#okay her birthday is the day after mine so i wonder if that has anything to do with anything

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hello Clan, I was wondering if you could do the glams (including Bonnie and Foxy) and the daycare attendents learning that a worker reader has hearing aids that are usually hidden by their hair or a hat and that the hearing aid has a sticker themed around them, for example: a lightning bolt for Freddy, a checkered flag for Roxy, a cupcake for Chica, a music note or maybe golf clubs for Monty, a bowling pin for Bonnie, a skull for Foxy, a star for Moon, and a cloud for Sun.

I understand if you can't do all of them

No worries! But I couldn't figure out anything for Foxy, sorry-

I did my best research on writing for characters w/ hearing aids, so if there's anything I missed/got wrong I apologize!

......

Glamrock Freddy

He's seen you around the pizzaplex over the past month, although at times he gets confused when you don't respond to his greetings unless he's standing right in front of you.

But he assumes you're just busy and doesn't mind it much.

When you're assigned as his handler to help him keep up with all the events lined up this week (photo-ops, meet and greets, performances, birthdays, etc.), he finally gets to know you on a more personal level.

One evening, you're removing confetti strips and candy wrappers from his stomach hatch (in summary, the pinata's string got caught in the mechanisms during transport and ripped apart when the hatch opened), briefly removing your hat to wipe the sweat from your forehead.

Freddy takes notice of the little devices in/around your ears, and suddenly it all clicks.

"[Y/n], if I may ask...are those your hearing aids?" The curious bear points to his own ears.

"Yep, glad you finally noticed." You chuckled, but he didn't catch your sarcasm.

"My apologies for sounding intrusive. I've just never seen them before."

"Oh you're okay, Freddy. I don't like to make a big deal out of them...unless some guest calls me "deaf" as an insult." You muttered, about to put your hat back on when you notice him still staring at you. "What's up?"

"Are those...blue lightning bolt stickers?" He gasps. "They look just like mine."

"...that's because they are." You smile, turning your head to show him the designs.

His heart is thoroughly touched.

"Aww..you themed them after me? Your favorite bear?" He coos, to which you huff and hide them with your hat.

"Yeah, yeah..I'll admit you're my favorite. Now don't go bragging about it to everyone else."

Roxanne Wolf

Working at the raceway was sometimes sensory hell for you, with your hearing aids constantly absorbing the sounds of noisy karts or screaming kids.

The worst was the construction work.

So you switch them off sometimes when you're busy with a task, as hearing gets tiring--especially in these parts of the pizzaplex.

One day, however, Roxy walked over to ask if you could supervise Cassie's birthday party...only to see you blatantly ignoring her.

She would've been annoyed, had her eyes not seen the aids hidden by your hat/hair.

Oddly enough she never noticed them before...

She just taps your shoulder politely, getting your attention as you turn them back on. "Oh hey, Roxy. What's up?"

She repeats her question, but you still struggle to hear her, so you both go somewhere outside the raceway to talk.

Once you understand what she's asking, you head to the atrium to assist with any final preparations, but along the way she inquires about the aids.

"Oh! There's something I've been meaning to show you." You reveal the checkered flag stickers, surprising the wolf. And you smile at her growing grin. "Yeah, I knew you'd love 'em."

"They're really cool. So I guess you can just..tune out all the ruckus of the raceway whenever you want?"

"It does get overwhelming at times, so yeah..I had them off. Sorry if it seemed like I was ignoring you-"

"Nah, I understand now. But listen, if anyone gives you trouble over them, you let me know. Alright?"

"..I will. Thank you, Roxy."

"Of course. It's the least I can do for my favorite human worker." She chuckles.

Glamrock Chica

The incident where Chica's upgraded voicebox horribly malfunctioned would have surely overloaded your already sensitive hearing.

You were supervising her performance, but at the first sign something was wrong you took your aids out and dodged the chaos that followed, leaving to file an incident report.

As a lead tech, however, you're summoned to run diagnostics on her voicebox in parts and services (as apparently nobody else wanted to do it).

You kept your aids off in case things go awry again, but when Chica wakes up, she's 100% convinced that she broke them and you're angry at her.

She was informed that you use them, though she's never actually seen them.

Plus you were closest to her when it happened. If her voice could damage that many STAFF bots...then surely your aids weren't spared, either.

"Well, Chica..the good news is that we don't have to replace any of your speaking components." You explain, not realizing her sadness at first. "But I recommend you don't sing for a while and stick to the guitar. Just to play it safe."

"Oh, okay....I-I'm sorry....I really am..." She sulks in the chair.

"It's not your fault. I kept telling them not to rush the upgrade, but no one ever listens to-"

"BWAK?!!" Then she jumps, surprised. "You can hear me! I-I didn't break them..?"

"Huh? Oh..no, no, no. They're fine, Chica." You reassure her softly. "They're totally fine. See?"

Taking one aid out, you show her the cupcake sticker you put on it in hopes of cheering her up, watching the relieved smile return to her beak.

Montgomery Gator

If any place in the pizzaplex is loud (besides Roxy's Raceway), it's Gator Golf.

Should the ambience or the bass of Monty's instrument be too noisy for your hearing aids to handle, you can easily take them out or switch them off.

You can always hear his voice given how he talks in general, but if he's speaking directly to you, you'll have to put them back on.

The first time this happens, however, he sees them for a split second before they're hidden by your hat/hair and immediately assumes they're earbuds for music.

In his eyes, you suddenly decided to ignore him and he's not happy.

"So that's how it is, huh?" He snarls, already being in a bad mood as is. "I ain't fun to talk to anymore? You'd rather listen to your stupid human music than mine!?"

"Monty, what on earth are you talking about?" You blink in bewilderment. His hostility usually didn't come out of nowhere like this. "I don't have any music in-"

"Then what didja just stick in your ears?!" He points, glaring at you over his glasses.

"..my hearing aids?"

There's a long, awkward pause.

"...y'know, the things that let me hear you?"

"Ohhh..that's what they are? How long have ya had those for?"

"Most of my life." You smile apologetically, seeing him fumble and backtrack whatever he said before. "It's okay, Monty. I should've told you about them before....you wanna see something cool?"

Showing him your aids, he sees the golf club stickers on them and grins, no longer as grumpy as before. "Awh yeah!! Wait....did ya put those there 'cuz you like golf..or me?"

"I chose this design because of you, big guy." You chuckle.

Glamrock Bonnie

You were Bonnie's main handler, so you two have spent nearly every moment of your shift together.

He's been aware of your hearing aids since day one, complimenting the cute little bowling pin stickers you plastered on them and chastising any person who gave you a hard time about wearing them.

Sadly you never got closure on what exactly happened after he went "missing"...only to discover his shattered body stowed behind Bonnie Bowl months later.

He had claw marks inconsistent with what Monty's hands could have possibly done (not that you believed the gator was ever guilty of attacking him despite the rumors).

You fought tooth and nail to get approval from management to repair him, working tirelessly in parts and services--even doing overtime just to bring him back.

When Bonnie finally reactivated after weeks of trial and error, he nearly looked good as new.

Except...he doesn't remember you, and there's corruption in his memory files from the night he left his green room and went into Gator Golf.

He insists he was following somebody's orders, but can't specify anything beyond that.

"I'm sorry..I'm not much help, am I?"

"No, but...I suppose you should know that Monty's taken your place in the band in your absence." You regrettably inform him, seeing how sad he looks. "But if it's any help...you're still my favorite."

Taking off your hat, you show him the now faded bowling pin stickers that remained on your aids, and he stares for a while.

Then you see his eyes flicker with recognition as a smile grows on his face.

"[Y/n]...thank goodness you're still here! I-Is Freddy okay?"

Sun

He's definitely had deaf kids (both with and without hearing aids) come into the daycare, and he tries his best to give them a fun and accommodating experience during their stay.

So right off the bat, he knows you wear aids and often tries communicating with you in sign language.

Whether you're well-versed in that or still learning, you appreciate his efforts.

But you sometimes have to remind him that you can still talk to him as you normally would.

You show him the stickers on your aids--a cloud covering a sun, to be more precise--and he's totally ecstatic.

And I mean "jumping up and down cheering" ecstatic bc now he knows you picked those stickers because of him!! Because he's your favorite!!

Physically he's there but mentally he's the "yippee" autism creature

Sometimes you gotta lower the volume on your aids with how loud he accidentally can be, and he notices this fast.

"Oh! I'm sorry, sorry, sorry!! So sorry!!" He fumbles. "Can I add something to the stickers maybe??? Googly eyes??? Glitter glue to make them shimmer and shine???"

"Thank you, Sun..but they're fine this way." You insist. "I don't want any glue dripping into my ears."

"Right! O-Of course!! We wouldn't want that now, would we? No glitter glue going into your brain!!"

Moon

The lunar animatronic, on the other hand, takes a bit longer to notice your hearing aids (considering how dark the daycare gets during the night cycle, he doesn't notice much).

When he does, he'll ask you some questions.

Like how long you've had them, how well they tune out background noise, etc.

It's all out of genuine curiosity, and you tell him whatever you knew, taking one of the aids out to show it to him.

And only then he examines the star-shaped stickers on them, staring for a while.

At first he automatically assumes they're themed after one of the Glamrocks...until you mentioned how similar they are to the stars on his hat and pants.

Finally, the gears in his mind click together.

"So you're saying....my outfit inspired you when you picked out these stickers?"

"Yep."

"How sweet of you, [y/n]...they look very nice. Glad I could be your muse." He snickers.

You never see it, but he's gonna be gushing over this every time you're working in the daycare now.

None of your coworkers paid any mind to Moon. They usually called him creepy or avoid conversing with him should they absolutely have to cross paths.

But you go out of your way to see him whenever possible; and the stickers are just a subtle yet sweet way of reminding him that he's always gonna be your favorite.

[danifesting]

A birthday present for my dear, beloved friend @nobrakesdown. Cove, I hope you have the wonderful birthday you deserve. Thanks for being my friend, writing buddy, sounding board and everything in between.

*****

Daniel's heat is late. First one week, then two, then three. At four weeks he starts to worry. He's usually like clockwork, has been since his first heat at 15, but now, not even a skin prickle at the back of his neck. He makes an appointment with his gynecologist and goes into the office more anxious than he'd like to admit.

The nurse gets him in the room and takes his temperature, a little high but not a fever. His blood pressure is high too.

"Ha, sorry," he says to the nurse, a pretty beta with long blonde hair. "Just a little anxious."

"That's okay. It's not uncommon and it's not in a danger zone or anything," she assures him. "Is there any chance you could be pregnant?"

Daniel hums. He's been on birth control a long time. "I doubt it."

"Well, either way, we have to have you take a pregnancy test." She hands him a cup. "Just pee in here and leave it on the counter next to the door. When you're done, undress from the waist down and press the button on the wall to let us know you're ready, okay?"

Daniel gives her a thumbs up and does as he's instructed. The wait for the doctor is agonizingly slow. He scrolls through Instagram on his phone but it doesn't do anything to speed up the passage of time. Eventually the doctor knocks.

"Come in," Daniel calls out and Dr. Bernard comes in.

"Well, Daniel," she says, sitting down on the stool next to the table. "I'm just going to start with this. Your pregnancy test came back positive."

"But…" Daniel says, starting to sweat.

"I know you're on birth control but have you missed any doses?" She asks kindly.

"No, never. I take it at the same time every day. I have a special alarm and everything."

"Have you been sick? Taken any antibiotics?"

"I had a sinus infection about a month ago and the doctor gave me something for it."

"Did he warn you that antibiotics can make birth control less effective and that you should use backup contraception until after your next heat?"

"Uh... He did not. Was he supposed to?" Daniel asks with raised eyebrows.

Dr. Bernard sighs. "They never tell people what they should. Well, I'm sorry if it's bad news, and we'll take a blood test to confirm just to be sure, but you're pregnant."

Daniel puts his face in his hands. Fuck, what is he going to do? What is he going to tell Max? They've really only just gotten together. Only a few very happy months and now Daniel's gone and ruined it.

Dr. Bernard pats Daniel on the knee. "I'll give you a moment and then we'll do your pelvic exam."

She steps out of the room and Daniel texts Max.

Daniel: are you busy today?

Max: just finished at the sim

Daniel: can you meet me at mine in like an hour?

Max: i'll be there

Daniel sighs and sets his phone down. They do the pelvic exam, take Daniel's blood, tell him they'll call him with the results tomorrow and to talk about next steps from there.

Max is already in his apartment when Daniel gets home, sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone. He looks up when Daniel comes in and smiles, wide and happy but his face falls when he sees Daniel, turning to concern. Daniel kicks off his shoes and crosses the room.

"Hi Maxy," he says and collapses down onto the couch next to him. "I have some news."

"Good or bad?" Max asks, eyebrows drawing in.

"Um, I haven't really decided yet. Still kind of in shock about it." Daniel rubs a hand over his face. "I'm pregnant." He keeps his face hidden in his hands.

"Daniel," Max says, voice hushed. He pulls Daniel's hands away from his face.

Daniel gives him a wry smile. "Surprise? I'm so sorry. I know we didn't plan for it, but I think I'm keeping the baby," he says, which is a surprise to himself as he says but it's true. He is. Fuck, he's gonna be a dad.

"Daniel," Max says again and his face is broken open into a wide grin, eyes scrunched tight and happy. "This was, of course, not something we have talked about before but if you want this, I want this, yeah?"

"Really?" Daniel asks, feeling his eyes well with tears. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

"Of course, Daniel. Yes. I have always wanted children and…"

"But we've only been dating a few months."

Max laughs. "And I have been in love with you since I was 18. Let's have a baby Daniel."

"You and me, huh?" Daniel asks, matching Max's laughter.

"You and me," Max assures. "I'll be with you the whole way."

And now, now Daniel feels hopeful instead of the terror he felt sitting in that doctor's office listening to his test results. He won't be in this alone. He has Max by his side and maybe they can do this. Maybe it will be okay.

The blood test results come back positive the next morning. Max holds Daniel's hand as they listen to Dr. Bernard lay out their next steps, the ultrasound appointment he'll have next week, the email she'll send with pregnancy nutrition and prenatal vitamins, all of it, and instead of overwhelmed like he thought he'd be, Daniel feels happy, like this is the right choice, like he and Max are starting a life together along with the life inside him.

Max kisses him when the phone call is over. He puts his hand on Daniel's belly and kisses him again, and Daniel knows things are going to be alright, better than even. Things are going to be great.

[heavyhitterheaux]

Lose You to Love Me

First Lady of Private Garden Fic

AN: Get ready for a wild ride between our favorite couple

Synopsis: There is still tension in the air between the two of you regarding the last incident with Anitta and how everything unfolded. The wedge between the two of you becomes even greater when Jack reveals a secret that he had been keeping from you.

Pairing: Husband!Jack Harlow x Wife!Reader

First Lady of Private Garden Masterlist

Before reading this, read Let Them Know What’s Mine, She Gets the Last Word parts 1,2, and 3, Off Limits, Please Kiss and Make Up, and Trouble in Paradise

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

It had been a few days since your birthday and the two of you were busy once again. Jack was doing Jingle Ball while you were making multiple appearances. Even though the two of you had somewhat made up after the last Anitta incident, there was still some tension and you could feel it. Anitta never fully came out and said that she wanted to press charges and you were wondering what made her change her mind. But, you wanted to put your focus on other things and focus on being a better wife, a better friend, and a better person overall.

Jack was currently in L.A. in the studio to take his mind off things, when Neelam had told everyone to take a fifteen minute break and pulled him to the side.

“What’s going on with you? You’re here but you aren’t here.” She asked concerned as she pulled up a chair next to him.

“I… I don’t want to put this on you.”

“But you need to tell someone because this is affecting you. I’ve known you for how long now? Do I need to call Y/N?”

“NO!”

“What the….?” Neelam was confused as to why Jack reacted like that because any time your name was mentioned, it was the exact opposite.

“It has to do with her and I need to tell somebody this before I fucking explode.”

“I’m listening.”

“I know people look at me sideways with the whole Anitta thing because of how I was so quick to shut down Giveon, but not her.”

“For the life of me, I can’t understand why. It’s a double standard, Jack. Even though it’s speculation, I know you beat Giveon’s ass and PG were the witnesses but of course you won’t admit it so I’ll just let it slide. And you really hurt her feelings when it seemed like you didn’t have her back when all of that happened. I’m not talking about the last time, I’m talking about every time. From the outside looking in, it almost looks like you like Anitta and want to be in a relationship with her. That fucking instagram live took the damn cake.”

“NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD I WANT TO BE WITH HER! She has it in her mind that I want her when I damn sure DO NOT. So, about that. After the first incident on the set of first class and everything, Y/N decided to send Anitta a portion of our sex tape, I guess to show her I’m off limits. Since then, she’s been threatening to release it and has been hanging this over my head and I know if I say anything to her, she’ll have no hesitation to do so. That is the last thing that either of us need right now.” 

Neelam opened and closed her mouth several times before saying anything back to Jack who had now become nervous.

“Jack….. You…..  you have got to tell Y/N. That is serious and it’s blackmail which is ILLEGAL! Even if she sent it to her or not!”

“I know! I just…. I haven’t found the right time to tell her.”

“Haven’t found the right time?!?! Jack! You could have told her this when it first happened because we probably wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in now! She is going to want to MURDER you.”

“I know! And I just feel that even though we kind of made up, there’s still tension. I can’t even imagine what she’s going to say when I tell her.”

“Okay word of advice. I’m not married, however, I’ve been in relationships before and it might sound cliche, but Jack come on. You know honesty is the best policy. And she has told you time and time again that whatever comes your way that you’ll handle it TOGETHER. Y/N loves you and you love her but I’m not going to lie. Sometimes I think the fame is starting to get to your head and you’re forgetting who was by your side in the damn trenches with you that helped you get to where you are now. Like even to this day, she has her own career, but she STILL puts you first. I know that’s how her heart is, but still. I get it you don’t want it released to ruin your reputation and not to mention that would be a PR nightmare but you need to tell your wife the next time you see her. Tell her in person and not over the phone.”

“Now, you made me feel even more shitty.”

“I’m not trying to do that by any means and it’s coming from my heart because I care about the both of you. I admit that sometimes I’m worried about her because I saw her true colors with how she came at me when you were first signed. I admit that was my fault, but it’s over and done with. She doesn’t think first and just uses her fists to solve the problem. It seems like her actions are rooted in something deeper than what we think. She is too old to still be doing that. This isn’t high school and I’ll continue being honest, when Drama first signed her and I heard about it, we weren’t all that close. I actually went to him and said that her anger issues might end up being a problem and causing us bad publicity, but he wasn’t taking no for an answer because you insisted on her being signed. It has now caused us bad publicity and I just want her to get the help she needs. I sent her a few therapist recommendations that I got from other people, but she hasn’t said anything about it.”

“I just want to fast forward to 2023, but at least we have the wedding to look forward to. Right before Christmas.”

“Jack, you need to tell her this before you two walk down the aisle for the second time. Do not bring this into 2023.”

“I promise, I will.”

Just then Jack got a text from you saying how you were in L.A. and that you brought a surprise with you.

Wifey- smushhhhhh, I’m in L.A. and I cannot wait to see you! And I brought a surprise!

Smush- I owe you a dinner date, and what’s the surprise?

You then attached a picture of you and Maggie and it looked as if you had taken it when you had both landed.

“Fuck!”

“What’s wrong?!” Neelam asked while turning to him.

“She’s in L.A. and she brought my mom with her.”

“You need to tell her sooner rather than later.”

“This is about to be a fucking mess.”

—- 

Jack had taken you to dinner as promised, while Maggie said she was going to do some Christmas shopping for gifts for the two of you. You couldn’t help but to notice that Jack had been off the entire night once you both got back to your condo.

“Jackman.”

At that moment, his eyes went wide because any time he heard you say his name with such a serious tone he knew that it was important.

“Yes, mamas?”

“Come here.”

Jack made his way over to you as you were sitting on the couch and you opened your arms signaling that you wanted for him to lay on you.

After the two of you got comfortable, you started playing in his curls before saying anything else.

His entire body was tense and you were going to get whatever it is out of him sooner rather than later.

“What’s going on with you, baby? Something is off and I know my husband like the back of my hand.”

All Jack did was sigh and he hugged you closer to his body before answering you.

“I have to tell you something and I should have told you when it first happened and I don’t know how you’re going to take it.”

“Whatever it is, we’ll get through it together like we always do. This is forever, you know that.”

“It has to do with Anitta.” Jack now felt your body tense up before you answered him.

“Go on.”

“There’s a reason as to why I don’t really say anything towards her after all that’s gone down and I want to tell you the reason why.”

“I would definitely like to know because in my eyes you are a huge hypocrite. Does Giveon ring a bell at all?”

“Baby girl, just let me explain and please don’t interrupt me.”

“Go ahead.”

“She’s threatened to release our sex tape on multiple occasions. The one you sent her after you kicked her off the set of first class. I’m trying to do everything I can not to piss her off so that she doesn’t release it.”

Jack could feel that your heart rate had now sped up and you were quiet.

“Baby, with all the shit that’s happened this year with her, that is the last thing we need.”

You still hadn’t said anything and Jack then looked up at you from his place on your chest.

“Y/N, please. I know you’re mad at me and I should have told you. I know I shouldn’t have kept this from you.”

“You kept this from me since May. It is now December.”

“Babe….”

“All that time I spent fucking crying after I actually did fight her because I essentially broke a promise to you and you were mad as hell at me. Acting outta fucking pocket on social media when in fact you were holding onto this?”

“I know, not my best moment.”

“That’s putting it lightly.”

You were now fuming and made a motion to stand up with Jack moving to the side.

“We can fix this, mamas.”

“You should have fixed it in May when it first happened!”

Just then the door opened and in walked Maggie and Urban who were both looking confused as you were shooting daggers at your husband.

“We’re not getting married again.” You muttered while crossing your arms and looking down at the floor.

"What did you just say to me!?"

"That come December 21st, we're not getting married again. You fucking heard me."

Jack was quiet for a few minutes before looking back over at you.

"We need to first fix our marriage before we even think about doing any of that. You kept this from me!"

"Do you even want to be married to me anymore?"

You looked up at your husband in utter disbelief not believing that he would have the audacity to ask you that.

“Jack, if I didn’t want to be married to you, I would have been gone a long time ago.”

“OKAY! What is the problem between you two!?” Maggie asked, looking confused as Urban made a beeline for his bedroom to put the gifts he bought away. Urban never got in the middle of the two of you when you argued and this time was no different. He already knew that you would come find him to talk about it after anyway. 

“Ask your son.” You said responding to Maggie.

Maggie then turned to her oldest son with her arms crossed waiting for an explanation.

“Anitta has a sex tape of us and is threatening to release it and that’s why I haven’t really said anything to her publicly. In the hopes of her not doing it.”

“Jackman, you are aware that what you just told me is ILLEGAL!” Maggie said, looking at him in disbelief.

“I know! But..!”

“And this has been going on since May and it is now DECEMBER!” You added while shaking your head in disbelief.

“I know I was wrong and I don’t have a good answer on why I kept this from you but you know that I will do anything and everything that I need to do on this earth to protect you!”

“Protect me or protect yourself?” You asked him while looking up at him and he looked at you in disbelief.

“Don’t start that shit, Y/N. You have been my entire world since I was 14 years old and that is NEVER going to change.”

“You know what, I noticed? That I go so hard for you and the rest of PG and I am constantly putting myself second. I can’t even tell you how many nights I have lost sleep to make sure that people all around the fucking world knew your name! And I still do that! And for what? For you to keep something as big as this from your wife?! I would do anything for you and you KNOW that.”

“Baby! I am thankful for everything that you have done for me and I apologize if I made you feel like I wasn’t appreciative of you. I….just I told Neelam earlier because she saw there was something bothering me and she said I needed to tell you as soon as possible and I was tired of staying quiet on this.”

“YOU TOLD NEELAM BEFORE ME?! YOU TOLD HER BEFORE YOUR WIFE?!”

“Babe, she’s my friend too and not just my manager!”

“Yeah, your friend who at one time had it out for your wife and was coming sideways at me and almost got her fucking ass beat.”

“I needed someone else’s perspective! And you two are close now!”

“I’m not doing this anymore.”

“Wait, doing what?! Babe, don’t walk away from me. We can get through this.” Jack said while trying to take your hand but Maggie shook his head at him telling him to let you go.

“Jack, I love you. You know I do, but I cannot be around you right now. I just can’t. The wedding is off.”

Maggie immediately followed you and was attempting to calm you down. The tears were cascading down your face at 100 miles per hour. While Jack simply sat back down on the couch with his head in his hands.

For the first time in ten years, he actually broke your trust in him.

“You need to breathe, Y/N. Come on and sit.”

You did as you were told and started to take some deep breaths before turning to your mother-in-law.

“How could he keep that from me?”

“I don’t have an answer for that, at all. I’m not defending him in any way, but I know that to him it probably felt like the best decision at the time.”

“He also said that we have cracks in our relationship that need to be fixed before we have children.”

Maggie simply nodded her head prompting for you to continue.

“Like he said I hide things from him and I don’t!”

“Hold on baby, let me stop you right there. You do hide things.”

“What have I hid from him?!”

“The fact that you could rap, your role in P Valley, the feature with Giveon and not telling him when you were first asked, and not to mention the 12 pets...”

“I didn’t think...”

“You might not have noticed at the time but it was a big deal that had a big impact. And not to mention that you have GOT to stop fighting.”

“I’m not even that bad!”

“Y/N Y/M/N Harlow you are a whole adult who is almost 25 and you have been fighting since you were in elementary school. I know this because your mom told me. That gets old really quick and there are plenty of other things you can do except fight.”

“She came for my man, mom! She deserved to get her ass beat and the way she was being disrespectful towards me, it was unnecessary.”

“It might have been unnecessary, but you’re going to basically fight millions of girls? When he only has eyes for you?”

“Well no...”

“Okay, then. See, Y/N you don’t think you ever do anything wrong.”

“Jack said the same thing… and Urban.”

“It’s tough love, but I have got to call you out on this because I love you and only want the best for you and Jack. So, I know I usually side with you but this time you’re both in the wrong..”

Your eyes were beginning to water, not truly realizing how much you had missed right in front of your face.

“Hey, come here. Don’t cry. Just try to be a better woman than you were yesterday. I know that you can do it and be the wife my son deserves and the mother my grandchildren deserve, okay?” Maggie said while pulling you into a hug.

“Jack has got to stop spoiling you so much and learn to tell you no from time to time too. Literally no one tells you no and you’re spoiled.”

“Damn, you’re just laying it all out huh?”

“Because you’re my daughter and I want to be honest. Take a few minutes for yourself and I’m going to go talk to that son of mine.”

You nodded your head as she left the room and you immediately grabbed your phone to text Brandi.

You- I’m leaving out of L.A. tonight to head to Miami for the show

Brandi- So soon? You literally just got there a few hours ago. Is everything okay?

You- Yeah, why wouldn’t they be?

Brandi- Because you went to see your husband and knowing you two I thought you would be breaking headboards

You- We’re both busy and I just wanted to check in on him. We’re good.

Brandi- Flight will be ready tonight

You- Brandi, can I leave sooner?

Brandi- Y/N, you have me worried

You- It’s just a lot that I need to get done before Christmas and I want to get a head start on it

Brandi- Be at the airport in an hour

You- Thank you

Maggie went back out to the living room to see her son with his head in his hands and she simply went and sat next to him.

“I want you to listen and to not interrupt me, okay?”

All Jack did was nod.

“The two of you have created such a big mess that it isn’t even funny. Between the two of you keeping things from each other, the whole Anitta thing, Giveon, and it’s like you two forgot that you’re married but the world is watching the two of you. The way you’ve been acting towards her is unacceptable and I raised you better than that. How do you even expect this marriage to last if you aren’t putting in the work for it? Because at this rate because of what you just told her, I don’t see it lasting another year.”

“She called off the wedding…. This was supposed to be the year we were celebrating five years of being married and hopefully adding a child and I’m convinced she doesn’t want anything to do with me. I cannot lose her, I just can’t.”

“She would have left a long time ago if that was the case. I know that you two love each other, anyone can see that, but protect your marriage at all costs. And she was right to call it off. The two of you are renewing your vows in two weeks and this is the bombshell you dropped on her?”

“I didn’t want to go into 2023 with this hanging over my head.”

“I know she appreciates your honesty even though it was months too late, but give her time and also in that time the two of you need to see a marriage counselor. I know it’s hard to hear, but it’s tough love.”

Just then the bedroom door opened and you emerged with all of the suitcases that you had brought with you less than four hours ago when you landed. This caught Jack’s attention.

“Where… where are you going? You just got here.”

“Jack, I love you and as hard as this is for me to say because I never thought that I would have to say this in a million years, but, I need time away from you. I can’t put into words how much it hurts that you kept that from me. I know that I’ve hurt you too and I’m definitely not innocent at all but… I need to put myself first for once. I’ll see you at Christmas, I guess.”

“Y/N…. wait….”

“No, because you need to let me do this. I have always put you first and it’s my turn. Maybe time away from each other will do us some good so that we can begin to fix whatever this mess this is that we call a marriage. I just need time, okay?” You said as you were trying to keep your tears from falling and that’s when you felt Urban come up behind you. He had been listening the entire time and just knew that once you left, Jack would be a mess and be hard to console.

You saw where Jack’s eyes began to water and because he didn’t trust his voice enough to speak without cracking, he simply nodded his head before you came up and hugged him.

He was holding onto you for dear life and you were doing the same.

“I’ll love you until the end of time and even after that.”

“I know, right back at you.” You said as Jack leaned down to kiss you.

Liked by allthingsy/n, jackharlowsource, jackandy/naremyparents, saweetie, druski2funny, cozane, mortirolo, and 3,436,298 others

theshaderoom: We have breaking news about our favorite couple jackharlow and y/ninsta. Remember how we were all excited for their destination wedding this December? Well apparently sources close to the couple have said that the wedding is now OFF. You heard it here first, the wedding is OFF. We just hope they can work through it and that they repair their relationship

saweetie: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? jackharlow y/ninsta GET YOUR ASSES IN HERE NOW OR ANSWER THE FUCKING PHONE

theestallion: I SWEAR THAT THIS BETTER BE ANOTHER PRANK

lilnasx: WHAT IS HAPPENING?

normani: I don’t like this game anymore

sza: but....????

allthingsy/n: stop playin. this is a joke. it has to be. Jack and Y/N are forever

jackharlowsource: I’m holding out hope at least it didn’t say that they were getting divorced

jackandy/naremyparents: WHAAAAAAAATTTTTTT

Liked by danivalentine, mortirolo, jackharlow, champagnepapi, cozane, urbanwyatt, 2forwoyne, and 3,208,976 others

y/ninsta: my sister danivalentine always has my back. thank you for loving me the way you do.

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Liked by jackharlow, danivalentine, urbanwyatt, claybornharlow, saweetie, mortirolo, softtcurse, yungskylark, and 2,860,945 others

y/ninsta: one of the greatest feelings in the world is being on stage performing for my beautiful fans. I love yall so much 😘💖

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“Y/N, that is the third time you’ve thrown up today. Do you feel okay?”

“It’s probably just a stomach bug or something. It’s probably nothing.”

All your sister was doing was eyeing you as you continued to pack in order to get ready to go to the next city which would be one of your favorites, New Orleans.

“Y/N…”

“Dani, what? I have to hurry up and pack.”

She didn’t do anything except hand you a walgreens bag which you were confused about.

“Danielle… what is going on?”

“You’re pregnant. Take the test.”

You shook your head in disbelief at your older sister and rolled your eyes.

“No, I’m not.” You said while throwing the bag to the side and she lightly grabbed your wrist.

“Look, I know that things are very touch and go with you and Jack right now, but I honestly think you might be. It wouldn’t hurt to take it.”

“If I take it, will you leave me alone?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

You once again rolled your eyes at her and proceeded to go into the bathroom and take the bag with you.

Once you had finished taking the test, you set a timer on your phone to go back to look at it and continued to pack all of your things.

“Have the two of you even talked?”

“Sort of.”

“No, Y/N, you two need to sit down and talk about this.”

“Dani, I can’t right now. I need to take some time for myself before I do that.”

“You don’t get days off when you’re married.”

“I know and I know that we have a lot to work on.”

“Then why are you not with your husband doing that?”

You didn’t have an answer for her as your alarm on your phone went off signaling that it was time to look at the tests you took.

You peered down at the bathroom counter to see all three tests staring back up at you and it was the last thing that you were expecting.

“Y/N?” Dani called for you and when she didn’t hear you, she made her way over to the bathroom. She peeked over your shoulder to see why you had gone quiet.

Positive.

All three.

You immediately bursted into tears.

This was supposed to have been a happy moment, but there were a million things running through your head at one time.

“It’s going to be okay, lil bit.” Your sister said while bringing you into a hug.

“How? Me and Jack are barely even speaking. And now I’m pregnant?!”

“One thing at a time, okay. But we need to get you in to see a doctor so we can see how far along you are. We have time to do that before we leave for NOLA, okay?”

You simply nodded your head and your sister continued to wipe away your tears.

You just couldn’t seem to catch a break.

Brandi was a miracle worker and was able to get you in to see an OB/GYN two hours before your flight was supposed to leave. It was cutting it close, but it was better than waiting until you got there to find out what was going on. 

“Hi Mrs. Harlow! I’m going to be doing your ultrasound today so we can see what’s going on in there.”

You nodded your head as you pulled up your sweatshirt so that she could place the gel on your stomach.

“Okay…. And…. here we go! Let me just get a good picture and I can print some out for you and…. Oh…”

“Oh? What do you mean oh?” You asked suddenly in a panic. 

“It’s um… wow. There’s more than one baby in here.”

“EXCUSE ME? WHAT?”

“Relax, Y/N.” Dani said while eyeing you and trying to stay calm in the hopes that you would too. 

“I am terrified to ask this question, but how many are in there?”

“Three. You’re pregnant with triplets! Congratulations!”

All of the color then drained from your face.

You- Jack, I’m scared shitless. I didn’t want to do this over text but I needed to tell you this as soon as possible. I’m pregnant. WITH TRIPLETS. 

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[maxverstappensflatbrim]

Show Me Yours | Matty Healy [26]

chapter twenty-six, act three: so far (it's alright)

masterlist

April 14th 2015

Tommie sheds her jacket as she enters the bar she’s supposed to be meeting Caleb and his friends. She says goodbye to Phoebe, promising to meet her at her place when she’s done to run over a few ideas the upcoming singer has.

When she looks up, phone now in her back pocket and jacket on her arm she sees a new figure besides Caleb. For a second she thinks it's his little sister but then realises the blonde is too tall.

She remembers she's here to meet Shane’s new girlfriend and wonders if that's her, but a glance to their usual booth shows Shane with a girl on his lap as they get off.

She heads on over, sliding up beside Caleb who grins, kissing her cheek and then sliding an arm around her waist.

“Hey, babe, this is Emma, she’s an old friend of mine from Georgia. Emma, this is Caroline.”

Tommie raises a brow at the first name and stretches her hand out, “It’s actually Tommie, nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Carol, can I call you Carol?”

“No.”

Caleb nudges her and she shrugs a little, “You’re from Georgia?” Emma nods, “You just moved out here?”

“No, no, just visiting. And I bumped into Caleb here, thought we haven’t seen each other in a while and decided to catch up.”

She lifts her head in a nod, “I’m gonna get some drinks and catch up with Mitchell, you two want anything?”

“We’re good, we just got some. I’ll come find you when it's time to go yeah?”

She nods, “Six, right? Promised Phoebe I’d help her out tonight, so I’ll go there whenever we’re done, no rush.”

He nods and kisses her cheek, “You’re too good to that girl.”

She shrugs, “She’s my only friend outside of the band.”

“Maybe you and I can be friends.” Emma suggests and Tommie lifts her head with a tight lipped smile trying not to be rude.

She squeezes Caleb’s hand and he smiles at her again, leaning down to peck her lips before she rounds the bar to where Mitchell is sitting at the bar in self-pity. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He says quietly, eyes glued to Emma’s hair as she flips it over her shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Eh.”

She follows his gaze across to Emma, “Old flame?”

“I wish, but no…”

“Crush?”

“Yeah…” He sighs, eyes watching her push her hair over her shoulder.

“Wanna talk about it?”

This is what she learns from Mitchell , she’s here in LA to see some band she likes as a birthday gift from her best friend. She’s just celebrating her thirty-first birthday, she’s a few months older than Caleb.

And they dated.

Not just dated. They were highschool sweethearts who got engaged the moment they left school. Literally the moment, he proposed in the car park as they left on their last day of school.

Then he started the band, and her religious picture perfect American dream family didn't agree with it. They wanted her to get a stable job in their family business back home in Georgia and keep going to church.

So she broke up with him, and left him completely heartbroken.

Leaving  Mitchell, who had been in love with her for years before that, to pick up the pieces of his broken heart.

He opens up about how hard it was as he had been in love with her since they were kids, before either of them met Caleb. And then he cried over how hard it was seeing them so happy, how many times he'd comfort her when he saw her crying outside because stupid teenage Caleb had done something to upset her. She rubs his back gently letting him rant as she keeps her eyes on them. 

When Mitchell has finally stopped crying and she’s sure he’s safe, she’d had to drag him outside with the help of Shane who she’d forced off of his girlfriend, (she’s also introduced herself to her, she was a sweet, kind girl called Crystal from, here in LA). They’d piled him in a cab and sent him home to James who was waiting for him after getting their call.

She checks her phone, seven thirty, they’re late, missed the reserved fancy dinner they’d booked for date night.

She sighs and hesitates to go over to him but then she does quickly, he smiles down at her, “Hey, babe.”

“Hey, uh, we’re a bit late.”

“Yeah, it’s alright, I’ll sort it, just a few more minutes? Can you grab my jacket, I’ll say goodbye.”

She nods, saying goodbye to Shane and Crystal, waiting at the door with both of their jackets.

She waits for five minutes, then ten, then twenty, fourty, when it nears an hour she sighs and walks over to them.

“I’ve missed you a lot, you know.”

“Yeah, me too. You know, I was thinking about you the other day-”

Tommie doesn't want to listen to more, she puts his jacket down behind him and walks outside, calling herself a cab and giving Phoebe's address.

“Hey.”

Phoebe lets her in, “I’ve got drinks, seem like you need them.”

She sighs, face planting on the sofa, making both Max, and Button, who Phoebe had agreed to dog sit for the day so they could have a playdate, look up at her.

“Wow, okay, what’s up?”

“Some pretty blonde woman who’s just- just perfect, with nice hair and nice teeth, and a nice smile, and she’s tall, and-and skinny. She’s nice. She’s the complete opposite of me.”

“Sounds boring.” Phoebe says lifting her legs to sit there and lets them fall back into her lap.

“I think I’m having a mental breakdown, what do I do?”

Phoebe shrugs, “Usually I just like, listen to emo music and dye my hair.”

Tommie sits up, “Will you help me?”

“Help you what?”

“Dye my hair.”

Phoebe frowns, moving to curl some ginger hair around her finger, “But, I love your hair.”

“Please?”

She sighs, “I only have the colour I use, so we’ll have to wait until the morning, when the stores open.”

“That colour will do, I like it.”

That’s how they ended up sitting in Phoebe’s bathroom on the floor, Tommie turned towards the wall while Phoebe sat on the closed toilet lid.

“Are you sure?”

She breathes in then sighs and as Phoebe lifts her hand she quickly leans forward, “Wait-”

“I knew you’d back out.”

“What if it doesn't suit me?”

“It will, you’re pale.” She says confidently then dumps it on her head quickly.

“Do you think you can cut bangs?”

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ

Phoebe did in fact not cut her some bangs, claiming she wasn't a hairdresser and she should go to professionals if she wanted to make that decision.

She did however dye her newly cut hair to the platinum colour that she had hers.

“What are you gonna do? Keep dying it?”

She shrugs, still looking in the mirror, “I’ll let it grow then when the ginger reaches my shoulders I’ll cut it back to this length.”

Phoebe lifts some hair up and tilts her head, “It kind of suits you. I mean, being ginger will always suit you more, definitely, you just have the bone structure of a ginger, and the eyes.”

She rests her hands on her shoulders, looking at her in the mirror, “Gonna tell me what’s actually wrong now?”

Tommie shrinks back a little, “You’re gonna think I’m crazy.”

“Have you met me?”

She rings her hands together, walking out to sit on the settee, “I did a little internet stalking, found the three other girls he’s ever hooked up with since Emma, they all look like her. Tall, blonde hair, brown eyes, skinny, Christian citizen types. I’m- I’m nothing like that.”

Phoebe’s brows furrow, “Yeah, you’re not a boring carbon copy, he’s got a new type, so what?”

“The other girls, they’re the type you take home to meet the parents, yeah? I’m the type you have on the arm to keep an interesting conversation going. To impress someone. Not to- to love, to have a family with. I’m not the type his mother wants him to have.”

Phoebe scoffs, “What does that bitch know? You know, it’s amazing how much someone can say when they don’t know what they’re talking about.”

She shifts closer, “Look, we’ve only known each other literally like two months, but I already consider you one of- if not my closest- friend. Not just in the industry, in the whole fucking world, okay? I’m not saying this because of that, I’m saying this because it's the truth. You’re amazing, you’re beautiful, inside and out, you’re great at what you do and you’re so fucking perfect sometime it makes me what to physically hurt you or make out with you, sometimes I can’t decide.”

Tommie laughs and lets her head fall to Phoebe's shoulder, the singer pulls her closer kissing the top of her head affectionately, “If Caleb can’t see that then you should break up with him.”

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ

April 15th 2015

“Woah…”

George’s eyes widen as he looks up at the opening door causing the rest of the guys to look at the door.

Tommie pauses when she sees their eyes on her, she turns, finding no one behind her, then looks at them again, “What?”

“Who are you?”

Matty’s the first to reach her, eyes squinted as he tugs her head to the side, “Where’s the ginge?”

“I dyed it- well, Phoebe dyed it for me.”

He squints his eyes further, picking at it, “I don’t like it.”

“Thanks.” She says with a fake smile, she lifts her chin, acting like the comment didn;t just make her question every single decision she’s ever made.

Adam’s next in line, “What you do that for?”

She shrugs, “Just… fancied a change, that’s all. Is that a crime?”

“I think being a nice ginger and dying your hair should be a crime.” Ross says.

She tilts her head at him, he’s laid on his back on the floor staring at the ceiling, “A nice ginger?”

He nods, “You’re a nice ginger. But like… Ed Sheeran, he’s just like… fucking neon orange. Looks like a highlighter. But you’re like… almost like Emma Stone.”

“Almost?”

“Almost. Emma Stone is fucking stunning.”

“Agreed.” The entire room says together.

Tommie lifts a hand to push the hair over her shoulder, “I just… I needed to do something dramatic, I mean, I’m not the worst out of us,” She lifts a hand to George, “G can’t even get a brush through his hair.”

“You said you liked my hair.”

“I do, when you’ve brushed it. It looks like a bird's nest right now.”

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ

April 26th 2015

Tommie falls through the open door of the studio, running right over to the spare chair beside George that is usually occupied with Matty and slams her little leather notebook down.

“I wrote a song.”

George takes one half of the headphones off and hums as he looks over at her and she repeats her words, “I wrote a song.”

“Can I see?”

She nods, opening the book to that page and chews on her nail, “You know, it’s not finished, not yet. I think there’s a few things I can tweak, with help from you and Matty. I kind of have a whole guitar thing in my head for it but-”

“No tweaking needed, it’s great, Tommie.” He raises a brow then, “I’m a lesbian kiss’?”

She closes the book, “It makes sense to me, in my head, it’s my thoughts.”

“Why are you a lesbian kiss?” He perks up a little and leans closer, “Have you broken up with Caleb for a woman? Does she have a friend? A hot friend?”

“No, no and no.” She tells him quickly, “It’s just something Phoebe said to me last night.”

“She offered to kiss you?”

“No, it’s just- it’s a metaphor.”

He nods slowly, “What’s it about?”

“Well, you know, I’m atheist, yeah?” He nods his head, “And Caleb’s all religious and shit, and, I don’t know. Guess I just feel stupid compared to him, wonder if I believe in some kind of higher power, place all my blame and guilt on that will it make life a little easier for me?”

He starts setting everything up, turning things on with a quick flick, “Wanna jump in and record it?”

She shakes her head quickly, “It’s for Matty to sing, not me.”

“Well, if you want it to be your vision, you’re gonna have to jump in and set the tone for him to follow.”

She nods in reluctance, grabbing her acoustic guitar to strum a little tune as she sings the lyrics to her song titled ‘If I Believe You’.

She does it in one take, coming back out for them to listen together. George makes suggestions on what they can do, he takes the backing track from an unfinished and untitled song adding it in with her voice. He does a few cool echo effects as the time stretches on and even suggests all of them in there together for certain parts.

Tommie suggests a Gospel choir, to give the religious feel a bit more edge and George is calling Jamie, leaning back in his chair.

“What's this one?”

She hovers the mouse over the one labelled ‘Baby’, “Can I listen?”

“Wait, Tom-”

‘So I heard you found somebody else And at first, I thought it was a lie I took all my things that make sounds The rest I can do without I don't want your body But I hate to think about you with somebody else Our love has gone cold You're intertwining your soul with somebody else I'm looking through you While you're looking through your phone And then leaving with somebody else No, I don't want your body But I'm picturing your body with somebody else-’

George turns the recording off the moment he can get out of the booth, turning to her slowly as she sits in the chair staring at the little play button.

She turns to look at him slowly, “Did he…” She pauses to take a deep breath in and then slowly lets her eyes lift back up to his, “Did he write that about…”

She doesn’t finish her sentence, George remains silent and she mutters his name softly but firmly at the same time.

“Yes.”

He tells her, “But I wasn’t supposed to let you heart it, not yet, I mean-”

She gets up quickly, looking around for her phone and grabbing her hoodie to pull on over her vest, “Where are you going?”

“How long do I have? Until he’s set to be here?”

George scarves to look at the time, “Uh, forty minutes?”

She nods, “I’ll be back then.”

“Tom! Tom, where are you going?”

taglist

@thereisaplaceintheheart, @indierockgirrl, @sofaritsalrightt, @julezs-bl0g, @eaglestar31, @sophinthealpss, @noacfemcel, @if-my-heart-bleeds, @befrwime, @fallingforel, @sexorchocolateorpillowsorclouds, @3terna15unshin3, @1975sophie1975, @thesocraticjunkiewannabe

-let me know if you want to be added :)

[nattinatalia]

Jack Harlow & Urban : BIRTHDAY TWINS

Requested and ideas from the wonderful @harlowcomehome 🤗❤️‍🔥 she originally asked for only the gifts the kids made but y’all know me I like to make a mess and mix it all up. Hope I did it justice 🙈

“Niños aquí está todo lo que necesitan, use whatever you want. If you need to use the hot glue gun make sure you ask tia or me.” You tell Cassie, Mia and Ezequiel.

“Okay mama thank you.”

“We’ll be sitting over here if you need us.” Natalia says.

“Yes okay mom.” Ezequiel groans.

“Relax little dude.” Nat says jokingly.

You and your best friend Natalia go sit at the couches she has set up in the backyard, while you both keep an eye on the kids from your spot.

Today you were celebrating Jack and Urban’s birthday, so you and Nat had told the kids they were able to pick one thing they’d like to give their ninos, but they decided on making them something instead, to make it more special, as Mia liked to remind you.

“Who would’ve thought we’d be here, sipping on some margaritas watching our kids make arts and crafts for the boys?” Natalia asks.

You smile “It’s weird isn’t it? I mean for me it still is.”

“I mean it hasn’t even been a year Y/N, you have every right to have mixed feelings.”

You shrug “I’ll get over it. I just want it to be special for her, you know?”

She nods. “I get you on that part. No matter the fights I have with Jack, we put things aside when it comes to the kids.”

“That’s how it should always be.”

“NO EZ NOT THAT.”

You and Nat look at each other and smile “Back to reality.”

“JUST LET ME DO IT MIA.”

“My little monsters, what's going on?” Nat asks, walking towards them, you follow behind her.

“Mom EZ won’t let me decide on the color to put in my hand. It’s my hand so I pick.”

“Ezequiel let your sister choose the color for hers and you choose yours. No fighting, remember this is for Nino.”

“Tio Urban gonna be happy. He’s the best Tio ever.” Ezequiel says.

“No.” Cassie shakes her head “My nino Jack Jack is the bestest, he gonna love mine.”

“Cass, my Urby is the best. He always plays with me.”

“He’s not your Urby, he’s mine, and my Nino Jack Jack is the best anyways, he always sings with me.”

“Guys.” Mia says, shaking her head. “Nino Urb is your dad Cassie. Ezequiel, daddy is her Nino Jack Jack, so they’re both the best.” Mia tells them.

“My daddy is the best but my Tio Urby is the bestest.”

“No. Mine is.”

“Mama tell Cassie my Tio Urban is the best.” Ezequiel looks at Nat.

“They’re both the best, no competition.”

“Fine.”

“Whatever.”

“Are you guys almost done? Everyone will be here soon.” You ask.

“Almost Nina.” Mia answers.

“I’m going to make sure the enchiladas don’t burn.” 

Nat nods, “Can you check on the cake for me? Que no se esté escurriendo mucho la leche.” 

“Yeah, I got you.” 

You make your way inside to the kitchen and check inside the oven and take out the enchiladas. You then check on the cakes and make sure it isn’t spilling much milk. 

You’re closing the refrigerator door when Urban is walking into the kitchen.

“Hi.” 

“Hey.” You smile, “Happy birthday.” 

“Thank you.” There’s an awkward moment. “Is Cassie down for her nap?”

“No, she’s in the backyard with Nat and the kids.”

He nods, “Cool. cool.”

You both are silent and just looking at anything that isn’t at each other.

“This is weird right?” You say after a while.

“What is?”

You shrug, “I mean it’s been five months and it’s still pretty fresh, our divorce that is and me being here is probably weird for both of us?”

He’s looking at you as if you grew two heads. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s awkward, maybe I should just leave, have you spend your birthday with your family and friends.”

“You’re my family too Y/N, that will never change.” 

“You know what I meant.” You shrug and wrap your arms around yourself. “It’s your day and I- I don’t want it to be weird for you.” You feel the tears coming so you take a deep breath. “Excuse me.” You walk out the kitchen and head to the guest bedroom where you and Cassie would be staying for the weekend.

Once inside the bedroom you let the tears flow openly, you hear the door open. “Shit.”

“Hey, hey, it’s ok.” He comes to hug you. “It’s just me, it’s ok.”

You shake your head, “It’s not okay.” 

“Tell me what you need?”

"Can you just hold me for a bit?”

“Yeah, I got you.” 

He holds you tight and rubs your back.

After a while you pull back. “It’s your birthday and here I am making it about me. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, look at me.” He lifts your chin up so you’re looking straight into his eyes. “Everything is ok, we’re good.”

You nod. “I’m just emotional, I usually wake up next to you on your birthday and we spend the morning in bed just talking so it was weird when you weren’t next to me.”

“You think I don’t miss that?” He raises his eyebrows. “You think it didn’t break my heart when I woke up and you weren’t beside me with a smile on your face and singing happy birthday to me? It was weird not having you or Cassie with me this morning, but we agreed we’re better off as friends.”

“I know, I know, but I just can’t help but miss it.”

“You guys ok?” There’s a knock on the door.

You move away from Urban and try to wipe your tears away.

“Yeah come in.” Urban replies.

“Hi sorry, everyone is here and the kids want to give us our presents.” Jack says.

You smile at that. “Go ahead, let me retouch my makeup real quick.”

Urban and Jack look at you worriedly but nod and walk out the room. You didn’t have to touch up your makeup, you just wanted a few seconds on your own before facing everyone.

You take in a deep breath, nod, stand up straighter and exit the bedroom heading towards the backyard where everyone was at.

In the center of the yard you see Urban and Jack surrounded by the kids and your closest friends and family.

“Damn Urb, you and Y/N making Cassie a sibling ? or why is her hair and makeup looking messy.” Druski says out loud, everyone going quiet, glaring at him. “What? Why’s everyone looking at me like ya want to kill me?”

“They’re not together.” Neelam whispers, but you heard her.

“Wait for real? I thought that was all fake?.”

He looks between Urban and you. “I thought it was to get back at me for saying I wanted drama between you.”

“ANYWAY.” Natalia decides to step in. “The kids made the birthday boys a little something.”

Cassie, Mia and Ezequiel run to the kids table to grab their stuff, and head back to where everyone is at.

“We made this for yous.” Cassie says.

“Mia and me dids it for our best uncle.” Ez says and hands Urban a picture frame made out of popsicle sticks.

“I did mine for my best tio Jack Jack.” Cassie also hands Jack a picture frame of her and him.

Both frames are made out of popsicle sticks that the kids colored, it has a picture of them and their uncle. You and Natalia helped them write happy birthday and their names on it.

“Oh wow, this is amazing, thank you.”

“Yeah this is pretty cool, thanks guys.”

“WAIT THERE’S MORE.” Mia yells, hands EZ and Cassie a paper.

“Ohhh I forgot” Cassie says laughing.

“We made these too.” Mia tells them. “Nino Urby, if it’s ugly blame cheesy, he wouldn’t let me decide on one color.” She rolls her eyes.

Everyone laughs at that.

“Be nice Mia.” Jack warns.

“Sorry.”

Cassie smiles and gets closer to Jack. “I made mine with blue because it’s my favorite color, and you the bestest uncle ever.”

“HEY.” Copelan yells.

“What about me?” Sunni asks.

Cassie shrugs “He got me a music triangle, beat that.”

“Urby you’re the best uncle ever. Not Jack Jack.” Ez says.

“NOOO, tío Jack is the best.”

Mia rolls her eyes. “All day, all day they be saying this.” She looks at both kids. “Ez, who’s the best daddy?”

Ez furrows his eyebrows. “Uhh, well daddy.” He points at Jack.

“Cassie, who’s the best daddy?”

Cassie smiles and goes to hug Urban, “My daddy.”

Mia then taps her chin, “Who’s the best uncle?”

“TIO URB.”

“NOOO TÍO JACK.”

Mia groans and smacks her head. “SEE THEY DON’T KNOW.”

Everyone laughs. “It’s okay bug.”

“I think it’s you who doesn’t understand Mia.”

Mia glares at him. “DRUSKI QUIET.”

“I’m just saying.” He put his hands up in defense.

“Can we sing happy birthday now? I want cake.” Clay asks.

You nod.

“Before we sing, Urban, were you eating that cake or was she eating yours?” Druski asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

“YOO.”

“I just want to know.”

“I’m about to beat you up.” You tell him.

“I can help.” Mia says glaring at Druski.

“Fine, fine, let’s sing happy birthday.”

Neelam and Ace light up the custom made Pokémon cakes for Urban and Jack, and you all sing happy birthday to them both.

After a while you notice the kids are plotting something but you take no mind to it.

“Uncle Druski.” Cassie and Mia are holding hands, standing in front of him.

“What’s up? Y’all need money or something? I’m the wrong guy to ask.”

“No.” Mia says.

“Then what’s up?”

“THIS.” Ezequiel yells and comes out from behind him and smears cake all over his face.

Everyone is laughing.

“WHYYYY?” Dru yells, laughing as well.

Mia shrugs, while Cassie and Ez run off laughing.

“Mia, you’re the little devil in all these schemes, why did I get a cake to the face?”

Mia stands besides Urban, they smile at each other and do their little handshake. “Stop picking on my Nino and Nina.” She says, glaring at Druski.

Jack and Urban go to stand next to each other, looking around the yard and smiling.

“Happy birthday to us.” Jack says.

“Happy birthday indeed bro.”

• • •

TAG LIST

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[i-choose-the-danger]

Creature Comforts

Finally able to post today! Fitting that I get it typed up on Eddie Redmayne's birthday too. 🥰I had this idea in my head after writing my last fic and referring to it in the dialogue, and it kept nagging at me and growing bigger and bigger. It just made sense to turn it into a fic of its own. So this fic is about something that was referenced in this fic, if you want to read that first. Only one big note here - what I've written is based off my own personal headcanon for these characters. We don't really know much about Newt's and Theseus's childhoods. We're still unsure about Theseus's *actual* birthday, but I feel that in 1904 (when I have the fic taking place), Theseus would be finishing his 6th year at Hogwarts and Newt would be seven years old. And for Newt, the way he is and his childhood are personally important to me, so I ask that you be kind and respect that. Everyone has their own headcanons and these are mine. Thank you. <3 I really do love these boys and I hope we get to see more of them together in the next film. Fic below the cut. :)

It was a warm June day in the English countryside. All was quiet in the Scamander home, mostly due to the fact that a very young Newt was home alone with his mother and that his older brother Theseus wouldn't be returning from Hogwarts for the summer until later in the evening. Newt had been spending the day helping his mother with chores around the house.

"Here you are, little Ruffles," Newt announced, walking towards the small hippogriff enclosure in his family's backyard as slowly as possible. He was carrying a bowl almost as big as himself and trying not to spill any water from it. "It's very warm out here and Mummy says you have to... to stay, um... hydrated." He set the bowl down on the ground and bowed before the young hippogriff, quietly waiting. He was nervous, but tried not to tense his muscles. A few seconds later, Ruffles mirrored Newt and bowed its head. Newt sighed in relief and slowly raised a hand, resting his palm on the creature's head and brushing his little fingers back through its feathers as it bent down to drink.

"Wonderful," Newt's mother observed from behind him.

"She let me pet her!" Newt beamed. He had been trying since the hippogriff's birth to gain its trust. His mother had been teaching him about hippogriffs and how important it is to establish such a bond with creatures in one's care.

Newt was only seven years old, too young to yet attend Hogwarts, but interested in all of the creatures his mother cared for and he constantly asked her to teach him anything she could. Newt wasn't like most children his age. He was very quiet and kept to himself. The only time he would open up was when watching his mother care for the hippogriffs she bred or when she was tending her garden. He would often follow her and try to help with anything she would allow.

"She trusts you now. I'm proud of you, sweetheart." Newt's mother carded her fingers through her son's messy auburn curls, lightly patting the top of his head. "I need you to take this basket and feed these to the gnomes over the wall, hmm? Can you do that for me?"

"I can do that, Mummy." Newt picked up a wicker basket full of things his mother had pulled up from her garden and toddled off to the other side of the backyard in a hurry.

"That's my sweet boy," she sighed.

Newt had always enjoyed feeding the gnomes, but never understood what he was feeding them. His mother said that the things she pulled from her garden were called horklumps. They looked like an odd species of mushroom. She said that they weren't important and their only purpose was keeping the gnomes from digging holes throughout the backyard. Newt threw most of them over the wall to a few gnomes who had dug holes behind one of the oak trees, but he stared down at the few horklumps left in the basket. He shuffled one of his feet, digging his heel into the dirt. Mummy doesn't need these. It should be okay if I take a few to my room and look at them, he thought. Newt took the basket of remaining horklumps into the house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mum! I'm home!" Theseus called out as he pulled his trunk through the fence gate into the backyard, a broom in his other hand and a satchel slung over his shoulder.

"You're early, dear! I thought you said the quidditch team was going to get together after you got back to the station."

"That was the plan, but McCoy did poorly on his O.W.L.s and his parents wouldn't let him come out. We didn't feel right being without him."

"Oh, that's too bad. Maybe he should study with you next year for your N.E.W.T.s."

"Speaking of Newts, I thought he would be out here with you. Where is he?"

"I asked him to take all of the horklumps I pulled up and toss them to the gnomes over the wall."

"What on earth for?" Theseus wondered.

"Waste not. If you have the patience and the time, you can learn to coexist with almost any creature." Mrs. Scamander tucked a loose curl of hair behind her ear and continued to till her small garden. "Besides, it keeps those little monsters from digging up my roses. They know they'll get food from me if they stay away."

"He must've gone inside to clean up. Can I leave this with you while I find him?" Theseus lifted the satchel from his shoulder and handled it gently as he held it out towards his mother.

"Is that what we discussed the other day?" Theseus's mother brushed her hands against her apron to remove the dirt from them before holding them out. "Give it here. I'll keep it safe for you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Newt had spent the past hour or so sketching and writing in his notebooks. He was seated on the floor in the center of his bedroom, his legs crossed and his socked feet flexing. Charcoal was smudged on his hands and wrists. A handful of horklumps sat in a pile in front of the child on the floor by one of his knees. They looked like large pink mushrooms, but they were covered in hard black hairs and had root-like tentacles. Newt's mother had told him they were nothing more than weeds in her garden, but he was fascinated with how they grew and his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"You're not a 'shroom," he mumbled to himself. Newt stuck out his tongue and bit down on it lightly as he concentrated on sketching in his notebook. He looked at the tentacles poking out from the bottom of a horklump stalk. "These are little legs like ones on grin-, on grindee... Grindylows." He picked up one of the horklumps he had begun to dissect and held it close to his face. He grazed a finger over the coarse hair of its stalk. "Ow. It feels like brushes." The hard bristles were shedding from the small creature as he touched it. Newt was so focused on jotting down notes in his book that he didn't hear his door open.

"There you are. Didn't you hear me ca-" Theseus looked around the room. There were dissected horklump pieces strewn across the floor with Newt's notebooks. Garden dirt, charcoal, and the horklumps' spiny bristles were on some of Theseus's belongings, including his bed. "What is this mess?!"

"You're home early!" Newt yelped.

"Everything is covered in dirt and hair!" Theseus could feel himself getting more aggravated no matter where he looked.

"I was studying them." Newt blinked hard and looked up at Theseus. "I was going to clean it, soon as I finished!" Newt panicked and scrambled to bring himself into a kneeling position as he closed his sketchbook and threw his charcoal and quill into a small box of art supplies that he kept under his bed.

"And how exactly did you plan on cleaning all of this? Even the most complex scouring charm couldn't get this caked-in dirt out of my sheets!" Theseus tried swatting the dirt off of one of his blankets, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry! I'll clean it all up right now." Newt pressed his palms to his ears, trying to concentrate on where to start cleaning before Theseus could raise his voice again.

"Oh no, wait. Newt..." Theseus's tone was calm. He realized that his knee-jerk reaction was a bit too harsh towards his younger brother and he felt awful for reacting the way he did. "Newt, stop. Come here." Theseus crouched down to the floor and shifted his weight so that he was kneeling to match his brother's height. "It's alright. I'm not angry."

"I don't believe you. Your face is angry. And you were loud," Newt muttered, looking up at his brother through the unruly curls that had fallen in front of his eyes as he cast his head down. He blinked and stared back down at his socks. One of his thumbs clawed absentmindedly at his pants pocket. "I didn't mean to make a mess."

"I know. I'm sorry that I yelled." Theseus held his arms out towards Newt and sighed. "Please, come here," he added, stretching out his fingers. The corners of his mouth turned up as Newt cautiously stepped towards him. Once Newt was within reach, Theseus wrapped him in a tight hug. Newt didn't reciprocate the gesture, but simply stood still with his arms at his sides and let Theseus continue to hold him. "I'm sorry for yelling. I promise that I'm not angry." Theseus heard a small sniffle come from his little brother and his heart sank. He pulled back from the hug and flashed the cheesiest smile he could muster. "My face isn't angry either, see?"

"Not now. It doesn't have the big wrinkles anymore," Newt pointed out, tracing a finger across his brother's forehead.

"Wrinkles?! Hmmph!" Theseus rolled his eyes and let Newt go, crossing his arms. "I know how I can make up for upsetting you. How about I introduce you to a new creature? One I know you've never met before."

"A new one?" Newt's eyes lit up like stars. He pursed his lips and bounced with nervous energy. "You mean it?"

"Mmhmm. It's fun, and it's cuddly, and it's not dangerous, and it loves to make people smile."

"Why haven't I seen it before?" The child was very intrigued, yet cautious.

"Um, er, Mum might have just thought you weren't ready to meet one, but I think it's okay for me to show one to you now."

"Where is it? What is it called? Where did you find it?" Newt kept leaning from side to side, trying to see where his brother might be hiding such a wonderful surprise.

"Oh it's right here." Theseus chuckled to himself as Newt looked around. "It's called... a tickle monster." Theseus bent forward to wrap his arms around his little brother again, but Newt was too quick and jumped back, leaving Theseus to faceplant into the floor with a loud thud. "OOF!"

"Uh-oh!" Newt sprinted out of the room as fast as his legs could carry him, a panicked giggle escaping his lips as he padded down the hallway looking for a place to hide.

"You little... come back here!" Theseus pushed himself to stand and brushed some dust off the knees of his pants. "You can't escape the tickle monster. I know all of your little hiding spots!"

Theseus searched room by room, checking all of the places Newt would hide himself when he needed to be alone or when he was upset. He glanced over at the linen closet in the laundry room and smiled knowingly. Its door was open just the slightest bit. Newt would often tuck himself away in there when playing hide-and-seek with their mother. He'd never close the door all the way because he was still quite uncomfortable in the dark.

"Now where could that little brother of mine be?" Theseus wondered aloud. He pulled open a desk drawer. "Hmm, no. Not here." He shook out a blanket that had been laid over the back of a chair. "Nope." He lifted the cushion from the same chair. "Not under here either. I guess you're too smart for me." Theseus crept by a small cabinet and turned toward the linen closet. With a gentle hand, he grabbed the door, waited, and then flung it wide open. "AHA! Now I've got...you?" His expression fell. The bottom of the closet was empty. "Newt?" Theseus stepped into the closet and bent over to check behind a pile of bed sheets, not hearing the slight squeak of the cabinet door just behind him. Before he could straighten back up, the closet door swung and smacked against his bum, knocking him off balance and face-first into the stack of sheets. He could hear tiny footsteps dashing away. "You have got to be kidding me," he mumbled, his face still smooshed in the sheets.

Theseus doubled back to their bedroom just in case Newt had retreated back to where he felt safest. As he reached the doorway, he heard the staircase creak followed by a small gasp. He continued into the bedroom without turning to look back, knowing that Newt was heading downstairs. Theseus very rarely managed to get his brother to come out of his shell and be playful, so he was in no rush to end this game of hide-and-seek so soon.

"Need to hide. Need to hide," Newt repeated to himself frantically, eyes darting around as he tried to think of a spot that would be safe. He linked his thumbs into the pockets of his pants and pulled on them a few times to calm himself. The feeling of butterflies in his stomach was making him shift his weight back and forth from one leg to the other.

"I'm going to find you, little brother," Theseus called out in a sing-song voice as he started to descend the staircase.

"Oh no!" Newt quietly gasped to himself. He would never make it to the kitchen in time to run out the back door without Theseus seeing him and catching him. Luckily, Newt was thin and agile enough that he was able to quickly duck and dart under the dining table. He peeked out underneath the tablecloth to see Theseus's shoes only a few inches away from his hiding spot. Newt's hands flew to cover his mouth to suppress the sudden nervous urge he had to giggle.

"Brother mine, where could you have gone?" Theseus walked around the dining table and stood still for a moment, noticing a chair slightly out of place. He bent down just enough to be able to see exactly where Newt was hiding. He could have ended this chase right then, but couldn't help dragging the game out just a few minutes longer. "Well, he's too young to apparate, so he couldn't have vanished into thin air. I wonder if he went outside." Theseus headed into the kitchen and hid himself against the door frame to wait.

"Whew," Newt whispered. He carefully crawled over the bottom rungs of the chair in front of him and out from under the table. He had no idea that his brother was watching from the kitchen... or that he was now sneaking up behind him.

"Gotcha!" Theseus crowed, wrapping his arms around Newt's waist and scooping him into the air. Newt was already squirming and giggling before Theseus had even done anything. "And where do you think you're going, hmm? All this wriggly giggly nonsense won't save you from the tickle monster."

"No no no no no! You lied to me! That's... that's not a real creature! It doesn't count!" Newt continued to squirm in his brother's arms in hopes of slipping through and running for cover.

"Oh I can assure you that the tickle monster is very real. If it wasn't, could it do this?" Theseus's arms were long enough that he was able to hold Newt in a hug from behind and have his hands reach Newt's ribs on the opposite sides. The very second his fingers scrunched into Newt's sides, the child squealed and let out the wildest string of giggles Theseus had ever heard in his entire life.

"Thee-hee-hee-hee-heeseus!" No matter how hard Newt tried to free himself, his brother's arms were too strong. "You and your dumb hugger arms! Let me gohohohohoho!"

"You dirty up the whole bedroom, knock me down in the closet, and now you insult my hugging? That's it." Theseus walked into the den towards the couch, never pausing his attack as Newt continued to squeal and thrash about in protest in his arms. Theseus even blew a few raspberries against the side of Newt's neck, causing the child to squeak and squirm through more laughter. He dropped Newt onto the cushions and sat beside him, allowing them both a minute to catch their breath. Almost immediately, Newt scrambled to roll off the couch to safety. "Oh, no you don't!" Theseus spidered his fingers up Newt's ribcage and under his arms, which Newt immediately clamped down at his sides as he laughed harder. Theseus tried to pull his hands out, but Newt had them pinned in a vice-like grip under his arms. "If you're going to trap the tickle monster here, then it'll just have to claw its way free," Theseus sighed. The elder brother curled his fingers into claw shapes and scratched at the hollows under his captive's arms.

Newt shrieked.

"What in the name of Merlin..." Mrs. Scamander called from the kitchen.

"Mummy! He-he-he-he-he-help!" Newt curled himself into a ball and continued to squeal and laugh as Theseus poked and scribbled his fingers over every vulnerable spot he could find.

"I could hear the commotion from all the way outside. I thought someone was dying," their mother joked.

"I a-ha-ha-ha-ha-ham!" her youngest son shouted through his laughter. At this point, he had completely lost control of his limbs and flailed about on the couch trying to fend off his brother's assault. "He-he-he-he-he's trying to kill meeee!" Another high-pitched squeal left Newt's lips before his laughter started to go silent.

"So dramatic!" Theseus huffed. He gave Newt's ribs a few more quick pokes before helping him sit up and pulling him back against his chest. Newt collapsed into him and let his limbs go limp. "See? Very much alive."

"Barely so," Newt choked out through residual giggles. His chest was still heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He grabbed the hem of his shirt in his fists, rubbing them over his ribs to sooth away the tingly feeling that still lingered. "You're a rubbish big brother," Newt added sternly, even though it was with a smile as he curled back into a ball on his side.

"Ouch!" Theseus put a hand to his chest in mock offense. "I did bring home something for you though. I thought you would be old enough to have a pet to take care of so you'd stop destroying our room like the little tornado you are," he added, lightly mussing Newt's hair to emphasize his cyclonic nature.

"If you really did, then where is it?" Newt asked, still resting against Theseus's chest.

"I've got her right here. I kept her safe while you two were playing." Mrs. Scamander put her hands into the large pocket in the front of her apron and cradled something small as she pulled them back out. "She's a puffskein."

Newt's eyes widened like little hazel saucers and he instantly sat upright. His mother was holding what looked like a small ball of blue fur barely bigger than a quidditch snitch.

"She's beauuuutiful. May I hold her?" Newt whispered. He loosely held nervous fists up near his chin and waited for permission.

"If you're very careful. She's just a baby. Cup your hands like this." Mrs. Scamander held out her hands next to Newt's, still cradling the puffskein, and gently urged it to waddle over into his waiting hands. It took a few steps and settled into his palms with a soft coo. He instinctively cupped one hand behind the small creature to keep it from falling. "Just like that. She needs to feel safe."

"Oooooh." Newt held the puffskein against his chest and repeatedly brushed the fingers of his free hand over her fur. "She's so soft."

"She reminded me of that fuzzy blue blanket you hold all the time, so I thought you'd like her." Theseus reached out and scratched the puffskein's head with his index finger.

"She's perfect. Thank you." Newt continued happily petting the puffskein, never looking away from her. He found the continuous touch of her fur brushing the pads of his fingers to be very soothing. "What's her name?"

"She doesn't have one yet. I thought you should name her since she's yours now," Theseus replied.

"Hmm..." Newt held his new pet out and looked her over. "She looks like a big blue eye. I'll call her Iris." The puffskein cooed.

"I think she likes it. If you stay still, she likes to perch herself here," Theseus told him. He took Iris into his hands and set her down on one of Newt's shoulders. "Just be careful. She has a long little tongue and if you're not watching, she'll take your bogeys right out of your nose," he whispered, pinching Newt's nose between two of his knuckles.

"Theseus! That's disgusting!" his mother scolded. Newt instantly covered his nose with one of his hands, horrified at the thought.

"It's true though! It's the first place they look if they can't find food," Theseus added.

Iris started to purr, cuddled against Newt's cheek. As the intensity of her purr increased, she started to vibrate and her fur buzzed against his neck. Newt scrunched his shoulder and squeezed his eyes shut as he squeaked out a surprise laugh.

"It looks like you have a new little tickle monster," Theseus joked.

"Noooo! I should send a tickle monster after you," Newt replied, still scrunching his neck. He cupped a hand around Iris and guided her to walk down his chest far enough for him to take her in both hands and hold her in his lap.

"Please. Tickle monsters don't bother me," Theseus replied in a huff.

"I guess your brother never told you about when he first met the tickle monster, hmm?" Mrs. Scamander stood at the end of the couch with her hands on her hips and a knowing smirk.

"Wait, what?" Theseus all of a sudden felt very anxious.

"Uh-oh..." Newt protectively cuddled his new pet and scooted away from his brother on the couch.

"Oh yes. When Theseus was your age, sometimes he would be so rambunctious that the only thing that could tire him out was a visit from the tickle monster." Mrs. Scamander was now standing behind Theseus as Newt giggled to himself watching them with wide eyes.

"Mum, what are you... Mum, NO!" Theseus curled in on himself and tried to shield his sides as his mother proceeded to tickle him to pieces.

Newt had never heard Theseus laugh so hard or seen him lose composure so quickly. He had also never felt more at ease simply sitting there with a new pet to care for and study. At that moment, Newt could think of nothing else he would make him happier.

[kobedivision]

ARB Birthday Special: Kaiji Sano

~~ October 27th ~~

“If you were mine, if you were only mine, I'd bring you so much further down and twist your mind until the end of time.”

Login Lines:

“Hey cuties! It’s your favorite adorable cosplayer, Jinx here!…Ahaha! Wow, all of you are coming in fast, I can barely keep up! Oh! Thank you for the donation JinxLuver76! Let’s see here…’Happy Birthday Jinx!’”

“Oh that’s right! Haha! I can’t believe I forgot my own birthday, thank you soooo much everyone! I guess we can make this an impromptu birthday live! Let’s make this something to remember, okay?”

Voice Lines:

“Damn, 22 years old and I still look like I just graduated high school, not that I’m complaining, I mean who wouldn’t want to look young and beautiful? I wouldn’t trade it for anything, even if I have to deal with having to get carded at every bar and club I go to, how infuriating.”

“I’ve gotten to many messages and gifts from my fans, it just warms my heart! There’s nothing like the feeling of being pampered, I tell you and I especially deserved to be celebrated after all the shit I’ve gone through.”

“Yes mom, thank you and for the 14th time, I’m okay, Nagisa’s okay too, we’re both fine, you don’t have to come over, we know your busy with the boutique….fine, I’ll pop in just to say hi but I’m really busy today so I don’t have much time. Yeah, I love you too, tell Dad I said hi or whatever.”

“God, having 4 older brothers fucking suck. You’d think that being one of the younger members in the family, you’d get more attention and don’t get me wrong, I do, just not the attention I would like. Henri only gave me a list of various rehab clinics, Izana gave me a guide to healthy relationships book, Mikiya gave me five fucking dollars, and I haven’t heard jack shit from Claude! At least Nagisa was considerate enough to get me something that I can actually use! Sometimes I have to wonder just why my parents decided to have so many fucking kids…”

“ReeeeenReeeeen!!! Aw, I was hoping to see you! After all, how could you forget your best and most cutest friend ever? Hey, it’s MY day today! I can be as selfish as I want! Ha! That’s right, and this monarch demands gifts and I know you got some so hand it over, my loyal knight!”

“Dude, holy shit! These are so fucking pretty!! Way better than the ones I have! Awww, Ayano really knows her stuff! Good to know that at least one of you has a decent sense of fashion…Dude, I swear I see you wear the same leather and chains combo almost every day, it’s so overdone. Hehe, I’m right and you know it but seriously man, thanks for the gift.”

“GAH!! Oh goddamnit-MAX! Don’t fucking appear out of nowhere like that! You scared the shit out of me!…We both know you’re not sorry you little shit, I can see you smirking! Yes you are! Ugh, I swear, it’s like talking to a fucking wall-Huh? Oh…wow…thanks..?”

“Max…these are fucking rocks…hold on, you got these from a river?! I didn’t think there were rivers in Kobe…er, whatever, huh…well, look at you finally socializing and making friends, never thought I’d see the day. Jeez, okay! Okay!…Look, thank you Max, I know we don’t talk much but I want you to know that you mean a lot to me, y’know? You’re like another brother to me, one that I actually like, haha!”

Ren Lines:

“Hey Kai, happy birthday! *snorts* Yeah, okay. I know it’s your birthday and all but try not to get too big of a head. Fine, fine, whatever you say, your majesty. *chuckles* Damn, guess I’m not as subtle as I thought, yeah, you got me, here you go.”

“I know you already have some finger jewelry but I figured you could always have more, Ayano actually helped me choose which ones to give you, she’s surprisingly got a good eye for accessorizing…hey, what the hell’s that supposed to mean? I’m totally fashionable! *sighs* Fine, whatever, you’re lucky we’re friends, dude.”

Max Lines:

“….Kaiji…Sorry…Didn’t mean to scare you…*smirks*…No, I’m not….Shush…here you go…a gift…it’s your birthday, yeah?…Happy Birthday, I hope you like it….I spent a long time getting them…”

“Yeah….they’re rocks…I got them while in the river…and I had someone make necklaces out of them…*scoffs*…just shut up and take them…Thanks Kaiji…you and Ren…the both of you…you guys make me really…happy…brothers…yeah, we’re brothers…and we’ll always stick together.”

[polygamousstan]

Soulmate Pt1- Shikamaru Nara

Prompt: You wake up the day of your 18th birthday with a strange tattoo... 

(Hey guys, I know I haven’t written anything in a long time and I want to be honest and say that I’ve been having an enourmous amount of writer’s block, like no inspo but I’ll try my best and hope you guys enjoy this)

________________________________________________________________

My eyes stare at the ceiling of my room, my mind going over the day, my 18th birthday.

Wait, you guys don’t know what i’m talking about.

Let’s go back to this morning.

I woke up with a smile, beautiful and warm weather and I’m greeted by my cat, Suki.

She purrs while rubbing herself to me, her fur as soft as a teddy bear.

I pick her up and go to the living room, the smell of food making my stomach rumble:

“Happy birthday my love” my mother sneaks up behind me, hugging me, Suki landing by my feet:

“Thank you mum” I hug her back. She came back from her mission last night, her eyes dark with circles underneath them, her knuckles bruised, her arm in a cast:

“You don’t have to do anything too big for me, mum. You need to rest after your mission and didn’t Sakura say that you had to rest ?” I say, watching my mother struggle with the cooking.

I slightly push her away as she understands the message, she sits down, replying:

“But it’s your 18th birthday, we need to celebrate” she comments 

“I would rather celebrate it when you are back to health and feeling better, don’t worry about me” I answer.

I hear my mother sigh, her fingers playing with the surface of the table when I hear:

“Oh Y/N, you’ve got it !”

“Got what ?” I reply 

“Your tattoo !” 

I completely forgot about that.

Basically the day of your 18th birthday, you get a tattoo of the first thing that your soulmate will ever say to you, even if you know them.

“I can’t read it, what does it say ?” of course mine had to be behind my arm.

My mum lifts my arm and says:

“What a drag”

“I know it’s really annoying that it’s behind my arm, I can’t read it”

“No, honey, it says ‘what a drag’“ she finishes her sentence, a smile on her face as she lets out a small laugh

“Seriously, that is not funny” I huff, wondering who would say that kind of thing

“This guy must complain a lot, just like your father” she laughs, my face showing discontent, my brain almost boiling wondering who would say that.

I look at the clock, 9:30 AM, I’M GOING TO BE LATE AND KAKASHI IS GOING TO KILL ME.

I scoff down my breakfest, kissing my mum and yell goodbye as I’m running out of the house, my mother nodding, her good hand holding her head as she watches me leave.

I start running through Konoha, a few people wishing me happy birthday as I shout thank you.

I arrive at the meeting point, Sakura and Naruto waiting for me, their hands crossed while their feet are hitting the ground, seemingly annoyed:

“I’m so sorry I’m late” I pant out, having the impression that the air in my lungs has disappeared:

“Y/N you are always late” Naruto says.

I stare at him quizzically, Sakura rubbing her eyes as she nods:

“You have some gall saying that” I reply staring at him

“I was supposed to say it, you idiot” Sakura sighs, Naruto rubbing his neck

“Oh yeah, hehe” 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y/N” I turn around, letting out a scream, to find Kakashi and the other teams.

“Happy birthday Y/N” Hinata apporaches me, a chocolat cake in her hand

“Oh Hina, thank you” I say, tears forming in my eyes

“Come on Y/N, let’s celebrate!” Naruto shouts, wrapping his arm around me as we head out.

We spend the day in the park, the teams all together with their senseis:

“Your mum asked us if we could plan this knowing that she just came back from a mission, she asked me when she came to get checked out yesterday” Sakura says, putting a big piece of cake in her mouth.

I look around, seeing everyone laughing and smiling warming me up, although I have noticed that Shikamaru has been very quiet:

“Is Shikamaru okay ?” I ask Ino, who was sitting next to me

“Oh, you know him, Y/N, he’s a grump and not very social” 

I observe him still, worried about him.

He and I have never had long conversations and we have never hung out alone but there’s something different about him, I don’t know how to explain it.

I see Kiba approaching him, the two boys start having a conversation:

“Shikamaru, we have to leave for a mission tomorrow”

Shikamaru puts his head in his hands:

“What a drag”

My eyes widen and the air is kicked out of my gut, his words echoing as I  remember the tattoo that I have on me.

I start shaking my head, my brain processing the information:

“Y/N, are you okay ?” asks Sakura, her hands on my forehead 

“Yeah, I think I’m starting to feel tired, I think i’m gonna go”

I start getting up, Sakura and Naruto seemingly concerned get up as well

“Thank you guys for everything, I had the most amazing day” I say.

I look at Sakura and Naruto, reassuring them that I could go alone.

As I’m walking in Konoha, my mind wanders, I mean, Shikamaru, how could this be ? 

I always thought that it worked on a level of affinity or something.

I arrive home, my mother asleep on the couch.

I wrap her in a blanket and head to my room, pacing around.

He’s leaving on a mission tomorrow, I don’t know what could happen.

I have to tell him...

________________________________________________________________

Okay, I know I’m rusty but I hope you guys enjoyed this, part 2 will be up very soon !

[evereinefaust]

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 ࿐ྂ

Pairing: Killua Zoldyck X afab!Reader

Trigger warning: Character death

Sypnosis: Killua's childhood was filled with memories of her. And years later, he is finally ready to move on.

Word Count: 1,930

“This place holds a lot of memories for me, especially this tree.”

Sapphire orbs wandered around the old place. “I’m back, [Name]. I fulfilled my promise.”

“We’ve been neighbors since I can remember. We’re best friends for life.”

“This tree witnessed our joy.”

“You can’t catch me, Killua.” A young [Name] giggled as she ran away from her chaser.

“I’ll get you.” The silverette declared.

How I wish we never grew up. If only there was a way to freeze time.

But time passed by and we went to the same school.

My very young heart tells me to be always there for you. To protect you.

“Stop it!” [Name]’s cries entered the male’s ear, he saw several boys picking on the poor girl.

He clenched his fist and saved her from bullies as the young girl clenched on his shirt tightly, eyes watering.

“Back off, will ya!” he shouted at them angrily.

You always consider me as your hero.

But it was sad. I never told you you’re the one who saved me and inspired me to fulfill my dreams.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to get involved in a fight?!” Killua’s mother scolded him while treating his wounds, though a hint of worry can be heard in her tone.

Of course, I never told them I was defending and protecting you. I was afraid they will not let me see you again.

“I heard your mom scolding you. Why didn’t you tell her it was because of me?” [Name] said.

“It was my fight, not yours. I chose it, so don’t you ever feel guilty about it.” Killua just gave her a heartwarming smile.

“Let me defend myself. If I stand up to those bullies, they will eventually back off.” She argued in determination.

“Okay, fine.” The silverette chuckled then gave up. He held onto her hands as they stared at each other’s eyes, smiles plastered on their faces.

Soon, we were in high school. It was then I saw the changes in you.

But sadly, we're not classmates anymore. You had your group of friends and I had mine.

Killua sat on a big trunk of a tree as he tried the rope around it securely. “Tomorrow is [Name]’s fourteenth birthday, I hope she’ll like my gift.”

On that special day…

“Happy birthday sleepyhead.”

The [h/c]-haired girl woke up and saw her best friend standing in front of her. She removed the sleep from her eyes before smiling at him warmly.

“Thank you, Killua.”

Killua’s heart skipped a beat as his cheeks turned red. “I hope you don’t mind if I got in through the window. I just wanted to surprise you.”

“I don’t. It’s just like the old times.” [Name] reassured.

After breakfast, we went out for a stroll.

“Come, there’s something I want you show you.” Killua said as he held on the girl’s hand as they ran.

When they reached the place, the silverette removed his hand. [e/c] orbs widened in surprise at the scene before her. On the tree where they always hand-out was a white hammock decorated with her favorite flowers.

“Do you like it?” Killua asked and looked at her.

“I can’t thank you enough, Killua!” The girl jumped on him, enveloping him in a hug. His eyes widened as his cheeks heated up.

That tree became more important for us. It was the place where we laughed, cried, built our dreams, and most of all it witnessed the friendship we shared.

[Name] sat on the hammock as Killua pushed it gently, both laughing in glee. After the fun, the [h/c]-haired girl slept on the grass, her beautiful features shown as Killua drew her face.

High school graduation. Celebration at home.

“One, two, say cheese!” Killua and [Name] stood next to each other, showing off their medal as they pose for a picture.

“These kids are inseparable. I wonder if they will end up together.”

“Well, I can say they look good together.”

“Anything is possible, only time will tell.”

Indeed, only time can tell what fate has stored for us.

It was the summer before we went to college.

“Killua…” [Name] called on the sleeping male beside her.

“Hmm?” he gave off a hum.

“Are you really going to Yorknew City?” The girl asked as she sat on the hammock.

“Yes, I’ll be taking up (insert favorite course here). Thank goodness I passed the test. Why don’t you study in Yorknew, too?” Killua replied as he also sat up.

“I can’t. I will at the provincial college. My father enrolled me in the governor’s scholarship program. And besides, it’s my dream to teach in our town someday.” You explained with sad eyes.

“But we’ll be separated.”

“We’ll always text each other. And I know you’ll come home every summer.”

In my first year in college, I survived loneliness and the adjustment period because of [Name]’s message. Every time I miss her, I’ll just look at the wallpaper of my cell phone.

“Hi, BFF! I did what you told me. I gave those bullies ‘the evil look’ and they did back off. Now they are just ignoring me. Hi-hi!”

“That’s my girl. I knew you always had that in you.” Killua smiled to himself as he sent the message.

I couldn’t protect her anymore, but I’m glad she’s fighting back. She’s proving to be one tough lady.

In my first two years in college, I was able to go home during vacations and we always kept in touch. But after that, things became different.

“I will help my parents with expenses here in Yorknew City. Alluka will be in college this coming school year and the expenses are taking their toll on our family.” Killua told the female over the phone.

Alluka is my younger sibling. He’s staying in the province and will go to the same provincial college where [Name] is also studying.

“You don’t need to explain, Killua. You don’t have any obligation to me and I’ll always understand,” [Name] replied with a smile gracing her lips.

She’s always like that, patient, understanding, kind, and loving.

The following years were very hectic for me. I had a part-time job in a (insert random job here), a busy schedule with my studies, and barely enough time to rest.

And I was so preoccupied that even keeping in touch with my family and [Name] became leisure. But she never missed a single day to text me even if I seldom replied.

Time passed by like falling leaves.

When the day of my graduation finally came, my family came to Yorknew City.

It was the only time I noticed someone was missing.

“Where’s [Name]?” The boy asked as he looked around to find a [h/l] [h/c] girl.

His parents exchanged nervous looks before his father spoke up. “She’s busy with work, son. But she has a gift for you.”

I wasn’t able to go home for [Name]’s graduation and celebration for her passing the exam. But she assured me it was all right because I was busy with work and studies.

That night after dinner, I tried to call up [Name].

“I’m sorry, Killua. [Name] is already sleeping. But you got her gift, right?” her mother spoke from the other line.

“Yes, ma’am. Please tell her I called up. And I will text her again in the morning to thank her for the gift.” Killua replied.

“I will. Again, congratulations.”

After that, he hung up the phone. He stared at the wallpaper of [Name] and him together.

I promised myself I would go home after taking the board exam.

The time I promised [Name] eventually came.

Killua knocked on the door of the female’s house. Her mother opened it and surprised to see the silverette standing at their doorsteps.

“Hi, ma’am! Where’s [Name]? I came to surprise her. I just came home.” Killua told the woman with a smile.

“Ahm, well, she requested me to give you a letter when you come here. But she wanted you to open it under the tree. She’s waiting there.” The woman gave him a folded letter.

“Thanks. I will not let her wait any longer.” The boy beamed and took the letter. Taking a bow before sprinting towards the destination.

She was the one who surprised me.

When Killua arrived at the tree, he slowed his pace as he saw a single gravestone located under the tree. He went closer to inspect and his eyes widened in shock at the carvings.

[Name] [Surname]

(birthday)-FEBRUARY 21, 2017

LOVING DAUGHTER

WONDERFUL SISTER AND FRIEND

YOUR MEMORY WILL ALWAYS STAY IN US.

After seeing this, Killua reluctantly opened the letter with shaking hands. Tears already streaming down his face.

Dearest Killua,

                I know at present you already fulfilled your dream. That’s why you now have time to come home. Please don’t blame my family or yours for not telling you the truth about my condition. Before graduation, I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. I thank God that I was able to graduate and pass the exams despite undergoing treatments. But I can feel I will not last long, and I don’t want to hinder your dreams. That’s why I made everybody promise not to tell you the truth. It’s all right to grieve for me, that’s normal. But after that, move on. You have to move on, for me, for our friendship, and for our dreams that are now solely yours. Do all the things that I can’t… soar high, try all new things, explore, and of course fall in love. You know that I love you, right? And because of that love, I decided to keep quiet. Because I know keeping quiet is the best way I can let you feel how much I love you.

You wrote down messages that your family would text me each day. You even prepared gifts that will be mailed or given to me, so that I will not suspect you’re gone.

“Thank you, [Name], for the friendship and love that you gave to me,” Killua muttered to himself as he sat down under the tree’s shade, resting his back on its trunk while reading his beloved [Name]’s farewell letter.

I was hoping to propose to you one day, that’s why I’ve been working so hard these past few years.

In your letter, you told me to go on. And I did.

At present, Killua stood under the same tree with his hands in his pocket, reminiscing about the first and only girl that he loved so much who died a long time ago.

“My only regret is that I never told you I was in love with you. But no matter how much I cry, I could never turn back the time and correct my mistakes. So I just have to make sure the next time I fall in love, I will tell that person how much I love her. And I have to thank you, [Name], for that lesson.”

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

Angel of God, My Guardian Dear Chapter 9: Matt

Rating: Explicit (18+, MINORS DNI)

Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Story Summary: While speaking at a local school for visually impaired youth, Matt runs into his childhood best friend, with whom he lost touch almost 20 years prior.

Warnings/Tags: None, Idt.

Word Count: ~4,600

A/N: None.

"Foggy, Foggy, Foggy, Foggy…" Matt's phone began intoning as he was getting dressed for Ms. Y/L/N's birthday dinner the following afternoon.

Matt answered it and put it on speaker before setting it on the dresser. "Hey, Foggy."

"Hey, Matt, you busy?" Foggy replied.

Matt pulled his shirt on and began buttoning it up. "No, just getting ready for Y/N's aunt's birthday dinner. What's up?"

"I was just calling to check in, see how everything is going."

"It's going well so far. Ms. Y/L/N has been really warm and welcoming, and it seems like she's making a genuine effort to get to know me."

"Well that's good. Have you gotten to, uh… talk to her yet?"

Matt slipped his jacket on, then grabbed his phone, taking it off of the speaker. "Not yet -- it's been a pretty busy day and I haven't really had enough time alone with her to have that sort of conversation."

The day had started late, with Y/N making a special birthday brunch for her aunt (while Matt helped out as much as he could in an unfamiliar kitchen), after which they had given Ms. Y/L/N her birthday gifts.

"Oh, sweetheart, this is beautiful," Ms. Y/L/N had said as she unwrapped the hand-carved jewelry box that Y/N had bought from the arts and crafts fair she and Matt had gone to the week before while on the hunt for a wine rack for Y/N's apartment.

"I saw it while Matt and I were out shopping the other day and immediately thought of you," Y/N had explained. "You don't have to use it for jewelry, of course -- I actually thought it'd be the perfect centerpiece for the baker's rack."

Ms. Y/L/N had run her hands over the carefully-carved engravings. "You know, you're absolutely right. I love it. Thank you."

"My gift's not nearly as personal," Matt had admitted with a nervous smile as he had handed over the birthday card Y/N had helped him select.

"No, this is wonderful," Ms. Y/L/N had replied graciously, pulling out the bookstore gift card that Matt had gotten her. "In fact, you really didn't have to get me anything, but I do appreciate it. Thank you."

After that they had headed out to run some errands then went to the salon, where Matt had patiently waited as Y/N and Ms. Y/L/N had their hair and nails done, then headed back to Ms. Y/L/N's house to get ready for dinner.

Matt grinned. "I'm definitely planning on talking to her before Y/N and I leave though, just to clear the air and let her know how serious I am about Y/N."

Foggy chuckled. "Oh, buddy, I'm sure she knows. It's pretty obvious how crazy you two are about each other."

Matt smiled as he heard Y/N humming to herself as she also got ready. "I still can't believe how lucky I am to have Y/N back in my life. You know she took the time to transcribe the menu for the restaurant we're going to tonight into Braille for me?"

Foggy huffed out a laugh. "Acts of service. I knew it."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Y/N's love language. Back in college Marci made me read this book about different ways people express their affection for their partner, and Y/N's is by acts of service. Reading to you back when you were kids, learning Braille so you could write notes to each other, teaching you how to dance…" Foggy huffed out a laugh. "Buddy, she's been showing you she loves you for a long time."

Matt grinned and shook his head. "She has, hasn't she? So what's mine?"

"Words of affirmation. You've always been a smooth talker."

Matt chuckled. "Okay, fair."

His watch beeped with the time. "Oh hey, I've gotta finish getting ready, but I'll talk to you after we get back on Monday?"

"Absolutely, man. Enjoy the rest of your trip."

Thanks, Fog. Bye."

He hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

After combing his hair he walked out of the guest room and over to Y/N's, knocking softly.

"Come in," Y/N called out.

Matt opened her door and stepped in.

"Hey, sweetheart," Y/N said. "Ready to go?"

Matt nodded. "Do I look okay?"

Y/N hummed. "No, sorry, your outfit is terrible. You should take all of your clothes off immediately. Here, I'll help."

Matt chuckled at her teasing tone. "As fun as that sounds, I don't think that's a good idea, especially since your aunt is home."

"Oh damn, you're right. Raincheck for when we get back to New York then?"

Matt walked over to her and gave her a kiss. "Mmm, definitely."

Y/N traced a finger down the lapel of his jacket. "Seriously though, Matty, you look great."

"Thanks."

"Let me grab that Braille menu real quick… Ok, I'm ready."

Matt gave her another kiss. "Thank you again for doing that."

Y/N hummed happily. "Of course, sweetheart. You're welcome."

They made their way to the dining room, where Ms. Y/L/N was waiting. "All set?" she asked.

"Yep," Y/N replied.

"Okay then, let's head out."

They followed Ms. Y/L/N out to her car.

"So, Matt, what do you think of Miami so far?" Ms. Y/L/N asked after they were on the highway. "I imagine it's a bit of a culture shock, especially since you said you haven't traveled outside of New York much."

Matt nodded. "It's definitely different, that's for sure. Lot more spread out."

Y/N chuckled. "Yeah, the fact that I couldn't just walk everywhere definitely took some getting used to when I first arrived."

Ms. Y/L/N huffed out a laugh. "Y/N was so surprised when I first mentioned taking her to get her driver's license."

"More like terrified." Y/N leaned up and patted her aunt on the shoulder. "I had a good teacher though, so I passed my driving test on the first try."

"Do you still have a license?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, I keep it renewed just in case I ever need to use it, although I really only ever drive when I'm here."

"Ah. Okay."

They rode in peaceful silence the rest of the short drive, and soon they had arrived at the restaurant.

Matt took Y/N's arm as they headed inside.

"Hi, table for three?" The seating hostess asked.

"Actually, we're here for the Y/L/N party," Y/N replied. "We have the banquet room reserved."

"Oh, yes, of course." The seating hostess wrote something down. "Right this way."

She led them to the banquet room. "Your server will be with you shortly."

"Thank you," Matt said.

Y/N set Matt's copy of the menu in front of him as they sat. "Here you go, sweetheart."

Matt gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, angel."

He began reading it over as their server came by.

"Hi, my name is Gabby and I'll be your server tonight," she said cheerfully. "What can I get for you to drink?"

"Hi, yes," Ms. Y/L/N said. "Can I get a glass of the house rosé?"

"Certainly."

"Same thing for me, please," Y/N replied.

Gabby made a note on her notepad. "And for you, sir?"

"Glass of the house red, please," Matt replied. 

"No problem, and are we together or on separate checks?"

"All three on the same check."

Gabby wrote something else down on her notepad. "Okay, I'll be right back with that wine for you."

"Know what you want yet?" Y/N asked. 

Matt nodded. "You?" 

"No, not yet. What are you getting?"

"I think I'm going for the pesto pasta with chicken."

Y/N flipped her menu over to read the description. "Ooh, that does sound good."

They were interrupted by a woman walking into the room.

"Rosa, hi!" Ms. Y/L/N said, standing and giving the woman a hug. "So glad you made it."

Y/N stood and hugged the woman as well. "Hi, Ms. Rosa," she said. "It's so good to see you. How've you been?"

"Oh, doing just fine,” Ms. Rosa replied. "And from what I hear, you're doing pretty well yourself."

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. “I sure am.”

She placed a hand on Matt’s arm. “Ms. Rosa, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Matthew Murdock. Matt, this is Ms. Rosa Perez, one of Aunt Ruth’s friends from work.”

Matt stood and extended his hand out to Ms Rosa. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Ms. Rosa took it and gave it a brief shake. "It's nice to meet you as well, Matt."

She sat on the other side of Ms. Y/L/N as more of Ms. Y/L/N's friends followed.

Greetings and introductions were shared as Gabby brought their drinks and took more orders. 

She had just left once again when the cloyingly sweet scent of expensive perfume wafted into the room, followed by the sound of designer high-heeled shoes. 

Ah, this must be the infamous Mrs. Vaughn , Matt thought.

"Mari, you made it!" Ms. Y/L/N said in a falsely cheerful tone.

"Hello, Ruth," Mrs. Vaughn replied. "Y/N, you're looking… Well, good to see you, dear."

"You too, Mrs. Vaughn," Y/N said stiffly.

"Is it just you tonight?" Ms. Y/L/N asked.

Mrs. Vaughn huffed out a breath. "Yes, well, you know how Roger is, always working, and Delia wanted to come but she's out of town this weekend at some big important dental conference with Charles. She did ask me to tell you hello, though, Y/N."

"Tell her hello back for me," Y/N replied before putting an arm around Matt. "Before I forget, let me introduce you to my boyfriend, Matthew Murdock. Matt, this is Mrs. Vaughn. She's in Aunt Ruth's pokeno group."

"Nice to meet you," Matt replied, standing and extending his hand.

"Mmmm," Mrs Vaughn replied noncommittally, ignoring Matt's offer of a handshake.

Matt retracted his hand and sat back down. Well okay then.

"Matthew is a highly successful attorney, you know," Ms. Y/L/N added in a slightly smug tone. "Has his own firm and everything. In fact, he was just telling us about this big court case he won recently, weren't you, Matt?" 

Matt nodded. "Actually, yes, I was just saying that my partner and I were able to prove our client's innocence in the murder of her husband after we submitted evidence showing that the bloody shoe print left at the scene belonged not to her, but to her husband's mistress, who wore the same shoe size."

"I was very proud of Matt for all of his hard work in getting that case dismissed," Y/N added. "I know it wasn't easy given the overwhelming amount of evidence that pointed towards his client being the guilty party, but being the brilliant lawyer that he is, he figured out the truth."

Matt shook his head. "Couldn't have done it without you, sweetheart."

"Mmhmm," Mrs. Vaughn said. "Yes, well, I'm going to go have a seat."

"Apologies for putting you on the spot like that, Matt," Ms. Y/L/N said quietly as Mrs. Vaughn headed to the opposite end of the table despite there being an open seat on their end. "But thank you for the quick thinking."

Matt chuckled. "It's no problem, really."

"Was that a real case of yours?" Ms. Rosa asked.

Matt nodded. "Actually, yes, one of my more recent ones. The mistress tried to frame my client by wearing a pair of my client's shoes while she committed the murder then stashing the bloody shoes back in the closet for the police to find, but what she hadn't counted on was us figuring out that the shoeprint she had purposely left behind didn't actually match our client's."

"That's very impressive."

Matt shrugged. "It was a group effort. I figured out that the shoe print was the key to proving my client's innocence, my partner helped by obtaining a shoe print from our client and proving that her print and the print found at the scene didn't match, and Y/N helped by being very understanding about me having to work late and stopping by my office with dinner to make sure I at least took a break to eat and clear my head."

Y/N had also successfully distracted Matt with means other than food (which had actually helped trigger Matt's breakthrough regarding the shoe print), but Matt was going to keep that part all to himself.

Y/N huffed out a light laugh. "Well besides the fact that I missed you and wanted to see you, I know how you get when you're hyper-focused on a case, sweetheart. Just didn't want you to starve or burn out."

Matt shook his head. "That helped more than you know and is one of the many reasons why I love you."

Y/N leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I love you too."

"You two are adorable," one of the ladies from Ms. Y/L/N's book club said. "How did you meet? Through the library?"

"Actually, no," Y/N replied. "Matt and I were best friends growing up."

"Really? Aww, that's so sweet."

Matt nodded. "We had lost touch after Y/N moved here to Florida, but we recently reconnected after we ran into each other at an event we were both at for work."

"I had a table promoting our library services, and Matt had been invited as a featured speaker," Y/N added.

Matt smiled at the pride in Y/N's tone. "Y/N and I wound up having dinner together afterwards to catch up, and over the course of the evening it was revealed that we both had unresolved feelings for each other from when we were kids. We talked it over and decided to go ahead and do something about it, and well…" Matt took Y/N's hand in his. "Here we are."

Y/N squeezed his hand. "Best decision I've ever made. Well, besides going up to Matt and talking to him that first day we met, of course."

"That's so romantic," the woman said with a wistful sigh. "I wish you both lots of happiness together."

Matt nodded at her. "Thank you."

The rest of Ms. Y/L/N's birthday dinner was filled with conversation, with a couple of guests asking Y/N how she was doing and inquiring about Matt's law practice.

After the party had begun to wind down and everyone paid their bills, Ms. Y/L/N stood. "Before everyone leaves," she began, "I just want to thank y'all for coming to celebrate my birthday with me. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of you."

Y/N stood and gave her aunt a hug. "Love you, Aunt Ruth."

"Love you too," Ms. Y/L/N replied. 

As everyone began leaving, Mrs. Vaughn stopped to say goodbye to Ms. Y/L/N. 

"Shame Delia and Charles couldn't make it tonight," Ms. Y/L/N said. "I guess they'll have to drop by next time Y/N and Matt are in town."

Mrs. Vaughn made a derisive sound. "Mmm, yes, well, I must be heading out. I'll see you at Pokeno tomorrow, Ruth."

"Bye, Mrs. Vaughn," Y/N said cheerfully, seemingly pleased at the older woman's continued annoyance. "It was nice to see you."

"Mmhmm. Goodbye."

Ms. Y/L/N stood as the sound of Mrs. Vaughn's heels faded. "I'm going to run to the restroom before we go. Be right back."

"Okay," Y/N replied.

Matt leaned over to whisper in Y/N's ear as Ms. Y/L/N left the table. "Mrs. Vaughn was lying about that dental conference, by the way."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Oh, I figured that. Delia is just as stuck up as her mother and only married Charles because he has 'D.D.S.' tacked on to the end of his name, so I'm not surprised that she didn't actually want to come since she wouldn't be the center of attention."

Matt nodded. "Well, I may have been listening in while Mrs. Vaughn was venting to the person who was sitting next to her at the other end of the table, and she seems to think that you're a desperate gold digger who'd only want to be with me because I can add 'esquire' to the end of mine."

Y/N sighed. "Oh damn, is it that obvious? And here I thought I was being so subtle in my quest to get my hands on the pies your clients offer as payment for your services." 

Matt grinned. "Hey, I don't blame you. Those are some really good pies."

Y/N huffed out a playful laugh. "I don't know, I can think of at least a few reasons why I'd want to be with you other than your job title."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm." Y/N trailed a finger down Matt's shirt, stopping just above the waistband of his pants as she leaned in to murmur into his ear. "For starters, you're incredibly hot and absolutely phenomenal in bed."

Matt's face heated at the praise. "Phenomenal, huh?"

"Oh, most definitely. Zero complaints." Y/N gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaning back. " But there's also the fact that I've been in love with you since I was a kid that might be a part of it too."

A broad smile crossed Matt's face. "Well what a coincidence, since one of the reasons I would want to be with you is because I've been in love with you since I was a kid."

Y/N let out a fake gasp. "Wow, imagine that. Here I was thinking you were only with me for my incredible audio narration skills."

Matt huffed out a laugh. "Oh well yeah, that's an important reason, just not the only one."

He smirked and leaned in to murmur into Y/N's ear. "There's also those breathy little gasps and sighs you make while I'm buried deep inside you, angel. You sound so beautiful when you fall apart for me."

Y/N sucked in a breath. "Matt."

Matt chuckled and kissed her cheek before sitting back. "In all honesty though, I really have always liked the sound of your voice. It's soothing."

He smiled softly. "I could listen to you read the phone book and be totally entranced."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Good to know."

"Okay, ready to head out?" Ms. Y/L/N asked as she walked back into the banquet room.

"Yep," Matt replied, standing and extending a hand to Y/N. "Ready?"

Y/N took his hand. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Ms. Y/L/N fished her keys out of her purse. "Okay, let's go then." 

They thanked the seating host, then walked out to Ms. Y/L/N's car. 

"You know, I was really surprised to see Mrs. Vaughn here," Y/N said after they had all gotten in and buckled up.

"Me too, to be honest," Ms. Y/L/N replied, starting her car and heading out of the parking lot onto the highway. "I felt like I had to invite her -- after all, I had invited the rest of my pokeno group so I really couldn't exclude her -- but I'm surprised she actually showed."

Y/N huffed out a breath. "Ugh, I genuinely can't stand that woman. It was one thing to be rude to me, but she could have at least shaken Matt's hand. What a snotty bitch."

"I'm really sorry about that, Matt," Ms. Y/L/N added as she made a turn.

Matt shook his head. "It's okay. I've dealt with people like her most of my life, and they all just made me more determined to succeed."

Ms. Y/L/N hummed. "That's a very good attitude to have."

Matt took Y/N's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, trying to quell the annoyance and anger still radiating from her at Mrs. Vaughn's blatant rudeness. "It also helped that I had my own personal bodyguard as a kid."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "Hey, I will happily punch Mrs. Vaughn in the face for you, sweetheart."

Ms. Y/L/N chuckled. "As fun as that would honestly be to watch, I really wouldn't want to have to bail you out of jail for assault."

Y/N reached over and patted Matt on the arm with her free hand. "Hey, at least you wouldn't have any trouble finding me a really good defense lawyer."

Matt shook his head with a smile. "Sorry, sweetheart, unfortunately I'm not licensed to practice in Florida."

Y/N let out a fake sigh. "Oh, well in that case I guess I'll just have to restrain myself."

Ms. Y/N huffed out another laugh as she turned into her neighborhood. "By the way, Matt, thank you for dinner, and thank you both for making my day so special."

"You're welcome," Matt replied. 

"And of course," Y/N added. "We're glad you enjoyed it."

"Very much so." Ms. Y/L/N pulled into her driveway and pressed a button to open her garage door before turning in and parking. "It's definitely been one of my favorite birthdays."

"Good." Y/N unbuckled her seatbelt and patted her aunt on the arm as the garage door closed. "Glad to hear that."

Matt followed Y/N out of the car, taking her arm in order to follow her into the house.

"I think I'm going to turn in," Ms. Y/L/N said as she locked the deadbolt behind them. "I still have quite a few chapters of the book we're reading for my book club to get through before Tuesday."

"I actually think I'm going to go out in the back yard and sit on the swing for a bit," Y/N replied. "I'm still a bit miffed about Mrs. Vaughn and I think the fresh air will help."

Matt chuckled. "I might join you if you don't mind."

"No, of course not, sweetheart."

"Okay," Ms. Y/L/N said. "Just remember to lock up when you two get back in. Good night, see you in the morning."

"Good night," Matt replied. 

"'Night, Aunt Ruth," Y/N added.

As Ms. Y/L/N headed out of the dining area, Y/N took Matt's hand and unlocked the deadbolt on the back door before turning on the patio light. "Careful, there's a step down."

She guided him over to the swing and sat, taking her shoes off and tucking her feet underneath her. 

Matt took his glasses off and stuck them in his shirt pocket before putting his arm around Y/N's shoulders and gently pulling her to his side, smiling as she instantly relaxed against him. "It's really okay, you know."

Y/N leaned her head on his shoulder as they slowly began to rock back and forth. "I know, it's just… I keep thinking about all the years we lost because of Sister Bernadette's unfair judgment against you and it makes me mad all over again."

Matt shook his head. "Hey, think about it this way -- no matter how hard Sister Bernadette tried she couldn't keep us apart forever, right? We still eventually managed to find our way back to each other."

He turned and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "We have the rest of our lives together, angel."

Y/N was silent for a moment. "You know, before I knew that Sister Bernadette used my aunt to separate us I used to think about all the fun stuff we would do when you'd come to visit me here."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like walking around Aunt Ruth's neighborhood, going to the library to pick out some books that I could read to you, and going to the beach together." Y/N sighed. "I was so excited at the thought of taking you to the beach in particular that I had a whole scenario planned out in my head."

Matt hummed. "Oh really? And what was that?"

"Mmm. Well first, we'd find a secluded spot to have a picnic lunch, then after we ate I'd suggest that we walk down the beach together so I'd have an excuse to hold your hand."

Matt grinned. "Sounds romantic."

Y/N let out a light laugh. "That was kind of the point, sweetheart, although I would be terrified at the thought of you being able to hear my heart racing over the sound of the waves and figuring out just how badly I wanted to be holding your hand for real while simultaneously praying that you would just so I wouldn't have to keep my feelings for you a secret anymore."

"And if I did figure out how you felt about me? What would've happened then?"

"Well it depends." Y/N sighed. "If you'd have figured out how I felt but didn't feel the same I would've lied and told you that I had just missed you so much that my feelings for you had somehow gotten confused but not to worry, they'd have gone away eventually so we could just forget all about it." 

Matt smiled softly. "And if I had been brave enough to tell you that I did feel the same?"

Y/N squeezed his hand. "Then we'd have shared our first kiss while the sun was setting over the water, after which we'd have come back here and cuddled on the swing while we talked about how to navigate a long-distance relationship and what that meant for our future."

Matt contemplated for a moment. "Why can't we do all that now?"

Y/N picked her head up off of his shoulder. "Now?"

Matt shook his head. "Well, not now now, but maybe tomorrow afternoon while your aunt is hosting her Pokeno group? We could pack a picnic lunch then head out to the beach, find a nice quiet spot to eat, maybe read a bit then take that walk you were talking about…" 

He nuzzled her nose with his. "Kiss as the waves roll in around our feet..."

Y/N hummed happily. "That sounds wonderful, although it might be a bit difficult to find a secluded spot. The beach gets pretty crowded Labor Day weekend, especially if the weather is nice, but it should be okay if we get there kind of early."

Matt nodded with a smile. "And since we thankfully don't have to navigate a long-distance relationship now we can skip that part of the conversation, but we can still talk about the future."

He took a deep breath. "I still want everything I wanted when we were kids."

Y/N huffed out a laugh. "I think we missed our chance to take our 'epic best friend adventure around the world', sweetheart." 

Matt grinned and shook his head. "Maybe so, but there's always other adventures we can experience together." Marriage, buying a home, starting a family… "I want to build a life with you, angel."

Y/N tilted her face up to his for a soft, slow kiss. "I want that too, Matty."

Matt pulled her close once again, the gentle rocking of the swing and the warmth of the woman he loved beside him filling him with a rare sense of peace. No matter what life had in store for him, he would always have Y/N by his side.

[popculturebuffet]

Marcy's Journal: A Guide to Amphibia Full Review: The Gay Novel Masterpiece of Our Times

Hello all you happy frogs, newts, and toads! We're going back to Amphibia, because what's more fitting than visting some old friends over the holidays?

Well okay but this is a close second. As you can tell by the title i'm taking a look at the recently released Marcy's Journal: A Guide To Amphibia: A Rope of Sand. Marcy's Journal continues disney's on and off track record of making real life versions of books seen in their series, as seen with the stellar Journal 3 for Gravity Falls and Big Book Of Spells for Star Vs, both of which i'd be up for looking at some day and proudly own. These book use diary entries to help expand the canon, while also accurately representing the parts of the books we saw on screen. Their a grand slam multidemographically too: My niece who loves Gravity Falls has often borrowed my copy of Journal 3 simply because she loves pouring through it that much. And who wouldn't? To a nerd like me it's the best of both worlds as it's both a real piece of the show's universe.. but also has a practicality buying a prop version of said thing just doesn't have. It also helps a lot that both Journal 3 and Marcy's Journal came out AFTER their series ended, giving us one last taste of the show on the way out. It's why i'm disappointed Ducktales never got one as while the Art of Book is truly excellent, I reviewed that last month, it doesn't really expand the world or anything we didn't see. It'd be nice to get characters perspectives on things, especially since Webby and Huey BOTH had diary or diary like objects respectively.

Still we were lucky enough to get this wonderful book, as was I. See I intended to wait after the holidays when I had more money and while I got some on my 31st birthday last Friday, I didn't expect to find it when I took a jaunt to Barnes and Noble. I hoped maybe but given my attempts to find The Art of Ducktales in ANY store before giving up and using amazon as usual were entirely fruitless, I didn't have high hopes. It doesn't help mine doesn't update books often.. so it was a pleasant surprise to find a copy and I quickly snapped it up and poured through it a bit, instantly charmed by it. The book was worth the money too as it's a wonderful, well thought out bit of canon that helps expand on things, deepen marcy and anne's characters, and fills in some of the gaps we as a fandom were most vocal about. Seriously it's clear Matt Braly and co when writing this listened to us about what we missed and wove it into the story. Most questions our characters could answer they do in some way shape or form.

So as a result this review is going to have MASSIVE SPOILERS for the book as it would in any of my episode reviews. So come with me under the cut if you've either read it or can't afford it and thus want those juicy deets, as I explore one of the greatest, gayest, and some other g word tie in books i've read.

For Scale

The Books presentation is gorgeous. While I got the paperback version because i'ts what they had, so it's not likely 1:1 like the other re-creations Disney has done, I appricate both having a cheaper option, and that even with that it still looks and feels like a journal: it's got the size, the more yellowy pages and some marking on it. It seems like the kind of journal Marcy would pick out because it looks kinda fantasy ish.

The inside though is where it really shines: besides the page every entry has in addition to the carefully crafted words, painstaking and fun drawings of Marcy's. The book deftly switches between two styles for her portions: Smaller more cartoony drawings to help emphasizes full events due to the journals size, and lavish DND style fantasy drawings for her close up, neither fully matching the shows style, but still remaining just enough in it. We also get a nice running gag of Marcy drawing someone in a picture for Scale, using herself, Sprig and Polly. Another nice detail is when the Book shifts to Anne for the final third (more on that later), the art style changes, going completely to smaller more cartoony drawings, but in a completely different style. It's a small change, but it helps sell that these are anne's chapters. Her penmanship is also slightly different, and where Marcy uses red pen for underlines, Anne uses blue. It's a very small touch but it helps the book feel that much more real by giving it's two very different authors different yet similar styles.

So now we've got how it looks and feels out of the way, we can get into the meat of the book. The book is easily chunked up into four sections: The first third or so of the book detailing what happened to Marcy from waking up in Newtopia and falling down 200 flights of stairs to reuniting with Anne. Literally, there's a page of her going off to rescue the Plantars unaware Anne's there before the next page is her gushing over Anne for several paragraphs. The second deals with what we saw in Season 2 from Marcy's perspective, as well as fleshing out the bits of her story we DIDN'T see as clearly: We find out just what she was up to with Frobo for an episode, as well as exactly what offer Andrias made between "Day at the Aquarium" and when we see her next. The final main part of the story has Anne takeover post True Colors. It's a clever way to both have content related to season 3 and makes sense since that's the season that emphasized marcy's journal at all and parts of her passages actually do bring up the stuff Anne used for Clues. There's then two brief Epilogues: one covering the weeks after the girls return home up till Marcy leaves, and another 10 years later covering the events of the epilouge.. and a little something extra.

So with that in mind let's begin with…

Part 1: Captain Marcy and her Fearless Night Guard

So part one opens exactly with what we saw in the Theme Song Takeover, and a nice touch is ALL the thigns seen in that show up here.. and naturally that includes her memetic fall down a flight of stairs.. or rather 200 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS

We then get her recovery at the hosptial, as she realizes these are newts (after comparing them to some salamander aliens. Apparently Newts are senstive about being called salamnders. Who knew?), and gets adjusted to the world and her Iseki adventure. Seriously she calls it that. And in a few pages i'm reminded why I love this character: She's nerdy, awkward, and thus.. really relatable to myself. I too spout off about stuff only a few people care about for hours on end. It's how I got this as a career. She's a well defined character.

We see her meet olivia, and go into a LOT of detail on her, and Andrias, evne climbing into his robe pocket as you'd expect, and the two becoming buddies… and the audience wincing knowing, even if Marcy ultimately forgives him on some level.. he's going to cause this poor child a LOT of pain. A LOT.

We also get a rather painful detail.. any time Marcy gets close to talking outright about what LEAD her to amphibia in the first place.. she backtracks. She scribbles anything she writes about it out to the point I can't read it and is clearly panicking about the implications of what she's done and the pain she feels. It both hurt a lot.. and was somehow nice to see.

Hear me out: One complaint I saw crop up occasionally after True Colors was people wondering if Marcy could be forgiven after what she did. I did because A) SHE'S ONLY 13. and B) it was clear she had a lot of guilt: She's HORRIFIED when Andrias starts to outline it, not because she's been caught.. but because this is the worst thing she's done and someone she loved as the healthy father figure she never had and trusted was just outing it, taking everything he hadn't already from her. She tries backtracking and justifying.. but it's clear she's trying to talk HERSELF into it being okay as much as she's trying to talk Anne into it. At the sheer idea of loosing the people she loves most has broken her.

The book backs this up…

As i'ts clear from the getgo she feels massive guilt, but as we saw in the series tends to bottle that shit up instead of actually dealing with it. She's trying to just enjoy the adventure and not think abotu what she's done and the pressure just builds and builds for some time until eventually, it explodes during the game of Flipwart. After Marcy beat Andrias.. she poured her heart out to the guy, admitting what she did and why: See turns out Marcy's dad's only actions in the series, dumping a job transfer away from her friends without telling her and then getting mad when a 13 year old is understandably upset he didn't feel it important to talk about ANY of this with her prior to dropping this bombshell nad never considered her a factor.. was exactly who he was. Yeah, while he wasn't phsyically abusive or gaslighty, Mr. Wu was still a shitty dad who was overly strict on his daughter, pushed her way too hard from what we could tell, and it was clear the move was simply the last straw. We still don't learn MUCH about the guy though we do get to see him, Marcy's mom and sasha's parents thanks to some photos Anne puts in there later, but it puts a lot of Marcy's actions into context: She tried so hard to be good at school, to keep going, so long buckling under his pressure.. that she broke once he pushed too far and expected her to give up the only things besides her various fixations that made her happy.

It also makes Andrias' manipulations.. that much more horrible and why she didn't see all the red flags that much more obvious: He was the dad she always wanted, a kind jovial man who loved her quirks, gladly endulged in her intrests, didn't push her too hard, and actually listened. It also explains his own care for her despite his manipulations: He saw in himself someone pushed by an abusive (if not nearly to his dad's extent but to be fair his dad is a multiversal conquerer and right prick so fair enough) parent to be everything THEY want and not what the child actually wants. It's no wonder he kept trying to protect her from the core: he didn't want to shuffle her from one abuser to another despite ending up as one himself.

And yeah.. Marcy's dad is abusive. He does seem to change after everything , realizing what he was doing, but putting that much pressure on her, not remotely carring what she wanted, being overlys trict.. it's still not good parenting. Not being evil fantasy overlord bad dosen't mean you aren't a prick.. it just means you have a chance to correct it before it's too late.

Andrias encourages her to not tell them, to wait, that it'll hurt them and blah blah blah self serving nonsense.

We also get some of the infastructure stuff Marcy talked about in New Wartwood, and her bonding with Olvia who clearly worries about Mar Mar, though not as much as I would've liked given how much Olivia clearly cares for the girl on screen.

What we do get thoguh is a grand, epic adventure that explains where Marcy's cool new duds came from. Soon after arriving she sees The Night Guard, an elite squad dedicated to the city's defense, essentially why she responded to stuff like the ants. Naturally as would be most people's first repsonse to seeing a squad like that, she wants to join. I mean their no Ank-Morphok City Watch but they'll do in a pinch.

So after whipping up an explosive with some herbs she found, as she do, she impresses their head Albert who sends her on a major task: Get a golden egg from a golden crab. And look I loved this missoin already because it's a giant crabby boy. I love giant crabs. It's also the second time this month i've gottne to talk about them

So i'm eating well. Marcy of course solves it, studying i'ts patterns for days and figuring out a very clever trap for it, digging under it with a trench and using the various volcanic vents, which she'd figured out the timing for as it made a good clock, and knocked the fucker out and took the egg.

What makes this one of my faviorite moments in the book though, is that this was a training setup similar to the Kobiashi Maru in star trek only with more murder crabs, which makes it instantly better. She wasn't SUPPOSED to win, it was, much like that scenario , designed to teach recruits how to deal with failure. And just like James T. Kirk, she flipped the bitch.

Naturally this and the giant pile of money the egg brings in means Marcy gets fastracked from simply JOINING the Guard, to being a CAPTAIN and leading her own squad. And they are a fun bunch, original characters not hinted at in the series proper but still every bit as fun as the characters we got to know and love. Her squad consists of Javi, an egotistical too cool for school swordsman, Kettle, my favorite, a short newt with a hair trigger temper and tons of arrows and Femur, a senstive giant with a degree in classical muisc. And I guarantee this happened at least once

Team buildling takes some time, as the team was all brougt together by by Captain Ernst a totally swell guy who recently died and who i'm positive isn't evil. It's never hard when some new guy has to come and run a team someone else brought together, trained and made into a fighting force. It's why when Cyclops left the x-men he handed them off to Storm, who had been on the team for years at that point , knew them well and had the potential instead of Gary that guy down the street from the mansion who keeps offering to buy the New Mutants Beer.

Thankfully Marcy is more a Storm than a Gary. Granted she tries a very marcy move in trying to get the team to function via a rousing game of DND… also it's wild to realize that this universe has two diffrent versions of dnd as it also has Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons.. though also plausable given just HOW many rpgs are out there.

This dosen't quite work, which makes sense. No what brings the party together is what brings most teams together: a giant ass fight forcing them to get their shit together: sometimes it's an island that walks like a man, sometimes it's a blue david tennant dragon, sometimes it's tryiing to get Gary home after he passes out on your lawn. For Team Marcy, it's a giant cobra, a bit i'd FORGOT was in the takeover. Using their teamwork and with Marcy playing on their various personality traits they beat the bitch, and now accept Marcy as one of them.

The main plot kicks in though with the next case, as a cult known as the order of the olms has been burning books

Yeah as someone who loves books and things being avaliable i'm with marcy in finding this heartbreaking and wanting her to catch the bitch. Having the outfitter guy from season 3 give them some galoshes, Team Marcy treks into the sewers. Sadly there aren't any teenage mutant ninja turtles or even regular presumably massive fire breathing ones, but we do meet my favorite addition from this book: Hamby, a weird newt who dresses up like the hamburglar and talks like Gollumn. Despite all appearance he isn't the one who did it and Marcy confirms it herself, realizing from his apperance and general..vibe that this sewer man isn't their guy and in exchange for a friend, Marcy's tamabuddy, he gladly gives them some spare robes and the time of their next meeting

From that Marcy learns about their leader gold mask, who has a sweet and horrifying ornate gold snake mask and the cult's next target, planning a massive intercept. We also get a sweet moment as we find out where Marcy got her sick crossbow: her team gifted it to her as thanks, formally and warmly welcoming her as their leader.

The sting.. goes pearshaped as while they manage to intercept the cult, Snakemask reveals himself.. to be ernst!

Yeah not a huge suprise. I had it spoiled for me via my thumbing around the book, but even then it's kinda obvious this is where it will go. Thankfully the twist itself isn't what's important.. it's how it impacts the character. Marcy was two steps from telling Anne and Sasha the truth when she found them.. but finding out about ernst, who also successfully destroys the old scrolls and what not he was sent after and gets away, challenging them all to come find him like the early game rpg big bad he is, destroys her team emotionally and leaves them scrambling for answers

Albert however refuses to let their team follow up as since they caught the cultists the mission seems over. Marcy however knows that A) maybe leaving a dangerous former captain who easily got the best of them despite being surrounded isn't a good thing and B) that there's more to this. Andrias naturally says his hands are tied and has no interest in actually searching into this more. If this comes off at all suspicious to you .. good it means you haven't forgotten what a lying dickhead this man is and are keenly picking up how burning down libraries full of ancient historical documents might benefit a guy who say, doesn't want history coming out before his evil plan is finished. We'll get to his exact hand in this soon enough.

So Marcy says

Partly because this is her perfect rpg quest.. I mean her reaction to the reveal before the reality of her friends depression set in was.. as you'd expect

But it shows her nature: she can get caught up in her hyper fixations, as I can, and loose the bigger picture.. but once she sees it she focuses on what matters. Her friends need answers and she's going to get them even if she has to go behind her best friends back to do it.

So they set sail for Dawnblood Island, and run into

GENERAL YUNAN, SCOURGE OF THE SAND WARS, DEFEATER OF RAGNAR THE WRETCHED AND THE YOUNGEST NEWT TO EVER ACHIEVE THE RANK OF GENERAL IN THE GRAND NEWTOPIAN ARMY!

Naturally Marcy is the only person in the canon to love that speech. She's a bit frosty to Marcy… and we later find out for hilarious reasons as she's mad Marcy didn't remember her from the hospital which is only because Marcy was hopped up on MMMM drugs. They quickly bond offer fighting some method actors. I mean who wouldn't want to punch newt jared leto in the face amirite?, pretending to be pirates, and Marcy saves them form certain death at yunanas hand.

Yunan plans to come back and fetch our heroes after she's done dealing with Grime.. given how that goes, i'ts no shock the two don't cross paths again in the book. That does leave them without a ride but that's not an issue for now as it's DUNGEON TIME BABY! I bet matt had a LOT of fun putting together what was basically a combination of a dnd campagin and an rpg dungeon.

Our heroes head through the castle, and Marcy gets her own eye flash moment like Anne's, though unlike anne's it dosen't go without notice: the rest of the party see it and comment on it and while Marcy isn't sure what happeend and assumes she just saw a puzzle she is curious.

The real show of course is finding Erest.. and despite so little page time he ends up being an engaging, intresting villian with nice parallels to marcy , a cool deisgn and a hell of a speech: As it turns out he faked his own death because he found the roll of a well regarded hero and mentor EXAUSTING. The more he kept having to do good.. the more he kept being crushed by the expectations people put in him and wanted a new life… just like Marcy. And just like Marcy andrias gave it to her… while Ernst's mysterious benefactor isn't named given his mission was to burn down libraries likely containing any trace of Andrias scheme.. yeah it's clear who it was. It also cleverly plugs the hole of "did newtopia have any records of the before time?" I mean I assumed Andrias had cleared them earlier but it makes sens eto use a public arson and a massive cult as a smokescreen. He even much like Marcy plans to have his friends and protges join him and is confused why they'd turn him down.. before deciding to kill them all.

The fight, as we find out after.. is brutal. Ernest easily takes out the team sans Marcy and even she is near death by the end, only winning thanks to a truly cool gambit that still nearly gets her choked out: She improvises a poition fo rplant growth, throws it down his armor and thus it rapid grows and almost treeafies him and he thus fall sinto the ocean. It's a tragic end.

The team spends the next few weeks stranded and recovering, till Marcy finds a boy.. yes WE FINALLY MEET JOE SPARROW. She tames him with song, befriends our boy of boys and future snail fucker,a nd uses him to get them home

While Andrias MILDLY dresses her down, he quickly lets the facade drop, being proud of marcy and giving her the royal advisor position we saw, likely to keep her from running off and possibly dying again or finding out his plans. As for her team they all retire: Javi and Kettle had a very obvious bout of belligerent sexual tension going that Marcy was shockingly genre blind to, and retire for the quite life, and Femur never really liked fighting in the first place and retires to herd sheep bugs with his soft tones. It's a fond farewell as while Marccy misses her friends, she understands this batch has to go and thier story is over. It also explains why the stuff with Anne and the Plantars pull her off. To her it's just her friends departing at the end of the journey it happens. For anne it's loosing her family.

Speaking of which

Part 2: Now We're Only Falling Apart So we go right up to the part where Marcy meets the Plantars and reunites with the love of her life: The Ants are attacking, Marcy manages to herd the newt advisors into actually doing something, and then goes to rescue the plantars and reunites with Anne.. and spends two paragraphs gushing over her, at first not even making coherent noises, and drawing her with an aura of light around her and with Anne blushing.

So yeah this brings me to something i've been saving up till now: If you like shipping sashanne, annearcy, marcsha or like me sashanarcy..

This book.. is gay as hell. There's a picture of Marcy in a heart blushing surronded by sasha and anne, an artists interpretation of them reuniting with all three blushng and like I said Marcy spending TWO WHOLE PARAGRAPHS on gushing about having anne back. And that's not getting into Sasha's anime drawing of the Anne vs Sasha fight having both blushing. And while Marcy DOES tend to throw blushes into her style from time to time it mostly happens with her self portraits specifically whenever one fo the girls is around. Like ti's the only timne it happens. Her subconscious coudln't be flashing

Harder if it tried. If it wasn't clear enough in seris it's very clear the girls are romantically interested in one another and the only reason matt didn't persue it is that it'd clash with the ending of the work. And he still manages to help us eat good as she outright calls Sasha and Anne "my loves" in her epilouge, and Sasha outright invites Marcy to live with her as an adult… followed by Adult Marcy talking about how love is a wonderful thing. Subtly is not matt's strong suit when it comes to this sort of thing and i'm here for it. There is a lot of sweet adorable content here and i'm glad it's here.

Unlike part one I won't be recaping this one piece by piece, but that's because parts 2 and 3 are MOSTLY simply the episodes we have seen.. just from the characters perspective. This isn't a bad thing: it's nice to get Marcy's own take on what happened, and to see what she was going through integrally, as well as gets nice bits and bobs of what we didn't see. It's similar to the dipper section of Journal 3 and parts of ford's second section: we saw most of this happen, but it's still neat to see what the characters thought of these events.

As such most of it just nice little stuff like Marcy gushing over Anne, talking about bonding with Sprig.. and most importantly her reaction to Sasha. We didn't really see it on screen.. but needless to say she's horrified. It also fully confirms that Anne didn't tell her the full story. It wasn't out of malice or anything, it's clear the event traumatized the poor girl and she didn't want to relieve one of the loves of her life attempting to throw herself off a tower after trying to kill her new best friend.

It makes things nicely complicated: Marcy understandably clings to Sasha and Anne reconciling both because loosing them would destroy her so she likely would've pushed for them getting back together either way.. but without the full picture she does so halfphazzardly, trying to shove them back together, as this helpful graphic shows

Instead of adress thier underlying issues. Sasha had a LOT to work out and as we'll get into in a moment with part 3, a reason why she was the way she was. It shows Marcy for what she was: a scared child who badly needed therapy,k had been pushed too far and has trouble relating to people at times. She has friends, girlfriends can connect with people.. but as someone on the spectrum myself, there's a fine line between that and being able to read people emotionally sometimes. I also have a bad problem of badly trying to fix an emotional issue instead of maybe letting it sit a second so the person can cool off, of wanting so badly to be liked and loved I forgot I don't have to try so hard. So I get where Marcy's coming from and my heart breaks seeing her like this.

We of course get her perspective on various episodes, including the fact she never really found out what went on with Hop Pop and Anne's schism, and that she loved getting to stay in the Fwagon between adventures.

The main stuff though is mostly what we didn't see. For starters we do get to see exactly what happened, or at least marcy's version of , what happened post "Day at the Aquarium". Marcy's former experince saying goodbye.. helps make it clear WHY she thought Anne would just leave the plantars and stay with her, and to her credit while Marcy writes down some pretty self destructive thoughs about anne possibly not wanting to be her friend or choosing them over her.. she snaps herself out of it, pointing out of course she wouldnt' want to say goodbye to her found family this soon, that she loves them, and it's really just Marcy worrying MORE about everything falling apart.

We also see exactly waht Andrias did: he gave Marcy her comfort food, Chicken Fly Nuggets (Which ngl even with the fly part in the title made me hungry enough for chicken nuggets I made some, as my dad sent a big frozen bag of em home with me after christmas dinner earlier this month), and outlined his fake "explore the multiverse plan". So yeah if you thought pre-face turn andrias coudln't get worse.. he manipulated a stressed out child's insecuritiys to further his own diabolical scheme to rob her of power that was rightfully hers.

The other extra scene so to speak we get is what exactly whe was doing with Frobo in that shed

Turns out she just spent the day testing him out. Though we do find something interesting about Frobes as a result: turns out part of why he ended up the way he was wasn't just being woken up early, something overwrote his UI with Rules of the Road.. which at first I thought they just crammed the book in there, but clearly Leif, on her way to the valley, must've stopped at the nearest factory and overwrote it with the family document. It also leaves fanfic possibilities for all of ya'll overflowing as it possibly means any other frobots coming out of that dome.. would've had the same basic start as Frobo, and as a third, which I can use for.. future projects, it means said UI COULD be used as the base blueprint to repurpose the war made frobots and give them the same chance Frobo got.

Finally for the wartwood portion of things we have her thoughts on Maddie. Which of course i'd focus on, she's my spirtual adopted daughter, but what's nice about it is the freindship seems like a first for BOTH of them. It has Marcy realising she's never really just been able to blab about her hyperfixations with someone whose gneuinely intrested and vice versa for Maddie, and that whlie Sasha and Anne "listneed" they weren't really paying attention. While Marcy didn't get AS much growth right away as the girls, it's nice to see her have some introspection during her journey.

So we finally come to true colors.. and all we get is a very gutwrenching page barely scribbled together in time after Marcy rescues Sprig.. and it HURTS as much as you'd expect, with it starting with a giantly written out and underlined he lied, more panicked thoughts, another large sentence this time "What have I done?… " and then a very small "i'm so sorry"

Part 3: Now For Someone Completely Diffrent

So Part 3 is written by Anne, switching things up entirley. And out of the three sections this is the one that most feels like Matt listneed to what fans had constant questions about. We do get some nice self reflection from Anne as she realizes both how little she used to care about her parents.. and how much things have changed, from seeing them as overprotective hovering jailers.. to the wonderful people they are.

We do get some common questoins I and others had first. The biggest is WHY DIDN'T SHE TELL SASHA'S PARENTS. As it turns out there was a good reason for that: The story was hard to belivie (as Oum himself said, if he wasn't seeing frogs first hand he wouldnt' see it) and there's no guaranttee they woudln't call the police or goverment or something. It was a crappy situation and Anne felt terrible.. but telling them would've been too risky to try. That said

Unlike some other things we'll get into.. there was PLENTY of room to adress this in a line of dialouge. So while I do appricate Matt explaning it here.. it's one of the few things I felt could've been squeezed into the series easier.

The book more than makes up for it though by giving us a LOT of answers on Sasha and Marcy's parents. Granted

But we get photos taped into the diary of both, and what exactly their situations are. With Marcy we already got most of it from her end, we do find out her parents didn't leave right away as they waited for her and were clearly stressed over loosing her. It's a low bar to clear but.. it's proof they aren't as horrible and there is hope for them to change. There's more hope later, but we'll get to that.

We also get Sasha's background and while I feel the character was fleshed out well in the series, both this and marcy's pressure should've ben threaded in right now as it explains a lot. The book confirms what fans thought from the seperate letters: her parents are divorced and while Sasha didn't tell Anne much, unsuprisingly she was very private.. what she does know fiills things in a lot: Sasha's parents both basically started new families: her dad remarried and her mom is dating someone with his own children. I don't think they fully threw her to the side.. but as Anne says it seems like Sasha got lost at sea.. and thus her control issues come from wanting something in her life. Anne also clearly forgives both.. she admits it'll still take a while for the wounds to heal, she leanred that from the incident with hop pop.. but gets that with Sasha they maybe leaned on her a bit much and while it dosen't forgie he ractions, it makes how much she leaned into the roll, coupled with being the only stable thing in her life, understandable, with with Marcy she's just worried why she didn't talk and admits she and sasha also fucked up plenty. We also get a ncie moment as this is all because her nightmares, incudling being DEATHLY afraid Marcy died and unable to admit it to herself, kept her up.. and Sprig noticed she wasn't in the room, made her coco and went out to comfort her.

We also later get more on Marcy as Anne finally reads her entreis.. and is sad she had no idea how much pain Marcy was keeping inside, and wishes she coudl've helped her. We also find out how they met: They were three, at the beach, and Marcy built an elaborate sand castle when Anne asked her to play. Marcy then went on about some game she loved, and Anne liked her and helped try to keep the waves back. It's as sweet as it is just.. painful.

We also get a nice coda to the episode abotu Sprig wanting Bee to be his mom. By the way it's an adjustment getting to use their names. I went through the WHOLE of the season 3 recaps desperatly trying to find a name.. nad Matt revealed them five minutes after the finale

So it's very nice to get to refer to them with actual names. Naturally once Anne told Oum why he did all that, she understood, felt bad for him, and made him bug pancakes , realizing the kid really did need a mom. She also taught him to sew later, which anne found nice.. then regretted when she found out about the whole Frog Man thing. We also find out Trantulad was a faviorite of Bees. Big nerd just like me. Knew there was a reason I liked this man…. besides everything else about him.

We also get what i'm sure anyone reading this was hoping for: Anne on MMMMM Drugs entry! Yeah we get the wacked out on painkillers entry my dudes.. and it turns out the Domino bit of foreshadowing for the finale was a bit more direct as the Gem God visited her directly during that dream, and said your fun, still using the domino form just with wings. So apparently getting stoned allows you to talk to them directly. Intresting

Also intresitng is that Terry is nonbinary. Yeah, it never came up in series, as they werne't sadly in it long enough but they are. They use they them prounouns. I love it and i'm sorry all my old entreis have all she's and her's. I didn't know.

Outside of some nice reflectoins on Anne realizing just how much her parents missed her and what she was missing out on not being as close, there's a LOT of wholesome anne and parents content in her part of the journal, a delcious recipie and Anne unsuprisingly having wanted heelies at some point, we're done with the earth portion of things.

For Amphibia , it turns out Marcy isn't the only one to melt into a very gay pile over a new look from Sasha as Anne also spends several paragrpahs talking about the nw and improved her, and drawing it. SO yeah these three were meants to be. We get some nice stuff on the various season 3 episodes, mostly Anne and Sasha's reconciliation, but the two episodes anne wasn't there for give us two bonus stories: While Sprig and Ivy were on their missoin and during "Grime's Pupil: for the former we find out she took time to catch up and as such we find out what exactly everyone did in the resitance besides missions: Wally composed Jingles, Mayor Toadstool took care of rationing suplies, Maddie was their medic, Croaker was their spymaster and intellegence, Grime their weaponsmaster and trainer and Logel.. taught exercise classes. I mean.. everything helps and he didn't get that buff overnight.

The other is Marcy and Anne just having a nice relaxing spa day. It was mentiond in the episode buti 'm glad they really done did it. They certainly earned it. We also get several sketches of Domino 2 and babies for a page. But with that we reach the final entry and entere the finale. .and unlike Marcy Anne dosen't journal like crazy, so her sectoin ends here

part 3 is incredible , a nice bit of fleshing out and of ironing out parts that were missing. That leaves us with

Epilouge 1: You're The Part of Me That Makes Me Better, Wherever I go.

So we find out what happened between our heroes leaving Amphibia, which Marcy writs an entry on, and the time skip. To her shock, Marcy's parents werne't mad at her, undersrtood what happened and felt she had nothing to apologize for, hinting that things seemed to get better after this. Marcy's Dad did have to leave early for the job and left her with her mom after a bit of her recovery, as Marcy needed plenty of doctors to check her out, got therapy

And generally calmed down. This also gave her one last summer with the girls , which depsite al lthe pain of recovery.. was nice. We even get both of them on the last day trying to play cauldrons and caverns, with Marcy appricaiting the gesture and them trying to show intrest in her stuff , and genuinely this time. She lets them off from having to do that as she gets they didn't quite enjoy it, but finds a ncie medium: they can find stuff they both enjoy and Sassh and Anne can at least try to find stuff marcy loves they enjoy to instead of jus tchecking out> Their their best couply selves as things end.

We also find out why they coudlnt' just use the portal: While I figured it was power issues, without the stones around in any form, seemingly, getting the portal working is hard. It dosne't help said portal is being kept top secret, though for VERY good reason: Mr. X feels no one country should have this power. Unless tehir krakoa but the mutants have earned it after about 80 or so geoncides so.. Terri and Him plan to keep working on it, it just may take a while.

So with that we get a tearful godobye and marcy calling them her loves because this book hadn't torn me the fuck up enough yet apparently. and thus

Epilogue 2: No One Needs To Say Goodbye

So we get a short section with Marcy 10 years later. We find out more about her web comci, which is directly based on Anne's adventures (Presumibly with her consent) Amphibi-Anne, likely a working title for the show and nicely worked in, and it's getting a print version soon. Nice girl, webcomics don't get those enough these days. We also find out Marcy decided to stay in LA with the girls…. no reallys he moved in with sasha and says love is a wonderful thing afterword. This is canon. It also made sense, as a webcomic writer she can work anywhere as long as her tools come with her and i've seen at leas ttwo have huge moves from one state to another, whcih were worked into the comics themselves. We also get a nice tease for a possible future sequel as Terri invites the trio to the lab as they have something for them.

NEVER THE END

Marcy's Journal is truly excellent, possibly the best of these three books though Journal 3 is still pretty close with it's immaculate drawings. This one is close though, and offers keen insight into the series, helps paper over what Matt missed the first go round and sets us up for a possible sequel down the line, in print or otherwise. It's everything you could hope and ask for and more so buy it. Buying these helps make sure we get more books like this and with Disney's new deal with tokyopop might mean these are more afordable for them to do too. Granted they still need to pay them, yeah I didn't forget the owl house light novel thing, but it gives me hope for the future> Thanks for reading and happy holidays.

[moon-kid39]

This One Stays

Officially starting my career as a writer, just a little thing I wrote for Halloween (yes I realize how late this is). Hope you enjoy👍🏾

Synopsis: Brooke recalls the best day of her life, which turns out to have been the worst, and the last

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings: blood, vampires, manipulation, false memories, death, stalking(let me know if there’s anything else)

“Hey, Brooke! Come on, it’s time to rehearse my entrance! I don’t know about you, but I will not be falling flat on my face in these heels tomorrow.”

“I’ll be up in a sec Isa!” I crouched down to get a picture of a butterfly outside the window. I had seen this same butterfly for a couple of days now. A beautiful opal on its wings, outlined by white strokes, as if an artist had painted it. It almost looked unnatural.

“That’s weird”, I muttered to myself. The picture came out perfectly, almost. There was some kind of distortion. Not like an average blurry picture, everything else was clear. What’s weird is that this has been going on for a couple of days. This is a brand new camera, the newest model, and I just cleaned it before I saw the butterfly. I wonder-

“Brooke! Come on, now!” Isabel always was impatient. “Where were you? It’s been five minutes. I know you aren’t the most athletic person, but come on, it’s one flight of stairs.”

“That’s not why I took forever”, I said, rolling my eyes. “I was taking a picture of this butterfly outside the window, but part of the photo came out blurry. It doesn’t make any sense, Isa.”

“Well, maybe you just had a shaky hand when you took it. It is pretty cold downstairs during this time. Or maybe there was a smudge on the camera, after all, when was the last time you cleaned it?”

“You know it hasn’t been out of the case today until I got here.”

“Yeah, ten whole minutes ago. A lot can happen in that time.”

At the time I just laughed at her. Ten minutes is the time it takes to get from her house to mine. Ten minutes is the time it takes me to walk around the neighborhood. Ten minutes was all it took for everything to fall apart…

The day after the butterfly photo was Isabel’s birthday, and it was time for her party. We were up in her room waiting for her cue to enter. She had a sparkly red dress, blood red. I can remember the sparkles and frills vividly. Off the shoulders and just above the knees, showing off her almond skin. I was wearing a black dress, simple really. Off the shoulders like Isa’s, but without sparkles, longer, and form-fitting.

“Alright Isa, I’m gonna head down so I can get some pictures of the party before you come down.”

“Alright, can you set aside a cup and lid for me? I don’t want to spill any of the juice on my dress and ruin it.” Ruin her dress? Her dress was expensive, so I can understand not wanting to spill anything on it, but staining it? Why would she be worried about that?

“Brooke, you there?”

“Yeah, just zoned out a little. I’ll see you down there in a couple of minutes.” Going down the stairs, the music got louder and louder, I’m surprised there hasn’t been a noise complaint yet. There were tons of people dancing, eating, drinking, and just having fun. Some people were in costume, others were dressed nicely. Thankfully everyone followed the dress code, or else Isa would-

“Woah, oh my gosh I’m so sorry.” I had bumped into a blur of blue. A tall, beautiful blur of blue. He was perfect, pale like a ghost with long, silky black hair. Shoulder length, pulled into a ponytail with some strands framing his face. His face, so pretty, ethereal. It was like a glow was emitting off of him-

“Miss? You’re staring.” Crap.

“No, I’m not staring. Just, admiring your costume”, I said matter of factly. Of course I was staring, who wouldn’t? If you saw what I saw, you’d be staring too.

“Admiring my costume, meaning the couple of stitches I painted on my face, and with my face being attractive, I can say you were definitely admiring. Just not my costume.”

I puffed my cheeks in annoyance. “Okay, you caught me. I was mesmerized by thou’s striking beauty.”

“Why thank you, my fair maiden. Though I fear I have nothing on the magnificent beauty that goes by the name…” He quirked an eyebrow, waiting for a response.

“Brooklyn, but everyone calls me Brooke.” He takes my hand in his and bends down to kiss it.

“I’m Felix, but my friends call me Felix.” Charismatic and a sense of humor, this man must’ve stepped right out of a book, because there’s no way this is happening right now. My heart is racing and my skin is heating up, is this what blushing feels like? I’ve never been more thankful for my dark skin.

We just hit it off. We danced, we talked, we laughed. It was like we had known each other our whole lives. He even helped me take some pictures of the party, and he was great at it. Crisp photos of Isabel’s entrance, cute shots of the decor, and candid shots of unsuspecting partygoers. Before we knew it, the party was over and it was time to clean up.

“You know you didn’t have to help clean. I could’ve done it myself.” We had finished everything. It was like no one had been in the house today at all. We grabbed our coats and began to head out.

“It was nothing. I clean all the time. It helps with my peace of mind, keeps me from going insane.” We both laughed at that. “Can I take you home?”

“Yeah, just let me go upstairs to say bye to Isab-”

“No! There’s no need to do that. Some friends of hers told me that they went to check on her earlier and she was out like a light.” I didn’t think much about it, didn’t notice how nervous he suddenly looked, how urgent it seemed that I didn’t check in on Isabel.

“Okay, yeah, sure.”

“I just heard that she does not like being woken up.”

“Well, you would be right. You might’ve just saved my skin there.” We walked towards his car side by side. He smelled good, a nice earthy smell, with a hint of something. Metal, maybe. Interesting, he didn’t smell like that earlier. What’s more, when we get in the car I’m hit by a wave of that same scent. Overall, he was a good driver. He drove with one hand on the wheel and kept a good conversation.

“Hey, do you mind taking a little detour, I wanna show you something.” He said it with a smirk, a pretty one. On a regular day, I would’ve said no. On a regular day, I wouldn’t have even gotten in the car with a man I just met. But something about him was so compelling. I couldn’t resist him. One look in his eyes and I was hooked.

“Yeah, no problem. I’d love to go.” A little while after, we pulled up to a cliff and parked. It was pretty secluded, with a beautiful view of the stars and the city below. I get out of the car and head towards the edge. I can hear him walking up behind me, so I turn towards him and we make eye contact. He smiles, but… there’s something different. Before, he was charming, comforting. Now, it seems like something’s wrong; like it’s forced.

“Felix, is everything okay?” He started getting closer, like a predator looking at his prey. Every step he took towards me I took two back.

“Yeah, everything’s great. But I think I should be asking you that question.” He reached out to me and grabbed my arm. It was harsh, sure to leave a bruise. He pulled me towards him and walked us behind the car. The trunk was open and inside was…

“No..” He started to chuckle behind me. In the trunk was Isabel. My best friend, in her red dress… no, not red, white. Her beautiful white dress stained red. Tears started to fall from my eyes. I backed away in shock, feeling like I was going to puke.

“What’s wrong? You should be proud of her, she was a fighter. She fought too much if you ask me. It truly is a shame though. Such a pretty thing going to waste. She wasn’t strong enough to withstand losing all the blood though.” Drain her? Why in the world would he need to drain her?

“You see, I’m a vampire, Brooke. I just came here a few days ago, and I’ve been watching you for some time. All your routines, all your friends, family, everything.” He was starting to circle around me, stopping behind me and bending down to sniff my neck. I could feel his teeth poking at my neck. “Of course, I had to get Isabel out the way. You two were inseparable. Now, I can just sit back and enjoy the main course… You.”

I didn’t realize what was happening until it did. He bit into my neck harshly and I could feel the life being drained out of me. Just as I was about to pass out, he let me go. We were both panting heavily, and I started to crawl away.

“Ah ah ah”, he grabbed my ankle and pulled me back towards him. “Just where do you think you’re going? I can’t have you blabbing to the whole town now can I?” He lifts me up and puts me in the back seat of the car. I can’t even move anymore, I’m still bleeding. “Stay here, and I’ll go deal with your friend.” I know he means he’s going to get rid of Isabel. I can hear what sounds like digging and a body falling. After a couple of minutes, he comes back covered in blood.

“You know, you’re going to die soon. I can hear your heart getting slower, your breath getting fainter. I’m sure you can feel it.” He was right, I could feel it. I always thought death would be a scary thing, and it was. But, after the fear, came peace. Of course I felt weak and sad that I didn’t get to do a lot of things that I wanted, but I wasn’t in pain. In fact, I was almost happy with how gentle he was when he was collecting the remainder of my blood, like a warm blanket, the comfort of someone who loves and cares about you. He pulled me out of my thoughts by caressing my cheek.

“So beautiful, even in death. I’ll make sure to visit you everyday”, he said gently. I started to groan in protest, but he stopped me. “Shh, shh. It’s okay. Close your eyes and let the darkness take you.” And so I did.

[drowningregulus7]

Hear me out:

Sirius Black can be irrational, right? A flaw that’s slowly gotten better over time, but not completely gone. Imagine him stuck in his house, unable to visit his friends, even when his best friend’s wife is pregnant. He decides to drink his stress away, taking his motor bike to the nearest club he can find. He drinks, and drinks, and drinks, but no one knows he’s gone. He gets even worse while he’s drunk, and he wakes up in someone else’s bed. A woman’s. He gives her his address and a letter, in a friendly way, because he’s not an asshole who just leaves without any warning after an.. eventful night. Two weeks later he gets a letter.

She’s pregnant.

Of course, he wants the kid. They both have no romantic attraction towards each other, but there’s certainly enough milk that he doesn’t have to go and buy more. He’s over the moon, writing letters to James, Remus, and Peter alike. Strangely, Remus isn’t as excited. (I wonder why.. hmm..) After a few months, things are getting worse. Muggles dying everywhere, wizards going missing, it’s scary.

Then, the mother of his child bursts into his house.

“Sirius- I think- I need- please-” she blurts out, sobbing. Sirius immediately takes her to St. Mungos. He’s in a bad way, restless energy taking over him. It’s too early, will the baby be okay? Will she? All these thoughts run through his head, and then he turns to see James. James, with Lily, who is obviously in pain. Sirius looks at his best friend, James looks back with a bewildered expression.

“Are you.. is..”

“The same day? The SAME day?! They’ll be like twins!”

James is ecstatic, Sirius is a worried mess. He paces around the room, and a healer gestures for him to come over.

“I’m pleased to say that the baby is quite healthy, despite his early birth.. but, unfortunately, his mother-”

-and Sirius falls to his knees. This is his fault. Why did he leave the house? Why can’t he just control himself? Why did he accept her choice to have the baby? He didn’t love her, not romantically, at least. Why, why, why-

“Sir? Sir, please calm down..”

Sirius is so distraught he can’t even cry. He gives money to the woman’s family for the funeral, goes to Lily to visit her, to see if she’s okay. But she’s with her newborn son, with James, who is happily rambling about how cute he is. A part of him is jealous. But he’s happy for them all the same, and even happier when he’s announced Harry James Potter’s godfather. That’s when he makes his decision.

He storms to St. Mungos, demanding to see the young healer who had delivered the news that made his world fall apart at the seams. He slams a quill on the table, his eyes filled with tears

“I want my son. I want him. I’m raising him. Who in the name of Merlin’s beard gives a shit about whether I’m a woman or not? He’s my child, mine, I’m taking him home.”

And so he does. He holds the newborn carefully, looking down at him with pure love. How can anything be so small? He never really held a baby before, unless you counted the time when Regulus was born and Sirius was a curious toddler, he still has the picture. He watches as his son raises a tiny hand, and Sirius takes it in two of his fingers.(p

“Regulus..” he whispers, biting his lip. Regulus, who was foolish enough to believe his family. Regulus, who he hadn’t spoken to since he got sorted. Regulus, who never came back to him.

“I’ll take care of you better than I took care of him, I swear.”

And so, Regulus Black Jr is taken home.

Sirius has a ton of help from Lily, he names Remus godfather, Lily godmother. Regulus and Harry get along as well as babies can do, and Sirius is livid that they can’t spend their first birthday together. Nevertheless, Remus and Sirius enjoy themselves as little regulus somehow makes a mess of the cake. Remus offers to stay the night, which was probably for the best, since Regulus was on a sugar high until 2 in the morning. Sirius cries a little about Regulus’s mother, he took regulus to her grave. Even if he had no clue what was going on, it felt right for Sirius to take him. Remus, being the best friend (sure.. friend..) he is, comforted him. They then fell asleep on the sofa, at around 4 in the morning.

He hears the news about James, about Lily, about his godson. He drops regulus off at Remus’s, getting on his motor bike and speeding to find Peter. First he lost his son’s mother, now his godmother and uncle? Sirius’s best friend? His best friend’s son? Hagrid refuses to hand over his godson.. how dare he? How dare he?! Who cares about Dumbledore? Dumbledore’s the one who couldn’t protect Lily and James! He wipes the hot tears streaming down his face, then practically pounces the second he lays eyes on Peter.

I think you know the rest.

Remus finds himself fighting for his right to keep regulus, as his godfather. Sirius, a traitor? He was a father, he couldn’t, surely.. That doesn’t mean his child deserves to be punished too. He’s still fighting his case, over the years, but regulus is in his custody while he’s doing so.

Fast forward ten years. Regulus is the spitting image of his father, except with soft brown hair. It makes Remus cry sometimes, he does his best to hide it, not that he’s good at it. Regulus also acts very much like his father, a social butterfly with an unfortunate habit of attracting trouble. Or being the trouble.

“Reg, stop running! And push your own trolley, I’m not doing it for you.”

“But Pa, the train leaves at eleven! It’s on platform 9 and 3/4, right? All I have to do is run through there! The trolley will slow me down!”

Harry overhears this conversation, edging to Remus and poking his arm

“Excuse me, sir.. I don’t know.. how..”

Remus jumps. Suddenly, he’s eleven years old again, seeing James Potter with his hair sticking out from the back. Except this time he’s nervous, fragile, a little scared, with a lightning scar on his forehead. He wants to cry and hug the young boy, but he stops himself. A conversation for another day, another time, another place.

“To get on the platform? Don’t worry, cub, it’s regulus’s first day too.” he mentally slaps himself. Cub? Why’d he say that? He hasn’t called Harry that in ten years, he hasn’t seen Harry in ten years.

“Yeah! It is! C’mon, I’ll show you!” regulus takes Harry’s hand, and runs straight at the barrier, dragging the green eyed boy. Harry’s practically screaming.

“There- There’s a wall! Are you MAD? THERE’S A WA-” Harry closes his eyes, preparing to feel extreme pain. But he doesn’t. He hears regulus laugh, and lets go of his hand as he slowly opens his eyes. It’s the Hogwarts Express, platform 9 and 3/4. In the end, Remus did push Regulus’s trolley, he also pushed Harry’s.

Harry and Regulus rush to the train, finding an empty compartment. Regulus rambles about houses, and quidditch, and magic in general. Harry is amazed. Then Ron Weasley peeks in, asking if he can join them. Regulus agrees, Harry just nods nervously.

“I’m Ron, Ron Weasley.”

“Regulus Black! Junior, that is.”

“Uh.. Harry. Harry Potter.”

Regulus jaw drops, looking from Ron to Harry.

“WHAT? You said Harry, you didn’t say POTTER! Why didn’t pa tell me? He saw you too! Do you have the scar? Can I see? I mean, only if you want, it was probably super scary, right? Can you remember it?” he starts bombarding Harry with questions, and he does get answers.

A few hours later, they’re munching on chocolate frogs, fizzing whizz bees and pumpkin pasties. A girl with bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth pokes in, her Hogwarts robes already on.

You get the drill.

So, imagine this.

Harry Potter, staring at Hermione Granger curiously. Ronald Weasley and Regulus Black Jr sharing bewildered expressions.

The Marauders Jr.

[angieloserathend]

PROFESSOR GETO

Chapter Thirteen

Couple of days have passed and you have not been attending classes or neither seen Suguru. You keep telling him that you have the flu and don’t want to get him sick. Truth is you don’t want to face him. He tried to call you a couple of times, even dropped food at your door but you haven’t seen him. The only person you’ve been seeing it’s Satoru. Casual hooking up together makes you feel better. Satoru also said that Suguru has been hanging out with Miss Shoko after work. You really don’t know what to think or what to do. You just want to be left alone.

————————————————————

Satoru is at the bookstore like always taking care of some customers. When Suguru walks in.

“Hey Satoru, long time no see. You okay?”

“H-hi Suguru”

“Why are you so surprised to see me?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t expect you to drop by.”

“Yeah well, I need your help with something.”

“What’s up”

“I am organizing a bday party for y/n and my colleague is helping me with decorations and stuff. Is there any chance we could have the party here at the store?”

“Y-you’re what?”

“Satoru. Focus. The party, here? Please?”

“Yeah yeah sure. Who’s this colleague?”

“You don’t know her. Miss Shoko?”

The realization hits. That’s what Suguru has been up to. His colleague is helping him with the party and that’s why he’s been keeping his distance with y/n.

‘What have I done?’ Satoru wonders.

“Satoru?”

“Yeah yeha I am here”

“You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost”

“Just tired. Sorry. Have you mentioned anything to y/n?”

“What kind of question. It’s a surprise. I have been avoiding her a little for this exact reason. You know I am not great at keeping a straight face if I have something going on.”

“Right. So you haven’t seen her at all?”

“I tried to call her and stuff but she has the flu”

“Got it. Makes sense.”

“Okay I’m gonna head out. Thanks again Satoru!”

“No problem”

Suguru leaves and Satoru rushes to get his phone and keys, closes the store and getting out from the back door, he makes his way to your apartment.

A loud knock on the door. Who could it be? Opening the door you see Satoru panting. He must’ve ran as fast as he could.

“Satoru? Why are you..did you run or something?”

“Y/n we have to talk”

“Okay”

“We have done something horrible. I have to admit that it was fun, but we can’t continue like this.”

“You’re right. But what happened? You okay?”

He leans toward you, hugging you and kissing you, for the last time. He knows this is a goodbye.

“You were never mine and never will be. I’ll cherish our moments forever. Call him.”

Leaving you speechless, he closes the door behind him and leaves. What was that about? You admit it was fun while it lasted and Satoru was a great distraction, but you get your phone and call Suguru.

“Hey love, I was just about to drop by. You doing okay?”

“I am feeling better.”

“Good. Because I miss you.”

“I-I miss you too.”

(It is true. You do miss him. A lot.)

“Y/n? It’s your bday tomorrow, do you think you’ll be fine?”

“Yes. I’ll be fine. I really just want to see you. That’s what I want to do tomorrow.”

“I’ll pick you up around 6pm, sound good?”

“It’s perfect”

Hanging up the phone, you feel relieved. You’ve missed his voice.

—————————————————————

It’s your birthday today. You feel good but not so great. You can’t shake off what happened with both Satoru and Suguru. You still want to ask Suguru about miss Shoko. But not today. Today is your bday and want to enjoy it. While getting ready, you get a text from Suguru wishing you a happy bday and he’ll pick you up tonight. Not knowing where he’s taking you, you still want to dress cute. A nice pair of jeans and a nice top and heels why not.

Suguru is always on time, he never makes you wait. When he gets there you go downstairs and see him. Your first instinct would be to jump and kiss him, but knowing what you’ve done you don’t feel like it.

“No kiss?” Suguru says

“I might still be contagious”

“Well, good thing I got my flu shot”

He grabs you by the hand and pulls you to him. Kissing you. You are tense. But with savoring him, his tongue, his warm body, you relax in a manner of seconds. You have missed him so much.

“Happy Birthday babe. Got you something. Here.”

He bought you flowers and there’s something else too. A little box, a jewelry box? You open it and there’s a beautiful necklace with a moon on it.

“Remember the first time we kissed? We stayed on that roof talking and the moon was very bright that night”

“I-I remember Suguru. Thank you.”

You’re speechless. He’s so sweet and now you feel like crap for sleeping with his best friend.

————————————————————

The whole car ride, which it wasn’t very long, he had his hand on your thigh the whole time. You’ve missed this.

You notice that he parks the car in front of Satoru’s store. And you start to panic.

“What are we doing here?”

“Come”

He opens the door for you and helps you getting out of the car.

“Close your eyes. No peaking.”

The whole time you’re wondering if he found out and this is a cruel payback.

‘SURPRISE’

Taking your blindfold off you see that it’s a surprise party for you. Everyone is there. All your friends, Suguru’s friends and Satoru as well.

“Happy birthday babe!”

*kiss*

“Suguru, this is….I have no words. Did you plan all of it?”

“Yes. Well, I had a little help from Shoko. Do you remember miss Shoko from the university?”

/Miss Shoko approaches you/

“Hi y/n!! Nice to officially meet you and happy bday!”

“Uh, thank you so much”

Suguru and Shoko starts talking but your mind is elsewhere. Is this what Suguru was up to? Is that why he kept his distance? Is this why Satoru ran to your apartment that day? He found out? No…Suguru must’ve asked him to have the party here at the store and that’s when Satoru realized.

“Excuse me, I am going to the restroom.”

Making your way to the restroom, closing the door behind you, you try to refresh a little and think.

*meanwhile*

Satoru takes a vodka shot and follows you to the restroom. He knocks.

“Occupied”

“Y/n, it’s me. Open up.”

“God, Satoru stop it.”

You open the door and let him in.

“Are you okay y/n?”

“No. I just found out that Suguru didn’t cheat. I was the one who cheated. He never had an affair.”

“I am so sorry. I had no idea, not until that day when we said goodbye.”

“We should’ve never done anything in the first place. We both knew it was wrong.”

“I-I am sorry.”

“It’s ok. Whats done is done.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

“Eventually I will”

“Y/n?”

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t get you anything for your bday. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay Satoru”

“Would you forgive me if I kissed you as a bday gift?”

“Satoru”

“Ok. You’re right. That was stupid of me.”

“Wait. Come here.”

You kiss him. You don’t know why but kissing him makes you feel better. And that’s when it hits you. Kissing both Suguru and Satoru makes everything better.

[bitterseaproduction]

Me again, thanks for the answer. It was a thought on a possible birthday drabble for grandlovescheme :) If you like supernatural Daemyra you should check out her chats in ask. But okay, I love that you said that about rejection. Because I think Rhaenyra understands, but I also think that it really did feel like a rejection to her all the same. And I think that hurt is still there. Yes, he did finally spend the night with her but he still never said he wants to marry her. I know why he didn't but I'm sure she still has that doubt that goes back over ten years that mirrors does he want me/does he want to marry me. And I like how you layer all that. At the dinner she told everyone, including him she never wanted to marry again. I'm sure she understood what she said to her father and to Daemon himself about her true feelings. And even though time has passed I really doubt Daemon even said anything about her decision. Which would lend more into the doubts she has. I guess I hope one day she gets to hear him say all the things she has needed to hear to really heal, for so long. My question is more of a thought I had reading your last update than an actual straight forward question I guess. I was thinking as I was reading about the favor that it's wonderful they both worked together for Helena and for their goals. But a small part of me wondered if part of the conversation we didn't see was them hinting each other about him asking for her favor. Like alluding to that he would have if not for them having a plan. I don't think he would have actually. But I do think it could have been a light moment for them to wish and, what if for a moment. I'm sure Rhaenyra thought about it when she talked to him, even if she won't say it to him. Maybe after she thanks him for agreeing to did it. Daemon could have said something like Perhaps I could/would have asked for another favor were this not a plan. And Rhaenyra sad wistful moment that they need not wonder about that now.

Hello! Absolutely, apologies for the delay in replying this time.

And yes, I ended up talking out Daemon's motivations with a friend of mine a while back and it really comes down to this is the same guy who walked into almost certain death in the Stepstones rather than accept help from his brother, who walked away (albeit temporarily) when Viserys denied him Rhaenyra, who did not follow through when Rhaenyra goaded him on at her wedding despite being willing to spill blood to free himself to wed. He clearly wants Rhaenyra, but he has so many hang-ups over his brother and is not TRULY willing to turn over the boat himself, just rock it now and then, that if they have to go through Viserys to be together, it would inevitably be a problem.

And as you say, Rhaenyra knows it. And it stings that she knows he wants her just as much as she wants him, but his resentment (and yes, love) of his brother is just that great. And I plan to tackle it directly more later, but I love the dichotomy of rebellion and loyalty to family in Daemon. I sincerely think there's no one alive who places more importance on what it means to be of House Targaryen during The Dance than Daemon himself, and The Thing he did presumably coming next season only amplifies that belief.

But as to your question-thought, I think you are quite on the money. I didn't deep-consider the conversation that happened (and I imagine there will be more of that sort of thing as the story starts to speed up in the next leg) BUT the chapter where Rhaenyra & Daemon chat on the way to the council meeting is pretty much who I imagine them interacting now, light and affectionate with a lot of unsaid meaning (like Daemon basically implying he's not sleeping with anyone else by saying he doesn't attend brothels now).

I've probably rambled enough, but yes, I basically give a full blessing on that favor take. :)

[starlit-fantasy]

It’s strange being in someone else’s bed and knowing how much love has resided there while knowing that I will never have that.

Well, everything is good until it’s not. My eyelids were open, and I could see his face within a proximity I didn’t realize we were at. His snores are soft, and I’m just glad he’s finally catching up on sleep. The past few days have been rough for him. The lead time from discovering the airplane tickets and hotel receipts to the fights and eventual breakup was short. He’s a sweet guy, always has been since college, and I couldn’t imagine that out of anyone I know it has to be him who suffered that kind of betrayal. I, for the most part, couldn’t say much that would help. For the last couple of days we made it a routine to go grab dinner together after work–in which for every occasion he would prolong the chats until the restaurant would kick us out. I understand him, it is never easy coming back to an empty apartment where there used to be so much love inside. The traces of her still remain in this place.

The hangover still drags me down, pinning me to the pillows like an unseen hand. I’m not fully awake, but my mind drifts to the furthest reaches of this place, tracing every detail my eyes can follow. Strips of photobox pictures hang on the wall, the same ones I’ve seen scattered across her Instagram. Crumpled gift bags sit discarded in the corner, bright and careless, relics of birthdays or anniversaries I’ll never know. The pink quilt wraps around us, spread like a quiet assertion of who truly defines this home. Dolls, toys, unisex perfumes clutter the space, more photos scattered on the bedside table. It feels intimate but hollow, like stepping into a memory that isn’t mine. And as I lie here, pretending I belong, I start imagining them—laughing in the kitchen, recounting their days in this very bed, fighting, then finding their way back to each other before the sun climbed the sky. I can’t help but wonder—am I reenacting their past, or am I just reaching for the feeling of love I’ve never let myself have?

In truth, I’ve never let myself be vulnerable like that. I’ve wrapped my heart in hobbies, distractions, little luxuries to keep the loneliness at bay. But all those things are just locks on a coffin, the one I’ve buried my heart in, safe from anyone who might want to crack it open. And I sit here, pretending I’m okay. Pretending I don’t want to feel what she felt, even if it was doomed.

I hate myself for it. For wanting what I swore I’d never need. For being here, in someone else’s bed, like a thief trying to steal warmth from a fire long extinguished. I write to fill the void, I devour art and music like it’ll make me whole, but there’s never enough. I go through the motions—work, friends, laughter—but at the end of the day, I crawl into bed alone. Every night, staring at the darkness behind my eyelids, I wait for sleep that never feels like rest.

I think back to August, twelve years ago, when life still brimmed with possibility. But even that memory feels heavy now, tinged with a sadness I can’t quite shake. I’m not sure how I ended up here—stuck in a town that feels like a slow death, where the distance between two people grows like a poison. And then, there’s the girl from last week. I stood in the same ocean she disappeared into, my mind circling around Woolf’s pockets full of stones and Plath’s head in the oven. Every Saturday, I row out into the open sea, staring into that vastness, always wondering if I’d float. When I fell off my board, I’d sink under, holding my breath until my lungs screamed for air. That pain—it felt real. More real than anything I’ve let myself feel in years. And sometimes, when I’m under the water, I wonder how anyone could love someone who keeps testing how long they can stay down there.

And yet, I’ve spent my life craving that love. But now that it’s within reach, it feels like cheating. Like I’m devouring something forbidden, too quickly, too recklessly, afraid of being caught with the evidence smeared across my face. It’s not just that I want to be loved—it's that I’ve always wanted it too much. And nobody wants someone starving for affection. So I hid it. I walk through the harsh January sun, hands stuffed deep in my pockets, pretending I don’t want anything at all. But the truth is, I want everything—so much that I feel like a bottomless pit in the shape of a person, swallowing up anything that looks like love, too desperate to even taste it.

And now, as his eyes flutter open and he smiles softly, brushing his hand against my head, I feel that familiar panic rise. I need love, but I don’t trust it. I’ve never trusted it. If I stay, if I let him see too much, he’ll leave—like everyone does. I can’t bear the weight of that, not again. So, I do what I always do: I’ll leave first. I’ll find some flaw, some imperfection in him, even if I have to invent it. I’ll make myself believe it was never going to work, that this was all a mistake. It’s easier that way—easier than waiting for the inevitable goodbye. 

I slip out of his bed, out of this place that was never really mine, before he even realizes I’m gone.