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wintfleur · 2 months ago

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𓈒 ୭ৎ ˖˙ ᰋ ── SHE’LL GET YOU LOVESTONED !

aka rosa’s profile

━━━ ❛ why you so obsessed with me? boy, I wanna know

ꪆ୧ BASICS .ᐟ

name: rosalie grace hughes

nicknames:

rosa (everyone)

rosie (close friends & family)

alie (parents)

grace (parents)

ro (brothers)

nerd (jack)

rosie posey (cole)

birthday and zodiac: february 11th 2002, aquarius

age: 22

location:

orlando, florida (born)

toronto, canada (former)

ann arbor, michigan

multiple different places for acting

montreal, québec canada (currently)

ꪆ୧ APPEARANCE .ᐟ

eye color: brown

hair color: brown

hair styles: rosa has naturally wavy hair so she likes keeping it down, she rarely curls or straightens it. She likes having her hair in ponytails, braids, messy buns or pigtails. But she normally just likes having her hair down.

height: 5’5

scars: none

piercing(s): both of her front lobes

tattoo(s): none

face claim: martyna balsam (sometimes madison beer in smau’s)

ꪆ୧ ABOUT .ᐟ

personality: rosa has a very playful and charming personality, she has that personality that just makes you naturally drawn to her. She's often described as laidback, flirty, friendly, kind, sarcastic and hardworking and someone who is never afraid to speak their mind. rosa can be very extroverted around the people she is comfortable with and can be very silly and playful, but she can also be very introverted and quiet. She cares deeply for the people she loves and is always there for them. She is very family and friend oriented and likes being around people.

good traits: passionate, hard-working, reliable, family oriented, comforting, witty,

bad traits: holds grudges, self-critical, too bold at times, emotional when tired

quirks: pouts and tilts head when confused, rolls eyes, touchy with people she's comfortable with, flirts, casually dominate, never losing the idgaf war, rambling about her books she's reading, fidgeting with her jewelry

likes: christmas, rain and the smell of rain, buying candles, scary movies, cold weather, coloring, natural sunlight, her Nintendo switch, miniskirts, beating her brothers when they play hockey together, naps, playing the piano, making playlists, f1, snoopy

dislikes: rude people, inpatient people, vegetables, not being able to fall asleep on long flights, losing to her brothers at video games, people being surprised that she's really smart just because she's pretty

hobbies: drawing, reading, dancing, baking, skating, running, pilates, video games, traveling

fears: clowns, spiders, snakes, tight spaces, the dentist

strengths: confident, creative, helpful, organized, ambitious

weaknesses: having a healthy sleep schedule, eating vegetables, her anxiety

languages spoken: english (fluent) french (fluent)

occupation/profession: model/influencer, fashion design student at mcgill university, and actress

ambition/dream: to have her own clothing line

current concern: convincing cole that they should get another kitty

currently listening to: São Paulo - The Weeknd ft. Anitta

ꪆ୧ RELATIONSHIPS .ᐟ

parents:

jim hughes

ellen weinberg-hughes

sibling(s):

quinn hughes

jack hughes

luke hughes

best friends: lorelai maddox carrington, elijah park, alex turcotte, trevor zegras, finn wolfhard, sophie thatcher, sadie sink, bianca dela luna

friends: the rest of the habs, vinnie hacker, matthew knies, jamie drysdale, matt boldy, william nylander, jake neighbours, stranger things cast, the outer banks cast, yellowjackets cast, twisters cast, fear street cast, billie eilish, mark lee

love interest: cole caufield

pet(s): a kitty named ollie

ꪆ୧ MORE .ᐟ

scent: rosa has always had a sensitive nose with fragrances, so she's always stuck with a few signature perfumes. Her chosen few are, chanel coco mademoiselle, calvin klein euphoria, parfums de marly paris.

outfits: rosa’s big three for her outfits are, any type of skirts (preferably a miniskirt), low rise jeans and boots/platforms. rosa always tries to look her best and be presentable and she's honestly slightly obsessed with shopping, so she has a large wardrobe, not just from shopping but also from sponsors/modeling. If she's going for comfort, she likes to wear mom jeans, sweatpants, jean or cloth shorts, fleece pullovers, hoodies, sweaters, cardigans etc. For everyday clothing, she likes wearing jeans, skirts, baby tees, button down cropped blouses, long sleeves, sundresses. For special occasions, she likes wearing shorter dresses with tights, or slacks with corset tops.

accessories: rosa mostly accessories with bags, sunglasses/non prescription glasses, jewelry, and headwear. Such as, headbands, hair clips and pins, baseball caps, berets, bucket hats. She likes including ear muffs, scarves, leg and arm warmers. She’s very creative with wearing accessories but it really all just depends on her outfit. She loves bags like she has a large collection of them, mostly prada, coach and christian dior bags. With her larger bags she likes having cute little keychains addons, and with her smaller bags she likes tying bows and having smaller keychains on them. She also loves getting her nails done, she prefers when they are short and she likes almond nails the most.

jewelry: she enjoys both silver and gold but mostly leans into gold. Again it really depends on the outfit she is wearing. She doesn't like overusing jewelry and having a lot on at a time, especially with her everyday life. She likes having a few bracelets and a thin watch on, a few rings and of course a necklace and her earrings. She has a lot of different types of rings, mostly vintage ones. Her favorite jewelry pieces are her mood ring, her charm bracelet, her pendant necklace, and her lucky gold hoops.

makeup: rosa isn't the biggest fan of having makeup on, especially on her face because it makes her feel uncomfortable. She's a big fan of curling her eyelashes and using mascara, and eyeliner (on her waterline as well) . She likes using a little blush but her cheeks are naturally rosey so she normally uses blush in the winter, maybe sometimes even a little highlighter. She does always have something on her lips, lip gloss, lipstick or lip tint, mostly pinks and nude shades.

sexuality: bisexual

ꪆ୧ FAVORITES .ᐟ

food(s): blueberries, any fruit really, pancakes, granola bars, white cheddar cheezits, pasta, chicken wings

drink(s): sprite, cherry sprite, redbull

color(s): earth tones

animal(s): bears, cats & bunnies

bands and artist: the weeknd, avril lavigne, lana del rey, marina and the diamonds, lady gaga, gwen stefani, cassie

show(s): the vampire diaries, outer range, gossip girl, supernatural

movie(s): christmas with the kranks, bratz, harry potter, lord of the rings, step up series, twilight series

person: cole and luke

ꪆ୧ BACKGROUND .ᐟ

rosalie hughes was born on a beautiful day in orlando florida

initially ellen and jim were told by the doctors that rosalie was going to be a boy, and it wasn't until late in the pregnancy when the doctors realized that they were wrong.

the family were extremely happy to be having a girl though, especially quinn!

growing up rosalie was very much a daddy’s and mommy’s girl, she was very attached to her parents, never wanting to be away from them.

when rosa was 5 she was put in ballet and she continued to dance all the way until she was 15, ballet, jazz, contemporary and modern.

rosa was introduced to modeling when she was 14

but when she was 8 and until she was 14 she played hockey, but she stopped because she wanted to focus on modeling and acting

rosa found her love for fashion designing when she was 15, through modeling and acting

when she was 13 rosa made her debut in acting as a main character in stranger things season one, playing the younger sister of steve harrington

through middle school and highschool she was apart of her theater club

rosa skipped a year in highschool so she graduated the same year as jack

in the summer of 2019 rosa started filming for outer banks, acting as a main character for the show, playing as John B's younger sister.

rosa moved to montreal when she was 18 for college, quickly became the top student in all of her classes

in november of 2019, rosa filmed the pilot of yellowjackets in los angeles, but the filming was put on hold because of covid-19, then in spring of 2021 she filmed the rest of the first season as a main character

she was part of the trilogy fear street movies as a main character

in the summer of 2023 she filmed twisters, she was a main character, and portrayed the younger sister of tyler owens

in June of 2023 she started filming as a main character in gladiator 2

ꪆ୧ FUN FACTS .ᐟ

rosa is very popular on instagram and tiktok, having 48 million subscribers on instagram and 29 million on her tiktok.

rosa absolutely loves reading, she has said multiple times that her books are her babies

rosa used to have a big crush on matthew tkachuk, something her brothers and brady loved to tease her about.

rosa is at the top of her fashion designing classes, shes very talented at it

rosa loves exploring her creativity, through fashion, dance and different types of art.

rosa walked at the 2024 victoria secret fashion show

when rosa played hockey her position was center

rosa’s celebrity crushes are, channing tatum, miles teller, and hailee steinfeld

rosa was quick to dominate in the modeling world, winning a few awards.

she loves living by herself and having her independence, but she gets homesick often

she loves cat and dogs equally

jack likes to teasingly call her a nerd because she loves to study and learn

rosa loves studying and learning new things, she's always been an academic weapon

rosa has a private twitter account where she posts the most random things on it

she loves cooking and baking, cooking and baking for people is one of her love languages

rosa has many celebrity friends from modeling and acting

because of her acting and modeling career she does do lot of her college schooling online

rosa is very loved by the media / public, her interviews etc. always get millions of views

she travels a lot because of acting and modeling

she's very attached to her ipad and her nintendo switch, like those are her babies

she loves stickers, she loves putting them on things, she's known for being a sticker lover

elijah park, who is one of rosa’s best friends, is one of her neighbors in her apartment building. they met in college in one of her fashion designing classes and instantly clicked

rosa’s friend mark lee is in a kpop group, nct. They met when they were kids in Canada and became even closer as the years went on

one of rosa’s best friend lorelai (who is the oc of @winterbarnesblog) is dating arber so they met through him

on the stranger things cast rosa is the closest to, finn wolfhard, sadie sink and joe keery

on the outer banks cast rosa is the closest to, drew starkly, madelyn cline and jonathan daviss

on the yellowjackets cast rosa is the closest to, sophie thatcher, courtney eaton, sophie nélisse and ella purnell

on the fear street cast rosa is the closest to, sadie sink, maya hawke and emily rudd

on the twisters cast rosa is the closest to, glen powell and daisy edgar-jones

on the gladiator cast she is the most closest too, Joseph Quinn, Fred hechinger and Pedro pascal

there are so many pictures of her asleep in a chair taken by her cast mates

she gets babied a lot by like eveyrone

she talks to her parents every single day

she hates having unread notifications, the red dots stress her out

she gets so flustered wherever she's put on the big screen at the hockey games she goes to

she thrives on being busy

her favorite f1 team is mclaren

mark estapa has the biggest crush on her, he's like a lovesick puppy whenever he's around her and it drives her brothers crazy, especially luke because mark is always asking him about her

juraj slafkovský is her son, she unofficially adopted him

her all-time favorite hockey team since she was a kid was the Toronto maple Leafs but she will take that to the grave (literally almost everyone knows)

she is very talented at tennis and golf, honestly any sport really

on the devils she is the closest to, nico hischier and dawson mercer

on the canucks she is the closest to brock boeser and elias pettersson

she takes journaling very seriously!!

she has a very detailed calendar, and she swears that it's the only thing keeping her alive because of her busy life

she loves animals so much; she loves going to visit ranches and farms

her dream is to have her own ranch when her and cole retire

she is an extroverted introvert

she loves watching movies and shows

not really a party girl, she prefers to just stay inside or having chill gatherings with her friends

but will occasionally have fun at a party

knows how to country line dance

she is very clingy, likes physical touch

she makes playlists for the people she cares about

she really has a big heart and has a fear of being taken advantage of because of her kindness.

she’s a hopeless romantic

her favorite YouTuber is stephanie soo

she loves true crime, and knows the most random facts about it

has a big crush on klaus mikaelson

a big fan of Scooby doo

dressed up as Velma like 3 times before

she loves planning outings for her and her friends

a lot of people (hockey players, celebrities, random people) have confessed to having a crush on rosa and her being their type

she is heavily praised by the modeling / fashion designing / actor world for her natural and amazing talent, and her wonderful personality

she really is the it girl !!

she’s such a trendsetter

her main instagram account is @/rosaliehughes

her private instagram account is @/roseyposeys

her private twitter is @/hugsybears

ꪆ୧ VISUALS .ᐟ

ꪆ୧ POSTS N MORE !

rosaliehughes just posted !

📍montreal, quebec

liked by dacremontgomery , yellowjackets , _willsmith2 and more

🏷️ finnwolfhardofficial , soapy.t

🎵 : art - tyla

rosaliehughes guess who came to visit me :P

view all comments

soapy.t promise to visit again soon 🙂‍↕️

rosaliehughes I miss you already 🙁

finnwolfhardofficial it was good to see ollie again

rosaliehughes finn my cat hates you..

daisyedgarjones you truly are a blessing to my eyes 😻

rosaliehughes 🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️

sadiesink_ WTF FINN SAID YOU WERE TOO BUSY FOR VISITS??

finnwolfhardofficial i wanted her for myself 😾

rosaliehughes finn is a pathological liar 😾

finnwolfhardofficial it’s true it says so on my resume…

sadiesink_ IM BOOKING MY FLIGHT RN 😾

jonathandavissofficial we love a studious gal

rosaliehughes ikr, the bad sleep schedule and redbull addiction is so sexy

jackhughes but you said you had no time for visitors 😿

lhughes_06 no she said she had no time for you…

jackhughes go do your laundry

rosaliehughes don’t boss luke around Jack 😾

trevorzegras I’m gonna miss you when I scroll…

rosaliehughes that’s oddly sweet of you….what do you want 🤨

jennaortega mama 😻

username Jenna is so real for that

username finn and rosa are my fav duo

username praying for a rosa and sophie kiss in season 3 🙏

courtneyeaton my girls 💋

rosaliehughes heyyyyy *replies in nonchalant and acts like I’m totally not in love with you*

soapy.t babes I think you really got her this time 😼

_quinnhughes boo more ollie 🍅

rosaliehughes LEAVE ME ALONE

matthewknies lots of boots ya got there

rosaliehughes lots of asses I gotta kick 👢💥

mattboldy the fact that, that little bear is still attached is mind blowing

rosaliehughes no thanks to you 🫵 you are the one who threw her in the lake

obx our pogue princess 👸🏻

rosaliehughes mwah mwah 😽

vinniehacker I know ur busy in your scholar era but like valo?? I’m having withdrawals

rosaliehughes ITS NOT AN ERA IM A COLLEGE STUDENT…when I got home I’ll call you

glenpowell how’s my favorite not real sister doing?

rosaliehughes check ur msgs

glenpowell no shot you just sent me a 2 minute audio message of you straight out screaming

_slafkovsky_ what’s 8 + 8???

rosaliehughes 16?? ��😭

_slafkovsky_ wait I don’t think I did this right 🙁

rosaliehughes no no you did perfect 🫶🏻

drewstarkey where do I book my visit?

rosaliehughes click the link in my bio! 💋

_alexturcotte THATS MY BESTIE

rosaliehughes BAD BITCH WITH HER BADDIE FRIEND 💅

markestapa Heyyy *leans against my mansion that has a bunch of fruit and pancakes because I know they are your favorite, and it just so happens that my home move theater is playing twilight…crazy coincidence omg*

lhughes_06 mark please enough 😓

rosaliehughes you’re so cute mark 🫶🏻

markestapa SHE CALLEF ME CUTE SHE WNATS ME @/edwards.73

edwards.73 get a grip bro 🤣

elijahparkk someone needs to cut your redbull intake I couldn’t focus in class cause you were practically shaking next to me 🫵

rosaliehughes okay listen here…

elijahparkk ….I’m listening ☝️

colecaufield BOOM SHAKALAKA YES GAWD 😩💥

colecaufield truly blessing my eyes

colecaufield I’m the luckiest man alive 😍

rosaliehughes nooo I’m the luckiest girl alive 😽

colecaufield yeah I’m gonna marry you 😩

roro’s note. HERE SHE IS !! OUR GIRL ROSA 😻 I really hope you guys love her, I’ve honestly have been working so hard on her and I’m so excited for this AU so muchhhh so please send in as many thoughts as you want …. what do you guys like most about her? I had so much fun making those tweets omg

au m.list

˖ ་ taglist : @lesrflms @winterbarnesblog @toasttt11 @cixrosie @iceflwers

©️WINTFLEUR

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listen-to-the-inner-walrus · 8 months ago

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Hey hi hello to any fellow Brits reading this.

You probably know we have a general election coming up, which by the way, make sure you're registered to vote and have the qualifying photo ID.

And hey maybe you're a fence-sitter who doesn't want to vote for Labour for whatever reason.

Well, this post is giving you a reason to vote for Labour (or any party other than Tory if the candidate actually has a chance to win the seat).

You might have noticed that a lot of local and city councils have either gone bankrupt recently or are teetering on the edge, and that officially, it's the councils themselves that have been blamed, and uh yeah, that's horseshit.

The majority of a local council's funding comes from core grants given out by Westminster.

There's actually a limit on funding that local councils can raise via taxes, and like a whole lot of issues in the UK, that comes down to Margaret fucking Thatcher. It's also thanks to her that local councils don't have as much power over the local area as you'd ideally want them to.

(That's been eased a little since, but if a local council ain't got the money, they can't exercise that power.)

Suffice to say, local councils are very much dependent on funding from the central government.

And as you might imagine, 14 years of Tory government has just made it worse. From 2010 to 2020, that funding was cut by 40%.

Wanna know why hundreds of libraries have closed down? Or why public services like bin collections are almost entirely ran by corporations? Or why bin collections are now once a fortnight rather than once a week? Or why council houses haven't been built? Or why public toilets are being closed? Or why you have to Tokyo Drift on the drive to work because it's been 2 years and no one's done shit about that goddamn pothole? Or why parks seem to now be maintained by Big Foot and by the way Big Foot has also declared bankruptcy? Or why local arts have had their budget of 17 paperclips and a whistle reduced down to 10 paperclips and no whistle? Or why your local museum is effectively a mausoleum?

It is all down to this.

Your local council runs on a shoestring budget because Tory rule has deprived local councils of the funding that they need.

If the Tories win in July, this problem is just gonna get worse and worse and worse.

More councils are going to go bankrupt; more public services are going to be cut or underfunded; more vulnerable kids are going to fall through the cracks; more local services will be privatised; more pressing issues will be ignored because there's no money left over to fix it.

You might not like the current Labour party, but hi hello welcome to harm reduction politics. Maybe a Labour government won't fix this, but another 5 years of Tory rule is going to break this country.

So for god's sake, get over yourself and your leftist purity bullshit, and just fucking vote for Labour as a vote against the Tories.

[Information for this post comes from this video by Tom Nicholas]

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rebellum · 22 days ago

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God people on here would have DEFINITELY fallen for the tiktok "Rome was a theme park" "Helen Keller was fake" shit

And I want to judge but I also know its due to ignorance on the part of most people

But, also.. at this stage.. it shouldn't be ignorance? You should KNOW to be wary of posts saying anything is a fact. Like man if you're falling for "Reagan and thatcher wanted ethnic accents to be accepted" with 0 sources then I think at this point this is on you

Like I've done it too, I'll admit

Imo its kinda part of human nature to accept things as true unless it directly contradicts previous knowledge or sounds too outlandish (look at how people will so readily accept rumours!)

But just because it's our natural inclination doesn't mean we can't counteract it. It's also our natural inclination to have an in-group mentality, and we can choose to reject that (like racism) and express it in healthier ways (eg sports teams. As long as you aren't assaulting people.)

#huh. big clumps of stuff is falling from the sky.#i wonder if this had to do with the weird scary noise i heard earlier #it was like thunder #but without the storm and in december

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stevesbipanic · 1 year ago

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@steddiemas Day 26: Fake Dating

Steve was ready for Hawkins to open up again and for the Upside Down to swallow him whole. Christmas was meant to be fun, well at least it was supposed to be fun now that he spent it with the Buckley's. Right now though he was glaring at his boyfriend and best friend across the table. Or wait not his boyfriend this evening, no tonight, Eddie was Robin's boyfriend.

Steve could only blame himself he supposed, one for loving the two idiots that were currently badly suppressing giggles and two because it was all because of what he'd said last week.

One week earlier...

"Robin, just tell your mom you're a lesbian or I'm not coming to Christmas lunch next week."

"Steve I can't do that do you want to ruin Christmas!?"

"She was already fine with me being bisexual she's not going to send you to hell, that's why we tested her with me in the first place!"

"No, I'm not ready!"

"Well I can't sit through another Christmas of your mom suggesting a Spring wedding!"

"You're my boy space friend can't we just let her live in a fantasy world where she marries into the Harrington's?"

"I don't even want to be one!"

"Could pop down to the courthouse and become a Munson, baby," Eddie supplied watching the back and forth while blatantly stealing from the candy display.

Steve gave him a deadpan look, "You need to propose to me better than that, Eds. No, Robin that's it I'm not going, I'm not being your boyfriend anymore!"

"What am I meant to do then, she'll be asking about you all day!"

"I'll do it!" Eddie exclaimed.

"Do what?" The other two asked giving him a questioning look.

"No, stop I hate when you do that twin thing it's creepy. And I'll be your boyfriend for Christmas, Birdie."

Which brought Steve to now. It had seemed like a brilliant idea, one Steve could enjoy his Christmas lunch peacefully being the golden boy of the table as Mrs Buckley dawned over him and two, no boyfriend questions. There was also the added bonus that lesbianism might seem like a better option than the town's drug dealer in the Buckley's minds. What Steve hadn't counted on, was the Buckley's loving Eddie.

"Oh, you're in a band that's so lovely, you know I played tamborine for a band back when I was your age, we thought we were going to be a big girl group."

"I hear you're working over at Thatcher's son, they're good men there you're certainly going to learn a lot."

Steve had been relegated to peeling the potatoes while Eddie was literally putting his feet up in the living room. He felt like the middle child of a family that just got a newborn baby, how dare Eddie steal his pseudo parents. What was worse was that Robin was finding this hilarious.

"Oh poor Stevie Wevie are you sad mom's not asking about how EMT school is going?"

"Yes! I had such a fun fake heart attack story she was gonna love." Steve pouted and for a moment he thought about stomping his foot in protest.

"Hey, it's ok, next year I promise I'll have told them, and Edward over there can come as your boyfriend, ok?" Robin reassured wrapping an arm around him.

Steve guessed that he could give up being the favourite this time, and it was nice seeing people be kind to Eddie, it hadn't been easy after Spring Break. It didn't stop him shooting daggers whenever Eddie and Robin decided to reassure Steve at lunch that he'd find someone nice eventually.

Steve and Eddie waved goodbye after lunch, promising to visit soon and hopped into the van.

"Have fun?"

"Oh yeah, I think Janice is already planning the Spring wedding."

"Well, I hope you enjoyed getting fawned over because we've got dinner with Wayne now, and guess who's his favourite?"

"Just because you know the difference between the Chiefs and the Packers, I'm his own blood and the minute you're there it's like I'm chopped liver!" Eddie exclaimed as they drove towards the trailer park.

Lunch had been interesting but he was very glad it was over as he laughed and slid his fingers between Eddie's between them, happy that he had his boyfriend back.

Ao3

#steddie fake dating was too easy hahahaha #Stobin #steddie #eddie and robin are soulmates in law #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #steddiemas #ficlet #fake dating

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sparrowrye · 9 months ago

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Demi Demon || Alastor x Reader, A3 part 2

Synopsis: Alastor disappeared for 8 years, leaving you confused, crushed, and angry. You spent those years building up your new self and protecting the haven from dangers left and right. What will happen when he returns to the new changes? Will he return anytime soon? Could you even go back to the way things were?

Previous part

Part 2: constricting deals

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on Mrs. Dragon Demon, you really think I don't have cameras everywhere?" Vox remarked from his chair. We were in his dressing room, where there were no visible cameras, and I sat on the other only comfortable chair in the room. We were both exhibiting relaxed, nonchalant behavior. Vox was leaning his screen on his hand while the other tapped or gestured every so often.

I was leaning back in the chair, legs crossed elegantly, and hands folded comfortably in my lap. "You haven't noticed anything strange about trucks going into certain towns or cities?"

I wore the same outfit I always wore when dealing with anything outside the haven. It was the same maroon shirt and gray dress pants I wore when interrogating the women from Blackwater's remaining clan. My Demon attributes were clearly visible, minus my wings, and my face was set in a hard stare.

"Hundreds of trucks go into cities. None of them have Blackwater's symbol on them."

"He--they--wouldn't be that obvious," I reminded.

"Then what do you want me to do?" He turned both palms to the sky in annoyance.

I let out a sigh, showing my own annoyance. "I want you to watch all the trucks that come into major cities and park in suspicious areas and alleys."

"You must have a lot of faith in my abilities." His annoyance turned to smugness, his sharp blue teeth making their appearance. "But I cannot focus my attention on over a hundred cities and towns."

"Just cities. The clan is small so they'll go to places with the most buyers. And you have plenty of souls to do that work for you."

"And why exactly would I do this?" he raised a single eyebrow in question, "This doesn't fall under the terms of our deal."

"Everyone wants to claim victory over Blackwater. You would share that victory with me."

"Now that you've told me how to do it, why would I need to share it with you?"

I abruptly stood up at that. "Need I remind you who actually killed him?" His smile fell. "I don't actually need your help. It would make things easier but I am in no need of your assistance. If you do not wish to be known as one of the Overlords who rid the surface of the last traces of Blackwater, then this conversation is over."

I turned, tail smoothly flicking behind me, and walked to the door. I had grabbed the door handle when he asked, "You consider yourself an Overlord, now?"

There was a pause. "I do. What of it?" I looked over my shoulder, not yet fully facing him.

"I figured you would keep the title open for Alastor's return." He paused. "He has returned, hasn't he? It's been seven years."

"It's been eight, actually." I finally faced him and slid my hands into my pockets. "And no, he hasn't. I will not stand by and wait for him to return. I have more important things to take care of in his absence."

Vox stood from his chair and crossed the room. He put his hands behind his back like Alastor, one of the many traits he purposefully picked up, and said with a smile, "He hasn't even left a note for you?"

"This conversation is about Blackwater, not Alastor," I hissed, baring my teeth, "Will you assist me or will you hide away in your station to let me do all the hard work?"

Again, his smile fell. "I'll let you know if I find anything suspicious." His sarcastic, bothered tone was bothering me.

I nodded and opened the door. Before disappearing down the hall I said, "Give Valentino my regards," and flipped him off.

****

I finished the cold glass of water and placed it quietly in the sink. A vision about Adam being in Nym and Thatcher's room had interrupted a dream. I had immediately checked their room but they were both sound asleep in their own beds. Adam was nowhere in sight.

I noticed my hand shaking as I put the cup in the sink. I gripped the edges of the counter and leaned over, forcefully taking deep breaths to calm myself. It had been awhile since I last shook like this, since I last felt such a strong sense of fear. One day he was going to intervene again and he was going to use Nym and Thatcher. Since I moved them into the house to join the family, I had been very careful to keep them separated from my life outside the haven.

The vision hadn't shown them dying, only him keeping them really close as a threat. That meant I still had the chance to keep them safe when he did come. Why was he going to intervene again? Was I on Heaven's radar now? Had I become as much of a problem as Alastor had? What exactly did they not like about my actions that warranted an intervention? Was it because I was half Angel? Was it because I was successful half Demon?

My questions would remain unanswered.

Finally composing myself, I left the kitchen and stretched out on the couch. Bad nightmares or visions always made it impossible to go back to sleep in my room. I spread out my magic as I drifted into a half sleep, my magic keeping vigil for any unwanted, divine visitors.

The familiar, warm presence of my family surrounded my mind. Their colorful souls lay still as they drifted in their dreams, as did the rest of the haven. The warmth of the sun touched my feet as it tried desperately to squeezed through the curtains. Soon the children would wake up and pull me from a restless sleep.

Yet it wasn't them who woke me up.

Alastor's hallucination came back. It was the fourth time this week he had appeared. I thought I had gotten over his disappearance but the anniversary of it two days ago seemed to send me back twelve steps. My emotions were all over the place and my irritation with Blackwater's legacy was ever growing.

I looked over my shoulder at the hallucination to acknowledge it, which was the first step in dealing with them, then turned back to press my face into the couch.

"I'm back, my love."

My ears pinned back against my head. It had been years since one of his hallucinations spoke. The first two years of it had been torturous for me, sending me up and down and back and forth. It took help from Lucifer to learn how to manage them. Eventually they turned into speechless hallucinations until they no longer plagued me.

But now they were returning. It was getting bad again.

"Go away," I said. It didn't answer me right away.

"Darling?"

"I said go away. I know you're not real." The second step to the speaking hallucination was to repeatedly remind myself it wasn't actually there. "I know you're not real."

"My love I am very real." Those were the exact words his previous ones had spoken, too.

"I just want to sleep. Go away. You're not real."

"My darling, I am real. I am back. I am home." I heard it shuffle and turned to see his hallucination kneeling beside the couch, hand grabbing my shoulder.

I freaked.

I slapped the hand off my shoulder and launched myself backwards off the couch. "No! This isn't happening again!" I scrambled back into the corner of the room and covered myself with my wings. My claws dug dangerously hard into my scalp as I squeezed my eyes shut.

The last time a hallucination had gotten physical, I nearly lost myself to my trapped souls. Had Charlie not come to meet with me about the haven, she wouldn't have gotten her father in time and my own magic and owned souls would have torn me apart.

"You're not real! You're not real! Go away! You can't take me again!" I repeatedly yelled, careful not to be too loud. I didn't want Nym and Thatcher to see me like this. Worst of all, I didn't want them to be unable to see my hallucination. It terrified me when people couldn't see what I could see. It made me feel alone in the struggle, fearful of something that no one could protect me against.

But Lucifer could help. He led me through it last time, he could do it again.

I reached for Reagan's soul and grabbed it. She jerked awake in time to hear my call. Her feet tapped loudly on the wood as she jumped every two stairs. The quick patter of her feet stopped at the entrance of the living room.

"You."

I lowered my wings just enough to see her standing in her night clothes, eyes fixated on Alastor's towering figure near the fireplace.

My wings disappeared as I slowly pushed myself to my knees. My mouth dropped open, my eyes jumped from him to her, and my heart drummed in my ears. She could see him. She could see him.

"You can see him?" I asked quietly. Reagan's eyes were sympathetic at my question.

"My dear, I am real. I am home. This isn't—"

"Get away from her!" Reagan snapped, jumping between me and him. His eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"How long has it been?" he asked carefully, voice restrained and full of radio static.

"Eight fucking years."

There was a pause. "Do not speak to me in such a way." He took a step forward but Reagan didn't move. Once upon a time, she was barely past his hip height and hardly spent five seconds in the same room as him. Now, she stood at his shoulder level going toe to toe with him.

"Then don't treat my mother in such a way," she shot back.

"Mother?" Alastor's eyes fell on my huddled form. He attempted to move past her again but she stepped in his way. He slammed his cane on the floor loudly. "This is a matter between the two of us. Kindly step aside."

"Your disappearance did so much damage that it's become a matter between all of us." She gestured widely, referring to everyone I knew.

As if on cue, Husker walked in the front door. His eyes instantly fell on his old master and his fur stood straight up. "You're back?" he hissed, "Where have you been?"

Alastor was visibly frustrated. "I wish to have a conversation with her alone."

Everyone turned their eyes on me. I had fallen back in the corner with my claws digging into my scalp, whispering to myself that it was just a dream. I would wake up soon. It was just a nightmare.

Time to wake up.

"Look what you've done to her!" Regan pointed a finger at my pathetic, huddled form. "This involves all of us, especially me and Husker, because we're the ones who had to deal with how it affected her."

Deal with?

I glanced at Husker but he wasn't looking at me. Had I been difficult to be around? Everyone kept telling me to rely on them, to talk to them, to not keep everything bottled up. It had become annoying to me that they kept asking so I eventually obliged. Had that been the wrong decision? Had they regretted telling me to open up?

I watched something in Alastor's eyes and demeanor change. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. He said, "This is the last time I ask. Step aside so I can speak with her alone."

Reagan touched her shoulder blades together and lifted her chin defiantly.

"No."

Alastor's shadow slipped from his feet to grab her legs. I launched from the corner as Alcine snatched his shadow away. I morphed into a form halfway between my Demon and Dragon form, claws firmly on either side of Reagan and mouth open in a slimy snarl over her shoulder.

"Do not touch her," I snapped near his face. He stumbled back into the mantle, causing the frame of his mother's picture to shatter on the floor. Something red snapped in my mind, in his mind, a moment before both of us were engulfed in shadows.

I wrestled with his magic and managed to pull myself out and splash into the ocean. I casted myself onto the beach as he manifested. His black tentacles sprouted from his back to grab at my limbs. I changed into my Dragon form and closed my jaws around the tentacles. Several more grabbed at my arms and feet but I casted water to slice them off.

I spun around with my tail outstretched. He disappeared a breath's moment before it contacted his body. My tail slammed painfully into the sharp rocks.

Stop! Stop fighting! Calm down!

My own thoughts had no control over my actions. The most I could do was pull my punches but it wasn't a great amount. I was so angry. It was blinding. It was satisfying. It was dangerous.

He was dangerous.

His presence striked down on my mind and physically slammed my head into the sand with it. I followed his magic and attempted to do the same to him. His mind abruptly closed shut before I could, slingshotting me back into my own body.

He attempted to deprive me of oxygen but that was easy to deflect, forcefully opening my throat and sucking the air in. I felt him manifest behind me and kicked up sand in his face. I heard him yell as his grip on my mind loosened.

I wrenched my head off the ground and lunged for him. My body unwillingly changed into my Demon form before I could reach him. Tentacles grabbed my body and pulled me so hard into the ground that it knocked the wind out of me.

Alastor's magic grabbed my mind more forcefully, enveloping it in his magic and squeezing my veins painfully tight. I contorted in the sand, mouth agape in a silent scream, as he moved to stand beside me.

My anger changed to fury. I pushed against his mind as my body pushed against his tentacles. I attempted magic again but he shut that down instantaneously. My face dug roughly into the sand as I tried to physically wiggle out of the extra limbs to no avail.

Tears streamed down my face at the helplessness, at the hurt, at the rage I was feeling towards someone I cared so much about. I hadn't even realized until he was gone how much I actually cared about him. Our relationship had progressed so far but was stripped away when he disappeared. Struggling in the sand, it felt like we had gone back to when I was first trapped in the house.

"Darling, please hear what I have to say," he tried gently.

"You left me!" I screamed. I dug my heels into the sand further until my claws were separating to a painful degree.

"It was not intentional."

"You did it anyway!" I pressed my chest off the beach, slowly pushing myself to all fours. "Why the hell did you leave me?" The tears wouldn't stop. I looked so pathetic trapped by his magic, sobbing, and screaming. My breathing came in horrible gasped whines.

"If you will calm yourself enough to have a conversation, I can explain myself."

"I have every right to be angry." I managed to lift my head enough to glare up at his red, towering form. His claw was clinging to his microphone, the other arm behind his back. I attempted magic again, this time reaching for his soul. Something sharp and vile grabbed at my own soul in response. My strength was ripped from my grip and I fell back into the sand.

"Do not attempt that again," he commanded.

"I'll do whatever I want." I coughed on inhaled sand. "It's what I've been doing since you left eight years ago."

He let out an irritated sigh. "You are being difficult. I am attempting to be civil so we can properly reunite."

His tentacles were bruising me. "Properly? You didn't properly leave!"

I was pulled up to my knees and he roughly grabbed my chin so we would meet eyes. "This is as painful for me as it is for you. You deserve the right to an explanation. That is what I am attempting to give you."

I jerked my chain out of his grip and stared down at the black appendages. My ears were pinned back and my throat squeezed from another onslaught of tears. I had so much anger still left in me.

He knelt down so we were eye level and held out a red claw. "I have missed you so much, my dear. Please allow me to explain what happened, to explain why I couldn't return sooner."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" I grumbled, glancing once at his red eyes.

"Couldn't."

I looked at him again. His smile was close-lipped and as small as I had ever seen him able to do. The tears clouded my vision so I dropped my head further, my hair a curtain between both our faces. My anger was dissipating and slowly being replaced with overwhelming sadness.

He withdrew his magic from my mind and his tentacles from my body. I slumped backwards on my tail before repositioning on my heels. I folded my arms in my lap and kept my face downcasted. I had to force my breathing in a steady pattern.

I heard him let out a sigh as he stood up. "I dealt my soul to someone long ago." He came to kneel in front of me again, black clothed knee coming into view. He tried to touch my hand but I pulled it away. He didn't press. "They called upon me and I could not ignore it."

I took a deep breath before asking, "Why didn't you leave a note?"

"It was sudden. I was called and trapped within...something."

"What do you mean?" I lifted my head just enough to see the collar flaps of his coat.

"It was...dark. There was nothing and no one else around me. I suppose you could call it a type of limbo."

I was inclined to believe him. For all eight years I had no way of reaching him in Hell or on the surface. "You couldn't leave?"

"Not until my dealer permitted me so," the answer sounded angry and strained.

"Why did they...do that to you?"

"They wouldn't explain."

That one felt like a lie.

I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, feeling the invisible bruises from our fight. Was this real or would I wake up tomorrow to an empty bed and broken soulbond?

"You were the only thing on my mind," he went on, "I wanted to do nothing more than to return to you. I knew you were suffering on my behalf but I wasn't aware how badly."

"I don't believe you're actually here."

"I am here, my love." He dared a gentle claw on my chin and lifted my eyes to meet his own. "I am real. I am here in front of you. I am home. I will not leave you alone again. That was not fair to you."

I pulled my face away as tears fell down my cheeks. He softly cupped my face with both claws and pulled my head up again. I grabbed his wrists and tried to pull free from his grip.

"Please do not fight me, love."

"You were gone for so long." My voice wavered. "I had to...had to pick myself up and piece it back together again."

"That must've been hard." He drew my face in closer, touching our foreheads despite my attempts to keep away.

"I had to protect the haven. I had to take care of everyone. I had to take care of myself. All on my own."

"You did well."

"I had to live every day like I didn't love you."

"Love me?"

I stopped resisting. My eyes widened, jumping up to see his surprise.

I wrenched my face free from his hands and hopped away. He grabbed my tail and held it long enough to wrap an arm around my waist. My hands closed around his wrists but he was impossibly stronger than me, arms fully encasing me in a tight embrace.

He held my back firmly against his chest as his face rubbed against my red cheek. I dropped my weight but, as expected, it did nothing. His one arm was over my shoulder and holding onto the other while his second arm stayed hooked on my hip. My claws gripped his arms dangerously tight.

"Do you mean that?" I felt his smile against my neck.

"Mean what?" I muttered with a sniffle.

"That you love me."

"I did until you left me." I pushed back into him but all it did was make him take a step back to catch himself.

He placed a kiss on my cheek and it brought me to a screeching halt. "I am sorry I caused you such pain. It was not of my own choosing and I was suffering just the same."

He drew me into his mind just enough to see the vast emptiness. I could only see his red claws and coat. There was no sound, no light, no soul, nothing. It felt cold.

I blinked back to the beach. He unwrapped his arms and I turned around to face him. His smile had no teeth and his eyes looked concerned. I couldn't hear his thoughts but I could feel the ghost traces of something painful.

He placed his hands on my shoulders. "I have missed you so much." He drew one hand up to run the back of his knuckles along my cheek, just like he used to do. "May I kiss you?"

I almost laughed. Blunt and forthcoming. That was the way of Alastor.

My nod was so small I worried he didn't see it. A second later, though, he leaned down to press his warm lips into mine. His claws hooked on that sweet spot behind my jaw and under my ear, pulling me further into the kiss. A jolt of excitement coursed through my body.

It felt foreign yet familiar. Warmth radiated off him as if it were sun stroking my cheek. His hair brushed against my forehead and his lips moved ever slightly against mine.

He pulled away too soon and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. Something unraveled in me.

I dropped my head as I choked on a sob. He put a hand on the back of my head as the other drew me in from behind. I fisted the back of his coat, face pressing firmly into his chest. I could barely smell his sweet, smokey wood scent through my clogged nose.

My whole body shook with every sob. The tears were releasing every possible emotion and feeling I had stored away so deeply for so long. The anger, the sadness, the confusion, the relief, all of it. It hurt my head and turned everything white when I coughed on my own spit.

"You will make yourself sick, darling." He pulled me away just enough to look down at my wet face. He used magic to dampen the overwhelming feelings, drying my face, unclogging my nose, and easing the headache.

"I've been through worse," I gurgled.

"You won't have to face anything alone, anymore." He kissed my forehead again.

I sniffed on nothing. "I wasn't done crying, you know."

"I know." He pulled me in for another hug. This time I drew in long, deep breaths of his scent. I heard him do the same on the top of my head. "But I need you to calm a raging teenager before she reaches us."

I looked over my shoulder to see Reagan sprinting up the beach. I didn't realize how far we had gone from the house. I could see it sitting on the cliffside but the haven wasn't visible from here. We were on the uninhabited side.

"She's not a teenager anymore. She's twenty-one now." I saw Husker flapping from the land side.

"Good thing Humans don't live long."

I pulled out of his embrace and crossed my arms. "I have half the mind to let her rip you apart on my behalf."

"That would not be ideal," he remarked gently.

I smiled despite myself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Ta daaaaa

I wrote this scene like four different times before I settled on this version

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist:

@wendigonamecaller @saccharine-nectarine @thesimpybitch @papas-ghoulette @masochist-downfall

#demi demon #alastor the radio demon #alastor x reader #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel #soulmate au #soulmates #reqs open #hazbin husk

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abardnamedreginald · 7 months ago

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im a wolf-demon-salamander-grey treefrog-katydid-cricket-luna moth-klingon-trad vampire-cat-romulan-harry potter wizard-gnome-drow-orc-wood elf-high elf-werewolf-twilight vampire-chihuahua-android-bard-druid-sorcerer-d&d wizard-lotr wizard-mind flayer-kraken-owlbear-genetically modified human-andes mint-harry potter merperson-h20 mermaid-great white shark-raven named nevermore-amontillado-sewer clown-animatronic-ink person-reality bender-ringwraith-chicken-fairy-telescreen-multibear-manic pixie dream girl-d class-horcrux-dragon-unicorn-pegasus-among us crewmate-among us imposter-game master-sharpie king size marker-dwarf-dragonborn-toothbrush-rock-paper-scissors-lizard-vulcan-politician-god-phone guy-icebreakers ice cubes pineapple-a doctor not a miracle worker-troll-ent-poodle-rabbit-Bear.-orange zombie-purple zombie-green zombie-professor plum-col. mustard-in the library-with a knife-hoola dancer-fish-villager-pelecan-defense against the dark arts professer-mafia boss-peep rabbit-peep chicken-gymnast-hairbrush-philosopher-music freak-school teacher-kidnapper-police lieutenant-farmer-trash can-dumpster out back-turtle-tribble-my little pony-kratt brother-high diver-pearl diver, dive, dive, deeper-chef-fire-earth-water-wind-wasp-bee-hornet-yellowjacket-mud dabber-grasshopper-rattlesnake-armadillo-cowboy-flashlight-starfleet science officer-harlet-elephant-gater-muppet-emo-goth-preppy-teabag-loser-sucker-mouse-rat-a puppet-a pauper-a pirate-a poet-a pawn-and a king-father albert-the pope-a nun-pastor jeff-gambler-metalhead-death rocker-the grim reaper-angel-lighthouse-paw patrol dog-hobbit-starfish-sponge-crab-squid-shrimp-jellyfish-chipmunk-hammerhead shark-nurse shark-humpback whale-blue whale-orca-sexual harrassment panda-south park character-jakoffasaurus-scrabble board-ouija board-pillow-toilet paper-period pad-tampon-baby diaper-elderly diaper-martian-touch tone telephone-starfleet operations-starfleet command-kirk-spock-bones-sulu-chekov-uhura-scotty-yeoman rand-KHAN!!!-mudd-the uss enterprise-the uss reliant-botany bay-v'ger-valeris-saavik-sybok-surak-sarek-the abbreviation 'idk'-sheldon-leonard-penny-howard-raj-amy-bernadette-mary cooper-george sr-george jr-missy cooper-meemaw-tam-dr sturgis-dr linkletter-dr jack bright-dr clef-dr gears-dr kondraki-dr mann-dr iceberg-dr crow-dr rights-dr sherman-scp 049-scp 3008-scp 4231-scp 166-scp 682-scp 2521-scp 590-O5 6-bill cipher-stanley pines-stanford pines-dipper-mabel-wendy-soos-schmebulok-gideon-mcgucket-dipper goes to taco bell-sheriff blubs-deputy durland-tad strange-andy taylor-william afton-michael afton-elizabeth afton-crying child-henry emily-charlotte emily-dave miller-jack kennedy-dee kennedy-peter kennedy-steven stevenson-aragorn-sam-frodo-merry-pippin-boromir-legolas-gimli-gandalf-faramir-denethor-sauron-elrond-thranduil-harry-hermione-ron-voldemort-pettigrew.-moony-padfoot-prongs-snape-edward-bella-alice!!-carlisle-charlie-cthulhu-greg heffley-pennywise-bendy-sammy-norman-jack-alice (susie)-allison-henry stien-joey drew-bruenor battlehammer-raskolnikov-heather-heather-heather-veronica-jd-kurt-ram-martha-kurt cobain-david bowie-freddie mercury-hozier-mitski-lemon demon-jack stauber-tally hall-hamilton-burr-jefferson-madison-washington-phillip-angelica-eliza-peggy-king george iii-king henry viii-ben franklin-catherine of aragon-anne boleyn-jane seymour-anne of cleves-katherine howard-catherine parr-dracula-𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂-evan hansen-conner murphey-john adams-raymond barron-fred randall-jane doe-ocean-noel-mischa-constance-ricky-karnak-vergil-alternate-thatcher davis-ruth-dave-cesar-mark-adam-sarah-jonah-evelyn-gabriel-trump-biden-sunny-basil-kel-aubrey-hero-mari-vanessa (the mean girl that kinda likes u)-tux the linux penguin-perry the platypus hybrid princess...dont fw me

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imogenkol · 1 month ago

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— A CHRISTMAS KITTEN

pairing: Nadya Bishop x Jayde Thatcher (original works) rating: General words: 2.1k summary: an unsuspecting creature wanders into a den of wolves

notes: here is finally the Origin of Greg The Cat! Hope you all enjoy something sweet for the holidays ☃️

The cold evening breeze carried a strange sound as Nadya emerged from the woods after her weekly day hike. Her pace slowed to a stop in the middle of the parking lot and she tilted her head curiously, wondering if she had imagined the light metallic scrape of something unknown. Sometimes little critters such as raccoons or possums were brave enough to push past the scent of werewolves and rummage through the Lodge’s waste bins, but the particular sound that caught Nadya’s attention wasn’t quite that.

Just as she was about to lose interest and head inside out of the freezing winter air, it sounded again. This time near the cars parked by the front doors. She knew it had to be something small taking refuge under one of the vehicles.

With light feet on gravel, Nadya stepped in between two cars and intently listened for more, hoping her presence wouldn’t scare the mystery creature away. A part of her felt that she should just leave it alone, but a much bigger part of her simply wanted a glimpse of whatever it was. Nadya enjoyed seeing any animal, even ones considered to be pests.

More scratching noises came from the truck on the right. Nadya grinned at having successfully located her target. The gravel dug into her palms and knees as she carefully kneeled down to look underneath the vehicle.

“What are you?” she quietly asked, searching the dark shadows behind the tires for any movement. When Nadya didn’t find anything, she frowned and mumbled, “Where are you?”

The smallest, softest meow sounded from somewhere close. A bright grin came across her face and she shot up with delight. A kitten! Nadya quickly checked the bed of the truck, then peeked through the windows. It wasn’t anywhere within sight, but she heard another, more persistent meow. And another. She tracked the sound to the engine, so she walked over to the front of the car and promptly popped the hood open.

It took some more thorough searching with the flashlight on her phone, but Nadya eventually spotted a tiny pair of bright reflected eyes buried deep in the twisted and bulky metal. The little creature bared its needle-like fangs and meowed with more force. He clearly wanted nothing to do with her, but Nadya knew she had to get him out.

“Oh, buddy, how’d you get in there?” she asked in a pained tone.

Unfortunately, her hands weren’t quite small enough to reach through the narrow spaces. Even if they could, Nadya feared the kitten was stuck or injured and she didn’t want to risk hurting him more by trying to recklessly squeeze him out. She realized that parts of the truck’s inner workings would have to be removed to free him safely. Luckily, Nadya knew exactly who could help.

“Just sit tight, little one,” she told the mewling kitten. “I’ll be right back.”

Jayde wasn’t difficult to find. Nadya found her by the bar in the Den, having a conversation with Toby as he made drinks. Nadya rushed towards her and Jayde glanced over her shoulder as she approached, sensing her human before she even got close.

“What’s got you all worked up?” she asked, accepting Nadya’s hand and letting her pull her off of her stool.

Nadya explained quickly as she dragged Jayde along. “There’s a kitten stuck in one of the trucks outside, I need you to get some tools and help me get him out.”

“A kitten?” Jayde sounded both surprised and amused. “How’d it get all the way out here?”

Nadya shrugged. “I think he might’ve crawled into the truck when it was in town.”

“Is he hurt?”

“I didn’t see anything obvious, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t banged up.”

“Alright, I’ll go grab some tools from the shed and meet you…?”

“Just in the parking lot, right at the front.”

“Okay,” Jayde said and gave Nadya a quick peck on the temple before striding off.

The rescue mission became quite the operation. Jayde ended up halfway underneath the car and Nadya leaned over the engine with her hands and forearms already covered in grease and soot, trying her best to reach the poor little animal. He had retreated further into the metal maze once they got to work, making it far more difficult to extricate him. It hadn’t even crossed either of their minds to try and find the owner of the truck. Nadya guessed it was easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission when it came to saving such an adorable creature from the jaws of death. Jayde would put everything back into place as soon as they were done anyway.

“He’s coming up to you!” Jayde called from under the truck.

Nadya barely saw any glimpses of her, but she did see the flash of gray striped fur start to shimmy through the spaces in the engine. Her muscles coiled as she waited for an opportunity. The kitten’s flashing eyes locked on the human above him and he hissed and spat at Nadya’s outstretched hands, trying to back up again.

“I know, I know,” Nadya cooed. “I’m very scary, but I need you to trust me for just a second, buddy.”

When his little body managed to turn around, Nadya saw her opening and took it. Her hand snatched his scruff and he voiced his displeasure loudly as she carefully pulled him out.

“Got him!”

Nadya had a small towel ready and swiftly wrapped the cat up before he had a chance to claw and bite. The little tabby looked madder than a demon and he was absolutely filthy, but once she had him safely in her arms, his snarl started to gradually fade.

“There you go. See? This is much better,” Nadya murmured as she rocked him.

Jayde pushed herself out from under the truck and stood. The kitten flinched when she clapped her hands together to get rid of any loose debris and she made a quiet apology. Then used the tip of her finger to pat his head, which he did not seem pleased about. “Don’t be such a grump, we just saved you.”

Nadya let out a breath of amusement when he hissed at her in response. “I’m gonna go clean him up.”

“I gotta put everything back together.” She motioned at the truck.

“Maybe leave a note or something?”

Jayde waved her hand dismissively. “Nah, it’ll be good as new when I’m done.”

Nadya rolled my eyes and started towards the Lodge. “Meet me in our room when you’re finished. And thanks for your help.”

“Anything for you, my love.”

That made Nadya turn on her heel and rush back to place a grateful kiss to Jayde’s lips. She relished the way Jayde’s cheeks colored after she pulled back. Nadya flashed a crooked grin and went for the front doors again.

Nadya made sure that the water in the sink ran warm before attempting to immerse the kitten for a bath. Surprisingly, he no longer squirmed or meowed in the towel. He just silently watched her prepare the bathroom from his place safely tucked in her arm.

“This probably isn’t going to be very fun for you, but I promise you’ll feel better after,” Nadya told him, carefully unravelling him out of the soiled towel.

The poor thing was so exhausted that he turned to putty as soon as he felt warm water on his back. Nadya used one hand to keep his head up and the other to wash the grime out of his beautiful stripes. Upon closer inspection, she didn’t find any injuries or ticks. He seemed perfectly healthy. She watched as his wide kitten eyes blinked up at her slowly and felt her heart swell with adoration.

“Oh, what are we going to do with you?”

Nadya knew as she asked that she wanted to keep him. It reminded her of the cat she had as a kid. The patient and sweet Charlie. Nadya always thought that she would get a pet for herself one day, but being busy with university and then having her entire life flipped upside down after meeting Jayde, she had completely forgotten that desire. Staring at the kitten in her hands now felt like the perfect excuse to fulfill it.

Jayde didn’t come home until Nadya had the kitten mostly dried and on their bed. He was a playful little fella and she decided to sacrifice one of her old shoelaces for a makeshift toy. Nadya laughed as he flopped onto his back and batted at the dangling lace she swung over him.

Jayde scoffed at the sight and Nadya glanced up at her, wearing a big grin. After noting her wife’s expression, she shut the door behind her and came to sit next to her on the bed. There was obvious tension and Nadya knew exactly what she prepared to tell her. “I’ll take him to the shelter tomorrow.”

“I was thinking…” Nadya began with hesitation.

“We can’t keep him, Nadya,” Jayde said gently. “Animals and werewolves don’t mix. Especially cats and werewolves. He’ll be scared here.”

Nadya was eager to make a case. “But he can’t be more than six or seven weeks old. It’s like the animals your parents raised at the ranch. He’ll learn not to be afraid.”

“The chickens still hated my dad,” Jayde pointed out.

“Maybe they had their own reasons.”

She chuckled lightly, but still shook her head. “I don’t know how to take care of a cat.”

“I know how. I used to have one as a kid.”

“So will he stay in this room all his life?”

“This could be his home base and we can teach him where he can and can’t roam in the Lodge.” The kitten abandoned the shoelace in favor of chewing on Nadya’s sleeve and she absentmindedly gave him her pinky to suckle on. “I’ll teach him.”

Jayde glanced around the room like she was trying to think of something else to convince Nadya not to keep the cat. “He’ll shed on everything.”

Nadya raised a brow. “You already do you.”

She sighed in defeat, yet still tried to continue, “Okay, but—”

Nadya placed her free hand on Jayde’s thigh to stop any more arguments and leaned forward. “This is the only child I will ever ask you for. Please, can we keep him? I’ll let you name him if we can keep him.”

Jayde gave her a dramatic eye-roll and let out an even longer sigh that deflated her entire body. A long moment of tense silence passed between them. Jayde stared her down and Nadya gave her best puppy-eyed expression. “It’s for sure a he?”

Nadya nodded. “It’s a he.”

Jayde scooped the kitten up and he flopped around in her grip, trying to gnaw on her fingers. She held him up and tilted him this way and that, her brow furrowed in deep thought. Then she plopped the kitten back down on the bed and looked at me with resolution, “Greg.”

“Greg?” Nadya asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jayde gave a single nod. “We name him Greg or we don’t keep him.”

There wasn’t any doubt in Nadya’s mind that Jayde gave him the dumbest name she could think of in an effort to dissuade her, but she picked the kitten up and cradled him against her chest while she scratched his chin affectionately. “Are you Greg, little mister? Sir Gregory, the valiant knight who was swallowed by the great and terrible metal dragon?”

Greg let out an adorable meow and Jayde scoffed again. “I should have known better,” she grumbled, though there was the hint of a smile on her face.

Nadya kissed the subtle upturn at the corner of her mouth and whispered, “Thank you.”

Jayde’s whole body softened and she turned her head to catch a deeper kiss. Nadya indulged her, allowing the tingling sensation that came with her contact to spread warmth throughout her chest — let their heartbeats fall in tandem with each other. When they pulled away, Nadya felt that Jayde had fully accepted the new addition to their pack.

“We should still take him to the vet and get him checked out,” she said, eyeing him with mild concern.

“I agree,” Nadya said, giving Jayde another lingering peck before pulling away and smiling. “I guess we’re parents now.”

“And I named my son Greg.”

“It’s too late, you can’t take it back now,” Nadya chuckled.

Jayde smiled fondly at the curled ball of fur in her wife’s arms and gave him a head rub. “I think it suits him.”

Nadya matched the warmth of her smile and held the car a little tighter. “I think so too.”

tag list (ask to be added or removed!): @socially-awkward-skeleton @neonshrike @inafieldofdaisies @voidika @florbelles @adelaidedrubman @simonxriley @tommyarashikage @buggknife @aceghosts @carlosoliveiraa @risingsh0t @unholymilf @thedeadthree @cassietrn @jackiesarch @d-esmond @loriane-elmuerto @shellibisshe @katsigian @captastra @simplegenius042 @theelderhazelnut @g0dspeeed @strangefable @statichvm @sevikagf @cptcassian @hexmaturgy @euryalex @auricfog @confidentandgood @raresvtm @minaharkers

#oc insp: Nadya Bishop #oc insp: Jayde Thatcher #ship insp: woven and thatched #god been wanting to share this one for a while #Sir Gregory and his humble origins

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smollsmule · 4 months ago

Note

Loved the Charles having a crisis at the beach post on your dash , but I have to ask …

What do you reckon is the most boomer thing Charles believes in ? 👀👻

(Ok second attempt bc tumblr decided to mess with me last time.)

I'm so happy to hear you liked it!! I don't usually like to post about my writing before I'm in the editing stage at least bc I don't like building expectations like that and making people wait. This time I hadn't even started writing (I was actually writing another, quite different fic that is almost ready to go up now). It was just an idea I had been rotating in my head for some time and I wanted to know if there were people who agreed with me. But everyone has been so lovely and enthusiastic and I can't wait to get it done and share with the class!

Now, for your question. Actually, no, first let me take this opportunity real quick to say:

I know what Gen X is, guys! I know Charles isn't actually a boomer, please stop yelling at me in the notes (please)!!!

Now, I was going to go into this whole spiel about how Charles is actually a really interesting case because he

seems to have had rather forward views when he was alive

unlike many of his peers, died before growing to adulthood in Thatcher Britain beat them out of him and left him a cynical husk of a person

So I actually like to think he is less behind than you'd expect from a guy who didn't live to see the iron curtain fall (see, just for some examples, his helping his classmate and unwavering support of other's queerness (though his reaction to Chad and Hunter in particular warrants a whole essay)).

And then after thinking all these thoughts I realised that pretty much everything we thought to know about dinosaurs in the 80's has since been overhauled. (Jurassic Park hadn't even been released yet!) And then I couldn't get this image out of my head of Charles scream-crying at a museum plaque (ineffectively since a) he is inperceptible, b) it is an inanimate object.)

So yeah, my answer is dinosaurs. I also firmly believe he checked out re the internet the moment they got rid of the dial up modem, if not earlier.

(All that said you should not think about the (lack) of sex ed this boy recieved and was probably never updated on)*

(*that last one might have been inspired by my own writing I'll admit)

But seriously, I am opening up the floor on this one, because now *I* wanna know what everybody thinks abt this. Thanks for the interesting question!!

#dbda #dbda headcanons #Charles Rowland #dead boy detectives #smule speaks #ask #writingsofophelia #also Pluto is a planet but we all know that #plz don't crash again tumblr I am sick don't do this to me

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atinylittlepain · 1 year ago

Text

Independence Day

no outbreak!joel miller x fem!reader

Hungry Hearts masterlist

warnings | 18+ this one is pure angst, sorry about it

wordcount | 4K

a/n | she is short, because she is pain. just remember, a happy ending I promised, and a happy ending I shall deliver. but this isn't it. as always, tell me what you think, and thank you for reading.

gif by @pascalisthepunkest

................................................

She’s humming along to the radio in her car, and she can’t help it. Something giddy and bright beating beneath her ribs. She could barely hold back her laugh when her mother waved her out of the driveway, some admonition about bringing a boyfriend home for Christmas. But she can laugh about it now, driving out of her neighborhood and toward Thatcher’s.

Everything she wanted to bring is packed in the trunk. Not much if she’s being honest, mostly books and the clothes she came home with. She muses to herself that after a few years, her mother will probably put a treadmill in her old bedroom. A much better use of the space, she thinks, than to let it sit vacant forever.

Her smile splits and stretches when she sees him as she pulls into the auto shop’s parking lot, though it tempers and turns sideways when she gets a better look at him. Confusion that he’s in his coveralls, she certainly didn’t think those would be making the trip. Confusion too that there’s no sign of a suitcase, not even a backpack. But he probably just has to get it from the apartment, that’s all. That’s all, she tells herself, as she gets out of her car to walk over to him on knees that are quickly weakening because whatever that look is on his face, no amount of rationalizing can convince her that it’s anything good.

“Joel? What– are you– are you ready?” She feels stupid and small asking it, especially when Joel’s eyes stay glued to his shoes. He’s holding something, down by his side, half pressed into his pant leg. A bouquet, she realizes, and her stomach turns into a tight fist.

“Cherry–” Long and low like a sigh, like a sorry, and she’s not going to allow the rest to come out, stepping forward and taking his face in her hands, finally focusing his gaze on hers.

“No, no, no– Joel, baby, don’t– let’s just– we’ll go get your things, okay? We don’t even have to pack them, we can just shove them in the backseat and–” She clasps his wrist, trying to tug him toward the office, toward the stairs up to his apartment, but he’s not moving.

“Cher, just–”

“Baby, c’mon, we need to get on the road soon if we wanna make it to–”

“Cherry, stop.” She can already feel the tears thickening up her throat, going limp as Joel tugs her back to stand in front of her. A sharp gasp breaking in her chest, when he swipes his thumb along her cheek, collecting the salt already starting to pool.

“Don’t do this, Joel. Please, please. Just tell me what happened and I— I can fix it, we can fix it.” His face crumples, a broken sound in the back of his throat that only makes her cry harder, pressing her forehead against his and letting everything swim in the periphery.

“I can’t. I just can’t. This is– this is gonna be better for you, easier. You gotta go, you understand? You don’t need me getting in the way of all your plans, your future.”

“Of course I need you. Baby, it’s– it’s you and me, remember? Just get in the car, please– just get in the car–” He shakes his head, slow and stilted, a fresh wave of tears that breaks first in his chest, his shoulders shaking with it.

“I can’t do that, Cher.” It’s like a real, yawning ache in her chest, something splitting open and bleeding out, and all she can do is ball her fists into the front of his coveralls and tamp down her shuddering tears enough that she can look him in the eye.

“I love you, Joel. I love you so fucking much it’s stupid. And I know you love me too. A-and that’s all that matters, okay? So please don’t do this.” He doesn’t say anything, his damp lashes dropping down to the tops of his cheeks as he steps back out of her grasp. It’s almost robotic, the way he holds out the bouquet to her, still not looking at her.

“You’re gonna do something amazing, Cherry.” She finds herself taking the bouquet from him, feeling like a fool even as she does it. Chrysanthemums, the fleeting thought, who the hell buys a bouquet of chrysanthemums? And then that perfect pang of despair turns into something else, something more bearable, something she can let get big and bright until it feels righteous, like anger.

“Oh, fuck you.” It seems to startle him, his eyes hiccuping up onto her face, and all she wants to do is chase after that shock, to dig her fingers into the wound and make it hurt as bad as it’s hurting her right now.

“You got what you wanted, Joel. That’s it, right? Someone to keep your bed warm all summer, so easy to keep them coming back. Just gotta tell them what they want to hear, huh?”

“It wasn’t like that, Cherry.” He says it so small, so broken that for a moment her anger falters, though she stokes it back to life with a bitter laugh.

“You promised me, you asshole. You fucking promised me.” She does it before she can really think about it, shoving her hands into his chest, only making him take a single staggered step back, but it feels good. Good like she should do it again.

“This was all just some fucking game to you, wasn’t it? I bet you didn’t mean a single thing you said to me.” Another shove, and then another, the bouquet in her hand going limp, petals falling all around them, only stopping when Joel barks out a sharp enough.

“I meant all of it, Cher. And now I’m trying to do right by you. You need to go, and I’m not coming with you because it’s the right thing for you.” It’s silent for a moment, both of them breathing hard, watery eyes wide and unblinking.

“Fuck you, Joel Miller.” Maybe it’s a bit childish, but it certainly feels good to throw the bouquet down and smash what’s left of the blooms with the sole of her sneaker, a smear of sorry on the curb before she gets back in her car with a hard slam of the door.

She holds it in like a breath until she crosses state lines. But when she does, it’s all she can do to pull over onto the shoulder of the road and let this reality sink in with a sob.

…

“You’re being good, brother. Finally learned not to harass the ump, huh?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

Tommy is right. For once, Joel is staying on the bleachers, staying silent except to clap with the other parents when a run is scored or a play is made. But it has nothing to do with the ump, and everything to do with Cherry sitting on the other set of bleachers, their daughter’s teams playing each other again in the final tournament of the summer. He only steals sparing glances her way, trying to keep his focus straight ahead on the field between quick sweeps of his eyes. Her sunglasses are down, and much like him, she’s staying seated and uncharacteristically silent.

It’s been two weeks since she swept out of his house, and not a word passed between them since. He asked Tommy to take over the work on her porch, figuring that as much distance as he could manage between them would be best. It is a herculean labor on his part to not ask his brother how she’s doing, if she’s still taking damn phone calls every ten minutes, if she’s mentioned anything about him. But he doesn’t. Keeps his mouth shut and stays busy with that new build on Cypress. And no, he definitely doesn’t look at his phone at night, willing something, anything to come pinging through from her. Definitely not.

“You gonna talk to Cher today? Or are you gonna keep making those weird eyes at her for the whole game and then go home and pout?” He doesn’t reward Tommy’s quip with a response, settling for a cursory glance before trying to refocus on the game.

“Joel.”

“Tommy, enough.”

“What the fuck happened, man? You two seemed good one minute, and then the next she’s stomping out of your house without another look your way.”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Well excuse me for trying to look out for you, brother. The girl you had a crush on since we were fucking kids comes back and somehow you’ve already managed to screw things up. A second time, I might add.”

“Are you done talking now?” Tommy’s face pinches up at Joel’s gruff question, an indignant sound in the back of his throat as he shakes his head.

“Fuck’s sake, Joel, I’m trying to help you out here. It was nice, you know? Seeing you two together again. I just don’t get why you’re both being so goddamn weird now.”

“It’s a complicated thing. And before you ask, no, I ain’t gonna try to explain it to you.”

“Well how fucking complicated can it be? What? Is there some estranged husband in the picture?”

“No.”

“Boyfriend then?”

“No.”

“Is she in a cult or something?”

“Jesus Christ, no, stop asking stupid questions.”

“Then what the hell is it?”

“None of your business is what it is. A lot has changed in seventeen years, alright? We’re different people. It just– it’s complicated.” Tommy seems perfectly unsatisfied with that answer, taking off his cap to run a hand through his hair as he lets out a frustrated grumble. Though mercifully, he drops it, focusing back on the field.

“You better fix it, brother.”

“Tommy, you have no clue what you’re talking about. It’s not–”

“Here’s what I know. You two were a good thing, and then you fucked it up, and now you’re fucking it up all over again.”

“Thanks for that, I really needed to be reminded again of how I fucked up.”

“Damn it, I’m not kidding around here.” Something in Tommy’s voice changes, something serious, something with a sharp edge that makes Joel quiet, his brother looking at him with a hard and narrow squint.

“You’re not gonna get another chance, brother, you know that? This is it. And I just– I don’t like watching you make the same mistake twice.” Joel isn’t sure what to say to that, and Tommy doesn’t look interested in his response anyways, shaking his head with a sigh before setting his sights back on the game, clapping and whooping for the next kid up to bat, a rather firm conclusion to their conversation.

He lets himself take another look over at Cherry, still seated, still hiding behind her sunglasses, and still not looking anywhere near him. He wants to, more than anything. To say something, to walk over there and try to make all of this wrong right. And he knows where he would start, but he’s not sure how to, almost twenty years worth of not sure how to. But he doesn’t have much time to feel too pitiful about that because in that way that summer in Austin tends to do, an errant groan of thunder cracks and shakes in the sky, everything darkening and dampening all of a sudden. The ump is already calling the game with the first few fat drops of rain, a perfect slice of lightning punctuating his words.

…

She has only tried this one other time. A moment of weakness, really. She had just moved into her dorm. A single, how fitting. And the phone at the end of the hall taunted her everytime she left for class. When her car broke down back in June, she had torn the number for Thatcher’s auto out of the phonebook in a fit of absent-minded frustration, the slip of paper ending up tucked into her cupholders where it still was when she got back to Chicago. Before she knew what she was doing, she was dialing the number on that slip of paper, a small prayer that he would, and a small prayer that he wouldn’t.

It wasn’t Joel that picked up that time, one of the other guys that worked at the shop answering the phone. She hung up the instant that she heard the voice, not the one she wanted to hear, relieved that it wasn’t the one she wanted to hear.

This time, she isn’t even sure what spurs her on. Coming home from her evening class, something about how dark it gets, how close and quiet makes that want impossible to ignore. She doesn’t even need the slip of paper to dial the shop this time, the numbers running a deranged and endless path in her mind.

“Thatcher’s auto, how can I help you?”

“Joel?” She doesn’t have to ask that, not really. She knows it’s him, and judging by the way the phone line goes silent, he knows it’s her too. Though there is no click of the line hanging up, just both of them holding their breath, waiting and willing for the other one to break.

“It’s me, um, I don’t know why I called, I just– are you there?” Still nothing. She tries not to let anger creep in, remembering what it was she’s been wanting to say. Almost the instant she crossed state lines, a sick slosh of guilt settled in her stomach. The anger was still there too, but something sheepish started to sting around the edges for the way she had railed against him. And she’s not sure what she hates more, the fact of what he did, or the fact that she didn’t mean a single word she screamed at him that day, that she never could, even if she tried.

“You probably don’t want to speak to me, and that’s fine. I just– if you could just listen to what I have to say I won’t try bothering you again.” Perfect silence, but still no dial tone. Part of her wishes he would just hang up. It’d be easier than what she’s about to say.

“I wanted to apologize for the things I said to you. I don’t know why you did what you did, and, um–” The words start to crack and slant with the hot weight of tears rising up her throat, stopping herself for a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose to try to stave off the flood.

“You really hurt me, Joel, and, um, I think it was easier for me to be angry than to be hurt. But the things I said to you– I didn’t mean any of it, you know?” No use in trying to bite back the tears, her words become punctuated and jagged with small sobs, everything she’s been holding in coming out all at once.

“And the funniest part is– well, not the funniest, it’s more like the worst– the worst part is, I think I still love you. Hell, I’ll probably still love you twenty years from now.” Her tears tangle up into a weak laugh, sniffling back snot as she catches a bloodshot glance of herself in the metal of the phone receiver.

“So I guess I just wanted to say I’m sorry. And, um, I hope you take care of yourself out there.” There’s more, words getting caught somewhere between her ribs, turning into fluttery panic that makes her slam the phone back into the receiver before any more can get out.

She doesn’t call again.

…

“Jesus Christ, this rain is fucking insane.”

“Language.” Though he scolds his brother in the passenger seat, Joel is inclined to agree. Before they had the car packed back up, what had been a few large drops of rain had turned into a steady downpour and a low rumble of thunder, leaving the field flooded and thick with mud. And now, as four softball teams worth of minivans and SUVs try to maneuver out of the parking lot, also flooded out and gummed up with mud, they’ve come to a complete standstill in the deluge.

“Hey, is that–” Tommy’s sentence trails off, his brow furrowed as he looks out the passenger side window. When he sees what his brother is squinting at, Joel can’t help the low curse that settles in the back of his throat. It’s Cherry, standing at the bumper of her car, soaked to the bone as she gesticulates up to Ellie, who he can now see sticking her head out of the driver side window. He can also see that their back tires look sunken into a few inches of mud, cars honking and creeping around them as Cherry tries to guide Ellie through rocking their car back into motion.

“You oughta go help them, brother.”

“Uh–”

“Uncle Tommy is right, dad. This is like, your chance at an apology.” Joel whips around to look at a very smug Sarah in the backseat, her arms crossed over her chest with a satisfied huff.

“What are you– what’s Tommy been telling you?”

“Nothing, I’m just not blind and know that you messed something up.” He looks between Sarah and Tommy, both of them so self-satisfied that it’s all he can do to get out of their car with a grumble. It’s not like they were moving anyways.

“Cher– Cherry! You want some help?” He hates the way she looks at him, all exasperation in the way her squint slackens in the rain.

“Nope, not from you I don’t. We’ve got this under control.” They both have to shout to be heard over the hard drive of the rain and the endless thunder, though Cherry’s words are undermined when Ellie suddenly gives the car some gas, mud spluttering up behind the wheels and all along Cherry’s bare legs.

“Just– just let me help you. We can rock it, get it–”

“I don’t want your help, Joel. I don’t need your help. Just get back in your car and leave us alone.”

“Mom, I don’t think we have this under control!” A very worried Ellie shouts out of the driver side window, her eyes darting between her mom and Joel, though he’s having a hard time seeing much of anything with the way the rain is streaming down his face. For a moment, Cherry looks lost, glancing between her kid and the back tires, a few choice curses leaving her mouth before she focuses back on Joel.

“Look, Cherry, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Goddamnit, for everything. I’m sorry for everything. For what I did to you. But you gotta know that I’d do it again.”

“Well that’s really nice, Joel, thanks for that backhanded apology.” Her words get stuck and stopped by a shiver, both of them completely soaked as cars continue to weave around hers, and the rain just keeps on coming down.

“I mean it, it was the right thing to do for you. I would have held you back, and you know it. Look at everything you’ve done since then.” At that, Cherry lets out a sharp bark of laughter, her palm coming up to swipe away the water dripping down her face, stepping closer to him so she doesn’t have to yell so loud.

“Everything I’ve done? Everything I’ve done? Do I look happy to you, Joel? Do I seem happy to you? Jesus Christ, why do you think I moved back here in the first place?” He has no answer for that, Cherry letting out another incredulous laugh as she shakes her head at him.

“You know what would have made me happy? If we stayed in that fucking shoebox apartment above Thatcher’s for the rest of our miserable lives. I would have said yes to that in a fucking heartbeat, Joel. If it meant that I got to keep you with me, I would have done it and I would have been the happiest fucking person in the world.” Too much, his chest tightening up with all the words threatening up his throat. He speaks before he can think.

“Well I didn’t want that for you! I wanted you to have something better. You deserved something better. Fuck, Cherry, I have loved you since the first time I saw you in church, fucking eight years old and completely gone for you. And I couldn’t let you throw everything away for me, for nothing.”

“You were everything, Joel, don’t you understand that? All I fucking wanted was you with me.” Nothing to say to that, at least nothing that he thinks would make any of this right. And not any time for it either, cars honking all around them, reminding them of their situation, Ellie sticking her head out the driver side window to shout back at them. This, at least, something he can fix.

“Kid, we’re gonna rock it, okay? And when I say, you’re gonna give it a little gas, just a little, light touch, you got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, old man, I got it.”

He and Cherry both brace at the bumper, Joel shouting up to Ellie to hit the gas at just the right time to get the car moving with a slick spray of mud. And yes, the car can drive now and no, that doesn’t really fix anything.

“Thank you, Joel, and goodbye.” Said with all the warmth of a business associate concluding a deal, she doesn’t spare him another glance as her sneakers squelch and stick through the mud toward the drivers side door of her car, Ellie quick to switch places with her, shooting Joel a death glare that’s enough to keep his mouth shut and his feet planted. And then it’s Cherry pulling away in her car before he can say what he really wants to, a sight he is all too familiar with.

“Wait, what– that’s it? Did y’all make up?” Joel takes a long, shuddering breath when he gets into his car again, swiping his palm down his face to slough off the rain before he answers Tommy’s question.

“No, Tommy, we didn’t. And I’m only gonna ask you one more time to drop it. It’s– we’re done. What’s done is done.”

…

It’s Thanksgiving break, and while everyone else is getting ready to go home, she is hunkering down in her dorm room and willing the week to pass by mercifully fast.

Her parents tried to call a few times, messages left at the front desk that she blankly received with no intention of returning. Part of her is surprised by how quickly their efforts have relented, like they were just waiting for her to give them a reason to shutter her out. Fine by her. On scholarship anyways, so even the economics of it all are clean and simple.

And when the residence halls get quiet and still, that want, that itch returns. But she knows she can’t sate it, can’t call him. She doesn’t think he’d give her his voice even if she tried, he certainly hadn’t the last time she called. So instead, she spends all day and most of the night in the basement of the library, away from the possibility of any phone calls. She’s working on something. Something big. Something that maybe, possibly, one day could be bought and published.

It’s tedious. She writes by hand, and then she pecks at the keys of one of the three behemoth computers the school keeps in the library, printing each new day’s worth of work, a satisfying stack building on her desk. It keeps her busy, it keeps her focused, a rhythm and routine of work. Whenever that want returns, whenever her mind starts to trail toward him, she opens her notebook and gets back to work, or goes to the library to transcribe what she has gotten down. Whenever Joel Miller threatens at the edges of her mind, she writes, and it keeps her from thinking about him any more than she already has.

..............................................

taglist: @spookyxsam @libbylou223 @angel-in-beskar @starstruckunknown-princess @casa-boiardi @tieronecrush @swiftispunk @beskarandblasters @trulybetty @amanitacowboy @pr0ximamidnight @wannab-urs @jksprincess10 @suzmagine @everything-isfucked @lanabobana @kittenlittle24 @sarap-77 @officerrrfriendly @val-srz @bitchwitch1981 @redwoodsanddaffodils @themothersmercy @romanarose @lost-inhawkins @youcancallmeelle @hollywoodcaligirl @harryleatherfit @fifia-writes @brighttears @lokanda @hardlystrictlystarwars

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