing" which is basically playing catch with the biggest things they can find. Miko jammed on her guitar (I think she may be getting better), and I showed Bee how to do the Robot. It was awesome.

But then Bulkhead started getting suspicious, cuz he said Wheeljack wasn't acting like himself. Turns out it wasn't Wheeljack at all! It was just a Decepticon pretending to be the real Wheeljack, who was imprisoned up on the Nemesis -- that's the Cons' ship.

That's right! We actually had a REAL LIVE CON inside the base!!! Gives me chills just thinking about it. Bet Miko gets worse chills -- when Bulkhead blew the Con's cover, he took her hostage. She was pretty cool under pressure, I gotta say.

Anyway, thanks to some quick thinking and awesome fighting, we got the real Wheeljack back. He actually busted out of the Nemesis himself! Way cool. So then we had another party. For reals. We all kinda thought Wheeljack would stay, and we'd have another Bot here on Earth ... but he took off soon as Ratchet fixed up his ship. Everyone was bummed that he left.

Bots aren't always what they seem. Maybe that's true about people too. That's why I like computers! Cuz you can always just reprogram. Simple. Elegant. No surprises.

ENTRY #5

One Laptop, Over Easy

Whole new thing this week. The Bots had to fight humans AND Cons!

Agent Fowler was taking this radioactive device called a Dingus across the country when Cons attacked him. That's what he thought, anyway. So he asked the Autobots to GroundBridge it out of danger, but it's too risky to transport radioactive devices that way. So Optimus and the other Autobots had to roll out and form a convoy to take it over land.

I stayed at the Base with Ratchet and watched everything on the grid via Comm-Link. The attackers were in fast attack cars and totally harassing the V-mode Bots. That's when we found out they weren't Cons at all -- they were humans working for a crew called MECH. Then, as if being chased by a bunch of heavily armed flesh and blood criminals wasn't enough, six Cons showed up out of the blue.

We had to protect the Dingus, so I got to hack into the rail system and divert a train. Highlight of my week -- GroundBridging Jack and Miko onto a moving train! Ratchet didn't think it was possible, but I got the train's coordinates online and zzzoom -- off they went! But then MECH hacked into the same system -- and they fried my laptop! Not sure how, but major bummer. Good thing my files were backed up.

I guess Miko and Jack were pretty freaked by how serious it got on that train. It almost derailed, and Optimus had to stop it with his bare hands. Kinda wish I'd been there. But mostly? Glad I wasn't. Not that I'd say that out loud.

Optimus was bummed, cuz the Bots blew their cover in front of MECH when they transformed to fight the Decepticons. And we're all pretty sure MECH will be back. But at least the Dingus didn't blow up or get stolen.

After all that, Ratchet sort of helped me fix my laptop ... even though he kept saying how lame it was. Well, now I've gotta figure out a better firewall. Still can't believe I got counter-hacked! Very embarrassing, actually. Hoping everyone forgets really soon.

:)

ENTRY #6

Breaking and Energon

This week, we got to break into a museum! But it was for a good reason.

It all started when the Autobots saw an Energon blip on the grid over in Greece. Bulkhead was trying to help Miko see how homework can be cool, so he took her with him to Greece. So there they were at these excavations, when they found a mosaic showing an ancient Cybertronian Energon Harvester. Pretty unexpected!

Miko took a snap and showed it to Optimus, who said the mosaic was a signpost for the real thing. So I did a quick image search online and found this ancient Greek statue on display in a regular museum. We knew the Decepticons were after it, so we had to snag it first ... which meant breaking into the museum. Like Optimus said: We were only breaking a law to save lives.

Here's why lives were at stake: Not only can a Harvester suck Energon out of the ground -- it can pull it right out of a living Autobot! That'd be like a vampire sucking all the blood out of you just by pointing at you. No way did Optimus want the Cons getting that thing.

So we planned this total heist, like in the movies -- only with a forklift and us kids. It would've worked, too, but then these Cons Breakdown and Knock Out showed up, and there was a massive Bot brawl in the parking lot.

During the fight, Jack and I came face-to-face with Soundwave in the museum! That is one scary guy. But he was so focused on the Harvester, he left us alone. Lucky!

The Autobots were bummed he'd snagged it, but they eventually got it back over in Greece. Took more fighting, and Bulkhead lost some Energon, but it worked out.

Oh, and Miko got caught by a museum guard, but for once Agent Fowler was pretty cool. He came in, flashed his badge, and then just sent her on her way. Like, Yo, there's Bulkhead. Go.

I guess we have friends in high places now.

ENTRY #7

Playing the Race Car

Wild week. Jack pretty much got everyone in trouble, but gotta say ... we were all kinda responsible. Mostly cuz we didn't really step up and help him resist temptation. Optimus wasn't happy with any of us.

According to Jack, it all started when this girl at school asked if she could have a ride on Arcee. Of course, Arcee was like no way, that's against the rules, and it's not happening. But then this dumb bully from school who drives a street racer talked some smack about Arcee -- I think he called her a moped?! -- and she was like, OK, that's it. (She takes that kind of thing personally.) So she and Jack smoked him right there. The bully guy wanted a rematch, but Arcee said nope -- we're not breaking the rules again.

So here's where I came in. Jack didn't want to look like a chicken in front of that girl (he likes her!), so he asked if Bee would help him win the race. That didn't seem like a good idea to me, but I'm all for taking down a bully. And besides, Bee was really into the racing part. So he and Jack showed up at the race. But then ... so did a Decepticon! It was one of the car Cons we saw at the museum ... Knock Out? Anyway, as soon as he saw Bee, the Con got violent. Bee said it was scary. And Jack couldn't understand what Bee was saying, so it was like total chaos.

It's weird: We all basically broke the rules and then, boom -- the worst-case scenario happened. What were we thinking? Optimus totally went out and tracked everyone down and saved the day ... but he wasn't happy about it. Then he gave us all a serious talking to. Sounds corny, but I think we all learned our lessons.

In the end, Arcee did let Jack give that cute girl a ride ... and now he won?t stop talking about the girl. Or about Arcee.

ENTRY #8

Bugging Out

Jack and Arcee had a wicked time out in the forest this week. They were looking for an Energon signature, but turns out the blip was this super-creepy Decepticon called Airachnid. (Like "arachnid," which means spider.) She has eight limbs, spits webbing, and likes to hunt. Creepy! I wasn't there, so all I have to go on is what Jack said, but sounds like it got super hairy out there.

He says he's never seen Arcee that afraid before, and it's cuz she has history with Airachnid from back on Cybertron. She wouldn't give him deets, but it must've been bad for a Bot that fierce to get that scared. And her Comm-Link wouldn't work, so she couldn't call the Base for backup.

Jack ended up running, since Airachnid was actually hunting him! She travels the universe looking for different species to add to her "collection." Kinda like a big game hunter. I think hunting's gross enough already, without humans being the prey. Too bad she didn't land her ship in the middle of one of those controlled hunts, where people "hunt" captive lions and tigers. Yeah, that's a fair fight.

Anyway, Jack was pretty swift. He tried setting traps, which didn't work, but then he actually went into her spaceship and started a fire in her ship?s leaking engine thrusters. That messed her up just enough to let Arcee get up on her. Then Airachnid just fled. Took off. Adios.

Arcee's been quiet since they got back. Big and tough as they are, I forget how vulnerable Autobots can be. Bumblebee says she's not talking to him either. Not sure what she's going through -- and I'm not asking -- but she and Optimus took a couple long drives this week.

OTOH, Jack's all puffed up now, cuz Arcee finally started calling him her "partner." Miko keeps reminding him he's just a kid, but seeing what he just went through, I'm OK with letting him feel whatever he wants. Not that he wants to know what I think.

Anyway, I feel like we're all partners here.

ENTRY #9

Inside Megatron's Mind

I don't know what was a bigger deal this week -- Optimus Prime nearly losing his spark, which was huge, or Bumblebee going INSIDE Megatron's mind. Yes, INSIDE it! And we thought that guy's spark WAS out.

Here's how it started... Out on a recon mission with Ratchet, Optimus Prime caught Cybonic Plague, a deadly virus Megatron invented on Cybertron. It looked like he was a goner. But Jack figured that if Megatron invented it, he must have invented an antidote too. Luckily, the Nemesis's cloaking tech was down, so Ratchet was able to bridge Arcee and Bumblebee up to the enemy ship to search out the cure.

But they couldn't find it, so Ratchet said they'd have to enter Megatron's mind through a Cortical-Psychic patch -- using Decepticon medical tech. Arcee was like "Are you out of your fragging mind?!" but then 'Bee volunteered to enter Megatron's mind. I was proud... and terrified.

Us kids stayed at the Base, of course, but we got to see literally inside Megatron's twisted mind through a comm-link. That guy is wacked out. I translated for Jack and Miko while Bumbleee scouted -- and then Bee met Megatron in the guy's own unconscious -- and totally stood up to him -- IN HIS OWN BRAIN! He even outsmarted him by saying that if the plague virus destroyed Optimus, Megatron would never get to do it himself. Which Megatron -- whose fantasies are all about obliterating Optimus -- totally bought.

So Ratchet grabbed the antidote formula via comm-link, and our Autobot pals bridged back. Optimus is fine now, but Bee is acting a little strange. Spending time inside such a sick mind must leave some weird aftereffects. Hope he feels better soon!

ENTRY #10

Out of My Comfort Zone

Up on the Nemesis, Megatron snuck into Bee's brain using the same Cortical-Psychic patch that Bee used to get into his. Then he hijacked Bumblebee. What a nightmare. To think we actually had Megatron inside the Base! Good thing he was more into getting revenge against Starscream than infiltrating our systems and defenses. He did nearly nail Bulkhead with a metal basketball, but that didn’t seem so weird at the time somehow.

But I should have known what was up when Bee forgot to pick me up for school.

Funny. The base's defenses are all physical, and Megatron exploited the groundbridge using kind of a mindbridge. Well, never judge a 'Bot by its cover.

The scariest part of all was watching Bumblebee's mind struggling to control his own body. I knew he wouldn’t let Megatron hurt me. At least, that's what I hoped. So in a way, by forcing Bumblebee to stay focused on me, I was our best defense against Megatron. And it worked.

Wow. I stood up to Megatron. I’d do anything to save Bumblebee ... and that's pretty much what I did. Went waaaay out of my comfort zone to help my buddy. But hey. We're family. We were tight before, but we're even tighter now.

ENTRY #11

Zoned Out

This week, Miko got us kids into big trouble. As in, Terrorcon-sized.

It all started when the Autobots rolled out, and Miko made a break for the Groundbridge! Me and Jack tried to stop her, but we got pulled in too.

The Bots thought they'd found Megatron trying to raise more dead Decepticons (Miko calls 'em "zombie Cons"). But it was actually Starscream. He fired a missile and almost hit us. Yikes! Then Optimus shot off Starscream's arm.

Something went wonky when the Autobots 'bridged us back. We stayed put, but they couldn't see us. It's like we were ghosts. Creepy. Ratchet said we'd gotten sent to the wrong place, but I realized we really went into a different dimension. A shadow zone. Never figured I could think quicker than an Autobot. I was pretty proud of myself! And pretty terrified.

Worst part? Miko got her zombie Con: This massive Terrorcon called Skyquake was with us in the Shadowzone. Wow, I can run a LOT when I have to!

Starscream's arm was in the Shadowzone too. I figured out how to launch its missile. (More pride. More terror.) We actually knocked off Skyquake's arm ... but the ARM CHASED US TOO! It was like, game over. Thankfully, the Autobots 'bridged us out.

Miko actually told Optimus it was her fault! Jack was like, can you repeat that about a million times? But I was remembering how we three had to work together to escape. What if she HAD gone in by herself?

Scary thought. Weird to say I'm glad I was there, but ... I guess sometimes being in the worst place is the best place you can be.

ENTRY #12

Nervous Breakdown

You'd never expect Bulkhead to say no to a rescue mission. But this week, he told Optimus he wasn't gonna do it, no way no how. Not even for the "greater good."

I get it. The Autobots were rolling out to save a Decepticon. How weird is that? And the Con in question was Breakdown -- Bulkhead's archenemy.

I wasn't there, but I got the deets from Bumblebee and Miko. Bulkhead and Breakdown were having a smackdown, and Bulk got pretty messed up. (Note to self: Never ask Miko if Bulkhead was LOSING, 'specially when I'm in arm-punching range. Ouch.) Then those spooky techie guys from MECH showed up and captured Breakdown. Optimus knew it could be bad for humankind if MECH learned the secrets of Cybertronian biology.

Amazingly, Optimus was OK with Bulkhead flat-out refusing the mission. But not Miko! She acted super-angry about it, but I knew she must've really been massively disappointed. Either way, she talked him into going. How? She said, "No rescue, no REMATCH!" Yeah, they totally speak the same language.

I almost wish I'd seen Bulkhead and Breakdown team up. Except, 'Bee said Starscream and his troopers showed up, so I'm glad I didn't. Starscream creeps me out.

Anyway, pretty soon Bulkhead and Breakdown were back to fighting. But Optimus was proud that Bulkhead rescued his rival. Strange but true: Sometimes you can be totally selfish and still end up serving the "greater good."

Pretty sure Miko was just glad Bulkhead got his rematch -- and won it!

ENTRY #13

Mom Meets MECH

OMG HUGE NEWS! This week, Jack's mom found out about the Autobots! She even came to HQ with him and Arcee.

Me and Miko couldn't even believe it when we saw them riding into base. But by then Jack's mom had been through so much, meeting Autobots was practically no big deal.

I mean, no big deal compared to being KIDNAPPED by MECH and webbed-up high on a ledge by Airachnid, who I guess was working with those techie soldier guys. Silas, MECH's leader, didn't even care about hurting Jack or his mom. He just wanted to get ahold of Arcee. The Autobots would never harm anyone for their own gain. Does that make them more "human" than Silas?

Anyway, Jack's voice got kinda shaky when he told us how Airachnid and Silas made him race against time to save his mom -- alone, while MECH was trying to take Arcee apart. Scariest! Can't even think about it.

Good thing Jack's smart (don't tell him I said that) -- and tricky. He tipped off Agent Fowler, but Airachnid and MECH got away. I can only imagine how upset Arcee must be ... no way am I actually gonna ASK her.

Jack said Airachnid scanned Agent Fowler's helicopter and used it for her new vehicle mode. Now she can travel under the ground OR in the sky. Great. Just what we needed.

It's been tough to keep the Autobots a secret. But Jack really didn't have a choice. Family's more important than secrets, and his mom is all the family he's got. Well, except for me, Miko, and the Autobots.

ENTRY #14

Stuck With It

Sticky situations this week! The Autobots had a close encounter with a weird magnetic weapon -- and we all got stuck with Jack's mom.

Remember last week, when she found out about the Autobots? I kinda thought she'd just tour the base and leave. But she started hanging around, like, every day. Jack's pretty used to his mom worrying about him, but Miko's totally bugged about how things have changed.

It IS weird. Ms. Darby makes us feel kind of embarrassed or something, like we have to explain what we're up to. Everything's awkward, instead of fun. But I still felt bad when Miko said that Arcee's as bad as Jack's mom -- just cuz Arcee sent Miko back to base to keep her safe.

I mean, it WAS dangerous when Arcee and Bulkhead took on Airachnid and Breakdown over this "Polarity Gauntlet" thing. It makes metal stuff stick together -- metal stuff like, well, Arcee and Bulkhead. They got unstuck, but Airachnid and Breakdown got away with the gauntlet. Ratchet seems to think it could be a game-changer -- and not for our side. That makes me pretty nervous.

But what's that thing people say? Change is constant, right? I guess it doesn't have to be bad. But this thing with Jack's mom is still gonna take some getting used to.

ENTRY #15

A Hard Place

Seems like Jack and Miko always get to be in the middle of the action! But this week, I really didn't mind. I mean, would YOU want to be stuck in a massive cave-in with Starscream AND Megatron? Yeah, no way.

Jack actually came face-to-face with Megatron! Even trapped under tons of rocks, that guy is ultra-terrifying. Can't believe Megatron dared Jack to finish him off. Jack said he was really tempted to take a shot, but he knew Optimus wouldn't want him to destroy a helpless opponent. Not even the baddest Decepticon ever. Optimus was proud of Jack for that. Me too.

But wow, poor Miko. She and Bulkhead were in a bad sitch when Jack found them -- with Starscream. Miko was totally dealing, as usual ... until Bulk made Jack get her out of there. Jack said she got so worried about Bulkhead, she was CRYING. Still trying to picture that. Kind of sweet that she cares about the big guy so much. Not that I'd actually TELL her that. Hmm, hope she never sees this!

Anyway, at least they all got out OK -- except Starscream and Megatron. Even Optimus drew the line at actually digging them out. Maybe they'll stay buried ... at least for a while.

ENTRY #16

Split Decision

A Decepticon, changing sides? No way, right? Especially not Starscream. That doesn't even make sense, but this week it almost happened. Sort of.

Us kids stayed behind when the Autobots rolled out to track a Decepticon signal. Good thing too, since Airachnid totally ambushed them with this weapon that freezes Bots in their tracks. Cool part was, Bumblebee got to be the hero. Airachnid stopped Optimus AND Bulkhead, but my buddy faked her out and saved the day. Sweet!

Anyway, about Starscream. The Autobots found him in one of Airachnid's webs, and he completely shocked them by asking to JOIN them! Sounds like a trick, right? And I guess it was. But you know Optimus. He wants to believe that anyone can change, even Starscream.

Pretty sure Arcee didn't give a scrap about redemption when she figured out Starscream's the one who snuffed Cliffjumper, her old partner. She nearly extinguished his spark! But Bumblebee stopped her. I couldn't see why getting rid of Starscream would be so bad, till 'Bee explained that acting out of revenge only makes us weaker. Cuz it's not right.

But I get why Arcee lost it. If anything ever happened to Bumblebee, I'd feel just as awful ... and just as mad. It reminds me again that Autobots are more like us than we think. Even they have to learn stuff the hard way sometimes.

@mk-wizard @escapistsatellite @vitamaeternum @mimitus @kitgirl91 @mokabeanzz @iggyfing @its-elioo Tada! Straight up from TF Wiki! @inexorableone @batstickblog @jazzimena @betaplatina-135

[panda-writes-kpop]

Ah, I see you stan Wonyoung. I’m writing something for her I wanna publish. Would you write something for Wonyoung in the future? 👁️👁️ I’m not making a request because I’m too shy and you’re probably very busy.

honey, you're familiar ~ jng. wnyg.

a/n: I was going to post this earlier, but I decided to try making a banner for a while and uh... it didn't work out too well 😭 all is well, I'll continue to hone my skills and try again later. Also, the semester is finally over!!! and we cheered!!! and I know the anon didn’t specifically ask for a fic but I had a idea come to mind and it was just PERFECT for her. ❤️ so yes, I will write for wonyoung! And you should feel free to request from me - I'm very open to taking requests from anyone who asks!

tw: creepy/horror vibes.

♡ Masterlist ♡

summary/word count: Everything's more romantic in the movies than in real life, and you're prone to agree after a certain character from your short story comes to life; 3.1k words.

“Can you tell me another story?”

“Another one? It’s already past your bedtime, and I don’t need to get in any more trouble with your parents-” You try to get up from the child-sized bed, but they tug you back down before you can get too far.

What are you, a miniature Hulk?

“Please?” The kid you’re babysitting gives you the most cliché pup dog eyes and the fakest frown you’ve ever seen.

You should be a responsible adult and deny their request, wish them goodnight, and close the door before returning to the movie that’s awaiting you in the living room. 

Lucky for the kid, you’re only responsible before 9:00 p.m., and the clock behind you reads 9:01.

“One more story, okay?” You sigh while racking your brain for stories that would interest a six-year-old. “Alright, I’ve got one.”

They lean closer in excitement as you begin to tell your story.

“Once upon a time, there was a young child who needed to go to bed and a babysitter who wanted them to go to sleep before the kid’s parents got home.” You smile as they whine in refusal of your story. “What, you didn’t like that one?”

“That’s not fair!” They stick their lip out before lightly tugging on your sleeve. “Just one more, then I’ll go to bed. I promise!”

“Okay, okay!” You shake them off of you before looking up to the ceiling. “I’m going to tell you a real story this time.”

“You promise?” They stick out their pinky, and you reluctantly give them your pinky.

They pull away and tuck themselves back into bed as you try to think of a story that would fully entertain the child in your head.

Unfortunately for you, there’s nothing in your mind besides the creative writing assignment that you’re delaying for one of your university classes.

Maybe you can kill two birds with one stone?

~

You don’t remember when the person in the mirror stopped looking like you. Maybe it was years past, when you were a child, where you disappeared from the reflection in front of you. 

Somewhere, deep in your mind, there’s a memory of you as a child asking your parents about it, and they dismissed your concerns as a “childish memory”. 

Nowadays, as a full grown adult, it’s embarrassing to admit why you don’t look in the mirror. Most say it’s self-esteem issues, but you know that it’s more than that.

Especially when the woman who stares back at you is enchantingly beautiful. 

You’ve always been so star-struck by her beauty, so it’s never occurred to you to actually talk to her. To ask her why she’s there, why she’s only looked at you for so long? Why did she choose you as the one she stares back at?

It takes a lot of courage to pull the blanket off of the mirror - what if today is the day that your reflection returns back to you? - but you did it anyway.

An odd feeling of relief pools inside of you when you stare back at the kind face that admires you. Every question bounces inside of your head, and you struggle to form a coherent sentence at the sight of her.

For the first time, her movements don’t copy yours. She raises her hand against the mirror, and tilts her head towards you.

“You don’t have to say anything, dearest. I already know everything inside of your mind.”

Your jaw nearly drops to the floor at her confession, and she softly laughs.

“It’s unfair that I know everything about you, and you know nothing about me. Wouldn’t you like to change that?” Her other hand rests on the other side of the mirror as you let go of the blanket that you’ve been holding.

“Yeah…” 

As if in a trance, you approach the mirror until you’re mere inches from her face.

If she was a real person, you think, she’d be able to reach out and grab me!

Your hand reaches out to mirror hers, but you pause for a moment.

“Why me?” You whisper, unable to look away from her.

“Why not you?” 

You can’t stop your hand from pressing against the glass mirror, reflecting hers, just as she has done for you. 

“You won’t believe what I can show you…” She trails off before offering you a sincere smile. “I’m Wonyoung, by the way.”

Before you can respond with your own name, her hand reaches out of the mirror’s reflection and grabs yours.

~

“They were frightened, far beyond their wildest imagination, but then-” You pause to look down at the sleeping child next to you. “How long have you been out?”

You give them a gentle poke, to make sure that they’re not faking, before turning off the lamp next to you and closing the door.

I should probably write down my story before I forget it.

As quickly and quietly as you can, you maneuver your way back into the living room where your neglected laptop sits, along with a random movie that happened to be in the DVD player when you pressed play.

You don’t realize how creepy the story is until the beginning stares back at you - are you liable for childhood trauma if you accidentally give that kid nightmares?

Eh, it wasn’t that bad when I said it. This version is more fitting for an adult audience.

Your stomach grumbles as you look at the time on your phone.

When did it get so close to midnight?

The nice thing about house sitting and babysitting for a family friend is that you were more than welcome to take what you wanted from the pantry, along with your hourly pay. 

As you make your way to the kitchen, you realize that you forgot to turn on the hallway light. You opt to use your cellphone as you approach the kitchen. On your right, just before you reach the kitchen, is a mirror that is strikingly similar to the one you wrote about.

Spooky.

You pay it no mind as you pass into the kitchen, but the reflection in the mirror watches you with intrigue as you decide what you want to snack on.

~

You should panic, like any normal person would do, but a scream won’t escape your throat.

Won’t, or do you refuse to scream because some dark, twisted part of you wants to know what would happen next?

It’s too late to dwell on the past when her other hand reaches through the mirror and grabs your free hand.

“Are you ready?”

“...Sure?” Your answer lacks any sort of confidence and conviction, but it doesn’t look like Wonyoung was looking for approval as she pulls you into the mirror.

You close your eyes, while you await the pain of a mirror meeting your face, but, to your surprise…

Nothing happens?

You dare to open your eyes, and a gasp of surprise leaves your throat.

“Where am I?” You look around frantically at the unfamiliar scenery.

You’re no longer in your home, but rather, a small dorm room that’s decorated in every shade of pink that you could dream of. There’s a small window that reveals the outside world, but you’re far too focused on the woman in front of you to notice anything outside.

“Home.” Wonyoung says with a hint of relief in her voice. “You’re finally home.”

“Home? My home was just back…” You turn around to face the mirror, but only your reflection stares back at you. “What is this?”

“You don’t remember, do you? That awful spell from that terrible woman… it took your memories away from you as well?” Tears threaten to fall from her eyes as she backs away from you. “I’m sorry, maybe it was a mistake to bring you back so soon.”

She tries to pull away from you, but you grab her hands and pull her towards you again.

“Please explain it all to me. If there’s something I’m forgetting, then I want to remember it all.”

“You do?”

“I do.”

~

“Morning, kiddo,” You hum just as the waffles pop out of the toaster, “you’re just in time.” 

“Mom’s not back?” They rub the sleep out of their eyes as you attempt to plate the waffles without burning your hand.

Your attempt is unsuccessful - apparently a household toaster can harness the power of the fucking Sun - so you do your best not to curse out the toaster before carefully tossing the waffles onto a small plate.

“Yeah, your mom and dad won’t be back until Sunday.” You nurse your injuries by running cold tap water on your fingers. “By the way, did you get into the fridge last night?”

“No,” They shake their head. “I was in my room all night. Are you sure you didn’t get into the fridge?”

“Of course not! I was sleeping!” You scoff as they raise an eyebrow at you. “Okay, I was busy writing for a few hours and I did raid the pantries, but I didn’t touch the fridge!”

“Uh-huh…” Unconvinced, the kid begins to eat the waffles you serve them as you look in the fridge and sigh.

“I was going to give you some strawberries, but someone came through and ate what was left in the package.” You shrug your shoulders and toss the container into the garbage bin. “Maybe it was a ghost…”

You have to bite down on your lip, hard, in order to not laugh at the kid’s spooked expression.

“Scary ghosts?”

“No, not scary ghosts. More like the lady in the story I told you last night. A mischievous ghost, sure, but one that wants to help rather than harm.” You serve the kid some orange juice before grabbing water for yourself.

“Oh, I like her! She came to visit me last night.” They casually say as you turn around to face them.

“I’m sorry, did you just say what I think you just said?”

~

“Witches? You can’t be serious, right? I mean, I just live in a world where I go to work, pay bills, and live a normal, human life.”

“I’m afraid this is all true. You were a witch, just like me, until someone cursed you and pulled you away from this world - away from me.” Wonyoung moves closer to you as you sit on her dorm bed.

Her hand brushes over yours, as if she’s afraid to touch you. If this is hard on you, then she must be crushing under the pressure. Wanting to see you, be with you, for years on end but not being sure if she should reach out to you just yet.

“I’m sorry that I don’t remember more.” Your hand dares to grab hers in an attempt to comfort her instead of the other way around. “It’s just hard to believe. I’ve been a human for so long that this magic seems so…”

“Surreal?” Her fingers interlock with yours as she smiles at you. “Look down.”

You look at your hand, firmly in hers, and gasp at the trail of blue light that falls down your hand.

Wonyoung’s arm radiates red light, and where your hands meet, a beautiful shade of purple lights up the space between you two.

~

Usually, it wasn’t a struggle to stay awake during your Monday afternoon class, but two long nights with a small child drained most of the energy out of you. Without any caffeine, your eyelids were fighting your will to pay attention, and the latter was in a losing battle. 

“Alright, I’ll be ending class early so you can enjoy the beautiful weather!” The professor announces, and not a moment later, your classmates pack up and head out of the room.

You’re a bit delayed to follow, but you manage to not be the last in line to leave the class as you try to exit the class.

Your professor, however, has other plans as they call out your name.

“Do you mind staying after class?”

Absolutely not because that’s terrifying, your thoughts say.

“Sure.” Is all that comes out of your mouth as you’re terrified to say anything more.

The rest of your classmates leave as you hang back with the professor.

“I have to say, I’m very impressed with your paper. I don’t easily give out one-hundreds, you know,” Your professor gives you an earnest smile that you match with an uneasy one of your own. “But I have to ask: what inspired the story?”

“You’re not going to believe this,” or like it, you think as this professor has lectured your class on not submitting things right before they are due, “but I was inspired to write the story after I told a similar story to a kid I was babysitting.”

They raise their eyebrow.

“You didn’t give them nightmares, right?”

“The story I told was more age-appropriate.” You feel yourself begin to relax as the praise truly sinks in. “Thank you for the compliments on my story.”

“If you’re interested in continuing it, I’d love to help.” 

“I, uh…” You pause before tilting your head and staring out the window that faces the courtyard.

You see your reflection, just as it should be, but something beyond the window catches your eye.

It isn’t something - it’s a girl.

A black-haired girl who was enchantingly beautiful. A face you couldn’t forget because you had written about it for hours on end.

And she waves at you.

“Are you alright?” The professor catches your attention as your eyes focus back on them.

“Yeah, I’ll… think about it. Thanks for the offer, though.” You quickly exit the room, not before giving a quick look back at the window. 

Wonyoung isn't there anymore, but was she even there in the first place?

~

“This place… it’s beautiful. I can’t believe that I would forget a place like this.” Wonyoung’s arm latches onto yours as you stare in awe at the tree in front of you. It’s covered in purple leaves that match every other tree that you can see. “My campus never looks like this.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Warmth spreads across her face as she admires you for a moment. “Nothing is coming to you?”

“Not at the moment, no.”

“Then can you allow me to show you something else?” 

Curiously, you try to peer over her shoulder as she pulls up something on her phone. As politely as she can, she pushes you away before you return your gaze to the sky.

“Hiding something, are we?” You try to tease her, but it’s a half-hearted attempt.

She’s sweet beyond your wildest dreams, and selfless on top of everything - trying to bring you back after you had been gone for months, if not years.

“From you? Never.” Wonyoung hands you her phone, and as you scroll through the pictures, she looks at you with anticipation.

It’s just a normal gallery of photos that a 20-year-old would have on her phone, and it’s nothing out of the ordinary until you stumble on a picture of the two of you.

Then it all comes racing back. 

Nights spent curled up together, studying for finals. Small outings with large groups of friends. Practicing spells from sunset to sunrise.

“You remember, right? We were friends.” A small tear falls down her cheek when you softly nod.

But you remember more than that.

Hands being held underneath the library desk. Knowing looks shared in lecture halls. Stolen moments away from the friend group. Slumber party make-outs under the disguise of drunken inhibition. A final kiss, one of good luck, before you were to part forever.

Just friends? Is that what you were to each other?

“Friends?” Your voice falters for a moment as you weigh the two options in your mind. “I thought we were lovers.”

~

You don’t know what compels you to write another ending to the story you wrote. Maybe it’s the weird vision you had this afternoon, or the rising feeling of dread that’s pooling in you.

What if my professor thinks I’m weird and judges me differently? Now I’ll never be able to have a one-on-one conversation with them without thinking about THAT incident.

That girl in the window, it couldn’t have been Wonyoung. Some poor kid was probably looking into a classroom during their tour of campus, and you probably scared them off. And then there was the incident last weekend with the kid you babysat seeing her - you thoroughly examined their room, only to find no sign of their nighttime visitor. 

Also, Wonyoung is just a character you made up in your head. A make-believe story for a small child and your professor.

Why, then, did it feel so real?

For some reason, you haven’t looked in the mirror in your apartment. You’re terrified of what you’ll find, to say the least. What if she is staring back at you? What if she isn’t? What then?

This seemed much more romantic in the story you wrote. You were downright terrified at the possibility of a girl existing in your reflection, in a parallel world, who was so desperately in love with you that she would dedicate a good portion of her free time to free you.

Okay, so maybe your professor did have a point about you traumatizing that poor kid…

One part of you tells you to stop freaking out, and to walk over there and face whatever is staring you down on the other side. The other, more rational, part of you is telling you to run for the hills and never look back until you pass out or forget that any of this has happened.

Like any horror movie character that was doomed for death, the irrational, curious part of your brain wins out as you gently set your computer aside.

Nothing will get you. You’re safe inside of your apartment.

You repeat this mantra as you dread every step between you and the bathroom mirror. Your footsteps feel heavy, and your heartbeat pounds at a steady rhythm as you slowly approach the bathroom.

You flip the light on, and as you look into the mirror, a breath of relief escapes you.

Thankfully, it’s just me.

All of it was just inside of your head, luckily.

Then a hand appears on your shoulder, and you scream as loud as you can.

The figure behind you doesn’t move nor flinch. They simply tilt their head in anticipation as they wait for you to turn around and look them in the eyes.

But you don’t have to.

Not when you know exactly who’s there.

Still, you play her little game and do your best to not freak out as you come eye-to-eye with the girl in your story: Jang Wonyoung.

The smile she gives you doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I missed you, darling.”

[rpstartersinc]

* 𝐇𝐁𝐎'𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝟐.

feel free to change pronouns / wording! spoilers ahead!

— " we didn't save anyone, did we? " — " none of this is fucking fair. " — " when we kill him, we kill him slowly. " — " first of all, 'okay' means stop. " — " sorry, i was in the moment. " — " i know i'm a hard-ass, and maybe overprotective. " — " i can't hold myself responsible for another person's emotional state. " — " are you in fucking therapy? " — " don't tell anyone i'm in therapy. " — " it ain't the scope, it's the shooter. " — " you wandered off on your own. we have rules for reasons. " — " i woke up this morning feeling sad. " — " you're lying to me, and it's exhausting. " — " you can't heal something unless you're brave enough to say it out loud. " — " i can help you. say it out loud, no matter what is, no matter how bad, i promise i will help. " — " jokes aside, can you take things a little more seriously? " — " tell you what, you can go with me. " — " how many infected does it take to bring down a bear? " — " maybe there's a regular person who's trapped and needs help. " — " did you get bit? do i have to shoot you in the face? " — " i hate these things. " — " i have a very serious question for you. how bad do i smell? " — " every guy in this room is staring at you right now. " — " i'm not a threat. " — " i don't need your fucking help. " — " we said that we weren't gonna hurt anyone else. " — " wow, you look like shit. " — " it didn't mean anything. " — " prepare for the worst, hope for the best. " — " ten seconds in, i already can't feel my ass. " — " what are you gonna do? couldn't be saved. " — " where the fuck did they even come from? " — " if i don't make it, i don't make it. " — " i'm gonna take a look. " — " do we look like raiders to you? " — " you're tough, i guess you probably have to be, killing all those people. " — " we don't kill people that can't defend themselves. " — " there are just some things everyone agrees are just fucking wrong. " — " you don't get to rush this. " — " please, get up. " — " i'm gonna kill you. " — " are you in pain? " — " your final moment with someone doesn't define your whole time with them. " — " you cost us time. you let them get away. " — " why wouldn't we wanna take our vengeance? " — " forgive and be forgiven. " — " i normally don't think before i talk, which has gotten me in trouble before, a lot. " — " i don't think that we're strangers to each other. " — " i want to know that i can count on you. " — " i swear, if someone hurts any of you, or the people you love, you can count on me. " — " you're not here 'cause you're worried about me. " — " some people just can't be saved. " — " i shoot a guy, and you feel sorry for me? " — " holy shit that came on fast, how the fuck did you know that was gonna happen? " — " it doesn't mean anything, if that's what you're asking. " — " it wasn't easy to look at either. " — " it's quiet. " — " too quiet. " — " i was trying to sound like a badass. " — " you wanna die? fine. " — " welcome to the fight. " — " now, make your choice. " — " alright, hit it. people to kill. " — " i've never seen a tank this close. " — " these guys were just assholes killed by other assholes. " — " shout if something tries to kill you. " — " is this place gonna fall down on us? " — " please don't make this any harder than it has to be. " — " i would die for you. " — " is this where you were bitten before? " — " it's a little thing, but when you start to hide little things they become big things. " — " i knew how you felt about me. " — " i was hiding it really well. " — " not everyone's as brave as you. " — " you don't have to go. " — " your soldiers are loyal to you. " — " i thought maybe he had been bit. " — " these motherfuckers talk on the radio like they know no one is listening. " — " they're overconfident, it gives us an edge. " — " what we're doing is reckless. " — " are you sure this way is safe? " — " you don't trust me? " — " let's just talk like everything's fine because if i get too anxious i'm gonna barf again. " — " we shouldn't be here. " — " i shouldn't have dragged you here. "

— " if i die it's on me, it won't be your fault. " — " don't get angry. you're a little crazy, and that's exciting. it's one of the reasons i love you. " — " you love me? " — " do i look like i wanna fucking talk to you right now? " — " you came alone? " — " i'm sorry you saw it happen. " — " no one should ever have to see something like that. " — " sometimes, at night, i still hear his screams. " — " the little bitch got what he deserved. " — " there was blood everywhere. " — " when it's your turn, i hope you do a little better than me. " — " you're not gonna guess. " — " how do you even know where we are? " — " you should enjoy being a kid for now. " — " oh because childhood has been such a joy for me so far. " — " you're gonna need something called patience. " — " i'm on a motherfucking dinosaur! " — " so, all the teenage shit all at once, huh? " — " you may not like the rules, but this is my house. " — " i had trouble sleeping. " — " i'm not your fucking kid, i'm your partner. " — " we stick together. " — " i need you to not turn around. " — " if you love someone, you can always see their face. " — " i had no choice. " — " i love you, in a way you can't understand. " — " i don't think i can forgive you for this. " — " you can't let me die. " — " let me see. " — " you shouldn't be on your feet yet. " — " i am not dying out here. " — " everything you do, you do for you. " — " you think you're good and i'm bad? " — " i really hope you make it. " — " i'm the one who kept you alive. " — " they made their choices. " — " thank you for coming back. " — " if i were out there somewhere, lost and in trouble, you would set the world on fire to save me. " — " i didn't mean to hurt them. " — " i let you live, and you wasted it. "

[gffa]

*slams The Glass Abyss down on the table* OKAY, I HAVE FINISHED IT AND I HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY.

In a lot of ways, this was a complicated read for me and I think the best way to describe my feelings on the author's take on Mace is that we diverge at the fork in the road that is, "Who is Mace Windu without his internal balance/his connection to the Force?" but that, as we walk along separate paths, I can still see the author clearly from where his path takes him and where my path takes mine. Like walking on separate sides of the street, still in view, just not perfectly aligned.

Further, I think my biggest criticism of the book is one I have to give a caveat of my caveat to, where I very much felt the absence of the Force in this book and as a presence in Mace's life. That, as he's being unbalanced and has trouble reaching the Force, it's not a bigger deal. That there's very little sense of spirituality connected to Mace's connection with the Force.

But the caveat about this is--that's kind of necessary for the story that the author is telling, because I think this is a book about Mace walking alongside the road of another life that he could have had, that he finds a connection with the people and romance (which I think is furthered by how thin the romance felt because it was serving a point about Mace's life more than it was a fully-fledged romance, in my opinion) and family--and that that life is valuable, that that life has love and warmth and connection and righteousness.

And that Mace Windu still chooses the Jedi.

That he would not be anywhere near as complete a person as he is without the path of the Jedi.

I think ultimately the point of the book is to give Mace that other path so that he can realize, yes, he did choose the Jedi, yes, the Jedi were loving and fair with him, yes, the Jedi are his family, yes, being a Jedi is what fulfills him even when there are other options. That those other paths are valid and yet the Jedi is the path for him.

There are things I would quibble with in the writing (primarily that I think there has been more joy in Mace's life than the author writes), but beyond that I think this book is incredibly thoughtful towards what I really needed it to be--that, while it may not mean the same thing in a galaxy far, far away, we're still reading it from our society and Mace Windu is a Black man and that comes with a lot of underlying context, especially when it comes to his anger.

This book felt to me like it was always aware of that, that the author (probably as a Black man himself) didn't shy away from that there was a riot of feelings in this character, that he felt protective anger and was a lethal warrior, while also being stern of face much of the time, things which are often demonized in this character, but here it was always in service of how that gave Mace depth and made him both a worthy central character and a good man. Mace cared deeply and part of that care was his anger that he turned towards Vaapad (which has been recanonized now!) in a way I ultimately found very fitting on a grand scale.

I was nervous going into this book, because Mace is a character that I'm so invested in and feel protective towards because of the shit that gets flung at him, and I feel like this book and I were at the very least in the same chapter and often even on the same page together with regards to him. I always felt that this book loved Mace as a character even if I might disagree on some particulars, and let me tell you that was a joy to read.

There are so many moments in this book that were an absolute joy to read (there are two different scenes between Mace & Anakin that sent me over the moon), so much of Mace's value of the Jedi and his path as a Jedi are at the heart of the book--even when it might not seem like it, ultimately the point is that, yes, Jedi can and do question their path, because they want their people to be certain this is the right one for them. This is a book about separating Mace out from that path, both physically and psychically, and having him rebalance himself and recognize that being a Jedi just is who he is and who he chooses to be, every day.

I can only give my view of this book and I will admit to stumbling a time or two with it, but by the end of it, I felt it was incredibly supportive of Mace as a character, that it was very Jedi-positive (even when it might not seem like it, it's usually going somewhere with the structure, somewhere I was vindicated by), and that the author wrote some absolutely banger lines that I'm going to be screaming about in a liveblog and that the worldbuilding was so good, I wish the author had had more space for building Jedi stuff.

It's an absolutely wild ride of a story (the action was really good and the harshness of the fighting added a necessary edge to the story that I thought worked really well for what the author was building with Mace's character), the story sailed right along smoothly, and I'm satisfied with what we got of it, I would definitely recommend to Mace fans and even Jedi fans. A few caveats about how I would let the story play out if you get wary in the middle, that it's not perfect, but that it's good and it loves Mace Windu as much as we do.

[koolaidoverwriting]

NORMAL LJ x reader headcanons because the other one is full of secks :(

GENERAL DATING HEADCANONS

CHARACTERS: Laughing Jack, Gender Neutral Reader

Here it is! SFW headcanons for the little guy (he's gigantic). :3

CW: Basically Nothing, Other Than LJ Being Possessive, But He's Just Like That

LAUGHING JACK

If you're in a relationship with Laughing Jack, you're probably accustomed to his crazy antics. LJ has a curious and excitable personality; there's not a single LJ loves more than having fun — other than you, of course.

He likes involving you in his "schemes". Albeit, his schemes involve causing trouble to the mansion people, or the occasional citizen. Sometimes you're pulling pranks together; sometimes it's worse. Either way, LJ makes it fun, and he thinks you're fun.

As expected, you're much smaller than LJ. You'd have to use a step-ladder just to reach his head. But that makes you the perfect height for cuddles. He does poke fun at you for being "short". It's all in good spirit, though, since he finds you adorable. "You are just the sweetest little thing!" he'll exclaim before pulling you into a tight hug.

He's not best with kisses. Getting into the relationship, you'll have to teach him how to kiss correctly. This means having to calm him down because he gets super flustered. Same with pet names. The first time you ever call him "dear" or "love", he blushes like a fool.

Your laugh is just the cutest to LJ. He'll entertain you the best he can, save his best jokes for you, and do anything to make you happy. LJ maybe doesn't know everything about love, but he knows he never wants to lose you! So it's best you stay!

Usually when people cry, LJ looks at them weirdly and tells them to stop immediately. But with you, he's much more caring. He wipes your tears with his sleeve and tries to cheer you up with his silly acts. Or maybe he'll turn your rant session into a comedy routine, telling off the things that upset you in his witty way — but that's only if you let him.

One major thing you'll get out of this relationship is learning new clown-tricks. LJ is loaded with acts and gimmicks he's willing to teach his lovely partner! Once you're trained enough, you bet you two are putting on an entire act for the mansion.

LJ would love to go to an amusement park with you! The fair has always been one of his favourite places, but getting to go with you? Oh, a dream come true. You'll go on all the rides; feed each other snacks; and he'll win you any and all prizes you want!

However, circuses are a whole different thing. LJ will get jealous if you admire clowns that aren't him. So instead of taking you to any circus, he'll just put on a show for you himself! Where he plays every role! Isn't that much better? Come on, you don't need another clown! You have Laughing Jack! He's whimsical and fun, right?! The only clown you'll ever like?!

...

Don't leave him.

!!! if you read this and thought i was doing some yandere stuff, no i am not!!! i'm actually not comfy with the yandere trope. LJ just has a bit of abandonment issues... and he loves the reader lots!

[kulalanti]

Thinking about how there's a lot of amnesia stories where Optimus ends up reverting back to Orion Pax (because I think it canonically happened in TFP?) and I'm just thinking about that scenario but in a Shattered Glass scenario, mostly TF:One because it's the one continuity I know a lot about (sorry sksksk) and also in the actual canonical SG universes.

So like in a Shattered Glass TF:One AU, if it's SG!OP who forgets his memory then I feel kinda bad for SG!Megs. Cause while I do think OP would be less insane as Orion Pax, he definitely was already toxic even before he became a Prime. He def tries to get Megs into trouble and I feel he'd be slightly jealous and pissed that Megatron has a T-cog and he doesn't. He def figures out he has amnesia ngl and is probably very mad at Megatron for lying to him. If it's SG!Megs who gets amnesia well I'm pretty sure SG!OP is keeping him in Iacon and he is never ever leaving OP's sights. Doesn't help that D-16 held so much respect for the Primes so he'd probably look up to OP.

In the Shattered Glass FunPub version, it's a bit difficult to say cause canonically speaking I'm pretty sure that... before the war, Megatron and OP didn't actually know each other? Like it's never brought up that they knew each other, when Megatron was a mathematician and Optronix was a librarian. So yeah I don't think it would work here cause I'm pretty sure Optronix would straight up just kill an amnesiac Megatron. At best he'd help fix him because he'd just be offended that his greatest enemy wouldn't even die as the mech who had been opposing him for so long. Megatron though... he'd help reform Optronix, he's a nice guy in this continuity and to be fair this is the Shattered Glass continuity where OP genuinely does get a sorta redemption arc where he became Nova Prime.

In the Shattered Glass IDW version, this one is tasty because they do know each other. If it was OP who got amnesia, well... the problem is he was pretty power-hungry even when he was Orion Pax but I think Megatron could fix him (probably not but ya know) by appealing to whatever small friendship they did have. Also he has to really make sure OP doesn't find out he's already a dictator and got the power he wanted cause OP will be pissed once he realized Megatron lied to him. If it was Megatron who got amnesia though? OP is probably going to keep him by his side and would try to maybe get him to work with him?

Like assuming OP still has some affection for Megatron, he would keep him by his side. I like to think this if only because of Megatron's "you may have offered me a place at your side, but I never could have been on your side" and OP's "we are past nothing, Megatron, until I say we are." Like he'd probably be ecstatic to find a Megatron who doesn't exactly oppose him yet.

But yeah, just some amnesia thoughts for TF:Shattered Glass.

[theodorenmyth]

Moderen au where the riddle brothers had shirts that say “if found idiot, return to us” and reader just having the “I’m the idiot” because they always get distracted in big crowds so mattheo thought him, reader and his brother could wear it going to a fair. Because y’know, fairs being a lot of people.

Fair Troubles

Pairings : Riddle Brothers x GN! Reader

Summary : Navigating the bustling chaos of a fair, you, Mattheo, and Tom Riddle wear shirts humorously indicating your tendency to get distracted. When you inevitably become separated in the crowd, panic sets in as you search for each other. Amidst the vibrant lights and lively sounds, you find solace in your friendship, as Mattheo and Tom tirelessly search and eventually reunite with you. Together, you create unforgettable memories, reminding you that no matter how lost you feel, you'll always find your way back with their support.

A/n : LMFAO I love this request so much!! Enjoy! (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

Warnings) : nothing

Word count : 1.3k+

The anticipation of the fair buzzed in the air as you, Mattheo, and Tom Riddle walked through the crowded streets. The vibrant lights, the mouth-watering smell of fair food, and the joyful shouts of children created a lively atmosphere that you couldn't help but get lost in.

Mattheo and Tom both wore shirts with bold text that read, "If found idiot, return to us," while you sported one that said, "I'm the idiot." It was Mattheo's idea, given your tendency to get distracted easily in big crowds.

"Alright, let's stick together, yeah?" Mattheo said, his hand gently resting on your shoulder.

"Yeah, I don't want to have to chase you down again," Tom added with a smirk, adjusting his shirt.

You rolled your eyes playfully. "I'm not that bad."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Remember the time at the mall? Or at the zoo?"

"Okay, okay," you laughed, holding up your hands in surrender. "Point taken."

The three of you entered the fair, immediately enveloped by the cacophony of sounds and sights. Booths lined the walkways, offering games, food, and trinkets. A Ferris wheel loomed in the distance, its lights twinkling against the darkening sky.

"Let's start with some games," Mattheo suggested, leading the way to a ring toss booth.

You watched as he expertly aimed and tossed the rings, winning a small stuffed bear. "Here," he said, handing it to you with a smile. "For the idiot."

You grinned, hugging the bear. "Thanks, Matty."

Tom glanced around, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Let's try the dart booth next."

As you made your way over, you couldn't help but be distracted by a stand selling colorful cotton candy. "Ooh, look at that," you said, your eyes wide with excitement.

Mattheo chuckled. "You and your sweet tooth."

"Go ahead, we'll meet you at the dart booth," Tom said, giving you a gentle push in the direction of the cotton candy stand.

You nodded and made your way over, quickly buying a stick of the fluffy treat. As you turned to rejoin Mattheo and Tom, you were momentarily caught in the flow of the crowd, and when you looked up, they were nowhere to be seen.

Panic started to bubble up in your chest as you scanned the sea of faces. You knew this could happen, and yet, here you were, lost in the crowd.

"Okay, don't panic," you muttered to yourself, clutching the stuffed bear and cotton candy. "They'll find me. They always do."

You tried to retrace your steps, but the fair seemed to have grown more crowded, making it difficult to navigate. You spotted a bench near the Ferris wheel and decided to wait there, hoping Mattheo and Tom would spot you.

Minutes felt like hours as you sat there, your anxiety growing. You looked down at your shirt, feeling a mix of frustration and amusement. "I'm the idiot," you sighed. "Literally."

Meanwhile, Mattheo and Tom were frantically searching the fairgrounds. "Where could they have gone?" Tom asked, worry evident in his voice.

"Probably got distracted by something shiny," Mattheo replied, though his tone was laced with concern. "Let's check by the food stands again."

They retraced their steps, stopping by the cotton candy stand where you had last been seen. The vendor remembered you and pointed them in the direction you had gone. As they made their way through the crowd, they kept a sharp lookout, hoping to spot you amidst the throngs of people.

As they searched, you found yourself watching a group of kids playing a game, their laughter infectious. You couldn't help but smile, momentarily distracted from your anxiety. The sight reminded you of the times you, Mattheo, and Tom would hang out, the easy camaraderie and joy you shared.

Just as you were starting to worry again, you finally saw Mattheo and Tom making their way towards you. Relief washed over you, and you waved frantically to get their attention.

"There you are!" Mattheo exclaimed, rushing over to you. "We were worried sick!"

"Sorry," you mumbled, feeling a bit sheepish. "I got distracted by the cotton candy."

Tom sighed, though he couldn't help but smile. "Of course you did."

"Well, at least we found our idiot," Mattheo said, pulling you into a tight hug. "Let's stick together this time, okay?"

You nodded, feeling grateful to have them by your side. "Yeah, sticking together sounds like a good plan."

As you walked through the fair, hand in hand with Mattheo and Tom, you couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and belonging. No matter how many times you got lost, you knew they'd always find you. And that was a comforting thought.

"Hey, look," Mattheo said, pointing to a booth with a giant stuffed dragon as the prize. "Think you can win that for us, Tom?"

Tom smirked, stepping up to the challenge. "Watch and learn."

You watched as Tom expertly aimed and threw the darts, hitting the targets with precision. The booth attendant handed him the giant stuffed dragon, which he promptly gave to you.

"Thanks, Tommy!" you said, hugging the dragon tightly.

"Anything for our favorite idiot," Tom replied with a wink.

"What's next?" Mattheo asked, scanning the fairgrounds.

"How about the Ferris wheel?" you suggested, looking up at the towering ride.

"Sounds good," Tom agreed. "Let's go."

As you made your way to the Ferris wheel, you marveled at the lights and sounds around you. The fair was a sensory overload, but you felt safe and secure with Mattheo and Tom by your side.

You all climbed into a Ferris wheel carriage, and as it began to rise, you gazed out at the fair below. The view was breathtaking, the sea of lights stretching out in all directions.

"This is amazing," you said, leaning against Mattheo.

"Yeah, it is," Mattheo replied, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

Tom sat across from you, a small smile on his face. "It's nice to take a moment and just enjoy the view."

As the Ferris wheel continued its slow rotation, you felt a sense of peace settle over you. The chaotic energy of the fair seemed distant, replaced by the quiet intimacy of the moment.

"Thanks for finding me," you said softly, looking at Mattheo and Tom.

"Always," Mattheo replied, giving your shoulder a squeeze.

"You're stuck with us," Tom added, his smile widening.

As the Ferris wheel reached its peak, you took a deep breath, feeling grateful for the two people who meant the world to you. No matter how lost you felt, you knew Mattheo and Tom would always be there to guide you back.

As the ride descended, you felt a renewed sense of excitement for the rest of the evening. The fair was far from over, and you were determined to make the most of it.

"Let's get some more food," you suggested as you exited the Ferris wheel.

"Good idea," Mattheo agreed. "I'm starving."

You wandered through the fair, sampling various treats and laughing at the antics of the carnival performers. The night was filled with joy and laughter, each moment more memorable than the last.

By the time you left the fair, your arms were filled with stuffed animals and other prizes, and your heart was full of happiness. You might get distracted easily, but with Mattheo and Tom by your side, you knew you'd always find your way back.

"Let's do this again sometime," you said as you walked back to the car.

"Definitely," Mattheo agreed, giving your hand a squeeze.

"And next time, we'll make sure you don't get lost," Tom added with a chuckle.

You smiled, feeling content and loved. "Sounds like a plan."

As you drove home, you couldn't help but reflect on the night's events. The fair had been a whirlwind of excitement and fun, but the best part was knowing you had two amazing people who cared about you deeply. No matter how many times you got lost, you knew Mattheo and Tom would always find you and bring you back to where you belonged.

[eashgirl]

If anyone remembers that one episode from season nine where Peri got Mrs crocker for a godchild(slight spoilers for a new wish and Peri's relationship with Dev)

She was depressed because she felt like Crocker didn't love her back,and she tried to use wish after wish to quell that emptiness,leaving Peri so exhausted because no matter how many wishes he tried to grant she never seemed to get happy

It got so bad from what I remember they tried all ways to get her to break the rules just so Peri would be free from her,she only truly lost him when she reconciled with Crocker who admitted he did indeed love her

I can't help but compare this to Peri's new godkid in ANW, Dev tried to do something similar,all he ever wanted was to have his dad's love which he never got because Dale literally cares more about money and his literal boots more than him,hence similarly no matter how many wishes he kept asking for hardly any of them were able to geniunely make him happy beyond the surface level, I'd argue the only times he was truly happy was when he and Hazel were friends but that's for another post.

Peri did try his best to adhere to the rules and to grant his wishes,but this in turn just made Dev get even more frustrated because in all fairness he doesn't really NEED a fairy to give him little things like a cupcake or something like a game he's rich he can get an AU pair to bring him that anytime,and the more riskier wishes that can be deemed as more fun is against the rules. Heck I'd even argue that initially Dev may not have seen Peri as anything besides an AU Pair but with magic given that he only really used him to make wishes. Dale probably just told him to ask the au pairs anything he wanted as a means of neglecting his own parental responsibilities. That and Peri wanting to do his absolute best at his first job to impress his parents and stick by the rules along with Dev's frustration and lashing out is the core reason why it fell apart so quickly.

This difference in opinion led to all of this, they're both at fault and both have legitimate reasons for it,Peri had the excuse that this really is his first job he's just doing what he was taught at the academy just grant the kid's wishes and make them happy,he probably did not anticipate the need for severe emotional understanding when it comes to troubled kids(honestly who decided to give a newbie a kid that needed way more help from a seasoned fairy godparent though? I blame whoever made that decision)he did care about Dev in the end but by that time it was too late.

With Dev it's he's a hurt kid and he lashes out at others which I'm not trying to justify it's still wrong,and people can get hurt because of that but given his circumstances I really understand him, he's not used to allowing people in and builds walls around himself even the slightest gesture is enough to make him to increase his guard even more like when he thought a single argument with Hazel meant their friendship was over and tried to go back to being his old self until Hazel pointed that out to him,the sunglasses being a literal metaphor for it,he takes them off a lot during his friendship arc with Hazel and starts putting them on all the time near the end during his downward spiral. He acts the persona of a bully as a means of gaining control of his situation,when it's obvious that is not how he truly is lost and founders day being a prime example,he was genuinely getting better until he found out about project H,and I can understand his reaction his dad who's always absent,hardly ever pays any attention to him literally won't look him in the eye unless it concerns bussiness,cares more about his son's friend then he cares about his own son,did Hazel deserve to get yelled at though?no she didn't, it's still not her fault.

Then immediately after Hazel leaves Peri comes back and tries a feeble attempt to cheer him up by persuading him to make a wish,which really wasn't the right call to make in that specific moment which further aggravates Dev into telling him to leave before having a mental breakdown.

And later in best of luck he ends up getting in a vulnerable position when Peri declares he's quitting,and Irep ends up being a bad influence,he gets manipulated and tries to take over fairy world as a desperate means of getting Dale to finally, finally pay some attention to him which he does initially until he immediately shifts his focus to Irep instead. Literally leaving Dev in the dust on the ground. Alone again.

(I really want to make this post a bit more detailed but I'm six days away from an exam so I can't find the time,any grammar mistakes is because of how rushed this one was might edit it later)

Cosmo phrases it best what he wanted was something no fairy could ever give him,he wanted a parent's love and that is something no amount of wealth or magic is ever going to amount to,which is ultimately the final straw in making Dev abandon everything and accept the consequences without any persistence.

Peri couldn't really relate to or understand Dev because he always had the love or his parents even when he was anxious of messing up they were always supportive and loving, I don't think it's a coincidence that the panel always shows the three of them hugging infront of Dev and Hazel the latter trying to talk to him after everything that transpired. A physical metaphor of what he doesn't have and has to see Infront of his eyes all the time. Again I don't really blame anybody(except maybe Dale but if I'm blaming Dale I'm also blaming Vicky),Peri is a rookie he just graduated so it's unrealistic to expect him to be the best right away, I actually think he might need to ask Wanda and Cosmo for advice in season two how they dealt with certain kids and how he can improve himself.

Because neither Dev or Peri were perfect they were horrible to eachother,but that doesn't mean they can't be better.

It's clearly setting up an overarching story, I actually have faith in the new writers they didn't throw in that scene of Peri saying he cared about Dev and leaving it ambiguous whether or not Dev actually still remembers because of that one theory for nothing.

My reason for bringing in Mrs Crocker is to point out that the only way Dev can really quell his own emptiness is by attaining the love he always wanted, I think by off chance he does indeed remember everything- which I believe is the better option to retain his charecter development-,he may have finally come to understand that no matter what he does his dad would never care about him the same way he cares about his Business and himself,maybe this will lead to him forming better connections with other people, reconciling his friendship with Hazel and befriending Winn and Jasmine and maybe even getting Peri back as his fairy.

Another reason slightly crack that inspired me to make this post is this

This is Peri's eventual state/reaction every time he gets a godchild, boy's been bad at this from the very beginning it's that and simultaneously always gets a hard case on his first try