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winniemaywebber · 9 months ago

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The Apple Tree • Part 5

warnings: none!!! just sad

read previous chapter here

Y/N struggles with not knowing where Rosie is.

Every day had been the same since Rosie had gone MIA. You'd wake up, head feeling like it was in a vice and get to the school on autopilot. The sky had been appropriately gray, and thick with fog most mornings, the twin of your current state of mind. You'd stay at the school late, grading papers and try your best to construct meaningful lesson plans so the children could still thrive and learn despite your sadness. They'd sometimes ask, their sweet, little faces full of sympathy as they'd question your upset. “Miss?” A little voice would say, “Are you alright?” You'd force a smile on your face and look back at them reassuringly.

“Yes, my dear,” your voice catching in your throat. “I'll be fine.”

---

A week. And then two. Three, then four, all rolling into a ball of nothingness, blurring together. Most days, you're greeted by Sally who is always available to walk you home despite the treacherous weather and everyday she looks at you with her big sad eyes, shaking her head mournfully, wordlessly reminding you that there's no new information. Most days, you walk home in silence, her arm in yours, keeping you upright physically as well as metaphorically.

It's on the fourth week, on a Friday, that you hear a sharp rap on your door. Being in bed already - the only way you can seem to feel close to Rosie - you simply yell “come in!” to whoever is visiting at this late hour. You hear the door open quietly, and hear the familiar tip-tap of Sally in her kitten heels. You hear her kicking them off and placing them by the door, hurrying up the stairs in her now stockinged feet, padding all the way up the plush carpet.

“Hi, darling,” she greets quietly, her face full of sympathy. “I thought I'd try coax you out to the pub.”

“No thanks,” you mumble, staring up at the ceiling. “I'm fine here.”

“Oh, doll,” she begins, walking towards the bed. “How are you doing?” Still not tearing your eyes from the ceiling, you nod quickly, trying to reassure your friend. But she knows you better than that, and after all these years, she can read you like a book. Before you can properly respond, she sees two tears leak from each eye and splash into your ears and on the pillow.

Trying to comfort you the way she used to when you were kids, she goes to lay down next to you on the bed.

“No!” you start. “N-no, Sal. Don't lay there,” you softly weep. “That's where Rosie slept the night before–” You wipe your face with the back of your hand, trying to stop the tears flowing. “It still smells like him. Don't lay on it, Sal.” You pause, looking at your friend, her own eyes full of tears. She sniffs, trying to blink them back.

“Then squidge up,” she says after a moment. “I'll lay on your pillow with you.” You wriggle slightly to the right to make room for her in the center of the bed, you just hanging off the edge slightly. She takes your hand and strokes it, just like she did right after Granny passed away. You whimper at her action, the sob that was thick in your throat finally being released.

“Where is he, Sally? Where's my boy?”

“Y/N…darling…I don't know. I ask James everyday for an update. He's promised that he'll be round here like a shot if he ever finds anything out.” You nod, swallowing as you sniff back more tears.

“He's a good egg, Sal. I like him. I like how happy he makes you.”

“Me, too,” she sighs wistfully. “When all this is all over, I'm thinking of moving there to be with him.”

“Sally, that's wonderful. I'll miss you terribly–”

“But let's not talk of that now. We need to take care of you.” She crawls off the bed and pulls you with her. “Come on,” she commands, rushing to your wardrobe. “You need to stop rotting. Let's go to the pub. Apparently, Rita is engaged to two of the Americans and neither knows about the other. Isn't that something?” You hear yourself gasp and then giggle, the first laugh you've made in weeks.

“Well, now you've tempted me. Now I have to come.”

—

The excited yapping you hear as you walk into the pub ceases at the sight of you, your friends looking back at you in surprise, before they stand up and rush to hug you, one by one. Murmurs of “oh, Y/N, we're so happy to see you,” and “how are you doing?” follow their embraces, and you find your eyes leaking at their affection and sympathy. Hugging them back, you sigh, not quite used to this level of affection.

“Alright, ladies,” you struggle to gasp out, but smiling nonetheless. “I need to know everything about Rita. Spill.”

They sit down, excited to finally be able to tell you the tales they've heard over the past few weeks. For a moment, your head is clear, listening to your friends chatter on, their voices octaves higher as they giggle their way through the spiel. You don't even notice that Sally has rushed over to the bar to greet James, until he places a pint in front of you with a sympathetic smile. He winks at you as you smile back, knowing you're thanking him with no words needed. You take a long sip, letting the alcohol run through your body and somehow, giving it warmth as you finally are able to enjoy something.

“So, she ended up saying yes to both men because she didn't want to upset either of them, and somehow, Y/N, neither knows about the other. But, get this! They're co-pilots!”

“What?!” you screech, ale almost flying through your nose in shock. “They must know! There's absolutely no way–”

“We thought that, too!” Sally replies, wide eyed and a little frazzled. “But Rita maintains that they have no clue.”

“Nope, not buying it,” you giggle, hand covering your mouth. “They must talk about her to one another! They're either ignoring it or somehow, it's not clicking that they're both with the same girl!”

For just a small moment, your overwhelming sadness is forgotten, the pit in your stomach somehow smaller than it had been in the past weeks. But, then, all of a sudden, your mind goes back to the night you spent with him; how he'd touched you, the way he'd wrapped himself around you to fall asleep for those few hours. The way he looked at you like you were the only girl in the world. It's those thoughts that send you into a tailspin, lips pressed together to keep the tears at bay. Draining your glass, you gesture over to the barman for another and try to keep breathing steadily.

—

“Hey! Wait, seriously? You're not lyin’ to me?” You hear a familiar Tennessee drawl behind you, and an excited one at that. “Croz, she's right there!” They both pause for a moment. “Can I tell her, sir?”

“Sure thing,” Croz replies. You turn around at the two familiar voices. James smiling brightly at you, Harry nervously shuffling from one foot to the other, clutching his hat in his slightly shaking hands.

“Y/N, c'mere, doll!” James beckons you over with his booming voice. You stand and walk towards the two men, forcing a polite smile on your face.

“Hi, James. Oh, Harry, wonderful to see you. Can I get you a drink?”

“No, ma'am,” he replies, now not able to hold back his apparent joy. “Pearson here has something to tell you. I've been rushing all over base looking for this fella to tell him what he's about to tell you.” You look at James with an expectant expression, feeling your eyes widen. He can't seem to get the words out, nor keep a straight face.

“Out with it, Jimmy, before I lose my mind!” You scold, playfully pushing him.

“Rosie got word to base!”

“What?!” you shout, your arms going across your chest in shock. “W-where is he?” Tears fill your eyes and they escape before you're aware of what's happening.

“He got shot down in Berlin,” Croz begins, his downturned eyes having an underlying sadness to them as he looks at you. “But, he managed to keep the plane flying until everyone had bailed out. He's in Russia.”

“Russia? He's safe, right?”

“Yes, ma'am. He says they're taking really good care of him.” Harry laughs a little, wondering whether to divulge further information. You see that, and nod at him to carry on. “He says the vodka is impeccable.” Laughing, you feel familiar arms around your waist, Sally's head on your shoulder, half laughing, half crying as she hears the news.

Word spreads to the rest of the pub, the airmen cheering and hugging at the news. James hands you a whiskey, then thrusting one in Croz's hand. You clink glasses with him, and with James before turning back to Harry.

“Thank you,” you begin, voice shaking slightly. “Thank you for coming to tell me, for even thinking of me.”

“No problem,” he replies nervously. “To Rosie?”

“To Rosie.”

---

thank you once again to my besties @sagesolsticewrites and @ginabaker1666 for reading this multiple times before posting (as usual!!!) <3

chapter 6

masterlist

#masters of the air #mota #mota fic #masters of the air fic #rosie rosenthal #rosie rosenthal fic #rosie rosenthal x reader #the apple tree #winnie writes

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satureja13 · 9 months ago

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Vlad's Therapy Game - Part 5

Vlad can't believe he's sitting here without his shirt in front of Leander again! He has to remind himself over and over again that he does all this to help Ji Ho, Saiwa and Jack. And that this is just a game. Just. A. Game. After a while (that already took much too long if you asked Vlad) Leander had banged the rock into a rough shape.

Time to take measurements. Leander: "So where is what..."

Hahaha Leander can be happy that Vlad already drifted off ^^'

Then he banged around a bit more...

Leander: "Let's see..."

Leander, after another while: "Hmmm..."

Leander: "Oh-oh. This part is a bit too long."

The Queen wants her statues accurate. Leander: "Let's shorten this part a bit..."

And then he was finally finished! Leander: "Come - take a look." Vlad finally drifted back. He just daydreamed about making a certain part of Leander a bit shorter!

Leander: "What do you think?"

The damn statue looked nothing like him! The head and the face even looked like all the other heads here on the pedestals! Leander: "Of course he does! He's made in the image and likeness of you!"

Leander is hurt. No one ever dared to criticize his work.

And Vlad is furious. Leander could have easily done this without him sitting here for hours in humiliation! Tch!

Vlad collected his money, bougt some food and called Diablo. Vlad: "Let's never look back." Diablo: 'Agreed.'

'We walked him to the station in the rain We kissed him as we put him on the train And we sang him a song of times long gone Though we knew that we'd be seeing him again (Far away!) I'm sad to say I must be on my way So buy me beer or whiskey, 'cause I'm going far away (Far away!) I'd like to think of me returning when I can To the greatest little boozer and to Sally MacLennane'

The Pogues - Sally MacLennane TMI: Sally MacLennane is an irish stout (beer) and not a girl ^^'

And this is how Vlad hastily left Goldshire (and soon after the Therapy Game). He'd seen enough. Time to report back to Saiwa. He surely won't come back here so he didn't care who saw him topless. He wonders how time had passed for the others. Ingame time often passes much faster than in reality and the Bond didn't complain or demanded to be charged. So his guess is he only spent here a few hours real time even though it had been ~ 24 hours in the Therapy Game. That should be enough for playtesting. It seems quite safe (minus the embarrassment) but the others can decide for themselves if they are stable enough to try it.

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest 🕹️ 'Therapy Game' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 📜 7-12 📜 13-16 📜 17-22 📜 23-28

#therapy game #underwater love #The One #vladimir tepesz #Vlad's Therapy Game #leander belgraves #the game #Spotify #ts4 #Goldshire #diablo #old new henford #simlit #sims 4 vanilla #sims 4 #sims #henford on bagley #simblr #sims 4 story

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dandelion-blues · 10 months ago

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Bittersweet Blood

About:

What if Loki was Sally Jackson? Thus, Percy is born a half-blood of two gods from differing patheons. It's time Loki and Percy took the Marvel Universe by storm.

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Chapter 2, Part 5: The Sea Protects

Triton looked deep in thought as he calmed down and finally looked up, “I don’t think the child needs to forgo their Norse heritage. The Greek and Norse worlds are vastly different, and knowing about the Norse side of things shouldn’t increase the child’s danger like it will if they know about the Greek side. Because even Greek gods' scent increases with their awareness, and there are plenty of monsters and gods who would take advantage of a young god.”

Triton adds, “In fact it would probably be more beneficial for the child to know about their Norse side sooner, so they can practice their powers and will be more than prepared to fight monsters and survive. Of course, only when they are old enough to properly handle a weapon.”

Loki smiles in awe. He wants his child to know their Norse heritage, for it to not just be some dirty secret. Loki is glad. It feels much better to just hide parts of his child’s heritage, not forever, just until they can learn to properly defend themselves, and later to learn their Greek heritage when it’s time to tell them when it’s time to accept their destiny.

Poseidon grins widely, “And that means I can still train our child how to use a trident and how to command the ocean and strategize. I’ll just have to pretend to be an Asgardian.”

‘That I can still be in their life.’ went unsaid, but Loki and Amphitrite heard it loud and clear.

“How will we explain our names, though, and powers? We can’t even risk any hint of Greek into the child’s life to keep them the safest? And will the child live on the surface?” Triton asks.

“Well, I think that would be for the best. I do quite want to continue living on the surface even if it is lovely down here.” Loki responds.

Loki continues, “Also, I am very familiar with changing names and appearance. In fact I have a current mortal identity known as Sally Jackson, and she, I, am quite proud of how well I was able to adjust to Mid-” Loki cuts himself on, remembering what Poseidon said about calling Earth Midgard, and clears his throat, “Human culture.”

Then, Loki’s face goes white. He just admitted that he was female sometimes, and oh Norns, would they be disgusted with him?

Except all he sees when he looks toward Amphitrite and Triton all he sees is interest, and is that adoration from Amphitrite.

Loki shakes his head, he knew he was overthinking, but still that fear of being judged doesn’t just go away. Even when he’s been accepted and supported by Poseidon and his friend Malia. It’s still hard to tell others and not assume the worst.

“Hmm, can you help us with that dear?” Amphitrite asks sweetly, her voice like honey.

Loki nods his head eagerly and confesses, “Sure, though the most important thing is to find appearances and names that you are comfortable with and connect to, especially if you’ll be using them for an unknown time. For instance, though I picked the name Sally and later the mortal last name Jackson on a whim, I connect with the name, and Sally is who I am when I’m female. Though I did recently add the middle name Sylvie, since she was the first name I chose when I was younger, and I still wanted her to be part of my name.”

Loki looks away, embarrassed and still a little scared.

But Amphitrite grabs Loki’s hand and smiles, “That sounds lovely dear, and I would love to see her sometime.”

Loki smiles back, ‘see her’, not ‘meet her’. Amphitrite distinguished that Loki was still the same person as Sally, but just female.

“Alright! We’ll have to talk some more later. It’s getting quite late, and I’m sure Loki wants to go to sleep in his own bed.” Poseidon states.

And wow, Loki is feeling quite tired now that he thinks about it, and nods in agreement.

Before they turn to leave, Amphitrite grabs Loki’s hand and asks, “Can I hug you?”

Loki looks bewildered, “Yes, but why?”

Amphitrite gently hugs Loki, her large mer body dwarfing Loki’s small frame, but it felt so nice and comforting.

“I just thought you needed one.” Amphitrite answers.

“Thanks.” Loki whispers to her.

“Goodbye Amphitrite and Triton, it was wonderful meeting you too, and we’ll meet again sometime soon.” Loki waves to his new friends? Family? Family, Loki decides.

“Goodbye my Βασίλισσα (“Queen”), and πολύτιμος γιος (“precious son”), I’ll see you again soon.” Poseidon tells his family.

“Goodbye father, and goodbye Loki.” Triton says, his face, bright gold in embarrassment.

“Goodbye my love, and make sure to keep Loki safe.” Amphitrite warns. “And see you soon υπέροχο σμαράγδι (“lovely emerald”).” Amphitrite whispers just to Loki.

Loki's face heats up bright red, and Amphitrite just grins sharply back.

Then, Loki grabs Poseidon’s hand, and he flashes them into Loki’s cabin.

Loki smiles, glad to be around back home. Home, huh, that feels right. And not too long afterward makes his way to bed, and drags Poseidon along and whispers in his ear, “Thank you for everything.”

“Of course my love.” Poseidon whispers back, just before the curtains of night fall upon Loki and he falls asleep.

Notes:

And that's the end of chapter 2! Hope you all enjoyed this fic and crossover. The rest will be posted on ao3 eventually.

Also, some things will be changed and edited before I post to ao3, so if you do eventually read it on there, please keep that in mind.

One such change I already made is that Percy will only be partially aware of his Norse heritage at first, not that Sally/Loki is a god.

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fayes-fics · 2 years ago

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It Had To Be You: Chapter 5 - This Was Never The Way I Planned

Masterpost PREV | NEXT

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader, Anthony Bridgerton x Kate Sharma, Modern AU

Summary: A double date with an unexpected outcome...

artwork credit @colettebronte

Warnings: discussions of sex, swearing, public sexual acts.

Word Count: 3.0k

Authors Note: Unbetaed. A multi-chapter modern rom-com retelling of When Harry Met Sally. In this chapter, Benedict and reader attempt to set each other up, but it does not go at all to plan. This chapter is dedicated to @musicismyoxygen84 and published today to commemorate the birthday of Mr Thompson, the man who plays this titan of a fictional character. Enjoy <3

18 months ago (3 months later)

“Your face is naked!!”

“Not quite the greeting I was expecting,” he laughs and leans in to give you a quick hug.

It’s New Year's Eve, and Benedict has shaved his beard off since you saw him a few days before Christmas. He looks younger and older at once, somehow, without it. Very handsome, though. His strong jawline is even more apparent now. Bastard.

You’re at some fancy rooftop party somewhere on Shoreditch High St., agreeing to be each other's plus ones, both of you not wanting to stay home and get maudlin about how your lives have changed since the last New Year celebrated with other halves.

“I like it,” you offer, “I can see more of your face.”

“This is indeed my face,” he laughs. “I figure new year, new me,” he shrugs, and you completely understand his reasoning. You briefly considered dying your hair for a similar reset.

A few hours later, you’re both quite a few drinks in, sitting at the bar. Most people, by this point, are dancing. The music has a hypnotic, heavy bass that makes you sway subconsciously on your bar stool.

“Come on, let’s dance then,” it’s almost a defeated sigh as he hauls you to your feet, two large hands landing on your hips as he walks you forward from behind. The touch surprises you, but it’s most definitely not unwelcome.

“You don’t dance,” you laugh over your shoulder as he propels you towards the dancefloor. Then gasp as he grabs your hand and expertly spins you away and back, your body curled into his—a warm solid mass.

“Don’t I?” It’s silky, murmured into your hair, and your mouth drops open in surprise.

“Benedict Bridgerton!” You admonish as he starts to lead you expertly in a salsa-type dance. “How dare you keep this from me!”

He spins you away again with a devilish grin, then back into his arms, your bodies swaying together. Something in your tummy flutters as he leads you in a dance, his hold always respectful but the moves undeniably sensual. You can feel the latent power in his body as it flexes around you. It makes your thoughts scatter in directions they shouldn’t—like when you got a preview of his sexual prowess, although for comic effect, in the restaurant weeks ago. The way he growled ‘look at me’ has occasionally popped into your head at the most inopportune moments since, making you squeak self-consciously. Last week, you dropped the gravy at Christmas dinner when it happened.

“TEN SECONDS TO NEW YEARS!!” the DJ yells, cutting into your abstraction and turning down the music.

There is an awkward moment where you stop dancing but stay holding each other as if you are, as everyone around you starts counting down. Your gaze falls from his eyes to his lips unconsciously.

“Do you want to get some air?” he blurts out, and you nod, grateful. It suddenly feels too hot on the dancefloor.

He releases his tight hold and slots your hand into his, leading the way, weaving through the crowd until you are out on the terrace. It’s so cold and crisp that few other people brave it. You stand awkwardly, half facing each other as party poppers go off inside, people yelling, and couples kissing.

His eyes cut to yours as you share a slightly awkward smile, uncertain, even tipsy, about what you should do.

“Happy New Year,” Benedict says softly.

“Happy New Year,” you reply, a flutter in your gut as he moves in for a hug and a friendly kiss.

It’s just a peck on the lips, but your stomach leaps regardless. His lips are warm and soft in the cold night air. You long to linger, grab his clothing and draw him in for more, bow your body into him, and let him plunder from you. The want for much more is electric. However, it’s over in a second, and when you pull apart, something in his expression looks thoughtful, almost puzzled.

Just as you go to say something to cut the tension of the moment, someone very drunk stumbles out of the party and projectile vomits right next to you both, narrowly avoiding your shoes.

“Seems an apt metaphor for the year we’ve just had,” Benedict comments drolly. And just like that, the odd spell between you is broken as you share a laugh and quickly move away.

——

“I’m not sure about this,” Kate wavers as you drag her down the pavement with your arm looped in hers on a cold Thursday evening the following March.

“Ben is a great guy; I really think you’d like him. It’s just dinner; where’s the harm?” you cajole.

This is a plan you and Benedict had hatched over dinner last week. He softly admitted he thought he might be finally ready to start dating again and did you know of anyone single. Your first thought was, of course, Kate, wanting her to find a good man to pull her out of the toxic thing she has with that married man. The idea of your two closest friends potentially finding happiness together gives you such a warm glow. You suggested a double date, a safe way for you to introduce each other to people you know. That’s when he lit up and said he was confident you’d like his older brother Anthony.

So now you are marching towards the restaurant to meet Benedict and his brother.

“I still don’t understand why you are trying to set me up with this guy if you have deemed him not good enough to date yourself,” she grouses.

“Kate, that's not it at all. He’s a fantastic guy. Definitely good enough to date. We are just friends, that’s all,” you insist.

She shoots you a side-eye.

“Listen, I’ll admit, this is going to be his first date since his marriage breakup,” you hold up a silencing hand when you see her go to protest, “but that’s a good thing. He has taken the time to heal and is finally ready to date again. He is a nice guy and available, unlike someone you know,” you conclude pointedly.

She sighs.

“He’s never going to leave his wife, Kate,” you add, knowing where her thoughts have run.

She slumps her shoulders. “You’re right; I know you’re right. Okay…” she concedes.

“Explain to me why you’re trying to set me up with the woman you are in love with,” Anthony drawls as their Uber crawls through Soho traffic.

Benedict splutters. “I’m not in love with her!”

“You talk about her ALL the time,” Anthony says pointedly, looking at him sceptically.

“She’s my best friend; of course I do,” Benedict frowns. “And you just said you wanted to meet someone who isn’t - I quote - so dumb you want to smack yourself. She’s smart, and I think you’d get on really well.”

“Fine,” Anthony capitulates, “but you’re paying for dinner, and if it goes tits up, remember, this was all your idea.”

“Guilty as charged,” Benedict concedes, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

Twenty minutes later, you are sat around a circular table, close to Anthony, opposite Benedict, who sits close to Kate. You wouldn’t deny that Anthony is a handsome man, and you can see the family resemblance, even though his eyes are brown to Benedict’s blue. He’s different in personality, though, no-nonsense, forthright and every inch the CEO he is. Very different to Benedict’s more laid-back temperament that you are so used to. It’s obvious Anthony runs on a schedule, whereas Benedict lives in the moment.

How different they are preoccupies your mind, to the point it overshadows your listening to him as he speaks. Too caught up in your own analysis. The conversation is one-sided as he waxes lyrical about the things he loves - apparently mostly sailing and investments so far - topics you struggle to contribute to.

“Kate,” you pipe up when there is an awkward lull after you have all placed your orders. “Benedict used to live in France, just like you,” you offer as a conversation starter for them.

“Oh, where did you live?” she asks him.

“Paris. You?”

“Grenoble.”

And they sort of both look at you askance, wondering what else you can do to assist. It’s obvious there is not much chemistry there, and they are struggling even to make small talk.

“Anthony,” Benedict leaps in, seeing it is quiet on your side too, “y/n here’s parents used to live in Twickenham, right by your beloved Harlequins,” hoping that will help you.

“Urghhh, Harlequins. Really?” Kate cuts in, unable to school her disgust. You forgot about her somewhat incongruous love for rugby—what started as something about wanting to see thick thighs morphing into a whole pastime for her.

Instantly you see Anthony bristle. “What's wrong with the Harlequins?”

“Umm, I think you mean, what’s right with them, don’t you?” Kate shoots back over the table, tapping a painted nail on the surface. “Your team has been shit this year,” she opines, forthright, tossing her hair.

“What do you know about rugby?” Anthony leans in, his whole demeanour changing, suddenly looking very engaged for the first time this evening.

“More than you ever will, probably,” Kate raises a challenging eyebrow and leans back in her chair, crossing her arms.

Before you know it, they have launched into a heated, complex debate about the sport, gesturing wildly and arguing back and forth. You’ve never seen Kate so animated. And while you don’t know Anthony, anyone could read from his body language how invested he is.

Your eyes drift across the table to Benedict and his to you. Realising what is happening, feeling guilty, the person you have brought for each other is not a good match for either of you. A little shocked at how instant Kate and Anthony’s connection, albeit antagonistic, is.

As the meal is served and the wine bottle content diminishes, conversation flows easier between the four of you than your pairs. But it seems like, at every opportunity, Kate and Anthony find a reason to challenge each other on everything from what should be included in a full English breakfast to the state of politics. As your dinner plates are taken away, they are fighting about Netflix.

“You are saying people should be able to share accounts, ad infinitum? Do you have any idea how much that is abused?” Anthony decries, very much in businessman mode.

“Oh yeah, poor little rich boy Netflix. They are so impoverished they were only able to spend, what, $20 million per episode on the last series of Stranger Things? Positively bankrupt. Pass me a tiny violin,” Kate sneers rolling her eyes.

Benedict's gaze cuts to yours, concerned, but you just shrug. It seems like they are getting pleasure from riling each other up; you see how Kate’s eyes flash, and it's not in annoyance. She is stimulated by it, sparring with a handsome man who can actually keep up with her for once. It’s more than a rare thing; it’s the first time you’ve ever seen it.

So when Anthony’s phone rings and he insists he needs to take it, Kate uses the break in their bickering to head to the loos.

“Bloody hell,” Benedict blows out his cheeks as you are left alone together at the table.

“They either hate or adore each other, I think maybe both,” you opine, taking a gulp of wine.

“I’ve never seen him like this,” he confesses, shaking his head disbelieving.

“It's a long time since I've seen Kate be quite this animated, I’ll admit,” you shrug.

As dessert arrives in their continued absence, you and Benedict chat amiably, shifting your seats closer to sit next to each other. In fact, it's only as you put down the spoons after sharing a creme brûlée that you notice Kate and Anthony have been gone for quite a while now—fifteen minutes or more.

“Where are they?” you frown.

“Ant headed that way when he took his call,” Benedict states, nodding towards a corridor.

“I think that's where the loos are,” you hum, thoughtful.

You exchange looks.

“Do you think they bumped into each other and continued arguing outside? I think there’s an outdoor space back there,” his tone intrigued.

You shrug. “Maybe?”

“I need the gents anyway. Let me go check,” he smiles.

“Okay,” you nod, reaching for your phone to text Kate.

Y/N: Where are you?

You've barely scrolled through a few Insta posts when Benedict is back with what you can only describe as a haunted look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” your question is a reflex to his expression.

“Yeah, uh, they’re not fighting,” he stutters.

“What happened then?”

“Uhhh, they are umm…” you've never seen him look so awkward and embarrassed.

Then the penny drops.

“Fucking hell!”

“Yeah…” his eyebrows shoot up.

“I have to see!” you stand up.

He reaches out and grabs your elbow. “No… you really don't.”

“Are they actually fucking?” your ask is a whisper.

“Pretty much,” he exhales, “I walked away when I saw… movement.”

“Wow,” you utter, then after a few minutes of silence. “Still sort of want to see,” you murmur, and Benedict looks at you with intrigue. “What?” you add, defensive.

“Never took you for a voyeur…” he comments, an element of gravelliness there.

“Oh, come on, our best friends are fucking on some outdoor dining tables. We should at least check they are okay,” you answer in a playful tone; you cant help.

“That's my brother,” he reminds deadpan.

“OK, fine, you stay here,” you stick your tongue out fractionally, feeling his incredulous gaze as you stalk down the corridor, shooting him a wink over your shoulder as you go.

At the far end of the hallway is a glass door, and as you pull up, you survey the outside space; over to the left, there is an outdoor deck filled with outdoor dining tables. The light is low, but there indeed is Kate, perched on a table edge, her shapely, beautiful legs wrapped around Anthony, her skirt pushed up around her hips as they kiss hard. If they aren't doing it, they are doing an excellent impression of it, him rocking against her slowly, everything concealed by the expensive dark wool coat he wears.

Somehow you linger, almost hypnotised by how good they look together. Part of you is so very pleased for your friend, completely unsurprised she would just go for it like this; when she wants something, she grabs it with gusto. Apparently, that includes one Anthony Bridgerton. If you are being honest with yourself, an even more significant part of you is jealous. It’s been a while since you shared a passionate moment like that.

Taking a deep breath, realising there could well be CCTV of you peering at them, you turn around to return to your seat. At the other end of the corridor is Benedict, watching you. He looks mildly troubled, to the point you feel self-conscious as you walk towards him.

“You watched them for a while,” he comments with a slightly uneven tone, a little vein in his neck pulsing.

“They look good together, not going to lie,” you offer with a neural shrug as you pull up next to him, and something makes you look up into his eyes. His pupils are slightly dilated. It's a very beguiling look on him. You don’t seem able to look away.

“Do you often watch other people have sex?” It’s an odd cadence like he’s attempting nonchalance and failing.

“I don’t make a habit of it,” you respond truthfully, keeping your voice low, not only not to be overheard but also to ensure he has to stay close to hear it, enjoying the proximity when he seems so flustered. “I was trying to figure out if they were actually doing it or just something else.”

“Something else?”

“Maybe just hand stuff?” you suggest.

“Yeah…I shouldn’t have asked,” he admits, pulling a face. “I don’t want to think about my brother doing.. that. Or anything really.”

“Let’s get out of here then?” you offer, moving towards the table and picking up your coat from the chair back.

He glances back towards the glass door and then nods. “I already paid. We could,” he comments. “Do you think they’d be okay with it?”

“I doubt they even remember we were here tonight,” you comment dryly.

You and Benedict retire to a pub a few doors down, grabbing a drink and sitting in a quiet corner. Just as you go to take a sip, your phone pings.

Kate: Where did you go?

“Looks like they emerged,” you inform him as your fingers fly over the screen, composing a reply just as his phone pings too.

Y/N: We left. We saw you guys…

Kate: Oh… you dirty little pervs 😉

Y/N: Says the woman fucking on a public dining terrace

Kate: We weren’t fucking!! I gave him a handjob, and he fingered me at the same time.

Kate: I did it to shut him up, tbh. It worked. 😌

Kate: Such an arrogant twat.

Kate: Fuck, he has a nice cock, though.

Kate: Oh God… I really like him. 🫣

You chuckle as you watch your friend unravel in real-time. You glance up and see Benedict is head down in his phone, too, probably texting with Ant.

Kate: Fuck it. I’m going home with him. He just asked.

Kate: I can’t say no to a cock (all senses of the word) like that.

Kate: Ciao Bella xx

Kate: if you don’t hear from me in 3 days, send an SOS. I don’t want a pussy prolapse…

Y/N: Wow, the ✨romance✨

Kate: No joke, I think imma marry this one.

Y/N: 🤣🤣🤣

Kate: Bitch I’m serious. You’ll see…

“They are going home together,” you mutter to Benedict as he puts his phone down.

“So I hear,” he raises his eyebrows with a twisted lip.

“What does it say about us that we thought they would be a good match for you and me? When it seems they were a much better match for each other?” You ponder aloud, almost vulnerable in tone.

“Shut up and drink your wine,” he grumbles.

That is an entirely fair suggestion.

Benedict taglist: @makaylan @foreverlonginguniverse @iboopedyournose @colettebronte @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @margofiore @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @bridgertontess @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @eleanor-bradstreet @divaanya @musicismyoxygen84 @benedictspaintbrush @miindfucked @sorryallonsy @lilithseve @cayt0123 @hottytoddyhistory @truly-dionysus @fictionalmenloversblog @zinzysstuff @malpalgalz @panhoeofmanyfandoms @kinokomoonshine @causeimissu @delehosies @Mlovesbridgerton @m-rae23 @last-sheep @kmc1989 @desert-fern @starkeylover @corpseoftrees-queen @jeanfreau

#benedict bridgerton #benedict bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton imagine #benedict bridgerton fluff #benedict bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton x female reader #benedict bridgerton x you #benedict bridgerton x y/n #bridgerton #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton imagine #bridgerton fluff #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x female reader #bridgerton x you #bridgerton x y/n #it had to be you fic

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importantgalaxyrunaway · 2 years ago

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Chapter 3 - sallie house

AUTHORS NOTE :Y/n’s pronouns are she/her btw also in this fic it’s just you, and it’s not going to be super accurate but I’m going to try. I want this sorry to be more about y/n and Colby. Also it’s just Sam, Colby, u, and Seth in this and I’m going to deviate from the story in the video a bit bits in general they are still in the sallie house

CONTENTS: HUGE Y/N LORE DROP, fluff, lime

when we got there we met up with Seth and this medium called the black pendulum and the black pendulum holder (lol. When we get in the house I can already feel a negative presence around me. We see a portrait of a creepy looking little girl. “when we got there we met up with Seth and this medium called the black pendulum and the black pendulum holder (lol. When we get in the house I can already feel a negative presence around me. We see a portrait of a creepy looking little girl.

“this is what she would have looked like” Colby said pointing to her with his hand

We all sat down on the couch to listen to the history about the sallie house

as I looked around I got a weird feeling about this house, like a ghost was trying to reach out to me. Ever since I could remember I could feel a connection with ghosts more than anyone in my family. Except for my grandma. My grandma was an imagrant from Ireland and was always strange compared to the rest of my family. She could communicate and feel ghosts. Many people thought she was a witch. Witch she basically was. But a good one she would help heal people with her homemade remedies from her exotic garden. She had more crystals than I could count. Ever since I was little she took a shine to me she would always say

“y/n your different from this family. your just like me, Your gifted. You will be the one that carries on my legacy”

she was the only one in the family who really understood me. Before she died she gave me a necklace with a big quartz crystal on it. She said,

“ y/n I know I don’t have much time left on this earth. But I also know that you are going to face many problems in your life. This is because your gifted like me and they will seek you out. So please y/n take this necklace. I have said a spell over it to protect you. This way once I die my soul will still protect you or your loved ones in some way”

I touched my crystal necklace as I always do when I’m thinking but stopped zoning out and listened. They were talking about how the ghosts in this house like to leave deep scratches on men witch made my heart sink.

after they finished talking I ask if I could borrow Colby for a second I walked into the next room where we were alone together.

“what’s this about? We gonna make out or something?” He said jokingly

“Not exactly” I said with a faint smile “ I came to give you this” I said taking off my necklace my grandma gave to me “my grandma put a protection spell over it. So no one who wears this necklace can be touched by a ghost while there wearing it. These ghosts target men and I want you to be safe tonight” I put the necklace on him and my hands stayed behind his neck for a second.

“you would do that for me?” He said touching the necklace smiling

“I love you Colby of course I would do that”

he brought me in for a kiss. The kiss was long and passionate and grew rougher as time went on. His hands were roaming my back. The thing about Colby is he always wants to have his hands on me. But Sam called us back to the investigation. “God, can you two keep your hands of each other for 5 minutes” and we all laughed

AUTHORS NOTE: sorry this is a short chapter but I worked really hard on it thank you for reading please like I worked hard on this.

#sam and colby #colby brock x reader #colby brock fic #colby brock #colby brock fanfic #my fic #fanfic #colby brock imagine #colby brock blurb #chapter 3 #colby brock smut #colby brock x you #xplr #colby brock fluff #ghost hunting

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justapoet · 5 months ago

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these roads are changing me (but they all lead back to you)

She wanted to have it, the freedom to touch him and smother him and kiss him absolutely senseless. She wanted to know what it was like to be kissed by him, to be hugged as it meant something more, to bask in the feeling of waking up beside him knowing they belonged to each other. Annabeth wanted to belong to him. Desperately. Vocally. On purpose. She wanted to belong, but she didn't care about where in the world. But Annabeth found that she was stuck. Frozen in place and unable to make a coherent thought.

read on Ao3

chapter 1: to those who ask

chapter 2: to whose who wait

chapter 3: to those who gaze

chapter 4: to those who left

chapter 5: to those who went so far away

chapter 6: to those who remain

chapter 7: to those who never saw me

chapter 8: to those who said they would stay

chapter 9: to those left behind

to the love of my life

Annabeth Chase fell in love with Percy Jackson on an ordinary night, when the moon hid and the stars weren't strong enough to shine through the city lights.

She fell in love with him on a summer day, when the Sun wanted the world to see its brightness and the water reached the shore a little higher than the day before.

She fell in love with him at a cramped up apartment, with books and papers scattered all around as she tried again and again to draw the same line of a project she was never satisfied with, and he ordered take-out because she'd forgotten to eat.

She fell in love with him on a winter day when his face was pink and cold, and she didn't put on gloves just to press her fingers against his cheeks and feel the smile that would always spread on his face.

She fell in love with him in Spring, when being stung by a bee made him ignore his aching arm to bury the little insect under the flower he'd allegedly stolen from it.

She fell in love with him in Autumn, when he'd asked her for pictures with a scarf that resembled a song Juniper and Grover loved to sing along to, despite its full ten minutes of extension.

She fell in love with him when it was warm, and the cabin on Montauk had been cleaned three times so she wouldn't fear getting mugged by a spider.

She fell in love with him when it was cold, and he had done his best to fight his fever-induced sleepiness so they could watch Sandra Bullock falling in love with Ryan Reynolds because Annabeth just had felt the need to believe in love again.

She fell in love with him when it was rainy and the flowers she'd gotten him were a bit crumpled by the water's aggressive falling from the sky, but he cradled them with such care it made her wonder why she'd never gotten him any flowers before.

She fell in love with him when his smile was bright enough to light up the whole town the moment he'd spotted her with his swim-team cap and a huge hand-made sign over her head with a really abstract drawing (made mostly by Estelle) of him with a fish-tail.

She fell in love with him in the silence after she'd run from home again, and found herself cradled in his and Sally's arms.

She fell in love with him in August, when his eyes would always tear up at the sight of another home-baked blue cake she got progressively better at.

She fell in love with him in the loudness of the book-launch party they'd thrown in Sally's honor for her first book.

She fell in love with him in April, when he showed up at her house with a highly unreliable blue ice-cream and a batch of brownies in his backpack, smiling blindly just because.

She fell in love with him on Sunday when the next morning already haunted her and he decided that there was no right or wrong time for ice cream.

She fell in love with him in May, when he hugged her over and over because of the surprise trip to the newest aquarium in the area.

She fell in love with him on Thursday when they picked a new place to visit and made written reviews to trade at the end of the night, and the company spot was always five stars (and a heart, when she got his paper).

She fell in love with him in September, when he shared with her his jelly after a nasty fall on a skateboard had landed him in the ER with a mild concussion.

She fell in love with him on Wednesday when he trusted her with the keys of his blue jeep and asked her to just drive as far as she could with the windows down and a random playlist blaring in their ears.

She fell in love with him in March, when, at two in the morning, he decided he had enough information on sharks to write a whole paper by her side, as she finished another project.

She fell in love with him in November, when his eyes lit up at the most hideous, terribly knit sweater she had made him just because she wanted to.

She fell in love with him in January, when she lost, over and over, the snowball war they'd waged in Paul's mother's backyard.

She fell in love with him on Friday when the week caught up to their shoulders and still there was always disposition for a batch of blue cookies.

She fell in love with him in June, when the twelfth was a reason for chocolate because somewhere in the south-hemisphere was celebrating Valentine’s Day.

She fell in love with him at ten in the morning, when he had spent the entire night playing something online with Jason and forgotten to sleep, and woken up with crumpled hair when she tossed a pillow at his head.

She fell in love with him in December, when there was no one in New York happier about Christmas lights and trees and terrible-looking hoodies.

She fell in love with him on Tuesday, when nothing really happened but she remembered, randomly around the clock, that he existed and was a real person walking around the surface of the Earth.

She fell in love with him at nine in the night, when there wasn’t a bad time to take a dive in the sea.

She fell in love with him in July when her birthday was a quiet matter with the brightest smiles and the most thoughtful gifts.

She fell in love with him in October and February when his eyes were kind and his touch was sweet as she cried her eyes out over stupid, stupid romantic movies.

She fell in love with him, and suddenly she wasn't afraid of heights.

She fell in love with him, and the ocean didn't seem such a big thing to compare anything to.

She fell in love with him, and wished she believed in an afterlife so she could see him again.

She fell in love with him, and suddenly rationality wasn't the answer to anything, anymore.

She fell in love with him.

And so it happened.

She fell in love with him.

She fell.

She falls.

✉

"Where do you want to go from here?" Percy asked from the bedroom, and she could hear the way he — very violently, it's safe to note — dried his hair with a towel. A part of her wanted desperately to admonish his actions, because that was the last thing someone with such pretty curls for a hair should ever do, but Annabeth found that she was stuck.

Frozen in place and unable to make a coherent thought.

They had gotten to Venice two days before, and walked around the same parts of the city for as long as their feet could manage to bear their weight. Her phone, she was sure, would soon start overheating if they kept taking the amount of pictures they did — but she couldn’t help the need to register every single detail of every place and town and city their eyes scanned around them.

It was an hour into being settled in the hotel before they had gotten on gondolas and just floated around the channels, chatting happily with the lovely man with the rows and silently thanking Nico for the forced Italian lessons he decided to give their group after Leo had forced them to learn Spanish. All throughout the day, Annabeth’s smile didn’t falter, unlike her heart, with Percy by her side, looking a lot like a child who'd gotten the best remote-control car ever for Christmas, absolutely thriving while being in a roadless, floating town.

His smile was blinding all throughout the day, and Annabeth's expression mirrored his — she couldn't help it. Percy's excitement left no other option but to join him in silly smiles and unrestrained laughter, none of them caring much when they laughed too loud and attracted confused pairs of eyes in their direction. The people were used, probably, to tourists at that point in living there.

And now, as the sun began to set on the third day they were on Italian soil, they had retired earlier just to share one lazy night together. The day had been warm, and they'd walked their fair share while touring shops and cafés and restaurants (because Percy had a mission while in Italy, and it was to leave with more pounds in weight than he had arrived with), and their sore legs were almost nothing compared to their sore cheeks at so many sights and sighs and pictures.

They were having lunch in a Google-recommended restaurant — that deserved the praise and recommendation, that was for sure — when Annabeth decided that she would do something about the butterflies in her stomach and the fluttering of her heart. Percy was laughing, and she was smiling, and she didn't know if she wanted to snap a picture of his face just to have it stored somewhere, the sight, or go on and take one of the beautiful arrangements of the plate because it was what they usually did.

She wanted to kiss him, too, when the dessert came and his eyes lit up at the mere sight of the waiter carrying the plate. She wanted to kiss him when he smiled, when he laughed, when his face got dirty because he had no manners when sweets were involved — she wanted to kiss him when he asked for another desert to take home, and when they got up and he tangled their arms together.

She wanted to kiss him and hug him and wrap her arms around him a little bit possessively when a gorgeous european lady was clearly hitting on him, and Percy didn't have a clue, because he had always been that way. She wanted to hold his hand and know it meant more to the both of them — she wanted it to mean more on purpose.

Annabeth wanted to belong to him. Desperately. Vocally. On purpose.

With purpose. Of spending her life loving him openly — clearly, in a way that Percy could see it, too, and know that it meant something.

She wanted to have that, to have him, anywhere they wandered to. Venice, Lille, Paris, Athens, Rome, Zurique, Lucerna, Lisbon, London, Lima, Rio, Brussels, Vienna, San Francisco, New York.

She wanted to belong, but she didn't care about where in the world.

And so, when they got back to the small apartment they were staying in, Annabeth had let him take a shower first, and headed straight to the folder that she kept safe and far on her backpack, taking out the last letter she had tucked in there. It was a bit more crumpled than the others, the amount of times she'd read it before and throughout their trip making it a little worse for wear — it wasn't a recent letter, though it had been one of the last ones she'd written.

She'd known who the letter was for from the beginning. But it took a while (a really long one) for her to admit it, to make it real on paper as well.

And as she walked back to the cozy living room, she could hear Percy's less than tuned sing-along to The Little Mermaid's live action's 'Wild Uncharted Waters'. Annabeth couldn't help but chuckle, smiling widely and shaking her head.

Terrible for the neighbors.

A blessing for her very, very unsteady heart.

A sudden wave of fear hit her, then, and Annabeth stopped moving, frozen on spot as if lightning had hit her and petrified her muscles. Her throat tightened, and she pressed her lips against each other as she swallowed dryly.

Those small blessings, those little moments they shared in the secrecy of their friendship, were far too precious for her to risk. Weren't they? To have him like that, carefree and comfortable and just so damn sweet, was worth risking?

Was it worth it, a heartbreak over the skipping beats she had lived with for so long?

And so, when Percy had gotten out of the shower and talked to her, Annabeth couldn't move.

She couldn't move, couldn't change the way she was sitting on the couch, cross-legged as her hands held carefully to the last piece of paper she had found among the things she didn't think she had kept. Her eyes darted carefully through all the nearly non-existent details over the folded sheet, the same she'd been staring at for a quite worrisome amount of time.

She knew, to some extent, and was confident that things would be perfectly fine after she'd given him the letter for his curious eyes to discover. Annabeth was perfectly sure, just as she was about most things she knew and learned and taught, that the outcome wasn't dangerous, whatever it was — they'd still be the two of them, and things would work out completely well. Not for her heart, perhaps, but she knew her soul wouldn't be torn apart, in the end.

Because, while the consequence of knowing Percy was to love him, the opposite also proved itself to be true. To love him is to know him — know all the smallest details of his face and expressions, of his gestures and the tone of his voice. She knew what to expect of his reactions, and what to never expect of his words and actions; she knew him. And had for a really long time.

Which made her overthinking and the hammering of her heart to be incredibly irrational, as well.

But, Annabeth supposed, it was inevitable when dealing with matters of the heart; the only few things she could never learn thoroughly despite her very best efforts, despite all her dedication. She could try to convince herself all she wanted, and Annabeth knew it would never worked as she'd planned it — she'd still get breathless upon the sight of him, still get heartbroken at his absence, and still fall over and over in love with the man she'd met so many times, in so many ways.

She hoped, secretly as she carried her feelings and truths, that she'd get the chance to meet him again — she hoped, and prayed, that she'd meet him in the middle.

"Like, I know we're not making plans and such, but do you have anywhere in mind?" he continued, his voice getting closer to where she was. His feet were bare against the flooring, and he had put the towel back in the bathroom at some point of her mind-turmoil. "South, or west, or staying here for longer?"

She didn't move or reply, and Annabeth could almost see with the back of her head as he stopped moving. She could picture the crease in between his eyebrows, and how he squinted his eyes in worry. She wanted to laugh. But she couldn't quite breathe as her lungs should.

It's Percy, she reminded herself. Your Percy. He deserves to know.

And she deserved to tell him, as well, and take this one leap of faith.

Because in her very core, she knew that she couldn't fall without him jumping and falling right after her.

"Annabeth?" Percy called. "Are you alright?" he asked, now rounding the couch and flopping by her side, his eyes concerned as he took in the scene — Annabeth, unmoving as stone, holding a piece of folded paper and eyes glued to it. She wasn't sure she was even blinking. "Wise Girl?" he called again, his voice low and even more concerned.

She inhaled sharply. As she exhaled, she closed her eyes.

"There's one more letter," she said, sober and only high enough that he could hear it. Percy's eyes, so bright while looking at her, had this worried expression not as well hidden as he thought it was. She turned his head to look at him, again. It made her as breathless as it always did. "That I've been keeping and carrying around, too."

Percy's smile was kind, his features softening.

"Oh?" he expressed, adjusting his position beside her so he could face her more easily. "Well, that's just perfect. One more thrill to look for. One more remittee to figure out," he smiled, and Annabeth felt her heart swelling in her chest.

Her smile, she was sure, was completely love drunk as she spoke again.

"Yeah," she agreed, and stretched out her arm to offer him the folded letter. "This one's a little more personal, though. Not that the others weren't, but—" she shrugged. "This one's a bit more," she settled with it. Her arm was still stretched out, and her hand was shaking a little. The uncertain rhythm of her heart might've been the cause, or just the anticipation for his reaction. Percy, forever careful and thoughtful as he was, sent her a look that asked her if she was sure she wanted him to read it.

She nodded.

It was high time she stopped running away from him. From them.

She didn't have the energy, the need, and much less the desire to keep pulling away.

Percy took the folded paper, and carefully opened it up, still looking at her face. Annabeth tried to smile in encouragement, but her mind was working overdrive, and it was hard to try to settle his feelings when hers were all over the place, over the letter, over them both. With one of his hands, Percy reached for her leg and squeezed it, assuring.

"Are you sure you want me to read it? We can figure out a receiver some other way," he asked, concerned at how private it was, and she shook her head.

"Not this one, we can't," she assured him. "I really want you to read it," Annabeth replied, trying to sound as honest and sure as she felt. Percy nodded, smiling again, and she really thought her heart would fly out of her chest through her ribs the moment his blue eyes looked down at the paper.

She watched his pupils and irises move as he took in the first line. The vocative. The one she'd changed, with a blue pen over the black ink, so many moons ago. The same blue she'd signed the letter with, contrary to all the others.

He stopped.

"Annabeth—" he tried, looking up at her with alarmed, wide blue eyes, and she didn't let him finish.

"Read it," she asked, and it sounded a lot like a plea. "Please."

She could see how he held his breath when he nodded. The tension over his shoulders when he looked back down at the paper. How he didn't dare to breathe as his eyes moved again.

Annabeth knew him too well not to notice, and her leg started to move in her anxiety as he took in each word written there. She knew them all, back to front. She'd read it, and reread it, and read it again just to be sure she had conveyed what she meant — she didn't, she couldn't, not really. There weren't enough words around the globe that could precisely make him make sense. The two of them, though? Even less.

She knew each word, and knew which parts took him longer to take in. The text was as familiar as the freckles over his nose and the feeling of her own hand in his. The words were as well-known as the whirlwind of his curls and the way his smile was so kind to her. Everything on that sheet was just as common, as familiar, as recognizable as the heartbeats inside her chest.

And as she waited, Annabeth couldn't help but go through the letter one more time, just to be sure. Just to be her — the overthinker she'd always been.

"To the love of my life, Percy Jackson,

read the rest on Ao3

#percabeth #percy jackson #annabeth chase #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #pjo fandom #my writing #fanfic #justapoet writes #these roads

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hesbuckcompton-baby · 9 months ago

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Better Off - Bernard DeMarco x OFC - Chapter 4

AO3

Summary: Years before Susie's arrival at Thorpe Abbotts, one fateful loss changes the course of her life forever

Warnings: Grief, death, language, ANGST, dysfunctional family idk

Word Count: 2.9k

Tags: @xxluckystrike @latibvles @footprintsinthesxnd @mads-weasley @joyfulbookreviewmarvelspy

January, 1941

The church was quiet, rows of pews worn and bare. Sunlight flooded in through the tall, narrow windows, casting blocks of light against whitewashed walls, and the low, gentle chatter of guests in the doorway did nothing to rouse Susie from her daze, huddled at the furthest end of the front row of pews, tucked into the corner as if it would make her invisible. An old bible rested on the bench beside her, tattered and yellowed, and she ran her thumb across the blunted corners of the paper, never venturing far enough to open it, the words repulsive to her.

Her mother's voice always plucked itself from a crowd, that warm, Irish lilt in stark contrast against the rough, Mancunian drawl possessed by her children, as if they belonged to the city before they did her. She didn't bother listening in to the others' conversations - didn't try to distinguish the voices of strangers from those of her blood. None of them could have had anything even remotely interesting to say to her.

The pew creaked beside her, and Susie glanced up as Beatrice took her seat, leaving a few metres of separation between the pair of them. Three years her elder, her sister dressed head-to-toe in black, gloved hands clutching at her purse, hair curling neatly below her ears, immaculately done makeup obscured by the veil that hung in front of her face. Susie looked down at her own clothes - a white button down, an old brown skirt - it wasn't right, wasn't traditional or proper, but it was what she had.

"No husband?" She asked, a hint of an edge lacing her voice. Beatrice sucked in a long breath, chest heaving with the weight of it.

"No. He's busy."

"I bet he is."

Finally turning to look at her, venom in her gaze, Beatrice opened her mouth to speak, Susie already itching to interrupt her. But both fell silent, jaws snapping shut as another figure sat down in between them, a human barrier to prevent the inevitable spat before it could form.

"Always classy, girls," Sally huffed, newborn cradled in one arm, the other elbow propped up against the back of the pew as she kept an eye on her other son.

Beatrice sighed, posture relaxing as she let go of the offensive. No one questioned Sally - the eldest sister who had lifted them in her arms the way she now did her own children, who had wiped their tears and cleaned their scraped knees when their parents had been preoccupied. So much older and wiser than the rest of them, there was a removal there, as if she could no longer quite be considered their sister, their equal.

Susie shifted in her seat, wincing slightly as a dull ache shot through her thigh. She could feel Sally's gaze fixed on her. "Susie," She spoke gently, the infant in her arms gurgling away to itself. "How long have you been sitting here?"

"Four hours."

"Jesus Christ," Beatrice muttered, staring up at the altar, unable to tear her eye from the framed photo of Ellie that beamed back at them. They'd chosen a photo of her as a child - why had they done that? That wasn't the Ellie she'd pulled from the rubble the morning after the bombs had fallen. That wasn't the Ellie shut away inside the casket. She didn't remember her that way. Anyone who did wasn't welcome here in Susie's eyes.

A clatter of books against the stone floor sounded behind them as Sally's other son knocked over a pile of Bibles, guilt flushing his cheeks a bright red as the crowd gathered by the door turned to stare. With a quick summons from his mother, he scrambled to his seat, little feet dangling over the edge of the pew, hands fidgeting restlessly. She heaved a long, heavy sigh, unable to look at the altar for more than a few seconds at a time. "At least she's with dad now."

Susie hummed. She didn’t have the heart to tell her she didn’t believe in God anymore.

They were separated irreparably now. Even today, not everyone was here. Ronnie and Patrick were still away fighting overseas, and Nancy had been noisily sobbing in the back corner since she arrived, her son sitting awkwardly in the opposite pew waiting for it all to be over. The sound of footsteps along the aisle drew Susie's gaze, and something lifted within her.

"Owen," She breathed, jumping to her feet and bounding over to meet her big brother. His eyes were bloodshot, gaze jittery and unable to meet hers - but then again, he never had liked to look her in the eye. She didn't mind it. Her hand found his arm, pressing reassuringly against the sleeve of his uniform, adorned with the emblem of the RAF Medical Services. "Come sit down, yeah?"

"Is-... Is she in the box?" He asked quietly, nervously glancing at the pallbearers.

Susie frowned, brow drawn. "No," She lied. "No, Ellie's not in there. It's just tradition - what Ma wanted."

"Ok. Yeah, ok, I'll sit," Owen nodded, and she noticed the fresh tears soaking the cuff of his sleeve from where he'd wiped them away on his way in. She offered him the seat that had once been hers, letting him press his body into the wood at the end of the bench, shying away from the crowds, shoulder hunched to avoid brushing against hers. Owen had never quite been considered normal - Ronnie used to get into trouble for beating other boys up at school in defence of his little brother - but it had only meant he never minded that Susie wasn't quite normal either. There was a solidarity in that, a shared acceptance that they weren't how the world tried to shape them.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Everyone cried during the ceremony. Everyone except Susie.

A nauseating guilt swelled within her as her brother and sisters quietly wept at her sides, and she squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she possibly could, willing a tear to fall, manifesting some sign of the grief within. What must they have thought of her? Her cold stare overseeing it all, flinching at every prayer. It was the perfect protestant funeral, the kind only their mother could have mustered.

She couldn't have left fast enough once it was all over, Owen's gentle grip on her cardigan using her as a guide through the crowds as they wormed their way through towards the door. Their house was a mere five doors down from the church, a looming presence throughout their childhood, a lingering reminder that someone was watching. But even in her home, she wasn't spared the misery.

Susie scarcely recognised half the people at Ellie's wake - crowding the kitchen, sitting in their chairs and lingering in the stairwell. What did any of them know - truly know - about her sister? Had they even had time to know her? Nineteen was too young to die. Too young for death to have any meaning. If the bombs had to kill someone, they should've killed Susie. At least then there'd have been some semblance of military strategy to it. No one won wars by slaughtering teenagers.

There was an empty cup in her hand as she sat at the kitchen table. She couldn't remember what had been in it. Upon the stove, the kettle was boiling, splitting the din of chatter with its unrelenting squeal. She squeezed the glass so tight she worried it might shatter, knuckles turning white with the pressure. Her mother passed behind her, absent-mindedly stroking her hair, warm palm skimming against her scalp. She wanted it to stay, wanted to lean back into it, but it was gone as soon as it came. Susie pushed her chair out, the legs screeching across the floor, bumping into a man she'd never met as she stood up, shouldering her way to the door.

It was almost silent in the attic, layers of brick and wood muffling the sound of voices. Laying back on her bed, she stared up at the roofing beams, the lingering smell of Ellie's perfume permeating the bedsheets. From the day she'd been old enough to leave the crib they'd shared this bed, shunting Patrick onto the narrow one in the corner - this was the girls' space, the floral quilts a private temple where only they existed. Lying on her side of it now, it felt uneven, like the whole thing would lose balance and tip over sideways, Ellie's presence necessary to its survival. Or maybe she was just necessary for Susie's.

Dust floated on the air, catching the light that flowed in through a leak in the ceiling. Her hand rested on the other side of the bed, the vague imprint of Ellie's body still engraved into the old mattress. It needed replacing years ago, but suddenly it was invaluable. On Christmas Eve night, the night after she'd died, Susie had stayed up all through the dark, lying in the impression of her sister, terrified it would lose her outline if she just left it there. But it never did.

The house had never been so full and so empty. Her brothers were aiding the war effort, billeted all over the place. Her sisters had all gotten married - found their own homes to raise their own children. She and Ellie had stayed up here in their attic, tucked beneath the covers like little girls again.

A creak on the stairs ripped her from her trance, her mother's head peering up through the trap door.

"I didn't know you were up here."

"That's ok."

Each floorboard let out an agonised creak as she crossed them, hands folded nervously at her front. Freshly forty years old, she looked at least a decade older, heavy bags of exhaustion tugging down on her eyelids. She wore the only black dress she owned, spotted with white polka dots, a stubborn coffee stain browning the hem where she could never quite scrub it away. The bed rocked towards Ellie's side as she climbed beneath the sheets, laying down in the space she had once owned.

All at once she seemed a child, tugging the blankets up to her chin, eyes squeezed shut as if willing sleep to claim her. She turned into Susie's side, pulling in a long breath. She wondered if she could smell Ellie here too.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" She asked meekly, like a girl begging her parents after a nightmare.

Susie's head lolled to the side, brow furrowed as she looked over at her. "Yeah, sure Ma. I'll go downstairs."

"Please don't."

It was silent for a while. Then the rustling of sheets sounded as Susie turned onto her side facing away from her mother, unable to bear staring at her for too long. She scarcely knew the woman lying next to her. She could count on one hand the number of times she'd climbed the steps to read them to sleep up here. Long gone were the days when Susie wished she would, but her absence could still be read in the room - in the drawings on the walls that no one had ever been scolded for, that no one had ever tried covering up because no one ever came to see them. This was their own little world, and she wasn't sure she wanted her mother up here at all.

"I'm sorry if I was a bad Ma," She spoke, voice muffled slightly by the pillow.

Susie took a deep breath, shoulders rising and falling with it. "You tried."

If nothing else, she knew that was true. Her mother had tried. She'd made half a dozen breakfasts with a baby on one hip. She'd read every report card and double-checked their homework when she managed to understand it. She'd stifled the pain of becoming a widow to tend to the pain of a bumped head or bruised elbow.

But she'd also let them go to bed hungry. She'd lied to their schools about their birthdays so they could drop out before their time. She'd been too poor and had too many children, and Susie wasn't sure she'd ever forgive her for it.

She needed to leave this house. The prospect of sleeping alone in this bed was worse than any other fate she could imagine. Already she could feel herself sticking - if she didn't tear herself away now she never would. Could she truly face driving past the wreckage of the factories every day on her way to Ridgeway? It would take months to rebuild. Months of remembering the moment she'd see her face, blood streaking through the brick dust, eyes half open and unseeing.

"Get some sleep. I'll bring you up some tea when everyone's left," Susie muttered, peeling the sheets away from her body and climbing out of bed, rubbing her eyes with the balls of her palms.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Beatrice stood on the doorstep, a cloud of cigarette smoke wafting in front of her face as she watched a child play in the gutter outside the wash house across the yard. The four walls that encircled their court of back-to-backs had once been their entire world. She remembered it looking bigger than this. There were rumours they'd be knocking houses like these down soon - no one wanted to move into them, these dilapidated remnants of a time long passed.

The sound of feet scuffing against tile alerted her to Susie's presence, sliding into the doorway beside her, wordlessly extending her hand for a cigarette. Beatrice passed one to her, holding out a lighter, the pair exhaling puffs of smoke simultaneously.

Who were they to each other? Susie stared back at her sister and realised she didn't have any idea.

"Ellie always used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up," She mused, watching on as the child across the yard was hurried inside by its mother, casting them a sympathetic glance as she went.

"She asked everyone that."

"Yeah. But she asked me the most, 'cause I never had an answer."

"Do you have one now?"

"... Don't think so."

The war made dreams insignificant. Nothing was about how they wanted to live anymore, everything was about what others needed them to be.

Beatrice had long discarded her hat, its presence remembered in the halo of frizz it left behind around her scalp. "What did she want to be again?"

"It was a ballerina for a while, then a painter I think. Or a writer. Might've been both."

"Don't forget when she wanted to be a scientist."

"Of course. And a pilot."

They'd begun to smile. When it had happened, she couldn't recall. But Ellie's mind had always been so far away, so filled to burst with a million dreams and ideas and fantasies that no one had any clue what she would go on to do. In the end, she did nothing. She had wished to change the world, and she had died on the floor of a textile mill.

A man in uniform came down the alleyway into the yard, hands folded politely behind his back as he approached the house. His gaze was fixed on Beatrice, as if Susie wasn't there at all.

"Car for you, ma'am."

"Thanks," She nodded, stomping her cigarette butt out on the front step. Taking a few steps away from the house, she turned, letting out a sigh as she fumbled with her purse. "Let Mum know I've gone, yeah? And Nancy."

"You're not staying for dinner?"

For a moment a look of shock flashed across her sister's face, as if appalled she'd even ask. "No. I need to be back in London by the time William gets home."

"Why? Not like you cook or anything."

Beatrice stared at her for a moment, grip on her bag tightening. "Mind your business, Susie."

Susie flicked her cigarette into the puddle at her sister's feet, the door closing on her with a slam. As she came inside, Nancy reached the bottom of the stairs, glancing out of the window behind her.

"Beatrice left?"

"Fucking bitch," She muttered, dragging one of the chairs away from the table to sit down.

"Don't say that."

"Fine. I love it when she comes up here in her fancy car to grace us with her condescending presence and remind us all that she doesn't have to be poor anymore."

Nancy gnawed at the inside of her cheek, wordlessly refilling the kettle and placing it on the stovetop. Her eyes were still red, and Susie suspected she'd gone upstairs to cry again. She'd always been the sensitive one of the bunch.

"I'm moving out," She said, the words seeming to echo back to her in the tiny kitchen.

"... Alright." Nancy nodded, something tight in her tone, as if she'd spoken through clenched teeth. "... Where will you go?"

"I was looking at Norfolk. There's some positions open down there, I could actually get promoted."

"That's a long way."

"... Yeah, Nance."

That's the fucking point.

#masters of the air #masters of the air oc #masters of the air fic #bernard demarco #bernard demarco x oc #fic | better off #demarco x susie #oc: susie

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expresso-bean · 7 days ago

Text

The Man Out of Time [A Shadamy and Silver Story]: Chapter 7

Pairing: Shadow the Hedgehog x Amy Rose

Description: It has been seven years of peace following the grueling war with Eggman and his army. Though it took time to rebuild what they have lost, life for the Freedom Fighters could not be better. Whether it's finding love or trying to run from their past, celebrating post-war times has been different for each them.

All is well until a silver hedgehog comes knocking on Amy Rose's door to deliver the tragic news about an incredible force that seems to be the cause of the future's destruction.

Will anyone believe the mysterious hedgehog's cry for help? Or will he be left to fight for his future alone? Read to find out!

Warnings: None

Word Count: 7.8k

POV: Amy Rose

Masterlist ❀ Ch.1 ❀ Ch.2 ❀ Ch.3 ❀ Ch.4 ❀ Ch.5 ❀ Ch.6

Everything that I thought I knew and understood was crashing down at my feet, and I have yet to process all the feelings inside my body and mind. Love, fear, anger, and doubt were all mixing together in my stomach. I felt nauseous just thinking about everything that might or would happen. It was so fresh in my memory, and I could feel it killing me. There is still so much that I don't seem to understand, and I guess I will have to figure it out since S refuses to tell me anything.

S was so mysterious yet burdened by the pain and loss of his broken future. I hope that we will be enough to save not only the lives of millions but save S's sanity as well and ease him from the pain that he never wanted nor deserved.

I was on the floor, leaning against the side of my bed. I was huddled up with my knees to my chest. Shadow was sleeping on my bed, physically and mentally exhausted by his grievous flashback earlier that night. I moved my knees from the uncomfortable position that I put myself in and peeked my head over the side of the bed. Shadow's body was sprawled over the bed with a blanket that was only covering his chest area. I couldn't help but stare and smile at his angelic sleepiness. He appeared so calm and at peace, as if the events that happened tonight were solely lost in the shadows.

'Oh, Shadow, how am I supposed to save the future? You always know what to do, yet I know this time, not even you can give me an explanation.'

I went back to sulking on the ground. Although my body demanded sleep, my eyes were yet to grow heavy and instead were wide awake and alert. I peered at the clock and sighed.

'3:30 a.m. huh? Just my luck.'

My mind pondered at the words that S said to me earlier, about his family. Certainly, he had a family, but I couldn't help but grow bitter that these monsters took away the only thing he loved. His mother died, and his father was never the same. This was the recipe for a disastrous mental state of mind. It was heartbreaking to even hear about it, mostly because I know how it feels to lose someone close to you. And although it was hard to admit, I don't think I could ever take it as well as S had demonstrated to me. And as he said, I felt like a shadow of what I used to be, still trying to recover from his loss to this day. Yet, despite S's own difficulties, he still sought us out to give us a better future. His nobility was admirable. His charismatic attitude toward life shines through him, even with the threat of death looking at him in the face.

I spent the rest of the night thinking about S meeting the others. Thinking of all the different heinous and virtuous outcomes that might happen was putting my already anxious and paranoid mind under considerable strain. The only thing keeping me remotely sane was the hope that everyone would take it as a serious matter that could be prevented.

'I should probably text them. I'll have them come first thing in the morning!'

I quickly grabbed my phone from the nightstand beside me and texted Sonic, Sally, Tails, Cream, Rouge, and Knuckles.

'Come to my house at around 8 in the morning. I have something to tell all of you. It's an emergency.'

As I watched the morning sunrise, I had this sense of incompetence for not being able to sleep again. All the promises I made to myself were shattering, and I could feel the physical effects of the lack of sleep taking over my body. And I don't think I will be able to take on these 'villains' while sleep-deprived. The squeaking of the bed frame from someone moving drew me out of my thoughts.

"Rose? Rose, where are you?"

I peered from the side of the bed to see Shadow, who was sitting up with a hand on his head. He looked so vulnerable and scared. What happened to him?

"Shadow, I'm right here!" My voice was nervous and frantic since I hadn't gotten enough sleep, I felt like my whole world was on edge. Finally, I watched him breathe a sigh of relief, and his once clenched teeth turned into a smile. "Is something wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing I-, I thought you left. Rose, what are you doing on the floor?"

I quickly got up and put on a smile to try and ease his concern. Being worried about other people is the last thing Shadow needs. Ever since we came back from the alley S and I found him in, he acted strange. He opened it with me, letting me in for the first time. This wasn't the first time these flashbacks have happened, and although he does his best to bury and run away from the past, it always feels like it's slowly catching up to him. Yet, this time was different from the others. He said that his flashbacks come randomly and last for about 5 to 10 seconds. And although it pained him to think about it, this time he can feel the emotions of his past self, something that never happened before. According to him, he has felt this odd sensation since he left my house. He was gone for a little over thirty minutes before we went out looking for him. The thought of him suffering alone gives me chills down my spine, not to mention the immense guilt I felt for letting him leave the way he did.

He told me that he did care about my decisions, about the people who surround me, and most importantly, he cared about me and my own well-being. He told me that he wouldn't forgive himself if anything were to happen to me. Although his words touched me and made me fall for him more, I knew it was dangerous to care about someone so much. I didn't want to burden him. Especially if what S said was true, if something unfortunate were to occur to me, the last person I would like to take the fault is Shadow. I wanted to distance myself from him, but I knew I would only end up hurting not only him but myself as well. I resented every aspect of this situation. If I didn't fight these villains, it would cost the lives of millions of innocent people, including my friends. And if I were to go through this, I would be risking my own life, and damaging the lives of everyone I cared about.

I looked at Shadow, who was ignoring the silence that stood between us and continued to stare at me, waiting for an answer.

"Sorry I couldn't sleep. I was up all night thinking about, well," Shadow frowned a bit and looked straight at my door, away from my gaze. "everything."

"Rose, you need your rest. The lack of sleep is making you overthink, and it's harming your health. Don't do that to yourself. Please. It pains me more than anything to see you in this state."

I sighed, mostly in disappointment. It's not like I was depriving myself of sleep on purpose, it felt like someone was keeping me awake. And that person was him.

"I know, it's just that...the memory of him is still fresh in my mind. As if everything I went through with him had just happened yesterday. But I don't know why! Why now? I already accepted the fact that he will never come back to me. It's been hard getting over it for the last ten years, but that doesn't mean I let it get in the way of me living my own life. But now all of a sudden, I could practically feel his presence in my mind! And I have no reason why it's scaring me so much," I stared at Shadow for a reaction but got nothing but empty stares not even directed towards me. "You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you?"

"No," Shadow looked taken aback. I felt like crying. I didn't have the strength to. "Who are you talking about?"

"Never mind, just forget I said anything."

I sighed and made my way towards the door.

"I invited everyone here to give them an explanation of what's going on. Like it or not, you need to be there. They have the right to know the lives that are at stake."

Before he could even say anything, I left into the emptiness of the hallway. I shut the door quickly but quietly, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

'So much for caring, right?'

I wiped my tears as I put on a fake smile. I made my way downstairs to check on S and prepare something for everyone else when they got here. I know I was asking a lot of them to show up, so the least I could do was provide breakfast. As I went to check the couch, I noticed that S was missing, and in his place was a pile of neatly folded blankets. Thinking the worst, I went to look in the bathrooms to make sure he was okay, but they came up empty. I ran back to the living room and still, he wasn't there.

"S! S, where are you!?"

"Amy? I'm in your kitchen!"

The sound of S's voice made relief spew inside my body, and a tired smile appeared on my face. I sauntered over to the kitchen to see S cooking dinosaurs-shaped chicken nuggets, a bunch of scrambled eggs with sausage mixed into them and blending some pink slushed drink. I watched in awe as the glow of blue magic lingered over the kitchen. The light was working on the blender in one corner, while next to him, the magic was stirring eggs in the pan. I was still getting used to the fact that he was able to use his telekinetic powers to stop people in their tracks and multitask. S himself was managing the 'nugget station.'

Although the smell of all the food was heavenly, I raised an eyebrow at the chicken nuggets, especially since it was breakfast.

"Good morning, Amy! I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to make breakfast for everyone coming!" The look of his concentration and his smile made me feel happy. Yesterday was an emotional catastrophe, and this was a huge step up for him. "I thought a full belly would better ease them into the news."

"Morning, S. I don't mind your cooking; it all looks delicious. I just got worried you left or something had happened to you. After all that happened yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if you had packed your bags and hit the road. I mean, not that I want you to! Because if you had left, I would not only miss you, but I would look like a complete moron in front of all my friends. But mostly, I would miss you, S."

"I knew what you meant, Amy," I saw him smile as he turned off the heat for the Dino nuggets and made use of his powers to pile them all up in a perfect stack. "I really am thankful for you. After all, you're the first person to actually believe me and defend me on why I'm here in the first place. I would never leave without telling you first."

I watched as his golden eyes shifted from the nuggets to me as he finished his sentence. A smile-filled face quickly turned into concern, I heard the sharpness of the blender come to a stop, the spatula drop into a pile of eggs, and the mystical blue magic disappeared without reason. S rushed over to me and cupped his hands on my cheeks, moving them from side to side.

"Amy, what happened to you! It looks like you got punched in both eyes!"

'I didn't think I looked that bad. I need to look in a mirror more often.'

"Did you even sleep today?" I laughed nervously as S still had his hands on my face. "What happened?"

"I didn't; I just couldn't." S finally let go of my face as he rushed to turn off the stove and take the spatula out of the food. He looked dazed and concerned, but he didn't really say anything after what I said. I stood there in silence for about a minute before turning around, deciding it would be best to leave him be. "But it wasn't anyone's fault but mine."

"Was it because of what I told you?"

I quickly turned to look at him, and he was pouring a glass of the pink smoothie that he had made. I sighed and gave him a reassuring look.

"No, I wasn't because of you. I haven't been able to sleep well for the last couple of days. I've been thinking of someone from my past for a while now, but I have no idea why. I managed through 10 years without giving a good thought about him, and now he is all that plays in my mind. It just keeps me awake for some reason. Believe me, I could, I would love to sleep, but I just can't!"

I could see his expression soften, and he stepped closer to me.

"Amy, I know how hard it is to run from a past you don't want to remember, but believe me, you can't keep blaming and punishing yourself for something that wasn't your fault. I know your lying to me when you said you never thought about him for ten years, but in reality, you spent ten years beating yourself up because you thought he left because of something that you did. You need to find a way to forgive yourself for something that you never did."

I looked disappointed with every word that came out of his mouth, mostly because it was all true. But the difference between now and then was that I didn't let it get to me, and I was able to keep my emotions in check around my friends. Now I'm a complete wreck who was paranoid and tired beyond belief.

"I know, and you're right. You know, I really don't talk about him that often. Really, only Sonic and Sally know." I paused and gave out a weak laugh, mostly out of embarrassment upon remembering the mess of emotions I turned into the last time I told someone about him. "Come to think of it, I don't even think Shadow or anyone else knows either."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I wouldn't want to pry or anything."

"No," I shook my head. I hadn't talked about him since I was a girl. Maybe, if I tell him, it wouldn't hurt that bad. "I don't. But please, let me vent a bit?"

S nodded. The stove turned off. His eyes were attentive on me.

"I was seven, and he was twelve when our parents died during one of Eggman's first attacks, but of course, we didn't know that back then. Both of us were forced to grow up quicker than we wanted to. He had gotten a job at the age of twelve, working for some farmer who gave us free food. He had always thought about me, even in times where I acted unfairly, he was still there for me. I loved him to death, mostly because he was the only family I had left. Three years had passed then, and even when things seemed hopeless, he always stood by my side. But just because he took care of me and protected me, it doesn't mean that he was emotionally present. He was always entirely distanced from me, and he even got a new job without telling me! It was strange. The last time I saw him was when he went to work. I remembered that he hugged me, kissed my forehead, and told me that he loved me more than anything. I waited for him for days, weeks, months, even a full year until I decided to look for him. All that I had left of him was a little box, a note, and a bracelet. I don't wear it anymore since I was scared it would break. I remember waiting for him for so long, mostly because it was weird for me to have him leave so suddenly! I was ten years old! How was I supposed to defend myself? Of course, there was no income, so I was kicked out of the house. I used to sleep in a box near the center of Mobius. That is where I meet Sonic the Hedgehog. He helped me to look for him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find him. I've spent all that time thinking that it was something that I'd done. Maybe it was because I didn't do enough to keep our house, or if I was too much of a burden."

I felt the guilt, the sadness, the anger of my past boil inside me. I started shaking slightly, and that's when S but his arm around me. It was comforting. Everything S did to make me feel better was nothing but consoling. Yet, it was nothing romantic; it was a type of love I couldn't explain.

"And that's when the whole 'ultra-mega fangirl mindset' came up. Ugh, I hated the way I acted! I was so stupid being his 'self-proclaimed girlfriend.' The only things that came out of that were Sonic's brotherly friendship and Sally resenting me for a couple of years until I was able to explain to her that I was tired of chasing after Sonic." My face turned red from embarrassment and regret. Being a fangirl with a one-sided love sucked without belief. "Anyways, that's how I became a part of the Freedom Fighters, and I had a family again. It's been a peaceful seven years since Eggman's defeat, but now we have to put that on hold."

A sad smile crept on my lips, although I knew as a protector of Mobius, I have to do whatever I could to defeat anyone who even dares to do any evil doings to harm anyone. But at times, it got exhausting and mentally draining. I can't recall how many times I've woken up scared and alone because of the nightmares of the battles I've fought.

"I'm so sorry Amy, I had no idea that was the reason you haven't been sleeping. But understand it wasn't your fault that he left. This might sound harsh, but if he cared and loved you as much as he said he did, he would have never done anything to hurt you. And by leaving, he left a vulnerable little girl all by herself to do nothing but blame herself for a complete idiot's actions. That is what makes him an asshole. You know you deserve better than what he did to you."

"No! I refuse to believe that! He would have never done anything to hurt me! You don't know anything about what he was like, so you don't get to say anything about him! He promised that he loved me! He promised that..." I felt terrible for yelling at S, but the pain of someone insulting him was too much for me to bear.

"Amy! Just listen to yourself! You're defending someone who left you! Even though you love him, it doesn't justify him leaving! You shouldn't defend or get emotional over assholes and idiots! You need to heal that part of yourself first before you even begin to think about him again. That's not fair to you, and you know it!"

When I fell to the ground, I felt a hard pondering in my head, and all I could see was his face. I cupped my hands in my face and let everything I had been feeling out. It was painful, but relieving at the same time. But there was still something in my mind that I could make go away, it's been haunting me since the day he left until now.

"S, you don't understand! It's like I can feel him in my head. I can't get him out! This is more than emotional now, it's mental!"

I saw the slight panic in S's eyes like he knew what this was, like he knew what I was feeling inside.

"Amy, I need you to bear with me because what I am about to say will make me sound like I'm crazy. But I need you to answer this if you can. When you guys were close to each other, did you feel stronger? Like you guys can take on anything as long as you guys were together?"

I looked up at him, not saying anything. All I did was nod.

"Okay, when you guys were apart or far away from each other, did you feel weak, like vulnerable? Even before he left?"

I nodded once more, and I could tell something was off. He paced back and forth a little bit like he was trying to think of what to say to me.

"Amy, I think you two are mentally linked. It sounds strange, I know, but I've heard and read about the stories of certain individuals developing this sort of thing with someone. Although it's rare, it could happen. What happens is that you can 'feel' when one another's is near, or you can feel them when they are thinking about you. The stronger the connection, the more powerful the feeling. If you learn how to control it, you can even feel each other's emotions and thoughts. But by the look of things, I genuinely believe that you two are connected."

I was speechless, I didn't know where to even begin with this sort of thing.

'A mental link?'

S was looking at me, waiting for a response that might never come. I had nothing to say to this other than why? Why does everything painful happen to me of all people?

"Well then, I have a mental connection to someone I haven't heard from in ten years. So that's pretty weird."

"Hey, having mental capabilities is not weird. If anything, it's more powerful than you think. But Amy, if you do really have this, the way it's taking a toll on you is something that shouldn't be happening. It has to mean something."

I looked around and put my hands on my head. Everything was so overwhelming to me to even wrap my head around. Everything is already beating me to the ground, and no matter how many times I try to get up, something else keeps showing up and bringing me down. Especially when it comes to this mental connection. What is the reason I've been feeling like this is because he's hurting? Or dying? All these horrible thoughts about him were like knives in my chest.

"Amy, I'm going to try something that might be able to help you ease your mind. I can't guarantee it will work, and it's only temporary even if it does work. But it's up to you."

"Well, what is it?"

S moved his body towards me, he had his hand on his chin in a thinking position, like he was trying to come up with an answer to give me.

"It's hard to explain, but I'll try to simplify it. Think of your mind as a library, and on the shelves are all our thoughts, memories, feelings, and thinking processors. Using my powers, I can potentially keep this mental link inside a locked box. Even though it's powerful, it won't last forever. If the link is too powerful, it can cause the box to burst open. And if that doesn't happen, then the box will just open itself. The longest I've gotten it to last is about a month, but mostly it lasts about 2 weeks."

I looked at him strangely, not really knowing what to do or say.

'Locked box? A library?' I sighed, frustrated that I couldn't make up my mind. If I seal this connection, will I also lose his memory? 'I don't want to lose his memory.'

"I'll do it, as long as you don't lock away my memory of him."

S smiled and nodded.

"I wouldn't dare." As soon as he said that, I felt like everything was going to be okay. "Are you ready?"

"So, how does this work exactly?"

"Well, I basically put my hands on your head, and I use my powers to search for the thing I'm trying to seal, and, once I find it, I lock it up. I might feel ticklish, but I will only last for a couple of seconds at most. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and try to concentrate on that link. It will be best if you just focus on nothing else. It just makes it easier for me. So, are you ready?"

I sighed once more and shook my hands to get the jitters of having S enter my head lose. Although I was scared, the fact that S would never do anything to hurt me keep me tranquil.

"Yes, I'm ready."

I moved from the floor to sit down on the couch, leaning my body comfortably towards the back cushions. S rubbed his hands together, preparing himself. I watched as the lines and circle of his gloves lit up, shining a bright blue aura on his face.

"Okay, Amy, this won't take long, but try not to move, okay? I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

S got behind me on the couch as I nodded for him to proceed. I heard him take a deep breath, and he then placed his hands gently on my head. I jumped a little but then relaxed. The feeling was so unreal as I tried to concentrate on this mental link. I could feel my mind racing as my head tickled and itched. I looked up slightly at S, who had his eyes closed and was biting his lip. Then it happened. One minute I was thinking of the link, and the next, I felt it disappear.

"Yes! I did it!" I heard S exclaim as he took his hands off my head. "How do you feel?"

"Wait, really? It's done?" S quickly moved from behind me to in front of me. He picked me up and tightly embraced me. "I don't feel any different, physically at least. But I feel like a weight lifted off of me."

"It's done Amy," His soft whisper caused me to wrap my arms around his back, hugging him tightly. "You can rest easy now."

"Thank you, S," We then pulled apart, and he peered his head towards the kitchen. "For everything."

"So, when is everyone coming over? I'm hungry!"

I laughed as he put his hands on his stomach, clutching it dramatically.

"I was meaning to ask that. How did you know I was inviting everyone over?"

"I only assumed," S shrugged. "I know I wanted to be low profile as long as possible, but since Shadow was already here, I knew that wasn't possible anymore."

"They should be here by eight, and it's barely seven S." He looked at me, dread and sadness in his eyes. "Surely, you can survive an hour without food."

"I can't, though! I can hear the dinosaur nuggets call my name!"

I raised an eyebrow at him, confused.

"Why did you make nuggets for breakfast?" S let go of his stomach and smiled widely. "Isn't that more of a lunch thing?"

"I have two reasons. You'll find reason number one once everyone gets here, but reason number two is the best one out of the two. When I was trying to get to this in the past, I had messed up a lot. This was attempted number fourteen. Anyways, the second time I attempted to get here; I was sent into the prehistoric era of the dinosaurs. Since it takes about ten days for the time travel gadget to work, I was stuck there. You don't know how many times I had to escape Dino's to try and not get eaten. I almost did, by a purple dinosaur. Yeah, they don't teach you about those suckers here. So, to get revenge, I wanted to make dinosaur chicken nuggets. Instead of killing them in real life, I just pretend the nuggets are them. It eases my trauma." I giggled, and he looked away in embarrassment, cheeks flushed. "Yeah, it's an embarrassing story! But it's my story, so it makes it better!" S restored at me, trying to save himself from the slightly embarrassing story.

"Hey, sorry for laughing, it was a good story. I hope you enjoy your revenge."

"Oh, I will," S's voice turned serious, but as soon as he looked at me, we both broke out into laughter. After a moment of laughing, I heard a knock at the door. " and I will savor it too."

"Oh, that must be them. Do you want to stay here, or do you want to wait till I introduce you?" S looked at me, a questionable look on his face.

"I'll stay put away from the kitchen. I don't want them all to freak out when they see me. Freak-outs never lead to anything good."

I ignored the ringing and knocking for a second and gave S one last reassuring hug.

"No matter what happens, or what they say, I promise I'll defend you." I felt S nod in my shoulder as he let go. I smiled at him and turned to go answer the door. "I promise."

Just as S sensed, Sally, Sonic, Knuckles, Rouge, Tails, and Cream were standing at my door.

"Uh, hey, everyone. Sorry for waking you guys up so early, but this really is important." I stepped to the side, letting everyone walk in the door.

"Amy! Is everything okay? You look awful!"

'Awful?'

As soon as Cream said that, everyone looked toward me, and immediately everyone came in my direction.

"What happened to you Ames?" Sonic asked as he grabbed my face to examine it. He twisted my face at different angles before concentrating on my eyes. His fingers rubbed slightly against my under eyes, even beneath his touch I could feel how puffy they were with the lack of sleep. "Are you okay?"

"I-uh... Ugh, there is no use in lying anymore. I smiled, remembering what S had done for me. Sonic let go of my face and smiled at me slightly. "I've been going through the motions a bit, but, I'll be okay."

"Well, as long as you say so," Sonic came up to ear as he pulled me in to a hug. "We can talk later, okay?"

'Later...' I hummed as he let go and shuffled into the living room area. 'It's always later.'

"You can talk to us anytime, we got your back on these things, alright?"

'It's strange to me, even now after all these years. The same woman who hated me before, loves me now. I never imaged that Sally would be saying this to me. Times really have changed.'

My smile dropped, remembering what I had called them for. I know I don't want to, but they deserve to know.

"Do I smell chicken nuggets?" I looked at Tails, who was looking towards the kitchen. "For breakfast? Aw, yeah!"

"Um, yeah. T-" I wasn't able to finish my sentence because as soon as I said 'yes,' Knuckles, Tails, and Cream rushed past me towards the nuggets. "There is more food in the kitchen!"

My voice trailed behind them as Rouge, Sally, and Sonic moved towards the scent of food.

"Hey! There's more food in here!"

"Food? I'm in!"

Soon enough, everyone found a spot in the living room to enjoy the fruits of S' labor.

I walked into the kitchen and poured out some of the smoothie S had made. It smelled like fresh berries. That small scent brought me joy.

"It smells nice, right? The recipe was in that book I used to make all this!"

I almost yelled, but I was lucky enough to cup my hand over my mouth to not let out any noise.

"S?! How did they not see you?!" I whispered over to him. He shrugged. "Where did you hide?"

"Nowhere. They saw food, they got food, and they left. Remember, you're not you when you hungry!"

I looked over at him. Unimpressed. Behind him was a slightly open storage cupboard that was right next to the compartment under my sink.

"You hid in my cupboard, didn't you?"

"I hid in the cupboard, yes."

I smiled. Something I did admire about S was his humor. He's so lively, so kind, so funny. I wouldn't even begin to know how to act if I was in his shoes.

'He handles everything so well. Why can't I be like that. Why can't I laugh things off like he does.'

"Was that reason number 1? Because you knew Tails loves nuggets?"

"Yep!" S chuckled and nodded. "I didn't know his sense of smell was that keen, but I knew in the past he would always make chicken nuggets for breakfast. He may be nineteen right now, but he still acts like a child."

Before people could see S, he quietly stepped into the dimmed hallway. I waved at him slightly and I lost sight of him completely. I watched everyone rush into the living room with the smoothie in my hand.

'There are plenty of leftovers. I'll get something later.'

Knuckles and Rouge were standing up while everyone else either sat on the couch or on the floor to eat. As soon as I got into her sight, she

"This stuff is good! Did you make it, Ames?"

"Huh? Well, um, that's kind of what I called you all here for."

Everyone looked over at me, confused. Everyone except for Sonic, who kept shoveling food into his mouth.

"To tell us you made food?" Sonic's mouth was full, the words he tried to say came out muffled at best. Sally rolled her eyes at him, looking embarrassed by his behavior. ""Hey, I think your cooking has improved!"

"N-no, of course not, wait, hey!" I tsked in annoyance and held back from lashing out at Sonic. I didn't exactly have the energy to release my anger at this moment. "I wouldn't call you all here so early and on such short notice if it wasn't important!"

"Is this another marriage thing-y? Is this what we're about now?"

My face warmed at the idea Knuckles brought up. I shook my head vigorously and held my hand back from smashing it into my face.

"I am NOT getting married Knuckles," I gave a stern glare to which he responded by rolling his eyes. "I wish it was happy news though."

'Anything would be better than this.'

"This news is much... worse than this."

Sonic attention immediately perked up. He could sense something was brewing inside me.

"What is it?"

I looked at him for a second, trying to read his impression. When I couldn't, I found myself at a loss for words. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. The sound of eating and dishes clinging no longer lingered in the room. A tense silence filled itself around me.

'How do I even phrase this?' My fingers twitched as I held my hands together. My nerves bunched up, and I couldn't phrase what I wanted to tell them. 'Would they even believe me?'

"I hate to interrupt, but I could tell things are getting a bit tense around here," S' voice boomed behind me. He walked out of the kitchen and his footsteps shuffled toward me. My friend's reactions, thankfully, weren't extreme. Rather, they were confused. And rightfully so. "Hi, the name's S, and I arrived here yesterday afternoon to deliver some news to Amy Rose. Now that I have you all here, I could tell you exactly what I told her."

"And how do you know Amy?" Sally looked S up and down with her arms crossed, clearly not liking the situation. Sonic stayed silent while he sat beside her, his hand soothing her knee. "You're a bit... young to know someone like Amy."

S stared at her for a bit longer than he probably should have. It was then I realized he had never even met half of the people in this room.

'He only really got to meet Tails, Cream, and Sonic. This must be a bit hard for him to talk to people he's only heard about in stories.'

"Well, relatively speaking, I'm technically older than all of you."

"That can't be right," Rouge interjected, tossing her bottled water at Knuckles who gently catches it. "You can't be older than Cream or Tails over there."

Tails and Cream looked at one another before turning their attention back to the strange silver hedgehog. Tails once puzzled face disappeared as he clicked two and two together. But he seemed to bit back on his answer to allow S to explain himself.

"Like I said, my name is S, and I come to you all twenty years in the future."

I heard the collective sounds of plates hitting the floor and small gasps.

"The future?" Knuckles' voices boomed throughout the room. Rouge seemed unfazed as her partner squirmed in his chair, trying to grasp the reality in front of him. "But the future hasn't happened yet? Has it?"

"Don't think about it too much," Rouge snarky replied, taking a sip from a bottle of water. "You'll strain yourself."

"Um," S rubs the back of his neck nervously as he watches the couple bicker silently amongst themselves. Everyone was so used to their little 'arguments' that I've learned to block it out. "As I was saying, I'm from a little over twenty years in the future. And let me tell you, I'm not here bearing good news. The future I come from is nothing but a post-war mess. I need all your help to defeat these villains that will show up in about a month to ruin the peace that all of you live in."

Tails stood up and walked towards S. He had the same expression he did when he clicked the code S was trying to get at. And where there is innovative technology mentioned, nothing can restrain Tails from asking his questions.

"You're from the future, which means you perfected time travel," I could tell Tails was judging every aspect of S' appearance. Even touching his tuft of loose quails to see how 'voluminous' it was. "How has someone of your mental stature been able to do that?"

"Wow, that's just offensive!" Rouge nudged Knuckles, who nudged his back to mock her. I rolled my eyes slightly as the two went back to quietly bicker with one another. "What did you say you're name was? Exs? Don't let him talk to you like that!"

"Would you stop it already? This is serious!"

"I'm trying to stick up for the new guy! So-rry for wanting to look out for him!"

"Honestly, Knuckles, you need to learn when to stop!"

I smirked nervously. The whole room was watching Knuckles and Rouge go off on each other. S was clearly unsure on how to stop them from interrupting. Even through all the bickering. Tails seemed adamant in his stance on time travel.

'He'll never let this go. I forgot how he could be.'

"I know this kind of stuff interests you, Tails, but what I have to say is important! We can talk about gadgets another time, but thousands of people will die if we don't focus on planning against these villains."

"Call me crazy-"

"You are."

Knuckles glared at Rouge before sighing and continuing his sentence.

"AS I WAS SAYING," He loudly announced near Rouge's unfazed face. "Call. Me. Crazy. But why would believe you? Sure, you know Tails' name, but that isn't enough for me."

"I know EVERYONE's name, and if you are so skeptical, why would I come looking for Amy specifically?"

"That's the thing," Knuckles smirked and Rouge snatched the water bottle from his hands before it could drop to the floor. "If the future is in so much 'danger', why would you go looking for Amy of all people? When people like Sonic or ME exist!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rouge looked at Knuckles; the tone in her voice seethed with the annoyance of his comment. "Why SHOULDN'T she go to Amy? If anything, she's the most trustworthy of all of us. If he had gone to any of you two, who knows the big mess it would create."

"She's got a good point," S interjected, leaving Rouge looking satisfied. "The person who sent me here specifically told me NOT to seek Sonic, Knuckles, or Shadow for that exact reason."

'That's why he looked terrified when he saw Shadow! He wasn't supposed to in the first place!'

Knuckles glanced at S who quickly looked away from the hot-headed echidna. Probably to avoid any conflicts, which is something I would also do if I were in his shoes.

"I'm still not buying it," Knuckles tsked. "What happens in the future that is SO bad you had to come to Amy for help?"

I could tell that his comment struck a nerve with S. His once natural and calm face scrunched up with annoyance. The expression was almost an offense to Knuckles. By the time I wanted to say something to intervene, Knuckles had stopped leaning against the wall and was walking towards S.

"You wanna run that face by me again?"

S puffed his chest out slightly and adjusted his body. I grew nervous as the two stared one another down.

'They just met and they already want to fight? I really can't catch a break here.'

"Hey now," I nervously approached the two and tried to squeeze in between the two. "let's calm down and talk about this without fighting," I gently pushed Knuckles away from S. Thankfully, he took the gesture better than I expected. "I can't afford to have you both trash my house."

"I didn't come all this way to start fights with you all, but I also didn't sacrifice everything to be here only to find out that you all think I'm a liar," S stepped away from both me and Knuckles and crossed his arms in frustration. "I won't let you all die in vain, not if something could be done about it."

'There it is,' I looked at my friends. They had an arrangement of surprised and confused looks on their faces. 'How do I go about this by myself?'

"What?"

"Who dies?"

"Why would he say that?"

"What kind of monster are you introducing to us Ms. Amy?"

'She must be angry. She only calls me that when she's mad at me.'

"He's not a monster Cream. It's brutal, but it's the truth," I bit my lip, not wanting to yell and create more tension between my friends and S. I took a deep breath before continuing to speak. "In a half a year's time, two beings of pure evil will attack my neighborhood, killing all the families her and almost me! You all tried to defeat him, but in the end, it won't be enough. After my death, everyone else falls except for him, Sonic, and Shadow. I believe him because he has no reason to lie. He wouldn't be here other than to help us."

"Well, Ames, can you blame us? How do we know he isn't lying? What if he really is the villain?"

This was the first time Sonic has spoken up since S introduced himself. I averted my eyes, not really knowing how to respond to him. If anyone would have my back, I thought it would be him.

'I've said all I could, but nothing is working,' I chewed on my bottom lip again, my nerves getting the best of me. 'How do I convince them S is a good person if they won't believe a word I've said?'

"Are you really that delusional Faker? Even I expected your intelligence to be higher than that,"

'Shadow.'

His deep voice sent chills down my spine. I didn't think he would even come down. Not after the talk we had.

"I don't particularly care whether you want to believe that he is a liar or not, but the day the people you love will fall, I will make sure you remember this moment. The moment you had a chance to change the future. If you don't want to listen, that is fine by me. But say out of the way and think about that warning."

Sonic's reaction was unbelievable. It's like he struck something within him. Usually, he brushes off Shadow's inspirational'-type rants, but I could see the determination build up in his face, and it made me smile for the first time since this conversation.

"Fine! S, was it? We'll help you," Sonic said, standing up. But before S could even respond to him, Sonic points to him with a burning look in his eye. "but we have to talk later!"

A union of cheers and 'yeahs' erupted in the room, and I could practically feel the power of will to fix the future linger throughout the house. The light of hope that sparkled on S' face made my heart glow with happiness. As I was about to speak to him, Tails cut himself in front of me and reached for S' arm.

"I wondered why your designs looked familiar," Tails' eyes trailed his jacket, pants, and shoes. "I have them as ideas and future projects in my workshop. If you are from the future, how exactly did you find them?"

The panic in S's eyes grew, and he twitched his hands in an anxious fit.

"Uh, well, I can't really tell you that Tails."

Tails, not receiving the hint, then reached for S's touch-pad on his wrist.

"This is a prototype design I've barely begun work on. How did you get your hands on this?" S stammered inaudible words. I could tell he was struggling to find the words, or excuses, to wanted to say. Tails seized his moment of panicked distraction to slip off the pad. He turned away from S, he examined the features the watch possessed. "Flexible silver tungsten, personally adaptable flex-phone, and built-in nano-tech fit? I swear this is the exact same thing that I'm making! S, did we know each other?"

"W-wait," S opened his mouth to answer but then gasped as Tails turned the pad over. "No, DON'T!"

"'To you. Let your strong mind shape the future. Never give up on the hope of salvation. From Uncle Tails'?"

Silence and mutters spread through the room; S snatched the pad out of Tails' hand before he could look at the watch further and he clicked it back onto his wrist.

"You shouldn't have read that!" Tails looked at him, awe-struck. "You don't know what you could have messed up!"

"Messed up? I just found out I'm an Uncle! How the heck did that even happen!"

I couldn't believe everything I was hearing. Tails' is an uncle, but how? He doesn't have any siblings, unless...

Before I could finish my thoughts, Knuckles ran up to S and Tails, a weird expression on his face.

"Wait, if Tails' is your uncle that means that either Tails has a biological brother that was able to produce a hedgehog, or...Sonic, this is your kid!"

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tstwitterupdates · 1 year ago

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TS tweet 10/8/23

Hey kiddos! In lieu of a sketch video this week, Patton will be working back up the courage to play CHAPTER 2 of Sally Face on YouTube Public Livestream tomorrow at 5:30PM ET! Hope to see you all there!! 🩵💻

#thomas sanders #tstwitter #sanders sides #video update #august 2023

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internallyinarticulate · 1 year ago

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Sally Face lore from the Sally Face: Strange Nightmares Kickstarter

I haven’t seen anyone do this yet (as far as I can tell!) and I’ve always admired the sally face community. With how lovely the community continues to be and with the revitalization it’s been given due to the sally face kickstarter; I’ve decided to come out of my shell and give back to the community I admire! I’ve gone through every single scrap of info through the entirety of the kickstarter (streams, lore given to backers, and some questions he answered on twitter!) to put all the lore revealed by Steve Gabry himself into one place for everyone to use however they wish! If anyone would like to watch the streams then please go to:

Beneeta_K (Twitch Streamer)’s 2 streams they did with Steve Gabry:

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1739974869 (Where they play the board game from the kickstarter)

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1752120791 (The kick off Q&A they did at the start of the kickstarter)

And the 4 streams on Steve Gabry (Portable Moose)’s youtube channel will be located under the ‘Live’ tab. Here’s a link to his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PortableMoose/streams

This is made with love from a sally face fan who’s been around since chapter one came out all those years ago, thanks for making such a wonderful game Steve! I hope you all enjoy! <3 (Sorry it's so late!)

Pink is Steve Gabry answering questions and Black is the Questions!

-THE STREAM LORE- (in no particular order)

:Q: “Are any of the gang in a band?”

A: “They tried to start a band together at some point, but they didn't do much with that.”

Q: “What instrument does each character play?”

A: “Sal plays the guitar, Todd plays the keyboard,Larry plays the drums, Ash sings and plays bass.” Steve at the end says, ‘By the way, I didn’t say they play well. They loved it though.’

Q: “What kind of music did the band make and what were they named?”

A: “They would have played grunge rock with a 90’s vibe with the keyboard.”

(Steve says in the stream that they did not pick a band name, he would imagine that they would have a long piece of paper with a lot of band names on them, some crossed out some not, but they wouldn’t have been able to pick one lol.)

Q: “What song would Sal absolutely love?”

A: “Before he met Larry, he was mostly into rock, grunge, and punk, And then when he met Larry he started really getting into metal.”

Q: “What is Sal's favorite baked good?”

A: “You know what, let’s make it cinnamon rolls.”

Q: “Is Gizmo okay?”

A: “Gizmo is fine, he’s doing good.”

Q: “What is the story about the homeless man on floor 5?”

A: “Well he’s a man, he is homeless, he is on floor 5, sometimes he’s not on floor 5; how ‘bout that?”

Q: “Who was the intended person for Travis’s note?”

A: “I’ve answered this question many times, but people don’t like the answer, so they keep asking. So the answer is, I have someone in mind, but I purposely left it open for you guys to think about who you want it to be.”

Q: “What is Sal’s ideal date night?”

A: “Having a date.”

A: “I think he would enjoy doing something in nature, he would also enjoy just going to see a horror movie, playing video games, going to a concert, something like that.”

Q: “What is Larry’s ideal date?”

A: “Definitely listening to metal, in some form, going to a metal concert, getting some pizza.”

Q: “What is Travis’s ideal date?”

A: “I feel like getting far away from Nockfell and doing something outside the city, getting away from his parents and school. Just a place where he doesn’t have to be around people he knows.”

Q: “What is Ashley’s ideal date?”

A: “She probably would like to go to an art museum or some sort of art exhibit or maybe going to see a play.”

Q: “Todd’s ideal date?”

A: “Definitely going to some sort of science center, going to see some kind of new technology, some educational thing you would enjoy doing or going to a paranormal convention.”

Q: “Did the four horsemen have sleepovers?”

A: “Oh yeah, 100%, all the time.”

Q:“What is the story between Janice and Ray?”

A: “They’re Todd’s parents, they are a little bit ‘burned out’, you know? They’re very loving, open-minded, and kind hearted. They’re a little bit ‘burned out’, they’re spacy, Janice is a little more ‘burned out’ than Ray you may have noticed. She gets ‘burned out’ and forgets what she’s talking about a lot.”

Q: “Is Ash emo?”

A: “No, I mean you have to remember when they're in high school it’s like the 90’s it wasn’t really, you know… there’s Daria hahaha.”

Q: “If Travis survived from the hole,what do you think he’d be up too?”

A: “What do you think he’d be up to?”

Q: “What are the kiddo’s favorite colors?”

A: “Sal’s is blue or pink, Larry is red or black, Ash is purple, Todd is green, Travis likes black.”

Q: “Why did Jim’s puzzlebox turn into a rubix cube?”

A: “Why did that happen?”

Q: “Where did Gizmo get all those stickers from?”

A: “Where does anyone get stickers from?”

Q: “Is Gizmo a salmon guy or chicken guy?”

A: “He loves both, Gizmo just likes to eat.”

Q: “What is Larry’s love language?”

A: “Larry’s is physical touch.”

Q: “What is Sal’s love language?”

A: “Sal’s love language is definitely quality time.”

Q: “Does Sal have a game cube?”

A: “Yeah, he has a game cube.”

Q: “What flavor is Addison Tea?”

A: “It’s Addison flavor.”

Q: “What is the vending machine’s love language?”

A: “Physical touch.”

Q: “What is the homeless guy on floor 5’ love language?”

A: “Here’s the thing with the homeless guy, before it would have been giving gifts, before the way he is now.”

Q: “How often does Travis cry?”

A: “I think he probably cries frequently but secretly and intensely.”

Q: “Is Todd autistic?”

A: “You know he might be on the spectrum, he’s very socially allowed and very blunt. He doesn’t have a lot of social cases.”

Q: “What was Todd and Neil’s first date?”

A: “They met in the library, their first date, probably would have just been going for a walk somewhere and talking.”

~Backer Bonus Lore Given~

-Waiting for Chocolate: In episode two, chug is downstairs waiting for the vending machine guy to come and refill it with delicious snacks. He usually comes every other Saturday and Chug is always there to greet him. However, this time, the vendor does not show up. I originally had a side story planned about the vending machine guy going missing and Chug being very concerned about that. Even though that story didn't make it into the game, the detail is still there. The vending machine guy is gone and his machine remains empty for the rest of the game.

-The Open Road: Ash's dad, Adam Campbell, was a mechanic and always had some project going on in the garage. One of his prized possessions was eventually passed down to Ashley, once she was old enough. It was something she had her eye on for a long time: his motorcycle. Adam even taught Ash to to ride at a young age. So she was already comfortable riding it by the time she was legally allowed to. It became second nature to her. Sometimes she goes out riding, just to clear her head. Ash loves the freedom of the open road.

-Nutmeg: Grieving Mrs.Gibson recives an unwanted gift from a relative. It's a little brown rabbit. Somehow this animal is meant to fill the hole left by her late husband. The rabbit was seen as a burden to Mrs.Gibson, just another thing to take care of. She was too old for this. She didn't even bother to name it at first. Then, slowly, she found herself growing attached to the little critter. When the rabbit was one year old, Gibson made a special meal for her and finally gave her a name. She decided to call her Nutmeg. A nickname that Gibson's husband used to call her.

-Twitter Spontaneous AMA-

Q: Did Travis know about the Devourers of God and Kenneth's involvement in it, or was he kept in the dark about it until he joined?

A: He didn't know when he was younger.

Q: Did the characters come first or were they designed after you came up with the concept for the game?

A: Sal came first, then Larry with the basic idea, then the story and other characters came at the same time.

Q: Two very important questions: Would you consider making it possible to pet gizmo in sally face two (if he's still alive) and do you have this wedding photograph in higher quality?

A: Maybe! And it was drawn at that small scale, so this is the in-game asset is as high res as it gets-

Q: When is the next video game coming?

A: I'm HOPING to release a small project with Wither Studios (nothing SF related) MAYBE towards the end of this year. These things are very hard to predict in advance. Which is why games are always being delayed. So I try not to make promises until I know for sure.

Q: Will we get the $250k stretch goal on the Kickstarter even if we don't reach it?

A: I think we'll definitely pass that goal (The goal at the end was $306,947!)

Q: Is Sal legally allowed to drive since he is missing an eye?

A: Yes!

Q: Did you write and sing all of the Sanity's Fall songs?

A: Yeah, I did all the music including everything for the SF songs.

Q: What program did you use to make the sally face art?

A: I used Photoshop and a Wacom drawing tablet.

Q: Why were Chug and Soda dull when cleansing the apartment?

A: You can actually find this answer in the game! If you play close attention during that part.

Q: 1) Why does Sal grab his pigtails in Packerton's apartment when he thinks they're about to get caught? Is that something he does for comfort? 2) When did Sal first start expressing himself with his hair, and what did Henry initially think?

A: 1) It's a nervous response. Just like someone may cover their face or mouth when scared. 2) Once his mom die, he let his hair grow out. Soon after it got long enough, he started with the pigtails. Henry thought it was a little odd at first but was fine with it.

Q: Did it ever cross your mind to add voice acting to the game? Recently watched Featherfall studio's fan-dub and the game looks even more interesting with voices.

A: It's something that I've thought about but I would be SO picky about getting the right voices. So idk. Plus it'd be a big pain to add retroactively. Maybe more likely in the second game, if I decide to add voices.

Q: We know Travis and Todd are gay, but what about the other characters? Do you have any idea?

A: I will say that Sal is purposely left ambiguous so that players can project their own feelings onto him. Though I have my own ideas about him too.

Q: What was your favorite part about developing Sally Face (Or making the board game)?

A: I love creating the world and seeing it come to life. It's also something truly special to see people connect with my work on an emotional level.

Q: One of my favorite Youtubers just finished the game, ad i was wondering when the second Sally Face is going to come out because it did say it'll be continued.

A: It's very early in development, so I don't have any timelines right now. If you're interested, I made a retrospective of the development history and some more insight here; https://youtu.be/JZPOx2jMLxE?si=r-N4mcDZC40MrtJr

Q: Is there a reason why Sal has long hair instead of short hair?

A: Because he likes it long.

Q: If I were to make a video playing the game Sally Face would you take down the video for copyright?

A: I'm always happy to see people playing Sally Face. I wouldn't copyright strike any content creators for playing or streaming the game.

Q: Why were there so many empty letters addressed to Sal?

A: They may not be so empty after all.

Q: What's in Addison's Tea?

A: You don't wanna know.

Q: Is Lisa Johnson a Latina?

A: Her family is mostly from Spain and Italy.

Q: Do you think some people would actually believe Sal on trail since it was close to the satanic panic era, or the satanic panic era was already dead then?

A: There might be some people out there who believe him.

Q: Are you planning on adding more official language translations into the game, and what ethnicity is Travis intended to be, if he has any?

A: I don't have any concrete plans right now, it just takes a lot of time and effort. But I'd like to add some more language support in the future, if possible. And Travis is multiracial.

Q: What are the SF character's favorite IRL songs?

A: Larry's favorite song is a Sanity's Fall on you haven't heard yet.

Q: How and when did Todd and Neil meet?

A: They met in the library.

Q: What was the idea behind different art styles in the game?

A: I've been obsessed with the idea of alternate realities since I was in high school (before all the cool kids were doing it lol) and for a long time I've wanted to make a game with multiple art styles, revolving around this idea of different realities.

Q: Since Lisa's family is from Spain, does Larry speak or know any Spanish?

A: He knows some but isn't fluent.

Q: Will the second part of the game be released in episodes like the first.

A: Still debating on this. I'm curious to see what fans think, I'll make poll! (He did create a poll, staggered episodes was what won the poll on twitter.)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Have a Great Day or Night!

#sally face #sally face lore #sal fisher #larry johnson #ashley campbell #todd morrison #sally face neil #travis phelps #portable moose #steve gabry #sally face community

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morgana-larkin · 4 months ago

Text

Alright, it seems I’ve gotten a creative boost for Marilyn. In this chapter you both try and move on but also try to make each other jealous, so have fun with that! Not edited in the slightest and I hope you like it!

Cool Your Fire - Part 5

Warnings: jealousy

Words: 5.1k

Marilyn takes a deep breath, it’s Friday today. She spent all week pretending like you don’t exist and it’s killing her. All she wants is to be next to you and comfort you and tell you that she loves you. She can’t do any of that.

Last week you told her you wanted nothing to do with her and to stay away from you forever. And even if it’s hurting her every time she sees you, she has to respect your decision and boundaries. All she has to do is get through today and then she has 2 days off to do whatever.

She’s in bed right now, not wanting to get up but has too. She can’t help but think over some of the events of the week after Saturday.

On Sunday, Marilyn woke up hoping that what happened yesterday was all a dream but when she saw you and you didn’t even look at her, she knew it wasn’t.

She can’t help but think of what happened over and over again in her head as she tries to keep busy. She knew she should have questioned you more as to why you were distancing yourself. She didn’t though and it seems whatever was going through your mind just exploded along with you figuring out who her family was.

She never came here to kill the outcasts, sure she thought about it after her family died but that’s normal to want revenge. She got curious and wanted to know if the outcasts are really as bad as her family told her. And from what she’s seen, they’re just people trying to live their life like everyone else.

“So what does everyone know about the Venus flytrap?” Sally asks you all. You, Enid, Sally and Nickie are placed in a group to do a project about a carnivorous plant that Ms. Thornhill chooses for each group.

“Just that they eat flies and other things.” You say and everyone else nods in agreement.

You all begin looking up all about the Venus Flytrap and Marilyn keeps glancing over at your group. She sees Sally trying to hit on you as well, and while you ignored it at first, you eventually start to flirt back with her. Marilyn feels the anger start to flare inside of her and she clenches her fist at her desk. She knows she can’t do anything about it and can only watch. Have you really moved on already? If you’ve moved on then she should too. There’s a man in Jericho that’s been trying to hit on her but keeps rejecting him since she was interested in you, but maybe she should accept it when she goes into town this weekend.

The bell finally rings and everyone packs up their stuff and goes to their next class. That leaves Marilyn alone to her thoughts and plants as she has a spare right now. She begins her daily routine of tending to her plants while she begins to think about everything again.

Was she really trying to move on or just make you jealous? Then she thinks that it could be both, making you jealous after you hurting her is perfect.

The day passes slowly but eventually it ends and everyone gets ready for the weekend. In the quad at supper time, you’re walking to the table when Sally comes up to you.

“Hey, Y/N, so I was wondering if you wanted to sit with me today? Just you and me, no one else.” She asks you, face full of hope.

“Oh, um sure.” You say and Sally has a bright smile on her face and then leads you to a free table.

Enid, the fangs and Marilyn all watch you go to another table with Sally, their mouths open in shock. Marilyn gets up and leaves after muttering an excuse to the table and goes to her room. While walking out of the Quad, another teacher purposely bumps into her.

“Watch it Normie!” The teacher says, attracting everyone’s attention to them. Luckily for Marilyn, Enid and the fangs saw it all and they all get up to defend her.

“It’s you who should watch it.” Enid says.

“We saw you do it on purpose. I don’t think principal Weems would appreciate you bullying a fellow faculty member.” Yoko says.

“Girls, it’s alright. No need to get the principal in on this, she already has enough to deal with.” Marilyn tells them.

“Ya, no need to have her waste her time on a Normie.” The teacher says and then before anyone can say anything, smoke starts to rise from behind him. He then feels it and turns around to see his butt on fire and begins padding it down. While he does that, everyone turns to look at you with a smile. You just stay sitting at your spot but your body is turned to everyone.

“I suggest you apologise to her or I won’t put it out.” You say to the teacher and barely has a smile on her face.

“Ok, I’m sorry Ms. Thornhill.” He says and you put the fire out and the teacher walks away. You immediately turn back around to finish eating and the fangs go back to their seat.

“Even if you aren’t friends, Y/N hates discrimination.” Enid says to Marilyn.

“Well tell her I say thank you.” Marilyn says then walks off to her room.

The next day you all get on the shuttle and Enid sits next to Marilyn this time so you don’t have too. Marilyn gets her phone out and shows Enid a picture of a guy.

“What do you think of him?” She asks her.

“Oh, I guess he’s cute, I think I’ve seen him around Jericho.” Enid says, not liking where this might be going.

“Ya he lives there. His name is John and he’s been flirting with me for a couple weeks. I’m thinking of accepting this time when I see him.” Marilyn says with a smile.

“Oh, well, if you like him then you should definitely go for it.” Enid says with a forced smile. Enid and Marilyn continue talking a little bit before the shuttle reaches Jericho and everyone gets off.

You and Enid walk around Jericho a little bit before stopping at the weathervane. The two of you sit down with your drinks and pastries when Marilyn walks in with John. Marilyn sees you sitting there with Enid and avoids contact with you or looking in your direction the entire time, putting all her attention on John. When Marilyn gets her drink, she and John sit down and continue chatting.

That got your attention immediately as soon as you heard someone talking with Marilyn. You watch them chat and flirt the entire time and you’re not liking it one bit. Your first clench around your coffee mug and your knuckles turn white. Enid sees this and thinks you might shatter the mug if you don’t release your hold on it.

“Might want to let go of it or you’ll break it.” Enid tells you and while you do let go off the mug, you’re still clenching your fists. “Why do you look jealous? Thought you were growing up?” Enid says and you turn to look at her.

“He doesn’t seem good enough for her.” You tell her.

“You don’t even know him. You’re just mad because you want it to be you she’s talking too.” Enid says casually and you cross your arms.

“I told you that we aren’t friends anymore because of a decision I made. If I wanted to talk to her then I can go right up to her and do it.”

“You do want to talk to her though and yet you’ve stopped yourself all week. You’re cutting her out of your life and yet she’s still your teacher and dorm mom. There’s gonna be times where you need to talk to her or interact with her.”

“And by then my feelings for her would have already gone away. I’m liking her less and less everyday. In a week I’ll probably think of how crazy I was to have a crush on her.” You tell Enid, who doesn’t believe you in the slightest.

“Why don’t you ask Sally out?” She suddenly says and you open your mouth in shock.

“Why would I do that?”

“She likes you and if you’re over Marilyn then maybe you can go on a date with Sally. Oh maybe you can invite her to Rave’N that’s next weekend.” Enid suggests. Enid got involved in this thing between you and Marilyn and she’s trying to keep the peace. As far as Enid knows, Marilyn showed a bit of interest in you but nothing became of it, and now it looks like Marilyn is dating a normie from Jericho.

“I should. And why should I be jealous if Marilyn is dating some random guy?”

“That’s the spirit. And Marilyn is an attractive woman, it’s not surprising that someone’s been interested in her for a couple weeks.” Enid says and your eyes widen a bit.

“You mean that idiot over there has been interested in her for weeks?” You ask her.

“That’s what Marilyn said, but she kept telling him no, until today.”

Just then Wednesday comes in and joins you both.

“What’s up Wednesday?” You ask her as she hasn’t said anything.

“I’ve just been asked to the Rave’N and for some reason I said yes.” She says and you both stare at her in shock. “Are you guys going with someone?” She asks you both.

“I was going to go with Ajax but he stood me up the other night so I’m on my lonesome.” Enid tells you both.

“I was thinking of asking Sally to go with me.”

“She’s interested in you so she’ll definitely say yes.” Enid tells you. That catches Wednesday's interest as she knows you were going out with Marilyn. “Wait, I see her right there, you can go and ask her right now, come on!” Enid tells you and drags you out the door. Wednesday looks over at the table that Marilyn is at, she sees her date ordering a drink and Marilyn looking at the door in shock. Wednesday suspected that maybe you and Marilyn weren’t going out anymore but it was just confirmed. Wednesday sees Marilyn watching you ask Sally to the Rave’N. She thinks that Sally must have said yes as Marilyn looks upset before telling her date that she has to go and leaving.

“Why are you trying to make Ms. Thornhill jealous?” Wednesday asks you when you’re alone in a corner at a dress shop.

“Wednesday, her and I ended the relationship. I’m not trying to make her jealous, I’m moving on.” You tell her and brush past her.

“Well she’s not over you. She got upset when you asked Sally to go to the dance.” She tells you.

“Oh hi Ms. Thornhill, are you picking out a dress for the Rave’N?” You both hear Enid say across the shop.

“Yes I am. John is going with me, I asked him today and he said yes.” Marilyn said, not knowing you were there. You stay out of her eyesight the entire time you were there. The only time she saw you was when you were paying for the dress and leaving.

You were on your way to your dorm room when you turn a corner and bump right into Marilyn.

“Oh sorry Ms. Thornhill.” You tell her and go to leave but she stops you.

“I guess you’re going to the dance with Sally, I see you’re moving on.” She tells you and you see she looks upset.

“Ya, you’re going with John so I guess you’re moving on as well.”

“Well, being with him is better than being with a student.” She fires at you and you get upset at that.

“I guess you find him better than me cause he’s a normie. You know it was a big mistake to ever go out with you.” You tell her and then walk away to your dorm. Marilyn watches you walk away in disappointment, she shouldn’t have said that to you. She honestly would prefer being with you than with John but she does have to move on at some point.

A week passes by and before you know it, it’s the night of the Rave’N. Enid finishes your makeup and then you go and do Wednesday’s after she puts her dress on. You’re in the middle of putting black eyeshadow on her when there’s a knock at your door. Enid goes to answer it and sees that it’s Sally there.

“Hi Sally, Y/N is just doing Wednesday’s makeup then she’ll be ready to go.” Enid tells her.

“That’s alright, I don’t mind waiting.” She tells Enid and then Enid steps aside to let her in. “Hi Y/N.” She tells you when she sees you.

“Hi Sally.” You turn to her briefly before focusing on finishing Wednesday’s makeup. “Alright, that should do it.”

“What do you think?” Wednesday asks everyone.

“You look positively dark and mysterious.” Enid tells her to which Wednesday nods at you in approval.

You then get up and Sally gets a good look at you. You’re wearing a white dress that goes to your mid thighs. It clings to your top half and then flows down the rest of the way, making it fun to spin around in. It also has a v-dip neckline giving anyone a nice view of your cleavage.

“Wow, you look beautiful.” Sally tells you and you blush at her compliment.

“Thank you, so do you.” Sally chose to go a different route and wear a white pantsuit, and you can’t say that she doesn’t look good in it, because she does look stunning in it.

“Ready to go?” She asks you and you nod.

“Yep, let’s go. I’ll meet you guys there?” You ask Enid and Wednesday and they both nod.

You make it down to the gym with Sally and you see Ms. Thornhill there greeting everyone.

“Oh Sally and…Y/N, don’t you guys look cute together.” Marilyn says with a bit of jealousy in her tone.

“Thank you Ms. Thornhill!” Sally says excitedly.

“Thanks Ms. Thornhill.” You tell her with a fake smile.

An hour later, you and Sally are coming back from the dance floor and you go to get drinks from the punch bowl for both of you. When you’re there, Marilyn comes up to you.

“So you brought the girl that’s been flirting with you for a month, how original.” She tells you and you turn to face her.

“You’re one to talk, you brought the guy that’s been flirting with you for weeks.” You tell her.

“I’m surprised you’re jealous considering you’re the one that ended it.” She says with a quirked eyebrow.

“Well believe it or not, I still care about you. Which is why I asked for you to leave me alone forever. I can see how well you’re following that.” You tell her.

“We still have to interact at some points.” She says and you scoff. “You’re still my student and I’m still your dorm mom as you live in Ophelia Hall.” She tells you. Just then John comes up and introduces himself.

“Oh hi, are you one of Marilyn’s students? She loves her students and can’t stop talking about them. I’m John, Marilyn’s date to the dance.” He tells you and holds out a hand to shake. You pretend to act polite to him even though you don’t like that he’s dating her, and you shake his hand.

“Yes, I’m Y/N. Ms Thornhill is my botany teacher and dorm mom.” You tell him.

“Oh Y/N, she’s mentioned you a few times.” He says and you look at her with interest. “She’s told me that you and your group of friends have been the most welcoming to her.” He adds and you nod.

“The other teachers don’t like normies as much but we don’t care if she’s a normie or not. We don’t like to discriminate.” You tell him.

“Oh wait, are you the one that set that teacher's butt on fire last week.”

“Yep, he was bullying her so I acted accordingly. I’m someone you don’t really want to cross.” You tell him with a darker tone. John doesn’t catch on but Marilyn sure does. “I would love to stay and chat, but I was just getting drinks for me and my date.” You tell them both and leave.

“She seems nice, no wonder you’ve talked about her a couple times.” John tells her and puts an arm around her shoulders. Marilyn gives her best fake smile for him even though she doesn’t want to be touched by him, she’d rather it be you touching her.

Marilyn mostly stayed in one place, sitting at one table, watching just you for most of the night. She tried her best to watch the other kids and to keep up the conversation with John as best she could.

“So do you have a favourite student?” John asks her and she turns her head to her.

“What?”

“Just, I’ve heard that teachers shouldn’t have a favourite student but sometimes it happens. So do you have one?” He asks her and her gaze falls on you.

“I did have one.” She mutters so he wouldn’t hear. “No.” She tells him. “I care about them all equally.” She adds.

“Really? I would have assumed it was Y/N.” He says casually and she whips her head to look at him.

“Why would you think that?”

“Just that she’s the one you mostly talk about.” He tells her and she turns to look at you again. You’ve been too busy dancing and talking to your friends and Sally to notice her staring at you for most of the night.

An hour passes by and the DJ announces that it's the last song and everyone goes out on the dance floor.

You are out on the dance floor dancing with Sally when you notice that Enid’s date, Lucas, isn’t there so you include Enid in the dance. Just then you start to feel something drip on your face and then something red starts pouring down on everyone. You’re caught right in the middle of the dance floor and can’t see the way out as there’s too many people running around and too much paint. You start running in a random direction and then all of a sudden you slip and fall to the ground. Before you hit the ground, someone catches you and pulls you up. You go to thank the person but then you see it’s Marilyn who saved you and you stare at her.

“Come on, we have to get out of here, it’s too slippery here.” She tells you and you nod your head. You then grab her hand and you both carefully run out of the gym. When you make it out of the gym, a pair of arms are around you in a hug.

“Oh thank god. We got separated in the crowd and couldn’t see you.” Enid tells you.

“A prank was played, and not even a good one.” Wednesday says. “They didn’t even use blood, it’s paint.”

“Paint? Who would do such a thing?” You ask.

“Enid, it’s suspicious that your date disappeared right before the prank was played.” Wednesday tells Enid, and then Enid goes and runs to see who did the prank. Wednesday leaves to go to her dorm while you look at the state you're in with the paint all over you.

“Even though you look like you just killed a bunch of people, you still look nice.” Marilyn tells you and you look up at her.

“Thanks, and thank you for saving me in there.” You tell her with a small smile.

“It’s not a problem, I had to make sure all my students were safe.” She tells you and then walks away.

You watch her walk away, disappointed that you didn’t have more time with her. You still want to be around her, but you don’t know if you can even be friends with someone who’s family has been killing outcasts for centuries. You don’t know what she was taught growing up until the death of her family. You then decide to talk to the one person who’s the most neutral as she has no emotions, Wednesday.

“Wednesday can we talk about something?” You ask her as you enter the dorm room and she turns to look at you. “Before I say anything, you have to promise me that you won’t do anything about it or tell anyone. You have to swear.”

“I can I agree to something that I don’t know what’s it about?” She asks you.

“Cause you’re curious.” You tell her and she doesn’t look impressed. “And it’s about Ms. Thornhill.” You add on and that catches her attention.

“Ok, I swear.”

“Alright first of all, you were right, there’s no records of her before 13 because she changed her name. She was both as Laurel Gates.” You tell her.

“Isn’t the Gates related to Joseph Crackstone? The one who slaughtered a bunch of outcasts.” She says and you nod.

“It’s the reason her and I are no longer together, well one of the reasons. I also feared she might be going behind my back and hooking up with someone else, someone older.” You tell her and she looks at you curiously.

“Why are you telling me this?” She asks you with a tilt of her head.

“Because I don’t know what to do, I know you’d probably befriend her as her family are killers and that might intrigue you or something, but you also have no emotional attachment to anything so you’re the best person to tell as you’re neutral.” You tell her.

“I wouldn’t befriend her. While her family may be killers, she isn’t one. She seems like the normal one in the family, the boring one.” She tells you. “In my vision, you both seemed happy, disgustingly happy.” She adds on. “You don’t like discrimination and yet you’re blaming her for her family’s actions.” She tells you and you have to admit that you didn’t see that coming. I mean she did have a point.

“I guess I did at first but then I just think that she’ll get bored or maybe some of those Gates tendencies will come back to her and she’ll hate me. And she’s dating John now anyway.” You tell her.

“I don’t understand why you’re talking about your feelings to me instead of Enid.”

“It’s not my feelings I want to talk about, I want a logical answer. What should I do?” You ask her and she looks at you.

“If I were you, I’d leave her alone. People aren’t worth it, they’ll just hold you back. I know you’ve been trying to do that but she keeps coming back to you. Reminds me a bit of my parents, can’t be separated for long.” She says. “Now I have to get rid of the remnants of a bad prank.” She tells you and goes to take a shower.

You then start to feel the paint beginning to dry on you and you start feeling it stick to you more and more and you really need a shower. You then reluctantly walk over to Marilyn’s room and knock on her door. She opens the door and smiles when she sees it’s you.

“Hey Y/N.” She tells you and her hair is wet and she’s wearing different clothes.

“Hi, I was wondering if I can use your shower? Wednesday is using the one in the dorm and the paint is sticking to me and really starting to bother me.” You tell her and she steps aside.

“Of course, come on in.” She tells you.

Before you walk in, you see John sitting on her new couch and you freeze.

“Oh I didn’t know you had company, I’m sorry to disturb you, I’ll go.” You tell her and she frowns.

“Nonsense, you need a shower. Just use mine.” She tells you and you shake your head and begin to walk away, feeling your eyes start to water. “Hey Y/N, are you alright?” She asks you and puts a hand on your shoulder, and at that moment John gets up.

“Marilyn, I think I’ll go. It’s obvious your student needs you right now.” He tells her and she nods at him. “I’ll call you tomorrow though.” He adds on.

“Ok, thank you, and thanks for tonight.” She says and he gives her a kiss on the cheek then walks out. “Y/N, come in.” She tells you but you stay rooted in your spot.

“No, I think I’ve ruined your night enough.” You tell her and a tear slips down your cheek. You begin to walk away but she grabs your wrist and drags you into her room. “Woah! Marilyn! What the hell!” You yell when you’re in her room.

“What’s wrong? You’re crying and it can’t be just because of the paint.” She tells you and she crosses her arms.

“I didn’t expect to see John in here with you, alone.” You tell her with a sniffle.

“We weren’t doing anything, just talking.” She tells you. “Come on, what’s this about?” She softly nudges you.

“You, it’s about you!” You blurt out and you both look shocked. Well, might as well just continue. “And I don’t know what to do.” You add on.

“Ok, listen, how about you go take a shower and then after we can chat. I think it’s overdue anyway.” She tells you and you nod while a couple tears fall down your cheeks and Marilyn wipes them off. “Alright, I’ll get you a towel and a shirt and pants for after.” She says.

After your shower, you slip on the clothes she gave you to borrow and you feel so much better already. You brush your hair and make sure to get all the tangles out before going back into her room.

“Hey, I made you a hot chocolate.” She tells you when she sees you.

“Oh, thank you. I also see you got a couch like you wanted.” You tell her and she smiles.

“I did, yes, 3 weeks ago.” She tells you as you sit down beside her and grab the hot chocolate from the small table beside the couch. “So what got you upset today?” She asks you.

“Today is when it kinda boiled over, but I’ve been struggling for 3 weeks.” You tell her and she nods. Already knowing that’s when you guys broke up. “I’ve been trying to figure out if I made the right choice. And today I actually asked Wednesday of all people. She had a vision of us kissing a few weeks ago and said she won’t tell anyone, and she’s got no emotions so she’s probably the best person to ask. Anyway, she made me realise that I was punishing you for your family’s actions, while you didn’t do anything. And when I saw John today, sitting on your couch, it made me go over the edge and all I wanted was to run away from you. It got me really upset and knowing that I was right to end it and that I should just let you live your life while I live mine. I mean we only went out for like 2 weeks, so I’ll move on eventually, especially since you have already.” You finish and take a big sip of the hot chocolate to help make you feel better.

“Well first of all, I haven’t moved on but I’m trying too.” She starts and you look up at her. “And second, I understand you wanted to distance yourself after knowing I was related to a line of outcast killers. Your survival instincts took over, and while I may not have liked the outcome, I do understand. I would honestly have done the same if I were you. And third, what do you mean by, you were right to end it?” She asks you and you look at her.

“I knew you’d get bored eventually and just move on.” You tell her. “I’m too young for you and you would realise that right away and just leave. And it would probably be after we have sex as I’ve never done it and you’d want someone who’s experienced. But I understand that I need to move on, but it’s hard when I see you everyday, and also the fact that you were my first kiss and relationship, actually we weren’t even in a relationship, just went on a date and kissed.” You tell her.

“I was your first kiss?” She asks you and you nod. “So in your dorm, that was your first ever kiss?” She asks again and you once again nod. “Oh Y/N, you should have told me, I feel honoured to be your first kiss. And also I think I can decide for myself if you’re too young for me. You may be 17 but you act older than that.” She says to you. “Y/N, while I would love to get back together with you, I think you’re right about one thing.” She says and you look at her. “I was born and raised as a Gates. It might have been for the best that we ended things. I’m new to the whole being around outcasts thing, and while I don’t want to kill any of you, I’m not sure how I feel about all of you, especially dating one.” She says and you nod. You take the last sip of your hot chocolate and place it behind you on the table.

“I guess I’ll go then, I’ll just go change out of these clothes and give them back to you. Will only take a minute.” You tell her.

“Keep them if you want. Those pyjamas don’t fit me anymore anyway. I was about to get rid of them.” She tells you and you nod after a few seconds.

“Ok, thank you, they are comfortable.” You say with a small smile that she returns.

She closes the door behind you and then takes a deep breath before sliding down the door. While she wants to be with you, she also doesn’t want to hurt you or you getting hurt by other normies because of who you are. So she put her feelings aside and told a small lie to keep you safe, she just hopes that you’ll stay safe.

#marilyn thornhill x reader #marilyn thornhill #x reader #fanfic #wednesday netflix

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