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lucywritesagain · 5 months ago

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Between the lines ┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱ Part 1

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈﹕Stephen Strange Masterlist ꒰ ᐢ｡- ༝ -｡ᐢ ꒱ Navigation ﹕┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

Please note that this story is a repost from my old blog @lucywrites02.

Summary: After becoming the sorcerer supreme Stephen gets the access to the ancient one's private library full of ancient tomes in languages the doctor hasn't even heard of. Luckily Wong's childhood friend is willing to help and becomes their personal translator.

Word count: 14.3k

“I’m so glad you could make it.” Wong greeted you with a wide smile- you didn’t even step into the building when the man picked you up, hugging you tightly. Oh how you missed his hugs! “You have no idea how happy I am that you came.” The librarian let you go and sighed heavily. He embraced you one more time before he took your bags and gestured you to walk in.

You looked around, mesmerised. It was quite a while since you’ve last been to the New York sanctum and even though nothing really changed it still felt foreign. The stairs looked exactly how they used to, but the carpet looked a bit more red than you remember it. Did they clean this old thing or bought a new one? And then there was that old foyer where you used to spend most of your nights, reading some random fantasy novels you found in the nearest library. It was funny how you always insisted on reading those books instead of ancient tomes about real magic. You smiled, remembering that time the former guardian of this building scolded you for sitting too close to the fire and accidentally burning half a page of your book. Thankfully it was no book about sorcery- otherwise you would already be dead because Wong would definitely kick your ass for that. This guy was basically your family but he wouldn’t hesitate to make you pay for damaging something valuable.

“I put your bags in your room.” Your friend’s voice pulled you out of your transe, but you couldn’t stop smiling. You really missed this place. Turning around, your eye caught a glimpse of the closing portal behind your favourite sorcerer. “Tea?”

“Yes, please!” You said and followed Wong to the kitchen, walking with that happy jump to your steps, already excited to spend some time with your friend. When you were still a sorcerer, tea time with Wong always meant exchanging gossip- it was your favourite time of the day. And now you guys had a lot to talk about. “Oh man,” you exhaled and sat down on an old wooden chair right next to the kitchen island, “I missed your tea soooo much.” you giggled and breathed in the smell of your favourite flavour. “Did you buy this tea for me? You know I love it.”

“I actually did it myself.” The man said, proudly and poured your beverage to a ceramic cup from his favourite set. You smiled upon seeing the mugs you got him for his birthday a few years ago. Wong said it was his most valuable possession. “I picked up gardening last year and then decided to experiment with tea. I hope you like it.”

“Gardening? That’s interesting. You didn't mention it at all.” you took a sip and literally melted in your chair. Is this how heaven felt like? “Wow, this is amazing!” you took another sip and closed your eyes, cherishing the taste it left on your tongue. “And you did it yourself?”

“I did.” The librarian puffed his chest like a proud peacock, making you smile again. “And there’s a lot I have to tell you so buckle up- I have a lot of tea to spill.” Wong said, looking at you and expecting a laugh at his oh so genius pun. You were trying to look unamused, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, but you didn’t care to be honest. Yes, that pun was terrible, but still funny! You wouldn’t apologise for laughing at your friend’s corny joke.

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“This is the last time I went to that store alone.” Stephen spoke into the empty air- his voice echoed through the hall with no one around to listen to his whining. The sorcerer supreme sighed, closing the door to the sanctum with his foot and then headed to the kitchen to unpack all those bags. The list Wong gave Stephen was longer than usual and the amount of food the man purchased would last for him and Wong for a whole month. The librarian insisted that his colleague should go to this very specific store at the other side of the city- which Stephen found quite weird but when he questioned it, Wong went on a long rant, explaining to him that they had your favourite kind of noodles and that their spices were top tier. Stephen had never met you, but he could see how much Wong respected you. You were obviously someone very important, but were you worth taking the train and two buses filled with annoying people just to get all those groceries that could be bought from the farmer’s market three blocks away from the sanctum? Stephen didn’t think so.

As he neared the kitchen, the sorcerer could hear someone talking. One of the voices belonged to Wong- Stephen was sure of that- but the other one he had never heard before. Have you already arrived? The doctor stopped in his tracks and sighed when he realised that he wasn’t exactly looking like the most important sorcerer at the moment. What kind of a first impression was this going to be? Would you judge his casual outfit or pay it no mind? It was hard to tell since Wong refused to tell Stephen anything about you other than the fact that you could translate all of the books for him. He didn’t even get your backstory or anything about you as a person. Wong obviously liked you, otherwise he would never have invited you to the sanctum, but the doctor didn’t know what to expect from you. He knew nothing about you. Stephen hated not knowing.

Lost in thought, he didn’t even notice when the hallway’s wooden floor beneath his feet changed to the turquoise kitchen teals.

“Speak of the devil and he will bring you groceries.” The librarian spoke, greeting his fellow sorcerer as he walked into the room.

The doctor’s eyes fell on the person sitting on the counter, face hidden behind the ceramic mug- Stephen was pretty sure that the dish was supposed to keep your smile hidden. So much for a decent first impression. Thanks to Wong.

You looked at the man who just walked in- bags full of food in his hands. Wong has told you plenty about the new sorcerer supreme, but you didn’t expect to see someone in their late 30s to be the most important sorcerer on earth. You knew he was in his late 30s because your friend has mentioned it once, but the grey in his hair made Doctor Strange look a bit older.

Awkwardly hopping off the counter you put your empty mug aside and walked towards the sorcerer supreme. “Let me help you with those.” You said, pointing at the bags. They were probably really heavy. You didn’t wait for a response and took some stuff in your own hands. “Wong, do you need an invitation or something?” You called, putting the groceries on the kitchen island.

Stephen huffed- almost giggled- when he saw how quickly Wong stood up and took the remaining bags from him. He might not have made a good entrance, but you have for sure impressed him. And you seemed like a really friendly person, too.

“Where are my manners!” You gasped, realising that this guy probably didn’t even know your name and you were so freely opening his cupboards and stuffing them with food. It must have looked weird to him. Leaving Wong to unpack the rest by himself, you walked over to Stephen the second time this day, extending your hand to properly greet him. “It’s an honour to meet you, Doctor Strange.” You heard a lot about this man- the best neurosurgeon in the US, maybe even the world, who graduated young with 5 phDs and then became the sorcerer supreme within a few months of studying magic. It was impressive. You admired him in a way. Wong spoke of him highly as well. Although he did mention the doctor’s arrogance and his ‘dumbassery’ as your friend called it.

Stephen watched your hand move up and then stop midair between your bodies. You wanted to shake hands….

He didn’t have his gloves! What if you stared at them? Even unintentionally. He couldn’t let you see his hands without the gloves on. Maybe he should stop worrying about them so much. Stephen has been trying to put an end to his overthinking but it was harder than he thought. You didn’t seem like a judgy person though.

Before he could make a decision you already pulled your hand away. He didn’t even notice that his own moved behind his back- hiding from your eyes.

“Wong has told me plenty about you.” You smiled, knowing perfectly well that your friend didn’t want his colleague to know about that. “I’m glad I could finally meet you.”

“I’m grateful you decided to help us out.” Stephen spoke, not really knowing what he should say to you. He didn’t know you at all, meanwhile you seemed to know him pretty well. “Wong said you specialise in translating ancient languages.”

“That’s right! I have translated most of the books from the library in Kamar-Taj and a great amount of books from the London Sanctum.” You announced proudly.

“You always asked for those books when you were studying. You should thank our guest for providing your monolingual brain with all that knowledge.” Wong called as he put the last products in the fridge. The librarian was obviously not interested in your awkward ‘get to know each other’ conversation and would rather go back to gossiping with you about some of the masters from Hong Kong. He didn’t even get to the part where Master Emily was having an affair with Master Min and that they got married in secret two weeks ago.

“It was all you?” Stephen asked, surprised. During his stay in Kamar-Taj the doctor had read dozens of books- in the beginning of his journey with sorcery said books were mostly in English, but once he memorised them he started reading the versions of those books in the original languages. It helped him learn how to read sanskrit in two weeks. “I must say I’m impressed. They proved to be very helpful.”

“I’m happy to hear that.” You couldn’t stop smiling- it was rare to hear people praising you and you always got excited when that happened. “How many books do you have for me, Doctor?”

“Oh, yes, please follow me.” Before he could leave, Stephen turned around to Wong, “is it my turn or your turn to make dinner tonight?”

“It’s your turn.” The librarian spoke as he moved to exit the kitchen and walk to his own room.

It was Wong’s turn.

“20 books?” You said, looking at the old tomes in Stephen’s office.

“I know it's a lot and I understand if you don’t want to do all of that-”

“You want them translated into English, right?” You asked and picked up the first book from the enormous pile, laying on the sorcerer’s desk.

“Yes, of course.” the sorcerer paced awkwardly around his room and watched as you went through the master’s guide to astral projection in mirror dimension. Was it embarrassing that the sorcerer supreme needed assistance to read books? The Ancient One didn’t need a translator and most of the Masters were fluent in more than one language. Stephen made a mental note to download duolingo. But did they teach Hebrew from two thousand years ago?

“Would you like me to translate it into any other languages?”

“How many do you know?” The doctor asked, curious.

“7 if we only count the old ones.” You answered and picked up another book, carefully inspecting its spine. Maybe if you find the time you will restore some of them as well.

“And if we count the new ones?”

“24.”

“How long will it take you to translate them?” Stephen changed the subject, feeling quite intimidated by your skills. He wouldn’t tell this to anyone, but last night he really needed to translate some notes and used Google to do it. Needless to say the spell was a disaster and the doctor swore to never use google translate for spells ever again. Even if he’s desperate.

Your eyes scanned the heavy tomes in front of you once more while your brain tried to calculate the amount of work you were about to begin.

“Two months. Maybe three.” You answered, putting your hands into the pockets of your black zip up hoodie. “I can start tonight.”

“Three months per book or-”

“All of them. I need to print the pages and then bind them into a new book and that will also take some time- hence three months.” You explained, knowing perfectly well that you would probably do it in two months. That’s if you were able to hide from Wong that you worked using your astral form in your sleep. He would never let you hear the end of it if he found out. “Now let’s talk about payment.” You walked around the desk and sat down at a little armchair in the corner.

Stephen stood frozen in place, watching you making yourself comfortable. He felt embarrassed because he didn’t take into consideration that you would want money for your services. Now that he thought of it he felt stupid for not thinking about it. The sorcerer’s hand wandered up his neck, scratching the skin on his nape as if that would help him come up with a solution.

“Oh dear, I was just kidding!” You laughed, covering your mouth with your palm. “I don’t want your money, Doctor.”

Those words made Stephen breathe out in relief. “Are you sure? You said it will take you three months. It wouldn’t be fair of me to expect you to do this for free.” Yes, Stephen didn’t have money, but the thought of you getting nothing in return for your hard work rubbed him the wrong way.

“You really don’t need to worry about money, Doctor.” You stood up and walked up to the pile of books again, your fingers tracing the spines as you continued- “I want to do this for the sanctum. Besides you letting me stay here is already enough. Those books are for the sorcerer supreme only and I’m honoured that you’re entrusting me with them even though we don’t know each other.”

“I’m happy to hear that because we are broke.” Stephen said, causing you to laugh again. You were a very nice person and Stephen liked your personality a lot. Your aura was friendly and kind which was something this place really needed. “I guess that means you’re hired!” The sorcerer joked.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“Please call me Stephen.”

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Rubbing your eyes, you leaned back in your chair. A little desk lamp and your laptop were the only sources of light in the library. You couldn’t tell how late it was but you knew you should stop and call it a day. In the first two weeks of your stay in New York you have already done more than you expected. If you kept up that pace you would be done in less than two months, but working all day since sunrise and then writing in your astral form all night wasn’t healthy. Plus Wong started to be suspicious and took your sling ring so astral projecting was off the table for a while.

As much as you loved peace and quiet, the sounds of New York’s nightlife made you a bit nostalgic. Honking of a car, laughter of tourists- things like that would annoy most people, especially at this hour, but you missed it. You missed this city. Maybe once you were done with your work in the sanctum you would stay for a bit longer. Just because. And to be completely honest you really missed hanging out with Wong. It felt like a family reunion and you loved it. You didn’t know how much you needed this until now. It felt so good to be with people who genuinely cared about you and wanted you around. You haven’t felt wanted ever since your failed relationship a year ago. It was a very disappointing experience that damaged your confidence, but thankfully Wong was there to help you pick up the broken pieces like a good friend. Nights like this one always send your mind in all the wrong places.

“Can’t sleep?” Stephen’s voice called from the entrance, making you jump in your chair. Your hand rested on your chest, feeling the rapid beat of your heart caused by the person standing in the doorway. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled apologetically and put some papers on the desk next to yours. “Isn’t it a bit too late for that?” The doctor pointed at the white screen of your laptop with a cup of tea in his hand.

“I was actually going to take a break.” You announced with a yawn and stretched your arms over your head so hard your whole body shook. “I don’t have much left though and I could always rest after it’s done.”

The sorcerer hummed, looking at your screen. “You want to tell me that you have almost translated the whole book?” His eyes moved between the laptop, your notes and the heavy tome laying on the desk.

“Yes?”

“600 pages in less than two weeks?” Stephen took a sip of his already cold tea, cringing at the bitter taste.

“I'm actually finishing the second book.” You said, moving your arms around in hope it would ease the pain in your back. “Impressive, I know.” You joked, winking at the man sitting next to you.

“It actually is quite impressive.”

“My secret is Wong's black tea 5 times a day with three sugars and astral projection after midnight.” Stephen’s laugh echoed through the empty library, making you smile. The two of you didn’t spend much time together- he had his duties as sorcerer supreme and you were working on your translations. Neither of you wanted to disturb the other one. The only conversations you had so far were the ones around the dinner table with Wong. It was nice, but you wished you had more time to get to know Stephen. “Although he confiscated my sling ring so I can’t do that anymore.”

“It’s not healthy to use your astral form too often.” The man said, knowing he sounded like a hypocrite, but you didn’t have to know it. “Trust me, I’m a doctor.”

“Didn’t you use it every night back in Kamar- Taj to read?” You asked, amused by the look on Stephen's face.

“So he told you.”

“Wong tells me everything.” You grinned, narrowing your eyes playfully.

"Everything?" The doctor asked in a tone that sounded more like a dare. You weren't expecting the new sorcerer supreme to be such a chill person and you were glad that he liked to mess around sometimes. It made your stay at the sanctum a lot more fun than you thought it would be.

"Everything, including that one time you accidentally turned a student into a cat because you didn't read the spell correctly." You whispered, slowly gathering all of your notes and closing your laptop. You knew you wouldn't get anything else done that night. "But just so you know- Wong speaks very highly of you. He enjoys sharing those funny stories with me though."

"Good to know," Stephen grinned, feeling quite relieved that his colleague- friend- respects him beyond his occasional arrogance. "He has never told me anything about you before though." He said, sounding almost disappointed. Maybe Stephen and Wong weren't that close yet. They tend to talk about other students and masters, but never about their lives outside of the sorcery world. They should definitely change that.

"Is there anything you'd like to know, Doctor?" You stood up to throw away the pieces of paper that you didn't need anymore and stretched your legs a bit. It felt so good to move around like that after a whole day of sitting.

"It would be nice to get to know you better, but I think it's quite late and we both should be sleeping." The man said and yawned which made you yawn, too. Yeah, it was really late.

"I think you're right. I can barely keep my eyes open, let alone hold a conversation." Looking down at the desk you decided to clean the rest tomorrow. It wasn't going to run away.

"You could take a free day tomorrow and accompany me to London." Stephen suggested. You were a really nice person and the sorcerer liked your friendly spirit. You liked to joke around- even with Wong- and Stephen would lie if he said that he didn't wish for you to stay longer. He didn't feel so lonely with you around. Yes, you didn't talk much but he knew that you were always in the library with Wong and it made this place less…. lonely.

"I would like that! I haven't been to London in ages."

"Let me walk you to your door." The Doctor said, offering you his arm with a playful little bow.

The two of you stayed silent while you walked- neither of you had enough energy to talk anymore. The sound of your synchronised steps echoed through the empty halls. The distance from the library to your bedroom wasn't too long but it felt like eternity to get there. A free day was probably a good idea- you could feel the effects of your constant work and seriously needed a day to yourself.

The only words spoken between you were the whispered goodnights and the sanctum was dead silent again.

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"You want to tell me that one day you just went on a walk and accidentally walked into the sanctum in Hong Kong?" Stephen asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

The two of you decided to have brunch in a little cafe near the park- for you it was more like breakfast, but there was a 6 hour difference between NYC and London. The place was lovely and the chilly weather of early spring in England combined with the beautiful scenery of trees and the river made you smile.

You took a sip of your tea and smiled at the memory.

"I was a kid and didn't know I wasn't allowed there." You explained, trying to make sense of your actions from the past. "I was 8 and got bored so my grandmother told me to go play with other kids, but I got lost on my way to the playground and ended up in the sanctum." Stephen watched you carefully which meant he was really interested in the story. He rested his cheek on his hand and you continued, " I got really scared because I realised that I wasn't supposed to be there and when someone tried to talk to me I ran and hid in the library-" you had to laugh at that. Little you were terrified, but the older you found the story hilarious. "Wong found me an hour later crying under the desk and then walked me home."

"That's an adventure." The doctor laughed- the wrinkles under his eyes made themselves more prominent. It suited him. Happiness suited him.

"My grandma then made cookies and told me to give them to the nice man who got me back home." You smiled and took another sip of your drink. "And then I just kept coming there whenever I had time and hung out with Wong in the library. He made me his apprentice- although he was still just a student himself. I insisted and he couldn't get rid of me."

"Really?" The sorcerer would love to see the little you annoying Wong so much he had to make you his apprentice to shut you up.

"No, he actually asked if I wanted to study under him."

"Did you say yes?" A sudden blow of cold wind made the sorcerer shiver, but he didn't pay much attention to it. Talking with you felt so natural and it felt like you've been friends forever. It was nice to have this connection with someone. Stephen really needed to feel normal every once in a while and sitting with you outside of a cafe on a chilly afternoon in London made him feel normal.

"Take a guess, doctor."

"Right, that was a stupid question." Strange grinned, hiding his face in the hoodie he wore to shield himself from the wind. Stephen could tell you he wanted to go inside, but you seemed to enjoy the chilly weather. He wouldn't die if the wind picked up every now and then.

"There are no stupid questions." You said, playing with the remains of your tea that were too cold to enjoy anymore.

"I like your mindset, but as someone who worked in medicine for years I can tell you that some people ask very stupid questions."

"I can only imagine."

"So why is it that I have never met you before. I was in Kamar-Taj for a very long time and I visit other sanctums whenever I need to, which is pretty often." The doctor was curious how he managed to not see you even once during his stay in all those places.

"Oh, I left the sorcery world when I was older because I got into a university in Scotland. I still kept in touch with Wong and some other masters though. I even visited New York last year but it was only for the weekend and you weren't there."

"What did you study?"

"You will never believe when I tell you." You wiggled your eyebrows with a smirk on your face.

"Surprise me." Steohen said, already suspecting what your answer was going to be.

"I studied ancient languages and became a translator for an archeology centre in Greece when I graduated." You didn’t mention to him that you quit working in said centre after one of your colleagues broke your heart into a million pieces and walked all over it. He didn’t have to know about your failed romances. At least not yet.

"No way." The doctor fake gasped causing you to laugh again.

"Shocking, I know."

"I would have never expected it." He kept playing along, amused by your silly shenanigans. "Why languages? Was it like your passion or a hobby?" He asked, coming back to his more serious self.

"I always learned fast- I took Latin in school and then thought it would be fun to learn similar languages so my mom signed me up for French classes, I learned Spanish at home because I was tired of French and then took Swedish to change things a bit. Then there was Japanese, Korean and Hindu. And then when I started spending more time in Kamar-Taj I thought it would be very fun to be fluent in languages no one speaks anymore. It all just came natural to me. I was good at it so I decided to do it for a living." You explained; your gaze getting lost in the picture of the clouds changing their shapes. Taking a deep breath you tried to think of a good topic of conversation, but Stephen beat you to it and spoke again.

"That's really interesting. Your brain is fascinating."

"My brain you say?" You remembered that he used to be a doctor from what Wong told you, but you didn't know what kind.

"I mean- you possess so much knowledge I can only imagine how amazing your neural connections must be." Stephen continued, his hands flying around as the words left his mouth.

"That is the strangest compliment I have ever gotten- I love it." You put your hand on your chest, trying to show your gratitude. "Pun not intended."

Your afternoon was filled with fluid conversations that seemed to have no end. Stephen asked about your family, friends, hobbies. Being your polite self you asked them the same questions and found things that Wong didn't tell you.

For example, the sorcerer supreme used to play piano and was pretty good at it. His love for music extended farther than just listening to sounds- he also liked to create them. The doctor hid it well, but you could see the sadness in his eyes when he told you about his musical skills. It was because of his hands- that was for sure. They wandered down under the table, hiding from your eyes as he spoke about his passions. You had scars of your own- you understood the struggle.

But it was still painful to see- ever since you met him Stephen was nothing but confident in everything he did. Sometimes he walked the thin line between confidence and arrogance, but it was a part of his charm. He never was an asshole- not to you, not to Wong. Not even to that kid who tried to put graffiti on the sanctum's walls two days ago. At the end of the day Stephen- although still very much powerful- was just a man. A human being with insecurities.

"Did you play the banjo as well?" You asked resting your chin on your fist- elbows on the table.

"Just because I'm from Nebraska doesn't mean I know how to play the banjo." Stephen defended himself, throwing his hands in the air dramatically.

"Answer my question, Stephen." You demented, pointing a finger at him and trying to hold in your laughter. Stephen's lips formed a thin line. The red on his cheeks became more prominent- maybe it was the cold.

"Yes." The sorcerer mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I won't repeat myself."

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You’ve been in the New York sanctum for over a month now and it was the first time ever that all of you were in the library at the same time. Right after your morning tea the three of you headed there to do your own things- you wanted to finish translating the book on interdimensional herbs, Wong was going to fix a spine of his book of shadows meanwhile Stephen was trying to upgrade some spell. It was quiet, but very cosy. Almost domestic if you dared say that.

Speaking of Stephen- ever since that day in London you became pretty good friends. He talked to you more, made sure you took breaks when working. Sometimes he would invite you to go grocery shopping with him and Wong. Yeah, it was really domestic. You never expected the sorcerer supreme to be so friendly towards you, but you were glad he proved you wrong. You were happy to have a friend like him. This place really felt like home when Wong and Stephen were there with you. You really felt wanted.

Wong was basically family to you and you always felt wanted around him, but it really surprised you how hard Stephen was trying to make you feel at home. Making your favourite food for dinner, taking you on walks. One time you and the doctor were talking about movies and he even suggested a movie night. You accidentally fell asleep on his shoulder that time and Wong took a photo of it. It looked pretty cute- you had to admit that. But the more you looked at that polaroid- or thought about everything you did with Stephen- you realised that there might be something more between the two of you than friendship.

You saw each other every day- talked every day- for over a month now. Just a month but it felt like years. It scared you a bit. How quickly you were developing a crush on this man. And it wasn’t like you didn’t want to get involved with him romantically- Stephen was a great person. But your last relationship left a hole in your heart and even though a lot of time had passed since that failed romance you were still weary when it came to dating. Especially if the person of your interest was the most powerful sorcerer that you have met only a month ago! Plus you were literally working for this man.

It was a shame that you had to leave so soon. After you got your sling ring back you continued to work 24/7, translating 15 books in two weeks which was your new record. Wong had volunteered to book-bind a few pages, making your job even easier. Meaning that you would be done even faster. To be honest you didn’t want to go back to your job in ‘real life’. Yes, you loved it, but you didn’t realise how much you missed the world of sorcery until now.

You were torn between wanting to be a sorcerer again and having a normal life. Your fingers stopped typing as your eyes stared at the bright screen of your laptop- not really focusing on anything. The sound of your keyboard had been the only thing filling the silence. Now the air in the room was dead and empty. Looking around you watched as the two men worked on their own things and decided to take a short break- make some tea for the boys, stretch, think about your future. Stuff like that. And so you left quietly, knowing that neither of them probably even noticed that you were gone.

Little did you know that one of your friends was watching you all the time. Wong sensed that something wasn't right. The moment you picked up another book to translate your mood shifted. It was odd and Wong didn’t like seeing you like this.

“SHIT!” you shrieked as you turned around and saw the librarian, standing in the kitchen doorway. “I could have dropped the kettle!”

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” The man apologised and sat down at the table, trying to figure out how to even start this conversation with you. Deciding it would be easier to just rip the bandaid off he spoke again. “You seem sad today. Is everything alright?”

The question surprised you. “I didn’t think you’d notice.” You didn’t disagree. You didn’t see the point in hiding your feelings and you had always trusted Wong. You could tell him everything without the fear of being judged.

“I wanted to get this job done as quickly as possible-” you said, fiddling with the kettle in your hands. “And now that I'm almost done I don’t think I want to leave.”

“Then stay.” He smiled at the thought of you living in the sanctum again. This last month reminded Wong of the good old days when you used to share a house and do all kinds of stuff together from practising spells to folding laundry.

“Do you think Stephen would allow it?” you asked, shyly. The doctor was in charge of the sanctum after all so it all depended on him and his decision.

“He adores you! Of course he would allow it.” The librarian rolled his eyes when he said the word ‘adore’ which made your face feel a little bit warmer for some reason. “Just ask him about it. He will be thrilled to hear that you’re staying.”

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Another week passed and you still haven’t asked Stephen. Wong’s words made you rethink some things and reflect on everything that happened in the last month. Closing the book you’ve been working on for the past two days you realised that there’s only one of them left.

Your friend’s words played in your brain like a broken record.

‘He adores you’

You didn’t want that.

Okay, maybe you did, but you weren’t ready for that yet. You weren’t ready to get your heart broken again. Besides you weren’t planning on staying any longer than necessary so why even worry about it?

Laying on your bed, you stared at the white ceiling, trying to come up with a solution to your- not so little- problem when a knock on your door pulled you out of your head.

“Hi.” Stephen whispered- his head peeking from behind the door. “I saw the light in your room was still on and wanted to check on you.” The sorcerer invited himself in and leaned his shoulder on the wall.

Your eyes fell on the jar of cookies he was holding in his hands. Stephen’s gaze followed yours and the doctor smirked.

“I was going to eat them alone, but since I’m already here would you like one?” He said, taking a step forward and sitting at the edge of your bed. You moved, too- your back straight against the headboard. It created more distance between you which wasn’t really intentional, but you were glad that there was a bit more space. Of course you would love nothing more than to get closer to Stephen, but it was all happening so quickly. And you hated yourself for feeling that way.

“So…” The jar lid popped open and your friend took two cookies out of it, handing you one with a silent question. You took it without thinking twice; your fingers brushed and a shiver went down your spine. “You couldn’t sleep again?”

You signed, taking a bite and not really caring about the crumbs on your sheets.

“Not really.” You managed to say between the bites. Stephen observed you carefully- almost like he was studying your face and all your movements. You had plenty of conversations that started in this exact way. Usually you would talk the night away, but you weren’t in the mood to talk for so long.

“Is everything alright?” The sorcerer’s voice echoed through the room- it was deep and very soft. You loved listening to him talk, not only because you liked how his voice sounded, but also because he was always very nice to you when you two talked.

“Why shouldn’t it be?” You raised your brow, hugging your knees close to your chest to get some comfort.

“Wong said you’ve been ignoring him. And you’ve been ignoring me, too.” The doctor mimicked your pose, now fully sitting on your bed. “I know we don’t know each other as long as you and Wong do, but I still care about you. You are my guest and I would be a horrible host if I didn’t care about your wellbeing.”

You knew he said it to make you feel better- to make sure that you knew that you could trust him. And you did. You trusted Stephen. But not with your feelings. You weren’t even sure what those feelings were.

Were you just excited that you made a new friend and mistook that excitement for romantic attraction? He gave you his attention, but this was what people did when they wanted to be friends with someone. Strange smiled at you once and you were convinced you developed a crush on him. It was pathetic how much you craved love that you were seeing it everywhere even if it wasn’t true.That was probably the reason your last relationship was a disaster. You went into it too quickly and then were surprised that it didn’t work out. You needed more time to think about it- your feelings for Stephen. He was a good friend and you would hate to lose that.

“I really appreciate it, Stephen.” You said with a genuine smile on your face. There was still some uncertainty in your eyes. “I think I’m just a little tired. I tend to overwork myself sometimes.”

“That makes the two of us then.” He smirked and pulled out another cookie. Stephen handed you the jar and you moved closer to him, decreasing the gap between your bodies. “I saw that you have just one book left to translate.”

“Yeah-” You sighed a bit too loud, ignoring the sorcerer’s gaze. “Wong said he would bind them all so I will probably be gone by the end of the next week.” You said, feeling a weird squeeze in your chest. You didn’t know why you felt like that. You leaving wouldn’t be the end of the world! You would still keep in touch with Wong- you have for all those years. So why was it affecting you so much this time?

Stephen stood up, clearing his throat quietly. The man stood up, leaving the cookie jar on your blanket and wiped his hands clean on his pyjama pants.

“You are welcome to stay longer if you want.” The doctor announced and slowly made his way to the door. “Wong and I- we love having you around. I wanted you to know that.”

Stephen left, letting you be alone with your thoughts.

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“Do you really want to go back to your old job though?” Wong asked, taking a sip of his morning tea. You liked to talk about many things with him, especially in the morning while you prepared breakfast. But the topic of your old job was making you nervous. It wasn’t really about the job itself- you liked what you were doing. The issue was people- or rather a person- who was still working there. It’s been almost a year since you left and your side gigs couldn’t pay all of your bills. You were happy when Wong called you and asked if you could come by to help translate some stuff, but you were here almost two months and felt like you should leave soon. You wouldn’t have to figure out your feelings for Stepehn if he wasn’t around.

“I have to make money somehow.” You flipped a pancake and put on a fake smile.

“You could find something here in New York. And you wouldn’t have to worry about rent since you’d be living here.” Your friend proposed.

It wasn’t a bad idea- now that you think of it it was an excellent idea. You really couldn’t argue with that.

“I will think about it.”

“That’s all you’ve been doing lately.”

Why was it so hard for you to open up to Wong now? You never had a problem with that before. Taking a deep breath you decided to rip the bandaid off.

“I think I have feelings for Stephen.” You breathed out, looking at your dear friend and waiting for his response. All you got was a hysterical laugh.

“That’s a good one!” Wong said, slapping his knee repeatedly. “Oh dear, I love your jokes.”

But you didn’t laugh.

“No- you’re-” the librarian lowered his tone, almost whispering. “No.”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

That was a good question. Were you sure?

“I don’t know.” A tear rolled down your face- you didn’t even know why you were so emotional about it. You didn’t even know for sure and you were making such a scene. Putting your face in your hands you shook your head and cried. “I don’t know, Wong!”

You were trembling and breathing heavily in your friend’s arms and didn’t even notice that you were walking somewhere- the librarian guiding you. You couldn’t see well because of the tears, but you recognised the outline of your room. Your knees hit something soft and if Wong didn’t turn you around you would flop on the bed face first.

It took you half an hour to calm down.

You missed breakfast that day, too.

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Taking a deep breath you put your sweater on and exit the library. You tried to do something productive, but nothing was going your way today. First the fiasco in the kitchen, then you isolating for the rest of your day and now sneaking out to the library when everyone else was asleep. What was going on with you?

Your stomach spoke, demanding food. You weren’t surprised- you haven’t eaten anything at all. And you really should do that. You can’t keep destroying yourself because of one tiny inconvenience.

Your bare feet walked through the wooden floors leading to the small kitchen you love so much.

“Midnight snack?” Someone spoke, making you jump and bump your leg into a chair. “I’m so sorry.” The familiar voice apologised, gently putting a hand on your shoulder to see if everything was alright. “I thought you saw me.”

“It’s fine.” You shrugged it off, massaging your knee to ease the pain a little. “I wasn’t paying attention.” You straightened your back and realised how close to you Stephen was.

Your heart skipped a beat.

“Would you like some tea? I was gonna make myself a cup.” The sorcerer proposed, taking a step back and giving you space.

Playing with the sleeves of our sweater you jumped on the counter- your favourite place to sit- and nodded. “I would kill for a cup of tea right now.”

“No killing will be necessary. I will do it willingly.” Stephen smirked, taking two ceramic mugs out of the upper cupboard. You noticed that one of them was your favourite mug- you used it literally every day and Stephen was a very observant person so it shouldn’t be surprising that he knew what you used to drink and from where. “The usual?” He asked, throwing a kitchen towel over his shoulder like a bartender, making you giggle.

“Make it double.” You said, playing along.

“So what brings you here at this hour?” The doctor asked, pouring the hot water into your mugs and then putting the tea inside.

“I wanted to get some work done, but I couldn’t focus.” You explained. Your friend handed you your tea and you thanked him with a shy smile.

“Wong said you had a really bad anxiety attack this morning-” the man hopped on the counter right next to you, his baby blues looking at you with some kind of softness you haven’t seen in him before. “-and I know you probably don’t want to talk about it which is fine-” he spoke, not really knowing where he was going with it. He wanted to make you feel better, but Stephen wasn’t the best at expressing his emotions. He was going to try though. For you. “-but i want you to know that you can trust me and I can find you some professional help if you need it. I know a few people who would be able to help.”

“I don’t-” you tried to defend yourself, but your voice shook. “I’m not crazy. I don’t need it!”

“Where is this coming from?” The doctor asked, confused . “Therapy can be for everyone no matter what and there’s nothing wrong with getting help.” He turned to you to get a better look at your face. He looked surprised by your little outburst, but he knew there was more to the story.

“You think so?” Suddenly you felt small. You have been to therapy before, but your ex wasn’t really supportive of that. You were called a variety of names. You were shamed and gaslighted into believing that you seeking help was a sign of weakness. That’s why you stopped going. You stopped taking your meds. And when you hit the rock bottom your partner decided that you weren’t worth all the trouble and left. You were scared of asking for help again- it was a weird fear, but it just wouldn’t let go of you.

“I know it.” Stephen’s gentle voice made you tear up a bit. “I’m no psychologist, but I have contacts. If you want I can accompany you to the first session. Or Wong.” He put your arm around you, drawing random shapes on your shoulder in a soothing motion.

You gave in and embraced him, throwing your arms around his neck and sobbing quietly.

“Thank you, Stephen.” You whispered and felt his hold on you tightening.

“Did anyone ever tell you that it was wrong to go to therapy?” The doctor asked in a hushed voice. He didn’t break the hug.

“You could say that.” You sniffled, face still hiding in his chest. You were sure there was already a wet spot from all your tears on his shirt. “An ex of mine had very strong opinions about me taking meds and going to therapy.”

“What a dick.” Stephen huffed, anger radiated from him. If he ever met that person he would send them to some crazy dimensions to fuck with their mind. “They didn’t deserve you.”

“There’s a reason this person is an ex.” You smiled sadly and took a deep breath. “Wong had already kicked that asshole’s butt so don’t worry.” You giggled at the memory. Violence was never the answer, but in that case it was really appreciated. “But ever since then I was kinda scared of reaching out, you know?”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Your friend’s hand wandered from your shoulder up to your hair and gently massaged your scalp, making you melt in his arms. “I will make some calls first thing in the morning. You should see someone as soon as possible. Especially if you need medication.” He said. You could hear the determination in his voice. Stephen was nothing like your last partner. He really cared. He supported you and wanted the best for you. And even if there could never be anything more than friendship between you you would still be happy to have him in your life. “When was the last time you took your meds.”

"I'm embarrassed to say." You straightened your back and let your hands fall from Stephen's neck. He was still holding you, knowing you still needed some comfort.

"You don't have to tell me, but please mention it to your therapist, okay?" The sorcerer gave your shoulder a light pat and hopped off the counter. "Our tea is getting cold." You smiled and followed your friend to sit at the table. You saw him taking a sip from his tea and cringe. "The bags were in the water for too long. It's really bitter."

You sighed, putting the mugs in the sink. It was probably a sign that you should go back to your room.

"There's a place 3 blocks away with great Thai food." Strange looked at you with a silent question. You couldn't say no to food, but you weren't sure if it was a good idea to go out so late. "They also have great tea and I know for a fact that they are still open." He sensed your hesitation, but refused to leave you alone in your room with your thoughts. You had to get away from here- even if it was just for a few minutes. "I'm paying."

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Walking side by side with Stephen, your arms in your pockets to shield them from the cold midnight air, you looked around to see plenty of people doing all kinds of stuff. New York truly never slept. It was a part of its charm.

The doctor offered you his arm when a group of tourists passed through the crowd, almost pulling you in with them. You liked big cities, but you absolutely hated the crowds. You hooked your hand in the place between Stephen's arm and his elbow, holding it tightly. It didn’t take long for you to get to the restaurant Stephen told you about. You visited many places like this with the boys when neither of you wanted to cook anything, but this building wasn’t familiar to you.

Stephen opened the door for you like the gentleman he was and as you stepped inside you were hit with a variety of smells. Your stomach reminded you of its existence once more and you were sure everyone in the room could hear it.

Your friend waved his hand at the older lady behind the counter with a smile on his face. He gestured at the small table in the corner- hidden from everyone’s eyes- and took your jacket. Taking two menus from the wooden napkin holder in the middle of your table, Stephen handed you one, his cold fingers leaving a feather-like sensation on your palm.

“Their green curry is delicious.” The sorcerer said, turning his menu around and pointing at the picture on top.

“I will have to take your word for that, Doctor.” You smirked actually feeling some happiness in you after the entire day of sleeping in your depression cave you called the bedroom.

“What tea would you like?” He asked, tapping a finger on his knee to the beat of the song playing from the radio. Your eyes scanned the pages of the little book in your hands. Stephen was watching you while you tried to make a choice. You looked adorable with your hair a bit messy from the wind, biting your lip deep in thought. The sorcerer smiled- you couldn’t see it, but the look he gave you was full of adoration.

“I think I will get the Thai Ice Tea.” You announced, putting your menu aside. Turning your head to face Stephen you noticed that he was staring and immediately became self conscious. “Do I have something on my face?”

“What? No it’s just-” The doctor straightened his back, blushing. The awkward pause between you was interrupted by the waitress who appeared at your table.

“Stephen! It’s so good to see you here, honey.” The older woman you saw earlier behind the counter pinched the man’s cheek in an affectionate manner. The sorcerer groaned, but couldn’t hide the smile on his face. “What can I get you today, sweetie?”

“It’s good to see you too, Malee. You look beautiful as ever.” The doctor leaned back in his chair and put on his charming smile. “Did you get a haircut?”

“Oh, I did!” the woman giggled, taking a pen out of her pocket. “But the flattery won’t give you a discount.”

“It was worth a try.” The sorcerer shrugged. You watched this exchange with a huge grin. You were enjoying their little interaction. It was kinda sweet. “We would like two plates of green curry and two ice teas.”

Malee quickly wrote down your order and put the pen back into the pocket of her jeans. “I will bring you your drinks right away.” She said, tugging her long grey hair behind her ear.

“I will go get them, just tell me when they’re done!” Stephen called as the women walked through the door leading to the kitchen. “She has really weak hands, she shouldn’t carry anything heavy.” Your friend explained, turning back to you.

“She’s a lovely lady.” You mentioned, trying to change the subject. You wanted to keep a steady conversation, fearing that if you fell silent your thoughts would spiral in the wrong direction again. “Very lively.”

“She is just the sweetest.” The doctor’s smile made the wrinkles under his eyes stand out. He looked good like that. “Wong and I come here very often when we pull all-nighters.”

“I can see why.” You looked around, your eyes scanning the art on the walls and the curtains that matched the floor. “It’s very cosy here.”

You didn’t realise it, but you were swaying to the music playing through the speakers. You were enjoying the moment of peace and Stephen’s presence helped with that a lot. You also didn’t notice when the sorcerer stood up to get your tea. He put the glasses on the table and gave you a smile. A teenage boy walked behind him with a tray of your food. And oh, you were so excited to finally eat something after a long day. You were all set when Melee came up to you with a little candle and matches. She put it in the middle of the table, surprising both you and Stephen.

“Enjoy your date.” She winked at you and left, leaving both of you out of words.

“I just want to clarify that I didn’t intend for it to be a date.” Stephen said, awkwardly scratching his neck.

“Oh, yeah. I-” You didn’t want to let it show, but you were a little hurt by his response.

“It’s just- you had a really rough night and I-I wanted to provide some comfort.” The sorcerer explained, stumbling over his own words.

“I understand, Stephen. It’s really okay.” You took a sip of your tea- the flavours melting on your tongue made your stomach calm down a bit. You were fighting back your tears- you didn’t want to ruin the night even more.

“And besides, a restaurant seems a little cliche for a date.” The doctor cleared his throat and took a fork in his right hand. “If I was to ask you out on a date it would be something special.” He mumbled, but you heard him perfectly clear. “If you agreed, of course.”

“Really?” You asked- your voice still felt weak, but there was a bit of hope behind your eyes. “You would ask me on a date if you knew I would say yes?”

“I would ask you regardless of your answer and handle rejection like a big boy.” He said in a joking tone, but you knew he meant that. “But the timing doesn’t seem right right now, does it?” He smiled sadly at you and got busy with his food.

“What do you mean by that?” You asked, trying to decipher the meaning of Stephen’s words.

“I mean-” Your friend took a deep breath, looking you deep in the eyes. “You are still working for me. You are also living in a place where I’m technically the boss. I’m about to help you find a therapist.” Stephen explained. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to agree to go on a date with me just because you feel like you should.”

You were taken aback by this answer- not in a bad way. It showed that Stephen really cared about you. You never felt like you owed him anything, but he took your valuable state of mind into consideration which made you feel really appreciated. He wanted to make sure that you would feel comfortable in this relationship- that you wouldn’t feel trapped and obligated to being with him.

“I really appreciate that, Stephen.” You smiled, taking a spoonful of rice. “I wouldn’t say no if you asked me- not because I live under your roof. You are a great man and anyone would be lucky to have you.” A familiar warmth creeped up your face. It made you feel like a middle school child having their very first crush.

Stephen’s eyes shyly wandered around the room. Your words made his heart beat faster. He had to run the conversation in his head twice to make sure you really just said what he thought you said. The sorcerer wasn’t the best at showing his feelings- especially romantic ones- but with you it seemed to be much easier.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see where it gets us.” Strange replied, looking at you one more time. You locked eyes and smiled.

And for the first time in ages you didn’t worry about the future.

“How was your session today?” Wong greeted you with a hug and a cup of fresh tea as you entered the kitchen. The smell of cheese hit your nostrils, making you salivate. Home sweet home.

“It was pretty good.” You said, taking a sip of your hot beverage.”I will probably get new meds soon.”

“That’s fantastic!” The librarian cheered.

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Ever since Stephen helped you start therapy again you became more alive. You didn’t realise how much stuff affected your mental health until now. You’ve been going to that Doctor for 3 months now and you couldn’t believe how much changed in such a short amount of time. You were going easy on yourself- you were slowly unlearning your old self destructive behaviours like working 24/7 without a break or bottling up your emotions. Wong was very supportive and helped in any way he could. In some way your therapy helped him relax a bit. He promised to take you on a hike every weekend- something you loved doing when you were younger- and he didn’t say it often, but he loved that, too. It was your quality time with Wong. Even if he had a ton of work to do he always made sure to finish before the weekend, not wanting to miss that time with you.

And then there was Stephen. You’ve been in New York for almost 6 months now and Stephen was nothing but kind to you. Your relationship progressed very quickly and the two of you became best friends in no time. Of course there was still the question of your feelings, but you both agreed to give it time. But with every passing day you fell more and more for him. Little did you know that the sorcerer supreme felt the same way. He was still shy around you at times, but you always made sure you were both comfortable no matter what you were doing. You spent plenty of time together from practising spells to watching movies. You cherished all these moments.

You finished translating the last book a few weeks ago- Stephen and Wong insisted that you take a break and focus on your health. Work could always wait. The librarian convinced you to let him bind those books by himself so that you could have more free time. Those guys were the best thing that had ever happened to you.

“Is that lasagna I smell?” The doctor walked into the kitchen through a portal and took a seat right next to you.

“It is!” Wong said, proudly as he took the dish out of the oven and put it on the table. “Did you bring the wine?” He asked, looking around in hope to find a bottle.

“I didn’t know you wanted me to.” Stephen said, setting the table for the three of you. “I can go get it. There’s a few more bottles in the basement.”

“No, it’s fine. I will get them.” The librarian said and walked out of the room. He used it as an excuse to leave you and Stephe alone but you didn’t have to know that.

“I heard your session went well today.” The sorcerer spoke, sitting down on his chair.

“It really did.” You smiled, following his lead.

“What are your plans for today?” Your friend asked, wanting to make some small talk before executing his little plan and asking you out. This time officially.

“Oh, I think I have a date.” You said with a sprinkle of uncertainty in your voice.

Stephen was stunned by your answer- a little bit hurt, too. It wasn’t like you had swore to go on a date with him, but the things were going so well between you the doctor assumed you felt the same. Apparently that wasn’t the case and Stephen respected your decision.

“Oh, a date?”

“Yeah, I don’t know if he agrees though. He’s kinda busy with sorcery stuff and all that.” You bit your lip, trying to stop yourself from smiling.

Stephen exhaled in relief, with a smirk on his face.

“I’m sure he will find some time for you.” He announced, playing along. “He already cleared out his schedule for you.”

You giggled like a little kid, taking Stephen’s hand in yours and placing a gentle kiss on his knuckles. “It’s a date then, doctor.”

“I believe it is.”

#ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ- i did that #stephen strange #stephen strange x reader #doctor strange #doctor strange x reader

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deltaromeo3 · 2 years ago

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ɴᴏ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ — Daniel Ricciardo

pairing: Daniel Ricciardo x childhood bestfriend!Reader

summary: Finally returning home after a few years, she reunites with her long time bestfriend; the all too famous Formula 1 driver, Daniel Ricciardo. Will things rehash between them or will it take a turn for the worst?

previous chapters here: #2 | #3

Perth, Australia. It’s where you called home ever since you were 7. It’s been years since you’ve been back home but today you had a reason for your arrival; it was your mother’s birthday and she was turning fifty.

Usually, you would skip coming home at all costs. But this time, your mother begged you to come because apparently turning the big five and having you around to celebrate was a huge deal for her. Which was weird because all these while she was usually fine with not having you around and wine with a birthday card seemed to do the trick.

But somehow with enough convincing, you eventually gave in because she said that your sister would be there too, and you used that as a good enough reason to come back.

You avoided home like the plague, always telling your mother you were extremely busy, getting caught up in work and other stuff so you couldn’t afford to take a break and fly home.

But was that really the reason for your absence?

And now, here you were, a day early, standing outside the house you grew up in. Memories came flooding back but you were quickly snapped back to reality when your dad came out to help you with your luggage.

“You alright there darling?” He asked, a look of concern obvious on his face.

You smile and nod, “Yeah, I'm good.”

He just smiled in response and the both of you walked towards the door. As soon as you entered the house you were greeted by your sister hugging you so tightly you thought you were gonna pass out.

You laughed and hugged her back with as much force. Once you let go, you walked over to the kitchen.

“Ugh I feel like it’s been years since I last saw you.” She says, leaning on the entrance of the kitchen.

“That’s because it has been years.” You say as you poured yourself a cup of water.

“What? It can’t be that long ago, right?” Denial present in her voice.

You closed the fridge door. “Yeah it has,” You sipped on your drink. “I was here when Ella got married, remember? Her kid is three now. Three.” You held three fingers up close to your sister's face, annoying her as a result.

“Three huh? Just like his-’’

Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by your mother coming down the stairs.

“What’s all the noise about? Has the prodigal daughter returned home?”

You quickly glanced over to your sister, giving her the “oh god i’m not ready for this” look but all she does is flash you a tight-lipped smile.

Your mother walks over to you with open arms, hugging you. She lets go of the hug, holding your sides to take a good look at you but it felt like she was examining you instead…

“Are you sleeping well? You’ve got bags under your eyes.”

There it is.

She points at them but you just smile through it.

You glanced over to your sister as if you knew what was gonna happen.

“It’s nice to see you too Ma,” You reply, unamused.

“I’m just saying you look tired is all.”

You sighed, opening your mouth to respond but was interrupted by your sister chiming in. “It’s probably the jet lag, you know how it is.”

She understood that it was too soon for you to receive criticism from your own mother. You literally just arrived.

Your sister leaves the kitchen, making pointless conversation with your mother to distract her as they walked towards the living room.

You turned to the sink, washing the cup trying to distract yourself.

“Don’t think so much about it, you know how she is.” Your dad reassures you.

“I know I know…” You sigh.

“I’m just glad you’re home, we missed you tons. Especially your mother.”

“It’s kinda hard to believe that. All she ever does when we meet is criticize me or my looks.”

Your dad chuckles. He ruffles your hair and leaves. Before he walks away he says, “I now know why you were so eager to leave.”

You chuckled at the statement.

After having dinner, everyone was seated in the living room, watching TV together. You stared blankly at the sixty inch screen, some movie on Netflix playing.

You groan out of boredom.

You stood up, deciding that taking a walk was better than sitting around watching some lame movie.

You grab your jacket along the way out.

“Where ya off to?” Your mom asks.

“Gonna take a walk, haven’t been home in a while.”

She hums in response and you exit the house, closing the door behind you.

You decided that the corner shop was the place you wanted to go. You immediately walked towards the all too familiar path, leading you past a few houses before eventually arriving to the store. Once you arrive, it brought you back to the times where you, Ella and a few other of your friends used to hang out together after school… One person in particular you could not forget.

You smiled to yourself when you reminisced about the good old times but was quickly returned back to the present when you heard someone call out your name.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that :)) This is my first time writing so do leave me feedback (good OR bad) so I know how I can improve for the next upcoming parts!!

#daniel ricciardo x reader #daniel ricciardo imagines #daniel ricciardo #f1 x reader #f1 x you #daniel ricciardo fanfiction #f1 fic #daniel ricciardo x y/n #deltaromeo3

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sadboi-writer · 4 months ago

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Dear Jack (Series)

Chapter Six: Road to Wasabi

Summary: Jack doesn't have a present for Rudy's birthday, so he lies and says Bobby Wasabi is coming to visit. Rudy insults Bobby, which gets him fired. Now the kids have to break and enter to get Rudy's job back. Throw in some ninjas and good-old fashion movie plot.

Word Count: 4.2K

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, cursing

Masterlist ~ Chapter Five ~ Chapter Seven

Y/N felt like pulling out their hair. Everything had to be perfect, they had spent months planning this for Rudy. From decorations and food, to the guest list. This surprise party had to be perfect.

It already wasn't going well. The balloons were the wrong color, Jerry had picked up the wrong chips, and Jack was nowhere to be found.

Kim insisted Y/N go into the locker room to cool down. Because they were just running themself up the wall worrying like they were. After about ten minutes Kim sent Jerry to keep Y/N company since he was getting on her nerves.

Nearly an hour and half after he was supposed to be there, Jack finally strolled in.

"You're late," Kim grumbled

Jack quirked a brow, "For what?"

"Rudy's surprise birthday party, remember?" Eddie asked, "Y/N's been planning it forever. They've been freaking out since we got here."

"I thought Rudy knew about it?" Jack asked

"He does," Eddie confirmed, "He went over the details with Y/N two weeks ago when he found out."

"Shh, he's coming!" Rudy's own voice rang out

Rudy reached in and flicked out the lights. Before strolling and turning them on, as if he hadn't just turned them off.

"Surprise." The group said with no enthusiasm

Rudy placed a hand on his chest dramatically, "How did you know it was my birthday? Are you guys trying to kill me?"

He put on a cake hat.

"You better not have brought gifts!" He said, obviously expecting gifts, "But, if you did, now would be the time to load me up!"

Jack frantically chased after Milton, "Hey man, I don't have anything, can I get in on your gift?"

Milton shook his head, "Absolutely not! I put a lot of time, effort, and money into this thing!"

Milton handed the neatly wrapped gift to Rudy.

"This is from Jerry, Eddie, and Me." Milton told him

Rudy ripped it open, " Oh! Joke-a-day toilet paper! Get out! My cousin had this at his house. I literally laughed myself off the bowl! Thanks you guys!... Now, I don't want to turn this whole gift thing into a competition, but Kim, it's time to Top That Gift!"

Jack ran after her, "Kim, do you think I could get in on your--"

"Forget it, Jack," Kim cut him off, "I've got a winner right here. Just go ask your girlfriend."

Jack stood dumbfounded, fully realizing Y/N wasn't there for the first time.

"Unlike some people, I actually put a lot of thought into my gift. I hope you like it, Rudy." Kim said

Rudy ripped open the wrapping paper and gasped, "A signed picture of Bobby Wasabi? My hero, my idol, the man I patterned my life after? 'To whom it my concern, Bobby Wasabi'. That's me, I'm whom. I'm concerned! All right, Jack. Rock. My. World."

The group joined Rudy in crowding around Jack. Kim had a smug smirk on her face.

"Yeah, Jack,"Kim teased, "I'm sure Rudy saved the best for last."

Jack inhaled, trying to think quickly, "Well, you know, I was thinking... you know, everyone knows how much you love Bobby Wasabi. And I asked myself what could be better than a picture, right?"

"Only the man himself!" Rudy chimed, "Wait, wait, wait a minute. Are you saying what I think you're saying? You found a way to get Bobby Wasabi to come down here so I could meet him?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded hesitantly

Rudy bounced on his feet in excitement, "Wait, the founder of this dojo, an international movie star, someone who hasn't been seen in public in 20 years is coming to see me? I can't believe it!"

"None of us can believe it, Jack," Kim challenged

Milton spun around blindfolded with the piñata stick.

"Let's get this party started!" Milton cheered

His swings got out of control and he started moving sporadically around the dojo. Just as Y/N exited the locker room, now much calmer, and carrying a wrapped gift. Milton hit them with the stick and promptly tripped over them.

Once everyone had gotten Milton off of Y/N they each took their leave. Y/N was left alone with just Jack and Rudy. Y/N sat next to Rudy on the bench, handing him the wrapped box.

"What's this?" Rudy asked, genuinely surprised

"Your present,"Y/N explained," It's from Jack and I."

Jack's eyebrows shot up as Rudy looked between the two.

"Jack got me two gifts? That's so nice of him," Rudy said as he started to tear into the wrapping paper, "Seven tickets to the Light it Up Cinema?"

Y/N shrugged, "We rented out a theater for all day Saturday, we're having a Bobby Wasabi movie party!"

Rudy gave Y/N a quick hug before going and giving Jack one too.

"Best birthday, ever!" Rudy cheered as he went to his office

Jack looked at Y/N, "I didn't know you included me in your gift."

"Yeah, Kim said you'd forget so I just put your name on the card," They joked, "I didn't know you got him your own, I didn't mean to step on your toes there."

Jack shook his head, " I didn't. I panicked and told him Bobby Wasabi was coming to meet him."

"Jack, you didn't!" Y/N insisted

"I did!" He lamented

"Bobby Wasabi hasn't been seen in years, he'll never agree to come meet Rudy!"

Jack sighed, "I know!"

Y/N stood, "Let me brainstorm, we'll figure something out."

Y/N grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before leaving the dojo.

The next day at school Kim was still making fun of Jack for his lie.

"I cannot believe you told Rudy that Bobby Wasabi was coming." She teased

"I couldn't believe it either! Words just kept exploding out of me!" He replied, "It's like I had a case of liarrhea!"

"He's never gonna show, Jack." Kim continued, "And Rudy's gonna be crushed!"

"Bobby could show! I mean, my grandfather was his sensei! I found his number and left him a message. It was Y/N 's idea."

Kim frowned, "This could be bad. Remember how disappointed Rudy was when he lost the Name-the-Baby-Panda contest at the zoo?"

Jack shook his head at the memory, "Oh, I know. He put on his crying boots. I know what I said was wrong. But, I mean, who's crazy enough to believe that Bobby Wasabi is actually coming to our dojo?"

Of course, as he said it Jerry, Milton, and Eddie came running down the stairs.

"I can't believe Bobby Wasabi is actually coming to our dojo!" Jerry hollered

Y/N trailed down behind them, an amused smirk on their face.

Jerry hopped down the last couple steps, "Look, Jack! Bro, since Bobby's coming for Rudy's birthday, we've decided to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"We spent the whole night in Jerry's garage writing his comeback movie!" Eddie proudly showed off the script they had written

Jack glanced at Y/N, seeing the dark circle beneath their eyes. Of course Jerry had talked Y/N into helping them. Y/N gave Jack a tired smile and a small wave.

Kim took Jack by the shoulder and walked him a few paces away from the group.

"Wow, you hear all that, Jack?" She asked, "Our friends spent all night in a garage writing a comeback movie for Bobby Wasabi."

"What's bad about that?" Jack replied, "What if they wrote a really great movie?"

Milton chuckled, "Oh, It's better than great! It's epic! Bobby Wasabi is the biggest martial arts action star in history."

"An absolute hero!" Y/N chimed in

"But now he'll battle with the most diabolical force he's ever faced!" Eddie continued

"It's half piranha, half octopus!" Milton built up

"It's PIRANHAPUS!" The boys cheered together

"Eight arms!" Jerry demonstrated

"Nine mouths!" He continued

The four gnawed at the air.

"And one bad attitude!"

Jerry, Eddie, Milton, and Y/N lined up in a clearly rehearsed version of their ideal of Piranhapus. Flailing their arms and gnashing their teeth. All while Kim and Jack stared on.

After school, Eddie, Milton, Jerry, and Y/N sat together staring at the waste of money before them.

"We paid your cousin 50 bucks to make a model of Piranhapus,"Eddie grumbled, "And this is what we get?"

The model was a basketball with hose arms. It looked like shit to be completely frank. Y/N put their head in their hands, a headache forming over the boys bickering.

"You should be happy he gave us a deal." Jerry insisted, "I mean he took our vision and brought it to life!"

Y/N shook their head, "My little brother could have made this, Jerry!"

"Isn't he 4?"

"Exactly!" They snapped back

Eddie placed a hand on Y/N's shoulder, "Dude, we can't show this thing to Bobby Wasabi. It's a joke!"

"No, you know what's a joke?" Jerry snapped,"That tacky ending you wrote. Bro, you ruined our movie!"

"My ending is perfect!" Eddie defended, "No one could even see it coming!"

"Of course they can't see it coming!" Milton finally spoke, "How does a walrus operate a hang glider?"

"Guys, come on-" Y/N tried to intervene

"You know what? Well, here's what we think of your ending!" Jerry interrupted

He ripped out the last page of the script and ripped it into tiny pieces, throwing it across the table. It landed on Y/N's lap and a little bit in their hair. But, Y/N was more focused on the boys fighting in front of them.

Eddie stood, "That's it!"

Eddie lunged at Jerry and started smacking him. Milton jumped on Eddie's back and the three continued to fight as Y/N tried to pull them off of each other.

"Guys, stop it!" Y/N shouted, "Come on! This was supposed to be fun!"

Jack and Kim entered the food court and saw their friends fighting. Jack ran to them.

"Hey, guys, what are you doing?" He shouted, "Stop! Get away! Come on!"

He gently pulled Y/N back before roughly grabbing one of Eddie's shoulders as Kim grabbed the other. Once they were separated, Kim went to check on Y/N.

"What is going on?" Jack asked

"This Bobby Wasabi movie is tearing us apart!" Milton answered

Milton plopped down in a chair next to Y/N, allowing them to lay their head on his shoulder. Kim pushed Jack to the side.

"Jack this is crazy!" Kim whispered harshly, "Just tell them the truth.'

Jack sighed, "You're right."

He slowly approached his friends.

"Guys, you remember how I said that Bobby Wasabi was coming to our dojo?" Jack began

"Yeah," They answered in unison

"Well," Jack continued, "The truth is...-"

Before Jack could finish a man walked by and took one of Jerry;s falafels. Jerry stood angrily, pointing his fork.

"Hey, beef meats!" Jerry called, " Who do you think you are?"

The man turned around, flicking his hair out of his face. Y/N was on their feet in a second.

"Holy mackerel," Y/N whispered, "That's-"

"I am," The man said, throwing the falafel onto Jerry's fork," Bobby Wasabi."

Bobby turned and entered the dojo.

"Woah," The all awed

Y/N was quick to run inside after him. Y/N watched as Rudy left his office. Rudy looked in confusion at Bobby staring at their trophies.

"Uh, sorry ma'am, we're closed." Rudy said politely beginning to approach, "If you're looking for the Large and Loving It Dress shop, it's on the other side of the mall!"

Bobby turned to Rudy, "What was that?"

Finally, Jack and the rest of them sprinted inside.

"Rudy! Rudy!" Jack shouted, "Your birthday presents' here!"

Jack pointed at Bobby.

"It's Bobby Wasabi!"

"Yeah!" Jerry corroborated

"You wanna know why he's here?" Jack gloated, " Because when I say I can deliver, what happens? Oh, that's right, I deliver!"

Y/N chuckled anxiously at Jack's display.

Rudy laughed, "That's a great joke! You hire some big betty to squeeze into a dress and then wobble in here saying he's Bobby Wasabi! It's hilarious!"

Y/N sucked in a gasp, "No, Rudy, really-"

Bobby cut them off, "You don't think that I am Bobby Wasabi?"

He stood beside a cardboard cutout of himself. In all fairness to Rudy he did look quite different. Rudy gave him an unimpressed look.

"No ma'am or sir, I do not." Rudy agreed

Y/N barked out a chuckle. Bobby Wasabi and Jack shot them a look.

Bobby approached Rudy, "That is it!"

He began screeching and attacked Rudy. Rudy easily beat him, flipping him like it was nothing onto the mat.

The whole group was cringing. Y/N warily approached Bobby, offering him a hand up as Kim and Milton ran to do the same. Jack ran to Rudy.

"Rudy, this is no joke!" He insisted, "That really is Bobby Wasabi!"

Rudy finally seemed to believe Jack.

"Oh," He exhaled, stood next to Bobby, "Oh. OH!"

"Oh, Bobby, I'm sorry Mr.Wasabi!" Jack said as the group moved to help Y/N, Kim, and Milton in their effort to get him up

"Mr.Wasabi, I'm so sorry fro the misunderstanding." Rudy apologized, "Um, welcome to my dojo!"

Y/N could practically see the steam coming out of Bobby's ears with how angry he was.

"This is not your dojo," Bobby huffed, "This is my dojo, and you are fired!"

Bobby flipped his hair as he left the dojo. No one knew what to say, so they also left.

Y/N stayed back with Rudy, who was absolutely distraught.

"Everything will be okay, Rudy!" Y/N insisted, "I'm going to figure out how to let you keep your job

Rudy shook his head, "Go home, Y/N."

Y/N pulled him into a hug.

"I'm not giving up on you, Rudy," They told him, "Please don't give up on me."

Rudy gave a weak nod, and Y/N left him to his business.

The next day at school, Kim was still going after Jack for everything. They were all walking together, save for Y/N.

"Nice birthday present, Jack!" Kim exclaimed, "You got Rudy fired. Maybe next year you can give him a balloon and push him down the stairs!"

The five sat down near Jerry's locker, at the foot of the stairs.

"The worst part is, the Bobby Wasabi comeback movie is dead!" Milton complained, "Say goodbye to my Hollywood dream."

Y/N came down the stairs.

"What's Rudy gonna do without a job?" Kim asked

"He'll be fine! Guys like Rudy land on their feet!" Jack replied, " I wouldn't be surprised if he's already found a better job!"

"Not exactly better," Y/N cut in, "But, it's a job."

Jack quirked an eyebrow at them, "What do you mean?"

"Let me just show you guys."Y/N said as the final bell of the day rang

Y/N took the group to the mall, and into Reptile World of all places. As they walked in, Lonnie ran by wailing about a toothbrush. Y/N nodded toward Rudy in his new uniform.

"Hey guys!" Rudy greeted, "What are you guys doing here?"

Rudy's smile didn't quite meet his eyes.

"You know, we just came by to see how you're doing," Jack answered

Rudy waved him off, "Yeah, don't worry about me! I'm doing swell--swell, I tell you."

Rudy began to tear up, and Y/N stepped forward to gently pat his back. Then.Rudy ran off into the back room crying.Y/N watched a wave of guilt fall over Jack.

"Guys this is my fault." Jack admitted, "Rudy's a third degree black belt, and now he's scrubbing turtle butt!"

Jack paused to think. Y/N looked him in the eye, a glint of mischief in them.

"Bobby Wasabi took away his job, and Bobby Wasabi is gonna give it back." Y/N plotted

Jack gave them a high five.

That night they found Bobby Wasabi's mansion. They stood outside the gate as Eddie repeatedly pressed the buzzer.

"He's not answering!" Eddie complained, "How do we know he's even in there?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Well, someone just ordered a truckload of pastrami!"

They all backed away from the gate. Jack sighed.

"Guys, it took three busses to get here!" Jack said, "So we're just gonna have to break in!"

Y/N turned and saw Milton slip through the bars of the gate. He gestured for them to follow, they did with a bit more effort than he needed. but Y/N also got through.

"Not happening, man," Jerry said, as Y/N squeezed through, " Guys like Wasabi have million dollar security systems." Y/N pointed at a big red button for Milton to go press. When he did, the gate opened. The group entered while Jerry still meandered on about different security measures Wasabi would have.

Y/N grabbed Jerry by the collar and shoved him toward the front door with the others.

Once they got inside, the group stayed as quiet as they could. Peering around corners and trying to stay together. They came to a new hallway.

"Oh no," Kim warned, "That's not good."

She pointed to a "Ninja Xing" sign on the wall. Jerry scoffed.

"Oh come on, it's just one of those gag signs you buy at the car wash!" He insisted

As he finished his sentence four ninja's landed on the ground in front of the group.

"Oh, really, Jerry?" Y/N teased

"Jerry, I don't think it's a gag,"Milton whimpered, "NINJAS!"

The group all ran screaming, splitting up. Jack and Kim ran in one direction, Eddie and Milton in another, and Y/N and Jerry in the third.

Jerry and Y/N got to a dead end and started trying door handles. As they did one of the ninjas came up on them. Jerry paused as Y/N took a swing at the ninja.

"So, what's going on with you and Jack?" Jerry asked as he landed a kick

Y/N whipped their head to him, "What are you talking about?"

Y/N slung the Ninja over their shoulder and to the floor.

"You two are being weird around each other since Truman messed with us." Jerry replied

"We got into a fight," Y/N huffed, standing off of the unconscious ninja, " And I yelled at him that I have a crush on him. But, we're good now, we're ignoring it."

Jerry laughed, "No you're not."

"He is."

Before Jerry could reply, the ninja stood and struck Y/N on the back of the neck. Knocking them out. Jerry held his hands up in surrender.

The ninja picked up Y/N and carried them over his shoulder as they guided Jerry by the back of his neck. They were brought straight to Bobby Wasabi. Y/N was dumped unceremoniously on the ground in front of Milton and Eddy who had evidently also been caught.

"Show some respect!" Milton complained as Y/N hit the floor

"What did he do to them!" Eddie yelled

Bobby waved his hand to silence them, "You lot are in so much trouble. You broke into my house, which means when I call the police you are going to jail. Including Sleeping Beauty there."

They stood dumbfounded.

"Sausage me!" Bobby ordered

One of his ninjas threw two hot dogs into buns another ninja was holding, which were then handed to Bobby Wasabi.

"That's the most incredible thing I've ever seen!" Eddie said in awe, "Sausage me!"

The ninja moved to throw sausages to Eddie.

"Don't you dare sausage him, Evan!" Bobby interrupted, "Take them away! Leave the unconscious one."

Milton yelled, "Fine! Take us away! But when we leave, your big comeback movie leaves with us!"

"How's that now? What?" Bobby stood, "What?"

The ninjas let go. Jerry hautily approached.

"It just so happens we wrote the greatest movie of your career,"Jerry boasted

"A little something called Bobby Wasabi vs. Piranhapus!" Eddie continued

Milton got next to Bobby, "It's half piranha, half octopus!"

"So it's a little piranha with eight tentacles?" Bobby asked

Jerry jumped up on Bobby's other side, "Try a giant octopus with vicious piranha teeth at the end of each tentacle!"

Bobby chuckled, "Ohhhh! I want to fight that thing so bad! I can almost taste it!"

Bobby paused.

"No, that's a little sausage juice left in my mustache."

The boys proceeded to explain the plot to Bobby Wasabi, who listened adamantly. Milton and Eddie sat next to Bobby on the right, while Jerry sat on his left with the still unconscious Y/N in his lap.

"The End." Milton finished

Bobby broke into tears, " That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!"

The alarm started blaring and Bobby was immediately on his feet. Jerry scooted away, holding Y/N closer.

"Either security's been breached or my pot pie's ready!" Bobby announced

The doors burst open, revealing Jack and Kim still being pursued by three ninjas. Jack faltered seeing Y/N unconscious.

"Hey, Bobby, I've been looking for you!" Jack announced

"Get them!" Bobby ordered

The rest of his ninjas went after Jack and Kim. Milton and Eddie helped Jerry move Y/N off to the side, out of danger. Y/N gently stirred to life just in time to see Jack tap Kim's hip for her to jump on him and kick three ninjas away.

Jerry pushed some hair out of Y/N's face.

"You're okay," He whispered

Y/N nodded and fell back asleep.

Kim and Jack made quick work of the ninjas. Leaving Bobby positively impressed.

The ninjas got up and moved to restrain Jack and Kim. Bobby stood.

"Hang on a second!"Bobby shouted, "That was the perfect Flying Dragon kick."

Jack stood proudly, "My grandfather taught it to me."

"Well, I can't think that your grandfather would approve of you breaking into my house." Bobby said

"No," Jack agreed, "But, he would approve of me standing up for my sensei."

"Your sensei called me a man lady." Bobby pointed out

"It was an honest mistake!" Jack countered, " You've got a ponytail and that thing you're wearing kind of looks like a dress."

"It's a kaftan! It's breathable, wrinkled-free, and great for those on-the-go days!"

"Mr.Wasabi," Jack replied," what was the one thing that all of your movies had?"

"Hot chicks, explosions, and a sassy orangutan sidekick." He answered with no hesitation

"Everyone loved Dr.Bananas!" Jack agreed

Everyone in the room agreed.

"But your movies also had you!" Jack continued, " A man that lived by the Wasabi code. That's the code Sensei Rudy still lives by."

Jack looked to his friends who joined him in the Wasabi code.

"We swear by the light of the dragon's eye," They all said

Bobby looked at them and finished the saying, "To be loyal, honest, and never say die."

"Wasabi." They all finished

"Bobby look, Rudy's far from perfect. But he's more than just a great sensei. He's our friend." Jack insisted, " Do the right thing. Give him his job back."

Y/N's eyes fluttered open, and Jerry gently helped them to their feet. As Bobby contemplated his options, disco music filled the air and a random man came in dancing dressed from the 70's. He grabbed a plunger and danced his way out.

"I hit my head harder than I thought," Y/N said

"Okay, who was that guy?" Kim asked

Bobby shrugged, " I have no idea. I'm just glad that you could see him too."

The group left, Bobby promised to meet them at the mall the next day to give Rudy his job back. Jerry kept his arm around Y/N to keep them steady.

At the mall they waited for their parents to pick them up. Jack checked over Y/N as soon as he could.

"Are you okay?" He asked

Y/N nodded, "Just a headache now."

"I was really worried about you."

"I'm okay, I promise."

Their voices weren't above a whisper. They looked into each others eyes. Jack started to lean in when a car horn honked. It was his mom. He turned around quickly.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He promised

Y/N nodded and left on their walk back home.

The next day Y/N pointed Bobby toward Reptile World. The group stayed outside waiting anxiously to see Rudy. After a few minutes, Bobby came out carrying Rudy like a bride. Eddie stood and started clapping prompting the rest of the food court to join in. Y/N went to the doors of the dojo and held it open for Rudy. As he entered the dojo Rudy pulled them into a bone-crushing hug.

"Thanks for everything," Rudy gratified

Friday after school they started filming Bobby Wasabi vs. Piranhapus.

"Bobby Wasabi vs. Piranhapus take one!" Jack announced clapping the slate'

Lonnie ran out of his shop yelling, "Help me! It's horrible!" A giant tentacle came out of the shop door ad wrapped around him, pulling him inside.

Bobby turned to the camera and recited his line,

"CUT!" Milton shouted

Milton approached Bobby.

"Bobby, baby, bubby!" Milton coaxed, " You're killing me! Where's the energy?"

Bobby nodded, "You're right, I phoned that one in!" Milton turned to Eddie on boom.

"Eddie, go in there and tell Jerry and Y/N to take it easy with that giant tentacle, they're going way too big!" Eddie nodded.

Jerry and Y/N jogged up bickering.

"It's totally your fault!" Y/N blamed

"Hush!" Jerry demanded, "Hey, guys, sorry we're late! They wouldn't let us on the bus with this thing!"

"They let us on the bus, but kicked us off when he smacked the driver with it!" Y/N clarified

"Wait a minute," Eddie said, " If you're here with this, then what was--"

As they looked at Reptile World, Lonnie slammed against the window covered in goop. They all quickly packed their things and ran.

Y/N ran into the dojo with Jack close behind. They looked at each other and burst into a fit of giggles.

#jack brewer #eddie jones #jack brewer x reader #jerry martinez #kim crawford #kickin it #kickin it x reader #rudy gillespie #milton david krupnick

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 1 year ago

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aita for ghosting my boss after involuntarily quitting?

so this is pretty low stakes because it all happened like two years ago and i’ve never spoken to or even seen the other party since. i just remembered this story and wanted to see what strangers on the internet have to say about it.

i got my first job at the local equivalent of an auntie anne’s at the mall food court when i was 15. socially, i was an absolute mess back then, probably worsened by the fact that this was right after covid quarantines were lifted for the first time. i had to really prepare myself up to talk to my boss about simple things like to ask for time off. i’ve since gotten better at communication, i hope, anyway.

about two months into working here, i saw that i had been assigned a shift on my birthday, this was around a week before my birthday. it was a weekend shift so it was essentially all day. i asked around a little on whatsapp dms with other people in the group to see if i could swap with anybody, but no one could.

i was a little bummed but i thought, what the hell, it’s fine. it’s my bad for not asking for the day off earlier before the schedule was made, and many people worked on their birthday anyway.

but my dad didn’t want me working on my birthday at all. he had wanted to celebrate together by going out to a restaurant with everyone or something. when i told him that i had an 8 hour shift that day, he wanted me to ask my boss in person to “do something about it” so that i could be off.

he said that, from his perspective, it was my boss’s responsibility to find someone to replace my shift, not mine. he may have had a point, but: 1) i had not asked for this day off ahead of time; if i had done that, my boss *would* have found someone else to schedule, 2) at this point, this was literally the day before the shift in question, and 3) i personally didn’t even have any objections with working on my birthday anyway. my dad just wanted to be able to celebrate with me and said that it was wrong for me to work in my birthday.

anyway i had a shift the day before my birthday, and as asked to by my dad, i verbally asked my boss if she could make an exception and let me have a day off because it was important to my family (this terrified me lmao). she was nice about it, but said no because it was a religious holiday for her family, and it was a busy weekend for the mall, so she really needed the help. personally i thought this was reasonable agreed to just work the next day.

when i told my dad however, he personally went to go speak to my boss which basically devolved into a loud argument in the middle of the darkened, closed up food court of the mall at 9 pm. i was bewildered and felt like shit the whole time, and i don’t remember clearly how it ended, but at some point my boss ended up leaving and then so did we.

it was never cleared up whether she expected me to come to work the next day or not. either way, i didn’t, and we did end up celebrating my birthday and everything.

this next part is where i think i acted like TA. once again i don’t remember the details exactly, but either i stopped getting scheduled and was kicked from the whatsapp group, or i left by myself at some point.

i know that’s a pretty big distinction to forget, but either way i completely ghosted them after this out of sheer embarrassment over what had happened. i never reached out to formally end my employment. i avoided the auntie anne’s every time i was at the mall. i never returned my uniform, because i didn’t see the message from my boss asking for it back until months after. that was the last time she’s ever had communication with me.

so yeah. aita for the circumstances that lead me to involuntarily quit/get fired at my first job, and aita for ignoring my boss afterwards?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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shock · 8 months ago

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This one is definitely my favorite so far in my collage solar system, so I wanted to post it. Hopefully I'll get some nice scans once all the pieces are done, but here's a spotlight on Neptune Side 1, "MEMORY".

The photos on the left are all pictures I took as a kid with film my gammaw got me before she died, and most of them are from the same day we took a walk together. The photos on the right all include her except for one. I can't remember HOW I managed to get ahold of the time they hired a stripper for her birthday, but I've always found that set of photos to be really evocative and I feel like I found the perfect use for them! 🤣

The text reads:

One fine day in 2006, a wild deer wandered into a Target store. When animals are traumatized, we make careful, logical calculations. Which is what the deer did.

After falling down the stairs, skidded around for a half hour, like when Odysseus opened a bag of captive winds, would surrender for a second, then dash from one event to the next. Until out of sheer frustration, I threw a bucket. But it made the deer race right through the window.

"F---ed up beyond all recognition."

If I had known what that maneuver would cost, I would probably have let the deer go.

A couple of days before she died, she took me to the ocean.

My log adds, I had some nice things to eat. I have never seen a being, human or animal, always so full of joy. Talking to her filled me with the power of the sun.

I wanted to hug her, but I didn't. I literally forgot to put my arms around her. We talked again that night on a ship-to-ship radio frequency. You weren't supposed to talk long on that because others might need it.

The next day, she died. I went into the woods, trying to clear my head. I could hear the deer breathing in the darkness. It was weird.

The day after she died, I called and cried. I don't like to yell or scream, but a bad storm brings something out of me. Not until I knew there's be no response did I realize how much pleasure I had taken in calling her. I bellowed up at the approaching storm: All right, you have the power of life and death! Love's no good! I know it! I had so many meetings with different people, I forgot! I'm sorry! So deafen me with your thunder! Go on, then! Scorch up my brains! I defy you! I'll defy you to my last breath!

Who was I defying? God? The deer? The storm? It didn't do any good to make noises of my own.

Sleeping helps. In dreams, I reach out my hand and grab the disease with my fist, drive that f---ed cancer back across an entire wavelength, refuse to contemplate the distant future, have a great talk with her held safely inside my arms.

I think It's worst than a nightmare. It's slow torture, it will drive you crazy, cunningly spooled and folded scenarios spin out in your mind.

Two years ago, I watched tapes of her that only reminded me of how I wanted to hear live people. It took me years to learn how to use them.

It is always interesting to see how situations change and people move from one to the other. Then you walk around a rock, and there it is: names and drawings, graffiti, all of one trade— MEMORIES carved in the rock:

Her life was a gift to me. She'd given me a greater one.

She sounded good.

I got the message. Follow the noise.

Retrace my route between the images of a continuous narrative. I went to the spot where she took her last breath. By then I could hear the deer running through the brush. I called again. This time, with a smile.

It worked. I made contact again.

Of course I knew this time she couldn't come, so my approach changed:

All right, REFLECTIONS can't support life.

That's okay. Keep moving.

GO AHEAD AND FREAK OUT.

Keeping busy helps, too— She lived every moment as though it were her last. It was wonderful.

I love her very much.

Do you want to know a secret?

I transformed into something grown for the pure happiness it brings me.

I feel really good now.

My attention most days is on the here and now.

It's the only real escape there is.

#my collages #collage art #collage poetry

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kuni-kuun · 6 months ago

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hey uh, consider:

Dazai was an immortal. He thought that if lost the one he loved, he'd never be sworn to another and grieve for the rest of his life and yet- Over and over again, he'd keep finding reincarnations. Again and again, he experienced love and heartbreak. Painful, so incredibly painful, but he loved them. He did it anyways.

They could never remember him. Only a warm sense of familiarity, bits and pieces of past lives and fleeting memories. And yet, they'd always fall in love. Always.

The blond haired man with golden grey eyes, who loved to wear dark shirts and enjoyed the sunlight on his skin, and how he liked tea over coffee. Dazai knew him in and out, countless years of living with reincarnation after reincarnation, many many lives. He looked the same, every life. But his name would change, sometimes he had a beauty mark, sometimes he had teeth a little sharper than normal

Dazai found him again. The man was walking somewhere, a bag packed full of files sat on his shoulder.

In this life, he was wearing glasses. His golden hair was tied into a low ponytail, just like he always did. Dazai knew that this was him. Another lifetime, another him. The name was different, but the personality was the same.

The files on his shoulder were an indication of his job, he obviously worked for some kind of office. (sorry for the long post/ask lmao) also: some past life ideas? idk [a photographer named Masaru (last life)] He took each picture from his partner- his past lover, and looked them over. Each one was beautiful. He had never been to these places in this life, but he felt a strange pang of nostalgia. Pictures of the landscapes, of the mountains and oceans, of the fields and cities, of the shrines and the docks. Some of them had Dazai in them. Smiling, laughing, posing. Some were at his house. Not this life- but the past. He couldn't remember it at all, but it felt right at home. A longing for a home he never lived in.

[a band singer/guitarist (bcs band au rocks, last last last? life) named Kazuya] He flipped one of the photographs. The date was scrawled in pencil on the back. 1947. The photo was of Kunikida's birthday. The name on the cake read 'Kazuya'.

"A while back too..." "This must be from a second, maybe third lifetime ago." He looked closer at the background. A guitar lay in the corner, a drumset glimmered in the dim lighting. "A band?"

"You were quite the charmer, weren't you?" Dazai chuckles, thinking of how often Kazuya charmed his audiences with his music, voice and stage presence.

"... You had the crowd eating out of your hands at your concerts- they loved you."

anyways i am dumping stuff on you now (you don't have to do anything, i just like talking) (sorry again for bothering you) (there's so much text here you get a stroke) (i suffer from 'won't shut up' syndrome and i think that's why i have no friends) (i understand if you literally don't want to read this lmao)

OKAY the REAL reason why i havent gotten around to posting this ask is because I WANTED TO DRAW SOMETHING FOR IT 😭😭 BUT I NEVER GOT AROUND TO... I was so shocked whilw reading it i wanted to make something for it so badly but now it got buried ... ueueue im sorry

BUT ANYWAYS oh my GOODNESS ur writing. Im so. Woahf..the descriptions and the scenes you set up is so good wosg.. i have a bad track record w reincarnation aus bro the past ones i read made me CRY and break down anrd roll around i cant survive thjs one too . Whatevr . Im normal i

#TRULY SORRY I HOPE U FORGIVE ME #i hope anon is having a good life #and thdis is so good. i hope u know thst #kunikidazai #bsd #ask cocoa

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nephilimeq · 1 year ago

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Hey, I was just wondering what age you thought Derek was in season one? Cause it’s a heavily debated and unknown piece of information. Me personally I always thought he was 19 in the pilot, and this was before I had read anything about the writers wanting him to be that age in the pilot. It was just the way he acted, to me, it doesn’t seem like a mid-20s man. Also stiles says the fire happened “ like ten years ago” but then a few episodes later Peter says he’s been in a coma for 6 years. So I was just curious what you thought. Also stiles saying that is always made out to be taken as it literally happened exactly ten years ago, and people always bring it up but they never talk about how long Peter said it had been.

Sorry if this is long I just enjoy your blog and your thoughts. I wanted to share mine while also hearing it from your perspective. Hope you have a wonderful day, you deserve it!

This is a very tricky subject to handle, because the writers made mistakes in their own timeline so they switched things around.

But in the very first episode Stiles says that Derek is only a few years older than them. I always figured that Derek was around 19 in Season 1, while Stiles was 16.

The reason why they messed everything up so horribly is because they hadn't actually created a timeline for all the events when they started writing, and to me, it made the show feel like a fan fiction writer who was just making it up as they went and then all the reviewers were saying, "Hey, you have a few continuity errors," and instead of trying to make it work, they just made something up and didn't really try to go back and adjust anything.

There's a scene that happens when Stiles is asking Peter and Cora about Derek's past (Season 3, Episode 8 "Visionary"), and he is trying to find out how old they are, and this train wreck section of dialogue occurs:

Stiles: Okay, if Derek was a sophomore back then, how old was he? How old were you? ...How old are you now? Peter: Not as young as we could have been, but not as old as you might think. Stiles: Okay, that was frustratingly vague. How old are you? Cora: I'm seventeen. Stiles: See, that's an answer. That's how we answer people. Cora: Well, seventeen how you'd measure in years. Stiles: Alright, I'm just gonna drop it.

This dialogue made me so pissy when I heard it the first time because I knew that this was the writers' response to the viewers and fans. The fans are Stiles in this conversation, and the writers are Peter and Cora being purposely "frustratingly vague" in the hopes that we'll just "drop it", which a lot of us did because they wouldn't give us any straight answers.

They messed up and they know it.

In my head canon -- because it makes the most sense to me -- Derek is three years older than them. Canonically, Derek is actually only ten days older than me, as seen in this enhanced screencap right here (from Season 1, Episode 11, where Kate has him kidnapped and held up in chains):

So according to this he would have been around 22, about to turn 23 in the first season...but here's something to take into consideration. This driver's license isn't for California -- it's for New York. I have a theory that he got a professional fake I.D. so that he could do more jobs (such as bartending) while he was out of state.

Now, when Stiles mentions the fire was "like, ten years ago," I genuinely think that he was just generalizing. Derek was sixteen when Kate took advantage of him raped him, which means that the fire happened when Stiles was around twelve/thirteen (as he has a canonically April 8th birthday, so it all depends on the months).

Regarding anything Peter might have said...please remember that it has been firmly established in the show that Peter is an unreliable narrator. Stiles openly admits that to Cora in the previously mentioned Season 3, Episode 8, "Visionary".

A lot of these issues are because of the lack of consistency from the writers.

I think the biggest problem was when they cast a younger Peter and totally threw the timelines off, trying to make him only a few years older than Derek -- which he wasn't. Peter is Derek's uncle, for crying out loud! The man would have been in his late twenties, early thirties when Derek was a teen, barely looking any different than he does in the show...and yet the writers and producers thought that making him look almost like a teenager was the right call.

I do think it was a last ditch attempt to try and make Derek waaay older than Stiles because they didn't like the shipping -- but they had already established too much of their timeline at that point and simply messed up and didn't have the guts to admit it.

Simply put, I genuinely think Derek was nineteen and turned twenty during season one.

Hope that answers your questions, anon!

#teen wolf #teen wolf meta #sterek #stiles stilinski #derek hale #npheq ask and answer #teen wolf ages #derek hale age #age difference #the teen wolf writers just suck at continuity #continuity #teen wolf continuity #continuity errors

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fernandezology · 2 years ago

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hi i was wondering if you could do gavi fluff where after he scores his first goal of the season or something and the reader starts crying with how she proud of him she is and it’s all fluffy SHDHFHB x

this one is for you-pablo gavi

pairing: pablo gavi x reader

author’s note:i changed it a bit and this one is about his first goal for barcelona,i hope you don’t mind! thank you so much for requesting this,it’s such a cute idea and i hope you will like this as much as i liked writing this :)

word count: 1,000

what is a life without dream? when growing up,everyone looked up to someone as an inspiration. some wanted to be doctors,firefighters,some want to be pilots and be as close as possible to clouds. some literally wanna reach the stars and fly-so they go on to become astronauts. although pablo didn’t wanted to be astronaut or pilot,everyone around him from young age knew sky was his limit. pablo’s dream since he can remember was to play for barcelona under lights of one and only camp nou. dream of million little boys all around the world is about to become a reality for your boy. one of dates he will remember forever is 29th august 2021,when he made his first appearance for barcelona. when you told him he made the history,it wasn’t an exaggeration. just 24 days after his 17th birthday,he became the fourth youngest player to appear for barcelona in la liga. you will never remember how happy he looked when he stepped on that pitch. before the game,he said something that you wrote down when he gets a documentary one day.

“tonight i’m gonna leave my heart on the pitch for every little boy that is dreaming of doing the same. and more importantly,for every girl that believes in them.”

it is safe to say that he fulfilled his promise and you didn’t miss out on a single game ever since then. he was the happiest kid in the world. a thousand things went through his head and he had to admit that he felt bit nervous before. nonetheless,as soon as he stepped on the pitch nerves disappeared when he remembered you were watching him from the stands,as you always did. looking back on it,it was not that long ago when you were still kids. to be fair,pablo is still like a kid but that’s one of the many things you love about him. that is one of things that will never change. not that long ago he broke your window with ball when he was playing on street. even though your dad jokes with him that he still didn’t forgive him for that,everyone knows he loves him like his own son.

a few months went by,but pablo felt like he disappointed you and everyone else around him because he struggled to score. everyone backed him up;from coaches,parents,friend and,of course,teammates in the locker room. his disappointment in himself didn’t go unnoticed by you.after all you knew him better than yourself. everyone noticed his head was down and he wasn’t his usual self. he was undeniably charismatic and light up every room he walked in. naturally,everyone were determined to lift him up just like he did them anytime they needed it.

“your time will come,just be patient and don’t lose your mind over it. i know you wanna prove yourself,but you already exceeded everyone’s expectations and this is only the start.”

“what if i don’t live up to expectations and end up being…average?”

“last time i checked average players don’t start for barcelona at 17 years old and don’t get called golden boy.”

“you are just saying that to make me feel better but thank you.”

“you are adorable when you pout,but seriously don’t be so harsh on yourself.”

“you’re right,enough of pouting…for now. i was thinking,what celebration i should do when i finally score? it’s probably not gonna be today buy yeah…”

“hmm i don’t know,maybe kiss the badge? you always liked to do that.”

“yeah,i might do that one.”

“you know i will always be there and i can’t wait to see that,but don’t stress yourself over it.”

“i love you so much,princesa. are you ready,i don’t want to be late,xavi will kill me.”

“yeah,i’m coming. don’t want you to get in trouble,do we?”

it was hard to point out what exactly gave the impression that tonight would be special,but you just had that feeling. after you found your seat at camp nou before their game against elche,you were soaking up the atmosphere and thinking to yourself that people that have never been at this magical stadium don’t know what are they missing out on. these last few weeks you developed a habit of taking pictures of kids who had pablo’s jersey to show him after games. it still felt so unreal and he couldn’t help but blush everytime you showed him pictures. it reminded him of how proudly wore his iniesta jersey he got for birthday. fast foward to today,now someone is wearing jersey with his name on back. crazy how things can turn around.

you were confident that barcelona will win but in football,anything is possible like pablo always reminded you so you didn’t want to underestimate opponents. first 15 minutes went by quickly and everyone felt more relieved when barcelona scored the opening goal. you were so focused on pablo because you didn’t want to miss anything and truthfully because he was mesmerizing as always. you wanted to take countless photos,but it felt pointless to record during whole match when you can enjoy the moment. thankfully you don’t have to worry about photos because there are tens of photographers on the sideline and you mentally thanked them for their service. few minutes later,you saw him slaloming through their midfield. could this be the moment he was waiting for? it was. for a moment,it felt like the world stopped spinning and the only thing you could hear is announcer screaming his name. you rarely cried,but when you did they were tears of joy. he instinctively kissed the badge and unlike some who do it out of lust,he did it to show undying loyalty to club and fans. to show his loyalty and gratitude for you,he wrote you a message with black marker under his jersey. he revealed “este es para ti princesa<3” and all you could’ve think about is how lucky you were that he was the one that broke windows of your castle. maybe your childhood dreams of being a princess weren’t far-fetched after all. fairytale days were supposed to be over long time ago,yet it didn’t feel like they are ending anytime soon.

#pablo gavi #pablo gavi x reader #pablo gavi imagine #barcelona fc #football imagines #pablo gavi fluff #fic rec

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sweetmariihs2 · 10 months ago

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Today I found and bought two new Sofia The First magazines in a magazine stand, in a town next to mine. (That's what the post is about) 🪻✨️💗

I live in a small town, I came to the neighboring city (a slightly bigger one; where there is a cinema, adequate medical care and clinics, things that are scarce in my town and everyone comes here when they need one of these things) to do an eyesight exam, because recebtly I've been feeling my vision getting worse. Going to the clinic, I found a magazine stand on the other street, and I asked my family (who were with me) if they could accompany me there later. I did the exam, and I'm still under the influence of the eye drops, so it's been torture to write this text, but I need to tell you what I found. You won't believe it: TWO DIFFERENT EDITIONS OF SOFIA THE FIRST MAGAZINES! THOSE THAT ARE NO LONGER PRODUCED! IN FACT, SEVERAL COPIES OF THEM! There were like, 7 magazines from the same edition, perfectly new, never touched, ON THE FLOOR. (And no, I'm not from Rio De Janeiro, there are a lot of sidewalks with this pattern here in Brazil)

A while ago, I think it was in January, I was wondering if I should also go to this city and look for Sofia The First merch, because in my small town I've already looked at all the stores and there's nothing left to see here (how many, about 4 ? 5? Yes, it really is a small city, I know all these places and you can visit them all in 1 or 2 hours at most, walking down the street, without a car). I found some stickers and birthday invitations, I posted them a while ago, I used them for journaling in my sketchbook.

(@shychick-52 do you see the Donald Duck magazines there?? When I saw them I immediately thought about you, they're on the bottom left of the pic and there's more in the top right. Pato Donald is Donald Duck, Tio Patinhas is Scrooge McDuck's name in Brazil. I don't know a thing about Ducktales, I'm sorry!)

I literally gasped. I was just going there for fun, as I like books, magazines and vintage products like records and CDs, so I really like physical media. Those places full of trinkets are extremely fun for me, and whenever I have the opportunity I like to look at everything, down to the smallest details. I love music and vinyl stores, stationery stores, party stores, haberdashery, so a magazine stand sounds amazing to me too! I hadn't been to one in years! (I never went thrifting in my life. It would be an amazing day to spend an evening)

There weren't only Sofia The First ones, you see, these kinds of magazines aren't produced anymore since kids don't have any interest in them. So most of the children's magazines there were dated around 2012-2016! You don't even have to look for the dates to know that, the Strawberry Shortcake ones, Frozen (FROZEN, DUDE! FROZEN!!!) (In one of my STF magazines there's even an ad of these Frozen magazines, they were produced during the same time), there were Disney Junior ones (If you look closely you can see the Lion Guard cover on that pic where I show you the pile of STF magazines, it's on top of them), Disney Princess, EVEN MONSTER HIGH. I didn't took a pic of this one, but as far as I know, you don't find these anywhere anymore. I felt like going back to 2015, when I was a kid those activity magazines and visiting the magazine stands were extremely fun, the themes on the children's magazines were exactly these, I remember the sticker albums, so many good memories. It makes sense, since they're the same ones, but they were never sold.

Besides the children magazines, they sell mangas, magazines, books, word search and activity books, cooking books, comic books/magazines (superhero themed or not- DC comics, Marvel, but also Disney and national works, for example our beloved Turma Da Mônica), and even toys and stuff.

So I figured maybe I'd find silly things here too, it's a bigger town but after all it's still small, it's just 40 mins away from mine, maybe I could find little birthday hats that I can cut out? Gift bags? Maybe stickers and coloring kits, silly things. Of course, knowing about the magazine stands there, something that my hometown NO LONGER has, inside of me had a small amount of hope that I could find something, but not much, as I live in the rural/interior part of Brazil and many products are bootleg, you know those princess books with wonky faces written "princess coloring book"? Stuff like that. But there was still a shred of hope, despite knowing that there probably wouldn't be anything interesting. I just went there because I have fun searching for little things.

AND WHEN I GOT THERE.... THE MAGAZINES WERE JUST THERE. AT THE ENTRANCE. ON THE ?!?!?!?!? FLOOR?!??!??! (You can see the pic up there) ON THE DIRTY SIDEWALK FULL OF DIRT AND DUST AND ALL KINDS OF NASTY THINGS?!??! HELL NAH

It was like they were just waiting for me to get them, they were the first things that I saw. I KNEW THAT I WOULD FIND SOMETHING. In fact, as I always hope to find cool things in these stores I frequent, I always expect something. I'm usually disappointed, but I always try to find it. AND THIS TIME I FOUND IT. NOT ONE, NOT TWO, BUT LIKE A DOZEN of STF magazines from the same edition, still packaged AND WITH THE GIFT. ALL OF THEM.

As my parents had work to do in our town and needed to return, I had to look at everything quickly. Luckily the magazine stand was small, so I was able to look at a few things, and while the attendant (who seemed bored (thankfully, the fact that she was very slow gave me time to look a little more)) served other customers (she was slow with them too, which gave me more time thank god), I continued looking at all sides of the stand, observing every small detail to look for treasures. If there were several copies of an issue of Sofia The First magazine still packed there, then there must have been more, hidden behind that enormous amount of information. I didn't had enough time because my parents needed to go back home, but I wish I could have saw the content from the Disney Junior magazines. I opened it and looked through the pages, only the last two pages were about Sofia The First, but I still had a lot to look so I put it back and went to search for more.

That's the one I got, the edition I mentioned

12 brazillian reais are worth around 2,50 dollars. For us, in talks about value, it would be like- 5 dollars? Not too cheap like literal 2 dollars, it's like, a cheap price, but not that much. For us, I mean. I don't know if you get what I mean, my explanation was terrible

Before, as we were late for the exam and the whole family was going (we all went to take the exam) I only took with me my cellphone and headphones, I didn't bring my money or even a purse or a backpack. My father bought me the magazine, I got so happy. Actually, he just let me have it and gave me the money, so I went to the attendant. The magazines had an elastic band around to secure them, as you can see in the pic, and I took them to the girl and asked for her help to get one out. As I'm used to being very friendly, and I was very happy, I approached the girl, asked for her help, and as she got them out of the elastic band, I kept talking "I can't believe I found this!! They are no longer produced, they are rare items, and I'm collecting them! I didn't think I would find anything like this here, it definitely made my day." I noticed that the attendant wasn't very friendly back, in fact she was very quiet and seemed a little bored, but I didn't care, I was too happy to worry about judgement looks from people I don't know, at least I was friendly and I did my part. My young brother later told me that when I turned my back she looked confused and shrugged, perhaps thinking "to each their own, right?". She went to serve the other customers and in the meantime I continued to look through the magazines, hoping to find more.

Important detail: I still had eye drops, my pupils were extremely dilated and I could see nearby objects blurred, so searching thoroughly was very difficult. Imagine looking at all that information without being able to see things closer than 1m from you. I'm still convinced I didn't manage to look at everything. I found more Disney Princess magazines (dated in 2014? 2015? somewhere around that) and that's when I saw it. I literally had to crouch down to look at the magazines in the lower sections of the shelf, they were stacked and they covered each other, and when I saw the Sofia The First logo I quickly grabbed it. IT WAS ANOTHER EDITION - A FLOATING PALACE THEMED ONE. Unfortunately this time it was out of the packaging, and I have no idea if someday there was even a gift with it, but I don't care, it was amazing to find this.

That's the Disney Princess magazines I was talking about! In that first pic I took, at the start of the post, you can see a Belle themed one. The Ariel themed magazine looks so old that the paint is stained and started to fade (it was in the front showcase while the other ones were carefully placed inside the stand), thankfully the STF ones were brand new. Well, almost.

Now that I'm home and I'm already seeing a little better, I'm gonna show you the magazines. Not all of them unfortunately, because a post only supports 10 pics and each magazine has 15/20+ pages so like... yeah. I wanna scan them and put them in a Google drive folder, or at least post a video about them in my YouTube channel, but that's more unlikely. If I had all of them, definitely, but I don't think it's worth recording a video if it's not with all the issues, don't you think? Anyway.

What's written in the first one: The Queen's Birthday Party! (This one came with the necklace)

In the second one: Sofia's vacation!

Let's take a closer look at the necklace

I'm fighting the urge to use it. I really want to use that tag in my sketchbook and the charm of the necklace in something like a keychain, but I cann'ttt bring myself to destroy something that is not produced anymoreeee😭😭😭

In the Floating Palace magazine, there is not even a single page where the sea monster is in. Not even a single one.

But in the "Queen's Birthday Party" one, there are three pages where Cedric is in! Yayy!!! They did him justice!!!

If anyone's curious about Miranda's birthday party, it's a comic and someone already posted it on Tumblr. Here is the link.

You know, that "Queen's Birthday Party" it's very exclusive, I don't remember the show having any episode like this, and the next activities in the magazine talk about the vacation they did in the comic and also the birthday party. Besides that, we have a lot of activities related to Tilly and family, and the main arts and crafts activity from this magazine is making a family tree. I believe that this magazine's topic is family.

I can't show you all the pages, but at least I can publish the pages Cedric is in and add more stuff to my Cedric merch masterlist (and personal research)

Well at least he's there. I have seen this art around like 20 times but they remembered that Cedric is a Sofia The First character so that's good I guess

They did him dirty here

AND THIS!!!! THIS ABSOLUTELY THIS!!! MY FAVORITE ONE!!!1!1!!!1!1!!1

YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW HOW LOUD I GASPED, WHEN I TELL YOU THAT I ALMOST STARTED JUMPING AND SCREAMING "YIPEE YIPEEE"

I'll translate it to you this time, so you can understand how I'm feeling right now

✨️Translation:✨️

Enchancia Castle

Title: Fraternal Bonds

Before leaving, Aunt Tilly gives her brother a big hug. Which pairs of siblings do you know from Sofia's world? Mark the correct pairs below.

THAT IS SO AAARRRGGGAGGAGAVVSGGSBBAVSGJ💖💖😭💗💞💗💞😭💞😭💗😭💞😭💖💗💖

I KNOW THAT CEDRIC AND SOFIA ARE THE WRONG OPTION, BUT I CAN'T. THAT IS SO CUTE I MIGHT EXPLODE I DON'T KNOW

that's what we had for today, I reached the 10 image per blog limit as always, no one's surprised

#sofia the first #sofia the fandom #merch #magazine #stf magazine #cedric the sorcerer #cedric the great #cedric the sensational #queen miranda #king roland #prince james #princess amber #baileywick #aunt tilly #oona

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floradinterlunium · 2 years ago

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GCF Tokyo

Will Forever be the Captain of this “Ship.” I wish every supporter of Jikook today could have been in the fandom 5 years ago. Could have had the pleasure of waking up on November 8th to this beautiful declaration of love! Jikook have given us so much since then But this for the moment takes the cake!

youtube

I joined the fandom in 2015 closer to 2016. I was barely in the fandom two weeks before being pretty convinced that Jikook were more than friends ( I can go into detail later about that). I remember constantly being torn between certainty and uncertainty because while jikook were questionable pre 2017, they were still more subtle. However, 2017 was a crescendo, every month getting a tad bit louder...we all knew something was on the horizon and then September hit and JK had a breach in his security and his itinerary was leaked. This sent the fandom into overdrive. Half the fandom scrambling to rid the internet of this info, and the other half torn between letting their curiosity get the best of them and shutting down sesange gossip. However, regardless of where one stood, if you were active in the fandom at all during this time you heard the rumors, you saw the itinerary, you learned about the gossip--JK and JM were going to Tokyo in October for JM’s birthday and JK paid for it. I remember trying hard to not talk about it or think about it. It could very well be a lie and it wasn’t right how we came to learn about it! Bloggers overall did a good job of shutting down discussions on this topic so there was silence on it...until there wasn’t.

Jimin’s birthday comes and goes and no trip. This leaves many to forget the rumors all together. Then October 28th hits and the below pictures are shared.

The whole fandom is going crazy! Jungkook and Jimin are in fact heading to Tokyo. They were spotted at Busan International Airport and seen off by their families. No one wants to say it but we are all thinking it...the rumors were true...and that was a legit sesange.

Every day they are gone we are being shown picture after picture of their time in Tokyo. And I remember thinking...Did JK really pay for all this...did he truly do this for JM’s birthday?!?!

Then the trip was over...the fandom was still recovering from the news that JM and JK literally went on vacation together and it was an all expense paid trip...paid for by none other than JK. Then JM drops another bomb.

The fandom is sent back into overdrive...we could just see the pink aura around them! And it made all of us crazy because we couldn’t believe this was all happening and we were getting to experience it in real time.

And just as we were thinking we are in heaven...JM post his clips of their trip together. We are sent again into party celebration mode.

When I tell you 2017 was the year, it was the year!!! It was day after day of being hit with something new. But just when we thought we were done the crescendo of the year reached it’s peek...JK drops GCF in Tokyo. And there was a short quiet.

There was a quiet stillness because while most of us believed Jikook were a couple, we had resolved ourselves to the fact that we could be wrong. GCF Tokyo changed all that.

I remember watching it over and over and over again thinking...OH MY! This is real...I’ve always felt it was real but this...this makes me know it’s real. It was a quiet but loud realization that reverberated across the fandom. Jungkook is in LOVE LOVE with Jimin. For a moment I thought this was their coming out video...because who could watch this and question Jikook at all! Was this it! Was this their way of telling the world who they love?

While many still found a way to discredit GCFT, I think it was in a way JK’s way of declaring his love to JM, declaring it to anyone that would listen. I believe most of Korea heard it and we heard it! November 8th was the day my certainty turned into assurance. It is one of the most beautiful films and every time I watch it I am in awe of JK’s boldness. My heart melts thinking of JM’s reaction to seeing it for the first time. How loved he must have felt! How surprised...he must have cried so much!

When they returned they kept surprising us. Every year since 2017 has been a little louder. I think GCFT showed them that they could get away with a lot. That they could be a glass closet...they could be loud and people still would feign ignorance or deny it. It gave them a degree of freedom to be themselves without fear of the repercussions. If people weren’t convinced by GCFT they will never be convinced!

I wanted to write about this because I hear many people scoff at any mention of GCFT and say things like...that was years ago! And that bothers me to my core because GCFT is tantamount to a love letter or a proposal. A proposal is a proposal no matter if it was 5 seconds ago or 5 years ago. It doesn’t matter if the couple is still together or not...the proposal happened proving at the very least that love was once there!

Saying that it was years ago is not a rebuttal, I’m not even sure what one is trying to suggest with that statement. Are you saying that because it’s old, it’s irrelevant? If that’s the case you are admitting that 5 years ago it was relevant, meaning you accept that they were dating 5 years ago? But most that make these claims wouldn’t agree to those terms. They throw out that’s old to diminish the impact of it...to pretend like old evidence isn’t evidence today of a relationship.

Saying “ that was years ago” is a senseless statement that holds no genuine meaning. GCF Tokyo will always be proof...even if they broke up it would still be proof that Jikook were in love in 2017! It will always be proof because it’s like a page from JK’s diary...it’s his heart on the screen! It’s his love letter to JM and that will never change. That is a fact and will always stand to be true...10, 20, 100 years from now...GCFT will still be JK’s love letter! No amount of time changes that.

Now we can all argue when their relationship started and we all have our theories but stamp in the timeline that is certain is November 8, 2017. They were definitely in a committed relationship at that time and since I see no change in their dynamics other than growing intimacy, domesticity, and comfort...it’s safe to assume that their timeline is still active and moving.

#jikook #kookmin #gcf tokyo #jimin #jungkook #jikook is real #jk loves jimin #jimin loves jk

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lokislittlesigyn · 1 year ago

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This past weekend I had .. A truly lovely experience. One that will stick with me forever, I believe.

Story time.

About a month ago I got an unexpected message that Tom Hiddleston would be at NYCC. I'd never heard of NYCC before - though I live within driving distance of NYC. I visited last year to see a Broadway play and visit the Loki figure at Madame Tussauds. But more, in 2019, my parents surprised me with tickets to see Betrayal on Broadway.

When we went to the show, I hoped to give Tom a letter, thanking him for the impact his work has had on my life, and get some art autographed. After the show - which was breathtaking and fantastic and funny and heartbreaking - I stood outside in the bitter cold and watched as Tom stayed outside for 2 hours talking to and autographing things for his fans. I distinctly remember saying his name and him looking me right in the eye - I asked if he'd take my letter. His response? "Of course I will." those words also stuck with me. spoken surely, as though kindness was deserved without question.

I got an autograph from him that day on my Playbill - they didn't allow non-Betrayal works to be signed. But I wanted, very badly, to see him again. Namely for a hug ... And to get that art signed.

In the spring of 2020 I heard about a drivable convention Tom was slated to be at. Tickets to see him were hundreds of dollars, but I was willing to pay.

Then the pandemic hit. Everything was cancelled.

Fast forward to last month. My birthday is coming up and I have no idea what to ask for, I have a steady job and I'm trying to give myself permission to buy fun things so I actually feel something when I get a paycheck. ive legit been getting money and just feeling nothing when it goes into my account. :')

And I did it. I bought a pass. An autograph pass, since the photo passes only allowed a few seconds with the individual - I wanted to talk even for a moment, not stand awkwardly while I try to make myself give a natural smile.

I'll spare you the details of the convention itself - it was huge, and while it was exciting, that wasn't the main draw. Tom was. I finished an art piece and had it printed, and took it with me to give to him. I also wrote a message on the back of it, so there was no risk of the message being lost (I don't know if he actually got my first letter. There's really no way to tell!). That message is private, but the art is not.

It took over two hours to get through the line. As someone with joint and sensory issues, this was .. Quite an experience. if i hadnt had my compression socks on i honestly dont think i would have made it. also i really need to look into what ADA passes they have because there is an ADA line and i continuously tell myself im not disabled enough for that but maybe i am, idk

But I got through the line and went around the corner where they had a curtained-off area, and there he was.

My first thought? "Oh, you're real."

its always surprising to see him in person.

But as happened before, the nervousness and excitement and heart beating out of my chest gave way to a quiet calm.

He took the piece I brought to be signed, and signed it. And I spoke up.

"I made this for you, if that's okay." And I handed him the above artwork.

He took it. Looked at it. "You're very talented."

I thanked him.

And he looked at me again.

Now, it's relevant to mention I am autistic. Eye contact is extremely difficult for me. It feels unsafe, exposed, scary. I can literally get physically unsettled if I look at someone's eyes too long. This man is the only person - not even my mother and father feel safe to look in the eye - that I can not just stand to look in the eye, but actually feel ... peaceful. i think it's because he has lokis eyes.

"Thank you. Have a good rest of your weekend."

He smiled at me, and I smiled back. I thanked him again.

It's a small interaction. It was in the last event on the last day of the con - this man was probably exhausted, and rightly so. I also want to be clear, I don't have any sort of parasocial feelings toward Tom, or even romantic/etc. feelings. Tom is his own person, with his own life and experiences, and I don't feel anything toward him other than a general fondness and gratitude. More importantly, he is married, a husband and a father, and that is so important to remember.

I'm simply grateful to him. Out of hundreds, possibly thousands of people over the weekend, he took a bit of time to look at the art, and say something kind, and to look at me and smile.

Photos weren't allowed in the area, or I would have wanted one. Likewise, there were tables between the attendees and him - I would've asked for a hug otherwise. But I don't regret the weekend, for all its ups and downs. I got to give Tom a present, and I know I'll see him again someday.

And maybe next time, I'll get that hug.

#for context i want to get as close to hugging loki as possible lol #i have hugged the madame tussauds figure #i have hugged disneyland loki #i have even hugged loki cosplayers #tom is the closest thing to loki that remains un-hugged by lokislittlesigyn #she will hug him someday #that is a threat /lh #i'll post the digital version of the art soon #<3 #nycc #nycc 2023 #tom hiddleston #storytime #sigyn goes on an adventure #sigyn loves loki a lot

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akira-studiesmed · 7 months ago

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JOURNAL ENTRY - June 10, 2024

I have my send ups next month. The fact that I'm on a vacation and away from all of that unnecessary fucked up stress, the backstabbing judgemental classmates and the arrogant professors. To be away from all of that and realising that life is still a struggle because the being away isn't permanent. It's the last day of my vacation today and I return back to my hostel. I absolutely dread it. I hate the college. I hate the hostel and I hate the stress. That's my truth.

I hate it so thoroughly and not because I have to work hard but because the stakes of the failure are extremely high so even the working hard doesn't feel enough.

The thing however is this— I don't want to go back but I have to. I am bonded and there is no other choice.

I wish the attendance part wasn't as strict it is right now because I am truly losing my strength.

I've lost most of my strength. All I'm doing is pretending these days as to how I have everything under control but the truth is ok m struggling hard with everything and I have nothing under my control and I'm a huge failure.

I'm literally the biggest failure. I hardly know the basics and my foundation is such that one could even question where I deserve to be here or not.

I don't. I don't deserve to be here. I don't deserve to become a doctor. I would become the worst doctor ever because I whine and cry and the worst of it all? I am the biggest quitter one can see. I will makes hundreds of excuses instead of taking responsibility for myself.

I am a liar. I lie when I say I don't care.

I am hateful. I'm jealous. I'm selfish and I love to watch only myself thrive.

And I only waste time because I take the easy way out. Because that's the easy way out and I'm not a fighter.

I hide because that way I can pretend to be better than others when I'm not.

I have a fragile small ego that gets shattered whenever I have to actually get up and fight and put my effort in.

I am away from family and the bad thoughts come in but I have no way of fighting them because my spirit is weak and so are my promises.

But that's the truth isn't it? I stopped working hard because I told myself how it doesn't matter how how I work— there is always someone who is going to be better than me.

The truth is really simple— I don't believe in myself. I lie and I have a small ego that gets bruised easy.

And I don't know what to do about any of it.

A few months ago. On my birthday last year. I had promised myself that I would be better to my own self after I'd married myself as a symbolic gesture of that promise but I haven't kept that promise at all.

The demands of the outside have made me forget everything about who I want to be in my own self.

And I do not know who to blame?

Myself?

The people I call friends?

The system?

And

Was it because I forgot my promises to my own self?

Or was it because I forgot to set boundaries with the people around me?

Or was it because I set wrong priorities?

Or was it because I let people distact me?

Or was it because I was making a big thing out of nothing?

Or was it because I keep catastrophizing everything?

Or is it because of learned helplessness?

Or is it because I keep waiting for things to get better or their own?

Or was it because I forgot that I was the one who saved myself and not someone else?

I do not know. I don't know what to do about any of it.

I don't remember how I got through this before.

#journal #journal entry #depression #tw depressing thoughts #med studyblr #medstudlife #med student #jealousy #college #academia #mental health #mental heath awareness #study blog #school #diary entry #dear diary #diary

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ihaveatheoryonthat · 1 year ago

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At one point, I mentioned that I was torn as to which silly crossover to let myself write for my birthday. Friends in Low Places ultimately won out, but the second option was a Psychonauts crossover. This isn't the same as Power Trick, even though it draws from what I'd put together for that story-- it's an entirely different take on the concept.

If you're unfamiliar with Psychonauts 2 and don't want it spoiled via an incomplete WIP, you probably shouldn't read this one. It even starts with a spoiler, so the whole thing's going under a cut.

---

It wasn’t that the mission to retrieve Helmut’s body was going badly. It wasn’t.

It was just that his body… didn’t stay as trapped as anyone thought it would, and had been roaming, brainless, throughout the Grulovian countryside. But, hey! They didn’t need to chip through nearly as much ice as they’d expected, and Raz was getting a good clairvoyant workout in trying to track him down! There were more pros than cons, in his opinion.

He had yet to decide what category the giant ice mountain fell into. Raz had been tiny when his parents moved the family out of the country, so he would have assumed it had been there for millennia, but the locals insisted it was a new feature. That seemed relevant, somehow. A giant lake gets frozen solid, and then a couple decades later, a big chunk of ice appears? It couldn’t be coincidence. None of the nearby townspeople seemed to know how it got there, though-- just that a couple of years ago, everyone had gone to bed and found it looming over them the next morning.

Now, Razputin may have been a master of neither geometry nor geology, but he was pretty sure that was abnormal mountain behavior, and definitely worth investigation. As luck would have it, Helmut’s body had already moved on from the town, and the mountain was the next stop on it’s predetermined path, which gave Raz a perfect excuse to poke around without ignoring his mission.

When he went to leave the town, an older woman tucked [?] into his hands and told him to carry it with him as payment for safe passage.

Ominous!

He was still going.

The toughest part of the trip was the distance itself-- outside of more developed areas, the snow piled up and was difficult to traverse, though there were numerous grooves worn into the powder, suggesting he wasn’t the first to travel this direction. Not all of them went the same way, and some were deeper than others, which made Raz wonder why the locals would trek all the way out here-- if it was curiosity, tradition or psychic interference drawing them in.

One of the funny things about distance was that it minimized the destination. Slowly, the mountain grew in scale, the opaque ice glittering in the midday sun from a mile away, until it dwarfed everything else. Even at a distance, the dark tunnels leading inward were an immediate contrast against the shining, pristine surface, and in and of itself, that could so easily lure passerby.

Someone who lacked a brain in a very literal sense would stride right on in.

Fortunately, Raz was no mere passerby. He was a mildly trained psychic with a mission, and he kind of knew what he was getting himself into. He made an effort to remember the turns he was taking and thought he was doing a pretty good job… if one were to ignore the fact that he hadn’t actually found anything. Every offshoot led deeper into the tunnel system, and while it made sense that there wouldn’t be much open space inside the mountain, the halls were unnaturally consistent. There came a point where Raz found he could predict what the next set would look like because they all followed the same pattern-- all of them identical.

He was probably caught in some kind of illusion.

Raz wasn’t one to give up, but he could also recognize a lost cause, and right now, he wasn’t making any progress. He had to figure out where the [illusion] was coming from and neutralize it before continuing down this path, so he turned his back on the next fork and began retracing his steps.

To his surprise, it didn’t lead him directly out of the mountain, like a single loop would have. He had to count each repetition down, inverting the turns he’d taken, which made him realize just how far he’d wandered before the pattern registered. He wasn’t worried yet, because he knew where he was going, but it made him reconsider what was going on; maybe not an illusion or a psychic construct, but something focused on disorientation? It didn’t feel like he’d taken this much time on the way in…

He heard footsteps. He whirled around to face the branch off of the tunnel, one hand raised to his temple just in case, and crept closer, hoping he might get the drop on whatever had caused the sound. The silhouette that turned the corner was strange-- tall and disproportionate, wider as it [got lower down].

It was the tale end of a muttered, “--V?” that clued Raz in on its exact nature. He relaxed and-- since there was no point in calling out to a brainless body-- trotted over to start corralling Helmut. The upper half of the silhouette moved, distinct from the body and, now that Raz was looking, rose well above the horned hat. He would have gone on the defensive again, if not for:

“Ah, are you lost as well? Come with me, please; I’ll see you both to your destination.”

He didn’t move, but Helmut’s body did. The second person gripped its shoulder to still it for the moment and raised their free hand. Gradually, light filtered in through the ice-- crystal clear now, instead of opaque with frost, keeping the tunnels dim-- which allowed them to observe one another.

The first thing Raz noticed was that the person looked like he’d lost a fight with a psychic bear; his clothes were ratty and thin in places, but in spite of the [lacking] winter wear, he seemed largely unbothered by the cold. The second thing was that he was incredibly pale-- pale hair, pallid skin, and eyes light enough to reflect back at whoever was looking. He hesitated on the last point, because something was wrong there; while this person was looking at him straight-on, it seemed like he wasn’t seeing Raz properly. Not in the sense that he had bad eyesight, but that he just… wasn’t seeing the same reality Raz saw.

That probably had something to do with the third point of interest: the impractically thick hunk of psilirium that encircled the person’s wrist. It wasn’t the worst Raz had seen by a long shot, but it was still enough to make his eyes water when he looked directly at it. From the corner of his vision, he watched the light play off of it as the man dropped his arm; he wondered how in the world that could have happened, and how this person was going about their daily life wearing the world’s worst mood bracelet.

“Please,” The man said, his clouded eyes sweeping over Raz, “It’s not safe to travel down these tracks. I know the route well, and can lead you back to safety.”

That final word struck a chord, and Raz inclined his head. Was this who the woman in town was talking about? The [?] was meant for him, in return for guiding people out of the mountain?

The man’s shoulders relaxed and the angle of his eyes shifted. He waved Raz over with his psitanium-cuffed hand and waited for him to fall into step after him, adjusting his grip on Helmut’s shoulder to prompt the brainless body onward with them.

“You don’t dress like the locals. Did you come here to investigate Korona? If so, I would highly advise against such a course of action; the paths here are treacherous, almost like they have a mind of their own.” The person said, voice low, but still bouncing off of the icy walls and echoing into the tunnels.

Raz shook his head, and then tilted it toward Helmut’s body, “Actually, I was looking for him.”

He heard a relieved laugh, “Ah, good! Perhaps you’ll succeed where I’ve failed; no matter how I try to impress the danger upon him, he always returns here. It’s… nice to see a familiar face, but I don’t want him to put himself at risk.”

“Do you know him? Who are you?” […]

There was a long pause. “Warden. I’m the warden of this territory. It’s my duty to ensure that none come to harm under my watch.”

[…] “You’re the warden of the mountain?”

He nodded, and didn’t look back.

“Then do you know how it got here?” […]

Warden’s head turned to fix him with a blank stare. “I’m unsure what you mean by that; Mount Korona has been here as long as I can remember.”

Raz felt his brow wrinkle as he considered the impossibility of that, and then realized how it could be true. “How long have you been here?”

The look turned vaguely helpless, and the warden repeated, “As long as I can remember.”

...yeah, the psilirium definitely wasn’t doing him any favors. Raz didn’t think he could take his eyes off of Helmut’s body long enough to do anything about that-- not without running the risk of losing it to the countryside yet again-- but maybe he could come back after this mission was over... or, if not, then at least make sure he reported the person wandering around with an active psychohazard on his wrist. As they walked, he prodded gently at the man’s mind, but wasn’t surprised to find himself repelled; while the psilirium was taking a toll, Warden was in direct contact with it and still functional, which meant his psychic defenses wouldn’t be anything to sneeze at.

For just a second, Raz considered lobbing a confusion grenade, just in case that might increase the man’s lucidity, but he was pretty sure he’d get in a load of trouble for it if anyone found out.

They made it to the mouth of the cave without incident, and Warden inclined his head to Raz, gesturing for him to take over in guiding Helmut’s body. He reached over and took him by a sleeve, and then hesitated. The man was outside of the cave system for now; if he could get him to the base camp somehow, that would make removing the psilirium orders easier. Not only would it save everyone the trouble of hunting him back down, but they would have numbers on their side, and maybe even tools that would help.

Before the stranger could bid them goodbye, Raz hastily said, “You think you could help me get him-- ah-- home? He… keeps getting away from me.”

Warden blinked at him, and then shifted to consider Helmut’s body.

“I can.” He decided, tucking the psilirium-laden arm behind his back and moving the opposite hand to rest upon Helmut’s shoulder. “Lead the way; I’ll ensure that he follows the route you set.”

The trip back to the base camp wasn’t going to be an easy one; it was definitely more direct than the path Raz had picked out, hopping from town to town as he tracked Helmut’s meandering body, but even walking in a straight line, it was a substantial distance. One unexpected silver lining was that, instead of behaving as snow usually did, it parted for them as they passed through, the powdery ice freezing into place on their either side.

Raz reached out with one gloved hand and found that there was no give; it was like it had thawed and refrozen, creating a smooth, glassy texture. He didn’t know cryokinesis, and without a brain, Helmut’s body couldn’t have done that, so he looked to the last off the potential culprits; the warden stared dispassionately out at the horizon line, giving no indication that he noticed the scrutiny he’d been put under. He wasn’t actively moving the snow, but the ambient energy around him-- a psychic aura-- absently pushed outward, and was definitely the reason they could travel unhindered.

He didn’t try to make small talk as they went-- though, occasionally, Helmut’s body chimed in with one-word commentary-- and that seemed to suit the warden just as well. Every now and then, the man would glance over at him, as if to gauge where they were headed and ensure that everyone was where he’d last seen them, but he never offered any of his thoughts, either.

[…]

Belatedly, he realized that they were missing one body, and frantically scanned the area. He found who he was looking for in a matter of seconds, back turned and already on his return trip to the mountain.

“Hey! Warden!” He hollered, and didn’t even need to make up any excuses this time, “Wait up! I’m s’posed to give you something for helping us!”

The man hesitated and only half-turned to respond. While his answer was clearly audible, it barely seemed like he was even raising his voice, “That’s unnecessary. I don’t require a reward simply for doing my job.”

Raz was vaguely aware of the startled breath that sounded behind him, but figured it was just because Hollis realized that the psychohazard was all but wandering away; he decided to stall for time and ran to catch up. “That’s how they said it works in town-- it’s not payment, it’s just, you know, gratitude for helping people out.”

Warden watched as he skidded to a halt, and then sighed. “I appreciate their kindness, but they don’t need to do any such thing.”

“Yeah, and they appreciate your kindness. See? It all equals out.” He tried, insistently offering the [?].

Finally, Warden accepted it, extending his psilirium-laden hand in order to move the cloth back look at what lay beneath. As he did so, a pained hiss sounded from behind Raz-- more than one, in fact-- and the man’s head shot up. His eyes were no clearer than ever, but there was an awareness in them-- the recognition of danger. Panic. Rapidly, he raised his cuffed hand to a temple and… vanished.

So it turned out that he knew how to teleport. That made this a lot harder.

“Razputin,” Hollis said, sounding hoarse, though that could have been a byproduct of the psilirium exposure, “Do you know who that was?”

“Yeah, that was the warden; he helps out whenever people get lost inside the mountain.” […]

“Maybe that’s how he was introduced to you,” [Otto], “But before that, he was one of ours-- an agent who went missing years ago.”

Shaking her head to dispel the lingering effects, Hollis looked from Raz to where the warden once stood.

“Agent Aquato, you just found the lost Agent Motif.”

(Pardon me while I perpetuate the joke about Raz being the best at finding missing persons, be they bodies, brains or something in between.)

---

Raz was pretty sure he recognized the name Motif. The most likely explanation was that he’d read it in a comic somewhere, but that didn’t help narrow it down; he’d gone through a lot of comics in his time, and couldn’t exactly go back and revisit all of them, since his mom family had little to no regard for the preservation of literature.

It must have been the name of a supporting agent, he thought-- either that, or maybe it had been in an advertisement for another issue that he hadn’t ever gotten his hands on. The specifics didn’t really matter right now; it was way more important to find Agent Motif again, and for good this time. It seemed like a pretty good bet that he went back to the mountain-- to Korona-- but it wasn’t as simple as going there and wandering through the tunnels until someone ran into him. Even if they went to the trouble of tracking him down, there was nothing stopping him from teleporting away for a second time.

It sounded like everyone had different ideas how to tackle that problem. Hollis had gone to talk to someone back at HQ hours ago, and Otto was tinkering in his field laboratory, trying to set up something that would inhibit Agent Motif’s powers without relying on psilirium to do the job. Lizzie hadn’t been there to meet him, but when brought into the fold, she’d scoffed and muttered something about lectures under her breath. That seemed a little extreme; it had just been a basic rundown of the facts, not [a lecture].

Raz was on his way to check in with Bob and Helmut again when a new voice caught his attention and-- without thinking-- he found himself wandering toward it.

“Hollis.” The speaker said, steely and without emotion, “What is going on here?”

He stopped just shy of getting a visual, and belatedly realized that this was definitely eavesdropping, but stayed put, too curious to walk away yet.

“We’re on a mission to retrieve a lost agent. You already knew that-- you had no interest in participating.” Hollis said back, utterly unmoved.

“Correct. I had no place in the effort to retrieve Helmut’s body.” The other person somehow both agreed and argued, “We both know that is not why I’m here now.”

“Then why don’t you do us both a favor, Emmet? Explain to me why you are here, just so we know we’re on the same page.” […]

There was a dull thud, only resonating for a split second, “My brother, Hollis. You explain to me why I found out about this through office gossip.”

“At a guess, I would say it was because you were listening in on communications channels again.” Hollis [said] dryly. After a second, she sighed, “This is why I didn’t contact you immediately; we have to get a handle on the situation first. I don’t have any doubt that was Ingo, but he’s not acting like himself, and we need to understand why before diving in.”

“You don’t think it’s the giant piece of psilirium on his wrist?” The man asked, flat but disbelieving.

“After your stint at Charlie Psycho Delta? No, there has to be something else.”

“Our defenses are best when we’re together. He won’t withstand it as well by himself.”

[something gives Raz away]

Both of them went silent, and, after a moment, Hollis called out to him. “Would you care to join us, Agent Aquato?”

Guiltily, he slunk around the corner and through the door. He made apologetic eye contact with Hollis, and then looked to the other person. All at once, the pieces fell together: the surname and given names, the long, worn coat he’d seen Agent Motif wearing, now that he could compare it to an undamaged version, the teleportation out of and into the base--

“You’re the Countertype Conductors,” He said, already raking his mind for everything he knew about the pair of sibling Psychonauts. Since their job was to get agents to and from their destinations, they usually only got passing mentions and cameos, but one of his guesses had been right on the money: Issue 57 of True Psychic Tales had teased a story about psitanium smugglers, and the splash page featured two identical men pressed back to back, channeling psychic energy between their own pointing hands and between one another. He hadn’t ever been able to read that [issue], but any mention of them he had seen was as a pair-- as the Agents Motif or, when a book was getting dramatic, the Countertype Conductors.

Agent Motif-- Emmet-- curled his lip into a grimace at the declaration, and then looked back to Hollis. “This does not get you off the hook. I want to be a part of this mission.”

“There is no mission yet.” Hollis told him, nodding briefly to Raz, “It was just today that Agent Aquato brought his findings to us; we’re in the process of gathering intelligence, not acting on it.”

Agent Motif looked at him again, considering. “Then our business has concluded, Agent Forsythe. Agent Aquato. I want to hear what you saw.”

“Emmet,” Hollis said, low and warning, “Is that really how you want to conduct yourself in front of a junior agent?”

He turned to look her dead in the eye and then, bluntly, declared, “I don’t care, Hollis. It’s been two and a half years. I am beyond caring what anyone else thinks of me.”

They stared at one another for a handful of seconds, neither backing down.

Eventually, Hollis narrowed her eyes. “Actually, I do have a mission for you, Motif. I want you to go speak with Agent Zanotto.”

“He has nothing worth saying. Not to me.” Emmet scoffed.

“No?” / “You don’t think the man who lost his partner has any insight into your situation?”

“No. I don’t. He lost another person. I lost part of myself. It is not the same.” He said, expression twisting in offense, “I am done with this conversation. If you have any useful information, tell me. Otherwise, I will handle the matter myself.”

A stony silence settled over them. Agent Motif shrugged and turned his back.

“You’re not leaving this base.” Hollis warned as he crossed the room’s threshold.

“You can’t stop me.” He said simply, which… was true. They were kind of hung up on how to prevent teleportation right now, without any of the tools from HQ.

Hollis grimaced as he walked away, and her eyes fell on Raz.

“I’m sorry about him, Razputin. It’s… too complicated to explain in full right now.” She pursed her lips in thought, and seemed to [give in], “Could I ask you to keep an eye on him for the evening? You don’t have to approach him again-- I’d actually avoid it, if you can. I just need to know that he’s not doing anything stupid while we figure out what to do about Ingo.”

[…]

“Ah.” He said, sounding less than enthusiastic-- and yet, what actually followed was, “Good. Aquato, I still need information from you.”

Yeah… Raz wasn’t exactly inclined to share, between what he’d seen earlier and the instructions to keep an eye on Motif.

“I don’t think I can tell you anything else. Hollis is probably your best bet.” He tried, thinking that might be enough of a deterrent for the time being, but Emmet just rolled his eyes.

“You do not have to tell me anything.” The man said, tilting his head to the side and closing his eyes, brows furrowed in concentration. For a second, it seemed like he would try to read Raz’s mind, but there was no pressure on the edges of his psyche.

“I don’t think that loophole works when everyone involved is psychic.” […]

Emmet snorted, but didn’t open his eyes. “You don’t have to think anything either.”

He was definitely manipulating some sort of psychic energy. Raz… thought he recognized it as Mental Connection, actually, but the application was completely different from the examples Hollis had used while teaching. It was a little closer to the functionality he got out of it, but there were still more differences than there were similarities.

“That works.” Agent Motif declared after a moment, and made an abrupt turn without opening his eyes. When he did tune back in to the real world, it was to shoot a glance Raz’s way, “I am sorry if this gets you in trouble with Hollis. Tell her I could not be reasoned with. It’s true. I will not tolerate any further delays.”

And, with that, he vanished from the premises.

Well, shoot.

---

The technique Agent Motif had used was, in fact, a branch of Mental Connection-- crossed with clairvoyance in this case. Hollis had given a very general explanation when Raz reported to her, but as fascinating as it sounded, there wasn’t time to delve into that right now. The combination of skills could be used to follow a trail, and there was little wondering where Emmet intended to go.

Raz had been the first to note that he must not have known about Mount Korona, otherwise he wouldn’t have needed to do anything but look out the window. With the confirmation that he was working with a dangerously small amount of information, Hollis decided they had to act immediately.

[…]

It was dim, but the light that did filter through suggested that it wasn’t always the case-- the cavern was dark right now because it was night, and during the daytime, visibility would have been much better. Because of the scant lighting, a number of features were visible: a vaguely circular [platform] in the room’s center, extending seamlessly from the floor, shelves of ice that were two inches thick and still crystal clear, putting their contents on full display, a frozen basin that somehow contained water, albeit with a thin sheet of ice forming on its top and, on the far side of the room, an uneven, knee-height platform.

It was the last [feature] that they gravitated toward, largely due to the fact that there was a person resting on it.

Agent Motif knelt down-- biting back a hiss at the cold that immediately seeped through his pants-- rested a hand on their shoulder, and gently shook it. There was a [startled] inhalation as the other man startled awake, and automatically raised a hand to rub at his eyes.

“Lady O--”

He stopped as soon as the sight registered; even though he’d only cracked one eye open, he somehow narrowed it as he tried to understand what he was looking at, and pushed himself into sitting up. The former Agent Motif looked one way, and then the other-- attention only barely flickering to Raz-- and even up before letting himself settle on the man in front of him. Haltingly, he raised an arm, dropped it, and then frowned at the result.

“You’re… not a reflection.” He said numbly.

Emmet visibly stopped himself from saying something, substituting a slow shake of his head.

The warden hesitated, the silence a blanket of snow obscuring his racing thoughts, and eventually added, “I know you.”

“I know you.” / “I missed you.”

His brother almost reached out, and then snatched his hand back, thinking better of it. It would have been confusing, if not for the way he tucked it into the coat he’d been wearing even in sleep, hiding the chunk of psilirium from immediate view.

Emmet let the hand braced on a shoulder drop, trying to coax it back out by tugging at a sleeve, “It’s okay. It won’t hurt me if we’re together. You’re safe with me.”

While its owner wasn’t convinced, he didn’t put up a fight. The arm slowly eased out, mirrored by a hand that reached over to press their palms together. Raz caught a hint of a wince-- the same expression that had crossed Emmet’s face when he’d first realized how cold the floor was-- but it didn’t stop the man from lacing their fingers together and leaning in until their foreheads touched.

Something must have passed between them, unspoken, because the warden flinched and Emmet raised his opposite hand to the back of his brother’s head-- not forcing him to stay, but steadying him and encouraging him to linger.

“It’s okay.” He repeated, forcing his voice into gentle tones, “I will not let anything else happen to you.”

---

Also, misc notes:

#submas #ihaveatheoryonthat pkmn #ihaveatheoryonthat psychonauts #writing scraps

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