#uh so i wanted to show the tour furniture and tried to block everything else in my office cuz i hadnt gotten it but it didnt work😭

[daily-mao-isara]

Day 537 : Bandai capsule rubber mascots !

[skeeter-110]

A Twist in the Tale (That’s Old as Time)

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. As punishment for his actions, the young prince is transformed into a monstrous beast by a mysterious enchantress. Only condition is if he can learn to love someone and earn their love in return, the curse will be lifted. The prince - now turned Beast - felt doomed for eternity; until he met a little boy with a heart of gold.

AKA: a Beauty and the Beast Irondad AU

|| Chapter One || || Chapter Two || || Chapter Three ||

Chapter Four: Be Our Guest

Peter slowly opened his bedroom door several hours later, peering around it to make sure no one was around.

Once he was completely sure that the halls were bare, Peter slowly began to leave his room and walked down the hall towards the main lobby. All he wanted to do was to find the kitchen, quickly grab something to eat, and return to his room like he never left.

Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to find the kitchen. Once he got to the lobby, all Peter had to do was follow the voice of Happy and Ms. Potts and soon he was standing in front of two large doors.

"Splendid to see you out and about, Monsieur. I am Happy, head of the household." Happy greets, bowing before Peter. Peter went to go shake the clock's hand, only to have Rhodey run right in between them. "This is Rhodey." Happy introduces reluctantly.

"Un plaisir." Rhodey says, shaking Peter's hand.

"If there's anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable." Happy offers, before getting burned by Rhodey when he tries pushing him out of the way.

"I am a little hungry." Peter admits.

"You are? Hear that? He's hungry! Stoke the fire, break out the silver, wake the china." Ms. Potts excitedly commands.

"Remember what the master said." Happy reminds, muttering it under his breath as if just that sentence was going to summon the Beast.

"Oh, pish tosh. I'm not about to let the poor child go hungry." Ms. Potts brushes off completely.

"Alright right, fine. Glass of water, crust of bread, and then-" Happy sternly complies, earning a look of disapproval from Rhodey.

"Happy, I am surprised at you. He is not a prisoner, he's our guest. We must make him feel welcome here." Rhodey scolds before turning towards Peter. "Right this way, Monsieur."

"Well, keep it down. If the master finds out about this, it will be our necks." Happy warns as Rhodey leads Peter to the dining room.

"Of course, of course. But what is dinner without a little music?" Rhodey asks, slamming the door in Happy's face right after in order to muffle his objections.

As soon as Peter sat down at the table, a whole production started up.

The china was out setting themselves, music and singing started up, and what felt like hundreds of dishes were placed in front of Peter for him to eat and drink. All of the dishes and cups danced around, doing a bunch of tricks and completely entertaining Peter.

For the very first time that day, Peter actually forgot about the reason he was even there in the first place. For the first time that day, Peter's mind was filled with fun and excitement rather than grief, fear, and sadness; it also helped that his belly was filled with delicious food now too.

For the first time that day, Peter couldn't stop his smile or his giggles as he clapped along to the music that was beginning to die down around him.

"Bravo! That was wonderful!" Peter claps once the whole performance came to a close.

"Thank you. Thank you monsieur. Good show, wasn't it?" Happy says before yawning. "My goodness, look at the time. Now it's off to bed, off to bed." Happy tries to corral.

"I couldn't possibly go to bed now. It's my first time in an enchanted castle." Peter excitedly tells him.

"Enchanted! Who said anything about the castle being enchanted?" Happy nervously laughs, Peter giving him a somewhat unimpressed look in return.

"I figured it out for myself." Peter chuckles before standing up. "I'd like to look around if that's all right."

"Would you like a tour?" Rhodey gladly offers.

"Wait a second. Wait a second. I'm not sure that's such a good idea. We can't let him go poking around in certain places; if you know what I mean." Happy tries to stop.

"Perhaps you'd like to take me. I'm sure you know everything there is to know about the castle." Peter tells Happy, knowing that flattery was going to get him at least somewhere.

"Oh, well, actually, I- Yes, I do." Happy stutters out.

And that was how Peter found himself walking down one of the castle hallways, looking at all of the armor that was put on display down it.

Happy was going on and on about the Baroque period, or something like that. Peter wasn't listening as he wandered off towards another staircase. Peter just began to climb said stairs when both Happy and Rhodey quickly ran in front of him and blocked his path.

"What's up there?" Peter questions, his curiosity once again getting the better of him.

"Where? There? Oh, nothing. Absolutely nothing of interest at all in the west wing. Dusty, dull, very boring." Happy says, trying to deter Peter from going up there. Unfortunately, he only managed to fuel Peter's curiosity even more.  

"Ah, so, that's the west wing! I wonder what he's hiding up there." Peter ponders, trying to look up and around Happy and Rhodey to see anything.

"Hiding? The master is hiding nothing." Rhodey disputes.

"Then it wouldn't be forbidden." Peter says simply, pushing through the two household items standing in front of him. Happy and Rhodey quickly ran up a few more steps, once again cutting Peter off.

"P-Perhaps... uh... perhaps Monsieur would like to see something else? We have exquisite tapestries dating all the way back to-" Happy tries to offer, gulping when Peter continued to climb the stairs.

"Maybe later."

"The gardens. Or-Or the-the library, perhaps?" Rhodey chimes in this time.

"You have a library?" Peter asks, finally interested in one of the options.

"Oh, yes. Indeed." Happy confirms, letting out a few relieved giggles.

"With books!" Rhodey adds, hoping to continue making the library sound interesting.

"Scads of books." Happy says, going back and forth with Rhodey as they began to lead Peter back down the stairs.

"Mountains of books."

"Forests of books."

"Cascades."

"Cloudbursts."

"Swamps of books."

"More books than you'll ever be able to read in a lifetime." The two of them continue listing off, getting so into it they didn't even realize when Peter stopped at the bottom of the stairs. They just kept walking down the hall towards the library, talking about all the books they had.

Peter slowly crept back up the stairs, hesitantly stepping down the hall in the west wing. Fear settled into Peter as he continued to walk towards the only door in the wing, May's voice ringing in his head.

'One of these days, your curiosity is going to get you in trouble.'

That made Peter stop in front of the door, unsure of if he should open it or not. On the one hand, he really wanted to see what was so forbidden - it had to be something good considering this was an enchanted castle - but on the other hand, May was right. And if he got caught right now, who knew what the results would be.

Eventually, Peter's inquisitiveness won and Peter yanked on the door, having to lean back with his full weight in order to pry it open. Peering into the room, Peter's eyes widen when he saw the destruction inside.

There was furniture laying destroyed all over the floor, ripped-up fabric and curtains were barely hanging by a thread off of the walls and ceilings, and most of the paintings were ripped to shreds.

As Peter walked further into the room, one painting, in particular, caught his eyes. It appeared to be of a man, but it was hard to tell since it was all shredded up. Making sure to be gentle, Peter pushed some of the painting together, realizing it was a picture of a prince. Before Peter could wonder too much about who the man in the painting was, a pink glow coming from the other side of the room shone on Peter, gaining his attention.

Walking towards the table the glow was coming from, Peter could see that it was being caused by what appeared to be an enchanted rose floating in a glass bell.

Once again Peter's need to constantly figure out the science behind everything got to him and he slowly began to lift the glass bell that was protecting the rose. The rose remained floating in the middle of the table, Peter reaching out to touch it to see if it would dip.

Peter's fingers didn't even have a chance to brush against the petals of the flower before the Beast was appearing right in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

Peter quickly took a few steps back, gasping in fear when the Beast ran towards him and slammed the glass bell back over the rose. The Beast whipped right back around after he was sure the rose was safe, making Peter shrink in fear.

"Why did you come here?" The Beast demands to know.

"I'm-I'm sorry." Peter stutters out, his voice audibly shaking.

"I warned you never to come here!" The Beast yells, his booming voice causing Peter to run and cower behind one of the tables that weren't completely destroyed.

"I didn't mean any harm." Peter tries to defend.

"Do you realize what you could have done?" The Beast roars, swinging his arm out and destroying the table Peter was hiding behind.

"Please! Stop!" Peter begs, tears streaming down his face as he pressed his back against a fallen wardrobe.

"Get out!" The Beast screams, swinging his arm again and shattering the wardrobe into a million pieces, almost as if it were made out of glass.

Peter let out a tiny yelp once he saw the Beast's arm coming towards him, quickly turning around and running out of the room while the Beast continued to roar behind him.

Not even looking back once, Peter quickly booked it down the stairs, barely managing to grab a coat as he ran past Rhodey and Happy.

"Where are you going?" Rhodey questions once he realized that Peter was heading for the doors.

"Promise or no promise, I can't stay here another minute." Peter tells them both before opening up one of the front doors; snow blowing right into the main lobby.

"No, wait, please! Please, wait!" Happy pleads, only to be ignored completely when Peter slammed the door shut.

Peter quickly hopped onto Phillippe - who, thankfully was still there - snapping the horse's reins before he was even fully settled, not wanting to spend another minute at that castle.

They didn't get too far though. Between the blizzard that was happening, and all of the animals that were around them, Phillippe began to get spooked and stopped in the middle of the woods.

As soon as they stopped, they were surrounded by wolves, growling and snapping at them.

Peter gasped and quickly whipped Phillippe around, making him run the other way. It soon became a race, with Peter trying to lose the wolves as best as he could and the wolves doing whatever they could to catch up.

One wolf managed to get right beside them, jumping up and snapping at Phillippe. Peter was barely able to pull Phillippe out of the way, turning them towards a different path in the woods in another attempt to lose the wolves.

Looking behind him, Peter saw that they actually managed to lose most of the wolves. He almost even let the relief sink in. That was until the ground started to give out from underneath them.

Looking forward once again, Peter realized that he led him and Phillippe to a frozen lake, and they were quickly sinking into it. Gritting his teeth and trying not to think about the cold water that was up to his chest, Peter pushed Phillippe to go further into the lake, realizing that the wolves weren't doing too good of a job swimming.

They managed to get to the other side of the lake, climbing up back onto the path. As soon as they got back on the land, Phillippe began booking it, giving Peter false hope that they were in the clear.

They only got a few feet before even more wolves ran in front of them, scaring Phillippe and causing Peter to get thrown off his back.

Peter screamed and fell face-first into the snow, laying there for a bit before he regained some of his senses. Lifting his head, Peter saw that Phillippe's reins got caught in a tree, making it hard for him to fight off all the wolves.

Looking around, Peter found a large branch that had fallen from a tree. Grabbing it, Peter quickly began swinging at the wolves, knocking one that was on Phillippe's back, off.

Unfortunately, that only seemed to make the wolves even madder, all of them growling and coming towards the small boy. Peter tried fighting them off, swinging the branch once again, but one of the wolves managed to grab the branch and pull it out of his hands.

Another wolf managed to jump up on Peter, snagging his coat in its mouth and pulling him right back down to the ground. Peter twisted and tried as best as he could to pull his coat out of the wolf's mouth, stopping when another wolf began to come towards him.

"No!" Peter screamed once he realized the wolf was about to pounce on him, quickly flipping and pushing his face into the snow to try and protect it. Only, nothing happened.

A yip could be heard before a loud and familiar roar, making Peter look up to see that the Beast was there and had the wolf in his hand. The Beast quickly threw the wolf down, leaning over Peter protectively and snarling at the group of wolves that were still getting closer.

The Beast quickly lunged towards the group, running away a bit to make sure the fight stayed away from Peter.

Peter watched with wide eyes as all of the wolves began to lung, scratch, and bite at the Beast. The Beast finally managed to get all of them off of him, throwing the last wolf at a tree while the rest of them ran off.

The Beast looked over his shoulder towards Peter, making the small boy gulp. The fear of what the Beast would do to him quickly left when Peter saw him swaying and fall back to the ground.

Peter almost took that as his opportunity, ready to hop back on Phillippe and leave this place for good. But something was nagging the back of Peter's mind, stopping him from leaving the Beast here to freeze in the snow; especially because he had just saved Peter's hide.

Running back over to the Beast, Peter sadly sighed before taking his coat off and wrapping it around the Beast's shoulders; although the small piece of cloth didn't really do much around the Beast's gigantic shoulders.

Peter struggled, but he somehow managed to get the Beast draped over Phillippe's back, reluctantly making his way, once again, to the castle.

Tag List: @spideyspeaches​ @lost-lunar-wolf​ @joyful-soul-collector​ @hatakehikari​ @thatcrackheadsadbitchtm​

[chincilla-on-the-moon]

“Nice To Meet You Too”-Connor Murphy X Reader (Soulmate AU)

Word Count: 4,164

A/N: Hey everyone! It’s been a hot minute but here’s my second fic, I made the reader gender neutral so more people could enjoy it! Thank you to everyone who reads this and everyone who read my last fic, it is very much appreciated! Hope you have an amazing day! :) 

Everyone was born with a tattoo on their inner left wrist with the first words their soulmate would ever say to them. These tattoos would disappear after the words had been said. Some people just had a simple “Hello!”s or “Excuse me!”s and nothing else, others had things such as totals from various purchases and what not but you were lucky, yours included your soulmate’s name. It read, “Uh, I’m Connor, nice to meet you too.” Connor. It was a lovely name but there were also a lot of people named Connor which led to you constantly getting your hopes up.  You always went out of your way to introduce yourself to people named Connor and probably looked a little insane while doing so.  A few of your friends had met their soulmates in elementary school but as high school went on more and more people were meeting their partners for life while you were still alone. You became a little discouraged but knew that yours was out there and you were going to meet them eventually. Then came some of the best and worst news of your life. You were moving out of state at the end of junior year a couple of weeks after school got out. You were partially overjoyed because you had already interacted with every single Connor in your area but it also meant you were leaving your home of almost eighteen years. Your junior year went by faster than you would have liked and the time came to say goodbye to your childhood best friend Quinn. They came over to help your family pack as they were like the second child your parents never had and once the last box was put into the U-HAUL truck the two of you broke down crying and gave one another the biggest hug.

 Once the breakdown was finished you gave each other one last tear-filled smile before you got into the front seat of your parents’ car and pulled out of the driveway of your childhood home. As you were sitting in the passenger seat with your earbuds in you though of Quinn and how you met. The two of you were in the same preschool, on the first day during playtime you were sitting alone and they came up and declared you two were going to be best friends for forever and the rest was history. You were indeed best friends and were almost never seen without the other. You soon became sad so decided to try and think of something else. You knew Quinn was going to be okay because they had recently met their soulmate so they weren’t going to be alone during this transition period for the two of you. You, on the other hand, were not so sure how you were going to cope. Sure facetime was a thing that existed but it definitely wasn’t the same as Quinn just busting into your house at random times and your parents just being okay with it. You slowly fell into a dreamless sleep for the majority of the rest of the trip.

 When you woke up again your mom informed you that you were just about two hours from your new home. You got out at the gas station you were currently stopped at and went to the bathroom and got a few snacks for you and your mom to share. You started to stare out the window and soon your thoughts went to your soulmate, Connor. You hoped that you were going to get to meet him soon as this was currently the only thing keeping you going. You finally arrived at your new house about an hour before sunset. You and your parents began to unload everything from the U-HAUL truck. It took a lot longer without Quinn and you ended up having to finish in the dark. While your dad was returning the truck you and your mom decided to unpack the necessities then leave the rest for tomorrow. When your dad came back the three of you decided to get something to eat and just drive around the town. 

You got food from Mcdonalds and took in the sights of your new home. It was a nice town, not too big or small, it looked like there were a lot of things to do and places to eat. The last stop on your sightseeing tour was the town’s high school. It looked a lot bigger than your previous school and you thought that building was hard to navigate so you could tell this was going to be a nightmare. On your way home you noticed a park right by your house. You could tell just by looking at it that it would be the perfect place to walk to at 3 AM when you couldn't fall asleep and just wanted to forget about all your troubles. Once you got home you found the box with your sleeping bag and pillow in it and found your new room. You set up your sleeping bag in your empty room, your furniture wasn’t supposed to arrive for a few days so you were stuck sleeping on the floor for the time being. You stared up at the textured ceiling and tried to fall asleep because you knew tomorrow was going to be filled with loads of unpacking but for some reason, you just couldn’t so you were going to call Quinn to just check in but decided against it since you remembered they were hanging out with their soulmate tonight. So you did what you always did when Quinn wasn’t available, imagine what your soulmate looked like. You really didn’t care what ‘Connor’ looked like it was just fun to try and put a face to a name. Slowly you fell into a dreamless sleep.

Your mother came into your room at about 8:30 so you could start unpacking. You finished the living room, kitchen, and bathroom before lunchtime.  You finished doing the rest of your house just before dinner time. You stood in your room, it was painted a nice light grey and you had hung up some of your posters and pictures and strung up your lights which made you feel more at home. Your dad called upstairs to tell you that he had picked up dinner on his way home from work. While the three of you were eating he talked about his new job, he was a lawyer and had gotten an amazing opportunity at a pretty well-known law firm, which is why you guys moved. He told you about his new office and some dick named Larry he worked with. Once dinner was finished the three of you talked for a couple of hours about how everyone was feeling about the move, as the conversation was winding down you felt yourself growing tired, you bid your parents goodnight went upstairs to bed. Thoughts of how you were going to arrange your room filled your head, the furniture was supposed to arrive the next afternoon and you couldn’t wait to finally finish setting up your room. That night you had a weird beauty and the beast-esque dream filled with talking furniture. 

The furniture truck arrived around 12:30 that afternoon and you finished setting up your room at about 3, you decided to facetime Quinn to show them your new room. They helped you decide where to put a couple small things then after that the two of you just caught up, they told you all about how amazing their soulmate was and you couldn’t help but feel a small pang of jealousy, they asked about ‘Connor’ and you told them you hadn’t found him yet. You lied and told them your mom was calling so you could stop talking about soulmates cause it was making you upset.  After you got off the phone you and your mom decided to get lunch at a locally owned diner which made you feel a lot better about not finding Connor yet, before you went home you stopped at the grocery store and picked up somethings so you could begin making food in your own kitchen. Once you got home you decided to take a nap until dinner was ready. You woke up around 5:15 and saw that Quinn had sent you a message so you responded and told them about your lunch, just as you hit send on your message you heard your dad come in and your mom called up to you to tell you dinner was ready. Dinner was good and your dad said work was good which made you feel like maybe this move was a good thing. 

The next morning your mom barged into your room and told you to get up and get ready to go tour your new school. You begrudgingly got up and dressed, you then went downstairs to meet your mom. The two of you headed out to her car and on the way put you grabbed some fruit so you wouldn’t be cranky during the tour. Once you arrived and found the main office you met your principal and she gave you your schedule and then introduced you to your tour guide, Alana Beck. She was very pretty and you could tell she was smart just by looking at her. Once your principal set you loose so the tour could actually begin Alana became much more talkative, not in a bad way, of course, it was nice to not have to worry about keeping the conversation going. As the tour progressed you felt your anxiety melting away, the building actually wasn’t that hard to navigate and your classes were easy enough to find. You and Alana found your way back to the principal’s office but before you went in Alana gave you her number that way if you had any questions about anything you could always text her. It was nice to know you already knew someone at school and wouldn’t be going in with a completely clean slate. You went into the office and said good-bye to Alana and your new principal. You walked out of that building feeling oddly calm. You and your mom went out to breakfast and you got one of your favorite diner foods. Your mom dropped you off at home after breakfast because she had to go to her first day at her new job.

 You decided to walk down to that little park you saw on your drive around the town. You put in your earbuds and started walking. It took a little while for you to find it but you did eventually. When you arrived you saw that there was another person there. They were sitting on the swingset. You decided to walk around the block to try and avoid human contact at all costs. When you looped back around to the park you saw the tall figure still sitting on a swing. You were tempted to take another lap around the block but there was a feeling in your gut telling you not to. So you didn’t. You decided to just sit on the farthest swing from the person. You decided to sneak a peek. They had wavy brown hair that reached their shoulders and were wearing all black, just like you. You chuckled to yourself, maybe a little too loudly cause the person turned and looked at you. FUCK! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! Why did I have to fucking do that! It wasn’t even that funny!” you thought to yourself. They continued to look at you. “Wow, they’re pretty. WAIT, not the time you idiot! Holy shit what do I do? Should I say something?! I should say something. Right?” before you could even contemplate what to do you felt yourself opening your mouth and saying “Sorry, I just noticed we’re both wearing black and thought it was kinda funny. Anyways, I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you.”, you awkwardly stuck your hand out for them to shake. 

They hesitantly took it and said, “Uh, I’m Connor, nice to meet you too.” You swore you died right then and there, you could not believe your ears. The two of you just realized what happened and said “Holy shit” in perfect unison. 

“HOLY SHIT!” you squealed. You ran over to Connor and gave him a gigantic hug, you could tell you scared him with this sudden physical contact but eventually hugged back just as tight as you. At some point, you had started crying out of pure happiness because OH MY GOSH you just met your soulmate! The two of you eventually pulled apart and you just looked at him and soaked in his beauty. You noticed that half of his left eye was a rich dark brown while the other half and eye were a light blue. You noticed how angular his face was and how nice his lips were. 

“Soooooo,” he said in a very dragged out manner. “What do we do now?” 

“I don’t know I’ve never met my soulmate before,” you say, hoping to lighten the tension. “I guess get to know each other if that’s cool with you.” 

“Yeah sounds good. What do you want to know?”

“Why have I never seen you before?”

“I just moved here a couple of days ago with my parents. My dad got a good job opportunity at some law firm around here so we moved.”

“Wait is your last name L/N?”

“Yeah? How’d you know?” you asked, suddenly growing very aware of the fact you and Connor were alone in the park.

“Holy Shit, calm the fuck down. I’m not a creep I swear,” he said getting kind of angry with you, you guessed your internal freakout was showing on the outside. “My dad works at that law firm and mentioned something about a new hire.” 

“Oh okay. Sorry for freaking out dude. It was just kinda weird that someone I just met knew my last name regardless if we were soulmates or not.” you said in a very sincere manner, you really didn’t want to mess up your relationship in the very beginning.

“It's all good, don't worry about it,” he says, tension leaving his body. “My last name is Murphy if you were wondering.”

“Well nice to finally meet you, Connor Murphy.”

“Nice to finally meet you too Y/N L/N.”

You and Connor sat in the park until dusk just talking about anything and everything. He told you about his family and how school was hell for him and you told him how anxious you felt moving here. Maybe it was because you were soulmates but the two of you just felt so comfortable around each other already. Before you left he gave you his phone number and you gave him a promise to text him. On the walk home, you felt as if you were walking on air. You quickly whipped out your phone and texted Quinn telling them all about Connor. They let you rant over text about him for most of your walk home, they were so happy for you. You decided to text Connor before you went into your house. As you were walking in the front door he texted you back and you had a gigantic dopey grin on your face. Your parents stopped talking as you walked into the living room, your mom asked, “What’s got you so happy?”

“Oh nothing,” you said over dramatically. “Just met my soulmate that’s all. No biggie,” you said shrugging your shoulders and biting your lip in an attempt to hold back your smile. 

“Oh my gosh honey!” your mother said practically jumping over the couch to reach you. “When? How? Where? What does he look like?” she asked, barely breathing while doing so. You wanted to keep them in suspense for a little bit but decided against it as you didn’t want your mother bursting a blood vessel.

“Earlier today. After you dropped me off and went to work I decided to walk to that little park not that far from here and that's where I met him,” you said suddenly feeling shy about the whole thing, you weren't a fan of being bombarded with all these questions from your mother. Once you satisfied your mom with adequate answers you went up to your room and continued to text Connor. The two of you were planning your first date, well more like Connor was planning your first date because you didn’t know anything to do. Connor suggested getting dinner and seeing a movie in the town next to yours and you thought that was a lovely idea. The date was set for Saturday which was still a few days away from now lucky for you because it meant you had a couple of days to figure out your outfit and get advice from Quinn. You and Connor were texting for hours before you looked at the clock on your nightstand and realized that it was four in the morning, you bid Connor goodnight and went to bed with a stupid grin on your face.

When you woke up you immediately texted Quinn to tell them about your plans for this weekend. They were so happy for you and they agreed to help you pick out an outfit. You were on facetime for hours modeling different outfit choices before you picked one, it was casual but still looked like you were making an effort. Once the outfit situation was figured out you started talking about the actual date, you started freaking out a little bit because ‘oh my god’ what if he didn’t like you but Quinn was quick to reassure you that he was literally your soulmate and you two were meant to be together. You spent the next few days texting Connor and waiting for Saturday.

Finally, after much anticipation, Saturday arrived! You could barely sleep the previous night you were so excited. It was like the night before going on a big field trip in elementary school, you had your clothes laid out and made sure literally everything was perfect. You woke up early to get ready, you showered, did a face mask and painted your nails to kill time while waiting for Connor to pick you up. Once the time that was decided upon rolled around you saw a black truck pull up in front of your house. You didn’t even need the text saying he was here to know that it was Connor’s. You said goodbye to your parents and practically ran out to Connor’s truck. Once you reached it Connor told you to wait while he got out and opened the door for you with a blush on his face. He quickly went around to the driver's side and got in, he reached into the back seat and pulled out flowers which you found very sweet. “Ah so chivalry isn’t dead,” you said while laughing lightly.

“No it isn’t,” he said while smiling. The drive over was filled with the sound of a playlist Connor made, conversation was scarce as both of you were scared to mess this up. You pulled up to the restaurant and Connor quickly got out and opened the door for you again. You thanked him and fixed your disheveled outfit. The restaurant was a nice little diner with an ice cream place attached to it when you walked in Connor got the two of you a booth. The booth was in the back corner of the restaurant, the seats were a little worn down but still comfortable. Once the two of you got settled in, a nice middle-aged woman came over and got your drink orders, you guys looked over your menus and silently decided what you were going to get to eat. You decided you had enough of this awkward silence and started a conversation. 

“Soooo, how was your day Connor?” 

After that, the ice was broken and conversation between you two came naturally. You talked about things such as your favorite TV shows, movies, and books. The service was fast and soon after placing your order the food came and it was pretty good. Once your waitress dropped off the check at your booth Connor insisted on paying much to your dismay, after that two of you got some ice cream before heading to the movie theatre. This time Connor let you have the AUX Cord and you played some stuff from your favorite artist, he had only heard a couple of their songs so he asked you about them which resulted in you rambling about them for almost the entire 15-minute car ride to the movie theatre. Once you were done you had realized how long you’d been talking and started apologizing and blushing immensely. Connor only laughed and told you it was fine with a huge smile on his face, what he didn’t tell you is that he found it extremely cute. Once you arrived at the theatre you bought your tickets and headed in. Although you two just ate dinner you decide to get some stuff from the snack bar. After getting your snacks you found your theatre and settled into the somewhat uncomfy seats just in time for the previews to start. Neither of you were particularly interested in the movie but you still watched it nonetheless. About halfway through the movie Connor “smoothly” put his arm around your shoulders and you leaned your head into him. Now neither of you wanted the movie to end now but alas it had to, on your way out you grabbed Connor’s hand and didn’t let go until you had to to be able to get in the car but once you clicked your seat belts Connor reached across the center console and put his hand out for you to hold if you wanted to, and you wanted to. On the way home you talked about the movie then somehow you got on the topic of soulmate tattoos. 

“Do you know how insane I went going out of my way to introduce myself to every single person named Connor?” you say while laughing. “I literally introduced myself to every single one of them in my old town and even the surrounding counties!” 

“I’m sorry my parents named me something so basic I’ll be sure to scold them for it,” he says while pretending to be serious. 

“I think I’ll have to fight them when I meet them!” you say still laughing. This is what cracks him and he begins to laugh with you. 

“Oh my god please do!” he says with a gigantic smile on his face.

After that, the two of you calm down but still have dumb grins on your faces.

“How did you feel walking around with the stupid thing I said to you on your wrist for seventeen years?” 

“It was comforting knowing my soulmate was an emo piece of shit like me,” he says with a grin.

“Hey! I’m not emo! I just happen to like the color black,” you say pouting.

“Okay whatever helps you sleep at night sunshine,” he says with an overdramatic eye roll. After that, the two of you fell into a comfortable silence which was nothing like the one on the ride over. Sooner than you would’ve liked Connor pulled up in front of your house.

 “Here we are”

“Yup,” you say, not wanting to get out just yet. “Thank you for tonight I had a really amazing time.”

“Of course,” he says, turning to look at you. Once he does so a small smile appears on his pretty face. You decided this would be a good note to leave on, you reluctantly let go of his hand and began to collect your things. You look at Connor and don’t know what possesses you but you give him a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll text you tomorrow, okay?” you ask, your cheeks on fire from what you had just done.

“Mhm, sounds good,” he says, barely above a whisper. Face beat red, he puts his hand up to the place you had just kissed. “Good night Y/N.”

“Good night Connor,” you say while opening the door of his truck. You shut the door and smile at him and walk up to your front door. You wave at him to let him know you got in okay and as a final goodbye for the night. Your parents were out for the night so you didn’t have to deal with your mom’s bombardment of questions about the date until breakfast the following morning. You went upstairs and changed into your pajamas, still smiling. You texted Quinn and let them know how perfect the date went, making sure to let them know every single detail. That night you dreamed of Connor, your future together and how happy you were to meet him. 

[mikeyhatesit113]

forever and never: Chapter 12

My Toyota Matrix speeds down the highway, leaving the New York City skyline behind us in the rear view mirror. Janie sits in the passenger seat, admiring the engagement ring I had given to her just hours before in Times Square.

Ahead of us, the sun sinks slowly toward the horizon. Everything about that day had been perfect, and it was sending us off with a beautiful sunset. I felt proud as Janie smiled genuinely at her ring, knowing in my heart that I had treated her like a true princess that day.

“It’s beautiful,” she says. “I love you.”

I look over at her with a smile as wide as the Brooklyn Bridge itself.

“I love you too,” I say, pride swelling in my chest.

“Forever and ever,” she says.

“Plus a day,” I whisper.

2 Years Later

Janie and I step onto our front porch step, anticipation building in my chest. I had not been home in more than 3 weeks, and I had no idea what awaited me on the other side of the front door.

I had spent sleepless nights at my grandmother’s house, mental images torturing me during the night. Wicked animations produced by an imagination hell-bent on punishing me. Images that took place in the very dwelling I was about to re-enter for the first time in over 21 days.

Janie opens the door, and I take in the scene before me.

The smell hit me first. The scent was unfamiliar, as if something else had inhabited the place since my abrupt departure.

Stale cologne?

What was more, the furniture had been rearranged. The kitchen looked different, decorated with additional chairs and flat surfaced stands.

It was at that moment when I noticed that Janie was studying me, awaiting my reaction to the many changes to the place I had previously called home.

This, however, did not look like home. This was a foreign place, accented by a foreign occupant who was hiding in plain sight.

But what, or who, I could not put my finger on.

I forced a smile, hugging Janie. Though I did not recognize this environment, another part of me desperately wanted to call it home again.

Janie gave me a tour, which proved to be an orientation into her new world. A universe she had constructed in my absence, but a galaxy I was almost certain that she did not build alone.

“Wow,” I mumbled as we trudged up the stairs to the bedrooms. Brock’s room looked almost untouched, but James’ room yielded a big difference.

There was now a ball python resting in a tank beside his TV.

“Who’s snake?” I asked.

“Steppenwolf’s,” Janie said anxiously. “He brought it as a gift for the boys,” she quickly explained.

“He stayed here?” I asked, a familiar irritation arising in my chest, despite my best efforts.

“Only when the boys wanted him to, for a sleepover,” she replied.

“Oh,” I said. I immediately felt trapped again, like I was going against everything I had tried to stand for. I felt outraged. I felt like I had been violated.

I felt sick.

“And uh, where did he sleep?” I asked.

“Downstairs on the couch,” she said. “He didn’t stay here often.”

“And where did you sleep when you went to his house?” I asked.

“On his couch or in a spare room,” she replied as a matter-of-factly.

I wanted to believe her. I needed to believe her. It was the only way this could work.

“Ok...” I spoke, trying to shove her truth down my throat.

I hoped to God that he didn’t see the inside of our bedroom, which in fact, had also been transformed during my absence.

My brand new queen-size bed was long gone, currently locked up in a dark storage unit. In its place was a twin bed with a frame that creaked, and a mattress with springs that groaned. Additionally, the right side of our room was lit up with a red light that glowed from another large reptile tank which housed a lizard.

That night, I slept warily beside her in that crimson-lit room. I laid awake, wondering what I didn’t know. Wondering what she wasn’t telling me. Wondering if I was making the right decision.

I certainly didn’t have the support from my friends and family, who were incredulous that I returned to her embrace.

“I just want your support and friendship right now,” I texted my friend one day. “You got it,” he wrote back.

His response was not what I was looking for, but did he have the right words to make me feel like I was doing the right thing?

No one did, but in the effort of leaving no stone unturned, everyone’s opinion could not matter.

This was my journey, and no one else’s footsteps or words could complete the distance for me. I had to do it myself, whether it was 3 days, 3 weeks, or forever and ever, just like we had always promised eachother.

Logistically, the tricky task was moving the right amount of stuff back home to Janie and I’s place. I was not ready to empty my room at my Grandmother’s house, nor did I touch my storage unit.

They had been safe zones, and as happy as I was to be back home, I was still rather uncomfortable. I wanted to take it slow, if there was a such thing for a married couple.

Of course, there were other things returned. Janie drove with me to my grandmother’s house one Sunday afternoon to grab one of the things she had missed the most; her Lancer.

In the Lancer’s absence, her father had bought her a $300 mid-1990’s Oldsmobile that had an oil leak problem. It did not have a 6-disc CD player, but it did have a cassette player with cracked vinyl seats.

Call it vintage appeal, if you will. A time machine back to the 1990’s on 4 wheels.

I remember handing Janie the car key to the Lancer and her excitedly hopping in the driver seat. “I love this car,” she said, taking in the interior all over again as if it were the first time ever.

When the boys came home from their father’s house that evening, it was the reunion I was looking forward to most. I hugged them both, telling them both how much I had missed them. As far as I was concerned, I was back for good. And they’d never feel that pain again.

I did have unfinished business, however. I had seen enough photos of the boys sporting fedora hats, indicating that Steppenwolf had bought them their very own wacky hats. I did not appreciate these photos, so one afternoon, I found his Facebook.

I simply sent him this:

:)

It wasn’t long before he answered me.

“Hello?” he responded.

I couldn’t resist myself.

“I want to thank you for trying to take care of a family that wasn’t yours, and I hope you kept the receipt from whatever costume shop you bought those ridiculous hats from.”

“That purple sports car will never fill the void.”

“How does it feel to be an empty old man?”

“What’s wrong, Steppenwolf? Answer me.”

Steppenwolf did not respond, and I was blocked shortly thereafter.

Janie, however, was not happy that I had attacked Steppenwolf. When I told her about what I had sent him, she told me that she already knew I had done so, and that she just wanted me to leave it alone.

Nothing had happened between them. He had been just a friend.

Upon our reunion, Janie and I agreed to participate in marriage counseling. One October evening, our pastor showed up to our home and ate a nice dinner with us. Afterwards, with the cool, Autumn air flowing through the screen door near the kitchen table, Janie and I sat across from each other as our pastor looked on from the side.

We had each written down our concerns on a piece of paper, and it didn’t take long before the dialogue spun out of control.

In my endeavor to overlook so much and ignore so many little details, I could not bring myself to believe that she hadn’t lied to me. That she hadn’t kissed one of my best friends.

That she hadn’t betrayed me.

That I wasn’t her fool.

I guess in the end, even though I felt worthless, I owed myself some semblance of the truth.

I felt the conversation turn against me, and our pastor was soon siding with Janie about my paranoia. He hadn’t lived the nights I had, and he hadn’t seen the dark shadows drift in and out of our lives for the past 2 years.

Specters of betrayal. Phantoms that she denied ever existed.

Ghosts and goblins that haunted the life I thought we’d build.

Secrets that wouldn’t stay dead. Rotting corpses that wouldn’t stay buried.

“Michael,” our pastor chuckled. “You have these...construction crews...in your head,” he spoke. “And they build things out of these thoughts you have,” he said, laughing softly. Janie sat beside him, smirking at me.

I’ll never forget the smug look on her face as she stared at me, enjoying the fact that another human being had taken her at her word.

Nothing happened. He’s angry. He’s paranoid.

I couldn’t take it. I had tried to suppress it, bury it, destroy it, even...but the rage had returned. I stood up abruptly from my chair, anger coursing through my veins.

So many friends and family had contributed to my mental health over the past weeks, and this is how I repaid them? This is how I rewarded myself?

Being mocked by my pastor and my wife during marriage counseling?

“You sit there,” I bellowed, pointing a finger at her. “Laughing at me, looking down on me from your pedestal? Trust me, hunny, I’m looking down on you. I have nothing for you.”

I went to walk away, but my pastor called me back to the table.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ekim,” he said. “Where are you going? Get back to this table.”

I returned to the table slowly, staring at Janie. Her smirk was gone, replaced by a poisonous look of revulsion. I echoed her emotion.

We truly were toxic.

Of course, that counseling session was the start of the downward slope. More odd occurrences around the house sparked more questions and suspicions.

Like the Earl Grey Teabags on the counter, and the Syracuse hoodie I found in the wash basket one morning while I was folding clothes.

Janie was not a tea drinker, nor was she a Syracuse fan. Janie wasn’t home at that time, so I texted her a picture of the hoodie with the simple question, “What’s this?”

“Uh, a Syracuse hoodie,” she responded.

“I get that. Why do you have a Syracuse hoodie?” I texted.

“My family lived in Syracuse for a little bit when I was a little girl,” she texted back.

This was a blatant lie. Her family had never lived in Syracuse, much less another county.

Janie and I hobbled on, but our legs were giving out. The fighting soon made a vengeful comeback, and our tempers boiled over one rainy day.

I struggled with the lies. I struggled with the stories. I struggled with the person I had become. I hated him. I hated what I saw in the mirror. I hated his guts.

I hated what I did to Jay, now that I was at some capacity to understand it years later.

My mood became tense, and the suspicions only increased.

In the kitchen one day, we locked horns. Janie was making dinner when an argument started. It would be futile to try to tell you exactly regarding what, as I cannot remember due to the violent maelstrom we were trapped in. The reasons for conflict and discord were abundant and vicious. Pick one.

After a venomous word exchange, Janie slammed the casserole dish down on the stove top, cracking it. I turned away and marched out the front door into the pouring rain. I unlocked my car, sobbing as I flung open the door and sat in the driver seat.

I had not noticed Janie following me, and she came into my view as I shoved my key into the ignition.

“Where are you going?” she pleaded.

I didn’t plan to say it, and to be honest, I didn’t even know I felt it like I did.

But it came from the heart.

“I fucking hate my life,” I cried, looking her in the eyes. She stared back at me pitifully, the cold rain drops falling on both of us as we took each other in.

Who were we? What had we become?

How had our house of cards collapsed like this? We thought we were the exception.

We hobbled on.

One sunny Saturday morning before Halloween, we were ready to go to a pumpkin patch. However, before walking out the door, I noticed that James was apprehensive.

Everyone else had walked out to the car, and I seized the moment to address James alone.

“James, what’s wrong?” I asked, walking up to him and kneeling down.

“I’m afraid you’re going to leave again,” he said, looking at the ground.

I was taken aback, but I was encouraged all the same.

“James, I love you, your brother, and your mommy very much,” I said. “I love you, and I’m not going to leave you,” I assured him, pulling him into a tight hug.

“I promise, I’m here for good.”

After Halloween, we saw another November 1st arrive. Our anniversary, a day we hailed for years as the day we found eachother.

A day, 5 years earlier, that changed both of our lives forever.

A day I had progressively become more and more ashamed of.

I gave her the gift I had gotten her, a flashy trinket with the engraving, “Forever and ever”.

As soon as she opened it, I could tell she was expecting more. Another disappointing gift on another day we had no reason to celebrate.

Little did I know, that November 1st would be our last.

This is where I’m going to ask you to dig in your memory bank and pull out a date. A date I asked you to remember many chapters ago.

A date with more significance and karma than you could guess.

November 4th.

Welcome to the End.

“Passion or coincidence, Once prompted you to say, "Pride will tear us both apart". Well, now pride's gone out the window, Cross the rooftops, Run away... Left me in the vacuum of my heart.

What is happening to me? Crazy, some'd say. Where is my friend when I need you most? Gone away.”

Duran Duran “Ordinary World”

NOTE: Though this is my side of the story, including my own personal recollections and opinions, the reader should not consider this note anything other than a work of literature. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

[leafticket]

hi!!!! it’s been a while. idk how many ppl have rly been following my updates n stuff (not that there have been too many anyways LMAO) but things have been A Lot 4 me lately (as is the case 4 everyone these days obviously) so i haven’t been sharing my progress on madeira At All Whatsoever. but im gonna try to recap as much as i can in this post since i last shared (day 3 i think? wild) cuz i rly wanna make an effort to document this!!

this is what my map looks like as of today! here’s what’s what and who’s who:

islanders: charlise and antonio (starters); norma, rex, and winnie (housing plot challenge but i met norma on a mystery tour); raymond (campsite); freya and zucker (met on mystery tours); and mathilda and hopper (moved in naturally)! rizzo also showed up at my campsite one time but I uh. didn’t l*ke him so i left him there and didn’t invite him to my island JDHSKDHSKHDD 😔 it was cruel of me but i don’t regret it

amenities: museum, nook’s cranny, able sisters, campsite, airport, and upgraded residential services! also two bridges!

i don’t remember if i ever posted a screenshot of my map from my first few days of playing but if i did u might notice that charlise and i both moved our houses! hers was blocking the way of a horizontal bridge so i shifted her a bit to the right so she wouldn’t be as close to the river anymore. i moved my own house to make room for more islander housing plots and i decided to go on a cliff where i could be near the ocean! i love it a lot but it’s kinda tedious to use a ladder every time i wanna go up or down JDHSKDJDJ but im gonna invest in an incline soon i think

here r some pics of my house! it’s a huge wip cuz i haven’t been good abt grinding for bells 😔 but it’s coming along i guess

the left hand pic is what it looks like from the outside! initially my roof was green but i switched it to red to match the door better. idk how to change the exterior of my house like i think i have to unlock it somehow? but this is kinda ugly so i hope i can do it soon

the middle pic is my living room! the art hanging on the walls is a thing from work that means a lot to me 🥺 and the right pic is my bedroom! i wanna put some art on the walls here too — school spirit stuff cuz im a nerd and a dumbass hehe. wish i had more / better furniture but i rly like the size and feel of each of these rooms

i kinda hate that i had no choice but to put a room in the back, if it were up to me i wouldve donenit on the side or smth cuz i hate back rooms tbh. when i get more rooms im probably gonna move my room to a side one and use this room for smth else but i haven’t figured it out yet

im Terrible @ interior design in animal crossing like i just keep putting everything along the walls and saying fuck it 😔 so hopefully i get better furniture and stuff soon cuz she is looking ROUGH!

some ideas for other rooms: art studio / gallery upstairs; a music room and a kitchen or bathroom along with my bedroom on the main floor; a space-themed room or like an indoor garden or smth in the basement! :”~)

and now for some other updates:

i bought nintendo switch online and ive done some island hopping w a few irl pals! i have soooo many ppl (irl and online) i wanna play w omg im just scared 2 ask 🤡

special chars ive encountered: cj, flick, sahara, gulliver (i would die for him), wisp, daisy mae, celeste, and queen ISABELLE! also zipper but he doesn’t rly count lol. speaking of which i am SO tired of eggs it’s tew much!

im now in the tarantula business babey!!!!!!!!!!!!

Norma got sick one day and the next day I found a face mask in able sisters JDJFKSHFKJ

Raymond tried to move out on me and i REFUSED! to let him out of my sight. he’s stuck w me forever... i love him (but like. in a chill way. not like some of what ive been hearing abt cuzzzz... 😬)

project k is um. Slow. cuz im also trying to figure out my house and also my life has been in some Shambles Lately Lemme Tell You. but im working on it lol.. right now im @ a 2 star rating and im despondent like i have no room to put more outdoor furniture, i like having weeds cuz i think they look pretty and natural, i hate fences, and planting flowers takes too much effort so like. guess kk will never come cuz im stubborn and also an idiot 😌

FINALLY! LAST BUT NOT LEAST! here’s a video of isabelle singing my town tune (which is the same as it is in new leaf: my favorite part of the london cast recording of “practically perfect” from the mary poppins musical. i am fucking crazy but im free). anyways let me tell u seeing her sing this STRAIGHT UP brought me to tears cuz i was so Delighted and Charmed so i hope it makes u delighted and charmed too (but maybe not tearful abt it unless u want to be!) :”~) until next time!

[free-pigeon-bread]

Ned meets the mythology bros

It's not often Ned got to hang out alone in Stark Tower, he was usually hanging out with Peter or on a school trip. Peter had to leave in the middle of the hangout session to help sort out a robbery downtown so Ned was just sitting in the sky rise building, messing with a swivel chair. There probably wasn't that much harm in exploring, this level seemed just to be for recreational purposes. Every room was just a different variation of a living room, some of them having a kitchen area or a study station. Realising Peter wouldn't be back for some time Ned desided to look around for something else to do. The first room he entered was much like the first but everything in there was slightly older, frayed furniture, a bulky radio and older literature. The penny dropped when Ned saw the super old captain America training cards on the table that he realised that he was in Captain America's living space. So each room represented an avenger? The room Ned was in before was probably Iron man's then since it had a lot of the latest technology as well as alot of gold and red colours. Our of national respect Ned swiftly left the room. The next room was smaller and cleaner and light literature was neatly placed on clean tables as well as an assortment of pot plants. A man entered the room, Ned immediately recognised him from science class; Dr Bruce Banner. He jumped slightly when he saw Ned.

"Uh hi, kid," he started awkwardly "are you from a school trip or."

"I'm a friend of Peters." The Dr Banner nodded in understanding.

"Do you need any, help of any kind?"

"No, I'm just happy to look around until Peter gets back." Ned said politely.

"Alright then." the doctor said. Ned moved onto the next room, it was dark and casual. The curtains were closed but the lights turned on just when he entered. This was probably Black Widows rooms, it didn't seem like she was in but you could never tell. Ned did get the sense he was being watched so he left. The next room was so obviously hawkeye's that you didn't question it.  Purple theme? Check. Arrows all over the floor? Check. Enough family photos to choke on? Check. Ned picked up a bow from the floor and an arrow that didn't seem too harmless. He slotted the arrow in, pulled back the wire and

Whack

With a strong force the arrow penetrated the wall and got stuck halfway. Ned tried to pull it out but it was rammed in tight. He decided to just leave it, considering it was just stuck there now. He wandered into the next room and there he found Thor, it was an experience seeing Thor. You became very aware that you were a mortal and that he was a God, you half expected an epic battle theme to start up at any moment. Ned had frozen in the door way, Thor had his back turned as he was looking out the window. Thor turned around and one of Man of Spider's comrades.

"Hello, " his voice boomed. "It is I, mighty Thor, and you are a companion to Man of Spider, what be your name, human?"

"Ned, uh, Ned Leeds, so that makes me..." Ned wracked his brains for his knowledge of norse mythology. "Ned Leedson?" he said meekly. Thor laughed a deep laugh and slapped his hand on Ned's shoulder.

"Good to meet you, son of Leeds."

"Brother what are you doing?" a smartly dressed man strode in, wearing an all-black suit. This of course was Loki who changed the atmosphere of the room just by stepping in, whether he intended it or not he gave of an uneasy vibe, the kind the made you want to hold onto your purse and keep your back to the wall.

"You do realise he can talk normally right?" Loki said to Ned.

"Brother!" Thor called out.

"If there's a tour I'll let you do that voice but in private I forbid it." Thor rolled his eyes and took his hand off of Ned's shoulder. Loki walked into Hawkeyes living space and over to the arrow lodged in the wall.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Thor asked.

"Just doing my good dead for the day." Loki said with a smirk. He tapped his finger against the arrow and it flew out over the streets

*

Peters mission was almost over, thirteen of the robbers were down a bit much but they probably expected company. The fourteenth was running down the block, inside his spider suit Peter was sweating and his joints were Aching but it would be bad to show a sign of weakness to the public so he pressed on. Out of the sky something shot down on the fourteenth robber, causing him to kneel over in agony. When Peter moved in closer he discovered someone had shot the robbers knee with one of hawkeyes arrows.