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attapullman · 1 year ago

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That Abbott Boy | Rhett Abbott

Summary: You and Rhett have stayed in each other's orbit since you were children. But what if there's something more than just friends?

Word Count: 3.5K

Warnings & Notes: Rhett Abbott x f!reader, brief mentions of underage drinking and violence, fluffy and angsty (?), childhood friends, Rhett's the town whore and likes boobs, bad mouthin' Perry Abbott, destruction of pinatas, 18+ as always. Happy Halloween, witches! You can play your tricks, but here's your treat!

Children flooded the barn, your daddy’s ranch overtaken by sugar-hyped little hands and giggles as your classmates pet the horses and pretend to drink from the trough. Set up outside were balloons and presents, marking the momentous occasion of your birthday. The sun shines bright upon your cheeks as another year blesses you.

Your ma wrangles the hyperactive group and announces the piñata. A cheap, store-bought thing, meant to resemble a puppy dog but failing. Your classmates scramble to line up, eager to be the one who breaks open the winnings of more sugar. And as you turn to lead the battle, you see that Abbott boy.

Rhett. Cerulean eyes hidden under his baseball cap. That thin smile that says more than his mouth ever does. With only a decade of life under his belt, he comes across like there’s more layers to him than anyone could know. He’s affectionately stroking his hand along the nose of your mare, soothing her after too many grabby fingers. Too distracted by his care to notice everyone else has left the barn.

“You coming?” Your voice is small in the old building. His gaze snaps to you from his thoughts, running his hand along the horse’s flank before following you outside. You’re accurately aware of him trailing behind you. His heavy footfalls into the dusty ground. A dusty rose spreading along his cheeks when your eyes accidentally meet.

Joining the group and taking your rightful place at the front of the line, your ma wraps a bandana around your eyes and twists you twice. Orientation lost as hands straighten your shoulders toward the misshapen papier mâche. The burden of embarrassing yourself overwhelms your small frame, but you swing with purpose. You’re the birthday girl and you will knock it down!

Swing one. Miss. Swing two. Miss. Swing three. Miss.

Rules dictate your turn is over and you hand the blindfold and bat over to the next child in line. Swing. Miss. Swing. Hit. It’s a compilation of hits and misses as the line dwindles. Next to bat is Rhett. You give him a small smile as he steps up. He takes the wood between his hands, shoulders squaring to the challenge as he runs his fists over the woodgrain. His eyes are focused, a boy with only one goal.

Swing one. Miss. Swing two. Miss. Swing three. Hit! A bit of paper dislodges from multiple blows and a few treats fall to the ground. The next kid in line holds their hand out expectantly for the bat. But that Abbott boy has other plans.

Thwack. Thwack. Two more hits directly to the piñata, splitting it and upending every sweet in its arsenal. Children flock to the ground as they pick up as many as possible. Rhett’s face is proud - the winner of the arbitrary game - and he bends to pick up a chocolate.

The kid not picking up candy? You. A slow heat rises from your chest and the tips of your ears flood a rosy color. How dare he cheat! On your birthday! Squaring your shoulders, your ma catches you quickly. She knows your temper. Gives you a shake of her head and advises you to spend your energy on other ventures.

“That Abbott boy is gonna be trouble, just you wait and see.”

_____________________________________________________________

The church is stifling, holding the hot July air hostage. Sunday best sticks to sweaty skin. Programs are used as makeshift fans to create a breeze. The preacher drones into the still air that threatens to choke the life from this joyous union.

How Perry Abbott found someone to marry him is beyond you. Aloof one moment, violent the next. You saw what he did to Trevor Tillerson at the skating rink all those years ago. His brother may be a piñata cheater, but Perry was actual bad news. This poor blonde woman must be missing some grey matter to think this was a good idea.

The preacher finally starts saying words you recognize (“Do you take this man…”) and the church doors open as Perry kisses his bride. The wash of fresh air clears your head and allows you to be happy for the couple. Love is in the air!

At the reception you mingle with a few girls from class. Only a year until you escape this hellhole. Wabang is nothing but girls turning into their God-fearing mothers and boys becoming their drunken cowboy fathers. Before you’ve hit drinking age most of them will be married, taking over their families homesteads and pushing out children. You’re not even eighteen and yet this is the dream floating through every classmates mind. Your skin crawls at the idea of settling down with someone like a Tillerson.

Food and dancing is outside - thankfully - and various members of the community are congratulating the newlyweds. Your own parents are wrapped in conversation with the sheriff and your neighbors. Land disputes are as frequent as phone bills here. A classmate asks if you’re going to the ol’ back roads that evening. Wink wink. You barely begin to answer her when a laugh carries over from the church, a group of high school boys leaning against the cracked siding, swigging from smuggled beers over quiet conversation.

You catch Rhett Abbott’s eye. He smirks back over the lip of his bottle, a twinkle in his eye. Good money could be bet that he’s been drinking since this damn service began. He draws the bottle away and holds a finger to his lips, his smile quirked to the right as he asks you to keep his secret. As if you’d ever tell.

His eye slips into a wink. God, he is such a flirt.

Since that fateful piñata day, you and Rhett have stayed in the same orbit. Although, while you’ve remained studios with your head down to ensure an easy exit from the town, he seems to always be mixed in something. Too many nights at the ol’ back roads, scrapes from roughhousing with friends, more than one girl making insinuations the next morning in the girls restroom. But that Abbott boy has always been good to you. A tip of his cap when he walks by you in town, feed sack in hand. That slow smile when he returns the pencil you dropped in class. Last fall the two of you had spent the afternoon sprawled in the sunshine behind the school, skipping out on government because the government can go fuck itself. And it was too nice a day to be cooped up in a concrete building.

Your friendship was easy. Rhett soothed the tension in your brain, that drawl of his like music as he went on about ranch work and dreams of riding bulls one day like his dad. You were going to miss him when you left.

Your head shakes to indicate silly boy and you return his naughty grin so he knows he’s still in your good graces. He turns back to the group, and you miss him looking back at you when you join your parents.

______________________________________________________________

Staring out from behind the curtain, you see your parents and other relatives of your family sat near the front of the audience. Holy hell, this is real.

You’ve been dreaming of high school graduation since the day Wabang lost its appeal. That printed diploma claiming that you paid your dues in this town and the world is your oyster now.

The dinky auditorium they held graduation in each year was filled with the sound of chairs scraping and families clapping each other on the back for their children’s newest accomplishment. Behind you, your graduating class is alive with nervous titters.

A hand slides across your waist, high enough to not raise question, and Rhett peeps his head next to yours. His newly grown stubble is neater than usual, and his curls are actually combed. You lift a hand to smooth the collar of the shirt that’s crumpled under his graduation robe. You’re so proud of him for making it here.

You follow his eyes and catch where his family is sitting. Royal and Cecelia both deep in conversation with their neighbors, Perry and his little family occupied in their own bubble. What’s the daughter’s name again? Ashley? Anna? Amy? You don’t worry too much, she’ll come up soon enough in conversation with Rhett. Not even two and she’s the center of their household. He adores her.

The two of you share a smile as you acknowledge the moment. So many of your shared dreams have centered around this day and what it means. Finally leaving this godforsaken town. His eyes twinkle with the promise of leaving his family behind. That Abbott boy is finally going to make his own path. You’re so fucking proud.

A microphone crackles. The ceremony is commencing. Rhett squeezes your hip excitedly before finding his spot at the front of the line. Let the beginning of your lives begin.

______________________________________________________________

The door squeaks open, letting a blast of icy air flood the bar. Patrons let out their individual noises of complaint. The Handsome Gambler fills with more bodies, huddling around booths as holiday greetings are exchanged. Yet another Christmas in Amelia County. You’ve avoided the town the last few years, but when your roommate’s parents took a last-minute cruise she begged you for a “traditional cowboy Christmas”. She had been disappointed that your parent’s ranch didn’t look out of a House Beautiful spread.

She’s delighted by The Handsome Gambler though. The “quaint” charm as sun-beaten men drink their Jameson and Rainier. You’ve already seen several people you know, raising your chin in hello.

But it’s the one face that hasn’t returned your greeting that plagues your mind. Sat beside a buckle bunny blonde who cannot keep her hands off his arms - Do you blame her? That ranch is doing everyone favors - and you can’t seem to catch his eye. You haven’t seen him since your final goodbye three years prior, your daddy’s truck full with your things.

You’ve heard about him though. One of your parents always has something to say about that Abbott boy.

Ridin’ bulls like his ol’ man. Pretty damn good too.

Seen him with half the girls in town. He’s gon’ get one of ‘em pregnant if he don’t watch out.

Always in a brawl, limpin’ around town. Never know if it’s a bull or person throwing the punches.

No one ever talks about how Rhett still lives at home, in his plaid bedroom at the end of the hall. Never making it out of Wabang like he so desperately wanted.

You glance over one last time. His head ducks down. What happened to him?

______________________________________________________________

That next summer you get stuck in Wabang when your car won’t start after visiting your parents. The mechanic in town gives you a week minimum for the part to come in. Theresa at the library offers you a few shifts of your high school job, something to pass the time until you can get to your real job a few hours away.

The last few days have been pleasant, mostly elders in the community and the odd teenager whose homestead doesn’t have dial-up. The monotony of checking in battered paperbacks feels good. When you had a moment you spruced up the children’s display with summer books you had enjoyed as a child.

“H’ya.” The distantly familiar voice startles you. Your heart thumps against your chest as your gaze raises to two wide blue eyes and a sheepish smile. “D’nt mean to startle ya.”

Next to him is Amy, nearly as tall as the stack of books she’s carrying. She’s participating in the daily summer program led by Theresa. Every day this week a member of her family has dropped by to pick her up, stopping by to inquire about your folks or your life away. Your mouth goes dry after so long away from the presence of that Abbott boy.

You go along scanning Amy’s books, listening to her prattle on about this and that. She’s an inventive kid, the stories are never dull. Rhett keeps rubbing the back of his neck, that strong bicep hidden underneath a shirt stained with pasture mud. You suppress the urge to tuck an unruly strand back into his cap. But that privilege died years ago.

The two leave with a polite goodbye and your head is reeling. Especially the next morning when Amy strides through the library doors chattering excitedly, her uncle on her heels balancing two coffees. Dropping her off with the other kids with a tap of his elbow. You make yourself busy arranging a shelf when he turns toward you.

He slides the styrofoam cup toward you. You can smell the cinnamon, exactly how you take it.

“S’for you.” A tension breaks between you two as you accept the coffee, tentatively raising it before enjoying that first sip. Your lips curl in a smile as that warm feeling envelopes your entire being.

“Thanks. How’d you know I’d want a coffee?” While you know the answer is because he’s thoughtful, he mumbles something about Amy and his mother and a barista. Your smile lets him know that you’re thankful regardless of the reason.

There’s so many things you want to ask him. What is his life like? Is bull riding everything he imagined it to be? Why didn’t he leave Wabang?

But before you can launch into that conversation, he’s excusing himself back to the ranch, Carhartt jacket out the door before you can ask if he wants to grab a drink later.

Every morning as Amy walks in for the summer program, Rhett trails behind her. A coffee in each hand. Drops it off without any explanation, just a smile so hard to read it plagues your mind.

This goes on until the part for your car finally comes and you can leave this town - and the people in it - behind you.

______________________________________________________________

You’re running late. Another Wabang wedding that has eaten up your weekend with the drive you loathe. There’s a pair of heels and a lipstick in your glovebox for “emergencies” after forgetting and wearing your dusty work boots and a slip dress at the last one. The “Entering Amelia County” sign whips by as you toe the speed limit.

Pulling into the church lot, you’re thankfully not too late. You slip into the back and hope your parents don’t notice, but you’re easy to miss amongst the ten gallon hats.

Vows exchanged. Preacher preaches. A kiss to top it off. And now you’re back where you were ten years previous, standing to the side of the dance floor catching up with classmates while Rhett Abbott drinks a beer leaning against the church.

The biggest difference is that he’s a man now. He’s no longer that Abbott boy. All sinful broad shoulders and muscle from hours of labor. Skin tanned and scarred from sun exposure and barbed fences. That damn brace on the hand not nursing a beer. And instead of cracking jokes with the other twentysomething cowboys, his focus is solely on you.

Neither of you makes a move to connect, letting your gazes linger as you stay with your respective parties. The afternoon fades into dusk. The string lights at the edge of the reception area come to life, offering an amber glow to the increasingly drunken crowd. Even you have enjoyed more than your fair share of whiskey. When the ol’ timers leave, the festivities really begin.

“Care t’dance?” He’s drunk, sliding up behind you smelling of leather, malt, and cinnamon. You know he has three left feet, but when those warm hands wrap around your waist, any worries about your toes promptly disappear.

He’s intoxicatingly close. You’ve never been this close, touched this much. Just quick hip squeezes and the occasional shoulder push, the odd side hug after high school afternoons sitting amongst the grass. At this distance you can see that his eyes have dark spots of indigo. That one eyebrow dips lower than the other. At this distance you fully realize how attracted to him you are.

Rhett’s always been a friend, nothing more. Someone who shared the dream to leave. Another animal lover. The piñata cheater who ruined your tenth birthday. So why did he smile always make you heart flutter?

His dancing is as bad as anticipated. He steps on your toes every few steps, muttering “S’ry” each time. Eventually succeeds to just swaying back and forth, letting you take the lead. His blush feels like a reward, your favorite bashful cowboy.

The music slows to a hauntingly sweet melody and you allow your head to fall to his chest, already missing watching his beautiful face. There’s a wall between you two, unspoken and heavy. It weighs on your chest. Where are the words to express what you’re thinking?

Before you can summon the words - the courage? - to say what you want, the song ends. Panic floods you. And you’ve always been one to choose flight over fight. An excuse tumbles from your lips and suddenly you’re fleeing the makeshift dance floor as quickly as those godforsaken heels will allow.

The blood is rushing in your ears, too loud to hear your name called out behind you. The church is too full of partygoers. Your feet turn toward your car and the solace it provides.

He catches up to you in the parking lot, his legs longer and faster. Takes the creamy white Stetson off his head while he catches his breath. He didn’t realize you were so fast.

The two of you are suddenly alone for the first time in years, no distractions to disrupt the brewing emotions. Your back to the driver’s seat door, eyes alight with confusion. Him towering over you with the kindest expression painted over his features.

“Why’d’you run?”

His breath washes over you, warm and comforting. Every instinct tells you to run, to get away from the rush of emotion consuming your soul that has been building for a decade. But then…fingers intertwine with your own, a soothing thumb over your palm. You’re reminded he’s still that Abbott boy, smelling like trouble but gentle as the prairie grass. You have no need to worry about being vulnerable with him.

A deep breath shudders through you. You break eye contact to answer his question. “Got a little too wrapped up in the moment and forgot I’m not one of your buckle bunnies.”

He lets out a hesitant laugh. Hands released as he cups your chin to look into your eyes. Such pretty eyes.

“I’d trade every one of ‘em for a moment with you.” It’s silent as both your breaths cease, his heartbeat vibrating between you. Your eyes plead for more reassurance, more proof that you’re more than another conquest for a man with too many trophies. He licks his lips. “You remember that piñata?”

You nod. Hard to forget being that mad.

“S’ry for cheatin’. I wanted t’be the one t’get the candy out. Impress ya, show I was the best.” He chuckles. “I’m s’stupid. You like rules. And probably wanted the candy yerself. Surprised ya didn’t kick my ass.”

“I wanted to.” Another low laugh escapes his lips.

“Figured you’d want nothin’ to do wit’me and was good with it for a while, but the summer you grew tits? Came back t’school and nearly passed out. So self-conscious and kept coverin‘em. Wanted to smack your arm, I couldn’t look away. Luke Tillerson brought ‘em up on the way home ’n I punched ‘im in the jaw. That’s when I knew I liked ya. Wanted you to be mine.”

That dirty cowboy. Naughty smiles exchange as you both glance down at your chest, much more developed and pushed up thanks to underwire. He blinks hard to clear his mind.

“When you left, figured t’was time to move on. Beat myself up for never gettin’ the courage to leave too.” Your hand slides up his forearm, sharing comfort for such a raw nerve. He smiles his thanks and runs his own hand up your arm, resting a thumb on your shoulder. “Thought maybe y’were back perm’nently when I saw ya a’the library.”

“It was just until my car was fixed.”

“Know that now. But a guy can dream, right?” The wall has completely crumbled now, your bodies close, breaths intermingling. Your mouth opens to speak, to fill the space.

The words are stopped by a warm cowboy mouth fitting over yours.

The stars align. Planets shift. The cars leaving the party around you fade into the distance. All that remains is Rhett and everything he offers.

Maybe Wabang is worth it after all.

#rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott x you #rhettt abbott fan fiction #rhettt abbott fic #outer range fan fiction #rhett abbott angst #rhett abbott fluff #rhett abbott

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itsfrthebirds · 10 days ago

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one of my favorite hcs is that every civilian in new york knows spiderman's secret identity and is just super chill about it.

it gets even funnier when you choose to believe that peter's the only one who thinks his identity is still 100% a secret.

like yeah the deli man always sees peter come in with the suit peeking out of his shirt collar, but spiderman saved his cat a few months ago, so it's all good. (peter gets a free coffee every time he comes in, but he figures that's just cus the guy is nice to his regulars.)

peter's classmates in college see spiderman swinging outside the building and then peter walks in a second later out of breath apologizing for being late, but when that dude made of sand attacked union square a while back, spiderman saved half of their asses, so they just carry on as per usual. (his professors always give him extensions when he asks for them, but peter figures that's the policy for everyone, right?)

everyone at the daily bugle knows peter is spiderman (because how tf else is he getting those photos) but they stay quiet about it– half of them because they like seeing how much it fucks with JJJ (who is perhaps the only person in the office who doesnt put it together), and the other half because they genuinely just don't give a shit what the kid does in his free time. everyone's gotta have a hobby. (peter is astonished that no one ever questions how he gets these insane photos of spiderman.)

and this applies to people who don't even know peter by name, too. commuters who take the same bus line as him at the same time most mornings recognize his voice when he thanks the driver on his way off, but honestly, they know its probably the safest bus in the world right now because spiderman is on with them, so they're chill about it so they don't scare him off. the local thrift stores are all very aware that the kid constantly coming in buying secondhand tech is most definitely using it to make webshooters and gadgets, but it's good business and he's taking old stuff off the shelves that's been there for months, so why would they complain? half the bodegas in the city recognize peter by his voice alone, because peter and spiderman both come by and greet the cats in the exact same way.

#spiderman #peter parker #mcu #marvel #hc

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sokoviansimp · 1 year ago

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Unspoken Hearts

✒ Pairings: Wanda Maximoff x Reader, Wanda Maximoff x Vision

✒ Summary: Wanda gets married with you as her maid of honor, Tony gets too drunk at the reception and exposes your true feelings

✒ Tags and Warnings: angst and fluff

✒ Author's Note: I just had the urge to write this today.

✒ Word Count: 2125

✒ Read Time: 11 minutes

Masterlist : Socials

The sun cast its warm glow over the tranquil morning, illuminating the Avengers' headquarters. Wanda Maximoff, dressed in a stunning white gown, stood before the mirror, a smile gracing her lips as she admired her reflection. Today was her wedding day, a day she had dreamt of, and it was finally here. The room buzzed with excitement as friends and teammates bustled around, making the final preparations for the ceremony. Among them was you, Wanda's closest friend, and perhaps the one who knew her best.

You had been a constant presence in Wanda's life since your paths had intertwined at Hydra. From the first moment you met, there was an instant connection, a deep understanding that bound your souls together. Through trials and tribulations, you had leaned on each other, forming a bond that could never be broken.

As Wanda's maid of honor, you had the task of ensuring everything went off without a hitch. You moved gracefully around the room, orchestrating the final touches with your usual calm demeanor. But beneath the facade of serenity, your heart was a storm of conflicting emotions.

Wanda turned from the mirror, her eyes alight with joy. "Y/N, can you believe this day is finally here?"

You smiled, your gaze tender. "Who would’ve thought that one day, one of those scared little kids being tested on in the Hydra facility would be getting their happily ever after? Here w-you are, defying all odds, you deserve all the happiness in the world."

Wanda's gaze softened as she reached out and took your hand. "And you, my dear friend, have been there for me through everything. I couldn't imagine this day without you by my side."

Your heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in Wanda's eyes. How you wished you could express the depth of your feelings, but you had always been skilled at hiding your true emotions.

The ceremony was a blur of beauty and emotion straight from a fairy tale, and soon Wanda and Vision were pronounced husband and wife. The reception was a lively affair, laughter, and music filling the air as the Avengers and their friends celebrated the union. You watched from the sidelines, your smile bright, but your heart ached. You had always been content with your friendship with Wanda, but the realization that you could never truly have her stung more fiercely today.

As the night continued; Tony Stark, his inhibitions loosened by alcohol, became increasingly boisterous. You tried to keep a low profile, but Tony's attention landed squarely on you.

"Ah, Y/N! Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride," Tony slurred, a sardonic grin on his face, as he hooked his right arm around your shoulder and squeezed you into his side so that you were forced to listen to his remarks.

Your cheeks flushed a mix of embarrassment and hurt flooding in. Forcing a laugh, hoping to brush off his comment. "Well, someone's gotta support our happily ever afters, Tony."

Tony's gaze sharpened, and he took another swig of his drink. "You know, it's a shame, really. All that unrequited love you've been harboring for Wanda."

“Tony.” Natasha warned after hearing what was being said through earshot.

Your heart stopped, panic gripping tightly around your neck. How could he know? You had kept your feelings buried so deep, you could argue that sometimes you even forgot they were there.

The party around them seemed to fade into the background as Tony's words hung in the air. Your mind raced, searching for a way to salvage the situation, to hide the truth that had been laid bare.

But Tony wasn't finished. "Oh, come on. The way you've always dropped everything to be there for her, the way your eyes follow her whenever she's in the room and shy away under her glance. It's obvious."

“Tony, Enough!” Natasha said much louder, garnering more attention than she had hoped for.

Your world shattered. Someone you had trusted, one who promised to be on your side, had just exposed your most guarded secret. You felt exposed, vulnerable, and utterly lost.

Wanda approached after hearing Natasha raise her voice, concern in her eyes as she noticed you in distress. "Hey, what's going on? Is everything ok?"

Tony smirked, his voice dripping with malice. "Just having a little heart-to-heart about our dear Y/N’s feelings for you."

Wanda's gaze turned to you, a mixture of surprise and confusion in her eyes. Your heart raced and your throat constricted with a flood of emotions you couldn't put into words. You could feel the tears start to well in your eyes even if they hadn’t become noticeable yet. The embarrassment was gobbling you whole at this point, the only thing you could think to do was run, you didn’t want to sit there and see Wanda’s reaction. You couldn't. You didn’t want her pity, her anger, her disgust, whatever lay beneath her gorgeous green eyes. You couldn’t wait around for it, so you flung yourself and weaseled out from Tony’s far too tight grasp and booked it.

“Tony, What the fuck!” Natasha scolded him as Wanda chased after you, still in her wedding dress and heels.

“What? We were all thinking it. Someone had to say it.” He brushed off with no remorse.

“You’re unbelievable, keep this up and you won’t have any friends left, Stark,” Nat spat back.

Eventually, your running ceased as you fell to your knees in the garden behind the reception and past the courtyard. Your tears became uncontrollable as you sat there sobbing as quietly as you could, hoping you had run far enough away that Wanda wouldn’t find you. The feeling of embarrassment still replaying in your brain on repeat along with thoughts swirling around in your mind that Wanda would hate you for what Tony said. How could she be your friend after that? You hadn’t known life without her for quite some time, and before her, it was all terrible. The only joy you ever found in life came after she lit up your world. How could you go back to that?

It didn’t take long for Wanda to find you, she could read you like a book. As soon as she spotted you sobbing on the ground, she immediately ran up to you and knelt down to wrap you in her arms to try and stop your sobbing, “Y/N, shh, it’s ok,” she whispered in your ear as she gently rocked you.

Once the sobbing slowed you attempted to break your silence, "Wanda, I..." you began, your voice barely above a whisper.

But Wanda held up a hand, stopping you. Her expression was a complex blend of emotions – surprise, curiosity, and something else you couldn't quite decipher.

"Wanda, I never meant for you to find out like this," you managed, your voice trembling.

Wanda's gaze softened, and she dipped her head down closer, reaching out to cup your cheek. "Y/N, you've always been a constant in my life, a rock when everything else was uncertain. I've leaned on you, and I hope you know that you mean the world to me."

Even though the sobbing had slowed, new tears began to well in your eyes, a mix of relief and regret flooding you. "I- I didn't want to complicate things. I cherished our friendship more than anything, and I never wanted to put you in an uncomfortable position."

Wanda smiled a sad but genuine smile. "Love is never something to be regretted, priyatel'. You’ve been my go-to, my best friend, the one I can share my good days and bad days with. Soulmates aren’t just lovers."

Your heart ached with a bittersweet blend of emotions. You had lost your chance, but at least you hadn't lost your friend. Wanda's acceptance meant more to you than you could even express, “I’m sorry,” you said as you dipped your head away from her gaze.

“Knock it off, priyatel'. None of this is your fault.” Wanda assured you as you both stood from the ground.

“Your dress is ruined and your wedding night, all because of me,” you noted.

“Y/N, you’re worth so much more to me than some stupid dress, and the night is still young.” she said extending her hand for you to grab as she escorted you back to the party.

“Come on, lets at least get your dress cleaned up,” you said taking her hand.

As the venue emptied and the night drew to a close, you found yourself sitting alone on a quiet balcony, the stars above offering a soothing embrace. Wanda joined you, the sound of her footsteps soft against the night.

"Mind if I join you?" Wanda asked, her voice gentle.

You shook your head, managing a small smile. "Of course not."

The two of you sat in silence for a while, the weight of the unspoken conversation heavy in the air.

"I'm sorry I never realized," Wanda finally said, her voice tinged with regret.

You looked at her, your heart aching for the pain you saw in Wanda's eyes. "Wanda, please don't blame yourself. My feelings were my own to bear, and I never wanted to burden you with them."

Wanda reached out, taking your hand in her own. "But you're not a burden, Y/N. If anything, I regret not seeing the depth of your feelings sooner. You've been a constant in my life, and I should have understood what that meant."

Your heart swelled at her words, as you squeezed her hand. "Wanda, you've given me so much already. I'll always cherish our friendship, no matter what."

Wanda's gaze was intense, her eyes searching yours, "And I'll cherish it too, Y/N. You're a huge part of my story, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Tears welled in your eyes, as you took a deep breath, trying to steady your emotions. "Wanda, you mean everything to me. Seeing you happy is all that matters."

Wanda reached out, gently wiping away a tear from your cheek. "And your happiness matters to me too. Life is full of unexpected twists, Y/N. Who's to say what lies ahead?"

As you both sat there, hand in hand, bathing in the moonlight, you realized that perhaps love didn't always have to be romantic to be meaningful. The love you held for Wanda, while unrequited, had shaped you into the person you were now, and that was a story worth telling.

And so, in the quiet moments of that night, two hearts found solace in the understanding that friendship, even when mixed with unspoken emotions, could be a powerful and beautiful thing.

The night wore on, the moon casting its silver glow over the Avengers' compound. The celebration had shifted into a quieter phase, with small groups of friends and family gathered around, reminiscing and sharing stories. You found yourself engaged in a conversation with Clint and Nat, both of whom had been part of your journey since the early days of being rescued.

"Hey, Y/N, remember that mission in Budapest?" Clint chuckled, a nostalgic glint in his eye.

You laughed, leaning back in your chair. "How could I forget? That was the mission that involved the cat, right?"

Natasha smirked, her gaze thoughtful. "Ah, yes, the infamous cat incident. You've always had a way of turning the most serious situations into something memorable."

You grinned, the warmth of their camaraderie washing over you. Despite the turmoil of your own heart, you were grateful for these connections, these moments that had shaped your life.

As the night continued, Your gaze kept drifting toward Wanda, who was surrounded by well-wishers and friends, her laughter ringing through the air. The sight was both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, a reminder of what she now had and what you could never have.

Tony, his previous intoxication now replaced by solemn sobriety, approached you, his gaze apologetic. "Hey, you, about earlier..."

You held up a hand, your expression softening. "Tony, it's okay. I know you were just speaking your mind."

Tony sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I should have been more careful with my words. I didn't mean to hurt you."

You smiled, offering him a reassuring pat on the arm. "Don't worry about it, Tony. Water under the bridge."

“Oh Y/N, you let him off way too easily,” Natasha teased.

As the night drew to a close, the guests slowly began to disperse, their laughter and conversation fading into the background. It was bittersweet, being part of this day, surrounded by happiness and love, yet feeling an ache deep within.

#sokoviansimp fics #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff fanfiction #wanda maximoff x reader #angst #wanda marvel #unrequited love #unrequited feelings #unrequited affection #soulmates #friendship #wedding #wanda #wanda mcu #elizabeth olsen #fan fiction #wanda maximoff imagine

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cover-art-showdown · 9 days ago

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Round One, Match CXLIII

Les Chaînes du Dragon / Dragon Bones (Patricia Briggs), L'Atalante 2008. Cover by Amandine Labarre.

Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson), Union Square Kids 2023. Artist unknown.

#book cover tournament

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bg-11 · 3 months ago

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Ripping into TCW's A Friend in Need, in which every character is awful.

I'm going to be upfront about this: I do not care for TCW, I never really have. See, I've always been a big stickler for continuity, even as a kid, and by this point there was *plenty* of Clone Wars related content that had been set across the whole 3 years of the war. The big issue of course was always Ahsoka, who of course just couldn't neatly slot into that timeframe at all because there were already plenty of comics that made it clear that Anakin never had a Padawan. She was a square peg the writers of TCW had jammed into a square hole. Of course, Ahsoka wasn't the only example, it was clear the writers never really gave a shit about what other, better writers had already established, and so retcons and continuity errors were rife with the series, only increasing as it continued. Exactly the kind of thing I was leery about. I was willing to give it a chance when it first came out, but that optimistic goodwill didn't really last too long.

I watched it on-and-off when it came out to check it out, I didn't want to judge it without having seen it. It was the same when I heard about how obnoxious Karen Traviss' Republic Commando series was, I wanted to see if that was as bad as people were saying it was (it was worse). By Season 4, I was pretty ready to write it off, the retcons were getting bigger and bigger (Even Piell getting killed off before his Canon death in Coruscant Nights, changing Asajj Ventress' backstory and fate contrary to what it was in the Republic comics, treating the Nightsisters as if they were literal witches who could use actual magic, the list goes on, but those were my biggest gripes). One episode that stood out to me though, was A Friend in Need, an episode in which pretty much everyone except for Artoo is stupid, malicious or both. At the time, I thought it was the worst episode of TCW yet. Has that changed since then? Yeah, but I'd still count this episode as the dumbest.

For whatever reason, the episode popped into my head recently after...I don't know how long its been, relatively shortly after the episode aired, I guess? And, I don't know, I guess I wanted to take a jab at picking it apart? I've never really done this before, there've been a couple of times when I've wanted to examine bad media, but for whatever reason, I never really got to it. So, fuck it, better late than never, I guess. So, I rewatched the episode to get it fresh in my mind. As the old EU was still Canon when this aired, I'm putting it through the lens of it still being Canon when I talk about it.

There's a good reason why my friends call me a masochist, I guess.

Things start out on Mandalore, where Ahsoka is escorting Padme, Bail and Mon Mothma in talks with representatives from the Separatist Senate when Lux Bonteri walks in. When I first watched A Friend in Need, I had missed Lux's Introductory episode which also introduced the Separatist Senate, so I was a little confused here. Confused because prior to TCW, there wasn't a Separatist Senate, the Confederacy was solely ruled over by the Separatist Council. Now, there's commentary from Filoni that apparently, the EU writers had misunderstood the purpose of the Separatist Council, that no, they weren't the leaders of the CIS, and that the megacorporation's who made up the CIS were just neutral parties. I have two issues with that, first being that I trust Dave "I sincerely believe this man wants to fuck wolves" Filoni's word about as far as I can throw his furry ass, and two, that isn't how it comes across in the movies at all.

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The leaders of the Trade Federation, Intergalactic Banking Clan, Techno Union and Commerce Guild are all present, outright saying they're pledging their alliance and their armies to the Separatist cause. That they're apparently neutral, uninvolved parties doesn't gel at all, it just seems like a clumsy retcon to me. One of many.

But anyway...

Lux busts in and causes a scene, accusing Count Dooku of murdering his mother, so the Separatist senators have their guards drag him away. Ahsoka, concerned, gets permission from Padme to follow him, as long as she's discrete. Lux is dragged back to the Separatist's shuttle, where a hologram of Dooku appears to gloat a bit, before telling the droids to execute Lux. Why he doesn't just use the Force to choke him, I don't know, all you need is line of sight.

Now, I'd actually misremembered how this scene went down. In my memory, Lux dropped an ion grenade to disable the droids and *then* Ahsoka showed up. Apparently my flawed memory made Lux more competent then he actually is in the episode. How was he actually planning on getting away? We'll get back to that in a moment, but for right now, he's at the battle droid's mercy.

And then Ahsoka intervenes.

Here's another issue I had with Ahsoka, her characterisation. There were a couple of moments that stuck with me that I think are relevant here.

Season 1, episode 19, Storm Over Ryloth: Ahsoka has to learn not to be a reckless, headstrong idiot because she gets her troops killed.

Season 2, episode 1, Holocron Heist: Ahsoka has to learn not to be a reckless, headstrong idiot because she gets her troops killed.

This episode? Ahsoka is a reckless, headstrong idiot who forces her way into a hostile situation, gets the attraction of a bunch of armed droids and leads them back towards the Senate Guards who are stationed at the Republic shuttle, quickly alerts the unaware men that some pissed off droids are on her tail, then boards the shuttle, takes off and flees back to Coruscant, abandoning the Senators she was supposed to be escorting *and* the Senate Guards who are now taking the heat for her.

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Ahsoka is such a shitty bodyguard, Jesus Christ. Getting Lux to safety is a priority, fine, but why does she need to board the ship herself and flee the system entirely? Why not just have Lux board the ship, then go back to help the Senate Guards deal with the battle droids that she *led* there in the first place? They're not just regular battle droids either, they're droid commandos who are supposed to be a lot tougher and smarter than the standard B1 battle droids. We don't see the outcome of this fight, so I presume the Senate Guards won, which, good thing. Because Ahsoka abandoned the Senators she was supposed to be watching over, and I genuinely wouldn't put it past the Separatists to pull something now that these peace talks have collapsed because of what Ahsoka did. They were never going to work out anyway of course, given Sidious' whole purpose behind the Clone Wars, but the characters aren't aware of that.

Anakin gets in contact and when Lux tries to apologise with "Master Jedi, I'm sorry if I've caused you any trouble." ("If" you caused trouble? "If"?)

Ahsoka tries to brush it off with "It's nothing." Uh, no, it's not. See the above paragraphs for why it *is* a big deal, and I can't see Anakin of all people being too happy with Padme being left in a dangerous situation like that. But I guess we're brushing past that, cool.

Ahsoka points out how dumb Lux's plan was, saying he would have been killed if she hadn't intervened (true). Then Lux says no, actually, he *did* have a plan, then he pulls out a taser and stuns Ahsoka. Seriously? His plan was to go in, confront Dooku, hoping that he'd send a transmission just to gloat (apparently he "knew" he would, but why? He could just have easily been shot by the battle droids), and he went in there armed with a dinky little taser? Brilliant plan, I'm sure that would have done *wonders* against a squad of droid commandos all armed with blasters.

Ahsoka wakes up hours later aboard the shuttle with just Artoo, her lightsabers missing. She goes out to talk to Lux and finds out the contacts he's meeting are the Death Watch, that Mandalorian supremacist group of terrorists who are awful even by Mandalorian standards.

Jesus Christ, Lux is so fucking stupid.

Despite Ahsoka attempting to tell him that they're bad news, he keeps brushing it off because they *also* hate Dooku, so it'll be fine. Back aboard the ship, Artoo finds Ahsoka's lightsabers tucked away in a random drawer. So, if she had bothered to look for them, she would have found them in the space of five minutes. My God, she is useless. These two deserve each other, I swear.

Oh, and we meet Bo-Katan for the first time.

Awful, *evil* Bo-Katan.

On the ride back, Lux reveals he had a way to track Dooku's location through his communication.

Serenno. He was probably on Serenno, his homeworld of Serenno, where he has a mansion on Serenno, Serenno on which he is a Count. This isn't exactly hidden knowledge.

They go back to the Death Watch compound. see them using kitbashed battle droids as target practice and Ahsoka is marched off while Lux talks to their leader, Pre Vizsla. Apparently, he has beef with Dooku now and the Count gave him a scar. Which, first thing, if Dooku had wanted him dead, he'd be dead. Second, I actually don't remember those two falling out, so I looked it up and apparently it happens entirely offscreen between his last appearance and now, so whatever, I guess. Also, Vizsla threatens to cut up Lux if he doesn't hand over the tracer, and Lux seems pretty fine with that. Brilliant, that one, real smart.

Ahsoka gets thrown in with a hut full of enslaved women from a nearby village. Great people, those Mandalorians. Artoo, meanwhile, is taken to the droid shack and told to fix up the damaged battle droids so they can be used as target practice again. They don't even slap a restraining bolt on him, they just leave him to his own devices. Which, in this case, happens to be a room full of battle droids, several of which actually still have blasters in repairable condition as we'll see later.

Well, the Mandalorians are rock stupid, so I suppose I can't complain *that's* out of character.

Big feast is held, now Lux can see with his own eyes that the Death Watch are using the local women as slaves...but he doesn't seem to give much of a shit about it, even as Ahsoka keeps trying to point out how awful his allies are. It's at that point the village elder shows up and demands Viszla let his people go. He did this unarmed, with his only support being two other unarmed villagers, walking into a camp full of hostile people who had already taken the village's women as slaves and expected things to go well for him. When Vizsla agrees in the most sinister way possible, with several other Death Watch members openly snickering about it, the elder thinks all is well and Lux even says: "You see? They're not the butchers you make them out to be."

I...Jesus Christ, they were using the local women as slaves, but you're fine with that so long as they take them back when they're done? Lux has to be the stupidest character in this series, I swear. There is exactly one smart person this entire episode and it's Artoo.

Next day, the Death Watch take the enslaved women back to their village, the Elder thanking him for it.

And then he takes out his stupid edgesaber and stabs the man's granddaughter in front of him. Can't help but feel this would have been more impactful if obvious sacrificial lamb character had more than a minute of screentime, but okay, its awful and its typical Mando behaviour. For good measure they start torching the village and maybe set one villager on fire. And much to my shock, Lux finally gets it. I was half expecting him to brush it off as them setting fires to keep the villagers warm. Ahsoka seems to impale a guy with a blunt pole, before getting tied up. And then they drag her back to their camp from their speeder...yeah, Ahsoka should be dead.

Then Lux says this...

"I believed you had honour, but you're just murderers."

What possibly led you to think that conclusion, you absolute dumbass? This whole time, Vizsla has been acting as blatantly sinister and creepy as Dick Dastardly, if he had a moustache he'd be twirling it. Lux seems like the kind of character who needs to be told not to drink drain-cleaner, I swear to God.

As Vizsla is preparing to deal with Idiot and Useless, Artoo shows up with an army of kitbashed droids...and like I said either, a few of them have working blasters. Literally the only competent character, I swear. Artoo gives Ahsoka her lightsabers back, and Vizsla decides to duel her one-on-one, because like every Mando, he has a totally unearned superiority complex. She ends up slicing his jetpack and he doesn't even notice until Ahsoka points it out to him. How did he not hear her hit it? How did he not feel that? In the confusion of the exploding jetpack, Dumb and Dumber manage to escape, chased by Bo-Katan, but they get away.

Then Lux fucks off in the escape pod, the end.

And apparently the next time Ahsoka runs into Bo-Katan, they're besties and join forces to free Mandalore. Guess Ahsoka kinda forgot about the whole slavery, village torching and innocent people she murdered, huh? Yeah, guess so. Bo-Katan fucking sucks, she doesn't get a redemption, the narrative just wants you to forget all the atrocities she commits because she doesn't want Maul to be her leader. Zuko she ain't.

Ahsoka majorly screws up her assignment, puts senators in danger and gets some guards killed, Lux is so braindead that he blindly trusts the most obviously evil pack of killers he could find. I'd say he needs a helmet, but I don't think its possible for him to get anymore brain damage.

TCW is massively overrated, this is a hill I will die on.

#Star Wars #Disney Canon #The Clone Wars #TCW #Anti The Clone Wars #Anti TCW #A Friend in Need #Recap #Ahsoka Tano #Lux Bonteri #Death Watch #Pre Vizsla #Bo-Katan Kryze #Youtube

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winningthesweepstakes · 1 year ago

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The Door That Had Never Been Opened Before by Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod

The Door That Had Never Been Opened Before by Mrs. & Mr. MacLeod. Union Square Kids. 2024. 9781454945451 Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4.5 Format: ARC (publication 2/6/24) picture book Genre: Fantasy What did you like about the book? The Grunion house has many doors, there is one door that no one has ever opened. Sheila has studied the door and tried every key she’s…

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#Union Square Kids

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graphicpolicy · 1 year ago

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Alterations, the semi-autobiographical debut from animator Ray Xu, arrives in January

Alterations, the semi-autobiographical debut from animator Ray Xu, arrives in January #comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel

This coming January, animator Ray Xu makes his graphic novel debut with Alterations: A Graphic Novel. Kevin Lee is having a really bad week. Although he lives in a crowded Toronto apartment above the family’s alterations and dry-cleaning store, he mostly goes unnoticed. School isn’t exactly an oasis either—being one of the few Asian kids makes for some unwelcome attention. But when Kevin’s class…

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#alterations #graphic novel #graphic novels #ray xu #union square kids

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gravehags · 2 months ago

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the duality of ranchel

#we’re going to be tourists and walk around union square #mostly to say goodbye to the macy’s we’ve been going to since i was a kid and their christmas decorations #my dad remembers going there when he was a kid too so it’s like extra sad #anyway here’s my face

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 6 months ago

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

August 6, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Aug 07, 2024

Today Vice President Kamala Harris named her choice for her vice presidential running mate: Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota. Walz grew up in rural Nebraska. He enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was 17 and served for 24 years, retiring in 2005 as a command sergeant major, making him the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress, according to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

He went to college with the educational benefits afforded him by the Army, and graduated from Chadron (Nebraska) State College. From 1989 to 1990, he taught at a high school in China, then became a social studies teacher in Alliance, Nebraska, where he met fellow teacher Gwen Whipple, who became his wife. They moved to Minnesota, where they both continued teaching and had two children, Hope and Gus, through IVF.

Walz became the faculty advisor for the school’s gay-straight alliance organization at the same time that he coached the high-school football team from a 0–27 record to a state championship. The advisor “really needed to be the football coach, who was the soldier and was straight and was married," Walz said in 2018.

Walz ran for Congress in 2005 after some of his students were asked to leave a rally for George W. Bush because one of them had a sticker for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. Walz won and served in Congress for twelve years, sitting on the House Agriculture Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Voters elected Walz to the Minnesota state house in 2018, and in his second term they gave him a slim majority in the state legislature. With that support, Walz signed into law protections for abortion rights, supported gender-affirming care, and legalized the recreational use of marijuana. He signed into law gun safety legislation and protections for voting rights, and pushed for action to combat climate change and to promote renewable energy.

Strong tax revenues and spending cuts gave the state a $17.6 billion surplus, and the Democrats under Walz used the money not to cut taxes, as Republicans wanted, but to invest in education, fund free breakfast and lunch for schoolchildren, make tuition free at the state’s public colleges for students whose families earned less than $80,000 a year, and invest in paid family and medical leave and health insurance coverage regardless of immigration status.

While MAGA Republicans are already trying to define Walz as “far left,” his votes in Congress put him pretty squarely in the middle. His work with Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan to expand technology production and infrastructure funding in the state was rewarded in 2023, when Minnesota knocked Texas out of the top five states for business. The CNBC rating looked at 86 indicators in 10 categories, including the workforce, infrastructure, health, and business friendliness.

Walz checks a number of boxes for the 2024 election, most notably that he hails from near the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania and comes across as a normal, nice guy. He favors unions, workers’ rights, and a $15 minimum wage. He is also the person who coined the phrase that took away the dangerous overtones of today’s MAGA Republicans by dubbing them “weird.” As a student of his said: “In politics he’s good at calling out B.S. without getting nasty or too down in the dirt…. It’s the kind of common sense he showed as a coach: practical and kinda goofy.”

Walz is also a symbol of an important resetting of the Democratic Party. He has been unapologetic about his popular programs. On Sunday, July 28, when CNN’s Jake Tapper listed some of Walz’s policies and asked if they made Walz vulnerable to Trump calling him a “big government liberal.” Walz joked that he was, indeed, a “monster.”

“Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own health care decisions, and we’re a top five business state, and we also rank in the top three of happiness…. The fact of the matter is,” where Democratic policies are implemented, “quality of life is higher, the economies are better…educational attainment is better. So yeah, my kids are going to eat here, and you’re going to have a chance to go to college, and you’re going to have an opportunity to live where we're working on reducing carbon emissions. Oh, and by the way, you’re going to have personal incomes that are higher, and you’re going to have health insurance. So if that’s where they want to label me, I’m more than happy to take the label.”

Right-wing reactionary politicians have claimed to represent ordinary Americans since the time of the passage of the Voting Rights Act—on August 6, 1965, exactly 59 years ago today—by insisting that a government that works for communities is a “socialist” plan to elevate undeserving women and racial, ethnic, and gender minorities at the expense of hardworking white men.

Historically, though, rural America has quite often been the heart of the country’s progressive politics, and the Midwest has had a central place in that progressivism. Walz reintegrates that history with today’s Democratic Party.

That reintegration has left the Republicans flatfooted. Trump and J.D. Vance expected to continue their posturing as champions of the common man, but on that front the credentials of a New York real estate developer who inherited millions of dollars and of a Yale-educated venture capitalist pale next to a Nebraska-born schoolteacher. Bryan Metzger, politics reporter at Business Insider, pointed out that J.D. Vance tried to hit Walz as a “San Francisco-style liberal,” but while Vance lived in San Francisco as a venture capitalist between 2013 and 2017, Walz went to San Francisco for the first time just last month.

Head writer and producer of A Closer Look at Late Night with Seth Meyers Sal Gentile summed up Walz’s progressive politics and community vibe when he wrote on social media: “Tim Walz will expand free school lunches, raise the minimum wage, make it easier to unionize, fix your [carburetor], replace the old wiring in your basement, spray that wasp’s nest under the deck, install a new spring for your garage door and put a new chain on your lawnmower.”

Vice President Harris had a very deep bench from which to choose a running mate, but her choice of Walz seems to have been widely popular. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who are usually on opposite sides of the party, both praised the choice, prompting Ocasio-Cortez to post: “Dems in disconcerting levels of array.”

Harris and Walz held their first rally together tonight in Philadelphia, where Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, who had been a top contender for the vice presidential slot, fired up the crowd. “Each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, to get in the game, and to do our part,” he said. “Are you ready to do your part? Are you ready to form a more perfect union? Are you ready to build an America where no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or who you pray to, that this will be a place for you? And are you ready to look the next president of the United States in the eye and say, ‘Hello, Madam President?’ I am too, so let’s get to work!”

Pennsylvania is a crucial state, and Shapiro issued a statement offering his “enthusiastic support” to the ticket. He pledged to work to unite Pennsylvanians behind my friends Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and defeat Donald Trump.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From An American #political #election 2024 #Tim Walz #joy #Democratic party #Minnesota #mind your own damn business #these guys are creepy and weird as hell #we're not going back

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