#so a few nights ago i had a dream that the blue meanies were doing a reunion tour

[razorsadness]

The truth is you're a liar, And I've grown so tired Of your passive manner, Of your constant chatter.

You know I'm also guilty, My actions are so filthy. But I'm not crying, Yeah, can't you see I'm trying?

I can't stand there and see if something happens, Stand right there, stand right here, see if something happens. "Let me be, let me be, let me be alone," All you say is, "Let me be, let me be alone."

[elisaphoenix13]

(AT) To Bring Them Home

A more in depth version of Remembering The Departed (but with Harley and Cassie added so other fics fit).

"Hey Mama Bear. If you find this recording, don't post it on social media. It's gonna be a real tear jerker." Tony sighs heavily and leans back against the wall of the ship. " It's not like you're ever going to see these anyway. I watched you fade to nothing in front of me after all. You and Peter. I guess I'm recording these for my own sanity. It helps to pretend you're getting these messages. Totally lame right?"

The engineer clears his parched throat. He was desperate for anything to moisten his mouth at this point.

"Today's day twenty-one? No. Twenty-two. You know if it wasn't for the existential terror of staring into the literal void of space, I'd say I'm feeling a little better today. The infection has run its course thanks to the blue meanie back there." He weakly motions to Nebula somewhere in the vicinity behind him. "Oh you'd love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic."

Stephen probably would like the cyborg. He may have been cautious of her at first, but if she treated the kids well, the sorcerer would have immediately warmed up  to Nebula. The poor woman just needed a friend.

"So the fuel cells were cracked during battle and we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge by ourselves and bought 48 hours of flight time. But it's now dead in the water a thousand light years from the nearest 7-11. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning, and that'll be it." Tony rubs his eyes. "It looks like...well you know what it looks like. Don't feel bad about this. I mean actually if you grovel for a couple weeks and then move on with enormous guilt..." He trails off as he fights off the impending lure of sleep.

"I should probably lie down for a minute. Rest my eyes. If by some miracle I make it back home, the first thing I'm going to do is look for Harley and Diana. God I hope they're still at home. If I go home and they're gone too...I don't know what I'm going to do." He would very likely off himself but he didn't need to say that. Tony was sure that if somehow, Stephen was able to see these messages, he would know. "Please know, when I drift off, it'll be like every night lately. I'm fine...totally fine. I dream about you. God it's always you." Tony says with a broken whisper.

He was hungry, dehydrated, and lost in space with a robotic woman and for once he looked forward to sleep. Dreams of Stephen and their family was his only salvation in this terrible situation he found himself in. He was already hallucinating blue butterflies, and he tried to touch one the first time he saw it, but it had disappeared as soon as his fingers went through the illusion. Tony just ignored them after that. He never asked Nebula if she saw them, because he knew the answer would be a 'no', and she would watch him like a hawk.

With a sigh, he shuts off the recording mechanism in his helmet and pulls on a jacket before laying down. This would quite possibly be the last time his eyes would be open, but at least when he went, it would be to pleasant dreams. Dreams, and the part of him that believed that the blue butterfly settling on the arm he was laying on, was Stephen watching over him.

________________________

Carol had miraculously come across them and took them back to Earth, and once an IV was shoved into him, the remaining Avengers held a meeting. Tony really just wanted to keep to his promise and looks for his other two kids, but he also needed to know who else they had lost. Picture after picture popped up on the multiple screens in the meeting room at the compound, and Tony had to hold himself together when Stephen and Peter's picture came up. He almost lost it when Harley's appeared as well, but then the pictures stopped and the screens vanished.

He never saw Diana and that made him jump to his feet and almost fall over from how weak he was. Pepper had to step forward and steady him as he points a shaky finger as the previous location of the screens.

"D-Diana?" He mentally curses when he stumbles over the single word. "Where...is she...is she alive?"

Steve steps over to his other side to help keep him steady, and offers him a small smile. "She's alive. Out of all of the kids, she and Cassie are still here."

Tony nearly sobs with relief. "Clint and Scott?"

Natasha frowns. "Neither of them are responding to any of our calls. We have to assume they were victims too."

"I want to see my daughter." The engineer whispers, and Pepper gently rubs his back.

"You will, but you need rest."

"I'll rest when I..." Tony blinks away the black spots forming in his vision and the room begins to spin. "When I--"

Then he collapsed. The little bit of effort he had put into talking and standing was too much for his body, and it forced him to rest. He slept for two days without waking, but he woke up on third day and Rhodey all but forced him to eat. In any or he scenario he would have fought, but Diana was alive and all he cared about was seeing her. Tony caved when his best friend promised he could see her as soon as he ate, and he did. He ate as much as he could stomach and Rhodey kept to his promise by having Natasha bring Diana to him. Big blue eyes brightened when his six-month-old daughter saw him and she squealed happily as she reached out for him.

"Dada!"

That one simple word was what broke Tony when he finally got to hold his baby girl. She was all he had left if his family. His husband was gone, his two sons were gone, and half of his friends were gone too. He was broken and tired and wanted to get away from it all. All of the memories.

So as soon as he was able again, Tony took Diana and Cassie with him to a lake house he bought. Cassie's mother and stepfather were out of reach since they had been traveling over seas when the snap happened, so they didn't know if they were even alive. Scott was MIA as well, but Tony promised to take care of her. She was surprisingly happy that the engineer told her to get her things and she did without a fuss.

Tony watched Diana and Cassie grow up over the next five years. As Cassie got older, she helped with Diana and eventually took a liking to cooking and baking that she was starting to throw Tony out of his own kitchen. Like now.

"You're kicking me out of my own kitchen?! You have a lot of nerve Miss Sass." Tony moves away from the island counter and accidently knocks a glass cup off of it and watches it fall and shatter on the ground. "Shit."

Cassie giggles. "That is exactly why. How did you manage to feed us before I took over?"

Tony picks up the broken glass with a towel and dumps it all in the trash bin. "I'll have you know I made dinner plenty of times. I make a mean sauce. Even Peter drank--"

He immediately clams up at the mention of his youngest son. Tony locked those memories away tears ago, but every once in a while, one would slip through. What were once pleasant dreams when he was dying in space, now haunted him in the safety of his home. In his dreams and just looking at Diana. She reminded him of Stephen every day and it was hard to ignore. She even inherited the man's cheeky mouth.

Cassie learned how to read him over the five years they lived at the lake house, and she could tell that talk to him about his family wasn't a good idea right now. "Can you see if there are any raspberries left? They would be good in the salad."

Tony scoffs. "If there are any left."

"With the way your alpaca eats them I wouldn't be surprised if they were gone!"

"My alpaca? You and Dia were the ones that wanted a pet!"

"Yeah! Like a cat! But you had to be extra and come home with a freaking alpaca!" Cassie snarks as she points a knife in his direction and Tony holds his hands up.

"He has a name." The engineer says with a smirk.

"Gerald is a terrible name." Cassie throws a walnut at his head, and narrows her eyes when Tony catches it in his mouth. "Check for berries."

"I've adopted a slave-driver."

Cassie sniggers as he walks out the back door and he pats Gerald's head as he passes by the mammal and into the garden. It was Cassie's idea and he had to admit it was nice having fresh vegetables and berries a few feet away, even if he had to beat their pet alpaca to them. The girls wanted a cat, but it only would have reminded him of Tibbs, and even the poor cat had been a victim of the snap. He just wasn't ready for another one. Tibbs was a pretty awesome cat and Tony kind of missed him sometimes.

"Alright Gerald, I hope you left us some raspberries or we'll both be in the dog house." Two more steps and he found a plant full of the berries. "Small miracles." He glances over at the blanket fort a few feet away and smiles. "Princess Diana! Come help me pick berries!"

"I'm coloring Daddy!" Diana shouts from inside her fort and Tony chuckles quietly. She definitely had Stephen's snark, and she even said it in an exasperated tone.

"I guess you don't get Cassie's chocolate chip cookies for dessert!"

A loud groan follows and Tony grins as Diana comes out of her fort and joins her father. "It was important."

"Oh yeah? Well you'll have to finish after dinner."

Diana doesn't argue any further and the two of them pick enough berries to fill a small container that Tony gives the responsibility of holding to his daughter. A couple of raspberries disappear into her mouth and Tony gives her a fond look as he wipes away some of the juice at the corner of her mouth before it stains. Sass aside, he was lucky that Diana was so well behaved. She even stopped asking about her mother and brothers because she didn't like the forlorn look Tony always wore when they were brought up, but he was also pretty sure that Cassie was telling her instead. Tony always kicked himself over that. Diana should be able to ask him without worrying about him getting upset over it, but instead her pseudo-sister was telling her the stories. Sometimes Pepper, Happy, and the other Avengers whenever they had time to stop by.

"Don't fill up Little Miss. You think we have enough?"

Diana nods. "Uh-huh."

"Alright. Let's get these back in to the Alpha Female if we want to have dinner. I can smell it from here." He kisses her on the cheek before standing back up and lifting Diana into his arms, and he stops next to Gerald when the exit the garden. "Give one to our loyal guard alpaca."

The five year old grabs a raspberry from the container in her hands and gives it to Gerald who eats it out of her hand happily and thanks her with a nuzzle. With that done, Tony walks back toward the house until he hears the unmistakable sound of tires crunching over gravel. He and Diana look at each other before Tony makes his way around the house to the driveway, and his eyes widen when Scott all but falls out of the car in his haste to get out. Steve and Natasha followed after him as the ex-criminal approaches the billionaire and Diana pushes Tony's mouth closed.

"Scott?" Tony wonders with surprise.

"Cassie? Is she here? They said she was here." The man rambles, but before Tony could even reply, the front door opened and Cassie stepped out.

"Daddy?"

Scott's head whips around and the fifteen year old girl immediately runs over to him and hugs him tightly. Everyone else watches the small reunion as Scott hold his daughter close, and he eventually moves away to study his grown daughter.

"You're so big!" Scott looks Cassie over for a few more seconds and then sniffs the air. "Is that food? Oh my god, I'm starving."

Both Cassie and Tony laugh. "You have good timing Thumbelina. You guys can stay for dinner and tell us where the hell you've been."

"Good, because according to Nat and the Cap, I literally haven't eaten for five years."

Tony looks over at the other two adults. "Dinner?"

Natasha smiles. "Only if I get the baby."

"You heard her Little Miss. Go to Auntie Nat." The engineer says as he takes the container of berries and Diana happily goes to Natasha before they head inside.

Scott was quiet for the majority of dinner because he was too busy eating, but when he eventually slowed down so he could at least breath and taste his food, he told them where he had been. The Quantum Realm. What felt like an hour to him had been five years, so when he finally escaped, he was confused when he saw all the missing posters and the monuments with the names of the Snap victims. He explained that he went straight to the tower but when he found he empty, he went to the compound where he found Steve and Natasha. He told them the same thing he was telling Tony and they jumped right back into the car and came straight to the lake house when he asked about Cassie.

Steve clears his throat and Tony watches Natasha suspiciously when she mumbles in Russian and herds Diana away from the table after dinner. An adult conversation was coming up and he wasn't sure whether or not he was glad that the assassin took the initiative to distract his daughter. As soon as the two were out of ear shot, Scott opened his mouth again.

"Tony...we think we can reverse what happened. Bring everyone back."

His breath catches in his throat. "What?"

"Like I told you, it only felt like an hour in the Quantum Realm for me when realistically it's been five years. Time works differently there. Maybe if we can manipulate it--"

"You're talking about a time machine." Tony interrupts.

Steve grimaces. "For lack of a better word, yes."

"I can't take that chance." Scott opens his mouth again but Tony cuts him off and points toward the direction Natasha and Diana disappeared to. "She is all I have left. I can't risk that for a chance. Diana is the only reason I'm even still here!" He admits and the other two men wince and Cassie frowns. "I lost my wife, and my two sons. I can't lose her too."

The three stare at each other in silence until Diana and Natasha return, and Tony's heart clenches when he finds a familiar leather book in his daughter's hands.

Peter's photo album.

"Where..." The mechanic starts and Scott sighs.

"I told you I went to the tower. I grabbed that just in case." He says quietly as Diana sets the album on the table in front of Tony.

"Tony...at least look through it." Steve says quietly. "Even if you still don't want to help, you and Diana both deserve those memories."

Cassie places her hand on the album and pushes it closer to Tony. "I think it's a good idea."

Tony sighs. "Even Miss Sass is ganging up on me."

He reluctantly agrees though and they all eat their dessert of cookies before everyone sans Tony retires to bed. He offered for them to stay since it was a long drive back, and they accepted gratefully. Cassie was nice enough to take Diana to bed since she knew the little girl's schedule and Tony had gone into the makeshift lab to look through the photo album. Not until he had FRIDAY working on potential ways to be able to use the Quantum Realm as a time machine though. He highly doubted they would find anything, but he could at least say he tried. Looking through the album was hard but it was necessary if he was going to have to tell Diana the stories behind each picture. His daughter deserved that much if FRIDAY couldn't--

"Test run successful Boss."

Tony's head snaps up to the hologram and he drops the album so he can cover his mouth in disbelief. He did it. He found a way to time travel. Something he never thought possible if he were honest. A Time Stone was one thing, but a machine? Even he had been skeptical.

"Shit."

That one single word about summed everything up.

He could bring his family back.

[bridgertonlife]

Tony Stark’s Goodbye Speeches in “Avengers Endgame” an opinionated analysis of Tony’s last goodbye, scripted and directed by M&M and the Russo bros.

In this, my own analysis, I am gonna put on bold letters those sentences that, in my opinion, were constantly repeated and had a double meaning directed to the audience. And I’ll talk a little about them under every piece of speech.

- Trailer 1 (Teaser)

“This thing on? Hey, Miss Potts... Pep. If you find this recording don’t feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end. Just for the record, being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds. Food and water ran out four days ago. Oxygen should run out tomorrow morning and that’ll be it. When I drift off, I will dream about you. It’s always you.”

(Here is where we first find the “don’t feel bad about this” line and the “part of the journey is the end” which belongs to a totally different speech inside the movie. But the meaning is clear here. They were foreshadowing Tony’s death since the first trailer and asking audiences to not feel bad about it, to understand. YEAH, SADLY EASIER SAID THAN DONE, my friends. But yeah, the meaning is so clear now. The other repeated line, totally adressed to Pepper this time, my beloved “it’s always you” kinda tries to asure Pepper and US too that Tony he’ll be okay when he closes his eyes forever and dies. He say’s he’ll drift off dreaming about the love of his life. Whatever, I hope he’s in heaven now, watching Pepper and Morgan from there. OMG this autotherapy is killing me... Ugh.)

Trailer 2 (Official Trailer)

“God, it feels like a thousand years ago. I fought my way out of that cave, became Iron Man, realized I loved you... I know I said no more surprises, but I was really hoping to pull off one last one.”

(The most romantic one of all of them, and sadly almost all scrapped from the real movie. Anyway, first mention of a sentence which did make the final cut. We all wanted him to pull off one last surprise with the gauntlet, but he couldn’t movie’s script wise. It would have been so in character and so awesome that he did put one last surprise and survived the snap. It could have been done in a lot of ways: using the stones with all the avengers end of GOFTG like, healing him in Wakanda, time travel... You name it, fandom has come up with a million ways of Tony Stark pulling off that last surprise and surviving the snap, but the movie script already sold here that he wasn’t gonna BE ABLE of doing it. Such shame, Russo bros. M&M I hate you so much).

Goodbye Speech for Pepper in the Benatar (In movie)

“This thing on? Hey, Miss Potts... Pep. If you find this recording don’t post it on social media, it’s gonna be a real tearjerker. I don’t know if you’re ever gonna see this... Or even if you are still... Oh God, I hope so. Today’s day 21... No 22... You know, if it wasn’t for the existential terror of staring into the literal void of space, I’d say I’m feeling a lot better today. The infection ran it’s course thanks to the blue meanie back there. Oh, you would love her, very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic. So, a few fuel cells cracked back during the battle, but we found a way to reverse the ion charge, that bought us 48 hours of play time. Oh, but it’s now dead in the water, somewhere one thousand light years far from the nearest 7 eleven. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning. And that’ll be it. And Pep, I know I said no more surprises but, I gotta say, I was really hoping to pull off one last one. But it looks like... Well, you know what it looks like... Don’t feel bad about this. I mean, actually if you grovel for a couple weeks, and then move on with enormous guilt... I should probably lie down for a minute. Rest my eyes. Please know: when I drift off, it’ll be like every night likely. I’m fine, totally fine. I’ll dream about you. It’s always you.”

(Yeah, thank you for the fair warning that this movie was gonna be a real ugly tearjerker... ¿? UGH so much hate. 22 movies. 11 years that feel like so wasted with this ending now. Bougth us 48h of play, yeah just like Strange bought Tony 5 years. We get it, he was doomed since Infinity War, you assholes. Here’s again the warning: no surprise surviving this time. We know what it looks like, it looks like very bad, very burned like a crisp after using the gauntlet. And then, there is my favourite one: don’t feel bad about this, only grieve for two weeks and move on. Well, it’s been two months, assholes and I’m trying. I assure you I’m trying to move on. But I still miss him everyday and nothing he says will make me stop hurting and grieving for him, but I will keep trying to move on... UGH. He remembers Pepper and us that he’ll be fine in heaven. Poor Pepper missing him everyday too, more than anyone, including us, would. My heart breaks for her and Morgan everyday too.)

Goodbye Speech to his family (In movie)

“Everybody wants a happy ending. Right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I’m hoping if you play this back, it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited, I hope we get it back and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored, if there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren't alone, let alone, you know, to this extent, I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised, but come on, the epic forces of dark and light that have come in to play. And for better or worse, that's the reality Morgan's gonna have to find a way to grow up in. So I thought I better record a little greeting, in the case of an untimely death, on my part. I mean, not that death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. Then again that's the hero gig. Part of the journey is the end. What am I even tripping for? Everything's gonna workout exactly the way it's supposed to. I love you 3000.”

(Fucking assholes, remembering all of us that we didn’t get the happy ending Tony deserved because they didn’t want to deliver a happy ending... WE DESERVED THAT HAPPY ENDING!!!!! and nothing you say will change mi mind. I’m not going to go into detail about the unashamed invitation to keep supporting the MCU once Tony’s dead that this entire speech implies. Well for me not gonna happen, Kevin Feige, sorry. Some things doesn’t always roll the way you want. LOL xD Bye, Marvel. There’s again “part of the journey is the end” yeah all good things come to and end. But this could have had the hopeful ending not the tearjerker ending. You all chose wrong, Marvel.)

So sorry all, but I had to go through this, because it’s been kinda cathartic to me, to re-read and analize this and think about all the double meanings and try to make my peace with it. With this awful end. It’s not the end I WANTED but it’s the end WE GOT. So yeah. I have to make my peace with it existing and letting it go and start healing. And of course, I’m dropping Marvel Studios and keeping Pepper, Tony and Morgan only and all characters and worlds related to Iron Man Trilogy, everything else, doesn’t interest me anymore. 

Sorry if there are mistakes in all of this long ass post. English is not my native language and I transcribed the speeches from audio of the movie and trailers.

[fanficsbytoast]

Mischief Tango Chapter 3

After Tyler Cowie has a disastrous run-in with the Tesseract, she has to team up with the god (or sometimes goddess) of mischief to get rid of her new powers. Or at least, that’s plan.

Warnings for story: M Language, T violence, T sex

Warnings for chapter: M language, T drinking

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The Uber was there in ten minutes, which is actually really good for an Uber. I kept my jacket against the injured man’s stomach to hide the light of his…magic, I guess, and I tried my best to support him as we staggered towards the car. He was barely awake enough to stand.         The driver gawked at me from the open window. She didn’t think I was kidnapping this guy, did she?         I did my best to awkwardly grin. “He’s, uh, drunk! Really drunk!”         “Drunk? He looks half-dead.”         “I know, right? Worst first date ever.”         I don’t think she believed me, but I opened the door and let the guy drop onto the seat. He didn’t move. I grabbed the shoulders of his jacket and tried to shove him back. Jeez, he weighed a ton! The whole car shook under his weight!         “Come on!” I hissed at him. “Wake up! You’ve got to scoot over!”         He didn’t respond. Giving up, I shoved his legs into the vehicle, shut the door, and then ran around the car to get in on the other side.         I just hoped the guy didn’t die. He had helped me, and plus, I really would prefer it if I got out of this mess without anyone dying. No one deserved death.         Okay, except that Nazi guy from that dream I’d had. Was it even a dream? And why the heck was I dreaming about Nazis? I’d slept through history class almost every day in school! I barely knew the first thing about WWI! Or…was that WWII?         Maybe those Blue Meanie monsters from the alley just made me think of human monsters.         And anyway, was it even normal for people for people to dream when they were knocked out?         The wounded man slumped over in his seat and squashed me against the door. I pushed him off, but he ended up flopping over into the next seat.         “Are you sure he’s all right?” asked the driver. I hadn’t even asked for her name.         “Um, yeah,” I said, but she had to know better. We both looked awful after being attacked by those monsters. “He just drank way too much, uh…” What was an alcoholic drink? “….rum.”         “Rum? How much?”         “Like a whole bottle.”         The lady turned around to stare at me again. “A whole bottle?”         Um, oops. I laughed. “Yeah, I know, right? Ballsy. And just plain dumb, because he clearly couldn’t handle it.”         “The bloke should be dead right now, that’s what!”         This…was not going well. “Well, maybe it wasn’t a whole bottle. I told him he should go to the hospital, but he said he’d be fine.”         The car rolled forward again, and the lady turned back around. “If he gets much worse, I’d take him there anyway.”         “I don’t know how much worse he can get,” I muttered.         The driver said nothing, but then she changed the subject. “You’re American?”         “Yeah, I just moved here a few months ago.” I glanced at the guy and where he was now drooling against the window. “We…just started dating. He said he liked to drink, but I didn’t think he meant…well…this much.”         When we finally reached the apartment complex, I thanked the driver and then struggled to get the guy out of the back seat. I grabbed his arm, but he wouldn’t budge. Right. He was huge (well, he didn’t look it), and now he was out cold. I yanked and pulled, summoning all the strength I could.         The guy was suddenly weightless, flying out of the car and then landing on top of me. I would have squealed if he wasn’t crushing my lungs.         What the heck? How’d I pull that guy out like that? An adrenaline rush? And JEEZ! He weighed as much as a small car!         Not that I’d ever been stuck under a car before.         The driver ended up getting out to help me. Between the two of us, we hauled him across the parking lot and up to the front door. After I unlocked the door, we took him inside and dumped him on the couch, then put him on his side so he wouldn’t choke on his own vomit.         Of course, as far as I knew, he wasn’t going to throw up, but I wanted to make sure the driver didn’t think I was making this all up and trying to kidnap him or something.         I took out my phone and mentioned something about calling his roommate to come and get him, and that seemed to convince her that I wasn’t just some psycho. She left.         I slumped to the floor and just sat there, shivering as the cold finally got to my wet skin.         So I had been dumped, nearly killed by alien monsters, blown up by some glowing box, and now I had dragged this creepy guy into my appartment, all in the course of one night?         Wow. I’d achieved a whole new level of crazy.         Not knowing what else to do, I just got up and went to take a shower. After I was done, I stepped out into the living room in my pajamas. The guy was still unconscious. He looked awful, his clothes bloody and damp and his face all clammy. I wasn’t sure what I could do for him, though.         I went back into my room and got a couple of blankets, a pair of very stretchy pants, and an oversized t-shirt of mine. It wasn’t until I was back in the living room and pulling his coat off that I thought about what I was doing.         I mean, even if it was to save my life, I wouldn’t be too happy about somebody undressing me while I was unconscious. But it wasn’t like I could ask him, and I didn’t know if he was immune to getting sick or not. For all I knew, aliens could be really sensitive to Earth diseases.         “Okay, Mister, I’m really sorry about this, but I don’t want you getting pneumonia.”         I averted my gaze, and after a good ten grueling minutes of trying my best to not look at him, I somehow got him into the pajamas.         I’m serious—I really didn’t see that much. But I did catch a glimpse of pale scars all over his chest.         If he had murdered someone, they must have put up a fight.         After throwing a blanket over him, I gathered up his stuff, went outside, and hauled it all down to the laundry mat on the first floor. After I threw it in the washer, I trudged back to my appartment. I could see the clock on the stove from where I was standing.         It was almost one-o’clock in the morning.         For the first time tonight, I realized that I was exhausted.  I still wasn’t sure what to do about the guy on my couch, but I was too tired to figure that out right now. So I went back to my room, turned off the lights, and curled up in my bed under my blankets.         One last, fleeting thought of whether or not there was a murderer in my living room ran through my mind. Then, somehow, I was fast asleep.

[nelvana]

In which the ice bird is fought

First: In which the human is transformed Next: In which they gather around a campfire Previous: In which the fire bird is fought

    Once they were finally able to get away from the broiling heat from the volcano, the trio sat down in the shade of the tree to rest up again. No one objected to the break, even Alex, who took the time to flop down onto the ground and almost go to sleep. Nelvana sat down against a tree, letting out a sigh as her head began to spin from the sudden halt of movement, and the overheating from before. They drank out of the water bottles again, only having a couple left after all the pauses to drink. With everyone present and not rushing around, Keahi also decided to explain to Alex what Moltres had said while he was underground.

    “Moltres caught wind of the Ninetales Legend rumours? But how?” Alex asked, still laying stretched out on the ground, not bothering to get up yet for the conversation. “Didn’t everyone say that no one comes out here? How would they hear about this?”

    Keahi shrugged, “no idea! No one even bothers to deliver mail out here!” he said.

    “Which means that someone came out deliberately to tell Moltres the news so they would attack us,” Nelvana inputted, “whoever it was, they must have taken advantage of the time we spent at the Scorched Plains to get a jump on us,” she added.

    “Team Meanies?” Alex suggested, lifting his head off the ground slightly.

    “No, as much as they would have to most motivation for it, they just aren’t strong enough. And they aren’t fast either, and they don’t have a good sense of direction. We raced them to Sinister Woods, and they got a head start, but we still beat them there because they got lost,” Keahi explained, shaking his head.

    “And then you guys beat them in battle, right…” Alex murmured, “is there anyone else that would be able to get the news out?”

    “I can’t think of anyone. Anyone who believed Gengar in Pokemon Square isn’t strong enough to go out here,” Nelvana sighed.

    “Me neither, it must be someone we haven’t met yet, which makes sense, because then they would be more likely to believe Team Meanies,” Keahi responded.

    “Well, I guess we’ll have to look out for them then,” Alex replied.

    “How much will you bet that Articuno is awake and will fight us too?” Nelvana chuckled.

    “I don’t bet on fixed game,” Alex laughed.

    After a bit under an hour of resting back up, the group gathered themselves up again and continued on their way. The path through Mt. Blaze had taken them to mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day took them through a humid swamp, and then to a sparse forest, with pine trees dotting the area here and there, slowly growing denser as it also began to cool down significantly. Finally, they stopped their progress for the day as they could see where a blanket of snow lay over a thick forest in the distance, and even further still, a small mountain. Similarly to before, they didn’t want to sleep too closely to where the temperature was dramatic, and went to sleep at another tree for the night.

    Deep down, Nelvana had been hoping for another dream visit from Gardevoir. The last time she had had one was many days ago, and at the time Gardevoir was mostly strengthened up again, so why hadn’t she tried again? Unfortunately, Nelvana did not get that visit, leaving her to come down with the hypothesis, so that she wouldn’t overstress herself, that Gardevoir was only able to contact her at the base.

    The next day’s travels, as expected, brought them through the deeper parts of the woods, and only after a few hours did it begin to softly snow on them as they trekked. This weather only worsened as they continued, growing slowly colder as more snow fell down onto the land. Alex was shivering within the first hour with this temperature, and the group quickened their pace to make it to the storage statue sooner.

    “How are you two hanging on back there?” Keahi asked.

    “I’m still doing good, definitely cold, but better than Alex it seems,” Nelvana answered.

    “I’ll be fine, some warmth soon would be nice though,” Alex added, blowing on his hands and rubbing them together to warm them up.

    “Of course.” Keahi nodded, “hopefully it isn’t too far ahead now.”

    By now, one couldn’t even see the pine trees properly since they were coated with snow, and the ground was covered in the frozen power, making the walk more challenging. Keahi’s light weight allowed him to walk on top of it, but Nelvana could only do it sometimes, ending up sinking in softer spots, and Alex’s chances to avoid being ankle-deep were even slimmer.

    “Hey guys… I feel like we’re being watched,” Nelvana murmured, her breath visible in the chill air.

    “Really? I… I don’t see anyone,” Keahi replied quietly, wildly looking around them.

    “Up there,” Alex whispered.

    Alex pointed up at a nearby hill, peaking just above the treetops. At a mere glance, there was just the usual snow shining off the sunlight, but when the group paused and looked at the spot properly, they could see a quadruped figure standing and watching them. This creature could mostly blend into the snow, with long white fur covering the majority of their body, but they had a dark blue face and short tail. Sticking out the right side of their head was a long crescent moon shaped blade.

    “It’s Absol,” Keahi gasped, “what do we do?”

    “Well,” Alex puffed, watching the cloud of air puff out as he spoke for a moment. “They sure match your dad’s description all right.”

    “Of course it does!” Keahi hissed nervously, glancing from the figure to the grovyle and back. “But what do we do about it?”

    Nelvana narrowed her eyes in thought for a moment before speaking, “they haven’t done anything yet. If they were going to attack us or cause a disaster on us like your dad warned, they wouldn’t have waited until now,” she said.

    “Where are you going with this…?” Keahi asked.

    “I think we should use diplomacy. I don’t think they’re as bad as your dad described, at least not this one. Maybe there’s another absol that is bad, who knows,” Nelvana explained briefly, shrugging.

    “I agree. No use in starting a fight, it won’t benefit any of us, and I personally don’t want to just keep ignoring them while we know they’re watching us,” Alex replied, crossing his arms against his chest.

    “But…” Keahi hesitated. “What are you even going to say?”

    “Well, this is probably their territory, so I’ll just let them know why we’re here,” Nelvana answered, “and I guess since the Ninetales Legend news is out here, I can let them know that the news is false,” she added.

    “…okay, but you should do it then,” Keahi sighed, shaking himself to hide his ruffled feathers and the snowflakes that were melting into them.

    Nelvana waited nervously, but then took in a deep breath and called out, “HEY ABSOL!!!” She paused for a moment, watching at the figure took a step back out of surprise. “Uh… SORRY IF WE’RE TRESPASSING, WE’RE JUST TRYING TO GET TO SEE NINETALES! WE NEED TO SPEAK WITH HER ABOUT THE LEGEND!” She paused to take another breath of chill air. “I PROMISE THAT IF YOU’VE HEARD ANY RECENT NEWS ABOUT MY GROUP AND OUR RELATION TO THE LEGEND, THAT IT’S FALSE, AND THAT WE’RE JUST GOING TO SEE NINETALES FOR THE PROOF! SO, WE’LL DO OUR BEST TO GET THROUGH HERE QUICKLY AND NOT BOTHER YOU!” she yelled, and when receiving no other reaction, she glanced from the path back at Absol before adding one more yell. “JUST… uh, ARE WE ON THE RIGHT PATH TO GET THERE?”

    Absol gave them an exaggerated nod, to make sure it could be seen from the distance, and then tossed their head in the direction they were headed before bounding out of sight, further away from the path and the team.

    “Oh… that worked out better than I thought! I guess they weren’t so bad after all! Good call, Nel,” Keahi chirped, “we should keep going though.”

    “Thanks,” Nelvana hummed.

    Back on track, the trio continued on the path through the Frosty Forest. Luckily, there was only a few more minutes of walking before they arrived to the entrance of the dungeon, with the storage statue waiting beside it. Like at Mt. Blaze, the statue was worn down from age and enduring the elements, however the opposing climate had a different effect. This statue was coated in an icy sheen, filling in the cracks and ruining its integrity from the inside. Oddly enough however, it wasn’t covered in a mound of snow as expected. In fact, it appeared that someone had brushed off any flakes quite recently, and the chest itself looked fairly used, the edges clawed at to be opened.

    “That’s odd… looks like this was used,” Alex commented, gingerly brushing off the thin layer of fresh snow from the top of the chest.

    “But who would use it? No one can use it without starting with Kangaskhan’s shop,” Keahi questioned, nudging open the chest to pull out their stuff. “Oh Alex, someone added a hat, you should take that.”

    “Maybe Absol uses it,” Nelvana suggested, passing Alex the mentioned hat and then pulling out a sweater for herself, struggling to pull it on for a moment, but she figured it out and found that it hugged her body comfortably, knitted even to fit over her back spikes.

    “But how? They’re never met Kangaskhan,” Keahi replied.

    Alex pulled the hat on his head, tugging with his head leaf for a few moments before settling with the results of the headgear, “well, they only need to meet Kangaskhan to be able to access the other chests and have their items move from one to another, right? It’s still a normal chest otherwise.”

    “Oh, I guess that is right! So, anyone that isn’t applied with Kangaskhan’s services just have this normal chest,” Keahi agreed, pulling out the last of the new items, along with a note, which he handled all of it over to Nelvana.

    “Does that mean since I’m not applied, I could open it and see if this has been being used?” Alex suggested mischievously.

    “Well, I guess so, it would certainly prove the theory,” Keahi responded before looking back at Nelvana. “Those are arm warmers, or leg warmers… actually they’re a bit big, so neck and tail warmers then. That means you can put one on your tail and give the other to Alex,” he explained.

    “Oh alright, good to know then.” Nelvana tossed one of the warmers over to the grovyle, and then tugged her’s over her tail. “Should I read the note now?”

    “Just a sec, I want to try something,” Alex said through the warmer he was pulling over his head, finally getting through and then pulling his head leaf out so it could flow in the breeze freely. “Alright, let’s see if our theory is correct,” he continued before closing the chest and opening it again.

    Now the wooden chest was no longer filled with Team Galaxy’s supplies, it was but an ordinary chest with some knickknacks and dust instead. Some berries, seeds, and coins littered the bottom of the container. Even without any true sign that this was the chest’s default, they all knew that’s what it’s contents now was. Alex closed the chest again softly after examining the contents for anything interesting.

    “I guess that answers that. Go ahead and read the new note Nel,” Alex hummed, looking over at the mentioned cubone.

    “Alrighty then. ‘Hello Team Galaxy, this is Kangaskhan. I hope you’re doing well. I’m terribly sorry for not helping much when that horrible Gengar was spreading those lies, and for not sending a message sooner. I’ve been incredibly busy as of late, but I’ve done my best to provide you sweeties with some extra supplies through my family’s chests. I’m sure you’ve found the clothes I knit, it’s made from flaaffy wool donated by a friend of mine, should keep you nice and warm during your travels! Kecleon has presumably set up shop somewhere in the Frosty Forest, so hopefully you’ll be able to see him at some point. Well, I shouldn’t write for too long and keep you waiting. Good luck dearies!’,” Nelvana read aloud.

    “I think she wants to adopt you,” Keahi blurted out.

    “What? What makes you think that?” Nelvana questioned, folding up the note and slipping it back into the chest.

    Keahi shrugged, “just a feeling.”

    Alex arched a brow at the torchic, “alright… Now, we should keep going before my feet freeze to the ground.”

    “Well, if you want to stay warm, I happen to be like a hot water bottle,” Keahi hummed, bouncing over to the grovyle.

    “…do you really want me to carry you?” Alex asked, holding back a chuckle at the tiny bird’s antics.

    “Not because I’m lazy! Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m fine to keep walking. Just… carrying me would keep you warmer, and we should be able to travel faster,” Keahi told him.

    “If it’s speed that you’re concerned about, I’d need to carry Nel too to really pick up the pace,” Alex replied, looking at the mentioned cubone again.

    “Hey! I’m plenty fast!” Nelvana huffed, stiffening in place slightly.

    “Of course, we all know that. It’s just that I’m the fastest,” Alex chuckled, “are you just feeling awkward that you’re small enough to be carried by me now, instead of you carrying me?”

    “I…” Nelvana paused, “maybe… I don’t know… I guess if you both want to try this new travelling idea, then sure,” she mumbled.

    “Great, I’m willing to pick up the pace if it means getting out of these woods sooner,” Alex said.

    After saying that, Alex reached over and scooped up Nelvana bridal style, with her left side leaning into the grovyle so that her right side stayed free to use her bone club. She stiffened more, reflexively at the action, but relaxed again quickly. Once a stable balance had been achieved, Keahi hopped on top of Nelvana’s chest and leaned back against Alex.

    “Ready to go?” Keahi asked.

    With motions of approval, Alex took off into the dungeon. He practically seemed to fly over the icy terrain, his clawed feet simply skimming the ground to push them ahead faster. The frozen walls around them became a blur as he ran, only stopping when he would accidentally run into a dead end and have to turn around and zoom back. Floors were able to be passed through in mere minutes with them passing by most foes. There was the rare pause where Alex would lose his sense of direction after so many twists and turns, but Nelvana was always somehow able to point him in the right direction, and off they went again. Any enemies that got too close for comfort were either dealt with by a simple ember from Keahi, or a couple whacks with Nelvana’s bone club.

    At one point, Alex slipped on a rather bad patch of ice, and Nelvana assisted by propping up her club on the ground to balance them again. Unfortunately, three impatient dungeon pokemon took advantage of this and began swarming around. Keahi made short work of two of them with some rapid-fire embers, but the third one took on a different angle, and Nelvana reacted by leaning out of Alex’s grasp and kicking them. The pokemon stumbled back and disappeared in a flash of light.

    “Nice job Nel! I think that might have been a brick break in action!” Keahi exclaimed.

    “I think so too!” Nelvana agreed, smiling in surprise at her own move.

    “Great job, that is certainly handy against these ice-types,” Alex said, shifting his weight to carry his two teammates better again.

    “Team Galaxy, is that you I hear over there?” a familiar voice called out from the next room.

    “Yeah! Is that you, Kecleon?” Keahi yelled back before hopping out from Alex’s arms and hurrying into the next room by himself.

    Alex sighed and set Nelvana down before continuing after the torchic. Keahi’s guess was correct, as in the next room stood Green-Kecleon on a large colorful mat with various items set on it as well. Kecleon smiled broadly in welcome at the trio.

    “Ah, Team Galaxy! I was hoping to see my favorite customers soon! It is a pleasure to see that you made it through Mt. Blaze safely,” Kecleon greeted, nodding to the group. “Go ahead, step onto my mat, it’s a lot nicer than this frozen rock we’re on in here.”

    “Hello Kecleon! It’s great to see you too!” Keahi, who was already on the mat, chirped.

    Alex looked at the mini store in awe, “how did you bring all this stuff out here?”

    Kecleon chuckled, “I’m afraid that that’s a trade secret my friend, and do kindly not to touch anything you won’t be buying please,” he said, “now then explorers, how have you been? You don’t seem to be in too rough shape, which is nice… I see you have some very nice winter clothing there, another gift from Kangaskhan?”

    “Yeah.” Nelvana nodded. “We’re doing alright, had a bad run-in with Moltres though.”

    “Ah yes! I saw them on my way here too!” Kecleon exclaimed, “I haven’t seen them before, quite the ornery fellow if you ask me. Blasted over and asked what I was doing, I just said I was doing business and they let me on my way. What trouble did they cause with you group?”

    “Apparently someone has gone all the way out here to spread the rumors,” Alex sighed.

    “Oh! Have they?” Kecleon gasped, “how improper, to suffer travelling all the way out here just to get some legendries all riled up. Did… Did you have to fight Moltres?”

    “Yup! And we won too!” Keahi proclaimed proudly.

    “Good for you! I expected no less from the Team Galaxy. Y’know, you remind me of my brother and I when we were out doing rescues. I have great faith in your team here, yessiree,” Kecleon hummed and then clapped his hands together. “Now then! I expect that you didn’t just stop by for chatter, now did you? Would you be interested in any of my wares?”

    “We’re mostly stocked on explorers supplies, at this point our goal is staying warm,” Keahi told Kecleon, “do you have… aspear berries or something?”

    Kecleon shook his head, “I’m afraid not, those are quite the uncommon find, and I’m afraid I wasn’t able to bring any with me,” he sighed, “however, I can tell that you my friend might be interested in some gloves,” he added, looking over at Alex.

    “As a matter of fact, that would be nice. You are very good at your trade,” Alex replied, grinning at the salesman. “Also, how are you staying warm anyway?”

    “Why thank you! Don’t worry about my health, I just let myself get hit with an ice shard and let my ability handle the rest. Now, I’m afraid that these gloves I have here-“ Kecleon paused to show off the mentioned gloves. “-aren’t quite as nice as your flaaffy wool clothing, but it allows you to keep dexterity while staying warm, for just the low price of 400 poke!”

    “Well that’s easy, there’s lots of money in these dungeons y’know,” Nelvana chuckled, handing over the money and tossing the new gloves over to Alex, who graciously put them on. “You could turn a real profit by just wandering around.”

    “However, if I did that, I would be less likely to run into customers. Which is the point of coming out here in the first place,” Kecleon explained, putting away the coins he had received. “I do make sure to pick up what I can on the way though,” he added, winking. “Is there anything else you were hoping for before continuing on your way? I’m afraid that I am unable to join you in the event that Articuno does show up, if you were hoping to ask.”

    “Aw, why not? I mean, we can handle it on our own, but the company would be nice,” Keahi replied.

    “I must be heading back to Pokemon Square again soon. In these troubled times, many pokemon look up to my brother and me since we used to be a rescue team, and my presence will be needed again there. Plus, I’m sure many of them will like an update on how your journey has been,” Kecleon told them.

    “How are things going back there, by the way? Do you know?” Nelvana asked.

    “Well, nothing recent of course, since I’ve had to travel out here myself, but I can let you know about how it was before I left,” Kecleon responded, “my brother and I, and Kangaskhan of course, believe in you. So do those nice kids, and the folks at the Pelipper Post Office. If any of those employees do trust Gengar, they at least have the decency to keep their beaks shut about it. Unfortunately, many of the others have fallen to the lies. Lombre and Snubbull for certain. Bellsprout is still with us, but he pretends that he believes Gengar in front of his friends.” Kecleon paused in his recap to click his tongue with disappointment, thinking of the mentioned pokemon. “Anyway, I’m sorry to say that Felicity, or as you know her, Persian, has also fallen prey to the trick. Luckily, my brother managed to convince her to keep guarding your money as usual until some proper evidence arrives. Spinda and Gulpin… well, Spinda is on our side, but Gulpin isn’t. I haven’t heard it in personal, but apparently, they’ve been bickering about the issue. Whiscash was also on the fence about it, but those kids, bless their little hearts, managed to convince him of the truth.”

    “What about Makuhita?” Nelvana asked.

    “Him? No one has seen that fellow since this whole thing started. I’ll bet that he’s holed himself in that dojo of his until this whole thing has blown over,” Kecleon chuckled dryly.

    “Oh… well thank you for all the help Kecleon! We’ll see you again hopefully tomorrow!” Keahi chirped.

    “Good luck then Team Galaxy, not that you’ll need it. See you then!” Kecleon hummed.

    Once everyone stepped off the mat, Kecleon grabbed one end and gave it a shake. All the items that were resting on it disappeared in an instant, and with another shake, the mat rolled up neatly in his hands. With one last wave of goodbye at the trio, who was watching this display in awe, Kecleon raised his own badge into the air and disappeared in a flash of light.

    After some murmurs of appreciation and wonder between the team, they were on their way again through the dungeon. It was only a couple floors later that they arrived at the special safe floor, and as predicted, a large stone statue of Articuno stood in the center of the room, lightly coated in frost, and staring ahead at any enterers with a fierce stone-cold stare.

    “Y’know what’s something that I thought about after the Moltres fight?” Nelvana began, looking at Keahi. “When we found the Zapdos statue, you said these were good luck. Now I’m not that superstitious, but think about everything that happened after that. Pretty ironic, huh? That’s where everything went downhill,” she murmured, “the only good thing was Alex finding me and joining us.”

    “I… huh, I didn’t think about that. I guess you’re right,” Keahi agreed sadly, but brightened up again suddenly. “Let’s just hope that things get better from here then!” he exclaimed.

    “Yeah… let’s hope so,” Alex replied softly.

    Finishing off the last three floors was done swiftly, and yet slower than the other floors. At the third floor, Nelvana and Keahi started walking for themselves, partially since they knew that they would be meeting Articuno soon, and partially because sharing body warmth wasn’t going to cut it anymore, and Alex didn’t have the energy to carry anyone anymore anyway. Regardless, they kept close to one another.

    Stepping out of the dungeon greeted them with a gust of icy wind, pushing the group closer to each other and they continued trudging through the snow. Nelvana sneezed and wiped her nose off on the back of her bandaged hands, which had turned numb much earlier in the day. She moved around her fingers reflexively, but to no avail. Keahi stood between Alex and Nelvana, trying to share his warmth with the both of them at the same time. Alex had stopped shivering, and no one knew if that was good or bad. Snow whirled around them, forcing their view to be blurry whiteness. And yet, they continued.

    Whooshing of wings slicing through the air informed the team of Articuno’s arrival. Unlike Moltres, the ice-flying-type bird didn’t go straight to battle, instead landing softly in the snow in front of the trio.

    “Hello Team Galaxy,” Articuno greeted coolly, “I wish we could have met under different circumstances. However, as much as I much commend you for making it through my forest dungeon, you will not leave here alive.”

    “W-Wait! Please Articuno!” Keahi yelled, “I don’t know who told you about the Ninetales Legend rumors, but I promise that Nel isn’t that human!”

    “Do you have proof?” Articuno asked.

    “No, but that’s what we’re going to get! Please, let us pass through so we can speak to Ninetales!” Keahi pleaded, his voice carrying a hint of strain.

    “And how am I to know that you don’t just plan to assassinate her!” Articuno boomed, spreading out their wings dramatically for a moment before closing them again. “Apologies, but even if you are being honest, it is my duty as guardian of this forest to eliminate any dangerous passers-by,” they sighed, “even if… I know that I will not win.”

    Nelvana blinked, “what?”

    “I know you have beaten my siblings, and even in this condition, you will beat me… won’t you? I can see the determination in your eyes… and fighting a human in the body of a pokemon, what a horrifyingly powerful matchup,” Articuno murmured, then shook their head and hardened their gaze. “But! We must fight! Prepare yourselves, or face a frozen death!” they screeched, taking off into the sky again, still close enough to be seen though.

    “STOP!!!” an unfamiliar voice screamed.

    Absol leapt in front of Team Galaxy, snow spraying from where they landed from their leap. They arched up their back, fur bristling, and glared up at Articuno with sharp red eyes.

    “Absol, why do you interrupt this battle?” Articuno hissed.

    “You don’t need to fight this battle! You have been misinformed,” Absol growled, “this cubone is not who you have been led to believe they are.”

    “What are you talking about?” Articuno demanded, flapping their wings harshly.

    “These three do no harbor disaster. You have been misinformed. If you do not believe their word, then believe mine,” Absol said, calmer than before. “I will escort them to Ninetales just to be sure, and don’t start with the ‘it’s my duty’ spiel, this is mine.”

    “…and what if they are from that legend?” Articuno replied after a long pause of consideration.

    “Then I will kill them myself,” Absol spat.

    “You will lose that battle,” Articuno told them courtly.

    “So will you,” Absol shot back, “just let us go. I will handle this.”

    Articuno hesitated, but then finally relented, “very well Absol. I trust that this fate is in good paws,” they said before zooming away into the clouded sky and disappearing.

    Absol sighed and turned to face the trio, offering them a friendly smile before turning away again and heading down the hill.

    “T-Thank you for helping us!” Keahi thanked nervously.

    “No problem, it was only right after all,” Absol replied, “now, come along then. This is the fastest and safest way down the hill, and we don’t want to linger here,” she continued, “oh, and by the way, my name is Tsuki. It’s nice to meet you, Team Galaxy.”

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hey there lovelies! I was wondering if you could make a list where Derek is the bad boy of the school and he underestimates Stiles but it ends up as Sterek anyway? Or basically badboy!Derek where he starts a meanie and ends up totally in love, doesn't have to be in school but they are the cutest lmao :D Thanks for your help! ~M.

Sterek fics with Badboy/bully!Derek it is! (Mostly high school aus)  -Emmy

Serious by AlexTheShipper 

(2,135 I General I Complete)  *nerd!stiles

Derek asks Stiles out on valentines day, but Stiles mistakes it for a prank. Leaving Derek confused, and Stiles hurt, can their friends fix it? 

Don’t Judge a Book by His Cover by captaintinymite (augopher)

(4,510 I Mature I Complete)  *nerd!stiles

Stiles doesn’t care about the rumors surrounding Beacon Hills High School’s resident bad boy, Derek Hale. In fact, he thinks the rumors are total crap. Of course, being secretly in love with someone has a way of clouding one’s judgment.

However, he knew for a fact that Derek liked books. So when the two paired up for a final English project, he was excited (but also a little terrified).

But you know what they say…never judge a book by its cover. The same goes for people.

A Devil Named Derek by Mimiminaj

(5,835 I Mature I Complete)  *pastor’s son!stiles

Derek Hale is the resident bad boy of Beacon Hills. At 22, two years after his family burned alive, his sister still forces him to attend church every other month. When Stiles returns from his mission trip, Derek practically salivates at the chance to ruin the boy. He wants to take his virginity, and he want’s to take it now. (Dark! Derek. Pastor’s Son! Stiles. Sexual Content)

Good Shabbat by Benaya 

(6,055 I Not Rated I Complete)  *Jewish!Stilinski family, nerd!stiles

Stiles lost his faith after his mother’s death and now that finally things got back to being normal, someone new has decided to destroy his life again.

The Athlete and the Criminal by damnfancyscotch 

(12,122 I Explicit I Complete)  *breakfast club au

“What’re you doing here, Stilinski? Did you only score half the winning points at the last lacrosse game instead of all of them?”

Stiles snorts and says, “I thought you were locked up, Hale.”

Derek huffs a laugh and drawls, “Not quite yet.”

or

A Breakfast Club AU

Mr. Tan and Muscular by KostraKitty 

(12,440 I Explicit I Complete)   *roommates/housemates, lacrosse captain!derek

Stiles’ life had been a living hell since kindergarten where a certain Derek Hale tortured him on a daily basis throughout the years. Stiles is a completely lonely and slightly depressed teenager just trying to get through the days when the worst thing imaginable happened. Derek moved in. Turns out what Stiles thought would be hell, actually turned out to be exactly what he needed.

That’s Debatable by cloudsarefluffy 

(16.703 I Mature I Complete)  *omega!stiles

Stiles is known for not being a run-of-the-mill omega.

He’s mouthy, stubborn, strongly opinionated, and he doesn’t appreciate egotistical alphas in the slightest. In fact, he’ll tell them exactly where to shove it— … if he could. Sadly, when you’re in a Contemporary Issues class at school with a teacher who loves write-ups, one must curb the tongue to some degree.

Even when lacrosse star and alpha Derek Hale is being a massive asshole, and continues to argue with Stiles every chance he gets.

Love Hurts by DustinMcDreamy 

(17,366 I Explicit I Complete)

Stiles Stilinski is a high school sophomore, and his life is a living hell because of senior Derek Hale, but Stiles doesn’t want to do anything about it because he knows something. This is in a “Flipped” format, with chapters alternating between Stiles and Derek’s lives.

You Are My Undoing by Samcgrath 

(47,392 I Explicit I WIP)   *sick!stiles

Derek Hale is the bad boy of Beacon Hills everyone wants their kids to stay away from so obviously Stiles Stilinski talks back to him. Derek remembers Stiles from years ago, before the fire, and now the kid gets under his skin. Derek’s already dealing with a lifetime of angst, and he knows giving in to his feelings means certain pain. Especially when Stiles gets sick.

In a Moment of Vulnerability by cloudsarefluffy 

(87,097 I Explicit I Complete)   *omega!stiles, mpreg

While in New York City to visit his aspiring and success-hungry friend Scott, who left for an internship he fought for over several years ago, Stiles runs into an alpha with a devilish reputation and a dark, tantalizing look that precedes him. Couple that with horny loneliness and failed suppressants, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a one-night stand that will set the bar forever.

But what if forever isn’t something that the one person you’ve given yourself to wants? What if a forever is somehow growing inside of you after a few months pass and a planned heat is missed? What if you don’t know what to do and there’s only so much chocolate that can soothe an aching heart before you feel like you’ve got morning sickness all over again?

This is a story about how Stiles loses his virginity alongside himself, and somehow, he manages to find something he never thought he’d ever have along the way.

Under the Surface by 1jet2unknown

(99,633 I Explicit I WIP)   *college au

Stiles had been warned several times by his father to never go near a werewolf. But the 12 year old kid just couldn’t resist its curiousity and even though the wounded wolf he found near the woods should have been terrifying, he brought him home, trying to help him heal. Little did he know that this encounter would bring out a side of him he never knew and would have to hide forever, even with the world around him changing over the years and werewolf turning from mystic legends to open members of the community.When Stiles enters College and his life gets more and more entangled with Derek Hale, it gets harder and harder for him to hide his true self from the world…

The Fire in my Veins by tearsandholdme

(128,742 I Explicit I Complete)

Derek Hale is the resident bad boy that everyone warns Stiles about. They judge him but they don’t know him, not the real him, and it doesn’t stop Stiles from wanting and falling for Derek anyway. He’s got underneath his skin for both of them and no amount of warning is about to keep him away from Derek. Stiles can’t imagine his life without him.

Blue Monday by ExpectNothingGainEverything

(244,036 I Explicit I WIP)   *omega!stiles, mpreg

Stiles would have never guessed that the star player of the lacrosse team and presumably the hottest guy in school who everyone wanted a piece of and one of his most hated bullies would turn out to be his soulmate.

Derek would never have dreamed that fate would be so cruel to pair him up with a freak like Stilinski.

[fuckyeahevanrwood]

Evan Rachel Wood and Julie Taymor on Why Across the Universe ‘Scared the Shit Out of People’

The Beatles have always had a cinematic presence, from the 1964 faux-documentary A Hard Day’s Night to the experimental shorts of John and Yoko. But no director has ever used the Beatles’ music as inventively and audaciously as Julie Taymor, whose 2007 film Across the Universe is being rereleased in theaters for three days by Fathom Events. Using 33 Beatles songs and minimal dialogue, Across the Universe tells the story of three young adults in the late 1960s: Lucy (then 17-year-old Evan Rachel Wood), an all-American girl who wants to change the world; her brother Max (Joe Anderson), a rebel who gets dragged into Vietnam; and Jude (Jim Sturgess), a working-class artist from Liverpool who follows his dreams across the ocean. Their stories coalesce in New York City, where they befriend blues musicians, acid heads, radical extremists, a closeted lesbian, and Bono in a ridiculous mustache. Fictional characters become entangled in real events (the Detroit riots, the Columbia student protests), using songs from every Beatles era to express a nation’s political and psychedelic awakening.

Taymor’s film is as visual as it is musical. The magical-realism elements Taymor brought to her Oscar-winning film Frida and her Broadway hit The Lion King are blown to epic proportions in Across the Universe. “I Want You” becomes a nightmare ballet about Max’s recruitment and subsequent dehumanization in Vietnam, ending with an image of soldiers carrying the Statue of Liberty as they crush villages underfoot. “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” is a psychedelic circus featuring collage animation and 20-foot puppets. “Because” scores an underwater love-in. Even in more traditionally constructed scenes, the scale is breathtaking; the entire film was shot on location and, according to Taymor, employed 5,000 extras.

Across the Universe also runs well over two hours — not a big deal in this age of bloated superhero adventures, but in 2007, the length of Taymor’s cut alarmed Sony executives. Without her approval, the studio test-screened an alternate cut that eliminated much of the film’s political content and minimized the nonwhite supporting characters. Taymor fought back hard, and while she won final cut, she was smeared in the press (industry publications used words like “ballistic” and “hysteria”) and, she says, torpedoed by Sony’s marketing department. The film polarized critics (Roger Ebert loved it, Ann Hornaday hated it) and opened to limp box office, failing to recoup its budget.

And yet — in the past decade, the audience for Across the Universe has grown, its inevitable cult-classic status realized. At the present moment, the film’s portrayal of ’60s activism and art as weapons against government oppression seems especially resonant. In the lead-up to the Fathom Events release, Vulture had a candid conversation with Taymor and Wood about the unusual process of making the film, the bizarre logistics of Wood’s first nude scene, the ongoing challenges facing female directors, and the potential influence of Across the Universe on millennial activists. (Given the timing of the interview, we also threw in a few Westworld season-finale questions.)

There’s no film quite like Across the Universe, so I’d imagine making it was a unique experience. Evan Rachel Wood: It was one of the best experiences of my life. I was 17. Once I heard Julie was making a Beatles movie, I remember just thinking, “There’s nobody else that can do this. And I won’t let anybody else do it!” It just had to be. And then I got the part and we all spent about seven or eight months in New York together.

Julie Taymor: We rehearsed it like a normal musical in theater … and it bonded everybody. I’ll never forget Evan walking in the hallways with this Bowie T-shirt, because at one point we’d asked David Bowie if he was going to play Mr. Kite. And I think that at the moment Evan was really like, “Bowie, Bowie!”

ERW: Well, yeah, I mean I’m always like, “Bowie, Bowie.” But I was also all about Eddie Izzard.  I was always doing Eddie’s stand-up in the hallway.

JT: One of the things that I remember profoundly — this was during the Iraq War right? And it was really touchy subject. When we did the march down Fifth Avenue to Washington Square, the anti-Vietnam War march with the Bread and Puppet Theater puppets — everybody thought they were marching against the Iraq War. Now this is what I wanted to say: When Across the Universe came out ten years ago, it was right before Obama. And maybe this is just my own feeling, but I feel that this movie was very popular amongst young people. And I think people were very inspired by what the youth of America did in the 1960s, how they really made things change.

ERW:  I even remember  that a lot of people in the neighborhood wanted us to leave up the peace signs and protest signs, because it wasrelevant.

I have a vivid memory of going down to the Lower East Side when you were filming and seeing a whole block transformed into a ’60s fantasy of New York City. It was magical, like stepping into a dream. Were there any moments that felt like that to you as you were making it? ERW: Oh my God, all of it. Certainly the scene where we stumble upon the puppets and the blue meanies and Eddie Izzard started coming out and singing. That was when I was really on a different planet.

JT:  We shot that in Garrison, New York, and all of those were papier-mâché handmade puppets, giant puppets. There is almost no CGI in that section. It’s all real.

ERW: I think “I Want You” is one of my favorite numbers in the movie.

JT:  I was walking on a beach in Mexico when I came up with the idea — I’d done the Haggadah at the Public Theater years before, where the slaves are carrying the pyramids across the sands of Egypt. And I got the idea of all the young boys in their underwear and their army boots supporting [the Statue of] Liberty, and the image of Liberty charging through the jungles of the Third World, mashing and stepping and destroying all the trees. You know, the irony of us being this country that says we’re bringing Liberty, at the same time we’re bringing it at the expense of many people.

Evan, what was involved in the scene where you and Jim Sturgess are singing “Because” and making out underwater? ERW:  Speeding up the songs, and then learning how to sing them really fast. So the scenes were like, [sings] “becausetheworldisrounditturnsmeon…” And then she slowed it down so that it looked like it was in real time. So we filmed underwater all day. We would just take a deep breath and dive under and then try to get the song out as quickly as possible.

JT: And she also had to work hard to hide her breasts, right Evan?

ERW:  Oh, I always had to hide my breasts. I could only show one boob because it was PG-13. Two made it an R but one was fine!  And that was my first nude scene.

Julie, you fought the studio to get final cut on this film, when Sony wanted to shorten it. I was reading some of the press from that time, and I was noticing how gendered the language is when they write about you and this movie. There’s a Variety article that says, “She went ballistic to save her child.” JT: Thanks for reminding me. I’d almost forgotten how awful that was.

I’m sorry to bring it up! But I think it’s important to acknowledge that double standard. JT:  You know, for me, I’ve been through it.  Being a successful director on Broadway brings out all kinds of knives and hatred. But the misogyny business is true. And I put blinders on and just tried to do the work. I think every director, male and female, has babies, you know what I mean? It’s not just women. But you’re right. It is sexist dialogue. We loved our movie. And it wasn’t that it wasn’t working. It was working. They just smelled the money and thought if we dumb it down, literally, and get rid of the politics — I saw a cut where they got rid of the Detroit riot. There was no black child who was killed.

ERW:  Prudence wasn’t even gay!

JT: Yeah, they cut “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” so many of the things that I knew young people and everybody would love. Evan had a line — this was one of the first signs of the kind of difficult road that would come. Lucy, who’s 16 or 17, is walking home from school and her best friend says that one of their friends got pregnant. And Lucy says, “I’m never having children. Having children is narcissistic, like putting out carbon copies of yourself.” I remember my best friend, when I was 16, telling me that. I mean, that line came from experience. But the studio said at the time, “Oh, Lucy can’t say that, it will make her so unlikable.” No, will make her likable! Because you have that sign that when she’s a high-school student, that she will become someone like Gloria Steinem or Jane Fonda, that she’s going to become an activist.

The other thing is the poster. The poster that we’re releasing it with now is the underwater poster, the psychedelic poster of them kissing. The one that they put out, the strawberry, everybody who made this film hates. Well, if we’re being honest! [Laughs.] The problem with it is, I think what happens in Hollywood is they think that you can only market to 14-to-15-year-old girls. And we always said this movie, even if it’s PG-13, will appeal from 10-year-olds up through the parents. I mean, the Beatles appeal to all ages. If you watched the karaoke James Corden video with Paul McCartney in Liverpool, all these people in the bars were from 16 years old up to 80. And I’m hoping that with this rerelease this summer, we’ll see the teenagers and the young adults, and also the families.

Evan, you tweeted recently that you’ve been struggling to sell a movie that you will direct with a script written by women. ERW: Oh my goodness, the responses are just breathtaking. I mean, split down the middle: Some people totally get what I’m saying and some people are so angry with me! But the thing is, what I was trying to say was not a sense of entitlement like, “I should have this,” even though I do believe that I could make a really great film. It was just to expose what these rooms are like that you walk into over and over and over again. And until you have the more inclusive pitch rooms with women and people of color and LGBT representation, then you’re not going to see this movie.

And I hear people saying all the time, “Why aren’t there more female directors, why aren’t there more stories about women?” So I wanted to say, “Hey, just so you guys know, I’m really trying. And nada.”  I’m starring in the film, I co-wrote it, I’m directing it, I had an amazing cast, I had amazing DPs, an amazing crew. So everybody that read it was like “absolutely,” but the only people that are wishy about it are financiers, because it is very female-driven. And I do believe that they just don’t understand this film. So that’s what I was trying to say.

You did get a number responses that are just people saying, “ I want to see that film.” ERW: And I did get a lot of inquiries after that tweet. But also lot of people saying my idea is probably not very good, and you’ve never directed anything, and how dare you. I do believe that if I was a man with 25 years’ experience in the industry, who’s worked with some of the greatest directors in the history of film, and who’s lived and breathed it since I was a child — to say that I would have nothing to offer, when I know there are other people with a penis, with less than I have backing me up, that get green-lit, that’s where I’m taking issue. [Laughs.] Because it does seem like there’s an imbalance and it’s unfair. And that’s what I was trying to call out.

Julie, do you have any advice for Evan in this situation? JT: Listen, I’m going through the same thing after 40 years. Evan knows, there’s a movie that I wanted to make with her, a female-driven epic love story. Haven’t been able to do that one. I mean, we still try, and I’m doing [a film adaptation of] Gloria Steinem’s My Life on the Road that will be extremely female-driven! And we will be making it this fall. But I have a number of films that have not gotten off the ground and things that I’ve wanted to do. And it probably has a lot to do with the ballistic-baby concept. Even if people realize that the press has misogynistic writing or fear of a powerful woman, unless they meet you personally — and then I often get people being so surprised! [Laughs.] But I work with a lot of the same people over and over and over again, so I have a very good team and very good friends and collaborators. Evan and Jim, all of the kids on Across the Universe, we’ve stayed close.

Quite honestly, ten years ago, when women were in big positions, they were not supporting other women. They were terrified of losing their job and they had to support the boys’ films. I don’t need to name names, you can all go look at it, but it wasn’t necessarily better that women were at the top because they were frightened of making a mistake and that they would then be called out for having supported chick flicks or women’s things. It was fear. For me it’s more. I have the scarlet letter of “A” on me — not “adultery,” but “art.” Even though The Lion King is the most successful entertainment in the history of all entertainment. [Ed. note: Broadway’s The Lion King has grossed $8 billion to date, more than all the Star Wars movies combined.]

ERW: And Across the Universe is a masterpiece.

JT: And it’s also been very, very successful without a whole lot of press. I mean, Frida didn’t get press either.

ERW:  We even said that when we were making it: “This is going to be a cult classic, this is going to be something that throughout the years will continue to grow and grow.”

JT: The studio is all new people now, and they love it. And they’re very supportive. But I think it’d be great if they would just rerelease the film completely, because it didn’t go out enough as a movie. But they’re dipping their toe in with Fathom. If it does really well this summer, maybe they will do a real rerelease, which would be amazing because I do feel like it’s time. The success of La La Land — well, that had two very big stars in it, but it really comes on the heels of what Across the Universe did ten years ago.

ERW: I want to add about Julie, that she has such a strong vision and she holds true to her conviction. She’s a real artist. And yes, that does scare the shit out of people, because they don’t understand.

JT: Well, they think I’m not interested in commercial success. You gotta be kidding, of course I am!

ERW: Exactly. They underestimate what people want and how art moves people. I mean fuck, look at the Beatles, they changed the world. But I’ve worked with male directors that are complicated and have the same kind of conviction and they’re kind of hailed for it. But when you’re a woman, and you say, “I’m not going to do that, it’s not right,” they’re like, “Well she’s crazy. She’s difficult.” Julie is not crazy or difficult. She’s an artist. And I’ve worked with male artists that are similar that don’t get any shit for it.

JT: Well, thanks Evan. The thing is that we all knew what the movie was, and we presented it all. Maybe the falling Vietnamese ladiessurprised the producers because that was the first day of shooting. That I can understand, kind of gulping for a moment. But the rest of it, we did what was on paper and what we rehearsed. I didn’t change anything. I just did what I intended to do. I remember Amy Pascal jumping up and down in the first screening at Sony, just going, “It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.” And the marketing woman was thrilled. Somebody else got in there and just smelled the money. But at any rate, you heard that already. And yes, I have gone through it and I will continue. But there’s enough great people wanting the kind of films that I want to make and the theater that I want to make. So you know, I’m not dying here.

All right, I know I can’t wrap this up without asking some Westworld finale questions. Evan, is that okay with you? ERW: Ha! Of course.

How much time did you and Tessa Thompson spend practicing Dolores together? ERW: That is so funny. You know it’s hilarious because we became really good friends at the beginning of season two, and then we started hanging out, and then all of a sudden we realized that we were gonna be the same person [laughs] and it was very strange! This show is so funny. Because they didn’t tell us anything.

But I thought she did an amazing job. I would send her recordings of myself doing the dialogue, and then she really sold it. I thought it was great. But you know, we weren’t really doing scenes together and I was basically playing a different character this season. So when she found out she had to kind of be me, she came to me and said, “Wait — what have you been doing?” [Laughs.] I’m like, “OH! Oh right! Yeah, I’ve got to do the voice for you and everything!” So I just made recordings and she really made it her own, it was good.

Ed Harris told us he has no idea what’s going on in the showwhile he’s making it. Have you had a similar experience? ERW: I had no idea what was happening in season two. At all. And we shot out of order, so most of the time — I mean, it was insane to be an actor on season two. I don’t know how I feel about it. [Laughs.] But it was a ride. We stopped reading the call sheets. We would show up and Jeffrey and I would ask what episode we were in. It was kind of that level of — we just lived in the moment in whatever scene that we were doing, and that’s how we made it.

[littleredroseonthevalley]

Wildest Dreams

Summary: A New Year’s. A wedding reception. Two parties, set apart in time, spell a begining and an end in Emily’s life.

Rating: M -  Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, or coarse language.

Notes: Hello, everyone! I wanted to do a Nathan piece for weeks now, especially after The Big Reveal on TJ. My first attempt was ‘An Opera on Separation’, but Zig ended up worming his way there and it turned out to be less about Nathan and more about Emily getting over Nathan and ending up on the arms of Ziggy-Pop himself.

Then, last Thursday, I heard ‘Wildest Dreams’ by Taylor Swift while trying to come up for a new number for my dance crew and it really inspired me!

Oh, and a fair warning, this is NOT a part of ‘An Opera on Separation’ universe. This is a completely separate one-shot. Perhaps I ought to take a page from my fellow authors and change the MC’s name, but I tend to prefer the default name for reasons.

And I used the ‘An Opera on Separation’ taglist. Sue me.

Emily was leaning against a wall and wishing she was dead.

Who the Hell decides to break with someone just outside a Starbucks? On the day before Christmas Eve, no less?

Emily’s ex does.

She sighed once more. Her holidays were miserable over it, as her family expected her to bring her significant other to the feast. Showing up alone was right depressive.

Returning to work on the 26th hadn’t been any easier, as somehow the entire office building where she worked as a secretary ended up figuring out about her shameful break-up before lunch hour. That certainly thwarted her hopes of having at least half a day of peace.

Consequentially, all her colleagues insisted terribly for her to attend the building’s New Year’s Eve party, as a way to ‘get back on the horse’, so to speak.

She pushed back as hard as she could, but she ended up caving. She supposed she could hang around until ten or so, have some cheap liquor and leave to spend midnight the way God intended.

Drunk and alone on her bed.

What the young woman did not count on was the fact that the hours between eight and ten would be Chinese torture in form of a company gathering.

Everyone around her seemed to be drunk on the sad excuse for champagne the company had provided, and the friskier were coupling up in bizarre pairings, like Crystal, the sour receptionist, and Dan, the Porno King from accounting.

Those scenes of moral decadence only served to further Emily’s depression. Despite attending a prestigious university and having academic honours, she was stuck at the same dead-end job as the woman who seemingly collected chocolate wrappings on her desk drawer.

Corporate America was a soul-sucking monster and that girl was out of soul to give.

Feeling claustrophobic, the woman unlatched herself from her spot on the wall and walked over to the balcony for some air. The place was thankfully devoid of people, except for a blond guy who was smoking and leaning against the railing.

She considered leaving, but the idea of returning to the crowd was enough for giving her a small anxiety attack. No, if she hung out on the opposite end as him, perhaps he wouldn’t notice, or would pick up the cue and leave her be.

And it worked for a while, she could sit down on the dirty floor and stretch her aching legs. The man finishes his cigarette and picks another one from his suit jacket and tries to light it, to no avail.

He sighed loudly and seemed to curse under his breath. He, then, turned to her and said, amicably: “Hi-ya.”

She looks over to him and takes a moment to realize he’s talking to her. Then, she responds with a lazy: “Hey.”

“Do you have some fire?” He asks, rather supplicant. “My lighter seems to have given up on me.”

“No, sorry. Non-smoker.” The woman answers, still wishing for the man to go away.

“Such is my luck. Perhaps it’s a sign that I smoked way too much today. It’s a nasty habit, but I never had it in me to stop.” He snorts, anxious. “What brings you to the smoking area?”

She looked at him, confused. “This is the smoking area?”

“Yep.” He popped the p and pointed to the ash dispensers around the balcony. “I’ll go ahead and say you wanted a break from all that inside.”

The young woman sported a small side smile over the comment. “Pretty much. And to stay out of Crystal line of sight. After she’s done with Dan, she’ll have nothing else to lose.”

“Dan still works here?” The blond asks, more to himself, surprised. “I was sure he’d be fired after all the data leaking.”

“You and me both, pal.” She says, while sipping her beverage. “ The virus got into the system through one of his porn movies, after all.”

“I think whom you really should look out for is Marcia from HR. I saw her pulling a busboy into a closet some half an hour ago. That woman is insatiable!” The guy bemoans, well-humored.

Emily raises a well-kept eyebrow, throws a smirk and says: “You speak out of experience?”

He laughs. “Jesus, no. It wasn’t over her lack of interest, though.”

“How conceited!” She accused, smiling. “I’m Emily, by the way.”

He also smiled, charmingly. “Nathan. Nice to meet you.”

“Nathan? Like the boss?” She asks, curious.

“You know the CEO?” He responds, surprised.

She nods. “Well, yeah, I’m one of his secretaries.”

“Ah, cool.” He shakes his fair head. “Life-long dream of being a secretary?”

The statement was ridiculous enough to drag a loud laughter out of the girl. “No way. I’m a writer. Well, I was a writer.”

“What happened?” He asks, taking a seat next to her.

“It happened no one wanted to pick up my manuscript. Then I tried to self-publish, but that fell through pretty quickly.” She sighed. “After that, I decided to cut my losses and had a friend wire me with this gig. So here I am.”

He grimaces. “I’m sorry for that. If it makes you feel better, I always wanted to be an anthropologist, but my dad thought going on field studies resembled too much a vagabond lifestyle and argued that corporate law would be much more my speed. And so, here I am, and guess what?”

“What?”

“Corporate law sucks.” They laugh.

“It does make me feel a little better.” She pokes.

“Well, I’m glad my misery is amusing to you.” The man smirks with his shiny pearly teeth.

“What brings you to this disgrace of a party?” Emily asks, blunt.

“It was a pretty good excuse not to attend my parents’ disgrace of a party.” He responds with a shrug. “You?”

“Some of the girls at the desk thought it’d be depressing for me to spend New Year’s alone, so they nagged me until I agreed to come.” She throws back an offending lock of hair.

He hummed. “That may be the reasoning of most of the people in here tonight.”

“Damn year ending on a Wednesday.” She huffs. “I suppose it’s fitting. A mediocre year ending on a mediocre day.”

“I’d drink to that.” The blond echoes.

“Cheers!” She raises her lonely red cup.

Emily was going all out for that party later tonight. She had only just left the hairdresser’s and was ready for putting on the dress, which hung at her closet door for over a week in anticipation for tonight.

The piece had been handpicked. She’d much prefer a Paco Rabane, but the evening required some demure, and so she went with a blue-and-gold, slit on the leg, Gucci ball gown and a matching clutch. The also blue high heels disguised her short stature and highlighted her lean legs.

Finally, the jewellery. She was covered in diamonds, from his earrings, neck and hands, everything was adorned with pieces which sported the precious gem. Even her hair was held up with an encrusted pin.

She put on the luxurious outfit and sat down to do her makeup. Supposedly, she could have had it done at the beauty parlour, but she rarely liked the results when she let others do it for her. Not to mention, she was rather disgusted with the shared brushes and products.

No, she was a dextrous woman. She could do it herself.

First, the base on her cheeks, to disguise small acne scars, some sun damage and the insistent swelling from the past few days. Then, a smidge of blush, for a healthy colouring. Emily was way too pale for her own good.

Next, the eyes. Eyeliner and mascara would make her eyes pop against the white, and now unmarred, skin. Then the mandatory red lipstick, carefully applied to her full lips.

It was a night event, she could humour herself and splurge a little with the products and not look like a clown.

When she was finally done, she picked up the clutch and checked her money, phone and documents. Then, fetching the car keys, left for the party.

“Have these naval charts approved by Tuesday, and have my car picked up from the shop first thing in the morning.” The greying-haired man ordered with little as much as a look to the young woman standing by his desk.

“Yes, Mr. Sterling, sir.” She nods and writes down his commands at her planner.

“You may go now, Emily.” He dismisses, and the girl excuses herself.

Closing the door with care, she returns to her seat at the desk she shares with two other secretaries, Kate and Jess.

“I don’t know how you can deal with that dick and keep that stupid smile on your face.” Jess mentions with a sneer.

Emily shrugged. “I’m happy these days. It won’t be Mr. Sterling who’ll pop my bubble.”

Kate scoffs, her sixth sense for a good piece of gossip tingling hard. “Happy, right. Just the other day you’re lamenting on the corners because of what’s-their-name. When we’ll know the name of this ‘happiness’ of yours?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The other responds but couldn’t contain the smirk.

“Yeah, sure!” Kate shouts and points accusingly. “You totally smiled. Come on! Please, please, please!”

“No! Just drop it.” Emily said, good-naturedly.

“Kate, Emily’s entitled to her secrets.” Jess said, not as much to defend her as to get the other girl to sit quiet. Emily never could understand why, but Jess was never much of her fan.

“Fine.” She huffed in response. “Meanie.”

The three women finished their shift and parted ways at the company’s doorstep. Emily walked over to the subway station with a skip on her step. She did not lie when she said she was very happy to be brought down these days.

Life was much too good when you’re in love.

Reaching her modest one-bedroom apartment, she quickly changed her clothes and put herself to work. Her boyfriend would be stopping by later tonight, and would stay for dinner, so Emily had to whip out a first-class meal and clean up the place by nine.

Dating her boss’ son was something that the redhaired did not planned for, it just happened, and it certainly took some adapting. Their relationship had to be kept under wraps, lest Jess and the other employees think she’d receive preferential treatment.

But it was worth it. When Nathan said he was actually Nathan Sterling, III, it shocked her. She felt rather betrayed, as he kept that slight detail for over a month of going out, and the ‘no-telling rule’ was rather uncomfortable.

But Nathan was also a caring, loving boyfriend. He makes her feel like a princess every day he’s with her. He called or texted three times a day, just to check on her and talk about their day. He showered with gifts, ranging from the romantic, like flowers, to the lavish, like diamonds, to the thoughtful, like a first-edition of her favourite childhood book, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.

In the end, forfeiting bragging rights to Kate was a too small of a sacrifice. She loved Nathan, she wanted to be with him. Waiting until such time she could quit her miserable job for ‘coming out’ to her friends was absolutely worth it.

At exactly nine o’clock, a knock on the door jump-start Emily from the oven to skip over to the living room. She opens the door with a wide smile and says: “Hello!”

Nathan doesn’t say a thing, he prefers to let down the bags he’d been holding, picking up the woman by her waist and twirl her over the cramped living room, eliciting giggles from the redhead.

Reaching the middle of the room, he smiled broadly, kissed her nose and said: “Good evening, Emily. How you’re doing?”

“I’m fine. Better now.” She unwrapped herself from his arms. “Just sit down, I’ll finish dinner in a moment.”

“Great, I’m famished!” He says, boisterous. “By the way, I brought some wine.”

“I’ll grab the bottle opener.” She shouts from the kitchen.

Soon enough, Emily emerges with a carbonara, two glasses and a bottle opener and sets them on the table.

“And I brought another thing, as well.” The blond says, a wicked smile on his face.

The redhaired couldn’t help but smile over the man’s childish antics. “What is it?”

“Well, remember you said Tuesday you wanted to go out dancing?” He asks, but before she could answer, he continues. “I felt really guilty I couldn’t take you, BUT, I could bring an iPod and a sound box. So get ready, Em, ‘cause tonight we’re dancing on the hottest and most exclusive club in the city!”

Emily beamed at the surprise. She walks over to him and kisses him deeply, until them both are out of air. After they break apart, she says: “I love you.”

“I love you more.” He smirks and bends down to kiss her again.

She was up in the sky, and no-one would bring her down.

The party venue was a good two-hour drive from her place, across state lines. But it did not matter, Emily enjoyed driving on the highway, with the high speed cleansing her frustrations and the hustle-bustle of people driving across the land engaging her mind.

She enjoyed looking at the vehicles passing by, looking at the faraway license plates and conjecturing stories about its passengers, where they were going and from where they came.

The ferry that took her to Martha’s Vineyard was no less of an enjoyable experience, feeling the salty wind hitting her face and observing the great reddish-blue expanse of the ocean beyond the sound.

Once at the wealthy suburb, she drove to a small, wooded area near the country club. She decided to walk to the venue, her old, rusty and noisy Kia would certainly be too much of a difference from the imported, luxury cars that filled the valet service.

No, she was aiming a low profile that night, and that sky-blue old machine would not do.

The fifteen-minute walk from the gates to the main salon was harder than she expected, given the heels were less for movement and more for show. Her feet would remember this night tomorrow morning.

Emily reaches the ostentatious French doors at the club entrance and gives her invitation to the usher. The young man greets her with a smile and walks her over to her seat.

A server comes and offers her champagne, which she gracefully accepts a flute and made herself comfortable.

The party was about to start.

“Emily, please, say something.” Nathan pleaded, looking hurt at her while she just shrunk further within the couch. The woman was silently looking at the void for over fifteen minutes now.

“I think you should leave.” Emily complied, letting out the phrase in a hoarse voice.

He really wanted to fight, to scream, to stay and have her react. Even if it meant she would throw something pointy and hard at him.

But, in the end, the whole thing was breaking his heart as well and he was never one with high threshold for pain, so he complied to her wish and walked over to the door. Before stepping out, he turns back one last time and says: “Call me if you want to talk. Anytime.”

Emily did not respond. After Nathan shuts the door on his way out, she did not make a sound. She enjoyed the silence of the house, she noted the tiny steps of bugs in the kitchen, the dripping of raindrops on the windows and the leakage on the sink.

The first thought that hit her with some reasoning came who knows how later in the day, and it was a simple phrase.

Nathan’s engaged.

An arranged match, he said. Kassidy Marquez’s family controlled port infrastructure around the Gulf of Mexico, and it was a big move for a shipping company, as large as it was, still confined within the Northeastern Seaboard.

He came by that afternoon to tell her of his father’s decision, to have him wed the young girl. He confessed to know Kassidy from college, and to have casually dated her in the past, but assured Emily of his ‘undying love and devotion’.

Nathan also expressed his intentions to maintain a relationship between them, even on the event of his marriage.

She didn’t want to think about it. She couldn’t think about it now. She was out of breath, like she was drowning in dry land.

She just wanted to draw the drapes and pretend she was dead.

“Oh my, Emily, you’re such a delight!” The older woman says, laughing of something the girl had said.

“You’re too kind, Mrs. Franklin.” The redhead smiled politely.

“What’s your relation to the couple, again?” The other wonders, remembering she had not been told.

“Oh, I’m a working colleague of the groom’s.” She responded. “Speaking of which, it seems they’re ready to have their first dance. Would you care to accompany me?”

“I’m much too old!” The woman complains, good-naturedly. “Go along! I’ll see them from over here.”

“Please, Mrs. Franklin, you’re much too youthful to call yourself old. But if you excuse me, I love this part of weddings.” Emily stood up and walks over to the dancefloor, blending in with the crowd watching the newlywed couple.

The bride was a looker, with her long black hair and tanned skin, a shine on her eyes like a blushing virgin, that freshness of going on to a new life. Her luxurious and pristine Vera Wang dress highlighted the posture of a young aristocrat and flew through the room like a curtain dancing on the wind.

But if we’re judging by appearance, the groom was the pretty one. He looked every bit like a fairy tale prince, with his tall and lean frame, white skin as if he had never met the sun in his life, and the blond hair combed backwards. The suit was midnight black, perfectly tailored overseas, and with sapphire cufflinks to give a finishing shine of upper crust.

They twirled through the room the whole fifteen minutes of Blue Danube in flawless grace, and without breaking a sweat. Soon after, they started the rounds through the guest tables, to receive the congratulations from the various guests.

A good hour later, when Nathan and Kassidy reach table 13, which contained the looser relatives on the Sterling family, they are greeted by the recently-widowed Great-Aunt Susett Franklin.

“Oh, my darlings!” She kisses each of their kisses, much to the displeasure of Kassidy. “Congratulations on the nuptials! It is such a wonderful adventure, and I hope yours to be filled with bliss and bounty.”

“Thank you, Aunt Susett.” Nathan says, politely. “How do you like the party? I hope you’re not feeling too alone out here.”

She laughs, dismissively. “Not at all! Emily has been keeping me in good company the entire party. Lovely girl, that one.”

Kassidy made a face. “Emily? I don’t remember an Emily at the guest list.”

“I don’t think you’ve met her, honey. She says she’s Nathan’s colleague, from work.” The older woman comments, in passing. “A shame you’ve come by just when she left to freshen up. She seemed so eager to congratulate you!”

A cold shiver shot through Nathan’s back. It couldn’t be, could it? After months of silence, she wouldn’t come to great lengths to attend the reception. However, he certainly did not know any other Emily, lest one who worked for him.

His ocean-blue eyes run through the venue, looking for that unmistakeable red hair.

And, then, he sees her.

She looked as beautiful as ever, with the dress and the accessories he had gifted her over the months of their relationship. But her eyes were different, they seemed dead and filled with tears.

She set her sights on him and seemed to pierce his soul with it and all he wanted to do was scream.

But it did not last long, as on the next second she turns around and leaves the party.

The blond muster some stupid excuse and dashes after her, not caring what anyone would think or say. He underestimates a seasoned woman on heels with a very good reason to run, as he couldn’t find her on the hallway by the salon, nor at the entrance hall to the country club.

Nathan would only be able to catch up under a willow, a short walk from the main gateway of the club. “Emily! Emily, wait!” He says, and reaches for her arm, pulling her close and forcing her to face him. “What are you doing here?”

“I came for the free booze. What do you think I was doing?!” The redhead shouts to his face. “I was torturing myself like the idiot I am.”

“You’re not an idiot.” He responded, severe. “Why didn’t you call me? I’d come to you.”

The woman scoffed, incredulous. “And drop your wedding?”

“I dropped it now, didn’t I?” He shoots her a side smirk, trying to dispel her hostility, to no avail.

“Don’t do that!” She shouts. “Don’t try to charm your way out of this. It won’t work.”

He sighed. “Okay. But I can honestly say I really missed you.”

“It. Won’t. Work.” She repeated.

The blue-eyed man shrugged. “It’s no trick, but believe what you want. Why you’re here?”

“I thought I needed to see it for myself.” She declared, her voice wavering. “Shock therapy, I guess. To force myself to let go.”

“You know you don’t have to if you don’t want it.” He looked pleadingly at the woman, who stood tense and straight like the willow next to them. “I love you. I want you. We can make this work if we really want to.”

“Look, Nathan, I get why you did what you did. I get that you left me for Kassidy, and that what we had wouldn’t have a future. But don’t ask me to be a part of your Boston Brahmin fantasy.” She shot him a look. “If you can’t be in it for the whole thing, at least let me find someone who is.”

The reality of things start to catch up to the young aristocrat. “So you’re just gonna leave? You’re abandoning me?”

“You left first, Nathan.” She coldly accuses. “You left me all those months ago when you said you’d be marrying Kassidy. And I’m not going down with the ship, I’m sorry.”

The blond start taking steps backwards, trying to focus his eyesight, blurred by the pain he felt on every muscle of his body.

Seizing the opportunity to leave, Emily looks back at him and says: “I really loved you, you know?”

“I know.” He manages to respond. “I love you, too.”

“I truly hope Kassidy makes you happy.” She said with a melancholic smile on her face.

“She won’t.” He responded, but the redhead had already left.

Emily ran the rest of the distance to her car, where she hastily took off every piece of jewellery and tried to clean off the make-up, ruined by the tears.

When she calmed herself minimally, she started the engine and drove away.

Taglist: @alicars; @boneandfur; @choicesfannatalie; @diamond-dreamland; @emerald-bijou; @kennaxval; @liamxs-world; @lizeboredom; @mfackenthal; @mrsdrakewalkerblog; @radiantrosemary; @topsyturvy-dream

[astralgloss]

im a curious meanie so 1-134 muhahaha you get to relive the hell i just went through

etab i haTE U

1: Name

my name is marit lol but please just keep it mar

2: Age

i am 17 but i’ll b 18 in 2 months!!!!

3: 3 Fears

the dark, complete and utter loneliness, and clowns

4: 3 things I love

books, forest fruit tea, the sound of rain

5: 4 turns on

a nice smile that reaches the eyes, a nice smell, having a dog ngl, a soft touch

6: 4 turns off

extreme arrogance, insisting to pay for my meal if i want to pay bc its “what a man should do”, forcing lifestyles on me, not caring about my interests

7: My best friend

she does have tumblr but idk it but hey demi if u ever see this ur the bomb.com

8: Sexual orientation

im bi fam

9: My best first date

my bf and i went to amsterdam to go shopping and he followed me everywhere (even the bookshop even though he hates books) and idk i just love him it was a nice day

10: How tall am I

im 1,65m or 5′4″ but i can and will kick ur ass

11: What do I miss

nothing really??

12: What time was I born

ok so i asked my mom and she said i was born on a tuesday at exactly 12pm but i bet she’s lying

13: Favorite color

yellow!! im basic!!

14: Do I have a crush

well i sure hope so @ boyfriend

15: Favorite quote

to the stars who listen, and the dreams that are answered

16: Favorite place

my bf’s house tbh, specifically his bed

17: Favorite food

pizza, specifically the hot chicken one from ny pizza

18: Do I use sarcasm

nah fam (ofc i do im a little shit)

19: What am I listening to right now

god is a woman by ariana grande

20: First thing I notice in new person

how they look at other people when those people don’t notice it

21: Shoe size

38/39 idk the other size lol sorry 

22: Eye color

its blue but it changes with my mood (oh my god im so sorry im kidding please don’t hate me)

23: Hair color

im a blondie

24: Favorite style of clothing

sth casual but also a bit towards the punkish style, but i also rlly love looking tiny and soft and cute lol

25: Ever done a prank call?

ok so there’s this hotline for kids who have troubles with their parents and families but it was a shit hotline tbh so once i called it up with my friends pretending i was crying and the man on the phone asked me what was wrong so i told him that all my friends had fire type pokemon and i only had grass type pokemon and they kept beating me and i didnt know what to do and then man was so confused it was funny af

27: Meaning behind my URL

idk man i wanted a name that could b easy to remember and i was inspired by ridgeport tbh

28: Favorite movie

the perks of being a wallflower

29: Favorite song

Fav song atm is anything from p!atd's newest album and my fav song of all time is probably train of consequences by megadeth

30: Favorite band

megadeth lol

31: How I feel right now

pretty good but also annoyed bc i have to go to work in half an hour :(

32: Someone I love

my bf

33: My current relationship status

if u guys havent noticed by now im taken

34: My relationship with my parents

p ok

35: Favorite holiday

halloween/christmas

36: Tattoos and piercing i have

I have my ears pierced and thats it lol

37: Tattoos and piercing i want

i rlly want a few bookish related tattoos, like a tiny raven, a little lightning bolt, and the city of velaris and then i also rlly want a sleeve tbh but imma be a teacher and idk if i can :/ about piercings: i rlly want a helix or tragus and maybe get second holes in my hearlobes

38: The reason I joined Tumblr

ok so ive been on tumblr for about 5 years and initially it was bc i was Depressed™ and then about a year ago i found out about simblr and i was hooked

39: Do I and my last ex hate each other?

tbh i dont even talk to him anymore i dont rlly care about him in any way

40: Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?

yes bih

41: Have I ever kissed the last person you texted?

hes my bf so yea lol

42: When did I last hold hands?

wednesday

43: How long does it take me to get ready in the morning?

about 45 minutes bc im lazy and i keep getting distracted

44: Have You shaved your legs in the past three days?

nope

45: Where am I right now?

in bed lol

46: If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me?

either my bf or my best friend

47: Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?

depends on where i am

48: Do I live with my Mom and Dad?

mom

49: Am I excited for anything?

tbh moving out but thats gonna take a few more years

50: Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?

*insert bf here*

51: How often do I wear a fake smile?

every time im at work lol

52: When was the last time I hugged someone?

wednesday

53: What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me?

lol bye

54: Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?

nope

55: What is something I disliked about today?

the fact that i have to work a day shift instead of an evening shift

56: If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

my internet friends tbh it’d be cool to meet all the people from my bookish discord or from @booptherat​‘s discord

57: What do I think about most?

what book i should read next

58: What’s my strangest talent?

i can finish a book in about 4 hours

59: Do I have any strange phobias?

not rlly? i hate the whole asmr thing tho ew

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

behind lol

61: What was the last lie I told?

i dont remember tbh

62: Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

neither lol

63: Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

look im not saying that believing that we’re the only living species in the entire universe is narcissistic, but it is. also dont fuck with ghosts

64: Do I believe in magic?

hell yes

65: Do I believe in luck?

hell yes

66: What’s the weather like right now?

idk probably cloudy and windy

67: What was the last book I’ve read?

fahrenheit 451 by ray bradbury 

68: Do I like the smell of gasoline?

nah not rlly

69: Do I have any nicknames?

i guess mar?

70: What was the worst injury I’ve ever had?

when i was 2 i fell from sth and slammed the corner of my eye onto the corner of a table and i couldve been blind but thank god im not

71: Do I spend money or save it?

both 

72: Can I touch my nose with a tongue?

yup

73: Is there anything pink in 10 feet from me?

post it notes

74: Favorite animal?

doggg

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

reading lol

76: What do I think is Satan’s last name is?

idk man

77: What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?

i gotta feeling by the black eyed peas lol

78: How can you win my heart?

give me a samoyed and a 1000 books

79: What would I want to be written on my tombstone?

“a boss ass bitch”

80: What is my favorite word?

fuck?

81: My top 5 blogs on tumblr

@cubersims​ @imvikai​ @ridgeport​ @cowplant-pizza​ @bloomlet​ @tiptoptab​

82: If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?

spend fiddies, pet kitties, hold tiddies

83: Do I have any relatives in jail?

not that i know of lol

84: I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power?

the power to choose whatever power i want at any moment

85: What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

“do you like working here?”

86: What is my current desktop picture?

its an august background from @emmastudies​

87: Had sex?

yes

88: Bought condoms?

no

89: Gotten pregnant?

no

90: Failed a class?

yes

91: Kissed a boy?

yup, i’ve been kissing my bf for about 2,5 years now lol

92: Kissed a girl?

yup, i’m living the bisexual dream lol

93: Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?

yes

94: Had job?

yes, im working at a movie theater right now!!

95: Left the house without my wallet?

tbh all the time now that i can pay with my phone

96: Bullied someone on the internet?

yea i used to but that was when i was 12 and i’d like to say that i’ve grown a lot in the past 5 years

97: Had sex in public?

nope

98: Played on a sports team?

yes

99: Smoked weed?

nope, even though i live like 20 minutes away from amsterdam lol

100: Did drugs?

nope

101: Smoked cigarettes?

nope

102: Drank alcohol?

yupppp, i love me some raspberry cider

103: Am I a vegetarian/vegan?

nope

104: Been overweight?

nope

105: Been underweight?

nope

106: Been to a wedding?

yup

107: Been on the computer for 5 hours straight?

lol all the time tbh

108: Watched TV for 5 hours straight?

yup

109: Been outside my home country?

yup, however never outside of europe tho

110: Gotten my heart broken?

a few times

111: Been to a professional sports game?

yess, i saw the dutch female volleyball team once!

112: Broken a bone?

nope

113: Cut myself?

yes

114: Been to prom?

we dont do prom in the netherlands lol

115: Been in airplane?

yes

116: Fly by helicopter?

nope

117: What concerts have I been to?

k3 (only dutchies and belgians remember this), one direction, megadeth, and ed sheeran

118: Had a crush on someone of the same sex?

yupp

119: Learned another language?

i mean im from the netherlands and im fluent in english thanks to myself

120: Wore make up?

yuppp

121: Lost my virginity before I was 18?

yes

122: Had oral sex?

lol yes

123: Dyed my hair?

nope

124: Voted in a presidential election?

not old enough to vote :(

125: Rode in an ambulance?

nope

126: Had a surgery?

nope

127: Met someone famous?

nope

128: Stalked someone on a social network?

nope

129: Peed outside?

a few times lol

130: Been fishing?

nope

131: Helped with charity?

yep

132: Been rejected by a crush?

a few times

133: Broken a mirror?

lol yes

134: What do I want for birthday?

some books, money, cake, more books, makeup

[waystobcwickcd]

Harry Hook x Reader || Back to Stage One

Requested by: Anonymous Request:  Could you do a Harry x reader where Uma makes a potion that accidentally turned Harry into a child and the reader takes care of him for that day! Cute stuff like that thank you 😊  Word Count: 2020 AN: I hope this is okay! I feel like my fear of small children shone through in this fic, but it was fun to write. There wasn’t an age specified so I went very very young just because I imagined to to be funnier. Ended up super fluffy though like bless them. Content Warnings:  None!

You had convinced yourself that something was going on. The training had got more intense, and Uma was in a good mood for the most time, which meant that she was up to something. You weren’t complaining, you lived for moments like these and that was why you were still practising your sword fighting with Gil on the deck, even though the others had been told they could call it a night hours ago. But you were an over achiever, determined to prove yourself as the best fighter. Knocking his sword out of his hand, it didn’t take you long to have Gil backed up against the mast with your sword at his throat.

You didn’t have chance to gloat your victory though, as you heard your name been shouted from the distance. “Y/N! MY QUARTERS NOW!” With an apologetic shrug to Gil, you ran towards Uma’s quarters, guessing that it must be urgent from the tone of her voice. You walked in without knocking, you had gotten past that formality at this point, but nothing could have prepared you for what you were going to see.

“Is that—?” Looking from Uma to the child she was holding in her arms, you were trying to make sense of the situation. The red leather and wild black hair, made it clear who the kid was, but how it had happened was the more pressing question in her mind. “Any explanation?”

“Well it wasn’t on purpose. I’ve been working on it for months now, it was a potion my mum created that turned people into- well into children. Just as I finally perfected it, Harry barges in and drinks it thinking I’d managed to get some contraband or something.” Even though you could tell Uma was exasperated by it all, you still found it slightly funny. He was currently playing with strands of her braids, occasionally putting one into his mouth just to frown at the taste. “I don’t know why you’re laughing, you’re the one who is going to be looking after him.”

Your face dropped instantly as the situation became drastically less humourous. “Why me?!” You whined, glaring at the young Harry who glared back with impressively more intensity. “I can barely cope with him at his normal age, never mind- this!” 

Uma looked desperate at this point, obviously knowing what she was asking of you. “Please! I have to go and find the cure from my mother’s stuff, and you’re the only one left on the ship.” You found it hard to say no to Uma, especially when she was giving you the eyes that would make anybody melt. Still this was pushing the limits of what she could do.

“Gil’s still around! Why don’t you ask him?” It was a stupid question, and you were aware that it didn’t deserve an answer. He had managed to lose a grand total of five pets that were under his care, which is pretty impressive seeing as one of those was a pet rock. “Oh for crying out loud pass him over.” 

A happy squeal erupted from her lips as you took Harry from her, though you were not reflecting her joy. “I owe you so much Y/N. I promise I wont be long!” You had never seen Uma leave a room so fast, but she managed it, leaving you with the mistake she had made. You would never say you were great with children, so this wasn’t your dream job, but you would do anything to help out Uma and Harry. 

“Hey hey! Let go of that!” You yelled as he had reached to the table to grab his hook. Even as a child some things didn’t change. Still she felt giving a kid a weapon wasn’t the best idea, so she pulled it off of him placing it high out of his reach. This wasn’t the most popular choice she had made as a high pitched cry nearly deafened her. Then again it was probably a similar reaction to taking the hook off of Harry at his normal age, you thought, reminding yourself to mention that later to him as a joke. “Please stop crying! Please!” You begged, placing him down on the floor in front of you.

“Ye meanie.” He pouted, the whole situation just feeling utterly ridiculous to you. Still this was your friend and you weren’t just going to leave him with no help. You were sure that he would do the same for you, although he would find a way of taunting you for years after about it. Then again you were probably going to do that for him. 

“How about we go and do something better than playing with a stupid hook?” Harry gave you a look like there was nothing better than his stupid hook, making you realise that this chore was going to be a lot harder than you originally anticipated. “Why don’t we go and see Gil? Does that sound fun?” If anyone you knew would know how to entertain a kid, it would probably be him, mainly because he was still basically one himself. Holding onto his hand part of you was glad that you could look after him for once. Even though you bickered like mad, he was very protective of you even though you could handle things on your own. But seeing Harry vulnerable like this, giving you the opportunity to care for him the way he always did for you.

Instantly you saw your friend still on the deck, seeming to fight with the mast, yet still apparently losing as the sword flung out of his hand and flew towards you. Your reaction were impeccable, placing Harry behind you and catching the weapon one handed. “There’s a- um, there is a child.” He stated, not bothering to apologise for nearly maiming at least one of you. 

You just lifted Harry into your arms after you returned the sword to Gil, not really placing much faith in his skills not to do it again. “Yep there is, what do I do with him?” Trying to distract him from playing with your own hair. Instead he was biting one of your fingers, thankfully not hard enough to cause you any pain.  “I don’t know, maybe we could teach him how to sword fight?” You just rolled your eyes, as it became clear that he was going to be no help at all. “Hey he sorta looks like Harry! We should give him a hook!” You cared for Gil but you did not understand how he could be so dumb. 

Thinking about it, your place was probably the safest hideout until Uma could find a cure for whatever she had done to him. At least there you could try to tire him out so you could actually get some sleep, rather than staying up all night. You knew how energetic Harry was normally, so you daren’t even imagine what he would be like now. You didn’t live far from the ship, so the journey only took you a few minutes. “Now what do you want to do?” You asked as you placed him on the floor. Your parents were a no show, leaving you to fend for yourself, but you didn’t care. You much preferred it that way, at least you had your privacy if nothing else. 

“Play!” He shouted, reaching up to grab onto your hair. You were too tired to complain this time, so just sat there across from him letting him turn your locks into a knotty mess. Dangerously close to falling asleep, Harry’s squeal caused you to jump back into action. “Pretty!” He exclaimed clapping his hands as he praised his own creation.

On the other hand you were figuring out how you were going to untangle your hair for tomorrow. Looking at the wide smile on his face, you weren’t as annoyed as you thought you were going to be, instead scooping him into a hug. “I’m going to remind you of that when you’re back to yourself. Yes I am!” You cooed, knowing that you were going to get material out of this for months. “You probably wont remember this.” You paused as you realised that you could actually get a lot off of your chest as he could barely understand. “I love you, y’know. I don’t always act like it, and I may try to one up you like all the time, but it’s just because I love you and I really don’t know how to show it. And I’ll never say this again because I’m too scared but hey.”

He just looked up with you, eyes wide as he tried to understand what you were saying. “How about I read you a story?” You only had a handful of books, they were a rarity on the island, but you were a sucker for a happy ending. Placing him on your lap you held the book out in front of you both, shuffling back so you were both comfy. “Once upon a time, in a land far far away…”

You don’t remember when you stopped reading, but you both must have fallen asleep pretty quickly as the book had been left open on chapter one. Looking at the clock you figured that Uma must be back on the ship by now, and if not you could hopefully get some other people to take the load off of yourself. You didn’t want to wake him though, so softly lifted him into your arms, and took him back to Uma’s cabin. You got a lot of strange looks as you walked through the Isle, but you figured it was because of the child, forgetting Harry’s previous makeover. 

“Please tell me you’ve got it!” You whispered, not wanting to wake him up in case she had been unsuccessful. 

Uma just smiled holding up a bottle of bright blue liquid. “If you get him awake I’ll give him this.” She told you and you instantly went to action, wanting your Harry back more than anything. Shaking him slightly, he blinked a few times to adjust to the language. “Come on Harry, just have s drink of this.” Luckily for your captain he just grabbed it out of her hands and gulped it down quickly. No matter what age some things stay the same. 

Carrying him at that moment wasn’t the smarted idea, as the potion instantly started to work. You placed him down on the floor, letting him grow before your eyes. “What the hell happened?” He asked, rubbing his head and looking between Uma and yourself.

“That teaches you not to just drink my stuff without asking what it is.” Uma yelled, giving him a tap across the head. “You owe Y/N a big thank you, seeing as she has spent the last day looking after you after you stupidly turned yourself into a toddler!” She was acting angry but you could tell she was relieved that he was okay. Still she stomped out, leaving you two alone.

You reached up to where you had left his hook yesterday, passing it back to him. You knew that he hated been without it, and had already dealt with too much temperamental Harry in the last day to last a lifetime. “Thank ye, love. Gotta say, I’m loving the hair. It’s wild, a bit like you.”

“Mmm well that was your masterpiece. You even called me pretty.” You retorted sticking your tongue out to him, not realising that you were starting to act like a child now. 

He raised his brows, standing so he was towering over you. “From what I remember I called my hairstyle pretty, rather than yourself.” 

It was rare that you were lost for words, but if he remembered that, it meant that he could also recall what she had said to him. “Whatever, you were a child, who knows, your memory might be scrambled.” You shrugged, managing to make a hasty exit.

“Y/N!” He yelled, causing you to turn just before you shut the door. “I love ye too.”

[blunt-but-cautious]


1- What was the last dream you had?cant remember 
2- What color do you wear most?black
3- What are your every day shoes?uggs
4- Describe your school bag

Don't have one
5- Say ten facts about your room

It's a mess, it's turquoise,it's cold,it's small,has carpet,pictures on walls,I sleep in it,the closet is too small,it has a window,walls are white lmfao idk.
6- What is your favorite place to be in your house?my room
7- Where do you go most often? Prunedale 
8- If you are taking the train or subway where are you most likely going? Tahoe.
9- Where do you live?california
10- What is/are your nationality/ies? Im a mut there's a lot
11- What languages do you speak? English tiny bit of Spanish tiny bit of Italian.
12- What is your favorite place in the world? Haven't been to many places
13- Where would you often go as a child? Sacramento to visit my grandma. 
14- Do you have brothers and sisters?2 sisters 
15- Who do you live with?

Mom,dad, sister, her bf,dogs

Beliefs:
16- Are you religious? If so, what is your religion?not religious 
17- Do you believe in God?yes
18- Do you believe in any other form of supernatural being controlling the universe? If so, what do you call it? No
19- Do you believe in Satan?yes
20- Theory: why does the fridge light up when you open it? Do you think there is a creature turning the light on and then hiding? Tell us its story.

It's just so you could see what's inside jeez. 
21- Do you trust premonitions?yes
22- Do you trust dreams?yes
23- Do you think wishes can come true?yes
24- Tell us something you wished for that came true.

I can't tell you then it won't come true 
25- Do you believe in love at first sight?no
26- Do you believe in Santa?no
27- Do you believe things will get better?maybe
28- Do you believe in life after death?yes
29- Do you believe in yourself?sometimes
30- Something you believe in : our lives are planned

Preferences:
31- Black or white?Black
32- Hot or cold?hot
33- Day or night?night
34- Inside or outside?inside
35- High or low?Low
36- Tall or short people? Tall
37- Long hair or short hair (on you)?long
38- Lipgloss or lipstick?neither 
39- Eyeliner or eyeshadow? Eyeliner
40- Cats or dogs?dogs
41- Humans or animals?animals 
42- Facebook or Twitter?twitter
43- Tumblr or We❤️it?tumblr
44- Stairs or elevator/lift? Stairs
45- Nutella or Peanut Butter?peanut butter

Honesty time:
46- Ever gotten drunk?yes
47- Tell us the worst shit you’ve done.

Friend got drunk and we ended up wrecking his truck in a construction site & getting stuck somewhere and reported it stolen the next morning. 
48- Ever gotten naked for someone?yes
49- Ever dated someone way older than you?yes
50- Who is your tumblr crush?dont have one
51- What is your dream job/career?dont really have one
52- What turns you on? 🙈
53- Who turns you on?🙈
54- Tell us the story of your first kiss.

Lmfao I was scared and I made my bestfriend kiss my bf first 😂😂😂😂
55- Ever almost killed someone? No
56- What is your darkest secret? Can't tell ya. 
56- What question would you never answer? A lot
58- How many people have you been sexually attracted to? A couple 
59- Did you honestly see I turned the 57 into a second 56?no I didn't. 
60- What are you most ashamed of (tell us a embarrassing episode of your life)

lol lets not

Tumblr:
61- When did you join tumblr? In like the 5th grade 
62- Who is your favorite follower? Nowpe
63- Who is your favorite following?Nowpe
64- Did you make friends on tumblr? Who?No
65- Do you have irl friends on tumblr? Who?yes. A few
66- What was the first point of this blog when you created it? Uhhh i don't remember 
67- Do you like what it’s become?lol sure 
68- What are your favorite fandoms (that you’re part of or not)? I'm not 
69- What posts do you hate the most on here? Ppl advertising 
70- What is your most used tag? Don't use them 
71- Three urls for “fuck, marry, kill” what? Lol 
72- Followers you find beautiful (not just on the outside):idk anyone on here
73- How long do you stay on tumblr most of the time? Like an hour 
74- Shoutout to anyone you want :uhhhh
75- Who do you secretly stalk on here?🙈🙈🙈🙈

Music taste:
76- Favorite bands: LANY, real friends, story so far
77- Favorite artists: john Mayer, James bay, ed sheeran
79- Favorite albums: Make out EP-LANY
80- Favorite songs rn: anything by LANY

TV taste:
81- Favorite series:pretty little liars
82- Favorite characters: Hanna, Aria
83- Heroes or meanies? Heroes
84- Characters you ship: Hanna and Caleb. Aria and Fitz. 
85- Favorite fandom post:mmm idk

Movie taste:
86- Favorite movies of all time: chic flicks😂🤦🏼‍♀️
87- Favorite movies rn: don't really have any. 
88- Favorite characters: don't have any 
89- Do you believe in sequels? These questions suck
90- Characters you ship: 🤷🏼‍♀️

Youtube:
91- Most visited channel: The Ace Family. Tana Mongsau. 
92- Most viewed vid: idk....
93- Youtubers you like: tana mongeau, Anna Campbell, domo and Crissy. 
94- Youtubers you ship

Ace Family
95- Share your channel! No

Friends c:
96- Best friends names: Julia,Vanessa
97- Known them since

Julia since I was born and Vanessa since 2 weeks ago😂
98- One fun fact about each of them:

I met one at target & one races dirt bikes
99- Pros and cons: lol they're just like me. And they're busy all the time. 
100- Your biggest giggles about shit:

😂 everything

Physical portrait:
101- What is your natural hair color?blonde
102- What is your hair color?blonde
103- Eye color?blue
104- Height? 5'3
105- Shoe size?6 1/2 or 7. 
106- Ring size (if you know it)? 7 
107- Any tattoos?no 
108- Any piercings? 3 
109- Do you want a tattoo? If so, where?yes my rib.
110- Do you want a piercing? If so, where? 🙈

Chinese portrait:
111- If you were a color?turqouise 
112- If you were an animal?owl 
113- If you were a letter of the alphabet?O 
114- If you were a brand?idk
115- If you were a number?8
116- If you were a song? That's hard... 
117- If you were a piece of clothing? Jacket
118- If you were a movie? ??????? 
119- If you were an album? These are stupid 
120- If you were a part of the human body? Head
121- If you were a word? Cold
122- If you were lyrics? I don't phuckkkkin know
123- If you were a pair of shoes?uggs
124- If you were a non-existing animal? Idk 
125- If you were an object?idk
126- If you were a flower?idk
127- If you were an musician?idk
128- If you were a book?idk
129- If you were a painting?idk
130- If you were an actor?idk
131- If you were a god from Greek mythology?idk
132- If you were a Tim Burton character?idk
133- If you were a molecule?
134- If you were an equation?
135- If you were a famous quote?
136- If you were a play?
137- If you were a fictional character?
138- If you were a celebrity’s spouse or family member?
140- If you were a smiley?
141- If you were a wallpaper?
142- If you were a material?
143- If you were an instrument?
144- If you were an accessory?
145- If you were an insect?
146- If you were a sound?
147- If you were an accent?
148- If you were a day of the week?
149- If you were a month?
150- If you were a season?