#would crash seances

[assiraphales]

your post about Houdini reminded me of a good omens post I saw years ago; Crowley's mad at Houdini for some reason so he traps him in a room, says "ooh what's that behind your ear", reaches behind Houdini's head and pulls back flipping the bird

would u be shocked to know that was also my post

[moonstruckme]

As promised: more roommate!james

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 │ part 4 │part 5 │ part 6 │ part 7 │ part 8 │ part 9 │ part 10 │ part 11 │ part 12 │ part 13

roommate!James x shy!reader ♡ 1.3k words

Thunder crashes. A branch from the tree outside smacks into your bedroom window, making you jump. You smile a little at your reaction, and a frisson goes up your spine, giddy. 

You’re kind of in a euphoric state tonight. 

The storm came in early, darkening the sky hours before its time and bringing torrents of rain down upon your home. Immediately, your windows had been opened, your candles lit, and you were curled up on your bed with a book in your hands. 

Downstairs, you can hear the familiar buzz of the TV playing one of James’ sports games. The whole apartment smells like the cookies you made earlier, which you have a small plate of next to you and which your roommate had moaned as he’d bitten into upon you offering some to him. Sweetheart, keep spoiling me like this and you’ll never get me to leave. 

Suffice to say, you’ve been having a fairly good evening. 

Your book is just starting to pick up when the TV quiets. Everything quiets. There’s a thud, followed by a hissed curse. 

You laugh a little. Pick up your phone. 

Alright down there? You text James. 

More thudding sounds. You think about picking your book back up, but decide to wait.

If I were bleeding out on the living room floor, do you think I’d be able to text you back?

A moment later: If you wanted to do a thorough job of seeing I was alright, you should have come and seen for yourself.

Then: And I heard you laughing.

You smile to yourself, a quiet chuckle escaping you. Sorry, can’t, you reply. Too cozy. 

You hear his heavy footfalls coming up the stairs, and you have only a few moments to brace yourself before he’s swinging open your door. 

Lately, your body has been doing this thing where he looks at you and it’s like the ground softens beneath you. Luckily, you’re already on a bed, so it’s not really possible this time. 

James shuts off the flashlight on his phone, looking around your room with the ghost of a smile on his lips. 

“Woah. Are you having a seance in here?” 

You roll your eyes, ignoring the way the candlelight plays prettily over his features. “You’re just jealous that I was prepared for the power to go out and you weren’t.” 

“It looks like you were hoping for it.” James grins. He starts to cross the room, and you’re like a sunflower to your light as you tilt to face him. 

He lays down next to you on your bed, on his stomach with his forearms propping him up. It’s a somewhat tight fit, but James doesn’t seem to mind the way his hip and shoulder are touching yours. His shampoo smell wraps around you like a hug. 

You pick up your tea as an excuse not to look at him, blowing softly before taking a sip. James watches you consideringly. 

“You really are thriving in here, aren’t you?” he teases softly. “Look at you, you’ve got your fuzzy socks on, your tea, your book. You’re in paradise.” 

You smile sheepishly as you set your tea down on the floor. “Sorry you couldn’t finish your game.” 

“Oh, it’s alright.” He nudges your shoulder with his. “I’d rather hang with you anyway.” 

You feel your brows furrow, a confusing mass of emotions knotting in your chest. “Don’t say that,” you tell him softly.

You can feel James’ gaze warming the side of your face. His voice is just as quiet. “Why not?” 

You look over, and his eyes don’t flit away like a sane person’s would. They’re steady and warm as the flames around you. Instantly the room feels too small, him a little too close. 

James’ smile is almost tentative. “Look, I know you drew the short stick with this roommate agreement, but I plan to soak up as much roomie time as I can get. Sorry.” 

“I did not,” you murmur. 

“Didn’t what?” 

“You drew the short stick.” Your face burns. You know James too well to think he’d be making fun of you, but it’s difficult to imagine an alternative. He can’t really think you don’t like having him as a roommate after all the ways he’s been a friend to you, the times he’s stepped in to help, when you’ve only been a burden and a drag. “Not me.” 

His eyebrows twitch closer to each other, and his lips tilt bemusedly, as though they’re unsure of what else to do. The lenses of his glasses reflect the candlelight, brown eyes molten behind them. 

“I’m inclined to disagree,” he says. The air between you feels thick and sweet. Your heart seems to know something you don’t, quickening its rhythm in your chest. Then, because it’s James, he flicks up a brow. “Truce?” 

You laugh quietly, turning your face down towards your book. There are goosebumps going all down your arms. “Sure,” you say. 

“Good,” he murmurs. “Glad that’s settled.” 

You don’t respond this time. You’re not sure you can. The words on your page blur by, unnoticed and unimportant.

Lightning cracks outside. You gasp and turn to see it, and James’ lips meet you there. 

You should have known he would be soft like this. You’ve kept yourself from thinking about it, but you could have guessed. The first gentle, warm press of his mouth is so lovely you get lost in it, but when it lasts for too long and he starts to draw back, you remember that you can move, too. 

He takes in a tiny inhale when you part your lips for him, his hand finding your waist and his body curving over yours. Your arm falls out from under you, and James follows you down. He tastes sweet and familiar, like home. 

You bring your hands up to his face, one resting tentatively on his cheek while the other toys with the idea of slipping its fingers into his hair. The sky rumbles outside. Your heart pitters. 

“It’s okay,” James mumbles. His voice buzzes against your lips. “It’s okay, sweetheart, please.” 

You grasp at the roots of his hair, palm settling more surely on his cheek, and James makes a sound low in his throat. He breaks the kiss to pull off his glasses. You take them from where he sets them on the bed, placing them more carefully on the floor where they’re not so likely to get crushed. His lips curve over yours. You think that if you were to detour to either side, you might find a dimple in his cheek. 

“James,” you murmur. 

“Oh, it’s James again now, is it?” 

“What?” 

“Nothing.” He kisses the corner of your mouth. “What is it?” 

“Are you sure?” 

It’s a nonsensical question, but in fairness you think all the blood that’s supposed to be in your brain has gone to your lips, and James seems to get what you mean anyway. 

He chuckles quietly. “I am, yeah.” He makes a sound that’s almost like a sigh, hand climbing up your back until it’s trapped between your shoulders and your bed. “I don’t ever tell you how lovely you are, but I’ve…I’m sure. What about you?”

“I don’t know,” you admit. “I think so.” 

“That’s okay.” James kisses your chin, the curve of your jaw. 

“You’re lovely, too,” you tell him somewhat desperately. His lashes tickle your cheek. Your fingers are still burrowed in the hair at his nape. “I never tell you. I like when you’re here.” 

You feel his smile bloom against your skin. “I like you too, sweetheart,” he says, voice light with teasing. 

You frown, wishing he would take you seriously. “I do. I really like you.” 

“I think I like you more.” 

You scoff. He nips at your jaw, surprising a laugh out of you. “You can’t always win,” you say. 

James makes a happy humming sound. “I guess we’ll have to see.”

[jackiespurnell]

just give it what it wants (lottie matthews x travis' sister reader headcanons - requested)

summary: you're travis and javi's sister, and the crash (alongside of the death of your father) has taken a toll on all of you. luckily for you, lottie is there to help.

tw: mentions of death, poverty, reader was previously a stripper in order to make money (pre-crash life)

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if someone told you six months that you’d be the kinda-sorta-girlfriend of the leader of a wilderness-worshipping cult consisting of a group of teenage girls you would probably say “what the fuck?”

which, even now, is still a pretty valid response

your dad was the coach of your school’s soccer team

and when they made it to nationals

naturally, you and your brothers got a free trip to seattle

you were the oldest of the bunch

and although you did spend the majority of the time at parties and getting drunk

you were by far the most responsible

and when the plane crashed and your dad died

of course you were devastated

because despite all his shittiness

he was still your dad

but now it was just you, travis and javi

and the soccer girls

you noticed how, as time went on, travis started getting closer to natalie

you didn’t know her that well, and despite you and travis’ constant bickering

you saw how happy she made him

so nat was good in your book

laura lee was kind, but a little too religious for your taste 

(who prays that much anyways???)

shauna and jackie were way too in love with each other to really focus on anyone else

same with tai and van (although you got a feeling they actually had their shit together)

and misty was just straight up freaking you out sometimes

in fact, besides your brothers, there was only one girl who really caught your attention

lottie was rich, insanely fucking rich, rich enough to afford a whole private plane

but she didn’t seem stuck up or bossy or anything

she was a little weird, sure

always randomly waking up in the middle of the night

just staring out into nothingness

and then there was that moment during the seance

but for the most part, she seemed pretty chill

you remember the first time you actually had a real, one on one conversation

the weather was getting a little bit cooler 

and you weren’t sure how long you guys had been out there

you had spent the majority of your pre-crash life scraping by, trying to find some ways to earn a little bit of cash

whether that was hooking up with guys twice your age or other part-time jobs you can run by

your dad’s job didn’t pay much, but at least it payed

now, you weren’t sure what to do

by now you would have already graduated high school

so at least you wouldn’t have to drop out

but no more college for you

you spent the majority of your days in the wilderness like this

taking a good five minutes just to sit alone and cry

and then go back to your responsibilities 

and one day lottie found you during one of your sulking sessions

while typically you would just tell her (or anyone) to fuck off

you were just too tired

and given the fact that really didn’t have anyone else to talk to about this

(javi was too young, and travis was simply too closed off)

lottie seemed like the best option

so when she opened her arms out for a hug

you wrapped your arms around her waist and starting crying

she was gentle with you, her hands carding through your hair softly

she told you it was going to be alright

and while you’re not exactly sure if you believe her

for now, it’s good enough

until she starts talking all about the wilderness and how its ‘meant to save all of you’

cause honestly

what the fuck???

your father died, you and your siblings might die too

and yet she sees it as a ‘sign’

but when you try to pull out of her arms and get the fuck away

she just pulls you closer

“i didn’t mean to make you upset” she murmurs against your hair

she explains how she just said what you felt

and you know it’s unreasonable to get upset

you know it’s just her way of coping

but still

but what good would fighting do?

you can’t change her opinions

(and maybe a part of you knows. knows how much power she has. how much power she will have. how even if you wanted to leave, you couldn’t because she has the final say)

so you just lie there in there her arms, letting her hold you and press kisses into your hair

eventually y’all head back to the cabin

and you don’t talk again for a couple of days

until one night, you’re half asleep, and you feel something

it’s lottie, shaking you awake

“do you hear that?” she whispers

and no, you don’t fucking hear anything but you’re too tired to say anything 

“follow me” she says, motioning towards the door and outside the cabin

and you know you shouldn’t

you know you should stay and watch over your brothers and get some sleep

you don’t even believe in lottie’s wilderness bullshit

but it’s lottie

so yeah

you follow her

it’s cold outside, really fucking cold, but fuck it’s pretty

even before all this, you never really liked the woods

it’s dirty and cold and just full of trees and dirt

but you never stopped to think how beautiful it is

you can clearly see the stars in the sky

there’s a lot of them

and while you don’t know a single one of their names or meanings or any of that stuff

in that moment it’s the best thing in this fucked up world

“it’s beautiful, right?” lottie says, almost as if she’s reading your mind

“it wants” she whispers into your ear, the hot breath of your mouth burning against your cold skin as she wraps her arms around your waist

and you know damn well what she’s talking about

and you don’t believe her for a fucking second

but either way, you know she’s not giving in

“what does it want?” you ask, just to entertain her

she presses her lips down to your neck and whispers “you” into your skin

and, well, when she puts it like that…

who are you to refuse?

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requested by @mikeymadisonsgf (i know you didn't give me a specific req so i hope u enjoy)

[fanfic-she-wrote]

Second Chances

Beetlejuice x Lydia Deetz

Chapter 1 Link

(Beetlejuice Beetlejuice spoilers⚠️)

Chapter 6

“I killed you twice! How do you keep coming back?!” Yelled Betelgeuse as he, Lydia, and Astrid made their way down the stairs.

“When you want revenge anything is possible.” Delores answered in her heavy Italian accent. From behind her Samantha appeared.

“I’m sorry Astrid.” She whimpered, her makeup smudged like she had been crying.

“What did you do?!” Astrid questioned her.

“We had a seance and she appeared asking for someone named Betelgeuse.” She explained in a small voice. At the sound of his name, Betelgeuse shrieked and covered his head. “Don’t say that!”

“Just get out of here Sam!” Astrid ordered her. “She killed them Astrid…” The young girl told her. “What?!” Astrid couldn’t believe it. Only a few weeks ago she had seen the Samantha and her friends walking around town, now they were dead.

“Go! Hurry!” Astrid insisted. She nodded her head and turned to run, but Delores grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

“I don’t think so.” She pulled the girl close and began stealing her soul. You could see it in the air as it slowly left her body. “No!” Astrid screamed as Delores dropped Samantha’s shrunken body onto the ground. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Samantha and her friends always bullied her, but she never wanted them to die like that.

Delores turned back to Betelgeuse and took a step forward, her arms outstretched. “Come here, darling. Give me a kiss.”

Lydia stepped forward in front of Betelgeuse. “No fucking way!” Betelgeuse’s lips curled into a proud smile and tears formed at the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t believe she was actually defending him.

“You! I know who you are. You are the woman my husband thinks he is in love with.” Delores said, pointing at Lydia.

“I ain’t in love with you! You killed me remember?” Betelgeuse shot back.

“Yes, but you killed me before I got what I wanted and nothing is going to stop me from getting it now.” She declared, taking another step forward.

“No you’re not!” Lydia shouted standing her ground even though Delores did intimidate her a little. Astrid stepped forward as well.

“You know you’re beginning to bug me.” Delores glared at Lydia and with a wave of her hand she sent her flying across the room and into the wall.

“Lydia!” Betelgeuse cried as he watched her slide down the wall and onto the floor, lying there unconscious.

“Astrid, go help your mom! I’ll take care of her.” He told Astrid, turning to Delores his eyes flashing dangerously at his ex wife.

“Two can play at this game.” He growled, snapping his fingers making two black and white striped pythons appear and wrap themselves around her legs, quickly slithering their way up towards her neck hissing loudly at her as they went. She didn’t appear frightened in the least, instead she pulled them off of her and tossed them into the air, turning them into hawks instead.

“Get them!” She ordered them sending them in Lydia and Astrid’s direction. Betelgeuse waved his hand once more making a bolt of lightning shoot through window striking both the birds dead.

This wasn’t working, Betelgeuse thought. He had to figure out a way to get rid of her once and for all. Chopping her up and having her get eaten by the sandworm didn’t work. What would?

His looked around the room for something, anything that might help him defeat her. His eyes fell upon the fireplace. He smiled. Fire! That’s it!

Suddenly, the fireplace lit up with bright green flames. “There’s only one way to get rid of a witch like you. Burn em.” He retorted sending a fireball in her direction. It missed her by mere inches crashing into the wall beside them instead. Quickly the fire spread across the wall and up the curtains.

He sent another one flying her way, but she dodged that too, then another, and soon the whole room was alight with flames. “Oh come on!” He groaned, punching the air in disgust.

“Enough!” Delores uttered pushing her hands towards him, there was a loud bang, and Betelgeuse was knocked off his feet. He sat up, letting out a sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Maybe he should just let her take his soul and get it over with? He thought feeling hopeless. No, then she would just move on to someone else probably Lydia and Astrid. He had to end this, but how?

Betelgeuse looked up at the ceiling praying for an answer. He noticed the beams beginning to snap and more of the second floor becoming exposed with each passing second. Thats when it hit him. If this didn’t work, he didn’t know what would, but it was worth a shot.

“BJ! We have to get out of here.” Astrid called out, her voice sounding muffled and distant. He looked over at her and shook his head. From his expression she could tell just what he was thinking.

“No! No! You can’t!” She pleaded, tears streaming down her face. Betelgeuse gave her one of his usual smiles, the ones he usually gets when he’s planning on doing something mischievous, and winked at her. Before she could say anything else, he snapped his fingers making her and Lydia disappear.

He slowly rose up from the floor, dusting himself off. Betelgeuse and Delores now stood face to face in the center of the room. “Now, you are mine.” She spoke in a low triumphant voice, leaning towards him.

“I will never be yours, but we started this together and now we’re gonna finish it together. Arrivederci bitch!” Her eyes widened looking both confused and frightened as Betelgeuse took her in his arms and kissed her. She tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let her go. She wanted to scream, but his lips were pressed hard against her’s. It was like time had slowed down as little by little the house fell down around them, the wood creaked loudly like it was letting out one final scream, and then collapsed.

Lydia and Astrid watched on the lawn as what was left on their house went up in flames, reduced to nothing, gone along with Betelgeuse. They stood there in silence, holding each other.

Clouds appeared overhead but instead of snow, it brought a heavy rain. Before long the flames had died out, leaving nothing but ashes behind. Lydia got up and ran over towards the pile of charred wood that was once the ghost house. Desperately she searched for Betelgeuse throwing aside anything that got in her way.

“Where is he?!”

“He’s gone, mom.” Astrid put her hand on her mother’s shoulder trying to comfort her.

“He can’t be!” She sobbed pushing aside another board. Underneath, she spotted something with black and white stripes and picked it up. It was his jacket. It was a little burnt, but still remained intact. She held it close for a moment thinking about him.

Maybe if she called him? That always worked, she thought. “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!” She waited and looked around, but there was nothing. She half expected to hear his voice call out, saying something like “Gotcha didn’t I?” but he didn’t. He was gone.

She was about to give up when Astrid called her attention to something lying on the grass across from them. She could just make out the hints of green in his hair in the dark.

They quickly darted towards him hoping he was all right. They saw that he had several cuts across his face and his shirt was torn in several places. “BJ?” Lydia whispered, gently pushing the hair out of his face. He remained quiet and motionless.

“Betelgeuse?” Nothing.

Astrid placed her hand over her mouth.

“This isn’t funny. Wake up.” Lydia implored her voice cracking, nudging him. Still nothing.

Astrid was right. He’s gone, this time for good. She could feel her heart ache the longer she looked at him. Seeing him like this felt so wrong. He always had so much energy, so much life. Did Delores steal his soul? She wondered, holding his hand. For so many years she feared his return and now she can’t picture life without him. She never even got to tell him how she really felt.

Carefully, she leaned over him, their faces so close that if he could breathe she would feel it, instead all she could feel was the cold dampness coming up from the ground. “I love you Betelgeuse.” She spoke in a soft voice, hoping that somehow, somewhere he would hear her. Then she placed her lips gently upon his, lingering there for a few seconds before turning away and closing her eyes, unable to look at him for another second.

“Lyds?” A familiar voice spoke. A voice that wasn’t her’s or Astrid’s. She opened her eyes and saw Betelgeuse looking up at her, only he looked different than he had a couple minutes ago. He had messy blonde hair, blue eyes, and was no longer pale and dead looking with mold all over him. Did true love’s kiss work after all?

She let out a gasp and pulled him into a hug. “I thought I lost you.” She cried into his shoulder.

“It’d take a lot more than that to get rid of me babes.” She noticed her voice wasn’t as gruff as it used to be.

Slowly they got up off the ground, still holding on to each other. Lydia took a moment to examine his features. Betelgeuse felt his cheeks becoming hot under her gaze. “Whatddya think?” He asked nervously. She tilted her head and gently stroked the side of his face. He leaned into her hand and placed a quick kiss on her palm.

“Does this mean you’re mortal again?” She asked.

“I think so. There’s one way to find out.” Lydia immediately caught on to what he meant. She was hesitant at first. She didn’t want him to go.

“It’ll be ok.” He assured her. She quickly looked at Astrid, who gave her a slight nod to continue.

“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice…” They all held their breath as she spoke it one more time. “Beetlejuice.” Nothing happened. He didn’t disappear or change. It was finally over.

He let out a sigh of relief. No longer would he disappear if someone said his name too many times and he was going to test that even further with Lydia later. Right now, he would settle for another kiss. One he would actually be awake for.

Gently, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Lydia could feel blush forming on her face as they stared into each other’s eyes. “I love you.” He told her, planting a kiss on her lips. His lips felt just as soft as they did the first time she kissed him, only warmer. Lydia slowly ran her hands up his chest and around his neck, deepening the kiss. He let out a soft moan as she did so. How long he waited for this moment to finally be able to kiss her.

Astrid suddenly felt awkward and looked away, fiddling with her phone instead trying to let them have their moment. They deserved it after all. Finally Betelgeuse and Lydia had their happy ending.

“Wanna get hitched babe?” Betelgeuse asked when they had to stop for air. Lydia chuckled and kissed him again. Same old Betelgeuse. “Hell yeah!”

the end

(tag list: @msshadows97 )

[before-it-felt-like-a-sin]

do you ever get this with the yjs where you just wanna take care of them? Like the poor babies are just teenage girls in the wild 😣

Like staying by lotties side after getting beat up by Shauna, or bandaging Shauna’s knuckles, not saying anything because you know it’s a lot and just being there for her

or even better looking after Nat after she comes in from hunting, when half frozen to death and exhausted. just imagine washing her and brushing/ braiding her hair because it’ll get matted if not. just being gentle and loving because GOD she deserves it, even if she barely acknowledges it because all she can think about is the lack of food and Travis, but it’s the only way you can seem to show your affection for her (may or may not be in need of some angst…..)

but omg I just want them to be loved so bad, like if I was in that cabin, that is exactly what I’d spend my time doing

Oh absolutely. This is actually something I think about all the time.

Shauna:

When you first crash and Shauna realizes she's pregnant, just being with her and making sure she knows you'll help take care of the baby. Stroking her hair and holding her after the attempted abortion.

After Jackie dies just sitting with her all the time, checking on her in the shed, making sure she's eating when everyone else does, giving her extra food.

When the baby dies you're just holding her as she sobs, helping her bury him. Not saying anything just letting her cry it out.

Trying to hold her back when she snaps at Lottie, just telling her it'll all be okay and she needs to take a deep breath, not wanting anyone hurt. Not being able to watch as she hits Lottie, but gently bandaging her hands when the fight's over.

Lottie:

Knowing something's up almost as soon as the plane crashes, noticing her taking the last of her meds. Not saying anything but trying to communicate that she's gonna be okay.

When she sees dead cabin guy for the first time, waking up in the middle of the night like Nat did and holding her, telling her he's gone and it's okay. Making her lie down and go back to sleep even if she doesn't want to.

Holding her close after Laura Lee dies, knowing that there isn't anything you can say to make it better.

Doing her stupid wilderness bullshit with her even if you don't believe in it, wanting her to have your support.

Washing her and being the one to find her after the hunting competition, telling her how stupid it was while also just being so soft.

Being the one to take care of her after the fight with Shauna, forcing food and water down her throat, needing her to stay alive. When she even suggests dying you're telling her no, no way, she's gonna be alright.

Tai:

Going up to the attic with her the night of the seance, just making sure she has company, talking about stupid shit with her. Noticing the sleepwalking and doing what you can to stop it.

Going with her on the journey south and staying up to make sure she doesn't end up sleepwalking away from the rest of you, comforting her after the wolves.

Van:

Dragging her back to the cabin after the wolf attack, staying with her and Tai while the rest of the group goes back to the cabin. Holding her hand as she gets stitched up, hating her screaming.

Helping Tai make the doomcoming masks so she feels comfortable, always telling her how badass the scars make her look. Just wanting her to know that she's still her after the attack.

Jackie:

Giving her pep talks when she's all "it's so hard I can't do it", like Shauna would. Making sure she knows that she's still valued even if it doesn't feel like she is.

When she finds out about Shauna and Jeff, just comforting her and telling her that she's sure Shauna didn't mean it and she made a mistake, telling her to come back inside after the fight. Or staying outside with her and starting the fire so she doesn't die (I am convinced I could've kept her alive). Talking to Shauna about the whole predicament so they talk it out.

Natalie:

Glaring at Travis when they're first practicing with the gun because he's such an asshole, hyping her up when she goes again. Being pissed when Travis turns the gun on her.

When she and Travis break up telling her that who she's slept with isn't his business, telling her that she deserves better than that. Just holding her close because you know she doesn't want to get vulnerable. Telling her how hot she is when Travis can't get it up.

After hunting (or before) brushing and braiding her hair. She's always grateful but doesn't say anything to you. Wanting to kiss her but she's back with Travis and you know she deserves better than him. Just being someone for her to lean on when she's upset with him.

Like Lottie, washing her off and pulling her from the ice after the hunting competition. Telling her that moose isn't worth her dying.

You and Travis letting her get away during the hunt, but you following with the rest of the girls to pull her away from Javi. Standing by her as she gets crowned queen.

[themculibrary]

Long Wandavision Fics Masterlist

An Auspice of Scarlet (ao3) - AnontheNullifier wanda/vision, background pepper/tony T, 143k

Summary: After another failed seance, Wanda Maximoff finds herself seeking asylum from an unknown millionaire and his reserved, but kind butler. As with most things in her life, it's when the semblance of normalcy and contentment begin to form that her past comes crashing in to upend everything she's worked hard to create. Will the blossom of love be enough to vanquish the demons of her past?

Creep (ao3) - proud_papaya M, 68k

Summary: "... there's so many of them." Wanda exhaled, looking out at the sea of people, but they weren't people. Their skin was the color of the earth and their irises looked like sewage water. There was gore smeared across some of them and their clothing was in tatters. And for a moment, just a moment, she thought she saw Cap's uniform covering one of them. Because they were the only ones left. Wanda and Vision. Surviving the end of the world... but no one thought the end of the world would look like this.

"Stay close to me."

"Always."

Flaneur (ao3) - Cyan_Rain wanda/vision, background darcy/jimmy T, 70k

Summary: Post-WandaVision Series Finale

He was Vision. He was a sentient weapon. He'd tried to kill the woman he loved.

She was the Scarlet Witch. She was cursed to destroy the world. She'd killed the man she loved. Twice.

They have some things to work out.

Give Me My Sin Again (ao3) - thelilacfield E, 121k

Summary: 'You know, it's too bad that you work for the organisation I want to see brought down in flames.'

'And why is that, Ms. Maximoff?'

'Red always was my favourite colour.'

A woman looking for something to make her feel human again. A man who never felt human seeking to keep his powerful position. Finding each other and finding that they have hearts capable of feeling.

i don't need anything other than you (ao3) - ghoultown T, 51k

Summary: “Come, step into the light.” Vision pulls her close, into the yellow light, holding her hands in his. “Tell me. Do I look the same to you today?”

She makes a face, “Of course you do.”

“No, please. Please, look closer.” He bends down slightly to assist in her search. “I’ve been looking in the mirror for ten minutes. There’s something here. Something extra or something missing, I cannot tell, but i-it’s something.”

Wanda’s disposition changes. “Vis, you sound… panicked.”

“Hm?” Vision blinks. “I can’t panic.”

_

Vision wakes up one morning to find his memories gone. He figures there must be a logical explanation. Until there can't be.

In the Absence of a Way of Life (ao3) - wisteriafic M, 66k

Summary: "The only thing preventing him from phasing through the walls and escaping this morass is the admonition with which Secretary Ross had left him two days ago: If you try anything, she dies. They all die."

After the airport fight in Civil War, Vision is arrested and sent to the Raft, along with the others. Once they've escaped, Wanda has company as she adjusts to a life on the run.

Late in the Day (ao3) - wisteriafic E, 59k

Summary: After the fall of Novi Grad, Wanda chooses to remain there to rebuild her homeland instead of becoming an Avenger. Over the years, she and Vision build separate lives for themselves, but they establish a long-distance friendship. As the tenth anniversary approaches, they get together for drinks, and they reconnect.

(Love's got the) World in Motion (ao3) - olsenbcttany E, 60k

Summary: Wanda Maximoff is the sister of the world famous Pietro Maximoff, goalkeeper who is set to see Sokovia win The UEFA European Football Championship. Victor Shade is the England player who ruined their chances. When the two meet, sparks fly.

Non-Volatile Memory (ao3) - patches365 M, 292k

Summary: Vision has been restored physically and mentally, but not emotionally. SWORD's tampering has left him nothing but a sentient computer with no personal attachment to the data stored within him. Wishing to make himself whole again, he seeks out Wakanda's premier scientist to help him emotionally reconnect with his memories, and thus with Wanda.

Nothing is Impossible (ao3) - Boopoopeedoo T, 62k

Summary: Two lives that were feared, and a love no one expected, lead to a miracle nobody ever thought possible. When Wanda made a home in the Avengers compound, she never could have imagined how much her world would change, or that The Vision would become the centre of it. She expected to fall in love with him even less.

The two find a way back to each other after the chaos of the Avenger's civil war. It is then that their love truly builds, and where they eventually create their miracle.

ScarletVision, eventual Infinity War fix-it

playing nice (ao3) - ghoultown E, 214k

Summary: “What’s your name?” she asks.

He opens the door wider in reply.

Wanda doesn’t move.

The man bends to root through a cupboard instead.

“I don’t have anything in,” he reaches into the shelves, half of him disappearing inside, “Not much to offer you in the way of hospitality.”

“Yeah,” she studies him, rubbing her fingers together. “Ghosts don’t drink, do they.”

A bottle of cheap liquor. He tosses it a bit in his hand, turning it, inspecting it, grinning at the label.

“Think I’m a ghost, do you?”

-

Following a sudden appearance of a strange red power, Wanda begins killing men to take the edge off. Her first kill in London doesn't go as she'd hoped.

Recordkeeping (ao3) - chaostragic E, 53k

Summary: Wanda has a lot of secrets.

Among them: Wanda was a spy once. Sort of. Also: Wanda is a widow and a murderer and legally not allowed to leave New Jersey.

When a one night stand lasts a few months too long, Wanda must confront her past. Can love overcome government conspiracy, criminal records, and unresolved trauma?

Run Away (ao3) - proud_papaya wanda/vision, bucky/natasha M, 71k

Summary: She was running away. Again. This time to another city, the biggest city in the world. Little did she know her next door neighbor would happen to change her life.

Synthesis (ao3) - psychologymajor226 N/R, 296k

Summary: This is a Wanda/Vision fic that alternates from the events in Wandavision to a lead-up of all past events until Infinity War, exclusively from Vision’s POV.

Take Me Away (ao3) - heartAttackoFtheMinD T, 146k

Summary: What events happened in between A.O.U and C.W that drove Wanda and Vision to try their luck as a couple after the Raft? Series of events growing their relationship, getting past the loss of a loved one, and discovering humanity with Wanda and Vision as they fall in love at the Avengers Compound.

The Age of Miracles (ao3) - thelilacfield T, 68k

Summary: "What is taking so long, Peterson? Get those prisoners to their cells now!"

"It's the witch, sir."

"Well, slap a pair of handcuffs on her and get her to her cell now!"

"We can't, sir, she's-"

"She's what? Wrecked the medical bay? Injured someone? That's what we got the collar for!"

"Sir, she's pregnant."

The Red Menace (ao3) - JustAnotherMarvelGirl M, 75k

Summary: Wanda is a fierce and ruthless Captain of the Scarlet Witch, the most feared ship in the Caribbean.

Vision is a Commodore of the British Royal Navy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When their two ships clash, will Vision live to see the light of another day?

Under Renovation (ao3) - gamerfic M, 60k

Summary: "It isn't safe for you to be here," says Vision, and he doesn't only mean the huge hole in the floor that yawns between them.

"I know that, too."

"Then why did you come back?"

Wanda hasn't turned her gaze from him since she entered the room. Behind it there's an echo of the same relentless, crushing pressure he felt that night she filled him with her power and brought him to his knees. He's not safe here either, in his way. "I came back for you," she says.

(Or: Vision and Wanda fix a building, fix their mistakes, and slowly fall in love.)

Wanda Enchanted (ao3) - percyjacksonfan9261 wanda/vision, steve/natasha G, 52k

Summary: When Wanda was a baby, her fairy godmother, Agatha, decided to give her the so called "gift" of obedience. By the time that Wanda becomes a teenager, sick of her step family bullying her, she decides to go on a quest to find out where she can find her fairy godmother and convince her to remove to "gift". Joining Wanda is one of her few friends, an elf who wants to be an inventor in a world that doesn't allow it, and a prince who's uncle just so happens to be plotting to kill him for a bid to take over the throne. When Wanda slowly starts falling for the prince and uncovers the plot of his assassination, she has to figure out what's more important in her life: following her heart or getting rid of her obedience once and for all.

Your Castle of Memories (ao3) - starlithumanity T, 112k

Summary: After the events of Age of Ultron, Wanda Maximoff faces the pain of her loss, and Vision tries to comprehend the intricacies of existence. They find comfort and a great deal of fascination in each other, as the new expanded Avengers team learns to work together. But they are about to face the greatest challenge to their friendship: the arrival of Civil War.

[disregardcanon]

yellowjackets au where coach martinez lives through the crash. it does not, actually, make things better

bill martinez was a good soccer coach- a great one, even. he could call a play the other team never expected, spot talent at the middle school level and make for DAMN sure those girls kept playing in high school. he could pick captains with a talent for motivating the others and keeping a team together and keep his lowest achieving athletes scraping by in classes enough to keep the on the team. he could even drag all their butts through from states to nationals.

but coaching a soccer team is a lot different than trying to lead his girls, his boys, and his assistant coach through a survival situation in the wilderness.

he tries his hardest to maintain control over the situation, but there's a LOT of situation to control. coach scott's been seriously injured and no one but misty quigley has the time or mental space to help him deal with it, and beyond Making Sure that Ben Stays Alive, he doesn't have the mental space to deal with it, either. he's happy to delegate his assistant's care to the team manager. if ben tries to talk to him about how misty's poisoning him (that's absurd, scott. what would she get out of that?) or making romantic advances on him (well then, be a man and get her to stop? come on, scott, she's under five foot five inches. she's not even one of our PLAYERS and you're saying you can't hold her off? i have more important things to deal with here.)

he lets coach scott organize his Lets See Who's Gonna Hunt For Us party, and has him be in charge of it because ben's the one with the hunting experience, but he's also... very much Flexing His I'm Really In Charge Muscles. he reams both ben and travis new assholes about travis aiming the gun at natalie (and he does it with all the others there) and then he tries to talk ben out of appointing travis as the second hunter. ben refuses to have that talk in public, but bill's like look my son is Very Unstable and Highly Emotional and i don't think you should give him a gun. and i also don't want him spending that much time with natalie scatorrcio. i like her and i trust her with our lives, but someday we're going back to The Real World and she's going to die in a ditch and i'm trying to get travis to Not Fucking Do That. but ben thinks about how he's technically in charge of this choice and how bill told him to man up about misty quigley's behavior... so he puts the gun in travis's hands and dares bill to make a comment about it.

beyond trying to control his son's life and belittling his assistant coach, bill's biggest concerns are with the basics of survival, keeping jackie and tai in line, doing things that are probably helpful to keep travis from Behaving Like Travis and things that are Very Much Not Helpful for That, trying to get javi to integrate more with the group, and trying to figure out how much he can trust coach scott to back him up on any given decision.

he hates the seance idea, but lets jackie organize it because hopefully it will help with their team building. he tells travis and javi they should stay out of it, which makes travis go up immediately and makes javi sneak up. so that dad doesn't see and think badly of me

when tai decides to make her Wilderness Adventure, he decides to accompany the group because they might have more luck with him there. he tries to get travis to come with them and bring the gun, but coach scott digs his heels in about the gun staying with the group and the girls all... side with him... and travis refuses to come along. javi WANTS to, but bill won't let him because he says he won't be able to help and will be safer with his brother. who he makes eye contact with like if you don't protect your little brother i will be ending you, travis.

he goes on the expedition and tries to be in charge by virtue of being The Coach and The Adult, but van is just here to make sure tai doesn't die, mari and akilah are here for tai, and tai is still sore that he didn't make her captain. so if he doesn't do things HER way then he's just going to have to deal with doing them alone. (van gets her face eaten, coach loses an arm, and they make their way back with terrible injuries and their tails between their legs)

when they get back and get the injuries taken care of, laura lee announces her intentions to fly the plane to get them help. coach scott says that's a dumb idea and no one else is dying on his watch, but coach martinez says it's a great idea and he'll help her. and thus, the power struggle continues. he gets some information from laura lee about Visions that lottie's been having and goes. oh. oh shit. i forgot about the schizophrenia. he tries to talk to laura lee about how Lottie Is Probably Very Sick Right Now, and she doesn't listen, and then he tries to talk to lottie herself about it. lottie is starting to drink her wilderness koolaid and is like coach. i think that i have visions and i think the wilderness is telling me what we need to know to survive. he keeps it to himself for a while, but is like lottie matthews if you do anything stupid i'm going to tell EVERYONE! and that. is a very big point of tension.

jackie reveals that shauna is pregnant, he reams shauna a new asshole in public about how stupid that was and how clear he made the team protection requirements and how they could get it, and then he confronts both travis and coach scott about whether or not they got her pregnant. his son is very upset that he thinks he's sleeping with SHAUNA and didn't even notice what was happening with natalie, and the coach scott just. laughs at him. laughs right in his face. he's been beating misty quigley off of himself with a stick but he got shauna shipman pregnant. sure.

he tries to get jackie to participate more in being Alive, and she helps him and laura lee with the plane stuff more than anyone else.

when laura lee goes kablooey and lottie notices before it's started, a lot of the girls start to go Wilderness Prophet. bill notices that something's off about the energy but doesn't know what to do about it beyond. encouraging jackie's last attempt at teambuilding. the kids can have a dance if they want, right? he'll try to find something to get them free. something something something there still has to be SOMETHING

he doesn't attend the dance or eat any of the food. he stays inside and rakes through information in the books. he hears travis and jackie come in and wonders what the fuck's up with that, and then hears them upstairs and goes. shit. that's what's up. hopefully my reaming of travis made it so he used protection, at least, and then he hears a big group of the kids burst in and they start... the events. he gets the fuck up and opens the door to see what the hell's going on, but all he sees is- lottie shoving jackie in a closet and then they're passing his High As A Kite Son Around. and he's trying to get through to them to figure out WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING, but soon it's a hunt, chasing travis out the door. he runs out after them, trying to figure out what the hell is happening and how to stop it from happening, and he comes and tries to use his coach voice to get it to stop. but no one listens.

"you don't matter anymore" lottie tells him. he thinks about getting physical, but that's- shauna, holding a knife to his son's throat. it only stops because natalie scatorccio bursts out and makes them.

the girls finally disperse, finding different places to run off to, and travis left... collapsing. he doesn't want his dad around, of course he doesn't, even though he's high enough he barely knows what's happening beyond Not Dead Not Dead Not Dead. and natalie promises to make sure he's okay and then orders him (HIM!) to go find javi.

and he tries. he tears through the cabin, the meat shed, down by the lake, all the areas around the cabin, and finally he collapses in a pile of leaves and sleeps right there in the woods. when dawn breaks and wakes him up, he searches for hours again, but can't find him. he has to come back to try to eat and tell everyone that javi is, for sure, missing. he tries to get travis to join him on HIS search, but travis has decided that he and NATALIE are going to do it together. without his help. "i don't want you criticizing every move i make." he looks to natalie, please back me up, but she shrugs.

"dads aren't always good people. i'm not sure i trust you with him, either."

the girls killed a bear.

"no," coach says, "jackie is right. this isn't some sort of gift from the forest. lottie isn't a prophet." van glares. "well how do you know, coach? you couldn't protect us from those wolves. lottie's amulet kept all my LIMBS attached!"

"she has schizophrenia, vanessa, not psychic powers." the room falls silent.

"is that true?" van asks gently.

"i-" lottie's voice catches in her throat. she starts crying, and just... sits there. it's a yes.

"SEE!" bill demands, pointing towards her, "she's just off her meds. she tried to kill my son yesterday, are we really going to pretend she's some... forest jesus?"

coach scott glares. "coach, that's... really fucked up. you don't just- out a kid like that."

"that kid," coach says, gesturing wildly to lottie, "almost killed my son because of her psychiatric problems! she's dragging the rest of them in, and i thought they ought to know she's crazy."

suddenly, the confrontation here isn't jackie vs everyone else. it's coach martinez vs lottie matthews...

"vanessa-" a core member of the group. if she changed her tune, that could sway all of them.

"lottie should have gotten to tell us that herself," van says firmly, "and hell, what if it's made up? what if she's... always been magic?"

bill turns to taissa. "come on, taissa. surely YOU don't believe this?" taissa refuses to make eye contact. he can't try mari, because she's been falling under lottie's spell for months. akilah, mari, misty- all lost causes.

"shauna?" he asks. shauna moves a little closer to taissa. he doesn't even bother asking coach scott. they've been drifting further apart for this entire time. he can't trust his assistant to back him up on ANYTHING.

that leaves jackie taylor, his team captain. the girl who, when they crashed, could have gotten those girls to move mountains. maybe she still has some of that left.

"captain?" he asks cautiously.

jackie is angry at a lot of things and a lot of people. she doesn't want to be here, and she knows that shauna doesn't love her and she knows the girls wouldn't side with her the way they are with lottie.

but she's still a YELLOWJACKET. "that was lottie's secret to share."

some of the tension left in the room dissipates. maybe, just maybe, if natalie were still here she could make a difference. he knows that travis has poisoned her against him to some extent, but she's not that easily led. even if she didn't like him revealing lottie's diagnosis, she's against their insanity enough that she might agree they need to be cautious- that it's important information to have, to make sure the girls don't lead them to becoming some sort of pagan forest cult.

but natalie isn't here. travis isn't here, to show whether he'd side with his father or with the girls who assaulted him, and javi certainly isn't. because he and travis and natalie are the only ones who have even thought about searching for their youngest member.

"fine," he says, "if you'd prefer to let the girl who gets visions thank the forest for you, go ahead. i'm going to go find my son."

he freezes to death in the woods that very night, just a hundred feet away from the cabin. travis and natalie find his body when they leave again that morning for the hunt, and even though travis didn't like him and things just got worse in the wilderness... he bawls. he takes his father's ring for javi, when they finally find him, and they let the rest of the group know what happened.

jackie thinks about the fight she was about to have, about how she might have... gone outside and slept there, just to prove a point. she talks to shauna about it instead of letting it boil. it's still not pretty, but she lives longer.

lottie has to deal with the prophet thing even more, since this conflict very explicitly got the coach killed. if she doesn't lean into it... what else is left?

[trulybetty]

october | 30 x seance

pairing: frankie x f!reader word count: 707 warnings: none, as always un-beta'd. summary: To figure out if there's a future for you and Frankie, you put some distance between the two of you. ao3: linked

{ x. series masterlist }

author note: prompts are not in chronological order, the story is told throughout the life span of the relationship. once all are posted, I'll post a list of the prompts in chronological order.

30 x Seance.

You stood on the familiar stretch of beach, the coastline of the Pacific Northwest at your feet, the cool breeze of the ocean brushing against your skin. The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing was steady and soothing. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the water and turning the horizon into a picturesque canvas that no camera could do justice.

You also weren’t expecting it to feel like home after years of being away.

This had been home in those first years with Frankie, where you’d first met and where you’d fallen in love. But that felt like a lifetime and too many moves to count ago now.

You’d told Frankie you needed distance. He’d nodded solemnly and said nothing even still when you told him you didn’t need a ride to the airport.

The subtle shifts in your relationship over the years had been easy to overlook amidst the chaos of deployments and recces, but now they were unavoidable, a bright neon sign unwavering. You couldn’t ignore it anymore, couldn’t pretend that things were the same as they’d always been.

You inhaled deeply, the salty air filling your lungs as you wrapped your coat tighter around you. Mayer would have loved this beach, picturing your German Shepherd bounding through the surf with unbridled joy. Both you and Frankie had often talked about bringing him here, letting him experience the freedom and exhilaration that this place offered. It was another plan that had been postponed, shelved alongside so many others over the years.

You picked up a smooth pebble and turned it over in your hand. You were never good at skipping pebbles. No matter how many times Frankie had attempted to teach you, you could never quite grasp the skill to do it.

As soon as you’d landed on the west coast you’d called Kat, your oldest friend, hoping for some clarity. That only talks into the early hours with someone who almost knew you better than you knew yourself and was removed from the situation could provide.

At three am, as you watched the digital clock of the motel you were staying in flip over, you’d laughed mirthlessly, a hollow sound to your ears, suggesting you needed some kind of spiritual intervention to figure out your next steps with Frankie.

“Maybe we should hold a seance to get some answers,” you had joked, half-serious, out of answers. “Because I sure don’t have a clue what to do.”

Kat offered a sympathetic smile, “Whatever you decide, just make sure it’s what you want. You deserve to be happy.”

You’d bit your lip as you picked at your nails, “We’ve been together so long.”

“That may be,” she replied gently, “But sticking with something, just because it’s what you’re used to, doesn’t always bring happiness,” Kat had finished softly.

You sighed, the ocean before you stretching out endlessly before you, the answer still felt elusive. The decision to put distance between you and Frankie, to head out west, hadn’t been easy, but it’d felt necessary. You needed space to untangle the knots that had formed over a decade of shared experiences, both good and bad.

The weight of unspoken words and unfulfilled promises sat heavy on your heart.

As you stood there, lost in thought, you almost didn’t notice your phone vibrating in your pocket. You hesitated, froze in indecision. Pulling it out, Frankie’s name illuminated the screen, the contact picture still the same one you’d attached to his number after that first date. Frankie, his arm around you, a glow from the swinging strings of light behind you, a wide smile on his face as he looks down at you, and not at the camera, full of admiration for you then, only weeks into knowing one another.

You’d lost count of how many times you’d ignored his calls over the last four days. Letting them go to voicemail. Your thumb hovered over the screen, torn between answering and leaving it for voicemail once again. The vibration stopped, leaving you staring at the increased missed call notification. It wasn’t long until your phone buzzed again with a notification you had an unplayed voicemail. It would stay unlistened to with the others.

[cbsghostsmetasandtrevor]

Saw the episode AND I took notes. 😁

*Thor chopping off Trevor's hand: 😲🤣

*No, Trevor didn't invite Carol, Sam emailed the wrong person.

*Wow, Carol died before the first commercial.

*Yeah, maybe Sam and Jay should have closed the door when doing a seance with a bunch of ghosts.

*Jay is a special guy. 🥰

*As Carol is interacting with the ghosts, their faces 😲😲😲

*Sam telling the ghosts not to talk to her because she doesn't want to appear crazy, as she talks to Carol AND definitely looks crazy.

*Carol and Pete see each other.

*Trevor not dealing with Carol's crap.

*Interesting how they explain what happened to Flower so that she doesn't have to appear. 🤨

*Which leads back to the original question: Who went to Heaven?

Next week looks interesting. Nancy and Carol fighting over Pete. 🤣🤣

Poor Trevor and his arm SLOWLY becoming whole again - Don't shoot the messenger, Thor.

OH GOOD. I was worried, I had to let the dog out and all I heard was Trevor something about emails and Sass asking if he was bragging. So I was like - that would be terrible, although it would explain trying to make up for it by yelling at Carol so much.

Carol dying so quickly so they can have Sam and the ghosts slowly figure it out...

Oh for sure - why do a seance with the door open????

LMAO, I loved that scene because they were so confused and it took them a second to like "get it".

TBF Carol was just alive like ten minutes before, but it is funny as fuck.

I really liked the reactions and them figuring it all out. It would be interesting if other ghosts were discovered that way instead of them all being there to witness it. It made it so much more interesting.

I do like Trevor being like a total lovable Ass to Carol. Because like, he probably has loyalty to Pete and sees it as defending his boy.

I do like how they dealt with the Flower thing without the actress having to be on screen.

For the last bit, a while ago, I was convinced it was Steph's BF, Ralph. Mainly because Crash says "I saw Steph sleeping away" no mention of Ralph. & that would work if they bring Steph back and she be pissed that her BF got sucked off while she was sleeping.

I really hope next episode is good for Pete, 'cause he was having a BAD day this time. Fuck, what's worse than your cheating ex dying and you have to deal with them permanently.

Side note - I actually had this idea for a Fanon ship and similar situation happening for Trevor, and I wonder if my predictions of how everyone would react (hopefully in support of their housemate) is correct.

ALSO I WANT PETE TO FUCKING LIGHT HER UP.

That is all.

Did you like it as much as I did?

[ladyintree]

Hey friend wanna talk about jackietai relationship 🎤

yes :)

I think their perspective of the other is heavily skewed from both sides.   I can't talk much about jackie's side other than what we see unfold in the narrative,  with her getting jealous of tai's closeness with shauna based on the fact that shauna is pulling away from her from some unknown reason (to her) and she seems to want to take that out on tai.   which isn't tai's fault,   and tai isn't close to shauna out of spite,  but it's clearly very skewed for jackie just as it's very skewed for tai's perspective of jackie,  too.   because a lot of thoughts tai has about jackie aren't necessarily real;   it's just what she's convinced herself of or what she's assumed about her.

because tai was not close to either of these people before the crash.   I think,  for the most part,  jackie as a person annoyed her.    she's not someone she would have wanted to hang out with regularly;   their personalities clash as it is,   and jackie's is one tai finds incredibly grating.   we see evidence of this before and after the crash.   she's already dreading whatever compliment jackie gives her at the party,  and she is just as surprised when it's something not only genuine,  but very personal,  because this was a day in which she was feeling insecure and worried about what she did to allie,   and jackie took her drive and reframed it,   telling tai there's something to be proud of,  which ultimately leaves tai feeling strange because she's not expecting that from jackie.  it doesn't really change her mind about her, though.   she's quick to belittle her in the wilderness when she suggests the seance and tell her she's being childish--   while also laughing when shauna suggests they do it, too,  making her reaction to jackie very specific to her and the way she was behaving / how she brought it up.  

tai sees jackie as this epitome of the perfect little privileged white girl.  she has always seen jackie as the girl who gets everything she wants   (  and it doesn't matter if that's true or not;  it's just the way tai perceives it.   )    the way tai sees it,   and the way that is true at least to some extent as we see from the conversation with martinez,   tai is the one who overexerts herself trying to go above and beyond to get what she wants / what she thinks she deserves,   while jackie gets it handed to her with little effort,  based solely on the fact that she's her.   jackie is framed as the popular girl who everyone likes while we've heard enough evidence to know that tai wasn't necessarily popular and wasn't exactly close with many of her teammates,  whether or not she was respected.  

I think jackie's talk with coach martinez is the most telling:   he outright suggests that she doesn't deserve to be the captain based on her abilities.   it's more of a strategy move based on her influence,   and in the same conversation,  he implies that tai would deserve it more for her abilities.  tai always wanted to be captain because she saw it was an honor + a sign of her being the best  (  which, like, isn't true for the captain title, but again, it's how tai views it:   she's the best player on the team so she should be captain.  )   when jackie's announced captain,   tai can't make sense of it other than the fact that she is once again losing to jackie because jackie gets everything handed to her without earning it.    and maybe she always didn't like her,   but this is the point where she actively starts resenting her for it and it becomes personal.   excluding her from the allie plan was done without hesitation;   she didn't trust her as a leader,   didn't trust her to not stop her,   she went behind her back because she knew it was the only way to get it done.   "jackie won't like this,"  tai does not care,  she's not a part of it for a reason.

the vote about going to the lake in episode 1x03 is an extension of this;   it's tai's chance to win something back.  it's her her way of proving once and for all that she was always meant to be the captain and jackie is wrong.   she takes pride in not only finding the water and giving them a sense of hope —  but equally just getting to win over jackie,   because she never feels like she gets to win over her back in civilization,  and it's refreshing,  like a sign that she can finally get somewhere out there.  we see this a lot in the wilderness —  tai feels more comfortable taking leadership roles because she doesn't feel like anyone's going to stop her this time.   back at home,  she was always stopped,  always told someone else deserved it over her despite her not believing it.  she does it with pride in the wilderness and it's clear that she has these leadership abilities that didn't get her very far in civilization,  but they're clearly influencing many people in the wilderness. 

she really doesn't trust jackie out there,   as evident with her either disagreeing with all of jackie's suggestions or getting frustrated with her lack of drive.   tai is the kind of person who needs to keep moving forward and keeping herself busy at all times in order to get to some kind of progress,   while jackie is clearly struggling to find her purpose out there,   and tai resents her for that.   when jackie still tries to reclaim that kind of leadership by suggesting things like the seance,   it only frustrates tai more because she feels like she doesn't take it seriously  (  even if jackie is 100% valid in her own fear and insecurity out there.  ) 

but despite everything,  she does care  about jackie,  even if she's not willing to show it all the time.   tai is one of the few people who tries to stop jackie from leaving the cabin before her impending death,   and she tries three different times  +  tries to urge shauna to talk to her later.  she's persistent about it even though 1) she's clearly on shauna's side,  and 2)  she's usually the last person to want to stick up for jackie.    maybe she could have done more to get her to stay  (  I think this is something that tai often thinks about herself  )  but I think she also realizes that tai is the last person,  especially in that moment,  that jackie wants to hear from.  jackie calls her out for wanting this the whole time because of her own skewed perspective,  assuming that tai and shauna buddied up to push jackie out,   but that was never what it was about for tai.   she and shauna weren't even friends before tai found out she was pregnant and became the only person shauna could really confide in,   the same way shauna was the only one tai could confide in after finding out about her sleepwalking.   they didn't intend to get so close,  it just happened,  in ways they couldn't possibly explain to anyone else,  including jackie,   so tai is mostly caught off guard when jackie's insistent that tai would've wanted to push jackie out.  because that was never her intention,  not with her best friend.

unlike the others,   tai has had months to process what shauna did to jackie.  when she found out,   she was more concerned about taking care of shauna than really considering the levels of betrayal against her best friend.   still,  she urged her to talk to her about it and to take that route rather than dying just to keep her secret.   tai was always trying to get shauna and jackie on the same page,  always trying to get them to work it out - but of course Jackie wouldn't have known that.   so when they actually do blow up,  it already felt inevitable to tai,  which is why she's at least trying to get jackie to stay because she knows it's not worth blowing up their friendship for,   but of course jackie isn't going to hear that from tai.  she just doesn't know how to reach her because she has never been the one to reach jackie.

her grief over jackie is incredibly complicated because she spends most of her time in the aftermath simply worried about shauna and how shauna's reacting.    you can't go through what she and shauna went through in episode 1x06 without being intimately bonded to each other for the rest of their lives,   and now shauna is experiencing the worst trauma she can imagine,  and tai is entirely focused on trying to keep her alive now.   it's too familiar to her after she felt responsible for van's almost-death and shauna was the one to help her through that too.    so,  really,  tai never properly grieves jackie herself,   doesn't even know how to process her own feelings for it  because she's too wrapped up in shauna's.   she didn't like jackie,  but she didn't want jackie to die.   she didn't want any of this.  it's complicated because for the first time,  she realizes she never really knew jackie personally;   everything she knew about her was just her own perception and assumptions,  and that's just something she has to live with afterwards.  everything she feels for jackie is just an extension of her care for shauna.

also important to me:  tai did not vote for jackie for homecoming queen. 

[assiraphales]

Okay okay but Imagine Buzzfeed Unsolved but instead of Ryan and Shane its Acd and Harry houdini the drama would be unreal

a historical mockumentary where a camera man (lugging literally the heaviest equipment that takes fifteen minutes to take a single picture) follows harry houdini as they travel the country crashing seances and bickering

[sophiasharp]

Magic Headcanons for the Papas

Part 3: Terzo

Part 1 | Part 2

Of all his brothers, he uses magic the most.

Now just saying that might make it sound like he’s just constantly shooting lightning out of his hands all Willy Nilly.

That isn’t entirely wrong but not nearly as much as you might think.

Because Terzo has two schools that he’s the best at: Evocation and Conjuration.

Evocation- magic focusing on the elements -is surprisingly useful for every-day life: lighting small fires, minor blessings, most forms of healing, creating magical light, sending short messages, that kind of stuff.

It just also so happens to be the type of magic that lets you shoot lightning from your hands and set fire to your enemies. Which Terzo does not get to indulge in nearly as much as he’d like. He does get to show off to his ghouls, though. We’ll get more to that in a sec.

Conjuration- magic that create or summons matter and energy -is a little less practical in every day life, but is extremely useful for his job as Papa.

For example, one of the more difficult forms of Conjuration is teleportation. The Abbey is a pretty damn big building to be able to hold the chapel, the offices, the dorms for siblings, the ghoul’s quarters, the ritual rooms, the library, you get the picture. Of course, you can walk from place to place, but when you have a meeting on one side of the Abbey and another on the other with, like, a 10 minute gap in between the two? Being able to just zoop to the right place immediately is extremely convenient, especially when you’re already emotionally exhausted and need a break.

It’s not always 100% accurate, however. There have been times where Terzo missed the mark and ended up crashing inside a storage room next to where he needed to be, having to put himself together right before walking in to meet the clergymen that definitely heard everything. Luckily he’s got enough charm to brush it off. Most of the time.

Conjuration is also the type of magic required for the ghoul summoning ritual, along with other demon summonings and seances. Terzo is uncannily good at it. They didn’t even know that was a ritual one could be good at; it was practically law that summonings are some of the hardest rituals to do and require a ridiculous amount of time and energy to perform. In most casual cases, these problems are surmounted by the addition of multiple casters, however a Papa is supposed to summon all his own ghouls himself, at least to start with. It normally takes a lot of time to do and results in exhaustion on the part of the Papa, hell- even Primo struggled when he did it. Meanwhile, Terzo’s record for fastest ghoul summon unassisted was Aether at a whopping 5 minutes.

The working theory for how this is possible is that his natural affiliation with evocation makes him more in touch with those creatures of elemental alignment down below. What’s more, his skill with the elements helped him understand and get to know his ghouls on a level that hadn’t been seen before. Sure, Primo was cordial with his and Secondo had a favorite or two (not that he’d admit it), but Terzo was the first Papa to become part of his ghouls’ pack.

Also, fun fact, but Terzo was the one to perform Dewdrop’s elemental realignment ritual. At first he was staunchly against the idea, but when he realized that Sister was gonna push it no matter what and that the alternatives were likely much worse, he finally agreed. Before the ritual, Dew admitted that “if it had to be anyone, I’m glad it’s you. I know you’ll make sure I’m alright

(In the canon where he and the rest of the previous papas are killed, the assassination happened while Dew was still early in the recovery stage and wasn’t quite lucid yet, meaning this was one of the last things he told Terzo before he died. Dew thinks about that conversation a lot and what he would of said had he known it would be the last time he’d see his Papa.)

Terzo’s magic is the least subtle of his brothers, sounding like rolls of thunder in the surrounding area- the more powerful the spell, the louder the crack of thunder. It doesn’t emanate form Terzo himself, which can give him some plausible deniability, but when you hear thunder round the Abbey and the weather forecast is all sunny skies, it’s pretty easy to put two and two together. No one complains all that much, though- it really adds to the spooky aesthetic they’re going for. Besides, who doesn’t love a little drama?

When his magic is visible, it takes on the appearance of electricity arcing through the air. We’ve all seen From The Pinnacle to the Pit, man’s is flashy as fuck. What can I say? It’s in his nature.

While all the Emeritus brothers are skilled at combative magic to some extent, Terzo is the most proficient of them, closely followed up by Primo. I mean, again, man shoots lightning from his hands, are we surprised?

[adventure-showdown]

What is your favourite Doctor Who story?

ROUND 2 MASTERPOST

synopses and propaganda under the cut

Psychodrome

Synopsis

Shortly after surviving the perils of Logopolis, Castrovalva and the machinations of the Master, the new Doctor and his new crew could be forgiven for wanting to take a breather from their tour of the galaxy. But when the TARDIS lands in a strange and unsettling environment, the urge to explore is irresistible... and trouble is only a few steps away.

The world they have found themselves in is populated by a wide variety of the strangest people imaginable - a crashed spacecraft here, a monastery there, even a regal court. And not everyone they meet has their best interests at heart.

With the TARDIS stolen and the very environment itself out to get them, the travellers face an extremely personal threat. They'll have to work as a team if they want to get out alive... but can you really trust someone you barely know?

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Camera Obscura

Synopsis

The Doctor sat alone and listened to the beat of his remaining heart. He had never got used to it. He never would. The single sound where a double should be. What was this new code hammering through his body? What did it mean? Mortal. No, he'd always known he could die. Not mortal. Damaged. Crippled. Through his shirt, his fingers sought the thick ridge of his scar. Human...

The Doctor's second heart was taken from his body — for his own good, he was told. Removed by his sometime ally, sometime rival, the mysterious time-traveller Sabbath. Now, as a new danger menaces reality, the Doctor finds himself working with Sabbath again. From a seance in Victorian London to a wild pursuit on Dartmoor, the Doctor and his companions work frantically to unravel the mystery of this latest threat to Time... Before Time itself unravels.

Propaganda

DESPAIR ACCORDS WITH REALITY BUT I INSIST ON HOPE!!!!!!! GOOD FUCKING BOOK IM UNWELL (anonymous)

[darlingdawnauryn]

My Most Memorable Spirit Encounter

I said in my pinned post that I haven't officially started studying death/spirit work, but that's not entirely true. Between watching Poltergeist for the first time, buzzing with anticipation on the way home from school because I knew A Haunting would be there waiting for me, and the general paranormal-leaning landscape of early/mid-aughts subculture (I plan to make a post about the latter), I was pretty obsessed with ghosts and spirits as a preteen and ready to dive in in whatever way I could -- and there weren't a lot of ways, since my mom forbade me from using Ouija boards, conducting seances, etc. But that doesn't mean I wasn't capable of doing something.

To start, I was a pretty emo, anxiety-ridden adolescent who'd already had a few near-death experiences under my belt. Though I'd in no way call myself a medium, I believe this thinned the veil for me, giving me the chance to come across things from the Other Side that my able-bodied peers wouldn't have happened upon so easily. Couple that with the layout of my bedroom, which had a walk-in closet and a glass door leading to a fenced-in sideyard that let in the cold during winter, not to mention the huge mirror connected to my vanity dresser, and it's a wonder my fucking around didn't lead to a finding out period where I accidentally opened a portal to hell.

My room was at the end of a sizeable hallway off the dining room; I don't know if it actually gave me the amount of privacy I remembered, but despite both my parents using the glass door to go out and smoke, I could basically lock myself in and remain undisturbed for hours at a time. This gave me the opportunity to try and contact whatever the fuck was in my room -- because despite being undisturbed, I never felt truly alone. I was always aware of a heavy presence, throughout the whole house but seeming to be concentrated in the place where I slept. Again, I blame the three doorways and giant mirror. At this point I'd tried everything I could, including a homemade pendulum and a lowkey, makeshift seance with my sister (which turned out to be a bust because she didn't take it seriously and turned it into a game). So one evening, when the atmosphere felt particularly weighted, I just decided to start talking.

"I know there's something in here. Can you make yourself known to me, please?"

Nothing. No creaks, groans, taps. It's also worth noting that I didn't know homemade boards were an option; for whatever reason, a pendulum that was just a necklace that belonged to my great-grandmother was common sense. But a homemade, hand-drawn Ouija board slipped my mind. (It also felt a little bogus, honestly. I wanted the real deal.)

"Please make yourself known to me. I just wanna talk."

I also had a tall dresser that wasn't a combination vanity, and since this was around 2007 I had a five-disc CD player with a speaker on either side. Nestled between the player and one of the speakers was my MP3 player, which I always took out of my backpack after school because my dad hooked me up with an aux chord and I thought it was the coolest thing. I always kept it plugged in, and when I wasn't using it, it was pushed into that impromptu cubby. This was at least six inches back from the edge of the dresser, meaning it was in no danger of falling off the thing.

It took a few more minutes of prodding on my part, but all of a sudden the MP3 player flew from the dresser. It didn't just fall -- it was launched from its hiding place with enough force to make the aux chord grow taut, creating some resistance that probably stopped it from crashing into the opposite wall and breaking. But it did end up landing on the floor.

Like I said, I didn't have a Ouija board and at the time I didn't know pendulum boards existed. I had no way of knowing if I'd contacted a ghost, a house spirit, something else, or if my hormone-addled brain concentrated energy in an already off-putting room and made something cool happen. The good news is, that's all it was. It never veered into dangerous territory and we moved out of state shortly after anyway. Still, I would've liked to know what I'd been talking to.

Since getting into witchcraft a little over a year ago, I've felt it almost necessary to find a mentor before actively practicing spirit work; obviously this is serious shit that takes a lot of energy, and I don't wanna irreversibly mess anything up, especially since I still live with people who aren't keen on spirit communication. But reliving this memory by typing it out has made me reconsider, at least a little: if nothing bad happened back then, when I didn't know nearly as much as I do now and had no protections in place, maybe I already have a better grip on this than I thought.

Feel free to share your own experiences/opinions in the replies!

[thatiranianphantom]

Nancy Drew Rewatch 108: The Path of Shadows

And so we arrive at an episode that Ace is technically in but also not in.

Thank GOD we only have 1 Laura episode left I think.

"It was Ace (and Laura but nobody cares about her)"

This totally not affected face:

I enjoy Lisbeth. She's also GORGEOUS. I wish she'd lasted longer.

The cops would have absolutely taken Ace's phone but then again, the cops have SO little to do with the solving of any crimes.

This text chain between Nancy and Ace kills me:

"Can you pick up bleach wipes?" "No."

"Great dress if it's you!" Counting that as a Nace moment.

McGinnis episode -> McGinnis disappears after this episode.

But a shout out for actual Indigenous representation with actual Indigenous actors. And this show being this show, I have no doubt they did their research.

The Bess Bus! Love this Nancy and Bess bonding time

And also this SUPER subtle Old Navy plug

This entire exchange where they sum up the last 7 episodes needed to be documented in its entirety:

Bess: Dead Lucy was on Nancy's phone video. We went to a medium to see what she wanted and then the medium freaked and vanished. George: Not like mystical vanished, she just skipped town. Bess: Right. Then there was this 70s throwback lady who applied for a job during the Nor'Easter storm. George: She also might have been dead. Not sure. Bess: But Tiffany Hudson's ghost definitely attacked me in a freezer right before she possessed George. Nick: And there was the antique coins that opened the door to a crowd full of spirits during the seance. Nancy: Yeah, I conducted it, with a crash course from Victoria. George: My mom's a clairvoyant, it's why she's a raging alcoholic.

I'm with Nick on the work = distraction. When I got the news my grandmother was dying, I walked into my boss' office crying and they told me I could go home, but I chose to stay. Then my tinies came in and covered me with hugs, so much better than going home alone.

Okay a small rant on Carson Drew: THE LIES. He could technically say he's telling the truth but it's like 1/4 truth. The lies by omission are MASSIVE and he spent SIXTEEN EPISODES lying to Nancy. And he only stopped because he got caught! This whole self-righteous "how dare you accuse me of this" doesn't really work when he spent almost an entire season lying to her.

We'll get into this near end of season but the umbrella justification of "I was trying to protect you" he uses to excuse so many of his own lies. Not buying it.

So, so much goes back to Thom for Ace.

But we finally get an age on Ace! He's 21 as of this episode.

Leah Lewis remains underrated, she's a great actress.

Thank you as usual to you, readers, and thank you to @middleagedresidentofriverdale for joining me for 108. See y'all for 109.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb:

From New York Times Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood... Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future… together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car crash, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press—the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn’t Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium—a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter…in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she’s haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn’t her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn’t her real name.

That’s when she finds the first body....

In this atmospheric, thrilling new ghost story, Kelley Armstrong's full talents are on display to thrill, chill and leave the reader guessing how Nicola escapes with her life--if she can.

Review:

A woman gets into a car accident with her husband who dies... and now seven months later she's determined to contact his spirit, even if it means facing the horrible ghosts of her own pasts and the literal entities out to get her. Nicola and Anton didn't get along in highschool but years later they meet again and get married, they are so happy together... but then they get into a fatal car crash that takes Anton and now Nicola is determined to talk to him once more and contact his spirit. Yet the moment their story went public many spiritualists contact her and none have proved to be real until a professor of parapsychology takes on her case and now at Anton's family beach house things begin to get spooky. Nicola and Anton have a dark past, a past that is filled with death and a terrible incident... and the more Nicola begins to get into the seance and the house, the more she begins to hear and see things, and the more the ghosts of her pasts begin to contact her... other angrier spirits... and it'll be up to her to figure out what is really happening and who is behind it. This was a spooky atmospheric mystery with tons of drama and one that I think would be a good spooky season read. Nicola is an unreliable narrator as she tries to figure out what is real and not and what her memories actually remember and with her dark past, it gives the story a ton of twists and turns as to what is actually happening. The mystery was okay and the ending just kind of came out of left field, but the start of the book was interesting!

Release Date: October 1,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*