#updated after someone pointed out shes actually brown

[onlyfangz]

what cases like imane khelif really points out in a way that people arent prepared to reckon with is that people dont actually give a fuck about protecting women, they care about protecting white womanhood.

imane khelif is a cisgender woman of colour who the IOC, a transphobic and transmisogynistic committee, (that is to say, if there were any doubt of her gender she'd have been thrown to the dogs), confirmed as a woman, and because she's brown, excellent, and fought a white cop who couldn't take a punch, she's made headline news three days in a row.

steven van de velde is a cisgender man who raped a 12 year old girl before competing at this years olympics and yet it was swept by on the news cycle as quickly as it came.

you dont care about protecting women, you care about protecting white womanhood.

[will80sbyers]

STRANGER THINGS 5 PRODUCTION MASTERPOST / part 004

Go back to part 001 / 002 / 003

May 24 / 2024

We find out they are filming something in this church (in the UD)

From an update of the IG channel for the day 100 of filming - we get this little video of something happening in the season but it's not easily understandable because it's blurry

May 25 / 2024

Karen was filming something, not sure if it's related to the church, unlikely at this point but she was on set

A video drone of the Church and more pictures

They built a cemetery near the church and put the UD vines on it (not in these pics but we find out later)

May 29 / 2024

The IG channel posts pictures from inside the mansion where the Turnbow family should be living, it's speculation that Derek is their youngest son but it's not confirmed yet... This may be his room thoug, it has lots of games and nerdy stuff

Confirmation that it's the mansion

May 30 /2024

The Creel house is getting prepared so they can film in it

Someone literally broke in the set lmao here are close ups of the radio station set

June 1 / 2024

There's UD vines in the Church set (note! The filming at the church set was set to start before but allegedly they had to reschedule because Noah aka Will had a problem at his eye so Will should be involved in the scenes there probably, they should start in August)

More pictures of the church set

June 4 / 2024

FIRST LOOK AT HENRY CREEL IN COSTUME AND ALSO HOLLY WHEELER - my idea is that Vecna is targeting Holly and making her have a vision or he has her in his mind space already after she gets kidnapped by him

More pictures of Holly looking at something she received in the mail it's the same scene with Henry

More pics of Henry and Holly

There's now a graveyard on the church set

Video and pictures of it

June 5 / 2024

Video of Holly and Henry Creel interacting, someone filmed the scene with a drone

June 8 / 2024

They are filming at the Creel house and at the Creel playground and there seem too be other children with Holly, she is dressed like Henry is using her as his doll in a dollhouse so I think this is inside the mind space, she has a different outfit because it's playing dress up and the other children may be those who he killed before... He may think she's similar to his sister Alice

June 9 / 2024

We sort of get it confirmed that Mike and Lucas have bonding moments in S5 from the actors at a convention

Better quality pictures of Mike and El on the roof in probably ep. 1

June 10 / 2024

This may be a young Joyce flashback (?) there's someone on set at the playground that looks like could be possibly her

Video and pictures of Holly with the new outfit, always on the Creel playground/house set - the playground is in front of the Creel house

June 11 / 2024

New pics from the Church set with the UD vines and all

Video

The set designer of stranger things answer some questions

June 15 / 2024

People go inside the Hawkins school and find random stuff left out there from the sets: 1 / 2 / 3

June 16 / 2024

A new actor in costume is seen on set at the playground, it's a girl with brown hair

June 17 / 2024

Pics and video from the military sets

June 19 / 2024

They film something at stone mountain cemetery

More pics, it seems it could be a cemetery in a vision because the names look weird, not sure if the McKinney grave was already there for a coincidence or was added by production... But actually it could be the UD maybe, I'm not 100% sure on this.

June 21 /2024

This is now basically confirmed... We'll get some type of flashback of Jonathan, Will and Mike when they were younger, Will and Mike were 8 and Jonathan 13... They are looking to cast the actors

June 22 / 2024

Steve's car is seen going around the cemetery

June 23 / 2024

Pics from the downtown Hawkins set, they may be filming in the library

New set in a field that has something to do with the military probably and also random pictures from downtown Hawkins, shops etc

June 24 / 2024

Military scenes are being filmed in downtown Hawkins

They are looking for photo doubles and military stuff is being filmed, someone sneaked in

June 25 / 2024

Pics of Downtown Hawkins, Holly, Will and Mike are seen in their bikes going around town, Jonathan's double can be seen, he did NOT lose an arm lmfao we found out they make a version of the costumes without sleeves because it's too hot for the actors to wear the winter clothes in the summer all day... Jonathan was spared... For now.......

Holly going on her bike

FIRST LOOK AT MIKE AND WILL (and Holly) going together somewhere with their bikes

Again

Blurry pictures of it

A video / again

My speculation: Will and Mike are riding with Holly for a bit until they leave her to go to the radio station, this happens in ep. 1

June 26 / 2024

More pictures of the military in Hawkins downtown, the blue van and there's a car chase scene apparently

Military + Jonathan's double

Night scenes with the blue van and the truck going somewhere

Soldiers

June 27 / 2024

New location, field or the woods in the UD

June 28 / 2024

Various new/old pics church set, cemetery etc

June 30 / 2024

A video of the actors for Will, Mike and Holly... Same scene with the bikes I think

Main cast took a break in for a few weeks in July

Videos of the filming in the fields/woods but from a very far away distance lol

July 3 / 2024

Ross posts a picture with the crew and cast, there's Mike, Will, and Jonathan and Nancy's doubles + blurry people and a video of Finn on set - week 24 of filming

July 7 / 2024

Derek is seen on set in Hawkins with the military

July 10 / 2024

Caleb posts a video getting ready on set

They are filming something in the Hawkins laboratory set, it seems it may be from the UD because the cars seem to be the 1983 models and there's the white van that was used in S1 to spy on the Byers

Rumor is that El is involved but it's not confirmed...

July 11 / 2024

The IG channel posts a video of Erica getting ready to film at school

July 12 / 2024

New pictures of the WSQK Radio station with the sign lit up! Super cool 😎

July 13 / 2024

These posters from the stranger things the first shadow play may have hints about storylines in season 5

July 15 / 2024

FIRST OFFICIAL TEASER OF STRANGER THINGS 5 !!!!

Screenshots from the teaser part 1

Screenshots from the teaser part 2

My analysis of the scenes and my speculation

The new actors of Stranger things 5: Nell Fisher plays Holly, Alex Breaux plays someone in the military probably, Jake Connelly is playing Derek

Pics of the Duffers with the military on set

Pics of Mike and Robin together in the same scene, Mike has a bruise/scar on his face (like I THEORIZED BEFORE 🤭)

Again

The outfits make me think it's from ep. 3 or 4

My speculation about this locker at school

Last update from me : 16 of July - if you don't find something, I have probably not updated the post, but you should find it in the " st5 production " tag in my blog!!

For my personal speculation about stuff you can search St5 speculation ( warning ⚠️ there's lots of byler lmao)

Go back to 001 / 002 / 003

to be continued...

[flowercrowngods]

you said soft things so have this little thing very loosely based on how my first birthday after I moved away from home to live hours away from my family my brother got me a flower delivery thing each month for half a year. So for six months I had the same guy deliver flowers to me, it wasn’t anything but like… it could be, I can make it steddie (it’s 3:30 am and I wrote this in my notes so sorry for any mistakes)

So, Steve who moved kind of far away for college and is living in a shitty student apartment and hasn’t decorated it a lot and Robin thinks he needs something nice to look at every day and something to remind him he has people that loves him when he convinces himself that they’ve forgotten about him now that he’s away. So she gets him a flower delivery once a month with notes saying encouraging messages or bad jokes, sometimes a tiny update. It helps him, he’s not doing badly or anything and actually enjoys studying but he misses his friends.

Then we have Eddie who’s the flower delivery guy, it’s his side job, or it’s his main job and then he also gets payed to play some gigs sometimes. Either way, he delivers flowers. Mostly it’s to old people from their grandchildren, for birthdays, and from someone’s partner, often a partner that has fucked up (he also hand writes the messages that come in with the order and he’s had to write some very pleading apology ones in his time)

He has a monthly order to the same guy, the same gorgeous guy who last time opened the door looking so soft with glasses sliding down his nose and hair all messy and holding a cup of half drunk coffee and gave him such a warm smile he almost proposed to this stranger on the spot.

Every month he’s both so excited to deliver his flowers and also dreads it because he’s 99% sure this guys girlfriend sends them, that they’re long distance and she gets him flowers every month with little notes that he has to write, this month it was ‘I scraped up my whole leg climbing up the tree outside my window sneaking back into my room, I don’t know how you used to do that all the time.’ So like, obviously high school sweethearts if he used to sneak into her room.

So, it’s great because he gets to see this guy who’s stupidly pretty and always gets this wondrous look on his face like he’s still in awe about the flowers months in and that’s honestly the highlight of Eddie’s day. But, it’s awful because he also has to hand him flowers from someone else knowing he’s just some insignificant middle man.

Steve at this point gets more excited about the guy who delivers the flowers than the flowers, he loves them and all but this guy who comes every month and with a dimpled smile hands them over is taking over his brain. He doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable by asking him out though, like he’s doing his job and it feels inappropriate.

He complains to Robin who time after time tells him to just ask the guy out, if he says no it may be a little awkward but it’s a tiny interaction once a month it’s fine. Steve knows she’s right but still doesn’t, is afraid to break the spell of their monthly exchange. Robin grows tired of his pining though and the next time she places an order she makes the note ‘the guy who gets the flowers wants to ask the delivery guy out but keeps chickening out so I’m doing it for him: Delivery guy with bangs and ‘the prettiest brown eyes’ will you go out with Steve?’

Eddie reads that message of the order, has to write that message out with wide confused eyes and hope rising in his chest. When Steve opens his door he shoves the flowers at him and blurts out “I thought you were dating Robin”

Steve gives him a confused look, which yeah of course he does, so Eddie takes a breath and tells him to read the note. The confusion on Steve’s face slowly fades and is replaces with red cheeks and a sheepish smile.

He clears his throat and glances up at Eddie. “She’s my best friend,” he tells him, “may or may not get to keep that title depending on how this goes.”

Eddie is feeling too many things to say more than a breathy, “yes.” At Steve’s raised eyebrow though he clarifies.

“Yes I’ll go out with you.” Then a sudden horrifying thought hits him, “if you actually want that and your friend isn’t joking or got it wrong or-“

“Does 8 o’clock tonight work for you?”

Eddie nods and Steve’s smile gets wider with each frantic jerk of his chin.

“It’s a date then.”

and then on their first date, eddie gets flowers for the first time. doesn’t have to deliver them, doesn’t have to give them away, no, these ones are his to keep, and he allows himself to take a deep breath for the first time, getting to enjoy the way they smell, the way he always watched people do. never once taking his eyes off steve, who watches with a smile. 🥹

[dragon-creates]

Five Times Jax and Pomni Share Dreams of Their Past Lives (And One Time Where They Remember)

Read on AO3

Read Part 2 Here

1/2/3/4/5/6

Jax and Pomni know that they can’t actually dream in this digital world, nor can they remember who they were before coming here. But after retiring to their sleeping quarters each night, they begin to have dreams of people who they have never seen before, not the circus themed cast of characters within this realm, but real people! Why do they seem do real? Why do these dreams feel more like memories? And why do these people remind them so much of each other?

I can't believe how much the silly circus show won me over, and how much brainrot these two have given me. I won't update for I while as I have other wips for different fandoms I'm working on but I wanted to get the first chapter up to help motivate me. Anyways I hope you like this and check out the rest of my tumblr to see what I get up to.

Also yes the chapter titles are Taylor Swift songs because I'm weak.

Fearless

The air was crisp and cool, though not to the point where people were shivering in their costumes, neon lights were in every corner anyone could see, flashing the paths with pinks, purples and green, different stalls and rides were up, ranging from candy apples and sweets stand to rollercoasters and Ferris wheels and every single person were dressed as either monsters, characters or whatever their imaginations would come up with. Truly, the festival had set the perfect atmosphere for Halloween…well, everyone except for Penny.

She was a short young woman, 23 years of age with long dark hair that reached her waste and curtain bangs along her forehead, with pale skin and a bony structure (she hated that part about herself).

It wasn’t that she was forced to come here – she had heartily accepted when her sister Riley and her girlfriend Winter asked – but now that she was here, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Penny wasn’t really the bravest person around, she flinched at the slightest sound, she dreaded talking to new people who would come her way and had relied on her older sister to help her out for most of her life, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t trying to overcome any of it. After all it wasn’t like she could control her anxiety, it was something she struggled with ever since she was little. But tonight, she wanted to prove that she was able to enjoy Halloween outside the comfort of handing out candy to trick-or-treaters from the safety of her home. So far, she really did like it, she had fun buying sweets and going on rollercoasters, and though it could be overbearing and loud sometimes, Riley and Winter would take her to a nearby café to help Penny catch her breath before doing something else.

However, this was part of the night that she both desperately wanted and dreaded doing…the haunted funhouse. She knew what was in there, jump scares, clowns and nightmares to last for the next few nights to come, but she didn’t want to miss out, now when she heard about how much fun people have had in there. She just wanted to prove that she wasn’t this scared little nobody, that she was a person who wanted to have fun like everyone else, to enjoy the things that everyone else had fun with. So here she was, dressed in a hastily sewn purple rabbit onesie of her own making (she had made it in a time crunch when learning about the festival) into a terrifying funhouse that deep down, where she wasn’t lying to herself, she did not want to go in.

“Penny no,” she turned to see Riley, holding Winter’s hand as the other girl was texting someone on her phone, “You know what your anxiety’s like, you don’t have to go in there.”

Riley had quite a lean build with noticeable muscle on her arms, she had shoulder length dark red hair, brown eyes and pale skin. She was four years older than Penny, and while she did seem a bit intimidating, she was always soft and protective over her younger sister.

“He’s still not answering,” Winter murmured, shaking her head, “He was supposed to meet us an hour ago.” Winter was slightly taller than Riley, with dark black hair and eyes with a tanned complexion. The two women were dressed in a couple’s costume, Riley as Poison Ivy and Winter as Harley Quinn, they were also supposed to meet with Winter’s friend, but the mystery person still hadn’t shown up yet.

“Maybe he’ll show up while I’m in the funhouse?” Penny suggested as Riley sighed, “I’ll be quick in there, if I run then I’ll have less time to acknowledge the bad stuff in there!”

“Penny, I know you and I know that if you go in there, you’re gonna have a panic attack,” Riley took her little sister’s hand, offering her a pleading gaze, “Please just stay out here with us and we’ll meet up with Winter’s friend. We could go on the rollercoaster again; I know you really enjoyed that one.”

Penny smiled fainty, Riley looking out for her wasn’t anything new, but she didn’t want her sister to be burdened with her. It wasn’t right, Riley deserved to live her life, have fun with Winter and not worry about her scaredy-cat sister all the time, she deserved better than that.

When Riley turned to face Winter again, Penny pulled her hand out of her sister’s and ran into the funhouse, ignoring Riley calling her name the deeper she went in.

She took a few more deep breaths, she was doing! She was doing it and oh…oh she fucked up. There were multiple paintings of disfigured clowns peering down at her from the halls, the eerie sounds of deranged crying and laughing made her hairs stand on end, there were paths twisting and turning as they reminded her that she could get lost in this dreadful house and mirrors that not only showed her in different shapes and sizes, but also her terrified expression. Riley was right, this was too much for her, she didn’t even want to come in here in the first place why did she do this?!

A crazed laugh made her jump, looking carefully over her shoulder, she noticed a tall jester from down the hall, his yellow suit stained with red, and his mask had a twisted smile, hiding dark secrets that she didn’t want to find out. With a scream, she tore off down the hall, the jester chasing after her. She knew that were going to be actors, trained with scaring the guests, but it didn’t mean that she liked it! She really, really shouldn’t have come in here.

She skidded to a stop when she came to a dead end, her back pressing to the wall as the jester came closer and closer to her. She bit back a fearful yelp as he slammed a hand next to her head, peering down at her. She took a few more breaths, trying to keep calm. This isn’t real, this isn’t real, this isn’t real repeating the mantra in her head to help herself from screaming out…before fainting right into the jester’s arms.

.

.

.

“You have some nerve scaring her like that?! Aren’t you supposed to be trained with scenarios like this?!”

Penny groaned at the sound of a loud and angered voice, it sounded like it belonged to a woman and seemed very familiar.

“I am trained for your information!” A male voice retaliated, “I didn’t know she was going to faint!”

“Okay, Riley calm down, Jack be nice!” Another female voice entered the conversation, sharper and more direct than the other two, “What happened right now was an accident, we just need to wait and see if Penny wakes up before we call an ambulance, that was the procedure right Jack?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the male voice was quiet now, “I’m sorry again Winter, I genuinely didn’t know.”

Penny opened her eyes, squinting at the light as she sat up on what seemed to be a mattress. “Oh good you’re awake,” there was a woman she had never seen before beside her, wearing a white hoodie with a red cross on it, “My name is Lianne, I’m a paramedic for the funhouse in case something like this happens.”

“Penny! Oh thank God!” Riley rushed over to her, wrapping her arms around her younger sister and pressed a kiss at the side of her head, “You gave me a heart attack going into that house, and then hearing that you fainted?! Don’t ever do that again!”

Oh that’s right, she fainted, that explained why Riley sounded so angry when she woke up. God help which soul she was speaking to that suffered her wrath. “I’m okay Riley, you were right I shouldn’t have gone in,” Penny sighed, “I’m just tired of not being normal so I wanted to prove-”

“-You don’t have to prove shit,” Riley interrupted, “And you are normal, who the fuck made you think you had to go into a haunted house to prove that you’re a ‘normal person’?”

“Uh…myself?” Penny smiled awkwardly.

Riley shook her head and smiled, it was good to see that she wasn’t actually mad, just really worried, but to be fair worse had happened to Penny to make her sister go into ‘overprotective mode’. “Just don’t push yourself too hard again, okay?” she asked. Penny nodded again, Riley smiled one last time before her eyes furrowed and she turned away to face someone else, “And as for you!”

Penny looked up to see how her sister was talking to when her cheeks suddenly turned red from embarrassment. It was the jester from earlier! He was quite a tall man, with golden brown skin and eyes, with his hair in short dreads pulled up into a ponytail. His face with mixed with both frustration and shame, it wasn’t helping with Riley shouting at him.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook for scaring my little sister!” Riley growled, “I can’t believe you made her faint!”

“How did I make her faint?!” he retorted, “I’ve never had a reaction like hers before I didn’t know she was that scared!”

“That is enough!” Winter stepped in, grabbing them both painfully by the ear for a few seconds and then let them go, “Riley, go outside so I can talk with you, and Jack please apologize to Penny.”

Jack signed, turning to Penny as the girl flushed even more, she still couldn’t believe she fainted in front of him! “I’m sorry,” he said honestly.

“This is the friend I was taking about,” said Winter, “We were supposed to meet up, but he got called in since someone cancelled their shift last minute, but someone forgot to text us!”

“What are you taking about?” He reached into his pocket for his phone, “I sent you message before my…oh…I forgot to actually send it.”

Penny snorted, she tried to hold it in, but she burst out laughing instead, she couldn’t help it, the absurdity of the situation was just too much. She was so caught up in laughing that she didn’t catch the soft smile that Jack had at her reaction.

“Jesus Christ Jack,” Winter rubbed her temples, “What am I gonna do with you?”

“I have a few ideas,” Riley glared at him.

“Okay, you!” She grabbed Riley’s hand, “Come with me, Jack, keep Penny company while I have a chat with my girlfriend.”

“What?!” Penny and Jack said in unison, but Winter had already slammed the door.

“I should, um,” They whipped round to see that the paramedic was still here, having witnessed the entire interaction, “I should go tell my boss that there’s no need to call an ambulance.”

With that, she rushed out the door, leaving the two to stew awkwardly with one another. Penny’s rapidly beating heart wasn’t helping either, she really didn’t want to have another fainting episode again. It didn’t help that this Jack guy was really handsome. Huh? Why did I think that?

“So…” she spoke up, gulping as Jack turned to her, his eyes focused as though he were studying her, like a bug being examined, “What’s the jester like life? I mean! What's the jester life like?! Not the other one, forget about that. In fact don’t talk to me at all! Or do! Don’t let me tell you what to do, I mean, you’re not the one spouting out word vomit!” Jack raised an eyebrow at her, Penny shoved her reddening face into her hands.

It was then Jack’s turn to start laughing, messy chortles escaping his mouth at her bizarre sentence, leading Penny to pout at his reaction. “Sorry toots,” the laughter died down once he saw he face, “I thought you were funny, didn’t mean to offend you. And to answer your question, the jester life is pretty good.”

“You think I’m funny?” she asked. It wasn’t the first time someone laughed at her, but not because they found her humorous.

“Yeah, not everyone can ‘spout word vomit’ and make it cute,” he told her.

Penny blushed. Okay, first he found her funny and now he found her cute, she really hoped he couldn’t hear how loud and fast her heart was beating. “Um, sorry for fainting on you,” she murmured, “Surprisingly it was not the lowest moment of my life.”

“You’re sorry for fainting?” He raised a brow at her again.

“Well it led to my sister yelling out you,” she told him, “I’m sorry about that as well, Riley can get pretty overprotective over me or our mom.”

“Yeah, Winter warned me about that,” he replied, remembering the way he tried to not tremble at her fiery gaze. “If looks could kill.”

“Tell me about it,” Penny nodded, her eyes scanned the costume he was wearing, now having a face attached to it made it less frightening. The way the fabric was stitched and how the everything on the piece was placed, it looked less like something from a Halloween shop and more something homemade. “Did you make this?”

“Huh, oh this? I wish,” he said, “I actually had it commissioned, sure it cost a bit more, but I wanted it to feel a bit more real, you know, to scare people and that.”

“Yeah, well it definitely worked,” Penny giggled, “As someone who does commissions for others as well, its nice when someone reaches out for us to make something.”

“Us?” he titled his head.

“I’m a costume designer, well, studying a course in costume design at college,” Penny explained, “I noticed how your outfit was made and it instantly clicked in my brain.”

“Oh really? Did you also make that rabbit suit you’re wearing?” he asked as he pointed to her onesie.

Penny rolled her eyes, “Not my best work but I had limited time when Winter and Riley asked me if I wanted to come to the Halloween festival. But hey, its warm and cozy for the season!”

“I think it looks cute on you,” he smiled and winked at her. It was a friendly wink, nothing behind it, but it still made Penny’s toes curl. “How about we start over, I’m Jack.” He held his hand out to her.

Penny took it in her own and shook it, “I’m Penny. So, how do you know Winter?”

There was a nervous flicker in his eyes, but he blinked it away before Penny asked anything else, “We meet as freshmen in high school, she was a few months older than me, but she took me under her wing, and we’ve been friends ever since. I met Riley as well when they started dating but I have a feeling I might be on her bad side now.”

Before Penny could say anything else, there was a crash and a scream before Winter and Riley rushed back into the room, slamming the door behind them. “We forgot this was a haunted funhouse,” Winter trembled, her and Riley’s faces paling.

Penny and Jack shared a glance, stifling their laughter as the couple pulled themselves together. “Anyways,” Riley brushed herself off, “We should head home and tell Mom what happened.”

“Right,” Penny nodded before turning back to Jack, “Hopefully we’ll see each other again, but somewhere else cause with all due respect I’m never stepping foot in this funhouse again.”

Jack chuckled, “That’s understandable, and sorry for scaring you again.”

“That’s okay, at least we finally met,” Penny grinned.

“Alright, home time for you miss,” Riley pulled Penny up, giving a final glare towards Jack before leading her sister away.

“It was nice to meet you, Jack!” Penny called back to him.

“The pleasure’s all mine!” Jack called back, giving Winter a hug before she chased after the sisters.

In the car ride back home, Penny found herself smiling. Jack was nice, granted she wished it didn’t take fainting for them to meet but she was glad she did. “So,” Winter turned in the passenger seat to face Penny in the back, “Sorry that it was under these events how you met Jack, hopefully you were okay with him.”

“I’m not,” said Riley, focused on the road.

“Just keep driving mama bear,” Winter rolled her eyes before turning to Penny again.

“I was okay with him, we actually got on pretty well,” she admitted, “I’m glad I finally met him.”

Winter smiled and turned to Riley to smirk at her, “So, it looks like ‘big bad Jack’ won over your little sister.”

“Must you taunt me?” Riley groaned.

“But that why you love me so much,” Winter teased kissed her loudly on the cheek, “It was my taunting that drew you to me.”

Riley tried and failed to repress a lovesick grin. Penny chuckled at her older sister and turned to face out the window again, counting the stars that passed. Hopefully she would meet Jack again.

.

.

.

Pomni woke with a start. What on this digital earth was that?!

Ever since she arrived here, she never had actually dreams before. Whenever she ‘slept’ it felt like she was switching off, like a button on a computer game and blacked out before she was ‘switched on’ again.

But that dream, why did it feel so real? She remembered the concept of dreams, how anything random would happen and the little control you would have over them. Maybe she was a lucid dreamer in her past life and that’s why this one had more will power in it?

She thought back to that Penny girl, she acted so much like her, the nervousness, her fear of mostly everything and her reaction when she went into that funhouse. Although now, she would gladly take that funhouse over this ‘Amazing Digital Circus’.

Then there was Penny’s sister, Riley. Despite how threatening she was at first glance, the protectiveness she had with her sister and the loved-filled eyes for her girlfriend made her feel a bit safer than she ever felt here.

Did Pomni have a family before the circus, did she have an older sister that would protect with without a second thought? Did she have a family that worried about her, wondering what happened to her?

Then she thought of Jack. She thought about him interacting with Penny, how cheeky yet sweet he was with her. And the way he looked at Penny. She felt herself blushing. In a way, his laidback attitude and mischievous grin, he reminded her a little bit of Jax…

She shook her head, she was being ridiculous, regardless of what Ragatha said when she came here, this was just and only a dream. Besides, it probably wouldn’t happen again, and things would return to its usual format here, just switching on and off again.

She sighed and shoved off her bed sheets, mentally preparing herself for whatever sanity Caine had up his sleeves.

Its not like anyone else was having these types of dreams, right?

That would be the case…for anyone who wasn’t Jax.

The rabbit was currently at the breakfast table, he Gangle and Kinger waiting for everyone else to arrive.

Just when he thought we finally got used to this place, he had an actual dream last night, not the usual shut down he received every night. He remembered every detail from the lights of the festival to the noises supplied from the funhouse and that Jack guy in the jester costume.

There wasn’t much he got from the dream about him, just that was someone who worked to scare people and make money out of it, honestly it seemed the ideal career path he would take if he weren’t stuck here.

But what made that dream so memorable for him was that Penny girl. The way she would shyly peek through her hands, to her kind smile and her knowledge with costumes, and of course he couldn’t forget about her fainting spell. Talk about an unexpected surprise.

Although, she did seem sweet in a way, whoever this Jack guy was he hoped that he was smart enough to see her again. Jax sighed, what was he talking about? This was a dream, plain and simple, yet here he was acting as though he knew this Jack person.

Just leave it he thought bitterly its stupid anyway.

“I’m gonna check where the rest of them at,” he told Gangle and Kinger, “Zooble probably lost one of his arms again, so I might as well hide it if that’s the case.”

“Wouldn’t you rather help them find it?” Gangle whimpered.

Jax huffed out a laugh, “And where’s the fun in that?”

He got out from his chair, only to bump into another body, almost losing his balance, “Hey, watch where your-”

He looked down to see Pomni sitting on the ground, probably from him bumping into her, her red and blue eyes widening when she realised what she did.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she burst out, “Usually I sit next to you whenever we eat, and I didn’t see you sitting up but I’m still really sorry either way I shouldn’t have done that-”

“-Not the other one, forget about that. In fact don’t talk to me at all! Or do! Don’t let me tell you what to do, I mean, you’re not the one spouting out word vomit!”

“I’m really sorry!”

Jax snapped out of his trance, looking down at Pomni again, her eyes looking both sad and apologetic. He signed, reaching down to pull her up by the end. “Relax pom-pom, it wasn’t like you planned to do that…unless?”

“What, no, of course not!” she yelped.

 Jax laughed, the newbie was easy to rile up.

“Shut up Jax,” Zooble moved past him to get to their spot, “Let’s just get breakfast over with before we need to deal with the headache Caine is gonna give us.”

“Whatever,” Jax slumped back into his seat, Pomni gently placing herself upon hers as Zooble and Ragatha did the same.

The way Pomni acted just then, the way she was quick to flush and stutter over her words, and the fact that she was so nervous about everything as well. It was all just like Penny.

No, don’t, don’t be stupid Jax. Jack isn’t real, Penny isn’t real, so don’t bother comparing her to Pomni.

With that, he let himself continue with his food.

But it wouldn’t be the last time he or Pomni would make these comparisons, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last time they had these ‘dreams.’

See you next time, let me know if I've written them well, this is the first time writing for this fandom. And who knows, perhaps next chapter the sillies might actually go on a date? 🤷

[writeforfandoms]

Waking Lions 1

Find the series masterlist

Eventual John Price x f!reader. Buckle up people, this is a slow burn. 

A few things to know: reader is an independent intelligence agent, morally gray, bisexual, and has some backstory. You’ll learn what you need to know. Primary codename is Ace, but has a couple others. 

This first chapter is setting the scene and giving you all a start on learning about this mess. We do mess a bit with timelines - this starts before MW 2019. 

Warnings: Swearing, flirting, mischief. 

Word count: 2.2k

You hummed to yourself as you walked to the meet point. By now, this was all standard for you - meet up with some underling, pass along the information, wait for payment, and be on your way. 

It was a system that worked well for both parties and had for years. Since you'd discovered you could make a living at this. 

But only if you were careful. 

Which is why you arrived at the meet point a full twenty minutes early. You picked a table out on the patio and ordered a coffee while you waited. It was a lovely day, after all. 

And when someone dropped into the seat across from you fifteen minutes later, you smiled to yourself. 

And then you looked at the man. 

Oh, this one was good. Big and broad, that much you could tell even with the both of you sitting down. Brown hair kept neat, mutton chops. Interesting choice. And the most intense blue eyes you'd seen in a long time. 

"Nice weather we're having." The first half of the code was long habit to you, and never changed. That way you always knew you had the correct underling. 

"Yes but I always bring an umbrella," the man answered with the other half of the code. English accent. Lovely. 

"Anything to drink for you?" You offered with an easy smile, crossing your legs at the knee. 

"No. You have something for me." His voice was rough and low, gaze fixed on you. 

"I suppose I do." You reached into your pocket and pulled out a flash drive, holding it between two fingers. "Password is enterprise, all lower case. This is all up to date. Oh, and one more thing." You leaned in, dropping your voice. "They're planning to move within 24 hours. I can get a more precise time, but it'll cost." 

His eyes narrowed, just a little. "Wait here." He took the USB, tucking it into a pocket before he stood. He towered over you, and you blinked slowly up at him. Oh yes. Oh you liked this one. 

He stepped away, pulling out a cell phone. You picked up your coffee, taking a sip and watching him with half-lidded eyes. He had turned away so you couldn't read his lips. Smart. Clearly someone had updated him as to your capabilities. Your bet was on Laswell - she liked to ruin your fun. 

If Laswell was indeed his contact, that was. And if she was… well, that made him a little higher up the food chain than you initially guessed. Fascinating. 

Normally you dealt with underlings, normal soldiers. People who could act as go-tos but ultimately just followed orders. 

This one, though…

He rejoined you at the table, gaze hard. "You have authorization to proceed. But. There will be rules." 

"I'm listening," you agreed, watching him over the rim of your coffee cup. 

"You keep a comm on you. You alert me as soon as you have the information. You do not take any risks or alert them to our plans. I will have a sniper on overwatch."

“You won’t need them.” You tipped your chin, holding his gaze. “I suppose you’ll be able to hear me but not the other way around, then?” 

“You won’t need to hear from me if you do your job right.” 

You chuckled. “I suppose so. What shall I call you, then?” 

“You don’t need my name.”

“Your name? No. I don’t. But I would like to know what I can call you.” You winked at him. “For my diary, of course.” 

He was silent for a few long moments, blue eyes searching yours. Not that you knew what he was actually looking for. But whatever he saw must have satisfied him. “Captain.” 

“Captain,” you purred. “I assume she informed you of my preferred call sign.” That was a calculated gamble, dropping that hint.

Apart from the tiniest twitch of his lips, he didn’t react. “Ace.”

“Right.” You smiled, all teeth, and finished your coffee. “Well then! Are you coming back to mine, handsome?” You fluttered your eyelashes at him playfully. 

His jaw clenched. “We’ll RV at a secondary location,” he ground out. Either he disliked you or he disliked flirting. Or possibly both. 

“Alright. When?” 

“Half an hour.”

You did a quick bit of mental math. You had most everything you needed on you, but clearly he did not. He hadn’t come equipped to send someone else in on a quasi-op, after all. “Alright. Where?” 

“Tailors shop, called Black Label. Half a click north of here.”

“I’ll find it.” You tucked a cash tip under your empty coffee cup and stood. “I’ll see you in thirty minutes, Captain.” 

It took you ten minutes to be sure he wasn’t following you, although you wouldn’t be surprised if he had someone up high tracking you. He seemed the paranoid type. But you risked it to go back to your hotel room. If all went well, you’d be leaving town within hours. 

It took minutes to ensure your things were packed up, and you hummed to yourself as you double-checked the knife strapped to your thigh under your clothes, the false pocket of your pants giving you access. Perfect. You did like it when all your things were in working order. 

And then you sauntered back out the door, leaving your baggage behind for the moment. It didn’t take you long to find Black Label. 

But this time, you weren’t there first.

Captain walked up to you before you even reached the door, his hand securing just above your elbow, firm but not painful. He guided you around the side of the building and down an alleyway. 

“You leave this on,” he said firmly, releasing you only to grab a tiny microphone out of one of his pockets. “You turn it off, we assume you’ve betrayed us.”

“Sniper, overwatch, I remember,” you agreed glibly. “Allow me.” You held out one hand, imperious, and he handed over the microphone. Without an ounce of shame, you secured it under your shirt where it was completely hidden from sight. “Will this audio suffice?” 

He tipped his head just a little to the side. Undoubtedly listening to the report of whoever was on the other end of his comms. Then he nodded once, short and sharp. 

“Good. I need to get going or I’ll be late.”

He stiffened. “Late?” 

“Didn’t I mention? I have a dinner appointment.” Your lips curved in amusement as you watched him struggle not to react. Much. His flush betrayed his anger, though. 

“I’ll be listening very closely,” he finally growled. 

“I hope you do.” You winked at him again and turned, walking out of the alleyway. Sometimes men were just so fun to tease. 

You did, in fact, have a dinner date with Sergio. You’d arranged it well ahead of time, knowing that either your contact would authorize paying you more for more information, or you’d have some tidbits to sell to Sergio. You were guaranteed a delicious meal, at least. 

The restaurant where you were due to meet Sergio was nice, upscale without being outrageously fancy. You’d been here once before, a few years back. But then, you’d looked quite different then. You’d changed your hair color since, as well as your style of dress. 

Nobody would remember you. 

Sergio was waiting for you - you always arrived precisely on time with him. If he showed up second, he took it as a personal affront and was useless for the next few hours as he worked through his temper tantrum. So, allowances had to be made. 

Like letting him kiss your cheek and pull your chair out for you.

“It has been too long,” he said, taking his seat across from you. 

“It has,” you agreed easily. “How are the girls?” 

“Ah, they are well. Sophia is nine now! And growing like a weed.” He chuckled fondly. “She is already so big. It seems like just yesterday she was small enough I could hold her with one hand.”

“Yes, children do grow fast,” you agreed with a slightly wistful smile. “Especially the ones you’re attached to.”

You both chuckled over that. When the waiter appeared, you let Sergio order drinks for you both. Another calculated move. He was a man who liked to believe he was in charge. 

But it wasn’t until after the appetizers had arrived that he brought up business.

“Any news from our friends in the south?” He feigned disinterest, glancing at you before looking back at his plate. 

“Nothing new, unfortunately.” You shrugged, very much a “what can you do?” “They insist they are on time, of course. I have a feeling they might benefit from a… surprise inspection. If you’d like me to go…”

“No need,” he said, waving off your offer. “I will be going myself in two weeks.”

“Perfect timing, then.” You smiled, though your heart beat faster with excitement at the new information. “I am sorry I don’t have a more satisfying update for you, then.” 

“It is hardly your fault. You are merely the messenger in this case.” His eyes gleamed at you from across the table, dangerous and sure of himself.

“I do hope I’ve earned more than simply being the messenger after all this time.” But you kept your tone light and teasing, smiling playfully. 

“Much more,” he agreed with a chuckle. “Minx. I would invite you back to remind you of what you are, but I won’t have time tonight.”

You pouted at him. “Busy schedule?” 

“Workers nowadays. Can hardly expect them to keep on top of the schedule unless you’re watching them. You know the feeling, I’m sure.”

“Of course,” you agreed in a murmur. “Nothing ever gets done right unless you oversee it yourself.”

“Precisely.” He tipped his glass to you in a silent toast, taking a sip. 

“Tight deadline, then?” 

He tipped his head back and forth. “Well, if I wasn’t due to be leaving in the morning, I’d push it a little, just for you.” His smile turned filthy.

You chuckled, one hand toying with the stem of your wine glass. “You flatter me.” That was likely as precise a time as you were going to get from him, and you didn’t dare push for more. That would just raise suspicion. 

You liked your head where it was and in one piece. 

“And what of you? You haven’t mentioned your plans at all.” His foot nudged yours under the table. 

“Well, since I’ll be robbed of the pleasure of your company… I have a little business of my own to attend to in Turkey. I’ll be catching an early flight out.”

“Time is simply not on our side this time,” Sergio agreed with a (slightly exaggerated) sigh. “Next time then, hm?”

“Of course.” You smiled, leaning back as the waiter brought your entrees out. “I’ll find something pretty for your girls in Turkey.” 

The rest of the conversation stayed away from business and leaned more towards pleasure - the latest hobbies of his two daughters, the ongoing complaints of their mothers, and his persistent search for the third future ex-wife. (He was hoping for a boy next time, he admitted.) 

The two of you parted ways amicably, and you didn’t watch as three other men melted out of the restaurant. Sergio was decently high up in his organization. It made sense he would have protection with him. 

You didn’t stop moving for twenty minutes, taking random twists and turns through the city until you ended up near the Black Label.

“No sign of a tail, Captain,” you murmured, walking into the same alleyway as before. You half-expected him to be there already. “I’ll give you five minutes before I decide to keep this as a souvenir.” 

He arrived in three, expression carefully neutral, though you thought you saw a tiny bit of grudging respect in his eyes. He held out one hand and you handed over the microphone. 

“Satisfied with your intel?” You smiled coyly at him. 

“Your money has been sent already,” he said, which was an answer. 

“Pleasure doing business with you, then.” You started to walk past him, only to stop when he stepped in your way.

“If I find out you’ve double crossed us…”

Your smile was still firmly fixed in place, although you had a feeling it was much less pleasant now. “Piece of advice for you, soldier,” you murmured, low and dangerous as a snake. “Your boss trusts me to get her good quality information, and she doesn’t meddle in my life. In return, I keep her secrets to myself. It’s a system that’s worked for us for a long time. Now, I doubt I’ll ever see you again, so here’s a nickel’s worth of free advice. Don’t tell me how to do my job, and I won’t ruin yours.” You bared your teeth in the barest mimicry of a smile. “Have a good night, Captain.” You stepped around him and continued on down the road. After half a dozen steps, you began whistling.

Just because you knew it annoyed some people. 

The walk to your hotel was uneventful, and you collected your things and left. The cab ride to the airport was silent, and you booked a flight to Turkey for first thing in the morning. 

You had some gifts to buy, after all.

[spotsandsocks]

🐺The Lost and The Found Update!!🐺 10k

Chapter 5 is done or start from Chapter 1

Cover art by @ronordmann

Eddie steps out of the cab, closes his eyes and breathes in deeply. The sun is warm on his skin, the sounds and smells wrap around him and say home, safe, love.

He only opens his eyes when a beloved and familiar voice calls his name then within moments he’s wrapped in arms that are soft warm and surprisingly strong for a woman her size.

“Mi amor you’ve grown so much!” His abuela sucks in a breath of air another familiar sound and he grins to himself, knowing what will come next. “You’ll be taller than me soon!”

He knows that too and has mixed feelings about it, before very long he will be taller than her which will be cool obviously but mark a certain change in their relationship he’s not really ready for in ways he can’t quite articulate.

As suddenly as he was embraced the person he loves best in all the world holds him out at arms length and studies him closely, brown eyes wrinkling at the corners.

“So handsome” she taps her cheeks and he bestows a kiss in the required spot. Noting that he really is almost as tall as her now.

“Come, it’s time for lunch and then you can meet the new guests, we have three right now.”

Something sad flashes across her face and she looks at him with a thoughtful expression and says, almost to herself , “Maybe having someone younger around will help.”

She doesn’t elaborate and Eddie doesn’t ask, just follows his beloved abuelita towards the ranch he spends his summer holidays at each year. It’s without doubt the best part of his year. And this year, now he’s thirteen he’ll be allowed to run on his own for the first time. Not that he doesn’t enjoy running with the pack but it’ll be fun to have a little more freedom.

Chapt 5 snippet under cut

A few weeks after the camping trip that left Buck upset and angry and constantly checking his phone things start to improve again. Buck hasn’t told him much more about his sister except she’s doing well wherever she is and then Chimney was back hand staying quiet too. Although, Eddie notices with some interest, he’s also spending quite a lot of time on his phone as well, smiling at the screen and taking more calls than he ever used to. Regardless of lingering secrets the tension that’s been in the air is dissipating. 

However something is still going on.  Bobby’s been out of town quite a lot, taking more leave and he’s been extremely vague about where he’s been going. Buck’s being a bit more distant too. He’s been making excuses about why he’ll be round later than usual after work or not be round at all on some days off, he’s hardly seen Chris at all which is unusual. Maybe this is Eddie’s fault, maybe cuddling on the couch had been a bad idea. Is this Buck pulling away, setting some boundaries for them because he doesn’t want what Eddie’s trying so hard not to want.

If it is he can live with boundaries (probably) but Eddie doesn't like  to contemplate the idea that maybe Buck might have started dating someone. Surely he’d have mentioned it. The thought unsettles him. So he doesn’t think about it. He doesn’t think about Buck and someone else out at dinner, in a bar, laughing, fingers touching, kissing because if he does it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. 

Considering how he’s refusing to contemplate it he spends a lot of time thinking about it. He wishes he knew if but dreads the moment he finds out that Buck is actually seeing someone. Even if he’s not right now it’s bound to happen at some point. After all he’s good looking, stunning really, kind, funny, smart and loyal. Who wouldn’t want Buck?

To distract himself from those kinds of thoughts and prepare himself Eddie decides that maybe he needs to build himself a life outside of the team, well outside of Buck specifically. Eddie doesn’t see dating in his own future so he might as well find something to fill the potential Buck shaped void in his world. 

Maybe he should take up golf. The thought fails to excite him. Maybe tennis? He could take up wood work or… he could start running or hiking in the hills. LA’s not Texas but it’s ok and being out in nature again would be nice. Maybe that would help with the increasingly restless feelings he’s having. Running would be a good start at so he decides to ask Buck for some advice on the best running trails around. 

It takes a day for him to remember to ask his friend for his favourite trails and Buck’s response is unexpectedly obstructive.

“Why?” 

There’s a frown on Buck’s face and you might even think he was annoyed by the request. There’s an almost accusatory tone in his voice. 

Having no idea what’s got Buck in a mood today Eddie ignores the tone but rolls his eyes anyway.

“Take a guess. Why do you think I want to know about running trails?”

[amtrak-official]

Final update on the whole story I'm working on for a bit, I am just going to drop in a read more. I hope you guys enjoy reading it

Today is the 3rd Sunday of the Month, this means that the city of Saltpeter’s oddities, mistakes, and rarities have come together for Brunch, the national pastime of this peculiar crowd, among them are 2 librarians, a museum curator, a traveling beekeeper, a pen crafter, and about 20 other peculiar fellows. Take great note on the pair of drab brown haired people sitting at the very back of the train station restaurant. These boring sorts go by the names of Danny Jones and Danielle Jones and hold absolutely no relation to each other.

The thing about Danny Jones and Danielle Jones that is so interesting is not the fact that they share a birthday or last names despite being unrelated in any way other than a lesbian aunt 7 generations back, is the fact that these are the 2 most dull and boring individuals you will ever meet. Both have the personality of sliced bread and they aren’t much better in fashion either. There is nothing special about either Jones, they both live completely ordinary lives as shopkeepers on opposite ends of town. The most eventful thing either will do in a month is a Sunday Brunch. And yet both have managed to obtain a loving relationship with incredibly interesting people. And more interesting still is the fact that both are going to wind up dead at the end of the month.

Now to understand why this will happen, you must understand Saltpeter, importantly there are 4 cultural institutions in the city of Saltpeter, Firstly is the Library, it is one of the 3 which is actually known to the people of Saltpeter, and houses exactly 17,943 books and 67 are currently checked out. Next is the Museum of Maria Fernando, a town crazy lady who runs a museum on the way things used to be, this is the institution people like to forget, despite mattering quite a lot to the city, it has received exactly 17 visitors this month and stays afloat via Maria’s wife’s second cousin’s generous yearly donations in exchange for copies of old novels. The 3rd cultural institution is the rail station, it is on the route of the oldest train in the nation, the California Zephyr and is run by the best chef in the city, Leaf Ann Smith, capable of both killing a man and cooking in Omelette in under 20 minutes. Finally there's the Pen shop, they sell pens, specifically fountain pens, each are hand made by a Saltpeter craftsman, it made the list because we were paid 72$ to add it. If someone wants to stretch the definition of an institution, they could get it up to about 20 institutions and a playhouse worth of cultural amenities, but they would also have to include the brunch of the misfits of Saltpeter, which really shouldn’t be added on principle since it happens in Leaf Ann Smith’s train station anyways.

Now back to the Brunch, something very important is about to happen, There will be a rather large toast to the group. This is on account of it being the 3rd anniversary of the start of the groups monthly meetings. Somehow that is a point of pride among the members due to how it is the longest any Brunch group in Saltpeter has lasted after the Infamous Brunch fights 20 years ago. The Brunch fights were a rather dreary matter for such a pleasant pastime. 27 dead and 63 injured over a week. All because of bad French Toast at an upscale restaurant near downtown Saltpeter. And when I say bad, I mean bad, it was soggy, barely toasted, and didn't have any fruits except the one eating it. It's not even like Saltpeter doesn't have any strawberries, it was built on the largest strawberry farm west of the Mississippi. How do you fuck up French Toast that badly? How?

Oh right, the Toast to the Brunch crew, A tall woman in a Green Dress, a leather Jacket and Gold Hoop earings stands up, her hair is cut in a pixie cut. She grabs a Mimosa off the table and begins to talk. Hurricane Jane Rivers as they call her is many things, a lesbian, crazy, a storm chaser, dangerous, a purveyor of Pancakes, a painter and an aerial ace, but one thing she is not is consise. It would take 7 paragraphs to summarize her speech to that disparate group of oddities. In short though, she was thanking them for the best 3 years of her life. Little did she know, only half of them would see next month.

As her glass hits the glass of another member of the Brunch, a whisper rings through the air.

A tick of a second

And Bang, the train comes to a screeching halt outside the station, passengers get off as Leaf Ann Smith scrambles to hide her current mess of a Diner from the view of the wealthy tourists from downtown the tracks. The train is early for once. Precisely 17 minutes and 6 seconds early, something that should not have been possible given the fact that the train tracks were under repairs between Omaha and Saltpeter. And the train had a 2 minute delay when it arrived at the last station. This is all irrelevant if not to show how off guard it caught Leaf Ann Smith who usually manages to keep incredibly on top of the schedules of the train so she can run the station and Diner at once. Leaf Ann Smith is a busy Woman between the Diner, the Station and her time moonlighting as the union negotiator for between the carpenters guild and Sylvia Ink the sole crafter of fountain pens in Saltpeter and a person notoriously bad at paying their union dues.

[cvrsedslytherin]

All My Woes || Sebastian Sallow

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You can click here for the summary, cover page/etc. This is where I will post the links to the chapters!

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Chapter One — Meeting you ignited a fire

Sebastian Sallow didn’t think he’d end up in London, working for Gringotts Wizarding Bank as a curse-breaker. Though it partly made sense— curses seemed to be part of his life and another storm was heading for him that he wouldn’t be aware of, for a while. After everything that happened previously when he was a teenager at Hogwarts; the events with his Uncle Solomon and his twin sister, Anne; he was just thankful he wasn’t rotting in a cell in Azkaban. Still, he hadn’t expected to end up here specifically. After graduation, he didn’t even know what he’d do anymore. He felt somewhat disheartened with life. There was guilt, sadness, etc, still plaguing his mind but he carried himself strongly. He didn’t pick London because he knew Anne was secretly living somewhere there. He lived in the country still— being in London was just for work. He gave Anne the space she wanted and it’s taking years to be forgiven but he’s happy he gets updates now. Even gets a letter from her once in a while. Anne and his best friend, Ominis Gaunt along with his other close friend, Alexander Thorne (who had tried to help him in his dangerous quest for finding Anne’s cure for her curse in their fifth year of Hogwarts) are happy that he hasn’t lost himself to a dark path completely and fought the allure of dark magic. Proud that he finished school and was able to get this job. Nobody but the four of them knew he ended up killing his uncle at the end of fifth year in a heated moment of desperation.

It wasn’t the right thing to do but he was a kid, trying to carry so much on his own. With no guidance from adults… (the twins had lost their parents early), he made a grave mistake. Turning him in just didn’t seem correct also. It was such a complicated situation.

So here he is— standing at 20 years old and a year of experience at curse-breaking. Today he was finding out who his partner was going to be. Apparently, it was someone who wasn’t from the United Kingdom; a foreigner who had lived in America for a while. That’s all he knew. Sebastian hadn’t paid much attention because all he cared about was his research and tasks. He was quite a rising star among the field, he excelled in his work. Plus he didn’t have much interest in other people.

Back at Hogwarts, a lot found him charming; he had the confidence and sassiness. Wasn’t afraid of anything. He was fun; a skilled duelist and a bookworm. But he was too focused on helping Anne that he stayed close to only his two best friends. Alexander Thorne had been a transfer student with a rare magical ability to which Sebastian hoped would help Anne but the friendship was genuine. Both boys helped each other with their quests. For a while, Alex gave both him & Anne a slight distraction for being someone new and unique. It’s a shame things went south but they remained friends. Alex was off exploring the world to learn even more about ancient magic that hadn’t been uncovered. Plus he also tries finding ways to attempt helping Anne with her curse. He actually managed to learn to ease a smidge of the pain for her at times, without any repercussions. He visits Sebastian every time he’s back here too. Sebastian was grateful for the friendship. Alex was also the reason Ominis didn’t turn Sebastian in and their friendship remained in tact too.

That was the gist of Sebastian’s life; he hadn’t gotten close to any others. At work, a lot kept their distance but a lot of women did ogle him. Sebastian had definitely grown to be manly as expected. He had kept his hair the same, the slight swoop of messy yet somehow neatly kept brown hair. The freckles that were painted like stars on his face still a major charming point. But instead of being a boy, he was a man now. He was built pretty well even during his Hogwarts days. He could have been a beater for the quidditch team but he undoubtedly developed more and more over the years. He was tall, bulky but fit— he certainly had the muscles. Utterly and devastatingly handsome was Sebastian Sallow so of course, he had eyes on him. A few witches might have tried to flirt with him a bit but to no avail. He simply did not care.

So when he went to his boss’s office to be introduced to his partner… he damn well wasn’t expecting to be stunned. Nothing could have prepared him for the beauty in front of his eyes but it wasn’t only the way she looked; it was a sudden feeling in the air. As if a part of his soul just ignited in flames but it wasn’t a bad feeling. In fact, it was a pleasant feeling but one that shocked him as he felt caught off-guard.

When their eyes met, she felt familiar and the same could be said for her, he felt familiar. It was as if, right off the bat— they knew the other was different and that maybe they would get along quite well.

Another thing however, he wondered how this small beauty was a curse-breaker of all things. She looked so delicate… it gave him a weird feeling. A feeling of slight protectiveness? Not that he judged; he was sure she was capable but he was just blown away at the same time and couldn’t help those other feelings about it.

She had to be only five feet tall; there was no way she was any taller. Her body was petite, slim— she was lithe and it looked like something or someone could break her with just a hug alone. Despite being small, her height made the weight balance out a bit; she wasn’t exactly curvy (although she seemed to have quite a big bottom for someone tiny). Her chest was small but there; perky but she did have a womanly aura. After all, humans come in all shapes and sizes. It could be with the way she stood with her head up high despite a slight shyness there. There was an elegance to her as well.

It was also those amber orbs of hers; gleaming in the light as if they were gold. Those eyes were quite hauntingly beautiful to Sebastian because they seemed to hold the story of a thousand words.

Long & straight, dark brown hair that almost reached to her lower back. She had adorable full lips, naturally long eye lashes and not freckles like Sebastian’s but just a few at random spots on both sides of her face. They were quite light so someone would have to be close up to see and they weren’t so noticeable upon front view. Skin was like snow; so smooth & pale— the best way to describe her would be a porcelain doll.

The looks of a porcelain doll, indeed.

Both of them had dressed professionally; she wore a long black skirt with a white, button up blouse, long sleeved & paired with an elegant belt in the middle. Almost making it look like the two pieces of clothing connected. She wore brown penny loafers. Sebastian matched her a little; having a white, button up shirt that also was long sleeved but with a black tie along with brown trousers and black boots. They seemed to have similar colors.

“Sallow, this is your new partner, Pierce. She comes from America, starting at Ilvermorny’s school but finished up her education at Durmstrang,” said his boss, Viktor Hawthorne, in his usual gruff tone of voice.

Sebastian blinked, surprised yet again, ‘finished at Durmstrang?! Ilvermorny… I can see but Durmstrang?’ Now he wondered what the story was because clearly, there was one there and he wondered how she ended up at that school and just who was this young woman exactly?

“Sallow?” His boss asked when he failed to respond. Sebastian almost went flush at that and cleared his throat, “apologies.”

He turned to her, extending a hand as he approached closer. He realized he towered over her; it made him gulp but he was able to reply confidently in a low tone, “I’m Sebastian Sallow, pleasure to meet you.”

The voice that came out of her didn’t fully match her appearance. While it was certainly feminine and alluring, it was a lower tone than he expected. That voice was nice to listen to, “I’m Lilith Pierce, nice meeting you too. Hope we get along; I’m quite the hard worker and I’m pretty serious about it.” The American accent came out but there was a hint of something else in there. He knew she had to be European of some kind.

And her personality came out; he got a sense of her type as she added that in. That was the maturity he felt. She seemed to be able to find her voice and speak out. He almost wanted to smirk; he found her interesting already.

It’s been a long time since he felt an interest in someone.

Like the fire that was lost in him was about to be found again.

Ignited.

By her.

(Technically, it already ignited at first glance.)

When she reached out to shake his extended hand, he felt a minor jolt of electricity run through his body. Her hand was so small and soft, as expected. His large and slightly calloused hand engulfed hers.

Lilith secretly gulped when feeling his hand; she could tell he was strong. And oddly, it all felt nice.

Upon further inspection, he noticed a cute feature. She didn’t have slender fingers as one might think because of how slim she was overall. No. She had short, just slightly chubby fingers.

They shook hands. Both lost in little thoughts for a second.

“Right… I think we’ll get on just fine actually. I care about my work too.” Sebastian stated in an assuring voice but with a hint of cheekiness. “You’re not the only one, Pierce. Don’t worry.”

She nodded and gave a small smile to that.

‘Ah, so she’s not too stern? I wonder what a real smile looks on her… a wide one.’ Sebastian is going to have so many thoughts as he realized he’s noticing every detail of her.

He finally let go of her hand when he realized it had been too long. He actually didn’t want to let go and barely understood why he kept wanting to hold onto her hand. If she noticed, she hid it well. There was a slight unreadable side to her.

Viktor replied before she could, “I do give him that. Mr. Sallow is quite a rising star here… I can’t think of a better partner for you. Although he may not always have the most… obedience for rules— he is a great curse-breaker so far. He went far in training. I think you two can learn from each other. She is quite skilled too; her teachers spoke highly of her.”

Lilith listened to it all and nodded, “glad to hear it about him and thank you, sir. I’m not that amazingly skilled though. I’m just doing my best. I try to put effort is all.”

‘… Humble & modest. So maybe not as confident as she wanted me to think,’ Sebastian thought then responded with a slight smile of his own, “I’m sure you’ll be a fine partner. Don’t sell yourself short. You made it here for a reason, yeah?”

That perked her up a bit.

Viktor had a tiny smirk because he was used to Sebastian not caring much about anyone but he seems to take a shine to Lilith. It’s been a long time since anyone has seen a genuine smile on his face, even if it wasn’t a huge one. He let out a chuckle, “see? Even Sallow agrees. Must see a potential within you already and I rarely see him react like that.”

Sebastian’s face did turn slightly red and for some reason, he felt like a schoolboy for a moment. Lilith cleared her throat; a ghost of a smile still lingering there but she also suddenly felt a little embarrassed too.

Viktor got up and patted Sebastian’s back, “I’ll shut up now. Please show Lilith around today, help her get settled.

Then Viktor turned to Lilith, “I know you’re new to this country overall so I hope you can settle in. As for this job, you will be traveling a lot anyways so you won’t be here too much but I still want you to get acquainted to the place. It’s the base after all.”

“Thank you, sir. I’m sure I’ll get used to it quickly and of course.“

Politeness came out of her so much and Viktor definitely appreciated it though secretly thought that she needs to be a little less polite. Sebastian was thinking the same.

‘How did she manage at Durmstrang?’ But he knows… there can be more to someone than meets the eye and her eyes… gave him a multitude of feelings he couldn’t describe.

She was a subtle mystery.

One he couldn’t wait to solve…

◈◆◈◆◈◆◈◆◈◆◈◆◈◆◈◆◈

CHAPTER TWO LINK

[anjaelle]

White Light | Part III

Characters: Ghost!ATJ x Black Female!Reader Rating: M+ (Warnings: Death, Claustrophobia, Nyctophobia, Horror Elements [Demonic Entity]) Word Count: 2.2K Summary: Your new, dead roommate disappeared into the ether. So...now what? a/n: This chapter is a little more creepy than previous chapters. I felt like horror comes with the territory of the not-so-dead. You know? There will probably be more horror elements in the future. SIDE NOTE: Below is a playlist of songs that give a great idea of what his band sounded like in 2003. I've also included parts 1 & 2. If you'd like to be tagged in the update, please let me know. Please like, comment, and reblog!

[Part I] | [Part II] | [Part IV] [☁ Masterpost ☁] | [♫ The Crimson Zombies Mixtape ♫]

--

It'd been about three weeks since he poofed into thin air.

Not that you were really counting.

You'd just gotten used to the idea of having a ghost in your apartment only for him to just disappear without a trace in less than 24 hours. After learning that Gavin was Aaron's former bandmate, you briefly wondered if finding out Gavin's fate was his unanswered business, and why he moved onto the other side. It was a true hardship to get over the feeling of constantly being watched, and you questioned your sanity for feeling that way. Aaron's presence--before you knew he was there, obviously--never felt threatening. You could compare it to having a very clingy cat who seemed to shadow you wherever you went. Though, he swore he never watched you in the bathroom, a fact you were thankful for.

At least he was a respectful dead guy, given the circumstances.

You decided that it'd be best to move on and mark this as just one very strange initial experience in your new home. To stave off the loneliness, you decided to invite over your best friend, Kayla, for a sleepover. Between the drinking, the dancing, the movies, and the junk food, you were able to forget about the last few weeks only for a moment.

"Have you ever considered dating, again?" Kayla suddenly asked, as she sat at your feet. Your hands hesitated as you braided her hair, and you sighed before resuming the task.

"No." You responded, shortly.

She made a noise that sounded like a slightly sympathetic hum, and you nudged her with your knee.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

You playfully tugged at the braid in your hand, "That. Say what you wanna say, babe."

Kayla made a point to sigh dramatically, and pull her knees up to her chest. When she slightly rocked from side to side you rolled your eyes, dropping the completed braid down her back.

"I just..." she sighed again, and you snorted, "Don't laugh, I'm concerned about my little sister. You're in your twenties, you're beautiful, smart, funny, and you're supremely prickly."

You feigned offense, "I am NOT prickly. I'm just able to see through the romanticism of it all."

"So you say," Kayla hmphed, "You and I both know you get a little bit of a thrill out of bullying people."

As you combed your fingers through the completed braids with mousse, you smirked to yourself. She wasn't wrong. But you didn't fully see that as an inherent character flaw. Bullying could be fun sometimes.

"Maybe..." you agreed.

"Not 'maybe.'" You could almost hear her pouting. "I know things with your ex ended badly--"

"--Don't." You warned, leaning away from the woman sitting between your knees like she'd scalded you.

"I'm just saying that you were right. And I still wish you'd let me hit him with my car, but whatever. I'll ask again in a couple of months and see how you feel..." At this, you giggled. "...BUT I think you should consider dating around. Just so you can remember what it feels like to actually like someone, you know?"

"I did go on a date with someone and you know how that ended."

Kayla sucked her teeth and turned to look at you, squinting her dark brown eyes in annoyance.

"What?" You asked, fighting the growing smirk on your face.

"What?" She mimicked in a voice that sounded impressively close to yours.

Kayla, of all people, knew that dating in the modern age was trash. Who really wanted to go through the talking stage over and over again, with numerous people? As much as you hated your ex at the moment, there was a small comfort in never really having to question if he wanted to be with you. You watched your friends have tired dating experiences. And though your relationship was far from perfect, you didn't envy those who still had to search for their person.

Karma was a no good, rotten ass bitch. You refused to entertain her.

You finally tilted Kayla's head back and gave her a gentle smooch on the forehead.

"I'm okay, babe. I promise," You reassured her. "I'm okay with my solitude."

She scrunched up her nose at you--the perfect mirror of yourself, and you knew she was very much your sister.

"Gross." She chuckled.

Once Kayla finally went to bed, and you had the chance to get lost in your own thoughts, you tried to better understand what the emptiness you felt stemmed from. I couldn't have been a relationship. Despite everything that happened in the last year--and a LOT had happened--you didn't feel like you needed a partner. You simply just felt aimless.

You examined your face in the bathroom mirror, with a towel wrapped tightly around you. You focused on your grounding mechanisms to ward off the dissociation that'd been slowly creeping up on you over the last few months. There were two dark, dull eyes staring back at you.

"Ooookay." You said to yourself, shaking your shoulders out before hanging up your towel and stepping into the tub.

You mentally examined yourself: a nose, a mouth, braids with a disappointing amount of new growth. A neck, shoulders, a chest, a stomach, and legs. You were there: thinking, existing, blinking, and breathing in the minty steam rising from your shower.

The repetitive sound of the water hitting the tile walls made you zone out, briefly wondering if maybe you were just doing something wrong with life. After all, no matter what you did, you could never seem to find that much needed level of satisfaction. Maybe you were meant to be unfufilled--

"SHIT!"

You jumped at the sudden outburst, nearly braining yourself on the floor of the tub. A new shadow shifted on the other side of the curtain.

"GOD DAMN IT, AARON! FUCK!"

-x-

He had no idea where he went. One moment, he was standing beside you in your bedroom. The next, he was submerged in pure darkness. He saw nothing, he felt nothing.

He tried to call out for you, but it was as if his voice was snatched from his throat. His brain was floating in an empty space devoid of sound and light.

He tried to scream.

Nothing.

The unnatural quiet of the liminal space set his nerves on edge. It was as if his brain--or what was left of it--was trying desperately to find something to latch onto.

Aaron's consciousness felt stretched thin and compacted at the same time. He called out for you again. And again. And again.

Nothing.

That was when he felt it.

Something that watched him in the darkness. It had a thousand eyes that seemed to be stalking him from all sides, and he could almost feel the heat of its breath on the back of his neck. The thing spoke, croaking from deep inside his subconscious, and scratching at the inner corners of his mind.

Malevolus...et caedes. I hunger. I'm watching. ...you can't have her.

The thing shifted around him, and he felt its icy hand on his shoulder, nails digging into him hard enough to draw blood. It leaned in close to him, and the smell of mold and blood lingered on its mouth.

Suddenly he was in your bathroom, hands up in a defensive stance, and screaming.

"GOD DAMN IT," you screamed, "AARON! FUCK!"

He curled up in a ball, trying to get his bearings but unable to focus. He stared off into space, chest heaving, eyes wide and unfocused. He couldn't hear you calling his name. And even as you crouched in front of him in your towel, he couldn't stop staring at the thing that seemed to stare at him from the corner of your bathroom. Grinning with sharp jagged teeth and a mouth full of blood. Its eyes were black without pupils, and its face seemed to shift in the light. Then it was gone.

"Aaron?" You whispered, reaching out to him. He shrank away from you, continuing to stare at the wall where the creature had been.

"I was gone for almost a month?" He asked the following day, watching you pace back and forth in your bedroom. He shook his head, "That's...that isn't possible. I was only gone for a couple of minutes. Maybe an hour."

It killed him inside to watch you ignore him as Kayla rushed in to check on you and eventually led you to bed. He didn't want to be alone. Not when that thing was still watching him. But now that he was back, he wanted to grab you by your hands to get you to stop and look at him. He just needed to know that he wouldn't disappear again.

"I thought you'd moved onto the other side after the Ga-" you hesitated, then glanced at him cautiously and whispered, "the Gavin thing."

You both paused, almost waiting to see if he would drop off the face of the Earth. When he didn't, he let out a deep sigh and shuddered to himself.

"What happened?" You asked. When he quirked an eyebrow at you, you clarified, "What made you disappear?"

He swallowed hard and avoided your questioning gaze, choosing to stare at his hands. He was relieved to see them again, but was confused by some new scars that seemed to have appeared on his knuckles. That couldn't have been right.

"I was so angry," he confessed, "I felt white, hot rage. Rage I'd never felt before. I just...Gavin was like my brother. And Talia was the only woman I'd ever really loved. He was constantly saying that Talia was terrible, and I defended her with my life. I died angry at my best friend over her. Only for them to get married not even a year after I was put in the ground?"

When he said it aloud, he felt the heat rising up again, and he flexed his hands.

"My body wasn't even fucking cold yet." The lights flickered in the apartment, and he tried to reel himself back in. Aaron wanted to desperately squeeze the bedsheets in his fists, maybe even punch something, and was frustrated that he couldn't. "And now he's dead. Gone forever. And I can't even ask him why he did it."

He briefly wondered if Gavin was haunting some hole-in-the wall somewhere. It'd be on brand for him. Maybe he was in Hell, if that existed. That was even more on brand.

"I'm sorry." You murmured, sitting beside him, "For all of it. I'm sorry you found out this way. I'm sorry you lost your best friend--"

"I want to know how he died."

He watched you fidget with your hands and bite your inner cheek, avoiding eye contact.

"...Are you sure?"

It still hadn't even sunken in that his best friend of several years was dead, leaving behind Talia and three children. He figured it'd be better to rip the band-aid off.

"No. But tell me anyway." He wanted to reach out and hold you to let you know that he'd be okay. Instead, he offered you a small smile and shrug, hoping to reassure you that he could handle it. You still stared at him with wide, worried eyes.

"I don't know if that's a good idea."

"C'mon..."

You huffed at him, crossing your arms, "You don't know how you looked when you came back. You were terrified. You were babbling about a thing in the dark. And you were gone for almost a month over this. Who's to say you won't be gone for even LONGER next time, just because your emotions shifted?"

The mere mention of the dark made him involuntarily shudder again, and you motioned at him as if to say, "I told you so."

He decided it'd be better to concede. For now. He would ask again at a later date. He was sure you thought he was curious out of a desire to feed some morbid curiosity. He wished it was just that.

He finally coaxed you to sit beside him on your bed, and he was surprised to find that there was still a small tingle of warmth as you sat near him.

...you can't have her.

The croaking voice seemed to ring in his head as he looked at you. He didn't tell you everything. He couldn't. As long as it couldn't invade your thoughts you were safe.

At least that was the assumption he was going to make.

He spent the following nights sitting in bed next to you, keeping watch as you slept and it watched him from the darkest corner of the room.

I hunger.

He focused on the sound of your breathing, actively trying to ignore the grinning creature. As the nights wore on, it seemed to slowly vanish. Soon there was nothing.

On the eighth night of his hypervigilance, he watched as you sighed in your sleep and curled up closer to him. Your brows furrowed, and you groaned.

"You alright?" He whispered, hovering his hand over your forehead. You were burning up. He could feel you burning up. He hesitated, and then fully pressed his hand to your forehead. In turn, you instinctively grabbed his hand in your sleep, and jolted awake.

You both stared at your joined hands.

"Oh...you're ice cold." You whispered before passing out.

[faithinhome]

Neighbor Next Door- Stephen Strange/Female OC

18+ | minors please DNI

Summary: anna had always thought the doctor next door was attractive. and one interaction left her itching to get more of him.

Tags: age gap (25F & 40M), cheating (but not in the way you’d think), strong language, smut.

Additional characters (updated): Christine Palmer, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff & Marc Spector

Chapter 8: Decision

back home, stephen couldn't stop thinking about anna. anna had made this feel so much easier and now he'd ended it. but it was for her own good. he had to be the smart one here. the way she got mad over christine's picture and the way she reacted to her mentions today. he wasn't sure she was actually ready for something casual.

he just didn't know where this would go. he had to leave christine, he knew it. so what was he waiting for? christine's behaviour after she got caught cheating again was less than ideal. she was fussy, throwing tantrums and then begging for forgiveness. he could tell she wasn't really remorseful, she just wanted to be forgiven so she could go back to feeling like she didn't have to be accountable for something.

he was starting to get the idea that christine didn't really care. so what was stopping him, really?

even if he continued this marriage, things like this would happen over and over again. the bottom line was, christine did not care. and that stung. but stephen had decided to give this another chance, which hadn't come easy at all. and yet, after all of this, she did not care at all.

stephen wiped the tears that were flowing freely down his face. he felt like he knew what he had to do.

this was such a big decision, and he felt like he could discuss it with absolute nobody. he didn’t think he could turn to sam anymore, after having hurt anna’s feelings.

so, stephen headed toward the bar, because where else could he possibly go? he figured at least alcohol would help ease his anxiety.

as he sat alone in his seat, several women came up to him, but he found himself dismissing all of them. he was in the mood for company, yes. but not sexual.

eventually, he got talking to a nice guy that sat beside him.

“i see you’re getting all the women here” he’d started. stephen raised his head and looked over at the guy. “and you want none of it. me? i’m desperately looking for a girl but no one will approach me.”

stephen laughed in response. “sorry, buddy.”

“call me marc” the man smiled, his eyes chocolate brown. “marc spector.”

from that point on, they got to talking. and although stephen hadn’t really talked about his problems, he already felt lighter. having someone that deviated his attention, and just having that companionship helped. he was invited to an event that was taking place this friday.

“that sounds like fun” he smiled as marc texted him the info. “i’ll head on there right after i meet with my possibly new divorce lawyer.”

marc laughed. “oh, man, you’re gonna have to tell me how that went.”

stephen and marc parted ways outside the bar and stephen felt a little lighter. he checked his phone as he got in a cab, his heart leaping as he saw a text from anna. miss you.

he sighed to himself, closing his eyes momentarily. he started to type out a response but stopped himself. stephen locked his phone and put it back in his pocket. it stung ignoring her. but it was the best choice. she was acting on her emotion, but he had to be better.

stephen decided to focus on what he had to do next, and that was, meeting with his lawyer and preparing for a possible divorce.

he had to focus on keeping himself busy, because if he didn’t, he knew he’d find himself going back to anna while he needed to be strong for the both of them.

***

thankfully, anna had found a way to distract herself as well.

“bitch, is that a fucking stripper pole?” wanda laughed the moment she stepped into her friend’s living room, looking up at the new pole sitting at the center.

“you’re pole dancing?” sam inquired as he closed the door behind him.

“yes, sir!” anna grinned. “oh, this is going to be so exciting! i finally get to live my full slut fantasy!”

“oh, you don’t live that everyday already?” sam snorted, catching a pillow being thrown at his face by anna.

“i’m a little rusty, so don’t judge me” anna murmured as she grabbed the pole, kneeling as she swung around it before extending her leg and placing it against the pole.

“you look good to me” wanda offered as she sat on the couch.

“oo flexible” sam grinned. “show us more.”

anna grinned and tried to climb up the pole but failed. “yeah, i definitely need some more work. what do you guys think i should wear?”

“oh, you’re planning on wearing something” sam laughed.

anna rolled her eyes, giggling. “there’s an idea!”

“god, please no” sam laughed. “i don’t have the money to bail you out.”

stephen was always at the back of anna’s head, but she had something else that demanded her focus, which she was truly thankful for.

work was fine, but the fact that this was a bit challenging demanded more of her energy, so she had less of it that was directed at stephen.

she did wish stephen could see her perform. she knew he’d be impressed. she’d love to perform for him. hell, she’d opt out of this performance and reserve it just for him if he asked. but he hadn’t even responded to her text.

it hurt, but then again, she knew why stephen was doing it. on one hand, it was heartwarming knowing that he was looking out for her. on the other, what if he was just done with her and this was just an act?

she thought about it every night before she eventually fell asleep.

maybe it was a good thing stephen had put a hold on this before it progressed, because this clearly mattered in a way that affected her so much.

but she didn’t want this to end. maybe in a fantasy world, stephen would leave christine and choose her. but the reality was far too complicated.

anna continued to fill her time with more practice and picking out her costume for her performance. a whole week later, approached the night before her performance, and she had a hard time sleeping. she was up early the next day to practice one last time before leaving to get to the venue and start getting dressed.

***

stephen had found it so hard to stay away from anna. he kept replaying their night together in his head. he wasn’t proud of himself when he pleasured himself to it. but that memory and some pictures were all he had left of anna. they were neighbors, so he would see her often and it would just worsen his longing.

what was a guy to do?

he couldn’t get his mind off of her.

which helped come to the decision he’d been putting off this entire time. the decision to divorce christine.

he wouldn’t be so hung up on someone else if he truly had love left for christine. it felt like he did. but he wasn’t fully invested anymore. he felt ready to end it. he had a lot of doubts for sure. but he had to choose himself above all of them.

stephen cleared his throat as he reached into his bag, bringing out the envelope.

christine hummed as she made her eggs, unaware of what was coming next.

stephen walked over. “christine, can we talk?”

she stopped, turning the stove off. she turned with hesitation, eyeing stephen and the envelope. he hadn’t addressed her directly in a long while now.

“christine, i..” he started, trying not to get emotional. but it was hard not to feel the sting of his tears, that were already forming. he’d just been hurt so much, over and over. “i’ve come to a decision about us-“

“stephen, baby-“

“please, don’t interrupt me christine” he met her eyes, his own glassy with tears. “let me talk. you’ve done all the talking on your end. i’ve listened to you, heard you out. and christine, you’ll never know how much you’ve hurt me. i gave you a second chance. but you constantly got mad at me for my insecurities that were still fresh from what YOU did. you always failed to see the hurt on my face when you threw all these harsh words my way.”

tears were streaming down christine’s face as she shook her head, lips quivering.

“and i realized that” stephen couldn’t help as the tears rolled down his cheeks as well, his voice cracking. “you don’t really care, christine. and i can’t make you care. even if i forgave you now, without that genuine concern you’re supposed to have for me, this relationship will never be what it was meant to be.”

he held back a sob as he reached his arm out, holding the envelope in front of her.

“just sign those papers” he left out a soft sob, his heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. “and you can sleep with whoever you want to.”

“stephen no, please don’t say that” christine let out a soft cry. “baby, i’m so sorry. i don’t know a life without you. please.”

stephen looked away, failing to hold back another sob. “please don’t make this hard, christine. i’ve made my decision.”

“baby no” christine cried, walking up to stephen and cupping his face, trying to get him to look at her but he refused. “stephen, i can’t.”

he looked over at her as he heard her voice break and she pulled him into a kiss.

stephen couldn’t break away. he cupped a hand over her hand, tasting the salty tears as he kissed her back.

and the reality settled in that this was probably the last time he’d ever kiss the woman he’d fallen so madly in love with. that this was it. so he kissed her a little longer than he’d intended, savouring the moment.

because this was it. it was over.

he eventually stepped back, leaving the envelope on the counter. “i’ve loved you for as long as i can remember. i can’t do this anymore. i’ll come back tomorrow for the papers.”

with that, he grabbed his keys and walked out of the apartment, wiping his tears.

***

stephen had not gone back for the papers the next day. he just didn’t feel ready. he knew christine would try to win him back again. and he could not deal with that. he didn’t want anything weighing on his mind for the event he was going to later tonight.

he had the day off and spent the entire day relaxing, something he hadn’t done in a long time.

he stayed in at his hotel, watching tv and getting some reading done.

he started to get dressed a little early for the event, putting on his armani suit, studying his reflection in the mirror as he worked with his tie.

marc had texted him, asking if he wanted to meet for drinks prior. since strange was all ready, he agreed and drove to marc’s place.

they didn’t drink much, each having just one cocktail. “so, what can i expect at this event?” stephen asked.

“didn’t you read the pamphlet?” marc asked. “absolutely everything. mostly extremely attractive women. and other attractive people.”

speaking of attractive people, stephen immediately thought of anna. he missed her and wished they were going together.

“so is it just a bunch of performances?”

“and food. there’ll be singing, dancing. and later, there will be an open dance floor and drinks.”

“so why are we drinking now?” stephen laughed.

“cause shit’s expensive.”

“right” stephen only laughed in response.

it was safe to say stephen had a lot of money. and he often forgot what it was like before he had all this money too. so sometimes, he was a little slow when it came to catching on to the way others did things.

he would have been living in a huge mansion if it was just up to him. but christine was more modest. she wanted to live in a smaller, cozier place and wanted a sense of community.

he’d argued that they could also find a cul de sac. but she was adamant on going back to the apartment she’d grown up in.

and in this moment he realized, he could actually have as big of a house as he wanted. it was time to start planning his new life.

***

stephen’s friend had gotten them the absolute front row seats. he hadn’t done something like this in a long time. he was excited to be in a company that wasn’t his co-workers or his wife, and in a setting where he could relax and enjoy himself.

there were all sorts of performances. singing, dancing, someone even did a stand up. and there didn’t seem to be a theme, or even much of any rules. there were a plenty sultry performances displayed mostly by women. however, the one that followed a particular band performance, it was something stephen was not expecting.

he was a little drunk by now. not drunk enough to lose his senses. but just enough to enjoy himself and possibly take someone home. but he knew he wouldn’t do that.

the lights began to come back on stage and he saw a dark figure, standing beside a pole, facing away, her back to the crowd and hip jutted out.

anticipating a pole dance, the crowd went nuts. stephen returned the smile marc flashed at him, studying the silhouette of her curves.

the song began but they still couldn’t see the person. she began to move her body slowly, turning to face the pole and circled it once, earning a cheer from the crowd.

“i guess she likes to be a bit of a tease” stephen found himself mumbling to marc who agreed with enthusiasm.

she did another round and when the song eventually increased in tempo, she stepped back on the ground, face facing the crowd as the lights came on.

stephen’s breath hitched as a smiling anna graced his eyes. she was dressed in a tight fitting, short dress that shimmered under the lights. the dress was low cut, in typical anna style. she looked out into the crowd before climbing back up on the pole.

when she turned and was practically upside down, the crowd lost their mind.

stephen was losing his mind too. but he couldn’t make a single sound. he just watched, his mouth slightly agape. he didn’t know anna could do all that.

he leaned forward, his eyes glued to her. it was definitely her. and it was blowing his mind.

he felt his pants grow tighter around his crotch as he watched anna throw her head back, practically writhing against the pole.

something about her being so…on display for everyone to see. seeing all the men cheer for her… he felt this weird sense of possessiveness he’d never felt toward her before.

he was almost jealous of how she put on a show for everyone.

like he wanted to reach out, draw the curtains and have it just be them. like he wanted to share this moment between just them, without the others.

but on the other hand, he felt proud. proud of all she was doing, proud that the crowd let her know exactly just how much her insane talent and skill was being appreciated.

this feeling was so weird, so new, and honestly, it was intoxicating.

he awkwardly crossed his hands and placed them in his lap to cover his crotch, his cheeks warming. but he couldn’t take his eyes away from her. he had the freedom to look at her all he wanted, which is something he didn’t always get. even when they had sex together, he held back a little. but right now, he could look as much as he wanted. he studied all her little features and it was like she’d never been more beautiful.

stephen also stood up and applauded her when the performance ended. she took a bow and the curtains closed.

“i have to see her” stephen breathed.

marc laughed. “yeah buddy, i doubt that’s gonna happen. they don’t really allow that, this is not a strip club.”

stephen cringed. “no, marc, i know her. she’s my neighbor. we’ve hung out before.”

“whoa, does your wife know?” he asked.

“well she cheated on me so it shouldn’t matter, but yes” stephen mumbled.

“i mean, you could have them ask her” marc said. “and if she lets you in. go ahead.”

stephen didn’t even stay for the next performance. he immediately made his way through the venue, approaching a woman standing by the stage.

…

a/n: happy new year everyone!! one of my favourite moments this past year has definitely been starting this fic and having all of you wonderful people read it and engage with it. thank you for all your support 💗 as always, let me know what you think, and also let me know if you want to be added/removed from the taglist! i added marc spector because i absolutely love moonknight and marc’s v hot ok byeeee

fic index: Neighbor Next Door

TAGLIST

@kentucky-criedfricken @sherlux @evelynrosestuff @thewinterpoet2 @lokislov3 @0p444ls @nabiiturner @withalittlehoney @lokiego @cemak @chocokitty @whore4sherlockholmes @thegardenerofeden @partiallyinfluencial @tupacswifey

[cellphonexddict]

TAMBRY DECENZO - - - - -

"yeah, the cemetery used to be fun; now it's just depressing."

GENERAL –

full name:  tambry tate decenzo.

nicknames:  just tambry. don't call her tambers.

age:  twenty-eight.

gender:  cis female.

species:  human.

eye color:  brown.

hair color: black with pink highlights.

height: five feet, five inches.

date of birth:  july second .

occupation:  vlogger & influencer.

positive traits: confident. techy. chill. adaptable. social. bold.

negative traits: apathetic. pessimistic. reckless. impulsive. phone obsessed. nosey.

HEADCANONS –

Tambry’s home life, in her own words, “majorly sucks.” Her parents were pretty middle of the road when it came to income, but they never actually acted like parents. Honestly they more so acted like teenagers. Maybe that’s where she got it from. They got into big blow outs all of the time, fighting and screaming at each other (especially when fueled by alcohol), only to make it all up to each other in the bedroom the next day. Much to Tambry’s disgust. Aside from this, they never really wanted a kid. Tambry was just the product of one of their frequent “apology sessions.” Ever since she was little, she was kind of just pushed aside. Never had any wholesome family memories. Never actually felt genuinely loved. Her parents would just occasionally buy her something in hopes that she would occupy herself not cause any issues. Naturally, having parents like this made Tambry act out a lot growing up until she ended up resenting them completely and avoiding them whenever possible. Her house in Gravity Falls is not a home to her, which is why she hung around Wendy’s so much. Nonetheless, it was a great place to throw parties when her parents were away.

The Gravity Falls gang is who Tambry considers her real family. Wendy especially is pretty much like a sister to her. The two were practically attached at the hip ever since they could ride tricycles. Their little group is full of weirdos, but they’re her weirdos. She goes along with their stupid shenanigans. Chanting to convince someone to do a stupid dare. Constantly filming their bizarre, spontaneous games they come up with. Tambry has all these amazing memories locked and loaded on her phone and on piles of SD cards. Crazy parties. Hilarious moments of reckless behavior. She loves looking back them, especially in her bed at the end of the day. Her friends fill a void that her family never did, and Tamrby is actually a little more sentimental than she’d ever let on. 

Tambry definitely has, as that one TikTok trend would put it, “scary dog privilege.” Girl’s got major RBF. It’s out of her control. She’s got this intimidating quality to her that can be a little off putting at first. She likes it though. Tambry’s not exactly built for the weak anyway. The girl is extremely blunt, even more so in her mass amounts of status updates. Her personal style only adds to all this. The bold, pink color in her hair. The dark eye makeup. The many ear piercings. She’s this unique blend of goth, emo and scene all wrapped up into one and toned down a bit. Not totally out there but definitely a head turner from the norm. Tambry started getting into this personal style of hers when she was young and experimenting with clothes and makeup. Once she realized it realllyyy pissed off her parents, she was sold.

This girl is not a great rule follower. Definitely on that “better to ask forgiveness than permission” type beat… except it’ll be a half-assed apology as opposed to a genuine one, but better than nothing, right? That’s how you get good content after all. How many people could say they broke in to a condemned, rumored to be haunted convenience store and had a food fight? Tambry can. Of course, she’s not usually the ring leader when it comes to dumb ideas like that, but she goes along for fun. She typically instigates smaller chaotic acts here and there and never operates alone when she does.

Tambry is surface-level judgmental. She’ll judge you point-blank to your face but won’t take it to heart. Most of the time she’ll just let it roll off her shoulder. “You’re so needy,” will still hang with you. “This is creepier than I expected,” still goes along with your bullshit. It’s one reason she’s able to get along with so many different types of people and social rankings to a certain extent. Don’t get her twisted, if you give her reason enough that judgment will sink down into her core. But her life is full of some pretty strange people, so she’s built some tolerance. Everybody’s weird.

[marinecorvid]

2.21.23 (but actually drawn at least a month ago - and now posted 6.2.23) - some xy fic sketches. rambles beneath the cut

.

in my Great Fanfiction Rewrite of the (X)Y plot because it was sadly lacking in some places, Calem/Xavier kinda sorta joins Team Flare! To be honest this isn't my 100% original idea, I saw someone post once on here somewhere how cool it would've been if your rival, frustrated with constantly losing to you, joined Team Flare in desperation to beat you. I have taken this concept and am running with it. Xavier in my story Did Not take kindly to losing the Mega Ring to Yvonne: a rookie trainer, a girl, a girl who doesn't fall into his preconceived notions of what a young female trainer should be like, a girl he initially assumed he would be in a relationship with and he'd be the tough trainer in contrast to her contest abilities, someone from a poorer family from his. He gets uhh a little wild trying to prove his might makes right (deeply sheltered child who was never exposed to anything that would upset him syndrome)

In my head Y is the canon, but I'm doing a ramshackle combo into a tentative Z in which Yvonne and Yveltal fight Lysandre together, but also Xavier and Xerneas at some point and Zygarde is there too as a result of Team Flare managing to find BOTH legendaries (who in the anime were depicted as being right on top of each other) but only figuring out how to use Yveltal in the Ultimate Weapon. Xavier steals the Poke Flute and uses it to wake Xerneas (willingly or not - he's irrational, but IDK how down he'd be for the "destroy the world" plot, but Xerneas DEFINITELY uses ~fairy powers~ to fuck with his mind)

Yvonne has vitiligo! Dyes her hair blonde for the first halfish of the game, lets it grow out to its natural brown as a symbolic representation of not wanting to conform to certain beauty standards. She starts wearing very snazzy suits post-game, avoiding short sleeves and skirts

My HC is that Sycamore is her da! He and Grace were an item back in the day when Grace was in Kalos Rhyhorn racing, and she only realized she was pregnant when she'd already left. Sycamore didn't feel ready at all to be an active father, and Grace didn't feel any strong need to be in a relationship with him/have him be a part of Yvonne's life with a strong circle of friends and family who'd help with childrearing, so he stayed in Kalos and continued his work on evolution and Fairy Types in Kalos, every other month or so receiving an email of an update of Yvonne's life in progress. Eventually Grace's racing injuries/chronic pain is too debilitating to continue racing, and Sycamore offers his grandparents' cottage in the starting town. Yvonne knows her father is an academic/scientist in Kalos but doesn't know it's him, and doesn't want to know until she's more comfortable in the region. She DOES start to suspect though, but only confirms it mid/post-Geosenge crisis (haven't decided how long that's drawn out) in a hospital bed. Sycamore (after years of watching his daughter grow up from afar, and has become more invested in her life in the past few years) is delighted that she's willing have a familial connection

a lot of people draw Yveltal as a bird (super cool, no judgement) but it's very dragon-y to me with the hands/wings, kinda like how bat wings are just elongated fingers with skin between them. The logic of the tail eludes me though. It's Yvonne's buddy post game! As much as she does not want it to be her buddy! But when a super powerful ancient deity of death decides it wants to be your friend there's not a lot you can do to stop it. She warms up to it eventually. They have a fun time threatening Malva together

Korrina is a sports lesbian

Shauna slight redesign. She and Yvonne become an item around Laverre. In my story there's a cool Ren Faire-ish thing happening when they arrive and they both get a little tipsy and kiss and spend the evening running around in semi-accurate reenactment dresses giggling and dancing and giving each other wildflowers

Gogoat =)

[sometimes-i-write-4-you]

Part of the convocation- Miguel Diaz x reader (sneak peak)

Summary: reader is Johnny's long-not-so-lost-step-niece, and she need a new roof over her head, so she finds herself back in a Dojo with him as her sensai once again.

A/N: this is just the first few paragraphs, figured I'd post it to check the water and see if anyone else finds this interesting.

Update: The full part 1 is out!!

------

Deep breaths. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. I clench my hand into a fist and raise it, placing it in front of me, fully ready to knock on door number 2 that's right in front of me.

After all this time, I don't know if John would even know who I am. If he'll recognize.

"Hey, you must be John Lawrence. I am (y/n) (l/n) but my mom's maiden name is Lawrence, Maya Lawrence" I repeat the lines I planned in my head once again, "that name might sound familiar, because she is your step-sister, from sid's old marriage. You may know, he is no longer with us, and neither is she" the voice in my head keeps going. "Okay, you got this" i mumble to myself and knock on the door.

"Hey, you must be-" I start, but the person in front of me looks way too young to be my mom's step brother. He has dark features too, and from what I remember John is a white, blond-haired, blue-eyed guy. His dark hair fall on his face messily, and his brown eyes had a kind look to them. "-not the person I was looking for, I'm sorry" I say, giving him half an awkward smile. "Uh, who are you looking for?" He asks, returning a half smile. "Diaz, who's at the door?" A voice calls from behind. "I dunno, this girl who's looking for someone" the dark haired boy who I assume is Diaz answers. "Is she a babe?" The voice calls, and Diaz lets out an unsurprised sigh. "She looks about my age, Sensei, so maybe you'd wanna take that back" Diaz calls to the mysterious older-sounding guy in the apartment. I assumed it's his dad, but after that last sentence I am not as sure. "Oh" the man says as he finally steps in my field if vision. 

The man I see in front of me is a tall, white, blond-haired, blue-eyed guy. He looks at me, confused. I guess I am staring, after all, the last time I saw this man was at my Bat mitzvah - my dad is, or I guess was, Jewish. He steps closer, squinting his eyes at me as he switches places with Diaz. "Hey, you must be John Lawrence, I am (y/n) (l/n) but my mom's maiden name is Lawrence, Maya Lawrence-" I start, but he cuts me off with a hug. It took me by surprise, honestly. "Lil (y/n)! I can't belive it, it has been forever" he says, and I hug him back. "Uh, sensei, who is this?" Diaz asks from inside the apartment. 

"This is my step niece, (y/n)" John explains, "(y/n), this is Miguel, he's my student, and my girlfriend's son".

"Hi" I say, waving at Miguel, he waves back. "So, what brings you here? Are your parents here too? I think I owe them an apology for your Bar matzvah-" "it's Bat mitzvah, I'm a girl, and-" I correct him, but he keeps going. "- I was in a bad place back then, and-" he says as he's looking around for the car I got here in, but no success. "Where, uh, where is the car? Your parents?" He asks. "They are, uh, over there" I say, pointing at the sky. He looks up, "on the balcony? There is no one on the-" John says in confusion. "Sensai, I uh, I'm sorry" Miguel looks at me with a sad smile, "I think she means that uh, they are in the sky". "What, Like, On an airplane? How did she get here before-" john says, and Miguel stares at him until the puzzle clicks in my step uncle's brain. "Oh, oh! They are  dead!" John says, a bit excited to realise, but then the realization really hits. "Oh, they are dead" he repeats. "I'm so sorry, kid. Are you staying with sid now? Did he send you here to get that glass statue I stole? Cause I don't have it, I pawned it to pay for this guy's surgery" John says, pointing at Miguel. "What?" Miguel and I mumble, confused. "Um, actually John, I was staying with sid, but he died and you are the only relative I have. Social services tried to contact you, but there was no answer, almost like you don't have a phone" I explain to him.

"I don't have a phone, I threw it on the beach!" John says, pride in his voice. "O..kay…" I reply, "anyways, John, I was wondering If I can stay with you" I finally get to what I was trying to say for the past few minutes. "Sure, yeah, sure thing kid" he says, "come on in, I was just cooking for me and Diaz". I walk behind him into the apartment. It's messy, and smells like beer and whiskey. Of course it is, what else should I expect from good ol' step-uncle Johnny.

As they cook, we chat a little, and John tells me all about the Karate-gang thing, and how his Dojo is bound to win. "Actually, this is perfect timing for you to arrive, we need a girl to kick some asses for Eagle Fang" John says. "You want me to joking your Karate gang?" I laughe, but he look as serious as can be. "Well, of course, I mean you already got moves, I remember you kicking that kid right in the balls at your Bat matzvah" he says, mispronouncing the biggest, most important even of your life once again. "I kicked him is because he kept asking where bat-man is and claimed it was false advertisement" I laughed thinking back at that night. It was all going so well, until John had one, two, ten drinks too many. "And I landed that kick because you trained me. I was your first student, I think" I say, and they both look at me, expecting me to accept the offer to join Eagle claw- no, not claw, fang. "But I bet you I don't even remember any Karate moves" I say quickly. "No, no, karate is like riding a bike" Miguel says. "After my injury, I thought I'm never gonna get back to it, I thought it was doomed. I thought I will never kick ass again, but with the help of sensai here, it all came back in an instant, my instincts were as sharp as ever and my kicks as precise as they were" he opened up as if we didn't meet nearly 15 minutes ago. It looks like these two had a connection, like my step-uncle is actually there for him. Good to know I wasn't mistaken to come here. "Fine" I say, "I'll join your convocation". "You are already having a conversation with us" John says. "Uh, john, convocation is a cloak of birds" I explain. "I knew that" he mutters, making the plates for all 3 of us. "Thank you, (y/n). I'm sure you're just what out team needs" Miguel smiles at me, and I can't help but think it is a cute smile.

[forensicated]

Dan Boxing: Episode 448

Gina has entered Dan for the South Eastern Boxing Tournament which he updates Will about during their shift. He also calls Gina 'Goldie' again. I bet he wouldn't dare to her face 😂😂

Will is immediately telling him he can't do it because of the steroids and - because he's doing it on steroids - it's not a 'real win'. Dan won't be drawn on it and he walks off to tell Terry about their shout. The owner - a former boxer - of a smashed up cafe tells them it was bikers but a waitress got them aside to tell them it was kids. "Let me get this straight, you've got a former boxer being intimidated by a 14 year old and his mates?" Terry asks sarcastically - Dan and Will realise something isn't quite as it seems...

Gina saw him fight when he was younger 'a run of the mill scrapper, nothing special' and she goes with Terry. Robbie - the owner - won't admit that it's children so Gina gets straight to the point - "Lost your bottle again, Robbie?" She tells Terry that he threw his last fight, Robbie insists he tripped "Tripped my arse! You threw yourself onto the deck! I was there, I lost money on you!" They sit outside and observe a young lad approaching the cafe where Robbie comes out to meet him with a brown envelope of cash. Terry muses if it could be a protection racket as he recognises the kid as the little brother (really the mans son but shush!) and also the nephew of 2 known villains the super has asked him to keep an eye on. "It's a greasy spoon and he's a little kid! Look at the size of him!" They go over to ask him and he tells him it's a business transaction....they arrest him when he won't be drawn further.

Terry and the Super suspect that the kid is involved in a protection racket. When Robbie won't be drawn in interview, Gina points out that handing £300 to a child looks dodgy... he quickly confesses that he was late on a payment - hence the attack on the cafe that morning - and admits that he's paying someone via the kid - but claims it's security rather than protection. Taylor and his 'appropriate adult' his dodgy uncle insist it's simply a payment for security. He insists he's using his nephew simply so he can earn some cash and 'train up' for a full time job in the company. Terry, Gina and Heaton are aware of the obvious. The kids are dispensable, less likely to do time if caught, less likely to be stopped and suspected of carrying the cash and there's always a ready supply of others. Plus it keeps the dodgy uncles hands clean!

Dan joins Terry on an obbo at the 'security offices' a little later and struggles having enough hands to keep eating and take pictures, poor love!

Terry updates Gina that Robbie has turned up at the office with some friends mob handed to 'take revenge' on them for blackmailing him into paying. Dan and Terry run in with backup arriving soon after and arrest as many of the group as they can - only to find the 14 year old unconscious with a head injury. Luckily they get him to the hospital and all is well... only for the kid to be told his brother is actually his father. Quite some Jeremy Kyle stuff!

😍 Ahem...

[orang-urtle]

New thing ig?

Hey guys I just made a new oc! And I disided to make a whole back story for them!

This guy!

Basically their name (for now) is candlestik and basically long story short the floating limbs (and the pumpkin head) are the parts they lost due to someone we wont know yet, and before the body begins to decay some witch or smth remakes them into what we know Rn as Candlestik, and ever since with no memory of their past they live in the mystic city of Kian where to a point in time flashbacks of the past come and go. And then they realize that their hands, feet, head, heart and other organs along with their bag of skin/flesh is still being in the hands of the “killer” or “limb taker” I still don’t know some things for ‘‘em but I do have some more updates for appearance but please give me your ideas!

Alright here is the story?

One day in an old cottage in the middle of no where that folks say are haunted, a small family lies in, there are 3 kids and one parent, the youngest is a little girl with long black hair, a dark tone of tan skin, chestnut brown eyes, and she wore an out fit that made her look like a waitress and always had a fake candle on her head, the middle was a few inches taller with short brown hair, a lighter tone of tan skin, dark brown eyes, and wore overalls, gender: male, and the oldest was about on inch taller than the middle, hair till the shoulders, tan skin, green eyes, and always wore a yellow dress, gender: female, the youngest was named Haiven, the middle was named ray, and the eldest was named Holow, and of course there was their loving mother named Alice, she had long hair all the way to her knees and wore a yellow shirt with blue overalls and raindrop shaped earrings, her eyes where the color of the grey clouds blocking the sun, the children where always calm but never have you ever seen children so adventurous and curious!

One day in the afternoon Haiven wanted to go outside and play, Ray and Holow it would be a good idea so they went out the house, but Holow paused and yelled in the direction of Alice’s room,

“Mom! We’re goin out!"

"Alright, but before you head out what time will you come back?" Alice asked,

"we'll be back by s- erm um.. where is the su- oh there it is! ok, we will be back by sunset!" Holow replied.

then they three left the house and into the woods to find all sorts of nick-nacks and hallydoos, of course, Holow was in the front with Haiven, and ray was in the back, after a bit of collecting Haiven saw what seemed to be an old shack,

"Look! over there behind the old hollow tree!" Haiven yelled

"is that a shack? I say we check it out! it doesn't seem like anyone OR thing lives there anyway..." said ray with a curious voice.

"No way! Who knows someone could still be living there!" Holow said reluctantly

"pshah, let's have a little adventure! who knows what awesome things we could find!" ray replied

"And who knows what dangers lie!" Holow shouted

ray with a pouty face grabbed Holow and Haivens hand and the three ran to the Old shack and arrived at the doorstep...

still a work in progress I'm still thinking about what will happen next and what the characters should actually look like but for now, this is probably like maybe a quarter or less of the story? ill do pt at a later date... please let me know what you guys think!!!

[nsokolow]

Little Weasel, Big City: Chapter 10

“So, now that we have added our new color palette to the ad, I want to now talk about the finishing touches before we air it. I’ve gotta submit this thing tomorrow, so we’re gonna watch it a few times, and I want you all to look very closely for any errors that may have been missed. I’ll be doing this as well.” Miss Leapman grabbed a small remote and pointed it at the projector.

Leilani squinted her eyes and kept a tight grip on her pen.

BONK!

Leilani and the rest of the room jumped in their seats.

“What on Earth?” Miss Leapman stared at the glass wall.

Leilani looked back and saw Duke, his nose and paws pressed up against the wall.

“Leilani!” Duke exclaimed. “Got a minute? I got somethin’ to tell ya!”

Leilani cringed and grinned at Miss Leapman.

“You know this…guy?” Miss Leapman pointed her remote at Duke.

“He’s…my husband. Could I have a minute with him?”

Miss Leapman sighed. “Go ahead.”

“Aw!” Jade’s pupils widened as she watched Leilani leave the room.

Leilani’s ears drooped. “Duke, did you have to do that?”

“Sorry, sorry. I just wanted you to know that your husband got himself a job right here!” Duke held his arms out.

“Wait, really? How? Where?”

“In the mailroom! The mouse who told me about the job works there, and she just got out of prison! I got an interview a few minutes ago, and he hired me!”

Leilani felt a bit of dread, since she hoped he wouldn’t embarrass her again, but she was mostly happy he was actually getting a life.

“Oh, wow! Congratulations!” Leilani stepped forward and froze. She shrugged and decided to hug him.

Duke tightly wrapped his arms around her and spun her around. “Well, see ya, wife! Gonna help the boss order my uniform and I’m gonna start learning the ropes! I start tomorrow!” Duke ran off to the elevator.

Leilani looked through the glass wall and saw everyone quickly turn their heads away from her. She quietly walked through the door and took her seat. “Uh…sorry about that.”

“Well, at least he’s going to be working,” replied Miss Leapman, “I take it you two recently married, since you checked yourself as ‘single’ on your application?”

“Uh…yes?”

“So, your last name is now…”

“Weaselton.”

“Very well. I’ll remember to call you Mrs. Weaselton from now on. Anyway, back to the ad.” Miss Leapman rewound the video for a moment and played it.

Down in the mailroom, a lanky tiger sat at a revolving brown office chair as he clutched a tablet.

“So, what weasel size are you?” The tiger, his name tag reading, ‘Darrel,’ turned the tablet to Duke, revealing a picture of a grinning weasel in a dark blue button-down shirt, gray khakis, and a gray cap.

“I’d say medium.” Duke tapped the ‘M’ button. “Do I gotta wear the cap?”

“No, it’s optional, but it does come with the uniform.”

“Oh, wait. I just remembered that Mandy didn’t have a cap. Okay, good! I ain’t too big a fan of wearin’ things on my head.”

“Ha, me neither.” Darrel swiped the screen. “I assume it’s ‘D-U-K-E’?”

“Yep! Is that for the name tag?”

Darrel nodded.

“And now, for an update on Daring Do.”

Duke looked past Darrel and the tablet and saw a small T.V. resting on a table with a large pile of mail on it. “‘Scuse me, Darrel.”

Duke ran over to the T.V.

“These seeds were found near Savannah Central Playground. A mother claimed her toddler was playing in the grass and found them buried in dirt.”

A picture of a cluster of bright green, skinny seeds appeared on the screen.

“The mother then showed them to another parent, who happened to be with the ZPD. The said ZPD officer immediately brought them to the police station for investigation.”

Duke felt a painful shock go through his heart. He just realized why those seeds looked familiar. He had recently delivered them to someone after money was offered. He asked what the weird-looking seeds were for, but he was merely told they were operating on a need-to-know basis.

He contributed to the plantings of Daring Do.