#i love my cats dearly but sometimes they get in the way of things i really need to do

[eoinmcgonigal]

He's so pleased with himself and too cute to move but omfg kittybaby please I need to use my keyboard

[skrunksthatwunk]

found out that rascal's owner took him again while i was out, and he's probably not gonna be back since the semester's almost over. i don't even know if his owner's coming back next semester, if i'll ever see him again. if he'll ever see me again. why do they wait until im not around to do this? why do they never let me say goodbye to him?

[flwerswrld]

relationship headcannons ୨୧ | hsr men

cw: lowercase intended, tooth rottingly fluffy, slight crack if u squint, gender neutral!reader, established relationship for all characters, grumpy x sunshine if you squint (caelus), sick!reader (dan heng), dan heng being a worrywart, marriage #4lifers >_< (welt), flustered geppie, ooc for probably all of them...😞 whoopsies i haven't written fanfic in like 4-5 yrs

character/s included: caelus, dan heng, welt, gepard landau

caelus ♡

- biiiiig cuddler :3

- like this man is ON YOU.

- march has multiple photos of you two attached to the hip (one where u guys were literally HANDCUFFED to each other. caelus wanted to try the idea out, might write a whole other fic just on that)

- literally anything could remind him of you

- he sees a bag of chips? oh, they're y/n's fav, oh i'm thinking of my partner now, oh how i love my partner :3

- ^ literally his thought process

- adding to the last point, he'll find or buy random things to give to you because he thought you'd like it/it reminded him of you

"caelus, are these... cat keychains?" you ask, the gift random, but definitely not unwelcomed, conveyed by the growing smile on your face. "they reminded me of us." he replies, his shoulders moving up and down in a noncommittal shrug. "i'm the orange cat, and you're the black cat."

well... now that you look at it, the keychains do remind you of you and caelus' relationship dynamic. the ginger cat— a tabby, it seems, is laying on the black cat's belly affectionately, the aforementioned feline having an annoyed frown on its face.

"it's cute." pressing a kiss to his cheek, your then soft smile grows into something more joyful. "thank you for the sweet gift, caelus."

and caelus swore to the aeons themselves that he was having heart palpitations from the feeling of your lips on his cheek.

dan heng ♡

- way less affectionate compared to how caelus is, not because he doesn't love you, but because he's more reserved

- doesn't mean he doesn't cuddle, he loves it when you and him have a nice snuggle sesh after a stressful day (but shhhh don't tell him i told you, it's supposed to be a secret 🤫)

"you're sure you don't need more tea?"

- prefers to show you his affections through acts of service rather than words or physical touch

- he's so dorky ugh i want him so bad

"dan heng, i'll be fine—" another coughing fit ensued, the hacking so intense dan heng backs away. "yep, more tea for you." he mumbles under his breath. "and more soup."

he reminds me of a mother hen... you think, sipping on your mug of tea that your lovely boyfriend had made for you. the beverage is hot and relaxing, feeling like a smoldering fire was in your belly whenever you swallow it.

"you know..." you start when he comes back inside your room, looking at your boyfriend with a hint of a smirk on your face. "you remind me of a mother hen, sometimes."

and you almost laugh at the disgruntled expression that appears on his stupidly handsome face. "i do not act like a mother hen—"

"oh, come on! you know you do, babe!"

with his cheeks turning a shade of light pink at the nickname, he sighs. "you can call me whatever you want, just drink your tea, for the love of aeons." he replied begrudgingly. "then give me a kiss!" you shoot back, weakly puckering your lips. "then i'll drink my tea, eat my soup, and then take a niiiiiice long nap."

dan heng stands there for a second, weighing his options. on one hand, he gets to kiss his partner — whom he loves very dearly he might add — to get them to eat their soup and drink the tea he had prepared for them. the only problem is that they're sick.

oh, fuck it.

pressing a kiss to your lips, he sighs into it, pulling away after a few seconds. "there. better now?" he asks.

he got sick two days later, but to him it was worth it.

welt ♡

- this man KNOWS how to treat someone right. i just know it in the deepest parts of my soul.

- shows you the animations that he made when he worked as an animator (it probably has 12 episodes, only 1 season, and ended on a cliffhanger 😞)

- HE DRAWS YOU. IDC. his sketchbook is full of drawings of you, random things he sees while out on his travels with you and the express, and other random doodles

- loves sightseeing with you. every time you go to a new planet you guys take pictures together at every tourist spot

- slow dancing w/ him to frank sinatra... it'd be so cute??? STOP STOP EVERYONE SHUT UP FOR 2 SECONDS. ☹️☹️

you felt like life was perfect right now.

with all the drama on penacony being over, you and welt finally had some free time to just chill out and take a breather.

"this is so nice..." you mumble to yourself, the metal of your ring softly pressing against the skin of your finger as your hands rest on welt's shoulders. "slow dancing is so romantic, don't you think?" welt asks, smiling down at you as frank sinatra records play in the background.

"are you trying to seduce me, mr. yang? even after years of marriage?" you ask, smiling when he spins you around slowly to the soft voice of frank sinatra, and the romantic melodies of the instruments. "and what if i am, mx yang?" he leans down in your ear to mumble, his tone teasing, maybe a bit... mischievous?

when the record stops spinning, welt holds you close to him, heat radiating off of him like a radiator. "hm, you're warm." you mumble, letting out a yawn. "like a heater."

hearing your husband let out a little chuckle, he smiles down at you. "you say this every time we hug."

"is it romantic, though?"

there was a pregnant pause, as if welt was deciding on what to say.

"do you want me to be honest or nice...?"

"welt!"

gepard landau ♡

- he's soooo protective ik it :[ like he's always keeping an eye on you while he's on patrol to make sure you're safe (not in a stalker way, just looking out for you bc he cares (⁠◕⁠દ⁠◕⁠))

- gets you something on every holiday, even if it doesn't count as a ‘holiday’. for every valentine's day he buys you chocolates and a cute little teddy bear 🥹🥹 he's so cute

- bc he's so busy with belobog duties(??), he doesn't have much time for dates

- so for the time he does have off, he'll spend with you!! (⁠人⁠ ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)

- serval is also you and gepard's biggest supporter, and lowkey played matchmaker with you two so you guys could get together

"aww, geppie! this is so cute!" you say, smiling at the rose bouquet and chocolates he had gotten you for valentine's day.

"serval actually suggested for me to buy you them..." the blonde replied, a mixed pile of mush and flustered mumblings underneath his breath. "she said your favourite flowers are roses, so i tried to find the best ones in belobog for you."

you actually think your heart is going to explode. or that you're going to squeeze your boyfriend to death from his cuteness.

and that's exactly what you do, making a mental note to thank serval the next time you see her.

"gepard, you're the best!" you exclaim, leaning your head onto his chest.

"don't mention it, y/n..." he mumbles, praying to qilpoth that you can't hear the relentless beating of his heart, the thumpity thump of it so profound he can feel it in his ears. "it's my duty as your boyfriend to give you gifts."

you also make another mental note: to wife this man up as soon as possible.

[xothatnerdykid]

Aizawa x Reader Established Relationship Headcanons

(Cannot, for the life of me, get over my writer's block but I've still got Aizawa brainrot thanks to s7 so here.)

I might be in the minority here but I don't think Aizawa would smoke. He eats healthy and works out to keep his body in shape. Why would he compromise his health by smoking?

His only vices are chronic snacking (he loves those jelly pouch things) and caffeine.

He's usually up 'til dawn most days because duh, he works two jobs (hence the 5-7 shots of espresso in his coffee). 

Despite his sleep deprivation most days, he is soooo sexy when he wakes up in the morning. Messy hair. Baggy shirt and boxers. Or sometimes a body hugging tank top and sweatpants. And his voice — his raspy, sleep-addled voice. The feeling of his stubble against the smooth planes of your face waking you up. 

He doesn’t usually cook breakfast but he does always brew a fresh pot of coffee for you. And he never leaves without a kiss goodbye, even when you’re still snuggled up in bed, asleep.

When you first start dating, Shouta talks to you pretty much the same way he talks to everyone else. So curt and succinct, you sometimes used to wonder if he was upset with you. He’d usually get confused as to what made you ask that, and then explained that he’s just a man of a few words, that’s all. 

As your relationship becomes more established, you notice subtle shifts in the way he communicates. It's not a sudden change, but your conversations start to feel more like a secret code over time, filled with inside jokes that never fail to make him smirk.

Shouta’s love language is definitely acts of service. He’s a pragmatic, action-oriented person who values efficiency. So of course he’d think that actions speak louder than words when it comes to letting someone know your true feelings. 

That’s why he loves it when he comes home to your cooking, especially when you surprise him with his favorite dish. Because after 16-hours or so of working two jobs, he usually just passes out on the couch the moment he gets home and you’re not around.

He feels so bad when he comes home too late sometimes and finds you already asleep and his dinner sitting cold on the stovetop or in the fridge. He always makes sure to make it up to you by preparing breakfast the next day or…other…pleasing ways…

Seeing you take care of Sushi, the cat his very-well-and-alive friend Nemuri sometimes asks him to babysit, makes him feel all warm inside, too (although he doesn’t actually admit it, you just catch him smiling softly at you sometimes and quickly looking away when you notice).

As for how he expresses his love for you, it mostly comes in the form of acts of service, too, as well as gifts and physical touch.

Shouta’s romantic gestures are like rare collectibles. They often come as a surprise, but when they happen, you cherish them dearly. He'll surprise you with a thoughtful gift and leave it on your desk with a simple, "Saw this and thought of you."

He won't serenade you under the moonlight or anything, but he'll make you a warm cup of tea when you're tired, or wrap a scarf around you when it's cold.

You don't really have time to go out on dates most weeks, but when you do, you're either at a quiet restaurant or taking a walk through nature in the parks. 

His favorite thing to do is sit with you by the window sill on rainy days and just have you snuggle up to him, bundled in his arms, while you read or do your own thing in comfortable silence.

Fighting with Shouta was like having a verbal sparring match. He’s always strategic, although his patience wears thin sometimes, even with you. Still, he knew when to bring something up and when to back down. 

He won't shy away from a disagreement, but he's not one to let it linger. He’ll tackle the issue head-on, find a compromise, and move on.

One of your favorite things about him was that he never held a grudge or took conflicts personally.  

Shouta’s life is a constant juggle between being a pro hero, a UA teacher, a single dad, and being your boyfriend. But oh, does he master it.

At first you thought maybe he was just a really efficient and organized planner, but one look at him, his apartment, his phone, and his non-existent planner told you otherwise.

“How do you plan on getting all of this done?” You often ask him about his mountain of papers to grade and reports to submit, to which he just shrugs.

“I don’t know, the usual? Coffee. Eye drops.” He sucks on his second jelly pouch of the day and goes back to his cluttered desk, papers strewn about like fallen leaves. "Duct taping my eyelids," he grumbles the last part under his breath.

You laugh, watching him from the couch with a fond look in your eyes. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

He looks up, one eyebrow raised. “For what? Managing to stay awake?”

“For…everything,” you shrug, walking over to perch yourself atop the edge of his desk. “For being you.”

He hums appreciatively as he pulls you closer by the waist.

“I don’t know how you do it, but I’m grateful.”

He glances up at you, smiling a little. You scratch at the stubble on his chin. 

“Ready to call it a night?”

“Not quite,” he smirks before leaning up to kiss you fervently, tangling his hands in your hair.

Both of you slept better than you have all week. Afterwards.

You occasionally surprise him by finding him when he’s out on patrol and checking up on him. You love seeing him like this, in his element. He’s so kind to all the people he helps…

(A lot of the time, you end up making out against an alleyway or with him hanging upside down from a fire escape, but that’s neither here nor there.) 

[yangkitties]

love in the library ✩ l.at

pairing: lee anton x gn!reader || word count: 0.5k genre: tooth rotting fluff! || warnings: none, actually proofread for once 😁 synopsis: in the sacred tranquility of the library, love thrives between you and anton note: this was written a couple weeks ago when i randomly saw a gif of anton and immediately got hit by a wave of emotions 😘 he is my lil brachio i love him dearly:') also genuinely loved writing this bc hardly had to include any dialogue and i always love that 😁

The rustling of pages and the scratch of pens were the only sounds that permeated the air around the two of you. 

As Anton sat beside you, the silence of the library engulfed you both. It was peaceful, just the two of you in your corner, sunlight streaming through the glass windows. 

Anton continues his work, reviewing his assignments quietly. He occasionally slips you a note in his loopy handwriting, a small ‘how’s it going?’ or a ‘shall we take a break?’ sneaking into your line of sight. You replied back to him under his notes, adding little hearts and smilies to your messages. Anton always had to squint when he tried to read your messages, claiming they were as easy to decipher as a dead language, all thanks to your god awful hand writing. 

Whenever you said yes to taking a break, Anton would drop everything and pull your head to his shoulder. You didn’t mind, yawning as his fingers danced across the expanse of your uniform sleeve. You could vaguely make out some shapes, an occasional ‘I love you’, and sometimes even a random physics formula from class that day. Other times he would rest his own head on the table, placing your hand on top of his hair, a quiet request shining in his eyes. 

Often, you’d use one hand to gently stroke his hair, fingers dipping in and out of his locks, as the other continues scribbling away at your notes. And soon enough you would loose focus, hand coming to a rest atop Anton’s head, pout adorning your face as you frowned at the problems in your paper. Anton would sigh, kiss you knuckles and get back to his own work. He had tried helping you the first few times, but failed miserably, and only made the both of you even more confused than when you began. 

It always went like this on weekdays. Unspoken exchanges of love in the library, side by side as you studied in each other presence. For the both of you, this was enough. Being around each other, sitting together, sharing a space. 

The 3 hours would pass in a flash, the silence never turning awkward or uncomfortable. The silence follows you as the clock strikes 6, and you pack your things before heading home. 

It’s there in the bus ride as you share his earphones, your playlist on shuffle. Head once again finding a home in his shoulder, hands intertwined, the silence keeps you company. 

The silence only breaks on your walk back home from the station as Anton holds out his arm for you, 

‘Shall we, m’lady?’ His expression elicites a giggle from you, hand wrapping around his arm. You smile as you cross the familiar streets, stopping to say hi to the cats in your way. 

Sometimes you rant about your day, talking about all the gossip and drama you heard from your friends. Other times, Anton narrates stories from his classes, his voice quiet, as if he was speaking just for you. 

Nevertheless, it ends as you reach your house. You tiptoe to kiss him, and he’d hug you goodbye, waiting to see you through the door. 

Day in and day out, through the week, you would find yourself in silence with Anton, and that’s all you needed. 

©️ yangkitties 2024 do not copy, plagiarise, or repost

[animequeen4]

okay y’all hear me out… alastor, Lucifer, and Adam and their s/o meeting their fandom personas

alastor x reader x cursed cat alastor

Yn: “Al look at what I found! Isn’t he the cutest 😍”

alastor: “what is the world is that? 😃”

is genuinely confused on what and where it came from all he knows is that it hates him and everyone else except yn

Yn once putted a bow tie on him and looked like he loved it by this smile seeming genuinely yet when his bow tie was coming undone he would hiss and scratch at anyone who tried to fix it and only allowed yn to fix it

had a tendency to bring gifts for yn like nice and one time a ENTIRE deer carcass but after seeing she would throw it away he started to bring started bringing stuff like Freshly pulled out of the ground flowers, sometimes jewelry, and one time a cute hat

as for alastor he does not like the thing

he hates how the thing will always try to get in the way when he tries to do anything with yn like when it’s early in the morning and he wants to enjoy the peaceful moment with you he will just show up somehow in the room cuddling you, when he tries to give you a kiss on the cheek the will but bring your attention to him instead, and onetime he tried locking the door to get some quality time alone together and keep him out, THE CAT NEARLY BROKE DOWN THE WHOLE DOOR!!! The only time they got along was when they were protecting yn and when they both showed dislike for Susan

then one day a cat version of yn showed up also out of no where and immediately Cat Alastor stopped beefing with regular alastor because now both have their own yn

although yn was sad cat alastor wasn’t hanging out with her as much anymore she was happy and hopefully she can finally enjoy some peace of mind knowing they were not fighting anymore

lets just say a few months later there would be some kittens and they become permanent residents because cat alastor would bite who every tried to touch the kittens and his yn 😅

Lucifer x reader x cursed cat Lucifer

Out of all three he is the one who is actually loving meeting their fandom persona

“OMG HE IS AS CUTE AS KIKI! 🥹”

Lucifer gets even more excited see he too has a appreciation for ducks

let’s kitty Lucifer sleep with any of his ducks (except the Lilith one which he hides)

Kitty Lucifer loves yn almost as much as regular version of him

Like cat alastor he lives little gifts for yn except they usually come some with ducks mostly rubber ducks

however it is a bit of a hassle sometimes with him having wings where as when it’s time for a bath we will try to fly away but will get in the bath willing it there are some rubber ducks

when a yn cat showed up Lucifer was excited but not as much as his feline counterpart who acted like they were husband and wife and he missed his wife dearly

Kitty Lucifer was latter found being groomed by cat yn who was licking him clean and the too we’re sharing kitten kisses with kitty Lucifer having a completely smitten look 🥰

Adam x reader x squished/tiny Adam

Adam: “THIS LITTLE SHIT STOLE AND ATE ONE OF MY RIBS?!?! We need to get rid of it!”

yn: “oh come how Adam he is like you so he too likes ribs”

tiny Adam will often ask for cuddles and I imagine he is about as the same size as the cats so when cuddling he is pressed against yns boobs so tiny Adam will smirk at Adam making him jealous and flip regular Adam off while yn Isn’t looking

tiny Adam will also sleep on top of or cuddle yn while she sleeps so sometimes he just likes hanging out in her between her boobs

will often try to steal things like food, phones, jewelry to try and make him look cooler, and one time he has been caught stealing yns bra but was stopped easily due to how small he is

Will basically always come between the two of you when you tried to do anything romantic

not sure if he is wearing a mask like Adam or if that is his actual face due to always fighting anyone who tried to check

once Adam realized how he is able to get away with stuff they suddenly become good friends and caused a lot of mischief

I don’t know why but I imagine tiny Adam would also try to sing songs like hell is forever but it ends up sounding a lot cutter due to how high his voice is or he ends up squeaking instead

one day a tiny yn showed up and Adam finally understand why yn loved tiny Adam so much. ITS LIKE HAVING A TINY VERSION OF HER HE CAN TAKE AROUND WITH HIM WHEREVER HE GOES!! ITS SO FREAKING CUTE!! 🥹

tiny Adam then started started liking tiny yn and to regular Adam and yn it was like watching how they fell in love

ps these are not my art please don’t get after me I am just using these for illustrations on what they look like I am not claiming ownership and I hope you enjoyed 😁

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

hi dove!!! i love your new event, the vibe is so fun and relaxing (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ could i request floyd with no.8? for backups maybe leona with no.9 or jamil with no.2? thanks!! as always don't overwork yourself ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡

side note: pls no angst the pain from last time is still here(⁠ ⁠；⁠∀⁠；⁠)

Fairytale Scene; Leona Kingscholar

Content; Fluff, gender-neutral reader, some really soft Leona

Word Count; 650+

Author's Note; Had to use your first backup, as Floyd got snatched up, but I hope you enjoy this fluffy scene and soft lion! [Damn, those eels go fast]

As a reminder, do not put my work — or others for that matter — into AI as it steals. Link to Masterlist

An old vinyl was playing slowly on the record player, a slow jazz ensemble letting out low notes. It was pleasant, the calm music mixing with the gentle crashing of the waves coming onto shore, and the filtered sunlight coming through the linen curtains and warming up your skin. There was no rushing, no tasks that needed to be urgently done, and no one to boss you around. You could definitely get used to this. 

“You’re looking right at home there,” a soft chuckle broke you from your relaxed spell. Leona was standing in front of you, giving you a curious look. “Like a house cat sunbathing.”

You rolled your eyes, “Fitting coming from you.” You stretched out, and rolled off of the chaise you were lounging on. 

Leona sighed in mock annoyance, but he could get used to seeing you without the weight of all your responsibilities resting on your shoulders. You looked — and by all the lounging you had been doing since you had both arrived — and felt lighter as well. And in the golden sunlight? Leona swore that you were glowing.

You lazily walked over to him, placing your arms around his neck. “Is something bothering you?”

Bothering me? “No, nothing at the moment,” he said quietly. What was there to be bothered by? The two of you were together, and there was no one around to annoy the both of you. “And you?”

You hummed along to the song playing, “Nope!~” You let out a breathy chuckle and started to gently sway back and forth to the music. “Would you care to join me for this dance… your majesty?~” 

Leona groaned at the nickname; you only brought it out when you were feeling teasing. He didn’t mind though, since it didn’t hold the weight it did at the palace, or the mocking tone that others sometimes used. You just were being a teasing menace and a cute one at that.

Letting out a showy sigh he adjusted your hands so that he was holding one and the other was placed on his waist. “I suppose I can spare one for you,” he said lowly, voice barely above a grumble. 

The two of you swayed gently together to the soft music, gentle swaying, and long, slow, looping circles around the room. You were still humming the non-existent lyrics to the song, and Leona hummed softly from time to time as well, adding to the melody. Never did he think that he would end up in such a scene; dancing with someone he loved so dearly in something that he could only explain as a fairytale scene. It was soft, domestic, tender, and filled with such innocent love. All things that Leona had convinced himself that he didn’t want. But then you came into his life. You threw a wrench into his life, but what a lovely wrench it turned out to be.

The song came to an end far too soon, and the two of you came to a slow standstill, still in each other’s loose embrace. Neither of you made a move to let go, instead you both just stood there, hand in hand, your hand on his waist, and his on yours.

“You make for a good dance partner,” you chuckle.

Leona raised a brow, “And are you surprised by that?”

You bring his hand to your lips, placing a kiss on the inside of his wrist while looking at him through your lashes. “No, it’s just endearing is all.”

Leona had received kisses from you before, both soft and passionate, but this one actually made his heart flutter. He didn’t know how to feel about it, but he did know that the way you looked at him just then… he wanted you to look at him with such adoration again and again and again. It was addictive.

He brought your hand to his lips, and returned the kiss, letting it linger so he could feel your steady pulse. Perhaps the two of you should come out here more often if this was what happened… Leona could spend the rest of his life with you in this picturesque moment.

~~~~~~~

Tags: @eynnwwyjth, @inkybloom-luv, @leonistic, @savanaclaw1996, @twistwonderlanddevotee, @xxoomiii

[jkriordanverse]

✮ Gray being a softie (hcs) ✮

the type of guy to finish his work weeks prior the due date and just has so so so much free time but at the same time is also overworking is ass off.

Sometimes when he does something good Xander gives him stickers. THe thing is, Xander always tries to stick it on Gray's nose or eyes or lips to make him look funny and considering their heights its not a hard task to do. He does look funny with stickers on his face. Jameson took a few pictures too and shows them to Nash all the time.

He lovessssss his s/o's opinion on his clothes, even tho he doesn't usually express it. He asks their opinion on everything.

"Should I wear this shirt or this one?" "Hmm should I cook this or this one?"

Loves cooking. Sometimes cooks as a stress relief and that's why he bonds so well with Libby.

Has to try his best to resist the urge to feed Tiramisu chocolate because the puppy eyes? Irresistible. But he knows chocolate is bad for dogs.

Broke his right leg trying to rescue a cat from a tree once. He didn't tell anyone tho. Nash suspected but he didn't press on. Tobias couldn't care less as long as he was still maintaining his work.

When Xander was young he had sorts of behavioral problems (like the kid was always too hype) and Grayson would always go shopping for figurines and stickers to give to Xander everytime he did something right.

Loves shopping in general. Say the word your wish is my command type of guy.

Secretly hums/sings to himself when he's getting ready and he absolutely lovesssssssss the cheesy love songs. Especially if they sound old fashioned.

Annotates his books. Not in an aesthetic way, he just kinda writes what he wants in there. It's kinda one of the only ways he was able to express himself when he was younger.

When he was travelling the world he used to sometimes research and visit those abandoned houses for himself. It was fun. Sometimes he found fields and fields of green grasses and deers and sheeps. He kept the photos he took to himself but he'd show it to his s/o proudly.

Is a plant mom. Loves his plants dearly. When he finally moved out the Hawthorne house he made sure he had a large space to plant flowers and food and everything.

[cerise-on-top]

Hi, love your writing. it's so good 💚💚

Could I request some HC for LV + Graves who have an S/O who has three cats that love to sleep on top of them?

😸💚

Thank youuuu! That's very kind of you! This ask actually inspired me to text my friend again and ask her for some cat pics since those critters are just so goshdarn adorable!! I wish I had a cat! I once had a tortoise, though, and she was just the most lovely and adorable little thing out there! I loved her so dearly! Anyway, thank you for the request!

Alejandro, Rodolfo and Graves with an S/O with Three Cats

Alejandro: He gives off quite some canine energy, so there’s a chance your cats won’t like him too much. That, of course, you can try to combat by having him feed them. Either way, if they like Alejandro, then you can expect him to be all over your cats, always talking to them, petting them, picking them up, kissing them and what else it is you do with a cat. He loves your little kitties and would kill someone for them. Although he’s more of a dog person himself, he doesn’t prefer dogs by much, so he can really go either way. When he sees just how cuddly your cats are and when they take a nap on his chest while he’s watching TV with you or something, he will not hesitate to pet the cat, scratch the little fella behind its ears and try his best to make them purr. He loves the sound and the vibration, it brings good vibes and makes him just as content as the cat. The rule that one must not move when a cat is sleeping on top of them holds true for him. If he needs to use the bathroom while one of your cats is sleeping on him then he’ll just have to endure until it wakes up. But if he’s content as well, then he might just cuddle the cat, or your cats even, and take a nap himself. While he’s not usually one for napping, he will when he genuinely can’t move because of your lovely little felines. If your cats let him, he will give them big hugs as well. Is so smitten, he’ll buy them some toys and play with them, if he has the time. And if your cats are too lazy to actually play, then he’ll pick them up and lovingly scold them for being so unmotivated. Meows back at cats too.

Rodolfo: He gets along well with just about any animal. While he’s not scared of them per se, he does have a healthy amount of respect for them and won’t just walk up to your cats to give them pats and kisses and hugs. He will comply if your cats walk up to him because they’re curious, but he really doesn’t want to annoy them or worse, end up with him getting scratched. While he may not meow back at your cats either, he will talk to them as though they’re regular human beings. It’s somewhat funny, he takes them seriously and will, in a deadpan tone, tell them that there will be no more snacky treats for the evening. No matter how annoying your cats might get, he won’t budge. His decision is final, so there are no more snacky treats. He quite likes the thing where if you scratch a cat’s butt, it will move it upwards. Loves doing that to your cats, it’s funny and endearing to him. When your cats are sleeping on top of him, then he won’t particularly budge either. He’ll pat them, but he will also move them if he really needs to use the bathroom. No privileges for your cats this time. However, considering he is, more often than not, pretty tired, he will pretty much always take a nap with your cats if he can. The pressure on his chest is comforting to him, plus he gets to feel something nicely warm and furry on top of him as well. However, he sometimes moves in his sleep, which might wake up your cats, which might wake up him. It’s a never ending circle, but if he can, he’ll just sleep with your cats in his arms. Take a picture of him like that and he’ll try to take embarrassing pictures of you as well with your cats.

Graves: He is definitely more of a dog person, since those are strong and reliable. A cat will meow at you in the dead of the night because it knocked over its water bowl and can’t turn on the faucet on its own. Honestly? He always has something to complain about. Your cat pooped again. It knocked over the food bowl. It farted in his face. Things like that. He means them, but the way he says those things is sort of just funny. Imagine a 40 year old man having beef with a cat. He has very little shame when it comes to scolding your cats. At first, he will use his human words to get them to listen. But as soon as he realizes they believe it’s snuggle time, he will meow at them, making the situation even worse. However, every time you hand him one of your cats, he will take it from your arms and cuddle it a bit. Every time one of the critters walks up to him, demanding attention, he will pick it up and carry it around a bit. Sometimes in his arms, sometimes he just slings the cat over his shoulder and keeps it there. It’s sort of funny, he might pretend to really hate them, but he would never yell at them, only be stern and tell them to not be so gluttonous. When your cats are sleeping on top of him, he does not move an inch. He would never admit it, but they are your shared furry babies and he, like any American, would shoot anyone who ever tried to hurt you or them. Takes naps too when he can, or when nothing of interest is on TV, but he prefers getting to hold something instead of having your cats lie on top of you. You can take pictures of him to show him that he really doesn’t hate your cats as much as he pretends to, but he will always claim you photoshopped it, despite knowing fully well that happened.

[jojosbingsu]

omgg i loved your jojo headcanon so much 🥹🩷! i was wondering if i could request the same thing but with maki instead! have a good one boo, love ya 🫶🏻!!!

Boyfriend Maki

Admin: Ellie

Genre: Fluff, Wholesome

Pairing: gn!reader x Maki

Word Count: 2.26K

Notes: Hello anon~! Thank you for your request! ^0^ I hope you enjoy my thoughts on boyfriend Maki. :) Please feel free to request again or leave your thoughts and opinions through the request box! Requests are always open and I’m always open to hearing feedback on my work~

You have never met someone who flirts as much as Riki does. This guy absolutely LOOOOOVES to flirt with and tease you because it makes him feel good to see you blushing over something he’s said or done. He’s subtle about it in public so you don’t get embarrassed around others but when you’re alone, he’s a flirt machine who lives his life for the sole reason of seeing you flustered. Even when you’re separated, he will text you cheesy pickup lines when he misses you or give you a quick video call to tell you he wanted to see your face for a few minutes.

Touching isn’t his primary love language but he sure does love to just hug and hold onto you. He feels the most comfortable when he’s relaxing on the sofa with his arms wrapped around you or when his head is resting against your shoulder, chest or back. Whenever you’re facing the opposite direction, he will give you a back hug and just lean into you to find comfort and feel more connected to you for a little while. 

That being said: Cuddles are almost mandatory. If you’re staying the night together, he won’t sleep comfortably unless he’s able to snuggle up close to you and wrap an arm loosely around you. If it’s cold or raining outside, you can almost guarantee he will find his way to your place. He will either want to cuddle close with you or just lay with his head in your lap while you’re busy with whatever else you’d like to do. 

Napping on your lap like a cat is another habit Riki has. When you’re busy playing a game or speaking with your friends, you’ll find your incredibly adorable boyfriend laying down with his head on your lap to catch a quick nap when he’s feeling tired. Running your fingers through his hair or caressing his face is a great way to help him fall asleep much faster. He will sometimes reach to pull one of your hands towards his chest to huge onto until he’s drifted off to sleep.

Riki’s primary love language is spending quality time with you. There’s nothing that makes him happier than just simply having his alone time with you, even if you’re not really doing anything besides lounging lazily on opposite ends of the couch together. As long as you’re with him, he’ll be the happiest guy in the world. His favorite activity to do with you would be going out on adventures or cooking with you! Riki is quite the chef these days, so he would love it if you’d be his second in command and help him whip up a yummy meal you guys could share over a nice at-home dinner date. 

Adventures with Riki would include going on road trips to places neither one of you have ever visited before or taking a simple hike through the woods to find a waterfall you could share a picnic in front of! Adventures could also be simple things like making a trip to the mall because he’s on the hunt for a specific teddy bear he saw a commercial for or going on a hunt for your favorite candy and making multiple stops along the way to find it. - There are no real rules or guidelines for what an “adventure” would be with Riki. Perhaps he would want to take you to an amusement park and label it as an adventurous date for you two! Whatever the case may be, make sure you’re prepared to be out all day!

PDA with Riki is almost non-existent. He loves you dearly and isn’t afraid to make it known that you’re HIS partner, but he doesn’t believe in showcasing “special” relationship moments to the public. Holding your hand or hugging onto you like a clingy monster while you’re out together is fine but you’ll never catch him smooching you in front of anyone else. To him, that kind of thing is special and private and he wants to keep those moments all to himself. He will call you by pet names in public to display affection, but physicality is saved for more private, intimate times where you’re away from the rest of the world. 

Very openly possessive over you. He tries not to sound like he views you as property by any means but he does absolutely try to make it abundantly clear that you are HIS partner and you’re not looking for another one when he feels that someone is being touchy or clingy with you. “It’s my job to fawn over you like that” is something you’ve heard many times before with a sulk coming to rest on his face when someone has struck his nerves the wrong way. He will sometimes clear his throat and glare at people when they’re making him uncomfortable with the way they look at or speak to you. 

He is forever talking about you when you’re not together. If he’s with his friends, he finds a way to mention you about 60 times in conversation just simply because he loves you and he adores sharing information about you with those he’s close with. Though he loves to mention you to his friends, it’s his family that never hears the end of stories about you. He really wants you to have a good relationship with his parents, so he’s forever running to them to gush about how much he loves you! He never forgets to make sure they know just how much you love him too, though! He always mentions how you’ve done something for him lately that made him feel special, such as baking him cookies or helping him sort through old clothes to get rid of when you had a free weekend to spend with him. 

Giving you gifts is something he does on a regular basis. Almost every time you see him, he’s got something new for you! Whenever he sees something that reminds him of you, it’s coming home with him immediately and you just have to have it. He loves to get you nice smelling candles he thinks would set a relaxing mood for you or soft plush blankets that are decorated with your favorite cartoon characters.

Impromptu nerf battles + water gun fights. Let’s just be honest - Riki is a little kid trapped inside of his teenage body. He still has a heart full of childish wonder and joy, so you had better be prepared to get shot with nerf darts or water droplets at the most random moments in time. Whenever you show up to his house, already be prepared with your own nerf gun because he’s planning to get you from a window as you approach the front door. You have to beat him to the punch or else you’re losing the battle almost instantly. If you’re relaxing on the couch, keep an eye out because he’s absolutely planning something nefarious and you’ll want to catch him before he’s able to ensnare you in his nonsense. 

A complete wuss. He is the embodiment of "weenie hut junior" clientele. This guy is terrified of bugs and rodents of all kinds, so you had better hope none ever find their way into your living space. Riki for sure will NOT help you get rid of it. He will be the main one standing on a countertop screaming his lungs out. Your neighbors would think someone is getting killed because of how loud and hard he would scream if a bug or some kind of outside rodent suddenly approached him while hanging out at your place. Count him OUT, he's not dealing with it. You would have to call another friend or some sort of professional to deal with the issue because Riki would stand there screaming that it's trying to kill you. "GET AWAY FROM IT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? OH MY GOD IT'S GOING TO BITE YOUR FINGER OFF GET OVER HERE!" - He would trip major balls over it and end up embarrassing himself.

Always tries to play it off like he wasn't scared. "I was just messing with you! What do I look like being afraid of a bug smaller than my thumb nail?" -> Would become so embarrassed and flustered when you laughed at him and teased him for his behavior. Always has to find an excuse that makes him seem like less of a wuss. "No, I cried because my tummy hurt, I didn't even notice the grasshopper in here..." (sweating nervously because he doesn't know if it's gone yet)

When you guys don’t spend the night together, Riki has made it a habit to send you really sweet morning messages so you have something nice to wake up to in his absence. He’s always wishing that you have a great day and makes sure he reminds you of how much he loves you and how excited he is to see you again. He sometimes sends you photos of his outfit of the day before he heads out as well because he knows how much you love receiving photos of him. 

He likes to take you out for breakfast dates! He thinks going out for breakfast before splitting up for the day is a great way to make sure you both start off the morning on a positive note. He loves quiet mornings in the cafe with you before his day gets busy. He feels like you’re always giving him the strength he needs to keep a positive attitude about his busy schedule, often feeling as though you’re the reason he ends up having a good day. Your morning pep talks really seem to do wonders for the cutie pie and he will forever express his gratitude for your kindness. 

He sends voice notes of him crybabying from time to time if he thinks you’ve taken too long to respond to his messages when you’re separated. Of course he’s never actually mad or accusing you of anything, he just likes to complain and catch your attention. Sometimes you’ll tease him over the voice notes and it opens the door for him to tease you back, which we’ve already established is like his NUMBER ONE favorite thing to do to you. 

When you DOOO spend the night with Riki? Expect to be pampered. This guy makes it his mission to make sure you’re extra comfortable before going to bed when you’re with him. He will run a nice bath for you to relax in (he will sometimes join you in the tub so you can both enjoy the time of unwinding together), he will do skincare routines with you, stock up on your favorite snacks, and make sure he already has the comfiest and softest pajamas picked out for you to wear. 

Breakfast in bed when you stay the night with him! He wakes up extra early in the mornings after you’ve stayed the night at his place so he can prepare a nice breakfast for you to enjoy in bed. Sharing a lazy breakfast with you brings him a lot of comfort and peace. He feels like moments like those spent in bed sharing a meal are special and irreplaceable. He looks forward to surprising you with something different each morning and he finds it to be a very romantic bonding activity just for the two of you. 

Riki is the best when it comes to reassuring you and providing you with comfort when you need it the most. I feel like he’s probably one of the most open minded people you could ever meet, so he would always be understanding when you want or need more from him. He’s always ready to reassert his love and admiration for you. Most of the time, you don’t really have to ask for him to reassure you that he loves you and isn’t upset with you for any reason but if the time comes, all you have to do is say that maybe you feel a little emotionally distant from him and he’s quick to fix it. 

Aside from being the best at reassuring you, Riki also has stellar communication skills and habits. He never hides what he’s feeling from you and he makes it comfortable enough that you never have to hide your feelings either. If something is wrong, he will immediately speak up about it so you can clear the air as soon as the bad feelings hit so there is no animosity between you two. He allows space for you to do the same thing and is always ready to apologize when he knows he’s overstepped a boundary. 

Overall; Riki is a very sweet, tenderhearted and sometimes childish boyfriend. He likes to spoil you with candles and blankets, he pampers you with breakfast dates and warm baths, and he is very emotionally attached to you! He prefers to keep your relationship private (not hidden by any means) from the general public but he boasts about you nonstop to friends and family. He is a very loving guy who just wants you by his side all the time. He tries to make you as comfortable as possible and he’s always ready to make changes so you can both grow positively as a couple and as individuals. He's still learning how to be a good boyfriend, so he does sometimes slip up and make mistakes but it's no big deal. He's always taking accountability for his mess-ups and he's willing to learn from his mistakes so he doesn't make the same ones over again.

[anangelinthepit]

Bruise my Bones but leave My Heart Alone

Part 2

Again my angels just a replied with a few changes here or there. Please be advised this Soren contains touchy subject so please read with caution. I love you all dearly ❤️ as always with love Magenta

Two weeks have already passed by and I still haven’t gotten anything in the mail from Bad Omen, and to be 100% honest I’m not surprised. I still feel so silly for doing that, they probably laughed and threw my letter in the trash. Not to mention my grandmother’s necklace .

“What the actual fuck is wrong with me? How stupid can I actually get? Grandma I’m so sorry.” I said with tears welding up in my eyes.

“Why the hell are you crying now.” Jason said while standing in the doorway.

“Oh nothing, I was watching a sad video about a mama cat who lost her baby.” I said while looking down at my phone

“You’re such a crybaby. It’s so fucking annoying sometimes. Cats are literally the worst animal. Anyways, Delilah and Malibu invited us over tonight, she said she had to talk to us about something. Do you have an idea on what it might be?” He looked at me with a raised brow and cigarette burning in hand. I know if I say the wrong thing that cigarette is gonna end up on my thigh again.

“I’m not sure baby. Last time I talked to her she said she wanted to go shopping but I wasn’t able too.” Biggest lie I’ve ever told but I’m treading lightly.

“Well, get dressed cause we’re gonna leave soon. No fucking tube tops, no one wants to see your damn belly handing out.” He said while flicking his cigarette on the floor.

“Okay so what should I wear?” I realized after I said that I had a bit of an attitude to my voice. My body started to tense up as he walked over towards my closet. This is gonna go two ways

“Wear this, you look pretty in light blue,”

He brought this blue sundress out and walked towards me to show it. Suddenly he had this questionable look on his face. I was just as confused because I literally didn’t say anything.

“Where’s your necklace?” He said sternly

I played stupid and asked him what he was talking about. I felt my chest start to thump and played up a pretend freak out.

“Calm down you probably lost the stupid thing in the bed somewhere.” He said looking around

“Maybe if someone wouldn’t have ripped it off my neck then it wouldn’t have fell.” I said under my breath

Big. Fucking. Mistake

Jason grabbed my face and stared me in the eye

“You really wanna go there? I suggest you shut your fucking mouth and get your clothes on before I change my mind.”

He laughs and pushes my face away. God this arrogant prick has seriously pushed me to my limit, but what possessed me to open my mouth like that? I know better.

We got dressed and made the car ride over to Delilah’s place. As always she was her spunky self and welcomed us with open arms

“So you guys are probably wondering why I brought you all here.” She said sitting down at the table where we had a game sprawled out

“Obviously, now what is it my anxiety is sky high.” Jason said

“Okay Malibu drum rolll please.”

“BAMN! VIP tickets to Bad omens with a meet and greet!” Delilah said slapping the tickets on the table.

“Oh shit no way! It’s next week that’s what’s up.” Jason said

“So we’re going ?” I questioned

“Of course baby. Anything for you!” Jason said kissing my forehead

Don’t be fooled, he only acts like this when we’re in front of others. Guess he’s afraid of his friends to see his true colors. We started our game night and had a lot of laughs, I was having such a good time It almost made me forget that when we go home all hell always breaks loose. Thankfully tonight wasn’t one of those nights, it’s great when passes out drunk because he’s easier to deal with. Delilah and Malibu followed us back home and helped me with him. Lord knows I can’t lift that man up these stairs.

We all carried him to bed and that was it for the night. No slapping , no trying to force me to have sex , just a night where I can be alone with my thoughts. Mali and Delilah said their goodbyes and left for the night. I don’t usually get too many moments by myself, but when I do I try to take them and reflect. I looked around our living room and just collapsed.

The over whelming feeling of finally being safe because he’s passed out isn’t something I should be happy about. I should always feel safe in my home but I can’t do that with him.

“It’s time.” I whispered to myself

The next week went so quick and before I knew it, it was the night of the concert.

Delilah bought me a TDOPDM shirt that was tie dye. Of course Jason said to make mine a 2x so it could look like dress on me but I didn’t care. I was able to make it look cute with my chucks and fish net tights.

We arrived at the venue for the concert and I was so excited. Jason tried keeping a leash on me but couldn’t do it very well since Envie was next to me. Bad Omens was about to start playin soon and the guys wanted to go get food. “Seriously” I thought to myself

Out of all fucking times they could have did this they choose right now right before BO hits the stage . Delilah wasn’t having it and honestly neither was I. We started to walk away because it was getting crowded but Jason grabbed my arm and whispered into my ear…..

“Don’t even think about it, rules still apply even outside of the house.try something cute and I’ll fucking kill you” He hissed

Something came over me and I yanked my arm from him. I knew for a fact he wouldn’t try anything in public so I felt brave even though I would pay for it later….

“Delilah wait up for me!” I ran toward her and we finally secured our spots

“Everything okay? Jason looked pissed”

“No he’s fine, it’s just his resting hitch face.” I said shrugging it off

I would never say that in front of him for obvious reason.

We made it early enough to where our spots were right up front. The best part about this whole thing was there were no barriers. Meaning I could reach out to Noah and possibly get to hold his hand.

The show was about to start and I could feel butterflies in my stomach. Nothing else mattered in this moment expect Bad Omens.

Nick and folio walked out, then Jolly. The crowd got louder as each band member took their spots on the stage, but nothing will compare to the sound the crowd made when Noah appeared

“HOW ARE WE DOING TONIGHT!”

A giant fucking roar came from the crowd. Screaming, crying, yelling. You name it the crowd was doing it. I was standing there in awe, because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“DO YOU GUYS KNOW THIS ONE ?”

“CONCRETE”

“JUNGLE!”

God his eyes and face are even more beautiful in person.

“I CANT FUCKING HEAR YOU. LOUDDDEEEERRR CONCRETE”

“I really underestimated how tall he actually is.”

“JUNGLE!”

Staring at Noah’s beautiful features, something caught my attention that put me in an overwhelmed state.

What is that around his neck? It’s doesn’t look like his usual chain. I thought to myself.

“CONCRETE”

At this point the chant kept going but I was completely stunned. Standing there like a statue, I noticed it was a gold chain.

A gold chain with a cross on it.

Oh. My. God.

Is he wearing my necklace ?!?!?!

“Y/N? Y/N! Girl are you okay?!?”

Delilah snapped me out of my hypnotized state. I think all the color was probably drained from my face because she looked genuinely concerned

“Are you feeling okay ? you look like you saw a ghost.” She said with her hand on my shoulder

“I’m fine I just got dizzy for a moment.” I said shaking it off

YOU GUYS ARE FUCKING AWESOME !

Bad Omens started to go down their list of songs from their TDOPOM album. It dawned on me that neither of us had send our boyfriend. Personally, I thought it was a blessing but Envie was worried. She said she wanted to go look for them. I tired to convince her to stay but she was persistent. Even though I didn’t wanna lose my spot but I wasn’t gonna let her go alone. Girl code.

“Nah girl you stay right here, This is your first ever concert and I’m not gonna let you miss it just to go find those bozos. Besides we still got our meet and greet.”

She hugged me and started to make her way thought the crowd. When I turned back around I almost had a heart attack. Before looking all the way up I saw two black boots inches away from my face. It was Noah, and he was standing right above me. Like I could literally bite his boot if I was that much of a freak. We were officially making eye contact with each other. Could he actually see me or was he staring at something else ?

“What’s your name ?” Noah said into mic

“Y/n!” I yelled.

He leans down to the point where were face to face. The color probably left my body and my eyes were popping out of my freaking head. Not only was Noah looking into my eyes, but I confirmed he’s wearing my cross necklace.

“Okay Y/N”

He grabs my hand and starts singing

“You say we got nothing in common, too bad never even got started.”

The biggest smile came across my face and Noah recognized it, he smiled back at me and gently let go of my hand. He began to walk back on the stage while still keeping a small amount of eye contact with me. God those eyes are so beautiful, it’s like I can’t look away from him.

“Delilah is never going to freaking believe this.” I thought.

Almost an hour later I spotted Envie with the guys a little behind me. She waved while Jason just gave me a death glare

“Weight down on me still tillll morning weigh down would you say I’m worthy?”

“YOU GUYS WERE AWESOME TONIGHT! Thank you so much we are Bad Omens!”

We all cheered, and just like that I experienced my first concert. I finally caught up with Delilah and Jason, we gave each other a hug while I thanked her for this.

“Girl I saw that !”

“Saw what?.” I asked

“Noah fucking Sebastian sang to you. Not to mention the entire band was starting at you

Delilah telling me that, made my heart sink into my stomach. The entire band was looking at me? Why didn’t I notice? Come to think of it, every time I looked up Nick was also looking at me too. So weird that people in the crowd could notice,but it is just Envie. She is pretty observant.

“Oh Jason you better be careful, Noah might steal your girl. I saw him take her hand a sing to her.” Envie mocked

“Yea we’ll see about that. When does this meet and greet bullshit start.” Jason scoffed

“In 20 minutes.” Envie said looking at her watch

“Okay we’ll meet up with you guys. Y/n and I gotta go call her mom back.” Jason said looking at his phone.

“My mo-.”

Beige I could finish questioning what was obviously a lie , Jason pulled my arm and made us walk towards the bathrooms. Of course this is the one fucking area of the entire venue that is pitch black. Out of all freaking places.

“Babe please there’s people h-

*SLAP*

Jason slapped me as hard as possible across the face and threw me up against the stone wall.

“You think this fucking shit is cute Y/N? I haven’t fucking taught you a lesson in a while. Maybe I should right here right now.” Jason said in my ear while home clutching my throat.

Jason lifted my shirt and tried to pull down my tights. Even with his hand around my throat I still let out a scream praying it would attract attention. Sure enough it did.

“Everything okay back here?” A voice said

“Don’t say a fucking word.” Jason wishers

“Uh Yea man everything’s fine.

Jason said Still having his hand around my throat.

“You sure dude, we heard someone screaming. Ms are you okay?” Another voice said

“Yo mind ya fucking business man.” Jason spat

Jason’s till had his hand around my theory but I was able to slightly turn my head. When I did I saw 4 figure walking towards us, and if I were Jason I would have been scared shitless.

I still couldn’t fucking believe what I was seeing. The 4 figures were Noah, Nick, Jolly, and Folio, this is a fucking dream. Well at least I’m gonna be dreaming if Jason doesn’t take his hand off my throat.

I gotta admit they have impeccable timing. At this point I could feel Jason’s grip loosen. I think that’s the first time I’ve actually seen him scared of someone, it was almost satisfying.

“We’re making it our fucking business. I suggest you take your hand off her throat before I slit yours.” Noah said with his arms crossed.

“Eh you think you fuckers scare me, I’m taking my girl home tonight and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Ms please walk toward us, I promise he won’t hurt you with us standing here. ” Nick said reaching out his hand out

“She not gonna listen to you fucks.” Jason scoffed

I pushed Jason off me as hard as I could and sprinted towards Nick,literally falling into his arms. Probably should have just grabbed his hand but my legs were about to give out from my nerves.

Jolly, Folio, and Noah started to walk toward Jason and by the looks of it they were about ready to fuck his whole world up

“Please don’t hurt him.” I blurted out tears streaming down my face.

They all looked at me confused, which was understandable because Jason was literally about to rape me when they found us. I don’t know what possessed me to ask them not to hurt him. I guess some part of my heart still had love for him, even if he continuously beat the shit out do me.

“Jason I’m done with you, get the fuck out of here before I let them hurt you.” I said with tears dripping down my face

“You think I’m letting you go that easily you got another thing coming. You’ll have to come home eventually bitch. YOU ARE MY GI-“

Without skipping a beat Noah turned around punched him in the face. Jason hit the ground, groaning in pain while spitting out a tooth.

“Judging by the way her lip is busted I just gave you taste of what you been doing.” Noah said kneeling down to Jason

Jason looked up at all of us and glared. I use to be so afraid of that stare but right now I felt like no one could touch me.

“I suggest you do what MY girl says and get the fuck outta here.” Noah said

“His Girl” I thought to myself

Jason got up and gave us the finger,

It felt so good watching him be the one limping this time. I turned to the guys to thank them and they were already walking away.

“WAIT!” I yelled.

Noah turned around and put his finger up to his mouth giving me the hush sign. I was confused but being the obedient girl Jason made me, I just nodded my head and went to go find Envie. They were in line for the meet and greet, also looking irritated.

“Hey guys.” I said calmly

“Girl there you are! I was worried because I thought you were gonna miss the meet and greet but these fuckers are running late. Anyways Where’s ya man’s?” Envie said looking behind me.

“We’ll talk about that later. Look! Here they come! I said pointing.”

We were about 5th in line which didn’t take long. I could see Noah’s fist was bruised from punching Jason, and for some odd reason I found that very hot.

“Snap out of it Y/N. He is a human not a piece of meat.”

Before I knew I was again face to face with the man who saved my life. I still noticed he was wearing my necklace. Does he know I’m the girl who sent it ?

“Hey did you enjoy the show? “ Noah asked while smiling at me

Alright coo, I guess we’re just gonna Pretend

“Yea you guys did great! You were all my first concert ever. “

“Oh yea ? hear that guys ? Her first concert” he smiled. The rest of the guys shared a fake smile with him. For performers they are awful at lying.

“ Noah I did have a question for you. If you don’t mind.” He looks at me with a stern and questioning look. I also noticed the rest of the band was now staring at me too.

“Sure! Ask away.” He says

“That’s a really pretty necklace, where did you get it?” I said in a cute snarky tone

Noah looked at me and smiled

“A fan gave it to me and asked me to keep it safe.” He said looking down at my poster and signing it.

“That was nice that you did that for her.” I said without thinking

Noah paused mid sign and looked at me

“Her?” He said

“I mean it’s a pretty girl necklace, sorry I assumed. Um Thanks for signing my poster.” I said nervously.

I think I’m getting a little too brave for my own good. I went down the line and each band member was now staring at me. It made me nervous because it was the same stair that Jason would give me. A cold stair with nothing behind the eyes, followed by a fake smile.

I got my poster signed and went about my way. Delilah and Malibu wanted to get food, the thought of eating made my stomach hurt because of everything I went through today. I told them I would meet up with them once I used the bathroom. I wasn’t going to the dark one so I looked around for something well lit.

I found one that was near what looked like where all the tour buses were parked. I didn’t see a sign that said I couldn’t go in so I took my chances. Of course it looked like something horror from a horror film, nevertheless I wasnt gonna take my chances with the bathroom that was pitch black again. I washed my hands and heard a loud thud sound followed by voices. What the hell was that? This is the girl restroom why are there dudes near here. I sighed and dried my hands, like inhavent been through enough already. What else does God have planned for me tonight? Bracing myself for the pervert comments that are waiting for me, I walked out the bathroom and was met with 4 familiar figures towering over someone. I knew immediately it was the members of Bad Omens. What I didn’t know until Noah moved to clean of his knife was the person they were towering over was Jason

“Jason?” I said to myself in shaky voice

Guess I wasn’t as good at whispering like I thought was because all 4 guys turned and looked. When my eyes adjusted to the dark, I got a good look at what was going on. Jason wasn’t moving.

Or breathing.

“Uh oh”

************************************

I love you all

[moosemonstrous]

Ghost Rider Pacific Rim AU - and the wheel keeps turning

Guero has a reputation in the barracks. He knows people, and people know him, partially because he’s been running around the base since early Cat-3s and partially because he made it his business. He made sure the mid-level folks on the support side know to come to him when they need something from the dome without the fuss of the paperwork. He made sure the quartermaster always gives him and his first pick at the list if he doesn’t want his city activities exposed to the higher-ups. He made sure to drop in by the techs’ break room every other day for literal years and feed them whatever it is they aren’t getting through the official channels, in return for a little of the same. The Shatterdome machine rolls smoothly with a little grease, and Guero holds the oil canister.

It means he’s a busy man, and it means that he doesn’t like to waste his time if he can help it. When he reached out to the new guy, it was mostly because someone getting into the academy outside of a recruitment drive usually means they’ve got interesting friends. Reyes certainly turned out to have those, if not in the way Guero suspected.

“Decommissioned, my ass,” he mutters, watching the EPLS deliver an arc reactor to Hell Charger’s bay. Word in the hangar has it that Stark is personally overseeing installation, too. Some very interesting friends indeed.

“What do you even want with the jaegers, anyway,” Pavel groans, bored. “Didn’t you say there’s money in working the ground?”

“I did, and there is. But it’s risky, and I don’t have a good contact in the Bone Slums yet.” He has to be extra careful, talking to Hannibal Chau’s people. He isn’t willing to sell anything actually important. “Think about it, the rangers go anywhere they want. Even the brass doesn’t want to piss them off.”

“Isn’t it good, then, that Reyes made it in?”

Guero loves his friends dearly, but he’s painfully aware they’d be all doomed to the front lines if any of them was behind the wheel. Sometimes it’s like trying to keep a bunch of puppies from jumping into the lagoon. “Reyes is a lying piece of shit.”

“Eh,” Pavel shrugs. He’s more interested in watching the beastie fights on his phone than anything going on in the hangar. “No offence, man, but you give him too much credit. Lena said the blood lab all think the whole solo drift is bullshit. He’s gonna get a stroke the first time he goes out for real.”

Maybe. The D-Sci people know their odds. But so do the techs, and they have been surprisingly tight-lipped on the matter. Rumour has it that Stark has been trying to get his mini-armour program off the ground since he took over R&D – and suddenly a long-lost heir to The Charger turns up to pilot the damn thing solo? Guero likes to think he can read people pretty well, and Reyes didn’t strike him as a complete idiot. Naïve and in over his head, but not necessarily a patsy – even Brooks thought he was cheating on the sims. Someone who, with a bit of guidance, could help Guero get his foot in the damn door.

Besides, he did a little digging. Reyes Senior was easy – his photos are in the news reports from the time, and there was an obituary and everything. It even mentions a wife and children, even if no further detail. It’s his co-pilot that doesn’t show up in any searches. Probably a brother, because most rangers were related or married before Mk-3s, but everything about him has been scrubbed out from any database Guero managed to get his hands on. All he has is the old Filipino down in electrics ranting about a missing friend before his shift leader told Guero to scram, and several extremely vague recollections of an asshole nobody wanted to be around anyway. Which is just another piece of this puzzle that makes no sense – the rangers do everything in pairs, it’s their whole thing. The Romeo Blue brothers are said to be constantly at each other’s throats, but you can’t mention one without the other. All the other dead rangers have their dedicated entries on the memorial wall in the main hall. He checked both names around Alberto Reyes, and then the whole list from that year – every other one could be linked to a tech, or a janitor, or a soldier. Nobody unaccounted for, nobody ‘unassigned’, save for a girl who was only six years old and died a couple of months before Daggerblight anyway.

It's weird. It doesn’t follow what Guero has always understood as the way the Shatterdome operates. Rangers are damn near revered around here – this little information about the first ones to die from the corruption is just– maddening.

Guero Valdez doesn’t suffer being made a fool lightly. He’s going to figure this out if he has to beat the answers out of Reyes himself.

###

(ugh genuinely is he going too hard too quickly? I've had a Day so people making logical decisions as according to their internal compasses is a somewhat alien concept rn)

[rottenbrainstuff]

Cat update because I want to:

Just wanted to let you all know - this amazing little cat, Sophie, the best most perfect cat in the entire world, continues to do really well despite everything she’s got going on. She is 16 years old, she has no teeth, she has kidney failure, and she has terminal cancer, but honesty it feels like sometimes she is going to live forever… she just keeps going and doing her thing and being the best little buddy anyone could ever hope for. In fact, this last year she’s been feeling really good, because she’s on medication that is making her tummy feel SO much better. She is so sweet and patient and perfect, except if I stay awake too late, or sleep in too late, or even get up to go to the bathroom, and then she complains about it. She has recently decided that she just will not eat her prescription kidney wet food, no way no how, and her majesty now just eats regular senior food. (Her kidney disease has not really progressed for some reason in the 5 years since her diagnosis so whatever. At this point, not eating will kill her faster than her kidneys so she can have what she likes)

Her cancer diagnosis last year was that probably she would live for another 1-2 years. That means I will very likely be saying goodbye to her sometime next year. That’s sad to think about, because she really has been the absolute perfect cat and the best buddy during some really bad times. I do hold out irrational hope that she’ll just keep going despite the prognosis, just like she did with her kidney disease, and I would so dearly love for her to become one of those absolutely ancient and crusty 20 year old cats. She won’t live forever though, and I’ll keep doing my best to make her feel the best that she can, and be kind when we reach a point where she has more bad days than good. It feels like that’s going to be a long time off though. So I just want to enjoy the time I have with her.

[flaretheidiot]

Y’know what? Screw it, I’mma finally post art here.

Here’s a line up of all my RTC + Legoland kid designs!!

I love them all dearly. Tall Penny/Jane, my beloved.

Headcanons under the cut!

Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg

-She/her

-Demisexual Omniromantic (female preference)

-Undiagnosed Autism + ADHD

-Constantly stims (her lil dances)

-Picks at skin or chews on nails when anxious

-Sleeps over at Constance’s so often that she has her own toothbrush there

-Learned social cues from reality TV

-Love-hate besties with Noel

-Sibling dynamic with Mischa

-Her parents legitimately suck I’m sorry

-Started eating lunch in the choir room with Constance and Ricky after almost biting Tammy in the cafeteria close to the events of Legoland

-No filter, says everything she thinks without realising if it might be rude

-(If all brought back) Is genuinely trying to be a better person, with the choirs’ help

-Love language is physical touch and words of affirmation

-Infodumps

Noel Gruber

-He/him

-Gay (canon)

-Autistic

-New Wave Cinema is his special interest

-Food problems (texture, taste, ect) make him rather picky

-Despises the smell of taco meat, but Taco Bell was the only place that hired him

-High metabolism

-Dad left Uranium after divorcing his mom when he was 5

-HARD pining for Mischa

-Writes nihilistic love poems in his free time (shows them to Mischa, Ezra and very occasionally Constance)

-Great at reading and using body language, but can exaggerate his facial expressions

-Has one very pampered ragdoll cat named Lola, whom Penny has practically fallen in love with

-Had a gut feeling/desire for Talia to be a catfish, and was low-key terrified for his life when he actually met her

-Started eating in the choir room soon after Ocean and Constance when a bully shoved his face into a plate of gooey mashed potatoes and triggered a meltdown

-Love language is quality time, words of affirmation and physical touch

-Loves physical pressure, owns a weighted blanket (sometimes uses Mischa tho)

Mischa Bachinski

-He/him (Trans man)

-Bisexual

-Dyscalculia

-Physically strongest of the kids (Jane/Penny is, surprisingly, a close second)

-Struggles with keeping his weight consistent

-His foster parents are pretty rich since their family owned the mines before they shut down, but they don’t share the wealth with him

-Will wear his binder for way too long if left unchecked

-Stealth, only Constance knew he was trans pre-accident

-Can get VERY dysphoric on his period

-Never brushes his hair

-Security guard at the mall’s movie theatre

-Regular at Blackwood Café

-The only choir member with his own car, carpools with Noel to the mall

-Is a lovesick puppy for Talia, but developing a thing for Noel (my man has two hands)

-He and Talia are a T4T couple

-Began eating in the choir room as soon as he found out that the others were

-Unspoken kinship with Ricky pre-accident, and low-key besties with Constance

-Does his own filming/editing for his YT music videos, though Talia sometimes helps polish things up

-(If they’re all brought back) he and the rest of the choir make music videos for all of their songs and post them to his YT channel, and they get pretty popular though a lot of people hate on Ocean for her song and Penny had to keep her face hidden because of her reputation

-Love language is words of affirmation and gift giving

Constance Eleanor Blackwood

-She/they (Trans Demigirl)

-Pansexual

-Autistic

-Gets very caught up in what others think of her

-Almost photographic memory

-Is the mom friend

-Has had to physically hold Ocean back from clawing Tammy’s hair out multiple times

-Transitioned at so young that almost everyone forgets that she’s trans, even Ocean or her own parents (the carney was okay with it, to her relief, but still a dick)

-The best baker of the kids, sometimes works as a waitress at the Blackwood Café in her free time

-They and her family live in an apartment above the café

-Has three younger brothers, two being twins at 6, and her baby brother being 2

-Sometimes babies Ezra out of habit

-Allowed to drive their parents’ minivan

-Played soccer as a kid, but quit

-Love language is gift giving and acts of service

-Penguin pebbles

Ricky Potts

-He/she/they (Transmasc Genderfluid)

-Bisexual

-ADHD + Autism

-Uses a Text-To-Speech app on his phone to communicate

-Mental echolalia

-Still needs crutches in the afterlife, but can move around more without getting worn out and has more strength to lift themself up

-He and Jane/Penny are platonic soulmates

-Read Warrior Cats as a kid

-Has seen CATS the Musical

-Savannah was her deadname, but he still liked it as a name and decided to save it for a character

-Has made characters based on all the other kids, usually with permission with the exception of Tammy, who he made into a villain

-Bonds with Ezra over their love for wrestling and shared creativity, occasionally joins in with his puppet shows

-Was the first to start eating in the choir room since she kept getting unintentionally pushed around in the cafeteria

-Love language is quality time and acts of service

-Infodumps and parallel plays

Jane Doe

-She/they/it/doll (Nonbinary)

-Lesbian

-Bipolar Disorder + Autism

-Struggles with tone, body language and forming connections

-Once asked if she could call Karnak “Dad” (he didn’t respond)

-Very similar to Penny, but more doll like in mannerisms

-Has brief memory sparks of important things in her life, but can’t recall details (remembered that they had a brother in TBOJD, its love for animals during her catchphrase, ect)

-Love language is physical touch, quality time and acts of service

-Penguin pebbles and parallel plays

Penny Lamb

-She/they/it (Nonbinary)

-Lesbian (in denial, Johnny was comphet x100)

-Bipolar Disorder (canon) + Autistic

-Also struggles with tone, body language and connections

-Easily overwhelmed by loud noises and flashing lights

-Semi-verbal, Ricky taught her how to use TTS on them and Ezra’s shared cellphone

-Writes 7UP what-ifs with Tammy

-(If all brought back) stole Virgil from the fair and keeps him in a nice big cage in their dorm after thoroughly researching rat care

-Ezra bought the doll (Dolly) for her with leftover drug money after they finished community service and it became a comfort item

-Likes to count Ocean, Ricky, Constance and/or Tammy’s freckles

-Was the first to die in the accident, having stood up in a panic while the rollercoaster was flying through the air because Dolly flew out of their hands and getting her head caught on some overhead track

-Had a HUGE growth spurt during puberty, was 6’0 during the events of Legoland

-(If all brought back) the others invited her to eat in the choir room with them after seeing it getting bullied on her way to the cafeteria

-Love language is physical touch, quality time and acts of service

-Penguin pebbles, parallel plays and infodumps

Ezra Lamb

-He/they (Nonbinary)

-Aroace

-ADHD (canon)

-Late puberty

-St. Cassian sent the Lamb siblings two girl uniforms for whatever reason, and they used Ezra’s to custom make what he wears now

-Noel, Mischa and Ricky are like older brothers to him

-Verbal echolalia

-If Penny’s there, they are never far away

-Their monkey puppet is his comfort item

-Jumpscares

-No personal space

-Forced to hang out with Tammy due to her being Penny’s “best friend” and plays some twisted-ass pranks on her (he also briefly stole her car once, but didn’t get very far)

-Has given Ocean death threats

-Gets piggybacks from Penny all the time

-(If all brought back) eats with Penny and the others in the choir room, no one could stop him even if they tried

-Annoying little shit/aff

-Love language is acts of service and gift giving

Tammy Edwards

-She/her

-Lesbian (very much in denial, a lot of Catholic Guilt™️)

-Undiagnosed Autism, but is unaware (Penny and Constance have their suspicions)

-Wears braces

-Deeply in love with Penny, but even deeper in comphet

-Lowkey scared of Ezra, but tolerates him because they’re her best friend’s little brother

-Academic rivals with Ocean, will most likely throw hands if left in a room together for too long

-Cringe/aff

-Father is a pastor, mother is absent

-Was gifted her dad’s old convertible for her sixteenth birthday, but she doesn’t know how to drive yet (she has failed her driver’s test many-a-times)

-Her dad is close with Mischa’s foster parents, but she generally tries to avoid Mischa

-Doesn’t have cable TV, watched low-quality niche religious cartoons growing up

-Hates velcro with all of her being

-Stims with her hands

-Was babysitting Ezra at the fair while Penny hung with the choir, and witnessed the accident

-(If all brought back) Penny invited her to eat in the choir room with her and the others, and she accepted, much to Ocean’s dismay (they glared at each other the entire time, and the only reason they didn’t lunge at one another is because Penny was there)

-Love language is gift giving, quality time and words of affirmation

-Penguin pebbles

[foreveralwaysanauthor]

Melaka Mystica (Part 2/3)

November 27, 2023

Notes - This month has been pretty dang good as I got a car, marched in a parade, made Thanksgiving dinner on my own for the first time (and didn't burn anything other than my energy and my mom's only remaining brain cells 😂), but then my uncle's cat, Budweiser (Buddy) who was 17 and I loved as my own, passed away after getting his final fill of turkey. He was an amazing old boy and I'll miss him dearly, but at least he's with the rest of my family, getting all the attention he could ever want! Honestly, though, I'm proud of myself for getting this done before the end of the month with all that happened around me! This is pretty much just 33 pages of me going off the rails at 3am and typing until my hands hurt, but it's worth it in the end! Anyway, I might need to invest in a wrist brace for carpal tunnel at this point 🙈😂

You all are clearly in over your pretty, little heads.

Metal dragged across old bricks, scraping a pile of leaves into a growing heap by the side of the road. As much as Mick hated being relegated to raking the sidewalk outside of her family’s shop, it got her away from the overbearing smell of incense packets and burning sage. Ever since the incident on Halloween, she had been suffering through her days at work. Things at the store had never been difficult for her before Halloween, but if the books Miles had been sending her excerpts of were anything to go by, all of her new problems were partly due to the possession she’d faced. Whatever had possessed her that day had left lingering traces of itself in her, making it damn near impossible for her to get through a workday. Whatever it had been, must have hated sage and incense, which, if she thought about it, made sense as negativity was supposed to be pushed out with a sage cleansing.

Regardless of how often she stepped out to breathe, her headaches only increased when someone would pull an incense stick from the wicker basket by the shop door to see how it smelled. She had tried to use one of the aromatherapy inhalers Carrie had bought her - something the blonde said she used to keep her sinuses clear during the winter if she had a show to perform in - but those only helped so much in the little shop. With customers pulling incense sticks from their packages to smell them properly, teens opening candles or essential oils, and groups of kids on field trips being obnoxious during Carrie’s performances, Mick was ready to down a bottle of Tylenol and pass out.

Thankfully, business had slowed down a considerable amount once Halloween passed. However, there were still the odd tourists coming and going in search of souvenirs and regulars looking for new crystals or a refill of their favorite incense. Once the local schools let out, they would get swarms of children and teenagers alike, pushing and shoving their way into the small store for cheap drinks or snacks. Some days were better than others, where they would get mostly older people coming in for replacement items or wanting a tarot reading. However, there were days when there would be an ignorant, middle-aged person looking to speak with the manager or owner - someone other than some “twenty-something little shit,” as most of them put it. On days like those, Mick wondered why her parents would give her the store if she had to deal with people like that all day. 

Then again, they weren’t entirely retired, and people who knew and loved her parents would sometimes come in asking specifically for them. Mick never minded stepping into the back room and quickly calling either of her parents, asking them to stop by. After Halloween, however, the stress of everything had been too overwhelming. More often than not, Mick wanted nothing more than to call up her parents and give the shop back to them, telling them that she just couldn’t handle it. However, she had managed to fight through the first week of November without having to call her parents for anything more than a friendly visit and felt as though things would get better over time.

Then came the eleventh. Due to Veteran’s Day, the schools were closed, and the city’s parade was set to go through the streets, honoring those who had served in any branch of the military - alive or dead. Parade days meant busy business, and, to her dismay, many of those who had marched through the streets had come to the Coven’s Cottage for a hot cider and some of Mrs Murphy’s homemade cider donuts. With so many different emotions coming at her from everyone who stepped in the door, Mick got overwhelmed quickly. After a sobbing woman and her children came inside, Mick realized she was shaking like a leaf. After sending the girl to the back to calm down, Miles and Carrie were left to fend for themselves while an overwhelmed Mick hid in the break room to cry through the pain of a slaughtering migraine. Once things had calmed down and Mick was able to think properly, Miles convinced the brunette to wave her white flag, and she asked her parents for help. 

Later that night, Mick had Miles and Carrie go home with her as witnesses so that her parents would see that she wasn’t just talking out of her ass. With his previous knowledge of magic, Brady was, understandably, concerned for his daughter’s health and mental well-being and began pacing - showing an anxious, overthinking side of the man that none of the young adults had seen before. On the other hand, while Mack had no magical ties of her own, the woman was determined to find a way to help her only child, looking into books and articles that could help cleanse Mick of any lasting effects from her possession. After sitting the older couple down once more and having them take the time to read over some of the things Miles and Carrie had found in their research for Mick, Mack and Brady agreed to put their daughter on lighter duty at their family shop, resuming their original positions as co-owners.

While the slightly lesser traffic in the shop and her parents helping out made things a bit easier on Mick’s headaches, she still felt physically drained just sitting in her family’s shop. Unlike Vivien or Royce, she didn’t have the ability to say her lungs were tight when someone tried to light sage or incense or claim her blood pressure was acting out whenever she got dizzy sitting at the register. In reality, with her parents and friends hovering almost every day, she was forced to get out and walk around town more frequently, giving her some fresh air. However, on days when the air outside was sitting in the forties, and the wind was like a cruel slap to the face, Mick despised being sent outside. She knew that, all too soon, the air would be too cold to breathe without a scarf over her face, and the ice on the ground would make it too difficult to make it from one place to another without slamming into the sidewalk, but that didn’t make her appreciate the moderately chilly autumn. 

Heaving a huff of frustration as a nearby car barrelled down the street to beat a changing traffic light, the icy breeze dragging off of the vehicle and scattering her hard work into the wind, and Mick rolled her eyes. She was sick of raking meaningless piles of leaves, sick of being pushed aside and asked to do menial tasks just because she had a hard time sitting around in the shop. She could have been doing so much more to help out around the shop! She could organize the storage room, put new stock out on the shelves, or help give aura readings or something - anything! She was so tired of being useless to everyone she cared about.

With a shake of her head, Mick sucked in a breath and sighed before turning back toward the shop. The bell above the door chimed - a replacement for the cackling witch sound they had put up for Halloween - and Mick leaned the rake against the wall by the door before tugging her gloves and hat off and shoving them into the pockets of the maroon, fleece-lined coat her parents had bought her years ago. The pocket zippers had been melted open after she had unceremoniously tossed the coat in front of the heater once, the faux fur lining around the hood was slightly matted after having used it for so many frigid winters, and the elastics in the cuffs of the sleeves had lost their grip a long time ago, but the coat kept her warm and, to Mick, that was all that mattered.

The smell of burning sage filled the small shop, and although Mick would have usually taken a big whiff of it to calm herself, she refrained as a woman with a bag of incense sticks stepped around her to leave. As Mick ditched her coat on the rack behind the counter, she stepped up behind her mom and pressed a kiss to the woman’s cheek before taking a caramel from the dish on the counter and making her way to the back room to see if Miles and Carrie were on their breaks yet. Instead of finding the pair curled up on the couch, talking through the entirety of their break, Mick found her dad sitting in her usual chair, a cup of something in one hand and his phone in the other.

Smiling to herself as she decided to make her presence known, Mick asked, “What happened to doing a tarot reading for Mrs Anderson?”

Looking up from his device with a grin, Brady replied, “She got what she wanted and left already.”

“Let me guess,” Mick began as she perched herself on the armrest of her dad’s chair, “she thought her husband was cheating again and wanted to see if it was her sister or the new neighbor?”

“Almost,” Brady chuckled, placing his phone on his leg as he handed Mick his drink for her to try. “She thought it could be the mailman.”

Grateful she hadn’t taken a sip of her father’s drink, Mick let out a bark of laughter, “She thought Mr Anderson - the pastor of their church - was having an affair with her husband?”

Brady hummed, nodding in confirmation as he rhetorically asked, “Who doesn’t she accuse her husband of cheating with?” 

Mick snickered as she handed her father his drink, “Ironic from the woman who has been divorced five times because of her cheating.”

With a shrug, Brady said, “It’s not our place to judge.”

“True.”

After taking a sip of his drink, Brady said, “Your mom and I are heading out early to meet with some friends from school who are back in town for the week. Do you think you, Miles, Carrie, and the kids can handle the shop until closing?”

Nodding, Mick smiled at the idea as she said, “Yeah, of course. We handled it for months on our own before.”

Groaning at the twinge of pain that had grown familiar in his lower back, Brady regretted all of the reckless things he had done in his teen years as he pushed himself out of his chair. Despite only recently turning forty, his body felt as though it belonged to someone nearing eighty. Brady suppressed a grimace as he stretched before turning to his daughter and saying, “That was before you were possessed by ancient magic.”

Taking in a deep breath, Mick slowly nodded in understanding. Regardless of how much she despised how easily that was everyone’s excuse for giving her lighter tasks, Mick understood where they were coming from. If what happened to her had happened to anybody else in her immediate circle, she would have acted the same. Offering her dad a slight grin, Mick allowed him to lean down and press a kiss to her forehead before saying, “I get it, but honestly, I’m doing pretty well today.”

“Good,” Brady mused. “Try to keep it that way.”

“I will,” Mick claimed as the door to the basement opened, allowing Miles and Carrie to come in.

Brady hummed appreciatively before turning toward the young couple with a smile, “Did you two find that book I told you about?”

“We did,” Carrie said, offering the man her signature smile as Miles held up the thick hardcover book. “Do you really think it’ll help the kids?”

“It should,” Brady stated. “I didn’t get much use out of it, as you know, but it’s been in the family for many generations. If it helped them, why not let the kids use it?”

Miles nodded as he examined the book. The leather bindings were worn and peeling, the spine flexible yet delicate, and it smelled of an old library book that had been left on the shelves for a couple hundred years, but the pages were still crisp, and the ancient calligraphy was very clearly legible. While on the outside, the book certainly looked aged and well-loved, the pages still read as clear as day, making Miles question if it had some sort of protection charm that stood the test of time. Grinning to himself, Miles fleetingly wondered if the book in his hands was the origin of people saying not to judge books by their covers.

Lifting his gaze to meet Brady’s, Miles spoke, “Thanks again, Mr Birch. I know the kids would be interested in diving into actual spells and potions.”

Brady waved him off, “It’s not like I’m getting any use out of it, Miles. However, I do suggest asking your mother to help them with anything involving baking.”

“She is one of the best bakers in Salem,” Mick mused. 

Before Brady could say anything more, the back room opened, and his wife’s head poked inside. “I hate to interrupt,” Mack began, “but it’s almost two, Brady.”

Heaving a sigh, Brady clapped his hands and said, “Well, duty calls, kids.”

As her husband gathered his belongings, Mack asked, “Mick, honey, are you going over to Miles’ house after work?”

“I was thinking about it,” Mick shrugged. “The kids wanted to work on some beginner-level potions.”

“Are you staying for dinner?” Brady asked.

“She’d better,” Miles said before Mick could answer. “My mom said she’s making pizza casserole.”

Mick snickered, “I guess I’m staying for dinner then.”

“Alright,” Mack said with a smile, “well, we’ll be back home around six or seven to watch the eclipse if your father can get his butt in gear.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Brady claimed as he pulled his coat around his shoulders. Leaning down, Brady kissed the top of his daughter’s head before whispering to her, “Bring me back some of that casserole.”

“I will,” Mick said with a grin.

“You don’t need any casserole, Brady,” Mack claimed with a hint of a smirk tugging at her lips. “We’re going out to Hanna Devine’s.”

Brady’s expression said it all. Unlike most of the little bistros and restaurants in the city, Hanna Devine’s was a large building on the corner of a busy street that charged prices through the roof for a portion barely significant enough to qualify as a meal. Between the hassle of finding a parking spot and the extensive waitlist for a single table, the restaurant was usually only inhabited by insane people who didn’t mind paying forty dollars for a small piece of steak or twenty-five bucks for a side order of steamed vegetables. Despite attempting to get his point across with a pleading look, Brady found his wife’s piercing gaze and quickly schooled his expression as he sighed, “Yes, ma’am.”

Rolling her eyes with a smile, Mick turned her gaze back to her daughter and said, “If there’s enough, bring us both back some. Chances are, we’ll still be hungry when we leave.”

Making his way to the door of the room, Brady beamed, “This is why I love you.”

“Because I let you get leftovers?” Mack questioned as Brady kissed her cheek. “What about when we got married or when I had to endure nine months of Mick’s punches to my bladder?”

“Of course I loved you then,” Brady stated. “It’s just that I really wanted that casserole.”

“And because I let you have it,” Mack slowly stated, “that’s your primary reason for loving me now?”

As Brady floundered, scouring his mind for something to say, Mick snickered, “Way to word things, Dad.”

“Good luck getting out of that one,” Carrie chuckled.

“There’s a store you can stop at on the way to Hanna’s that sells shovels since you seem to be in a hurry to dig your own grave, Mr Birch,” Miles said with a grin.

“None of you are helping!” Brady exclaimed, looking around at the three young adults with a gleam in his eyes that begged for them to shut up.

Choosing to end her husband’s struggle, Mack snickered, patting him on the arm fondly, “I’m just screwing with you. Now, come on, let’s get on the road before school gets out, and we’re stuck behind eight different buses.”

With a sigh of relief, Brady relaxed, turning back toward the kids with a small smile as he said, “Be good, remember to lock up the shop, and please, for the love of all things holy, remember to bring us back some casserole if there’s any left.”

As Mick gave her dad a mock salute, Miles chuckled, “We’ve got everything under control.”

“Enjoy your dinner with friends,” Carrie said, offering the older couple a wave as they left the room. Once the door was closed, the blonde turned to Mick with a smile and asked, “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m fine, for once,” the brunette replied. “I haven’t had any headaches since this morning when the trash truck came, and I’ve gotten through most of the day without needing to step out.”

“That’s good,” Miles said thoughtfully as he set the book for the kids on the couch. “Do you feel up to taking the register until closing?”

Eager to feel useful again, Mick quickly nodded as she said, “Yeah, of course. Are you going to restock or are you going to pick up the kids?”

Checking his watch, Miles said, “I’ll probably pick them up. If I get there early and find their bikes, I’ll put them on the rack before the bell rings.”

Leading the way to the main room of the shop, Mick mused, “Soon, they’ll be needing a ride every day.”

“Especially since it snowed two nights ago,” Miles sighed as he rounded the counter.

“Don’t mention that word,” Carrie said with a shiver. “I was hoping it would hold off until Christmas or something and then never come back.”

“Wishful thinking,” Mick snorted.

Carrie sighed as she slumped against the counter, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, “At least we’re not supposed to get any more for a while.”

“When did you hear that?” Mick wondered.

Tugging her phone from her pocket and unlocking it, Carrie swiped around for a moment before showing her friend her weather app. “My phone says the next week or so is clear.”

Mick examined the weather listing before tapping on the screen, “We’ve got rain on Saturday and Wednesday, though. That can become snow if it gets cooler out.”

“But the app says it’s just rain,” Carrie said hopefully.

“It’s New England,” Miles chuckled as he zipped up his jacket. “The forecast lies.”

Carrie let out a resigned sigh, “I know, but I’m staying as optimistic as possible.”

“Good luck with that,” Miles muttered, his breath brushing across Carrie’s cheek as he leaned in for a kiss. “Do you guys want anything while I’m out?”

“A million dollars,” Mick joked.

“Weathermen who won't lie,” Carrie added.

“A will to live.” 

“Magical powers.”

Glancing between the pair, Miles sighed and rolled his eyes, “I meant things I can pick up from the gas station.”

“Ah,” Carrie breathed. “In that case, I’ll take some cherry Twizzlers.”

“I guess I’ll take some cheesy popcorn,” Mick said with a grin.

“Puffcorn or Smartfood?” Miles asked.

“Smartfood,” Mick said before thanking her friend.

“Weirdos,” Miles mused as he typed in their requests on his phone, knowing the pair would be sharing snacks in no time.

“Proud of it,” the two girls said in startling unison before turning to each other and laughing.

With a shake of his head and a fond smile, Miles pulled his keys out of his pocket and headed out the door, passing the shop’s picture windows on his way to his Jeep. Smiling to herself, Mick turned her attention to the music playing over the store’s speakers, switching the radio station to one she knew both she and Carrie enjoyed. As something other than smooth jazz filled the shop, Carrie bopped her head to the beat with a smile before turning her gaze to Mick once more. 

The last two weeks had felt like an eternity. She had watched Mick struggle the first couple of days - the brunette unable to pull herself out of her thoughts. Carrie had spent some time talking things over with Mick during that time, listening to her ramble nonsensically about all that had happened to her and all the struggles she faced. The first two days, Mick had been in a daze, operating on a repetitive cycle out of habit more than anything. Carrie spent a lot of time helping at the register as Mick would often stare off into space or lock herself away in the back room due to headaches. The first few days were difficult as Mick asked people to give her time to think and process, but it seemed to everyone that she had closed herself off from everything and everyone. 

Mick’s relationships with everyone who was there that night had grown strained in that time - the only ones not suffering being Butchy and Lela, as they were only there for the aftermath. Whilst saying they hadn’t always gotten along well in school was an understatement, Carrie and Mick had grown close after Miles started dating the blonde. Over time, a bond had formed, but after Mick’s possession, Carrie could feel the distance between them growing once more. Everyone could. Though the brunette never outright pushed anybody away, they all knew she had come close to it more than once.

Carrie had never seen Mick so despondent and detached as she was in those first days. It took Miles climbing the tree in the Birch family’s backyard and climbing in through Mick’s window for her to begin talking to anyone who had been there. Understandably, Miles was the first person she opened up to as they had always been inexplicably close, but then she opened up to Carrie, and the blonde got to see more of the girl’s inner thoughts laid out before her like a jigsaw puzzle.

The strain Mick felt was palpable. Her hurt was nearly insurmountable, the stress was overwhelming, and the pain she felt whilst reliving and retelling her side of things was evident in her eyes. It took just shy of a week before Mick felt comfortable having the kids around her again. The thought that whatever was left in her might come back to hurt the kids had plagued her night and day, but after hearing that Vivien blamed herself for the older girl being distant, Mick forced herself to meet with them in the Common. They sat on opposite sides of the pavilion Saturday night, Mick asking Miles to tie her to the table with a scarf to keep her from hurting anybody, and that was the first time Carrie felt like crying about Mick’s situation. The thought that the bubbly, doting brunette was so afraid of hurting the kids made Carrie saddened and sick at the same time. Mick didn’t deserve to be scared of every move she made.

By the end of their conversation that night, things had begun to heal, but anyone who knew them could still feel the remnants of strain between Mick and Vivien. Things were slowly getting better between them, but Carrie quickly took note of the wistful glimpses Vivien would sneak of the older girl. Though Carrie, like everyone else, was sure things would return to normal - or some semblance of it, at the very least - she knew it would take time. 

Listening to Mick hum along to the radio, Carrie glanced around to guarantee the shop was empty of customers before clearing her throat and asking, “Speaking of magical powers, I heard that Vivien was trying to find a way to give you some the other day.”

Brown eyes lifted from Mick’s phone and fleetingly met Carrie’s azure gaze before Mick shrugged and returned her focus to her phone, “She was, yeah.”

“I think it’s sweet that she’s trying so hard.”

To Carrie’s chagrin, Mick only shrugged again, “I guess so, but I wish she wouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?” Carrie questioned. “I thought you wanted powers like theirs?”

“That was before I was possessed,” Mick admitted, meeting Carrie’s gaze once more. “I would have done anything for some magic back then.”

“But now?”

“Now I’m scared to even think about having magic.”

Carrie’s smile faltered at the weight of Mick’s statement. In a way, she should have expected that to be Mick’s answer, but in reality, she hadn’t thought about it from the brunette’s perspective. Vivien had gone to Carrie looking for help researching how to give someone magic, and although the pair had spent hours scouring through old books filled with runes and spells and potions, they hadn’t found anything that would allow Vivien to do what she wanted to.

Attempting to appear unfazed, Carrie asked, “How come? With your family’s long, magical bloodline, I would’ve throught you’d want to follow them.”

“I did,” Mick sighed, setting her phone aside in favor of the conversation at hand. “I wanted it more than anything. But now that I know how dangerous I could be if I let power get to my head, I’m sort of glad my dad cut off the line when he did.”

Taking in a slow breath, Carrie asked, “That really bothered you, huh?”

Mick hummed with a nod, “It’s hard to act as though it doesn’t, but I’m trying. I just-” Mick cut herself off with a sigh, “I wish I never read that damn book.”

“What-?”

Before Carrie could get anything more out, Mick cut her off, “If I’d never read that book, I wouldn’t have to live with constant headaches or people looking at me like I’m made of glass or everyone acting as though they need to walk on fucking eggshells around me!” Stopping to take in a breath, Mick ran her hands over her hair before sighing, “What hurts the most is living with the fact that all of this is my fault.”

Though Carrie didn’t want to push her luck with Mick, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “How on earth is any of this your fault?”

“If I hadn’t tried to weasel my way into magic,” Mick began slowly, meeting the blonde’s gaze with nothing but sincerity in her caramel eyes, “we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“It wasn’t like you read the book on purpose,” Carrie offered. “Even Butchy said that Casper knocked it over and you just read the first page you came across.”

“He’s right,” Mick confirmed, “but that doesn’t change the fact that, if I hadn’t made the black flame candle or been so determined to give myself magic, none of this would have happened.”

Carrie sighed, placing a hand on Mick’s arm in the hope that it offered the girl some semblance of comfort, “You don’t know that for a fact.”

“That’s just it,” Mick said, a dry, humorless chuckle falling from her lips as her exhausted brown eyes found Carrie’s vibrant blue, “I do.”

“Have a great night,” Royce said as he handed a paper bag to the last customer of the day. He didn’t know how Miles and the girls could handle working there all day, dealing with people in various moods, and handling children being generally obnoxious; he could only handle it for a few hours without wanting to leave. He didn’t mind most of the people who came and went, but there were a select few who were just pure negativity. While Mondays were usually slow in the shop, Royce was surprised to find the clock already ticking over to five as he looked up at the clock. Maybe the time had flown because he, Bentley, and Vivien had the chance to get their homework done between customers for once. Or, as Miles had teasingly suggested, it was due to the fact that he kept watching Vivien help people find crystals.

Royce discretely rolled his eyes at the thought - of course, Miles would tease him for something so small. It was payback for when Royce teased the shit out of Miles when he got with Carrie. Although Miles kept his relationship with Carrie under wraps from their mom, he hadn’t been so lucky when it came to his brothers. At first, his relationship with Carrie was nonexistent, but after a little over a year of them being together and seeing their mom gradually grow to enjoy having the blonde around, Royce found himself not minding Carrie nearly as much as he had initially. Now that he got along alright with Carrie, it was easier to tease Miles about the relationship, ironically giving Miles the right to tease him about Vivien in return.

It wasn’t like Miles and Bentley hadn’t teased him about his fondness for Vivien long before Carrie came into the picture, but it seemed as though Miles felt the situation evened out the playing field. It made sense in a way. Not only was Vivien one of his best friends, but everyone around them knew he had a thing for her. It wasn’t exactly a secret. In a way, he was sure Vivien knew as well, but he couldn’t tell how she felt on the matter. She never pushed him away - it wasn’t in her nature to anyway - but she also never acted upon what was going on. If she felt anything toward him, she never said, but then again, he never really did either. All he knew was that he adored her and, regardless of her feelings toward him, he would care about her until she told him to do otherwise.

Tearing his gaze away from Vivien once more as the door clicked shut, the bells tinkling a final farewell, Royce took in a deep breath and looked around the store for his younger brother. Almost on cue, Bentley pushed himself from his seat on the floor where he’d been reading comic books and scurried to the door, flipping the lock into place with a smile. Turning back to his brother and Vivien, the blond excitedly asked, “Is it potion time now?”

Chuckling as Royce tugged the cash register drawer from its confines, Vivien nodded, “I think it is.”

Setting the drawer on the shelf under the register, Royce leaned against the counter and asked, “Why don’t you go back and tell them that the lady finally left and that we can leave?”

Sending his brother a mock salute, Bentley beamed and set his comic book on the counter before saying, “Sir, yes, sir,” and taking off for the back room, the door swinging back and forth upon his departure. Royce shook his head, sighing as Bentley disappeared. For the greater part of the last week, he’d been subjected to Bentley’s ramblings on potions and which ones he was willing to make. While Royce was glad his younger brother was excited, he sort of wished it wasn’t the only thing they talked about when nobody else was around.

Vivien chuckled, leaning against the counter with a smile, “You know, I think it’s pretty cool that he’s so interested in all this witchy stuff.”

“Yeah, it is,” Royce agreed with a nod. Taking in a breath, Royce began sorting the money from the cash register as Vivien picked up the logbook and started writing down how many of each bill they had. As he finished with the twenties and set them aside, Royce turned to Vivien and asked, “Wait, didn’t you say something earlier about a magic thing you needed to talk about?”

Penciling in the number of bills Royce had counted, Vivien glanced up and nodded, “I did, but let’s finish this first and we’ll talk with the others about it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mhm.”

Despite his visible skepticism, Royce gave the brunette a slight nod and said, “Alright, if you’re sure.”

Vivien nodded her confirmation before urging Royce to continue counting. By the time they were done and the money was put into the safe under the register, the shop’s speakers had been turned off, and the streetlamps outside were on, moths fluttering around them and casting shadows on the sidewalk. Closing the safe and locking it, Vivien followed Royce to the back room where Mick and Miles were debating whether the herbs they had received in the latest shipment should be placed with the hanging herbs or ground and placed with the jars of herbs while Bentley talked Carrie’s ear off on the couch. As Royce latched the swinging door to keep it from moving, Mick paused in her tirade, glancing over at the young pair as they entered the room.

Sensing Mick’s gaze as the conversations in the room stalled, Vivien slowly turned in the older girl’s direction, raising a hand in a wave as she spoke, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Mick returned as Miles dropped the issue in favor of observing the interaction. Vivien and Mick hadn’t talked often since Halloween, and although Miles had encouraged both of them to step up and put in the effort, his advice seemed to go in one ear and out the other as the two danced on eggshells around each other. After Miles nudged his longtime friend, encouraging her to put in a bit more effort, Mick smiled and said, “I like your hoodie.”

Vivien glanced down and allowed herself to grin. Her blue and yellow hoodie had been bought off of Etsy and was embroidered with a subtle nod toward the most recent Five Nights at Freddy’s game - a small logo for the Security Breach’s daycare declaring Vivien as a staff member. She had bought more than just the one hoodie from the Etsy shop, blasting her way through most of her first official paycheck as she bought one of each of her favorite characters’ fleece hoodies and matching sweatpants. Despite her love of the game, Vivien had chosen to take the more discreet route in choosing her outfit for the day, keeping things moderately simple to avoid unnecessary attention. Although her hair had covered the design for most of the day, she had pulled her hair back while counting the money, so it seemed only fitting that the one person who had gotten her interested in the franchise was also the one to notice the detail. 

Lifting her head, Vivien smiled and began indirectly quoting the game, “I figured we could finger paint, tell some stories, maybe drink some Fizzy Fazz until our heads explode, and then stay up all night.”

“As fun as that sounds,” Carrie began, “I would much rather we keep our heads intact, thank you very much.”

Sighing as she theatrically rolled her eyes, Vivien huffed, “You’re no fun!”

Mick let out a slight snicker, “As long as we keep the lights on, I doubt any of us will lose our heads.”

As Vivien snorted, dissolving into giggles at Mick’s hinted joke, Carrie glanced between the pair and said, “I’m just going to assume that’s something from the game.”

“It is,” Bentley confirmed.

“And you’re not missing much,” Miles added as he crossed the room to gather his belongings.

“Just a murderous animatronic daycare attendant who hunts you down and kills you if you turn the lights off,” Royce finished with a smirk aimed at the blonde, “that’s all.”

“That’s all?” Carrie echoed, mildly concerned that they had all found an interest in such a game. Attempting to process the thought as both Royce and Bentley nodded in confirmation, Carrie’s eyes widened slightly before closing as she shook her head and sighed, “I don’t know how you can find that entertaining.”

“You would if you played it,” Vivien chuckled. 

“Doubtful.”

Choosing to steer the conversation away from the topic at hand, Miles leaned against the armrest of the couch and tucked his hands into his pockets as he said, “Anyway, does anyone need to grab anything before we go?”

Despite the others shaking their heads, Royce said, “Viv said she wanted to talk about something after closing.”

Though she hated the feeling of having everyone’s eyes on her, Vivien was surprisingly calm as she nodded, “I did, yeah.”

“What’s up?” Bentley asked as he moved to sit criss-cross on the couch.

Taking a deep breath as Mick pulled a chair out from the table they usually ate lunch at on weekends and sat down, Vivien thought back to her time at school as she said, “I was on my way to the vending machine at school and I ran into Serena.”

“How is she doing now that she and that other girl have gone their separate ways?” Carrie asked.

“Yeah,” Mick began, “are they leaving you guys alone now?”

“I mean, yeah, but that’s not the point,” Vivien said. “The point is, when I went to walk around her, she grabbed my arm and it was like the whole school lost color.”

Curiously, Miles’ head tipped to the side as he asked, “Like the lights went out?” 

“I didn’t notice anything,” Bentley mentioned.

“No, not like that,” Vivien sighed. Taking a moment to think of something to compare it to, Vivien gestured to the group as she spoke, “Okay, do you guys remember that scene from Harry Potter where Harry meets Dumbledore in the limbo version of the train station and there’s that creepy Voldemort thing under the bench?”

As everyone began nodding, Mick asked, “After Voldemort tried killing him in the forest?”

Vivien nodded, “Exactly. Serena held my arm and the whole school looked like that. Then, when I looked back at her, she was standing in some kind of glass case, banging on the walls and screaming.”

As though Vivien had unplugged a hidden speaker, the room grew silent. Carrie’s sapphire eyes flickered to Mick before landing back on Vivien as Mick’s chocolate eyes flitted down to the floor. Miles took in the seriousness and sincerity in Vivien’s face before moving his gaze onto Mick, wondering to himself if what Vivien described was something she had seen two weeks prior. As Bentley searched Vivien’s face for any sign that she was joking, Royce took a seat beside his younger brother. 

Looking up at Vivien, the middle Murphy brother asked, “Is that why you looked so pale when I found you?”

“That’s part of it,” Vivien nodded. “My blood pressure was low anyway, but the whole Serena thing didn’t exactly help.”

Miles uncrossed his arms as he asked, “How are you now?”

“I’m fine, but that’s not what matters right now,” Vivien sighed. “After Serena let me go, everything around us went back to normal, but there was something about her that just felt off to me.”

Cautiously, Carrie asked, “Like what?”

“Like she wasn’t herself,” Vivien explained. 

“She’s always kind of snarky and rude,” Royce mused with a roll of his eyes.

Vivien nodded, “Well, yeah, but there was this sort of direct, emotionless, borderline-cold tone under it all. It was kind of like - well, I don’t know, actually. It’s hard to describe.”

For the first time since Vivien explained what her interaction with Serena was like, Mick spoke, her tone soft but tense as she asked, “Sort of like she was in the car, but someone else was at the wheel?”

Vivien’s head turned, slowly finding Mick’s form as the brunette’s head lifted, her dark eyes finding Vivien’s with relative ease. Taking in the older girl’s expression, Vivien took in a breath and slowly nodded as she muttered, “Yeah.”

Although the room had grown tense, Carrie scooted to the edge of her seat and attempted to smile as she suggested, “That doesn’t mean Serena’s possessed. She could be having trouble at home or something; that can change someone’s behavior.” 

“But what about the vision Viv saw?” Bentley asked.

Before Carrie could answer, Mick spoke again, “From what I remember, I never gave anybody visions.”

“You didn’t,” Miles confirmed with a slight shake of his head, “but that doesn’t rule it out entirely.”

Trying to offer something other than the worst possible scenario, Carrie stood from the couch and made her way to the growing pile of books the kids had left by the bookshelf as she said, “What if it’s something different entirely?”

“Like what?” Royce asked sarcastically. “It sounds a lot like Serena is possessed.”

“And maybe she is,” Carrie said as she began pulling books from the pile and setting them aside. Taking a book from the stack with a smile, Carrie held it up for the others to see as she asked, “But what if there’s a different way to go about this? That way, we don’t have to go about doing another exorcism.”

“What do you have in mind?” Mick asked as Carrie began flipping through the old, worn book.

“My first thought was astral projections,” Carrie confessed. “I’ve been looking through some of these books to see if I could figure out how the kids’ abilities could branch into other forms of magic over time and training, but the only one to offer any help was this one.”

Peering over the blonde’s shoulder as the pages flicked by, Vivien asked, “What did you find?”

Carrie hummed until she found the proper page, pointing to an extensive paragraph as she began reading aloud, “‘Astral projection, also known as astral travel or out-of-body experience, is the practice of separating one’s consciousness from their physical body and traveling to the astral realm. The astral realm is said to be a non-physical realm that exists parallel to the physical world, where energy and consciousness exist in a different form. In this realm, one can explore different planes of existence, communicate with spirits and other entities, and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the universe. Some records in history suggest that witches as far back as medeival times used these projections to communicate with others possessing the same abilities. One of the most infamous records of astral projection was written by a supposed witch who was later hung for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. The document speaks of witches talking to one another on another plane of existence, warning other accused witches of what was to come.’”

Following along as best as she could over Carrie’s shoulder, Vivien said, “That could be what happened.”

“It sounds like it,” Bentley mused.

“I would prefer that over having to deal with another possessed person roaming through Salem,” Mick piped up.

“Hang on,” Royce began as he stood from his seat. “What if it’s both?”

“Both?” Miles asked.

Royce nodded, “What if the real Serena is possessed, but she’s projecting to Vivien as a way of asking for help?”

After a moment of silence passed over the room, Mick said, “That makes sense. When I was possessed, it felt like I was trapped inside myself. The real Serena being trapped inside a glass box is sort of fitting.”

“So,” Bentley drawled as he glanced around at everybody, “what do we do about it?”

“We could lure her to the church,” Miles offered.

“No, we can’t,” Mick sighed. “Most of the churches in the area are either having meetings for Thanksgiving food donations or hosting events tonight.”

“How did you find that out?” Royce asked with a raised eyebrow.

“My parents were going to use one of the dining halls for their school reunion,” Mick shrugged.

“Alright,” Vivien breathed. “Where else could we take her?”

“What about a cemetery?” Carrie suggested. “Those are hallowed ground, right?”

“Yeah, because nothing screams serial killer quite like luring someone to a cemetary after dark,” Royce snipped, earning himself a nudge to the ribs from Bentley.

“How about we lure her to our house?” Miles offered.

“Are you insane?” Bentley asked as everyone else began arguing over the thought. “Not only would it be stupid to bring a possessed witch to our house, but Mom’s home tonight. If Serena tries to fight us, we can’t fight back in front of her.”

“Hear me out,” Miles began. Once the room was quiet once more, he continued, “Because mom bakes a lot, she’s got a ton of salt in the pantry. If we go around the house and put up a salt ring to protect ourselves inside the house, Serena can’t touch us.”

“Her magic would bounce off,” Mick said thoughtfully. 

Miles nodded, “Exactly.”

Once the concept had settled within everyone’s minds, Royce spoke up, “How are we going to get her there?”

Before Miles could come up with anything, Carrie gestured between Vivien and Royce as she asked, “Do either of you share a class with her that has a test coming up; something that would require a lot of notes for?”

Vivien shook her head, “We both have science with her, but we don’t have any tests until next Friday.”

“I have geography with her,” Royce sighed. “We’ve got a test on Thursday for the semester’s closing grades.”

“Well,” Carrie began, a devilish smile tugging at her glossy lips, “you could text her and say that you have a bunch of notes for the test that she can use if she needs them.”

“How would that draw her in?” Miles wondered.

“Normally, it wouldn’t,” Vivien explained, “but if she is possessed, whatever it is won’t know that.”

“Exactly,” Carrie agreed, beaming proudly at the brunette.

Royce thought for a moment before slowly speaking, “So I lure her to the house with geography notes - that much I get - but what do we do after that?”

“We’ll figure it out as we go,” Mick said as she rose from her seat. “For now, let’s gather some protection crystals and get going before we lose our opportunity.”

“What do you suggest?” Carrie asked.

Instead of answering directly, Mick turned to Vivien on her way to the front of the shop and asked, “Vivien?”

“What?” the young brunette asked as she followed Mick to the shop.

With a proud smile, Mick held the door open for the others as she explained, “This is your area of expertise, gremlin; what do you think?”

As a surge of pride coursed through Vivien’s veins, she beamed. Reining herself in, Vivien glanced over the round tables covered in baskets of crystals before humming, “Maybe some black obsidian or malachite to keep toxic energy away, and moldavite for some good luck?”

Royce and Bentley descended on the tables, pulling crystals from their containers and tucking them in their pockets before making their way back to where Vivien and Mick stood. “Anything else?” Bentley asked.

“What about fluorite or citrine?” Royce asked. “You said those are pretty lucky.”

“They are,” Vivien agreed, “but more for personal luck than anything.”

“I think we should be good with what we’ve got,” Mick said. “I have some sage in my car that we can leave on the front steps to ward off any evil intentions.”

“And we’ll have enough salt to keep her out just in case,” Miles agreed as he fished his keys from his pocket.

Clapping her hands together, Carrie smiled as she said, “In that case, let’s hit the road before it gets much darker out.”

Though the others followed Carrie and Miles to the back room to lock up, Vivien stared at the crystals before her, wondering if she had made the right call. Glancing back over her shoulder at the group, Vivien sighed and took a step forward, shoving a small slab of black onyx, a few pieces of smithsonite, and a couple of shards of moonstone into her pocket before turning and following the others out, slipping the lock into place behind her. Trailing behind the others, Vivien picked up the pace, pulling the already locked door closed after grabbing her coat and backpack from the hooks on the back wall and rushing to catch up with the others who had already begun rounding the building. As she tugged on her coat, Vivien allowed Bentley to hold the gate open for her, thanking him as she slung her backpack strap onto her shoulder.

Miles unlocked his Jeep and opened the passenger side doors for his brothers and girlfriend as Mick made her way to the beat-up Volkswagen she had bought from one of the older guys who frequented the shop. Before Viviuen could climb inside the Jeep, Miles closed the door behind Bentley. “Not so fast, kid.”

Looking up at her pseudo-older brother, Vivien raised an eyebrow and asked, “What; are you planning on shoving me in the trunk?”

“Not after last time,” Miles said with a snort. “Look, Ethan left his junk in the back seat this morning and I barely have enough room for the boys as it is.”

Noticing the way Miles refused to look her in the eyes, Vivien sighed, “You just want me to ride with Mick, don’t you?”

Apologetic, icy blue eyes flickered up to meet Vivien’s as the brunette crossed her arms over her chest. “Sorry, mon étoile, but I think she needs you now.”

Slowly tearing her gaze away from Miles and letting her eyes drift onto the older brunette who appeared to be struggling to open her old bus’ driver’s door, Vivien let out a deep sigh, “Fine, but you owe me.”

“I know,” Miles said with a gracious smile, bringing an arm around the girl as he walked her to the back of the Jeep. “Thank you, kiddo.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Vivien brushed off, leaning her head against Miles for a moment before moving out from his hold and making her way to the old Volkswagen just a few parking spaces down. Upon approaching the vehicle, Vivien called out, “Did you lock yourself out again or something?”

Jumping at the sudden voice, Mick looked up and laughed, “For once, no. The doors have been sticking lately because of the cold. Do you think you could climb in through the passenger side and kick it open?”

“Why not just climb in before me and we can go?” Vivien asked, gesturing to the car as Miles started his Jeep.

“I have the door partially open and it won’t stop dinging unless I close it, but how come you’re riding with me?” Mick asked as she let go of the latch. “I thought you’d be riding with Miles and Carrie.”

Vivien shrugged in an attempt to act nonchalant as she rounded the large vehicle and yanked the passenger door open, “Ethan left a bunch of shit in the car, so there’s no room, but I also just wanted to ride with you anyway.”

“You do?” Mick asked as she stepped away from the door, her voice muffled by the thick metal and glass of the car.

“Well, yeah,” Vivien said as she dropped into the driver’s seat and began kicking the door. Once the heavy door popped open, she leaned out to Mick and said, “I feel like we haven’t really hung out since Halloween and I miss you.”

Hoping the younger girl couldn’t see the pain in her eyes as she took her spot in the driver’s seat, Mick spoke softly, “I miss you too, gremlin.”

As the old bus’ engine roared to life and the clunky radio sputtered through static to the first available station, Vivien tugged her seatbelt on and offered the girl to her left a smile as she said, “I’m sort of glad you missed me.”

“You are?” Mick asked as she pulled onto the streets behind Miles’ Jeep. “How come?”

“It felt like you were shutting me out after everything that happened,” Vivien admitted as she watched the shop’s storefront disappear in the rearview mirror.

“I’m sorry,” Mick muttered. “Things have been hard since Halloween.”

“I get it,” Vivien nodded, looking over to the older girl. “Believe me, after almost setting our kitchen on fire the other night, I get it.”

Despite offering the younger girl a laugh, Mick shook her head, “Somehow, I don’t think it’s quite the same.”

Vivien chuckled but took in a deep breath as she admitted, “I get what you mean, though. Things just aren’t the same anymore.”

“They aren’t.”

For a while, the only noise in the car was the radio between them, the sound of Harry Styles’ voice coming through the faint static of the scratchy speakers as his song As It Was began playing just loud enough to be heard over the engine. Vivien tried not to scoff at the irony of the situation, choosing to take in a slow, deep breath as she softly admitted, “Sometimes, I wish we never got magic in the first place.”

Pulling to a stop at a red light, Mick’s dark eyes flitted over to her young friend as she asked, “Why on earth would you want that?”

A ghost of a grin tugged at Vivien’s lips as she turned to Mick and admitted, “If we never got our magic, things never would have changed. The boys and I wouldn’t have to keep secrets from everyone we care about, we would all be able to live normal lives, you never would have been possessed…” taking in a deep breath, Vivien allowed her words to drift off and looked away as she finished, “you and I would still be close.”

“We can be close again,” Mick reminded her as she reached over and took hold of Vivien’s hand. “We can go back to our mall trips and sleepovers and stuff. It’ll just take some time getting there again.”

“I know,” Vivien breathed, squeezing Mick’s hand as she turned back toward the older girl. “It’s just… there are times when I miss just being a normal girl - worrying about prom and grades and friendships instead of having to worry about setting fire to my chemistry lab or summoning some ancient demon because I read a spell wrong.”

Sending the girl a wary look as the light turned green, Mick asked, “You didn’t actually do those things, did you?”

“No,” Vivien laughed as Mick pulled away from the traffic light. “I’m just saying that things were easier before and I sort of miss having that simplicity.”

Nodding in understanding, Mick took in a deep breath and said, “Well, if it means anything to you, I think you guys are doing amazingly. You’ve really come into your powers.”

“Thanks,” Vivien said with a smile. “I just wish I could give you some of it.”

Sending the girl a quick smile as she turned onto Forrester Street, Mick said, “I know you do, gremlin, but I guess some things just aren’t meant to be.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Mick said as she pulled into the driveway behind Miles. “I’ve sort of come to terms with it all.”

“That’s good, I guess,” Vivien offered.

“It is.” As Mick pushed her door open and released Vivien’s hand, she said, “Just know that I’m grateful to be able to watch you and the boys grow into your magic.”

“Thanks, Mickie,” Vivien said with a smile.

Mick nodded before siding out from her side of the car and slamming the door shut, making her way to the front of the vehicle, where Vivien met up with her. Following the others inside through the garage, Royce said, “I texted Serena, and she said she would be over after having something for dinner.”

“That should give us more than enough time to salt the house,” Miles said. 

Bentley hurried up the steps to the door leading inside the house as he said, “I’ll distract Mom if you guys want to start grabbing salt.”

Stepping inside the kitchen, however, the group was surprised to find Dorothea tending to the crock pot on the kitchen counter. The older woman turned to her children and their gaggle of friends with a smile as she spoke, “You’re late.”

“Sorry, Mama,” the Murphy brothers replied on instinct.

Dorothea brushed them off with a slight wave before urging them into the kitchen, “Come get a bowl. I think we’ll eat in the living room tonight. We can watch a movie if you’d like.”

Cautiously stepping up to fulfill his role, Bentley said, “That sounds great, Mama, but can we set aside some food for Mick’s parents first? They’re going to something at Hanna Devine’s, and they said they’d still be hungry later.”

“That’s fine,” Dorothea claimed, glancing over Bentley at the girl in question. “You should know I always make enough for leftovers.”

“Thanks,” Mick said with a smile. 

As soon as the woman turned to pull bowls from the cabinet, Miles grabbed Royce by the wrist and pulled toward the pantry. However, before they could do more than open the door, Dorothea’s voice stopped them, “Not so fast, boys.” Stilling against the door, Miles and Royce shared a startled look before leaning back to see their mother slowly turn back toward them with a knowing look on her face. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Grabbing popcorn for movie night?” Royce offered tentatively.

“No need, I already got it out,” the older woman said, gesturing to the box of microwavable popcorn bags on the counter. “What were you looking for this time? More salt?”

Miles tried to appear as nonchalant as possible as he stammered, “Wh-What? What are you- what do you mean?”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice all of my salt going missing on Halloween,” Dorothea said with a shake of her head. “Or Royce’s laundry not needing to be done at all in the last two weeks, or the cookies in the jar never moving despite the crumbs all over the counter, or Bentley’s chocolate milk magically refilling every morning when I’m not looking.”

Stunned by the woman’s intuition, Bentley’s eyes widened as he slowly turned back toward his mom and asked, “You saw that?”

“I’m not blind, mon âme,” Dorothea told Bentley, a glimmer of something knowingly mischievous in her eyes as she smiled at her youngest. “Even without my own magic, I would be able to figure it out eventually.”

“Your own magic?” Carrie repeated curiously.

“You have magic?” Mick asked.

“That I do, lutin d’eau,” Dorothea said with a nod. “How else would my children have their abilities?”

“My parents don’t have magic,” Vivien said with a shrug.

Sending the young girl a look that made her begin doubting herself, the woman asked, “Are you sure about that?”

Vivien opened her mouth to reply but found the words dying off in her throat as she slowly admitted, “Not anymore.”

“So, wait,” Miles began, “Mom, you’re a witch?”

Dorothea nodded, “Have been since I was about sixteen, yes.”

“And you knew we had magic?” Royce asked.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out,” Dorothea chuckled. “Most people who have had their magic for a while can tell when another magical person is around. The energy is different.”

“What are your powers?” Bentley asked.

Gesturing to the food on the counter, Dorothea claimed, “Most of the time, I use magic in my foods. Before you leave the house, I make breakfast with protection charms or herbs. Before bed, you have some of my special cookies to make you sleep peacefully. I make sure that, no matter what, you are protected and happy while eating the things you like.”

Although every other person looked reasonably impressed with the matriarch’s claim, Miles was the first to ask, “How did we not know?”

“Because it’s all you’ve ever known from me,” Dorothea shrugged as she leaned against the counter. “I wasn’t always a master chef or baker.”

With his jaw practically on the floor, Royce grinned as he asked, “Have you ever spelled us without us knowing?”

“Of course,” the woman replied. “Why do you think I always offered you goodies when you thought you would be in trouble?”

“Those were magic brownies?” Vivien asked, stepping up to the woman and rifling through one of the overhead cabinets before pulling down a glass jar of cookies and brownies. Setting the jar on the counter and pulling a brownie from the jar, she asked, “Can I have one? What will it make me do?”

Curious to see the outcome, Dorothea smirked and gestured for the girl to eat the baked treat, “Why don’t you tell me?”

Vivien eyed the brownie for a moment before quickly taking a bite, keeping anyone from stopping her. As Carrie gasped and Mick and Miles stepped closer, Dorothea raised a hand and shook her head with an amused smile, making them stop in their tracks as Vivien hummed around the brownie, “You always make the best brownies.”

“Thank you,” Dorothea chuckled. 

“No, like, seriously,” Vivien muttered as she swallowed. “I swear, if I ever get married, I would want a giant tray of just your brownies instead of a cake.”

“I’ll be sure to write that down,” the woman said with a smile. “Now, do me a favor and turn toward your friends.”

Not one to disobey the woman, Vivien turned, fluttering the fingers of her free hand in greeting as she took another bite of her brownie, “Now what?”

“Tell me what you think of each of them.”

Glancing curiously at the older woman, Vivien shrugged and swallowed the food in her mouth before allowing her gaze to land on Miles as she spoke, “Miles is the older brother I always wanted but never got. I can always call him if I need help with anything, and he’s supportive of everything I do. If it weren’t for him and Riven, I would be overworking myself constantly and struggling with a lot of mental health issues.”

Despite appearing minutely worried for Vivien as she took a final bite of her brownie, Miles’ expression softened as he asked, “Really?”

“Yeah,” Vivien said, clapping her hands together to rid them of crumbs. “I have a tendency to throw myself into things without any regard for my own well-being, but you always make me step back and think first. Riven helps when he can, but you’re always there for me, sort of like the big brother I always pictured in my head, but never got in real life.”

Before Miles could say anything more, Dorothea nudged the girl and asked, “What about Mick, Carrie, or the boys?”

“Well,” Vivien began, “Mick has known me since I was a baby and has been looking out for me like a sister for as long as I can remember. We used to hang out a lot, but since she was possessed on Halloween, she’s been distant.” Mick’s gaze fell to the old, creaky planks of wood beneath her feet, but she didn’t get much time to think as Vivien said, “I don’t know how to approach her most of the time, but I love her no matter what.” 

Carrie placed a hand on Mick’s arm, sending the brunette a smile as her gaze snapped up to Vivien once more. “We’ll work on it together,” Mick offered.

“I know,” Vivien said. “Anyway, as for Carrie, I wasn’t sure what to think of you growing up because Mick said you were stuck up and prissy, but Miles liked you because you because you got along really well when you worked together on a project. Also, when the town was doing The Wizard of Oz a few years back, I wanted to be Dorothy, but you got the role instead because I was way too young, and I didn’t like that at the time which made me not like you until we started working on the show together and you were actually pretty cool with me. I really like you now and think that you’re a great addition to our little group.”

Despite the evident confusion on Vivien’s face as she finished speaking, Carrie’s signature smile appeared as she thanked the younger girl. Before giving Vivien the chance to ask questions, Dorothea cut in, “What about Bentley? How do you feel about him?”

As though a rubber band had snapped her back into place, Vivien’s gaze landed on Bentley, and she began, “Bentley is a lot like Oliver, and I would protect him with my life if I had to. He’s like this little golden retriever puppy that just showed up in my life one day, and I decided to keep him out of love. Even though he plays it off like no big deal, he’s very talented and is very emotionally intelligent. He knows when someone isn’t feeling right and will go out of his way to help them. He’s been family to me practically my whole life, and I think that, if platonic soulmates are a thing, he’s definitely one of mine.”

Deciding to wrap everything up instead of talking about what Vivien had said, Bentley looked to Royce and gestured to him as he asked, “What about Rolls?”

“Actually,” Dorothea interrupted, placing a hand over Vivien’s mouth before the girl could give more information than she wanted to, “I think that’s enough for now.”

As the woman slowly released Vivien and handed her the glass of water she had been sipping out of while making dinner, Vivien asked, “What was in that thing?”

“That was one of my truth-seeking brownies,” Dorothea claimed. “With a small dose of a potion mixed in the chocolate, one bite would make the one eating it tell the truth until the magic wore off with time or, in this case, water. Anytime the boys would get into trouble growing up, I would give them something like this to make sure I knew what had actually happened.”

“So that’s how you got me to tell you about the broken vase!” Bentley exclaimed accusatorily. Although Bentley hadn’t been the one to break their mother’s newly made, handmade vase - Royce had - he hadn’t been able to keep things under wraps long enough to fix the vase himself. His mom had given him a fresh-from-the-oven cookie, and he found himself spilling the beans without hesitation. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time as he had a tendency to ramble things without thinking, but now that his mother had made it clear that she was the reason, it all made sense.

“That’s right,” Dorothea said with a nod. “We can speak more about it later. For now, who would like to tell me why you feel the need to sneak into the pantry?”

Before giving anyone else a chance to speak, Vivien blurted, “One of our friends from school might be possessed by dark magic, and she’s coming here to get notes from Royce, so we planned on making a salt ring around the house to keep her from coming in.”

With a raised eyebrow, Carrie asked, “I thought you said water was supposed to get rid of the truth potion?”

“It takes a few minutes to work through,” Dorothea explained as she patted Vivien on the shoulder sympathetically.

“Oh, yay,” Vivien sighed sarcastically.

“Anyway,” Dorothea began as she turned toward the rest of her children and their friends, “since what she says is true, we’ll need to work fast. Miles, Carrie, and Mick, you three stay with me. I have some sage and other herbs we can hang by the doorway to ward off dark magic. Royce, Vivien, and Bentley, you three take the salt and follow each other around the house with it. The thicker the salt, the better. Just make sure it isn’t too obvious and keep the line as close to the front door as possible.”

As Vivien followed Bentley and Royce to the pantry to retrieve the salt, Dorothea turned the slow cooker onto low heat and waited for the kids to run outside through the back door before heading into the pantry and sliding open a panel on the back wall. Inside was a rotating, lazy-Susan-style shelving unit filled with bottles that contained either liquids, jars of various ground items, or herbs, and a rack of wrapped herbs dangling from above.

Examining the hidden unit, Miles asked, “When was that built?” 

“Not long after your father left,” Dorothea answered as she began pulling things from the shelves. Holding out a bundle of wrapped sage, she said, “Now, split this evenly between you three and go smudge the doorways and windows while I make up a quick potion to drizzle over the salt circle. By the time the kids are done and the potion is ready, the girl should be on her way over.”

Without any argument, Miles took the sage from his mother and began unwrapping it, heading into the kitchen to grab a lighter from near the stove before handing out sage to Mick and Carrie. Watching her son and his friends move toward the front of the house, Dorothea took in a deep breath and pulled out her cell phone, tapping a few different things before bringing up the group chat she had with Mick’s parents, letting them know their daughter had arrived safely, and they would set aside some food for them. After receiving a message from Mack in return, thanking her for letting them know, Dorothea pocketed her phone once more and silently prayed that she would be able to protect the children in her care as she closed the pantry once more.

Before she could make her way to the living room, though, the door leading to the garage opened, and a faint surge of fiery power coursed through her. Curious, Dorothea turned and watched as a head of shoulder-length blonde hair pulled into a pair of half-up space buns stepped into the house, ditching a messenger backpack on the floor next to the door as it closed. Kona was quick to tug her detachable roller skates from her sneakers and shove them into her backpack as Dorothea smiled at her. Pushing her bangs from her face with a smile, Kona said, “Hey, Mrs Bentley’s Mom.”

“Kona,” Dorothea began, examining the shades of pink and teal that flooded the energy surrounding the girl, “I didn’t know you were coming over. We’re just about to eat; would you care to join us?”

“I can’t, actually,” Kona said with a sigh as she grabbed a cookie from the counter. “Dad’s making a traditional hawaiian dinner for Mom tonight, but I wanted to come over to talk with Ben, Royce, and Vivi.”

“They’re out back at the moment, but they should be in soon,” Dorothea said. “Is it something for school?”

“No, just friendship stuff,” Kona shrugged before taking a bite of her cookie. “Ben and I argued a bit this morning, but I talked it over with Zack and Gus after school and figured we could work things out tonight as a group.”

Nodding in understanding, Dorothea gestured to the dining table and said, “In the meantime, would you like to talk with me about it? I might offer an unbiased opinion.”

“I don’t know if I’m really supposed to say anything,” Kona began as she tugged one of the chairs out from the table, “but I assume that, if what he was saying is real, then you’d know about it too.”

“Most likely,” Dorothea agreed with a hum as she sat in Miles’ usual spot at the table. Sending the girl a comforting smile, she gestured with her hand and said, “The floor is yours.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Kona glanced around for any trace of Bentley before allowing herself to ramble, something she had always found relatively easy in the woman’s presence. She started her retelling of the morning - how her cat had woken her up by smothering her, her younger sister had refused to put clothes on before daycare, and her first attempt at waffles had made a disaster of the kitchen counters - then, she brought the story into the beginning of her school day. Quickly, she got into Bentley’s story and how he had pulled her aside like it was some big secret before telling her about all that had happened on Halloween. 

Nodding along as though she hadn’t already surmised what happened that fateful day, Dorothea listened as Kona told her side of the conversation before asking a single question, “And you don’t believe him?”

Kona heaved a sigh, “It’s not like I don’t want to believe him - I do - it’s just really hard to. He sounded nervous, but that also made it sound like he was lying through his teeth.”

“I understand,” Dorothea nodded. “But, if you were in his shoes and you had to tell him that you possessed magic in some way, wouldn’t you be nervous as well?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Kona breathed. “I just didn’t think about it at the time.”

“Again, that’s understandable,” Dorothea said with a smile as she watched the array of colors around the girl swirl and shift with every thought that ran through her head. “So, what did Zack and August have to offer?”

“They sort of pointed out that Bentley’s a terrible liar and that I should maybe try sitting down and talking with him more to get the whole story,” Kona admitted. With a faintly nervous chuckle, she said, “So, here I am, ready to try a bit harder.”

“And you want Royce and Vivien there to verify everything?” Dorothea surmised. 

Kona nodded, but before she could say anything, the front door opened, and like a herd of elephants, Bentley, Royce, and Vivien hurried into the house. As he led the way, Bentley called out, “Mama, we finished the salt circle. What do we do now?” 

Upon finding Kona sitting across from his mother, Bentley’s voice faded into silence. While Bentley scrambled to find something to say and Royce’s eyes widened, Vivien offered a hesitant smile as she said, “Kona, what are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” the blonde said as she pushed herself out of her seat. “Bentley told me about this whole witch business this morning and I want to have an actual conversation about it.”

“We can’t right now,” Royce stated apologetically as he checked the time on his phone. Serena would be there any minute; they didn’t have time for this!

“Why not?” Kona wondered, crossing her arms over her chest. Nodding toward Mrs Murphy, she said, “She let me talk with her. Why can’t we talk now?”

Before anyone could think of an answer, Carrie’s voice came from the stairs as she, Miles, and Mick came down from the upper floor, “We finished smudging the house.”

“Yeah,” Miles continued as they entered the kitchen. “What do we do now-” As his eyes landed on Kona, he asked, “What’s she doing here?”

“Looking for answers,” Kona replied. “What are you guys doing?” 

Faintly feeling the effects of the brownie she had eaten earlier, Vivien replied, “Smudging and making salt circles to protect against dark magic.”

Sensing the growing frustration boiling within Kona’s small frame, Dorothea stood from her spot at the table and placed a placating hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I’ll explain in a moment. For now, you all need to keep an eye out for Serena. Go sit in the living room and do whatever you think is necessary before she gets here. I’ll handle this.”

Despite Royce and Vivien allowing Carrie and Mick to guide them into the living room, Bentley swallowed thickly as Miles tried guiding him away, muttering a soft, “I’m sorry, Kone,” as he turned back toward her for a fleeting moment.

Once Bentley was out of sight, Kona turned to Dorothea and asked, “What’s going on?”

“As I said, I’ll explain everything,” Dorothea said softly, gently guiding Kona back to her seat. “But first, I need you to sit. This will be a lot to take in all at once.”

“What do you mean, you told her?” Miles asked.

“I told her about us,” Bentley explained. “We talked about telling her the other day, so I figures it would be fine.”

“Well, there’s no backing out now,” Carrie claimed from her spot near the picture window. “She knows and, in the long haul, I think it’s for the best.”

Pulling his notebook for geography out of his backpack, Royce said, “I actually agree.”

Slapping a hand to her friend’s forehead, Vivien smirked as she asked, “Are you sick or something? I could’ve sworn I heard you say you agree with Carrie.”

“Oh, ha ha,” Royce deadpanned as he pried Vivien’s hand from his face. “I just think that Kona was bound to know eventually.”

“True,” Mick said from her perch on the coffee table.

Vivien hummed in agreement as she took the notebook from Royce and pulled the thin slab of black onyx from her pocket, tucking it inside the notebook before handing it back to him. Opening the notebook to the hidden crystal, Royce asked, “What’s that for?”

“It’s black onyx,” Vivien explained. “It’s supposed to draw out negative energy. I figured it might help Serena if we give it to her in a way that she won’t notice it.”

Closing the notebook again and feeling just how flat the book still felt, Royce grinned, “Sneaky.”

“Just one of the many reasons you love me,” Vivien claimed proudly. Before allowing him to respond, she said, “I figured it’s flat enough that she won’t realize it’s there, and if she does, you can always claim it’s a pencil or something.”

“Smart,” Mick mused with a smile as she watched over the young pair.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Vivien taunted, shoving the girl’s knee with a smile. “I think those years of spending every afternoon in the shop with you have paid off.”

“I suppose they have,” Mick chuckled.

Moving away from the window, Carrie pointed toward the outside as she exclaimed, “She’s coming up the driveway!”

“Alright,” Miles said, patting Royce on the back as his younger brother stood. Holding the brunet by his shoulders, he asked, “You know what to do?”

With a nod, Royce began counting on his fingers as he listed, “Act normal, talk about the test, offer to let her in, give her the notebook either way, and once she leaves, we decide what to do next.”

“Good,” Miles said, running a hand over Royce’s chocolate curls before pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Royce muttered.

Squeezing his brother’s shoulders, Miles reassured him, “You’ve got this, RJ. Remember, it’s just Serena; she’s your friend.”

“She’s just possessed, that’s all,” Royce huffed as the doorbell rang.

“Be nice,” Miles reminded him, sending a meaningful glance in Mick’s direction despite the girl not being able to hear their hushed conversation. “Your friend is still in there somewhere.”

Nodding more for Miles’ sake than his own, Royce turned toward the door and sucked in a deep breath as he crossed the gap between himself and the heavy, oaken frame. Forcing a small smile onto his face, Royce let out the breath he’d been holding and tugged the door open, allowing the chilled autumn air to brush calmingly across his face as he found Serena leaning against the column at the edge of the porch. “Hey, Serena.”

“Royce,” the redhead greeted in return, a sort of grin tugging at her lips. “Thanks again for letting me borrow your notes.”

“Yeah, of course, anytime,” Royce replied. Stepping to the side and gesturing to the inside of the house, he asked, “Do you want to come in? It’s kind of cold outside.”

Royce took note of how the girl’s hazel eyes flickered to the old, wooden beams that made up the porch, her gaze minutely trailing the thin line of salt trailing into the coarse artificial grass of the doormat. Although Royce knew the moment only lasted a second or so, time felt slower as Serena’s gaze landed back on him. Forcing his smile to remain plastered across his face, Royce watched as she shook her head with a somewhat distant smile and replied, “I would, but I have babysitting duty.”

If there was one thing Royce remembered about Serena, it was her hatred of babysitting. After years of being made to watch the young kids of her church and being forced to sit at the kid’s table every year, the last thing Serena would ever want was to babysit. He could vaguely recall hearing her have a shouting match with her mother in the school parking lot about having to babysit a kid that wasn’t hers - presumably in reference to her younger half-sibling, Sawyer. If Serena was willingly babysitting Sawyer, something had to be up.

“Oh, well, that’s okay,” Royce brushed off despite his mental notes saying otherwise. Instead, he held the notebook out with a smile and replied, “Maybe next time, then.”

“Yeah, sure,” Serena replied with a quick roll of her eyes that Royce supposed he wasn’t meant to see. However, as Serena latched onto the book and brought it close to her chest, he watched as her eyes flickered rapidly, the color in them gradually shifting from hazel to crimson as they moved from one side to the other faster than Royce could register. Then, all at once, it stopped as Serena’s eyes dissolved back to fear-filled hazel. “Royce?” she questioned breathlessly.

“Serena?” Royce asked slowly in return. “What’s going-”

“How did you make it stop?” Serena interrupted, her eyes wide and glossy with unshed tears of relief. Though Royce had begun to open his mouth in response, Serena quickly shook her head and said, “Actually, nevermind; it’s not important right now.” Reaching out and taking Royce’s arm, she found his eyes and pleaded, “You have to help me. I don’t know what happened, but I’ve been stuck in my own body for weeks now and I can’t get out.”

“What do you remember?” Royce pressed.

“Halloween,” Serena claimed, swiping under her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. “You guys came to the church to look for something and I left, but then I came back and you all were gone, so I cleaned the mess you left and then I-” Serena choked on a breath, shaking her head as she breathed, “the next thing I know, it’s like I’m trapped in my head and nobody hears me screaming for help.”

Taking in as much information as he could from the rambling girl, Royce nodded, “I know Vivien talked to you.”

“It wasn’t much, but I tried,” Serena agreed. “I can’t hold her off for long.”

“Her?” 

Serena nodded, releasing Royce’s arm to wipe the streaks of tears from her face as she replied, “The other me. She’s strong and powerful and I know it has something to do with magic.”

“Magic? Like ancient magic?” Royce restated. When Serena shrugged with a hum of confirmation, he asked, “How do we help you out of this?”

“I don’t know,” Serena muttered, her voice shaking with every heave of her shoulders. “You, Vivien, and Bentley were always the ones to know everything about magic, not me. That was never my strong suit. All I know is that she can’t touch salt and-”

As Serena’s words died in her throat, Royce took a step back, watching her eyes begin flickering once more. “And what?” Frustratingly, Serena’s mouth moved despite no sound coming from her lips, and Royce gripped the door frame with wide eyes as her eyes clenched shut, and he heard a dull cracking sound come from the book in her hands. Royce sucked in a breath as he realized the crystal tucked inside the notebook had broken.

Like a rubber band, Serena’s eyes snapped open, and a dark, ruby glare settled within her gaze. Despite both of them knowing she couldn’t do anything to hurt him because of the rings of salt around the house, Royce still felt his fight-or-flight instincts screaming at him to do something to preserve himself, and the people he knew were watching from the window. Serena took a half-step back, the blood-red hue of her eyes diminishing gradually the further she got from the doorway. Tilting her head to the side with an almost demonic smile, Serena let out a dark cackle of laughter before speaking, “Just because you and your little friends defeated me once does not mean I will let it happen again.”

“Says you,” Royce hissed.

“Precisely,” Serena spoke. Stepping down from the porch, Serena’s smile turned eerie as she waved a hand toward the window, sparks of fire flitting from her fingertips. Turning back to Royce, she said, “Watch yourselves, children. Your magic may be cosmic, but mine is ancient. I will take it from you eventually.”

Not wishing to anger the woman further, Royce chose to keep his mouth shut, watching as Serena’s figure turned and stalked off toward the end of the driveway. As she neared the edge, she dug into the notebook, pulled out the broken shards of the onyx slab, and held them up for them to see before holding her fist over the wheeled trash can Bentley hadn’t yet brought back into the garage and crushing the shards in her fist. Dumping the shattered remnants of the crystal into the empty trash can, Serena gave a final, dramatic bow before releasing a cackled laugh, slipping into the driver's seat of her violet-wrapped Audi, and pulling away from the house with a squeal of her tires and a deep growl from the engine.

[speckofvoid]

Voids witch shit

Idk if I’m throwing my hat into a bag of wolves or whatever. I know a lot of people are very strict about witchcraft and everything and to you I admire you much. I’m very new to witchcraft and while I’ve always loved witches and what they stood for in society and feminism I’ve never really gotten into it. Raised Roman Catholic, an atheist or agnostic now and deity work kinda freaks me out cause of lgbtq religious trauma. There are so many different sources and so many different ways of doing things and all of them make me go Aah! Oh no!

So hi welcome to my witch shit, the shit I do that is mainly mental health related stuff that I do and call witchcraft because I believe it is and I wanna be a witch, and if anyone with actual witchcraft knowledge can either say “hey you’re gonna fuck your self over spiritually hon” or “hey everything here is pretty neat I think you’d like x magic” please do I really don’t wanna be cursed I have enough going on already

1. Candles are neat. I like candles right now I’m using leftover advent candles. My local witch store has pink candles for self love but those never last me long so I’m using advent candles. I’ve read that you can’t blow them out but I mainly burn them for my journaling time and I put my intention into the journal. Plus my cat (familiar????) will hurt herself on them if I burn them for too long. So yeah I burn my candles

2. Incense. Can’t burn it for too long or I literally die. I burn it for maybe a minute just to get the ambiance right. I would really love an unscented incense cause I love the smell of smoke and fires but I can’t stand any stronger scents. Plus I’ve read it’s not great for cats so it never stays on long.

3. My journal. I love my journal, it has a set of rules listed in the front of it to remind me that no matter what I write it is okay and my feelings are valid. Each day I write a list of what I have done that day with zero judgement as to what I’ve done. After that I close the book and let that day go and have a clean slate for the next day.

4. Manifestation paper. This is from my witch store but I really like it. I burn pieces of paper with a message and a wish, sometimes for myself sometimes for others but always positive I don’t fuck with dark magic I think. Either way it can’t hurt and maybe i might not get what I want but I’ll get what I need.

5. My shelf of neat rocks and shiny shit. I have a shelf and it has every neat rock and other shiny I have found. I love them all dearly and they are amazing. They call to me and I need to pick them up, I love my shiny things