#I’m skipping Isabella too

[he11swinter]

Three things (first off thank you so much for the last ask it was a blessing)

1 I have a song I want to show you that I believe fits Isabella, George and Jimmy but can't decide which one I should draw/animate to

2 This is a fic my friend is writing for a collage class (I'll maybe send a doc if I get permission and you want to read) but it's basically Horace and Dana bonding with Horace being the first guy to not stare lustful at Dana or harm her in anyway while she's not scared of his appearance so the two find some sort of ground to step on and open up together. She said she's trying to write it in a way that Horace will wonder if he would ever had a life with her in it if they were alive (cause we argue what years these two are from cause there's literally NO HINT in clothes/items that help unlike the others)

3 As promised I want to a somewhat happy ask, What are you headcanons of the ghost being "imaginary friends" for some kid? It's a known fact for children to have friends no one else sees as well as it known a chance is the friend is actually a spirit or ghoul. I like to picture George was the most happy to be a little kid's friend since he was a dad before death

You’re so welcome! It was fun, and thank you so much for this one! Pleeeease keep ‘em coming! :D

My vote is George for the song, because he had the revenge arc. The energy feels most like him, maybe? (I want to see the art/animation when it’s done, sounds exciting.)

If you wanna send me stories feel free! I don’t always get to them (I’m not much of a fanfic reader, maybe just quick things) but I certainly try. 😁

As for the times Dana and Horace lived, I THINK there were newspaper clippings in Damon’s shop that hinted or even gave dates, if that helps. I’m almost certain Dana died in the mid-late 90s, making her the second newest ghost after Jean. I always imagined Horace dying earlier, but not by too far. The scrapyard shut down at his death, right? I think…!? What was left of the car models could date him if so, and if identified, but I’m not a car person. 😂

Now see, THIS is adorable. I’m sure George would be a great imaginary friend to a kid, and one that would freak the parents out every time the child referenced him. He’d certainly be the best at the job, too, because…

Billy: He’d be a bossy jerk. Imaginary friend? More like imaginary bully, making them do what he wants and play exactly how he plays all the time. (Cowboys and Indians, of course.) He’d criticize them and do things the kid would get in trouble for constantly. Good luck to them trying to explain their imaginary friend did it… :/

Jimmy: I think he’d be uncomfortable. He doesn’t hate kids, he just doesn’t understand them and thinks they can be kind of irritating. He doesn’t enjoy explaining everything while they ask, “Why, why, why?” over and over. Like, “Why do you roll your head around instead of wearing it?” and he’d be like, “Jeez…”

Susan: She likes kids! Remember her with Bobby? Her favourite game to play with kids is see if she can startle them into tears. It’s great fun (for her). Evidently she’s not very responsible.

Royce: Royce doesn’t want to babysit, and that’s all that’s coming to me right now. Maybe somehow he could warm up to them, however, and treat them like a little brother or sister? (Sometimes I headcanon he had one, but I’ll save that explanation for another day because I did get an ask about it.)

Dana: No tender feelings towards the little gremlin at all; she just wants everyone to leave her the heck alone and stop staring. Frankly, the kid would be in some danger potentially.

Margaret and Harold: They don’t want to hang out near kids, either. Margaret only loves and has time for her son, and Harold would get outrageously jealous anyway.

Ryan: Oh gosh, he’s so unpredictable even to himself. There’s no way in hell he’d be comfortable around a child, but I’m in love with the idea of him gritting his teeth through it and then secretly growing fond. I think there would have to be a certain degree of himself he sees in them in order to be curious and connect; Ryan’s one to seek out familiarity.

Horace: Horace would kick the child. I’m sorry, there’s no hope.

[nickeverdeen]

Behind Closed Doors | Hazel Callahan x fem!reader

Pairings: Hazel Callahan x fem!reader (romantic), PJ x fem!reader (younger sister), Isabel x fem!reader (platonic), Isabel x Hazel (platonic), PJ x Hazel (platonic)

Type of fic: Romance, Character Development, Tiny Hurt/Comfort, Drama

Warnings: None (I think?)

Summary: You and Hazel have been dating for some time and she never preassured you to become public as you weren’t ready to come out, but how does it change when Isabel finds out about you two?

Tag List: @callsignwidow

—————————

You joined the fight club reluctantly, more out of curiosity and a desire to stay close to Hazel than anything else. The whole idea was insane—punching people to get back at the football team—but PJ was all in, and that meant you were too, to some extent. Besides, Hazel had been so excited about it, and you couldn't resist the way her eyes lit up when she talked about the club.

Hazel didn’t know, but that was one of the many reasons you fell for her.

It was risky being together, especially since you hadn’t come out yet, but Hazel was understanding. She never pushed you, and that patience only made you fall deeper. However, keeping it a secret, especially from PJ, was getting harder. Especially when you both ended up at the same places, like the fight club.

Your eyes always found Hazel, checking if she was okay after each sparring match, wincing when she took a hit. It was a miracle no one had noticed yet. Well, except maybe Isabella. She had a sharp eye, and recently, you’d noticed her glancing at you during the club meetings, her brows furrowing slightly when you got too concerned about Hazel. But she hadn’t said anything—at least not yet.

Today, you arrived at the gym earlier than usual. The place was empty, save for a few stray mats on the floor. Hazel was already there, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, lost in thought.

"Hey," you greeted softly as you approached her, immediately noticing a bruise on her arm from the last session. "How are you feeling? That last fight looked rough."

Hazel shrugged with a small smile. "I’m fine. Just a bruise or two."

You frowned, gently reaching out to trace the edge of the darkened skin. “You should be more careful, you know. This isn’t exactly safe.”

“I know,” Hazel replied, her voice softening as she looked at you. “But it’s worth it... being here with you.”

You couldn’t help but smile at that, feeling warmth spread through your chest. Hazel had a way of making you feel special, of making you forget the fear of being found out. And when you looked into her eyes, you saw something that made your heart skip a beat—complete adoration. It was as if she still couldn’t believe that someone cared about her like this, that someone wanted her.

Your fingers moved from her arm to her hair, playing with the soft strands. Hazel closed her eyes, leaning into your touch. Leaning in, you kissed her, your lips meeting hers gently. It wasn’t hurried or desperate, just a tender moment of connection that made the world outside the gym fade away.

When you pulled back, Hazel was smiling softly, her eyes half-lidded in contentment. You stayed like that for a moment, just enjoying each other’s presence, when suddenly you heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind you.

You froze, your heart leaping into your throat as you turned around, eyes wide with fear. Isabel stood there, her arms crossed, watching you with an unreadable expression. You hadn’t even heard her come in.

Panic gripped you, and you stepped back, your mind racing. You weren’t ashamed of being with Hazel—far from it—but the idea of people finding out before you were ready terrified you. Your breath quickened, and you found yourself stuttering, trying to find the right words but coming up short.

Hazel, seeing your distress, stepped forward, taking your hand in hers. “Isabel,” she started, her voice steady, “before you say anything, let me explain.”

Isabel raised an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt. Hazel squeezed your hand, giving you a reassuring look before continuing as she explained everything carefully.

Isabel’s gaze softened slightly as she listened, and you could see the wheels turning in her head. She let out a small sigh, then looked at you, her expression more understanding than you expected.

“I get it,” she said finally. “Secrets are tough. But if you’re worried about me telling anyone... I won’t. It’s not my place.” She paused, then added with a smirk, “But you two aren’t as subtle as you think. It’s kinda obvious when you start freaking out every time Hazel takes a hit.”

You blushed, but a small smile tugged at your lips. Hazel chuckled softly beside you, her thumb brushing over your knuckles. The tension in your chest began to ease, replaced by a sense of relief.

“Thanks, Isabel,” Hazel said, her tone sincere.

Isabel shrugged, her smirk softening into a genuine smile. “No problem. But seriously, be careful. Both of you.”

The three of you talked for a bit longer, Isabel asking a few questions about how long you’d been together and how you managed to keep it a secret. Hazel answered most of them, her calm demeanor helping you find your footing again. Eventually, you joined in, feeling more at ease as the conversation continued.

By the time the others started arriving, you felt more confident. Isabel had promised to keep your secret, and you believed her. You and Hazel waited for your turn to spar, standing close but not touching—at least not in a way that would give anything away.

But as the session went on, something clicked and you moved behind Hazel, wrapping your arms around her waist and resting your chin on her shoulder. She leaned back into your embrace with a contented sigh, and you placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Whatever fears you had about coming out were still there, but they didn’t seem as overwhelming now. Hazel had been right all along—it was worth it. And as you held her close, surrounded by people who would understand, you felt a sense of peace you hadn’t expected.

For now, this was enough.

[hollow-pocket]

[CW: this is a hunger kink story. contains painful hunger and accidental meal skipping. character is able to eat at the end]

[this is about my OCs Gracie and Isabella who I hope to do more with later :)]

Gracie sat down at her desk, relieved that she’d made it to work on time. Her alarm hadn’t gone off, and she’d been worried she would be late enough to get reprimanded by her boss, who, while nice, was an absolute monster about punctuality.

She opened the incoming file folder on her desk and booted up her computer. Gracie didn’t look like the type to enjoy bureaucracy—all heavy eyeliner, black clothes, and chains, not to mention she was a big woman, six feet tall and wider than most—but she loved it. The completion of the tasks satisfied her, and she was good at it.

She reached forward to get her computer monitor adjusted to her preferences, and as she pushed her arm forward it made her stretch from fingertip to hips. Her stomach, having been curled over protectively by her bad posture, took the opportunity of the new space to grumble gently.

Gracie winced, bringing her hand back to rest on it. Of course, being nearly late she hadn’t had time to eat breakfast.

It was just one skipped meal though, nothing she couldn’t handle.

Her boss, Ivan, came to check up about an hour later. “Hey Gracie,” he said, examining the pile of papers on her desk. “How’s it going? Lots to do today?”

She shrugged. “Not too much, that’s actually the finished pile.”

He raised an eyebrow, impressed. “Well, you’re flying through this. If you finish early and Diane says there’s nothing else to do you can head out, it’s a pretty slow day today.”

Gracie thanked him happily. Isabella’s commute was shorter than hers, meaning her girlfriend would already be home when she got back and they’d be able to spend more time together.

Just then, Gracie’s neglected stomach pushed in on itself again, aching painfully beneath her ribs. She reached up to rub the cramp on instinct, but the pressure her hand put on it caused it to unclench, and let out a long, whining growl.

Ivan raised an eyebrow, and Gracie was grateful that her darker skin hid her flush. “Was that your stomach?” Ivan asked.

Gracie nodded, embarrassed. “I didn’t get a chance to eat breakfast this morning,” she explained.

Ivan nodded. “Well, it’s nearly lunch. Make sure you get something.”

“I will, thank you,” Gracie said, feeling her stomach twist again at the thought of lunch. Ivan nodded and moved on.

Gracie worked diligently until the clock hit 12:30, her hunger not strong enough to impact her work. She kept a hand on her belly though, pushing into it whenever a particularly sharp pang hit her.

When lunch hit, she opened her bag and started rifling around for her wallet. She couldn’t find it. After a couple minutes of searching, she was forced to conclude that it wasn’t there. She and her stomach groaned in unison. She sucked in, rubbing it again.

“Sorry tummy,” she muttered. “I’m hungry too, but looks like we’ll just have to wait.”

She managed to find enough coins in her purse to buy a couple granola bars from the vending machine, and resolved to save them until absolutely necessary. It was going to be a long day.

A few hours later, Gracie had checked, filed, and stored the last of her papers. Her fingers were starting to get shaky on the keys of her computer, and she was relieved Ivan had already told her she could go.

She went over to Diane’s office to make sure. “Oh, hi Gracie. Yeah, just this, then you can head out,” Diane said, handing her a folder.

Gracie bit her lip to stifle a groan, then headed back to her desk without complaint. She slumped down into her chair, stomach churning miserably. She felt painfully empty.

With a sigh, she opened the folder. She judged the work inside would only take about forty minutes, and grimly got down to it.

Half an hour later, she wasn’t even halfway done. Her belly snarled, deep and resonant. She was too hungry to focus. Her mind kept drifting to Isabella’s cooking, and how nice it would feel to have a warm meal in her hollow tummy.

She pulled out one of the granola bars and ate it. It steadied her, sharpened her mind, and she got back to work with relief.

Half an hour later she was done, and she headed out to her car. Her stomach wailed mournfully as she stepped in, and she sighed. The snack had helped with her energy, but it hadn’t dampened her hunger. If anything, her stomach seemed more upset that it hadn’t gotten anything more substantial.

Gracie pulled out of the parking lot, relieved to be heading home. Her stomach was growling near constantly now. It took quite a bit of food to keep someone of her size happy and satiated, and her body was not dealing well with the lack.

She pressed a hand into her famished belly, wincing as the she felt the ripples of an especially loud growl.

As she pulled onto the highway, she stared at the road ahead of her. The traffic was awful, worse than usual. Dismayed, she checked her GPS and saw that an accident had nearly doubled her hour long commute.

Another hunger pang hit her, and she dropped her head onto the steering wheel. Her stomach was aching horribly, neglected and angry about it. It felt terribly pinched and hollow, like it was trying to fold in on itself to make her feel less starkly empty.

She felt awful, and decided to call Isabella to let her know what time she’d be home.

Isabella picked up with a “hey baby,” and Gracie felt better almost immediately.

“Hi,” she said, smiling faintly at her girlfriend’s voice. “I got to leave work early but there’s a traffic jam on the highway so I won’t be back until around 6.”

“That sucks,” Isabella said sympathetically.

“Yeah. I really wanted to get back early today.”

“Aw, don’t worry babe,” Isa said gently, and Gracie could hear her moving around the house. “6 is still earlier than usual.”

“Yeah,” she said glumly. Her stomach rumbled plaintively, reminding her that it wasn’t early enough.

Isabella paused. “What was that noise?”

“Probably just the traffic,” Gracie said quickly. She didn’t want her girlfriend to worry too much about her. “I’ll be home in an hour or so.”

“Ok,” Isabella said. “I’ll see you then. I was just about to start on dinner, any requests?”

At the mention of dinner, the hunger pang that had been steadily building inside Gracie’s abdomen released, and her ravenous stomach roared, a deafening growl that trailed off into smaller gurgles.

She winced, knowing Isa had definitely heard that, and it would be hard to blame on the cars around her.

“Grace,” Isabella said, worry evident in her voice, “was that your stomach?”

“Yeah,” Gracie admitted, frowning as the starved organ immediately cramped again, gnawing away at itself with nothing else in it to digest.

“What did you have for lunch?” Isa asked, concerned.

“Forgot my wallet,” Gracie said sadly. “And I didn’t have breakfast because I was almost late and you know how Ivan gets.”

Isabella sighed. “How are you feeling?”

Gracie rubbed slow circles onto her aching tummy. “Really hungry,” she said softly. Her stomach grumbled again, and she amended, “starving.”

“Oh, baby,” Isabella said, and Gracie closed her eyes against the prick of tears. The hunger had made her lose her grip on her emotions a bit. “Only an hour to go right? And when you get here I’ll have dinner already waiting for you, how does that sound?”

“Good,” Gracie said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Really good.”

“Okay,” Isabella said. “I’ll see you then. Do you have anything small you can eat so you don’t get too shaky? I don’t want you driving if it’s dangerous.”

“I have a granola bar in my bag,” Gracie said, realizing she’d forgotten about it.

“Eat that alright? I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah. Love you.”

“I love you too,” Isabella said, and Gracie hung up. Traffic was barely moving, so she had plenty of time to grab and eat the granola bar.

It made her feel less like crying, which she was grateful for.

A little under an hour later, she pulled into the driveway, feeling nothing but relief.

Her stomach rolled, groaning like a foghorn. Nothing but relief and hunger, anyway.

She walked inside and was greeted by the smell of Isabella’s cooking. It went straight to her empty and cramping stomach, and she had to lean against the wall to steady herself, abruptly dizzy.

“You’re home!” Isa exclaimed, coming over to hug her. Gracie hugged back gratefully.

Her stomach growled angrily between them, and Isabella pulled back to rub it. “Oh, your poor belly.”

She dug her finger in expertly, easing the worst of the hunger pangs by working them out through a vicious sort of massage.

Gracie moaned with relief, slumping into her girlfriend.

“Come on,” Isabella said, helping her to the table while still rubbing firm circles into her belly. “Let’s get something in your stomach.”

There was already a plate at her seat, loaded with noodles. Gracie dug in gratefully, her stomach starting a racket as soon as the first bite entered her mouth, demanding more.

The warmth of the noodles was wonderfully soothing in her hollow stomach, and soon she had eaten her fill.

“Feeling better?” Isabella asked with a smile.

“Much,” Gracie said, leaning over to kiss her. “What would I do without you?”

“Live on granola bars probably,” Isabella said with a grin, and Gracie laughed.

Even the worst days were less bad, when she could come home to this.

[m323200]

II: AFTERMATH

I’m starting to post all the stories I have on WATTPAD on here now funny gif I wanted to added

P.S: THE NEXT CHAPTERS WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE WEEK OF HALLOWEEN

Best to say that Luke is 15 and Isabella is 14. Isabella has her hair at the height at below her shoulders a bit. Brown hair, eyes, and eyebrows.

Warnings: None

Previously on: Isabella and Luke's journey, the two high school friends tackled the ups and downs of teenage life together, sharing laughs and supporting each other through thick and thin. A spontaneous kiss on the Ferris wheel sparked new feelings for Isabella, leaving her to ponder the true nature of their relationship. As she grapples with her emotions, Isabella questions whether their bond was destined or simply a result of their close friendship.

——————————

As I sat in my room at the Dunphy's, staring at the blank page of my notebook, I couldn't shake the memory of that moment on the Ferris wheel with Luke. It had been a month since then, but the weight of that unspoken kiss still hung heavy in the air between us.

There was a soft knock on my door, and Luke poked his head in. "Hey, Isabella, mind if I come in?"

I forced a smile, trying to push aside my inner turmoil. "Sure, Luke, what's up?"

He entered my room, looking slightly nervous. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

My heart raced as I wondered if he was going to bring up the kiss. I braced myself for whatever was coming.

Luke took a seat beside me, his expression serious. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and... I just want to make sure everything's okay between us. You know, after... everything."

A wave of relief washed over me. So he was thinking about it too. "Yeah, Luke, everything's fine. I mean, it's not like we can change what happened, right?"

He nodded, looking relieved. "Yeah, you're right. I just didn't want things to be weird between us."

I smiled, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Me neither. We're still friends, no matter what."

Luke grinned, his blue eyes lighting up. "Definitely. So, what do you say we go grab some ice cream? My treat."

I laughed, feeling grateful for his easygoing nature. "Sounds good to me. Let's go."

As we walked to the ice cream parlor together, I couldn't help but feel a sense of reassurance. Whatever the future held for me and Luke, I knew one thing for sure: our friendship was stronger than any moment of uncertainty. And with that knowledge, I faced the days ahead with a renewed sense of optimism.

At the ice cream parlor, Luke and I found a cozy booth near the window. The familiar scent of freshly made waffle cones greeted us as we settled in. I stole glances at Luke, relieved to see him more relaxed now, his easy smile back in place.

"So, what flavor are you thinking?" Luke asked, breaking the silence.

I shrugged, pretending to ponder my options. "Hmm, maybe something adventurous like mint chocolate chip?"

Luke chuckled, shaking his head. "Classic Isabella. I'll stick with my tried and true favorite, cookies and cream."

We placed our orders and settled back in our seats, the atmosphere lightening as we engaged in casual conversation. It felt good to talk about mundane things, to laugh and joke with Luke as if nothing had changed.

As we finished our ice cream and made our way back home, a sense of contentment settled over me. Walking beside Luke, I felt a comforting warmth, as if everything would be okay as long as we were together.

At the doorstep, Luke flashed me a bright smile. "Thanks for hanging out, Isabella. I had a great time."

I returned his smile, feeling a warmth spread through me. "Anytime, Luke. You're the best friend anyone could ask for."

With a nod, Luke turned to leave, but then hesitated. "Isabella, there's something I've been meaning to say."

My heart skipped a beat as I looked at him, anticipation building in the air between us.

He took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering. "I... I don't want to rush things or make anything awkward between us, but I can't deny that what happened on the Ferris wheel meant something to me. I've been thinking about it a lot, and... I just wanted you to know that I care about you, more than just as a friend."

My breath caught in my throat as I processed his words. Could it be that he felt the same way I did?

Before I could respond, Luke flashed me a sheepish grin. "Anyway, I just wanted to get that off my chest. Let's talk more about it later, yeah?"

I nodded, a rush of emotions swirling inside me. "Yeah, definitely. Let's talk."

With that, we head inside and into our own rooms. As I closed the door behind me, I couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something more between us.

———

[valenteal]

Okay so I just got into The Promised Neverland, the anime, I adore season 1. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful and unique. Season 2 isn’t half as enjoyable but I think this for different reasons than most people.

Everyone else is like ‘oh no they skipped over so much of the manga’ and I’m just like????? No??? Because the way I see it the whole Lambda thing is a cop out that makes exactly 0 logical sense. After season one they lost the plot. Simple as that. They did irrational things for the sake of drama.

I mean think about it, they didn’t want to actually kill Norman so they came up with this elaborate experimental plantation but it doesn’t make sense. Norman was the cream of the crop, the one they were looking forward to, they wouldn’t keep him alive and experiment on him and possibly make him inedible. When we farm animals do we do that?! It’s illogical. If they were trying to clone him I might get it but they weren’t. And then when Norman goes crazy from the torture (because drama!) part of his arguments is that the demons in charge want to maintain the status quo. They’re supposedly very happy with the current system. If that were the case they wouldn’t be doing those experiments at the cost of their best product!

And don’t even get me started on the whole ‘eating humans to be intelligent’ thing. Like… that’s not… where did that even come from!? But oh wait! There’s this super convenient solution! It’s so convoluted but also so forced, like… that isn’t how biology works. I get that this is a fantasy world but that’s too far.

If it were me, I’d have season 1 stay the same and just scrap season 2 for parts. I actually like Sonju, even if his appearance is a bit deus ex machina. His motivation for helping them is interesting and I think he creates a unique situation for the kids. I like the religious fanatic angle, and I like the kids having a mentor. If they’d just let things continue organically instead of forcing it… I mean Ray isn’t stupid, he wouldn’t carve the coordinates where enemies would see. He would have at least used code. They could have stayed at the base thing and built a freaking safe haven and then launched a quiet war against the farms. Guerrilla warfare, slowly rescuing more and more kids, building more bases. Do it realistically, none of this ‘one chemical weapon solves all our problems’ and ‘but wiping them out is wrong!’ quick fixes and simple plans stopped only by moral dilemmas. It too simplified but they try to disguise it with all the drama. It’s okay we took the cowards road and didn’t kill Norman cause he’s so traumatized we can barely recognize him! It’s okay we’re pulling easy solutions out of our asses because they trigger moral strife and end in the main characters struggling to choose the path of light! Drama!

Look, I haven’t read the manga yet but I don’t know how much more I would’ve liked it. It doesn’t matter if we get more context, it’s still just burying the plot holes and cop outs in more drama. We don’t need a simple answer, that’s not how systemic oppression is fixed, that’s not how war and rebellion works. There are plenty of ways they could have gone. Hell there are other, better ways they could save Norman! His shipment was abnormal and unscheduled, Isabella could have saved him or Minerva and his followers, something else, anything else.

I have feelings about this. Season 1 was amazing. Season 2 was just full of familiar cop outs disguised as “plot twists.” It was disappointing. This series had real potential.

[animefankotaro]

Trans Phineas and Isabella

Phineas and Isabella become friends as soon as they met. Phineas was a smart kid. He was always building things in his backyard with his brother Ferb. Isabella would always give them a helping hand being a Fireside Girl and all. But before they were Phineas and Isabella they had different names that they'd like to forget. When they were little Phineas was a girl and Isabella was a boy. Or least they that's how everyone saw them. Phineas usually preferred pants or shorts. He didn't hate dresses or shorts he just didn't care for them. He kept his hair short for a girl. Linda just saw it as a phase like those emo kids. Isabella could be pretty girly loving dresses. More than anything did she want to be a Fireside Girl. Of course they were called that for a reason and she was a boy so she couldn't join. By spending time with each other they soon found out they were similar.

“Can you hand me the screwdriver next?” Phineas asked Isabella. She gave it to him.

“Hammer.” Isabella gave him the hammer.

“Donut.”

“Donut?” Isabella questioned.

“A kids gotta eat.” Phineas took a bite out of it. Isabella giggled.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” Isabella asked.

“If it's where Perry goes I don't know actually.” “No. It's different. You know how you prefer to have your hair short and wear pants?” Phineas nodded. “Well. Me too. Though rather than have short hair I want mine to be long. I also wanna wear dresses. I- I think I'm a girl.” Isabella said. Phineas looked at her.

“Really? Because, well, I think I'm a boy.” This surprised Isabella. “How long have you felt this way?” Phineas asked.

“A while. I think I realized it when I wanted to join the Fireside Girls but was told I couldn't.”

“I think I've felt like this since meeting Ferb. I always wanted a brother. Now I realize I also wanna be one too.”

“So you feel like you're a boy?” Isabella asked. Phineas nodded

“Yeah. I haven't old anyone yet. Not even Ferb. Though it wouldn't surprise me if he does know. Only you do. It's actually nice to know another person like me.”

“I know. For a long time I felt scared to tell anyone. Now that I know that we're alike we can talk and support teach other. We only have each other after all.” Isabella said the last part with a smile. She's had a crush on him for a while. He was smart, funny, and of course handsome. Though he didn't seem to notice.

“You're right!!”

“I am?” Isabella blushed.

“We do only have each other. Now that we're out to one another we can support each other by telling everyone we know!”

“What do you mean.” Isabella felt a little down knowing he didn't seem to have the same feelings.

“You feel like a girl. I feel like a boy. I'll help you come out and you help me. Than we won't be alone anymore!” Phineas said with glee.

“Tell everyone? I don't know... What if they hate me.”

“Then you'll still have me. I promise. I also know they won't hate you too. Let's do it together!” Phineas held out his hand. Isabella smiled and took it.

“By the way.” Phineas asked. “What's your girl name?”

“Oh.. it's uh... Isabella.” Her heart skipped.

“That's a beautiful name. It fits you.” Isabella blushed. “You can call me Phineas.”

“Phineas?” Isabella giggled. “What kind of name is that?”

“I named myself after Phileas Fogg. For the longest time I though it was “Phineas” rather than Phileas.” Isabella laughed again.

“All right then Phineas it is.”

So the two friends decided to do just that. They decided on Ferb first. They were already practically brothers anyway. They could then tell Candace, the other kids they spend time with, and then their parents. While working on a project Phineas and Isabella told Ferb.

“Hey, Ferb. There's something I need to tell you.” Phineas said. “Ferb looked at him blankless. “I'm a boy. I wanna be your brother for now on. I've always thought of us as brothers rather than brother and sister. My real name is Phineas. I hope we can still be partners.”

“I'm trans too. Except I'm a girl. My name is Isabella” Isabella said.

“You're okay with that, right.” Phineas asked. Ferb was quiet a moment before talking.

“Is that all? I thought you were going to say something crazy like you don't want to build anymore.”

“So you are okay with it.” Phineas was glad. Ferb nodded. Phineas was happy to have Ferb. Next was Candace.

“Hey Candace. Can I make a confession.” Phineas said. Candace got from her seat and walked to Phineas.

“What kind of confession?”

“It's something I've been hiding from you and mom and dad for a long time.” Candace started jumping in place like crazy. She took out a tape recorder and put it to Phineas face.

“Confess up so I can finally bust you!” Candace smiled.

“I'm a boy. My name is Phineas. I wanna be your brother for now on.”

“YES. BUSTED BUSTED BUSTED... wait what.”

“And I'm a girl. My name is Isabella.”

“You don't hate me do you?” Phineas asked.

“Of course not. It's not much that I do this but come here.” Candace hugged her new brother. Next they told the other kids. They all took it rather well. The FireSide Girls said they would help get Isabella in the group. Now it was their parents. Lawernce, Linda, and Vivian. They were all in the back drinking some iced tea and talking. Both Phineas and Isabella walked up to them.

“Mom. There's something I need to tell you.” Phineas said.

“If it's where Perry is I don't know where he ran off to, sweetie.”

“No. It's something else. You know how I like to wear boys clothes and have short hair? Linda took a sip of the tea.

“It's all right. Your dad and I talked it over. We know you want to be a boy.”

“You do?” Phinieas looked surprised.

“Yes. And we support you. We've known for a while. We were just waiting for when you were ready.” Lawrence said.

“I don't know what to say but thank you.” Phineas smiled. Vivian looked over to Isabella

“Is there something you want to say, kiddo.”

“Yes, mom. I'm a girl. My real name is a Isabella. I've always felt like a girl and will do anything to be your daughter.” Vivian nodded.

“I know. I've also known for a while now. I can tell you've been in my closet. You're Isabella my beautiful daughter.” She and Isabella hugged.

“Oh, mom.”

“And I think it's time I sighed you up for the Fireside Girls.” The family all had tea together and talked when a platypus walked up to them.

“Oh. There you are Perry.” Phineas said.

[innocentlymacabre]

Due North [Part 1]: 8 Brook Way

30.07.21 | Part 0

Fantasy meets slice-of-life in the secretive, wonderous, and oddity-rich lives of the residents of Due North

8 Brook Way currently held the form of a picturesque cottage, the likes of which can be found front and centre of just about every children’s book. It was quaint, simultaneously large and small, and somehow smelled wonderfully of fresh baked cookies even empty. It had taken on several forms over its extremely long life, several far more interesting than the one it currently donned, but its walls were presently abuzz with murmurs of excitement nonetheless.

8 Brook Way was no longer empty, and its new residents, Alberto Zecca and Isabella Autin, fawned over the shape it had taken for them. A tree, the type of which eluded every botanist that had ever attempted to classify it, stood guard from the backyard garden, its branches graciously extending to the perimeter, keeping time with the wind. It sang with the wind, hundreds of voices chiming in to make one, beautiful harmony that wafted throughout town, a siren call rumoured to be able to lift the spirits of those in mourning or even heal a broken heart. Ivy crawled across the bounding walls, weaving into its very make, and small, almost imperceptible paw prints and claw marks were pressed on top. The ivy snaked and stretched underground, far further down than anyone had ever explored, secrets resting on its every strand.

8 Brook Way was the only house in its vicinity, forming a sort of block of its own, and Brook Way was the closest street to the house, rather than the one it was on. The actual Brook Way skipped the number eight, an oddity that had led to several confused new postmen. Alberto and Isabella didn”t mind the confusion in the slightest – in fact, Alberto said it was one of the endless positives that came with the house.

Having moved in only a few hours ago, the pair were lounging on a chesterfield sofa that came with the house, in the otherwise almost unfurnished living room. The full moon shone brilliantly through the glass wall opposite them, the silver light falling delicately on each surface. Beyond it lay a presently untended garden, the moon’s light dipping and diving between its weeds and many, many secrets that Number 8 couldn’t wait for the residents to uncover.

It seemed though, it would have to wait. Tonight, the residents stayed indoors, unknowingly nested amidst the liveliest walls in the house.

Liking the story? Consider reblogging so it can reach a wider audience! 💜 Continue reading below :)

“I really don’t want to cook tonight,” Alberto complained.

“Yeah, I’m too tired too,” Isabella agreed. “What about that diner we passed on the way in? Something with an O,” she said, desperately trying to picture the wooden sign jutting out of the doorway. “Oh, it’s no use. We went by so quickly, the only thing I remember is that it was painted blue and green.”

“What about pizza? There’s always pizza.”

“But…diner!” Isabella protested, always having adored a good diner. “Come on, let’s just walk around town. It’s a small place, we’re bound to find it eventually.”

Alberto begrudgingly conceded, which is how they found themselves face to face with a man in a suspiciously large trench coat, asking for directions after having gone down three long, wrong roads. Isabella suspected he was hiding snakes under that coat, judging by the suspicious hissing sounds interspersing his speech, but the fact that said speech seemed to be exclusively rhymes annoyed her more. His confusing aid, if you could even call it that, led them to yet another wrong street.

They did, of course, eventually make it to the diner – “Ossario’s! I told you it had an O!” – after being seemingly guided by a particularly friendly dog. As they approached the establishment, Alberto thought he saw the paint of the building shimmering and changing colour slightly but dismissed it as hunger (and slight annoyance at Isabella’s insistence on eating at the diner, if he was honest).

The woman behind the wrap-around counter introduced herself as Alecia Ossario, the owner of the diner. If you passed her on the street, she would most likely end up as nothing more than a face you see in a dream and wake up trying to place. Yet, for some indescribable reason, both Alberto and Isabella couldn’t help but be drawn to her, intrigued by the notion of her very existence. The room’s light seemed to bend around her, respectfully leaving her untouched; but rather than leave her shrouded in the dark, she shimmered as she moved.

“I’m Isabella and he’s Alberto. We just moved in.”

“Berto and Bella – how sweet! I didn’t know number eight had gone to such a lovely couple,” Alecia said with a smile. She smiled with her eyes, her genuineness probably the only reason Bella noticed them. She couldn’t be sure because it really wasn’t the sort of thing you saw very often, but she swore she saw her eyes change colour.

“Oh! Oh, no,” Berto countered, a little tired of the same song and dance over and over again. “We’re not a couple.”

“Definitely not,” Bella picked up, easing him of the burden of explanation. “He’s a writer, and I’m an artist, so we can both work from wherever we want, as long as his editor and my gallery get something every now and then. “Wherever we want” just so happens to coincide, so we moved in together to save money.”

Alecia seemed impressed and asked a little about their work, Bella noticing each time her eyes changed colour, before segueing into their orders.

“We’re starved,” Bella blurted out before Berto had a chance to ask for a menu. “Whatever can be made the fastest.”

“Burgers and chips coming right up,” Alecia noted, turning to the kitchen.

The moment she was out of earshot, Bella pulled Berto in close. “Dude! Did you see –”

“Her eyes?” Berto interjected, nodding vigorously. “Yeah, I saw ‘em too. You know what else? I saw the paint on the outside change colour too.”

-----

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[lynnedwardswrites]

Relationship Snippet Tag

How-to: Share a few lines or a snippet that sums up the the main relationship(s) in your WIP.

Tagged by @ceph-the-ghost-writer Tagging: @lungs-and-gills @linaket @saegolius @vcaudley @indecentpause @human-still-developing

Found a fun one in the chapter I'm working on today. Longer scene below the cut:

She shoots me a dark look. “My father is behind this.” I start putting my money away, laughing. “He’s got an interesting idea of a good time, then. I didn’t know he was into threesomes. Or is he just watching?” “Ha ha, very funny.” I chuckle. “Well what was I supposed to think you meant? That he’s trying to get Lady Ines to seduce me away from you, so you’ll go marry a nobleman?”

I look away as soon as I say it, the words striking unexpectedly close to home. I can’t help remembering the almost mocking way her father congratulated me on our relationship, or the way his eyes seemed to pierce through me on the entire trip, whittling me down to the nameless urchin I once was. That I still am, probably, as far as Luther Morgenstern is concerned. “Something like that,” she breathes, and her voice is so unexpectedly strained that I look up at her again, reprocessing her face, her posture, everything she’s said. I reach out to snag her by the arm. “Why, Lady Isabella… Are you jealous?” She shakes me off, rolling her eyes again. “Don’t call me that.” I lean towards her, walking with a twist so I can see the face she’s keeping turned away from me by pretending to look at the shop fronts we’re passing. A splash of red tinges her cheeks and my heart skips a beat. Impossible. “I think you are jealous!” I accuse. She turns an overly smooth face back to me. “Why would I be, darling?” Her cheeks are still pink. “That wasn’t a denial.” “Nor was it a confession.” “I suppose she did come on pretty strong.” She scoffs. “You think I’m jealous because some woman was flirting with you?” “I think the words were ‘tried to seduce me away from you,’” I say, flashing her another devilish grin. “Creed!” she groans, shoving my shoulder with just the right leverage to make me stumble sideways a step (something I taught her how to do). “You’ve wooed, kissed, fondled, and slept with literally dozens of women for cons we’ve run. I’ve personally made those calls more than half the time, and you’ve made them the other half. What could she possibly do to make me jealous?” “Well obviously something is bothering you. Unless that blush is an illusion?” She shoots me a glare as the color deepens. “It’s just an automatic reaction, like everything else. If you sleep with someone enough times, you’ll think you’re in love with them. If you find out they’re sleeping with someone else, you’ll get jealous, no matter what your head has to say about it. It doesn’t mean anything. I’ll get over it.” I chuckle again at the defensive edge in her voice. “Ah, so you’re not just jealous, you’re in love with me, too!” She sighs, exasperated. “Oh, yes, Credence,” she says in a voice that’s suddenly exaggerated and flowery. “How dearly I love you! No other could fill my heart as you have! And I swear I shall love you for eternity! Until the last rains fall!” “You little shit,” I say, making a lunge for her ribs with my elbow. She dances out of the way, smirking, and turns down a side street.

From The Hare and the Jackal, Draft 10, Chapter 8

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 21

Chapter 21: “Blatant Trap”

Okay WAIT. I don’t remember them asking this question at all because the anime skips over it completely?? It goes unanswered in the manga since Krone just agrees then reiterates how she’ll tell them anything as Emma proceeds to ask to look at the tracking device, but still. I can imagine what Krone’s answer would’ve been by that look on her face.

You just had to give them ideas, huh? Sure it’s helpful in the end and ultimately makes that device Ray spent years slowly putting together go unused, but now our girl gets a bad idea in her head for later! Oh, I dunno if it was ever mentioned (or this is me forgetting as usual) who removes the trackers of everyone else (minus Ray & Emma since the latter does both) the night of the escape but, I shall imagine it was Anna since she’s our future medic.

Also, Norman’s comment about there being no knives in the house was kinda unbelievable to me, but nah, they really only have one damn fork. How do y’all cut up your food? Do you even have spoons for things like soup?? (no worries, future me says yes and some are shown in a couple chapters).

And they both look stunning for their ages! (pftt, “their ages,” as if i’m not old as hell too..god that’s highly upsetting).

This advice definitely works wonders for Emma. She was already a good actor before, but now? especially after Norman’s shipment and during the night of the escape? Ooohh she plays Isabella like a fiddle and I absolutely love it.

No, I don’t know about whatever keyboard smash nonsense you just said. Why? Because we never get to hear how to say His name and yes it still bugs me! And since we’ll never know how to pronounce and I don’t wanna refer to him as “scribbles” as so many others do, I shall continue to call Him as “bastard” because that’s certainly what he is after what he did Emma! I’ll never forgive Him for that.

Favorite panel/moment:

Gilda certainly has quite the imagination.

[ecargmura]

The Marginal Service Episode 12 + Final Thoughts: Marginal Explosion

The final episode felt like it had too much to fit in. At least the ending is happy. I think the best thing about this episode is the happy ending.

Why I think it feels like too much is the fact that we get actual aliens and the reveal that the UN are the true enemies. Then, the Marginal Service come in. Then, the Borderlanders come in. Zeno finally reunites with his son and then Brian and Zeno go fight the mothership. See? Sounds crazy, right?

Like I mentioned in my review for the previous episode, the UN are the true villains. It also turns out that the guy with the mustache has been doing this because he’s afraid of aliens. He was the guy in the movie that Brian saw back in Episode 2; what a surprise. While what he did is bad, I don’t like the fact that he gets brushed off to the side as the real aliens come in as threats. Fortunately, he still gets punished.

The aliens feel like last-minute additions because they’re here to give Borderlanders some purpose and to be seen as good people. It turns out that everything the Marginal Service has been trying to uncover regarding Rubber’s organization has been to fight aliens. The main Borderlanders featured throughout the show come in to fight. I’m glad that Isabella is back. She’s so hot. Also, Rubber’s guitar is also a gun. HE HAS A GUITAR GUN!

The reunion between Zeno and his son Noah was heartwarming. I was surprised Noah was still able to recognize his father even after ten years. I’m also glad that the kidnapped kids actually aged, but Noah looks rather tiny for a fifteen year old. I’m assuming he didn’t get enough nutrients being stuck in there.

The battle between Brian and Zeno against the mothership was kind of weird. Like, how did Zeno managed to get changed and jump onto the top of that UFO? Like, how is Brian able to control the freaking UFO and knows where to shoot? I also kind of knew these two weren’t going to die because they’re the main characters. It’d also be a waste to have Zeno and Noah reunite and then have Zeno die.

At least everyone’s happy in the end. Immigrants are getting equal rights. The Marginal Service members are back to their daily lives. Theodore got his occult goods back. Zeno and Noah finally become family again with Brian occasionally visiting and making Zeno jealous because he’s an overprotective dad. The Borderlanders are also happy with Rubber Suit having a small concert in prison and the other Borderlander prison mates are having a good time with his performance.

All is happy, I guess. This anime was okay at best. It’s something I wouldn’t ever recommend. I’d only suggest this if you are a seiyuu fan. The voice actors all deserve a raise to being the only reason this anime managed to stay afloat.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’ll be honest. This anime’s not that great. It’s only saving grace is the voice cast. Why cast such high quality voice actors for a show like this? The voice actors did the very best to make this anime stay afloat.

If there are good qualities, it’s that the anime was creative with how they used Borderlanders and Aliens for the sci-fi aspects. I did like how Borderlanders and such were a bit of a mystery that eventually got resolved in the end.

I also liked some of the characters. I liked Cyrus, Lyra, Rubber Suit and Isabella. The rest feels too one note. Brian’s okay since he got some development. Robin and Bolts also feel too one-note. The only character I dislike is Zeno. Others are just there or kind of forgettable.

The opening and ending songs are another saving grace. Mamoru Miyano and Yuma Uchida’s vocals are top notch. The opening and ending songs are the some of the few I never skip. Uchida’s rapping skills are great too.

I will repeat: the only good thing about this anime is the voice cast. That’s all. I only watched this because of the voice cast. They’re so good for such a bad anime. Like, when are you ever going to hear Kouki Uchiyama, the king of stoic anime men, use a gremlin voice again? When are you ever going to hear Mamoru Miyano click his tongue constantly again?

I wanted to like this anime and I did sometimes. All I can say is that no one should watch this unless they’re bored or watch anime for voice actors. That’s it. This anime gets a 3/10 for me. It’s a three because the voice actors saved this explosion of a show.

Marginal Explosion, everybody!

[victorblues]

A story to my love….

The air in Little Italy was thick with the scent of fresh zeppole’s, cannoli’s and arancini carrying a beautifully sweet aroma, like a breeze throughout the city.. The San Gennaro Festival had taken over the streets, and Isabella was lost in the vibrant chaos, bright lights, the clatter of carnival games, and the constant hum of voices, some in Italian, some in English. It was late September, her favorite time of year, when the neighborhood felt alive with history and celebration. But this year, something was different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

She was standing near the Ferris wheel when she saw him. Edward. Tall, with straight brown hair and the kind of smile that made her heart skip a beat. He was leaning against a lamppost, enjoying the last few drags of his american spirit cigarette and watching the crowd, but his eyes found hers across the way, as if drawn by an invisible thread, they locked onto each other for a moment which felt to them like an eternity. Edward returned to working amongst the chaotic crowd, but with an unexplainable feeling, feeling that he was in true love at first sight. He simply could not focus on cooking for the flocking festival goers.

She stood there nervous, and love struck, trying to come up with the right approach. Isabella also had an instant connection with Edward and feeling an unfamiliar rush of courage, she daringly walked up to the food stand which he was working at, but now busy and tending to the rush of customers that flooded the Manhattan streets, Isabella was out of Edwards sight. Nervous and timid she paced away from the food stand without being able to project the words she had wished. She rejoined her friends who were not too far ahead, as they continued to laugh and eat zeppole’s they walked ahead.

Isabella didn’t reach the end of the street before she felt someone tap her shoulder from behind, she looked back and there stood Edward.

Edward chuckled, his voice warm and easy. "I was hoping you'd make the first move, I would have searched throughout this entire crowd to speak to you”

Isabella smiled as she said. "Thankfully I didn’t get too far."

He laughed again, and it was the kind of sound that made her smile without meaning to. "I guess I’m just shy."

“Well, that’s okay," Isabella said, her grin widening. "I'm also shy. “

He stepped closer, his nervous energy suddenly palpable. “I’m Edward.”

“Isabella,” she said, extending her hand. Their handshake was gentle and soft, there was something in the touch, an unspoken warmth between the two.

Isabella remarked with wonder “After I saw you back there, I was hoping that you would somehow find me and you did."

Edward’s eyes held hers with a quiet intensity as he said “I wouldn’t have stopped looking for you, even if I didn’t find you tonight.”

Isabella smiled back at him enamored by his charm.

“You’re work here, right?” she asked timidly, trying to mask her overwhelming emotions with small talk.

He nodded and replied “Is this your time at the festival?”

“It is, my Father always told me I had to come for the zeppole’s, he used to get them when he was a boy.” Isabella said endearingly.

Edward laughed. "You’re in luck then. This is the best place for them. Come on, I’ll show you where to get the best ones."

She separated from her friends and he wandered off from work as they walked through the crowded streets, Edward led her to a small stand adorned with old and faded Italian flags. He ordered them zeppole’s, expertly throwing extra powdered sugar into the bag before handing one to her.

"This," he said, watching her face as she took a bite, "is how you know you're alive. I promise nothing tastes better than a fresh zeppole.”

She savored the bite, nodding in agreement. "You weren’t kidding. This is incredible."

"Just wait till we hit the games," he teased. "I’m unbeatable."

They spent the rest of the evening wandering through the festival, playing games, laughing over failed attempts to win stuffed animals, and getting lost in the neon glow of the lights. Time seemed to slow, as if the world outside their little bubble didn’t exist. There was a quietness between them, a comfortable kind of silence that only comes with people who are meant to be in each other’s company.

Eventually, they found themselves in front of the stage, where a band was playing traditional Italian music. A couple stood dancing, their movements effortless and graceful.

“Have you ever danced like that?” Edward asked, watching them with a kind of awe.

Isabella shrugged, a little shy now. "Not really. I don’t think I have the rhythm for it."

He smiled, that same playful look in his eyes. “I’ll teach you.”

“Are you sure you can handle it?” she challenged, giving him a teasing look.

“I can handle it,” he said confidently, taking her hand.

She hesitated for only a moment before allowing him to pull her into the crowd. The music swirled around them, the sounds of violins and accordions mixing with the laughter of the festival-goers. They were a little clumsy at first, their steps out of sync, but as the music went on, they found their rhythm. The world around them faded, the lights dimming to the soft glow of their connection. In that moment, it felt as though they were the only two people in the entire world.

Edward’s hand rested lightly on her waist, and Isabella could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. They moved closer, the crowd disappearing into the background, leaving only the two of them under the soft glow of the festival lights.

As the song ended, he leaned in, his breath warm against her cheek. “You were right,” he whispered. “You *do* have rhythm.”

Isabella laughed softly, her heart racing. “Maybe I just needed the right partner.”

He smiled and kissed her cheek, the moment so tender and natural that it felt as though they had been dancing together for years, not just a few minutes. When they pulled away, their eyes locked again, and there was no need for words.

The festival continued around them, people cheering, music playing, lights twinkling, but for Isabella and Edward, it felt as though everything had come to a perfect, quiet stop. And in that moment, neither of them could imagine being anywhere else but right there, together, under the lights of the San Gennaro Festival.

[ofmartyrss]

I’M A WASTE OF A WOMAN, BUT I TASTE LIKE SUCCESS.

ISABELLA DE LEON is a thirty-two year old, resident of hemlock springs who currently resides in downtown and works as a co-owner of devil’s den bar. isabella’s gender is cis woman, her sexuality is bisexual and she uses she/her pronouns. she’s single, owner of a golden lab named pancho, and lives with her roommate indy. she’ll most likely take care of you if you end up too drunk at her bar but won’t take shit from anyone. 

FULL NAME: isabella de leon. PETS: golden labrador named pancho. AGE: thirty-two. DATE OF BIRTH: october 27th. ZODIAC: scorpio. GENDER & SEXUAL ORIENTATION: cis woman, bisexual. OCCUPATION: co-owner of devil’s den bar.

about isabella.

isabella is the only daughter of high school sweethearts, xavier and marisol de leon. the young couple moved to hemlock springs when she was only a baby, still learning her first words. a friend of a friend had found xavier a job in town and they decided to make the bold move to relocate from mexico. though it was a shot in the dark, it ended up being the best decision they could’ve made for their family at the time. 

during the first years of isabella’s life, they thrived. xavier’s job alone provided enough income for them to enjoy a high quality of life, which allowed marisol to be a stay at home mother. but it only lasted them until isabella’s 8th birthday, and the news of a massive employee cutback at her father’s company arrived. 

xavier struggled in finding another job after that and they ended up having to spend all of their life savings, including the money saved for isabella’s college tuition. eventually, marisol had to get back to work. she was able to secure a spot as a teacher in the town’s kindergarten but the income wasn’t as good as previously. the family had to move neighborhoods and do some major changes in how they lived their life. isabella watched as they went from middle class to lower class, and as much as she knew that her parents were doing everything that they could to make sure she had a good life, she promised herself that she’d be the one to get them out of that situation.

the years passed and xavier was able to get himself a new job, but they still continued to struggle. it got to the point where they were getting their clothes from thrift stores and donations alone, things that were being passed down to them. isabella decided that she’d get part-time jobs after school. she did it all — from babysitting to waiting tables to even giving out spanish classes to students who needed a little boost in the subject. she gave all that she achieved to her parents and saved the pennies that weren’t needed for the bills. her parents were proud, though they were saddened to have put their teenage daughter through such situation.

isabella’s routine got too busy — school, work, home and so on. it was so bad that she started to lose contact with her friends and that eventually led her to an emotional breakdown. only fifteen years old and already living like an adult. she then decided to make time for herself, take those pennies that she had saved and started to enjoy her teenage years before it was too late. she started getting in so much trouble that her parents felt like they didn’t recognize her anymore. almost like she had turned into a completely different person. she never stopped working, never stopped helping them, but her grades started to go down and she started skipping school. isabella started to argue back whenever her parents would question her and fights would go on for hours and days in their household. 

her rebellious phase lasted until she was in her early twenties. that’s when something inside of her clicked. she wasn’t enjoying her life anymore, she was wasting it. still working as a waitress at some low end restaurant while her friends were having kids and graduating college. leaving town, travelling the world — and she was stuck to the same spot she had been since she was fifteen. she decided things needed to change. so isabella enrolled in the community college and got her graduation in business.

it had been a dream of hers to own something that was only hers. enough of having to be bossed around by others, she needed the freedom and the independence. with the little money she had saved, a risky loan from the bank and the help of a friend, she bought a little place who’s now known as the devil’s den bar. things worked out in the way she wanted, thankfully, and the bustling bar gave her the income she needed to finally help her parents’ situation. she got herself a little place of her own and bought a house for them, so that they never had to give up on anything.

the bar has become a popular spot in town, managed by isabella and her friend over the years. it’s dingy and aesthetic-pleasing in it’s own unique way, and though it doesn’t escape the usual town drunks and their shenanigans, isabella has been known to not take shit from anyone — she will kick your ass out if you bring trouble to her bar and she’ll do it alone. 

[helenaheissner]

A Dream of Summer Rain: Chapter 16 (Way Out in the Water)

Hello, lovelies! Don’t forget you can read up to 20 advance chapters of ADSR and 2 advance chapters of "Love During Robot Fighting Time" by pledging to my Patreon or Substack!

***

The second floor of the castle was where Morganna slept. This was the one Gwen had been looking forward to the most. Morganna waited for her in her room, a den of snakes and viper carcasses’ all feasted upon by an unkindness of ravens. They followed Morganna everywhere, just as the murder of crows followed Gwen close behind. 

The crows flew in first to attack the ravens; the crows were smaller, but smarter and more vicious. The smaller birds feasted on their larger brethren throughout the room, all the while Morganna sat on her bed. 

“I always knew this would happen,” Morganna said. 

“You’ll burn in hell,” Gwen said. “The devil will take you, drown you in the Lake of Fire. You will feel nothing but agony for all eternity. And you’ll deserve all of it.”

 Morganna smiled. “I can’t wait to see you there.”

Gwen once more put down her gun, and she let her Star hover overhead as she brought her fists down upon Morganna until her skull had caved in and there was nothing but the soggy red remains of her brain matter.

***

Danny drove his truck, while Gwen rode with Quentin in his RV. Joshua drove his own. And Lacy inexplicably found herself in Isabella’s winnebago. The Puerto Rican girl drove, while Lacy rode shotgun sitting on her hands. Lacy tried not to look at Isabella, but when her eyes darted over she saw the other girl was looking at her. Outside, a thousand identical trees passed by, while birdsong carried on the wind across the green-gray of the nature-lined highway. 

“So,” Isabella said. 

“Hm?”

“Where are you from?”

“Michigan,” Lacy said.

“Like, Detroit?”

“No, I’m from out in the sticks. North-central part of the state. Town called Dresden.”

“Small place?”

“Like 10,000 people.”

“Goddamn,” Isabella said. “What do you do for fun around there?”

Shit, what am I supposed to say? Lacy thought. Is this small-talk? How do I small-talk? “Shoot glass bottles, mostly.” Nailed it. 

“That it?”

“No, occasionally we shoot squirrels, too. And sometimes each other.”

Isabella chuckled.

“So where are you from?”

“Boston.”

“Oh, cool.”

A momentary pause.

“Well?” Isabella said. 

“Well what?”

“Aren’t you gonna ask to hear it? Everyone always does?”

“Hear what?”

“My accent. Aren’t you gonna ask me to say ‘park the car in the Harvard Yard?’”

“Why would I do that?”

“... You’ve never heard that before?”

“I, uh, have perhaps had a tendency to bury my head in the sand up until pretty recently.”

“Pft, fair enough. I used to do a lot of that myself. Before I hatched, I mostly just sat in my room all day listening to music.”

Lacy perked up. “What’d you listen to?”

“Well,” Isabella said, “Actually, pull open the glove compartment for me?”

Lacy obliged, and opened and reached in to find rectangular cartridges spilling out. “Oh shit, you have mixtapes! I’ve always wanted to make one of these- I love this shit.”

“You do?” Isabella said, her voice lilting upwards. 

 “Yeah! I mostly tinker with radios, but I have- er, had, I guess- a tape recorder and was gonna make a mixtape off some stuff I picked up at a pawn shop. But, uh, then my house got destroyed.”

“Oof. Been there.”

“You have?”

“Yeah. But, uh, stick this in, see if you like what I’ve got to offer,” Isabella said. And then she winked at her. 

Lacy felt her own heart skip a beat. She just hoped her face didn’t look too stupid. She slid the tape into the player, and heard the opening notes to the Pixies’ ‘Where is my mind?’ She smiled, and she rewound it back to the beginning. “Stop,” she said, in time with the lyrics, and then she sang the rest of the song along with it. When the song ended, and it began to fade into the next one, Lacy’s face reddened as she realized she’d sung every word and hummed every note. She ejected the tape, and she looked away. 

“Uhh… Whatcha doin’ there, Lacy?” Isabella said. 

Lacy gulped. God, she’s beautiful, Lacy thought. “I, um,” Lacy said. “I’m sorry- that was really embarrassing.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Isabella said, putting the tape back in and hitting play. “This is embarrassing.” And then Isabella sang along with Nirvana’s ‘Dumb’ word for word, mangling every note. “I’m probably tone deaf,” Isabella said, chuckling. 

Lacy laughed too.

“You’ve got a really good voice,” Isabella said. 

“Uh… Thank you,” Lacy said, hoping she wasn’t blushing still. 

“You wanna hear the rest of the tape?”

“Yeah!”

Lacy slid it back in, and listened to her mix of rock music beginning around ‘89 and ending around ‘05. When they came to a Mudhoney song, Lacy found herself singing again, and Isabella sang with her, laughing the whole way. 

After another hour’s drive they stopped for gas at a station on a wide stretch of highway. The midwestern flat sprawled forever, and the sheer size and scope of the land dawned on Lacy in a way it never had before. Isabella fed gasoline into the tank of her RV, while Quentin, Joshua, and Danny did the same with their vehicles. Lacy looked up at the empty blue sky, squinting at the sight of the noonday sun hanging proudly above. “I’ve never actually left Michigan before this,” Lacy said, to nobody in particular.

“Shit, really?” Isabella said, taking a penny from her pocket and chucking it at Quentin, who caught it in his palm. 

“Yeah. Dunno why that didn’t occur to me until now. Are we still in Wisconsin?”

“For the rest of the day, yeah,” Joshua said. “Should cross over into South Dakota tonight.”

“It’s just… Weird. I know how this sounds, but I guess I forgot how big the world is.”

“And how small it is,” Isabella said, almost to herself. 

“This is only the fourth time for me,” Danny said. “And my first time out of the Great Lakes region.”

“You two are so young and sheltered,” Gwen said, smirking as she leaned against the side of Quentin’s winnebago and lit a cigarette.

They piled back into their vehicles. Lacy sat next to Isabella in the front seat, while the other girl drove down the highway through the flatlands. Farmers worked the fields as they drove by, tending to stalks of corn. “Wonder if I could do that,” Lacy said. 

“Do what?”

“Have my own farm.”

“That something you’re interested in?” Isabella said with a chuckle.

“Maybe. I mean, I do have a green thumb. Why do you ask?”

“Just find it a bit weird.”

“How’s that?” Lacy said in a low tone. 

“I’m a city girl,” Isabella said. “The idea’s a bit foreign to me.”

“Boston.”

“Yeah.”

“What do you guys do for fun there?” Lacy asked.

“Heroin, mostly. And tipping over cars when the Red Sox lose. Or when they win. Or… Anything involving the Red Sox, mostly.”

Lacy looked at her.

“That was a joke,” Isabella said.

“What’re the Red Sox?”

Isabella pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car. Her hands gripped tight on the wheel, and she stared directly ahead. 

“What?” Lacy said, eyes wide with concern. 

Isabella reached over Lacy’s lap to open the glove compartment. Lacy blushed. Isabella retrieved a tape from the compartment and jammed it into the player. “2004 American League Playoffs, Game Four highlights. Listen, and listen good.”

And so, as they drove south, Lacy listened. She figured out the rules to the game as she went, and she found herself getting caught up in it, cheering alongside Isabella as the game progressed. 

“That answer your question?” Isabella asked. Night had descended upon the fields as the land grew emptier and harsher. 

“Yeah,” Lacy smiled. She and Isabella both reached for the tape player, and their hands met atop the stereo. 

For a moment, it all froze. Her hands were warm and soft, and Lacy wanted to hold onto them. Then, however, came the static. The radio burst to life, and the dials turned themselves as a hundred thousand voices came in a brutal cacophony. Finally, it settled: “-From Fresno, the remains of three missing persons have been found. A local street gang is suspected to be responsible for these brutal killings-”

Isabella froze. 

The dials turned again. 

The new voice was familiar. The lawman: Hannibal DeRosier. “-Suspect has vanished from the state of Michigan, we are now undergoing a federal investigation in pursuit of-”

Again. 

“Be not afraid.” Drew.

Isabella pulled over again, parked the car, and froze solid. Her eyes were glazed over, her pupils dilated. 

“Isabella?” Lacy asked. She reached to put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, but stopped herself. That would probably make the situation worse. So what would… 

Lacy climbed out of the winnebago and stepped onto the dirt and fauna lining the road. She reached into the ground with her magic, felt the Stardust all around, and ignited a small bloom. A rose sprouted from the ground, sweet-smelling and clean. She plucked it, and went back into the car and held it beneath Isabella’s nose. 

Isabella blinked, then noticed Lacy, then noticed the rose Lacy was holding near her face. Isabella blushed red as the flower, and Lacy felt her own cheeks running hot. 

“Th-thanks,” Isabella said, taking hold of the flower, putting her hand briefly onto Lacy’s once again. 

“No problem,” Lacy said, not letting go. 

The car door burst open. Lacy jumped and cursed, and let go of Isabella’s hand. Gwen and Danny both burst in. Lacy’s head jerked around to look at them. 

“Is everything alright?” Danny asked. 

“Uh…”

“It happened again, didn’t it?” Gwen asked, looking at Isabella.

“Yeah,” Isabella said, exhaling heavily. She cracked her neck, then her knuckles.

“What happened?” Lacy said. 

“One of my episodes,” Isabella said. She turned back to Gwen. “Why don’t we make camp for the night? We covered a lot of ground for today.”

“Good idea,” Gwen said. 

Soon after that, they found a dirt road off of the highway that led to an empty field. They piled the RV’s and the truck onto the field and dug themselves a campfire. When they all sat beneath the stars, Isabella took a seat between Joshua and Quentin and stared straight into the flames. “So, when I was fourteen, something happened to me,” she said. She told them, of the fox, and of the Pale. She took World-Carver from its scabbard and held it by the handle, her hand trembling despite the tight grip. 

When it was over, she looked up at the stars. 

When it was over, Lacy looked up with her. How could she have that sword? That didn’t make any sense. That was the sword that the Chosen One had in Lacy’s dreams, the sword that killed her. And if it came from the Pale, then… That made the odds more likely. 

No, no it wasn’t possible. This couldn’t be the person who would kill her. It didn’t make any sense. 

“Thank you for listening, both of you,” Isabella said. “I get… Flashbacks, sometimes, where I’m kinda pulled back into where I was. It’s difficult, but I manage most of the time.”

“Not a problem, friend,” Danny said casually. 

Lacy just stared. God she’s beautiful. Danny elbowed her in the ribs. “Right, yes, yes,” Lacy said. “Not a problem at all. Not one bit.”

Danny made that face he made where he was trying to stifle a laugh with mixed results. Isabella didn’t stifle hers, though, and it was more of a… Giggle then a regular laugh.

Lacy blushed.

Dinner was a modest affair of sandwiches they’d bought from a gas station earlier that day. They ate under the clear night sky, in the late spring wind. Eventually, Danny left them, saying he was going to go read. Joshua went to work on his knitting, and Gwen and Quentin excused themselves without saying where or to what they were going. 

This left Isabella and Lacy alone around the dwindling fire.

Now or never. Lacy tapped her chest, and her Star emerged. May as well be direct. “You don’t happen to have one of these, do you?”

“What? No, of course not. I can’t even do magic. If I could, I wouldn’t be able to use World-Carver.”

“What do you mean-”

Isabella swung the sword, and reality ripped open. A golden and silver vortex sprang to life silently, a hole in the world. An identical hole emerged ten feet up above them. Isabella chucked a pebble through the lower portal, and the rock went through and then fell out the higher one. Lacy gaped. “Neat, huh?” Isabella asked. 

“Yeah, I’ll say! But how come-”

“Mages can’t use magic artifacts,” Isabella said. 

“They can’t?”

“Yeah. Nobody knows why, they just can’t. Quentin and Josh have both tried to use this thing, and nothing. Nada. No portals. For me, though, it works just fine for me.”

“Huh,” Lacy said. If this girl was telling the truth… IF… then… Then she couldn’t be the Chosen One. The Chosen One was a mage, a Starbound, and she was reasonably sure a druid like herself based on the wind and lightning and earthquakes they used on her in the dreams. This girl probably wasn’t the Chosen One… She’d just… Found their weapon, somehow. And brought it back with her from that place.

If this girl was telling the truth. 

But Lacy wanted to believe it, and so she decided she would try to.

“So,” Isabella said, “Not to change the subject, even though that’s exactly what I’m doing: what did you think of the game?” 

“I liked it,” Lacy said. “I’m not sure how much I understand the rules, but-”

“Okay, but how’ve you never heard of baseball?”

“I’ve heard of it, I just don’t know the rules.”

“It’s America’s pastime,” Isabella said, brushing an errant strand of hair from her eyes.

“I’m from Michigan. I prefer hockey.”

“Oh my God, you are so very white,” Isabella giggled.

“Pfft. Can’t really argue with that.”

They went about talking for a while after that, even as the fire faded into embers and ashes. Lacy and Isabella laid flat on the ground, next to the dying fire on opposite sides, parallel, looking up at the night sky, just talking and enjoying each other’s company. 

***

“Hey, let’s go shopping,” Isabella said. 

“Hm? Oh, uh, why?” Lacy asked.

Isabella tried not to sigh, but rather kept pressing forward. They were in another trailer park a few miles outside of a small Nebraska town called Vogel, a flat, nondescript place where Harry had been waiting for them, wrenching on an engine the size of a sedan, pouring over his blueprints. One day she’d get him to explain how he was everywhere all the time. One day. Today was not that day, however- today was a sunny, warm spring day in a very, very flat place. She could see for miles in each direction, and everything seemed to lead her back to this girl. “Well, mostly because you’ve been wearing the same two outfits for over a week now. If for no purposes besides the practical, you should probably-”

“Oh God,” Lacy said, looking down at her black blouse and blue jeans that she’d worn the past five days in a row. It probably didn’t help that they’d all been bathing in rivers, but still. 

They stood on the hard packed dirt surface between the various winnebagos, around the dead campfire. Danny sat there drinking straight vodka out of a hip flask even though it was one in the afternoon- God, that guy was a mess. He was Lacy’s oldest friend, and he’d been dragged into this whole thing pretty unexpectedly, but still, he did not know how to cope without hitting the bottle. Lacy, for her part, was standing behind him pacing back and forth- she’d been doing it for hours. 

This girl couldn’t be the one, could she? There was no way. 

“So, shopping? We passed a mall on the way here,” Isabella said. 

“Yes, let’s!” Lacy said. She turned around to face Gwen, who was leaning against the side of her and Quentin’s trailer smoking a cigarette. “Hey, Gwen, do you wanna come shopping with us? Girls day?”

Isabella’s heart hollowed and her shoulders slumped.

Gwen took a long drag on her cigarette, her eyes darting back and forth between Lacy and Isabella. Finally, she breathed out a puff of smoke, and said, “No, I think I’ll hang back.”

Oh thank God, Isabella thought.

“Are you sure? It’ll be fun,” Lacy said. 

Dammit.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Gwen said.

YES!

“Aw. Why not?” Lacy asked.

FUCK’S SAKE! Gwen took another long drag. “Because I was gonna take advantage of the kids being out of the house and have loud, kinky sex with Quentin, stuff involving chains and floggers, and with your whole super-hearing thing I don’t think you’ll wanna be within a hundred yards of that.”

Lacy went tomato-red. Danny down his entire flask in one gulp, then took a fresh flask from the breast pocket of his red flannel shirt. Isabella mouthed a ‘thank you’ at Gwen, who winked at her. After that, Danny tossed Isabella the keys to his truck and gave her a nod and a thumbs up- maybe he wasn’t all bad. She herded Lacy into the truck, and they drove towards Vogel. Isabella turned on the radio, and they were immediately met with news reports about a rash of murders in Chicago- which, given that it was Chicago, meant it must’ve been even worse than usual to be newsworthy. She turned it until she found a heavy metal station, and Lacy began instinctively headbanging to the tunes of Five Finger Death Punch. God, this girl has no idea how adorable she is, does she?

“Your face is red- are you alright? Do you have a fever?” Lacy asked after a moment. 

“Er- no, no. I’m just… A bit sunburnt,” Isabella said hurriedly. 

“Oh, gotcha.”

A faint ringing in Isabella’s ears warned her about this, about the possibility of getting attached. If this girl was the one she was supposed to kill, that she’d promised the Elf-King she would kill… She didn’t know if she’d be able to go through with it. Lacy was too nice, too sweet, too… Pure, quite frankly. And maybe that wasn’t always a good thing, but for Isabella it was a refreshing change of pace. And Lacy had cute dimples and a nice butt, both of which were things Isabella appreciated… Your judgment is cloudy here, chica, she thought. Maybe it’s not her, though. Maybe this is a coincidence.

“It’s a shame Gwen couldn’t come along,” Lacy said. 

“Hey, so, uh,” Isabella started. Don’t say don’t say it don’t say it- “I was wondering: how do you feel about Gwen?” FUCK, I SAID IT- WHY??!

“She’s cool. I trust her,” Lacy said, resting her head on the window.

“No, I mean, how do you FEEL about her?”

“She’s a good teacher and a good friend. Danny seems uncomfortable around her- I’m not sure why. But other than that-”

“That’s not what I- I mean do you like her? Are you attracted to her?” WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME WHY DID I FUCKING SAY THAT-

“I mean she’s a good looking lady, I’ve got eyes, but no, I don’t like her like that. She’s not really my type,” Lacy said with an innocent grin. “Why? Do you like her? Are you hoping to invoke a certain Mormon tradition with her and Quentin?” The grin turned less than innocent at that moment; one might even call it ‘shit-eating.’

“Um- no, no definitely not,” Isabella said. “Quentin’s not really my taste in guys, and I don’t wanna complicate anything for them. And Gwen IS gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but I guess I’m just not into people who are taller than me.”

Lacy looked like something was beginning to dawn on her. “Oooohhhhh.”

“W-what? What’s that mean?”

“So do you want me to set you up with Danny, then? Is that what this is about?”

“What? No. He’s not my type either.”

“You said you like people who are shorter than you and he’s an inch shorter than-”

“I meant more like you,” Isabella said, then instantly put a hand over her mouth. She parked the car and sat there a moment while Lacy stared at her. “I didn’t- I didn’t mean that- I-”

“Cool,” Lacy said, hearts practically visible in her eyes. 

Isabella began playing with her hair, then caught herself and stared at her treacherous hand.

“You’re really cool,” Lacy said. “You’re easy to talk to and to be quiet around as well- that’s not a lot of people for me. I’ve never really met someone like you before, and I’m really glad I’m getting the chance to. I wasn’t really sure when you asked me to do this with you, so I invited Gwen as a buffer just in case. She’s gotten good at catching me before I talk without thinking- she and Danny are kind of similar like that. But I’m glad we could clear things up.”

Isabella started driving again, the streets growing more crowded as she entered Vogel. Okay, okay, this was a good sign, she trusted her.

“And… If I may be so bold… You’re absolutely beautiful,” Lacy said. 

There it was. In spite of how she was the rest of the time, when Lacy had decided on something, how she felt about it, she gained this confidence that was… Appealing, if slightly jarring. Isabella was sure she was still red, but she kept driving. “Thank you. You are too.”

And then Lacy started giggling and playing with her own hair. 

I’m not gonna be able to kill this girl, Isabella thought. That might pose a problem.

But as they arrived at the mall, it became a problem Isabella was content to ignore. 

The Vogel Mall was an underwhelming affair, only one story with only twelve stores, but the wide-eyed look on Lacy’s face indicated that this would do nicely. She really was from out in the sticks if this constituted a proper mall for her, but in Isabella’s opinion every girl had to start somewhere. So they started with pants, ones with a more feminine cut, but about a size too big so as not to hug Lacy’s crotch too much. They moved onto shirts, tops, and blouses. 

When they got to underwear, Lacy asked, “I don’t know how much I really need bras.”

“Right now, you mean,” Isabella said. “Are you planning on starting hormones at some point?”

“Uh, I didn’t really think that far ahead, but now that you mention it, yeah I’d like to.”

“Then you’re gonna need some bras as the girls grow in,” Isabella said. She took a bra off the rack and held it over Lacy’s chest, and the girl’s crooked smile said she didn’t mind the physical contact. 

After that was the fun stuff- dresses and skirts. Getting to wear those had been one of Isabella’s favorite parts of transitioning, and from her reaction to the sun dresses and knit dresses and maxi dresses, Lacy’s was of a similar stripe. She spent two hours trying them on and taking them off, putting on a fashion show for Isabella. 

“Come here,” Isabella said, handing her a pair of shoes with three inch heels. “I’ll show you how to walk in these.” She put her hands on Lacy’s hips and guided through the motions, heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe. Lacy’s giddiness reached new heights- she looked like she was practically drowning in gender euphoria. 

“I want to buy all of the dresses! All of them, I say!” Lacy said, happy and greedy and smiling, hand on Isabella’s as they sat at a bench together sipping cherry smoothies. 

“Well you can buy ONE of them,” Isabella said. “They’re not super practical for our lifestyle, but it is good to have a few nice things. You’ll never know when you’ll need them, or just when you’ll want them.”

“Fair enough,” Lacy acquiesced. “God, I can’t believe I used to think all this was stupid.”

Isabella cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“I, um, used to have this problem where I resented other girls because I knew I was one but I couldn’t… Do anything about that. And they got to be girls, and it looked fun, all the things girls do for themselves and each other, but I told myself it was stupid so I didn’t have to feel like I was missing out.”

“Did it work?”

“No, it just made me incredibly depressed,” Lacy said with a wide smile.

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Isabella said, raking a hand through her hair.

“I take it you never went through that phase?” Lacy asked. 

“No, not really. I came out when I was ten, and my parents, rest in peace, were pretty cool about everything. Honestly, I think my mom was excited to finally have a daughter,” Isabella said. Wait, she mentioned that her parents sucked; maybe I shouldn’t mention my-

“What were they like?” Lacy said. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

A sinking feeling went through Isabella’s stomach, hollowing a pit and threatening to drag down all rational thought. “I, um, I don’t really wanna talk about them.”

Lacy nodded. “Okay.”

“Thank you… For being understanding,” Isabella said.

“And thank you,” Lacy said. “For taking me here. I needed this. Life lately has been, uh, stressful. To say the least.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Isabella said. “Glad I could help.”

After that they drove back to the campground, and kept talking about clothes, and about music, and about where they’d grown up, and about anything else that came to their minds. Anything except what Isabella was most worried about, which she tried to limited avail to put out of her mind. I’m not gonna be able to kill this girl.   

***

Hello, lovelies! Don’t forget you can buy the official ebooks for MGES and ADSR here:

[cowboyxrencissance]

It was sometimes difficult for Liam to keep his feelings in check. He wondered if he was being too obvious and if Leon had noticed. Maybe Leon was only humoring him because he thought it was cute—not that Liam expected him to feel the same way. Leon was friends with his brother, so he probably didn’t want to risk ruining that. All Liam could do was indulge in a bit of wishful thinking.

Liam couldn’t help but giggle and blush. “So, you only do it for the pretty boys? Fair enough. In that case, you should come visit more often! I’ll be like your personal cheerleader—rooting for you, bringing you water and snacks. My brothers make me work all the time. Once, I told Alexander to go fuck himself, and he put me on manure duty. I’m still traumatized,” he shuddered at the memory. His heart skipped when Leon’s hand slid down to his thigh, though he tried to appear unfazed. “I’m usually well-behaved! It’s not my fault my brother corrupted my innocent, angelic nature!” he argued, smiling innocently. “Besides, Isabella might forgive me—and if she does, Thiago will have to as well. Worst-case scenario, I’ll hide behind Easton or just hang out here with you. It’s not my fault Caleb was being a jerk; he had it coming!” He looked up at Leon with a hopeful grin. “So, does this mean you’ll help me? I’ll even give you some of my blood to use and stuff.”

leon would be lying if he said he hadn't had a crush on liam for a while now, he had developed such a soft spot for the kid, not that he'd ever admit that, though. liam had frequented some of his dirty dreams more times than he would care to admit. so when liam comes to him for help, the witch can never turn him away, as much as he likes to pretend he would.

"well that's totally different, it was an observation. and i just have a firm belief that the pretty boys shouldn't have to work. plus your brothers deserve to be put to work, they're rugged and buff and should be working, it's only right." leon let his hands slide down and rest on liam's thighs, maybe he should have pulled them away the second he put him on the table, but he didn't. "yes, this time." his tone was that of a father telling off his child. "you know they're gonna kill you for messing with their stuff, right?"

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

The Pearl Bracelet

by inamindfarfaraway

The name of the Wayne killer was never publicly known. He never went to court. After several years and a good amount of detective work, Bruce Wayne discovered the name Joe Chill, but with no leads on finding him it would likely have been a waste of time. He had more pressing issues to pursue, anyway.

However, Joe’s story didn’t end the night Thomas and Martha’s did. What happened to him may matter little in the grand scheme of things, but it still matters.

Words: 1496, Chapters: 1/5, Language: English

Fandoms: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Joe Chill, Original Characters, Daxton Chill, Bruce Wayne, Duke Thomas, Andre Cipriani, Riko Sheridan, Isabella Ortiz, (But all except the first three are only really in the epilogue and pretty minor), (Martha and Thomas Wayne are there too but they die so quickly that I'm not even tagging them), I'm counting, Daxton Chill's Mother, as essentially an OC because I've added so much to her bare bones of canon characterization

Relationships: Joe Chill and Original Characters, Joe Chill and Daxton Chill, Daxton Chill & Andre Cipriani & Isabella Ortiz & Riko Sheridan & Duke Thomas

Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Bittersweet Ending, Canonical Character Death, Murder, Guilt, Depression, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Suicidal Thoughts, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Homelessness, Mental Health Issues, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcohol Withdrawal, Therapy, Medication, Recovery, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Falling In Love, Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Marriage Proposal, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Marriage, Married Couple, Unplanned Pregnancy, Parenthood, Character Death, Hugs, Redemption, Tragedy, Parallels, Not Canon Compliant, But only in small details about minor (in canon not the fic) characters, Otherwise mostly, Canon Compliant, Alternative Perspective, Time Skips, Blood, Blood and Injury, Vomiting

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/45304915

[rubbersouls]

Illicit affairs (pt. 3)

Bruno Madrigal x reader

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Note: hi! Here is part 3, I hope you like it. Feel free to comment on anything:)

You were walking to the door to go home, replaying that moment over and over in your mind; his fingers skimming the skin on your face felt so right, and when he touched your lips, you would have given anything for his thumb to be his lips instead, your chest pounded and you could feel your face burning red, you couldn’t even breathe. You bit your lip trying to feel the same, when a voice took you out of your thoughts and made you gasp of surprise.

“(y/n)! It’s so good to see you, how are you?” asked Luisa cheerfully, honestly se came out of nowhere, it took you a second to figure it was her.

“Luisa! It’s good to see you too! I’m good, thank you for asking” you gave her a polite smile, kind of nervous, though. She didn’t seem convinced, rather a little bit concerned when she looked at you for more than a second.

“Are you sure? You’re very flushed, looks like you got fever… where are you coming from?” she asked as she put the back of her hand against your forehead, checking your temperature.

“Uh… I-I came looking for Isabella… apparently she’s not home, so I guess I’ll go” you avoided her going under her arm, waving goodbye with a nervous smile as you ran through the hallway, leaving Luisa very confused.

“Isabella got home like 20 minutes ago… but okay, I guess” she said to herself, wondering what you were really doing, but maybe that wasn’t her business, so she didn’t say anything. You went home and prepared everything you’d wear. You prayed you’d dream about that.

The next day was a great day, everything was ready at the Casa Madrigal, everything decorated with a variety of flowers and plants Isabella had discovered she could grow, along with many balloons and all types of food you could want, everyone helping with the last preparations, when you decided to show up a little early to see where you could help. You had made sure you looked your best, carefully preparing your dress, doing your hair, your makeup, a red lipstick to make your lips stand out. Somehow you were a teenager again, with butterflies in your guts that made your chests pump and a smile carve into your mouth at the simple thought of that man. You kept telling yourself this was platonic, that nothing could happen, but the feeling of his skin against yours haunted you and ran through your mind at all times and you couldn’t ignore how possible that felt. You hoped it was real, but you didn’t dare to say it out loud.

The door was open as everyone was running around with food, flowers, decorations; a happy place for a happy event that you were celebrating. Your friend came to find you in her beautiful, dyed dress, a lot of colors showing she no longer needed to pretend to be all perfect, now she could express herself through colors and the great variety of things she could grow.

“(y/n)! just in time, come with me, I need to set the last flowers by the rooftop” she signed you to follow her as she climbed the stairs and you began walking beside her.

“Isa, your dress looks amazing, it fits you”

“Thanks! I just added a few details since you helped me with it the other day. Sorry I wasn’t home yesterday, though… but I’m glad you got along with my Tío” your heart skipped a beat.

“Uhm, yesterday?”

“Yeah. Dolores said you had a… conversation with Bruno”

“Oh! Oh” fuck, Dolores… “yeah, I wanted to introduce properly, you know” you laughed nervously.

“I’m glad he’s socializing, making friends with our friends” she said with a weird tone, looking at you from the side.

“Are you trying to say anything?” you asked.

“No, I’m not. Do you want to tell me anything?” you could see a grin on her sarcastic smile as you peeked at her.

“No”

“Okay then” she said and continued to walk at normal pace, like nothing happened.

Your heart was beating fast and you wanted to hide, you felt a little exposed. How could you forget about Dolores?

You continued to help Isabella as you saw everyone from the top of the house, they were rushing and running around until everything was ready and people began to arrive. The snacks and drinks began to fly and music started to play, the party rapidly began to feel like it. You greeted everyone in the family as you saw them; when you ran into Dolores you gave her a sarcastic smile.

“Sometimes I forget you hear every conversation, but I didn’t think you told everyone about the simple ones”

“Oh, I don’t”

“Then why did you tell Isabella I was here yesterday? Didn’t think that was uncommon?”

“It was a quite… uncommon ending for the conversation” she said, raising her shoulders.

“Oh, no, that wasn’t… I didn’t… it was a… you know what? Shouldn’t have to worry about this, could you please not snitch on private conversations? Por favor?” you asked and begged her with your eyes. You know you couldn’t stop her from knowing, but perhaps she could be a little more discrete about your failures.

“Okay” she said as she put on a complicit smile. “Actually, just so you know, he has been thinking about you… I heard him talking to his rats” she squeaked and walked away. What a nice idea in your head, him talking to the rats, made you feel butterflies.

Just in time, you saw him sitting on a chair in a corner, observing everyone dancing, but not being able to do it himself. He hadn’t seen you yet, but he was about to. You took a deep breath, took a shot of liquor for the tiny impulse you needed to approach him, and you did so, sitting in the chair next to him.

“So, what are we doing?” you gave him a smile and he smiled back, his movements becoming a bit clumsier.

“(y/n)! Hi” he gave you a sweet smile “Uhm, just, nothing, watching the party I guess” he scratched his neck.

“Do you dance?”

“No, I mean, I can’t dance, you know, I’m a terrible dancer, so I don’t dance” he was agitated but he laughed it off with a little chuckle.

You stood up and offered him a hand. He looked at you confused. “Good thing I am, well, not a terrible dancer, so we wouldn’t look as bad, don’t you think?” he was hesitating when he took your hand and stood up. You dragged him to the dance floor and grabbed his hands in yours, with a smile you began to dance, a bit nervous, you couldn’t hide that, but you were enjoying it. He looked at your movements, a concerned gaze in his face as he tried to replicate them, with jerky steps.

“Don’t think about it too much, just let yourself go, flow with the music” you said to his ear before giving him a spin, to which he smiled broadly, and after that he relaxed, his moves were more fluid, still clumsy but you could see he was feeling it. You danced like that for a while, really enjoying and laughing with him, spinning around, and swirling the skirt of your dress, always coming back to him, touching his hands more than it was needed, because you wanted to touch him whenever you had the chance. The moment ended when he stopped to take a breath, his flushed smile slowly fading away as he took his eyes off yours to look around.

“Everyone is looking at us” they were, indeed, some with a smile and some with a confused look.

“It’s probably because you’re dancing, you know, they’re just not used to it” you suggested.

“This… maybe, but what are they going to think?” he said, concerned, his eyes moving around rapidly, scanning the room.

“Hey,” you grabbed him by the shoulders, making him look at you “don’t worry about that. We’re just dancing, having fun, it’s a party, isn’t it?” he sighed, after a moment, relieving the pressure he was feeling. He nodded and gave you a little smile.

Camilo’s voice interrupted the moment, making you two turn to him abruptly.

“You made Tío Bruno dance, those moves got to be good, you mind if I steal her for a dance?” he addressed Bruno, while looking at you and inviting you with his hand.

“Oh, yeah, no, I mean, if she wants” he responded nervously, giving you a small grin, to which you smiled back and took Camilo’s hand.

“Of course, the pleasure is mine” you both laughed and Bruno saw you walk away, mesmerized with the girl he shared a dance with, it was a beautiful moment. He thought he’d have a panic attack if he tried to dance on his own, but you had made it feel easy, fun… you were good to him, but he wasn’t sure he was good to you.

You danced with Camilo, he shapeshifted to multiple people in the course of the songs, he was funny, you liked him. His extroverted personality was very cheerful sometimes, you thought of him as a little brother. When the song ended, he bowed and kissed you hand, but with Bruno’s shape.

“Don’t do that” you said between laughs while recovering your breath.

“I thought you liked Bruno” he said as he transformed back into himself.

“What do you mean?” you asked with a more serious tone, “what did Dolores say?”

“Dolores? She didn’t say anything, what does she know?” he asked with a mischievous grin.

“Nothing! No, but what do you mean? Yeah, he’s nice, right? He’s, you know, cool” you tried to play it off, you had screwed.

“Yeah… sure” he put a playful smile and walked away, still looking at you, leaving you there, confused.

You couldn’t keep anything a secret in this house, could you? It was either giving up or committing stuff that you weren’t sure about and could lead to embarrassment, but you sure weren’t going to regret. You lost Bruno from your sight; the crowd was too cheerful. You’d find him later, right now you needed a drink. You went to sit with Isabella who was taking a break from dancing around. You poured liquid into a glass and took a sip.

“Still nothing you want to tell me?” she tempted, with a grin in her face.

“Nope” you said as you took another sip.

“Fine, you know there’s always another way to find out, right?” she looked at Dolores who was Dancing with Mariano across the room.

“Don’t you dare to utilize those methods, it’s very wrong to break into people’s privacy” you held a finger to her face, drinking again.

“I’ll have no choice, I’m not perfect, you know, neither are my morals” she raised her shoulders.

“What do you want to know?” you said, surrendering, between laughs.

“What’s the deal with Tío Bruno?” she asked, straight up.

“So straight to the point, wow” another sip.

“Are you like, into him?” her face had a curious look.

“I mean, you said you thought I’d like him, and I do, he’s… nice and kind and… he’s a nice guy, I like him” you tried to avoid the question.

“That’s not what I mean” she teased.

“Oh my god, Isabella, what do you want me to say?” you drank again, starting to feel a rush of heat through your system.

“I’m not asking again” she rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink.

“I do have crush on your uncle, okay?” you said, without taking your eyes of your glass.

“Ah, now it’s you who says things straight, I like that” she made you chuckle. “Care to elaborate on that?”

“It’s platonic, obviously. He’s very… sweet, with his hair, and his rats, and the way he speaks, he’s very kind, he gets carried away when he’s confident, you know? It was a nice conversation…” you got lost inside your thoughts and had silly smile on your face, thinking about him like a teenage girl. You turned to look at her, who was giving you a surprised face.

“What? It is platonic!, it’s not like something could happen, he wouldn’t like me back, you know?” what last part was hard to say, it hurt a bit inside, but you laughed it off and took another sip of your glass. Inside, you hoped it wasn’t true, because you could really picture it all happening.

“All right, I’m going to pretend I never heard that” she laughed and drank.

You both talked for a while, then got up to dance, the party atmosphere was terrific, everyone was having fun, everybody seemed happy and fun, you were glad they made this party. But you couldn’t see HIM anywhere. You told Isabella you’d catch up with her later and went to grab a snack, and that’s when Mirabel ran into you, like she was looking for someone.

“Mirabel! How are you enjoying the party?” you asked with a broad smile.

“Oh, it’s amazing!, It’s going great, I was just noticing I haven’t seen Bruno in a while, and I want him to have fun, he might have a hard time in these occasions, but isolation… it might not be what he needs, you know”

“Yeah, I understand… have you tried in his room?” you asked, taking a bite of your arepa.

“No, I haven’t, but he might be there… why don’t go check there? I’ll take the river, he often goes there, he’s a bit of a loner, you know��”

“Yeah, okay. Sure” she gave a reassuring smile and walked away, and so did you. You took the stairs and went to his tower. When you came in, you heard voices, he was talking to someone. You didn’t want to interrupt, but you had to bring him back to the party, so you took the next steps carefully, trying to be quiet, and there was a moment when you were close enough to his room, when you could overhear the conversation:

“You should show this to her… I think she has a crush on you” it was Camilo who was in there with Bruno.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea” he said.

“Come on, at least go talk to her, she would be great for you!”

“I can’t. I shouldn’t” there was a heavy feeling in his voice.

“Tío, come on, go dance with her again, ask her out” Camilo insisted.

“I couldn’t do that, Camilo” he sounded sure of this.

“Why can’t you? Fine, I’ll do it shapeshifted as you, you’ll thank me later”

“No! I don’t want anything to do with her! Got it?” he shouted, firmly, and you felt like your heart had fell from your chest. You took all the attention out of your own movements, which made you stumble a bit and catch their attention. Both men quickly turned to look at you, an astonished expression on their faces. You felt a rush of shame, rejection, anger, sadness. You didn’t give them time to react. You turned around and ran as you could outside of that room.

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