#Jacob the farmhand

[georgiapeach30513]

How I'm Looking At You, Part 1

Summary: You were long considered a spinster. Your family was desperate for money, and you were their only option. Sending you to work for a newcomer who was not part of the Amish community was risky, and it brought forth the gossip. Ari didn't seem to care what others thought about him, but he did care what they thought about you. Making your innocent crush and close proximity a bit more...harder. But can you convince him and yourself that the feelings are worth it? But what if it is just a crush? Do you even care anymore? Or are you ready to risk it all and leave the community?

Pairings: Ari Levinson X Reader

Rating: mild

Warnings:  gossip, questioning religious teachings, language, sexual tension, 18+ ONLY

Word Count: 4.1K

Series Masterlist

*dividers created by @firefly-graphics

Ari takes a deep breath as he looks around. A whole lot of nothing. Land as far as the eye can see, neighbors weren’t close. He is in over his head. It was a great deal, and it made sense at the time, but now that he has sweat dripping down his face, blisters on his fingers, and more sun on his neck that his mom would deem necessary he realizes this was just a dumb idea.

The outside of the homestead is one thing, but the inside is unkempt and a complete disaster. He didn’t even know where to begin. Overwhelming didn’t even seem a strong enough word to describe the mess he is in. It is getting lonely out here, and the farmhands he hired aren’t helping much on the home or the kind of loneliness he feels. Life out here is different.

“I don’t think you’re gonna make it,” Jacob, one of the more vocal boys that Ari hired. Ari didn’t need anything that this life could bring him. In fact everyone here would probably shit themselves if they knew how much he is worth. Sometimes you just need an escape from the city life. “You look like you’re gonna melt away.”

“I’m thinking,” Ari gruffs out. The outside is fine. It is looking great, and the only reason he is even out here helping is his doctor told him stress was going to kill him. How is this not stressful?

“What’re you thinking about?”

“What do you know about keeping a house?” The young man stares at Ari awkwardly before looking at the other two men confused. They shuffle around nervously, looking down at the tilled land, “Did I say something?”

“I don’t think you understand the roles here,” Ari shrugs his shoulders, and the two boys that he couldn’t be bothered to learn their name since they didn’t talk to him before return back to their work.

“Care to enlighten me?”

“I don’t think what I’m suggesting will happen,” Ari squirts as he looks at the vastness of the land. He’d take any suggestion at this point, or whatever he had to offer.

“I don’t need suggestions, I asked to be enlightened.”

Jacob points to himself, but starts scratching his head after, “We don’t do housework. That’s for the women.”

“So I should find a woman to hire for the house,” the other boys start to chuckle, but remain working. “I think I missed something.”

“It won’t help,” Jacob shrugs his shoulders, as he grabs up his tool.

“Why?”

“If you think you’re going to get a married woman in a single English man’s home, you’re crazy. If you think you’re going to get an unmarried woman in a single English man’s home, you’re insane. Nobody would ever let their wife or their daughter in your home.”

Ari closes his eyes slowly. This way of life is confusing for him. He doesn’t want to tie a woman up in his bed and have his way with her, well — no, he wants help for his home. “Why wouldn’t they?”

“Have you looked at yourself? You’re like a man from the forbidden books. You bring out lustful thoughts in a woman. How are they to remain pure when there’s an English man that embodies everything they’re not supposed to have?”

“I don’t know how to use my stove though,” Jacob shrugs his shoulders. He didn’t see how any man would let a woman in his life ever be in Ari’s home. Especially not alone. “If I were to try, where would one go look for a woman that is unwed and needs a job?” The other boys laugh again, but Jacob points out into the distance.

“There’s only one person I can think of. A family that only had one daughter, no sons. They’re…well, they could use some charity. Their farm is quite small,” Ari hears one of the boys whistle, and chooses to ignore them. “She works at the general store.”

It isn’t the most ideal place to look, but it is the only one for now. What is the worst they could say? No. “You boys got this here?” All three give him a nod, there is so much nodding with everyone here, and he starts walking to his truck. He wasn’t going to go the horse drawn carriage route with transportation. And this isn’t a flashy truck. Old and rusty, and now he had a bit more hope of finding help for the inside of his farm. Maybe.

You can hear the giggles from the front of the general store. It was always about you, and they never tried to hide the way that they giggled and carried on about you. You weren’t supposed to gossip, and yet they always did about you. You were told you were too old to wed, and you weren’t a man and couldn’t help your father on the farm. And you weren’t the most demure because you spoke to everyone, and no matter what you did it was never right. And everyone wanted to point it out.

All you can bear to do is hold your head up high and try not to let the giggles and the random sound of your name off their sinning mouths to not affect you. Unfortunately it did every time, deep into your heart. You didn’t have friends, except the people that come into your store, and it made you long for something besides loneliness.

You wished you would have taken off long ago, but your parents didn’t deserve that. You had dreams of getting married young and having lots of little boys to help your father out. Had told your parents you could do the labor, but they felt you were better suited here. So hear you stay constantly hearing the drone of pious women being anything but that.

It is all politics and a game, and you quite frankly were sick of it. Sick of the constant need to be perfect as a human when it was literally impossible. So instead you pretend as if this is the life that you wanted. Living in a modern world, but acting as if you’re in the past. If anyone knew about your thoughts on wanting to break free, you’d be shunned, and you just couldn’t afford that.

It isn’t too often that you hear a rumble of an old Ford truck nearby, or the slamming of a door, or the fact that the giggling stops, and you see a gaggle of young women start to waddle away from the general store. And you can’t help but think, good riddance. The fact that they wanted to linger here while they whispered and giggled about your life that didn’t interfere with theirs is cruel. You always had to be the peak of perfection, while they were marking off the commandments like it was their job.

Booming footsteps isn’t unusual. What is unusual is the man that walks through the general store door, and you have a combination of looking too long and needing to look away immediately. Your eyes dart to his face, and then the countertop. Studying him and the wood grain in equal amounts.

Noticing the sticky sheen on his skin, and the random droplets of sweat dragging down his neck. Noticing his hair damp with said sweat, and still looking so fluffy. He walks over to a cooler, and pulls out a bottle of soda. Doesn’t bother to pay for it first, just pops the top, and leans his head back. His Adam’s apple moves with every gulp, and you know you look too long because his dark blue eyes shift towards you, and he winks.

Looking down at the counter, heat courses up your neck. Swirling around your ears, and your throat tightens. You need water. Even alcohol at this point. You had stolen a few sips before, and always heard it helps in situations such as these. Something is happening to your body that you just can’t explain, and you can’t even glance at him anymore.

“Ma’am?”

“Mhmm,” your response comes out whispered and pitiful, and you’re still unable to meet his gaze. A sudden urge to sit down, and let your body curl into itself pops up, and you need an exit. Air. Air would be really nice right now.

“I want to pay for the soda, but also a few more. My hired hands would like a treat,” why did the word hands sound so — delicious? Does that even make sense?

“Sure,” your body goes on autopilot as you start to ring him up. Still not daring to look at him. You’d crack, you just know it. You would be a puddle on the floor if you even tried. “Are you new?” How that sentence was even able to come out of your mouth is a mystery. Your throat is so dry and in need of rehydration immediately.

“Yeah. I bought the old Yoder farm, right at the edge of the town,” of course he did. The most coveted of farms, and even that is a sin. Too big of a farm for a single man. Did he mean to convert? Or was it too good of a purchase to not make the investment?

“That’s actually why I’m here. Darling, you think you can look at me?” Oh. Hearing a name usually saved for your parents to use for you, sounds very different from his silky voice. Your eyes shift up to look at him, and he’s even more handsome close up. You shouldn’t be worried about someone’s appearance, but he also should have his buttons done up a bit more. Too much of his gloriously tanned rippling chest is showing. He is all man. And the butterflies that erupt in your stomach makes you recall the gossipers’ talk of you being alone forever.

Those girls would not fare well if the elders knew what they were doing. But seeing this man, and his beard wet with soda, and the heavy feeling in your unseen areas, makes you quickly ask the heaven’s for forgiveness. You didn’t ask for that feeling though, it just happened. Your body is reacting to the way he looks and that close proximity to him.

“Why are you here?”

“I have hired hands for the outside, but the home itself — well it has much left to be desired. I don’t know what I’m doing in an Amish home,” you nod your head, a giddy smirk tickling the edge of your mouth, and he returns the smile. It’s a struggle to continue to look at him with how attractive you find him when he smiles. He’s handsome. Very handsome, “Yeah, I don’t know how to keep an Amish home. So this is very different.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” you didn’t. You didn’t know at all what he was referring to. English people can be so tricky with their words. No need in trying to sway a thought, just be blatantly honest about what you need.

“Well, I hired some boys to take care of the outside. I was needing to hire a woman for the home,” oh. Your sight goes back to the counter, and you shake your head no. “I didn’t even proposition you.”

“Sir, I don’t know if you are aware of our culture, but that would be — no woman should be alone with you,” it is true. It wouldn’t matter if she was married or not, it would be highly frowned upon. He didn’t know what he was asking. But even you being here in this general store, alone with him would be frowned upon. You wondered. “But some of our men are a bit more relaxed than others.”

“Is your husband?”

“I’m not married.”

“So could I hire you? I’d pay double of whatever you’re making here,” tempting. Sinful. And you want it. You wouldn’t have to listen to the gossip of those girls. Gossip would happen, you know it would. But you wouldn’t have to hear it. That sounds lovely. And you could become a ‘fulfilled Amish woman’ because you were keeping up a household. You wouldn’t be a complete failure.

“You’d have to ask my father for permission.”

“Are you not grown?”

Now it’s time for your overly sweet smile. If only he knew how there is a huge part of you that is ready to run away from this life. You are grown, and the fact you are telling another grown human that he had to ask your father for permission is obnoxious. “You truly don’t understand. I will need his permission to be alone in a man’s home. Appeal to his better nature. But yes, I would very much like to be out of here.”

And you want to be around him more. Like a rope that had wrapped around you and was going to jerk you into his thick broad chest. You would very much like that. Maybe a bit too much. You shouldn’t desire and lust after this man, but he is not grown like the boys here.

“So if I talk to your father, and he agrees…”

“What’s your name?”

“Ari Levinson,” my goodness. You need to repent for your body’s misbehavior. But for right now you’re trying not to melt away.

“Yes, Mr. Levinson. I would like to keep your house up.”

“So here’s the kitchen,” you smile kindly as you take everything in. The house is just a bit more grand than most in the area. The land is plentiful. The Yoders’ were a bit more modern, which is why they didn’t do well in this more traditional area.

“And, I really don’t need to explain this all to you, do I?”

“Not particularly,” you answer. Your eyes take in everything. Almost envisioning what a real English home would look like. Peeking into the sitting room, and going back to his really tall and thick stature. Having to look quickly away from him because he is staring too intently at you.

“What time are you wanting me to start working? Are you desiring breakfast?” That was an odd choice of words that you’re using. Desire is something you have been feeling lately, and you don’t fully understand the feelings. Or whatever is happening to your body, you just know that you enjoy looking at him. “Or lunch? Or dinner?”

“All three would be appreciative, but not a requirement,” you give him a head nod, starting to open up cabinets. You cringe. This isn’t how you were taught, but you can’t help it. He was in dire need of assistance, you see. “I apologize, Darling. Maybe I can give you some money, and you furnish the kitchen properly?”

“I would need to.”

“You do whatever you need, Darling. You just tell me what you need me to do,” he keeps using that name with you. You never feel this way when your parents call you that. This weird knot in your stomach that twists and twists, and your breathing isn’t normal. You’re just standing here staring at this man, and that is all.

“Is everything okay? Did I say something? I’m not good at this?”

“No, the um…I’d need to go into town,” shuffling your feet around you try to look at him, and try to ignore the burning in your throat, and between your thighs? What even is this?

“Okay,” that’s all he has to say. And you can’t end it there for several reasons. One of which is because you don’t want him to go. “Darling, you’re going to have to talk to me. I can tell there’s something you need.”

“Town is a few miles away,” he nods. Still not understanding what you’re needing. Did you even understand? “And you need a lot,” he blinks owlishly at you, and you try to swallow a completely dry mouth, “I don’t have a way to get there and bring everything back.”

“Oh, of course. I’m sorry, Darling,” that name again. You almost want to start counting how many times he uses it a day. His hand touches your shoulder as he steps past you to grab his keys, and you inadvertently bite your lip. “Can you ride in the truck? Is that allowed? Do I have to get a horse and buggy?”

“A truck is fine,” your voice is so breathless as you follow him towards the outside. Ready to head towards town, and hopefully to get everything you would need.

“I’ve got to tell the boys I’ll be leaving. You go on, and get in the truck,” walking outside with your eyes focused downward, you walk towards his truck. Trying not to look at the boys from the church, but they are most definitely looking at you.

Staring so intently they don’t notice Ari walking right up to them, and Jacob looks too long for Ari’s comfort, “What’s she doing here?”

“I took your advice. She’ll be keeping the house up.”

“Like a wife?” Jacob removes his hat, continuing to stare at you casually getting in his truck. Your eyes are still downcast, and your unmoving face still looking straight ahead and not at the boys. “So her parents agreed to this, and she’s just getting in your car.”

“I just met her and you’re talking about wives. No, I’m taking her to town to get the things she’ll need here. You boys continue to do the work, and I’ll return,” he nods to each of them, and they all gawk as he walks towards the truck, and you give them one solid glance, and they return to their work. Not making it too obvious that they are looking at you.

Opening the truck door, you watch as his thick body hops in. Looking at his legs, and how thick they look sitting down, and you weave your fingers together. Looking down at your own lap when Ari looks towards you, “You seem uncomfortable.”

“They are watching us, Mr. Levinson.”

“Should you not be in the truck with me? And please, call me Ari.”

“You’ll find out soon enough that for a community that teaches against gossiping, they will truly gossip. Carry on,” getting out of the sight of the farm, you feel comfortable enough to sit up. The gossip will always happen, you just learned to accept that. Continuing to glance at him, and you can’t stop. It’s unexplainable, but you aren’t the only one.

His dark blue orbs find a way to look towards you, and even smirks, “Do you only ever wear the dress and bonnet?”

“Just when I’m awake. Why?”

“Is it comfortable?” Not really. But it could be worse.

“It’s not uncomfortable,” you can’t truly be honest. So you feel.

“I see. But you don’t particularly enjoy it,” at least he understood what you meant. “So the women here, they’re job is to learn to keep a house, and then you marry off and do just that?”

“Yes,” it makes it sound so simple, and you almost want to curse what a quaint life you live. You weren’t given the opportunity to have dreams or want more. The dream was to marry, have kids, have your own home. You even wonder if your desires to marry was because you were told that’s what you did.

“Hmm,” he contemplates, paying attention to the road even though he’s more interested in your thoughts on this topic. You didn’t seem to have the same goals as the other people here.

“It’s not a horrible life.”

“I guess not.”

“It has its perks,” you argue. “It’s beautiful out here. We have the ability to ignore the noise that everyone else surrounds themselves in. I might not have the luxury of having my own dreams, but being a wife and mother, and keeping a house up is an honorable life,” it was, if not boring in ways. You never had the chance to explore something more.

“I didn’t say it wasn’t. But you’re not married. Is there a reason?” You turn to look at him. Actually, look. Had there been a man in the community that looked like him, you might have considered it. This is just silly because now you’re being someone who judges another based on looks. “You don’t have to answer.”

“My father isn’t like most,” you have a good father. Older than most of the ones who had children your age. “I think a part of him didn’t want to see me unhappy. I had a few interested for my hand in marriage, but I didn’t want them, and he didn’t make me Mary them.”

“Why didn’t you want them?”

“It’s easy for men here to get away with their indiscretions. And I don’t want to marry out of duty, or have to bear children with a man I can’t stand to look at. That’s what they all want. Just a wife and her to birth his last name.”

“You mean sex. It’s what most men want.”

“Sex?” You look at him confused, shaking your head, “No, I mean children. Extending your legacy,” Ari chuckles, giving you a devious smile, and your chest constricts. “What?”

“Do you know what sex is?”

“I…I assure you that we’ve been talking too much,” you gulp, wishing that you could arrive in town faster. You aren’t sure what he’s talking about, but you are sure that you feel like you’re going to combust. There is a thickness in the cab that you can’t explain. A fiery pain that settles below your stomach, and…other places.

“So you don’t?”

“Ari, is this an appropriate conversation?”

“I’m assuming that it’s not, judging by your reaction, but I am now curious. Do you know how bearing children comes to happen?”

“I live on a farm, I’m well aware of how breeding works,” he snorts, and you turn to face him quickly, “What is so funny?”

“That you’re referring to it as breeding. I suppose that’s true, but with humans it can be so much more.”

“What does that mean?” The truck drifts to the side of the dirt road, and your thumbs twiddle nervously. The air becomes even thicker when he leans in closer to you. “Ari?”

“I’ll take it easy on you this time,” what does that even mean? Putting the truck into park, he faces you. “Has anyone, man or woman just made everything in your belly float around? Like there’s this weirdness inside of you, pricking your skin whenever they’re around, and your throat dries up, and you can’t talk, and…”

“Your belly feels empty like you need something to fill something inside of you,” Ari clears his throat, looking down at your lap, watching as your thighs twitch around.

“Yes. Exactly like you need to be filled with something.”

“I feel — have felt that way,” you agree, trying not to let him know that it is in fact him making you feel that way. “But it doesn’t always seem pleasant when the animals mate.”

“I assure you if a man knows what he’s doing it can be very pleasurable to you,” a noise you have never heard before squeaks out of your mouth, and you look down at your lap again. Heat didn’t even describe what you are feeling. A roaring fire or volcano getting ready to erupt, and the need to go to the bathroom to clean yourself is more accurate. What is going on with your body?

“If he knows what he’s doing he can take you to another plane of existence,” Ari has been in this odd town for a few weeks, and not so much as glanced at a woman since. Judging by your reaction you are understanding exactly what he is talking about. He adjusts his pants, turning back to look straight ahead. He is also getting uncomfortable, but not because of you. His uncomfort is himself. Hopefully for the same reasons you appear to wiggle around too much.

“The way he could make you feel without ever — entering your body. It's a pleasure beyond your wildest dreams. Learning another person’s body can be fun. It can be paradise.”

“Should we be having this conversation?”

“Probably not. So maybe we keep it to ourselves, and I’ll buy you something besides that dress to wear?” The ideas he has mulling in his mind of what he could put you in, he’s downright ashamed of.

“I could only wear them inside your house.”

“I was only wanting you to wear them for me anyways, Darling,” fuck. He’s fucking fucked. A quick flash of you submissively getting to your knees as he paints your lips with precum comes to his mind. Your mouth slowly opens as you innocently let his cock breach your lips. Looking so pretty as you stare up at him. Fuck.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

Next

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[miniwheat77]

Save a horse. (Tommy Miller x Farmhand!Reader.)

(I read a fic that mentioned the cowboy hat rule, cannot for the life of me remember which fandom or who the fic was about but that’s a bit of my inspo for this.)

!NSFW, animal death, animal attack, guns, wounds, virginity loss, unprotected p in v sex, 18+ MDNI!

"Who's that?" Joel asks Sarah. He spots a very tired looking girl, she's got plain jeans and a band shirt on. Her face is bruised to hell.

Joel is parked in the drop off line outside of Sarah’s school.

"Oh.. that's Y/N. She's a super senior."

"Why's her face all messed up like that?" He's confused. Sarah sighs. "Nobody really knows but.. before she turned 18, CPS would get involved a lot so.. it's rumored her dad does it." Sarah shrugs. "Jesus." He shakes his head. Tommy sits in the passenger seat. Glancing at Joel. "You friends with her?"

"No."

"Why not?" He asks. "Cause.. nobody likes her." She shrugs. "Excuse me?" He turns to look back at her. "Dad." She huffs. He looks at Tommy. Tommy glances back at her. "Not cool dude. Maybe she needs a friend." Tommy looks back. "Yeah well, I don't. So whatever." She rolls her eyes. “She’s a super senior anyways, she’s way older than me.” She mumbles. Climbing out of the car to go up to the school. "Christ in heaven I thought I raised her better than that." Joel shakes his head.

Tommy shrugs. "She's a kid, kids are cruel."

"Yeah, now to drop you off." Joel rolls his eyes. "Don't even start with me Joel."

"You're lucky this guy is allowing you to do farm work for community service. If not, you'd be picking up trash off the side of the road like everybody else." Joel laughs. Tommy is on probation for a few months along with a thousand hours of community service. He had his work cut out for him.

The drive is quiet, Tommy is nervous but he knows he shouldn't be. The farm isn't too far out of town, maybe fifteen minutes or so, which is nice.

Joel drops him off at the gated dirt road that leads up to the farm and Tommy says he'll call a cab for a ride to Joel's. That's where he's staying for now.

Tommy makes his way up the dirt road, up to the massive farmhouse that's a little dingy. It needs new siding and paint. He knocks at the door, glancing around to get a good look at the farm. "What?" The man opens the door. He's gruff, an old man. "Hi, I'm Tommy. I'm supposed to help out for some community service." He explains. "Ah, nice to meet ya. I'm Jacob." He shakes Tommy's hand, he's got a firm handshake. "Let me show you around." He mumbles. He wastes no time to get right to the point.

For the next couple of hours he shows Tommy everything he's gonna be doing. He shows him how to care for the animals. Driving the extra farm truck to haul hay bales out to the pastures for the cows, feeding the chickens and collecting the eggs. Making sure the animals are in their designated pins at night, and to let them out in the early morning. It doesn't seem too tough.

"Me n my wife are going out of town tonight to pick up some furniture or some shit. Whatever the ol' lady wants. Be gone a few days. The kid will be here to help you figure everything out."

Tommy nods. "Kid?" He asks. "Ah. It's a girl I took in when she was a baby." Tommy wonders why he didn't call you his daughter. "She not here?" He asks. "No. She's at school right now." Tommy nods. "Anyways, we got a little guest house. It's small, you can stay there while you work on the farm if you want. The commute to get here at 5am sucks." He nods. Tommy nods. "Thank you sir. I appreciate it."

When all of the morning work is done, Tommy retreats into the guest house to check it out. It is small, about the size of a shipping container. Just like a tiny house. But it's perfect, considering Tommy has been staying with Joel. He takes the time to call Joel and let him know where he'll be staying and not to worry about him, then he takes a nap until the evening farm work.

When it's about time for the later farm work, he hears the loud diesel farm truck disappearing down the dirt road, letting him know that Jacob and his wife had left. He makes his way out, thinking he's alone when he catches a glimpse of a girl carrying a bucket into the hen house. He makes his way across the dirt road and walks up to the entrance where she is. He opens up the chicken wire door.

"Hey." He smiles. When you turn to look at him, he recognizes you immediately, by the massive bruise you have around your eye. "Hey, you must be Tommy." You say, turning back. Your attire now is far different than it was. Boots, bootcut jeans, and a wife beater. You had gloves on your hands. "Yeah, I didn't catch your name." He reaches a hand out and you shake it. "Y/N." You nod. He smiles. "Right, nice to meet ya. I'll be your farm hand for the next couple weeks" he laughs. You smile. "Cool."

"Your dad is cool with leaving you here with a stranger?" He tilts his head. "He ain't my dad. He knows I can handle myself. But he really doesn't care what happens to me." You mumble. He nods. "Right. Seems that way. That's a hell of a shiner, girl." He laughs. He can see you stiffen slightly. "Yeah, his wife packs a hit."

"She hits ya?"

You nod your head. "Nothing but a drunken bitch." You mumble, tipping the bucket of feed over for the chickens, they all start flocking at your feet and you step over them to get away. Tommy follows you around. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be." You laugh.

"He show you around?" You ask. He nods his head. "Cool. Thanks for the help Tommy."

He stops following after you, figuring that he should start on another side entirely and help you. He'd meet you some time down the line.

For the next few days, it's the same. Every morning you're awake in the early morning helping Tommy with the work load, every night you're doing more work. He wonders how you balance it with school but you seem to figure it out. He imagines that’s why you’re stuck in high school for another year. Probably held back. He can only imagine how this work takes a toll on your schooling.

Tommy is finishing up work, you've been inside a while now. He was just finishing up putting the chickens away when he hears commotion from the stable. An area Tommy was told not to worry about, Jacob said you'd handle it because you knew the horses better and he didn't want Tommy getting hurt.

Tommy understood.

He can hear the horses going crazy. Something definitely isn't right. He thinks about going and looking for himself but decides he should go get you instead. Feeling bad that he's pulling you away from your free time once more.

He makes his way to the farm house and knocks at the door. You open up the door, looking at him. You're still wearing jeans and that wife beater you like. Only now he can see you don't have a bra on. Your jeans hug your hips and ass just right. He needs to focus. "Something wrong?" You ask. "Uh.. well. Yeah. I just hear the horses going nuts, something doesn't sound right." He explains. "Alright." You nod. Cracking the door for a second. He doesn't see you reach for the table by the door, grabbing the pearl gripped handle, tucking it into your waistband and covering it with your shirt.

You follow him out to the stable and when you step in front of him to enter, he spots it.

Realizing why Jacob trusted you to hold your own.

He smiles to himself. He follows you inside, seeing you shine a flashlight into each of the stalls, but the stall on the end has the lock broken off. "Shit." You mumble. "What?"

"Horse got out." You mumble. You can see in the dirt where she'd taken off, so you follow her hoofprints. Your flashlight passes along the disturbed dirt. You spot the other footprints right away.

"Wait." You stop immediately, Tommy nearly runs into you.

"What?"

"Mountain Lion." You glance. You can't hear anything.

"Shit, stay close Tommy." You mumble. Starting to walk faster.

After a few minutes of walking. you can hear her. Your fast walk turns into a full sprint.

"Shit!" He hears you. You shine your flashlight up, now he can see it, the cat holds onto her back. Clawing at her. "Tommy, ears!" You yell. You grasp the pistol out of your waistband and draw it, aiming at the cat. Tommy covers one ear as you fire the gun a few times. He hears the cat yowl, letting go of the horse and running off. Clearly wounded. Both of your ears ring.

You stand back for a second while your horse continues to panic. She's in a frenzy, bucking and spinning in circles. You start walking slowly toward her, soothing her as you move toward her. "Shhh... it's okay. It's alright." You breathe. Hearing your voice alone she starts to settle. Eyes wide and she shakes her head. She's hurt. You get even closer, reaching out and petting along her neck to calm her.

When she's finally calm, you grab hold of her reigns and start walking back toward the stables with her.

When you get her back, finally getting a good look at her. You can see the deep gashes and bites on her backside. "You can head in Tommy. M'just gonna clean her up." You mumble. "Nah, I want to help. Tell me how I can." He mumbles.

You look at him, almost shocked. Like you're not used to people helping you. You start telling him how to help you. You flush her wounds and dress them, patching her up. Asking Tommy to get you some stuff here or there, but most of the time he just watches. When you're finished, you hesitate. The sun is starting to rise.

"I can handle the morning work if you wanna get some sleep."

He laughs. Your horse is back inside the stable, the door now repaired thanks to Tommy. "I'm fine, darlin." He laughs. "I can sleep when morning work is finished. Maybe you should go up and get some sleep before school."

"Nah, I won't go today." You grasp the gun off of the workbench. "I'm gonna go after that cat, make sure it's dead."

"Alone? I don't think so." He mumbles. You laugh.

———

He helps you find the cat. Seeing that it hadn't made it far from where you'd shot it. You're a good shot. Tommy helps you pack it back to the house. You dress it and skin it, telling Tommy to get started on the farm work while you cut it up. It surprises him at first, there's seemingly nothing you can't do. But he knows the meat is useful, it definitely won't go to waste.

He listens this time. Starting in on the work and letting the chickens out. A few hours later he catches up to what you've already finished. Your half of the work. He spots you sitting up in the hay loft of the barn, legs dangling over the edge. It's been almost a week of Tommy working here. Your dad has been gone nearly this entire time. Your face is even mostly healed.

He makes his way up the ladder, walking up behind you. He sits down next to you, dangling his legs over too. He's tired, exhausted really. But he's not worried. He sits next to you in silence. You'd gone in and taken a shower. Your hair was still damp. The collar of your clean wife beater was nearly transparent from the water. He could smell your body wash and whatever it was, it smelled really good. He felt bad, he still hadn't cleaned up.

"How old are you, Tommy?" You break the silence.

"Ah, I'm 32." He mumbles. "And you're doing community service why?" You turn to look at him. He laughs. He gets embarrassed. Usually Tommy didn't mind telling a funny story of him putting some asshole in his place, but when it comes to you, he feels different. Like he needed to be good, he didn't want you to think of him as some convict. "Cause I'm a dumbass."

You raise an eyebrow.

"I like to drink and have too much fun doing it. Get myself into trouble sometimes." He laughs. "Yeah, a fight?" You look at him. "Mhm. Some guy mouthing off to me in a bar." You nod your head. "Was it worth it?" You look up at him. You're clearly judging him. "Well. I suppose you wouldn't have got to spend time with the coolest guy ever if I hadn't.. so." You roll your eyes with a scoff. "Whatever." You laugh. "That stuff is stupid, yknow?" You look at him. He smiles. "I know. You think I'd learn." He mumbles.

"You a cowboy Tommy?" You ask. "Not really nah." He mumbles. "So what's with the cowboy hat?"

"Had it for a long time." He shrugs. You nod. It's a light colored cowboy hat. "Why don't you wear one?" He asks.

"Not my style."

"Yeah, you like band shirts right?" The words have left his mouth before he realizes just how creepy it will sound.

You look at him in surprise. "I.. wait." He laughs. "I ain't a creep, my Neice goes to the same school and I saw you walking in the doors. A few days ago." You nod. "Gotcha." You mumble. "Who's your niece?"

"Sarah Miller."

You nod your head. "How’d you know it was me?"

"That big ol' shiner made her dad point you out, asked how you got it. She's kind've a spoilt brat." He mumbles. You nod your head. "Right." You laugh. "So.. why don't you wear that stuff at school?" He asks. You shrug. "Don't really want people to know. They're mean enough to me as is." You laugh. He nods. "What's with the wife beaters here? Why don't you wear that stuff at home?" He asks.

"I wear these jeans cause they go around my boots. Wear boots cause I'd ruin normal shoes in just a couple days with mud and stuff. The jeans go over the boots so I don't get stickers and thorns in them. And I rip holes in my shirts and get stains all over em. You can buy like 5 of these in a pack at Walmart for cheap and it doesn't matter if I ruin em." You pause. "And I just wear that stuff to school because they're not farm clothes. Not exactly my style anyways." He nods.

"Makes sense to me. I don't know why I keep the hat. Just like it I guess. Never really had a reason to wear it."

He adjusts his hat and you smile, reaching for it. He catches your wrist. "Ah- you know the cowboy hat rule." He smirks. "What?" You look confused.

"You take a cowboys hat, you have to ride the cowboy." He smirks.

Your eyes widen slightly. "I didn't know that, actually. Thanks for your info Tommy, you pervert." He laughs. "Keeps girls from taking hats, right?"

You stand up, snatching it off of his head. "Does it?" You smirk. You take a few slow steps backward. He turns back to look at you. "Oh, it's like that huh?" He smirks. He stands up, looking at you. "You gonna run from me, hm?" He smirks, taking slow steps toward you. You set it down on your head, tugging it down slightly. "How about you come take it back, big boy." You smirk. He makes a move toward you and you go to turn around to run away but he's faster, grasping onto you. You try to squirm out of his grasp, laughing. He makes a 'tsk tsk' sound with his tongue. You squirm even more, until the both of you are tilting over into the hay, a gasp leaving your lips when you land on top of him. "Shit-" he laughs.

Your cheeks are beat red as you straddle his waist.

He picks up his hat that had fallen at some point, propping himself up on the hay bale. "Why don't you show me what you got, cowgirl." He smirks, setting the hat back onto your head. "Don't think you're ready for it."

"Think you'd be surprised." He's sly. You gnaw at your lip for a second.

"Fine." You mumble. You reach for your waistband.

He looks at you in surprise. He really didn't think he'd get this far. Once you've got your jeans off completely, his hands are on your hips. He feels bad because his hands are dirty. You deserve a better situation. You work at his jeans, unbuttoning them and unzipping them. Tugging the waistband of his boxers down to free his cock. He hisses when you clutch him in your hand. Your hands are soft.

You move up onto him, raising yourself onto your knees and lowering yourself onto his cock. The fat tip of his cock presses past your folds, you swallow him up. "Oh fuck-" he gasps. You lower down around him completely. You squeeze around him, wincing slightly. He catches it, but assumes it's just because you're not used to him.

"Shit." You rock your hips forward. He groans out. "Damn baby. You're so tight." He grits his teeth, seeing you smile.

Your nipples harden and he can see them under the wife beater you've got on. You never did put a bra on. He hisses. "I think I like this more than your band shirts darlin'" You lower your head to where he's looking, seeing the way you look. You roll your eyes. "Yeah, don't want every guy starin' at my tits all day, Tommy." You roll your eyes, the entire time you haven't stopped rocking your hips into him. Bracing yourself and lifting off of him. He notices you don't seem to be all of that into it, not at first anyways. It takes a little bit before you relax into him. Letting out small pants. He glances down, swallowing hard when he sees blood. "I didn't mean t'hurt you honey. Been a while? You even been with a guy as old as me?" He sees you roll your eyes.

"No, and no it hasn't been a while. It's been never." You laugh. He grasps hold of your hips to stop you. "What? What do you mean?"

"I've never done this before."

His eyes widen. "Shit-" he stops you completely. "Why didn't you say something? I wouldn't have-"

You laugh. "That's why I didn't say anything." You cut him off.

"Y/N..." he hesitates.

"Tommy. I'm a big girl and I know what I want. You ain't hurting me, I'm fine. Now shut up." You shake your head, rocking into him. He hisses. No wonder you're so tight.

He flips you over. Rutting his hips into you. He slows down, giving you time to adjust to him properly and taking his time with you. You really start to react to him, clutching onto him. Your eyes are slightly wider than before. Pupils blown out. You're letting out little mewls and cries and it's how he knows you're getting close. Tommy has been riding the edge for a few minutes. Not wanting to cum too fast and embarrass himself.

"T-Tommy." You grit your teeth. "I.. I think I-"

"Look at me darlin'" he says through gritted teeth. "Look at me when you cum sweet girl. Show me how you do it." He smiles. You look up at him, clutching onto his shirt. He hits his high the same time you do, thrusting into you harder than he intends. Hearing you cry out when you cum. Eyes rolling back before they screw shut. He doesn't pull out. He fills you right up with his cum.

He tries not to blush, having been so long since he's been with someone. Tommy doesn't think he's ever been with a Virgin before. This was new for him. "I'm sorry if I hurt ya."

"You didn't.. I got blood all over you though Tommy. 'M sorry." You blush.

He shakes his head. "I don't care baby, you know that. I care more that I made you bleed."

You shake your head. "It didn't hurt that bad. Nothing I couldn't handle." You mumble. He laughs, moving to lay next to you on the hay. He traces your lips with his thumb. "You should've told me. Coulda made your first time at least a little more special. It's supposed to be."

"I don't think I would've wanted it any other way Tommy." You laugh. "Just.. pretend like I wasn't."

"I can't do that. To be honest. It's.. the best I've ever felt." He runs his palm down his jeans. He's tucked his dick back into his jeans by now. Clearly Tommy had liked it, way more than you thought he had. You laugh. "Stick around and maybe it won't be your last with me." You mumble, standing up. "Cmon. I'll let you use the bathroom in the house to clean up. Sure Jacob has some old shorts lying around while I wash your jeans." You nod.

A couple hours later, Tommy's jeans are hung up on a clothes line to dry and he lays in your bed next to you, wearing a pair of old shorts that haven't been worn in decades.

You're sound asleep next to him. His phone buzzes with a text.

Howdy Tommy, Jacob here. Turns out the ol' lady likes it in the big city. Y/N is gonna be pissed when I tell her but you and her are gonna be taking on all the work load until the farm is sold.

Tommy swallows hard. This was about to drive a wrench right through his plans.

Thanks for the heads up Jacob. I can always break the news to her if you don't want to. But outta curiosity, how much are you going to sell your farm for?

There ain't much to it anymore. The house is pretty run down. All we got are just some horses, cows, and chickens. Probably a couple hundred thousand.

I'd be interested. Maybe we should wait to tell Y/N. If I buy it, she's more than welcome to finish out her school here.

Tommy swallows hard, glancing at you as you slept. He wondered if you'd hate him or love him for this.

Sounds good to me Tommy. Either way the girl would figure it out.

———

A couple weeks later, the farmhouse is fully in Tommy's name. He drained his savings for it, but it's his. And it's the only thing Tommy has ever had. And even though Joel thought it was a horrible idea, Tommy didn't. Not as long as you were here. Tonight, he was breaking the news to you.

"So uh.. can we talk?" He asks.

Your relationship had been strictly platonic after that day in the hay loft. You hadn't made another move and Tommy hadn't pushed. But since Jacob had been gone for so long, he'd been helping you cook dinner and he'd been inside the house a lot.

He figured you'd be really mad at him after he tells you what he's about to. You sit down on the couch across from him. Opposite him and between the two of you lies an antique coffee table. "What's going on?"

"A couple weeks ago.." he sighs. "The morning after uh... the hay loft." He laughs. Looking down at his hands. They're entwined together in his lap. "I got a text message from Jacob." He mumbles. Running his hand over his stubble. "He said that uh.. his wife liked it in the big city." He looks up at you.

"He ain't coming back, is he?" You ask.

Tommy hesitates for a second. Shaking his head. "He.. said that you and I would be working here until he sells the farm."

He can see the tears gathering in your eyes. "But.. did he say anything about me? About where I go? My horses?" You stand up. "Hey- just sit down alright? Relax." He breathes. He makes his way round the table, sitting down next to you. "He told me how much he was selling the farm for. It wasn't all that much." He bites at his lip. "But no. He didn't say anything about you. And he said everything goes."

You look down. "Why did you wait so long to tell me this?"

"Because. I just.. had to think about some things alright? But the farm sold."

He can see your heart break in your chest, so this is where he needs to say it. Your eyes are fixed on the coffee table in front of you. Tears pool at your waterline but you don't let them fall.

"He sold it to me."

Your eyebrows narrow, eyes drawing up from the coffee table to look at him. "What?"

"I bought it from him."

You say nothing else for a minute. Before standing up. "Tommy, I'm sorry but are you stupid?" He laughs, surprised at the words coming out of your mouth.

"This farm is nothing but a burden. The work sucks and it's worth nothing!"

"You really think so?" He smiles.

"Tommy. You had the opportunity to leave all of this behind and forget about this stupid farm and everything on it. I would've forged his signature on anything you needed to get away. Why didn't you?"

"Cause.. Y/N." He smiles. "I'm nothing but a fucking wreck outside of this farm. Having something that relies on me like these animals, it gives me something to keep out of trouble for. And I don't mind it all. I quite like it actually." He laughs.

"Now.. for.. what I was gonna bring up." He wipes his eyebrow. "You're more than welcome to stay. You don't have to move anything at all, you don't even have to help me with the work load like you do now, just focus on school n I'll take care of ya. On one condition."

You look at him.

"I'll need your help fixing it up." He smiles.

"Okay." You nod. Looking down. "Okay Tommy. Thank you."

"Hey. No need to stress alright? We'll get this farm back in business and get this shit handled." He claps his hands together. "But it's late and you got school tomorrow, so you better go get some sleep." He smiles.

———

For the next couple months, Tommy sells a bunch of old farm equipment and spends every single dime putting it back into the farm. The biggest thing that needed updating was the farm house and the barn. He focused on those things and even had Joel out to help him with it. When the farmhouse and barn were completely updated, it really started coming together.

They had new siding, new paint, the insides were completely updated and remodeled. Even Joel couldn't deny just how nice it looked. The kitchen had brand new countertops, he got your bathroom sink working and not leaking for the first time in your life. It was amazing.

After that though, Tommy hit a dry spell.

Tommy spent the next few months doing contract work with Joel. Outside of bills, he saved every single dime he made. After the winter was over, he started in on everything else and since you had graduated. You slaved away day and night helping him alongside Joel.

You drew up some plans with Tommy and completely changed everything about the farm. Made an entire blueprint for where the animal pins will be, where they'll fit best. He fixed up the horse stables, and found a few new animals to add to the farm. He got in new calves, sold off some cows, got more chickens and added ducks. He even helped you start a garden and it seemed to flourish.

It didn't take too long after that. Once the farm was in the swing of things, it had already paid for itself along with all of Tommy's debt and he didn't owe a single thing aside from regular bills. But groceries didn't cost much since he grew his own, he had a massive savings account for any reason at all. Maybe some vet bills here or there. But that was it.

Joel was proud.

"I gotta say little brother, I'm impressed." Joel nudges him with his elbow. "Trust me, if you're shocked, I'm even more shocked." He laughs. "You've done pretty damn good. I mean this is the longest you've been off probation in how many years?" Joel laughs. "Ah. I think I'm over all that stuff. I love it out here. No people to piss me off. I'm always busy so I got no free time to fuck this up for myself. I think I'll hold onto it." He smiles.

"I gotta ask though." Joel's eyes follow your form as you walk out of the newly finished chicken coop.

Same tight bootcut jeans and a wife beater. "What about the girl?"

"What about her?"

"Why'd you take her in? Trying to play dad?"

Tommy laughs. "Oh god no. Y/N.. she's about like talking to a fifty year old woman. She doesn't get bossed around and she's a good girl. Works real fucking hard." Tommy slicks his hair back. "Jacob is a real prick, I only met the guy once though. You know the story. I couldn't just tell her to get lost."

"You ain't like.. in a relationship with her or something like that... right?"

"Nah, nothing like that." Tommy's cheeks flush.

"You said that like you wouldn't be mad if you were."

"Well.. we're definitely past the friend stage if you know what I mean." Tommy laughs, leaning up against the fence post. "Jesus Christ Tommy. The hell happened? That girl is real young." Joel shakes his head. "She's over eighteen Joel. And It only happened once, 'bout a year ago. Couple months after I first got here." Joel nods. "What exactly happened?"

Tommy laughs. "She took my hat."

Joel is confused for a second, realization crossing over his face when he realizes the kind of hat Tommy has on.

Tommy leans off the post and starts walking away. "Jesus Christ." Joel rolls his eyes. "Cowboy hat rules Joel!" Tommy calls to him. Joel starts to follow after him. "Crazy motherfucker.." he shakes his head.

———

You sat across from Tommy, you'd made him dinner.

You couldn't be more grateful for Tommy coming into your life. You'd most likely be in some dingy apartment in the city or on the streets. He saved you pretty much. Thats why you'd gotten him a gift. You had just finished dinner, Tommy was looking at his phone. "If you wanted to go get some sleep, I'll pick up." He looks up at you. "Alright." You smile. "Before I go though, I got you something." He looks up at you. You pass over the box. It's a gift box and he looks confused.

"What's this for?" He asks. Sliding it closer to him. "It's.. a thank you." You mumble. He opens it and sees snake skin. "It's a hat band." You mumble. "Was gonna go for copperhead but the western diamond back had the rattles crossed over each other on the front." You blush. "That's awesome." He smiles. "Show me how to put it on?" He asks. "Yeah. Course." He takes his hand off and sets it down. You pick up the hat band and slide it down onto the cowboy hat. Noting to steal it and clean it for him later because it's dirty. Once the hat band is on, he places it back on his head.

"I appreciate it. This couldn't have been cheap." You roll your eyes. "Doesn't matter how much it was. It's to say thank you. For.. takin' care of me." He smiles. "I'll always take care of you, alright? Besides. I need help here. Even when you decide to run off at some point." He laughs.

"Now go get some sleep honey."

You stand up and push your chair in, going to walk past him.

Just as you pass by, your hand moves up. Snatching the cowboy hat off of his head. He turns to look at you. Flirty smile on his lips. "Orrr..." you smile. Setting the hat right on top of your head. "Maybe we can pick it up later." You've got an evil grin on your face. He stands up. "Think I like your idea better." He chuckles. He walks toward you, lifting you up so you can wrap your legs around his waist, carrying you up the stairs. "This is how it should've been for your first time, you know?" He smiles. You roll your eyes. "I think if someone asked me 'how'd you lose your virginity?' And I told them it was in a hay loft with a farm hand, it'd be more interesting than a bed." You smirk. He laughs. Rolling his eyes.

"You're somn else." He mumbles. He sets you down at the edge of the bed. Reaching for his waistband. You were actually wearing shorts and a t-shirt for once. Something you'd picked out. He offered to buy you better clothes but you didn't want them. Just wanted the comfortable ones.

He takes a deep breath as you tug your shirt over your head. Seeing all of you for the first time. When he's gotten his clothes off and they're discarded on the floor, he's back on the bed. You're crawling on top of him. Making due, cowboy hat rules after all.

You line him up with your entrance, he gasps when you sheath yourself on his cock. Feeling your tight walls once again. You look down at him. Raising your hips up and watching him grit his teeth as you rock into him. He tugs you down, your chest flush to his and he kisses you for the first time.

He doesn't let go, even when you're ready to draw back for air, he keeps you there. When he finally pulls away, you sit back. Sitting straight up on him now. Your nipples are hard, lips blushing and swollen from his now. He glides his hands up your hips and cups your breasts in his hands. Toying with your nipples. Your hair is damp with sweat and it's the sexiest thing Tommy has ever seen. You. All you. How the hell he got himself here after nothing but being a complete ass, he'll never understand. He runs his hands up your thighs, resting his palms on the tops of them. "Stay." The words leave his lips before he has time to stop himself.

You pause your movements. Chest rising and falling with each breath you take. "What?"

"Stay here with me."

"I'm.. here Tommy." You breathe. "No. I mean.." he hesitates. "I want you here with me, always. I know you hate it here but.. I can take care of you."

"Are you.. asking me if I'll-"

"I want you to be mine. Here. Forever."

Your lips start to part in surprise, your eyes seeming glossed over. "I don't hate it here Tommy. To be honest.. it's the best it's ever been. I didn't want to leave." You shake your head. "I'll stay Tommy. But you have to stay on the straight and narrow. If you start to fuck up, I'll leave." You look down at him. "I wouldn't dream of fucking that up. Not with you. Not here."

You rock your hips into him again. Picking up the pace. "You're mine, I'll show you." He breathes. He grasps you, flipping you over like he'd done before. But this time, he doesn't slow. He's more rough than before, fucking you. He wants you to feel him. Every bit of him. He holds onto you, tight. He keeps you steady as he hammers his hips into yours, the bed frame slamming into the wall with each forceful thrust he takes. Tears gather in your eyes, not sure if you were exactly ready to take this much force but you were going to. You can feel that knot forming in your stomach. The coil wound up tight, you cry when it snaps. Sending you spiraling. Your pussy clamps down around Tommy's cock and he hisses.

He can feel you throbbing around him and it sends him into his own orgasm. Whining out. Again, he doesn't pull out. Your eyes widen when you can feel him. All of him. You're full, his warmth settles between your legs and he collapses on top of you. He's panting.

Right here, right now. This is nothing Tommy imagined he'd ever want. But it's what he needed. And he was so grateful for it.

[franki-lew-yo]

An alt-universe's version of The Owl House's final season

"Thanks to Them" - Luz, Amity, Willow, Gus, Hunter and the Palismans get stuck in the human realm after King's heroic sacrifice. Luz properly meets Vee and reconciles with her mother.

"HalfWay House Noceda" - The Demon Realm kids attempt to make themselves 'useful' to Luz and Camilla by doing chores around the house even though their magic/skills are a bit more of a detriment. Meanwhile Luz shows Camilla some videos she took of Eda to prepare her for meeting the Owllady and King and Camilla is unnerved but also thrilled.

"Abduction of the Innocents" - Vee and Hunter have a heart to heart while everyone else pretends to like Camilla's and Luz’s favorite movies, except of course for Gus, who is inspired by the images on screen to really explore his illusion powers for Camilla. 

"Next to Nowhere" - Luz begins school again and ruminates over accidentally helping Philip, but her friend's determination help's her to keep going. Also Amity and Luz bond over Azura with Amity being able to tell Luz that she doesn’t like the Azura movies. 

"Kids of Gravesfield" - The other Palisman have been noticing Flapjack pacing around and both hiding something from the kids while also looking for someone. Luz and Hunter investigate a certain feeling they have around town while the rest of the gang heads to the Gravesfield Historical Society to get answers. Unbeknownst to everyone, Belos is amassing power and does something to Jacob Hopkins. 

"Season's Feedings" - On Halloween Night the kids learn the story of brothers’ Wittebane. Through this Luz regains some of her glyph magic by finding the portal Evelyn and Caleb originally used. Hunter gets possessed by Belos who kills Flapjack, but Hunter gets unpossessed. With just enough Titanblood to take them to the Demon Realm, Camilla joins the kids after Belos while Vee stays home to cover for them being missing.

"For the Future" - A look as to what our Demon Realm friends have been doing all this time; King keeps the Collector entertained, Lilith and Eda try and reach the immobilized citizens, and Hexside becomes a safe haven for the unconverted kids of the Boiling Isles. 

"Outside, Over Here" - The Collector, King and the Clawthorne sisters begin actually knowing Collector and bonding over his past - but things get interrupted by the Owl Beast and further interrupted by Lilith being puppet-ized for 'bad behavior'. Or, is it? Lilith, Hooty and the Owl Beast begin their own psyche-plotting within their inner mind and find a way to communicate with Eda and King despite still being puppets.

"Revenge of the Bad Girl Coven" - Just as it looks like Matholomule is coming into his own, Boscha decides she's taking over the remains of Hexside after her Grugby Team are turned into Puppets and two new students appear on campus.

"Watching and Dreaming" - Luz, Camilla and the crew return to the Boiling Isles and discover what's left of the Owl House and Hexside. They aren't alone, however, as Belos has also returned. 

"After All" - Amidst Boscha's reign of terror, Luz heads to the basement to recount her memories of Philip's shortcut to the head of the titan. The kids ultimately thwart Kikimora's takeover with the help of the Bat Queen though not before Willow finally looses her cool. Luz on the other hand finally meets her palisman, Stringbean. 

"The Brothers Wittebane" - Flashback episode that shows the complicated life of farmhand-turned Witch-husband Caleb Clawthorne and the brother he didn't mean to leave behind."

"Collector Says" - In an attempt to get more information on the archivists and what happened to the Titans, King and the Collector travel once again to the Titan Trappers, who listen to whatever the Collector says. Luz and Stringbean get separated from Camilla.

"How it shouldn't have Ended" - Luz, King and Eda all get reunited in an unconventional way while befriending Collector, while Belos makes a break for the Heart of the Titan to amas his final body.

"Inbetweens" - Belos' uses various hosts to get to the Titan's body which he takes over and starts destroying the Boiling Isles in his wake, but also leaving behind the now-mobilized hosts (Covenheads, Raine, harpy-Lilith) who each help Eda, Luz, King and Collector get to Belos from the inside out. Luz jumps in the way of the Collector being killed and appears to die herself, setting off Eda and King.

"Now Eat this SUCKAAH" - The puppet-ized kids regain their consciousness and begin fighting back and freeing the others under the Collector's spell. Luz wakes up in the in between realm and is helped out by King's dad in finding a way to get out and defeat Belos using the magic of the Titan. In the end Belos melts in the boiling rain and the Collector thanks everyone and goes to confront his family.

"Gone Bygones" - Peek into a bright, Belos-less future for all the characters.

Upside of this alt reality = proper Gus and Willow development, resolution to the Batqueen, actually seeing Caleb and Evelyn andbeebybaby Belos, an answer as to who really made the original portal door, more Stringbean, Lilith having her moment of bonding/actualization with the Owl Beast, resolution on the Titan Trappers, and just a final season overall to really close out the series and send off the characters we all love.

Downside to this alt reality = because Disney's no longer funding it the animation had to be finished by Dingo Pictures and all the voice acting is done by Chris Pratt. Also a nuke went off and we're in the middle of WWIII officially.

[samkiszkasfacialhair]

Rollin’ and Tumblin’ Chapter 1

Rollin’ and Tumblin’ Chapter 1

Pairing: Jake Kiszka and Female Reader

Summary: You’ve lived a sheltered and privileged life, only learning what it truly means to live and love after meeting Jake, a young man of unusual western sorts who was hired to work on your father’s farm.

Warnings: Cowboy Jake, hunger in relation to unhealthy eating habits, knives.

Word Count: 3.1k

April 1903

It was the spring of your twenty third year. The day started off like any other day would. However, you were dreading the events that were scheduled for later in the day- a dinner party where you would be matched off with a wealthy man your father and mother had chosen for you to marry, William Drayton. His family, much like yours, did not care for anyone who did not live up to their standards of wealth and class. The Draytons had monopolized the oil business in the south and southwest portions of the nation, which guaranteed generations of wealth, something your father more than anyone was particularly keen on.

It was all politics. No one cared about true love or real happiness. You had never even met the man and you were expected to, from this night forward, spend the rest of your life with him. And you didn’t have any other choice. Most girls you knew were paired off with men between ages seventeen and nineteen. Not twenty three. Time was ticking and your parents were not allowing you to waste any more of it after years of you protesting marriage against their wishes.

All you’ve known your entire life is etiquette and poise. You were taught, or should we say trained to be meek and mild because men like that. To have thoughts and opinions of your own may as well be a sin, and even the thought of speaking up or out of turn would send you on a train with a one way ticket to Hell. Manners were shoved down your throat and you didn’t have a single memory of not looking and acting perfect every day of your life. You were a prisoner in your own body. But this was your life and there was no way out of it. 

The corset bounding your torso felt like a million pins sticking into you from every direction, pushing in harder each time you inhaled. The pink ribbon tying it together was pulled tight, keeping you painfully caged inside it, which seemed to be a physical representation of how you felt living your actual life. 

You sat in the parlor room of your home with your mother for breakfast. As you raised your glass to your lips, the familiar sound of your father’s voice began in the kitchen and echoed through the rest of the house. Along with his voice was another, a deeper, smooth voice that you couldn’t recognize. 

His footsteps along with the sound of another pair of feet got louder as he walked down the hallway and toward the parlor room to greet you. 

You turned your head as he appeared in the doorway and wished you a good morning.

“Good morning, Daddy,” you replied.

“I have someone to introduce to you both.”

With his words, came another man through the doorway. 

“This is Jacob. I’ve hired him as our farmhand. He’ll be in charge of things so you’ll see him around quite a lot,” he explained.

This wasn’t unusual. You were used to people around the house and on the land outside. You had your lady’s maids, cooks, house maids, and a few farmers who took care of your father’s pride and joy, the crops and cattle. 

But what was unusual, was Jacob himself. 

First of all, he was around your age, which was unlikely. Typically your father hired men well into middle age to be in charge of things related to the farm. Anyone your age, much like yourself, was typically treated as your father’s inferior. 

Second, he wasn’t the typical farmer you’d seen around before. He had more of a western look. Something you’d only ever seen in books or heard about through word of mouth. He wore a hat and a brown leather jacket which covered a blue denim shirt. His pants were denim as well, ripped and dirty, and you were surprised your father would let him into your home in that state. Lastly, the boots as well as the chaps he wore led to the conclusion that he dabbled in horse riding.

He took his hat off and held it over his chest to bow his head at you and Mother.

Upon taking it off, light brown wavy hair that was tangled and clumped together in every direction tumbled down to his shoulders. He had streaks of blonde in it, seemingly from being out in the sun. It was dirty and messy- yet incredibly fascinating. You had never seen that length of hair on a man. Ever. 

His face was that of someone you figured would only ever be a figment of your imagination. He had tanned skin and deep eyes that were a light shade of brown. His nose was prominent and strong. His lips naturally curved up into a smile with just a touch of facial hair surrounding them.

The only word that came to mind was handsome. And that didn’t even begin to cover it. 

You smiled at him and before you knew it, he was on his was out the door following close behind your father. The sound of their voices heading down the hallway were silenced with the shutting of the back door and you sat there for a minute just looking at the now empty doorway he once stood in. 

You pulled yourself out of your daydream to continue your breakfast and idle chat with your mother before finishing and heading to your room to get ready for the night’s festivities. 

The next few hours were spent in your room with your lady’s maids. Pulling at your hair to get it to curl perfectly, pushing and pinching at your face to color your lips and blush your cheeks, and the most dreaded of all but the expected, corset. 

Once in your gown for the night, you were accompanied downstairs where your home had transformed into a party that was already in full swing. You put on your best smile, a false one, but a smile nonetheless, and began the night. 

After just a bit of time, your father, dressed in his best tuxedo, found you, linked his arm in yours and led you to the dining area to meet your future husband. 

Your heart dropped into your stomach with dread as you followed him to your doom and could see exactly who he was leading you to at the head of the table. You wouldn’t say he was particularly ugly, so to speak. But he wasn’t exactly what you would deem to be good looking, or even average looking for that matter. 

“Daddy,” you whispered, “I really don’t want to do this.”

You could feel your eyebrows furrowing and your face dropping as nothing but anxiety and dread flowed through your blood.

He tugged on your arm with his, pulling you closer to him in a harsh manner. He smiled and spoke to you firmly through his teeth.

“You will do this and you will do it with a smile on your face. You are twenty three years old. Do you know how difficult it was for me to find someone even willing to marry you? You should be thankful his time in the army set him just as far back as you. His time at least was well spent. Now, I should not have to remind you how to act tonight. Is that understood?” 

“Yes, Sir,” you replied through a shaky breath, feeling absolutely defeated.

Before he could even reply, you were at arms distance with your future husband- meeting him, smiling, and sitting down next to him for dinner.

Dinner was a nightmare. The only topics discussed were politics, stocks, and money- none of which you understood a word of. You just smiled and nodded throughout dinner. Desperately wishing your corset would rip at the seams if you took a deep enough breath or ate enough food, both of which would be wildly inappropriate actions on your part. 

So you sat there, uncomfortable and on the verge of tears for the night, all hid under a smile which falsely showed your eagerness to be there and to be wed. 

After dessert, the women excused themselves to bed as the men began getting ready for rounds of cigars and brandy. Your father and now fiancé bid you goodnight with kisses to your hand. A hand with, much to your dismay, showed off a newly placed diamond on your ring finger. 

Your lady’s maids met you at the base of the stairs to return to your bedroom to undress for the night but you took a turn and headed for the kitchen. 

You walked through, grabbing an untouched piece of peach pie off a plate and headed out the backdoor. 

Darkness surrounded you as you walked through the fields and down to the swing you used to play on as a little girl. You picked up the piece of pie and brought it to your mouth, taking a massive bite. You continued eating, fully letting yourself enjoy food for once.

Once the feeling of hunger was satisfied within you, there was no stopping the tears that flooded your eyes. They had become two waterfalls, and your lap had become soaked with the tears that had fallen onto it.

Your future was being chosen for you. You’d tried to fight it for so long and now, you’d finally lost the fight. 

One by one, you watched your friends marry off into wealth and start families of their own to continue the toxic cycle, knowing eventually, it would have to be you. And now, the time had come. It was you. There was no escape from it. No way out. Not even a glimmer of hope. 

You looked down at your left hand to see the ring placed there against your will earlier that night and sobbed harder. 

You should be grateful. You should be happy. You were born into wealth and were guaranteed to have it for life. You knew there were so many people out there that had it worse. So many people that deserved everything you had just been handed. You were lucky. Yet, despite everything you had, you felt every terrible feeling one could ever feel. 

The sound of footsteps in the grass behind you caused you to sit up straight and wipe your eyes and mouth.

“You alright, Miss?” you heard a deep voice speak softly from behind you. 

You turned around to see Jacob there with a knapsack slung over his shoulder.

“I’m fine, thank you, Jacob,” you replied as you turned your head back to look down at your tear soaked dress.

It was silent for a moment. The sounds of crickets and cicadas filled their air until his voice broke through the sounds of them.

“Well,” he began, “have a good night then.”

You heard his boots crunch down on the grass underneath them as he began to walk away when all of sudden, the words tumbled out from your mouth without any hesitation.

“Do you ever just feel like you’re trapped? Like you’re on a train that is going full speed into a mountain with no tunnel to go through and if there was a tunnel, no light at the end of that tunnel to save you? Like, you’re going to crash and explode into flames and all you can do is sit there and wait for your inevitable death?” 

Instantly, a sense of relief washed over you as the words you’d been holding in for so long had finally been released.

However, the instant regret of revealing your feelings to a stranger who now wasn’t speaking had begun to bubble inside you.

“I think that corset may be a little too tight, Miss. S’messin’ with your brain,'' he laughed. His voice was deep and had the tiniest twang that held onto the ends of his words. Not a lot, but just enough.

You huffed out a laugh and turned around to him again to see him smiling, with his teeth, glowing bright in the moonlight.

You reached under your dress and behind your back for the ribbon that was keeping you painfully locked in.

“There’s this, this stupid bow that I can’t get undone on it,” you said as you bit your bottom lip in concentration.

“I, I could hel-help you. If you, uh, if that’s what you want?” he asked hesitantly.

“Would you? This thing is terrible uncomfortable.”

You took your arms out of the sleeves of your dress and pushed it down, exposing the laced up piece of undergarments to him. 

Was ripping the top of your dress off your arms in front of a man you hardly knew against everything you’d ever been taught was lady-like and proper? Absolutely. 

Was wearing a ring against your will to be wed to a man who you hardly knew against everything you’d ever wanted in life? Absolutely.

It had evened itself out in your head and that was good enough for you. 

You pulled your hair in front of you and turned your head back to face forward as he walked closer to you.

“Woah,” he whispered, “I don’t want to cause any harm or disrespect, Miss. But this, this is a job for someone who… isn’t me,” he said as his eyes grew wide at the sight of the ring on your finger. 

“If you’re talking about my…” you paused and closed your eyes, “fiancé,” you continued after choking out the word, “I’ve said more words to you tonight than I’ve ever even said to him. But if you wont help me, I’ll, I’ll just do it myself,” you huffed as you reached for the satin bow behind you. 

Your fingers toyed with it, as you struggled to get it to come loose when you felt the warmth of his hands on top of yours. 

You stilled your hands as his rested on top of yours for a minute. They were big, and rough and the feeling of them was completely foreign to you.

Defeat was a familiar feeling to you so what was one more round of it? You dropped your hands back down and rested them on your lap, letting him take the lead to free you.

He pulled and tugged at the strings for a while.

“Who the hell tied this thing?” he laughed.

“My lady’s maid, Katherine started it. But my mother finished it off.”

“Jesus,” he whispered as his fingers unsuccessfully fought against the light pink ribbon for release. 

He stopped for a moment and you turned your head again to get a good look at him.

He bent down and reached into his pocket, pulling out a knife and taking the cover off it to reveal a sharp, silver blade.

You swallowed hard at the sight of a knife just inches away from your body, and someone who was practically a stranger to you holding onto it.

“Now, don’t worry. I ain’t gonna hurtcha,” he said calmly as he brought the knife to the tie and began cutting his way through it.

The tearing of the satin fabric was music to your ears and with one tug of the now cut strings from Jacob behind you, you were free.

You breathed in and out hard now that you actually could and hunched over to relax your neck and back for the first time in hours. 

“Thank you,” you breathed out. 

After a few seconds of relaxing your once stiff muscles, you stood up from the swing and turned to face him.

“The pleasure was mine,” he replied, “And I’m, uh, sorry about the ribbon. I can pay your father to replace it,” he reasoned as he put the knife back in his pocket.

“No. No it’s fine I have dozens of others, Jacob.”

“Jake,” he said bluntly.

You stared at him for a second, confused, before he continued again, “M’names Jacob. But my friends call me Jake.” 

Jake. You liked the sound of that.

You nodded your head and peered past him to see your mother in the doorway, looking out at you. 

“Well, Jake, again, I thank you kindly for your help. But I believe it’s time that I bid you goodnight,” you said, smiling at him.

“Goodnight,” he replied, lifting your right hand and bringing it to his lips.

He held eye contact with you as he placed a soft kiss to the top of your hand. 

Instantly, you felt your body light up from the inside. Your heart began racing. Your stomach began fluttering with what felt like thousands of little butterflies inside it.

The feeling of a man's lips on your hand had been felt by you before-from your father and from William just minutes earlier. However, when they did it, you felt nothing but misery and disgust. But when Jake did it, you felt the complete opposite.

He lowered your hand a bit but held onto it as he continued speaking, “If you ever need any help again, you know where to find me,” he said, lifting his chin to gesture to the barn in the direction he had come from. 

A soft smile and nod were given to him in return before you walked past him and toward your house. 

You were but a few feet past him when you heard him call out your name. 

Your head turned around to see him biting his lip and holding back a smile.

“You might wanna,” he said as he gestured for you to put your dress back over your chest and arms, “before you go inside, back to your party.”

Immediately you felt all the blood in your body rush to your cheeks and you were thankful he wouldn’t be able to see the embarrassment on  your face in the darkness of the night. 

An involuntary giggle left your lips and he let out a laugh with you. 

You lifted your dress back up over the undone corset and back over your arms, turned to face your house, and walked quickly through the grass and back inside where you fought back a smile as you snuck upstairs.

A few moments later, you entered your bedroom and peeked out your window onto the gravel street below. Sitting tall on the back of a brown horse was Jake. 

He looked up to your window and you gave him a small wave. He tipped the brim of his hat at you before giving his horse a gentle kick underneath him and trotting off into the night. 

You watched him leave with a full smile on your face and a few more butterflies in your stomach. You turned around once he was out of sight only to be met with your mother standing in the doorway of your bedroom with a straight face, staring back at you. 

[ao3feed-newsies]

don't you dream impossible things?

by, musicals_musicals by musicals_musicals "I was thinking we could find jobs, maybe save up enough for a little farm house where you can spoil the chickens day and night.” Jack wanted nothing more than to live the life Davey’s describing. He could feel in his bones how badly he needed it. Peace and quiet, surrounded on all sides by Davey’s love. “People would talk.” Jack said, because someone had to say it. “Let them.” Davey said. His eyes were scared but set, like he’d thought about the risks and decided they were worth it, that Jack was worth it. Words: 1205, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken, Newsies - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Jack Kelly (Newsies), David Jacobs Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, the jacobs own a farm, jack works for them as a farmhand, being queer in the early 1900s, Bittersweet Ending read : https://ift.tt/ouktwVH - September 24, 2023 at 10:10PM

[christian-perspectives]

I Know My Redeemer Lives

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. Job 19:25 Job didn’t know at this point in his life why he was suffering. He felt that to the best of his ability he had lived his life pleasing to God. In fact, God said in the first chapter that Job was blameless and a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. Well, a meeting took place in heaven. It says, members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord. Satan, came with them and the Lord asked him where he came from? His response was that he had been patrolling the earth, checking out everything that’s going on. God asked him if he had taken notice to His servant Job? “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. And he fears God and stays away from evil.” Job 1:8 Satan reacted by accusing God of giving Job special treatment. - Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. - You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. - You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! - But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” Job 1:9-11

God Gave Satan A Green Light With Job

God told Satan he could do anything to Job except harm him. So Satan didn’t waste any time, he went straight to work. It wasn’t long until 4 different messengers reported to Job. - The Sabeans raided and stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. Job 1:15 - The fire of God has fell from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. Job 1:16 - Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants.  Job 1:17 - His sons and daughters were feasting. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all his children died. Job 1:18-19 Even after all the misfortune Job suffered, God still considered him the finest man in all the earth. Again He called him blameless and a man of complete integrity. Satan indicated that taking away his stuff was no big deal. He said, take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!” “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot. Job 2:6-7 So right up toward the end of the book Job lived with boils, sores, and in extreme pain. Of course, he didn’t understand why, he believed he suffered under the hand of God.

Job Continued to Declare, "I Know My Redeemer Lives "

Even with everything Job experienced and suffered. His wife even told him to curse God and die. But through it all he still held on to his declaration of, “I know my Redeemer lives.” The visit of his 3 friends certainly didn’t help matters either. They accused him of offending God. Job, however, wanted to plead his case to God. Maybe a mediator could bring them together. If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. Job 9:33 Isn’t that something, Job referred to a mediator some1600 years before the birth of Christ. He understood that sinful humans could not stand before a holy God. Little did he know as sure as God lives, He would supply a mediator who first became our Redeemer. Job wasn’t the only one in the Old Testament who talked about a Redeemer. The Prophet Isaiah referred to the Redeemer who lives for His chosen ones a number of times. I’m sure he would have loved to have known who he was writing about.

Isaiah Made Reference to the Redeemer

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. Isaiah 41:13-14 He also mentioned that kings would stand before Him. And princes would humbly bow their lives to the Redeemer. The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: “Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the Lord, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” Isaiah 49:7 The New Testament doesn’t use the word Redeemer but it does tell us how He affects our lives. For God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:4,7-8

Jesus our Redeemer Lives

Yes Jesus our Redeemer lives! And because the Redeemer lives in us we are marked as the children of God. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:14 Job of old had no idea who his Redeemer was. But it didn’t stop him from declaring “ I know my Redeemer lives.” Lord, sometimes we don’t know why we go through the things that happen to us. But no matter how bad things get, help us to always be able to say these words. “I know my Redeemer lives.”

Read the full article

[curseconsumed]

No husband... Yes, Jacob knew of her plight quite well, given his past misdeeds, and wondered briefly if the alleged man in her life was at fault. He'd certainly been responsible for Elizabeth Morrow's delicate condition, so in this way, he almost felt as though this were his penance -- his only true way to atone. Perhaps if he managed to save this woman and her unborn child, he could somehow earn the forgiveness of his own daughter.

Mercifully, Mr. Dutton welcomed the opportunity for his help -- and what's more, he seemed pleased that unlike his other farmhands, Jacob worked on the barn long into the night. He'd often been asked when he found time for sleep, given how no one ever saw him occupy his assigned bunk, but he merely assured them he caught rest in town since he preferred to save work for the farm.

It was strange to have routine again...to have purpose. And although he'd initially been bothered by Elizabeth sharing her name, he soon grew to see her -- Bess -- as a different person.

Despite growing fatigued in direct sunlight, Jacob could easily work inside the barn since there was enough proper concealment. While he hammered a stubborn nail into place, he heard Bess approach with a tray of lemonade.

Unable to school his face, the corner of Jacob's mouth twitched. It was difficult to feign human consumption -- God above, their sugar drinks were retched -- but forcing a smile, he accepted the glass and tipped it in a salute of sorts before gagging down a swallow-full.

"It's...wonderful, thank you," he all but choked. Hopefully she assumed it went down the wrong pipe.

The mention of Mr. Dutton's nephews caused him to set his drink onto a nearby ladder rung, his mouth twisting inward. "Loss is hard," he agreed. "I'm the only one left of my family, and when you lose those who weren't supposed to die before you...well...it can be excruciating." Just like this lemonade, he nearly said, but held his tongue. "I can assure you, I'm just as grateful to this family. It's easy to feel inhuman when for so long, you're on the outside looking in."

With all the chaos concerning Banner and his men (if one could call them that) in the recent weeks, Bess was positive that the Duttons would need all the help they could get, especially now that three sons were lost. Spencer was off God knew where, and both John and Jack were now six feet under out in the cold family cemetery. A new ranch hand, who doubled as a doctor, was surely a blessing. Elizabeth felt relieved, despite it all. 

"Is this you and your husband's first child?"

“Yes, it’s my first…but there is no husband.”

There hadn’t been time to marry amid the fray of conflict, but there had been enough of a window for Elizabeth to alter the course of her life for good, and all without Jack to stand by her through it. Still, this good Samaritan hadn’t asked to hear about the unfortunate hand dealt to her. Better to spare him the grim details. 

"A pleasure, Bess. I'm Dr. Jacob Nash."

“Good to meet you, Doctor Nash.” 

—

As Bess had predicted, Mr. Dutton had welcomed the additional help, particularly with renovating the barn that Banner had attempted to burn down earlier that month. 

For one with such a mysterious arrival, he was a kind man, or at least kind to her, and strangely enough, she felt safer with him here than she had alone. Not to mention, the evenings she’d spent in her own company as of late had been more depressing than peaceful. His presence was a welcomed change. 

In the height of the sunny afternoon, Bess arrived at the site of the barn’s construction with a tray of lemonade, offering Jacob a glass as the rest of the workers dispersed. 

“Thank you for your help,” she smiled, “Mr. Dutton isn’t a man of many words, but I know he’s grateful. Losing his nephews…it’s been hard on him.”

[realm-sweet-realm]

Through Better or Worse

A while ago, @bertrumstrousers requested Lacie x Bertrum fluff from me, and this is what came to me.

This is a story within the Step Right Up AU, which was created by @bertrumstrousers and worked on by many others.

Thanks a ton to @haunted-hijinxer for helping me with this! It wouldn’t be the same without your contributions.

---

Lacie had spent the last few days running around in preparation for the big day, and it was exhausting her, but it was also the most excited she’d ever been. Bertrum really was the king of overkill when it came to big celebrations like this one, but it made him happy, and if there was ever a time to go all out, this would be it. Her next stop was in the costume car, where she was supposed to meet Jacob and get her dress mended.

Jacob wasn’t at the car when Lacie got there. It wasn’t like him to be late without reason- more likely he’d run out of something vital and was running into town to get it. Excusable, especially for one so new- Lacie knew from her own first days here that Nathan wasn’t exactly the best at teaching anyone how to do their jobs.

Lacie smiled. The day that Nathan had brought her aboard was the day that she’d met Bertrum. And what a day it was.

—

Lacie hadn’t exactly been nervous when she first came to the circus, but that was mostly because she wasn’t the nervous type. Having been a farmhand all her adult life, Lacie knew her way around animals, and she knew that if she didn’t do something, she would be a farmhand for the rest of her life. It seemed an interesting opportunity to ask these circus people if they needed someone to tend to their horses and ponies. She was honestly surprised when she got it, and just by answering a few questions and showing that she could lead the horses through a few tricks.

And then there was Timothy. Nathan first introduced him to her once the train was already moving to a destination miles and miles away. It was just supposed to be a little tour of the animal car, and since Lacie had seen nothing but horses and ponies in the circus act, she’d expected nothing but horses and ponies. Instead, in one of the stable stalls, there was an iron cage housing a massive, 400-pound male lion.

“The salesman said it was trained and ready to go,” Nathan explained, “but while it’s never hurt anyone, it won’t do a damn thing we say, either. We were hoping that you’d try your hand with it. If not,  we’ll probably have to Old Yeller it at the next stop. It’s very expensive to keep, and if it can’t perform…”

Lacie nodded in not-quite-apathetic understanding. She’d butchered chickens and killed sickly runt piglets that wouldn’t have survived anyhow. Though it did feel different to do it to such a rare and majestic creature- one not so easily replaced.

“Get it to jump through that hoop, and we’ll keep it,” Nathan said.

Lacie set up the hoop and carefully opened the lion’s cage. He came out without prompting.

How to get him to go? Seeing him lazily walk around, he was almost like a big cat. And Lacie knew that with cats, it was better to let them come to you.

“Here, kitty...” she whispered, backing away from him with her hand out. Timothy approached her, getting close enough to bite her hand off, and Lacie’s heart nearly stopped. But all the lion did was nuzzle at her hand. “Good... boy.”

Lacie led the lion around like that for a while, and then positioned herself on the opposite side of the hoop from him. The lion jumped. Nathan was enthused, and he spent the next hour teaching Lacie all the tricks he’d wanted the lion to do.

It was at some time during that hour that Bertrum came in and started watching them in awe. Lacie barely registered him at first, honestly. Not that an 8-foot-tall giant is all that easy to ignore, but she’d seen him around before, and taking one’s eyes off the lion would have been like taking one’s eyes off the road while driving- something Lacie knew from handling boars.

Bertrum didn’t speak until Lacie had guided Timothy back into his cage. “So… you’re, uh, the new beast tamer, I expect. What might your name be?” Bertrum had asked. She’d expected a booming voice to match his physique, but now you’d think that voice were coming from a man with half his size and a third of his confidence. Finally taking her eyes off the lion, Lacie looked at him and saw that he was blushing. Ha- was he attracted to her, or just impressed? At any rate, he put Lacie in a mood to show off.

“Yep,” she replied, “Timothy, open.” Timothy opened his mouth, and Lacie ducked her head back so that her skull was between the lion’s fearsome teeth. “Name’s Lacie Benton. And yours?”

The big guy seemed to have forgotten for a moment how to speak, which was the perfect compliment, really. Though to his credit, he managed to pull himself together eventually, enough to say, “Bertrum Piedmont. Wonderful to meet you.”

—

Since Jacob hadn’t arrived yet, Lacie took to looking over her speech for today and making some last-minute changes. There were a lot of notes about their early days- her teaching Bertrum her beast taming and the two of them learning whip-tricks together so that Bertrum could perform alongside her.

It makes sense that that’s a big part of my speech, since it’s some of my favourite memories with him, Lacie thought to herself, pencil-a-going, but I know Bertrum, and he’ll probably cover it. Maybe I ought to leave that to him, choose something a little less likely to catch his attention.

Maybe she could write about their first date. Not that it was specific to her, mind you- but she was quite certain she had a unique perspective on it.

—

It had been a few months into Lacie’s new job at the circus, and Lacie and Bertrum were relaxing together in the observation car as the train moved- Lacie with a book and Bertrum with his ever-present knitting.

“So, where are we off to next?” Lacie had asked.

“Savannah, Georgia. It’s a beautiful place.” Years from then, Lacie would know the United States as well as he did, but at the time, she was impressed by how worldly he was, and he knew she was impressed. Yet for whatever reason, he seemed nervous tonight- like he was meeting her for the first time. “During our rest day there, might you allow me to show you some of the sights?”

“I’d love that,” Lacie replied. Somehow, that didn’t seem to alleviate the awkwardness between them, so Lacie decided to drop the question: “Do you mean as a date?”

Bertrum began to turn red. “Yes. O-only if you’d like, of course.”

Lacie smiled. At this point, she’d seen it coming. “It would be my pleasure.”

The date itself had gone well, though it was hard to imagine how it wouldn’t have. They’d been great friends for months now, and that night they talked largely about the same things that they’d talked about in the mess hall and between showing each other whip tricks- just with better scenery, better food, and much better dress.

That wasn’t to say that everything was the same, though. Bertrum had been a perfect gentleman to her, almost to a fault. While they were friends, Bertrum hadn’t shied away from giving her hugs or slaps on the back, and neither had she. Now, he was treating her, the girl he’d whipped hats off the head of during their performances, like some kind of lady.

A part of her rather liked it, since she’d met her fair share of men who thought that her competence and her desire to be treated like a woman from time to time couldn’t exist in the same person. Still, when he resisted the urge to touch her all evening until he decided it was necessary to hold her hand to help her cross some uneven little bridge, well, it endeared her but it also worried her about whether they’d be whipping hats together in the future.

“You’re adorable. But you don’t have to treat me like I’m glass, you know,” Lacie told him at one point, giving him a little jab with her elbow.

“Oh, good. It’s been strange for me as well. Can I kiss you?”

“Of course you can, big guy.”

And they did. And their next act put to rest any remaining anxieties Lacie might have had.

—

Jacob finally arrived, holding a massive bouquet of red, purple, and orange roses, pink peonies, yellow lilies, red anemones, and orange gladioli. “Hey. Sorry I’m late. Bertrum wanted me to get some flowers for decorating and whatnot. Here are yours. Anyhow, I’ll get going on your dress- it’ll only take half an hour, and the costume department can do your makeup in the meantime.”

“Thanks!” Lacie said, taking the bouquet and rushing off. At this point, she was at risk of being late herself. At least the weather was good today. Lacie was a fan of rainy days, but it would have ruined an event like this.

Her thoughts about the weather brought Lacie back to another memory she’d shared with Bertrum.

—

It was a rainy day- the kind that would normally have Lacie out and looking for interesting rocks and bugs- and this time Bertrum (who would normally spend days like today cozy inside) had agreed to come with her. But when she came to knock on Bertrum’s car door, he wouldn’t open it.

“I’m sorry, Lacie, but I’m not in the mood,” he’d said, sounding uncharacteristically upset.

Lacie opened the door to find Bertrum sitting on the edge of his bed, clearly distressed.

“Hey, big guy…” Lacie started, noticing that Bertrum cringed a little at the normally-accepted nickname, “what’s wrong?”

Bertrum met her eyes for a second and sighed. “Shut the door.”

Lacie did so and sat down beside him.

“I suppose I should be used to it by now, but while we were tearing things down today, I overheard a group of tourists whispering questions like, ‘where do you think they got him?’ ‘Do you think he can talk?” and other such nonsense. I’ve grown regrettably accustomed to that sort of thing since I started doing performances with you. But this time, Nathan was there.”

“And he defended you, right?”

“No. I don’t think he meant for me to hear, but I heard him tell them the most outlandish stories about me. Said that our family had rescued me from the wild, that I still have temper tantrums where I throw furniture across the room as though it’s weightless, and that aside from that they’ve mostly ‘trained the violent tendencies out of me’. I know it was just an outlandish story for their entertainment… but I never thought... Now that I’m a performer instead of just putting up and taking down tents, is that what he sees my value? I know he doesn’t treat a good deal of the others well, and I wish I’d stood up for them more. Sometimes you don’t understand until it happens to you, I suppose.”

Lacie nodded in response. She didn’t know much about Nathan- they didn’t talk all that much and he’d always seemed pleasant to her. But what she did know is that she hated to see her big bear of a man so upset.

—

Lacie hadn’t doubted Bertrum’s word on Nathan- especially once she’d heard the same from some others- but one day she got to experience it first hand, and it wasn’t something she’d soon forget.

It had started when she had developed PCOS while the train was a few nights away from the nearest town. Lacie had tried to work through the sharp jolts in her belly, but Bertrum soon noticed once she started growing hair on her face, shoulders, chest, and back, and she was forced to talk to Nathan about it. Bertrum advised against it, telling Lacie that he could help her with the animals and that they would get her help once the train stopped- discreetly and without telling Nathan. But Lacie thought that letting him know would be the honest thing to do.

Lacie still remembered the way he looked at her- with opportunistic curiosity and a curled finger against his lips.

“We’ll get you to a doctor as soon as the train stops,” Nathan promised, “and I’ll make sure that there’s someone to look after the animals until then. I have one thing to ask of you though- could you ask if there’s a way to get rid of the pain but keep the hair?”

Lacie was too shocked to speak.

“I mean- think of it- you’d make an excellent attraction as a bearded lady. And maybe, once you’re in it together, you could finally convince Bertrum to play up his size for an act. Throw barrels around and the like.”

Lacie wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t adjusted to the extra hair and it was honestly the least of her concerns, but at this moment she knew she didn’t want it. Especially not so Nathan or anyone else could treat her like some kind of curiosity.

She muttered something about looking into it, he dismissed her with a comment about getting some needed rest, and they parted ways.

Later on, Bertrum and Lacie met up in their room.

“You were right,” she grumbled, “I shouldn’ta let him see me like this. I just hope it goes away, all of it. I just wanna be a beast tamer- no extra gimmick to play up an’ make me seem like less of a person.”

Bertrum nodded in understanding. “We’ll do all we can. I can even come to the appointment with you if you’d like. And… as someone who’s been different the better part of his life… even if they can’t fix things, it will be alright. Even if Nathan and some audience members you’ll never see again will think of you as less-than, most of us won’t. I won’t. We’re going to be together no matter what.”

Lacie snuggled in to Bertrum’s chest. Then a jolt of pain hit her and she doubled over. He ended up staying up with her most of the night, weathering it together, just as he'd said.

Thankfully, the doctors were able to help her, getting rid of both the pain and the hair. But she never forgot what she’d learned about Nathan. Or about Bertrum.

—

Finally, the costume department let Lacie go, and within minutes, she was ready. Jacob had done a wonderful job repairing her white dress, and had handed her a smaller version of the bouquet as well. She made her walk down the aisle, taking everything in. The whole circus crew was there, along with Lacie and Bertrum’s families. The alter was decorated with flowers similar to those that she was holding. And Bertrum was there waiting for her in one of the most ridiculously fancy suits she’d ever seen (which, as the bride of Bertrum Piedmont, was saying something). This was the best day of her life.

[marvels-obscure-tophat]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36449110

I POSTED IT (the first chapter anyways)

Please like it 🥺

Title by @anarchist-title-thoughts

Summary: When Spot Conlon travels 45 minutes to be a farmhand for three months, his goal is to make enough money to help his family with rent in the city. What isn’t his goal, but certainly a perk, is finding his way in the Jacobs’ family, even if that requires a bit of misfortune on Mayer’s part.

In other words, Spot is a farmhand on the Jacobs’ farm. Modern AU without the pandemic

@maggs-is-a-muppet @letter-from-the-refuge helped greatly I’m tagging them

The first chapter is more setting stuff up I promise I’ll make it actually cool in a hot second

[rabbittstewcomics]

Episode 347

July 2022 DC solicits Comic Reviews:

DC

Flashpoint Beyond 0 by Geoff Johns, Eduardo Risso, Trish Mulvihill

Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country 1 by James Tynion IV, Lisandro Estherren, Patricio Delpeche, Yanick Paquette, Nathan Fairbairn

Marvel

Elektra 100 by Declan Shalvey, Ann Nocenti, Paulo Siqueira, Ty Templeton, Sid Kotian, Stafano Raffaele, Edgar Delgado

What If Miles Morales 2 by John Ridley, Farid Karami, Chris Sotomayor

X-Men '92: House of XCII 1 by Steve Foxe, Salva Espin, Israel Silva

Image

A Town Called Terror 1 by Steve Niles, Szymon Kudranski

Image! 30th Anniversary Anthology 1 by Geoff Johns, Andrea Mutti, Declan Shalvey, Clayton Cowles, Wyatt Kennedy, Luana Vecchio, Wes Craig, Jason Wordie, Skottie Young, Nate Piekos, Mirka Andolfo, Chiara De Francia, Fabio Amelia, Brenden Fletcher, Erica Henderson, Kyle Higgins, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Walter Baiamonte, Katia Ranalli, Becca Carey, Patrick Kindlon, Maurizio Rosenzweig, Jim Campbell, Dean Haspiel

Reckless: Ghost in You GN by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Jacob Phillips

Dark Horse

Break Out 1 by Zack Kaplan, Wilton Santos, Jason Wordie

AfterShock

Kaiju Score: Steal From the Gods 1 by James Patrick, Rem Broo

Midnight Rose 1 by Jim Starlin, Nikkol Jelenic, DC Alonso

Ahoy

Wrong Earth: Fame and Fortune 1 by Mark Russell, Michael Montenat, Andy Troy

Archie

Fun with Little Archie and Friends 1 by Shannon Watters, Jamie Lee Rotante, Agnes Garbowska, Adrian Ropp, Erin Hunting, Matt Herms

Dynamite

Immortal Red Sonja 1 by Dan Abnett, Alessandro Miracolo

ComiXology

Love and War by Andrew Wheeler, Killian Ng

Scout

Vanity 1 by Jurii Kirnev, Natalia Tsarevnikova

Behemoth

Dark Beach 1 by Michael Ruiz-Unger, Sebastian Piriz

GNs

Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez, Danica Brine, Hank Hones, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Thunderous by M.L. Smoker, Natalie Peeterse

Chivalry by Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran

Additional Reviews: Moon Knight ep3, Picard 2:7, Amphibia, Owl House, Doctor Who

News: Nimona adaptation from Netflix, Percy Jackson cast, All-Out Avengers creative team, new official Marvel tabletop game, Casper reboot on Peacock, Flash movie prequel delayed/canceled, Millie Bobby Brown's new movie, Round Robin round 3, X-Terminators, Alysia as Batgirl, Kevin Conroy story in Pride anthology, Matt Kindt launches new Dark Horse imprint, Jody Houser writes Ms. Marvel team-up anthology, DC diversity, Star Wars Visions gets a second season, Dreamer coming to DCU in Superman 13 co-written by Nicole Maines, Frank Langella fired from House of Usher, new Simpsons short featuring Billie Eilish, Archie NFT, IDW announces new series, DC delays Danger Street, Susan Sarandon replaces Sharon Stone in Blue Beetle, rumors about another DC overhaul, Grant Morrison announces first novel, Dead Boy Detectives coming to HBO Max, Venom coming to Thor, Wonder Twins casting, new Harley series by Tee Franklin, Connor Hawke is going to be ACE

Trailers: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, Stranger Things s4, Thor: Love and Thunder

Comics Countdown:

Reckless: The Ghost in You GN by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Jacob Phillips

Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez, Danica Brine, Hank Hones, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Nocterra 9 by Scott Snyder, Tony Daniel, Marcelo Maiolo

Superman: Son of Kal-El 10 by Tom Taylor, Cian Tormey, Federico Blee

Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country 1 by James Tynion IV, Lisandro Estherren, Patricio Delpeche, Yanick Paquette, Nathan Fairbairn

Batman '89 5 by Sam Hamm, Joe Quinones, Leonardo Ito

Flashpoint Beyond 0 by Geoff Johns, Eduardo Risso, Trish Mulvihill

Seven Secrets 16 by Tom Taylor, Daniele Di Nicuolo

Batgirls 5 by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Jorge Corona, Sarah Stern

Farmhand 16 by Rob Guillory, Jean-Francois Beaulieu

Check out this episode!

[sharp-teeth-and-archived]

Tw: violence mention

       I mention a lot about Jacob’s disdain for the Van der Linde group, and once I get a better understanding of him and get him more grounded in the rdr2 universe, this may change a bit. But for now, this is where some of his morals lie, his own stance on the Van der Lindes at this moment.

       In terms of the feud, Jacob’s mind is very black and white on it. You chose your side, now deal with the repercussions. If you were clueless on the feud, then it’s no one fault but your own for getting involved in this.

       Jacob does believe the act of Van der Linde killing Colm’s brother was uncalled for, but he doesn’t endorse the murder of Annabelle, though he can slightly see the logic behind it. Jacob will not go after a woman, in this verse, so he will not go after any of the women in the camp. Even though Jacob and Evie haven’t been as close in the later years, they were close once and this strongly influences that moral.

       Going after the other members, Jacob just sees it as typical gang warfare, but he does have his own grudges against Dutch and his group. In Colter, Jacob was the one that founded that train robbery and collaborated with Colm on it, and when the gang ambushed the O’Driscoll camp, Jacob was with Colm and left for other matters. Though, Colm still sees fault in Jacob for this, once suspecting that Jacob is a turncoat with how it was so convenient he was not in the area when they attacked. Because of this, Colm starts to distance himself from Jacob and give him minuscule, easy tasks to keep him busy and out of the gang’s greater jobs. 

       If Jacob is to gun down any of the Van der Linde member’s higher-ups, then Colm’s trust may turn. Thus, giving him more leverage over the gang on being Colm’s right-hand man and giving him more loyalty from the gang once he would become a leader.

       In terms of Kieran, Jacob will likely rush at him or try to scare him, sneak up behind and tell him to keep his wits about him if he doesn’t want to be the O’Driscolls next victim. Unless instructed by Colm himself or if Kieran was in camp whenever Jacob would ambush the place, he doesn’t see the need to go after him as much. Yes, Colm might be happy, but Jacob still doesn’t see why he would waste his blade on Kieran. Kieran was a stablehand, yes that’s crucial to the gang to keep their horses in check, but he’s easily replaceable. He doesn’t know as much as Jacob would on the O’Driscolls, he suspected Kieran might know a few hideouts, but nothing Jacob would know (since he would have a greater idea on Colm’s plans). The O’Driscolls have greater things to focus on than to go after some stablehand that’s weak in Jacob’s eyes. That doesn’t mean Kieran isn’t fully off Jacob’s radar.

       Jacob would definitely go after Arthur, Javier, Bill, Dutch, Hosea, Sean, Pearson, John, etc. Typically, the big wigs in the gang that has been there for the longest. He doesn’t know about Trelawny because Trelawny’s appearances in camp are so sporadic and I feel like Trelawny has a knack for covering his trails. Jacob would go after Micah, though, even though he is fairly new to the gang, mostly because Micah is close to Dutch and he has some notoriety on him with the Strawberry jailbreak. 

       In my muses, he wouldn’t go after Cassie, maybe not Robert or Charley. These two literally have little to no notoriety to their name (previous of chapter six), they look like farmhands, and aren’t threatening in the slightest. He doesn’t even hear much about them in the grape vine. He’s more likely to scam them out of their money because he perceives them as easy to manipulate. If they are involved in an ambush, he has no problem murdering them then though, or when he’s provoked by them.

       Eleanor, though, he typically wouldn’t care about her that much, she’s just a reporter, but if she’s spotted in camp or noted as having a connection to Dutch -- he’s going to be interested in getting information out of her.

       With wyntrd’s Jack the Ripper’s rdr2 verse and his involvement in the ripper gang in his past, Jacob sees their actions as immoral. They targeted people practically without reason. With the Van der Lindes, Jacob doesn’t see as much issue because they chose to be with them, they chose to associate with criminals. People Jack would go after rarely had any criminal affiliation, he was just being cold-blooded. Jacob sees himself as having a just reason for his killings.

       With Lilith’s involvement in his rdr2 verse, typically Jacob does have a change of character when I write with that oc, so some of these thoughts may change, his anger may decrease and be less violent towards them. I’ll make another post about that if that occurs since we’re just starting in this verse with them.

[shining-red-diamond]

Over the Rainbow (ACT I)

Genre: Fluff, angst in some parts, Wizard of Oz!AU

Word count: 7.1k

Warnings: Angst, mentions of violence, kidnapping, illness, and death; fluff, some peril

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Reader x TBZ English line (Jacob, Kevin, and Eric) (feat. Sangyeon and Kim Chungha)

DISCLAIMER: I’ve changed a few elements to make this story have my own spin on it. It still follows the same basic storyline of the 1939 film.

Dust from the dirt path kicked up from Y/N’s shoes as she ran with her dog away from Mrs. Gulch’s garden. The old grouch had nearly put Toto out of his misery with her rake. Y/N she was going to be in trouble for allowing her precious dog to chase Mrs. Gulch’s cat, but all she worried about now was if her dog was hurt.

“I’m calling the sheriff, young lady!” Mrs. Gulch had threatened the second the two had escaped the garden. “And you better had put that mutt away!”

As soon as she felt far away enough from the old woman’s house, Y/N knelt down by her dog.

“Did she hurt you, boy?” she asked the small, black, wiry-haired dog as she checked his back. Toto just wagged his tail as if nothing was wrong, which told Y/N that he was fine. “She tried to, didn’t she?” –She snuggled him to her chest- “Come on. We’ll go tell Auntie Em and Uncle Henry what happened.”

It was only another half mile before Y/N spotted her family’s farm just about a football field in the distance, and within a few seconds she had reached the gate camouflaged in the white picket fence. Y/N found her aunt and uncle busying themselves in the chicken coop counting baby chicks as the little birds peeped.

Emily (Em for short) was about mid-fifties, her golden-washed hair pulled back into a low bun, revealing the wrinkles on her careworn face. She was a kind and gracious woman in town, but when she was working on the farm or busy in the kitchen, there was no stopping her. When she wanted something done, she made sure to get it done. Her husband Henry was her age, maybe a couple years her senior. He had a few more wrinkles than Em and was balding at the top of his head. Like his wife, Henry was kind and caring, but he was a little more laid back when it came to busy work. However, he was still a hard-worker and had established the farm from scratch.

Y/N had come to live with them after her parents passed when she was ten years old. It was an adjustment from the city into life in the country, but Em and Henry were gracious to let Y/N to come live with them.

“Auntie Em!” Y/N called as she rushed in, Toto following close behind her. “Auntie Em! Uncle Henry!”

“22, 23, 24,” Em counted each chick.

“Auntie Em,” Y/N was now right next her aunt, “you’ll never believe what Mrs. Gulch did to Toto. She-“

“Now, Y/N,” Em sighed, “can’t you see we’re busy? We’re trying to count.”

Y/N didn’t listen as she ran over to her uncle. “Uncle Henry, I was on my way home-“

“Did you not hear, your Aunt, dear?” Henry interrupted. “The incubator’s broke, so we’re trying to make sure we didn’t lose any babies.”

“Oh, the poor little things.” She managed to stroke one of the chicks’ fuzzy, yellow head with her fingertip. “But Aunt Em, Mrs. Gulch hit Toto right over the back with her rake, because she says he gets in her garden and chases her nasty, old cat every day.”

Em took that chick and said, “Why don’t you run along, and we’ll talk at supper?”

Y/N ignored her. “But he doesn’t do it every day,” she continued her rant. “Just once or twice a week. And he can’t catch her old cat, anyway. Now, she says she’s gonna get the sheriff-“

“Y/N, please!” her aunt begged.

With a defeated sigh, Y/N knew she wasn’t going to get her aunt and uncle’s attention right now. Instead of trying again, she decided to try to console to the farmhands, Toto trotting behind her.

All three of them were friends to Y/N. Kevin was the comedian of the group. He always got his work done, but he also new how to make others laugh while doing so. He was once caught dancing with a pitchfork when Uncle Henry played his record player to pass the time. Jacob was the gentle father figure; maybe it was because he was a dad himself. He and his wife had moved into to town about a year earlier, and Auntie Em had helped her deliver their daughter. As a farmhand, he always made sure to work hard at whatever task he was assigned. The youngest of the bunch, Eric, was Y/N’s best friend, but he always tended to act like it was something more. He was a sweetheart, but like the other two, he was a hard worker.

Most days, Eric always had a smile on his face, but now, with a smashed finger, he was not in the best mood.

“There goes my finger,” he groaned.

“Better your finger than your head,” Kevin said as he started carrying food to the pigs’ feeding trough.

“Kevin,” Y/N went up to him, “what am I gonna about do Mrs. Gulch? Just because Toto chases her old cat-“

“Listen, honey,” he interrupted her, “I’ve got the hogs to feed.”

“Now, listen, Y/N,” Eric chimed in, “you’re not using your head about Mrs. Gulch. Think you didn’t have any brains at all.”

“I have brains.”

“Then, why don’t you use them? When you come home, don’t go by Mrs. Gulch’s place, then Toto won’t get in her garden, and you won’t get in no trouble. See?”

“Oh, Eric,” Y/N scoffed. “You just won’t listen, that’s all.”

Eric began on another task before replying, “Well, you’re head’s not made of straw, you know?”

Y/N rolled her eyes and walked away from him. She wandered over to where Kevin was rounding up the pigs into their pen.

“Come on,” he commanded them. “Get in there before I make a dime bank out of you.”

Out of boredom, Y/N climbed onto the wide fence and started to walk across them, keeping her arms out to maintain her balance.

“Listen, kid,” Kevin said before filling the pigs’ trough. “Are you gonna let that old heffer mess with you? She’s nothing to be afraid of. Have a little courage, is all.”

“I’m not afraid of her,” Y/N justified as she continued her walk.

“Then, the next time she squawks, walk right up to her and spit in her eye. That’s what I’d do.”

Kevin was also the most reliable to talk to when you had a problem. Even the smallest of issues you would be facing would be met with advice from Kevin, even if it came of as a joke or a bit of sarcasm.

Y/N started to laugh, but it ended up making her lose her balance. She flew down into the pigpen as they began running around in fear of what just dropped into their living area.

Afraid of getting trampled, Y/N cried for help.

“Kevin, help!” she screamed. “Get me out of here! Help!”

Within a split second, Kevin had booked it over to her, scooped her out of the pen, and carried her to safety. Eric and Jacob helped her stand, and poor Kevin sat down with his hat off and a hand over his heart.

“Are you alright, Y/N?” Jacob asked with concern laced in his voice.

“Yes, I’m okay,” she assured, her voice trembling a little. “I fell in, and Kevin-“ She noticed the farmhand shaking; sweat beginning to run from his dark hairline. “Why Kevin, you’re just as scared as I am.”

“What’s the matter?” Eric teased. “A little pig make a coward out of you?”

“What’s all of the jabber-whopping when there’s work to be done?” Auntie Em’s voice disrupted the laughter. The other four immediately went silent. “I know three farmhands who’ll be out of a job before they know it.”

“Well, Y/N was walking along-,” Jacob chuckled as he tried to explain, but was interrupted by Aunt Em.

“I saw you tinkering with that contraption, Jacob,” she shut him up quickly. “Now, you and Eric get back to that wagon.”

“Alright, Mrs. Gale,” Jacob sighed as he began to walk away, be he almost immediately turned back around. “But someday they’re gonna build a statue of me in this town, and-“

“Well, don’t start posing for it now.”

Eric laughed, and then Aunt Em gave them some dill pickles to snack on.

Kevin took one and tried to explain what had happened, but Em put her foot down.

“It’s no place for Y/N around a pigsty,” she informed. “Now you go mind those hogs before they worry themselves into anemia.”

“Yes, Mrs. Gale,” Kevin nodded.

Em and Y/N began walking away, and Y/N took the opportunity to try to talk to her aunt again.

“Auntie Em, really,” she whined again, “you know what Mrs. Gulch said she’s gonna do to Toto? She said she was gonna-“

Em just shook her had and told, “Now, Y/N, you must stop imagining things. You always get yourself into a fuss over nothing. You just help us out today, and find yourself where you won’t get yourself into any trouble.”

She scurried off, leaving Y/N standing in shock. Her aunt was always there to help her when she needed it, but Y/N had a tendency to exaggerate things at times. She guessed that her aunt thought this was one of those times, but she understood. Maybe Mrs. Gulch was just threatening her and Toto out of spite as usual, but the look on the old grouch’s face said otherwise.

“Someplace where there isn’t any trouble,” Y/N sighed. She looked at her furry friend, who was sitting on the ground and looking up at her as if taking in her every word.

“You think there is such a place, Toto?” Y/N asked, her mind wandering as she strolled over by the old tractor. “There must be. It’s not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It’s far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain.”

She then remembered a song Aunt Em would sing to her whenever she felt sad and began to sing.

“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high

There’s a land that I’ve heard of

Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue

And the dreams that you’ve dared to dream

Really do come true

Someday I’ll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That’s where you’ll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why then, of why can’t I?”

Toto jumped up on the seat of the tractor, and Y/N snuggled him for a second before listening to a few birds chirp. She looked up and gazed up some rays of sun pouring into a tear in the clouds, lighting up the gloominess of the farm just a little bit, almost giving a sense of hope.

Y/N then finished her song.

“If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow,

Why oh why can’t I?”

-

“That dog is a menace to the community!” Mrs. Gulch barked. “I’m taking him to the sheriff to have him destroyed.”

The forty-something year old woman sat up straight in the chair across from Em. Her raven locks were pulled into a tight bun, and her hat was perched on top of her head as if it would fly off at any given moment. Mrs. Gulch had dressed in her Sunday best, but she wasn’t here for a church sermon. She had come for something sinister.

Her words were like punch in the stomach to Y/N. “D-Destroyed? Toto?”

Mrs. Gulch gave a slight nod.

“Oh no, you can’t,” Y/N begged. “You mustn’t! Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, you won’t let her take him, will you?”

Uncle Henry gave her a reassuring smile. “Of course we won’t, dear,” he promised. “Will we, Em?”

Y/N turned to her aunt, who now had a conflicted look on her face.

“Please, Auntie Em,” she begged. “Toto didn’t mean to. He didn’t know he was doing anything wrong. I’m the one who should be punished. I let him go in her garden. You can send me to bed without dinner.”

“If you don’t hand over that beast,” Mrs. Gulch threatened. “I’ll bring a damage suit that’ll take your whole farm. There’s a law protecting folks against dogs that bite.”

“How about if she keeps him tied up?” Em suggested. “He’s really gentle, with gentle people, that is.”

Mrs. Gulch was taken aback at her neighbor’s words. “Well, “ she huffed, “that’s for the sheriff to decide.” –she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper- “Here’s his orders allowing me to take him, unless you want to go against the law.”

Auntie Em took the sheet and read it, and Uncle Henry came over to take a look at the order as well.

“We can’t go against the law, Y/N,” Em shook her head as her voice began to shake. “I’m afraid poor Toto had to go.”

“Now you’re seeing reason,” Mrs. Gulch scoffed as she opened her basket. “Here’s what I’m taking him in, so he can’t attack me again. Just put the little rat into the basket.”

This triggered Y/N’s anger even more. “NO, I WON’T LET YOU TAKE HIM!!!” she screamed as she forcefully pushed the basket away. “YOU GO AWAY, OR I’LL BITE YOU MYSELF!”

“Y/N!” Em snapped.

Y/N didn’t take her angry eyes off of their grouchy neighbor. She could feel her tears start to push through.

“You wicked old witch!” she spat as her tears started to fall. “Uncle Henry, Auntie Em, don’t let her take Toto.”

Mrs. Gulch tried to grab Toto out of Y/N’s arms, but she fought against her.

“Henry, just put Toto in the basket,” Em sighed as she massaged one of her temples.

As much as Y/N wanted to resist, she wouldn’t fight her beloved uncle. He was a gentle man, not a fighter. Unless matters got too out of hand, then he would take the appropriate action to settle a dispute. This being why Y/N froze the moment he gently pulled Toto from her arms. The same man who had given her a best friend when she was fourteen was now the one taking him away from her. Sorrow even began to grow on her uncle’s face.

The water works flowed as she watched her best friend being put into the wooden basket. Toto even started to whine a little. Y/N’s heart felt heavy, her head dizzy, and she felt sick. Her feet ran her to her bedroom. She slammed the door and threw herself on the floor and sobbed. She was heartbroken.

For about ten minutes, Y/N cried on the floor, not caring who heard. Toto. Her sweet little dog. Y/N had only tried to let Toto run around to exercise, but why the old grouch’s garden of all places, she’ll never figure it out.

Once she was calm, she sat up and leaned against her bed, beginning to accept that Toto was gone for good.

Two little barks interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and Toto jumped through her open window and onto her bed. He licked her face as if to say, “I’m never leaving you.”

“Toto!” she cried before embracing her pet. “Oh my gosh! You came back!”

Y/N held Toto for about a minute before she realized, “They’ll probably be looking for you once they discover you’re gone.”

Although he was only a dog, Y/N always knew he was smarter than the average canine. If he somehow escaped Mrs. Gulch’s basket, he could possibly escape bigger situations than that.

However, Y/N wasn’t about to let anyone take Toto away from her again. She pulled back, looked at Toto in the eye, and said, “We’ve got to run away.”

As soon as she had packed all that she would need and could carry such as some clothes, shoes, and some of her own money stash from under her bed, she and Toto escaped out of her bedroom window. The two of them took the back roads and headed south. Y/N didn’t know where she was going, but she wanted to be as far away from all of her troubles as much as possible.

After a few minutes of walking, Y/N and Toto came across a large caravan painted in blue with gold and red lettering declaring, “Professor Lee! Acclaimed by the Crowned Heads of Asia.” The closer Y/N got, she could hear a man’s voice singing random tunes.

The owner of the voice then rounded the corner of the caravan and immediately spotted Y/N. He was fairly tall, young man of Asian decent and wore a dark green suit and chocolate brown dress shoes.

“Well, a house guest,” he greeted her with a smile before crossing over to sit by a fire pit that Y/N just now noticed was burning. “Now, may I ask who you are? No, don’t tell me. Let’s see.” –He scanned Y/N up and down- “You’re…going on a visit.”

Y/N shook her head.

“No, that’s not it.” The professor thought again. “You’re traveling in disguise. Nope, wait, you’re running away.”

“How did you guess?” Y/N asked with a smile.

“Professor Lee Sangyeon never guesses,” he claimed with a chuckle. “He knows. Now, why are you running away? No, don’t tell me. Uh…They don’t understand you, or appreciate you. You want to see the world. Cities, oceans, mountains, everything.”

Y/N nearly jumped out of her shoes. “It’s like you could read what was in my head! Oh, please, professor, could Toto and I join you and see all of the crowned heads of Asia?”

“You know any?” Professor Lee asked, then realized what she was talking about. “Oh! Well, I don’t do anything without consulting my crystal first. How about we head inside and I’ll show you?”

Sangyeon guided Y/N to the entrance of his caravan, allowing her to step in first. The inside of the caravan was full of all sorts of treasures. A skull sat on top of the doorframe, colorful paper lanterns lined the ceiling, small jade figurines of various gods lined the walls, and suede furniture sat in the center of all of his collection of treasures. Wax candles sat on each side of the chairs. The furniture surrounded a small wooden table with the most sparkling crystal sphere Y/N had ever seen perched in its holder.

“Have a seat,” Sangyeon motioned towards one of the chairs. When she did so, he began lighting each candle. “This is the same magic crystal used by the priests of Isis and Osiris in the days of the Pharaohs of Egypt in which Cleopatra saw the approach of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and so on and so forth.”

Y/N watched in awe as the professor prepped the room for his reading. She knew it was probably all an act for a circus somewhere, but she still wanted to see what he was doing.

“Now, you’d better close your eyes, my dear,” the professor instructed. “Just for a moment to be better in tune with the infinite.”

With a nod, she did as she was told. What she didn’t realize was Professor Lee was looking through her basket to find some sort of picture of her and her family to better set up his act. He found one of her, Uncle Henry, and Aunt Em taken in front of the farm the previous summer.

“We can’t do these things without reaching out into the unknown,” he continued before putting the picture back in the basket. “Alright, you can open your eyes now, and we’ll gaze into the crystal.”

Y/N opened her eyes again and watched as the professor stared the crystal ball as if he were studying it very closely. She couldn’t see anything happening, but the act displayed in front of her was making her believe it was real.

“What’s this I see?” he asked to no one in particular, his eyes glued to the crystal. “A house with a picket fence, and a barn with a weathervane. And also, a running horse.”

“That’s our farm,” Y/N pointed out.

“And there’s a woman with graying hair at the temples, a striped dress, and she has a careworn face.”

“That’s Aunt Em.” Is he really seeing everything? She thought.

“Short for Emily?”

“That’s right. What’s she doing?”

Professor Lee’s face twisted into a confused expression. “I can’t quite see. Oh, she’s crying. Someone has hurt her. Someone has just about broken her heart.”

Y/N’s own heart was about to break just hearing this. Of course she was angry that Toto had to be taken away, but was running away the best option?

“Me?” she asked.

“Well, it’s someone she loves very much,” Professor Lee shrugged. “Someone she’s been very kind to and cared for in times of sickness.”

Y/N was getting anxious. “I had really bad pneumonia once. But she stayed right by me every minute. What’s she doing now?”

He had figured she was running away out of some sort of anger, and just from the picture he could tell she was close to her family. Y/N was the first young person to come to him in hopes of finding something better, however, he knew he should at least try to help them make amends with their families. Y/N was no different.

Seeing how upset Y/N was getting, Professor Lee had one last trick up his sleeve. Glancing at his crystal again, the professor’s face displayed a look of shock. “What’s this? She’s placing her hand on her heart, and dropping down on her bed.”

“No,” Y/N began to sob.

“I’m sorry, my dear, but the crystal’s gone dark.”

She couldn’t stay any longer. If her beloved aunt was having a heart attack or stroke, then she needed to go home and try to help her or call a doctor.

“You don’t think she could really be sick, do you?” Y/N suggested as she hastily stood from her chair. “Oh, I’ve got to go home right away!”

“What’s this? I thought you were going to travel with me.”

“Oh, no, I have to get to her right away. Come on, Toto.”

The dog immediately followed Y/N out of the caravan. Professor Lee also followed her out and waved good-bye to her.

“Good-bye, Professor,” Y/N called back to him. “And thank you!”

Professor Lee noticed the drastic change in the weather. What began as a sunny autumn day quickly turned into a mighty windstorm. A tornado was approaching, and he needed to get himself and his horse to the nearest shelter possible.

“Woah, there, boy!” he instructed his horse, Gold Foot, as he caught hold of his reigns. “Better get undercover. There’s a storm brewing up. Poor kid. I hope she gets home alright.”

Back at the farm, chickens were running around panicked, horses were neighing in fright, the cows didn’t seem to care, but the pigs squealed in terror. Kevin and Eric were busy getting the animals to safety as much as possible. Jacob had rushed home to join his wife and baby daughter in their tornado shelter. He helped as much as he could, but Em and Henry told him to go home and protect his family. However, it was still chaos.

“Hurry up and get them horses loose!” Kevin shouted orders to Eric over the loud and wailing winds. “Where’s Jacob?!”

“He has a wife and child to protect!” the younger farmhand reminded him. “So he’s gone into shelter with them!”

Kevin looked up at the sky as Eric went to release the horses from the barn. No longer was it just a partly cloudy day. The sky was covered in a thick black, blanket as a cylinder of wind and dust violently pirouetted though neighboring fields.

“It’s a twister! A twister!” Kevin cried.

Em and Henry gathered everything they needed for the shelter such as food, lanterns, and a few blankets, and Em had gone to get Y/N. To her horror, her niece was missing. She thought Y/N had been in her room, but it was empty. Panicked, she ran around the house and farm, calling out for her every few seconds.

“Y/N! Y/N!” she screamed her nieces name over the tornado.

“Come on, everybody!” Henry rounded everyone up. “In the storm cellar!”

“Help me, Henry! Y/N’s somewhere out in the storm!”

“We can’t look for her now! We have to get in the cellar!”

Em was terrified she wouldn’t see her precious niece again. All she had to do was hope she would be okay once everything calmed.

The wind used all of its might to knock Y/N down as she and Toto made their way back to the farm. The dog began to bark, not wanting to brave it by standing on his own two feet. Y/N was quick to scoop him up and carry him back; leaning forward as she marched to she wouldn’t be knocked over.

“Auntie Em!” she called out. No answer.

The gate was jammed as she fought it open, breaking the lock as she did so. She had some leverage as the house blocked some of the winds force, but Y/N still had to fight her way in. She got the screen door open, but it immediately broke off and was carried off into the storm. However, Y/N was able to get herself and Toto into the house and shut the main door.

“Auntie Em! Uncle Henry!” she called again.

When she went out back to try to open the shelter, it was too late. It was closed and locked. She kicked and screamed for her relatives, but there was no chance of her getting in. She would have to brave the storm alone with her dog and hope for survival.

Y/N retreated to her bedroom, told Toto to hide, and she set her basket down.

“Auntie Em!” she called again just before her bedroom window broke off and knocked her in the back of her head. The impact knocked her out, the darkness consuming her as she fell.

-

When Y/N opened her eyes, she had no idea of how much time had passed. Toto was licking her face as to wake her up, and Y/N pet his furry head. However, the house was…moving? The wind was blowing, but it wasn’t violent. It was more like a windy day right before it rains. Wind howled much louder until a rooster’s crow broke the silence.

Looking out the window, Y/N couldn’t see anything but a dark gray wall. However, she spotted what she guessed was the roof of the farm’s chicken coop with the rooster standing on top of it. A cow floated around in the air, mooing without a care in the world. A wooden rocking chair floated up, and Old Mrs. Ahn was sitting in it and knitting a quilt. She looked up and waved hello. Confused, Y/N waved back before the old woman floated away again. Two fishermen in a rowboat were next to be in Y/N’s line of sight. They made eye contact with her, tipped their hats, and she waved.

Out of curiosity, Y/N looked down and nearly lost her balance.

“We must be up inside the cyclone!” she shouted over the wind so Toto could hear her.

When she looked back, she saw a familiar face riding her bicycle in the tornado.

“Oh!” Y/N cried out in disgust. “Mrs. Gulch!”

Then, without warning, the grouchy neighbor morphed into something horrible. She now had an ugly, green face, and was dressed in all black with a pointed hat. A large broom was now her choice of transportation. It was a witch. Frightened by the sight, Y/N retreated back to her bed and covered her eyes as the witch released an ear-piercing cackle.

The wind began to pick up. Toto jumped into Y/N’s arms and started to whimper. The house spun more times than Y/N could count. She screamed out of fright and sobbed as she didn’t know what was happening. Was she about to go out like this? She began to regret everything she had done earlier that day from the time she allowed her dog to run around in the neighbor’s garden to running away.

Then, everything stopped. The house seemed to land, and everything went silent. Her room was a mess, but that could be taken care of later. All Y/N cared about was if her family was okay. Some thick trees blocked her outdoor view, so she couldn’t see what was going on outside. She figured the house landed in the nearby woods.

“Are you okay Toto?” Y/N asked her dog. He licked her chin as if to reassure her that he was fine. She then picked him up, gathered her still intact basket, and exited her room.

The house was dark, but Y/N could make out the outlines of the furniture with the help of some light peaking through the curtains. Everything was either broken or knocked over, and a few family pictures were smashed. The important thing was that Y/N was alive, and so was Toto.

Holding Toto close to her, Y/N carefully opened her front door and almost fainted. On the other side of her front door was not her farm, but rather a new world on display in front of her eyes. Colorful plants and flowers surrounded a small duck pond and a stream leading away from it and under a bridge. Next to it was a spiral imprinted in the ground made from yellow and red bricks. In the surrounding area, small, white cylindrical houses with straw and burlap roofs populated around the pound and brick paths, but there seemed to be no one in sight. The sky above was the most gorgeous shade of blue Y/N had ever seen. It was as if she had jumped into a storybook.

“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Y/N said to her dog as she wandered around. “We must be over the rainbow.”

After setting Toto down, Y/N glanced up at the sky and noticed a spherical object floating towards her. Was it a bubble? It looked like one, but it wasn’t your average bubble. As it got closer, Y/N noticed it was changing colors and getting bigger. Stepping out of the way, the bubble, now the size of a horse, turned a bright shade of pink as it landed on the brick path.

The bubble dissolved away, revealing a beautiful woman with velvet red, shoulder-length hair and an extravagant silver crown resting on top of it. She was dressed in a sparkling periwinkle dress with glittering butterflies decorating various spots. The skirt part of her gown was almost as wide as a dinner table towards the bottom, and her sleeves were puffed as large as egg crates. In her hand, she carried a long wand with a diamond star at the top.

“Now, I definitely know we’re not in Kansas.” Y/N was speechless. It was the first sign of human life, and all she witnessed was a woman with a wand fly in inside a bubble.

The woman makes eye contact with Y/N and approaches her, her skirt flowing behind her.

“Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” she asked.

Y/N was taken aback by her question.

“Me?” she asked, and the woman nodded. “I’m not a witch at all. My name is Y/N, and I’m from Kansas.”

“Oh,” the woman replied, and then motioned towards Toto. “Well, is that the witch?”

Y/N just giggled. “Toto’s my dog.”

“Well, I’m a little muddled. I was informed by the munchkins that a new witch has just dropped a house on the Wicked Witch of the East.” She turned towards the slightly damaged house. “There’s the house, and here you are,” –she pointed towards a pair of dark burgundy legs with opalescent shoes on the feet sticking out from underneath the house- “and that’s all that’s left of the Wicked Witch of the East.”

Y/N was in shock. She had accidentally killed someone. She felt bad, but from the tone of the woman’s voice it sounded like it was a good thing.

“And so,” she continued, “what the munchkins what to know is, are you a good witch or a bad witch?”

“But I’ve already told you I’m not a witch at all,” Y/N reassured. “Witches are old and ugly.” A plethora of giggles sounded from behind her. “What was that?”

The woman chuckled. “The munchkins. They are laughing because I am a witch. I am Chungha, Witch of the North.”

Y/N eyes nearly popped out of her head. “You are? My apologies if I’ve offended you, but I’ve never heard of a beautiful witch before.”

“Only bad witches are ugly. The munchkins are happy because you have freed them form the Wicked Witch of the East.”

“Well, if you don’t me asking, what are munchkins?” The laughter sounded again.

“They’re the little people who live here in Muchkinland, and you are their national heroine, my dear. It’s alright, now.” Her attention was on someone else. “You can all come out and thank her. Come out, come out! Wherever you are, and meet the young lady who fell from a star.”

From everywhere in the greenery and behind the small houses, small people no taller than about three feet high began to come into the light of the circle. Their clothing was just as bright as the flowers. The men wore colors of blues, greens, and reds, while the woman wore lighter shades of greens and blues with purples and pinks. Most of them wore hats, their curls sticking out from underneath, and a few of the women’s’ bonnets were decorated with various kinds of flowers such as roses, marigolds, and daisies.

“She fell from the from the sky,” Chungha sang, “she fell very far, and Kansas she says is the name of the star.”

“Kansas she says is the name of the star,” the munchkins repeated as more of them began to appear and surround the new faces in town.

“She brings you good news, or haven’t you heard? When she fell out of Kansas a miracle occurred.”

Y/N was lead to the center of the town, and she began her story. “It really was no miracle. What happened was just this: this wind began to switch, the house to pitch, and suddenly the hinges started to unhitch. Just then the witch, to satisfy and itch, went flying on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch.”

“And oh, what happened then was rich,” a man in a tall gray hat hopped out.

A few of the woman munchkins joined in on finishing the story. “The house began to pitch, the kitchen took a slitch. It landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch, which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch, who began to twitch and was reduced to just a stitch of what was once the Wicked Witch.”

The citizens of Munchkinland performed a small celebratory dance in their freedom from the witch’s clutches, and a horse drawn carriage pulled up. Y/N was guided into it before two citizens approached her with some candy a bouquet of yellow and blue roses.

“We thank you very sweetly,” the first one said with a smile, “for doing it so neatly.”

“You’ve killed her so completely,” the second one said, “thank we thank you very sweetly.”

“Let the joyous news be spread,” Chungha declared, “the Wicked old Witch at last is dead!”

As the carriage began to move, the munchkins cheered wildly and chanted their victory:

“Ding dong, the Witch is dead

Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!

Ding dong, the Wicked Witch is dead

Wake up, you sleepyhead

Rub your eyes, get out of bed

Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead

She’s gone where the goblins go

Below, below, below

Yo ho! Let’s open up and sing

And ring the bells out

Ding dong, the merry-o

Sing it high

Sing it low

Let them know the Wicked Witch is dead.”

The carriage stopped in front of a larger homestead, where three trumpeters came out and blew a fanfare as a large-bellied munchkin in a bright blue suit approached Y/N with seven council like people followed behind him.

“As mayor of the munchkin city,” he announced, “in the county of the land of Oz, I welcome you most regally.”

“But we’ve got to verify it regally,” and officially stepped in. “To see…”

“To see.”

“If she…”

“If she…”

“Is morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably dead.”

Y/N wasn’t sure what was happening at first, but she realized that the council wanted proof that the witch was, in fact, dead. She hadn’t heard anyone scream in fear or seen a dead corpse try to squeeze itself out from under her house, so they must be in the clear.

A munchkin in dark purple robes and holding a scroll approached the council and gave his two cents. “As coroner, I must aver, I thoroughly examined her, and she’s not only merely dead, she’s really most sincerely dead.” He then unraveled the scroll, revealing a certificate of death.

“Then this is a day of independence,” the mayor stated happily, “for all the munchkins and their decendents. Let the joyous news be spread, the Wicked old Witch at last is dead!”

With another wild cheer, the citizens sang their chant in celebration. Y/N was then given thanks from three girls in pink tutus and three boys in colorful suits, both presenting her with candy and a song. Chungha then guided Y/N back to the square where the rest of the people continued their welcome.

Everything then came to halt, when a cloud of bright red smoke exploded from out of nowhere. Munchkins screamed in fright and began to either hide or drop down in fear, and Toto began to bark at who or whatever was unwelcome. Y/N was quick to pick up her dog, but he still growled in protecting her. As the smoke dissolved, the witch Y/N had seen earlier was revealed to be the uninvited guest to the party. Upon seeing her in person, she was more horrid in face as she wore all black clothing and held a broomstick.

“I-I thought you said s-she was dead,” Y/N whispered to Chungha, confused.

“That was her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East,” the Good Witch explained. “This is the Wicked Witch of the West, and she’s worse than the other one was.”

The ugly hag examined the two legs sticking out from underneath the house, and a look of pure wrath shadowed her green face.

“Who killed my sister?” she growled, her voice an unsatisfying pitch. “Who killed the Witch of the East? Was it you?”

“No,” Y/N answered immediately as the witch approached her. “No, I didn’t mean to kill anyone. I promise it was an accident.”

“Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents, too!”

“Aren’t you forgetting the Opal Slippers?” Chungha asked, unfazed by the witch’s anger.

“The slippers. Yes!” An unsettling smile had appeared on her face as she began to go back to her dead sister’s feet. However, the shoes in question disappeared, and the legs and feet curled up and snaked underneath the house.

“They’re gone!” the witch cried before returning the pair. “The Opal Slippers. What have you done with them? Give them back to me or I’ll-“

“It’s too late,” Chunga stopped her. “There they are, and there they’ll stay.”

Y/N looked down to where the Good Witch was pointing to and realized the slippers were now on her feet, matching beautifully with her pink socks. When did they slip onto her feet? Not that she was complaining about having beautiful shoes on her feet instead of the plain red converse she wore, but the slippers didn’t belong to her.

“Give me back my slippers,” the Wicked Witch demanded. “I’m the only one that knows how to use them. They’re no use to you. Give them back to me. Give them back!”

“Keep a hold of them,” Chungha whispered to Y/N. “Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn’t want them so badly.”

“You stay out of this, Chungha, or I’ll break you, as well!”

Chungha just laughed and told her, “Rubbish! You have no power here. Be gone, before somebody drops a house on you, too.”

The witch glanced up at the sky before announcing her departure. “Very well. I’ll bide my time.” Her attention went back to Y/N. “And as for you, young lady, it’s true, I can’t attend to you here and now as I’d like, but just stay out of my way. I’ll get you, my pretty, and you’re little dog, too!” With a cackle, she dashed into the square and disappeared in a thunderous cloud of red smoke followed by a small explosion of fire.

“It’s all right,” Chungha reassured the munchkins. “She’s gone.”

“What just happened?” Y/N asked.

“I’m afraid you’ve made rather a bad enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West. The sooner you get out of Oz altogether, the safer you’ll sleep, my dear.”

“I’d give anything to get out of Oz,” Y/N sighed. “But which way is Kansas? I can’t go the way I came.”

As beautiful as the land was, Y/N just wanted to be back home with her family and friends and bring Toto back with her. She didn’t know if her Aunt was still alive, or even if everyone else was looking for her. It didn’t help that a wicked witch had basically threatened her life over a pair of magical shoes.

“No, that’s true,” Chungha agreed. “The only person who might know would be the great and wonderful Wizard of OZ himself.”

The munchkins immediately bowed at the mention of the man’s name.

“The Wizard of Oz? Is he good, or is he wicked?”

“Very good, but very mysterious. He lives in the Sapphire City, and that’s a long journey from here. Did you bring your broomstick with you?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then, you’ll have to walk, I’m afraid.”

Thanks, Captain Obvious, Y/N thought.

“The munchkins will see you safely to the border of Munchkinland,” Chungha reassured her. “And remember, never let those slippers off your feet for a moment, or you will be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West.”

“But how do I start for the Sapphire City?” Y/N asked.

“It’s always best to start at the beginning, and all you do is follow the yellow brick road.”

-

Tagging: @barsformars​ @barnesbabee​ @daybreakx​ @juyeonzz​ @cosmixity​ @philosopher-of-fandoms​

[twins2994]

Australian Baseball League Preview

The Australian Baseball League kicks off later this week and I wanted to preview all six teams in the winter league. The league will play a 24-game schedule this season with two teams withdrawing for the 2020-21 season. 

Adelaide Giants (26-14)

Notable Players: RHP Jason Lott, RHP Todd Van Steensel, RHP Kyle Glogoski, LHP Jonathan Hennigan, C Colby Fitch, OF Kendall Simmons OF Grant Little, OF Aaron Whitefield

The Adelaide Giants lost in the Championship Series last year in the ABL. Jason Lott was a key reliever on the Giants last year with a 2.01 ERA in eighteen games. Jonathan Hennigan is a hard throwing left-hander in the Phillies organization. Todd Van Steensel is a name that Twins fans might remember. He pitched for six seasons in the Twins minor league system. He also pitched for the St. Paul Saints in 2019. Colby Fitch was a good defensive catcher at Louisville in college. Kendall Simmons provides a ton of raw power. Grant Little is a great defensive outfielder, who can hit a little. Aaron Whitefield made his Major League debut with the Twins this year and is a speedy outfielder. 

Brisbane Bandits (19-21)

Notable Players: LHP Ken Frosch, RHP Ryan Searle, RHP Tim Atheron, LHP Travis Blackley, C Jeremy Martinez, IF Logan Wade, SS Wes Darvill, OF Johnny Field, 

The Brisbane Bandits finished in third place of the Northeast Division and missed the playoffs last year. Ken Frosch was a good reliever for the St. Paul Saints for three seasons and posted a 2.47 ERA in the American Association. Ryan Searle is a long time minor leaguer and was on the Australian national baseball team for a long time. He pitched in the Team Australia games against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in 2014. Tim Atherton was in the Twins minor league system for three seasons. Travis Blackley pitched for five different MLB teams. Jeremy Martinez played for the Saints in 2019 and hit .284. Logan Wade is an ex-Twin farmhand. Wes Darvill is one of the best shortstops in the American Association. Johnny Field has some Major League time and spent part of the 2018 season with the Twins. Dave Nilsson is the manager for Brisbane and coaches his sons Mitch and Jacob on the team. 

Canberra Calvary (20-20)

Notable Players: RHP JJ Hoover, LHP Steven Kent, IF Gavin Cechinni, IF Zach Wilson, OF Tucker Nathans

The Canberra Calvary finished second in the Northeast Division last season. They won the wild-card game then lost to the Adelaide Giants in the semi-final series. JJ Hoover is a seven-year MLB veteran with a 4.17 career ERA. Gavin Cechinni was a long-time Red Sox prospect. Outfielder Tucker Nathans is keeping his baseball dream alive at thirty-three years old. Zach Wilson was in the Yankees organization and has spent the last five seasons in independent baseball. 

Melbourne Aces (23-17)

Notable Players: LHP Brian Flynn, IF Damek Tomscha, DH Delmon Young, OF Colin Willis

The Melbourne Aces won the ABL Championship last year behind Delmon Young, Shane Robinson, Collin Willis, Luke Hughes, and Allan de San Miguel. Delmon Young hit .345 with 13 homers and 42 RBI’s in 40 games last year. Damek Tomscha was one of the best power hitters in all of the American Association this past summer. Colin Willis hit .427 last year for Melbourne. Brian Flynn has pitched in over 100 ballgames at the Major League level. The Aces certainly have the offense to defend their championship this winter. 

Perth Heat (23-17)

Notable Players: IF Robbie Glendenning, SS Abeizel Ramirez, IF Ford Proctor, OF Shane Sasaki, RHP Dylan Unsworth 

The Perth Heat were eliminated in the wild-cart game last year. Robbie Glendenning led the ABL with 52 hits last season. The Tampa Bay Rays have sent seven players to the Heat this winter. Shortstop Abeizel Ramirez is just twenty-years old, but a good prospect. Ford Proctor hit .346 in the Eastern League in independent ball this past summer. Shane Sasaki was taken in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Dylan Unsworth led the ABL with six wins on the year. 

Sydney Blue Sox (16.5-23.5)

Notable Players: DH Manny Ramirez, LHP Lachlan Wells, OF Cam Gibson, IF Carlos Cortes, OF Jacob Robson

The Sydney Blue Sox were the second-worst team in the league last winter, so what do they do? They sign Manny Ramirez, who hasn’t played since the 2014-15 Dominican Winter League. The 48-year old will DH for the Blue Sox and provide some interest among baseball fans across the globe. Lachlan Wells has been a Twins prospect for a few years and owns a 3.02 ERA over four minor league seasons. Cam Gibson is the son of Kirk Gibson. I remember watching him at the 2015 Big Ten Baseball Tournament with Michigan State. Carlos Cortes is a Mets prospect. Jacob Robson played at AAA Toledo in 2019 and hit nine home runs. 

Overall, this should be a fun league to watch this winter if you want more baseball. The Twins have so many ties to Australia since they signed a ton of players in the 1990′s. Remember the names of Grant Balfour, Liam Hendriks, Brad Thomas, Luke Hughes, Trent Oeltjen, James Beresford, Lewis Thorpe, Aaron Whitefield, and Glenn Williams. If you don’t know the story of Glenn Williams then look it up. I believe I was at two of his thirteen career games. Manny Ramirez and Delmon Young add some big names in what should be a fun small winter season. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[morbid-n-macabre]

The Wolf Family Murders

Turtle Lake, North Dakota

April 22nd, 1920-

41 year old Jacob Wolf was a German immigrant living on a farm in the US. Together with his wife, 36 year old Beata, Jacob had 6 daughters; the eldest of which was 12, the youngest was an infant. Often at the family home was a 13 year old neighbor boy named Jacob Hofer; he worked the farm, helped out with whatever the family needed.

The Wolf farm was super busy, and usually ran like clockwork. When a neighbor noticed that the Wolf family's clothes had been hanging on the line overnight, he understandably grew concerned; after taking a closer look, John Kraft realized the animals had not been fed. This neighbor took it upon himself to go check in on the family, and what he found was a massacre: Inside the barn Jacob and 2 of his daughters were lying dead, covered in hay. John then ventured to the basement where he discovered the rest of the Wolf Family: 3 daughters, Jake's wife, and the young farmhand had also been murdered. All had been shot, except the youngest victim; the 3 years old had met her end with a hatchet. The only good news was that 9 month old Emma's life was spared; she was filthy, starving, and very weak from lying in her crib, but she was alive.

Now, the town of Turtle Lake was very small, just 400 citizens resided there. There had never been a murder of this magnitude before, it's all anyone in the entire state of North Dakota could talk about. Literally thousands of morbidly curious spectators traveled from far and wide to attend the large family funeral. Of course police were also at the macabre event, watching, hoping to catch their killer. And they did: one of the Wolf family's neighbors had been acting super strange; it's said that Henry Layer even opened each of the coffins to take a good look at the murder victim's faces. Just picture that for a second, a closed coffin funeral involving children who had their heads split open with a hatchet and this man is taking it upon himself to open the lids! Can you imagine? Later that same neighbor was caught by the sheriff while creeping through the Wolf farm.

Come to find out, there had been trouble between these neighbors, and they had last been seen arguing; upon hearing this, police arrested their suspect. Henry Layer was interrogated and did eventually sign a confession; this is the gist of it: The Wolf family's dog had bitten one of Layer's cows. The 2 men fought, and Layer refused to leave the Wolf property. Deciding to force the man off his property, Jacob grabbed his shotgun, but Layer took it from him. During the struggle the gun fired not once but twice; supposedly the shooting of Jacob's wife and the young farm hand was accidental. Jacob ran like hell from his murderous enemy, but he wasn't quick enough; Jacob was shot as well. Most of the girls were killed with the double barrel shotgun, but when the bullets ran out, the hatchet was used; the bodies were then drug to the cellar or the barn. Baby Emma was only left alive because she was in her crib at the time, and she was too little to tell what happened anyway.

The confession is questionable today as we know Layer was under duress when he signed it. He was told there was a lynch mob waiting outside for him and if he did not sign, police would allow the mob would get him. Those who knew the man claimed he had been planning to take the confession back once people calmed down, but that never happened; Layer died just a few years later due to health problems. Today many people believe he was innocent, there are books written on the subject, and online rabbit holes to fall into.

Either way, the Layer family paid the price; Henry's children were sent to foster homes where they were abused, one of his children died at a very young age of an accident.

Baby Emma, the only surviving Wolf child, was raised by extended family. She got married, had children, and lived to the ripe old age of 84; she passed away back in 2003.

[scrapyardboyfriends]

Jenny’s Belated Live Blogging - 19th August 2019

- Blech! I should have kept searching through the pop toy catalogue instead of looking down at my screen for that last scene of Nate kissing Amy and staring at Moira. That was horrific. 

- The thing is...I don’t care enough about Coira at this point because the show hasn’t, to care if they break them up. Fine, shake them up, put them with new people. I don’t care. If they want to use an affair to do it? Sure, fine. But this...this is not the way. If this is cut and dry and Nate is just what he appears to be, a random player farmhand that’s just shown up and gets his kicks out of messing with people’s lives then...it doesn’t work because it doesn’t make any sense, it’s clunky as hell and these characters all deserve better. If there is more to it, if the theories are correct and he is somehow Cain’s secret son with a grudge or something else equally insane, then holding it back for this long really doesn’t do much for me. They’re not hinting at anything strong enough to even make me sure there is something bigger happening. At least with Joe, there were some clues in his behavior and cryptic conversations with Graham. Now there’s nothing. It doesn’t work. I’d much rather know exactly what his motivation is and be in on it as he messes with them. That would be more interesting to me. 

- that said, Nate, as a character, and this actor...just do not work at all. *shudders* It’s painful at this point. And if he calls anyone else ‘babe’, I don’t know if I can handle it. 

- Also, good god, really Nate was the person they decided to have help Matty to the big conclusion of his toxic masculinity story?! Nate?!?! Really?! That was...wow...yeah...no. This whole thing is such a mess. 

- Let’s see...what else...Jacob’s hair is even more horrifying now. I hate that the Tracy/Amy friendship concept is ruined by this factory fire/frank death story. 

- I never want to have to watch Harriet try not to flirt with Will or whatever the hell that was. I just need Dawn, a character I like, away from all that nonsense. Can she move in with Tracy once she probably kicks Kerry out after she finds out about the fire? 

- Also...they’re going to move Bear and Paddy up to the farm, which means I might have to endure a scene with Bear and Nate? Why are they doing this to me?! 

- I remember a little bit of the Ali illiteracy story and that one was way less irritating. This one just seems silly and I will forever be asking what the fuck the point of bringing in Bear even was. Why was that the reason Mandy returned before? (except apparently it wasn’t...ugh whatever). What does he offer the show? What does he offer Paddy as a character? I don’t feel like Paddy was crying out for a father figure. They didn’t even do any prerequisite ‘Paddy talking about his parents’ build up to the story. It was just random. And it still seems random. I don’t get it. I mean...yeah without the wrestling, he’s way less annoying and they’ve toned down his ‘creepy with women’ vibe a bit. But he’s still sooo useless. 

- If Paddy never stuttered again....I would forgive the show a lot. I get that it is a real thing that people deal with, but it’s never been an ‘issue’ thing with Paddy...just an irritating part of his character that they play up to the extreme sometimes for I guess...comedy? I don’t know...but it’s painful. 

- I did kind of enjoy Bernice pointing out how wrapped up Diane is in Victoria, even if there’s a legitimate reason. But still...Diane is one of those ‘one track mind’ kind of characters and parents so I was amused to see it pointed out. 

- In conclusion: Aside from whatever brief glimpse of Robert’s face I might get...this week is going to be ROUGH

[theguythatdraws]

HPHM Character Profile

Thanks to @phyl-the-gryffinclaw for tagging me.

I tag @three-space-kittens.

General information:

Name: Finnigan Jack McGarry

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Nicknames: Finn, Pip, That Bastard, Buddy, Bub, Hey You, Drunk, Drunken Fool, That Weird Cursed Vault Kid

Date of Birth: March 16

Astrological/Zodiac Sign: Pisces ♓️

Ethnicity: White

Nationality: Pure bred, 100% Irish (Thick Irish accent)

Species: Wizard, Legilimens, Animagus, might be half werewolf.

Blood type: AB-

Blood status: Half-blood. Both parents are half-blood.

Family:

Aaron McGarry, Father

A simple farmer that runs the McGarry Farm in Ireland, specializes in Earth/ Water related spells. Was 42. Killed by Death Eaters during a raid when Voldemort took over the second time.

Sarah McGarry, Mother

An Auror for the Ministry of Magic, specialized in Ice spells. Was 42 also. Killed when she was discovered to be Half-blood at the Ministry when Voldemort took over the second time.

Jacob McGarry, Brother

Finn's big brother, Gryffindor at Hogwarts, expelled for reckless endangerment. 27. Specializes in Air based magic. Has a dragon tattoo on his right arm. Currently a Dragonologist in Ukraine.

Flumpy, House-Elf

The McGarrys were very kind to their House-elves, and Flumpy was no exception. Acts as a farmhand and is free to come and go as he pleases. Still alive.

Affiliations:

McGarry Clan

Weasley Family

Hogwarts

Gryffindor House

Order of the Phoenix (second wizard war)

Ministry of Magic (uneasy, former)

The Three Broomsticks

The Hogs Head Inn

The Leaky Cauldron

The Blind Pig

Occupations:

Hitwizard, quit.

Farmer, currently.

Magical Characteristics:

Boggart: Fenrir Greyback, due to being kidnapped and scarred by him as a child.

Riddikulus: Fenrir Greyback dead.

Wand: Whomping Willow, 11 inches, Phoenix feather core, bottle opener taped to it's base. This is the one he got from Ollivander and Rakepick never destroyed it.

The Mirror of Erised: He lies and says he sees a keg, but in actuality he sees himself, Jacob and Chiara all laughing and smiling together, safe and sound.

Thestrals: Yes, he saw a kid die when he got kidnapped.

Patronus: Unicorn, turned into werewolf, out of love.

Animagus Form: Siberian Husky.

Amortentia: Whiskey, Wolfsbane, and wolf pup. To others: Boxing glove leather, beer, smoke.

Appearance:

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 129 lbs.

Complexion: Scarred all over.

Hair color: Brown.

Eye color: Black as charcoal.

Hogwarts Information:

Worst class: Divinination, because he honestly couldn't give a shit. Only took it because Chiara also took it.

Best Classes: Care of Magical Creatures, because of his time on the farm.

Charms, his family specializes in elemental magic, and those include Charms.

Potions, because it's like brewing beer.

Herbology, again, because of the farm.

Least favorite teachers: Rakepick, why do you think?

Binns, because he drones on and on about bullshit.

Favorite teachers: McGonagall, she's awesome.

Kettleburn, he likes creatures as much as Finn.

Flitwick, he's a Savage.

Snape, because he gives Finn great advice.

Quidditch: Played briefly, but quit when Allison broke his arm.

Favorite spells:

Incendio, Fiendfyre, Protego Diabolica, Bluebell Flames, the one that turns water into wine.

Trivia:

Specializes in fire-based magic, much like the rest of his family, and can conjure and control Fiendfyre wandlessly and wordlessly.

Met Chiara in First year Halloween, and had a crush on her for the longest time. First kissed her after Forth year celebration.

Somehow became Prefect, because Dumbledore said "Fuck it, the weird Cursed Vault kid."

In Fifth Year, one full moon, he had to protect Barnaby and Ben from werewolf Chiara and got three new scars across his back.

Suffers from PTSD from getting kidnapped, and when he sees his boggart, he freezes or breaks down.

Practices boxing in the Dueling Room, is actually pretty good.

Hates Jae, because he sees him everywhere with Chiara, wants to chokehold him.

He drinks almost all the time.