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thewolffairytaler · 4 months ago

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Wisdom from the living - oneshot | Carrie White x Female Goth reader

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Summary: All the introverted goth wanted to do in the library was to read her books she had picked out for the day, though instead, she ended up in a conversation with a girl whose so much the opposite of her, but still share a couple of similar qualities. And although the goth dosen’t have the intention to give Carrie her own wisdom, it happens by default.

In the calm sanctuary of the high school library, where the aroma of decaying paper mingled with the faint whisper of turning pages, a goth girl walked among the stacks, her dark clothes contrasting dramatically with the vivid colours of the surrounding pupils. She had always found consolation in books, captivated to the gloomy regions of His Dark Materials and the melancholic poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Her thoughts shifted between the haunting, lyrical beauty of Poe's poetry and the ethereal landscapes of Philip Pullman's imagination as she browsed the bookshelves in quest of the ideal getaway. She collected her desired titles and looked around the room for a spot to sit.

The majority of the tables were occupied by lively groups of people who were whispering about their weekend plans and academic assignments. Then her eyes fell on a lone figure in the far corner, a girl with a quiet strength about her, her head down over a book. Carrie White, renowned for her eccentric personality and the weight of her own untold tales, was there. Instead of fear or condemnation, the goth girl saw a mirror of her own loneliness. She walked over and sat into the seat opposite Carrie with a nod of unsaid agreement, the squeak of the chair almoat breaking the silence between them. Instinctively, (Y/n) would look up to see Carrie take some glances at her, even having her cheeks be a bit rosey as she looked back down to her book in embarrassment.

(Y/n) is a bit confused by her behaviour, never seeing someone act so shyly around her. Normally, it was judging stares or a need to stay away from the modest goth. But Carrie dosen’t seem to mind her presence, so she might as well stay and continue on reading her books. She carefully placed the stack of books at the side of the table, not wanting to disturb Carrie further than what she had already done. And began reading the first printed work.

Carrie feels a bit uncomfortable with (Y/n) sitting so close, but she doesn't want to be rude. She peeks over the top of her book to steal a glance at her, quickly looking away when their eyes meet. Carrie's heart races a bit faster, her palms getting sweaty. She wonders if Y/n thinks she's weird. Carrie tries to focus on her book again, but she finds herself distracted by (Y/n)'s presence. They occasionally had eye contact by accident time to time, but nothing did happen between them in that long period of silence. Well, until (Y/n) decided to speak up that is. She lowered the book from her face as she put the book mark in the page she was on, to then close it with a calm attitude.

"Is there something you want from me Carrie?" Carrie's eyes widen in surprise at (Y/n')s sudden question. She fidgets with the hem of her sleeve, her voice coming out in a small, timid whisper.

"N-no, I... I was just reading. I didn't mean to bother you..." She glances away, feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. Carrie's mind races with thoughts, wondering if (Y/n) is annoyed with her presence. She wants to say something more, to explain, but the words get caught in her throat. "I'm sorry if I'm in your way. I can move if you want..." Carrie offers shyly, already starting to gather her things, not wanting to cause any trouble.

"No, you don't have to leave. I'll be going anyways since my next class starts soon." That wasn't exactly a lie, her next lesson begins in eleven minutes, but she was planning to leave because she assumed Carrie was afraid of her. Being a religious Christian and all that, so who knows what her mother or the church had taught her about folks like herself.

Carrie's eyes widen slightly at her words, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face before she quickly masks it. She nods, her hands fidgeting in her lap. "Oh, okay. I understand. I hope you enjoy your class." She offers a small, shy smile, her green eyes meeting (Y/n) for a brief moment before darting away again. Carrie tries to focus on her book, but she can feel (Y/n)s presence infront of her. Her mind races with thoughts, wondering if (Y/n) really did want to leave because of her. The idea makes her chest tighten with a mix of guilt and sadness. After a moment, Carrie speaks up again, her voice soft and hesitant. "I... I don't mind if you stay. If you want to, that is. I mean, I know we don't know each other, but... I don't mind." She rambles, her cheeks flushing pink as she stumbles over her words.

Her hands movements halted for a moment from putting the library books in her shoulder bag, as she then looked back up at the religious girl. Maybe (Y/n) was imagining things, she wouldn't be suprised if she was, with the amount of sleep she was getting. Her focus wasn't as good today, but she can't help but to feel that Carrie's actions held a deeper meaning in them.

"...Alright, I can stay for a little bit more."

Carrie's heart skips a beat at those words, a small, genuine smile spreading across her face. She nods eagerly, her eyes lighting up with a mix of relief and excitement. "Really? That's... that's great. I mean, if you're sure you don't mind." She fidgets with the hem of her shirt, her fingers tracing the delicate embroidery along the collar. Carrie takes a deep breath, steeling herself to say more. She's not used to talking to others, especially not someone as... different as (Y/n). But there's something about her that draws Carrie in, makes her want to open up.

"I... I've seen you around school before. At the cafeteria, and in the hallways. You always seem so... so comfortable in your own skin. Like you don't care what anyone thinks." Carrie's voice is soft, almost wistful. She meets (Y/n)s gaze, a hint of admiration in her eyes. "I wish I could be like that. But I'm just... me. And I don't know if that's enough." She looks down at her hands, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Y/n lisstend closely to her words, as she nodded a bit in understandment. "....If it helps you feel any better, not having that much care in things can be a terrible habit. Especially if there are about subjects that does matter, like grades or getting a good job."

Carrie listens intently to (Y/n), her brow furrowing slightly as she considers them. She looks up, meeting her gaze with a mix of curiosity and understanding. "I never thought about it like that. I always assumed... well, I guess I just assumed that being confident was about not caring what anyone thought. But you're right, there are things that matter. Things that we should care about." She fidgets with the strap of her bag, her fingers tracing the worn leather. Carrie's mind races with thoughts, trying to piece together the puzzle of (Y/n)'s words.

"But how do you know when something matters? How do you know when to care and when not to?" She asks, her voice soft and earnest. Carrie leans forward slightly, her green eyes wide and attentive, genuinely interested in (Y/n)'s response. As she waits for (Y/n) to answer, Carrie feels a flutter of excitement in her chest. This is the first real conversation she's had with someone in... well, she can't remember how long. And while it's a little scary, it's also thrilling. Like she's on the cusp of something new, something different.

She thought about that question carefully, thinking of a way to answer it goo enough to not make her statement sound so judgement. Only to then realise there was no need for that, she already had a good answer for it.

"When it hurts to lose it." Carrie's eyes widen at (Y/n)'s words, a flicker of understanding passing across her face. She nods slowly, her brow furrowing as she considers the implication.

"When it hurts to lose it..." She repeats softly, her voice thoughtful. Carrie's gaze drifts to the window, watching the leaves dance in the breeze outside. Her mind wanders to the things she's lost, the things that have hurt her. A small, sad smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she looks back at (Y/n). "I think I understand. It's about knowing what's important to you, what makes you feel... whole. And protecting that, even if it means caring what others think sometimes." Carrie's voice is soft, almost wistful. She shifts in her seat, crossing her legs and hugging her knees to her chest. Her eyes meet (Y/n)'s, a hint of vulnerability in their green depths.

"I've lost a lot of things, or rather opportunities. Friends, a sense of belonging... even myself, sometimes. And it hurt. It still hurts." She admits, her voice barely above a whisper. Carrie takes a deep, shaky breath, steeling herself to continue. "But I think... I think I'm starting to figure out what matters to me. And' Im learning to care about it, even when it's scary." She offers a small, genuine smile, her eyes shining with a mix of determination and hope. "Thank you, (Y/n). For talking to me, for... for helping me see things differently." Carrie's voice is soft, filled with sincere gratitude. She leans back in her chair, a sense of peace settling over her. For the first time in a long time, she feels like she's not alone.

"No problem, Carrie." Even with that stoic expression and sound of tone, Carrie could tell that (Y/n) was genuine. Maybe it was because she had observed the goth from afar before and had learned from her behaviourism. Not that she would ever tell her that, but she had a feeling deep down that (Y/n) was already aware of it. The nonchalant girl suddenly looked down to her watch to see how much time she had left, after calculating it correctly she began to stand up and pack her things. "My class begins in six minutes, I should go now before it starts. It was nice talking to you, Carrie, bye." Carrie's heart sinks a little as (Y/n) stands to leave, the realisation that their conversation is coming to an end hitting her like a physical blow. She nods, a small, sad smile on her face as she watches the goth girl gather her things.

"I understand. I hope your class goes well." She offers softly, her eyes following (Y/n)'s movements. Carrie's mind races with thoughts, desperately trying to think of something to say to keep the independent girl here, to prolong this moment of connection. But before she can speak, (Y/n) is already walking away, her footsteps echoing in the quiet library. Carrie watches her go, a mix of emotions swirling in her chest: gratitude, sadness, and a hint of something else, something she can't quite name.

As (Y/n) disappears from view, Carrie turns back to her book, but she can't focus on the words. Her mind is still on their conversation, on the way (Y/n) made her feel: seen, understood, accepted. It's a feeling Carrie hasn't experienced in a long time, if ever. With a sigh, Carrie closes her book and stands up, gathering her own things. As she walks out of the library, she can't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, things are starting to change. Maybe she's not as alone as she thought she was.

Author's note: I wasn't planning on writing this at first, because I had no idea what I wanted to write for Carrie. But sometimes the most simplest arts of story telling can be enough to create something meaningful, in this case it was that Carrie needed to learn something she couldn't from books. That she needed to learn from anathor person's experience to understand how they viewed things.

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anhed-nia · 1 year ago

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BLOGTOBER 10/21/2023: DEATH SPA

This is one of those movies where I've been abundantly aware of the key art for most of my life, and maybe I lagged on watching it because I thought I understood what it was going to be. And I thought wrong! Sometimes you love to be corrected. Instead of a standard issue slasher movie starring a bunch of spandex-clad hardbodies...I mean, it is that, but it also features supernatural horror, an extremely soapy and confusing plot, and sci-fi elements that make it feel surprisingly modern.

The Starbody Health Spa is an amorphous institution that is at once a gym, a dance studio, a day spa, a restaurant, a tech company, and a lifestyle brand--basically, it is every inch a startup company that wants to be all things to all people. For no reason at all, the workout machines are all connected to a cutting edge, computerized master control system that is just as threatening to the clients as the ghost of the CEO's jealous ex-wife. I'm making this sound a lot more coherent and predictable than it actually is and I'm deliberately leaving out a lot of nuances and bizarre revelations because I'm so glad that I saw this with such low and simple expectations. It's really, really weird.

But full disclosure, for many years I worked for a techy startup that was acquired by one of the world's main evil megacorps, and I saw a surprising amount of modern life reflected in the delightfully dated DEATH SPA. The entrepreneuring imagineer who can't focus on perfecting just one useful good or service, instead sprawling out mindlessly into multiple markets just in case there's still a dollar left on the table somewhere; the implementation of overblown and hard-to-control technology with multiplying failure points that improves nothing for the end users but looks exciting to investors and advertisers; the importance of brand identity over product quality...I mean, this movie honestly gave me the chills, the way it reminded me of what it's like to work for one of these shameful pseudo-futuristic companies lead by a guy who doesn't know he's basically just a ridiculous figurehead and not an actual scientist or engineer or guy who knows how to do stuff. Watch DEATH SPA today and see if it doesn't give you a grim frisson of recognition!

#blogtober #2023 #death spa #witch bitch #horror #slasher #supernatural #possession #sci-fi #science fiction #michael fischa #mitch paradise #james bartruff

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