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#my moms coming back and my dogs showing so many signs of death
storiesbyjes2g · 5 months
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3.62 The pit stop
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The night ran away from us, and I wanted to let Dad go to bed. Sophia also needed to go home, but there was something I longed to do but never had the courage to do solo. Had I asked Mama to accompany me, she would have been thrilled, but she would have made it about herself. I had no specific reason for feeling that night was the night, but I wanted to take the chance and hoped Sophia would be open to it. She made me brave.
"Hey, ummm...I know it's getting late, and you need to get to bed, but would you mind if we made a quick stop in Newcrest?"
A glimmer appeared in her eyes.
"Your mom's house?"
"Ha! No. Well...not exactly."
As we left Dad's house, she gave me a suspicious look. An unusual feeling of guilt came over me when we got to Newcrest. It felt weird being in the same city as my mom but not going to see her. I watched Sophia closely for any signs of unease as we reached our destination, the cemetery.
"What are we doing here?" she asked curiously.
At least she wasn't afraid.
"I've been wanting to do this for a long time, but I haven't been brave enough to come alone."
She nodded and grabbed my hand. Though I hadn't been there in many years, I found my grandparents' graves as if I had visited every weekend.
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"This is my family," I said. "My grandparents, my mom's dogs..."
She peered at all the graves, reading the epitaphs, silently getting to know everyone.
"Gammy—that's what I called my grandmother. She died a day or two before my child birthday. I don't remember her because I was so young, but I know I loved her. I can remember that, but not her. Isn't that weird?"
"Not at all. Love is powerful like that."
"Yeah... I guess it is. My mom brought us here once. Well, twice, but I was way too young to remember the first time. I've wanted to come back here ever since to see if I could meet her. Maybe she could tell me about our life together."
Sweet Sophia threw her arm around my waist.
"I hope she shows up."
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The bitter cold cut through us as we stood around waiting for something to happen. To pass the time, I read the epitaphs on the graves too, since it had been a while. I noticed there were only two dog graves, not three. Mama must still have Tofu in the house with her. I understood why she'd keep her, but that couldn't have been healthy. Not only was it a constant reminder of her death, but also what if her ghost showed up? Was it really helpful to carry on with a ghost as if nothing happened?
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Speaking of ghosts, one dog came out of the grave in a cloud of smoke. He stood on the plot for a while, taking in his surroundings and paying us no mind.
"Who is that?" Sophia asked.
"I don't know. Never met that one. I vaguely remember the one I used to know."
Out of nowhere, someone grabbed me from behind and threw their arms around me. I thought Sophia had become unexpectedly emotional, but it turned out to be my Gammy!
"Is that my baby??" she shouted.
"Gammy?!"
I embraced her back, squeezing as tight as I could, not believing my eyes. She looked just like she did in all my pictures...minus being transparent, of course.
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"What are you doing out here in this cold??" she scolded.
I laughed. That was such a grandma question.
"I came to see you, Gammy!"
"You sure picked a doozy!"
It was strange that I couldn't recall her voice, yet it sounded oddly familiar.
"You've been on my mind a lot lately," I said, "but I don't really remember you. Only that I loved you a lot. I thought if I came here, I could meet you and you could tell me about life before...ummm... Oh, this is my girlfriend!"
Sophia waved.
"I'm Sophia! It's really good to meet you."
"Well, aren't you beautiful," Gammy said. "And so polite and well-spoken! You did good, handsome!"
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My face was already red from it being so cold, but if it wasn't, I'm sure I would have blushed. This was so freaky! I'd been a fan of this woman my whole life without knowing her, and now she floated before me, giving out compliments like candy.
"I've gotta call Mama! She's gonna freak out!"
Gammy swatted at me.
"Uh uh! She can come see me anytime! I want you all to myself!"
I put my phone away.
"Yes ma'am!"
"Tell me everything! Where do you live? What do you do? How did you meet this pretty young thing??"
I began my tale in Mt. Komorebi, right after my birthday, right before I almost knocked down Sophia from running inside to get out of the storm. I told her about falling in love with yoga and moving to San Sequoia with Dad all the way to moving in with Sophia.
She high-fived Sophia.
"YES, girl! These men don't know what they want. Sometimes we gotta tell 'em what they want! I am not mad at this! Not at all! You got you a real one, baby! She's gonna keep you in line!"
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We all laughed. She was so spunky. It was easy to envision Less and I having a blast with her.
"Your grandson doesn't need keeping in line, though," Sophia said.
Gammy gazed at me.
"Don't I know it. He's a proper gentleman, just like his daddy. How's he doing, anyway?"
"He's good. Getting ready to retire. And...uhhh...he's making friends."
"Good for him! Watcher knows he needs something good after your mama shred him to pieces!"
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Mama's other dog woke up and began barking. His volume was incredibly loud and terrifying! I'd never been so startled in all my life.
"What the hell is that??"
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"Shush, Hunter! We have company! Ol' loud self!"
"Was he mean?" I asked.
"That ol' Casanova? He's just loud and don't know how to act! Your mama spoiled him rotten and didn't teach him a thing!"
She was so colorful. Her powerful presence made it clear how I could still love her with no memories. She was just one of those sims that made a huge impression.
"I see y'all over there freezing," she said. "Go on and get outta here, now. Come back and see me when it's warm!"
As much as I wanted to whine and say something akin to "five more minutes," I couldn't deny how good dusty ol' Oasis Springs sounded. Besides, I promised Sophia it would be a quick stop, so I threw my arms around Gammy again and said goodbye.
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"I'm so glad I got a chance to reconnect with you," I said. "I'll be back. I promise."
"Maybe next time you come, she'll be your wife!" She turned toward Sophia. "You like how I did that? I got you, girl!"
So meddling was a family trait, huh? Got it.
While leaving the cemetery, we overheard Gammy fussing at Hunter, and it was the funniest thing I'd heard all day.
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"She was so fun," Sophia said.
"Right? We have to go see Mama tomorrow and tell her about this."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Look, I know I said I wasn't ready, but honestly, it doesn't feel right trying to hide something this big from her. Everyone but her knows about you now. I'll deal with whatever she throws at us."
She held my hand.
"If you say so."
Need to catch up? See what you missed or start reading here!
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WEREWOLF JAUNE AND FAT THEIF????????
Spill 👀
Spilling the 🍵
Gonna do Jaune first and then FT since they don't have a bunch of overlapping stuff, unlike Kevin and Rick
Jaune
Jaune is SO ENERGETIC PLS. On the full moon her and her husband go out into the woods so she can run around without being constrained. It's a nice exercise for both of them!
Was bit when she was in her mid to late teens, doing dumb teen stuff with her friends. Dunno how much of that group knows but at least Lila and Frank figured it out later
Werejaune is the only supernatural creature Lila likes. She was understandably a bit concerned but Jaune quickly showed she meant no harm so now they just vibe :>
It is still so weird for her tho
Meanwhile Jaune's husband is like "yeah this happened" - he doesn't really care all that much, Jaune is still Jaune and he loves her all the same!
In an inversion of the usual werewolf appearance tropes, her shirt stays completely intact because of how baggy it is, meanwhile her leggings are torn to shreds
Bc Jaune was bit Ross dodged the wolfy gene, though he still has slightly sharper canines than usual
Ross is completely aware his mom is a werewolf, by the way. On full moons he avoids the house and the woods
In addition to being energetic Jaune is also just really affectionate, always snuggling up on the people she likes. She has absolutely just picked up Ross and carried him around before and it is so embarrassing for him
I just think it's funny bc if you heard Ross say "one of my parents is a werewolf" you'd assume it was his dad bc he's bulky and covered in body hair, but nah it's his smol momther
Sometimes Frank will come across Werejaune wandering around town and, if he isn't doing anything important, will lure her into the van and take her back to her house. Takes her a minute but she recognizes him and is happy to see him again :>
Jaune is also v protective. If she catches you hurting her pack in any way you are a dead man
Her fur feels kinda scratchy, like feet on carpet
While wolfed out her tail becomes another thing for her to stim with! Thumping it against the ground gives her a nice feeling and sound
Compared to the others it actually takes a bit for her to get overstimulated when her Werewolf Senses kick in, though when it does happen she tends to power through it, then crash until she transforms
Fat Thief
Just a big, dopey buppy
Constantly the :3 emoticon
Also incredibly affectionate, basically just a big lap dog
Speaking of, he can and will lay in TT's lap if he catches him sitting down. Thin Thief acts like he hates it but he does find it kind of cute. Also FT's so warm and soft in winter and the house they're squatting in has shit heating so he takes it
Was probably born with it
Thin Thief did not know about it when they first became a team but boy was he made aware of it
Thin Thief did not sign up for this. Werethief has basically imprinted on him. Save him
On the brightside though the wolf stuff means FT is basically a dog charmer! This has gotten the thieves out of many situations with guard dogs and family pets that would have otherwise ended badly
He gets to keep his sweater when wolfed out bc it's really stretchy :>
The prison uniform, though... not so much. He went through a few of them before they got busted out. Thankfully it was not questioned
Speaking of them in jail, John and Jack coincidentally always had something going on during the full moon - and this was even before John got bit - so they never found out
Being in jail during the full moon was actually pretty rough for FT. He's used to having big open spaces to roam about, so suddenly being confined in a small box was not fun. TT had to keep him from running out of the house the first full moon they were free because he was just so excited
Out of all the werewolves he's the least dangerous, it takes a lot to provoke him and he'll only attack if you try to harm him or Thin Thief
Harm Thin Thief however and You Have Chosen Death
Sound gets to FT the most when the Werewolf Senses kick in, it is torture for him. TT steals a pair of headphones for him one time and tries to brush it off as FT hugs him because that is just so sweet and considerate and he loves the headphones (looks goofy as hell on top of the mask tho)
I never talk about them but I have SO MANY thoughts thanks again
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Sorry about the rambling. I dunno why I wrote so much, but I don’t want to consign it to the draft folder purgatory I only so recently purged.
Today, in the grocery store parking lot**, a truck transporting hogs had broken down.
I dunno if everyone knows what these trucks look like. They are double decker things, these slivery crates with the animals packed in tight. When I was little, before the road was four laned, the trucks would come right through the middle of the town, reeking of pig shit.
Actually, those trucks and those too tiny pig lots local farmers used to have had me assuming pigs naturally stunk. When my little Ryoga showed up I assumed I was going to just have to endure a terrible stench out by the pool. It turned out that if you actually give pigs enough space they don’t stink at all! Who knew!
Anyway, as the trucker worked on his engine the giant cage rattled as hogs moved about. You could see them, the side of a pig, an ear, just glimpses through the gaps. Every now and then a snout would stick out, sniffing at the air. Despite the fact there was the occasional unhappy squeal, the pigs probably didn’t know they are on their way to die, only they were packed in tight in a metal box, and now that they weren’t being jostled around they were baking in the sun and smelling the same horrible diesel exhaust that was choking me.
My god, Ryoga doesn’t know how lucky he was when he ran away and found me! That would have been his fate. He would have been butchered years ago.
Instead he has his cozy house surrounded by trees. He has a human that feeds him twice a day, gives him apples, shares her oranges with him, gives him newspapers to thrash to death, rubs his belly, and frets if he pulls a muscle or catches a cold.
I was buying him fresh wood chips, hog feed, and apples on this trip, while I watched his cousins becoming agitated in a truck that started rocking. I’d be petting and scratching at Ryoga, snuffling back at him face to face just a few hours later. And they would soon be dying.
Look, I get humans are omnivores. I am too. But I can’t stand the thought of eating bacon, ham, etc ever since Ryoga entered my life. It’s no different than how most people would never seriously entertain the idea of eating dogs or cats. I see those pigs, and I see my “little one”.
Ok, Ryoga isn’t exactly little anymore(my tusky buddy weighs much more than me), but he’ll always be “my little one”, the scrawny, battered, little piglet the size of a cat that took Mom and I by surprise late one October day. He’s special to me, but maybe some of those pigs on that truck are smart or silly or cute or playful too. It was just insane luck that he escaped and found me.
At Walmart two people held up signs begging for money, one someone that looked decidedly sickly who said they were disabled, the other a frail old woman, hunched over. Both looked sad, ashamed, and exhausted as they struggled at different ends of the parking lot to keep standing.
So very little separates me from them, as my body breaks and my bank account dwindles. My home is dilapidated, but it is a home. Many of the things my family left me a broken, but some work. I have a very meager allowance to survive on, but it has so far been enough to not quite starve. But how long before I have no livable house and not enough money to meet basic needs?
And it occurred to me that I was like Ryoga. We both got lucky. And loved.
He doesn’t appreciate it, of course, and has no concept of the precariousness of existence. If I die before him, he is probably doomed.
I was like that once too. Taking my family and the life they offered for granted, intellectually getting I was lucky, but emotionally incapable of truly predicting the future that lay ahead.
Like most animals I have a terrible problem of existing too much in the now, and almost paradoxically that has gotten worse now that the reality of my life has proven the folly of such a life. The trouble is, once I started falling there is no time or energy for planning or preparing when everything has become about surviving. How an I exist outside the now, when every moment yanks me back with a new crisis?
Today I watched pigs in a truck, on their way to slaughter, and people that life has crushed desperately hoping for a moment of anonymous kindness from people that would rather not make eye contact. And I feel all the luck I have, and all the fear of how it cam so easily slip away.
**Super stressful shopping trip. I was trying desperately to get the essentials on my list yet still save enough I could pay a certain bill due this month. The good news is I succeeded. The bad news is I may or may not be able to buy groceries for myself again this month! LOL (Don’t worry. The animals come first. )
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arnoldjaime13 · 6 months
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Blog Tour- DEJA VIEW by @dangerpeak With An Excerpt & #Giveaway!
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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the DEJA VIEW by Michael Thomas Perone Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
  About The Book:
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Title: DEJA VIEW
Author: Michael Thomas Perone
Pub. Date: October 6, 2023
Publisher: Wheatmark
Formats:  Paperback, eBook
Pages: 275
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/DEJA-VIEW  
Twelve-year-old Bobby Dalton doesn't want to grow up. All his life, he has relied on the imaginary games of childhood with his best friends Joe and Max to get him through the tough times. But this all changes when his Seventh-Grade class buries a time capsule to commemorate the end of the 1980s. Now Bobby is being haunted by visions: ghostly doppelgangers of himself, his friends, and others. He calls them "déjà view." Are these visions real, or has his imagination finally gotten away from him? And if they're real, what do they want? Bobby needs to figure this all out to survive his childhood…and his life.
From the author of the award-winning Danger Peak, Déjà View is a darkly funny coming-of-age dramedy with a sci-fi twist, cranked up to eleven. But even more, it's at once a pulse-pounding thrill ride and a haunting portrait of paranoia, mental illness, and the unbearable sadness of growing up.
    Déjà View Excerpt
 by Michael Thomas Perone
 I picked the following excerpt from my new novel, Déjà View, because for one, I just think it’s funny, but also, it’s the first sign to the reader that things are not quite right in Bobby’s world, and it foreshadows the strangeness to come. Finally, this excerpt reinforces the major theme of my book, which is the death of childhood.
 An hour later, Bobby’s guests were seated around a table in the party room, devouring towers of pizza. Bobby and his friends had a front-row seat to the stage of Chuck E. Cheese’s band, an assortment of animatronic animals: a chicken, a dog, some kind of purple monster that resembled McDonaldland’s Grimace, and, of course, Chuck E. himself. Bobby often wondered why anyone would make a rat the mascot for their kid-friendly pizza restaurant; it seemed unsanitary. It mattered little, though. He came for the food and games, not the dinner entertainment. Every year, these robotic animals would mortify him by crooning “Happy Birthday,” their voices becoming craggier as the robots got older, worn from singing over a thousand birthdays to over a thousand boys and girls.
 “Mom,” he asked, leaning in conspiratorially so his friends couldn’t hear, “can we skip the Chuck E. song this year? I’m getting a little too old for it.”
 “It’s tradition, sweetie,” she replied in a singsong voice to keep up appearances. Before he could respond, Chuck E. came alive, as if possessed by some ancient curse.
 “Hey everyone!” it began. “I hear it’s somebody’s birthday!” Derrick and Joe, seated next to each other, offered sardonic, golfer’s applause. The twitchy robot tried reaching for its guitar as his “bandmates” grabbed their own respective instruments. But the twitching suddenly became a trembling as the robot’s arms flailed past his guitar and bonked the chicken, who in turn bumped into the dog. Now all four automatons were shaking as if caught in their own personal earthquake.
 “Uh, is this part of the show?” Derrick asked Joe.
 “Nah,” Joe replied. “I think Chuck E.’s had one too many birthdays.”
 An announcement came over the loudspeaker that there were some “technical difficulties,” but the perverse show continued unbidden. At once, a comet of sparks burst out of the robotic rodent’s back; for a split second, it resembled a flame-spitting sprinkler. Bobby briefly wondered if the thick red curtain behind the performers would catch fire, but fate was kind, and the sparks receded. In the throes of its last herky-jerky movements, Chuck E. finally keeled over and died, its head collapsing onto the floor with a clunk to stare directly at Bobby with one glowing dead eye.
  “Hep-pee...burth-dee...,” the mangled voice managed to eke out one final time. Bobby stared in horror as the beloved childhood mascot bit the big one. He was never a huge fan of these robot shows, but he never meant to attend Chuck E.’s funeral. Bobby turned to the end of his table to spy Derrick and Joe snickering to each other in a private conversation, and he felt an aloneness he had never experienced before.
    About Michael Thomas Perone:
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Michael Thomas Perone is an award-winning author who has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, Long Island Voice (a spinoff of The Village Voice), and The Island Ear (now titled Long Island Press), among others. Online, he has written for Fatherly, Yahoo!, WhatCulture!, and other websites that don’t end with an exclamation mark. His articles for WhatCulture! covering the world of entertainment alone have been viewed over 374,000 times, and his expertise on critical writing in the music industry has been cited on Wikipedia and featured in national press kits. He currently works as a Senior Editor in Manhattan and lives on Long Island with his wife and two daughters. For more information, please visit www.michaelthomasperone.com.
Sign up for Michael’s newsletter!
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
  Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of DEJA VIEW, US Only.
Ends December 12th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
11/27/2023
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
Blog Spotlight
11/27/2023
Rockstar Book Tours
Excerpt
11/28/2023
YA Books Central
Interview/IG Post
11/28/2023
@allyluvsbooksalatte
IG Post
11/29/2023
Two Chicks on Books
Excerpt/IG Post
11/29/2023
A Backwards Story
Excerpt
11/30/2023
Rajiv's Reviews
Review/IG Post
11/30/2023
@dharashahauthor
IG Post
12/1/2023
A Blue Box Full of Books
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
12/1/2023
GryffindorBookishNerd
IG Review
Week Two:
12/4/2023
Sandra's Book Club
Review/IG Post
12/4/2023
Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's
Review/IG Post
12/5/2023
Character Madness and Musings
Guest Post
12/5/2023
@enjoyingbooksagain
IG Review
12/6/2023
The Momma Spot
Review
12/6/2023
Callisto’s calling
IG Review
12/7/2023
Country Mamas With Kids
Review/IG Post
12/7/2023
@anitralovesbooksanddogs
IG Review
12/8/2023
@enthuse_reader
IG Review/TikTok Post
12/8/2023
@froggyreadteach
IG Review
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7r0773r · 2 years
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Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine by Diane Williams
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Lavatory
There had been the guest’s lavatory visit—to summarize. She did so want to be comfortable then and for the rest of her life. She had been hiking her skirt and pulling down her undergarment, just trying not to fall apart.
Once back in the foyer, she brought out a gift for her host. “I tried to find something old for you to put on your mantel, but I just couldn't. I tried to find something similar to what you already have, to be on the safe side, but I couldn't.”
It was difficult for the guest to comprehend easily what the other invitees were saying, because she wasn't listening carefully. One man happened to have a son who knew her son. He had learned something of importance about her son—about his prospects. Something.
But the guest interrupted him, “I don't agree that there is a comfortable space for each of us out there and we have to find it. I think this is so wrong. It assumes there is a little environment that you can slip into and be perfectly happy. My notion is you try to do all the things you're comfortable with and eventually you will find your comfortable environment.”
A man they called Mike smoked a maduro and he had a urine stain on his trouser fly. He was very attentive to the host and to his wife Melissa.
“Stop!” his wife cried, but he’d done it already—tipped the ashtray he’d used the dimpled copper bowl—into the grate behind the fire screen. The ashes fell down nicely, sparsely. There was still some dark, sticky stuff leftover in the bowl.
The host called, “Kids! Mike! Dad and Mom!” He called these copulators to come in to dinner. In fact, this group represented a predictable array of vocations—including hard workers, worriers, travelers, and liars—defecators, of course, urinators and music makers.
***
The Poet
She carves with a sharply scalloped steel blade, makes slices across the top of a long, broad loaf of yeasted bread for the dog who begs and there’s a cat there, too.
She holds the loaf against her breast and presses it up under her chin. But this is no violin! Won’t she sever her head?
***
Head of the Big Man
The family was blessed with more self-confidence than most of us have and with a great lawn, with arbors and beds of flowers, and with a fountain in the shape of a sun at the south end. It is not our purpose to say anything imprecise about their scheme, how they had gotten on with tufted and fringed furniture, with their little tables, a parquet floor, a bean pot.
The walls inside of this country house were amber-colored where they entertained quite formally—until the old mansion was destroyed.
It was a shapely shingle-style house, with bulbous posts.
But what kind of confident people behave poorly by not being confident enough?
Let us examine the case.
Eldrida Cupit had given birth to four children. Three of these and their father drowned trying to cross the Quesnel River in a boat. She later married Mr. Cupit and had many more children. “Imp,” as she was known, was famous for her fresh peach sour cream pie, her steak shortcake, and more significantly for her élan.
People often saw her husband Blade on the street and he not only was polite, but he invited many personally to his home to hear about his rough riding days and his numerous good works.
In her later years, Mrs. Cupit dressed slowly for dinner and did not intend nor want to see anyone, except for her husband at dinner.
Frequently her husband left the table before she arrived and then edged himself up the back stairs.
He began to drink and lost all of his money after his wife died.
Often, as in this tale, a downpour with thunder and lightning is sufficiently full-bodied to get somebody’s whole attention. In one such storm Mr. Cupit had a vision of his wife. Her clothing was not exactly cut to fit and she showed no sign of affection. “Well, act like you’re not going up a hill,” his wife said, ‘but you're still going to go up it!”
For a while, after their deaths, their residence was open to tourists who were apt to get exhausted touring it.
The diamond-shaped hall, placed in the center—its dimensions and spaciousness were rooted, were grounded as if the hall was growing as an ample area. It was finished in mahogany. The dominant message here being: “Looks like one of you splurged!”
None of this would have been possible without the involvement of morally strong, intelligent people who were then spent.
Young farmers and rural characters, obstetrical nurses, scholars, clergy—all the rest!—will have their great hopes realized more often than not—unless I decide to tell their stories.
***
Greed
Each child had a claim to a pile of jewelry when my paternal grandmother died—and how did they determine who was to have which pile?
The heirs were sent into an adjacent room and a trustee called out loudly enough to be heard by all of them—”Who will have this pile?”
My father said he shouted—”August Wilhelm will have this pile!”
Thus, my mother eventually received two gem-set rings that she wore as a pair until she achieved an advanced age and then she amalgamated the two of them into one—so that the diamonds and the sapphires were impressively bulked together.
I had to have it. It was a phantasmagoria. I selected it after my mother's death, not because I liked it, but because it offers the memory of my mother and of the awkward, temporarily placed cold comfort that she gave me.
It's hard to believe that our affair was so long ago.
***
The Skol
In the ocean, Mrs. Clavey decided to advance on foot at shoulder-high depth. A tiny swallow of the water coincided with her deliberation. It tasted like a cold, salted variety of her favorite payang congou tea. She didn't intend to drink more, but she did drink—more.
***
Bang Bang on the Stair
I said, “Would you like a rope? You know that haul you have is not secured properly.”
“No,” he said, “but I see you have string!”
“If this comes into motion—” I said, “you should use a rope.”
“Any poison ivy on that?” he asked me, and I told him my rope had been in the barn peacefully for years.
He took a length of it to the bedside table. He had no concept for what wood could endure.
“Table must have broken when I lashed it onto the truck,” he said.
And, when he was moving the sewing machine, he let the cast iron wheels— bang, bang on the stair.
I had settled down to pack up the flamingo cookie jar, the cutlery, and the cookware, but stopped briefly, for how many times do you catch sudden sight of something heartfelt?
I saw our milk cows in their slow parade in the pasture and then the calf broke through with a leap from behind—its head was up, its forelegs spread.
“Don’t leave!” Mother screamed at me, and she had not arrived to help me.
She tripped and fell over a floor lamp’s coiled electrical cord.
There's just a basic rule of conduct that applies here—also known as a maxim—so I held out my hand.
She gripped and re-gripped my palm hard and all of my fingers before hoisting herself by pulling on me.
She kept tugging on my hand on her deathbed also for a long stretch, until she died. For don’t little strokes fell great oaks?
A girl from the neighborhood rang the bell today to ask if I had a balloon. I didn’t have any and I hadn’t seen one in years.
“That's all you need?” I asked her. “How about some string?”
I noticed that the girl’s eyes were bright and intelligent and that she was delighted, possibly with me.
I went to search where I keep a liquid-glue pen, specialty tape, and twine. I kept on talking while I pawed around for some reason in the drawer.
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yandereaffections · 3 years
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randomshyperson · 3 years
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The Scarlet Witch Prophecy - The Fourth Year (Part I) - Chapter 04
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Summary: As the youngest daughter of Howard Stark, you have ordinary expectations for your years at Hogwarts. Little do you know what adventures await you when your destiny is intertwined with the legendary Scarlet Witch.
Warnings: +16. Adaptation of the Harry Potter Saga, Magical Thematic, Prophecies, Mentions of Violence, Torture and dark magic, Language (swearing and minor/major offenses), manipulation of will, Underage kissing, insinuation of smut with minors, Smut (overage), descriptions of death, aggression, obscurity, angst, fluffy, soulmates analogies.
Chapter Words:  9.832K
Authors note: In this one I start to explore more of the magical bond between reader and wanda, and well, it will be very much about that from this one on. I need to know if you all prefer longer (and more detailed) chapters about the reader's years at hogwarts like this one (which has been divided into three parts) or if you prefer the pace of the first three chapters (with only the relevant events of the whole year). Enjoy your reading.
//-// x //-// //-// x //-//
It's very different having Nebula and Gamora at home. 
You were used to having only Tony and Jarvis, and occasionally your father, but now that you have your friends sleeping in the next two rooms, you always have someone your own age to talk to and laugh about the same things.
It took a while for things to normalize, especially the first week. Thanos was furious about the letter that Gamora sent him, saying that they would live with you now. He showed up in the yard of your house the next day, and you have never seen your father so enraged.
They talked for many minutes, and then Thanos demanded to speak to his daughters. Nebula was trembling as she walked out the door, but your father stayed by their side during the entire conversation.
When they went back inside, Thanos left. Two days later, your father signed the adoption papers.
You were surprised when you discovered that Nebula was as passionate about magical mechanics as Tony, so it didn't take long for it to become commonplace for her to disappear into the basement of the house along with your brother, both of them wrapped up in some strange invention. You and Gamora usually spent most of your time in the backyard, she reading some Arithmanian stuff you didn't understand, while you played quidditch, or the two of you tended the garden. Mantis also came to visit you in the summer, and Groot was the size of a small dog now.
You exchanged many letters with Wanda during the vacations. And when Iron brought another one of them a little after dinner, on the antepenultimate week of vacation while you and Gamora were in your room talking about the coming year, she acquired a mischievous look on her face.
"What do you guys talk about so much?" She teased as you took the letter from Iron's beak. You shrugged, feeling your face heat up, and thought it better to look at the paper in your hands than Gamora's face.
“I don’t know,. Everything i think”. You answer.
Gamora is silent as you read the letter. You smile, because it is as if you hear Wanda's voice in the words you read. 
"Can I ask you something?" Gamora speaks next, you make a noise with the little one in agreement, without taking your eyes off the paper. "Have you ever kissed anyone?
"What?" you ask in surprise, raising your eyes to her. "N-no."
Gamora's arms are crossed and she's sitting on the bed, and she raises her eyebrow in disbelief.
"Is that so?" She asks and you swallow dryly, confirming. Her expression softens. "I'm only saying that because a lot of people start dating in third grade."
You close the letter in your hands, placing it on the shelf beside you. Ignoring how the subject makes your stomach flip with nervousness, you rest your hands on your knee.
"Do you think we'll start dating too?" You ask shyly, and Gamora smiles, shrugging.
"Who knows?" She retorts. "I never thought about that either. But I do know that Pietro kissed Monica on the mouth after our leave vacation inside a cabin on the Hogwarts express."
"Are you for real?" You asked in surprise. "How did you find out about that?"
"Quill wrote to me last night." She says. "I forgot to tell you."
"Wow." You say. 
"Yeah." She agrees. "Peter told me that Pietro turned red as a tomato, but kept smiling. I thought Wanda would tell you that."
You bit your tongue to avoid mentioning that you and Wanda don't talk about such things, and cleared your throat before shrugging.
"Maybe Pietro didn't say anything to her." You say. "I probably won't tell Tony when I have my first kiss."
"You're probably right." Gamora said casually. "But you're going to tell me, right? When you kiss someone, you need to tell me how to do it."
You laughed, walking over to Gamora.
"I promise I will." You say extending your pinky to her. She looks at you confused, "It's a pinky promise, haven't you ever sworn like that?"
"That's muggles' stuff." She comments with a smile, and you laugh.
"Yeah, my dad probably learned it from my mom." You say using your other hand to take Gamora's hand. "Come on, you put your finger like this, and then we swear."
Gamora laughed as she followed your commands, and then you repeated the promise. After you yawned, she bade you goodnight and went to her room.
You fought the urge to reread Wanda's letter, and threw yourself on the bed, not understanding why your brain was replaying Gamora's questions in your mind and you kept thinking of Wanda afterwards.
//-//
The Quidditch World Cup is happening this year, and you can hardly contain yourself with excitement.
You had been to the event a few times when you were younger, but now that you actually played quidditch it was a very different feeling.
Your favorite team was the Guardians of the Galaxy, who had played for England for many years, and were also your father's favorite team. Tony stopped liking them the first year, saying that they were losing too many games, but you knew it was because Steve Rogers was rooting for the Brooklyn Soldiers team and Tony was trying to impress him.
All your friends will be at the event, including many thousands of other witches from all over the world. 
You have to wake up at dawn in order not to miss the time of the portal keys that have been scattered around the country by the Ministry of Magic, to prevent wizards from being seen disappearing into inappropriate places that could expose the magical world.
When you came down to the kitchen, everyone was already having breakfast. Your father kissed your forehead as he walked past you, a mug of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other.
"Finally awake, sleepyhead." Teased Tony when he saw you, you just yawned. 
"Are we leaving already?" You asked sleepily, grabbing some toast.
"Yes, dear." Her father replied looking at his watch. "Get ready soon, or we'll miss the schedule."
You grumble in agreement, hurrying to get back to your room and take a shower. 
When you are ready, and stretching as you walk to the outside of the house, Gamora joins you, a backpack on her back resembling yours.
"I can't wait to see the foreign wizards." She comments excitedly making you smile. Gamora didn't like the sport, and was far more excited to see the witches from the rest of the world than to watch the match.
"I bet there's going to be some Ilvermorny people's stall." You say as you catch up with your father, who was waiting next to Tony and Nebula. Jarvis waves goodbye to you from the doorway, and you begin walking toward the trail beyond the mansion grounds. "They are so show-offy."
Gamora laughs.
"I've never met anyone from the United States." She counters. "But some witches from Japan have been to my house."
You know that the mention of home or Thanos makes Gamora very uncomfortable, so you try to skirt around the subject.
"I guess Nurse Cho was from Mahoutokoro, huh?" You comment, and Gamora shrugs. "Thor had mentioned that during a class, I think."
"I wonder if the other schools are cool like Hogwarts?" She asks, and you smile.
"No place is like Hogwarts."
Gamora laughs, but agrees. You walk in silence for a few more minutes, and it is only when you reach an empty area that you stop.
"Here we are, people." Your father says next, slightly tired from the exercise. He waves for everyone to form a circle as he checks his watch. "Two minutes to go, children. Stand in position please."
There is a small cloth boot in the center of the circle, and you are not the least bit surprised because you know that portal keys are usually the most mundane things you can think of.
You all reach down and touch the boot with your fingertips. You smile at Tony who looks up at you. Two minutes later, you feel a tug, and everything spins around you. Taking a deep breath, you focus on controlling yourself as you are falling into the portal key. And then you land on the ground.
"Here we are." Your father says smiling beside you. You look to the side to see Gamora helping Nebula to stand up properly, as she had remarked that she gets a little queasy with this kind of magic. Tony throws an arm around your shoulders next.
"Ready to see the guardians lose, kid?" He teases causing you to let out a humorless laugh.
"You wish." You grumble pushing Tony lightly, who lets go as he laughs.
And then you start walking again, until you come to a place considerably noisier than where you were before.
The ministry seemed to have bypassed an area with low chains, and you notice the magical aura around the metal, signaling that everything was magically hidden.
There is a wizard in uniform at the entrance, and he collects the tickets before letting you pass into the hut area. 
There are many tents of the most varied characteristics. You laugh in surprise when your gaze catches a conjuration exactly like a vacation castle, but much smaller in size. As you walk through the crowd, your father asks everyone to hold hands so as not to get lost as he guides you to the area where you would be staying.
Your father has rented a tent in a more private area of the place, and there are hardly any witches where you are. You like the silence, but you miss how much more fun the other place seems.
"The Rogers and the Barnes should be here by now I imagine." Your father comments as he waves his wand to open the cabin. You enter the room next, it is like a small winter home inside, very cozy.
"Yes, dad." Tony replies throwing his backpack on one of the couches. "I wrote Steve last night."
Howard grumbles in agreement, walking to the kitchen. You place your backpack on the floor next.
"Daddy, can I go look for Wanda and Pietro?" You ask and your father laughs, denying it.
"You didn't eat anything before you left, honey." He says turning around. "Eat something and then you can go look for them."
You grumble, but agree. While you are making some eggs, Steve's family arrives.
"Howard, you outdo yourself every year, my friend." Joseph Rogers comments as he enters the cabin. Your father smiles cheerfully as he hugs him in greeting, then greets Sarah, Steve's mother, with a kiss on the cheek. He ruffles Steve's hair and pats his arm, repeating the same gesture to Bucky, who follows behind.
" Is your father not here, James?" Howard asks next, and Bucky clears his throat.
"No, sir." He replies. "Since my sisters can't come, he took them to a music event in the muggle world. If you want my opinion, rock concerts are as cool as quidditch."
The comment makes Howard laugh in agreement, but Steve's family doesn't seem to understand very well.
Soon they were all around the room, talking animatedly about the most varied subjects. You exchanged a complicit look with Gamora and Nebula, and you took advantage of your father being involved in a conversation with Joseph to leave the cabin.
"Do you have any idea where Professor Lehnsherr has placed the tents?" Gamora asks you once you are outside and you look around.
"No." You reply. "Wanda just wrote that she and Pietro were going to be here too, but I don't even know if it's Magneto that's bringing them."
"We're just left to look then." Nebula concludes and you nod in agreement, starting to walk.
You walk back to the common tent area, looking around.
Gamora and Nebula are easily distracted by the amount of interesting things to see, and almost lose track of you when some witches from the Salem Institute hand them some exchange pamphlets. 
It is only at the food stall that you finally find who you were looking for.
"My god, is that...?" You hear Gamora exclaim next to you in surprise. You know she was talking about Professor Lehnsherr, who is wearing jeans and a T-shirt and sunglasses and looks very well, and has a completely different posture than he usually has in class, but you are not looking at him anymore. 
Your stomach is restless because you are looking at Wanda, wearing a black skirt with knee socks and boots, and a red jacket. She looks beautiful, and you are blushing.
Gamora waves to them from a distance, and it is Pietro who notices you guys first, waving back cheerfully while nudging Wanda on the shoulder. She blinks in confusion and then smiles when she sees you.
You think your legs have turned to jelly, but you continue walking toward her. 
"It's so good to see you girls" Pietro exclaims happily as he hugs Gamora. 
"Hi, Wanda." You greet with a half-hearted smile, but Wanda's face lights up and she jumps at you, hugging you tight, and making your heart soar. "It's good to see you too." You whisper humorously against her hair, and Wanda releases you with a reddened face, smiling widely.
"I missed you." She says to you shyly making you look away clumsily, but before you can add anything else, Pietro is greeting you as well, and Wanda does the same with your sisters.
"Hello everyone." Said a male voice next, and you stared at Professor Erik awkwardly. He didn't seem bothered by being approached by any of you, however, a hot dog in his hands. 
"Hello, Professor Lehnsherr." You and your sisters said in unison, but the man had an almost friendly expression. 
"Don't worry about being formal while we're here, girls." He says. "We're just sorcerers in here, looking for a little cheap entertainment."
You and Gamora exchange a look, not knowing exactly what to say next. Professor Erik sighs, and then looks at his children.
"You can go spend some time with the Starks, twins." He says making his kids let out excited exclamations. "Be back by the start time of the match, please. I don't want to lose sight of you in a place with so many people of unreliable origin."
You don't quite understand what "unreliable origin" means, but you don't question it, excited to spend some time with the Maximoffs.
After Erik gives them a few galleons to buy whatever snacks they want, you walk back to the cabin.
//-//
You spent the whole afternoon with all your friends in the cabin, playing magical games, practicing simple spells, and trying to guess the outcome of the match. When the first warning alarm sounded, you all let out a chorus of excitement.
You ran to your room, looking for the cheerleader accessories you had obtained, while ignoring the teasing Tony was throwing at you about the opponent team's sure victory.
He and the Rogers were all wearing blue and white scarves, bracelets and hats, which represented the colors of the Brooklyn Soldiers.
Your father was wearing a big red jacket with the symbol of a gold star, the team's mark. You gave him one of the buttons you brought.
Pietro was also rooting for the Soldiers, along with Nebula and Bucky, so you didn't try to lend any of your accessories to them.
Wanda was in the room when you put a blue scarf with gold accents around her neck.
"For you to support the team." You commented excitedly, without any idea that Wanda's flushed face was because the scarf smelled like you.
"Thanks." She said shyly, and you just nodded, holding some bottons on her shirt.
Gamora borrowed one of the hats you brought.
When you walked towards the stadium area, all the other spectators were leaving their tents and tents and going in the same direction, so the crowd was even bigger. You did your best not to get lost.
Once inside the iron structure, you felt someone nudge your shoulder.
"Pietro and I need to find Dad." Wanda said and you waved, but then frowned, nodding back.
"I think he found you first." You comment while watching Erik look at you as he enters the same iron corridor. He looks at your family and friends next for a moment, his expression serious. "See you after the game, right?"
"Of course." Wanda smiles before touching your arm lightly. You still feel the touch many moments later.
//-//
The match is absolutely incredible. It is even better because the guardians win with a remarkable difference when catcher Jean Gray captures the Snitch after the second half, the stadium vibrating in celebration.
It's a complete mess after that. There are fireworks, and a lot of noise. Even though they lost the match, all the Brooklyn Soldiers fans are so impressed with the incredible match that they join the celebrations.
You stumble out of the stadium between laughter, Gamora's arm around your shoulders as she laughs at the dance that your father and Joseph are doing on the way back.
Fans of the Guardians continued to light the celebratory fireworks, and there was a huge fireworks scarlet dragon streaking through the skies above your heads.
Your dad and the Rogers family go back to the cabin while you stay outside with Bucky and your friends, wanting to enjoy the rest of the fireworks display. You also want to see Wanda again.
"The Guardians are very excited, aren't they?" Bucky comments with a laugh, noticing an increase in the volume of the crowd's screams. You laugh and you look at the sky again.
When you blink, there is an explosion noise in the distance, so muffled by the other sounds that it makes you confused. Your friends don't seem to have heard, and you step forward, watching the crowd closely.
You see a lot of people laughing, and dancing, and it takes a minute for you to also notice those who are running.
"Guys." You call in confusion, and Gamora who was closest to you turns around with curiosity. "I think there is something wrong."
Another explosion occurs and this time everyone listens. The crowd in front seems to gradually realize that there is something wrong going on. And then the firework dragon in the sky is fading, considerably dimming the lighting.
Your father came out of the hut the next moment, a concerned look on his face, and the wand in his hands.
You feel a panic rising in the pit of your stomach when people start running and screaming, and you notice spells being cast from a distance. You were thinking it might be some kind of cheering team fight, but the possibility is completely ruled out when you notice the masked men in the crowd.
"Get your things now." Order your father out loud and then you are all moving back to the cabin, picking up all your belongings quickly. You hold the backpack tightly against your shoulders when you go out again, complete chaos around you. Your father, Joseph and Sarah lead you among the people, shouting that you need to get back to the portkey. You gasp in surprise when you feel a twinge behind your eyes, and you are struck by a vision of a forest. This little delay is enough to make you stay behind and lose sight of your family.
But you are not looking for them anyway. Your feet are spinning in the opposite position, and you are pushing people to run. You need to find Wanda.
//-//
You end up at the end of the camp, the tents far behind you. The sound of confusion drowned out by the distance. Feeling a new stab of pain in the head, your knees give way and your body lowers, while you raise your hands to your face, immediately being hit by a vision. This time you see a shadow of a tall figure, perhaps a man, standing in front of you. There is a metallic taste of blood in your mouth, and you want to get away, but there is something holding you back. When you blink, you're back the end of the camp.
You don't understand what's going on, and there is a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness in your chest, but you keep walking, crossing the magical chain and moving into the forest. You fall to the ground on your knees a moment later, intense pain all over your body. Gasping, you look up, only to see a green light form in the sky.
At first you thought it might be fireworks, but it was magic. The symbol of a hydra conjured in the clouds was beginning to move, and your entire body weighed.
You looked down, and your eyes caught a figure in the woods. It was a man, but he was too far away and you couldn't see his face. He had his wand raised to the sky, clearly being responsible for conjuring it up. Your head started to spin in pain, and you rested your hands on the ground to try to normalize your breathing, and then the man looked at you.
You felt your heart race when he started walking towards you, but then there were screams and footsteps, and he ran. A moment later, your father was kneeling beside you.
"Darling! Are you okay?" He asked worriedly raising his hands to your face looking for bruises. You sighed, still in pain. Only when the aurors of the ministry of magic raised their wands to the sky and made the mark disappear,  you feel your body relieve immediately.
"I saw a man." You confessed breathlessly, and your father looked at you with confusion. But the wizards of the ministries seemed quite interested.
"Where, child?" Asked one of the aurors, you gasped slightly, feeling your body tremble a little.
"He went in that direction." You say pointing. "He was the one who conjured."
The woman nodded in understanding, and left after whistling for the rest of the Aurors to follow her. Your father helped you to stand.
"Honey, listen to me carefully." He said in a mixture of concern and seriousness. "Don't tell anyone about this."
“What, daddy? I don't.."
"Honey, please." He interrupts by stroking your cheeks with his thumb. “I will explain everything to you, I promise. But this needs to stay between us. You can't tell anyone what you saw in the sky.”
You swallow dry, but agree. Your dad doesn't let go of your hand all the way back to the portkey, and when you rejoin your friends again, you lie and say you just got lost in the food stall area after he gives a little grip on your fingers.
//-//
Your father doesn't explain anything to you.
When you return home, he receives urgent howlers from the ministry, and then he returns to the ministry of magic.
You are walking around the kitchen, outraged that you were prevented from looking for Wanda on your way out of the stadium and you have no idea if she is okay.
"What if the Maximoffs have a phone?" You grumble to yourself, but then you remember that you don't even have the number. You press your hands to your face, trying to calm yourself down. Wanda was fine. She had to be.
Gamora and Nebula are sitting on the couch, discussing something with each other, looking concerned. Tony locked himself in the room after Howard refused to tell him what was going on.
You don't understand why you have this horrible feeling in your chest, and you can't stop wondering if Wanda is okay, and then you support your hands on the table, trying to normalize your breathing and stop yourself from crying.
"Hey, breathe." You are almost startled by the voice at your side. Gamora touches your back tenderly, and you shake your head, feeling the tears flow. "She's fine, you need to breathe."
"You don't know that." You snap out of breath, and then Gamora puts her hand on your shoulder, asking you to look at her.
“We met Erik on the way out while you got lost. They left before you came back. ” She tells and you blink confused. “Wanda is safe. Breathe."
You gasp, and then your body relaxes as if a weight has been lifted off your back. Gamora looks at you with a mixture of concern and confusion, but you sigh, hugging her in appreciation.
"Thank you." You whisper against her hair. "I should have asked."
When you let go, she still looks at you with concern.
"Yeah, I know." She says assessing her face. "You should have asked how anyone else would do it."
You frown, not understanding what she is saying. But she still looks at you, suspicious.
“It looks like you were barely listening to us when your dad brought you back. And then I find you like that, and one word is enough to get you back to normal. ”
"What do you mean, Gamora?"
"I'm worried about you." She says. "I don't know what it is, but there is something strange about the way Wanda affects you."
You change the weight of your feet, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.
"What are you talking about?"
"She's talking about you not being able to bewitch Wanda." Nebula adds by getting up and walking over to you. You blink confused, ready to say that story was too old, but the girl is not intimidated. "She's talking about the way you behave around her."
"I don `t…"
"It's not just about liking someone." Nebula interrupts and you feel your cheeks heat up. "Gamora thought it was because you are in love, but that seems like something else."
Something in your stomach falls. You gasp in surprise.
"I'm not i-in love!" You exclaim with a racing heart. "I'm not…"
Gamora sighs impatiently, messing with hair. And trying to calm you down, she puts her hands on your shoulders next.
"Listen to me, okay?" She asks. "There's something weird about the way you care about Wanda. We don't know what it is, but you need to admit that you can see that too."
Facing your friend back, it takes a moment while you think of your words, for you to speak again.
"I saw a mark in the sky." You confess, deciding to disobey your father. Gamora blinks in confusion, and you clear your throat before you clear up everything that happened. Her hands fall off your shoulders when she opens her eyes wide for your confessions.
"Are you sure it was a hydra?" Nebula asks seriously and you wave.
"Do you know what that means?" You ask, and the girls exchange a look, but before they say it, you hear another voice.
"It is the Mephisto mark."
You get scared of Tony coming down the stairs, his gaze on you as he walks over to where you are. He folds his arms when he reaches you.
"Which means death walkers are back."
"Tony ..."
"You said you saw a wizard." He interrupts seriously. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
"No." You embarrassingly deny it, feeling your stomach sink with the look Tony is giving you. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You are the one who's been weird." He replies. "I'm just trying to understand what's going on."
"What did you mean by that?"
"What did you see in your head?" He counters with another question and you start to get angry at the way he is behaving, but tell him anyway. Tony sighs impatiently, turning in the opposite direction. He circles the room for a few moments before speaking again. “Daddy is never going to let us get involved in this. Especially now that you are having visions in your head. ”
"I still haven't told him about it." You grumble and Tony looks at you in surprise.
"Then don't say anything."
"What?" You exclaim with a frown in confusion. "What you mean? I need to say. I have to find out what it is. ”
Tony laughed incredulously.
"You still don't get it, do you?" he retorted. "Dad won't tell us anything. He didn't tell us about being an Auror, or about being friends with Professor Lehnsherr. He didn't even bother to try to understand why you can't bewitch Wanda!" Tony squirms angrily, and you shrink your body to the pitch of his voice. But he sighs, running his hands through his hair, and softening his expression. "I'm sorry, I'm not angry with you. It's just... I don't like being lied to."
You looked away, feeling tired. All this talk was making your head hurt, and the previous events had affected you more than you would like to admit.
"I don't know what we can do about this." You say. "I don't understand what's going on, and Dad would be the first person I would ask something, but he's not willing to help us. I feel like I'm at a dead end."
Tony lifts his arm to your shoulder, trying to reassure you.
"Hey, don't be so concerned about it." He says. "I'll find out what I can, and well, we're going back to Hogwarts next week. You and Wanda can try to figure out what this connection is about, while I try to figure out what's going on at the ministry."
You nod in agreement and Tony smiles, hugging you briefly. You hope that despite everything, you will have a quiet year at Hogwarts.
//-//
The Maximoffs are not on board the Hogwarts express.
You are in the same cabin as your friends, squeezed in because not everyone can fit in there, and you take several turns with Peter and Darcy in turn to sit down, while you are spread out in the corridor. 
"No sign of Wanda, huh?" Gamora asked as she saw you looking around the hallway for the tenth time while you were standing outside the cabin, listening to Mantis tell you about her summer from inside.
"No." You reply. "I talked to her Slytherin colleagues, but none of them were very happy to tell me anything. Wanda didn't say anything in her last letter."
"Maybe she will arrive in a flying car, I hear they are popular." She jokes, making you laugh briefly. You can't ignore the nervous feeling in your stomach, and you sigh. Gamora places her hands on your shoulders. "Let's find something to distract you, okay? How about some explosive snap?"
//-//
Laughing at Quill's joke about the last statement in the Daily Prophet, as you walked off the train with the rest of your friends toward the castle.
A chorus of excitement coming from some students ahead of you caught your and your friends' attention, who looked in the direction curiously.
"Is that a ship?" You heard someone ask as they pointed in the direction of the lake.
There was a large old ship, right in the center, coming toward the castle. Everyone looked on excitedly.
"Students, please continue toward the castle!" Drax loudly commanded the crowd, and the students exchanged nervous whispers, all extremely curious to know who was coming to the castle. You swapped a glance with Gamora before following the crowd.
//-//
Already seated at the Hufflepuff table, you startled slightly when Mantis touched your hand.
"Calm down, you're making it snow." She asked gently. You shook your head, realizing the cloud you had accidentally conjured up above you. You had been so nervous the last few minutes, which only got worse when your gaze failed to find Wanda at the Slytherin table, and to no avail was the look of reassurance Gamora threw at you when she said she would ask her colleagues about her over dinner. As soon as you sat down at the Hufflepuff table, you played with your wand between your fingers, and before you knew it, it was snowing.
"Sorry about that." You mumble clumsily, putting your wand back away. Mantis is not angry, her look is one of concern.
"I'm sure everything is fine with Wanda." Mantis says to you, and you sigh, running your hand through your hair.
"I think so too." You say. "I just don't know why I can't stop thinking about it."
"Y/N..."
You lost your attention completely on Mantis as your gaze reached the door of the hall just as you noticed the figures entering. Wanda and Pietro, walking hurriedly to the Slytherin table, being two of the last students to enter the hall before the door closed. You made mention of getting up, but Mantis held you by the shoulders. 
You were about to complain, but she pointed in the direction of the teachers' table, and you rolled your eyes, because the welcoming speech was about to begin. Your gaze remained on Wanda, but she was looking straight ahead. The only good thing was that the feeling of worry in you diminished considerably now that you were seeing her.
"[...] and I am proud to tell you that a very special event will take place at Hogwarts this year: the Triwizard Tournament!"
You are startled slightly when Headmistress Harkness' words reach your ears at the same moment that the main hall explodes in hubbub. You lose sight of Wanda because people are moving excitedly, and Mantis is nudging you to look forward.
It is only now that you notice the large stone globet and the blue flame displayed in front of the bench. You blink in surprise, feeling your face flush because you spent all the minutes of the speech staring at Wanda without realizing it.
Then the principal speaks again.
"Of course, the ministry has determined rules for the safety of the students." She recounts. "No student under the age of seventeen will be allowed to participate in the tournament, in addition to the dueling rules..."
The principal's speech was drowned out by the chorus of protests from the younger students, especially those in the fifth and sixth grades. You raised your eyebrow slightly, because you noticed that your brother was one of the boys who was shouting in annoyance. 
Agatha then made a stern expression, clearly annoyed at having been interrupted, and it took only a few moments for the hall to become completely silent, and for her to smile again.
"Note that the other participating schools will be staying with us this year." She continues her speech. "Please welcome the students from Durmstrang Institute."
The doors to the main hall opened again, and a small crowd of students wearing thick winter coats entered. A tall, shabby-looking man with a scar over his right eye was at the front, guiding the students.
"Agatha!" Greeted the man with open arms as he reached the headmistress. Agatha smiled as she hugged him, and you tried to get a look at the new folks, as did the rest of the school, who were looking excitedly at the crowd. You let out a surprised exclamation when you recognized one of the faces. Your classmates also seemed to realize who it was, because many whistles and comments were heard. 
"That's Jean Grey, isn't it?" Peter Parker asked sitting next to you. When you confirmed it, he widened his eyes. "Wow, I didn't know she was still in school."
"She's the youngest catcher of the century, Parker." You commented with a smile. 
"She's very pretty, isn't she?" He retorted, and you made a noise of agreement.
The students reached the front of the hall next.
"It's good to have you here, Yondu." Said the headmistress. "How was the trip?"
"Wet and noisy, woman!" Rebutted the man humorously. He didn't seem too excited to greet any other teachers, focused only on the woman in front of him. Agatha looked at the students next.
"Please feel free to join any of the empty seats, all the houses were honored to accommodate you." She warned the students, but they only moved after Yondu waved lightly at them.
You bit the inside of your cheek, noting that almost everyone sat down at the Slytherin table. Yondu joined the students next, not failing to take a good look at the goblet before sitting down.
Agatha looked down the hall again.
"Let us also welcome our honored guests from Beauxbatons."
The students at Beauxbatons' institute seemed nicer the first moment you saw them, but as soon as you noticed the way their cloaks were bewitched to land gracefully on the floor as they moved, you figured they must be the kind of people who wouldn't be happy with Hogwarts' cleaning schedule.
The principal of Beauxbatons was a tall, stout woman, very beautiful. She had a crown on her head, and you wondered if the people of Beauxbatons were royalty in some way. 
"Ovette, it is an honor to have you with us." She greeted Principal Agatha, but unlike before, her smile was cold, almost fake. The other woman didn't seem happy to be there either, but returned the greeting in the same formality.
The Beauxbatons students sat down at Gryffindor's table, and you giggled when Quill grimaced at you from his table as one of the boys sat down next to him.
Suddenly you felt very hungry. And dinner didn't disappoint. 
"I think you'd better wait to talk to Wanda tomorrow," Mantis remarked next to you as soon as you finished eating. You frowned, looking at her.
"Why?"
"Professor Lehnsherr has been staring at the Slytherin table like he's going to cast a good behavior spell at them the entire dinner." She counters as she looks at the teachers' table. You look just in time to catch Erik with a stern look toward the students who were talking loudly on the end before he went back to eating his potato salad. 
"Maybe he just expects better behavior while we have guests here." You comments, glancing back to the Slytherin table. Wanda's gaze has not searched for yours all dinner, and you are starting to get annoyed by this.
"If you're going to risk it, I suggest you do it before curfew." Mantis quips as she looks down at her own lap. Groot is trying to steal her piece of chicken, and she smiles as she hands him a loaf of bread.
You look around. All the students are sitting at their respective house tables, and despite the loud buzz of conversation, no one is standing. You know that if you stood up, and walked to the other side of the room, everyone would look at you. Sighing in annoyance, you rest your face on your hand and your elbow on the table, giving up on talking to Wanda during dinner.
When dessert arrives, you become distracted.
//-//
Your best idea is to catch up with Wanda at the end of dinner, but you frown when she doesn't get up from the table along with the other students. The next moment, Professor Erik is joining her, and the crowd of Hufflepuff students pushing you out makes you lose sight of her.
You mumble softly to yourself when you have to go back to the dormitory, and Mantis gives you a short smile, equally annoyed by your nervousness.
//=//
You tried to sleep. Maybe at some point you did.
After you went back to the dorm with everyone else, put on your pajamas and turned off the lights, you think you fell asleep almost immediately. But there was no rest.
The minute you fell asleep, you were somewhere else, fully conscious.
It looked like a graveyard, and there was a lot of smog. You turned over, feeling breathless, and saw a red light, maybe it was a spell. The next moment you woke up, panting, opening your eyes and immediately sitting up in bed. Surprised at the amount of sweat on your shirt, you frowned.
The dormitory was completely dark, and everyone was sleeping around you. You felt thirsty, and as you tried to understand exactly what you had dreamed, you left the room.
The rest of the common room was also empty, and you sighed as an idea crossed your mind. Biting your lips, you shook your head. No, you were not going to sneak through the dormitory into the Slytherin hall, because that was absolutely against all the rules, and more importantly, it would be weird.
Ignoring the sudden urgency you felt to follow your idea, you forced yourself back to your dormitory, hoping that you would be able to sleep again.
//-//
The next day, you had no need to look for Wanda, because she found you first.
As soon as you left for breakfast, accompanied by Mantis, you gasped in surprise as you felt some jump on you just before the entrance to the main hall.
"I missed you." Wanda sighed as she wrapped her arms around your neck. Some students looked at you curiously, but you didn't mind, circling Wanda's waist to return the hug. 
"I missed you too." You retorted by hiding your face in her neck, feeling your whole body relax with the scent of her perfume.
But a sound of someone clearing their throat broke the moment, and Wanda turned away from you, her cheeks flushed.
"You saw each other last week." Pietro teased with a slight frown on his forehead. He didn't press the matter, however, greeting you afterwards.
You made your way to the Slytherin table, your newly awakened friends looking sleepy as they lazily enjoyed their breakfast.
After greeting everyone, you sat down next to Gamora, who was looking at the daily prophet.
"Not a word about what happened in the Quidditch world cup" She commented indignantly. The group shared the same reaction. "All the news is about the triwizard tournament being held at Hogwarts."
"Maybe they don't want to cause a panic." Quill then reasoned. You knew that he, as well as Mantis, only knew about what happened in the cup because of the letters you and Gamora sent. 
"It just seems like they are hiding the truth." Gamora retorts without taking her gaze off the paper. You glance at the figures moving around before turning your attention back to your coffee.
"Clearly corrupt wizarding ministry matters aside, is anyone here going to try to sign up for the tournament?" Quill asked next, causing you to frown as Nebula and Gamora gave a giggle.
"No one here is of age." You comment with confusion, but Quill gives a wry chuckle.
"You Hufflepuff people are adorable." He teases making you laugh. He stretches his arms out to Pietro and Monica's shoulders next as he is sitting between them. "My Gryffindor buddies have found the perfect solution to solve this problem."
You look at the three of them curiously. Gamora rolls her eyes, and turns her attention back to the cereal.
"Let me guess, aging potion?" Nebula then suggests, and Quill lets out an impressed exclamation.
"Look at you Nebula, who would have guessed?  I'll make a troublemaker out of you yet." He jokes, but Nebula just raises her middle finger at him, making the rest of the table laugh.
You are slightly distracted because Wanda asked you to pass the jelly to her and your fingers brushed against each other, and you had to keep it together, unaware because the sensation spread a tingle across your skin, so you are startled when Quill lets out an excited exclamation next.
"I just remembered!" He says. "I didn't complain enough about the cancellation of the Quidditch cup between the houses. I was sure Gryffindor would win this year."
Wanda lets out a wry chuckle, and Quill makes a mocking face at her, tossing a piece of bread in her direction. 
You like to see your friends like that, playing with each other. The next moment, Mantis asks how Quill intends to get past the goblet spells to put his name on it, and the boy spends the next few minutes arguing that the aging spell is enough to break the enchantment, and your friends seem happy to argue with him about it.
//-//
You're not sure how you're going to tell Wanda that you need to talk to her about the events of the vacations, and the cup, and well, your connection to her, so you ignore the suggestive look Gamora throws at you after coffee and decide to put it off for as long as you can.
Your classes seem to have gotten even harder and more boring, but you struggle. It's even trickier to pay attention when the whole school is excited about the triwizard tournament, and there' a lot of noise between and during the classes, after a while, the teachers give up on calming the moods.
Without Quidditch, you have free periods, and you use this time to spend with your friends, either playing witch chess or explosive snap, or even getting some practice with your broom.
The foreign students get more comfortable as time goes on. You would think that they would be sleeping in one of the dormitories, but they are staying on the ships and in the carriages that they have come on.
The only times you got a glimpse of Beauxbatons' carriages was on the way to the class on the Tract of Magical Creatures, and you weren't the only one trying to get a better look, but the guardian Drax was quick to scare off any curious people who got too close.
With three weeks of classes, the atmosphere at Hogwarts had changed a lot. You knew it was because the date for choosing champions was approaching, and everyone seemed to be holding their breath about it. 
Pietro and Quill actually proceeded with the idea of trying to fool the goblet with an aging potion. You and the girls joined them in the room where the magic object had been placed, and witnessed them try. And fail miserably. Wanda was worried that Pietro had been hurt when he was thrown across the room trying to get through the protective circle, but as soon as she saw his aged face, she laughed, and all the girls followed her.
Pietro and Quill were annoyed for three seconds before they began to laugh as well.
You fell silent the next moment, however, because Jean Grey entered the room accompanied by Headmaster Youndu, both of whom looked at you all reproachfully.
Jean placed a piece of parchment in the flame, and you all watched with some admiration as the goblet accepted her inscription.
The small admiring smile you had on your lip completely disappeared when Jean looked at Wanda on her way out, her gaze flashing in a way that made your stomach turn the wrong way.
When Pietro started talking about how amazing it was to have a famous player at school, you didn't feel excited about the idea anymore.
//-//
After your double period of potions on Thursday the last week of September, you could practically catch the anxious tension of your classmates in the air.
At dinner that night, the school champions would be chosen and even you, who were more concerned about the lack of news from home and the way Tony was clearly avoiding your presence, were curious to know who would be chosen.
The Goblet of Fire had been moved to the center of the main hall and you joined the Hufflepuff table with Mantis, noticing the warning look that Headmistress Okoye cast at anyone who was not behaving in the most chivalrous manner possible, but you didn't remark on it, noticing the wizards wearing formal attire at the teachers' table, probably being employees of the Ministry of Magic and reporters for the Daily Prophet.
A characteristic buzz was going on among the students, but the room fell silent as the students from the other schools entered the hall together with their principals.
When Headmistress Agatha began the selection ceremony, everyone seemed to hold their breath.
"[...] Tonight the goblet will choose the one who is worthy to represent their schools in the triwizard tournament. The ceremony of choice begins now." She gracefully presents, wand in hand. Agatha touches the tip of the goblet next, and the flame on the top changes to red briefly, expelling a piece of parchment through the air. Agatha catches the item between her fingers. "The champion of Durmstrang is Jean Grey."
The room erupts in applause and tears of celebration. You clap happily too, completely forgetting about that day in the hall. You knew that Jean had become quite popular among the Hogwarts gossips, especially since she is already a celebrity, so the reaction of your classmates was not a surprise to you.
You and the rest of the students watched as she accepted the parchment from Agatha before greeting the ministry wizards, and then walked into the small door behind the teachers' desk. As she left, everyone was silent again.
Principal Harkness repeated the wand movement on the goblet, and the flames turned blue again. She paused briefly before announcing the next champion.
"Beauxbatons' champion is Maria Hill!" 
You watch a very elegant girl get up from one of the front seats and walk in the same direction as Jean amidst the applause. The commotion is a little less than Grey's, but you know that it is only because Grey was famous.
A moment later it is the turn of the Hogwarts champion, and you are much more excited for this.
Agatha also seems more excited about this, a small smile escaping her lips before she repeats the wand movement.
When the parchment falls into her hands, she reads it aloud.
"The champion of Hogwarts..." She begins and her expression falls, her frown frowning. The brief suspense only makes everyone even more anxious. "Wanda Maximoff."
The crowd's reaction is remarkably different from the other champions; the hall explodes into a buzz of accusations of cheating, pointing out that Wanda was underage, and even snide remarks about a Slytherin representing the school, but you were barely listening. A wave of preoccupation takes over your body completely, and you look around the table for Wanda, but she is already standing up, her chin held high despite all the negative comments. She accepts the parchment Agatha hands her and heads in the same direction as the other champions. 
Harkness makes another movement with her wand and the flame from the goblet goes out. In the next second she is leaving the room, being escorted by the other directors and the ministry officials to the Hall of Champions. As soon as the door closes, the hall explodes in agitated hubbub, and many people stand up.
As the teachers call for calm, especially for the Gryffindor students who accuse the Slytherin of cheating, you and Mantis stand up and join your friends.
"I can't believe that just happened." Gamora comments as soon as you reach her, as impressed as she is concerned.
Your gaze searches for Pietro however, and he looks upset.
"Comrade, your sister is the champion of Hogwarts! She managed to do what we were trying to! Why the long face?" Quill asked his friend excited and confused, but when he went to hug Pietro, he pulled away, an angry grimace on his face.
"I can't believe Wanda kept this from me." He grumbled, you and your friends looked at him in surprise. 
"Come on Pietro, maybe she didn't think it would work and didn't want to say anything." Quill suggested but the boy shook his head.
"No you don't get it." He retorts. "She absolutely could not have risked doing something like that."
And then he turns away, and heads for the teachers' table. You and your friends are left with puzzled expressions, but upon noticing that he looked like he was going to be talking to his father for quite some time, you return to your conversation.
"I can't believe Wanda didn't tell anyone about putting in the name on the goblet, that's incredible." Quill adds. Nebula begins to argue how dangerous it was for someone without enough magical acquaintance to be in such an ordeal, and your stomach does a turn. You walk away from the conversation, heading toward the group of Tony's friends who were standing a few feet away from you.
"Hey, your friend just caused a stir around here." Tony jokes as soon as you reach him.
"I noticed it." You retort as you spot Professor Strange separating with a spell a student who jumped on top of another. "Everyone is talking about how dangerous it is for her to participate, can you tell me anything good about it?"
Tony laughs at the desperation in your voice. 
"I figure eternal glory and the thousand-gallon prize is the good part." He teases, and you run your hands through your hair, trying to ignore the urge to go into that little room and find out if Wanda is okay. Tony assumes a serious expression next, and lowers his tone, not that it was necessary, since everyone seems wrapped up in their own conversations. "You also find it strange that this happens after what happened at the cup, don't you?" He asks and you nod. Tony sighs. "Maybe this is a good time for you to talk to Wanda, little sis. About how you feel about her. And well, maybe as you help her practice for the tournament, you guys can figure out what that connection means."
You nod, feeling your cheeks warm. It was still strange how all your friends knew about the way you cared for Wanda.
You wanted to ask Tony if he had found out anything since you last talked properly, but Professor Strange ordered everyone back to their dormitories the next moment, and after Tony messed up your hair, you turned and headed toward the Hufflepuff students who were leaving the hall.
//-//
There was no way you could sleep without talking to Wanda, so you risked an detention by sneaking out of the dorm after curfew. Mantis grumbled at you to be careful before turning over in her sleepy state, making you laugh softly.
You used a simple invisibility spell on yourself, not so strong that you were completely invisible, but enough to blend into the shadows of the castle as you descended back into the dungeons. Hogwarts was, yes, very scary at that time.
The board at the entrance was sleeping, and after removing the invisibility spell, you poked it with your wand to wake it up.
"What, what is that?" Complained the irritated painting, looking around and acquiring an angry expression when he noticed you.
"I'm sorry. Keep your voice down please." You asked. "I need to get inside."
The painting looked at you suspiciously.
"I have seen you here before, but you are not from the honorable house of Slytherin."
"That is not your problem, Mr. Talos." You retort impatiently. "Just let me in. The password is Polyjuice Potion."
"Your friends will get in trouble if they keep sharing their password with you." Warned the painting before moving, giving you passage to enter.
"Thank you, Mr.Talos." You said with slight irony, walking into the dormitory.
You bit the inside of your cheek as you looked around at the empty environment. You were used to the place, but it was still creepy when poorly lit like this.
"We don't like intruders." Spoke a voice in the corner of the room, making you jump in fright.
"Damn, Nat, you scared the hell out of me." You complained, putting your hand to your chest and feeling your heart racing. The girl giggled, closing the book in her hand and standing up in your direction.
"Why are you here?" she asked with her arms crossed.
You gave her a lopsided smile.
"I came to check on Wanda, of course."
Nat narrowed her eyes at you.
"Why?"
"Why?" you retort after a short laugh. "Because she has just been chosen for the deadliest competition in the wizarding world, and everyone in this place wants to remind me of it!" You exclaim, and can't stop yourself. "I heard a girl say in the hallway that the tournament was banned for the number of deaths! Did you know that? Yeah, neither did I. And well, I can't sleep, because I keep thinking that something like that might happen to Wanda. And when I think about it, I can't breathe and I..."
"Stark, breathe!" Natasha interrupts you with concern, placing her hands on your shoulders. You gasp slightly, realizing that your eyes are filled with tears as you notice your vision blurring. You sigh, trying to normalize your breathing as you force a smile and wipe your face. "God, what was that all about?"
"It was nothing." You grumble. "I'm just worried."
Natasha doesn't buy your excuse, though.
"Tony told me about what happened in the cup." She says as she lowers her arms. You look at her in surprise. "He also told me about how connected to Wanda you have been feeling. I just didn't imagine that you would almost have a little tantrum at the possibility of her getting hurt."
You feel your cheeks flush, looking away to your shoes.
"I didn't have a tantrum."
"Nearly." She teases, but you don't laugh, feeling your stomach churn. Nat looks at you seriously next. "Wanda's not here."
You raise your head in surprise.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know." She replies. "Believe me, you weren't the only one who tried to talk to her. The whole dorm was wanting to know how she tricked the goblet, but no one has seen her since the selection."
You feel your heart soar, and seeing the way you react, Nat raises a hand to your arm again.
"Hey, try not to think about it so much." She says. "Maybe she's with her father. I imagine it's been quite a commotion that a minor has swindled the goblet, and the ministry must be trying to decide what to do. She must be in the teachers' dormitory, she is still a child after all."
"Wanda is already fifteen." You grumble.
"Yes, and I'm sixteen. We're all kids, Y/N." She retorts. "I don't think Professor Lehnsherr was going to leave his daughter alone at such a time."
You sigh, nodding in agreement.
"Try to get some sleep, will you?" Nat asks next. "I'm sure Wanda will talk to you tomorrow. And well, I think she's going to need her best friend to not sleep through the conversation."
"Wanda said I'm her best friend?" 
Nat laughs at the way you talk, probably sounding like a lovesick puppy. 
"God, you two are a disaster." She comments before waving you toward the exit. You bid her goodnight and thank her before walking back to your dorm.
//-//
337 notes · View notes
letarasstuff · 3 years
Text
Where do you go?
(A/N): This is requested by an anon and based on this post.
Summary: How does Hotch’s daughter, who everyone goes to with their own problems, cope with her mother’s death two years later?
Warnings: Angst. Grief. Dealing with a loved one’s death
Wordcount: 2.2k
✨Masterlist✨ _____________________________
“Hey (Y/N), I really need your help with Tim. Do you have a minute for me?” (Y/N) turns around to see a boy from her science class. It’s not like she knows him that much, they occasionally team up for small projects, there is nothing more behind that.
“Uh of course. I just had my last class, so I got time for you.” She smiles and lets him, Vincent is his name she thinks, rant to her about how his boyfriend doesn’t understand his needs.
This is nothing out of the ordinary for her, to be asked for advice. She simply is a good listener and gives good tips, the best even according to people close to the teenager. The problem is her limited knowledge on relationships. “Coaches don’t play”, Hotch tells her. And he intends on keeping it that way.
“That does really suck. Did you try to talk to him about it?” (Y/N) asks the boy in front of her. Suddenly he bursts into tears, describing how he only sees breaking up as a solution. She awkwardly pats his back and says encouraging words to him. That he will make the right decision, that he shouldn’t rush it and that he has to take his time.
After Vincent, or is it Gordon, calms down he looks up at the girl. “Thank you for listening. You were a great help, (Y/N).” He hugs her and leaves.
As she looks over the parking lot she spots her father’s car. Excitedly (Y/N) walks over and gets onto the passenger seat. “Hey, I didn’t know you pick me up today”, she greets him.
“We finished the case early and I was on the way home and thought giving you a lift wouldn’t hurt. Who was that boy? Is there something I should know?” Hotch looks at her from the side. But his daughter shakes her head. “Don’t worry, he is gay. He just needed a shoulder to cry on about his ruined relationship.”
“You do know you are not the school’s therapist, don’t you? At this point your classmates should pay you.” He tries to joke about it, but as a father he is worried. Since Haley died, (Y/N) took it upon her to make sure everybody is happy, no matter at what costs.
“I know, Dad. I’m fine and Alex feels better.”
A few days later (Y/N) sits in JJ’s living room, watching the mother go from one place to the next. “Food is in the fridge, so help yourself. Henry’s bedtime is in half an hour, please make sure he goes to sleep by then. He should be easy to put down, Will made sure to tire him out earlier. All important numbers are on the fridge. Feel free to watch anything on the TV.”
The teenager volunteered to babysit Henry, giving his parents a child free evening. “Thank you, JJ. We will rock this, don’t we?” She looks down to the boy on her lap, who nods his head.
“Good. Behave for (Y/N), ok?” The mother gives her son a kiss on the head. After Will’s goodbye the couple is gone.
“Ok, how about we get real comfy on your bed and I read you a story?” Henry nods again. He takes (Y/N) by her hand to his room. As suggested they lay down on his bed.
“Which one do you want me to read to you?” But the boy looks unsure all of a sudden. “Can we just talk?” Surprised the teenager nods. “Whatever you like, champ.”
“Uh okay, do you know Mommy is a bit… much? She is like there and the next second she is here and then she isn’t here for days. I- this is sooo annoying”, Henry rants to her. He is only three, so it is kept rather simple.
“Oh man, she must be a handful, champ. But you have to keep in mind that she really loves you and in the end this is the only thing that matters. Do you love her, too?” It hurts her to talk about a mother’s love, since her own passed away over two years ago. (Y/N) still misses her. She is sure it will never go away.
“Of course I love her.” Sleepily Henry cuddles closer to (Y/N), holding his plush toy near him. After that, he falls asleep safe and sound. The teenager waits for a bit, watching him scrunching up his nose every few minutes.
The next day at the BAU a knock is heard on the Unit Chief’s door. “Come in!”
“Hey Dad, I thought a little visit wont hurt”, the daughter enters the room. Automatically a smile appears on Hotch’s face. “Also, I thought a little help from Spencer wont hurt, too”, she adds with a laugh. “Last time I checked he was in Garcia’s lair. You might have a shot finding him there”, he tips her off.
“Thank you Dad, you are the best!” Not long after this she steps into the Technical Analyst’s office and is immediately greeted by the preppy woman being anything but preppy.
“What in heaven’s name do they think I am, do you know it (Y/N)? They want me to work faster and more efficiently and expect me to be all sunshine and rainbows while looking at the most gruesome pictures ever taken on a daily basis! Un-be-lie-va-ble!” The blonde walks back and forth, gesticulating wildly.
The teenager takes her hands in an attempt to calm her down. “Sit down and tell me from the beginning what you are talking about.” This ends in Penelope raging about some superiors for an hour. When she finally calms down, it is like she wakes up. “Oh my, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to load all that up on you. You don’t need that in addition to-” She suddenly cuts herself off.
“I’m fine, really. It’ll be like any other day.” The smile the girl struggles to put on looks pained. “My sweet sweet summer child, the second anniversary of your mother’s death is not like any other day. You are still allowed to grief, you know that, right?” Penelope hugs (Y/N), cradling her close to her chest.
“I know, Penny. Thank you for reminding me. But I have to go, I need Spencer’s help with my chemistry assignment. You know, gotta keep those grades up.” With that she makes a beeline for the bullpen, leaving a stunned Technical Analyst by herself.
Since Foyet Hotch worries about his daughter. He learned many things about her coping mechanisms in the last two years: She tries to do it on her own.
In times like this the similarity between him and (Y/N) frustrates him. Aaron also tends to deal with his emotions alone, in the safe space of his own four walls. With all of his qualifications he knows it’s not healthy and he slowly learns to let his feelings loose around people he trusts, typically his team.
The difference between (Y/N) and Hotch is that he knows when he reaches his breaking point and she doesn’t about hers. So in a situation like right now being a profiler comes in handy with the job as a father.
It’s the day. The second anniversary of a mother’s death.
Hotch already planned the whole day for his two kids. At first he wakes both of them up, a luxus he seldom is able to indulge. But for today he has called into work saying he won't be coming any time before ten.
The mood around the house is suffocating. Even the little boy notices the heaviness of the day and its meaning.
“Are you ready, (Y/N)? I’m gonna drop you and Jack off at school!” Aaron shouts standing at the foot of the stairs. “I’m coming!” The answer is heard faintly.
Not long after this the Hotchner Household is on their way to the youngest’s elementary school. “Behave and remember: If you don’t feel fine it’s okay. Just tell your teachers and they will call me and I will get you, do you understand?” The father looks at his son with a certain seriousness. “Understood”, the blonde boy confirms and gives him a hug.
When he is back onto the driver’s seat, (Y/N) speaks up. “I don’t feel good about letting him to school today. What if he suddenly gets overwhelmed? I don’t think his teachers are able to calm him down.” Hotch gives his daughter a glance from the side. Jack never showed any signs of what she just described.
“They know to call me. I also told him it's all right to let them call me. He is in good hands.” It’s quiet for the next few minutes. “Dad, this is not the way to school”, the teenager tries to alert her father.
“I know. You won’t go today. I called you in sick when you were in the bathroom. I got the day planned, be ready to be surprised.”
The first thing they do is having breakfast in a little niché café. They once visited it regularly with Haley, way long before Jack was born. The two of them sit down at a booth in the corner.
“What can I get you two sweeties?” A waitress asks, her notebook ready in her hands. While the father orders their usuals, (Y/N) lets her eyes wander. So many memories at once crash onto her.
“Do you remember this one waiter, who always got you a hot cup of chocolate for free?” Aaron says after noticing her sad look. The girl begins to smile through the tears forming in her eyes. “Of course. Mom always got nearly a heart attack seeing me down it like it’s juice. I-” Her voice breaks. The tears fall down and make their way over her cheeks.
“It’s ok, you don’t have to say anything. I’m here. For anything you want or need me. Because nobody expects you to be alright, especially on this day.” He takes her hand and looks her in the eyes. (Y/N) nods, leaning against her father’s shoulder. He puts an arm on her, keeping her closer.
“I know. It’s just- It still hurts. So so badly. I feel like she still is here, but that’s just not true and that hurts me more.” Silently Hotch motions the waitress to make the order to go, while rubbing his child’s arm. Because that’s what she still is, a child.
A child that went through much, especially for her age. When (Y/N) calms down a little, they make their way back to the car.
“I thought we are going to the BAU to distract you for a while. But I can call the team and tell them we are going to do a SPA day at home or something. What do you want?”
“Can we go to them? And maybe leave earlier to do face masks at home before picking Jack up?” There is no way the father can say no to her puppy dog eyes. “Of course, Honey. Anything you want.”
As soon as the doors of the elevator open to floor six of the FBI building in Quantico, Penelope Garcia embraces (Y/N) in a big bear hug. “My sweet sweet summer child. You are so strong, I admire you. We are so happy to have you here” she whispers into the teenager's ear. “Thank you, Penny. Thank you so much.”
Over the course of the next few hours (Y/N) visits everyone’s desk. At first she goes into the lair, where mountains of cookies wait for her. Then she sits at Spencer’s desk, listening to cute facts about sloths. But Emily is quick to steal her from the genius, bribing the girl with new pictures of Sergio. Derek takes the teen from there, pushing her through the office on a desk chair with wheels. Her father is able to hear her laughs in his office, which puts a small smile on his face.
After that (Y/N) goes to JJ, who has a drawn picture from Henry for her. “Will had to write ‘best babysitter ever’ for him”, the blonde explains, pointing at the picture. The girl smiles. “Woah, I think you got a little Picasso at home. Tell him I love it.”
Her last stop is Rossi’s office. The older man looks at her with a fond smile. “Do you know that I see so much of your father and mother in you?” Confused, she glances at him.
“You are as stoic as Aaron. You are determined. But you are also caring and loving, like Haley. You are a perfect combination of both of them. Just keep that in your mind.”
As mysterious as this seems, it somehow makes (Y/N) happy. Happy to know a part of her mother is always with her.
Soon the little family departes for their home. Not long after they bid their goodbyes, Penelope receives a picture of the Unit Chief and the teenager with pink glitter masks. The father is willing to do anything to make her smile, even when this means he gets a basket of various masks the next day for teasingly reasons.
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crossroadbones666 · 3 years
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Hekate 💀🪦
🪦 Who is Hekate?
Hekate, also can be known as Hecate, the Goddess of the Underworld, Goddess of necromancy, the moon, the Queen of all witches and witchcraft. She is known for her torches, her triple faces, death hounds, slithering snakes, and moon above her head. There is so much, to this goddess. Too - much that most who work with her will never know truly the half of it. I would like to share my personal experiences while working with her on this profile. I may go into depth on some posts, I may not. I may simply short answer with 1-3 words. Either way, I hope to come across a follower/practitioner or potential follower/practitioner of this earth shaking Goddess.
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For this first post, I’d like to share how I came across her in my life. How she came to me, how I brought up the courage to work with her, how I have become completely devoured in her energy in the time we’ve had.
🪦 How I began working with Hekate.
My biological Mom was having surgery on a Tuesday morning, around 6 am. My sister and I had stayed up to speak with her and reassure her for her big day. I eventually needed to go to sleep. I am not a fairly big night person, and I enjoy the morning anyways. (We all can maybe take a huge guess at if I am a night person now - or not.) I was super drowsy and headed to bed asap after meditating and praying with my Goddess, Lilith, and my Patron God, Lucifer. I prayed for my Mom’s safety and so on. Put their candles out, welcomed them to stay, and snoozed.
I woke up at 5 am, to help my Mom pack her things. I knew I had dreamed a little bit, but didn’t remember much as I got up. My Mom left with my sister to go to her appointment. I sat on the couch with the TV, just gazing at the walls. It was still dark outside, as it was still in the winter when this happened - March to be exact. I got this sudden deja vu type of remembrance. I had a very intense dream. I was sitting at an altar, purple candles in my hand. To the left of me was a statue, purple candles, purple gems, purple and black. I could feel thick feminine energy, hear a deep but coaxing feminine voice. I knew it was Hekate. I don’t remember if I had said her name in the dream, but in the dream - I KNEW it was Hekate, if that makes sense. I took that as a major sign, but I waited a bit more to be sure.
I eventually over the next couple days, brought it up to Lucifer and Lilith. Lucifer’s reaction was quite - shocked haha. His words were somewhere along the lines of, “She - what? She’s early. Damn she’s early. She’s REALLY early.” I sat in confusion with my eyes closed holding crystals. He explained that she was meant to come in about 3-4 years, which is super long in our realm and planet life. I then remembered, I had a protection ward that stated you are not allowed to enter unless invited (spirit wise). I asked Lilith and Lucifer, “How did she get into here? I didn’t invite her into my space..” They kind of chuckled perhaps. “You realize, we can invite others as well?” Lucifer had said. Lilith wasn’t really phased at all, she was really chill and honest. “She’s early, but for a reason. She’s been around for a very very long time. She’s just decided to open her doors for you years before expected.” Lucifer spoke about her and him having a talk, about why this time, why now, why can’t she wait. She explained, I was told, I was needing it now. I was ready, let me take a step into her way of practice.
I wasn’t opposed to the opening of Hekate in ANY way. I was honored, grateful. Having two deities and a guide though - I began to feel a bit of pressure as I was fearing how I would create a schedule or sense of routine for all of them. It was a bit stressful, not going to lie. I felt overwhelmed. But, Lucifer explained that she won’t truly go away. Whether I take the time to accept, or decline.. She’ll still kind of be here, she had to. I got the hint, that perhaps she was my Patroness. I asked Lucifer, he said “That’s for you to discuss with her.” I asked Lilith, “It is not our place to discuss personal relationships with other Deities.” I said okay, shrugged it off, and contemplated accepting her open arms. I am so glad I went under her wing.
I would see eagles every now and then, crows still yelling at me - as Lucifer likes to send them. Spiders crawling on my walls, seeing snake posts online, dandelions overcrowding my entire back and front land, seeing black dogs everywhere I went. I was almost crowded with her. She truly wasn’t going to settle down any less. I took the time to want to accept - I was honored to be called by her. I was ready. I created a smaller beginning altar for her, black candles, a necromancy book I already had, a purple glass, small keys, etc. I waited until the night came around, called upon Lucifer, Lilith, and I believe my guide, Joelynn. I made and offering, small but enough for beginning. I could feel her energy almost immediately. Her energy is thick, coarse to a sense, but so comforting and empowering. We had conversations, she hung around with me, got my energy, and ended the night with a “You’re welcome to stay, if you would like.”
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Overtime, with my workings with her - it wasn’t even necessarily “work”, such as spells, personal rituals, etc. I gave her offerings, spent time with her energy, researcher her, read books on her magick, the moon, etc. and I would do a small ritual every new and full moon. That’s how I built my relationship with her. Most deities won’t go right away to helping you in spellwork, making you face major fears, showing up at random times, etc. They’ll most likely enjoy just seeing you do your daily things with their candles lit, meditating with you, and reading with you or another form of learning. That’s how we truly built our relationship, to where she now can aid me and encourage me in so many things that I need. I learned she IS my Patroness, and has been around my entire life, and will continue to be around until my body rests. She’s been my Patroness in many lives - this life - is just one of the very few that I’ve fully accepted it. I am so glad to have her in this current life.
I personally make an offering to her every single day, even if it is as small as a glass of moon water. I speak with her every day. But, that may not be for everyone, all practitioners are different. I’m very glad and honored to have her as my Patroness. I want to create more posts about her, who she is, and tips for anyone who is or going to be working with her.
This is my first post, be nice haha. I haven’t used this platform in SO long. Thank you!!!
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inkandpen22 · 3 years
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Permanent Chaos (5/?)
Pairing: MGK x Female!Reader
Word Count: 2.4k
Warnings: none
Part Summary: Colson and Y/N talk over coffee and Colson shows her a hint of what it’s like to be a part of his world. 
Masterlist
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The Starbucks in the courtyard has since emptied out with everyone having to return to work after their breaks. Colson and I are two of the only remaining people inside. My hands are wrapped around cup, it’s nice and warm. I had to remove the lid to cool down the substance. We’ve been going back and forth, sharing facts about ourselves. 
"Have you always wanted to be an actress?” 
Studying the dark brown drink in my cup I recall memories from before I moved here.“No, in all honesty. I never saw myself as an actress.” 
He doesn’t try to hide his surprise. His stunned reaction makes me giggle. 
"If you don’t mind me asking, why do you do it then?” 
I sway my head from side to side. “It sorta just worked out. I was out shopping with my mom one day when I was in high school. Nicole approached us. She was in town on business and encouraged me to at least visit Los Angeles so we could set up a meeting. The next thing I knew I was in auditions and I got my part on The Seasons of Life a few months later.” 
“Wow,” his brows remain raised as he glances down at his drink. “If you weren’t acting what would you be doing?”
Sitting up straight, I remember what I once thought was my dream life. “First I would go to college and…” I wave my hand, dismissing the thought. 
Colson presses for me to say it. “you’d what? Come on!” He chuckles, grinning brightly. 
Rolling my eyes, I tell him. “I’d go to art school.” I bite my lip timidly. “Yeah... that would be nice.” I pick at the cardboard wrap on the cup. 
There’s a comfortable silence between us until I change the subject. “Enough about me! What about you? If you weren’t a singer, where would be right now?” 
He looks over in the distance, almost envisioning where his life would be. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he shrugs but is pleased, “I’ve always loved music. Being in music allows me to do what I love.” 
I nod, almost impervious of him and his contentment. 
“However,” he adds pointing at me. “If it were up to my parents, I would have some office job probably.” 
"Eh, those jobs are so bland. I vote you stick to concerts," I giggle. 
He laughs and it’s contagious. 
My gaze lands on his arm as he reaches for his coffee. His entire arm is covered in ink. I was taught by my parents to despise tattoos. My mom would say, “why would anyone ever be willing to damage their body like that?” Finn jumped on that bandwagon. Whatever Mom says is considered fact to him. For the longest time, I agreed with them. That is until I met Colson. He was made to have tattoos. 
 I’ve seen many people in this city with tattoos but his aren’t just markings for the body, they’re art. 
“Which one are you interested in?” He questions, watching me as I admire them. 
“All of them,” I mumble, examining each one individually in awe. 
Back where I’m from tattoos are frowned upon quite frankly. When you grow up in a place no different than Pleasantville, that’s what you get. Especially, in South Carolina. 
“Do you have any?” He asks with amusement in his voice. 
I shake my head rapidly, “never in a million years!” Comprehending how he could take my response as an insult I’m quick to explain. “I mean, I would never be allowed.” 
His brows scrunch together. "Never been allowed? You’re an adult. Who’s stopping you?” 
I can’t help but snicker a little. If only it was as simple as he makes it sound. “My parents, brother, Nicole, Steph..." 
Colson narrows his eyes at me as he leans forward in his chair. “You’re your own person. You should be able to make your own decisions.” His argument is lacking and quite frankly too optimistic. 
“It’s complicated…” My eyes fall onto my fingers picking at the cardboard rim of my coffee cup. 
“If you say so… except all of them are keeping you from expressing yourself.” 
I roll my eyes as my lips form a smirk. It’s unbelievable, he makes everything sound so black and white. “You’ll never understand,” I conclude. 
“I understand more than you think.” 
Lifting my eyes up, he stares at me with a sincere expression. 
“Prove it,” I challenge him. 
Based on the change of his features, I have given him exactly what he wants.
"If you say so, Princess," he chuckles, rising from his chair. I stare at him in confusion and he offers me his hand. "You coming?" 
I smirk, slipping my hand into his. He grins and bites down on his lower lip. I'm going to regret this. 
_______________________________________________
Driving around with a guy I’m only acquainted to is completely unlike me. Everyone who knows me would be beyond freaked out at the current scene. It's kind of riveting. 
“We’ve been driving for almost an hour," I snicker. 
“It’ll be worth it, trust me!” 
“Where exactly are we going?” 
“The mystery is half the fun!” Colson enjoys the antics. 
I reach forward and change the radio station. Yungblud's "Parents" plays and I leave it. "Love this song," I mumble to myself. 
Colson glances over me, evidently surprised. "You know Dom's music?" 
"What? Just because you view me as a 'goody-two-shoes' doesn't mean I live under a rock." I giggle and hold my finger for him to wait a second. He chuckles. I begin to rap the lyrics from memory. "Yeah, the teacher fucked the preacher. But then he had to leave her. Had to wash away the sins of a male cheerleader. Hi, nice to meet ya, got nothing to believe in. So let me know when my breathing stops!" 
Colson turns up the volume to blasting and we then shout the chores together. I can’t remember the last time I had the chance to drive with the windows down, blasting music, and acting my age. I’ve forgotten what’s it like to just be a young girl, not working all the time. 
Once the song fades out, he turns down the volume. 
"So, she can rap too!" Colson looks at me, rather impressed. 
I dismiss his compliment with a wave of my hand. "Only if I've listened to a song a dozen times." 
"Not gonna lie, that was hot," he chuckles. 
Warmth rushes to my cheeks and I struggle not to smile. My head rests against the window as I watch the ocean become a blur as we drive down the PCH. 
_______________________________________
Colson drives down the road until there’s a dead end. To my surprise and then confusion, he parks the car. 
“We’re here!" He announces before jumping out of the car. 
There’s nothing here. Bushes, sad-looking trees, and dirt. I watch as he walks over to a clearing between some bushes. 
He peers over his shoulder. “You coming?” 
I take a deep breath and swing open the door. Following him to wherever we are, I spot a sign. 
                                   No Trespassing! 
“Hey Colson, that sign said no trespassing. We should go back.” 
He doesn’t even slow down as he walks down a weak path. “I’ve seen it, they never do anything.” 
With every passing moment, this road trip becomes more and more out of my comfort zone. Nicole and my entire team for that matter have guided me to prefer the indoors these past few years. I can’t remember the last time I spent an entire day outside in nature or not following a schedule. 
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel when the brush ends and the path opens up to a clearing. The sound of waves hitting the cliff before us echoes throughout the area. 
I cautiously step closer to the edge and look down to the bottom. “Wow!” I say to myself breathlessly. 
Colson peers down to the shoreline beside me. He then suddenly removes his jacket and moves on to his shirt. 
My jaw drops and I quickly direct my attention to the coastline far from him. I bring my hand to the side of my face shyly, blocking my sight of him undressing. “What the hell are you doing?” 
He chuckles behind me. I’m glad he can find so much amusement in my discomfort. “Cliff diving!” He says a matter of factly. 
“What! No you couldn’t! It’s illegal in these parts! You could get killed!” 
“Or, I’ll jump, have loads of fun and do it again!” He debates. 
I huff, crossing my arms over my chest. “Fine, you live out your death wish. I won’t be participating!” Whipping around and avoiding even sharing a short glance with him, I stomp toward the direction we came. 
He drops his shirt on top of his jacket in the grass and jogs to catch up to me. He squeezes my shoulder, using the other hand to plea with me. I whip my head around to face him. That's when I notice his tattoo-covered chest. 
“Oh let’s do it, Princess!" He encourages. "It’ll be thrilling! An adventure! Reckless! Something different!” 
Did he just call me Princess? No one has ever called me that and he has twice now. 
Colson takes my hand into both of his and I’m thrown off by the action.  “Be spontaneous with me,” he requests softly. 
Currently, I’m debating with myself. The youthful part of me is screaming ‘hell yes! Let’s do this!’ The businesswoman part of me is wiser than to take such a risk. I check over at the edge again. My willingness to do such a rebellious action is new to me. There’s no one here to see us. Paparazzi isn’t around to take pictures. Perhaps the cause of my newfound bravery is because of him. 
I take a deep breath and nod. “Okay, let’s do it.” 
As if he already knew I would eventually accept, his grin only grows. 
“Well then, I suggest you strip unless you prefer to sit around like a wet dog for the hour ride back.” He winks at me, biting his lower lip. 
In a normal case, I would be insulted by such a forward request but considering where we stand I find it humorous. After thoroughly checking the area for any cameras or strangers, I slip my dress over my head then kick off my wedges. An odd feeling stirs in my stomach and my heart is pounding. My comfort zone is shot to hell. 
Tossing my hair up in a ponytail, Colson scans my appearance. 
“Excuse me Mr. Baker, it’s not nice to stare,” I tease, yanking at my finished ponytail to tighten it. 
Unfazed, he snaps out of it and faces the shore. His hair wisps around in the breeze, falling over his face. The perfect strands are just as light as his eyes. His jawline could cut a diamond. His skin, as smooth as porcelain but covered in various tattoos. 
“Excuse me Miss Voss, it’s not nice to stare,” he repeats my words back to me. 
I snap out of my daze. “Wasn’t staring,” I argue, now turning towards the coast. 
“Nothing to be ashamed of, I know I'm hot.” His lips curve into a loose smirk. 
My time with him is often one big eye roll. I slowly approach the edge of the cliff, peering over. 
“Nervous?” He checks, looking down at the water for himself. 
“Nope." I lie. 
“Scared?” 
“No.” 
“Have you jumped from a cliff before?” 
I exhale deeply. “No.” 
He shifts his body to face me and I flicker my eyes to the side to meet his gaze. 
“And you’re not afraid?” He checks. 
“Not at all,” I admit without hesitation. 
He snickers, whether it be because he’s impressed or he doesn’t believe me. “How come?” 
I shrug, a brief hum for an answer escaping me. “The unknown doesn’t scare me, only challenges me… and I love a challenge,” I wink with a sly grin. 
His warm hand interlocks with mine and I nearly yank mine away yet because of the non-threatening look in his eyes, I stay. In fact, a part of me likes the feeling of his large hand in mine. It makes me feel safer than I have in quite some time. 
“On three” he exhales, staring off into the distance. 
I nod. 
“One," he counts. “Two...”
I exhale. I can't believe I'm doing this! 
"Three!" Colson shouts. 
I jump. Out of instinct, I squeeze Colson’s hand tighter. My voice travels in a scream as the two of us fall towards the crystal blue surface. He was right, this is such a rush! We torpedo into the water and the cold temperatures engulf me. Colson and I lose touch at some point then I kick to the surface. Wiping the excess water from my face, Colson pops up from under the water in front of me. Somehow even when wet and disheveled his hair still appears effortlessly pristine. 
“Wasn't that a rush!” His arm snakes around my waist. 
A part of me is begging for me to protest but I suppress that part of me. Instead, I rest my arms over his shoulders. He takes the opportunity to guide my legs around his waist. Shading my eyes from the sun with my hand I measure the height of where we jumped. 
Still struggling to catch my breath, I can’t help but smile widely. “It was a one-time opportunity!” 
“That’s up to you to decide!” he argues wittily. 
I lower my hand and his blue eyes see right through me. My eyes flicker down to his lips and impulsively, I slam my lips to his. I'm not sure what comes over me, but I needed to kiss him. Colson wastes no time, bringing a hand behind my head, deepening the kiss. We break apart only to catch our breath. 
“I believe you’ll prove to be a bad influence,” I say lightheartedly but between the lines with the utmost seriousness. 
“That depends on how you look at it,” he argues, his breathing inconstant.
Hungrily, he brings his lips back to mine and I melt into it. Colson is everything that’s bad for me. He’s an indulgence that’s disguising itself as a need. He’s toxic and I’m ignoring the warnings. The warmth of his palm radiates onto my face as he cups it. 
Against my lips, he grins. “You were spontaneous! Always be spontaneous!” His words, nearly sounding like a beg, settle in me. 
His crystal blues eyes stare into mine and I can’t help but be addicted. I'm falling for a fairytale.
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Masterlist
Tags:  @canyoubuymetoast​ @bri-3530 @asil1652 @andstilltryingtofindmyself @nadia2021 @olafsidehoe @mgkobsessed @fairywriting101 @ferrell-cat @naylanae-0308 @tonystarkswife10 @alexsa56 @brocksbabyyy @stormrider505 @magnificenthumancopangel @sarcasticfangirlus @lilramencup95beech @missyviolet123 @skeleton-gxrl @glitterybearllamaflap @margaritaville20 @amoresixx @thysagclub​ @hockeybabe87​
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oonajaeadira · 3 years
Text
The Mandalorian Tarot: Major Arcana
If you’re following me, you know this is a Mandalorian obsessive account. I love the man, I love the show, I write a Mando-fando that is all about pining and touch. I tend to go all in when I have an interest. 
Another one of my interests? Tarot. A friend challenged me to Mandalorify the major arcana. And because Jon and Dave know their stuff and are good with archetypes (which is all tarot really is), it was an easy fit.
YOU GOT MANDO IN MY TAROT. YOU GOT TAROT IN MY MANDO. TWO GREAT TASTES THAT TASTE GREAT TOGETHER.
But. I can’t draw, so I’ve dreamed them in words and included the Rider-Waite-Smith deck illustrations that I would riff on if I could.
READY? LET’S PLAY.
(All tarot illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith. All Mandalorian images property of Star Wars/Disney.)
UPDATE! @heathenashtattoos​ has taken up where I cannot and is making these cards a reality! I will post them individually and come back to link them to this post as we go.
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0 THE FOOL = THE MANDALORIAN / IT IS MADE! --->
The story of the tarot is the Fool’s journey, the arc of becoming. So it makes sense to me that Din would be the fool. Fits even better, since he has tremendous Fool energy in his himbo tendencies, just rushing forward into situations without a lot of planning--he’ll deal with it when he’s in it--ready to rely on others to show him the way or guide/help him to the next step.
If I could draw: Din on the cliff, with his jetpack on, meaning he has no fear of falling. Instead of the bindle-stick the Fool carries, he’d have his pulse rifle slung over his shoulder. Instead of the dog nipping at his heels, Grogu. And, of course, the landscape would be Tatooine/Navaro-esque.
~~~
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1 THE MAGICIAN = LUKE SKYWALKER , IT IS MADE! --->
The Magician is someone who is still learning to bend the laws of magic/the Universe, but very adept with their tools. Since Luke is only a few years into his Jedi training at this time, he makes a pretty good Magician.
If I could draw: Luke in his blacks, holding up his lightsaber. The Jedi symbol would replace the infinity sign. 
***
2 THE HIGH PRIESTESS = AHSOKA TANO / IT IS MADE! -->
High Priestess is further along the path of her magic than Magician, and her knowledge is more intuitive, her skills more effortless. Where the Magician is still learning the balance of light and dark, the High Priestess knows the value and pitfalls of both. It was always going to be Ahsoka.
If I could draw: Ahsoka sitting cross-legged in meditation mode, but with eyes open and a knowing smile. Instead of two pillars, she holds her lightsabers up and parallel to each other.
***
3 THE EMPRESS = PELI MOTTO / IT IS MADE! -->
The Empress is the mother figure, the energy in the universe that provides all that is needed and embodies the energy of creation. I can see the argument for Omera being the Empress--mostly because she is a mom and she’s soft and a lot of people see the Empress as a soft female figure, I get it. (And if I were to do a minor arcana, girl would show up as one of the Queens for sure.) But in the end, I gave it to Peli because she’s a recurring character, more relevant in his story, and if Din is the Fool, Peli is more an Empress to him. She’s able to be the provider of his particular needs; services to his ship to get him up flying, contact and location information, and she’s always willing to care for Grogu whenever she gets the chance.
If I could draw: Peli sitting in the dock, against the R4 unit, holding aloft a spanner and surrounded by her pit droids.
***
4 THE EMPEROR = BOBA FETT / IT IS MADE! -->
The Emperor is all about authority. And all I gotta say about Boba is BIG DICK ENERGY.
If I could draw: Just put him on the Jabba throne and let him lounge like a badass.
~~~
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5 THE HIEROPHANT = THE ARMORER / IT IS MADE! -->
The Hierophant is the keeper of traditions and a spiritual guide. As the leader of the covert and keeper of the Way, The Armorer fits.
If I could draw: The Armorer, framed by her forge, holding aloft her tools, with Mandalorian acolytes. Instead of the crossed keys at the bottom, let’s just have a mythosaur skull.
***
6 THE LOVERS = FROG LADY AND FROG HUSBAND
This should be obvious and I will fight anyone who says it isn’t the right thing to do. I will die for this.
If I could draw: I would actually depart from the Smith depiction and just draw them embracing or holding each other by the arms and staring into each others’ eyes. Some kind of glowing background? Maybe the egg tank?
***
7 THE CHARIOT = THE MUDHORN
Oh. You thought I was going to say the Razor Crest, didn’t you. Don’t worry, I have plans for our beloved craft, but it ain’t here. The Chariot can be a ride, yes, but it’s about victory. Sometimes it’s about the victory over your inner “beastly” natures. To travel to the next phase in the journey, the Fool must take on the beasts that drive the Chariot and claim dominance over them, and when he does, they will carry him to the next level. Since it’s the victory of the beastly mudhorn that brings Din to his bond with Grogu and becomes his signet, Mudhorn for the win.
If I could draw: Again, I’d probably play on Smith’s imagery, put the charging mudhorn in the middle, and replace the rams with Din on his knees brandishing the vibroblade and Grogu in his pram with his Force hand up.
***
8 STRENGTH = CARA DUNE
Don’t come at me about including Cara. I am glad Gina got shown the door and I lose no love on that bigot. But. Cara is not Gina and to cut her out is to cut out Jon and Dave’s creation and I won’t do it.  I actually love her a lot--she’s got her flaws, but she’s sassy and strong and solid, and I would happily accept a piggyback ride from her any day. She’s also a major player in Din’s story and deserves a spot in it. Strength comes after the Chariot--once you’ve conquered the beast within, you have confident dominion over it and it becomes a companion or a tool for your use. Cara is one with her toughness, she’s used it to do some good and bad shit in her past, and she continues to wield it effortlessly and fearlessly. She is absolutely this card.
If I could draw: I would put her maybe sitting on top of the downed ATST. I’d replace the infinity symbol over her head with the one on her cheek (Rebel Alliance).
~~~
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9 THE HERMIT = KUIIL
The Hermit is a loner, yes, but in his solitude he looks within, learns from all he’s been through, and becomes wise. He holds aloft a light of wisdom and truth. This was always going to be Kuiil.
If I could drawn: Just our buddy, looking out over the Arvala-7 landscape, holding aloft an in-universe working lamp. No need to get fancy. He would want it to stay simple.
***
10  THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE = IMPERIAL SYMBOL AND STORM TROOPERS
The Wheel is fate. You win some, you lose some. Sometimes you’re on top, and sometimes the Wheel crushes you beneath it. You are helpless to its roll and where you’ll land. Storm Troopers are such a sad bunch. They are keepers of Imperial Law on the ground. On a good day, they capture a Rebel or hold off an attack. On a bad day, their Moff just blasts them to make an example.
If I could draw: The wheel would just be the Imperial symbol and there’d be Troopers on and under it. Maybe the one on top is just standing there, looking authoritative. The one underneath has been blasted. Some Wheels have two more figures--one on each side--and I’d add those too. The one on the down-going side would be falling, arms flailing, blaster shooting (if only sound were available, there’d be a Whilhelm scream), and the one on the up-going side would just be dangling by one arm, along for the ride.
***
11 JUSTICE = COBB VANTH
Well, it just feels right to make the Marshal into Justice. But it’s not just a literal translation of making sure the right thing gets done and the bad guys are punished. Justice is about wiping away emotion and making decisions with bare truth, looking at every side of the situation and understanding what is really there. And I think Cobb fits this well. He doesn’t want to give up his armor because of what it means for the protection of his people. But he’s willing to consider it, if there’s another way he can protect them. Emotionally, he doesn’t want to deal with the Tusken Raiders, but he does it because he can see it’s the best course of action. He flies into battle with the Krayt Dragon. He gives up his armor without a fight. He makes a fair trade and sees the balance in it because he walks away from the emotion and chooses the best course of action. Cobb Vanth for Justice, errybody.
If I could draw: Cobb in the Fett armor, but with the helmet at his feet. In one hand, a bottle of spotchka. In the other, the Tusken mushroom drinky thing; he’s holding them with equal balance.
***
12 THE HANGED MAN = MIGS MAYFELD
The Hanged Man is not just about a dude who’s hanging upside down. (If that was the case, I would have just gone with Gor Koresh and called it a day.) Hanged Man is about changing your perspective to see things in a new way so you can grow. Many times, this growth also requires sacrifice. Over the two episodes we see Mayfeld, we know he goes from Imperial sharp shooter, to traumatized deserter, to merc, prisoner, and exonerated friend. He’s seen some shit, given up a lot, and he’s willing to see how he can be a help to others and find redemption for himself.
If I could draw: Hear me out. Take the image of Mayfeld hanging upside down from the Crest hatch into the prison ship. Mirror that above with an image of him in his Imperial Ground Transport gear. Flip it all upside down so bad Mayfeld up top, good Mayfeld on bottom, images mirrored but inverted, hence “looking at things a new way and getting everything a little topsy-turvey.”
~~~
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13 DEATH = MOFF GIDEON
Death is about transformation, so it’s not always the most sinister card. But Death does not discriminate. It comes for us all, constantly stalking, and it will strike you down to serve its needs. You need to face Death to get to your redemption. But really, Gideon is our big baddie here, so why the hell not.
If I could draw: I would forgo the Smith illustration and go for the Marseilles tradition on this one. Gideon and the Darksaber replaces Death and the scythe.
*** 
14 TEMPERANCE = IG-11
Temperance is the transformation that comes after Death. Once Death has chopped your physical being into pieces with his scythe, Temperance is there to take all your pieces and put them back together into something new and better. It’s also a card that asks you to re-evaluate your priorities and see if you can find better motivations than you previously had. IG’s death and reprogramming speak loudly to me on this.
If I could draw: IG pouring the tea.
***
15 THE DEVIL = THE CLIENT
Here’s another baddie card that’s all about your worst faults, about excess and giving into the stuff that will eventually kill your soul. The Client holds on hard to the Empire, doing whatever he’s ordered to do to be one of the top dogs. And in the end, it doesn’t matter. Gideon takes him down like he’s nothing.
If I could draw: The client, wearing his Empire bling, with chains around Doctor Pershing and a rough-looking Storm Trooper.
***
16 THE TOWER = THE RAZOR CREST
I don’t know about you, but Chapter 14 killed me. And not because the Dark Troopers flew away with Grogu. We all knew Din would never stop at getting him back. But when the Crest was destroyed, it was like someone punched me in the soft parts, and I made a lot of severely anguished noises. The Tower is the most tragic card in the tarot. It’s when forces beyond your control make a very big (and usually negative) impact in your life and everything changes. You are left to pick up the pieces and survive any way you can with the skills and resources you’ve been blessed with.
If I could draw: Just that moment of the ray hitting our beautiful Crest, just as it begins to break apart, maybe with Din, Boba, and Fennec watching in horror in the foreground.
~~~
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17 THE STAR = GROGU
The Star is hope. It comes after the biggest tragedy in the deck to tell you that not all is lost. There is always something there to live for. C’mon, kids. In this series, there was only one choice.
If I could draw: Just Grogu. Maybe drinking his soup. Or maybe he’s levitating his metal ball overhead, reaching up to it with a smile on his face. *coos*
***
18 THE MOON = BO KATAN KRYZE
We all like Bo Katan, sure. But remember my Clone Wars/Rebels fiends, she was Death Watch, and they were terrorists. She sided with Maul to take over Mandalore. Sure, she’s come a long way and her path is a bit more honorable now, but she’s got an agenda, which makes her hard to trust. Since the Moon is about more feminine energies and has themes of illusion and deception--things look great in the moonlight, but maybe not as they really are--Bo Katan’s our girl.
If I could draw: Head and shoulders profile, double-imaged so you see her face, but her Nite Owl helmet superimposed in profile over it. Nite Owl signet on the bottom. Possibly flanked by her two Nite Owl cronies.
***
19 THE SUN = GREEF KARGA
Everything's sunny when Greef’s around! He’s the feel-good gramps that’s going to make any situation A-Ok! If you’ve got a problem, Greef can sort it out...or he knows someone who can! The sun is always gonna shine on you and take you back.
If I could draw: Just Greef smiling and being cheesy with the halo of the sun around him. 
***
20 JUDGEMENT = FENNEC SHAND
This card traditionally shows the resurrected rising from the grave, ready to be judged. Fennec’s got a lot to answer for in her life, but she is being given a second chance, and my number one girl crush is going to do new and wonderful badass things with it.
If I could draw: I’d either just show her opening her gut pocket to show her new works, all full of aura, with her looking down at it reverently. OR I might do a scene of her being rescued by Boba.
~~~
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21 THE WORLD = THE HELMET
Din’s helmet is the world he lives in. But it’s also a symbol of The Way. The World represents completion, a wholeness of self and being, the end of the journey. And since Din is our Fool, his journey is an exploration of his morals and honor, what it means to walk the way of the Mandalore, and what the meaning of the helmet is for him. He may choose ultimately to keep it on and go all-in on Mandalorian-4-lyfe (Child of the Watch style), or he may understand that the helmet is just a symbol and the honor was in him all along; he can wear it or not wear it and it’s all the same.
If I could draw: The World usually depicts a circle or sphere of some kind, the symbol of perfect completion. The helmet is close enough, so it takes up the center. Traditionally, there are four symbols in the corners that give more meaning to The World, and I would replace them with The Razor Crest, Grogu, the Mudhorn Signet, and the pulse rifle or blaster. These represent his home, his foundling, his clan, and his religion, all of which make up more of the whole; what it means to him to be Mandalorian.
~~~~~~~~~~
Challenge accepted and faced. 
Adira dops her witchy mic….
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theplushmaker · 3 years
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Sonic Headcanon please
Ok, here it is! another 40 headconnons! hope you enjoy!
• Sonic has a lot of family, his first being his biological family Queen Aleena, Sonia, and Manic, his second family (aka adopted family) is Jules The Hedgehog, Bernadette The Hedgehog, and Charles The Hedgehog, (also Scourge is Bernadette and Jules' biological son, making Sonic and him brothers) and last but not least, Longclaw, she was Sonics last guardian before Eggman took over the world completely, oh! And Tails is still Sonic's little brother
• Sonic knows sign language and he considers it his first language
• Sonic likes to view himself as the oldest, even though Scourge is older by ten seconds and Shadow is physically 16 (we are not counting the 50 years he was frozen in time)
• Given the fact that Sonic basically has three moms, he's come up with a way to distinguish them when he calls, he calls Aleena - momma, Bernadette - mom, and Longclaw - ma, he refuses to call any of them "mother" saying "it's too fancy for me"
• Whenever Sonic takes on a new form, they don't just disappear. They instead end up living inside Sonic's mind until he calls them to help (I can make another post explaining this a bit more if anyone wants it)
• Sonic didn't meet Tails until he was eight, which would make Tails 1 at the time (I have a complete timeline in my head, I just need to write it out XD)
• Sonic knows how to play the guitar and would take song requests from Tails. He'll sometimes write songs for Tails as well
• Sonic can sense spirits
• During the Phantom War, when Sonic was captured, he was chained to the wall (think of snatcher from ahit) with his legs locked up (similar to the cuffs Elsa from frozen had, except both legs are in one cuff)
• During Sonic's capture, Infinite would make Sonic feel as though he lost his arms/legs/hands with the phantom ruby's power, he'd also take advantage of Sonic's Aquaphobia by making him think that he was in the middle of the ocean during a storm
• Sonic doesn't want to worry anyone about what happened in the Death Egg, so he's bottling it all up, he thinks he's sneaky, but everybody knows somethings wrong
• Sonic still has Chip's necklace/bracelet in his room on a pillow. He makes sure no dust settles on it
• Sonic may be optimistic and not take things seriously, but there are times, rare as they are, when he sits down, skips all the jokes, and be serious
• Sonic's been teaching Silver sign language. He finds it funny how Silver lights up whenever he learns a new sign
• When Sonic was rescued, he was malnourished, he had lots of injuries, and most of his muscles atrophied. He spent the first few days bedridden and two months in a wheelchair and, after some physical therapy, he upgraded to crutches. He had to stay in the med bay area so the nurses could keep a better eye on him, but either way, he didn't want anyone to see him like that, and those who did don't bring it up, for his sake
• After the Phantom War, Sonic preferred to be outside more often than before. Tails stayed by his side, working on one of his smaller projects
• Sonic considers Mighty, Ray, and Knuckles as his brothers
• Sonic knows how to use a hoverboard thanks to Manic
• Sonic kicks in his sleep if he doesn't run around when he's awake, once he accidentally woke up Tails by breaking the lamp beside his bed, so now whenever Tails knows he didn't run around that much, he moves everything away from Sonic's bed before he goes to sleep
• Sonic and Tails are roommates
• Whenever there's a thunderstorm, Sonic lets Tails sleep with him
• When Tails was younger, Sonic would read him bedtime stories, sometimes even play a few lullabies with his guitar
• Sonic gave up his childhood when he was separated from Longclaw, having to learn to take care of himself, having to fight at the age of 5, lead an army with Sonia, Manic, and Sally a year later, and ending a war at 8, along with taking care of, and raising a 1-year-old two-tailed fox, Sonic didn't have much time to not worry about what would happen next (even though he never shows it)
• Sonic learned to be positive no matter what because not only did everyone around him need the positive energy, but it was also his way of telling a crumbling world under the rule of Eggman that, no matter what he did, he will never stop fighting, and he wasn't going to be knocked down by hopelessness
• Sonic is viewed as a symbol of hope by many (^)
• Sonic loves to tell stories of his adventures to children. It was also one of the things he looked forward to during the first war (aka The Robian War)
• Sonic's quills are sharp enough to pierce metal
• Sonic is an adrenaline junkie
• When Sonic was showing Knuckles around the city for the first time, he recorded the experience. Sonic will never forget the look of curiosity and wonder on Knuckles' face
• Sonic loves to record all sorts of moments, but his favorites by far are the first-timers, like bringing Tails to his first amusement park, or secretly recording Shadow trying chili dogs for the first time, or even Silver's first time seeing rain!
• Sonic doesn't remember the events of 06
• Sonic doesn't do it as often as he used to when he was younger but he does sometimes throw concerts with his siblings
• While raising Tails, Sonic hired Vector (who would be 13 at the time) to find info on Tails parents, Sonic doesn't hear back from him until a year later (Sonic thought he ran off with the money) where he's told that Tails' dad is nothing but scrap metal and his mom was killed during the Robian War, he was also told that Tails name was Miles Prower, Sonic thanked him and paid him extra for his troubles
• During the Robian War, after Sonic was on his own, he didn't meet a lot of hedgehogs, so whenever he had a health problem, he didn't go to the doctor (mostly because the doctor at the hideout didn't know how to take care of hedgehogs and would get frustrated with Sonic) instead he would learn to take care of his health by himself, this has lead to poor decision making
• Growing up wasn't easy, especially when the people around you are afraid of getting hurt by your quills, so when Sonic had his quills bent and pushed into his back during a fight, he couldn't ask someone to help remove them, so he would simply find a waterfall, sit under it and let the water dislodge the quills, afterward he'd go home and shower
• Sonic knows how to make flower crowns thanks to Cream
• Sonic likes to visit the Chao Garden, he also has a chao he calls Indigo
• During a new years party when Sonic was 9, he introduced Mighty and Ray to Vector who, then introduced them to Espio and Charmy. Sonic took lots of pictures of them and gave copies to Vector (Charmy was only a few months old while Tails was 2, and Ray would be 5 when this happened)
• Sonic didn't know how smart Tails was until he made a TV out of paperclips at the age of 5
• once, when Sonic was 12, Sonia tried to get him to comb his quills to be more organized. Sonic learned the hard way by having her drag him by his shoes back inside the castle, but not without dragging Manic down with him since he was laughing while Sonia chased Sonic
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Text
But What If, Instead
Decided to give a go to posting my horribly named but hopefully very fun Beetlejuice fic to tumblr as well. This is an au where BJ is adopted by the Deetz family at a young age.
He’s twelve when he’s left on his own in the upperworld.
He doesn’t know he’s twelve, because he’s never celebrated a birthday, but that timeline seems to fit, later, when he thinks back on it. So he’s twelve. His mother has promised him a special treat that day, and though he’s skeptical to trust her, he follows her quietly through the door she’s drawn, the bone white stick of chalk a blaring contrast to the dark hallways of the netherworld reception office. She’d knocked, and the drawing was more than a drawing, suddenly, with white light and noise spilling through into his little corner of hell as it opened, and when he steps through, Betelgeuse sees blue skies and green grass for the first time in his unlife. He’d turned back to look at Juno, confused, curious, his big orange snake eyes watching her, waiting for the catch, for her to yank him back and punish him for being naive, and trusting her, but all the demoness had done was billow smoke from her slit throat, and nod encouragingly to him. He takes another step, and another and another, and suddenly he’s running and laughing and jumping and the air up here is different, but good, and he takes breaths he doesn't need because it feels nice, and he turns to her again to try and entice her to play with him- And the door is gone. He stands there, staring at the nothingness where she and it had been, and realization hits him hard, because he’s twelve, and he’s been left on his own.
He doesn't cry, both because he can’t, and because he knows it won’t change anything. It doesn’t take him long to find them. Pre ghosts. Breathers. Humans. The place is lousy with them, and the smell of them irritates his sensitive nose. He’s a dumb kid, sure, but he’s got some survival instincts, so he hides from them as they go about their lives, strolling around this place, completely oblivious to the little demon now crashing their dimension. Breathers look so weird, all flushed with blood and bright eyed and hearts beating, no signs of death or rot or decay on them. It’s a lot to ask a kid to get used to. The ghosts back home, the ones workin in Ma’s office, tell him stories about the world up here, sometimes, usually in exchange for him going away, and leaving them the hell alone. (Their words) If there was one thing he learned from them, it was that humans, living or dead, didn’t like things that were strange or unusual. He wanders the wilds of wherever he is for an hour before he finds a body of water, and stooping to peer into it, takes a look at himself.
His skin is pale, but not pink. The undercolor is purple, maybe, which he would have thought would be close enough, but compared to the living, breathing people walking around this place, he knows is too different. There’s not much he can do about that. His hair is a bushy mess, sticking up all over the place, but at least the color is currently green. It’s the eyes, teeth, and ears that really stand out. Yellow snake-like slits stare back at him, long pointed ears flick in the direction of distant sounds, and when he tries to smile down at his reflection, those too many too sharp teeth are all he can see. He’s not the best at magic, yet, mostly using it to play pranks around the office (and hey, maybe that’s why Ma left him here in the first place?) but he does what he can. He throws a glamour over himself, and it’s far from perfect, but the three big problems are taken care of. He looks more human than he did a minute ago, at least, and that’s something.
He’s less afraid to take the main paths, after that, and with that worry out of the way, he finds himself enjoying the afternoon again. So, ma left him here. So what? She’s done him a favor, probably the first she’s ever done anybody, because now he doesn't have to be around her just as much as she doesn’t have to be around him. It’s a win-win, Betelgeuse thinks stubbornly, trotting along the winding pathways lined with benches and garbage cans and other silly human things. He’s starting to get a bit tired of all the green when he reaches, quite unexpectedly, the end of it. There’s a big arched sign, and he can’t understand the language written over head, even though he’s squinting and tilting his head. Someone at some point had sat him down and tried to teach him letters, and he’d gotten far enough to read through the first page of the Handbook, but then that person had been reassigned, and was gone, and no one had cared to keep teaching him.
He’s holding his hands up at his sides, rubbing his red tipped claws against the palms of his hands, top teeth biting over his bottom lip, head tilted to one side in an extreme, when he hears a snort and then a soft giggle.
There’s a woman standing in front of him. Her hair is a sunny yellow color, but her clothing is dark and dramatic, and there are roosting bats dangling from her ears. She’s laughing at him. They stare at each other for a long moment, her hand raised in front of her mouth, her eyes crinkled pleasantly at the corners, and he finally breaks the silence by pointing at the sign, and speaking. “Wazzat say?” She blinks in surprise at his grating little voice, and then glances back at the sign. “Krap Lartnec,” she tells him. “Which is flipped around and backwards for “Central Park.” He’s been staring at the sign the wrong way. Of course. He feels his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. “Oh. Got it. Park. Right, yeah.” She lets out another laugh, and it’s so different from the sounds his mother makes when she’s guffawing at him, shaming him, that it almost doesn’t register as a laugh at first. There’s no cruelty to it, just amusement, and maybe curiosity. “Are you here alone?” she asks him, and he shrugs easily. “I guess.” She moves closer to him, cautiously, like he’s going to bite her, or bolt, but he doesn’t really feel the need to be worried over one breather. He knows he could rip out her throat if he needs to. The glamour only hides his demonic features, not takes them away. He’s still plenty capable of taking care of himself. “Where are your parents?” She's crouched down next to him now, one knee on the pavement, big brown eyes all sweet and worried, and he shrugs again. “Don’t have a dad. Mom’s downstairs.” She squints at that, and he gestures down with a pointed red claw tip. “Ya know. Downstairs.” The way he emphasizes it is meaningful, and when her eyes show understanding, he assumes she gets it. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” “Don’t be. I’m havin’ a good time.”
That doesn’t seem to be what she expects, but she just nods thoughtfully. “Are you staying someplace?” He can’t, for the undeath of him, figure out why she’s asking, and why she cares. He shrugs again, because things feel better in threes, and says vaguely, “I guess I’m stayin’ here.” That also doesn’t seem to be a good answer. “You can’t stay in the park overnight. There’s creeps around here.” He bites back the urge to explain that he’s the creepiest thing here, because suddenly she’s taking his hand, and she feels cool to the touch. “Good god, kiddo, you’re burning up!” she puts her other hand on his forehead, all the play gone from her voice, clearly concerned. “You might have a fever. Listen…” she worries her bottom lip with her teeth, smudging the dark color there, before she makes a decision. “Why don’t you come home with me? I’ll give you something to eat, make sure you’re alright, and we’ll figure out what to do from there, okay?” He isn’t sick, and he’s pretty sure he can’t get sick. It’s the hellfire in his veins that makes him hot, because he’s not like her, not even close, but the idea of following her seems like a fine one to him, so he just nods. “Kay. You got bugs where you live?” She snorts again, and stands, brushing off her dark, rose patterned tights. “Sure, what New York apartment doesn’t have a few roaches lurking around. You like bugs?” “Yeah, I like em. They’re crunchy an’ they skitter around an’ stuff.” “Yeah,” she agrees, nodding thoughtfully. “Bugs kick ass.” It’s his turn to snort, and then laugh, because she’d sounded so serious that it strikes him as funny. His hand is still in her’s, and she gives it a squeeze. “What’s your name, little buddy?” “Betelguese.” He expects a pause, or a comment, because no newly dead has ever heard his name without wrinkling their nose and looking vaguely sick, but her smile just grows wider. “Far out. I’m Emily.” And hand in hand, they leave the park.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Beetlejuice decides quickly Emily might be the nicest breather who ever breathed. It’s a decision he makes only moments after they’ve left the park. Normally he’d be talking, and talking a lot, and his ma might throw something at him, a curse or a bottle, to try and shut him up. So he’s giving silence a try, here, even though it feels like it hangs like a weight around his neck. But Emily is the one instead filling the silence with sound, and he’s never had such unfiltered attention from an adult before. She’s talking about the park, then his hair, then his name, and everything she says is just… sunshine. She likes his hair. She likes his name. She even likes the loose fitting and filthy black and white striped shirt he’s got on, she says it’s deadlyvoo, whatever the hell that means, but it must be good, because Emily said it.
They’re walking down the street, his little hand still in her’s, when a smell hits his sensitive nose. It’s unlike anything he’s ever smelled before and if he wasn't tethered to her, he would have floated after it. As it is, he does feel his feet lift off the ground briefly, and he has to remind his body to obey gravity, before someone notices. Luckily, Emily only sees part of his reaction, namely the way he’s sniffing the air like a dog and drooling. “Hotdogs!” she grins, and she leads him over towards the smell before he can even ask what that word means.
There’s a little cart set up, and a short, fat woman is fussing over a fire. He quickly finds the source of the smell, those little weird shapes of meat she’s turning over, and he goes to reach for one, only stopped by Emily’s other hand over his. “Not so fast, little bug. To unlock lunch, you need the power of capitalism.” She nods gravely. He nods back, clueless, but after a moment he has the source of the smell in his hands, and he wastes no time in scarfing it down. It’s good. He wants more, instantly, and tugs at her sleeve. Emily has hardly put her wallet away before it’s back out again, and she’s bought two more hotdogs. He eats them just as quickly, but before he can ask for more he realizes she’s led him away from the woman and her meats and her fire. Clever breather.
The walk to her home isn’t so bad, and it gives him time to take in his surroundings. The park had been jarring enough- what little plants grow in the netherworld are perpetually gray and withered, sad little scraggly weeds that struggle and choke each other out for the privilege of what miniscule sunshine permeates through the perpetual overcast. But there’s enough sunlight and water and everything to go around here, and it all grows green and vibrant. The city feels the same way, sort of. Like there’s plenty of space to stretch out and grow, and so they did. In the netherworld, everything is short and cramped, but bigger on the inside, with long, winding hallways meant to confuse and trap the dead. The buildings here are so tall looking up at them makes him dizzy, but he hardly has time to admire them before Emily is guiding him this way and that, and finally, to another door. She presses a button and they’re let inside, and he experiences another first as they ride the elevator up a few floors.
They ride the first few floors up in relative silence, until - “Get ready to jump!” Emily says suddenly, crouching, and he follows her lead, and jumps when she does. There’s a brief moment of weightlessness before gravity catches up with them, and their feet hit the elevator floor again, in time for the doors to open. “Good job, Beetlejuice!” she praises, pushing that long sun colored hair out of her face, and he beams up at her. “Feels like flyin, kinda!” “Right?” she enthuses loudly, and he’s about to ask her how a breather knows what flying feels like, but a door down the hall opens, and the biggest man Betelguese has ever seen steps out. “Thought I heard you rattling the elevator,” he’s chiding Emily, who only gives her snort and smile in return. “Lydia isn’t even with you, do you really play that game when you’re-” his eyes fall on Betelgeuse. “Alone?”
“Charles, I made a new friend!” Emily tells him simply, leading the little demon into their apartment. The interior is dim, but he can see fine. He knows his amber eyes are glowing a little in the gloom, and he closes them, just for a moment, as Emily leads him down the hall and into a sunny, well lit kitchen. The big man, Charles, is tailing behind, looking mystified. “Where on earth did you find him?” a hint of nerves creeps into the breather’s voice. “You didn’t… steal him.. Right?” “Charles!” Emily laughs, like it’s an absurd question. Betelgeuse can’t tell if it is or not. Emily doesn’t seem like a child snatching witch, but he doesn’t know enough about such things to be sure. “I didn’t steal him,” she clarifies, busying herself with getting the boy a cup of ice water, and stopping by for a moment to touch the back of her hand to his forehead again. “I found him wandering around Central Park. He said he doesn’t have any folks, and he was all alone, and he feels feverish. I’m being responsible! I’m a responsible adult!” “A responsible adult who still plays the elevator game, despite being told by maintenance you might throw the whole elevator out of whack?” Charles askes, but he doesn’t look angry, more amused.
“I was teaching Beetlejuice how to play.” The pause he was expecting with Emily finds its home with Charles. Charles glances at the boy. Betelguese stares back with big amber eyes, sipping quietly at his ice water. Charles looks to Emily, who seems to be waiting expectantly. The silence stretches for another beat before Charles asks, baffled, “Is that… his name?”
Emily throws her hands up like he’s asked if the sky is really blue. “Of course it’s his name! Or at least, that’s the name he gave me. I’m respecting it. Respectful and responsible, that’s me.” She turns and winks at Betelgeuse. He returns the strange breather gesture because he likes Emily more than he’s ever liked anyone before.
The water cup is empty, and he simply lets it go, no longer interested in holding it. It bounces and rolls across the floor, and Charles wrinkles his brow at the boy. “Wh-” Before he can say much more, Betelgeuse is sniffing at the air, and he crouches on all fours, nose to the ground, like a dog in a cartoon. He’s caught the scent of some kind of upperworld bug, and despite all the hotted dogs, he’s still hungry. He’s on the prowl around the kitchen, weaving under the little dining table and three chairs, and then back down the hall, into the living room. Charles and Emily poke their heads out of the kitchen to watch him.
“I think you brought a feral child into the house, Em.”
She makes a psshaw sound and rolls her eyes, smacking gently at his lapels. “He’s a kid. Kids are weird. I was doing weird kid stuff when I was his age, too.” “And you never stopped,” comes the dry response. “Charles, I know you worry, but he’s a little kid, lost in New York. I mean, my god, it’s like a movie! I couldn’t just leave him, and I wasn’t just going to give him to some cop, he’s probably an undocumented runaway or something-” and the rest of her rambling is drown out by Charles gasping and grabbing her, and her own muffled gasps of shock, because Betelgeuse has caught the bug. And also, he’s on the ceiling. He may have been trying to blend in, but the second he caught the scent of that delicious crunchy upperworld bug meat, everything else was out of mind. He’d spotted it on the ceiling, and had followed it up there, ignoring gravity to get what he wanted, and right as he pounced on it, nearly catlike, Charles and Emily had gasped. Their breather noises distract him long enough for the bug to skitter away, and he loses his concentration, and drops to the living room floor with a sickening crunch. Emily shrieks, and Charles panics, sprinting for the boy, certain he’ll find a dead child with a broken neck. Instead Betelguise sits up, his glamour disturbed from the fall, and the breathers get an eyeful of what he really looks like. There’s a beat. They’re all staring at each other for a long moment. “I… I might have brought a feral child into the house,” Emily admits sheepishly. You can read the entire thing, right now, over here
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alittlextrathatway · 3 years
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Penelope/Colin: “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t leave.”
YAY SOMETHING BESIDES BRETTSEY. (Not that I don’t love them.) I’ve never written Polin before! I’m excited to play! 🙌🏻 Thank you!
How about a modern AU for this one? Just cause.
******
It all started because of the pandemic.
He’d been perfectly happy traveling. It’s not like he had anything else to occupy his time. He wasn’t particularly talented and he didn’t have any hobbies or interests. Aside from eating but he doubted his mother would approve of him becoming one of those professional hot dog eaters and he didn’t care enough for the piddly portions of fine dining to become a food critic.
The only thing that truly distracts him from his lack of drive or ambition is traveling — learning about the world and it’s many cultures.
He has journal after journal full of his discoveries and experiences. Travel is really his only love.
Which is why he’d stopped and started his studies so many times. He took a year between high school and college to backpack through Europe. Then another year after freshman year to “study abroad”, not that he actually studied. Which is why his mother forced him to come back and finish his third year stateside. After that, he’d set off traveling again. Every year he found another excuse not to come home for any longer than a month or two, allowing him to put off his final year.
It’s not as if he’s getting a degree in anything useful. He’s an English major. And it’s not as if his career isn’t already decided for him. Upon graduation he’ll be given an office at Bridgerton Family Publishing. Doing what? Well, no one knows. Not even him.
So, what’s the rush?
He’d still be gone abroad right now if not for COVID forcing him to return home. God, he hates 2020. What a waste of a year. He came home too late for the spring 2020 term so he’s spent the last several months going absolutely crazy.
He’s a man of the world who is not being allowed to go out and see it. He can’t imagine anything more cruel.
Actually, no, he takes that back. There’s one thing:
Using the time he’s forced to stay in Mayfair to discover he’s completely and stupidly in love with his little sister’s best friend.
The friend who overheard him, last time he was home for any considerable length of time, declaring to his brothers that he would never be interested in her.
Because, of course, Colin Bridgerton is a colossal jackass who doesn’t know a good thing when it’s been staring him in the face his entire life.
There’s laughter coming from the direction of the foyer. Very distinctive laughing. One high and tinkling like a pretty little bell and the other deeper and hoarser. The alto to the other’s soprano. The alto in this case is his younger sister, Eloise, and the soprano is Penelope.
The woman he should have noticed long before now.
He gets up from where he’s lounging on the sofa, mournfully watching the Travel Channel, and takes his plate full of sandwiches with him.
He finds them giggling and applying lipstick in the mirror by the front door. They look dressed to go out. Eloise in her slick tailored pant suit and intricately adorned lace top, in monochromatic lavender. And Penelope in…
Holy shit, what is that?
Apparently, it’s the instrument of his imminent death if the erratic beating of his heart is any indication. He’s going to have some sort of attack and go into cardiac arrest right here in the foyer of his childhood home.
It’s a tight forest green dress that has an off the shoulder neckline. It hugs her curves so perfectly that he thinks someone must have sewn it onto her. It shows the perfect amount of skin along her neck and shoulders, giving just a tiny glimpse of cleavage.
And she’s had a haircut since she was here yesterday. Her ginger locks now rest against her cheeks in a wavy stylish bob. She was beautiful before. He was never blind to that as some other people around Pen have proven to be, but now...
She’s absolutely stunning.
So stunning that other people will surely see what he sees. And he’s grateful for that, truly. She deserves to be seen as she is — brilliant and beautiful — but that means he’s about to have competition while trying to win her over. And he is not grateful for that.
He’s been trying to be more forward with her when they’re alone but that doesn’t happen often and he’s not sure Penelope takes him very seriously. (No one does.) She seems to always be in disbelief when he flirts with her.
“Where are you two off to?” He asks, leaning against the wall opposite the mirror.
“Double date,” Eloise says, fluffing her hair in the mirror. “Pen arranged it. She met someone extremely gorgeous at the library today.”
Penelope blushes and grins demurely. “It’s the magic of a fresh cut,” she says motioning to her new hair. “He was there with his friend and we were all scrambling for resources for our bibliographies together and he asked if I wanted to get dinner and I asked if Eloise could come. No big deal.”
“It doesn’t look as if it’s not a big deal,” Colin observes, his gaze sweeping over Penelope from head to toe.
“His father owns that new super exclusive restaurant Kate’s been begging Anthony to take her too. You know, La Table Gourmande?” Eloise explains.
“The one that told Anthony the next available reservation was in two months? That restaurant?” Colin asks, trying not to scowl.
Really, there was no need for this guy to show off. He seems a bit full of himself.
“That’s the one,” Penelope replies with a nod. “He says he can get us the Chef’s table tonight. I’ve never done anything like that before. It sounds exciting. Might be the closest I ever get to authentic French cuisine. For a while anyway.”
Okay, so now he feels like a heel for wanting to keep her from going out. He knows he’s lucky his family is so well off. It allows him to travel. Penelope’s family, while not destitute, has spent most of their surplus funds putting three daughters, soon to be a fourth, through school. In fact, if not for a distant rich aunt who died they wouldn’t even have been able to afford that.
Any money Penelope used to travel would have to be her own, and he isn’t sure how much of that she has.
“Pen,” Eloise calls, interrupting Colin’s thoughts. “Have you seen my clutch? Did I bring it down?”
“I don’t see it anywhere,” Penelope says with a shake of her head. “Did you leave it on your dresser?”
Eloise groans in irritation, turning toward the main staircase of their massive house. “I guess I did. I’ll be right back.”
Finally, they’re alone. Colin clears his throat and sets the plate of sandwiches he’d been snacking on down on the hall table. He crosses the space until he’s standing mere inches away from her.
“Don’t go out tonight. I can take you somewhere else. Somewhere better,” Colin suggests.
“Better?” Penelope asks skeptically.
He nods. “I have a friend who opened a restaurant here that I met while I was in Nice. It’s smaller than that La Table Gourmand monstrosity and not quite considered fine dining but it’s real. It’s better. It’ll be closer to actually being in France than anything in that obnoxious place.”
“I don’t see why I can’t go with Marcus tonight and then you some other time,” she tells him, lifting one perfect brow and pursing her lips.
“This guy sounds like a prick,” Colin says with a scoff. “Bragging about his father’s connections on the first date? That’s not a good sign, Pen. Trust me, I know these things. I’m a guy.”
“Maybe,” she says with a shrug, a small knowing grin on her lips. “But I think I should decide that for myself. Don’t you?”
That grin…
She knows exactly what he’s trying to do.
She’s being difficult on purpose.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t leave,” she challenges him, continuing to grin smugly.
Well, if that’s the game she wants to play then so be it.
“Why waste a night figuring out what I already know when you could just let me take you out instead for what, we both know, would be a better time?” Colin asks, caressing the length of Penelope’s arm with a light tender touch.
She sucks in a breath at the contact, but doesn’t show any weakness in her expression. “Yes, but going out with Marcus would be a date that might actually lead to something. What would be the purpose of ditching a real date for you instead?”
“Oh, you want it to lead to something?” He asks, a smirk growing on his face as he backs her up toward the wall.
“Y—yes,” she stammers, her grin slipping as nerves shine in her eyes.
Her back hits the wall and he brings one hand to her cheek, cupping her face and trailing his thumb along her cheekbone.
He leans down, nearly closing the distance between them but stops just short of kissing her. “Come out with me, Pen, and you can choose where it leads. I’ll give you whatever future I have, even if I have no idea what it is. You set the terms, you call the shots.”
Her eyes widen and her cheeks flush but she instinctively leans into his hand. Call him a cocky bastard, but that’s the moment he knows he’s won. The moment he knows she’ll choose him.
“I set the terms?” She asks, biting her bottom lip while she stares at his.
He nods, waiting for the moment she leans up and kisses him.
“Well, then you know what I think?” She asks, rhetorically while she rests a hand on his chest.
“Tell me,” he pleads.
She smiles wickedly and pushes him away by one step. “I think you could do with some healthy competition.”
She sidesteps him and saunters off to the front door, leaving him gaping at her like a fool.
Like a besotted, astonished, completely smitten fool.
Eloise reappears, patting Colin’s shoulder as she follows after Penelope. “Tell mom we’ll be back late.”
They leave, the door shuts, and all he can think is…
Well played, Penelope Featherington.
But the Bridgertons are famously competitive and this game is only just beginning. He’ll win her over yet.
Wait and see.
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raindancer2004 · 3 years
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A mate for Christmas? - Jane
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Word Count: 1,901 Jane x Swan reader Oneshot Warnings: Fluff, Angst
Jane –
Demetri, Felix and the twins joined Aro and Marcus at the Cullen’s house for Christmas; Caius refusing to go as he knew the ‘Dog’ would be there. “Caius sends his apologies Carlisle, but he couldn’t join us for Christmas. He decided to stay back and keep things in order at the castle” “I understand Aro. We’re glad that you, Marcus and the guard would come” Carlisle replied.
Carlisle led them upstairs to where the rest of the family were waiting; including Y/N Swan, Bella’s sister.
Jane noticed her the moment he entered the room; Y/C hair, Y/C eyes and your scent hit her like no other had before ‘Blueberry and Vanilla’ She felt a pull towards her and a knowing smile from Marcus confirmed it; Y/N Swan was her mate.
The Cullens exchanged gifts and Y/N handed her a small gift neatly wrapped in blue wrapping paper with silver Stags “For you.” She took the gift and gave her a small smile; opening it revealed a quad of eyeshadows in various shades of blue and a second quad of eyeshadows in various shades of grey. “I know it’s not much, but I thought you may like them, especially as Alice mentioned you prefer darker colours to pastels” “Thank you Y/N” Jane thanked her and felt a warm feeling run through her although she was annoyed that fate had given her a human as a mate. She didn’t like humans.
Y/N tried talking to Jane, asking her about her life in Volterra, her gift, if she had a favourite time in history seeing as she had lived so long. Jane didn’t wish to talk to Y/N and she certainly didn’t want to get to know her. Y/N sensed Jane wasn’t in the mood for talking judging by the minimal / lack of responses she received and left the room.
Marcus was very disappointed in Jane and her behaviour and told her so once Y/N and Ness were out of earshot; he didn’t care who else heard him “You my dear are being rude and disrespectful to Y/N and I am extremely disappointed in you. She didn’t choose to be your mate any more than you chose to be hers. Fate made this decision long ago after you were turned. She was born to be with you and only you. She is the one to complete you and vice versa” Marcus paused to see if Jane would interject; she did nothing but look like a child being scolded so he continued “If you choose to walk away from her; from your bond, that is your decision and I will respect it but…know this you will have lost my respect. You are throwing something away; something that is precious and should be treasured because of your inability to let go of the past; a past Y/N had no part in. You are throwing away a bond that was taken from me many many centuries ago; a bond I would do anything to get back, to be given a second chance at a happy ending. I cannot and will not forgive you for this” Marcus left the room not caring that he left a room full of vampires staring open-mouthed at the dressing down the usually soft-spoken King had given Jane.
Jane didn’t change her mind. She decided she could live without Y/N in her life. She could live with being a disappointment to Marcus as long as she had Alec by her side and was still favoured by Aro. What more did she need?
Later that night Jane found Y/N in Edward’s old room; it had become a guest room now, something that amused Edward greatly. Jane knocked on the door and waited for Y/N to answer “Come in” Y/N’s soft voice called out and Jane entered the room “We need to talk” She said to Y/N getting straight to the point “Ok” Y/N replied as she sat on the bed and Jane did the same. “This isn’t going to work Y/N…the mate bond between us. It isn’t what I want. You are not what I want” “O-ok. So what happens now?” Y/N asked low, dread filling her as she knows she cannot remain human and know about their world. “Firstly, I want you to know that I won’t kill you, none of my family will. I trust you to keep our secret seeing as your sister is one of us” “Th-thank you Jane. I will take the secret to my grave. I promise” “Secondly, I am going to formally reject you and then we can move on with our lives as though this…little inconvenience never happened” Jane added turning to look at Y/N.
“I bet Y/N feels great being called an inconvenience” Felix said low “Imagine how she’ll feel in a few minutes once she’s been formally rejected” Demetri replied. Everyone could hear the conversation between Jane and Y/N due to their hearing and they all felt sorry for the human girl, including Alec.
“Look at me Y/N” Jane says coldly and Y/N lifts her head and meets Jane’s red eyes “I Jane Volturi do reject you Y/N Swan as my mate, from now until forever” Y/N felt something break inside her but didn’t tear her gaze away from Jane “You must now reject me in return for the bond to be severed completely” Y/N nodded and sat up a little straighter, taking a deep breath “I Y/N Swan do reject you Jane Volturi as my mate, from now until forever” Jane nodded and smiled at Y/N; happy she was no longer tied to the human girl.
Jasper felt everything during that conversation and his heart went out to Y/N “Hey you, do you want some company?” He asked softly entering the room “No, I would like to go home. Can you take please Jas?” “Of course I can, come on. Alice will bring your stuff by tomorrow” Jasper led her out of the house and over to his car. “I’m sorry you had to go through that” He said softly after a few moments “Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry you have to deal with my feelings, that can’t be very nice for you” Y/N replied softly “Don’t worry about me, I’ve felt much worse over the years.” Y/N nodded and they sat in silence for the remainder of the journey.
When the Volturi left on Boxing Day Jane left the gift behind that Y/N had given her and didn’t bother going to say goodbye. Demetri took it upon himself to reach out and find Y/N’s tenor; committing it to memory, just in case Jane changed her mind and wanted to him to track her mate down in the future.
Jane surprised everyone as it had been two months since she rejected her mate and she showed no signs of being heartbroken or depressed at being away from Y/N. Jane continued with her life at the castle and didn’t give Y/N a second thought, the same couldn’t be said for Alec however. He felt sorry for the human girl that his sister so cruelly rejected and wondered if she was doing as well as his sister.
Y/N wasn’t doing as well as Jane but did her best to hide it; it felt like something was missing, like she was incomplete. Although she had rejected Jane at her request Y/N didn’t mean it; she wanted to be with Jane and figured that may be the reason she feels this way and cannot move on like Jane had said. Y/N had stopped spending time with Bella and the Cullens as it was just too much of a reminder of what she will never have so she made the decision to move to Florida to live with her mom and Phil. “I need a fresh start Bells. I need to get away from here and we can stay in touch” Y/N hugged her sister and boarded her plane ready to start her life away from Forks, away from the vampire world.
“Demetri can you track Y/N for me?” Alec asked one night on the way back from a mission the two of them had gone on “I can but can I ask why you want me to?” Demetri replied “I’m just curious I guess…I want to know if she is taking the rejection as well as Jane” “Alec you know that I can only tell you where she is, I can’t tell you how she is” “I know that, but I can find out how she is if I know where she is” Alec said looking at the tracker “You plan on checking up on your sister’s rejected mate? Why?” “I don’t know Demetri, maybe because I’m struggling to understand how Marcus can be the way he is thousands of years after losing his wife and Jane seems totally unaffected after rejecting and being rejected by her mate” “I think you’ve already answered your own question Alec. However, I will tell you Y/N is in Jacksonville, Florida” Demetri replied “Thank you Demetri. Please do not tell Jane” “I don’t have a death wish so I won’t tell Jane you’ve gone to Florida if you don’t tell her I helped you track down Y/N” Demetri offered “Deal” Alec said as he shook Demetri’s hand.
Y/N had been in Jacksonville for a month and felt better than she had in a long time, moving here was definitely the right thing to do. Y/N had met a boy and they flirted with one another but it didn’t feel right to her; she kept thinking about Jane. ‘Why do I keep thinking about her, she didn’t want me. I wasn’t good enough for her, at least Matt likes me; talks to me’ she thought to herself and decided to let Jane go completely “I Y/N Swan do reject you Jane Volturi as my mate, from now until forever” She said aloud and she instantly felt like a weight had been lifted off her.
At that very moment in Volterra Jane felt something break inside of her and all of a sudden she felt lost; incomplete, like something was missing from her life and couldn’t understand why. She let out a gasp at the feeling. Marcus sat there on his throne giving her with a knowing look. Alec, Demetri and Felix were in the throne room on duty with her and upon hearing her gasp they turned to look at her “Sister what is the matter?” “It would appear Y/N has rejected Jane and now she is feeling the pain and the hurt she caused Y/N many months ago” Marcus answered with a smile “But master Y/N rejected Jane at Christmas” Alec said looking confused “Indeed she did, but only because Jane asked her to. Y/N didn’t mean it then, she didn’t want to reject Jane so Y/N’s side of the bond remained in place. Therefore, allowing Jane to carry on with her life without a care in the world” Alec nodded in understanding “However, it would seem that Y/N is finally ready to give up on Jane and their bond and has rejected her of her own free will. Thus, causing this reaction in Jane. Welcome to a forever of heartbreak and depression child. It really couldn’t have happened to a nicer person” Marcus said smiling at her, enjoying seeing her experience the consequences of her actions.
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Bbrae Week 21 Day 6 Fantasy
The sky had turned twilight orange and blue and the air was cool and crisp. The brave knight known only as Mavis the Formidable had just taken off her armor after a long battle with the dreaded 3 headed tiger, Cereberus. The knight needed rest for tomorrow was another day of full of many battles to be fought and only she was strong enough to keep her kingdom safe- 
“Mavis!” the girl’s emerald-skinned older sister had popped her head into her room, “Mom says she wants you to…. What are you doing?” 
The purple-haired 4 year old was balanced precariously on the top of her headboard facing the window. A blue towel was tied around her shoulders and her fists were confidently placed at her hips. 
Mavis narrowed her eyes at her older sister, “I’m playing knights,Phoenix. Duh!” she said, sticking her tongue out at her. 
The 10 year old nodded her head at her sister’s antics “Right...anyway mom wanted me to come get you to see--” 
Mavis jumped off the bed and ran towards her sister, arms waving in excitement as she interrupted her, “Wait, wait, you can be the wizard who helps me fight Cereberus the 3 headed Tiger! Come on, put this on,'' She shouted running to grab one of her mother’s old cloaks she let her use to play pretend. 
“OK, A, I’m telling mom you’re fighting the cat again.” 
“NNNOOOo!” Mavis whined. 
“And B, why would I be the wizard when you’re the one with psychic powers?” 
“BeCAUSE, Phoenix! I have the magical sword!” Mavis spit, pulling a stick she found from the backyard behind her back. In a flash, Phoenix’s hand whipped out towards the stick and snatched it from her younger sister. “Now ya don’t,”  she teased, morphing into a puppy and running down the stairs with the stick in her mouth. 
Mavis screeched and launched herself down the stairs after her sister. “Giveitbackgiveitbackgiveitback!” 
When Phoenix reached the bottom of the stairs, a tall green man snatched up the green puppy from the ground mid-run and ripped the stick from her mouth. The guilty changeling morphed back into a 10 year old in her father's arms and gave him a look that would melt anyone else’s heart on contact. Garfield rolled his eyes at his daughter. 
“You can’t get me with the puppy dog eyes, Phoenix. I invented them.” 
At that moment, Mavis had arrived at the bottom of the stairs where her father stood holding her older sister by the waist in one arm and the stick in his left hand. The impatient girl started jumping up and down at the stick just slightly out of her reach. 
“Dad! Dad! My Sword!” 
Gar looked at this hand and then at his child and a slow smile crept over his face. 
“Ah Mavis the Formidable, I believe this belongs to you,” he said, handing her the stick. 
“Thank you, kind sir,” turning to stick her tongue out at Phoenix. 
Just then, the girls’ mother came up from the stairs to the basement with a sour look on her face as she approached her children. 
“Mavis, would you like to explain why I just had to untie the cat from the radiator in the basement?” 
She turned to Phoenix, “Or would you like to explain why I asked you to see if your sister wanted to go to the tower with you and Dad, and I instead hear her screaming at the top of her lungs? Should I even mention the fact that I specifically told you no morphing in the house, and you, no sticks longer than your arm in the house.” She scolded both of her children with equal intensity. 
Gar looked at his wife, “You told her no sticks?” 
“Only her arm’s length-long, after what happened this morning.” Raven said, pulling her hair up to show her husband the welt on the back of her neck. Mavis had been practicing wielding her “Sword” while Raven was trying to fold laundry that morning. 
“Well that’s an easy fix” he said, pulling the stick back out of Mavis’s hand and snapping it in half, making it an arms length. 
“MY SWORD!” the girl wailed. 
Gar stared at Mavis in the eyes and warned, “You could have no sword at all. Now the both of you need to apologize to your mother!” 
Both girls sighed, and rolled their eyes, “Sorry Mom,” they said in unison. 
Raven sighed and recollected herself. Other than poor Cerberus getting tortured, most of what they were doing was not a big deal, but Raven would have to have ANOTHER talk with Mavis about including live animals into her pretend games. 
Raven looked at her girls. Phoenix who was green and lanky like her father but otherwise had her mother’s face. She had thick green hair that was always pulled into a ponytail with a heavy bang that covered the matching chakra she shared with her mother. While Mavis had her pale skin and wild purple hair that stuck out all over the place complete with her father’s smile and ears. They were going to be the absolute death of her. 
Raven pinched the bridge of her nose and looked at her younger daughter. “Phoenix is going to the tower to train with Dad. Do you want to come with them or stay at home?”  
Mavis wrinkled her nose in thought, “Will Mar’i be at the tower?” 
“ I don’t know, I can find out and if not we can see about going to Aunt Kori’s if you don’t want to go to the tower.”
“OK! I just want to play with Mar’i” 
Raven went to make the phone call, while Gar rushed Phoenix upstairs to get dressed for training exercises. Mavis the Formidable, however, had decided it was time to visit the Witches' Den. It was time to make potions. 
Mavis the Formidable had visited the Witches’ Den many a time to create potions to take on her amazing quests, but everytime she had gotten found herself caught and placed onto the chair of eternity. The witch in charge of the den had warned Mavis that the items in this room were not to be trifled with, but Mavis knew she was a strong warrior and wise enough to correctly use any potion within these ancient walls all on her own. Mavis reached up to grab a glass bottle with pink sand and--
“If you touch that, you can forget about going to see Aunt Kori and Mar’i.” 
Mavis wilted as her mother approached her. She never let her play in the meditation room and everything in there looked so cool! 
“But MOM, I need to make potions or I can’t fight the dragons!” 
Raven sighed but then smirked at her daughter's active imagination. 
“Oh well why didn’t you just say so, Mavis the Formidable.” 
Raven grabbed an empty orb shaped bottle and poured a clear liquid from another bottle inside, the pink sand Mavis had originally reached for, three small black stones and a powder that made it shimmer when it was shaken.
“There, one dragon slaying potion. Don’t drop it”  she said with a wink. 
“Thank you, kind witch” she said, giving her mom a hug. 
Raven narrowed her eyes at her daughter, “You’re pushing it.” 
Mavis quickly corrected herself, “Thank you, Mommy.” 
“Mmhhmm, you wanna go to Aunt Kori’s then?” 
“Can we teleport there?” Mavis begged. 
“Mavis, the last time we teleported anywhere you wouldn’t stop crying for half an hour and wouldn’t sleep in your own bed for a week.” 
Mavis crossed her arms and began pouting “Well you wouldn’t turn on the light inside the portal” 
“Mavis, for the last time, there is no light inside mommy’s magic, it’s all--I’m not having this argument again. If you want to go, get your shoes on, we’re driving there.” 
Mavis pouted for a moment and then looked up at her mother through her eyelashes. 
“Can I wear my rain boots?” 
“If you dress yourself, you are welcome to wear whatever you want.” 
“OK!” Mavis shouted, bolting up the stairs, dragon potion in hand. 
Upon arriving at Kori’s, Mavis impatiently unbuckled herself from the carseat and began whining as her mother was taking too long to help her out of the seat. 
“Hold on, Mavis, let me get my bearings,” she said as she helped the girl out of the car. 
Kori was standing by the front door waving them in when Mavis went racing past her into the house, “HiAuntKoribyeAuntKori!” she shouted behind her. 
Kori chuckled at the sight while Raven rolled her eyes in exasperation. 
“Awesome manners, kid. You’d think nobody taught you them.” She deadpanned in the direction her child ran. 
Kori shook her head in bemusement, “How do you keep up with that one?” 
Raven scoffed, “You think I keep up with her?” 
Mavis tore through the house looking for her friend, finally she spotted Mar’i through the sliding glass door to the backyard, swinging on a rope swing. Mavis attempted to move the door but it was locked. She pushed and pulled and scrambled up hanging on the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. Slowly, Raven came walking behind her child and quietly unlocked the door while Mavis was still hanging onto the handle. At the first sign of her new found freedom, Mavis threw open the glass door and raced across the patio to her friend. 
Upon seeing Mavis, Mar’i jumped off the swing and ran to meet her. They two girls embraced each other tightly until Mar’i tackled them both to the ground, causing both girls to start giggling. 
Raven and Kori walked out to the patio to halfway supervise the girls but mostly to catch up and chat. 
Before the girls could get up and start playing, Raven called out a warning, “If you get hurt doing something stupid or something you’re not supposed to do, I’m not using any healing powers on either of you.” 
Mavis rolled her eyes at her mother while Mar’i simply nodded in agreement. “OK!” 
Mavis turned to Mar’i excitement coloring her face, “Mar’i guess what I have?” she asked, holding the bottle her mother gave her behind her back. 
“What? What is it?” 
Mavis proudly showed off the potion her mother made, “It’s dragon slaying poison, do you wanna fight the dragon with me?” 
Mar’i looked into the bottle's contents and swirled it around. “Are you sure, this is dragon poison? It looks like water and pink sand.” 
“Of course it’s dragon poison! My mom made it and my mom makes all kinds of stuff like this!” 
Mar’i shrugged her shoulders, “OK, can I be the princess this time?” 
“Sure!” Mavis shrugged back and went to find a new sword stick. 
After finding a stick much longer than her arm, getting scolded by her mother, and then finding a much smaller stick, the heroes set off on their adventure. 
The two adventurers had set off on a most gruesome task. A great dragon had taken over the nearby village and stolen all their resources. The village's only hope was now Mavis the Formidable and Princess Mar’i. Mavis only armed with her sword and her dragon slaying potion, and Mar’i with her flight and starbo--
“Hey wait a minute, why do you get to use your powers?! Mom, why does Mar’i get to use her powers?” She shouted running towards her mother. 
“Mar’i’s powers work differently than yours do, she can use hers without hurting anyone, which is something you can’t quite do yet.” 
Mavis stomped her foot and tears formed in her eyes,”That’s not fair, I want these off.” She shoved the silver cuffs that contained her power in Raven’s face.
Raven put a calm hand to her daughter’s hands and lowered them away from her face, “Your sister had to wear them until she was 6, and even then she only had them off for a few hours at a time. I’m sorry Mavis, but they’re there to keep you and everyone else safe.” This was a very rehearsed and familiar conversation Raven had practiced from years of dealing with the subject with Phoenix, who beforehand would turn into any animal she thought of with no control over it at all. 
It was very clear to everyone that Mavis was about to have a meltdown before Mar’i interrupted, “That’s ok! I just won’t use my powers!” 
Mavis sniffed, “Really?” 
“Yeah of course! I might fly on accident though, cause when I’m really happy, I fly.” 
Mavis rubbed her eyes, “That’s OK, you can fly us to the dragon!” Mavis was already picking the game back up where they had left off. 
“Oooh Yeah!” Mar’i agreed, floating a few feet in the air and reaching for Mavis’s hands. 
Raven stiffened, and Kori gave a warning, “No higher than the bottom of the tree branches, Mar’i and don’t drop her.” Mar’i nodded in agreement and Raven relaxed a little, since Mavis could definitely survive that fall if Mar’i did drop her. 
As the two young warriors flew off on their great quest, they came to a great mountain, complete with a rickety bridge that led to a separate deeply sloping mountain. Mavis the Formidable, was first to climb the great mountain with ease as she held within her tiny body the strength of a thousand suns, but as Mar’i attempted to climb the mountain she had lost her footing and the warrior princess began to slip. “Mavis!” She yelled to the knight in front of her. Mavis had reached the top of the mountain and turned to her companion. “Mar’i!” the brave warrior shouted from several miles above her. 
“I’m slipping, I can’t hold on!” 
“Don’t worry, I’ll save you!” Mavis yelled from the top of the mountain throwing the princess a long rope to help her climb to the top. 
Mavis’s blue towel that was previously wrapped around her shoulders smacked Mar’i in the face and she fell backwards off the playset. Mar’i lay flat on the ground looking up at Mavis with rage in her eyes, “Ow! Mavis!” 
Mavis started waving her arms around excitedly, “I'm so sorry, are you ok?” 
Just then Kori and Raven ran over to see if Mar’i was ok. After a quick but thorough inspection, it was deemed that Mar’i was ok, just irritated. Raven shot Mavis an irritated look, “Mavis what possessed you throw the towel on Mar’i’s face?” 
“No, mom, listen, I didn’t throw it at her, she was slipping off the mountain and I was trying to save her!” 
Raven smacked a hand to her face, she was getting really sick of the knights game. “Ok new rule, you’re not climbing anything together!” 
Mavis and Mar’i sighed knowing this part of their game was now over. The two mothers walked away leaving the girls to play together once again. 
Mavis approached Mar’i but the other girl pouted and crossed her arms at her friend. 
Mavis pleaded at her raven haired friend, “I really didn’t mean to, I promise!” 
“Hmpf!” Mar’i huffed and turned away from the mini empath, “I don’t want to play with you anymore!” 
Mavis’s eyes started to well up with tears at the rejection of her best friend until suddenly inspiration struck her.
“WAIT!” she shouted, taking the towel off her shoulders, “You can have my cape if you’ll be my best friend again.” 
Mar’i straightened up in shock, “Really?” 
“Uh-huh! Will you still be my friend?” Mavis implored her friend. 
“Of course!” Mar’i said, standing up and putting the towel over her own shoulders. 
Mavis breathed a sigh of relief as she stood with her friend and continued their game. 
Beneath the mountain where the heroes had fallen they discovered a vast cave ripe for exploring. The cave was cold and dark, they had made an attempt at a fire to warm themselves up, but the cold winds within the cave kept blowing it out like a birthday candle. Mavis could make out ancient runes inscribed in the cave’s walls that quickly lead the two to the innermost part of the cave. 
It wasn’t too long until the adventurers heard heavy breathing in the darkness that didn’t belong to either of the pair. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, the girls screeched in terror. 
Looking at them were several jackalopes, with their teeth bared and ready to attack the young girls. Mar’i attempted to run to the safety of the queen but Mavis the Formidable, knew exactly what to… 
Kori looked up from the conversation she was having with Raven when she heard Mavis scream what could only be described as a warrior cry. “Raven...I don’t mean to alarm you but, your daughter is running and screaming manically with 3 baby bunnies in her arms.” 
Raven took a deep shaky breath and closed her eyes, trying to find a state of calm. After several attempts to find a meditative state, a nearby bird's nest exploded as Raven finally lost her patience, “MAVIS ANGELA LOGAN! DROP THE BUNNIES!” 
Mavis, the formidable once again found herself caught within the grasp of the evil witch and her chair of eternity. Days stretched into years and years stretched into decades as the adventurer found herself bound to the evil throne. 
No amount of pleading and bargaining with the cruel witch would change her mind as the warrior was only met with hushes and dark glares that she learned in witch language meant “shut up”. Just when Mavis thought she would be left to perish cold and alone in the chair of eternity a glorious sound parted the clouds and rang through the heavens. 
Beep, Beep, Beep. The timer on Raven’s phone went off signaling to Mavis that her timeout was over. Mavis eagerly lept from the chair but Raven stopped her before she could run back into the backyard. “Uh-uh, you’re not getting away that easily!” 
Mavis wilted and shuffled back over to her mother to get a talking to. Just as Raven was about to start scolding Mavis, the sliding glass door opened and out stepped Phoenix, Garfield and Dick. 
Garfield knew his youngest daughter like the back of his hand and knew what the look on her face meant. “Oh no, what did you do this time?” he asked Mavis casually. 
Raven narrowed her eyes at Mavis while speaking to her husband, “Your daughter is trying to catch wild animals to play with them again.” 
“How come she’s always my daughter when she’s in trouble?” The changeling asked. 
“Because Phoenix is my daughter when she’s in trouble, this was our agreement, I get the mean one and you get the feral one.” 
“Right, I forgot about that. You want me to handle this one?” 
“I would love nothing more.” 
With that, Raven turned to her older daughter to get the details of how her training went, while Garfield crouched down to his youngest daughter. 
“Are you out here driving your mother crazy?” 
Mavis cracked a small smile. 
“It’s not funny, Mavis,” he warned. 
“Well I was just trying to play with Mari and we were playing knights and we wanted to go on a quest to find the dragon but mom won’t let me use my powers or a sword or chase jackalopes and then I accidently hurt Mar’i with a towel but I was just trying to save her from falling off a mountain and-” 
Gar threw up his hand to silence his child’s rambling. “What’s this about a dragon?” 
Raven side eyed her husband and smirked knowing where he was going with this by the tone of his voice. 
Mavis continued on, “There’s a dragon, and it’s attacking the whole village and-” 
Gar cut her off again and began inching towards Raven. “I see, Mavis, does the dragon look anything like this?” he questioned as he threw his wife over his shoulder, morphed into a pterodactyl and flew several feet in the air with Raven on his back. 
Raven no longer found her husband's antics amusing as she desperately clung to his neck to avoid a sudden drop. “GARFIELD MARK LOGAN YOU BETTER NOT DROP ME I SWEAR TO GOD!” 
Mavis the Formidable was finally face to face with her enemy the dragon and he had captured the witch. Normally this would’ve been something to celebrate, but the witch was sometimes nice. She was the best at reading bedtime stories and always had really good snacks, so Mavis couldn’t let her get eaten by the dragon yet. 
Mavis wielded her arm-sized sword and began to swing at the dreaded dragon. The dragon flew close to the ground but continued to dodge Mavis’s attacks with ease. All seemed hopeless until Mavis remembered the dragon slaying potion the witch had made for her. Mavis pulled the bottle out of her back pocket, popped the cork, tilted her head back and chugged the potion. 
Raven’s eyes went wide as she watched her child attempt to chug what was essentially salt water and fall to her hands and knees, gagging. Raven stifled a chuckle until she burst out into a fit of giggles. 
“You’re not supposed to drink it you dork, you’re supposed to throw it at the dragon!” she said through fits of laughter. 
Gar quickly morphed back into his human form also laughing and let Raven get down off of his back. 
“Are you going to be ok?” he asked, trying to stifle his own laughter. 
“That was so yucky” she managed to cough out and dramatically pretended to die. 
By this point, she had everyone in the backyard laughing including herself. Gar went over to pick the child up, when suddenly her eyes shot open and she shoved the stick between his arm and chest. Gar immediately went along with the game. “AAHHHHH YOU KILLED ME” He screamed, falling to the ground next to Mavis. 
Raven walked over to the two impressed, “That was pretty clever Mavis the Formidable. You wanna go get some water to wash out that potion taste?” 
“And a snack?” 
“Sure Mavis, and a snack” 
THE END. 
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