#cheetos snacks near me

[hotchner-edu]

Pandora's Box | Aaron Hotchner

Synopsis: During a girl's night with the BAU girlies, a game of truth or dare may just be the cause of Aaron's odd behavior.

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x BAU!F!Reader

Warnings: mentions of the devil's tango

The smell of freshly microwaved popcorn and cheeto puffs clung to the air of Penelope's apartment unit, the ringing of near-delirious laughter complementing the scent.

Emily is laying flat on the floor by Penelope's sofa, hair splayed out as she clutches her stomach. "Oh my god! You did not do that!" She laughs out, tears gathering in her eyes as JJ blushes a little and shrugs.

You four are gathered in the living room, fingers stained from snacking while playing the team's favorite party game— truth or dare. It was the night of the long-awaited girl's night, and you were all practically bouncing off the walls.

"It's not my fault! Anyway!" JJ chuckles and tries to change the topic, turning her head toward you, eyes glimmering in mischief. "Y/N, truth or dare?"

You groan and shovel some popcorn into your mouth. "Truth."

Penelope and Emily giggle in the background, knowing JJ always had some hard hitters when it came to truth or dare.

JJ grins widely and leans forward a bit. "Who in the team would you do seven minutes in heaven with?"

You let out an outraged gasp. "Jennifer Jareau! What are we? In high school?"

The blonde just laughs loudly and grins. "Oh come on! You only hate the question because you're the one that has to answer."

"Exactly." You deadpan jokingly and groan, preparing to answer when Emily interjects.

"And you can't say any of us!"

Frowning, you narrow your eyes at the woman. "Well, I was going to say you."

Emily smirks cheekily and slides her phone toward herself as she sits up, finally recovering from her laughing fit earlier. "I know, but that's cheating."

Huffing, you watch her throw her phone aside somewhere as they all stare at you eagerly. "Geez... okay, fine! Hotch! I'd do seven minutes in heaven with him." You practically shout in faux exasperation.

Penelope squeals and shakes your shoulders as JJ and Emily raise their eyebrows.

"Really?" Emily asks in shock, chuckling and leaning back on her arms.

"Well, yeah. I mean... hello. Are we all going to pretend he's not sexy?" You ask bluntly, inciting another round of squeals from Penelope as she gets ready to endlessly tease you about your admission.

JJ shrugs with a satisfied smile, pleased that you chose to answer so boldly. "Honestly, I thought you'd say Spence."

"Spencer is cute and I love him, but... c'mon. Like I have to restrain myself from slamming my head into my desk every time Hotch raises his voice at someone. And god! Don't get me started on his arms." You gush, playing up your lovestruck tone but being completely honest.

"Easy tiger." JJ mumbles under her breath with an amused smile.

Emily wiggles her eyebrows and grins. "Oh? Come on, don't skimp on the details."

Rolling your eyes, you shake your head. "You guys are vultures." You say jokingly and throw a piece of popcorn at her.

Penelope munches on a cheeto and shakes her head. "No, no! You never told us you felt this way for him, so we need answers!"

You concede, feeling tired of bottling up your crush anyway. "Alright, alright. Yes, I like him. I mean, it's hard not to." You explain sincerely before becoming playful again, "I think he covered me from an explosion once and I almost died feeling his hands on my waist. Like, how is it possible for someone to have such delicious arms."

"Delicious?" Emily echoes with an amused snort at your choice of adjective.

JJ snickers and nudges your foot with hers. "Careful, you're about to start drooling."

You nudge your foot back against hers and try to suppress the heat that's creeping up your neck. Unfortunately for you, Penelope is just getting warmed up.

"So, would you... y'know... do the devil's dance with him?" Penelope asks coyly, giving you a teasing smile.

"Hey, my turn is over now!" You say and chuckle, shaking your head at their antics.

Though, you should have known that they wouldn't let you get away that easily.

The three of them stare at you with puppy eyes, causing you to squirm on the spot. "Geez, yes, I would. I mean, he seems like he could use the stress relief." You joke before quickly adding, "And I'm only telling you guys because you guys look ridiculous with those expressions!"

"Ridiculous or not, it worked." Emily smirks victoriously.

Luckily, they seem to take pity on you after grilling you so hard, and they move on with the game.

The next morning, you're starting to regret having stayed up with the girls until three in the morning. Your eyes feel like they're being pressed down by bowling balls as you yawn for the fifth time in ten minutes.

Emily is in a similar state as you, head lazily propped on one hand as she sluggishly signs off on some reports in front of her.

“Let’s never do that again.” You grumble just loud enough for Emily to hear, rubbing your eyes.

She chuckles under her breath and nods a bit in agreement, eyebrows raising a bit. “Yeah, or let’s just get drunk and pass out like normal people.” She jokes.

You both snicker softly until you see JJ hurrying toward Hotch’s office with a stack of files in her arms. “Ah…” you say with a slow blink.

“3… 2… 1…” Emily counts down playfully, just as Aaron stands up and leaves his office.

“BAU team— conference room, now.” He calls out smoothly, his eyes catching yours for the briefest second before he’s practically marching off.

You stand up and stretch your arms, watching as your team starts heading over for a new case briefing.

Glancing back toward Emily, you frown tiredly. "How is JJ so peppy today?"

"Perks of motherhood?" Emily suggests and shrugs.

You and her slowly trudge toward the stairs, catching up with Derek who seemed a bit hungover.

The man pauses and glances between you and Emily, grinning playfully. “You both look like hell. Fun night?”

“Not as fun as yours, I’m sure.” Emily chuckles as the three of you walk into the conference room. You’re about to head to your usual chair when you see Aaron sitting in the chair next to it.

You pause in your step and look back at Emily. Of course, seats weren’t assigned, but there had always been an unspoken rhythm of the team occupying the same seats.

Tilting your head a little, you can see some of your team members momentarily questioning it, but shrug it off as they sit down.

“Huh…” Emily says under her breath and hides a smirk, tapping your lower back to usher you to sit down. Aaron had stolen her usual spot, but she didn’t seem all that perturbed by it.

You sink down into your chair, keenly aware of your proximity to his warm body as JJ hurries to the head of the table to turn on the monitor.

As she begins to summarize the details of the case and the descriptions of the victims, you’re only half listening. Aaron keeps subtly shifting in his spot, and his knee even bumps into yours a few times.

You would definitely need to reread the file on the jet.

Aaron speaks up as JJ concludes with the details, voice low and level. “The request is urgent, so wheels up in thirty.”

The team begins moving immediately, and as you’re closing the file in front of you, you feel Aaron’s hand land on the back of your chair as he gets up. You tense a little as you could feel how close his hand was to your shoulder, trying to suppress the heat crawling up your chest.

As everyone files out of the meeting room to go grab their go-bags, Emily is immediately joining your side as she speaks under her breath. "That was weird."

"It was nothing." You try to brush it off, ignoring Emily's uncertain look.

Well. Maybe it wasn't nothing.

The moment the team arrived at the New Haven precinct in Connecticut, the atmosphere was off, to say the least. Of course, it was never enjoyable to have to look at pictures of mutilated victims, or deal with officers acting independently, but the feeling you were getting was a bit ominous.

"Is it just me or does something feel different?" You whisper to JJ as she finishes up a phone call.

She looks at you and tilts her head a bit, eyes filled with concern. "Not really... why? Do you think something's off with the profile?"

You shake your head and look away sheepishly. "No, not with the case. Just... with the team?" Your words come out as more of a question as you try to articulate the emotions swirling inside of you.

"Oh. I haven't noticed anything, but we can talk when we get back to the hotel if you want?" She offers with a kind smile.

"Yeah. Thanks, Jaje..." You say softly and try to redirect your focus back onto the case.

Stepping back, you get ready to return back to discuss the unsub's possible hideout locations with Spencer.

Before you can get far, you hear JJ calling for you again. "Could you tell Hotch that the city's agreed to hold a press conference in two hours?" JJ speaks up, eyes telling you that she had a lot on her plate at the moment.

"No problem. I'll see you in a bit." You nod at her and smile before spinning on your heel to look around for Aaron.

You spot him almost immediately, hunched over a desk and flipping through some papers as the police chief hurries away from him, barking out orders to some of the officers scattered around their desks.

"Hotch. JJ said that a press conference will be held in two hours. Spencer and I have narrowed down some locations, so we'll need to work quick." You practically word vomit, trying to ignore your racing heart.

Aaron straightens up and turns to look at you. "Alright, good. Rossi and Prentiss are on their way back too." He says, reaching back to the desk for his cup of coffee, still steaming as he raises it up to his face.

Your eyebrows rise up a bit and you smile softly. "Another cup? That's like your fourth one today."

The man gives you a small smile and nods, letting himself relax a bit. "Yeah, just for some stress relief." Despite how casual his tone was, the inflection of his voice for the very last words has you freezing on the spot.

You choke on your spit a bit, and he keeps his eyes on you. "Are you alright?" He draws out, mouth twisted in concern, but his eyes swirling with a bit of humor.

"Perfect." You wheeze out a bit and give him a strained smile before hurrying away.

Fortunately, you're not forced to overthink his words and the flashbacks of your girl's night confession to go with it, as the unsub makes a critical slip-up after JJ's press conference is broadcasted.

It's only after the unsub is being transported away for booking that you're able to come back down from the adrenaline. You're sitting beside Emily on the curb stretching your tired legs as she scrolls through her phone.

"So he really hasn't called you back? What an asshole." You mumble with a frown as she updates you about the guy she's been going on dates with for the past month.

"Back to the drawing board, I guess." She sighs with a noncommittal smile. Suddenly, you see her tense up, face drawn into a disbelieving gape as she pauses in her scrolling. "Oh my god."

"What? What's wrong?" You ask and turn to face her in worry.

"I called Hotch." She says blankly, slowly looking up at you with shell-shocked eyes.

"Okay...?" You trail off in confusion, eyebrows knit together.

"On Sunday. It says here that I called Hotch." She shows you her phone screen and there at the third slot of the call log is Aaron's contact. It wouldn't have been alarming to you had you and the girls not been together for the entirety of Sunday, but you all were, plus the call history was timed to have occurred at eleven pm.

"No way... check how long the call was." You whisper hurriedly, watching as she hurries to press the information button, nearly calling Aaron on accident in the process.

"Three minutes..." She breathes out in shock.

"No way..." You lean back and slap a hand over your mouth. "I think he heard my confession about him."

"What?" Emily hisses at you in panic, looking around at your teammates who were scattered around the sea of haphazardly parked Buicks.

You nod and rub your temples. "Earlier at the station, he made a comment about needing a stress relief."

"Okay, but that could mean nothing." Emily tries to reassure you, sputtering a little as she tries to come up with alternative explanations.

"I don't think so, Em." You groan and lean your head against her shoulder. "We've both noticed he's been acting different."

"Oh gosh... Did I butt-dial him?" She asks in shock to no one in particularly, laying her head against yours.

Chuckling dryly, you suddenly remember how she had been tossing her phone around during the game. "Yeah... I think it's even worse because I was sober when I said it."

"If it makes you feel better, I've done far more embarrassing things while sober." She says, staring off into the distance.

"I believe that." A small huff leaves you, tone subdued as a small smile of acceptance takes shape on your face. "Oh, and Em?"

"Hm?"

Your eyes flicker to Hotch's figure in the distance as he chats with Derek, arms crossed across his chest. "If I give you my resignation letter, will you give it to Hotch for me? I think I'm going to flee the country."

Much to your chagrin, Emily bands together with Spencer to convince you to not resign, having the younger agent ramble on about the adjustment process of finding a new job and the statistics of people who struggle with getting acclimated to a new work environment.

So rather than slipping your neatly packaged resignation letter onto Hotch's desk, you've taken to hiding out in Penelope's lair while you finish up your paperwork for the case.

Luckily, your bright-eyed friend allows you to pull up a chair at her desk, not even making a peep when you accidentally knock over one of her figurines.

You're hunched over as you write hurriedly, posture taking on a form that would make shrimps envious. As you're finishing up the last few pages of the report, a knock on Penelope's ajar office door draws both of your attention.

Standing with a hand on the door handle, Aaron is gazing at you with his eyes squinted a little due to the dimness of the room. "Y/N, can I speak to you for a moment, please?"

His voice is calm, giving no hints as to what he's feeling as he cracks open the door a bit more. Penelope gives you a side glance before slowly swiveling her chair back around to pretend to work.

"Sure." You say almost inaudibly, awkwardly making your way out of the door as his eyes follow you.

Once you're both out in the hallway, he shuts the door and nods for you to walk a few paces forward to minimize the chances of your lovable tech genius eavesdropping.

"I'm almost finished with my report, sir." You say softly, stopping when you both arrive at the end of the corridor.

Aaron lets out a breathy chuckle and shakes his head. "That's not what I'm here to talk to you about."

Mutely nodding, you wait for him to continue as your eyes move down to stare at the glossy floor.

"I'm sure you know by now, but Prentiss accidentally called me this weekend while you guys were talking." He says softly, beginning to look a bit shy. "And I just wanted to ask if you had meant what you said that night."

Your face is blistering with warmth as you try to deduce the best course of action. "I... yes. I'm sorry. I know that it must have been weird to hear, especially because I'm your coworker. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Aaron rests a hand on your arm to stop you before you can offer to resign out of shame, a warm smile painting his face. "It's okay. It wasn't weird for me... I just wish I didn't have to find out from a butt-dial." He chuckles and rests his hand on your arm.

You practically melt at the touch and you blink in shock. "Oh..."

"Honestly, I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to this kind of thing, but I was wondering if I could take you to dinner this Saturday." He asks softly, looking shyer than you've ever seen him before.

"I would like that." You respond breathlessly, not sure if you were dreaming.

Aaron grins and looks down at his shoes for a second as he tries to compose himself. "I'll pick you up around seven, if that works for you?"

"Yeah, that's perfect." Whatever future plans you had for Saturday were automatically being scrapped anyway.

"Great." He nods and gazes at you, his hand moving from your arm to your hand. He gives your fingers a small squeeze before he steps back and allows you to get back to work in Penelope's lair.

As you're trekking down the hall with a giddy smile, you hear him calling your name. You turn around and see him smirking at you a bit.

"And just so you know, I like having my arms around you too."

[babydollmarauders]

FIGHT — JACK HUGHES

part of the el!hughes au

summary: y/n (lovie) and jack get into their biggest fight yet

warnings: fighting, mention of bad parents (lovie’s)

my head slumps on the back of the couch as Eleanor’s cries pierce my eardrums.

“El, baby, c’mon.” i groan out.

my recently turned one year old is sprawled out on the apartment floor, throwing a fit over something of which i have no idea.

i tried to pick her up, but she just kept pushing my hands away, screaming ‘mama! no! mama, no! no, mama!’

it’s been two weeks of this, and i have a sneaking suspicion that her constant sour mood has been all because of the particular absence of her favorite person. Jack.

it’s been two weeks of early wake-ups and late nights. two weeks of El having meltdowns if i mess up even one thing, like giving her cheetos in a bowl instead of her snack cup, or suggesting Moana instead of watching Lilo & Stitch for the billionth time, or reading her the wrong book at bed time. it’s been two weeks of sleep regression, no naps, and her throwing her food every chance she gets. two weeks of her screaming if i try and leave the room, but screaming if i try and pick her up as well. two weeks of bags under my eyes, messy buns because my hair is horribly greasy, and surviving purely on coffee.

i’m tired. my feet hurt because every time i sit, El screams at me. my head hurts from her screaming. and now my stomach cramps because i, of course, both started my period, and have not had a moment to eat all day. i’ve broken down in tears nearly every night once i finally get El to sleep, because i don’t know how much more of this i can take.

tears well up in my eyes at this very moment, and it takes everything in me to hold back my own screams. not necessarily directed at my daughter, but just in frustration. i can’t think clearly. it’s nearing midnight and i’ve tried everything to get her to sleep, but she just keeps fighting it.

i know she’s tired, just like i am. she’s been up since five in the morning, which means so have i.

“i give up.” i cry out, burying my face in my hands, weeping into them in frustration and exhaustion. “i get it, El. you want your father. i know. please, i know.”

El’s cries pause and i peek through my fingers to see her watching me with a tilted head, before she bursts back into tears.

i steel my spine, wiping my own tears, and strengthening myself. i rise from the couch, scooping my daughter up, despite her smacks to my chest and pulls on my now-falling-out bun, and shuffle towards her bedroom.

going for the last ditch effort, i grab the hidden pacifier in her top dresser drawer, and pop it into her mouth before turning on the white noise machine in the corner and placing her in her crib.

i gaze down at her, watching as she yawns, tears still slipping from her eyes. her eyelids flutter closed before she pries them back open and stares back at me.

“Eleanor Elizabeth Hughes, you have to sleep.” i scold in a whisper.

retreating from the room, closing the door and listening for her wails; i nearly cry in relief when nothing comes. nothing but silence and the sound of the white noise.

my feet pad across the wooden floors as i walk to the kitchen, keeping an ear out for El’s possible whines. too drained to make myself anything sustainable, i settle for a yogurt cup and a cheese stick. bringing my snacks with me into Jack and i’s bedroom, i settle under the blankets.

i have no energy to put into paying attention to a show or movie, and not nearly enough to read a book; so i sit in silence, staring at the wall as i eat.

placing the now empty yogurt cup on my nightstand, i pick at the cheese stick, lost in thought.

i’m struggling.

i feel like a single parent half the time.

i’m not sure how actual single parents do it. the ones who have to work and take care of their children. because parenting in and of itself is a full time job.

i know it’s not fair of me to think so little of myself, but i can’t help feeling like a horrible mother. she never wants me anymore; only ever yearning for Jack.

and i get it. i yearn for him too when he’s gone.

but can’t she be happy with me?

i miss the sound of the front door shutting; too deep in my own head. too far gone in my own thoughts.

but i do hear the not-so-hushed whispers of my husband and his brother as they venture farther into the apartment.

i hear the ‘goodnight.’ from Luke before his bedroom door shuts. i hear the nursery door opening, the white noise from the room getting louder. and then a few minutes later, i hear the nursery door click shut and the sound of my husbands footsteps getting closer down the hall before our bedroom door opens.

my cheese stick is long gone, and my fingers now settle for playing with each other. my nails picking at the others as i still sit in a catatonic state of exhaustion; staring at the wall in front of me.

Jack lets out a breath of surprise when he notices i’m awake in the dim lighting of the bedside lamp.

“hey, lovie.” he leans down, his fists pressing down on the mattress top, and lays a swift kiss on my cheek before rising back up to his full height.

i glance over as he throws Eleanor’s pacifier onto his nightstand.

“i thought we agreed no more pacifiers when she turned one? she hasn’t had one in the past month.” he huffs, stripping his shirt off and throwing it towards the hamper in the corner of the bedroom, narrowly missing by an inch. he eyes the shirt for a millisecond before shrugging and repeating the process with his pants, this time making it in the hamper.

“yeah, well, you weren’t here to attend to her screams and i was.” i retort.

“so you resorted to the paci?” he questions, pulling a pair of flannel pajama pants out of his dresser drawer.

“stop mom-shaming me.” i snap, scooting down and flopping onto my side, my back facing Jack.

“lovie.” he sighs. the bed dips as he sits behind me. “that’s not what i was doing.”

“yes. you were.” i accuse. “you’re saying i’m a bad mom for giving my daughter what she needed in order to fall asleep.”

i turn in the bed to look up at him and he parts his lips to speak, but i keep going.

“but you weren’t here, Jack. you didn’t hear her cries, or have to try every trick in the book to calm her down. you weren’t awake with her for nineteen hours with no nap only to still have her fight bed time. so, yes, i resorted to the pacifier. and ya know what? it worked.”

“i get that you’re in a bad mood, but why are you taking it out on me? i wasn’t even here for you to get angry at me.” he remarks.

“i’m not.” i deny, closing my eyes and hoping he’ll take it as a sign to just let me sleep.

“you are.” he grunts. “and it makes me feel like i’m the bad guy for doing my job.”

“well, i wouldn't have to do this all alone if it weren't for your fucking job.” i know as soon as i say it that my words were uncalled for. but, before i can take them back, Jack stands from the bed, making my eyes fly open to look at him.

“do i not help when i’m home? i’m so sorry that me providing for our family is so hard for you.” he sneers. his sarcasm is not appreciated, and i sit up in the bed in anger. “i’m so sorry that you have to be a mother, while i’m gone making money so that you don’t have to work.”

i shuffle onto my knees on the bed, glaring daggers at my husband.

“when have i ever complained about being a mother? and when have i ever said that i don’t want to work? i never asked to stay at home! but it’s what i do, because not both of us can work without putting El in daycare. which you said you didn’t want to do.”

my finger juts at my chest before poking his. my words harsh in delivery, but quiet in attempt to not disturb the sleeping baby down the hall.

“i never once complained about being a mother. i love her.” i continue.

“are you implying that i don’t love her?” Jack fumes.

“i never said that!” i cry. “you’re putting words into my mouth!”

“i’m just trying to provide for us!” our attempted quiet is long forgotten now, and i can only hope that the white noise in El’s room is enough to mask our argument.

“you think i don’t know that?” i exclaim, he opens his mouth but i don’t let him get a word in. “i’m just saying that you don’t understand how exhausting it is being a single parent half the fucking hockey season! you leave and play games and go out to fucking bars to celebrate wins and i stay here and take care of our daughter, who for the past two weeks, only wanted you!”

Jack throws his hands up in the air, huffing in anger.

“well, i can’t help that! i get that it’s hard, but you’d think you’d be a bit more grateful. it’s part of my job to leave, y/n!”

of everything he’s said, it’s those words that cut me the deepest. and what hurts the most, as small as it may seem, is that within all of our fights, big or small, throughout our entire six years together, never once has he called me by my name while we fought.

it’s always ‘lovie’.

but suddenly, i’m ‘y/n’.

i lower myself onto my butt on the mattress. tears are streaming down my cheeks and i try to wipe them away before Jack can see them.

“now you’re gonna cry?” he lowers himself onto the bed and i push myself off of it in order to gain distance, now standing a couple feet away.

“i quit.” my voice is quiet and surrendered, my words sheltered. i watch as his face drops, lips parting in shock.

“what?” he mumbles, his eyes softening.

i shake my head, letting my tears flow freely now as i round the bed and i head toward the cracked open door.

“where are you going?” he questions, his tone still holding a dash of anger.

“to sleep in Luke’s room.” i reply. he calls after me but his words fall on deaf ears.

i need space.

i don’t bother knocking on Luke’s door, opening it to find him just now sitting down in bed, his hair wet and leftover steam drifting from his en-suite bathroom.

his head snaps over to the door as i close it, and at the sight of my tears, he pats the bed beside him.

a sob racks my chest as i crawl into bed with the boy i look at as a brother. he pulls me into his side, no words spoken between us as he rubs a hand over my hair, letting me cry into his chest and soak his plain white t-shirt.

a muffled cry escapes my lips and he squeezes me tighter, pressing a kiss to my scalp. nothing needs to be said, no words needed to be shared, just quiet shushes and his hand rubbing up and down my back, the other still holding my head tight to his chest in grounding.

i’m not sure how long passes before i cry myself to sleep, Jack’s words echoing on a loop inside my head.

‘you’d think you’d be a bit more grateful.’

***

i’m unsure what time it is when i awake, but Luke is gone from the bed, and the sun peeks through the bedroom window.

i know Luke and Jack have the day off, so if Luke is already up, then i must have slept in later than i usually do.

despite the apparent long sleep, i don’t feel as well rested as i should. my eyes flutter shut for a few moments, but at the sound of the familiar squeal of excitement from my daughter, drifting in through the crack in the door, my eyes fly back open.

i kick my legs free from the tangle of blankets and throw them over the side of the bed, peeling my tired body up off the mattress. i rub my eyes as i walk over to Luke’s bathroom, ignoring the mess amongst the counter and looking in the mirror.

my eyes are still red and puffy from crying, and i turn on the faucet, cupping my hands under the cold running water and splashing it on my face before drying it with the hand towel that’s thrown haphazardly on the counter.

exiting the bathroom and bedroom, i’m immediately met with the sight of El’s smiling face bounding down the hall. her chubby little legs wobble as she runs.

“mama! dada!” she squeals, motioning behind her. a grin overtakes my lips at her excitement.

“yeah? is dada home?” i ask with a laugh as she runs smack into my legs, reaching up with grabby hands.

my heart melts in my chest. for the first time in two weeks, she wants me.

“mama! dada!” she repeats as i hoist her up, lifting her above my head and rejoicing in her giggles.

my eyes are all too soon drawn to my husband at the end of the hall. he stands leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, a faint smile on his lips while my own falls at the sight of him.

our fight replays in my mind; flashes of his red face and his defensive stance. echoes of his harsh tone and his cruel words.

Jack approaches us, leaning down to press a kiss to my lips, but i shift my face, his lips landing on my cheek instead. pulling back, his face falls, hurt shining in his eyes. it hurts me to see him upset, but i can’t bring myself to feel too bad, as i, too, am hurting.

i maneuver around him, padding down the hallway with El in my arms, making my way to the open layout of the living room and kitchen.

Luke is sat on the couch, eyes on his phone while Lilo & Stitch plays on the tv, and i flop down beside him. El crawls into his lap, pushing his phone out of the way and pushing her smiling face into his line of sight. i watch his eyes light up, sliding his phone into his pocket and tickling her sides.

a laugh escapes my lips as he lifts El upside down in front of his face, making her giggle contagiously. but once again, my lips fall back straight as Jack enters the room again.

the day continues like this, living amicably with Jack, but not happily. as the day goes on, the more i reflect on our fight the night prior, and the worse i feel. i was in the wrong. i knew that last night and i know it now.

i know leaving El is hard for him, just as taking care of her without him is hard for me. but my guilt doesn’t erase his words.

i know he didn’t mean it, just as he knows that i didn’t mean mine, but it still hurts. he cut deep. he accused me of being ungrateful, the very same thing he knows my parents called me when i told them i was moving out.

‘you’re so ungrateful. we offered you to keep living with us even after your graduation, and you’d rather move out with your unstable little boyfriend than live with the people who raised you. well, don’t come crawling back to us, we don’t take ungrateful children.’

a lump grows in my throat as i compare the fights. it’s nine at night and Jack is in El’s room, putting her to sleep, Luke long having retired to his own bedroom, leaving me alone on the couch. my knees are pulled up to my chest, my arms hugging them tight, as tears stream down my cheeks.

a small part of me tells me i should apologize. i know if i do, he will too. he already seems to want to move past it.

but the larger part of me says to wait. to let him apologize to me. to make him acknowledge that we fought. instead of brushing past it like it never happened.

Jack strides into the living room, child free, and it’s the first time we’ve really been alone together all day.

i avoid his gaze, rather wiping my tears and averting my eyes to the television, which still plays the credits of The Little Mermaid from our before bedtime movie.

he sighs, taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch. his hand reaches out to graze my leg and i flinch at the soft touch. the larger part of me wins and i rise from the couch, stalking off to our bedroom and away from him.

i quickly change into my pajamas, hoping to be out of the bedroom before he comes in, but i’m not so lucky.

he enters the room as i’m pulling my t-shirt over my head. my t-shirt. not his. he notices this change quickly and shakes his head.

he stands silently, his back leaning against the now closed door as i pull on sweatpants, watching my every move.

i move to the en-suite bathroom when i’m done. making quick work of washing my face and brushing my teeth. when i finally finish with my nightly routine, i head back out to the still blocked bedroom door.

Jack eyes me up and down, and a quick wetting of his lips tells me he’s horny, but i laugh inside at the thought.

does me angry and upset, turn him on? does he really think he has any chance of getting lucky tonight when he hasn’t even apologized?

“can you move?” i huff, crossing my arms.

“where are you going now?” he questions, shaking his head.

“Luke’s room. again.”

“you know we have a bed, right? the one you were in last night before you left me alone in here.” his words twist my heart, but i stand my ground.

“oh, you mean the same bed i was sitting in when you implied that i’m ungrateful and selfish?” i mock, tilting my head.

“lovie.” his tone is defensive enough to let me know that he doesn’t plan on apologizing tonight, so rather than waiting and hoping for Jack to move, i push him aside lightly with my shoulder and slip through the door.

i knock lightly on Luke’s door and it doesn’t take long for him to open it, letting me slip through into the room.

“you guys are still fighting?” Luke asks, shutting the door and walking over to sit on his bed.

“i promise, this is the last time i’ll sleep in your room. if we’re still fighting tomorrow night, i’ll sleep on the couch.” i assure him, crawling up the bed and laying on my side, facing him.

“i don’t have a problem with you sleeping in here, lovie.” he sighs, laying down on his side so that we lay face to face. “i’ve just never seen you guys fight like this, ya know? you guys are usually so in love, it just scares me to see you fight. i want the best for both of you.”

my eyes soften and i raise my hand, running it softly through Luke’s unruly curls.

“Lukey, i’m still madly in love with your brother. one fight isn’t gonna change that.” i tell him. “he said some things that hurt me. i said things that i’m sure hurt him too. but we’ll get through this. we love each other.”

i speak with assurance, but at this point, i’m not sure if i’m reassuring Luke, or myself.

“you should go to sleep, bubs. you have practice in the morning.” i press a kiss to Luke’s forehead before he turns his bedside lamp off and flops down on his side, his back now facing me.

i follow suit, my back facing Luke as i close my eyes and let myself drift to sleep.

***

i’m woken up by little hands smacking my cheeks, immediately followed by the sound of my husbands whispers.

“oh no, El, we don’t smack mommy. we’re gentle.” he tells her softly, and soon after, i feel her open mouth press against my cheek; her version of a kiss.

my eyes flutter open and i’m met by the smiling face of my daughter. she’s held hovering above me by Jack, who seems worried for my reaction.

“hi, baby!” i coo, a smile stretching over my lips as i take her from him. “good morning, beautiful!”

“mama!” she cheers, followed by a steady stream of babbling.

“she woke up a couple hours ago. she was looking for you.” Jack tells me. “i just changed her diaper, and she already ate breakfast, but i noticed she’s been chewing on everything this morning, so i threw a couple of her teething toys in the freezer and she’ll probably want a popsicle soon to sooth her gums.”

i look up at him and nod, acknowledging that i heard him, before i sit up and lay El down on the bed, tickling her tummy and listening to her joyous giggles fill the room.

“Luke and i are off to practice, we’re running late.” he runs his hand over El’s hair, leaning down and kissing her forehead before turning to look at me again. “Luke said he wants to take El to the park after we get back. he said for me to ask you if you can have her dressed and her diaper bag ready for when he and i get back.”

“yeah, i can do that.” i reply and he nods, pushing off the bed and laying a kiss on my own forehead before he leaves the room.

i heave out a sigh, looking down at El, who’s already looking up at me.

“you wanna go take a shower with mommy?” i baby talk, pasting a smile back on my face. she smiles right back, grabbing at my shirt. “yeah, you do. you love showers, don’t you? my little water baby.”

*

El is all dressed and ready to go when Jack and Luke arrive home, while i stick the last snack into her diaper bag.

“hey, lovie.” Luke chimes, throwing an arm around my shoulder and squeezing my head into his chest. “she ready?”

“mhm! she should be good to go.” i confirm as i push out of his hold, stuffing the bag into his arms instead. “you have the stroller, right?”

“yeah, i’m taking Jack’s car and it’s already in the trunk.” he confirms, slinging the diaper bag over his shoulder and scooping his niece up from where she was already staring up at him by his legs.

“alright, say bye-bye to mommy and daddy!” Luke sings out, waving to us. El copies him, waving her entire arm about in order to wave goodbye, and with that, they’re out the door; leaving Jack and i in silence.

i busy myself by picking up the toys strewn about the living room floor, while Jack unloads the dishwasher. but tension lingers in the air.

maybe i should just apologize.

i hate this feeling.

i hate not being cuddled up with him right now.

we usually spend any El free hours curled up in our bed. napping, watching a movie, talking, or just taking part in general bedroom activities.

but instead, we’re across the room from each other, doing daily household chores and trying hard to avoid the screaming silence between us.

i drop a barbie into the toy box and stand up straight, looking towards my husband, who’s already staring at me with gentle eyes.

“i’m sorry.” i sigh, squeezing my eyes shut, holding my hands to my face. “i hate fighting.”

his hurried footsteps click against the wooden floors, stopping when he gets in front of me. his hands come up to mine, delicately pulling them away from my face before his arms encircle my waist.

“i hate it too.” he whispers, and i know his words hold a double meaning. he hates fighting and he hates leaving.

“i shouldn’t have said the things that i did. i shouldn’t have taken my bad mood out on you.” i let my head bob forward, my forehead laying against his chest. “i was tired, and i was angry at the situation, but not at you. never at you. you’re providing for our family, and i’m so glad that you get to do that by doing something you love.”

he kisses the top of my head, his lips lingering on my scalp.

“i���m sorry too.” he mumbles against me.

“i’m sorry for making it seem like i was mom-shaming you, i should’ve chosen my words more carefully. i’m sorry for making you feel bad. i’m sorry for accusing you of saying i don’t love her, i know that’s not what you were saying. and most of all, i’m sorry for implying that you were ungrateful. you’re not. i know you’re not. i should’ve never implied that you were.

“you’re an amazing mom, lovie. the best i could’ve ever hoped for El. i should’ve been more understanding about how hard it is for you to take care of her alone while i’m gone.”

i peer up at him, my chin still resting on his chest, and give him a pointed look.

“and i’m sorry for not calling you ‘lovie’.” he huffs out through a laugh. the corners of my mouth quirk up and i pull his head down to push our lips together.

my whole body melts even further into his, finally at peace for the first time in over two weeks.

[nattinatalia]

Jack Harlow x Reader : CRAVINGS AND ARGUMENTS

This pregnancy was different from your first to say the least. The first pregnancy you had no cravings, so when you woke up today craving some weird food combinations you had a plan set in motion.

The only problem is? Your husband hasn’t left your side since he got home two days ago. He doesn’t let you drive and he doesn’t let you be alone for more than five minutes.

If you had to go to the restroom he made sure to be outside the door to hear in case you fell or something. He was every bit dramatic and worried, you loved that about him. But after two days, you were growing annoyed.

You were putting your sandals on when Jack walked into the living room.

“I know you’re not going anywhere right now.” He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow . “I see you have your purse and keys, were you sneaking out?”

You groan. “You and Mia were taking a nap so I was going to make a quick run to the store.”

“Absolutely not, I told you-“

“Yes, yes, I know Jackman.” You roll your eyes.

“Okay first of all, calm down.” He goes to hug you, rubbing circles on your back. “Second of all, hand me the list and I’ll go for you.”

You shake your head. “Jack, I want to go. I need to get fresh air.”

“Go outside then, I finally built your swing.”

“Ughh, okay okay. Just go.” You plop down on the couch. “I’ll text you the list.”

He bends down, lifts up your chin so you can look at him. “Don’t be moody baby.” He pecks your lips and smiles. “I’ll be back.”

******

It was thirty minutes later that Jack was walking back inside the house with two bags in hand.

You’re immediately confused. “What’s wrong? Did you forget your wallet?”

“Huh? Oh no, I’m done.” He says, walking into the kitchen. You quickly follow behind him.

“Babe, you usually take forever at the store when I send you with a list. No way you’re back this fast.”

He starts taking out the groceries from the bags and you look at the stuff in confusion. “What’s all this?”

“Your snacks and food.”

You grab a bag of green beans, “This wasn’t on my list.” You look at the peas, the wheat thins. “I definitely didn’t put this down.”

Jack doesn’t say anything. “Jack, where are my pickles? My hot Cheetos, my Dr. Pepper?” You dig through the stuff he brought home. “Most importantly, where are my spicy noodles?”

He scratches his neck. “About that.”

“What?”

“Baby, that’s all unhealthy stuff. You need to watch what you eat for the baby.”

You glare at him. “Jackman, please tell me you’re pranking me right now. Because if you didn’t bring me what I asked for, you’ll be sleeping on the couch.”

“Okay so I didn’t bring- wait before you get mad.” He goes up to you. “There weren't any noodles and babe, Dr Pepper with creamer? That’s gross so I’m saving you the disgust.”

“You don’t see me give you shit about your chicken and peanut butter.” You glare.

“Wait, that's not fair. Mia actually likes my chicken with peanut butter.”

You chuckle. “News flash, she doesn’t. She hates it and throws it to the neighbor's dog.”

He gasps. “Wow, what a way to shatter my heart.”

You glare at him and walk out of the kitchen and make your way back to the living room. You snatch your phone and sit down.

Jack follows behind you, smirking “What are you doing grumpy pants?”

You ignore him, continuing to scroll through your phone.

“Babe, are you really going to ignore me?” You stay quiet again.

“So what snacks do you want from the kitchen? I’ll cut you some veggies and fruit.”

You glare at him. “If you come near me with those wanna be snacks, I will hurt you.”

“Babe, stop being dramatic.” He chuckles, placing his hands on your bump.

“I’ll be whatever I want to be right now.” You push his hands away. “Don’t touch me.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

You roll your eyes. “You offered to go to the store for me, the least you could’ve done was bring me what I asked for.”

“That is what has you so mad?” He shakes his head. “Babe, I’m just looking out for you.”

You hum, but continue scrolling through your phone. “Who are you texting?”

“Gerald.”

“What did he say?- WAIT WHAT?” He snaps his head towards you. “You’re texting who?”

“Maybe he’ll bring me what I actually ask for.”

“Stop being petty.”

“Who said I was being petty? You can’t give me what I want, let me go ask all the guys who are in my dms begging for scraps.”

“All this pettiness over fucking food?”

“YES.” You yell. “You know I don’t play about my food, especially with this pregnancy. I crave weird things, you think I’m happy about that? I watch what I eat every other day but god forbid I get a weird craving, don’t blame me if your son comes out with a cone head.”

The doorbell rings and you get up as fast as your belly lets you and head to the door.

You grab the bags and close the door.

“Who dropped that off?”

“Gerald.” You snap at him.

Trying to head to the kitchen but he takes the bags from you. “Quit fucking playing.”

“Maybe you should’ve brought me what I asked for.” You shrug and start unpacking the bags.

You smile at what he dropped off. “He’s the best.”

“Who dropped these off? Because no way delivery got here this quick.”

“My favorite Harlow.” You bite into a pickle and do a little dance at the juicy flavor. “Your brother knew you’d pull some shit so he asked me to send him my list.”

You grab the monitor from the counter to double check Mia was still down for her nap. Once you see that she is, you continue to unpack the groceries your brother in law dropped off.

“Okay, I get it but I was only looking out for you.” He groans once he sees the pack of noodles. “I hate when you eat these.”

You shrug, “That sounds like a you problem.”

He nods and scratches his beard. “Do you need anything else ?”

You shake your head. “Oh no, I’m good, wouldn’t want you ruining anything else.”

“I’m going back to bed with Mia.” He kisses the top of your head. “Sorry for all of this.” He mumbles quietly and walks out.

You pick nothing up on his tone so you continue with putting away the groceries that you weren’t going to use right now.

In a plate you placed two pickles, baby carrots, and peanut butter. You filled a glass cup with ice and poured some Dr Pepper with creamer.

You made your way to the table, grabbing the black bag of hot Cheetos. Once you take a few bites of your snacks, dipping your pickles with peanut butter. You get a wave of emotions crashing in on you.

You can’t help but let the tears out, you push away your plate. You were about to head upstairs but you came face to face with Jack.

“What’s wrong.?” He asked, scared.

You hug him. “I’m sorry, I was being a bitch and you didn’t deserve that. I know you’re looking out for me but I just get annoyed so quickly and I hate it that I take it out on you.”

“Hey, hey.” He rubs your back. “Deep breath’s baby, you’re okay.”

You shake your head. “But I’m not, I shouldn’t be so mean to you, over snacks and food. That’s so silly.”

“I should’ve brought you what you asked for, so it’s on me.” He hugs you tighter against his chest.

“Why couldn’t you get the weird cravings again this time?” You joke, remembering how when you were pregnant with Mia, it was him with the mood swings and cravings.

He laughs, “That was a crazy time.” He pulls back a bit so he can look at you. “We’re okay baby, I understand you feel different this time around. I shouldn’t be pushing your buttons about it either.”

“I’m still sorry though, I know you’re trying your best.” You get on your tippy toes and kiss his neck. “You’ve been amazing and I’m just bitchy and moody.”

“Baby relax, everything is okay.” he places his hands on your round bump. “Let me help you”

“I’m going to hold it for a little while, is that okay?” You nod, as he quickly places his hands under your belly, lifting it up a bit.

You lean back on his chest and leave out a deep sigh. “That feels good.”

He kisses your neck, “Little man is really kicking at your side right now.”

“You know he does that whenever we fight or whenever he hears your voice.” You close your eyes as he starts swaying you both side to side.

“He’s going to be good at soccer.” At those words, you feel a big kick on your side, you and Jack chuckle at that.

“We’re good baby boy, just mommy and daddy having a disagreement.” You place your hand where he kicked.

“We’re more than okay little man.” He whispers. After his words, your son kicks again making you and Jack smile and shed a few tears of happiness.

This pregnancy wasn’t easy by any means but Angel “Ez” Harlow was worth it.

• • • • • • • • • • •

TAG LIST

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[getmeoutofhell]

Road trip to Airport with the GF group headcanons

A/n: I just feel like they deserve more stories all together so why not???

Warning: cussing

edit: i’m so embarrassed because hawaii is an island. pretend this is to the airport omfg 😭

THIS HAS BEEN EDITED

On the road:

-CHAOS

-like actual chaos no joke

-romans the driver (obviously)

-you’re sitting in the passenger seat since Roman thinks you’re the best to sit by in the car

-he also DEMANDS Mickey to be put in the back for obvious reasons.

-you can probably expect some arguments and other unnecessary drama on the road

-stu and billy sit next to each other (so un expected) and billy is not happy about it

-you can probably guess why

(1)-“Stu move your damn leg.”

(2)-“My legs not even touching you.”

(3)- “yes it is!”

(4)- “no it’s not!”

-then roman buts in

-“can y’all stfu? I can’t concentrate on the road with all that shit going on in the back.”

-do NOT I repeat do NOT give ethan, amber, quinn, stu, charlie or richie the aux or let them any where near the damn radio.

-unless you wanna hear weird/shitty music

-roman said that they’re banned from going near it ever again

-if you can drive roman may let you and him take turns driving (depends if you drive good to him or not)

-I feel like if any of the older GF comes (Debbie, Bailey.) they probably would drive separately because they know how the group gets when they’re all together…

-mickey saying shitty jokes when he gets bored

-amber and stu encouraging the shitty jokes

-stus ass eating up all the snacks

(1)-“who the hell ate up all the hot cheetos??”

(2)-“it wasn’t me!”

-has evidence all over his hands

-charlie showing weird ass videos he found on his phone to mickey

-has the damn volume all the way up

-roman buts in again

-“turn that shit down!”

-ethan may be one of the quietest in the car

-like he just sits there on his phone listening to music, starting out the window

-richie may bug him a bit

-you but in and tell him to stop bothering him

-stu thinks you’re sus

-quinn and amber arguing like every 30 minutes

-roman getting aggravated at them

-if you guys stop for a bathroom break be prepared for romans bickering

-“listen guys, no fucking around in the store we’re losing time here! Get in and get out.”

-stu buys all kind of weird snacks

-hopefully no one notices that they’re literally murderers

Hope you enjoyed this little drabble! I will make headcanons about us staying in a hotel plus when we’re actually in Hawaii!! ❣️

[madpunks]

neurodivergent people with fast/restaurant food safe foods constantly get hit with the "we'll just learn to make it at home and it'll be just as good!" while the neurotypicals fail to realize that the consistency in flavor, texture, and temperature is vital and why these foods are our safe foods. they are produced to taste, smell, feel and look the exact same way every single time they're prepared.

this regularity and consistency is what makes the food safe to the neurodivergent person- worrying about "saving money" to make it at home is missing the point- the money isn't the issue here, the food being the exact same as how that person needs it to be prepared is what's vital. it stands between that person being able to eat or not that day.

even generic brand snacks vs. branded snacks in the grocery store can be a total deal breaker. walmart's version of crunchy cheetos are absymal, they don't even come CLOSE to the same texture. i love cheetos but those were so gross i couldn't handle them. they are not the same- to a neurotypical who is not bothered by slight changes and texture, they would likely be near identical, but to an autistic person who is very particular about taste and texture against my will, they were different enough to make me feel like crying because there was disgusting salty sandpaper in my mouth.

if you know a neurodivergent person who eats fast/restaurant food regularly because it's consistent and safe for them to eat, please don't harass them to cook the same foods at home to save money. they need to eat. please stop worrying more about money than people's health and safety. this literally comes between neurodivergent people and our ability to eat. we deserve to eat, we don't deserve to be lectured about "saving money". everyone needs to eat. fuck money.

[mrhyde-mrseek]

Me to my deities: I’m walking down to the corner store, do you guys want anything?

Dionysus: Hot chips.

Me: You like spicy chips?

Dionysus: Yes.

Me: Uh… I’ll see what’s there and get back to you on that.

*At the corner store*

Me: *sees spicy barbecue chips on a rack of snacks*

Dionysus: Yes! Those!

Me: I mean, I was planning on getting something that I can also eat so it wouldn’t look weird to the rest of my family if I left a whole unopened bag of chips on your altar, and I don’t really like barbecue chips…

*I then spotted some crunchy Cheetos*

Me: How about those? As a compromise?

Dionysus: That works :)

(I have now eaten half the bag and left the other half for Dionysus near their altar since there’s no space on the actual altar for it, they seem happy now)

[idontplaytrack]

Stars

Elena Alvarez x fem! reader

Warnings: fluff, some coarse language

Reader and Elena’s first date: a picnic under the stars

(Pictures used above are from Pinterest)

“Elena, what’re you doing?” Penelope asks, seeing her daughter pacing the living room.

“Freaking out?” She spat out.

“Why are you freaking out?”

She freezes. “Well…”

Penelope urges her to talk. She eventually does after several seconds of pondering. “You know the first date I told you about a few days ago?”

“Yeah, that’s tonight.”

“Right and I just feel so…nervous.”

“I get that, I remember that feeling. But you have nothing to worry about, baby. Trust me on this, y/n really really likes you so much. Even your abuelita can tell.”

“Of course she can.” Elena cracks a smile, “y/n’s just so…perfect.”

“Good. Because that’s how you should feel about someone you want to be your partner. They should be perfect for you. We all have flaws, we all have different strengths and weaknesses, but your partner should be someone that’s like…made for you. You know what I mean? If it feels right, it feels right. If it doesn’t, you’ll know.”

Elena takes a deep breath and says, “Thanks, mami.”

“Anytime, kiddo.”

“Okay, I’m gonna go get ready.”

“Will you be home by nine p.m.?”

“Yep!” Elena exclaims right as she enters her room to go get changed.

“Okay, have a good time!”

After pondering over several outfit options, Elena finally got changed and left the apartment with everything she needed, and just about enough time to spare.

While sitting on a bench in the park, you saw her walk up to you right on time. When you both locked eyes, she picked up her pace. “I’m sorry, have you been waiting long?”

“Oh, no. No, I just got here literally like, five minutes ago.” You assured,

“Oh, okay.” Elena chuckles, “Good. I uh, brought the snacks. And the mat.”

“And as agreed, I brought us the drinks.”

“Ooh.” She giggles, and you couldn’t help but do the same— while you took the beverages out of from the tote bag. Elena lays the mat on the grass under a shady tree, then you both sat down and just dug into the array of snacks she brought.

You were pretty nervous, and she admitted that she was too, so things got a little awkward and giggly for awhile. “Hm?”

“I asked, if you’ve ever kissed anyone?”

“Please? Me?” She cackles, munching on a cheetos puff.

You squinted, “Yeah, you. Are you telling me, you of all people haven’t had your first kiss?”

“Uh, I think especially as someone who’s spent most of her life in a deep dark closet, nope.” Elana sighs, then laughs a bit.

“Didn’t you date Josh?”

“He wanted to kiss me but honestly? I couldn’t do it. He’s nice, apparently cute, but I just wasn’t feeling it.”

“Oh.” You nodded.

Elena looked over at you, taking a swig of sparkling water as she does, “What about you?”

“Oh, hell no.” You immediately said.

————

“Really? I would’ve thought guys would be all over you.”

“Yeah, well…ya thought wrong, honey.”

She grins, “Okay, sorry.”

“No, no.” You bite back a smile, “Don’t be sorry. We said that we should get to know each other. That’s what we’re doing, huh?”

Elena puts down the can, now gazing right into your eyes. “What?” You ask, mouth stuffed with a few gummy bears.

“I wanna give you a kiss.” Elena reveals quietly. You gulped, exhaling harshly, “You do?”

“Yeah.” She confirms with a nod, shifting slightly so she could face you properly. “Can I kiss you?”

You nodded, dropping the bag of gummies carelessly onto the mat. Smoothly, her hand slide up your cheek, cupping it as her lips met yours for the very first time. You do the same…your hand instinctively found its way to the nape of her neck and that’s where it lingered until the two of you mutually pull away.

You let out a sharp exhale when you’d broken away, in shock that that’d happened. “I really like you.” Elena reveals, “So, can I see you again some time?”

“Oh, yeah.” You nodded, unable to hide the quickly forming smile.

“Okay.” She answers, voice near a squeal, “I’ll text you.”

“Or you could call me?”

“If you’d like that, sure!”

You laughed breathily, totally just crushing on the girl sitting before you.

“So, after this, I could drop you off? If you want?”

“If you want to spend more time with me, just say so.” You joked. She burst out laughing, “I actually do. And as much as I would love for you to sleepover at my place, my abuelita would be all up in our business and my Mom will just freak out.”

“I get it.” You shrug, “I never get privacy at home either.”

Later that evening, Elena drops you off at home. “Thanks for tonight. I had a great time, Elena.” You flashed her a smile.

“Anytime.” Elena mirrors your smile, “Good night, y/n.”

“Good night, Elena. See you again soon.”

————

💭 A/N: First fic for Elena🫶🏼😁 idk if I’ll be writing for this character very often though oops🫢

[sw-33-ts-stuff]

Killer In NYC

Tara Carpenter X Reader

Part 3

Tara POV

Red and blue lights painted the scene around us as we once again went through an interrogation. After the police arrived and wrote their reports they advised us to be more cautious and to notify them of any other "suspicious" activity. Detective Brooks providing his card should we need anything.

"Don't you think you should make sure we have some protection or something?!" Sam yelled.

Detective Brooks narrowed his eyes. "Look Miss unfortunately we can't keep an eye on a group of college kids in the city that never sleeps. You're not the only one with problems so try to stay vigilant, stick together and call me if you need help."

Sam scoffed. "Great work detective. I'll let you know we need help when we're dead."

The man shook his head laughing sarcastically before walking off.

"So I guess we're on our own again?" I sighed.

"Can't be surprised cops aren't usually very helpful in horror films unless they're sleeping with the main character." Chads eyebrows raised at his sisters cadence. I couldn't help but laugh.

However our laughter was cut short by Sam's phone ringing.

"Kirby?! What? Slow down where..." she glanced to me. "Ok we'll be there in a bit." Sam hung up the phone still looking to me.

I felt my eyebrows furrow.

"What?"

Sam sighed looking to Chad and Mindy next.

"Kirby was attacked but she was able to find a safe spot before Ghostface could kill her."

Chad cheered as Mindy's eyes narrowed slightly.

"She had help from an employee at a coffee shop near by." That's when Sam's eyes went to me. "She said she's at the hospital now with the girl who helped her."

Mindy spoke up then. "Who helped her?"

Sam sighed. "She said her name was Y/n."

.

.

.

As soon as Sam parked I ran into the hospital and to the front desk.

"Y/n L/n?" The nurse looked up surprised.

"You family?" Sam ran up behind me with Chad and Mindy.

"Im her girlfriend and they're her cousins." I lied smoothly knowing I'd never hear the end of this from Mindy after.

"Room 13" I walked faster almost barging in the room seeing Kirby sitting next to Y/n knee bouncing. The girl in question sleeping peacefully with an arm sling around her shoulder. Upon hearing our arrival Kirby looked up with a bandaged nose relief shining through her eyes as she barely spared a glance to Sam.

"How is she?"

"Stable, multiple stab wounds but the doctor said she's tough so she'll make a full recovery with some rest." I sighed feeling my body sag in relief. "She saved my life."

I went to closer to the bed staring at the tubes coming from her body. Kirby looked at Sam standing up. "Can we talk?"

My sister nodded and the two went out into the hallway.

Chad going to the vending machine to get himself and Mindy some snacks.

"So girlfriend huh?" I felt myself flush a bit before turning to the girl with an eyebrow raised.

"Seriously you couldn't wait until we left the hospital?" The olive skinned girl shrugged.

"What? You know I live for gay shit and something tells me that lie wasn't too far off the mark." I shook my head.

"You do remember my boyfriend right, Evan?"

"The same dude who didn't even know you had asthma? Which brings me to another question..why did she have your spare inhaler?" I stayed quiet looking at the girl in the bed. "Tara-"

"Alright I got Funyuns, Ruffles, Cheetos, Doritos and some candies." Mindy gave me a look letting me know our conversation wasn't finished. A frustrated Kirby following shortly after with Sam and a nurse.

"I'm sorry everyone but our visiting hours are ending shortly."

"Can I stay?" I bit my lip as Kirby stared at me curiously.

"We'll we're usually not allowed but since you're the girlfriend you can everyone else will have to wait until tomorrow morning." Mindy chuckled shaking her head as Kirby's eyes widened.

Chad gave me some of the snacks he'd bought before leaving with everyone else.

I had moved the chair closer to her bed placing one of my hands on hers.

3rd Person POV

Sam was on her way to drop off Kirby to the theater where her cousin, Sasha, was waiting for her. Chad and Mindy were going to join but decided they'd "wanted to live for at least a few more minutes".

Kirby relayed the events prior as Mindy mentally tried to keep track of who the killer may be.

Exiting the car and making her way in quickly

Kirby walks in to the theater, a bucket of popcorn tucked safely in her arms. She looked around for a familiar head of blonde hair. She only found the back of her head as she was currently locking lips with her boyfriend Gabe.

"Ew." She threw popcorn at the couple making then break apart. She sat down roughly next to Sasha who wiped some of her lipstick off.

"Sorry cuz." She grinned widely grabbing some popcorn.

"Where's Joy?" The younger blonde rolled her eyes.

"She wanted to see the new Stab movie next door, and knew you wouldn't want to be involved so Gabe was keeping me company before joining her." Said boy saluted both women before heading over to the next theater over.

Hooting and hollering was heard all around as the previous Stab movie credits rolled. Everyone cheering with some even going as far to dress up as Ghostface and try to scare people.

"What's up?" Gabe had plopped down in his seat next to Joy. Who had yet to say anything. He pushed her shoulder twice before she fell forward body revealing a sharp knife in her back.

"Oh my God! HEL-“

The girls body began to shake as she laughed.

"Got ya!"

"Fuck can you not?" She shrugged looking at him.

"No popcorn?" He rolled his eyes.

"You're not my girlfriend, you can get yourself some popcorn if you want it so bad."

She scoffed rolling her eyes as the next movie begins.

A pout begins to form.

Damn it's too late now.

The girl looks to the boy again as lights dimmed and the movie began getting more cheers from the crowd.

He stared back feeling his eyes well up.

"Fuck!" He blinked first. "Fine but you gotta come back with me to see this again!"

The girl smiled nodding and clapping as she turned to the movie.

"The whole fucking series!"

Gabe ran up to the register giving his money to an acne ridden teen behind the counter.

.

.

.

Sam sat with Mindy and Chad in her living room as her phone rang.

"Samantha Loomis.."The voice sang. "How are you?"

Everyone in the apartment grew still. Mindy already dialing a number as Chad grabbed the lamp next to him.

"What do you want now asshole?"

She spoke through gritted teeth.

"I was just wondering if it was such a good idea leaving your sister alone when there's a killer on the loose?"

At the hospital, Tara slept soundly next to Y/n nothing to be heard except the beeping of the monitor next to them and the occasional squeak of a wheel chair rolling by.

The gentle rise and fall of Y/N's chest the only sign of life from the girl.

Sam shot up.

"Leave my sister the fuck alone!" She was already getting her keys as Mindy spoke with Detective Brooks.

They climbed into the car, the harsh sound of tires squealing heard throughout her apartment complex.

Detective Brooks jumped into his car, siren blaring as he tried weaving his way through traffic.

.

.

.

Joy bounced in her seat as the movie opened and the first kill had begun. She felt a body sit next to her and immediately reached for the bowl of popcorn.

"That was fast." She commented before leaning in. "And right on time for the first dumb bimbo to get slaughtered." She laughed.

The person next to her remained silent. Joy felt her eyebrows furrow in confusion. Gabe usually loved to criticize the girls on film. He also would've complaint about how he'd missed some Easter egg that he just knew would prove important later in the movie.

She turned her body to her neighbor only to see a weathered Ghostface mask staring back at her, gloved hand going over her mouth as he stabbed her.

A muffled gurgling filled the killers ears. The girl quickly tried to make her way to the front of the theater only to drop dead in the isle as Ghostface calmly stood over her dragging the knife from one ear to the other making the audience go crazier. Ghostface had picked the body up bridal style, someone else taking a picture before they’d dropped Joy and disappeared.

.

.

.

A heavy thud woke Y/n as she sat up abruptly in her hospital bed. Her eyes turning to the culprit to see Tara smiling sheepishly holding up her phone.

"Sorry." She looked down unable to look the other girl in the eye at the moment.

"It's fine." She rasped out pushing her pillows as she prepared to sit up.

Tara quickly ran over to help making the barista laugh.

"Damn if I knew getting stabbed would be the way to get your attention I would've done it sooner."

Tara stared incredulous.

"Seriously?" The other girl shrugged making the brunette give a sarcastic laugh.

"I- " a shrill ring from her phone interrupted her.

"Sam?" Y/n sat up straighter. "What?! No we're fine...we-"

A crash outside of the door made both girls look to the door and back to each other.

.

.

.

I better not have missed anything good.

Gabe walked back into the theater nearly tripping over something he looked down. He felt his head tilt as he dropped the popcorn bucket. He turned the body over feeling himself grow nauseous as he saw the body belonged to Joy.

"HELP!" He looked around trying to get someone to do something. "SHES DEAD!" He put his hands covered in blood up.

Everyone continued laughing shouting and enjoying the movie playing on screen as the boy ran out to call the police. As he reached the theaters front doors a figure grabbed him by his hair stabbing him in the chest. He pushed away running out the door and into Times Square. He tried his best as another sharp slice was made into his back.

"HELP!" The crowd around him creating a circle still watching as the screens around began to change their focus to him and the dark figure following. A knife went through his temple as Ghostface stared directly into the screen.

Everyone screaming and running once they realized what was happening.

Detective Brooks stared at the screens from his car. He quickly got out gun drawn as he tried to shove his way through the crowd. He attempted to shoot once and get the crowd to disperse but there were too many civilians too much chaos. He looked up at the big screen again seeing the boys lifeless body sit on the pavement. The puddle of blood growing quickly around him, eyes wide open still painted in fear.

He sighed as he called for the paramedic.

.

.

.

Sam ran through the dark hallway of the hospital crashing into a nurse who'd been going to change a patients IV. Chad and Mindy following closely behind stopping to help her before they continued their journey to save the younger Carpenter.

A familiar figure was trying to get into Y/N's room shoulder pushing hard as both girls behind the door blocked it off as best they could.

Chad ran and tackled the figure going to punch whoever it was when he got a glimpse of the persons face.

"David?" He coughed holding his hands up. The flowers he'd been carrying now ruined, as he groaned holding his rib cage.

"Sam texted that Tara was in the hospital I thought I'd keep her company." Mindy’s eyes narrowed as did Sam's.

The door swung open upon their arrival. Chad helping David up but still holding him close by his shirt collar not trusting him.

Y/n winced grabbing Tara's attention as she helped the taller girl get back on the hospital bed. The two accidentally turning on the TV causing everyone's eyes widening as a news reporter stood at Times Square familiar faces popping up in a box next to her.

"......Reporting Live from New York this is Gale Weathers."

[assassinschaoticcreed]

I’m curious, what are your thoughts on each of the boys rooms? Like who is messy who is neat, what type of furniture/decor do they have, does anyone share a room?

Arno is definitely the most organized. I see Arno having furniture that is vintage.(specifically vintage french furniture to make it feel more like home since that was the theme of his childhood home) I feel like his room would smell like very much like books (if that makes sense) and mahogany teakwood. he has a little desk area for writing and a nook for reading. he is a big art fan so he has some paintings in his room, but they aren't giant or anything just the right size. has a little area for making coffee/hot chocolate (he's not a tea fan believe it or not) and under that area he has little snacks and stuff. he reminds me of those people you see on tiktok that have little cubbies and everything is VERY organized. but he doesn't have OCD, it's just pleasing to the eyes when everything has a place.

I see Ezio & Desmond sharing a room. they have modern furniture, it's sleek. Ezio definitely makes sure that (for some reason) he has like a backseat from a vintage car (its leather) used as a love seat (if you don't know what that is, it's basically a couch that sits 2 people idk why it's called that). their room smells like leather and cinnamon. Desmond has a loft bed, he thinks they're cool and demanded to have one, Ezio would never let Desmond go without. Ezio is more organized out of the two, shocking I know. but Desmonds work hours give him little to no energy, his side of the room also has a desk and on the chair sit his clean clothes while the dirty ones are in a pile a couple feet away from it. Ezio yells at him all the time to clean it up, he always promises he will--

Ezio: IS THAT MOLD GROWING ON YOUR SHIRT!?

Desmond: just some cheeto dust--

Ezio: Desmond, it's literally green not orange.

Desmond: oh...then maybe?

it wasn't, it was just the lighting and yes it was cheeto dust not mold. Ezio was being Ezio and over dramatic. Arno refuses to to into their room unless it's clean.

Ezios side of the room has a few vintage Italian pieces of furniture, he's always thought the Italian Renaissance had nice pieces of furniture. but it's only a few pieces along with 2 paintings leonardo made for him. he's also got a desk, but its for looks and he rarely uses it. they have all the gaming systems, Desmond uses them the most.

Connors room is very cozy, he has art work and furniture from some of the elders in his tribe. loves the carpets and blankets specifically. but rest of his furniture is cabin like and made of authentic trees (like freshly cut down looking trees). his room has an earthy/foresty smell but it's not over bearing, it's just enough that makes you feel like your near the woods. he has a desk he likes to journal at, he ofc writes in his native language not only so the others can't read it, but it makes him feel at home and closer to his people. likes to read and borrows books from Arno or asks for recommendations, and vice versa. they like to read in silence with one another's company a lot, that's how they bond. they like to discuss the books and even things they've written. Arno is learning Kanien'kéha or Kanyen'kéha while Connor is learning French.

Edward and Jacob share a room. they're both pigs, but like organized pigs. Jacob's side of the room is a little more cleaner than Edward's. Edward's side has furniture you'd see in a beach house but also authentic ship like furniture. very into the pirate look, he even sleeps in a hammock bolted into the ceiling. doesn't have art work per se, but hangs up a few different pirate flags. Jacob's side is industrial/steam punk like furniture. he likes the dark browns and golds. he has a few flags up too British flag and few that have trippy designs. their room smells specifically like the ocean/sea, again not strong but it's there. they've got bean bag chairs for sure, a few gaming systems nothing like Desmond & Ezio. they both like to game with Desmond (sometimes Ezio) from their respective rooms. they also like to listen to music a lot.

Altaïr has furniture that came from his childhood home. he sleeps in a pile of pillows & blankets, don't judge him its like a comfort thing for him. he also has 2 other piles in case people come in to either relax or even sleep. has a bunch of carpets in his room. he has a few (small) statues his father got him from his travels, and his mother has made him blankets & pillows (and sent plants to him he's a plant dad) he has that are in his respective pile only. he's also an organized person, but he also doesn't have "regular" furniture per Jacob, Edward and Ezio. Altaïr loves Arno and Desmonds company, he never had friends as a kid so having them spend time in his room is another comfort thing for him. also not a big gamer, no gaming systems. like Arno & Connor this man writes and reads, another one in the little writing & book gang. he doesn't like people in his room other than Arno & Desmond (sometimes Ezio) he trusts few people and they are his #1 trustee's. his room smells like Sandalwood and sometimes Lavendar. in short he sticks with furniture & art from his culture, I will die by that.

[theformerbastard]

who is/are your comfort character(s)? My love for Jane Lane is pretty well documented.

lighter or matches? When I was a smoker I was obsessed with lighters but matches smell so goddamn good.

do you leave the window open at night? I hate windows so much.

which cryptyd being do you believe in? Bigfoot. I deadass keep my eyes peeled when I drive thru super wooded areas. I think most of the other ones are just people seein' barn owls but Bigfoot is out there, man.

what color are your eyes? Blue

why did you do that? Wanted to

hair-ties or scrunchies? When I had hair I was all about hair-ties

how many water bottles are in your room right now? Got a 2 liter of diet pepsi in the mini fridge

which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee? None coffee

would you slaughter the rich? I mean...no? I know what this is actually askin', I just don't like the wording

favorite extracurricular activity? Drinkin'

what kind of day is it? It's chewsdy innit (it's Thursday but that was the first thing that came to mind)

when was the last time you ate? Like...minutes ago

do you love the smell of earth after it rains? I've never understood people that say "smells like rain"

are you a parent? (all answers qualify) nope

can you drive? yep

are you farsighted or nearsighted? near

what hair products do you use? water

imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails? I can paint my own but I think I'd be shit at paintin' someone elses

do you say soda or pop? Soda. People that say pop are lunatics.

something you’ve kept since childhood? anxiety

what type of person are you? anxious

how do you feel about chilly weather? BIG fan

if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing? Playin' roller hockey (where my Kevin Smith fans at?)

perfume/body spray or lotion? On me? Nothin'

a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times? Every awkward encouter I've had since I was like 7

about how many hours of sleep did you get? depends

do you wear a mask? *Jim Carrey doin' Ben Stein* we all wear masks...metaphorically speaking

how do you like your shower water? In the shower

is there dishes in your room? Nope

what type of music keeps you grounded? Country

do you have a favorite towel? Used to. It was light purple. Fuck. Such a good fuckin' towel.

the last adventure you’ve been on? *in my best Jeff Bridges voice* ya know...uhhh we're like in it, man.

is there a song you know every word to by heart? Yes

what’s your timezone? Depends

how many times have you changed your url? A few

someone in your life, other than a relative, you’ve known for 10+ years? Brooke

a soap bar that smells good? Irish spring

do you use lip balm? Nope

did you have any snacks today? Bag of cheetos for lunch #healthnut

how do you take your coffee? I don't

an app you frequently use besides this godforsaken site? Instagram

what’s your take on spicy foods? I'm a bitch

you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it? That's dark and I don't like that my brain is actually comin' up with names

can you remember what happened yesterday? I'd have to think really hard

favorite holiday film? While You Were Sleeping. It counts.

what was the last message you sent? "ALLLLLLL?!?!!" When @didee-anne told me she wanted me to answer all of these

when did you first try an alcohol beverage? I'm not good with ages but a "friend" gave me a shot of wild turkey and a shot of bacardi 151 in high school. I'd tried my dads beer before that but the shots feel more...significant.

can you skip rocks? It's been years but yeah

can i tag you in random stuff? Why not

[knifedancer]

Bad Dates

After their blind date, the two heroes decide to set aside a little time to bond -- while talking about terrible dates they've been on. Obviously.

Please read Just Acquaintances (Stars Aligned) by ggomo_springtime first as it inspired my story below. This is for you, @ggomomomo!

~~~~~~~

Ladybug sat atop the Arc de Triomphe, her lazy gaze settled on the lights of Paris while awaiting her partner for their post-patrol chat. However, tonight wasn’t about akumas or battle strategies or even the current leads on Hawkmoth… No, tonight they had scheduled just for fun. Something out of the ordinary for the two superheroes but, with the recent blind date fiasco, the partners had grown closer. Their kwamis had also concluded that this would also improve their teamwork…thus their newly scheduled evening atop Paris. Not that she minded, it was nice to have someone else to talk to that wasn’t attempting to push her into yet another relationship!

Landing near-silently, Chat Noir retracted his baton and stowed it away with a grin. “Evening, Bug. Brought us a little snack. I know you’ve likely been skipping meals due to your commission deadlines again.” He held up and shook a small bag holding five takeout containers.

“Hmph, I can take care of myse—” The smell wafted towards Ladybug, causing her stomach to growl in protest to her words. Chat raised an eyebrow at the noise and watched as the heroine’s cheeks beneath the mask rouged with embarrassment, “Alright, so I may have lost track of time…”

The cat holder rolled his eyes and chuckled fondly, settling down beside her and spreading the containers out between them. “It’s tapas from Les Apotres de Pigalle on rue Germaine Pilon. Figured something small and shareable would be best while we’re suited up.” Containers were opened, revealing everything from a delicate cheese platter to quesadillas to macaroni and cheese – there was an obvious theme to the selections: cheese.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow and Chat’s grin turned a bit sheepish, “Yes, Plagg did assist in the choices this evening.” She rolled her eyes in mock exasperation but refrained from making a comment. They both tucked into the food before laying back with full stomachs to look at the stars.

“You should have heard the comments the girls made after our ‘date’ the other night!” Ladybug giggled, tapping her feet together softly from where she lay. “They would not let it go!”

Chat Noir smirked as he laid back, propping himself up on his elbows. “My cousin was quite incensed as well. Thanks for helping me lighten his wallet’s burden.”

“Any time, Chat. I had a great time. Far better than the last time they set me up,” she snorted derisively around a bite of quesadilla she had decided to nibble on.

A corner of his black mask raised as he leaned back on his palms, “Oh? Just how low of a bar did I clear?”

She rolled her eyes, “Are you sure you want to hear about my horrible dates?”

Chat’s grin in response would rival the Chesire cat, “Trade you, story for story. You don’t need to give me names or personal details. We don’t need to know if we’ve dated in each other’s social circles by accident.” He waved a clawed glove dismissively to punctuate his point.

“Alright, but you’ve been warned!” Ladybug shook a finger towards her partner with a chuckle. “Let’s see…” Her eyes drifted up to the sky as she ruminated on the details of her disastrous dating life while the black cat took to snacking on one of the treats between them. “Hmm… The last one we’ve taken to calling the ‘Cheeto Guy’…” she began.

“Pfft, what? Cheeto guy? As in the atrocious American snack food?” Chat scoffed.

“Cheeto Guy,” she confirmed with a nod while brushing crumbs from the front of her suit. “He was a friend of a friend, someone I had bumped into randomly at school, seemed nice so said friend arranged for a date. Pretty typical date: had lunch together, chatted for a while, had quite a bit in common…”

“Alright, then where do the Cheetos come in?” The bewildered blond asked, watching her facial expressions.

The spotted heroine leveled a flat look upon him, “After the date. He apparently was so taken with me; he wrote me a poem! Two pages of rhyming prose about how my beauty was so distracting that he spent the entire date thinking about crushing up Cheetos…smearing them on my body…and licking it off.”

For a moment, the only sounds that could be heard were the passing traffic below and the wind in the trees before a loud, barking guffaw was ripped from her companion. “You’re joking, surely? Please tell me you’re joking!”

Ladybug shook her head ruefully, her eyes glittering with mirth at his reaction, “Unfortunately, not! I had planned to burn it, however one of my friends found the poem so hilarious that they took it home with them. I didn’t feel up to a second date after that, I just apologized that I was simply too busy for a relationship.” She giggled and blew a piece of hair from her eyes, “He found someone new and is now happily married.”

“Wow, talk about low standards…” Chat murmured mockingly.

“Hey now, I firmly believe there’s someone out there for everyone! You just have to find the right person.”

He snorted, “I suppose it must be true if Monsieur Cheeto can find someone… Alright, not sure if mine will top yours. Let’s call this one…Shark Girl.” Chat watched as she mouthed the name with a befuddled look on her face. “We were set up for a date through my mother. I took her to get coffee and tried to get to know her. It was glaringly obvious to me that we did not suit, however she had a different opinion for, when I attempted to drop her at home, she lunged across the seat and kissed me.”

The spotted heroine tilted her head in confusion, “Awkward…but why call her—”

“She kissed with her teeth!” The black-clad hero winced at the memory, mimicking the movement with a clawed hand in front of his face. “Her mouth was opened wider than mine, as if she were a lamprey attempting to latch onto my face and had suctioned herself onto my lips! Then she dragged her teeth inward and down, in some odd facsimile of a passionate kiss; felt like a dozen rasps being drawn across my flesh! I was in such a shock that she did this twice before I finally shook her off and kicked her from the car.”

Ladybug was giggling uncontrollably at the description, thoroughly enjoying the looks of disgust and horror as his face oscillated from one to the other. “Oh my gods, that’s… that’s…”

“Abhorrent?” He offered; his features settled into a revolted sneer.

“Hilarious, Chat!” She fell back as her peals of laughter echoed into the night sky.

“I’m glad someone finds my misfortune entertaining,” he rolled his eyes. “My lip was bleeding in two spots by the time I returned home, I’m lucky I didn’t need stitches!”

“Or a rabies shot!” Ladybug wiped a few tears from her eyes as her laughter died into soft hiccups, “I suppose it could be worse!”

“Pray tell, how could it be worse than that, Bug?” He scoffed with disbelief even as his eyes twinkled with humor.

“I met someone at my parent’s bakery that proudly told me he got a tattoo over the weekend…he gave it to himself! Pressed a needle into the skin to make a hole, then took a ballpoint pen and rotated it around until the ink filled it in.”

His mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with shock, “My gods…that is worse!”

She giggled, “Apparently, he also thought it was wise to claim our astrological signs were compatible. Maman shut him down real quick. He hasn’t been back, although I’m not sure if that was because of my mother or the obvious infection he was developing at the tattoo site.”

Chat winced, “I would not want to be on the end of either, I assure you.” They lapsed into silence for a bit as they picked at the swiftly cooling food before them.

“It’s your turn, you know.”

Rolling his eyes with exasperation, he hummed thoughtfully. “How about the date I didn’t think was a date?”

“Wait, wa-what?” She turned and leaned towards him. “How?”

“I…” He blew out a breath and ran a clawed hand through his hair, “I had met someone through a seminar, they invited me to a documentary screening I had expressed interest in, and I accepted. About ten minutes into the show, she reached over and grabbed my hand…”

“Wow, that was bold!” she exclaimed quietly.

“Of course, I immediately realized it was that kind of outing. I wasn’t sure how to react.” He cringed, his hand flexing in his lap as if reliving the moment physically rather than mentally. “Her hands were so clammy and uncomfortable. I have long, boney fingers and hers were thicker so, when she attempted to lace our fingers together, it cut off the circulation and I felt like she was going to crush me…”

Raising a red glove over her mouth, she whimpered sadly. “Oh no, the poor thing! She must have been so nervous!”

“Oh, it gets worse. She must have realized she couldn’t comfortably hold hands that way, so she started stroking my hand – cupping it, rubbing her fingers back and forth over my knuckles, then repeating it over my palm – in the most disturbing way possible.”

“Why didn’t you just, you know, pull away?”

“It wasn’t my…proudest moment, I admit. However, I just wanted to enjoy the documentary, so I resigned myself to soldier through until the end.” The cat hero sighed, his body tense – obviously discomforted by the memory.

“You’re not the only one with some dating guilt…” Ladybug sighed, “There was this guy in my lycée that invited me out to an arcade. You recall that I’m a bit of a gamer, right?” Chat nodded, his shoulders slowly lowering as she spoke. “Well, I get a little competitive,” she admitted sheepishly.

“From what my cousin has told me, that is a gross understatement,” the blond amusingly corrected.

She huffed softly, “Anyway! I kept winning. About an hour into our time there – and in the middle of race number three on Mario Kart – he suddenly ripped the steering wheel off the console, threw it into the screen, and stormed out. Everyone was quite shocked, and a hush fell over the arcade; it was almost as if even the games themselves were momentarily stunned to silence by his vicious display. Apparently, he did not take it kindly being hit with my blue shell on the last lap! Whoops,” she ended cheekily.

“Bug, it sounds like you dodged a bullet with that one. Only you would upset someone by being too good at something!” Chat chuckled. “Did you at least buy him a prize with all your tickets?”

“I’m… actually saving up my credits for one of the top tier prizes. They have a signed copy of UMS III that I’ve had my eye on for months!” Ladybug responded slightly self-consciously as she bit her lip and picked at the hex material of her suit.

Her partner chuckled softly, “You just want your prize and I wanted to watch my documentary.”

“See? We aren’t so different, we’re both selfish!” She smiled gently. They lapsed into a companionable silence, looking out over the city as their words drifted off on the breeze.

“I suppose it could be worse, we could be greedy instead of selfish,” Chat muttered softly. The spotted heroine refocused her attention on him, cocking her head to the side as a sign to continue. “I once agreed to a blind date with a young lady except, when she arrived, she had brought along nine of her friends and demanded I pay for them all simply because I am, and I quote, ‘so flush with cash that ten five-course meals would be a drop in the bucket’ for me; and ‘I expect you to provide a certain quality of lifestyle in our relationship’ end quote.”

Ladybug’s face had morphed into one of scandalized outrage. “Wow, the sense of entitlement! I mean, honestly, the audacity!” She paused and leaned in with a whisper, “Wait, was it one of Chloe’s friends?”

He smirked, “I’ll never tell.”

“That’s confirmation enough!” She chortled gleefully for a minute, her mind awhirl imagining a gaggle of haughty blonds descending upon a restaurant for a blind date.

“Your turn, Bug,” he reminded her jokingly. “What other skeletons lay in that closet of yours? We’re in Paris, there must be one pompous peacock strutting through with his sense of entitlement.”

Shaking her head, she sighed. “Pompous? No. Arrogant and a bit cruel? Yes.”

He laid a clawed hand on her shoulder, his brow scrunched with worry as he attempted to lighten her declining mood, “Cruel? To you? Was he also unable to defeat you in virtual combat?”

“Funny enough, he actually enjoyed watching me game! I met him through my work,” she fiddled with her fingers in her lap as another sigh escaped her lips. “We hit it off immediately. So much in common – video games, fashion tastes, food – even my friends loved him! They called him ‘The Beau’ since he and I agreed to date casually due to the significant distance because he lived in Rouen and was contracted to work here in Paris for a year.”

“An hour and a half is quite the drive…” the cat offered gently.

She chuckled sadly, “Yeah… Well, his contract was coming to an end and he had been having trouble finding further work here. He ended up landing a job in Madrid! I was so happy for him and he insisted that we could make long distance work.” Ladybug stared out upon the city lights, feeling his gaze and the slow circles he was rubbing into her shoulder. “Christmas was coming. Gifts, you should know, is one of my love languages and I…I was definitely falling for him. I remembered that he was interested in this beautiful pocket watch and I had saved up to buy it for him, even had his initials engraved on it…”

The spotted heroine paused to get the growing quiver in her voice under control. “Ahem! He, uh…He was in Rouen for the holidays and we had planned to meet up for a fancy dinner halfway to celebrate. I had asked him about the plan – specifically transport: ‘Are you coming to get me? Am I going to you? Meeting there?’ Pretty basic inquiry! Do you know what he said?”

Chat shook his head silently, taking in her watery blue eyes filled with anger and sadness.

“He said, ‘you’re cute but not three hours round trip cute.’ As if I had not been traveling out there to see him before! As if he was deserving of my effort to see him but I wasn’t worthy of his effort! As if my time was less precious than his own!” She scoffed, “Here I am, fighting akumas and attempting to defeat a magical super villain and I’m the one that isn’t—anyway! So, I rightly called it off and asked where I should send his gift. It’s personalized, not like I was going to keep it. He told me, ‘I live in a tiny flat, what makes you think I want more junk?’ I was so, so angry! I convinced him to open it and, if he didn’t want it, he could toss it out for all I cared!”

The black clad hero surreptitiously watched for akuma butterflies on the horizon as the rage rolled off his partner in waves, giving her a moment to simply feel without worry. The concern was unneeded as the roiling emotions were just as quickly snuffed out before Hawkmoth could detect it. “When he finally opened it, he apologized profusely and expected me to just…forget it ever happened.” She pressed her gloved hands into her eye sockets with a wet – if not sardonic – chuckle, “Needless to say, it didn’t work out.”

Ladybug was quickly engulfed in a comforting hug as she concentrated on taking a few breaths to get herself back under control. “I’m sorry, Bug. That was completely uncalled for and I, for one, am ashamed that wanker – that bloody tosser of a git – is among those of my gender. That absolute poxy excuse of a man is such a blighter and doesn’t deserve you. If you hadn’t called things off, I would have told that gormless prat to sod off myself,” he murmured fiercely beside her ear, relieved when he felt the silent chuckles growing stronger with each British insult he could dream up. He knew she was always fond of the way his English relations spoke and used it to his full advantage whenever she needed a mood lift.

When the sniffles had stopped and her hands dropped from her face, Chat released her and resumed his seat. “Thank you, you always know just what to say…” came her murmured reply.

“Hardly, I simply stated the facts. It is a truth universally acknowledged that any idiot willing to debase himself to insulting a Lady does not deserve her affections."

“Still, thanks. And I’m sorry for ruining the mood. We were sharing silly stories – and we were having so much fun – and…and I had to go and muck it up!”

“You didn’t ruin anything, Bug. Besides, you’re not the only one with a story like that,” he sighed. “My cousin set me up with a young model that seemed a good fit at one time. We had similar tastes in books and films, even shared a few of the same pet peeves and bonded over classical music. However, she traveled a lot for work, and we would meet when she was in Paris, not as if I’m jet-setting for obvious reasons. Left plenty of room for this hero business, too. It wasn’t love but it could have grown to be. For all intents and purposes, we worked.”

Ladybug furrowed her brow at him, “Then what was the issue?”

“About two months into our ‘relationship’, I discovered she was dating – and subsequently sleeping with – fourteen other people,” came his deadpan reply.

Her mouth dropped open in shock, “No!”

“Oh yes. Found it by accident on her calendar while planning a surprise for her birthday. We were all noted on her schedule with every intimate detail – down to the location and even sexual position used – going back months in her Planner. And those were only the ones I knew about! Apparently, she had heard from some American television show that it wasn’t cheating if it ‘wasn’t the same area code’ or something equally as absurd. She felt justified as each of us was in a different part of Europe.”

“Wow…” The heroine was speechless.

“Obviously, I did not agree with said sentiment and cut my association with her.”

“That’s…gods, that’s awful, Chat. I’m so sorry.” She rested a hand on his forearm, her blue eyes glowing with sadness.

He patted her hand gently, “Don’t be. It was years ago. I heard that she lost a major modeling contract after she tried to hook up with my cousin and has since found a job working in a diner over in Nice.”

“Well, Mademoiselle Serialist Cheater sounds like a perfect match for Mister Elevator.” She shook her head disgustingly as Chat raised a brow. “He introduced himself to me in the library and asked me out, I turned him down. I was supposed to hang out with your cousin a few days later and – you know how Adrien is, far too friendly with strangers than he should be – stumbled upon the two of them chatting at our meeting spot. Mister Elevator was giving him the advice to ‘give a girl a flower, it’s a surefire way to win them over!’”

“Well, flowers are a traditional gift when dating…” he murmured.

“Yeah…part of his advice was a story about giving a girl a flower and receiving a blowjob in the elevator for it. Thus his name.” The heroine rolled her eyes as her tone turned flippant, the memory nothing more than a short ridiculously humorous interaction that still made her snort to this day.

The blond choked mid-chew on a bit of brie and began to cough roughly, “Forgive me, what the fuck?!”

Ladybug simply nodded sagely and looked over the cheese platter for her next nibble but found mostly crumbs left. “I know. I was pretty floored when he told me about it. Mister Elevator saw me with your cousin and encouraged him to ‘get lucky’ with me. Like a man and a woman couldn’t be just friends, they must be sleeping together too! And that I would be so easy to ‘put out’ simply by being given a flower? Just ludicr—”

“He said what?” His words were an angry growl, one that seemed to reverberate the very air across the empty rooftop with its ferocity, which surprised a squeak from the heroine. Chat’s eyes looked absolutely feral, his claws attempting to dig into the limestone beneath them as if imagining them sinking into the object of his ire, his tail lashing wildly behind him.

“Chat! It’s fine! You know your cousin would never do something like that—!” She attempted to calm him, her eyes jumping about the horizon for possible butterflies with increasing concern and internal panic.

“That’s hardly the issue! Adrien was raised to meet very strict standards of behavior but, Bug, to insinuate that you—! He could have been—” Chat jumped from sentence to sentence in his agitation, unable to completely vocalize a single disgusting thought, as the desire to find this lout and defend her honor fed his outrage further.

“Woah, woah! I’m fine!” Ladybug held up both hands between them, approaching slowly before laying a reassuring hand on the claws currently scraping the top of the monument so as not to agitate him further. “It’s not right what he said but at least he heavily implied receiving consent. I had rejected him, he saw us together, he assumed we were dating… And I never even saw him again after that!”

As the stiff tension around his shoulders began to release, Ladybug wrapped her arms around her partner’s neck and she whispered reassuringly into his neck, “I promise, Grimalkin, I am okay. No need to cataclysm some civilian’s face off for me.”

Claws released their stranglehold on the rooftop and wrapped around her body, pulling her closer until they were settled hip to hip. She listened to his deep breaths as he calmed once again. When his voice returned, it was a hushed rumble rather than the ferocious growl it had been, “Are you sure I can’t, Bug?”

“Yes, I’m sure. It wouldn’t help anyone right now,” she chuckled against his side.

“It would make me feel better…” he muttered under his breath.

“If I ever need someone’s face to be melted off, I will come straight to you.”

“Hmm, see that you do,” Chat rested his cheek against her hair, his toxic green eyes taking in the lights of Paris once again. They lapsed into a companionable silence now that their emotions had calmed and take out containers were empty. The beautiful evening breeze tugged at their hair; a few stars twinkled through the light pollution high in the sky above their heads. It was a peaceful moment that reminded them that they always had each other to fall back on.

Ladybug’s snort broke the silence that had wrapped around them, drawing the black cat’s attention once again. “Besides, you’d be proud of how I handled a guy earlier…I channeled my inner Felix.”

The edge of his mask rose curiously, although his tone sounded as if torn between being flattered and insulted, “Oh? How so?”

“This man that I’ve been working on a commission for has taken a liking to me,” she began with a laugh, one hand immediately rested on his thigh as soon as she felt his body tense beside her. “He decided to ‘shoot his shot’ this morning by using the most bizarre pick-up line I’ve ever heard!”

Chat tried to relax, “Was it something as corny as my cousin would use? Something like…besides sexy, what do you do for a living? Or perhaps… If you were a fruit, you’d be a fine-apple?”

The heroine’s face flushed even as she broke into loud howls of laughter, “Gods, no! It was worse!”

“Worse? I’m not sure that’s possible.”

Wiping a tear from her eye, Ladybug’s laughter died down to gentle chuckles. “No, he dropped his voice down as deep as it could go – I assume in an effort to sound rough and sexy – and asked me: ‘if I was a bear, what would I do to you?’”

Her partner leaned back enough to stare down at her, momentarily speechless over the reality of such a person existing and using such a horrid line. “…And how did you channel your ‘inner Felix’, may I ask?”

The spotted woman sat up straighter, schooling her features with an air of refined calm as she stared down her nose haughtily. “I gave no outward reaction, just simply stated – completely deadpan – that, if he were a bear, he would likely maul me. Then I proceeded to give him a factual information dump about which organs would likely to be ripped from my body first before I would lose consciousness from blood loss.”

There was a beat of silence before both dissolved into uproarious laughter.

“Bug, I’m so proud of you!” Chat enfolded his companion in his embrace, sharing in her mirth. “But, for my sanity, please never tell my cousin that line…”

She scoffed, “I can make no prom—"

Suddenly an explosion lit up the Parisian night sky, followed closely by the familiar akuma alert tone echoing through the streets below, interrupting their conversation. Ladybug groaned, “Can’t he give us one more night off?”

“No rest for the wicked, I’m afraid.” The black suited hero rose to his feet, brushing off any bits of dust that may have clung to his hex-leather suit before offering her a hand up. “Aren’t you always looking on the bright side? At least we finished dinner twice this week.”

“I suppose you’re right…” The heroine gladly accepted the hand and unraveled her yo-yo while Chat wrangled their garbage back into the bag. “Want me to take that to the nearest garbage can while you go scope things out?”

He hummed an affirmative as he settled it into her offered hand, “Probably for the best. You’re not exactly the picture of stealth, Bug.” Chat smirked at her offended scoff, jumping off the Arc de Triomphe before she could hurtle the bag at his head.

Ladybug’s angry shout echoed in the air behind him, “Must I remind you that I DON’T HAVE ANY SAY IN MY SUIT DESIGN?” He didn’t need to have super hearing to know his partner was grumbling.

Chat allowed himself a rare smile as he vaulted toward the latest akuma. ‘Being a hero can be a lonely existence but it’s a little easier together.’

~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Yes, I know...not my usual romance but I enjoyed ggomo's story so much that I felt inspired. Most of these horrible dates are based on real life experiences... Details changed to protect the guilty. What's your worst dating story?

AO3 Link

[letsbenditlikebennett]

TIMING: A wiggly yesterday-ish. PARTIES: @magmahearts @closingwaters & @letsbenditlikebennett SUMMARY: Cass and Alex meet up with Teagan near the lake to enjoy a picnic. They share the story of the first day they met and get some fun news about that. CONTENT: Drug manipulation (mushroom/fairy-ring flavored)

Admittedly, the picnic basket that Alex packed had not been entirely of her own doing. It hadn’t exactly taken convincing on her part to get Kaden to help her with the endeavor even if she had to joke that stinky cheese would not be the vibe. She’d had a good time putting it together with him and she was sure the afternoon enjoying it with Cass and Teagan would be just as fun. There was an array of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and crackers along with some different dips for all of them. Of course, there were also peach rings and hot cheetos, but she knew Cass would enjoy those too. Snacks for snaccs, it was the golden rule. 

As they walked towards the lake, she had the picnic basket in one hand and Cass’ hand in the other. They were meeting Teagan at a little spot near the lake and she hoped that maybe the nix could tell Cass a little more about wardens. Alex felt bad, she knew it brought up less than pleasant memories, but she had the feeling Teagan would want to make sure Cass was safe, too. 

“I made sure pineapple was included in the fruit lineup,” she said with a smile and squeezed Cass’s hand. As they neared she saw Teagan and flashed the nymph a smile. “Hey,” she greeted, “Good to see you again. I hope the food line up is ok– there’s no red meat. I got that part down.” 

—

Nerves fluttered like butterflies in Cass’s chest. There were a lot of them, for different reasons. The butterflies seemed ever-present around Alex, in the best kind of way. Like a flittering feeling that made her hair stand on end, made her heart pound, made her cheeks hurt. Alex’s hand was in hers, and she felt like every inch of her was on fire. Maybe… a little less literally than, like, her usual brand of ‘on fire.’ 

But there were other nerves, too. There was the quiet thrum thrum of uncertainty in her heartbeat that always came with spending time with other fae, that constant question of will they like me that never seemed to be answered the way she wanted it to be. Teagan liked her for now, she knew, but how long could she hold onto that? How long could she keep that approval before it slipped through her fingers the same way it always did?

At least Alex was here. Her presence made Cass feel a little better, a little less on edge. Because Alex liked her for who she was, and kept liking her for who she was. No year-old guilt like what she worried drove Nora sometimes, no loud loneliness like what she feared kept Aria holding on. No natural fae fondness like the one Teagan held for her, either. Just Alex. Liking Cass for being Cass. If she could do that, maybe other people could, too.

“You’re the best,” she whispered quietly, squeezing Alex’s hand right back. She wondered if the werewolf could feel her pulse pick up as Teagan came into view. “Hi Teagan,” she greeted shyly. “It’s nice to see you again.”

—

Picking a spot was almost too easy. The sun had reached its peak, bright rays kissing the earth lovingly. There was a break in the trees, shadows that would be perfect for cover. Teagan skipped happily to the area she had seen at a distance, plopping herself down into the warmth of the grass and dropping the basket full of freshly baked goods. Her body formed an x, limbs relaxed and free. 

She wondered how long it’d take for the two lovebirds to arrive, and she propped herself up, leaning back into her palms. Not much time passed by the time Teagan heard the telltale signs of footfalls only meters away. Perking up, the nix stood up and trotted over to the hand-holding duo, quickly pulling them both into a tight embrace. 

She happily groaned as she squeezed, “Oh it’s been too long, you beautiful oread.” With kiss to Cass’s head, Teagan looked to Alex, and booped her nose. “And you. Lovely as ever.” She pulled away and waved the two over to her to the perfect spot, gesturing to her basket. “I’ve brought the yummiest blueberry pies. They’re cupcake-sized! Picked the blueberries myself and baked it all from scratch.” She clapped her hands together, “Oh, I love picnics. Need to have one with my lovely soon, but for now,” Teagan tucked some loose hair behind both of her ears, “You beauties have my full attention. Shall we sit?”

Most of the time, Alex liked to try and tune out the sounds of people’s hearts and breathing. In the day to day, it could become a little overwhelming, but she liked being keyed into Cass. The steady thrum of her heart was a nice reminder that she was real and there and liked Alex for who she was. The slight increase in pace of Cass’s heartbeat wasn’t missed by her, so she kept her hand firmly around the oread’s in a show of support. While the other girl hadn’t said much, Alex knew people were always abandoning her and she had mentioned nymphs back home. She hoped Teagan would never do that to Cass and she had a good enough feeling, the nix herself had been cut off from her own family and seemed to be understanding, but she understood Cass’s nerves all the same. 

The small boop on her nose brought a small smile to her face. Despite the fact it was a canine-like gesture, Alex found she didn’t mind it because well, it was kind of sweet. The mention of pies only made her perk up more. “Oh, blueberry pie is my favorite,” she exclaimed, “Can’t wait to give them a try.” 

She took a seat on the blanket and patted the spot next to her for Cass to join. It was the perfect spot with a little bit of shade from the trees and a perfect view of the sun sparkling on the lake. It was quiet and they could talk among themselves without having to worry about others hearing. Alex couldn’t have asked for a better setting to spend time with the two nymphs. Needless to say, she did not want to sour the mood right away with questions about wardens and she had hoped Cass already asked about that stuff. Instead, she grinned. “Well, you already know I think Cass is the greatest… But how did the two of you meet? I was so excited to realize you knew Cass that I forgot to ask before.” 

Teagan pulled her into a hug and called her beautiful, and Cass was far too heavy to float but in that moment she felt as if she was walking on air anyway. Light and joyful and worry-free, because how could she be anything but? Alex liked her, Teagan liked her. She was finally the kind of person that people could like, the kind of person that they might stick around for. Her heart felt like it was doing somersaults in her chest, excited just to be here. There was a thrum in the back of her mind, a chaotic energy that she’d felt every time she was around Alex ever since that first walk through the caves. This, she thought, must have been what having a real crush felt like. Everything she thought she’d felt in the past was just a warm-up. 

Teagan had pies, and Cass grinned at the thought of them. “Well, I already know I love your baking!” The food Teagan had made the first time she’d met her was so good that it had stayed with her ever since. This town was so full of people with cooking skills that, to Cass, seemed unmatched. When you’d spent most of your life eating whatever you could find, any kind of homemade meal tasted like something fit for royalty. 

Eagerly, Cass settled onto the blanket next to Alex, sitting as close to the wolf as she could. Their thighs brushed together in a way that kept the oread’s heart pounding with that same excited energy, her mind buzzing with both the crush and the feeling of being around another fae. It was something that had once made her uneasy, but now made her feel more at ease. Grinning as she leaned into Alex, she looked at Teagan. “I was, um, walking by one day while she was swimming in her true form. She thought I was human at first.” 

Watching Alex and Cass all but melt into each other was a sweet sight. They seemed to be absolutely smitten with one another, unable to keep themselves from parting much farther than an inch or two. Teagan chocked it up to puppy love, though the phrase seemed offensive when Alex was quite notably a werewolf. Perhaps wonderlust was better. The urge to know the depths of someone, discover their idiosyncrasies and sink into who they are so that maybe, just maybe, you could finally be close enough to them. 

Teagan understood the feeling, if she were being honest. Most of the time, now the her and Arden were no longer hiding behind lingering touches and longing looks, Teagan found herself trying to melt into her lover. Be encased in her warmth and scent so that anyone that crossed her path knew exactly where she’d been. 

It wasn’t a whirlwind romance by any means, and it definitely wasn’t love at first sight, but the familiarity they both shared upon meeting was impossible to ignore. Both Arden and Teagan had to answer the call their hearts made for one another. It left her breathless if she thought about it too long, and she was thankful the young lovers had conversation topics that could take over. 

“Aye. I was on edge, and jumped at the chance to stop a human from trespassing,” Patting Cass’s leg, the nix gave her an apologetic smile. “Luckily though, the moment I stepped out of the water, I could feel her.” A smile painted on Teagan’s lips, fond and warm, and she looked at Alex as she explained the meeting joyfully. “I couldn’t resist them. I had to get to know her.”

The meeting between the two nymphs was easy for Alex to imagine. Both of them in their true form were truly something else, something extraordinary. She may have been more than a little biased, but something about Cass’s form especially fascinated her. Even when she wore her glamour like she was right now, Alex swore there was a glow to her that shone through. She could recall the ferocity Teagan possessed when they first met too, before Alex confirmed who she was. A truly fierce protector of the lake who of course immediately softened for Cass because how could she not? There was more than a hint of awe in her eyes as she turned to look at the oread with a smile. “I get that,” she brushed her thumb over the oread’s, “I think Cass just has the effect on people. Who could not want to know her?” 

It felt important to emphasize. While they hadn’t gotten fully into sharing stories of their past, Alex knew people had a tendency to leave Cass, so much so that the oread seemed to question her own worth. They both thought Teagan was great, so Teagan also seeing what was obvious to the werewolf felt important for Cass to know. Given what Teagan had gone through and the implied estrangement with her own family, Alex couldn’t see the nix abandoning Cass like other fae had done. Teagan had even been sure to warn her to treat Cass well— she hoped that meant the nix would always be there for Cass. She wanted Cass to have people in her life who would stay, who would make her feel like she was worth staying for, because she was.

“I kind of met her talking online like I did with you, Teagan,” she explained, “Except we didn’t know what the other was when we met. We were just talking about rocks online and decided to go on a spelunking date.” She could still remember seeing Cass for the first time, how thinking the other girl had been cute and fun to talk to would make for a nice afternoon of pretending she was the kind of person someone could love, but that notion had slipped away so quickly. She didn’t need to pretend with Cass. “Obviously I thought she was pretty, because like, I have eyes,” she grinned, “But the way her face would light up when she explained how different rocks were formed felt extra special. Then she went with my cheesy movie magic moment when I asked her to dance in a ring of bioluminescent mushrooms and I think I was pretty much hers.”  

An orangeish blush glowed under Cass’s skin, the mixture of Teagan’s fondness and Alex’s affection making her grow warm in a way that had very little to do with the magma bubbling beneath her rocky exterior and everything to do with the way Alex was looking at her. She didn’t think she’d ever been adored before. There had been lust, sometimes — she’d had boyfriends and girlfriends in her teenage years, even if most of them took her wallet with them when they left — but never anything like this. The way Alex looked at her, the way she touched her so gently and smiled at her like she’d hung the moon and the stars in the sky… It made Cass feel like she was something precious. Like she was finally worth looking at.

She leaned into the werewolf now, letting her head drop gently against Alex’s shoulder as she spoke. The discussion of their first encounter online made her heart flutter, because wasn’t it funny? You never knew how much someone would grow to mean to you the first time you spoke to them. Things had moved so quickly after that date to the cave, both of them all in by the time the party at Van’s came along. Relationships like that were often compared to fires that burned hot and fast, but volcanoes weren’t forest fires. They burned hot, but they didn’t burn out. They kept going for thousands of years. Cass liked Alex now, and she’d still like her tomorrow. And, for once, she wasn’t paranoid that the feeling wasn’t returned. Alex liked her, too. She knew that.

“She’s a really good dancer,” Cass added eagerly. “You should have seen how she twirled. The mushrooms made it look really cool.” 

How smitten the two were, and after only one date? Love worked in many ways, the likes of which were difficult to understand. Teagan had a love, and even she hardly knew how it all operated. It varied from person to person, from couple to couple, no two ever being the same but having similar roots. Love was a tether that connected everyone eventually, even someone as walled off as Teagan. 

It was—wait. Had they really said what she thought they said? Perhaps the pink and orange dust on their cheeks wasn’t just a connection built on a spark, but something artificially put together with the help of some magic. Now, that wasn’t to say the two young women couldn’t find their way to each other, but Teagan knew most people didn’t like their mind or hearts altered by another force. A natural, less magical route was usually preferred. 

“Did you say mushrooms?” Quirking a brow, Teagan leaned in and looked to and from Cass and Alex. “Were they in a circle? Did you feel silly afterwards? Did you—” A finger was pointed toward Alex. “Have a wish to listen to every one of Cass’s words?”

Somehow Cass could make her feel like she was floating and ground her in the same motion. The weight of the oread’s head on her shoulder was welcomed and her hand found its way the soft waves in Cass’s hair. She gently stroked them and smiled at the ease of it all. Her normal hang ups and fears weren’t there with Cass. No matter what she shared with the oread, she was met with understanding and care. It gave her the crazy idea that she was someone worth loving and she couldn’t deny the domino effect it had on the rest of her life. So while it all felt too good to be true, the feeling of Cass resting against her shoulder brought her back down and reminded her this was all real. Someone could see the parts of her that she wanted to hide from the world and still find hers to be a good shoulder to rest on. 

Her own cheeks took on a pinkish hue at the mention of her dancing, which objectively, was far from good, but it was nice Cass enjoyed it. Maybe that mattered more than whether or not it was good. Alex thought it did. “It helps to have a good partner,” she grinned while running a hand through Cass’ hair, “And Cass is the best.”

The questions from Teagan were a little unexpected, but the scene had been so perfect that giving the nix a little slice of it felt right. “Oh,” she said looking at Cass, “They were, yeah. Part of why I asked her to dance, it practically looked like a little dance floor just for us.” The next question caught her a little off guard. Had she felt more silly than normal? Maybe a little bit, but that was more the giddiness of giving into idea that maybe Cass wasn’t just an afternoon distraction from how much she hated herself. She knew Cass wasn’t that now— Cass saw her and always tried to understand her and still liked her. “Uh,” she started uncertainly, “I think so, yeah. I mean, I felt a little silly and wanted to make Cass smile before, but the whole dance thing did kind of feel like metaphorically diving in?” 

Alex’s hand was in her hair, and Cass didn’t think she’d ever felt as whole as she did now. Like she was someone. No, more than that — like she was someone worth keeping. Alex spoke about her like she was good, like she was precious, like she was worthy, and how could Cass not feel like it was true? How could she not accept it, believe it? Alex said it so easily, like it was simple. There was never any doubt in her words, never a hint of hesitation. Cass hadn’t bound her to get her here, hadn’t manipulated her way into the affection. It just was, just had been from that very first night with the mushrooms in the cave.

Teagan’s line of questioning was… weird, though. Like she knew something. Cass shifted, brow furrowed as she glanced over to Alex. She nodded in confirmation when Alex spoke of the circle, trying to think back. “I guess?” Wasn’t feeling silly part of having a crush? People did all kinds of funny things in movies when they caught feelings for someone; entire episodes of sitcoms were based around it. Multi-episode arcs, sometimes! “Why do you ask?”

Oof…How did one go about telling a blooming relationship it might be built on something otherworldly? Something out of their control. For a few moments, Teagan was quiet as she mulled over how to approach everything. On one hand, the two very well could like one another without the mushrooms, and on the other, it would be wrong to let them exist in a lie. 

“Well, you see, mushroom circles, while pretty and fun, can have other side effects too.” Teagan gestured to Cass and gave her a warm smile. “They make anyone feel happy and silly. Like a high. And when you’re with fae, like Cass, crossing that boundary connects you to them.” She reached forward and took each of their hands in hers, hoping to reassure them. 

“For you, Alex, you’ll want to do everything Cass says without her binding you, and feel amazing. And Cass, you’ll feel just as amazing, as you can see. On the bright side, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something actually here between you two. Just means the mushrooms pushed you two together without you knowing.” Planting a small peck on both hands, Teagan looked between Alex and Cass, reassurance written all over her features. “I assume this is your first time running into a mushroom circle, sweet oread?”

As Teagan spoke, it felt as if someone was vacuuming the air straight from her lungs. The notion that what she shared with Cass could be manufactured made her feel sick, not that she found herself able to pull away. If it made them feel happy and silly, that meant the whole way Cass saw her could be skewed. Now that promise to stay felt like one Alex couldn’t hold the oread to, not when all the acceptance she’d shown the werewolf could have been clouded by the mushrooms because apparently that was a thing. Of course it was a thing. How else could something this magical fallen right into her lap? It seemed to confirm the notion she was unlovable even if Teagan was saying something about a real connection being able to be present, too.

But how could it be? How could someone like Cass look at Alex and see anything but a pitiful monster? Maybe the oread would be too kind to look at her with the disgust she had expected when she first told her the truth about the werewolf thing, but even a gentle letdown scared the hell out of her. The hope that Teagan offered felt dangerous. She so badly wanted to believe she was really someone Cass could care for and eventually fall for. “Mushroom rings,” she repeated slowly, “Oh.” 

She had been the one to lead them right into that and Cass seemed just as clueless about all of this. Had Alex really been that foolish to think that the ambience of the cave could be anything good just because walking hand in hand with Cass had felt so good? “I don’t… I’m sorry I didn’t know. I just thought it looked cool and it seemed like a romantic thing to do.” She looked down at her lap and tried to take in what it all meant, but none if it really made a whole lot of sense to her. 

Alex said oh, and it felt like the world was falling around her. Immediately, the oread’s mind began to catastrophize. If the mushrooms had been affecting them, it meant none of this was real. From what Teagan said, it seemed like it was affecting Alex more than it was affecting Cass, like Alex was stuck in a never-ending promise bind that Cass hadn’t even intentionally trapped her in. And Alex said oh, and wasn’t that a thing of disgust? How could she feel anything less than disdain towards Cass now.

Except… Except she couldn’t feel that, could she? The mushrooms wouldn’t let her. She probably still felt drawn to Cass, even knowing the truth. She probably still felt like she wanted to do whatever Cass asked of her. Even now, even knowing that none of it was real, Alex wouldn’t be allowed to feel her feelings, because that stupid mushroom circle had scooped them out and replaced them. That mushroom circle had fooled Alex into thinking that Cass was someone she liked. And she wasn’t. How could she be?

Alex was apologizing, but it must have been because of the mushrooms and their influence. Cass looked at Teagan, wide-eyed and frantic. “Yeah. Yes, this is my first time running into…” She turned to look at Alex, desperation etched into her features. “I didn’t know,” she said quickly. “I swear, Alex, I promise, I didn’t know. I didn’t — I wouldn’t have let you do it if I knew. You have to believe that, please. I wouldn’t do this on purpose, I’m sorry.” 

The efforts to quell any worries seemed for naught, Cass’s obvious need for acceptance already twisting the gears in her mind. Teagan didn’t know much, or even the extent of the young oread’s pain, but she knew how abandonment looked in someone’s eyes. “Wait,” She lifted her hands, bidding the two to slow down. Apologies weren’t necessary, not when neither of them knew what would happen. And at the very least, the romance was there. Alex made that obvious. 

“Listen to that there, Cass. I see the worry and fear in you right now, but Alex just said she thought it’d be romantic. She knows you're sorry, and neither of you two could have known.” Scooting closer to Cass and Alex, Teagan smiled with comfort in her eyes, hoping the two would listen to reason. 

“Now, the mushrooms may have done a few things and made you two jump and skip a few stages, but the feelings were already there. Things that are tangled can still be reset.” Teagan brushed her thumbs over each of their hands, looking back at her basket of goods. Letting go of them, she plucked two blueberry pies and offered them to Cass and Alex. She kept her smile warm and light, trying to give them any comfort she could. “The mushrooms will wear off eventually. After that, you two can start over and frolic somewhere without the mushrooms. ‘Cause believe me, feelings are only amplified and if you wanted to be romantic before, you’ll want that without the ring.”

There were apologies and reassurances both being lobbied her way and Alex found she was just confused by all of it. The information didn’t necessarily make her feel any differently, but maybe it wasn’t able to. Cass seemed worried though and was promising she didn’t know about the mushrooms beforehand. That hardly seemed like the oread’s fault so she wasn’t sure what the big worry was. She nodded along with Teagan because she had felt the crush before they ever stepped into that mushroom circle. “It’s not your fault,” she assured Cass and gave the oread’s hand a squeeze.

“So they’ll wear off,” she repeated, “Then we’ll be back to normal and I’ll just have the regular crush I had on Cass before we encountered them? That doesn’t sound so bad. We can take care of the mushrooms and then figure us out, right?” She hoped that was the case. She may have had been riding a crush before stepping into that circle, but what about Cass? Did the mushrooms make her overlook all those parts Alex had been so sure she’d hate about the werewolf? There was a hint of worry, but Teagan seemed confident things would be okay and she wanted Cass to know things were okay, that she still cared for the nymph. “It’s gonna be ok,” she confidently stated, “We’re gonna fix and figure this out.” 

She listened as Alex and Teagan spoke, and her heart picked up a bit at the question of the mushrooms wearing off. She was afraid of it happening, and guilty for being afraid. If this thing they had wasn’t of Alex’s own free will, Alex deserved to know that. If she was manipulated into this, even unknowingly, she deserved to have an out. Still, Cass was afraid. She liked what they had. The idea of losing it, after everything she’d lost already, made her feel a little sick. And that was terrible of her, wasn’t it? That was wrong.

But Alex was saying it would be okay, was recalling the crush she’d had before they’d stepped into that circle, and Teagan was saying that feelings could only be amplified and not changed. And maybe they were both right, but even if they weren’t… If this was temporary, Cass would cling to it for as long as she could. She’d stay with Alex for as long as Alex would let her, and when the mushrooms wore off, if Alex changed her mind, Cass would accept it. She offered a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes, nodding her head. “Okay,” she said softly. “Okay, yeah. We’ll figure it out.”

With both minds at ease, it was easier to smile, easier to breathe. There were lingering worries, of course, but Teagan was more than confident in her ability to extinguish whatever concern began to spark. That was one of the many benefits of providing sugar and having a bit of experience with the chaos that came with mushroom rings. She’d been in quite a few, each ending slightly more chaotic than the last. For a moment, her mind trailed away, thinking of what it’d be like to walk into one with Arden…

“Right!” She shook the idea away. “It’ll be okay. And look on the bright side…” Teagan set the blueberry pies aside and wiggled back a few inches to have enough room to slide her skirt down. She revealed part of the skin on her bottom, a small mushroom tattoo adorning it. “At least you didn’t get a random tattoo during the escapades. I won’t even disclose the bad decisions I made with women that week…” Her eyes widened with embarrassment and a bounce of her brows, and she laughed as pink dusted her cheeks.

“Now, come on.” Teagan waved Alex and Cass over to the food. “We’ve got a picnic to get to.”

Truthfully, Alex wasn’t sure if the mushroom thing really made sense to her, but the way Teagan described it didn’t sound so bad. The thought of amplified feelings was a bit unnerving, she already preferred to keep her feelings close to her chest, but Cass had shown time and again she was a safe person to share with. She could only hope that would continue to be the case when all of this wore off and she wouldn’t be met with disgust for everything she was. She could see the nervousness in Cass’s features and she wished she could offer some sort of reassurance, but this was just as surprising to her as it was to the oread. She laughed a bit, hoping it would lighten the mood a bit. “I mean,” she smirked, “It’s not too late to get a tattoo. But probably best to save that for… later. After?” 

The older nymph seemed confident that they’d be alright and Alex decided to believe that things could be okay. At least for now. Cass was still sitting right next to her which always made her feel a little brighter and Teagan was hosting them for a picnic. It was a beautiful day and the sun was casting shadows through the branches of the trees. By all other indications, it was the making for a perfect afternoon with two amazing nymphs. “Right, let’s enjoy our picnic. I’m so ready for those blueberry pies.” 

Teagan was right, wasn’t she? It could have been far worse. Nothing they’d done up until this point was anything that wasn’t… reversible, even if that thought made Cass’s stomach churn a little. She didn’t want to ‘reverse’ anything they had, but… If Alex didn’t want it after the mushroom haze was over, Cass would understand. Even if she ached with it. “Maybe after,” she agreed, though it sounded like a pipe dream. Alex still having any desire to get a matching tattoo with her, after this, was painfully unlikely. But a girl could dream, right?

For now, though, Teagan was right — they had a picnic to enjoy. They could ride this high to the end of the line, and then they could deal with whatever thoughts and feelings and painful ramifications came after. But at this moment… all they had to do was eat pie. “Right,” Cass smiled. “Let’s dig in.” And maybe, just maybe, Alex would still like her when all this was over.

[aclosetfan]

Parasomnia

Summary: Three foster brothers–Brick, Boomer, and Butch–are relocated to Townsville and are less than happy about their new placement. When a group of their “strictly-out-of-necessity” friends take them to the old “haunted” preschool, they don’t blink an eye. They’re a product of the foster care system; how could they possibly be afraid of an old nursery rhyme? (They will admit, though, that the killer doppelgängers are slightly concerning)

genre: horror/suspense/friendship content warning: cursing, underage intoxication, gore, body horror, child neglect (alluded to, not specified), insomnia, demonic horror

a/n: me, typing away at this fic, knowing only 3 ppl are gonna actually read it all because @xxadlijaxx-blog made me fanart :)))) literally, that was the most affirming thing ever. thank you again.

I gave my best shot at writing the third-person objective for the gas station scenes. The third-person objective pov has a neutral narrator that is not privy to the character's thoughts or feelings (but I cheated a lil). I thought the style would give those scenes a more mundane feel that is particularly jarring when I jump to Buttercup’s POV. Let me know if that came across well, I’m curious! 

story navigation: one two three four five six

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CHAPTER 3: a quick game of chicken

“There are bad dreams for those who sleep unwisely.” - Bram Stoke

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The gas station's bright fluorescent lights flickered with a high-pitched buzz. The sound was not easily ignored, but it eventually blended into the other noises emitted from various machines shoved into the cramped space. The air conditioners and fans in the refrigerators clicked and whirled as they regulated their temperatures. One of the slushie machines in the back of the store beeped intermittently in obvious distress.

A lone gas station attendant stood near the front of the store, restocking shelves, and propped near the bathrooms was a mop and bucket filled with dirty gray water. 

The gas station was located on a fairly vacant street backing a creek. It was about a mile and a half from the old Pokay Oaks preschool, and for that reason alone, locals tended to avoid it. The normal ones, at least.

The general peacefulness found amongst the loud machines was disrupted when the door to the gas station was opened with a two-toned ding. The employee, a man with a small unreadable name tag, looked up to investigate the new noise as Brick and Boomer bustled into the store. Butch followed them in, holding the door open. The employee shot the three boys a suspicious look and left his stock in favor of standing behind the cash register. 

“Hey, bro, Butch, get me some hot Cheetos, ‘kay!” Pablo called out from the stoop that the other three boys—Pablo, Harry, and Mitch—occupied near the end of the parking lot. Butch didn't look back but nodded nonetheless.

“Lazy asshole,” Brick sniffed and glared at the gas station’s fluorescent lights. Brick ripped his eyes away from the light and stomped further into the gas station, rubbing at his ears and temples.

"Air conditioning," Boomer let out a sigh of relief as the air conditioning ruffled the fringe of his curly blonde hair, ignoring his brother's complaint.

The door dinged again with the same two-tone tune as it swung shut.

The three brothers ignored the employee behind the cash register and shuffled into the aisles of snack food, going past the wet floor sign as their sneakers squeaked against the freshly mopped floor. When they were far enough away from the scrutinizing eyes of the station attendant, Boomer threw his brothers a broad smile and broke out into a run before stopping abruptly and sliding down the rest of the aisle on his feet.

“Beat ya there!” He called over his shoulder, arms sticking out to keep balance as he slid and stumbled over the wet floor.

“You’re gonna break your neck,” Brick snapped, rolling his eyes.

Boomer turned to look back at him, “Huh—” He slid and crashed into the slushie machine counter, falling onto his bottom, “—oof!”

Butch and Brick snickered as Boomer let out a feeble “I’m okay” and picked himself off the ground.

“I want a red one.” Brick told Butch before turning down another aisle towards the chip section. Once again, Butch nodded his acknowledgment.

“Blue’s better!” Boomer argued to Brick's back.

Over the top of the aisle, Boomer and Butch could see the top of Brick's head shaking before he called back, “Wrong.” His voice held a smile, and Boomer visibly perked at the sound.

Outside, a lone car pulled into the parking lot.

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The van Buttercup had been pushed into came to a screeching stop in front of the old preschool. The building seemed unassuming enough except for the shuttered windows and big chain lock on the front door. However, she paid fleeting attention to these details and noticed only how odd the preschool's flag pole looked without a flag. She was sure all her schools, old and new included, had flags on their flag poles.

She didn't linger long on the oddity. As soon as the van lurched to a break, she snapped forward against the pull of her seatbelt. Her curiosity about the old building dissipated into thinly veiled annoyance.

"Okayyy, girlsss!" Ms. Julie's Mom announced in a nasally sing-songy voice, "We're hereee!"

The other girls screamed in delight, happy that they had finally reached their destination, but the noise made Buttercup grit her teeth. She had been dreading this moment far before the minivan had squealed to a halt.

She squinted against the light that poured into the van when its doors were finally thrown open, and unlike the other girls, she took her sweet time unbuckling and climbing her way out of the very backseat. She peered up at the cloudless sky, feeling grumpy and hungry and already very bored.

Buttercup did not want to be here at this stupid princess picnic-themed slumber party for Julie Smith's birthday, but she hadn't had much choice. Her mother had wrestled a dumb tiara onto her head, put her in her best play shorts, and told everyone she was a "sporty" princess, whatever that meant. Then, Buttercup was privately instructed by her mother to make new friends, which she had zero intention of doing. She didn't like any of the girls from her new first-grade class. She preferred her friends from her old school.

She stood off to the sidelines as they all waited for the other minivan full of girls to pull into the parking lot. A few other random moms came over from their cars and started helping Ms. Julie's Mom unload, pulling out pink balloons and gold streamers. Everything was far too sparkly and shiny for Buttercup's liking.

She let out a disappointed huff and pushed her bangs out of her face with sticky fingers, ripping through the various knots and tangles. She didn't like her hair long, but her mom did, and she promised herself that the moment she could get her hands on some real scissors, not the kiddie stuff, she'd cut it all off precisely to make her mad.

After what felt like an eternity, the other van of girls arrived. Like the van of girls she had been stuck with, they were just as excited and giggly, but because they were all from the "loser" van as Julie had deemed it, this was "lame-o" behavior. When Buttercup had asked why Julie had even bothered inviting them if she didn't like them, Julie shrugged and explained that the rule at their school was to invite every girl from your class to your birthday party.

Buttercup didn't appreciate that she had made the "cool" girl list since Julie and her friends were definitely not cool, but from day one at her new school, Julie hadn't stopped bugging her. The birthday girl was constantly begging her to sit with them at lunch and snack time and play her stupid game of jacks during free time, and it was enough to make Buttercup want to rip her hair out! Or maybe, Julie's.

The people in the loser van—a fat girl named Mary, an Asian girl named Mei, the class crybaby, another girl Buttercup swore up and down was called Flower, and Robin (who liked dodgeball, so she wasn't so bad)—now all mingled on the outskirts of the "cool" girl group, sharing shy smiles and nervous conversation. All but Mary's previous excitement had quickly dulled when they noticed Julie and her friends whispering about them with cruel smiles. However, Mary kept desperately trying to interject herself into whatever conversation Julie was having, making Buttercup cringe with secondhand embarrassment. Still, if Mary liked getting bullied, that wasn't her problem.

Buttercup turned away from the group to look closely at where her captors had taken her. She felt she had watched enough survivalist shows on Animal Planet and Nat Geo that if she broke free and ran away, Buttercup was about ninety-five percent sure she could make it back to Washington, where her daddy still lived. It was unfortunate that Mrs. Julie's Mom had forced her to leave her go-bag at Julie's house, but Buttercup had been paying close enough attention during the drive that she was pretty confident she could probably maybe find her way back to Julie's house, snatch up her bag, and be on her way. And if ultimately she had to leave the bag behind, so be it. It was no sweat off her back. The state of Washington was only like, what, a week away on foot? She could make it, no problem. 

Much to her disappointment, their destination was still only the old preschool down the road from their elementary school. For a split second, she was worried they'd force her to go to school on a Saturday until she saw the group of girls she had been stuck with sprinting towards the preschool playground—a relatively new, shiny, magnificent thing that even Buttercup had to begrudgingly admit was kind of fun looking.

She hovered around the vans, watching a few other girls playing, and weighed her options. Either she gave the playground a quick test run and ditched this lame-o party later, or she ditched now while the grown-ups were distracted. The playground was far too tempting, but today she had planned on walking at least a few hours back to Washington while the sun was still out. And she still had to figure out how to make a camp. With a shake of her head, she made up her mind and turned back towards the street only to collide with Ms. Julie's Mom's knees.

"Playground's that way, dear," Ms. Julie's Mom sang with a tilt of her head towards the playground. In her hands, like a waitress, she held a beautiful pink and white cake above her head and didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the little girls running between her legs as she walked.

Much to her chagrin, Buttercup was pushed ahead along with the rest of the stragglers, and her scowl deepened as she tried to accommodate her grand scheme around yet another inconvenience.

“I wanna open presents!” Julie said to her mom.

“Not until after cake, dear!” Ms. Julie’s Mom smiled with that sing-song lithe still in her voice, tip-toeing around her daughter in pointy high heels. 

“But I wanna—”

“—go play!” Ms. Julie’s Mom snapped, her head turning at an obnoxious, almost impossible angle so she could glare down at her tutu-wearing birthday princess (with a crown and everything).

Julie pouted and stomped away, and the group of chittering girls from the first van—the “cool” van—followed after her.

“Have fun, girls!” Ms. Julie’s Mom cried out after them, the song back in her voice, as she pivoted towards the picnic tables to help the other assorted mom-figures set up.

Buttercup followed after the other girls, looking over her shoulder wearily at Julie’s mom. She didn’t very much like that woman. Ms. Julie’s Mom's voice went from sing-songy to angry in a snap, and it kept Buttercup too on her toes to enjoy herself. The lady would chatter and chatter, and hum, and sing, and she would make everything out to be very grand and exciting until suddenly, she’d be yelling—

“HAROLD!”

Buttercup’s eyes went wide, and she wondered if the shrill woman had been reading her mind.

“Y-yes, dear?” A real slender and sniveling man said from behind a large pile of presents he was carrying.

The man was Julie’s dad, and Buttercup didn’t like him either. He stared too much—not at anything in particular; he just stared. It was weird. And when they were at Julie’s house, he had been cackling up a storm in what Julie called “Daddy’s Office.” Despite the title, Buttercup didn’t think the office looked much like an office should. It looked more like a closet with a big desk, some tinkering tools, and a humongous mirror. Plus, the little room had been so full of stuff that there was no way it could be used as an office. Her mom’s classroom was neater, and that was really saying something. 

Julie's dad caught her eye and held her stare, his face twisting into a smile far too wide to be considered comforting. It was as if the man had never smiled before. His lips simply stretched across his yellowing teeth. He didn't stop smiling at her until she finally turned away with a shudder, feeling deeply uneasy.

Again, she didn't like that man. He was creepy.

"Harold!" She overheard Ms. Julie Smith's mom hiss, "You said you checked this place out last week! It's a fucking dump! Are you trying to embarrass me in front of the other moms?"

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The door to the gas station opened and shut with the same two-tone tune as before. Instinctively, the four other store occupants looked up at the noise.

“Ugh—” a black-haired girl groaned, throwing her head back as a giggling blond pushed her into the store, “—why! Why is he here? This is our gas station!”

“I didn’t know we owned the gas station?” A redhead walked in after the two girls, smiling.

“Well, practically!” The black-haired girl—Buttercup—bemoaned, “The sanctity is ruined! We have to find a new one.”

Blossom—the redhead—snorted, turning towards the umbrella stand and newspapers, “Drama queen.”

“Aw, we can’t find a new one!” Bubbles, the blondie, chirped, bouncing her way up to the counter and beaming at the attendant, “Then we wouldn’t get to see Maxi! Heya, Max!”

The station attendant, Max, smiled at her, conflicting with his earlier judgmental demeanor, “Hey, you three, here for the usual?”

"Yep," Bubbles nodded as she leaned onto the counter, propping her head up with her hands, "We’ll get'em in a second, though, yeah? How are you? What’s up? How’s the babyyyy!”

Max's eyes softened, and he pulled out his phone like he had been expecting this question, "LuLu’s with her mom this weekend, but look at this video; she’s turning on her belly!”

Of the boys in the store, Boomer was the first of the three to look away from the girls. Gradually, his cheeks had turned a ruddy hue the longer he stared at Bubbles, seemingly more interested in her than the other two who had also entered the store.

He nudged Butch with his elbow to get the older boy's attention. Butch had been eyeing the athletic bag strapped to Buttercup's shoulder. It had three bats sticking out of it, despite the Pokay Oak High track team logo printed on its side.

"We better go get those slushies," Boomer whispered. Butch pulled his eyes away from Buttercup's bag to quirk an eyebrow at him.

Boomer didn't notice Butch’s nonverbal question as his eyes had briefly strayed back to Bubbles. He pulled the bottom of his shirt further down his round belly as he turned back to the slushie machine making the distressed beeping noise. He fiddled with the cups, and Butch followed suit, reaching for the jumbo sizes.

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Buttercup perched herself on top of the monkey bars and glared down at the other girls. They all wore sparkly dresses that were totally impractical for playing in a park, and most didn't want to do anything fun, like chase or capture the flag, because they were too scared to get their dumb dresses dirty. And because of that, Buttercup was confined to the playground or stuck playing stupid jacks with Julie.

Rolling her eyes as she again ignored another one of Julie's requests to come play with them, Buttercup glanced over at the chatty grown-ups near the playground picnic tables. Mr. Julie’s Dad was flipping burgers on his fancy portable grill, but it had taken him a while to get the cruddy thing working and she needed him to hurry up. She had decided to ditch the party after she had some food so she’d have some sustenance for her trip back to Washington.

Seeing that he was still making little to no progress, her mood continued to sour, and she redirected her glare to the old preschool building with a frown. Her mom was a preschool teacher, but her mom said that she wouldn’t be working at this building. Buttercup never cared to know why. Still, she didn’t see the point of not teaching here with the cool playground and all. From the outside, the building didn’t look too bad, but she bet it was probably crummy on the inside, just like the rest of crummy Townsville.

“They’re gonna tear it down.” Someone said, making Buttercup jump. She whipped her head to the right and gave Robin a dirty look.

“Don’t do that!” She snapped, shifting around on the monkey bars to make herself more comfortable.

“Sorry,” Robin giggled, “I didn’t mean to scare ya. I said hi.”

“Well, I didn’t hear ya,” Buttercup pouted, “so speak up.”

Buttercup didn’t like being sneaked up on. It was one of the things she hated. She hated spiders, surprises, stupid princess birthday parties, long hair, her dumb mom, and Townsville. Unfortunately, it was becoming a rather large, ever-growing list.

“I said sorry,” Robin repeated, but there was still a smile on her face, so she didn’t look too awfully sorry to Buttercup. Robin nodded towards the building, “My dad, he says they’re gonna tear that all up and make it a real actual park instead. ‘Parently, Mr. Green went bananas.”

“Mr. Green?”

“That was our preschool teacher,” Robin shrugged, “he was real nice.”

“How’d he go crazy?” Buttercup asked, curious, wondering about alien abductions and then daddy-only “fun” drinks.

Robin shrugged, flipping on the monkey bars to hang upside down. Her princess dress fell down her belly, exposing red play shorts. “I dunno! Just crazy!” She pointed to her already reddening cheeks, “Say do you think it’s true you’ll die if all the blood goes to your head?”

“A kid at my old school passed out once!” Buttercup couldn’t help smiling, flipping down to join Robin and her tiara went tumbling to the ground below, “I bet I can last longer than you!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Uh-huh!” Buttercup declared, blood already rushing to her head.

They giggled to themselves, shoving each other as much as they could as they swung upside down until something curious caught her eye. A small building was in the tree line, just beyond the jungle gym. She could hardly see it covered up by the trees and such, but it was there.

“Hey,” She asked, flipping off the monkey bars and looking up at Robin as she pointed towards the mystery building, “what’s that?”

An uncomfortable look passed over Robin’s face as she flipped down onto the ground next to her, “I dunno.”

Buttercup bent over to pick up her tiara and then smashed it back onto her head. She could tell Robin was lying and said as much, raising her eyebrow at the other girl, a trick she had only perfected three days prior, “Why are you lying?”

“I’m not!” Robin denied cheeks tinged red.

“Uh, yeah, you are,” Buttercup sniffed, crossing her arms, “tell me!”

“I’m not,” Robin again denied, and Buttercup quickly grew sick of the back and forth. 

Buttercup huffed, dropping her fists to her sides, and pivoted on her feet towards the little house in the woods.

“Fine,” She declared over her shoulder, “don’t tell me! I don’t care. I’ll just look for myself!”

“No, Buttercup,” Robin stumbled after her, grabbing her arm, “wait! You can’t!”

Buttercup shook her off, “And why not!”

“Hey!” Julie yelled, running up to them, “What’s going on! What are you two doing? Buttercup, we’re playing jacks!”

“I’m not playing stupid jacks with you,” Buttercup snapped, and the group of girls gasped as Julie’s cheeks turned a bright embarrassed red. Julie’s little hands became fists at her sides, but Buttercup didn’t care. Instead, she jabbed a finger toward the little house, “I’m going over there!”

The group of wide eyes moved from Julie to where Buttercup was pointing, and their eyes grew wider. This time there was no gasping and for some reason, that made Buttercup feel funny—not the good kind of funny, but like something terrible was gonna happen funny, like dad had come home smelling funny again kind of funny.

“B-but tha’s not a-a-allowed. It’s against the rules,” The crybaby stuttered, ducking behind big, fat, blubbering Mary.

Buttercup glowered at the girl, making her shrink, “Yeah, so! Why! No one’s tellin’ me nuthin’!”

And no one did. None of them seemed to have an answer. Or they were too scared to, which only annoyed Buttercup further. 

“Sissies,” She muttered under her breath. Then, walking away from them, she said, “have fun playing your lame jacks, Julie. I’m exploring. Tell me when the cake is ready.”

“Mrs. Smith!” Crybaby cried, “Mrs. Smith! Buttercu—”

“Shut up, Bubbles!” Julie spat, “If she wants to get cursed, that’s her problem.”

Buttercup slowed down, turning back ever so slightly, more than a little curious, “Cursed?”

“Yep,” Julie nodded, popping the last syllable with a wicked smile Buttercup failed to take notice of, “cursed.”

“How?”

“My big brother says,” Julie declared loudly, standing up tall as the rest of the girls gave her their undivided attention, “that once you go in, you don’t come out! The mirror people snatch you right up!”

“Mirror people?”

“Mhmm,” Julie nodded matter-of-factly, “that’s what I said.”

“And what are mirror people?” Buttercup quirked her eyebrow. She had a large collection of spooky stories still waiting to be unpacked at her new house, but she had never read or even heard of mirror people before.

“They come out of the mirror, take your soul, and make you a reflection forever.” Julie explained, “but only if you’re scared. I looked in it, and I’m just fine. We—” She gestured to two girls next to her, hitting them with her elbows, “—we did it together, right?”

The two girls caught on quickly; Buttercup did not.

“Oh yeah,” One smiled, while the other nodded, “totally.”

“I was there too,” The third girl from the “cool” van chirped.

“About everyone who’s anyone has, except for scaredy cats like Bubbles.” Julie nodded toward the crybaby.

“I-I’m not a scaredy-cat. I just don’t really like breaking the rules, is all.” Crybaby mumbled, digging the toe of her sparkly blue plastic high heel into the dirt.

“Baby,” One of the “cool” girls coughed, and the other three laughed, covering their mean smiles up with their hands. Bubbles deflated, her pigtails drooping like puppy ears as she shuffled further behind Mary.

“I did it too!” Mary declared, eagerly looking for the approval of the four girls in the center of the circle, stepping away from Bubbles, “It’s totally not scary at all!”

Mei and Robin shared a look but otherwise stayed quiet.

“It’s not real,” A dull voice from the swings sighed, and everyone looked over.

“What?” Julie frowned.

The girl named Flower (or something like that; Buttercup could never remember) sighed again, looking up from the big book she was reading, “The curse, it’s just a story. It’s not real. You’re all being ridiculous.”

“And what do you know,” One of Julie’s friends said with a short laugh, “nerd?”

Flower rolled her eyes like the conversation was just too tedious to participate in, but nonetheless, she closed her book, stood up from her swing, and made her way to the larger group. The first thing Buttercup noticed about her—like really noticed about her for the first time ever—was the flower crown sitting on top of her impossibly long red hair. Buttercup thought the crown was fitting, given her name, and wondered if the girl’s mom wouldn’t let her cut her hair either. Buttercup had already noticed the other girl's abnormal eye color of pale, almost pinkish-brown, at school but had never been so close to her to realize how tiny she was compared to the rest of them. 

“I know that ghosts aren’t real,” Flower sniffed, answering the mean girl, “and neither are curses, boogiemen, or even the tooth fairy.” A few girls gasped, but Flower continued to talk over them, “And I know, Julie, you’re just trying to get Buttercup in trouble for calling your jacks lame.”

Julie’s face went redder than red, almost purple. Flower ignored her, though, and turned directly towards Buttercup, “That building is just a shed where they store the preschool’s lawnmower. We’re not allowed in that building because it’s made up of a bunch of rotten wood that’s halfway to collapsing in on itself. Nothing interesting about that.”

Flower was right. Lawnmowers weren’t interesting. She frowned, “Okay, but why do they say it’s all cursed and junk, huh?”

Flower regarded her evenly and shrugged, “Just a scary story to keep people out of a partially condemned building. It’s the same reason why gorgons were placed on oven doors in Ancient Greece. It’s just an overexaggerated warning. They don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Buttercup didn’t know what half the words the girl in front of her had just said, but they made her feel stupid, and she didn’t like feeling stupid, so she faked it, “Oh, yeah, right. I know that.”

“What’s a gorgon?” Crybaby spoke around Mary, and Flower answered, “A mythical creature with snakes for hair and the ability to turn people to stone. Medusa, for example, is the best-known gorgon.”

“Oh,” Crybaby nodded before speaking up again, “what does condemned mean?”

Flower moved to answer, but Julie spoke up with a sneer, “It’s cursed. That shed is cursed,” she stomped her foot, “my big brother said so!”

“Your brother also demands we call him Mudd.” Flower sniffed, rolling her eyes again, “Not the sharpest crayon in the box.”

There was some giggling, but a sharp look from Julie settled everyone down quickly.

“If you’re so sure, Blossom,” Julie hissed, and Buttercup had to pinch herself so she wouldn’t correct Julie about Flower’s name, “then you go in there and prove it.”

“Fine,” Flower answered, not the least perturbed, tucking her book under her arm, “if it makes you feel better.”

Without another word, Flower turned on her heels and made her way toward the shed, and without a second thought, Buttercup stomped after her.

“I’m going too,” She declared, “I ain’t scared of no mirror person or whatever!” She stared at the back of Flower’s head, “Why would there even be a mirror in a shed anyways?”

Flower didn’t look back at her as she shrugged, “It’s just a story.”

Even if it was just a story, the shed was the most exciting thing Buttercup had discovered about Townsville so far. Secretly, she hoped Flower was wrong and that mirror people really did exist. If they were real, it sounded like the beginnings of a great adventure, and Buttercup had always fancied herself the Indiana Jones type.

Buttercup looked back over her shoulder and snorted. Behind her was a parade of sparkling grim-faced princesses, gowns and crowns glittering in the afternoon sun, and she wondered what they must have all looked like to an outsider. When they reached the door of the shed—after first taking a few moments to find the thing in the brush of the forest—their somber princess procession came to a dead stop.

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From the chip aisle, Brick openly scowled at the three girls, manhandling a bag of defenseless hot fries. Buttercup and Blossom whispered amongst themselves while Bubbles cooed over baby pictures. The former two girls stood near the newspapers, and Blossom picked one up, unfolding it in a snap. While Blossom flicked through the pages, Buttercup let her athletic bag drop to the ground, reading over her shoulder. Together they held the paper open wide, allowing it to cover most of their body from view.

“Say, Maxi,” Bubbles' voice bounced off the walls as she put the attendant’s phone down, and she nudged her head towards the backroom, “didja get those new locks you were askin’ for?”

Max blinked and followed her gaze. Then, after recognition dawned on his face, he nodded, “Oh, yeah, I did! How did—I guess I forgot I told you about that.”

“I remember you saying something about break-ins, right?” Buttercup quipped, coming up behind Bubbles while Blossom put away the paper they had so intently been reading. Buttercup fidgeted with the straps of her bag, pulling it up and back onto her shoulder. 

“Supposed break-ins,” Max corrected, “It’s nothing to worry about. The boss swears up and down someone’s sneaking in, but I haven’t seen a thing missing—” He shrugged, eyes jumping to each corner of the building and then to its lone security camera by the front door “—I think he’s just paranoid. Apparently, the back door was busted up, I don’t know.”

Buttercup whistled, “Sucks, man.”

“Are they code-pads?” Blossom asked suddenly before tacking on, “My—my, uh, mom likes those.” 

“Yep,” Max pulled the backroom shut, and then with his back to them, he punched in the numbered code—four small musical tones played as he pushed them—and the door swung open again, “fancy, huh? I need one of these for my place. It’s the same code out back—”

“Really!” Bubbles’ eyebrows shot up, “That’s a lucky brea—ow! Hey!”

“Sorry,” Buttercup glared at her as Bubbles rubbed her shin, “foot slipped.”

Panic flashed across Bubbles' face as she whipped her head back to Max and said, “Just nice you don’t have to remember two codes, is all!”

Max looked between the three girls for a moment and shrugged again with an airy laugh, “Derek’s just lazy, but don’t tell him I said that.”

The group, minus Blossom, shared a somewhat forced laugh. Blossom only smiled politely, looking over her shoulder at the other occupants in the store. For the first time, she noticed the boys and made eye contact with Brick, whose scowl grew ten-fold. He ducked his head and turned away. 

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No one moved as they watched the shed door.

Buttercup felt her muscles tense and coil while the hair on her arms stood on end. Her gut instinct was to run very, very far away, but she stood her ground in front of the other girls.

“Well,” Said Julie, breaking the silence with a whisper, “go on. What? Are you scared?”

“No,” Flower snapped, glaring at Julie from over her shoulder, but when she turned back towards the door, Buttercup watched her eyes drag wearily along the door frame. Her face was pinched and guarded, and Buttercup realized then that Flower actually was scared. Or, at least, a little bit.

The idea went straight to Buttercup’s ego, and her own gut-wrenching fear vanished. She puffed up her chest, happy she'd be able to really show all these sissies who the bravest of them all was, and with a heroic step forward, hip-checked little Flower out of the way.

“It’s just a door,” She chided, rolling her eyes, “you’re being babies.”

"Wait!" Crybaby Bubbles cried, "No! I don't like this. It...something doesn't feel right!"

“Maybe we should just go,” Robin offered, standing next to Mei, who was holding onto Crybaby’s hand.

Buttercup turned to roll her eyes at them, "listen, if you and Crybaby are so scared, go back to the grown-ups, but the rest of us, we're getting to the bottom of this!"

“Actually,” Flower announced, her voice further away than it should have been. Buttercup whipped her head around to find that Flower at the door of the shed. The tinnier girl knocked twice on the door and twisted the handle, but it didn’t budge, “none of us will. The door’s stuck.”

Buttercup gaped like a fish. She was supposed to be the brave one! Not Flower! She glowered at Flower and then Crybaby before stomping her way up to the door.

"You're just doing it wrong!" She snapped, twisting the door handle and pushing, but it didn't move on its hinges. With a grunt, she pushed harder and harder until she was slamming her shoulder against the splintery slab of wood.

“Augh,” She groaned after the fourth time she had ricocheted off the shed door and fallen onto her back.

Flower looked down at her, unimpressed, “I don’t think this is working.”

“Shut up,” Buttercup hissed, sitting up and rubbing her sore shoulder, “maybe if you all helped, we’d be in there already.”

“I thought you said you didn’t want our help, you know, like you said after the second time you fell down on your butt,” Flower’s eyebrow quirked up, and Buttercup’s temper flared. Eyebrow quirking was her trick!

“I know what I said,” She growled, ignoring how some of the other girls giggled. Buttercup didn’t know if she particularly liked this Flower girl; she was too smart about stuff.

Flower didn’t argue with her, though. Instead, the shorter girl put a hand to her chin in thought and examined the building. Her eyes crawled over the wood slowly as she began to circle the shed. When she turned a corner and disappeared, Julie snorted.

“There’s not a back door,” Julie mocked.

“If you know so much, how do we get in, then, huh?” Buttercup said, picking herself off the ground.

Before Julie could respond, Flower called from around the building, "There's a window!"

Buttercup perked up, taking off after Flower’s voice, “Let’s get it open then!”

When Buttercup found the other girl, she shook her head and pointed up, “That may be easier said than done.”

The window was a little square of dirty, dusty glass high up the shed's wall. It seemed wide enough that someone small, like Flower, could weasel their way in and open the door from the inside, but it didn’t look like a window that opened. And even if it did open, she didn’t know how they’d get up there.

If Buttercup knew better swear words, she would use them, but she didn’t, so she settled for a loud, still effective “Crud!

“What happened?” Robin came running around the corner, followed by the rest of their gaggle of girls.

“Are you okay!” Crybaby squeaked, coming to a stop in front of Flower. “Did the mirror people get you?” She asked as she checked the other girl over.

“There are no mirror people,” Flower reminded her, allowing her to hold her hand, “we just can’t get in.”

“Is that why you said a bad word?” Crybaby turned to her with wide eyes.

“Crud isn’t a bad word,” Buttercup explained, searching the ground as she did so, “now, shut up and help me look for a rock!”

“Why would you need a rock?” Robin asked, “Look, everyone, let’s go back to the playground, okay? Julie, what about your presents? You wanted to open those, right?”

A rock sailed through the air ricocheting off the shed wall near the window. Julie glared at the rock she threw and snapped at one of her cronies to get her another before addressing Robin. “I’ll open them up after they go in the shed—” She tossed the rock in her hand up and down before winding up a pitch, “—so find a darn rock and get throwing! If you don’t, you’re uninvited from my birthday party!”

Buttercup watched in awe at how fast Julie’s “cool” friends and Mary mobilized. A wave of rocks began to rain down on the shed as Robin turned to Flower, “Blossom! Are we seriously going to smash a window? This is wrong!”

Flower’s mouth pressed into a thin line, “Robin’s right, we sh—”

“Augh!” Julie raised up her hand, halting fire, “You dumb goody-goodies! If you really want to stop, just admit you’re wrong!” She jabbed a finger at Flower, hitting her in the chest, “Say it.

Say the curse is real, and you were wrong.

Flower’s mouth clamped shut.

“It’s not real.” She hissed after a long moment through gritted teeth, her nostrils flaring.

“Prove it,” Julie sneered, “throw a rock, goody-goodie.”

“Yeah,” One of Julie’s friends echoed, “goody-goodie.”

Without warning, Flower snatched the rock out of Julie’s hand and tested the weight of it, turning it around in her palms like it was a precious thing. Then, she looked up at the window.

“Oh, Blossy,” Crybaby let out a soft gasp, hands just barely hiding the o-shape of her mouth “don’t do it!"

Flower looked at Robin, Mei, and Crybaby, but the sorry expression on her face melted off as her eyes steeled and she clenched her jaw. In a quiet tone, Flower muttered, “It’s just a silly story,” and threw the rock high and hard at the window.

It bounced off the window pane with a tiny, pathetic clink. In silence, all ten of them watched as gravity pulled the small rock back to the ground, and whatever tense atmosphere Julie and Flower’s odd argument had created popped like a bubble.

Buttercup’s eye twitched in annoyance, and she threw her arms up into the sky, “That was the wimpiest throw ever!”

“Shut up!” Flower cried back, putting her hands on her hips, “It at least hit the window! Better than everyone else!”

“Argh!” Buttercup facepalmed before stomping over to the rock Flower had thrown and picking it up. With a glare, she stomped back to the line of other girls, mumbling to herself all the way, “stupid…gotta do it myself…lame princess party—”

Then, she pushed a few girls out of her way to give herself ample room as she took aim at the window. Treating the rock like a baseball, she kept her stance wide and flexed her knees just as her dad had taught her. With a deep breath, she wound up the throw, following through with her arm as she let go of the rock. The rock soared through the window, shattering the glass, and Buttercup, along with the other girls, cringed at the noise. When it was clear no adult was coming over to inspect the commotion, the group relaxed, breaking out into a fit of smiles and semi-nervous laughter.

“Wow,” Bubbles cheered, jumping up and down, pulling Mei and Robin along with her, “that was totally cool, Buttercup!”

“Yeah!” Mary agreed, nodding her head off, “so cool!”

Bubbles' laughter was infectious, and soon Robin and Mei were laughing too as Buttercup puffed up with pride. Adrenaline pulsed through her body, and their attention made her feel good about committing the illicit act. She had been cool, she always had been cool, and she was glad they were finally starting to understand that! She sent a smug smile Flower and Julie’s way.

“That is how you throw a rock,” she smirked.

Julie huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, which Buttercup had honestly expected, but a small smile tugged across Flower's face to her great surprise.

“Okay, fine—” The more petite girl spoke, “—that was…a little cool, but we can’t celebrate yet. We’ve still got to get in. So," Flower looked right at her with another quirked brow, "any ideas, meathead?"

"Yeah, nerd," Buttercup rubbed her chin with a smile, "I think I do."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gas station's two-tone tune rang out as another customer entered the store, but no new car in the parking lot had given hint of their arrival. With the additional person, the station was now unusually crowded. The new body noticeably limped to the counter, pushing through the three girls as if they weren't there.

Buttercup pulled Blossom out of his way as Bubbles stared intently at the man. He regarded her briefly, and the fluorescent lights from above bounced off his eyes in an abnormal way, and his mouth stretched into a pseudo smile over his teeth. The jovial look on Bubbles' face faded into something somber, but she smiled back and then headed towards the back of the store.

"We'll leave ya to it, Maxi," She hummed with a skip in her step. Buttercup grunted in agreement, roughly shouldering the newcomer out of her and Blossom's way.

"I'm going—" Blossom nodded towards the chip aisle, and Bubbles twirled around, clasping her hands behind her back, "—okay! You wanted blue, right?"

"Red," Blossom called after her and Buttercup, but Bubbles shook her head, "Blue's better!"

"I thought you wanted purple?" Buttercup snorted, pulling on one of her pigtails, and Bubbles perked up, “Yes! Omg, Bloss, I’ll just make a mixed one for you too!”

“I said red!”

“Except I keep hearing purple!” Bubbles sang, resuming her skip toward the slushie machines.

“Buttercup! Red!” Blossom snapped from some other aisle.

“Sir, yes, Sir,” Buttercup saluted. A second later, her eyes widened, and she reached out to Bubbles, catching her before she could fall, “Hey, the floor’s wet!”

“It’s so fun, though!” Bubbles cooed, posing as an ice skater as she slid across the wet floor.

“Careful,” Buttercup hissed, “you’ll break—” Buttercup froze, eye wide, as she stared at Boomer and Butch's backs while they fussed with the distressed and beeping slushie machine.

Bubbles slide into her back with a slight ‘oomph,’

“Hey, what’s the—” Bubbles looked around Buttercup’s frozen body, and a wicked smile spread across her face. “Oh-mm-gee, Buttercup,” She whispered-squealed loud enough that the boys in front of them stiffened, “isn’t that the new kid you were talk—"

“Shut up!” Buttercup said with a nasty look, attempting to elbow Bubbles in the gut, but the other girl used the slippery floor to her favor, twirling and sliding the rest of the way to the slushie machines.

Boomer's eyes widened as Bubbles slid to a stop right next to him.

“Ya really gotta give this one all ya got,” She explained with a one-million-watt smile, swinging her prosthetic hand hard onto the top of the machine. There was a loud 'thunk.' The machine creaked, then gurgled, until a goop of blue slushy squirted out with a squelch from the dispenser. The semi-frozen drink split onto the counter and dripped to the floor.

“Bubs,” Buttercup chided, reaching through the middle of the group to turn the drink spout off.

“What,” Bubbles blinked at her innocently before turning back to the boys. She stuck her hand out, “My name’s Bubbles! What’s your name?”

Boomer’s mouth hung agape, staring at her outstretched hand, and the only noise that left his mouth was a long, drawn-out "uhhhh..."

Bubbles didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by the near-constant stream of “uhhhh,” that spewed forth from his mouth. Buttercup, however, began to shift impatiently, her eyes jumping from Butch to Boomer back to Butch, the clock, Boomer, the clock, Boomer, the clock, until she blurted out, “Dude, breathe!”

On command, Boomer sucked in a deep breath and, through his panting, answered, “Boomer, my name’s Boomer!” Then, he blurted, “We go to the same school! We have lunch together! I watch you!” Boomer’s last sentence hung in the air until his face turned a scarlet red, and he let out a strangled and high-pitched laugh, “Cause you’re a cheerleader! I watch you at the—Ha! At the pep assemblies because that’s where cheerleaders cheer! I don’t watch you sleep in class or anything! That would be weird!” He whipped his attention to Buttercup, taking up her hand and shaking it repeatedly, “My name’s Boomer. Who are you!? Buttercup, right!?”

Buttercup tried extracting her hand from his grip, visibly uncomfortable with the exchange, “Uh, yeah. Hi.”

Bubbles ignored them, drooping her arm back to her side. She threw Butch a coy smile, “And you’re Butch, right? You’re in Buttercup’s gym class. Isn’t she just the sportiest girl you’ve ever met? Do you like that about people?” Bubbles leaned onto the counter, batting her eyes at him as the blue slushy began to stain the elbow of her shirt, “Athletic people your thing?”

“Bubbles!” Buttercup squeaked, still trying to extract herself from Boomer’s clutches, “The slushies, remember?”

Bubbles waved her off, “Butters, don’t be rude. I’m talking here.”

Butch's eyes jumped between them, lingering briefly on the two baseball bats in Buttercup's bag. His eyebrows furrowed as he regarded them, then his eyes flickered to Buttercup's face before finally landing on Boomer's grip on her hand. He cleared his throat and gave Boomer a semi-covert kick to the ankle, and the other boy promptly dropped her hand, wiping his palms on his jeans.

"Nice to meet you!" Boomer blurted, face now an even darker hue of red.

Buttercup stared at them, looking unamused when something caught her eye in the reflection of the slushie machine. She didn’t jump, but she was obviously startled. Butch glanced at the machine, but from his angle, nothing was odd about their reflections.

“Likewise,” Buttercup curtly responded to Boomer. She wedged herself into the space between him and the machines as a hard look passed over her face, "Bubs, Blossom wants red.”

Bubbles was also looking intently at the machine.

“Right,” She nodded, moving towards the other machine. “I didn’t realize how late it was getting,” She added a second later without bothering to look at either the night sky outside or the clock on the wall. Instead, she stared, transfixed by her own reflection.

Buttercup only grumbled back in agreement.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ugh! Julie! Your foot!”

“Oh, be quiet down there!”

“My dress is getting dirty!”

“Hurry up, Flower!”

“I’ve almost got—” Blossom stretched as far as she could go, brushing the bottom of the window sill before pausing, “—wait, did you just call me Flower?”

“Too heavy!” Mary cried from the bottom of the column, and they all came tumbling down on top of each other.

Blossom’s hearing cut out as her head hit the hard ground with a thwack, bouncing once before coming to a rest.

“Mary!” Julie hissed, shoving Buttercup off her as the rest of them moaned and groaned, scattered around the dirt, “You’re so dumb!”

“Hey,” Buttercup growled, “stop pushing me!”

“Blossom!” Bubbles dropped down next to Blossom on the ground, staining her white tights a muddy brown. The brighter, more cheerful girl grasped her hand tight, “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” She breathed, letting Bubbles help her stand on shaky limbs.

She did a preliminary check of her appendages—she could still stand, and her arms seemed in working order—and only felt concerned about the headache forming behind her eyes. Regardless, she kept this concern entirely to herself. The drop had been scary, but at least Blossom now had this strange test of durability to ponder. She hadn’t ever done anything like that before. Nor had she thrown rocks at a window. Or conspired with others to so vigorously break the rules and enter a partially condemned building.

To say the least, it was a day of firsts, which was funny considering how just this morning she had thought Julie Smith’s birthday party was going to be oh-so-boring and juvenile.

Blossom wondered briefly what her mother would say of her adventure. It was more likely than not that her mother would have sorely disapproved. Two days ago, her mother had told her she wasn’t allowed to create any more mischief. While Blossom did not believe this lecture was given with this specific context in mind as it regarded her apparently not-so-covert spying on their undoubtedly evil next-door neighbor, she figured it could still be tangentially applied.

“Well, that was no good,” Blossom sighed, turning to Bubbles, who began picking dirt and grass from her hair, which was okay because Bubbles was the only one in the group of girls allowed to touch her hair, “I’m not tall enough.”

Bubbles' face twisted with worry, and she glanced up at the window they were trying to crawl through. She opened her mouth to say something, but Robin’s voice cut her off.

“Okay,” Robin announced, hoisting Mary up from the ground, “you’ve tried, and it’s impossible. Let’s go now.”

“No way!” Buttercup threw her hands up, seemingly flabbergasted, “We were so close! We’re doing it again!”

“Doing it again?” Robin sputtered, “How!”

“I’m not d-d-oing that again,” Marcie Peterson sniffled near Julie, cradling a scraped knee. She had been stacked between Julie and Mary.

“One of you will do it then,” Buttercup shrugged, gesturing to the five girls who hadn’t participated in the original column, “I don’t care, but we have to try! One more time!” The older girl looked at her, “Come on, you’re on top.”

Her voice sounded further away than it actually was, but nonetheless, Blossom felt herself nodding. She pulled away from Bubbles and took half a step toward Buttercup before crumbling back to the ground. She drew in a quick, panicked breath as her head pounded behind her eyes and fought her hardest to keep from throwing up. Slowly, very slowly, the world stopped spinning.

“Hey!” Buttercup was in her face, waving a hand around, “I said, are you okay?”

She squinted at the girl in front of her, trying to blink her blurry form back into focus. Under the dirt, Buttercup was pretty in a unique way. Bright green eyes were framed by dark eyelashes, and unlike most of their peers, she had lost her baby fat quickly, revealing sharp cheekbones and a strong chin. It was the first time Blossom had ever looked at her so closely, and she concentrated on Buttercup’s features, the distinct spark in her eye, as she tried to wrestle the piercing pain in her head under control.

“It hurts.” She forced out between gritted teeth.

“We need a grown-up,” Bubbles whispered to her right, rubbing small circles into her back. “She bonked her head real hard.”

Blossom closed her eyes, shutting out the light, as Buttercup tsked her disproval, “Rats!”

“I’ll go get one!” Mei volunteered.

“Marcie needs a Band-Aid!” Sydney jumped up from her spot next to her cousin, “I’ll go too.”

“No!” Julie screamed, and the sound made Blossom flinch, “No! She’s faking it!”

Blossom’s eyes flew open as she was yanked up off the ground by the back of her dress. The whirl of colors, light, and sound went straight to her head and stomach, and bile stung the back of her throat. She winced, trying to get her feet underneath her.

“You’re just trying to get out of it, aren’t you!” Julie accused, “Admit I’m right! Admit it!”

“Blossom!” Robin cried as Bubbles sobbed, “You’re hurting her!”

“Let her go! Put her down!” Buttercup shoved Julie, causing her to drop Blossom and stumble a few feet backward until she landed on her butt.

Again, Blossom found herself on the ground, dizzy and confused, but at least less nauseous this time.

Julie let out an indignant screech, jumping up from the mud she had landed in to charge at Buttercup. Blossom watched the two blurry forms collide and wrestle. Buttercup, who was distinguishable from Julie by her green play shorts, had the advantage, but the sunlight was still too bright for Blossom to look for long.

She gritted her teeth and focused on the dirt under her hands. It was infuriating that the situation had devolved into a wrestling match all because of some childish story. Their yelling was like a hammer to her head, and she wanted peace and quiet. She wanted to be home, where she and Bubbles were safe from these girls and their mean games. But most of all, she wanted to prove Julie wrong.

She curled her fingers into fists, scrapping dirt underneath her fingernails.

“Julie!” She snapped, “It’s not fucking real!”

This was the worst grown-up word she knew. She had heard her mother say it on the phone, and it had taken her only seconds to look the word up on the internet and assign it a meaning. It was a powerful adjective, and the weight of it on her tongue and between her teeth had felt good. The word itself meant plenty of things, but she was using it to shut them up, and it was seriously effective.

There was an array of gasps, and the fighting ceased. Blossom tilted her head up and peered at Julie and Buttercup through the strands of hair that had fallen over her face.

“Stop fighting. We’re doing it again.” She hissed, “Get up.”

“But—” Buttercup started.

“I said, get up!” She interrupted, standing again on shaky legs. She had to stop halfway up to rest her hands against her knees, but when she felt steady enough, she stood to her full height and held her chin up high. Then, fixing her ponytail with the red ribbon she always kept wrapped around her wrist, she announced, “We’re getting into that shed. Robin, you’re taking Marcie’s place. We need a few more inches.”

“I’m not—” Robin began to protest, but she glared at her, and the other girl ducked her head, moving underneath the window. “I still think this is a bad idea. What about all the glass, huh?” she warned one last time, but no one paid attention.

Blossom also moved towards the window, but Bubbles snatched her by the wrist, halting the procession. She turned to glare at her best friend too, but Bubbles didn’t flinch. Bubbles didn’t think it, but she was brave like that.

“No.” Bubbles shook her head, “You’re hurt. No way.”

“Oh brother,” Buttercup mumbled, already preoccupied with creating the stack of girls, and Julie sneered, “Stay out of it, baby!”

“I’ll do it!” Bubbles declared with a tremor in her voice, stepping towards the shed, “I’ll go in your place, Blossy.”

Buttercup whipped around. “You?” She asked, pointing a finger at Bubbles, “For real? No way.”

Bubbles’ eyes hardened, and she gave a sharp nod as she stepped forward, “Yes, way. Blossom’s hurt, and I’m not afraid!”

“You totally are, though,” Buttercup argued, directing her pointer finger to Bubbles’ shaking hands.

Bubbles gasped, tightening her hands into fists, and pouted, “You are too!”

“No, I’m not!” Buttercup huffed back, crossing her arms across her chest and sticking her tongue out for good measure, “Crybaby.”

Despite the way Bubbles’ eyes watered, for the first time, tears were not in her voice, “I am not a crybaby! And I ain’t scared! I can go in a stooopid shed just like the rest of you!”

“Oh please,” Buttercup rolled her eyes, “you wouldn’t even—”

“I’m doing it!” Bubbles screeched, her voice bouncing high off the shed into the air. Above them in the trees, a flock of birds startled, taking off into the sky.

Buttercup’s eyes went wide, and she threw her hands up in surrender, “alright! Alright! You’re gonna do it, sheesh!”

Bubbles relaxed, letting a deep breath filtered out of her nose, and she turned to her, “Blossom—”

“You’ll be okay.” Blossom assured her with a smile, squeezing her hand tight, “I promise. It’s just a story.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Butch, Boomer, Bubbles, and Buttercup worked around each other at the slushy machines, Blossom and Brick stood on opposite ends of the same chip aisle. Brick gave Blossom a side-eyed stare as she read over the backside of a chip bag, humming the same four-note tune over and over and over again. The four-dollar bag of hot fries crinkled in Brick's hand as his grip on the item got progressively tighter.

The tension building in the aisle snapped when Bubbles slid into it, cooing, "Blosssy!"

Brick cringed and looked away.

"Gotcha your purpleeee!" Bubbles presented Blossom with a theatric flourish her slushie.

"Red," Buttercup amended, pulling on one of Bubbles' pigtails, "I gotcha red."

"Thanks," Blossom hummed in response, reaching for the frozen drink. She didn't take her eyes off the bag in front of her. "It's late," She said absently.

“Whatcha looking at, Bloss?” Bubbles asked, tilting her head.

“This packaging, it’s shiny,” Blossom showed the other two girls, and they, in turn, frowned.

“It can’t be that late already?” Buttercup mumbled, snatching the bag up.

Blossom shook her head, “Doesn’t matter. They’re excited; we need to go.”

Brick's eyebrows furrowed as he passed the girls in the aisle, making his way to the back of the store where his brothers were, hot fries in hand. The girls walked in the opposite direction towards the checkout counter, and while Max was distracted with ringing them up, the boys slipped the hot fries into Boomer's bookbag. Then, they too made their way to the counter.

Besides a few pleasantries between the girls and Max, little was said.

"Alright," Max smiled, "that should do it. I'll see you three later, ya? Be safe."

"Always!" Bubbles chirped before throwing a cheerful wave to Boomer, Brick, and Butch. Buttercup also mumbled a goodbye, looking straight at Butch after almost knocking into him when she turned from the cash register. Her cheeks tinted a soft pink, and she hurriedly made her way out of the store, dragging the other two girls behind her.

The boys placed their slushies on the counter, and Max eyed them wearily.

"This all?" He sniffed. There was no trace of a smile on his face.

Brick sneered, slapping five dollars worth of crumbled bills down onto the counter, and said, "What? Ya wanna search us or somethin'?"

Max stared at the poor state of their dollar bills and sighed, "Whatever. Just tell your friends to stop loitering in my parking lot."

"Sure thing," Boomer spoke up, cutting off Brick, "will do. No problem."

Two minutes later, they were heading out the door with three slushies and one stolen bag of chips. The two-tone ding rang above them as Butch froze in the doorway.

“Butch?” Brick frowned, almost running into his back.

Butch narrowed his eyes, staring at something to his left as Boomer poked his head through the gaps in his brothers’ arms.

“Hey,” Boomer tilted his head, looking up at his brothers, “that’s weird. Why would there be a baseball bat here?”

“Robbers?” Brick shrugged, giving the bat a quizzical but fleeting look.

“Yeah,” Boomer frowned, watching Brick shoulder his way out of the gas station, “but why in the umbrella stand?”

Butch didn’t have an answer for Boomer. Instead, he watched a powder blue Volkswagen Beetle speed its way out of the parking lot.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hurry!” Buttercup hissed below her as the column of girls began to sway uneasily under their own collective weight, “Do it!”

Bubbles wasn’t afraid of heights, she loved her trampoline, but this felt different. She refused to look down at the ground and blinked more tears from her eyes. She refused to show the other girls she was terrified. This was her one shot to prove to them that she wasn’t the crybaby they claimed her to be. She needed to do this for herself and for Blossom.

“It’s not scary,” She whispered to herself, “you’re not scared.”

With a deep breath, she reached her hands up high and gripped the edge of the window sill.

“I’ve got it!” She cried in relief, “I did it!”

“Don’t celebrate yet!” Buttercup snapped, “You’ve still gotta get in!”

“Hurry up, crybaby!” Julie called from further below.

“Don’t listen to her,” Buttercup coached, “just pull yourself up!”

It was both easy and hard not to listen to Julie because it was Julie, and Julie always said mean things, but also because she was unfortunately used to it. Julie and her friends weren’t very nice to Bubbles, Blossom, Mei, Mary, or even Robin, who everyone generally liked, and now, Bubbles was afraid Julie would no longer be nice to Buttercup.

But it had been brave, the way Buttercup had pushed Julie and called her jacks lame, and brave was what Bubbles wanted to be, so she took another deep breath and pretended, just for a moment, that she was Buttercup.

She pulled herself up onto the windowsill with a grunt.

“Good!” Buttercup cheered, “Keep going! We’ll meet you on the other side!”

She nodded despite knowing Buttercup could no longer see her and pulled her way through the window. Her puffy baby blue princess gown and matching silk gloves, which she had explicitly picked for Julie’s birthday party because it reminded her of Cinderella, were thick enough to protect her skin from the protruding and broken glass, but it made her size awkward and bulky. She had to wiggle through the window, kicking against the shed wall to give her leverage. Her plastic play shoes were loud against the wood, and she slumped when she realized they were getting her nowhere.

To make it easier, she tried freeing her arms so they could be out in front of her, but it was hard getting her arms unpinned from her sides. A flare of panic ignited in her chest. Suddenly claustrophobic, Bubbles began to thrash against the confines of the window. She yanked her left arm forward, forgetting to mind the glass, and a large shard caught onto the small area of exposed skin between the end of her silk glove and the beginning of her puffy princess sleeve.

She hissed in pain and tears sprung to her eyes as she felt the glass drag slowly against her arm, but she continued to shove forward. When her left arm was finally free, she was sweaty from the exertion, but relieved, and was able to pull her right arm out with much more ease. With both arms free, she was now halfway into the shed, hanging by her tummy over the window sill.

The drop into the shed seemed farther than she had initially thought. Hanging there, she stared at the dusty, dirty floor and a workbench piled with various clutter. Beyond that, she could see little else as she was blocking the light.

“What’s the matter!” She heard someone call, but their voice was too muffled to determine who.

“I’m stuck!” She called back, wiggling around, but in reality, she was afraid once more of falling. It was going to hurt. It had already hurt. Her left arm stung, and something sticky was running down it, staining her princess glove.

“What!”

“I’m stuck!” She cried out louder this time.

There was a pause before someone not-so-helpfully suggested, “Well, get unstuck!”

She deflated for a moment, annoyed. Nothing in this world would convince the other girls to just get an adult for help.

Momentarily forgetting her fear in favor of being irritated, Bubbles began wiggling once more and, inch by inch, began to crawl down the shed wall until she was hanging onto the window sill by her ankles. She could almost graze the workbench with her fingertips and tried placing her palms flat on it without falling, like she did when doing a handstand on the mats during gymnastics. Bubbles figured if she could do a handstand, then maybe, she could flip off the table, like the older gymnasts did on the bars and beams, and land safely. As soon as she had the thought, though, it felt as if someone else, maybe one of the other girls, had gripped onto her ankles.

“Hey!” She flailed, trying to kick them off, “Stop! Let go! I’ll fall!”

Whoever’s grip loosened as laughter reached her ears, but it didn’t sound like a normal laugh. It sounded like it was coming from some place far away, starting off eerily high and ending low. She could barely hear it, in fact, she wasn’t even sure she was hearing it.

“H-hello?”

The grip on her ankles tightened, and before she could piece together what was happening, her feet were pushed off the window sill. With a short yelp, Bubbles fell, hitting the table and landing on a pile of glass.

“Bubbles! Are you okay!”

“Bubbles!”

Bubbles landed with her feet over her head, and it took her a few moments to remember where she was. Through her legs, she looked up at the window, almost expecting someone to be there smiling down at her, but only saw hazy reddish light filtering through. It had to of been impossible, though, she swore she could still feel hands around her ankles.

With a racing heart, she sat up slowly and rubbed the bump forming on her forehead before examining the new scraps crisscrossing her shaking and sore hands. They stung really badly, but her left arm felt worse, and she was almost surprised to see the long, bloody slice staining her skin and clothes.

Curiously, she pressed the tip of her finger to it, watching beads of blood bubble to the surface. She hadn’t ever been sliced like that before, but the wound was thin, like the glass had only grazed her skin instead of gouging into it. It was still too much blood for Bubbles to feel comfortable, and the wound made her queasy and her forehead sweaty.

“Bubbles!” Came a voice, “are you okay!”

She blinked, jostling out of her trance, and took her finger off the cut. Then, on wobbly legs, she stood, taking a deep breath as she looked around. The inside of the shed was dimly lit. Most of the light that filtered in came from the same window Bubbles had, but it seemed that the sun’s rays had to fight against layers of muck and grime to penetrate the room's dark corners.

She was afraid of the dark.

Bubbles’ eyes kept playing tricks on her, or at least, that’s what she tried telling herself. The shadows seemed to dance around her, growing and shrinking at their own whimsy, and Bubbles had the distinct feeling that she was not alone, here, in this room.

“Bubbles!”

“I’m okay!” she lied, wiping her bloody finger onto her baby blue princess dress; it left a smear that reminded her of ketchup, “I-I-I fell.”

“Open the door!” Buttercup pounded on the door.

She stumbled her way to the big, wooden door. In the dim light, she noticed a bar through the handle preventing access from the outside. She pulled hard on the bar, and it scraped against the wood. She sneezed as the wood shaving tickled her nose, and when she had freed the bar from the handle, she tossed it to the side.

Then, she yanked on the handle. When it didn’t budge, her heartbeat, again, began to race. She didn’t like being alone in this place, full of its strange dark, and was afraid she’d be locked in here forever.

“You push too!” She called, hoping the others would hear. She waited an anxious second, wondering if this had all been a cruel trick to get her into this place. “Are you there! Did you leave! Push!”

“We’re here!” Buttercup called back, her voice far away despite being on the other side of the door, “I’m pushing! Pull!”

She pulled with all her might, her strength renewing at the sound of the other girl’s voice.

“Ahhh!” She grunted, pulling hard, and she could hear Buttercup doing the same. Finally, the hinges began to creak, and the door swung open, almost flinging onto her back.

“Yes!” Buttercup cheered, running into the shed, and Bubbles couldn’t help smiling along. “We did it!” The green-eyed girl twirled around, inspecting the place, and then peered at her, “So? Any mirror creeps?”

Bubbles felt herself pale. She had almost forgotten that part.

“It’s a story,” Blossom walked in after Buttercup, and Bubbles glanced outside, itching to run towards the larger group, who now stood a reasonable distance away. “See,” Blossom gestured around the dusty old shed, “nothing to be afraid of.”

“Who said I was afraid, huh?” Buttercup snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

“Y-yeah,” Bubbles timidly agreed, moving behind Buttercup, “I’m not afraid either.”

Blossom turned away from the both of them, rolling her eyes, before blurting out, “It’s actually pretty underwhelming, isn’t it?”

Bubbles looked around once more. With the door open and more light filtering in, she reluctantly had to agree. There was absolutely nothing exciting or scary or really much anything in the little shed. She only saw a few gardening tools, a table, some buckets, and one of those nice sit-down lawnmowers. It was a bit crowded, but when she looked around the lawnmower, something covered in a white cloth was behind it.

It was jarring. Just a few seconds ago, she swore this place had been infinite.

“Does that mean—can we leave now?” She asked softly, but Buttercup looked at her like she had just been punched.

“Leave!” She huffed, throwing her hands into the air, “We just got here! We can’t leave! Where’s the stupid mirror! This is a complete bust! There’s nothing—”

Bubbles let out a blood-curdling scream as the door slammed shut behind them.

“Hey!” Buttercup ran towards the closed door and pounded against the wood, “Hey!”

“Losers!” Julie taunted from beyond the wood, followed by the sound of cruel laughter. Bubbles shrunk in on herself. Once again, she felt that all-encompassing suffocating feeling she had when she had first fallen through the window. The odd darkness was back once more, closing in on them.

“Don’t worry!” Robin cried, “We’ll get an adult! Stay there!”

“Where else are we supposed to go!” Buttercup yelled, hitting the door one more time for good measure as they listened to the sounds of footsteps running off. “Stupid,” Buttercup muttered to herself as she let her hand fall, “when I get my hands on Julie, I swear, I’m going to—” she made a twisting motion with her hands, and the crinkly look on her face almost made Bubbles smile, “—and then I’m gonna make her…I dunno! Eat her jacks or somethin’!”

“Hey, girls, look!” Blossom called from the other end of the shed, and they whipped around following the sound of her voice. Buttercup barged ahead, and Bubbles crept behind her, shooting glances over her shoulder at the various corners as if something would pop out.

It was odd, but it felt like she kept losing count of them, the corners. Squares had four corners, but here in the shed, there always seemed to be one or two extra every time she recounted.

“B-Bu-Buttercup? Do you—” She started, but Buttercup was already with Blossom, pulling a white sheet off something large.

She stared anxiously at them, twisting her hands together until something quiet caught her attention. Her ears perked at the noise again picking up on the odd, off-putting trickle of laughter coming from somewhere in the shed. Quickly, Bubbles checked every corner, twirling this way and that to find the source, but she found it near impossible. Squares only had four corners! But there were—there were way more than four. 

“Is this the mirror?” She heard Buttercup ask, and dread shot down her spine. She stopped spinning. She stopped counting. The laughter wasn’t coming from the corners. It was coming from the mirror.

[acommonloon]

Chaos and cheeto

We said goodbye in the parking lot of Wild Eggs a few hours ago. It was raining lightly but we stood there smiling as her mom buckled her into the blue car. She wanted Pop's car! D just texted me they're home now. Safe

Life seems so quiet after a few days in the company of our three year old granddaughter. She is constant motion and noise. Even though the weather was perfect, I took few pics, usually I was packing her around. At 35 wriggling pounds she packs above her weight. I love it.

I carried her through most of the zoo Friday evening, putting her down so she could walk up timidly and hold out her plastic bucket for candy at dozens of booths. We'd far more candy at home but it's about the ritual you know.

Young people in costumes handed out the candy while the most popular characters (Disney princesses) were staged throughout the grounds for photo ops accompanied by music that everyone (else) recognized. Snacks including adult beverages were sold at near airport prices and in all, I thought it a nice event for kids and parents.

Saturday we went to a fav burger and malted joint then spent most of the day at two kids parks. The first (Tyler Park) was sat in the old Highlands neighborhood with a playground at the end of a large grassy field surrounded by trees and hills. Her favorite parts were the large stone bridge with a precarious rock path under it and an uneven trail made of logs with the tops sawn flat for better footing. She "petted" a small terrier called Toby and a sheep dog called Cara. Throughout, a beautiful rain of leaves was punctuated by kids rushing, climbing, and sliding and dogs grinning and chasing.

After we sat on the rooftop of a nearby brewery for a drink, watching traffic, before detouring slightly through the Hillcrest neighborhood famous for Halloween decorations. So much plastic. Scary!

Our second park was an entirely different affair. A small area fenced with warning signs prominent, a latched gate, and no dogs allowed. It was ultra modern safe, the ground spongy and rubbery. There were 4 kinds of swings, three with safety harness, and lots of smooth plastic platforms perfect to climb on with buttons to push, wheels to spin, colored disks to look through and bell's to ring. After an hour of that regimented chaos we took her for a final trick or treat.

This one was at D's niece's church. It sucked.

Lol, D seemed surprised at the aggressive proselytizing. If we'd followed programming, we would have taken a tour of the church culminating with a family photo on the church steps and only then could we be registered for the drawing. Lol scary!

When you have to highjack Halloween and bribe people to sample your soul saving methodology you might question if what you offer is any more than trick or treat.

On the way home today, I noticed the building being demolished in downtown New Albany. It looked like war, images of Syria or Ukraine. It rained all the way home. It's quiet now and I can hear the rain. It sounds peaceful and life-giving. What a grand weekend for us.

How sad so many experienced the same two days we did but instead of joy, they've had fear, pain, hunger, death. Every day I'm glad and I'm also reminded many others will end their life rather than endure another, many will suffer at the hands of others, many will succumb to sickness or hunger. Every day trick or treat.

Sure, let's worship the being responsible for all this. Don't question his plan, it gave you joy today and another family got the tragedy of a child's death by car wreck, by illness, by parent, by stranger, by war. Be thankful because if you don't submit and love him, you will be cast into an eternity worse than even life can bring to bear. Lol scary!

A guy I'd known through work for years called me Friday. We'd lost touch when he began to go through a traumatic event. His wife of 25 years decided to divorce him and he hadn't seen it coming. It's a common story really. In any case he said he was happy now, he loved writing music, he was remarried these last four years, and he had his ministry thing. He said it was obvious The Lord had planned this for him because he and his new wife both joined EHarmony on the same day.

<sigh>

He said he didn't know about my beliefs but wondered if I'd like to talk to him because he enjoyed telling his story and people seemed to enjoy it as well.

<sigh>

I said sure.

Friday they identified the body of the boy found in a suitcase in the woods nearby. The mother said he was possesed by a Demon.

Also Friday someone posted about his son who jumped off the front of a shopping cart and ran into a post impaling his eye on a metal strut causing brain trauma.

Saturday the headline read, Toddler killed in crash on I-71 North

Today a headline read 150 killed in Halloween crowd crush in South Korea.

Some may wish to attribute the vagaries of the world to the Lord's plan. If I thought some being was responsible for the every day death of an innocent child, I'd sign up for the resistance.

[itsjellybone]

ooh what are your top 3 or top 5 or top 10 snacks you can get from your local supermarket

I have been thinking about this so hard since you sent it and the honest answer is I am a slut for weird novelty snacks... I don't like oreos but if there's a weird flavor I will get it. 4 out of 5 times they are very bad (the last one was sour patch kids oreos and they went unfinished) When I was in Japan I bought the objectively awful shiojake puccho, which is salted salmon flavor. (It was a sanrio collab for kirimi-chan.)

Speaking of Japanese snacks, i like puccho in general, and poiful. Actually one of the great things about being in Japan is there were always seasonal collab flavors for things, and I think the proportion of them that was good was higher than the US! I would usually go to a bakery near my school for snacks. I also like calbee norishio chips!! It's not common, but my favorite onigiri flavor is negimiso... I only knew one conbini that sold it on my way to school in the morning.

That was a tangent. I don't usually buy snacks but when I do I think it's probably baby carrots and hummus. Everyone tells me about how easy it is to just make hummus, but when I want a snack I don't want to cook and clean, and I won't think to make it unless I want to snack!!

I don't buy it much because it's so expensive especially now, but I like to snack on beef jerky. I think my body craves protein.

I don't buy chips often but I am VERY picky about potato chips. I've tried a lot but I pretty much only like Lays. I almost always get salt & vinegar, but I like the cheddar, sour cream & onion, and bbq flavors on occasion....

I like regular cheetos, but I pretty much only eat them when I'm high.

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE! I get a sugar craving. But my tolerance for sugar is so slow that I have built up a drawer of sugary snacks that I just. never finish. I like trolli peach rings and mike & ikes... I like gummies in general.

Honestly my most common snack is a sliced up apple with some cheese. If I was rich I would just snack on all the side dishes they sell premade at the Korean grocery store...

[a-geo-slime]

I cannot believe how much money I just spent in 3 hours. While at this moment I don't need to worry about spending my money... Wow.

I got a job recently and i finally got my first paycheck(its only 1 weeks worth rn cuz its my first. Its just due to how the system works)

We really needed the money but now we don't (the universe had mercy on us)

So i decided i would get some things

Because ive been wanting a few things for a while but never got them cuz i cant just have my mom spend money on me whenever i want, and thats fine im not mad about it

But its been a long time since ive gotten anything i really really want

Like years

So in my mind there are 3 most important things to spend on

THE SANXINGDUI GIFT BOX

$140~

(I HAVE BEEN WANTING THIS DAMN THING SINCE IT RELEASED. BACK IN FUCKING DECEMBER. HAD IT RELEASED EARLIER I WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR IT FOR CHRISTMAS INSTEAD OF LITERALLY EVERYTHING ELSE)

A meal at a special AUTHENTIC CHINESE RESTAURANT in my state (its a bit far away but i really wanna try it some time)

$60- $100+ depending on what we (2 people out of six who LOVE chinese food) decide to try.

And an art tablet with a screen

$250~

Well i got the gift box set and a liyue geo vision

$228.97

And decided the others would wait till my next paycheck

So i decided

In my infinite wisdom

To go shopping elsewhere

Ahem

Sayweee!

(1) Sweet&spicy cheetos (for mom they are her fav but we cant find them in asian markets near us)

$15.26

~~~~

(3) Pepsi White peach Oolong... (To split between 6 and try) + Free shopping bag?

$11.62

~~~~

(1) Osmanthus cake (im desperate to know what osmanthus tastes like and thought it would be good to try...)

(1 box) calleton taro bread (we love these but cant find in the asian markets near us)

(1 box) Calleton Avocado bread (same thing but avocado. Mom loves these)

$69.63

(they will be a nice surprise to share with family so there's no way I'll regret getting them)

ETSY

Zhongli bracelet

$21.17

~~~~

Zhongli Wrist Lanyard (thing)

15.88

~~~~

Metal planet befall pin

$20.40

~~~~

Zhongli emote charm

$17.38

~~~~

ANOTHER wrist lanyard (thing) that looks like a stone steele

$15.05

~~~~

Zhongli metal bookmark (better one than what on genshin global...)

$15.86

~~~~

Zhongli long sleeve shirt (actually do check this one out. its from "Turotake" im gonna wear it all the time once i get it)

$42.58

~~~~

Geo symbol pin

$15.45

(I'm just obsessed with zhongli and recently broke my phone charm during work (fucking box cutter man) so i wanted some things to try out as charms... Got distracted...)

....

So as you can see

Im as bad as zhongli right now

HOWEVER

i dont think this will become a huge habit

Like i said

Its just been so long since ive gotten anything for myself, and i just wanted to take advantage of the fact that i had a chance to use my new hard earned money for myself.

My next purchases might be a few snacks and those other two big things once i get my next paycheck(and toys but that can wait for a while cuz i have some and dont need them)

Im just astounded at the fact i let myself do this lol. That i even could. Ive never had this much money at once before

That i have like 12 packages to look forward to at varying dates...

Aaaah

I just wanted to talk about this

Cuz i just spent $530+