#that was fun gang!! thanks for comin along for the ride

[kendelias]

OC HALLOWEEN: day thirty-one → my horror academia

as members of the most esteemed hero school in japan, the no hero squad (childhood best friends iyu chinen, mana aiuchi, and kichirou watanabe) should be having an easy life right about now - that is, until it’s anything but. when hero kids start disappearing and no one seems to care, it’s up to them to pick up the pieces and put them together - along with some friends, including hard-working suri hasemi, whose grades are being greatly disrupted by all the murdering, and star future hero damien king, a loveable dumb jock with a heart of gold who’s just really worried about the kids! together, they have to solve the mystery of who (or what) is out to get the hero kids, starting with top suspect rafael sanchez... the u.a. traitor.

BONUS:

ALWAYS TAG LIST: @bravelittleflower​ @richitozier​ @julianblackthcrns​ @foxesandmagic​ @anotherunreadblog​ @ochub​ @pock-galliard​ @loveallthatjazz @fiercefray @delicateblackrose @eddysocs​ @ocappreciationtag @notanannoyingfangirl @raith-way @noratilney @phoebestarks @ocfairygodmother @stanshollaand (want to be added? just shoot me an ask!)

NOTE: damien and rafael are shared with @oc-daydreams​!

[werewolfsquadron]

Hey! You’re my fav rdr fanfic writer. Got any recs now that I’ve worked my way through everything you’ve written! Thanks!

oh gosh, yeah do I have fic recs (and thank you for your kind words about my fics)! Fics are in the order they are in my bookmarks, so they’re pretty much in reverse chronological order. I’ve tagged those authors whom I know are on tumblr, but I’m sure there are others that are here that I just don’t know about. 

Morston:

Blackwater - gaslight (@gaslightwestern on tumblr): Noir AU, ongoing but almost finished. Arthur is a private detective, John is a bar owner during prohibition that hires Arthur to look into a murder. Does a super impressive job of capturing the noir tone in writing while not being cheesy about it. Lots of intrigue, mystery, and also Arthur and John being lovable dumbasses. John manages to be a homme fatale while also being his normal impulsive, dumbass self. 

Hard times come again no more - dilangley: Arthur survives the end of RDR2, and encounters John again while John is in Mexico during the events of RDR1. Complete. Really unique for Morston in that it takes place when both characters are older, and really well done. You get to watch Arthur and John build a life together, and survive what would normally be the end of their stories. The epilogue made me cry.  

I’m a Rover - anotherbird (@the-other-bird on tumblr): I’m a sucker for a post Blessed Are the Peacemakers fics and this is no different. After being suck in camp healing, Arthur decides to go for a ride and John refuses to let him go alone. Oneshot, so complete. Lots of feelings, and Arthur and John being unable to communicate them to each other because they have no emotional literacy. It’s wonderful. 

Hell Be Comin’ Round That Mountain - moonoverwings: There’s a frustrating lack of trans Arthur content in general, but especially with Morston, and this is one of the few, if not the only, fics I’ve found that just nails it. It’s ongoing and hasn’t been updated in a bit, so could be abandoned, but what’s there is great and still worth reading. Characters are well written with great characterization, and they really nail the “idiots in love” trope with these two. 

Golden day blues - Yuu_chi: Reincarnation AU where John tracks Arthur down after they’ve both been reincarnated into the modern day. Complete. Lots of complicated feelings and struggling with being alive, and the boys fistfight and fuck to deal with it. It’s good. 

Nothin’ - helvel: helvel’s got a bunch of great fics, but this is one of my favs. Modern AU where the boys are resting out in a shitty motel room after Blackwater, and things progress from there. Oneshot, so complete. It’s the unsaid and implied emotions, both good and bad, that really make this one for me. 

All of Them Wolves - thegoodreverend: AU where Arthur got out of the life earlier, and is living a peaceful life as a trapper up until John shows up in his house. Complete. Not only is this fic emotion heavy and full of the good feelings, but it’s got some excellent banter and John and Arthur feel in character throughout, even though they haven’t met each other before in this AU. This fic is definitely one of my favs. 

Charthur:

Lost Country - iridan: A coffee shop AU with a twist. Finished relatively recently. Characters are all so well written, and it doesn’t shy away from the darker or heavier parts of their characters. Arthur is a bartender/reluctant barista at Dutch’s bar/coffee shop, and Charles is a long haul trucker that’s started getting coffee there in the mornings. Arthur owns a small ranch and has a collection of rescue horses, and it’s wonderful. 

Come and Lay by My Side - boldlygoingnowherefast: When things start going downhill, Charles convinces Arthur to leave the gang with him just before the bank robbery. Complete. Some wonderful Charthur moments, but also looks into why leaving the gang would be so damn hard for Arthur. 

Up Strawberry Way - grantaire_dont_care: Charles and Arthur go on a hunting trip that doesn’t go as planned when they get discovered by O’Driscolls. Complete. I’m a sucker for hurt/comfort, and this has that in spades. Plus some great Charthur moments, especially in terms of having someone who actually cares about Arthur being there when he’s hurt. 

Out of the Dark - sky_daybreak (@shady-tavern on tumblr): A time travel fix-it where Arthur gets a chance to start over and try and fix the events of the game (and, y’know, get together with Charles). Complete. Not only does it have so many wonderful moments and heart-to-hearts, but also doesn’t try to pretend that everything can be fix. Some things still go wrong, but there’s happier endings for a vast number of characters, and Arthur gets to see much of his family safe on a ranch together. 

Dust and Devils (On My Conscience) - catwrites: An AU where Charles is a werewolf. Oneshot. I’m a sucker for the supernatural, of course, so this is one of my favs. Charles is keeping his werewolf status a secret, but Arthur finds out early in the fic, and that influences and colors what’s to come. 

Scars Are For the Living - alliancedogtags: AU where Arthur is shot in the final mission instead, and Charles comes back for him. Complete. Found this originally when I had just beaten the game and was looking for AUs similar to what I already had in my head for BALTWIO, just to see if someone had already done it. Arthur isn’t shot by Dutch in this one, but he does get brought to Charlotte’s place. Lots of sweet moments and that good hurt/comfort, and Charles and Arthur get to live a happy life together, which is the important thing.

gen or other ships:

Blessed Are the Hearts that Bend (They Shall Not Be Broken) - Disishistory: During Blessed Are the Peacemakers, Hosea goes after Arthur when he doesn’t show up after the meeting with Colm, and Micah tags along, which goes about as well as you might expect. Complete. Plenty of tension and hurt, but also has those comfort elements and found family feelings.

Soldier, Poet, King - nerdytf84fan: A long fic that looks at the early years of the gang, from just after Dutch picks up Arthur to, more recently, John’s introduction to the gang and Arthur’s breakup with Mary. Ongoing, but has been pretty steady in terms of updates. As with every fic on this list, the characters are well written and feel like themselves. Also full of found family feelings. 

Quest for Arcadia - nerdyft84fan: An Arthur/Albert Mason modern AU fic, where Albert visits Alaska for a photography project and ends up meeting Arthur, who has recently gotten out of prison after taking the fall for one of the gang’s crimes. Complete, and has a second fic full of (relatively) low stakes stories about the epilogue of the fic. Full of both really sweet moments and really heartbreaking moments. Albert still, even in a modern AU, finds himself getting into trouble with the Alaskan wilderness.

If Your Well is Empty - pipdepop (@pipdepop on tumblr): All of pipdepop’s fics are wonderful and definitely worth a read, but this and the second fic in the same series are some of my favorites. When Arthur’s hurting after Eliza and Isaac’s death, Hosea brings home a coonhound puppy to help ease the hurt. Complete, since it’s a oneshot. I’m a sucker for Copper fics, and this one is no different. Plenty of puppy shenanigans, but also some really heartbreaking moments that Copper helps resolve and turn towards healing. 

Nothing But A Note In A Symphony - pipdepop: A post Peacemakers fic, where we see each gang member’s thoughts throughout the worst of Arthur’s recovery. Complete. Really heartbreaking at moments, but ultimately really sweet, especially since it ends with a really nice Arthur & John moment, and has a follow up tag about Hosea and Arthur. 

Birdshot & Bone - magistrate: John and Arthur try to rob some O’Driscolls, and it does not go well. John breaks his leg, Arthur gets shot, and they get captured. Complete. I’m constantly in awe of magistrate’s characterization, and this has that plus all that wonderful hurt/comfort goodness. Plenty of John and Arthur arguing but ultimately caring about one another.

A Matter of Preservation - charlock221 (@charlock221 on tumblr): An Arthur/Albert Mason fic where Arthur agrees to be a bodyguard for Albert. Complete. Lots of wonderful Arthur and Albert moments, but also some tension as well. Includes hurt/comfort flavor later on in the fic. 

Brothers - gaslight: To borrow the fic’s summary, explores John growing up but from Arthur’s perspective. Complete. Really gets in deep with all those complicated emotions of the early years of the gang—from Dutch’s manipulation and Arthur’s feeling put to the side to the way Arthur and John absolutely would die for each other. Plus, there’s John being an absolute wild child which is always a fun ride, especially when you see how that carries into his adulthood. 

sorry about the wait! life has been ridiculous and I only now had time to go back through my bookmarks. I’m sure, too, that there are some fics out there that I’ve loved that I just forgot to bookmark, so don’t take this as an exhaustive list. and then, lastly, anyone should feel free to reblog this and add on their own recs—this list is just my taste, but I’m sure there are plenty of other wonderful fics that I either forgot to bookmark, never saw, or just didn’t check out in the first place because I wasn’t in the right headspace at the time. 

[anari3l]

stirrings

WORDS: 2249 /// PAIRING: Arthur Morgan x Reader (Harlow as surname) /// Part of ongoing fic, Humors of Whiskey /// also posted on AO3

Humors of Whiskey [1] [2] [3] /// Wildflowers [1] [2]  

“Barnaby.” 

The dappled grey Norfolk Roadster whickered, bobbing his head up and down as you said the name, a large smile on your face. 

“Barnaby.” Arthur’s voice held a hint of amusement, almost a laugh, as he repeated the name. The stablehand smiled brightly, leading the horse towards the center of the stable.

“I like it,” you hummed, taking the reins from the stable hand and leading your brand new horse out to the sunny Valentine street. “Doesn’t he look like a Barnaby?”

“If y’say so,” Arthur hummed, cigarette between his lips. 

“Take care now!” the stablehand bidded as you left the building.

The Norfolk had put you back almost $200. Plus a brand new saddle, blanket, tack, and saddlebags.  You had lost the saddle, and all the gear as well when you left Eugene, nursing a dislocated shoulder on the back of Arthur’s horse, and since then, had been borrowing horses from the camp or riding with Arthur into town when needed. You missed the freedom of having your own horse, however. Since you had turned sixteen, you had always had your own horse to care for. 

“Thank you, Arthur,” you started, petting your hand along Barnaby’s neck. 

“Quit thankin’ me. I ain’t done nothin’.”

You smiled, running your hand over Barnaby’s neck some more, fingers toying with his long mane. “You helped me, patched me up when I hurt my shoulder, took care of Eugene … brought me into town, so I could buy a horse. You’ve helped plenty.”

“Agh, that ain’t worth thankin’ me for,” he groaned, running a hand up into his hair as he removed his hat. 

You sighed, pulling yourself into your saddle, adjusting the skirt you wore as you settled, reins in hand. “When are you gonna realize you’re a good man, Arthur. I mean, even as kids you always kicked yourself.”

“Maybe one day.”

He looked away, down to his hands holding the reins as Calliope shifted beneath him, hoofing at the dirt. You could see the self deprecation oozing off his shoulders as he sat in the saddle.

“One day, I’ll make you realize it,” you groaned, kicking Barnaby into a trot. “I’ll meet ya back at camp.”

***

“Miss Harlow!”

You jumped, shifting to lean against your arm as you looked over your shoulder. You had been quietly reading a book against a tree, Jack sitting beside you making flower chains. Miss Grimshaw was striding forward, the stern look of your mother figure ever recognizable. She rarely used your name; you had grown used to her calling you dear or dearie, and the mere sound of it always had you at attention. 

“Yes, Miss Grimshaw?”

The stern gaze lessened, her features softening as she neared, looking down to you with a small smile. “Dutch wants to speak with you, dear,” she smiled, running a hand over Jack’s hair as he held a flower chain up to her.

“Thank you, Mister Marston,” she smiled, bending at the waist to accept the gift. 

“Miss Harlow’s got one too!” Jack smiled. “And I made one for momma!”

“Go on, then,” you smiled, urging the child in the direction of camp. “Your momma’s gonna love it.”

You rose to your feet, watching Jack run off to Abigail as Miss Grimshaw tutted. “Off with you, now,” she urged. 

You smiled, and headed for Dutch’s tent. Arthur, Bill, and Charles were sitting around outside, listening as Dutch spoke, cigar in hand. 

“Mornin’ boys,” you smiled, folding the book into your hands as you stepped up. 

“Ah, our little doe, Miss Harlow,” Dutch smiled. “The mastermind for this robbery!”

“You found this out?” Bill asked a bit incredulously. You had grown used to the men viewing you as nothing more than a wash maid over the years. Dutch knew better. You may have worn a skirt, but you were just as valuable as an enforcer and scout as Arthur and Charles. 

“Yes I did,” you hummed, jutting your chin up. “Ready to head out?”

“You would be correct, dear,” Dutch smiled. “Good luck. I trust you can handle these men.”

Charles and Arthur smirked as they stood, starting for their horses. You met Bill’s eyes, smiling as you stepped past, setting your book on the camp table. “Of course I can, Dutch!” you smiled back to the gang leader. “Keep up, Williamson!” 

Arthur helped you onto his horse, settling you behind him on the saddle. “So, how do you want to play this?” 

You glanced over to Charles and Bill. “The man who gave me the information said it’d be guarded pretty well,” you started. “I’ll play the damsel, get them to stop, and you three take out the guards.”

“How much is supposed to be on this coach?” Bill asked over his shoulder.

 “It’s payroll for some shipping company in Saint Denis,” you answered. “Driving through the Heartlands to Lemoyne. From the sounds of it: a lot. Should be able to catch it just over the state line.”

“When the shootin’ starts --” Arthur started.

“Run for cover. I know,” you interjected with a scoff. “This ain’t my first robbery, Arthur.”

You felt him chuckle, your hands placed on his sides to steady you in the saddle. “No, it ain’t.” 

The hill you stopped on overlooked a main road, the Lemoyne state sign off to your left. You dropped from Arthur’s horse, stepping up to the ridge as you looked up the road. “Alright, boys, they’re comin’ through,” you hummed, turning and smiling to the men. “Wish me luck!” 

***

“I got a girl in Berryville! Can’t be screwed cuz she’s too damn ill! I don’t go down there no more. There’s a blue horse laying outside her door!” 

You smiled brightly, leaning into Karen’s side as the two of you sat on the log in front of the fire, both of you leaning heavily against the other, a bottle of whiskey being passed between the two of you. Your voices were loud enough to be heard throughout camp, but somehow, even in the drunken haze the two of you had fallen into, the others hadn’t told you to shut the hell up. Yet.

You and the boys had returned that afternoon after robbing the payroll stage, pockets full and a smile gracing Bill Williamson’s face as he admitted you did a good job. 

It was Karen’s bright idea to drink and have fun. It had been a while, and you agreed it had to help lift the camp’s spirits somewhat, especially when Trelawney’s information about Sean being moved by bounty hunters had entered the camp gossip stream earlier that day. 

“No, no!” you laughed, waving a hand in front of your face as you screwed up the line, laughing raucously with Karen. “I got a girl in Berryville!”

“Can’t get it in cuz she won’t stay still!” Karen finished before taking another deep swig of whiskey.

Arthur sighed, leaning on his elbows at the wooden table. The poker game had dissolved almost an hour ago, cards and chips stowed away. Dutch’s tent had been closed, but the lamp was still lit, and those still awake lazed around the fires, watching the stars. “Shut them up, please,” John sighed as he landed in the seat beside Arthur. 

“Give it a try,” Arthur smirked, turning from watching your duet with Karen. “You and I both know that bottle will be thrown at our heads.”

“It’s one in the mornin’,” John groaned, leaning against the table. 

Arthur groaned, pushing from the table with an agreeing nod. “Alright, alright,” he waved Marston off as he stood. 

You were practically laying against Karen’s shoulder, watching the dying fire as you sang mismatched verses of O, Mollie. 

“They say I drink whiskey, my money’s my own! And them that don’t like me can leave me alone … ” You laughed, hiccupping into your hand as Karen hummed along.

“Alright, ladies,” Arthur’s voice startled you as he stepped up, reaching for the bottle of whiskey in your hand. “It’s gettin’ real late.”

“I’ll eat when I’m hungry,” you carried on, a large smile on your face, hand tightening on the bottle of whiskey as he tried to take it away. “I’ll drink when I’m dry! And when I get thirsty ... “ you trailed off, watching as Arthur successfully pried the bottle from your hand and dropped it to the ground. “I’ll … I … forgot the words ...”

Arthur laughed, ducking his head with a small shake of disbelief as he watched you look around your seat for something your drunken brain made up. Karen hiccupped beside you, pushing to her feet. “Goodnight, Mister Morgan!” she smiled, voice much louder than normal, as she leaned into his side and bopped her finger to his nose. “Goodnight!” 

Arthur caught her around the waist as she stepped by, guiding her until she started to walk towards her tent. “Alright, come on,” he started, reaching down for your arm. 

You stumbled as you got to your feet, leaning against his chest with a hand laid over his suspender strap. “I think … I’m drunk,” you laughed, pushing off of Arthur as you tried to step away. 

Arthur’s arm wrapped around you. “Again,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Ain’t ever gon’ be surprised when the two of ya are together. Drinkin’ the camp dry.”

You laughed, turning to face him as he neared, wrapping his arm around your middle. “You should join us sometime, Arthur!” you started, jabbing your index finger into his chest to punctuate your words. “Have some fun! Stop fretting over robberies … and Dutch’s words … and us girls.”

“I don’t fret,” Arthur argued. “But you are sloshed, sweetheart. Time for bed.”

You pouted, stumbling as you stepped away from Arthur. “Rrriiiigggghhhttt,” you droned, waving a hand in the air as you walked. “Frettin’ over me … runnin’ after Mary … helpin’ raise Jack … always frettin’.”

Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as he watched you. Stumbling forward, hand landing against the bark of the large oak tree, you bent over at the waist, vomiting up your stomach contents into the dirt. 

“Alright, that’s it,” he sighed, stepping up and pulling your hair out of the way. “Ya need t’ sleep. And eat. Come on.”

“See,” you started, wiping your chin on your sleeve. “You’re frettin’ again.”

“Sure.”

He guided you to your tent, making you sit down on the edge of your cot before standing and producing a chunk of bread from his satchel, wrapped in an embroidered handkerchief. “Eat.” He didn’t order, but even in your drunken haze, you could hear the sternness in his tone; the caring nature that was Arthur Morgan. “You’re gonna have a hell of a headache in the mornin’.”

You picked at the bread, chewing on it slowly as you sat on your cot, head already pounding. “I … heard ya saw her … Mary … in town.”

Arthur nodded, standing at the opening of your tent. “Yeah, I did,” he answered. “And her brother, Jamie.”

“She was always nice,” you hummed, tossing the half eaten chunk of bread onto the small wooden crate acting as a table and reaching for your small pillow. 

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Get some sleep,” he added after a moment, pulling the blanket over your shoulder as you slumped onto your pillow, snores almost immediately filling the silence of the tent. 

***

“Son of a bitch,” you groaned, leaning bodily against the support pole of your tent. 

Arthur glanced up from his spot by the cookfire, bending at his waist to pour himself a cup of coffee. You stood against your tent, hand placed over your eyes as the morning sunlight hit you. Your hair and clothing was disheveled from a drunken sleep, and the pounding in your head was worse than Uncle’s snoring. 

“Mornin’, sleepin’ beauty,” Arthur smiled, stepping up and holding out his coffee to you. 

“Shut up, Arthur,” you groaned, taking the cup. 

“Strauss should have some tonic for that headache o’ yours. Or I could go see if Pearson’s got any fresh offal for ya …”

At your visible retch, Arthur chuckled and trailed off. You covered your mouth, wiping the coffee from your lip with the back of your hand before looking up to glare at the man in front of you. 

“You’re mean.”

He shrugged, taking the now empty cup from you. “Could say I’m frettin’ over ya ‘cause you drank Uncle under the table last night.”

You groaned, shoving the heels of your hands into your eyes. “Shut up, Arthur.”

He chuckled heartily, relaxing back as he hooked his thumbs into his belt. “I’m sure it’ll happen again,” he smirked, nodding to the main campfire where Karen sat with Javier and John. “We’re headin’ out to find Sean.”

You managed to chuckle, squinting up at him in the morning sun. “He’ll have the entire camp drunk if you bring him back.”

“Almost a guarantee,” Arthur smirked. 

You stepped past him, patting a hand against his shoulder. “You’re frettin’ over us all again,” you mumbled as you stepped past him. 

“Only you,” he countered. “Better eat something for that hangover.”

“I know,” you groaned. “I’ve been drunk before.”

“It ain’t a camp secret, sweetheart.”

You looked up to him, a small smile lighting your face. “You’re mean,” you repeated, with a small chuckle. “But you’re … right. I guess. Go get Sean back, Mister Morgan. Fret over someone else for a bit.”

“Will do,” he smiled. 

[albatris]

can you tell me abt your wip?

yes! it’s about cracks in the fabric of spacetime and loving your friends!

anyway my answer is yes, yes I can tell you, I have things that I’m capable of saying, sure, sure

I usually like my writeblr experience to be the “I’m just gonna ramble about characters and plot points with no context and if you wanna come along for the ride feel free to jump in whenever!” type more so than the “I am presenting to you a nice neat WIP and I am very careful with my words and I am trying to spark intrigue among future readers” type

so I don’t have any nice neat posts or beautifully worded synopses or detailed character profiles (edit! I do have some of these now!)......... what I have is an all-encompassing “ATDAO” tag that I throw all of my everything into with no rhyme or reason. it’s full of things such as art, brief excerpts, long-winded rambles, and spoilers!

but for now, I will speak to you a series of words, like so:

the story is called All The Doors Are Open!

it’s YA! sci-fi-ish! fantasy-ish! comedy-ish! I’m real bad at genres! it’s something I’d describe as “our reality but a little to the left”, though it gets progressively weirder and weirder as it goes on

it’s set in South Australia, n it’s set in a world where the fabric of reality is starting to unravel at the edges and cracks in the universe called “Ports” are cropping up..... n these cracks are letting in all sorts of whacked out energy, fuckin with physics, causing weird phenomena.......... basically reality’s comin' apart slowly but surely and everyone’s just sorta like “ah geez” about it but like. what can ya do. it’s not like all your normal people problems are gonna go away just ‘cuz the world is edging towards its inevitable weird doom

so people are just kinda going about their lives against this bizarre apocalyptic backdrop and hoping they don't, like, glitch through the sidewalk on their way to the supermarket

the story is about several people, and four of these people are:

Tris, panic attack in human form, who has just been the sole witness to a freak car accident that somehow caused his older brother to vanish from this plane of existence entirely

Noa, edgy intimidating badass, definitely hiding no insecurities or trauma at all whatsoever, who has just had a weird run-in with a Port and is discovering that she can now bend the reality around her

Shara, socially anxious paranormal investigator & conspiracy enthusiast, hunting the answers to and meaning of three strange events from her past in the hopes that they will lead her to the source of the apocalypse

and Kai, nonbinary force of chaos, struggling to deal with the emotional repercussions of losing seven years of their life to a time loop and the fact that their family thinks they died

and it’s mostly just about these guys trying to deal with the weird apocalyptic garbage happening to them alongside their everyday lives, and about how all their individual odd little mysteries connect with each other and form a bigger, odder mystery

here are some things about it that I like, and that you might like, but I don’t know you, so who knows:

the story is equal parts “absolute nonsense hijinks and ridiculousness that doesn’t take itself too seriously” and “oh fuck oh ouch oh no my heart”

every single main character ends up safe and happy and in a much, much, much better place than they started

there’s several mentally ill heroes, including one with psychosis and one with a dissociative disorder, whose mental illness/es aren’t ever used as a cheap plot twist or to go “OHOHO NONE OF IT WAS EVER REAL IT WAS ALL JUST IN THEIR HEAD THE WHOLE TIME HAHA GOTCHA” because ew

it’s full of weird glitchy unreality nonsense and general atmospheric weirdness, and I get to do lots of sick kickflips with words about it

there’s one cat named Leonardo DiCatrio and another named Ms Frizzle, and some scenes where various members of the gang get to hang out with a bunch of extremely excited huskies, so that’s nice

I’m forgetting what I’ve already mentioned

and what's important to mention

I’m going to end this list

oh!

all the themes are incredibly cheesy, such as self love, friendship, the goodness of humanity, the power of kindness and connection, believing in yourself, etc........ just some real good high quality cheese

somewhere in the recesses of the ATDAO tag there are character profiles, a plot explanation and also a comic sans powerpoint presentation in which I talk about it all in more detail, but it’s all very wordy, and some of it is outdated, you can go take a look if you like, I won’t link it here because I'm lazy, it will just be a fun quest you can go on should you so choose, I can provide a map and some snacks for the journey

also please note that my rambling text posts with horrid grammar are not indicative of my writing abilities when actually Writing A Novel

ur not getting nice prim proper articulate logan today, ur getting. well. me. hello

anyway that’s all I can say 4 now, thanks for the ask, love u, goodnight

[emily-strange]

Second Chances

No John in this chapter really but we’re getting down to business with the story! :D

Tagging: @porkchop-ao3 @redeadepression @lucacangettathisasss @janewilson-rdo @gangofgunslingers and @fangirl-ramblings who asked but if you’d like me to stop let me know :) Apologies if you’ve asked to be tagged and I haven’t - please just send me another message! :)

For the premise of this story, Jack is a little bit younger. I just can’t hurt that boy’s feelings!

Summary: You’re Sadie Adler’s 18 year old daughter who was visiting when the O’Driscoll’s attack. How will you cope with gang life and your increasing feelings for someone who, on the surface, isn’t up for grabs?

Pairing: John Marston x female reader

Warnings: None that I can think of!

Chapter 6

John smiles at you from his place at the fire and you can’t help but give him a small one back. He hangs his head low and groans tiredly while rubbing the back of his neck. When he looks back up you dart your eyes away and take a long gulp of whiskey.

“Whatcha doin’ up?” he asks when you wipe drops of drink from your mouth with the back of your hand.

“Cundnt sleep.” You say with a slight slur causing John to chuckle quietly.

John gets up and takes the seat diagonally next to you. He puts a finger under your chin and tilts your face to look at him, “You drunk miss?” he smiles.

Before you allow yourself to revel in his close proximity, the rational side of your brain kicks in and has you attempting to stand way too quickly causing you to sway. John jumps up and catches you around the waist before you fall. The warmth of his body, the fire and the whiskey you’ve consumed make it impossible for you to think straight.

John takes the bottle from you, which is almost empty, putting it on the ground. He then gathers you up into his arms bridal style with a quiet, “There we go” and begins to carry you over to your tent. While he’s walking with you, you take a moment to really look over his features. The scars do nothing to change your mind about how attractive he is, after all you didn’t know him without them.

You find yourself wanting to reach out and run your fingers over the one on his lip but manage to keep your hands safely around his neck where they’ll stay out of trouble. Ask he walks, you notice he shakes a little. Like he’s struggling to hold up your weight. However, before you can really dwell on it, he’s placing you down gently on your bedroll.

“There we go now.” He whispers and straightens back up.

John stands looking at you for a few seconds like he’s waiting for something. Maybe he’s waiting for you to say something? What should you say? After a few more seconds John clears his throat and just nods his head muttering, “Night y/n.”

As he’s leaving the small tent you find your lips moving before your brain can register that it’s happening. He stops and turns to you while you say in a small (and drunkenly) voice, “By tha way John, Abigail has yer brok’n shirt now.”

You think you see John open his mouth but you turn over on your bedroll before he can say anything to you. You know you’re about to cry and you’d rather he not see, or hear, it. John takes the hint and leaves quietly, closing your tent the best he can from the other side.

As you lie on your bed roll, listening to the sounds of snoring from around the camp, you let a few tears fall from your eyes. After a few minutes you rub them away roughly and tell yourself to stop being so silly….maybe if you say it enough it’ll stick.

…………………………………………………………….

You wake up with a throbbing head and a dry mouth.

It takes a moment but your memory slowly returns and you remember what you said to John before he left your tent last night. You just have to hope it came out better than you remember. In your mind you shouted it at him before crying loudly but you’re pretty sure that wouldn’t of been the case….you’d probably have had your mother bursting in on you for comfort. So you’re pretty sure you just whispered it. Thankfully. Maybe he didn’t hear you?

You rub your eyes and crawl out of your tent. Getting up isn’t fun as your vision blurs but once you manage to settle your eyes you can see that it’s still very early. Hardly anyone is up and those who are aren’t taking any notice of you as you skulk over to the coffee pot that’s already brewing. After pouring a large cup you also collect a glass of water before taking a seat at the camp table.

It was a few minutes of sipping one and then the other before Hosea joins you at the table with his own coffee and a newspaper.

“Good morning y/n.” he greets happily and smirks when you give a half-hearted “Morning” back.

“Fun night or just a rough morning?” Hosea asks motioning to your tangled mess of hair and you can’t help but laugh a little.

“The latter” you whisper before chugging down the rest of your water. Hosea chuckles quietly and puts his newspaper down on the table, leaning forward.

“So was wonderin’ if you fancied runnin’ a little job with me and Arthur today?” he asks and you almost choke on your coffee. He pats your back gently as you regain your composure.

“Me?” you ask after you take a deep breath, “A job? What kind of job?”

Hosea adjusts his posture, clearly a bit uncomfortable with the conversation.

“Me and Arthur are workin’ over these fella’s, brothers, at a ranch close by here. They were braggin’ about how they’d just made some big sale sellin’ cows that weren’t producing any milk to some down on their luck farmers. Real lowlifes, n’d that’s comin’ from us.” Hosea explains with a chuckle and you laugh along. You like Hosea. You’ve not had many interactions with him but he always seems to have a level head and you appreciate that. He also has a very gentle voice, something you’re very thankful for at the moment, “So me and Arthur wanna… relieve them of said sale money.”

“Okay. So why’d you need me?” you ask, honestly at a loss as to how you can help.

“Well….these men apparently have quite a thing for the ladies. Young ladies like yourself.” Hosea continues and you scoff, cutting him off.

“So I’m bait? You want to use me as bait?” you snap and move to stand up, “No thanks Hosea.”

Before you can stand Hosea gently takes your arm and motions for you to sit down. Which you do begrudgingly.

“Now we wanted to take one of the other women but Dutch think’s it’d go smoother with you. According to him….” Hosea pauses and shakes his head “you have that innocence that can’t be faked.”

Glancing over to Dutch’s tent you see him standing with a cigar listening to his awful classical music.

“So….really this is Dutch telling….not you asking?” you whisper to Hosea without moving your gaze from Dutch.

“Basically” Hosea nods, “Nothin’s gonna happen….we just need you to be a little distraction. We aren’t wantin’ to make a lot of noise.”

You nod and give Hosea a small smile, “Okay….as long as it’ll be safe. Well, as safe as can be. We should go soon though, before my mom wakes up. She won’t be happy.”

.…………………………………………………………….

Not long after your chat with Hosea, you’re riding up front in a cart with him while Arthur rides his horse up front. You’re meeting at the ranch under the cover of buying some horses and distracting one or both of the brothers while Hosea and Arthur search for the money.

“You’re awful quiet Miss Adler” Hosea says without breaking his concentration from the winding roads, “Please try not ta worry. We’d never let anything happen.”

You fiddle with the dress you’re wearing and pull up the top part a bit. The dress is too tight and not tight enough in all the wrong places.

Truth is though, you aren’t really worried at all. You’ve dealt with your fair share of leering men and you know how to handle a gun. Just like the one you’ve strapped to your thigh.

What you can’t stop thinking about is yesterday and how awful you felt after Abigail gave you that shirt. But why feel so bad when John’s just your friend? Is he even that? You look to Arthur and remember your failed attempt at discussing John with him and an idea comes to mind.

“Oh I know….don’t worry I’m okay.” You smile at the older man and he seems grateful for your reassurance, “There is something you can do for me though. If I can be so bold as to ask.”

Hosea laughs heartily and Arthur turns to face the cart before shaking his head and continuing on.

“Okay Miss, what can I do for you?” he asks and you decide to just level with him.

“Look I know I’m being nosey okay, I know,” you laugh, “but I kind of sensed some tension between John and Arthur.”

Hosea laughs again, “Oh you sensed that did ya?”

“I asked Arthur the other week about Jack and he just…..well he got shitty…..so sue me I’m curious.” You shrug while looking at Arthur’s back.

“Hmm okay. And this has nothin’ to do with you getting friendly with John?” Hosea asks and you snap you head to the side to look at him. Hosea holds his hand up to stop you from speaking, “And when I say friendly, I’m not implying anything. I just mean friendly.”

You relax back into your seat and shrug again, trying to act nonchalant but knowing your little display just now probably ruined that. “He just seems so…..lonely.” you say quietly, almost as if to yourself.

After a couple of moments silence Hosea nods and sighs.

“He is that…..okay, I’ll tell you the tall tale. But on the way back, we’re here.” He replies gesturing to the ranch just up ahead.

After entering the ranch, Arthur helps you down from the wagon and Hosea goes into full on salesman mode. The brothers greet you and instantly you feel their eyes on you. They aren’t too bad on the eyes themselves but the way the oldest brother, Wyatt, looks at you is an instant turn off.

“Now I hope you don’t mind but I brought my niece Elizabeth with me.” Hosea says turning to hold his hand out to you. You step forward as Arthur stands at the wagon with his arms crossed. Ever the enforcer.

“I’ve always loved horses.” You say, faking shyness.

The younger brother, William, steps forward. He’s at least ten years older than you with sandy blonde hair. You genuinely blush when he bends his arm and offers it to you, “Well isn’t that nice” he drawls, “I think we can show the lady some pretty horses.”

You smile and take his arm, “Thank you sir, that’d be lovely.”

Hosea, Arthur and Wyatt all follow you into the barn which houses many, many lovely looking horses. You genuinely smile as you see them all lined up in their stalls.

“Now which one would you like to see little lady?” Wyatt breathes into your ear from behind, breaking the trance you’re in. You glance at Arthur who gestures to the one at the far end of the barn.

“That one looks wonderful” you say dropping William’s arm and practically skipping over to the beauty in the furthest stall. William chuckles and you know he’s watching you before following after.

When you reach the stall, you hear Arthur ask Wyatt to go through prices with him outside.

You reach up and run your hand through the horse’s mane and it almost bows a little to give you more access. You’re relieved to see that the horses look well taken care of.

You jump a little when you feel a hand on your waist as William sidles up next to you, “This one here’s a….”

“Blue Roan” you interrupt and he whistles loudly, “Well aren’t you a clever thing!”

You internally cringe at his words but push the feeling aside, it does sound like he’s trying to be kind. Men always seem to talk to you the same way….well apart from….

You shake away your thoughts of John and keep running your hand through the horse’s mane and down his nose. You’re not sure how much time has passed before you say quietly, “My pa loved horses.”

Suddenly Hosea begins to cough and you rush over to him as he crouches down and winks at you.

You smile and say quite loudly, “Uncle are you alright? Is it your chest?” You turn to William and say in your best innocent voice, “He gets a terrible cough when his throats dry. Would it be okay if he went to get some water?”

William sighs and nods, “Yer we’ll take ‘em next door to the house.”

You look at Hosea who’s still ‘coughing’ and he gestures to William with his head.

You spin round and put your hands on William’s chest gently, feigning disappointment, “Oh please stay and show me the others. He’ll just grab a glass and run on back here…..I really hoped you could tell me about the horses.”

William’s chest practically inflates with ego and he leans in close to you, “Well I think that’s a much better idea…” he then turns his attention to Hosea and barks at him where he can get a drink before turning back to you, “….now why don’t we see if we can’t get better acquainted. With the horses of course.”

You swallow down your apprehension and smile, watching as Hosea leaves via a different exit than the one Arthur is currently at with Wyatt.

“I’ll be quick” Hosea says, mostly to you, before disappearing and leaving you alone with William. You move a bit further back from him, suddenly feeling very much like prey. William follows you slowly as you turn to go to the other side of the barn.

“Why don’t we let you inta one of those stalls to get a better look?” William suggests and goes to open the Blue Roan’s door. William doesn’t seem like an overly handsy type but you don’t want to risk it being that close.

“Oh I don’t know. I just can’t decide which one I like the most!” You say keeping your voice light as you move down the row of stalls, gently running your hand against the doors. William keeps a distance, almost like he’s sussing you out. You try not to meet his eye as you turn to survey the large barn.

“Hmm, now that one’s got a lovely coat….but that one’s just so little. It’s adorable!” you sing, pretending to debate with yourself. You see William coming closer but still maintaining a respectable distance. You quickly glance through a gap in the barn and see Arthur is deep discussion with Wyatt. But he isn’t far. He’s right there in case….

A cough snaps you out of your thoughts.

“I think you’re pretty adorable Miss Elizabeth” William says rubbing the back of his head, almost bashfully. For a moment you feel bad for what you’re doing. Leading him on.

You smile and tuck your hair behind your ear, “Oh William how sweet of you.”

When William stops in front of you, you gasp loudly (way too loudly), “THAT ONE!” and run to the other side of the barn again. Stopping in front of a pretty little Morgan. You know how erratic you must seem but you have no idea what to do if he actually manages to get his hands on you. He may be more of a gentleman than you’re thinking of him but you don’t want to risk it.

“This little thing?” William laughs and it almost makes you annoyed, “I suppose he’d be a good size for you….no good for what ya Uncle needs though. Where is your….” But before he finishes his thought, you rush forward and grab his clammy hand, pulling him towards the stall.

“Oh please William? He’s just so sweet….um, reminds me of you a bit.” You say throwing in a compliment for good measure, causing him to laugh.

“A horse? Is that a good thing?” he chuckles and you actually blush at how silly you’d been by saying that.

“Umm yeah that was a bit of a silly thing to say” you laugh, “But it is a compliment. I do think he’s lovely…I’d really like to get a closer look.”

William approaches the stall and opens it, leading the horse out, “Well in that case, compliment accepted.”

You run your hands down the horses back and circle him.

“He’s a Liver Chestnut?” you ask William, who’s following after you in the circle you’re making.

“He is. Needs a bit of a hair cut but boys in good condition.” He replies and you shake your head, “Oh no I like his wild hair.”

William chuckles.

“How much?” you ask and William shrugs.

“I’d have to ask Wyatt, he’s the money man….I could probably do you a deal….” He says, taking your hand and giving it a squeeze. While you’d been distracted by the Morgan, William had managed to come close in front of you.

“Umm, what kind of deal?” you ask expecting the worst.

“A chance to see you again maybe?” he asks and you’re taken aback by the nervous tone in his voice.

“Oh umm” you stumble over your words but thankfully before you can answer, Hosea comes barging back into the barn. Startling you both.

“Sorry sorry sorry. I found myself gettin’ a little lightheaded back there but good as new now!” Hosea sings loudly. Arthur must have heard this because seconds later, him and Wyatt come back in laughing and jesting about something.

“Uncle!” you say and take your hand from William’s gentle hold, “William was showing me this little beauty.”

Hosea looks at you for a moment and watches as you stroke the horse’s nose, laughing as it nuzzles your hand.

“Ohh he is a beauty my dear. How much?” Hosea asks, surprising you.

“$50” Wyatt says but straight away William jumps in by saying “$35”, making everyone’s attention snap to him. He leans down a bit and whispers in your ear, “If I get to see you again?”

You look at the Morgan and his beautiful big eyes. His crazy mane and stunning coat. You hear Arthur clear his throat and you know he’s about to say something but you quickly jump in.

“$35 it is.” You say in a gentle voice, smiling at William who’s grin beams wildly.

Everyone’s quiet for a few seconds before Hosea claps his hands loudly, “Okay! Should we make a deal then!?”

On the way back to camp, Arthur rides on ahead while leading your little Morgan. You once again ride up front in the wagon with Hosea who is smiling proudly.

“Well done my girl! A job very well done!” he enthuses and it’s infectious. You smile, also quite proud of yourself. “I’m sorry I took so long.” He mentions quickly.

“Oh it’s okay, he wasn’t that bad. I thought he’d try a bit harder to get handsy but he actually didn’t really try at all.” You say, thinking over the events at the ranch. William was actually very nice. He had no assurance that he’d see you again, other than your “uncles” promise of coming to buy some horses, but he’d given you the horse on your word.

That thought makes you feel like blushing and crying all at the same time.

“SO I believe I owe you a story!” Hosea says and for a moment you’re confused. He must sense it because he quickly adds, “About John…”

“Oh! Yes. Yeah. Of course, I’m sorry.” You laugh, “I was just thinking on what to call the horse.” You lie, shaking your head, “Please….tell me about John.”

[shulto-masusdesus]

The Cryptid Machine [BNHA AU: Chapter 1]

Time for the cryptid machine to go wild

(this is my writing sideblog btw)

i havent written anything else in days. i pushed for it so hard. 7k in three days and its just one chapter lol, fuck (i mean i wasnt writing anything else anyway so im glad i was productive at least thanks for giving me something to do lol)

But it was also fun

I accidentally really made them into the scooby-doo gang and honestly its the best thing ive ever done unintentionally. They just fit so well

@kawaiipotatuh @vango-bango and @sooske yo hi yall said you wanted to read it so i wrote it

sorry sooske i didnt get to shiga in this chapter but hes comin,,,,this is gonna be chaptered so he’ll definitely be in this soon. definitely plot relevant because i love shiggy. 

anyway A/N over time for the story

Rating: T for language and fantasy violence (no nsfw this time this is group friend story)

tags in the tags. some body horror because cryptid-related creepiness yknow. and major character death later on so yknow

if i missed anything tell me, okay now time for the story <3

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Izuku, frankly, was stunned.

“I thought it was just a hobby!”

“A hobby?” Shouto threw back what looked to be his thirtieth Five-Hour Energy, pouring syrup on the pancakes Izuku brought without paying much attention. They were more syrup than pancake at this point, but that was hardly priority at the moment. “A hobby?”

The giant frog sitting on the table between them blinked its left eye, and then the right, after a little delay. Izuku shuddered. Too much frog, too close, too much detail. Very scaly and slimy and bumpy. Frogs were not supposed to be big. But it was easily bigger than his head, almost the size of his torso.

“How did you get it in here?”

“Thawed crickets.” Shouto raised an eyebrow, as if having frozen crickets stored for a time such as this was normal and expected. Like a madman consumed by his own craft, he picked up a syrup-coated pancake with his own two hands, and bit into it. Then he looked at the mess with mild surprise, a gaze that read “What the fuck is this? Where did all this syrup come from?” Izuku didn’t have the heart to answer him. “…You’re underestimating me.”

Izuku shut his eyes, sucked in a breath, rubbing his temples. “So. You found this frog in the woods behind your house. You just so happened to have a pack of frozen crickets-”

“No, that’s not what happened,” Shouto leaned forward, elbows on the table, the plate of pancakes Izuku brought ruined and pushed to the side, with that damned cursed light in his eyes he got when he was about to tell a story, dive head-first into a theory, or conjure up a new way to ditch work. “I’ve been hunting this frog for months. I learn about many creatures when researching,”

Scrolling r/cryptids, Izuku thought. And various other unspeakable 2chan threads and dark web sites. He sighed. Those pancakes were better than usual, too...he managed to remember to use less butter…he forgot that all the time…if he was going to make pancakes in the middle of the night, they may as well be good...what was Shouto talking about? Oh yeah, the frog.

“-and I encountered this post about a kappa sighting. It was confusing, and I almost wrote it off as another incident of someone just seeing something very mundane in the wrong light - until I recognized the location of the sighting.” There it was, Shouto’s rare grin, a look very reminiscent of the cat that finally caught the mouse. “…Heartstone Lake, on the park side of the woods.”

The giant frog grumbled. Loudly. Its chest puffed a little and Izuku felt a wild fear for what a real croak would sound like. This thing was huge. “Uhm, yeah? And?”

“So I went and checked it out.” He went over to his Wall, pointing to photo after photo, and Izuku hummed along, suddenly very, very worried about this frog in the Todoroki’s basement. This could end in many ways, and a very loud croak waking up his dad would be one of the worse ones. “Found tracks. Tracks, Izuku. You have to understand - nobody ever finds tracks.”

Izuku nodded. “Crazy.” He said, noticing how the frog’s eye was starting to slowly roll around, as if looking, scanning its surroundings. He was a little bit more than freaked out. He really had thought that this was just an interest of Shouto’s. Not something he was actually going to pursue, and that it produced a very crypid-like thing, a real result? A part of him wanted to go home and go back to bed, before Shouto decided to find a demon from hell or something. Or before the frog turned out to be a demon from hell. “…Did you do a steak-out?”

“Yes. Many steak-outs.” Shouto sighed, rubbing his face. “For…six weeks. Every night and every spare minute I could get. Along with a camera live feed setup. Only today did I actually see something, and once I did, I didn’t let it get away.” His smile was so wholesome, but the fruit of his labor was probably a harbinger of the void. Izuku was torn between supporting his friend and self-preservation.

Izuku decided to call the two people who would help back him up in whatever answer was the right one. The guardian angels, Tenya and Ochako. Because he needed help.

“I’m gonna call Tenya and Ochako.”

To Izuku’s bewilderment, Shouto deflated, smile dying, abruptly concerned. Izuku sputtered, pausing in pulling his phone out of his pocket. “What?! Do you not want them to know, or-?!”

With a sigh, Shouto grumbled, “Tenya…You know what he’d say.”

Izuku rolled his eyes. “It’s probably what you need to hear, really. Monster or not, this frog doesn’t belong indoors. We could get money for it, and what if it’s a new species or something-”

The other boy sighed. “Fine, whatever-”

The underside of the frog’s throat started expanding. Izuku watched in mute horror as it opened its mouth, and released a croak.

It was louder than Izuku expected. Very much so. His ears were left ringing from the rumbling warble, but that was hardly the biggest problem. There was a lot of thudding and yelling going on upstairs, in the upper levels of the Todoroki household; the family converging in on Shouto’s basement for whatever that definitely inhumane noise was.

Shouto’s dad was the strictest father around, and didn’t allow Shouto to have friends over on weeknights, nevermind late at night; since Izuku, an unapproved friend, basically snuck into the house on a weeknight at the unholy hour of three in the morning, he was breaking many, many rules.

And a giant fucking frog on the table in the middle of the room also would do more than raise a few eyebrows.

Shouto, however, was prepared. He pushed a mysterious white jar across the table to him, and pointed to the basement awning window. “I’ll help,” He said. “It’s actually not all that heavy.”

“Shouto! What was that?! What are you doing in there, it’s three in the morning on a school night-!”

There was his father. However, aside from the actual basement door lock, Shouto secretly installed about six extra locks, so he wasn’t getting in any time soon. “Studying, Dad,” Shouto said, heaving the massive, slimy frog off the table. He nailed he tired, annoyed, exasperated tone perfectly. Izuku opened the jar, and forced down a squeak - mushy, wet, dead crickets. “There’s a science tomorrow, I want to make sure I’m ready.”

His dad went quiet, which was his “you’re probably lying, but finding out the truth is more effort than I’m willing to put in at the moment” response. Izuku’s been witness to it a lot, as this is far from the first time he’s been a Master Lock away from getting caught. Shouto gave Izuku a look, frog in hand, as he opened the small window.

“Studying at such an…early hour is counter-productive. Get to bed, Shouto.”

“Alright.” Izuku shimmied out the window, onto the grass outside, and cringed as he opened the jar and gently picked up a soggy cricket corpse. With some difficulty, Shouto shoved the fat mass of jiggling skin through the awning, and Izuku pulled it the rest of the way out.

“Don’t let it out of your sight,” Shouto mouthed, scowling a little. Most likely because he was forced to get rid of his first find. Weird giant frog or not, it was really important to Shouto, so he couldn’t lose track of it-

The frog grumbled, and started hopping off.

“Get it!” Shouto hissed, and Izuku ran after it.

It wasn’t as fast as he thought. He caught up to it easily, and offered it a few crickets to bribe it into sitting still for a moment. Shouto’s window shut, and tense yelling ensued; Shouto buying time so he could hide incriminating evidence. His dad probably heard them.

An awkward ten minutes passed. Routinely, Izuku dropped a cricket or two, and the frog stayed put. Eventually, Shouto opened the window again, glaring.

“Take it to your house,” He said. “God knows I’m not gonna get away with hiding it here.” And he shut the window.

“So,” Izuku said, to the monster frog, dropping a couple more crickets. Its tongue flicked out to grab them, and honestly, Izuku feared for his safety. “I guess you’re coming to my place?”

 _______________________________________________________________

 Step one; get it onto his bike.

His basket was definitely big enough for the frog. He could probably stop every couple minutes to feed it a cricket so it wouldn’t struggle too much while he was on the road. It wouldn’t end well for either of them if it decided to upset the balance of the bike on the road.

He lugged the frog into the basket - it really wasn’t as heavy as it looked - and gave it a few crickets before locking the lid. Step two; get it home. That was the easy part.

The ride was mostly uneventful. The route was mostly muscle memory, so it wasn’t hard to hyperfocus on every odd rustle and bump on the back of his bike. He stopped to feed it about five times, and each time its tongue lashed out harder and faster. His fight-or-flight instinct begged him to run away from the very real monster frog on the back of his bike. He channeled the energy into maintaining cadence. If Shouto wasn’t his best friend, and wouldn’t probably murder him if he lost it, he would’ve let the frog hop into the woods when it tried to.

Finally, he reached his plain suburban neighborhood. He considered stopping at Kacchan’s house, but he’d probably kill the frog on sight, so he couldn’t rely on him for moral support. Time to call Ochako up for an early-morning napover. She said “anytime”, right?

Step three; get it to his room. His backyard didn’t have a fence, and he didn’t have a basement, and even if his mom didn’t have a panic attack when she saw the frog, she would definitely tell him to get it out of the house. Any rational person would, really. So. Hiding it in his bedroom was the only choice.

Mom never got out of bed past midnight, so it was easy to trudge inside, to his room, and to lock the door behind him. Then the frog leapt from his arms, and hopped its slimy body onto his bed. Ew. Time to call Ochako.

As promised, she answered by the fourth ring. “…Yaeah…Deku…?”

“Uhm, come to my house?” Izuku chuckled nervously. “Shouto found…uh, a giant frog, but he couldn’t keep it at his house, so I’m keeping it at mine. I need a little moral support?”

“...” Ochako sighed, a very, very long sigh. “...”

“Ochako?”

“What?”

“Shouto found a giant frog-”

“A WHAT?!”

It took Ochako all of fifteen minutes to get to his place, on foot. She took the short route to his room - through his window - and gawked at the frog for another five minutes, school backpack and sleeping bag falling from her hands.

“He - really?!”

“Yeah…”

She stared at it for a long, long time. It grumbled again. Izuku felt a sinking feeling.

“It’s - a giant frog.”

“...Yeah.”

“And…he just…?”

“No, he said he’d been looking for it for the past six weeks.”

“So that’s why he’s been passing out in class?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Ochako stared at the frog. “I thought it was all…”

“He flipped out a little when I said I thought it was just a hobby.” He ran his fingers through his hair with a huff. “This is really important to him.”

“Well…” She mumbled, eyes wide. “We may as well…take good care of it. H…how do you get a frog to go to sleep? Don’t frogs need heat lamps? How do we take care of a frog - a giant frog-” She stomped her foot. “Did Shouto think about this at all?”

She looked at Izuku. He raised an eyebrow in return. And she fell into giggles. “Yeah,” She said. “Let’s get it in front of a heater?”

Izuku left the room, running down to the hall closet to get a heater; on his way back, Ochako suddenly screamed.

He ran to his room, and to his horror, the frog was, for lack of a better term, erupting. Blowing up like a balloon. Ochako shoved him out of the doorway, into the hall, and slammed the door shut.

“What is going on here?” Oh, his mom was up now, rushing down the hall with concern. “What happened? Ochako, very…nice to see you, but at this hour? What’s happening?”

The two teens were speechless. They looked to each other for answers, but found nothing there but shock and general horror. Tentatively, Ochako cracked the door back open.

The frog was splayed about thinly like a shed bag. Sitting on Izuku’s bed now, instead, was a girl with long green hair. And also very naked, the frog broke open and was now a naked girl-

Confusion ensued. Mom screamed a little, shocked by the frog flash bag, and Ochako and Deku screamed because the frog was gone and Shouto was now on the list of people who wanted them dead; then his mom ran in, bringing the blanket up around the girl with shaking hands and firing off questions one after another, and Izuku screamed louder because he realized that somehow the frog became the girl - Ochako screamed louder, because she realized that with Shouto’s internet skill and wide range of information sources, there was no way to hide from him.

“Izuku, who is this?! Why is she naked?!” Mom turned to him with an unfamiliar demanding tone. “Explain! Now!”

“I don’t…!” Izuku was, completely, lost. “I don’t know…! I think - she was-!?”

Ochako stopped screaming, and said, “We don’t know! She - the frog - it exploded and - it was a frog before-!”

“A frog!?” Mom shouted - his mom never shouted. Izuku felt like reality was fraying at the seams. “What-”

“RIBBIT.”

Everything stopped. Ochako stopped. His mom stopped. Izuku felt like he suddenly lost the ability to breathe, like someone clicked ‘end task’ on his lungs and his panicking head.

The girl’s eyes were very, very big, an expression of pure confusion and shock on her face. “RIBBIT!” She screeched, again.

“R…’ribbit’…?” Mom said, weakly. “What do you mean…?”

“...” The girl stared at Mom with a wild lack of recognition. Not just that she didn’t know who Mom was; she had no idea what she was seeing at all and was completely lost. Izuku was almost as lost, really. “Ribbit…”

Ochako swayed lightly, gripping Izuku’s arm. “S-so - the frog was there before - did she come out of the frog…?!”

Izuku looked at the frog flesh and slime splayed on his bed. “…P…probably…”

His mom’s expression faded from extreme shock and confusion, to general surprise. “Izuku, Ochako, please explain - what is this mess - who is she-”

“I don’t know!” Izuku burst, shaking a little. “I don’t know! It was a frog before and now its a girl and Shouto didn’t tell me and I don’t know-”

“Izuku-”

“Izuku, baby, calm down,” Mom quickly crossed the room to him, softly taking his hands. “It’s okay, I’m sorry I yelled. I’m sorry. Let’s have some tea, and we’ll talk about it, okay?”

“...O…okay.”

 _______________________________________________________________

 Tea with a splash of honey was always good. It warmed him down to his core. The girl seemed to also be enjoying it, if her regular sips were any indicator. Even if she was a bit tentative, slow, testing about it, each time.

His mom sighed heavily. “So, according to your story, she’s…”

Ochako hummed. “Yeah. I don’t believe it either. We should call Shouto.”

“He’d love this,” Izuku mumbled, staring into his tea. “He probably knows what…she is. I certainly don’t.”

“...Well,” Mom glanced at the girl. She had a permanent frown on her face. “We’ll deal with this tomorrow. Today, we’ll…well, It’s already five, isn’t it?”

Izuku dropped his head onto the table. “One hour. Please. I want sleep. I didn’t sleep at all.”

“Ditto,” Ochako also dropped her head, with a heavy thud. “No sleep. At all. I almost was asleep, but then Deku called…”

“Sorry…”

“’S alright….I wouldn’t wanna miss this.” She huffed a laugh. “Somehow, I’m glad I saw it live.”

Mom sighed again, sounding old. “Okay,” She said. “You only have about two hours, though. Remember, you both promised you would ride to school this year.”

Izuku groaned, muffling himself on the wood table. Ochako also whined. The girl watched the both of them curiously.

His mom agreed to watch the girl while they napped; Izuku was so not sleeping in his bed, so he took Mom’s bed instead. Ochako splayed out over one half of the king-sized bed while Izuku took up one third, sharing it because his mom’s bed was wonderful.

It was, without a doubt, the worst nap of his life. Because just as he was getting settled in and kind of almost sleeping, the six o’clock alarm on Mom’s bedside table buzzed loudly. Along with the knee Ochako unconsciously jammed halfway up his ass and her loud drool-snore-choke-drowning, he kind of wanted to die, to get some real sleep. The reason why he stopped sleeping in the same bed as Uraraka Ochako came back to him. Violently, in the form of a foot mysteriously journeying its way up his pants. She was just the weirdest sleeper.

He untangled himself from the covers and Ochako and trudged down the hall. He went to his room, intent on grabbing a shower before school.

He grabbed his clothes from his closet and was on his way to the bathroom before he suddenly recalled what happened last night. Where the fuck was that girl-

He ran around the house, looking for her and Mom - the car was gone from the driveway. His mom had work early in the day, so that was normal, but the girl was still nowhere to be seen. Where was she?!

He texted his mom urgently, and she responded, I left her at home. She should be there with you. Have a good day at school <3

One, was he really going to just leave her at home all day? And two, she was absolutely nowhere to be seen. He checked the kitchen, the living room, all the closets, both bedrooms, and their house was one floor and small as fuck, so there wasn’t many places to hide. She was gone.

And then Ochako screamed. Izuku could probably guess where frog girl was.

He ran to Mom’s room, and there she was, Ochako standing on the bed in a martial arts defensive position with frog girl sitting on the floor, blinking cluelessly, now dressed in spare clothes Ochako left here. But she still had such an alien air around her that it felt like the clothes didn’t quite fit her. She confounded Izuku on every level.

Izuku was cobbling together some way to react to the situation when his phone started ringing. He answered.

“H-hello?!”

“Is the frog okay?”

Shouto. Izuku felt a range of emotions, from relief to joy to murderous intent to numbness. “…It turned into a person, Shouto. A girl. Did you know this would happen!?”

A silence passed.

“Shouto?”

“...S-sorry, I…”

“Shouto, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just…” He sniffed faintly. “I wanted to see it.”

“You knew it would happen?!”

“No, but I had a feeling. Part of the witness reports described a frog standing on two legs like a person, and even people with frog-like features, y’know, like a person, but a frog.” Shouto sighed. “So either it was just one creature that could shapeshift to varying levels of frog to humanoid, or it was many creatures that were all varying levels of frog to humanoid. Like kappas or something.” Something tapped rhythmically in the background. “I wished I could’ve seen the shift. Do you still have the shed skin?”

“For what, Shouto,” Izuku was, frankly, pretty fed up. The frog girl was now on top of Ochako and very closely watching her, scanning her features. “What are you going to do with a giant frog flesh bag, Shouto.”

“Research.”

“Shouto.”

“Testing.”

“Shouto! You’re missing the-”

“Fine!” The other boy huffed roughly. “I’m gonna call Mei and cash in a debt to use her research facilities.”

“Shouto, I love you, but you have a C in chemistry. But that’s beside the-”

“She’s going to examine the frog skin, okay?! That’s it! Sorry I don’t have a genetics lab in my fucking basement!”

Izuku tried to be exasperated, but he ended up fighting back a smile. “N-no, Shouto, that’s not - I - whatever Mei has to do with it, it’s a nasty sack of frog skin, Shouto. I was talking more as in, ‘it’s absurd that you would want it, so why’, not ‘you don’t have the means to do anything with it, so why’.”

Shouto went quiet. “…” It was a long, self-depreciating quiet.

“Look,” Izuku said, smile fading, because fuck, Shouto drove him crazy sometimes. “Get your ass over here and help me decide what we’re going to do about her. She can’t stay here while we’re at school all day, can she?”

“I don’t see why not,” Shouto mumbled. “Can’t take her to school. Can’t let her loose.”

“Shouto, you have the skin, basically, so you have a model of what the crypid frog looks like, right? And proof?”

“Yeah. That’s the best part.”

“So do we really need to keep her?” Izuku watched as the girl tried to lick Ochako with a freakishly long tongue. Being a reasonable human being, the brown-haired girl was scrambling away before she made contact. “She’s…well, I mean, endangered species preservation, right? And - I dunno, what’re we gonna keep her for? She looks like a person, kind of…it’d be weird. Morally.”

“...How human does she seem?”

“One hundred percent. She has big eyes, but that can be passed off as a feature, y’know?” Ochako ran to the doorway - the girl opened her mouth wide, tongue flicking out, and it reached all the way across the room, wrapping around Ochako’s waist and pulling her back in. Izuku flinched as his friend shrieked. “…But her tongue is super long and weird, like a frog’s, and she currently has captured Ochako with it.”

“...Well, human meat doesn’t sit well with frogs, so she isn’t going to try to eat her. Unless she’s an adventurous type or something. I mean, she is a monster, so she’s probably full of surprises. Don’t trust her.” Shouto laughed, like this was a joke. Izuku didn’t find it very funny...How did he know that human meat doesn’t sit well with frogs…?

Ochako was released once she was dragged close enough for the girl to grab her. “So we’re just gonna leave her in my house for the day.”

“Yeah.”

“There are hazards everywhere, Shouto.”

“She’ll probably be fine.”

“But what if my Xbox isn’t, Shouto? What if she burns my house down, Shouto? What if she breaks my Xbox Shouto-”

“Forget about your Xbox,” Shouto snapped. Izuku gasped loudly. “It’ll be fine. She won’t mess with anything. I think. And like you said, if she escapes, it isn’t that bad. As long as the skin is still there, she exists. That’s all I need. I have to take a shower before school, I smell like black coffee and steroids. Later.”

And there he went. Almost angrily, Izuku pocketed his phone and said, “H-hey!”

Frog girl looked at Izuku boredly. “Help me,” Ochako begged, held captive by the two arms around her waist. Izuku debated the pros and cons of tearing her away from the literally mutant creature. What was the likelihood of survival?

“We have an hour before we meet up with Shouto,” Izuku stated flatly. “I’m taking a shower first.”

“No!” In a flash, Ochako twisted free of her bindings and was out of the room, and zooming down the hall. “You take all the hot water!”

Izuku sighed. Frog girl, covered in her own hair like she was drowning in it, stared at him with wide green eyes. He averted his gaze, nervously.

“U-uh, hi,” He said. Wow, could he be any more awkward? Well, she wasn’t human, so it wasn’t like she’d pick up on any of human societal nuances-

“Hi.”

She said. She fucking said. She said?! She said. She talked. She said words. She said ‘hi’. Whoawhoawhoa - it had to be simple parroting, it had to be just-

“Where did she go.”

Izuku felt the inexplicable urge to cry. “Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-”

Frog girl stared at Izuku, eyes peeking between strands of hair with a strange light. “Where is she.”

“I-I-I-I-I-d-d-d-d-on’t-”

She stood up, and walked past him with halting, almost jerking steps. She left the room, and looked one way, then the other. “…”

“O-O-Ochako?!” Izuku felt like curling up in a corner and sobbing wildly. He felt like he just looked into the void and it talked back to him. He felt a number of things, and all of them involved some level of existential terror. “Sh-she’s i-in the sh-shower…D-don’t-”

She was already on her way down the hallway. Izuku didn’t really think upsetting this being of mysterious and potentially reality-breaking power was a good idea. Technically, she was another girl, so it wouldn’t be that weird for her to walk in on Ochako, right? Uh.

Right on cue, Ochako screamed. Izuku groaned. By finding this cursed being, Shouto effectively turned his life upside down. For better or worse was yet to be seen. But from how Ochako was currently fighting frog girl out of her shower, it was probably for worse. Would his life ever go back to normal?

 _______________________________________________________________

 By some miracle, they managed to get on the road on time, meeting up with Shouto on the way. While he and Ochako rode very practical bikes, he rode a skateboard. Why, he refused to really tell. If he wasn’t wearing his school uniform, he’d look like he was in the wrong decade. And somehow the uniform made it look even tackier. But it was alright. It wasn’t like he was bad at it; in fact, he pulled many moves that were reminiscent of a certain famous skateboarder, but he was also from the wrong decade. Somehow, it suited him. He, to a concerning level, didn’t care what other people thought of him, so it was okay. Just weird.

“So,” Shouto said, cruising along with Ochako, keeping up easily despite having much smaller wheels. Also weird. “Show me a pic of her.”

“A what?” Izuku blinked.

“A picture.” Shouto raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you didn’t take a picture.”

“...”

Ochako shrugged, rhythmically tapping her bell. “Didn’t think to.”

The boy huffed. “You guys are the worst,” He said. “How are we supposed to get proof that she shapeshifted if we didn’t get the after picture?”

“Shouto, I’m tired,” Izuku sighed. “I’m sorry. But this is way over my head. I’m not good at…this paranormal cryptid stuff. It’s fun when it’s just creepy stories, but - I dunno, this is too much.” He shuddered. “She talked. Just, started saying words. Like a normal person - super blunt and to the point, but it was like she said it like that on purpose. She knew. Just like that. And she was a frog before-”

“She talked?!” Shouto’s eyes lit up. “What did she say? What did her voice sound like? Ugh, I wish we got it on tape-”

“Shouto!” Izuku snapped. “Pay attention! Forget that stuff - I don’t want any part in it anymore! I’m scared! After school, we’re gonna let her go, and that’s gonna be the end of it! Okay!?” If there’s even a home to return to, Izuku thought bitterly.

Shouto stared at him, blankly. Then he looked away. “…Alright.”

Ochako whistled. “You guys fall out hard,” She said. “I give it…three days before one of you starts apologizing.”

Izuku’s face burned. He was the one apologizing, most of the time. But not this time, He thought resolutely. He wasn’t at fault here. Shouto was going to apologize to him, for dragging him into this mess in the first place.

 _______________________________________________________________

 [10:25 A.M.]

nessie: im dying. im actually dying

shouto: why

nessie: what the fuck is a lamange

nessie: mange is a disease

nessie: in french it means what??? food???? kill me

shouto: it means eat

shouto: pay attention in class and you might get it

nessie: fuck you

nessie: youre the last person i want to hear that from

shouto: ow

nessie: Rip Believe It Or Not

shouto: Ripley’s I Know This Stuff Is Real, But I Can’t Handle It, Dog

nessie: nibyguvtfcu

nessie: so you do get it

shouto: get what

shouto: what

nessie: oh my god

nessie: Oh My God

nessie: you are a national treasure

nessie: you know that

shouto: ??????

shouto: ?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!!what am I missing now

nessie: shut up for a minute teach coming

shouto: well I hope not thats a little inappropriate

---

[10:30 A.M.]

nessie: shouto holy shit what the fuck oh my god what the fuck

nessie: dude

shouto: yeah I sent that without thinking

shouto: and then I couldnt send a correction because

shouto: and yeah

nessie: dude

pppppppppppink: whats happening

pppppppppppink: oh wow what was that shouto hahahahha

shouto: oh my god look it was an accident

tenya: ochako its hardly fair to make fun of him for that

tenya: it was an honest mistake

nessie: tenya coughs, “unfortunately”

shouto: say that shit to my face deku

shouto: whos on the football team huh

nessie: surprised you caught that

nessie: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

shouto: i am going to kill you,

pppppppppppink: hey no death threats on my friendly christian minecraft server

nessie: deadmeme

tenya: yes, death threats are not the way to handle strife between friends

tenya: but neither were those insults, izuku

tenya: you know shouto’s skill does not warrant comments such as those

nessie: hes gonna get a coma i know it

tenya: what does that have to do with anything

nessie: football

nessie: caveman sport

tenya: that is inappropriate

shouto: dudedudedude look man

shouto: im sorry okay

nessie: FOR WHAT SHOUTO

shouto: I DONT KNOW

pppppppppppink: wow that was fast

tenya: please quiet teacher

------

[10:35 A.M.]

shouto: look man I dont know what youre so angry about

nessie: im not angry

pppppppppppink: izuku coughs, “im furious”

nessie: im n o t

tenya: izuku i believe you are, in fact, angry

nessie: im not angry

shouto: youre angry

nessie: SHOUTO WHAT THE FUCK MAN

nessie: EXCUSE ME IF IM A LITTLE SHAKEN UP ABOUT YOU DROPPING A FUCKING FROG DEMON ONTO ME

shouto: i wouldve kept it if i could

shouto: but i forced it onto you without asking

shouto: sorry

nessie: “sorry if i valued a mythical creature above my friends feelings”

shouto: well fuck

shouto: i tried

shouto: yeah fuck you

shouto: i wouldve loved to have it

shouto: you love it when i talk to you about it so what the fuck is the difference

nessie: THEYRE JUST STORIES

nessie: S T O R I E S

nessie: I DONT WANT THEM TO BE REAL

nessie: ITS TOO MUCH

nessie: ITS SCARY

shouto: dude theres always a chance of the stories being real

shouto: you didnt know that

nessie: dontdothat

nessie: i dont want to think of them like that

nessie: no one wants them to be real

shouto: i do

nessie: yeah but ur a weirdo

tenya: foul

pppppppppppink: yeah try again

pppppppppppink: stay within bounds

nessie: are you reffing our fight

tenya: yes

tenya: go on

shouto: dude if you dont want any part of it then ill take her okay

shouto: okay?

nessie: that isnt it

nessie: because ur gonna be all weird about it and be all offended

nessie: bullshit

nessie: were gonna straighten this out here

nessie: rn

tenya: as a distraction in class.

nessie: sure

shouto: im not gonna be offended

pppppppppppink: hahahahhahahhha

shouto: im not

tenya: you will be offended

nessie: you will be offended

nessie: you dont think my fear is valid

shouto: being scared of it and pushing it away isnt going to make it disappear

shouto: theres a monster under your bed whether you want it to be there or not

nessie: oh my FUCKING GOD SHOUTO

nessie: THIS IS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT

nessie: YOU DONT LISTEN TO ME

shouto: i am

shouto: im doing nothing but listening to you

shouto: im getting on aizawas nerves

tenya: he means respect

tenya: you arent respecting him

tenya: as evidenced by you “twisting the knife”, for lack of a better term

tenya: you understand that stories of paranormal activities entertain him?

shouto: yes

tenya: the rift seems to lay in the fact that although he enjoys them as stories, he does not wish them to be real, intimate experiences

tenya: this is where you two seem to split

tenya: because you strive to live the stories

pppppppppppink: *is eating popcorn* marriage counseling :D

shouto: i mean who wouldnt

nessie: I DONT I DONT I DONT I DONT I DONT

nessie: NONONONONONONONO

nessie: UCK AMN DO YOU THIINK I WANNA FUCKING

nessie: THAT IS

nessie: NOOONONONONOONONO

shouto: shit man calm down

shouto: so it scares you

nessie: fuck yess??? you get it????finally????

shouto: why

[nessie has left the group chat.]

pppppppppppink: dude you messed up

shouto: .

tenya: i advise understanding

tenya: not everyone feels the same way you do

shouto: well duh

shouto: but it isnt scary

shouto: .

pppppppppppink: are you hearing yourself? finally?

pppppppppppink: not to be mean, ur just

pppppppppppink: really dense :D

tenya: to him, it is scary.

tenya: and thats just how he works

tenya: youll have to respect that

shouto: but its not scary

tenya: that is an opinion, shouto

tenya: not fact. it varies from person to person

tenya: you have to respect his opinion, shouto

shouto: .

shouto: god

shouto: fine

tenya: now what’s this about a “frog demon”?

pppppppppppink: ohohoohooho

shouto: first of all, it isnt a demon

pppppppppppink: do i have a story for you!

 _______________________________________________________________

 Izuku settled on giving Shouto the cold shoulder. It lasted out of school and on the way home, even as they pulled up to his house. Even as he kept pestering him with his constant, creepy, begging stare. Fuck him. Because if he talked first, he’d end up apologizing. And he couldn’t do that. He wasn’t the one at fault.

The frog girl was gone. They searched high and low, all over his house, but she was nowhere to be seen. Izuku found the frog skin wrapped up in the dumpster outside, and threw it at Shouto without a word. Shouto didn’t say anything, either.

“Hm,” Ochako popped a sucker into her mouth. “I changed my mind. Two days.”

Izuku grumbled, flushing bright red.

“I find this whole story a little hard to believe,” Tenya said, and Izuku felt a wild urge to punch him. “You mean to tell me that this so-called giant frog split open and turned out to be a young girl? Who is now missing?”

“Tenya, I wish it didn’t happen,” Izuku crossed the driveway, grabbing the taller boy by his quarterback shoulders. “I wish desperately that it didn’t happen. But it did.”

“Oh yeah,” Ochako said, nodding. “It was crazy. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t been there.” With a shrug, she added, “Still kinda in doubt. It was super late.”

“Maybe it was a dream?”

“No,” Shouto said, coming up to show Tenya something on his phone. “Pictures. Video. It’s real. The frog, at least. I also have samples at home. I did some research - actually, there are some frogs that can grow up to about the size of our frog, but they can only live in equatorial Guinea. Without the girl, the skin only proves that a new species of giant frog lives in the area unless they map its genome or something.” He shrugged. “Not the story I was looking for, but cool nonetheless.”

“’Story’?” Izuku bristled. “What are you even looking for, Shouto? Why are you doing this at all?” Whoops. But he couldn’t help it. He’d been wondering it for a while, but this was the breaking point. Would he just hand the girl over to scientists for testing if he did have her? Would they take advantage of the fact that she isn’t human to do whatever they wanted? What was Shouto getting from this? Money? Fame? He wasn’t the type who would search out stuff like that, so what-?!

“Huh?” Shouto tilted his head. “...Why not? It’s fun.”

He could scream. Angrily, he stomped back to the porch, yanking open his door and ready to lock it behind him-

-and the kitchen was a mess, like a tornado whizzed around in the few moments they went outside. The dining table was on its side, chairs thrown around, cabinets raided and foodstuffs everywhere. The fridge was open, and judging from the aggressive clinking going on, someone was there. Izuku could probably guess who it was. But why now? She barely touched anything, earlier.

And then she peeked above the fridge door. Izuku screamed.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

if anyone knows how to color text please tell me because i spent a lot of time coloring the chat messages in the original doc and im sad it didnt carry so please and thank you tell me,

[cowboy-canoodler]

A High Note of Love: Part 5

( Idk why I’m still writing this, not many people read it but w/e. I really like this chapter, but I’m also a whore for Sean so whatever lmao. I also do not do well with the other women in the camp, i have no idea how to write most of the men either but hey ho whatever!)

Master list :http://cowboy-canoodler.tumblr.com/post/183094165570/a-high-note-of-love-master-list

Sean, and Arthur were about to ride you to their camp to introduce you to the rest of the gang. Your heart was beating rapidly inside your chest, if they didn’t like you what would you do? Arthur was loyal, you knew that, and you didn’t want to force this choice on him, mainly because you knew that he wouldn’t choose you.

Your clothes now resembled someone of the higher society, but not high enough that the gang would be repulsed by you. You chose a deep emerald green gown, with gold lace accents along the collar, cuffs, and along your bustle, a small bonnet with Lillies adorned your head. You held a small suitcase full of day clothes and some make up to touch up later on, you had a feeling that you wouldn’t be riding back home tonight. A last look in the mirror and you were satisfied with you final outfit, you turned to leave your room and show yourself to Arthur. He was stood with his back at the bar, smoking a cigarette, you could see specks of mud on the back of his neck, some blood too.

“Those are bad for your health you know” You commented making your way towards him.

“Says who?” Arthur turned around with a smirk on his face, but his mouth fell agape when he saw you, “Hot damn”

“What?” You panicked, “Do I look okay?” You started looking down and around your outfit in a panic.

“No no! You- You look beautiful (Y/N)” Arthur looked lost for words, his eyes bore a hole into your outfit, almost as if he hadn’t seen one quite like it.

“Oh” Your head snapped up to meet his gaze with a blush dusting your cheeks, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear you replied, “Th-Thank you Arthur”. A smile crept its way into your face and you tucked a piece of hair behind your ear, “We shouldn’t keep Sean waiting”

“I guess you’re right, don’t know how happy I am that he’s comin’ on our ride, but it is what it is I s’pose” Arthur placed a hand on your shoulder and started leading you out of the door of the bar and there was a delicate touch to his hand as if he were handling something precious.

Sean was restless on his horse looking around at the people scattered on the streets, “finally” he looked over at you and Arthur, who had removed his hand from you as soon as he saw Sean, “thought you were gonna bail on me!”

“Did enough bailin’ for you when we saved your damn ass from hangin’” Arthur chuckled helping you onto his horse, you were settled and Arthur hoisted him self in front of you and sat down, somehow slotting in front of you perfectly and you wrapped your arms around his stomach for balance. That’s what you told yourself anyway, but you enjoyed the feeling of him being close to you again. The only time you two had been as close as this was weeks ago when you shared a bed, neither you nor Arthur had tried to initiate sex again after that. IT somehow didn’t feel right, like you would ruin what was blooming.

“God Arthur! you speak of that all the time but it was years ago!” Sean lightly kicked his horse to start your journey.

“It was last week!” Arthur shouted back, their personalities were so different from each other and yet they worked so well joking around and making you giggle.

“You sure? Feels like years ago when I’m with such delightful comp’ny, say Miss (Y/N)?” Sean looked back at you with a grin on his face.

“Yes Master MacGuire?” You lifted a brow to the ginger lad, a curious tone to your voice, “How can one such as I help you?”

“What part of Great Britain are you from?” Sean suddenly got very serious, not forgetting this man was Irish and probably hated the English for all they had done against the Irish.

“Lesnewth, Cornwall. Though I no longer consider myself English, if my mother saw me today she’d refer to me as a-” You shrivelled your face up, as if eating a lemon, and spoke in an over exaggerated posh accent referring to your mother, “A dirty Yankee, you’re a disgrace upon the name of (Y/LN) and should be whipped!” All three of you left out a laugh at your impression of your mother, “Not a delightful woman to speak to my mother, unless you’re Queen Victoria of course!”

“She sure sounds like it!” Arthur was still chuckling at your impression earlier, you could feel his stomach muscles working with each breath.

“Lisnewth? I ain’t never heard of that, but Cornwall? Now you’re talkin! I’m gonna guess you’re family’s in Tin mining then?” A couple of men on horses passed giving you and Arthur a dirty look.

“My my Master MacGuire! How ever did you guess?” You were genuinely surprised that Sean knew of the Tin mining in Cornwall, then again Tin mining is the only thing to come out of Cornwall. “You guessed right though, my family used to own a small Tin mine, then the prices shot up and we became rich. Funny how it happens to the un-expecting, and the un-deserving” The last part you mumbled under your breath but you’re sure Arthur heard, you could feel his shoulders tighten in response.

“You don’t need to tell him (Y/N), he’ll only get attached to ya, and then you gotta talk to him everyday!” Was Arthur joking? This was a rare sight indeed, you could feel that he was relaxed around you, or maybe it was Sean, it would make sense for Arthur to be relaxed around someone he considers his family.

“What if I want to speak to Master MacGuire everyday?” You teased Arthur, pinching at his stomach a little.

“Exactly! What if she wants to speak to me? I’m handsome, charming-” Sean puffed out his chest as he started listing his good qualities.

“Loud, cocky, prone to shoot before thinkin’“ Arthur cut in and listed Seans seemingly bad qualities.

“Oh, trying to turn her against me are you Arthur? Well how about we let the lady decide?” Sean looked directly at you and you stared to burn up.

“Oh! Well- I- Uh- I don’t really know you yet Master MacGuire, but I wouldn’t mind getting to know you better” You smiled back. Arthur snapped his reins and demanded his horse move faster, trying to get you away from Sean no doubt.

“Arthur!” Sean shouted but you were well ahead of him.

“Arthur? What are you doing?” You asked, tugging your arms at his torso.

“I don’t like you talking to him”

“Is this jealousy Arthur? Get a grip!” You snapped at him, why did you snap at him? Part of you was happy he was jealous, but you also felt conflicted. You should be able to freely speak to men or women without repercussions, and you especially felt hatred towards the fact you were being told what you can and can’t do. “I can get to know whomever I want” You lightly hit your head on Arthurs back to give him a nudge.

Arthur pulled on the reins and slowed down to a trot, “I know, I know. I don’t wanna control you (Y/N), I just. Nevermind, we’re close to the camp now” Arthur looked back and saw Sean catching up to you both.

“The hell Arthur?” Seans hair was dishevelled and he was out of breath.

“I wanted her for myself for a bit, got a problem?” Arthur teased Sean again, but his comment did bring a little happiness to you. “Besides, I had no idea what y’all were talkin’ bout. Tin, Cornwall, Liscewth or whatever” Sean and Arthur carried on their bickering but you were looking out over the forest.

You could see the glow of fires in the distance, the sun had started to set and a warm glow enveloped the forest around you. Highlights of deer in the trees, the flowers on the ground, and leaves in the trees. The evening was beautiful and you were so glad you could be here to enjoy it.

“Who’s that?” A Voice shouted from the trees, it came from a big man with a black beard and rotund belly. He carried a rifle in his hands, cocked and ready to fire.

“Sean and Arthur ya dumbass!” Arthur shouted back.

“Who’s that?” The man nodded towards you, a furrowed brow and pressed lips on his face.

“She’s a friend, put your damn gun away. Don’t point it at a a lady”

“Pleasure to meet you sir” You offered a warm smile, this was the second member of the gang you were meeting and you wanted to make a good first impression.

“You sure we can trust her?”  An air of suspicion was suddenly around you, it was like nothing you’d ever felt before.

“Bill shut yer damn mouth, if I thought we couldn’t trust her do you think I would have brought her here?” Arthur rolled his eyes and dismissively waved his hand at Bill.

“Well I suppose so, but I got my eye on you Missy!” You were slightly taken aback by Bills forwardness, you stared Bill in the eyes as you and Arthur made your way past on the horse.

“I look forward to getting to know you in the future Master Bill” Did you? Part of you knew that the suspicion would never fade away, maybe he was like this with everyone, nevertheless you needed Arthurs family to like you.

You, Sean, and Arthur came up to the hitching posts and Arthur dismounted, with very heavy feet. You swung your right leg over the horse and slid your way off as gracefully as you could a slight lighter than Arthur. Sean gave you a wink and walked his way into the camp, waving at fellow gang members along the way. There were tents, carts, and tables set up with people jostling about, drinking and having fun.

“Is there a party or something?” You asked, walking your way alongside Arthur.

“Naw. No party. Jus’ glad to be alive I s’pose” Arthur looked handsome in the evening light, the orange shades of the sun lit up the highlights of his face, His broad nose, stubbled jaw, eyebrows, eyes, hat, everything about him. He was just a very handsome man in general. He soon looked down and caught you staring, “Somethin’ wrong?” His brow raised and his eyes widened.

“No not at all” Your breath hitched as you looked into his eyes, “Just admiring the view. The evening sun lights up your features perfectly Arthur” A warm breeze passed and the smell of smoke from the fires wafted by, you could hear singing and laughing from the camp members.

“Not much of a view if ya tell me” Arthur looked away, you had thought your compliment had made him smile but now only furrowed bros and a scowl remained, you brought a hand to Arthurs cheek and turned him to face you again.

“It’s one hell of a view Arthur” You smiled again, and so did Arthur this time.

“Hey (Y/N)!” Sean shouted as he ran up to you and Arthur, “I told some o’ the members about ya! Don’t be embarrassed to meet them!”

“Thank you Master-”

“Please call me Sean, I beg ya”

“Thank you, Sean” Sean winked once more and ran back off into the camp towards a woman with blonde shoulder length hair, in tight curls, a whiskey bottle grasped firmly in her hand. “Well, who should I meet now?” you didn’t want Arthur to know you were nervous but you were certain he had already noticed.

“Come one, I’ll let ya see Hosea” Arthur placed a guiding hand on you once more and brought you to a table with an older man sat at it writing in a book. He was well dressed, and well kept, silver hair slicked to one side, years tugging at his skin

“Are we interrupting?” Arthur asked sitting him self down.

“Not at all Arthur I-” Hosea looked up and caught your eyes, “Oh pardon me I didn’t realise I was in the company of a lady” He stood up and extended an hand, “Hosea Matthews”

You took his hand and gave it a light shake “(Y/FN) (Y/LN), nice to meet you” Hosea gestured for you to sit down and you complied.

“You’re English?”Hosea asked, his eyes piercing into yours, he was workign you out without uttering a word about it, you nodded in response, “Ah, been in America long?”

“A couple of years now, but it feels like I’ve always lived here” Arthur stood up and walked over to a couple of crates by a wagon, he pulled out three bottles of beer and made his way back over.

“America can be like that, Arthur how did you and Miss (Y/LN) meet?” Hosea looked over at Arthur and grabbed one of the beers.

“Oh, I was scopin’ a target in Saint Denis, he went into a saloon, I went in, and (Y/N) was singing that night. Jus’ so happened to listen in” Arthur popped off the bottle caps and handed a beer to you, which you gratuitously accepted.

“My dear girl, you’re a singer?” Hosea raised his eyebrows and you started to feel embarrassed.

“Yes, It’s nothing big I just sing a couple of nights a week. I’m not all that good that I deserve praise or attention!” You were waving your hands about trying to sound humble.

“Not all that good?” Arthur scoffed and took a swig of his drink, “Hosea she has a voice like an angel” His comment made you blush deeply, a light chuckle escaping from your lips.

“Arthur doesn’t give compliments like this lightly, so I’m compelled to believe him” Hosea took another swig of his drink, he was very slender and kept his appearance up.

“I must thank you then Arthur” you gave Arthur a slight judge with your elbow, an embarrassment taking over you, it was a nice thought that Arthur kept compliments like this for people who really deserve it, not like then men who throw them around to manipulate you into getting into their bed for the night.

“S’no problem, I’m only tellin’ the truth” Arthur looked over at Hosea who had returned to writing in his book, you couldn’t quite tell what he was writing but it looked like a map of sorts with arrows and directions. Arthur caught you staring and promptly stood up, “we’ll leave ya be Hosea, you got work to do I see” Arthur offered a hand out to you which you accepted, and you stood up grabbing s hold of your drink in your other hand.

“No problem Arthur” Hosea look up to you, “pleasure to meet you Miss (Y/LN).”

“And you too Mister Matthews” you gave a small curtsy and followed Arthur who had begun walking towards the campfire, towards a man with black hair, a poncho, hat, and a guitar, and another with shoulder length brown hair, a beer, and a gaunt expression.

“This here is Javier Escuella and Kieran O’Driscoll” Arthur extended a hand out towards the two men who had been sitting in silence prior to your introduction. They both looked up towards Arthur and yourself.

“I ain’t an O’Driscoll sir!” Kieran promptly responded before seeing you, “Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t see you there” he stood up and offered a hand of greeting towards you, “I’m Kieran, n-not with the O’Driscoll part Ma’am, my last name’s Duffy” His expression was soft, not battle hardened like the rest of the gang you had seen, a small lanky sort of boy who’s hair fell in front of his face.

“Calm down, I was jus’ jokin’ around” Arthur diffused, setting himself down next to Javier who gave him a quizzical look. You bowed your head towards Kieran and took his hand giving him a reassuring smile. Javier look up at you and gave you a small nod, “this here’s Javier”

“A pleasure to meet you both, I’m (Y/N) (Y/LN)” you kept your voice soft as you introduced yourself, Arthur was sat in the floor next to Javier and you sat on a log next to Keiran, Javier went back to looking at his guitar and the air went dead, not at all like how it was with Hosea. “Do you play Mister Escuella?” You asked after taking a sip of your beer.

“Si, one of the things that keeps camp home. It’s nice to meet you Senorita” The guitar was beautiful, and very well kept, no signs of wear on the strings, carved intricacies were all over it, and Javier hands were always soft when handling the wood. 

“(Y/N) here is a singer in Saint Denis-” Arthur looked over at you, his eyes sparkling in the firelight, a warm glow to his face, God he was even more handsome right now. Your heart was about to beat out of your chest as you met his gaze, you saw his mouth moving but didn’t hear a word as you stared at him. (Y/N)?  (Y/N)? You there?” Arthur waved a hand infront of your face and you blinked in response.

“Huh?” you shook your head and saw Javier, Kieran, and Arthur were staring at you, “Yeah?”

“You zoned out there, thought we lost ya” Arthur and Javier chuckled, Kieran sat quiet.

“Oh goodness I’m sorry, I daydreamed for a second there. My apologies” You shook your hands in front of you, slightly flustered by your air headed session.

“As Arthur was saying, you’re a singer in Saint Denis?” Javier placed his guitar down gently and reached for a bottle that sat next to him.

“Yes! It’s how Arthur and I met” You regaled the story once again to Javier and Kieran, the Mexican was cool an collected, he held himself with pride and was always the first to laugh at Arthur telling a joke, Kieran on the other hand was quieter so as not to disturb anyone with his presence, he almost breathed in a silent way to make sure no one could know he was nearby.

“Would you want to sing something for the camp tonight? They get restless when drunk, restless and loud. I’d love to have a trained singer for once and not whatever these guys call singing” Javier chuckled as Arthur rolled his eyes.

“Why, Mister Escuella. I would love to” Your face brightened immensely, a smile wide across your cheeks, this would be the best situation to introduce yourself to the gang members and show them what you could do. What if they think you’re showing off? They’ll think you’re above them. They’ll hate you.

Arthur stared at you in awe, his mouth turning to a small smile, pride filling his eyes when he looked at this amazing woman so giddy, so ready to show yourself to his family. “You’ll do great (Y/N)” He gave you a reassuring look as you stood up to follow Javier.

“It was lovely meeting you Kieran” You gave Kieran a smile, looking him directly in the eyes to show him you meant it.

“Oh, th-thank you Miss (Y/LN)” He looked surprised, maybe he thought you’d forget about him like everyone seemingly does.

As you followed Javier and Arthur to the main fire where Sean ,Hosea, and other gang members had convened you swallowed hard. 

Please god let them like me.

[unofferable-fic]

The Flower & The Serpent (Arthur Morgan x OFC)

Chapter 6 - Violent Delights

Summary: In the early 1890s, the Van der Linde Gang were truly at their finest. Experts at stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, they’ve made a name for themselves across the West. Two of their newest recruits, a pair of rebellious Irish siblings with an unknown past, slowly find their footing and settle into their new lives as outlaws. And yet, as they grow older, threats from all sides begin to appear. A strained relationship with Colm O'Driscoll spells disaster for the gang, and no matter how far they roam across America, the world continues to change around them. If they want to survive, difficult choices must be made. No one is as they seem and the impending arrival of law and order threatens to tear the siblings, and everything they hold dear, apart. Is it too late for anyone to find a happy ending?

Gif originally found here

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Pairing: Arthur Morgan x OFC

Warnings: Language, some fluff, sexual tension.

Word Count: 6,071

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Playlist: “Tyrants” — Catfish and the Bottlemen, “Too Dry to Cry” — Willis Earl Beal, “First Apparition” — Jed Kurzel

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A/N: Also available on AO3. Chapter six comin’ at y’all.

30th August, 1893, outside Winterset, Iowa

It’s been a few days since our night in the De Soto saloon, and I think everyone has finally recovered from their hangovers. Surprisingly so, our new friend, Reverend Swanson seemed to have it worse than all of us. I suppose I shouldn’t make assumptions based on his profession, but I was still surprised to see him struggling for a few days…

Today, Hosea and I plan on robbing that homestead in Norwalk, just outside Des Moines. It’s a big house on the northern side of town that’s apparently used by rich folk who holiday there. They’re usually rich folks who own tonnes of livestock that are getting transported across counties for selling and such. Karen heard that the current residents have been there a while because they’ve been selling and buying livestock around the area, so they’re sure to have cash on them. Hosea thinks it’s a good opportunity to make some money, and I’m more than happy to help him out. He thinks we might need another set of hands for the job just to be safe, and I think I’ll suggest we take Miss Hennigan along. She hasn’t been on any jobs since her accident at the bank, so maybe this will help her get back on her feet.

* * *

“Marston! Did you take my pocket watch?”

At the sound of William shouting across camp, Arthur looked up and shut his journal.

John sat by the campfire eatting a bowl of stew for lunch. “What?”

William stood over him, hands on his hips and his expression beyond frustrated. “My pocket watch — did you take it?”

“No, why would I do that?”

“If you’re lyin’, this isn’t funny.”

“I didn’t take your damn watch, Hennigan!”

Sensing that a brawl was possibly imminent, Arthur strolled over to the pair. “What are you two yellin’ about?”

“I can’t find my pocket watch,” William explained with visible irritation. “I tore my tent apart lookin’ for it all mornin’.”

Arthur frowned and scratched at his bearded chin. “The silver one?”

He nodded. “I can’t find it anywhere. I thought Marston might’ve taken it.”

“Why the hell would I do that?” John asked defensively.

“’Cause you love to do my head in.”

“Well, I didn’t take it. Just buy yourself a new one in town.”

“It’s my da’s,” William said through gritted teeth. “I can’t just replace it.”

At that revelation, John shut his mouth and said no more. This was clearly something dear that the kid held close to his heart, and Arthur wasn’t about to let him get upset and anxious with its absence. Though he knew next to nothing about their parents, he gathered that this wasn’t something William could forget about. “This watch… It must mean a lot to you then, kid.”

“It does.”

“When do you last remember havin’ it?”

“I definitely had it when we went to town yesterday… I can’t remember if I had it on me last night.”

John quickly finished his stew and then got to his feet. “C’mon then. We can go into town and see can we find it. You comin’, Morgan?”

“I would, but I’ve got some work to do with Hosea.”

“I guess it’s just me and the kid then—”

“Again,” William cut in. “I’m only two years younger than you. If I wasn’t grateful for your help, I’d eat the head off you for that comment.”

“Let’s just get goin’.”

“See,” Arthur said with a small smirk. “You two can be nice to each other!”

He watched the two young men mount up and head on out of camp to go in search of William’s most prized possession. He shook his head in mild amusement as they continued to bicker as they rode away, and headed over to one of the camp tables where Hosea was sat with a number of plans laid out before him. They greeted each other as Arthur ran his eyes over the paper sheets.

“You ready for tonight?” Hosea asked.

“Ain’t I always? It’s been a while since we robbed a homestead.”

“That it has. It’ll be a refreshin’ change. Any ideas for who you want to bring along?”

Arthur hummed as he pulled out a cigarette. “I’ve been thinkin’ maybe Maebh would be a good addition. I know she’s been lookin’ for work since recoverin’ from the bank.”

Hosea grinned at the suggestion. “Good idea, Arthur. Why don’tcha ask her to join us?”

Taking a drag off his cigarette, he looked over to the food wagon and saw said addition chopping vegetables and plopping them into the stew pot. “Maebh! You free?”

She looked up at his call and gave him a thumbs up. “Fan nóiméad!”

Having been around the Irish siblings for a few years, he was able to understand some of the phrases used in their native language, so he waited patiently while she washed her hands and joined them at the table.

“How’re you feelin’, Miss Maebh?” Hosea asked and looked at her from beneath the brim of his stalker.

Maebh brushed her brown hair out of her face and replied. “With regards the hangover or the fact I love fallin’ off horses?”

“The horses mostly… You feelin’ fully recovered?”

“Yeah.” She paused and then nodded at the older man. “I think I’m finally feelin’ like my old self now.”

“In that case, fancy robbin’ a homestead with us?”

Her eyes darted between them, and Arthur couldn’t help but grin at her enthusiasm. “Uh, yes please! You sure you’s want me in on this?”

“Of course we are,” Hosea answered without hesitation. “You gotta get back into earnin’ your keep and you’re exactly the woman we need on this job.”

His admission actually had her smiling ear to ear, a rare sight that Arthur hardly witnessed. Full toothed grins were usually reserved for William, but he was quite happy that he could be part of bringing such an expression to her youthful face. “Count me in then.”

Hosea gestured for her to take a seat, ensuring that the three of them were huddled together at the table, peering over some of the plans and maps Hosea had laid out. Right away, he got to filling her in about the job. He pointed to a photo Arthur had snapped of the residence. “We’re robbin’ a house up on the northern side of Norwalk. It’s used by rich folk for holidayin’ and as somewhere to stay when sellin’ livestock across counties. The railroad that swings through town brings the livestock to various markets and farms. Karen did some investigatin’, and heard that its current guests have been there a while. They’re also attendin’ a party in Des Moines tonight, so the house will be empty.”

“Damn,” Maebh sighed. “That’s perfect. How long have you’s been scoutin’ this place?”

“’Bout a week or so. We’re takin’ our time and tryin’ to play our cards right. We’re just lucky that they happen to be headin’ out of town for a bit.”

“Right. So what exactly is the plan of action?”

Hosea pulled a small map of Norwalk closer and pointed to the location where the house resided. “What we’re thinkin’ is, the folks will be gone at around eight o’clock or so. I say, we hide in the bushes here next to the house, and then, once they’ve gone, break in through the side door. I stay on lookout while you and Arthur scour the house for any valuables. It’s a big enough place, so two pairs of hands will get us in and out faster.”

“Sounds good to me, fellas. What time do we ride out?”

“It’s roughly a three hour ride, so Arthur suggested we head out at four and then grab somethin’ to eat in Norwalk. That gives you plenty of time to get yourself organised.”

“Great,” she said and got to her feet. “I’ll go get myself sorted then. Thanks for askin’ me along for the fun, lads.”

“Our pleasure, Miss Hennigan,” Arthur replied and tipped his hat as she walked away. He turned to see Hosea smirking at him. He took another puff off his cigarette and raised his brow. “What’s that look for?”

“It was nice of you to ask her along. Some people would be hesitant involvin’ her when it’s her first job since the bank. I get the impression she was a little worried ’bout not bein’ included or lettin’ people down. I think your offer just boosted her confidence.”

Arthur cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks warm at the compliment. “It ain’t nothin’, Hosea. The kid needs to get back on her feet and it’s our job to look out for each other — you know that.”

“Oh, I do.” He began to fold up his plans and stood as he continued. “You like to play the part of the brooding gunslinger, Arthur, but you like to help people where you can.”

The man’s accusations had Arthur staring at his feet with surprising concentration. “I think you’re gettin’ a little delusional in your old age, Hosea.”

“And I think you act dumber than you really are.” Without another word, Hosea left Arthur to his discomfort and made his way to join Bessie by the fire. Arthur watched the couple for a moment, a tiny part of him envious of their connection. His mind wandered to thoughts of Mary, of Eliza and Isaac.

He had never taken compliments well — nor did he ever expect to in the future. As far as he was concerned, they were all carefully woven lies, holding no truth or accuracy to his true character. He was an outlaw, a gunslinger, a bad man by all accounts who robbed and fought to stay alive. Dutch would always insist that they were the ones truly living, but he feared society would never see him as anything else other than a criminal. Regardless of that, the gang’s code always justified his actions with the end goal being to help those who truly needed it. He gazed once more at Maebh in her tent as she went through her belongings.

Huh, maybe Hosea wasn’t too far off the mark…

* * *

Later that afternoon, John and William returned from town. Arthur knew immediately by the look of displeasure on the latter’s face that they had not managed to find his pocket watch. He was brushing Boadicea when John approached him. “Can I ask a favour, Morgan?”

“That depends on what the favour is,” he replied and looked at him suspiciously. “Whatchu want?”

“Got a piece of paper I could use?” he asked. “And a pencil? I figured you would be the right man to go to.”

“Sure I do. But you gotta tell me why you need ’em first.”

John sighed in defeat and shrugged. “I just wanna write Maebh a note.”

Arthur immediately let out a howling laugh. “Oh, I didn’t peg you for the sort to write love letters, Marston!”

“It ain’t no love letter!” he replied defensively, looking around camp to see if anyone had heard the outburst. “Look, I just picked up somethin’ for her in town and wanted to leave it in her tent with a note. I owed her a favour. That’s all.”

“Right, right,” he hushed him and reached into his satchel for his journal. He carefully tore out a page and handed it to his friend, along with a pencil. “Calm down, I’m only needlin’ ya.”

“Some pack is shy a damn joker,” John muttered and squatted by a nearby crate to write his note. Arthur returned his attention to his horse, though he noted that the familiar  noisy scribbles of lead on paper hadn’t yet begun. He glanced at the younger man, seeing him staring at the piece of paper in confusion.

Arthur let out a sigh. “You don’t know how to spell her name, do ya?”

“It’s an odd name, okay,” John replied, though his face blatantly showed his embarrassment as he looked up. “I ain’t never met someone called Maebh before and it’s not like I can speak Irish… D’you know how to spell it?’

“Sure.” Forcing himself not to smirk, Arthur nodded and gestured for him to write as he spelled it for him aloud. “It’s M-A-Y-U-V.”

John wrote it down and then looked at the page for a moment. “You sure that’s right?”

“Yeah, Marston. The U is silent.”

“It looks sorta… weird.”

“Well the Irish are a weird bunch.”

“Right,” he mumbled and quickly continued the rest of the note while Arthur turned back to Boadicea and tried not to laugh. “Thanks, Morgan.”

Arthur dismissed his thanks as the younger man headed back into camp after returning the pencil to its rightful owner. Not long after he’d left, Maebh and Hosea appeared, all geared up and ready to go.

The trio set off, horses moving at a comfortable trot in the humid afternoon. While the weather slowly became wetter and windier the further they travelled, they were wrapped up well for the journey. Upon arriving in Norwalk, Arthur gazed around the new town. It was small, with a population of only a couple hundred, but a homely looking saloon on its main street grabbed their attention. After braving the rotten weather, a hot meal helped to lift their spirits and the heat of the saloon’s fire assisted in drying their clothes. With eight o’clock getting closer, they mounted up once more and travelled to the outskirts of their target. Hitching the horses a safe distance away, they snuck up to a group of bushes located beside the house. The gang mates weren’t hiding for long when the couple residing within came outside, dressed to the nines and ready for an evening of  excessive wealth and glamour. Arthur frowned as they climbed into a waiting coach and left.

“Did you see the size of that fella’s top hat?” Maebh whispered, eyes wide. “I’ve never seen somethin’ so excessive in my life!”

“We did tell you they was wealthy,” Arthur replied, watching until the coach disappeared around a bend in the road.  “What did you expect?”

“Well I certainly didn’t expect that.”

“Right, they’re gone,” Hosea announced and lead the way as the three of them approached the building’s side door. “You know the drill — I’ll keep watch and you two grab what you can. Remember, no killin’ unless you’ve no choice.”

Arthur pulled out a pair of heavy duty pliers and quickly snapped the door’s lock. “Got it.”

Maebh nodded as she gripped the hilt of her hunting knife. “Any other residents we should look out for?”

Hosea shook his head. “Just a cat as far as our information says.”

“Grand. After you, Mr Morgan.”

Arthur led the way as requested, keeping low and entering the fancy house as quiet as he could. Hosea remained in the doorway while they found themselves in a large washroom of sorts. They moved stealthily through another door and into a long hallway.

“Okay,” Arthur said in a hushed voice. “You search down here while I look upstairs. Come up when you’re finished.”

“Yes, sir.” With a nod, she slunk off into the nearby sitting area and he scaled the excessively extravagant staircase to the landing. At the top, he noted five doors to choose from and, knowing that there wasn’t much time to consider his options, got to searching through them as quickly and quietly as possible. He grabbed whatever he could — trinkets on shelves, bottles of unopened bourbon and rum, loose change, money clips, jewellery — and stuffed it into the bag he carried over his shoulder. In a room he assumed to be an office, he searched through the desk drawers and found some more money, along with bonds in relation to livestock and a couple of business related letters. He noted details they could use for possible future robbers if needs be, and found himself grinning at the possibilities. They had really struck gold with this lead.

After going through a study, a fancy bathroom, and a bedroom, he eventually arrived at the master bedroom. Upon opening the door, he was greeted with the sight of a ginger cat sitting atop a large bed. They stared each other down for moment, before the cat eventually looked away and returned to licking its paw.

“Hey there, kitty,” Arthur greeted the animal quietly. “Don’t mind me — just stealin’ from your owners… Not like you give a shit.”

He worked his way through the cosy room, going through drawers, wardrobes, and cupboards in search of anything useful. An extensive jewellery collection had him grinning like a moron, as well as a number of Cuban cigars. As he reached one of the bedside tables, the cat seemed to take a curious interest in him. It proceed to rub its head along his outstretched arm, purring contentedly. Seeing no harm, he gently scratched its head.

“Arthur?” he heard a low voice call from the hallway and answered to let Maebh know where he was. Upon entering the bedroom, she smiled at the sight before her. “Hadn’t pegged you for a cat person.”

“Ah, I don’t mind cats or dogs,” he admitted before returning his attention to the drawer’s contents and pointing to the right side of the room. “Help me take a look ’round. I ain’t checked that side yet.”

She got to work, rooting through a large chest of drawers for anything they could sell.

He noted the size of her own bag and asked. “You look like you found enough.”

“Oh definitely,” she replied. “These people have way too many things. There was a whole cabinet of fancy alcohol down there.”

“Well, don’t tell Karen or the Callander boys that,” he joked. “Or we’ll never get to taste it ourselves.”

“Better safe than sorry.” There was a short silence between them before she continued speaking, though her tone had shifted slightly from its previously jesting manner. “I, eh… meant t’say to you. Thanks for askin’ me to come along on this job.”

He turned his attention away from the chest he was ransacking to look at her. She had her eyes fixed on a fancy hat before she met his gaze.

“Don’t mention it,” he replied. “I knew you’d be a helpful set of hands for it.”

“Well, thank you. It’s just…” She sighed and shoved the hat into her bag. “When you’ve been out of action for a bit, people can be hesitant ’bout involvin’ you in important work. I’m just relieved you don’t think I’m a liability, or somethin’.”

“O’course I don’t think that,” he reassured her, shutting the chest and moving to the other bedside table. “No one at camp thinks that neither.”

“You sure?”

Her tone was enough for him to understand that she was indeed a bit worried that her fellow gang members were worried about her abilities. He had to remind himself that she was still young and learning and — though he knew little of her upbringing — hadn’t been living this life anywhere near as long as he had.

“I’m sure.” He looked at her earnestly. “Look, Maebh, we all mess up sometimes. It’s part of the job. All you can do is learn from it and try not to do it again. I think you’re bein’ too harsh on yourself anyway. Keep workin’ hard and you’ll be fine.”

She restlessly picked at her palm and offered him a genuine smile, much like the one he had witnessed that morning. “Right, well, thanks for the reassurance, Arthur.”

He gave her his best attempt at a smile and went back to searching in the other bedside table he had yet to empty. Though he felt her eyes on him, he kept busy, cursing himself for being so awkward when it came to conversing with women in most regards. He hoped he at least hadn’t made himself look like a fool. Really he just hoped that she did feel a bit better about her capabilities…

He aimlessly picked up a letter within the top drawer just so he had something to stop himself from acting like an ass. He read its contents before realising that this actually was something that could be exceedingly useful.

“I think I found somethin’,” he announced. “C’mere.”

Maebh approached him quickly, looking over his shoulder at the letter in his hand. “What ya got?”

“A letter,” he explained, then finished reading it, and handed it to her. “Addressed to the husband’s brother. Says somethin’ ’bout a train full of rich folk comin’ through here in September.”

She studied the parchment and her eyes narrowed in thought. “That’s about two weeks from now. Sounds like a lot of money travellin’ on one train.”

“And that railroad runs right through some mighty quiet country…”

She grinned mischievously at the suggestion. “Arthur Morgan, I think you might’ve struck gold.”

“Maebh Hennigan, I think we may have. Let’s get outta here.”

Having cleared the room, they quickly headed down the stairs with their bags weighing heavily on their shoulders. The ginger cat watched them leave before returning to its relaxing slumber.

They rounded the stairs and reached the hall just as Hosea’s hushed voice warned them from his spot by the side door. “Take cover! The husband is back!”

“Wait, what?” Maebh said, looking at the door as Hosea closed it and hid from view.

“Awh shit—!” Before Arthur could comprehend any plan of action, the front door rattled as a key announced the return of the house’s occupants.

They were currently standing in the centre of the front hall, completely out in the open and resembling sitting ducks.

Without warning he grabbed Maebh by the arm and pulled her into the darkened corner beneath the staircase. He found himself shielding her frame as she was pressed into the wall, and look of surprise covering her face. At that moment, the door opened with a ominous creak. She looked up at him with wide eyes, but he merely placed a finger on his own lips. Choosing not to risk having a peak just yet in case it compromised them, Arthur placed his hands on the wall either side of her as they squeezed themselves into the safety of the darkness.

His heart pounded in his chest as he heard the husband mutter under his breath. “That woman and her damn shawl…”

Footsteps sounded on the wooden flooring and Arthur used them to judge just how near or far the man was. He could feel anxious energy seeping from Maebh and noticed how she was cautiously gripping the hilt of her sheathed knife. Ever so carefully, he peered slightly around the stairs and saw the man impatiently grabbing a scarf from the coat rack next to the door.

“I have it, darling!” he called to his wife before rolling his eyes, muttering something about her constant forgetfulness, and storming out the door. He slammed it shut, once more leaving them alone in the large house. Arthur took a step back from her and heaved out a relieved sigh, just as she did the same. He attempted to clear a lump that had formed in his throat, hyper aware that he just all but shoved a young lady — his friend no less — into a dark corner in an unfamiliar house and forced his way into her personal space. He probably made her severely uncomfortable in the brief moment that the husband had returned.

You goddamned idiot, Morgan, he thought, rightly scolding himself for being such a damn lout. She ain’t no delicate flower, but why do you insist on bein’ such a heavy-handed fool? Thank God you had a damn bath yesterday, lest you make the girl suffer even more.

“That was close,” she mused. “We would’ve been done for if you hadn’t’ve pulled us under here.”

He was quick to wave off her thanks. “I think we’re in the clear now at least. Sorry for uh, manhandlin’ you.”

She let out an amused chuckle at his apology, causing him to frown. “You’re grand. If you hadn’t manhandled me, we’d probably be fleein’ from the law right now. I’d rather you did it again instead of leavin’ me to get caught.”

“Okay. Just wanted to make sure.”

She placed a gentle hand on his bicep and gave it a reassuring squeeze before releasing him again. “For future reference, I’d much rather you reef me under a staircase than leave me to fend off some rich bloke who has an unhealthy obsession with overpriced gin.”

He chuckled awkwardly and fixed his eyes on his boots. “Duly noted, Maebh.”

Before she could offer a response, the side door swung open, revealing a worried-looking Hosea. “You two alright?”

Arthur nodded and the two quickly walked to the washroom to join him. “We’re fine, but it was damn close.”

“Sorry for not givin’ you much of a warning. I didn’t hear them comin’ back until he was walkin’ up the path.”

“It’s fine, Hosea,” Arthur reassured him. “He didn’t see nothin’ and I think we might’a gotten ourselves another job outta this too.”

“Well good work then, you two. C’mon,” Hosea urged, ushering them out the door and into the night once more. “Let’s get outta here before someone sees us.”

Arthur breathed in deep as they left the uneasy atmosphere in the house behind. The cool air filled his lungs, relaxing his heart that was still beating irregularly after their close encounter.

Close in every sense of the word.

He slung his bag full of valuables over Boadicea and hoisted himself into his saddle just as Hosea offered them both a compliment for a job well done and a confrontation thankfully avoided. He tried to banish any worries from his mind that he may have made his friend uncomfortable with his recklessness as they began the long ride home. He guessed he would simply have to take her word for it and ignore the nagging thoughts in his tired head.

* * *

It was late at night when Maebh arrived back at camp. John welcomed them as he stood guard, and Arthur and Hosea lead the way up the dirt path to the tranquil little encampment. The latter offered her some small words of encouragement as they hitched their horses and left them to enjoy a well-deserved rest. She thanked him for bringing her along before then thanking Arthur for having her back as always. He left her with a tip of his hat and a wish that she slept well.

Her legs stung and ached from the lengthly ride home as she quietly entered her tent, seeing William already passed out on his bedroll. She had fully intended on following his lead when something on her pillow caught her attention. She gently placed her loot bag on the ground, stooped down, and picked up a small object wrapped in a piece of paper. She slowly unwrapped it, careful not to make too much noise, and discovered a chocolate bar. The gift was a thoughtful one and she originally assumed that William had left it for her until she read the piece of paper it had been wrapped inside:

Mayuv,

I heard you complaining saying to William about how you would ‘murder some chocolate’ this morning. Figured I would pick this up for you while I was in town today. Consider it a thank you for the bottle of bourbon you got me.

John

The gesture, though small, warmed her heart a little — more than she would probably admit to John’s face. He was right though, as she had been doing William’s head in about craving chocolate that morning before he realised his pocket watch had gone on the hop. It was commonplace within the gang to leave people gifts as favours and the action never failed to bring her a little bit of joy. It was the simple things in life, she supposed. She was even willing to overlook the complete bastardisation of her name because well, no one here spoke Irish other than her and her brother. At least he tried.

Grabbing the chocolate and a bottle of bourbon nicked from the house in Norwalk, she exited the tent in search of John. Though the entirety of camp had gone to bed, his tent was empty when she checked.

He’s probably still on guard duty, she mused and proceeded to head down the path to the outskirts of camp. She spotted John sitting against a tree in the darkness, smoking a cigarette and looking rather bored. Though he clearly didn’t hold much interest with guarding camp, the carbine in his hand was still ready should anything occur.

“Mr Marston,” she greeted him, her feet crunching on the leaf-covered ground already announcing her arrival.

He gave her a nod before tossing his cigarette on the ground and snuffing it out with his foot. “Miss Hennigan. What you still doin’ up?”

She took a seat next to him. “I got your gift and wanted to say thank you.”

He shrugged it off. “I owed you for that bourbon you got me anyhow.”

“And I got you that ’cause I owed you for those drinks in De Soto.”

“I guess we’re just gonna keep owin’ each other shit then.”

She popped open the bottle of whiskey before agreeing. “I guess you’re right. Drink?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” he said, taking a large swig from the bottle before handing it back to her. “That’s the stuff.”

She followed his lead and drank, enjoying how the liquid warmed her up and burned her throat in the most pleasurably of ways. “We nicked this from the homestead in Norwalk. Place was swimmin’ in drink.”

“So it went well, I’m assumin’?”

“Very.” She unwrapped her chocolate bar and plopped a square into her mouth before offering him one too. “We have lots to sell and lots to give away. Arthur found some info ’bout a train too that looks promisin’.”

He took the square and gave her a curious look. “A train?”

“Yeah, full of rich fellas passin’ through some quiet country. It’s askin’ to be robbed really.”

“Can I have in on that?” he asked, eyes wide at the prospects.

“I’m sure Dutch’ll want you in on it anyway, Marston, but I’ll put in a word anyway.”

“Consider it a thank you for the chocolate,” he joked and took the whiskey to drink some more. “You owe me now.”

“Ah, while we’re on the subject of that.” She lowered her voice and leaned in as if she had a precious secret to share with him. John took the bait and met her halfway. “M-A-E-B-H.”

He blinked in confusion. “What’s that?”

“How you spell my name. I’ll give you credit for tryin’ anyway.”

“For Christ sakes...” John frowned and wiped a hand over his flushing face. “I’m gonna kill Morgan.”

Putting the two together, Maebh started to laugh. “I should’ve known he was involved in this. That makes it even funnier.”

“You said B-H?” he grumbled, looking baffled. “How does that even work?”

“It makes a V sound in Irish,” she explained, unable to stop smirking at his amusing confusion. “If you think that’s difficult, you’re in for a shock with some of the other words. I feel like you should understand this as a Scot.”

He looked back at her with an equally sour and embarrassed expression before suddenly his eyes drifted over her head. They settled on something that caused him to start. He immediately heaved himself upwards, pulling her up too, and shoved her behind him.

“Who’s there?” he called out into the darkness, the repeater now aimed at something unseen in the distance.

Baffled, Maebh followed his line of sight and finally laid eyes on that which had startled him.

“You see him?” he questioned her under his breath. “Up on the ridge?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I see him.”

Up on the small ridge that circled around part of the camp’s outskirts stood a lone figure. It stood motionless, standing over them without offering a name or an explanation of why the hell it was watching them. The light of the moon shone over the tall shape, who she assumed to be a man based on its stature, but the darkness made it impossible to accurately identify it beyond being human. It was rare that she felt intimidated by others, but a cool shiver ran up her spine at the sight of this stranger. Her hand shook as it hovered over her pistol’s grip.

As the silence between them stretched out, John’s husky voice broke it once more. “Identify yourself, mister, or I’ll shoot!”

She could feel him staring at them, apparently unfazed by the threats.

“Go wake Dutch,” John ordered her, not taking his eyes off the apparition. “Tell him we got some son-of-a-bitch who thinks he’s funny.”

“Will you be alright?” she asked, already backing away down the path.

“Yeah, just go!”

Without another word, she sprinted back to camp. Her heavy footfalls pounding on the grass while she hoped Marston could handle the mysterious man alone. She called out Dutch’s name, rousing half the camp from their slumber with her unconventional arrival.

Outside of said man’s tent, she caught her breath. “Dutch, we’ve got a situation.”

Suddenly, the tent’s flap pulled back and a half asleep Dutch appeared before her, wearing a pair of pants over his union suit. “What is it?”

“There’s some fella wanderin’ ’round outside camp,” she quickly elaborated as Hosea and Miss Grimshaw appeared with their guns in-hand. “Marston has a gun on him, but he won’t leave or announce himself. He told me to come get you.”

The more she spoke, the firmer Dutch’s expression became. He quickly wrapped a large arm around her shoulder and offered some comforting words. “Alright, Miss Hennigan. You did right to come wake me up.”

At that, Arthur, William, and Davey joined them and the former asked with a tired voice. “What’s all the hollerin’?”

“We got someone snootin’ ’round outside camp,” Dutch said before addressing Maebh once more. “Did you get a look at him?”

“I didn’t ’cause he was standin’ on the ridge and hidden in the low light. Ah Jesus, Dutch, it’s really bleedin’ odd. He was just standin’ there. Didn’t say anythin’ or do anythin’. He was like a damn ghost.”

Dutch’s brow furrowed deeper. “If this son-of-a-bitch thinks he’s bein’ funny, he’s in for a rude awakenin’. I ain’t got no time for jokers who wanna intimidate my family. Hosea, Arthur, you come with me while we confront this visiter. William, Maebh, and Davey, you three guard camp and wait for us to come back. We clear?”

With unanimous agreement, Dutch quickly shoved on his boots, grabbed his pistol from his bedside table, and stooped back out into the night air. Before he got very far — barely even passed his tent in all honesty — the usual crunch as his boots met grass was interrupted with an odd metal clank. He halted in his steps, the others pausing with him. Maebh eyed him, fully expecting for him to simply ignore what he had stood on and continue with the pressing task at hand.

“Dutch?” Hosea urged him gently, but the man didn’t budge from staring at his feet. He bent down slowly and picked up what which he found in the grass. His silence was deafening, but enough for Maebh to know that whatever he found had left him somewhat troubled.

“This wasn’t here when I went to sleep,” he muttered, staring at the object shielded within his large palm. “I would’ve seen it.” He looked at William and quietly asked. “Did you put this here, son?”

“Put what, Dutch?” William asked, visibly perplexed. “Why would I leave somethin’ outside your tent in the middle of the night?”

“Did one o’you leave this here?”

“No one left anythin’ there.”

His reply was met with silence and Maebh gave Arthur a skeptical look before the man repeated his name, just as a silver chain fell from Dutch’s hand, dangling and shimmering in the dim moonlight.

William gave a start, already knowing what he had found before Dutch held up his hand, revealing a much-sought after missing pocket watch.

[mirberry-blog1]

25 Holiday Recipes for Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas”

Editor’s Note: Babble is a part of The Walt Disney Company. image source: Freeform | Elizabeth Stark | babble | disney family | the walt disney companyIt’s finally here! It’s December and Freeform’s epic holiday movie marathon has commenced. Aside from wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, and stringing lights, it’s only fitting that we pair Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas with some sweet treats. From Day 1 to Day 25, we’ve got you covered with all kinds of festive delights! So, pour the eggnog and gather your family — this is about to be the tastiest holiday season ever! Day 1: Elf | Candy Cane Forest Pancakes Make like everyone’s favorite elf and eat through all seven layers of the Candy Cane Forest with these festive pancakes. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Elizabeth StarkTune in on Friday, December 1 at 9:15 PM ET. Day 2: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Grinch Heart Lollipops Already tired of baking endless cookies for your kid’s classroom? We have the perfect holiday solution — lollipops for all! These are particularly fun, as they’re themed after the Grinch’s growing heart. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Kelsey BanfieldTune in on Saturday, December 2 at 9:10 PM ET. Day 3: The Santa Clause | Eggnog Milkshake Let’s be honest, one of the best parts of the holiday season is indulging in a creamy, sweet glass of eggnog. Take that tradition to the next level with a simple recipe for an eggnog milkshake that Santa himself would be proud of. (via Babble) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Elizabeth StarkTune in on Sunday, December 3 at 8:45 PM ET. Day 4: Arthur Christmas | Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies In this precious holiday flick, Arthur’s goal is to deliver the perfect present to a little girl before the sun rises on Christmas Day. Your family will love this film as much as they’ll love unwrapping these peppermint pinwheel cookies! (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Sheri SilverTune in on Monday, December 4 at 12:30 PM ET. Day 5: The Mistle-Tones | Holly Leaf Cookies Snack on fun, festive cookies these holly-days while you sing along to the fun (and competitive!) tunes from The Mistle-Tones! For an added bonus, see if your family can spot the hidden Mickey on these treats. (via Disney Family) Image source: Freeform | Disney FamilyTune in on Tuesday, December 5 at 7:30 AM ET. Day 6: The Polar Express | Cocoa Cookies While watching children board the magical Christmas train from The Polar Express, there was one thing we couldn’t stop thinking about — the hot chocolate! Get your cocoa fix with these sugar cookies. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Sheri SilverTune in on Wednesday, December 6 at 6:45 PM ET. Day 7: Disney’s A Christmas Carol | Ghost Whip There’s nothing quite like curling up under a cozy blanket and watching a classic tale like A Christmas Carol. We personally love pairing this Disney version with a massive dollop of ghost-inspired whipped cream. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Kathy PatalskyTune in on Thursday, December 7 at 4:45 PM ET. Day 8: Toy Story Marathon | Alien Rice Crispy Treats What would the holidays be like without toys? Take a small break from the festive films and hunker down for a Toy Story marathon — Alien rice crispy treats in hand. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Jessica McDonaldTune in on Friday, December 8 at 4:50 PM ET. Day 9: The Santa Clause 3 | Blueberry Ice Cream Sandwiches In this final installment of The Santa Clause, Jack Frost tries to take over Christmas — turning it into “Frostmas.” Yikes! Pair this ice-filled film with a frosty treat like blueberry ice cream sandwiches. (via Babble) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Sheri SilverTune in on Saturday, December 9 at 8:35 PM ET. Day 10: Four Christmases | Hot Chocolate on a Stick As parents, we know what it’s like to run around from house to house during the holiday season. Just because we’re all in a rush this time of year doesn’t mean we need to skimp out on chocolatey beverages! This easy-to-make hot chocolate on a stick will have you sipping and binge watching 25 Days in no time. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Sheri SilverTune in on Sunday, December 10 at 10:50 PM ET. Day 11: Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic | Heart-Shaped Pizza What more could you want than Disney, weddings, and the holiday season all rolled up into one show? Chow down on a heart-shaped, Mickey-themed pizza as you watch this magical special. (via Disney Family) Image source: Freeform | Disney FamilyTune in on Monday, December 11 at 8:00 PM ET. Day 12: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas | Sandy Claws Cookies Who doesn’t love a holiday movie that features Halloween AND Christmas? We’re celebrating with Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, and the whole Halloween Town gang — along with these festive cookies. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Tuesday, December 12 at 2:20 PM ET. Day 13: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Blueberry Avocado Smoothie We could continue to stuff our faces with sweet treats galore all month long, but we should probably get some fruit in, right? This smoothie will soothe your snack cravings without turning you into a blueberry like Violet! (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Wednesday, December 13 at 1:350 PM ET. Day 14: Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas | Hidden Mickey Linzer Cookies Gear up for the holidays with everyone’s favorite mouse! Your little Mickey fans will love filling up on snowflake linzer cookies as they watch their favorite characters prep for Christmas. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Jen WoodTune in on Thursday, December 14 at 7:00 AM ET. Day 15: Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups | Puppy Chow Our kids can’t get enough of the adorable golden retriever puppies from Santa Paws 2 — I mean, could they be any cuter? Dive into a bowl of appropriately themed puppy chow while watching this holiday favorite. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Friday, December 15 at 7:00 AM ET. Day 16: Mickey’s Christmas Carol | Mickey Peppermint Swirl Cookies Looking for a more kid-friendly way to introduce your little ones to A Christmas Carol? Look no further than this version featuring Mickey Mouse! While you’re at it, whip up a batch of these peppermint swirl cookies that look just like the Mouse himself. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Saturday, December 16 at 9:35 AM ET. Day 17: Frozen | Popcorn Balls It wouldn’t be a holiday celebration if we didn’t all watch at least one viewing of Frozen, right? Make it a bit more special with festive popcorn balls. Yum! (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Sunday, December 17 at 8:15 PM ET. Day 18: Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic | “it’s a small world” Holiday Cookies Ever wonder how the Disney Parks get to look so festive and perfect each holiday season? We’re all about to find out thanks to this amazing Decorating Disney special! There’s no better snack to pair with this television event than cookies inspired by the classic ride “it’s a small world.” (via Disney Family) Image source: Freeform | Jessica McDonaldTune in on Monday, December 18 at 8:00 PM ET. Day 19: Frosty’s Winter Wonderland | Snowman Bagels For us, the true mark of the holiday season is singing along with our kids to “Frosty the Snowman.” Start your next wintry morning off the right way with a tasty snowman-themed bagel. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Tuesday, December 19 at 7:00 AM ET. Day 20: Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town | Oreo Penguin Cupcakes We love introducing our kiddos to holiday classics like Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. Their favorite part? The penguins, of course! Pay tribute to Santa’s adorable animal friends with themed cupcakes. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Wednesday, December 20 at 3:30 PM ET. Day 21: Eloise at Christmastime | Dunkaroo Truffles Watching Eloise run all around The Plaza causing her usual chaos is the perfect combination of fancy and kid-friendly fun — just like Dunkaroo truffles! (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Thursday, December 21 at 10:35 AM ET. Day 22: The Year Without a Santa Claus | Gingerbread Waffles In this Christmas classic, Santa has a cold! It’s up to brothers Snow Miser and Heat Miser to save the holiday, but will they be able to stop butting heads long enough to accomplish anything? These gingerbread waffles will pair perfectly with a morning holiday movie viewing party. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Friday, December 22 at 2:20 PM ET. Day 23: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation | Strawberry Christmas Tree Cookies When we think of Clark Griswold, we can’t help but think of the ginormous Christmas tree he tries to haul home in the beginning of the film. Pay tribute to Clark and his ambitious decorating goals with strawberry Christmas tree cookies! (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Saturday, December 23 at 7:10 PM ET. Day 24: A Dennis the Menace Christmas | Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cookies We all know Dennis the Menace is a constant source of trouble (not unlike some kiddos of our own), but he is sweet enough to try and show Mr. Wilson he cares. He whips up a batch of cookies (that aren’t as tasty as he hoped). Don’t make Dennis’ mistake — use this classic recipe and enjoy devouring these cookies with your family. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Sunday, December 24 at 7:00 AM ET. Day 25: Disney’s Prep and Landing | Elf Cookies The banter between Prep and Landing elves Wayne and Lanny reminds us all too well of our own family members. Pay tribute to two of Santa’s most entertaining elves with cookies that look just like them! (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Monday, December 25 at 8:00 AM ET. Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas is here! Get the full schedule here, and see which holiday favorites you can stream right now. Related Post Prince George Only Put One Thing on His Christmas List, and It’s Pretty Adorable The post 25 Holiday Recipes for Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” appeared first on Babble. Powered by WPeMatico The post 25 Holiday Recipes for Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” appeared first on Baby Based. http://174.136.57.210/~babybase/25-holiday-recipes-for-freeforms-25-days-of-christmas/

[mirberry-blog1]

25 Holiday Recipes for Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas”

Editor’s Note: Babble is a part of The Walt Disney Company. image source: Freeform | Elizabeth Stark | babble | disney family | the walt disney companyIt’s finally here! It’s December and Freeform’s epic holiday movie marathon has commenced. Aside from wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, and stringing lights, it’s only fitting that we pair Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas with some sweet treats. From Day 1 to Day 25, we’ve got you covered with all kinds of festive delights! So, pour the eggnog and gather your family — this is about to be the tastiest holiday season ever! Day 1: Elf | Candy Cane Forest Pancakes Make like everyone’s favorite elf and eat through all seven layers of the Candy Cane Forest with these festive pancakes. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Elizabeth StarkTune in on Friday, December 1 at 9:15 PM ET. Day 2: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Grinch Heart Lollipops Already tired of baking endless cookies for your kid’s classroom? We have the perfect holiday solution — lollipops for all! These are particularly fun, as they’re themed after the Grinch’s growing heart. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Kelsey BanfieldTune in on Saturday, December 2 at 9:10 PM ET. Day 3: The Santa Clause | Eggnog Milkshake Let’s be honest, one of the best parts of the holiday season is indulging in a creamy, sweet glass of eggnog. Take that tradition to the next level with a simple recipe for an eggnog milkshake that Santa himself would be proud of. (via Babble) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Elizabeth StarkTune in on Sunday, December 3 at 8:45 PM ET. Day 4: Arthur Christmas | Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies In this precious holiday flick, Arthur’s goal is to deliver the perfect present to a little girl before the sun rises on Christmas Day. Your family will love this film as much as they’ll love unwrapping these peppermint pinwheel cookies! (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Sheri SilverTune in on Monday, December 4 at 12:30 PM ET. Day 5: The Mistle-Tones | Holly Leaf Cookies Snack on fun, festive cookies these holly-days while you sing along to the fun (and competitive!) tunes from The Mistle-Tones! For an added bonus, see if your family can spot the hidden Mickey on these treats. (via Disney Family) Image source: Freeform | Disney FamilyTune in on Tuesday, December 5 at 7:30 AM ET. Day 6: The Polar Express | Cocoa Cookies While watching children board the magical Christmas train from The Polar Express, there was one thing we couldn’t stop thinking about — the hot chocolate! Get your cocoa fix with these sugar cookies. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Sheri SilverTune in on Wednesday, December 6 at 6:45 PM ET. Day 7: Disney’s A Christmas Carol | Ghost Whip There’s nothing quite like curling up under a cozy blanket and watching a classic tale like A Christmas Carol. We personally love pairing this Disney version with a massive dollop of ghost-inspired whipped cream. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Kathy PatalskyTune in on Thursday, December 7 at 4:45 PM ET. Day 8: Toy Story Marathon | Alien Rice Crispy Treats What would the holidays be like without toys? Take a small break from the festive films and hunker down for a Toy Story marathon — Alien rice crispy treats in hand. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Jessica McDonaldTune in on Friday, December 8 at 4:50 PM ET. Day 9: The Santa Clause 3 | Blueberry Ice Cream Sandwiches In this final installment of The Santa Clause, Jack Frost tries to take over Christmas — turning it into “Frostmas.” Yikes! Pair this ice-filled film with a frosty treat like blueberry ice cream sandwiches. (via Babble) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Sheri SilverTune in on Saturday, December 9 at 8:35 PM ET. Day 10: Four Christmases | Hot Chocolate on a Stick As parents, we know what it’s like to run around from house to house during the holiday season. Just because we’re all in a rush this time of year doesn’t mean we need to skimp out on chocolatey beverages! This easy-to-make hot chocolate on a stick will have you sipping and binge watching 25 Days in no time. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | Sheri SilverTune in on Sunday, December 10 at 10:50 PM ET. Day 11: Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings: Holiday Magic | Heart-Shaped Pizza What more could you want than Disney, weddings, and the holiday season all rolled up into one show? Chow down on a heart-shaped, Mickey-themed pizza as you watch this magical special. (via Disney Family) Image source: Freeform | Disney FamilyTune in on Monday, December 11 at 8:00 PM ET. Day 12: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas | Sandy Claws Cookies Who doesn’t love a holiday movie that features Halloween AND Christmas? We’re celebrating with Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, and the whole Halloween Town gang — along with these festive cookies. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Tuesday, December 12 at 2:20 PM ET. Day 13: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Blueberry Avocado Smoothie We could continue to stuff our faces with sweet treats galore all month long, but we should probably get some fruit in, right? This smoothie will soothe your snack cravings without turning you into a blueberry like Violet! (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Wednesday, December 13 at 1:350 PM ET. Day 14: Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas | Hidden Mickey Linzer Cookies Gear up for the holidays with everyone’s favorite mouse! Your little Mickey fans will love filling up on snowflake linzer cookies as they watch their favorite characters prep for Christmas. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Jen WoodTune in on Thursday, December 14 at 7:00 AM ET. Day 15: Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups | Puppy Chow Our kids can’t get enough of the adorable golden retriever puppies from Santa Paws 2 — I mean, could they be any cuter? Dive into a bowl of appropriately themed puppy chow while watching this holiday favorite. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Friday, December 15 at 7:00 AM ET. Day 16: Mickey’s Christmas Carol | Mickey Peppermint Swirl Cookies Looking for a more kid-friendly way to introduce your little ones to A Christmas Carol? Look no further than this version featuring Mickey Mouse! While you’re at it, whip up a batch of these peppermint swirl cookies that look just like the Mouse himself. (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Saturday, December 16 at 9:35 AM ET. Day 17: Frozen | Popcorn Balls It wouldn’t be a holiday celebration if we didn’t all watch at least one viewing of Frozen, right? Make it a bit more special with festive popcorn balls. Yum! (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Sunday, December 17 at 8:15 PM ET. Day 18: Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic | “it’s a small world” Holiday Cookies Ever wonder how the Disney Parks get to look so festive and perfect each holiday season? We’re all about to find out thanks to this amazing Decorating Disney special! There’s no better snack to pair with this television event than cookies inspired by the classic ride “it’s a small world.” (via Disney Family) Image source: Freeform | Jessica McDonaldTune in on Monday, December 18 at 8:00 PM ET. Day 19: Frosty’s Winter Wonderland | Snowman Bagels For us, the true mark of the holiday season is singing along with our kids to “Frosty the Snowman.” Start your next wintry morning off the right way with a tasty snowman-themed bagel. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Tuesday, December 19 at 7:00 AM ET. Day 20: Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town | Oreo Penguin Cupcakes We love introducing our kiddos to holiday classics like Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. Their favorite part? The penguins, of course! Pay tribute to Santa’s adorable animal friends with themed cupcakes. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Wednesday, December 20 at 3:30 PM ET. Day 21: Eloise at Christmastime | Dunkaroo Truffles Watching Eloise run all around The Plaza causing her usual chaos is the perfect combination of fancy and kid-friendly fun — just like Dunkaroo truffles! (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Thursday, December 21 at 10:35 AM ET. Day 22: The Year Without a Santa Claus | Gingerbread Waffles In this Christmas classic, Santa has a cold! It’s up to brothers Snow Miser and Heat Miser to save the holiday, but will they be able to stop butting heads long enough to accomplish anything? These gingerbread waffles will pair perfectly with a morning holiday movie viewing party. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Friday, December 22 at 2:20 PM ET. Day 23: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation | Strawberry Christmas Tree Cookies When we think of Clark Griswold, we can’t help but think of the ginormous Christmas tree he tries to haul home in the beginning of the film. Pay tribute to Clark and his ambitious decorating goals with strawberry Christmas tree cookies! (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Saturday, December 23 at 7:10 PM ET. Day 24: A Dennis the Menace Christmas | Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cookies We all know Dennis the Menace is a constant source of trouble (not unlike some kiddos of our own), but he is sweet enough to try and show Mr. Wilson he cares. He whips up a batch of cookies (that aren’t as tasty as he hoped). Don’t make Dennis’ mistake — use this classic recipe and enjoy devouring these cookies with your family. (via Babble) Image source: Freeform | BabbleTune in on Sunday, December 24 at 7:00 AM ET. Day 25: Disney’s Prep and Landing | Elf Cookies The banter between Prep and Landing elves Wayne and Lanny reminds us all too well of our own family members. Pay tribute to two of Santa’s most entertaining elves with cookies that look just like them! (via Disney Family) Image source: The Walt Disney Company | Disney FamilyTune in on Monday, December 25 at 8:00 AM ET. Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas is here! Get the full schedule here, and see which holiday favorites you can stream right now. Related Post Prince George Only Put One Thing on His Christmas List, and It’s Pretty Adorable The post 25 Holiday Recipes for Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” appeared first on Babble. Powered by WPeMatico The post 25 Holiday Recipes for Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” appeared first on Baby Based. http://174.136.57.210/~babybase/25-holiday-recipes-for-freeforms-25-days-of-christmas/