#Rapunzel's going to stand up for her man

[chrissdollie]

𐔌　‧ॱ ୨♡୧ ˚　ride　₊˚ ♡

⊹˚₊ summary: with your daddy away, matthew sturniolo visits your family's cozy farm where he convinces you to join him for a horse ride. you nervously gallop through town together and find yourself falling for the boy your father may never approve of. ︵︵ notes: farmers!daughter!reader x cowboy!matt, sfw, fluff, daddy issues, small bit of angst at the end, kind of a rapunzel and flynn ryder kinda thing (as mentioned by matt hehe), ending is not proofread ︵︵　word count: 2k

　　"those fuckin scoundrels," your father spits, stern eyes glaring out your tiny kitchen window as herders pass by, their horses kicking up dirt and dust. you lift your head from the overflowing sink to watch for the few seconds the men ride by. your father shuts the fridge with a sigh. you reavert your gaze to the distressed man, your fluffy lashes fluttering as you blink with concern.

"are you alright daddy?” you chirp, lazily brushing the sponge in your hand against a dainty pink plate as you watch the man wave his hand dismissively.

“fine, darlin, fine. check on the eggs when yer done there, alright?” he grunts, making his way towards the front door. you hum contently, quickly drying your hands and disregarding the dirty dishes before skipping through the homely cottage, bathed beautifully in the warm sun. “bye bye!” you kiss your dad's cheek, patting his back lightly as he pulls his jacket off the hook. the door opens and closes, and suddenly you're all alone again.

you don't mind it, humming quietly to yourself as you pick up your basket and step out the back door, your pretty boots crunching on the green grass. the only thing keeping you sane is the farm. your father doesn't let you go out-- he says exploring just leads to problems, and you listen because you'd never want to trouble your dear old dad. you're detached from the real world, though you don't really know it, do you? you're a quiet young thing with no ambitions unlike the other girls in town with dreams of leaving home and making a change.

the hens cluck familiarly as you step into the spacious chicken coop, smiling at your fluffy birds. like a giddy child, you talk to your animals, especially considering they're the only real friends you've got. "daddy's out in town; he wanta get some lambs, sheila! wouldn' that be nice?" you coo, politely moving your chicken to collect her eggs.

when you finish, you open the screened door to let the chickens out. they scramble past the threshold, freely wandering the farm as they please. your face brightens as you catch sight of your horse, petal, staring directly at you as if patiently waiting for your attention. you wouldn't admit it (especially not in front of the other animals), but she was your favorite part of the farm. you've had her since you were little, slowly watching her delicate white mane grow-- you click your teeth when you notice the pink flowers you'd left woven in her mane fading. then your eyes widen as you spot a smidge of brown hair moving behind her.

"hello..?" you call out as you clutch your basket tighter and hurry over to petal's fenced-in area. you gasp when you reach a man bent down on his knees, inspecting your horse's hooves. he looks up at you, and your heart pounds a little louder. you've seen him before, you have the biggest slightest remembrance of square dancing with the boy at one of the town gatherings. "oh," you sigh, clutching your heart. "hi matt," you mutter shyly.

it's been a while since you've seen matthew sturniolo-- ever since your father decided that now as a "big girl", boys would be eyeing you as you danced, therefore there was no more for you. the brunette hair is longer now, and his face has lost some of its pleasant youthfulness.

matt chuckles awkwardly as he stands, dusting himself off. "heya sweetheart-- m sorry to scare ya like this," he says with a gentle smile, holding his hand out to your free one. ever the charmer, he leaves a delicate kiss on your knuckles, and your nerves settle a bit.

the brunette exhales heavily, taking a quick look around the farm. "ts been a while, huh? i was, uh, lookin at your steed's foot there. seems like she needs a bit of care," matt gestures towards petal.

"oh," you whisper to yourself, eyes averting to your pet's hoof. he takes in your cute appearance, subtly grinning at your little stud earrings and bouncy pink dress. "is it.. bad?" you mutter before letting out a tiny gasp.. how rude you've been! "oh! um, are you thirsty? or do you want something to eat maybe?" you take a step back, ready to head inside. but he shakes his head, waving his hand.

"thank you, but i'm fine. actually came here to ask ya-- um... y'wanna go fer a ride?" matt asks hopefully, eyes searching yours for any signs of rejection.

your father would never agree. you gulp, dropping your head to your feet. "oh, i'm not sure.. daddy would--"

"im not askin what he wants." he cuts you off sharply along with a stern look. "do you wanna go fer a ride?... with me?"

you exhale, looking over to petal. it almost looks like she gives you a nod of encouragement. "i-i'm not very good.." you stammer embarrassedly, picking up your head. he chuckles again, tapping his foot against the grass lightly. "ill teach ya,"

you nod, lips parted. matt's head tilts towards a chicken by his boot, his grin widening. "they gonna be alright out?"

"oh! uh, one second.." you head behind the coop into a tiny shed, pulling out a handful of oats. spreading your palm, you call the chickens over, the oats being bait to lure them back into their home. the birds cluck loudly, stumbling over themselves as they follow you into the stall. "here you go babies," you coo quietly, spreading the oats around the ground. you dust off your hands before stepping out the screened door to a smiling, almost sheepish matt.

you awkwardly brush off your dress, looking around. "so.. where's your horse?"

matt nudges his head to the side. "wrapped to that tree righ’ there," he looks toward his brown steed tied to a thick oak tree. he hums contently, mindlessly playing with petal's clean mane, turning back to you. "so, shall we?"

you sway back and forth, still nervous about leaving the animals all alone. "needa put the eggs away first.. oh nd i need a saddle-- are you sure you don' wanna come in real fast?"

the brunette shakes his head, "nah, that's alrigh'. i'll help you and.." he pauses, motioning to the dying flowers in your horse's mane. "petal, right?" he asks with a giggle. you grin toothily and nod in confirmation, him nodding back.

"well, i'll help you two get geared up," he offers, flashing that enchanting smile you loved seeing back whenever you accidentally stepped on his shoes while dancing. he'd always reassure you, saying "that's alright," just as he did now, and give you that sweet grin that made your worries disappear.

matt steps away from your horse, his chaps swinging back and forth as he makes his way towards you. "so.. how've you been lately?"

leaving your beloved home for the first time in forever wasn't as hard as you initially thought it'd be. having matt as company helped, he soothed your worries with ease when you debated just staying with the animals like always. he caught you up on how to ride your horse, how to hold the reins, the right times to squeeze your legs, and steering. you got the hang of it again with little trouble (you almost fell off petal when mounting..) and you found yourself having great fun in the unexpected event.

"let's race!!" you grin, slowing down with matt trailing close behind you. he readjusts his black cowboy hat as he raises an eyebrow with his horse, jeff, pulling up next to you. "i dunno 'bout that, m pretty sure i'd win," he chuckles, petting petal with unintelligible coos.

the valley the two of you had been riding in for the past hour was gorgeous, with hardly any trees surrounding the large meadow, allowing you to feel free. you giggle with a nod, “yeah probably,”

matt stares at the side of your face for a moment before humming and taking off straight ahead with a loud laugh. you gasp with a wide grin before giddying up, racing behind matt.

you two race all the way home, the sun setting above you as you hear the familiar noises of the farm. “so it’s a tie then?” matt smirks, hopping off jeff. he walks over to your side, grabbing your hips before you could protest and helping you off.

you stick your tongue out a little. “i coulda won if ya didn’t take off before me.. but yeahhh it’s a tie,”

the boy ruffles your hair playfully, forcing a small giggle out of you that’s cut off shortly when you notice your father’s pick up truck in front of the house. you exhale, mentally preparing yourself for the upcoming stream of harsh curses. you turn to matt, kissing his cheek quickly. his eyes slightly widen, clearly taken by surprise.

“daddy’s home but um..” you’re immensely shy again, eyes locked on the dirt ground slowly getting darker as the sun fades away. “thank you for today. i really loved it..”

if you thought matt’s expression towards you couldn’t get any softer, it just did. he always wished there was something he could do about your restrictive father, but alas, he’s still just a boy. he can’t be your knight in shining armor yet.

he nods, placing a finger under your chin to lift your gaze. your eyes are glossy, bottom lip only slightly trembling, though matt’s able to catch it. he offers a gentle smile, rubbing a stray tear from your cheek with his thumb. “we should do this again sometime, ay? me, you, jeff, and petal,”

“i think the fuck not.”

you and matt both jump at the raspy voice. you turn towards the back door where your father stands with a shotgun in hand. matt places his hand on his hat, “sir—“

“matthew get your goddamn ass off my land ‘fore i shoot you dead,” your dad spits, lifting the gun to rest in both hands. matt inhales heavily before snatching your hand into his. you let out a soft gasp, whispering, “what are ya doin?”

he ignores you, challenging your enraged father with a cold gaze. “i apologize for keepin your darlin out so late, sir.” he starts, keeping a firm stare. he couldn’t be your knight in shining armor then, he thought he couldn’t even save you now. but his giddy heart tells him to fight for you.

your daddy cuts him off again, “i don’t give a—“, only this time, matt keeps talking.

“i never was able to take her for a ride before you hid her away like fuckin rapunzel. guess that makes you mother gothel then, huh?”

as matt speaks, your eyes were blurred with tears, threatening to spill over any second. you kept your composure though, knowing your father hates when you cry. matt standing up for you made you proud and sick with adoration. but it’s also making matters worse for you, because now your father’ll come down on you even harder.

“you can shoot flynn ryder. go ‘head. you know who my parents are. and you know karma’s a bitch ain’t it?” he challenges, raising both eyebrows, keeping his hand in yours reassuringly.

your father scoffs, gripping his shotgun tighter before turning to you. “get yer stupid ass inside now.” he grits his teeth, his nose practically flaring steam.

you hesitantly drop matt’s hand, pulling petal in behind her fence quickly before running into the house, keeping your head down as you rushed past your father.

when you’re gone, he sucks his teeth, threatening matt to stay away before he steps into the house, clutching onto the door. before shutting it, he lets out an unexpected chuckle. “and by the way, jeff is a dumb ass name,”

matt huffs as the door slams shut. his eyes quickly avert to your room’s window as the light turned on, your dad’s yelling muffled by the walls. it’s then that matt realizes, he didn’t really save you at all.

help this is kinda short oopsies.. not doing a part 2 unless someone comes in my inbox with an idea (plz be specific 😞)

[lovecla]

IF YOU LOVE ME, LET ME KNOW | jack hughes.

chapter four:

<last chapter> <next chapter>

➴ warnings: angst, jealousy, insecurities

➴ word count: 3.9k

➴ author’s note: this is a mess, soph and jack are a mess, quinn’s a sweetheart, grace’s funny af and i’ve reached 100 followers today. can’t even describe how happy i am with the attention IYLM,LMK is getting. i adore u all so much and i hope u stick with me for a while. prepare your seatbelts because shit is about to hit the fan. :,)

SOMETHING changed between you and Jack that day at the Skims set, a week ago.

You finally realized that you are, very much, in love with Jack Hughes. Which was something that you never, in a million years, would’ve guessed. Because, what; you told yourself you’d never get your heart shattered again, yet here you were, walking straight (and worse: willingly) into a trap, falling in love with the man whore of the Devils team.

Despite all of the mean things your mind wanted to tell you, you just forced yourself to remember that not every man is like your cheater ex boyfriend and that not every man would completely crush your heart and tear it apart.

And even though you wouldn't put your hand on the fire and say that he felt the same way as you, if he didn’t, that man was good at pretending. Because no way in hell he’d take all of his fuck buddies to their family lake cabin to throw a Halloween party.

“This is crazy, Jack, you are in the middle of the season, and I’m in the middle of releasing something…” you started, watching as the car took a turn. “Also, how the fuck did you manage to organise a party in, like, thirty minutes?”

“Uh. I’m literally a NHL player. What did you expect?” He scoffed, so full of himself it was almost impossible to stand. You rolled your eyes. “And it’s just a night. I’m not screwing everything up for having fun for one night only, baby, and neither is you.”

“I guess you’re right.” You mumbled, answering some texts messages on your phone.

“I’m always right.” You rolled your eyes again, watching as he drove with ease. “What are you wearing tonight?”

“My fans have been dying for me to dress up as Rapunzel, so I might as well please them.” You shrugged, locking your phone and putting it on your pocket.

“I don’t know about them but I am definitely pleased with the idea.” He smirked.

“You’re just horny, Hughes. Happens to the best of us.”

“Or you’re just pretty. Happens to some of us.”

You laughed, cheeks warm and heart beating fast. “You’re a flirt, Jack Hughes. I missed that. Is it always this crazy during the season?”

“Like you can’t even imagine. My life is just games, working out, eating plain shit and practice for seven months straight.”

“And you love every second of it, don’t you?”

He smiled, white teeth making the view seem a whole lot brighter. “I do, yes. It’s like… the only thing that makes me feel truly alive.”

“Yeah, I know what it feels like,” you whispered. “I feel like that when I’m on the stage too. It’s just… I don’t know. Makes me feel good.”

“I like seeing you on stage,” he nodded and you raised your brow. “What? I do, really. That concert I went to with Nico was fun. Besides, watching you dance with those little dresses of yours is something else.”

“Boo, you’re just an idiot!” You laughed. “But thank you, Jackie bear.”

“Sophia, Jesus, do not call me that,” he whined, but the smile was still on his lips. “Gross.”

“Okay, Jackie bear, whatever you want, honeypot.”

“Sophia!”

— ♡

THE cabin was packed with people, and you were amazed with how fast people arrived, even with the short notice.

You were waiting for Grace to finish getting ready— she would be wearing a Tiana costume, matching your Rapunzel one— so you both could go downstairs and enjoy the party.

“Jack’s going to have a heart attack when he sees you with that little skirt,” Grace said, while applying lip gloss on her plump lips.

“Yeah, about that… I might need to talk to you about something.” You started, crossing your legs.

She stared at you through the mirror, raising her eyebrows. “Go on, Pinky Pie.”

“I thought we’d established that I’m Twilight and you’re my Mordecai?” You giggled, making Grace laugh too.

“I guess we can pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars…” she sighed. “Go on, then, baby. We don’t have all night.”

“So. I may or may have a thing for Jack. Actually, maybe more than just a thing. Think I’m in love, to be honest,” you waited to see her reaction, not expecting her to jump out of the vanity and start twirling around the room, making you laugh. “What are you doing?”

“Are you joking?” She looked at you like you’d grown a second head. “I just won two hundred bucks!”

Confusion took over your face. “What do you mean?”

“I told Nico that you’d be in love with Jack by the end of October and he said you’d be in love with him by the end of November, and since you confessed it now— perfect timing, by the way— I get my two hundred bucks!” She started dancing and jumping, like she wasn’t a nepo baby.

“Grace! What the hell, this is serious!” You raised your arms.

She sat back on the bed.

“Girl, no it isn’t. Just go to him and say: hey, buddy, here’s a secret not so secret: I’m in love with you.” She shrugged. “Just don’t sing the Airplanes song, please. That’s, like, our thing.”

“Grace, I— I can’t even— what the hell,” you wanted to run your hands through your hair, but you remembered that you were wearing extensions and a tiara. So you stick with biting your nails instead. “First of all, why the fuck would you and Nico bet on something like this? That doesn’t even make sense. Second, I can’t just go over there, call him and tell him I like him. That’s not how it works.”

“Well, Nico was the one who proposed the idea of betting so that’s on him!” She raised a finger. “And yes, that is literally how it works.”

“You’re forgetting that this is Jack Hughes. A guy who, apparently, can’t stay a week without a pussy and fucked every Jerseywoman who walked on God’s green earth.”

“Ew, don’t say that! You know my mom’s New Jersian…” she sighed, making a disgusted face. You smiled, apologetically. “Okay. I know that Jack’s past may not be the ideal background you want for your baby daddy but hear me out!”

“Baby daddy? What—”

“Jack hasn’t touched anyone else since you guys started… well. Fucking.” She blushes, like she wasn’t calling him your baby daddy not even a minute ago. “And he’s a great, great person. I’ve seen how he looks at you and if that man isn’t in love, then I’m white as a sheet of paper.”

“I don’t know,” you mumbled, feeling frustrated. “Harris also seemed like a great guy, and when we got together, everything changed. I don’t want to go through that ever again.”

“I know it hurt, and God knows I’d rather mop the entire ocean than to see you like that again,” she scooched closer, grabbed your hands and pressed her lips together, the REM Beauty lip gloss making her lips look magical. “But you have to give yourself that chance again. It’s been more than a year, and I’ve seen you and Jack together.”

“I know that, but—”

Grace clicked her tongue, a tsc reverberating on the bedroom walls.

“I’m telling you this as someone who isn’t inside that little head of yours,” she whispered, holding your hands tighter. “You and Jack together? Girl, that’s meant to be. That’s like Achilles and Patroclus, Romeo and Juliet, Hazel and Gus—”

“Girl, what the hell, can’t you find a couple who at least one of them is still alive?” You scoffed.

“Sorry, I just love depressing stories…” she apologized before starting talking again. “That’s not the point, anyway, Miss Girl and you know it! Fuck whatever your head is telling you, Soph: you deserve to be loved and you deserve to love.”

“I didn’t say I love h—” she put a hand over your mouth, interrupting you.

“You don’t have to. I know you, Soph, and the look you get on your face whenever you talk to him, or even better, talk about him, is enough for me,” she kissed your cheek, quickly wiping the lip gloss stain on your face. “And let me tell you a secret, honeybun, he has the same look on his face.”

You smiled, cheeks carmesim and heart full. Thanking Grace for saying all of this wasn’t enough, you needed to buy her a house on the beach with a very naked Nico Hischier inside of it. Maybe that’s what you were going to do.

If only you knew how to convince Nico to be naked at a beach house, you’d certainly—

Someone knocked on the door, and you both got up, surprisingly fast, remembering that you were not alone and that there was a whole party happening downstairs.

Opening the door, you faced Jack who looked way too hot with his own jersey. Of course he’d be wearing a Jack Hughes, NHL Player costume. Of fucking course.

“You were taking too long up here so I came to check on you but maybe we’ll be here for a bit longer.” He smirked, hands finding your corset-covered waist instantly.

“Hum—”

“Excuse me, Mr. I-can’t-keep-myself-in-my-pants, I’m still here.” Grace yelled behind you, and you watched as his entire face showed his annoyance.

“Yeah, I can see. Feel free to leave, though,” he rolled his eyes, holding your right hand and twirling you around. “You look so pretty, baby.”

Your entire face felt like a fireplace but you still smiled nonetheless. “Thank you.”

“You both are disgusting, excuse me,” Grace walked past the both of you, mumbling something about checking in with her husband.

“Let’s go.” He offered you his hands, which you promptly held.

Going downstairs, you were surprised with how full the house was. Like, there were at least fifty people there, which seemed insane for a cabin, no matter how large it was.

Jack dragged you around, saying “hi” to every person you walked by, true to his NHL playboy persona. To your amusement, some people also acknowledged you. Mostly some girls and a few guys. It was nice.

“Sophia!” You heard a shout and immediately knew who it was. Trevor Zegras, wearing a pirate costume, which was just an excuse for him to be shirtless, really. One of the most annoying people you’ve ever met. Truthfully. “Damn, I’d climb that tower for you.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’d push you down that shit, Zegras, fuck off.”

Jack laughed softly beside you, moving until you were both sitting on the couch. Quinn, Luke, Nico, Grace and Zegras were all there, talking with a few people you didn't know the name of.

“You can't say you don’t like me without trying me first.” Trevor suggested, looking directly at your face. You showed him your middle finger.

“No one wants to try you, Zegras, now fuck off,” Jack stated before sipping on the beer he stole from Luke, who was dressed as a cooking chef. Or at least that’s what it looked like.

“See, this is why Quinn’s my favorite Hughes,” he mumbled, smiling at Quinn. “Anyway, Soph knows where the heat’s at.” Pointing at himself, Zegras moved on to the girl on his right, who seemed awfully pleased to be his second option.

“Asshole.” You heard Jack mutter under his breath and you giggled, amused.

“Be nice. He’s just… in heat, I guess,” you shrugged, already used to Zegras’ comments. Every time you saw him, he had something new to add to the list. Usually, you’d tell him to fuck off, and he would.

“He’s a pain in my ass, that’s what he is.” Jack bickered, pouting like a ten-year-old child. You found it cute.

“Poor Jackie, huh?”

“Shut up, Soph.” He smiled, blue eyes bright and kind.

Now that you knew what those backflips your heart did every time you saw him smile meant, it was much harder to control them.

Confessing to Jack would break the no-strings-attached arrangement that you both had silently made. It would meant either dating him and having your happily ever after (even if you hardly believed in those) or having your heart broken (again) by a really nice guy who just wanted to fuck you.

Besides that, you were both well-known people, especially you. You remember all too well when you were at home, chilling after a concert, and you got several texts from your friends and family, regarding a bunch of pictures of Harris kissing another girl at a bus stop station. A fucking bus stop station.

The situation dragged on for months, every time you’d post something, people would mention the fact that your ex was a cheater, you had been cheated on and that somehow you deserved to get cheated on; because of the things you sang, because of the clothes you were. Just a shit show with an even shittier audience.

“Hey,” you heard Jack’s voice beside you, and you turned your head around, looking at him. “Where'd you go?”

“Nowhere,” you smiled; it didn’t reach your eyes. Jack seemed to be ready to talk back when a girl— brunette with the greenest eyes you’ve ever seen— threw herself at his lap.

“Jackieeee.” She whined, kissing his cheek. “I missed you.”

You could tell she was a little tipsy, but even so, it made your stomach ache anyway. That ugly, shattering feeling of feeling like less than less came back, and it was as if you could feel the narrator of your story preparing himself to repeat the same shit again. Here’s Sophia again, the girl who likes to mistake butterflies for cardiac arrests.

“Hi…” Jack sounded unsure, something he rarely did. You looked at Grace, and she looked right back at you. Only then you realized that basically everyone was staring at you.

“You don’t remember me?” The girl sounded like she was pouting and you cringed. She was so close to you, sitting on his lap, that her left thigh was brushing against your arm. “That’s fine. I’ll make sure to be unforgettable this time, baby.”

“Wow, I think that’s it for me,” you muttered, getting up from the couch, moving to the kitchen without looking back. You knew that you’d throw up if you did; not because of Jack and Mrs. Unforgettable, but because of the pity stares you knew people were giving you. It sucked.

You also knew that if you stayed inside the house for too long, you’d end up drunk and pissed off. And you didn’t want that. So you did the only thing that you knew would put your mind in the right place again: going to the lake.

You walked outside, feeling the cold breeze hit your face and legs and arms and— everywhere, really. You should have worn a sweatshirt, but now it was too late to go back. You’d rather turn into a popsicle than to go back there and watch that again.

Sitting on the dock, you watched the lake in front of you, listening to the sounds of insects and trees moving. It was a nice view, but probably nicer in the summer. Right now it just looked like a Criminal Minds crime scene.

Lost in thoughts, you didn’t hear the steps coming from behind you. “You’re gonna get sick.”

Letting out a scream, you turned around, facing Quinn, who was wearing a pilot costume, with a scowl on your face.

“Sweet Jesus, Quinn, what the hell,” you put your hand on your barely covered chest, taking a deep breath. “Don’t you know how to, I don’t know, make noise while you walk?”

“I did that, actually, you just didn’t hear it,” he sat down beside you, handing you a Canucks sweatshirt. “Thought you’d get cold.”

You smiled, thanking him and putting it on, trying not to ruin your hair and makeup.

“Thank you, Quinn. That’s nice. Go Canucks!” You raised your hand, making a fist bump, hearing his soft chuckle beside you. You sighed. “I don’t know if you’re here to try to make me feel better or anything like that, but you don’t have to. I’m fine, really.”

“I’m just here because you needed a sweater and because it’s kinda creepy to be here alone. Nothing else, I promise.”

You looked at him, once again surprised with the Hughes men. But then, they were raised by Ellen, so you shouldn’t really be surprised.

You nodded, choosing not to say anything, just feeling the breeze on your face, a million thoughts in your head.

Now what? What would you even say to Jack? Hey, yeah, I know that when we started this we said that we didn’t want to fall in love but guess what! I’m in love with you.

And what would he even say to you? It wasn’t his fault he didn’t like you back. He’d probably say something like yeah, you fucked up our arrangement now I’ll have to find someone else to fuck every week. You were fun, though! and move on with his life.

And you’d move on with yours, just like you did before. The thing is, you didn’t want to move on again. You spent five years into your twenties trying to move on from things and it was tiring as hell. Moving on from broken friendships? Tiring. Moving on from toxic people? Tiring. Moving on from your cheater boyfriend? Tiring and humiliating.

You were pulled from your thoughts by Quinn throwing rocks at the lake, laughing when he couldn’t make them float like he intended to. He looked at you with that tired expression of his, and smiled back.

“Great album, by the way,” he blurted out of nowhere.

You frowned. “Thank you, I guess. Did someone leak it?”

“No,” he laughed, shortly. “Jack talked about it in our family group chat a while ago. Ma asked about you and he went on rambling about it, which was really funny. He was like, putting on his uniform before practice and recording a voice note at the same time, which he never does. And then he went full rambling about all of the songs and how shitty your ex was. Sorry about that,”

You looked at Quinn like he had grown two more heads, four more arms and five more legs. You had no idea Jack talked about your songs with his family. At all.

You wanted to ask more about it to Quinn so bad but you were kinda scared about what you were going to hear in response. Does Jack talk about me?

About you? Yeah, and a lot of other girls too.

“Sure,” you mumbled. “Yeah, Harris was a dick,”

“I liked some of his movies but now he’s banned from my watchlist forever.” Quinn announced like the statement didn’t make your heart break and mend at the same time, his tone calm and distant. “It’s good that you found something to channel your pain though. I do that a lot during my games.”

“Singing for me is like breathing. I’ve done it since I was, like, eight or even younger,” you nodded to yourself, looking at the stars above you. “This album means a lot to me, in a lot of ways. So thank you for telling me this.” You smiled, not sure if he could see it. He was also looking at the stars.

“Don’t need to say ‘thank you’. You have a gift, Sophia. I hope you know that,” he stretched himself, yawning and wrapping his arms around his middle. “I wish I could write songs but I suck at that.”

“Why do you sound like you’ve tried that already?” You smirked, fucking with him.

Or at least you thought you were, because Quinn went quiet, which confirmed your suspicions.

“What!” You looked at him, throwing your arms up. “Have you written songs before?”

“I was thirteen, okay? I just thought that maybe if I didn’t make it to the NHL, I could at least be a rapper or something.” He shrugged, again, which only made you start laughing. “I know, it’s funny. Thankfully, I made it to the NHL.”

“I don’t know, it’d be great to make a song with you,” you said, playfully, before realising something. “Oh my God, Quinn. That’s what I need!”

“What?” He smirked. “Make a song with me? I don’t think that’s a great idea—”

“No, not a song with you. Just a song. I need to write,” You nodded to yourself, getting up and fixing your skirt with your hands. “Do you think I could get a cab here? I came with Jack and I think he’s…” you bit your lip. Focus. Write the song; it will all be better. “Busy. And Grace needs to have her fun, too. She’s been working nonstop.”

“A cab? Soph, it’s like midnight,” he got up, too, standing in front of you. “I can take you home. It’s no biggie.”

“What? No! Enjoy the party! I’ll just try to catch an Uber or something.” You went to grab your phone, just to remember that you left it at the cabin. “Ugh, fuck, I need to go inside again.”

“I will take you home, no need for Ubers or anything like that. Just tell me where your things are and I’ll pick them up for you. I’ll talk to Grace on my way there.” He affirmed, walking with you towards the cabin, the loud music slowly filling up your ears again.

“That’s… so nice,” you breathed, more grateful than you’d like to admit. “Thank you, Quinn, seriously. I owe you.”

“It’s fine,” he replied, hands in his pockets. “Wait a second here, please.”

You did, and it wasn’t long until he showed up with your backpack, your phone and a very worried Grace beside him.

“Girl, what the hell?” She yelled, probably not even realizing how loud she sounded. “I’ve been looking for you like crazy and out of nowhere Quinn shows up with your stuff, saying he will get you home.”

“I have to write a song.” You reasoned, raising your shoulders.

Grace stared at you for what felt like forever, until she pressed her lips on your forehead and sighed. “Alright. I’m not even going to ask. Be safe, please, and remember that I’m only a phone call away.”

“Thank you, I love you.” You kissed her back, following Quinn on the way to his car, not bothering to look back.

Jack was probably busy anyway.

— ♡

HANDS around the guitar, you replayed the same melody you’ve been playing for five hours straight now.

You arrived home at one thirty in the morning, and even though you were awfully tired, you had to get the lyrics, the feelings, the emotions out of you. Fuck sleeping.

You offered your guest room for Quinn but he just shook his head, saying that he’d crash at his parents’. You made him call you when he arrived there so you knew he was safe, which he promptly did.

After that, you made yourself tea and sat in your home studio, writing obsessively. It had been a long time since the last time you had a song practically written in your head, and honestly, you couldn’t tell if that was good or not.

What you knew, though, is that now, five hours later, seven a.m. in the morning, you had a song. Bad for Business. You sent it to your producer and Grace before laying on your bed and drifting away immediately, the exhaustion taking over you.

[the-gateway-to-madness]

Platonic dynamics I want to see more in the (tiny) Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons fandom:

Jack being like an older brother to Hiccup and sort of seeing an older version of Jamie in him and not scoffing at how nerdy he is ("holy crap you MADE this? Man show me how it works!!")

Rapunzel post-her-movie being all gung-ho and cheery, and Merida trying to get her to stop being so naïve, only for Rapunzel to calmly list all the ways she was betrayed and abused throughout her adventures (and you'd only have to go through the canon events of the movie and show to make this work, btw, girl's been through STUFF) and tells Merida she is upbeat and kind because she chooses to believe that most people are good, because so many people stuck with her through so much and so many people came back to her after betraying her. And Merida is like "well dang ok, wanna learn to shoot a bow"

Jack being calm, responsible, and protective of the others without becoming too angsty in the process- playing harmless little pranks to bring everyone's spirits up, that sort of thing

Merida being annoyed by Jack at first, but it's because she misses her brothers, not because she categorically dislikes the pranks. She tells Jack this and he asks her to join him doing pranks. She has much more fun after this.

Rapunzel is good at many things, but not so much inventing, as we see in TTS; her trying to assist Hiccup and him being good-natured about it but entirely accidentally outclassing her

Jack very deliberately keeping his past and loneliness to himself, and the others figuring out something's off because they never catch him sleeping, he's pensive when he's not interacting with them, he's got such wide and extensive experience, and he starts admitting bits and pieces like "I'm older than I look" etc etc

Jack never openly getting angry with the kids because they're kids and he's a Guardian, so instead when one of them is upset or trying to pick a fight with him, his staff will glow brighter or it'll get cloudier or windier or snowier- his magic responds, but Jack refuses to, making his calm all the more scary.

Jack being the first to realize Rapunzel has been through Stuff and sitting down with her when the other two are asleep "what happened to you?" entirely gently and patiently because HE'S A GOOD BIG BROTHER DANGIT I WANT THIS SIDE OF HIM TO SHOW MORE-

Hiccup worrying/getting upset/doing that I Have To Stand Alone thing and Rapunzel approaching him like "you're not the only one who grew up alone, you know. It's okay to rely on us, we won't let you down"

Hiccup doing the I Have To Stand Alone thing in general cause I don't see that a lot in crossovers or at least the arts

The others finding Jack in weird places because super-balance go brr

Jack being reluctant to touch any of the kids for any reason because he doesn't want to see the way they treat him change once they realize how cold and inhuman he really is

Merida recognizing Jack immediately as the only other obviously competent fighter by the way he moves (she was raised around all manner of warriors and guards, after all) and immediately setting about allying herself with him because Heaven knows they all need as much protection as they can get

Merida helping Hiccup to have a moment like he has in the HTTYD books where he realizes he's actually a really amazing swordfighter when he actually uses his dominant hand

Hiccup and Rapunzel asking Merida and Jack what siblings are like

Jack just treating them all like his little siblings

Jack and Merida gathering ingredients together and, depending on the region, Jack teaching Merida the safe local vegetation and herbs because he's been everywhere. Also, Jack teaching the others how to cook with local ingredients

Jack knowing a lot about herbal medicine and helping and teaching the others

After much internal deliberation, Jack choosing Hiccup to hold his staff while he takes care of two-handed tasks

Jack knowing how to style hair because of Mary, and he and Merida helping Rapunzel tame her hair

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Hi,love ur stories 😍

I was wondering if u could do one based on 'I see the light' from tangled, where they meet at a mutual friends wedding or something, she was singing the song where she has the most melodiest voice and (charles, max or Pierre) somehow 'fall in love' at first sight of her along with her voice. Thx 😊😍

This was cute 💕 I hope you don't mind but I changed the setting a little bit.

Tangled Up In You || MV1

Pairing: Max Verstappen x singer!fem!reader Warnings: fluff, slight angst with his ex, more fluff WC: 2.2k

F1 Masterlist

Children were known to be resilient creatures that could adapt well to changes but Penelope had struggled to understand why her and her mother no longer lived with Max. It had been six months and still she asked where her ‘Maxie’ was and why he couldn’t come with them to their new home. 

So, it came as no surprise when she was asked who she wanted to invite to her 4th birthday party that Max was at the top of the list.

“...you don’t have to come, I can say you are busy-”

“No, I’ll be there, Kel,” Max interrupted as he put the call on speaker and added the event to his calendar. “Is P there? Can I talk to her?”

“Sorry, she’s with Daniil picking out her princess dress. The theme’s Disney, of course,” Kelly laughed softly before she sighed. “Are you sure you want to come, or are you just being nice?”

“I want to come. I miss our tea parties, and standing on tiny pieces of lego.”

The silence on the line lingered for a moment before she couldn’t help asking. “Do you miss me?” 

This time it was Max who sighed. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

He hung up before she could apologise again. Somehow she always turned a conversation back to their relationship, but that wasn’t something Max would ever entertain. If the man knew one thing from his life of racing it was how to move forward and when the three year relationship he had run its course he had taken time to reflect, just like those post-race debriefs, and planned to use it as a lesson learned for next time.

Kelly had overdone it as usual. 

The largest ballroom of Hôtel de Paris had been transformed into a set straight from Disney and filled with actresses dressed as Penelope’s favourites princesses. 

It was easy to spot P when Max walked in because her excited squeals were impossible to miss and he followed the sound to the front of the stage where she was jumping excitedly.

“Maxie!” she screamed, running and jumping at him trusting he would catch her.

“Happy Birthday, P,” he grinned as he lifted her up into a hug. “I can’t believe you are two years old already.”

“I’m four, silly!”

“No, that can’t be. You can’t possibly grow up that quickly.”

“I can! Have you seen my princesses? My favourite one isn’t here yet but mummy said she’s going to be here any minute.”

Max scanned the room for the princesses and saw the usual ones like Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora. “Is Rapunzel still your favourite then?”

Penelope nodded with a big toothy grin. “She’s so pretty. I want to be like her when I grow up.”

Max put her down carefully and straightened the tiara sitting on her perfectly styled hair. “You are already prettier than everyone here, P.”

“There you are,” Kelly greeted Max as she left another conversation to join them, kissing his cheeks twice just a little too close to the corners of his lips. “Just in time too. Sweetheart, look who’s here.”

Penelope screamed as she spotted Rapunzel taking the stage, a long golden braid adorned with flowers hanging all the way down her back. “It’s her, it’s really her,” P squealed as she squeezed Max’s hand. “She’s beautiful.”

Max was in a state of shock as his jaw fell slack. “She is.”

The lights of the stage dimmed until only a single spotlight cast a warm glow to her skin, the braiding of hair around her head appearing like a golden crown, or more accurately, a halo.

Max recognised the song in an instant, remembering the evenings spent on the couch watching Tangled, P dancing across the living room floor as she sang her little heart out. The memory brought a smile to his lips and it only grew wider as the angel on the stage began to sing.

You double checked the wig was held firmly by the pins and not a strand of hair was out of place before running your palms over the dress to make sure there wasn’t a single wrinkle on the pastel pink material. Satisfied you were ready, you hooked the small microphone and earpiece into place and nodded to the sound engineer to start the cue.

It was no difficult task to smile brightly as the music began and you twirled out onto the stage, you lived for these days. Seeing the excitement and joy your performances made the children who witnessed it brought joy to your life. Seeing their eyes widen and their jaws drop was what motivated you to channel even deeper and give your all to the act.

All those days watching from the windows All those years outside looking in All that time never even knowing Just how blind I've been

You spotted the birthday girl at the front of the crowd and plucked a bright flower from the braid, kneeling down to tuck it behind her ear. Her smile widened and she could hardly stand still as she trembled with excitement.

You waved a hand to the ceiling and the projector illuminated it with a thousand little glowing dots and a surprised gasp whispered across the largest crowd you had ever sung to.

Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight Now I'm here, suddenly I see Standing here, it's all so clear I'm where I'm meant to be

You smiled at the little girl once more before spinning on your toes beneath the twinkling lights, the tulle skirt billowing around you as if you were floating away with them.

Around the room, the other casted characters were turning on their lanterns and raising them into the air on near invisible strings. You could perform this set a thousand times and never tire of seeing the crowd's reactions to the lanterns floating into the night sky.

And at last I see the light And it's like the fog has lifted And at last I see the light And it's like the sky is new

You scanned the crowd while they were in a state of wonderment looking up, but there was one man who wasn’t. He still held the same unblinking look of awe but he could have been oblivious to the lights the way he was staring right back at you.

There was something about the look that almost knocked you off your feet as your stomach flipped and heat burned on your cheeks under the intensity. His eyes, a pale shade of blue, drew you closer to the edge of the stage and his foot lifted as if he were to follow.

And it's warm and real and bright And the world has somehow shifted

His lips moved like he knew the words by heart and you nearly missed the line as your heart skipped a beat. The rest of the crowd faded away as you knelt back where you had been and pulled another flower from your hair.

All at once everything looks different Now that I see you

He leaned forward and you tucked it behind his ear, your fingers grazing his jawline as you retreated. You were so absorbed by his shy smile and the blush highlighting his cheeks you didn’t notice the woman standing to the side of him. For a moment, before you caught yourself, it was only him that you sang to and only him that you saw.

“Please, please can I?” P begged her mother to go and see Rapunzel but after the breathtaking performance she had been in a mood and withdrew her hand from her daughter’s. 

“No, your cake is going to be coming out in a moment - I need to be here to show them where to put it.”

Tears welled along the four year old’s eyes and her bottom lip trembled before Max stepped in. “How about I take her?”

He had been watching the stage entrance for any sign of movement since her song had ended and it was hard to hide the disappointment when she didn’t return for another. He could still hear her voice and was busy committing it to memory in the hopes he could use the sweet, melodic sound to calm his racing mind when he lay awake alone at night.

Max couldn’t explain how utterly obsessed he had become or how he wished he knew what delicate perfume it was he had inhaled when she touched his face. He ran his hand along his jawline, following where her fingers had been under the guise of a scratch, and he was glad he had tidied his beard up for the event.

“Of course you would offer that,” Kelly bit back, pulling him from his thoughts as his hand fell away from his face. “Whatever, do as you want.”

Penelope understood the permission but missed the sarcasm and Max sighed to himself as he took P’s hand and made their way to the curtains that hid the makeshift backstage area.

“Rapunzel!” P squealed as she rushed forward, towing Max to keep up until she barrelled into the princesses legs and wrapped her arms around them. “I love you.”

You had almost begun to pull your wig off when you heard a little girl call out. You turned just in time to catch her as she grappled you into a hug and you laughed softly as you tucked her hair back behind her ear to see the flower you had given her.

“Aren’t you the sweetest little girl,” you giggled as you knelt down to her height and took in the sight of the man who followed her, his hands tucking into his dress pants. You drowned in the eyes that had held you captivated before tearing yours away and swallowing the disappointment that had crept up your throat. “I hope you are having the most magical birthday with your father.”

The birthday girl looked up at him with a laugh. “This is my Maxie.”

You tried to hide your confusion but he obviously saw it as he scratched the back of his neck, the material of the shirt he wore straining as his biceps tensed.

“Uh, I am, was, her step-dad,” he corrected as he gave the girl a small sad smile before offering his hand to you. “It’s just Max, or you can call me Maxie too, I guess, if you want.”

You smiled in amusement as you shook his hand, the touch lingering a little longer as neither of you made an effort to pull away.

“I’m Rapunzel,” you said as your eyes darted to Penelope.

“Right,” he chuckled and let his hand fall back to his side as he looked at her too. “Your cake might be waiting for you, P. Do you want to go check?”

“Can you come?” she asked you with big round eyes.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, but Eugene has probably got himself into trouble without me, so I should really be going. But I must thank you, it was an absolute delight to celebrate your birthday with you. I love getting to spend time with a fellow princess.” You swung your braid over your shoulder and the sweet scent of the fresh flowers filled the air. “You can have as many as you like.”

It took all your concentration not to look at Max when that was what you really wanted to do, especially when he knelt beside you and helped Penelope to choose which flowers to take. His arm brushed against yours and you nearly lost your balance from the deep breath you took of his mouth watering cologne.

Eventually she was happy with the dozen bright blossoms she cradled in her arms and thanked you before rushing to take them back to her mother. “Come on, Maxie!” she called without looking back to see if he was following.

He rose with a sigh and you hissed as your head was tugged sharply by the pins. “Shit, sorry,” he murmured as he saw his watch had got caught in the braid. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright, it actually happens more often than you would think.” You rubbed the back of your head where the pain was worst and double checked the birthday girl was gone. “I’m Y/N.”

He repeated it with a smile as he slipped the watch off his wrist to use both hands to untangle it from the golden threads. “Would you let me take you to dinner to apologise properly?”

If you were wearing your microphone it probably would have picked up the sound of your heart from how quickly it started pumping. There was no denying this attraction between you and you could see he was equally affected by it too.

“No, I told you it’s alright,” you started, taking his hand when his shoulder slumped crestfallen. “But, you can buy me dinner if you want to make it a date?”

A bright smile broke across his face and you couldn’t help smiling back knowing it was because of you. “Tonight?”

You nodded as you reached into the hidden pocket in the dress and passed him your phone to enter his number before he sent himself a message to get yours. “You might not recognise me without all this,” you joked as you started to pull the pins out of the wig and freed your natural hair.

He chuckled and shook his head as he found you even more beautiful than before. “There’s no mistaking those eyes, I would recognise them anywhere.”

[fxrmuladaydreams]

Hiii!! For Oscar's weekend could you do a sfw fic where Oscar and reader have been friends for a few years, reader is an F1 journalist, they met when she started working at the paddock, and they compliment each other well, she's really sunshine-y and bubbly, speaks a lot, but also has anxiety, and Oscar is, well, Oscar. They are out or smth and a guy starts bothering reader, so Oscar goes over to her and says he's her boyfriend or something and kisses her. Then I'll let you choose the rest, with the prompt: "There's a reason why I kissed you, you idiot" or smth like that?

Thank you, and sorry if this doesn't make too much sense, it's my first request, thank youuu.

send in requests (sfw & nsfw) for oscar weekend

The two of you were perfect for each other, a match made in heaven. Anyone in the paddock could see it, lord knows Oscar’s had to deal with Lando’s endless teasing about it. Even fans could see it in interviews, though they couldn’t really see you, they could clearly see the lovestruck look on the Aussie’s face as he listened to you ask him questions.

It wasn’t uncommon for the journalists and the drivers to form a sort of relationship, with the overlap of retired drivers that had decided to try their hand at commentary, but an actual friendship was rare.

Even then that didn’t stop a friendship from blooming with the younger McLaren driver. A friendship that often toed the line between platonic and romantic.

You found yourself spending more and more time at the McLaren garages, at first hoping to catch a glimpse of the young Australian, but now because he had mentioned that he’d like to hang out with you whenever you had free time in the paddock.

Photos and videos of the two of you in the paddock had begun to surface. Most of which were of you talking, usually looking down at the ground or your hands that were gesturing around, with Oscar tilting his head down, listening intently to every word from your mouth with a smile on his face.

Fans had begun comparing the two of you to Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, posting side by side photos of the two of you, and Rapunzel and Flynn on the boat. You blushed and waved them off when they were sent to you, positive that people were looking too far into your relationship with Oscar, that he simply thought of you as a friend, nothing less, and nothing more.

You were wrong of course, so very wrong. Oscar adored you. He loved having you around, he felt it was easier to open up. He had been so passive during his rookie season that it had become a label for him to wear. With you around, he felt like he could let his true personality shine through. He could make sarcastic quips and could be more outgoing.

So of course he’d asked you to accompany him to a club Lando had insisted they go to after a race weekend. You agreed, knowing that it wasn’t really Oscar’s scene, nor was it yours but you knew you’d go anywhere if it meant you were going with him.

You made sure to keep close to Oscar while in the club, both of you tucked away in a corner. You tried to ignore the feeling of his arm wrapped around your waist and the heat radiating from his body as you stood pressed against him.

He kept his eyes trained on the crowds in the club, knowing full well that if he were to look down at you he may end up doing something he’d regret.

“I’m gonna get us some drinks.” He leans down to say in your ear.

You nod up at him, giving him a small smile. The smile falls off your face as soon as he steps away. You feel even more crowded than you did when Oscar was there. There are people everywhere, and you quickly lose sight of Oscar as he makes his way to the bar.

“Hey.” A voice says next to you.

It’s a man, a man that happens to be standing far too close for your liking.

“Hi.” You say, taking a step back.

He gives you a smirk, looking you up and down. “What are you doing here all alone?”

You glance in the direction Oscar went, still unable to see him, then at the DJ booth, where Lando stands with a few other people, unaware of anything outside his little circle.

“I’m actually here with-”

“Her boyfriend.”

You turn to see Oscar and let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding in. He stands tall, his chest puffed out a bit, and his eyes daring the offending man to continue talking to you. One of his arms wraps around you, pulling you into his side.

“You can be on your way now.” Oscar grits out.

“Sorry man, I didn’t realize she was taken.” The man raises his hands as if surrendering and melts back into the crowds.

“Thanks Os, he was making me really uncomfortable.” You tell him.

“I could tell.” He furrows his brows, still looking into the crowd. “He’s watching us.”

One of your hands instinctively holds onto his bicep. “What should we do?”

Oscar could see the man making his way towards them again. He gently cups your face so you’re looking up at him.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

People say they experience fireworks and butterflies when they kiss the person they love. Neither of those is true for your kiss with Oscar.

The club feels silent, or muted. Like everything has gone quiet in your world except for Oscar. All you can focus on is his body as it leans into yours, his hands as they move from your face to the back of your head, how his hair swoops down brushing against your forehead.

You feel dizzy when he pulls away, disoriented. He clears his throat, and turns to look back into the crowd again.

“He’s gone.”

“Good.” You squeak out, trying to compose yourself.

You stand together awkwardly, both of you afraid of what has happened between you.

“Do you wanna head back to the hotel?” Oscar asks.

You nod.

He places a hand on the small of your back and guides you to the exit, making sure to keep you in front of him.

The walk back to the hotel is filled with more awkward silence. You can’t help but notice he’s keeping a larger distance between you than normal.

“Are things going to be… different? Between us?” Oscar asks. He keeps his head down, too afraid to look at you.

“Do you want things to be different?” You ask him quietly.

He huffs out a laugh. “There’s a reason why I kissed you.” He glances over at you, then sighs. “I mean, it was something I wanted to do for a while now. I guess it took some dickwad making you uncomfortable for me to finally get the balls to do it.”

You let out a laugh at his phrasing. “Well, if it makes you feel any better,” you take his hand in yours, linking your fingers together “I’ve wanted that too.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.” You nod, pulling him closer.

“Good, then you won’t mind if I do it again? For real this time?”

“Absolutely not.” You grin up at him.

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

(Lady Adam AU)

*Adam woke still in hell and all the Exorcists gone*

Adam: What the fuck.

Adam internally: What’s wrong with my voice.

*Adam quickly stood up and the robes fell from his body which gave him a good look at his body, to his shock it was a woman’s body, instead of his dad bod, he now had a very curvy hourglass figure and what he had to admit were some really nice looking breasts that had to be at least a DD cup, he put his hands between his legs and as expected he no longer had a dick and balls, instead it was a pussy*

Adam internally: Fuck, my favorite part of myself was taken away.

*thankfully he still had on the black skintight body suit he had on under his robes and the black combat boots with spikes on them, he moved his wings and realized that they were a shimmery black instead of gold and his hands had black claws with blackened skin, his main annoyance was that his hair was as long as Lilith’s and when he put his hands in his hair it felt like he now horns on his head, he then saw the spider like demon and the one eyed woman from the fight at the hotel run up to him*

Angel Dust: Hey, are you alright? My name is Angel Dust and this is my friend Cherri Bomb. What is your name?

Adam: Ada…….. Adaline.

Cherri Bomb: Cool Name, he live at the Hazbin Hotel, we saw you passed out and we want to help you.

Angel Dust: We can get you something nice to wear and maybe you can stay at the hotel, Charlie would like more guests.

*before Adam could object he realized that going to the hotel would be the best option for him*

Adam: That sounds nice, thank you.

*Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb took Adam to a mall where they started to look at outfits for him, he got a look at himself and he had to admit that he made a good looking chick, he also had horns a lot like Lilith’s but they were deep purple instead of red, they picked out a black tank top with a sheer black long sleeved shirt as well as a choker with gold spikes on it, then they picked out a purple plaid mini skirt thankfully the black combat boots still fit, but now he realized that from the knees down his legs had thick fur the same color as his hair and they ended with black hooves*

Cherri Bomb: You want to get a hair cut unless you like that whole Rapunzel thing?

Adam: I definitely want to get a hair cut.

*Adam was dragged to a salon and they allowed him to get whatever hair cut he wanted which was a nice change from Heaven, he had his hair cut to the length of his mid back and had part of his head shaved leaving stubble there, he had to admit that if he met Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb under different circumstances, he would have befriended them*

Angel Dust: That looks bad ass, we should go to the hotel so you can meet everyone and get a room,

*Adam had to hope that now that he had a woman’s body no one at the hotel would recognize him*

(The hairstyle Adam/Adaline got)

Adam walked into the hotel, he had to admit that it actually wasn't that bad looking on the inside. They rebuilt it very fast, he wasn't sure how long he was out for but it hasn't been that long.

Angel: Hey Charlie! We brought someone!

Charlie poked her head out from around the corner and squealed when she saw Adam. To think not that long ago she stabbed a fucking trident into his shoulder.

Charlie: Hi! I'm Charlie and this is the Hazbin Hotel! May I ask your name?

Lucifer: Charlie where did you put the-

The words died in his throat when his eyes landed on the beautiful sinner standing in the lobby. Lucifer might still have technically been a married man but he wasn't fucking blind.

And Lilith probably wasn't coming back....

Adam: It's Adaline.

She even had a beautiful name....

Charlie: Welcome Adaline! Oh, this is my dad Lucifer.

Adam shifted his gaze to Lucifer who was staring at him, not necessarily at his face either. Was he looking at Adams tits? Well, when you're at eye level.....

Adam gave a tight smile: Hi.

He still remembered this guy beating his ass and calling him names, mocking him and everything.

Asshole. The nerve to look at him like that.

Lucifer: Hi.... Hi! Welcome, I hope you'll enjoy your stay.

Adam: I'm sure I will.

Charlie: You've already met Angel and Cherri. Over there is Husk the bartender, our maid Nifty and Alastor.

Alastor grinned widely as he approached Adam, not missing the once over he gave him.

Ew.

Alastor: Pleasure to be meeting you miss Adaline. As hotel manager don't be afraid to ask me for anything.

Adam could see out of the corner of his eye Lucifer glaring at the radio demon.

Adam: Thank you.

Charlie: I'll show you to your room!

Adam followed Charlie, he was given a room on the sixth floor. She left to let him settle in. Adam sat on the bed and sighed.

How was he going to fix this?

[ideaforfanficsorsomethingidgaf]

Little Oblivious Shooting Star Au

Although, this au is different. Stanford Pines shook Bill's hand and became his right-hand man and lover. Typical Evil Ford and all that, Weirdmageddon unleashes upon the whole Earth, devastation, chaos, and more. But this time, he still has some semblance of humanity in him.

Ford and Mabel, one of the very few survivors, were fighting. They always do this. Ford think it's a game and plays with her. Although, something happens. Ford did threw her a little too hard.

There was a sickening crack.

Blood was everywhere. He killed her. He cried and hated himself. After mourning, he had an idea. To revive Mabel. Now, revival wasn't something easy and believe it or not, it took him a century or more, trial and error with every ritual, potion, spell, curse, anything that had any semblance of bringing back the dead or revival.

All throughout, you know those cryogenic chambers where the Shape-shifter was now trapped in? Ford put Mabel's body in it to protect it against time. Any rare free time he'd have, he would stand infront of the chambers and place his hand on the glass. Looking at her serene and peaceful expression, she looked like as if she were asleep.

He would cry right there and then.

Soon enough, he finally was able to conduct the ritual and Mabel was alive again. But everything comes with a price. Mabel can't remember a thing. I got this inspiration from the fact that the brain and nervous system decays first soon as you as die because it requires oxygen, a constant supply of it.

Ford was a bit devastated but happy that he got Mabel back. Though, this gives him a higher advantage.

Being Bill's right-hand man and lover has given him many perks, including a mansion on top of a hill and large space of forestry. Ford used that to his advantage, uses Mabel's amnesia to his advantage.

Ford becomes overprotective of Mabel and spoils her every chance he gets. He keeps her sheltered away from the ruined Earth. He treats her as if she was his daughter as the line between daughter and niece blurred. He became so obsessed with protecting her, loving her, caring her, and even spoiling her.

Since she woke up and couldn't remember anything except for the basics like eating, writing, reading, and function like a human being, it was easy to somewhat manipulate her into staying in the mansion. In her time with him, she knows it's normal behavior, she knows it's a normal environment, that staying in the mansion and never going outside is normal because that's what he taught her.

He also twists stories about the outside world into a hellscape, manipulating her and scaring her. Think about the Rapunzel and Mother Gothel situation but this time, it's actually successful.

Ford still works for Bill Cipher and Mabel is always worried for him everytime he leaves because he did tell her the devastating earth stories from before. Mabel always cried and tells to not leave because she doesn't want him to get hurt.

Everytime he leaves, she's devastated and always begs for him to stay and it's always a bittersweet moment whenever he comes back. You know, at this point, he is so scared for her, so overprotective of her, with the help of the other henchmaniacs, he secretly conducts a ritual that makes Mabel immortal.

Mabel doesn't feel a thing. She doesn't know she's immortal, she didn't even know that she could die in the first place.

She will never know. She's oblivious to it.

Little Oblivious Shooting Star.

(I can't draw and rarely write fanfics so if you guys wanna add hcs, oneshots, fanarts, or anything, just use the tag #Little Oblivious Shooting Star Au or #L.O.S.S Au and tag me because I love seeing your guys' work, whether it'd be Tumblr, TikTok, Instagram, or even YouTube.)

[doodler16]

I know someone on this website probably already talked about this, but I wanna add my two cents in:

Charlie is basically a poor-man Rapunzel from Tangled (Talking more specifically the movie version)

But what makes Rapunzel good is that: Her being sheltered actually serves a purpose as Mother Gothel wanted to keep her hidden and use her power to keep her young. She was bubbly and upbeat but had serious moments too. She was shown to be capable to handle herself in the form of how she uses her hair. AND got to actually stand up to her antagonist and tell her off!

Where as Charlie: We don't know the reason (Or if there is any) why Lucifer and Lilith decided to shelter her away from the world. And we saw how that affected Charlie and made her the way she is, and how that messed her up. Yet we get nothing. She's bubbly and upbeat and that's all she has going for her. Any time she TRIES to be serious it's either brushed off or played up as a joke like a kid trying to act serious. She's not capable of handling herself and always need SOMEBODY at her side to keep her from screwing up. And she never got to actually stand up to her antagonist and needed Lucifer to handle it for her.

The only resemblance I see with Rapunzel and Charlie is their hair. Charlie in the series is very watered down compared to her pilot counterpart. In the pilot, Charlie was able to fight her own battles, put her foot down, and be straightforward about her opinions. Meanwhile in the series: Charlie can’t get to the point sometimes, dice (sometimes) her words to satisfy the other person, and even when she does fight someone it’s already too late.

Even though in the series Charlie is the main character we are supposed to be following, she can’t even get a proper win by herself. Whether it’s physically fighting someone or trying to assemble a bunch of cannibals. She is overshadowed by men and it’s embarrassing to watch. Then the show (Lucifer and Vaggie) gaslight the audience that Charlie helped souls and that she made a difference.

[a-shift-in-the-lore]

There’s an AU rattling inside my head I haven’t been able to stop thinking about based on Viktor meeting Singed as a young child and them bonding over the Waverider Rio

(long thought post)

In the universe we know, Viktor learns about how Singed treats Rio and cuts contact with him, soon after they meet (we don’t know precisely how long they were working together to help Rio before Viktor discovered what Singed was doing)

What if in another universe Rio was healthier or healthy for for longer and so Viktor and Singed really got attached to each other?

We’ve already seen the lengths Singed will go for one child, imagine the lengths he’d go for two?

We don’t know much about Viktor’s childhood outside of his brief partnership with Singed and his discovery by Heimerdinger which lead him to becoming his assistant

He could be an orphan, he could have parents that are so poor they have to work more to take care of his needs, either way based on what we do know it seems he had a lot of free time unsupervised

If in this case, he spends more and more of his free time with Singed in his lab and Singed forms an attachment to Viktor, especially if it’s to the point of considering Viktor a second child, I imagine losing him or the thought of losing would make him spiral just as it does with Orianna

If Viktor later discovers Singed’s treatment of Rio, after that attachment has already formed, and Viktor tries to leave, Singed may have tried to prevent it instead of just brushing off his feelings about the matter and letting him leave

Viktor’s smart and scrappy but Singed has far more resources, I’m kind of imaging a Tangled’s Rapunzel situation except, it’s Singed’s territory in the Undercity instead of a Tower and instead of staying there willingly, Viktor’s constantly escaping his clutches only to be brought back to him by hired men

Viktor is torn because he has grown to care about Singed (as well as Orianna) but he can’t stand Signed’s methods

If Heimerdinger later discovers him still, once again he’d spiral over “his” child being taken from him, especially since Heimerdinger didn’t approve of Singed trying to save Orianna - he probably have a personal vendetta against Heimerdinger at that point

Viktor would want to go to Piltover not just for the opportunities, not just to for the chance to get better away from the grey, but also to get away from Singed and his choices

He’d maybe feel guilty over it even though he knows it the right decision and the smart decision, we’ve seen that Viktor has a hard time letting people in, even if Singed is absolutely úplně mimo or completely out of it in this AU he still grew up with him and feels a connection to him and even one with Orianna cuz he spent years hearing about her from Singed

But he doesn’t want to hurt others to save lives, not even Orianna’s, not even his own

The timeline from there would probably be similar, except Singed is constantly sending Viktor’s gifts and Silco’s sending men up to Piltover to check on Viktor and to cause trouble for Heimerdinger in ways that can’t be tracked back to him

Sometimes he’ll even show up at Viktor’s apartment and won’t leave until he’s satisfied Viktor’s okay, running tests on him until Viktor finally convinces him to leave

It leaves Viktor shaken every time because he doesn’t want Heimerdinger to know of his connection to Singed and he’s afraid of the consequences of being caught with Silco’s drug man

Anyways this goes on as long as Viktor’s in Piltover, Jayce’s lab gets robbed, boom, Viktor’s interest is piqued, Jayce and Viktor team up

Well all know the rest EXCEPT, Viktor is doing his utmost to hide his illness (self experiments? Every medical treatment he can find available in the city? Abuse of pharmaceuticals? Idk) from everyone to avoid it getting back to Singed and does his utmost to get Singed away from Hex tech and Jayce and everything else going on

It doesn’t work entirely, it’s a delicate balance, but he’s managing

But then the disease gets the better of him

When he passes out in the lab, everyone is taken aback

Jayce is absolutely devastated

Singed is deranged

Viktor doesn’t want Singed’s help at this point, so maybe because he’s been putting in the work to avoid Singed he’s much more up to date with the Undercity than in the ogverse so he knows about Ekko and goes to him instead and doesn’t take shimmer

Viktor doesn’t want that additional connection between them

Viktor’s also afraid if he dies he’ll end up in Singed’s lab along side Orianna

So he’s desperate to figure something out, which clues Jayce in, Viktor confesses his fears and then I’m thinking Jayce maybe ropes in Heimerdinger, maybe Mel and Caitlyn and Vi and Viktor’s brought in Ekko and together they figure out a different way, maybe still using the Hexcore without it ending up with him being fused with it and everything changes

A different solution is found, the team saves Viktor and then after checking that off the list, they all work together to prevent Civil War and instead help Zaun gain sovereignty (leading to other changes, like Isha not dying so Junx doesn’t die, the team plus Jinx & Isha getting Vander away from Singed and finding a cure for him, handling Ambessa’s take over in another way, etc, etc all the other loose ends come together somehow someway)

Or maybe Singed finds out, loses his mind over the thought of putting another child, even if this child is now an adult, in a mechanical coffin, and fuses him with the Hexcore himself

And nothing really changes at all

Because whether it was Jayce or Singed it was still done

against his will

in the name of love

and it wasn’t enough

——————

Anyways this AU keeps playing over in my head in new ways like a series of soap opera episodes with new ideas and endings and what have you

I hope you all enjoyed going down my never ending imagination spiral with me lol

[dani-luminae]

So this post introduced me to posters for Wish that I hadn't seen before and BUCKLE UP FOLKS CAUSE I'M ABOUT TO GO NUTS

REFERENCES GALOOOOORRRRE! There's Rapunzel's lanterns reflected on the water as well as her sun symbol painted on the cottage pillars, Moana's (Te Fiti's heart) spiral on the rocks to the left, a racoon and the partridges which I chose to believe are a Snow White reference (of course the racoon could be Meeko from Pocahontas, too.) The flower resembles the Sundrop flower (with the wrong amount of petals and no glow.) There's also a carving on the rocks just below the cottage, but I can't make out what the carving is. Can you?

EVEN MORE REFERENCES GALORE AND FOLKS I'M GONNA SCREAM! In Wish bubbles at the top of the screen we have: the Elephant Graveyard from The Lion King; Ariel from The Little Mermaid; an unknown for certain man standing at a ship's wheel, possibly Eric; Sleeping Beauty's dress; an unknown scene that looks like water; Be Prepared from the Lion King (the crescent moon finale); a figure with a staff or a flag, maybe Radcliffe from Pocahontas?; Gaston, flexing; and someone reaching out for what looks like the moon, sitting on something that looks vaguely like a fish (Aladdin? Quasimodo? Milo in Atlantis?)

BELOW the Wish orbs, though, we've got Disney Villain props all tossed around! At the back worktable we see Dr. Facilier's hat, next to a Sundrop flower, and a rack of antlers and fur that I'm gonna take as a Gaston reference. On the front worktable we have the Poison Apple from Snow White, some Tarot cards of Facilier's, bottled polyps from Ursula's lair, and in the stacks of scrolls below we can see Judge Claude Frollo's hat.

Aladdin's lamp and Bruno's ruana are sitting on a rock to the right, and between them are colorful bugs from The Lion King! The trees have faces which made me think of Grandmother Willow but not sure fully. Up at the top we can see a silhouette of Lumiere on one of the branches, and a racoon holds Chip the teacup! The owl and bluebirds are of course typical "princess in the forest" companions and I'll let you draw your own conclusions, but we also have Bambi and Faline (both adults) in the background! One of the chipmunks in the foreground holds a piece of broken green stone like the kind that stores Bruno's visions, right above a turtle that I'm certain is a Snow White reference! Also, the flowers covered in visible dewdrops as well as the mushrooms remind me of "The Nutcracker Suite" animations in Fantasia!

And last (and with the least references I could find,) on the left we have one of Belle's books sitting on the steps! A farmer with the giant pumpkin that might have been Cinderella's carriage has just gone past in the background, and Simba's symbol from The Lion King can be seen on the opposite side of the steps, close to the yellow pinwheel. The two children are sitting on a pirate ship under two stars... maybe the Second Star to the Right? The last woman on the right has a pattern on her vase that I can't quite make out, and Valentino has a dandelion in his mouth (my first impression is the dandelions that Belle holds while singing her I Want song, but I could be wrong!)

Did I miss any references? Can you spot any that I didn't see? Please let me know!

[ckret2]

Super totally normal things happening in Gravity Falls today.

Just. Incredibly normal.

Chapter 13 of Human Bill Is The Mystery Shack's Prisoner And Mabel Has Decided To Be Nice To Him, featuring: medical marvels being used for stupid reasons. You can read the previous chapters here!

####

"... So there you have it," Pacifica said, running a gloved hand through her hair and gracing the country club members with a pristine plastic smile. "You too can have a full, beautiful head of hair in seconds."

The watching country club members clapped politely. Mabel slyly peeked at the woman next to her and tried to copy her Fancy Clap, patting one hand's fingertips on the other palm.

Dipper didn't clap. He'd been staring out a floor-to-ceiling window, making direct eye contact with an albino peacock, for the last five minutes. When he moved his head, so did the peacock. A bead of sweat dripped from Dipper's hairline. The peacock's gaze followed its progress down his cheek.

The assistant who'd just massaged Hairy Fairy lotion into Pacifica's hair carefully stoppered the bottle, delicately wiped it clean with a golden handkerchief, threw the handkerchief away, and handed the bottle to Pacifica so she could hold it out to the crowd. Pacifica said, "And it only takes a couple of drops to give you a full head of hair, so this little bottle will keep you looking beautiful for years. Using it all at once would make you look like Rapunzel."

Mabel gasped softly. "I want to look like Rapunzel."

Dipper dragged his gaze away from the peacock and whispered, "Do you want it enough to spend ten thousand dollars on it?"

She considered this. "Yes," she said. "Think about it, Dipper. I could make it into a rope, and then: grappling hair."

Dipper pictured Mabel firing her grappling hook and losing her head when she ran out of "rope," and shuddered. "Hey." He elbowed Mabel and pointed at the assistant. "Is it just me, or is he a little overdressed for June?"

The assistant was covered from his feet to his forehead. Nothing stood out too much about a man in a suit in the kind of country club Pacifica visited—he didn't look like a member, but he sure looked like a member's servant—but whenever he stood at an angle that gave a glimpse up his sleeve, it was clear his gloves went far further up his arm than was typical. What was really strange was the silk bandana covering the bottom half of his face, like a Wild West bandit's butler, and the designer sunglasses shaped a bit too much like goggles.

"Yeah, you're right," Mabel said. "In the commercial yesterday, the person who did Pacifica's hair looked like they were in a hazmat suit. Do you think...?"

"But Pacifica doesn't have any protection at all," Dipper said. "If it was dangerous, they probably wouldn't have hired her and risked her family suing, would they?"

"Maybe her 'modeling gig' was getting cloned. And this is Pacifica's clone stunt double for the beauty industry to test its products on!" (The woman standing next to Mabel gave her a worried look.)

The Hairy Fairy spokesman who'd presented Pacifica—a thin man with a too-big mustache and a suit that matched Pacifica's hair—stepped forward to take over the presentation again. "Wasn't that magical, folks? That's exactly why we call this stuff 'Hairy Fairy'—because it's like something out of a fairy tale!" The spokesman laughed; several country club members joined in. "And definitely not because of any other reason. Now, are there any questions—no, no questions?" The spokesman pointedly ignored the raised hand of the woman next to Mabel. "Then who's interested in placing orders today? You can order later, of course, but we have a limited stock and it's going fast—if you're intrigued, you do not want to miss out on this exclusive opportunity to buy a bottle without having to compete with the common masses. Maybe you sir, with the receding hairline? How about you, ma'am—having second thoughts about that bob cut...?"

Her job done, Pacifica had started edging away from the front of the room. She caught sight of Dipper and Mabel and tilted her head toward a nearby hallway.

The twins quietly slipped from the crowd and followed her. Dipper looked at the albino peacock, pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at it, and left.

The peacock fanned its tail threateningly.

####

"So—funny thing," Pacifica said, leading Dipper and Mabel into a wood-paneled and Persian-rugged locker room. Several boxes of Harry's Hairy Fairy Formula were stacked against a wall, in hopes the club members would make some purchases. "I asked my manager why the Hairy Fairy commercial was airing in Gravity Falls, of all places, and get this: our marketing campaign is targeting communities whose population of over-65-year-old men has a high enough average net worth to afford our prices. Ultra rich balding old dudes. And Old Man McGucket has made so much money selling his patents that he's raised the average worth of the entire town's elderly male population. So, basically, the commercial's running for his benefit!"

Dipper laughed. "Whoa, seriously? If he wanted a hair growth formula, he could probably invent one in his bath tub with motor oil."

"I know, right?"

"This is the fanciest locker room I've ever seen," Mabel said. "All the lockers are made out of real wood!" She pulled open a locker that hadn't been properly shut. "Wow. Adult golf clubs."

"Oh, yeah," Pacifica said. "Most country clubs have golf. There's a full 19-hole course outside."

Dipper frowned. "Isn't golf usually 18 holes?"

"This is the rich people's country club. They go the extra mile here."

Mabel stood on one of the velvet-cushioned benches between two rows of lockers to give herself enough height to experimentally swing a club. "I've never played adult golf before."

"I play here from time to time, when my parents bring me along to network with their colleagues' offspring. I could let you in sometime if you want."

"That sounds great!" Mabel punctuated the exclamation with a full swing of the club. It hit the ceiling. She stared in horror at the long scratch she'd left in the wood, then started sheepishly practicing more modest swings, acting like nothing had happened. "Is adult golf better than mini-golf?"

Pacifica paused. "No. It's super boring."

"Aww."

"But coming here is more fun with friends," Pacifica said. "Thanks for, um, showing up to watch my demonstration, by the way. And for... trying to dress up." Dipper had paired his usual t-shirt, vest, backpack, and trapper hat with a nice dressy pair of slacks. Mabel had knit a sweater covered in dollar signs. "Don't tell anyone, but I was actually kind of nervous about doing it live, in case something went wrong? Having you guys there really helped. I knew I had to look perfect in front of the normal people in the audience."

Mabel groaned lightheartedly. "Pacificaaa! You got so close to saying something sweet and spoiled it at the last moment."

"I knowww. Being too sincere still feels weird. I had to water it down."

Dipper said, "Hold on. Before we say anything else: I need you to prove you're you and not some kind of clone. Tell me something only the original Pacifica would know."

Pacifica raised a brow. "Seriously? I'm like a minor celebrity, who would clone me?"

"You'd be surprised, Pacifica." Dipper adopted that squinty-eyed look and mysterious voice that he thought made him look like a worldly adventurer. "You'd be surprised."

"Okay, uh..." She sighed huffily. "The first time you played Bloodcraft, you got so mad at me for trying to get you into the armor shop to upgrade your embarrassing newb gear, because there was a dragon attacking the town."

Dipper grimaced. "I didn't know that going into a building cancels a combat encounter, okay! I've played games where the enemy follows you through the next loading screen, I did not want to fight a dragon in an armor shop."

Pacifica laughed. "You were like, 'Are you just gonna let him burn down the town,' waving around your little tutorial-level handgun. As if the dragon didn't have twenty levels on you—"

"Okay, okay, got it. I believe you. You're Pacifica."

"It's really polite of the dragon to wait outside while you're shopping," Mabel said. She put on a fake deep dragon voice: "'You two find some cute clothes; I'll just be out here breathing... FIRE!'" Her next swing collided with a chandelier, smashing a couple of bulbs.  Mabel jumped off the bench to stuff the golf club back in its bag and slam the locker shut. "That... wasn't polite of me."

Pacifica opened her mouth. Dipper cut in before she had a chance to speak: "Okay, before my sister gets us kicked out for destroying the ceiling: we did come here for a reason."

"Right!" Mabel put on her Serious Face and focused on Pacifica. "Could we get a little of that hair stuff?"

"No," Pacifica said flatly. "I said you could come to watch my demonstration, and that's it."

"Pleeease?" Mabel begged, hands clasped together. "Just a tiny bit? It's really important. I have this friend—" She paused. "That's the wrong word. Not a friend, more like an enemy—an enemy that I'm trying to be nice to—? It's complicated, I'm not making any sense—"

Pacifica said, "Hey. You don't have to explain. I'm a popular mean girl. You just described, like, every single one of my friendships."

Mabel went on, "But anyway, he got this awful haircut and it is ruining his life and I need this stuff to fix it."

Pacifica put a hand on Mabel's shoulder. "Listen. I empathize, really. But I can't just hand this stuff out, even to friends. I'm not even saying that to be a jerk, I will literally get in so much trouble if I give this stuff away."

"Even just a few drops?" Mabel pled.

"They would measure it. I'm not kidding!" Pacifica started pacing. "You have no idea what this company is like. Hairy Fairy's formula is crazy controlled, down to the last drop. Even I don't get free samples. There's a limited supply—something about the active ingredient going extinct? Anyway, they only have a few thousand bottles total and stock's going fast."

(As Pacifica spoke, wrapped up in her monologue, Mabel realized she could mosey behind her and rummage through one of the boxes without Pacifica noticing. Dipper watched and said nothing.)

"Besides, it's not something for public consumption," Pacifica went on. "There's super specific application techniques, it's got to be handed over to a trained hairdresser to apply, I can't even tell you everything about the handling techniques because just to get hired on as their model I had to sign like a mountain of non-disclosure agreements—"

(Mabel retrieved a bottle, pulled out the glass stopper, and rubbed it against the palm of her right hand so she could sniff the fragrance.)

"So, like, even if I did let you take some home, you'd probably apply it wrong anyway and it wouldn't do you any good—"

"Uhhh, Pacifica? Dipper?" There was a note of suppressed panic in Mabel's voice. "Why do I look like Grunkle Ford?"

Pacifica whipped around so fast her hair smacked Dipper's face. All three of them gaped at Mabel's right hand, which had just sprouted a sixth finger.

And then, as they watched, the finger extended—and developed into a full second hand sprouting off the same wrist.

Mabel opened her mouth to shriek. Pacifica clapped a hand over it. "Be quiet, you'll get us in trouble!" she hissed. "See this is why professionals need to apply it!"

Horrified, Dipper asked, "Wait—you knew?"

"Uh, yeah? Why do you think they made me sign an NDA just to help advertise the stuff?"

"But—hold on—it can do this? And it's being sold to grow hair? If it can grow limbs, it could revolutionize medicine! It can heal injuries, reverse amputations, produce donor organs—!"

Pacifica shrugged. "Yeah, but the beauty industry paid better, sooo..."

Mabel tapped Pacifica's arm with her double hand. Pacifica shuddered and jerked her hand off Mabel's face. "Ew."

"Dipper," Mabel said, eyes wide. "Imagine all the cool new shadow puppets I could do!"

Dipper stared at Mabel. "I'm glad you're taking this well."

To Pacifica, Mabel said, "Is this why everyone who touches the stuff is covered in hazmat gear?"

"Yes," Pacifica snapped. 

"But you're not! What's protecting you from getting mutated?!"

"Nothing! The first time we tried to film the commercial, I tilted my head at the wrong moment and grew a third ear," Pacifica said. "The danger is the whole reason they hired me: I am super good at staying calm while getting hazardous cosmetic procedures. My mom taught me to never show weakness in front of somebody I'm paying to alter my appearance." She cast a nervous glance toward the locker room door. "And now I'll get in so much trouble for letting you find out—and you're gonna get in trouble just for knowing—"

"Wh—us?" Dipper said. "Why us?"

"You literally just stole product. There's hundreds of dollars of lotion on Mabel's hand right now—"

"Don't worry about it!" Mabel put the bottle back in the box where she'd found it and clumsily closed it up. "We'll just sneak out and nobody will know anything happened!" She took off her sweater and wrapped it around her hands like a muffler. "Ta-da! What do you think!" 

Pacifica grimaced, and looked at Dipper.

He shrugged. "Do you like the thought of losing your job better?"

####

"Hey, Mrs. Le Mónjelo," Pacifica said, smiling politely. "Hi, Mr. And Mrs. Oilbaron, good to see you... Hi there, senator, I haven't seen you since your fundraiser dinner—oh you bought some formula? That's awesome, I know you've got portraits for campaign season coming up soon..."

Trailing a step behind Pacifica with Mabel, Dipper leaned forward and hissed in her ear, "And you don't think you should warn any of them about—?"

Pacifica elbowed him hard. "I signed an NDA," she hissed. "Besides, as long as they read the instructions and let a hairdresser do it, they'll be fine."

"Pacifica!" A woman with red lips and redder hair stopped in front of them, smiling widely. "I haven't seen you here since the badminton club disbanded, what a pleasure."

"Oh hey, Mrs...." Pacifica blinked, drawing a blank. "Uhh..."

"Who are your little friends, here? I don't think I know them." The woman focused on Dipper and Mabel. "Do your parents ever come here? How do you know Pacifica?"

"Oh no," Pacifica said, "they're from California, they're just visiting. Their great uncles, um... own a startup... in the tourism industry."

"Oh, I see," the woman said, disapproval in her voice. "New money. Well, you'll grow into your wealth. It's good to be exposed to it from childhood, I always say. It's a pleasure to meet you." She reached past Pacifica to grab and shake Dipper's hand, then reached for Mabel—

Mabel jerked back, turning her hands away from the woman. "Aaahahah I can't do that! Sorry!"

The woman blinked at Mabel in bewilderment. "W—?"

"Because," Mabel said. "Because—I'm a hand model! Gotta keep the ol' moneymakers pristine!" She shook her dollar-sign-covered "muffler" demonstratively. "Yeah, me and Pacifica met through modeling."

"Oh," the woman said, now looking suitably impressed. "Do you protect them all the time? What remarkable dedication to your craft. Have I seen any of your work anywhere?"

"Uh, yeah," Mabel said, "did you catch the... two page spread in the... spring issue of... Diamond Rings Monthly... For Teens?"

"We should get going," Pacifica said, shooting Mabel a glare. "We don't want to miss your... finger yoga class."

Dipper buried his face in his hands.

"Right! Finger yoga! Can't miss it!" Mabel skipped toward the door. "Nice meeting you, ma'am!"

"A pleasure," the woman said, then mused to herself, "I don't think I've picked up that issue yet."

Outside the country club, an albino peacock glared balefully at Dipper through the wrought iron fence around the property. Mabel glanced around to make sure nobody was watching, then unwrapped her sweater, made a mocking three-handed finger-peacock, and blew a raspberry. The peacock let out an offended honk.

"Thanks for covering for me," Pacifica said. "And sorry about your hand. Hands. I can call my mom's plastic surgeon to get that fixed, he's super discreet—"

"No no, it's okay," Dipper said. "Don't worry about it."

Struggling to pull her sweater back on over her double hand, Mabel said, "We know this Hand Witch, she'd be thrilled to take a donation."

Frowning, Pacifica silently mouthed hand witch.

"Buuut," Mabel said, "if you want to make it up to us, maaaybe you can get us a few drops of that stuff—?"

"What?! After all that, you still—" Pacifica stomped a foot. "No, absolutely not! And if anything, covering for me is the least you could do after wasting some product and risking me getting in trouble when they figure out the bottle's off! You don't get it! I can't afford to endanger this job! I have a family to support!"

Mabel and Dipper stared at Pacifica. They exchanged a look.

Mabel said, "Pacifica, you are thirteen."

"What the heck are you talking about," Dipper asked.

Pacifica stared at them, mouth open, face going red. "I—That—I'll—" She groaned. "I'll tell you if you promise to keep it a secret."

They both nodded.

Pacifica whipped out her phone. "I'm texting you an address. Meet me here after seven."

Dipper and Mabel leaned over Mabel's phone together. "That's kind of out of town, isn't it?" Dipper said.

Mabel said, "We can take the long way back from the Hand Witch's cave."

Dipper and Mabel waved bye to Pacifica as they walked off—at which point Mabel realized she could move all ten of her right fingers independently, and she trailed behind Dipper, distracted by making her fingers roll like a wave.

####

Ford said, "All right, what are you up to?"

Bill looked toward the living room doorway. He was sitting on the sofa, watching a Russian-language romcom, with a bowl filled with hard cider and colorful marshmallow cereal.  He'd stuck a neon green straw that had been curled into the word "Queen" in the cider-cereal. "Do you mean the movie or my lunch?"

"I meant Mabel. Don't think I haven't noticed that you're trying to recruit her as your newest minion."

Bill rolled his eye. (Ford wasn't sure if his other eye was still glued shut by paint and makeup—the majority of Mabel's makeover had flaked off—or if Bill had just gotten into the habit of keeping it shut.) "Minion's such a strong word, Stanford! She wants me to feel comfortable here. I appreciate that and I accepted her help."

"And I don't suppose you've been taking advantage of her generosity to manipulate her into doing your wicked work, have you."

"If by 'manipulate' you mean 'telling her what would make me comfortable when she asked,' then I suppose I have." Bill scoffed. "When did you get so paranoid?" He took a sip from his boozy cereal.

"Around the time I learned the monster I thought was my friend was trying to destroy my dimension."

"Well, I have no idea who you're talking about, but he sounds like a real piece of work."

"And it's not paranoia when it's about someone who warrants that much distrust," Ford said. "Now tell me what you're up to with my niece."

Bill scoffed again. "If I were 'up to' something, I wouldn't tell you. And if I was innocent, you wouldn't trust me even if I told you the truth. So why are you asking me what Mabel's doing instead of her?"

Ford's scowl deepened; but he said, "You're right," and trudged off.

"There, see?" Bill called after Ford. "You didn't actually want information from me. You just wanted a confrontation! If you're looking for a little verbal fencing, we could be doing it over chess."

"Not on your life, Cipher."

"Checkers?" he suggested. "Parcheesi? DD&MD? Go Fish? Candy Kingdom? Oui-Oui Spirit Board?"

Ford didn't reply.

Bill shrugged and settled back in his seat.

Ford trudged back. "All right." He gestured impatiently at the TV. "Is this broadcasting from Russia?"

"Sharp as ever, Ford."

"How the devil are you picking it up from here?"

Bill's grin widened. "Want me to show you?"

Ford contemplated the slippery slope of allowing Bill to share his knowledge with him again, said, "No," and trudged off.

Bill was right—there was no reason for Ford to ask Bill what he had Mabel doing rather than asking Mabel herself, except that he'd wanted to talk to Bill. He was frustrated. Since the day they'd locked Bill in the Mystery Shack, Ford had spent every waking moment poring over all the old notes he'd kept during his interdimensional travels, every scrap of research he'd accumulated on Bill that he hadn't burned at the end of last summer, all the data he'd recorded on the portal to the Nightmare Realm and the rifts around Gravity Falls it had left behind, looking for something he'd missed that could explain why Bill was back and what it would take to get rid of him for good.

But so far he'd found nothing. Not a hint. And part of him felt like if he could just face Bill down again, have it out with him, that some stuck gear in his head would finally shake loose—

Obviously, that was stupid.

This morning, Stan had pointed out how exhausted Ford looked. He'd told Ford he wasn't about to kill the triangle if he worked himself to death first. He'd said Ford needed somebody helping him. Stan couldn't help—not considering the kinds of advanced sciences he'd need to master just to enter a conversation on destroying something like Bill Cipher—but he was right that Ford couldn't do this in isolation. Here Ford was trying to futilely provoke Bill into giving something away; what more proof did he need that he was at the end of his rope?

When Soos had finished with the latest tourist group and led them into the gift shop, Ford waved him over from the other side of the room. "'Scuse me, folks," Soos said, with a wink, "it looks like one of our professional paranormal investigators might have something mysterious for me to check out."

(Ford glanced down at himself. He supposed he did look like some sort of mysterious investigator of oddities. Which he was, but knowing he looked like one felt kind of cool.)

Soos went on, "So you guys check out the merch and I'll be right back. We've got a sale on postcards!"

A woman with a fanny pack asked, "Does that investigator have six fingers?" Several tourists murmured appreciatively.

Soos tried to think of an answer that avoided framing Ford like he was part of the Mystery Shack's freak show, said, "No," and left.

"Sorry to bother you at work," Ford said. "I need to borrow your cell phone to text Mabel."

"Oh, sure dude." He fished it out and handed it over. "Is something going on?" His gaze drifted toward the "Employees Only" door to the living room. He didn't need to mention Bill. 

"Hopefully not, but that's what I'm trying to find out." He went silent for a moment so he could focus on typing on the glassy keyboard.

There. He exited the conversation with Mabel and offered the phone back to Soos, but not before noticing one of Soos's recent conversations was with Fiddleford. "You and Melody go over to Fiddleford's from time to time, don't you? To... watch foreign cinema?"

"Oh—yeah, dude! We've been introducing him to the anime classics! He's gotten surprisingly passionate over Neon Crisis Revelations. Like—really passionate. I think we might have to retire mecha anime for a while," Soos said. "Sometimes Tate watches, too. Not every week, but... they're working on it. We, uh—actually kinda wanted to ask if you might want to come, sometime? When you're not working on the... 'Goldilocks' project? I get it if you're too busy or just not interested or whatever, but you seem like the kind of nerd who'd be really into anime. No offense. I meant it as a compliment, actually—most people consider an accusation of liking anime to be pejorative, but I think it speaks well to their tastes—"

"Soos." Ford offered him a small smile. "I was actually trying to figure out how to politely ask for an invitation."

"Oh. Phew! Mutually awkward social encounter: successfully navigated!" Soos held up a hand. "Up top!"

Ford high-sixed him. He appreciated having the little social successes celebrated. "Let me know if Mabel texts back, would you?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Pines!" Soos flashed Ford a thumbs up as he left the gift shop.

"'The Goldilocks project'?"

Soos started. "Oh! Wendy! Wow, I uh... totally forgot you were like... right there."

"Yup." She had her elbow propped next to the cash register and her chin in her hand. "Five days a week."

"Right. Right." Soos tugged his collar. "It's... it's nothing. But it's secret. But it's no big deal."

Wendy blinked at him. "Right."

"Right." Soos gestured vaguely at the tourists moseying around the gift shop. "I, uh, I should... bye."

Wendy watched him go, frowning.

Whatever "crisis" had happened on the first day of summer, it wasn't over. Something was wrong. She felt it every time she was at work, every time Dipper and Mabel made up an excuse to hang with Wendy away from the shack, and every time the Stans ventured into the Mystery Shack to draw Soos aside for a quick conversation. She felt it in her bones. Which seemed like something her dad would probably say, very loudly, so she hated feeling things in her bones.

It probably wasn't her business. Okay. Fine. Sure. Pines family stuff. She was just an employee/family friend, she didn't need to know all about their personal lives.

But—her gaze drifted toward the "Employees Only" door—much more of this, and she might have to start snooping anyway.

####

(Hi! Author here! I appreciate hearing what y'all think and what y'all enjoyed! Thanks! Next chapter and the conclusion of the Hairy Fairy plot arc coming this time next week!)

[yourmomsawh0r3]

crossroads : chapter 4

javier pena x female single mom reader

The morning started with a mixture of nerves and excitement. Y/N was preparing for an important interview at the local hospital for an ICU RN position. As a single mother, she didn’t have anyone to watch her daughter, Elle, so she brought her along, hoping the interviewers would understand.

They arrived at the hospital, Y/N clutching her resume and holding Elle’s hand tightly. They walked through the bustling corridors until they reached the HR office. A kind-looking woman greeted them with a warm smile.

“Hi, I’m Sarah. You must be Y/N, and this little one must be Elle,” she said, kneeling down to Elle’s level. “It’s lovely to meet you both.”

Y/N took a deep breath and apologized, “I’m sorry for bringing my daughter. I’m a single mother, and I have no one to watch her.”

Sarah’s smile widened. “That’s absolutely okay. I’m a single mother myself, so I understand. Let’s get started, shall we?”

During the interview, Y/N spoke passionately about her experience and dedication to nursing. Elle sat quietly beside her, coloring in a book Sarah had thoughtfully provided. By the end of the interview, Y/N felt a glimmer of hope.

A few days later, Y/N received the news she had been hoping for: she got the job. To celebrate, she and Elle went to the local ice cream parlor. Elle chose her favorite birthday cake flavor, and they sat by the window, enjoying their treats and each other’s company.

It was around 4:30 when they returned home. Y/N looked through the pantry, contemplating what to cook for dinner. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. She walked over and opened it to find Javier standing there, holding two bouquets one of red roses and the other of pink daisies.

Y/N felt tears forming in her eyes. Javier’s cheeky grin lit up his face as he said, “I told you I wanted to do right by you both. I’m here to formally ask both of you to go on a date with me.”

Y/N’s tears spilled over, and Elle ran up to the door, her eyes wide with excitement. “Hi, Mr. Javier! Oh no, Mommy, why are you crying?” Elle asked, concerned.

Y/N smiled through her tears. “Mommy’s not sad, baby. These are happy tears. I’ve never had a man care this much for me, to want to do things the right way.”

She accepted Javier’s invitation, and then squatted down to Elle’s level. “Would you like to go to dinner with Mr. Javier?” she asked gently.

Elle’s face lit up. “Will there be dessert?”

Javier laughed and nodded. “Yes, princess, they have dessert.”

“Okay!” Elle said, giggling.

Javier handed Y/N the red roses and Elle the pink daisies. “I’ll pick you up at 6. Dress fancy,” he said before heading back to his house to get ready.

Y/N and Elle hurried upstairs to prepare for the evening. Y/N chose a satin dress with heels, while Elle wore a poofy pink dress with her Rapunzel princess heels and crown. At exactly 6 PM, there was another knock at the door.

Javier stood there, looking dashing in a suit. He greeted them both with a charming smile and escorted them to his car, opening the door for Y/N and helping Elle into her booster seat.

“You both look beautiful,” he said as they drove to the restaurant.

The dinner was perfect. Javier was a gentleman, pulling out Y/N’s chair and engaging Elle in delightful conversation. They ordered their meals, and Javier listened attentively as Y/N shared her news about getting the job at the hospital and Elle starting school soon.

“That’s wonderful, Y/N. Congratulations,” Javier said sincerely. He then shared stories about his work and the challenges he faced as the town’s sheriff.

Elle was enchanted by his tales, her eyes wide with fascination. After dinner, they indulged in a rich chocolate dessert, much to Elle’s delight. Javier paid the bill, insisting it was his treat.

When they returned home, Y/N thanked Javier for a wonderful evening. He walked them to the door, lingering for a moment before leaning in to kiss Y/N softly on the lips.

“Thank you for tonight, Javier. It was perfect,” Y/N whispered.

“Anytime,” he replied, his eyes filled with warmth.

As Javier walked back to his house, Y/N and Elle went inside, their hearts full. It was the start of something new, something beautiful. For the first time in a long while, Y/N felt hopeful about the future. She looked down at Elle, who was already falling asleep in her arms, and whispered, “Goodnight, baby. Tomorrow is a new day.”

After putting Elle to bed, Y/N changed into a comfortable matching pajama set. Just as she settled on the couch, her phone rang. It was Javier.

“Hey, can you open your front door?” he asked.

Giddy with excitement, Y/N rushed to the door and opened it to find Javier standing there. He stepped inside, crashing his lips onto hers, closing the door behind him. The kiss was intense, filled with pent-up desire and longing.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” Javier murmured between kisses. He lifted Y/N into his arms, carrying her up the stairs.

“Door to the left,” she mumbled, motioning to her bedroom.

Javier laid her gently on the bed, pausing to look into her eyes. “If you want to stop, please tell me,” he said softly.

“No, don’t stop. You’ve been driving me absolutely wild,” Y/N replied, her voice breathless.

With that, Javier’s kisses trailed down her body, leaving a path of fire in their wake. He slid her pajama bottoms off, then her underwear, and knelt between her legs. He kissed her inner thighs, teasing her until she was trembling with anticipation.

When he finally pressed his mouth to her core, Y/N’s back arched off the bed. Javier’s tongue moved with expert precision, drawing out moans and gasps from her. “You taste so good,” he murmured against her skin, his voice thick with desire.

Y/N’s hands gripped the sheets as waves of pleasure washed over her. Javier didn’t let up, his mouth and tongue driving her higher until she shattered, crying out his name.

He kissed his way back up her body, positioning himself at her entrance. “You’re the perfect fit,” he whispered as he entered her. “It’s like you were made for me.”

Y/N’s legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper. The rhythm they found was intense, a blend of passion and need. Every thrust brought them closer, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. They reached their peak together, holding each other as the world seemed to disappear around them.

Afterward, they lay tangled in each other’s arms, their breaths mingling as they calmed. Javier kissed Y/N’s forehead, pulling her close. “I meant what I said, Y/N. I want to do this right. I want you and Elle to be a part of my life,” he said softly.

Y/N’s heart swelled with emotion. “I want that too, Javier. I really do.”

The night was peaceful until Y/N heard Elle crying through the baby monitor. She sat up, her heart racing, but before she could get out of bed, she noticed Javier was already moving.

He slipped out of bed quietly and made his way to Elle’s room. Y/N watched through the monitor as Javier gently lifted Elle into his arms, soothing her cries.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Did you have a bad dream?” he asked softly, sitting in the rocking chair with Elle on his chest.

Elle nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I had a bad dream that the monsters were coming to get me.”

Javier kissed the top of her head. “There are no monsters, Elle. I’m here, and I won’t let anything bad happen to you. You’re safe.”

Elle snuggled closer to him, her little body relaxing. Javier rocked her gently, humming a soothing tune until her breathing evened out.

Y/N’s heart swelled with emotion as she watched the scene unfold. She quietly got out of bed and walked to Elle’s room. Opening the door softly, she saw that both Elle and Javier had fallen asleep in the rocking chair.

She approached them, her eyes misting with tears. Leaning down, she kissed Javier on the forehead and carefully picked up Elle, placing her back in her bed. Javier stirred, waking up just enough to wrap his arms around Y/N.

“Come on, let’s go back to bed,” he whispered, grabbing her hand.

They returned to the bedroom, and as they lay in the dark, Javier stroked Y/N’s face, thinking she was asleep. “You’re such an amazing mom, a beautiful woman. I’m falling so hard for you, you’re making me feel things I’ve never felt,” he murmured.

Y/N’s heart fluttered at his words, and she felt a deep sense of love and contentment. Javier’s breathing soon evened out as he fell asleep, and Y/N lay there, feeling more at peace than she had in a long time. She knew that with Javier by her side, she and Elle were truly home.

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[joelswritingmistress]

You Scare Me, Professor: Chapter 20

Summary: The reader is taking graduate classes at a local university in the wooded upstate New York. She is drawn to her professor, Dr. Joel Miller, though she is also inherently aware that he has something dark about him that she can't quite put her finger on. As the reader's attraction grows deeper, she has to decide whether to endure the danger or run away as fast as possible. 

Pairing: Professor Joel Miller x f!reader 

“So, he was just standing there?” Dr. Miller sawed through a piece of steak as we sat across from one another at the same restaurant we had eaten at the first night I had stayed over at his house. He popped the bite into his mouth and washed it down with a sip of wine.

“Yes.” I nodded, toying with a sweet potato on my plate, “Isn’t that odd?”

He shrugged and placed his elbows on the table while folding his hands together and resting his chin on them. “A bit,” Dr. Miller agreed with a more nonchalant attitude than I would have imagined. “But he did just come from class. I park there from time to time if there aren’t enough spots out front. People cross through behind the building.”

“But he was, like, lurking.” I scrunched my nose and shook my head. “You don’t think he saw us, do you?”

Dr. Miller shook his head. “No.” He sipped on his wine again and winked at me. “It feels good to almost get caught, though. doesn’t it?”

I smirked and managed a little laugh. His calm take on the issue was enough to bring me back to reality - and rational situations. “It was exciting,” I admitted, “All of this is.”

“You have your other class tomorrow night,” Dr. Miller remarked, matter-of-factly. “I have one after that. I don't want you to be alone on campus.”

“I could have my friend James walk me,” I suggested. “He's campus security.”

Dr. Miller scrunched his nose and sawed off another piece of steak. He didn't immediately respond.

Is he jealous? I smiled to myself in hopes that he was, though that hadn't at all been the intent of my comment. I had a friend who was part of the security team, so it made sense.

“This guy-” he began but I cut him off.

“He's a very platonic friend,” I explained. “Nothing like that.”

“Yeah, I'm sure he feels that way.” Dr. Miller rolled his eyes with a little smirk.

“He does.” I let out a laugh. “We've always just been friends. Never anything more.”

“Guys always do the just friend thing first, ya know.”

“You didn't,” I reminded him with a playful smirk. My hand rested on top of his on the table and it drew a wider grin from him.

“I think our relationship is a bit of an exception.”

“I would agree.” My smile lingered and I looked him in the eye. “Hey, if it bothers you about James, I can just-”

“No.” Dr. Miller cut me off now. “Don't be silly, I'm just being childish. As long as you trust him, you should have him walk you out.”

“And then what?” I asked.

Dr. Miller squinted as if he didn't quite understand what I meant.

“Do I just drive home..”

His grin returned and he looked down and back up, sipping from his wine again. “If you'd be my willing prisoner you'd make me the happiest man in the world. Then I'd always know you were safe.”

Willing prisoner. That I was. And of course Dr. Miller methodically chose those words.

“Your Rapunzel?”

“Something like that,” he said.

I wasn't sure how I would ever get out of this if the relationship ever went south. I wanted to be Dr. Miller’s willing prisoner. That wouldn't change, I was certain. 

What if he paid for the castle with blood money? I didn't know what I would think then. What if he's mafia or something.

Dr. Miller reached into his pocket and pulled out his key ring. He then removed a single, gold key and handed it across the table.

I swallowed hard and meekly took it from his hand. 

“In case you ever get back there before I do.”

“Are you sure?”

“If I wasn't I wouldn't have given it to you. Come and go as you please.”

Wow. A key to that giant mansion. My key. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel, but I was nervous - and excited.

“I don't even know what to say.” I looked at him with the key still in my palm.

“Well, if you decide to come back tomorrow night after class, you'll need it.” He added. “The house alarm code is the same as the one for the gate.”

“2-”

“Shh..” Dr. Miller waved his hand and I quickly apologized. “Don't apologize,” he quickly told me. “I just..”

“I get it.”

Our waitress tried to convince the two of us to order dessert, but when we both declined she set the check down. Dr. Miller reached for it immediately and eyed me when I began digging in my purse.

“If you pull out your wallet I won't let you stay over,” he teased, half-kidding.

“I haven't paid for a thing.”

“As you shouldn't - not with me.”

“Well.. thank you.”

“You're welcome.” Dr. Miller paid in cash, closed the check presenter and reached for my hand.

I felt like royalty on Dr. Miller’s arm. It wasn't the money or the appearance; it was simply being with him and letting everyone know it. I tried not to smile in the cheesy way I wanted to.

When we crossed onto the sidewalk outside, Dr. Miller turned to look at me with a little wink. Before either of us could say anything, someone called his name.

“Joel?”

We both glanced down the walkway to see a woman of about forty walking steadily in our direction. She was stunning and blond with a fitted black, long sleeved dress topped over black heels. Under her arm was a sleek, feminine briefcase. On first impressions she appeared as if she was some hot shot lawyer - or possibly just stole 101 dalmation puppies.

“Christine.” He gave a cordial nod but then his jaw tightened and his nostrils flared just a bit.

I stared at the woman, who had a few inches on me, even without the heels. Joel looked at me for a moment and then back to the knockout before us. I prayed this wasn't another woman he was seeing, shattering every single dream and daydream I'd had over our relationship.

The woman eyed me up and down and I knew I was being judged. I didn’t know if I should introduce myself or just stand there silently. It was more in my nature to do the latter.

“This is still your hot spot, I see.” She gave a subtle nod toward the restaurant we had just walked out of. Her eyes met mine and I had the urge to look away but I didn’t.

Dr. Miller tipped up his mouth in an attempt at a small smile but his expression betrayed him. “It was nice seeing you, Christine.”

“You haven’t changed.”

I glanced down when Dr. Miller locked his fingers with mine and began pulling me toward the car. Chrstine stood on the sidewalk for a few lingering seconds, watching us go, before making her way into a lounge called Michael’s on the corner.

Once the two of us were secured behind closed doors and windows, he glanced over at me as he started up the Mercedes. “Remember I told you I was briefly married a while back?” When I nodded, he let out a huff of a breath. “That’s my ex-wife. Christine.”

“She looks like she could kill people with just one look.”

My comment made him laugh and his eyebrows rose and fell. “She’s fierce.”

“I could tell.”

He slipped his hand into mine again and we locked eyes. “That was a long time ago,” Dr. MIller reiterated, “I’m sorry for how awkward that was. We haven’t been on the best of terms, even after all these years. I didn’t want to her the satisfaction of knowing anything about you - even your name.”

“Okay.” I nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Hey.” Dr. MIller leaned in and touched his lips to mine. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For having an awkward interaction with my ex.”

“You’re forgiven.” I smiled and it seemed to satisfy him as we pulled out of the parking space. When Dr. Miller’s car cruised by Michael’s, I tried to catch a glimpse of Christine inside to see if she had met with someone but it was impossible to tell. I would have felt just a tad bit better knowing she was with another man.

“She’s remarried,” Dr. Miller added, apparently sensing my lingering discomfort.

“Oh.” I raised my eyebrows, trying to sound like I didn’t care; though it did ease a little bit of my sudden insecurities.

When his hand squeezed mine, I glanced over at him. “That’s the past.” He pulled the car to the side of the road and put it in park to continue speaking. “And you are the present..” Dr. Miller smiled, “And hopefully the future.”

I brought his knuckles to my lips and left a single kiss there. “I’m sorry. Is jealousy written all over my face?”

“That was well over a decade ago,” he reminded me. “There’s nothing to be jealous of.”

“She’s gorgeous. And apparently still interested enough to care what you do.”

“She hates me.”

I went to speak more about it but Dr. Miller silenced my concerns with a kiss.

“You’re not fair,” I laughed against him.

“I gave you a key to my house, didn’t I?” He asked.

I smiled wide and gave a shrug before nodding.

“So, can we just forget these awkward little incidents, with Christine and Trevor, and just let me return the favor at home? Since I came embarrassingly fast in the back seat on campus.”

I gave a little laugh and then nodded.

Dr. MIller grinned back. “I’ll let you pick the room. We have a lot of them cover.”

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[rachelbethhines]

Five Tangled AUs I'll Never Write Because I Don't Have The Time

1. Eugene gets adopted by Quirin instead of going to the orphanage.

He still becomes Flynn Rider and rescues Rapunzel from the tower, but his turn to crime is due to a falling out between him and his dad after his and Varian's mom disappears under mysterious circumstances.

Quirin is keeping secrets, and thier relationship is strained, but after meeting Rapunzel, Eugene is trying to mend that relationship with him... Only for the amber incident to cut that short.

Obviously the biggest change here is that Eugene and Varian are brothers, so Varian isn't left alone after the snow storm. Rather, Eugene is trying to protect Varian from King Frederic while also trying to stay in his future father-in-law's good graces... All while dealing with his own grief.

This drastically changes the conflict and outcome of season one. Forcing Rapunzel to confront her father directly and own up to his misdeeds, and brings Varian along on the season two road trip.

Also Eugene has even less reason to accept Edmund because Quirin is the man who raised him and is his 'real dad' for all intents and purposes.

Also, thier mom, Ulla, being trapped by Zan Tiri and finally escaping would be a major plot point in season three.

2. Digimon AU

Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, Varian, Lance, Styalan, and Caine are all college students who get sucked into the digital world.

They each get their own digimon and must face off against the seven digimon demon lords in order to return home, and in doing so confront their own worse vices.

Rapunzel's digimon is Coronamon. She is The Leader of the group and her element is Fire/Light/Sun. Her nemesis is Belphemon, and her main vice is Sloth. Because she keeps avoiding her problems by chasing after frivolous pursuits. Such as standing up to her abusive mother Gothel, or dealing with her responsibilities as the leader of her team.

Eugene’s partner is Kudamon. He’s The Mediator of the group. The voice of reason and common sense. His elemental is Wind. His nemesis is Lucemon, and his main vice is Pride, for his uses vanity to compensate for his low self esteem born from growing up in the foster system.

Cassandra’s digimon is Lunamon, and her rival is Leviamon. Her fatal flaw is Envy, for she’s jealous of Rapunzel. She’s The Second in Command; because she offers a counter balance to Rapunzel’s way of doing things, but they butt heads often. Her element is Darkness/Moon.

Varian is The Brains of the outfit. His digimon is Labramon, who can change to either a vaccine or virus upon evolution. However his main thematic element is Electricity. His nemesis is Daemon and his vice is Wrath. As the youngest in the group, he often feels unheard and will lash out in anger.

Lance is The Heart of the team, as he’s forever the optimist. His digimon is Otamamon and his element is Water. His rival is Beelzemon, and his fatal flaw is Gluttony, for he never had enough growing up in the foster care system, therefore he shows no restraint when given opportunities, even if it means hurting someone else.

Caine is The Muscle of the group. Her digimon, Goblimon, is a heavy hitter when he digivoles, and she’s the most likely to throw a punch against a monster on her own. Her enemy is Barbamon, and her vice is Greed. She’s criminal on the run for theft, but it’s a life she feels she was forced into. Her element is Metal/Ground.

Stalyan is The Chick, for lack of a better trope term. She’s daddy’s spoiled little rich girl who is in for a rude wake up call when she gets to the Digital World. Her digimon is Floramon and her element is Grass. Her rival is Laylamon and her fatal flaw is Lust. She’s in love with Eugene, but he doesn’t return her feelings. Her obsession with him, is tied to her own insecurities and desires for being accepted.

3. Prince Varian

Varian is Rapunzel’s little brother. He’s actually Arianna and Quirin’s son, but Frederic raised him as his own. Both are ignorant of Varian’s true parentage, with Varian just believing Quirin is his bodyguard/mentor. 

Yet with the return of his long lost sister Varian feels even more out of place with in the Castle and keeps sneaking off to Old Corona to visit Quirin, who is now a retired knight, and to work on his experiments in secret.

Only the truth comes out after a horrible lab accident that traps Quirin in amber, and now Varian doesn’t know where he belongs.   

4. Eugene is raised by Hector

Horace knows who he is and his duty to keep the moonstone safe. He has rarely traveled beyond the great tree. But he begins to question his entire place in the world when a group of travelers come in search of his family's treasure, with one of them claiming to be the living embodiment of the fabled Sundrop.

Since Eugene/Horace never left the Great Tree, he never became Flynn Rider, never stole the crown, and never met Rapunzel in the tower.

This means Rapunzel never leaves on her 18th birthday to see the lights, but her tower is destroyed by the black rocks six months later. Leaving her and Mother Gothel without a home.

While in search of a new place to live they meet, Varian, who is trying to figure out the mystery of the rocks, Cassandra, who is searching for the lost princess to prove her worth to her dad, and Lance, a thief who offers to be their guide in order to hide from the Stabbingtons who he owes money too.

The five of them go on a quest to find the moonstone when Varian shows them the piece of his father's scroll (who is not trapped in amber this time) much to the discouragement/disapproval of Mother Gothel.

Gothel tries to dismiss the legends of the moonstone while keeping her and Rapunzel's identities secret. (Everyone figures out she's the Sundrop/connected to the rocks right away, but not that's she's the lost princess) But as she can't be too far away from her precious flower for too long she gets dragged on the quest anyways.

Cue Gothel reluctantly becoming everyone's mama as she tries to keep them alive and convince Raps to give up this silly quest and find a new home, while also not letting it slip that she's really Cass's birth mother, nor the thief of the long lost princess, nor an ancient sorceress who betrayed a powerful demon in order to have eternal youth and said demon could come back to kill them all if released by the Sundrop touching the Moonstone.

Basically what I'm getting at is we have a scenario where a manipulative asshole who is desperately just trying to survive while not being caught in her web of lies, is slowly coming to care for a bunch of snot-nosed, bratty, insecure teenagers, and she hates it!

This also means that by the time the gang reaches the Great Tree, Rapunzel's and Eugene's roles are reversed. She's the experienced adventurer using him, though unintentionally on her part, to get what she wants, while unexpectedly falling in love, and he's the sheltered shut in who discovers that there's more to the world.

And just to complicate matters, King Frederic, Quirin, and Adria, team up to invade The Dark Kingdom in order to destroy the moonstone with Adria's sword. Quirin betraying his brother Edmund because he thinks Varian is dead from the rocks having destroyed their village/castle in the night.

5. Cassandra is the Dark Princess

I mean, I think this should have been cannon anyways, but Cassandra and Eugene are long lost siblings. Both are heirs to the Dark Kingdom and it's their mom who is left alive to guard the Moonstone.

Said Mom thought they were both lost when the kingdom fell, not knowing that their nurse saved them on the night Edmund went mad.

The Queen convinces Cassandra that protecting the moonstone from the Sundrop is her duty, believing that both coming together will destroy the world. Not realizing that Cass would actually grab it away from Raps in their fight over it and become possessed by Zahn Tiri in the process.

[gojocp]

tangled

cw: tangled au! reader wears a dress and has VERY long hair, geto as flynn ryder, reader as rapunzel featuring: geto suguru 1 | 2 |

a/n: hello!! i'm so glad you guys liked the first part, i did make some very little changes to it after it was posted, but here's the second one lmk how it is!! <33

tags: @cofijelli (lmk if you want to be tagged in future parts)

you come out from hiding behind a mannequin and clutch the frying pan to your chest.

the strange man's eyes flutter open, and you knock him out with the pan again. you look over to your chameleon, pascal, and he gestures to check for sharp teeth, as your mother was telling you all outside people have them.

you use the handle and lift his upper lip, not seeing any teeth. feeling a bit relieved, and hit him once more with the pan for good measures.

'what is mother gonna say? oh god, what do i do?' you think to yourself. 'no, this is good. i can prove myself. i am strong enough to leave.'

you head back towards the unconscious man and, using all your strength, you haul his body into a nearby closet, and block it with a chair.

you notice a crown has fallen out of the satchel, and head toward the mirror to try it on. you put it around your wrist like a bracelet, receiving a look of disapproval from pascal, and then put it on your head, earning you another.

you open the satchel and find a 'wanted' poster of the criminal in your closet. 'suguru geto, wanted dead or alive.'

"(y/n)! let down your hair!" you hear.

"coming!"

you shove the crown and poster into a satchel, and then into a nearby pot.

after helping your mother into the tower, she says,

"i have the biggest surprise for you, dear!"

"i do too.." you chuckle nervously.

"ooh, i bet mine is bigger. i'm making hazelnut soup for dinner, your favourite! surprise!"

"well.. mother. i've been thinking about what you said earlier.."

"i hope you're not still talking about the stars," she says.

"floating lights," you correct, "and yes i'm leading up to it.."

"because i really thought we'd dropped this conversation."

"i know you think i'm not strong enough to handle myself out there.." you start.

"ohh, i know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there." she cuts you off.

"but if you'd just-"

"(y/n)."

"just listen.."

"(y/n).." she growls, feeling more agitated.

"just look, mother-"

"enough, (y/n)! you are never leaving this tower! ever!" she shouts, eyes crazed and wild.

slowly, you take your hand off of the chair blocking the closet and look at the painting you made of the 'stars'. with tears welling up in your eyes, you say,

"i know what i want for my birthday now.."

"and what is that?" she questions, pinching her nose bridge.

"new paint, the kind made from the shells you once brought me.." you say.

"(y/n), that would be a three-day trip," she responds.

"i just thought it would be a better idea than.. the stars." you sigh.

"okay.. i'll go get them."

.・。.・゜✭・.

"are you sure you'll be alright." your mother asks, packing food into a basket for herself.

"i know i'm safe as long as i'm here," you respond, hugging her as she places a kiss on your head.

"alright, i'll see you in three days," she states, lowering herself using your hair.

.・。.・゜✭・.

fwip

suguru wakes up tied to a chair, hair all around him, and a chameleon sticking its tongue in his ear.

"what the hell?!" he shouts out, rubbing his ear with his shoulder, trying to remove the uncomfortable feeling.

"i'm not afraid of you.." you call out from the shadows, using your hair to swing yourself down from the ledge you were previously standing on.

"...huh?" he mumbles, shocked and confused by the amount of hair you have. "what..?"

"..how did you find me, suguru geto..?' you question, slowly raising your frying pan.

"uh- yeah, uhm. suguru's fine. anyway, it's really not that deep girlie-"

"(y/n)." you interrupt.

"yeah- i was running away from guards, saw a tower climbed it, and.." he pauses. "where's my satchel?" he asks frantically, throwing an accusing look your way.

"i've hidden it, somewhere you'll never find it." you say, crossing your arms with a proud look on your face.

"it's in that pot, isn't it," he states.

*CLANG*

fwip

"would you stop that!" he shouts, rubbing his ear with his shoulder again.

"now, i've hidden it somewhere you'll never find it." you start, "so what do you want with my hair, to cut it?"

"huh?

"sell it?"

"no?? look, the only thing i want is it to get out of your hair. literally!"

"you- wh-" you stammer, "you're telling the truth?"

"yes! i saw a tower, i climbed it. the end."

turning away, you hold pascal in your hand a communicate with him.

"i know, i need someone to take me."

"this could be my only chance." you explain to the chameleon.

coming to a conclusion, you begin, "okay suguru geto, let's make a deal."

"a deal?" he asks, giving you a judgmental look.

"yes. a deal. look here." you start, turning him to look at your painting of the lights.

"do you know what these are?' you question.

"the lantern thing they do for the lost princess?"

'i knew they weren't stars' you think.

"yes, tomorrow night, they'll float in the sky. you will take me to see them, return me home safely, and only then will you get your precious satchel. that is my proposal." you explain.

"yeah, uh, no. the city and my aren't really 'best friends' at the moment, so no. i'm not taking you anywhere." he says, trying to free himself from the hair prison.

"then you can say 'bye' to your satchel." you retort, tightening the hair on his wrists, halting further movement.

"bye then." he says, calling your bluff.

"something brought you here. call it what you will. fate, destiny-"

"a horse."

"so i have decided to trust you." you continue.

"a garbage decision at that."

"but trust me when i tell you this, you can tear this tower apart brick by brick. but without my help, you will never see your dear satchel again." you threaten, pulling the chair so he's at eye-level with you.

"i take you to see the lantern, bring you back, and you promise to let me go?" he inquires.

"i promise."

"??" he gives you a look that tells you he isn't quite convinced.

"and i never break my promises.. ever," you add.

"fine. we'll go." he sighs, giving in.

"really??" you gleam, letting go of the chair and dropping suguru on his face.

"ow."

[slushie5544]

Chapter 3 of A Doofenella Story: An Unlikely Nemesis

While trapped and forced to listen to the neverending tales of his nemesis, Perry only had one thing on his mind.

'How the hell did I get stuck with this idiot?'

4.5k words

“Behold Perry the Paladin, for I, Heinz the Mad Scientist D, have concocted my new latest serum of the stickiest substances known to man, or as I call it. Stuckygloo! Heh, get it? Because it’s sticky which is also a play on being stuck and then glue is also super..”

This was going to be a while, Perry thought to himself as he stood there letting the older man monologue about his newest concoction. He wasn’t quite sure when this became a routine for both of them; to be completely frank with himself, he barely even remembered how long they had been going back and forth like this now. It could’ve been multiple months by now had it been a few years at this point. Regardless, he lost track after probably the fifty-ish explosion from one of Heinz’s sabotaged plans.

“-..For You see Perry the Paladin when I was just a wee boy, believe or not I used to have beautiful locks that would’ve left even Rapunzel envious, no not that made up princess! You see.. that’s a whole other backstory about..!”

Oh god, he’s still going on? With a silent sigh, the trapped man looked up at the ceiling, only partially listening to the other’s tragic backstory. His eyes were narrowed boredly, but he didn’t bother struggling against the trivial bounds and instead started wondering: How the hell did I get stuck with this idiot?

Standing at the edge of the kingdom, Perry unraveled a scroll that had his mission with a very vague hand-drawn map of large landmarks to be on the lookout for when traversing through the forest. Above the sketched outline, were the familiar cursive writings of his superior.

“Congratulations Squire Percival, you have honored and served the GWCA well for many years. After much thought and consideration, we as the council of the secret guild are proud to bestow you as an official knight of the Woodland Guardians. Hereby, your sworn duties are not only to protect the kingdom but to uncover and put a stop to whatever lurks in the dark woods.

As today is your first time out on the field, our covert scribe, Carl has gathered and tagged all recent and old reports of the mysterious landmarks roughly marked below. However, many of the archives had been lost mysteriously. As part of the W.G, your first quest is to document and become familiar with the unknown land. In your satchel, we have also left you the tools and guides to aid you in your journey. Good luck Sir. Perry and good luck.~ Commander M.”

Sir Perry, the official title bounced through his mind multiple times as he read the message over and over. A smirk crept on his lips Sir Perry the Knight, it had a nice ring to it he thought while wrapping up his scroll and trading it for an empty black covered journal and a compass in Daliah’s satchel.  Swiftly, and in one movement he used the stirrups to hop onto her saddle, taking a deep breath he shut the face-covering and gently nudged his steed into the uncharted woods.

~~~

Despite not having a clear plan, their traverse through the thick shrubbery was a breeze for the duo. They had started southbound from the kingdom, with every few meters he’d mark a tree with a turquoise paper tag that he would tie onto a branch and then write down the direction they were headed in his book.

Dahlia trod slowly but with purpose, as she weaved between the thin birch trees, her ears swiveled around on his alert, but her head was low as she sniffed the air with loud snorts and huffs. She wasn’t afraid of these parts like the other horses in the kingdom’s stables; though to be fair this mare was far from a domesticated pet, and she wasn’t just some trained animal aiding the guild. These mysterious parts were once her home, there had been a time when she could roam the woods freely and live her life wildly.

It had all been stolen from her in just a single night when her home was destroyed, everything had turned to ash and rubble as large burning trees separated her from her family never to be seen again. After escaping the suffocating heat, Dahlia was left trotting aimlessly trying to find her loved ones. However, instead, she was met by true monsters. Monsters that literally dragged her from her life and imprisoned her in small wooden rooms. The type of beasts that shackled and abused her when she didn’t obey. They left a permanent scar across her flank which was the worst and yet the best day of her life since arriving in this prison. That day she met the teal-haired man who hopped over a fence as tall as him to shove the monsters off her. He didn’t receive a broken nose and multiple abrasions to his body just to leave empty-handed though--- it seemed this also caught the attention of a certain elder who had been scoping for recruits.

He took care of her to the best of his ability, taking her out regularly while tending to her wounds and malnourished diet. After some months the mare was back to her health and while the two shared a definite bond over time, it was clear that she still yearned to be free; Perry understood this all too well. Months turned into a year and Daliah (despite his many objections, about naming a wild horse, his family convinced him to either pick a name or deal with Ducky Jr, Momo the Horsey, Horsea, Neighbert, or even Trottingham.), had finally recovered fully and was running laps around the kingdom’s orchard. Her gallops were full of excitement and glee, with every few clops she hopped in the air and whined with joy. However, with every pull of her reigns when they got too close to the woods, Perry could feel her tense and notice her contemplating as she stared into what she used to call her home.

Releasing her had been the right thing to do, she deserved to be wild, like she was born to be. Little did either realize how much the knight and horse had in common. Born to be wild, yet destined to be part of something much greater limiting their true freedom. Perhaps that was one of the reasons the two grew so close. 

~~~

The sound of rushing water broke Perry out of his thoughts as they neared a large stream of water that led to the flowing river. Looking down at his compass the river was flowing west which he scribbled into his book before leaving a tag between two large boulders. Jumping down from the saddle, he figured now would be a good time to stretch and investigate what was upstream,  it also gave Daliah a moment to get some water and eat; she would catch up eventually. Lifting his faceguard he clicked his tongue, to which the mare whinnied and trotted off in the opposite direction while Perry walked eastwardly along the rocky riverbank. 

Even with its slow flow, the river was full of life, with the calm waters weaving gently between large stones and boulders sitting in the shallow waters. Some were even stacked into mounds with moss growing between the cracks. On top, a few of the formations were frogs that croaked out and hopped away when the knight approached, looking into the clear waters he saw the amphibians swimming along with a multitude of large fish going the same direction as him.

Looking down at his compass, Perry noticed the embankment was turning him slightly northern while remaining more leaned eastward. While following along the shore he took note of the different plants that sprouted nearby, with a slight sketch next to the description.

‘It seems cattails and pickerel weeds grow in abundance the more I travel upstream. According to articles about flora and wildlife; both have many edible benefits** including resourcefulness in tools.

Both contain very versatile parts when dried, from the stems used to weave hats and baskets to the roots and seeds being useful for alternative flour. Even the leaves of the plants are edible raw and cooked.

*Remember to bring some home for Linda’s cooking.’

Closing the journal, Perry looked up at the sky to see patches of sky through some of the large branches overhead. He could hear the singing birds chirping from every direction as they hid between the rustling leaves that shook from the tree’s arms from the gust of wind that blew by. Taking in the fresh pine smell, the man exhaled with a deep sigh as he continued his walk.

Despite the serenity of it all, the knight refused to stop for too long and continued up the stream for a few more kilometers. To his left (North) he noticed the shrubbery becoming much denser as bushes gradually grew taller, it was such a minuscule change that anyone without a trained eye would’ve missed it. With a raised brow, Perry looked back to see Daliah was still nearby chomping down on nearby flora, he wanted to test something.

Without directing his full attention solely to the woods, he turned on his heels to walk in the direction he came from. At times he caught glimpses at the brushes and swallowed back a gulp as he reopened his journal and jotted down a small note.

‘They’re moving? Moving Northeast causes plant life to grow subtly, but upon traveling back Southwest it rapidly goes back to normal. Possible red herring? Will report more about anomaly as I travel deeper into the woods.’

Soon after closing his journal, Perry reverted to walking upstream along the shallow shores. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to focus on continuing his path along the river shore the teal-haired man couldn’t shake this festering annoyance that itched the back of his mind to turn back. There was something about those bushes, every other second his eyes darted toward the shrubbery that continued to taunt him by flowing casually with the wind. The pink and white flowers were such a vibrant contrast to the naturally dim surroundings, even on parts that weren’t touched by the limited sunlight the flowers were just as bright

Was that… Vanilla?

His heart leaped in his chest as the smell disappeared as quickly as it hit him. Narrowing his eyes the man came to a full stop and slowly turned his head so he was facing the hedges that were now as tall as him.

This wasn’t normal!

Finally having had enough, Perry went against his better judgment and trekked up to the woods, which practically barricaded itself off. The leaves were long and pointed, sprouting in different directions while bunched together, making it difficult to even look into the large shrubs.

Was that flower always there?

Strangely, with every gap the man found it was quickly replaced with a blooming white flower that matured in seconds turning the five curved petals into a light pink cluster at the end of the thin branches. 

How intriguing.

Unsheathing a small blade from his holster Perry took a nearby stem and sliced it off with a swift cut.

‘-RRY..!!'

The echoing shrill in his mind only lasted for a split second but the sound and sheer panic in the muffled voice made him jump back. While trying to catch his breath, Perry could feel and hear his heart pounding heavily against his chest. Looking over his shoulder and to his sides it seemed he was the only being who had experienced the horrid sound, with birds chirping once again and Daliah in the distance waiting for him by the river like nothing just happened.

Just need a minute to sit, that’s all.

Making his way back to the river the knight slid off his gloves and only his helmet to refresh himself by splashing cold water onto his face. He had hoped it would be enough of a shock to alleviate his pounding head, but it was to no avail. He squinted down at his reflection in the shallow pool, not daring to blink until his eyes burned and his vision became blurry. Finally giving in, his chocolate brown eyes closed as he took a deep inhale and then splashed his face one more time

This is absolute madness!

Standing back up, Perry threw his helmet back onto his head and stormed up the tall hedges which now towered over him by double. What was he so worried about? He had heard about much weirder happenings in these woods and was prepared for any harrowing experience thrown his way. He hadn’t spent a multitude of years of training and fighting his way up the ranks to be warded off by a bunch of flowers!

With a roll of his eyes, the man grabbed the small stock he had cut from the bush and rubbed the leaves between his fingers. The greenery was leathery to the touch and looked glossy under a ray of sunlight. While twirling the stem of the plant he took a small whiff of the flower only to grimace at the normally sweet aroma.

Vanilla?

His head started to ache once again as that half-shrill tried to make its way back to the front of his mind. This time he sat next to the bush as he put his free palm to his forehead under his helmet. However, his moment of recovery was short-lived when a raspy voice spoke up from behind him.

“Ya know, if you keep plucking and sniffing every flower you don’t know you're probably going to get yourself sick.. Oh please! Put your sword away, if I was going to do anything I would’ve already. Are you even aware of what you’re holding? Oleanders are one of the most toxic plants out here! Just touching the lea-...”

Fluttering to the ground, the plant was forgotten as the knight swiftly turned around and took out his long blade to wield at whoever snuck up behind him. His teeth were bared while he glared up at the taller man who raised his wooden hands in the air and stared back with wide midnight-blue eyes. While the other continued rambling, Perry looked the peculiar man up and down briefly--not paying any mind to whatever he was yapping about.

He wore a tattered tunic with the neckline of it barely being held together by stands of string; the sleeves were rolled up past his elbows which Perry could see the left prosthetic connected by his elbow, while the other was hidden more up his sleeve. Around his midsection over his shirt was a thick woven fabric partially tucked into his patched-up breeches. The brown trousers just barely cut off below his knees, though it was hard to tell if it was because of how small the pants were or how tall the man was.

Even while slouched over the man, towered over the knight which made him think it was likely both reasons. His narrowed eyes shifted back to his face and he started to tilt his head only now taking in his features. Disheveled brunette hair stuck out in multiple directions; he wasn't even sure where it even parted, it was just a conglomerate mess! His nose was hard to ignore, with small bumps at the bridge, which he was all too familiar with; not to mention how it awkwardly pointed out from the center of his face. And those eyes, they were somehow the most expressive part of him--aside from his endless chattering; the dark blue orbs were wide and .. were they sparkling?

Figuring he wasn’t a threat Perry lowered the weapon from the other Adam’s apple, but his glare didn’t falter. This didn’t seem to bother the stranger in the slightest as he continued talking and somehow ended up talking about the process of photosynthesis.

Was this some sort of distraction?

He looked at the hedge to his left, the tops of the bushes were just a couple tantalizingly inches inches too tall for him to look over; even when he tried to hop on his tiptoes. This was getting him nowhere, and he needed to start reporting back to the guild before it got late. With exasperated sigh Perry rolled his eyes before shoving past the man to head back to the riverbank where Daliah waited for him.

“Hey! Where are you going? I haven’t even told you about how the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell!”

Once mounted onto the horse, the paladin took another glance in the direction he left the man to wave him over. He might be annoying, but Perry still had a duty and the least he could do was bring the lost civilian home to the kingdom.

However, it was as if the stranger had vanished into thin air. Not a trace of another being was left behind, only the rustling of the bushes settling back to their normal height.

Just don’t think too much about it! It’s too early to lose your mind already!

With a whistle, Dahlia started her trek back to the kingdom, but all Perry could think about was trying to ease the irritating rash that was slowly forming in his hands.

What was that plant called again?

“.. anyways! That was how we got chased out of a town by a borzoi named Rapunzel. Which by the way, totally not my fault that the owner and half the town was dragged by its hair!”

Blinking back to reality Sir Perry tried to tune back in with whatever side tangent the alchemist was wrapping up.

Maybe now he could get on with his grand scheme.

“Anyways where was I going with this? Oh right!! There had been a point when I had the best hair in the kingdom! Sometimes Mother would even braid them back with flowers and… er.. You know what, t-that’s unrelated sorry! Heh, geez I’m getting parched from all this monologuing! Do you want some water, Perry?”

With a shake of his head, the knight shrugged his shoulders and tried to yank his arm out of the concocted binds for his hands to be rubber-banded back to his chest.

“Oh right! It seems like you are still in a sticky situation over there! Oh come on now don’t look so GLUE-m! Oh oh, I got it! Stay Adhesive soldier! Ha! Get it because it sounds like at ease solider an-!”

If the knight could groan he would’ve by now as he leaned his head back against the wall behind him. Nearby he saw a wooden platter with a clay pitcher that Heinz had set down on a table littered with scraps of paper and half-created trinkets. Some of which he either recognized as past ‘-inators’ as the scientist proclaimed them to be, or writings that were unintelligible from this distance. However, he could tell the large cursive letters of his nemesis from a mile away.

He never would admit it, but it always impressed the younger man how neat the other’s penmanship was despite being one of the clumsiest and scatterbrained people Perry had ever met. Even more interesting was his ambidexterity, despite having both of his hands limited to wooden digits, it never seemed to affect the scientist’s craft; he could be sketching out a whole invention while writing the notes simultaneously. Even while he was talking it was sometimes a wonder to watch how his fake limbs bent and turned while he was enthralled in a story.

Perry vaguely remembered when Heinz briefly mentioned something about a magic spell that allowed him more control over the prosthetics, but he refused to elaborate any more on them. Any follow-up questions were met with tidbits about his creations to get back on track for once. Not that the knight cared about the miscellaneous details of the man, it was merely an observation he noted and remembered it was a delicate subject to bring up.

“..ok! Ok! I swear I’m done now! Back to my beautiful hair! One day I was to my favorite candy store and-..”

Here we go again..

He had expected many things when given this position. Possible geographical discoveries, maybe a ghoul or two that had to be defeated, or even a fantastical sidequest that involved faes and other beings he had read so much about What he hadn’t anticipated was the nuisance of a stranger he met all that time ago to be the root of all the mysteries that plagued the woods.

It was his first couple of weeks on the field when they crossed paths again. After numerous complaints of market stalls being robbed in the dead of night, the only traces of the perpetrator(s) were large footprints leading back to the woods and a black cloth snagged on one of the nearby trees. Perry took it upon himself to get to the bottom of it.

Much to his surprise (and his disappointment) though the search hadn’t lasted very long. He had barely made his course past the woods entrance when he spotted a familiar hunched-over man hauling a large brown sack over his shoulders. When the two made eye contact this seemed to send the other into a panicked fumble as he tried to turn back and attempted to drag the bag behind him. He hadn't gotten very far once the duo caught up, Perry stopped Daliah in front of the suspect.

“For crying out loud! I swear you knights are always trying to find ways to show off your silly little ponies! You could’ve just told me to stop..”

Rolling his eyes the knight lifted his faceguard, this at least got the man to stop for just a moment as he tilted his head and then pointed a wooden finger at him.

“Hey wait a minute!! You’re that guy who was sniffing and playing the oleanders! Did you ever get your hand checked out, it looked like it was already reddening when I saw you. I meant to give you something for it, but you just left! It’s rude to just leave while someone is tal-...”

Oh my god not again.. Seemingly having the same thought, Perry sighed in annoyance while Daliah huffed, digging her front hoof into the ground. The stranger put his hands up, dropping his duffle revealing mostly scraps of metal, wooden tools, and.. nuts? Most of which had been reported to be stolen.

“Yeesh! I was just making my way home.. So if you don’t mind I’ll just be going around and- oh come on really?”

Quickly the hermit turned around to pick up his contents, Perry noticed the shabby black cloak he wore with tears at the ends. Once the individual picked up his luggage, he had tried to step around the knight, but  the younger man maneuvered his horse to the side ultimately blocking the other from running. 

“Come on man, what’s your problem? I already told you where I’m going!” Perry raised a brow and gave a pointed look, “Oh! This stuff? Well, er.. Alright alright! So you caught me! For I, Heinz the mad genius have concocted the perfect plan to overthrow the ‘so-called great royal family!’ I  just need time to put it all together and..”

This was getting us nowhere! Finally, jumping down from his horse, Perry marched up to the man who was too busy rambling about his plots that he barely had a chance to react to the iron fist before he was uppercutted. The punch had just enough force to not only make Heinz let go of the bag but also send him backward until he lost his footing and landed in the shallow rivers with a loud splash.

“Ughh.. So I’m guessing they sent you here? Figures as much.. Just wait you wait, Mystery Man! One day I will have my comeuppance and you all shall rue the day you cross The Mad Alchemist Heinz Doof!! Curse you!!!”

Had Perry known that second interaction would lead him down a path of constantly being on Heinz’s case and thwarting his (albeit petty) schemes; he’s not so sure he would’ve been so proud and overzealous when reporting back to his superiors. Maybe he should’ve just anonymously given the sack to the guild and they could’ve handled it, but of course the knight had to prove he was worthy of true missions.

Little did he realize those missions almost always involved the obnoxious scientist no matter how large or small the anomaly was, he was always somehow behind it all and it was up to Percival the Honorable (as some of the other members called him) to stop him.

So here he was, trapped in the confines of his armor boredly glaring at the alchemist who was finally done with his onslaught of backstories. Perry vaguely remembered something about how a kid named Doger (?) accidentally got gum in his hair and Heinz had to get some of his hair trimmed so now he wanted everyone to have something in their hair so they had to be cut as well and live with the same embarassing haircut, or at least something along those lines.

Overdramatic much? Alright, time to get out of here!

After a minute or two of shifting his arm around he had finally freed his hand from the stuck gauntlets. The scientist was still preoccupied with wandering his home to even notice the knight taking out his sword in order to reach the pitcher of water nearby. Just barely managing to get the sharp end through the handle, Perry quickly lifted his weapon so the water sloshed out and onto his armor, which turned Stuckgloo into a mushy goop that slid to the ground.

The clanging of the pot hitting the floor had the scientitst quickly turn around to see the other just barely putting his armored glove back on. His sword was sheathed back to his side, and  fists tightened with one foot infront of the other.

“Huh, guess I should come up with a waterproof version of.. ACK-!”

Heinz hadn’t even finished his sentence when his feet were swept from underneath him and all the potions he had been holding flew into the air. Upon opening his eyes, he saw Perry standing kneeling over him with a smirk. He tried to move his head to the side, but instead, Heinz was stuck only staring at the ceiling and that smug grin on his nemesis’s face. With a grunt, he tried to move his arms, but they too were glued to the floor.

‘You want some water with that?’

The alchemist rolled his eyes at the comment, “Har Har Har! Very funny! You made your point and thwarted me! Now help me up will, y-” The knight stood up and started making his way to the door, “Hey hey! Wh-where are you going!? Get back here! You can’t just leave me on the floor like this! CURSE YOU PERRY THE PALADIN!!”

< Part 2