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4lix · 6 years

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homecoming; lee felix.

oneshot; spiderman!felix word count: 4534 based off of the movie spider-man: homecoming although you don’t have to have any knowledge of the movie to read this! xx

the main thing that made this week terrible was the huge chemistry exam you had coming up, and lord knows you get nothing done with lee minho sitting next to you in that class. the boy could say anything and you two would be doubled over in laughter.

so you decide to spend the rest of your day at the public library, if you go home you know for sure you’re going to end up taking a nap and waking up an eternity later, and considering your grade at the moment, failing this exam was not an option.

by the time you’re done studying though, it’s nearing midnight, and exhausted is an understatement for how you feel. your eyes are ridiculously heavy and you broke curfew. you could already feel the headache your mother was going to give you.

you drag yourself out from the library, feet heavy as you walk towards the station.

the subway home is uneventful, the usual crowd of midnight travelers in queens, new york. it isn’t anything out of the ordinary for students to be lugging backpacks that weigh two tons on their shoulders during the dead of night.

your feet carried you home as they always did, the same routine. however the walk through the alleyway that absolutely scared you shitless even during the day was a million times worse at night.

you blink once and suddenly you’re pushed up against brick walls, a strong, calloused hand gripping your throat and closing around your neck, cutting off your oxygen.

“hello beautiful, i made a good catch today huh?” the man’s words are slurred, he reeks of alcohol, and you attempt to scream but he’s quick to muffle it with his other hand.

terrified, you begin kicking your limbs about in a futile attempt to free yourself, but the man kicks you with all his strength in the abdomen, causing you to fall limp in his hold.

you wince, squeezing your eyes shut as your ears are filled with his cacophonous laughter.

he grips at your hip, hand beginning to slide up your abdomen, you can feel your eyes burning with tears.

that is until you hear something whip past your face, a yelp in pain, and then the grip on your neck is suddenly gone.

opening your eyes, there’s absolutely nothing that could prepare you for the sight in front of you.

spider-man works hastily, already webbing a restraint around the perpetrator. once the man is restrained he quickly turns to you, hand immediately jumping towards your neck that is swelling slightly from the harsh actions of the drunk man.

“are you okay?” he asks with concern interlaced with each syllable, your heart is thundering in your chest, somehow the voice is familiar, but you can’t quite put your finger on it.

“y-yeah.. th-thank you.” you’re grateful for the darkness of the night, otherwise spider-man would very visibly see your face as red as a tomato.

“it’s nearly midnight, why are you out so late, it isn’t safe.” he scolds, helping you gather your belongings that fell to the floor.

“i-i was studying. i have a chemistry exam in a few days and i’m n-not ready for it.. i’m s-sorry for bothering you-”

“n-no i didn’t mean it like that, you aren’t a bother at all, this is my job anyway.” he says sweetly, and if you could see his face, you’d see the gentle smile he wears however his identity was a mystery, so the lilt in his voice was all you had to go by that he was being genuine.

“i love chemistry, one of my favorite classes actually my teacher always– let’s get you out of here, yeah?” he says, stopping himself before he gets carried away and exposes his identity.

you tilt your head at him in confusion, but don’t push for an answer.

he wraps his arm securely around your waist, whispers gently “hold on tight” before his webs extend out from his arm and hook onto the building above you.

you yelp in fear, shoving your face in his chest and he laughs.

“it’s okay, i won’t drop you. you’re safe with me.” he reassures, his grip was incredibly strong, probably because he’s a superhero and all, but you shake your head against his chest, refusing to look up.

“g-god a little warning would’ve been nice you know.” you whine and he laughs out a pathetic excuse for an apology.

“i’m going to need you to tell me where to go though, i don’t know where you live. trust me it’s not that scary, it’s actually really pretty.” he attempts to convince you, but it doesn’t work, you can’t feel the ground beneath your feet, your brain basically shut down from fear.

but he was right, he had no clue how to get you home.

leaving the safety of spider-man’s chest, you try to find the courage to look at the city below you.

it was terrifyingly gorgeous, swinging from new york’s concrete buildings, the lights reflecting against glass windows, everything was utterly breathtaking from this height, especially at night.

“it’s nice right?” he looks down at your face briefly, watching as the lights of the city shine against your eyes like stars.

“yeah, it’s, s-so pretty...”

spider-man can’t help but think you’re prettier.

when you finally reach your apartment, spider-man sets you gently down on your firescape. you decided to go through your bedroom window, so that you can at least pretend to be asleep so your mother won’t strangle you for coming home at this hour.

“don’t you have a bedtime spider-man?” you ask jokingly, and to your surprise he nods.

“i do actually, my mom would literally burst a vein if she knew where i was right now.” he laughs and you open your bedroom window, crawling inside and releasing a breath you didn’t realize you were holding in when your feet touched the floor.

“ground, at last.” you say and spider-man only laughs again.

“mr. spider-man–”

“please, call me spidey.”

“spidey.” you correct with a smile, “ i’m y/n. but, thank you, really.”

“well don’t mention it y/n, i’m your friendly neighborhood spider-man, it’s what i do.” he says his trademark, you can hear the smirk in his voice.

again, the voice, incredibly familiar yet all the while you had absolutely no clue who it belonged to.

before you can ask him why the hell his voice is so goddamn familiar he’s already latching onto the building across from your window and just like that his figure swings away into the night darkness.

you fall face first into your bed, screaming into your pillow and kicking your feet wildly.

spider-man just fucking rescued you.

spider-man just swept you off your feet and swung you from building to building.

grabbing your phone, you immediately open your messaging app, frantically retelling the story to minho who of course was still awake although it was nearly one in the morning.

he calls bullshit before telling you to go to bed.

the next day at school you just don’t shut up about it. telling everyone and anyone about what happened.

when chemistry comes by you grip minho’s arm, shaking it frustratedly whilst practically screaming in his face “it happened minho! i’m not lying!”

jisung looks at felix knowingly. he’s the only one who knows about his second life.

october was the worst month of the year. why you might ask? it was homecoming season.

all your friends ever talked about was homecoming, their dates, what they’re gonna wear, how many countless boys and girls asked them out, and you just sat there, eating your potato chips with a bemused expression on your face.

“y’know if you stopped waiting for spider-man to swing down on a web again and sweep you off your feet maybe you’d actually have a date. you can go with us as a group if you want, consider it charity.” your friend nudges you, the girl wears a stupid grin on her face because the most popular guy in school asked her to be his date, so here she was with her ego all inflated trying to rub salt in your wounds.

“yeah no, i’d rather go to homecoming with mr. jyp than third wheel with you and that cocky bastard.”

“yikes, i’m right here y’know.” he reminds and you ignore him, stabbing your food angrily.

“shut up, asshole.”

“and you wonder why no one asks you out with a personality like that-”

“i can get a date easily if i wanted to!”

“then get one and quit complaining all the time.” he counters back.

“maybe i will!”

“good luck! you can’t pay them either, although i can’t think of any amount of money that would be worth spending a minute with you-”

“look here you little fucking shit-”

“y/n..” your friend puts her hand over yours, which was turning bright red from the death grip you had on your fork, loosening your fingers. “he’s just messing with you, calm down.”

“i’m leaving.” is all you say before picking up your backpack and walking away from the table, making sure to swat him with your backpack on the way out, he flips you the bird in response.

because of your fit of anger, you don’t notice the pair of eyes that has been watching you this whole time, not even as his eyes follow your silhouette as you exit the cafeteria.

lee felix stares at you admiringly from afar practically everywhere you go. he’s practically failing chemistry because he can’t keep his eyes off of you, but luckily he’s practically einstein so he doesn’t really need to pay much attention anyways. you sit next to minho in chemistry, the school’s heart throb and also your best friend. he’s funny, charming, and everything lee felix wishes he could be.

it’s bittersweet to see you laughing so happily at the boy he envied the most. he hopes one day he could make you laugh and smile like that.

the good thing about minho was he was gay as fuck.

currently in a relationship with some boy from a private school in upstate new york, bang christopher? something like that.

not many knew of his secret, but you did. felix certainly didn’t, he thought you and minho had a thing actually. which was another reason he never bothered to shoot his shot when it came to claiming your heart.

jisung just calls felix a chicken, even throwing in some obnoxious bocking sounds. if minho wanted you, he would’ve had you a long time ago.

and yeah that made sense, but felix needed to hold on to some excuse as to why he wouldn’t ask you out.

in reality he was just really insecure, scared that you would think he’s too lame or something to date you.

in chemistry you immediately confide in minho for support about what occurred during lunch, how your friend’s date riled you up and you look at minho sadly before asking,

“am i really that unlikable?”

minho bursts into laughter at the question, after a while he covers his mouth to suppress his giggles, feeling a bit guilty.

felix’s heart collapses in on itself, if only you knew how fucking incredible you were. he wanted in that moment to march up to minho, punch him in the face, grab you by the face, and kiss the living shit out of you, maybe then you’d know how likeable you were.

“wow thanks, remind me to never ask you for advice ever again.”

“n-no i’m sorry! it’s just, i’m the worst person to ask y/n.” minho says between fits of laughs and you just roll your eyes at him.

only you knew he was gay, which was kind of hilarious and maybe if you weren’t so sensitive you would’ve laughed too, but your ego was hurt regardless.

“who knows maybe spider-man will ask you out to hoco.” minho jokes light-heartedly, and at that felix’s head snaps upwards, jisung only snorts at how obvious he’s being.

“if only, right? he’s the only guy for me, y’know why i haven’t had a boyfriend yet?”

“because you’re waiting for spider-man.” minho finishes knowingly.

“yup, my one and only.” you say dreamily, minho nudges you before shaking his head, a small laugh leaving his lips, “you’re embarrassing.” this time you laugh with him.

felix on the other hand, has a face burning red and a heart hammering in his chest.

this is his chance.

“y’know if you just tell her you’re spider-man she’d even say yes if you proposed let alone asked her to homecoming.” jisung says to a still flustered felix, school already ended and it’s been hours since chemistry but his heart was still going haywire.

you unknowingly liked him... indirectly, you were in love with lee felix.

“i-i mean yeah, but she likes spidey, not me.” felix reminds bitterly, shoving his textbooks into his backpack before slamming his locker shut.

“in case you forgot, you’re the same person.”

“not really, spider-man is… spider-man. i’m.. felix.”

“that made zero sense?”

“yeah yeah shut up and let me be insecure okay.”

jisung doesn’t bug him further on the matter.

spider-man pays you a visit frequently, much to your liking. his stops were nice, whether it be him offering you help with chemistry or when he got a bit too injured during combat and decided to stop by for some help.

the first time he ever stopped by for medical assistance he was roughed up pretty bad. it was late, nearing midnight, and you could tell his face was bloody, if the crimson seeping through the fabric of his mask was anything to go by.

“c-can i take off your mask?” you asked gently and he vigorously shakes his head.

“u-uh not a g-good idea. mr. stark will kill me.” he says adding an awkward chuckle at the end.

“but you’re bleeding, how am i supposed to help you?”

“just being here is helping, i just needed a rest stop y.n.” he reassured.

he did it often. just stopping by, talking with you on your fire escape. you enjoyed his company, your mother didn’t like it all too much when you had friends over, especially guy friends so you can’t imagine how she’d feel about a superhero paying a visit.

somehow you had so much in common, so much you could talk about.

“who’s your favorite avenger?”

“definitely not spider-man. oh wait, you aren’t even an avenger.” you tease and he puts his hand to his chest in mock offense.

“well then, it appears that’s my cue to get going-”

“i’m joking idiot.” you grab his arm, pulling him back down.

“my favorite superhero has always been spider-man, i’ve been like, obsessed with you since you saved the decathlon team on the broken elevator.. that.. was insane.” your eyes unknowingly glimmer with admiration and felix feels his heart stutter.

“o-oh th-that was nothing.” he stutters and there’s something about that stutter that just eats away at your memory.

“spidey, this might sound crazy, but do we know each other? like, not as spider-man, as your normal form?”

fuck, he’s been caught.

after a few moments of hesitation, he finally comes up with his genius idea to avoid the question.

“y-yes mr. stark?” he suddenly holds his finger to his ear, pretending to be receiving intel from headquarters.

“ah yes you need me over right away? okay, i’ll be right there.” he heaves a sigh, putting his hand on your shoulder.

“sorry love, duty calls.” he blows you a kiss before swinging away and the conversation ends then and there.

your face burns a bit at the pet name.

school was the same, nobody believed you and spider-man were friends, and the topic eventually became old news as excitement for homecoming was in full swing.

in chemistry you’re assigned a group to work with for your lab, minho, jisung, and felix being your teammates. you didn’t mind felix and jisung, they didn’t talk much and kept to themselves most of the time, so you assumed it would be an easy assignment to get done efficiently thanks to your intelligent group members (minus minho).

however the moment you carry your textbook and notes over towards felix’s table, the boy avoids eye contact with you like the plague, his face a vibrant crimson.

“you okay?” you ask worriedly, felix clears his throat awkwardly before nodding furiously.

“don’t mind him.” jisung says, patting his back comfortingly.

“he’s just not good with girls– fuck!” jisung winces, glaring over at felix who sends him a death glare.

“o-okay then. uh, minho is grabbing us goggles, did you guys write out your hypothesis yet?” you attempt to change the conversation and felix nods, not trusting his voice to speak without stuttering.

“could i read it?” you ask, eyes not leaving felix’s, the boy makes the mistake to look up, and his eyes immediately meet yours.

“u-uh y-yeah h-here.” he hands it over to you, hand shaking like crazy.

you take the paper for him.

“um.” you mumble awkwardly.

his sheet was covered in your name in various fonts, all surrounded by hearts. you bite your lip to suppress the laugh you can feel climbing up your throat.

felix seems to realize what exactly you’re referring to and he snatches his paper away from you hastily, crumbling it up before shoving it in his mouth.

“what the fuck.” minho says blankly, dropping the goggles on the table, wondering just what in the world he just walked into.

you meet eyes with jisung, and the both of you just erupt into laughter, gripping your stomach helplessly and felix just shoves his head down on the table, hiding his cheeks although his ears still poke out, visibly showing his flusterment.

nobody mentions what happened for the rest of the class period, and felix practically keeps his eyes glued to his paper the entire time, not looking up for a moment, and you feel kind of bad.

felix was nice, and he was actually pretty cute. you just didn’t know much about him, since he was too scared to ever talk to you.

it isn’t until the bell rings signaling the end of class does he weakly call your name, eyes still glued to the floor.

he adjusts his backpack strap awkwardly, clearing his throat.

“i-i’m s-sorry a-about that… i- s-sorry if that made you f-feel.. um.. uncomfortable or s-something.” he groans internally at how pathetic he sounds and you smile kindly at him.

“it’s okay, you didn’t make me feel uncomfortable, i’m flattered actually.” you tell him reassuringly and that seemed to give him enough courage to look up at you, the corners of his lips turning upwards slightly.

“i-” he starts, but doesn’t get to finish, minho grabbing you by your backpack and lugging you out the room.

“i gotta piss come with me.” he says, ignoring your complaints as he drags you away, leaving a very sullen felix behind, his shoulders falling in disappointment.

he was going to ask you to homecoming.

“what the hell minho i was in the middle of talking to him. and i can’t even get into the guy’s bathroom you dumbass.” you complain, rubbing at your shoulders in pain.

“i just did you a favor.” he says, crossing his arms.

“the hell do you mean?” you ask in confusion.

“the little loser was going to ask you to hoco, i just stopped a disaster from happening.”

“you’re an asshole.”

the air conditioning in your bedroom wasn’t the best, and although it was october it was still quite warm in new york. so you frequently left your window open, just slightly, albeit, enough for an upside down spidey to shout boo! and scare the ever living shit out of you from your window when you’re exhausted from school, you nearly have a heart attack.

he laughs obnoxiously, and you give him the angriest glare you can muster.

grabbing the scissors on your desk, you walk over towards your window.

with one flick of your wrist you snip the webbing keeping him up, now it was your turn to laugh as you watched him fall down the countless stories of your apartment building.

i mean it would be really fucked up if it was anyone else, but it was spider-man, so it only took him seconds to get ahold of reality and latch onto the building again.

he holds that against you for what feels like an eternity.

like when he knocks at your window at two in the morning, and when you scream at him to fuck off and let you sleep he guilts you by reminding you of your heinous crimes.

“remember that day you tried to kill me, y/n? yeah, now open the door before i file a police report, it’s freezing outside.”

you look at him through the window, sticking your tongue out at him mockingly.

“aw little spider-man is scared of a high schooler now? you can take down big bad guys like the vulture but when it comes to me you have to run to the police to protect you?”

“the vulture isn’t even half as scary as you.”

“i know.” you say with a devilish smile, opening the window to your bedroom regardless.

he jumps right in, immediately plopping down on your bed.

it’s weird that this was your normality now. having spider-man laying on your bed.

“i’m so tired, and i have a test tomorrow morning.” he whines. and you tilt your head at the information.

“for what class?”

“chemistry.”

“oh. i do too.”

it’s silent for a while, until spidey clears his throat to cease the awkwardness of unsaid words.

“it’s homecoming season right? you’re going right?” he asks, although he kind of has an idea about your predicament thanks to his eavesdropping in chemistry.

“actually, no. nobody has asked me.” you sigh hands falling in your lap as you take a seat beside the superhero on your bed.

“nobody asked you? how come?” he asks, pretending to be surprised as if he doesn’t hear your whines and complaints every single day to minho.

“i dunno.. i guess i’m just really unlikeable.” you mumble, he immediately sits up, turning to face you.

“not true at all, and i’m sure there’s plenty of people that would love to go with you.” he nudges your shoulder, “don’t say mean things about yourself, y/n. you’re amazing.”

“thanks spidey, i mean, i think this boy in my chemistry class today was going to ask me, i found out he’s had a crush on me this whole time, but minho, the little shit pulled me away before he could ask.”

spider-man swallows, his heart stuttering for a moment.

“y-yeah? how did you find out he likes you?” he’s truthfully amazed his voice hasn’t failed him considering the rate in which his heart is racing.

“he doodled my name all over his notes.. it was really.. cute actually.” you admit, your cheeks blushing a bit at the memory.

“he’s nice, but, i dunno. i don’t think he’s going to ask me, homecoming is in two days, if he was, he would’ve by now. so i either go alone and third wheel with minho or just don’t go at all.” you sigh in defeat, before suddenly getting struck with a genius idea.

“unless you want to take me, spidey.” you tease jokingly, but spider-man is quick to reject the idea.

“no no no, you wouldn’t want to go with me.” he shuts down the idea immediately.

“what makes you say that huh?”

“well, i mean, if you knew who i really was, i don’t think you’d like me.”

“you don’t know that.”

“yeah i do, y/n.”

“regardless of whoever is under that mask i still like you, i’m not shallow, spidey.” you say earnestly, your hand reaching up towards his mask. he pulls away from your touch.

“y-you like me?”

oh shit.

“uh.. w-what-”

“you just said you’ll still like me, y/n.” he can’t tell if he’s happy or upset about it.

i mean, you have a crush on him, but technically it’s someone else at the same time. he can’t tell if this is a win or a loss.

“okay, fine. i like you. but so do thousands of other people so it doesn’t really matter.” you say bitterly.

“well, geez, didn’t realize i was that popular with the ladies.” he says cheekily and you flick his forehead, causing him to wince.

“is this how you treat the boy you love?” he fake cries, holding his forehead in pain.

“oh shut up, i didn’t even hit you that hard.”

“my forehead is throbbing, it’s probably red.”

“okay well let me see it then.” you attempt to reach up towards his mask again, but he dodges your touch again, grabbing your wrists.

“n-no y/n. i can’t.” his tone turns serious, looking at you earnestly through his mask.

“why not? do you not trust me?”

“i do trust you, you’re just, going to be disappointed.”

“i promise you i won’t. please?” you try again, and he heaves a sigh before loosening the grip on your wrists.

carefully sliding your fingers beneath the edge of his mask, you lift the fabric gently and slowly, your heart pounding in your ears.

you’re greeted to warm brown eyes, disheveled honey colored hair, and freckles you know belong to only one boy.

“f-felix?” maybe it’s the shock of it all, or maybe you’re just relieved, but you instantly cup his jaw, rubbing his cheek gently.

“y-yeah. you’re disappointed aren’t you?” he says dejectedly and you immediately shake your head.

“not at all.. i-i’m.. i’m happy it’s you.” you admit finally making eye contact with him, eye to eye, and neither of you are sure who leans in first but before you can process anything your lips are pressed against one another desperately.

immediately your hand falls into his hair, tangling within the tresses, gripping at them when he presses harder against your lips, his tongue slipping past them and entangling around yours.

he pulls you down against your bed, you wrap your legs around his waist, pulling him as close as possible.

it’s felix. lee felix. this whole time.

things get heated, but then immediately goes back to being silly when felix accidentally bumps your teeth against one another causing him to wince against your lips in pain. he pulls away, laughing into your neck and you just shake your head at him in disbelief.

“you’re so stupid. i-i can’t believe it’s you.”

resting his forehead against yours, he just gives you a lopsided smile, his eyes forming into pretty crescents.

“are you disappointed or happy that it’s me?”

“are you joking. i just kissed the life out of you and you’re asking me if i’m disappointed?” you give him a dumb look and he just laughs again, his cheeks turning that familiar pretty shade of red.

“well then, go to homecoming with me?” he asks hopefully, a stupid smile on his face.

you lean forward and peck his lips quickly before pulling away.

“well how can i say no to spider-man?”

[ if you enjoyed this feedback is always extremely appreciated! my askbox is open as always! happy halloween! xx ]

psst.. double update for halloween ... stay tuned hehehehehheh

- vivienne 🎃

#lee felix #lee felix imagines #lee felix scenarios #lee felix requests #stray kids #stray kids scenarios #stray kids imagines #stray kids requests #spider-man #spider-man homecoming #spider-man kpop #spider-man felix #spider-man stray kids

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warpedtourniall · 5 years

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17. u pick the ship

:/ what if :/ more grungy nyc au (17 is “things you said i wish you hadn’t” lol u love to encourage my angst)

Louis doesn’t even change into street clothes after work, just heads out the Met service entrance and directly into the Park, still in his waistcoat and everything.

It’s the sort of verdant afternoon, after the lunch service, that makes Louis feel a thousand threads of possibility, silky in his fist. He makes a left down the path towards seventy-ninth. On a less beautiful afternoon he might take the train down to meet Liam, but it’s rush hour underground and the sunlight up here is gauzy and weightless, birds in the trees, kids shouting and laughing on the lawn. Louis undoes his tie as he legs it across the seventy-ninth street transverse, where horses are ambling along towing carriages.

The five of them - and dozens of their classmates - moved down to the city from Purchase right after graduation, and since then they’ve scattered like sand. Apart from Liam, Louis hardly sees any of them. Zayn’s sharing a cavernous loft in Bushwick, parceled with crumbly drywall into barely private rooms. His living room’s got a quarter-pipe skate ramp built inexplicably into it and three spoiled cats running rampant.

Niall has inherited a room in a rent-controlled apartment on the lower east side: the apartment’s been the home of broke Purchase alums for years - not even Niall seems to know who’s on the original lease. There’s a small back patio affectionately nicknamed “the swamp” which is accessible only via Niall’s bedroom window, and which despite Niall’s efforts towards cleanliness has maintained a consistent frill of cigarette butts and beer caps over its concrete surface. It’s sketchy as hell.

Harry is shacked up in Washington Heights with a ballet dancer and an aspiring Broadway star - Louis can’t remember which ones, their graduating class had such a selection. Their apartment is a fifth floor walkup, and every time Louis is invited over for dinner he has to mentally weigh the benefit of a meal cooked by Harry, which is likely to contain a vegetable and a protein as well as some sort of seasoning, to the detriment of climbing so many stairs after a day spent waiting tables.

Liam and Louis, for lack of other close friends, had ended up in Long Island City, in the basement apartment of a little brownstone off twenty-first, just the two of them. Their last anxious weeks of school spent house-hunting had felt like they might never lead to anything. They were young, and poor, and nobody had wanted to offer them a lease without someone more reliable to cosign. Then Liam had gotten the job he has now, and his salary and adequate credit score had allowed him to sign a lease and, humiliatingly, guarantee Louis’ half as well.

He still has a half hour until Liam’s out of work, so Louis takes himself through the Ramble. There’s a spot - if he can find it - just past the big black tupelo tree, where - yes, that’s it. Louis stands perfectly still and looks up. He’s surrounded on all sides by green foliage, a dappled canopy of leaves. It’s the only spot in the whole of New York City where he can stand outdoors and turn in any direction he pleases without seeing buildings.

Louis has one glorious moment of feeling completely alone before a couple barrels past him on the path, too loud, making each other laugh the way people only laugh when they’re newly in love and would rather be doing something else.

What a shame, Louis thinks, to be at ground zero of gay sex in Manhattan and to be alone admiring the birds and the foliage.

Louis takes a moment to shuck his waistcoat and crumple it up into his bag. He undoes his shirtsleeves and shoves them up to his elbows. It isn’t much, but it does help. He feels marginally less like what he is: a waiter with a forty-thousand dollar arts degree and nobody to kiss.

Maybe Liam will be up for drinks after work, or something. Louis has been stuck on dinner service for weeks, and they keep missing one another.

He makes his way out of the ramble, past the lake and the benevolent figure of Bethesda fountain, and then hurries himself up some. He’s always getting sidetracked when he cuts through the park - none of the paths seem to want to take him where he’s going with any sort of efficiency. It is beautiful, though: families carrying kites and bubble wands and picnic blankets; young lovers holding hands; under their feet the soft palm of the earth. Louis takes a winding dirt path and ends up exiting the park just north of Columbus Circle, only a few minutes late. He can see Liam down the block, handsome in a discount suit Louis had pitched in to get tailored when Liam had been offered his job.

Liam, the only one of the lot of them who’d landed a job at least slightly in his field, doing glorified party planning for the city’s foremost jazz organization. Louis doesn’t know if he’s more proud or jealous. Maybe he ought to just be grateful.

Liam sweeps him up into a big, crushing hug when he sees him. They’re both overdressed, and even as the buildings around them empty and the sidewalk floods with men and women in suits, in breathable silk blouses, in oversized sunglasses and comfortable sneakers incongruous with the rest of their outfits.

“Home?” Liam asks, and Louis nods.

The train is so crowded that they end up squished together against just inside the train car, nearly toppling out at every stop when the doors whoosh open behind them. Liam puts a hand on Louis’ waist to steady him, and the train empties out substantially just before it crosses over into Queens and Louis gets smooshed into an empty seat, Liam standing over him. When the two of them emerge, blinking, into the late afternoon sun, it gilds the buildings in burnt oranges and venetian pinks. Everything - the buildings, the leaves on the trees, one another’s hair - is limned in golden light.

“Let’s go to the bar,” Louis says, turning and smiling at Liam. He’s exhausted, they both are, but he doesn’t want to go home and sacrifice the rest of the evening to inertia. It’s beautiful out, and they’re young, and he has tips in his pocket waiting to be spent on somebody else. “I’ll buy you a drink, anything you want.”

Fifteen minutes later they’re ensconced at a corner table on the back patio of their favorite neighborhood bar. It’s an overlong golden hour; the Manhattan skyline just visible from their table is a romantic and familiar shape. Liam is crushing a maraschino cherry into the bottom of his glass with a cocktail straw, smiling to himself.

“What’s with you?” Louis says, tilting his head to catch Liam’s eye and smiling at him. “Been all distracted all evening.”

In all honesty it’s just nice having him there. The farther flung his friends have become, the more Louis clings to Liam, finds comfort in his reliable presence.

“It’s nothing,” Liam says, still smiling in that way that means he’s trying to keep a straight face. “It’s just - you know that girl at work who does the saxophone seminar at jazz academy?”

Louis does; he keeps a mental catalogue of all Liam’s coworkers, so when they catch up at the end of the day he’s not stuck asking who the principal characters are over and over. This saxophonist is also a recent graduate, a performance major at Carnegie Mellon and new to the city. “Esperanza?” he asks Liam.

“Yeah.”

As the sun sets beyond the skyline, a barback comes around to light the citronella candles at the center of each outdoor table, and Liam is prevented from going on for a moment, so caught up is he in saying thank you.

“Anyway,” Liam says. He clears his throat, then drains the rest of his drink. “She asked me down to Fat Cat this weekend, like a date, so.”

“Oh,” Louis says. He finishes his own beer and points at Liam’s empty glass. “Another?”

It’s a moment later, leaning against the bar and watching a bartender muddle sugar cubes in the bottom of a rocks glass that he registers quite what he’s feeling: it’s disappointment, as cold and solid as an ice cube.

He accepts their drinks and, making his way back outside, puts his mouth to the edge of Liam’s glass; takes a sip. It’s sweet and whiskey-warm. He sets it down in front of Liam and takes his seat across from him, already sorting out the face he’ll need to wear to get through the next question:

“So start at the beginning. What exactly did she say?”

#lilo #mj.txt #THANKS LOL IDK IF THIS IS ANY GOOD #dinoflangellate

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sherlock-nanowrimo · 5 years

Text

Been brainstorming this Grease AU today. I posted a revised cast list the other day:

Sherlock - Danny

John - Sandy

Molly and Irene – Kenickie and Rizzo

(I know what you’re thinking - Molly as Kenickie? But it’s perfect. They both like working in body shops.)

Janine and Mary - Frenchy and Doody

Greg and Mycroft - Putzie and Jan

Sally and Anthea - Sonny and Marty

Elizabeth Smallwood - Principal McGee

Anderson - Coach Calhoun

Mrs. Hudson - Vi

Moriarty – Balmudo/Cha Cha

And I would add to it:

Sarah - Patty Simcox/Tom Chisum

Anyway, some of the ideas I had:

Obviously I can’t truly make it a musical, instead I would just have scenes that evoke the messages of the songs.

Also, since these are gay couples, I don’t plan for them to fit the traditional T-Bird/Pink Lady roles. I would mix it up a little. Also, this is set in the same time period as Grease, but with views on sexuality more similar to today.

John and Sherlock meet over the summer and have a good time, maybe even solve a case together, then go their separate ways. When school starts again, Sherlock tells the others about the guy he met. They assume it’s a romance and he doesn’t set them straight (heh). John is telling his new acquaintances about this super cool dude and their fun platonic adventures, totally insisting that he’s not gay.

Irene realizes he’s talking about Sherlock and makes plans to have them meet at the pep rally.

Now, while Sherlock may hang out with a lot of people that seem drawn into his orbit, he doesn’t do friendship and sentiment. He’s built his entire reputation on not caring. The thing with John was...unexpected, a one-off. When they meet at the football game, he’s initially thrilled. But then the others look at him incredulously. Sally wonders aloud how he got a friend. Sherlock scoffs that he doesn’t have friends. John is hurt and storms off.

Janine asks her cousin John to bring something by her house as a favor, and some folks are having a sleepover. They say it’s obvious he’s bi and in denial, talking about how he’s lousy with heteronormativity. Teasing that he’d be yelling at Elvis to keep his pelvis away. Telling him that he shouldn’t fight it - pointing out that even Rock Hudson lost his heart to another man.

John joins the rugby team and starts dating Sarah. Sherlock tries to join a sport to get his attention, annoying Anderson with various attempts until he settles on track. He’s used to running after bad guys, but realizes he has to quit smoking.

John forgives Sherlock when Sherlock admits that he is the only friend he really has, and they go out to Mrs. Hudson’s diner and end up hanging out with the others.

Everyone goes to the dance, and they are all doing the hand jive, and Sherlock is wondering if this is a date while John just thinks they are there as friends. But then Moriarty sweeps in to lure Sherlock into dancing for the contest with him. John is way more upset seeing them dance together than he should be if they were just friends.

John’s jealousy has Sherlock thinking he has a chance with him, and he puts the moves on John at the drive in. John has a sexuality crisis and storms off.

Molly gets set to race Moriarty at Thunder Road, but Moriarty arranges for her to hit her head so that Sherlock has to take her place.

Seeing the danger that Sherlock put himself in with the race makes John realize that he is in love with Sherlock.

At the end of the year festival, Sherlock is wearing his letter jacket and tells the others that John’s friendship means too much to him and he will do what it takes to keep him, even if it means he has to play the jock and go out to the pub and have a pint as bros.

Meanwhile, Moriarty shows up one last time to try and put the moves on Sherlock. He does something dangerous, and John -wearing a leather jacket and slicked back hair - punches him and knocks him out cold. Then he loudly tells Sherlock in front of everyone that he needs a man, and that he’s the one that he wants.

#johnlock #grease au

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kaspbroughed-blog · 6 years

Text

Soulmates

Part 2/? Ships: Kaspbrough, Stozier, maybe more in the future idk Trigger Warnings: Beware...this is kind of cute.

After Eddie said goodbye and went inside his shared apartment with Richie, he put away his leftovers and got ready for bed, despite the fact it wasn’t even 9 o’clock yet. He curled up in bed and turned his TV on, deciding to find some cheesy movie on one of his many movie providers. Despite his protest of love, he put on Love, Actually, and fell asleep thinking about the tattoo on his best friend’s arm. The tattoo was small, a black bird. Richie had stated his arm had been burning for a few days, which Eddie had seemed to ignore, despite the fact that was usually the number one sign that your soul mate was nearby.

As Eddie begins to fall asleep, his right arm begins to tingle, but by the morning time, it’s been forgotten.

Eddie wakes up around 8 AM the following morning and begins his daily routine. He doesn’t bother brewing any coffee, because he knows Richie wasn’t going to be there ; he knew this even before Richie texted him that night, informing him of just that. Eddie doesn’t drink much coffee, anyways. For the most part, the only time he really drinks coffee is when he makes it for Richie or at his job – otherwise, he probably wouldn’t even think to make any. Instead of getting coffee, he brews up himself a hot cup of green tea and makes some toast. When the toast pops, he lathers an unhealthy amount of butter on it and proceeds to pour sugar over top of the toast.

The first time he did that, Richie looked at him like he’d been insane.

( “What are you doing, Eds? That cannot be healthy!” “It’s not,” Eddie replied with a blank look on his face. “But when you have a mother like mine, you would also want to relish in anything and everything sweet when you get the chance.”

Richie never mentioned anything about it again. )

After breakfast, Eddie got his day officially started. It was Saturday, which, with all intent and purposes, meant that the Café on Campus would be closed – it was only open during the week days. Eddie tried sleeping in on Saturdays and Sundays for this reason, but discovered that it was nearly impossible, due to their upstairs neighbors, whom had a two year old child that woke up at 7:30 AM on the dot every morning. Richie somehow seemed to sleep through it, whereas, Eddie could not.

He dressed in a bright pink polo ( “You know, Eddie, everyone knows you’re gay. You don’t need to show it off so much,” Richie teased him countless times for his attire. ) and khaki shorts with his worn black and white converse. Richie made fun of him, saying he’s been wearing the same things since they were in high school and Eddie usually didn’t react very kindly to it. Although… he wasn’t all that far off. Eddie wore the same size of shoe since he was sixteen years old and probably didn’t grow that much in height or weight since then. Bullies in high school called him a twink, which, at the time, he found highly offensive because he hadn’t yet come out to anyone – how could he when Sonia Kaspbrak put her nose up to anything that didn’t fit her views in life? Luckily, having Richie as a best friend, meant those bullies often got their faces smashed in – though, Richie rarely left without a bruise or two himself.

Once he was ready, teeth brushed, hair combed, all the necessities for the day, Eddie set out to the library. He had an exam on Thursday and despite the fact it was Saturday, he found it was necessary to begin his studying right away. Plus, the school library was usually barren of students on the weekends, so he always managed to settle in as quietly and as invisible as possible.

Today was different, though.

When Eddie arrived to the library, there was a new face greeting him at the front desk. He was a tall boy, with dark hair that seemed to glisten red in direct lighting – damn, Eddie was blown away.

He approached slowly, his nerves shaking him up and he has to turn away to pull his Inhaler from his trusty Fanny Pack, punching it into his mouth, and clicking it a few times. Eddie knows it isn’t his asthma that’s sparking up, but his anxiety, yet it helps calm him down regardless. When he finds he’s gathered enough, he finishes his trek to the front desk and offers a small smile to the boy standing there. Eddie failed to realize that this boy had been watching him the entire time.

“Y-you o-okay?” The boy asked, concern sweeping his features when Eddie paused at the desk. Eddie was about to ask him what he meant, when the boy answered it for him and motioned towards the Inhaler still in Eddie’s hands.

“Oh. Um, yeah, sorry – sometimes I just get a little overwhelmed. It was a long walk.” Now that Eddie is closer, he can see the freckles littering the boy’s features, bright blue eyes startling him so much that he has to release another breath he hadn’t been aware he’d been holding.

The boy doesn’t seem to notice – either that or he chooses to ignore it, for Eddie’s benefit.

“Have you always gone to this school?” Eddie asks, surprising even himself as ocean eyes, stare, evidently just as startled.

Laughter bubbles past plump lips and Eddie finds he can’t stop staring.

“I juh-just m-moved in with m-my fuh-friend a f-few weeks ago, but I’ve been d-doing online classes. He thought if I w-was going to do s-school at all, I m-may as well experience it t-the same way as him, you know?” He says, his ocean eyes never leaving Eddie’s face when he talks. He likes eye contact and Eddie supposes that makes sense, considering it’s probably hard for some people to take him seriously, considering his stutter. Of course, Eddie would never mention it – that would be rude, and he fashioned himself as a nice person… most of the time.

“Oh,” Eddie replies. “I wish I could talk my best friend in coming to school, but he’s fucking persistent that if he did, he’d never come to class, anyways.”

The stranger nods his head and smiles. His smile is beautiful, just like the rest of him, and Eddie’s face lights up in embarrassment from the thought. “T-that makes sense, though.” He nods and opens his mouth to continue when an elderly woman – the librarian – comes out from the room behind Mr. Beautiful and barks at him.

“What are you doing? I told you we need to finish alphabetizing these books! Get to it! We don’t have all day!” She doesn’t even acknowledge Eddie.

“O-okay, I’ll be ruh-right there, Mrs. Palinski.” She disappears back into the office halfway through Mr. Beautiful’s statement. He turns back to Eddie and shoots him a sheepish look. “S-sorry, I g-gotta go. F-first week, I can’t m-make a bad impression.” Before Eddie has a chance to respond, Mr. Beautiful disappears into the office after the librarian, leaving Eddie alone, staring at the spot where the other had just been standing.

Eddie finds himself at a loss. He doesn’t see Mr. Beautiful again and he can hardly concentrate on his studying – so he leaves before lunch time and heads on home. When he gets back home, he finds that Richie is already there… and thankfully, there was no sign of Stan.

Eddie feels immediately guilty when that thought passes his mind and he shoves it away. If Richie was happy, he really needed to learn to be happy for him.

Richie notices Eddie before Eddie speaks and smiles broadly at him.

“Eddie Spaghetti!”

Eddie wrinkles his nose in distaste and he slinks his backpack to the ground and shuts the door after himself. “I wish you’d stop calling me that.”

His protest is unheard as Richie flings himself at his best friend, giving the shorter boy a noogie. “Studying not go well for the Nerd?” He teases, initiating a groan from him.

“I got… a little distracted.” Eddie admitted sheepishly when Richie pulls away, fixing his hair.

“You? Distracted?” Richie has the right to be in disbelief ; Eddie was rarely ever distracted from school work. He was even on the fucking honor roll and in honor society – he tended to work harder on school than most of his peers and there really wasn’t much of a rhyme or reason for it, he just wanted to do it.

“There was… a cute boy, okay?” Eddie murmurs quietly, almost too quiet to be heard by his best friend. Unfortunately for Eddie, Richie heard it and the grin on his face widens, making Eddie cringe away from him.

“A cute boy!” Richie exclaims and pinches Eddie’s cheeks. “Does Eddie have a wittle crush?”

Eddie blushes and scowls, batting away Richie’s hands. “No, Richie! I literally just met him. He’s just… kind of hot, okay?”

This hardly fazes Richie and he laughs. “Okay, whatever you say, Eddie Spaghetti. Did you get his number?”

Eddie scowls again. “As if. I don’t even know his name.”

“I hate to be the one to say this Spaghetti Man, but you probably need to work on that.”

“Whatever, Richie – it doesn’t matter. How was your night with Stanley?” Eddie asks, adverting the topic from himself as he moves around Richie and going into the kitchen.

The grin on Richie’s face does not go away and Eddie can swear up and down, he literally saw hearts forming in his best friend’s eyes. “Oh, Eddie! Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Eddie finds, later, that no, he did not want to know.

#kaspbrough #stozier #eddie kaspbrak #bill denbrough #stan uris #richie tozier #my fic #here u go my friends asdfghjkl

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goodfortune-au · 3 years

Text

Good Fortune (Soulmate AU) Chapter 7: Halloween

October was winding to a close, with only a couple days remaining until Halloween. With all that had been going on, Angel hadn’t a lot of time nor the enthusiasm to get riled up like in years past for what was surely her favorite holiday, but she still planned to dress up nonetheless. She had plans, too. Nothing too extravagant; she simply planned to take the Losers out trick-or-treating, participate in the festivities as an full-fledged adult rather than a carefree child on a quest for free candy. The Losers spoke of their respective costume choices with glee; Richie naturally chose to play Ryu from Street Fighter, Stan put together an elaborate costume and planned to go as one of his favorite birds, one he'd read about called the European Bee-Eater, and Eddie was going as a Pierrot. Bill, who’d been goaded into coming along at the last second, was attending as a simple sheet ghost.

Angel even had an ensemble of her own to wear, though it had admittedly been recycled from Halloween’s past. A character from one of her favorite movies, one she paid tribute to in one of the posters decorating the walls of her living room, she planned to play the despicable Alexander Delarge from A Clockwork Orange. She had it all; the white dress shirt, carpenter pants and suspenders, the cane, the codpiece, and of course the characteristic black bowler. She enjoyed the look immensely, found it simply outrageous and certainly iconic, and she didn’t mind using it again for this year’s celebrations. She spends the last couple days of the month lazily tracking down all the pieces and then the 31st arrives, quickly dissolving from daylight into dusk.

Let’s have a party

There’s a full moon in the sky

It’s the hour of the wolf

And I don’t wanna die~

Oingo Boingo is playing on her stereo, perfect Halloween music that fills the room and besets it with a truly festive energy. It’s No One Lives Forever, her favorite track off Dead Man’s Party, an album she felt perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the holiday. Just as she’s putting the final touches on her costume, affixing the single pair of false eyelashes to her right eye, she hears a shower of knocks at her front door. Her hair is in a loose ponytail, tucked up into itself to mimic Alex’s almost bob-like hairstyle, and she laces up her Doc Martens to complete the stark and unnerving look. She answers the door and the Losers come parading in, all donning their costumes proudly. She looks them over with exaggerated enthusiasm, and compliments them all on their ensembles. Eddie’s costume was her favorite. And all the while, the music on her stereo warbles along, fast-paced and electric.

I'm so happy

Dancing while the grim reaper

Cuts cuts cuts

Well you can't get me

“Wow guys, not bad! Bill? Simple but iconic. You too Eds, you nailed the facepaint. And Stan? Lovin’ the bird look, it suits you.”

“Thaaaaank you.” Stan says pleasantly, standing up straight and beaming. His plumage is beautiful. "I spent months on it, had to get it just right."

“Well, it came out f*ckin’ fantastic.” She gives him a winning thumbs up.

“What about me?” Richie pipes up from the back. His gi hangs loosely about his chest, and the costume overall looks about two sizes too big. He has a long red tie knotted about his head to mimic Ryu's distinctive headband.

“Hmm… Size it a little better next time Rich, your t*ts are hangin’ out.” She says, half-serious. “Also, are those boxing gloves?”

“Hey, gimme a break. The thrift store didn’t have sh*t.” He says, trying and failing to snag a Reeses from the candy bowl sitting on the coffee table.

There’s giggles from the peanut gallery.

“What about you?” Ed asks, looking her over.

“Yeah, w-what are you s-s-supposed to be?” Bill asks from underneath the sheet.

“A fashion disaster, apparently.” Richie snorts. He’s taken off one of his gloves to get to the candy. “And what’s with the jock strap?”

“Shut up Richie.”

She’s unsure of how to answer the question, scratching her head nervously. “Oh, uh… A character from a movie you definitely … Shouldn’t watch. Not uh… Not until you’re at least sixteen.” Truth be told, she was about their age when she first saw it, but the kids didn’t need to know that.

“I’ve actually seen it.” Richie admits casually, popping the candy into his mouth. “Snuck it out of my parents’ collection one night. The shit is wild.” Then he clears his throat and slips into one of his voices. He mimics Alex’s manner of speaking in perfect nadsat as he slings an arm around Stan’s shoulder, which Stan promptly pushes off. Richie seems unphased. “Welly welly well my droogs, are we ready to have a flip horrorshow time this evening? Time’s a wastin’, o my brothers, let’s get to the streets and crast around the ol' neighborhoods before the night is done, right right?”

Angel stares at him for a moment. “I don’t like that.” She says blankly.

“No one does.” Eddie adds disdainfully. He truly looks a picture-perfect Pierrot at this moment.

“Pshhhh, you guys are no fun.” Richie sighs, shaking his candy bucket at them with a flippant wave of his hand.

“He is right, though.” Angel says, looking at the clock overhead. “It’s getting late, and we only have so much time to make the rounds.” She opens the door and waves them out. “Let’s go, kiddos, after you.”

They go walking out in a single file line and she closes the door behind her. “Alright, let’s make our way down Witcham, shall we? I say we start from the bottom and work our way up and around.” She says, gesturing with her cane.

The night is alive with true Halloween spirit. The moment they step outside, they can feel the biting chill of the air sweeping through them. The streets are filled with questing children all on the prowl for the same common goal, with parents tagging along in mostly halfhearted reluctance. She swings her cane as she walks and leads the way for the Losers, acting as a pied piper of sorts to guide them through the organized chaos of the adolescent-populated thoroughfares. They begin with the house adjacent to Angel’s, and cross over to the house across the street afterward. Angel hangs back as the kids saunter up to the front doors to collect their candy, and the kids rejoin her after accomplishing their end.

“Well, what’d you guys get?” She asks nonchalantly, leaning up against a tree.

“I got a Blow Pop.” says Eds.

“B-B-Butterfinger.” says Bill.

“Two Twizzlers.” says Stan.

“I got shafted.” says Richie.

Angel gives him a look. “What does that mean?”

“Butterscotch.” He says, looking appalled.

She laughs with a shrug. “Better than nothin’, bud.”

“I’d rather have nothing.” He says defiantly.

“Alright, then give it.”

“No.”

They continue on, and gradually make their way through the neighborhood. They collectively start to amass a modest amount of candy, and Angel even finds herself collecting a few pieces here and there at the insistence of a few benevolent parents (including one of her personal favorites, the grape-flavored Tootsie Pop). There’s even a few among them that recognize her costume. Some are amused, others are less so. She found it par for the course; the town was routinely uptight when it came to just about anything she liked. Still, she takes it in stride, and starts to find herself in genuine good spirits. Things had been hard as of late, and it was nice to have another occasion to celebrate that gave her much-needed respite from her troubles. It went without saying, too, but the presence of the Losers always put a smile on her face. Cheesy as it was, they were practically a ray of sunshine in the otherwise moody and fickle storm that was her life. They didn’t always have time to visit, but when they did, it made for good times. She tried her best to cherish that and not take it for granted.

After having sojourned as far down the street as they reasonably could, the party makes a 180 pivot once they can start to see the Hanlon farms off in the distance, and then they slowly but surely make their way back past Angel’s house where they had started. The night is still young but the sky is as black as coal, the moon luminescent as the dozens of flashlights brandished by costumed children scurrying about the pavement. Their chatter and glee makes for pleasant background noise as the Losers collectively journey through Witcham toward Up-Mile-Hill, their pillowcases and buckets rustling with increasing bounty after each and every house. They stop off at a few more doors and then take a moment outside of Bill’s house to assess their current stashes.

“...Two, four, five… God I’ve got six f*cking butterscotches.”

“Heh heh, the old ladies must love ya.” Eddie snickers. He peels the wrapper off a KitKat and methodically breaks off one half to eat. Richie smacks the other half into the dirt with his boxing glove.

“Hey are you f*cking serious?” Eddie exclaims, gesturing to the fallen KitKat in patent dismay.

“That’s the toll.” Richie shrugs. His gi is so baggy it almost slips off his shoulder. “You make fun of me you lose your candy. You’re just lucky it wasn’t anything good.”

“You got something against KitKats, a*shole?” Eddie snaps back venomously.

“Okay, okay, break it up you two.” Angel says from behind a chick tract. She flips to the end of the little booklet and tosses it into the dirt. “The Gay Blade,” it’s called. She crushes it beneath her boot heel.

“S-S-Sorry I’m late, g-guys.” Bill says from underneath his sheet. “T-Thanks for waiting up.”

“Late?” Stan asks. “Late from where?”

“I h-had some trouble cutting the h-holes in the right p-p-places. Went through t-t-two old sheets before I got it.” He laughs.

“Oh. I thought--”

“And what the hell is your costume, anyway, huh? It’s giving me the creeps!”

“Mimes scare you, Richie? What are you, like, five?”

“Weren’t you here with us before?” Stan is puzzled.

“H-huh? No, I don’t… T-Think so?”

“Then, who was--”

‘I’LL LIQUIFY YOUR KNEECAPS WITH MY HURRICANE KICK.”

“I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.”

“GUYS!” Angel roars. They all stop. “Quit fighting or I’m gonna knock both your heads together. Eds- I’ve got an extra KitKat. Richie- quit whinging about your butterscotches.”

“But-”

“Shut it!”

“Sorry.”

“We’ve still got a lot of ground to cover, so if you guys don’t want to waste the night I say we get going.” She sighs.

“Fine, but keep this painted creep away from me.” Richie snipes, scooting away from Eddie. He immediately starts picking at Stan’s plumage. “Looks like it’s you and me tonight, Stan the man. The dynamic duo.”

Stan smacks his hand away. “Absolutely not. And don’t touch my plumage.” Stan glances at Bill again. “Angel--”

“Come on, we’re burning moonlight.”

“Fine, fine.”

He tries to just forget it.

~~~~

The party of Losers makes their way past Derry Elementary as they stroll down Costello Avenue, hitting as many houses as they can along the way. There’s even more people on the streets than before and the traffic seems to be increasing as time wears on. By now everyone has gathered a decent amount of candy, weighty to the point of having to be slung over shoulders and lugged around like dense sacks of potatoes. Their feet are growing tired but still they trudge on, determined to make the most of the holiday and squeeze as much productivity out of the night as possible. Angel finds her mind wandering with her stride, and as she continues she starts to contemplate the presence of her guardian angel. She wondered if they were watching over her that night, wondered if she might find another gift, waiting for her in some crack or crevice ready to be found and picked up for her growing collection. She hadn’t told the Losers about this so-called guardian of hers; she thought it to be a thing best kept private. It was better savored that way, and felt like a delicious little secret only she was privy to. She simply enjoyed the imagined security in silence, the feeling that she was special to something, special enough to look out for and leave little trifles to keep her faith and interest. It was nice, it was thrilling in a sense. She had no idea of the identity of this thing, but she appreciated it nonetheless, so taken with the nice gestures that she was blind to any perceived ulterior motives.

“That makes ten f*cking butterscotches.” Richie says, swiping through his candy in frustration. “It’s like I’m a magnet for them or some shit.”

“Yeah but I’m s-sure you’ve got a lot of other stuff t-t-too.” Bill says, trying to offer a bit of positivity.

“Yeah, look on the bright side, kiddo.” Angel chimes in. “Could be candy corn, or… God forbid, black licorice.”

They all shudder with disgust.

“Still.” Richie says, rustling through his bucket again. “If I get another one I’m gonna f*ckin’ lose it.”

He picks one out and examines it with distaste, then chucks it over his shoulder. There’s a snarl from behind him as it clacks against the sidewalk, and Ed’s eyes widen into saucers as he preemptively steps back, hiding behind Angel.

“Uh oh.”

Richie hesitates, then turns around. Henry Bowers and his gang of thugs, Belch Huggins, Victor Criss, and Patrick Hockstetter are standing in a group on the sidewalk, and the butterscotch had just so happened to bounce off the back of Henry’s head. He gulps.

“Which one of you f*cking twerps threw that?” He asks, turning around. His voice is low and dangerous.

“No one. It was Eddie.” Richie blurts out.

“Dude!” Eddie squeaks angrily from behind Angel’s pant leg. Henry seems unphased as Richie backs away.

The group begins to congregate around the Losers, with Henry advancing slowly on Richie like a slithering snake cornering a helpless mouse.

“I’m gonna gut you like a f*cking fish, Tozier.” He growls, leaning down to look at him. His eyes glint meanly in the darkness and Richie shrinks ever so slightly.

“Hey, that’s enough Bowers.” It's Angel, coming in between the two of them. “Back the f*ck off or I’m calling your dad over. I’m sure he’d be none too happy to find your little punk ass threatening a bunch of little kids.”

Henry stares at her for a moment in silence, then pops his neck and steps back a pace or two. “...Fine. You kids are f*cking spineless, you know that? Always hiding behind big sister.” He mocks. He gives a fleeting look to his goons and gestures with an upward nod of his head. They uncross their arms.

“Come on, guys.” He says angrily. They start to leave. Belch elbows past Angel harshly, but not before whispering something nasty into her ear on his way through. She freezes and glares at him in disgust, watching as they all fade into the crowd in front of them.

“Let’s go.” Angel says darkly.

The kids hesitate, then all agree after an uncomfortable silence. They try to forget it all as they continue on.

Angel is stony-faced and silent for a time, keeping her lips pursed in dismay as she leads the kids forward through the neighborhood. She plays with the pearl heart around her neck, rolling her thumb over the smooth polished surface slowly and methodically while she thinks. She’s angry about them, and she’s upset with herself for it. They were just a few shitty kids, she shouldn’t let their bad attitudes interfere with her night and spoil everything for her. She’s the adult, she’s supposed to be better than this. The kids are quiet, sensing the tension, and not even Richie breaks the silence to keep bickering with Eddie or crack lame jokes. She tries so hard just to let it go, but she’s stewing in silent resentment now. She got so sick of hearing things like that. She’d grown up being called those things, before she even knew the first thing about what they meant or the malice behind them. It didn’t matter if it was true or not, it was… The cruelty and the intolerance behind the words. She hated herself for being so easily rattled, but she couldn’t help it. It’s the way she’s always been.

“Are you… Okay, Angel?” Eds asks carefully, looking up at her.

She pauses, then sighs. “...Yeah. Yeah, I am. Don’t worry guys, I’m okay. Just… Sh*tty kids is all.”

“No need to explain.” Richie says with an uncharacteristic solemnity. “Bowers is just a jerkass. I swear, kid looks for reasons to be mad.”

“Yeah.” she says quietly. “They all do.”

“ I’m still mad you tried to blame me for throwing that f*ckin’ butterscotch.” Eddie says, glaring at Richie from the other side of Angel.

“The dude was sweatin’ me, it just came out!” Richie exclaims, excuses at the ready. “I guarantee you’d do the same damn thing in my position.’

“No, because unlike you I have a sense of honor.”

“Alright you two.” Angel sighs. “We should keep going, yeah? Still plenty of houses to hit.”

“Actually,” Stan pipes up. All eyes fall on him. “O-Oh. Well, I was just gonna say… My house is just down the block a little, and I kind of need to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh, well that’s no problem.” Angel says casually. “Go right ahead, we could all use a break anyway.”

He’s silent. “Well, uh… It’s kind of an elaborate costume…”

“Jesus, Birdman, are you really telling me you can’t get in and out of that thing by yourself?” Richie asks incredulously. “What, did your mom help you put it on?”

“Cool it, Rich.” Angel says tiredly.

“That’s irrelevant.” Stan says delicately. “Point is, I need someone to come with just in case I… You know… Last thing I need is a wardrobe malfunction.”

“Eds, go with Stan and help him with his costume please. And be quick.”

“You got it, Anj.”

Angel climbs onto the branch of a low-hanging tree so as to rest her feet and takes a great big heaving sigh as she watches them disappear from her peripherals. Richie and Bill hang back in silence for a time before Richie starts needling Bill with questions about his costume to pass the time. Angel doesn’t participate, finding that the exhaustion of being socially present was starting to weigh on her just the slightest bit now. She cranes her neck up to look at the sky and gets lost in the stars as she swings her feet. They’re so bright from so far, distant and almost vaguely familiar in their golden splendor; lighthouses that beckon brilliantly from lightyears away, from a place so far-flung she could hardly even fathom it and her mind wanders, hopping seamlessly from one constellation into another. She’s lost in fleeting thought about all the complicated little details of her life, from far off memories of years past to old fights she had with loved ones; problems she’s had and forks in the road she’s had to face before eventually arriving here at this present moment in time. Some part of her briefly wonders whether or not her life was building towards anything at all, and whether or not everything that happened to her was all for a reason or simply cruel twists of fate. She suspected it to be the latter.

Still, she couldn’t deny that she seemed exceptionally lucky, especially for an outcast. People… Like her, they didn’t tend to last very long in a place like Derry. She’s surprised she was able to make it this far to begin with, really. Though the 80’s were a modern and revolutionary time to be living in, places like Derry were less subversive. It was such a small town in such a rural place that things at times seemed a little backwards. If you weren’t a specific kind of way, if you didn’t conform to certain standards, you made yourself the target of many. People in this town could be downright nasty and she knew it. It didn’t stop her from being a relatively brazen girl, however. Growing up, she reveled in being weird, in being the oddball. She had a quirky, offbeat sense of humor, she listened to strange music, she drew creepy things no one liked to look at and she dressed like a clown, all bright and offbeat and mismatched. People tried to beat that out of her, and to some extent they definitely succeeded, but Angel was lucky that was all she got. For her own reckless daring she should be dead somewhere, the victim of some lowly scumbag that had crawled out of the dregs below to take their anger out on someone the town surely wouldn’t miss. She shouldn’t have lasted her entire childhood, and that was to say nothing about all the rumors. Those kinds of rumors were exceptionally dangerous in a place like this and still she managed to survive. It was remarkable to say the least.

Was she actually a lucky girl? Hard to say. She’d been the unlucky contestant of quite a few dicey situations over the years, situations that left nics and scratches and mental scars, things that kept her up at night when all that was left to do was think, but she still came out of all of it alive and well in the end. It was hard to ignore such a notable lifelong track record, and although it would have been easy to chalk it all up to good fortune, she knew that things simply weren’t that easy in Derry. With all of the town’s history, with all of the strange happenings and the presence of things unknown beyond anyone’s understanding, good fortune seemed too convenient of an excuse. She wondered, in the end, if she had anything to do with it all, if her fate was somehow tied to this town and all of its intricacies. Maybe the manifestation of her guardian angel wasn’t just a strange development but, in fact, a stepping stone to something she couldn’t yet understand.

She wanted to believe it, but the mere thought of it was making her more tired than before and, in a sense, melancholic for reasons she couldn’t properly justify. She was also starting to worry. It’d been an awfully long time since the kids left, and as time went on she couldn’t stop herself from starting to think dreadful things. For the sake of coping, her mind jumps from these heavy topics into things of less weight. Happy thoughts, she tries to think. Yes, she was looking forward to November. She was looking forward to the holidays to come. She was looking forward to the change of seasons, the segue of gorgeous autumn into breaktaking winter, the way that the trees would shed their foliage completely to welcome the blankets of virgin snow descending from the sky. Derry was positively resplendent in the wintertime, and the sight of snowcapped pines dotting across the land alongside festive lights, garland, tinsel, and other colorful decorations brought the town much-needed vivacity and cheer in perpetually grim times. She couldn’t wait for it.

Despite the excitement of the night, she couldn’t wait to go home either. Couldn’t wait to go home, say a goodnight to the kids and to her precious cat, peel off her costume and crawl into her warm bed where she’d take much-needed relief from it all. Couldn’t wait for the next day, when she would have the house to herself again, when she could turn on the TV and spend the hours searching for things to watch and keep her fickle attention span. She couldn’t wait to drown her troubles in junk food, a nasty habit she did well to keep to herself, and forget all her problems for as long as she possibly could. She couldn’t wait for the Derry Children’s Hour, and she couldn’t wait to see him. She couldn’t wait for the night to come again, where she’d fall asleep all over again and have that dream. The dream that would sometimes play out exactly as it had the night before, or the dream that would go just a little bit further, teasing at something that made her wake every morning with a blush staining her cheeks.

It was not unlike Angel to develop crushes on fictional characters or people on the TV, she’d grown up doing it her entire life. It was one of her most ingrained coping mechanisms, a way to deal with how exceedingly lonely she had always felt. Usually these things, these fixations lasted for about a couple weeks to maybe a month or two at most, and then they would fade to give way for the next one. Some were intense and lasted short amounts of time, others were more subdued and lasted longer. It simply depended on who it was and how much they struck her fancy. This one struck her fancy an awful lot if she were honest. Clowns were admittedly something of a weakness for her. She couldn’t exactly explain it, but her fascination with them didn’t just stop at the way they dressed or the way they acted. There was something else there too. She thinks about him, his bright blue eyes, the way they turned to gold in her fantasies and her stomach flutters with something delightful. And when she lets her gaze fall back down on the crowds of people trekking by, she almost thinks she catches a glimpse of him among the horde and a vision of his form paints itself in her mind, coifs of beautiful wildfire bouncing ever so slightly with each step, pleats of silver silk complimented by the reflecting moonlight overhead. Before she can let her mind wander on him too long, however, her attention is called by the sight of Eddie, who comes running up from the crowd wearing panic on his painted face. His makeup is smudged and he appears a little disheveled.

“Angel, Angel!” He calls frantically. He’s out of breath, and he pulls his inhaler from a specially sewn pocket on his suit. After taking two long indulgent puffs, he puts it back with shaking hands.

She jumps down from the tree, unease striking her veins. “What’s going on Eds? Where’s Stan?”

He’s still catching his breath, but he wheezes out the answer. “Its-- It’s Bowers.” He gasps. “Him and his gang caught us in the alley by Secondhand Rose.”

“F*ck.”

“Are you o-okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, Patrick almost chased me down but I got away. I tried to go back for Stan after but I couldn’t find any of them when I did. I think maybe they took him somewhere else.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Okay well--” Angel says, picking up her cane again, which was resting idly against the trunk of the tree. “We can’t waste any time. We’ll drop by Secondhand Rose first just to make sure he's not there, and then we’ll start scouting Up-Mile-Hill. Come on, guys.”

No time to think about the clown now. Her mind is consumed now in the search for Stan, overcome with worry and concern that she cannot assuage with thoughts of a best case scenario, because best case scenarios simply didn’t exist with Angel. It was easier simply to assume the worst so that she wouldn’t take a single better outcome for granted, and right now, she assumed the worst in the vain hopes that she would end up being wrong. The Bowers gang was a violent bunch, and she feared what they might do if left alone with a defenseless child for too long. Stan was also a fairly delicate kid, and besides Eddie was least liable to stick up for himself in dire situations such as these. She tries not to think of it too much, keeping her mind solely on the task at hand. The remaining Losers are calling out for him as they search the streets, and she joins their efforts with a strong, loud call into the darkness.

“Stan, Stan!” They all keep shouting endlessly, but their voices are simply not enough to locate the whereabouts of their lost friend. Their best efforts are only met with silence among the chatter, and no one around pays heed to their dilemma, purely oblivious to their desperation and almost mindless in their dogging pace. Checking the alley of Secondhand Rose proves fruitless and futile, and after reaching that dead end they take their investigation elsewhere. Up-Mile-Hill is saturated with an almost obscene amount of people in costume and as time goes on the masses start to blend into one another, a mosaic of cheap, gaudy material, masks and outrageous makeup. Devils, witches, skeletons, and ghosts litter the streets among other more creative getups, and Angel finds herself thankful in this moment that Stan was wearing something fairly distinct; it made him easier to draw out of the crowd. If she could ever find him, that is. She continues her surveyance of the path ahead of her, searching like a watchful eagle over empty valleys and canyons, eyes trained on a certain and specific target. Her eyes scan restlessly over them all, raking over endless bobbing waves of people wandering aimlessly towards god-knows-what and she thinks she sees a clue on the ground, an iridescent feather distinctive of Stan’s flashy ensemble.

But then-

“Bill!” She hears Eddie scream.

She turns back, bringing their pace to a grinding halt. The crowd moves around them, unfazed.

“Wha- What about Bill? Where is he?” she asks breathlessly.

“I don’t know!” Richie says frantically. “He was right behind us and then when we looked back he was just gone! We lost him!”

“Jesus f*cking-- Okay, okay.” She takes a deep breath, eyes closed tight as she thinks. When she opens her eyes and surveys the crowd again, it's almost as though there’s five times as many ghosts as before. It gives her a headache just looking at them all. “We can’t stop looking for Stan, just-- Just keep a lookout for Bill too.”

“But there’s a f*ckton of kids dressed just like him! How are we supposed to find him in this sea of ghosts? It’s like the goddamn River Styx out here!” Richie exclaims.

“There’s nothing else we can do, Richie! We’ll find them both eventually, just trust me, okay? Come on!”

They start moving again, and she’s even more terrified than before. That ever-familiar fear and mortification frosts over her heart, and it takes everything she’s got not to have a panic attack right there on the sidewalk. She needed to stay strong for the kids, she knew that, so she trudges on, swallowing the dread forming hard lumps in her throat and ignoring the knots twisting and churning in her stomach, different than the pleasant ones from before. Now more than anything she wishes for her guardian angel, wanting to feel their presence simply for the sake of comfort and security in these uncertain circumstances and disheartened that she couldn’t find a single trace of them. As she kept collecting the gifts she started eventually becoming in tune to a certain feeling, an aura that manifested itself in powerful warm gusts of wind or insectile chatter that seemed to come through her from all directions. Strange exhalations of something cosmically different, brief demonstrations that something was definitely watching over her, presumably speaking to her in the only way it could. As much as she longed to feel that aura now, however, there was simply nothing to console her, leaving her alone to navigate this difficult terrain on her own.

“Stan!” She continues calling out. But there’s still nothing.

She keeps scanning the crowd. Her eyes don’t stop for even a second, trying to find the bright and colorful plumage of his intricate costume amidst the comparably dark, bland tones of the others blending into one another. There seem to be more people than before. With each passing moment the numbers only increase, and now Angel can’t even see the path in front of her. Another category of overdone costumes seems to have entered the fold, a swarm of zombies and walking corpses ambling alongside her now as she conducts her frantic investigation. It’s getting tight and claustrophobic, she’s elbowing and shouldering past countless people, hoping in vain that Eddie and Richie can keep the pace behind her, knowing that she truly couldn’t afford to lose any more of them. She doesn’t have the time to look back and check, but the presence of their voices is enough to reassure her. There’s so many people she can hardly believe it, more people than she saw at the concert some weeks back, and surely more people than reasonably existed in Derry. She can’t question it, doesn’t have the energy to, so she just keeps searching, calling. The pace of the crowd is relentless and unstoppable now like droves of stampeding wildebeests, and she fears they might get trampled if they stop for even a second. She’s moving, searching, calling and then she’s interrupted; her eyes fall on something in front of her that makes her heart skip a beat in her chest.

It’s him, moving along with the horde, far ahead of her but still very much recognizable. She can hardly believe her eyes, and he doesn’t disappear when she blinks in confusion. In her panic-riddled mind she briefly wonders if its really him or simply a person imitating him, and she comes to the quick and hopeful conclusion that it must be the former, as she saw no reason anyone in this town would want to dress up as a character on a bizarre local access show of all things. Something strange overcomes her and her pace quickens; she can hardly think as she pushes past more people, becoming consumed now in the throes of a different chase. Her feet feel numb and she can’t control herself. She keeps her eyes on him, his tall figure distinct among the bobbing throngs of people shorter in stature, and she can hardly hear the calls of the children behind her.

“Angel! Angel!” Ed and Richie are yelling desperately. They sound far away, almost as though they had floated off, light as balloons and skyward-bound. She shuffles forward, static in her ears as she leaves them behind. “Where are you going?! Angel!!”

She’s swallowed by a strange desire, something she can’t muster the power to break from; not here, not now. She’s almost hypnotized, taken by an urge she doesn’t understand, but she knows she has to get to him. She doesn’t even know what she’ll do when she does; what she’ll say, how she’ll explain herself. She simply continues thoughtlessly, her canter almost quickening into a run, as much of a sprint as the current surroundings would allow her. It’s almost like a sickness, intense and vivid and overwhelming, heat settling over her temples as she pushes closer towards him.

And then he stops for a second, the crowd moving around him like currents of the red sea parting for the will of god through Moses’ staff. He stops, he turns, and he looks through her with a piercing stare. His eyes are highbeams of golden headlights in the dark of an unlit road.

She becomes dizzy, she loses all concentration. Everything is blurry, she can’t see straight. The static in her ears becomes deafening, almost like there’s a chorus of screams fighting to break free from her veins. There’s something mad roiling furiously through her blood now. Her eyes glaze over for a long moment before she snaps out of it, and she finds him gone from the crowd, almost as though he were never there in the first place. And then as she sobers, it all comes flooding back. Oh. Oh god. The children. She looks around her, but Eddie and Richie are gone now. She’s alone in the crowd. She’s alone, and she’s managed to lose all four of them.

Angry tears brim in her eyes as she immediately breaks from Up-Mile-Hill back onto Costello Avenue, quick and nimble on tired feet, her pulse thrumming in her aching temples as she continues her search more frantically than before. She longed to be at home resting after such a long night but she knew it wouldn’t end until she found them. It was hard, but she knew she had to take responsibility for all of this and see it through. She was just so worried for them. She spends eternal minutes scanning over the comparably empty road, interrupted only by the occasional passing streetcar, shivering in her costume and almost wishing for the feverish warmth of the previous chase to take her again. The feelings of self-hatred are starting to work their way through her blood again, blaming herself for all of it as she carries on. They were all lost and it was all her fault. If she’d just kept everyone in one piece, if she hadn’t gone chasing after the stupid clown, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place. This wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

She crosses from Costello Avenue onto Canal Street, and from there she starts to trek across Bassey Park towards the Kissing Bridge. She knew the Bowers Gang liked to hang out there on occasion, and there was the vague possibility they’d taken Stan there. Yes. Yes, it might be a better idea to search for one kid first and move on from there. She could at least take comfort in the fact that the others were simply lost in the crowd on Up-Mile-Hill, and they had a better chance of being safe while she tried to track down Stan. She hoped anyway. The Kissing Bridge comes up on the horizon and she stops for a moment. She slides her hands down the length of her cane until she reaches the bottom, and unscrews a compartment on the end until a hidden flashlight pops out. She turns it on and keeps going, shining it on the path in front of her until she reaches the bridge. She flashes it momentarily at all the names on the bridge, down at the Kenduskeag across the way, then scans it over the tunnel ahead of her. She listens for noises, any noises, anything that might give them away if they were anywhere nearby. So far, there’s nothing. She waits, and waits, but still there’s nothing.

She feels the tears come welling up in her eyes again and she stuffs the flashlight into her pocket in frustration. She leans out over the bridge, elbows propped on the white wood, and starts sobbing as she lets her face sink into her hands. Her cries echo in the emptiness of the surrounding nature, mocking her panic and her fear as the silent moon looks on indifferently from above. She indulges in this dejection for some time, unable to do little else than use this time to collect herself through her misery. She closes her eyes and lets her tears drop from her face into the foliage of the downward sloping hill below. She groans and buries her face in her hands again, but jerks up in alert when she hears rustling in a nearby underbrush. She whips her flashlight out again, cautiously searching with its beam of light to discern what she had heard, but she gets the wind knocked out of her as something rams into her from the side and slams her to the ground.

When she hits the ground her vision blurs, and she gasps desperately for breath as she waits for her vision to return. Something hits her in the ribs again and she sputters, coughing out a shriek as she rolls over and curls into a fetal position, trying to shield herself from her assailant. Another blow, this time aimed at her back and she cries out, further pushed into the wood of the Kissing Bridge. Her forehead scrapes against the pavement and she can see her blood smeared against the ground, black in the dim moonlight. She squeezes her eyes shut, almost hoping that that perpetrator might stop eventually if she just laid there and took it. She wheezes in agony, trying to catch her breath, but she’s suddenly jerked upward by her shirt and slammed against the bridge. She coughs again, blood and drool trickling down her lip, shaking as she faces her attacker.

It’s Patrick Hockstetter. He’s alone, and he wears a look of smug content on his face. Smug content and just the slightest hint of resentment.

“Nice to see you again.” He sneers.

She gasps, still short of breath, unable to react immediately. She straightens her back in his hold and winces at the aching pain in her bones.

“Patrick Hockstetter.” She groans. “I knew one of you slimy fucks was hiding around here.”

He punches her in the ribs and she cries out again, losing her breath as he looms over her. He’s pressing her backward into the bridge like he intends to push her over the edge, but he still holds her there, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

“I’d shut my mouth if I were you, you stupid meddling b*tch.” He says with venom in his tone.

“F*ck...You.” She growls, and he hits her again, this time across the face.

She coughs and sputters, and then she looks up to glower at him.

“What… The f*ck...Did you do to Stan..?” She asks darkly, swallowing back the taste of rust.

“You mean that kid in the lame little bird costume?” He asks. He leans in, and she can smell the revolting stench of alcohol on his warm breath. “...We beat the everloving piss out of him.”

She lunges forward, roaring in rage but he’s too quick. He punches her in the ribs once more and laughs when she lets out a pained howl, crumpling over as she tries in vain to protect herself. He keeps a tight grip on the front of her shirt, and a spike of fear shoots through her veins when she can hear a click from outside her peripherals.

He raises a switchblade to her throat, slowly pressing the sharpened metal against her throat, savoring the way she squirms.

“You’re a f*cking freak, you know that?” He sneers. “Grown woman friends with a bunch of lame ass little kids, f*cking lifeless weirdo. No wonder you hang around with those f*cking losers, you’re no different than they are. ”

“Better than hanging around a bunch of limp-dicked nobodies who get their rocks off threatening women and children.” She whispers with hatred in her voice. Despite her fear, she can’t stop herself from taunting him even in the face of danger.

He presses the blade against her throat harder now as he pushes her back against the bridge.

“Shut up, b*tch, or I’ll slit your f*cking throat right now. I’ll let you bleed out right here on the ground.”

He looks around her and down into the underbrush below. He looks thoughtful for a second, and then an evil grin spreads across his face.

“Or… I’ll throw you over this f*cking bridge. How about it, bitch? Maybe you’ll break your neck from the fall.”

He inches her back even more until half her body is dangling back over the wood, and she’s struggling against him.

“Yeah, yeah I think that’s a pretty good idea. I think this town would be better off without you anyway. Just one less of you making us all look bad.” He says.. He notices the pendant around her neck and smirks. “Hmm, won’t be needing this anymore, will we?” He yanks it from her neck and throws it to the side, delighted at the way she cries out in dismay when it clacks against the ground and skids out of sight into a nearby bush.

"Well, it was nice knowing ya…"

He leans forward to whisper in her ear.

So long dyke.

And then he pushes her over the edge.

She screams out as she falls and then she hits the ground. There’s a sickening crunch upon her impact and gravity sends her tumbling painfully down the underbrush. She’s lost her breath completely and she gasps for air, gulping it down into her lungs desperately as she plunges toward the bottom of the hill. She’s got scratches on her face from stray branches and she’s covered in dust and leaves as she lays there helpless, immobilized in the dirt. The pressure against her ribs is unbearable and it takes all of her strength to roll from her side onto her back. Her bowler is gone, having gotten lost when she was pitched over the side. She can’t muster the energy or the strength to get up, time has slowed to a crawl as she passes the minutes fighting to stay conscious. She can see the black starting to take over and she tries her best to combat it, but she knows it's only a matter of time before she passes out. She coughs into the cold air, and each cough sends a sharp pain stabbing against her insides, sends fresh tears in her bloodshot eyes, which brim over the surface and trickle warmly down the side of her feverish cheek. She’s almost gone when she hears laughing overhead. Laughter, self-indulgent despicable cackling which turns into a blood curdling shriek out of nowhere. She thinks she’s hallucinating the rumbling snarls and the wet, ripping sounds, the chewing, so vivid in her ears like surround sound in a movie theater, the stench of death rolling over the cold air like a carrion perfume. It’s a maddening assault to the senses, one she can’t muster the energy to question or justify as she lies there like a captive audience. Then, just as quickly as it came, there’s simply an eerie silence now where there was once a disorienting cacophony of screams and tears and she can’t stave it off anymore, the pain and the exhaustion. After a few more moments of vainly trying to fight it, her sight eventually goes to black.

Silence, silence, silence and sleep. And then…

“Angel…” A voice calls to her. “Angel…”

She’s still out like a light, but she can still hear it, the sound of someone familiar. The voice is sweet and soft and lilting, almost like a lullaby. Almost like… No, it couldn’t be.

But when her eyes flutter open ever so slightly, she can see something reaching towards her from above, a blackened figure she can’t quite make out in her haze. The figure appears tall and looming; it reaches its hand down towards her and she wants to grab it, but she just doesn’t have the strength. Her sight is returning and the stars above her are so vividly blinding even in her haze; they stare down at her from above, bold but kind as she comes out of her trauma-induced stupor. This moment is so vaguely familiar to her, almost like deja vu; it's as though she’s reliving that night at the Terrace, with the mysterious benefactor that had saved her from getting very nearly trampled. She wants to reach… She tries so hard, but the pain is too much and she falls back again, thudding against the ground. The shadow looms closer still.

“Angel…? Angel!”

The world slowly returns to her weary eyes, and when she comes to all she can see is the kids standing over her.

“Holy sh*t, are you okay?”

They’re all crowded around her in worry, looking over her in concern, crouched to examine her beaten condition. The stars are merely a backdrop now.

“Oh I’m fine…” She says weakly, letting tears of relief well in her eyes. “Just… Slipped and fell. Clumsy me, right?”

She laughs bitterly and then sucks in air through her teeth with a gasp. She groans.

“Nah, I… I went looking for you guys and… Ran into Hockstetter. He beat a raincheck into my stomach and t-threw me over the Kissing Bridge.”

“Jesus.”

“ F*ck man.”

“They got you too, huh?” Stan says, his voice feeble and frail. She takes a closer look at him, standing above her. He’s all disheveled and bruised and his costume is ripped to shreds. Eddie and Richie have him with an arm around each of their necks, propping him up.

“Awh, Stan, your costume…” She says, genuinely heartbroken. She coughs again.

“It’s… Okay. Definitely could’ve been worse.” He assures her. She can see the pain on his face.

“How’d… F*ck… How’d you guys… Find each other again?” She asks, trying to sit up but only making it about halfway.

“Well, Richie and I stuck together in the crowd after we lost you.” Ed explains. “We only managed to find Bill near the library because he took his costume off, and the three of us went down Up-Mile-Hill again to look for Stan after that.”

“We found him in the alley next to Tracker Brothers, said the Bowers Gang split up and left him to look for us after they were done beating the snot out of him.” Richie adds. “They didn’t find us, thank f*ck, but it looks like they found you. Well, one of them anyway.”

‘A-Anyways…” Bill speaks up. “We heard you s-s-scream… From across the Barrens, so we hurried over as f-fast as we c-could. Couldn’t find you on the b-bridge, but then s-suh-Stan spotted you down here near the canal.”

“Sorry we got here so late.” Eds says apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it.” She says, trying to sit up again. She winces. “I just… Think I’ve had enough for one night, and I'm sure… God… All the rest of you have too. Think we should probably find some way to get me home that doesn’t involve a stretcher.”

“We could all try to help get you up the hill, but what about Stan?” Eds asks, glancing at him from the side.

“I’ll be fine.” He says. He steadies himself before removing his arms from Ed and Richie’s shoulders. “I’m sore but nothing seems broken. She’s definitely in worse condition than me anyway.”

“...Thanks Stan.” She sighs with gratitude.

"Don't mention it." He smiles.

“Alright so… Are we doing this?”

“Yeah.” Angel agrees weakly. “Let’s give it a shot.”

Ed and Richie both pull on her arms and Bill supports her back as she struggles to get up. She hisses in pain as she scoots forward on the ground, and then she finds her legs, moving forward onto her knees so she can stand. She gasps as she gets up, and all four of them immediately move to keep her upright. She straightens her back and takes a deep breath in through her nose, breathing out through her mouth as she takes her first step forward. It gets harder as they reach the steep incline leading up towards the road, but against all odds they make their way back up. The walk home is long and painful despite the shortcuts they take but thankfully the crowds have all but dissipated completely at this point. Halloween seems to officially have come to an end and the streets are deathly silent now.

The second they come through Angel’s front door they waste no time in getting her to the couch. They lay her down on the cushions and she immediately sinks into the soft gingham, wincing and groaning in pain. Bill takes one of the pillows laying decoratively on one end and uses it to prop her head up. Richie and Ed help get her situated while Stan sinks down tiredly onto the floor next to one arm of the couch.

“You think anything is broken?” Ed asks worriedly. “Because, I can call 911. In fact, I think we probably should just to be safe.” He’s already walking towards the phone.

“No no, Eds, that’s okay. Don’t worry, I think I’m good. I think maybe my ribs are bruised, but I don’t think I broke anything.”

He puts the phone back on the hook. “You sure?”

“Quite sure. Promise promise.”

“Well… Alright. Either way, we should try to get the other stuff patched up.” Ed says, immediately striding over to his backpack now. “Luckily, I came prepared. My mom always makes me carry a first-aid kit around.”

“Nerd.” Richie mutters under his breath.

Eddie makes quick work of Angel’s wounds, disinfecting them with alcohol and applying bandages to all her cuts. Then once he’s done, he admires his handiwork.

“There. Not quite good as new, but I’m sure you’ll be better in a couple days.”

“Thanks Eds.” She says gratefully. Eddie has already gotten to work patching up Stan too.

“What now, though?” Richie asks. “Do we just… Go home? I was hoping to trade candy.”

“Dude, she’s dying.”

“I’m not dying.” She insists thinly from the couch. “If you guys wanna trade candy, then by all means. I owe you for getting me home tonight.”

“Are you s-s-sure, Angel? We don’t want to make things any h-harder on you.”

“Nah,” she says with a wave of her hand. “I don’t mind. Trade candy, watch a few movies, have some fun. Forgive me if I don’t join you, though, need some sleep after all this sh*t. Do your parents know you’re spending the night?”

“We can spend the night?” Richie asks, perking up.

“Sure. I don’t want you kids walking home alone after what happened tonight, too risky. And I’m not in any shape to take any of you back, either, so I don’t mind.”

“Well, n-none of us really c-cuh-cleared it with our parents…” Bill admits.

“Yeah…”

“...Maybe you can call them up in the morning.” Stan suggests, his voice muffled from between his hands. “Tell them we were too tired to walk home after we got done trick or treating. They know we’re with you, and we’ve slept over before.”

“Works for me.” Angel shrugs. “Well, I’m heading off to bed, you guys know the drill. Out before 6:30 and fold the blankets before you leave.”

“You got it, boss.” Richie salutes.

“Thanks Angel.”

She stops in the doorway of her room. “Thank you.” She says with a genuine smile and a wince. She shuts her bedroom door behind her.

Mayor Jello is already asleep on the bed. Time seems surreal as she gets undressed, peeling off all the layers to her costume and shucking them carelessly off to the side as she tiredly scans the walls of her room in vacant thought. Her eyes travel all over her various keepsakes and eventually make their way over to her open closet. Dozens of painted ceramic clowns stare at her innocently from the shelf as she removes her clothes and in the silent emptiness of it all, she blushes. She pops a couple painkillers, washing it down with a hearty swig of water at her bedside table, then carefully crawls into bed with a long and hedonistic sigh. She can hear the chatter and uproarious laughter of the children just down the hall and it makes her smile.

Nestling into the blanket, she lets her mind wander as she lays her head down into the plush of her cotton pillow, reflecting over all that had happened tonight with a kind of wistfully retrospective lens. She couldn’t deny that it was most certainly a very eventful holiday, more than she quite frankly could have bargained for. She’s just beyond relieved that she and the children all managed to end up together in one piece again. She’s worried for Stan’s condition, and quite frankly, worried what his parents might say when they learn of it, but she pushes those worries away for now, instead letting her mind wander toward Pennywise again. It was strange, what had happened earlier that night. She was almost sure she saw him in that crowd, but even stranger still was her reaction to seeing him in the first place. The urge to approach him had overcome her like a mad fever, and it had been an urge so powerful it separated her from the children. All she could do in that moment was try to reach him, like she was a moth fluttering desperately towards the warmth of faraway flame. And then, once he had gone, she had been so cold again. It was like he was a vision, a mirage so vivid and tangible but a mirage all the same, dissipating into nothing as she drew ever closer. Just a vision, a fantasy, a dream.

Her thoughts bring her into peaceful slumber, and from there she meanders into the all-too-familiar setup again, the same telltale scenario she’d encountered dozens of times by now. Waking up in the morning, getting ready for work… The feeling of loneliness and desolation stewing within the town, the clacking of her heels against the sidewalk the only instrument playing in an otherwise empty orchestra as she makes her way to the library. Working her shift, ignoring the cold shivers that roll down her back, the way the emptiness made her feel small and vulnerable… And the way that things always shifted, when she hears the whispers for the first time. How she follows the voice, and the way warmth seeps back into her bones with every step, like she’s simply a corpse rediscovering life. The feelings that bubble up inside her when she sees him for the first time, there in a place far below the town, standing there like he’s been waiting thousands of years just for her.

He faces away from her for a time, and when the silence becomes too much she always finds inexplicable strength in her voice. She calls to him.

“H-Hello?”

He slowly faces her now, his eyes glowing warmly in the darkness. They’re not mean or intimidating, only warm, like two golden tears shed from the sun, like glimmering, shimmering stars. She does not shrink back from his blinding stare even as it numbs her, even as it makes her blood scream out for something unknown and fills her with shrieking, seething insanity. He doesn’t answer with his words but the way he holds out his hand fills her with purpose; she trudges forward on deadened feet, closing the gap between them slowly but surely. And usually, that’s where the dream would almost always end. Sometimes she would hear a delicious whisper in her ear as she drew closer, might even feel the sensation of hands ghosting lightly over her exposed skin, but she would always wake before anything really happened, before he got a chance to truly touch her. It always frustrated her to no end.

“Angel…” She can hear the smile in his voice. There he stands, waiting for her to come. But then, but then… He takes a step forward himself, keeping his arm outstretched as he moves, her heart skipping a beat in her chest as he does so. This was… This was new. She resists the powerful urge to run towards him now, forcing herself to keep the same slow and composed pace from before as she keeps going. He continues in his own fashion, his eyes rooted on her, his suit jingling ever so slightly with each step and all she can think about is how desperate she is to feel it in her fingers. The thought is so deliciously sublime that each step gets lighter and lighter, and then eventually she leaves the ground completely. She starts to float in the cold air, starts to float away from him, and her dismay only sends her higher, higher and further away from his reach.

“P-Pennywise!” She cries out. She tries to swim down towards him to no avail, the current of the air is simply too strong. He doesn’t speak as he stares at her from below, but his voice is there in her mind regardless.

“I’ll always protect you, my sweet.”

Her eyes flutter open. It’s morning, she can tell by the light that shines through the curtains and the way the birds chirp from the trees outside. 7:27 , the clock at her bedside reads. Reality returns to her waking mind as she wiggles her toes underneath the warmth of the comforter, and as she adjusts her head on her pillow she can feel something odd laying underneath it. Another gift, maybe? As she sits up and regards it with wary eyes, she feels almost like a child unearthing spoils from a late night visit from the tooth fairy, and when she removes it she can’t stop the breath from hitching in her throat, a smile spreading across her face at the discovery.

It’s her pearl heart pendant, and beside it, a grape-flavored Tootsie Pop.

She walks out into the chilly living room, nothing on save for the necklace and a t-shirt. The living room is bare now, all sign of the Losers gone as she surveys the surroundings with tired eyes and steps towards the couch. Unwrapping the Tootsie Pop, she slides it in her mouth as she sits down, turning on the TV with a sigh. The local news is on, and the sight of the headline makes her heart sink with dread.

Patrick Hockstetter was declared missing.

#pennywise #daddywise #chapter seven #halloween #it 2017 #it chapter one #pennywise x oc #pennywise x angel #tenpence

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angevon · 6 years

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(or read it below!)

For the @personasecretsanta2k17! My giftee was @booked-a-nook / @booking-a-nook.

Established relationship souyo + lots of Teddie fluff

"Seriously?!" Yosuke jumped out of his desk chair in excitement, nearly dropping his phone. He caught it with fumbling fingers then shoved it back to his ear. "You're visiting Inaba this weekend?"

"Yeah," said Souji on the other end. "Will you be able to pick me up at the station tomorrow evening?"

"Heck yeah! Not even a shift at Junes can stop me from being there. When will it be?"

Yosuke's ear burned from how close he held the phone to it as he listened intently to his boyfriend's travel plans. When Souji ended the call with a "See you soon," Yosuke stammered out, "M-miss you."

Even after the call ended, Yosuke held the phone to his ear, as if wishful thinking could bring Souji's voice back on the line. The call had been so short. Usually they'd talk for hours. But he knew his boyfriend had to start packing now if he was going to be here tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Teddie's blond head peeked around the corner of the room's doorframe. "Yosukeeee," he said, charging into the room a half-second later. "Was that Sensei? Your face is all red, it has to be Sensei!"

"Wh-what of it, bear?" Yosuke mumbled, blushing harder.

Teddie snatched the phone out of his hands before he could do anything about it. "Senseiiii," Teddie cried into it. He held it to his ear, then looked at the phone, shook it, and tried again. "Huh, he's not there. Yosuke, call him back! I want to hear his manly voice! The manly voice that makes your heart pound oh-so-much!"

"We don't need to call him back," Yosuke said, grabbing the phone and holding it over his head, just out of Teddie's reach. "He's going to be here tomorrow."

Teddie gasped and stars began to shine in his eyes. "Sensei will be here tomorrow?"

"Y-yeah," Yosuke said. "Just for the weekend, but..."

Teddie's big smile leveled up to 'huge.' "Oh, Yosuke, it's been ever so long since you've seen your hunny-bear."

"I told you not to call him that!"

Wait, that wasn't a smile on Teddie's face anymore—that was a smirk!

"Yosuke," Teddie said matter-of-factly. "It's vital that you impress him when he arrives!" He made a grand gesture, throwing his arms wide open. "I know just what to do to get your bearomones going!"

"I-I don't need your help," Yosuke protested. "Souji... he already likes me."

Though, the distance made it hard, and he always had his doubts...

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't look your beary best! Here," Teddie said. "Stand tall!"

He nudged a confused Yosuke into standing straighter.

"Now," Teddie went on, "puff out your chest, just like this!"

Teddie took a deep breath and was puffing his chest out in an exaggerated way.

"Like this," he wheezed, trying not to breathe out much air. "Stand tall and proud, like a man's man!"

"I don't think that's—"

"Oh!" Teddie suddenly let out all his breath as he distracted himself with another idea. "You should wear a suit."

"A suit?" Yosuke repeated. "I don't even have one. And even if I did I wouldn't..."

As high energy as always, Teddie was already ruffling through the closet. Or at least, what little of the closet he hadn't claimed as his own and was still used for clothing storage. "Ta~daaaaa~"

He emerged from the closet with one of the butler suits Souji had once given all the boys on the Investigation Team to wear for... fun? To fill some secret servant fetish? Yosuke never did figure that out. "I am not wearing that," he said flatly.

"With this you can sweep Sensei off his feet. Literally!"

"No," Yosuke said, shaking his head. "This is what I'm going to wear."

He strode to the closet and picked out his favorite shirt.

"But Yosuke," Teddie whined, "you wear that all the time!"

"And that's exactly why I should wear it," Yosuke said. "Souji needs to know that I'm still me, you know? "

"You can't be anyone else, Yosuke. So why not dress up nice? At least pin a romantic rose to your breast!" Teddie toyed with the cloth rose attached to his fancy shirt, pulling it up towards his nose as if it had a smell. After a year of wearing it almost every day, it was honestly a surprise the rose hadn't torn off by now—especially considering all the trauma Teddie had put it through.

"I'll be fine," Yosuke said. "Besides, if I did anything different from normal, Souji would think something was up."

"But something is up," Teddie said.

He paused dramatically, waiting for Yosuke to ask what. Yosuke sighed and gave in. "What's up, Ted?"

"Your heart rate whenever you think of Sensei!"

He followed it up with a 'badum tish.' Yosuke just rolled his eyes. He wanted to be annoyed, but in a way it was a relief that Teddie was so supportive of their relationship, even if he was so... Teddie about it.

"All right, all right, Teddie, that's enough," he said, pushing the boy towards his closet. "We have a busy day tomorrow. Let's get ready for bed, okay?"

Teddie glanced back at him while being pushed. "I'm sure you'll have the sweetest, Sensei-est dreams tonight~~"

"You too," Yosuke said, and for once, Teddie didn't have a counter.

The next day, Yosuke waited with Teddie at the train station platform for Souji to arrive. Every other minute, Teddie would squint down the tracks and ask Yosuke if he could see the train.

"Calm down," Yosuke said. "It's not supposed to arrive for another half hour. We might as well sit down."

"What if it comes early?" Teddie asked.

Yosuke took a seat on a bench. "Nah, the trains run like clockwork. It can't get here early or else it'd be bad or people who need to get on."

Teddie glanced around the empty train station. "We aren't getting on."

"No, but like, someone could miss the train." Yosuke sighed. "Ah, nevermind! It makes more sense in a busier place."

"I just want Sensei to get here faster," Teddie said. He sat down next to Yosuke. "We haven't seen him in years!"

Yosuke couldn't help but smile at his exaggeration. It was only a month and three days, but it sure felt like years. Yosuke put his arm around Teddie comfortingly. "He'll be here soon. You just need to be patient."

"But Yosuke, you weren't patient! You made us leave the house so fast I didn't get to bring a Topsicle like I wanted!"

"You can have two when we get back home."

"Yay!" Teddie leaned into Yosuke happily. "One for me and one for Sensei! But none for you." He frowned for a second before nodding to himself. "You can share with Sensei."

"I sure can, Ted."

Teddie yawned and snuggled into Yosuke's side. "How much longer now?"

"I don't know," Yosuke said. "Twenty minutes?"

"Unbearably long," Teddie whined. He yawned again.

Yosuke yawned too and blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He felt Teddie's grip on his t-shirt slacken, and watched as his breathing became slower and steadier. He was falling asleep.

Yosuke looked down the tracks, wishing idly that he'd brought his headphones to listen to something while he waited. He could bring out his phone, but he didn't want to disturb Teddie. Instead he watched a trio of birds hopping along the tracks. Their happy chirps were almost musical, and the way they hopped it was like they were trying to avoid walking for some reason. He knew they could walk, he'd seen the same kind of birds at the Junes food court hauling ass like their little lives depended on it with stolen chips in their beaks. They had to be just playing around.

Then the birds suddenly flew away, clearing the tracks as the train pulled up.

Before Yosuke knew it, Souji was getting off the train. He was wearing a white dress shirt with the characteristic high collar and some dark gray pants. Yosuke smiled to himself, happy that he'd made the right choice in wearing the same as always, since Souji hadn't changed things up either.

Souji carried a small duffel bag over his shoulder, probably with a couple days' worth of clothes to wear for the weekend. He spied Yosuke immediately and headed his way.

Yosuke waved at him with his free hand as he approached. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I'd hug you but..."

Souji observed the way Teddie was using Yosuke's shoulder as a pillow. "I think I'm jealous," he said.

"Of Teddie?" Yosuke asked in an incredulous tone. "Well... he does have a better hairstyle than you."

"Well, now I'm just sad," Souji said, setting a hand on his hip. "We haven't seen each other in forever and the first thing you do is insult me."

"No, the first thing I said was that I was sorry I couldn't hug you! Weren't you listening?"

"We can still hug," Souji said.

Yosuke shook his head. "Nuh-uh, I am not doing a sitting hug. They're way too awkward."

Souji gauged the bench Yosuke and Teddie were on. "I wonder if I could hug both of you at once."

"You'd wake him up. Though I guess we'll have to wake him soon anyway." Yosuke looked down at the boy sleeping against him. "You know," he said in a whisper, "he probably didn't sleep much last night. Too excited to see you."

"What about you?" Souji asked in a teasing tone.

Yosuke didn't answer, but he felt his cheeks warm up anyway.

A moment later Teddie stirred from his dozing. He blinked a few times before registering that Souji was there, then leaped to his feet and tackled him in a hug that knocked him back a few steps.

"Oh Sensei I missed you so much you'll be so proud of me I can count to a hundred and there was a party and I made balloons and Nana-chan was there and—"

Souji laughed, patting him on the back and smiling fondly. "I missed you too, Teddie."

Teddie stepped back and beamed at Souji. Then he glanced at Yosuke and motioned at him.

"What?" said Yosuke.

"Your turn! Hug your honey-bear!"

Yosuke rubbed the back of his neck. "G-geez..."

"Don't be shy~"

Souji opened his arms and gave Yosuke an irresistible lost puppy look. Yosuke didn't throw himself into Souji's arms like Teddie had. He didn't have to. As soon as he was within hug distance Souji pulled him into a tight embrace.

And didn't let go for a good long moment. "Missed you," Souji murmured into his shoulder.

"Y-yeah... me too," Yosuke murmured back.

They drew back, only to be interrupted by Teddie:

"Now kiss!" he cried.

"Teddie!" Yosuke scolded.

Teddie stomped his feet on the train platform. "Kiss kiss kiss!"

"Oh my god." Yosuke rolled his eyes, but Souji was looking at him expectantly. Feeling a little lightheaded, all he could really do was go with it.

He planned to leave Souji a chaste kiss on the cheek but his partner had other ideas, redirecting his lips to his own and slotting their mouths together for a more lingering kiss. Though startled, Yosuke relaxed and let it happen. Souji needed this, and to be honest, so did he. Any insecurities he had regarding the long distance faded away. Souji really had missed him.

When they parted, Yosuke felt giddy and breathless and almost tried to kiss him again, but then he remembered they had an audience. They had to preserve what little innocence Teddie had left.

"A-ahem," Yosuke said, readjusting his collar. "Anyway, let's go home."

"Homeward bound!" Teddie lifted a fist into the air and led the way.

"Home?" Souji asked Yosuke while they were walking out of the station. "Teddie lives with you? I thought the TV World was his home now that it's safe."

"He gets too lonely there," Yosuke replied. "And he'll be the first to tell you: there aren't any Topsicles there. So, yeah, he still lives in my closet, for the most part."

"That's so nice of you, Yosuke," Souji said. "And your family too."

"He's charmed my mom, let me tell you. She's always bringing snacks home for him. And Dad, well, he's just happy to have another hard worker. Believe it or not, Teddie's reliable."

"I'm right here, Yosuke!" Teddie piped up. "I can hear every word."

"I'm giving you a compliment."

"A backhanded compliment," Souji said, "but still a compliment."

"I want a compliment from Sensei!" Teddie said, bouncing as he walked.

"You have beautiful eyes," Souji said.

"Uhh," said Yosuke. "Try something a little less superficial, partner."

"My eyes!" Teddie stopped in his tracks. He pointed up at the cloudless blue sky. "I grew them this way. Your world's sky was my inspiration!"

"If you could grow eyes," Souji said, rubbing his chin in thought, "why stop at two? You could've had a third eye, right in the middle of your forehead."

"D-don't give him ideas!" Yosuke protested.

"Oh, Sensei," Teddie said wistfully. "You know I just didn't think of that."

"Wait," Yosuke said. "If you grew your body, why do you have a belly button?"

"If he didn't have one," Souji said, "that'd be pretty weird."

"You kidding? That'd be the least weird thing about him. He already stands out like a sore thumb. He had a couple of foreigners speaking English at him last week, thinking he was one of them."

"I told them 'no comprende' ten times and they still wouldn't listen," Teddie said with a sigh.

"Maybe because that's not English."

"Arrivederci," Teddie said as they walked up to the Hanamura residence. "It means 'we're here.'"

"It does not!" Yosuke, long-suffering, shook his head in aggravation while he unlocked the door. "And that's not English either."

"C'est la vie," Teddie said with another sigh. "Yosuke just doesn't understand. It doesn't matter what you say, as long as it sounds cool and mysterious and foreign. That's the trick to capturing a maiden's heart! Though," he said, nudging Souji, "I suppose our Yosuke doesn't need any tricks when he has you."

"Wait," said Souji, "are you saying Yosuke isn't cool and mysterious and foreign?"

Yosuke turned a flat stare on his partner, who was feigning disappointment.

Souji added, "I want my heart back."

Yosuke ignored him by pushing the door open and going inside.

While they were changing their shoes at the entryway, Souji asked if Yosuke's parents were home.

Yosuke shook his head. "You couldn't have timed this trip any better, partner. Mom and Dad are out of town for some Junes corporate meeting. We have the house to ourselves tonight!" He paused. "Why do you look so disappointed?"

"I was hoping for some of your mom's cooking," Souji said.

"We have some!" Teddie said, dancing his way towards the kitchen. "In the fridgerator. Mama-mura's homemade recipes, made with motherly love and entirely too much cumin."

"Leftovers probably aren't the same, huh? I didn't really think about what you'd want to eat tonight." Yosuke considered the problem. "Aiya delivery? Though you probably have plenty of ramen shops in the city to go to."

"None of them can access the meat dimension," Souji said. "Aiya is fine."

"You got it," said Yosuke. He took out his phone and began to dial a number. "Anything in particular you want?"

"Whatever you get will be fine."

"Oh! Oh!" said Teddie, jumping up and down. "I want a pan-seared filet mignon with garlic and herb butter!"

"Where did that even come from?" Yosuke asked. "Have you been watching cooking shows with my mom?"

"I think Sensei could be an Iron Chef," Teddie said. "He can make a meal out of anything!"

"He might eat just about anything," Yosuke mused, "but he didn't come all this way to cook for us. Ted, could you quiet down for a sec while I order? Thanks."

"But I also want foie gras and truffles and caviar and—"

Souji gently tugged Teddie into another room to give Yosuke some peace. Yosuke sent him a grateful smile. He ordered enough food for the three of them plus some extra. From experience he knew Teddie would sometimes eat more than a normal person his size would eat, so it never hurt to have more. Worst case scenario, there'd be more leftovers in the fridge.

After placing the order, Yosuke joined the others in the living room. Teddie was in an armchair and Souji was leaning against the back of it, listening as the bear told some wild tale of his last shift at Junes. Souji laughed when Teddie got to the punchline, though Yosuke couldn't tell if it was actually funny or if he was just being polite.

"So, what do you want to do?" Yosuke asked, sauntering over. "Got some time before the food arrives."

"What do you normally do about now?" Souji asked.

"Oh, you know." Yosuke shrugged. "On a normal day, Teddie would be watching foreign dramas with my mom. That's probably where he learned all those foreign words. And I'd be in my room, relaxing a bit before doing some studying."

Yosuke waited, expecting a sarcastic joke about him actually studying—Chie had totally made fun of him for suddenly applying himself this year when he'd been so lax last year—but Souji looked proud to hear it.

And then Souji was smiling. "And by relax you mean listening to music," he said. He pulled something square and flat out of his duffel bag and handed it to Yosuke. "Here, this is for you."

"What is—oh my god, you didn't!" Yosuke held up the CD case to the light, drawing his fingers lovingly over the cover. "How did you know, they don't sell this out here, where did you find it?"

"A little bear told me you were looking for this. There are plenty of record stores in the city. It only took three for me to find it."

"You went to all that effort just for me..." Without even realizing it, Yosuke sent Souji the most smoldering look he could manage.

"That's amore," said Teddie.

"It sure is," said Souji.

Yosuke shook his head to clear it. "C-come on," he complained. "I'm not... not ready to use words like that."

"But you'll tell him every other way," Teddie said. "Dressing up nice, or the same as always—I tried, Sensei, believe me I tried—setting a love song as his ringtone, calling him every night, sighing every time you think of him... It can be no other thing."

"An open and shut case," Souji said, nodding.

"Whose side are you on?" Yosuke crossed his arms.

"The side of love, clearly," Teddie said. He sighed dramatically. "If only I could find love as true."

"The problem is you're trying too hard, Ted," said Yosuke. "I mean, Souji and I, we kinda fell into it naturally."

"Best friends turned lovers, eh?" Teddie said. "A popular trope."

"I guess that's how it was," Yosuke said.

"That's exactly how it was," Souji said. He gave Yosuke a peck on the cheek. Yosuke found himself at a loss for words.

Fortunately a knock on the door meant he didn't need any. The food had arrived! After paying for the delivery, Yosuke took the food into the kitchen, and Souji and Teddie followed him there.

Teddie took a long sniff of the takeout beef bowls that Yosuke had set on the counter. "Ahhh, you ordered the good stuff! That's our Yosuke."

Yosuke pulled the croquettes out of the big paper bag and handed one to Souji, who looked confused. "Wait, these aren't from Aiya..."

"When I ordered from Aiya I asked Aika-chan to stop by Souzai Daigaku on the way over," Yosuke explained. "She's cool like that. For repeat customers, anyway. But don't worry about the details, just eat! You gotta be hungry after that long train ride, partner."

The croquettes were as tough as always, but that was part of their charm. When they moved onto the beef bowls, it became a little messy. Yosuke had long ago given up on telling Teddie not to slurp his noodles. Fortunately Souji took the broth stains on his dress shirt in good stride.

"I bet you really miss this delicious food, Sensei," Teddie said.

Souji, wearing a kind of pained smile, shook his head. "I do, but what I miss more is... this." He waved his hand indicating the three of them.

"Eating with all of us?" Yosuke guessed. "We'll have to get everyone together tomorrow, just like old times! Besides, you'll need to see Nanako-chan."

"Tomorrow," Souji agreed. "Today... it's you." He paused. "And Teddie, of course."

"Sensei..." Teddie said. "I feel so loved."

"Friendship is a type of amore too," Souji told him.

With a soft cry, Teddie gave him a big bear hug right around his waist. Souji patted his head and looked over at Yosuke. Their eyes caught, and Yosuke found his heart racing. Souji looked so happy...

After the meal and subsequent kitchen cleaning, they returned to the living room.

"Now what?" Yosuke asked.

"I'm as stuffed as a toy bear," Teddie said, "and ready to hibearnate! We should get wrapped up under the blankets and watch a movie."

"Sounds good to me," said Souji. "Who'll sit where?"

"Sensei in the center," Teddie demanded.

Smiling, Souji sat in the middle of the couch. Teddie immediately usurped his left side and cuddled close. After getting the DVD player set up, Yosuke sat at Souji's right. Not a second later Souji put an arm around him and pulled him close. Teddie grabbed a blanket from the floor and put it over the three of them, making it quite cozy. Yosuke found it a little confining, though—his leg kept bouncing under the blanket.

The movie had hardly started and Teddie was already snoring. "Just like this at the train station," Souji said, smiling fondly down at him. "He really was tired, huh..."

"Too much excitement," Yosuke said. "Though we barely did anything today. Or, bearly. It might be a food coma, that was a lot of food."

"Say, Yosuke..."

"Yeah, partner?"

"When we leave for college, what will happen to him?"

Yosuke blinked at him and took a moment to answer. "He can still live here, I guess. My family probably won't mind. He can keep my mom company while I'm gone."

"Well..." Souji said. By the hesitant way he said it, he had another idea in mind. "I know we haven't talked about it much, but... I was hoping we'd go to the same college. Or at least, go to college in the same city."

Yosuke froze. It was noticeable because his bouncing leg stilled under the blanket.

"So we could live together," Souji finished.

"You... are you serious?" Yosuke asked slowly.

"I'm always serious."

"You are not." There was a pause. "But... I believe you're serious now."

"I'm serious about you," Souji said. "So..." Under the blanket, he found Yosuke's hand and squeezed it. "If you're willing to try living with me..."

"Hell yes," Yosuke said, entwining their fingers and pressing hard into his side. "Damn," he mumbled into the cloth of Souji's shirt. "That'd be like a dream come true."

"You said you've been studying. I think you can make it to college."

"Yeah... I'm doing my best."

"I believe in you," Souji said firmly. "And even if college doesn't happen, we can still live together. I want to. This distance thing... it's so hard."

"Yeah," Yosuke admitted quietly. "It is."

Souji shifted a little, careful not to disturb Teddie, to get more comfortable and pull Yosuke even closer. Yosuke soon found the loving expression on his face a little too much to bear and looked away, pretending to focus on the movie that neither of them were watching.

He was happy, though... cuddling with his best friend, his partner, his... lover... and knowing he was happy too. If they lived together, this could be his everyday. Of course, they'd have bills to pay, and college classes to study for, and all that, so it wouldn't be easy, but...

"It's amore," he mumbled, hiding his face under the blanket.

He felt Souji kiss his hair, and he wanted to melt. Souji didn't stop there, kissing him again on his forehead, his temple, his nose, and then pushing the blanket down from his face to reach his lips.

Yosuke smiled into the kiss, his knees feeling weak even though he wasn't standing.

And when they parted, Souji was smiling in that way that made it seem like everything was all right in the world.

It faded a moment later. "Oh," said Souji. "You made me lose my train of thought there."

"It can wait," Yosuke said, running his tongue over his lips in anticipation of more smooching.

Souji shook his head. "It's about Teddie."

Hearing his name, Teddie stirred against his side. They watched him carefully, but he remained asleep.

"Yeah?" Yosuke asked, matching his quiet voice.

"I was thinking... he could live with us too."

Yosuke chuckled. "He'd love that. Seeing his sensei everyday."

"I'm serious," said Souji. "They say three's a crowd, but... spending this evening here with both of you. It feels... like we're a family."

Yosuke felt him shift again on the couch, this time resettling Teddie at his side.

"The little brother I never had," Yosuke said.

"You still let him live with you, even though you don't have to," Souji said. "I can tell you care about him."

"He is family," Yosuke said simply.

"So... we'll be family."

"Yeah."

This time, Souji leaned into him.

#persona 4 #souyo #personasecretsanta17 #booked a nook #booking a nook #my fic #what a funny coincidence that you were also my secret santa #*sideeyes dojimmy*#i think it worked out for the best though i still love my gift hahah #and this #well #it went through a lot of revisions because i had trouble figuring out what i wanted to do #at first it was going to be christmas themed #but then i was like no i have to include all the team for that #and i dont have time for that sadly #and there was some trouble organizing it but i'm pretty happy with it now #i wish teddie and yosuke had more brotherly interactions in the game like this #i have more appreciation for teddie now after writing this :)

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alice-in-every-land-blog · 7 years

Text

Heaven in Hiding

In which Alice attends her first Pride and meets a lovely Warrior Princess that sweeps her off of her feet just a bit.

Trigger Warning: Cuteness

Alice had never experienced something like this before. I mean, it was just so colorful. And everyone really seemed to be so very full of pride. And in their sexuality being other than heterosexual! It was a sight to see, to say the least, for dear little Alice, who had kissed only one boy in her life and attempted to kiss one girl who had then called her a slew of awful things for it. (Alice had thought said girl felt the same. Said girl did not, it turned out, like anything having to do with homosexuality at all. You could imagine how upset Alice had been to learn this.) Still, this place had given her renewed hope in magic and herself and now, even in her own sexuality! For Alice had known an awful long time that she had a heart full of love and no one to share it with. Today, she was dressed head to toe in colors, and had even painted her face with the rainbow, and was grinning ear to ear. This place felt more and more like a place she could belong every day. Walking up to the bonfire, she asked someone nearby where she could get a drink. "Just anything, really, if you don't mind pointing me in the right direction. I'm still new, you see."

Kiara turned to the girl who had just approached her, brightening up at once and grinning real wide. "Well, there's a table ooooover that way!" she said, pointing in the direction. "But careful, they do card." She made a face. "I slipped a lil away from it anyway. Got friends in high places."

Alice chuckled. "Don't worry, love, I'm of age." And she had actually retrieved her ID, too, once she realized she needed a lot more than she'd thought from her world. Unfortunately, she still hadn't been able to get her hands on her birth certificate, but she'd gotten lucky enough to pull her ID through a portal in her new room at Edelweiss just two days after getting hired. Lucky, lucky - something Alice had never been. The blonde regarded the girl closely, now. She didn't look all that young. But looks could be deceiving. "So long as you're over fifteen, I don't mind spotting you a bit. You just have to promise to help me navigate all of... this," she gestured to the Pride Celebration happening, "for a while. I could use a good hand to hold."

Kiara giggled at that. The girl was definitely really cute-- freckly, the fire making each one of those little dots reddish like cinnamon. Course there was Callie though who knows what that was... Kiara still shouldn't flirt with every cute girl that she met during Pride Week. Probably. "Sounds like a come on," she couldn't resist saying anyway. "How about you tell me your name first? I'm Kiara."

Alice hadn't meant it as a come on. Well, okay, maybe she had. This girl was super cute and she liked the way her giggle sounded like music. So she grinned her toothy grin and gave a shrug. "It can be a come on if you'd like it to be." Sticking out a hand, Alice tilted her head to the side. "Alice. I'm afraid you've the far lovelier name out of the two of us, Kiara," she sounded it out and like how it felt. Like a warrior or a princess - or both. "And now that I have your name and you mine, what do you say? A drink for a hand to hold? Or a guide, if you'd prefer the deal not to involve a come on." Optimism peered it's head, pushing memories of that one almost girl kiss out of Alice's mind. This was Pride, this girl was friendly, and this world was entirely different. Maybe better.

Kiara looked down at the hand and felt the butterflies in her stomach, though they were not the toe-curling kind, just the-- the excited kind. She looked back up and still that same grin on her face. She could do both those things: be a hand to hold, be a guide. At least to the drink table. So Kiara took Alice's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'll let you know after another drink," she said, crinkling her nose playfully. "C'mon!" And she tugged her new friend, Alice, toward the table with a skip in her step.

Alice grinned as the girl squeezed her hand, and let herself be dragged, laughing all the while. She liked Kiara's energy. Her aura radiated a positive light that ignited Alice's own positivity. She also liked how it felt to hold a hand - male or female - it just felt nice. It was the sort of thing that made you not feel so alone in the world. (And Alice often felt very alone in any world, though this one had proved exceptionally welcoming so far.) As they reached the drink table, the blonde cocked a brow at the other girl. "So - tell me, what's your favorite pick? I never know quite what to order. It always feels like everything is just screaming 'Drink me!'" she chuckled.

Kiara cocked her head toward the choices. She wasn't a big beer drinker-- tasted like piss to her. "I mean, mostly I just pour vodka into whatever soft drink I have. Rum n coke, vodka and sprite, that sort of thing," she said casually enough. "Erm, they have these mojitos that look good tho?"

Alice had never drank out in an official, public establishment. Most of her drinking had been of liquors stolen from her own home or concoctions in cups at parties she'd snuck out to. (She hadn't even been invited to said parties, had just heard of them and sneakily gotten the info needed to get in. She was a caged bird who needed the freedom to be a teenager, when she had been a teenager that is, and being home-schooled made that difficult.) And then, of course, there was the psychiatric ward and the lab... that had prevented her from going anywhere public for quite a while to do anything, much less drink. But she wasn't going to think of such things. Not tonight. Instead, she gave a purse of her lips at Kiara and waved at the bartender. "Oi! Yes, love, would you mind making me whatever drink you have that's strongest? Preferably something that doesn't taste like lighter fluid. Thank you. Oh!" She glanced at Kiara with a smile, " Sorry, make that two." She slipped her ID over the counter and gave the money necessary. Once the drinks were provided, she picked up one for herself and let Kiara take up the other. "I'm going to push you out of your comfort zone, make you drink this with me. Hope that's alright. Drinking the same thing all the time must be awfully boring after a while."

Kiara eagerly took the drink. And Alice didn't have to tell her twice. "Hey, I'll have you know-- in fact, first thing to know about me, new-friend-Alice-- I love going outside my comfort zone," she said and bounced a bit closer, her dimples crinkling in her cheeks. "Though we should definitely toast yeah? To-- pride or love or-- your freckles," said Kiara, even though--she really shouldn't. Though there was no harm in flirting now was there?

Alice smiled wide, and giggled at the thought of cheering to her freckles. "You know, it used to be my freckles were something to laugh at rather than cheer about - so I'll take it!" She clinked her drink with the other girl's, their free hands still intertwined. "But also to love and to pride, yeah. First thing you should probably know about me is this whole thing is sort of out of my comfort zone. I've never been to a Pride celebration before. I quite like it. I'm having an excellent time." Grinning and blushing ear-to-ear, she took a sip of her drink and was happy to find it didn't taste awful. In fact, it made her feel glittery, like alcohol always did. "Mm, and, I'm even better now I've a drink and a lovely new friend on my arm."

Kiara could tell her: me too. She could tell her about her mother who cried when she'd heard Kiara was gay or her stepfather, who hurt her because of it. But this was Pride an it was a happy place. She wanted to bat all those shadows away and clear out her closet. No-- destroy the closet. Fuck the skeletons inside it. So Kiara just smiled. "Exactly. What more could you need? Doesn't matter how long it took you to get here, just matters that you're here at all. I think it's meant to be that way," she said very confidently. She took a sip of her drink too.

Alice couldn't help all the smiling. Even as she sipped from her drink, her grin stayed in place around the rim of it. This was just so nice, and she squeezed Kiara's hand as she giggled. "I think lots of things are meant to be, in funny little ways. I think my whole being here is meant to be in general. I do love this place." She looked around at all the people, so happy and full of... well, pride. It made her want to know all of their stories. Had they struggled? Had they always been free to love and be who they wanted? She turned back to Kiara, and hesitated before speaking. "Are you...? I mean, I don't mean to be so forward, do tell me if I'm being rude. I was just curious about- well, curious how- I'm-" Alice flustered and felt her face heating up. She moved to pull her hand from Kiara's grasp momentarily, planning on patting the flush from her cheeks. "Sorry. What I mean to say is, w- what are you taking pride in tonight?" That seemed like a good way to phrase it, right?"

Kiara raised her eyebrows as the girl became flustered, and in being flustered, got more pink, all the way up to her ears. Kiara loved when girls blushed. It made her feel...big and strong and like she could protect them, like she'd do anything to kiss that color. "I'm taking pride in bein' who I am," she said, tilting her head a little-- swinging their hands too. Weird that they were still holding hands, they were practically strangers but-- also not weird. Alice was pretty forthcoming so Kiara would be too. "I've known I was gay my whole life, y'know. My mum hated it about me-- hated me really-- but." Kiara just shrugged. She was still smiling. "I'm happy now. I live with my cousin and his boyfriend and I'm proud to be there. Took a long time but like I said-- just matters that I got there. And I'm still super gay," she giggled.

Alice liked the feeling of the hand-swaying. That was new. Well, a lot of it was new - the hand swaying, the Pride celebration, the drinking with a cute girl who was actually gay - but in this case, new was definitely good. Very, very good. Kiara's story about coming out... well, not very good, at least not in the beginning. It tugged at her heart strings and her smile fell momentarily. "I'm sorry it didn't go over well with your family. I know what it's like, a mum hating something about you so much it takes over her feelings of you entirely." She thought of how her mother had let her be carted away to become a lab rat and had to take a deep breath, shaking off the mixed emotions it had wrought and pasting on a smile. "But you've come far, then! Accepted the part of yourself she hated. I've still yet to do that." Accept her magic, that was. Alice had never second-guessed how she felt about boys and girls and people in general. She still felt terrified every time she used the glimmers, however, even when it was necessary. "Now, if you're super gay, though, does that mean you've powers beyond that of us stuck in an in-between somewhere?" she teased, taking another drink.

Kiara probably shouldn't go "um yes!" because she knew objectively~~ that'd be pretty biphobic of her and Simba was bi and so were so many people and hey-- she'd had sex with a guy before. On drugs, when she could see his aura, but still, sex. But she liked the idea of being super gay. "Well, I mean-- I think I got superpowers alright, though not because I'm more gay or anything. Just because I'm super confident," she decided, and bounced a bit on her toes. "I think that's what makes a person super-whatever, y'know That you're just, really really aggressively that thing, and you're proud of that thing, and it makes you better."

Alice had to admit, that was pretty interesting logic. The kind that made her smile soften and she nodded, being the one to swing their hands this time. "I like the sound of that. I wonder what that would make me 'super' at." Alice had to think, very hard, on what she was proud of in herself. Aggressively proud of. "I suppose I fancy myself a super dreamer. I dream very big, you see. Too big, sometimes. My imagination is very out of control."

"Can an imagination be too out of control?" Kiara asked at once, the question genuine. She always thought imagination was one of the best things a person could have. Too much couldn't be bad. "When's too much imagination a bad thing?"

Alice didn't like the only answer she had to this question. She became instantly uncomfortable, regretting she'd used those words in the first place. This time, when she blushed, it was out of embarrassment. Alice hid it well, though, taking a sip from her drink and furrowing her brows in thought. "Um, well, when it interferes with reality, I suppose." True, it hadn't necessarily been Alice's imagination that had interfered with her life, but her imagination was all she had when she was still trying to figure out what her glimmers even meant. So it was, in a way, all connected. Looking back to Kiara, she gave a shrug. "I'm always chasing things to widen my imagination impossibly more. Case in point," she laughed, holding up her drink as an example, and clicked it against Kiara's again before taking another sip. "Though I have to say, this drink isn't near strong enough. I think I've gotten jipped, perhaps." She made a face at her drink, now half-empty, and then looked to make a face at the bartender who'd made it. "Should have just gotten a bottle and been done with it. But- who knows. Maybe I'll get down to the bottom of my glass and feel I'm floating." There. Good change of subject.

Kiara nodded, letting the other topic slide away. She didn't wrestle conversations and she wasn't super curious like Nala, who could cling onto something and not let it go. She liked to ride a conversation's waves, its ebb and its flow. "Yeah, could hit in a bit, y'know, one of those drinks that tricks you till you're real drunk and seeing stars." She grinned at the thought. "And then that's when you start dancing."

"Oh - you don't need to see stars to dance. You don't even need music!" Alice laughed, then, and switched her grip on Kiara's hand in a way as though to spin the girl around.

Kiara was a bit caught off guard, but was laughing and twirling anyway, her drink sloshing in her cup. "Oi, careful, I'll spill my drink all over you," she teased, coming to a stop a step closer than she'd been. Now she could really see all of Alice's freckles.

Alice laughed, full and hearty, though it died down into a soft giggle between lips pressed tight as Kiara grew closer in proximity. "I don't mind getting a bit messy. Messy can be fun. It's why I still paint with my fingers." As if to provide an example, she freed her hand from Kiara's and dipped a couple of fingers into her glass, wetting them, before flinging the little droplets at the other girl's cheeks. She giggled again at the way they splayed across her face. "There. And now you've got liquid freckles. More freckles to toast to."

Kiara let out a tiny yelp that turned into a giggle-fest herself and then she wrinkled her nose at Alice and opened her eyes back up wide. Her heart was going quicker in her chest now than it had been before. She wanted to kiss Alice. She wasn't even drunk and she wanted to kiss Alice. She could hear her therapist in her head goin' Count to ten before you act, Kiara. Ugh. 10. She didn't know Alice that well. 9. She should think about Callie, even if Callie and her weren't really any official thing. 8. She was a bit tipsy. 7. She was supposed to make friends first. 6. She didn't need to kiss anyone.... Kiara trailed off in her head after that one, the numbers subduing that feeling. She just lifted her cup. "Gotta clink to it," she said, then touched the lip of her cup to Alice's. "Clink," said Kiara, then took another swig..

Alice giggled again, and clicked their glasses before reaching up to wipe the droplets from Kiara's face. Her skin felt nice - soft, smooth - not like a boy's. That's what was so nifty about being attracted to multiple genders. They all felt so different. Even as individual people. Kiara felt like the warmth of the bonfire she'd met her by. She found herself distracted and realized after too long of a beat her fingers still lingered on the other girl's cheek. Alice gave an awkward laugh, blushing once more, as she reached back down and gripped Kiara's hand again instead. "Okay. Toasting and dancing are checked. Is there anything else my guide and hand-to-hold has to offer me?"

Kiara froze when Alice touched her cheek. Her butterflies fluttered rapidly in her stomach, kicking up a whirlwind that swept up her throat. Count to ten, Kiara. 10. She'd just met Alice. 9. She... she needed to... what were the other reasons? Her eyes focused a little again, blinking rapidly at Alice's question "Oh, uh, um-- well. Got the flirting down too," she said, smirking a little bit. "I say just...listen to your instincts."

Alice noted that Kiara seemed a bit off. In fact, it seemed like this time the other girl was flustered. That was definitely new. Alice had never made anyone flustered before. Especially not a girl. And now she was telling Alice to listen to her instincts... Alice's instincts involved biting her lip as she looked at Kiara's own. If she kissed this girl now, at least Alice knew she was actually gay and might not mind it. And she definitely wouldn't call her names. She swayed forward a bit, heart thumping. Was it from the alcohol finally hitting? Or was it from this girl who she'd really only met just moments ago? Kiara did seem to be very magnetic. Especially in the moment. "Well, you're the expert," Alice whispered, and leaned forward to place a chaste, sweet kiss on the girl's lips. She didn't linger. Wanted to keep it short and sweet, just in case. Still, Alice felt all tingly now. She licked her lips and tried not to kiss Kiara again. "Now, that might've been a come on," she joked, giggling.

Kiara’s eyes went wide and she couldn't remember any numbers, not a single one, as Alice leaned in and kissed her soft and sweet. It was like taking a bite of chocolate. And instantly Kiara wanted more, all those butterflies dancing inside her stomach and chest and arms and head. She could count all Alice's freckles, this close, she thought, the numbers flooding back, but this time they weren't going to stop her heart from beating too fast at all. There was one, and two, and three, an four five six seven eight nine-- ten. She swallowed, knowing that she'd need much much longer than ten seconds to count the rest. "Yeah," she said breathlessly. "A lil bit." She smiled again, licking her own lip like she could still taste Alice. "Um. I sort of-- want to kiss you again," she said. "Can I?"

Alice blinked, and blushed, but smiled wide - wider than she'd smiled in a very, very long time - and gave a nod in answer. This time, she unhooked her hand from Kiara's and brought it up to cup the line of her jaw, fingers lacing in her hair as she closed the distance again. This time, when she kissed Kiara, she did linger. Long enough to feel glitter and butterflies filling her up.

Now her toes were curling in her shoes, dimples deep in her cheeks as Alice's lips touched hers. She opened her lips just enough to kiss her back softly, her free hand slipping down to slip her finger into one of the belt loops on Alice's cute little jean shorts. She wanted to kiss her all night. They could just find a tree and sit next to it and snog until their lips got all chapped.

Alice liked kissing a girl - really kissing a girl - one who kissed back and everything. It made her chest flutter and she melted her lips into Kiara's, which were just so soft. She tasted like the drink they had shared, and Alice smiled against her lips as she felt the other girl pull her closer. She happily obliged, pressing her body against Kiara's. That felt nice too. Feeling her curves against Alice's own.

Kiara kept kissing Alice, her hand moving up to softly stroke her blonde hair that fell around her shoulders. She smelled like flowers and paint and Kiara breathed all that in through her nose like it could fill her up and make her float away. And she knew she shouldn't be doing this. She needed to stop doing this. But she just kissed at Alice's top lip before nudging her lips open just a little, to tease her tongue against her bottom one.

It felt nice, Kiara's fingers stroking Alice’s hair. The intimacy of the moment in general felt nice. She widened her lips to deepen the kiss, Alice's own tongue darting out to tease the other girl's. Okay, she really, really liked kissing Kiara. She knew they had just met and all, and had been drinking - only a little - but still. It felt good to kiss someone so nice and warm and energetic and proud of who she was. Alice liked Kiara. And she liked her more as she took her bottom lip between her own and bit down on it gently, ever so slightly. Her heart still beat fast in her chest, and Alice still felt so... tingly. Like glitter was under her very skin. She could stay kissing this Kiara warrior princess forever.

Alice bit into her lip and made Kiara shiver and the desire explode. She was beyond toe-curling now. She wanted to put both her hands on Alice's face and kiss her hard and sloppy and full of panting and moaning. But she had a blasted drink in her hand and-- blimey, she shouldn't be doing this anyway. So Kiara finally pulled back a little, the kiss breaking with a little sigh. She breathed out, and then in again, opening her eyes to look into Alice's blue ones, like it wasn't night at all, but daybreak. "Wow," she said, then her lips stretched wider on her face as she giggled. "You-- are a great kisser."

Alice blinked as they parted, flustered and heart pit-pattering away in her chest like the steps of a galloping horse. She smiled and breathed out a laugh as she looked at Kiara, giggling as she rested her forehead against the other girl's. "It helps that I had a good partner." Biting at her bottom lip, nervous, she places another quick, sweet kiss to Kiara's lips before taking her hand and tugging it, pulling her back in the direction of the bonfire. "Come on. Let's go take a seat, finish these drinks - maybe snog a bit more, if you're into that - and I can get to know more about you and your super powers and confidence."

Kiara was really super fucking conflicted right now because everything in her screamed yes! yes! yes! but she also wanted to text-- you guessed it-- Callie. And Bambi too. She wanted to tell Alice to wait one sec while she punched out this entire story, all about how this cute girl had come up to her and flirted with her and like how they were two magnets and she felt all hot and fluttery and and and-- the text could go on forever. But she had zero idea if Callie and her was enough of a Thing for this be Wrong and she didn't know what Bambi would think if that was the case. And the last thing her friend group needed was more secrets and Kiara didn't want to not tell them. She wanted to tell them super extra hard. So maybe she like, shouldn't go with Alice to drink and snog and talk about themselves because it would just complicate everything. But she wanted to. She really wanted to. Kiara bit down on her own lip, thinking all this in one second. Count to ten, Kiara-- but she didn't want to. So she nodded, just diving all in like the Loser that she definitely was (hadn't she learned anything???!! Ugh, she just wanted to kiss Alice again). "Yeah, that-- sounds like a wicked plan," she said. "You leading the way this time, eh?"

Alice nodded as she pulled Kiara along, sipping from her drink, unaware of the debate going on in the cute little pixie-like girl's head. "I sure am!" she laughed, feeling really confident as she found a log. She detached herself from Kiara and gestured to the seat with a tiny curtsy. "After you, my lady."

Kiara was doomed. That's what she thought as Alice curtsied and all, while she smiled so big she probably looked like a goof. She plopped down on the log though and gave her drink another gulp before patting right next to her. "Get cozy. Gonna get chilly out, darker it gets," she said, not even bothering to stop from flirting.

Alice took her spot happily, sitting close to Kiara so their hips touched. "Too bad we don't have a blanket. But, I suppose that's what the fire's for, yeah?" She looked over at Kiara and smiled, before furrowing her brows a bit as she asked, "Oi, aren't there supposed to be fireworks at some point? And I mean the literal kind - you know, not the kind you get from a good snog," she winked.

Kiara chuckled at that, biting her own lip again. "Right, right-- yeah I think there are gonna be," she answered Alice's question as she stretched out her legs so her heel dug a line in the dirt. "Probably a little later than this. I always love fireworks though. The bigger and louder the better, y'know?" She glanced at Alice with a soft smile.

Alice looked up at the sky. Right now there was nothing to be seen but stars. Which Alice didn't mind in the slightest. "I can't remember the last time I saw fireworks," the blonde mused. And really, she couldn't. It had to have been ages ago, when she was a kid... maybe. "I'm glad I get to see them with you." She smiled over at Kiara and nudged the girl's shoulder with her own, before holding out her free hand, palm up. "My guide and my hand-to-hold. I got very lucky, finding you. Would've not had near half the fun I've had already if not."

Kiara took Alice's hand immediately, this time making sure their fingers intertwined and locked. Kiara loved holding hands like that. Alice's were colder than hers, which made Kiara squeeze her hand once. "Ditto, Miss Flower Crown," she said and bumped Alice's shoulder back. "I...didn't think I was gonna have anyone to share Pride with," she confessed. Not like, overly sad or anything. In fact, she was still smiling. "I mean, which was fine, y'know, I didn't mind. My friends just couldn't come, I was just gonna eat enough cupcakes for my tongue to turn blue or green. But...this is better," said Kiara. "Thanks, Alice."

Alice smiled. She liked that: Flower Crown. "I thought the same, funnily enough. And- felt the same, too. Like it would be fine even if I were alone. But this is better. Definitely better." She squeezed Kiara's hand back, beaming. "Thank you. Miss Warrior Princess Kiara."

Kiara giggled at that. "Warrior Princess? Is that the vibe I'm givin' off? It's the hair cut, eh?"

Alice shook her head. "Actually, it was more your name. Kiara. Sounds a bit princess, a bit warrior. But yeah, the haircut. The confidence. The beauty. A bit of it all mashed up together, yeah?" She grinned.

Kiara practically preened under all that. "Careful, I might have to keep you around to say nice stuff about me." She joked. "I like Alice too though. It's...light. Like a feather?" She shook her head at herself, knowing that made no sense.

Alice cocked her head to the side. “Please do. Keep me ‘round, that is. Especially if you’re going to make my name sound more interesting than it is.” Smiling, the blonde leaned her head on the girl’s shoulder and looked up at the sky, asking her about her life here, in Swynlake. They talked about Romeo and Juliet, and books, and friends, and even a bit about the different things people around them were there to take pride in, all until the fireworks. Then they fell silent, just watching, Alice taking quick glances at Kiara’s face lighting up different colors with each blast.

When the night was done, they exchanged numbers, and Alice gave her another chaste kiss before promising this wouldn’t be the last time they’d see one another.

#bdrppride #oneshot #kiara #liddel lyons

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fearofaherobrine · 7 years

Text

Roleplay Server Log #210

“Basil vs Milotec, Stevie’s Fear”

[Doc] Tromps outside and dashes down the little road towards Stevies house-

[CP] Flies along behind them-

[snake] I am a pocket sized friend ready to help

-There's a lot of thrashing going on out in the bay-

[Milotic] Is trying to avoid Basil-

[Basil] Makes a giant sweep with their tail and is trying to ram Milotic with their snout-

[Stevie] Is nervously pacing the shore-

[Milotic] Uses water gun-

[snake] oh god I hope they are ok

[Basil] Thrashes around and tries to swat Milotic

[CP] - The fuck is that gay looking thing?

[Milotic] Calls out in a panic-

[snake] it looks like a pokemon

[Doc] Agreed. It's that style, but where..?

[Stevie] - Where is Alexis? She could shoot that other thing easily!

[Basil] Tries to dunk Milotic by breaching onto it

[Milotic] Is forced under the water-

[Doc] I guess I should seperate them... Cp, hold Snake okay? - Xe gently puts the small creature on his shoulder

[snake] hi cp

[CP] Growls-

[Doc] Breaks into a short run and twists down into the water, shifting under the waves-

[CP] Walks closer to the edge of the water- The fuck is that thing Stevie?

[Stevie] - Um... The fish Doc gave me?

[Basil] Is thumped hard from below by the square top of Doc's head and rolls over with a bellow-

[snake] I hope they are ok

[Milotic] Rushes for it's shallow pool where it had stayed as a Feebas-

[Doc] Is rolling around in the water, Xe's twisted around Basils head holding it's huge jaws closed like a python.

[Milotic] Get's as close to Stevie as it can, putting it's head next to him-

[Stevie] - Hey, it's okay- He rubs the Milotic's head

[Doc] Is getting repeatedly dunked as Basil rolls desperately-

[CP] - It looks gay

[Stevie] - So?

[snake] gay is not a bad thing

[Notch] Was standing under the eve of the house- That's not very nice Cp. Especially since some of our best friends are gay.

[CP] - And I care why?

[Basil] Does a high breach with Doc still clinging on- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[Notch] Gives him a disapproving look

[Stevie] - That thing out there broke the pokeball...

[snake] because gay people are cool

[Notch] I don't think it's a pokemon Stevie. Its a bit too... monochrome?

[CP] - It's from the real world, it's name is Basil according to Slender

[snake] -managed to climb on top of cp's head-

[Basil] Tears by-

[Doc] FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKK

[CP] - I THINK YOU CAN LET GO NOW DOC!

[Notch] Cp... maybe you should help Doc?

[CP] - Not in the mood

[Notch] Since when are you not in the mood for a fight? That's unusual. Are you feeling okay?

[CP] - You know I killed recently... Plus had to deal with a bunch of other shit

[Stevie] - Of course you killed

[snake] -pats cp's head- there, there, we are all here if you ever need help.

[Notch] Your brother is being honest Stevie. I'm sure he regrets it.

[CP] - Fuck off, and I do not

[Notch] Liar.

[Stevie] - Of course you wouldn't, because that's what you are... A killer

[snake] it's hard to get down from this height so I can't fuck off

[Doc] Basically has the bull by the horns and can't let go now-

[Notch] Reaches up to take Snake. - Stevie.... please don't

[CP] Doesn't bother to lean down at all-

[Stevie] Bows his head a bit-

[Notch] Just swipes at Snake and manages to swat Cp's face accidently-

[CP] - FUCKER!

[Notch] WELL LEAN OVER DAMMIT!

[CP] - NO!

[snake] this is higher then on noah's head. also does that means you wants me on your head cp?

[CP] - No, get off!

[Notch] THEN JUST GIVE HIM TO ME.

[snake] your too tall it's not easy to get off

[CP] Angrily reaches up and throws Snake at Notch- THERE!

[Notch] Catches him and holds him gently- What the fuck Cp?

[CP] Growls a little-

[snake] -curls into a ball-

[Stevie] - Doc? Can't you just phase through that thing?

[Notch] You act like that and you just reinforce the notion that you'll never be any better and that we should just give up on you. And I KNOW thats' not what you really want, so just stop it!

[CP] Accidentally gives off a mental burst of what he had seen and gone through in his dreams-

[Stevie] Freezes- The Nether was that?

[Doc] as xe goes by- I was hoping to drive it off so it doesnt' rush the shore!

[Notch] Goes white with fear- Oh gods.... what did you...

[CP] - Nothing!

[Notch] Why did you show me that?! I feel like someone tried to turn my eyeballs inside out?!

[CP] - I didn't mean to!

[Notch] I'm gonna have nightmares...

[CP] Grumbles-

[Doc] is just clinging to Basil as it races around and try's to smash hir against the rock outcroppings under the surface

[Stevie] - This is one of those times where I really wish I had some of Alexis' skill with a bow...

[Notch] types- can anyone give Doc a hand? The big beastie is being rather rough with them

[Doc] is getting dizzy from being slammed around

[Splender] Teleports over with a larger Pinwheel- Hello!

[Notch] Thank goodness, hey? Did she get bigger?

[Splender] - Yes she did! She was lunging to bite my head when she just grew!

[Notch] Good grief.... Will she sit still long enough for you to help Doc?

[Splender] Shrugs-

[Notch] fusses around in his pockets and finds a lead and a post. -will this work? I can watch her for a minute

[Splender] - We can try- Takes it and fusses with it, Pinwheel is far from happy and Splender ends up with many more bite marks-

[Notch] is watching the small dragon warily- hi there...

[Pinwheel] Lunges for Notch while Splender wades out into the water-

[Basil] senses Doc weakening and leaps high out of the water to slam them down

[Splender] Reaches out with his tendrils to grab both Basil and Doc-

[Notch] Leaps back with a scared squeak

[CP] Snickers-

[Splender] Sperates the two and turns towards Basil- THAT'S ENOUGH BASIL! WHat would Levi think!

[Basil] Let's out a small pulse of fear energy. It's just panicking because Splender grabbed it. [Doc] Feels the fear and shivers hard from snout to tail in Splender's tentacles

[Splender] - Basil, don't bother them

[Basil] Mean hiss - it's breath is terrible

[Doc] Sags a bit- thank you Splender

[snake] -is kazooing softly in a ball-

[Splender] - You're very welcome, just one moment- He puts Doc down and teleports off with Basil

[Notch] Pets Snake s little bit - Are you hurt?

[Doc] Rolls over in the grass. Clearly exhausted.

[snake] no I am just scared I was thrown I don't want to be a ball

[Splender] Returns- There! All taken care of!

[CP] Grumbles a little-

[Notch] I don't blame you. Round is not a comfortable shape here. Unless you're a shadow, heh.

[Doc] Thanks for nothing Cp...

[CP] - What? It was entertaining from here

[Doc] Only has three claws on each paw, but manages to bend down the two outer ones to flip him off.

[snake] it's less about being round and more about possibly getting hurt if I hit the ground

[CP] - Awwww, look at the little bird

[Stevie] Is still calming Milotic down-

[Notch] I gotcha.

[Stevie] - Hey Doc? Do you have any spare balls?

[CP] - Well they can detach theirs...

[Doc] Those aren't balls! They're cubes, thank you.

[CP] - Eh

[Stevie] Just ignoring his brother right now- Anyways, that black thing destroyed Milotic's ball...

[Splender] Giggles a little-

[Doc] I balled the Exeggutor to get them out of the house earlier. I'll just let them out and get another ball when I get home. -Does just that. -

[Exeggutor] Shakes itself off and lumbers over near Splender. It's nearly as tall as he is and twice as wide with the leaves.

[Doc] Flicks the ball so it rolls across the grass and stops near Stevie's feet.

[Stevie] Picks it up and turns towards Milotic- You wanna go in right now?

[Milotic] Nods it's head-

[Stevie] Taps the ball on the Milotic-

[Notch] Give it some time to relax. It seems like a peaceful creature.

[Doc] It's really pretty. Where did it come from anyway?

[Stevie] Watches Milotic enter the ball- It was the fish you gave me...

[Notch] Nice huh? Nobody thought it was anything more then a nervous little fish and look what it became.

[Doc] That's beautiful.

[Stevie] Surprised Father and I when it did evolve-

[Notch] Scared the fuck out of me is more like it....

[Stevie] - Knocked me out of my boat to

[snake] can I get put down notch?

[Notch] Sure! I didn't know you wanted down. - He sets Snake onto a grass block.

[Doc] Can you swim Stevie?

[Stevie] - Oh yeah! Brother... Taught me...

[snake] -flops on to his back and kazoos lightly-

[Doc] Awwww....

[Notch] Gives Cp a pointed look-

[CP] Doesn't notice because he's checking on his wife's emotional state to make sure MB isn't doing anything-

[Mb] Is lowkey looking for another target for his blowpipe-

[Stevie] - Yeah... Brother actually taught me a lot...

[Notch] I think he could still teach you a few things. And not all of them are bad habits.

[Doc] snorts-

[CP] - Hm? What were you saying?

[Notch] Shakes his head. - So when's the party anyway? Did you ever finish that speech?

[CP] - You mean the coronation? Yeah, there's just a few minor things left to do

[Notch] Like what?

[[Stevie] - Yeah, glad I'm not going...

[snake] I want to go as long as I am not thrown again

[CP] - Lie's dress, getting the list of ingredients from Sam... Finding a good area to do this...

[Stevie] - I can't believe I wanted to go when I was in my child form...

[Doc] I made my outfit... and TLOT and I just need to get Lie's approval on hers, make sure it fits and whatnot. Sam gave me the list last week. Ruby delivered it actually. I just forgot about it

[Notch] You just wanted to be wherever your brother went.

[Stevie] Shudders a little-

[CP] - Then fucking give it to me!

[Doc] Fusses around and produces the list. The roll of paper is balanced on hir paw and xe makes no move to give it to him-

[CP] Scowls and walks closer to snatch it from Doc-

[Doc] Is looking at him upside down and contemplating letting it slide back into hir inventory just to be annoying.

[CP] Grabs the list and looks it over-

[Doc] Guess you'll have to get cracking with that speech huh?

[CP] - Shut it

[Stevie] - Oh no, I just remembered... TLOT offered to turn me into a brine...

[Notch] We told him you were too young to make that decision. But... I assume the offer still stands.

[Stevie] - NopeNopeNopeNopeNopeNopeNopeNope

[Doc] I'm not trying to pressure you Stevie, but I assure you it isn't a bad thing to be.

[Stevie] - Do you really think I want to end up like my brother?

[snake] gem isn't like your bother and she is a brine not all brines are like cp

[Doc] Okay... now I feel insulted. What the heck is that supposed to mean?

[Notch] Yeah, that was rude Stevie.

[Stevie] - Sorry, I didn't mean anything towards any of you...

{CP] Had been skimming his brothers mind- Go on Stevie, tell them what you meant~

[Notch] focuses on Stevie.

[Doc] Rolls over and loafs - I'm listening.

[Stevie] - Nothing! Really!

[CP] Chuckles darkly- That's not what your thoughts say~

[Doc] Glares at Cp.

[Splender] - OO! OO! I have one of Lie's white flowers!

[Stevie] - Brother will you shut up!

[CP] - No, your turmoil is so entertaining

[Stevie] Growls a little-

[Doc] Why so secretive anyway? At least if I know what you're critical of, it gives me the chance to try and prove you wrong.

[Stevie] - Fine! You really want to know? I'm terrified that I'd end up exactly like him! We're related by blood! We're both strong and it scares me how much we can be alike!

[Doc] You think you'd abuse your powers? Just because you have self-doubt doesn't mean you should project it on others. Cp is a mean asshole because he was surrounded by people who would torment him if he showed weakness. Do you think you'd just spontaneously become jaded and cruel?

[Stevie] Trembles a little-

[CP] - You fucker!

[Doc] Puts hir snout close enough to huff warm air from hir nostrils into his face- You tried to kill me the other day, and you just stood there and watched me get beat up today! I can call you an asshole if I want too.

[CP] Growls-

[Stevie] - It doesn't change the fact that the possibility is there...

[Notch] Well I guess if the issue is self-doubt and reflection, then you'd know better then any of us how you would be. Think of it as an exuse to work on being a better person.

[Stevie] - That's just it, I don't...

[snake] and he threw me that's another reason to call him an asshole, and no I won't let it go.

[Doc] Good point Snake.

[Notch] Then don't make assumptions. Especially when it means you're reinforcing a broad negative sterotype.

[Stevie] Looks ashamed- I'm sorry father...

[Notch] It's okay. Besides... it looks like I might develop at least one power of my own. Hopefully you don't think I'll become corrupt and hateful.

[Stevie] - No! Not you... You never could...

[Notch] And I don't think you'd change either, especially if you wanted it for a good reason.

[Doc] Personally I'd love to see Cp have to introduce you to his mobs as someone who they now have to respect. Surely many of them have faced you in battle already. Steves are pretty damn durable.

[Stevie] - Well yeah, if not the generals themselves then a lot of the higher ranking mobs...

[CP] - Oh fuck no! I am never introducing him as such!

[Doc] Suddenly gets a wicked toothy smile - I have an idea... your mobs respect the power of NOTCHs right?

[CP] - They hate it, that's one reason why they follow me

[Doc] I didn't say love or hate. You can hate someone, but agknowledge that they have power. They know NOTCH's have dangerous powers, yes?

[CP] Growls in acknowledgment-

[Doc] We could take Markus....

[Notch] Goes white with fear.

[Doc] He's obviously not your Notch, and I could Op him easily on your server-

[CP] - OH FUCK NO!

[Notch] Sputters a little bit

[Doc] But that might scare them into line... a new ally... someone powerful...

[CP] - I WILL FUCKING LOCK ALL OF YOU OUT OF MY SERVER IF I HAVE TO!

[Doc] Snickers- Aww you don't like my sneaky, underhanded, decietful idea to scare the crap out of your disobedient mobs?

[CP] - NO!

[Stevie] - I can't see it going over well with any of his mobs either...

[Doc] Winks at Stevie- Okay Cp... whatever makes you happy.

[Notch] Sigh of relief.

[CP] - Fuck this! I'm out of here...

[snake] -decided to turn into a donut because the conversation is getting to serious for him-

[Doc] Puts a paw on his shoulder- Don't go, we're just talking here.

[CP] Growls a little-

[Stevie] - Father, how are you for food in your house? Hera gave us a bunch of lobsters a while ago if you want any

[Notch] I'll take a few if you can spare them, just because that's unusual. But I'm good for everything else. I try to help Lie with her gardening and it's way more then we actually need.

[Stevie] - Okay, I'll go ahead and grab some

[Notch] quietly, mostly at Doc- Did you really think he'd want to be a brine?

[Doc] Likely not. If he thinks the power would corrupt him... only he knows his own mind that well.

[Splender] - Under proper instruction corruption can be avoided...

[CP] - He's scared because of how quickly I changed...

[Doc] But don't you feel like it was in response to trauma and the need to survive in a suddenly much harsher situation?

[CP] - It was his fault... He saw me as a monster the moment I turned

[Doc] I'm sorry Cp... You've been so lost for so long. I feel like you're only recently finding a better way. Everything else is just stumbling astray and wandering back again.

[CP] Scoffs- Whatever

[Splender] - Brother has tried his best while still allowing him to do what he likes...

[Doc] I think he just neded a bit more incentive. BEN's silly bet was a very fortunate event in the long run.

[Splender] - I suppose it was! Otherwise he probably would have killed his mate immediately!

[Doc] Wilts a bit at the mention of killing-

[Stevie] Returns with the lobsters- Here you go father

[Notch] Thank you Stevie- He puts them away. - and if you and Alexis need any veggies or bread come and visit okay? I always have lots.

[Stevie] - Got it

[CP] - Can I go yet?

[Doc] Looks down a little - yeah... go ahead. I'm sure Lie needs you.

[CP] Teleports off-

[Stevie] Mutters- Asshole

[Notch] Do you really feel that way? You thought he was your superhero when you were small.

[Stevie] - That was when he was different

[snake] -starts rolling around the ground as a donut before bumping into doc-

[Notch] Stevie... what do you want from your brother? He's terrifed to let you get close to him. That's why he acts aloof and mean.

[Doc] Feels the tiny bump and looks down at hir paw-

[Stevie] - I don't know... A part of me wants it to be exactly like it used to be... But I know it's impossible

[Notch] Then I think Cp isn't the only one with a problem here.

[snake] -is still in a loop- sorry doc

[Doc] No need to apologize. I barely felt it.

[Stevie] - I guess... I will say that the most vivid memory from when I was turned back into a child is seeing his panic as I fell into that lava...

[Doc] He was afraid. Afraid you'd just die and be gone forever. When we intially told him you'd have to die and respawn to get rid of the potion effects he just froze.

[Stevie] - I don't remember that...

[Doc] You were there, but too busy playing in the mud to notice some adults talking quietly.

[Stevie] - Oh, I see

[Doc] I sat with him in that pit for quite some time. He was too afriad to do anything. He was intending to hide from you if you'd changed back to avoid getting attatched to you again.

[Stevie] - Well I think those affectionate feelings have gone away again

[Notch] You're not exactly making it easy...

[Stevie] - What do you mean?

[Notch] You're afraid, and he can read your mind.

[Stevie] Stiffens a little-

[Doc] And it's particularly troublesome because it's not like he can do much here besides hurt your feelings with a bunch of bullshit about how he doesn't care. If you really wanted to make up with him, you could dust yourself in honesty pollen and he'd have no choice but to be straight with you.

[Stevie] - I'm scared of that as well...

[Doc] What's the absolute worst he could say to you?

[Stevie] - The opposite of what I'd want to hear. If he truly does hate me...

[Doc] He doesn't hate you. That I'm dead sure of.

[Stevie] - But I'm terrified to confirm that!

[Notch] Do you... hate him, Stevie?

[Stevie] - Sometimes...

[Flux] Forming from her mist form- Well that just seems to be normal between the two of you. There were times when you would displease him when you were a child as well

[Notch] No one can hurt you like family I suppose...

[Doc] Hello Flux.

[Flux] Greetings Doctor

[snake] hi flux

[Splender] Goes and unties Pinwheel-

[Notch] Flux? Is there anything useful you could tell us that would help the brothers sort out their feelings? You've known them the longest.

[Flux] - Whenever CP would get mad at Stevie in the past, their... Original Notch would eventually come in and get them to forgive by making one of them panic, usually by just taking one of them out on a walk and not telling the other

[Notch] I wonder how closely Cp pays attention to what Stevie is doing anyway. Would he even notice?

[Flux] - Oh he most certainly pays attention

[Doc] Oh? How much attention pray tell?

[Flux] - Everynight, before he and Lie sleep he briefly teleports over here to check on Stevie, and I can feel his mental abilities reach out every once in awhile too

[Doc] How interesting... thank you Flux. That might prove very useful information...

[Notch] Looks at Stevie to see his reaction to Flux's words.

[Stevie] Looks confused- But... He...

[Notch] I told you. He does care.

[Doc] He's just an emotionally constipated person who's terrified of his own softer feelings.

[Flux] - But he is getting better

[Doc] Apart from a few hiccups...

[Flux] - Very true

[Stevie] - I just don't know what to do...

[Doc] Take it slow. That's what usually works for me. Be persistant.

[Stevie] - I... I'll try

[Exeggutor] is standing in the water, just gathering sunlight-

[Notch] Flux, would you like to take a walk with me?

[Flux] - Hm? Oh, alright- She walks over to Notch

[Notch] See you guys later. Be good Stevie.

[Stevie] Laughs a little- Yes father

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chimneyswept · 7 years

Text

so i just explained to someone the plot of mary poppins (the movie) in a fair amount of detail

here is my inspired retelling, for your viewing pleasure:

okay so. it centers on the banks family. mr. banks is a banker (lol) who’s kinda pompous and wants everything his way and doesn’t have time for his children. mrs. banks is a flighty suffragette who’s always away at rallies and things. and jane and michael banks keep driving off their nannies by playing pranks and running away

so mr. banks is like “fine I’LL handle the nanny-hiring this time bc WOMEN can’t do anything right grumble grumble,” writes up an ad for the paper, but then jane and michael come in like “we wrote our own ad, wanna hear it?” and it’s all about wanting a pretty nanny who gives sweets and doesn’t make them drink castor oil or w/e

and george (mr. banks, i don’t wanna have to keep typing it out lol) is like “well that’s stupid” and rips it up and throws it in the fire. only BC SHE’S MAGIC mary poppins totally gets a hold of the kids’ ad anyway

so when the nannies come to be interviewed she QUITE LITERALLY blows them all away, shows up, gets herself hired. then she goes and has the iconic spoonful of sugar scene where she gets the kids to clean up their own nursery and also reveals that she’s Totally Magic

and then they go on to have various adventures, like chilling in a chalk painting (with bert) and having tea with mary’s floating uncle (with bert)

but then george is like “you’re taking my children on WEIRD OUTINGS and it’s NOT PROPER” and mary poppins is like “you’re totally right, so just as you suggest they’ll be going to the bank with you tomorrow” and george is like “i suggested that???” and mary poppins is like “um yeah” and he’s like “well okay i guess i gotta do it then”

so he takes them to the bank the next day. but FIRST the night before mary poppins sings them this song about how there’s this bird woman outside st. paul’s who asks for tuppence to feed the birds. and when they go to the bank in the morning they see her and michael is like “dad holy FUCK i wanna feed some BIRDS”

and george is like “fuck the birds, those tuppence are for the bank” and doesn’t let him

so they go to the bank and all the bankers sing about how awesome banking is, and they try to get michael to invest his tuppence, but michael still REALLY WANTS TO FEED THE BIRDS, so he doesn’t let them have it, so they grab it from him and he FREAKS THE FUCK OUT and he and jane start shouting for them to give him his money back

which literally causes a RUN ON THE BANK

EVERYONE’S PANICKING TRYNA GET THEIR MOENY FROM THE BANK

and in the midst of all this chaos jane and michael escape, and they just fucking run across the worst parts of london until they run into bert, who takes them home and sings about how chimney sweeps are lucky

and they get home and winifred (mrs. banks) is all “thank god you found them! you can totally look after them for me while i go sing about women’s rights, right?” and bert’s like “well um i’m supposed to sweep the mayor’s chimney” and she’s like “GREAT THANKS BYE” and gets tf out of there

so he shows them how to sweep a chimney, obviously, only michael gets SUCKED UP THE CHIMNEY BY A DRAFT

and jane follows him and mary poppins gets there just in time to see that her children are now UP A CHIMNEY and is like WELP GUESS WE GOTTA GO AFTER THEM

so the four of them go onto the rooftops and end up having a gay old time hanging out with all the chimney sweeps, which is the long and wonderful step in time sequence

except all is not actually wonderful, bc george is in huge trouble at the bank now for causing a literal panic, so after they all get back to the house he sends them to bed and then has to take the Walk of Shame to the bank

that is where the feed the birds music is reprised orchestrally and i cry every time

so he goes to the bank and they fuck him up??? like. not only do they fire him, but they snip his pocket-rose in half and totally destroy his hat and turn his umbrella inside out

fucking savage

but george has realized the Importance of Family, thanks to a nice lil talk he had with bert, so he says the disney equivalent of “fuck you,” which is “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and then tells them a funny joke about a wooden leg named smith, and then leaves

cut to the next morning, nobody’s seen george since he left for the bank, winifred’s called the constable, ellen the servant is suggesting they check a part of the thames that’s “popular with jumpers,” and then george comes in with a kite and is like KIDS EVERYTHING’S OKAY LET’S GO FLY KITES TOGETHER BC WE NOW KNOW THE MEANING OF FAMILY

so they do and the glorious let’s go fly a kite plays, which also makes me cry

and they happen to run into the bank partners also flying kites, and one of them reveals that after george banks told them that funny joke, the chairman actually DIED laughing, so now they have an opening and he’s back on the team!! yay!!!

and meanwhile mary poppins is like “well they don’t need me anymore, they’re a happy family, time to peace out,” and floats away on her umbrella

the end

#; in short you have a ghastly mess ( ooc. )#( why don't they just let me write the next movie i'm a pro )#long post //

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demitgibbs · 5 years

Text

Margot Robbie Talks Queen Elizabeth Drag, Gay Brother’s Popularity

After a fierce, Oscar-nominated turn as scandalous skater Tonya Harding in 2017’s I, Tonya, Margot Robbie is off the ice and holding royal court as Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots. Exercising a power over Europe so great during the 16th century’s latter half, nothing could stop Her Majesty – not even her cousin, Mary Stuart (portrayed by Saoirse Ronan).

Their vicious and ultimately deadly contention, the result of Mary’s request to be Elizabeth’s heir, is chronicled with delicious matriarchal bite for the #MeToo era, glamorous period-film beauty (those gowns!) and one very infamous beheading in director Josie Rourke’s diverse doozy of a historical drama. Beau Willimon’s screenplay also turns a tender, heartbreaking eye to Elizabethan Era queerness via Italian courtier and Mary’s friend and private secretary, David Rizzio, known in the film simply as Rizzio and portrayed by Ismael Cruz Cordova.

Ruler of the box-office in films such as 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street and 2016’s Suicide Squad, as hammer-wielding warrior Harley Quinn, a role she will reprise in 2020 for a Harley-centered spin-off, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), the 28-year-old Australian actress is a queen in her own right.

Read on for Robbie’s essential tips for drag queens looking to perfect their Elizabeth look (hint: no arsenic) – plus, talk about her “too gay to function” brother Cameron Robbie, whom she considers her best friend, and a career highlight: watching Martin Scorsese direct a gay orgy.

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What tips do you have for drag queens looking to transform themselves into Queen Elizabeth I?

(Laughs) Well, you definitely want to avoid getting smallpox – you have to really layer on the makeup to hide those pox-mark scars! So avoid that at all costs. For a drag makeover, I could give you a list of what not to do: number one, don’t put lead and arsenic in your makeup the way Queen Elizabeth did because, uh, it really could shorten your life. And I love that she stuck to the red hair and went with the even more vibrant color red and the more elaborate hairstyles as the years progressed.

The contrast with the white makeup, it really worked on her.

Mmhmm! Serious contrasting. I mean, she had very thin eyebrows – I don’t think that’s really the style these days. Not really in vogue right now.

But if you really set yourself apart…

Exactly. If you wanna make it clear that you’re really heading toward Queen Elizabeth, yeah, the thin eyebrows are a definite giveaway. White makeup. Fiery red wigs. And just bedazzle yourself. Jewels everywhere!

They wore their jewelry in a different way. Instead of wearing necklaces and bracelets and earrings, which they did do, jewels and diamonds and rubies were sewn into their outfits, which I thought was really amazing. Then when they would get undressed – at the end of it their ladies in waiting would undress them – the jewels would just scatter to the floor and someone would have a dustpan and sweep them up for the next outfit.

When you read the script, were you surprised by the film’s queerness? And were you disappointed that Mary got a gay “sister” friend in Rizzio and you didn’t?

Yes! I was very jealous of Mary’s plot in general. I think it was actually a big part of it, that Elizabeth was more isolated. I think that was kind of self-inflicted; she had such a mistrust in almost everyone around her and had a very cynical nature out of self-preservation, therefore she isolated herself. Even with the gowns, you see over the years, as they get bigger and bigger, she’s literally keeping people at arm’s length at all times. So, I was very jealous that I didn’t have the same (relationship) as Mary and Rizzio. So very unfair. (Laughs)

What about this time period were you most surprised by?

I was interested to kind of discover that the Renaissance period was much more liberal in terms of sexuality than it is today. It’s interesting to kind of consider that, or to recognize how we just put labels on everything today. We label everything, and in doing so we often simplify often-complicated things. We’re so quick to say, “This person’s straight, this person’s bisexual, this person’s gay, this person’s Republican, this person’s whatever,” and we label everything.

But in terms of sexuality, the Renaissance period, they were far more fluid about sexuality, and bisexual wasn’t really a term that had to be placed on someone – it was very common for men to be married and also sleep with other men. That wasn’t something that people felt the need to label.

So that was really interesting, and then on the flip side the women at the time, particularly female monarchs, literally were a body. That was their commodity. Producing a male heir was kind of their purpose and once they had done that and achieved their purpose they were kind of swept aside. So, it was interesting to see, on one side, how liberal and open sexuality could be at the time – but, on the other side, how women were seen as a commodity, and not more than a conduit for their male successor.

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Shifting to your portrayal of Tonya Harding, did you know that you were playing someone who many in the LGBTQ community consider a queer icon?

I did not realize that at the time. I did hear that, and I thought, “Oh, she’s got some pretty fun skate costumes!” But tell me more about that.

It’s her underdog status.

Underdog status – I love that, yes. Well, as an Aussie, we always gravitate toward underdog stories, anyway, so yeah, that’s one of the reasons I played her.

Is being an underdog an Aussie thing?

Yeah, yeah. Always. The country identifies itself as an underdog itself and has that mentality of fighting for your place, so I love underdog stories.

You’ve long fought for LGBTQ underdogs. You were a staunch supporter of marriage equality before Australia finally legalized same-sex marriages. You even wore a “Say I Do Down Under” shirt when you hosted Saturday Night Live in 2016. December marks the one-year anniversary of that landmark ruling. How did you celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in Australia last year?

Honestly, I almost didn’t feel like celebrating because I was so upset that it took them that long to legalize it. I feel like when it was legalized across America that’s when I really wanted to celebrate. I thought, “Wow, this is a long way for America to come.” America, to me, holds such conservative Christian values, generally speaking, so for that to happen in America was like, “Wow, this is really a time to celebrate.”

Australia is awesome and can be so progressive, but the fact that we were so late in doing that upset me so deeply that I truly almost didn’t want to celebrate because I thought they didn’t deserve celebration.

Too little, too late, Australia?

(Laughs) Yes, too late, Australia! No, no; it was bittersweet. Of course I was happy and proud that we finally joined the 21st century in that regard, but at the same time, it was bittersweet. I really felt it should’ve been done a lot sooner.

You have a brother, Cameron, who has described himself on Instagram as “too gay to function.” Are you aware of the gay community’s interest in your brother?

No! But I’m sure he would love to hear that. He’s awesome. I have two brothers and a sister, but Cameron and I were particularly close growing up. He’s always been my best friend – since he was born, really. So, he would be thrilled to hear that. He would really appreciate that.

How did he come out to you?

Well, I guess that’s kind of his story to tell. I wouldn’t feel right to speak on his behalf. But like I said, he’s my best friend, as are all my siblings. I love them endlessly and always will.

Does he take you to gay bars?

I’ve been going to gay bars and clubs since I got my ID – and probably long before that! There was this fantastic gay club in Melbourne, so when I turned 18 – 18 is the legal drinking age in Australia – and while I was living in Melbourne we used to always go, because on a Saturday night they would do a musical drag performance. It was always incredible. I don’t know how they would get it together every week. I don’t know where they found the time or the costumes; they had the costumes put together, the musical art, the choreography. But every Saturday night we would go to this club and just have the best time ever. And I remember they did this one musical performance about Wicked and it was just the best thing you’ve ever seen. So, I’ve been going to gay clubs ever since I’ve legally been able to go to clubs. I always have more fun.

Those queens are gonna be very proud to see you as an actual queen.

Yes, I hope so!

Iconically, you walked in on a gay orgy dressed in Versace in The Wolf of Wall Street. Was that a first for you?

That was a first for me. I can’t say that I’ve walked in on any gay orgies in the past.

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In a Versace outfit, no less.

In the most fabulous Versace outfit you’ve ever seen! I really wish that they got more screen time – I don’t think you ever get to see them – but they were incredible vintage Versace boots buckled all the way up to mid-calf.

Hate to break it to you, Margot, but I don’t think that scene was about your boots.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t think anyone was looking at the boots. But to watch Martin Scorsese choreograph a gay orgy was truly a highlight of my career. He really approached it with as much professionalism and dedication as any other scene in the movie. I mean, a lot of the scenes are absolutely crazy with so much happening, but to see him sort of choreograph the gay orgy was truly a wonderful experience.

I had read that Scorsese even brought in another choreographer, Michael Arnold, to help organize the shoot.

Oh yeah! It was intricate. There was a lot going on. It was wonderful to be a part of it, though.

In August, DC Comics confirmed that Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are married, and in 2020, you will play Harley in her own movie. For Birds of Prey, are you mindful of the way Harley is portrayed when it comes to her sexuality?

Yeah. If you read the comics you know that Poison Ivy and Harley have an intimate relationship. In some comics they convey it as a friendship; in other comics you can see that they’re actually sexually involved as a couple. I’ve been trying to – I would love to have Poison Ivy thrown into the universe, because the Harley and Poison Ivy relationship is one of my favorite aspects of the comics, so I’m looking to explore that on screen.

Have you considered who you’d want as Poison Ivy?

You know what? I’ve thought about it a lot and there’s no one person who springs to mind. I’m pretty open-minded.

You have your own production company, Lucky Chap, which is committed to producing female-led films. How conscious are you of LGBTQ inclusion in the films and TV shows your company produces?

Our goal for the company has always been to tell female-driven content with as many female filmmakers as possible. As far as including content for the LGBTQ community, that’s a huge aspect. We make movies for audiences to love. A huge portion of the audience is a part of the LGBTQ community, so we obviously wanna make content for everyone. I don’t know if anyone could say that they don’t have someone close to them who isn’t a part of that community, so of course it’s important. It’s a part of everyone’s life; everyone’s gonna relate to those stories. We have a lot happening, actually, at the company, especially on the TV side. I’m not sure when they would actually be released – nothing’s been announced yet – but what I can say is, absolutely. We always wanna make stories for everyone.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/20/margot-robbie-talks-queen-elizabeth-drag-gay-brothers-popularity/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/181271531145

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hotspotsmagazine · 5 years

Text

Margot Robbie Talks Queen Elizabeth Drag, Gay Brother’s Popularity

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What tips do you have for drag queens looking to transform themselves into Queen Elizabeth I?

The contrast with the white makeup, it really worked on her.

Mmhmm! Serious contrasting. I mean, she had very thin eyebrows – I don’t think that’s really the style these days. Not really in vogue right now.

But if you really set yourself apart…

When you read the script, were you surprised by the film’s queerness? And were you disappointed that Mary got a gay “sister” friend in Rizzio and you didn’t?

What about this time period were you most surprised by?

youtube

Shifting to your portrayal of Tonya Harding, did you know that you were playing someone who many in the LGBTQ community consider a queer icon?

I did not realize that at the time. I did hear that, and I thought, “Oh, she’s got some pretty fun skate costumes!” But tell me more about that.

It’s her underdog status.

Underdog status – I love that, yes. Well, as an Aussie, we always gravitate toward underdog stories, anyway, so yeah, that’s one of the reasons I played her.

Is being an underdog an Aussie thing?

Yeah, yeah. Always. The country identifies itself as an underdog itself and has that mentality of fighting for your place, so I love underdog stories.

Too little, too late, Australia?

You have a brother, Cameron, who has described himself on Instagram as “too gay to function.” Are you aware of the gay community’s interest in your brother?

How did he come out to you?

Does he take you to gay bars?

Those queens are gonna be very proud to see you as an actual queen.

Yes, I hope so!

Iconically, you walked in on a gay orgy dressed in Versace in The Wolf of Wall Street. Was that a first for you?

That was a first for me. I can’t say that I’ve walked in on any gay orgies in the past.

youtube

In a Versace outfit, no less.

Hate to break it to you, Margot, but I don’t think that scene was about your boots.

I had read that Scorsese even brought in another choreographer, Michael Arnold, to help organize the shoot.

Oh yeah! It was intricate. There was a lot going on. It was wonderful to be a part of it, though.

Have you considered who you’d want as Poison Ivy?

You know what? I’ve thought about it a lot and there’s no one person who springs to mind. I’m pretty open-minded.

You have your own production company, Lucky Chap, which is committed to producing female-led films. How conscious are you of LGBTQ inclusion in the films and TV shows your company produces?

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/20/margot-robbie-talks-queen-elizabeth-drag-gay-brothers-popularity/

0 notes