#Madison Reading Project

[crazykuroneko]

Gabriella Papadakis (FRA) and Madison Hubbell (USA) spoke about their same-sex ice dance team project and a lot of things in this wonderful article. The article speaks about heterosexuality expectation in figure skating - especially ice dance, power imbalance between male and female skaters in ice dance and pairs, the positive effects the sports could have if same-sex teams are the norm and many more. Please give it a read, it really captures the current situation in figure skating.

[httpjupiterbby]

Swanqueen fanfics recommendations:

note: ngl i’ve been wanting for someone to ask me this. also all the recs are multi chapters… don’t get me started on how many one shots i saved or how many are in this post 😅

Every secret it keeps - Two years into emma and regina's loving marriage, emma discovers that she's somehow, impossibly, pregnant. Unfortunately, no one in this family is naive enough to believe that true love can make babies, and the swan-mills family is thrown headlong into a situation that will strain at the seams of their family– or tear them apart completely.

Dusk til dawn - what happens when the evil queen returns to a post-swan queen storybrooke? How will regina and emma's former relationship affect her pursuit of a happy ending with the savior? (warning: elements of mommy kink, ageplay/regression, and a bit of everything in between; even if you’re not into that, i would still give this one a read! it’s so good and super cute! .)

Storybrooke scandal - Regina Mills and Emma Swan have a long lasting sexual relationship with each other, but they got married along the way, however not to each other. Behind closed doors their relationship still continues, but what will happen when their respective husbands find out about their secret relationship and what will such a scandal do in the small town of storybrooke?

Making exceptions - No magic. Multi-chap. College AU: Emma Swan is a culinary arts student. Regina Mills is her English teacher.

Whispers in the night - AU: Emma's plagued by grief over the loss of her best friend. She joins a support group and meets Regina Mills. They share their heartbreaking stories and come out as friends. Can they find a way to become more than that?

Nine months to love - Regina overhears that Emma is pregnant. As the months pass, she is frequently at Emma’s place, and Emma at hers. Emma and Regina grow emotionally closer as the pregnancy goes through ups and downs. 10 chapters.

Project wingman - Regina has a secret admirer. Unknown to her, this mystery person has been standing right before her eyes all along.

We'll always have hope - “Are you saying I seduced you? “Regina frowned. “If I remember correctly, it was you that pinned me against the bed. It was you who kissed me. It was also you that pulled my panties down using your-“ Emma had messed up. She had messed up badly. There was no way she could choose between her best friend that she had been in love with for years and her husband who she just kind of tolerated. After their impromptu trip for their son's graduation, A few positive pregnancy tests changes Emma’s life forever and makes the decision for her.

Could you escort the maid? - Emma Swan is a 28 yr old aspiring writer who happens to be a professional escort. On a night out with a client Emma obtains a chance to save for her dreams when she is hired by a respected rich couple Robin and his wife Regina as their new maid.What happens when Emma soon realizes their marriage isn't as it seems and what will Robin do when he sees that she is falling for his wife

Darkness Falls - The story of how Emma and Regina discover they share true love is a rocky one. Snow White interferes stripping Emma and Henry of their will and Regina is on the run from a town that has turned on her. With few allies, how will the Queen restore her family and what will be the fall out of Snow's magical manipulations?

Bridges of storybrooke county - Based on the plot of the movie/novel 'The Bridges of Madison County'. Regina is a married and unsatisfied housewife living on an Iowa farm, Emma is a globetrotting photojournalist. Their fateful meeting begins a love affair neither of them is ready for. (And if you want to know whether Francesca gets out of the damn truck this time? You'll have to read the whole story.)

The choices we make - Would you give up the love of your life in name of a dream? Emma Swan and Ruby Lucas have a hard decision ahead and this will change their lives completely, and everyone around them.

What we could of had - Emma breaks up with her high school sweetheart, Regina out of the blue.Ten years later, Regina gets a visit by two adorable kids claiming to be hers.

Someone will remember us - On day one of her junior year at Boston College, Emma makes a fool out of herself in front of the most beautiful woman she’s ever seen. She tries not to dwell on it, though – after all, it’s not like the woman is going to end up teaching one of her classes.

A date with destiny - Regina Mills is a 35 year old, rich business woman who is also a virgin. Emma Swan is a 28 year old friend and roommate of fellow business man Robin Locksley and works for Killian Jones. Regina's assistant is tired off suffering from the backlash of her boss's stress and decides to set her up on a blind date with Robin but he can't show and so sends Emma instead.

Circumstance - Emma is an owner of a renowned Fitness Club called Swan Fitness and is also a grad student seeking a Master's in Counseling. Regina is one of Emma's professors and soon to be a member of her club. Will they allow their circumstance to prevent their feelings from evolving? Or will they fight to have their chance at their happy-ending? (TW!!!!)

Indecent Proposal - Emma Swan, a single mother, struggling to pay for her son's medical visits along as his medication, gets more than she bargains for when she meets Regina Mills. New York's bachelorette billionaire who offers her the solution to all her money problems: 2 million dollars and a signed contract stating her companionship for an entire year. One year, where anything could come into play.

Miss Swan goes to storybrooke - Regina Mills is running an underdog mayoral campaign when her hapless partner in crime, Neal Cassidy Gold, hires his new girlfriend to be a part of it. It's hate at first sight. Emma Swan is infuriatingly attractive, infuriatingly competent, and– most infuriatingly– will absolutely bring down their entire campaign if Regina doesn't get rid of her first.

Hi, i'm calling to answer your craigslist ad - Emma, Just like every 18-year-old foster kid, just aged out of the system. With nowhere to go, Emma searches Craigslist's Ads in hopes that she may find a job. While Browsing the "live-in housekeeper" section Emma comes across a post titled: "Seeking Live-in Pet/housekeeper". Starts off as OutlawQueen, ends with SwanQueen.

Chronicles of eris - After bringing back Marian from the past, Emma is left to deal with the consequences and repercussions of that decision. Two months of silent treatment from Regina is enough to push Emma completely over the edge. Together she and Ruby jump into a portal to the Enchanted Forest in order to figure out where they belong in the world.

To woo the queen - Emma Swan finally confesses her love for Regina Mills but as soon as she does, Regina pulls away. If it was just a casual fling Emma wanted, Regina thought she could have done with just that, but an admission of love and feelings scares Regina. Will Emma be able to woo her lady love and change her mind?

Bridges - Emma Swan has always run from everything and everyone; make no connections and no one can hurt you. But one night, something stops her from running. She meets Regina standing at the edge of a bridge, and everything changes. Major TW for suicide, depression, rape/non-con, abortion, child abuse, baby conceived by rape

The Girlfriend Experience - Emma Swan is a successful soccer star who was born with a dick. Regina Mills is the escort she hires to give her the 'Girlfriend Experience' but it turns into more. Little does Emma know, Regina is actually a victim of Mr Gold's sex slavery trade. What will they have to risk to be together? Smutty G!P! (last time i read this, it was still getting updated..)

What have you done - Regina is not speaking to Emma over Marian's sudden appearance. Emma decides she's had enough. Set at the end of Season 3, before things got "frozen." The beginnings of Swan Queen. So what started out as a simple one-shot, expanded and will continue for four chapters.

Lawyer vs. love - Regina Mills is a hard-ass lawyer from New York. Her life is nothing more than work until one day she meets Emma Swan, a barista with a troubled past. But, when a jealous ex comes to town, everything seems compromised and when Emma is sent away she asks Regina to do something that seems impossible.

A moment of truth - After Emma and Regina finally confess their feelings for each other, the dam breaks. This is the story of discovering their love for each and realizing that it had been there all along. This story is low on the angst but high on the feels and does contain plenty of magical sex.

Safe in the arms of love - Storybrooke AU. After an attack, Regina is forced to confront a past she spent her life burying. Can Emma help her find her way back before the darkness threatens to consume her? SQ ending. Trigger Warnings: Rape, assault, child abuse, violence, sexual content, stalkin

Group therapy - Emma Swan meets Regina Mills in group therapy. Contains potentially triggering content such as self-harm, drug use, and discussion of eating disorders. SwanQueen.

One touch - Emma is in therapy, and Regina Mills is her therapist. Eventually SwanQueen. Warning: this story contains mature themes that may be triggering to some individuals. Please read with caution !!!!!!!

In sickness and in health - As if being in an accident wasn't enough, now she's being told she's forgotten the last 3 years of her life? And in those 3 years, she got married...to her? Just great.

Bait and switch - Henry Mills is sick and tired of his mother’s skating around the truth and not realizing that they are perfect for each other and that they belong together. So he has a plan to bring them together and convinces his grandmother to help.

Broken together - After experiencing a great loss, Emma leans on Regina for support. Can she get through this with the help of Regina and Henry? (TW!!!!) (will squeeze the fuck out of your heart)

One more try - Emma and Regina are having relationship issues. (this will eat your heart out!)

Reservation for ms. mills - Senior Henry Mills tries to set up his daughter Regina and Emma because he thinks they'll be perfect for each other. One way or another. (major romcom vibes !!)

Out - Regina breaks up with Robin after returning from the NY road trip. She begins to question her sexuality and decides to test the waters with a familiar face in town. Emma’s jealously rages and Killian is confused. Some Red Queen. Mostly Swan Queen.

Lost time - Emma gets accidentally sucked into a portal to a realm where time works a little differently and when she comes back she's got a little surprise with her. (crazy shit. read it.)

Love undefined - It’s been eight years since the last time Regina and Emma saw each other, eight years since Emma lost part of her happiness, her family, and everything fell apart. But she hasn’t forgotten those three years in New York, or any of what Regina had brought into her life. And if she can be honest with herself, she might even admit that she wants it back.

What’s wrong with emma swan? - Since Emma's return from the Underworld she is a shadow of her former self. Snow seeks Regina's help to get to the bottom of what's wrong with Emma. When Regina discovers the truth their lives are destined to change forever. An unexplained pregnancy and their evolving relationship leads to a future that neither of them saw coming.

A million tiny little things - emma swan doesn’t seem like the kind of person you’d leave in charge of your kids, but somehow she’s landed the job of nannying the mayor’s son. no matter her rebellious streak, she’s more than a little concerned that she’s breaking the cardinal rule of nannydom: do not, do not, start sleeping with your employer. swan queen romcom au.

The staircase - Regina could still smell her cologne and feel the cheap pleather pressing into her back. The brunette sucked in a breath. She was still lying on the floor at the staircase's base and she stared back up at it. Everything was different now. Changed. She felt broken by what had just happened, appalled and enraged, dirty. (TW!!!! very very fucking dark. probably the first dark fic i’ve ever read)

Villains don’t get happy endings - It had been her sacrifice—the price she had to pay. Save everyone she had cursed for 28 years while simultaneously losing the one person she loved the most. Villains, after all, didn't get a Happy Ending. That was reserved for Princesses and Saviors. A 'what if' story where it's Regina, not Hook, who visits Emma in NYC at the beginning of 3B.

Miles to go - Everyone has their own story, this one is theirs and it paints the picture of a love story that spans over two decades, with all the ups and downs and everything else in between. (so fucking amazing!!)

Little match girl - Emergency circumstances lead Emma to move in with Regina and Henry, and the unexpected attraction between the two women stresses their current relationships. At the same time, someone is targeting Storybrooke's children with deadly consequences. (TW!)

The story - Takes place after 3x22. After everything they've been through... After everything that was said between them Robin leaves Regina for Marian and Emma is there to pick up the pieces. Swan Queen Angst and Romance

Oops - Emma and Regina get together at the mansion after they break up with Hook and Robin. Obviously, they get drunk and well...things happen. After one night of pure passion what will happen between the mayor and the sheriff when that night changes their lives, and their relationship, forever.

Skinny love - What are you going on about?" Regina swallowed harshly, really looking at the only person she has been able to bare her soul to. "You don't want me anymore because you found somebody else. Somebody better." Emma looked blankly at Regina. (a-fucking-mazing)

Memento Mori - Regina rejects Emma to stay with Robin after they've slept together. Emma winds up pregnant and tries to win the Mayor back. When the pregnancy is revealed, Snowing forces Emma to Underworld to save who they believe is the baby's father. The Underworld could prove fatal for Emma and her baby. Will they survive or will Regina lose her chance at having true love forever? (the fucking best- i’ve been looking for this..)

Crazy changes - A chance encounter in a bar changes Emma Swan's life forever. One of those changes is the arrival of Regina Mills in her small town. But there's more to the newcomer than meets the eye and when Emma finds out the truth behind a family feud, she must re-evaluate everything she thought she knew.

For endings are where we begin - Regina Mills is your average working mom - she spends long hours at her bakery, loves her son Henry with all that she is, and can touch dead things and bring them back to life. Emma Swan is an orphan, an ex-convict, and a bailbondsperson residing in Massachusetts. She is also currently dead. This is the story of how they meet. [a Pushing Daisies AU]

Forget me not - Tired of feeling heartbroken after Robin's death, Regina takes a Forgetting Potion to eradicate all memories of her True Love. However, things don't go to plan as she can still remember Robin, but has no idea who the blonde sheriff, who goes by the name of 'Emma Swan', is.

Direct and linear relationships - Emma Swan is a barely 17 year old senior. She just has to worry about getting through the year, but a new Physics teacher might make her last year in high school much more interesting.

A single kiss - Emma is only a teenager when she falls madly and irrevocably in love with Regina Mills. She is convinced that Regina is "The One" for her, but it's a love that cannot be. At least not at the time. When Emma returns home years later will they finally find love and a happy ending?

Flu love’s kiss - Magic returns to Storybrooke bringing back magical illnesses as well. 'Love Flu' is going around and it's catching. Swan Queen.

Temporary Distractions - It's been a month and Regina won't speak to her, until she does and Emma is left pretending to be in a relationship with her so that Regina can get through a dinner invitation with her pride intact.

Not going anywhere - Emma’s life was finally starting to come together. She has her parents. Her bond with her son growing. Regina’s walls have slowly started to fall, their friendship blossoming. This doesn't settle well with a select few townspeople that believe there is no hope for The Evil Queen, so they kidnap Emma. They will make her see things their way at any cost. Emma is found beaten and left for dead with no memory of who she is. The ones that took her still at large, Emma is left in the care of the only one who can truly protect her and the only person she allows near her. (tw!)

Reckless abandon - After Regina and Emma spend a night together, Emma is left to deal with the fall out, and a life-altering event, all alone as Regina changes her mind and decides Emma is not what she wants, after all. Will Regina realize what she's done before it's too late? Angst and Swan Queen. (the fucking best!!!!!!)

Casual sex - Emma and Regina begin to have nothing but casual sex diving head on into a friends with benefits, well more so enemies with benefits what will happen when one or both begin to start actually feeling something for each other.

Lattes & lace - Regina's a successful, focused businesswoman running a burgeoning lingerie line that is just starting to gain international attention. Until one winter, an irritating woman opens up a coffee shop next to her studio... and generates constant distractions. But not all of the distractions are a complete disaster. Only few.

Take a chance on me - As Emma recovers at the mansion from an encounter with Storybooke's latest threat, nightmares start to plague her from the trauma she suffered as a child. As Regina comforts her, the women grow ever closer. When Regina is attacked, Emma vows to do everything she can to protect the now terrified and vulnerable mayor.

Teacher’s pet - Emma Swan is starting her senior year this year and she's got a pretty easy schedule. But as her friends tell her about the Creative Writing teacher and how no one has passed her class with an A, what will she do? And who exactly is this 'bitch' as they claim her to be? Swan Queen-Student/Teacher AU

The reason why - Emma Swan never stopped wondering why she left without a word, not even a goodbye. She was used to being left behind and abandoned but when Miss Mills her favorite teacher/mentor of three years disappeared without explanation it still stung. Now over ten years later and a chance run in she might finally find out the reason why.

The crush teacher - Emma Swan's life was easy. She was constantly hanging out with her friends and was dating the most beautiful boys at school. But everything changes when a new teacher starts teaching her at school. Feelings and sensations that Emma had never felt before begin to appear.

A fortunate mistake - After Emma and Regina share a night of passion and a morning of misunderstandings sprinkled with some amnesia, Emma ends up getting married to Hook. But when Emma realizes she’s pregnant, their worlds get turned upside down. With Regina’s unwavering support and Emma slowly piecing her memories together, will their love prevail?

I’ll be home for christmas (with my fake girlfriend) - When her girlfriend dumps her the week before Christmas, Regina Mills needs a date to placate her mother’s insistent badgering. Emma Swan, who’s never really spent Christmas with an actual family, steps up to the plate. Throw in a very pregnant woman, her two children, and a Christmas Eve party? Emma and Regina experience a Christmas weekend they won’t soon forget.

You again - Emma and Regina have known each other since they were kids, and it's amazing how they just can't stand each other.

Has anybody ever told you - After a night on the tequila Emma Swan drunkenly causes mayhem in Granny’s leading to a few home truths for our Madame Mayor.

The rain came pouring down - Emma and Regina have spent the past year working on Operation Mongoose. Emma has fallen in love with Regina and is sure Regina loves her back... until a surprise shows up from the recent past.

A date to remember - AU. Regina is a very successful architect who runs her own company in NYC. She has no time nor need for love. Although, to spice things a little, she allows herself to indulge in a date per person, in order to get some action – no strings attached. Would she change her own rules after meeting a beautiful blonde? Swan Queen (No!Magic)

A month and a half of wednesdays - 40 weeks is ten months not nine... They have it all wrong.Emma spends every Wednesday night at the mills Manor, and has made a little discovery after one wild Wonderful Day with The Mayor.

Waking up - Emma wakes up in the hospital with no memory of her life in Storybrooke with her family. When she sees Regina, though, she suddenly feels a connection between the two of them and feels like she knows her. But how?

Always & forever - Regina Mills is a 34 year old widow who lost her husband Daniel just 4 years after they married. Not only has she lost Daniel but she's lost her 4 year old son as well; Henry. Before their sudden deaths she saw herself as the happiest and luckiest woman in the world. Now that the two people that she's loved most are gone she's afraid that whoever she ends up meeting next will vanish from her life forever. Now to avoid that pain again she's completely shut everything and everyone around her out. Family included.

Pixie dust never lies - A revealed secret, a broken heart, and a stormy night lead Regina and Emma on a path of self-discovery. In the end, they will have to make a choice that will shape their lives forever.

A new perspective - Regina disowns her mother and moves to London. Cora takes Emma under her wing and cultivates a business and a personal relationship. Regina and Emma meet after Cora's death and the fireworks start!! Slow burn SwanQueen and SwanQueen Family. Don't worry, dears, our ladies are alive and kicking through the entire story!!

There goes the neighborhood - SQ AU: Emma Swan has recently relocated to a neighborhood just outside of Quantico, VA after the death of her husband (Neal). She and her twin adopted daughters are just trying to find happiness again. Meanwhile, her new neighbors Robin & Regina Mills have a less than happy household. The women clash from the start, but through a marital betrayal the two women begin to see each other in a whole new light.

Stolen darkness - What started with a dream had revealed to Emma who she really was, upon the confessions of the Charmings' past sins, Emma embarks on a journey of self discovery. Dark Swan, Maleficent, and Swanqueen.

Mirror, mirror. - Emma is working her side-job as a mover when she finds the mirror, shattered in the back of a wardrobe. She takes it home, drawn to it for some reason. Regina finds the mirror in the back of her mother's old wardrobe. It was once broken and put away in a time of duress. Yet the mirror she is holding looks as good as new. When Regina speaks into the mirror one night, Emma answers.

Shadow Haven - Emma Swan is a PR agent who is sent on a holiday by her boss. Regina Mills is the owner of a private island named Shadow Haven. There is more to Regina than initially meets the eye. Swan Queen romance / BDSM story.

Feather of a swan - Emma Swan also ended up cursed in Hyperion Heights. With absolutely no memories of Storybrooke, she gets by working as a bounty hounter. After a particular long day, she just longs for a drink, and goes into Roni's Bar to get just that. But after she meets the bartender, nothing wil be the same again.

In it together - After both Hook and Robin are killed (and Hook doesn't come back in my story!), Emma and Regina grow closer. At first it's about getting each other through the grieving process, but eventually it turns into a much deeper connection.

—-

authors:

@ hunnyfresh | ao3

@ devje | ao3

@LZClotho (LZielinsky) | ao3

@LunaCeMore | ao3

@ClashofShips | ao3

@Z_OTAKU19 | ao3

@ starsthatburn | ao3

@ emmasyellowbug | ao3

@JuiceCup | ao3

@AshKnight | ao3

@Ash M. Knight | fanfic.net

@IShipLOVE | fanfic.net

@ angstbot | ao3

@rhysMerilot | ao3

@XSerendipity92X | fanfic.net

@AnotherEvilRegal | fanfic.net

@Nasty Nikolo | fanfic.net

@Gravity In the Air | fanfic.net

@PlayfulMay | ao3

@LittleSwanLover | ao3

@AOBZ | ao3

[jazminrhode1]

hiiii! if you're stil writing can you please write one where matt sturn and reader are just so in love and he cant stop telling people about her?

The Interview Matt Sturniolo x Reader One Shot

Matt was onto his 6th interview of the day. He set up his laptop at the kitchen table and you’d been sitting across from him all morning waiting for him to be done.

“Hi Matt,” you heard the interviewer say. He was less nervous now that he’d had some practice.

They asked the same old generic questions like, how his brothers were, how he came up with the idea for this project, and what inspired it. But, out of left field, they asked about you.

You saw Matt squirm in his seat across the table. “I hope that doesn’t cross a line,” she said sweetly.

“No,” he said, shaking his head a little too aggressively to be casual.

He looked at you and you glared right back. You hadn’t had this conversation in a while. You hadn’t spoken about keeping your relationship offline in the beginning but, it had been 2 years and things were different. Everyone knew and they reacted terribly but, the dust had settled since then.

You saw the look in his eyes. He was asking permission and you gave it to him with a shrug.

He let out a deep breath, his shoulders relaxed; he looked happy.

“Y/n is great, actually,” he said with a smile.

“I know you don’t talk about her often but, I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about how you both met?”

“Oh,” he said, “Well, she’s a good friend of Madison and we were all hanging out there a lot and, it just happened. She’s great. She’s perfect. She feels more like my home than any house ever did.”

You swallowed down the lump forming in your throat. It wasn’t often that you got to hear how Matt talked about you to other people. Sure, your friends told you that he gloats about you any chance he got but, you never heard it from him.

The next interviewer asked what made Matt fall in love with you and he explained, “Y/n is beautiful. Even more so on the inside if that’s possible. But, it wasn’t any one thing that made me fall in love with her. It was the love she has for her family, it was the way her smile lights up a room, it’s the kindness she shows to strangers, it’s the way that she can get through to me when no one else can. She’s the first person I reach for in the morning, she’s the first person I want to call with news good or bad, she’s my best friend and she is my favourite person in the world.”

His eyes were so intense on you that you thought he could read all of your thoughts. It was often like that. He was so attuned to you, so perceptive to your needs, so receptive to your feelings. Matt was, in so many ways, perfect. You could not have dreamed him up.

The final interviewer asked the same age-old questions. You mocked him behind the screen and Matt did his best not to laugh. He was tired, you could tell. As the interview came to an end, the interviewer asked one final question.

“You’ve gotten into writing a lot, I’ve seen a few passages that you shared on Instagram. What inspires you the most?”

Without hesitation, Matt said, “Y/n. She inspires everything that I do. I read a quote once that said, ‘If a writer falls in love with you, you can never die.’ I like to think that if I write about all the people and the things that I love, I can never really lose them, you know? Even if y/n chose to leave me, I’d always have a piece of her with me”

There was silence on the other end. You started to think they lost connection.

“I think there’s a lot of people out there who 

“I’ve fucked up a lot of relationships but, I think it all needed to happen so that I can be the person I am now for y/n. You need to be open and receptive and believe that you deserve to find happiness with another person. Y/n is a much better person than I am but, no one will ever love her as much as I do. And I do. And I show her every day and I will for the rest of my life.”

Matt shut the laptop when the interview wrapped and pushed his chair back from the table. You walked around and sat on his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. His arms snaked around your waist as he nuzzled his head in the crook of your neck.

“I’ve never heard you talk about me before,” you said.

“I feel sorry for people. You’re all I ever talk about,” he replied with a smile.

Matt loved you. You knew that with every fibre of your being but, today showed you just how much.

[anemoiashifts]

what your desired reality self wants you to know, pick an object reading !

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

happy shifting september ! thank you to everyone who voted for this months reading ! i stated before the idea of doing a shifting reading that you guys can vote on at the top of every month & intend to post one of these on the first of every month ! if you’d like to vote for octobers, the poll is on my profile right now & will be available to vote through the week of this is posted.

as always, please do not force this message if it doesn’t resonate. there will be more readings to come ! ⋆.˚

✦

🐾 | sweater french bulldog °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

songs: about you by the 1975, stained glass by madison beer, chewing cotton wool by the japanese house.

the tldr of this reading waiting for new beginnings to take shape. when you think one journey has ended, another will arise. your dr self wants to remind you that shifting should not be the end goal. the progress you’ve made on your shifting journey is the first step of of a long, long path of lessons & leaning about how you operate.

the emotions that had risen for this reading were feelings of being overwhelmed, slow healing & lack of progress. this time — being “trapped” in your current reality — is not to punish you. it it not to keep you down but to prove to yourself you are capable of overcoming every obstacle that is thrown your way. take this time to be gentle with yourself & care for practice self soothing techniques accordingly. you cannot always control your circumstances; only how you react to them. improving mindset towards your situation & finding a way to balance energies amidst chaos will do you wonders. remember to stay grounded & grateful even when things seem bleak.

✦

🪻 | purple orchid °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

songs: art deco by lana del rey, to be human marina, holding onto you by twenty one pilots.

your gift to manifest your desires is within you. if you think you are incapable of manifesting, you are being urged to reflect on your past assumptions & look at what thoughts you have when going about life. however, something is blocking you from unleashing your inner gifts. you are denying yourself whatever that may be all while ignoring what needs attention in this moment, even if it’s separate from shifting. chances are there is a repressed creative side of you or an upbringing that has been taken from you due to circumstance.

to put this bluntly, you may be emotionally unstable & unsure of what you actually want. to provide clarity, sit down with your thoughts & journal or scrapbook (changes are, you are already doing so). mental clarity will come in the form of creation. remember, you create your own reality. you are not the projections & assumptions people have placed upon you. there is nothing wrong with you.

✦

🍆 | eggplant bartholomew bear °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

songs: no time to die by billie elish, watercolor eyes by lana del rey, illicit affairs by taylor swift,

you love hard. in partnerships, friendships, romantic relationships, family. some may even say you’re a little bit of a hopeless romantic. however, it feels like your mind & heart are at war constantly; logic vs emotion. the logical part tends to think “shifting isn’t real, I’ll never do it” while your heart is screaming at you that “shifting has to be real, there is so much life to be lived”. though, you cannot logic your way through shifting, you do not need to eliminate one voice & instead bring them together.

be warned, this is not an easy process & takes great emotional strength & patience with yourself as you find ways internally to satisfy both sides of yourself. i don’t have those answers but do not give into the temptation to be pulled into a daydream to cope with these conflicting beliefs. you are seemingly a smart person even if grades or test scores do not or have not shown that in the past. you have a unique way of going about both your current reality & every one you experience.

✦

thank you for reading. i hope this resonates ! 🫂🤍

[sophiesonlinediary]

Soph | She/Her | Minor

sofia coppola enthusiast | pinterest whore | future f1 wag | taylor swifts cat | gracie abrams bow | maisie peters gf | fellow sza worshipper | sabrina carpenters unsent email | irl rom com girl | lyra kane and grayson hawthornes child | #1 melodrama girl °:

fandoms

music -> taylor swift, gracie abrams, conan gray, maisie peters, renee rapp, sabrina carpenter, lizzie mcalpine, olivia rodrigo, billie eillish, arctic monkeys, kali uchis, frank ocean, lana del rey, tyler the creator, ariana grande, madison beer, noah kahan, sza, the weeknd, paramore, tate mcrae, marina, mitski, laufey, pinkpantheress, raye, dove cameron, beabadobee, tv girl, karol g, justin bieber, fiona apple, kendrick lamar, lorde

books -> the inheritance games trilogy, once upon a broken heart trilogy, percy jackson and the olympians, gallagher girls, heist society trilogy, embassy row trilogy, the cruel prince trilogy, keeper of the lost cities, the naturals trilogy, a good girls guide to murder trilogy, the grandest game trilogy, powerless trilogy

series / movies -> mamma mia, boy meets world, la la land, tangled, how to lose a guy in 10 days, the notebook, little women, the summer i turned pretty, she's the man, the princess diaries, chronicles of narnia, obx, stranger things, the virgin suicides, priscilla, marie antoinette, gossip girl, gilmore girls, all marvel projects

currently reading: the grandest game - jennifer lynn barnes

currently watching: How I Met Your Mother

current listen: passenger princess - nessa barret

other accounts: @melodramaticatheart, @evelaughlin, @thegoodwitchcoven, @soph ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

personal tags: #sophie's diary entry #soph’s asks ᡣ𐭩 #tofu's never ending playlist #the archive ᡣ𐭩 #soph writes 𝜗𝜚

my everythings; jas(mine), nadsies aka oompa loompa, and emsies my flower, kaela <333

18+ dni unless i interact first. if you are rude you will be blocked.

[will80sbyers]

Do you still have the list of movies that inspired ST4? I had a picture of it but I lost it and I haven't been able to find it since. Please and thank you in advance.

Yep!

Long post warning lol

300

2001: A Space Odyssey

47 Meters Down: Uncaged

12 Monkeys

28 Days Later

13th Warrior

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Altered States

Amelie

American Sniper

Analyze This

Annihilation

Aristocats

Armageddon

Assassins Creed

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Arrival

Almost Famous

Batman Begins

Batman V. Superman

Basket Case

Battle at Big Rock

Beauty and the Beast

Beetlejuice

Behind Enemy Lines

Beverly Hills Cop

Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey

Billy Madison

Black Cauldron

Black Swan

Boondock Saints

Borat

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Burn After Reading

Broken Arrow

Blade Runner

C.H.U.D

Con Air

Cast Away

Congo

Constantine

Children of Men

Cabin in the Woods

Crank

Casablanca

Carrie

Crimson Tide

Clueless

Dukes of Hazzard

Don’t Breathe

Death to Smoochy

Doom

Dark Knight

Dogma

Deep Blue Sea

Dreamcatcher

Drop Dead Fred

Die Hard

Die Hard 2

Die Hard 3

Don’s Plum

Dances with Wolves

Dumb and Dumber

Edward Scissorhands

Enter the Void

Ex Machina

Event Horizon

Emma (2020)

Forrest Gump

Fargo

Fisher King

Full Metal Jacket

Ferris Bueller

Fallen

Fugitive

Ghost

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Ghostbusters

Good Fellas

Girl Interrupted

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Get Out

Good Will Hunting

Hackers

High Fidelity

Hellraiser 1

Hellraiser 2

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hidden

High School Musical

Hurt Locker

Heat

Hunger Games

Highlander

Hell or High Water

Home Alone

I am Legend

It’s a Wonderful Life

In Cold Blood

Inception

I am a Fugitive from Chain Gang

Inside Out

Island of Doctor Moreau

It Follows

Interview with a Vampire

Inner Space

Into the Spiderverse

Independence Day

Jupiter Ascending

John Carter of Mars

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

James Bond (All Movies)

Julie

Karate Kid

Knives Out

Kingsmen

Little Miss Sunshine

Labyrinth

Long Kiss Goodnight

Lost Boys

Leon: The Professional

Let the Right One In

Little Women (1994)

Mad Max: Fury Road

Magnolia

Men in Black

Mimic

Matrix

Misery

My Cousin Vinny

Mystic River

Minority Report

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Neverending Story

Never Been Kissed

No Country for Old Men

Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

North by Northwest

Open Water

Orange County

Oceans 8

Oceans 11

Oceans 12

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Ordinary People

Paddington 2

Platoon

Pulp Fiction

Papillon

Pan’s Labyrinth

Pineapple Express

Peter Pan

Princess Bride

Paradise Lost

Primal Fear

Prisoners

Peter Jackson’s King Kong

Reservoir Dogs

Ravenous

Rushmore

Road Warrior

Rogue One

Reality Bites

Raider of the Lost Ark

Red Dragon

Robocop

Shooter

Sky High

Swingers

Sword in the Stone

Step Up 2

Spy Kids

Saving Private Ryan

Shape of Water

Swept Away

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Superbad

Society

Swordfish

Stoker

Splice

Silence of the Lambs

Source Code

Sicario

Se7en

Starship Troopers

Scrooged

Splash

Silver Bullet

Speed

The Visit

The Italian Job

The Mask of Zorro

True Lies

The Blair Witch Project

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Tangled

The Craft

The Guest

The Devil’s Advocate

The Graduate

The Prestige

The Rock

Titanic

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Fly

Tombstone

The Mummy

The Guardian

The Goofy Movie

The Peanut Butter Solution

Toy Story 4

The Ring

The Crazies

The Mist

The Revenant

The Perfect Storm

The Shining

Terminator 2

The Truman Show

Temple of Doom

The Cell

To Kill a Mockingbird

Timeline

The Good Son

The Orphan

The Birdcage

The Green Mile

The Raid

The Cider House Rules

The Lighthouse

The Book of Henry

The A-Team

The Crow

The Terminal

Thor Ragnarok

Twister

The Descent

The Birds

Total Recall

The Natural

The Fifth Element

True Romance

Terminator: Dark Fate

The Hobbit Trilogy

Unforgiven

Unbreakable

Unleashed

Very Bad Things

Wayne’s World

What Women Want

War Dogs

Wedding Crashers

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

Welcome to the Dollhouse

Welcome to Marwen

Wet Hot American Summer

What Lies Beneath

What Dreams May Come

War Games

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Weird Science

Willow

Wizard of Oz

Wanted

Young Sherlock Holmes

You’ve Got Mail

Zodiac

Zoolander

[uhhhyaenbyjade]

How I Would Change Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (if i was smart enough to direct and write movies)

DISCLAIMER: I loved GxK, and I believe it is an entertaining movie! This is just my take on how I would've liked to see things happen, with it connecting to the previous installments more, as well as tweaking some minor details here and there.

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT! DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE

So, the biggest change I am adding is that Madison Russell from Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong. I was honestly surprised when I heard that Millie Bobby Brown wasn't involved in the project at all, and I feel like Maddie's presence could have really helped flesh out some of the human aspects of the movie.

The only other thing I am really changing from the movie is adding cameos that link the movies together better, as well as making some minor attempts at making the science less... fantastical. I am not deleting any scenes from the movie, just altering them and adding a few more. Hopefully, this keeps a good balance between the human aspect versus the Titan aspect. So, the movie would probably turn out to be approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes in length, compared to the 1 hour 55 minute run time. I am only going to have bullet points for the parts I am altering/adding, so anything I leave out from the movie is otherwise unchanged or doesn't have enough of a difference to warrant a bullet point.

During the scene where we see updates of MONARCH over the past few years, we don't just see Dr. Ilene Andrews in interviews, but also cameos from Dr. Ilene Chen and Dr. Ling Chen, and possibly some other cameos like Sam Coleman or Mark Russell. Less emphasis on being thankful for Godzilla's help (because yeah he's helping, but also thousands of people are dying directly from him), but more emphasis is placed on MONARCH helping with relief efforts, and the usage of the Titan Warning System we saw in MONARCH: Legacy of Monsters. Also, instead of the other MONARCH person we see in charge (who I think is Hampton, Rachel House's character?) we see Deputy Director Verdugo.

Another small change is that MONARCH isn't trying to "stay ahead of DC" here. I understand why they did that, but from my understanding of the previous iterations in the Monsterverse series, MONARCH was supposed to be considered trustworthy and the top Titan research group after King of the Monsters, especially after the fall of APEX. So, instead, MONARCH is just trying to find what answers they can give to the United Nations as soon as possible.

When Godzilla kills Scylla, we get an explanation of how Scylla was causing problems to the natural world, as well as directly challenging Godzilla for Alpha status, which was explored in Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted.

At the MONARCH school (which I really hope is a school for children of MONARCH employees, or at least a school funded by MONARCH, and not an indoctrination school), we see that Jia is a student at the school, and Maddie is there as well (I don't know what year this movie takes place in, but it takes place sometime after GvK in 2024. Timeline-wise, Maddie was 17 in 2024, and probably a junior/senior in high school, so depending on how long it's been since GvK, she could be a teaching assistant of some kind, or a senior in high school) and friends of each other. They both have visions as the Hollow Earth signal is received; Jia has flashbacks of her past on Skull Island and of her time in Hollow Earth, and Maddie has flashbacks of her encounter with Mothra, Godzilla, as well as when she faced Ghidorah and MechaGodzilla. Both of them also have the same quick flashing vision of the future events of the movie.

When Ilene comes to check on Jia after the incident of her drawing on the desk, Maddie is there, and there's a new scene where all three of them talk about what is going on. Maddie says that MONARCH is too rigid in their thinking, and mentions that there's someone who could help them.

In Miami, Maddie and Ilene meet up with Bernie, and Maddie is integral in helping Ilene convince Bernie to help.

During Trapper's introduction scene where he gives Kong his new tooth, we also have Nathan Lind and Mark Russell show up to witness the event. They are both there to say goodbye to the Hollow Earth transport team, and Maddie joins Trapper, Ilene, Jia, Bernie, and a MONARCH military member (instead of the asshole Mikael, it would be one of the G-Team members from Godzilla KOTM to add more emphasis on their death; either Jackson Barnes or Anthony Martinez would probably be the most recognizable ones)

Instead of Godzilla going to France's nuclear power plant and destroying the place to absorb the radiation, and therefore attacking the humans who attacked him (which kind of went against the whole "the Titans are the guardians of nature" thing and the previous characterizations of Godzilla in the Monsterverse), he goes to some abandoned nuclear site. I would say Chernobyl, but I doubt they'd put that in the movie due to Russia's Invasion right now. But just some abandoned nuclear plant somewhere would work.

Inside Hollow Earth, there are issues with the HEAV due to the signal disrupting the systems, but they are quickly able to figure out the best way to traverse the land; when Jia and Maddie sense the pulse, the HEAV lands until it is over, and then repeat. On their first landing, the G-Team member dies. After they find the Mothra temple, it is Maddie who approaches the glowing dragonfly and presses the button on the wall, allowing them to find the Iwi civilization.

In the scene where we first see Shimo, there is more emphasis and origin on the crystal that Skar King uses to control her; perhaps the crystal is a part of Shimo's ice crystals that we see on her back, and has strange properties due to the Hollow Earth's radiation? We also give Shimo more of a personality. When she first appears, Shimo would be curious about Kong, but flinch at sharp movements from anyone. And then when she is forced to attack, it'd be obvious that she doesn't want to, but Skar King forces her to with the crystal.

I want Shimo to have more characterization in the movie. I've seen people complain that she was just... kinda there. Like, her whole purpose was to keep Skar King from getting bullied too badly. So, by really showing that Shimo is being forced into this and that her natural state is curiosity and warmth (as opposed to her icy nature ;D ), it provides more depth to her character, making the viewers want to see her freed.

When Godzilla arrives at Tiamat's lair, they fight again, but instead of killing Tiamat, Godzilla is able to force Tiamat out like he did in Godzilla: Dominion. Again, too much unnecessary (although insanely badass) murder for a "guardian of nature". He goes into the hibernation to evolve himself.

In the Iwi civilization, we get a more scientific look at the Iwi culture. I don't understand the gravity thing the movie tried to go for, so instead I want to focus on the cultural aspect; they are similar in most aspects to what was seen in Kong: Skull Island, but there are clear differences in dress, the markings they wear, and their ceremonies. This would also be where we go into more detail about how essential Mothra is to this group of Iwi people, instead of her being shoehorned in when all we've seen previously was the Iwi and Kong's species. We see Jia figuring this out and clearly being happy at this. I would also go into them using crystals more, like how we saw with the guard's spears, instead of the gravity-based science. These crystals would be seen to have a mystic quality, explained by Mothra's radiation, perhaps.

When Kong arrives at the Iwi civilization with Suko, that's when Trapper leaves to go back to the Outpost to retrieve the gauntlet for Kong, THEN we go into seeing the lore behind Skar King and Shimo at the temple. This provides a better sense of time between Kong's arrival and his getting the gauntlet since it honestly felt way too fast.

Inside the crystal temple itself, we see the history of the war between Skar King and his ape versus Godzilla and Mothra. I'd love to have Shimo seen more as a threat, with them explicitly saying and having a longer conversation that Shimo was the one who started the last Ice Age, and that before she was captured by Skar King, she had frozen Ghidorah in Antarctica. There is perhaps slightly more exposition here, with the prophecy including not only the "Iwi from Skull Island", but "a girl touched by Mothra".

In this scene, I want to explore Maddie's connection to Mothra. In the Godzilla: King of the Monsters Official Novelization, it is implied that there is some connection between Mothra and Maddie after the scene in the Temple of the Moth. It is hinted at when Maddie has a vision of Mothra while she is unconscious during the Boston battle. I would love to explore that more, and there'd be a deeper explanation in the Official Novelization, something with Mothra bonding with Maddie since there weren't any twin priestesses like there usually is, perhaps.

This is when Trapper returns and gives Kong the gauntlet, and when Jia sends the latter up to bring Godzilla down to help.

Maddie and Jia both go up the crystal temple to the top, where they find that Mothra has a cocoon up there; Maddie realizes that this is what Mothra must have been doing before she arrived in Boston to help Godzilla (I remember reading somewhere that the director said that Mothra was likely off laying an egg during her absence between showing MONARCH where to find Godzilla and her arrival in Boston. This would work really well in my opinion, and a lot better than her materializing out of magic crystal dust.

When Kong arrives on the surface to summon Godzilla, they still fight a bit. However, it becomes clear early on that Godzilla really isn't into the fight; he has obviously been sensing the signal the whole time, so he knows that something is happening with Skar King and Shimo. With previous movies (and especially MONARCH: Legacy of Monsters) trying to convey Godzilla's intelligence, it isn't a far stretch to suggest that Godzilla would figure out that Kong is trying to get his help. Still, the fight goes on for long enough that Mothra arrives to keep them from beating each other up too much. We see Jia and Maddie reach out to Kong and Godzilla respectively.

When Skar King arrives at the Iwi civilization, the Iwi tribe uses their knowledge of the region's radioactive properties (again, nothing gravity-based science-wise because that was all confusing and likely very bad science) to try and send energy through the crystals, messing with the portals from Hollow Earth.

There is no more anti-gravity fight scene. Although I enjoyed it a lot (seeing Godzilla swim through the air and the apes use the rocks to climb around were honestly so cool), it doesn't fit with the "improved" science I am attempting to do. Another ground fight, but they go around the tunnel so they're all still fighting on different planes.

Due to the close proximity to the surface, Ilene is able to warn MONARCH, and they work with the United Nations to evacuate Rio de Janeiro, since there is a tunnel appearing there. This brings us back to the beginning, where I wanted to do away with the "be grateful for Godzilla even though he destroys thousands of people's lives every time he's on the news" thing at the start.

When Skar King and Shimo arrive in Rio de Janeiro, since Kong, Godzilla, and Mothra are unable to stop them due to the immense amount of apes in Skar King's army, there is a lot of destruction. We see Skar King force Shimo into starting another Ice Age, though again, we see that she really doesn't want to do what he says. She starts freezing the city, and the MONARCH evacuation teams there panic as they get closer to their position, before Godzilla, Kong, Jia, Maddie, Trapper, and Bernie (the humans are in the HEAV, with a brief exposition that Mothra was staying back to stop all of Skar King's apes from destroying the Iwi civilization).

This fight is pretty much the same, but the civilians are barely present, and we only see them evacuating a few people away in the HEAV. The final battle still focuses mainly on the Titans, with a heavy amount of emphasis on the crystal from Skar King's whip. I'd keep the absolute bullying that Skar King got the same, but the explanation for this is that Skar King is much older now, and his opponents over-leveled themselves expecting him in his prime.

Mothra arrives from the tunnel, and this is what distracts Skar King long enough for Suko to use Kong's axe to break the crystal that controls Shimo. Once this happens, we see that Shimo can feel it, and she immediately stops attacking Godzilla and looks around in curiosity and amazement. She flinches when Skar King is trying to order her around while he is being bullied by Kong, but with a trill from Mothra and a growl from Godzilla, she joins in bullying her tormentor.

After the fight, there is more of a delay before the ending; we see Bernie on the news talking about his podcast, achieving his movie-long wish to be believed; we see Maddie saying goodbye to Mothra as she leaves and Maddie reunites with her dad and also Josh from GvK; Jia stays with Ilene, but she has a newfound connection to the Iwi sister tribe in the Hollow Earth; Mothra flies across the ocean while Godzilla swims below her to emphasize the symbiotic relationship, and they both take a nap in the coliseum (Godzilla is considerably more careful as he steps through the city this time); Kong returns to the Hollow Earth with Suko and Shimo, and he leads the apes out of their imprisoned area and to the main area of Hollow Earth, where his kingdom is.

For an end credits scene, it'd be Ilene and Jia in the Iwi civilization, where they get permission from the priest lady to see a special part of the temple, where it reveals prophecy-art of Kong, Mothra, and Godzilla fighting against their next enemy.

Obviously, without anything known about future projects, we don't have any end credits scene for this movie. If there is another movie (I thought I saw somewhere that Adam Wingard wanted to direct a trilogy of Monsterverse movies, which means another GxK installment could be in the future, perhaps?), I don't think they'd do what many people want and bring back a Toho villain. Based on the trend of what they've done in the series so far, the next installment would include an original villain with some connection to both of them. So I'll list out some options of what I'd like to see, of both Toho villains and original villains:

Toho: Hedorah, Biollante, Destoroyah, and my personal choice; Battra.

Original: Methuselah, Leviathan, another threat from space (not SpaceGodzilla, since that'd be difficult to work out in this series I think, but maybe something along the lines of Ghidorah's family, since I think they were briefly mentioned in the King of the Monsters Official Novelization), or another threat that goes against Hollow Earth and the surface. Maybe a giant worm-like creature or burrowing Titan could be a good idea, since it'd be able to go back and forth between the two worlds. It'd provide a nice background for how the portals are made.

So, there it is! I hope you guys enjoyed it and like my ideas for how Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire could have been improved. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[solar-sunnyside-up]

Little libraries -

Free little Libraries are a great passive mutual aid project. Originally inspired by DIY projects they are easy to build, are generally low maintenance once established, creative and fun artworks within themselves, and its a great way to introduce a gift economy into your neighborhood!

History-

2009- Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one room schoolhouse. It was a tribute to his mother; she was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it, so he built several more and gave them away.

UW-Madison’s Rick Brooks saw Bol’s do-it-yourself project while they were discussing potential mutual aid projects. They were inspired by community gift-sharing networks, “take a book, leave a book” collections in coffee shops and public spaces, and most especially by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

2010 the name Little Free Library was established and the purpose of these Little Free Library book exchanges became clear: to share good books and bring communities together.As Bol and Brooks continued to give away Little Free Libraries with wooden charter signs, engraved with official charter numbers, curiosity and demand for more Libraries grew. The acceleration centered on the enthusiasm of early adopters and stewards, who were crucial advocates. Some small grants and informal partnerships began to have an impact on Little Free Library’s ability to keep up with demand.

2011 brought national media attention, and by the end of the year there were nearly 400 Little Free Libraries in existence. That number would skyrocket to over 4,000 Libraries within a year. 

2012  Little Free Library became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the states!

Little Free Libraries have continued to grow by leaps and bounds every year. In 2022 we surpassed 150,000 registered Libraries in more than 120 countries worldwide. Even establishing an online map and app to help people locate the libraries!

How do I do this?

The little library website hosts a bunch of plans and blueprints to make a library or get ideas for locations. Even having ready to order kits if you want!

You will need either land or public approval to establish one however, this can be by the city, neighbours, or other public spaces but they are technically put on private land. You wont find anyone ho would object to their installation but I would not recommend just installing one unless your okay with it being taken down.

Pick a location that has a lot of foot traffic and be highly visible to anyone nearby and is accessible as possible.

Register your library! You can get an official charter sign by doing this step!!

Fill it up with books!!

[cherrytreegrove]

The Mistress of Silk

Ik most people won’t read this because it’s Oc related but I hope you guys enjoy! I put a lot of time into it!

OC’s used: @nyx-of-night (Soleil) @raguiras (Allen) @galacticstationsblog (Via) @amatsuchan-eiliniel (Hopper) @heyhellohihowareyou (Mateo and Kaegen)

“Fucking damnit.” Ivy groaned, laying on her bed. She was exhausted, absolutely exhausted. For a week straight, she had been mission after mission, they ranged from info errands to high stakes kills. She could feel her sore hips burn.

“Don’t forget you have a meeting with Luka today at 6 and a gala to attend tomorrow at 2 that lasts until 10.” One of her Homunculi said, bringing a warm wet towel.

“Ughhh…”

“Don’t complain, Mistress. You sound like a child.”

*Blop*

“You okay baby?” Ruggie asked, holding Ivy’s hand. Both of them were walking into NRC.

“I’m fine, just tired as shit.” Ivy explained. At the moment their relationship was one of give and take, they both deeply loved each other but were too afraid to say it.

“You sure? Your uniform is pretty messy, I’m surprised Vil let you leave the dorm!” Ruggie chuckled, fixing her shirt, and tie. Ivy smiled as she watched him, his cute little face clearly focused on helping her.

“That hyena’s fucking lucky.”

“Yeah, he gets to fuck that hot ass”

“I’m sure when she gets bored of him, she’ll leave him!”

“Whores like her never stick to one guy!”

Ivy’s eyes didn’t move from Ruggie, even though she could hear the students whispering about her. She didn’t blame them, they had every right to call her that..

*Blop Blop*

Ivy walked around the Inferno Mafia Mansion, doing reports to Luka was never her favorite job but it had to be done. As she walked into his office, she instead found her mother.

“Mom. What are you doing here?” She asked. Her mother looked over at her, her cold blue eyes decorated with eyeshadow and eyeliner.

“I don’t know if you know this, Ivory, but I work here too.”

“Hardly as anything important.”

“I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you. We’re not different. I may be one of the prostitutes, but you’re the one with the official title of the Mafia’s Whore.”

“…”

“Oh, and Alexander wants the file on the Jabberwocky project.”

“Why didn’t he come tell me in person?”

“You know he couldn’t care less about you. You should be grateful I even speak to you. You’re nothing more than a burden to us.”

“...mom…”

Ivy tried to step closer to Madison, only to be met with a harsh slap to her face.

“And quit calling me that! I am NOT your mother and I never will be!” Madison yelled, “You’re nothing but a fucking whore! A worthless pig! A monster! You’re worth nothing!”

*Blop Blop Blop*

“That’s enough, Madison!” Luka called out. He stood by the door, Elle and Jewel standing beside him. “Your job was to bring me the reports on new projects. NOT to harass Ivy.”

Madison scoffed, storming out of the room, shoving past Elle. Elle blew a raspberry at her, while Jewel gave her the stink eye.

“Are you alright, Ivy?” Luka asked, walking over to her and cupping her cheek, gently rubbing the slap. Ivy nodded. “Girls, take Ivy back to her room.”

“But the project-”

“We can work on it later, your asshole of a mother ruined my mood.”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Elle and Jewel took Ivy back to her room, helping her get ready for bed.

“You okay, Ivy?” Jewel asked, brushing Ivy’s hair out of her face.

“Yes. I’m fine, seriously you guys.” Ivy sighed, handing Jewel the ribbon to tie her hair back.

“Can I ask something? What’s your relationship with Ruggie like?” Elle questioned, filing down her nails.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, like why are you with him? You two play it off as dating but I know how you are with real relationships.” Elle pointed at Ivy with the nail file.

“Look, it's just a simple case of a sugar baby and sugar mommy. He’s using me for my money and I just want a cute pet. That’s that.“ Ivy said, playfully slapping the nail file away.

“Even so, I want that relationship to end. Now.”

The girls looked over and saw Luka entering the room, a not so happy look on his face.

“What? Luka, what are you talking about?” Ivy stood up, walking over to her older brother.

“I don’t want you playing around with some dirty beastmen. That boy should not be in your life one way or another.” He spoke in a harsh tone, Luka had never questioned Ivy’s actions before, even if he didn’t like her flirting around.

“Luka, it’s a mutual agreement! I don’t see why you should care, it’s not like we’re actually dating!”

“But you want that! You want to date him and that’s why I don't want you engaging with him!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Yes I do, Ivy! You may not realize it but you are in love with that boy and you’re using this as an excuse to be around him! It’s not healthy for either of you! It has to stop now!”

“NO! This is the only way!”

“Ivy! You’re only going to hurt yourself! He doesn’t love you!”

“I KNOW! SHUT UP!” Ivy snapped, her fists clenching, nails digging into her palms, “I KNOW I CAN’T HAVE HIM!! BUT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN EVER BE CLOSE TO HIM!”

Everyone went quiet, while Jewel and Elle had sad, empathetic looks on their faces, Luka’s was a mix of empathy and an empty gaze. At the silence, Ivy started to storm out of the room.

“Where are you going?!” Luka yelled out.

“I’m staying at NRC! Where I won’t be hassled!” She yelled back, slamming her room door.

*Blop, Blop, Blop*

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Luka released the breath he had been holding in, slumping into a chair.

“Luka…don’t you think you could’ve been easier on her?” Elle said, sitting on Ivy’s bed.

“I agree, you were very harsh on her..” Jewel added.

“I know..I just…she’s gonna get hurt if she continues this! That boy is going to fall in love and leave her in the cold, and then what? She goes back to being an emotionless doll?!”

“She has us! We could always help her re-learn emotions!” Elle suggested, she knew about Ivy’s struggle to learn emotions.

“It took Ivy fifteen years to even feel any shred of happiness! I can’t stand by and watch her regress to that again…”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Ivy slipped quietly into Pomifiore’s common room, closing the window and quietly making her way up the stairs, until she heard someone speak.

“Bonjour Madame Veuve Noire!” Rook smiled from the top of the stairs, causing Ivy to nearly fall backwards.

“SEVENS- WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!!” Ivy whisper-yelled, putting her hand on her heart. How the hell did she not know he was there?

“I was awaiting your return to our lovely dorm!” He simply smiled. Sevens, she hated that smile.

“How the fuck did you know I was gone?”

“I noticed you tend to leave often around midnight, you know beauty sleep is important, Madame!” He then grabbed her arms and threw her over his shoulder, “Now off to bed!”

“PUT ME DOWN! I CAN WALK!” Ivy again whisper yelled, not wanting to wake up the dorm, she kicked and smacked Rook but he wasn’t letting go. He only put her down once they were outside her and Soleil’s shared room.

“Have a wonderful sleep, Madame Veuve Noire!” He chirps as he walks away. Words could not describe how uneasy she left around him. Despite that, Ivy slipped into her room, looking over at a gracefully sleeping Soleil, hands folded perfectly on her stomach.

She sighed and slipped into bed, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

“This better be good, or else you’re dead meat.” A man in a black suit warned, glaring daggers at the blonde woman in front of him.

“I think this information will be of use to you. The assassin you’re after, The Black Widow, has a weakness~”

“And that is?”

“This boy. Ruggie Bucchi, hyena beastman from the slums who attends Night Raven College. She’s sickly in love with him. Use him as bait and she’s sure to come running.” She places photos of him on the man’s desk.

“And why are you helping us? Why should I believe one of my enemy’s prostitutes?!” The man questioned.

“Because I hate that cunt more than anyone else in the world, I brought her into this world, and I want her out of it.” Madison scoffed, glaring at the picture of Ivy and Ruggie on a bench together. The man chuckled darkly, picking up his knife and stabbing it into the picture of Ivy.

“Consider it done~”

“Come onnnn! Come with meee!!” Ruggie whined, tugging on Ivy’s cardigan. He had been tasked with buying groceries, but instead of wanting the usual stuff from Sam’s shop, Leona wanted food from off campus. With Ivy’s help they were able to get him a pass to leave but he wanted Ivy to come with him.

“I can’t, I’m busy with things. I’m sorry honey, just take Jack with you!” She apologized, leaning her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around him.

“NOoOoOo, I wanna spend time with you!” Ruggie groaned, snatching her up by her waist and nuzzling his face into her neck. Ivy giggled, placing a sweet kiss on his lips.

“It shouldn’t take you that long. The faster you go, the faster you can get back to me~” She purred against his lips, finding the floor again and slipping out of his arms. “Now hurry up and go before it gets dark!”

Ruggie sighed dreamily, grabbing his wallet and walking out of his dorm.

Ruggie had finished picking up the food he needed, but was struggling to find his way back. It was like the world had turned upside down, one minute he was in a crowded market area and the next he’s in an empty street. He knew well enough to keep his guard up but what could a little hyena do against a trained kidnapper…

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

It had been two hours since Ruggie had gone out.

“Why is he taking so long?!” Ivy questioned, pacing around Savannaclaw.

“I don’t know, but would you quit that! Your stupid heels are making too much noise.” Leona groaned, turning to glare at Ivy.

“Well excuse me for worrying about my boyfriend!” She said sassily. She checked her phone again, to her misfortune, he hasn’t texted her.

“He’s probably just stuck in traffic or something..” The Lion said, rolling onto his back.

“No, it’s not busy, besides he would have texted me! Something’s wrong…” Just as she said it Elle bursted into Savannaclaw.

“Ivy! I need to talk with you! Now!”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Ruggie was tied to a pole, a rag wrapped around his mouth to keep him quiet. Tears ran down his face, small bruises, dried blood, and dirt stained his face and clothes. The sight was Ivy’s worst nightmare. A man walked into the frame, his long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, eyes covered by a black mask. He was dressed in a dark suit, it was clear he wasn’t the one torturing Ruggie.

“Hello Ms.Jackson. We did warn you that you’d be making an enemy out of the wrong person. We’ve taken your little puppy, and if you want to see him ever again, you’d comply with the instructions we’ve attached to this video. Your pet depends on you~” And with that, the video ended.

Ivy was livid, she was enraged, she was scared, she was anxious, she could feel every emotion that was not positive. This was the most emotion Ivy had ever felt in her whole life, even when she freed herself, she didn’t feel much.

“What are you going to do?” Elle asked, seeing the look on Ivy’s face worried her.

“I’m gonna fucking kill them.” Ivy answered, starting to grab her equipment.

“What?! But you’ll be killed! They’ll have every measure ready for you! You can’t use your skills to get out of this, Ivy!” Ivy ignored her, moving past her.

“Even if that happens, Ruggie has no part in this! My one goal is to get him out of there, even if I have to die in the process!” She said, storming out of the room.

“…Ivy…”

“In just a few minutes my stress levels will finally go back to normal~” The blonde man smiled, fiddling with the scalpel between his fingers. Ruggie squirmed against the rag, trying to get the rag off. “Ah, my apologies! Let’s see what you have to say!” The man pulls the rag down. Ruggie gasped and coughed.

“What the fuck is your problem! Why are you doing this?!” He coughed out. The man’s smile dropped.

“How typical, you pets and your naïveté,” he groans, “your mistress is a shitty person, especially to me and my group, so we’re getting rid of her!”

“You’re wrong!! Ivy’s not a shitty person, she’s kind, and smart, and she would never hurt anyone!”

“Oh really? Tell that to the millions of people your precious princess has been hired to kill, or has she not told you yet?~”

“…what are you talking about?”

“The infamous assassin no one has been able to catch, some know her as The Mistress of the Dark, the Princess of the night, The Black Widow, The devil’s daughter, or Ivy Jackson.” The man smirks, pulling out pictures of Ivy during her work, pictures of her with men, with executives, covered in blood, around corpses, and with weapons, “She’s earned herself quite the reputation, how sad she didn’t trust you with this information~”

“…n-no…no you’re wrong…You’re wrong!!”

“Am I? Is this not what you expected from your ‘girlfriend’, how sad~” He laughs, dropping the pictures on the ground. “Oh, I do hope you’ll forgive me! This is nothing personal against you, you just happen to be her toy at the moment, and we had to drug you too, so sorry! That drug was just to make sure you couldn’t escape using your Unique Magic!”

“…toy?”

“Well yes, did you really believe you two were actually dating!” The man laughed, “that girl is incapable of any kind of emotion. She’s had many pets before you, she just wants something to play with then she gets bored of you and throws you out like a discarded toy~”

“…no…no, this can’t be true…”

“Poor baby~ let me tell you more about her~”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Ivy snuck through their entrance easily, though it had been covered head to toe with security. Having to take out a few of the guards on the inside was slightly tougher but nothing she hadn’t been through. Finally getting to the room Ruggie was being held in, Ivy wasted no time in kicking down the door and aiming her gun straight at the blonde man, Ruggie still tied to the pole but with tear stains running down his face.

“Ah! Ms.Jackson! How lovely to see you!-”

“Cut the bullshit. Let him go. And no one gets hurt!”

“Mmhm! You see the only problem with that is…you’re already dead~” the man smirked, quickly dropping a smoke bomb on the ground, the smoke blinded Ivy for a moment before she started quickly moving around the room.

She couldn’t risk shooting blindly, not knowing where Ruggie was. Suddenly she was harshly kicked to the ground, she heard Ruggie gasp. The man dug his heels into the back of her neck, laughing as he did so. Ivy slid the knife out of her thigh holster, stabbing it into her ankle. The man hissed and backed away, Ivy quickly scampered up and retrieved her gun, shooting at his stomach, chest and legs.

Once the man doubled over in pain, screaming and bleeding, Ivy ran to free Ruggie, cutting the ropes and picking him up. She quickly ran out of the building, making it back to the helicopter. Ruggie tried to catch his breath, struggling to process what he had just witnessed. Ivy held him close to her as they took off, messaging his ears and his upper back.

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re safe now my darling. I’ve got you, you’re safe. I promise!” She repeated, tears forming in her eyes. Her words caused Ruggie to relax and fall asleep.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Ruggie woke up to a stinging feeling on his cheek, she whined and slowly opened his eyes. When he opened them he saw Ivy, now in regular clothes, holding a cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol.

“Hey…you’re awake! Sorry if I woke you up, I just wanted to take care of your cuts as soon as I could!” She weakly smiled, continuing to clean his cut.

Ruggie whined a little at the stinging but kept still, he was laying on a soft king sized bed, the blankets were soft and warm, silky and expensive. He looked around and immediately recognized Ivy’s guest room.

“…Ruggie…I’m so sorry…” Ivy started, putting away the cotton ball and gently placing a bandage on his cut, “I-I don’t know why that man would do that…I can’t believe-”

“Is it true?” Ruggie interrupted her, not meeting Ivy’s gaze.

“W-What? Is what true?”

“…that you’re a killer?…” Ivy froze. Her body went cold.

“What are you talking about? O-Of course I’m not! Where would you get an idea like that?!”

“That guy told me, he showed me pictures of you! You were there! You kill him! You killed other people!” Ruggie’s voice started to rise. Ivy flinched, struggling to find a way out of this situation. Normally she would have no problem lying to someone but this was the boy she loved, she couldn’t do that to him.

“Ruggie please, just listen-”

“Listen to what?! More of your lies?!”

“No! Ruggie-”

“Was I just a pet to you?! Were you going to get rid of me when you got bored of me?!” He got up from the bed, stumbling over to the door.

“Of course not! Ruggie please you have to listen-”

“Did you listen to your victims?! Did you have to listen to them beg?!”

“Ruggie! They were all terrible people-”

“LIKE YOU?!”

“…r-ruggie..”

“YOU KILL PEOPLE! YOU TOOK INNOCENT LIVES! YOU’RE IN THE MAFIA! HOW CAN I EVER TRUST YOU?!!”

“Please Ruggie! You don’t understand!!”

“NO! I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY FINE!! YOU’RE A COLD BLOODED KILLED! A MURDER! A MONSTER!”

Ivy stopped following him, her legs became weak, tears that she had been fighting back started to well up.

“STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN, YOU MONSTER!” And with that, Ruggie slammed the door shut and left Ivy’s penthouse. Ivy ordered her Homunculi to give him a ride back to NRC.

*Blop. Blop. Blop*

“Ivy? What are you doing over here?” Elle asked, walking into the botanical garden of NRC. Ivy had wandered over there to distract herself, failing to realize that her thoughts just got worse and worse. Ivy was just standing in the middle of the garden.

“…he called me a monster…” Ivy mumbled, hands scratching at her arms.

“What? Ivy, tell me what happened!” Elle said, running in front of Ivy to hold her. Jewel slowly walked into the garden as well, staying out of sight.

“..I’m a monster…hehe…that’s right, I’ve always been a monster.” Ivy began to laugh.

“N-No! Hey! What are you talking about?!” Elle desperately tried to get closer to Ivy, only to have her use her Unique Magic on her.

“GET AWAY FROM ME! I’m a cold blooded killer…I’m a monster! I’M A MONSTER!!” Ivy yelled, blot running down her eyes. Elle and Jewel’s eyes widened as the blot took over Ivy.

*BLOP*

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

“Are you alright, Ruggie?” Soleil asked, approaching the hyena, who was sitting in the hall of mirrors.

“Ah! Oh..hey Soleil…I’m just…I got into a fight with Ivy…” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What was it about? You two hardly ever fight.” She asks, elegantly sitting down beside him.

“…well..it was about…her job..”

“Ah, did she finally tell you?”

“Wait, you knew?!”

“Yes, I have known for quite a while now.”

“B-But you two are still friends?”

“Yes, why would we not be?”

“It’s just…you know…because she…she’s-”

“An assassin? That did not change my perception of her.”

“Why?! She hurts people! She’s killed people!”

“Ruggie. Ivy was born into that situation. She had no choice but to do what she was told. You steal and pick-pocket to survive, do you not? It is the same with Ivy. She grew up in a harsh environment with no way out.”

“Y-Yeah…but…”

“Has she told you about Lev?”

“Who?”

“SOLEIL!! RUGGIE!!” Jewel yelled, quickly running to them. They both looked over at her, she was panting, trying to catch her breath.

“What’s wrong, Jewel?” Ruggie asked, both of them walking over to her.

“IT'S IVY! SHE OVERBLOTTED!”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Soleil, Ruggie and Jewel rushed into the botanical garden, where Ivy’s Overblot form stood. Her hair was now entirely black, down to her ankles, and a black veil was draped on top of her head, her torso and chest were decorated in a black, almost red, top that looked like a gown, she wore various jewels, her fingertips were covered in blot. The bottom of the ‘gown’ was millions of black strings and Ivy’s human legs had turned into three pairs of black, inky spider legs. Half of her face was hidden behind a broken happy mask. Behind her was her phantom, a giant spider with a cracked vial of blot for a head.

(Art by @kiyomizuki , TYSM!!)

Around her were balls of black webs, the three of them could see a few of their friends wrapped up in them, Elle, Allen, Hopper, Riddle, Epel, and a few more. Leona, Rook, Deuce, Trey, Cater, Ace, Jack, and more students were scattered around, trying to fight Ivy.

“WHAT HAPPENED?!” Ruggie yelled out to Leona, who was trying to free Epel from the webs.

“YOUR GIRLFRIEND OVERBLOTTED! NOW HURRY UP AND SNAP HER OUT OF IT!” Leona barked back, struggling to rip the webs. Soleil rushed to help Rook free other students, while Jewel went to help people escape.

“IVY!! THAT’S ENOUGH!” Ruggie yelled, catching Ivy’s attention. She went silent, almost stopping everything she was doing, “YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR!” Ruggie continued. Ivy started maniacally laughing.

“Ohohohooo! What’s this?~ You don’t like me like this?” She laughed, her voice distorted, she used her webs to pick him up. “Why do you look so surprised? After all, I’m just a monster!”

“T-THAT’S NOT TRUE! IVY! LISTEN TO ME!”

“HAHAHAAA!! USING MY OWN WORDS AGAINST ME?! I DON’T THINK SO!” She cackled. Using the She’s that held him, she lifted him high into the air and slammed him to the ground. He could hear people calling out his name but he could only concentrate on the pain.

Ivy laughed more and stabbed one of her sharp legs into his stomach, not enough to go through but just enough to make him bleed out a lot. “I’m the monster you wanted so badly~ your welcome HAHAHAA!”

Ruggie’s vision went black.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

After a lot of fighting, Ivy had finally snapped out of her craze. She woke up to Elle and Jewel hugging her tightly.

“Oh thank sevens! You’re okay!!” They cried, burying their faces into Ivy’s shoulders. Ivy winced a little but let out a weak laugh.

“Hey you two, calm down..” Ivy looked around, seeing everything she’d done, “...I-I’m so sorry…I..I don’t know what to say…wait, where’s Ruggie?!” Everyone looked away, some pointed at Rook and Soleil who were currently trying to stop Ruggie from bleeding out.

Ivy’s breath caught in her throat, she rushed over to him. Once she got to him, Rook and Soleil moved away to give her space. Ruggie’s eyes were dull, but not lifeless, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth and staining his shirt. Ivy let out a choked scream, fat tears starting to run down her face.

“NO!! RUGGIE PLEASE!! PLEASE STAY WITH ME!! I’M SO SORRY!! PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN! P-PLEASE DON’T L..LEAVE ME!! DON’T LEAVE ME PLEASE!! I’M SO SORRY!! I’M SO SORRY!!”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

“He’ll be okay, his wound isn’t deep enough to kill him.” Via said, wrapping one final bandage on Ruggie’s stomach. She had been informed of the situation and was quick to heal Ruggie with her Unique Magic.

Ivy sat in one of the chairs next to the bed, quietly.

“…Ivy…do you wanna talk about it?” Ivy shook her head, “…okay, umm, I’ll give you two some time alone..” Via walked out of the nurse’s office, probably going to tell the others of Ruggie’s condition. Ivy turned to look at the unconscious Ruggie, tears started to fall from her eyes again. She let herself lay her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“…h-how could I do this to you…I-I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!” She wept, trying to be as quiet as she could. She looked at him, cupping his cheek and placing one last kiss on his forehead. “I’m so sorry…but…you won’t have to suffer anymore..”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Everyone was relieved when they came into the nurse’s office and saw Ruggie awake. They hugged him and shared slightly teasing comments.

“Glad to see you’re awake, ya little runt!” Leona smirked, ruffling his dirty blonde hair.

“Haha, yeah, good to see ya too.” Ruggie replied, hugging Mateo and Kaegen with each arm, both of them refusing to let go. “How’re you guys holding up?” Ruggie asked, looking over at a few of his friends that had been in the cocoons of webs.

“Oh please, your condition is so much worse than ours!” Allen said, he was sat on one of the chairs with Deuce sitting next to him, running his hands on his bandages.

“Seriously, ya got some nerve asking us that when you’re the one with a hole in your stomach!” Epel playful yelled, getting a smack upside the head from Vil, and a scolding later.

“Where’s Ivy?” Ruggie asked, noticing that she was missing.

“She was the first one in here. When we came in, she wasn’t here..” Deuce said, holding Allen’s hand.

“C-Can someone go find her? I wanna talk to her!” Everyone slowly and hesitantly nodded, sending a few people to go look for her.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S GONE?!” Ruggie raised his voice at Elle and Jewel, he didn’t want to be rude but everyone had looked everywhere and no one could find Ivy, her room was left the same, nothing out of place. It was only when Elle and Jewel were questioned on Ivy’s whereabouts that they told everyone that Ivy had run away from NRC.

“…Ivy has decided to never come back to NRC, she’s cutting off contact with everyone…even us…” Elle said, squeezing Jewel’s hand to comfort her. Everyone was shocked and worried.

“Please! You have to tell her to come back!” Ruggie begged again, trying to get out of the bed but was held down by Leona and Rook. “PLEASE! PLEASE!! I NEED TO SEE HER AGAIN!!”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Luka watched as his sister looked out the window, her cheeks stained with tears, her eyes were decorated in eyebags.

“…Ivy…I’m sorry…” Luka sighed sadly.

“..no…you were right…I should have ended it a long time ago…” Ivy said, letting even more tears fall from her eyes, “Maybe then…this wouldn’t have hurt so much…”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

It had been a year since Ivy left, most things had gone back to normal, a new school year started. Soleil was now the Housewarden of Pomfiore, she led that dorm with grace and elegance as Vil did, but her vice housewarden had not yet been chosen. Ruggie had also taken the Housewarden role once Leona finally graduated.

The name Ivy became a sore topic, not just around Pomifiore, but the whole school. Freshman would be hushed if they questioned it around specific students. Many students who would give Ivy a bad name would find themselves on the chopping block, especially if Savannaclaw and Pomifore’s Housewardens heard it first.

Many students had dealt with the pain of Ivy’s disappearance, Ruggie and Soleil especially. Ruggie hadn’t stopped looking for Ivy, it was only when Elle started crying with him that he reluctantly stopped searching. Soleil had respected Ivy’s decision but could no longer bear the pain of the stress alone, no one’s wounds had been healed, they were only hiding them. As a last attempt, she sent Rook a letter.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Ivy had been living in a secured home on the other side of Twisted Wonderland, far away from any connections. She had her homunculi do almost everything around the home while she basically wasted away. Her hair became long and matted and her eyes became dull.

While she laid in bed, snuggled under at least five blankets, she thought about everything: about her relationship with Ruggie, her sisters’, her parents, her job, her life, her feelings, her-

“Bonjour Madame Veuve Noire!” And suddenly she was yanked from her blankets and thrown over a shoulder, connected to a very blonde bob.

“WHAT THE FUCK?! ROOK?! PUT ME DOWN!!” She yelled, kicking and hitting him. He simply ignored her and started prancing out of her room. Many of the homunculi got ready to attack but Ivy’s stopped them.

“DO NOT ATTACK HIM!! lay your weapons down!” She warned them, continuing to kick and scream for him to free her.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

They had gotten pretty far into the woods, Rook decided they had walked enough for the day, and as the sun was setting, they’d need to sleep. He placed Ivy down on a stump, reaching for an apple from one of the nearby trees.

“Eat up, Lierre, we must have strength for the journey back to NRC!” He smiled, taking a bite from another apple he plucked. Ivy glared at him but complied.

“Why did you come?” She asked, voice slightly muffled by the apple, “After a year, NOW you decide to come find me?! How did you even find me?! You know what, I don't wanna know that last one, It’ll just piss me off more.” She groaned, taking another bite.

“My darling told me to! She’s been very worried about you, did you know? She’s never stopped looking for you since that day.” Rook said, sitting down on another stump.

“…I shouldn’t be going back…I don’t belong there, Rook..” Ivy frowned while looking at the setting sun.

“If that is true then why didn’t you stop me.” It wasn’t so much a question as it was a statement.

“What?”

“You could have easily used your Unique Magic against me, or had your homunculi attack me, or used the weapons you hide on yourself at all times, but you did not.”

“T-That’s because you caught me off guard! I-I wasn’t expecting you to come and kidnap me!!” Ivy yelled, slapping him on the arm.

“What is truly plaguing your mind, Madame?” Rook asked, the harsh slap not even fazing him.

“…I-It’s Ruggie…I hurt him…I almost killed him! No matter what I do, I always end up hurting him! Every decision I’ve ever made has caused him pain!…he hates me now…” Ivy fought back the tears bubbling up in her eyes.

“Ivy. I have watched Monsieur Dandelion weep for your return the moment you left, he has never stopped searching for you, he aches for you to return to him.”

Rook explained, “And I know you ache for him as well.”

“I do…but no matter what I do…I always hurt him…”

“I know something you could do that would not hurt him.”

“What’s that?”

“Go back to him.” Rook said, wiping a tear away from her face. “Everyone, not just Monsieur Dandelion, is waiting for you. Won’t you come home to them?”

“…yeah…I will” Ivy smiled, her first real smile since the day she Overblotted.

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

Rook elegantly opened the door to Pomifiore, Ivy on his shoulder.

“Ma Chérie! I have returned!” Rook called out, a few freshmen looked at him weirdly until Soleil walked over to greet him.

“My dear, welcome back. I see you have brought Ivy back,” Rook puts Ivy down, to which Soleil slowly and gracefully checks Ivy for any kind of injury, “Are you alright? Are you injured in any way?”

“I’m fine, Soleil. I didn’t run away to the woods, geez.” Ivy laughed, taking her hands into her’s. “Wow, look at you! You’re a Housewarden now!”

“Yes, I am. It was not only by vote but Vil also nominated me.”

“IVY!! YOU’RE BACK!!” They both turned to see Epel running down the hall and tackle Ivy into a hug, knocking them both to the ground.

“Ack! Haha! Hey Epel! Look at you! You’ve grown up nice and strong!” Ivy laughed, hugging him back tightly.

“I MISSED YA SO MUCH!! YOU’RE BACKK!!!” Epel cheered, “You’re staying, right?!”

“…Y-Yeah, yeah! I’m staying!”

“THANK SEVENS!!”

“Epel, if you could please remove yourself from Ivy, I would like to speak to her, privately.” Epel listened to his Housewarden, helping Ivy off the ground and watched both ladies walk up stairs.

“How lovely it will be to have Madame Veuve Noire back!” Rook smiled.

“Did she fight all the way over here?”

“No, I had a lovely conversation ready to convince her!”

“Then why was she over your shoulder?”

“Before we got on campus she told me to carry her that way, she said because she ‘did not want people thinking we’re friends’.”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

“The dorm’s looking good! Bet you’re doing good as Housewarden! Let me guess, Epel’s your vice?” Ivy spoke, walking into Soleil’s room.

“No, I have yet to choose a vice-housewarden.”

“Damn, really? Why?” Ivy asked.

“Because, I have been waiting for your return. I have been saving the role of Vice-Housewarden for you.” Soleil said, pulling out a Pomifiore uniform from her closet, it was a green box, labeled ‘Ivy’.

“…W-What? W-Why me?” Ivy stammered, hesitantly taking the uniform Soleil handed her.

“I could not never dream of another person more worthy of being my vice-housewarden than you, my dear friend.” Soleil said, tucking Ivy’s hair behind her ear, a small and subtle smile gracing her face. Ivy smiled back at her.

“I would be honored!”

Pomifiore was celebrating the return of Ivy and the announcement of their new Vice-Housewarden, when a familiar hyena beastman bursted through the doors. A few freshmen pulled out their pens, ready to attack the intruder but Soleil was quick to stop them.

“Where is she?!” Ruggie’s voice made Ivy’s body freeze. Was she ready to face him yet?

“Ah! Monsieur Dandelion, please come this way!” Rook said, leading Ruggie into the common room. Soleil quickly led everyone out of the room, giving Ruggie and Ivy room to discuss.

“…Ruggie…hehe, look at you, you’re a Housewarden now!” Ivy said with a closed eyed smile.

“Stop it.”

“Huh?”

“Stop doing that! You’ve always done that! Even before we were together, you’d always play off any problems you had!” Ruggie raised his voice, he saw Ivy look away from him.

“…Ruggie…”

“Why did you leave?! I was waiting to talk to you and when I wake up you’re gone?! Why?!!”

“…I was too afraid to face you…after what I had done…”

“…SO YOU LEFT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING?!! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORTHLESS I FELT?!! YOU MADE ME FEEL LIKE TRASH!!” Ruggie yelled. Ivy’s eyes widened at his tone, she knew this was coming but it still hurt her. “You were afraid?!…Good for you! ALL I WANTED WAS FOR YOU TO SEE ME!!”

They both stayed quiet for a while, Ruggie finally let the tears fall from his eyes, the tears of frustration and guilt and anger he had been holding in since he became Housewarden. Ivy slowly walked over to him, hugging him tightly.

“Please…let’s just…talk..please.” Ruggie begged, holding on tightly to Ivy’s waist, scared that if he let go, she would disappear again.

“Okay…let’s talk..”

𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

“Move over! I wanna hear!”

“I can’t hear them! Shut up!”

“Bro! Scoot over!” Many students pushed and shoved at each other, trying to lean against the door to listen to the conversation.

“That is enough. All of you. Come, it is clear that you all need extra lessons.” Soleil warned them, dragging some of them by the back collar of their shirts.

“…Elle told me everything…about your parents, Luka,…Lev” Ruggie said, he was sat next to Ivy on one of the couches. Ivy made a mental note to both thank and scold Elle when she saw her again.

“…yeah…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you…I was just…I knew that would react like that…and you had every right to..” Ivy sighed, rubbing her arm with nervousness.

“…yeah…but I shouldn’t have said any of that to you. You’re not a monster,” Ruggie grabbed one of her hands and held it in his, with his other hand he cupped her cheek, “I was dealing with a tone of information being thrown at me. You didn’t choose to work for them, I understand that now…I’m so sorry…”

“No, No, it’s okay! I get it, it’s not the easiest thing to-”

“It’s not just that..” Ruggie interrupted her, his ears laying flat against his head, “The whole time we were together…I never noticed anything, all the signs were there but I just ignored them because I used to see you as my ticket out of poverty…because I didn’t want to believe you had any flaws. But now I see that you do, you have flaws you have to work on, and I wanna help you through them!” He admitted, bringing Ivy closer to himself. “Please, let’s start over, yeah? Let’s be a real couple this time?”

“Ruggie, all this time…I felt like having a relationship with you wasn’t an option for me…I was scared of the danger I would put you in…I was scared that I couldn’t give you a normal peaceful future without completely lying to you…but…but I wanna be real with you. I want a real relationship with you, Ruggie Bucchi!”

Ruggie’s tail wagged, he brought her in and they shared a passionate kiss. This was going to be the start of a much happier time, for both of them.

TYSM FOR READING! MY FINGERS HURT😭

[ofliterarynature]

TBR TAKEDOWN: Week 18 (September 29)

TLDR: I have too many unread books, and I’m asking tumblr to help me downsize. Pick one or none - it doesn't have to be something you've read, just the one you think sounds the worst! Comments and reblogs welcome, book descriptions below the cut. See my pinned post for more info.

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

The Martian Chronicles tells the story of humanity’s repeated attempts to colonize the red planet. The first men were few. Most succumbed to a disease they called the Great Loneliness when they saw their home planet dwindle to the size of a fist. They felt they had never been born. Those few that survived found no welcome on Mars. The shape-changing Martians thought they were native lunatics and duly locked them up.

But more rockets arrived from Earth, and more, piercing the hallucinations projected by the Martians. People brought their old prejudices with them – and their desires and fantasies, tainted dreams. These were soon inhabited by the strange native beings, with their caged flowers and birds of flame.

In The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury, America’s preeminent storyteller, imagines a place of hope, dreams, and metaphor— of crystal pillars and fossil seas—where a fine dust settles on the great empty cities of a vanished, devastated civilization. Earthmen conquer Mars and then are conquered by it, lulled by dangerous lies of comfort and familiarity, and enchanted by the lingering glamour of an ancient, mysterious native race. In this classic work of fiction, Bradbury exposes our ambitions, weaknesses, and ignorance in a strange and breathtaking world where man does not belong.

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi

Elin's family has an important responsibility: caring for the fearsome water serpents that form the core of their kingdom's army. So when some of the beasts mysteriously die, Elin's mother is sentenced to death as punishment. With her last breath she manages to send her daughter to safety.

Alone, far from home, Elin soon discovers that she can talk to both the terrifying water serpents and the majestic flying beasts that guard her queen. This skill gives her great powers, but it also involves her in deadly plots that could cost her life. Can she save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war? Or is there no way of escaping the terrible battles to come

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Meet Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flunked out of police school ("I'd been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn't remember exactly, although blood was involved"), but he's a detective through and through.

In this, their first adventure, Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of Madison, a teenage girl who may or may not have been kidnapped, but who has definitely gotten mixed up with some very unsavory characters. A well-behaved, gifted student, she didn't arrive home after school and her divorced mother is frantic. Bernie is quick to take the case-something about a cash flow problem that Chet's not all that clear about-and he's relieved, if vaguely suspicious, when Madison turns up unharmed with a story that doesn't add up. But when she disappears for a second time in a week, Bernie and Chet aren't taking any chances; they launch a full-blown investigation. Without a ransom demand, they're not convinced it's a kidnapping, but they are sure of one thing: something smells funny.

Their search for clues takes them into the desert to biker bars and other exotic locals, with Chet's highly trained nose leading the way. Both Chet and Bernie bring their own special skills to the hunt, one that puts each of them in peril. But even as the bad guys try to turn the tables, this duo is nothing if not resourceful, and the result is an uncommonly satisfying adventure.

With his doggy ways and his endearingly hardboiled voice, Chet is full of heart and occasionally prone to mischief. He is intensely loyal to Bernie, who, though distracted by issues that Chet has difficulty understanding-like divorce, child custody, and other peculiar human concerns-is enormously likable himself, in his flawed, all-too-human way.Meet Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flunked out of police school ("I'd been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn't remember exactly, although blood was involved"), but he's a detective through and through.

[duckprintspress]

Announcing: The Contributors to Our Anthology “A Truth Universally Acknowledged”

Have you been wondering what Duck Prints Press has in the works? Well, our next anthology is third in our Queer Fanworks Inspired By… series! We’re following up our anthologies of queer fanworks inspired by Much Ado About Nothing and The Three Musketeers with this project: A Truth Universally Acknowledged: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” We’re on track for a mid-fall crowdfunding campaign for this fun, exciting collection. Before then, why not take a moment to get to know our awesome 22 contributing authors and 17 contributing artists?

Artists:

Aceriee (Linktree). Aceriee is also the cover artist for “A Truth Universally Acknowledged.”

Cris Alborja (Instagram | ko-fi)

Zel Howland (Tumblr). Zel is also a merchandise artist for the campaign.

May (Archive of Our Own | Artstation | ko-fi | Personal Website | Tumblr)

Max Jason Peterson (Archive of Our Own | Instagram | Linktree | Tumblr | Twitter | WordPress)

Flore Picard (Instagram)

Kendall Pletcher (Instagram). Kendall is also a merchandise artist for the campaign.

Jared Powell

radicalhoodie (itch.io | Tumblr). radicalhoodie is also a merchandise artist for the campaign.

J. Radin

Elizabeth Rose (Bluesky | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter)

Xanthe P. Russell (Behance | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr)

Saro /Legendaerie (Archive of Our Own | Tumblr)

Tomowowo (Twitter)

A. A. Weston (Archive of Our Own | Instagram | Tumblr). A. is also a merchandise artist for the campaign.

Amalia Zeichneren (Linktree)

Jagoda Zirebiec (Tumblr | Twitter)

Author:

Téa Belog (Personal Website | Twitter)

E. V. Dean (Instagram | Tumblr)

J. D. Harlock (Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter)

Rascal Hartley (Archive of Our Own)

A. L. Heard (Bluesky | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr)

O. E. Hendrickson

ilgaksu

Lucy K. R. (Archive of Our Own | Personal Website | Twitter)

Lyonel Loy

Mikki Madison (Personal Website | Tumblr | Storygraph)

Genevieve Maxwell (Tumblr)

Sage Mooreland

nottesilhouette (Archive of Our Own | Tumblr)

Taliesin Owens (Tumblr)

Linnea Peterson (Bluesky | Personal Website)

Em Rowntree (Twitter)

Vee Sloane (Archive of Our Own | Tumblr)

Shea Sullivan (Personal Website)

Dei Walker (Discord: .dei. | BlueSky | Tumblr | Twitter)

Terra P. Waters (Archive of Our Own | Instagram | Patreon | Ream | Tumblr)

A. D. Williams

Xianyu Zhou

Read their full biographies here!

Curious about this series? Check out And Seek (Not) to Alter Me: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” and Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers.”

[sleepi-toasti]

Meet bailey!

bailey (14) lived in a 2d weirdcore world with color kingdoms. she was the princess of the cyan kingdom. one day, bailey fell into a portal that goes to the real world. since bailey lived in a 2d world, she is 2d also. and the real world is 3d, so she's like a piece of paper the size and shape of a human lol

bailey now lives in Houston, but she tries to get back to her original world. she lives with the Mitchell family: Mr Samuel Mitchell (48), Mrs Lauren Mitchell (47), Amy Rodriguez (26, and she's married), Nathaniel Mitchell (17), Madison Mitchell (14), and Aaron Mitchell (9).

also, bailey originally has solid black hair when she lived in her world, but after being introduced to twenty one pilots music, she dyed the bottom of her hair red (to match josh dun)

(another thing: she genderfluid)

(here's bailey in her princess outfit lol)

I'll make the Mitchell family soon, but here's info abt them

Samuel:

he works a 7-5 job and doesn't like it bc it doesn't pay as good as it should be (his boss is stealing money out of the worker's paychecks)

he wants to work a higher paying job (specifically the job Lauren works at)

Lauren:

the family actually does good bc her job pays a good amount

she's the real household leader (she's a tough love kind of mom)

great at cooking

works as a school teacher (the school is a good school and pays more)

Amy:

she lives in San Antonio and works as a pediatrician

when she visits, she helps her mom cook

her husband, will, is actually a really cool dude

Nathaniel:

goes by "nate"

he's actually a closeted gay person, and despite the fact that he's never told anyone, madison knows

the boy he likes is Matthew Anderson, the captain of the schools basketball team

he's also on the basketball team

Madison:

she's a twenty one pilots fan

she's the one who got bailey to listen to twenty one pilots music

she actually never has been to a concert, until her mom bought two tickets (one for Madison and one for bailey) to the Clancy world tour show

she knows abt nate's sexuality because she read his journal, which had entires (like diary entries) that talked abt how much nate liked matthew, pictures of nate and matthew hanging out together, and drawings of matthew (it's all about matthew with you HUH NATHANIEL?)

she yaps about her obsessions a lot lol

Aaron:

he's a silly goober

likes playing Minecraft with nate and matthew (yes matthew comes over sometimes, mainly to do school projects with nate)

has a teddy bear with a red bowtie named Fuzzy

he brings Fuzzy everywhere he goes (yes, even school. he keeps Fuzzy in his backpack)

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in July 2024 🌈

🌈 Good morning, my bookish bats, and happy July! Pride Month may be over, but remember: Read Queer ALL Year. Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Happy reading!

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Earth to Alis - Lex Carlow 🧡 Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts - Adam Sass 💛 The Sky on Fire - Jenn Lyons 💚 The Meaning of Liberty - Sage Donnell 💙 Making It - Laura Kay 💜 The Black Bird of Chernobyl - Ann McMan ❤️ A Map of My Want - Faylita Hicks 🧡 The Devil You Know - Ali Vali 💛 The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power - Various 💙 The Second Son - Adrienne Tooley 💜 Cursed Under London - Gabby Hutchinson Crouch 🌈 Forbidden Girl - Kristen Zimmer

❤️ Rise - Freya Finch 🧡 Undercurrent - Patricia Evans 💛 Online Rebellion - Blue Matt Jeff 💚 Wolf Gift - T.J. Nichols 💙 Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream - Tehlor Kay Mejia 💜 Miller: Origin - Starr Z. Davies ❤️ The Shadows Beyond - T.J. Rose 🧡 The Ones Who Come Back Hungry - Amelinda Bérubé 💛 Their Viscountess - Jess Michaels 💙 Fast Holiday - Kerry Lockhart 💜 The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky - Josh Galarza 🌈 The West Passage - Jared Pechaček

❤️ The Hades Calculus - Maria Ying 🧡 Misrecognition - Madison Newbound 💛 One Last Summer - Kristin Keppler 💚 Waypoint Seven - Xan van Rooyen 💙 Hiding Him - Adam Hattan 💜 Thousand Autumns - Meng Xi Shi, Me.Mimo ❤️ The Adventure Zone, Vol. 6: The Suffering Game - Various 🧡 Rowan & Aldred - Lucie Fleury 💛 Yoke of Stars - R.B. Lemberg 💙 Casting Vows - Ariella Talix 💜 Count Felford's Vessel - S. Rodman

❤️ The Actor and His Secret - Ben Alderson, Laura R. Samotin 🧡 How To Die Famous - Benjamin Dean 💛 So Witches We Became - Jill Baguchinsky 💚 The Amazing Alpha Tau Romeo and Juliet Project - Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey 💙 The Noble’s Merman - S.S. Genesee 💜 The Loudest Silence - Sydney Langford ❤️ Life is Strange - Brittney Morris 🧡 Bury Your Gays - Chuck Tingle 💛 I Will Never Leave You - Kara A. Kennedy 💙 The Blonde Dies First - Joelle Wellington 💜 Under the Lupine Moon - A. Knightley

❤️ Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf - Deke Moulton 🧡 Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher - Katie Siegel 💛 The Ghostkeeper - Johanna Taylor 💚 Trespass Against Us - Leon Kemp 💙 Exes & Foes - Amanda Woody 💜 The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl - Bart Yates ❤️ Unbound - J.A. Vodvarka 🧡 StreamLine - Lauren Melissa Ellzey 💛 Time and Time Again - Chatham Greenfield 💙 No Road Home - John Fram 💜 Queen B - Juno Dawson 🌈 A Darker Mischief - Derek Milman

❤️ Beautiful & Terrible Things - S.M. Stevens 🧡 Benvolio & Mercutio Turn Back Time - Elle Beaumont, Lou Wilham 💛 About Last Night - Laura Henry 💚 You Had Me at Happy Hour - Timothy Janovsky 💙 Moonbane - Jamie Jennings 💜 Between Fate & Failure - Amber D. Lewis ❤️ Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System - Robin Jo Margaret 🧡 Between Dragons and Their Wrath - Devin Madson 💛 Twisted Magic - Barbara J. Webb 💙 Rare Birds - L.B. Hazelthorn 💜 At the End of the River Styx - Michelle Kulwicki 🌈 Origin Story - Jendi Reiter

❤️ Eras of Us - Shannon O'Connor 🧡 Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema - Willow Maclay, Caden Gardner 💛 A Wolf in Stone - Jane Fletcher 💚 Toward Eternity - Anton Hur 💙 Portrait of a Shadow - Meriam Metoui 💜 Anyone's Ghost - August Thompson ❤️ Home Ice Advantage - Ari Baran 🧡 Unbelievable You - Chelsea M. Cameron 💛 Incorrect Eyes - Andromeda Ruins

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dan Pfeiffer at Message Box News:

In close races, nothing is more important than closing strong. And with four days to go, Donald Trump is most definitely not closing strong. Just look at the last week of his campaign:

On Sunday, Trump held a disastrous rally in Madison Square Garden filled with racist, misogynistic regret including the Puerto Rico joke heard around the world;

On Tuesday, Trump talked about the major role that anti-vaccine crank Robert F Kennedy Jr. would play in setting health care policy in a Trump Administration;

On Wednesday, Trump brought up both his history of sexual assault and his role overturning Roe v Wade when he said would protect women “whether they like or not;”

On Thursday, Trump sued 60 Minutes for $10 billion for a laughable series of reasons; and

Also on Thursday, Trump suggested that Liz Cheney should be shot for not supporting him.

I am writing this midday Friday, so it’s likely Trump will find another way to self-immolate politically between now and when you read this post. Trump’s surrogates like Speaker Mike Johnson, Elon Musk, and Trump Transition Chair Howard Lutnick make matters worse at every turn. Kamala Harris, on the other hand, has been closing very strongly. I have seen polling on her ellipse speech in front of 75,000 people, and she knocked it out of the park. Over the last week, her campaign played offensively, dictating the terms of the political conversation. Trump is reacting to her and is clearly off his game.

Why Closing Well Matters

While most voters made up their mind months if not years ago, there is a slice of voters who don’t decide until the final week. The news environment in the final week is very influential with these voters. They have either been going back and forth for months or, more likely, are just tuning into politics in the final days before the election. This is particularly true because our media ecosystem makes it challenging for all but the biggest junkies to follow political news. Campaigns track what voters are hearing about the candidates. In focus groups, the first question asked of respondents is often how much they have heard about a candidate and whether what they heard made them feel better or worse about that candidate. The poll often includes an open-ended question asking voters to volunteer what they have heard. Those responses are then put into a word cloud to see what’s breaking through. Here’s an example from a recent Navigator Research poll about Project 2025.

Want more proof that Kamala Harris (D) has the edge as we get closer to the finish line?

Donald Trump (R) has made gaffe after gaffe in recent weeks, and late-deciders are going towards Harris instead of him, unlike the last two elections.

[zoeykallus]

Howdy lovely!!

This might be a strange request but I’m just really curious about what the bad batchers would think about their S/O being a teacher for younger kids. Im a teacher for younger kids and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a HC about it. Thank you for looking at these requests and as always don’t do this request if you don’t want to or feel comfortable

💚 lots of love ~ Madison

Aloha, sweetheart!

Not a strange request at all, I think it's cute 😊

The Bad Batch x Teacher!Reader HCs - Teaching The Next Generation

Hunter

The moment he finds out how you make a living, he is hooked. He tries to imagine you teaching the kids, and just the idea warms his heart. Hunter himself can't quite explain why, he doesn't really realize he's a family man, but he definitely is. The thought that you're good with kids automatically makes you even more attractive to him. The first time he sees you working with children, he is excited. Working with children requires sensitivity and patience, two qualities Hunter appreciates and admires. He volunteers to come along on a field trip to help supervise and share some of his knowledge. Hunter is very nervous at first, but he quickly settles into the role of teacher with your help and enjoys being able to pass on his knowledge. The children may be skeptical at first because of his appearance, the face tattoo seems a little dark, but they quickly learn how kind and patient Hunter is, from him, they like to learn everything about flora and fauna, how to read tracks and survive in the wilderness if you get lost.

Wrecker

He is enthusiastic. Wrecker loves kids and the kids love him right from the first time they meet him. By now, they call him Uncle Wrecker when he picks you up from work. His playful, friendly nature goes down well with the little ones, and of course his appearance amazes the kids. Plus, he always has candy with him. You definitely have something in common when it comes to dealing with the kids; you have that certain sensitivity, patience, and sense of play and fun. Wrecker has respect for your work, and is always happy to lend a hand when you prepare special projects for the students. He talks about your work with pride when he talks about it with others. Wrecker thinks what you do is incredibly inspirational.

Echo

He has respect for your work. Echo feels that you have an important part to play in shaping and preparing future generations. It is a part of you that he finds very attractive, that you are so patient and full of sensitivity, which also benefits him in your relationship. One of your school children is dependent on prosthetics, much like Echo. When you notice how difficult the child finds it on a physical but also emotional level, you ask him to drop by in class. Echo is hesitant at first, but then agrees. Of course, he is stared at, but that is nothing new for him, and he doesn't really hold it against the children. The said child with the prostheses marvels at him shyly and Echo takes time for this child to explain that even with prostheses you are still a person, you can achieve everything you want if you only want it. "We are different, that may be, but we are not worth less. We are also allowed to have goals, dreams and desires. Look at me, I'm still what I always wanted to be, a soldier, and I'm good at it because I want it and work hard for it" The children gather around him and ask questions, and he answers them all patiently, showing and explaining the function of his prosthetics. You look at him gratefully, and he winks at you. Echo can always be counted on, and the fact that you admire him for what he is doing makes his heart beat faster.

Tech

"An admirable profession" Tech knows that patience and sensitivity are important, but so much more. Empathy, adaptability, and of course, a certain intellect. He admires you for that, in fact he's fascinated by your profession. "You should be a teacher, too, when the war is over," you suggest, hoping he'll consider it. Tech adjusts his goggles with his index finger and says thoughtfully, "A nice idea, I guess I have the know-how, but I suppose I don't have the sensitivity or empathy." You look at him in surprise and say, "You shouldn't underestimate yourself in that regard. I've already seen that you unexpectedly have a fine radar for things emotional, you just express yourself a little too directly sometimes." Tech thinks about what you said long after that conversation. On a visit to your class, he's talking to the kids and explaining his job and answering many other questions the kids bombard him with when you have to temporarily leave the classroom. At first, Tech feels very uncomfortable being alone with the kids. But when you return, he is engaged in a chess game with one of your high-achieving students and about to lose, the rest of the class set up excitedly around the two as if watching an exciting fight. Sure enough, Tech loses and says, "You win, young man. You know you're way too smart for your age?" The boy beams at him, revealing a few missing teeth. When you ask Tech, perplexed, "Did he really beat you at chess?", Tech just winks at you unobtrusively, conspiratorially, and replies, "Fair and square". You smile and say softly, "You should really consider changing jobs."

Crosshair

He is not good with children, but admires what you do. He feels uncomfortable around children because he can't do anything with them. "They're loud, ask nosy questions and grab at everything," he growls, rolling his eyes as you ask why he never picks you up at work. You can't help but laugh, whereupon he cocks an eyebrow at you. "What's so funny?" "That you're afraid of children." Crosshair frowns unwillingly. "I'm not afraid of anything" "If you say so" you return with a smile. Doggedly he looks at you, "Tomorrow I'll pick you up from work, at your classroom. What's the number of the room?" "201," you say, still grinning. When he picks you up the next day, he seems anything but relaxed. There are kids running around in the hallways, and his eyes are twitching back and forth as if he expects them to infect him with something deadly. But the children automatically give the gloomy-looking man a wide berth. You say gently teasingly, "Relax soldier, this is not a battlefield." He snorts, "I'd feel more comfortable on a battlefield." You chastely kiss his cheek and say, "Okay, you proved to me how brave you are. I won't ask you to pick me up here again". He looks at you, scrutinizing, as you walk side by side down the hall to the exit. Finally, he says, sighing, "But you'll be disappointed if I don't". "I didn't say that" "Your face said it" You shrug your shoulders and Crosshair finally gives in with a sigh, "Twice a week I'll pick you up here when I'm on site" You smile lopsidedly at him, whereupon he grabs your hand and growls, "You're going to drive me crazy, Kitten"

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@allsystemsblue

@palliateclaw

@either-madness-or-brilliance

@ortizshinkaroff

@andy-solo1

@hunterssecretrecipe

@heyitsaloy

@greaser-wolf

@extrahotpixels

@hated-by-me

@hunterxcrosshair

@malicemercy

@bebopsworld

@echos-girlfriend

@cpnt616

@dangraccoon

@jediknightjana

@starwarsnerd111

[seemethroughglass]

he’s a fool (you’re just as well)

franken!kyle spencer x reader

word count : 5.1K

warnings : fluff, (underage?) smoking, witches, zombies, witchcraft, dark magic, fainting, cooking, witch!reader, mentions of sex/hard drugs

a/n : this is my first time posting a fic on tumblr so if anything is wonky please lmk 😭😭 this fic was first posted on ao3 if you’d prefer to read it below :)

-

October 30th, 2013. 3:22 AM.

A faint smell of cigarette smoke and cheap lavender scented room spray slid up into your nose and settled in your lungs, holding your breath until you couldn’t stand to anymore. You were back first on the surprisingly comfortable queen sized bed you shared with the 5’10 rotting man-baby, taking up the tight space on the right side you had while he sprawled his arms out, his fingers flexing and twitching ever so slightly haphazardly while he drooled on the pillow that gave comfort to his skull.

Kyle Spencer was dead, and had been dead for a while, is what Zoe told you. You were the newest addition to Miss Robichaux’s School for Gifted Young Women, this sick fuck of a school. Being here wasn’t anything you’d expect, and certainly wasn’t the worst, but the things you’d do just to go back home and enjoy some time alone. In just two months of being here, Zoe had wordlessly decided that you’d become Kyle’s new babysitter, a tentative decision that made you wonder if you’d ever go back to normal. You were in charge of bathing, changing, and feeding him. When you were expecting to be in a school like this, you never saw yourself soaping up a blond boy ever in your life.

It was frustrating taking care of him, especially when he’d lash out at you for not being able to understand him. Similar to the other witches, you’d use your powers in justification, your telekinesis was second nature to you- as you easily threw him back to walls, or shut doors on him. Once, Zoe offered to keep him chained for a bit, but you declined because ‘it felt inhumane’ (ironically).

But like every other young, feeble, and naive witch in your coven, your powers would fluctuate. Anyone would go crazy if they could suddenly hear every single thought someone would think. The good, the perverse, and the twisted thoughts one could have made you feel sick. You remember walking down aisles of the grocery store with Madison, your whole world suddenly felt abnormal, forced into a ubiquitous position as the faint sounds of peoples brain-vomit spilling out of their heads and into your ears. It got so loud, you couldn’t hear her anymore. You just saw her mouth “coke-head” as she continued her shopping. She couldn’t have given any less care to your dazed and frustrated state.

You didn’t feel safe out there.

You flexed your hands and felt the wrapped cohesive bandage around the flat of your hands, and the cotton fingerless gloves shifting around your hands. You hated how gloves felt around your fingers, and decided to take the risk of accidentally brushing up upon someone and sinking in all of what they know. Divination, is the textbook term, but Fiona just called it ‘a gift and a curse.’ This was also a sudden discovery, one that you were ashamed was only found out during a frat party. Never will you ever shake a man’s hand, who knows if they’ve washed their hands after using the bathroom or not? Thank god you didn’t find out anything else, not that you’d want to afterwards.

And I could go on and on about what you’ve discovered in on your own time. Mind control (which, you’re not skilled at- at all), pyrokenisis, reality warping, the ability to fuck around with any object- it all came in at once, in such a short time. Cordelia explained that it was something that all of the other witches had, but yours were forming at a rapid pace compared to the others. Hearing those words, you then forced yourself to a demure and home-bodied state. You thought, if you stayed at home, less shit goes down. You never knew how much you enjoyed the outside until now.

You could go outside whenever, if you just faced your fears and come to the terms that shit happens. You’re a witch, of course you’re gonna have these fucked up powers that show how fucked up every is, but every time you felt the want to leave, you’d only gaslight yourself into crawling back to your room again.

And… a part of you started to actually believe you didn’t find Kyle a nuisance, because he was the only one who stayed. You could tell he wanted to learn something when he was around you, longingly staring at his iPad as AbcMouse played, asking him how to write words like ‘duck’ and ‘cat’. His hands would stay in place, sometimes twitching, as he thought to himself and hesitantly drew letters on his device. There was a man, trapped in a cold husk. Every word he’d speak to you, it stuck, because you knew he was trying.

Did you see yourself in him? No? Yes? I don’t know.

You felt the need to protect, but not a knight in shining armor I’ll-Kill-Anyone-Who-Fucks-With-You-And-Let-You-Eat-Their-Brains-Afterwards protect. The kind of protect that had you letting him sleep inside your room for the night, because you knew if you didn’t then Madison would just push herself on and sleep with him again. Being a witch has shown you the evils of this world, as if the devil let you put 3d goggles on and see every disgusting perspective of others. Remember that one quote that goes something like… “While we are humans, we are animals”?

You felt him stir around in your bed again, the fleshy tip of his nose resting on your sleeved forearm. You started to wonder when he’d move aside, considering he was plumped on a good chunk of your bed. He served no purpose on your bed either, feeling like a cold, rubbery, chunk of meat nuzzling into your warmer skin. Honestly, he was kind of a waste of air, not that you envied him for it though. It made you think, what could he end up being, other than a sex doll or a servant? Everyone thought he was dead, but certainly you can get a job with no ID, no degree, and a high temper, yes?

Okay, right now he *might* be in a tight spot, but hell- you never know. You felt him moving around again, deciding to face him as he shifted his way closer to you, smelling the fabric surrounding your arm. You couldn’t tell if he was awake or not, watching him carefully to see if he’d move again, and once again he did. His eyes fluttered open a bit, before tightly shutting them and taking a deep breath, taking a peek from his rotting eyelids to see your face looking back at his.

This was an unusual morning (or night?) routine from him, because he wasn’t supposed to wake up at this hour. Perhaps the sudden body heat he felt from you awoke him? Doesn’t matter, now he’s awake, and it’s your responsibility to keep him tight lipped and busy until the sun rises. Shit, did you even realize that he was staring at you?

“Kyle… go back to sleep.” You whispered, lightly pushing his head upwards and away from your body. His eyebrows raised up a bit, reacting to your sentence, which sounded like gibberish due to his still drowsy state. You could’ve just talked to a brick wall instead, though, because all he did was prop himself up on the bed and look around. Kyle nodded, looking away from you before moaning a “Mm.. mmn..” for you. He struggled with his words for a minute and then managed to make out a “Mmh-morning.”

You shook your head, wanting to immediately cut the shit short and to tell him to just go back to sleep. But, men (or, zombies in particular) are stubborn and once he was awake, he was gonna stay awake. You internally cursed yourself before mirroring his movements and sitting up yourself, pulling on the comforter to cover yourself as you nodded, wiping your face. “Morning, Ky.” You sighed out, nodding.

You and Kyle usually did your morning routine together, so even though you did stay up all night and you knew it was only a matter of time until you’d fall asleep, you brushed your teeth with him. I guess coffee could keep you awake until 9, right? It was fairly difficult trying to keep him quiet while you brushed his hair and made him breakfast, but the more you talked, the more he took the time to listen.

“Ky, tell me which one you want.” You asked, putting down a carton of eggs on one side of the dinner table and a box of Belgian waffle mix on the other. He took his time, you thought he was going to pick the waffles when he turned to them, but you were a little taken aback when he shook his head. Your instincts made you want to protest, but once you saw his mouth open a bit, you let him try and mumble out his words.

“M…muh…”

“Macaroni?”

He shook his head, got it.

“Mm..hhheaat.”

If Nan was awake, she’d hear you think, “Who the fuck eats steak for breakfast?” until you realized that he was probably talking about bacon.

“Mm, bacon?”

You got back a copacetic nod from him, his breathing quickening up from excitement. You weren’t just going to give him bacon, so you decided to stick with some eggs and toast to go with it too, something the both of you could eat. You fetched the bacon from the freezer and eggs, butter, and bread from the fridge. Kyle kept his eyes on you, not having anything else to distract him with currently. You stayed quiet, indulged in your task of whisking the eggs in a bowl as you heard him try and communicate with you again. You stayed patient, with the mumbling coming from his mouth, but you could tell he felt more confident in this moment.

“Drink, orange.” He asked, looking around the kitchen to see if he could spot anything else to ask for. You turned around, shaking your head at him, “Orange… what, Ky?” you questioned, wanting him to try and finish his sentence. He looked back at your frame, letting out an unsatisfied sigh. “Orange.. jjjuice?” He responded, humming questionably. You turned to him briefly, nodding and pointing at the frying pan. “When I’m done, I’ll give you it, ‘Kay?”

He groaned out, suddenly balling his fist and hitting his thigh, shaking his head. It was way too early (or too late?) for Kyle to be getting upset, as he whimpered out a “N-no! Want- mmh..” to you. “Drink! Orange..! Mm, juice!”

“Kyle, no hitting!” You hissed back at him, letting the frying pan heat up on the open fire. “You use your words, hitting isn’t good.”

You watched as his facial expression softened, following his fists as he rested them back on the table, you could’ve sworn his lips shifted into a slight pout, but he nodded to you, making you realize that he never truly learned how to apologize.

“Say you’re sorry.”

“Mmhn..?”

The first time he tried to fight with you, was unforgettable, because it was the same day you had decided to voluntarily keep yourself locked inside the academy. You were just trying to change him, and get him ready for what would become his daily walk, but once you had him stripped to just his jeans and socks, he reacted. You weren’t able to take his jeans off, the minute you were trying to get his buckle off, it’s like realization had hit him. A push and a series of blows to your arms had you covered in hurt and bruises, the room was now episode 8 of a soap opera. God knows why you let him hit you for so long, did you forget you were a witch for a minute? Whatever, Madison wasted no time on flicking him off with whatever supernatural powers she had, his back meeting a wall quick. You felt bad, he didn’t really know any better. You’d start wrestling with anyone if they tried to take your pants off.

Now that you’re thinking about it, how’d she get up those stairs so quick? Isn’t she usually downstairs smoking a cigarette? Speaking of cigarettes, fuck, the smell of this house is starting to get to you.

Ten-ish minutes had passed, and there you were, plating the meal on a large plate that you and Kyle could share. Perks of being a witch? You can just enchant your bacon to defrost in seconds. Usually, Kyle would finish all of his food, but one time he noticed that if he didn’t finish, you’d be eating his plate instead of sticking with just coffee. It’s probably the reason he eats less, honestly, and you can’t really force him to finish all of his food anymore. I guess it’s something you two have silently agreed on, like mutualism. You poured yourself some coffee from the coffee pot, and in another plastic cup you poured orange juice into, for him. It was plastic, in case if he tried to throw it at you… like he did to Zoe (and, to be honest, that shit was hilarious when he missed and hit Queenie).

You don’t talk to him in the morning, you just sit there and watch him watch some Cocomelon, but right now the both of you can’t afford to make any sort of noise. A cranky witch is equivalent to an embarrassed boy, both can end up terribly. Still, it left you bored. There was nothing to talk about, because you can’t really keep up a conversation with someone like Kyle. Your phone was left upstairs, and you didn’t want to go back in fear of Kyle crying out for you and making noise, because it was dark and the only thing giving out light was the chandelier above the both of your heads. I mean, you could teach Kyle some basic vocabulary, but is that really something he was capable of doing while he scarfed down a piece of toast? Wait, wasn’t he supposed to apologize to you earlier? Maybe you can start up something with that.

You watched him chew on a large piece of toast, sending a few blinks in his direction as he paid no mind to you. Trying to get his attention, and prevent him from choking, you pushed the orange juice closer to him. Your nonverbal communication got to him, as he glanced back up to you and then looked down and took a sip from the glass. You waited until his mouth was empty to speak.

“Kyle?”

He looked back up at you, his eyebrows raising up again. He hummed, waiting for you to say something.

“…We don’t hit things in this house, unless someone else is hitting us, right?”

He blinked, his eyes slanting a bit, was he starting to get mad again? He nodded slowly, taking another sip of his drink. “Yes.” He responded with, there was absolutely no stutter or hesitation in his voice, maybe the others had already tried to educate him on that?

“Do you know what sorry means, Kyle?”

Once again, brickwalled. Jesus, what a poker-face. Maybe this is why people want to be a mind reader, hm? You had never felt scared of him before, and still hadn’t, but this interaction definitely made you tense up a bit. He could be a hell of a guard dog. God, you’re starting to sweat, calm down. Enough thinking to yourself, get to the point, because he’s obviously not gonna give you an answer.

“You know… when you do something bad, and it hurts people? It makes you… feel bad?” You asked, inhaling. He quickly nodded, sniffing and wiping his nose with the back of his hand. You nodded with him, deciding to ease up and take a sip of your coffee. A couple seconds of silence passed, and then you spoke again. “You say sorry, when you do bad things. I want you to say sorry.”

From an outsiders point of view (specifically Fiona, you could just picture it) they’d be laughing at the awkwardness of this conversation. Kyle didn’t know what awkward was, though. He took every word you said like it was, nothing felt personal to him. It gave you comfort, he had no high ego that could make him feel bad. Sure, he’s sensitive, but he had morals and a decent level of understanding like you did. Let me ask you again, did you see yourself in him? Someone who was once normal, thinking they had known enough, now forced to start from the top and had to adapt to what they had now. Shit, is that why you had to take care of him?

Naaah, you’re just overthinking it.

“Suh… orry. Sorry.”

“Good! You said it.”

“Mmhm..! Sorry!”

The difference between you and him? He was a quick learner. You, on the other hand, didn’t want to learn. You wanted to be normal, or at least control what you had (well, actually, doesn’t he want to also?). I mean, it’s been a while since you’ve tried controlling your own powers. It felt better helping him than helping yourself, hasn’t it? I don’t blame you, teaching someone basic math is muuuuch easier than trying to figure out how to make your bed float.

Kyle went back to eating after his successful lecture from the oh-so greatest but stopped after he finished his orange juice. There was still a bit on the plate, a piece of toast and a piece of bacon to be exact, as he looked up at you and then glanced back at the plate. “D…done.” He stated, grinning softly at you. He knew you were going to take the rest and finish it, and that’s exactly what you did. You nodded back at his words as you ripped the toast in half, chewing on your piece. For a dead guy, he’s pretty considerate. Makes you wonder how he was when he was alive, to be honest.

I think… you’ve only heard mentions of Kyle on the news, only when he had died. Words like… sweet, and caring, and friendly were on his memorial outside of that frat house. Shit, what was that frat’s name again? Kappa… whatever, they’re all the same, honestly. Maybe you’ll ask Zoe when she wakes up, I mean, she did bring him here.

After finishing the scraps that Kyle had left you, it was time to go back into your room. You didn’t hold Kyle’s hands up the stairs, you let him walk first, just to see if he could control his mobility first. You felt like you were starting to sweat, anyways. He stopped walking after a couple of steps and turned around to face you, only walking up again when you silently urged him to keep going up. It seemed like he got a bit weirded out by the fact that you weren’t walking up with him, he must’ve gotten used to holding onto you. Aww.

-

4:38 AM.

This should be about the time Cordelia wakes up, and starts working on whatever potion she has in her laboratory. Kyle was occupied with… himself, actually. He had discarded the iPad earlier, seemingly grown bored of AbcMouse and instead laying on his side, tracing unintelligible patterns on the hard wooden floor. He must be thinking to himself, you imagined. You were sitting on your bed next to an open window, starting to feel sick from the house-air. Did someone smoke, or was everything feeling nauseous to you? Ugh, you decided to start fanning yourself with your own hand.

You glanced back at Kyle, watching as his index finger dragged along the floor, collecting dust and a smidge of dirt from the floor onto his fingertip. You look a long sigh, spacing out and no longer focused on Kyle, just whatever he was trying to accomplish with his finger. K… X… L… E. Wait, that must’ve been a Y then? He was spelling his name, simply reminding himself. It felt good knowing that whatever he was learning on that device was working, but once you took another breath, your sliver of happiness faded with the smell. God… it felt like it was getting stronger.

There’s definitely something wrong in this school.

You didn’t have to wait longer to make up your mind, you had to go outside. Shuffling around and closing the window for caution of bugs getting in while you were gone, you set your bookmark in your book and slid off the bed. You tapped Kyle with your foot, raising your eyebrows and speaking a bit more faster. Your stomach felt… uncomfortable.

“Ky, cmon. We’re gonna go for a walk.”

“Mm?”

You didn’t have time to explain to him, but a part of you knew that he understood you. He’s not that… what’s the word? You pulled up your gloves and held your shielded hand out, trying to help him up. He groggily pulled himself up, following closely behind you with his hand sliding up to connect to the crook of your clothed arm. You walked down the stairs with him, hearing a faint whisper around the school. Cordelia… was awake? But why would she be near the living room?

When you peeked your head to look in the living room, she wasn’t there.

And when you walked around with Kyle, trying to find her to see what she could be muttering about, nothing. Odd, you decided to walk around more, but the more you wandered around you only felt more sick. Your little steps became into large, rushed power-walking steps. Something was wrong, if you couldn’t tell now. You went to her office, which was usually tidy and salubrious but seemed to be that she was working on something, at least you finally found her. The smallest amount of rational thought in your mind told you to not run outside of the house, but instead find her and ask her for some Advil or Tylenol, this had to be a migraine.

“Misty Day’s reincarnation might be a good help with this… if only she wa- what was that?”

Cordelia’s voice got louder as you stumbled into her office, she immediately turned to you, puzzled by your off-colored face and the sweat rolling down your forehead. She stayed quiet, letting you speak first. It was only then, you realized something.

“Why is Kyle here?”

But Cordelia’s mouth wasn’t moving. She wasn’t even talking.

I can’t really explain how you look like… but a good word is stunned. You stood there, looking around the area a bit as you fanned yourself with your free hand. Kyle was still behind you, his hand feeling up on the black woolen arm warmer you had on.

“Cordelia… ohmyfuckinggod..”

“Yes, dear?”

“Why is she awake? Go to bed. Why is Kyle here? Will nobody that boy alone, for fucks sake?”

You scoffed, a tad offended by her unspoken words. You wiped your forehead, shaking your head. “Something’s happening… Cordelia. Fuck, you’re so loud.” You breathily announced, letting go of Kyle and wiping your eyes. Your stomach started to hurt more, Jesus- you felt like you were about to throw up.

“I’m sorry?”

You walked over to her, discarding Kyle and his starstruck face as he looked around at the pretty colors and herbs around Cordelia’s little coven. For him, this was definitely a sight to see, getting a good look instead of crying over his new body parted tattoos, curtsey of his deceased friends. You stood in front of her, a hand placed on your stomach as you spoke, the acrimony rushing through your veins.

“The- the mind reading stuff. I can hear you… oh mygod- How do I make it stop? Fuck- my stomach hurts so much, ohmygod..”

And as her hand came to your clothed shoulder, she looked at you in the eyes with a concerned stare. “You’re hearing things again? Come here, sit down.”

She took you by the shoulder, walking you to a small wooden stool from the side of the room. Kyle, distracted by the sudden movement of you two, followed you closely once again.

“Cmhere, let me check your temperature.”

She took her hand up, and as her hand came up to your forehead, you felt your world burning around you and coming to a close. The heat was too much for you, and once her hand made contact with your bare skin, it went dark.

Well… not exactly dark.

-

5:12 AM.

Fuuuuuuck.

You must’ve woken up on the wrong side of the… couch?

Too early for jokes? Okay, sorry.

Your forehead felt completely cold, your drowsy eyes registering that you were staring up at the ceiling. Ugh, how long has it been? You brung your fingertips carefully up to your head, feeling on the rough ice pack on your forehead. When you pulled it off and placed it on the floor, you came to realize it was just frozen peas. Classic, actually- super fucking funny. You half-laughed, a closed mouthed smile forming on your face. Right… Cordelia must’ve put that on you. Where was she?

A sudden realization came to you, Cordelia touched your forehead. Shit, you’re supposed to know something, right? That mind reading thing that you have… what can you remember?

“…Cordeliaaa?” You called out, wondering where she was. Suddenly, a little- well, more like big- blonde guy popped up from behind the couch, squeaking a bit from your voice. You turned around, looking behind the couch and feeling surprised once you realized that Kyle was just behind the couch. He was sitting up now, with a cup of… sweet tea? He turned to you, his nose crinkling with his grin as the male cheered your name out, a sugary tone to his voice. He wiped his eye with the side of his hand, making it evident that he had been asleep also. He picked up the sweet tea from the ground, standing up and looking down at you, handing you the cup. The ice cubes in the drink had shrunken, almost barely noticeable.

“Hi, drink!” He chirped, watching you take the drink and take a sip out of it. Damn, not bad. You silently thanked him, the ineffable act of him waiting for you left you a little too speechless for your liking. You cleared your throat, speaking up. “Thanks, Ky’” You murmured, unable to hide the corners of your mouth turning upwards. “Your welh-welcome.” He replied, nodding. You placed the sweet tea on the table, exhaling out of your nose. He walked over to your side, away from the back of the couch, trying to help you up. You put your hands on his shoulders, shaking your head. “No… nah- I’m good. I’m gonna… sit down still.”

You heard Kyle think “Why?” as he stared at you for a bit, but he nodded and left you alone. He lowered himself to the ground, flinching once he had accidentally made contact with the peas. “Cordelia?” You called out again, turning away to the sound of her footsteps walking up to you. Her eyebrows were raised, and her arms were up in an… almost defensive state? She crossed her arms, calming down and lightly rubbing her right bicep with her left thumb. She spoke your name in a effervescent way, relieved to see you awake.

“Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” You asked, referring to her anxious thought. You could tell she was trying to not think as much, whispering to herself before shaking her head. “Nothing… um- actually, I need to know, what did you… see?” She prevaricated, running her fingers through her hair. You looked down, thinking to yourself a bit and then back at her. Suddenly, your eyebrows knitted into realization, looking back up at her.

“Did you… toss the coffees I made for you?”

Cordelia stood there, also looking dumbfounded by your conclusion. She smiled, nodding. There was no point in lying anymore, I mean- you already knew. She sighed in relief, chuckling.

“Okay… yeah. Yeah, I did.”

“Dude- I thought you liked my coffee.”

She ignored your words, walking over to you and putting a hand on the inside arm of the couch. “I’m glad you’re okay. I did some… tests- and, um, I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine for now.” She expressed, feeling a little more confident as she spoke. “Just… don’t stay cooped up in this house. I know your powers are getting stronger, but you’re probably dealing with some major stress.” All you could do was nod, biting the inside of your cheek. She nodded back at you, pulling her hand away from the coffee and walking backwards for a bit, turning away.

“Delia.”

She turned back, raising her eyebrows. “Pleaaaase don’t ask me.“ She mentally spoke to herself, leaving you to close your eyes for a brief moment, but you brushed her thought aside.

“Uh… why… don’t you like my coffee?”

“I’m a tea person.”

“Oh… crap.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” She spoke, walking out of the room. You sighed, your attention going back to Kyle, who was once again tracing patterns on the floor. He glanced up at you, pausing his actions and deciding to rest his cheek on the couch. He blinked at you a bit, expecting you to say something. You placed a hand on his scalp, moving around his bed (well, floor) hair to make it look more neater.

“So nice…” His blissful expression matched his imagination, shuffling closer to let you touch his hair. Your fingers stayed still while in his blonde locks, sighing. You definitely didn’t expect him to think that, but you definitely weren’t opposed to it. You carried on, carefully grooming him some more. Your brain went blank, not really worried on what was going to happen next or what you had to do later today. Just you, fixing a zombie’s hair, while the sun was getting ready to rise up and shine on you. Just complete nirvana. You pulled your hand back, wondering if there was anything else to smooth out or tuck away. Kyle looked up at you, probably expecting the same thing.

“So pretty.”

Oh.

You couldn’t help but smile, keeping your eyes on him as his soulless eyes crinkled with his crooked smile. You blinked, and then cheerfully sighed.

“Thanks.”

Kyle nodded, grabbing your hand and then putting it back on his head. Wait… he grabbed your hand? Damn, you couldn’t see anything about him, guess it must’ve went away…

Or, maybe, he just didn’t hide anything from you?

You’ll just have to poke Cordelia again to see why.