#and he has no idea why she’s so distant and then she’s in therapy for a year

[sqlmn]

Happy 2023 have OCs from a plot that is older than a decade. None of these are the main characters lmao.

Ladd Moore (the main focus here) is an ass. Like just that’s his main trait. He’s outgoing and rude and a bit dense but incredibly good with technology. He’s in the field department of the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and sometimes when at HQ, research grabs hold of him to help with some tech. Only thing is, that’s between research leads and him. No one else in fieldwork thinks Ladd should touch a computer and most research staff think he’s annoying and stupid. So when he volunteers to fix something no one thinks he’s serious and they call research up and they go down and see Ladd watching them and just have to say “you didn’t want to help out the field division?” And he’s like “they told me no”.

His older sister, Lass, is also in the field department’s staff. Madison (Mads) is in research.

The siblings actually have a pretty traumatic childhood which is why Ladd follows his sister to this career. She thinks he’s being annoying but he wants to protect her since he blames himself for ruining her childhood… while she’s scared that it’s her fault for ruining his. So they don’t have the most peaceful relationship and it’s tense between them at times.

[dreamwritesimagines]

The Eye of the Hurricane [19] - Couples Therapy

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, you made my day! ❤️I hope you’ll like this chapter as well, and please don’t forget to tell me what you think! ❤️

Summary: A therapy session can be enlightening.

Word Count: 2300

Pairing: MobBoss!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Violence, guns, crime, blood, explicit language, dysfunctional relationship. This is an AU, friendly reminder that I don’t condone any of the actions depicted on this story and please read with care.

Series Masterlist

It wasn’t like you thought taking Bucky to couple’s therapy for your technically fake marriage was going to be easy, but you didn’t think it would be this difficult.

Bucky bounced his leg beside you on the sofa while you both sat in the waiting room, his eyes darting around the room as if he expected someone to attack him at any moment.

“What happens if she asks me questions?” he asked you gruffly and you pulled your brows together.

“You’ll be fine.”

Bucky huffed out and turned to you.

“How about instead of doing this, I just pay you money to walk out of here?”

“Not gonna happen, Bucky.”

“I’ll put the weekend house under your name, you like it there.”

“The weekend house will be mine once we get a divorce anyway,” you reminded him. “It’s on the prenup.”

Bucky licked his lips. “Do you want another house?”

“Stop trying to bribe me,” you told him as he eyed the door to the therapist’s office before fixing the gun in his waistband and you gasped.

“Why did you bring a gun to the therapy?!” you hissed and he narrowed his eyes.

“We don’t know what expects us in there!” he whispered back, making your jaw drop.

“Do you seriously think—Bucky, look me in the eye and tell me you think our therapist is going to try to shoot us in couple’s therapy—”

“Mr. and Mrs. Barnes?” the therapist’s voice reached you as the door opened and you both turned to her before you smiled at her sweetly.

“Hi!”

“You can come in,” she said, stepping aside and you let out a breath, then stood up, holding Bucky by the arm to signal him to stand as well. Bucky heaved a sigh as if he was being tortured but followed you into the room dutifully and you both sat down on the couch, the therapist taking her seat soon after.

“Dr. Raynor,” you said and she smiled back at you.

“Mrs. Barnes.”

“Y/N is fine,” you said and motioned at Bucky. “And this is Bucky.”

Bucky gave her a curt nod quietly and you cleared your throat, shifting your weight.

“My therapist Dr. Cooper recommended you,” you told her. “She speaks very highly of you.”

“Dr. Cooper is a very respected colleague of mine,” she told you. “The feeling is mutual. So what brings you here?”

“Well, we’ve just got married,” you said. “And I’ve been in therapy since I was a child, basically. Bucky on the other hand has a more distant stance towards it so I figured it could help us both if we did it together.”

Dr. Raynor nodded and turned to Bucky.

“And what about you Bucky?” she asked. “What brings you here?”

Bucky raised his brows before pointing at you with his thumb. “She did.”

You crossed your arms, leaning back in the couch and Dr. Raynor hummed.

“You don’t think you should be here?”

“Honestly doc, I have no idea why I’m here,” he said. “I’m fine, our marriage is fine, so...”

“It hasn’t been a month since we got married,” you added. “Just putting it out there. But I think it’ll help Bucky if we build this—habit.”

She turned to Bucky. “And how about you?” she asked. “How do you feel about therapy, Bucky?”

“My dad would always say whatever your problems are, they should stay between your two ears instead of anyone else’s,” Bucky replied, bouncing his leg again. “Hate to agree with the guy, but he has a point.”

“George isn’t exactly the epitome of good mental health, Buck.”

Bucky shrugged his shoulders. “Either way.”

“Fathers may have different viewpoints especially when it comes to mental health,” Dr. Raynor said. “Given their generation.”

Bucky clicked his tongue. “Well, he and my mother have never been to therapy and they’re fine.”

“Your father had like one thousand mistresses,” you pointed out, making Dr. Raynor raise her brows and Bucky made a face.

“Allegedly.”

“It’s not allegedly, Becca literally told me she once—”

“Bucky, how would you describe your parents’ marriage?” she asked and Bucky heaved a sigh.

“They’re fine.”

“Would you say you look up to their marriage?” she asked. “Or that you want to have a similar one?”

You scoffed. “Good luck with that.”

“You wouldn’t want to have that?” she asked and you shook your head.

“Bucky can’t disrespect me like that.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

You pulled your brows together, then shrugged your shoulders.

“Both,” you said without looking at him. “We have a deal, so I believe he will hold up his end of the deal.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the proud smile curling Bucky’s lips and Dr. Raynor nodded.

“Anything else you feel like you took after your father, besides your opinion on therapy?”

“Why are we talking about my father?” Bucky asked back while you tried to hold back the retort. “I thought this was couples therapy.”

“We can talk about anything you feel like we need to talk about,” Dr. Raynor said. “But most of the time, our parents’ relationship is the blueprint of our own relationships even if we don’t realize it.”

“That’s not what’s happening here,” Bucky said, motioning at you. “It’s different.”

“How?”

“What she said,” Bucky said curtly, nodding in your direction and you heaved a sigh. “He’s good with my mom, and he’s great with my sister, no need to talk about him.”

“But not with you?” Dr. Raynor asked and Bucky dragged his tongue over his teeth.

“He’s fine.”

“Bucky,” said and he shot you a look.

“What?”

“He’s fine with you? Really?”

“Y/N, not everyone needs a father, okay?” he insisted. “Some of us need a boss while growing up in this business.”

“I don’t think you needed a boss instead of a father when you were a kid, actually,” you insisted, making Dr. Raynor tilt her head.

“Would you mind explaining that?” she asked. “That boss comment?”

Bucky drummed his fingertips on his knee.

“It’s a part of…” he stopped himself and cleared his throat. “My father knew what I was capable of, so he pushed me until I saw it. Until I proved myself. That’s not a terrible thing, it worked out after all.”

You licked your lips.

“Really?” you asked. “So you’d be totally okay with following his footsteps?”

 That made him stop for a moment and he scoffed.

“Fine, I wouldn’t do the cage fight because that shit’s medieval but it was because he knew I could handle it,” he defended him. “He’s great with Becca, and I don’t need him to be good with me. We don’t have that kind of relationship.”

Your stomach did a painful flip. “I forgot about that.”

“Cage fight?” Dr. Raynor asked and you both turned to her, Bucky crossing his arms over his chest. You nibbled on your lip.

“Um,” you said. “Our fathers are... CEOs and we both have family companies. There’s this tradition that—the family company has a boss and an heir and when you’re the heir, you need to show that you can handle the job.”

She frowned slightly.

“And the job can get pretty physical,” you said as Bucky let out a bitter chuckle beside you. “And one of the requirements is…when an heir is picked after years of training and everything, once the boss decides it’s time for them to prove themselves, they put you in a cage with other um—” you thought for a moment. “Some professional fighters that happen to be in the business as well, working under the family. Bodyguards, if you will.”

Not bodyguards.

They would put the heir in a cage with the best fighters working for the boss.

“But usually the bosses ask the heir to prove themselves right before they pass the crown, so to speak,” you said and stole a look at him. “Not George though.”

“I was ready to prove myself.”

“At sixteen?” you asked him. “No one fucking asks that of the heir at sixteen, Buck. My father didn’t even put Ian through that yet.”

“I was already his heir, he wanted to make sure,” Bucky said. “I beat everyone up in that cage, didn’t I?”

“Your nose was broken,” you counted with your fingers. “Three of your ribs, you could barely see through one eye for like two weeks because of how swollen it was—”

“But I proved myself,” he pointed out, making you clench your jaw and Dr. Raynor sat up straighter, trying to shake off the shock. “I’m glad I did it, I’d do it again.”

“You see?” you asked. “And then he asks me why we need therapy.”

“I don’t need therapy,” Bucky shot back. “I don’t even know why I’m here, I'm perfectly fine.”

Dr. Raynor licked her lips, then grabbed the notebook by her side while Bucky pursed his lips, slipping a little on the couch.

“Great,” he said. “She has a notebook and everything. Charm, how soon can we leave?”

                                                   *

Well, no one had gotten shot during your first couples therapy session, so as far as you were concerned, it was a success. Bucky had to drop by his office for half an hour to check on something, and after that you figured you could go to lunch together to discuss the next step in your plan so you tagged along.

Becca was already there in his office when you two walked in and Bucky tilted his head.

“What are you doing here?”

“Mom sent me,” she told him before coming to kiss your cheek. “Hey!”

“Hi there,” you said, kissing her cheek back. “We’re going to grab lunch after this, do you want to come?”

“Sure, I could eat,” she said, flinging herself on the couch. “Steve is here too, by the way.”

Bucky frowned. “Did you two come together?”

“Nope, I ran into him by the entrance,” she said while you took your spot next to her and Bucky walked to his laptop to switch it on.

“Mom sent you?” Bucky asked and rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, dad asked her to?”

Becca raised her hands while you gritted your teeth at the mention of George.

“You can’t shoot the messenger, there’s truce now.”

“Then why does it feel like I’m going to get shot by the messenger?” Bucky asked back, making her grin.

“You know how mom is,” she reminded him. “She wants all of us to get along. I take it you’re not willing to have another dinner anytime soon?”

“Fuck no—”

“Hey,” Steve said, knocking on the door and waved at you before turning to Bucky. “You’re busy?”

“Not at all,” Bucky said. “Did we have a meeting today? Did I forget?”

“Nah, I was just around,” Steve said. “Figured I could give you the news myself. Clint is flying to Chicago.”

Bucky pulled his brows together. “What?”

Steve shot him a grin. “My reaction exactly,” he said and came to sit on the other sofa. “How was therapy?”

“Ask Y/N,” Bucky said, clicking on something on his laptop. “She was the one who dragged me there.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “He brought a gun to therapy.”

Becca’s eyes widened. “Did you shoot the therapist, Bucky?!”

“No!” Bucky exclaimed. “Jesus, you two have zero trust in me.”

“How was it, really?” Steve asked you and you shrugged your shoulders.

“He’ll find it easier in the following weeks.”

Bucky frowned at you.

“Following weeks?” he asked. “We’re going there again?”

“Bucky, therapy is not like getting vaccinated,” Becca pointed out. “You can’t just have one session and expect it to fix your shit.”

“I don’t have the time—”

“I already talked to your assistant for the next month, try me,” you said sweetly and Bucky let out a groan, then turned to Steve.

“What is it about Clint and Chicago?”

“Well, he seems to believe that he can convince Rhett.”

Becca’s head whipped up and she blinked a couple of times while you tried to keep a straight face, and subtly pressed your index finger on your lips, giving her a slight grin. She let out a breath, then turned to Steve while Bucky scoffed.

“Yeah, that’s impossible.”

“What’s that about Chicago?” Becca asked and Steve heaved a sigh.

“Chicago’s prince became the new king recently,” he explained. “I thought it was hard to talk to his father, I spoke way too soon.”

“Yeah, he’s a dickhead,” Bucky pointed out while you bit inside your cheek to keep your laughter in. Becca sat up straighter.

“Why?”

“He doesn’t trust anyone who’s not from Chicago,” Steve said. “Refuses to do business with anyone else.”

“But doesn’t he kind of have to do it?” Becca asked. “Even we do business with other cities.”

“Chicago is different, Bec,” Bucky said. “They have their own rules, and as of now, they don’t actually need other cities.”

“Word on the street they might have to do it soon though,” Steve said. “Every boss in New York is trying to convince him, but as Bucky said, he’s a dickhead so…”

“That’s pointless, I’m telling you,” Bucky said as he typed at his laptop, then slammed the lid shut. “Okay, I’m done. Lunch?”

“I have a meeting with Sam,” Steve said as he stood up from the couch and he and Bucky walked to the door while Becca clicked her tongue, turning to look at you with a huge grin on her face.

“So,” she said and you hummed.

“Yes?”

“I take it he doesn’t know?”

“Nope.”

“None of them do?”

You shook your head, still smiling and Becca let out a laugh, then threw her arm over your shoulder.

“Nice plan,” she said and you giggled.

“Thank you,” you said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Let’s go, you know how hungry therapy makes me.”

Chapter 20

[writingforstraykids]

I owe you a kiss - Pt.8

Pairing: Minchan x femReader (mention of Changlix)

Word Count: 3478

Summary: Three weeks later, you're still feeling left out. Your therapist suggests communicating your worries to your husbands, but this doesn't go as planned.

Warnings/Tags: fluff, angst, therapy, verbal fight, anxious!chan, min gets defensive

A/N: After part seven I thought I'd be done with one part more tops...well. Once more, there'll be another chapter after this. Ideas/wishes are always welcome, I'll see what I can include🤭🖤

PART SEVEN | PART NINE

Three weeks later 

“And you still don't want your husbands there for the appointments?” your therapist asks kindly. She has been for weeks now. 

“No,” you shake your head firmly. 

“May I ask why?” she asks patiently. 

“Minho has a lot to deal with on his own because he remembers…also, he hates hospitals,” you start and nervously fidget with your hands. “Chan is…different.”

“Different, how?” she responds with another question. 

“Distant is the wrong expression by now. He's trying to show me how much he loves me, but I can tell when he gets overwhelmed. He's still figuring things out, finding his place back home,” you tell, and she nods along, taking some notes. “I just…It's not all bad. He gets enough sleep now, makes sure to eat enough, and takes care of himself. It's just so different from what I remember.”

“And Minho? Is he getting the help he needs?” she asks. 

“Yes, he sees his therapist every two weeks. Weekly, if it's really bad, she always manages to squeeze him in,” you tell her. “He tries to hide it, but he still has nightmares. He's able to drive again if he has to, but he gets anxious easily.”

“And where does that leave you?” she asks patiently, nodding at the wooden board between the two of you. There's a figure for Chan and another for Minho, standing close next to each other. Behind them are several smaller figures in darker colors, symbolizing their fears and struggles. And there's you. Yours is smaller than theirs, standing further away as if you're facing them. 

“Alone,” you say, swallowing hard as you notice the distance between the figures. You hadn't thought much about it putting them there but they're painting a clear picture. 

“Are you?” she asks gently. 

“Sometimes,” you nod. “I don't feel like it when I'm alone with one of them. But if it's all three of us…I feel like they don't need me,” you say and subconsciously fondle the tiny head of the figure behind you, symbolizing your negative thoughts. 

“Do you want to change something?” she asks, picking up on it, and you set it between yours and the ones of your husbands. “Add anything?”

“I'm scared of losing them,” you say, and she nods at you, letting you choose another one. You put it next to the one you just moved. 

“May I comment on something?” she asks, and you nod. “You put your husband's fears and struggles behind them. But yours are in front of you, forming a wall between you all. Why's that?”

“Uh…because they've communicated theirs openly with me and are working on them. I didn't tell them I'm scared to lose them or all of the other thoughts running through my head,” you admit. 

“Mhm, so theirs are out in the open…why aren't yours?” she asks patiently, and you drop back into the comfortable chair. 

“I don't know,” you confess. “Maybe because I feel like I can't put more on their shoulders.”

“What happened when Chan told you he's scared to push your boundaries? What happened when Minho panicked?” she asks, flashing you a kind smile. 

“I comforted them, told them it's okay,” you say quietly. 

“And what makes you fear they wouldn't do the same with you?” she asks, making you lower your head a little embarrassed. 

“I don't know,” you admit quietly, feeling tears burn in your eyes. “I should tell them, right?”

She hums gently. “Communication seems to be very important to keep your relationship intact as you're all dealing with certain things.”

-

You're exhausted after your session, but you know you'd have to open up more about your own fears. You follow her outside into the waiting area to pay and frown as you see Chan talking to the receptionist. “Channie?” you ask, confused, and he looks up with a soft smile. 

“Hey, baby girl,” he says sweetly. “I thought I'd come pick you up, I finished early today.”

“Oh,” you nod and open your handbag to get your wallet. Chan introduces himself to your therapist, a warm smile brightening up his gorgeous face. You take out your card, and Chan gently shoves it back inside. 

“Already handled,” he tells you. 

“What? Channie, I had to pay for the whole month today,” you protest. 

“I know,” he nods and gently zips your handbag closed. “It's fine.”

“Thank you,” you nod gently, smiling as his hand finds yours. 

“You got everything?” he asks, and after you nod, you two say goodbye. Once you're in the elevator, Chan pulls you into a strong hug and kisses your hair. “You look like you've been crying. Rough one?” he asks caringly. 

“Yeah,” you nod, burying yourself in his warmth. “Thank you for picking me up, Channie angel.”

“Of course,” he tells you, rubbing your back. 

As you lean into Chan's embrace, you're reminded of the session's revelations. His warmth is reassuring, and it pushes against the shadows of your own unspoken fears. You wonder how to begin sharing them with him, how to bridge the gap that your silence had unknowingly broadened. "I have a lot on my mind," you finally say, your voice muffled against his coat.

Chan's response is soft, filled with his sweet patience. "I'm here whenever you're ready to talk," he assures you, his hand steady on your back. The simplicity of his promise makes something within you ease slightly. Perhaps sharing your inner conflicts wouldn't be as horrible as you feared.

“Thank you,” you nod gently. 

Chan leads you outside the building and to his car, your hand still in his. “I wanted to take you out for coffee, but would you rather go home? Whatever you say is fine, beautiful,” he assures you, and tears brim your eyes. 

“Our favorite spot?” you ask gently. 

Chan smiles sweetly, dimples showing. “Yeah,” he nods, giggling as your face lightens up. 

“I would love to,” you tell him. 

-

When you're back home, the atmosphere shifts as Minho greets you both from the sofa. His smile is shy, a reflection of his ongoing struggles, yet sincere. His eyes light up when he sees you. "Everything okay?" he asks, a subtle concern in his tone.

You nod, squeezing Chan's hand before letting go. "We need to talk, all of us," you say, surprising even yourself with the firmness in your voice. Minho's brow furrows slightly, but he nods, understanding the seriousness of your tone. He gestures towards the empty space next to him. 

As you all sit down, the weight of the moment hangs heavily in the air. You take a deep breath, gathering the courage to be as open as possible. "I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed," you begin, your voice stronger than you feel. "Not by you two specifically, but by everything. The fears I've kept to myself are... they're getting heavy."

Chan reaches for your hand again, his touch a silent promise. Minho leans in, ready to listen, to help shoulder the burden you've carried alone for too long. You share your fears—of losing them, of not being enough, of the future that seems so uncertain sometimes. With each confession, the walls you built crumble.

“You know you can always come to us when those thoughts get too much to handle, yeah?” Chan asks gently. 

“You're always there for us, honey, don't forget we're there for you too,” Minho adds agreeingly, gently rubbing your thigh. 

“I know…A lot of it is in my head, but I miss you two,” you admit. “I can't even explain it, but I miss you so much, and I just wish everything would be normal again,” you say, tears brimming your eyes. 

“Y/nnie,” Minho whispers and shakes his head, tears brimming his own eyes. “We have to work with what we got. A lot has happened, and we can't pretend it didn't. We have to find our new normal,” he tells you and timidly takes your hand.

“But we're always here, yeah? You're still our beautiful wife,” Chan chimes in. 

“Well, then start acting like it!” you suddenly burst out, and seeing the hurt and confusion lacing their features you quickly get up. “Start acting like I'm your wife and not just your crush you hold hands with from time to time.” 

“Seriously?” Minho asks dangerously low and Chan swallows, already fearing an outburst of both of you. “Tell me you're joking.”

“I'm not,” you snap at him. “Obviously, I'm not.”

“What the fuck do you need me to do then? What do I have to change, huh?” he snaps right back at you, getting up as well. 

“Guys, please,” Chan tries gently, but you both ignore him. 

“I don't know! But it feels like shit, I'm just some bystander to you two being all lovey-dovey all day!” you burst out. 

“You’re pushing us away, you know that?” Minho retorts, his voice dripping with frustration and hurt. “You say you feel left out, but you've got walls so high, I need a damn ladder to get over them! Every time I try to initiate anything more than the crush behavior, as you put it, you back away.”

“I-” you start, but you can’t form any clear sentence in response. Minho is right, you’ve been denying him to go any further repeatedly.

Chan’s face grows pale, his eyes wide as he watches the confrontation unfold, seemingly frozen in place. “Can we... please not do this?” he stammers, his voice cracking under the strain. “This isn’t helping any of us.”

“You stay out of this!” Minho snaps, turning his glare briefly to Chan. The sharpness in Minho’s tone slices through the tension like a knife, leaving Chan blinking back tears, his hands shaking slightly as he tries to compose himself. “You don’t have to participate in this fight, but let me say my piece.”

“I’m trying to help!” Chan protests weakly, his voice trembling at the thought of you getting into a serious fight. Minho and you almost never fought, but if you did, it was always ugly, hurtful, and fucking loud. He didn’t like it before, but he could barely take it now, getting overwhelmed.  “I don’t want to see us fall apart over misunderstandings and hurt feelings!”

“Well, it’s not just about feelings, Chan!” you shout, your voice breaking as the tears start to fall. “It’s about being seen and heard in this relationship. I feel invisible most days, like I’m just here to fill a space between the two of you! It’s like you don’t care about me.”

Minho blinks at you, and you can tell he needs a moment to process your words. Then he explodes. “If you really feel this way, if everything I do is that useless and meaningless…then I don't know what the fuck I'm still doing here!”

“Minho,” you whisper in shock, and Chan's tears fall freely now. 

“Minho, please don’t say that,” Chan shakes his head, looking at him anxiously. 

“No, seriously, fuck this. Fuck you,” he says harshly, and you know he's trying to cover his hurt with anger. “I don’t care about you, yeah sure,” he goes on. “I stayed by your bedside for weeks, praying that you’d wake up. I have done nothing but respect your boundaries, give you the time you need, and make sure you’re comfortable. What the fuck do you need me to do to think I actually give a fuck about you?!” he shouts at the top of his lungs, and it has both you and Chan flinching heavily. It’s rare he loses composure like this. He’s breathing heavily once he’s done, staring at you with fierce but such vulnerable eyes it makes you sick. He nods to himself as you don’t answer and grabs his phone from the sofa. “You don’t even know what you need. How the fuck am I supposed to, huh?”

“Min, please,” Chan whispers, sensing how hurt his husband truly is behind his mask of anger. 

Minho’s expression softens for a moment, his anger faltering as he sees the tears streaming down his face. “I need a break,” he announces. “I’ll sleep in the guest room; I can’t do this right now.” He shakes his head and meets your eyes for a brief second. “Thanks for the talk,” he says sarcastically as you don’t respond to his prior statements.

You stand still for a second as he leaves before collecting your things as well. 

“Y/nnie,” Chan tries weakly.

“Don’t,” you say sharply, shaking your head. 

Chan flinches as the door to your bedroom slams closed and slumps onto the sofa, biting back a sob. He blindly reaches for his phone and blinks away tears to find his best friend’s number. Felix picks up after the second ring. “Lix, I-I know it’s late-,” he starts weakly.

“Where are you?” he asks worriedly at the distressed sound of his voice. “Do you need me to get you?” he asks, already getting up to search for his keys. His husband shoots him a questioning look, and Felix mouths Chan’s name. Changbin frowns worriedly, getting up as well and grabbing his keys. 

“Can I stay at yours? Just for tonight?” he sniffles helplessly. 

“Of course, Channie,” Felix says soothingly, slipping into his shoes. “You’re at home?” he asks carefully, leaving the house with Changbin right behind him. 

“Yeah…home,” he says, choking on the word. 

“We’ll be there in ten minutes, okay?” he asks gently, waiting for Chan’s quiet hum in response. “Deep breaths, Channie hyung, I’m sure whatever this is it can be fixed.”

“I’m not sure,” he answers shakily. “I’m really not.”

“They got into a fight?” he asks carefully, knowing how much it upset Chan. 

“Yeah,” he whispers. “It was bad, Lix, really, really bad.”

“I’m sorry, Channie,” he says softly. Only a little later Chan meets them in front of the house and they pull him into a tight hug. 

Changbin soothingly rubs his back. “Come on, Channie hyung, let's go,” he gently urges him to the car, handing him a tissue. “You can stay as long as you need to, okay?”

Chan nods and gets into the car, sinking into Felix's arms as the younger one sits down next to him. Felix gently rubs his shoulder and sighs. “It's gonna be okay, Channie.”

Three days later

Waking up, you notice Chan's side of the bed is still made, untouched from the night before. Minho is already downstairs, the clatter of dishes breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the house. As you walk into the kitchen, Minho’s posture stiffens, his usually warm eyes clouded with frustration.

“Good morning,” you say hesitantly, your voice barely a whisper, hoping to ease into the morning peacefully.

Minho nods without meeting your eyes, continuing his task. “Morning,” he replies shortly. 

“I was thinking we could all go out today, maybe get some fresh air together,” you suggest, trying to find a way to get you three to deal with what happened.

Minho pauses, placing a plate down a little too hard. “Chan isn’t feeling well,” he says shortly, finally looking up at you with a mix of irritation and exhaustion in his expression.

“Is it his headache again?”

“Probably,” Minho mutters, turning back to the dishes. “Or maybe it’s just an excuse.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you ask, your voice rising slightly in concern.

Minho sighs, a long, tired exhale. “It means maybe he’s just avoiding us. Avoiding this,” he gestures vaguely between the two of you.

“Minho, that’s not fair. You know how much he’s been struggling with everything,” you counter, feeling your heart rate pick up as the beginnings of anger mix with your worry.

“And what about us?” Minho snaps, his composure breaking. “When do we get to talk about how this is affecting us? You’re so focused on Chan. What about me? What about what I need?”

The accusation hits hard, opening a floodgate of emotions you’d both been tiptoeing around. “I’m trying to be here for both of you and fix this!” you exclaim, frustration overtaking your initial intent to keep the peace.

“Well, maybe try a little harder because I don’t feel it!” Minho’s voice escalates, his tone harsher than you’ve ever heard.

“Guys? What’s going on?” Chan’s weak voice comes from the doorway. His usual bright eyes are dim and shadowed with pain.

You both turn, startled, as Chan leans against the frame, looking between you two with a growing sense of dread. “I just needed some air, that’s all,” he murmurs, clearly caught off-guard by the newly thickened tension.

Minho’s expression softens slightly at the sight of Chan, but his frustration is far from appeased. “We’re just talking,” he says, though his voice suggests it was anything but a simple conversation.

Chan glances at you, his eyes searching for an ally. “It doesn’t sound like talking,” he comments softly, his tone hurt.

“You wouldn’t know; you’ve been avoiding us!” Minho’s outburst swiftly redirects the tension back to Chan.

“That’s not fair, Min,” Chan protests, his voice weak but filled with hurt. “I’m just trying not to make things worse.”

“By not talking? By hiding away?” Minho counters, his voice laced with bitterness.

“Enough!” you finally shout, unable to bear it anymore. “This isn’t helping anyone. We’re supposed to be in this together.” Both fall silent, the echo of your shout hanging between you. The air is thick with unsaid things, each of you caught in your own thoughts. “We need to fix this,” you say finally. “We can’t go on like this.”

Chan nods, looking exhausted. “I know,” he agrees quietly.

Minho doesn’t speak; his jaw clenches as he wrestles with his emotions, but his nod is agreement enough. You all sit down at the dinner table, facing each other.

Chan’s voice is gentle as he suggests, “Let’s each say something we feel without interruptions. Just listen to each other. Really listen.”

You nod, taking a deep breath. “I feel overlooked,” you begin, the words raw but necessary.

“I feel helpless,” Minho adds, his voice thick.

“I’m afraid of losing you both,” Chan admits, his eyes glossy with unshed tears.

The room grows silent as each confession hangs in the air. You all look at each other, the vulnerability shared creating a bridge that had been missing in the chaos of your misunderstandings.

Chan reaches across the table, his fingers brushing against yours. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice steady despite the emotion. "I’ve been so wrapped up in my own shit that I didn’t see how isolated you felt."

Minho exhales deeply, the tension easing from his shoulders as he acknowledges Chan's words. "And I... I've been so focused on not falling apart myself that I forgot to make sure we're all okay," he admits, his gaze shifting between you and Chan, a silent plea for forgiveness in his eyes.

It's your turn to respond, the atmosphere allowing for more open and heartfelt communication. "I've been afraid of burdening you both with my fears," you say, the admission freeing in its own way. "But I see now that keeping them to myself only creates more distance. I need to share more, not less," you continue, feeling a bit lighter with each word. "I need us to really be in this together."

Minho's hand finds yours, squeezing gently. "I've been scared," he admits, his voice cracking slightly. "Scared that pushing too hard or not enough could end up driving you away. But I see now that not communicating is just as damaging."

Chan, still visibly shaken but slowly regaining his composure, adds, "I thought I was protecting you both from my issues, but I was just isolating myself further. I promise to be more present, even when it's hard."

The conversation turns into a lengthy discussion in which each of you takes turns expressing thoughts and emotions that had been buried under daily routines and misunderstandings. It’s not just about voicing grievances; it’s about rediscovering each other's needs and reassessing how to support each other better.

Chan proposes a weekly check-in, a safe space where anything can be discussed without judgment, ensuring that no concern is too small or too trivial to be voiced. Minho suggests more one-on-one time with each of you to strengthen individual bonds that contribute to the health of the collective relationship.

In the following weeks, the impact of that conversation becomes evident. Slowly, the dynamics in your household start to shift. There's a newfound gentleness in your interactions, a deeper consideration for each other's mental spaces, and an active effort to engage without overwhelming one another.

Feeling less isolated, you find the courage to share your smaller daily fears and joys, discovering that these moments of sharing contribute significantly to your feeling of closeness with your husbands. 

In a relationship as complex and intertwined as yours, challenges are inevitable.

PART SEVEN | PART NINE

do not repost, translate, or plagiarize my works in any way here or on other platforms. ©️writingforstraykids 2024 -

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[arcaneafterhours]

in which i try to cut the clark family some slack

did not proof read this bear with me

@womp-womp-waa gift for u

"I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong."

Jessica started therapy 4 months ago. She figured it were for the best, with how much she was working. Regular breakdowns, stress and work was really starting to get to her, and she concluded it would be counterproductive to continue to ignore her problems. Recently, however, she has come with a new issue.

See her son, Aiden, was growing increasingly distant. She supposed she should have seen it coming, with how often her and her husband were away on trips. Jessica had figured he would be fine, he had several things to do. She had made it out just fine with her parents being away, why wasn't he?

"He has plenty to do, friends to hang out with, every gaming console I could find---" She cut herself off with a sigh, bringing one hand up to cover her face. "I know I work a lot, but theres nothing I feel like I can do. I don't understand why he's so distant. Theres extracurriculars, sports, everything of the like."

She stopped again when she caught on to the fact that she had been talking without pause. It was always good to take a break every once and awhile, as she had learned the hard way. Jessica loved her son, he was so talented and smart. And yet he never seemed to be happy.

The woman before her nodded slowly to her words. "What extracurriculars does he do?" She asked, avoiding Jessica's gaze in favor of writing notes on her clipboard.

A mental list almost wrote itself in Jessica's mind. "He plays soccer, he takes violin and piano lessons. Oh! And recently he's started archery," She began, mentally counting off whatever she could. "Honors classes, chess club, the schools student council---"

"And how old is he?" "Aiden is 13."

"Doesn't that sound like a lot for a boy that age? When did he tell you he wanted to do all of this?"

Jessica took a moment to mull on that. Actually, when did he? Lots of them were originally her idea, he simply agreed to them. That was all she really took. A simple nod, a small agreeing hum. She took that and ran with it.

Her mind started to race before she could catch it. It was all for him, wasn't it? She wanted him to be successful, just like she was. She achieved it with hard work, and by taking advantage of every opportunity she got. That was all she wanted. She just wanted her boy to have a life full of potential she knows he has.

She shut her eyes.

"Am i overworking him?"

---

Jessica cried on the way home from that appointment. She cried often, but not like this. She always cried from stress, from how much she had to get done, it was all so much that she just broke down. But she got it done anyway, didn't she? This time she wasn't sure. She was the cause of her child's problems, and oh how she felt terrible. She needed to fix this.

As she drove home, a memory came to her.

She was young, perhaps a little older than her son is now. She came back to an empty home, only getting a note from her parents that they would be back at an unknown time. Her room was a mess. Thinking now, Jessica didn't know why she didn't think to clean it. Only, at the time she had just come home from a club meeting, and immediately had to get ready for her softball game.

She remembered how exhausted she felt. All the time. About absolutely everything.

And yet, she had done the exact same thing to her son.

Jessica was failing him.

---

It was nighttime. She didn't know if he was still awake. She stood outside his door. She had been for five minutes. Would he even want to see her at this point? She had barely seem him today.

One knock. Then another.

Aiden was sitting on his bed when she came in. She didn't know what he was doing. It didn't look like much. Slowly, she sat down beside him.

"How was soccer practice?" "It was fine."

He didn't sound enthusiastic at all.

Jessica took a moment to observe the boys room. It was a wreck. It ripped her heart in two.

"When is your next trip?" "We leave next Friday." She mumbled. He only nodded, looking away. Jessica took a heavy breath. She needed to fix this.

"Why don't you come with us this time?" She spoke slowly, as if addressing a frightened animal she was trying to keep from running away.

Silence filled the room.

"I can't. I have practice. And lessons. I might have club meetings too."

Jessica found herself grabbing the boys hand. It was that time he finally glanced at her. He looked exhausted.

"Forget all of that. You work so hard, you deserve a break."

He was confused. Of course he was. Jessica had always been a 'work til you drop' kind of person. And it was catching up to her now.

"I mean---"

Aiden paused.

"I don't know."

Jessica leaned down and gave him a kiss on the head. It was something she mainly did when he was little. "Think about it, okay? We would love to have you with us."

Of course, there would be the plane tickets. And the hotel rooms. And adding a level of actual tourist activities, instead of just visiting the area. Maybe they could stay for a bit longer this time, and actually enjoy their travels.

When Aiden didn't reply, Jessica stood.

Before she could leave the room, she paused in the doorway.

"Sweetie," She ended up glancing back at him. "Do you enjoy soccer? Honestly?"

Aiden stared at her.

After some heavy silence, he shook his head no.

"What about lessons?" More silent shakes of the head.

Aiden wasn't happy. And it was Jessica's fault. She was working him to the bone, and didn't even have the time to notice. She wanted to cry again.

"You don't have to go anymore, then."

That actually got something out of her son. Perhaps he perked up, or was just straightening his bad posture. Was she reading too far into this?

"Really?" "If you really don't enjoy it, you don't have to go."

Jessica's mind was screaming at her to stop. A mantra of her boy's future crumbling flooded her thoughts. If he doesn't live up to his full potential, he isn't going to have good opportunities in life. What will people say when he suddenly drops everything?

Her grip on his door handle tightened. Aiden was more important. She forced herself to stop thinking like that. Her son and his happiness was more important than anything.

She glanced at Aiden again. He seemed to relax. Like a weight slid off his shoulders in one fell swoop. And, ever so slightly, so did she.

---

Aiden wanted the window seat. Of course, Jessica got the good seats for them, so they were by no means squished. She still sat near him though, watching him as he switched from staring out the window in wonder, to playing some sort of game on his console.

She wanted to connect with him. How could she? Jessica felt lost. Was she doing the right thing for him? How could she even find an entry point to start a conversation? Her eyes drifted back into the game in his hands.

"What are you playing?"

He blinked at her, startled she even asked. "Uh, its called pokémon."

She tilted his head at him, waiting for him to elaborate. After a moment, he switched seats, coming to sit beside her. He showed her the screen, decorated in colorful pixels displaying what appeared to be two odd animal-but-not-quite-animals in what appeared to be a battle. Aiden started to ramble, telling her about types, and moves, and 'gyms'. Frankly, Jessica understood absolutely none of it.

And yet, she listened anyway. Aiden was smiling now, happily explaining every detail he could, showing her how the game worked and everything. To be honest, she had never considered videogames to be something that required strategy. Perhaps she was wrong.

Really, Jessica was wrong about a lot. But she was willing to learn.

[ficsinhistory]

I think the problem with S3 of The Bear was that ok the mess, the coldness and the distancing and the plots in general...if it seemed like it was intentional. If they had a long term plan and this was a bait to change course later like good stories do. But it wasn't, it was just poorly written (and a bit racist).

For example, we could see Sydcarmy being separated because of Carm's worsening mental health and him wanting to convince himself that Claire is better because he doesn't want to make mistakes with the kitchen family and Syd anymore, more as a legitimate plot point and less as Storer wanting to sink Sydcarmy at any cost (which was a stupid idea and I don't even need to say why) if it didn't completely sideline Syd and obliterate her and Carmy's character in the process. Because that man may be chaotic and stupid as he may be, but Carm always cared about Syd's well-being at the end of the day.

Even after doing something stupid, Carmy always had this worry about asking how she felt about it. And that's what made their relationship different and the heart of the show. He can be distant and cold, but ignoring Syd's wishes? Doesn't give her credit when he was the one who asked her to be her partner in the first place??? The same person who recognized in 3x01 that the credit for them getting through the family and friends' night was solely hers, because he knew he had screwed up everything and didn't deserve to be part of it? Not only that, him being an idiot to Natalie, yelling about money when she was pregnant? Even though she was his only living sister? And that he started going to therapy at her request even though he didn't want to after realizing that yes, she was right? And not going to see his niece because he was more worried about Claire?? The woman who, let's be honest, he didn't like. I mean, he a panic attack thinking on HER!!! And now she is his peace??? Using suspiciously the term that the Sydcarmy fandom baptized Syd, almost as an affront. (And let's remeber Claire was pretty happy talking how she almost kill a teenage. I was bawling my eyes if was me. Weirdo (derogatory))

And speaking of her, Sydney Adamu, my beloved and favorite character, what did they do to you? She was thrown into the corner so much that I couldn't believe it. She is a protagonist and ok, she and Carmy are on tense terms, but why not take advantage of the fact that they are more apart to delve deeper into her and her relationships, find out more about her. Her relationship with her mother and father? Any flashbacks, since there were so many, about Sheridan and how this still affects her? She and the rest of the members of The Bear, Nat, Richie. She should exist outside of Carmy in her own right, but they just threw her in there and gave screen time to Claire and the Faks and that sucks. Which leads to another point, why don't you talk more about the og members of The Bear. Okay, we had Napkins for Tina, fair enough. But what about Gary, Ebra, Many? Marcus, whose mother died barely had any weight? It left a bitter taste in the mouth. If they want to fix this, they're going to have a lot of work to do, because history has taken everything to an almost unsustainable level. It's okay to be a tragedy, but give us the rays of sunshine, so we can believe in the best. And we didn't have that. It was just going in circles and that could cost the entire story.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

What does Zuko do for Mai? She clearly puts a lot of effort into the relationship but he doesn't.

He had a lot of growing up to do before he could be in a relationship with ANY girl. Mai came through for him but he never did for her. It makes sense that he originally didn't have a love interest.

...You come into MY HOUSE to talk shit about MY BOY? And about MY SHIP? Anon, grab a sword, we're gonna fight!

Okay now, jokes aside, while Zuko has some maturing to do, so does Mai. And they'd still make mistakes even if their family lives hadn't deeply traumatized them because they're teenagers. Lots of the mistakes they've made (jealousy, poor communication, one accidentally being too aloof, etc) are stuff perfectly healthy and mature adults still make because surprise surprise, figuring out how to make things work with someone is hard, and considering their traumas and the situation they were in, they could have done A LOT worse.

Nothing either of them has done crosses the line into "Behavior that indicates this person should not be in a romantic relationship with ANYONE, at least for now." It's typical relationship stuff that either results on a permanent break-up or a temporary falling out that pushes both to get their shit together and be better for each other.

Not to mention, the root of all of Zuko's issues was the fact that he was abuse victim who was struggling to cope with his abuser being not only his own father but the absolute monarch of their nation. He got used to not being able to trust that someone's affection for him was genuine, to fear that it could suddenly be stolen away.

That he couldn't rely on anyone else because THE person that was supposed to take care of him betrayed him in such a cruel way and got away with it. That feeling entitled to things and then using whatever means to obtain it was the ONLY way to not be neglected, ignored and taken advantage of.

His abuser is gone now, but no matter how much therapy (or at least the ATLA equivalent of it) he gets, Zuko will only learn how to have healthy relationship through practical means because it's REALLY easy to be a good partner in THEORY, but things always get messy when you're dealing with the real thing.

Reality is very different from hypothetical scenarios in which you're dealing with the idea of a partner that never misunderstands you, never says things in a way that didn't realize weren't clear enough for you, never loses their temper, never takes things to heart, never fucks up, never needs a bit of space when you fuck up, never is as in the dark as you are about how to handle an unexpected issue, never gets too needy, never gets too distant - never acts like a human being.

Zuko still makes mistakes when it comes to his uncle and his friends, but no one says "That means Zuko should not have a father figure nor friends" because we saw that being alone Gives Him Very Bad Ideas. Why should romance be any different? A relative or a friend can hurt you just as much as a romantic partner can, and be just as hurt by stuff you do. It makes no sense to act like a flawed person is allowed to want a family and friends, but not a committed relationship.

As to what Mai gets out of this:

1 - Zuko loves her for who she is and canonically likes it when she expresses herself, even when what she is expressing is "Zuko, I'm done with your bullshit". For someone who has been neglected and taught over and over that her opinions don't matter, that means a lot.

2 - When Zuko changed sides, he didn't try to guilt her into leaving with him, and didn't hold it against her when it looked like she was gonna remain loyal to Azula. Compare that to her parents not giving a shit that she didn't want to move to Omashu, or to her knowing there was a possibility of her getting killed by Azula if she displeased her, and tell me in which relationship Mai feels she has the most agency.

Zuko is not a perfect boyfriend, but the simple fact that Mai isn't even slightly afraid to talk back to him when he goes too far speaks volumes on who she feels safer with and trusts to never try to coerce her into staying if she ever decides to leave.

3 - Mai and Zuko enjoy each other's company, are attracted to each other and he is as openly affectionate with her as she is with him. Even the sea-shell she didn't like and the ice-cream he accidentally dropped on her lap were just him trying to spoil her a bit - and he managed to do it in a way she'd appreciate in Nightmares and Daydreams.

He can be a jerk sometimes due to his anger issues (something he canonically was working on and wanted to move past), but he could also be a genuinely caring boyfriend.

4 - Zuko was also neglected and made to feel worthless for most of his life. They can relate to each other.

5 - Three years into his banishment, after no seeing her for a long time and unsure if he'd ever even hear from her again, he still thought of how Azula pulled a prank on them because of Mai's crush on him.

He constantly sought her out for comfort when he was back in the Fire Nation, even when she didn't really know how to handle that yet. Out of all the things he had left behind when he joined the Gaang, she was the one he openly said he'd miss. He was overjoyed when they were reunited in the finale.

Even his not at all healthy levels of jealousy are extra proof that he isn't just putting up with her like her family, he cares about her and actively WANTS her in his life, to the point of being scared that someone could "steal" her from him - and again, Mai feels more than comfortable enough to call him out when he goes too far, so it never crosses the line into "He means well, so lets excuse the bad behavior."

Mai feels wanted, safe and understood. Girl could do a lot worse.

[gabessquishytum]

Human AU! More asexual Dream agenda. Morpheus used to question his sexuality in his late teens and contemplated that he might be somewhere on the asexual spectrum. It seemed fine to him back then, that is, until he realized how much he didn't fit in when all the relationships his peers had seemed to revolve around sex. So, Morpheus started dating, went out with a few guys, but it died out naturally after a few dates because he refused to have sex. Eventually, he meets Calliope at the uni, and he's really in love and determined to do anything to make this work. They finally have sex, and...it's nothing spectacular. Morpheus just doesn't get why people seem to prioritize it so much (like, how can his friend Cori dedicate so much time to fucking his way through London when there're so many more interesting things to do? reading, for instance!). Anyway, as time goes by, Morpheus tries to really grasp this whole sexual aspect of relationship but it just evades him. He watches porn (it does nothing for him, but he switches on a video every now and then for educational purposes - maybe he'll see something that Calliope might like), tries his fair share of sex toys (some of them are nice, alright, but...cuddling in the blanket is nicer, still?), and comes to a spectacular conclusion that something is very wrong with him. After all, it's him who doesn't meet normal expectations. To make things worse, he starts to notice that Calliope avoids having sex with him (she's tired after work, has a headache, isn't in the mood, etc., and this goes on and on for weeks that turn into months), becomes more distant, and they slowly drift apart. It's a matter of time till they break up. Morpheus takes this as his personal failure, concentrates on his work, even goes to therapy, though he sabotages it before he can actually spell out that he thinks he's asexual, and...he doesn't date. Like, at all. Why set himself for another failure and disappointment? Enter Hob Gadling. They meet accidentally (or not so accidentally, if you ask Hob's elder sister), and Hob is smitten from the word go. He pursues Morpheus insistently yet never creepy; he is, in fact, very understanding and accommodating, and even though Morpheus bristled like a sad wet cat at first (and at second, too), he can't deny anymore that he's in love. He's scared shitless to fuck this up over sex again, but somehow, Hob manages to do the unthinkable: he puts Morpheus at ease. He figures out Morpheus is ace early on, and he's fine with wanking by himself till the end of time if his partner never ever wants to tumble in bed. There're other intimacies to be shared, they also matter! Morpheus doesn't believe him at first, but with time (and lots of cuddles), he cautiously accepts that this may be true. With sex no longer an obligation in his Google calendar, Morpheus even feels attraction...sometimes. It's a rare occasion, but Morpheus is shocked when he experiences it for the first time: he's never truly felt a desire before, and letting go feels scary. Hob is there for him and feels delighted to gently guide him in this exploration. And when Morpheus doesn't want anything sexual, which is most of the time? Hob's still happy with his magnificent husband, their Netflix evenings, disastrous baking, long romantic walks, endless literature discussions, and his right hand.

Gosh, i love this!!! Love the idea that Dream being able to change his perception of sex because it no longer feels like a chore or something that he's been forced into doing (by societal expectations). Mostly he's still not interested but occasionally if he does get a stirring of attraction or desire, he can plop himself down in Hob’s lap and be his pillow princess for an hour or two.

Calliope is probably the happiest person when she sees how content Dream is these days. She and Dream can be good friends (now Dream isn't psyching himself up to have sex with her, and she isn't just constantly getting the vibe that her husband doesn't want her). It's much nicer to have coffee and gossip.

And Dream gets to go home to his husband. Maybe they'll take a shower together, or dance around the kitchen and have a midnight feast. And they'll go to sleep after making out until their lips are sore. Dream will feel no expectations, except the expectation of Hob’s love. That is absolutely guaranteed.

[kasagia]

Hello, can I ask for a one-shot where Cami is jealous of y/n because all the men she meets are always talking about her, but for her it gets worse when in her therapies with Klaus, he doesn't stop talking about y/n because he is in love/obsessed with her, he even shows her the drawings he made of y/n, and she in a jealous rage tells him that she loves him and that y/n is not as special as she thinks, which surprises klaus because of cami's attitude, and then rejects her because her heart only belongs to y/n.

What makes her so special?

Pairing: Klaus Mikaelson xO'Connell reader Summary: You have a gift of attracting any man to you. Everyone who meets you loves you. But the cup of bitterness is overflowing when, in front of Cami's eyes, Klaus begins to fall in love with you. And you do not remain indifferent to the courtship of your sister's handsome friend for long. The question is, can the two of you confess your true feelings to each other before jealous Cami messes things up between you and Klaus? Warning(s): Cami is a jealous backstabber, Klaus can't trust people, swearing is the order of the day, de@th mentioned but nothing terrible Word count: 4,8k

Camille O'Connell was trying not to regret anything she had done in her life.

It came out with better or worse successes, but this time an inner feeling of grief festering within her kept her from forgetting the biggest mistake she had made and regretted with all her heart.

Camille O'Connell regretted introducing Klaus Mikaelson to Y/N O'Connell.

Yes. Her younger, prettier, smarter, and more talented little sister.

It wasn't that Cami didn't like her own sister. She loved her, even though Y/N had become cold and distant to her family since their brother's death, although she never left Cami to her fate—she was always there when the blonde needed her.

But there was something about Y/N that drew men to her. Any guy who wouldn't stand in her way within five minutes was starting to fall in love with her.

And Cami hated that.

So she had no idea why she had the stupid idea of taking Klaus to the theater in New Orleans. I mean, she knew that, as his therapist, she wanted to "break the fear of the place where he lost everything." Clear the bad memory Mikael left behind. (She actually wanted to go on some sort of date with him, but hush huh.)

Thinking about it like that, she was really stupid to assume that Y/N wouldn't be in the play. She loved The Greatest Showman and would do anything to play a role in her favorite musical. Of course, with her talent and charm, she didn't have to try so hard. Cami should have anticipated this.

Just like how Klaus will take an interest in you as soon as he reads your last name.

"Y/N O'Connell, any family of yours?"

"My younger sister. She is an actress."

"Well, all the more reason for me to stay here and watch this bloody play, right?"

When Y/N took the stage, Klaus showed only a little of his interest. Beautiful, pretty face. He had seen many of them in his long life. But the next time he saw her, in a long white dress, she was in the middle of the stage with a soft smile. Then she has his full attention. And when she started singing in her angelic voice one of the most captivating songs he had ever heard? The guy was gone and never wanted to free himself from her spell.

And Camille saw that. Another loving gaze throwning by a man in your direction.

She felt jealous. Again.

Fortunately, as soon as Y/N disappeared from the scene, Klaus focused his attention on her.

Cami hoped it was just a fleeting fascination on Klaus' part.

But it wasn't.

As soon as the play was over, Klaus insisted she take him to her sister's so they could get to know each other properly.

Cami should have refused and gone home. But she agreed and took the hybrid backstage to Y/N's dressing room.

And that's how they met.

"Y/N? Are you there?" the woman asked, entering the room first and checking if they could come in. Her sister came out of the bathroom, changed into her usual everyday clothes.

"Oh! Hi, Cam. I didn't think you'd come here." hearing that captivating voice again made Klaus push past Cami and join the conversation with the most charming smile he has.

"It's my fault. Camille and I were watching a play and I couldn't just walk away without meeting her talented sister. Klaus Mikaelson. Camille's friend."

"Y/N. Her sister. Nice to meet you." Y/N politely held out her hand in greeting.

"Believe me, love, the pleasure is all mine." he said, never breaking eye contact with her as he kissed the back of her hand.

The blooming blush on her sister's cheeks and Klaus' widening smug smirk only fueled Cami's fire of jealousy even more.

But Y/N wasn't that easy to get. She refused to be charmed by his tricks and kept a certain distance between herself and the hybrid until the end of the conversation. Much to Klaus' displeasure and Cami's delight.

What Cami didn't realize was that her troubles with Y/N were only just beginning.

Leaving the theater, she hoped your frigidity had put Klaus off. But Cami should have known better and foreseen that your lack of interest will only attract the original hybrid more.

~•♤♤♤•~

It started innocently. Y/N used to come to the pub where Cami worked from time to time and made extra money by singing on stage. Usually her show would last an hour or two, she'd order one tequila from her, they'd talk for a while, and then they'd both go back to their lives. It was a good routine between them and the only form of contact they had.

But there was a real snitch in the pub that day. Cami and her colleague on shift couldn't keep up with serving drinks. So Y/N went behind the bar at their boss's request and helped as much as she could.

And that's how Klaus found her.

Cami noticed him as soon as he entered the bar, just as he noticed her sister. He immediately turned to her, his trademark seductive smirk on his face. What Cami would give for him to look at her the way he looked at your unaware figure...

She tried to get as close to you two as possible to eavesdrop on your conversation.

"I come here every night, and I haven't seen you here before... are you stalking me, love?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not attracted to alcoholics. Besides, I dare say I've worked here longer than you've even lived here."

"Believe me on my word: you are wrong. So? What are your other hidden talents, woman of many abilities?"

"Deterring intrusive men. Although lately I don't seem to be very good at it. Are you ordering something, or are you just here to vent your sorrows to the bartender?"

"Your best bourbon, love." he said, placing two hundred dollars on the table. Y/N took one bill, turning it over in her hands and eyeing it suspiciously. "Something wrong, love? You're not accusing me of counterfeiting money, are you?"

"So a rich alcoholic? Man, you must either have a good liver or you must be incredibly lucky in your stupidity."

"Now, now, your assumptions are hurting me. Just because I'm here often doesn't mean I drink alcohol every time. Like you."

"Well, if you say so." she poured him a drink, smiling as Klaus drank it down like orange juice. "But only the battle-hardened are able to swallow this damn thing without flinching. Your actions speak against you, Mr. Mikaelson."

"I plead guilty to a little lie. But trust me love, I'm not as easy to read as you think."

"And who said I want to read you?"

"Your sparkling curiosity in those delightfully beautiful eyes."

"A few compliments and smirks are not something particularly worthy of interest. Now excuse me, I'm working."

Cami was so proud of you. You didn't fall for his sweet words. However, her joy was short-lived, as the night progressed and the pub filled up even more, Klaus somehow ended up as your sidekick.

Klaus Mikaelson, the original hybrid, the slayer of vampires, witches, and werewolves, a guy who probably in his long, 1000-year life has not soiled his hands with any work not related to maintaining his reputation, flew around the bar and collected empty glasses, just to stay longer in your presence.

Cami was shocked. You, on the other hand, looked like you were slowly warming up to him.

Cami was getting used to sharing Klaus' attention with you.

When he came to talk to her in the pub, it was often during the hours when you had your performance. He would wave to you, causing you minor reactions (turning your eyes, gently shaking your head in disapproval that he disrupts your concentration, and on good days you put a small dormitory towards him, which he loved).

After the performance, you would join them at the bar and thus stole all the interest of the hybrid. Cami couldn't blame you. You tried awkwardly to float Klaus and talk to her, but the hybrid did not give it easily. That is why there was a quiet compromise between you. You would sit a moment after the performance at the table occupied by Klaus, drank his bourbon with him, and joined Cami for a while to say goodbye to her.

The blonde hated this terrible feeling of jealousy, which was created every time you laughed at Klaus' jokes in the farthest corner of the pub, underestimating the loving look he gave you.

How much she would give to have a gift like her sister! Everyone adored her, she could easily charm anyone with whom she changed a few words. And this time Y/N was taking from her Klaus slowly.

And as long as Klaus stayed her friend, Cami would be fine with this. Really. But one session at the Mikaelson House completely changed the dynamics of Klaus' relationship with O'Connell's sisters.

~•♤♤♤•~

"Rebekah told me you are making progress. You haven't tried to use a dagger on any of them for two months. Congratulations!" she praised him, walking around his studio and looking at his latest works (with relief that he had not yet painted Y/N.)

"It's easy to refrain when they don't want to reveal me at every opportunity." he muttered from his sketchbook.

Camille watched him with interest. Lately, he's been carrying it everywhere with him. Every time he came to the pub, he would sit in the corner in his usual place and persistently sketch something. In his free time, that is, whenever they had sessions together, he also held it on his lap, persistently drawing something in it.

He's been happier lately, too. He didn't look like the grumpy, paranoid one who had forced her to write his life story. It seemed to change over time. Maybe it was the time he spent with his little daughter that affected him so much?

Cami decided not to bring up the subject of Hope for now and ask something more delicate. For example, the contents of his sketchbook.

"What are you drawing there?"

"You should know better than to ask about an artist's work when he hasn't finished his yet, but I would like to hear your opinion about this one."

Cami's heart fluttered involuntarily. It was the first time since his meeting with Y/N that he really focused on her instead of her sister (and she was glad that her opinion mattered to him more than Y/N's). She smiled as she accepted the sketchbook from him, only for it to collapse as she saw the exact portrait of the one person she hoped not to hear about from him in today's session.

Y/N. Y/N in her fucking white dress and singing on stage. He drew the moment when Cami completely lost any chance of being with Klaus. And her sister looked even more perfect than usual.

"And what do you think about it? I wanted to give it to her with some small gift for our first official date. It took her a week to admit that our trips out of town and meetings crossed the line of friendship. You have no idea how long it took me to convince her. At one point, Rebekah was so annoyed by my pleas for help that she was willing to go to Y/N herself and invite her on my behalf. I almost broke her neck trying to talk her out of it. But still, she's my sister, and she helped me set everything up for tonight, it'll be perfect. Y/N will love..."

"Okay, that's enough!" Cami couldn't help but scream at him in anger. "I get it. You're so blinded by her damn charm that you can't see the world outside of her. All right. But I'm not going to listen to this crap about how great and wonderful she is and how she deserves the best because, believe me... she doesn't. I'm not even sure she deserves a scrap of your attention, let alone your adoration! You may think Y/N is an angel, but that's just a facade, Klaus. She's a mean, cruel manipulator, and she's definitely not worth anything you want to give her."

"How can you say that about her?"

"Because I know her! She's not the special muse you think she is or some saintly person. She's a mean, heartless bitch who changes her boyfriend every week. Do you think her feelings for you are real?! That she could love you like I do?!"

"I won't listen to these..." the man stopped, processing his therapist's words in pure surprise. "You love me?"

"Yes. Yes, I love you. And I can't watch you entangle yourself in her web like other men and women before you. She is incapable of any affection, Klaus, not for her own family and certainly not for a stranger. You deserve someone better than her."

"Like who? You?" he asked mockingly, pacing the room angrily.

"I know you're hurt, Klaus, but you have to face the truth. Y/N will never accept your past. She won't take it well that you're a thousand-year-old werewolf/vampire hybrid. She won't handle as many skeletons as you have in your closet. She will not face all your enemies. She won't love you like I do."

"Camille." hope rose in the woman as the original rubbed closer to her. However, he did so only to grab her by the neck and pin her against the wall, cutting off most of her air. She had seen his angry, crazy look many times. But it was never directed at her. She was terrified. "Get. Out. Of. Here. Before I do something terrible and ruin all my chances of being with Y/N. Get out of here before I tear out that miserable, jealous heart beating in your chest for trying to make me feel any doubt about the sincerity of my relationship with your sister. Get out of here while I can still control myself." he growled into her face, releasing her and walking away from her with his fists clenched in anger. Cami looked at him, scared, like a deer at a wolf, trying to assess what she could say or do before she left the room. She took one hesitant step toward the door when Klaus' cold, furious voice stopped her in place. "And Camille! If I hear such slander about Y/N one more time, I will make sure that your supposed love for me disappears with you from the face of the earth. Do we understand each other?"

"You don't know everything about her. Like why we're so cold for each other. Did she ever tell you what she did when our uncle Kieran was dying? Do you remember that day? When you helped me and him get through this, she did everything in her power to make him suffer in his last hours. You know, what was her last word to him? You made yourself that bed. Have a nice nap. She didn't care either about him or me. She left the funeral on my head and didn't even bother to come. If you don't believe me, ask her is that true. You'll know then, why I'm warning you about her."

"I don't need to test the one that holds my heart. Apparently, she must have had some reason to hate your uncle."

"Of course, but maybe you should test her. Despite the weeks you've spent clinging to your hips, you don't really know her." they looked at each other with hard, wounded eyes. Klaus couldn't believe that his friend was capable of such an act of jealousy, and Cami couldn't believe that after so many months spent together, he would just throw her out of his life.

"Goodbye, Camille. As you can guess, you're not welcome here anymore. I wish you happy."

"Me too, to you. You could find it with me." she replied bitterly, leaving the room after giving him one last disappointed, hurt look.

But Cami wasn't about to grieve or let Klaus go yet.

Because if Cami knew something, it was how to make Klaus doubt the pure, good intentions of others. Honestly, he didn't need much pushing. He was completely capable of doing it himself. Especially to distrust in his loved ones, and that was what her sister hated the most. It was only a matter of time before these two would get into a big argument and, for good, lose interest in each other.

Klaus will be hers. She will make sure of it.

Even if it means hurting her own sister.

~•♤♤♤•~

Y/N's POV

I've been waiting on the bridge for 15 minutes. I was starting to get a little nervous that Nik had changed his mind or had a car accident (he was driving like a madman, not caring for his life at all). However, I decided to hold back my paranoid black thoughts and wait five more minutes for him before it officially became clear that he had stood me up.

As I was about to leave, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the notification. A text from Cami. Strange. She has never texted me since THAT day. Before I could open the message, however, a familiar voice distracted me from the device.

"Hello love."

"Hi there! I thought you weren't coming, which would be weird since you wanted to go on a date with me so badly that you were able to... Okay, what happened? You look terrible. Are you okay, Nik?" I asked as I turned to him and noticed the obvious worry on his face.

"Not a very nice way to greet your date, love. By the way, you look beautiful too."

"Don't even joke; something is wrong. I see it. What happened? Do you want to go somewhere and talk about it? We can reschedule this date for another day if you're not feeling well."

"No. God knows when you will accept it again."

"You can joke around and pretend to be confident all you want, but I can see you're tense and nervous."

"Where does such a deduction come from, my personal Sherlock?"

"Very funny, Watson. First of all, you ran your hand through your hair too many times, so now they look messier than usual. You forgot to take your leather jacket, which is like a second skin for you, so you must be hurrying, which means that something happened if you forgot about our meeting or you were so lost in thought that you forgot to look at your watch and you were rushing here like crazy without even glancing at the mirror."

"What made you think I hadn't looked in the mirror?" I smiled, stepping closer to him, causing him even more consternation. I slowly brought my thumb to my lips and licked my fingertip to wipe a large blue stain from his cheek.

"Because most of your face and part of your hair are covered in all of the colors of paint." I burst out laughing, watching his eyes widen in disbelief and a faint shade of red creep into his cheeks. Aww... he gets ashamed. "But do not worry. I think you look cute."

"I'm not cute." he muttered, wrinkling his nose like an offended little child. I snorted, wrapping my arm around his and guiding him towards my apartment. I don't think either of us wanted a big date right now.

"Of course. You are a huge, dangerous puppy."

"Are we at the stage of making up nicknames for ourselves? You must be really obsessed with me by now."

"Are you trying to get out of the conversation about what happened by using that ineffective way to flirt?"

"I don't know, love. Am I? Besides, are you trying to kidnap me or…"

"We're going to my home. And no, I'm not gonna drag you to my bedroom, couch, shower, or wherever your dirty mind wanted."

"Aside from your explicit suggestion of my indecency, I should be offended that you think that my dirty mind needs such a thing as a bed or couch."

"Honestly, I'm not even a bit surprised." I sighed, smiling slightly as his soft chuckle reached my ears.

"Which just proves how well you know me and care about every little detail that concerns me. Just admit that you love me."

"You first, sweetheart."

My mischievous smirk didn't go unanswered. The hybrid gave me an equally defiant, teasing look, staring at me silently. I shook my head, laughing, as I opened the door to the stairwell and let him go through them first.

"Last chance to back out before I know where you live."

"Well, you stalk me anyway." he snorted, leaning against the wall near my apartment door and looking around my floor.

"Any nosy neighbors who will gossip about you bringing the boy home?"

"You've been watching too many romantic comedies. Answering your question, no. One apartment has been empty for a year, and one couple is away on honeymoon. You can scream for help and no one will hear you. The closest neighbors are deaf retirees."

"Then I seriously doubt if it is safe for me to enter this house."

"Don't be such a jerk and come in before I change my mind."

"After such an invitation? With pleasure, love." he sneered, with that goofy smirk of his, walking inside like he owned this place.

"Once you've looked around, you can use the bathroom. First door on the left. And don't you dare go through my stuff!"

"Who do you think I am, darling?" I raised an eyebrow questioningly. I took a breath to give him a full answer, but he beat me to it. "All right. Don't answer this question. I'll be right back."

I was grining like a fool to myself as I prepared some snacks and drinks for movie night. The prospect of cuddling up to a man while watching some stupid film seemed like a nice end to the day. With any luck, he might have admitted what had so disturbed him earlier.

That was until I remembered the unread text from Cami.

Klaus is the original (first ever) hybrid of vampire and werewolf; watch out for him and do not invite him home under any circumstances. We had a fight a while ago, and I don't want you to get hurt because of me. Call me as soon as you can, Cami.

I stared blankly at the message. Of course, the first guy I really liked had to be a fucking vampire—one of the creatures that caused my brother's death.

"Are you okay, love?" I turned to him. He somehow managed to wash off all the paint, leaving only the wet ends of his curly hair. He still looked cute with that caring look of his on me. Stop. I couldn't fall for a vampire. Never. Not after what they did to my family.

"You know, Cami texted me." his suddenly tense, flustered demeanor told me all I needed to know. "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Y/N..." he tried to take a step towards me, but I moved away from him so that we were separated by the couch.

"No! Stay right there!" I shouted, raising my hand in protection to knock any stupid idea out of his head. His disappointed, sad face made me feel unfounded guilt. "Listen, I don't want to know what's going on between you and my sister..."

"There's nothing. She was my therapist, but after today…"

"I don't care! Just let me and her stay out of this supernatural world, please. I lost one sibling because of your stupid war with witches, in which my uncle was involved. I don't want to lose another member of my family, because some vampires don't like that they don't have enough power in this town, Klaus. So please just leave me alone before it would be too hard for both of us to forget about each other."

"That's it? You want to put an end to whatever is going on between us before it even begins?"

"What exactly are the odds that an immortal vampire and a mortal who hates supernatural creatures of any kind will make a good match?"

"Somehow it didn't matter until now. And it wouldn't have if you hadn't found out about it like this."

'"The fact that you say something like that only proves that I'm right. I'm not going to change my beliefs and risk my life and my sister's life just because you're annoyingly handsome. Whatever could be between us, it's doomed to failure."'

"Why? Why are you so afraid of being with me? And why would I ever hurt you or Camille?"

"Cami didn't tell you? Since you were so close to her, you probably know what happened to our brother and how my dear uncle, witches, and vampires contributed to it. Or maybe you forced her to be your therapist, you're not really friends at all, and you were just using her all this time? Am I right?"

"Partly." I snorted, shaking my head in disbelief. How could I have been so stupid? "No! Y/N, just give me ten minutes! That's all. Ten minutes and you can tell me to go to hell, and I will obey your every order."

"It won't change anything anyway."

"I think I've proven many times that I can change your mind. Just give me a chance."

"Why do you even want to keep me around? I'm just an ordinary human; I don't have any special powers or anything else you might find useful. Why would you go through so much trouble?"

"You're everything but ordinary. You caught my attention the first time I saw you, and when I heard how you sang, I knew I fell for you instantly like a foolish teenager. But when I talked to you for the first time, I knew you were the one for me. I gave you my heart on that day, and with every passing hour near you, it only confirmed my belief that it will always belong to you." he walked around the couch, standing in front of me and staring at me with those mesmerizing eyes of his, filled with sincere, deep devotion. How in the bloody hell was I supposed to resist him?

"Klaus..."

"Hush, huh. I still have 6 minutes, love. You're special to me and I love..."

"I'm not perfect, Klaus. I've done a lot of stupid, horrible things in my life that you have no idea about. You can't just stand here and say you love me when you don't know me at all."

"I don't care who you used to be or what you did in the past. What matters is what is here and now. And right now..." he grabbed my hand, bringing it close to his chest and the frantically beating heart that was probably beating as fast as mine. "I know that there is no other person that I want to be with more than you. There is no other person on this earth who can understand me and bring me such comfort as I find in your arms whenever I come to you. Despite our differences, we all belong to each other. And I know that you can feel it as I do. I throw the power. I don't want to rule New Orleans if that means I'm going to lose you. I just… I just want you to be okay."

I looked at him carefully, trying to detect any hint of falsehood in his words, but I couldn't find anything against him in his eyes or in his determined facial expression. If he was desperate enough to keep me by his side, even at the cost of abandoning his rule of New Orleans, then maybe he really cared about me?

"Is that another way of saying you love me?"

"Is that another way of saying I changed your mind?"

"I will never become a vampire. You know about it?"

"You didn't want anything to do with me 10 minutes ago. I think you can still change your mind."

"As confident as always." I murmured, pulling him into our first, long-awaited kiss. And I hoped, the first of many more.

He was right. There were no other arms, no other lips, and no other touch that I wanted to feel than his. And as much as I feared and how wrong it was to get involved with a vampire after my brother died in the crossfire of this city's power war, I felt there was no place in the world other than his arms where I could feel so right, like I always belonged there.

And I think we both knew I'd end up being a vampire anyway. He would do anything to convince me. And it probably wouldn't take him that long. After all, he was very special.

[tumblingxelian]

Wednesday Fanfic Concept - The Traumatized Time Traveler

Summary: Enid watches as her new roommate stares her down, glassy eyes wide as she offers her hand, the words "Wednesday Friday Addams," Escaping her mouth in an almost pained whisper.

Smiling brightly she grasps it, not too firmly given Wednesday looks like she might be bowled over by a stiff breeze and she cheerily greets her.

"I'm so glad you're here Wednesday, I'm Enid asiménio oíko Sinclair."

Her gaze flickered to the adults and she could only wonder...

Why were they giving Wednesday such shocked stares?

Concept:

Wednesday failed. Everyone died, even if Crackstone was killed there was no one left to celebrate just a mass of cooling corpses beneath the Blood Moon.

Goody, uses a back up plan involving all the energy from the recently dead Outcasts, the forests she cursed and Blood Moon to send Wednesday back.

But this means she is no longer around and Wednesday... Well the experience has kind of broken her. What's more the story is told entirely from the outsider point of view of other characters.

Her confidence has basically been destroyed by having been played so deeply and failed so terribly. She's being eaten alive by guilt from the past life and by her indecision born of trauma in this new life.

She believes she will go insane, possibly soon because she has lost access to her ancestors. She is suffering ghost pains for wounds she never got specifically in her hand, stomach and head, which can be debilitating.

Let alone the unwilling mutism which emerges when she feels overwhelmed, or the stray panic attacks and shut downs when confronted by people like Tyler or Thornhill.

Wednesday knows who the enemy is and what their plan is, but she's so fractured that anytime she tries to take action she starts shutting down.

Worse still she takes all of this to be curses so even the stuff that psychologically or medication could help with is off the table at first.

From Enid's perspective her roommate is just like, this extremely delicate and not very expressive psychic who she becomes incredibly protective of from like minute 1.

Thing is trying to decode how or why Wednesday suffered such a violent shift in personality. He believes its visions but can that alone explain it?

Also Wednesday's trauma doesn't only manifest in her being more fragile.

I have this idea in mind where after her first therapy session (Which goes better) Weems tries to take her out for coffee to bond. She does not grasp how desperately Wednesday wants to avoid this until she was briefly separated from her and Wednesday either shuts down or legs it to the car when confronted by Tyler and his dad.

Cue Wednesday returning to her empty rom room and having a world class destructive meltdown. One where she destroys a ton of her own possessions in a rage before collapsing when Enid finds her, falling into a panic attack at the thought of her leaving,

Enid ends up having to coax her through it with Kinbott on the phone before basically keeping Wednesday snuggled in her lap for the next few hours. Which also involves a lot of self loathing spilling out as she vents about how "Broken" and "Not meant to be this way" she is.

Some other factors include:

Enid being set off by Thornhill early on cos the woman is insistent on barging into their room to "Greet Wednesday" despite Enid telling her she's gone to bed & generally being kind of pushy.

This ad her discussion with Thing once Thornhill has been harried out of the room and forced to give them both detentions before Wednesday fell asleep again, reminds Enid of some near forgotten history with the teacher.

Namely of she and Thornhill having once been very close but going past her boundaries with stuff like, "Maybe I can help you wolf out?" only to grow very distant when Enid said she had to contact her pack elders to discuss any medical treatments.

Basically, Enid was Thornhills first pick for "Pet monster" but while Enid lacked a good support network in family she has a strong sense of cultural loyalty to the pack & is subtly leery of humans.

The West Wolf Packs also did not approve of some human pushing in on one of theirs. Weems obscured it as mere cultural ignorance and the diverse cultural and psychological developments of Outcasts mean the grooming attempts were not quite picked up on.

Rowan probably hangs around longer as a threat or maybe avoids death, which only enchances ENid's protectiveness and presents a constant underlying danger.

Xavier's also much worse here because Wednesday isn't outright hostile to him thanks to the trauma and her guilt. Thus he feels that the only thing keeping him & Wednesday apart is Enid + Yoko/Bianca when Enid's not around.

Weems and the Addams do try to intervene and speculate on why Wednesday changed so much, most think some kind of traumatic vision response.

Morticia: We grew so worried that there was hushed talk of seeking to cancel her arrival at Nevermore and seek some other deal with the courts. But when Wednesday heard our concern it was like it lit a fire in her little black heart again she raged at being treated so delicately. I had hoped this a passing thing because of that, but it seems the wound is deeper than I realized.

Chapters:

I have more chapters in mind for this but in broad strokes:

Chapter 1: Enid is very excited if a touch nervous to meet her new roomie & find Wednesday to be a fragile and shy girl who needs space from crowds during the tour. They communicate by sign for a bit and Enid gets a version of the Piranha story and promises to set the record on Wednesday straight with her just protecting family and not killing. Wednesday is also subtly clingy and clearly very tried.

Enid skips the rest of class to help Wednesday set up their room, and discovers her shaking hand and helps sooth it thanks to her own nerve endings being unique due to the claws. Wednesday has an early night but Thornhill pushes in (Acting off outdated info on Wednesday's personality) and tries to make her feel 'special'

This only serves to panic Wednesday and she's borderline forced out of the room by Enid. She ends up giving her detention which does make Wednesday act, demanding she have one too. Thornhill plans to use said detention to try 'bonding stage 2' and agrees. Wednesday is coaxed back to sleep then Enid finds Thing and they chat and agree Thornhill feels sketchy.

Chapter 2: Wednesday's sleep is obviously quite troubled so even with an early night she doesn't seem super rested. But she joins Enid for breakfast and exchanges class info with Yoko & Divina who subtly agree to keep an eye on her in classes Enid does not share.

Enid needs to leave to speak with Weems and manages to basically char the principle into letting them off detention by being very careful with her words. This being one of the reasons Weems felt Enid would be a good room mate for Wednesday too.

While this was happening however Xavier approached Wednesday with his little spider drawing. Divina & Yoko's pre-existing relationship and Wednesday's seeming acceptance made them at first allow it. But it became clear he was making her uncomfortable and getting way to into her space and ignoring their attempts to make him leave.

Then Enid returns and jams her claws into the spider and in swiping the sketchpad off the table places her other claws at Xavier's throat moments before he could start properly yelling.

"Oh sorry!" Her voice is stretched thin like a dying man's scream, "I was trying to swat an uninvited pest." Her lips pull back unnaturally far revealing every pointed fang, "Want to give me a fleshier target?"

Suffice to say Xavier pisses off, but will return to continue being awful. Enid is worried she scared Wednesday but she instead the girl seems very relieve.

There is actually still a fencing match with Bianca and it actually goes on for awhile. Wednesday gets the first round (Thanks to knowing how Bianca will move) But Bianca picks up on the fact Wednesday was not reading her moves & goes full chaotic, and gets the second point. Then they fuel for the third for awhile before Bianca wins and they go off to wash off.

While in the showers though Bianca finds Wednesday's ghost pains playing up though they are not the reason for her loss but we see they confuse and distress her a lot and that she thinks they are a curse not trauma. Bianca is very much not hostile to Wednesday in this who is intern not hostile.

Chapter 3: Wednesday's therapy session with Kinbott goes better than canon. Her guilt over the woman's death does make her talk a little. Plus the negative reputation of Outcasts compounded with the circumstances of the attack (Pugsley) and Wednesday's delicate disposition lead Kinbott to think the reports were all exaggerating her behavior.

Weems takes her to the Weathervane and Wednesday struggles to speak to protest. Because Weems is there the pilgrim boys are not an issue. However Tyler gets a call to the Weathervane from Thornhill as ;apparently; Weems's phone is not working.

He uses this to try and approach Wednesday about a 'rumor' ad then his dad arrives to be all aggressive and posturing. Weems returns to either escort a near catatonic Wednesday out or to find she is basically huddled up in the car outside.

Wednesday returns to her room and has the ensuing meltdown with Weems calling Kinbott for advice. Enid forces her way in and terrified of Enid leaving her Wednesday both starts crying and having a panic attack. After that was soothed and it was promised Galpin would be kept far away from her (With Weems promising to look into his 'nonsense claims) Wednesday stays with Enid and gets the first good nights sleep she had in awhile.

They also have a little talk with Wednesday feeling worthless because she "Cannot do what she needs to" and Enid assuring her she doesn't need to do anything to deserve love. Which Wednesday returns regarding her transformation. Suffice to say, Enid s very adoring of her.

Also Rowan has likely made at least one murder attempt at this point.

Chapter 4: The school day goes well save for some 'accidents' and Wednesday has so far managed to avoid Thornhill who has been updated on Wednesday's disposition and is trying to re-calculate her strategy.

Wednesday also joins the Hummers and is very, very insistent Eugene never enter the forest alone. EVER.

The main focus is actually the harvest festival and cos she slept well Wednesday is closer to normal though be it still clingy with Enid and trying to be a bit more communicative with Yoko & Divina too.

Wednesday: Why does a town without farms have a harvest festival?

Enid: Oh I know this one! Basically, about 200 years ago, the land across the rver where Nevermore is built came ot life. Within a few weeks the forests had grown devouring fields and houses.

Divina: Naturally Outcasts were blamed, as though the land obeys our every whim.

Yoko: Though it could have been some ancient curse coming to life, or just the earth waking up. My Sire hints at this stuff but I won't know till I ascend.

Enid: Yhe point is, the town lost most of its farms and a collection of Outcasts with wealth bought the land, warded it and built Nevermore. Since then Jericho had to move away from farming and into other stuff, like tourist attractions and big game hunting.

Wednesday: I see... (Takes bite of hot dog) A rather apt microcosm of Americas evolution into a theme park dedicated to itself then.

All three laugh.

Tyler shows up again to try and give Wednesday a police report but gets chased off by the girls, but Wednesday 'has' a vision it was a police file about her father

They go om the Ferris wheel while Weems goes to speak with Galpin and there's some talked of calling Galpin with a false tip to see if he is obsessed with Wednesday's dad.

Small town cop is super bigggoted and has an agenda is much easier for them to buy than a monster murdering a guy they saw being alive. Rowan may make some attempts but does not succeed but there's definitely a sense Wednesday is in danger. Bianca may help.

Chapter 5: I have less clear ideas on this, but Wednesday's sessions with Kinbott continue. The general consensus is that Tyler's dad has some beef with Wednesday's. Also there is some subtle guiding towards investigating certain events that will be plot relevant later.

Also Wednesday helps the team with the Po-Cup perhaps. Not sure if she goes ahead t lay traps, or Yoko is snuck onto the island, or if Wednesday just alters the ship. Though I do love the idea of Enid fist fighting a Siren underwater and winning. Also Rowan may use this for another attempt.

After that things grow a bit more vague, hence my not writing it.

Note:

One thing I like exploring is Outcasts actually being, ya know, hated and feared and how this would inform and influence even perky characters like Enid.

Also Wednesday low key may fear Enid likes this version of her better. But does also know how far Enid went for her in the original timeline.

Though yeah she is low key dependent on Enid who doesn't quite realize it or know how to fix it and just wants to protect her.

[steviebunny]

Pretty Astute Observations

Entrée (part 1)

09:00

“Well, thanks to Freddie Lounds, there's an unconfirmed story floating out there that The Chesapeake Ripper's already in custody.” 

“Unconfirmed. Am I confirming? We’re Fact-checking for Freddie Lounds...”

“You're fact-checking for me.’

“I always feel a little nervous going into these places.”

“Why's that?”

“Afraid they won't let me out.” As Will says that he stumbles and begins to fall when he is caught by Lena. She smiles and simply responds “No need to worry, I feel the same way when I walk into the BSU.” She even winks at Jack…Will is really beginning to wonder how she gets away with expressing her true feelings to Crawford readily. Thats a matter for another time he supposes, awkwardly separating from Lena. Clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses. 

Jack says “Don't worry. I won't leave you here."

" Yeah, not today.”

—

09:10

Fredrick Chilton in what is either complete confidence or unassuming arrogance “Dr. Bloom just called me about you, Mr. Graham... or should I call you Dr. Graham?”

“I'm not a doctor.”

“You're not FBI either… what of your friend?” Chilton’s gaze goes to Lena scanning her from top to bottom. 

“He teaches at the academy, he’s got the temp.ID. I’ve got the real thing. Along with a few others…Has anyone ever told you you’ve got this uncanny resemblance to a manhattan ADA? Barba I think… met him back when I was with the BAU”

Chiltons jaw fixes into a frown. “Theres a distant relation, far cousins of somesort on the fathers side I believe. We’re not close.” 

“Funny I suppose, well Dr. Chilton we’re going to need to see the crime scene while it's still relatively undisturbed.”

“I assure you three, for something so disturbing, it is quite undisturbed.”

“Why was a nurse left alone with a prisoner in a high-security psychiatric hospital?” Will begins asking his questions of the situation.

“For the two years since he was brought here, Gideon behaved perfectly and gave every appearance of cooperating with attempts at therapy. As dictated by our present administrator, security around him was slightly... Relaxed. I cannot help feeling responsible myself for what happened. He sat directly across from me and I had no idea what he was hiding.”

“And now one of your staff is dead. I understand, doctor.”

“Mr. Graham's going to need to see the crime scene with as much privacy as you can provide”

“Oh, yes, that thing you do. You're quite the topic of conversation in, uh, psychiatric circles, Mr. Graham”

“Am I?” 

“Uh, yes. A unique cocktail of personality disorders and neuroses that make you a highly skilled profiler.”

“He empathizes with everyone Dr.Chilton…he doesn’t become the killer or agree and sympathize with their motivations just feels what they can. You’d think someone in your highly educated poition would understand the difference.”

“Well we are woefully short of material on your sort of thing, Mrs.Holmes.”

“Gibbs, Ms.Gibbs. Dr. Chilton.”

“Oh yes, horrible tragedy… forgive my forgetfullness.”

“We’d like to see the crimescene now.:

—

09:15

“So, Gideon was restrained?”

“Handcuffed.”

“He concealed a fork tine in the palm of his hand and used it to pick the lock. Where is he now?”

“In his cell. You'll note the removal of organs and the abdominal mutilations are all consistent with The Chesapeake Ripper.”

“So is the brutalization of the corpses, but that doesn't change the fact that The Ripper is still out there.”

“Jack, what I'm about to show you suggests otherwise.” The door buzzes open.

“Dr. Chilton consulted on the case when we failed to catch The Ripper after his last series of murders.”

“The reason you failed and kept failing to capture The Chesapeake Ripper...Was I already had him.”

Will’s eyes seem to glaze over as he examines the scene, almost swaying as he scans the room.

“As far as we know, it's been over two years since the Chesapeake Ripper killed?”

“That's correct.”

“When was Gideon admitted?”

“Almost two years ago.”

---

05:00

“Yet another early morning for us Ms. Gibbs.”

“You requested to see me this time, Dr. Letcer”

“I did.” His sad smile widened towards the redhead “It has come to my attention that I know a fair few things about you, only from the papers. I’m hoping we can rectify that.”

“What’s there to rectify?” She shrugs, “I have an affinity for loving intelligent and stoic people, maybe to my detriment. My father has killed for me, my career is my life. Arguably the first and last of those things are also because of my father.”

“That's a fascinating way to phrase Agent Gibbs being a federally acknowledged hero. The largest number of commendations in Naval investigations, yes?”

“Killing is killing is it not?”

“To some…What of your mother, Lena?”

She scoffs and stands from her seat, then moves to rest her back along the ladder in the office.

“Dead. She and my younger sister. Murdered. Papa’s spent his life keeping me safe and dedicated to taking down the scum who are responsible for such things.”

“Is that not admirable?” He asks leaning his chin into his hand. His face is still plain but something behind his eyes changes. A new understanding.

“Sure it’s admirable…but it messes someone up does it not? Will would like him, he builds boats by hand in his basement.”

“Is he the ‘messed up’ one or are you Lena?”

“Both…I mean look at my track record. Papa joined the Marines, then took down druglords and terrorists for a living, I joined the Marines like him and went to work for the FBI, taking down serial criminals and maniacs for a living. When Jack made that go to shit, I fled, fell in love with a man who solved puzzles, and took down terrorists for a living…Even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process.”

“It's quite the pattern isn’t it?”

“What about you Dr. Lecter, how’d your parents screw you up?”

“They passed away.”

“Would you like a hug, Hannibal?”

“A hug?”

“I have a friend that once said a good hug tells you all you need to know about a person…so” Lena stands with her arms out-stretched for him.

And Hannibal readily accepts.

----

09:20

“She has the same wound pattern as the last-known victim of The Chesapeake Ripper. I mean exact”

“We never found a body for his last known victim.”

“Then the victim before that.” Will flails his wrists a bit looking peaky, his brown glistening with sweat.“I see The Ripper, but I don't...Feel The Ripper. This is plagiarism”

“We never made the wound patterns for any of The Ripper's victims public.”

“Well, maybe he is The Ripper. I don't know.”

“But if he's a plagiarist, the real Chesapeake Ripper is gonna make sure everybody knows it.” Jack sighs. 

“Well, there’s nothing more that Will can do now, so that means I don't need to be here.” As Lena begins to ascend the steps back from the scene Dr. Chilton moves to block her path. 

“Agent Gibbs, while you're here how would you like to accompany me to an event this afternoon.”

“An event?”

“A show, I have spare tickets.”

“I do love theater but I’ve already got plans, sorry.”

“You do..?”

Lena looks behind her maybe begging for one of the other men to give her a way out of this, but of course. They are useless.

“Yes! Actually, Will is introducing me to his dogs today, aren’t you Will?” The man in question looks perturbed but plays along. “I am. Dr. Lecter was supposed to feed them for me today but I suppose Lena talked him out of it this morning.”

“That I did! Now if you’d excuse us Dr. Chilton it's a long drive to Wolftrap.” She says as she pushes past Frederick and quickly jogs up the rest of the steps.

---

"It's hard to understand everything's so... twisted and hard to explain."

[inbarfink]

Random question but I just realized/remembered that Calvin and Sam were YOUNGER than Barbara.

Yet I don't remember them being babysat by her the night she died so where do you think they were?

Also I was wondering if I'm the only one who thinks Rick might not have killed Barbara?

Cause it COULD be possible that the serial killer/deranged fan part of the comic could have been real. Meaning that that could be why Rick disappeared.

Anywho sorry for the out of the blue question/rant. I just didn't know who else to ask.

(Sorry for the late reply @hannahhook7744, it's been kind of a Weird Hectic Weekend for me)

The thing about Barbara's Death Sequence is that it's really the most 'distant' one we've had. Most other Finches have records written by themselves just before their deaths or written by someone close to them just after their deaths. Barbara got a fictionlized comic book written by strangers for strangers that came out a full year after her death.

Sure, it seems like the Finch family collaborated on the story (since they've got the music box in there), but it's still pretty different from Molly's diary or Lewis' therapy notes. Espacially as a lot of little details in Barbara's room seem to contradict the story. So it's probable that Sam and Calvin were also being babysat by Barbara that night, but as they didn't figure into the narrative the comic-writers were telling they just casually dropped them from the narrative or merged all three younger brothers into Walter's role.

Or maybe they were out having a sleepover with friends or a boyscout camping trip or something but the comic didn't mention it, cause, again, it didn't factor into it's story. This comic was obviously not a serious documentation of Barbara's death, it's a fictional horror story targeted at people with just a casual understanding of the Finch Family outside of Barbara - if at that. So if that comic dedicated a whole narration box to "and also Barbara had two other little brothers but they were off at camp and had nothhing to do with this story" that would just seem Weird to the in-universe readers of 'Dreadful Stories'. Even if it might be useful to us, the REAL audience trying to piece together the timeline of the Finch family.

(Also I do suspect that at some point of WRoEF development Calvin was supposed to die before Barbara and then their timelines ended up being Switched so the Weirdness here might be a remnant of that)

As for the matter of Rick. I think the reason why he's considered the Prime Suspect of Barbara's death within the fandom is due to the Law of Conservation of Detail. You know, like, Details in stories come up because they're important to the story in same way. And yeah, 'What Remains of Edith Finch' is not exactly a traditional narrative and not every detail here has to "further the plot" - but even the most unimportant little details in WroEF still serve to add flavor to the characters, atmosphere and the themes. Which are things that are important to the story.

So why bring up the fact that Barbara had a boyfriend and even give him a name and a face? (which is very rare for anyone outside of the Finch Family in this game) Why doesn't Barbara just die alone in the house with just Walter? Rick has to be Important in some way if the game went to all this effort to create and establish his existence to us, right?

Plus, there's the thematic role of 'Dreadful Stories' within the narrative. Personally, I can't see the idea of there really being a serial killer or a real-life crazed fan that inspired the 'monsters' at the end of the comic. Because my read of 'Dreadful Stories' is that it's made to be so ridiculous and sensational- with both a serial killer AND monsters out to get Barbara - to showcase a little taste of the wild and weird stories being told about Barbara's death. And to put the first subtle little wrinkle in the poetic idea that the Finches deaths always match their lives - Edie had to choose this silly little comic to deliberatly turn Barbara's death into something horror themed. And if she chose something a little closer to reality, it would've turned out to be much different.

So what is the mundane Not-Thematic-Enough-For-Edie's-Tastes way for Barbara to get murdered? I can see why for a lot of people, the 'obvious answer' was 'got killed in an argument with her boyfriend'. Since, again, we need to have a reason why he exists in the first place.

...Although that's actually not my favorite theory lol

I think Barbara's death was even more mundane than that. One of the few details about Barbara's death we can confirm are based on reality is the moment where she pushes the killer off the railing.

In the current-day Finch House this little piece of railing IS noticeably broken.

So someone did absolutely fall off the second floor of the Finch House at some point.

So what I think happened is that Rick and Barbara did have some sort of a lover's tiff that night, then Barbara slipped on these rollerskates the Hookman slipped on in the comic.

In a panic she tried to grab on to something and only managed to catch one of Rick's crutches. (The important thing here is that Barbara is ALWAYS memorialized holding that crutch. Even in pieces that were made prior to the comic's printing, like her portrait)

So that part of her story has to be true in some way.

Barbara's death was just yet another Patented Tragic Finch Accident, but suspicions kept falling on Rick from the General Public and the media, and so he had to go into hiding. Meanwhile the Finch Family, or at least Edie, kept promoting the most Bonkers version of her story they could find.

[leoleolovesdc]

I would love to write a TTS essay explaining why Gothel isn’t Cassandra’s mother and Frederick and Arianna aren’t Rapunzel’s parents and the show’s insistence on pushing parent/child struggles into those characters is kind of really forced so that’s exactly what I’m gonna do:

(Disclaimer: this got really messy and is kind of a bunch of nonesense glued together, so read it with a bit of patiece lmao)

Rapunzel grew up for the first 18 years of her life with Gothel, when TTS starts she has been living with Fred and Ari for 6 months and it’s wild to me how Raps already calls them mom and dad, but I won’t judge this part, she wants to be their daughter and wants to be a family so it makes sense that she would call them that way regardless if it feels natural or not, but I think where the series really fails is when it starts (by the very first episode) to give Rapunzel and Frederick father-daughter struggles, which is complete bs if you ask me, those two don’t know each other. Rapunzel shouldn’t have a “oh, I can’t disobey my father” train of thought because she doesn’t even know him and therefore he isn’t her father, at least not yet. She shouldn’t be so trusting of his judgement of love for her because they don’t have intimacy and the fact that they are fighting and disagreeing so much after having just reconnected is wild. Arianna is not that important for the plot, but her relationship with Rapunzel being so unapologetically perfect also rubs me the wrong way. Rapunzel was ruined by her mother, she was abused her whole life and I don’t think she would just let anyone fulfill the role Gothel did without getting some therapy to unpack everything wrong that her mother, the one that actually raised her, did.

Rapunzel had a narcissistic mother, an awlful one who never loved her, but that doesn’t mean that she didn’t love Gothel. Raps lived her whole by that woman’s side, she loved her more than anything in the world and realizing the manipulation and abuse wouldn’t just immediately stop a person as kind and forgiving as Rapunzel to still love her like a mother, because like it or not Gothel raised her for 18 years. She wasn’t a good mother by any means but she was her mother nonetheless.

Another point is that at the end of season one Rapunzel goes away from Corona to explore, learn about the world and her own powers. I am not exactly sure how much time passes from the beginning to the end of s1 but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t more than 6 months, so Rapunzel lives with her bio parents for about a year and then goes straight into a one year long self discovery journey and you’re trying to tell me that she missed them? Not even just missed, but when she got hold of an artifact that showed what you waned the most what she saw were her biological parents and the people of Corona who in the first episode she claims to not remember the names of? That’s some real bs right there and I have no idea how the show runners thought this made any sort of sense. She doesn’t fucking know them, maybe she respects or care about her folks, but she couldn’t have possibly built this life long parent/child relationship that the show treats like she did.

Now, with Cassandra it’s a bit more complicated. She lived with Gothel for about four years of her life before being abandoned, but she very obviously didn’t remember any of this, either because she was too young or because she repressed those memories. Gothel didn’t seem to love Cass in the slightest, but because Cass grew up with only a emotionally distant father she longed for this reassurance that she was loved by a parent figure at some point in her life, she blames Rapunzel for everything that went wrong with her life, which can make sense but also is a bit awkward to sustain once you analyze the actual facts. Yes, Rapunzel and Eugene killed Gothel, but she didn’t mean to do that, it was Eugene’s plan and he only did it because Raps had literally agreed to be used and locked up from the real world for the rest of her life. Cass isn’t dumb, she would know better than lashing out at her friends for accidentally saving her from living with a narcissist who didn’t care about her. Gothel isn’t Cassandra’s mother, Cass doesn’t have a mother because she didn’t have anyone to actually raise her.

If I was to rewrite Tangled we’d have a very different approach to how bio parents are handled, especially Rapunzel’s. I don’t think she should be close to Arianna and Frederick at all, heck, I don’t even think she should call them mom and dad. Cause bear with me, if you randomly found ot you are adopted by the time you were 18 and actually went to live with your biological family for about a year do you think you’d even have this sort of intimacy and bond with them?

[ya-bug-boy]

Hi! If u don’t mind me requesting may I req raihan x reader with a glaceon that’s always with them no matter what because they usually got picked up on and now glaceon is guarded with everyone protecting them? Aha thank u already mybe some angst?

I got you anon.

Raihan x Male Reader with Glaceon

tw: past abusive relationship

There were usually two stereotypes about ice-type trainers. One of the two, the trainer or the Pokemon, would be cold and distant, while the other is friendly and charming. That was sort of the situation you were in. Raihan usually fancies himself a dragon-type trainer, but he was blown away by your Glaceon's strength and couldn't resist the urge to battle you only once. Also to mention you were pretty cute, so he asked for your number.

But as usual, Glaceon had issues when it came to you and your romantic interests. Most men would give up pursuing you because of how overprotective she was. But since you had an interest in Raihan, you at least explained over text, while he was in a safe distance away from her. Glaceon was a present given to you when she was just an Eevee by your past boyfriend. You loved her very much but your boyfriend turned out to be a rather jealous man and slowly over time became suffocating with how dominating he was in every little aspect of your life. You have plans to be with your friends? You better ask him for permission and he just HAS to come along with you. No matter what. You want to spend time with your family, why do you need them? You don't need them, you just need him. He did more than just isolate you, he began to mistreat you. He could never keep a job longer than a year due to his horrible personality and expected you to care for him as a mother, not a partner. What do you mean you had a previous boyfriend before him? You better tell him every detail, he gets strange with the idea of another man having you. He didn't care for your needs, only looking out for himself. You spent many nights crying, not sure if you should stay due to how many years you'd been with him. Glaceon witnessed all of that.

You finally broke up with him and kicked him out, never hearing from him again. Effectively getting your life back by cutting him out. But Glaceon had already been affected by all this and became extremely protective over you, never staying inside her pokeball and being constantly by your side. She gave mean looks to everyone, hissed at those who tried to pet her, and wasn't afraid to attack others. By this point, you and Raihan had gotten close over messages. He knew he wanted to get to you know you better, but didn't want to impede on your relationship to Glaceon either. So what he offered next surprised you. He offered to help you get referred to a Pokemon therapist. Turns out that Pokemon need therapy too! In the case of event when a Pokemon becomes much too aggressive due to their loyalty, they could get referred to a program to help relieve their mental stress. Never having done this before, you decide to give it a try. Raihan dedicated a day of the week from his work to help you through this, coming along with you. By being consistent with Glaceon, he could show that he's a good guy. The three of you would spend three hours a week in therapy, going through trust exercises and getting adjusted to Raihan's presence. Glaceon didn't react well at first, giving Raihan a cold glare as she stayed at your feet, refusing you to get near him. But after a month of work, Glaceon did something different. Raihan usually sat at the corner of the room, close but not too close, during therapy. To show consistency and that he could provide for her, he was always the person feeding her lunch during therapy. But he could never get close enough to her, she'd stay distant until he set the bowl of food down and walked away. But this time, when Glaceon knew it was feeding time, she left your side and cautiously walked up to Raihan. Raihan couldn't help but to smile, "You know what time it is, don't you?" he laughed lightly. "Alright let me go get your food." He exited the door and Glaceon sat there, waiting for him. Her eyes were cold and focused, half expecting for him to still not come back but he did. This time with her favorite as well. Raihan set it down in its usual place and Glaceon still lingered near him before she began to eat, this was the first sign of trust you finally got her to show. You and Raihan exchange a look and smile, having finally made progress.

[taanoir]

Milo's shadow remained as clingy as ever. He was the only one that could calm her down. She was also a clever toddler, she could get around every "baby proof" thing they had. Gene joked she was part monkey after she pulled her sister's paints off her dresser. She had painted herself and the dresser before Milo found her.

Nicole started High School, her grades were good but she was getting into trouble for her behavior. Gene hated to ground her but they had to do something.

She spent her lock down on the computer working on learning C++.

Tiffany took up basketball.

She loved being outside and active. She wanted to join the basketball team, or the soccer team, really any sports team.

Rita was still in treatment and living in a sober living for women. She would visit the girls on the weekend but the girls, especially Nicole, were distant. Nicole was mad at her for leaving, Tiffany would keep things surface level and the baby would run back to Milo to hide.

Rita was working through her recovery, as part of the process she made apologies to everyone. She was also in counseling and trying to resolve some of the underlying problems.

As part of her therapy treatment she had to have a conversation with Milo. Rita finally revealed a secret she had been sitting on for the past 13 years, Nicole was his daughter. The result of some more adventurous nights at Bella's. Milo was taken aback, he knew it was a possibility but after so long he had assumed that wasn't the case. He remembered when he tried to tell Gene in Bella's kitchen. He had told Gene the baby might not be Jimmy's but he had stopped short of fully coming clean. Rita told him that Jimmy knew, it's the reason he had such a deep disdain of Milo. Rita didn't want Nicole to know, Milo agreed. He would never dream of telling her.

Rita left to catch her bus home. Milo's mind swam, it was something he had suspected but the confirmation was a gut punch. It also meant that he had a major secret Gene didn't know, he had no idea how to break that to him.

Background and a spoiler on this under the cut if you're interested.

She is actually his daughter as a result of a plot line that was abandoned. Initially, Gene was supposed to end up with Bella. They are amazing friends but Gene fell for Milo immediately, he's been Gene's first and only love. Gene with Bella would have ended up with a Rita, Jimmy, Milo love triangle/free love plot line (that I began too soon but couldn't really walk back).

Nicole is not the gen 9 heir as she is ineligible. That is also why Milo dotes on her relentlessly. He adores the other two and has maxed relationships with all of them.

[grievedifferent]

“I thought we were close. After his sisters disappeared, he'd come and talk to me... He said I was the only one who understood him... I thought we had a connection.”

this is a quote from sam about her friendship with josh. it's important, and i haven't talked about it yet, but it's probably important i do so at some point.

so ... why do i think this quote is important and what context does it give us: i have asserted that josh was probably pretty distant from the group. in fact, this quote from sam almost detracts from her conversation with chris, not retconning but definitely hinting elsewhere. but i can explain this. both can be true.

"We know he definitely can be depressed at some times, and a bit of a loner, but he takes some solace in one of his sister's friends, Sam, played by Hayden Panettiere. And he invites everybody back to the same house the next year to kind of find some closure." a quote from rami on josh

with chris, she asks him how josh is doing, sort of implying they haven't talked. it's inferred a few times throughout that chris and josh, including some cut dialogue, have maintained a relationship. i say this because chris mentions josh is "sick" in one dialogue branch, and while we can confirm chris was aware that josh was in therapy for sure due to the diary, it doesn't say he's for sure mentally ill, just that he's been in therapy from hannah's perspective. i think chris's more empathetic nature of saying josh is "sick" infers that he isn't fully aware of josh's mental illness, but has an idea that josh is mentally ill.

why do i think josh told sam she was the only one who understood him? because i've asserted a few times that josh thinks sam is the hardest one to get to come back. i write about that here actually. i think that due to her relationship with hannah, thus his relationship with sam, and just the nature of everything, she was left last to invite. i think he "worked her" the hardest, so to speak, and would say anything to make sure his plan would come to fruition. she needed to be there no matter what. so, one can assuage that josh really meant what he said to sam, maybe he did, but i think he was manipulating her from the start.

this doesn't speak well for josh btw. this only shows how devoted he was to his plan, how long he had to stop it, etc.

also, he spends a lot of time, especially early into their disappearances, gone. over that year, josh is in and out of treatment, on top of making the plan mentally, then making the plan itself on paper, then ordering everything, setting it up, traveling back and forth to the lodge, etc etc. like his time is very, very limited. i don't think game writers really think about that, but to do everything he wanted plus also be absent plus also have some connections throughout ... a year is not that long. want further examples of constricted and unbelievable (actually even more unbelievable) timelines in games? look at b.ioshock and subsequently infinite. seriously flawed. while ud's timeline is far more believable (to me), a lot is happening in that year specifically for josh.

so, do i take it that josh and sam actually had these conversations while taking into account her conversation with chris? yes, i think josh both pulled away and came on strong with sam. so, by the time we see her? they haven't talked much. before that? he was working that angle hard.

also, for more context, i chat a bit about josh's base stats here, which i was writing while we were playing but it's interesting that sam's base stats in chapter 1 don't reflect an insanely high relationship with josh, regarding him pretty much the same as the others, with mike and jess as the lowest.

again, these can change based on your decisions, there has to be some give and take here, but it's just interesting that it seems noted often that josh and sam supposedly have this particularly high relationship. i think they might have had it before ... but it has since been dissolving. this is supposed to be josh reclaiming closure. this dissolvation is partially intentional by josh, of course, while partially natural.

also, i think there's a lot of misleading interpretations out there: "Josh and Sam are close friends. Sam is Josh's second-highest relationship, tied with Ashley and Jess." this is from the wiki, which is written by fans, but like ... how does that make her second-highest when it's saying she is the same as jess and ashley? it's just a strange way to interpret it, i think.

again, all of this is to say: josh manipulated sam. that's all this is. i think she thought their relationship was more than what it was, and i think josh interprets sam's relationship with hannah meaning more to hannah than it did to sam, thus emulating that with her. josh is usually going for an almost 1-for-1 punishment here via ego death, save for this extreme plot he makes chris and ashley go through, which i have discussed so much it's tiring (chris = hero while ashley = victim like hannah). it's not unlikely to think he was stewing over hannah's diary for a long time, seeing it often through "her eyes". betrayal via josh is the same as him believing sam betrayed hannah.

[misskittyhart]

Material Girls

Content warning: language, suggestive language (I mean it’s Angel guys ) stalking

Angel had his head in his hands sitting at the bar nursing a cocktail. He looked out of it completely. Kitty knew that look well. The distant look of disassociation, trying to lose your self at the end of a bottle. Angel and her saw eye to eye on many things, and often confided in each other. When kitty was alive in New Orleans she was in a horribly abusive arranged marriage. She was no stranger to toxic love and binding contacts when it came to Angel. That is probably why they clicked so well. They could sense the sadness and pain buried behind the mask.

“Oh honey.” Kitty said in her soft and caring tone. She put her hand gently over his bringing him out of his glazed daze.

“Oh….ah…hey Kit cat.” He said quietly.

“….he hit you again” kitty said in a tone laced with malice as she saw the bruise on Angel’s cheek. If Valentino wasn’t an over lord he’d be six feet under by now. But Alastor always told her in due time darling.

Angel tried to play it off like always “well you know spice things up in the bedroom!” He laughed finishing his drink “I’m fine are you kiddin me? Doesn’t even hurt”

Kitty felt a pang of sadness deep in her. She could see the mask coming up. She sighed not wanting to pry further. She squeezed his hand “say.” She started he looked at her curious, “why don’t we go shopping? Some retail therapy is a great way to get out of the dumps”

Angel’s eyes lit up at the idea. “Oh yeah? You got it sugar tits! That sounds like a blast!”

Kitty laughed, she rather liked his crass and sassy nature. It was also nice to have a man not trying to touch or flirt with her. Angel just felt like a younger brother, which made her fiercely protective. Kitty held up a gold credit card between her fingers. “I’ve got the all access tour to a ton of money~ so we can go wild.”

Angel grinned looking at the credit card, he could clearly see Alastor’s name across it as the owner of this. He raised and eyebrow. “That’s sure sweet of the strawberry pimp. Look I don’t understand your relationship with ol creepy smiles, or how you can even want to tap that….but I guess everyone has their kink~”

Kitty smacked his hand playfully, “oh hush you.” Her cheeks were tinged lightly pink at his teasing. Though the thought of being intimate with Alastor made her heart pound in her ears. She shook her head her fluffy fox ears pinned back against her head.

Angel cackled and looked down at her. “Let me go get into something more fun. Then we will burn his money up baby!”

Kitty sat down at the bar as she waited for Angel. The bracelet on her arm with the radio tube eye emitted a low hiss and crackle sound. Her ears caught the sound flicking as she gazed down at it. Of corse he would be spying on them. “You are suppose to be working you know. Not listening in.” She said placing her finger on the eye, “you couldn’t take me for a wardrobe update because you said you were soooo busy with your territory”

Hissssssssss, pfffffbttttt, pop.

That was her reply with the faintest sound of Kitty~ in the static.

Alastor would get so possessive and jealous when she spent her time with other residents. He was egotistical like that. He wanted all of her attention all of the time. Even if she had to sit in his office in silence for hours while he worked. He just wanted to feel her close and giving him her time. She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get all jealous.” She sighed pinching the bridge of her nose. “You made the choice…” she trailed off before hearing Angel’s foot steps

“Girl let’s go!” He said striking a pose. He had changed into a fluffy fur collar jacket, and a pair of hot pink sunglasses.

Kitty looked at him with a bright grin her canines flashing in the light “as the kids say these days ‘girl slay’” she was getting used to modern slang and modern technology. After all the 1920s had all of its own slang and she still used it but mostly with Alastor. Angel laughed doing a little runway walk to her.

She grabbed her purse and pulled out her own sunglasses her looked classic and vintage. She put them on. Angel took her arm in a friendly matter “let’s go bad bitch!” He laughed.

They headed out into the street from the hotel lobby. Kitty quite liked shopping with Angel, he had excellent taste in clothing and often loved dressing her up like she was a little doll. She was hoping to get a few more modern pieces of clothing with some more sex appeal. Not that she minded wearing all of her vintage clothes, she always looked so darling. However…she wanted to change things up.

“I’ve got an idea Ang.” She said looking up at him.

He beamed down at her “you thinkin what I’m thinkin?”

She nodded firmly “Hell bucks!”

“Yes girl I could go for a bucket of iced coffee right now.” He smiled

“Long night again?” She pryed.

Angel’s smile fell slightly “I mean yeah you could say. Val had me filming almost to sunrise…”

Kitty purses her lips. Oh if that mother fucker wasn’t more powerful then a her, she’d throw him into a bug zapper. He was gross with her too. He pressed her to make a contract with him so he could make her a star, in front of Alastor, during a overlords meeting. He followed it saying he could find a good use for her pouty lips. The amount of static and malicious that had drilled off Alastor but he had to play nice. She could feel his claws on her shoulders digging in as he glared at Valentino before saying she was already a star. So yeah….fuck valentino.

Angel noticed an aura of rage around her. He laughed softly “hey it’s okay…it’s part of the job”

This snapped kitty from her thoughts “well fuck him, but let’s not let him spoil our day.” Her ear flicked hearing a soft hissing static from her bracelet. Her eyes cast down at it in slight annoyance. He really had nothing better to do did he?

They made it down to the coffee shop and headed inside. The delicious smell of fresh brewed coffee was a welcome beacon. Heading to the counter they eagerly ordered iced coffees in the largest size possible and waited. It was nice having access to as much money as she desired to spend. Alastor didn’t much use his wealth, and enjoyed showering her with it. The amount of dresses and trinkets she had in her room was almost getting to hoarding levels. He very much loved for his possessions to look pretty. Frequently dripping her neck and arms with jewels. It was overwhelming at times.

They got their coffees and headed out. Angel sighed happily drinking it. “This is what I’m talking about! Ya know sometimes coffee hits harder than blow!” He laughed

Kitty grinned up at him. She wasn’t one for drug use finding her vice only at the bottom of a bottle of rye. “It’s quite the treat isn’t it?” She sipped on it as they walked into one of the large shopping districts. She always let Angel lead on these outings, he seemed to know where to shop.

“So whatcha lookin for Kit cat?” He asked looking down at her, “you want me to help pick out some sexy lingerie to make ol creepy smiles jaw drop?” He grinned mischievously messing with her.

Kitty’s face flustered at the idea, putting quite the image in her mind about what would happen if she walked into his office in something Angel had picked out.

Psssssst!!!! Crack! Pop! Hizzzzzmmnnnnn

the radio static again, why did it seem flustered.

Choke on that you bastard. She thought.

Angel could barely hear the static, her ears more sensitive to its sounds. She wasn’t sure if it was her contract with Alastor that made that so.

He looked at her bracelet “not to be a cunt. But it’s really creepy he gave you that magic transponder that he can tune into when ever and listen in on you”

Kitty shrugged lightly “well when you sign your soul away you kind of loose the right to all privacy.”

Angel nodded lightly “fuck…don’t remind me.”

Kitty shook her head, honestly it didn’t bother her. It made her feel safe knowing he knew where she was and what she was doing. It’s come in handy when she got into danger a few times. It’s like he could immediately step out of the shadows and challenge whatever creature dare touch his property

Angel shook his head. She sure was strange. He had no idea why she liked Alastor more than just, her boss. But he had no right to shame her.

“Oh yeah! We gotta go in here!” Angel said suddenly stopping at a store that had hot pink neon lights pouring from its windows. Kitty cocked her head looking at the clothing on display. It was modern and….revealing. Her face flushed lightly. She wasn’t much into wearing dresses and skirts that went above the knee. But Angel had been desperately trying to get her into a mini skirt for what seemed like eons. She sighed.

“I suppose I can try to see what they have to offer” she said looking at the overly sexual clothing. Angel grabbed her hand and jaunted into the shop with her.

Kitty looked around at the clothes in here. Most of it barely left anything to the imagination. Angel wasted no time diving into a rack of clothes and started grabbing things to try on. Including a handful of items he thought she’d look great in.

Kitty looked out of place and embarrassed as he handed her some clothing with what she thought had very little material to them. He patted her on the shoulder and pushed her to the dressing room a mischievous grin on his face. He was fucking with her. Her ears pinned back as she shot him a look. She was shoved into the dressing room and he shut the door behind her leaning against it so she couldn’t come back out.

“You’re impossible Ang!” She scowled. She picked up one of the dark green dresses which had a deep V cut that almost went to her belly button. The bottom of the dress came up mid thigh and it felt like wearing a vise it was so tight.

“I want to see~” Angel said in a sing song tone. Kitty felt almost naked wearing this. She steeled her nerves and walked out. Angel’s eyes lit up seeing her in it “holy fuck girl!” He clapped his hands together “that will surely fluster ol smiles~” kitty kept pulling at the hem of the dress trying to hold it down. Angel laughed at her modest nature. “Honey it’s not the 1920s any more. Live it up be a bad bitch!” He teased

Kitty sighed. It was pointless to argue with Angel. Her mind began to wander thinking what Alastor would think of this outfit.

She could sense him. Her eyes flicked around looking for him. He was near by. She could feel it in her bones. The radio static was getting out of control. Faintly she could see his shadow in the corner of the room. It’s head in her direction. The radio static got louder and her ears pinned back. Hm? What a weird reaction. Kitty smirked “I think I’ll get this and a few more things” she felt emboldened by Alastor’s reaction.

He always teased her and touched her flirting with her because he loved seeing her break down for him. It was a power high to be able to control her in that way. He always had that wide sharp grin as he stared down at her squirming in his grasp. Time for payback.

They shopped for hours at different stores. She could see the shadow becoming more clear as the day went on. To the point she could see red eyes staring her down and a wide toothy grin meeting her gaze. Angel hadn’t noticed it at all. Which made it almost like a secret.

Oh she had his attention alright, Angel was right about that. “man!” Angel said suddenly breaking her thought, “I needed that! Thanks again kit cat!” He grinned at her

They were heading back into the hotel with arms full of bags. Angel had found a bunch of new outfits and seemed giddy. Kitty hadn’t gone too wild, as she felt the clothes she had picked were bold enough. Angel begged her to get some lingerie; she caved this time.

They came back into the Hotel and her face went scarlet seeing Alastor on the couch reading a book. The old gramophone was playing some jazz in the background and he was nursing a whiskey. He didn’t look up at her but spoke suddenly “have fun spending my money~?” He said in his usual teasing tone.

“Don’t give me a credit card with out a limit if you don’t want me too~” she said back setting her bags down. His eyes drifted toward the bags. He didn’t get to see everything she had bought but he had seen enough. He was curious what other treats might be in those bags and felt his mind wander.

“Hmmm” was all he said in his little annoyed tone.

Kitty handed him a small bag, “here….I got you this as a thank you.”

She caught him off guard his eyes widened slightly at the idea. However his classic grin didn’t falter to betray his emotions. He simply set his book down and took the bag from her curious. He opened it up and saw a black box inside. Kitty’s tail wagged slowly as she waited for him to open the box.

He couldn’t recall the last time he was given a gift, and it was only ever from Rosie when he did receive one. He was curious. He must have missed this little part of their excursion. He opened the box his eyes falling onto a beautiful gold pocket watch. It was antique. It had a stunning decorative link chain with a red ruby bail charm handing from it. He was silent. He’d never received such a personal and fine gift.

He ran his thumb over the crystal thinking quietly. He stood suddenly grabbing her bags. His eyes looked down at her as he towered over her. Kitty cocked her head not sure what he was thinking. “Office.” He said walking out of the lobby carrying her packages. She turned to look at Angel who gave her two thumbs up.

She followed Alastor in silence as they moved through the hotel to his radio tower. He opened the door for her letting her move past him into his main office. He closed the door behind him. He set the bags on the couch and looked over her looking down at her.

“Alastor?” She asked confused.

His clawed finger reached forwards playing with a curl around her face. His eyes burning into hers. She felt her heart racing. Did he not like it? Was he upset with her? He would do this she swore just to make her on edge, another way he could control her.

“Hmmm.” He said in a hum. “Thank you.” He said simply. His claw moved tracing her jaw slowly. She felt her hairs stand on end and her heart pound in her chest.

“Y…you’re welcome” she said looking up at him. He ran his finger under her chin and leaned down over her his face close to her ear.

“You looked stunning by the way, darling~” he purred into her ear.

Kitty went stiff her face flushing a dark shade of red. He grinned wickedly looking down at her. “I want to see them all on. Give me a little show” he teased.

He was serious wasn’t he? He nodded as if confirming those thoughts, he moved to sit at his desk. “Well?” He said lacing his fingers together. “Sometime this century, kitty~”

Fuck.

“Yes sir.” She said moving to her bags.

“And that little lacy thing you decided to let Angel talk you into. Now.” He said his eyes burning into her. “I’d like to see you in that now~”

Her face went scarlet and she felt she would pass out. God damn it Angel.

~til next time