#st bride's school

[tellurian-in-aristasia]

Sunday Tribune - Sunday 24 June 1990

Apparently at some point in early 1991 the Aristasians were featured in a programme about "offbeat" characters around Ireland. I am unsure if this ever made it to the air, but Ruby Wax did host a talk show from early 1991 to 1994 called The Full Wax.

[retrocgads]

UK 1987

[zenlesszonezero]

As the conspiracy reaches its finale, the Void Hunter joins the fight.

Uncover the Conspiracy in Zenless Zone Zero's All-New Version "A Storm of Falling Stars", S-Rank Agent Hoshimi Miyabi is here! With S-Rank Agent Asaba Harumasa Limited-Time Giveaway! Pre-register to obtain additional rewards.

[incandescente666]

My childhood. Nazi und Stock

[annesblogsstuff]

rafe is bad for you

bsf’s brother!rafe x f!reader

warnings: mentions of sex, a little bit fluffy, reader is a kook, rafe being touchy, lemme know if i miss something !! also, english isn’t my native or first language so i’m sorry if there’s spelling mistakes (i’ll get better

summary: at a country club party, your best friend sarah warns you about her brother and his track record with girls

divider by @h-aewo

when sarah found out about you and rafe, you thought she would never accept it. you two have been best friend since middle school, you didn’t want to lose her. but also, you couldn’t hide your feelings for rafe anymore. he was charming to you, protective and sweet. basically, the opposite of who he was outdoors with everyone. everyone in the island knew: rafe cameron would do anything for his little kook princess.

one night, sarah came back in the early morning from her reunion with her new pogue friends. she thought she would be alone in the house, but then she heard strange noises coming from rafe’s room. she opened the door and screamed. she saw her brother’s hips pushing against her best friend. your legs around his waist while he filled your neck up with marks. obviously, rafe screamed at her too, annoyed by her interruption. she screamed at him, and she screamed at you.

with the time, sarah learned to accept your ‘relationship’ or ‘friends with benefits’ situation. at least, you thought so, until now.

now, you’re having a great time at the country club. fresh drinks, summer air, and golf with your best friend sarah, and, now, three months after sarah’s discovery, boyfriend rafe.

‘yk, i’m getting a piña colada. u want something?’ you ask sarah. she raises her sun glasses and smiles. ‘m’fine, thanks, btw’ she says.

suddenly, you feel a pair of familiar hands squeezing your breasts from behind. you tilt your head to one side to see him. there he is. rafe cameron, the one you were crazy for and the one you drove crazy, smirking at you. at the beginning of the relationship, it really turned you on see his hands on your breasts. now, it turned into a habit. rafe is obsessed with them.

‘hey, gorgeous’ he says with a smile.

‘gross’ sarah frowns at her brother’s hands.

‘stfu, sarah. no one cares’ he responds, squeezing your breasts more in front of sarah. you kiss rafe’s cheek to calm down the situation, he looks at you. ‘want me to bring you that piña colada, baby?’ you nod. he kisses your lips softly before separating from you. ‘alright, i’ll be back in five’

rafe leaves, leaving you alone with sarah again. you pucker your lips at her, a little bit embarrassed by the situation.

‘can i ask u something?’ sarah says, with a straight face. she never makes her straight face at you, you two are always joking, having fun, supporting each other. has been so since middle school. you know when she makes that face and says that, she’s about to ask something you’re not gonna like.

‘sure’

‘why are u dating my brother?’ oh no, no that again. you think, you pinch your noise bride.

‘sarah, we already talked about this’ you say, letting out a sigh.

‘i know, ‘kay? i know. but i really care about you. i don’t want to get hurt. and that’s what he does, he fucks some random kook, he tells her she’s the only one, and then, he leaves her because he found another girl whose hotter. i don’t want you to get through that.’ sarah explains. you already know about rafe’s history, his reputation. what he did to sofia, that poor pogue. otherwise, he was someone else indoors with you. he was truly himself with you. the real rafe. he takes care of you, he makes sure you’re safe, he loves you.

‘okay, sarah, enough. i know all that. i know what he did to sofia, it wasn’t right. but i love him. there’s this part of me that can’t help it. i can’t help loving him. and he feels the same.’ you stay strong, trying not to cry in front of everyone. it really hurts; your partner in crime would never accept the way you feel.

sarah raises her hands in surrender. she steps back. ‘rafe is bad for you. don’t say i didn’t warn ya.’

and she leaves. she lefts you there, with that strange feeling fluttering through your stomach. maybe guilt. or maybe deception.

my first write here!! (i’m so excited btw) hope u enjoy it and remind its my first. my writing will be better in the future, i promise 🫶🏻

[missanthropicprinciple]

Terry-Thomas | selected filmography + PSAs | 1936-1966

Once in a Million 1936

It's Love Again 1936

For Freedom 1940

Under Your Hat 1940

If You Don't Save Paper (PSA) 1948

Copy Book Please (PSA) 1948

A Date with a Dream 1948

The Brass Monkey 1948

Helter Skelter 1949

Melody Club 1949

What's Cooking? (PSA) 1951

Private's Progress 1956

The Green Man 1956

Brothers in Law 1956

Lucky Jim 1957

The Naked Truth 1957

Blue Murder at St Trinian's 1957

Happy Is the Bride 1958

Too Many Crooks 1959

Carlton-Browne of the F.O. 1959

I'm All Right Jack 1959

School for Scoundrels 1960

Make Mine Mink 1960

A Matter of WHO 1961

Bachelor Flat 1962

Kill or Cure 1962

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World 1963

How to Murder Your Wife 1965

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines 1965

La Grande Vadrouille 1966

[edwinspaynes]

Updated Chapter Titles for Now We're at the Starting Line (I Did My Time)

Now with small summaries ala Netflix summaries!

I. The Case of the Weeping Walls - 15 September 2024

After their return from Port Townsend, Charles and Edwin reminisce on the early days of their friendship... and the first case they ever solved together.

II. The Case of Niko Sasaki - 15 October 2024

Having learned that Niko is trapped on the Astral Plane, Edwin, Charles, and Crystal brave the worst of each meteorological season to bring her home.

III. The Case of the Choked Cheerleaders - 15 November 2024

When a group of cheerleaders turn up dead at their local high school, Edwin and Niko investigate at a demon-infested supernatural club. Charles accompanies Crystal to meet up with people from her past.

IV. The Case of the Scorned Son - 15 December 2024

When the ghost of Paul Rowland comes to the Agency, Charles must battle his inner demons and reconcile with his father's probable afterlife. Edwin and The Cat King battle their mutual attraction.

V. The Case of the Frozen Fae - 15 January 2025

While Edwin's least favourite demon is chained up outside the Agency and Hell's denizens are after his most prized possession, The Cat King provides comfort. Charles contends with jealous feelings as the group attempts to unfreeze another innocent former denizen of Hell.

VI. The Case of Hell's Own Track - 15 February 2025

Negotiations over the possession of Edwin's notebook take a feral turn as the group attempts to train his spider against his will. Charles's jealousy reaches a fever pitch.

VII. The Case of the Separated Soulmates - 15 March 2025

With The Cat King out of the picture, Charles examines his own emotions and decides to tell Edwin how he feels. A bride comes to the Agency and asks for help finding the soulmate that she once bound herself to.

VIII. The Case of the Great Fire, Part I - 15 April 2025

Now happily cursed after mutually choosing to be, Charles and Edwin are called back to St Hilarion's for a case. Crystal finds something awful in the building's attic.

IX. The Case of the Great Fire, Part II - 15 May 2025

With the help of Crystal and Niko, Charles and Edwin help to put another ghost like themselves to rest.

[how-very-salty]

masterpost of my jdonica fic <3

royally fucked up

J.D. gets another chance. It's Sherwood in September, and Veronica is smiling at him again. This time, he'll do anything not to fuck it up.

status: completed / translated: in progress

!!!new the forest (warnings!!! tags are reeeally spoilers, but the fic includes disturbing content)

Veronica ran down the stairs, hurried to the school bus - and suddenly woke up on the road in a completely silent forest. There doesn't seem to be a soul around... but someone's predatory gaze is fixed on her back. (references to The path)

status: in progress / translated: in progress

let's have some fun

Three years ago, J.D. went back to hell, but he comes back for the same reason: to make Veronica say his name three times. But something's changed.

status: in progress / translated: in progress

stay at the very edge and way he prays

Before she says no, Veronica sees Bud humiliate J.D. And it makes her change her mind and try one more time to change something for him. And that leads to a promise that will be broken.

(tw: bdsm)

status: completed / translated: completed

Veronica Sawyer decides to die

The bomb exploded. They both survived, but at a high price… Time has passed, and Veronica Sawyer finds comfort in imagining that she is gone. Her peace of mind is shattered by the doorbell.

status: completed / translated: completed

St. Calvin told me not to worry about you

They're broken up, but still need each other. She has the keys to his apartment, he wants her back. And there are rules between them that neither of them has ever learned to follow. (there is a new male character, but honestly, he's just one of the plot obstacles in this story).

status: in progress / translated: in progress

!!!new lavender

Just a scene from married life and problems that they have to deal with through conversation ( long-married JD and Ronnie)

SHORT STORIES (complited)

dearly beloved

jdonica one shots (If you want, you can give me prompts. i sometimes write them long, but i try to write all of them. except with agnst sometimes i skip them)

other way

Veronica Sawyer hurts herself to deal with her emotions, and a new guy notices. She's scared, but he just wants to talk to her ...and maybe help.

syndrome - the story of cotard syndrome

who is she - he meets her on a crowded subway and misses her… and meets her again

first of thousands - their paths cross because of a car accident

insomnia - he just can't sleep (partially refers to St. Calvin's au)

best gift ever - happy married life

we're locked in, right? - fate brings them together in a locked elevator

trace of a touch - J.D. is long gone from her life, but his every touch keeps to burn on her skin. No one else can, until one day…

let's get out of here - a wedding story in which J.D. steals a bride from his own wedding

turn on the radio and the braided bracelet - au!childhood friends, where J.D. is hopelessly in love with Veronica. or not so hopeless?

about a girl - Nick has been in love with Veronica since they were kids. but it seems he should have confessed earlier, because the new kid is about to steal her away from him

peek-a-boo - very hot zombie-boy and a pretty smart Ronnie? who just can't resist his charm (pure au with a twist)

white oleander - au!hanahaki where Ronnie has to choose between Chandler and J.D.

pick me up - a wasted Ronnie needs to be picked up from the bar, and even though they broke up, J.D. is the only one who can do it.

happy anniversary - nobody has visited J.D.'s grave for five years

what a night - J.D. climbed into her window that night, before the bombs and the petition.

a few more minutes and there is no cure - the bomb didn't explode, and it seems that J.D. completely failed // he returns to Veronica's life years later

an act of mercy - J.D. was dead in the explosion, but that night a familiar voice is heard on Veronica's phone

like burnt brownies and play with loaded dice - the story of Nick Sawyer and Jesse Dean

[archivist-crow]

On this day:

CENTAUR IN CENTERVILLE

On May 18, 1963, in the tiny town of Centerville, Illinois, police were bombarded with over fifty phone calls from people who had seen a centaur. The mythical creature had first been seen in St. Louis, just across the Mississippi River. A group of school children said they had witnessed a "half man, half woman with a half bald head and a half head of hair" prowling around a housing project and vanishing into an old tunnel. A St. Louis Police Department patrolman declared that the children had definitely observed something and that the beast apparently tussled with a man near the school. The centaur was also seen by a shocked James McKinney, directly in front of his house. He said, "It looked like a half-man, half-horse." The creature appeared to be in the area for two weeks.

Greek poets tell of a race of beings having arms, chests, and heads of men, but bodies like those of horses. Living in Thessaly, this species was reputed to have groups that were kind and groups that were savage. In the mythology of the Iliad, the centaurs attended a wedding, but became drunk. They then attempted to make off with the bride and other women at the feast.

During the second century AD, Phlegon of Tralles wrote his infamous Book of Marvels. One of the book's many sensational stories tells of a hippocentaur, captured in Arabia and sent, as a gift, to Egypt. Unfortunately, it died and was then embalmed and offered to the emperor of Rome, who displayed it in his palace. The centaur had a fierce face, a tawny mane, hairy arms and fingers, and ribs joined to its front legs, which ended in hooves.

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

[lumosandnoxwriting]

i wanted that pain || George Weasley

Title: i wanted that pain Pairing: George x Reader, but also mentions of George x OC and Reader x OC Summary: he wanted a bride, i was making my own name A/N: the next part of the anthology is here! When i originally planned this out it had a different vibe but im actually really happy with how this turned out! As always feedback is welcome! <3

-

She only does it when she’s had a few glasses of wine and is feeling loose, but not sleepy enough to crawl into bed. 

Some people might call her a masochist, looking at what could have been had she made a different choice that day. Others might call her pathetic, that’s she’s pining over something that she gave up long ago. Only Y/N knows the truth. 

She knows that she doesn’t look up George on Wizstagram because she’s jealous of the life he lives and wants to inflict pain on herself. And she also knows that she doesn’t regret any second of the life she’s lived and she’s sitting there agonizing over what her life could have been. Because Y/N knows that she’s happy, and that the path she took in life was the right one for her. She knows that just because her life doesn’t look like George’s doesn’t mean she’s not content and satisfied with where she ended up. 

Looking up her ex-boyfriend on Wizstagram is not a form of self-torture. It’s a form of reassurance. 

Y/N has been feeling nostalgic lately after hearing the news that McGonagall has decided to finally retire, which is probably why she’s curled up under her favorite blanket, second glass of wine in one hand and her phone in the other. It’s probably been over a year since she looked George up on Wizstagram, and unsurprisingly when she types in @MischiefManager2 to the search bar, an account with George’s face as the profile pic pops up immediately. 

The most recent photo is one she knows well, since she was the one who took it. Fred and George have a frowning McGonagall sandwiched between them, the smiles on their faces brighter than the sun. It’s from their graduation, well her and Lee’s graduation, since the Twins didn’t technically finish the year and could only attend as guests. They had insisted on getting a photo with their favorite Professor, and Y/N had been happy to oblige them. McGonagall not so much. 

Graduation day is often the day Y/N thinks back on as the day that changed her life forever. Not only had she graduated from Hogwarts, the culmination of seven years of hard work. But before the ceremony McGonagall had pulled her aside to let her know that St. Mungos had accepted her into Specialized Healer Training. 

And of course, that was the day she ended things with George, catapulting her life in a totally different direction. 

-

“Baby,” George murmurs as Y/N catapults herself into his arms. He grips her tightly, lifting her feet off the ground as he hugs her. He brushes his lips against the shell of her ear, inhaling against her hair. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”

His words light her up inside, and Y/N wraps her legs around George’s hips so she can cling to him even tighter. It’s been a lonely few months since he and Fred made their departure from Hogwarts, and it feels so good to be back in his arms. 

They stand there amidst everyone else celebrating for a few more moments, just content with holding each other. When George finally puts Y/N back down he leans in, capturing her lips with his. “You’re finally free,” he murmurs against her mouth when their kiss breaks, before pressing their mouths together again. 

A pang of sadness rips through her chest at George’s words. Because while her time at Hogwarts is coming to an end, she’s not quite done with school. Just before the ceremony started McGonagall had pulled Y/N aside, letting her know that she was one of four other students who had been accepted into the Specialized Healer training program at St. Mungos. This is the culmination of all her hard work, every hour in the library, extra credit assignment and summer spent volunteering at St. Mungos has led to this. Y/N has always wanted to be a Healer, and this program is the only thing that stands in her way of completing her lifelong dream. 

But it also means more time away from George. While St. Mungos is located in Central London, the program requires participants to spend time at smaller Wizard clinics and hospitals all over the world, to expose them to all different kinds of ailments and treatments. For the next four years she’ll be traveling and studying nonstop, and Y/N had been overjoyed when McGonagall shared the news. 

Except she’d forgotten one major thing. George.

“There’s something I need to tell you about.” Y/N says solemnly, breaking their kiss. 

“What’s wrong?” George responds immediately. He cups Y/N’s face, his thumb gently caressing his jaw. “Whatever it is, baby we’ll get through it together.”

“I got into the Healer Training Program.”

George’s eyes light up with excitement. “Baby! That’s amazing! I’m so fucking proud of you.” Except the smile on his face turns into a frown when Y/N doesn’t share his joy. “Why aren’t you excited? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“Yes, of course it is,” Y/N starts, her voice apprehensive. “But the program, it’s really intense and it’s four more years of training.”

“Oh,” George murmurs. “Well that’s not too bad. Fred and I are so busy at the shop that we’re barely ever in the flat so it’ll be plenty quiet for you to study in. And in a year or two, once we’re really making money we can get a place just for us with room for you to have a proper office. And it doesn’t even have to be in Diagon Alley, we can rent somewhere closer to St. Mungos and-.”

“George,” Y/N interrupts, pressing a finger to his lips to keep him from continuing. “The program doesn’t take place at St. Mungos. The first few weeks do, but after that the Cohort travels all over the world, spending time in different places and at different hospitals.”

“For how long?” he asks once Y/N lets him speak, but she can tell by the tone of his voice that he already knows the answer to that question. 

“The whole four years, George.”

“Oh,” George repeats, a sullen look taking over his face. “But there’s other programs, right? Other ways to become a Healer?”

Y/N nods slowly, not liking the train of thought George is heading down. “Well, yes. I could become an apprentice, working under a current Healer and then in ten years I’ll be eligible to take the examinations to be a general Healer.”

”And that will keep you in London?”

”Yes,” Y/N answers, frowning when a smile lights up George’s face. Clearly he thinks he’s just found the solution to all of their problems. “But George, this program is my dream. I’ll get to learn from the best Healers in the world, and when I graduate I’ll be in a higher position and I’ll get to enter any department I want.”

A frown takes over his face once again. “But what about our dreams, Y/N? The things we’ve been talking about and planning for the last three years?”

Of course she knows exactly what George is talking about. Ever since they got together in their fourth year, both Y/N and George knew they were in it for the long haul. Even though they were young and people, mainly Fred, found it foolish that they were thinking in terms of forever, they were firm in their assertion that they’d found their person and nothing anyone could say would change their mind. 

So they talked. About Y/N’s career plans, and George’s. Fred and George would open their dream store after graduation, and Y/N would start the journey to becoming a Healer. They’d move in together in the summer, and by the following fall they would be engaged. A small wedding would be held at The Burrow in the spring, and the following winter they’d try for their first baby. 

Back then Y/N never imagined that she’d get into the Specialized Healer Training program at St. Mungos, since it’s so competitive. So she and George never talked about what their future would look like if Y/N had to be away for a few years. In all their daydreaming, Y/N was always an apprentice at St. Mungos, slowly working her way up to being a full Healer while they grew their family.  As an apprentice she would have the luxury of taking time off and being a hands on Mum, and by the time she was a full Healer their kids would be older and George would be settled enough in his career to take over most of the child minding. 

And Y/N had been content with that reality. She would have the husband, the kids and the career she always wanted. But all of that flew out the window the second McGonagall gave her the good news. This program is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and Y/N will never forgive herself if she walks away from it. 

“We can still have those dreams, Georgie. We just need to adjust our timeline a little bit.” She speaks softly, dragging her fingertips across George’s cheek. “We can still have all of those things someday, when I’m finished with my program and back in London full time.”

”But I don’t want those things someday, Y/N,” George responds, his tone harsh. “I want that all now, like we’ve always talked about. There’s space for your things in my closet and there’s an engagement ring tucked away in my sock drawer waiting for the perfect moment. I’m ready for our future together to start now, and I thought you were too.”

George’s grip on her loosens, and Y/N’s heart aches as she steps out of his embrace. “I was, George. But this changes everything. This program is what I’ve worked my ass off for, it’s what I’ve had my sights set on long before I ever even knew you. I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t go.”

“And I don't know if I’ll ever be able to forgive you if you do go.”

His words hurt, jabbing her in the chest as if he’s stabbed her with a knife. Tears pool in Y/N’s eyes, and she shakes her head. “Don’t make me choose between you and this program, George. Please. We can do this, it’s only four years.”

George shakes his head, but doesn’t say anything. His face is firm, his eyes narrowed in determination. It’s clear to Y/N that he’s going to make her be the one to decide. She can either have her program, or she can have the life her and George have dreamed about, there is no world where both options can exist. 

“I’m sorry,” Y/N whispers after a few moments of silence. She slowly takes a few steps back from George, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Goodbye George.”

-

Seeing that picture doesn’t bring Y/N the pang of sadness she expected it to. It took her months to even talk about what happened that day, and it took well over a year before she would look at any of the pictures her friends and parents had taken. A day that was supposed to be full of joy and celebration quickly became one of agonizing pain and she never wanted to feel that way again. 

Taking that photo of George and Fred is the last happy memory she has from their relationship, but looking at it now all she feels is gratitude. Because while breaking up with George was the hardest, most painful thing she’s ever had to do, she doesn’t regret it for a second. 

Joining that training program was one of the best decisions she’s ever made, the places Y/N got to see and the things she experienced were life changing. When she returned back to England and joined St. Mungos she had her pick of placements, and Y/N has spent the last several years in the Janus Thickey Ward, working with their longtime patients and permanent spell damage. 

If she had chosen George all those years ago she’d barely be eligible for the exams to certify her as a general Healer, and she’d never have the opportunities she does now. 

Y/N scrolls through the next few photos, stopping briefly to admire the pictures of him and Fred, and the snapshot of the entire Weasley family taken during a recent family dinner. The Weasley family was always so tight knit, and it’s nice to see that time hasn’t changed that fact. Family was always George’s number one priority, and Y/N knows it would kill him not to be close with his siblings. 

The next photo she stops on is one of George and his wife. Melody is her name, and Y/N has heard from various channels that she was in the year below them at Hogwarts, and they met when Fred and George hired her as a potion master for the joke shop. 

The picture is from their wedding day, and the caption lets Y/N know that George had posted it in celebration of their anniversary. Posted only a few months ago to celebrate their seven year wedding anniversary, she does some quick mental math. It’s been ten years since graduation, meaning it’s been the same amount of time since the break up. George and Melody didn’t meet until a year after that, meaning they were together for around two years before tying the knot. 

It does hurt a little, knowing that it took George three years to meet and marry someone else, when if they had stayed together he wouldn’t have had to wait much longer to marry Y/N. But it would have hurt more if he had met and married someone way quicker than that, so she doesn’t dwell on it for too long. 

In the photo they’re smiling at each other, and the genuine joy on their faces makes Y/N smile too. George may have been someone she cared deeply for, and losing him hurt - but he wasn’t the man she was supposed to be with and she’s glad he found his person. 

She’d be a hypocrite if she ever thought otherwise, considering her person is upstairs right now getting ready for bed. 

Y/N met Ben during her Healer training. He had been a student at Beauxbatons, so their paths had never crossed until the first day of the program. Of course she had instantly found him attractive, but with her heart still so raw from the breakup with George they started off as just friends. Halfway through their second year, after scrolling on Wizstagram and seeing a picture of George for the first time since the breakup, Y/N realized she felt nothing for him anymore and the pain from the break up and fully ran its course.  

She asked Ben out on a date the next night and they’ve been together ever since. 

Y/N doesn’t doubt that what she and George had between them was love, but after being with Ben she knows now that it wasn’t true love. And when she looks at this photo of George and Melody, she knows he has that with her too. 

The sound of Ben’s footsteps coming down the stairs is a sign that her trip down memory lane is coming to an end, so she scrolls to the next photo for one last look. In it George is holding probably the tiniest baby she’s ever seen, surrounded by four kids of varying ages all rocking the same shock of ginger hair as their dad. The caption reveals that it’s a birth announcement, and Y/N can practically feel her uterus contract at the thought of having five kids in under seven years. 

But George always wanted a big family, and she used to think that was something she wanted too. Being an only child growing up was lonely, and when Y/N would go back home with George for the holidays she was envious at how close everyone was, and how The Burrow was always full of laughter and love. So when they talked about their future children it was obvious that they would have several, with them as close together as possible just like George and his siblings. 

Time and maturity helped Y/N realize that popping out baby after baby was only her dream because of her relationship with George. Healing can be a demanding career, and the Healers they trained with who had families always made sure to stress how difficult it can be to handle parenthood and their career. While many of them were able to balance the responsibilities that come with being a parent and their love for their career, for a lot of them it came with sacrifices. Several of them ended up divorcing their partners who couldn’t understand that their job wasn’t always predictable, and there would be times that they came home late or missed out on things. Others had ended up taking time off, or going into lesser positions in order to have a better work/life balance. 

With how much Y/N loved her program and knowing who she is as a person, she quickly found out that whatever plan she and George had worked out regarding children was built on the naïveté of two kids who thought they knew everything. Growing up she had two dreams, being a Healer and being a mother. With the amount of kids she and George always talked about having, also having the career she wanted would have never been a possibility. Something would have had to give, and Y/N knows she would have chosen her family over everything. 

She also knows that once her kids were grown and at Hogwarts and she had no career to fall back on she would have regretted that decision. And that’s not something she would ever want to put on her children. So she decided quite early on that while she definitely would have kids someday, it would not be the brood she always imagined. 

Her and Ben had married a month after graduating from their program, two weeks before a little pink plus sign appeared after Y/N peed on a stick. Having children wasn’t something they had discussed too much in detail. They both had agreed it was something they both wanted at some point, but weren’t too fussy about how many or when. 

After their son was born, Y/N and Ben quickly decided that if they chose to have more kids, it wouldn’t be for several more years. Being new to their careers and having a newborn was a challenge neither of them were prepared for, and Y/N can’t remember how many times she went to work with vomit dried in her hair or her clothes backward from exhaustion. 

And two months ago when their daughter came out, both of them knew their family was complete. 

Two kids in five years is plenty for Y/N, and she silently gives kudos to George’s wife for managing her brood. She’s exhausted just thinking about it.

When Ben plops down on the couch next to her Y/N tosses her phone aside, letting her husband pull her into his side. He takes the glass of wine from her hand, quickly draining the rest of the liquid.

”You’d think I’d be immune to all of the smells a baby has doing what we do. But Godric, the atrocities your daughter committed while I tried to put her pajamas on?” Ben shudders. “I’m scarred for life.”

Y/N just shakes her head in laughter at her husband’s dramatics, knowing full well he’ll be the first one out of bed tonight the second their daughter cries. 

Noticing her pensive mood, Ben places a finger under Y/N’s chin, lifting it up so they can make eye contact. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just being a bit nostalgic,” she reassures, giving her husband a small smile. “I was stalking George on Wizstagram.”

Ben rolls his eyes, returning his wife’s grin. “Ah, I see. Yearning for the life you gave away?” He teases.

She knows he’s joking, but she shakes her head. “Nope, I’ve got everything I ever wanted right here.”

[angeltreasure]

I recognize that I may never find a husband, be blessed with a family, get to fulfil my hearts desire of being a mother, a wife, and a helpful hand to the church. I tell God every day that I understand that in the end, I only have him, and I try to feel his love throughout my days, count my blessings and find joy in solitude. Jesus is my only friend, and I try to talk to him like he’s beside me but I’m left feeling alone and useless. I’m pursuing a career while working full time. Every day I’m studying all night after work. I am deeply unhappy with the direction I’m headed in and I do not want to be a woman with a career, it goes against my heart. I don’t believe women should even work in the field that I’m going into but I can’t stop now, I became an adult so quickly and suddenly I’m running out of time and money to spend on school. I just wish God had planned something different for me- But how can I even say that? I don’t know if it’s selfish to ask for a prayer for some kind of consolation when I am truly so blessed and lucky to be so privileged. I don’t know what’s wrong with me and I just want to forget my ego and be able to dedicate all my energy to honouring God and inspiring others to do the same.

I’ll pray for you.

Today is the perfect day to ask for prayers like this, to say ‘Jesus, I need Your help’. Our human heart desires natural things as you have said, know that there is nothing wrong with those desires. Sometimes our peers our own age or others around us make it seem so simple (especially if we follow blogs we love on social media which depict the exact dream life we want), so easy, that we wonder, ‘why am I not a mother yet? Why am I down this path? Doesn’t God care for me or even hear me? What am I doing wrong, what is wrong with me?’ There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. God isn’t just tolerating you because you are working hard and searching for things. He loves you, even when your sins nailed Him to the cross. There is nothing that will stop God from loving you, even if you were the worst sinner. God has a plan for you. It may not be tonight, or tomorrow, or next week, maybe not for years, but we have to be like Jesus and say God not my will but Your will be done. In the mean time, recognize in the present moment you already are a spiritual mother when you care for your family, friends, coworkers, people you pray for, the homeless, the abandoned. You are a wife because you are a child of God, the bride is the Church, you are fearfully and wonderfully made, knit by God when you were in your mother’s womb. You can be a helping hand to your church and surrounding churches when you are present at Mass, when you give your time and volunteer, when you make sacrifices to help other church members and clergy to lead them to God. You can do the smallest of smallest jobs, right down to cleaning the altar cloths and fixing the pews after Mass, and all that helping you can offer up for souls in Purgatory. All that studying and working too, offer it up for Purgatory and, God willing, your future spouse modeled after the best of all: St. Joseph. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is the perfect prayer for you to try and remember this sentence: “Jesus, I trust in You”. Pray that sentence as many times as you need it. Even when you don’t understand what will happen tomorrow, Jesus I trust in You. When your heart is full of loneliness, open the door to Jesus who always knocks at the door to your heart, Jesus I trust in you. When you feel unworthy, banish that thought away saying Jesus, I trust in you. You are not selfish to ask for prayer. You are a child of God and our prayers move mountains. Don’t be so afraid that you cast your eyes on the storm and raging waves. Step out of the boat and keep your eyes on Jesus.

[tellurian-in-aristasia]

A newspaper clipping I found, but I'm foolish and forgot to note the year.

[zenlesszonezero]

As the conspiracy reaches its finale, the Void Hunter joins the fight.

Uncover the Conspiracy in Zenless Zone Zero's All-New Version "A Storm of Falling Stars", S-Rank Agent Hoshimi Miyabi is here! With S-Rank Agent Asaba Harumasa Limited-Time Giveaway! Pre-register to obtain additional rewards.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Your Titanic tweet made me realize I haven’t read any Edwardian-era set romance. Do you have any recs? Like U.S. setting with Edith Wharton, Gilded Age vibes?

Yes, for sure! Joanna Shupe almost entirely writes in the Gilded Age (except for her first three historicals and two of her historical novellas). She writes it soooo well, imo. The luxe, the class tensions, the slow erosion of the English aristocracy with things like the Duke of Lockwood (my favorite Shupe hero) who shows up to marry a Dollar Princess in order to save his estate (and is rudely awakened to the fact that American politicians are like... less than impressed by a broke duke, lol).

My favorites of hers would be The Prince of Broadway (wild hellion rich girl asks a casino owner to show her the ropes as she wants to open a casino for ladies; he's actually using her for revenge BIG TIME);. The Bride Goes Rogue (a society deb has grown up waiting to marry the man her dad contracted her to wed when she was a baby; after he rudely informs her that he has zero intention of marrying her, she decides to sow her wild oats and goes to a French Ball, which was a real thing, only to have a masked encounter with... that same asshole); and The Duke Gets Even (aforementioned Duke of Lockwood has an oceanic makeout with a skinny dipping lady the night before he's supposed to meet up with the American heiress he's meant to propose to; said heiress turns out to be BFFs with the skinny dipping lady, Nellie, who's a total wild woman and is like FUCK YOU and decides to ruin his life lol).

But they're pretty much all good. Pick a Shupe, any Shupe.

Harper St. George writes Gilded Age romances, though, if I'm being REAL, they're largely solid but I'm not blown away by them. They're a lot tamer than Joanna's books, and less attuned, I've found, to the real FILTH of the world. Plus, they spend more time in England.

Beast by Judith Ivory is a RIDE and it's problematically 90s so I'm not like... recommending it, per se, but if you want to read a book that would honestly be pretty great if not for the orientalist vibes (soooo common in 80s/90s historicals, I'm afraid) it's there. Not really set in America, but very much a Gilded Age book that spends half its pagetime on a LUXURY LINER. The hero is a French prince who's agreed to marry an American rich man's beautiful daughter because the dad has a ton of ambergris and the hero is oBSESSED with perfume production. He overhears the heroine, before they properly meet, talking to this guy about how her future husband is apparently ugly. The hero (who is disabled; he's blind in one eye and has a permanent limp) is very sensitive about his appearance and decides to take revenge by dressing up as a "pasha" and seducing the heroine when it's dark so she can't see his face. This proves to be an issue when they get to France and actually marry, because she's too busy mooning over the "pasha" who deflowered her to get with her husband, who is that same dude and very much in love with her now, lol.

I'm currently reading Lions and Lace by Megan McKinney, which is another old school Gilded Age book (this time set in New York) and... wild. Basically, the hero is a self made man who's looked down upon because he's Irish. His sister has a HORRIBLE experience in high society, and as revenge, he ruins everyone he holds responsible, including the heroine (who actually did nothing wrong but he thinks she did) who he then forces to marry him. Lol. Also he's called "THE PREDATOR" which. INTERESTING.

The heroine's uncle literally ties her the railing on this guy's doorstep so that she's forced to go to his house and marry him (the uncle wants to get his $$$ back) so. You know it's old school. And frankly... I'm not mad at that particular aspect;.

[magicluckystars]

Speaking of ikemen/otome games; I want to ask you about the game you seem to really like; lovebrush chronicles

Tell me all about your faves (and least favourites if you have any), what the suitors are like, do you like how the MC(?) Is written, anything is fair game

first of all, thank you so much for asking!! I rarely get any asks like this so this made me really happy!

To answer your question, the game is about travelling through different universes. (The game's Chinese name literally means "the time travelling painter" or something like that) basically the MC (you) is an art major at this one school on an island, St. Shelter Academia (weird name i know) the MC is also a manga author however, and no one else knows except this one guy (I'll explain more about him later, he doesn't have any routes in the main story but he does in events) the MC created the manga because she's been having dreams about it for a while, but she was getting stuck on the content lately

you also adopt a cat

don't wanna spoil it for you in case you wanna find out for yourself, but stuff happens and you get isekaid to the world. in your manga. There you find out that you've been writing manga about an alternate universe, and the 5 (4?) love interests all play important roles in the story

Basically their country was being terrorized by ice butterflies that freeze everything they touch, so it's a neverending winter there. only the mages can hold the butterflies off but the public doesn't trust them

Now onto the love interests!!

the universe the MC came from is the Modern universe (earth) and the alternate universe is Godheim.

Lars is a wealthy entrepreneur who also happens to be a big fan of your manga (he doesn't know that you wrote it though). He's one of the school's investors.

In Godheim, he's the tyrannical emperor who summons you to that world and says that you're to be his bride.

I don't wanna paint him in a negative light because he's actually very caring and holds family close to his heart, he's also one of the few characters in Godheim that can take a joke lol. basically silly happy emperor actually has trauma. He is also a feminist.

His route is really sweet and pretty good but it wasn't my personal favorite.

Ayn is his cousin. In Godheim, he and clarence have an alliance.

His route has the second-most bad endings. He shares this with Ayn.

He's also the tallest-

Clarence is the student council president who abides by the rules and gets good grades. He's also a law major.

In Godheim, he is the steely cold, merciless Archmage (the leader of all the mages) of Magi Tower. He was the one who did the ritual to summon you, and he was gonna keep you in a bird cage with roses on it but Lars said no so you're allowed to roam the castle but if you make even the tiniest of mistakes BAM. Back in the cage.

Clarence isn't my favorite so I don't know much about him, but he wants you to do well so he tries to push you to do so.

Clarence's Godheim route is the last one, so it's where you uncover the secrets of godheim. I didn't like his route much but I did enjoy seeing his soft side. Also, you get to beat a pervert's ass. And the MC cusses in this route (she says "grade A ass whooping). It's amazing.

His route has the most bad endings.

Ayn is a music major and a freshman like you. He's really popular but also doesn't really like interacting with people, he's very much of an introvert. He can come off as rude but he's just tsundere. he's also a gamer, and a pretty dedicated one at that. He very much believes in tough love. He's not the comforting type.

In Godheim, he is the stubborn leader of the Inquisitors, who basically kill rebels and people who disobey the king. He was originally the crown prince but Lars took it from him (the reason why is a spoiler) and Ayn wants to kill Lars as revenge for that. He's been biding his time in order to do that.

Ayn's route was one of my favorites, it was action-packed yet still soft at the same time. Also, his outfit is 😳

I'm pretty sure his route has the same number of bad endings as lars.

He's the shortest.

Alkaid (my favorite!!) helps you and Ayn in this route.

And now, for my favorite, Alkaid!!

He's the kind upperclassman who helps you get settled at school. He's a junior I think, an astronomy major. He's so sweet I swear to God ❤❤ he has a cat, and your cat and his cat play together often. He likes gardening.

In Godheim, alkaid is the submissive but kind mage assigned to protect you and watch you for clarence. Clarence is his boss. He's one of the most powerful mages in the Magi Tower. Anything else I say will be a spoiler for the entirety of Godheim...

In both universes, even though he is kind and believes in the good of people, he doesn't let himself get walked all over and doesn't hesitate to stand up for others if necessary.

Alkaid's route is tooth-rotting fluff. It's so cute because with your help he finally realizes that he shouldn't be afraid to fight or question authority, and that he can't just let everything happen if there's something he can do. His route is my favorite, next to Ayn. It also has the least amount of bad endings, only two, but let me tell you those two bad endings are soul crushing. I got a bad end on my first playthrough and it RIPPED ME APART.

Last but not least, Cael. If you're into butler type characters then he is for you. Cael is the one who took care of you when your mom died (your dad died when you were like 3).

In Godheim, he is the silver knight leading the rebellion against the emperor.

I don't have much to say on him because he's not my favorite and he doesn't have a route, but he's behind the bigger mysteries in Godheim.

He plays a big role in Lars' route.

after Godheim, you can pick an ending for one suitor where you're both happy together. After that, the next world is Eden but I'm not going to go too much into that because i like godheim more

The mc is gorgeous. Her facial expressions in the cards are everything.

All in all the game's pretty good, but it's not very well-known here so it has a fairly small and non-toxic fandom

In the battles, something called "assist events" can trigger where you have to choose the correct option to get a buff. If you choose the incorrect option then you get a debuff. The voice acting is amazing and the illustrations are really pretty, the soundtrack is beautiful too

Sorry for the word dump ;; I just wrote and wrote and i didn't see how big it got 😅

Hope this answered your question!! lots of platonic kisses and i hope you're doing well <33

[drgrlfriend]

Fic Writer's Showcase Game

I was tagged by @there-must-be-a-lock - thanks!

Rules: Go to your published works on AO3 and list the first fic you ever published there, the last fic you published, any fic that you wrote for a fandom/ship only once, your favorite fic you wrote in the fandom/ship that has the most works, the fic you wish more people read, the fic you agonized over the most, the fic that sprang fully formed from your mind without any effort, and a work you are proud of—for whatever reason. <3

First Fic: Full Circle

So, this is how I got into writing fanfic. Someone on a non-fandom message board I was on was a big fan of fanfiction, and I thought, "Wow, I haven't thought about fanfiction since my X-Files days! I wonder what it's like now?" I went to FFN (this was pre-AO3) and the top fandom was Pirates of the Caribbean, which I didn't know much about, and I think the second top was High School Musical, and the third was X-Men. So I read some X-Men stories, especially Wolverine/Rogue, and one of them was a very compelling story about pregnancy loss which ended with a very ambivalent ending -- basically, a phone ringing and you don't know if the character will pick up. My friends, I COULD NOT SLEEP. I had experienced a pregnancy loss in the prior year, and I *had* to write a happy ending to this story. In retrospect, it was the RUDEST thing but I was new to fandom and I didn't know anything. I wrote it in an email and then eventually sent it to the author like a cat dropping a dead mouse in her lap, and she was very kind and encouraged me to post it. And that was ::checks notes:: at least a decade ago. Yikes.

Last Fic:

Chrome-Plated Heart Technically a WIP but it's all completed and is just posting twice a week until it's done. A Winterhawk Marvel Pacific Rim AU.

One-Hit Fandom:

Hope

I am kind of a serial fandom monogamist and once I'm in a fandom I tend to linger for a few years, so I only have one one-off in the Cabin Pressure fandom and it's more of a ficlet. A little Douglas Richardson & Martin Crieff cutscene from St. Petersburg. I don't even know their portmanteau!

Favorite Fic in the Fandom with the Most Works:

Lucky in Love

Wow, I had to check but I'm actually now tied for fandoms -- Marvel and Teen Wolf both have 18 fics each. So, I'll go with Marvel, and Lucky in Love, my first Winterhawk fic. I think it's rare to write a fic and then not want to change much about it a few years down the road, but I still reread this one from time to time and I still really like it! Fic I Wish More People Read:

Quriosity

Hmmm. It seems greedy to say so because it got a great reception, both within the 00Q fandom and just objectively in terms of number of hits, etc., but I feel like there's not as much crossover between the Bond fandoms and others I'm in, so if there's one fic of mine I would encourage people to take a chance and try if they know me from Marvel or Teen Wolf fandoms it's this one. There's a lot of fics in my repertoire that have themes of touch starvation / touch aversion but this one is the mostest.

Fic I Agonized Over the Most:

Freedom's Reach

I'm tempted to say the current fic I'm writing (my selkie!Bucky MTH2022 fic) but I think that's just a tendency to think whatever you're writing now is putting up the hardest fight. Freedom's Reach is my Winterhawk historical AU (e.g. American Civil War era) with mail order bride, and I don't know what I was thinking to write 1.) Inherently uneven power dynamic, which is something I typically dislike 2.) In an era I know nothing about 3.) Requiring frequent misunderstandings which I typically dislike. My poor beta @kangofu-cb is a saint for all the whining and self-doubt she had to put up with as I wondered whether I was walking all those lines.

Fic that Sprang Fully Formed: For Everything There is a Season

So, Google tells me that the Four Seasons Total Landscaping debacle happened on November 7th, 2020, which means that within the week I had started posting this fic, and I'm pretty sure I wrote it in one evening. What can I say, I was inspired to think of ... Pierce ... and his ... Restore America's Glory supporters ... getting a pile of manure dumped on him. Go figure.

Proud of for Whatever Reason:

Pretty When You Cry

I am NOT good at writing short, capture-a-pivotal-moment-and-let-it-speak-for-itself fics. As the length of this post attests, I am a prototypical ADHD overexplainer. This fic managed to be short and sweet and intensely smutty but with all the feels somehow crammed in. And then, to overexplain, I had to do a second chapter from the other POV but I like how (to me at least) it doesn't feel repetitive or boring; it's the same events and dialogue but the internal narrative is so different it's still interesting. So, yeah, smutty little feels fic with Winterhawk failing a one-night-stand, check it out. I think between nox and lou most of the Winterhawk regulars already got tagged, so I'm tagging outside the fandom or people I haven't caught up with in awhile so, um ... @flamingo-queen-writes , @drunktuesdays , @pantstomatch, @shatteredhourglass, @1000-directions ... and anyone who wants to do this; I haven't been online for a bit so I'm sure I missed a bunch!

[solpadeinedelusions]

hi, my name's hanna, i'm 17 and i'm from northern poland. i go to the third best high school in my voivodeship (i'm in a bio-chem-eng class), i will be graduating in may 2026. my dream is to be either a pediatrician working for msf, or an archeologist, or a marine biologist, or a teacher, or a writer, or i actually have no idea

languages i speak/am learning( ^ω^ )

polish(native), english(c1), german(a2), czech, french, swedish, japanese, russian

what i like (*^▽^*)

anime/manga: attack on titan, monster, evangelion, nana, junji ito's work, studio ghibli, jojo

music: mcr, nirvana, green day, msi, hole, bikini kill, hanabie, babymetal, the cure, the smiths, joy division, malice mizer, moi dix mois, strawberry switchblade

literature: Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Daphne du Maurier, Agatha Christie, Sylvia Plath, Huxley

history, ancient and 2ww

my job (waaah i can't work in winter)

school!

shows/movies: the craft, gurl interrupted, tue, st, derry girls, sherlock bbc, skins, edward scissorhands, corpse bride, the nightmare before christmas, addmas family, perfect days

今度は今度、今は今

[zenlesszonezero]

As the conspiracy reaches its finale, the Void Hunter joins the fight.

Uncover the Conspiracy in Zenless Zone Zero's All-New Version "A Storm of Falling Stars", S-Rank Agent Hoshimi Miyabi is here! With S-Rank Agent Asaba Harumasa Limited-Time Giveaway! Pre-register to obtain additional rewards.

[werdlewrites]

masterlist - ao3 - kofi - twitter @djomamma

show support through likes, comments, and reblogs!

summary: Steve had said things would get worse with secrecy and lies, but Hopper can’t stomach the look in her eyes when he strips away the only life she had ever known. Parents she may or may not remember, and how she wound up beneath someone else's roof. His heart is already racing with anticipation from what he’s about to do, fingers tight and trembling around a file until it crinkles. He sits in silence at their small table, elbows hoisted up with fingers tangling in his mess of hair as he stares down at the bold, printed words at the top of the paper. Temporary Guardianship Agreement. warnings: parental abandonment?? mentions of death, mentions of foster care wc: 3,024

MCKAY-HOLBROOK 1961

"By a ceremony performed Saturday evening, June 24th, by Rev. Charles O’Connell at 234 Washington St, Columbus, Indiana, Miss Lynn Joy Holbrook and Mr. Warren Don Mckay, were married. The bride wore an ivory dress with lace throughout. The groom wore two-toned ivory white and midnight blue trousers in compliments to the bouquet. The bride and groom will be celebrating at the groom's family home with few guests."

Hard-working hands have dried as they sift through delicate and aged papers. History is inked in the newspaper for all to bear witness. No one would care about the small print; they would flip to the next page, where more important articles awaited them in long paragraphs. Times changing, big events yet to come for readers or receiving a summarized version of what's already passed. But to him, this tiny article was everything. He stood on a rotted bridge above treacherous waters, planks falling away with every moment spent in the unknown. Never knowing where to turn until taking that leap of faith, only to have the wood crack and send him back toward safety. Now, he had names. Names to give the faces that smiled on splotchy brown paper, unaware they were being photographed in the courthouse. Hopper was closer than he had ever been—the end of this bridge in sight, where a new world awaited him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Eugene and Ruth Mckay are the parents of a son born Monday, April 5th, 1937, at The Birthing Center at Columbus Regional Hospital."

There’s a small stack dedicated to the boy. Birth, achievements, and changes in life, including his marriage to Lynn. His parents had been proud enough to pay for small spots in the paper, putting their only child on a pedestal for all to see. A man dedicated to education, pursuing a career on that very path despite the low pay. You could see him smiling in front of the class as he tutored young minds. The very school he worked for earning a place in the local paper for high praise. However, a darker turn awaits at the end for the boy named Warren. His father, Eugene, dies of a sudden heart attack in 1964 while working in the factories. A large funeral is held for a gone man, seemingly well-loved and dearly missed. Jim can barely make out the faces in the crowd—a shorter woman with a tissue concealing her face—while her son and daughter-in-law stand just beside the grieving widow. Everything seems to go silent after that. There are no more reports; safe for the one article to come years later, the couple already long gone from their quiet home. His wife offers even less help, though it’s intriguing enough.

"Lynn Joy Holbrook, born Monday, February 21st, 1938, at Trinity Health Birth Center, in Grand Rapids, Michigan."

There’s no mention of her parents or explanation as to why she wound up in Indiana. There were no achievements or events in her family name until her sister, Beverley Holbrook, makes a declaration of her disappearance in 1958. It’s a plea for her safe return, should she have been taken away. She was unaware that her baby sister was building a new life in a different state, and no one bothered to seek closure for the hole she left behind. There are no mentions of a child being born, though evidence in a stolen Polaroid proves otherwise— - keeping the joy to themselves, with purpose. He sees more of her in their faces—nearly identical to the woman with few features gifted by a father. It’s a deep and tangled web of mystery, eating away at his mind as the spiders crawl along for a feast. When and where did Ian Reid or Dr. Brenner come into play? Warren had no siblings to entrust his daughter to, and Beverly remained behind in Michigan with her husband, Mick— most likely even unaware there had been a niece to dote upon. And right now, he wasn’t about to show up on a stranger's doorstep with good news, handing the girl over and leaving unknowing of her fate. But he did need to do something.

The paperwork is abandoned in his truck, locked up with only one key to get in or out. It had become the safest place to keep prying eyes away from his research, no matter if it involved her or not. Steve had said things would get worse with secrecy and lies, but Hopper can’t stomach the look in her eyes when he strips away the only life she had ever known. Parents she may or may not remember, and how she wound up beneath someone else's roof. His heart is already racing with anticipation from what he’s about to do, fingers tight and trembling around a file until it crinkles. He sits in silence at their small table, elbows hoisted up with fingers tangling in his mess of hair as he stares down at the bold, printed words at the top of the paper.

Temporary Guardianship Agreement

It’s not been discussed—not even a whisper. Autumn had said he needed to figure something out, and this was it. Legally, she still needed someone to shelter and guide her. Someone to make sure schoolwork was done and keep her far from a rebellious path. He pictures the fear in her face as she’s carted away once again, forcing her to surrender to the foster care system. She’ll bounce around. Back and forth between families until she falls numb to abandonment, receiving little love and unable to give it back. The word would have become foreign. Then, she’ll turn eighteen and be cast out into the wilderness. Wolves either devour her whole as she moves on unsteady feet, or she takes the pain to become part of the pack. Unrecognizable to not only others that once knew her but to herself. Hopper had been there when she needed him, and he would be damned if he left her now.

He can hear the roar of an engine in the distance—slow-moving tires as they creep up onto the cabin. In such a quiet place, it’s enough to pull him back into reality. He checks his watch, and the time reads 3:46 p.m. School had just gotten out, and with strict orders to come straight back to the cabin, the timing matches. Just like the day before. Only this time, there’s no comfort in her return—only dread. She’s racing up the steps, eager to be freed of the cold winds, and sit right by the fireplace, homework in hand. But she spots his disheveled state, slowly easing off her coat with a weary look in her eye.

“Hi,” she greets in an uncertain tone, testing the waters before she dares to inch closer. The officer can’t even bring himself to reply, only nodding in acknowledgment of her arrival. The discomfort is hard to miss. “What’s-whats up?”

His body shifts then. Arms crossing over the table as he leans into it, obscuring the paperwork between them. “Nothing,” he sighs out. “Just, uh, just a long day.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, but something remained hidden nonetheless, and Autumn seems to notice.

She mouths an “Okay” as she continues to wade through shallow waters, not yet confident enough to swim and meet him at the depths. But the girl looks at him as she fusses over her bag, trying to appear casual, but the raging waves are difficult to ignore. She braces for impact. “Are you sure?” Blue eyes look up to her again, and he wears a forced smile. Nothing like what she had seen on their shopping spree, and certainly not similar to the one he wore next to Joyce. She teeters around it, sensing danger far worse than blackened waters. “What’s that you got there?” His attention is snapping back down to the papers, his heart racing, and leaving him too sick to speak. “Important cop business?” She’s trying to lighten the mood. Hoping to ease the wrath of Poseidon so that they may be spared.

“Uh, no, actually,” his words come out soft, and pained. There is no liferaft to be seen as he dives headfirst, accepting what’s to come. “It’s our business.” He pulls back to reveal the file, though she’s still too far away to know what it all means. A hand lazily gestures towards the chair just across from him, asking for her to sit.

She elects to let him drown. Arms crossed with a head held high to avoid the rising tides. “I’ll stand, thanks.”

Her stubborn attitude has an open hand tighten into a fist, a heavy sigh of defeat falling from his chest. Would he ever be ready for this? “Look, uh,” the words are building up in his throat, creating a blockade he has to either choke down or spew across the table for another breath. “Your dad’s been gone for a while.” The girl’s weight shifts from one leg to the other, her tongue pressed to the inside of her cheek. “Y’know, eventually his absence will get brought up. The school making phone calls, but never hearing anything back. Not showing up for parent-teacher conferences.”

“What’s your point?” She bites back. Somehow he can sense that she already knows what’s just over the horizon, yet she can’t bring herself to voice it out loud.

“My point is… I don’t want t’see you wind up in some stranger’s house.” She’s chewing at her lip anxiously, a deep, unsteady breath filling her lungs, preparing for what awaits her as the level threatens to rise above her.

“Don’t want to? Or can’t?” She questions.

The quiet cabin is suddenly flipped by the loud squeak of a chair sliding across the wood. His haste in closing their distance is almost alarming, leaving her to flinch but keep a steady gaze on him. “Look, kid, this ain’t no walk in the park. This isn’t your two-story, white picket fence home. It’s cramped, and isolated, and maybe you feel out of place. But that man is still out there, and if there’s the slimmest chance that I can protect you here, I’m going t’take it. So, no, I don’t want to.” Her focus hasn’t broken, though the lines of his face begin to blur. Wrinkles of stress and sleepless eyes blend together in a haze. The pleading in his tone is all she needs. Drinking in his ache, while her own heart slowly dies. “If you want t’risk it, you have t’tell me. But I can’t protect you out there.”

A shaken breath falls, unaware she had been holding it hostage. Without another word being spared between the two, cautious steps carry her away from Hopper and towards the table. Autumn is far too fearful to get too close, merely leaning in as if the paper would somehow wound her. She blinks frantically to clear her sight, letting fresh tears fall as she reads the title in bold. She’s grateful but can’t ignore the heartbreak, growing necrotic inside and withering away with a gust of wind. In a fury, her coat is pulled back into her arms—keys still in hand as she rushes past him. “I need t’go.”

“Autumn-”

“Hopper,” she warns with a fiery look in her eyes, a pointed finger held between the two. The girl seems unaware of the flickering lights from within, though he can’t help but look around the small room in worry. “I-I need t’go. I just need t’breathe.”

He towers before her with fists at his sides, fighting back the instinct to pull her back into safety. “Where will you go?” Glossy eyes flicker around the room in thought, before Jonathan’s name fumbles out of her mouth in a lie. Hopper is reluctant to let her go, but with Joyce there to watch out for her where he couldn’t, he ultimately agrees. Just before she’s gone from the threshold, he manages to slip the walkie-talkie in her hold. It was a miracle that she even allowed him that peace of mind. “If anything happens on the way.”

Autumn hardly remembers the drive as she escapes into the evening. Her thoughts spiral, distracting enough to nearly end in a fender-bender. The aggravated voice of the driver ahead manages to spike already high stress levels, and she elects to seek shelter somewhere nearby while the storm settles. A quiet diner—one she’s all too familiar with from previous visits. It’s just before dinner, and she knows this peace won’t last long, so she’s quick to grab a seat and plant herself there until her ass is numb and her legs forget to work. Long after a slowly enjoyed meal, despite the unsettling nausea. In her haste, she's abandoned homework at the cabin and is left to the lonesome of her mind. Thoughts were screaming loud enough to drown out the chitchat around her or the clank of silverware. It renders her frozen in time—dissociated as vacant eyes stare down at a half-eaten meal of sandwich and fries. The tsunami has followed her out of that cabin, crashing into her and leaving her bones to ache. Autumn is logical; she’s aware this won’t kill her, but it’s the journey out of harm's way she struggles to cope with. Her father was out there and very much alive. Possibly even far from Hawkin’s. Another state entirely. She digs away at the flesh of her lip, picturing his lies as he dresses himself in a lab coat with no car oil or grease to dirty his skin. Not the blue-collar lifestyle he claimed to live. She was more than just logical; she was goddamn gullible.

She conjures up an image of that man at his side. A sickening smile on his face as the screams of children rang out in her mind. He calls himself a stranger, but somehow, she knows it’s more than that.

There’s a commotion just next to her as the empty stool is filled, her body reacting on impulse to escape, though settling once she registers the new company. Heather sits with a duffle bag slung across the counter, a smile quickly vanishing into a look of concern. “You look like shit.”

A relieved sigh falls through, eyes now studying the mirror just across, almost anticipating to find that man in the reflection. “Thanks.”

“No,” the girl blurts out, now frustrated with herself. “I-I didn’t mean like that. I just meant-”

“I know what you meant.” Autumn humors, the faintest smile at the corner of her lips. “I do look like shit.” They fall into a brief silence. Autumn finds comfort in having someone familiar nearby, while Heather mentally kicks herself, lost on how to continue. “Aren’t you,” Autumn begins, now twirling the base of a tall glass across the surface. “Aren’t you supposed t’be, I don’t know, fighting monsters with Eddie?”

The girl at her side makes a face, her eyes narrowed. “I don’t just play Dungeons and Dragons, y’know. I have things.” Autumn spares a look of doubt, a single brow raised to lure out the truth. “Besides, everyone’s busy.” She mumbles, almost too embarrassed to admit that if it were any other day, she would have been at the game table. There’s a huff of amusement, and focus is redirected to stir the milkshake. Heather seems to notice how her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “What’s wrong? Aside from your questionable taste in drinks in winter.”

Finally, the joy shifts and appears more sincere. Though she doesn’t take the playful bait laid out for her. “Just-just shit. Family shit.”

Heather holds out a hand for pause, a look of genuine sympathy in her eyes. “Say no more. I’m familiar with ‘family shit.” Somehow, Autumn doubts that.

Heather begins flipping through the plastic menu, humming to herself, and Autumn can’t help but wonder if she’s set up for the long haul. Ready to dine with a friend. “So, are we running away from family shit?”

The girl snorts, finding her appetite with a distracted mind, helping herself to room-temperature fries and a slow-melting drink. She mumbles around the straw,

“Nowhere t’run to.”

Heather scoffs at her pessimism, waving a hand in her direction. “There’s plenty t’run to. Chicago? Maybe go swim with some sharks in Florida? That’ll get your mind off it.”

“Sounds like you’ve thought some things through.”

Their eyes meet, and the girl wears a small smile. The menu is folded back up and pushed to the side. “Doesn’t everyone think about traveling? Seeing more than just Hawkins, even if it’s temporary.” The teen locks eyes with the waitress, and a silent conversation is had, nodding in acknowledgment before she dips into the back, the door swinging as she leaves. “We talked about making it big in the cities. Big cities. Like New York, or something.” Autumn can see the way her focus flickers out. A light in her eyes shifts and sways as she dances through a future of wants and desires. All before she plummets back to reality. “Can’t leave my mom behind, though. Plus, I’m not gettin’ very far on a bike.”

Her face contorts in amusement, just at the edge of laughter. “Mom doesn’t want t’move t’New York?”

“My mom? She’d have a heart attack.”

They linger in the moment. Hearts suddenly warmed and troubles were forgotten—at least forgotten enough to enjoy the company. Heather swivels impatiently on the stool, her eyes locked on the metal door that remains still. The shouts of the cooks and the waitress were heard booming just beyond the wall. “You got plans tonight?”

“Other than plotting my escape into the big beyond? Not really.”

Heather nods along in understanding, her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth. “I’m waiting for my mom’s food. I was going t’head home and, I don’t know, probably get up t’no good. You want t’come?”

Autumn isn’t sure if she means it. Whether they’ll wind up with red and blue lights flashing at their backs, or if it’s as simple as watching a movie. But she’s desperate, and takes the offer with an eager, “Abso-fucking-lutely.”