#second one i think is a banded fishing spider

[emosyzoth]

im back from outside check out bugs

[the-kr8tor]

Layover

Pairing: Hobie Brown x fem! Reader/ Spider-Punk x fem! Reader

Summary: A trip home brings something unexpected. A second chance perhaps?

Word count: 4.3k

Tags: No use of Y/N, no specific physical description of the reader (except for her clothes), cw food mentions, cw suggestive, ex! Hobie, second chance love, lovestruck! Hobie, Fluff.

A/N: Happy octobie!!

Navigation

Octobie 🎸

Buy me a ☕?

When you ran through the airport while clutching your luggage you expected disgruntled passengers from all walks of life. And when you reached the counter expecting to be checked in like usual, you didn't anticipate for your flight to be delayed because of the snow storm raging outside. You just thought that the plane could handle it, you were very wrong. With the bottoms of your jeans drenched from wading through skin biting snow, and with your luggage checked in without having the foresight to grab a pair of fresh pants beforehand; you stand in line for the complementary cup of tea that probably tastes like sink water.

Everything has gone off the rails that you started to anticipate anything, from the earth swallowing you whole to a flock of birds suddenly entering the airport and attacking and pecking at your head— but never in a million years you’d see your ex standing in the middle of the rushing crowd looking disheveled but still as handsome as ever.

“Oh,” your breath gets stuck in your throat as the bright fluorescent lights above dim in your vision, and spotlights replace it— pointing directly at him while the crowd parts for him.

In slow motion, he turns his head and you see the recognition in his eyes just as he locks eyes with you through the haze of brief unfamiliarity. His lips curl into a smirk just like how you remembered it. His piercings glow as if the sun has come out just for him, melting the ice and snow outside. His hazel eyes roam over your discombobulated expression, you must look like a fish out of water right now.

“Miss?” The vendor’s voice behind you wakes you up from your foggy thoughts. “Your order?”

“Uh…” turning around, you try to gather your words, but it seems that Hobie has taken it all from your lips. “I—”

“Earl grey, two sugars and a splash of milk.” His voice sounds close, ever closer as he sidles up next to you. When you gaze upon him, he's already looking at you with those eyes you loved. Still love. “Did I get it right?”

“Fucking hell.” You murmur, and his smile grows wider.

“Yeah, she still drinks it.” He nudges your shoulder, and you're frozen on the spot. You don't care enough to notice the barista making your drink lightning quick. “I'll take the same thing, no milk.”

“S-still lactose intolerant?” You try to sound confident even though you can feel his warmth through his jacket, it still has the same patches you lovingly sewn on it.

“I don't think they found a cure for that yet.”

“Yeah, I don't think so too.” You say in a small voice, basking in his presence. As if you two didn't amicably break up two years ago, as if you still don't long for him— or don't love him anymore. Well, you still do, but you're trying (and failing) very hard to convince him and yourself otherwise.

He grabs both of your drinks effortlessly in one hand, while the other takes you by your sleeve to pull you aside so that other people could order. Once you're parked into a corner and leaning on a pillar, (all the while not straying your eyes away from him) he gives you your drink, ringed fingers grazing your own.

“Hi, Hobie.” You finally smile, eyes twinkling from the bright lights.

“Hello, love.” His voice is low enough for you to hear, but not loud enough for other people to hear how lovestruck he is.

Your eyes are practically ogling him, he's in plaid, a long sleeve button down that you remember buying for him on a whim. Under the long sleeve is his old band shirt, the same one that you painstakingly silk printed with him and his band for hours in his houseboat. His leather jacket looks the same, save for a few new patches and stitches he mended, it practically didn't change in those two years.

He still wears all the things that remind him of you.

“You look good,” good is an understatement. He looks fucking fantastic. His hair is much longer now, and his skin still lacks worry lines as if he didn't age. There are a few more piercings than you remember, but the most glaring one is the one on his lip. It shines whenever he turns his head, and you wonder how many new piercings he may be hiding. “I see you still haven't thrown out that shirt.”

Hobie looks down, chuckling when he remembers what he's wearing. “You made this one.”

You scrunch up your nose that fades into fondness despite your thudding heart. The image of you and him sitting on the floor of his houseboat while eating take out makes you miss that life. It would be nice to hug him before bed, to tend to his wounds, to kiss him every time he goes out. To just be with him— you miss that life.

You've forgotten to take a sip from your cup, so you do to act normal. The drink warms you up just right, but with your eagerness to look somewhat normal in front of your ex, you choke on your tea.

“Oh shit,” Hobie, without thinking, like it's the most natural thing ever and still acting on instinct, pats your back. “You alright?” He chuckles at the ridiculous situation. He never thought flying back home from a gig would cause a chain reaction of him holding you again in a crowded airport. He smiles at the thought.

“You're laughing!” You cough out. All your stiffness fades away once you hear his laugh, you missed it so much. You missed him. “I'm choking here and you're laughing.” You have tears in your eyes, whether that's from choking on nothing or it's because of your longing. Either way, you must look horrible.

His palm continues to pat, and his smile never wavered, completely endeared by you. Completely in awe of you just by standing in front of him. He missed you.

“‘m not laughin’” You give him a stern look, cheeks practically in flames. “‘m not!” He briefly takes his hand off of you to grab at his water bottle peeking in between his bag zipper that's filled with numerous stickers. “‘ere, drink.”

You take the bottle from his hand as you continue to cough. He opens the lid for you before you could wheeze, and you down it immediately. Again, you've completely forgotten about your *own drink in your other hand.

“There,” he tamps down his chuckles as he sees water dribble from your chin. “Better?”

You groan, coughing out a few more times before you hand the bottle back to him. The fact that it once touched his lips flew over your head, but once the bottle was back in his hand, it hits you like a snowplow. Your stomach flips, and you panic, drinking from your hot tea again.

“Fuckin' hell, careful.” He chortles at your side eye. “Alright, choke on it, 'm ‘ere for a reason.”

You stop drinking, back leaning on the pillar, chest heaving. “Why are you here? You don't like flying.”

“I had to this time.”

“Business or pleasure?”

“What are you, airport security?” He jokes, shoulder leaning on the wall beside him, leg crossed over the other casually. That does things to you, making your palms sweaty. “Business actually, we had a gig ‘ere in Cardiff.”

You grin, “the band's here?”

“Nah, those lucky bastards took the earlier flight.” He says as he looks over to where he was standing before he walked over to you.

You furrow your brows, “oh, you're with someone?” Your heart deflated right in your chest. Is it wrong for you to feel this way when it's been two years since you last kissed him?

A ghost of a smirk briefly appears on his lips. “Nah, just me. I took a later flight so I could visit some places. Be a fuckin' tourist for once y’know?”

Your heart inflates back to life again. “That's nice, it's not everyday you get to actually fly and conquer your fears.”

He chuckles, “I wasn't that afraid.”

“You didn't want to go on that Germany trip with me because of it.” His smile wavers, and something passes by behind his eyes.

“Sorry.” You did not expect that. Today is just full of surprises isn't it? “You know I couldn't—”

“I know, Hobie.” You grab his arm without thinking, palm cradling his elbow. You give him enough time to move away, but he doesn't. “I know what I was getting into by dating a vigilante.” You whisper the last word.

“That was before anyway, now I have someone lookin' over the city while ‘m gone.” He softly smiles, eyes darting from your eyes down to your lips briefly. “‘m still grateful for you puttin’ up with my shit.”

“I think I deserve a medal for it actually.” You joke, moving to poke his side oh so casually.

“I don't know if they sell that in the shops ‘ere.”

You chortle, “you'd get me one?”

“Shit, I'd have it engraved with your name and everythin’”

The two of you continue to giggle and indulge in each other's presence. The PA system continues to echo out in the background, hundreds of shoes squeaking on the linoleum floors, and children busying themselves with their gameboys beeping above the murmured conversations of their parents. Every sound is muffled, his laugh is the only thing that you can hear, and his face is the only thing you could see under the harsh lights.

It's just you and him in the crowded place.

“Let's sit down, yeah? Our planes ain't goin’ anywhere.” He pats your shoulder, palm lingering for only a moment. Since the entire airport is packed with stranded passengers, all the seats are taken no matter how uncomfortable it is. Looking around, he bites the bottom of his lip when he doesn't see any benches or chairs left.

Your heart feels like escaping from your chest. “We can sit over there, near the window.” You point with your chin at a space big enough for the two of you.

“Good eye.” Hobie gives you his drink, and you furrow your brow in question until he bends his knees to grab your luggage and his bag. “C’mon then.”

With a small smile, you follow behind him as he carries the bags effortlessly. After weaving through the crowd, you two finally make it to the large window that displays the tarmac where planes are waiting around in the plush snow.

He sets your bag next to his own in the corner, sitting down on the carpet that is probably older than the two of you combined. Patting his side, you chuckle, cheeks warm but you still sit beside him. You're so close to him that your knees kiss his own, and you're only a hair width away from his lips when you turn to look at him.

His lips part, and you see his Adam's apple bop up and down as he swallows thickly. Your eyes glance at his lips, and you quickly look away, moving to the side even though there's not much space between you and the wall beside you.

Hobie clears his throat, smile hidden as he casually turns his head away from you. “Why are you ‘ere then?”

“Business.” You hand him his warm drink, and again, your fingers brush along his own. This time, you let your touch linger upon his own for a brief second more.

“I thought you're out ‘ere to wade through the snow.” He takes a sip from his cup, eyes flicking down towards the bottoms of your jeans where it's darker and wet from the snow.

“What?” You look down, and you immediately want to slap yourself for the blunder. “I-I forgot to grab a pair of pants before I checked in my luggage. I–it's very silly of me.”

Hobie chuckles lowly, finger absentmindedly playing with the cardboard cup sleeve. After two years, he can't believe you still have the ability to fluster him. “Tell you what, borrow my trousers, you could get sick from the cold.”

“I'm fine, Hobie. Besides, my flight's about to begin boarding any minute now.” A second after you said it, the PA system announces that your flight is delayed. Again.

Hobie laughs, “comedic timing. Just take my trouser, love.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose, laughing with him a moment later once you've recovered. You decide to tease him. “I hope you don't mean the one you're wearing right now.”

Smirking, Hobie leans closer to you, whispering in your ear. “Even though we're at an airport, that won't count as bein’ in the mile high club, lovie.”

Maybe your flight getting canceled isn't so bad after all.

“Damn, I thought it would count!”

Hobie moves away, grinning from ear to ear. “Just take my bloody trousers. I don't want a repeat of that one winter we had back home.”

“That was one time, I learned my lesson. And fine, I'll wear your pants, I've worn worse.”

“Rude.” He says with a soft smile, “it's in my bag, the biggest zipper.”

You gesture towards the bags next to you, “You want me to rummage through your things?”

“Why not? You've already seen my knickers. And me in just my knickers.”

“That's not it, Hobie.” You say like you're winded after getting the image of him in that one pair of knickers in your mind. Thanks, Hobie.

“Too much crossin’ the boundaries then? Hand it to me.” He doesn't want you to feel uncomfortable, the same reason why you had to ask him if he's sure about you rummaging through his things. You don't want him to feel uncomfortable too.

“Kind of, I'll be wearing your pants anyway so we crossed that boundary a few minutes ago.”

“What is it then?” He knits his brows, concern etched on his expression.

“It's just that— it's your stuff, maybe there's something in there that you don't want me to see.”

“Love,” he says softly, “you've seen everythin' there is to see. Nothin' changed much, ‘m not carryin’ somethin' that will make me embarrassed.” When you still don't look too sure, he twists in his seat to loom over you, you get a full display of his chest as he pulls at his bag to put it over your lap. He smells just like how you remembered. For a second there your heart stopped at the sight of him above you. “Go rummage through my shit, yeah?”

You bite your lip with a shake of your head. “I will scream if I hear something vibrating.”

Hobie's booming laughter echoes throughout the airport, rising above the PA system.

Grinning, you open the bag, there's a few shirts on top that you recognize, and a couple of jeans. But when you see something red and blue with the familiar spider logo, you clamp the zipper shut.

“You brought your suit?” You look at him, bewildered.

“Why not? You never know when a mutant lizard would appear.” He takes a swig from his cooling tea, acting nonchalant but clearly amused by your reaction.

“What if security sees it?” You whisper.

He copies your tone. “They did.” Your eyes widen. “They thought it was a costume, love.” Winking, he smiles teasingly at you.

“That makes a lot of sense actually.”

—

You look at yourself in the murky airport bathroom mirror, hands tying the strings on Hobie's pants. Its red checkered pattern catches the eye, and its soft material reminds you of his pajamas. It might be his pajamas actually. You remember all the cold nights in the houseboat cuddled next to him, with the boat rocking softly as you whisper about your day in his ear. You wish you were there right now.

You push open the creaking door, and you see Hobie waiting for you, standing nonchalantly on a pillar with yours and his bag strewn near his feet. Once he hears the door, his head perks up, and a smile appears when he sees you in his clothes.

“Lookin' bloody fit, eh?”

“Stop, I'm already embarrassed enough. I feel like a kid in kindergarten who just had an accident.”

“Well, did you?”

You make a face at him. “No, the hell?”

Hobie shrugs, “I won't judge you if you did.”

You push him lightly, palm pressed on his chest, making him laugh. “Shut up.” Looking over the space you and Hobie were sitting at, you find that it's already occupied. “We lost our seats.”

Hobie follows your gaze. “That's alright, I heard a few blokes talkin' ‘bout rentin’ a car. We could try our luck there.”

“Impromptu road trip?”

“D’you want to stay ‘ere till tomorrow?”

“No,” you sigh, “let's go.”

Hobie takes each of your bags and his own while making sure he walks in the same pace as you so he doesn't go further away and lose you in the crowd. You don't argue about carrying your own bags since you know you'll lose and he'll charm you with that smile you love. It's better not to faint in the middle of a packed airport.

You're arm to arm with him, and your instincts tell you to hold on to his arm like you used to do. You wish you could still do it, just hold him lest he gets lost in the crowd or go further away from you. He doesn't, he won't, and you know that despite the two year gap of being away from him.

You have a lot of things to tell him, and he has a lot of thoughts about you. For now, he walks close to you, wishing, hoping that the divide between the two of you will crumble the moment you hold onto him like how he remembers.

A passenger bumps into you, and you collide on Hobie's side with a quiet yelp.

He reaches for you, thumb pressing on the small of your back in an attempt to keep your balance without dropping the bags. “You alright? What a wanker.”

You gaze at him through your lashes, eyes roaming around his concerned face. “I'm okay.” He looks marvelous basking under the light.

“You sure? You look a bit peckish, love.” He guides you towards the nearest food stall, all the while avoiding people from colliding into you.

You can't tell him that you're suddenly clammy because you're absolutely awestruck and still very much in love with him. So you lie. “I can't get anything past your senses, huh?”

He chuckles, trying to ignore your quickening heartbeat in his ears. “You want a sandwich?”

You give him a lopsided smile as he drops you off to the side of the sandwich stall. “Sure, Hobie.”

“What kind?” He leaves the bags near your feet, a smile never leaving his pierced lips. “The usual?”

“You still remember that?”

“I remembered your tea order, of course I remember your usual.” He casually says, hand hidden in his pockets, hoping that you can't sense his sudden bashfulness.

“It's not aunt Janet's chippy but it'll do.” You grin as the memory of you two having afternoon dates at your local chip shop passes by your mind.

“Don't tempt me, or I'll start swingin’ in this storm to get us some.”

“That's physically impossible, Hobie.” You unconsciously mirror his movements.

“Yeah, if you're not Spider-Man.” He shrugs with a smug look as he walks backwards to order your snack.

He'll be the death of me one day. You think as your eyes never leave his form.

—

You finish your sandwich right on time when Hobie comes back from the car rental counter. His annoyed expression tells you that it did not go well.

“What happened?” You swallow, throwing away the paper packaging at a trash can. Hobie leans on the glass wall right next to you, hands in his pockets. You narrow your eyes at his suspicions posture, “you're fucking with me aren't you? You have the keys in your pockets, right?” He tilts his head towards you with a tight-lipped smile. Your teasing grin falters. “Right?”

“Nah, not this time, love. Sorry.”

You sigh, wincing, hope snuffed out. “Really?” He nods, you really hoped that you would get to go on a road trip with him again. “Damn, I thought you were joking.”

“They're not lettin’ any cars out because of the ice. Slippery road and all that.” He huffs, and then flicks his eyes at you. “How was the sandwich?”

“Pretty okay,” you turn your head to him, body drifting closer. The window is cold under your head. “The bread should've been toasted better though.” Rummaging through your pockets, you find your wallet to pay him back. “How much do I owe you?”

“A hundred quid.” He chuckles at his own joke.

“Fuck off.” You scoff out with a giggle.

He finds your laughter contagious, grinning he shakes his head. “Nah, it wasn't much, keep it.”

“I gotta pay you back, Hobie.” You insist.

“You already did with the tea, love.”

You laugh some more. “That one was free!”

The PA system interrupts and calls on your flight again, and as you predicted, it's delayed. You barely notice the announcement with him looking at you softly.

“Everythin’ is free if you think ‘bout it.” He pokes your bicep playfully as you roll your eyes with a grin. “I think that was your flight, lovie.”

“Yeah, I expected it this time— wait, when's your flight? Did they announce it already?”

“It's cancelled,” he says casually. “Is it that bad though? I got to see you because of it.” His tone is tender, with a hint of apprehension under his voice.

“Too bad on the impromptu road trip though.” You scooch closer to him. In the busy airport where every person rushes in and out, you and Hobie are in your own world where it's just you and him. “I would've loved to stop by the chip shop with you.”

“We could still do that,” Hobie whispers, eyes downturned as he wraps his pinky around your own. He gives you space to move away or flinch, but you don't. Instead, in a twist of events, you pull him closer with just your pinky, toe to toe with him, holding him just like how he remembered. “I'll take that as a yes then?”

“Ask me,” your free hand rises to his chest, palm right on his heart, feeling how his heartbeat hastens. You lock eyes with him, smiling gently as you see his pupils dilate with just you in his vision. “Please ask me.”

“I saw you a few minutes before we met at the tea stand. And I followed you like a bloody creep thinkin’ that I was hallucinatin’ or some shit—” you stop his rambling with your hand cupping his cheek. He leans against your touch, eyes closing for a moment. Your heart leaped in your chest when he did. “Breakin’ up was a bad idea.” He says as he opens his eyes, hand holding the back of yours, feeling his calloused hand around your own. “Go to Janet's chippy with me, we'll get your usual. And I'll get mine and I'll give you the first bite like always.”

“Like our first real date.” You almost couldn't get the words out with the lump in your throat.

Hobie nods with a lopsided smile, eyes glimmering in the light. “Say yes, please.”

“Yes.” Your lips wobble. “And you're fucking right, breaking up was a very bad and stupid idea on our part.” A tear escapes that he promptly wipes away carefully.

Hobie exhales like it's the first time he lets go of a breath. His forehead meets yours, and you hold him, giggling, pecking the tip of his nose.

“I missed that.” He leans away, cradling your face in his hands. “Fuck, I missed you.”

“I missed you too, you have no idea.”

“I have a faint idea.”

You chortle, eyes tearing up again. “You wanna argue who missed who the most?”

“Anythin' to hear you talk, love.” As he tilts his head to kiss you, he inhales and brushes his lips on yours. He feels complete.

Before you could seal the deal, the PA system echoed again. This time though, they announce that your flight is canceled. You hear simultaneous groans across the airport, except from you and Hobie.

You laugh against his lips, making him chuckle. Leaving a chaste kiss before moving away, you silently promise to give him a proper one once you and Hobie are out of the rushing crowd.

Moving away, you kiss his knuckles as you take his bag away. He understands the memo, carrying your luggage as you continue to walk away.

“Where are you goin'? We can't rent a car to drive back home.” Hobie calls after you, matching your pace almost immediately.

“I booked a hotel just in case something like this happens.” You swear you heard his breath hitch in his throat.

“Just like this?” He points to himself with a knowing smile.

“You know what I mean, Hobie.” You say with a lilt in your tone. “Either you sleep in a cot and wake up with an aching back, or you sleep in the same room with me.” You flick your eyes at Hobie, who's absolutely dumbstruck, that's quickly replaced with a huge grin, his eyes crinkle at the corners as you nudge him playfully.

“I prefer sleepin’ in the same bed with you if you'd ask me to.” He switches your bag on his other hand, carrying it all in one hand effortlessly so he could reach for your hand.

“Well, this is me asking.” You squeeze his hand thrice, walking towards the airport's hotel with a skip in your step. You're glad that your flight was canceled.

Support banner by @/cafekitsune

Custom banner by @mushroom-graphics-allotment

[sirenologyyy]

MODERN ATWOW BAND HEADCANONS !

✹ summary : in which i'm slowly crawling back to my avatar hyperfixation and i decided to make a band au!except I'm right (or not take this with a grain of salt hehe) and I frl can't see them playing any other roles

✹ author's note : let this not flop in eywa we pray 🙏 and yes, Daisy Jones and the Six is my favorite book, how did you guess?

✹ warnings : mentions of bleeding, scabs, swearing obv

It all started one balmy afternoon when Lo'ak and Spider were blowing off their biochemistry homework lying down on the floor staring at the cieling fan undeviatingly oscillate above them. Then, Lo'ak suddenly sits up from his spot causing Spider to look at him.

"What's up?" Asked Spider.

Lo'ak looks at him, a newfound determination in his wide eyes. "Dude, what if we start a band."

Spider frowns. "A band?"

"No, but hear me out for a second." says Lo'ak bristling in his spot as Spider sits up.

Although wary, Spider hums. "Alright."

"Think about it, school's almost over, we barely know anybody in this town, are we seriously gunna hangout in the beach all summer trying to make friends?"

Spider chuckles. "I think I'm missing the point where that's a bad idea."

"Spider, come on bro- look at us, we're losers alright? We're practically throwaway fish to the kids at school- but if we start a band, who knows how many people'll wanna be a part of it, we'll score a couple of life long friends AND it'll be our one solid excuse not to be at home" Lo'ak's riposte was proving to make sense, with a toothy smile to cap it off, but of course Spider- considering he was two years Lo'ak's senior had to pop his bubble with the pragmatic pin of reality.

"I don't know dude, it sounds kinda lame." Spider replies hesitantly, propping himself up by his elbows. "We've been trying to start a band since 7th grade, we always end up calling it quits on the 3rd week."

"This time it'll be different."

Spider scoffs. "Uh-huh? How "

Lo'ak nudges his right shoulder upwards. "We'll ask Neteyam to help."

Spider shoots him yet another look. "If he doesn't want to help?"

"We make do," Lo'ak shrugs. "What's wrong with a two man band?"

"Almost everything." Spider snorts.

★ lo'ak ──────── electric guitar

when they used to live back in high camp, he found an old silvertone in their attic that used to belong to jake during his marine days along with scores of 70's rock bands' songs on yellowing paper fraying at the edges and folds.

He spent 3 months learning a song with 4 chords by ear and performed it at the school talent show

When he got into 6th grade he did not only beg, for an electric guitar he GROVELED. He suddenly wanted to do all the chores in the house, he suddenly got C's instead of D's in tests, it was terrifying because who the hell WAS this and what did they do to the real Lo'ak???

Jake and Neytiri didn't give him one until he was 13. Jake just picked him up from school one day and all of a sudden just asked: you wanna get that electric guitar?

LO'AK WAS OVER THE GODDAMN MOON.

got a classic red stratocaster.

The first song he ever learned to play on the guitar was buddy holly by weezer...

Come on you guys what were you expecting

likes picking at his finger scabs and does it until neteyam or tsireya tells him off.

has multiple guitar picks but always uses this specific one he made into a necklace and wears it everywhere.

THEN PROCEEDS TO LOSE SAID GUITAR PICKS

tuk keeps hiding them around the house waiting for lo'ak to lose his mind.

he can play any song by ear, just watch.

plays around with riffs more often than not.

★ neteyam ──────── back up vocalist / lyricist

never even wanted to join the band but was bullied into joining (kiri joined when he said he wouldn't just to spite him)

has perfect pitch (are we surprised though)

YOU'D SNEEZE AND BITCH ASS CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT NOTE IT'S AT.

uses it to nitpick Lo'ak when he's straying from the original pitch.

lo'ak will then threaten to cave his face in with his capo.

his favorite artists are frank ocean and kendrick lamar.

no one in his entire school woulda guessed he could sing. Nobody.

was made to sing in family events... (iykyk)

loves musicals. his favorite's Hamilton...

Jake and Neytiri took him to see Hamilton once in New York when he was 11, he's never been the same since.

HAS MAJOR FUCKING STAGE FRIGHT I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. HE WILL NOT GO ON STAGE UNTIL YOU SMACK HIM IN THE HEAD SO HARD HIS BRAIN RESETS AND SUDDENLY HAS THE BALLS TO FACE THE AUDIENCE.

Once he's out there though he totally changes, he gets more confident, when he's really feeling it then his braids start flying everywhere... it's becoming an issue really, he might take someone's eye out with how solid his hair beads are...

hurled his guts out one time before they had to perform at the end of year school fair.

★ kiri ──────── pianist

there are always four types of gays. English Teacher Gays, Art Teacher Gays, History Teacher Gays, and Music Teacher Gays.

Kiri was definitely the last one.

lo'ak got her a shirt that says "key master" with her face horribly photoshopped onto the keys of a piano.

she burned it the night she got it.

til this day lo'ak never knew what happened to it.

Suki Waterhouse as Karen Sirko in the DJATS live action? Brain chemistry = altered

Stevie Nick's and Lindsey Buckingham's performance of Silver Spring in Fleetwood Mac's Reunion concern in 1997? = Roman Empire.

was in the school choir and would play the piano in their choir director's stead.

has been playing the piano for 9 years but always gets confused when asked to play a flat or a sharp (it takes her 4 tries to figure out where C minor is)

her favorite piece to play is over the waves by juventino rosas.

when she wants to show jake a new piece she's been working on, by the first minute he's out like a fucking light. SHE'S JUST THAT GOOD.

also when she wants to play a piece with too many chords she never wanted to play it in the first place.

once she messes up she's definitely one of those people who spams the keys.

one time when she was playing a piece her fingers cramped mid-song and she freaked out.

★ spider ──────── drums

his dad's military friends taught him how to play the drums.

lo'ak dared him he couldn't do a drumroll for an hour.

spider did it in two and a half but stopped cuz he got hungry LMAO.

impresses kiri with various drumstick spins, it dosen't impress her.

practically worshipped that one vine of those two kids.

was definitely one of those kids that played with overturned pots and pans and pretended it was a drum set (it annoyed the hell outta norm)

once lost his drum sticks and used chopsticks (ps. they weren't the same)

scribbled their band logo on his bass drum and was very proud of it.

INSISTED they would call themselves "the seven skxawngs"

nobody listened to him.

when they held auditions for their drummer he went "You guys know I can play the drums right?"

has never watched whiplash.

uploads drum covers on his tiktok account with 70 followers.

makes dumb jokes if the others can't figure out a certain chord or note he'd go "guys maybe it's at H!"

the most chillest person in the band though frl.

somehow always manages to pull??? The amount of game this man has solely just because he's the drummer is wild.

they once performed at an event with 50 people and Spider was wearing addidas slides the entire time and nobody noticed.

★ tsireya ──────── main vocals/lyricist

When I tell you this kid can SING SHE CAN SING.

frl the real life ariel I swear evrrytime she opens her mouth everyone's wishing on her downfall because she's such a talented singer, her vibratro is so measured, her runs are so clean, she's just so UGHHHH.

is such a theatre kid oh Lord.

was made to sing at family events too (it's practically a canon event atp guys.)

has a special journal where she writes her song lyrics that she takes with her everywhere (give her 5 minutes and she can write a song with just her hand as paper and eyeliner as a pen.)

joined in singing competitions when she was a kid and when she was 10 joined a televised singing competition and managed to make it to the semi-finals.

it's why she's the lead singer of the band anyway.

she always has pearls threaded into her hair every time they perform and it's been her signature look ever since.

her voice is fucking angelic ya'll istg.

is a soprano. enough said.

is amazing at reading sheet music.

she and neteyam wrote 3 original songs that the band performs everytime they get a gig.

aside from singing she can play piano and violin too.

she's a fucking wordsmith too like she's so eloquent and knows all these big words and she's good at expressing her pent up emotions through songwriting.

the literal it girl. Everyone in their band gained more popularity ever since they opened for a popular band from L.A. but everyone in their high-school knows her name. Everyone.

her vocal control is amazing.

she really knows how to liven up a crowd.

★ aonung ──────── rhythm guitar

has been playing guitar since he was 7.

took up guitaring because his dad introduced him and tsireya to playing instruments at a young age.

collects guitar straps.

neteyam's always on his ass about if what he's playing sounds right or not (50% of the time he's not)

it isn't practice without neteyam and aonung almost throwing hands at least thrice.

almost always smokes while practicing.

oddly enough only has one guitar pick and he hasn't lost it yet unlike lo'ak who buys new guitar picks every other month.

obsessed with black nailpolish, you won't see him go on stage without black nails istg.

he didn't even audition for the band. He was just always there at the Sully residence to pick Tsireya up from practice until one day Tsireya told him to come inside the house, when he did he finds out they needed someone for rhythm guitar and that Tsireya let it slip that Aonung knew how to play.

he's been a part of the band ever since.

he's just incredibly good with his fingers, enough said.

after the first time they performed their first gig at some girl's house party, he, rotxo, and lo'ak got high on the rooftop of Aonung's house (yk until Lo'ak slipped and started dangling from the gutters and fell into the pool)

his outfits always eat every time they perform.

james hetfield the goat.

always experimenting with new riffs and runs and adds them to the songs mid-performance and without any warning (just to piss neteyam off)

★ rotxo ──────── bass guitar

the glue and heart of the band frl.

the sweetest basist you'll ever meet.

his family actually owns a popular guitar shop in Awa'atlu, he first started playing the guitar at the ripe age of 5.

Bro is a prodigy but dosen't want to admit it.

aonung bought his first guitar at rotxo's family's shop, they hit it off ever since.

Always brings his baked goods to practices (then kiri devours the entire tray when you aren't looking)

actually fucked up his audition for the band but then Lo'ak found him sobbing in a janitors closet and gave him a second shot at an audition with just Lo'ak and Spider and he was able to redeem himself.

(really only auditioned cuz he played bass, they were finding a bassist, and not because kiri sully was their pianist)

is an introvert but he's so fucking funny that you wouldn't suspect it.

can perform riffs in his sleep (no he actually does though it freaks aonung out when he spends the night in his place.)

kiri made him a resin guitar pick with fragments of coral from the beach when they had their first date.

has a "maturing is realizing bass is the superior instrument" tshirt.

one time wore finger condoms so his scabs wouldn't re-open and bleed all over his guitar 😔

loves playing deftones on the bass.

has chronic "guitar face"

[bomberqueen17]

new friend

CW SPIDERS press J right now if you do not like spiders, godspeed

So when I was in the yurt I always had spiders in there, it was unavoidable. The first season they were wolf spiders and I managed to make some peace with that but the little fuckers would bruise me when they bit me and it was not great. The second season I was in a shadier spot, less attractive to the wolfies, and I wound up with a lovely barn spider orb weaver type that I named Dolores, who lived in my light fixture and spun beautiful elaborate webs that she would redo every morning in the gray light before sunrise.

The cabin is much more... indoors than the yurt was, so I haven't had a lot of visitors. There was a funnel web spider in the south window for much of last summer, and she tried to join me in the blanket fort as it got cold, but I moved her along and she stayed moved.

But this year there hasn't been much of anybody. Until two nights ago, when I ascended the ladder to my sleeping loft and there, sitting on my beige thrift store sheets, was the most massive arachnid I've ever seen in the wild in this climate.

I caught him in a candleholder and carried him down the stairs (have i shared a photo of my stairs? they're a bit laddery but much easier to use than a ladder and they do not wobble even a little!) and flung him out the door, shivering with horror. I am cautiously sort of okay with spiders, but Not Really.

And then last night I went up the stairs again and there he was, waiting, in almost the same spot-- on my little sheepskin rug, directly next to the bed.

I took a photo this time, which I shall include under a cut so you can see what i'm dealing with. I'm not sure of his species! He's 100% not a wolf, and I don't think he's a funnel web spider; he's also not behaving like one. He's just sitting in wait sprawled out in an open spot, IDK why. No webs anywhere. He looks more like the fishing spiders that live on the docks in Adirondack lakes, but what he'd be doing indoors on a second storey I don't know.

Anyway. I got him into the same candleholder, and carried him down and flung him out the more distant door, but if he's there again tonight I have a jar with a screw lid and I'm going to put him into that and leave him there all night and then take him somewhere farther away in the morning. I cannot have this guy as a pet, he is Too Large and too fond of my bed. The truce I reached with the wolf spiders was "no spiders in the bed" and he doesn't seem willing to abide by that so NOPE.

cut: for really real a lot of spider

Candle lighter for scale but it's not doing the best job. In his resting posture, splayed out, he is most of the size of my palm. NEW THENK YEW.

at liberty, showing leg conformation better but not at all conveying scale:

and a bonus glamor shot of him giving me a furious death-stare as i have him captive:

[image descriptions: three photos of a giant fucking spider, two in a glass candleholder and one sprawled out on a sheepskin rug seductively. Eight legs, two pedipalps, legs pretty evenly distributed and fairly thick, coloration brown with speckles/banding but no bold markings, fairly narrow abdomen; i don't know what species this is at all!]

[whoserye]

Y/N ‘the freak’ Munson

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫!𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: cursing, bullying, violence, Jason(again), angst, SH(sexual Harassment), talk of self harm, mentions of suicide.

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: once you walk in through the school doors, everyone’s staring at you, not knowing why. Did you mess up your makeup, were you’re spider patterned tights lopsided, was your hair messed up from the crazy driving of your older brother? Or was it the fact you were the one everyone expected to be the shy girl, who just happened to be related to the outgoing guy. You didn’t really think anything bad of Hawkins until it was only your second day. Now you saw what your brother meant when he said it was hell.

————————————

It was probably 9:00AM on a Monday, your first day starting at where your brother was. Right after you completely got ready in your black demonia platforms, black and red heavy metal shirt, long black flowey skirt, black fishnet tights, and your short brown outgrown boycut pulled back so the sides aren’t struggling to be up— you storm to your living room just so you can sneak a small snack, hoping your older brother won’t notice since he’s already in the van, waiting for you.

The ride to Hawkins high was very fun in your eyes, but to other people it would be considered, “attempt murder”, which was an overkill of words. You hopped out the passenger seat after grabbing your black backpack, full of Metallica, Iron Maiden, and other heavy metal band pins you could find around your local record stores near the front.

You stepped your first step into the Hallway of the big school building, where people were immediately talking about you just because you were smiling softly. Or so you thought. Later, in the cafeteria, you were walking away from the lunchline and went to find a seat, until a unfamiliar grasp pulled you back and there you were, sitting on the floor, where everyone was staring and laughing at you. You didn’t cry, scream, or panic, you just got back up and left the food on the floor.

As you made your way to the full table of a mix of freshmen and seniors, you spot your brother. You poke his shoulder gently, making everyone at the table turn around to look at you. He turns around as well, quickly seeing the semi-sad smile you had placed on your face. “Where’s your food?” He said looking down at your empty hands before standing up to hug you.

You sighed deeply into the hug, wrapping your arms around him. “Who the he-“ Mike started before Eddie interrupted him with a introduction.

“Guys, this is my little sister, Y/N. Be nice to her, but not too nice.” The taller figure glared at every single one of the boys, mainly the freshman.

“Why is she sitting with us, exactly?” Mike said in a rude tone like he wasn’t just told that their related. He was suspicious to just about everyone he didn’t know.

“Yeah, I get that you two are siblings and all but, does she really have to sit 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚?” Garreth Emerson had spoke out. You didn’t really know Garreth very well but what you did know was that he was always jealous of you, interrupting their band practices.

Eddie rolled his eyes and groaned, pulling his hands down his face. “Can you two shut up, you both were just little tiny fish in the big sea, no clue how to navigate your way around this damn school. I came into your life to show you your not alone, so just do the same, okay?” You quirked an eyebrow up, smiling, slightly proud of him.

You took a seat for the last half of the lunch time, just observing how the boys were around each-other. Once the bell rang, you got up out of your seat and turned to start walking towards the exit of the room, your older brother standing near the door like he was waiting for you, looking at you with a big grin. Once you caught up to him, he grabbed your books to budge out of your tiny locker.

Once the second bell rang, telling everyone to be in their classes, you were already sitting in the last desk of the column closest to the window. The classroom soon started flooding in with students, one of the boys walking close enough to your desk just to shove your head against the window, playing it off like an accident. Luckily, you had this class with Eddie, who was already late. When he walked into the classroom, he smiled at you just enough for other people to look back at you, scoffing.

Towards the very end of class, a dude who you were sure was named Jason, turned around in his seat to look at you, smirking nastily. When the last bell for classes finally rang, you were already at your locker, telling your brother how much you think this school will be good for you. “I hope so, Y/N. I just don’t want this to be the same for you as it was for me.” He sighed softly.

“It won’t, Eds. I just think things started off rough mainly because rumors spread before we even moved here.” You sighed but gave him a smile of reassurance and comfort. He nodded and hugged you gently then let go.

You grabbed the rest of your things and quickly shoved them into your backpack. Eddie laughed gently, patting your shoulder. “Alright, you ready?” You nodded for a second the you had spot Jason staring you down with a smirk formed on his lips, which made your mood change and your grin go to a slight frown. Eddie’s expression changed to worry. “What’s wrong?” He said then turned around to also see Jason, who was now glaring at Eddie, in which Eddie got the memo. “What the fuck is your problem, carver?” Eddie barked at the slightly shorter boy as he got closer. You were starting to get a bit worried. “You got a problem with us? Huh?” He said shoving Jason back.

“Get the fuck off of me, freak.” Jason said, seeing you walk over there and smirked slightly again. “Oh hey, babe.” He said ignoring Eddie who was staring at Jason. You were just standing there not really getting why Jason was like that, but you didn’t blame Eddie. Eddie has always been protective over you since you got out of the group home where the other girls did not take kindly to the fact that you were ‘different’.

Eddie did not take that lightly. “What the fuck did you just call her?” He said getting closer to Jason again, backing him up into the wall the closer he got.

“Oh.. now I get it. You two are a thing? Make sense” he scoffed. Eddie lost it and socked Jason straight in the jaw. Not to mention Eddie had not taken his rings off like he usually would before fighting but he also didn’t know Jason would take it that far.

The shorter boy was now standing while holding his jaw and grunted very lowly, which was kind of scary. He lunged at Eddie who fell on the floor but turned Jason, who wasn’t giving up on making Eddie’s face fucked up, over so that way your brother was now on top of Jason and got one more punch in before standing up. Not only did Eddie get more strong since the first time repeating senior year, but he has also gotten more scary. Jason mumbled something that seemed to be disrespectful since Eddie’s face was fuming. “Speak up, carver!” He kicked Jason in the rib. Surprisingly, Jason’s friends weren’t there to help jump Eddie, but Chrissy definitely was and she was looking really worried but on the inside she knew he deserved it.

Jason was trying to sit up, while holding tightly onto his rib which was probably bleeding from the steel toe of your older brothers combat boots. He was trying to get his breathing back on track so he wasn’t wheezing. Thats when he decided to respond to Eddie. “Your pathetic, Y/N. Having your brother fight your own battles.” Eddie was calming down and just grabbed your arm tightly but not hard, pulling you out of the school and to the parking lot towards the van. He tugged the keys out of your bag and hopped in the car, motioning for you to get in as well. His face wasn’t angry anymore, it was fear. Once you sat down in the passenger’s seat, he drove out of the parking lot and straight to the gas station.

You were slightly confused, but didn’t want to question aloud. He dragged the keys out of the ignition and finally spoke. “I’m sorry, Y/N.” He said in a soft, sincere and sweet voice.

You shook your head slightly. “Don’t be. He was right, I shouldn’t have you fight my battles. I should be capable of doing things myself.” You sighed and smiled sadly.

“Don’t do that, I’m your older brother. I’m supposed to stick up for you when you cant. He doesn’t know you, Y/N. But if you want to start fighting for yourself, I’ll be here to teach you. I’ll always be here.” His voice was disappointed. He didn’t know what else to say since you’ve never really had to deal with bullies before the group home. You could tell he just wanted you to be ok.

“I’ll be fine, Eds. I can learn how to do this by myself. I’m sorry I didn’t do anything. I just stood there.. like a damn idiot.” Your voice broke as you were talking, quickly feeling tears fill your eyes. Your hands started shaking and your legs were up on the seat, so you could bury your head in your knees. His heart slightly broke just watching you give up on yourself. He started the car again, driving out of the gas station, forgetting about the drinks he wanted to get you. He didn’t want to leave you in here by yourself and he knew you would fight him over staying in the car.

Once you two reached a unfamiliar house, you picked your head up slightly just enough to see where you were. It had to be one of Eddie’s friends house. “I just need to grab something, your coming in with me. Don’t even think about fighting me on this one.” You nodded and set your legs down, getting out of the car with him.

After a few knocks on the door, a guy that you could’ve recognized if you weren’t so tired, answered. He smiled softly then when he looked at you, he quickly turned his eyes to Eddie, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion and worry. “Come in.” His voice was straightforward.

Eddie looked back at you, who was looking at everything around you. You just wanted to go home. Eddie quickly grabbed the things he needed and drove back home with you listening to the music blasting through the speakers.

———————————

The next day, you were in a slightly better mood. You were wearing a black and white striped sweater, baggy jeans, your classic platform sneakers, and your hair in a tiny ponytail with bangs peeking out. You stomped downstairs, going straight to the car that had music blasting through the entire vehicle. You hopped in with your real smile plastered on your face, revealing your slight overbite. Your brother was enjoying the sudden mood change.

As you arrived to the high school, you hopped out and opened the back seat car door, pulling your backpack out and slamming the door shut, walking along side your older brother. Once again, walking in to the school doors made everyone stare at you nasty but this time it was worse. A group of girls walked past you, mocking your movements from yesterday since you just stood there. They laughed at your sudden face change and walked off. You shrugged it off and continued being in a semi good mood.

You were walking to your locker until you were stopped by a very angry Jason, who was bloody and bruised from yesterday. You smirked, loving his reaction to that. “You have fun yesterday, carver?” You Weren’t paying that much attention to him since you were busy shoving your stuff into your small locker. He slammed the locker door shut, catching you off guard. “What-“ the next thing you know. You were pinned to the closed lockers by none other than the douchebag himself, Tommy H. And his stupid friends. “Get off of m-“ you were interrupted by a chilling touch, running up and down your thigh. You felt yourself tearing up, not being able to do anything. You tried pushing them off, but all you could manage to do was scream, which was everyone’s cue to look at you, whispering “she’s such a whore.”,”what the hell is she doing?”. Tommy slapped your cheek really firmly, causing you to start biting your lip to not scream more.

All Eddie heard was screaming and sounds of people judging aloud. He didn’t know what was going on until him walking into the hallway further towards where the crowd was, revealed you, in tears, just wanting to die. He was so disgustingly angry. He didn’t know what to do until he started lunging at tommy, making you think he was going to kill him. You tried to run towards him to pull him off, but the other guys kept you pinned to the locker, watching the boys. Something inside you clicked for you to bite the boy who had his hands on both of your arms.

You just kicked him to the ground as hard as you possibly could. The other guy was trying to help Tommy by trying to pull Eddie back, but his weight was too much for the guy. Once eddie was turned over so Tommy was on top of your brother, that was you turn to jump in. You wrapped your arms around Tommy’s neck just to shock him with a kind of chokehold. It was enough to let Eddie get up and kick Tommy in the stomach a few times as you practically restrained the boy to let your older brother get his few punches in before you booked and ran towards the car after quickly getting your stuff out of your locker, trying to avoid anyone saying anything else, while you guys left Tommy and his friends beaten up on the floor.

It was in the car when you started discretely picking at your arms. You didn’t know why but you just didn’t want to stop. It felt relieving. Eddie was too focused on the road to notice anything off about you.

It was until later when you had got home, he helped you change like he did when you were hurt or upset as a kid. you had completely forgot about the marks, until he pointed them out as he was helping you change your shirt. “What is this, Y/N?” He said sternly, tracing the fresh marks that you had done on your stomach, with his fingers. You had put on another fake smile, which wasn’t hard to tell you were upset.

“Nothing.” You quickly pulled the oversized band tee, flashing a smile, and get up to go to your room. Once you reach the door way, you sigh softly and step in, closing the door. You didn’t really care if Eddie was mad at you for taking your anger out on yourself, but you did care that he wasn’t going to ignore you.

That night, you lay down on your tiny couch instead of your bed, cuddled up next to the jacket that your ex girlfriend had given you. You did have a partner for a long time until you stopped helping yourself, making it hard for her to help you. You just kind of gave up, which made it worse for her to take care of herself if she just spent all her time worrying about you. One day she finally decided to end things. Not just with you but in general.

You thought about her every night wondering what happened til her mom texted you through her phone and told you the whole story and what she had left her own mother on her suicide note. That terrible memory had you thinking. In which you got up, ripped a page from your journal, and started writing. You weren’t going to do what she had done. You started packing your things, not knowing when you’d be back.

“𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐞𝐝𝐬.” -𝐘/𝐍 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧

[refinedbuffoonery]

Mr. & Mrs. Claus

You should know that I wrote this whole thing just for the bad pick-up line Mac uses. And then I got hit with major baby fever while writing the end and....you’ll see.  Merry Christmas, y’all! ❤ 

Established MacRiley AU

*****

Riley’s only warning to Mac’s arrival was the slam of the front door before he yelled, “I’ve got the rings!” His boots clunked on the hardwood floor as he walked down the hall to their bedroom. “Let me get dressed and then we can go—” 

Riley met Mac’s eyes in the bathroom mirror. He stood in the doorway, slack-jawed, taking in the full effect of her costume. Smiling to herself, Riley finished applying her mascara, arching her back and sticking her ass out for his benefit. 

Mac cleared his throat. “Wow. You look incredible.” 

She twirled to give him the full effect. The stretchy, ribbed material of her off-white sweater dress clung to her body, stopping just below her knees and leaving nothing to the imagination. Her favorite black, high-heeled boots gave the outfit just a bit of edge. But the real showstopper was her coat—crimson velvet trimmed with fake fur, swirling gold and silver embroidery, elegant bell sleeves. It even had pockets. 

“This is my favorite part.” Clasping her hands behind her back, Riley swayed back and forth, watching the bottom of the knee-length coat swish like a bell. 

“It’s stunning,” Mac said, still a little stunned himself. He finally closed the gap between them. “You’re the hottest Mrs. Claus in LA.” 

“Literally,” Riley joked. “This outfit is toasty, and in case you didn’t realize, it’s definitely not cold outside.” According to her phone, the high was supposed to be 74 degrees. 

Mac rubbed her arms. “In all seriousness though, you look beautiful.” 

Even after all this time, Riley still blushed. “Thank you,” she murmured against his lips as she pulled him down for a quick kiss. 

She sat on the bed, unashamedly checking her boyfriend out while he changed into his own Santa costume to match hers. He fished around in the pocket of his discarded jeans and pulled out a pair of rings. “Matty said we, and I quote, have to return these to the Phoenix tomorrow, so no using them to build a homing beacon or something.” 

“Got it,” Riley said dryly. “No homing beacon.” She reached for her ring, but Mac seemed to have other ideas. He handed her his ring instead—a white gold band with a thin, but ornate border. 

Mac spoke in a deep, announcer-like voice. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Mrs. Claus, you may go first.” 

Riley held his left hand in hers, playing along. “Do you, Santa Claus, take me to be your wife?” She tried to be serious, but her lips curled into a smile without her consent. 

“I do.” Riley slid the ring on. Mac continued, “Do you, Mrs. Claus, take me to be your husband?” 

Riley made a show of thinking it over first. “I do.” He slid the ring—an engagement ring and wedding band fused together—onto her finger. She’d worn it before. Like Mac’s, it was white gold, but the tiny diamonds set into the bands made it glitter in the light. The engagement ring part had a princess cut diamond surrounded by more tiny diamonds, making the whole thing walk the fine line between opulent and gaudy. 

She looked up, and Mac’s soft smile made her want to melt in a puddle. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he announced, lacing their fingers together. 

“Okay.” Riley wrapped her arms around his neck. “You do that.” 

*****

They drove Riley’s Jeep to the hospital, since someone forgot to go to the gas station on his way home, and they were already late. They’d gotten a little distracted after their fake wedding. 

Mac rested his hand on Riley’s thigh while she drove. She leaned away from him, resting her left elbow on the door and holding the top of the steering wheel with her right. When Mac didn’t take the hint and started caressing her thigh instead, Riley batted his hand away. 

“Oh no,” she scolded. “We are not doing this right now.” Mac pouted in the passenger seat. 

They arrived at the hospital, hauling two massive bags of presents with them. The hospital administrator met them in the lobby to escort Riley and Mac to the children’s wing, thanking them and the think tank profusely for the entire duration of the walk.  She and Mac exchanged the same sly look they always did when someone referred to the Phoenix as a think tank.

Meeting the kids went by in a blur. Altogether too many young, bright faces swarmed the waiting room, clamoring to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. With each kid she met, Riley was in awe of how they were all so positive and happy and full of laughter, even though many of them were so sick and would be spending Christmas in the hospital. 

The kids gravitated to Mac like moths to a flame. He sat and talked to each one, asking how they were doing and what they wanted for Christmas. They asked him ridiculous questions, like what snacks the elves like best and who his favorite reindeer was. In a classic Mac moment, he explained to a wide-eyed group of ten-year-olds that male reindeer lose their antlers every winter, so his reindeer are actually all females. 

Every time Mac walked past—which Riley suspected was far more times than necessary—he squeezed her arm or grazed a hand down her back, and Riley couldn’t help the smile curling her lips each time he did it. 

After a while, Riley gathered the kids and read a picture book version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Pausing to show her young, captivated audience the pictures, she flicked her gaze to Mac. He stood in the back of the room with his arms crossed in a very un-Santa-like manner, chatting softly with one of the pediatricians. The rainbow lights of the Christmas tree behind him cast him in a warm, pink glow. 

The kid closest to her tugged on her coat, and Riley turned her attention to the girl. She was probably ten or so, with intense, dark eyes that probably never missed a thing. Including Riley’s wandering attention, apparently. “Are you checking out Santa?” she questioned. 

Caught. Riley cleared her throat. “Um—” Giggles erupted throughout her audience. “So what if I am? He’s very handsome.” 

The girl scrunched up her face. “Gross!” Riley joined in on the second wave of giggles before returning to the story. 

Later, after the chaos of opening presents, the adults rounded up all the kids and settled in to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The hospital administrator set it up so the movie projected on an empty wall. Mac pulled up a pair of chairs behind the projector and motioned for Riley to sit. Lacing their fingers together, Mac leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for doing this with me.” His expression was raw and unguarded. 

Riley squeezed his hand twice in response. “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” 

They’d barely made it ten minutes into the movie when the shyest kid—a six-year-old boy wearing Spider-Man pajama pants who looked like a tiny version of Bozer—crawled into Riley’s lap. The boy didn’t say a word; he simply nuzzled his face into Riley’s shoulder and wrapped his tiny arms around her waist. Riley let go of Mac’s hand to pull the boy into her chest, where he fell asleep for the remainder of the movie. 

Afterward, Riley carried the boy back to his room while Mac started to say goodbye to the other kids. They’d been there more than half the day, and for many of the kids, it was time for blood tests or scans or chemo. Or maybe just a nap. 

Riley hugged the last kid goodbye with a bittersweet smile on her face. The little boy in her arms was so young, four or five at the most. Behind him, his mom mouthed, Thank you.

When the boy finally let go, Riley looked him square in the eye. "You be good, okay?" He giggled, nodding furiously before returning to his mom.

The boy and his mom walked away, leaving Riley and Mac alone in the waiting room. Riley stared after them. That had to be so hard, watching your kid have seizure after seizure and then spending days in the hospital, waiting for answers the doctors didn't have.

"Riles." Mac's low voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "You okay?"

She blinked. "Yeah, I was just thinking about that kid."

"I know," Mac sighed, rubbing his face. "He asked me if I could stop his seizures for Christmas."

Riley's heart clenched. "What did you say?"

"I told him I'd try my best."

Riley swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. Without thinking, she drifted into Mac's embrace, hands finding purchase on his chest and resting her cheek on his shoulder. His arms circled her, pulling her tightly against him.

She couldn't string the right words together to describe how she was feeling. Sorrow, for the kid whose childhood was now destined to be filled with doctors and hospital trips. Empathy, for the single mom trying her best to remain positive for her kid's sake. Admiration, for the way Mac smiled reassuringly at the little boy despite the tears welling in his eyes. Riley settled for, "I love you." She kissed Mac's cheek.

Pressing his lips to the crown of her head, he said, "I love you too."

They stayed like that for a long time, only parting when Riley said, "Let's clean up and go home."

Remnants of wrapping paper and plastic packaging littered the floor—all that was left from the bag of presents they'd brought. Well, that and the glitter. The ungodly amount of glitter that was, to Riley's horror, everywhere.

She picked up a wad of half-crumpled wrapping paper, sending a flurry of gold glitter airborne. Most of it landed on her clothes. Great. She'd be finding those damn gold flecks for months.

Mac chuckled behind her. She whirled on him. "It's not funny!" she said with mock offence, sticking her tongue out at him.

But he wasn't looking at her face. His eyes tracked her every movement, lingering on the places where her off-white sweater dress hugged her curves beneath her long, red coat.

Riley made a show of brushing the glitter off her dress, starting from her knees and working upward, drawing Mac’s attention with her movement. When Mac's gaze finally reached her eyes, she winked before resuming not-so-innocently picking up wrapping paper. Riley kept her back to him, waiting for Mac to make the next move. 

Hands locked on her waist. Mac tugged her closer, his lips grazing her ear as he spoke. "I'd put myself on the naughty list for you."

Smirking, she replied, "Oh really." Riley glanced over her shoulder and had barely even realized Mac's face was still right there when his lips landed on hers, and he spun her to face him fully. The pile of wrapping paper she was holding fell to the ground at their feet, covering their boots in more glitter.

The kiss wasn't very good. Riley couldn't stop smiling, no matter how hard she tried to pull herself together enough to kiss him back instead of bursting out laughing. I'd put myself on the naughty list for you. He said that as if he were on the nice list in the first place. They broke way too many laws on a weekly basis for that to be true. Not to mention, Mac's non-consensual cell phone breaking alone was enough to put him on the naughty list for life.

"Are you just going to keep grinning like an idiot, or are you actually going to kiss me back?" he teased.

It took all of her concentration to pull off even the most chaste kiss. A little too eagerly for being in a hospital waiting room, Mac sucked on her lower lip and slid his tongue into her mouth, his hands sliding under her coat and caressing her sides.

Riley had just gotten it together enough to slip her own tongue in without getting a mouthful of teeth or fake beard when she heard a faint giggle. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw the cutest little girl peeking around a Christmas tree. 

“Santa, we have an audience,” she warned. 

Mac pulled away, blushing faintly, but his hands lingered on Riley’s stomach for an extra second. He gestured for the little girl to come closer. Sheepishly, she rolled out from behind the tree. Tinsel covered every available inch of her wheelchair, and the wheels lit up when she rolled in a way that reminded Riley of the light-up sneakers that were popular when she was a teenager. Not that she'd actually owned a pair, of course.

Mac squatted in front of the girl, whose wild blonde curls were equally unruly as Riley's own hair. "Were you spying on us?"

"Maybe," she said with a shrug.

Mac twisted to look at Riley. I like her. "What do you think, Mrs. Claus?" he asked. "Do spies get put on the naughty list?"

Yes. She winked. "I think this one can stay on the nice list. She managed to sneak up on Santa, after all. Very impressive."

The kid beamed. She had no idea.

"Yes," Mac said slowly, "very impressive." He turned back to the girl. "So, what do you want for Christmas?"

The girl listed a whole bunch of presents, claiming she wanted to give Santa options. Mac listened intently, nodding at all the right points.

Something warm bloomed in Riley's chest as she watched the scene unfolding in front of her. To say Mac was good with kids would be an understatement. When a kid spoke to him, he always gave them his full, undivided attention and took every word very seriously. When a kid was being serious, Mac was serious, and when a kid was acting silly, Mac would be twice as silly. And as a result, he could crack even the shyest and grumpiest of kids, and, more importantly, they would trust him. 

A thought popped into Riley's head. I want to have his babies. As if her body was reiterating what it already knew and her brain had just figured out, her hands unconsciously drifted to her abdomen. 

The same spot Mac's hands hands had lingered a minute ago, she realized with a start. Did...did he want kids with her too?

Riley wanted kids—she wanted kids with Mac—but she also knew that neither of them were ready to give up their job. They couldn’t keep doing what they did with a kid in the world. After growing up with absentee parents, they’d never risk leaving their kid to grow up without one or both parents. 

But when the time finally comes, when she and Mac are ready to trade in getting shot at and making stuff explode for stability and mundane normalcy, she won’t be able to wait any longer to start a family with him. 

She waited until they were in the Jeep before broaching the subject of kids. Tentatively, she began, "What were you thinking about back there when you put your hands on my stomach?" The look on his face then said he was definitely thinking about something, but Riley didn't want to assume what. 

Mac dodged her question. "Sorry, I didn't realize I did it." 

Riley knew that was a white lie, but she didn't call him on it. He'd answer honestly in his own time. Since it was too big a subject to outright ask him, Riley took a more subtle route instead. “Do you see yourself having kids?” 

His eyes widened in response. “You know I want kids.” 

That wasn’t what she meant. Wanting them and actively reshaping your life in order to have them were completely different things. “Yeah, but do you see yourself settling down, getting a safe, normal job, and raising kids?” They’d vaguely talked about this before, long ago, but Riley suddenly needed to ask him again. 

Mac was silent for a long time, staring out the front window. “Yeah, I do,” he finally said. “With the right person.” He glanced over at her, eyes softening. 

Me too, Riley wanted to say, but she choked on the words. It took her a couple tries, and the words came out strangled, but she was pretty sure Mac understood. Neither of them needed to say it directly in order for the other to understand: I want to have kids with you. 

Riley spent the rest of the drive fantasizing about the kid-filled Christmases in her future. She glanced down at the ring on her finger. First step, she thought. Get a real ring. 

[swampythesweetsketch]

 Fun idea I had this morning but I want to share with you guys for fun.

NSR GUARDIAN ANIMAL AU

Gist of AU is that someone/something is born with a tiny, magical animal that accompanies them.

Think Golden Compass but everything gets a animal, and the animals also act as magical instruments.

Imma call these creatures "Notels".

Qwasa energy is the lifeblood of these creatures, of which means the world is rampant with energy. Drawback is that the city's blackouts are caused by a lack of artists openly preforming for the energy to freely flow.(Unknown to NSR)

NSR are the major power to Vinyl City due to their rare instance of multiple/being bigger than average Notels.

Buildings have Notels that act as protector to their home (confined to that one space). They stay until the home is demolished, they will continue to exist to supply their home(s) with energy until they are exhausted of all musical resources.

Security bots have their own Notels, but the animals are smaller, chibi versions that focus their energy on keeping their mechanical holders charged at all times. They can hop onto other bots if their initial bot is destroyed in combat and will scurry off to new energy sources if there is no other bots around.

Human(oid) figures have more normal sized Notels that turn into various instruments that match up to their talents. They can also turn into other objects, but Notels are more music focused.

Non-music Notels are often referred as Nolls.

TIME TO HOP TO THE CAST AND PLOT

Bunk Bed Junction!

The two are still a band, but their sewers becomes a underground cavern that has old scriptures that depicts the more open, free flowing energy of Notels. They wish to join NSR in hopes of opening up the freedom of performance to other artists.

Pretty much like the OG B2J, but their focus is changed a bit to help Notels become stronger beings to help Vinyl City climb out of the black outs.

As Vinyl City keeps getting the blackouts and music tastes have all become selective, many Notels have started disappearing due to their respective genres starting to die out in the EDM dominate city.

Mayday's Notel is a rat! A smart creature that came to her in early age, it turns into her guitar. It stays perched in her hair and loves the food from Aunty, as to why B2J are regulars.

Aunty's Noll is a octopus, that turns its tentacles into various cooking utensils. I thought you might like to know.

Zuke's Notel ia Ellie! The little alligator uses their back scales as Zuke's drums and fangs as drumsticks! Ellie is still an integral support character as she and Zukes share the only braincell in the group.

Kill, who pops in after DJSS, has a armadillo Noll that turns into his phone.

First Artist, DJ Subatomic Supernova.

The first NSR artist they face off against is DJ Subatomic Supernova. His Notel is a dog, a nod to Laika, the first animal to ever orbit the Earth.

The Notel is made of pure Qwasa, with rings around its tail that turn into the scratch discs DJSS uses with a custom turntable. These rings will always burn up and become compact Qwasa stars that fizzle out over time. These stars are the main energy source for Club Planetarium.

The dog is massive, about the same size as DJSS. It's breed is best described as a greyhound.

Second Artist, Sayu.

She herself is a Notel!!! Kura Kura Stream Hun was once a interactive hologram theater that fell under, and Sayu was once a little fish Notel that swam around the building. When the place went under, she was alone for years.

It wasn't until the new NSR kids found Sayu and evolved their idea of reviving their old favorite building into a giant aquarium for Sayu to preform. And in debut of her inclusion to the NSR artists, Sayu evolved into the mermaid you see today!

The kiddos do have their own Notels that work as the aquatic buddies to Sayu!

Tila writes Sayu's lyrics and the beta singer of all the mermaid's song. She's the only one in the four creators that has a Notel. That is a vibrant green-red beta fish that turns into a small microphone for Tila to sing into.

Remi is the artist of the group, his Noll is a sunfish that uses its body as a drawing surface. When drawn on with a new design, it will swim around Sayu and act as a "magical transformation" of sorts.

Dodo is the choreographer for Sayu, teaching her the moves for her shows. His Nolls are mossballs. Tiny little things that act as the tail in Dodo's routines to help Sayu understand the whole of her dancing!

Sofa, the editor, has eel nolls that work in the background with him to navigate the theater and control lighting and setting for Sayu's preformance. He's the one with the strongest Nolls as their energy helps fluctuate the surroundings.

Third Artist, Yinu!

Her district is unique as she is a classical prodigy that seems to be the only other genre kept actively alive in Vinyl City.

Her Notel is a gosling, who uses their feathers as piano keys. The keys break apart over time as Yinu and her Notel are not fully grown, so she does most of her preformances with a physical piano until then.

Her mother's Noll is a spider, who uses their webs to create iron bars to trap B2J.

During Yinu's last stand in battle, her piano is broken already, so she and her Notel work together. But her Notel is near exhausted of feathers and has to stop when B2J reach her. They stay to help Yinu calm down and wait for her mother to shrink back down. They leave when the mother and daughter play the broken piano, helping Yinu's Notel regain energy.

Fourth Artist, 1010!

Neon J has a Moose Noll. I’m not sorry. It shrunk a bit since he became a cyborg to help charge his body. Back then it had to rely on tricking Neon J to sleep with soft lullabies to tune out the war going on, but now it can choose to stop feeding him its energy to force him to sleep.

White/Rin has a tiny wolf Notel that turns into a long microphone stand, he uses it for solos. Other than that, its a little wolf puppy that chases Rin around to keep him charged.

Red/Zimelu has a cockatiel Notel that turns into a microphone/drumstick combo. A single long, thin stick that Zim can sing into to generate a flat disc that sharpens into a circular saw, the handle acting as... the handle. 

The cockatiel loves perching on his arm and nibble his ascot.

Yellow/Haym has a rabbit Noll! It has a reaaaalllyy fluffy tail that pop off into pompoms! Haym loves using them to boost the moral of his team! When not in use, it lays in the faux ascot of Haym’s- he really had a hoodie hood for his rabbit to stay in!

Blue/Purl-Hew has a Snake Noll that extends it’s tail into a thread-thin whip. He uses it to grab his teammates out of danger. The snake loops around his neck and has constant yawns since Purl-Hew doesn’t exert a lot of energy outside of work.

Green/Eloni has a Cat Notel! It turns itself into cat ears headphones with a little microphones. When not doing anything else, it lops in the circle on Eloni’s head and cat naps there. He has trouble keeping his head straight sometimes, but he can never remove his precious chunk. 💚

When B2J crash their party, Mayday is terrified of Eloni’s cat and Purl-Hew’s snake cause she thinks they might eat her rat (Who she has gone to call Chebbar. Like Cheddar, but with a B).

When 1010 are nearly destroyed, all the Notels/Nells freak out in hopes of repairing their respective boys, but this only makes things work as they are what cause 1010 to ultimately explode.

When Neon J comes to the scene- atop 1010 limousine. No matter where I fight whether near or far- I bleed in the name of NSR-

When Neon J comes to the scene, he and his MEGA MOOSE NOLL (who turns into a rapier with many disfigured blades that hut out like antlers.

The Mother Machine that keeps spawning 1010′s new bodies has its own Noll that is respectively a doe. All of 1010′s Notels/Nolls rush to their protection. Moose dad and Deer mom are PISSED.

All the Notels and Nolls cling to their beaten owners after the fight, the doe keeps close to Neon J when the Mother Machine is destroyed.

Fourth Artist, Eve.

Eve has two Nolls, peacocks that are pink and white respectively. They turn into her masks or Humor and Tragedy.

When one is used, the other uses its feathers to construct large arms and hands that chase B2J around. When they swap, all hands and arms melt into puddles that can still cause damage if stepped in. They evaporate after a little bit.

The peacocks steal Eve and try to run into the white void when she’s defeated, pecking Zuke when he catches up to them and talks to Eve. They eventually deescalates the tension and pet them while they talk.

They follow B2J outside the studio in order to combine their feathers into a key that unlocks the gate to NSR tower.

Final Artist, Tatiana.

Tatiana has a Noll, a steel gray hummingbird. It looks dead a majority of the time. It may look rejuvenated one second, but the next it will look drained of all life. Tatiana refuses to acknowledge her Noll’s problem.

When B2J encounters Tatiana, they battle with their music which seems to revive the Noll. That catches Mayday’s attention.

Mayday goes in to shame Tatiana for neglecting her Noll’s need for Rock, revealing B2J’s motive for auditioning in the first place. 

To save the Notals, dying form the lack of their genre being played and oppressing artists that don’t fall in line of EDM.

Tatiana is caught off guard by the revelation, but listening to Mayday’s complaint, she turns her Noll into the clock hand blades she battles with. Using the rock music played by B2J to fuel her Noll’s power.

Mayday and Zuke are forced to drop their Rock solo and battle with EDM mixed with their tunes. The combination boosting their power enough to  overcome Tatiana ‘s attack.

As the battle concludes, the clock tower releases Tatiana’s guitar, who reveals to a phoenix Notel that has been supplying the tower with the majority of its power since Tatiana abandoned her old persona, Kul Fyra.

Kliff comes into the scene, and using Tatiana’s weakened Notel and Noll against her, takes control of them to grab the last bit of power from NSR.

All the defeated artists call in to see Tatiana, beaten. It is there that everyone is then told how the lack of genres have been killing off the Notels and causing the blackouts. But Tatiana refuses the idea... then her Noll collapses. 

Mayday and Zuke rush to the Noll’s aid and play their music for the poor thing. Kliff chews Tatiana out for not seeing the obvious. He misses the hypocrisy in his speech, as he only idolizes Rock as the definitive music genre of Vinyl City.

During their fight, Kliff uses his Noll to control the tower’s system and the satellite starts to fall.

The finale continues as normal, the districts are returned to their respective Artists, and Tatiana puts the call out for artists of all genres to come to the Grand Qwasa to preform like never before.

Kliff, seeing a error in his ways a little too late, gives back Tatiana’s Notels and leaves his own Noll behind with her.

Lyrics screamed, horns blasted, drums punctured, string snapped.

The blow of musical energy surges the Grand Qwasa as the whole city glows in a light long missed as every single artist plays their heart out. 

But it works, the tower transforms with the help of its Noll (a metronome) and flings the satellite back into orbit.

Mayday is given Tatiana’s offer to join NSR and refuses, and instead is gifted her Notel.

Tatiana’s Noll is fully revived and reveals to be another phoenix, still steel gray but it’s body burning brighter than ever before.

The announcement is made to restructure NSR, and in so, Vinyl City is opened alive once more to revived and brand new Notels.

ANNNNNNNNDDDD that’s the end! Thanks for reading my rambling of a AU that doesn’t change a lot but was fun to make! 

Byyyeeeeeee!!!!!!!

[dontasktheradiodemon]

Sitting Room #1 (12/31/2020)

Click here if you’re like “what the heck is this about?”

Alastor decides that today is a good day to lay on top of a piano and sing. Valera @autokrates decides to accompany by playing the piano. Angel @sluttyspiderpolkacock plummets out of the sky and kills Alastor in one shot.

Alastor

What do we have here!

Alastor's been wandering the estate scouting out sources of entertainment—when he crosses paths with a sitting room stocked with a gorgeous grand piano. Entertainment located.

He trots over, plays a few keys to make sure it's in tune, considers his options, and then hops up to sit on top of the piano. Nice! Sturdy. He lays down on the piano.

What kind of song is appropriate to play while laying on a piano?

He thinks for a moment; then summons up his microphone, kills the lights, sends his shadow to play a dramatic arpeggio, rolls dramatically onto his back, and sings into the mic, "At first I was afraid~ I was petrified~"

Valera

Valera was happily sitting in the gardens, enjoying the ocean breeze of their home planet, the rustling of the leaves and the perfume of the flowers. It was only them and their thoughts out here.

How serene, how calm. You'd never guess their house was full of overpowered sinners hiding from a mass execution. All their fears were assuaged, not a single of the myriad of terrible incidents they'd expected had come to pass...

Wait. Was that... The opening bars for I Will Survive? Was that *Alastor* they saw through the gauzy curtains?

Fuck being alone with their thoughts, they *had* to get in on that good time. Hope Alastor doesn't mind if they hop right through an open window to offer some backing brass for his piano!

Alastor

Alastor sits up when the room is suddenly invaded—oh, how wonderful! There aren’t all that many places where you can start a musical number and fitting musical accompaniment just barges in! He’d thought he’d have to summon up his own private brass band.

Hand on his chest and hamming up as much as he can, he goes on, “Kept thinking *I* could never *live* without you *by my side*~”

Valera

Look at the man go, Gloria Gaynor would be proud. They plop themselves down next to his shadow on the bench, humming along under their breath while they ready themselves for their cue. In fact, while they're here...

A twitch of a fin, and a hazy amber spotlight flickers into existence to shine down on Alastor. There, mood lighting for the star of the show. Nothing but the best for a guest!

Alastor

Oh! Look at that! Proper lighting! They could be in Hell’s finest jazz club. Alastor’s really warming to his new role as a diva. “But then I spent so many nights, thinking how you did me wrong, and I grew strong~ I learned how to get along~”

He winks at Valera—time to really let loose—and belts out, “And now you’re *back*, from *outer space*—!”

Angel

Shielding his face from the glass, Angel continues to fall as he wildly fishes through his fluff for the charm Valera gave him for emergencies. It was so nice ( for his once human aesthetic appreciation ) that he told himself he'd never have to use it.

Then again, putting himself in this predicament wasn't exactly a conscious decision of his either. Making a clean enough break to salvage as he fell to his certain death was an unorthodox placement of priorities, but time was wasting. SOMETHING flashed before his eyes.

_ " ... And now you're **back!** From **outer space - !** " _

_Alastor...? I thought this was gonna be takin' me to Valer -_

And DOWN he sailed like a crimson comet into a cacophonous landing of glass, rattling keys, strings, once immaculately polished wood, and ( 1 ) local Radio Demon. A singular beat of moaning and groaning before he locked eyes with the island's Hostess with the Galactic Mostest and sprung to his feet, hip popped and arms dramatically jazzed.

" CIAO, MI LUCE DEI MIEI OTTO OCCHI ~ !! How's my BABY ~ ? "

Valera

An inhale as Valera prepares to start laying into the trumpet, smiling around the mouthpiece as Alastor belts out the lyrics. An inhale, and-- uh oh.

A tingle runs up their spine, eyes widening as they drop the instrument and jolt to their feet. Too late for any warning, here comes Angel, streaking from the ceiling in a blaze of glory and glass and splinters flying up from the shattered remains of their poor undeserving piano. They'd be more upset if they weren't immediately distracted by Angel Dust's darling voice.

Beaming fin to fin, Valera lunges forward to wrap their arms around their friend, tail all awiggle behind them as they bury their face in tit fluff. "Il mio amore! Mio caro! I'm so glad you could make it! Seapup is doing great, he'll be over the moon to see you here." A happy sigh, and they look up at Angel through his fluff and purr... Wait. Shit. Pull back, they have to peer around him to the wreck of the piano where their diva had once been.

"Alastor, do you need a medic?"

Alastor

Of all the ways to go, Alastor wasn’t expecting a meteor made out of red velvet.

And then the meteor climbs off of him and starts speaking Italian.

Alastor blinks up at the ceiling, half-dazed. “Probably, but that’s never stopped me before.” He sits up gingerly, leveraging himself out of the pile of devastated piano. “You know—I actually came to this universe to *avoid* getting murdered by an angel.”

Angel

It was very possible to not have enough arms with which to hug a dear friend, even when you had six. Angel gave her a big squeeze, tight enough to momentarily lift clawed feet from the floor as he nuzzled his face between her horns.

" GREAT! Place blew like ya wouldn't BELIEVE, Babe. Emergency getaway fa SURE ~ " he sang with a flash of an open palm of charm debris, which would promptly disappear into his fluff before he swept his cloak behind him.

" ALASTOR! THERE ya went! " Angel extended his hands to offer some help. " Ya ok? Sorry about that, uh, sudden change a plans. "

Valera

Oh to be a fish wrapped in the arms of a spider. What warmth, what comfort. A few seconds of bliss leave Valera's hearts feeling ready to melt, what could be better! A mental note to see about getting Angel Dust another charm, and she moves around to look Alastor over from a barely respectful distance. Poor thing got GOT.

Alastor

He sure did get got. He actually takes Angel’s hand to help haul himself up. “It’s not the change of plans I mind so much as your choice of landing pad!” Audience laughter. He cracks his back a few odd angles, then straightens out and starts brushing himself off. “You were at some big overlord shindig, weren’t you? Did the exterminators get in?” Oh, wouldn’t that be a delightful way to ring in the new year, getting rid of that rotten lot. The only overlords he cared about were either not the type to go to such a party or else excluded from the exterminations anyway. “Glad *you* made it out.”

Angel

" Uh... " It was settling in little by little, now. The foreboden consequences of his actions. " Yeah! They did! Uh, I wouldn't check into the place right now! Y'know, signals goin' haywire, S. O. S. 's off the shitshow... Thinkin' of it's givin' ME a headache, so I can't IMAGINE what it'd be doin' t' YOU, Smiles... Lucky ME though, ah? " _He used to be a much better liar._ Angel's ceaselessly sheepish smile left little to be assumed. Knowing this, he whipped back towards Valera, arms wildly animated as ever. " SO! How's e'ryone holdin' up over here? " He started a strut about the room, testing the soreness of his leading leg. " Ya DO have room fa one more in this fancy schmancy pad, yeah? "

Valera

She steps back, satisfied that Alastor wasn't about to keel over dead, and reaches out to take two of Angel's hands in hers to squeeze. Friend is here, nothing else matters yet! Even if the way he's acting is super sus, he's probably in shock from his DYNAMIC ENTRY to an ALIEN PLANET. That's the story she's sticking with until proven otherwise. Nobody needs that stress.

"Everyone's doing great, Angel! We've got four different Alastors, two Pentiouses, and we haven't even had any..." A glance towards her ex-piano. Another glance towards the radio demon brushing himself off. "... *Major* damage! I'll show you your room, if you want!"

Alastor

“No major damage *yet,* anyway! There’s still time to knock down a lighthouse or two!” He sounds absolutely gleeful.

At the moment, he doesn’t trust Angel at all. The dramatic entrance is perfectly fine, of course—he’d do no less himself—it’s this *insistence* that Alastor not check in on their universe. He absolutely needs to check in on it, as soon as possible.

But he’d rather hear about it from Angel first.

Not in front of their host, though. For the moment, he continues quietly straightening out his clothes and bones.

Angel

" PROPERTY DAMAGE ~ " he sang with a playful swing of their clasped hands, " Ain't a party wit'out a HEFFER of a BILL... " Angel then shadowed Valera's glances. Might be true of _some_ places, but certainly not HERE, his best friend's grand estate they've opened to such a handful of sinners out of the goodness of their heart.

" Sorry... about ya piano, though. I'll get ya a new one! " _No, you won't._ " I've got connections! " _Not anymore._ " Might not 'ave any special Veci designin' on it, but I'll do ya good! " _You just made THE worst mistake of your life. You're fresh OUT of GOOD._

**_YOU'RE never gonna know peace AGAIN._**

" I'm ON YA TAIL. Lead the way ~ " Angel belted playfully with a brush of those flickering fins and a glance back at Alastor. " Ya all good, there? If y'all wanna finish ya song later, I've got m'strings on me ~ "

Valera

"What, you want to replace my piano?" She scoffs, arms reaching up to give Angel's shoulders a gentle squeeze before dropping down to twine a hand with his. "Darling. Mio caro, I don't care about that old thing. You're alive! You made it here! You're in one piece! That's all that matters to me."

Trilling cheerfully, she rocks in place. Hand in hand with her best friend, safe in her home, decidedly not murdered by Heaven's dogs. The ominous stress could come later, for now she had to be a host. "We'll get you set up with a room, get you a warm meal, and then we can all play some music together, since you've so *generously* offered. Sound good to you two?"

Alastor

"Considering what happened the last time I tried to sing it, I think continuing 'I Will Survive' would be tempting fate." He plays the whistling sound of a falling missile and a distant explosion. "You don't both need me there to assign a room, do you? Perhaps I should head down to the kitchen and get that warm meal going!" Angel certainly hadn't gotten anything to eat at that big overlord function, Alastor would bet anything on that.

Angel

Angel clung to Valera's words and the way she fussed over him with such tender loving care like a lifeline. _This_ was what he deserved, ( wasn't it? ) He planted a kiss off her temple and smiled meekly. " Sounds good t' me! But uh, " he started with a sweep of a free arm in Alastor's direction, " Ya just gonna up an' be a host e'rywhere ya go? Valera ain't got this place staffed better than ours so you can chill? I'm already here, an' no one CRASHES as hard as ME ~ "

Valera

"Oh, I don't know, Alastor. Maybe tempting fate is where the REAL entertainment is."

Valera snorts, idly plucking a few stray splinters off of Angel's fluff. "I'm pretty sure I'd have to hold him at gunpoint to keep Alastor out of the kitchen. And unlike you, I simply don't have enough arms to keep all four in check. You might as well accept your fate of trying alien cuisine prepared by the radio host himself."

Alastor

“TEMPTING fate, sure! But it loses some of its charm when fate succumbs to temptation and pile drives me!” He pauses thoughtfully. “Although ‘falling man lands on innocent grand piano’ is a delightfully ironic twist, isn’t it?”

He flings an arm around Angel’s shoulders. “You’d rather have me cooking, anyway! Valera’s helpfully provided a list of Veci recipes that are *edible* to humans—but I’ve been tweaking them to make them *palatable* to humans.” Palatable by Alastor’s standards, anyway, which are either “freakishly high” or “raw bloody meat” with basically nothing in between.

Angel

Angel combed some more splinters from his chest with his hand before abruptly bending his knees to level with Alastor's pull. " Guinea piggin' it is, then! I don't think ya ever made anythin' I passed on. " Raw bloody meat included. _Everything_ was appetizing after a hard day's work. " DO ya worst ~ " With a pat of his back, he again took Valera's hand. " I'll sample the edible stuff anyways, t' compare an' not let all ya hard work go wastin' ~ "

Valera

Gods, Angel was comically tall compared to the other two, it was easy to forget that the spindly spider was slouching all the time. She purrs and gives Angel's hand a squeeze, bumping her nose to his cheek in the approximation of a kiss. "You're a peach."

A moment, and she turns to lead Angel away. So much to do! Did she have brushes..? Yes, she could brush him off, make sure he was splinter free without needing a whole shower... Don't mind her, she's already ten steps ahead trying to figure out how many extra pillows she should put on his bed.

Alastor

“Sample shmample! You’re getting a full plate. I’ll bet the closest thing you got to a proper meal at that party of yours was an olive in your martini.” He half-bows in farewell, and leaves them to head for the kitchen.

Angel

_Well he wasn't WRONG._ If memory served him, that last shot wasn't meant for his taking, either. Lightly chewing the inside of his cheek, he gave Alastor a shallow curtsy and fell into Valera's stride.

" So ~ ! " Angel whistled as he panned his sights over the architecture and decor of the hallway, affectionately hooking his arms about Valera's elbow and shoulders. " How big IS this place? I been t' Hell's palace fa a job before, but if I learned ANYTHIN' about VECI... " He snorted to himself before he could even finish his joke. " Y'all's style is... _outta this world ~_ "

Valera

Valera saunters along, an arm looping around Angel in return to give him the gentlest squeeze. "That joke was *terrible*, darling. As far as the estate goes? Fifty bedrooms, twenty of which are meant for guests, twenty nine for staff, and then the master bedroom. Though I'd call it more of a master apartment, the previous owner sure liked having plenty of space to themselves."

The size of the place was really one of the reasons Val barely ever visited this place, too much room. But that made it perfect for this visit. Space, isolation, plenty of areas for sinners to hide away if they needed privacy... And bedrooms big enough for the stupidly tall sinners to feel comfortable in. Here's Angel's! A twelve by ten four poster bed, white marble and gold from floor to ceiling, a balcony suitable for any necessary brooding or swooning over a sea view... Just what a spider needed. Plus a tiny orange ball comfortably sleeping in the middle of that luxurious bed, but don't mind him.

[sarcastically-defensive17]

Party? - P. Parker x O.F.C.

Was totally meant to post this on Halloween but LOL SORRY

Hope you enjoy this, my darlings! I had heaps of fun writing this and exploring the OFC! I’m always a sucker for a little (long) fluffy Petey fic.

- Caz

Original story by sarcastically-defensive17

High school was an atrocity of many forms.

The cliques, the bitching, the stress, the finals. But most of all, Flash Thompson.

In a previous life, Flash would have ruled the roost as a self-righteous jock who believed all should bow to him because he could throw a ball 20 yards. In this life, Flash was a brainiac. He used intelligence as if it was his super power, earning him popularity and allowing his vindictive ego to flourish until even the popular kids believed they should bow to him.

In truth, Flash was no more intelligent than any other averagely gifted student at Midtown Science High. His intelligence quivered in the shadow of Peter Parker’s and Flash knew so; hence, sweet, lovable Peter - with his soft puppy eyes and his beautiful brown curls - became a target for Flash’s childish jokes.

The only person who would call Flash out on his bullshit was the one person he was afraid of; his twin sister, Edith.

Edith Thompson. Short, beautiful olive skin, a sarcastic smile that could make anybody flinch, kind eyes, haphazardly chopped brown hair and a bored expression that she often directed towards her brother - who was younger by 16 and a half minutes.

She had often stood up for Peter, showing him and his friends nothing but kindness. Edith was part of the popular clique, and while she enjoyed it, she hated the people. She didn’t hate her brother, but she hated the way he had grown to act in the presence of othersl. In actuality, he was a kind person, empathetic and helpful.

Edith was often known as the mean one in their family, as she rarely allowed somebody to hold something over her. That was evidenced when her uncle told her to focus less on her studies and more on learning to cook. Her uncle no longer allows himself to hold a conversation with Edith anymore, for fear of being ridiculed for his growing misogyny, historic views and all round “douche-baginess”.

But alas, Flash was a man full of secrets, and he used his popularity and viper tongue to disguise his anger and fear of those secrets being found out. As a result, Edith found herself looking out for Peter Parker and his friends.

Peter on the other hand, had no idea why Edith Thompson, one of the popular kids and sister to the head honcho, Flash Thompson, cared enough about his existence to call her brother out.

He admired the woman. He wouldn’t go as far as saying that he had a crush on her - because he knew a popular girl was far above his punching weight - but he did find her to be sweet, generous, beautiful inside and out. He was completely enamored by her.

He also couldn’t deny how his heart slightly skipped a beat when she personally invited him, Ned, Betty and Mj to the Halloween party her brother was holding.

She leaned against his locker one day after class, blocking him from opening it, sending a wolffish grin to himself and the small group of friends that were trailing beside him. As soon as he felt her gaze on him, he blushed uncontrollably.

It only made her grin widen.

“Well, if it isn’t my favourite group of smart people,” she drawled. “You busy Halloween night?”

Peter gaped like a fish, confused at the question.

“Well I’m stuck being dragged by my little sister to strangers houses so she can do exactly the opposite of not taking candy from a stranger, so I’m out of whatever you’re planning.” MJ sounded bored with the idea. They got on like a house on fire, and both were happy to call the other a friend. They shared their art class, and the two would often spend the time complaining about anything they could think of.

“We’re going to a haunted house,” Ned chirped, Betty beaming from his side. The two were deeply immersed in the honeymoon stage. It was sickening but also heartwarming to see the two so enamored with one another. Edith couldn’t help but smile as she nodded at his words.

Within milliseconds her eyes were on Peter, watching him all but squirm under her gaze. She quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting for an answer.

None came. She sighed, “Come on Petey. I’m 0 for 3 at the moment. I need somebody to hang out with while my brother and his goons overrun the house with their lame halloween party,” she snatched his hand into hers, holding it in both of her smaller appendages and smiling brightly at him.

He brought his eyes up to hers. He didn’t want to go to the party, but he couldn’t think of any excuse to tell her otherwise. He couldn’t exactly say that he was spending the night on patrol as Spider-Man. Instead he simply said, “Uh, yeah sure. I’m free.”

She pressed a kiss to his knuckles, watching the redness spread to the tips of his ears. “That’s why you’re my favourite - sorry MJ.” She dropped his hand, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket. On it, was scribbled a number, and an address. “Text me later and i’ll tell you what time.”

She left with a wink, beaming as she walked away. She genuinely enjoyed the company of the four friends, and while she was hoping that more of them would be free to hang out with her, she couldn’t deny the butterflies that flooded her stomach at the thought of Peter coming.

Behind her, Peter watched her figure retreat into the crowd of people, faintly seeing her hand come out and smack her brother on the back of the head as she walked past him.

Ned and MJ were looking at him cautiously, the blush on his skin still not fading. He had said all of 5 words to her, and even then, that was a feat.

“Dude, if you come out of that party having not confessed your intense crush on her, I think I may die from the second hand embarrassment I feel whenever she’s around you,” MJ laughed, rolling her shoulders as if to brush the feeling off. “Honestly, I feel like I need a shower to clean all of your oozing adoration.”

Peter snapped out of his gaze, turning to glare at the woman. “What are you saying? I don’t have a crush on Edith Thompson! She’s Flash’s-“

“Oh my god, we know she is Flash’s sister, but she obviously has a thing for you! She kissed you!” Ned added.

“She kissed my hand!”

“She wanted you to go hang out with her,” Betty interjected, distracted with her phone.

“She wanted all of us to go!”

MJ sighed, “And you’re nervous about hanging out with her.”

Peter groaned loudly, attracting the attention of a few passerby’s as he pulled his locker open a bit too hard. He tried to ignore the sound of the creaking metal. He was definitely nervous. He was excited, but terrified.

“Okay, fine. Maybe I am a little nervous.” He tilted his neck back, lowering his voice as Flash walked past. “She’s Edith. Shes popular and I won’t have any back up!”

Betty looked at Peter with sympathy, feeling sorry for the man. She directed the same look at Ned. Ned’s eyes widened as he realized what exactly Betty was thinking.

With a sigh he turned to his best friend, “What if Betty and I come with you? We can go to the haunted house later.”

Peters protest was met with a flick on the forehead from MJ. “I’ll be there too. Once the demon goes to bed, I’ll escape to your rescue.”

“So you have backup for when you want some alone time with Miss Thompson,” Betty winked at him, smirking at the groan that escaped his lips and the sound of his forehead clanging against a shelf in his locker following by a grumble of pain.

~~~~~

The Thompson house was well kept. Responding in Midtown Manhattan, it was exquisite like the properties flanking it. Walking distance to Central Park, close enough to school that Flash didn’t need to drive, but instead preferred to draw attention in his fathers Audi. Both Edith and Flash had their license, their birthdays a few months before Peter’s, but the elder twin preferred to walk to school or ride her bike.

Peter had never seen the house before. He knew that some people in his class had fancy houses - Liz Allen’s house was evidence enough - but with the way Flash Thompson held himself, Peter thought their house would be a mansion.

The party had begun already. The sight of various of his classmates downing liquid from red cups, grinding against one another, dressed in both elaborate, and barely obvious Halloween costumes.

He felt as if he stuck out like a very sore thumb. He couldn’t think of a costume, so he made the bold decision of wearing his Spider-Man suit, with a basic pair of jeans on top. He forwent the mask, but deeply regretted his decision. As soon as he walked in the door, Flash saw him.

He was sitting on a large lounge, people fawning around him. He was dressed as Frankenstein’s monster.

There were cups set out on the table in front of them, people bouncing quarters off of the table as a drinking game.

Flash smirked at Peter’s arrival. “Hey Penis Parker! Did you get that suit from your Stark Internship?” He mocked. “Should have picked up a Black Widow one-“

Edith smacked him in the back of the head as she walked past the lounge. “Shut it.”

She had decided on a vampire costume, which was really a large band shirt tucked into a leather mini skirt. She had fake blood dripping from her mouth, down her neck, and completed the look with vampire fangs.

She looked divine, but Peter wouldn’t let himself admit it.

She approached him, smiling a toothy welcome, showing the false fangs in the process. “How you doing, Petey? Thanks for coming.”

He struggled to bring his eyes up from her mouth, her smile was enamoring. “No-No problem. Happy to be here.”

She nodded towards the rest of the house, signaling for him to follow. She was wearing black vans, showing her short stature.

“I like your costume. Like a laidback Spider-Man.” She surveyed him young and down, and Peter tried not to shrink under her gaze. The blush was evident. “You look hot.”

“Oh! Um, you too?” He sputtered, eyes wide, more of a question than an admission. Edith simply chuckled, sending him a wink as she led him to the kitchen.

She poured herself a glass of water, preferring to stay sober to make sure Flash didn’t ruin their house. She was raised with expectations of taking care of him when he got himself into trouble, so it was the least she could do to stay on top of his nuisance behavior.

“What’s your poison tonight, peter?” She asked, sipping her own drink. “You getting onto alcohol or are you gonna take the path of the sober loner with me?”

He had always pictured Edith to be a party girl - after all, she was Flash’s sister. “I’m fine with just water, thanks. I don’t drink.”

A few of Flash’s friends made their way to the kitchen, cracking jokes among themselves and eyeing Edith and Peter. The latter did his best to ignore them, feeling more uncomfortable being there by the second, but he was surprised to see Edith looking as out of place as he did.

One of them, a tall, slightly buff man with a 5 o’clock shadow brushed up against her back as he went to get a cup. He eyed peter with a smirk, leaning down to Edith ear. He made no effort to cover his whisper, “When you get sick of this nerdy weasel, you should come find me. I’m happy to show you what a real man is when he disappoints.” The unnamed jock blew a kiss at Peter before slapping Edith harshly on the behind.

Peter stepped forward to punch the asshole, but his chance was taken when Edith grabbed his wrist and put him in a chicken wing hold. The douchebags friends gasped and jeered, watching the 5”3 girl throw their friend against the kitchen counter.

Edith flicked her hair over her shoulder and leaned down to his ear, her vampire fangs shifting her appearance to a more threatening vibe.

“Rule number one of being in my house: don’t ever fucking touch me. Rule number 2: don’t overestimate how much of a good time you can bring to the table, and rule number three,” she turned to look at peter, “A real man doesn’t put his hands on another person, and you are not even half the man Peter is. So keep your hands to yourself, baby.”

She let him go, grabbing her drink and Peter’s arm and rushing out of the kitchen.

“Edith?” He asked, his worry growing the more she pulled him along without a word. He didn’t know where they were going. “Edith, are you okay?”

She dragged him outside, to the backyard specifically. They walked until they reached an old wooden staircase. It led to a treehouse to which the years have not been kind to. Peter was skeptical and didn’t quite trust the wood to hold any weight, let alone that of two people.

She went to drag him up the stairs but he wouldn’t move, pulling her back slightly. “Edith, are you okay? What happened with that guy seemed like it was about more than his disgusting attitude.”

She couldn’t deny how innocently cute peter looked. There was faint lighting, the moon providing most of the source, and the concern in his eyes shone true. It had been the first time he spoke to her all night without hesitance its nervousness lacing his tone. Perhaps it was the first time since they started at school together.

She didn’t particularly want to open up, but out of all people, she desperately wanted to know Peter, and for him to know her. Her feelings for him were too strong.

A soft sigh left her stained lips, “Just... cmon up and I’ll tell you, okay?”

She started walking up the stairs, the creaking of the old wood familiar on her ears.

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Peter frowned, brown curls falling over his forehead. “It sounds like it’s going to break any second-“

She turned back to face him, her hair, almost as short as his own, flying around her. “There is nothing wrong with this tree house. If it’s going to break then you can just use your spider detector thingy and let me know.”

“Yeah you have a good point,” he nodded, moving towards the staircase, but then realisation of her words set in. He snapped his head back up her, only to see her walking through the door of the treehouse with a smirk on her face. He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the exhausted groans that followed each thudding footstep. “What did you just say?”

She had made herself comfortable on a bean bag that looked far more new than the surrounding wood did. Her dainty hand reached across and flicked a switch, and within seconds almost two dozen fairy lights shone in the space.

“Hey MTV, welcome to my crib,” she grinned, dorkish glee in her eyes ignoring the fear on his face. His brows were high, his face pale. “Okay, okay, fine. I notice things, and one of those things, is that you’re a badass superhero.” She was picking at her fingers, suddenly so aware that Peter may be furious at her for finding out his secret.

“What? No! I’m just Peter. I can barely walk without tripping over my own feet, how could I be Spider-Man-“

She sighed loudly, interrupting his rambling. She raised a brow, trying not to smile. “I have an internship with Stark Industries. I’m a lab assistant, getting credit and extra-curricula’s for college apps.” She shook her head. “I got curious as to why I never saw you there, and I asked Tony Stark about you. He said he had never heard of you before.”

“That doesn’t mean that I’m Spider-Man!” He was visibly nervous, shaking hands and gaping mouth. Edith found it adorable. “Tony just works a lot. I don’t work with him all of the time so he wouldn’t remember me over people that are more important-“

“Not to mention that you came to school one day with no glasses, no inhaler, you’re buff as hell, and you’re literally wearing an authentic Spider-Man suit.” She rose from the bean bag, walking close enough that she could press her hand against his chest. His heartbeat was static underneath her palm. “Unless this is like, the best replica ever made, you’re Spider-Man. I’m kind of obsessed with him - well, you.”

“You’re obsessed with me?” He whispered, the smell of her perfume filling his senses.

She lifted her hand to his chin, taking him by surprise before she turned his head slightly to the left. His eyes locked into a wall full of newspapers where the headline focused on a superhero.

“I’ve been documenting since Iron Man came onto the scene in ‘08.” He turned his head back to her, but her eyes were turned down. He could faintly see a pink tinge in the tips of her ears.

He nodded softly, breathing out a heavy inhale. He tried to force his fear to subside, “Okay. You know my secret. I’m Spider-Man.” He stepped around her, careful not to touch her. His feet carried him to the other bean bag. It was a dark blue colour, a contrast against the red one that Edith made her way to. He guessed they were for her and Flash. “So, since were opening up, what’s your secret?”

Her laugh was melodic, her eyes troublesome. “You can’t handle my secrets, Petey.”

“Try me.” He smiled back at her. Her laughter was infectious. “I want to get to know Edith Thompson as more than the girl who led me to a terrifying tree house just to spill my biggest secret to me.”

She snorted, “I’m not sure there’s much more to me than that.” Her fangs were still in, fitting perfectly against her teeth. Her smile was dazzling, and the feel of her dark eyes on his face felt like he was being watched by a thousand eyes. He was starting to like the feeling. “Alright”, she crossed her leg over the other. “Speak the questions that weigh on your mind and I shall answer.”

“That douche in the kitchen...” he trailed off, watching her carefully. She didn’t bat an eyelid.

“Ex-boyfriend. Convinced to date me by Flash, expected to use me for sex, didn’t like that I have a brain in my head, I developed feelings, he cheated on me, the rest is history,” she smiled small. There was an air of unease around her, it was full of fear. She rarely had the chance to talk to people in this way. “That the answer you were looking for?”

He huffed through a smile, leaning forward onto his elbows. Almost all of his previous nerves had dissipated. After all, Edith Thompson was now one of the few people who knew of his own biggest secret. How much worse could things get? “I don’t really know what to expect from you, Edith, so yeah, I guess it will suffice.”

“What do you mean by that?!” Her voice raided in pitch, eyes crinkling with a smile.

“I mean,” he cleared his throat. “You’re an enigma. You’re popular, you’re intelligent, kind, beautiful, you stand up for people-“

“You think I’m beautiful?” She winked at him, watching as a slight blush rose on his cheeks and he stammered through some words once again.

“I, Uh, I just don’t really get why you talk to people like me, when you have so many people clinging to any bit of attention you give them.” He wrung his hands together, nervous for the answer. The thought had been going over his mind for so long.

Edith Thompson was the most popular woman in school. She had many friends, yet she chose to talk to Peter and his band of outcasts friends. He was the butt of all jokes to her twin brother, yet she gave him the time of day.

It was hard for his brain to completely comprehend that he was sitting in an old treehouse, on the Thompson residence, with Edith Thompson.

“I’m not popular,” she laughed softly. She looked almost sad, but the micro-expresssion was quickly hidden by an empty gaze and the same smile she had plastered on her face since they sat down. “I’m surrounded by people who want to be friends with my brother. I stick around him out of obligation, not desire.” She looked out the small window that was next to them. Of all the things on the property, the treehouse was the most normal. Edith and Flash had built it with their father when they were younger, and Edith got her wish for it to be as average as possible. “I love my brother, but living in his shadow is lonely. You and your friends are the only people who actually go out of their way to talk to me about more than my brother.”

“Then why don’t you just ditch him? His friends are all assholes anyways. Come join the cool club,” the joke inflated his confidence and he found himself winking before he could stop himself.

She snorted, leaning forward slightly. There was something about peter that made her want to open up. He was kind, inside and out.

“If only it were that simple,” she replied, allowing the vague response to linger in Peter’s mind. “Besides, if I weren’t around him, then I wouldn’t be able to smack him every time he’s a dick to you.”

There was a pregnant silence. It was then that the reality of the situation set in. He was at the house of the person who bullied him constantly. The sister of his bully was sitting in front of him, knowing his biggest secret and had confessed a need to defend him whenever her brother was a dick to him. Shame visibly washed over him.

He hung his head. “Y’know, you don’t have to do that.” He focused on a splintering piece of wood on the wall. Despite the damage it still looked stable. “I can defend myself.”

Edith furrowed her brows, “I-I didn’t mean to offend you, Petey. I didn’t mean to say that I was protecting you, it’s just, I know that Eugene is my responsibility to keep in line is all.” In the middle of her sentence she had stretched her body over the gap between them to lay her hand on Peter’s arm to reassure him. “It’s not the first time he has scared somebody away from me.”

“You won’t scare me away,” he smiled at her, almost sadly. “If anything, I would scare you away. I don’t have many friends outside of my little group.”

Friend. The word stuck in her mind, taunting her. She had thought her feelings were obvious to peter. She had constantly felt the need to make sure he was okay, and she routinely protected him from her douche of a brother. She was absolutely smitten with him, and she had been for a long time.

“When Eugene and I were younger, my mother told me that I need to look out for him. He tends to get himself in to trouble out of a constant need for validation. It’s been like that when our dad moved out, but dad tends to favour Eugene because he is doing well in school and has become popular.” Peter’s eyes widened. He had no idea that the Thompson parents were separated let alone that Flash had underlying triggers for his behaviour. Edith raised hair hands, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not excusing him at all. He’s an asshole and that’s the bottom line, but... I don’t know. I just understand him.

“But, he has also shown a tendency to get jealous when a man comes into my life that he doesn’t approve of. He worries that I will leave like dad did.” It was Edith’s turn to have a sad smile. “Whenever I’ve found somebody on my own, he’s made it impossible. And now that I’ve found somebody, I’m worried that he will scare you away.”

Her eyes turned down, not meeting his. The silence was full of electric tension and she fought with her growing regret. She had wanted peter to know how she felt about him, but she hadn’t wanted to pressure him. She wanted to explain her reasons for fearing the loss of him, and why she tends to jump to his defense in the face of Flash.

Peter was quiet for only a minute, but the time it took for the realization of her words to set in felt like hours for the both of them. But when he processed her words effectively, his heart began to race.

Edith Thompson had just confessed that she had feelings for him. His mind was racing with two possibilities: 1. She had figured out that he was Spider-Man and wanted to use him to further her popularity, or 2. Edith was every bit as kind and amazing as he though her to be, and she simply had feelings for him that she wouldn’t pursue.

She watched his hands move. His deft fingers seemed to run along the black spider emblem on his chest, and she could guess where his mind was traveling.

“I’ve been worried about that for a while, Petey.” Never has he seen Edith seen so shy. “Since middle school really. Long before you were Spider-Man and I was in with the popular group.”

Her words corrected his thoughts, and his eyes widened more than they both thought possible. She had always admired his large eyes, needed to stop herself from staring into them multiple times.

She could faintly see the tips of his ears tinge pink once again in the dull light.

Peter knew his next words, but they came as a shock to Edith. “I’m not going anywhere, Edith.”

Her head shaped up, her eyes searching his face from behind her haphazardly chopped bangs.

She allowed a small smile to occupy her lips, slowly stretching larger.

“I really like you,” he whispered to her, leaning forward to grab one of her smaller hands.

Her smile enlarged, showing her teeth in a vampire fanged-grin, “I really like you too, Petey.”

“Do- um,” he looked at his hand where his fingers traced over her knuckles. “Is it alright if I kiss you?”

Her heart felt a flutter at his soft spoken question and as an answer, she leaned forward to close the gap between them, her lips caressing his with such a gentle touch.

All that could be heard between them was the mingling of their breath and the bass or the music from the house.

For the first time, Edith Thompson and Peter Parker sat together, in one another’s arms. They spoke about almost anything, enjoying the company of one another. Peter had even agreed to let Edith take him on a date. They hadn’t even noticed their friends wandering around the party in search of the two of them.

“So...” he began nearly two hours after their original conversation. She hummed in reply. “How did your brother get all of the teachers to only call him ‘Flash’ instead of Eugene?”

She barked out a laugh, not quite knowing the answer herself.

“And why the fuck did he decide to be called ‘Flash’?!”

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[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #453

“you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”

What health problems run in your family? Diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, depression, cancer, a LOT more that I'm forgetting. Where did you last have sex? I have zero memory of the last time that was, so I wouldn't know. But probably a bed? How long have you known your best friend? Since we were around 8 and 11. What’s something people criticize you the most for? That I rely on the computer too much. Are spiders scary? I mean some are, but they're also extremely fascinating animals that I really enjoy observing. Cheetos. Poofy or regular? Regular, for sure. The poofy ones get stuck in your teeth SO badly. What's your favorite music genre? Heavy metal. Be honest. What are you most afraid of? Doing nothing with my life. What's your favourite type of survey to take? The ones with really random questions that you don't see in every single one. However, I don't like "random" to where the questions are just inapplicable to almost everyone. I also enjoy questions that allow me to vent about stuff I have going on. If I'm in the right mood, deep questions are great, too. What was the last topic you read about? In detail? I don't know. What shirt do you wear the most? Besides tank tops, my Cloak "equal in our bones" Day of the Dead shirt. What's your go-to order from KFC? I don't eat at KFC. Did you have hand-me-down clothes when you were growing up? Yes. What was the last song you listened to? Well, NOW I'm obsessed with Violet Orlandi's cover of "Hotel California." I keep finding new songs that I just loop for days, man, lol. I'm still not over her "The Unforgiven" cover. Did you have long hair as a young kid? I did. How many songs do you know by the band you are listening to? I'm still listening to Violet's "Hotel California" cover, which is originally by The Eagles. I obviously know this song, as well as "Heartache Tonight." Probably more, just those are the two I know and like. What podcasts do you listen to, if any? I don't listen to any. What was your most recent binge watch? Gab Smolders' playthrough of Final Fantasy X. What’s the oldest thing currently in your house? Hell, possibly my bed frame. I don't know. If you use Snapchat, do you post to your story or send individual snaps more often? I don't have one. When was the last time you rolled your eyes? At what? Not too long ago. Mom said something that really annoyed me. Do you like mozzarella sticks? No. If you had to name one of your children after a friend, solely based on their name alone, who would you choose? Probably Alon. Everything about her is beautiful, ha ha. Have you ever watched anime porn? I can confidently say I have not... Are ladybugs cute? Yes! Would you wear something made from snake skin? Fuck no. I won't wear anything that comes from an animal. Will you leave the house without fragrance on? Yeah, idc. What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done for a significant other? In art class, I made an anatomically correct heart out of clay and put it in a shadow box along with a poem as the background. I honestly really hope Jason still has it, because I worked my ass off on it. What do you think of naming your son after the father (ex. Roy Jr.): It's not my business what other parents name their kids, but for me personally, I really don't like it. Like... give your child their own identity. It also feels kinda arrogant to me? Like are you so important that you have to force your name onto your kid? Do you like Death Cab For Cutie? I only know "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," which I adore. Do walking near or past cops make you feel uncomfortable? Yes. I just feel like I'm doing something wrong somehow. Do you think stretching (or gauging) your ears is disgusting? When they get to a certain size, to me it is. Small ones are no biggie. What piercing or body modification do you think is really gross? Oh my god, those corset piercings people get on their backs. Just... no. What would you do if your bf/gf told you they were going into the army? I'd be fucking devastated, in a hypothetical relationship where we're serious. What is the nearest gas station called? Uhhhh... I forgot lol. The second-closest though, which is almost like, RIGHT beside the other one, is Sheetz. Do you think bearded dragons are cute? omg YES!!!!!!!! What is your father’s best friend’s name? Do you know them personally? I have no idea. Ever have a dream you’re being abducted by aliens? Was it scary? No. Are you someone who tends to take a whole lot of naps? Too many, honestly. I'm just like... always tired. What is your favorite nickname you like to be called? Why do you like it? Hm. My favorite I've ever had was "Bee," which Megan called me, but I don't like others calling me that. Ever meet someone whose house has burned down spontaneously? Yes, in middle school. Why aren’t you pursuing the person you like? I kinda am. I reached out to him. What part of a person’s body do you find most attractive? Guys: shoulder blades. Girls: hips. Any friends that you’d go on a date with? Yeah. I think I want to try that with Girt and see how it goes and decide what the fuck I want. Is it cute when someone calls you babe? It's funny, I used to hate that, but now I imagine I wouldn't mind? Do you like Muse? Yeah! "Unnatural Selection" and "Psycho" are especially BANGERS. What’s your favorite flavor of jello? Strawberry. What song is stuck in your head right now? I'm bingeing the absolute fuck outta the song I mentioned earlier, ha ha. Do you have a niece or nephew? I have a lot, but only three I see regularly. Have you ever been caught doing something REAL embarrassing by your parents? idk What did you receive for Valentine’s Day? I think Mom got me a chocolate bar? When was the last time you went to a cemetery, and why were you there? I want to say this was many years ago when I went with Colleen to her church. Her stillborn brother was buried there. Have you ever owned a plant? What was it? I grew habaneros once, along with some sort of succulents from Colleen. What was the most interesting animal you have seen in the wild? I saw a mink jump into the river once when I was out fishing with Dad at our favorite spot. Were you born in the state you live in? Yep. Always lived here. What’s a smell that makes you feel ill? Dog shit. Do you like to sleep? Yes and no. I like falling asleep if it's quick, because I'm all comfy, but I also dread sleep because of my nightmares. Even with my mask, they're starting to become regular again. After last night's, I am legitimately beginning to fear something is psychologically wrong with me. Like, I cried to my mom. Do you like the smell of gasoline? Ugh, no. It gives me a headache. Have you lost contact with anyone you wish you haven’t? Many people. Did you give anyone his/her first kiss? No. Should you ever have gone to the hospital but didn’t? Vice versa? No. Who do you miss the most? Jason. What do you miss the most? Being happy. What is your birthstone? Do you have any jewelry with it? Amethyst. I have a really cute guardian angel pin with one given to me by my grandmother. What is the last dream you remember having? Last night was... awful. I remember Mom and I getting in a MASSIVE fight, and also literally yelling at my late beloved dog something about crushing his head in if he didn't stop barking. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm really scared something is really wrong with me. Have you had a church confirmation, bar/bat mitzvah, or something similar? Growing up Roman Catholic, I had a Confirmation ceremony. What was the last baby animal you saw? I wanna say a puppy on Facebook. A friend just got one.

[ask-crimson-weaver]

A Dream of the Deep

Melly knew something was wrong as soon as the dream began.

She had grown familiar with the usual sets of nightmares that would come about from time to time as she slept. Old wounds reopened, moments of the past replaying and mixing into one another. Likewise, she knew what dreams were supposed to feel like. This wasn’t it.

The room she was in was ornate, but also largely empty. The browns, yellows, and oranges of the walls and molding gave most of the room a warm feeling, glowing in the light of a large fireplace in the center of one wall. However, the wall opposite of the hearth was dominated by a sheet of glass, beyond which the cool blue tones of water filled with schools of sea life could be seen. From Melly’s best guess, it was an aquarium of some sort, though aside from some beams of light shining down from an unseen surface, she couldn’t discern any sense of depth or volume from the space beyond.

Melly felt her attention be pulled back towards the center of the room. She spotted two plush lounge chairs, set several feet apart and facing one another. The seat closest to Melly, lined with crimson fabric, was vacant, but the green chair that sat across from it was occupied by a messy-haired woman in a lab coat. A silver tea cup and saucer rested in her hand, and as she raised it to take a sip, her gaze shifter to Melly, giving her an expectant look.

“So... Crimson Weaver,” she said with a smile. “Have a seat. You’ll be better off that way, just letting you know.”

Melly felt a compulsion to go sit down, and though she let it direct her over towards the chair, she could feel her skin crawl with every step. Looking at the woman… there was something about her that Melly recognized, but she was unable to put a conclusive finger on why that was. The chair had some give as she sat down in it, and she found herself sinking down slightly into the soft fabric.

“Perfect!” the woman said, clapping her hands together-- wait, where was the tea cup she had just been holding? “Now, this shouldn’t take too long, so please bear with me for a sec.”

“What shouldn’t take so long?” Melly asked. The coziness of the chair beckoned her to lean back and relax, to not worry, but she resisted the urge, keeping herself upright and alert as she stayed at the edge of the seat. “Where is this supposed to be?”

“Don’t worry about the ‘where’ part, Weaver,” the woman said. “I’m here to ask you some questions-- there are answers that I need, and I’m looking forward to getting them straight from you!”

In the space of a blink, the woman was suddenly holding a pen and pad of paper. There was a sharp click as she pressed the end of the pen, bringing it down to rest against the page in front of her.

“Right…” the woman said, “So what can you tell me about the Shards?”

As the woman asked her first question, Melly felt a sharp jab in her head, causing her to let out a gasp. Her mind was suddenly filled with her memories, playing in fast-forward as snippets of past moments were called forward. Her talks with Strange and Energy Weaver, with Hannah, even with Hobbs were pulled up, and though the feeling only remained for a split-second, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

“What was--” Melly began to say breathlessly, though her words were cut off as the woman spoke over her.

“Good!” the woman exclaimed, scribbling down notes on her pad while keeping her eyes locked on Melly. “See? This is way easier for the both of us if you just go with it. Hmmm, what next…” she paused for a moment in thought. “Oh! Your Shard-- the Red Shard-- what is that little thing capable of, exactly?”

The jabbing feeling came again, followed by a wriggling and grasping as more memories were pulled forward. She saw herself use her powers over and over again, saw herself combining the Shard’s warring themes-- ‘spider’ and ‘control’-- to stop her glitching, and watched once more as reality refracted around her as she claimed the Red Shard, using it to seal the rift in the world behind her.

Melly was shaking a bit now, gasping a bit as she scrambled to put her thoughts together so she could figure out what was going on. This place… not, the place wasn’t important. Who was this woman? What was she trying to do?

“Fascinating…,” the woman said, a green glow fading from her eyes as they narrowed in thought. “There’s some gaps in what you know, but I know that my illustrious Patron and I will still be able to use what you have. Well, what we have now, I guess.”

“You…” Melly said, still recoiling from the previous jabs she had felt. “You shouldn’t be here. Who are you? What are you doing to me?”

The woman frowned at Melly’s line of questioning.

“Weird,” the woman said. “You sure are a lot more… aware than most people who go through this. But hey, we can still make this work-- just let this happen and it’ll be over before you know it. Trust me.”

The woman grabbed the edge of the page she had been writing on, flipping it over to a clean sheet. Melly caught a split-second glimpse of the original page, but she saw no words that were legible to her, and a wave of nausea washed over her just from looking at them. What words she had meant to send the woman’s way were lost in the dizziness.

“Moving on,” the woman said with a sigh. “Let’s see… I’ve heard things about the Red Shard being bound to your soul. What do you know about the nature of that connection?”

The jab to her mind came again, but this time the memories were not as benign. She could feel the wrenching sensation in her chest as she watched Redline tear both Shard and soul from her body, felt herself fall and shatter in the dreamscape only for her Shard to pull her soul back together, and felt her self scatter again as the poison from the amber blade sapped away the very energy that had been holding her together. And all of it being shoved through her mind again in a matter of moments… it was too much.

Melly sprung to her feet, hands clutching her head as she fought back against the barrage of memories. This woman… was she trying to change her memories? Turn and twist them like her mom had done? Just thinking about it sent another jab through her head, and the memories of what her mom had done flickered by. She squeezed her eyes shut as she let out a resounding scream:

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!”

Melly’s spider-arms snapped out behind her, and the warm-colored fireplace suddenly shifted to a radiant Shard-red. There was a rumbling from above, and arcs of red energy sprung into existence, shooting down like lightning and colliding with the floor. After each strike, the light faded, leaving scarlet webs that began to cover the walls of the room around them.

The woman looked almost nonplussed as she looked up towards the webbing that crackled downwards. She let out a sigh, flipping the pad of paper closed before both it and the pen blinked out of existence.

“Well, I was kinda hoping to keep things cool around here,” the woman said, standing up from her seat, “but I am not leaving here until I get what I’m after. The more you work with me, the less this will have to hurt.”

“You’re messing with my head,” Melly hissed at the woman. “I’m sick of people like her-- like you-- coming in and doing whatever you want. So I won’t say it again. Get. Out.”

“... Looks like we’re doing this the hard way. Your choice,” the woman said

The temperature in the room began to drop, and the cool blue light seeping in from the water-filled window began to seep inwards, overtaking the red light of both fire and webbing. With it, a wrenching sense of wrongness came with it, and Melly turned towards the glass wall as she tried to find its source. After a moment of looking, however, she noticed something entirely different. In the waters beyond, the fish and other creatures that had been swimming around had completely vanished, and a creeping darkness seemed to be crawling its way through the space. As it grew closer, Melly could start making out its form-- if you could even call it a form. She could make out hundreds, perhaps thousands of tendrils curling off of it, a writhing mass that emanated with a feeling of dread.

“What is that?” Melly said, finding herself taking a step away from the glass unconsciously.

“That,” the woman said, “is the Writhing One.”

A dozen tentacles surged forwards, crashing through the glass and severing both wood and web as they dug into the sides of the room. With them, a surge of water crashed in, slamming into Melly and spinning her around. She lost sight of the room, the chairs… even the woman had vanished into the churning darkness of the sea. Something latched onto her, pulling her down and keeping her in the darkness. She pulled and kicked to try and find a hold on anything, maybe even find a surface, but she could see nothing

“Now let’s try this again,” the woman said.

Melly struggled to hold her breath as a renewed jab spiked into her head, pulling her memories out into her consciousness-- in front of her own eyes. The barrage had hardly finished before the next jab came, and then the next, each pushing deeper and deeper to find what it needed from her mind. A stronger jab came down, and Melly reflexively gasped, and in an instant the sting of saltwater filled her throat. She started to panic, flailing around blindly as the images of her own mind flickered by.

Eventually, another jab failed to come, and Melly’s eyes managed to slide open, though her vision was still blurry from the salt water that surrounded them. The woman was in front of her again, floating in the water, and though Melly couldn’t quite make it out, something about her felt different, like she was radiating the same sinister vibe that the unfathomable creature had brought forward.

“I think that should be it,” the woman said, her smile returning. “Thank you for sharing your knowledge.”

A ripple emanated through the water from above, and the woman turned her gaze upwards to find its source. Several bands of golden light appeared a moment later, weaving their way downwards and pushing back against the all-encompassing eldritch energy that filled the space.

“Damnit, a Sorcerer Supreme?” the woman muttered to herself, sounding rather annoyed. “Took him long enough to get here.”

The strands continued downwards, and though many seemed to curve down towards Melly, several others darted around and made a beeline for the woman.

The woman’s eyes began to glow that sickly green once again, the many tendrils of the Writhing One creating a path for her to traverse for her escape. While there were close calls as the light strands chased her down, the Patron’s tendrils seemed to fight back viciously, slowing the lights’ path down. The tendrils make a path to the abyss, giving her a chance to dive into its depths. Just before the void swallows her whole, she smirks at the light’s attempts to catch her. 

“Better luck next time, Steve,” she quips, her presence vanishing completely. 

As the woman disappeared, the grip that held Melly in place began to slacken, letting the golden strands of magic finally reach her. They began to pull her upwards, and the sunken space began to grow brighter and brighter, until…

Melly awoke with a gasp, jolting upright right before she tilted over again, coughing and struggling to steady her breath. There was someone next to her that caught her-- no, not just anyone. Hannah. One of her arms was curved in front of Melly to help support her, while the other rested supportively on her back.

“Hey-- you’re alright, you’re awake,” Hannah said reassuringly, though her expression was still one of worry. “You’re safe.”

Melly leaned into Hannah’s arms, letting herself breathe for a moment. However, her spider-sense wouldn’t let her ignore the other, considerably more powerful presence in the room. Glancing up, Melly’s eyes met those of the annoyed-looking Sorcerer Supreme of her dimension: Doctor Strange.

It took another moment for her to speak up-- she swore that she could still feel the sting of salt in the back of her throat.

“Strange,” she said shakily, “what the hell just happened to me?”

[myarmsaretoolong]

Where do You Think You’re Going?

@whumptober2020​ Prompt #5: Where do You Think You’re Going? - On the Run | Rescue

Word Count: 1933

Synopsis: Peter’s been running ever since Beck revealed his identity. Everything is finally catching up to him.

Read Under the Cut | Read on AO3

Peter had been running for months. Running from everyone in the city who turned on him, running from Tony and May - Peter hadn’t seen them since that day, in truth, he was afraid to, afraid they’d believe Beck’s lies and turn him over to Ross. What was he running towards? Well, he hadn’t figured that out yet.

Ross sent his goons after Peter on a weekly basis; the one thing he hadn’t run away from was New York. It was all he knew, and Ross used that against him by sending out search parties to bring him in, and no doubt ship him off to the Raft for a life sentence. But Peter was still Spider-Man, outrunning a few ground-based soldiers was no task for him.

He’d holed up in an abandoned factory on the edge of the city, only leaving when he had to find food and moving every few weeks so no one would get suspicious and go snooping around. Winter started to drag in, each night leaving Peter just a little colder than the one before - not ideal for someone who couldn’t thermoregulate - so he was once again forced from the safety of his shelter in search of blankets or thicker clothes. Anything to stave off the chill wind.

Peter wasn’t an idiot. He didn’t wander through the streets in the light of day, no. He waited until nightfall, wearing his Stealth Suit - apart from the mask which, as far as he knew, was still in that Netherlands holding cell, not that it was necessary anymore - and swung across rooftops, or darted between darkened alleyways.

Now, he wasn’t exactly sure where to find blankets. And he wasn’t prepared to steal, no matter how bad things got. So he crouched behind a dumpster in an alley, thinking through his options. A tingle ran up his spine, making his hairs stand on end. Ross’ goons.

Peter shot to his feet and turned to face the end of the alley. Five armed goons blocked the exit, slowly closing in. Now for the fun part - the only fun part of Peter’s miserable life. “Hey,” Peter waved with a wide smile. “Nice to catch you again. Or, sorry, not catch, you’ve never quite managed that.”

“It’s different this time, Spider,” one of them growled, still slowly stalking closer. They were dressed head to toe in black, armed to the teeth with whatever Ross’ latest attempt at weaponry was. Peter could practically feel waves of anger rolling off of them.

He had to admit, after months of taunting, running, and taunting some more, it was starting to get a little boring. To spice things up, Peter handed out nicknames to some of the more memorable goons. Ani - the one who insisted on calling Peter ‘Spider’ - earned his nickname from his looks. One time, Peter knocked his helmet off and caught a glimpse at his face before retreating into the night, he bared a striking resemblance to Anakin Skywalker. Pre Darth Vader, though maybe that description wasn’t too far off, either. Besides, Darth Vader was a different goon. He was a loud breather. One Peter could hear him coming from two blocks away. Those two were by far the most common goons sent his way. There was probably a reason for that, a vendetta, maybe. It was always a vendetta.

“Well, they do say there’s a first time for everything. I wouldn’t bet on it, though.” Peter shot a web to the roof of the building to his left and hauled himself up in one swift move. He jumped a few rooftops away, putting a healthy distance between him and Ani, before stopping. It would take them a while to catch up, anyway, and running was no fun when he just up and disappeared at the first sign of trouble. He’d learned that pretty early on.

Now, though, a little game couldn’t hurt. It kept his skills sharp, senses tuned-in, and, well, it gave him someone to talk to. God, Peter missed talking. He missed May and Tony who put up with whatever his latest fixation was. His heart yearned for MJ and Ned, his only real friends. But then, he’d remember MJ’s face after the news broadcast. The way she looked at Peter with fear in her eyes, hands trembling by her side. He left right then, only returning to his apartment once in the dead of night to grab clean clothes and the Stealth Suit.

Peter shook the memory from his head. Leaving everyone had been the worst part, worse than everyone think he was a murderer. Fuck Beck, he ruined everything.

Hang on, what was that? Peter strained his ears and- Yep, he was right. Darth Vader himself. His breathing, mixed with heavy footfalls, made him possibly the worst goon going, bar that one guy who’d freaked out the second he saw Peter and tried to shoot him. That guy, Peter had never seen again. Thankfully.

Darth Vader and his band of goons closed in down on the opposite side of Peter’s building. It wasn’t too unusual for two groups to be chasing Peter at the same time, but it did make things a little more complicated.

“It’s over, Spider-Man,” Darth Vader called, “Come down.”

Peter plopped himself down of the ledge on the roof, feet swinging over the edge, and rested his chin in his hands. “You know what, maybe I will.”

“Really?” Darth Vader’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“No. Come on, man, that’s not happening.” Peter slipped over the edge, dropping down low before shooting another web and launching himself into the air, his feet practically touching Darth Vader’s head as he swung. He relished in the feeling of the chill night air bathing his face, blowing back his too-long curls. After all this was over, Peter wasn’t going back to wearing a mask.

Before Peter could make it far, something knocked him mid-air and sent him crashing into the side of a building. Luckily, he caught himself before he fell too far. He stuck to the wall and cast around, looking for whatever it was, but there was nothing. Peter hadn’t seen anything either. Could it just have been a large bird? A large, slightly blind and probably now concussed, bird? It seemed unlikely.

Below him, yet another group of goons amassed, all shouting up at him to give up. Three groups, now that had only happened in those first few weeks. Okay, so it definitely wasn’t a bird. Peter switched in flight mode, his one and only goal to escape the clutches of Ross. He fled, ignoring how his shoulder screamed out in pain with each swing, as fast as he could. But Ross had goons at every other street corner, forcing Peter to go the other direction.

He realised, with a jolt of horror, that they were herding him. Shepherding him. He tried to stray, to escape, but every time he got off course, another invisible thing would crash into him and force him back to the path they wanted him to take.

Beck’s drones. The thought hit him like a truck. That’s what was hitting him, the shockwaves from the drones concussive blasters. How had Ross gotten access to that? Tony must have given him access to Edith, to track Peter down.

Before Peter realised it, there were no more buildings. He’d reached the edge of the city; only a sprawling field laid before him. Not even a tree to catch himself on. Peter’s arms flailed as he tumbled towards the grass, at the last second, he managed to adjust his position and rolled, springing back to his feet and- Ouch, shit. He’d forgotten just how much those shockwaves hurt.

He stumbled along, one leg basically out of action from his run-in with the building earlier. He didn’t have an aim, there was nowhere to go, only the useless hope that Ross’ goons would just… give up. Just turn around and go home.

Home. Peter longed for home. Not his shitty old factory with the broken windows that let rain in and disgusting fish smell that hung around like a bad - well, I think you can see where I’m going with this. So no, not the factory, his actual home. His and May’s apartment that felt too cramped when he wanted to be alone, yet too empty when he was. With the curtains that didn’t quite fit the sitting room window because Peter measured it in a hurry and that one spot on the wall where the wallpaper refused to lay flat. The familiarity, the comfort.

Instead, he was out here, limping across a field, and hoping. That hope, however, shattered when he looked ahead. More goons, on all sides, closing in. Peter considered fighting, but they were all armed with those concussive blasters. No, he’d save his strength for the opportune moment.

Ross’ men surrounded him, Peter span in a lazy circle just in case a gap made itself evident. Of course, one didn’t. Ani stepped forward, grinning maliciously. “Told you today was different, Spider.”

“I suppose there really is a first time for everything.”

Ani opened his mouth to speak again when a rumble echoed out across the field. Everyone’s heads snapped in the direction from which it came, Peter’s too. What he saw… well, he wasn’t sure if he felt relief or dread. Maybe both, yeah. Both.

Tony landed beside Peter in the centre of the group and held out a gauntlet towards Ani; words weren’t needed to make his threat clear. “Hi, Spider-Man,” he said, “I have a quick question for you.” Tony looped his hands under Peter’s arm and shot up into the sky.

“Uh,” Peter looked down at the slowly shrinking circle of goons. “Go ahead?”

“What, and I cannot stress this enough, the actual fuck.”

“Yeah,” Peter nodded, “I can see how you’d come to that question.”

“We’ve been looking for you for months, kid. We all have. Had to let Ross think he’d hacked Edith and track the drones.”

“So, you didn’t help him? You’re not gonna hand me over?”

Tony scoffed, at a momentary loss for words. “Does it look like I’m giving you to Ross?”

“I have to admit, this isn’t what I expected.”

“Yeah, no shit. Why did you run? Why didn’t you come to May, to me.”

“I, uh.” Peter squeezed shut his eyes and screwed his face into a ball. “I saw the way MJ reacted, and I guessed if that’s what she thought of me… then you’d all think the same.”

“Pete, she was in shock. Someone just told the world her boyfriend was a mass murderer and a psychopath. From what she told me you didn’t give her even a second to speak before running off and never being heard from again.”

Peter’s eyes shot open. “She’s not my girlfriend, Mister Stark.”

“Yeah, cause that was the important take away. Listen up, I’m taking you back to the compound where firstly: you’re going to take a shower, I can smell you through the suit, second, you’re going to talk to MJ, and Ned, and May. Then we’re going to put all of this straight.”

Peter hesitated. “So, you’re not mad?”

“Oh, I’m mad, but more importantly, I’m just glad to have you back.”

A smile danced across Peter’s mouth. Finally, he had something to run towards. And he was going home.

[one-spidey-boii]

BUMMER SUMMER || peter parker; ch four

read ch three here

masterlist

an; i hope everyone out there is staying safe and sound. also, feel free to give feedback! i love to hear from you guys.

warnings; mentions of battle wounds (i.e. blood/scars/etc), future smut, mature language, fluff, angst, both peter and oc are 18+!!

word count; 2.1k+

edie's pov

"give up now, parker. i can do this all day." i say with a heavy breath as i hold peter in a headlock between my legs. we've been messing around with each other, showing off what we're capable of. somehow that led us to this moment.

he's struggling to break away from my hold. using all his strength to squirm away, he lets out grunts that eventually end with a big sigh as he gives up. only to try all over again a few seconds later.

"god it's like your legs are made of steel, this is inhumane." he puffs out, finally accepting defeat.

"oh. oh! my eyes! what is going on in here?" a voice booms throughout the room.

both our heads snap to the sound at the doorway to see happy standing there with his hands over his eyes. tony's voice can be heard in the hallway.

"what? why are you doing that, happy? oh lord! jesus children, it's only the first day." he shouts as he shields his eyes away from our general direction. i scramble away from peter and we each end up on either side of the blue mat that covers half of the room. both of our faces are flustered and shaded a guilty hue of red even though we weren't doing anything worthy of that feeling.

tony saunters over to a table on the side of the room and motions for us to join him. i hop up off of the ground, brushing myself off and moving my hair out of my face. i take my place next to mr. stark and peter follows in suit on the opposite side of him.

"okay so as you know- peter, take your mask off. what is this a kid's costume party?" tony pokes fun at peter who rushes to take the mask off and holds it down by his side. i can't help but let out a muffled laugh at the embarrassed boy. he meets my eyes with no readable expression, only holding it for a moment before focusing back on mr. stark.

he continues on, "alright. now that that’s handled... let's get some ground rules on the table." he looks at both of us in the eyes before talking again.

"rule number one, you must always be on alert. you'll be the only ones here for the most part, aside from the occasional visits from happy or myself.

number two, one of you must be here at all times. you can take turns going out and helping old ladies cross the street, or whatever it is that you guys do. hey, hey, i'm kidding don't give me that look, peter.

number three, i expect weekly updates from you. edie, you'll probably want to handle that.

and lastly rule number four, i just added this one because i didn't think it would be a problem, but who am i kidding? no hanky panky in my compound. got it?"

i snap out of my focused state at that last part. my mouth bobs open and closed like a fish as i search for something to say. never in a million years would i think about doing things with peter. just the thought of it made me shiver.

"hello? i need an answer." tony says as he looks between the both of us. it's then that i notice peter- again- is flustered beyond belief.

peter's pov

"you got it mr. stark." i blurt out. he gives one last glance between us and nods his head in satisfaction.

"good. i'll see you two crazy kids later." he responds with a wink as he walks backwards towards the door, giving us laser fingers before he turns and is gone from the room. i move my attention to happy who was trailing behind him.

"don't make me come back here more than i have to." he says with a fake smile and wave before disappearing as well.

i turn to the only other person left in the room. the said person who suddenly makes the butterflies in my stomach turn on each other to form an all-out war. the scary part about this feeling is...i have no idea why i feel it. and it's sprung up on me out of nowhere. all i know is that as of late, being around her makes me nervous, and sweaty.

"i'm gonna go...take a shower," i say pitifully. i internally scold myself for being so weird all of a sudden, but without waiting for an answer i bolt out of the room and make my way to my own space i’ll be staying in this summer. during my escape, i hear the faintest 'bye' coming from edie's direction.

finally in my room, i press the button that releases my suit from my body and shimmy out of it, starting to feel claustrophobic beneath its tight hold. while showering was just the first thing i could think of for an excuse, the idea doesn't sound so bad. i scramble through my suitcase and find all of the things necessary to take a shower. i carry it all to the bathroom and turn on the water.

while waiting for it to warm up, i stare at myself in the mirror. my hair is damp from the sweat that always comes when i wear my mask. i just look rough. my cheeks are red and flustered- an emotion i find myself feeling a lot lately- and the only reason as to why, is the reminiscent feeling of edie's thighs wrapped around my head. a combat move that is a bitch to be stuck in is now sending shivers down my spine in the strangest way. the feeling of her soft, yet durable suit against my cheeks is fresh in my mind. part of me wants to feel her actual skin caressing my face. just the palm of her hand. or maybe even her lips.

the scandalous thought hits me in the face when i remember who it is i'm thinking about. no no no. i'm just a horny boy who is thinking with the wrong part of his body. there is no way i can be thinking these things about edie. not my best friend, that would be so weird.

right?

-

it's nearing dinner time the next day after mr. stark and happy left to meet up with the others. i've done my best to stay in my room, but the nagging feeling in my stomach craved for any food other than the peanut butter crackers i smuggled in the middle of the night.

with a groan, i peel back my sheets and crawl out of bed. i walk over to my door and pull it open, checking both ways to see if it was clear. i sigh with relief as i see no signs of edie and step out into the hall.

it's not that i don't want to see her, but...i kinda don't want to see her. i took the time to myself to think of my messed up feelings. i haven't always felt this way. edie has always been my best friend, and that's all i saw her as. but when i realized i wouldn't see her for three months, my heart hurt and my stomach twisted. now that it's just the two of us, those feelings are magnified and blaring and overwhelming.

halfway to the kitchen i hear footsteps bounding down the hallway behind me. i whip around just to be tackled to the ground by an alarmingly strong body.

"where ya been, pete? i've tried to get you out of your room all day. by the way, i like the shirtless look." edie pants from above me with a cheeky wink. i feel myself melt at her words. she wanted to see me. who am i kidding? of course she did, i'm the only other one in the compound and she’s probably bored.  i'm dragged out of my thoughts when the rest of her sentence hits me.

looking down i do realize i have no shirt on, only a pair of sweatpants that are now sitting a little too far down on my hips due to the way edie is sitting on me. i scramble out from underneath of her, keeping hold on the band of my pants to ensure no more embarrassment. my movements send her flying on her butt a few feet away.

"oof, okay. my bad." she says awkwardly, but continues, "hey i was thinking of going out tonight? kicking a little ass and whatnot. wanna be my guy in the chair?" she asks from the ground as i stand to fix my pants. i curse my cheeks as i feel them redden.

jumping at an idea, i suggest something else, "actually i-i'll go out. don't worry about me though, i've got karen. wouldn't wanna make her jealous." i say, trying to joke. her face drops slightly before covering it up with her bright smile. i wonder how many times she's done that without me noticing.

"right. spider boy doesn't need little ole me. i'll be here when you get back." she chirps as she hops up from the floor, "at least keep me in mind when you're out there. i'll be right here." she taps her ear and i notice the tiny piece of metal made to fit her ear perfectly. it's her comm that tony gave us to ensure we're always sure of each other's safety. mine is sitting in my room, untouched.

"okay, e. i better get r-ready to go." i stammer out and turn back to my room.

"aren't you gonna eat?" she calls from behind me as i make my retreat.

my mission to get food was unsuccessful.

edie's pov.

i watch peter stumble back down the hall, seemingly eager to be anywhere i'm not. i brush the thought away and cop it up to nerves. we're officially here by ourselves, i'm nervous too.

i turn on my heel and head to the kitchen, where i begin making mac and cheese. it's one of my favorite things to eat, so i double the portions for later. or maybe i'll be generous and share some with peter.

my ear piece makes a short static noise and soon peter's voice is flooding through my head, "i'm heading out now, edie. uh, i guess let me know if there's an emergency or something. but other than that i'll be offline." he says, immediately doing so before i can respond.

i huff and plop myself down on a stool, waiting for my water to boil on the stove. my heart begins to sink. if peter is going to be acting this way the whole time we're here, i don't know if i'm so excited anymore. sure, i know this is a huge responsibility on our shoulders but we can still have fun, right?

"a watched pot never boils." i whisper to myself as i let my head fall into my hands. soon after that i feel my mind start to slip into a calmer state, easing me into a sleepy trance. i try my best to fight the feeling, but as soon as my eyes slide shut, i'm done for.

-

"edie? e? what's going on over there? there's an alarm going off, edie. edie!"

my head snaps up off of the marble kitchen island as i take in the room around me. the pot of water is definitely boiling now. so much so that the smoke detectors have started going off.

"edie!"

i stand up, still trying to gather myself and run over to the stove.

"pete? gosh, sorry. it's nothing i'm fine, i was just- FUCK. oh ouch ouch ouch." i put my thumb in my mouth and begin to suck on it, apparently i'm not awake enough to realize the pot is hot as hell before i tried to move it from the burner.

"e? are you okay? i'm coming back, hold on." peter says, worry lacing through his words. i hop up and down silently, holding my hand to my chest.

"no, no. i'm okay, just a little accident in the kitchen, i'll live." i reply, doing my best to not worry the boy protecting the city.

"oh my god, you cut off a finger, didn't you? i thought knives were your thing! i'm almost there."

"no! gosh, peter, i'm fine. finish your patrol. i'll see you later." i rush out, now at the sink, running cold water over my burn.

"too late i'm already here." he says. there’s some rustling coming through the comm, and he lets out a faint curse, "the doors aren't opening. what the hell?"

there's a silence.

"mr. stark never logged my finger print." he says, defeated. i can't help but laugh at his misfortune.

"don't worry, peter i'm coming to save you." i say with a coy smile, glad he can't see how much i'm enjoying this moment.

"totally unfair," he mutters, "i was supposed to come save you. but then again, what ever would i do without you, wolfie?"

|| taglist; @my-patronus-is-mabel-pines @whycantileaveyou @lovewolfspirit

wanna be added to the taglist? comment or send me a message :))

[samanthaa-leanne]

*Whispers* Do them all! (If you're okay with it)

YES THANK YOU!!!!!

3 Fears: Spiders, snakes, and death.

3 things I love: Moon, pizza, animals.

2 turns on: Anime boys and more anime boys.

2 turns off: Non anime boys and uhh non anime boys.

My best friend: oof I have a lot. Theres my HS bff Krista, as well as @handsoffmyfriends @shinsou-lovin-hours-anon @yeet-these-hoez @taepoppin & @asadgwen

Sexual orientation: Bisexual.

How tall am I: 5′5 5′6 ish.

What do I miss right now: Getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Favourite color: Blue.

Do I have a crush: On about a million anime boys.

Favourite place: Beach.

What am I listening to right now: I’m watching Criminal Minds 

Shoe size: Don’t make fun of me but 10.5/11. I have big feet.

Eye color: Blue.

Hair color: Brown with blonde highlights.

Meaning behind my URL: It’s my first name with an additional A and my middle name

Favourite song: At the moment? Brand New Vision by Point North

Favourite band: Way too many to count. 

How I feel right now: Happy

Someone I love: All of you

My current relationship status: Married

My relationship with my parents: Ehh okay..

Favourite season: Summer/Fall

Tattoos and piercing i have: My ears used to be pierced and I have a matching tattoo with my dad

Tattoos and piercing i want: I have an anime sleeve planned, a moon phase tattoo, and a few song lyric tattoos. 

The reasons I joined Tumblr: I honestly don’t remember

Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?: No :(

Have I ever kissed the last person you texted?: Yes.

How long does it take me to get ready in the morning?: Like 20 minutes

Have you shaved your legs in the past three days?: Nope

Where am I right now?: My house

Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?” The louder the better

Do I live with my Mom and Dad?: Nope. I own my own house

Am I excited for anything?: I have a trip to japan planned for October

Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?: My brother Alex is honestly one of the best people in my life.

How often do I wear a fake smile?: 8 hours a day M-F while I’m at work

If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?: Tom Holland or Johnny Depp or Jim Carrey. Honestly so many people

What do I think about most?: Haikyuu and BNHA

Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?: Behind

What was the last lie I told?: That I don’t smoke pot lol

Do I perfer talking on the phone or video chatting online?: I prefer to text

Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?: Yes and yes

Do I believe in magic?: Yes

Do I believe in luck?: Yes

What’s the weather like right now?: Its 92 degrees rn

What was the last book I’ve read?: I’m re-reading the House of Night series by P.C and Kristin Cast

Do I have any nicknames?: A lot. Sam, Sami, Sam I Am, Sammy Sosa, Bubbles

Do I spend money or save it?:  A little of both

Can I touch my nose with a tounge?: No :(

Favourite animal?: Penguins and Flamingos

What was I doing last night at 12 AM?: Sleeping

What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?: Falling Like The Stars by Cole Norton

What is my favorite word?: Any cuss word. Probably fuck 

My top 5 blogs on tumblr: @myherowritings @handsoffmyfriends @akaashichigo @burnedbyshoto @gallickingun and so many more

If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?: What’s up bitches

Do I have any relatives in jail?: Nope

What is my current desktop picture?: My Karasuno babies

Had sex? Yes

Bought condoms? Yes

Gotten pregnant? Nope

Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain? Maybe? I don’t remember

Had job?: Yes

Smoked weed? Yes

Smoked cigarettes? No

Drank alcohol? Yes

Am I a vegetarian/vegan? No 

Been overweight? Yes

Been underweight? No 

Gotten my heart broken? Yes

Been to prom? No

Been in airplane? Yes

Learned another language? Kinda? I did 4 years of German in HS but I don’t remember most of it.

Wore make up? Yes

Dyed my hair? Yes

Had a surgery? Does oral surgery count? I had my  wisdom teeth taken out

Met someone famous? No

Stalked someone on a social network? Maybe...

Been fishing? Yes

Been rejected by a crush? Yes

What do I want for birthday? Anything anime related tbh or maybe another tattoo

Do I like my handwriting? Ew no

Where do I want to live when older? North Carolina or somewhere where there’s no snow

Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad? No

What I’m really bad at: Drawing

What my greatest achievments are: My SMAU’s

The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me: My dad called me a cunt one time 

What I’d do if I won in a lottery: Pay off my house and my car and buy my mom the house she deserves.

What do I like about myself: My eyes

My closest Tumblr friend: @handsoffmyfriends

Any question you’d like? I really like the swings

Are you outgoing or shy? A little bit of both

What kind of people are you attracted to? Anime boys

Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?: Yes

Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable? Nope

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?: My brother

What does the most recent text that you sent say? lol ok

What are your 5 favorite songs right now? Me Against Myself by Wage War, Remembering Sunday by All Time Low, The Langdon House by Issues, Brand New Vision by Point North, Favorite Place by All Time Low.

Do you like it when people play with your hair?: AHHH YES

Do you think there is life on other planets?:  For sure

Do you like bubble baths? Yes

Do you like your neighbors? Yes

Where would you like to travel? Japan, Ireland, UK, Italy.

Favorite part of your daily routine? Leaving work lol

What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with? My stomach

What do you do when you wake up? Go pee

Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker? Nope

Do you ever want to get married? I’m already married

If your hair long enough for a pony tail? Sorta.

Would you rather live without TV or music? Neither

Have you ever liked someone and never told them? Yes

What are your favorite stores to shop in? Target

Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? Depending on what they do

Do you smile at strangers? Sometimes

Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?: Nope

Ever wished you were someone else?: Sometimes

Favourite makeup brand?: I don’t use makeup

Last thing you ate?: Pizza

Ever won a competition? For what? Nope

Ever been in love? Yes

Facebook or Twitter? Twitter

Twitter or Tumblr? Tumblr

Are you watching tv right now? Yes, Criminal Minds

What colour are your towels? Multicolored

Favourite ice cream flavour? Cookie n Cream

First person you talked to today? My husband

Last person you talked to today? My husband

Name a person you hate? I don’t hate anybody

Name a person you love? Everyone of you

Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now? Probably lol

Do you tan a lot? Not anymore

Have any pets? 2 dogs and a kitty cat

Do you type fast? Yes

Do you regret anything from your past?: Ohh boy yes

Ever broken someone’s heart?: Probably @handsoffmyfriends with all my angst

Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?: Yes

Is cheating ever okay? No

Do you believe in true love? Yes

What your zodiac sign? Virgo

Do you believe in ghosts? Yes

Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? (via catscuddlingandyou) “Beautiufl, see the cloud, the cloud appear. Beautiful, see the rain,  the rain draw near.”

[fandom-imagines-stories]

Halloween Heist

Peter Parker x Reader

Words: 3229

Summary: You use your sleuthing skills to track a string of robberies in your neighborhood. Enlisting in the help of your boyfriend- and secret superhero- Peter Parker, the two of you discover a plot to attack a charity ball full of New York’s richest on Halloween night. 

Notes: I am so so so sorry that this is so late. I really wanted to get this out on Halloween, but a lot was going on in my life and I just couldn’t write. I’m really hoping to get some Christmas imagines out to make up for it! (P.S., I couldn’t find if Pepper change her name to Stark, but I went ahead and put that in)

-

You anxiously watched the clock, the seconds ticking by painfully slow as your teacher droned on. You sprung up before the bell even had time to ring and bolted out the door. The halls filled with students eager to go home for the weekend- more so than most. Tomorrow was Halloween. 

“Woah, where’s the fire?” A voice behind you asked with amusement, fingers lacing through yours. You pulled your phone out of your pocket and showed him the article you were reading. 

“There was another robbery this afternoon. This one was at the jewelry store down the block from my dad’s apartment.” You pulled him down the hall, weaving in between students and making your way towards the door. “They’ve escalated their targets.”

“What’s your favorite scary movie?” A voice whispered from behind the two of you. He was holding his arm over your head and made a stabbing motion. The boy took off the mask and grinned. 

“Hey man.” Peter greeted nervously. Robbie gave Peter a dirty look before turning a creepy stalker smile on you. “I heard that you’ve been looking into those missing backpack cases with the security team-”

“I really can’t talk now, Robbie. I’ll see you on Monday.” You waved him off and Peter wrapped an arm around your shoulders. 

“He gives me the creeps.” Peter shuttered. You shrugged. 

“He’s harmless.” Robbie was one of the kids that grew up during the Blip. He’d always had a crush on you when he was a kid, but now he was your age and he wouldn’t leave you alone, even though he knew you and Peter were together. You weren’t worried about him, though. You had bigger fish to fry. 

You took the subway back to your neighborhood. You loved the rattling cars and the silent agreement between occupants not to make eye contact. Peter thought it was too crowded, but it was your favorite time to observe the people around you. From the man drumming on the railing to the woman hiding a cat in her sweatshirt, you found every person fascinating. 

Once your feet once again hit the pavement, you quickly found the scene of the crime. The front window was shattered and cases of jewelry had been ransacked. You took a step closer, but the hand holding yours pulled you back. 

“Y/N, I really think you should leave this kind of thing to me.” Peter suggested. It’s not that he thought you weren’t capable of taking care of yourself, but after everything he’d been through that year… to say he worried was an understatement. 

“I’ve been tracking these guys for months, Peter. Once we find them, you can kick their asses with those spidey powers, deal?” You gave him a quick kiss before sneaking across the street to get a better look. If your suspicions were correct, they would have left their calling card in the center of the store. With no officers in sight, you climbed through the window, your eyes scanning the ground for the little white note. 

“What are you doing? Someone could see us!” Peter exclaimed. 

“Shhhh.” You hissed, finally spotting the paper. You pulled a glove out of your backpack and picked it up. 

“Why do you even have those?” 

“Peter.” You shot him a look and he remained quiet while you read the note. “Oh my God.” Each time they left a calling card, they left some kind of hint of where their next hit was going to be, but it was never enough for the local police to figure it out before it happened. But looking at the photograph, information clicked inside your brain, giving you every clue. The police wouldn’t have made the connection, but they’d made the note for you, waiting for you to come and find them. 

“What is it?” Peter asked, trying to look over your shoulder and keep an eye on the door. 

“It’s me.” You lifted up the photograph of you standing in front of a large ballroom, dressed in a princess gown your mother had made you wear for Halloween when you were eight. “I know where they’ll be next.” 

-

The annual Halloween Gala was hosted and attended by New York’s elite. This year was particularly important since it was being held in honor of the late Tony Stark. Peter had even been invited by Pepper as a special guest. You knew how important it was to him. 

“Have these guys killed anyone?” Peter asked anxiously, although he knew the answer. He just didn’t want to hear it. 

“Not at their latest job.” You answered, running a hand down your face. “But their second robbery, the one at the bank in Manhattan, they killed one of the tellers.” Peter passed back and forth across your room, the base of all your sleuthing. 

“I have to stop them.” His stammered. Whenever he started to freak out, his voice was slightly higher than usual. “Mrs. Stark is going to be there and I can’t let anything happen to her-”

“Okay, first of all, I’m pretty sure that Rescue is going to be just fine,” You gave him a reassuring smile and stood in front of him to make him stop moving, “And secondly, we’re going to stop them.” He made a face.

“You aren’t coming. It’s too dangerous.” You raised your eyebrows.

“You’re kidding, right?” You scoffed. “I’m so not missing this. You were taking me as a plus one anyway.” He shook his head. 

“They used your picture as the clue. They obviously have you as a target.” 

“Which is exactly why I need to be there.” You argued. You were not about to let him go all lone hero on you now. “I’m going and not even Spider-Man is going to stop me.” He gave you the look with his big brown eyes, sad and soft. You shouldn’t have snapped at him. “Peter…” You sighed, putting a hand on his arm when he moved to leave. “I’m sorry. I just can’t let this go until those guys are put away.” After a moment, he put his hand on top of yours, pulling it up to his lips. 

“I know.” He held your hand against his cheek and neither of you said anything for a while. You’d both been through a lot since you came back from wherever the hell you went for five years, Peter especially. Maybe busting things bastards was just a way of reminding yourself that you were back. That you wouldn’t be snapped away again. 

“Why don’t we watch a movie?” You suggested. “Since we’ll be spending Halloween drinking mocktails and catching bad guys.” He shot you a look. “What?” 

“You always want to watch scary movies though,” He whined. 

“It’s Halloween, dummy.” You giggled. “Of course we’re watching a scary movie.” You reached for your movie shelf, your hand wavering over a few of your horror favorites like Halloween and Scream. Peter pulled you back. 

“Why can’t we watch a fun Halloween movie? Like Hocus Pocus?” 

“Because we’ve already watched it five times this month.” You laughed, putting Nightmare on Elm Street in the DVD player. “Don’t worry,” You grinned, “I’ll protect you.” You pulled his lips to yours and turned off the lights. Neither of you paid much attention to the movie anyway. 

-

The extravagant white dress billowed around you as you got out of the car. Once Pepper knew that you were coming with Peter, she helped you pick your costumes and she insisted on paying for them. Since it was a formal event, you decided on Christine and The Phantom from your favorite musical The Phantom of the Opera. Pepper didn’t realize that you would be pursuing a group of ruthless bank robbers in a $3,000 dollar ball gown. Peter stood in the hotel lobby, his pearly white mask glistening in the light of the chandelier. He was wearing a tux with a long black cape, concealing his Spider-Man suit underneath. 

“Wow.” He said breathlessly, eyes wide as they traveled over the shimmering fabric. “You look… wow.” You couldn’t help but smile and you kissed the cheek that wasn’t covered by the mask. You laced your arm through his and a pair of hotel employees dressed as knights opened the doors to the ballroom. 

It was like a scene from a movie. There were red banners lining the walls and meticulously detailed carved pumpkins placed on every step of the long, dramatic staircase. Costumes ranged from Medusa to King Arthur. Somewhere in the bustle of people whose shoes cost more than your whole apartment stood a familiar face framed with strawberry blond hair. Pepper’s dress was a backless, silky blue gown. 

“You two look incredible.” She beamed, pulling you into a hug. 

“So do you.” You replied, trying to keep your jaw from dropping. 

“Oh this?” Her lips tugged up into a small smile. “I found it in an old box… I’m surprised it still fits.” There was a look in her eye that told you more than she could have said. 

“You look really really great, Mrs. Stark.” Peter chimed in. She put a hand on his arm. 

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Pepper?” The band had already begun to play some classic Halloween tunes, but there was still no sign of the robbers. 

“We look pretty suspicious just standing here.” Peter observed and spun you outwards, causing you to laugh. “We might as well dance.” The band started to play “I Put a Spell On You” and the two of you jived along, laughing at each other’s strange dancing techniques. You almost forgot why you were there. 

A sharp cracking sound sent Peter’s body rigid. You look up to see the chandelier crashing down towards you, shards of glass reflecting your screaming face as Peter grabbed you, ducking out of the way just in time. The entire crowd froze, gasps and screams filling the air. All other light sources dimmed and a projection appeared on the far wall. 

“Now that we have your attention,” A voice boomed. A man appeared on the projection. His face was hidden with a cheap, plastic Iron Man mask. You saw Peter’s expression harden. Through the dark, you could see Pepper clutch the metallic necklace around her neck. “I would like to welcome you all to the first-ever Halloween auction. All the proceeds will be going to, well, me.” The crowd made a break for the doors, but everyone was locked with a blinking device. “Trying to leave would not end well for any of us.” The masked man laughed. 

“What do you want?” Some frightened woman yelled.

“I want her.” His voice dropped to a growl. A look of confusion went around the room. No one knew what he meant but you and Peter. He grabbed your hand. “All of this is for you.”

“What is he talking about?” Peter whispered. You had no idea. 

“Oh, I almost forgot.” The camera shifted, revealing two of the other thieves, both wearing the same plastic masks. They stepped to the side and Pepper let out a cry. 

“Morgan!” She shrieked, pushing her way to the front of the room. The little girl sat in a metal chair, handcuffs cuffing her ankle to one of the bars. You and Peter frantically raced to join Pepper at the front. “Leave her alone!” 

“A single door has been left open. Only she will go through it. If anyone else tries to leave, we’ll level the building.” The projection shut of and the room went into a panic. Everyone was trying to figure out what he meant. Others called the police. But you knew that Morgan would be dead before they got here if you didn’t do something. You stepped forward, but you didn't get very far.

"What are you doing?" Peter hissed, keeping your hand locked in his. 

"It's Morgan." You said, your determination overshadowed by your fear. Pepper shook her head, but you knew she would do anything for her daughter. You slowly slipped your hand out of Peter’s and pushed through the open door. 

The hallway was dark except for a red light placed beside the elevator. Old Halloween decorations littered your path, from broken plastic skeletons to styrofoam gravestones. You pushed the button on the elevator and tried not to scream when a bloody mask mounted on the wall greeted you. This time it was Spider-Man. 

“Come to the roof.” The same morphed voice boomed through the elevator speakers. You shakily pressed the button. You felt ridiculous, standing there in that gigantic dress as the elevator took you up to meet your fate. The floor numbers ticked by above your head until they reached the roof. 

It was one of those hotels that had a pool overlooking the city and the water glistened in the moonlight. 

“Y/N?” A small voice called out to you from across the pool. 

“Morgan.” You stepped out of the elevator and heard the click. You kept your head down as a bucket poured the warm red liquid splattered over you. Morgan started to cry. 

“What’s your favorite scary movie?” The whisper was too close to your face and you jumped away. You tried to keep a tough face and faked a confident smirk. 

“You’re mixing your references. The blood pouring is from Carrie.” Just looking at Iron Man’s face made your heart rate pick up. “I have to applaud your execution though.” 

“All of this has been for you.” He shrugged, the voice changer in his mask turning off. You knew that voice. What’s your favorite scary movie? 

You stumbled back, trying to put as much distance between you and him as possible while trying to get closer to Morgan. 

“Robbie?” 

“I gave you quite the story to chase, didn’t I?” His eyes were wide with a wild excitement that terrified. “All I had to do was pay a couple of thugs to help me rob a few places and I had you chasing after me.” 

“All of those robberies, that person you killed…” You gulped, “That was for me?” He nodded and laughed, and your heart raced even more. You had to keep your mind focused. You had to get Morgan out of there. “W-why did you take her?” 

“I had to make sure that you would come alone… Spider-man.” He had a giant grin on his face, as if he had won a prize. This took you back. 

“What?” 

“Don’t play dumb, Y/N. I know your secret.” He grabbed a piece of fabric from his pocket. “I found this in your bag a couple of months ago.” It was a torn piece of Peter’s suit that you had from when he came to your apartment after a fight with a couple of street thugs. He was okay, but his suit had been cut in a few places. How could you have been so stupid as to leave it in your backpack?

The pig’s blood was starting to irritate your skin and Morgan was getting more restless. You needed to keep him away from her. 

“Alright, so you know.” You stood up straighter, trying to seem convincing while you kept him on the opposite side of Morgan. “Why go through all of this?” 

“Because we could make the ultimate team!” He exclaimed as if it was obvious. “And you would finally ditch that creep Peter Parker and be with someone of your own standard.” 

“So you decided to start robbing banks and jewelry stores? And kidnap Tony Stark’s daughter?” You scoffed. 

“It was the only way to get you here tonight.” He shrugged with an eerily happy sigh. “And now we can say that we caught the bad guys together. That they had you on the ropes, but a new hero, The Night Owl appeared just in time.” He spoke as if he were reading a comic book. 

“Not gonna lie, Night Owl is a terrible superhero name.” A voice said from above you. Robbie looked up just as the real Spider-Man’s foot nailed him in the face. Robbie barely had time to recover before he pushed him back into the pool. Peter turned to you. “Are you okay?” He held out his hand and you tried to wipe the blood off your hands before you took it. 

“How did you get out?” You wondered as the two of you rushed over to Morgan. 

“Happy showed up with the bomb squad.” He explained, his voice turning soft as he spoke to Morgan. “Did the bad guys hurt you?” He asked, snapping off the handcuffs. She jumped into his arms. 

“I’m okay.” She answered. He picked her up, but when you turned around, a group of three more men in masks stood in front of you, a furious, and wet, Robbie standing with them. 

“You don’t get to ruin my plans yet!” He shrieked. 

“There’s nowhere to go, Robbie.” Peter warned. “The cops are on their way up now.” He held Morgan close, keeping her head down. 

“I was so convinced that it was you, Y/N.” Robbie seemed to pretend that Spider-Man wasn’t there. “But that doesn’t matter. All we have to do is get rid of the real one.” The three men started to move towards you and Robbie pulled out a gun. If he missed Peter, he would hit Morgan. 

“Stop it.” You ordered, putting yourself in front of her. “You can’t be a hero after being a villain Robbie.” 

“Every hero is someone else’s villain, Y/N.” He shrugged. The three thugs drew nearer and Peter gently set Morgan down behind him, preparing to fight. They attacked all at once, one taking your arms and shoving you back and the other two going after Peter. As you stumbled back, your foot caught on your dress. In a whirlwind of red stained fabric, you toppled over the edge of the roof. 

“Y/N!” Peter shouted, trying to fight off the two men to get to you, but it was too late. Morgan started to cry again. 

“You’ve ruined everything!” Robbie shouted. “Grab the girl! We can still make something of this disaster.” But as one of the men reached for Morgan, the whooshing sound of propulsors cause him to freeze. 

“Don’t. Touch. My. Daughter.” Rescue soared up to the roof, her mask lifting to show Pepper’s seething face. In her metal-clad arms, was you. 

“Hell man, I’m not dealing with two superheroes.” The man exclaimed, scurrying off, quickly followed by the other two. Pepper landed, putting you back on your feet and took her daughter into her safe arms. 

“Oh my god.” Peter swept you up as quickly as you’d been put down. “I thought- when you- I didn’t… don’t ever go into scary doorways alone ever again.” 

“Wait a second,” Robbie muttered. “You’re cheating on Peter with Spider-man?” The police burst through the doors before he could make any further revelations. He called out for you as they dragged him away, but you kept your face buried in Peter’s chest, your stomach still doing somersaults from the fall. He lifted up your chin to look at him, taking off his mask once the coast was clear. 

“Hey,” His voice was calming and his smile turned to boyish excitement. “Let’s go get some candy.”

[headoverjojo]

Can I ask for Buccig with a S/o that has a lot of unusual pets? Like, they thought it was cats, dogs, even fishes or birds but nooo, one day they come out with a big ass snake on their shoulders 'She thinks I'm a tree' and then a giant tarantula 'He likes to high five!', and there's more from where these two came😈😂

Hi there, honey!! Aaaaaa I had so much fun writing iiiittt 😂😂😂 I tried to variate a bit the types of pets, putting in “weird” domestic animals, two for every of them! And I already apologize for the idiotic names I gave them, lol

Bruno’s gang with a s/o who has a lot of unusual pets

(Under the cut for length!)

Bruno Bucciarati

When he was a child, Bruno always wanted a pet. Unfortunately, his family couldn’t keep one, as his mother was allergic to cat fur and a dog would have been too demanding; so, Bruno never had one, even a hamster. Growing up, he never had the chance to have a pet, as he was always busy with Passione affairs, so he’s enthusiast when his s/o tells him they want him to know their adorable pets! He can’t wait for it!

While he goes to their home, he wonders which kind of pet his s/o has: a cat? A dog? Maybe a domestic bird? He’s so curious! And he’s absolutely shocked when, the moment they open the door, they show up with a big snake wrapped on their shoulders. His shocked expression is priceless! They can’t help but laugh loud, when he asks, in a whisper, if this is the “adorable pet” they said they had. At their nod and “Be gentle with Leroy McRoy!” Bruno could just whisper their snake’s name while they guided him to the living room, still laughing their ass off seeing his reaction.

The chameleon was more bearable, for Bruno. It was small, cute, in a certain sense… even if Bruno still isn’t over Leroy McRoy, he finds to like more Frizzy, their chameleon. In particular, Frizzy seems to like to nestle on Bruno’s shoulder and observe everything from here… All in all, it’s not bad, Bruno has to admit. Leroy McRoy and Frizzy are not the pets he was expecting, but… they’re lovely, in their way. He grows fond on them, helping you more and more to take care of them, even of Leroy McRoy. He has no problems in feeding him, but he’s still a bit reluctant to let him come on his shoulders! Especially because Frizzy is basically always here. He seems to like more Bruno than his original owner!

Leone Abbacchio

When he was little, Abbacchio had a dog, but they died when he was still a little child, so he doesn’t remember a lot of them. After them, his family never had anymore a pet, but Abbacchio never felt the urge to have one at home. When, then, he started to attend the Police academy and then he became a policeman, the possible time to dedicate to a pet became lesser and lesser, so he decided to never keep one. An animal was a serious duty, it wasn’t a joke: if he couldn’t take care of it properly, it was better not to have one at all!

He’s intrigued when his s/o says they, in fact, have a couple of pets. One seems already a great deal, but two… he admires his s/o for their love for animals! It’s not a common thing, all in all. He gladly accepts to come to their house to meet their pets, hoping them to be something small, such as an hamster or a small bird… even if he had familiarity with dogs, especially German shepherds, as, when he was a policeman, he had to go with the Squadra Cinofila, a couple of times, but he generally prefers smaller animals.

Well… his s/o has small pets, yes, but they’re definitely not a hamster or a bird, or something common at all. The moment he enters their living room, a red flash hops from the top of the bookcase to his head, almost making him freak out. His s/o is fast to grab it, whatever it was… and to introduce it to Leone. Red Nut, this was his s/o’s squirrel’s name, stares at Leone with unreadable eyes, squirming to try to free himself and run again on the man’s head. Leone just stays at a safe distance from him, glaring at him all the time, to his s/o’s utter amusement. It goes better with his s/o’s other pet, a quiet and cuddly hedgehog called Pinuccio that loved to roll up on his lap and gt belly up to be cuddled. Abbacchio can’t help but to huff a laugh, every time Pinuccio does it, while gently patting his soft belly. He never knew hedgehogs could be so cute!

Guido Mista

Mista never had a pet that was “just his”, nor a proper domestic pet, for all the matter. He was used to have around stray cats and dogs; he and his family feeded them, but they then slept somewhere else, not at home. They had their routes, their places; they were free. They let themselves be cuddled for a little, before getting up and trotting away again. Mista never felt the urge to keep one of them at home: wherever he turned around, a new dog or cat was waiting for a cuddle!

He’s happy to know, however, that his s/o has few animals! He just hopes they don’t have four pets… it’s be a disaster! He’d immediately bring them a fifth one. Everything, but not four! He relaxes just when his s/o reassures him that they have two pets, so everyone is safe from the Armageddon. Guido enters their home way more serene than before, ready to face… what? A cat? Two dogs? Oh, no, his s/o’s pets are far from this, he immediately notices, as they hand him a… what? A big lizard? They say it’s a bearded dragon and their name is Lizzy. From Lizard, they say, and he can’t help but to chuckle. Of course, he had to expect it…

Between Guido and Lizzy there’s immediate tuning. They’re both pretty chill, Lizzy has found such a nice spot on Mista’s shoulder where she can relax and nap… their other pet, however, it’s totally something else. He… doesn’t even know if it can be considered a pet. Can a tarantula be considered a pet? A tarantula named Octa? They say hell yes, all while keeping her on their hand. Mista never felt so disgusted and morbidly fascinated in one time. He even tries to keep her on his hand, but he manages to do it for just few seconds, before asking them to please take Octa on them again, making them laugh while they accomplish. Guido definitely prefers to stick with Lizzy!

Narancia Ghirga

When he was a child, his family used to have a cat. His mom loved that cat; it was a beautiful orange cat and they had been around since Narancia’s birth. However, after his mother’s death, his father immediately gave away the cat, breaking Narancia’s heart. Having the cat near was like still having something that remembered him for real his mom… from that on, he never had any pet, even if he shared a makeshift shelter with some stray dogs or cats, when he lived in streets.

He’s enthusiast to know that his s/o has pets! And curious too: dogs? Cats? Or something else? In his heart he can’t help but hope it’s a big, fluffy dog! Or a fluffy cat. In any case, a fluffy pet would be wonderful! He comes to their house full of curiosity and enthusiasm and this is repaid when, the moment they open the door, Narancia is literally assaulted by a…small pig? Oh boy, he can’t believe it! It’s such a tiny, cute pig! He picks them up, chuckling when they brush their soft muzzle on his face, softly grunting. It’s so cute! And their name is Babe, his s/o says. Narancia can’t stop to cuddle Babe! It’s just so cute…!

Their other pet is a goose. Narancia is totally baffled! A goose as domestic animal?! Is it even legal?! Well, not that he cares so much about what is legal and what is not, all in all. The goose, named Guendalina, reveals to be clingy to his s/o, she’s better than a guard dog! If he comes close, she starts to quack like crazy and she even tries to separate them! Sometimes, Narancia does it on purpose, going to smooch and hug his s/o, laughing loud when Guendalina comes running, flapping her wings and quacking like crazy. It’s like a clingy baby! And, while Guendalina is basically his s/o’s guard, Babe is basically Narancia’s kid. They’re always in his arms, when he’s at his s/o’s home, and he often jokes saying that Babe has in fact adopted him! In general, Narancia loves his s/o’s pets; they’re not pets you can expect to find in a house, yes, but they’re too precious not to be loved!

Pannacotta Fugo

When he was a child, his parents never wanted to keep a pet. His mother hated the thought they could leave fur around and his father didn’t want his son to have a distraction from his precious studies. Fugo always dreamed to have a pet, first just to challenge them and their prohibition, then because he wanted to have a friend. Outside his grandma, he had no one to talk to, to hug… he wanted a friend. If this friend had or hadn’t fur, he didn’t care. He just wanted to… be loved. And to love. Taking care of a pet seemed a good solution.

Of course this didn’t happened and Fugo had to archive this desire in order to focus on more pressing matters. When his s/o tells him they want to introduce their pets to him he’s so happy! He can help them to take care of the pets, he can… cuddle them, even! He can’t wait to see them. His s/o had been pretty mysterious about their pet’s species, so Fugo is horribly curious! Cats? Dogs? Hamster? He doesn’t know? When he finally enters their home, a loud croak made him jolt. What was it?! His s/o, chuckling, whistles and, after few seconds, a splendid crow lands on their arm, staring at Fugo with black, intelligent eyes. He’s a bit puzzled when his s/o says the crow’s name is Archibald, but whatever. It fits, he thinks, gently rubbing Archibald’s beak and gaining back few gurgles of bliss.

But it’s not ended here: his s/o has another pet. This time it’s not a bird, but…. a scorpion. Fugo shivers, when they proudly show him their scorpion -names Klaus, as the singer of the band Scorpions-, and absolutely refuses to take it on his hand, as they are doing; he even pleads them to put it back in his terrarium! He doesn’t like a lot insects, spiders and such, so he absolutely stays as far as possible from Klaus, being content to just spoil Archibald. He’s such an intelligent crow… Fugo adores him! He even tries to teach him some simple word and action, and he learns it! His s/o always chuckles, seeing how proud he is of their little crow, like a proud father!

Giorno Giovanna

Giorno never had a pet, even if he always vehemently desired one. He always was a sweet and affectionate kid, even if he had to hide it all, not to be beat or bullied more than what he already was. He always took with him some biscuits and, when he met one of the many stray cats or dogs, he always made sure to give them a small treat, smiling when they, as to thank him, licked his hand or brushed on his legs.

In general, Giorno loves life in all its form, and so also in form of animals. He’s happy to know that his s/o has a couple of pets they absolutely want to present him! Giorno is thrilled, now, and can’t wait to go to their home and see them! When he finally comes, the first to welcome him is a stoat, a beautiful stoat named Mr. Muffin. Mr. Muffin is an affectionate stoat! He loves to wrap around people’s necks, Giorno’s in particular. Giorno is always warm, he seems to emanate warmth and even light…. Mr. Muffin loves it. And Giorno loves Mr. Muffin: he never loses the chance to pet him, when he’s at his s/o’s home, and he always softly smiles when Mr. Muffin rolls up on his lap, to take a warm and safe nap.

Their other pet is a toad named Tassony. Giorno was more than baffled from knowing that they named their toad after a cedrata, but, oh well, he has seen worse. Tassony does basically what all toads to: croaking, hopping around, eating bugs… Still, toads and frogs are still among his favourite animals, so, every time he can, he’s going to feed Tassony, even with Mr. Muffin wrapped around his neck. It’s such a joy to see him taking care of his s/o’s animals! He seems to be born to do this!