#c; catie

[fromcharliehale]

closed event starter @rampents

charlie has gotten used to colony house being a crowded free-for-all in the three weeks that she's been here, but tonight it was on a whole new level. this house was not meant to have this many people in it. she was having a good time pretending like it wasn't hell outside if she didn't think too hard about it but it was starting to feel claustrophobic. she broke away from the crowd and was trying to make her way to one of the bathrooms, that were sure to have a long line, when she bumped into someone. "shit, sorry, there are way too many people here." she said as she spun around to someone she didn't recognize. sure, she was still pretty new herself, but it didn't take long to get to know everyone. the town wasn't that big. was this another poor person who got stuck here?

[fromcamadams]

closed event starter @rampents

it has to be some cosmic joke, or maybe a curse, for someone new to show up the day before halloween. it was almost as bad as the big group of newcomers the day before the first storm the town has seen. cameron still remembers how she felt that first day, she's seen so many people go through it over the years. she knows it's fucking crazy and way too much to deal with. but this new girl seemed to have made it through the night and was convinced to come here tonight. grabbing two cups of punch, which was basically just diluted koolaid since they have to make due with things they have, she walks over to the new girl and puts her most welcoming smile on even though she has a feeling it is useless. "hey, you made it through the night," she says as she offers one of the cups to the girl.

[fromcamadams]

cameron's head snapped around when she heard someone call out to her, a stranger glairing at her with a finger raised. oh god, not another, she thinks to herself, quickly jumping into action. they had a couple weeks without a new person after the storm, cam almost thought it would be longer before this place claimed another soul. she put her hands up, trying to show that she wasn't a danger to this person. she didn't mind calming down the newcomers, she's gotten pretty used to it over the years, but every one came with new troubles. no one took it the same as the last, they all react in their own ways. this one is clearly still in the denial stage mixed with a bit of anger. "hey, it's okay, i know this is all fucking crazy but you're going to have to calm down and listen to me first."

open, anywhere

Catie’s been back and forth to almost everywhere in this crooked town the past few hours, so much so she could draw out a map of it and only be missing the way out. This exit hiding out and the townspeople refusing to direct her to it, or worse, spinning tales of sundown is bubbling under her chest while she storms around the place, growing more desperate by the minute.

Suddenly she’s fixed on someone and giving them this hardened stare: ‘You!’ she snaps, pointing at them. Her words spill faster than her thoughts. ‘This isn’t real. I didn’t come all the way here, lose my mind halfway across the world, just to be stuck in this fucking town. Where’s the bus station? A car? I’ll take a fucking… a bike! A bike or something.’

[skitskatdacat63]

sobbing at how happy they all look

[c-rowlesdraws]

oh my god the person (you) who does the adorable sweet pea the gnoll art is the same person (you) that did that Some Gremlin comic I love... mind blown... thank you for your work

mind BLOWN!! lol thank you. 💖

[everythingwasalreadypicked]

so abt war prize Al... how did it start i want to know just how it got started. how did it go?

I'm answering how the au started and how the war went in this ask. If you're wondering about how the war started, I'm going to answer that in another ask I got👍

Whew okay this started like a school essay.

The au first started because A) I was bored, B) I wanted to yap at Phoenix and Cati, C) I kept seeing A LOT of clips from those semi-historical, only-semi-accurate shows about European royalty and Game of Thrones. Which I did not watch, but just so yk if I ever watch GoT this au will get at least twice more fucked up. <333

So about how the war went after it started I don't have anything solid yet BUT— I'd imagine Epirus's land regiments started out fairly away from the kingdoms borders then got pushed back in the longer the war went on. I did mention how Al stopped writing back home to Lou and only continued to write to Hecate.

So Al is writing to his sister until their lines get pushed back to the borders of Epirus, and then he has to retreat INTO his home. He stops writing to Lou so she needn't worry but he is forced to retreat further and further and further— Until they're almost backed away into the capital. Until Hecate orders (not tells, she's his queen at the moment) him to surrender.

She didn't want him to get killed. The war was already lost anyhow.

[ya-boi-haru]

Bored so I'm going to explain some of the songs I added to my Fable playlist, cause thinking of songs for playlist go brrr:

• Meant To Be Yours - (Heather's musical): Corrupted Caspian vibes

• Kiss Your Dreams Goodbye - Derivakat: Enderien vibes

• Saints - Echo's: Trying to decipher which God to believe about the war

• Viper - Derivakat: Season 2, Sculk arc coded

• Nightmare - Derivakat: Villain/Snapped Rae coded

• Daddy Issues - The Neighbourhood: 👀

• Gasoline - Halsey: Rae or Seven (theory)

• Don't make me - MALINDA: Enderien

• Freaks - Jordan Clarke: Lodestone Grove family

• Boyfriend- Dove Cameron: Enderien + Isla

• Treat You Better - Shawn Mendes: Enderien + Isla

• Achilles Come Down - Gang of Youths: Centross (Stuck in the End arc, specifically)

• As The World Caves In - Sara Cothran: Resets

• Burned - Grace VanderWaal: Rae, Icarus, Ulysses

• Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi: Ghae (Early S2 - Pre-Memory return)

• Dollhouse - Melanie Martinez: Morningstar family

• Just a Man - Epic Musical: Fable

• Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift: Gods at war/Revenge

• God Must Hate Me - Catie Turner: How Rae sees himself vs

• Just The Way You Are - Bruno Marz: How his boyfriends see him

• She - Dodie: Enderien + Isla

• What Was I Made For - Billie Eilish: Isla

• The Hammers Coming Down - Nickleback: Resets

• Satalite - Nickleback: For the couples having their soft moments

• The Grudge - Olivia Rodrigo: Icarus + Quixis

• Killer In The Mirror - Set it off: Icarus

• Assassin - Au/Ra: Icarus & Ulysses

• Devil In Me - Halsey: Athena

• Naked - James Arthur: Wolftross or OciexCentross

• Blue - Derivakat: Athena and their cats vibes

• Would You Be So Kind - Dodie: Any of those sweet little gays trying to confess

• Memento Mori: the most important thing in the world - Will Wood: Centross (Rae, theory)

• Zydrate Anatomy - Repo! The Generic Opea: All the lil science nerds (Rae, Icarus, Ulysses, Aax)

• Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson: For the times they tried to claim back their blissful/calm moments

• Rockabye - Clean Bandit: Isla

• Livin la Vida Loca - Ricky Martin: Souly because when I asked where c!Hayley was Connor said "she's living la Vida loca"

• Love Like You - Caleb Hyles: Centross

• I Found - Amber Run: Centross

• I'll Sleep When I'm Dead & Nightmare - Set it Off: Rae

• Safe and Sound - Taylor Swift: Isla with Icarus and Rae or Alerion & Vivian with Will

• The Quiet - Troy's Sivan: Caspian while Rae was gone (S2)

The others are vibes checks or suit 3 different things (or are obvious lol)

[siren-darkocean]

Do you ever think Bara Magna true to a desert would have a Monsoon Season? Where there would be heavy rains and thunderstorms that would last for hours if not days and cause major floodings

So yeah Bara Magna would have water besides from Tajun but it could be devastating from all those floods

Vulcanus definitely makes sure to prepare when the first signs of the season so their forges don't extinguish and loose the lava from the insane amounts of water

Tesara isn't normally used to the huge floods due to their plants being low water based (meaning they can go a LONG WHILE without water, such as Cati but ofc the Thornoraxx plant) and some times some plants die due to the insanely large amounts of water

Tajun is the second most prepared for them next to Vulcanus and use this for more water (even tho their the main water trade on Bara Magna of the villages), you would occasionally find Terix trying to get Kiina inside because she's just laying on her back in the rain with the biggest smile as the rain falls (Berix would literally be hiding away in Vulcanus to avoid the monsoons, Ackar would actually offer the kid to stay at his place to make sure he doesn't get sick from the storms)

Iconox is usually the least prepared due to being in the mountains, all the villagers do is being stuff indoors mainly in their arena areas and get buckets and other containers ready to collect water

Skrall and Bone Hunters use this time for any Agori or Glatorian they capture to give them the slow torment death of drowning to amuse them (alongside multiple resuscitations and drownings to watch them drown multiple times)

Most of it includes setting out containers to capture water since water outside of Tajun is scarce

There would be ofc the foolish ones who go out of their villages during these storms which would lead to some veteran Glatorians to find them in either a) a successful rescue mission, b) they take shelter till a storm passes or the search party to find them or c) Skrall or Bone Hunters would find them to take them back to their villages to do their drownings

I could add some angst shit for Berix (bc I wanna traumatize the kid more than he already is) but that's up to you

[the-prince-of-pigs]

list a song for every letter of your username (depresso espresso playlist version for me)

t = Trauma (NF)

h = Hollow (Icon For Hire)

e = Evelyn Evelyn (Evelyn Evelyn)

p = Parents (Yungblud)

r = Rät (Penelope Scott)

i = Imaginary Illness (Call Me Karizma)

n = Nothing Ever Changes (Nico Collins)

c = Cult Leader (King Mala)

e = Easy’s Never Been This Hard (Citizen Soldier)

o = Over Soon (Egypt Central)

f = Faded Out (Asking Alexandria)

p = Paranoia (Nathan Wagner)

i = I Deserve To Bleed (Sushi Soucy)

g = God Must Hate Me (Catie Turner)

s = Serotonin (Call Me Karizma)

consider yourself tagged

@skeezpyuff @coconutmilkyway @michi0no @bamsara @kiki-kit @busket @doktorgirlfriend @dorinahv2

[swaggypsyduck]

tagged a million times (/j) by the ever wonderful @pixeltori and @mchiti (i didn't see ur tag and im adding u now)

make a url playlist

S- start//end by EDEN

W- We'll Never Have Sex by Leith Ross

A- Ancient Rome by Kayla Seeber

G- Good Looking by Suki Waterhouse

G- God Must Hate Me by Catie Turner

Y- Young by Vacations

P- Pretty When You Cry by Lana Del Rey

S- Skyfall by Adele

Y- YNWIM by Yot Club

D- Devourer by Aidoneus

U- Us by Aimer

C- Cough Syrup by Young the Giant

K- King by Florence + The Machine

yah im in a mood today so u get my sadder stuff. i already saw a lot of people tagged so if you see this it's an open invitation to tag me to see ur results.

[skitskatdacat63]

🥲☹️

[canonfatbisexualenby]

💜 Main F/Os List 💜

P.am B.eesly-H.alpert (T/he O/ffice) ; S/I : Sara ; Ship Name/Tag: Horse Girl Next Door 🐴💜

(Art by @/fungish)

M.ark L.illy & C.allie M.aggotbone (U/gly A/mericans) ; S/I: Abbi ; Ship Name/Tag: ❤️ Living in Hell with You 🖤

R.obin S.cherbatsky (H/ow I M/et Y/our M/other) ; S/I: Olivia ; Ship Name/Tag: ⛓ Studs & Sparkles ✨

J.eff W.inger & B.ritta P.erry (C//ommunity) ; S/I: Harper ; Ship Name/Tag: Daft Pretty Boys & Girls 💙

D.anny T.anner (F/ull H/ouse) ; S/I: Catie ; Ship Name/Tag: This House is a Home with You 🏡💛

[c-rowlesdraws]

I posted 574 times in 2022

That's 172 more posts than 2021!

459 posts created (80%)

115 posts reblogged (20%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@c-rowlesdraws

@c-rowlesblogs

@whumpster-fire

@dr-ladybird

@thaylepo

I tagged 574 of my posts in 2022

#catie talks - 418 posts

#ask - 330 posts

#dnd - 175 posts

#my art - 135 posts

#sweet pea the gnoll - 128 posts

#anonymous - 84 posts

#reblog - 57 posts

#mass effect - 50 posts

#nettle the goblin - 44 posts

#gnoll - 44 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i don’t know if there has ever been an official lore position on if gnolls can do that? but also i’m doing my own thing so i make the rules

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

a picture of Sweet Pea and Nettle on a too-hot August afternoon, finished over several real life too-hot August afternoons

5,987 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

#4

lol thank you anon

9,564 notes - Posted March 19, 2022

#3

See the full post

12,179 notes - Posted April 19, 2022

#2

nap rotisserie...

(a twist: this is all the same nap... they're just very chaotic sleepers)

13,791 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Oh sick this photography book I ordered came with free snacks

32,156 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[barnbridges]

If you shared any thoughts you had on the twins as children/their childhood I'd commit unspeakable crimes for you

if you asked....

TW: mentions of sexual assault, mentions of eating disorders, religious trauma ;

Charles' first taste of guilt was that it was for him and him alone that Camilla was brought into the world. His father wanted a son to name after himself and pawn off to his mother, and their mother wanted a ride home on a winter night. Camilla came out first and screaming and left their father angry, to where he missed Charles' birth getting fucked up at the bar. They were named Charles Lycurgus IV and Camilla Róisín by their Pop and Nana, with vague agreements from their parents and maternal aunt.

Senator Charles Lycurgus Macaulay III got sworn into office a couple of days after the birth of his children, and was off to DC more than he was ever at home. Cecelia Macaulay was a girl herself at 17 and read them Oliver Twist to both lull them and sleep herself. She never wanted to go to DC. Her 17th birthday she debated if she wanted to go to Rutgens or Columbia, her 18th birthday had her two children in pretty pink onesies in attendance. The picture of the 3 of them with "Momma, Mille and Lee" neatly scribbled atop it used to rest at Charles' desk at the Childhood Education Center.

Their aunt Minerva was kicked out of the funeral for announcing her pregnancy at the service. It's why she even tried to fight for custody, a bit of spite (a bit of trying to bring her last surviving brother back, the one she lost way before he was dead). Mary Gray Addelson was not there to listen to the Macaulay dramatics of any of it. They sort of got forgotten in a room with cousin Catie and Miss Louvinia from Charlotte, but who could blame someone of sparing such small children the sight of their dead parents. They brought Camilla in to throw a fistful of dirt, Charles was asleep.

They were miss Mille and mister Lee before anyone realized how and why, they just grew into the nicknames and never wondered. "Lala" and "Charlie" never stuck besides on old kindergarten clothes with dirty labels.

Pop tried taking on teaching them to read, but was too blind for Ma's ripped paperbacks of Twain and Fitzgerald that she brought with her from South Carolina when moving in. Ultimately, it was miss Minerva they telegraphed from Roanoke to spend the hours reading to them so they could learn to speak. Camilla's first word was "bear", Charles' was "please". They began speaking with others at age 3.

Birthdays were always spent with aunt Minerva and cousin Jay, usually the most memorable part being the drive from Virginia to South Carolina. Aunt Minnie has never been mean to them, but there has always been a cold air between the pictures of the blonde woman and the three children she's walking around the amusement parks. The neighbor's cats made the children happy, at least.

Charles bit cousin Jay's finger at Christmas when he was 5 and Jay was 4 for trying to climb into bed with Nana, it makes her sad. Aunt Minnie left in a ruckus and Pop took up smoking again. It's called the incident, and they don't discuss it to the day.

The majority of Macaulays are blond with dark blue eyes, it was their mother Cee who had iron grey eyes and mousey brown hair. Charles doesn't want to admit he feels he desecrates her by bleaching his. It's a knot in Charles' throat that Camilla and Jay look too much like aunt Minerva and father at their age that never leaves, no matter how old they are.

Camilla was always Pop's favorite, picking him wildflowers and listening in while he gardened. For their 13th birthday, he gave Camilla Father's signet ring, the C III turned into a CM. Pop taught her to read in French and took her to singing lessons with miss Petunia Bell, the old lady of the town. Charles loved helping grandma in the kitchen when he was small, but eventually was kicked out because it was not a man's job.

Mawmaw stabbed Pawpaw and herself before they were even born, but from Mother's side of the family, they did meet Mary Gray and Ormie, back then a junior at Williams. Ormie was cozy with the uncles and bought Nana chocolates from when he went to Europe for a summer. Miss Catie or Cousin Lalie always snickered behind the back of the awkwardness of Mary Gray's smoking problem, she's always been less about the colors of azaleas and more on the drinking bar.

Charles painted Camilla's nails since grandma's hands began shaking too badly to keep up the perfect glazy pink. They always ended up chipped within the hour, but it became a ritual. Aunt Mary Gray showed up to their confirmation dinner a bit springy but with a tiny box of lacquers and a bigger box of mini bottles, and both ended up in Charles' side of the room.

They spent one summer with Ormie's folks at Cape Cod, some folk endeared by that Charles could butcher Gaelic and sharply calls her Roe if she walks too far ahead of him. He called Minnie to pick them up within three days.

It was aunt Minnie who taught them Greek on a whim, gardening with Camilla on a Saturnday and mumbling lowly about mandrakes and the Greek superstitions. The knowledge of names of pill bottles long expired from the long-since closed cabinet of Dr. Constance Minerva Macaulay herself, bits and pieces on herbs and Latin superstitions. The Last July she even drove Pop from Virginia to spend a couple of weeks with the three of them grandkids in the dirt of the garden in Gable, a stick's throw away from Charleston. He'd die less than 2 weeks after they are back in Virginia, but it was not a surprise for anyone. Charles Macaulay Jr had been a good man, but it was time he joined his son and daughter in law.

Charles took it worst, already a child seemingly without rest or purpose beyond walking behind his sister's skirt or talking up aunties, just rapidly free-fell. He stopped eating at first, and even Camilla couldn't get through to him. He studied his Greek and his Latin and flowers and closed himself off to their prodding eyes. He began sleeping in the attic, leaving the little shared childhood bedroom with only Camilla's bed touched for months. Neither Orman nor Mary Gray, even the cries of Jay scratching at the doors really did much, "he is possessed". They called a priest.

It was about salvation and confession, and things Charles whispered behind the attic door to a face unseen, that made him finally get out and face them once. The Father held his hand as he went down to eat something besides dried flowers and moldy crackers for the first time in weeks and brushed his hair for him. Charles began going to church, dragging Camilla wordlessly with him. He began playing the organ then. The piano came later, with Mrs Carter from church asking if he cared perhaps for her son's confirmation. He never learned to read notes proper, but his hands played fast.

He was a youth pastor at the local church fast, a story to smile at politely when old ladies began clinging to him about it. Camilla never quite understood his comfort in the crowds of them, but it made it easier to forget and live on. He did not go to either Minnie or Mary Gray for the summer, choosing to stay in Virginia with Nana and the church.

By the beginning of July, Nana called Camilla back and paid for her ticket from Boston, Lee was sick again. They never get to why, and Camilla knows better than to ask. He chewed at wallpaper and shaved his head, he tried to sign up for the military, he pulled a gun on another pastor. He began drinking for the first time. While he was calm, it was Minerva who called, face white and hands shaking, that the Institute for Troubled Youth of Something Something take him, no matter the price. Charles was in Nevada, undergoing Christian wilderness therapy for the evils in less than a fortnight. Camilla told their aunt he's never speaking to her again.

Survive the wilderness Charles did, but vacant doesn't begin to describe it. He came back thinner than he left, gaunt and prone to fevers and wild swings. Nana tried taking him to the doctor's but he never listened. He too, never would step foot in South Carolina again.

[Part 2]

[twoidiotwriters1]

Copycat: Genesis —(Marvel Fem!Oc)

A/N: I know I said the pain was over apparently I lied a little bit -Danny

Words: 1,958

Phase Six Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘A Little More’ -by Catie Turner

xxxii: The Past

Cat left her apartment in the best of moods the following day. Parker left, but they'd reached an agreement, and now she was on her way to see the Parker of her universe. Things were going well.

Peter walked out of his school's building with his face buried in a notebook. He was scribbling notes and muttering stuff to himself, an earphone was plugged into his right ear. Cat whistled twice and Peter stopped abruptly. He spotted her, a bright smile adorning his face as he put the notebook away and rushed down to meet her.

"Hey!" He hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"You told Kate to come and brainwash me," the young man tried to come up with an excuse, but Cat dismissed it. "And it worked, obviously. I can't say no to Kate. She and Harley are taking care of things."

"Really?" His smile widened. "That's great!"

"Apparently none of you are okay with just waiting for Kraven to find me," she said sarcastically. "Would you believe it?"

"So you're not mad?"

"I'm here to thank you," she shrugged. "I'm trying to leave my bad habits behind, I'm the one stuck in them, so it's hard to tell when I'm doing it. You saw it right away. I'm ashamed to say I suck at following my own advice."

He beamed. "Not so much lately. It's the first time you accept our help without putting up a fight. Didn't come at me showing your fangs..." Peter stares at her appreciatively, tilting his head to the side. "You'd be really scary with fangs."

"I might just get my teeth fixed to get the look back," she smirked. "Anyway, are you ready for lunch?"

"For— for lunch?" He blinked.

"Yeah, as a thank you for not letting me fall back on the 'if it kills me, it kills me' mentality." Peter stared at her weirdly, she felt self-conscious about it. "Unless you have other plans..."

"No, it's not that," he replied quickly. "Sorry, er... I don't wanna sound rude..." he raised his shoulders in discomfort.

Cat smiled, guessing what he was thinking. "You're wondering if I can afford it?"

He wrinkled his nose. "I'm sorry."

"It's a fair question," she laughed. "I know exactly where to go, and it's affordable, and you can't say no."

"Cat..."

"I promise it's nice," she locked arms with him and pulled him along, "and you really can't say no. You helped me, so I'm gonna help you!"

"C, what are you—" He stopped and looked at her neck. "Is that a hickey?"

She urged him to walk faster. "If you wanna hear about Parker's latest visit, you'll come with me."

"What!" He looked around and lowered his voice. "Parker visited you again?"

"All in due time," she patted his arm. "I'm hungry."

"This is your worst idea and that says a lot."

"Calm down, boy," Cat skimmed through the menu. "She might not even be here today."

"Welcome!" MJ showed up behind the counter. "Can I take your order?"

Cat and Peter stared at her stunned. "Yeah!" The mutant looked at the menu again. "I will have a... Coke. And the burger with the double cheese and bacon. No onions, please."

MJ quickly scribbled down her order, then she looked at Peter. "And you?"

He gave a start. The young man spoke in a high-pitched voice. "Same thing."

Cat looked at him. "No milkshake? Let me tell you, man, you're wasting—"

"Fine!" He scowled at her. "A milkshake, then. Chocolate. Er... Please." Cat patted his shoulder proudly. "I'll go find us a table," he muttered.

"Okay."

"What name should I put in the order?" MJ asked.

Cat was absently watching Peter, hearing MJ's voice made her reply with the first name that popped into her brain. "C.C."

The girl stared at her, and she frowned. "Stark?"

Cat wasn't expecting MJ to remember her, she went back to the girl in shock. "Yes." She replied weakly.

MJ dropped her notebook. "I can't believe it! How've you been?"

Cat needed to know how much the girl remember in the first place before blurting out a story. "Gosh, I— I don't know, how long has it been?"

MJ sighed wistfully. "So long! The blip makes time confusing, right? I know you survived it..."

Cat took it from there. "Yeah! Well, I worked in Stark Industries for a while... I'm kinda in between jobs— moved out of the city for a few years but I'm back so... I'm waiting to see how it goes."

"Well, if you ever feel like catching up... I know Ned would love that," MJ grinned. "You guys were super close, I mean that's why I even got to know him in the first place..."

The bell at the entrance rang when a new customer entered, and Cat decided to wrap it up. "I should go back to my... cousin."

MJ tried to catch a glimpse of Peter again. "Was that the famous cousin from Canada?"

MJ was talking about  Pietro, but she didn't remember that. "Y-Yeah!" She stammered out. "Actually, he—" The customer behind her cleared his throat, and she apologized. "I'll let you work." Cat went to her table, and she spoke to Peter in a whisper. "You will not believe this..."

"She recognized you," he said quietly, staring at his hands.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Was I the only idiot who thought she'd forgotten me?"

"Probably." She frowned. Peter rolled his eyes and leaned forward on the table.  "This is a bad idea! I can walk past the diner and she can't tell, but you're a different story! You were friends before I was even around—"

"But according to her I was the one who was friends with Ned, how did that happen without you?"

"You're not looking at it right," he shook his head. "We didn't change the timeline. All that happened? Still there. Maybe she thinks you guys became friends because he tutored you, and you gave him that VIP pass to the Stark Expo. Which is kinda true."

"I see," Cat pouted. "Feels wrong, that I play a part in their memories... you were far more important—"

"Don't do that," he interrupted her. "You were MJ's friend, you brought her to us."

Cat supported her chin on one hand. "We're going to fix this."

Peter frowned. "No, we're not."

"Yes, we are."

"No."

"Yes."

"Cat—"

"It's been three years, Peter," she pressed. "That's enough time to let the past go. I think you should try again—"

"I can't do that," his voice quivered. "I can't lie to her every time I can't make it to a date, or show up with a black eye—"

"It'll be different this time—"

"How?"

"Her memories can come back. Mine did."

"No."

"Peter!" She exclaimed, starting to feel frustrated.

"She'll be so pissed that I waited years— she's probably going to dump my ass right after," he snapped.

"She won't!" Cat insisted. "MJ loves you..."

"Loved," he corrected miserably. "You won't convince me, C."

"You slept with him again?"

Cat smiled sheepishly. "He was acting cute..."

"Yeah, and I bet he knew exactly what that was doing to you," Peter snorted. "You have a soft spot for dorks, that's so entertaining, like watching a tiger befriend a capybara," he put a french fry in his mouth and grinned. "I knew Parker wouldn't just step aside after meeting Daredevil and knowing you'd be spending time with him, he wanted to give you something to think about when he's not around, huh? Because those marks on your neck look inhuman."

"Uh-huh," she raised a brow. "So you are still talking to Kate, though..."

"Yeah," Peter smirked, well aware that she was changing the subject. "And she introduced me to Harley, we're mutuals on Twitter."

"Mutuals," she echoed plainly, trying and failing to not think about the events of the prior night after Peter kindly brought them up.

"I should get Matt's number so we can start the Cat's exes support group," he smirked.

"Oh, you barely count as an ex."

"Hey!" He threw a crumbled-up napkin at her.

"All we did was kiss and hold hands!" She laughed.

"What about our feelings, Stark? That makes me a real ex!"

"Well, in that case, Harley was definitely not an ex," she snorted. "Hey, remember—" she was interrupted by her own laughter. "...remember when Happy dated your aunt— and you tried to have the talk with them?"

He cringed. "Let's not go there— oh my god, that was none of my business..."

"What about..." she stole one of his fries, still giggling. "When you called Liz your girlfriend when that was literally the first time you were going on a date?"

"Stooop," he hid his face behind both hands.

Cat chortled and patted his shoulder. "That's okay, champ, we all have our moments..."

"Like that time you called Happy because the other kids wanted to play spin the bottle," he taunted her.

"That wasn't embarrassing, it was a brilliant move on my part—"

"Was it also a brilliant move when you slept with your boss?"

"Hey, if you say it like that it sounds terrible!" She gasped. "He was my friend too!"

"Matt was your mentor before he was your friend."

"Well yeah, but I was your mentor and..." she paused. "What?" Peter smiled innocently. Cat frowned. "How do you know his name?"

He chuckled. "How many men who weren't Avengers can you know?" He shook his head. "Besides his voice is like, super easy to distinguish. I hear Daredevil speak and I get war flashbacks from my trial."

"Fine, you got me, I can't keep it professional," she huffed. "But don't tell Matt, he hates it when people figure him out..."

"What surprises me is not that you sleep with every person you meet, is the fact that you convince them to stay friends with you!" He teased her, laughing in a way she'd missed many years.

Peter finished his milkshake and Cat stared at him with tender eyes. "You sure you want this to be the rest of your life, Pete?"

He glimpsed at her. "Doesn't look bad to me."

"This is all you'll get if you refuse to take a risk," she began. "Talk, talk, talk about how things used to be, all the fun we had, how much we cared about each other... it will get old, Pete. It's one of the habits I want to quit."

His eyes fixed on the table, his voice grew uncertain. "I almost ruined their lives once, I won't give it another go."

She understood where he was coming from, but her own experiences made it hard to abide. "All I'm saying is I tried to push the people I cared about away from me, and it didn't work."

"Yeah, but my friends agreed to have their memories erased."

"Only because you promised you'd give them back," she scowled.

"Cat, you can't force your will upon others, right?" He finished his fries and got up. He went to the bathroom, Cat went to say goodbye to MJ.

"Hi again," she smiled. "We're leaving."

"Oh. Well, if you ever wanna hang out..."

"Yeah, sure," she hesitated, then blurted out her question. "Are you happy, MJ?"

"Oh," the girl blushed. "Well... yeah. Yes, I'm doing well, nothing's wrong..."

Cat stared at her, and for the first time, her resolve started to fall apart. "You're in MIT like you wanted?"

MJ smiled. "Yeah, it's great."

Cat smiled a little. "Hope it continues to be everything you ever wanted."

"Well, it's school," MJ replied, chuckling, her gaze softened. "Let's meet up one day, I'll call Ned— oh! You can meet my boyfriend!"

Cat's heart got broken and it wasn't even her ex-lover on the line. "Oh," she gulped. "A boyfriend. Wow, things really changed, huh?"

"I guess," MJ shrugged, for a moment it looked like she was about to say something, or like she was struggling to put a thought into words, then she shook her head. "But... for the better, I think. You look happier."

"I... I'm doing well," which was more than what she could say about Peter.

"That's good! Well, later, C."

"Maybe."

Cat didn't like how final it felt, she'd expected to get her friend back, but maybe Peter was right, some things didn't need to be fixed, at least not by her.

Next Chapter—>

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[sporesgalaxy]

...hey. hey funny question. what color are toh!warden ingos eyes? :)c

OH haha. funny question indeed! They are the same silver they are in Pokemon, though.

I've considered having him be a trial run Grimwalker, but that's just too sad re: Emmet and all that. Plus, I really think grimwalkers work better if they never have any memories (hence my retcon that grimwalker Caty has no memories), and Ingo needs just a few Actual Memories for plot reasons.

my initial plan, and the one that I've decided to stick with, is that he fell through a time pool (which means he could get back someday)! I think, for the memory loss, my plan was that he actually had an unfortunate confrontation with Philip before falling (or being pushed? 😳) into the time-pool, and ending up in the Coven Crusading Era. So it's some kind of curse or perhaps good old fashioned head trauma