#and honestly that whole experience made me agree with scott on way more than i started out with

[magentagalaxies]

.

[toptophat]

Top Hat's thoughts on the FNAF movie (Spoilers)

I thoroughly enjoyed it! Smiled throughout the whole thing

As a FNAF fan, seeing some key moments from the games as well as acknowledging the fandom (e.g Game theory's MatPat and The Living Tombstone's iconic song at the credits) made my jaw drop

FNAF veterans such as Dawko enjoyed it so that made me optimistic

The animatronics were replicated perfectly and the entire set for the restaurant is just too beautiful

Scenes such as the break-in, while not exactly scary, were still intense enough to keep me invested

Unpopular opinion - I kinda liked the pillow fort scene, it was cheesy but it could be seen as the animatronics trying to gain Abby's trust to lure her to be stuffed into a suit. Also I'm jealous, i wanna make a pillow fort with them 😭

And here's where I'll address (some of) the main critiques people gave to the movie (references: anything in the media that would link to this in a way)

"The movie wasn't scary at all, it should've been gory"

Yeah, I agree, even though I got shocked a couple of times (like the balloon boy gag) it wasn't really terrifying

But honestly, after watching countless "playthroughs" as a kid, you start to realise... The games were never that scary in the first place

To be honest, the only thing scary about it was actually some areas in the fandom (you know who you are..)

I'm aware that FNAF was never for kids, no matter how many elsagate vids were made on it. So it would make sense for it to have blood and gore. It definitely would've made scenes like the spring lock scene more traumatising to look back at

You know what else was expected to be more adult oriented? Cuphead's Netflix adaptation. While I understand that both of these beloved franchises could've been adapted to be more adult, it can also be noted that the Cuphead show is actually accepted by the fandom as while it did have a rocky start with S1, it showed that the writers were testing the waters to try something new, and by S2, they had a better idea of what they wanted, and a lot of people fell in love with it. While it would've definitely been cool to see more gore, it wouldn't improve the movie automatically

"The movie doesn't follow the original lore"

While, yes, it would've been cool to see all theories confirmed by Scott himself during the film, it's also good to remember this: they're called "adaptations" for a reason

Many popular franchises, when adapted to the big/small screen can experience changes in the known story and lore as a way to bring this fresh new start and perspective, they never aim to continue or tell the story again when it wasn't necessary in the first place (*cough cough* Lion King 2019). Last time I checked: Luigi wasn't the one who gets kidnapped by Bowser (SMB23), Cuphead never lost the right to his soul due to a carnival game (TCS), The Echidnas never had beef with freaking owls over the master emerald (The Sonic movies)

Let's be honest here, Scott may have made FNAF, but all the popular fan theories wrote the story, so everything is kinda messy. Maybe this was Scott's chance to rewrite everything, to start over and stray away from the messy lore that others made, MatPat seemed to be cool with it, he was even in the damn movie!

While, there have been times when repeating the same story makes it stale and repetitive (Disney), Changing important elements of the story (Also Disney) can make it unfaithful and pointless, so I understand that.

The changes that were made in this movie were interesting, making Vanessa, Afton's daughter could add more impact on the whole Vanny thing as she's been around this horrible man her whole life. Not making Mike, Abby and Garrett, Afton's children doesn't really deepen the personal connection and conflict between Mike and Afton so it'll be interesting to see how that one goes especially with Circus Baby now that Abby has no real connection to Afton other than that one encounter

Also I heard from one review that the movies take more inspiration from the books, but I don't have enough knowledge on the books to elaborate on that argument

Unless there's some weird twist, which is highly unlikely, I'd love to see how they develop these newly established dynamics if there are sequels being planned (pls make more, I need to see how this goes)

Besides, like I said, often, the first movies, seasons etc are there to experiment, it has the potential to improve in each new installment. For example, JJBA, it took until around parts 3-4 for Araki to have a better idea of what he wanted it to be.

Conclusion

That's about all I really have to say. I understand that many had high expectations going in and, who wouldn't? It shows we value ourselves and that we want to experience things that are worth our time. People are not obligated to love everything and don't have to agree with everything I said. I personally found the movie to be enjoyable and worth my time, and, while i know it lacked in some aspects, who knows?, as it progresses, opinions could change and if we get more of the revamped FNAF, then, we could see if it changed for the better or for the worse. And while first impressions do matter, it won't always be the same impression moving forward (for people who liked and didn't like the movie)

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!

[hageny]

Succession Thoughts but it’s just a commentary on the New Yorker Jeremy Strong article. 

I haven’t posted a *spicy* controversial opinion in a while, so I thought we’d have some fun this morning. I finally got around to reading the New Yorker piece on Jeremy Strong just to see what the fuss was about and while I don’t really have much of an opinion either way, the thing that stands out is how much Kendall’s dialogue resembles Strong’s way of speaking. This section:

Talking about his process, he quoted the jazz pianist Keith Jarrett: “I connect every music-making experience I have, including every day here in the studio, with a great power, and if I do not surrender to it nothing happens.” During our conversations, Strong cited bits of wisdom from Carl Jung, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Karl Ove Knausgaard (he is a “My Struggle” superfan), Robert Duvall, Meryl Streep, Harold Pinter (“The more acute the experience, the less articulate its expression”), the Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm, T. S. Eliot, Gustave Flaubert, and old proverbs (“When fishermen cannot go to sea, they mend their nets��). When I noted that he was a sponge for quotations, he turned grave and said, “I’m not a religious person, but I think I’ve concocted my own book of hymns.”

This bleeds Kendall. Also, when Strong says, “It was about, like, Beastie Boys-ing it up,” Strong recalled. “I was missing the patois of bro-speak.”

Holy mother. 

The more I watch this show the more I feel like Armstrong pulls from all the actors real-life personalities and figures them into the characters they play without the actors yet realizing they’re almost parodying themselves. This is just my opinion having watched the show a few times, but it’s an impression I’m increasingly feeling is accurate. 

Take James Cromwell for instance. Ewan is portrayed as a ‘save-the-planet-fuck-the-rich’ kind of guy who never realizes he is, undoubtedly, one of the wealthy. He’s in that world more than the real world whether he likes it or not. Cromwell, in real life, glued himself to a Starbucks counter a few months ago while protesting for PETA, which is just peak ‘rich-person-who-thinks-he’s-an-activist’.

Kieran is quite similar to Roman in real life, from what little interview bits I’ve seen; he’s sort of snarky, frenetic, but decently likeable and likes to fuck around in the way Roman does by sometimes pranking his cast members. 

J. Smith-Cameron is married to a wealthy director and grew up in a wealthy family (father an architect, grandfather helped build the Biltmore). She has this idea--seemingly--in her head, that she has only just made it, and has lived on the outside of success her whole life, but really she’s as elite as anyone, just completely unaware of it. Gerri, by contrast, married into the world she’s in, thinks she’s morally better than the Roys, but really is one of them as much as anyone in the company. 

I haven’t had the chance to converse with people on this platform about Succession in a while and have missed it, especially since I’m re-watching the show (again), so I thought I’d write up this quick post to see what others think. Agree, disagree, do what you usually do on my Succession Thoughts posts and tell me what you think honestly. This was just an off-the-cuff blurb that I wanted to write up having finally read the infamous New Yorker piece.

This piece will probably strike some nerves since I’m hard on actors/rich people in general, but I just call things like I see ‘em. 

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Out Of Time ~ 141

MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 3,200ish

Summary: Things start to get real. (gifs aren’t mine) PLEASE READ THE NOTE AT THE END.

“Now, you better be on your best behavior for your Aunt Pepper and Uncle Happy, alright?” Y/N said. She was kneeling down to Morgan’s level, brushing the little girl’s hair behind her ears.

“Alright, momma,” Morgan agreed with a nod. 

“Daddy and I will call you every day.”

“Can’t I just come visit you? The—the com… compod… com—“

“Compound,” Y/N gently fixed with a smile.

“Yeah! It’s not too far away. I can come and help a wittle!”

Y/N sighed. “I wish you could, honey, but this is grown up stuff. Someday you’ll understand.” She pulled the girl into her arms, holding a kiss to the side of her head. “I love you, Morgan, so much.”

“Don’t tell daddy,” Morgan giggled, trying to whisper, “but I love you more than 3000.”

“Hey!” Tony exclaimed with mock hurt, coming onto the porch after packing the car. “I heard that.” He came and joined in on the hug. “But I forgive you.” He kissed the top of Morgan’s head before him and Y/N pulled back. “Don’t give Happy too much grieve, okay?”

“Okay, daddy!”

Tony leaned closer to Y/N. “If we’re going to do this, we’ve got to get going,” he whispered, placing a slight kiss near her ear.

“Okay,” Y/N whispered in reply. She leaned in and gave Morgan one last kiss on the forehead. “We’ll call you later tonight. I love you.”

“I love you too, momma and daddy,” Morgan responded.

Y/N and Tony stood up. She had an arm around his waist, holding herself close to him. Pepper and Happy came up behind Morgan.

“We’ll take good care of her,” Pepper promised.

“Thank you guys,” Y/N said before Tony led her to the car.

He opened the passenger door for her then got into the driver’s seat. Y/N waved and blew kisses to Morgan as they drove off. When they were too far away, she sighed into the seat. Tony reached one hand over and gave her knee a slight squeeze. They didn’t talk though, they were both too overwhelmed with what they were both headed to do.

~~~

Steve was standing outside, staring at the ground. His hands were on his hips as he looked beat. Bruce, Scott, Natasha, and himself had just tried to send Scott back in time, to no success. All they did was age and de-age Scott. Steve needed to get out of the hanger and clear his head. It had gotten his hopes up to bring everyone back, but it was looking like their plan wouldn’t be a possibility.

As a noise broke the silence, Steve looked up to see a car speeding towards the entrance. The car pulled over to him, passing him slightly, before reversing. As it backed up to stop in front of Steve, Tony rolled down his window to reveal himself and Y/N.

“Why the long face?” Tony asked. “Let me guess: he turned into a baby.”

Steve looked away with a slight smile on his face and a nod. “Among other things, yeah,” he responded looking back at the couple. “What are you two doing here?”

Tony got out of the car, Y/N following, and walked around to the back. “That's the EPR Paradox. Instead of pushing Lang through time, you might've wound up pushing time through Lang. It's tricky. Dangerous. Somebody should've cautioned you against it.” He leaned against the car as Y/N moved to stand beside him.

“You did.”

“Oh, did I?”

“Tony,” Y/N scolded quietly, knowing Steve did deserve the sass.

“Thank goodness we’re here. Regardless, I fixed it.” He held up his right hand, device on it. “A fully functioning Time-Space GPS. I just want peace.” He made a peace sign. “Turns out, resentment is corrosive, and I hate it.”

“Me too.”

“We got a shot at getting these Stones, but I gotta tell you our priorities: Bring back what we lost? I hope, yes. Keep what we got? I have to, at all costs. And... maybe not die trying will be nice.”

“Sounds like a deal.” 

Steve reached out his hand to shake, in which Tony took it. Pulling away, Tony opened his truck. He reached in to pull out Captain America’s shield. He handed it toward Steve, who didn’t take it.

“Tony… I don’t know,” Steve said.

“Why?” Y/N asked. “Howard made it for you.” 

“Plus, honestly we had to get it out of the garage before Morgan took it sledding,” Tony added. “She’s been way too eager to take it out since she found out it belongs to you.”

With a light sigh, Steve took the shield, placing his arm in the straps. It had been too long since it had rested on his arms, seven years in fact. It felt nice to have it back.

“Thank you,” Steve replied.

“Will you keep that a little quiet?” Tony asked as he pulled out a few more things from the car. “Didn’t bring one for the whole team… we are getting the whole team, yeah?”

“We’re working on that right now. You guys might be able to be of some help.” Steve began leading them back into the hanger. “Who’s with Morgan?”

“Pepper and Happy,” Y/N responded. It was clear to the men that Y/N was feeling hesitate to do this and leave Morgan. “You’re going to have to join in on the call tonight. She’s upset she didn’t get to talk to you that much when you guys showed up a few days ago.”

“Y/N? Tony?” She heard Natasha gasp. Her friend quickly ran to her, engulfing her in a hug. “You came to help. Thank you so much.”

“Woah there, Banner,” Tony said, causing everyone to notice him studying Bruce, who had merged with the Hulk. “What did you do?”

“I know, it’s different,” Bruce responded. “But I finally found a way to live with both my sides.”

“That’s wonderful,” Y/N smiled. “I’m so happy for you, Bruce.”

“Thank you.”

“What’s the plan with the team though?”

“I’ve called Rocket and Nebula,” Nat explained. “They’re on their way. Once they get here, Bruce with go with Rocket to fetch Thor from New Asgard. Rhodey needs to finish up a few things before he comes. They should all be here tomorrow.”

“What about Clint? Is he still off the grid?”

“I’ve pinned pointed his location and am going after him tonight.”

“Do you need any help?”

“I think this is something I need to do on my own.”

~~~

Night had fallen and Tony had already started building a platform for the time travel. Natasha had left to retrieve Clint and Y/N was just finishing up her video call with Morgan.

“It’s time to go sleepy night-night, now Mo,” she told her daughter. “I love you, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight.” She blew a kiss.

Morgan blew one back. “Love you, momma!”

Y/N smiled softly as she hung up. Turning the phone in her hands, she looked around the bedroom she was sitting in. This old bedroom was filled was so many memories, good and bad. Y/N honestly never thought she’d ever come back here, again. With a small sigh, she pushed herself up from the bed and walked out onto the small balcony that was attached to the room. She leaned on the railing by her forearms and looked over the once bustling grounds of the compound.

“I thought I’d find you out here,” Tony said, snaking his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her neck. She jumped slightly. “Sorry, did I scare you?”

“A little. I guess I was too caught up in my thoughts,” Y/N responded.

Tony rested his chin on her shoulder. “Care to share?”

“This place used to be so lively… even after the team broke. There were people running around and working hard. Now… now It’s empty. Too empty… I don’t want this to be the world Morgan grows up in. I want to her see busy streets and cheer in crowded arenas. I want her to experience what life should be like. Not this… this mess.”

“I get it… I want her to meet Peter. I can already imagine the chaos those two could cause.” 

Y/N laughed. “Me too… And Harley.”

“And Harley… we have to get our boys back.”

“We have to. And not die trying.”

~~~

The next day, Tony and Y/N spent building the platform, while everyone else came and went, going about their assignments. Natasha left to get Clint, having got some concrete leads about him being in Japan. Rocket, Nebula, and Rhodey arrived. Rocket and Bruce quickly left for New Asgard to fetch Thor. Nebula, Rhodey, and Scott began thinking of suit ideas for the time traveling. Steve gathered together everything he could find on the Infinity Stones, the whole time itching to ask Y/N questions. He wondered if she knew more than they had learned from past experiences. And it wouldn’t surprise him if she did.

Rocket and Bruce arrived back with Thor first. It shocked the team to see Thor in such a state as he was. His hair and beard were long once again, and he had gained more than a few pounds. It saddened Y/N to know that this had all taken such a toll on Thor. Her and Tony really had been one of the few lucky ones. 

Rocket quickly began helping Y/N and Tony with the platform. Which Y/N was extremely grateful for because she could only understand, or do, very little of what Tony was asking of her. 

Thor was drinking a beer as he clumsily walked towards the platform. Tony was walking from behind Thor, dragging a long hose.

“Drifting left,” Tony warned Thor as he began to pass him. “On the side there, Lebowski.” He faced Rocket, who was working underneath the platform. “Ratchet, how’s it going?”

“It’s Rocket,” the raccoon corrected. “Take it easy. You’re only a genius on Earth, pal.”

“Thank you!” Y/N exclaimed jokingly, pointing at Rocket.

“Hey!” Tony exclaimed, a little hurt.

“I love you!”

Tony scoffed. “Sure.”

Y/N giggled as she came up to Tony. “I’m sorry,” she pouted slightly as she grasped his hand. “Forgive me?”

Tony sighed, rolling his eyes playfully. “I guess.” He gave her a light kiss. “Want to go check out how the suit is coming?”

“Of course.”

They intertwined their fingers and headed to where they were figuring out the suit. When they arrived in the room, Scott was in the suit with Nebula and Bruce working on it around him.

“How’s it coming with the thingamajigger?” Tony asked as him and Y/N walked over to the Scott. “What’s our status?”

“Now?” Bruce wondered. “Yeah, it’s just about ready.”

“Alright, let me see. Wow. Got a little Pym,” Tony pointed, “Stark styling.”

“Yeah.”

“And the, uh, noggin bubble, courtesy of, uh,” Tony turned to Nebula, “Rings of Uranus. What’s your troop called?”

“The Guardians of the Galaxy,” Nebula answered.

“We just need someone to test it,” Bruce said, as he grabbed some small glass tubes with a red liquid and started doing something to Scott’s suit.

“Time travel suit?” Rhodey questioned, walking in. “Not bad.”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Scott exclaimed, stopping Bruce. “Easy, easy!”

“I’m being very careful,” Bruce responded.

“No, you’re being very Hulky.”

“I’m being careful.”

Scott held up a red tube. “These are Pym Particles, alright? And ever since Hank Pym got snapped out of existence, this is it. This is what we have. We're not making any more.”

“Scott, calm down,” Rhodey advised.

“Sorry. We've got enough for one round trip each. That's it. No do-overs. Plus two test runs.” Accidentally pressing a button, Scott quickly shrunk and returned to his normal size. “One test run.”

“Shit, Scott,” Y/N muttered, shaking her head.

“Alright, sorry. I’m not ready for this.”

“I’m game,” Clint’s voice suddenly came from behind them. They all turned to look at him. “I’ll do it.”

He looked different. It wasn’t just his hair cut and his sleeve tattoo. It was his eyes. Clint had lost his wife and three kids. Y/N couldn’t even imagine what he was exactly going through.

“Clint,” Y/N gasped softly.

“Y/N,” Clint responded with a nod.

Tearing up, Y/N let go of Tony’s hand and quickly wrapped her arms around Clint’s neck, bringing him in for a hug. Clint didn’t hesitate to hug her back.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered.

“I’ve missed you too, Y/N/N,” he responded. He pulled away and looked back at the others. “Suit me up. Let’s do this.”

~~~

Tony and Y/N got the platform set up and gathered everyone while Bruce, Rhodey, Scott, and Nebula got Clint situated. As everyone slowly gathered and Bruce came to help Tony, Y/N stayed back and close to the wall. She had started to tremble at the thought of the time travel actually working and all that came a long with it. Her head had also started to get fuzzy. And, from past experience over the years, she knew that a seizure could easily be triggered. Steve had noticed at discretely came over to her.

“You alright?” He whispered.

“I-I-I… I don’t know,” she responded, shakily. “This all… what if it works? And… what if it changes things? I… I can’t lose Morgan. I-I can’t.”

Steve came around and cupped Y/N’s face with his large hands. “You are not going to lose Morgan. I will not let that happen, I promise.”

“You can’t control that Steve… you don’t know… I’ve seen things. I know things… something’s still coming.”

“What do you mean?”

She shook her head quickly. “I can’t say anymore. I can’t.”

“Y/N—“

“Don’t push this, Steve. I…” She swallowed, getting a tad dizzy. She gripped onto Steve’s arm, trying to keep herself steady. “I… oh…”

Steve held onto Y/N’s upper arms, noticing that she was struggling. “Talk to me, Y/N. What’s going on?”

“Just keep me close. I’m not feeling so good.”

“Maybe we should sit you down in the other room.”

“No. I want to be here. I need to be here. Just wrap your arm around my waist and keep me close to your side. I don’t want Tony to worry.”

Steve gave in with a sigh before turning so that they were both facing the platform and wrapping an arm around Y/N’s waist. Everyone else was at the control panel and Clint was taking his position on the platform.

“Alright, Clint,” Bruce said. “We’re going in 3… 2… 1!”

A helmet formed over Clint’s head before he went quantum. That was the longest minute of everyone’s lives. Y/N could barely breath as she stared at the space Clint once stood. When he finally rematerialized, Clint was on his hands and knees, breathing heavily. Natasha rushed up the platform, crouching down and cupping Clint’s cheeks. Scott and Tony rushed up onto the platform as well.

“Hey, hey,” she called. “Look at me. You okay?”

Clint held up a baseball glove and threw it at Tony. “Yeah, it worked,” Clint said. “It worked.”

Tony smiled triumphantly, holding the baseball glove, as he turned towards Y/N. She was the only one that didn’t seem excited. In fact, her complexion was off and her breathing pattern had changed. Tony knew what was about to happen before her eyes even rolled back.

“Rogers!” Tony shouted, surprising everyone. “Get her on the ground and on her side. Now!” 

When Tony had called out to Steve, that was when her eyes rolled back and Y/N began to seize. Steve quickly did as he was directed, already familiar with the routine. The whole team quickly surrounded them, with Tony and Bruce pushing to the front to help.

“What’s going on?” Thor asked, confused and completely worried.

“She’s having a seizure,” Natasha responded. “She had a car accident a few years back, left her with some brain issues.”

“When was the last time she had one?” Steve asked as he kept his sister on her side. 

“Probably a little bit over a year,” Tony replied, helping Steve.

They all let out a breath of relief when she finally stopped moving.

“Let’s get her to her bed,” Bruce suggested.

Tony picked her up. “I’ll handle it,” he said. “I’ll get her settled and then we can figure out a plan.”

They watched as Tony carried Y/N away.

“Steve,” Natasha called gently, looking at her friend. “What triggered it?”

“I have absolutely no idea,” Steve asked, keeping his eyes on the pair as Tony walked away.

~~~

Y/N immediately knew what had happened the moment she opened her eyes. She was laying in her bed, all tucked in, and Tony was sitting next to her, reading something on his tablet.

“How long have I been out?” Y/N asked, voice slightly horse.

“Hey, you’re awake,” Tony said, placing his tablet down and turning to face her. “You had us all worried.”

“Sorry.”

“What happened?”

“I was just thinking about… well, everything… and I guess I stressed myself over the edge.”

“Maybe you should go home, stay with Morgan.”

“No. I need to be here.”

Tony pursed his lips as he studied his wife. He definitely didn’t like the way she emphasized need. “Why? Why do you need to be here?”

Y/N sighed and closed her eyes. “You know why.”

“No, I really don’t. You’ve always been so vague around your destiny and the Stones and shit. Just tell me what’s going on. What do you know?”

Y/N tossed her covers off and sat up, sitting on the edge of the bed facing away from Tony. “I can’t say Tony.”

“Like hell!” Y/N stood up, walking onto the balcony with Tony following. “If you’re scared of the Stones, no need. They’re gone, Y/N. You felt that yourself.”

“You don’t understand… Things could still happen and I can’t have more lives on my hands than I already do.”

“Y/N, what happened is not solely your fault.”

“But it is. I was tasked to save everyone. And I failed…I failed Wanda, I failed Vision! I failed Peter! And Bucky!”

“Bucky,” Tony scoffed. There had always been a question lingering in Tony’s mind, fighting for an answer. But he was too frightened to know the truth. Until now. He had to know. “Are you still…” He studied Y/N for a quiet moment. “Are you still in love with him?”

“Tony…” She tried to turn away, but Tony grabbed onto her arms, keeping her facing him.

“No, you don’t get to run away right now. I need an answer. If we’re going to do this, bring everyone back. I need to know the truth, once and for all. That I wasn’t the second choice, that I wasn’t just the only option so you went for it… So, tell me, would you have chosen me if Barnes was still here?”

Ending 1: It’s Always Been You >

Ending 2: I’m From Brooklyn, Too >

I hope this wasn’t complete crap. And I couldn’t wait to post this! I know I’m on a break, I just got too excited about getting to the 2 separate parts!

I would love to hear your theories/hopes for the endings! I would love for everyone to read both, especially because they’ll take on Endgame very differently!

Also, my tag list is struggling to work. So please be patient with me. Also, Chapter 140 did not get a tag list because tumblr is the WORST right now and hates me and kept deleting it. So, again, please be patient with me. I’m just a human trying my best.

If you want to be added to the tag list, please dm me or send in an ask.

OUT OF TIME TAG LIST:  

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@bestofbucky​

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[general-mahamatra]

This is very specific but do you have any headcanons about double dates between Jeanbilee and Silvercyclops? That or how do you headcanon Charles and Erik’s sexualities? I think of Erik as pan and Charles as gay.

Hehe... Oh I can do this. 

For Charles and Erik’s sexualities, I definitely agree. Charles is gay and Erik is either bi or pan (that one I’m not too solid on).

With the double date, catch me putting this in a modern setting. It’s under the line since there’s a lot

Individuals

Scott

Scott was definitely against the idea of a double date

Why? Because it’s kind of awkward to go out on a double date where the other couple... one of them is your ex

Yeah he’s still good friends with Jean! He’s just not sure how to handle going out to an event with her in a sort of romantic setting. Especially because there’s that slight problem that you KNOW he’s kinda anxious. Like what if people who knew him when he was dating Jean finds him all close and romantic with Peter?

Of course that’s not gonna happen. Man’s just anxious

But Peter managed to convince him and assure him that it would be alright

“It’s just a movie, Scotty. No one’s gonna care,” Peter had said. “Literally it’s dark and the seats are set up in pairs, you don’t need to worry.”

Scott protested immediately with, “but what if--”

“I’ll pay for the popcorn and treats. And the drinks. I’ll pay for it all for you.” 

Scott caved pretty quickly

Except he didn’t know that before the movie the group was going out to dinner because for some reason his mind completely omitted that information. By the time they got together, he remembered, but oh man. He was not prepared

Yeah he was dressed up because Peter was really insistent on him wearing something decent, but the fact they were going out to dinner skipped his mind entirely

He was antsy during the dinner at first. Really shifty-eyed and such and was overall just visibly nervous

But he cooled down fast

He had a lot of fun at the dinner, even if he was a bit awkward with Jean at first

But he loosened up. He found himself enjoying the event much more as time went on and he even managed to calm down enough to comfortably interact with Jean just like he used to

It was actually kinda refreshing

He had whole conversations with the ginger. While Jubilee and Peter were going off about their crazy ideas and plans and things that have happened to them over the past weeks, Scott and Jean were just talking about... life. Catching up on what they’ve missed since they split apart and inevitably pulled away from each other (Scott moreso than Jean)

It brought a sense of closure to Scott that he didn’t realize he needed

He found himself warming back up to interacting with Jean and was... happy with it

Peter

Oh Peter was excited for the double date

Ever since Jubilee ran up to him and proposed it to him he was completely on board. Hell, he even helped plan it out with Jean and Jubilee at times

It was actually Jean’s idea for Peter to convince Scott that things would be alright. She knew he was worried about it, even if it was all irrational. She also knew that he was their best bet on helping Scott out and getting him comfortable with the idea

So Peter did just that

He actually did a lot more than just blatantly tell Scott that he was going to pay for everything at the movies

Peter did a lot of minimal prodding. Stuff to get Scott to talk in a way that wasn’t too intrusive or anything (it’s honestly a special ability of Peter’s). It helped him understand what he was gonna have to do to help his boyfriend out

Because Scott had never been on a double date before

And Peter actually found that kinda funny

But when it came to the date itself, he was completely down for it. He wanted to do it since the moment Jubilee told him about it and he decided he was going to put about as much planning effort into it as her. After all, it’s not different from other... events they’ve planned in the past. They have a perfect system

The movie was his idea

He deemed it “necessary after eating at some dumb fancy place. Because who in their right mind is gonna go out to eat and then just head home at like, 7pm?”

(Peter was also the reason they didn’t end up going to a restaurant where you had to dress up SUPER fancy)

(Granted he wasn’t entirely successful. Jean shot him down and made him settle with having to dress up a little. She wasn’t going to drive them all to dinner if it was gonna be some fast food shit)

Honestly, him and Jubilee are on the exact same wavelength for the date

Jean

Jean was definitely the TRUE brains behind the double date

She was the one who mentioned the idea to Jubilee who then took the idea and ran with it, making it a true plan

She did it because, well, she’s always wanted to have a double date. It was only possible now that she was with Jubilee and her other friends were together

Besides, she like anyone else was aware of just how close Jubilee and Peter were. It was honestly a perfect plan

Scratch something off her bucket list while also getting the two away from their peers so everyone could actually catch a break from their high energy

Actual perfection right there

That and she could tell Scott was awkward around her, even if they’ve been broken up for almost an entire year by this point

There were a lot of times Jean tried to reconnect with him and get him to loosen up but nothing really worked until she came up with the double date

It would give her the opportunity to get her friend back while also allowing him to be in a sort of comfortable environment (she’s noticed the way he tends to cling to Peter whenever she comes around. She isn’t sure if she should be hurt by it or not but she knows he doesn’t mean ill will)

She has to admit though, Peter’s idea of a movie after was a great idea. It’s not something she would’ve put forward or even thought about

Then again... she wasn’t expecting the duo to take over the planning and make it a lot more “light” than an actual “true” date

Jean was looking to reserve them stuff out at a true fancy restaurant. Maybe get them to all dress up and put them in a romantic setting but she was quickly put in her place by Jubilee and Peter’s insistence that it’s a double date, they don’t need to be in a super romantic area

And honestly, they had a point

But she refused to let them make the event completely casual. If she was going to be involved in any planning, they were gonna go somewhere where they have to dress up at least a little

She won that argument easily

Jubilee

OH MAN 

Okay yeah Jubilee was definitely the front runner with the planning and setting everything up

Even with the double date originally being Jean’s idea, Jubilee took it upon herself to plan it all out mostly because she wanted to treat her girlfriend

(You act as thought Jubilee doesn’t know her own partner’s bucket list. Jean literally has it written out in a notebook under her pillow, Jubilee has gone through it multiple times)

She wanted it to be perfect

Which is why she went to Peter

Jean was the one who planted the idea of going on the double date with Scott and Peter but let’s be real, Jubilee would’ve chosen the boys anyways. They were the best bet

Either way, she was ecstatic

She literally has so much experience with planning from the pranks and events she’s set up with Peter, she knew exactly what she was doing when she got with him to plan everything out

Jubilee was actually the one who chose where they were going to dinner

It was a nice Hawaiian themed place. A seafood restaurant with a tropical theme and generally considered a 4 or 5 star restaurant. It was a perfect place, especially with its looser “dress code” (it was basically a sort of business casual, for lack of better terms. If she tried to describe it she would just point to Scott wearing a nice button up with no tie and Jean wearing a cute blouse and flowy pants to match)

(The really funny part is her and Jean low-key made it out to Peter like super fancy restaurants require you to wear formal clothes just so he would cave and “go somewhere less strict”)

(He never found out)

But if she was going to be honest, her favorite part of the double date was the movie afterwards

It was the newest Men in Black and she was losing her mind throughout it

Did she tune out the boys while they were nerding out quietly to her right? Yes, yes she did. She was much more focused on the humor and action and experiencing it with her girlfriend

Overall

Not gonna lie, Scott definitely clung to Peter at first

Like that much is obvious, but it really wasn’t that... obvious? It was if you looked closely at how he hovered closer to the older boy or how his head always seemed to be turned slightly towards him during conversations as if looking to him for stuff to say

Peter noticed it for sure, just as Jean did

Both of them let it happen. Because even when Scott loosened up as the night went on, he still wanted to stick close to his comfort and they didn’t want to pull him away from that

Man just doesn’t handle break ups well

Honestly though, the dinner was wonderful for the entire group. There was so much laughter and chatting and catching up, especially since they aren’t consistently hanging out together anymore

Jubilee convinced Scott to try some really spicy squid dish that he couldn’t remember the name of for the life of him and Peter just... kept ordering more chocolate milk

(They quickly learned that he forgot refills aren’t free)

(That didn’t stop him)

Outfits

Scott: Nice blue button up and black slacks. Honestly really basic typical “oh that guy looks cishet” kinda look, especially with the very plain uniform look to him

Peter: Black button up with white specks across it that look like stars and some slacks as well except his belt was a bit more... decorative than Scott’s. (It’s colorful)

Jean: A cute, loose blouse with a nice white and red floral/watercolor sort of pattern that sits nicely on her frame with some flowy pants and flats. Her hair was done into a braid

Jubilee: A nice long sleeve sweater-like yellow top and a short white skirt with a pair of flats as well. She had her hair down and man was it nice and curly

Honestly everyone was dressed so nicely, it was almost a miracle

During the movie, the couples sat together. That’s a given. But the way they interacted was definitely different from each other

Jean and Jubilee were vibing in their seats. They had chocolate and slushies and popcorn and were overall having a great time just enjoying the movie. There wasn’t too much commentary other than them laughing together or making fun of something they saw on screen

(Jean one time did yell at someone for having their phone on in the movie...she’s that person)

Jubilee was constantly touchy with Jean whenever something crazy happened or there was something intense. Hell, she ended up wrapping around Jean and crying when her favorite character died

Jean took it and honestly... it made her soft

She didn’t know it was possible to fall even further in love

Peter and Scott, though, were different. They too had all the treats and candy and such like the other couple but they were much closer than the girls. They were BASICALLY cuddling (Scott will never admit it). Like come on, you know it’s true

Scott was curled up against his boyfriend. Like head resting against Peter as the older had his arm around him. You know the drill

Again, Scott will never admit to it

But the entire time they were geeking out. Both of them grew up with sci-fi, especially MiB. And BOTH were excited for the newest movie and were having a great time pointing out the aliens and all that stuff and just overall having fun

After the date, the drive was both full of energy and calm. It was 10 by the time they were leaving the theatre and honestly... it’s an experience none of them would give up for the world

...they planned another one for the future

[sylvies-chen]

Brettsey please “so not to be rude or anything but i’ve been coming to this cemetery at this time on this day every week for fucking years and i’ve always been alone up until now seriously what the hell” au

Ok anon I REALLY have to apologize because this request has been sitting in my inbox for probably a month or two now but I didn’t get the inspo to finish this until last night. That being said, I got this into a short little oneshot so I hope you enjoy!!

Tags: alternate universe, grief, mourning, light emotional hurt/comfort, meet cute

Word count: 2922

183 days.

It’s been 183 days since Sylvie last visited Julie. 183 days thinking about how things should have been different. How Julie was supposed to survive, how her and Scott and Amelia were supposed to be a family. How Sylvie was supposed to reconnect with her, to finally know the woman who had given Sylvie her own life’s blood.

She was supposed to have more time.

Instead, Sylvie ends up feeling like more of a stranger to Julie than ever. The last time she visited was the funeral, and that hadn’t done much for her in terms of closure. If anything, it made her feel more out of place. Random strangers came up to her, asking how she knew Julie. Sylvie can still remember the confused looks on their face as she’d told them Julie was her birth mother who had given her up at sixteen years old, and the awkward condolences that came stuttering out of their mouths afterwards. She’d felt too guilty eventually, and left early. Who the hell was she anyway, to be tainting everyone’s view of her birth mother at her own funeral?

She hasn’t been to visit Julie’s grave ever since. All Sylvie had done was stay with parents for a few days to clear her head. A few days turned into a few weeks, and then a few months. Today marks month six of her stay there. Her parents had told her they’d be happy to have her. They hadn’t been receptive to the idea of Sylvie meeting Julie in the first place, so they were more than willing to help her through the loss. The only condition was that she had to go to therapy and work through her grief, which Sylvie happily agreed to. But last week, her therapist suggested she visit Julie’s grave to get ‘true closure’, whatever that means. It’s a strange idea to Sylvie but nothing else seems to be working. Her boss had assured her that Fowlerton was much too peaceful (the polite way of calling the town boring, and rightfully so) and it would do just fine without its favourite paramedic for a few days. So, reluctantly, she accepted.

That’s why Sylvie’s now halfway through an hour-long drive to Chicago, all the way back to the cemetery. She buys hydrangeas at a tiny flower shop she passes by when she first enters Chicago territory. They’re Julie’s favourite. They were Julie’s favourite

Her fingers anxiously tap at the wheel when she finally pulls into the cemetery. It’s a dreary Sunday, grey clouds hovering in the sky bringing the prominent threat of rain. The graveyard is empty when she gets there, from the looks of it, except for one single person. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see a man around her age sitting on a bench near a grave, his eyes observing her curiously from over his shoulder. He’s not someone she knows-- she doesn’t really know many people here in Chicago after all-- but she ignores his lingering eyes. Shades of grey stick out against the field of green and wilted flowers are scattered across other tombstones. It feels like a ghost town, for lack of a better term. It’s gloomy and it looks like no one’s visited this place in a while. Even for a cemetery, the sight is a depressing one.

Sylvie slams her car door shut and takes a deep breath. Relax, she thinks. Just a quick drop by to see her, place the flowers, and then leave. You can get through this.

She makes a beeline towards Julie’s grave, less than 100 feet away, and stops dead in her tracks when she gets there. Her feet feel heavy in her pink rain boots, sticking out like a sore thumb against her black coat as she observes the tombstone.

Julie Walters

Loving wife and daughter

1973 - 2019

Sylvie doesn’t know how to feel reading those words. A whole life, one she only scratched the surface of, reduced to a mere four words and eight numbers. It’s underwhelming, and she doesn’t know whether to feel relieved that Julie’s entire being wasn’t etched onto stone or insulted that they could summarize her in so few words.

Maybe it’s for the best. What else would they put on there anyway: that she was a flawed human who left behind a child who she wasn’t ready to have, only to die before she could see her second daughter years later when she was finally ready for one? When she was finally ready to reconcile with her first born? Yeah, it was definitely for the best.

She places the bouquet of hydrangeas on the wet grass next to the tombstone and stands back. Man, this is harder than she thought. The words are there, racing in her head, but they don’t come out. Every time she wants to say something, it gets caught in the back of her throat.

Sylvie’s trying to pick from a list of infinite questions and countless ways to begin when she feels a chill on the back of her neck. At that moment, a voice comes from behind her. “Hi, are y--”

“Ah!” Sylvie shrieks, the voice startling her. She nearly jumps out of her skin as she turns around in shock, only to see a guy standing in front of her. It’s the same guy, she realizes, that had been staring at her earlier. Now, up close, she guesses that he can’t be all that much older that she is. He has blonde hair that’s short at the back and longer at the front, his eyes a soft shade of blue-green. His jacket and boots are a little worn but other than that, he looks completely normal. Except for the fact that he’s the only other person in this whole cemetery, and he just came up to her from behind without making a sound.

“Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he assures her, his hands up in surrender.

“Oh, uh, it’s okay.” Sylvie lets out a big breath, shaking off the nerves from the jumpscare.

“Not to be rude or anything, but I just-- I’m usually the only one here,” he explains awkwardly.

“Are you a groundskeeper or something? I can leave if you guys need me to.”

“No no,” he laughs bashfully, scratching the back of his neck. “I work in construction, actually. But I’ve uh.. I’ve been coming here the same time, every Sunday for years now to visit my dad. Nobody’s ever here when I am, so I figured you must be new.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry for your loss,” she offers. So okay, he’s not such a creep after all. Actually, he’s kind of sweet. “He must have been a really great dad, for you to be visiting him every week after all these years.”

“He… had his moments,” the man explains delicately. “Honestly, he wasn’t the most affectionate guy. I guess I just don’t want to end up like him. Jaded and cruel.”

Sylvie nods understandingly, because she gets it. Her parents are loving and supportive, but she’s had some exes that have put her through the ringer. Her first real love, Harrison, had been manipulative and heartless. She’s always hoped that these awful guys wouldn’t change her for the worse either.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I’m saying all of this. I’ll get out of your hair,” he offers. “But uh, here. Take this.” The guy holds out a single rose, which Sylvie accepts.

Her eyebrows narrow in confusion at the gesture. “A rose?”

“Yeah, well, my dad has been getting a dozen roses a week from my family since I was 17, he won’t turn over in his grave if he gets 11 just this one time. I’m sure whoever you’re grieving could use it a lot more than he could.”

Sylvie’s confused expression softens into gratitude, a faint smile pulling at her lips. This guy, whoever he is, didn’t have to do this for her. It’s a sweet gesture. He really does seem nice. No catches, no mind games, just simple and kind. She hasn’t met a guy like that in a while, at least not one her age. “That’s actually really sweet, thank you.”

“Of course.”

“I’m Sylvie, by the way,” she introduces herself awkwardly. Everything about this situation is awkward, frankly. But she extends her free hand anyway. “Sylvie Brett.”

“Matt Casey. I wish it were under nicer circumstances, but it’s nice to meet you.” His smile is wide as he takes her hand and shakes it. It’s confusing, but it makes Sylvie smile all the same.

“You seem awfully cheerful for someone who’s in a graveyard,” she observes.

“Like I said: I’ve been doing this for a while. I’m sort of all talked out now,” Matt explains with a shrug.

“Right,” she nods. “I wish I could relate. Normally I’m the one who’s cheerful and talkative, but it’s hard with this sort of thing. Everything I want to say just doesn’t seem to come out. Sometimes, I think if I start talking…”

“You’ll never stop?” He guesses.

“Yeah.” How did he know?

“Well I can tell you from experience that you definitely do stop talking at one point. I got all talked out two years ago. I looked around one day and realized I was talking about types of screwdrivers to my dad’s grave with no one else around. Eventually, you’ll run out of topics like I did. And then new ones will come, and you’ll talk some more, and then you get quiet again and then you just… stop talking.”

“I hope so. I’m a big talker-- I mean seriously, I never shut up-- but I just… I don’t know where to start with this one,” she explains.

“If you don’t mind me asking, who are you visiting?”

“Julie Walters.” She points to the tombstone in front of them. “My birth mother.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

Sylvie’s heard those six little words before. She had to stomach every single insincere, fake utterance of sympathy when she was at the funeral. But for some reason, the way Matt says it to her makes her think he really means it. She’s not used to people meaning it when they offer their condolences. It’s strange. Then again, this whole interaction is strange. “It’s okay,” she brushes it off.

“It’s not. At least, it doesn’t have to be,” he soothes. Something about his voice is so horrifyingly comforting. It’s calm and low, and it feels like warm tea and honey in her ears. It’s enough to make her want to burst into tears right then and there .

Sylvie takes a deep breath and then, before she can stop herself, breaks the silence to ramble. “I love my parents, you know? They raised me, they fed me, they’re responsible for the person I’ve become. But I’d always wondered where I came from, why my birth parents gave me up for adoption. And when Julie sought me out, I panicked at first. I wasn’t ready to give up that fantasy in my head of who she was, to have all my questions answered. But now I’m standing here, visiting her grave for the first time in the six months since her funeral by recommendation of my stupid grief counselor, and I… I just can’t stop thinking of all the questions I was too scared to ask. And man, it sucks.”

Matt stands there and nods understandingly, his gaze unwavering even as she turns her eyes towards Julie’s tombstone.

“I’m sorry,” she continues, wiping tears from her cheek. “We just met, and I’m rambling, and--”

“No no, it’s good for you,” he assures her. “ And I don’t mind it, I-- I like hearing you talk.”

“Oh.” Sylvie looks around, unsure of what to say. This Matt Casey guy, whoever he is, hasn’t run for the hills by now which is strange to say the least. But weirdly, it’s comforting.

“You’re right, you know,” he continues, switching the subject. “It sucks. Life… life sucks.”

“Yeah, it does,” she agrees, letting out a small laugh. This makes Matt laugh a little, which makes Sylvie laugh even more, until they’re both smiling and giggling in a cemetery like a bunch of blushing lunatics. It’s quite possibly the weirdest thing Sylvie’s ever experienced and yet somehow, it’s exactly what she needed. A bright light in the vast sea of darkness.

“You’re smiling again, that’s a good sign.”

“It is,” she agrees. “Am I crazy for that? I mean, I’m smiling and laughing in a graveyard with somebody I just met. Isn’t that weird?”

“A little,” he admits with a shy laugh. “But you’re not crazy. Sometimes people need a little bit of weirdness in their lives.”

“I guess stranger things have happened,” Sylvie shrugs playfully.

“Yeah.” He flashes her another smile before turning his attention towards Julie’s grave and facing it with her. Sylvie stares at the marked stone. She fondly remembers the few memories she had with Julie, and the countless ones they never got around to. It’s unfortunate, really, but it feels more manageable with someone there. Even if it’s someone she barely knows. Matt stands with her for a moment, the peace and quiet taking over. It’s nice. Sylvie’s never had silence be so comforting; it’s always made her anxious and uncomfortable up until now. Matt sure is a puzzling guy in that sense. She sneaks a peek at him through the corner of her eye, this guy who’s supporting her even though they just met. He’s lost someone too, he could be going back to his father’s tombstone. Instead, he’s staying there with her. Sylvie decides at that moment that Matt Casey is an unfailingly kind, weirdly solid guy. And, admittedly, a little attractive. Ok, a lot attractive.

“Hey, and don’t worry,” she adds after a few minutes of silence, “about being like your father. We aren’t our parents. And you seem… good. That’s all you can ask for I guess, is to be one of the good ones.”

“Thanks,” he nods, his eyes filled with a bit of confusion and a bit of something else Sylvie can’t quite place. Wonder, almost.

Sylvie turns back to Julie’s grave, tracing over the words with her eyes. Suddenly, it doesn’t feel so scary. Sylvie’s still sad, and wounds take time to scar over, but it doesn’t feel like she’s bleeding out anymore. She sighs, and she can sense the weight on her shoulders blowing away into the wind.

Unfortunately, when the sorrow blows away with the wind, it brings in the rain.

“Oh god,” Matt groans, wincing while looking up just on time to catch a raindrop in his eye. He squints and turns to Sylvie, who’s standing there laughing. “I didn’t see this in the weather forecast for today.”

“Me neither,” she giggles. “Today’s full of unexpected things, I guess.”

“It is.” He gives her a shy smile, nodding in agreement.

“Do you mind the rain?” She asks, looking up at the gloomy sky with a smile on her face.

“No,” he replies gently.

“Me neither.”

They stand there, hoods pulled away from their heads, letting the rain wash over them. There’s no shelter in sight anyway. They talk for a while about Chicago, about their lives, their friends, things that make them happy. But then they fall into a comfortable silence, smiling peacefully in the rain. Sylvie only moves a few times to brush raindrops off of the bouquet of flowers she’d placed at Julie’s grave. She looks at it, the name and the date etched in stone, and she doesn’t feel sick anymore. No questions unanswered, no bitterness. Her loss feels manageable.

She’s okay. More than okay.

“Hey, this might sound a little crazy, and I know we just met,” Matt starts after a while, “but would you want to… go get dinner or something?”

“What, like a date?” She snorts at her own joke, the idea being very nice in theory but impossible. It’s seriously impossible that this guy is actually asking her out, right?

“Er, yeah,” he nods. “Like a date.”

Oh. Okay, so he was asking her out. This is unfamiliar territory for Sylvie. She’s been asked out before, of course, by the small-town idiots in Fowlerton. But by an admittedly very good-looking stranger, under these circumstances no less? It’s a bit of a bizarre situation. That’s the crux of it, though. Matt Casey, whoever he is under all these sweet, charming layers, doesn’t feel like a stranger. Somehow, through one chance encounter, it feels like catching up with an old friend.

When she considers the facts, she’s had fun today. Every interaction they’ve had has come with such ease, and from a place of goodness and light. Yeah, maybe it’ll go absolutely nowhere. But one date in a public place won’t hurt her. She’s in Chicago for the rest of the weekend anyway. If anything, going out with someone like Matt Casey would do her a lot of good. And she hadn’t realized it until now but god, she really really wants to. So she does.

“I’d like that,” she finally replies while brushing rain off of her coat.

“Yeah?” He asks to make sure, his face lighting up with hope and slight excitement. Sylvie finds it adorable.

“Yeah,” she assures him.

He nods and grins excitedly as he leans in closer, and Sylvie feels the happiest she’s felt in a long time when he finally replies. “Me too.”

[asterekmess]

S3A - E8

I’m realizing just how damn far behind I am on working on season 3, but I don’t wanna skip any episodes of the rewatch, so let’s get to it! Double time, double time!

Content warnings for discussion of cannibalism.

Forewarning, this one is a doozy, so be prepared to Read More:

Lesgo!:

First thing’s first, Derek has experience with those awful sound thingies? Can you imagine how freaked he must’ve been seeing Chris bring those out when they were tracking Boyd and Erica?

Also, Chris Argent has been hunting Derek one way or another since he was a child. Even BEFORE Kate. Why the hell do we have a Derek & Chris broness in the later seasons? This kind of shit doesn’t just go away. I can’t believe I forgot about it.

I love how awkward sweet bby Derek is trying to run through the trees and tripping on branches everywhere. It’s honestly so much more realistic for a teenager than just the crazy cgi stuff. Also, since we know Derek is comfortable in the woods, it really gives you a hint as to how truly messed up he is from fear right now. He’s off balance in a dozen ways.

DEREK HAS BEEN WATCHING PEOPLE DIE IN FRONT OF HIM SINCE HE WAS 15. I’m gonna CRY. If I wanna hurt myself even More, you could argue that the Random Beta (RB) got shot bc he stopped to talk to Derek. So...guilty minds would assume Derek has been watching people die because of him since 15. I hate everything.

PETER comin’ in clutch. Also, hilarious that they use that arrow catching move so much.

I almost like how they tried to make Gerard look younger by just having him wear a douchey leather jacket instead of the serious grandpa one he wears in S2. He swaggers over to the body of RB, and it’s hilarious.

Okay, what is this bullshit about “Bring them back alive, we go by the code?” If you were going by the code then you wouldn’t be fucking hunting them AT ALL. They’re innocent! Why the fuck are you ‘bringing them back’ in the first place? Chris, you piece of shit. This is supposed to demonstrate that you’ve always been a stickler for the code, but all it does is emphasize how little that code actually means. “We hunt those who hunt us.” Fuck off, you hunt anything you deem ‘dangerous’ and find excuses to kill them so you can feel righteous.

Gonna casually note that RB was shot in the Throat with an arrow, but bc of makeup necessities they moved the arrow down to his chest when he’s shown on the ground. It’s funny. :)

It’s seriously so hard to hate Peter, do the writers realize that? Like, yes, he did horrible shit and I’m not denying that, but when you show him running into the hunter-filled woods to save his nephew’s life at 24 years old, then hiding with him in a cellar for two fucking days when he could probably have escaped on his own, it’s hard to see him as a heartless bastard.

I’m almost afraid to find out why Cora knows the details. Can you imagine? She would’ve been, what, 9-10? Her big brother and uncle both go missing for two days after a hunt and she had to stay at home waiting for someone to say they’d found their bodies. God, the lives of the Hales are so fucked up.

The rain is really making the mood here.

I gotta say, I’m confused about this initial Cora-Stiles interaction. He goes on about everyone who’s died or nearly died, but then Cora assumes he wants Derek to do something about the deaths, and Stiles agrees? Except that Derek currently fits the COD that all the other sacrifices have hit. Missing for about two days. Everything Stiles has said implies that he’s worried Derek is also dead. I don’t get why they go with ‘I’m worried about the missing man that I’ve been helping for the last four months because I blame him for the Alphas even coming to town”?

One thing they got on point here is just how disgusting they made Gerard. The slime and the spitting and ugh *shudders* it’s just so gross.

I’m also...I think intrigued is the right word--that they shoved this whole story into the episode without ever addressing the fact that Derek IS missing and they should go looking for him or something. It starts with Stiles asking where the hell he is, but then everything else is about this past moment. Talk about going off on a tangent. I mean, I don’t blame them, but if I shoved this much character background into one chapter people would call me out for the infodump that it is.

Which is all this episode is. Info-dumped exposition. Here’s how werewolves were made. Here’s why Derek’s cranky. Here’s why Duke’s an asshole. Here’s why the Hales are ‘special’

Again, I don’t blame them. It’s just...a lot.

Just a tiny thing: Why do they both roll up their sleeves when Scott only has to touch Gerard’s hand?

It is also very hard to believe that either Allison or Scott are remotely good people when they’re both lying to everyone about Gerard’s existence.

*finger guns, bc now i have to use the tag* I think this is the longest I’ve ever gotten before using it.

Another thing: Why does Gerard make the gross noises like he’s in pain, when we know it doesn’t hurt to get the pain taken away from him? It certainly didn’t hurt that lady in the ER.

I know this is a weird thing to notice, but I find it interesting that Paige is wearing actual makeup. Not just the ‘natural’ look, but eyeshadow that’s visibly dark. *shrug*

Is she Actually playing the cello? The notes Don’t look like they match up with her bowing and fingerings.

HA that music cut in is fucking Hilarious. Derek turns around like he’s in a teen rom-com, with that casual “I never stop smiling all the way bc I’m the coolest guy around” grin and the music just WHAM. That’s right, Derek Hale used to be a JOCK. He didn’t used to be ‘a lot like Scott.’ He was a lot like JACKSON.

So, this group of cronies Derek has. What is that about? He’s gotta have that posse just like Jackson did in S1? Unnamed people to cackle at his jokes.

Paige’s face, right there? That is the SHIT for me. That’s not hidden attraction, that’s genuinely “What the fuck is my life, why are you so lame?” and I am LIVING for it.

Derek peacocking is also hilarious. Peacocking so hard he (THE WEREWOLF) didn’t notice that she’d left the hall, is even more so.

I hate to tell you this Paige, but THAT is where I could tell you liked him. Giving in to his bullshit offer was the first step, that look on your face when he said, “Hold on” was Blatant “Holy shit, my crush wants to talk to me” but then all you idiots did was make eye contact. Paige, if you’re trying to get the ball, try looking away from those pretty eyes, okay?

Derek, you always go too far. You can see Paige lose interest when she realizes that he’s not actually into Her, he’s into showing off.

OOOF, i guess they weren’t such good friends after all, cus’ they left when Paige did.

I also feel the need to point out Derek is WEARING A CHECKERED SHIRT. *inarticulate screaming* Everyone who makes jokes about him thinking plaid is disgusting owes me five bucks bc he CLEARLY didn’t think checkers/plaid were that bad when he was in high school.

I’ll admit...the instant sorry is like...really good. If they’d had him come in and be More of a dick and then end up together, I’d be a lot more bugged. But his First real introduction to her is an apology.

THEN he goes back to being a dick. But at least this time it’s not about him, he wants to know about Her.

And I LOVE the turnaround! THIS is flirting. THIS is cute teasing. She plays his game Back at him, shows her own skill and forces him to get on her level. Then he weasels out of it, but in a Cute Way.

If there’s one thing that I’m routinely impressed by in TW it’s the scoring. They’re Really good with music to fit the moods and the vibes of the whole episode. For instance, all the transition music in this episode is Cello, bc it’s about Paige.

I hate agreeing with Gerard on Anything, but he makes a good point about the Dark Druid taking and killing someone else right alongside Deaton. Why would she take 4 people when she only needed three? She wouldn’t know that Deaton got a message out or that Scott would save Deaton. Plus the addition of the mountain ash circle is kind of weird, don’t you think?

Yah, I have no clue why your body is producing anything Either. You literally make no sense and you shouldn’t be alive. Period. Bringing you back was a lazy way to have someone who could be a sub-sub plot and hand out exposition and red herrings that are totally useless.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT GERARD? You weren’t There when Deucalion found out he could still see with his Alpha Eyes (Which makes no sense btw, he doesn’t have TWO sets of eyes???) and if you’d interacted with Deuc since then he’d have ripped you to shreds.

SERIOUSLY people, why the FUCK are we getting this information from Gerard when it makes WAY more sense for Deaton to tell them this? He was THERE for the whole thing!

I get that the point of the episode is supposed to be “Unreliable Narrators” (The whole show has an unreliable narrator.) but you had that covered with Peter’s story. You could’ve Instilled TRUST in Deaton by making a contrast and having Deaton TELL THEM THE TRUTH. Show the difference between reliable and unreliable. Gerard doesn’t need to be here!

Stiles, asking the real questions.

AND GETTING THE MOST BULLSHIT ANSWER IN THE UNIVERSE.

Could these writers GET any lazier? Put some fucking effort in and give us some information about Werewolves IN YOUR WEREWOLF TV SHOW.

What the fuck were Paige and Derek into that they knew where an abandoned distillery was when it wasn’t even in TOWN? And you’re telling me they left town every time they wanted to make out? Even worse, are you implying they had SEX in that distillery? And then trying to tell me that none of the fucking Alphas and their packs noticed the smell of Derek and his girlfriend all over the building?

...what...do people seriously not remember being teenagers? What the fuck Peter? In what fucking universe  is “one minute it’s ‘i hate you, don’t talk to me’ the next it’s frantic groping in any dark corner’ remotely accurate to real life?

Teenagers in the majority don’t DO that. I really fucking hate that all teenagers are made out to be like this. Like they’re “run by their hormones” and “everything is sex to you” STOP. Seriously, STOP. Saying shit like that completely negates the fact that Teenagers are Real fucking People. They’re not just buckets of hormones and sweat that need to be shaped into an adult. They’re fucking PEOPLE and reducing them to sex-crazed idiots is lazy and stupid.

Are you ALSO telling me that the hunters dragged RB’s DEad Body to an abandoned building, then strung the corpse up and cut it in half? AND that someone happened to go the abandoned building and found the body and called the cops, or that they MOVEd the two halves somewhere they would be found, Or that They were the ones to call and report the body?

Has teen wolf got even a Single brain cell?

ALSO, what the fuck is this timeline? Derek and Peter went missing for two days after RB was killed, but the packs don’t get together to discuss RB’s death until After Derek has run out of the building with Paige because he could smell blood from RB being hemisected. So, they waited at Least two days before talking to each other about RB’s death? And Derek apparently recovered Instantaneously from his two day nightmare and went right back to macking on his girlfriend and laughing freely the Day he was found? Or did they wait even longer? I’m so fucking confused!

Okay, you tell me that this place is their favorite makeout/groping spot, but they seriously just walk in the door and start kissing in the middle of the room? You guys didn’t bring some blankets and pillows here? You’re gonna stand there the whole time?

WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU MAKING PETER A PERVERT? He was fucking watching his nephew make out with his girlfriend through the wall??? WHat is WRONG with you?

ALSO, Cora was alive and active in Derek’s life at that point. She wasn’t That young. She could easily point out that Peter being Derek’s best friend is total bullshit if it weren’t actually true. Which means Peter is telling the TRUTH here. Hell, she doesn’t call out his heartbeat for lies the entire time, and while they imply at the end of the episode that Really Good Liars can just force their heart to be steady while lying so they don’t get caught, that isn’t a thing for the entire rest of the show. Derek trusts KATE when she says she’s not lying. So the evidence actually points toward Peter telling the TRUTH in this entire episode.

THAT is accurate to teenagers. Using the word “like” and “liking” so many times in a conversation that it doesn’t even sound like a word anymore.

Paige...dude, I’m so torn. Like I’m glad you’re being honest with Derek about your worries, but also it’s a complete dick move to just Assume that he’s gonna bail? To say to his face that you Know he’s leaving you and you’re just waiting for it? Fucking rude.

Ennis...bro...how exactly did your Beta “Accidentally” kill a hunter? How would that happen?

AGAIN WITH THE TIMELINE. If the packs only CAME to beacon hills because of Ennis issue with the hunters, why was RB running through beacon hills when he was killed?

Also, side note: Where are all of these werewolves staying? Are they territorial so they like, all claimed different hotels to take over? Or do they not mind, and THAT’S why the Hale house is so big for such a small family? Because they had a ton of guest rooms for packs that visited to get that sweet, sweet Hale Wisdom?

I firmly believe that werewolves are clothing-optional people. Talia straight shifts into a naked human form in front of over a dozen other wolves.

Also, where the hell is the Hale pack here? Some random chick comes up and gives Talia a robe, but that person is standing with Deuc’s pack. So....what?

I’m so curious about the formation the wolves make when they hear Talia coming. Everybody backs away, except Deucalion. And they do this weird focus on his face as he watches her come in. And her eye contact is JUST with him.

OH GROSS. DID DEUC HAVE A THING FOR DEREK’S MOM????

I will admit that watching things with subtitles sometimes ruins the surprise. There’s that little pause before “I’m just a deputy” like it was supposed to be shocking to the audience, but the subtitle on Amazon Prime just Pops up right away and it kind of ruins the effect.

Here we go! The one piece of concrete information on “Packs” and “pack members” that we’re given in the whole fucking show. Word for Word. “Losing a member of your pack isn’t like losing family, it’s like you lose a limb.”

That is....severe. Now imagine that your entire family IS your pack. And losing almost every one of them. Is it any wonder that Cora, Peter, and Derek are so messed up? That they’re so dark and wounded looking?

I s2g sometimes Peter literally just sounds like he’s a self-insert for the writers. He explains shit that the writer’s are showing Really Badly as if to wave away the fact that the Ennis flashback is pretty much Completely unnecessary. “You just don’t understand my artistic genius, it’s never just a single moment, it’s a confluence of events. I have to show you all these random flashbacks because you need to understand why Derek is soaked in MANPAIN all the time. Which is totally relevant to the current plot bc....bc....bc ART (and also Tyler Hoechlin was busy so we could only get one shot of him for the entire episode)”

That is just the cutest shit oh my god. Derek listens to Paige’s music while he’s in class and doing homework. THAT is love, you realize? He doesn’t just deal with her dedication to her music, he loves it.

THat little wince when he says “Are you sure about that?” Paige knows he’s gonna screw with her.

THAT IS A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. He gives her space! She likes studying during lunch so he Leaves her Alone. I LIKE IT.

What do you mean “Laura told you about the packs being here.” Derek KNOWS they’re here because he watched RB DIE IN THE WOODS. Seriously, I”M SO CONFUSED.

FUN FACT (that I might’ve already shared) Oak wood was liked by the Celts because it was really sturdy and hardy and bore food, but it wasn’t their favorite type of wood! Rowan was the favorite, and Irish pagan practitioners used to sleep in rowan trees so they could have prophetic dreams. After that, it was Hazelwood. :P

I...do not enjoy when they bring up the Celtic Druids. *Scuttles to get my textbook bc this is my nerd shit*

“We’re in a Nemeton” This is the correct wording, actually! A “Nemeton” isn’t a thing, it’s a “sacred meeting place” as Chris calls it. Go chris! Nemeton refers to the entire grove/area around the main tree.

I can’t speak to whether they chose a ‘Large, older tree in a grove” but it does make sense bc if we’re talking about Oaks they were a symbol of food and safety (acorns were a staple to Celtic diets) so choosing an older tree would not only look more impressive, but it would probably bear more acorns for the clan.

“It would represent the center of the world” *Puts on vine voice* THat is NOt Correct! The tree at the center of the Nemeton was called a “crann bethadh” or “Tree of Life” and it was essentially a Totem that marked the center of the tribe’s territory. It was not ‘the center of the world’ it was the center of THEIR world. Their land.

“There was a belief that cutting or harming the tree would cause serious problems for the surrounding villages” Not sure if ‘villages’ is the correct term for the era, but the rest of it sounds like a close mistranslation. See, in Ireland there were raids people would do against other clans where the SOLE PURPOSE was to destroy their crann bethadh, because it was demoralizing. It’s like graffiti-ing the front of a church. But technically, it WAS severely frowned upon to harm the tree in any way.

This is mostly because in most Celtic areas, Oak trees were considered symbols of the “Father of the Sky” or the “God of Thunder.” Of course you don’t wanna piss off Thunder man.

Also, you notice how I’m saying CELTS and not DRUIDS. It’s because DRUID isn’t a cultural label, it’s a SOCIAL CLASS. It’s like saying “The Educated”

Okay, back to the--OH WAIT. Before anyone gets any ideas, the blood on the crann bethadh isn’t human. Estonian Celts smeared animal blood on the tree roots as an assurance for rain and good harvests. This is the same concept as TONS of other religions, including Christianity. (Abraham was supposed to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to God, but God stopped him and had him sacrifice a Ram instead. So, Yes. Christians used to perform animal sacrifices.)

NOW back to the show.

THe fact that gerard doesn’t know this stuff implies that Chris is the nerd of the family.

I LIKE THIS. I hate that I like it bc it’s Gerard, but I LIKE IT. Gerard gets up from his wheelchair. He doesn’t need it All the Time.

I’ve never seen another show that bothered to have a wheelchair user who wasn’t wheelchair-bound, which is stupid because it’s Very Common for people using wheelchairs to not need them all the time.

though it does beg the question of why he’s sitting in a wheelchair when he’s in his own bedroom? Was he going somewhere? Or did he know he wouldn’t have enough chairs and didn’t want Allison or Scott to sit in his chair?

The story of Lycaon, who was considered a savage ruler of Arcadia and Zeus went to his house disguised as a human (this is v common in myth) to find out if he was batshit. Lycaon and his FIFTY SONS (he also had one daughter) wanted to know if the stranger was a human or a mortal, so they fed him human flesh in stew. Zeus flipped shit and blasted the room with thunderbolts, murdering all but one of Lycaon’s sons, and then turned Lycaon into a wolf.

So...this whole ‘myth of lycaon’ is totally fucked up when it didn’t need to be? Like, they didn’t NEED to change it to make it a messed up origin story of wolves. It already was.

There’s three major versions to choose from

Lycaon was a pius man who founded the city of Lycosura on Mount Lycaeus and used a child as a sacrifice to Zeus, thinking it would please him. Zeus flips shit and turns Lycaon into a wolf. FROM THEN ON; at every sacrifice made to zeus a man was transformed into a wolf and if he managed to restrain himself from eating human flesh for 8-9 years, he would be turned human again.

The same story as the first, except Lycaon Knew Zeus was in disguise and the child he fed him was Zeus’ own son, and it was revenge for seducing his only daughter Callisto.

If you want to make it match what you’ve already said about wolves in the show, they could’ve used the last one and it would’ve demonstrated how Ingrained the concept of vendetta/revenge is for wolves.

If you wanted to focus on the Turning Human part and working with Celtic Druids to learn to become werewolves, you could’ve used the second one.

there was no reason to add in the bullshit about Prometheus except as an excuse to make Deucalion look like he picked his name to be an asshole, which he fucking didn’t.

 I’m so sorry about all the classical shit (i’m really not) but I studied it in college and I can’t just let this bullshit stand.

I’ll give them a pass on the ‘the lesser known part’ bc it’s technically plausible for the wolves to have run north to the Celts and beg for help, And the Druids (those who’s education was specifically in magic, not all of them) were known for shapeshifting (though not usually into animals. They did that to Other people, not themselves)

I cannot believe this is so long, i’m so sorry.

But WHY tho, Cora? How is an Emissary supposed to keep you connected to humanity if No ONe KNows Who They Are?? How are they supposed to do their job??

Yeah, well now Deaton is a sour bitch who has a chip on his shoulder against the Hale pack so like...fuck his advice.

I will say though! Pre-fire Deaton doesn’t give me the heebies like post-fire Deaton. He’s much more clear about the advice he’s giving, and it’s actually helpful! He still has a dumb little anecdote/parable about the scorpion and the frog (which...in most circumstances I hate. It doesn’t even match what happens) but he gives Real Advice instead of vague asshole nonsense.

“I’m an Alpha, I never walk alone.” I have an inordinate affection for this line.

Paige is clearly some kinda bad bitch if she thought nothing of going to hang out in the school in the middle of the night with Derek.

Okay, but like...why would he attack Ennis like that if he was the one who asked him to bite Paige? And why is the moment played up “A fifteen-year-old boy against a giant” Derek was literally swatted to the side while Ennis walked out of the building. this wasn’t some big showdown.

If she’d already been bitten, why was Ennis still grabbing at her??

....seriously? Peter is literally right there? And no one noticed?

Again with the “Scott is a genius now” LIsten, bro, why the fuck would Scott know a sanskrit fable? If he Did know a story like that, it would be bc Deaton taught him. In which case he would know the FROG and the scorpion. Come on, guys.

OH MY GOD GERARD DOES IT TOO. GERARD, PETER, AND DEUC all have a CHRONIC case of verbal diarrhea when they’re trying to be intimidating.

I do NOT understand this warehouse scene. It’s a GAS gerard, if you stabbed yourself with some sort of...antidote or whatever it wouldn’t save you from the GAS you’re inhaling. At the very least you would be shouting like everyone else because it HURTS going in.

why did it take so long for Talia to come? It’s implied that Peter left to get her, so why did it take so long? Even PAST peter looks fucked up at seeing that Paige is dying, it’s not like he would wait.

I’ll be real, i get weepy so i’m skipping the actual death. Just know that it hurts me. Severely.

Y’all know how much I hate this ‘innocent life’ bullshit for blue eyes. It’s very True Alpha-y in that it’s impossible to pin down the specifics. What constitutes an ‘innocent life’? What constitutes taking it? With wolf claws? With a gun? What counts and what doesn’t count? Ugh.

Eyyy, so I’m exhausted and this is so long that my computer is fritzing. There are five minutes left and nothing happens in them at all. Just Scott pointing out the heartbeat thing and threatening to kill Gerard (so he’s still fine with murder at this point in time. Good to know). Stiles telling Cora that he doesn’t think Peter was telling the truth (which she would Know if he wasn’t) and that he’s gonna ask Derek about it (which we never got to see). And Deucalion murdering his own Beta (who, tbf, tried to kill him first. Which, again, what the fuck is up with Deaton’s office that wolves are able to rip each other apart in it, but it’s still ‘hard for someone like Scott to cause me any trouble.’ I’m just so confused

Final Thoughts: This episode actually had some interesting stuff in it, which is kind of sad considering there was no PLOT, just Exposition. I look forward to tweezing the bits out that I want and dumping the rest in the garbage where it belongs. Oh, and like I said, the music was on Point.

[songtoyou]

Mr. Evans and the Congresswoman - Part 2

Paring: Chris Evans x Politician Reader

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1,858

Warnings: Political topics such as Biden, Harris, our current White House occupant and the current administration. 

Description:  It is the week of the DNC and Chris is once again interviewing you for A Starting Point. 

A/N: The DNC inspired me to write a second part for this story.  This is pure fiction as I do not know what Chris believes when it comes to politics and policy issues. This is a complete work of fiction.

I do not permit my work to be to be posted on any other site without my permission.

Note: Updated for grammar and punctuation edits.

"Hi, Congresswoman Y/L/N?" Chris Evans asked with a smile.

He was once again interviewing you for ASP. This time it was during the week of the Democratic National Convention. Chris and Mark had already talked to other politicians such as Senator Cory Booker and Representatives Ro Khanna and Alma Adams. You were the last elected official he was slated to interview to wrap up the DNC week.

Truthfully, Chris was happy to get the chance to talk with you again. Your previous interview for ASP was such a hit that it garnered a lot of attention from fans and the media. However, it was not because you helped bring more legitimacy and attention for ASP, but instead, Chris found himself genuinely admiring you.

"Hi," you said to Chris, giving a small wave through the Zoom screen. "I told you to call me by my first name."

"I know, but I still want to show respect," Chris responded with a teasing smile. Was he mildly flirting with the congresswoman? Yes, but he had no shame in doing so. "How are you? You are looking well."

"I am doing well. Thank you. How about you?"

"Same. Just trying to stay sane through everything. I'm actually currently in London. Working on a project." Chris admitted.

"Uh oh. You better be staying safe and following the right procedures and protocols," you lightly reprimanded him.

"My fans ratted me out. They found where I was just by the hotel door. Can you believe that? That is some FBI-level investigating, right there. I'd be impressed if I weren't also terrified of the lengths some of these fans will go to scout my location," Chris ranted. He did not understand why he was sharing this with you, but a part of him felt comfortable doing so.

"That…is quite impressive, I must say. Creepy. Scary. But impressive. You need to learn how to put in a Zoom background. It would solve all of your problems," you suggested to him.

"I would, but I'm technology deficient. Maybe I should look up some Zoom tutorials on how to do it. Give it a try."

"There is no try…only do," you advised cheekily.

"Now you're quoting Yoda. A woman after my own heart," Chris replied. He knew he needed to refocus. "So, as you can tell, Mark won't be joining us for this interview. I'm going to hit record if that is okay?"

"Okay. I'm ready when you are," you said.

When the record notification appeared on screen, Chris introduced you and immediately went into the first question.

"How do you think the DNC is going so far, particularly how this year is more of a virtual setting rather than in-person due to COVID-19?"

"Despite not having the big in-person celebration/gathering, I think the virtual setting is working very well. Better than I expected, actually. It gives off a more inclusive and intimate vibe to the DNC that we haven't felt before. I like the whole documentary approach and feel to it," you replied honestly.

"Were you excited that Joe Biden chose Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate?" asked Chris.

"Oh my God! I was so happy that Vice President Biden chose Senator Harris as his running mate. Like, my staff and I were beyond ecstatic. There is no one better to be Biden's running mate than Harris. She is amazing. Such an inspiration. I'm not going to lie, but I'm really excited for the debate between her and Pence."

That made Chris laugh. "Yeah, me too. Senator Harris really knows how to pull all the punches. Her nomination as VP has been met with overall positive response. The Trump Administration and Republican pundits appear to have a hard time painting a negative image of Harris. Why do you think Trump and Fox News are struggling to provide a negative image for her?"

"That is an excellent question. The public's overwhelming response to Harris' nomination is because 1.) she is the first black and south Asian woman to be on a major presidential ticket, and 2.) she is likable and charming. She has this exuberant energy that attracts people to her. You know, black and brown women and girls finally have someone that looks like them running for the second-highest office in the land. That is huge!

"I also have to wonder if people have smartened up in the last four years and won't tolerate the…hypocrisy, sexism, and misogyny…in this case misogynoir that is thrown towards Senator Harris from the media, political pundits, social media bots, etc. So, what we are seeing with Trump and Fox News struggling to attack her is because…well…they just aren't smart. All we have seen from Trump in his attacks against her is that she was mean to Kavanaugh when questioning him during his nomination process. But none of what Trump says holds up because we all know that smart, confident women intimidate him," you finished off your point.

"There is also the left…or more of the progressive left who are unhappy with Biden choosing Harris," Chris spoke up and continued, "They say she is a cop and put people away for weed. That she took kids away from parents when the kid didn't show up for school. That Harris is too conservative. What do you say to that?"

"All of that is…you know…. Senator Harris one of the most policy progressive senators we have. Her voting record is more progressive than Bernie Sanders. All people have to do is research her time as a district attorney and Attorney General for California to find out what she actually did concerning policy. But as we both know, people nowadays don't know how to critically think, which scares me. Progressives need to look at the overall big picture. This election in November is crucial. We are in the fight for our democracy, for our country, and for our lives…literally."

"I talk with my brother, Scott, all the time about certain political issues," mentioned Chris. "He is a tad more progressive than I am. I can admit that I tend to be more centrist. The district you represent is a mix of blue and red areas; how do you balance opposing views from your constituents?" 

You took in a deep breath before you answered. That was a loaded question. Representing a district that was not solely red, or blue could be difficult from time to time. You wanted to be respectful of the different viewpoints from constituents, but maintaining a neutral balance was hard and frustrating at times. 

"The majority of Americans are centrist/moderates. You need a balance of both liberal and conservative policies. Bipartisanship is crucially important when developing and passing laws. We are currently seeing an overt of one-sidedness while sabotaging the other side, which is detrimental to our country's growth. It is important to reach across the aisle to talk with those who may have opposing views than you. At the end of the day, people just want to feel that their concerns are heard and valued. We all want to feel that way. So, as an elected official, I make sure to take the time to talk with those in rural areas, along with urban areas, about their issues and concerns," you shared.

"Do you ever get any pushback from Trump supporters in the red areas?" Chris inquired.

"Well, it is important to note that not all residents in rural areas are Trump supporters. They just tend to keep that to themselves. I have actually talked to Trump supporters in blue areas. We can never and should never assume that one area has this type of person and vice versa. I learned that the hard way when I was campaigning for city council early in my career," you revealed to Chris with a small chuckle. "But overall, my constituents will talk with me and have been respectful. Some of the concerns that have been shared with me do fall under the QAnon conspiracy theories, which do disturb me, I'll be honest. Um…when being confronted with someone who has that extreme of ideals, it is important to remain calm and not to come off combative. Meaning that I have to remind myself that I am not quite dealing with a rational person. The only thing that I can do is calmly talk to the person and respond back with facts. Either they listen or brush me off and call me a radical lefty."

"The majority of people are good, like you said," Chris reminded you.

"That's right. It's a good mantra to live by. I think the American people are tired and have been tired for the past four years with this Administration. We need a sense of normalcy and decency. Compassion and empathy, which were two of the big themes during the DNC. This week was a nice reminder that we, as a country, can have that again."

"I agree. Very well said. You always end on a positive. I appreciate that. Thank you, Congresswoman Y/L/N, for taking the time to talk with me. You always provide great insight into the world of politics and your experience as an elected official," said Chris and ended the recording. "That was really great, Y/N. I know Mark, and I really appreciate you taken the time to do these interviews for ASP," Chris added.

"Oh, it is no problem. Like I said before, I like what you both are doing with the site. Are you happy with how everything turned out?" you asked him.

"Yeah… it's…it took a while to just get the website up and running. I know there is still work that needs to be done. Some areas need to be fixed, but with a project like this, we can adjust. There is more room for improvement and growth," Chris communicated to you.

You nodded in agreement. "Politics is a whole different ballgame. Not many people are willing to venture into the field. It can cause a lot of annoyances and headaches. So, hats off to you, my friend," you said, giving Chris a salute.

"Thank you. Well, I better let you go. I know you must have a million things on your plate."

"Ah yes, I have to go and save the United States Postal Service from corruption. Talk to you later, Chris. Take care," you waved goodbye and signed off.

Chris had to admit, he was in awe of you. There was something about you that fascinated him. None of the elected officials he and Mark talked to for ASP had the liveliness you had. You were not jaded or defeated by the system, at least not yet, since you were still considered a junior member of congress. Chris hoped that the energy and enthusiasm you had for politics and helping people would not diminish. When his Uncle Mike was still a congressman, he shared with Chris that D.C. can cause a lot of strain on a person's values and beliefs. "I have seen too many of my colleagues succumb to the pressures of dirty politics," Uncle Mike once said.

Chris just hoped that you would not succumb to those pressures.

[dimitrescus-bitch]

Progressive Possession (Leah Williamson x Reader)

Leah was one of the most level headed and mild mannered people you had ever met in your life. Yes, she got frustrated and angry, but she always dealt with it in the most reasonable way possible. Jealousy, however, that was a different story. Leah wasn’t easily made jealous, but it took your Arsenal teammates less than two weeks of planning behind your backs to figure out what would and wouldn’t make Leah jealous.

You had to commend them for their patience. They may have figured out how to make Leah jealous early on, but they waited almost a full season to act on any of it. You weren’t sure if they were waiting for something specific or not, but Emma Mitchell was the first to make a move before her trade over to the Spurs.

“Hey cutie,” Emma greeted you with a smile. You smiled and waved at her. “Whatcha doing?”

“Tying my shoes,” you said and Emma nodded. “What are you doing?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to get a coffee with me later. Leah’s going to check out equipment and I know that you don’t like being left all alone in your apartment,” Emma said. Leah’s ears perked up and she quickly turned her head over to see Emma talking to you. Emma was leaning over you with her hand resting on the wall over your head. You were looking up at her and there was a light blush on your cheeks.

“That sounds great, I’ll see you after I shower back at my place,” you said and Emma nodded.

“I’ll pick you up in about 45 then,” Emma said and you agreed with that. Leah was a little moody on the drive home, so you didn’t talk to her. She dropped you off and then just left.

The next time that they made a move to make Leah mad, they had sent Beth up to do it. Leah had already been watching you. Tensions in the apartment were a bit high since the whole coffee thing with Emma had went down. Leah kept an extra watchful eye on you during practice. She had been too distracted by Emma to realize that Beth was going to be the next person sent after you.

“Let me get that for you,” Beth said, grabbing your bag for you. You thanked her and she just smiled. A part of you was a little confused, normally Beth carried Danielle’s things around for her. All you thought on it really was that they must be having another rough patch. “You seem a little stressed.”

“A bit,” you said and Beth put her hand on your back. She walked with her arm around you towards the locker room. You were playing a game against Manchester United and so once you saw Jackie it made more sense why Danielle wasn’t by Beth’s side and vice versa.

“What are you doing after this?” Beth asked and you shrugged. “Well, win or lose, Casey Stoney invited a bunch of the girls out to a club after the game. She said that there’s enough respect between the two teams that we should be able to enjoy a night out. Also, I hear Alex Scott is stopping by.”

“No way!” you exclaimed and Beth nodded. “Of course I’ll be there.”

Leah glared daggers at Beth as she walked past the two of you. Leah doted on you before you went out, almost like a warning to the other girls not to come near you. It wasn’t aggressive really, so it wasn’t picked up that well. All that meant to the other girls was that they needed to up their game. You had noticed Leah becoming slightly more possessive since that morning. Leah gave you her extra hair tie to wear on your wrist and had taken your wristband to wear out onto the field.

“It’ll be cute,” Leah said, giving you a quick kiss. She wasn’t normally one for PDA, but you appreciated it. Leah was a little off her entire game and outright refused to pass Beth the ball. You thought it was a bit ridiculous from the goal, but you didn’t mention it. Danielle scored a goal and then ran all the way back to you for a celebration.

“Dancing partner?” Danielle asked and you nodded. “Great!”

That was a mistake on your part. Leah was against you going out with the team, especially when she found out that Beth had invited you out. Still, you went and dragged Leah along with you. She had tried to dance with you as much as possible, but eventually was sort of sick of dancing. You took a break to get a drink and then Danielle dragged you out and onto the dance floor.

She didn’t necessarily dance with you, but rather on you. Leah immediately noticed this and clenched her fists at the sight of it in anger. Danielle kept dancing on you and after a couple minutes, Leah went over and wedged her way in. Danielle just laughed and subtly signaled the secret weapon over. It was over whenever Alex Scott joined the mix. Alex slipped in behind Leah, effectively blocking your girlfriend out. Alex turned around and slipped her arms around your neck. You looked up to see what was happening and immediately started blushing at the close proximity to your idol.

“Hey, no!” Leah yelled. She moved Alex back and pulled you away from both of them. She made a show of kissing you in front of everybody. She pulled away and stormed off. You followed after her and your Arsenal teammates followed after you.

“Leah, please stop!” Leah stopped at your plea and turned to face you.

“Am I not enough for you?” Leah asked, tears in her eyes. You shook your head and pulled her towards you. “Why do you keep running off with everyone else then?”

“I’m not. Emma asked me to go to coffee with her, so I did. Beth invited me out, I wouldn’t have come if you didn’t with me honestly. I promised Danielle a dance after her goal,” you said and Leah was waiting for an explanation for Alex. You honestly didn’t have one, you didn’t know what that was about. “I’m sorry if I made you feel bad at all. Come on, let’s go back to the hotel. I dragged you out here, I think it’s fair that we leave when you want to.”

“Before you guys go, we’re sorry. We were just trying to see how jealous we could make Leah,” Beth said and Leah looked like she was about to kill them. You decided to defuse the situation before it could escalate anymore and just pushed Leah down the sidewalk.

“I’m gonna kill them,” Leah muttered as she leaned against your side. She was being very touchy, which was your favorite bit of her being possessive. She had been through the watching you, anger, and sadness to get to the clingy part you rarely got to experience. “I’m sorry for causing a scene.”

“It’s fine, that’s not a scene. Fifteen more seconds of Alex dancing on me and there would have been a scene,” you said and Leah had to admit you were right.

“We’d be banned from Manchester,” Leah laughed.

[momentofmemory]

FICTOBER 2020 - day thirteen

Prompt #13: “I missed this.”

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Characters: Scott McCall, Alan Deaton

Words: 1420

Author’s Note: Scott & Deaton have a quiet afternoon in the clinic, and maybe talk about hard things, maybe just talk about cats. Post 5B. Scott McCall POV. Read the extended version (3k) on Ao3.

>> administered twice, daily

Scott doesn’t have a proper shift at the clinic until a full week after all the loose ends with Beast are tied up.

He knows it’s been—a lot, to say the least—but he doesn’t realize how on edge he’s been until he walks in the back door, fifteen minutes early, and immediately sags in relief at the sight of the Doctor calmly filling out prescriptions.

He’s still here.

The Doc must notice his reaction, because he lays his pen down on the clipboard and moves his full attention to him. “Something the matter?”

“Hm? Oh, no. I just…” Scott shrugs, heading to the cabinet to pull out the disinfectant and scrubbing brush for the dog cages. “…I missed this.”

“Had I known cleaning out the cages was so important to you, I could have added it more regularly to your daily tasks.”

Scott laughs. “No, that’s okay, you super don’t need to do that. I just meant… this.”

“Ah.” Deaton’s expression softens. “I believe I know what you mean.”

It’s not much of an opening, but the second it presents itself, Scott can’t help it.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he says, before he can think better of it. He knows the Doctor usually prefers to leave this kind of thing unacknowledged, but—the sting of almost losing his pack, thanks in large part to a lack of communication, is still too close.

Deaton, who’d only just begun writing again, pauses. “If it’s any consolation, I rather thought I’d lost me as well. Remind me to thank Malia again for her timely appearance.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t find you,” Scott says. “You shouldn’t—you shouldn’t have had to go through that alone.”

“Thank you,” Deaton says. He sets the clipboard down on the desk and moves to the next one. “Though as I understand it, I almost lost you as well.”

Deaton gives a significant look towards the center of Scott’s chest, and even though it’s been several days since it fully healed, his muscles still clench painfully.

Scott swallows. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m fine now.”

“Now, yes,” Deaton agrees. “But not then.”

Scott remembers words like knives, twisting in the pouring rain; a superhuman strength, powered solely through its hatred of him; claws piercing his heart, left to bleed out all alone.

He’s forgiven them now—or at least, two of them—but he’s still not sure which ultimately cut deeper.

“Who told you,” Scott says, his voice small.

“Once again, I find myself indebted to Malia. She seemed quite worried.”

Scott hears the implicit ‘I was worried, too,’ loud and clear in his statement, and it makes him feel equal parts gratified and guilty.

“I don’t…” Scott bites his lip and looks at the floor. No lying. “…I know. There’s just… a lot to fix. I don’t even know where to get started.”

“Hm.” The Doc taps his pen thoughtfully against the page, then slips it into his jacket pocket and tucks the clipboard under his arm. “Would you mind bringing Sophie to the examination room? I think it’s about time for her insulin injection.”

Scott arches his eyebrows, surprised by the sudden change of topic, but familiar enough with his mentor to not take offense. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

He sets the cleaning supplies down and heads to the backroom. There, he pauses briefly to say hello to Felix—the American Wirehair cat that finds himself in trouble more often than not—and then locates the maine coon in one of the cages on the right wall, coaxing her out with minimal difficulty.

Deaton’s already waiting for him when he brings Sophie into the main room, the air drawn into the needle and needle puncturing the upsidedown medicine bottle, so Scott dislodges Sophie’s claws from his shirt and sets her down on the table without comment.

“Hold her steady, please.”

Scott buries his hand gently into the fur on Sophie’s back, scratching her under the chin with his other hand to help relax her into a lying position.

Being a vet assistant, as it happens, mostly involves an absurd amount of holding—holding forms, holding doors, holding pets.

Sophie purrs and butts her head against Scott’s hand, seeking out his touch.

Holding pets is most definitely his favorite part.

“She seems very calm.”

Scott glances up—the Doc seems unconcerned as he draws the insulin into the syringe, correctly measuring the dosage with a speed and assurance that always amazes him.

“I don’t have to do much.” Scott gives Sophie a few extra scritches. “She’s pretty good at behaving herself, as long as she gets enough attention.”

“Very true,” Deaton says, tapping the syringe against his fingernail to release the air bubbles. “But nonetheless, I remember how your presence made those of the felis genus rather unnerved when you were first bitten.”

Scott smiles at the memory. “Yeah, the whole cat section went crazy. I thought I was crazy.”

“It certainly did seem that way,” Deaton agrees. “It took several weeks for you to learn how to approach them without causing a stir.”

“I honestly thought you were going to fire me over it.”

Deaton nods and Scott inches his hands further away from the intended injection site. Sophie remains placid as the needle pierces her quadriceps muscle, the Doctor only moving his thumb over the depressor once the syringe is secured.

“That would truly have been a waste,” Deaton says, administering the insulin and then removing the needle in one smooth motion. “I had every confidence you would figure it out.”

Scott runs his hand through Sophie’s fur, checking for any liquid in case the dosage didn’t take, while Deaton disposes of the needle. Once satisfied, he gives her another scratch behind the ears.

“Good girl,” he says, scooping her up off the examination table and tucking her against his chest.

Deaton returns, giving Sophie a quick neck rub as well. “Thank you, Scott. You can take her back now.”

Scott slides off the chair he’d been perched on, careful not to dislodge the cat, and carries her back to the overnight room.

He’s struck, this time, by how little of a reaction there is. There are over a dozen cats in the room, all at various stages of alertness, but none of them so much as tense at his presence.

He hovers there for a moment, Sophie’s contented purrs vibrating through his chest, a gentle reminder that his ribcage is whole and his lungs unbruised. He closes his eyes and breathes.

He hears the soft footfall of the Doctor’s gait as he comes up behind him. It’s comforting, unlike the sound of the Doctors that had been haunting him and his pack for the past few months.

Deaton rests a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s been my experience,” he says, “that things that seem insurmountable at the time often turn into simply another part of life, once we’ve had enough space to work them out.”

A shudder runs through him, but Sophie just cuddles closer to his chest. He opens his eyes and marvels at her, thinking of how impossible the act would’ve been two years ago.

“How,” he manages, before he stops again.

Deaton doesn’t seem to mind. “Well, you can’t ignore them. I think we have more than enough evidence to demonstrate the futility of that approach.”

Scott winces, but the words are said in empathy, not judgement. Sophie wriggles impatiently in his arms, so Deaton unlocks her cage for him, and he gently lets her go.

Deaton smiles at the cat as he closes the door. “She’ll need to keep receiving the insulin shots twice daily, but she’s doing quite well. Her glycemic control is excellent for how long she’s been diagnosed.”

Scott kneels down to watch Sophie play with the cat toy in her cage, blissfully unaware of the conversation pertaining to her. “You think it’ll go away?”

“It might,” Deaton says. “Remission is certainly possible at this point, provided she’s properly supported and continues her treatment. But regardless, even if it doesn’t, those things will still do more than enough to allow her to live a long and happy life chasing mice and chewing furniture.”

Scott snorts, and watches the cat a moment longer.

“Support and daily treatment,” he repeats.

“Yes,” Deaton says. “That should set Sophie up quite nicely.”

Deaton straightens and walks over to the door, holding it open in invitation. “Coming?”

Scotts stands, and brushes off his jeans.

“Yeah. I’m coming.”

[lovinlikeloki]

The Lone Wolf

Masterlist // 04

Warnings: Swearing

Word Count: 2.4k

King T'Challa agreed to let us stay here for a few days so that we can both recover from our fight and figure out our next move. Rogers, however, told us not to take too long, T'Challa is being very benevolent and we shouldn't risk our safety or the cleanliness of his reputation.

We've already discussed vague ideas of where we're going and who with. Splitting up is obviously the best idea, divide and conquer, and all that. Clint and Scott are going back to their families, with any luck they'll be able to negotiate for some sort of house arrest deal, but it won't be so easy for the rest of us.

The captain and Wilson are planning on sticking together, maybe go through Europe. Romanoff is planning on doing her own thing, as she usually does. Wanda is also planning on Europe, and with any hope she'll take me with her. We're still a bit awkward after our conversation in the bedroom but we're just kinda pretending it never happened. Right now I'm just discussing my plans with Wanda.

"What's your plans Fi?" she asks me.

"I was hoping to come with you Wands," I reply.

"No, absolutely not. That is not happening."

"Why the hell not? I can't go home; they have my information! And I don't want to hear the lecture that Shéa and Erin will have planned, they aren't my parents, not after they disowned me, but as legal guardians they'll have been informed."

"But Fia-"

"But nothing! I can't go back. They'll have talked to Orlaith by now, everyone knows she's my best friend. Not only that, but someone will have pointed them in Eoghan's direction and I especially can't endanger the pub. That is Eoghan's job, all the mercs' jobs, and I'm not going to take that away from them."

"Fianna I just want you to have a normal life. To be a normal teenager!"

"But I can't! Don't you get that? Ever since the damn experiments I can't be a normal teenager. My DNA has been ripped apart and rewritten, I'm not even human anymore. I'm not normal... and I never will be, not again."

"Well... I- I have an idea. Look you're not gonna like it but-"

"No."

"But I didn't even-"

"You just said I'm not gonna like it."

"Just listen Fianna," Wanda pleads.

"Fine. Go ahead," I roll my eyes.

"There's somewhere you can go. You'll be able to negotiate terms and you will be able to lead a somewhat normal life, wolf and all."

"It better not be-"

"Yes, it's Tony Stark."

"No. No way. There is no way I'm going to him of all people for help."

"Fianna please. He'll help you."

"No. He's the reason- Look Wanda, he's not in my good books. He wasn't before, and he sure as hell isn't now. Not after... not after last year."

"He can help you. He knows what you mean to me, what you meant to both of us. I've forgiven him, it's time that you do too," Wanda reasons.

"But he killed-" I trail off, tears starting to roll down my cheeks, "He's responsible for-"

Wanda moves closer, rubbing my back, letting me lean my head on her shoulder, "I know Fia, I know. He didn't though. He might've created Ultron, but he was trying to stop him too. He never meant for anyone to get hurt. Especially not Pi-"

"Don't," I jerk my head up, "No- na habair ainm s'aige! Ní dúirt- Ní dúirt mé é ó a bhfuair sé bás. Le do thoil— Wanda please."

(don't say his name! I haven't said— I haven't said it since he died. Please-)

"Okay, I won't say his name. But you won't even begin to move on, you won't begin to heal until you accept that he's gone."

I move back from her, shaking my head, "But he can't be. He just can't be gone. I already told you, he was my everything. I'm lost without him."

"But you weren't lost before him drăga, were you?" Wanda tries to reason with me.

(Darling)

"No," I wipe my tears away, "No I wasn't... but that was before all of this. Before the experiments. Before these powers. Before I met him. I can try to move on, I can, and say that maybe with time I do. But I'll always come back to him. Always love him. Always love him first. Before whoever I'm with. Whoever I marry. Whoever is the parent of my kids. They'll always be second best."

"I know, volk, I know," Wanda cradles my face in her hands, "But you will love again, maybe not as much, but you will," she wipes the tears still streaming down my face, "And while it won't be as strong it will still be as real. And no matter who it is, you know he'd be proud. You know that, right?"

(Wolf)

I nod my head, her hands moving with it before engulfing her in a hug. Wanda wraps her arms around my upper back and my head, soothing me like she did way back when. We stay like that for a minute or two and though it was a while before we pulled away it still felt too quick.

"And I'll always be here for you, fetiţa mea. Now, let's not dwell on the past, or on the future. Let us spend our time here making good memories, yeah?" Wanda smiles at me.

(My baby girl)

"Yeah," I breath, smiling back at her.

° ∆ -------- ••• ------- ∆ ° ∆ -------- ••• ------- ∆ °

I'm currently in Shuri's lab looking at all the cool tech she's made. She knows my skills and intellect and thought it would be cool if I got to look over her stuff and maybe even add stuff to it.

I get to browse the countertops with everything on them, the thing that sparks my interest most is the kimoyo beads. They are so freakin' cool.

I mean these thing can scan things, help heal people, control Wakandan tech, and they even make frickin' holograms! How cool is that?

"Ah, I see you've found the kimoyo beads," Shuri smiles when she sees them in my hand.

"Yeah, the tech is amazing, I mean I wouldn't even know where to begin making something like this. It's honestly incredible," I gush.

"Well, I could teach you how get started on advanced tech like this id you'd like," Shuri offers and I beam.

"Seriously?"

"Of course, I trust you, besides you're definitely capable."

"Okay then," I smile, "Where do we begin Múinteoir Shuri?"

(Teacher <prefix>)

Shuri then begins to teach me some little tips and tricks for basic tech that makes much more advanced in the long run. Just add an extra circuit here or just alter one you've already got and it takes your shit to a whole new level. Shuri might only be a little older than me but she's got some damn good skills.

She also asks me for suggestions for the new Panther Habit for T'Challa's new role as Black Panther. I give small ideas here and there but one that sticks is taking the shock absorbance to another level, redistributing the energy and making the shoes silent.

Its really nice to work with someone with Shuri's level of intelligence, she's like one of the smartest in the world. It's definitely better than the eejits (idiots) at school that I have to work with. While I'm nowhere near her level it's still good to be able to work with someone that knows what you're about to say before you even get the words out.

° ∆ -------- ••• ------- ∆ ° ∆ -------- ••• ------- ∆ °

After spending time in the labs with Shuri I go to the rest of the team. I'm kind of an outsider to them, they don't really know me and I don't really know them. I decide to try and approach one of them to try and... I don't know, bond? Or just become less of a stranger at least. I decide to go for who I deem the most approachable, Natasha Romanoff.

Now I know that you may think I'm crazy, thinking the easiest to approach is the fierce Black Widow, but my reasoning is somewhat solid. Romanoff was trained to read the room, read people and therefore she probably knows more about me than she lets on. We also share a somewhat similar background which while I wouldn't use as bonding material it means she can probably relate.

I sit down next to her and wait for her to make the first move, that way I won't force interaction and she can leave if the idea of it bothers her.

"Hey kid," Natasha begins.

"Hey," I reply.

"So, you're the kid Wanda always talks about," Natasha says absentmindedly.

"I guess I am. Wanda talks about me?"

"Oh all the time. She loves to talk about her little sister, the Volchitsa."

(She-wolf)

"Yeah... the irony of it all is almost comical."

"What irony," Natasha questions and I realise I hadn't explained.

"It's just my name," I shake my head, "Fianna, it's an Irish name. It has many meanings behind it depending on where you look, but the direct translation is what's funny."

"And why's it funny?" Natasha quirks an eyebrow.

"Because, what could be better for the girl who's a wolf than a name that means deer?"

Natasha nods, a small smile on her lips, "I do see the irony there. A predator named after her prey. But the Volchitsa is a good strong name, names are powerful things."

"They used to call me the Wölfin in HYDRA, another she-wolf nickname, this time in German, it was becoming feared. Black Widow is a strong name, also scary. A good name for a skilled agent though, the spider who eats her mate."

(She-wolf)

"I didn't get to choose that name," Natasha tells me, "It was chosen for me when I was even younger than you."

"Oh, I- I'm sorry," I stammer.

"Don't be. As you said, it's another strong name, a scary one too. The important thing is that the name Black Widow was once feared for bad reasons, now it's welcomed for good ones. Wölfin was feared because she was strong and could be used for bad reasons, use that or pick your own name that can be welcomed because she can use her skills for good."

I nod my head, slightly in thought, "I've had many names since getting my powers, Wölfin by HYDRA, Volchitsa by the twins, and back home the mercs, they called me an Mac Tíre. Again it means wolf, but this time in Irish, it feels more me but I can't use it anymore. Not if I'm going where Wanda wants me to."

"As I said, names are powerful. Having too many doesn't have to be a bad thing, it gives you options, I've had many aliases in my time, Natalia Alianova Romanova, Natalie Rushman, Nadia Roberts. It means that you can be whoever you want."

"...That's inspiring. Wölfin was a weapon, a child soldier, not someone I wanna be."

"Then don't be. Volchitsa was who the twins saw you as. A fluffball that they needed to protect," Natasha points out.

"Not her either, I'm different, I've changed since the twins- since Wanda last knew me," I correct myself but Natasha knows my slip up, she does, however, not bring it up.

"That currently leaves you with Mactíre."

"Yeah, the mercenary with a bite. I wasn't the only young merc but I'm the most memorable back home. Mactíre isn't feared per se, but she's respected and dangerous but kind, fiercely loyal."

"That sounds like someone I'd wanna be."

I look her in the eyes and can tell she's genuine, of course she is. The Mactíre is a good person, or at least she is now, her past isn't so good, a lot bloodier than it is now, but she's different. Natasha's right when she says that names have power. Mactíre is who I am now, maybe if I change again I'll use a newer name, or not, maybe I'll be a Mactíre mark II.

"Thanks Natasha, that means a lot," I tell her.

She nods before asking a question, "What did you mean when you said you couldn't be Mactíre where Wanda wants you to go?"

I internally sigh, I slipped up, she's Romanoff of course she didn't let it slide.

"I- Wanda wants me to go to Stark when we split. She thinks that he'll protect me and let me be normal. But he won't, he only protects himself."

"That's not true you know. That's actually the reason he signed the accords, he thinks we need to be put in check or we'll lose more lives than we save."

"Is that really the reason?" I quirk an eyebrow, "Or did someone say something and he feels the need to cover his ass?"

"That I can't answer. But he would protect you Fianna, he protected Wanda when Sokovia happened."

"Maybe, maybe he won't since I helped Steve. All I know is that he's hurt people I love and I don't forgive easy. Loyal remember? Fiercely loyal."

Natasha ponders what I've said for a moment before carefully choosing her words. "You make points, but I believe that he'll do the right thing. It'd be good for both of you, you'd get closure for the one's he's hurt and he'll get to face the consequences of his actions like he wants to. Besides, if you need somewhere to lay low I might now somewhere you can stay for a bit until you sum up the courage to face him."

"I- really?" I ask, unsure of whether or not she's kidding.

"Really," she confirms.

"Why?"

"I know what it's like to have to face something... especially your past, you need to build up to it."

"Thank you Natasha."

[duchessfics]

Winter/Holiday Prompts with Sarah Paulson’s Characters

A/n: It’s finally here! Merry (late) Christmas/Happy Holidays if you celebrate. I’m just going to warn you these are longer than I intended (at least 2000 words) [also it’s like 4:45 am where I live and I’m a little sleep deprived so sorry for spelling/grammar errors] but hopefully that’s okay? Also I put these in the order that I imagine them occurring. Hopefully that isn’t too confusing. I based all of these off of Xmas prompts from @veronicabunchwrites​ and her list “Winter Writing Prompts” I’ll be sure to include the prompt for each one. These turned out a lot better than I imagined and I have enjoyed reading/writing these. Ok, without any further ado, here are my winter/holiday themed fics...

(https://ayyariana.tumblr.com/post/167259102410)

94. You overhear my ex mocking me for being single at a holiday party and introduce yourself as my SO with a kiss on the cheek, but we’ve never spoken before.

You begin to wrap up your work when one of your co-workers comes up and asks, “Are you planning to come to the holiday party tonight?” You shake your head, looking to some paperwork that needs filing as you answer, “I’m not much of a party person to be honest.” She goes quiet for a moment before saying, “Oh, um, I thought you were…so I promised a couple of my friends that you could be the designated driver for us…you know, since you can’t drink.” That makes you look to her and say, “Wait, what?” She puts on a friendly smile and asks, “Could you come to the holiday party tonight? Please I promise I’ll make it up to you if you drive us.” She makes a pouty face and you bite your lip, taking a moment to decide. Then you hesitantly say, “I-I guess I could come.” She grins and chirps, “Thank you so much! I owe you one.” You give a half-hearted smile and get back to your work, already dreading this party.

You bring your car to the different ladies’ houses to bring them to the party and each one thanks you personally. Then once you get to the office building, all of you walk in together and order some dinner to eat. Of course, they order drinks as well, but you stick with water. Within minutes, some of the men in your department come over and mingle with the ladies, taking seats beside them. So, you pretty much keep to yourself as you eat your dinner giving the occasional smile to anyone who makes eye contact. And honestly you struggle to hear anyone over the music that’s playing.  

After dinner you feel like your skin is crawling with nerves. The music feels louder, the room feels warmer, and you can’t seem to look anywhere without having to converse with someone. So even though you’re not really hungry, you decide to walk over to the dessert table to burn off some excess energy. There’s a crowd around the table, but you manage to slide past people to see what’s being offered. You look over the different cakes, brownies, pies, and cookies and decide on some simple chocolate chip cookies. But you nearly have a heart attack when you see your ex-boyfriend at the other side of the dessert table. He wears a designer suit as usual and speaks with some of the other men in his department, a confident smirk on his face. You used to find that confidence attractive as he is older than you and was the first person you had sex with. But now he just frightens you. “Shit.” You hiss and snatch a napkin for the cookies. Then you quickly step away, looking over your shoulder to see where he’s at.

However, you get stopped by running into someone and look up to see it’s your ex, Scott. Immediately your eyes widen, and you back up a little as he smirks and says, “Y/n, long time no see.” You struggle to speak, but stutter out, “S-sorry about that. I-I should get back.” Then you begin to walk past him, but he catches your arm and says, “Wait, there’s someone I want you to meet.” You look to the hand holding you and silently plead for him to let you go, but don’t want to cause a scene. Every time you look at his face or you feel him touch you, you remember everything you shared, and it feels like a punch in the gut each time. But you force yourself to bear it, knowing the sooner you admit he’s better off than you the sooner he’ll leave you alone. So, you come back and he calls over a woman who wears a nice designer dress. She smiles at you and your ex says, “This is my girlfriend, Stacy. She works with me in my department.” You give the best smile you can muster and before you can say anything, he continues, “Stacy is one of the best workers I’ve met.” That makes her giggle and say, “Scott.” He kisses her cheek like he used to do with you, making you look down. Do not cry right now. You can do that at home, but don’t let this asshole see you cry.

But his piercing comments continue, “Her experience is exceptional in all senses,” giving her a wink as she smiles and blushes, “and she is wise beyond her years.” You give an obligatory smile and say, “I wish you both the best. It’s nice to meet you, Stacy.” But Scott stops you again by asking, “Did you come here with someone?” Your face flushes with embarrassment and he chuckles before gloating, “Oh, of course you didn’t. I’m surprised you were even invited though, considering you’re merely an intern.” Your eyes widen and you can’t speak, scared you’ll start to cry. Your breathing quickens and you feel a panic attack quickly coming on. But his cutting remarks continue as he tells Stacy, “Y/n got a little too high and mighty after dating me and thought she could get any position she wished.” Then he looks to you with an icy smile and murmurs, “But now your right back where you actually belong.” The remark makes you gasp and your eyes well up. Even Stacy looks a little uncomfortable, but lets out an awkward laugh. But the moment gets interrupted by a woman saying, “There you are, honey.”

All three of you turn to see Ally Mayfair Richards walk up to you and she leans in to peck your cheek before murmuring, “I’ve been looking all over for you.” Your mouth is gaped in shock and you can’t seem to speak, but she gives you a wink and you follow where her eyes land to see your ex suddenly looking like how you felt earlier. So, you clear your throat and rasp, “I-I was getting dessert and…I—ran into some colleagues.” Ally gives you a reassuring smile and says, “Of course.” Then she turns to them and says hello to Stacy before greeting Scott. He looks to be sweating bullets and after a cordial hello, he slinks off to bother someone else.

 Ally takes your hand, making you realize your whole body trembles. Then she quietly says, “How about we go somewhere a little quieter.” You look to the floor and nod, not trusting your voice. And you keep your head bowed as you pass people, enter the elevator, and walk to her private office. She lets go of you and says, “Feel free to sit on the couch. It’s remarkably comfortable.” You venture to look up and say, “M-miss Richards, you don’t have to do all of this for me. I’m really not worth the trouble.” She pours water from a dispenser into a cup and says, “Please call me Ally. And it’s no trouble, honey. Let’s just have a glass of water. That will give you some time to calm down.” So, you sit on her couch, noting how comfortable it really is and she brings over a glass of water for you.

You softly thank her, and she sits beside you, drinking a glass of water as well. You both keep quiet and Scott’s comments run through your mind as you remember how you once trusted him with everything. Your heart pounds and you still tremble, feeling yourself slip at her compassion. Ally’s voice interrupts your thoughts as she says, “This quiet is nice after being in the party so long.” You nod, but your eyes well up and a choked sob escapes your throat. You feel your emotions overflowing and you look to her before saying, “I-I’m sorry, I should leave.” And more tears fall out of your eyes. You feel your panic come on and wish to hide in a corner. She takes the water from you and soothes, “Don’t be sorry, honey.” You shake your head and hide your face in your hands as you begin to cry.

Ally scoots a little closer and asks in a soft and quiet voice as if speaking to a skittish animal, “Do you mind if I place my hand on your back? I don’t want to make things worse.” You shake your head and whimper, “I-It’s ok. You won’t make things w-worse.” She carefully rests her hand on your back and rubs it in slow, gentle circles as you continue to cry and gasp for air in a panicked way. She soothes, “I’m here for you, honey. Please let me help you.” You look to her and stutter, “I d-don’t want to get my makeup on you.” She shakes her head and murmurs, “Don’t worry about that, honey. That won’t bother me at all.” So, you fall into her embrace, crying into her shoulder. While you expect her to recoil or call you disgusting for getting your tears and runny nose on her clothes, she merely rubs your back and murmurs, “Try to take deep breaths. If it helps you can match your breathing with mine.” You nod and close your eyes, focusing on her breath and making yourself sync up with her. As your cries get quieter, you hear Ally’s heartbeat and focus on that as well.

Once your tears stop falling and you can breathe normally you whimper, “I’m so sorry, Ally. I didn’t mean to have an outburst like that.” She gently shushes you, still rubbing your back as she murmurs, “You have every right to be upset. The things Scott said to you were cruel.” You nod, but still keep your face hidden, humiliated and regretting even agreeing to be the designated driver. Ally’s soothing voice brings you back as she says, “If it helps, my ex-wife didn’t treat me the kindest either.” You back up from her a little to look at her face and you say, “I bet you were stronger than me though.” She smiles and uses her thumbs to wipe away the excess tears as she murmurs, “Oh, sweetheart, I had a horrible time with it. But it made me stronger and helped me to realize my self-worth.” Her thumbs feel so soft and warm and you only see sincerity in her warm, brown eyes. She removes her hands from your face before saying, “You’re an intern in…public relations, right? Isn’t it y/n?” You nod, noticing the wet spot you left on her dress and cringing a little, sure you look like a complete mess. But she pays no mind, her brows furrowed as she says, “For some reason I don’t remember your name being on the guest list. But I’ve been so busy I probably just forgot.” That makes you look to your lap and shake your head.

You keep looking down as you admit, “I wasn’t on the guestlist. I didn’t plan to come until this afternoon when a couple of my friends asked me to be their designated driver since I can’t drink with the medications I take. So, I came at the last minute.” She calmly says, “I’m glad you came.” Making you look up to her, shocked. No one has ever said that to you except for…Scott. But this feels different. It feels genuine and authentic. She smiles and continues, “Although I hope this didn’t ruin your Christmas spirit.” You shake your head and reply, “I’m already a little high-strung this time of year, but this didn’t ruin my Christmas.” You both go quiet, looking around and Ally quietly admits, “I don’t know about you, but I would love to just stay hidden up here.” That makes you giggle and feel relieved someone else feels the same way you do. You verbally agree, “That would be nice.” Ally looks to you and says, “Well how about you tell me a little bit more about yourself and we can stay up here until your friends are ready to leave?” You nod and reply with a shy grin, “I would like that very much.” So you share a little bit more about yourself and by the time your friends text you about leaving, you feel much better and are glad you came tonight.

33. We don’t know each other that well, but I found out that you’ve never been sledding and I feel like it’s my personal mission to change that.

You wake up to a thick layer of snow over everything, causing frost to cover your window. While you are tempted to curl further under your covers, your younger sisters call out about the snow, already making plans about what to do. As they eat and get ready, your mother looks to you and says, “Could you take these dresses over to Bette and Dot for me, sweetheart? I also made a coat for them as well.” You pick up the box of items and answer, “Yep.” She thanks you and you put on your boots and coat before stepping outside. When Bette and Dot moved in next door, they definitely stuck out in your small town. However, you and your family tried to make them feel welcome and as you got to know each other Bette and Dot began to open up to you all. So, you walk to their home with a spring in your step and before you can even knock, Bette and Dot open the door.

You smile and say, “I’ve got your dresses and my mom also made a winter coat for you both.” They back up to let you in and as you step in, Dot says, “You didn’t need to do this for us.” You stomp the snow off of your boots and say, “Oh Dot, you’re too modest. You never put me or my family out. I love to help you both.” That makes both of them blush and Bette lets out a small giggle. You hand them the box and say, “My mom wanted to ask if you would be willing to try one on to make sure she has the measurements right. If not, she can alter it.” You watch them set the box on their table and lift the top up. Bette gasps, bringing a hand to her mouth while Dot’s eyes widen and she stutters out, “T-these are beautiful.” Bette brushes her fingers over the material and purrs, “And so warm too.” You smile and say, “I’m glad you like them.” After flipping through each one, they pick out the ruby red wool dress and Bette says, “We’ll be back in a minute.” You give her a wink and reply, “I look forward to it.”

When they come out it’s your turn to gasp and you say, “You both look stunning. Does it feel comfortable?” They both have beaming smiles and Bette drawls, “It fits like a glove.” You match their grins and say, “I’m glad.” Then you pause before looking down and saying, “Well I guess I should head back. I promised to go sledding with my sisters.” Bette pipes up and says, “Dot and I have never gone sledding before.” Earning a pointed look from Dot. You gasp and say, “Oh my goodness! I keep forgetting that this is your first-time seeing snow.” Then you come up and gently take their hands before murmuring, “Please let me take you sledding. We have plenty of hats, gloves, and scarves to keep you both warm.” Bette pleadingly looks to Dot, her brown eyes wide and Dot looks to you as she says, “Ok.” You let out a sound of excitement and say, “If you come with me, I can get you some accessories.” You help them into their new coat and hold Dot’s hand in yours as you walk down the makeshift path to your house.

You open the door for them and see your two older sisters all bundled up to play in the snow while your mother helps out the youngest, tying her hat and scarf close to keep her warm. The sound makes her look up and she gives Bette and Dot a smile before murmuring, “Good morning, girls.” They both smile and shyly reply, “Good morning.” You gesture to their clothing and say, “Don’t they look perfect?” She finishes the tie and stands up as she replies, “They do. How do you feel, Bette and Dot?” They both grin and Dot says, “These are the nicest clothes Bette and I have ever owned. Your skills are exceptional.” Your mother chuckles and replies, “You’re too kind. I’m glad you like them so much.” She then helps you find things for Bette and Dot to wear before you step out into the snow with your sisters.

This time you hold Bette’s hand and see she blushes, but smiles at you, biting her lip. Your sisters dash ahead of you and begin to sled down the hill, disappearing with happy cheers. As the three of you walk up to the steep hill, you watch your sisters slide further and further away until they look to be tiny. “You’re sure this is safe?” Bette asks. You giggle and reply, “I promise it is. I have gone down this hill for years and have never been injured.” They both give you small smiles, but their doubtful brown eyes betray their skepticism. Once your sisters all make it back up the hill, the oldest of the three hands off the toboggan sled. You thank her and say to Bette and Dot, “I’ll help you on.” They both take your hands and you help them sit down on the sled. Once they are seated you ask, “Comfortable?” They both look nervous, but nod.

You give them a reassuring smile and soothe, “It will be fun. I promise.” Then you climb on behind them and keep close as you murmur, “And I’ll keep you safe.” Bette quickly takes your hand, using it as a make-shift restraint as you use your feet to move the sleigh closer to the drop. After a couple pushes, the sled begins to move and you drop down the steep hill, speeding off. Bette screams and Dot snatches your arm, holding in a steel grip. You giggle and say, “Hang on!” and as you keep going, they begin to laugh with you. Eventually you slow to a stop and all three of you catch your breath from the adrenaline rush. You recover first, standing up and holding out your hands to help them stand. Both pairs of their cheeks are rosy red and their eyes glimmer with unshed tears from the wind coming at you all so fast. You give them a smile and ask, “Did you like it?” They stand up and both of them giggle as Bette begins, “That was,” and both of them say, “amazing.” You let out a cheer and say, “Good. I’m glad you liked it.” Then you take the toboggan reins in one hand and Dot’s hand in the other to begin walking back up the hill.

As you make the trek, your sisters continue to sled down the hill. However, once you get to the steeper part, Dot’s foot slips making her gasp and try not to fall back. Immediately you pull them close to you in an effort to keep them stable and say, “It’s ok. I’ve got you.” Your face is inches from both of their faces, and you murmur, “I’ll keep you safe.” With a smile on your lips. Dot grants you a genuine smile, making your stomach flutter and the guarded look in her eyes begins to crumble. You keep both of them close as you finish your ascent and ask them, “You up for round 2?”

After a couple hours, your mother calls out, “Dinner!” and you all trudge back to the house with heavy feet. Your mother helps the younger ones out of their snow clothes and you and the next oldest place all of the wet items on a line to dry near the radiator. Your mother then looks to Bette and Dot as she says, “I set 2 spots for you both as well. I figured you were probably hungry as well.” They shrug off their coat, carefully hanging it as Dot says, “Thank you.” Once all of your layers are off, everyone moves to the dining room, eating a generous amount of food after being outside for so long. However, as your mother begins to clear the dishes, she looks out the window and says, “Um, Bette and Dot?” They both look up and she says, “It’s snowing like crazy out there and I don’t feel comfortable sending you out in that mess. Would you mind staying here for the night?” You all look out the window only to see a thick layer of white snow blowing around and Bette says, “Yes. That would probably be best.” And both of them see your little grin at the thought of them spending the night.

Then your mother asks, “Are you alright sleeping on our couch bed? If not, I can sleep in the living room. I don’t want you to hurt your back.” Dot gives her a polite smile and replies, “We’ll be just fine on the couch bed. Thank you.” So, you grab some bedding for it and all of you go to the living room where it is a little warmer. You go up to the fireplace and add another log, stoking the fire to keep it warm. Then Bette and Dot are gracious enough to play a boardgame with you and your sisters. Meanwhile, your mother works on hand sewing her different garments people have sent to be altered or repaired. And as she does, she hums along to the playing record of the Nutcracker music.

Once the record finishes, she stretches out and says, “I don’t know about you young ladies, but I am in the mood for some…popcorn.” As soon as she says that final word, she is answered with cheers from your younger sisters making her chuckle and say, “I’ll get some for my little snowbirds.” As she works on that, one of your sisters neatly folds the clothes your mother is finished with while the other two clean up and put away the game. You take out a thick quilt and offer to share it with Bette and Dot since there is a slight chill in the air as your heater struggles to keep up. They accept it and the three of you sit on the couch while your sisters turn on the TV, sitting on the floor with a blanket around the three of them.

Once they are immersed in the movie, you lean close to the twins and murmur, “Did you both enjoy today?” Bette smiles and whispers, “Oh, it was so fun.” And Dot nods. You smile and say, “Good.” Shortly after, your mother brings in the popcorn, making your sisters swarm your mother. She chuckles and hands them their bowls first before giving a bowl to you three. You all quietly watch the movie, besides the crunching of popcorn. However, about halfway through the movie, your mother gasps and says, “Oh my. It is way past you girls’ bedtimes. “They look back to her and the oldest says, “But Mama, the movie isn’t done.” She chuckles and says, “Well one is asleep.” That’s when you all look to see the youngest asleep and curled up on the floor.

So, your mother comes up to her and murmurs, “Let’s get you to bed, lovely.” Then she guides the half-awake girl to her bed. By the time she comes back out to the living room, the other two are nearly asleep so she guides them to bed as well. Once she comes back, she resumes her hand sewing as you watch the movie. As you do, you slide your hand over to Bette’s and intertwine your fingers with hers. This makes both of them look to you with wide eyes and you smile as you give their hand a light squeeze.

However, your mother lets out a sigh, making all three of you look to her. She sets down her sewing and yawns as she says, “I think I’m gonna head to bed.” Then she stands up and pulls out something from her finished pile as she says, “I just finished mending this nightgown for you both. So, if you would like something more comfortable, I’ll give this to you.” They thank her and take the nightgown. Then she tells you all goodnight before heading off to her bedroom.

Once she’s gone, you show them the bathroom so they can change and turn off the TV before setting up the couch bed for them. They shyly re-enter the room, shivering a little since the gown is made of a light material. You stoke the fire and say, “If you would like, you can sit close to the fire to get warm. I’ll be back in a minute.” They nod and come close to the fireplace as you walk away to change into your pajamas. You come back into the living room, making both ladies look to you and you give them a smile as you come around to sit by them.

Their faces look even more inviting in the warm light of the fire and you say, “Do either of you need anything?” They shake their heads and Dot murmurs, “You treat us too well.” That makes you smile and bring your hands up to cup their faces, guiding them both to look at you. Then you murmur, “I love treating you both well.” Bette looks to you through her dark lashes and as her cheeks redden, you slowly lean in to kiss her, giving her time to pull away if she wants. But instead she closes the gap, meeting your lips. You shift your hands to cup both sides of her face and gently kiss her, letting her lips cautiously explore yours. When you part from her, you place a light kiss on the tip of her nose, making her giggle and bite her lip.

You smile and give her a wink before looking to Dot who keeps quiet, but her dark eyes betray her longing. So, you take her hand, not wanting to startle her and slowly rub your thumb over her knuckles. As you do, you look to her and softly say, “I won’t promise perfection. But Dot, I truly care for both you and Bette. And I will do everything in my power to make you feel cherished and cared for.” You give her a smile and see she smiles as well but keeps quiet. So, you look down and murmur, “I won’t make you kiss me. I want you to take as much time as you need—”

But she cuts you off with a kiss. You let out a squeak of surprise, making Dot smile against your lips. Then her hand comes up to cup your face. And you feel Bette’s hand come up to cup your face as well. Once you part, all three of you grin and Bette says, “If this is how every snow day is, I never want it to stop snowing.” You giggle and tease, “Oh you think this is good? Just wait until Christmas.” 

(https://kylos.tumblr.com/post/179092578061)

20. I’ve spent the last nine months telling my family about my amazing partner and they just dumped me before the winter break; please be my fake partner.

You sneak downstairs, glad most of the girls are gone for Christmas break since your eyes are red and swollen from crying most of the night. However, one person catches you rummaging around in the kitchen. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” The supreme asks, making you whip around to see her with a look of concern on your face. 

Your bottom lip trembles and you look down, shaking your head. Cordelia walks up to you and pulls you into a hug while murmuring, “Hey, what’s bothering you? You can talk to me.” You sniff back your tears and whimper, “I-it’s my girlfriend. We were supposed to go to a family dinner tonight, b-but she broke up with me to date someone else.” Then you take a breath before saying, “Now I have to go to this dinner and explain my girlfriend of nine months broke up with me. If it weren’t my family, I know they would show concern, but my family will pin the blame on me, and my mother will just get upset with me.” You shake your head and say, “Sorry.” Cordelia pets your hair and says, “Let me get you something to eat.”

You shake your head and stutter, “Y-you don’t have to do that.” She gives you a smile and says, “I’m happy to. You said your mother will get upset with you?” You take a seat and reply, “Yeah. She gets upset at me for, well, anything. It just seems like I can never live up to expectations. For the first time when she found out I was dating someone, she seemed pleased. But now it will only be worse when she finds out what happened.” Cordelia sets a plate of food in front of you and says, “My mother acted the same way.” That makes you look to her and say, “Really?” She smiles and replies, “Yep. She made me feel the same way about never meeting her standards or being a constant disappointment.” You look down and say, “B-but you’re the supreme. I’m—well, I’m no one special.” 

She chuckles, making you look up and murmurs, “I wish you could see me before I became the supreme. It took a long time for me to move beyond what my mother said or did.” Then she pauses before saying, “I’ll make a deal with you. For tonight I’ll act like your girlfriend, give you the night off.” Your eyes widen and you ask, “You would do that for me?” She smiles and murmurs, “I will. You remind me of myself at a younger age and I wish someone would have had my back earlier in my life.”

You come up and hug the supreme before saying, “Thank you.” She chuckles and replies, “You’re welcome.” Then she backs up a little before asking, “So what should I wear as your girlfriend tonight?”

You spend most of the afternoon and evening getting dolled up, making sure your hair is perfectly placed, makeup flawless, and your outfit pressed so your mother can’t find something to pick on. Unfortunately, in an effort to cover the details you run late. So, you rush down the stairs, apologizing to Cordelia as you dash down. However, you shut up and pause when you see how gorgeous she looks. She gives you a smile and you say, “You look…beautiful.” She chuckles and replies, “You look stunning. We make quite the couple.” That makes you smile and you both put on your coats and purses before saying goodbye to Myrtle and heading out to the party.

As you drive into the wintry night, you say to Cordelia, “I don’t know how to phrase this, but my family…well they’re rich. Like, really rich.” She chuckles and replies, “I think I’ll be able to take that on.” You nod and continue, “They like to…keep face. Everyone will be on their best behavior tonight, but they’re the kind of people who will smile to your face and drag your name through the mud as soon as you step away. The supreme smiles and murmurs, “I’ll be okay. I promise.” Then she asks you about your family. You tell her the essential information, but both of you go quiet as you approach a security gate. 

The guard immediately recognizes you and asks how you have been since they’ve last seen you. You reply that you are doing well and introduce Cordelia as your girlfriend. He says hello and lets you into your family’s property.

Once you’re past them, Cordelia says, “Wow. You really are rich.” You nod and already feel yourself withdrawing in self-protection. You park your car among the numerous luxury models and take a deep breath, preparing yourself. She seems to notice and murmurs, “You look breathtaking. I think we make quite the couple.” That makes you grin, and you look to her as you ask, “Really?” She nods and takes your hand before soothing, “I’ll be with you the whole time.” Then you feel the hint of a calming spell and thank her for it. 

You separate to get out of the car, but once you step around, you take her hand as you step up to the massive front door. Before you ring the doorbell, you look to Cordelia and ask, “Ready?” She gives you a smile and replies, “Yep.” Squeezing your hand in reassurance. So, you put a pleasant smile on your face and ring the doorbell.

A doorman answers and greets you before stepping aside to let you in. Cordelia looks around the ornate foyer as he asks, “May I take your coats?” You say yes and Cordelia comes up and helps you shrug off your coat before removing her own. Once you give him your coats, you also hand off your purses. Before he walks away, he says, “Your family is in the sitting room, Miss y/l/n.” You thank him and loop your arm with Cordelia’s before stepping towards the room.

Just as you go to walk in, your younger brother staggers out, clearly tipsy. He grins and says, “Hey, sis.” You steady him with your loose hand and reply, “Hey.” Then you gesture to Cordelia and say, “This is my girlfriend. Cordelia.” Then you look to Cordelia and say, “This is my younger brother, Raymond.” He takes Cordelia’s hand and she murmurs, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He smirks and smoothly replies, “The pleasure is mine.” Before kissing the top of her hand, lingering longer than appropriate and looking up to her with darkened eyes. 

Your eyes narrow and you give him a gentle shove while saying, “I think you missed the part where I said she was my girlfriend.” Cordelia gracefully withdraws her hand and pulls you close while murmuring, “It’s ok, sweetheart. A boy can dream.” You giggle and Cordelia leans in to kiss your temple while he looks on shocked. Then you step past him and enter the sitting room.

A majority of your family members look in your direction and you see the whispers between people beginning already. Fortunately, your father comes up with a smile to greet you. You let go of Cordelia to give him a hug and he squeezes you close. Then you look to Cordelia and say, “Daddy, this is my girlfriend, Cordelia.” He shakes her hand and says, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Cordelia. We didn’t know if she would ever find someone.” You inwardly cringe at the slight remark but keep face. Cordelia chuckles and replies, “She is certainly a diamond in the rough.” Your dad lets out a half laugh before muttering, “Something like that.” 

You ignore his comment and look around while saying, “Do you know where mother is?” He glances around as well and answers, “Oh she’s somewhere around here.” Then he gives you a smile and says, “I’ll let you make your rounds.” Then he looks to Cordelia and says, “It was nice to meet you.” She gives him a smile and replies, “Likewise.” You quickly introduce her to some of your aunts and uncles before walking up to your very pregnant sister.

Before you can ever say anything, she comes up and uses her fingers to poke at your hairstyle while saying, “You’ve got a couple of loose pieces. Let me take care of it.” Your roll your eyes, slightly ducking away as you say, “You really don’t need to do that.” She then smooths the front of your dress down as she huffs, “I’m just taking care of my little sister.” 

You go to introduce her to Cordelia, but she extends her hand and says, “Hi, my name is Candice. You must be my sister’s girlfriend.” Cordelia shakes her hand and pleasantly replies, “Indeed. I’m Cordelia. It’s nice to meet you.” Candice gives a glamorous smile you have always been jealous of and lets go of Cordelia as she says, “It’s nice to meet you too. My sister can’t seem to stop talking about you.” Cordelia chuckles and slides her arm around your waist, effortlessly tucking you into her side as she replies, “I feel the same way about her.” Then she looks to you and asks in your head, Doing alright? You give a reserved smile and silently reply, Yeah, just the usual family stuff. But it’s normal.  

You then say to Candice, “I’ve been looking all over for mother and can’t seem to find her.” She looks around and replies, “Well, I mean you were late. So, she may be occupied at this point since she already said hello to everyone.” You resist the urge to roll your eyes and reply in a voice dripping in sweetness, “Thank you anyways.” She returns the favor, giving you a sweet, but reprimanding smile. Then she looks to Cordelia and shifts to a genuine smile as she says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cordelia.” Cordelia gives you a small squeeze as she murmurs, “Of course. And congratulations.” Gesturing to her melon-like stomach. Candice’s lips form into a proud smirk and she brings her hand up to stroke over her stomach as she replies, “Thank you.” 

You move on and as you walk away, you mutter, “I knew she would do this.” Cordelia pauses and asks, “Do what?” You look to see prying eyes, no doubt ready to report what you say to the matriarch of the family. So you guide her to the table of appetizers while quietly saying, “My mother is purposefully avoiding me to make me chase after her.” Then you start to take a drink as you say, “It’s stupid, but not the first time.” Cordelia gives you a sympathetic smile, but notices your eyes light up for the first time tonight.

You take her hand and say, “There is one person I would love for you to meet.” She smiles and murmurs, “Lead the way.” So, you guide her over to an older woman who sits in the corner, looking less than pleased to be here with a scowl on her face. However, as soon as her eyes land on you, she smiles. You grin and come up, pressing a kiss to her soft cheek. Then you kneel beside her chair and say, “I didn’t know you were coming.” She lets out a sigh and replies, “I didn’t plan to, but your father was adamant. But I am so glad to see you, sweet pea.” You giggle and say, “Nana, this is my girlfriend, Cordelia.” Cordelia comes close and offers her hand while saying, “It’s nice to meet you.” Nana takes it, and her eyes spark as she replies, “It’s nice to meet you too, Cordelia. It’s always good to meet another sister of the coven.” Both of your eyes widen, and you ask, “How did you—”

But her laughter cuts you off and she says, “Her power radiates off of her. Just like you.” Then she waves her hand and soothes, “Don’t worry. No one else would know unless you decide to do something like setting the curtains on fire. Don’t get me wrong, that would liven things up, but you both are wise enough to know the value of secrecy.” You quickly stand up and pull a chair over for Cordelia to sit in before kneeling back at your Nana’s feet, feeling like a little girl again. As the three of you talk amongst yourselves, you begin to feel better and Cordelia notices. However, you lose your voice mid-sentence and stiffen up as your mother stands over you.

She lets out a sharp laugh, making you flinch and says, “Oh don’t stop on account of me. I would hate to ruin your party.” You look down and hear Nana growl, “Jesus Christ, Jaclyn. You haven’t seen the girl all night.” But you take her hand and soothe, “It’s ok, Nana. It was nice to see you again.” She gently cups your cheek and guides you close so she can kiss it. You lightly peck her cheek in response before standing up and quietly saying, “Mother, this is my girlfriend, Cordelia.” 

Cordelia stands up as well and gives a cordial smile as she says, “It’s good to see you.” Your mother lets out a terse laugh and says, “You would think all of the etiquette classes I put her through would make her a gracious hostess. But, alas, she is as hard-headed as ever.” You bite your lip to keep from saying anything and hear your Nana scoff from behind you. But you put on a cold smile, mirroring hers and coolly reply, “Well, to be honest, Cordelia wished to meet you right away. But the hostess of the party was nowhere to be found.”

Her eyes flame, but she keeps her façade and replies, “Perhaps you shouldn’t make her wait due to your own failure to ever be on time. But there’s no need to worry about that now, darling. Mother is here now.” You both stare at each other, silently battling it out, but you remember Cordelia is here. So, you lower your eyes in submission, making your mother sport a victorious smirk as you softly say, “W-we should find a place to sit for dinner.” Cordelia gently takes your hand and replies, “Of course, sweet girl.” Then she surprises you, guiding you to peck her lips. You blush and she gives you a wink before you walk to the table, ignoring your mother’s curled lip.

While Raymond is absent from the meal, likely from passing out drunk or sneaking off with someone, everyone else manages to get along and Cordelia remains close to you, continuing to place comforting kisses on your hand, cheek, and temple with each snide comment your mother or older sister make towards you. 

After dessert is served, you quietly say to your father who walks back to the sitting room, “It’s getting late, so I think we’re going to head out.” However, he eyes you down and says, “Did you tell your mother?” Your gaze falters and you reply, “I’m sure she’s busy with Candice and the other guests.” That makes him say your name and scold, “She is your mother and you are not leaving without saying goodbye to her.” Then he begins to walk towards the sitting room. You call out, “Daddy, please don’t!” but he keeps going. So, you look to Cordelia and say, “Let’s get out of here.”

You keep looking over your shoulder as the footman grabs your coats and purses, but no one comes. So, you throw on your coat and purse, rushing towards the door. But you freeze up as you hear your mother growl your full name. You look down, preparing yourself and murmur, “Take the keys. I’ll be out in a minute.” But Cordelia shakes her head and says, “I’m staying with you.” At that point your mother snatches your wrist and whips you around to look at her. You look to her and plead, “Mother—”

But she cuts you off, sneering, “No. You’ve had your chance to speak.” Then she tugs you closer by your wrist and continues, “You come here late, leave early and avoid most of your family the entire time.” Her eyes darken and she coldly says, “I’m beginning to think you only came her for the food. Well, that and your Nana.” You try to pull your wrist back, but she has a bruising grip on it. So, you plead, “Leave her out of this. I went to her.” Your mother lets out a humorless laugh and replies, “Of course, dear daughter. You always go to her. That’s all I hear about: ‘Nana does this,’ ‘Nana says that’! But you forget, sweetheart, that I made you everything you are. You would be nothing without me.”

She releases your wrist and you stagger back in shock. Before anymore can be said, Cordelia steps in front of you and calmly, but firmly says, “Mrs y/l/n, with all due respect, I can’t let you speak to her like that. She did look for you and asked where you were. But you were nowhere to be found.” She pauses and the room is quiet enough to hear a pin drop. So Cordelia says in a softer tone, “Clearly there is a history of hurts on both sides, but arguing isn’t going to fix that.” Your mother is silent and by now your father and Candice watch, mouths gaped open in shock.

Then Cordelia turns to you, cupping your cheek before murmuring, “You ok?” You nod, still shocked. She takes your hand and murmurs, “Let’s go home.” You both begin to walk to the door, but you stop and say, “Wait a minute.” Then you turn back to your mother who still looks fuming with anger, but there is a hint of vulnerability in the tremor of her lips. You take a deep breath before saying, “I don’t know what exactly changed between us.” Then you smile to yourself and say, “I remember when you would give me makeovers, or spend the day with me in our pool. And how we would read together before I went to bed.” The memories make your eyes well up, but you refuse to cry in front of her. 

So, you swallow your emotions and continue, “I don’t know what happened to change that, but I found comfort with Nana because she seemed to like having me around. But I never stopped loving you. That little girl still loves and desires your love even now.” You look down and shake your head before saying, “I apologize for ending the night on a sour note.” Then you look to Cordelia and shakily say, “Ok.” Trembling with emotion. She gives you a smile and you both walk out to the car. You manage to keep yourself composed until you’re in your car, but then you breakdown, letting out all of the emotions that had built up.

Cordelia rubs your back and soothes, “It’s okay.” You feel her use a calming spell on you again and are grateful. Once you’re settled, you look to Cordelia and say, “Thanks for putting up with me and my family tonight.” She smiles and replies, “You’re welcome.” Then she bites her lip and says, “I know you just broke up with someone, but I wondered if you would consider us to be an actual couple.” Then she quickly adds, “But if not, I completely understand and won’t have any hard feelings—”

You cut her off with a kiss and shyly say, “I would be honored to be your girlfriend, Cordelia.” Then you giggle and say, “You’ve already passed the test of meeting my family.” She chuckles and says, “What a night.” You smile and say, “Indeed.” Then you take Cordelia’s hand, enjoying the quiet as you drive back to the academy.

17. I get your name during secret santa at work and use the same wrapping paper for my gift to my friend, so...sorry about all the sex toys.

You let out another curse as your finger burns due to the fresh paper cut from your wrapping paper. That is the third one you’ve given yourself in the past hour. But you keep wrapping the box up since you are already running late. “Next year everyone is just getting gift bags.” You mutter to yourself as you clumsily tape the paper in place. A couple more curses spill out of your mouth as you do this as well. 

By the time you finish, the gift looks passable. So, you set it on the pile of presents nearby before rushing around your house to grab your things. Shoes, check. Coat, check. Purse, check. And finally, keys. You grab your perfume and spritz yourself once more. Once that's done, you reach for the present as you open the door…only to have the entire pile topple over. “Shit!” you hiss and kneel down and pick up the presents.

You begin to stack them up again but realize two of your presents look the same and one is a vibrator for your friend while the other is for Miss Venable. Your eyes dart between them as if willing the items to show which is which. Then you weigh them in your hands and shake them a little. It’s a 50/50 shot so you feel pretty confident about your choice. Once you’re sure you have the right one, you run out the door and to your car, trying to get to the party less late…

Once you make it to the party, one of your co-workers greets you and says, “You look frazzled.” You try to catch your breath while replying, “Just running late like normal. Where do we put the secret Santa presents?” She leads you over to the table and as you write Miss Venable on the wrapping paper, she quietly asks, “So do you think the dragon will find your present to be suitable?” You roll your eyes at her nickname for Miss Venable and say, “She isn’t a dragon. And I think she will love it.” You smile a little, thinking about her opening it up. She smirks and says, “Sure. Just keep thinking that.” Then you both head over to the bar to grab a drink. While at the bar, you greet a couple of your other co-workers, but stick with your good friend who catches you up on the drama that’s happened so far at the party.

By the time you finish your drink, everyone is being called over for the gift exchange. So, you both walk over and take a seat within the makeshift circle of chairs. That’s when you hear the familiar tap of a cane and look to see Miss Venable strutting up. While you aren’t her assistant, technically, you see her pretty regularly and would do anything she asked. She takes a seat in a chair almost directly across from you and when her dark eyes meet yours, you can’t help but smile and blush. She doesn’t seem to notice but scans the group over with a look of slight disdain. 

Your friend leans close and whispers, “I hope you scheduled her an appointment to get that stick out of her ass. Maybe she wouldn’t be so miserable.” Then as if she could hear, she narrows her eyes, looking in your direction. You cringe at her scrutinizing gaze, hating to upset her. Then you shush your friend and whisper, “Maybe you should wait to say those comments until she’s not right in front of us. And if you were in charge of half of these people you would be done with the bullshit too.” You friend lets out a scoff and murmurs, “I’m just saying…” But before anymore can be said, someone announces the passing of the gifts.

All of the gifts are handed out and opened based on the list of people in abc order. In the process each person learns who their secret Santa is and thanks them. You get more antsy as each person goes since Miss Venable is last. Meanwhile she wears a serious expression. Once it’s her turn, she knows that you bought the gift since everyone else is paired off. You lean in, watching her reaction as she unwraps the present. However, in the middle of unwrapping it, her eyes widen, and her pale cheeks turn a dark shade of red. 

Your brows furrow at her reaction, confused as to why she’s so shocked. She stops opening the present, leaving it halfway unwrapped. Then she looks to you with an icy glare, making you shiver and growls, “I need to speak with you in my office, now.” This time your eyes widen, and you stutter, “Y-yes, Miss Venable.” Then you stand up and set your own present on the chair. Your friend mutters, “Good luck. You’ll need it.” You stay quiet, totally confused, but dutifully follow her out of the room. A couple people send you sympathetic looks, but you’re just trying to figure out what you did wrong. Did she not like the presents? Maybe you misjudged her style.

Once you’re both in her office she slams the door shut, making you flinch. Then she comes around, shoving the gift into your hands while growling, “What the hell is this?” You look down and the box and your blood runs cold as you see the box of a vibrator with a note that says Hopefully this will help you loosen up a little. ;) Holy shit. You let out a gasp, realizing you picked the wrong box and your whole body burns as you stutter out, “O-oh my god. I am so sorry, M-miss Venable. That wasn’t meant for you. I…I knocked over my p-presents…and, I used the same wrapping paper…I-I must have left your present at home.” Her nearly black eyes narrow at your explanation and you step closer in a reassuring way but think better of that and step back, hiding the box behind your back before pleading, “Please, let me bring your actual present, Miss Venable. I-I can bring it to your house.” She stands a little closer, towering over you as she warns, “But if you share my address—”

But you quickly say, “I won’t. I promise.” She looks down at you and you somehow manage to hold her gaze even though you wish to melt into a puddle of humiliation. However she doesn’t say anything, walking over to her desk and you have no idea what she intends to do. This could be your last day of employment for all you know. Then she pulls out a slip of paper and writes something. You try to get a peek by standing on your tip toes but can’t see. She firmly clicks her pen before coming back over to you and handing you the slip. That’s when you see it has her address on it and you let out the breath you had been holding. 

You look to her and say, “Thank you, Miss Venable. And I apologize again for the vibrator thing.” She holds up her hand, making you stop and she quickly says with her cheeks getting red again, “Don’t bring it up again.” You nod and answer, “Y-yes, Miss Venable. I can bring your gift over tomorrow morning if that works.” She says it does, so you take the gift and note back to the party, wondering how you dodged that bullet

Once you’re back in the main room, your friend runs up to you and says, “Well?” You hide your face and groan, “I brought the wrong present.” She gasps and asks, “What was it?” You shake your head and reply, “I can’t say. But let’s just say I’m lucky to still have my job.” Her eyes widen and you quickly change the subject, managing to skate through the rest of the evening before heading home…

The next morning you walk up to Miss Venable’s luxurious home with a very modern and sleek design. It fits her personality in that it’s undeniably beautiful, yet strangely intimidating. You ring the doorbell; confident this is her gift since you literally unwrapped it to make sure that this was the one before re-wrapping it and writing her name on it. It resulted in a couple more paper cuts, but you did not want to screw this up again. She answers and you notice that while she looks polished, she wears a lilac-colored sweater with jeans and her ponytail is in a more relaxed style. She looks so…good. 

Miss Venable clears her throat, drawing your attention and you hand her the gift while saying, “I just want to apologize again about last night.” She seems to ignore you as she carefully unwraps the gift and cautiously opens the box to see a thick scarf with different shades of purple in the yarn that was used along with a jewelry set that includes a silver necklace with a small amethyst as the centerpiece and a pair of earrings with small amethyst gems that dangle from them. You didn’t want something too flashy but figured this was in her realm. The red head looks shocked and remains quiet as she looks over the items. So you bite your lip and ask, “You-you like it…right?” That makes her look to you and her eyes look softer than you have ever seen as she replies, “This is nice. Thank you.” Your cheeks flush and you grin as you reply, “You’re welcome.” Her brows furrow at your enthusiasm, but you’ve done a lot of things that don’t make sense to her. She closes the box and holds it close but doesn’t shut the door in your face like you expected.

Instead her dark lips curve into a smirk and she says, “Out of curiosity, who was the vibrator for?” That makes you look down as your cheeks get even warmer and you reply, “My best friend. She—she wanted it for Christmas but couldn’t ask her parents or siblings for it.” Miss Venable hums in acknowledgment, making you feel aroused at the soft noise. If she hummed like that in this setting, just imagine when kissing her lips, or her neck, or…you shake your head to not get yourself flustered. 

Before you can be rational, you look back up and say, “M-Miss Venable, do you have any plans for the holidays?” That makes her bristle up a little and she coldly says, “No. But it’s no different than any other day. Just another ploy for capitalism.” You nod and reply, “Of course. I just wondered if, I mean, since we have the day off…you would want to come to my home for dinner?” That makes her eyes widen like last night, sending off alarms in your head. So, you quickly follow up with, “It would just be me and no gifts or anything. I just…I don’t really have family to spend the holidays with.” She keeps quiet, her brows furrowed as she looks to you.

Then you remember who you’re talking to and shake your head, looking down as you say, “But you’re right. Christmas isn’t anything special. Sorry for asking such a dumb question.” You turn to walk away, feeling like a complete idiot, but Miss Venable says your name making you stop and look back to her. She looks you over and says, “You never let me answer.” That makes you blush, and you apologize. She lets out a sigh, her fingers messing with the hem of her sweatshirt as she says, “I’m not normally one to agree to these things, but I’ll have dinner with you.” That makes you gasp and smile at her. Then you ask, “Does 6:00 work?” She nods so you give her your address and say goodbye, feeling butterflies in your stomach just thinking about tomorrow.

However, she stops you from walking away again says, “You doubt yourself and your abilities a lot.” You hesitantly nod, not sure where this is leading. She crosses her arms, but you notice she makes sure not to crush the box. Then she looks down before saying, “From now on, you don’t need to apologize for every little thing or stutter over your words. You…you’re one of the better employees we have and you need to act like it.” 

This is the closest thing you’ve got to a compliment from her and you say, “Y-yes,” but you clear your throat and say, “Yes, Miss Venable.” Then she finally looks to you, an unfamiliar look on her face, almost like endearment. But she clears her throat and says, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” You nod and answer, “Yes. Have a good rest of your day, Miss Venable.” She looks shocked at your comment and says, “You as well.” Then she gently closes the door and you manage to get back into your car before swooning over her compliment. There may be a Christmas miracle of Miss Venable liking you still.      

(https://herostairss.tumblr.com/post/152068211463/im-audrey-tindall)

45. Your family ditches you for the holiday so I take you home with me, except my family thinks we’re dating now, and I don’t know how to tell them that we’re not. 

Since everyone’s lunch break is wrapping up and the director wants to resume filming, you are sent off to fetch Audrey for her scenes. However, as you walk up to her, she is turned away from you and speaks on the phone. You hear her sigh and say, “Of course I understand. I’m just disappointed…No I’m not upset with you or her…I’ll just find something else to do…You’re sure there’s no other option? Yes. Of course…well I have to go.” Once she hangs up, she lets out a sigh and her shoulders slump. 

So, you hesitantly come up and quietly say, “Miss Tindall?” She perks up and looks at you before saying, “Sorry I was distracted.” But her voice is forcefully cheerful. You give her a smile and assure her, “It’s ok. I just came to tell you that you’re wanted on set.” Her eyes show her exhaustion, but she nods and replies, “Of course.” Before walking over to the working set.

While Audrey tries her best, her acting is just a little off and the director seems to notice, getting frustrated at her portrayal. Audrey gets frustrated too, making the scenes even more out of character. So, he finally asks, “What’s wrong Audrey?” She shakes her head and replies, “Nothing’s wrong.” But he continues to press her. She shrugs her shoulders and says, “I’m just feeling a little under the weather today I guess.” In response he sends her home early to get some rest and be prepared tomorrow. 

As she walks to her trailer, you sneak away and run after her. Once you’re close enough, you say, “Audrey!” making her look to you. You stop in front of her and say, “I—I heard you on the phone earlier and noticed you were upset. I just wanted to ask if it would help you to talk to someone? Maybe get something off of your chest?” She bites her lip, but nods and replies, “I think that may actually help.” So, she lets you into her trailer, shutting the door for privacy.

Then she sits on the couch and lets out a sigh before saying, “I was speaking with my mother on the phone. My family was supposed to travel to LA for the holidays to see me. But my sister got ill at the last minute, so they decided to stay home to take care of her and her kids.” Her voice trembles with emotion as she says, “So now I have the week off and I’ll be all alone.” Your heart was broken for her before, but now it’s shattered at hearing how emotional she is. 

So you take her hand and say, “If you would like, you could come with me and spend Christmas Eve and day at my family’s home.” She looks down and says, “I don’t know. I wouldn’t want to impose…” But you smile and say, “You wouldn’t be imposing at all. Our Christmas consists of family and friends. And it’s very relaxed. I promise it would be a good time.” Her dark brown eyes look to you and she quietly asks, “You’re sure?” You give her hand a squeeze and reply, “Absolutely.” So, she accepts. And you offer to pick her up from her home on Christmas Eve…

When the day finally comes, you drive up to her home and she brings out her things. You place them in the trunk of your car and open the door for her to get in, making her blush and thank you. On the way to your aunt and uncle’s home, you can tell Audrey is nervous, so you try to keep the conversation light and let her choose the music while telling you her memories associated with the songs. 

Three and a half hours later, you pull up to the house and say, “I know it doesn’t look like much…” But she cuts you off and says, “It looks adorable! So endearing!” That makes you giggle, and you open the door for her to get out, before pulling the luggage out. While Audrey goes to carry her bags, you hold the bags and say, “I’ve got it. It’s no trouble.” You both step up to the door and you give it a knock. But as you do, you notice Audrey’s anxious expression. So, you say, “They’ll love you. I promise.” She smiles and the door opens, revealing your younger cousin.

Immediately he pulls you into a bear hug and you squeak, “Can’t breathe.” That makes him chuckle and release you as he asks, “How’s my little cousin doing?” You give him a smile and reply, “I’m doing good.” Then you look to Audrey and say, “This is my younger cousin, Dane.” She gives a smile and says, “I’m Audrey.” Your cousin grins and says, “Welcome to our home Audrey. It’s always nice to have people over for Christmas.” That makes her give a genuine smile and she says, “Thanks for having me. Y/n was kind enough to invite me over.” He steps aside to let you both in and you let Audrey enter first. As you walk in, your cousin whispers, “You two make a cute couple.” That makes you whip around to look at him and hiss, “We aren’t—”

But he cuts you off by whispering, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it low-key.” Then he gives you a wink. You go to tell him no but get interrupted by your little cousins saying your name and running up to you. You giggle and look to Audrey who smiles as they attack you with hugs from different directions. “Well hello to you too.” You say with a laugh. Then you notice Dane whispering something to your older cousin and his wife. Your eyes narrow as they look between you and Audrey, but you get interrupted by one of the kids asking, “Who is she?” looking to Audrey. 

You give her an apologetic smile and say, “This is Audrey. She’s going to be spending Christmas with us.” Then all four kids rush over to her, surrounding her and asking questions. Audrey giggles and after one of them asks, “Are you Y/n’s friend?” she answers, “Yes. I am.” Then when they hear her accent, they get even more excited and ask questions over each other. But their parents come up and say, “Ok. Ok. Let’s give them some space.” You set the bags down and come up beside Audrey.

In the process, the couple comes up and says, “I’m y/n’s older cousin, Hunter. And this is my lovely wife, Annabelle.” Audrey greets them both with smiles and Annabelle says, “The kids are all ours. There’s Hollis, she’s 7, next Jack, he’s 5, then Danny, he’s 4, and finally little Nora who is 2.” Audrey says, “I’m sure they keep you on your toes.” They chuckle and both say, “Yes.” Making you both laugh as well. But then Hunter says, “Enough about us. What about you? How did you both meet?” 

Your brows furrow and you see Dane, who entertains the kids give you a wink. Meanwhile Audrey says, “Well, we’ve worked together on, what is it Y/n? Two or three movies?” You look back to her and say, “I think three.” Then you look to the couple and say, “I’m just a PA though. Audrey is the star of the show.” That makes her giggle and blush while saying, “It’s a group effort though.” But you can tell the compliment meant a lot to her though. Annabelle leans into Hunter, who holds her close, and says, “Well we are glad to see you Audrey.” She gives a smile and replies, “I’m glad to be here. Thanks for letting me crash your gathering.”

By that time the kids are running around again, clearly on sugar highs and your uncle comes out, saying in a boisterous voice, “What’s all this noise I hear?” But he smiles. Then he sees you and Audrey and says, “When did you get here?” You give him a smile and reply, “We just got here. So, you haven’t missed much.” He comes up, wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and says, “I don’t think I’ve met your friend before.” Then he holds out his hand while saying, “I’m Uncle Fred.” Audrey takes his hand, shaking it while saying, “Hello Uncle Fred. I’m Audrey. Audrey Tindall.” His eyebrows raise at her accent and he glances at you, but doesn’t say anything, releasing her hand.

Before you can say anymore, Hunter says, “They met at a film set. Y/n was a PA.” Then Dane says, “And they’ve worked on three movies together.” You give them a look, but Audrey says, “These movies have been the best to work on. Y/n is one of the best PA’s I’ve had. She’s excellent at her job.” This time you blush and the compliment and quietly say, “Thanks.” She smiles at you and gives you a wink. Then you hear your aunt call out, “Is that Y/n?” Your Uncle calls back, “Yep.” Then you say, “I’ll check in on her.” So, you take Audrey’s hand and guide her past the kids to the kitchen, not missing the looks your cousins and uncle give you. Then you hear Annabelle giggle at something Hunter whispers in her ear, but they go quiet as you look to them and he leans in to kiss her ear.

You both step into the kitchen and your aunt is busy cooking up dinner. But she looks to you and says, “How are you…” but she trails off, her eyes widening as she sees Audrey. You clear your throat and say, “This is—”

But she cuts you off, saying, “Audrey Tindall.” Her eyes are wide as saucers as she repeats, “You’re the Audrey Tindall.” That makes Audrey giggle and answer, “I mean…yes.” And you know she loves this kind of attention. Your Aunt manages to speak and says, “I apologize for looking so messy. I didn’t realize we would have such a special guest here.” But Audrey giggles and replies, “You’re perfectly fine. It smells delicious, Mrs.?” You aunt quickly says, “Please call me Ruby.” Audrey nods and says, “Well it’s very nice to meet you, Ruby.” 

You decide to interject and say, “Audrey was going to spend Christmas alone, so I offered for her to join us. I told her we always have a spot open at the table.” Ruby smiles approvingly and says, “Well, we are glad you came Audrey.” Then she looks to you and says, “You too, Y/n.” You giggle at her acting so starstruck, but it’s interrupted by the timer going off. 

So, your Aunt opens the oven and says, “Fred, you can go ahead and set the table!” You hear your uncle sigh, so you say, “I can do it.” Audrey comes up and says, “I’ll help.” So you grab the plates and silverware, and you peek into the living room to say, “Merry Christmas, Uncle Fred.” He smiles and says, “You were always my favorite.” That makes you laugh and call back, “I’m sure!”

After setting the table and bringing out the generous amount of food, Hunter and Annabelle wrangle their kids to the table and get their plates filled first. The rest of you sit in the mismatched chairs gathered from throughout the house and your Aunt Ruby feeds Nora while your Uncle Fred keeps the other three kids entertained. 

Once all of you are settled and eating, the conversation goes quiet and your aunt asks, “So how long have you two been dating?” That makes you drop your silverware and it tumbles to the floor. So, you bend to pick it up before stuttering out, “It’s not—we’re not—”

But your aunt says, “You don’t need to feel embarrassed or ashamed, sweetheart. Love is love. We’re just glad you found someone you love.” You dare to glance at Audrey and see her eyes are as wide as yours. You go to apologize when Dane pipes up, “As someone who has grown up with Y/n I am obligated to tell you that she does snore just a little bit.” You gasp and say, “No I don’t!” Hunter smiles and says, “You’re right. You don’t snore a little bit. You snore a lot.” Then they both laugh as your uncle says, “You kind of walked into that joke.” 

Then Hunter says, “Oh and Audrey, if you have any kind of sweets make sure to have a good hiding spot. Otherwise they may be a fatality of Y/n’s midnight snacking.” Your mouth gapes and you go to say something but hear Audrey giggle. Then Dane chimes in and says, “Also, she takes for-ev-er to get ready for the day. Like plan on an hour just for her time in the bathroom.” That makes them all chuckle, and your aunt and uncle say, “It’s true.”

Then Hollis says, “And she burps a lot.” And the adults start laughing making the kids laugh. You smile and say, “What kind of Christmas present is this?” Your Aunt Ruby says, “Awe, poor thing.” But she smiles. You continue to laugh and tease each other about habits. 

After dinner, you all move to the living room and your uncle helps your aunt clean up everything. The kids continue to play, being the center of attention until they start to get fussy. So, Hunter says, “Ok, kiddos. Time to sleep so Santa can bring your presents.” They all whine, but Annabelle gives them a stern look, making them go quiet. She picks up Nora while Hunter picks Danny up and the other two walk with them upstairs. Before they disappear, they say, “Good night Uncle Dane.” He smiles and says, “Good night.” Then they say, “Good night Aunt y/n and Audrey.” You both smile and wish them a goodnight back. And the family disappears.

Shortly after, your aunt and uncle come into the living room and sit in the chairs that they have sat in since you were a kid. Your aunt asks, “Are they putting the kids to bed?” You nod and everyone soaks in the silence. Your uncle lets out a sigh and says, “I’ll be headed to be soon too. Anything to get out of this awful sweater.” That makes you giggle as your aunt scolds, “Fredrick!” He just smiles and takes her hand before soothing, “But I’ll wear it for you, sweetie.” She gives him a look but smiles and relaxes further into her chair. 

They continue to hold hands and Hunter and Annabelle sneak back down. Then he whispers, “We are officially child-free.” Then he looks to Annabelle and teases, “Now I can have my Christmas present.” She blushes and playfully smacks his chest while giggling. Meanwhile Dane makes a gagging sound and you say, “Please do that in your own home. Or at least while we’re all out.” Then Dane says, “For once I agree with her.” Hunter chuckles and says, “Relax. I’m only kidding.” But the look he gives Annabelle says otherwise.

Audrey keeps quiet during all of this and you look to her, making sure she’s doing alright. She gives you a smile and looks content. You smile back, hoping she isn’t offended by the whole dating thing. Your aunt and uncle go to bed next, then Hunter and Annabelle, and finally Dane. Once you’re alone, you turn to Audrey and say, “I’m sorry about the whole dating thing. I didn’t think that they would assume that.” She merely giggles and says, “It’s ok.” 

Then she says, “For being your cousins, they sure know a lot about you. More than I know about any of my cousins.” You look down and say, “Well, when I was 10 my parents passed away in a car wreck, so my aunt and uncle adopted me into their family.” Audrey looks down and says, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something so serious.” You take her hand and reply, “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known. And as much as we tease each other, my aunt, uncle, and cousins have treated me well.” Then you pause before asking, “What about your family?” 

She chuckles and says, “It’s almost the opposite of this. We’re not very close. In my five years of living her in the United States this was the first time they were coming to visit me.” Then she looks down and stays quiet. You give her hand a light squeeze and murmur, “Well, I’m really glad you agreed to come with me. This has made my Christmas better already.” That makes her look to you and smile.

Then she looks to your hands and opens her mouth to say something. However, she shuts her lips together. You pause, searching her face, but she looks to you and says, “I would hate to make things awkward between us, and I know we’re not a couple…but would you ever be interested in being more than friends?” You smile and reply, “I would really like that. I—I do like you, but I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable or ruin the friendship we have.” That makes her giggle and she says, “That’s crazy. I felt the same way. Especially with my recent break up with Rory. I just didn’t want you to think I was using you or to pull you into the drama.” You shrug your shoulders and say, “If you like me, then I can handle some drama headlines.” She laughs and says, “So I guess your family is right about us.” You giggle to and say, “I guess.” Then you look to the clock in the room and say, “It’s 12:30.” You look to her and say, “Merry Christmas, Audrey.” She smiles and holds your hand tighter while replying, “Merry Christmas, Y/n.” 

18. We get drunk at the Christmas party and steal the mistletoe so no one else can kiss. 

You take a deep breath, already rehearsing what you’re going to say as you walk to March’s room. You hated talking to him, but knew you needed to bite the bullet and ask him. You just want a Christmas party. That’s not too much to ask. And he can’t kill you since you’re already dead. That was him too. By this point, you’re at the door leading to his suite so you take a deep breath forcing a smile on your face and lightly knock on the door, backing up a little to give him room. 

He opens the door, smoking a cigar as he looks you over and says, “Yes?” You swallow your nerves and ask, “I-I wanted to ask if—if we could have a Christmas party at the hotel this year. You know, for Christmas.” Then you close your eyes, realizing what you just said. A Christmas party for Christmas. How profound. But you force yourself to look to him and he slowly looks you over, making you want to squirm, but you keep still with a smile.

He lets out a puff of smoke in your face and you want to cough so bad. But you force yourself to keep still as he asks, “And who will help you set up this…party?” You pause, trying to think of who actually would, deciding on your girlfriend and say, “Well, um…Sally will. She’ll help me set things up.” The blonde appears upon hearing her name and says in her husky tone, “What’s that, baby?” 

You can’t manage to say it, knowing her reaction. Mr. March chuckles and says, “She was just telling me how you are going to help her set up the Christmas party.” That makes her get serious and she says, “No.” You look to him and try to pleasantly say, “May we have a minute?” He waves his hand, so you come up to Sally and whisper, “Please help me with this. Please, Sal.” She looks unmoved, so you beg, “I promise I’ll make it up to you.” That catches her attention, but she plays it off as she asks, “How?” You bite your lip and say, “If you help me decorate, for Christmas my present will be 24 hours of me completely at your beck and call. You can do whatever you wish, no limits.” You then use your eyes to silently beg as she looks you over. Then she sighs and says, “Fine. Damn your puppy dog eyes. But those will look so sweet when I watch you eat me out.” You let out a squeak of happiness, trying to ignore her comment, and kiss her lips before jogging back over to Mr. March. Then you say, “She’ll help me.” 

He pauses, smoking his cigar before saying, “One party. But the rule still stands. No killing.” You nod and say, “Thank you.” Then you run over to Sally and say, “I already have the whole thing set up in my head.” Then you tell her all of your plans…

Having Sally help you out is both the best and worst thing to happen to you. You have an extra set of hands, but the amount of times you have to silence her complaints with kisses or thank her over and over, reminding her of the promised Christmas present just about drives you crazy. But you manage to set up a huge Christmas tree. In the process, you drop a couple ornaments and ignore Sally whine the whole time but manage to make the ornaments and lights look good, even getting Liz’s approval. 

Next you both hang some decorations. This time you make Sally hold the items as you place them and peck her lips each time you come over to her. She grumbles about being involved, but smirks and says, “Oh I can’t wait to use and abuse those lips, baby. I can’t wait for Christmas.” Finally, you both place mistletoe in a couple key locations. Of course, because of tradition, you kiss under each one, but even Sally is tired of these short kisses and begins to get annoyed at how involved this whole Christmas party is.

Once all of the decorations are up, Sally says, “Oh thank god. I am in need of a little time with you, if you know what I mean.” But you shake your head and say, “We have to invite people.” That makes her growl, “Are you fucking kidding me?!” You come up to her, giving her a hug and admit, “This is more than I thought it would be.” Then you look up to her and soothe, “One more day. Then the party. Then Christmas. And then your present.” While she hates having to wait longer, she continues to help you get ready for the party. 

You both go around, inviting everyone to the party on Christmas Eve. By that night you’re so nervous about who will show up or if the ghosts will even like it, making you even more high-strung. But the party night comes and it’s a complete success for both the living and dead guests. Even Mr. March comes by and looks a little shocked at how well it’s going.

 Now that the party is going, you finally relax and let Sally make you a drink, then another, and another until you lose count of how many drinks you’ve had. But you are happier and more relaxed than you have been in a while and giggle at anything that happens. Sally comes around and you lean into her, nuzzling into her coat and giggling at the feeling of the fur on your face. She loves when you get drunk since you just get slap happy. Meanwhile, Sally finally feels like you can focus on your relationship with her after being distracted by this party. Sally, continues to kiss and nip at your ear, making you giggle and get more aroused than you would like to admit.

After spending some time at the party, you take Sally’s hand and tug her towards the hanging mistletoe with a smirk on your face. But when Sally thinks you’re going to kiss her, you pluck off the mistletoe and hold it in your fingers. Her brows furrow, but you come up, leaning into her as you purr, “Come with me.” That makes Sally grin and she replies, “Lead the way, baby.” So you nearly drag her down the hallway, giggling as you go and looking for a spot where you won’t be bothered. Then you see a supply closet and whip open the door. You look to the blonde with a wicked grin and yank her inside with you, shutting the door.

Sally chuckles in the darkness and murmurs, “What are you doing, naughty girl?” You hold up the mistletoe and lean into kiss Sally. She immediately reciprocates with a moan and you taste the alcohol from her mixed drinks while she tastes yours. Your kiss is sloppy as you both grab for each other in the dark and you drop the mistletoe, reaching for Sally. She lets out a possessive growl making you whimper and grab for her jacket. 

Once you practically rip that off of her, you reach for her dress, but she slams you back against the wall hard enough to take your breath away, biting and sucking your neck to the point that you think she’s breaking your skin. You whimper at the feeling, making her chuckle against your skin. Meanwhile, her leg sneaks between yours and she rubs up against your throbbing core. 

You love both the pain and the pleasure, moaning her name and letting your head fall back so she has complete access to you. That makes her pull you down on her leg even more and you whimper, gripping onto her so your nails dig into her skin. She chuckles and purrs, “I feel how wet you are, babydoll.” You gasp and moan, “Need you, Sally.” That makes her smile and kiss your lips, but before long she is kissing down your throat, nipping harshly at the skin.

However, the moment gets interrupted by the door opening. You gasp and look to see it’s Miss Evers who looks just as surprised as you are. But Sally keeps going, making you giggle. Miss Evers says Sally’s name and the blonde’s mouth leaves your neck, making you whimper in protest. “What?” Sally growls, furious. You wrap your arms around her neck and shush her, pressing a clumsy kiss to her ear before murmuring, “We can go to your room, Sal.” Miss Evers lets out a huff and says, “Well whatever you’re doing, I need to get my cleaning supplies.” 

That makes you blush, and you’re sober enough to say, “Sorry.” Then you hand Sally her coat and take her hand, leading her out of the closet. But as you walk away, she calls out, “Merry Christmas, buzzkill!” That makes you giggle as you say her name, tugging her along. But she continues, “And a Happy New Year!” You snort in your laughter nearly falling to the ground as you have a laughing fit, making Sally giggle as Miss Evers scowls at you both. You both laugh and stagger up to Sally’s room.

She opens the door to let you in and as you walk in, you trip over your feet, nearly falling, but Sally wraps an arm around your middle, holding you up. You giggle and stand up before turning to face Sally. Then you look to her and slur, “My savior.” That makes her laugh and she hugs you close to her. You nuzzle her neck with your nose, inhaling her smoky scent with a hint of sweet. Then you ask, “What time is it, darling?” You feel her head move as she turns to look at the clock and she says, “1:15 am.” That makes you gasp and perk up to squeak, “It’s Christmas!” However, you pause and groan, “Oh no. The room is spinning.” Sally hugs you and says, “Just keep still for a moment, baby.” 

You listen, leaning into her and you let out a contented sigh. You wait a couple moments for your vertigo to stabilize. Then you look up to Sally and bring your hands up to cup her face before murmuring, “Merry Christmas, Sally.” She smiles and leans into kiss your lips before murmuring, “Merry Christmas, baby.” This kiss is much gentler and more wholesome. It’s like the Hallmark movie version of a kiss, but you both definitely don’t fit into that category. 

Then she backs up a little and says, “So about my Christmas gift.” You giggle and say, “For the next 24 hours, I’m all yours.” That makes Sally grin and she pulls you into a much rougher kiss, but you love it, clinging to her. Her teeth pull on your lip until the skin breaks and she says, “Oh if you weren’t dead already, I would definitely kill you now.” You giggle and reply, “The way we fuck, I’d already be dead.” She pauses before nodding and saying, “You’re right.” Then she leans into kiss you and lick up the blood coming from your lip.

After a moment, Sally pulls away and looks to your kiss-swollen lips as she says, “Well I guess I’ll go ahead and unwrap my gift. Maybe take it for a ride.” You giggle and back up to unbutton your dress as you murmur, “Sounds good to me. I’ll even do the work for you.” Then you make sure to move slow, knowing she likes whenever you undress for her. The blonde bites her lip, her eyes darkening as she watches you strip off each piece of clothing. 

Once you stand completely exposed to her, she grins and walks up to you while murmuring, “Mmm, this is the best Christmas ever.” You kiss her and she indulges you for a moment, but then she snatches your hair and growls in your ear, “Don’t get me wrong, these kisses have been heartwarming, but I think I’m ready to give you a good fuck after being denied so long. So how about you go and bend over the bed for me.” You let out a moan at her domineering voice and as soon as she lets you go, you spring into action, just as excited for this Christmas present as she is.

82. You knock on my door at 2 in the morning because your very white cat got out and you need help trying to find them in the three feet of snow we have.

You felt anxious when you came back to see your apartment door open and couldn’t find your cat. Then you felt afraid when you looked around for her and saw an open door with paw prints in the snow leading outside. Now you’re terrified, after walking around for a couple hours and calling out for your cat. You look everywhere you can think to but can’t find her. Your whole body trembles in the cold, but you try to keep going. However, you realize that you need a fresh set of eyes. That’s how you end up outside of Lana’s apartment. 

You shakily raise your hand and knock on the door of the one person you know is here on Christmas Eve. After a couple of moments, you hear movement and the door opens, revealing a sleepy-looking Lana who wears a dressing gown and her hair is loose and falls past her shoulders. Immediately you feel guilty for waking her up. But you’re to the point of desperation. You begin to say, “I hate to interrupt you so late—”

But your voice cuts off and you begin to cry. Lana’s eyes widen and her voice is husky from sleep as she says, “Why don’t you come inside, sweetheart.” But you shake your head and force yourself to calm down enough to say, “My cat. Sh-She got outside in the snow somehow and she’s white and I can’t find her.” Then you beg her, “Please, please help me. I’ll do anything—”

Lana cuts you off with a gentle shush and soothes, “Let me get my shoes on, sweetheart.” You nod and wait outside, shaking from being outside and searching for your cat for so long. Within minutes, she steps out and gives you a reassuring smile. You sniff back your tears and show her where you think she went since the door was open. Then she says, “What’s her name?” Your eyes well up as you think of her and you whimper, “I-It’s Missy.” She takes your hand and murmurs, “We’ll find her, y/n. I promise.” You nod, not trusting your voice and open the door. 

The cool air hits you both and you look around the blowing snow. You both call out her name and look for movement, but there’s nothing. And the wind feels like it’s getting worse. You both continue and get more desperate each minute. But you feel numb from the cold after searching for your cat a couple hours before knocking on Lana’s door. And soon your teeth painfully chatter, making your jaw clench up.

Lana comes over and says, “We should head inside or you’re going to get ill.” That makes you collapse to your knees in the snow and cry into your hands. Even though that makes you even more cold, you feel like you deserve it for allowing your cat to suffer in the cold. Then you whimper, “I’ll never forgive myself for this.” 

Lana kneels down beside you, urging you to go inside while trying to give you warmth. But you hear a faint, weak meow. Immediately your head whips up and you yell out, “Missy?” Terrified you just imagined it. But you hear another meow and this time Lana hears it too. So, you go to the sound, scanning the snow for any sign of her as you call her name. Finally, you find her curled up in a snowbank, trembling. Her green eyes look to you and you cry at seeing her so exposed. You gather her in your arms and begin to cry even more as you feel how cold she is.

Lana helps you both back into the apartment building and takes you to her apartment. Once you’re in a heated place, you realize you tremble as much as your cat. So, Lana makes up some hot tea and pulls out her heaviest blanket for you and your cat to curl up in. You hold your cat close to you and she begins to tremble less, but you can’t seem to warm up. Lana walks over with two cups of hot tea, her loosely curled hair framing her face perfectly as she looks to you with her warm brown eyes. 

You ask through your chattering teeth, “C-could we…maybe sit n-next to each other? I-I can’t seem t-to warm up.” She nods and murmurs, “Of course, honey.” Then she grabs another blanket before slipping into yours and adding another layer. Once you feel her warmth, she pulls you closer and you cuddle into her, mindful of the cat you hold. Her warmth helps you get the numbness to go away so you can feel again. Lana rubs your back making you feel sleepy, but she murmurs, “Can you drink this tea for me before you go to sleep? It’ll help warm you up.” You force your eyes to open and nod, picking up the mug. Then you slowly drink the tea down, feeling yourself warm up and your cat seems to be warming up as well, moving against you and seeking more warmth.

Once the tea is gone, you shakily set the mug down and curl into Lana’s chest. Her dressing gown is remarkably soft, and she unties it to pull you closer and wrap her gown around you. Once she does that, you really feel her body heat and mumble, “You’re so warm.” She holds you close and rubs your back as she replies, “Good. Just relax sweetheart. Get some sleep and I’ll keep you nice and warm.” You nod, fully relaxing into her and you fall asleep against her chest…

You wake up to the smell of bacon and eggs and your cat nudges your hand with her head. Then you open your eyes and remember that you’re in Lana’s apartment. So, you pet your cat and sit up to see Lana cooking. She still wears her night clothes, but has her hair pulled back into a ponytail, giving her a different look. She gives you a smile and murmurs, “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” You give her a drowsy smile and reply, “Merry Christmas, Lana.” Then your cat hops off of your lap and walks over to the kitchen, meowing up at Lana for food. That makes her giggle and tease, “None for you, Missy.” And your heart flutters at that interaction. The thought of the three of you being like this makes you feel warm inside, but you aren’t sure if Lana feels that way about you. 

So, you put your feelings aside and say, “I can put her in my apartment if she’s bothering you.” But Lana gives you a warm smile as she replies, “I don’t mind.” And as if the cat can understand, she rubs up against Lana’s legs, letting out a small purring sound. That makes Lana smile down at her and say, “I think she likes me.” You desire to say you like her too, but don’t know how to put it. So, you just smile and say, “I’m sure she does. You helped me save her life last night.” Lana gives you a sympathetic smile and replies, “I’m glad you thought to get me. I hate the thought of you out there looking for her alone.” You shudder at the memory and sit up on her couch.

Then you lift the pile of blankets off of you and fold each of them up, setting them in a nice pile. You turn and see Lana pulling out two plates as she says, “I made some coffee and breakfast is almost ready.” You thank her and say, “You didn’t have to do all of this, Lana. I’m just grateful you helped me find my cat.” She smiles and gives you a wink before she replies, “I’m happy to do this.” That makes your cheeks warm and you give her a shy smile. Her warm-brown eyes watch you carefully and you wish for them to swallow you up. She seems to notice you staring but doesn’t mind. However, you look down and act as if you are checking on your cat. Then you walk over and pull out a mug to pour some coffee. As you do, Lana sets the table and you help set the food items on the table. Then you both sit in chairs beside each other and begin to eat breakfast.

As you do Lana asks, “So, how did your cat get out?” You look down to your plate and say, “When I took the trash out, I must have not shut the door all the way. So, I looked around the building for her and I saw one of the doors to outside was open with a couple paw prints leading out.” You pause to take a drink before saying, “I looked around for a couple hours, but realized I needed help.” Then you go quiet, eating some of your breakfast. 

But you shudder and say, “I still feel so guilty. I can’t believe I left the door open.” Lana takes your hand, making you look to her sweet face and she soothes, “We all make mistakes, honey. And she seems to be doing just fine.” Then she points to the cat who sleeps peacefully on the pile of blankets. You look back to her and say, “You’re right.” She gives you a smile making your heart melt and before you can stop yourself you kiss her lips. However, you back away and stutter, “I-I’m so sorry—”

But Lana snatches the front of your shirt and pulls you to her for a deeper kiss. You smile as you taste the bacon on her tongue and sit on the edge of your seat, leaning into her. When you finally part, she looks to you with hooded eyes and murmurs, “I’ve wanted to do that since last night when you curled up into my chest, shaking like a leaf.” Your eyes widen and you say, “Really?” She laughs at your shocked expression and replies, “Yes.” Then she leans in to kiss you again. 

This time, she guides you to climb up onto her chair, straddling her lap. Then she runs her hands down the sides of your body as you do the same to her. You both gasp for air when you part and you say, “You know, I still feel a bit chilly. I may need some more cuddles.” Lana giggles and responds, “Oh yeah?” You nod and grin as you say, “But this time I think I’ll need body heat, no layers in between.” Lana smiles and kisses your lips before murmuring, “Oh I can definitely help with that, sweetheart…”

As you both lay in bed, naked and cuddled into each other, you feel a weight on the bed and look to see your cat hopped up to join you both. You both giggle as she lays down at the end of the bed as if waiting for you to get up. Lana squeezes you close and lightly kisses you as she asks, “How do you feel, sweetheart?” her dark eyes searching yours. You smile and say, “I feel amazing.” Then you intertwine your legs with hers and ask, “How do you feel?” 

She smiles and teases, “Well I was doing alright, but then someone put their freezing cold feet on mine. So…” You giggle rubbing your nose against hers and she says with a grin, “Even the tip of your nose is cold!” That makes you laugh with her and you murmur, “That means we’re perfect for each other. You can keep me warm in the winter and I’ll keep you cool in the summer.” She smiles and hugs you close so you rest against her warm chest and you let out a hum of contentment right as she does. 

That makes you both giggle and you ask, “So did I mess up your Christmas plans?” That makes her laugh and she rubs your back while replying, “Oh no. I didn’t have any plans. But this made my Christmas much better.” You nuzzle into her chest and murmur, “I’m glad.” Then your cat meows at you so you say, “I’ll get her back to my place, but then I’ll be back.” Lana reluctantly lets you go, but murmurs, “I’ll be waiting, sweetheart.” So, you throw on your clothes and take your cat back up to your apartment, giving her some food and water. Once she’s settled, you head back to Lana’s apartment, ready to feel her warmth once more.

100. The b&b we’re staying at asked if we wouldn’t mind sharing a room since we know each other and this snow storm has brought in some unexpected guests...one bed...three nights...(bonus! we’re not friends, we barely tolerate each other, but here we are) [enemies to lovers? Hell yes]

You walk with your brothers up the bed and breakfast stairs and once you get to the top, one of them says, “Have a good night with Hollywood.” You roll your eyes and grumble, “Shut up.” Your two brothers cackle as they walk to your parent’s room while you quietly walk to the room you share with someone you despise, Billie Dean Howard. 

It’s not that she’s mean, but you hate the effect she has on you. She’s your stepfather’s sister so she comes to some family things but has no family of her own. But she can make you feel so hot and bothered within minutes it makes your head spin. So, you do everything in your power to avoid her. 

However, as you checked into the bed and breakfast you reserved the owner asked if you could give up one of your rooms since there was an unexpected snow storm blowing in. So your mother, stepfather, and two brothers took one room with two beds while you were with Billie in one bed. You pleaded to stay with your parents, but your mother quickly shot that idea down with the statement, “You’re over 20 years old. Try to act like an actual adult and share that room.” And that was the end of that conversation.

So, you acted as pleasant as you could, giving small smiles, but you mainly just avoided the room. But that didn’t keep you from trouble. It was 10:30 pm and your brothers were taking forever with their showers and nightly routine. Your bladder couldn’t take anymore so you went up to the door and banged on it while saying, “How long are you going to take?! I’m ready to go to bed and am just about to walk in there if you don’t hurry up!” 

You smirk as you hear movement, but nearly die of embarrassment as you see the door open to reveal, Billie freshly showered and wrapped up in a towel, her long legs exposed along with the tops of her chest. You whimper, “I-I thought my b-brothers were in there…I didn’t realize.” She smirks and murmurs, “I would hate to keep you waiting sweetheart.” Then she grabs her bag of things and steps out. However, as she passes, she says, “Also if you’re going to check me out, you should try to be more subtle.” Your mouth gapes and you defend, “I wasn’t—I didn’t—”

But she just chuckles and walks into your shared room with a small click of the door latch. Tonight though, you were prepared. You were not going to gawk at her or bother her. You were simply going to ignore her. You twist the doorknob and slowly enter to see she sits on the bed, talking on the phone with her laptop on her lap. However, what catches your attention is the ruby red negligee she wears that has a deep cut in the front and stops about mid-thigh, showing off her damn legs. 

But more than that, she wears glasses. Large glasses with black frames that slip down her nose a little and while you did not think glasses could be appealing, somehow she is more attractive with her glasses on. Your cheeks flush and she smirks at you, but you keep quiet, grabbing your things to change in the bathroom and get ready for bed. 

As you’re in the bathroom you give yourself a pep talk. So, she is wearing something that flatters her so well it takes your breath away. No…That’s not—never mind. The point is, you have to ignore her so then she’ll have to chase you—wait no, she’ll ignore you. The goal is ignoring one another. You shake your head, you whole mind scattered, and walk back to the room.

Luckily, she isn’t talking on the phone, but still works on her laptop, her brows furrowed just right as she looks over something—wait, no don’t think about that. Honestly, get a hold of yourself. You slip under the covers of the full-sized bed and she says, “I’m nearly finished with what I’m working on. Do you mind if I work a little longer?” You shake your head and reply, “No, I don’t mind.” She gives you a smile and you’re still shocked at how good she looks in glasses. 

You almost let out a sound of protest when she turns back to her laptop to work and you watch her, allowing your eyes to look over her profile as she works. But you make yourself look away and turn to your side, so you face away from her. However, your ears perk up at every sigh or small sound she makes. Eventually you hear the laptop close and she sets her glasses on the nightstand. Then you feel her slide under the covers, letting out a sigh of contentment as she settles in. You listen to her breathing even out and find yourself falling asleep as well, but have restless dreams…

You wake up to Billie saying your name and open your eyes to realize at some point you not only turned over to face her but curled into her side. You drowsily say, “Sorry.” She lightly strokes your cheek with her fingers making you shudder, and she murmurs, “It’s alright. Merry Christmas, sweetie.” You dare to look up at her and reply, “Merry Christmas.” You both sit up and Billie puts on a dressing gown while you get some warm socks. Then you both walk over to your parents’ room. 

The door is already open, and they have the presents laid out. So, you both sit by your designated pile. You each open your presents and you thank your parents and brothers for the gifts. Once all of the presents are opened, your brothers put on their snow clothes and go to play outside. On the other hand, you take a shower and put on a nice dress for your Christmas dinner, taking the time to do your makeup and fix your hair.

You finish up a little before you need to leave, but your parents are busy getting your brothers to get ready for the dinner. Meanwhile, Billie is up in your room getting ready. But by 5:00, everyone is down in the lobby. Billie wears an evergreen dress and while you thought she looked good in red, she can also pull off green as well. She smirks at you, giving you a wink and making you look away to hide your flustered face. 

Once you get to the restaurant, you try to snag a different seat, but end up sitting beside Billie. You take off your coat, draping it over the chair before sitting and she leans close to murmur, “You look lovely tonight.” That makes your eyes widen and you reply, “Y-you’re the one with the designer items. This is nothing special.” She gives you a smile and says, “You pull the outfit off like it’s designer. 90% of fashion is about the wearer 10% is about the clothes.” You feel your face warming, but you shake your head and neutrally say, “You look nice as well.” Billie just smirks and gives you a mischievous look…

By the end of that dinner, your nerves feel frayed. The whole time, Billie found any reason to lean close to you or “accidentally” brush her hand against yours. But the worst part are her words. The way she can make anything sound so seductive. The words, “Can you pass the salt, sweetheart?” should not make you feel aroused. But the night isn’t over yet. 

Your family walks around a Christmas light display that claims to have thousands of lights. It’s honestly beautiful and you do enjoy the space you have and how pretty everything looks. But Billie is still up to her tricks. She notices your bare hands and asks, “Would you like my gloves for your bare hands?” You shove your hands into your coat pockets and growl, “No.” making your mother look back to you with a warning glance. So, you add on, “But thank you anyways.” Your tone clearly not pleased. She keeps by you and says in a low purr, “If you need any warmth, just let me know, sweetie.” That makes you stiffen up, but you keep quiet as she chuckles and moves a short distance away.

Finally, you make it to the end of the display and head back to the bed and breakfast. It’s your last night here and you are almost ready to sleep on one of the couches in the main room. But you follow Billie up to your shared room. Your parents tell you goodnight then your brothers do with snickers making you glare at them. 

Once you step into the room, you look to Billie who takes out her earrings and say, “I know what you’re doing.” Her reflection smirks at you and she smoothly replies, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Your cheeks heat up in anger and you growl, “Oh yes you do. You think just because you’re Miss Hollywood, all of your glamour can get me to admit my attraction to you. But that’s not going to happen.” Her eyebrows raise and she sets down the earrings as she says, “You’re attracted to me?” Shit. You go quiet, realizing your mistake and she turns to face you, smirking as she murmurs, “So you like Miss Hollywood after all, hmm?” Your mind feels like it’s racing a thousand miles an hour and your anger makes you clench your fists as you keep quiet, terrified of what you’ll say.

Billie just chuckles and slowly saunters up to you as he purrs, “Well, why don’t you do something about your little crush, sweetie.” At that point you can’t hold back anymore, so you pull her into a bruising kiss, completely dominating her lips. She moans in response, opening herself to you in submission making you let out a low growl, still furious. Then she goes to take your clothes off, but you back away and growl, “No.” making her shiver as she looks to you. 

You shove her back onto the bed and growl, “You’ve teased me all fucking day. Now it’s my turn. And trust me I’ll make sure to leave a lasting impression.” She moans in response, biting her lip before she whimpers, “Do your worst…”

You wake up and realize both you and Billie are completely naked, and you spoon her, your clothes strewn all over the floor. Then in the morning light you see your very apparent bite marks on the back of her neck and down her spine. 

She lets out a sigh and turns to lay on her back. In the process she lets out a hiss of pain and you see more marks you left on her front, but she smiles and says, “Morning, angel.” Your eyes well up as you see how she looks and you whimper, “I went too far. I-I hurt you—”

But she cuts you off with a kiss and soothes, “You did nothing wrong, babydoll. If I wanted you to stop I would have said something.” You hesitantly nod, but still feel sick as you see the bruises you left on her. But she wraps her arms around you and pulls you to lay on her chest. She strokes your cheek and back as you whisper, “So…what happens now?” Billie lets out a sigh and asks, “You have my number?” You nod and she continues, “Well we can text and call. And my home will always be open to you.” You smile against her skin and say, “So…you don’t hate me?” 

She chuckles and kisses the top of your head before soothing, “No I don’t hate you, darling. Maybe I could come visit you too.” That makes you look to her face to see if she’s serious and she gives you a warm smile. You give shy smile and reply, “That would be nice.” Billie smiles and tucks some of your hair back while saying, “So sharing a room wasn’t so bad.” You giggle and shake your head, your face flushed as you think about last night. She pulls you into a sleepy kiss and while you tower over her, you let her guide you. Then she parts from your lips just enough to murmur with a mischievous grin on her lips, “Now I got to figure out how to cover all of these marks.”

Tagged: @marilynroselleprentiss​, @saviorinsilk​, @chokemepaulson​, @versonstar​, @lush-les-lady​, @cordwliagoode​, @psychobitchtess​, @midnight-lestrange​

Let me know if you would like to be tagged in later works!

[pretend-writer]

Moments (Supernatural x Teen Wolf)

Crossover; Requested

Summary: After living a hunter life all these years with her parents, Y/N decided to settle down and take on the normal life. Things change when she gets one phone call from an old friend. 

Pairing: Stiles Stilinski x reader, Dean Winchester x reader

Title Reference: Moments x One Direction

Word Count: 1436 words

Warning: swearing, angst

Note: there will be a part 2 :)

✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤  ·  ✤

The three years that I’ve spent with Stiles was the best years of my life. Growing up in a family full of hunters, I never had the childhood I wanted. Stiles was the one person that showed me that life can be defined how you wanted it to be.

The first encounter with Stiles was in college, when we happened to have the same classes together. Even though I was good with academics, I always had a hard time fitting in since all I ever did as a child was move from place to place.

Stiles however was the important person in my life that changed all of that. After losing both my parents in a hunting accident couple of years back, I wasn’t the same anymore. He was the one that brought back my humanity again and made me believe that I can start over and have a new life in California with him.

Everything changed a week ago when I got a call from an old friend, Sam Winchester. He contacted me saying that his father was missing, who happened to be a hunter who took good care of me when I was a little girl.

John Winchester always treated me as if I was his own daughter. Even if I haven’t seen him since I was a preteen, I needed to find and help him from whatever trouble he got into. Hearing what I heard from Sam, it sounded like he was in serious trouble.

‘You’re leaving in the middle of the semester?’ Stiles asked as we sat on my bed, worried about me. 'We can ask Scott to help us, that would work.’

'I can’t ask your friend for help and besides I have to go on my own. He was like a father to me and I need to find out what’s going on.’

He looked down and started tracing his fingers through the blanket, 'When are you coming back?’

Biting my lips, I tried so hard not to cry. This was the question I dreaded being asked for a whole week. The truth of the matter was: I didn’t know when I was coming back. John can be anywhere in the country with any supernatural being. This definitely wasn’t going to be a weekend trip.

'Actually, I thought about for a week and I-’

'Wait. You knew for a week and didn’t tell me?’ Stiles raised his voice, 'I thought we were a team.’

'This was a big decision I had to make for myself. If I would’ve told you, I would’ve listened to you even if it wasn’t the right thing to choose.’

'So what’s the right decision you made then?’

We stared at each other nervously, it was hard to take the words out of my mouth. Taking a deep breath, I finally spoke. 'I’m leaving for good to go find John.’

Stiles nodded, 'I kind of figured, honestly. You always do what’s best for others and never take care of yourself.’

'John took care of me when I was little and all I’m doing is returning the favor.’ He seemed as though he needed to say more but he was holding back. 'What’s on your mind?’

He was silent, figuring out if he really should say something or not. After a while he broke the silence, 'Why aren’t you asking me to come with you?’

'Are you insane? You can get yourself killed Stiles. I’ll never put you in that position, ever.’ Even though Stiles had experience with his friend with the supernatural life, I would never bring him to hunt with me.

'Babe, I can’t let you go all on your own. What am I supposed to do, wait until you get back?’ His voice cracked, trying to convince me to take him with me.

'I can’t let you wait for me.’ I mumbled. It wasn’t fair for me to leave for who knows how long? It can be months or even years until I can come back.

Stiles’ expression changed, 'So what are you saying? You’re breaking up with me?’

This was a tough decision I made but it was the best for the both of us. I wasn’t going to let Stiles wait for me until we meet again, if we ever meet again. 'I’m sorry, Stiles.’

'Seems like you already had your mind made up before we even had this talk.’ He shook his head, slightly pissed. 'Well, it was more you talking. I can’t even share my opinion on this.’

'I get why you’re mad but I thought you’d at least understand.’

'What am I supposed to understand?’ Stiles raised his voice as he stood up from the bed. 'You made your decision without me and I don’t agree with it at all.’

Grabbing on to his hand, I tried to comfort him. 'I need to find him and you can’t go with me because I’m protecting you.’

'You don’t have to protect me, I’m supposed to protect you!’ Stiles swiped his hand away from my grip. 'You won’t even give me a chance to fight for our relationship, Y/N. Instead you’re all set up on leaving me for a mission where you can possibly die.’

'John needs my help and I need to go. What part of that do you not understand?’ I couldn’t stress enough of how important this was for me. 'I love you but this is something I have to do.’

'If you love me, you would try to make this work. Don’t make this bullshit excuse about me waiting years for you to come back when you didn’t ask at all.’ Stiles cried, 'I would wait for you because our relationship is worth it. I would risk everything for you and go on the hunt because that’s how much I love you.’

Throughout my whole thought process this past week, I never thought that this situation would’ve happened. I simply thought it would be easy letting Stiles go but he was making it harder than I wanted it to be.

'It’s not bullshit! How can you say that?’ I sniffled, wiping my tears away from my eyes. 'If I die, no one would know and you’ll be waiting for years. If we go on a hunt together and you end up getting hurt, I’ll feel guilty as fuck for putting you in that position. I don’t want to cause you any pain so we need to break up. I have to let you go for our own good.’

'Well guess what? You already caused pain so congratulations, Y/N! Your plan to not hurt me work so well.’ Stiles yelled and stormed towards the door.

'Stiles, wait-’

'Why? This conversation isn’t going anywhere and we’re clearly not agreeing with each other. What more can we say?’

I approached him, 'I don’t want us to end in bad terms. Please, can we at least have a proper goodbye?’

Stiles clenched his fist as his red, watery eyes stared at me. He breathed then nodded, 'You’re right.’

'I’m sorry it turned out this way. I tried to think of possible ways for both of us to be happy but I couldn’t. I’m so sorry.’ All the tears bursted out as I cried loudly.

'Don’t be, I believe you tried and there’s nothing we can do about it. I’m sorry there isn’t anything I can do to help you.’ Stiles held my hand and smiled lightly.

'It’s so selfish of me to do this, I know. But If I don’t, I know that I would wonder for the rest of my life about whether or not I could’ve helped John.’

'That’s why I love you. You would risk everything and throw your life away to help other people.’ He hugged me tightly, 'Even if I hate how we ended up, I’m proud of you for doing this.’

Embracing him and feeling his warmth, I reminisced all of the good times we had together. I muttered by his ear, 'Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.’

'If you do ever come back to California, visit me okay? I would love to see you.’ Stiles pulled away and smiled, trying to make the goodbye less emotional.

'Of course I will. Hope to see you soon.’ As I flashed a tearless smile, he kissed me on the forehead.

Stiles walked towards the door and waved at me before he left my room. As his footsteps slowly faded away, I fell down on the floor and cried historically.

At that moment, I knew that this was last time I would ever see him again.

[olliepig]

Centre Stage chapter 2

The next chapter is here! Massive thanks as always to the amazing @willow-salix for all her help, cheerleading and betaing prowess with this. 

As always, the whole thing is available on AO3 here

****************

“Thank you so much for this week, it’s been amazing,” Cat smiled, leaning back into Scott, her head comfortably nestled on his shoulder as she watched the stars, John and Selene’s voices fading to nothing behind them.

“Tell me about it,” Scott grinned, barely aware of anything but Cat, wanting to savour the feeling of contentment that had been ever present since they got together and the tranquillity it had brought to him that only nagging thoughts of their imminent separation could disturb. She was warm in his arms, her body pressed against him as he dropped a tender kiss on the top of her head, taking in the scent of her hair as it tickled his nose.

Cat nuzzled her head further into him but didn’t reply, lost in thought as she listened to the distant waves rolling onto the shore and the gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the palm trees behind them.

Their final day together had been remarkably free from any rescues and they had spent it relaxing by the pool before everyone assembled on the beach for an impromptu family barbecue to bid her farewell.

Good food and company had led to the whole family sitting around, talking and laughing until late, and it had felt to Scott like a lifetime to wait before everyone finally went to bed, leaving them sitting alone on a blanket spread out on the sand for the second time that week.

Unlike the last time, Cat’s mind was calm and, like Scott, she was savouring their closeness and the peace that it brought over her. Spending the evening with the whole family had been wonderful but she hadn't been able to take her eyes off him all night and had been counting down the minutes until they could be alone together once more. Having finally started their relationship, it seemed so unfair that they had such a short amount of time together before they had to go back to their own lives on opposite sides of the planet.

“When do you think we’ll see each other again?” Scott asked, breaking the silence and finally voicing the question that had been plaguing them both for days.

Cat sighed, not wanting to face the reality of the conversation just yet but knowing that she must.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I’m going straight into rehearsals on Monday for that tour in Italy I told you about. That’s going to pretty much take up the next month or so, and then I’m back in rehearsals again for the next season. I’d say it’s going to be into September anyway before I have a free day to meet up, and that’s only if you can get to London.”

Cat’s heart clenched painfully as she spoke. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about it before, preferring to bury her head in the sand for as long as possible and enjoy their time together without the added pressure of knowing for definite that it could be months before they next were on the same continent.

Scott hugged her tighter at the news he’d been dreading. He’d known before he even asked that it was likely to be a number of weeks but having it confirmed that it was going to be more than a month was definitely not what he was hoping for.

“I’ll do my best, but by then we’re probably going to be getting close to having the T drive sorted, so I don’t know how much time I’ll have to come over,” he admitted, already feeling the ache in his chest as he imagined being without her again. “Isn’t there any way you can get some time off before then? Even just a day?”

“I really don’t think there is. Tour schedules are a nightmare and every day is already accounted for, and in the couple of days I have when I get back to London, I’m going to have to get organised for starting back with the company,” Cat explained, her heart sinking as she spoke, the thought of not seeing him making her feel strangely hollow.  

“We knew this might be the reality for us,” she continued softly, shifting herself round to look at him, hating how downcast he seemed, his eyes lowered and his whole demeanour screaming disappointment. “We’ve both got stuff we’ve arranged that can’t be changed, but it’s not forever. Once these existing commitments are over, then I can factor our relationship into anything new I get asked to take on, but until then I can’t do much I’m afraid. I can’t let people down who’ve already bought tickets.”

“I know that, and I’m not asking you to change anything. I’d just hoped we’d be able to see each other sooner. Not being able to really fucking sucks, that's all,” he finished, meeting her eyes, hoping that she understood what he was saying.  

“You’re not wrong there,” Cat smiled sadly, reaching out to gently stroke his cheek, feeling the faint roughness from his stubble prickle her hand as he leant into her touch. “But Scott, this is going to be the reality for us. Are you sure it’s what you want? I’m not going to be someone who can be available whenever you are. I’ve got my life and my career. However much I want to be with you, I’m not going to give that up.”

“Who said anything about that?” Scott exclaimed, horrified that she could even think that was how he was feeling. “If I’d wanted the kind of girlfriend who was at my beck and call whenever it suited me, I could have had that years ago but it holds no appeal whatsoever. I want a partner. I want to be able to support you in everything you do in the same way that I know you’ll do with me. I don’t expect you to be here all the time.”

He paused for a moment, reaching out and taking her hand in his own, needing the comfort of her touch as he brought it to his lips and kissed it gently before continuing.  

“Like you say, you’ve got your life and your career, and you have no idea how proud I am of you for everything you’ve done. I’m never going to try and take that away from you, I just want to fit in around it and complement it. I was just disappointed because we’ve only just got to this point and it feels like it’s ending far too soon,” he finished, hoping that he’d done enough to convince her that he wasn’t trying to turn her into something she wasn’t.

Cat held his gaze for a moment, pinned in place by the intensity she found there as he implored her to understand before closing the gap between them and brushing his lips with her own. She didn’t prolong the kiss, choosing instead to rest her forehead against his, allowing them to draw comfort from each other as she took in what he had just said.  

“Sorry,” she breathed, pulling back to look at him once more. “I didn’t mean to imply any of that. I’ve just dated one too many guys who didn’t like how much of my life my job took up. I know you’re not like that but it’s hard not to fall back into old habits sometimes.”

“I totally understand that. I’ve not managed to have a proper relationship since we moved here and started this,” Scott replied, turning and gesturing towards the villa and the craft held far below, before looking back to Cat.

“My life is so unpredictable that dates kept having to be reorganised at the last minute and, in my experience, that didn't usually go down very well, so I gave up after a while,” he continued with a shrug and a small smile that made Cat’s heart ache for him. “I don’t want to go into this worrying about what’s gone before, either with you or with others. It’s why I was so happy when you said what you did about talking to each other about stuff. If we can do that as soon as there’s even a hint of a problem, then there won’t be any misunderstandings and we’ll be fine.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Cat smiled, shivering slightly as the gentle breeze raised goose bumps on her arms, looking away as she tried to rub some warmth back into them.

It wasn’t cold on the beach by any stretch of the imagination but the temperature had definitely dropped since the sun had set and she found herself wishing that she’d brought another layer with her.

Sensing movement beside her, she looked up just in time to see Scott pulling off his hoodie, giving her a tantalising glimpse of toned stomach as his t-shirt rode up before he tugged it back down and covered himself again.

“Here, take this,” he offered, reaching around her to drape it over her shoulders, the action leaving them briefly cocooned in it, safe in their own little world.

Time seemed to slow for Cat as she watched him getting nearer; even though she knew it was allowed now, the thrill of being so close to him hadn’t left her and she could feel her heart starting to pound in her chest as she was drawn to him, unable to resist any longer.  

“Scott…” she almost whispered, snapping his attention to her from where it had been focussed on just getting her warm.

He froze in place, his eyes meeting hers, the tone of her voice sparking something in him. He was captured by the intensity and longing in her gaze, his heart rate skyrocketing as he lost himself in the moment, drawn towards her as his lips met hers in a soft, lingering kiss.

Cat moaned quietly, feeling her heart rate increasing further as she deepened their kisses, snaking her tongue along the seam of his lips and encouraging them to part, his lips warm and impossibly soft under her own.

His hoodie forgotten, Scott buried his hands in her hair, cradling her head as she slid her arms around his back, pulling herself into him and pressing their bodies together. There was an urgency to her kisses which excited him and his breathing quickened as they clung to one another, his blood starting to pool in his trousers, making him shift uncomfortably.

No longer feeling the cold thanks to the burning heat starting to build in her, Cat was desperate for more. Her whole body was crying out for his touch and, powerless to resist any longer, she shifted her position and lay back onto the blanket.

Scott’s eyes flew open in surprise as he felt himself being pulled onto her and he tucked himself alongside her, his need to feel the closeness of her body matching hers. Propping himself up on an elbow so as not to squash her, the sight that greeted him took his breath away and he hungrily took in her long hair spread out beneath her as she looked up at him, desire darkening her eyes and her lips slightly parted.

Dipping back down to kiss her once again, he felt her hands roaming across his back, clawing at him and sending all his remaining blood flooding south, leaving him slightly lightheaded. He had always loved this wild side to her, and knowing that behind the controlled public persona was someone who was able to completely let go was a massive turn on for him so he replied in kind, his hands tangling in her hair, pulling on it slightly as he kissed her again and again.

A thrill of recognition passed through Cat as she realised the last time Scott had kissed her like that had been at Penny’s, and her need for him now at least matched how she had felt that night. He had an irresistible draw on her, and his words of reassurance earlier had ensured that any lingering reservations about taking their relationship further before she left the island had been forgotten.

Frustrated that they still weren’t close enough, Cat slid her hands lower, grabbing his ass and pulling his hips into hers, feeling the unmistakable bulge in his jeans press into her.

Scott groaned loudly as the added pressure made him see stars, dropping his head onto her shoulder for a moment to try and regain some composure.

“I hate you so much right now,” he complained once he was able to speak again, a faint smile curling the edges of his lips.

“No, you don’t,” she grinned, kissing his neck, gently nipping the skin as she went.

Scott tilted his head, giving her better access as he considered his answer, his eyes closed, lost  in the sensations.

“You’re right, I don’t,” he conceded after a moment, crushing her lips under his once again as desire ripped through him.

This time, his free hand didn’t stay tangled in the long strands of her hair. It roamed up and down her body, making her writhe under his touch.

“Scott,” she mumbled into his mouth, feeling his hand slide up inside her top just as a memory from a decade before materialised in her head, making her pull back.

“Yeah?” his head shot up, concern that he had gone too far in his eyes.

“If we’re going to do this, maybe we should take it back up to the house? Cos I’m guessing we don’t want a repeat of what happened last time,” she grinned, quickly dissolving into laughter as their eyes met.

“Oh God, their faces!” Scott choked, unable to hold in his mirth as he collapsed over her, all desire evaporating as amusement took hold. Their escapade on a Virginia beach was something he hadn’t had cause to think about in years, but now that he’d been reminded, he couldn’t quite believe that they’d ever done it, although he had to admit that it had been very, very funny. “They looked so shocked.”

“As well they might. I’m guessing it wasn’t what they were expecting to come across on an evening stroll,” Cat giggled as Scott pushed himself up, wiping his eyes as he helped straighten her top back out.

“I don’t think I’ve ever moved that fast. They can’t have seen anything too incriminating though, can they?” Scott asked, still chuckling to himself as he helped Cat sit back up again.

“I doubt it, but I reckon they knew exactly what we were up to. It was pretty obvious,” Cat grinned, thoroughly enjoying the sound of Scott’s laughter as it flooded through her, filling her heart with joy.  

“I guess it was… oh God, the sand,” Scott cried, exploding with laughter once more as he remembered the worst part of the endeavour. “So much sand everywhere.”

“Don’t remind me,” Cat groaned. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a more uncomfortable drive home. Good shower to get it all off afterwards though, wasn’t it?”

“Now that’s a much better memory,” Scott replied, a rasp in his voice as his eyes glittered dangerously, darkened in desire again.

“Certainly is.” Cat leant in and caught his lips with hers in a lingering kiss that sent shivers down his spine. “So, um… you wanna call it a night down here?”

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Scott readily agreed, standing and offering her a hand to get up.

Cat smiled as she took his hand and pulled herself up before tearing herself away from him, feeling the loss of his touch keenly as they worked together to fold the blanket and gather what little had been left for them by the others.

She couldn’t help but glance up to look at him and they paused as their eyes met, matching grins spreading across their faces before she wrenched her gaze away and went back to what she was doing. Packing up was slow progress, their eyes meeting often and always with a pause to take each other in with a smile but they eventually had everything ready and set out up the path.

Scott found that a surprising calm came over him as they wound their way back up to the villa, her hand tucked securely into his. Walking together, hand in hand like that felt so right, he thought, like that was how they were meant to be. Despite the promise of things to come that Cat had seemed to make on the beach and the fact that his whole body ached for her touch, he was perfectly happy to let the night run its course, knowing that whatever happened next would be perfect for them.

Beside him, Cat was still lost in the sensations of their embrace, feeling where the heat of his body had seared into her side and the comfort of having his arms around her. Her lips still tingled from his kisses as the memory of them played on a loop in her head, making her body long for more.

Scott had been a perfect gentleman right from the start, she realised, always letting her know what he wanted while also being completely respectful of her wishes. She had no idea what else she would have expected as that was just who he was, but it was reassuring nonetheless and their communication had allowed her to relax into their relationship much more quickly than she had expected.

Before they knew it, they were back up at the house and busied themselves tidying away the blanket and lights in the big cupboard in the kitchen, working together quietly and efficiently.

“We should probably head to bed. It’s getting late and I’ve got a long journey tomorrow,” Cat said, turning to face Scott as they finished up.

“I guess you do,” Scott sighed, his shoulders slumping at the reminder of her imminent departure before he caught the look in her eyes which left him in no doubt of what she was thinking.

Reaching out, he brushed her cheek gently with his fingers, carefully tracing the pad of his thumb over the soft skin beneath her eye as she sighed, her eyes closing and a small smile appearing on her full lips before she nuzzled into his touch and placed a gentle kiss on the palm of his hand. Fire spread through him once more and he closed the gap between them, his hand sliding into her hair and grabbing a handful, pulling her head back as he hungrily met her lips with his own.

Breaking the kiss as suddenly as it had started, he let his hand slide down her arm and took her hand, turning and wordlessly leading her towards his room.

*****

“Well, this is a bit of a first,” Cat commented, looking around in interest as Scott closed his bedroom door quietly behind them.

“In what way?” Scott asked, turning quickly to look at her in confusion, his brain busy thinking about something which was most definitely not a first for them.

“I’ve never been in your bedroom before,” she smiled, knowing exactly where his mind was. Hers was still there too and was unlikely to be waylaid for long, but she was more than prepared to delay things slightly in order to satisfy her curiosity.

Unsurprisingly, she saw that the bed took up most of the space but a small sofa and an armchair sat in a corner with a low table between them and there was a desk in the corner next to the door that she assumed led to an en suite. It was neat, effortlessly stylish and altogether exactly what she would have expected his bedroom to look like.

“God, you’re right. You weren’t allowed on the base were you?” Scott recalled.

“Nope. Every time we’ve seen each other, you’ve always been at mine so this is the first time I get to see Scott Tracy’s bedroom.”

“Please don’t start referring to me in the third person again,” Scott pleaded with a smile, knowing that this argument had been going on for over a decade and that he was unlikely to win now.  

Cat grinned at him and stuck her tongue out instead of answering as she wandered over to the desk, and Scott contented himself with good naturedly rolling his eyes in response. It was something she did to everyone and, as such, it actually wasn’t something that bothered him, but he loved that it always made her smile so it was one of the first things he had picked back up again after they had met at Penny’s party.

“I love the family photos,” Cat commented, bending down to look at them as Scott came up behind her to see which ones she was looking at. “That’s a lovely one of you all. Is that where you grew up?”

Having a guest in his room, looking at his pictures was a new experience for Scott and the fact that Cat was already making herself quite at home made his heart swell in happiness, reminding him of the time he had been the one investigating the pictures on display in her dressing room while she got ready after a performance of Swan Lake a few months before. Watching her, he found he was thinking ahead, looking forward to the day there would be pictures of the two of them together, nestled in amongst his treasured family photos.

“Yeah, that’s the farm in Kansas. Grandma took that photo and it’s the only one I have with all of us together with Mom and Dad too. Look at Alan, he’s so tiny,” Scott pointed to the blond toddler, barely being restrained by a tall, red haired boy who could only have been John.  

“He’s very cute,” Cat confirmed, as she moved on to look at the next picture. “Is that Gordon with the gold medal?”

Scott looked at the picture of his brothers, arrayed around Gordon, whose smile beamed brighter than the medal around his neck. “Sure is. That was taken right after the ceremony, before he had to go off and do all the official interviews and the big party afterwards.”

“You look so proud of him,” Cat smiled, taking in the enormous grin on Scott’s face in the picture.

“I still am,” Scott admitted. “He put a hell of a lot of work into it, in less than ideal circumstances.”

“God, yeah! It must have been really tough.” Sensing a sudden wave of emotion rolling off Scott, Cat looked up at him, taking in the set of his jaw and his almost indecipherable expression as he kept his gaze trained on the picture. “For all of you.”

“We got through,” Scott deflected with a tone of forced joviality, glancing at her with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, shutting down any further conversation on the subject.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” Cat said quietly. She hadn’t meant to stray onto something that was clearly still a difficult subject for Scott and the sudden change in his mood unsettled her. He had never given any hint that Gordon’s Olympic win was anything other than a positive event but his reaction now told her there was more to it than she was unaware of.

“It’s OK. I’m not upset, it was just a tough period, that’s all,” Scott soothed, reaching for her and wrapping her in his arms, lowering his head so their foreheads leant together for the second time that night, the solid warmth of her body calming him and taking him away from memories of a time he’d rather forget. “I’ll tell you about it another time, I promise. I just don’t want to spend our last night together for a while going through it all.”

“Whenever you want to, I’ll be here,” Cat murmured, holding Scott tightly around his waist, feeling the slight tremor in his breathing settle as they stood, drawing strength from each other.

“I know you will,” Scott replied at length, pulling away and meeting Cat’s gaze, the heat in it making him feel giddy once again, unpleasant memories forgotten as the magnetism of the woman in front of him took over once more.

Something shiny caught the corner of her eye, and Cat pulled her gaze away, turning back to the desk, a smile appearing on her face when she realised what it was.

“Are those your wings from the air force?”

“Sure are,” Scott grinned. “I’ve still got the uniform too, packed away in storage somewhere.”

“Oh, do you now?” Cat cocked an eyebrow, images and sensations flooding back to her that she was keen to repeat. “I have very fond memories of you in that uniform.”

“I have some very fond memories of you taking me out of it,” Scott grinned, moving behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, nuzzling into her neck and kissing it gently.

Cat leant back into him, reaching up and caressing the back of his head with her hand, running her fingers through his soft hair as he worked his way up her neck and along her jaw before spinning around and meeting his lips with her own.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, pulling back to meet her eyes again.

“I really do,” Cat breathed, held by his gaze as her lips still tingled from his kisses and her body cried out for more.

“You absolutely sure it’s not too quick for you? I don’t want you feeling you have to cos we’re not going to see each other for a while,” he persisted, wanting to make absolutely sure that he was doing the right thing before going any further.

“Absolutely sure,” she confirmed with a smile. “It’s maybe quicker than I thought but it feels right. Now shut up and kiss me again.”

Not needing told twice, Scott captured her lips with his once more, keeping their kisses slow and sensual. He could feel a burning heat starting to build that, if left unchecked, could easily consume them but, unlike when they were at Penny’s, there was no sudden dam ready to burst tonight; they had all the time in the world and Scott for one had every intention of using it.

He pulled back, meeting her eyes briefly before bending to trail kisses along her jaw and down her throat, the scent of her skin filling his nose as he inhaled deeply, feeling the faint tickle of her hair on his face as he did so.  

Lost in the sensation of his soft lips working down the sensitive skin of her neck, Cat dropped her arms and slid her hands up inside his t-shirt, feeling the silky-smooth skin of his back as he shivered at her touch. Keen to feel more, she started to pull his top up further as Scott broke contact for a moment, taking the garment, lifting it over his head and dropping it on the floor as her eyes raked hungrily over his bare chest.

Despite knowing that it was allowed, she felt something akin to apprehension as she reached out, tracing down the hard plains of his chest and onto his stomach, feeling the soft dusting of hair tickling her fingertips as she went.

Scott simply watched as she took him in, feeling a strange mix of desire and protectiveness. Her gentle touch set him on fire but she looked so unsure of herself that his first urge was to look after her. Reaching for her, he brushed her hair over her shoulder before bending down to kiss her again, gently but firmly, feeling her hands slide around his waist, pulling herself into him as she returned the kiss.

Standing up on her tiptoes, it was Cat’s turn to bury her face in Scott’s neck, any apprehension melting away as she nipped the skin playfully, making him groan in pleasure as he pushed his hands up under her top, leaving her stomach exposed and sending shivers through her that were from more than the cool night air coming in from the open window.

Pressed together, their bare skin met, sending a jolt through him and causing even more of his blood to head southwards. Needing to feel more, Scott lifted her top off, discarding it on the floor as she reached behind her to unhook her bra, tossing it out of the way before she pressed back into him, kissing his chest and neck as he ran his hands up her muscular back.

Cat pulled away, smiling at the small whimper that came out of him at the loss of her kisses. Taking his hand, she led him toward the bed, pushing him back onto it and quickly climbing up beside him, desperate to feel the warmth of his body against hers once again.

[thisselflovecamebacktome]

All my thoughts surrounding the Evermore album so far

For the first time in forever, I went into an album refusing to write down any notes or whatever about how I felt upon the first listen and really just let it sink in. Even when ranking the songs, I did it by gut feeling and refused to elaborate. But being over 24 hours and a dozen listens in and basically having the same opinions and thoughts, I felt it was time to put out everything I feel so far.

Basically this post is going to go over not only my thoughts on and relationship to the songs of Evermore, but how I feel about it as an album and specifically a sister album to Folklore. So I hope you enjoy it.

What I think of Evermore as a whole/it’s relationship with Folklore:

Truth be told Evermore is currently quite low on my Taylor album rankings. This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it and definitely is not me saying I didn’t like any of the songs. But the environment of an album and ability to get something out of listening to the songs all together and in order that you could not otherwise get is important to me to the point it’s my favourite thing about listening to albums. And right now? Outside of Tis The Damn Season and Dorothea, it’s just not there for me. In many ways, that has made Evermore very similar to Speak Now and Lover vibe wise to me in that it feels like an array of great songs as opposed to a perfect album experience like RED, Reputation and even Fearless feels to me. So while I could absolutely see myself listening to most of the songs on this album for years to come, I’ve already found myself listening to the album itself out of order and focusing on my favourite tracks more.

I would also argue that the only reason Evermore is a ‘sister album’ to Folklore is because it’s by Taylor Swift. And that may sound weird, but hear me out. The fact of the matter is that the only ways in which this album and Folklore are more ‘sisterly’ towards each other than other albums is because they are similar production wise and both are at least partially based on the stories of others. I could name you an array of artists whose albums share these same qualities yet are not seen as sibling albums. And honestly, right now it feels like the only reason these two albums are being seen as sisters is because they have come from someone who has been expected to change sounds, vibes and everything else every ‘era’ because she has admitted in the past that she has a fear of people getting sick of her. In my honest opinion, Reputation and Lover feel more like sister albums to me than Folklore and Evermore. This is not to say that Evermore is a lesser album for not being a sister project to Folklore, it’s just not something a connection I’m feeling right now.

What I’m about to say next may sound like it contradicts with what I just said but as it is a personal connection and not objective, I feel like it doesn’t. For me personally, Folklore was predominately an album that opened up and described my trauma relating to losing my whole family while Evermore feels more like a recovery album. So on a personal level, they are other sides of the same coin and while that makes them sister albums to an extent, to me it was not the extent Taylor meant because obviously these songs were not written with me and my personal issues in mind.

With that in mind, if we’re going to compare Folklore and Evermore like many people have, I feel as if Folklore is the stronger album but Evermore has stronger songs. Basically as a full experience I prefer Folklore, but the songs I like off of Evermore I love more than the ones I like off of Folklore. At this point, I will also say I think I love the production of Evermore more than Folklore, but I can also see that being a mood based thing.

What I think of each individual song:

Willow: I’m going to be honest, I do not see the hype for this song. Like objectively it’s not a bad song, but there’s just not really anything drawing me back to it. While clever, the 90s line also threw me off a bit and feels kinda out of place with the rest of the song giving ancient/mythical vibes to be honest. It seems to be a hot take at the moment, but I also found myself bored with the music video and didn’t seem to love the fact that it is a continuation of Cardigan as much as everyone else. I did however appreciate the love interest being from an Asian background during a time when they are on the receiving end of racial villification. I will say I think the first chorus is the strongest part of the song.

Champagne Problems: I feel like this is going to be the song that is most consistently among my favourites for this album. While most of my other favourites are the deep cuts or bops that I need to be in the right mood for, Champagne Problems feels like a good mix that I can listen to any time. It’s also kinda been a blessing for me because the man I love told me upon listening to it that my fear of marriage and actions around that lately have made him worry that we’re going to end up like that which has really made me reflect today on the fact that my fear of not being good enough to keep him isn’t going to be fixed by holding him at arm’s length, it can only be fixed by working to be the better person I think he deserves. In terms of Taylor, I’ve heard some of you think that Tom proposed while they were together and that the ring in the LWYMMD video is actually reference to him and I’mma be real, if that’s the case, damn right she should have said no because they were together what, 2 or so months??? In saying that, as a general sister piece to Getaway Car in that they’re both about realising you don’t love the person you’re with as much as they love you, it’s a nice comparison and I could see it.

Gold Rush: Taylor girl, please go to therapy about not feeling good enough for your man and insecurities that he’s gonna leave you for someone else. You are absolutely good enough. Honestly, all up I feel like this song is the definition of good. It’s not something I’d seek out to listen to but it’s not something I’d skip if it came on. The production is definitely the highlight of the song for me.

Tis The Damn Season: This song really hits hard for someone still living in her childhood house in her hometown huh? I’ve seen a lot of people relate this song back to The 1, and to be honest, they both remind me of the same platonic relationship I once had and things I wish we had said to each other, so I can see that. Look in all honesty, this is just one of those songs where I cannot pinpoint what makes it so good because it’s everything. The production, the lyrics, the emotion; it all works together to make it an amazing song. When considering the album as a whole, I think Tis The Damn Season and Dorothea are the strongest sign of creating an environment and emotion given that they are songs about the same relationship.

Tolerate It: I get why this is track five, and much like Mirrorball off of Folklore, had it come out in 2018 or beforehand, it would have owned my soul and been my favourite song off of this album forever. But nearly everyone who has ever made me feel this way was purged out of my life no later than 2018 so I feel so far removed from it. While I understand the artistic choice for the second half of the song to be wordy and faster paced to the point of feeling offbeat because that’s how it comes off when you’re thinking of all the ways you can defend yourself and/or leave, I personally prefer the first half of the song far more than the second half due to its flow. Had I enjoyed the second half as much as the first, I think this would have been a tied favourite from the album. I’ve seen Swifties say this is a Tayvin and/or John/Taylor song and yeah to be honest, I feel that. I also love the intepretations surrounding it being a queer person and a queerphobic family member.

No Body No Crime: Upon first listen, this was an automatic tied favourite of mine. But, while I’ll still say it is, listening to it on repeat today made me feel like it’s something I need to listen to sparingly or it’ll get overplayed fast, much like Betty did on Folklore for me personally. This is another song I really don’t have much to say about because I love it all and it’s a bop. As a more general note, I will say that I agree with people that I wish Taylor’s vocal collaborations with women included them actually having a verse rather than feeling like backup singers for Taylor. But for what we got, I think Haim added a lot to this song with their ‘He did it’ sounding like Este’s ghost reassuring Taylor he killed her and Danielle’s ‘she was with me dude’ adding a lot of atmosphere to the song. In my mind, Este’s husband wasn’t planning to leave/kill her or move his mistress in but accidentally killed Este as she tried to leave him. Either way though, it’s a great song and I can definitely see why it’s a fan favourite.

Happiness: This was my other tied favourite upon my first listen. When thinking of Taylor, I tend to agree with people that this song is probably about Scott and recoving from leaving Big Machine. When considering what it means to me... well it’s complicated. Truly, I want to reach a point where this is what I think of my family. I hope someday I can get there. But for now, it is another self love song; as if I am talking to my pre and/or newly traumatised teenaged self at age 25. This probably sounds weird but I also love that it’s my favourite while being the longest track (so far, obviously we don’t know about bonus tracks) of the album because there’s something so special to me about Taylor’s longer tracks.

Dorothea: A cute song. That’s really all I can say. Again, I love it’s connection with Tis The Damn Season and it makes me smile thinking about that platonic relationship these songs remind me of. Really just in general this song makes me happy and is probably the one I could see myself randomly singing around the house the most.

Coney Island: Honestly I like the idea/message behind this song more than I like the song itself. Like the idea of not appreciating something until its too late reasonates with me and again, is something I wish the ex friend Dorothea reminds me of would tell me they feel, but obviously I cannot change that. I’ve seen posts about how the bridge of this song was inspired by John, Jake, Harry and Calvin, but to be honest, in general this song feels very purely Tayvin to me, but like from Calvin’s (or at least what Taylor hopes is his) point of view. All up, I think the production of this song is its strong point and the reason that while it’s still not one of my favourites, it’s somewhat grown on me.

Ivy: Another hot take? This is another song that I just haven’t been able to get into. Like I like the idea that it’s the ‘tough’ parts of Invisible String where you have to take the leaps not knowing where you’ll end up, but yeah, I don’t know, it just wasn’t something that has caught my attention yet.

Cowboy Like Me: This song is a vibe. Like it’s the type of song I could see myself putting on while just wanting to chill or do something else at the same time, but I don’t feel like it’s something I’m going to opt to listen to on its own that much. Basically it’s as middle of the road track for me as they come. I will say however that ‘Now you hang off my lips like the gardens of Babylon’ has lived in my mind rent free all day.

Long Story Short: This song is so fun. I love that barring Folklore, I could see it being on any of Taylor’s albums since Fearless. It also reminds me of another non-Taylor song, but I can’t think of what and that has been bugging me all day. I saw a lot of people saying that they’re over Taylor talking about 2016, and personally while it’s not my favourite topic either, she’s free to write about whatever she wants and honestly? I feel like her more upbeat, funner sounding songs like this one have boded better with me when she first releases them ever since Lover so I’m glad she released it. Anyway, like I said, it’s another cute fun song that I can see myself dancing to in my room for a while yet and that makes me so happy.

Majorie: I’m gonna be honest, I feel like this is a song you have to relate to to love, and I do not relate to it. Like I think had my family shit not gone down, I would have cried to this thinking of my recently deceased grandfather because I felt the closest to him out of any family member as a kid, but yeah, that’s not how things are now and so I don’t have the emotional attachment to this song. I can however see myself getting it when my mother dies to be honest. But for now, it’s a sweet song and I get why people love it.

Closure: Remember how I said Happiness is how I wish I felt about my family? Closure is how I actually feel about them. To be honest, the fact that everyone seems to have this as their least favourite song from the album shocks me because I think it’s one of the most relatable. I’m also surprised so many of you feel like this is about Karlie given the sounds at the beginning and end sound like (Big) Machines and the second verse and bridge scream Scott to me. All up, I genuinely really like this song and feel like it’s the one with the most experimentation that works for the track despite the lyrical simplicity to be honest.

Evermore: Lyrically, this is my favourite track from the album. Production wise? ... well Taylor’s part is amazing. This is another song where artistically I appreciate how jaggered Justin’s voice makes the song because it works contextually at that part, but it’s a bit much for me in terms of wanting to have the song on repeat. Though it wouldn’t have had the same jaggered hence artistic feel, I do wish Justin had used his lower register because I feel like it would have suited the replayability of the song more. Regardless, it is another self recovery/reflection song for me and definitely one of my favourite (and perhaps the most socially relevant given how 2020 was for most people) closers from Taylor... though she always knocks those out of the park.

Final Thoughts:

Though not being my favourite overall album from Taylor, Evermore is a solid album with amazing songs. It is also an album I can see being a grower and/or mood based album. So with two songs still coming, I’m not about to rule it out as being something I won’t love more in the future. This is especially the when I know that even if I don’t get the environment I usually love from it, Evermore has so many amazing songs I can see myself listening to for years to come.

[mymarvelbunch]

Different Roads... Same Destination: Part One

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader (established)

Summary: When the Avengers went back in time to get the Infinity Stones, new timelines were created. By not delivering them back to their exact same spots, you and Steve created major changes in those timelines. What happened? (Non-American!Reader)

This is a sequel to “Be Your Own Hero”. I highly recommend you read it first, since it features many major changes in canon that are addressed here.

Notes: Y/N = your (first) name; Y/Co = your home country; Y/Ci = your home city; Y/N/L = your native language (to be ignored in case you speak English).

Masterlist

Part One

New York, 2012

The Avengers were still trying to understand what happened when a loud ‘thud’ was heard. Tony turned to see the Scepter lying on the ground.

“Well, here is the thing Loki used to brainwash people”, he said. “But where is the Tesseract?”

“This isn’t the Mind Stone”, Loki said. “They placed the Tesseract in the Scepter.”

Everyone turned to him. He had already been right minutes prior, when he pointed out there were four Avengers from the future. Now the team was more inclined to believe him again, especially Thor.

“How do you know this, brother?”, he asked, frowning.

“The glow is different, for starters. And... I don’t know how to say this accurately, but I feel different when the Mind Stone is near me. Ever since those warriors came from the future and took it, I felt... lightweight, even if for brief moments. As if...”

Thor’s eyes widened. “As if the Mind Stone has some sort of power over you.” Loki nodded weakly. “Well, this is important information. Mother will certainly know to fix this. Stark, hand me the Scepter. It will be safer in Asgard.”

A SHIELD agent opened his mouth to protest, but there was little they could do as Tony gave Thor the Scepter. The Asgardian walked to the open balcony, his brother in his arm, and left, though not without asking his ‘brothers-in-arms’ to find the Mind Stone first.

“We’ll do surveillance around the Tower”, Runlow said, “with your permission, Mr. Stark.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. I don’t want that thing near any of us.”

~~

“Wait”, Tony said. “Loki was under mind control back then?” 

You turned behind to face him, but a quick glance told you almost everyone was surprised. “You didn’t know? He told me back in 2014.”

Loki wasn’t there to defend himself, busy as he was being king, but Thor was. “Honestly, I didn’t know either, not until Asgard was destroyed. Loki told me on our way here that Mother chose to perform her purification spells out of everyone’s eye because... It would be better (or less worse) to have people believe Loki had turned evil than to have them know about Thanos. But yes, he was under Thanos’ influence through the Mind Stone. It wasn’t exactly like what he did to Barton and others, but close enough.”

That made an awful lot of sense. No one had a good answer for that, and they turned back to the ‘screen’.

~~

It took five years for the Mind Stone to be found. In the meantime, SHIELD was dismantled, the Winter Soldier was revealed to be a brainwashed Bucky Barnes and HYDRA was taken down piece by piece.

There was no Scarlet Witch, no Quicksilver, no Ultron, no Sokkovia Accords, no Zemo. Steve found Bucky in Bucarest in 2016 and, after weeks of talking and with Sam’s help, took him to New York. There, they faced another battle, as many people wanted him in jail for the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier.

Surprisingly, their help came from Tony. “I know what he did to my parents, yeah. I read all those files Romanov leaked. But we all saw what brainwashing does to a person, huh?”

No, Tony and Bucky didn’t become friends. Despite his forgiveness, Tony was still wary of him; poor man had his own mental health issues to face already. But he was willing to pay the best lawyers to convince the public that Barnes had no control over himself for the past seven decades, and that the Winter Soldier was nothing but a weapon in HYDRA’s hands. It took time and money, but it was worth it, for Bucky was absolved and reclaimed his status as war hero.

Even so, he didn’t want to stay in US. “Too many memories”, he explained, and Steve understood. It all got worse when one of Tony’s employees found a glowing Stone in the elevator shaft. Thor wasn’t on Earth when it happened, so the Mind Stone stayed at the Tower for a while. Needless to say, Steve was worried, and Bucky was terrified.

“I found a place that might be good for you”, Maria Hill told him one day. “Y/Ci, in Y/Co. It’s a place untouched by HYDRA and with no evidence that the Winter Soldier ever stepped foot in there. No memories, no triggers.”

Bucky accepted the offer almost immediately, and Steve was happy to follow him. “I’ve had enough fights for a lifetime”, he said. “We should have retired from soldier duty decades ago, Bucky. We both deserve a normal life.”

It was early 2018 when they finally settled, and, upon Steve’s insistence, Bucky started looking for mental health care facilities.

~~

Your grip on Steve’s hand tightened when you recognized the mental health facility Bucky got inside. “I was an intern there at college”, you said. Steve’s eyes widened, and he grinned.

“Maybe Bucky will be the one to get you instead of me”, he teased.

Behind you, whispers could be heard.

“It’s weird to not see myself with you guys”, Wanda said. “I wish I could know if Pietro is alive.” Vision rested his hand on her shoulder, likely reflecting on how would his life be if he had stayed as a disembodied voice.

“Wakanda wasn’t even mentioned”, Shuri said. “I guess with father still alive, the borders remained closed.”

“Probably the reason why Bucky moved to Y/Co instead of Wakanda”, Sam added. “If people still think Wakanda is a poor country, no one would think of it as a mental health care reference.”

“I’m not mentioned either”, Scott said, “which is kind of weird, because I don’t see why I wouldn’t meet at least Sam.”

“Yeah, but there was no fight in Germany for you to take part of”, Hope replied. “They probably never contacted you again. Parker isn’t mentioned either.”

Someone shushed them.

~~

Even though he had scheduled it all by himself, Bucky didn’t want to go his first appointment alone. So, when Y/N called for Sebastian Stan (his new alias), he and Steve (who called himself Chris Evans) stood up together from their seats.

Inside, Bucky soon confessed his true identity. Your surprise was visible for five seconds, and then you smiled. “I’m glad you trusted me with such a delicate information, Mr. Barnes. But I wish you’d tell me your story with your own words, not just what was said about you on newspapers.”

Steve stayed inside the whole time, having also revealed who he was. Bucky didn’t tell his whole story at once, give there was a time limit for his appointment, but you asked him to come back in a week. “We can’t give you any concrete diagnosis for now, Mr. Barnes, though we have a few suspicions. But I assure you we’ll help you in every step of your recovery. You won’t be alone.”

After three more sessions, he was diagnosed primarily with PTSD, along with general anxiety disorder and memory problems (he had yet to remember key details of his past).

You were supposed to leave the facility at the end of the month, but your mentor offered you a prolonged stay. “You mentioned your next internship would be in surgery, and you don’t like it, right? I can pull some strings to keep you here. It’s not like you’ll need those skills to become a psychiatrist.”

You happily accepted his help. You’ve always been sure of what you wanted to do after finishing college; skipping surgery internship was honestly a dream come true, and you were eager to follow Barnes’ case. Your classmates didn’t know his true identity, but the case discussions made it clear you got one of the most complex cases at the facility, and some classmates envied you.

Your teacher was successful, and for the following three months you stayed, taking care not only of Barnes, but of other patients as well. It was a wonderful experience, and you were sure you had fallen into the staff’s good graces, which increased your chances at getting into residency program there after graduation.

As the weeks went by, though, you noticed something rather odd. Barnes had been getting inside the room alone since his fifth appointment, but Rogers still accompanied him, waiting for him outside. Eventually, you asked your patient why that was, assuming he’d say he still didn’t feel safe coming alone. Instead, he grinned.

“Oh, he pretends he comes for my sake, but he actually just wants to get a glimpse of you.”

You nearly choked on your own saliva.

~~

At your side, Steve laughed and hugged you tight.

“Guess I didn’t steal Y/N from you after all, punk”, Bucky said, grinning just like his alternate counterpart.

“Thank God”, you replied. “No offence, Bucky, but seeing us dating would have been way too awkward.”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

---x---

It wasn’t easy for Steve to convince you to go on a date with him. You were hesitant, given he was her patient’s best friend and roommate, but eventually you conceded.

“We won’t talk about Barnes at all”, you said firmly. “And if I sense this will affect my relationship with my patient, it’ll be over.”

“Yes, ma’am”, he replied instantly, willing to do anything to see you more.

You had charmed him from day one, and his interest on you only grew as weeks went by. When the day of your date arrived, he was a nervous wreck.

“Haven’t seen you like this since Peggy”, Bucky mentioned.

“Shut up, jerk”, he retorted. “And go hide, I don’t want Y/N to see you and cancel our date.”

“She’s got you wrapped around her finger and you haven’t even kissed yet”, he teased, but left to his room anyway.

A date led to another, and another, and another... Steve waited for you to leave the facility and stop seeing Bucky to ask you to be his girlfriend, and she promptly agreed.

A year later, when you met the Avengers for the first time, Thor told the story of how he, Loki and others fought Thanos when he invaded Asgard to take the Space and Mind Stones. Your eyes widened as he gleefully detailed the purple alien’s demise.

“Glad you defeated him still in Asgard”, Tony said. “We just found out about another of these Stones here on Earth. A wizard here in New York is its guardian.”

“Really? Give me his address, I figure we have much to discuss.”

You didn’t really understand all those talks, but Steve’s visible relief was enough information for you.

~~

On the current timeline, that same relief was visible among everyone. “A peaceful timeline”, you commented. “I hope there are more of these.”

After Strange showed what happened to the Avengers who were not featured, Wong took his place to show another timeline. You straightened your back as the ‘screen’ showed you briefly kissing Steve in Morag.

~~

Did you like it? I was looking forward to write about the consequences of those changes. Butterfly effect is strong here.

For those who don’t remember, in ‘Be Your Own Hero’ Loki tells the Reader he was under the influence of the Mind Stone in the events of the first Avengers movie. This is a popular theory that explains some differences between his behavior in that movie and his behavior on... well, any other movie he’s in.

In this, I try to touch on how things would be different if this information was made known right away, instead of being kept a secret. Being seen as a victim instead of a villain changes a lot for Loki’s story, and therefore Thor’s arc as well (The Dark World and Ragnarok’s. It also helps Tony understand Bucky’s story and actions better, since he saw the effects of mind control on Clint and Loki.

Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Ultron and Vision are all products of the Mind Stone, meaning that, in its absence, they don’t exist. The events of Age of Ultron are what make Civil War happen, meaning one doesn’t exist without the other. With no Civil War, nobody reaches out to Scott, T’Challa doesn’t become king to open the borders, and Peter Parker’s role in Tony’s life is probably less significant (though I do believe he mentors the teenager anyway).

If you want to follow my crazy ideas on time travel and its consequences, taglist is open!