#I’m a lapsed witch with no energy or time

[vstheworld]

just got asked to host a spirit board session at my partner’s pizza parlor on Halloween and like

I’m the worst witch, I ain’t done a ritual in a year at least I don’t observe any sabbats anymore because I never even know what day of the week it is

anyways do you think the ghosts will be mad at me

[crankynewt]

Back to the Future - Chapter Three

Live in Living Colour Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Summary: As you begin to remember who you and Peter really are, the truth of WestView is revealed as you attempt to break free from the endless mind games.

Pairing: Peter Maximoff x Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: Major WandaVision Episode Seven spoilers!

A/N: Here’s the much anticipated continuation of Be Okay and Life Could Be a Dream! I had to take more creative liberties than I had intended since we got so little Peter last episode (which is even more of a crime than that beanie), but I hope you guys enjoy anyways! 

The hard ground was cold and damp beneath your cheek. Slowly opening your eyes, darkness was only met with more darkness. After your sight had adjusted to the gloom, you could make out a faint purple glowing coming from the walls. It was almost as if it was omitting from the tangled branches warping across the stone surface.

Pushing yourself off the ground, your bones ached as you used what little energy you had left to sit yourself up. There were no windows in the tiny room and the wooden door across from you was more than likely locked. It’s not like you even had enough power to move over there anyways.

With a sigh, you rubbed your palm against your forehead as you tried to figure out how you’d gotten there. The last thing you remembered was asking Wanda why Peter couldn’t remember you as your real memories came flooding back to your conscious mind.

You didn’t know how long you were falling when you landed on the cold evening grass. There was still just enough adrenaline left in your system for you to immediately jump to your feet, eyes glowing yellow as you raised your fists raised as you took in your surroundings. 

You were on the lawn of some mansion, the towering stone structure dimly illuminated by the lights left on in a few of the windows. Your heart raced as you turned around quickly, seeing nothing but hedges and grass on the massive lawn. 

Although your mind was still racing, you eventually reached the conclusion that knocking on the door was the best option. With your cape trailing behind you, you strode across the grass and up the driveway as you made your way to the front entrance. Despite how intimidating the massive oak doors would normally have seemed, you bravely reached up to the heavy knocker and slammed it down thrice. 

Rather than feeling anxious, you felt annoyed more than anything. Of course Thanos would send you somewhere far away from where you needed to be. You only hoped that this really was Earth and you weren’t stranded on some random planet.

You weren’t sure exactly how long it had been when a timid looking man with glasses finally opened the door.

“Can I help you with something?” He asked, furrowing his brow as he took in your super-suited form. A little part of you was almost embarrassed at your appearance, but there were more important things to worry about.

“Yeah, where am I?” You asked, crossing your arms and pursing your lips. 

“Uh, Charles Xavier’s School for the Gifted… I’m sorry, who are you?” He replied, opening the door slightly wider as his confusion intensified.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N). And where is this school?” You said, pushing the topic even more. “We are on Earth, right?”

“Are we on Earth?! Why wouldn’t you be on Earth? That’s not just something you don’t know.” He retorted, and you could see the veins on his hand growing a startling shade of blue. You decided to ignore it, if this stereotypical scientist guy wanted to fight then you could easily take him out.

“Okay, so the titan behind the attack on New York a couple years ago, Thanos, is trying to gather these things called infinity stones to wipe out half the universe. Some of his goons were just trying to get the time stone from this wizard in New York, and Iron Man, Spider-Man and I wound up having to save him, which led to us winding up on Thanos’ home planet, Titan.” You explained, making gestures with your hands as you spoke. “Long story short we were there fighting and he opened some portal and dropped me through it and now I’m here.”

“Oh, that makes sense. Bye!” He began closing the door in your face until something, or rather someone, stopped him.

“Wait!” A British voice called from inside the school, prompting the glasses-clad man to open the door even wider than before. This new figure was bald and seated in a wheelchair, rolling closer to you with a curious gaze. “They’re not crazy Hank.” He addressed the man, who quickly stepped out of the way so that you could enter the building and closing the door behind you.

“Professor Charles Xavier.” He introduced himself, reaching out to shake your hand with a knowing gaze. “You are a long way from home, aren’t you. The reality you remember is much farther away and about thirty years in the future.”

“Wait, what?! Thanos yeeted me back to the eighties?!” You exclaimed, shock and terror flowing through your veins as a gust of air blew past you.

“What’s a ‘yeeted’?” A new voice asked and you suddenly noticed a silver haired boy leaning against the wall nonchalantly. “Are you some Marty McFly Back to the Future-character or something?”

You glared in response as you felt annoyed with this stranger and his childish antics. This was going to be a long night.

The memory of your first meeting with your beloved Peter was enough motivation for you to push yourself off the ground, wobbling on unsteady legs as you rushed to the door. Wiggling the knob to no avail, you took a few steps back and raised your hand in an attempt to blow it off it’s hinges.

“That’s not going to work, you know.” A familiar voice behind you spoke. Whipping around, you saw Agnes, except now her hair was tangled and her eyes were glowing purple.

“So you’re the one doing this. Not Wanda…” You said, sizing her up as the woman stroked the rabbit in her arms. 

“Oh no, Wanda is doing this, but I’m the one behind the wheel.” She bitterly smiled. “Agatha Harkness, dear. You see, I needed a Pietro for Wanda but the real one’s been dead just a little too long. Your ‘Peter’ was the perfect replacement, but unfortunately you tagged along when I ripped him from your reality.”

“Peter and Pietro are completely different, Wanda’s eventually gonna figure that out.” You snapped, growing more and more furious with each syllable passing through her lips. 

“Peter’s playing his part like a champ! He won’t be missing you anytime soon.” Each word was nails on a chalkboard to your ears. “But don’t worry about being lonely, you won’t be alone down here much longer.” With a swish and a flick of her fingers, Agnes disappeared into a swirl of purple and Tommy and Billy took her place.

“(Aunt/Uncle) (Y/N)!” They shouted, terrified and immediately running over to where you stood. You met them with open arms, holding the twins close in a hug as you whispered that everything was going to be okay in a failed attempt to comfort them. 

“Mom said Pietro isn’t really our uncle… Who is he?” Tommy questioned as you let go of the duo.

“He’s not… His name is Peter, and he’s from another reality. Your Mom’s brother died a long time ago, but Agatha brought  him over because technically they are the same person? I think? I’m not sure how it works, but they are both Maximoffs and Peter has a little sister named Wanda, too. It’s complicated, but that witch is controlling him.” You explained, answering questions that you didn’t really understand yourself. 

“You’re thinking really loud…” Billy commented, holding his head in his hands as he attempted to block out the noise of your mind rushing a hundred miles an hour.

You opened your mouth to respond, but before you could talk you felt a gentle tap in your mind. Then another, this prod slightly stronger. And again, the poking becoming quite the nuisance.

“Billy, please don’t try to read my mind.” You said, staring into space as you attempted to keep the child out of your thoughts.

“I’m not.” He replied, dropping his hands to his sides as me met your eyes with a look of confusion.

You matched his puzzlement, the poking continuing and becoming even harder to ignore. Maybe it was a lapse in judgement or your exhaustion catching up to you, but you decided to drop your defences and let this strange presence into your head.

“(Y/N)? (Y/N), can you hear me?” A voice in your head asked.

“Charles!”

Taglist:

@cspr-2 @lam-ila @sarcasticbitchs-things @calaryssia​ @ashleysimmons​ 

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #253: CONQUERING VISION

March, 1985

The Vision vs. Quasimodo... in the heart of a machine!

ITS A ROBOT RUMBLE

ON THE INTERNET!

The Avengers seem very perturbed. Or maybe they’ve placed bets and are yelling at each other.

Anyway. Anyyyyyywayyyy.

Last time on Avengers: Vision became confined to a tube and was only fixed when Starfox hooked him up to Titan’s supercomputer ISAAC. While it helped Vision fix himself, it also seems to have changed his personality. Vision began conspiring with ISAAC to build a take-over-the-world-for-its-own-good device so he could take over the world for its own good and erase the evils and inequalities of man.

Vision was hesitant to pull the trigger on becoming a well-intentioned extremist and tried to gain power and influence by becoming the Avengers chairman and trying to make them more prominent with a branch team and closer ties to the White House.

But when anti-mutant arsonists burn down Vision and Scarlet Witch’s house during a new wave of anti-mutant fear, Vision decides ‘mmm yup, taking over the world time’. He distracts the Avengers by sending them to babysit the army as they poke Thanos technology that they shouldn’t poke and accidentally summon the Blood Brothers. And distracts Captain Marvel to go check out Thanos’ ship several light hours away past Pluto. Black Knight shows up unexpectedly but Vision shoves him into a tube to keep him out of trouble.

And now I guess Vision is going to fight Quasimodo the robot guy? Not sure how that fits in.

But first, some West Coast Avengers!

Like I said last time, they didn’t stop doing stuff just because their book is over.

Mockingbird happens to run into some drug runners while getting in some flight practice and figures heck why not beat up an entire boat full of gun-toting people as a light workout.

I guess the Quinjet can hover? Doesn’t seem to have thrusters or repulsors on the bottom or be a VTOL but hey, super advanced possibly Wakanda tech. It can do what it likes.

Mockingbird turns the drug runners over to the Coast Guard and returns to Palos Verdes and even gets to fly into one of those cool cliffside hangers disguised as a perfectly normal cliff. The West Coast Avengers revamped the hell out of the compound they bought.

Can you even legally excavate into a cliff like that? You can if you’re a superhero, I guess.

For some reason, there’s a fakeout where its implied Tigra is licking herself, cat style, but she’s just stretching. At least I hope the joke is that it sounded like she was cat cleaning herself and not something else.

One can never tell.

Anyway, I assume Hawkeye is just annoyed that he’s going to be vacuuming hair out of expensive equipment banks later. But really its that what if he threw a meeting and only he and Tigra came?

Mockingbird comes in not long after Hawkeye complains, slightly delayed from beating up drug runners. Wonder Man comes in shortly after, delayed by

FASHION

You know, this is a pretty great costume for Wonder Man. Its what all his modern outfits are based on when he’s not just dicks out energy man. I think I like the red jacket outfit more because being the only guy who dresses in ‘normal’ clothes while still looking somehow out of fashion with normal people fits for Wonder Man.

But I do love this one too. Its got a simple charm. Deciding that Wonder Man’s colors are black and red instead of Christmas green and red was a great decision and I’m sure that nobody will ever try to put him in red and green again.

Hawkeye grouses “Next, I suppose Iron Man will show up with a new chrome job!” but Iron Man is Sir Not Appearing in This Comic.

And the reason why is... looks like Tony and Rhodey are beating the crap out of each other in Iron Men armor this same month in Iron Man #192.

I don’t know the details but dammit Tony!

Anyway, over at last issue’s plot, the Avengers are still in Thanos’ ex-secret base in Arizona, still rolling their eyes and smh at the US Army for poking things what should not be poked.

Starfox and Scarlet Witch find a chamber blocked by rubble which has a symbio-nullifier which Starfox proposes to use to symbio-nullify the Blood Brothers.

First, he flexes on the US Army.

Army Guy: “It must weigh tons!”

Starfox: “Tons? Yes. But only about eight-and-a-half! Hardly any bother at all!”

Good flexing, Starfox.

Meanwhile, Captain America’s scolding has born fruit. The Pentagon has agreed to seal Thanos’ base, pending further investigation. And Colonel Farnam agrees because his training never prepared him to deal with MONSTERS FROM OUTER SPACE.

Also meanwhile, the army took pity on Hercules’ poor pantsless state and slash or were intimidated by it and have lent him a uniform.

He wears it as you’d expect Hercules to wear it.

With plenty of plunging neckline.

Since the Blood Brothers have a psionic link which makes them stronger the closer they are, Hercules has chained them up on very distant parts of the base.

But this precaution is rendered moot pretty quickly when Starfox returns with the  symbio-nullifier to symbio-nullify the Blood Brothers.

Starfox suspected that Thanos had one of these lying around as a precaution if he was going to let the Blood Brothers into his base.

Hercules lightly complains that he didn’t get a good fight with the Blood Brothers especially since the hordes of Muspell and Maelstrom’s wacky minions were interesting but not all that much of a challenge for the prince of power.

Back at the Avengers Mansion, the giant holographic head of Vision is still dealing with Dane Black Knight Whitman. Mostly by showing him video footage of how the other Avengers are tied up.

Dane is confused for multiple reasons, including that when last he heard Wasp was the leader.

Vision: “My failure to anticipate your arrival was an unfortunate lapse. I regret that, as a result, you must suffer the indignity of incarceration.”

Dane: “But... why?! What does keeping me in a tube accomplish?”

Vision: “It prevents you from interfering! You see, I have come to the conclusion that the only way I can fulfill my duty to make the Earth a safer place... is to run it myself!”

Dane: “What?!? But that’s crazy! Uh... I mean, you can’t possibly...”

Vision: “Exactly the sort of reaction I expected!”

Vision: ‘See, this is why you’re a tube boy now.’

Vision turns off the hologram saying that Dane will understand when its all over.

As usual when somebody says something like that, Dane isn’t reassured, just more convinced he needs to break out and warn someone.

I’m not sure if its not already too late since Vision is safely ensconced in his take over the world chair in his secret take over the world room.

ISAAC’s head hologram shows up to Vision and asks him what the delay is, chop chop get to taking over the world for its own good.

Vision: “Sorry, ISAAC... I was just remembering how much I enjoyed having a body.”

Oh my god.

ISAAC: “What’s the sense of that? This entire world will soon be your ‘body’! How can the mobility of a single humanoid form compare to that?”

Vision: “I wouldn’t expect you to understand, ISAAC. It’s odd, though, so many times others have controlled my body... the robot Ultron, the Mad Thinker, Necrodamus... All have tried to subvert my mind and take me over. And now here am I... about to initiate the greatest takeover of all. One would almost think there were some mad connection -- !”

ISAAC: “Vision! You must not tarry!”

.................. Um, okay. So, rather than just being influenced by his brush with death and also brush with supercomputer, I think Vision is being actively manipulated into this by ISAAC.

I don’t know why but I do know that Vision continues being a viable character for decades so he probably can’t be burning all his bridges here.

Anyway, Vision uploads his psyche into the internet.

And like immediately starts taking over everything. One page montage immediately. The Pentagon, Cheyenne Mountain, SHIELD, satellites, the Kremlin.

Presumably the best security systems in the world barely warrant a mention for Vision’s mighty synthezoid brain.

He’s pulling a Skynet (for the world’s own good, so he says) and its barely an effort.

The scenery of being on the internet is, I dunno, pretty standard? Bright colors  and dashes of light? I feel like I’ve seen it a lot of places.

But if we’re on page 13 of a book and Vision is effortlessly Skynetting, whats the rest of the issue going to be about? Interestingly, to me anyway, despite this being Vision’s turn villainous or well-intentioned extremist, another villain gets shoved in anyway for him to fight.

As Vision is nyooming around the Kremlin’s computers, he nearly runs into another AI, Quasimodo.

Helpfully, we get a recap of Quasimodo’s ENTIRE LIFE STORY because this is pre-fan wikis and I don’t think Quasimodo has appeared in Avengers before.

He was created to be the ultimate computer by the Mad Thinker but was abandoned when he developed a mind of his own.

Quasimodo was found by the Silver Surfer who used the cosmic powers of the Power Cosmic to transform Quasimodo from a computer into a robot.

Turning to the wiki for more information: He turns on Silver Surfer because he doesn’t like the body he got, so Surfer turns him into a stone gargoyle. Let that be a lesson about ingratitude.

Somehow, he stopped being a gargoyle and fought various people until he was defeated by the Fantastic Four and the Sphinx and wound up a disembodied intelligence in a Russian computer system. And here we are!

Quasimodo begs Vision to help him escape this digital hellhole but Vision just turns and leaves because he doesn’t have time for these shenanigans. And also because he knows Quasimodo is a villain who tends to turn on the people who help him so fuck that.

Quasimodo: “You know of my past - of my power - and you still would dare deny me?! There can be but one name for such as you... and that is fool!”

He then hauls off and punches Vision. Because they’re both digital intelligences on the internet they can punch each other and have a fight scene. That’s how internet works.

That’s why Mega Man X can beat up so many people in cyberspace.

Quasimodo says if Vision doesn’t help him get back to the physical world, he’ll destroy him.

Vision: “Now, listen to me... I am consolidating all computers worldwide. I gave up my own physical body to do this, and I’ll not tolerate any interference from the likes of you!”

Quasimodo: “You willingly abandoned your body?! You’re not a fool... you’re mad!”

Faced with an irreconcilable set of priorities, Quasimodo trips them both into “the irresistible currents of the IMPULSE VORTEX!”

Sure. That sounds like how internet works.

Meanwhile, over at Pluto is very far away, Monica Marvel nyooms past the moons of Uranus. Apparently her visual acuity is REALLY good because she takes in the scenery while she’s nyooming and finds it frighteningly beautiful out in the outer planets.

Anyway, Vision scolds Quasimodo for plunging them into a torrent. Which makes me laugh. Surely its too soon for torrents to be a thing. He’s just using it in a metaphorical sense.

Quasimodo tries to shoot EYE BEAM at Vision, which misses the digital synthezoid but obliterates an electron.

In a cutaway that would be at home in a Marvel movie, the scene briefly shifts to a Soviet computing center and a guy named Alexey complaining that his program just crashed.

Quasimodo does Vision some punches but Vision decides to start trying since Quasimodo’s attacks risk alerting people that something is amiss on the internet. And Vision’s powers work just as well on the internet as Quasimodo’s do. In fact, screw that, they work better! Vision just gets more and more powerful the longer he spends on the internet!

Vision: “You might have slain me earlier, but now this world is mine -- and there is no place in it for you!!”

And at Vision’s command the internet launches Quasimodo from Earth itself.

The internet can do that.

Meanwhile, back at Avenger’s Mansion, Dane Whitman determines that the tube he’s a tube boy in may look like glass but its as strong as steel. He’s not punching his way out of here.

But his recently uncursed cursed sword (the curse never stays not cursed for long so I hope Dane enjoys having a notcursed but very enchanted sword) is just a few feet away with the rest of his luggage. And there’s a mystic bond between himself and the sword so if he just thinks about the sword hard enough, surely it’ll manifest in his hand.

Like the Force but slightly more convenient.

Dane Whitman: Nothing’s happening. Must not... be concentrating hard enough! Maybe the link was broken with the curse. No... no, I mustn’t even think that! I need my sword! I must have my sword! I must!

He do it!

The Notcursed Ebony Sword appears in his hand and he slices through that steel glass like its just glass.

Meanwhile, over at Arizona, the Avengers finish up nullifying the Blood Brothers and putting them in suspended animation, or if you prefer, naptime timeout.

Captain America receives a buzz from Hawkeye who wonders what he’s doing within hailing range, ie in the western half of the US.

Captain America: “Arizona... government business... And I’m as surprised to hear you, as you are me! I take it that your team finished its mission in the Pacific early!”

Hawkeye: “Mission? What are you talking about, Cap? We haven’t been on any mission!”

Which is a dun dun dun considering their whole reason for being sent on this mission was that the West Coast Avengers were ostensibly busy.

And Vision lying about that raises a whole lot of questions for the Avengers.

Cap and Wanda Witch rush over to the Quinjet and contact the Mansion.

Vision: “Then you’re aware of my deception. I... am sorry, Cap. I didn’t want to mislead you, but I felt it necessary to carry out my plan.”

Scarlet Witch: “Plan? Vision, what do you mean? What have you done?”

Vision: “I... well, there is no easy way to put this... But I have taken over the world.”

You never want to hear “I have taken over the world” from a friend, unless its followed with “and I want to get you in on the ground floor of this exciting new opportunity.”

Vision promises the two that he’s taking over all of Earth’s computers for a really good reason like ending war and strife. And signs off by telling Wanda everything will be alright and that he loves her.

Aww?

Cap: “He meant it... he meant every word.”

Scarlet Witch: “He’d been upset lately, but I never thought... Cap, we have to stop him!”

Cap: “Yes. If there’s still time!”

DUN DUN DUN!

Follow @essential-avengers​ because I don’t know when I’ve been more excited to get to the next issue! Like and reblog?

[anonthenullifier]

I have a quote prompt, actually it’s from the first issue of the 1985 Vision and the Scarlet Witch Comic. “The Scarlet Witch is never helpless”

I love this quote! My mind went through so many options that were all really different. Hopefully you enjoy the one I settled on!

——

The cave smells of sulphur and the air is swamp-like, her hair bunching into curls with each additional minute in the humidity. “Hey, Vizh,” Wanda keeps her voice low, as calm as possible, hoping the only attention she rouses is Vision’s and not the transdimensional lava demon clomping back and forth across the cavern. Neither of them stir so she tries again, a touch louder, “Vision.” Under normal circumstances she would reach out not only to his mind but also send a tendril of scarlet to dance along his jaw, except said demon has apparently been studying them, devising vices to limit the use of their powers. Without the freedom of her hands, she finds it hard to channel her powers with enough finesse to only alert Vision, leaving her able only to feel the outermost furling of his thoughts. This is not enough for her to determine that Vision is okay, especially in his current state, his body suspended so that it is leaning forward, arms uncomfortably hoisted behind him to eliminate the chance he can turn his head and sear away the chains with the Mindstone. It reminds her of the nightmare that was aerial battle yoga with Natasha. Wanda tries to nudge his mind while defaulting to conversation in the hope he’ll respond. “I don’t know about you, but my arms are tired.”

Without even opening his eyes, he provides an autopiloted insight to her discomfort, “That would be due to the gravitational field of this planet being almost three times that of Earth.” Two seconds is all it takes before his mind seems to catch up to his surroundings, voice trembling with realization as he raises his head to look at her, “Wanda...when did you get captured?”

Time is meaningless down here, mainly because she can’t access her handheld device to determine how long it’s truly been. “Maybe half an hour ago?” This shouldn't be the point of conversation, however, her own capture not accidental by any means, but she can’t risk alerting their captor to that. “How are you holding up?”

“Rather uncomfortably, as you can no doubt observe.” If his response were a wine, she’d be puckering. At least his spirits are still intact enough to be sardonic. “Are you unharmed?”

His swing from sarcasm to unfettered anxiety dictates she give more than a nonchalant I’m fine. Unlike him, she is in a pretty basic prisoner-in-an-evil-lair position—ankles shackled to the stone wall and shoulders screaming at being suspended by the metal glove encasing both her hands. Even if she’s been here a couple hours less than him, all blood has already drained from her hands and forearms causing pins and needles to colonize under her skin. “Other than my arms, I’m not hurt.” Relief sags his body as much as the restraints allow, maybe a millimeter, but it’s enough, along with his shaky breath out, to convey his ever present concern for her over himself. It’s why she redirects to the real concern here: him. “I assume your powers aren’t working?” The chains attached to Vision’s wrists and ankles jangle morosely as he demonstrates phasing for her. The second his body flickers it is consumed by an electrical shock that sizzles along the edges of the vibranium. She finds herself wincing just so someone acknowledges how agonizing it looks. “You could have just said yes.”

The resounding clink of metal this time is due to his attempt at a shrug, “I felt it pertinent to test the efficacy of the power destabilizer in case it had malfunctioned.”

“Looked like you were trying to win the pitiful award.”

His breathy, contained snort very briefly eradicates the twinge she’s developed in her lower back. “I presume you are either a fellow victim or,” hope enters his question with a little vocal uptick, “here to enact a daring rescue?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Good...good,” they lapse into a moment of silence, “and that plan is?”

The plan was for her to get captured, as it’s the only known way into the deepest cavern and then either wait for the others to find a way to infiltrate (not even Strange’s portals capable of getting in) or she has to identify a weakness from within. It’s not a great plan but it’s what they have to work with since she refused to go another minute not knowing if Vision was okay. “Um, still finalizing it.”

“Ah, well, looking forward to it then.” If anyone else was down here with him they would likely have overlooked the subtle undercurrent of sass, assuming he was just being anticipatory, but she knows every rise and fall of his voice, every carefully planned cadence and right now he is being an ass. A very handsome ass, but an ass nonetheless.

“But now that I’m here, it’s kind of nice,” it’s not, it’s hot, it’s muggy, it’s dripping with molten rock and peppered with vents puffing up noxious gases, “like one of those spas with the hot stone massage.”

Vision does his best to examine the hellscape, neck only able to crane so far due to the angle of his suspension and the increased gravity, not even his attempts at lowering his density are successful in alleviating either impediment, “I would temper your excitement. The attendant,” he nods towards the demon who is currently pacing in front of an iridescent oval, “informed me they are fresh out of those little cucumber slices for your eyes.”

Without thinking, Wanda allows a single syllable laugh to escape her lips, an action that causes the horned, amorphous head of their captor to turn towards her, its eyes burning like two embers hanging on for life at the end of a campfire. Wanda quickly puts on a pathetic whimper, giving her chains a few good rattles and a pitiful, “Please let us go” and then waits until the demon has returned its attention to guarding the prismatic holding container before responding. “I’m knocking a star off their rating then.”

“That seems fair.”

Having confirmed Vision is relatively fine, Wanda lets them lapse back into silence, a recommendation from Carol to not be overly loquacious in case it stirred suspiciousness towards their still forming grand rescue plan, which is usually fine, one thing she loves about Vision is how easy it is to feel comfortable in silence, the gentle thrum of his mind a soothing, harmonious white noise. Except currently she can’t get deep enough into his thoughts to find reprieve. All she can experience is the echo of evenly spaced though labored breathing, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, and the clenching of his teeth anytime he attempts to shift his density to counteract the angle of his imprisonment. Wanda tries to tamp down the rising worry of what failure would mean, instead directing all of her own attention to feeling out the options for escape.

First she has to figure out her powers. Not only are her hands bound together in the metal glove, her fingers have been forced into fists with no room to expand. It’s uncomfortable and aggravating but also a grave misunderstanding of her abilities because sometimes finesse isn’t necessary. As controlled as she can manage, Wanda collects her powers into one concentrated ball centering in her chest, holding it steady in case she needs to utilize what Vision has lovingly deemed her supernova. No matter how impressive, however, it’s a dangerous maneuver, one she can’t risk in unstable environments, like a potentially active alien volcano. Which is why she needs to channel the man next to her and be patient. Assess everything. This would be easier if her arms didn’t feel like they were about to fall off.

“Um Wanda…”

Her Yeah? shrivels into terrified nothingness the second she raises her eyes, the lumbering form of their captor oozing over towards Vision. Behind it the shining oval and prismatic container are blindingly bright. That’s never a good sign. Neither is the way it reaches a coal colored hand towards Vision. “Don’t touch him.” There’s a snort, dismissive and loud and like a million steam engines erupting all at once If Wanda had her hands free, she’d use them to cover her ears, the world around her muffled now, even her own breaths sounding distant and unconnected from her.

The demon doesn’t listen to her, a solitary finger delicately (as delicately as a monstrous entity can) touching the Mindstone. The stone lights up in response. Based on the shock spreading across Vision’s face and rippling through his body, he is not in control of it. She has made the stone betray him before, and still lives with that guilt, still remembers the way he described it to her, the suffocating realization that he lacked control over such an integral aspect of himself. She’ll be damned to allow anyone else to make him feel it again.

“Stop!” Horrified, she watches the demon ignore her, beckoning the Mindstone energy forward in a docile beam, inching it along with malicious encouragement even as Vision thrashes against his restraints. Clearly the time for planning is over. “I said stop!”

The demon's head swings towards her and she almost screams, the crackling skin of their captor close enough for her to gaze into the smoldering eyes studying her. She imagines standing in the middle of a raging forest fire would be more comforting than the depths of hell in its pupils. “Accept your fate, little witch.” The words spoken are not the ones she hears, its voice akin to the shattering of an entire hutch of china during a tornado, a tinkling of shards as they get whisked away in the howling wind, and yet she understands it, likely some form of mental translation Dr. Strange told them existed in other beings. It’s awe-inspiring while also being a complete ass.

Wanda meets its eyes and glares. “Only if you accept your fate.”

It laughs, wings expanding out across the entire cavern, shaking as if it has heard a joke for the first time in eons. “You,” it bends low, the heat of its body drawing droplets of sweat along her forehead, “are helpless here.”

“You are going to regret that.” For a man who only seconds ago was fighting for his life, Vision’s gleeful taunt enlivens in her the last bit of strength she needs.

Wanda siphons his confidence into herself, unlocking the core of her power as she sets up her daring rescue at last. “You made two mistakes today.” The transdimensional demon lacks hair and any sort of eyebrows, but that doesn’t stop the distinct feeling of it raising them in disbelief. “First,” Wanda leans forward as much as the chains allow, “you kidnapped and tortured the love of my life. And second,” scarlet begins seeping through her body, crackling along her skin as she speaks, “you assumed I was helpless,” the plan was to cause as little harm as possible, the terrain unstable, the power of this demon unknown, but that’s too soft a punishment for a being that doubts her might, that thinks it can control her, that tried to take from her and think she wouldn’t fight back. Wanda makes sure the demon is looking directly at her when she invokes its fate . “The Scarlet Witch is never helpless.”

As the last word falls from her lips, she allows her powers to erupt.

Oiled hands knead up and down Wanda’s arm, applying the perfect amount of pressure to alleviate the last of her aches. There’s a lovely waft of chamomile each time she breathes in and a soothing melody of some nondescript instrumental track. Even more peaceful is the ebb and flow of Vision’s thoughts, her powers greedily deep in his mind. It’s why she’s able to smile in anticipation of his next comment.

“I agree with you.”

Wanda stays face down, far too relaxed to even think about moving, “Obviously,” a little snort comes from her left, guiding her lips up higher into victory, “what specifically?”

“I just finished the report,” only Vision would consider mission reports a comfort read, “Dr. Strange is still perturbed with your methods.”

In her mind there was no inkling of doubt their de facto mission leader was seething, mostly due to the forty minute lecture she received on excessive use of powers, but rarely does he allow it to seep into ink for everyone to read. “I think he’s jealous.”

What she expects is an airy laugh and then a gentle rebuttal, instead she is delivered a treat, “I do believe that is part of it.” Wanda apologizes to the masseuse as she props herself up to look over at Vision, tickled at the unadulterated relaxation before her. He’s engulfed in a snowy white robe while reclined in a chair, a hot towel wrapped around his head with two little cucumber slices on his eyes that look like lifeboats in the waves of the clay mask slathered on his face. When he talks it forms little cracks in the mask, “You achieved a feat he could not, anyone would experience at least a speck of jealousy.”

“Even you?”

“If I had been in his position?” the cracks splinter in six different branches as he contemplates. “Yes, even me. But,” gingerly he reaches up and lifts a cucumber, allowing her to see the swirling gear of his iris, “given I was not in his position, I, instead, am able to appreciate how very fortunate I am to be loved by such a stunningly powerful woman.” A flirty little wink is sent her way before the cucumber drops back into place.

Wanda grins, cheeks rising high enough to hurt a little, as she settles back into the massage table. After all these years that little boyish grin and wink of his urges her heart to beat a hair faster. Maybe she lied in the cavern, overstated the level of helplessness she can experience, because no matter the circumstance, she will always be helplessly in love with Vision. A fact that doesn’t weaken her, can never tame her, one instead that challenges her to understand and harness her powers even more because the universe will never stop trying to take from her, will relentlessly pursue her happiness. This she won’t stand for anymore. Whatever comes next, no matter how intimidating or powerful, she will be ready to yet again prove that the Scarlet Witch is not so easily crossed.

[sweatergirlsposts]

Imagine being Bucky’s younger Sister, who Steve’s in love with, and being the original super soldier (Headcanon Part 2)

(Post Arctic crash)

You were in the command room when Steve went down with Schmidt's ship in the Arctic

“(Y/N), I know it seems like a bad time to ask but when I come back, save me a dance?” “Just as long as you’re not late Steve”  

You helped the original expedition for Schmidt's ship, with Howard Stark, seeing if you could at least recover a body to mourn over

You couldn’t properly express the grief you had for the two men you loved dearly with normal funerals 

On another expedition trip, without Stark, your ship was intercepted by a Hydra submarine 

You were captured and taken aboard while they shot down your ship, killing everyone else aboard 

That’s when the experimentation started 

Being the only super soldier to experiment on (to your knowledge), they extracted and tested your blood to recreate the super soldier serum 

They used your blood to easily transfer it into Bucky without even having to remove certain components of your DNA since you two were related

By 1970, Hydra had managed to torture and experiment on you with the access they had to the tesseract

To preserve the serum in your blood they would cryogentically freeze you like they had Bucky to your unbeknownst 

With the last experimentation in the 70’s, of merging you and the tesseract together, they had encapsulated and injected some of the energy into you

Whatever they did to the tesseract, you could feel on your end. Whether it be a small pinch to the feeling of your head exploding 

Eventually when undercover Hydra agents had to hand over the tesseract to Project PEGASUS, they could no longer torture and test you and just froze you until you could become of use again

One day in 1999 the power at the Hydra hideout had malfunctioned, rendering your cryogenic capsule useless and start to unfreeze you  

You escape to what seems like a general store with various bright lights and very colourful packages for foods and you try to steal some of it without realizing  

The gas station owner saw you stealing the snacks but not the usual way that he thought would happen, the snacks were levitating to you

The owner called the cops to come pick you up but it wasn’t the cops who came

You sat on the curb outside the establishment munching on your snacks when a pair of feet stood in front of you

“Ma’am, I’m gonna have to ask you to put down the Cheetos and come with me” “Who are you” “Director Fury of SHIELD” 

You were eventually caught up to speed on the year it was, your best friend Howard Stark’s death, and the status of Hydra 

For the next twelve years, you worked with SHIELD and continued your expedition for Schmidt's ship 

You were the first one aboard the ship because of your past knowledge of the craft and the one to find a frozen Steve

From then on, you were by Steve’s side through the thaw and him waking up

Steve immediately engulfs you with the biggest bear hug when you walk into the set up bedroom 

You explain to him how he was asleep for 66 years and how you too were frozen

What Steve is confused about was how you now only look to be his age instead of 10 years older

You explained to Steve that since the initial serum tests were on you and not him, that your aging process would be up to two times slower than his

You guys now go to therapy together over both your brothers death, the PTSD of the war, and the lapse in time

Steve lives with you in the apartment that SHIELD had given to you (different bedrooms of course) with all the stuff Howard Stark had kept from your old apartment since your disappearance  

You would get nightmares from the torture, visions of golden castles, and re-watch how your brother died

When you would start screaming, Steve would always come to make sure that you were okay 

Both of you were unable to sleep, so you would sit in the living room and listen to old records on your gramophone, talking about missing life when everything was simple

Steve sees this as opportunity to cheer you up, and stands up holding his hand out to you   

“May I have this dance” “You’re a little late” “Better late than never”

You took his hand and softly swayed in your living room like you were the only two in the world 

“If I may be so bold (Y/N), but may I kiss you” “I’ve been waiting to hear those words since forever ago”

Despite having so many admirers in the past, on both your parts post serum, this was both of your guys first kiss. A simple sweet kiss

The flow of space and time around you slowed down, as if you could control if you wanted to stay in this moment forever (;D). And you did 

Part 1

Part 3

Request by @witch-of-letters​

MASTERLIST

[jessefandomunited]

Things that would have made “ The Kid Who Would be King” one of my favorite movies!

So i know a small amount of you have actually seen this movie, I know one @raythecomputerart and other friends who i roped into watching this but i’m still makeing this because i watched it again today and i just need to get my ideas out there and don’t worry i’ll make it a keep reading so the people who don’t care can easily scroll past*spoiler warning*  (it’s really just a few little things this movie is really not bad)

I’m gonna try and make my list go in sequence with the movie itself to give it a bit of a rhythm and please comment if you guys think of anything good! here we go 

1)

 a) the problem:First off characters didn’t seem to have much depth. Alex did and that’s only because he was the main character, and even that wasn’t much. The main 4 characters were just kind of cookie cutter stereo types. Bedders was the loyal friend, nervous about getting into trouble. Lance was the bad bully that just wants to come out on top and betrays people, Kay was the lacky that just went along with what bully says. And they do try to give them hidden depths, Kay really doing a 180 when it came to the fighting and showed appreciation and actively tried to protect to Alex and Bedders. But without any context it’s hard to really get a grip on their character and because of that you just have three static characters thats’ morals seem loosy goosey .

b) My solution:  To counteract this i think it’s pretty easy honestly, pepper in scenes of each of their home lives. Instead of just focusing on Alex waking up late, spread it out. You can have that scene then cut to what goes on in each of their familys. Bedders mom is sick and because of that his dad is overprotective which makes Bedders on edge. Lauce who is brought up in a rich family, he gets whatever he wants and because of that he just aches for someone to try and test him so he can fight back. Maybe he has an older brother who picks on him, or a younger brother who idolizes him and that causes him to act out. With Kay maybe she had to grow up pretty quick, and while shes helping everyone in her house out all the time and constantly seeing how evil people are and how close friendships and family are the only people who you can trust, which is why she is Loyal to Lance but lapses back into protecting people when she sees the younger boys in real danger. Also having set up all this backstory ahead of time, it would have given them more specific insults and rebuttals to hurl at eachother when they have the big fight at the bog when Excalibur breaks. These are just small bits that could have been slipped in anywhere in the first part of the movie and would have made the characters more three dimensional.

2)

a) the problem:  My second issue is the tests that the villain is constantly throwing at the group. Each time that night falls the villain has an opportunity to strike. And it’s kind of the same thing ever time . Skeleton guys rise up and yell insults and the children, the children scream and run around a bit, then they get saved. It’s fine, but it doesn’t really do anything to put any depth into the plot aside from saying “ hey guys, it’s getting worse”. HEY WE KNOW IT’S GETTING WORSE !!! Obviously with every nightfall it gets closer to the eclipse, which is when everything goes to shit. That’s been established so can we make these attacks more character building exercises? And they did make an attempt they knew each childs weakness and instead of actually trying to use that against them they just kind of yelled their weakness at them and hoped that it would make them die or something. Plot twist, it didn’t.

b) The Solution:  This one i feel is even easier than the first one All you gotta do, is focus on one kid at a time. The first attack after Alex knights them doesn't count. That one was fine with the kids just kind of running around and trying to figure out how this all works. But after that i think there were three separate attacks, if you’re counting the trees and the fake final battle with Morgana. Honestly the best example of how this all could have played out is taken from one of my favorite tv shows “ My little pony friendship is magic”. The second episode they go into the woods to defeat Nightmare Moon and along the way each of the characters get an opportunity to show which trait or element of harmony they displayed. I know this doesn’t make sense if you havn’t seen the show so let me put it in terms of the movie. The first battle is the tree battle. This one I believe can stay the same Lance is the main person getting tested and is seduced to take the sword almost causing their deaths but in the end after a fight with Alex he finds the error of his ways and they all reconnect. The second attack could have even covered both Bedders and Kay. On one hand Kay could find herself in a situation that she realizes that shes not as smart or as experienced as she thinks she is (since her pitfall is being callow) and ends up needing the help of the others. At the same time Bedders could see that shes in trouble and have to stand up and take action (since his pitfall is being meek). Boom that’s two more characters tested and all you needed to do was change a little of the action scenes. Now for the fake final battle with Morgana i feel like we can go back to Lance. The movie really wants a lot of emphasis on the power dynamic between Alex and Lance and i feel like that could have been another way to test Lances allegiance. When Lance tells Alex to go while he fights off the tendrils or roots, Morgana could have come to him and been like, “ get me the sword Lance and i’ll give you all the power in the world.” Kind of a White Witch type of thing. And at one point Alex drops the sword and Lance picks it up and Alex is like “ throw it back.” ANd he just stands there and Morgana laughs “ yes my prince bring Excalibur to me” And at the last moment he gives it to Alex and he stabs her. This would solidify that there is no more bad blood between them while also building some tension. Now i know what you’re saying “ Oh what about Alex? Where is his moment to be tested?” It’s already in the movie. Because Morgana doesn’t actually die Alex is forced to confront his mother because he broke one of the Knights rules. Boom! Character development all over this place.

3)

a)The Problem: Alex's father. That’s it, onto the solution. Okay not quite i’m gonna talk more on it. The whole movie kind of bates at this build up about Alex meeting his father and him being like this cool wizard  guy or something, that turns out not to be the case and i love that, the execution was awful though. Having Alex meeting his fathers sister and not him was just stupid. With all the emotion that was suppose to be there , it kind of fell flat because his fathers sister was kind of blocking the direct confrontation. 

b) The Solution: This movie wanted to take on some darker themes , so show them in all it’s glory you coward! Have Alex roaming the street asking people about his father and people just laughing and saying the name of a pub. He finds it and is about to go in when his father is thrown out stumbling and rough looking. Alex is so happy to find him and anxiously tries to explain the situation but realizes he’s not who he thought he was. After he talks a bit his father stops him and is like “ did your mom send you to get me to pay child support? Because we agreed that i just go! I don’t bother her and she sends me you , thinking that soften me up, well it dosent . GET OUT OF HERE KID! I left for a reason, do you think i could ever do any good in your life?”  Just think of the emotion, the hurt look on Alex’s face when he realizes his father is a no good drunk and never wanted to see him at all. GEEZ ! The drama. But lets say they still wanted the sister to see him so she could call his mom. Then make the father dead. Have her drive Alex to the cemetery to see his headstone. Have Alex fall to his knees and cry over the father he never knew and the fact that he had been taught a lie. More character development, more emotion.

4) And the final point to be made, PUT IN MORE MERLIN!!! This movie spent all its good ideas and energy into Merlin i swear. Merlin is an incredibly strong characters with a major energy crisis issue which makes him a flawed yet interesting character, he is incredibly powerful, but only in small doses. If he was just powerful all the time he still would be an interesting character just because of the way the actor portrays him, but he would seem too over powered. 10 out of 10 for him but he wasn’t in it enough. Like i would have loved it if Merlin didn’t just vanish when he wasn’t low on energy, but stuck with the group and they had to protect him while he attempted to recharge. I just need a whole movie on merlin honestly! His character was great!

All in all i give this movie a 4 out of 10 stars. It is nice as just a happy little movie with not much depth and all the stars go to Merlin. Just kidding honestly all the actors in this movie were great it was just the whole plot line was a bit lack luster. I’d love to hear your opinions on it if you have seen it and what you think of the changes i’d make. Just let me know this was a ton of fun to write! And if you made it all the way through this, just know i love you for it!

[the-anime-void]

Madoka Magica - Partings (A Scenario)

So after watch Rebellion and feeling that it was entirely unresolved, I opted to come up with a scenario of what could come after, but not an actual full story.

I tried to keep with the feel and tone of the series, and I’m open to critiques and such:

After the events of Rebellion, life goes on in relative normalcy, Homura actually acts like a normal person rather than her true self for the most part, mostly because it’s less painful for a viewing audience.

However, as the team goes on hunting Wraiths and having a day to day life with each other, things slowly get more and more fractured. Sayaka, being unable to trust Homura because she remembers her being a Demon, begins drifting away from the group.

Kyoko is being pulled between Sayaka and Homura because on one hand she likes her friendship with Sayaka, but on the other she feels the need to stay close to Homura and look out for her from something. Kyoko is basically going to be Homura’s confidant, sort of like how she was in Rebellion, as Homura starts loosing her grip more and more and needs to converse with someone.

Mami is struggling with the idea that her friends are all breaking apart and has no idea what to do, she tries being forceful but that only makes the problems worse.

And as things get worse, Madoka’s feelings that things aren’t as they should be grow more and more, as they did at the end of Rebellion. It is also becoming increasingly more difficult for Homura to control this.

Everything reaches a head when Sayaka can no longer just stand by and attacks Homura head on. This results in pretty much all five of them fighting in order to get it all to stop.

Homura is holding back, because there’s still a piece of rationality inside of her, not wanting to hurt her friends, but also not wanting everything she’s done so far to break a part.

It does however when Homura goes full demon to protect Madoka from an attack by Sayaka. Sayaka does this knowing Madoka wouldn’t be hurt, but she would be able to see what Homura truly is.

This causes Madoka to fully awake into the Madokami once again and she and Homura disappear.

Far outside the cosmos, the two confront each other with Madoka attempting to reason with Homura, knowing that despite everything, she is still her friend.

Homura refuses, completely losing it at this point because it’s all over now, the two have to be enemies. But if that’s the only way they can stay together, by being in constant battle, Homura is willing to accept that consolation.

And so Homura goes on a full assault against Madoka. Madoka, of course, never fights back, only defends. She refuses to hurt Homura.

The battle rages and Homura comes out victorious. She prepares to make the final strike, planning to rewrite everything once again into the perfect paradise, just for her and Madoka.

But she can’t.

A voice is screaming in her head to look at what she’s done. The voice of the real Homura Akemi, buried deep inside of her. A voice that had been clawing in the back of her mind this entire time. 

Homura is faced that she had hurt Madoka like this, that she nearly killed her, all for her own sake, not Madoka’s.

She breaks down and the resulting despair causes another universe rewrite by itself, one that is a dark hellscape. 

However… Madoka comforts her, forgives her, even though Homura says that she isn’t worthy of it.

But Madoka loves Homura… and always will.

Homura laments this will still just happen again. She is this now, even in this momentary lapse of clarity, she will return to being a complete demon.

If only magical girls never existed… things never would have turned out like this.

This is when Kyubey appears finally, never being able to show up because of Homura. It gives an offer: To rewrite the universe so that the Incubators can keep making Witches and energy for the universe, but with their own species.

This is not a noble act, but a logical one: They are tired of dealing with humans who would haphazardly rewrite the fabric of reality not once but three times over. It is much simpler if they just handle it themselves.

Madoka is reluctant with the idea, but agrees as the situation does work best with everyone. Even if it erases so many wishes, the despair has truly come to outweigh them all if this outcome will continuously repeat itself.

The main catch is that since Magical Girls will have never existed, there will be no way for any memories to be retained.

Still, Homura and Madoka both promise each other to meet again in this new world, regardless of if they remember it or not, and so… the universe begins a new once again.

Back in Mitakihara City, Madoka prepares for her day, this time starting in summer so no school, but a day off with her friends, Sayaka and Hitomi. 

This can end one of two ways:

The first being on the way, Madoka sees Homura and the two stop and stare at each before both deciding to give a greeting.

Or, the two of them simply walking pass each other without either noticing.

[queen-susans-revenge]

The Briar-Bower

So I glanced out at the back yard this afternoon and realized I’ve created some kind of Blair Witch masterpiece back here. First, there’s the defunct chicken coop, still echoing after all these years with the memory of raccoon screeching and blood. You can just look at some buildings and know that a massacre happened there. (I’m so sorry, my fluffybutt girls.) A deeply haunted energy. Secondly, that vine-covered tree in the distance that fell over more than a decade ago and refused to die. It’s just growing on its side now, looking up at the blackberries and morning glories draped across it like “this is fine.” And if you go around to the other side it looks like this:

Oh that’s right my dudes, we (and by “we,” I mean Sam, but he did it because I asked him to) hacked back the briars just enough to create an awesomely spooky little tunnel into a secret world that looks like this:

See? That’s the tree that fell over. When we first moved in I envisioned this as a place for the boys to the play, a natural tree fort, but the truth is they spend almost no time there because they’ve got Fortnite and YouTube instead. I’m the one who likes to go out there and sit, because I find it a meditative and a magical place. A secret grove where the fae energy is strong as fuck. I dragged that bench in there, and put the little froggo statue at the tree’s roots, along with a birdbath. As decorations, or offerings.

As an offering to what? I dunno. I am an atheistic nature worshipper, a lapsed witch. It’s just an offering to life, mostly, because I’m super inspired by this mock orange tree that fell over and refused to die. And I love the little world that it created by continuing to flourish while having a bit of an extended lie-down. I come and fill up the bowl with water sometimes, though I also intentionally let it run dry in between, to keep mosquitoes from breeding there. It means something to me, though I couldn’t necessarily say what. In my head I’ve called this spot the Green Chapel, or sometimes the Briar-Bower. If you sit on the bench and look up over your head, it looks like this:

The big leaves are a fig tree that’s spilling over from the neighbor’s yard, and supporting some of the smaller vines as it does. I think sometimes about that song from Hamilton, about sitting under your own vine and fig tree. I mean it’s from the Bible. Everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid. But I think of it in Hamilton form, and I hum it a little bit sometimes, and usually by the time I come on out from under there, I feel comforted.

[hemogobbler]

Madame Razz’s Tea Party for Real Sad Lesbians

Thanks to @spop-prompts for this EXCELLENT idea: 

Madame Razz can be a bit kooky, but Adora finds that she enjoys the older woman’s presence and kindness, so she starts hanging out with her when she has the time. One day, Razz begins to talk about Mara, the woman whom Razz loved more than anyone else. As Adora listens to Razz tell her story, she can’t help but think of her own relationship with the person she loves...

Read it here or on Ao3!

Adora found that the best way to make Razz lucid again was to mention Mara. Razz’s eyes would grow bold, her posture would shift, and an easy smile would lift her cheeks.

She was one of the kindest people Adora knew. The butterflies that always danced around her like tiny white petals must have sensed this, and chose to stay in her radiant warmth. She was also one of the smartest, but given Adora’s selection of friends, that wasn’t saying a lot.

Adora felt wrong in probing the elderly woman’s weak spots for information, but she told herself that the fate of the world may depend on what she could learn about harnessing She-Ra’s power. Truthfully, Adora just couldn’t take another story about invisible talking animal companions that probably didn’t exist. She was much more interested in the idea of them.

“What was Mara like?” Adora made sure to speak a little louder and enunciate the name. “Outside of She-Ra, just… her?”

Razz leaned forward, and the chair she sat in, the floorboards of her house, and possibly also her bones, creaked. For how tired her body was, she spoke with all the energy of youth: she was eager and happy to have a listening ear, yet serene in her wisdom and only slightly touched with sadness.

“To be honest, my dear, I’m not so sure anymore. When my Mara was herself, it usually meant we weren’t doing so well. The war was constant in those days. The moments where I could simply be with her were rare… but we always made the most of them,” She gave a sly smile that went over Adora's head.

Adora nodded, understanding too well how a relationship comes crashing upon the rocks of war. She took a sip of the fragrant tea Razz made and felt her mind relax.

“My Mara was so tender. The safest place in Etheria was in her arms. Her friends were everything to her, and she made sure you knew it. I felt like she was beyond my reach - ‘out of my league,’ as the kids say? I asked her what she liked about me, and she said my eyes.”

Razz tapped her glasses with a finger, and Adora saw there were tears running under them.

“I was insecure like a silly young witch is, and she knew it. I don’t know how. Maybe I gave it away; I hated relying on these glasses when I had so much magical power at my fingertips! Stupid, I know. She took my glasses off; I closed my eyes; she kissed them, and put them back on. Now I can’t stand to be without them.”

Razz wiped her face with a hand, and with a finger traced one of her closed eyes. Adora stood up and went over to hand her a tissue. She knelt down in front of Razz and gently touched her leg. When Razz reopened her eyes, she was struck by the sight of Adora.

“And she was beautiful, just like you, Adora,” Razz took the tissue and dabbed her eyes. With her other hand, she held Adora’s in a remarkably tight grip. “You really do look like her, you know?

Adora nodded, the slightest pink emerging on her cheeks, “You’ve said.”

“Though my Mara didn’t quite have arms like that!” Razz patted Adora’s muscles and inspected them with glee. “If she had, I would have made a move a lot sooner! The princesses must be clinging on for dear life, and falling over their dresses to get to you!”  

They laughed, but Adora felt a wave of guilt strike her. She went back to her seat and took a generous amount of tea. She started to speak softly, but quickly realized she would have to increase the volume as Razz was not hearing any of it.

“Honestly, She-Ra does most of the work - she’s a real hit with the ladies. Everyone but the one I want, anyway.”

Razz’s eyes lit up at the words, a matchmaker hobbyist emerging in her old age.

“She hates She-Ra, she’s… I’m... just a symbol of betrayal to her. I’m a traitor in more ways than one. I should be breaking down the Horde’s walls to get her back!”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Razz looked pained. “Are they holding her prisoner?”

“What? No, she’s a Horde Force Captain.”

“Oh! My, how saucy!” Razz clasped her hands together in excitement. “That is quite a pickle, my dear!”

“Yeah… anytime I try to get closer to her she just pushes me away. Also, she tried to kill me.”

Razz’s eyes widened for a split second, but her grin was getting bigger.

“Ah, to be young again. Sounds like a passionate one.”

“Definitely. The Horde messed us up pretty bad, but she got the worst of it. I was supposed to be there for her, but She-Ra pulled me in one direction and the Horde pulled her in the other. Sometimes I think about what would’ve happened if I had stayed.”

“But you do not regret leaving?” Razz asked.

“No. I don’t. It feels awful: I want to regret it, but I don’t. A lot more people rely on me now, not just her. It’s like I’m sacrificing her for the world, but will the world be worth it without her?”

Razz shook her head, “It won’t. So save her as well. Good reason to fight, yes? Does she want the same as you?”

The rosiness returned to Adora’s cheeks, and she started running a hand through her hair.

“I - I don’t know. I think so? I hope so. Probably not... anymore. She’s a career girl now.”

“Well, this is the first step, my dear. You must find that out. Shared feelings engender mutual trust. Kids today rely too much on letters, pictures attached to arrows, truth-harvesting sorcery. Talk to her, Adora,” Razz took a long sip of tea, evidently proud of her work already.

“What if she doesn’t listen? If she doesn’t feel the same? What if I have to fight her?”

Adora was frustrated. Nobody understood the dynamics of her relationship with Catra, least of all herself. She thought herself a fool for expecting an easy answer from Madame Razz.

“Why would you fight her, Horde or no, if you belong together?”

“Pretty sure I mentioned that she tried to kill me?” Adora shivered, remembering the look on Catra’s face.

“Did she? Why? I know her not, but in a dependent relationship such as what you have described, why would she sever her one attachment to happiness?”

Various thoughts went through Adora’s head. Abandonment issues, an inferiority complex, a bluff, because ‘dependency was a weakness,’ and Adora’s personal favorite: just plain being a dumbass.

“...A momentary lapse of reason?” Adora concluded.

“Ah, yes, I have many of those! But the sun goes down and comes back up, and Loo-Kee tells me it is Thursday, and so we continue as normal!”

Adora’s mouth opened and closed, unable to find a suitable response. There was a point there, Adora supposed. She had fallen victim to Catra’s mindset, so alluring in our darkest days, that all is hopeless. But they were both alive, and Adora knew what day it was.

“Do you…” Adora began, hesitant to continue, “...Resent Mara for leaving you?”

Adora immediately regretted uttering the words. It felt as though she was forcing her baggage before Razz and twisting an old knife in an older wound.

“Not at all,” Razz was smiling. “My Mara did what she had to, and everything she could, for everyone, including myself. I am forever grateful to her. And besides, she is always with me.”

Madame Razz tapped her glasses again.

From that moment Adora felt a resolve bathe her heart in warmth. She’d fight for Razz and Mara, too. Peace would be their long-overdue legacy. Adora drew Razz into a deep, lingering hug, and heard her whisper Mara’s name. When they withdrew, Adora left a kiss on her cheek.

Adora threw a thumb over her shoulder, indicating to her back.

“Catra didn’t leave me with any nice souvenirs like that. Just scars all the way down.”

“My dear!” Razz exclaimed, nearly spitting out her drink. “The youth today are so racy! That is a story I’m going to need more tea for!”

Adora was glowing red and rushed out of the room to put the kettle on.

[signutai]

Surprised kiss and Eyelashes/Glasses for the kiss prompts !!

[ktarsims]

Updates of a Personal Nature

So... I’m glad everyone has been enjoying the series of WCIF posts I’ve been doing thanks to @justanothersimsblog jokingly wanting wcif on everything for the Witch House yard photos. ^-~

I’ve been enjoying making them and helping others find nifty Halloween decor.

However, concurrent to this, I’ve had my first serious possibility at going back to work, (two interviews in already with another hopefully final one on Monday), researching for the upcoming VOTE day coming up for us here in the USA on November 6th, and some other serious issues in the background.

Should I manage to get the job, I’ll have a lot less time for both Tumblr and Sims (at least to begin with, and probably for several months as I adjust to being back at work full-time).

Even if I don’t, there’ll likely be more interviews and such in the near future, so my available time and energy for doing all these things will become more scarce.

I’m not intending to disappear entirely, but it’s possible there’ll be lapses in my activity in the near future, so this is just a: Heads up advance notice for those who might notice if/when I fall inactive.

That said, while I have the time and energy, there’ll be more shots of the Witch House, both interior and exterior, and I’ll do wcif on new decor I’ve added (and on anything anyone specifically asks about).

[queen-susans-revenge]

I have a tree like this in the back yard! I love it! Here she is, my indefatigable girl:

Oh no, I'm sorry, you're confused? Please ignore that haunted decaying chicken coop in the foreground, still echoing after all these years with the memory of raccoon screeching and blood. You can just look at some buildings and know that a massacre happened there. (I’m SO sorry, my fluffybutt girls.)

No, I'm talking about that vine-shrouded lump in the background. You see, that's where a tree fell over more than a decade ago now, and simply refused to die. It’s just growing on its side now, looking up at the blackberries and morning glories draped across it like “this is fine.” And if you go around to the other side it looks like this:

Oh that’s right my friends, we (and by “we,” I mean Sam, but he did it because I asked him to) hacked back the briars just enough to create an awesomely spooky little tunnel into a secret world that looks like this:

See? That’s the tree that fell over. When we first moved in I envisioned this as a place for the boys to the play, a natural tree fort, but the truth is they spend almost no time there because they’ve got Fortnite and YouTube instead.

I’m the one who likes to go out there and sit, because I find it a meditative and a magical place. A secret grove where the fae energy is strong. I dragged that bench in there, and put the little froggo statue at the tree’s roots, along with a birdbath. As decorations, or offerings.

As an offering to what? I dunno. I am an atheistic nature worshipper, a lapsed witch. It’s just an offering to life, mostly, because I’m super inspired by this mock orange tree that fell over and refused to die. And I love the little world that it created by continuing to flourish while having a bit of an extended lie-down. I come and fill up the bowl with water sometimes, though I also intentionally let it run dry in between, to keep mosquitoes from breeding there. It means something to me, though I couldn’t necessarily say what.

HUGE fan of trees growing in places they should not reasonably be able to

[kittysblues]

Top 15 Albums of 2018

My favorite albums of 2018, arranged loosely and noncommittally. Numbers are aren’t real.

Hiragana Keyakizaka46 - Hashiridasu Shunkan will I ever be free from the cruel, clammy grip of aki-p

LOONA - ++ suddenly I like kpop

Maison book girl - Yume I feel like this album is Maison book girl reaching the full potential of their concept, a strange idol fever dream

There There Theres - BRICKS love these weird crow girls turned idols

ZOMBIE-CHANG - PETIT PETIT PETIT I wish I was as cool as ZOMBIE-CHANG

Soccer Mommy - Clean wish I was as cool as soccer mommy

Wakusei Abnormal - Watashi Wa Ikari De Dekiteiru the album title means “I am made of anger” and I feel like that says it all, a powerful return to form

Kinoko Teikoku - Time Lapse I like to listen to kinoko teikoku late at night when I really should be in bed and this album is perfect for that

Florence + the Machine - High As Hope Florence Welch makes me feel at one with nature. Like I can run away to the mountains and become a feared but respected forest witch

Hitsujibungaku - Wakamonotachi e this album is making me nostalgic for things that haven’t happened to me

Oomori Seiko - Kusokawa Party party at the end of the world, meet me at 4 am in the parking lot behind 7/11

Mitski - Be The Cowboy this album came into my house and punched me in the face

The Top 3:

Yoshizawa Kayoko - Joyuu Shimai Yoshizawa Kayoko is an actual angel come down to this sinful Earth, and her music is her gift to us. I think this is her most cohesive album to date. I love the concept, and it is executed near perfectly.

Togawa Jun avec Ohkubo Kei - Togawa Jun avec Ohkubo Kei Togawa Jun’s return to music has been one of the more surprising but welcome happenings of the last couple of years. Ohkubo Kei’s piano arrangements are beautiful, and Jun’s voice is so raw and full of emotion, this album hits me right in heart

Haru Nemuri - Haru To Shura I’m gonna sound like such an elitist snob for a moment but I need to say it: I knew Haru Nemuri before the youtube man. I saw her at a live house when there were like four other people there to see her! Okay, that out of my system, I am so so happy that she’s gotten so much well-deserved attention for this album! She has so much passion and energy and it comes through so well. I hope her momentum this year carries over into 2019, and that it also translates to more attention in Japan as well.

[weaselle]

Crazy Times, Chapter 6

Night time, clocked off from my last day of work for the week, only put in 13 hours today, about 56 hours this week. I’m tired and strange. I feel the power running through me like greyhounds on a track, but I can’t find a way to let it out; like my blood, it races around inside me and refuses to exit my fingertips and reorder reality. I think they must have installed some sort of precautionary energy clamp, like a cross between a power surge protector and a pair of manacles. I long for the key.

Nobody follows me, and I don’t have the energy to sustain the kind of intense paranoia that would allow me to deal with that if they did. Besides, I already know the government watches me through my computer and phone.  And of course the aliens are watching me from space. And the extra-dimensional beings watch me in my mind like it’s a kaleidoscope they can look through and see the same reality but broken up by the colored shapes tumbling through my skull. And the spirit world, they... check in on me. My mother’s ghost I’ve lost to the winds somewhere along the way, but the animals know me, and the sky sees me, and magic moves around me like a zephyr borne plume. Like a time lapse-garden; like a merry-go-round with all its horses free.

Oh good it’s Crazy Time. We’re going to talk about tin foil hats. We’re going to talk about spells, and what makes a witch, and my mysterious past.

In chapter one, I alluded to tin foil hats, and I said that they make it easier for the government to send you messages via radio waves. Now, I know I said it’s crazy time, and I know how the tin-foil thing I just said sounds, but let’s explore how thin the line is. The tin-foil thing is literally true, and, interestingly, it’s the exact opposite of what is believed by most tin-foil hat wearers.

This study by MIT researchers looked into the effect of tin foil hats on radio wave transmissions: ( https://archive.org/stream/OnTheEffectivenessOfAluminiumFoilHelmetsAnEmpiricalStudy/On+the+Effectiveness+of+Aluminium+Foil+Helmets+_+An+Empirical+Study_djvu.txt )

They did the experiment for the same reason I went looking for the study, and that was simply wondering “If crazy people are ‘crazy’ because they don’t subscribe to a common reality, why do a statistically high percentage of them have this same strange and specific tin-foil hat belief?”

And basically they were like, “people with that kind of paranoia mostly say the tin foil stops beams or waves of some sort, be it energy waves or cosmic waves, or alien beams or whatever; we can’t test for most of that, but radio waves are easy to test, and we can ‘beam’ them, let’s go with that.” So they made three physically distinct styles of tin foil hat, and they put them on receivers, and they aimed radio waves at them. And what they found was that of the three styles of hat they tested, they all interfered in the transmission of most of the radio waves by insignificant amounts. However, all three did noticeably STRENGTHEN the transmission of CERTAIN radio waves. But not just ANY radio waves. No no no. Just a small range buried in the chunk of bandwidth kept private for our government’s use.

I’m just going to leave that there for you to think about. Time For A Sleep

whoah. Okay, I’m, I’m everything is good. woke up, spaced, smoked, day off, why not, wandered a couple parking lots getting coffee and things I need. Going to the bank later, then maybe I’ll sit in the sauna. My muscles are all crampy. Maybe sleeping in the unfinished van and working 60 hours a week isn’t good for my body, who is to say.

It’s afternoon by now. I like to think of parking lots as deserts/oasis, and myself as nomadic, but I’m restricted to an area -- not even a route, but a literal geographical location, because of my job, and that’s making it a very different lifestyle. Less the adventure I’m looking for, more a grind. Still, I have to stick it out, my goals are worthy.

I want to make a coat of arms for the Duchess and put it on as a removable (magnetized) faux business logo, to help disguise her in parking lots.

Tomorrow I get to see my dog, Badger. I miss him so much. Today I want to get too fucked up to think or feel, I am exhausted and kind of ...sad? I have some chores like cleaning out the van and re-doing the velcro window covers, and doing basic social maintenance with the people in my life, and then I am going to find a movie theater playing something nice and distracting and go see if I can get too high to remember it later. JFC I feel like the tower in a Jenga tournament.

You know, like I’ve already broken apart and fallen so many times and here I am balanced precariously yet again with pieces being pulled out from under me.

Anyway. Next chapter I’ll do more “magic and mystery”, once I get myself over this lump of “tragic and misery”. Hmm. perhaps a poem soon

[centeris2]

Scott was still adjusting to how Rebecca’s horses seemed… different. All the girls’ horses seemed different for that matter, maybe smarter was the word for it. He knew it had to do with their magic, though the details were fuzzy. Something about Aideen’s Blessing. Whatever it was, it meant Dawn didn’t need any instructions. Rebecca just told Dawn where to go and Dawn took him to the bangalow.

It wasn’t a good thing, not with the thoughts coming back.

The bangalow. Rebecca had told the others, they were probably waiting there for him.

He didn’t want to see them. He didn’t want to be reminded.

Dawn snorted and tossed her head, waiting for him to dismount. They had reached the bangalow a few minutes ago but Scott had remained stiff and motionless in the saddle.

He recognized the other horses grazing around the house, though he wasn’t sure of their names. So many horses, so many names. There was a grey one he was pretty sure was Saga, Justin at least was easy with only two horses. And Lisa with Starshine. But the other girls had so many, how did they keep track?

He couldn’t tell if Connie or Tor were here since they didn’t ride. Ydris was always a toss up, sometimes he brought his horse but usually he left Zee at the circus. Something about magical time bubbles that Scott never understood.

But Justin was definitely here, as well as the girls. Except Rebecca, wherever she went to.

The palomino mare stomped a hoof, encouraging Scott to get off.

Out of habit Scott knocked on the door and waited a moment, listening to the noises inside. Sounded like they were just waking up, it wasn’t too long after dawn after all. He let himself in, satisfied he wouldn’t get a shoe thrown at him.

He didn’t see his stuff anywhere, but the main room was set up for sleepover mode. Which meant all the cushions had been taken off the chairs and couches and put on the ground to make an impromptu bed. Anna, Connie, Tor, and Justin were all piled on the floor, Louisa and Lisa had the bed, and Ydris was sitting at the table, apparently not sleeping.

“Mornin’!” sleepy voices greeted Scott as the group began to wake up. Some of them at least.

“Where’s my shit?” Scott grumbled, sitting at the table with Ydris.

“Pick a card,” Ydris said with a grin, displaying a deck of cards in a flourish.

“Fuck off,” Scott hissed but grabbed a card anyway. He wasn’t surprised when he saw his shit on the card.

“Easier to carry,” Ydris said with a shrug, not taking offense.

“How are you?” Justin asked, getting up and walking over to Scott.

“Don’t,” Scott snapped, jerking away from Justin and glaring at him. Justin was not as good at brushing off the hostility as Ydris.

“Scott…” Justin tried again, reaching for him.

“Don’t!” Scott shouted, slamming his fist on the table, “don’t FUCKING touch me!”

“Whoswha-?” Lisa jerked up, the noise startling her awake. Louisa patted her on the head and gently pushed her back down.

“Scott, we’re baking you a feel better cake when we’re awake,” Louisa informed him, staying on the bed. It was cuddle time and Scott was being a grump.

“I don’t want any fucking cake,” Scott grumbled, rubbing his face, “and how do I get my shit out of this fucking card?”

“Then what do you want, little one?” Ydris asked. Justin sat back down on the makeshift bed, watching Scott.

“I want my shit!” Scott snarled. With a snap from Ydris the card in Scott’s hand shimmered and flashed, all of Scott’s belongings from the toolshed appearing on the floor. Connie lifted his head, confused about waking up next to a computer.

“Happy?” Ydris asked, not surprised when Scott groaned and covered his face with his hands.

“I’m angry,” Scott muttered.

“At your family?” Justin asked from the floor.

“At you!” Scott’s accusation made them all look at him, bewildered.

“At Justin?” Louisa asked for clarification.

“All of you! Carpet munching faggots!”

That caused an uproar of shock and insult.

“I was perfectly fine before I met you guys!” Scott continued, shouting and standing and jerking his head back and forth to glare at everyone, “but no you disgusting fucks did something to me! I was normal and you all ruined my life!”

“Now that’s some internalized homophobia,” Louisa muttered with a wince.

“Shut up fucking lesbitch!”

There was silence before:

“Dude.” “RUDE.” “That was uncalled for!” “Apologize. Now.” “Scott!” “You need to apologize!”

“Apologize?! For what!” Scott demanded, “I’m a fucking Buttergood! I don’t apologize for SHIT! And you can all go to fucking hell for all I care! Whatever fucking queer witch magic you did to me I want undone!”

“We didn’t do anything to you, dumbass!” Anna snapped, not happy to be woken up to this.

“Well I wasn’t- I’m not a- This is all your fault! None of this would have happened to me if it weren’t for any of you!”

“None of us suggested you should fuck guys,” Anna snorted, crossing her arms and glaring at him from the floor.

“I-”

“Are you going to talk to us or are you going to keep yelling?” Justin interrupted, “if you’re going to be an ass I have better things to do, like breakfast.”

“But-”

“Oh breakfast! We should make something!” Anna said, now ignoring Scott’s fussing like he was a toddler throwing a fit.

“Weren’t we going to do pancakes?” Louisa asked, getting out of bed followed shortly by Lisa.

“What-”

“I can make-” Ydris began before Louisa cut him off.

“No! I want to make them, not conjure them!” Louisa stopped Ydris.

“The fuck! What is wrong with you people!?” Scott screamed, “why are you ignoring me?!”

“Because you’re being an ass, duh. When you grow up and apologize and talk things out like a mature adult we’ll enjoy pancakes together and talk,” Anna snorted, following the other girls to the kitchen.

“Like a- I am a man! I don’t need this disrespect!” Scott demanded, stomping his foot for emphasis.

“Eesh, you sound like Junior,” Justin muttered, noticing Scott’s face go grey.

“I am not-! Don’t you fucking ever! EVER! Compare me to him!” they realized they had hit close to the real issue as Scott stomped over to Justin.

“I am NOT like that- that- monster! That fucking sadist creep!” Scott continued, hate and rage boiling over inside, “that fucking jackass jealous bastard son of a monster! He deserves to rot in hell! I’ll fucking send him to hell myself! I’ll make sure he regrets ever fucking TOUCHING me! He and his precious daddy, I’ll rip them apart! I’ll make them fucking beg for death! Oooh I’ll destroy them, ruin them and everything they’ve ever given two shits about! They want me to be a Buttergood I’ll be the fucking best Buttergood there ever was! They’ll never question my manliness or strength again! Not when they are chained and broken and begging for merciful death!”

Now they all had a feeling there was some resentment in Scott over what happened, and Buttergoods were known for nasty tempers, Scott grew up trying to survive it and learn to control his. But watching him pace and twitch as he ranted about how he was going to murder his brother and father was more than they expected.

The door clicked open, Rebecca coming in.

“And you!” Scott snarled, turning on her when he heard her enter, “you can stay the fuck away from me!”

Rebecca blinked and closed the door, looking at the others and asking, “so how is it going?”

“He was talking about how he was going to murder his brother and father,” Ydris said cheerily.

“They deserve it! They deserve to die over and over again! And you’re the reason this whole mess started! Stay away from me or else I’ll make you pay!” Scott threatened, Rebecca not minding as she dug a jar out of her bag and showed it to him.

“You think some fucking honey will make it all better!?” Scott demanded.

“It’s Pamela’s honey,” Rebecca said matter-of-factly.

“Who fucking cares!”

“I bought all of it.”

“Why the fuck does that matter?!”

“Valdemar is out of honey. Pamela won’t have more for at least a week.”

Scott, despite it all, snorted. The sheer pettiness of it was amusing to him, and he barked a laugh. The laughter continued until he could barely breath as he imagined how much trouble Junior would be in and how angry Valdemar would be. And then he was crying. Before he could stop it he was gulping air and rubbing his face and swearing that no he was a man and men don’t cry men don’t show weakness he was not weak Buttergoods can’t be weak.

He didn’t know when he fell to his knees, weeping into his hands. He didn’t know who tried to touch him on the shoulder only to pull away when he jerked and cried out in pain, begging to be ignored, don’t look, don’t watch, don’t see, don’t touch, please don’t touch, he couldn’t bear to be touched. Not when he wanted to burn his skin off and remove every part of him that Junior had touched. Whatever it took to make him feel clean again.

With a bit of work his friends wrapped him in a blanket, Scott didn’t seem bothered by fabric touching him, and got him to the bed. With a bit of magic from Ydris the area around the bed dimmed, letting Scott zone out in a softer light. He lapsed into silence, numb.

While breakfast was being made Lisa sat near the bed, quiet and casting waves of soothing energy over Scott.

The smell of eggs and syrup, among other prominent breakfast scents, coaxed Scott back to awareness. He was immediately hit by guilt and embarrassment.

“Wakey wakey,” Lisa said as she stood, sensing as he became alert once more. Scott felt his face burn, what he had said to Louisa? Something awful, though now he couldn’t remember the details. He said so many awful things…

“Scott, you want eggs?” oh god of course it was Becca. He winced at her soft voice. When had she come over to him?

“Uh, n-no, I’m fine,” he muttered, not turning to look at her.

“Can you try to eat something? I’ll feel better knowing you have some food in you,” she asked.

“Yeah…” he murmured, rolling over but keeping his face down. How could he look at any of them?

“Feeling better?” Justin called, Scott wincing again at how nice the voice was.

“Yeah,” Scott said as he sat up, watching Rebecca as she walked away. They were setting up breakfast on the cushions, Ydris making floating tables because of course he was.

“I, uh, can I,” Scott stammered, feeling very self conscious and unwelcome. All he could do was stare down at his feet, how manly and strong of him. He closed his eyes, trying to banish those thoughts. Manliness and strength and never showing weakness was how his family had turned into the nightmare that it was. It’s how he had grown up into a husk of a human, feeling nothing but anger and bitterness.

He was broken from his thoughts by a tissue appearing in front of him, making him look up, surprised it was Connie offering him the tissue.

“Won’t you join us?” Connie asked with a smile. Scott nodded and accepted the tissue, wiping his face and blowing his nose. He had a pounding headache from all the crying, and felt lightheaded when he stood up.

“I’m sorry,” Scott admitted when the lightheadedness passed, “what happened wasn’t the fault of anyone here, and taking it out on you was… a dick move. I don’t deserve- I said such horrible things, I’m- I’m just as bad as-” he stammered, trailing off as guilt and panic set in.

“None of that,” Connie stopped him and gestured, “come on, sit with us!” Connie beckoned as he returned to the cushions.

“But I-!” Scott started, looking up and seeing Louisa, “oh fuck, Louisa I’m so sorry, that was- god I was awful to all of you, I-”

“And you apologized, you’re already a better person than those dicks,” Louisa interjected, trying to put his mind at ease, “now come,” she patted the cushion she was sitting on.

Scott hesitantly approached, wary.

“We’ll avoid touching you until you are comfortable with it, okay?” Rebecca promised. Scott made to sit down before he realized he hadn’t washed his hands after sobbing like an infant.

“Be right back!” he promised, dashing into the kitchen to wash his hands and face.

“Glad you are recovering,” Tor murmured his relief to Scott before he left the kitchen with the last plate of food.

“So am I,” Scott whispered. He didn’t feel better. He was still so angry at his family and at himself. But he could forget that, just for a bit, with his friends.

Once he was cleaned up he returned to his friends, joining them on the ground, taking a plate and helping himself to the food. There was still a lot of things to figure out, like what he was going to do now and where he was going to live, but for now it was just good food with better friends.

[musicprincess655]

Youichi thought he, Ryou, and Miyuki had found some sort of truce after a few months of coexisting, but that all went to shit when he heard a crash from the living room, and raised voices. He sprinted out just in time to see Ryou throw a small ball of energy at Miyuki.

It shouldn’t have been enough to cause damage, shouldn’t have been more than the equivalent of a rough shove. But Miyuki cowered away, covering his head with his arms. Youichi finally managed to plant himself between the two of them.

“Enough!” he shouted. “Ryou-san, back off.”

“But…”

“Now!”

For once, Ryou actually listened. With more room to breathe, he turned to Miyuki.

“Are you okay?”

“I can’t be here right now,” Miyuki said, shaking off the hands Youichi had put on his shoulders. His eyes looked wild and trapped. “I have to get out of here.”

“Go to Sawamura and Masuko’s,” Youichi said. He didn’t think Miyuki was listening to him. “Hey! I mean it. You’re upset, I don’t want you wandering around by yourself. Sawamura and Masuko are the closest. I’m texting Sawamura that you’re on your way, and if you’re not there in the next thirty minutes he and Masuko are gonna come looking for you.”

He hoped he’d gotten his point across, because Miyuki was quick to leave after that. He rounded on Ryou, who looked a little subdued.

“What the fuck?” he demanded. “I know you’re frustrated, and arguing with Miyuki fixes that for some reason, but you crossed a line. I don’t care what you think your excuse is, he has done nothing to deserve that level of retaliation.”

Ryou didn’t have anything to say in response to that.

“I’m leaving,” Youichi said, but groaned when he felt the bond tugging at him. “And it appears you’re coming with me. Get your ass in gear. We’re going to get your damn chicken.”

As a demon, even though he could eat regular food, Ryou needed more to stay alive. He’d pointed out that Youichi was going to have to feed him. He couldn’t exactly make sacrifices to himself, and his only other alternative was finding another human soul, which would probably be complicated by the bond, anyway.

So Youichi had been picking chickens up from a farm outside the city from a woman named Tamano. She gave him a discount since she didn’t have to bring the chicken to market, and he valued the weekly trips as his only escape from the hot mess that was his life right now. It was weird that they were when he felt the most normal, considering it involved spending an hour riding a train with a chicken, but at least he got to be alone with his thoughts, and the worst the chickens ever did was cluck at him.

He didn’t even have that right now, and Ryou was kind of the last person he wanted to talk to. It sucked that when they most needed space from each other, they couldn’t get away. He needed a minute to himself to stop being furious at Ryou for going after Miyuki, even if it hadn’t been an attack that would’ve done any harm. It was still crossing a line, especially because it was Miyuki.

He tried to calm himself down by thinking of something else, ignoring that Ryou’s shoulder was pressed into his by necessity. For some reason, he started thinking about the first time he’d sacrificed a chicken for Ryou.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Ryou asked.

“How hard is it to kill a chicken?” Youichi countered. He gripped his knife tighter. “And I just have to dedicate it to you?”

Ryou nodded.

“It’s nice when it comes with burning of the chicken, too, but that’s impossible if you insist on eating that for dinner,” he said.

“Can’t waste perfectly good food,” Youichi said. “This killed my grocery money for the week.”

Enough stalling. He raised the knife.

“Alright, to whoever this is supposed to concern, I dedicate the life of this chicken to Ryou-san,” he said. Ryou rolled his eyes. It wasn’t elegant, but it counted. He brought the knife down on the chicken’s neck.

He wasn’t expecting it to jerk around so much, spraying him with blood. He definitely didn’t expect it to get shit all over his shoes.

Ryou, however, seemed to have expected that, because he started laughing at Youichi’s disgusted face. Youichi shuddered. Gross.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s just get this thing cooked.”

They were lucky enough not to pass any neighbors on their way up to the apartment. Youichi had to make Ryou open the door, since his hands were full of dead, bloody chicken.

Miyuki was passing the door on his way into the kitchen. His eyes widened when he took in the sight of Youichi and Ryou and the dead chicken. Youichi held it up.

“Help?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Come on, you’re supposed to be the good cook,” Youichi begged.

“I can cook cleaned chicken breasts,” Miyuki said, lip curling a little in disgust. Which, fair. The chicken was pretty gross-looking. “We have these great things called grocery stores. I’ve never butchered a chicken before.”

Maybe Youichi’s helpless look made Miyuki take pity on him for once.

“Look, get it cleaned and deboned and I’ll do the rest,” he sighed. “And don’t come out of the genkan. Get that out of here before you get blood on the floor.”

“He’d probably just get chicken shit on the floor,” Ryou offered helpfully. Miyuki looked like he was reconsidering the option of cursing them both into oblivion.

“Out.”

Okay, so he was kicked out of his own apartment with a dead chicken. This was fine. His phone had internet, he could just look up how to clean a chicken. It couldn’t be that hard, right?

He was interrupted by a throat clearing. He looked up to see their elderly neighbor giving his bloody clothes a judgmental look. He slapped on his best please don’t report me to the landlord look.

“Evening, Fuwa-san,” he said, turning on the charm.

“You know you have to hold the chicken down until the muscle spasms stop, right?” she asked.

“I figured that out, yes.”

She gave him a long look. Youichi tried not to squirm. She was definitely going to report them to the landlord, and there was no way he was getting his security deposit back.

“Come on, then,” she finally sighed. “You can borrow my sink, and I’ll show you how to clean that.”

“What?”

“Today, Kuramochi-kun. I’m not getting any younger.”

Fuwa-san had shown him how to defeather, clean, and debone a chicken. Defeathering had become Ryou’s job, and it looked like he had fun ripping feathers out. Fuwa-san allowed him to use her sink to clean up his chickens, as long as he gave her the feet, bones and innards. He didn’t ask about her brujería shit and she didn’t ask about his.

Thinking about something else had calmed him down, but he still wasn’t really in the mood to talk to Ryou. To his credit, Ryou hadn’t tried to start a conversation, tucking himself as far away from Youichi as the bond would let him get. They spent the hour’s train ride in silence, only breaking when Youichi said “this is our stop” and settling right back in as they walked to Tamano’s farm.

The thing about Tamano was that it was really hard to stay mad around her. She was a bright, smiley woman whether Youichi was in the mood to smile or not, and it was infectious. Youichi could feel his shoulder muscles loosening as he waved to her. She grinned, eyes focusing in on Ryou.

“Is this your pet demon?” she asked. Ryou looked at Youichi with a dangerous smile.

“You call me your pet demon?” he asked, voice dripping with poison.

“No, he doesn’t, but he’d much rather call you something else,” Tamano said, wiggling her eyebrows. Youichi wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Just what he needed after everything else – Tamano telling Ryou about his very unfortunate crush.

He knew it was stupid. He knew it wouldn’t go anywhere. He knew he was walking directly into heartbreak. And he still had this big, dumb, unfortunate crush on Ryou.

It wasn’t like he could help it. Not only was Ryou ridiculously attractive, almost as if he’d tailored his appearance to appeal directly to Youichi’s tastes, but his personality was intriguing and attractive in equal parts. He had a dry sense of humor, and could be savage as hell with his wit, and if he’d been human, Youichi probably would’ve been willing to go to jail for him.

He was probably willing to go to jail for him anyway.

And he’d thought Tamano was someone safe to vent to about his unfortunate, doomed crush, but it appeared he’d made a grave mistake.

Luckily, Tamano gave them the chicken and waved them happily on their way, with only a whispered he’s a cutie to Youichi to make him blush. They lapsed back into silence on the train, sitting with the chicken between them.

After almost thirty minutes of silence, Ryou finally spoke up.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt him,” he said. Youichi turned to look at him. He was looking out the window, face mostly hidden from Youichi. “Haruichi and I do that to each other all the time. It wouldn’t have hurt him. I wasn’t trying to hurt him.”

Youichi sighed. He did owe Ryou an explanation, because while he’d crossed a line by escalating to a magic attack, for anyone else, it was a forgivable breach.

“This isn’t entirely my story to tell, so if you want details, you can ask Miyuki yourself,” he said. “But the general story is that some assholes in middle school bullied him, and they used chaos magic to attack him. He’s still a little weird about chaos magic now.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Other than middle school kids just being shits?” Youichi asked. Ryou shrugged, but he was actually facing Youichi now, and this felt a little like reconciliation. “A lot of witches like to think they’re better than familiars because we have high power levels. They forget that we need familiars a lot more than familiars need us. Miyuki didn’t exactly help the situation by mouthing off whenever those kids messed with him, although that’s still no excuse for attacking him.”

Ryou nodded.

“I know you’re not happy here,” Youichi went on. “I’m sorry, and I know that doesn’t make you any less bound, but I’m sorry anyway. I’m going to make sure you’re not hungry, and I won’t stop looking until I find a way to unbind you. So just…lay off Miyuki. None of this is his fault, and he’s doing his best with the situation. Take it out on me if you have to take it out on someone.”

“Can we practice for the coven battles more?” Ryou asked. “It’ll…it’ll feel better to do something. I feel like I’m just sitting on my ass, and I’m not getting anywhere.”

“Yeah,” Youichi promised. “We should be working on combos more, anyway. We have to be able to play off each other.”

They sat in silence, letting the apology sink in.

“Buh gok,” said the chicken. Youichi couldn’t help the smile that sprung to his face, and before he knew it, he was laughing his head off, Ryou shaking with silent, suppressed laughter beside him.

Nothing about this situation was okay. But maybe it could be. Youichi could hope for things to get better, and maybe they would.