#I like their style and look but yeah I am cautious haha i am in danger qwq

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: May 15th Part 1

It’s been longer than usual since our last answer session, so I’m answering a ton of questions today! It’s so big I split it into two parts. Thank you for the patience on getting a response to these.

Thanks for reaching out to us with your questions and kind words ^^!

Sorry if this has been asked before or isn't something you can say but is there anyway for Cove to confess in step 4? I wanted him to confess in step 3 and followed all the steps to make him do it but ended up texting my family instead of Cove at the end.

Yeah, Cove can confess in Step 4!

Hello! I heard that Cove is on the spectrum, albeit undiagnosed. As someone who is ND, this makes me UNBELIEVABLY happy. I literally was brought to tears! Thank you for that!

Out of curiosity, will Cove be diagnosed in Step 4? I have a strong feeling y’all won’t make it a HUGE deal/make it out to be negative, so I’m not worried about that whatsoever! I’m just curious just he’ll off handedly mention it? Or will it just not be touched upon at all (which is ok!)?

Either way is ok, I’m just curious!

I’m happy it made you happy! Admittedly, Cove simply being someone with autism that grew up not being diagnosed was something I included for myself. I didn’t really think anyone would notice or ask about it, aha. But players did start to have questions about his traits, so I started to talk about it outside of the game. It’s great to see it get such a positive response and now I do feel like having it be a non-topic may have been the wrong choice and bringing it up would’ve been good in terms of having positive representation for that. I don’t know if I’ll find a way to mention it in Step 4 now, with how far along the game is, but I am at least thinking about it when originally it wasn’t something I really even considered.

Hey!  Just wanted to say thank you for Our Life.  It's been a bright spot and a needed escape in what's otherwise been a crummy year.  I know you just did a Q&A post but I figured I'd ask anyway.  Was just curious about Step 4.  Will it be similar to the other Steps in that it consists of several different moments or will it just be one long sequence?

Step 4 is shorter than the prior Steps because it’s just an epilogue rather than a full arc of a story. It’ll consist of scenes that all happen in a set row one after the other. There won’t be a collection of Moments to choose from. But it’ll still be very sweet and fun.

¡hola!, you see, first I want to say that I love Our Life! (°◡°♡) and I have 2 important questions, would Cove cry watching titanic? and what is the saddest part according to him? (sorry for my english) 

Titanic would make him cry. He’d probably think the parts showing people who aren’t able to make it to the life boats/are choosing to stay and go down with the ship were the saddest.

Hello, I wanted to ask how much you earn with creating games? Like is it possible to make a living? Thank you >< <3 

How much I earn varies a lot month to month based on Steam sales, Patreon backers, and how many projects are in full production at the time. It’s also hard to say how much I make historically, since that also changes dramatically year by year. But I do earn enough to work on these games full time! I really appreciate all the support that allows me to do that.

Hey!! I was wondering for the 18+ Our Life moment, will there be an emphasis on safety/comfort for all involved? I feel like there  would be just going off of what the rest of the game is like, but I wanted to ask 

Yes! Cove is a nervous boy himself and also super cautious about doing anything the MC doesn’t like, so clear consent from both is absolutely needed for anything to happen. It’s a conversational sexy times Moment with stops/starts so the two can talk about how they’re feeling, rather than a heat of the moment just going for it kind of thing.

Hey!! I was wondering how long the wedding dlc would be? Will it be broken up into moments, or just one big event? 

It’s one long series of scenes all in a row rather than a collection of Moments to pick from. It’s the shortest and the least expensive of all the DLCs. It’s not super crucial to get and those who aren’t into big weddings can totally skip it without worry.

HELLO AMAZING DEVS 👋 i am hopelessly in love with the worst guy ever (jeremy king) and because of this i have a really stupid question: does he really hate people who are nice to him? TvT he’s too cute to be mean to istg it’s a miracle JB held the urge to be consistently nice to him bc just look at his FACE he is so cute! thank you for jeremy’s route it’s so lovely (and awful bc he’s scum 11/10) it gave me so much laughs LMAO i hope you guys have a good day!! 

Haha, thank you. He doesn’t hate them but he’s certainly not pleased with them. Jeremy is either uncomfortable with or annoyed by people being sweet on him, depending on how they approach it. He’s far more comfortable with jerkiness. It lets him relax and he can be himself without it being a problem, since he’s also a jerk. He feels a level of guilt being such a little punk to kind people, not enough to be a better person but still.

Has Cove dated or been interested in someone other than MC? 

Nope! He stays single over the course of the game if he’s not with the MC.

Is Step 4 more mature? Or it's gonna be set in similar atmosphere as Step 3? 

Step 4 is a similar atmosphere as Step 3. Though, it’s actually kind of less mature-topic heavy than Step 3 since it’s just a ‘hey, let’s check in on the gang to see what they’re up to’ style epilogue rather than a story arc with serious issues.

will there be new music for now and forever?? or will the old our life music be reused? 

It’s gonna be a brand new soundtrack. We’ll be opening up a job position for that soon.

Hi, is it okay if we use the assets in Our Life (like the sprites) for fanworks or fan content content, like edits? 

Sure! Just as long as you don’t use the assets made by those artists to make money.

Quick clarification on Step 3 choices: I hope I didn't come off rude (because I LOVE the game, really!!), I was just curious because the intro threw me off at times. For example, you could choose how you felt about Elizabeth in Step 2 (Dinner), but during the Step 3 intro, it says that you got closer to Liz and I didn't get a choice in it. 

For the example, it can’t be helped that you’re closer to Liz in Step 3 than you were in Step 2 because she’s inherently closer to the MC regardless of whether you liked her or not in Step 2. Her feelings are out of your control and the game isn’t so dramatic that you can push her affection away and not let her bond with you, haha. But ‘being closer’ can still be relative. For some people maybe that means you’re best buds now and for others it might just mean you’re not fighting all the time any more. If there’s other parts you want to mention, feel free to let us know.

Did the illustrator for Our Life change? 

We have many OL artists! The main artists who set the game’s style haven’t changed, but there’s multiple other artists who help finish assets.

So Miranda's type is confident and outgoing, huh? So...does that mean Terri's her type?? 👀 

Haha, sorry for the late reply on this. As you might’ve seen in our post yesterday- yeah that is her type.

Hey! First, I just want to say I've really enjoyed how detailed OL got with gender identity and sexuality and how respectful the topics were handled! It's been so wonderful to play since the experiences could be close to my own (I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up at parts). Second, I was wondering, would future games explore the topic of polyamory? I'd love to see more visual novels allow room for that and I saw you've explored the topic before.

Keep up the amazing work! ♡

Thank you! We do want to include polyamory in at least some of our future projects. Floret Bond, which might be what you’re referring to when mentioning how we’ve explored the topic before, is on hold unfortunately. So right now I’m not sure when something might release or what will be the first game of ours to come out with poly relationships (we might do something else before FB is done). We’ll have see how things ends up coming together.

Hey um. I feel like im not allowed to ask this on the private discord cuz people will yell at me but why is there so much focus on OL2 and not finishing OL1 stuff? I like the new people but i kind of want to finish cove's story and get derek and baxter stuff first. didn't people pay for it? 

I’m sorry, I don’t understand entirely what’s making that situation a concern. There’s a channel in the discord for critique where no one is allowed to comment back. People can voice things they’re worried about without any way for others to push back on it. And the two teams working on the OL games are different. We try to post pretty often about how we’re hiring brand new people to start on Our Life: Now & Forever. The OL1 team is all still working on OL1 like normal. There’s only more updates on the Patreon for OL2 because the expansions to the first game are mostly script-based at this point while OL2 is just starting to get all its art, which means there’s a lot more to show off as previews.

Also, there was a Kickstarter for the first Our Life, if that’s what you mean by people paying for it. But one of the stretch goals was to start Our Life 2 early, before fully completing Our Life 1, so that the new game could be out sooner. It wouldn’t make sense to stop doing OL2 work because that would be going against what backers were promised. Maybe you didn’t get the full story before and hopefully this clears it up!

Hello! I know it's up to every player but.. What is your recommendation for playing order? Did you ever had any timeline  events planned? 

I didn’t make the events with a planned timeline. The events got made simply as I had ideas for them and then I just kind of organized them from left to right on the screen in an order to space out more dramatic ones between more lighthearted ones. Any order the player wants to go with is totally valid!

Hi! It's Step 4 a paid dlc or update? And how long it's planned to be? Ps. Love the game! 

The Step 4 epilogue is free! The Cove Wedding DLC does cost money, though. Those are planned to be shorter than the usual Steps/DLCs.

Will we have options for what sort of job the MC might have by the time step 4 takes place? 

Yeah, you can. It’s not super exact or detailed, but there are options about it.

Is there a pandemic in Our Life world, or is it just in a better timeline with no pestilence? 

Our Life is pandemic-free! That didn’t exist when we began working on the project and it’s not something we’d like to feature in this story now that it has unfortunately come along, aha.

Hi, you said that you can play tic-tac-toe or hangman with Cove in Boating if you're sick/scared but I keep getting tic-tac-toe. Am I doing something wrong?

After being sick/scared you have to continue to be upset/unwell. If you calm down and decide to just chill you’ll end up playing tic-tac-toe.

Hi, GB Patch! Since Lee was initially commissioned to only appear in two Steps does this mean she won't appear in the Wedding DLC? I really like her character so it'll be a little weird to not have our cousin at our wedding, aha.

She is gonna be in Step 4/the wedding DLC after all! We’re still working with her creator to make sure it fits with what they wanted.

Is Sunset Bird based on a real place? Asking for a friend, not trying to move there or anything. 👀

It’s based on small beach towns in So-Cal, but not one specific town you could go see in real life, I’m afraid. It’d be nice if it was real, though.

—– —– —– —–

We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

#our life #Our Life Beginnings & Always #Our Life: Now & Forever #ask #gb patch #gb patch games #xoxo droplets

[horrorslashergirl]

Andrei and Amaria Kulokova 🐺🔪

(This shall be interesting 👀👀 and funny! Lol)

Richard Firewood

For Andrei: Richard might see Andrei as an alternative for business, when there aren't enough clients to his hotel, he might call Andrei to hide him to capture 10 or 20 people. It will be strictly business.

Richard: Cash is King. Enough said.

For Amaria: He might be on neutral territory with her as long as she respects his territory and hotel.

Richard: She better not cover the carpets of the lobby in mud.

Jackson Jasper

For Andrei: He may view Andrei as a cool guy with whom to hang around for drinks and flirt with women.

Jackson: Any drinking buddy is good company.

For Amaria: Jackson loves a pretty lady especially one who isn't afraid to get down and dirty. He likes her.

Jackson: You don't see women like her often. *smirks*

The Hacker

For Andrei: Both are fucked up into the head. Both are bloody disgusting. Both love to stick their cocks into bloody pussies. They might be on good terms... Plus if Andrei needs a certain weapon, The Hacker can provide it wirh ease.... For a good priece.

The Hacker: *looks up from his computer screen* Oh? Him? Yeah... Fucked up in the head but not as much as me. *smirks*

For Amaria: Now that's a dollface that the Hacker might like. She fucks the corpses of her victims from time to time? The Hacker does that on an almost daily basis... Almost.

The Hacker: *whistle* Pretty wild baby doll. Me like~

Dave Anthony

For Andrei: If Andrei thought he was brutal then he sure doesn't know Dave. This poltergeist was casted from both heaven and hell. Try to match that Andrei. If Andrei tries to stab or shot Dave, this evil entity will just laugh in his face and grin.

Dave: *evil smirk* Trying to kill me? *manical laugh* You cannot kill what's already dead, cocksucker... I am gonna enjoy possessing your body.

For Amaria: Now, that's something you don't usually see everyday and Dave would be intrigued by Amaria and her so called Gods. Interesting little human girl.

Dave: Oh? You believe in Gods.... Well.... I am the biggest motherfucking God ever, baby girl.

Samuel Grayson

For Andrei: The moment Samuel senses his aura he wants to puke his guts, because Andrei screams of sins all over and just his presence into the same room will annoy Samuel. Let alone Andrei trying anything with this poltergeist. Andrei will turn into a chew toy for Samuels hellhounds.

Samuel: He stinks of sin and he is a disgusting piece of walking meat on earth. *snarls*

For Amaria: Her aura is so so much more different than her brothers and to say so... Samuel is a little intrigued by her aura, sensing all the sadness from her past and there is just something about her beliefs that he finds.... Adorable?

Samuel: She is... Interesting.... But no... I am no God. These are too high words for me, little one.

Azol

For Andrei: Did I say Dave is absolutly brutal? Well Andrei... Meet Azol. This evil entity will view Andrei as the most amusing plaything ever. Ironic, huh? Much like the other supranatural ones, Azol feasts on humans desires and he will absolutly use Andrei's desires against him. He will haunt his dreams and drive him insane.

Azol: Ohhhh... You think you are brutal, piece of sloppy fucking used cunt. *chuckles evily* I am gonna have so much fun with your soul... I am sure after you die... We all are gonna fuck you into hell like the cocksucker I know you are. *laugh*

For Amaria: Azol will be amused by her beliefs into her Gods, teasing and haunting her, making her kill as many people as possible. Azol found himself new entertainment.

Azol: Oh... Never seen a human kill that much and with such a passion. *grins evilly* See that man, little one... He needs to die.... Listen to your new God and you will live on forever.

Bahini Talibah

For Andrei: Andrei is everything that Bahini hates into a man; he is despicable, horrible, disgusting, annoying, sleazy and someone she would absolutly not stand. He better not get near her or else he will suffer a slow, horrible and painfull death that will make Andei crawl on the floor in his own blood. Having your flesh and muscels be slowly melted by Bahinis piercing gaze isn't something to look forward to.

Bahini: His aura is simply making me anxious. He better stay away from me. He pisses me off!

For Amaria: Bahini might find her believe in Gods fascinating since she herself believes in the Egyptian Gods. They might have conversations about their Gods and such. Plus Amarias quiet and misterious aura is very calm and gives Bahini tranquility.

Bahini: She is a fascinating young woman... Also Anubis told me she has a beautiful and lightfull soul.

Azment

For Andrei: This demoness lust will destroy Andrei's for sure... And I advise him to not get close to her because at the end of the night he will be dead by the time he climaxes.... I mean... If he wants a horse dick up his ass that's his problem. Azment will over power him with ease.

Azment: Ohhh He sure is handsome and I can taste his lust... Such delicious carnal and mouthwatering lust.

For Amaria: Azment sees this small but deadly woman as very beautiful and she can appreciate such brutal display for passion of certain things... Like Amarias passion for Gods.

Azment: Beautiful and powerfull young human woman... Such beauty... It gives tingles down my spine. *sways her tail from side to side*

The Shadow

For Andrei: His personality and the vibe Andrei gives off is simply annoying to Shadow. Isn't it enough he has to deal with that idiot of a HACKER maniac? Now he has the stand this Russian Incompetent. He cannot work with these idiots around.

The Shadow: *looks up from cleaning his scalpels* I cannot stand this morron. He better not stick his nose into my business unless he wants to end up on my disection table.

For Amaria: She seems quiet and she keeps to herself so that is good on Shadows books. Her past might make Shadow sad because he has went through abuse too... Different but still abuse. He might be interested into her topics of Gods... Since he is one to feast on information and likes to learn about all type of topics.

The Shadow: She is... Fascinating to say so... But at last she is quiet.

Mitch Carson

For Andrei: This feral man will view Andrei as straight up enemy and he won't hesitate to turn the Russian into a raw steak, considering all that mass muscels and blood. If Andrei knows what's good for him, he better keep off Mitchs territory or else he will be the new target for crossbow practice.

Mitch: *growls, all body muscels ready for him to strike*

For Amaria: Considering her small body stature, he might be intrigued by her but still cautious, like a feral animal of the deep dark woods. If she brings him human flesh or bones for him to chew on... She Might.... Just might turn Mitch into a feral lap dog that will maim anyone who dares to touch Amaria.

Mitch: *growls then purrs at her, tilting his head to the side curiously*

Gerome Montana and Axel Friedrich

For Andrei: Army friends? Maybe? They might share some drinks some army stories. Three mercenaries sharing bloody ideas of killing. I guess. They might be on neutral relations with Andrei, but since they are in Miami and Andrei hates the heat... I doubt it. Down for a one night stand after drinks? Perhaps.

Gerome: Haha Cool Russian Crazy Dude!

Axel Friedrich: His personality is a bit too much. *groans*

For Amaria: You don't see such deadly women that often and they might find her very intirguing, but that's about it. Plus.... I don't know if she would like Miami with the heat and all that.

Gerome: Beautiful badass woman! Sexy!

Axel: *facepalms at Gerome* I suppose I can appreciate a woman who can handle such big weapons like a machete.

Damiano Liberato

For Andrei: He finds him very disgusting with no taste at all and Andrei simply makes Damiano have a horrible taste into his mouth. He cannot stand camo!

Damiano: Isn't it enough I have to stand my creator and her camo army clothing!? Now this man! I cannot believe Richard can be close to this disgusting brute. Ugh.

For Amaria: Very beautiful woman but a shame that she has no style into dressing up. Damiano finds the Kulokova siblings too.... Dirty.

Damiano: A lady shouldn't dress like that. Pants? Seriously... Just no.

Bambi Miller

For Andrei: She thinks he is a pretty cool dude with whom to share drinks and maybe have some knife throwing game. Plus, she thinks she thinks Andrei is pretty badass with his faux hawk. They might have some fun nights with drinking vodka and throwing knife at people.

Bambi: Pretty badass Russian stud. *giggles* only my knife is bigger than his. *winks*

For Amaria: Bambi thinks Amaria is very pretty and she appreciates women who can stand up for themselvs and beat the guys around. Plus her machete is so cool.

Bambi: She is very beautiful... Its true what they say that Russian women are very gorgeous.

Xaviera Lah-Mo

For Andrei: He is her ultimate and only love, so of course she simply adores Andrei. It comes natural. He is her precious and wild Wolf.... And to think that the first day they meet, Xavi wanted to throw his ass into the blizzard outside. Andrei is her soulmate and the only man she has feelings for... And the only man she won't shot with her sniper rifle into his balls.

Xaviera: He is the light of my life, the man that make me be strong with each passing day.... My wild and handsome Wolf..... My beautiful soulmate. My everything.

For Amaria: Being Andrei's sister, Xaviera cares for her and tries to calm Andrei down to think clearly when she is around. Xaviera tries to be the refere between these two without getting between their fights. Both Xavi and Amaria use a sniper rifle and Xavi would love for her sister-in-law and her to have a shooting practice together. Just enjoying some quiet time.

Xaviera: She is a hard person to understand if you don't see through her soul, you need to take your time to understand her because she means well... She is not as bad as one might think. She is just misunderstood like we all were at some point in life.

Akshay Lah-Mo

For Andrei: Andrei is Akshay's best friend and soul brother to say so; they fight, they bicker, they drink, but at the end of the day they are best friends and always there to watch eachothers backs. Akshay might seem that he hates Andrei, but if he really hated him, Andrei wouldn’t be alive.

Akshay: The mutt? Yeah... He is a good man... When he isn't his usual idiot self. *grunts*

For Amaria: Akshay knows she is Andrei's sister and that their sibling relation isn't that good. Akshay hasn't really interacted that much with Amaria but if he has to say his opinion he would say that he is beautiful and misunderstood... And very deadly for such a small woman.

Akshay: It really shows she is the mutts sister... She can maim you and your corpse would just misteriously disappear.

Decebal Avram Chirilă

For Andrei: Decebal has lots of fun with Andrei and they are two knuckleheads and daredevils. Andrei had done so much for Decebal that none has ever done and the Romanian is very gratefull for it, hench his loyality towards the Russian. Decebal didn't expected to get along with Andrei that good but he absolutly adores him... And the moments they fuck.

Decebal: Ohhhh! Vodknockers!? He is like a fun and crazy little brother... He sure has a temper which is funny. Haha *smirks* His libido matches mine and he has a great cock *laughs*

For Amaria: Decebal knows that she is the way she is because of her past and he isn't one to judge or make fun of her believs and such. Everyone can believe in whatever they want. What's the problem with that? Plus, he thinks she is very gorgeous.

Decebal: Oh? That wild woman? She is very beautiful, like hella beautiful that she could put an army of women to shame. *laughs* But seriously now... Just like Xavi said... She is only misunderstood. *soft smile*

Alexander Chirilă

For Andrei: Alexander simply feels very uncomfortable in the same room as Andrei and it doesn't help that the Russian was Alexanders first. Alexander finds it so so frustrating that Andrei has no sense of other peoples personal space, especially his.

Alexander: Oh God.... Not him again. He has no respect, he is an absolut degeranted wanker who doesn't understand the concept of personal space and he frustrates me so so much it makes me so angry. *blushing red face and huffs* But.... I suppose... Like my big brother said... He can be nice... Only I never saw that!

For Amaria: Alexander enjoys that she is quite and she seems to have some concept of other peoples personal space. Plus he is glad she isn't like her big brother... Who acts like a sexual offender. Amaria kind of reminds Alexander of one of the tallest mountains, surrounded by mist... Especially that certain quietness.

Alexander: I suppose she is alright... She seems like a very strong one with a certain specific will... And she is pretty..... B-But not like that! *blushes*

Nadia Nikolina Chirilă

For Andrei: She thinks she is a good man, on certain topics but on other hands.... She views him as a stupid kid with disgusting behaviors and most important.... A coward. If he thinks he is so mighty, why not take someone his own size or bigger, not some small and innocent woman. Andrei is only lucky because of Decebal..... Or else he would have been castrated the moment he meet Nadia. Period.

Nadia: *looks up from her painting* He is a stupid child.... But means well... On certain moments.

For Amaria: Nadia thinks that Amaria is a very intirguing and gorgeous woman, small but with a fierce spirit that will cit through you just like her machete... Nadia appreciates greatly a woman who won't take anyones shit, especially a mans. Amaria reminds Nadia of a pit of big sharp deadly ice icicle, that she saw the first month she moved into Greenland. The pit looked so so beautiful but if you stepped to close you would fall into said pit and a painfull horrible death will follow.

Nadia: Beautiful and Deadly... Such a majestic combination. *paints a womans shadow with mountains into the background*

#Richard Firewood #Jackson Jasper #The Hacker #Bambi Miller #Dave Anthony #Samuel Grayson #Azol #Azment #Mitch Carson #Bahini Talibah #Gerome Montana #Axel Friedrich #Xaviera Lah-Mo #Akshay Lah-Mo #Decebal Avram Chirilă #Nadia Nikolina Chirilă #Alexander Chirilă #The Shadow #Andrei Kulokova #Amaria Kulokova

[shortyisweird9]

'Lonely ghost serie'

Chek and heartache- part III

Tw⚠️:swearing, referring of dark themes such as suicide attempt and mental illness.

The morning rays hit your eyes gently, tangible by their warmth,as you forced yourself from another dream of nothing but blank.

You groaned as your cat,Didi, comes running towards you: purring, meowing and chirping in pure happiness. You knew the reason she does this; your previous cat, Martha or Dildo- your roommate Sergiu called her that because of her dickish attitude with him- used to do this everytime so the little one, Didi, just followed her mother's lead.

Everytime she does that is like a small needle stabs at your heart especially when just 2 weeks passed since Martha died of old age- the black cat was adopted when she was senior, abused and malnourished, your heart knew you couldn't leave her to be laid to rest like a nothing. You adopted her, she bit you and you petted her, she hissed you hugged her, you did everything you could think of to show love even brush her fur with a wet toothbrush end to mimic sweet kisses coming from her mom. The cat soon realized that and started living again. Cautious of your other 3 roommates, cuddly with you.

Anyway, you got sidetracked with reminiscing. You heard your friends in the kitchen, Sabrina throwing away the take out boxes and Sergiu preparing some tea, probably to calm his stomach after all the spicy curry he ate last night.

You fixed the oversized white t-shirt and pull the marine blue shorts out of your bottoms, Didi already waiting you by the door.

You all, Sabrina,Sergiu,Ace and you, live in a quaint apartment, turned from campus housing, right next to one of the malls of the city. It had two small bathrooms, a living room , three petite bedrooms ,a tiny kitchen, a rounded balcony and a hallway. It was much smaller than your family home but it was in a central zone where your family home was outside the city's boundaries. You chose it not only because you wanted to spare your family from driving you to university but also because you needed your freedom, your space. Your parents were very understanding of that.

-Y/n e trează? ( "Is Y/n awake?") Ace asked as he sipped on his black cofee.

Without, he would pretty much be a grumpy hedgehog with spiky tealish mohawk. And who wouldn't love that?

-Nu încă, ah! Uite-o! ("Not yet,ah! There she is") Sabrina exclaimed, getting up to hug you and leaving the smoking tea cup by the window.

"Hello." You said ,voice grungy and eyes shut from the light.

You felt the warm hands of your Arabic friend on your face filled with moles and couple of marks from recently popped pimples, you let yourself be engrossed into it ,the touch starvation you carry like a cross chosing for you.

You hear her laugh, she always had a pretty laugh and a prettier smile . She was the beauty of the group, with big puffy sand yellow curls, brown skin with red undertones and black eyes who glow in pure happiness. She was stunning and a sweetheart with an obsession on the colour red and butterflies.

"Someone is needy." Ace teased.

"Shut up or I will staple those hair triangles on your scalp. "

You wanted to say something better but Sabrina then started massaging your lower face in a circular manner with her thumb. You knew you couldn't do anything anymore except melt.

-Anyway ,unde e Sergiu? ("Anyway, where is Sergiu?")

-Ți-o făcut ceai, cane e pervaz. S-o dus până sus să o ajute pe Florentina.("He made you tea, the cup is on the windowsill. He went upstairs to help Florentina.") He said, taking another sip of his cup.

-Ooooh, Florentina. You two began as Ace shook his head in amusement.

You and Sabrina were known to be ruthless in your teasing of the guitarist with long brown locks and beard.

Florentina was a crush of his, a freshman in the University of Arts who played the violin beautifully. Small,with olive skin, long red hair keept in a 1960s hairstyle and green petite with a triangular shaped face. She was a sweetie with a love for fantasy book ,autumn and ferrets.

-Oh, yeah?

-Dup, iubitul ei se mută cu ea. ("Yup, her boyfriend moves in with her")

-Oh.

Ace sucked in his lip ,his face filled with disappointment just like theirs now.

-That sucks.

-Numai spune,Sabrina.("You don't say,Sabrina")

Just then, the door clicked shut. Sergiu is back, this will be awkward.

-Ce vă uitați așa la mine?("Why are you looking at me like that?")

Neither of them could properly looked into the warm brown eyes of the man whose glow seemed to fade a bit, Sergiu was a stubborn man who shut his feelings deep inside, only through his song you could tell he was suffering. Just like you, I suppose.

-Am auzit...("We heard...")

You bit your lips as your long fingers played with each other, twisting and tugging while your nerves grew. Last thing you wanted was another fight where you all force the man to open up. He had suicidal tendencies, sometimes he came too close to actually do it but you were there and you needed to be there now too, even if he doesn't like being taking care of.

Sergiu rolled his eyes at you, his heart hurt from how rigid your posture was, eyes were worried about him but also scared, teeth grinding themselves not out of anger but out of care and fear.

He knew you hated arguments and shouts with dying passion. You always cried when someone raised their voice in less than friendly manner, you hated this reaction of complete terror, you hated looking weak but now you hated letting your friend burn himself because of an unfortunate love triangle. So you swallowed your nerves and braved on, it's about him ,not you.

Sergiu wanted to protect you all from this negativity, especially you and Ace. You had a big event to organise , Ace's sex reassignment surgery is coming up soon. You both have your own problems to dwell ,you didn't need to have him as one too.

However somewhere in his head, a voice telling him that he was wrong ,that voice that took the shape of you in the night of July.

You were crying, your grey hoodie wet from the rain as you cling desperately to him, not daring to move.

He was the reason why you crying, why you yelled profanities our of worry for what he was about to do. He...He tried to throw himself off a bridge ,the same bridge you two first shared your kiss.

That dark episode still irked your minds in the darker moments, late in the night nothing but your mind to keep you company and that's torture in itself.

You thought you could help him, change whatever hurts him and make it go away. That was your biggest mistake, you can't change a person that's not your duty , your duty was to support them through tough times and help them see the light at the end of the dark tunnel. A duty you solemnly swore to uphold even if he didn't liked you to. There's no fucking way you let him do that again,not if you can be there for him. Like he was always there for you, your big guardian with a guitar that spews flames in shape of songs.

-Y/n..

-Te rog, Sergiu. Nu ascunde. ("Please, Sergiu. Don't hide.")

Your eyes were desperate for him to talk it out in any shape or form. They implore for him to vent, to not hid between fake lies like " I am okay" or "I'm fine."

-Bine,bine. Tu ești șefa. ("Fine,fine. You're the boss.")

————————————————————

They talked and talked and cried and laughed and cried again. A never ending circle of venting ,small earthquakes which instead of fracturing the friendship , it onlyakes it stronger as it should.

-Te simți mai bine?("You feeling better?") Your voice ran timidly on the top of your apartment building, watching over the brutalist styled architecture.

-Un pic, doare știi dar asta îmi arată cât de îndrăgostit sunt de ea. Iubirea adevărată pentru mine nu se referă doar la a iubi doar dacă te iubește reciproc, nu , să iubești fără să forțezi persoană să te iubească înapoi. Să îi porți de grijă, să o protejezi, să o ajuți fără să fi un egoist, fără să te aștepți să fi iubit înapoi. ("A little, it hurts you know but this shows how much I love her. True love for me doesn't mean to love just so they will love you back, no, to love someone without forcing them to love you back. To care for them, to protect them, to help them without being an egotistic, to love without expecting to be loved back.")

-Poetic.

He laughed at that , starring at the setting sun ,his lit cigar forgotten fumed between his painted fingers. His hair blown gently by the wind , he looked like a masterpiece.

-Scuze..pentru tot.("Sorry...for everything. ")

-N-ai de ce. Mi-ai făcut chec până la urmă așa că balanța eternă este restabilită.("You don't have a reason to be. You made me chek in the end and thus the eternal balance is restored.") You joked, munching quietly on the piece of cake, his jacket keeping you warm.

-Haha. Cine ar fi crezut că checul are fi o gustare bună când îți dai vent.("Haha. Who would have thought that chek will be a good snack when you vent.")

Indeed, who would have thought of that but one who cried in the sore days filled with heart ache.

————————————————————

Hey,guys!💖

Hope you like the third part of the serie, I wanted to focus on "your life" and your friends backgrounds this time. The translations are not 100% word to word but enought to give you context.

Anyway, I hope you like it. Stay safe!

Tagged 💗💗:@moolujk @gaysludge @simonsbluee @yoyoanaria @cherry-piee @magenta-skyline @yikesyikesyikes95

#corpse husband x reader #fanfic #hopefully not cringy #lonely ghost serie

[slashingdisneypasta]

I can't believe I'm actualy going to ask for this but, I wanna know Slender brothers reactions when one of the other creeps (or even the other brothers) tease him for his crush on the reader who happens to walks by at moment and hear everything? If you write for them and want to write this of course

Here you go! I hope you like it! Sooooooorrrry its taken so long ): 

~~~

Splenderman:

·         Splender cares not for ‘teasing’? Pft. What are you talking about! He’s a centuries old eldritch being who basically feeds off of the happiness around and inside him- you don’t think he’d have learnt not to be bothered by most words by now? (I say ‘most’, because words said by his brothers that ring with truth still, of course, hurt and push him to change and improve).

·         But, Slender is still irritating when he’s persistent. And Slender is always persistent. Stubborn bastard. Especially when he has a goal in mind- which is to get you and Splender out of his home because you’ve both been here for 3 months non-stop, beating around the bush with each other and not just coming out with your feelings and Slender is going to get you out of his house even if it means playing cupid *Disgust audible on ‘cupid’*.

·         Splender is aware of this ulterior motive to Slender trying to get him to confess… its just not enough. Splender never confesses feelings first to mortals, although he really wants to. He wants you to come to your own conclusions first because he doesn’t like the power imbalance involved in him taking the reins in a romantic relationship between you, a mortal, and him, an omnipotent immortal being. (Side note: He will absolutely never, ever, in a million years read your mind, either. Absolutely not)

·         They’re in one of the many hallways in the mansion and you’re walking through the kitchen on your way to the living room which will lead to this particular hallways, when everything goes to hell (Or heaven, depending on how you feel XD). “I can’t, Slender.”

·         Quickly, out loud and out right, Slender says. “You’ll never know how bleeding irritating your sense of morality is to me Splender.”

·         “Hm, what?” Splender hadn’t quite heard what he said because he had to quickly catch a book that had slipped off his pile, as he was busy carrying some books down the hallway (Towards the Livingroom doorway) to the archive room down the hall as his little brother badgered him.

·         “I said I hate your moral compass.”

·         “Ah, what’s new?”

·         Slender, for a moment, stops talking. Doesn’t have a quip ready yet then, Splender thinks. Must be thinking of a new angle to persuade me with.

·         Really he’s sensed your approach to the living room door, just as they are, and is waiting for the appropriate moment to be am evil little shit. “Ah, mind blip. What were we talking about again?”

·         Splender reads the cover of the book he saved from the floor absentmindedly. “My ‘Complete idiocy in staying in your home, that I helped to build in the first place, as I wait for lovely Y/N to confess to me so I can confess back and not force her into a relationship with our power imbalance, which is bothering you, King of The World Slenderman, for but a couple months of your immortal life’? I think that’s how you put it- I mean, I could have added some things but- “

·         “Oh, good afternoon Y/N. Finally. You’re here.” Slender greets you, standing now in the living room doorway as they stand, like, 2 feet from it. Definitely not far enough away that you didn’t hear all that. “You heard. That’s wonderful. Bye, then. I expect you both out by the morning- if I do see you then, you’re on your own for breakfast you squatters.”

·         Then Slender disappears and you and Splender are left standing shocked in the hallway.

·         “Umm… “Splender wonders what he could say, being cautious as he slowly lowers the books from his face. “Dear, we should talk.”

·         You grin. “Come on, hand me some of those books and we’ll talk while we put them away.”

Offenderman:

·         Look, Offender can handle teasing. All the Slender’s can (Except for Slender, haha), but Offender especially doesn’t mind it because he has total confidence in how, uh, disturbing he is and his ability to scare people off. Especially, he thought prior to this day, little scrawny oven fried teenagers.

·         But apparently, he had overestimated his capability with this particular pest.

·         Offender had come to Slender mansion today to rest up because no place is quite as uneventful and as such, good for rehabilitation as his brothers home (And also, you’re here so that’s obviously a factor) is, but Jeff had been catching him every time they were anywhere near each other with a quip or a chortle about his obvious feelings for you.

·         I mean, of course they were obvious (To everyone but you, clearly). He flirts with you heavily, and yet has never made a proper, serious -unwarranted, - advance towards your person. He always saves a seat for you if he knows you’ll be around, and he’s been around the mansion far more often then he used to be. So, yeah, it was obvious. Offender wasn’t trying to hide it- in fact he wanted you to know. But somehow you hadn’t picked up on the hints?

·         Jeff had, though. And, also, everyone else who has visited the mansion at any time that you and Offender are there as well. But Jeff is the only one posing a problem at the moment.

·         He just thought it was so funny, that Offender had found a person he actually liked, and who caused him to hesitate about hurting (The first time he met you, and he intended to hurt you he hesitated. And that is how he realised he had a crush), and Jeff would just not let that slide.

·         Offender had brushed him off and snapped back at him in his casual, yet very very threatening style enough today.

·         So now Jeff had to be really dealt with.

·         “Look, ugly child, in my experience a boy only spends this much energy on someone if he likes them. So, unless you want to prove your worthiness to me in a more private setting- I’d give it a rest!”

·         And that moment, in which Offender has cornered a Jeff The Killer who is now reconsidering his actions today in the shadow of the Sexual Offenderman, is the one you walk into.

·         Jeff and Offender spot you at the same time and as Offender’s wondering how he can twist this into him not actually threatening to rape Jeff, Jeff’s panicked pea brain goes a completely different direction to what his cunning (Yes, I promise you, when he isn’t panicked because a Slender Brother is hovering over him, he can in fact be smart) ass would have done in another position, and points to Offender and exclaims- “He’s in love with you!”

·         Offender stops- Well, actually, thank you Jeff, that’s actually helpful. You might actually hear it, now. But he is still frustrated by the boy so he turns away from him and just growls, “You’re excused, thank you for your service Jeff.” *And in Jeff’s head: And wish on your lucky star that I don’t visit you when you’re sleeping tonight. You’ll learn it’s not so funny to badger an eldritch monster. *

·         (Don’t worry, he doesn’t plan to visit Jeff at all. His focus is on you now)

·         Jeff BOOKS IT, anyway. Cuz he doesn’t know that!  

·         Now that it’s just you two, and he has sufficiently scared Jeff shitless, Offender brightens again. “Y/N!~ I think it’s a good idea that we have a sit down together and talk about this, yeah?”

·         *Cue Offender manipulating you through acting like a nice, level headed guy who just wants ya’ll to have tea together, into sitting with him and so he can charm you, now that he knows you actually understand his feelings*

Trenderman:

·         Zalgo is bored. And when Zalgo is bored, the Slender brothers end up getting bothered. It’s usually Splender or Slender (Mostly Slender) and almost never Trender, but Zalgo is happy to work with this.

·         There are two reasons Zalgo never gets to annoy Trender. 1. Trender is usually very levelheaded, and as such, is the least fun to play with. Zalgo can ordinarily, never find a good angle. And reason 2 is a result of the first reason: Being that he never has anything going on that can be picked on.

·         But… now, Zalgo knows about a little crush that Trender has! And as such, he can finally finish his collection of annoying the Slender Brothers. So yay for Zalgo!

·         Not so yay for Trender.

·         “Zalgo, I’m really busy, so let’s get straight to the point. We’ve never had any sort of relationship, so, and take this with the most sensitivity- why are you here??”

·         “Ooh, so authoritive and formal. Just like Slender- tell me, Slender’s older brother, why haven’t we had a relationship?”  

·         “Can I pay you to leave?”

·         “Oh right! You would rather Y/N think you’re hot. I wouldn’t worry, I’m sure they do. Don’t worry, you have Slender’s formality, Offender’s shoulders and Splender’s approachability, “Chef kiss. “Perfection!”

·         Trender’s mouth rips open and he forces a natural growl out. He hates being compared to his brothers. He is not a cocktail of his brothers; he is nothing more and nothing less then himself.  “You deeply offend me. You’re whole being does.”

·         “That’s what I go for!”

·         “Anyway- “

·         “Anyway,” Zalgo mimicks Trender here, getting a deep sigh from Trender in response. Chuckling, Zalgo, straightens himself and speaks again in his normal voice. “So you do like Y/N, right? I’m not way off?”

·         Trender, mid wiping down his face halts, then turns to look at Zalgo. “Wait- That was the point of this conversation!?”

·         “Yeah! Wasn’t that clear?”

·         “No!” Trender exclaims, outraged. He thought Zalgo was just mindlessly antagonising him- that sure is what it felt like!

·         “Well, haha, mate. You were way off, then!”

·         “Agh, YES! I like Y/N! Wouldja go, now?”

·         “Certainly!” And, with one last giggle, he does. Walking down the hall to Slender’s office. He sends finger guns and winks to someone hidden in one of the rooms he passes. “Oh hey Y/N, see ya later! I’m sure you have lots to talk with Trender about!”

·         “Uh… yeah… “ You, left standing in the doorway to your room as you were about to leave it and go get something to eat when Trender yelled at Zalgo that he liked you, turn down the hall to a very still, very surprised Trender. You raise your eyebrows.

·         “Oh… of course.” Trender drops his arms to his sides and zips his mouth shut again.

Slenderman:

·         “Toby… “Slender says the words slowly, nearly whining in frustration as he just wishes his proxy would leave him alone about you. Alas, Slender had made a mistake and given Toby the duties that revolve around being close to their boss all day, like a moron, and now he was stuck with him.

·         And it’s not like Toby is teasing his boss. No! He’s but… questioning him.

·         Interrogating him.

·         But in the friendliest way possible!... Which just so happens to annoy Slender even more.

·         “So, you don’t like them?? Yes? No? Maybe? ‘Its Complicated’? Do they scare you? Do you know anything about them? Have you told your brothers? I mean, I wouldn’t. You might though, they are you brothers and you trust them, right? RiGHt? Uh well… on second thoughts, maybe you don’t. You’re a lil bit of a locked shell you know boss? You should confide in someone more! You’d feel way more chill. I confide in Masky or Clocky! Masky only with gross things like this mole I have on my butt- He hates it. I also talk to Hoodie! But I feel like he tells everything to Masky, he’s a bit untrustworthy. A bit off, I dunno. Scares me- OH maybe that person that you can confide in, sir, can be Y/N!”  

·         “Toby!”

·         “Yes boss?!”

·         “Calm yourself!”

·         “Yes boss!!”

·         “I need to stop hiring rando’s off the street… “Slender mutters to himself, continuing down the hallways even grumpier than usual. “Next time I need to pick up an accountant or a lawyer or something… Absolutely no more waffle crazy arsonists. “

·         “What was that sir?”

·         “I was just pondering where I should bury you after I get your replacement trained.”

·         “Ah, right sir! I always liked that bit of earth down by the lake- not too cold, not too warm, no bears nearby… “

·         Slender groans, turning and entering into the living room and going for the kitchen. He needs a cup of tea desperately.

·         “Toby, new rule. No more talking about my ALLEGED feelings for Y/N, got it? Punishment is death.”

·         “I wont need to sir.”

·         Immediate suspicion fills Slender’s chest. Toby… wont… need to talk about it? Why? “Why is that, Toby?”

·         “She’s sitting on the couch, sir.”

·         Slender has never whipped around so fast. But once he has, he definitely feels the need to do it faster, again, and run off somewhere but he restrains himself.

·         There you are, bundled in a blanket on the couch like a caterpillar sitting up the remote and some of your fingers peaking out from the face hole (The struggle of turning on the TV when you’re bundled up in the blanket, aghh). Your eyes are wide, as anyone’s would be after hearing the Slenderman hint that he has feelings for you.

·         It’s a very awkward moment. You, a caterpillar, Slender, a mute, and Toby looking between the two of you expectantly waiting for something to happen.

·         … Before Slender teleports away without a word.

[starrysupercell]

This is a request from over on AO3, where I'm sharing my works there too. I'll be alternating between the requests, as there's a list on both sides now. This user requested Edgar and Colette, with a surprise theme!

And it might be the new thing... where I get too carried away and just write a full set up for a story, lmao. But here we go!

~🧣~Darker Interests ~❣~

Edgar leaned back in his chair, bored out of his mind. The graveyard shift was quiet, which he usually had no qualms with, but his phone had died around half an hour ago, so he couldn't even entertain himself for the last leg of his shift.

Actually focusing on work? As if.

The little bell above the door rung, and he shifted from leaning back to slumping forward on the counter, holding his head up in his hand. "Welcome," he half-heartedly greeted.

The customer grinned widely. "Hiya!" She said, waving very excitedly.

Edgar gave her a look. Who greets people like that?

The girl broke into fits of giggles, and her only visible eye darted around, clutching a book to her chest. She had white hair that covered one eye, and a very odd sense of style. Her shirt's sleeves were so long they covered her hands.

"Oh, a corner store. Very nice." She said, slipping behind an aisle.

'I wonder what she's on,' Edgar wondered. He looked back down. Whatever. It wasn't really his job to care about the customers. Just a couple more hours until morning shift gets here...

A few minutes later, he heard some sirens from down the street and casually glanced out the glass door. 'I guess I'll read about that in the morning.'

The girl was pressed against the window, looking at the flashing lights. She peeled herself away from the glass and came up to the counter. Her arms were full of cheesy chips, sweets, beef jerky and drinks.

'Weed, huh?' Edgar thought as he began to scan the items. 'She doesn't reek of it though.'

"That'll be 16.73." Edgar told her.

She reached into her pocket, and then frowned. She looked down to her book. "You were supposed to..." and shook her head.

The girl smiled at him. "Well, I forgot to bring the money." She explained sheepishly, "Is there any way you'd be interested in a deal?"

"Uhh.... Cash or card only." Edgar said, feeling uncomfortable.

"I'm not that type." She shook her head. "Two favors, of your choice! Haha, eight dollars for one! What a steal!" She laughed before refocusing. "So how about it, Edgar?"

"Sure, yeah. Okay. A deal." The worker said. "Let me just bag these for you." Edgar said, completing that as quickly as he could.

The white-haired girl grinned. "Thanks! I've been wanting to try these."

Edgar pushed the bag towards her. "There you go. Have... a night."

"Bye-Bye, Edgar!" She waved, walking to the door. The bell rung, and the door closed.

Edgar exhaled. God, the worst night to forget his charger at home. He cancelled the order on the register and decided to make a note to the manager on what was lost.

There was no way that he was gonna try to argue with that lunatic. What were they gonna do, fire him? He was the only one who wanted to work night shift.

Edgar grabbed a piece of paper from the printer, and a pen near the cash register to write the note. He was halfway done when he suddenly realized something and froze. His gaze trailed back towards the register.

His name tag he never bothered to put on that night laid right beside it.

That.... girl somehow knew him!? A stalker? How did a psycho druggie find out about him? His heart beat fast as a million things raced through his mind. Should he close? Call the cops? Quit? Change his name? Move away far from here?

The door swung open, "You know what I forgot to tell you?" The bell ring wildly.

Edgar yelped and jumped at the sudden question. She walked in, munching on alternating bites of cookies and chips as she made her way to the counter again. "My name! Can you believe it? How would you have summoned me?" She laughed.

"Y-your....?" Edgar began to calm down some. She didn't seem like a threat, really. Maybe some oddball girl who went to his school he never noticed before. "How did you get my name?"

"Hm? Well... it wasn't hard to get it. It's all over you. A cry for validation." She said.

"Validation?" Edgar echoed in confusion. "What are you?"

It was the girl's turn to frown. "Whaaat? Are you serious?"

"Um, yeah, that's why I'm asking." Edgar said, annoyed but still cautious. "It'd be kinda crappy if I had a stalker."

"I'm no stalker. I'm a demon!" The girl stomped her foot. "And you didn't know!? What kind of weirdo makes a deal with people like that?"

"The kind who tries to get safely rid of potential murderers." Edgar defended himself. "You know you looked crazy, right?"

The girl didn't know what to say right away, she made an odd face. "Okay, well... no I didn't. Anyway!" She exclaimed. "Even if you are the weird one here, you still get two favors. When you want to cash in, just call my name."

Edgar looked skeptical. "And what is your name?"

She grinned now. "Colette!"

"So.. just say that?" He asked, "And you'll appear?"

"Yup! Those are the rules. Make sure you don't call me for anything boring. This is my first deal, you know!"

"Okay. 'Demon girl.' I'll keep that in mind." Edgar said.

"... I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't believe me, am I right?" She asked suspiciously.

"Wow, what was your first clue?" Edgar asked flatly. "You have to admit. It's hard to believe with the way you've been acting. Aren't demons supposed to be cool?"

Colette smiled. "Cool, huh? You think so? Alright..." She put her bag down on the ground, then slammed her hands on the counter. "I'll show you cool."

She stared straight into Edgar's eyes, a mischievous grin playing at her lips now. A red hue began to crawl across her face, starting from the edges. Her toothy grin sharpened.

Edgar blinked. 'Either I'm having a really vivid dream or I'm about to die right now."

The color of her eyes seeped to yellow with red pupils. Horns emerged from her head, and a tail emerged into a view. Lastly, the book she held sprouted wings and flapped next to her, a green eye staring down the night worker.

"There!" She said, leaning heavily against the counter now. Her tail flicked. "Demon enough for you?"

So demons were real and he had just insulted one that could probably kill him on the spot. "Ah, fuck." Edgar said. "Did I trade my soul away for two favors?"

Colette giggled. "No, it was for the snacks! Remember?" She held a finger up to her mouth. "Although, maybe we can talk about your soul later since you just agree to deals like it's nothing!"

"That's because I saw you as a nutjob, remember?" Edgar snarked.

Colette shrugged. "Anyway, I've got to go. This was supposed to be a quick visit, and I've already spent longer here than I planned." She scooped up the bag, and held her arm out. Her little devilish book landed in the crook of her arm. "See you when you decide you need me, Edgar~" she smiled.

A cloud of smoke puffed everywhere, and she was gone. Edgar felt... dazed about the whole ordeal. Apparently Demons were real. What about Angels?

Edgar looked up and over to the camera in the back right corner of the store. The black camera was always recording.

"Oh...Do demons have to stay secret to humans?..." he muttered to himself. That could be a problem later, but he shrugged. He wasn't gonna call her to probably waste one of his two favors already. He just wanted his shift to be over.

#Colette #Edgar #Brawl Stars #Trixie Colette #Demon AU #My writings

[gyakutengagotoku]

GS4 vs AJ:AA - Turnabout Successor, Part 3

Hey, guys, I’m back. It just had to take the announcement of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles to bring me back into the AA fandom and back to work on this blog. No big.

I’ve gone back to add a few more entries to the last project update too (at least the lack of updates makes it easier to find those posts), so please check it out if you’d like. Now, I can finally move on into the infamous flashback case of this game.

Since this is a bit of a shorter one, I think I can get in the next part shortly before the end of tonight (I’m on PST), so look forward to that too! I’ll split up the posts ‘cause they’d be a bit long together.

--

> Phoenix Wright's case 7 years ago

> Court Lobby

<???> あ、パパ！　おはよう！ Ooh! Morning, Daddy!

<Enigmar> おお。よく来てくれたな。 Ah, I'm so glad you came.

<???> パパ‥‥大丈夫？ いじめられてない？ You OK, Daddy? They picking on you?

<Enigmar> はっはっはっはっはっはっ。 モチロン、大丈夫さ。 Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I am fine, as always.

今日はね。このオジちゃんが、 パパを助けてくれるからね。 This old boy is here to help me, after all.

<Phoenix> （“おニイちゃん”だけどね） (That's "young man" to you.)

Note: Shadi Enigmar = Nanafushi Kagerou (last, first)

He calls him "ojichan" and Naruhodo corrects him with "onichan".

> Courtroom

<Judge> それでは、これより奈々伏　影郎の 法廷を開廷します。 Court is now in session for the trial of Shadi Enigmar.

<Phoenix> 弁護側、準備完了しております。 The defense is ready, Your Honor.

<???> ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ ......

<Judge> 検察側。どうかしましたかな？ Is the prosecution ready?

<???> ‥‥いやあ。 こんなものか、って思ってさ。 I was just thinking, is this what all the fuss is about?

ちょっと、ガッカリしてたトコ。 Bit of a buzz-kill, really.

<Judge> “こんなもの”‥‥？ "Buzz-kill"...? Is this some new kind of crime?

<???> 《サイバン》っていうから、 もっとこう‥‥ One of the worst. This is a trial, ja?

ハートにビリビリ 来るかと思ってたのにさ。 Where are the sweaty palms? The pounding hearts?

これなら、ガリューウエーブのギグ のほうが、よっぽどスリリングだね。 A Gavinners concert's got ten times the thrill this gig's got.

As expected, the judge isn't that dumb in the original script. Kyouya here expresses a bit of disdain for "this kind of thing" and the judge asks what he means.

>

<Judge> あの‥‥あなたは‥‥？ Who... were you, again?

<Klavier> 牙琉　響也（がりゅうきょうや）。 Klavier. Klavier Gavin.

法廷をアツくするために 来たオトコだよ。 I came... to get the party started. Legally, ja?

<Judge> あなたが、あの。 牙琉　霧人弁護士の‥‥？ Gavin? Defense Attorney Kristoph Gavin's...?

<Klavier> やれやれ‥‥こっちの世界じゃ、 アニキの方が有名、か。 Ah, figures my bro's more famous in this part of town.

"Let's get the party started" reference, GET!

>

<Phoenix> （牙琉　響也‥‥か） (Klavier Gavin...)

（デビューと同時に大ブレイクを 　果たした、超人気ロックバンド） (Lead singer for the megahit band, the Gavinners.)

（《ガリューウエーブ》のボーカル。 　場ちがいなボウヤだな‥‥） (You're out of your league, rock-boy.)

<Klavier> “場ちがいなボウヤ”‥‥おおかた、 そんなふうに思ってるんだろ？ I know what you're thinking: "You're out of your league, rock-boy."

<Phoenix> ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ ......

<Klavier> デビュー曲《恋の禁固刑・１３年》 が、いきなりミリオンセラー‥‥ True, my debut single, "13 Years Hard Time for Love", went platinum overnight...

そっちが遊びなんだ。 ぼくにとっては。 ...but that's just a hobby to me compared to this, ja?

<Phoenix> ‥‥よくしゃべる検事さんだ。 ...Talkative, aren't you? I like your affected Euro-rock accent, by the way.

<Klavier> いずれ、わかるよ。 ‥‥成歩堂弁護士さん。 I'm just getting warmed up, Herr Attorney Wright.

Sad to say, Naruhodo doesn't comment on any "American" or foreign accent he may have. Interestingly, his voice actor in all the promotional materials does speak with a distinct style that easily distinguishes him from his fellow Japanese, even if it isn't a different accent or dialect. It's a very subtle difference in how he intonates, I think. (If anything it's all the more disappointing that the US locale team didn't bring in a voice actor with a "Euro-rock" accent for Klavier in DD. They're the ones who came up with it! Maybe just couldn't get someone else for some reason?)

> Enter 1st Witness

<Klavier> ‥‥で。ダレ？　きみ。 ...And you are?

<Gumshoe> ‥‥そういう聞き方をされたのは 初めてッス。 Hey, you were the one who called me up here... sir.

自分は、糸鋸　圭介 （いとのこぎりけいすけ）ッス。 Name's Dick Gumshoe.

所轄署の、殺人事件の 捜査を担当する刑事ッス。 I'm a homicide detective down at the precinct.

Haha, it's one of those things that can't be translated well, but Kyouya speaks to the detective in a way that reminds me of how stereotypical celebs talk down to their backstage staff. So Itonoko comments about how "This is the first time anyone's called on me like that."

>

<Gumshoe> とにかく。引退した天斎は、 ここ１年、入院していたッス。 Anyhow, the retired Magnifi's been in the hospital for the last year.

なんというか、ええと。 Hmm, what was it?

か‥‥“カンゾーにテンイ”した ‥‥その。 A mall-ignorant tutor or something.

あ。“アクセーシュヨー”に‥‥ ええと。“ナントカ”まれて。 Doing something to his liver, I think. Yeah.

<Judge> “むしばまれて”でしょう。 A "malignant tumor", perhaps?

<Klavier> “悪性腫瘍”‥‥つまり、 ガン、だね。わかりやすくいえば。 In other words, he had liver cancer.

どうやら、余命３ケ月‥‥ といったところだったらしいけど。 He had only three months left to live, in fact.

Aw, Itonoko trying to speak in scientific terms feels like a kid trying to learn words. He ends it with "something-marete" as if trying to cite the doctor, so the judge corrects him with "Was it spoiled, perhaps?" By that, I mean that it was adversely affected.

>

<Judge> ふむう‥‥ Hmm...

たしかに、事実関係は シンプルかもしれませんが‥‥ The facts do seem simple enough.

なんとなく、スッキリしませんな。 But... something's not right.

<Klavier> ‥‥ほんの３ケ月ほど待っていれば、 被害者は、天に召される運命だった。 ...The victim was already climbing a three-month stairway to heaven.

‥‥なぜ、それを待たず、 “射殺”したのか？ ...Why not wait for him to knock-knock-knock on heaven's door? Why shoot him?

<Phoenix> （そうなんだよな‥‥こういう 　言い方も、アレだけど） (I wouldn't have put it quite so lyrically, but it's true.)

"Stairway to Heaven" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" references, GET!

In JP, Kyouya also puts it rather poetically, and Naruhodo comments on how the way he says it is a bit "out there".

> 1st Witness Testimony, press 3rd statement

> Check photo presented, select "shot something else", point to clown doll

> Press new statement (6th)

<Phoenix> そのヒタイ‥‥“ピエロの人形” だったのかもしれません。 But... it might have been the clown's forehead he shot.

<Gumshoe> ピエロで練習してみてから、 被害者も撃ったかもしれないッス！ OK, so he practiced first on the doll, then shot him!

<Phoenix> 夜の病院‥‥いつ、だれが来るかも わからないのに、練習を‥‥？ He "practiced" in the middle of the hospital? Anyone could have come in at any moment!

<Gumshoe> でも。ジッサイは、ダレも 来なかったワケッスから。 Yeah, but no one did come, did they, pal?

自分のモットーは 《イシバシを叩いてコワす》ッス！ Besides, it's what I woulda done. "Always look before you shoot," I say.

In JP, his motto is the old Japanese idiom of knocking on a bridge before crossing it; aka be super cautious. The way it's written in English here, though, makes it sound like "Oh, yeah, I'd practice shooting in a hospital."

> Press 4th statement

<Gumshoe> はああ。あいかわらず、なーんにも 知らないッスね。アンタは。 What pile of sand has your head been stuck in all this time, pal?

《ザックとバランの早撃ち》 ッスよ！ You never heard of "Zak & Valant's Quick-Draw Shootem"?

<Phoenix> なんですか？　それ。 Huh? What's that?

<Gumshoe> 被告人の得意芸ッス。 One of the defendant's specialties.

真ん中に、女の子をはさんで ザックとバランが撃ち合うッス！ Zak and Valant stand on either side of a girl!

すると、フシギッ！ Then, they shoot!

魔法の弾丸は、 女の子をスルリと通りぬけて‥‥ But the bullets don't hit her!

ステージの上のあらゆるモノを 撃ちぬくッス！ Instead, they hit everything else on stage!!!

そのとき、ステージで使われて いたのが、このピストルッス。 This was one of the pistols they used in their show.

トクベツなデザインで、 チビっ子に大人気だったッス。 Got a great design, huh? The kids love it.

<Klavier> コイツにあこがれて、警察官を めざした少年少女も多かったとか。 Many boys and girls joined the police because of that pistol, I hear.

<Phoenix> （なんだよ、“とか”って‥‥） (You know, that would explain a lot about the police force.)

In the source, it goes more like:

Kyouya: "Like how many boys and girls joined the police because of it." Naruhodo: "(What do you mean "Like how"...?)"

> Press 5th statement, acquire pistol

> Present pistol at 6th statement

<Phoenix> ピストルの弾丸は、 カンタンには手に入らない。 Oh? Where did he get the extra bullet? They're not so easy to come by, you know.

被告人が“用意した”と 主張するのならば‥‥ If you claim the defendant "had one ready"...

その入手経路の 立証を要求します！ ...then prove to us how he got it!

<Klavier> ぐっ‥‥！ Urk...!

‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ クッ‥‥クックックッ‥‥ ...... Heh... Ha ha ha...

さすがに、これで決まっちゃあ 盛り上がらないからね。 I had a feeling this wasn't over yet.

それに、ぼくにしてもね。 このまま終わったら‥‥ No... this party's just getting started.

ただのチャラチャラした お調子者のニイちゃんだし。 And I haven't proven anything yet, beyond my good looks, and startling record sales.

<Phoenix> （自覚してたのか‥‥） (And utter lack of humility.)

Kyouya: "Figures, it wouldn't be exciting if it just ended here. Besides, I can't let it end like that... Or I'd just be some jangly sucker who rides off on praise." Naruhodo: "(At least he admits it...)"

--

Catch you all later in the next one.

#gsvsaa #gs4 #ajaa #turnabout successor #part 3

[teeztheflag]

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Wolf!Ateez Reaction to another member hunting down their mate

trigger warning! ⚠️ strong language, suggestive, alcohol, violence, non con themes, non con marking, kidnapping, angst, mentions of rape, sexual harassment (don’t read if you’re uncomfortable with those topics)

a/n: please notice that this is not related to the other wolf!ateez reaction/s; I hope you like it anon 💋 although I changed this request a little bit like I always do 👀 and please, always keep my disclaimer in mind!

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k i m h o n g j o o n g

„alpha, I think they’re coming tonight...“ he concentrated on the papers in front of him and just let out a hm. he knew they would come... the only safe place for his mate was in his arms and the highest priority to keep you safe. as the luna of the pack everyone wanted to protect you.

the one desiring you a rebellious werewolf of a rival pack called choi jong ho. it wasn’t unusual some wolfs tried to steal away mates and especially lunas from other packs if they were said to be gorgeous and in good shape for giving strong pups.

unfortunately you were quite the catch and the still unmated wolf wanted to steal you away from hong joong. the fresher the bond was the higher the chance to complete a mating process with another wolf and hong joong feared for that so much ...

as the night came you were cuddled in hong joong‘s arms in your bed and slowly drifting off to sleep. hong joong tried to steady his breathing to not interrupt you but when howls could be heard he knew it was about to begin. you stirred in your sleep and the young alpha took you bridal style into a secret room under the house. you shot him a questioning look and he hushed you with a sweet kiss.

„stay here my love and don’t make a sound.“

with that he left the house and changed into his wolf to fight off the scum that wanted to take his precious mate. he arrived at the borders where werewolves already lunged at each other and started to fight the intruders. after a while they managed to overpower the rival pack but hong joong noticed something really bad... where was jong ho? pure horror filled his mind when he ran back to his mate as fast as he could but he already was too late...

the attack only intended to distract him so jong ho could get you... he had been so dumb! he plumped to the ground and cried into his hands... his beta put a hand on his shoulder and sighed.

„we will get her back... she’s our luna.“

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p a r k s e o n g h w a

seong hwa usually was a calm boy with good manners. he tried to avoid fights at all costs although he was well skilled but when you and the black wolf went to the annual mate festival of your region a mistake was made.

jung woo young decided to attend the festival, too. a young wolf that once trained with seong hwa back in an advanced camp for skilled fighters. seong hwa and woo young had quite the problematic relationship ship as the younger one loved to get on his nerves all the time. seong hwa didn’t really know why woo young hated him so much... but when he saw him being accompanied by some of his friends entering the area his grip around your waist automatically became stronger.

he tried to avoid the younger like a plague but eventually you had to go to the toilet some time and that’s when woo young took his chance. he ordered his friends to attack seong hwa and distract him so he could get you when you left the restrooms.

„what are you d-“ a cloth has been out over your nose and mouth and you fell unconscious at the scent that drifted off of it.

you awakened in a room handcuffed to a bed still dizzy and your wolf already scared and sick worried for your mate. „where’s seong hwa? where’s our mate, y/n?“

„so you’re awake, love“ a boy came through the door and emerged your form on the bed with confident steps.

„who are you?! and why am I here?“ you struggled and tried to shift but something stopped you from doing so.

„don’t even try. those are magical cuffs. I brought you here because I am going to make you mine.“ he smirked at you and crawled on top of you securing your hands above you with a tight grip. you tried to struggle out but he just laughed at you and neared your neck with his emerged fangs.

„this is going to hurt a little bit, well at least I‘ve heard that...“ you cried out loud when he left a deep dirty mark over your mate‘s one.

„s-seong hwa...”

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j e o n g y u n h o

jeong yun ho had everything... the looks, the popularity and the prettiest girl out of the pack. yeo sang could only scoff at the way he was holding hands with you at his birthday party and having this dumb grin on his face whenever you would say something or someone would compliment the two of you. he was sick of it.

how much he’d like to wipe that smirk off his face... if he just wouldn’t have you... maybe than he wouldn’t be so happy anymore.

„yeo sang? don’t you want your birthday present now?“ he flinched a little bit don’t realizing you were standing in front of him smiling so sweetly. oh how he loved you, you and him were the best friends until mr. lover came.

„do I?“ your eyebrows furrowed at his words not really getting his hostility.

„don’t be like this... come on! I want to show you something!“ you grabbed his hand and left the place with him to bring you two to your old favorite secret spot deep in the forest where a little pond was located. yeo sang couldn’t believe what he saw, you managed to put candles everywhere and prepared something like a picnic but with a bottle of tequila.

„why did you do that?“

„why not? it’s your birthday and I thought we could take a swim again; you know, like back when we were younger... and you looked pretty bored back at the party.“ you shyly fiddled with your fingers thinking it was a bad idea. yeo sang on the other hand found it really cute that you were thinking he didn’t appreciate your afford.

he smiled at you and started to get out of his shirt. you smirked at him and soon you were giggling and playing in the water. why couldn’t every day be like this again... or maybe it could be? after some time the playing turned into something more heated and you soon realized that your wolf wasn’t really into another man touching you at places he shouldn’t... you struggled out of his touch but yeo sang let his inner beast free and dragged you back to the land to crawl over you and leave marks all over your neck and breast while holding you still.

you being paralyzed tried to scream or cry but nothing came out, too shocked at yeo sang’s actions. suddenly yun ho ripped the boy off your body and back to the ground, growling so loud yeo sang changed into his wolf. yun ho felt that something was wrong and knowing where you wanted to bring yeo sang he decided to check and seeing the boy harassing you made his blood boil.

a fight began and yun ho definitely was a lot bigger than yeo sang and used this to win over the other wolf. finally yeo sang stopped and crawled back to a tree licking his wound.

„if you ever lay a finger on her again I won’t hesitate to snap you neck!“

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k a n g y e o s a n g

yeo sang usually has been a very cautious wolf and knew his mate was a beauty around the female wolves. you still being unmarked and not mated with yeo sang, yet, got flirting remarks here and there. his friends told him that there was a boy from the rival pack, where you originally belonged to, that was still after you. his name was jeong yun ho.

to his bad luck at a night out with your and his friends yun ho happened to be in the club, too. yeo sang didn’t know the guy that suddenly went to the dance floor wrapping his arm around your waist and whispering something into your ear. yeo sang trusted you and hoped you would get out of the situation on your own but when he saw you searching for him in the location his wolf told him he had to help you. he should mark his territory and only once not back up.

without realizing he stood up and emerged your forms on the dance floor. the atmosphere changed and people made space for you.

„haha, don’t tell me this is the fool you were leaving me for?“ yun ho placed his chin on the top of your shoulder and smirked provocatively at your mate.

„let go yun ho! he’s my mate!“

„yeah, but he didn’t even try to make this official... maybe he just doesn’t want you as much as me?“

„take your hands off her or I will make you.“

yeo sang’s friends and yun ho’s were gathering behind the boys ready to attack. although yeo sang was quite scared he felt the urge to be brave for you. yun ho let go of you and positioned you behind him.

„tell me, little boy... why didn’t you marked or mated with her yet? you aren’t man enough for her!“

„why do you think I have to rush those kind of things? not everyone’s a dick like you fucking around and thinking a bond can only be made by doing those things. what connects me and y/n is much deeper and I know you are someone who will never understand those kind of things...“

people whistled and howled at yeo sang’s words and girls swooned over the young wolf. yun ho‘s cocky attitude slipped. he wasn’t used to be put down like that only knowing one way to win a fight. before he could take a hold of himself the bodyguards of the club interrupted the scene and everyone went their own way again, you two deciding to leave.

yeo sang drove in silence and you took his one hand to put it into your lap.

„you know, I never knew you thought of our relationship like that... I really like it.“ yeo sang sensed you blushing beside him and his wolf felt proud at your words.

„it’s because I value you as the person I love and we are the only ones who make the rules for our relationship.“

you smiled at him, knowing you couldn’t get a better mate like kang yeo sang.

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c h o i s a n

hong joong knew he had to have you. a white wolf was considered to have best genes to bear strong pups. the first time he saw you he deeply fell in love... just when he planned to confess to you and make you his luna you found your mate, choi san. a dirty omega of your own pack. hong joong had been devastated... but he heard of a way to make you his and he decided he would do anything to get you.

„let go of me!“

„what’s wrong with her, why is she struggling so much? y/n? do you hear me? you’re safe now! kim hong joong kidnapped you but we managed to free you from his pack!“ jong ho didn’t know what was wrong with you but when he saw the look on san‘s face he knew his heart literally broke at the sight his mate acted like that.

„y/n, my love... don’t you recognize me? what did that bastard do to you?!“

„who - who the hell are you?!“

„me...? I am your mate, oh my god, what did they do...“ he stroked you face while they bondaged you to the wall in the dungeon not knowing how to cope with your fighting against them.

„you have to be delusional. I don’t know you and my mate is kim hong joong. now let me go!“

he stopped in his tracks and sadly watched you crying and being scared of his touch. san didn’t know what was going on... seong hwa entered the room overhearing the talking outside.

„I didn’t even know this was possible... but I think y/n’s under a spell. a strong spell to admit, possibly done by a witch.“

„what the fuck? how did they got a witch to do that?“

„I don’t know... but only a witch can heal her. we can rescue her but I won’t need to tell you that it’s going to be hell dangerous.“

„you know I would do anything for my mate!“ they both nodded at san and exchanged looks to leave him a little bit alone with you. you scoffed at the boy pretending to be your mate when he neared your form on the ground.

„don’t worry my love, I will find a way.“ his eyes watered at your bored stare...

hong joong was in his office looking over some notes when his beta opened the door.

„everything‘s going well. they have her but she doesn’t remember san.“ hong joong devilishly smirked at him and dismissed him with a swift wave of his hand.

soon you would be back in his bed and he could complete the marking and mating; a prestigious future awaitening the two of you.

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s o n g m i n g i

it wasn’t a secret the light and the shadow pack always had a big disput, maybe even linked to their contrary names... they always competed against each other; like the girls comparing who had the more prettier ones, the boys fighting against each other or alone the two alphas getting on each others’ nerves whenever there was a chance.

song min gi also participated in those horseplays and his favorite opponent from the rival pack was the beta park seong hwa. they always teased each other, hyping eachother up who could run faster, have more girls, win more fights, kill off more rogues and hunters... it all ended soon when min gi found his mate, y/l/n y/n. you found the antics your pack made silly and were quite shocked when you and min gi turned out to be mates, but he changed for you.

much to the displease of park seong hwa. he was literally bored, hearing from the omegas that min gi found his mate and didn’t want to compete with him anymore...

wolves were really prideful and always in for a strength measurement, it practically was anchored in their nature. as seong hwa was a boy who cared for nothing he decided he wanted his fun back, so he made a plan to kill you. having an angry min gi would mean he would feel the urge to fight against him again.

it was one night when you went for a run in the woods. you still were on your territory but far away from the zivilisation of your pack. seong hwa took his chance and attacked you. he managed to cut deep into your waist with his fangs and licked his blood smeared snout when you tried to limp into the direction of your home. you let out a loud howl in the hope someone heard you.

min gi instantly awakened knowing something was off. he changed into his wolf form and sped into the direction he could make out your scent. he mind-linked the guards who told him they were on their way.

„y/n? where are you?“

turning around another tree there were you. your fury neck between seong hwa‘s canines ready to break it.

„what are you doing you bastard!“ but it already was too late when he lunged forward and seong hwa bit hard into your flesh. you let out a howl, luckily the guards arrived and seong hwa knew he couldn’t win this fight. min gi was about to join the others in hunting the beta but his wolf held him back and urged him to get to you. he changed back into his human form tears already running down his face like a waterfall.

„oh no, my dear y/n...“ you were really lucky seong hwa wasn’t able to break your neck and your genes speeding up the healing process, but you had to be stationed into the pack hospital for over four weeks being put into a artificial coma.

„y/n, I am swearing this time was enough... the alpha said there‘s going to be a war. I promise you no one will ever hurt you again because I am going to kill park seong hwa.“ he took your hand into his kissing the top of it. every day he came to the hospital sitting by your side and speaking to you...

park seong hwa crossed a border and min gi would make sure he would pay for it.

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j u n g w o o y o u n g

although choi san has been from a pack his own wasn’t on good terms so much. the two had been the best friends since one could think of. that’s why woo young wouldn’t have ever thought san would make a move on his own mate...

it was typical night back at your and woo young‘s apartment only san being there this time as all your other friends either canceled or have been too engulfed into the heating session this spring. your waves came occasionally but as you mate took care of you yesterday you were certain this evening nothing would happen.

„oh shit, I forgot the salsa sauce!“ your’s and san‘s gaze drifted off the couch to where woo young was searching in the refrigerator.

„you know there‘s no chance we‘re eating tortillas without salsa.“

„yeah, just start the movie... I am driving to the store and get some. I won’t take too long!“

he took his keys and gave you a last quick peck on your lips to leave, not noticing san‘s eyes focused a little bit too much on the little gesture. after some minutes you playing with your phone and occasionally watching the movie you gasped when you suddenly felt san‘s hand at your slit. just when you wanted to shout at him, smack him or anything out of shock a deep wave of pleasure came over you.

it was risky. female wolves sending off vibes to the male ones in heat... not only the mate could smell the arousing scent but the others, too. that’s why mated pairs usually sticked to each other at those times. what san was doing at this moment was the shittiest thing someone could do, not only betraying his friend like this but taking advantage of your vulnerable state, too.

he smirked at your moaning form you not being able to do anything but melting into his touch... you hated it but your body betrayed you because of the stupid animal in you.

„s - san, please, stop...“

„you don’t mean that. you know, I think I could make you moan my name louder than woo‘s able to.“ your eyes widen at his statement

„w - what do you mean.“ he only increased his pressure on your sensitive spot and neared your ear to tickle it with his hot breath „I mean, the times I slept over... you don’t really think I didn’t hear you?“ you blushed at that. a tear escaped you and you just hoped he would end this nonsense...

„what the actual - “ woo young let the bag fall to the ground and you heard the glass splitter. he lunged forward and grabbed san by his hair to smash him into the wall, a picture crashing down in the process.

„you motherfucker! what do you think you’re doing with my mate?!“ his fist meets san‘s cheek and the boy grins while blood is tickling down his chin

„you’re my bestfriend! you damn know she’s in heat!“

„I am not your bestfriend! I just waited for the chance to destroy you! the alpha told me how your pack uses every chance to discriminate us! and I know to hurt you I have to take what you love the most...“ his gaze drifts to your still shaking form on the couch. woo young follows his gaze and feels his canines grow at the statement. he watches san and just feels anger and betrayal but instead of snapping his neck he let go of him.

„fuck off. if I every see you on our land again I will kill you. and don’t dare to look into her direction ever again!“ with that san leaves the place and you put your face into your hands too ashamed of what happened.

„y/n...“

„don’t! I am disgusting! I couldn’t hold myself back I really tried and fought but I wasn’t strong enough... I am so sorry woo young... I don’t deserve you.“ you hiccuped and cried but woo young managed to get your face into his own hands staring deeply into your eyes.

„it wasn’t your fault, he knew what time it is and took advantage of it... I would never doubt your love and loyalty to me.“ he took you into his arms and let you cry into him. what really hurt the most was the fact the his once best friend hated him from the beginning... he knew you could never hurt him like he did.

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c h o i j o n g h o

„choi jong ho! you didn’t really put a bet on me? I am definitely not going on a date with this guy!“

„of course you won’t go... min gi cheated I just have to prove this...“

„you know what? fuck off, if you’re handling me like I am a damn trophy or something like that I will go on that stupid date and we will see how you’re coping with that!“

„y/n, please wait!“ jong ho tried to stop you but you were already emerging min gi and his friends position right over the fighting field. you knew he came from a rival pack and since the fightings started he glanced over at you from time to time. your wolf tried to stop you and told you it was a dumb idea to anger your mate more than he already was but you knew jong ho lost and a debt had to be paid.

„stop!“

„don’t make a fool out of yourself, jong ho. I could smell y/n‘s arousal back over here when you told her the news!“ his friends snickered behind him and you were embarrassingly blushing at his statement although you were sure none other than your mate himself could make you feel this way.

an idea plopped into jong ho‘s mind. he knew min gi was too much into competitions. „how about a rematch? you can have her for one night but only if you’re able to catch her the first when she’s hiding in the forest.“

your eyes widened at your mate‘s statement. now he really lost all of his brain.

„choi jong h-“

„alright.“ huh? you really didn’t know who was dumber...

but you soon found yourself running into the forest and searching for a good hiding place. min gi and jong ho got themselves ready to hunt you. jong ho mentally smiled to himself, min gi was unmated and didn’t know what your mates scent smelled like... it was the most delicious thing a wolf‘s nose could ever encounter. he definitely would be able to get to you sooner than the dumb boy.

they started to rush through the woods and jong ho luckily already got a good track of your smell and followed the trail to you. and it came how it had to come. jong ho won the battle and min gi was so furious he crashed down a whole tree to get rid off his anger; his friends scolding him off being so dumb to join another competition and losing the date with you.

you were currently cuddled in jong ho‘s lap back in the pack house. he buried his nose into your neck and sighed.

„I am still mad, you know?“ you turned your head to look at him and saw him pouting at you knowing it was your sweet spot for him.

„I am going to be a good mate from now on.“

„no competitions?“

„no competitions anymore, promise.“

„hey, jong ho! the others want you to join us in arm-wrestling-“ jong ho just was about to push you out of his lap when you scoffed at him to which the stopped in his tracks.

„haha, right... no competitions anymore. but for how long?“ you rolled with your eyes laughing out... what a mate you got.

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#ateez reactions #ateez au #ateez wolf #ateez werewolf #ateez fic #ateez fanfic #ateez fanfiction #ateez wolf au #ateez werewolf au #ateez smut #teeztheflag

[coyotesongwriting]

Home - Ch. 6

Chapter 6 - Everything Changes

Chapter Summary: What happens now?

Word Count: 2156

Author’s Note: Thank you so much for reading this story and I hope you enjoy it. I’ve tried a new writing style for this fic and I can definitely say it’s not my cup of tea but I love the story anyways!

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters so don’t sue me please. I just really like them haha

Previous Chapter              Series Masterlist

“Tell me what’s going on, please sweetheart” Ty’s voice was soft, warm as he spoke. The warmth of his hands on your shoulders grounded you.

“I need you to take over today, please. I’ll explain it all later, I swear” your voice was barely a whisper, your eyes still locked onto the highway he’d surely disappeared down.

Without waiting for him to agree, you’d raced inside, grabbing your phone and keys. Rex raced along after you as quick as he could in his old age, and you let him climb in before you peeled off down the road. You weren’t sure which way to go, but you decided South seemed like the best chance.

As you drove, you dialed a number you hadn’t typed in years, your eyes scanning every car you passed. The line rang and rang, and you were beginning to give up hope when they finally answered.

“Sam? Sam, I just saw Bucky” your voice broke.

“[Y/N]? Fuck, is that really you?” he sounded shocked, and you couldn’t really blame him.

“Yeah, it's me. I know. I just - listen. Bucky was here, Sam and now he’s gone again and I know I sound crazy but -” the words flew out of you.

“I know - He’s alive, [Y/N]. Hydra had him. We’ve been trying to find you but no one could track you down” his voice was soft.

As his words registered, you pulled over to the side of the road, slamming the truck into park, “He… He was alive? All this time? How long has he been back, Sam” your voice was so low he could barely hear you by the end.

“A year. We got him back a year ago. You did a good job hiding your tracks” Sam sighed, “We weren’t sure we’d ever find you, another month or two and we’d have held a press conference. He’s been trying to find you since the day he got back.”

“Why’d he leave then, Sam?”

“What do you mean?” you could hear the confusion as plain as day in his voice.

“I mean… He saw me, and before I could do anything or say anything he left” you whimpered.

“What? Okay, hold on. You’re sure it was him? And he saw you?”

“Yeah. He saw me, and I froze and then he left, Sam. He left me.”

“Just, just hold on one second, okay?” Sam held his hand over the receiver on his end, and you could hear him calling out for someone. For a moment all you could hear was muffled voices, then a new voice came on the line.

“[Y/N]?” Nat sounded cautious as if afraid she’d scare you away, “Sam told me what’s going on. He’s going to call Bucky from my phone, but can you tell me what happened?”

The story poured out of you in a quick ramble, “I was in the diner with Ty. And Rex barked, and he never does that so I turned to see who it was. He took off his baseball cap, and I knew it was him, and then he looked at me and I’d know those eyes anywhere. I know it was him, Nat, I know it. But I froze. I froze and I didn’t move and he left, but I thought I was seeing a ghost but Ty kept asking who that was and what happened and I tried to go after him but I don’t know where he is.”

“Okay, look, Sam’s got him on the line so give me a second and we’ll figure out what’s going on, alright?”

The silence seemed to stretch on forever, you could hear Sam talking in the background but you couldn’t understand what he was saying. The old familiar guilt began to run through your mind again, what if he blamed you? What if he hated you? Only this time, you had the added fear of what if he hated you for leaving? What if he hated you for taking his kids away? For hiding and them not being able to find you.

“I’m going to put you on speakerphone, [Y/N], okay? That way you can hear what Sam has to say.” Nat gave you a second to agree before she did.

“Bucky” Sam paused as if trying to find the right way to phrase it, “Bucky needs time. He needs a little time. Seeing you was a shock and he needs a little bit to get his thoughts in order, okay?”

“How long? Does he want me to meet him somewhere? Why does he need time?” the questions flew out of you, rapid-fire.

“He’s been through a lot, [Y/N]. I don’t know, he just needs time. He’ll come see you when he’s ready…” Sam sighed, the frustration evident in his voice.

“How much more time can he need, Sam? It’s been almost nine years. Nine. Years.”

“I know, but you know how it is. He’ll come around.” Sam didn’t sound so sure this time.

“So what? Now I just go back to my house and pretend everything is fine until he decides to come talk to me?”

“I guess so,” he paused before continuing “How are you? How are the boys?”

“We-we’re fine. I run a diner, George has a show this weekend - he rides horses and competes when he can. Ty’s going to take him since I’m taking James down to Kalispel, I promised he could have a dog if he proved he could be responsible so we’re going to look at some puppies for him. But um, they’re good. How are you? I saw the press conference after the complex got destroyed. I hear you’re rebuilding?”

Silence echoed down the line for a bit before Nat spoke, “That’s right. We’re rebuilding. Tony’s taking advantage of the rebuild to make everything even more state of the art. I’m glad you and the boys are doing alright.”

“That sounds like a very Tony thing to do” you took a deep breath before speaking again, “I’m sorry. Just so you know, I really am sorry.”

This time it was Sam who answered you, “How come you didn’t call? Hell, you could have emailed or written or anything, [Y/N]. You sent one text then just up and disappeared the day after giving birth. We thought something bad happened to you. You could have at least told us you were alive at some point.”

“I wasn’t in a good place for a long time. And every time I thought about it, I’d turn on the news and you’d be locked in some new fight and I knew if I did, I could put the kids at risk again. If you could find me, so could someone else. And what if they wanted to hurt me? Hurt the boys? I didn’t want to risk it, I wouldn’t survive if anything happened to them because of me. I missed the hell out of you but I couldn’t - can’t - risk the kids.”

“We thought you were dead.” Steve’s voice cut in, “We thought you were right. Maybe someone did have it out for you and for all we knew you were dead and it was our fault. Bucky refused to give up on you.”

“I’m so sorry, Steve. I didn’t know what to do. I panicked and yeah I didn’t do the best job, but I did the best I could. Every time I talked to you guys, you asked me to come home and made me feel like I couldn’t possibly ever do it on my own and then you did the one thing I asked you not to do, and you showed up at the hospital and I panicked, okay.” your voice was almost a whimper by the end.

No one spoke for a long time, and when the silence became deafening you began to ramble, “Sam, Falcon is George’s favorite Avenger. He even named his horse after you. He’s a good horse, reliable as all hell. Together they’ve been through quite a few shows and he always takes care of him. Steve, you’re James’ favorite. He loves reading about all the stupid things you did as a kid. At first, I thought he was joking when he said he wanted to start that much trouble someday, but I’ll be honest, I’m not sure he was anymore. He got expelled from school two weeks ago for fighting. I guess some older kids were picking on some girl and he stepped in. We took him out for ice cream after.” you chuckled breathlessly.

It was silent for a long while before Clint spoke, “What you’re telling me is the boys have horrible taste. I mean, Sam and Steve? None of them picked me?”

Clint’s simple joke seemed to break the nervous spell everyone was under, and it wasn’t long before questions began to fly back and forth. For the next hour, you sat in your truck on the side of the road, answering every question they could come up with. When darkness began to fall, you’d reluctantly hung up the phone after promising to keep in touch and began the drive back to your home.

During the drive home, your thoughts wandered, and you couldn’t help but wonder why Bucky would come all this way only to leave. Why would he come and leave? Why would he say he needed time? How could he come back after years only to disappear before you even had the chance to say hello? There was no way to know how much Hydra had put him through this time, so you’d just have to wait for him to come back. You couldn’t abandon the twins to chase after Bucky, and if the team said he’d be back, that he just needed time, you had to trust them.

You were too wrapped up in your own thoughts to notice the little black car that followed you until you pulled into your driveway. By the time you’d unloaded Rex and headed inside the car and its occupant was long gone.

Back in the house, Ty was waiting for you to come home. He’d ordered pizza in for him and the boys, and they were off working on their homework in their rooms when you walked in. Ty didn’t ask you for any details, didn’t pressure you to tell him anything, he merely traded you your truck keys for a glass of water and took a seat, waiting patiently for you to explain.

And you did. You told him everything, everything about your time in the Avengers, the truth about Bucky being the boy’s dad, and how’d you lost him. Ty sat quietly, taking it all in as you told him every little detail you could think of, your whole life story just spilled from your lips like water from a broken dam. And he didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate once. When you told him who had walked into the diner that morning, he merely reached out and rested his hand on yours.

Ty offered you no false promises, he never had. He was your best friend, and he’d promised to always shoot you straight, no matter if it hurt to hear or not.

“[Y/N], you don’t know what his time away has done to him. He might not be the same person you knew back then, and the two of you may never reconcile. But you can’t know what's going to happen, not yet. Maybe he just got spooked from seeing you for the first time in years, maybe he’s just not healed enough after what he’s been through. Give him time, don’t let him take your new life from you.”

Ty had stayed for a cup of late-night tea before he left. You promised to keep him up to date when he left, knowing there’d be hell to pay if you didn’t. Last time you broke a promise to keep him up to date, you’d come home to find sticky notes covering every inch of your kitchen. The boys had loved every minute of it, and it had sparked a six-month-long prank war. Things had only come to an end when George almost broke his arm falling out of a tree they were trying to put all of Ty’s notebooks in.

As you tucked the boys into bed that evening, you realized you had to make a decision on what to tell them. You’d always been vague in the past, just telling them their father’s name was James, and he’d been a good man who died trying to save others. They’d long ago given up asking for more detailed answers, but you’d always known the day was coming where you’d have to tell them the truth.

How do you tell your kids that their father was one of the Avengers - just like you were - and that he’s not actually dead like the world believed?

~~~~~

Next Chapter ->

Taglist OPEN:  @he-is-chaotic-she-is-psychotic @queenoftheunderdark @redfoxwritesstuff​ @brokenthelovely  @collinsstanharbour​  @samsgoddess​ @redhairedfeistynerd​ @winterisakiller

#bucky barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes #Marvel The Avengers #Marvel's The Avengers #marvels the avengers #Marvel's Avengers #marvel #fanfic #angst #angst with happy ending #Angst with a happy ending #The Avengers #Avengers

[spnreactions]

15x19: Inherit the Earth

Alright guys. 

It’s time. 

The unofficial finale. 

The season finale that ties up a lot of loose ends before we hit the official series finale. 

Oh god I’m so scared. 

But I’m also sooo excited. 

AHHH!

Okay. Let’s just do this. 

Oh. Hey Amara. 

AHHH! My baby. :’( :’( 

OPE! Looks like God’s book is gonna come into play. 

GEE THANKS FOR SHOWING ME THAT AGAIN AHHH!!! :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

“Now”

...f**k. This really is Infinity War...

My Mom: Oh look. It’s the pandemic. 

...wow. 

Everyone. 

...

...who’s gonna ask it? 

Which one of them is gonna ask about Cas? 

I bet it’s gonna be Jack.

Awww Sam...this wasn’t your fault. 

Yep. Called it. 

:’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

The reactions to that oh my god. Dean really is trying too hard to be the strong one here, but Jensen is doing a really good job of playing the hurt and the pain subtly enough to know it’s there. 

And Jack... :’( :’( :’( My poor baby. I didn’t expect anything less, but god it hurts... :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

AHHHH!! WHY DID WE HAVE TO LOSE CAS??!! 

Sam’s face too. :’( :’( :’( 

The way they’re both tearing up. 

God...I hate it. :’( :’( :’( :’( 

Sam’s trying. He’s so desperate. 

JODY! NOOOOOOO!!!!! :’( :’( :’( :’( 

THERE BETTER BE A WAY TO GET EVERYONE BACK!!

:’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

I kind of wanted a little more from that moment between Dean and Jack, but I guess I don’t know what else would happen. Dean is upset, and Jack is upset, and Dean’s just trying his best, but it’s hard for him too, so I guess that makes sense. God my poor boys. :’( :’( :’( 

Wow. That shot. 

UGGGGH! SCREW YOU CHUCK!!! (But also that zoom-out was really cool.) 

...wow. 

...ouch.... (I mean, he’s not wrong, but ouch.) 

IT SURE LOOKS THAT WAY DOESN’T IT! 

I thought he was gonna say “the kid” there oops lol. Saying “Jack” is better anyways. 

MY POOR BABY AHHH!!! NOOO!!! :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

OKAY WTF??!!!

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT??!! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY BABY??!!! :’( :’( :’( 

Dean did you just...get a beer? (Oh who am I kidding? Of course he did.) 

Sam no. Stop. This isn’t your fault. :’( :’( 

Sam noooo. What you did was right. 

Sam... :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

My Mom: SAM! Don’t yell at him! 

God. You know it’s bad when Dean and Jack are the positive ones and Sam is the one giving up... :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

Come on Sam. You guys are Winchesters. Winchesters never give up. 

I really like the cinematography in this. There are so many panning shots and it’s really cool for the style and story of the episode and everything. 

EWWWW!!! SCREW YOU!!!!

Ugh. Rob Benedict is so good at his acting as Chuck, but man, I really hate Chuck. 

Wait, REALLY?! There has to be a catch here right? They wouldn’t just do that. 

AWWW!! DEAN!!! :’( :’( <3 <3 <3 <3 

...wow. 

I guess they are giving up. 

HEY! 

UGH! COME ON CHUCK!!! 

SCREW YOU!!!!

I mean, that was bound to happen.

BUT SCREW YOU!!!!

HEY! 

Jack is NOT a lap dog, you jerk. 

...that is SOOO not cool. 

As if the Winchesters need any more eternal suffering and shame...Jesus Christ. 

SCREW! YOU! CHUCK!!! 

Ahh...this montage of all of them grieving. :’( :’( :’( 

That was a really great shot of Jack, by the way. <3 <3 

But also :’( :’( :’( :’( 

Poor Dean, on the floor with his alcohol.... :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

...no you don’t. 

...ope. 

Jack’s...hearing something? Sensing something?

Ah. Sensing something. 

HA! 

HEY! PROMO LINE!!! 

....wait. That’s a good point. I guess because he, like, is still a nephilim, right? 

DOGGO!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

IT’S THE DOGGO FROM THE PROMO!!! <3 <3 <3 

“Miracle.” <3 <3 <3 

He’s just so happy to see somebody else alive oh my gosh. <3 <3 

Also, I saw something before talking about the promo and saying that it would be really out of character for Dean to like a dog in this episode, but, like, really? I mean, what about Dog Dean Afternoon where he finally found an appreciation--even a love--for dogs? I think it makes perfect sense. Especially since he’s so desperate to just...have something to hold onto again, to have somebody to save. The dog makes perfect sense. <3 

Awww!! SEE??!! IT GIVES HIM HOPE!! 

HA! Dean OMG!! XD XD 

Sam’s surprise is hilarious. XD XD 

Oh Dean... 

HA! DEAN I LOVE YOU!! 

SEE?! THAT is what we call CHARACTER GROWTH PEOPLE!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 

My mom said “good boy” to our dog at the same time Dean said “good boy” to their new dog lol. 

AWWW!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

NO!!!

My Mom: SERIOUSLY?! NOT COOL!! 

ARE YOU F***ING KIDDING ME CHUCK??!!! 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW??!!! 

THAT WAS SO UNNECESSARY CHUCK WTF??!! 

JERK!!! YOU F***ING SUCK CHUCK!!! 

THAT WAS JUST UNCOOL ON SO MANY LEVELS UGH!!!! 

My Mom: That is messed up. 

UGH!! 

Stupid Chuck. Go die in a hole already. 

...okay. Okay. 

“I have no idea what we’re walking into.” To reiterate, what else is new? 

I bet it’s Michael. 

My Mom: They’re walking...very slowly. Me: Well, yeah. They’re being cautious. My Mom: But they need to hurry up. The suspense is killing me. (XD XD XD)

...okay I see her point. 

Heeeey Michael. 

...Jack looks...mad, for some reason. 

Not gonna lie, I was 100% expecting to see wings there. Kind of disappointed that I didn’t get them. 

HA! He would. 

Awww...too bad. (Not gonna lie, though, my mom and I never really liked Adam. But! We do really like Jake Abel as Michael. He does a great job.) 

UGH. Poor boys... :’( :’( :’( 

“Amazingly”

...come again? 

OH! 

...welp. 

That’s awkward. 

“All caring” HA! I actually laughed out loud when he said that, because yeah no. 

...you could almost say...he’s “Daddy’s blunt little instrument”.... (...and now I made myself cry ugh.) 

Oh. THAT’S why Jack’s mad. 

Oh thank god! Now we have another powerful being on our side!! 

Oh hey! It’s that scene from the promo photos! 

...yeah there’s no way it’s that easy. 

That’d be nice. 

But there’s no way. 

Yep. Not that easy. 

Welp...shoot. That would’ve been nice. 

GUYS!!! IT’S THE SCENE!!! FROM THE PROMO PHOTOS!!

....awww...boys. :’( :’( 

UMMM

Yeah no. I don’t buy it. It’s a trick. 

OH MY GOD THE WAY HE JUST BOOKS IT AHHHH!!!! :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE SAYING DEAN DOESN’T RECIPROCATE, LOOK AT THIS!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

There’s no way it’s really Cas. 

But god, the way he runs to him. :’( :’( :’( :’( :’( 

It’s probably Chuck though. 

WHOA! 

UMMM!!

WELL! 

THAT WASN’T WHO I WAS EXPECTING AT ALL! 

But OKAY THEN!! I’M EXCITED! 

I LOVE HIIM!!

WELCOME BACK MARK!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 

My Mom: I LOVE HIM! So excited!! <3 <3 (Yeah we’re definitely related. XD)

Also! 

Dean’s FACE when he saw that it was Luci. XD XD XD 

Now THAT is a highlight of this episode. XD XD 

Jensen you dork. XD XD <3 <3 <3 <3 

Anyways. 

HAHA I LOVE HIM!! XD <3 <3 

“As you guys know” XD XD 

OMG I LOVE HIM!! XD XD <3 <3 <3 

I mean, yeah, I wouldn’t trust him either. 

But also, I love him. XD <3 

....?? 

Huh. 

This is...interesting. 

HA!

OH! I see what he’s doing! 

New Death! 

Smaaaart Luci! 

...what if she hates them just as much as Billie? 

...did Dean just hide behind Sam? 

Oh no he crossed over okay lol. That makes a lot more sense. XD XD 

OPE! 

Frick. 

LUCI OMG!! XD XD <3 <3 

“And that...whatever that is.” XD XD 

HA! 

I like her. XD <3 <3 

I love how she’s talking in the third person now like they’re children. XD XD 

They’re just...a little surprised, okay? Don’t be too hard on them. 

...uh oh. 

I don’t trust that AT ALL, but okay...

My baby is monitoring Luci so closely I love him. <3 

OOOF. This is gonna be rough. 

“Mikey” XD XD <3 <3 

HA! 

The way Sam and Dean both react to the “humanity”. XD XD They were just like “excuse you?” XD 

“Asshats”?? XD XD 

“Of course I’m sure. I’m Death.” “You’ve been Death for an hour.” XD XD

...there’s a catch. There’s no way. That’s too easy. 

...yep. There it is. 

DANGAT LUCI! 

But I liiiiked you. 

Oh FRICK! 

Yeah okay. That makes a LOT more sense. 

...ouch. 

FRICK! 

Okay Jack! It’s up to you! 

Yeah he would never, so shut your face Luci. 

He says no. 

HA! XD XD 

...huh. 

Well. 

That was quick. 

Is there another catch? Cause Luci wasn’t back for very long... 

...why is Jack being so weird?? 

Like, I love my baby to death, and I definitely trust him, but he’s being soooo weird...

...a...a battle? Michael, chill. That was barely a scuffle. 

Yeah, so instead he sent Lucifer to TRICK CALL DEAN WITH CAS’S VOICE!!! SO NOT COOL LUCI!!! SO! NOT! COOL!!!! 

...you totally did don’t even. 

God. All these angels with their daddy issues. 

All these panning shots again. I love them. 

Like, dude, the camera didn’t change at all. That was awesome. <3 

...huh. 

...again, too easy. There has to be a catch. There has to be. 

But also, I really love how they did that, bouncing back in forth between them getting to the special place and Sam talking about the plan. Cool storytelling. 

Summon something unstoppable to fight him...well that just sounds like another problem, doesn’t it?? 

My Mom: That’s a really pretty special place. (She’s not wrong.)

...I’m waiting for the catch. 

I’m waiting very nervously for the catch. 

My Mom: Whoa. 

...it didn’t work?? 

...frick. 

FRICK!!! 

DANGAT!!! 

SEIROUSLY??!!

UGH!!! FREAKING SCREW YOU MICHAEL!!! 

WHATEVER!!! Jerk. 

Ha! 

Saw that coming. 

UMMMM

UMMMMMMMMM

Okay that’s terrifying. 

No likey. 

My Mom: Ouch. Me: Yeah no kidding. 

Bye Michael. You deserved it for betraying us. 

LEAVE THEM ALONE!! 

...ouch. That hurts, because THE SHOW IS OVER! :’( :’( 

HA! YES SAM! 

DANGAT!!

COME ON JACK!!

Jack is bound to pivotal in this somehow...

COME ON JACK! 

HA! 

Okay, I shouldn’t be laughing, but I wanna talk about this for a second and why I laughed. One of the reasons my dad stopped watching this show is because he hated that they kept falling into the trope of bringing the big bads down to a fist-fight so that the boys have a chance. But let me tell you: it makes perfect sense right here. Chuck has the high ground. He has all the power, and he is just reveling in it. He knows (or rather, thinks, because I have faith that they’ll get out of this somehow) that he has them, and that they’re his, and he wants to take the time to truly make them suffer. Killing them quickly is too easy. It ruins the fun for him. But this? This is toying with them. It’s exactly what he wants. And it’s perfect. 

Come on boys! Stand your ground! You can do this! 

... 

:’( :’( :’( 

OW! 

My mom and I are both just cringing and turning away, because OW! 

SCREW YOU CHUCK! 

Come on boys. You can do this. 

THEY WON’T! 

OUR BOYS NEVER STAY DOWN! 

YES BOYS!! YOU GOT THIS!!! <3 <3 <3 

THEY JUST KEEP TAKING IT!! THEY KEEP GETTING BACK UP!!! I LOVE THEM!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

THEY WON’T EVER GIVE UP YOU JERK!! 

OH MY GOD!!! THAT SHOT!!! SAM HELPING DEAN UP!! THEM HELPING EACH OTHER STAND!!! THAT is a BEAUTIFUL MOMENT PEOPLE!!! OH MY GOD!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 

They’re SMILING!!! I LOVE IT!!! 

JACK!!! IT’S JACK!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 

YES BABY!!! GET HIM!!!! 

“Hey Jack” THE WAY HE SAYS THAT ALL CAUTIOUS HA!! I LOVE IT!!! 

YOU BETTER BE SCARED! 

DUDE!!!!!

DUDE DUDE DUDE!!!! 

HE IS POWERED UP!!!! 

THAT’S MY BABY!!!! 

YES!!!! 

YES BABY!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

THAT’S MY BOY!!!! <3 <3 <3 

OH MY GOD YES!!!

THAT! WAS! AWESOME!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

I don’t even know how, but WOW!!! THAT WAS SO COOL!!!! 

HECK YEAH WE DID!! 

...wait...what? 

It’s...it’s empty? Cause...only Death can read it, right? 

YES BOYS!!! 

OH MY GOD YES!!!! 

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!! 

HA! I LOVE IT!!! 

I LOVE THE WAY THEY’RE DOING THIS OH MY GOD!!!! 

THIS IS OUR BOYS!!! 

OH!!

THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE!!!! 

Of COURSE Sam and Dean knew!! Because they WOULD KNOW!!! 

DUDE!!! THAT IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!! 

OH MY GOD YES!!!! 

THIS IS SO AWESOME!!! THESE BOYS!!! MY BABY!!! OH MY GOD!!! I LOVE IT!!! 

My Mom: JACK!!! <3 <3 <3 This! Is! Awesome!

THAT is a Winchester ending. Like no other. <3 <3 <3 <3 

HA! SCREW YOU YOU JERK!! 

They are 100% going to let him live. 

Because he wants to die. 

So they’re not gonna let him. 

HA!! I KNEW IT!! 

THAT’S OUR BOYS!!! 

THAT! IS SO PERFECT!! 

POETIC JUSTICE PEOPLE!! 

OH MY GOD!!! 

GUYS!!!

“That’s not who I am.” 

After Chuck just called him the ultimate killer, he knows he isn’t. 

BECAUSE OF CAS!! 

GUYS!!! 

HE TOOK CAS’S WORDS TO HEART OH MY GOD!!!

YES!!!

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!! 

THAT IS THE BEST THING EVER!!!  THANK YOU CAS!!! 

CHARACTER!! GROWTH!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

“It’s not his power anymore.” YAAAAAS BABY!!! <3 <3 

JACK REALLY IS OUR NEW GOD AHHH!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

HA! 

THAT is the BEST!!! 

YES!!!

THAT is EXACTLY what you deserve, Chuck! 

THIS! IS! PERFECT!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 

BEAUTIFUL RESOLUTION SPN!!! SO GOOD!!!! 

Oh man, that music. The camera work. EVERYTHING!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 

HE’S SO DESPERATE OH MY GOD YES!!!! 

YOU DESERVE IT CHUCK!!! YOU DESERVE IT YOU JERK!!! 

YES BOYS!!! I’M SO PROUD!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

Guys OH MY GOD!! 

There are 15 minutes left still ahhhh I need this commercial to end so I can see the final resolution of this episode. 

WE BAAAAACK!! 

So...Jack can fix all of this now, right?? 

HIS LITTLE SMILE OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

HE DIIIIID IT!!!! 

MY BABY!!! I’M SO PROUD!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

HIS LITTLE SMILE OH MY GOD I’M CRYING!!! :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) <3 <3 <3 <3 

AND THIS SONG!! IT’S SO PERFECT FOR THIS SCENE!!

THE DOGGO!!! <3 <3 <3 

JACK’S EXTRA LITTLE SMILE FOR THE DOGGO OMG!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

safkl;jdsklfsajd THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 

Awww Dean! <3 

Awww....

...he isn’t, is he? 

... :( 

AWWW!!!

“I’m me.” <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) 

JUST LIKE WHAT HE SAID IN JIM’S GEMS!! 

OH MY GOD AHHH!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

I’M CRYING OH MY GODDDDDD!!! :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

HE’S SO WISE AHHH!! I LOVE HIM!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

FAKJLA:DJKFD OH MY GOD AHHHH!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

“I learned from you...and my mother...and Castiel..that when people have to be their best, they can be.” YEAH HI THAT’S IT!!! I’M DONE!!! I’M LOST!! ALL THE TEARS!!! 

“And that’s what to believe in.” <3 <3 <3 <3 

THIS IS SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL OMG!!! THIS IS SUCH A PERFECT ENDING FOR MY BABY I’M SO PROUD AHHH!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 

AND THIS IS SUCH A BITTERSWEET GOODBYE, but MAN, I LOVE IT!!! 

BECAUSE IT ISN’T REALLY GOODBYE!!

BECAUSE HE’LL ALWAYS BE THERE!!! 

AND HE KNOWS HOW TO PROTECT THE WORLD BECAUSE OF HIS DADS (AND KELLY)!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

OH MY GOD I’M CRYING ALL OF THE HAPPY TEARS RIGHT NOW THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

My Mom: OMG THIS IS SO GOOD!! <3 <3 

HE JUST TOUCHED HIS HEART I’M GONNA LOSE MY SH** OH MY GODDDDDD!!! :’) :’) :’) <3 <3 <3 <3 

HIS LITTLE GOODBYE!!! JUST LIKE HIS LITTLE HELLO!!! THIS IS SO PERFECT OH MY FREAKING GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

“See ya Jack.” <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

OMG THIS SHOT WAS IN THE “Carry On” PROMO!!! 

“To everyone that we lost along the way.” :’( :’( :’( :’) :’) :’) <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

I’M CRYING OH MY GOD THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!

THEY’RE FINALLY FREE!!! 

THEY’RE FINALLY FREE!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

THAT LITTLE WAY DEAN GRABS SAM BEFORE THEY WALK OFF AHHHH!!! <3 <3 <3 

THEIR NAMES ARE ON THE TABLE HOLY FRICK!!!

CAS AND JACK’S NAMES ARE ON THE TABLE GUYS I JUST LOST ALL FUNCTIONALITY OH MY GOD!!!!! :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

THEY’RE DRIVING OFF!!! <3 <3 <3

OH MY GOD WHAT??!! 

THEY’RE ACTUALLY. MONTAGING US RIGHT NOW HOLY FRICK!!! 

GUYS THIS FEELS SO FINAL WHAT COULD NEXT WEEK EVEN BRING OH MY GODDDD!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

THIS SONG TOO!!! GUYS OH MY GOD MY TEARS ARE JUST FALLING EVEN MORE!!! :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) :’) <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

THEY WERE SO LITTLE OH MY GOD!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

JESS!!

BELA!

DEATH! 

BECKY!

DONNA!

ALL OF THESE OLD CHARACTERS!!!! AHHHHH!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

CHARLIE!! 

KEVIN!!!

THE WAY THEY’RE DOING THIS OH MY GOD I’M LOSING MY MIND!!! 

KELLY!!

THE DRIVING SCENE!!!!

ALL OF THESE SCENES OH MY GOD MY MOM AND I ARE JUST FULL-ON SOBBING RIGHT NOW!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

BOBBY!!

PAMELA!!

ELLEN!!!

CAS AND DEAN!! <3 <3 <3 

JODY! 

RUFUS! 

GARTH! 

MISSOURI!

GABRIEL! 

ROWENA!

EILEEN!

THIS ROLE CALL!!! GUYS!!! THIS WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING AT ALL OMG THIS FEELS SO FINAL!!!! 

JO!

LUCI! 

KETCH! 

LEBANON!! <3 <3 <3 

THAT BULL SCENE!! 

FAN FICTION!!! <3 <3 <3 

MEG! 

CROWLEY! 

MICK!! 

BELPHEGOR!! 

WAYWARD SISTERS!! <3 <3 <3 

TEAM FREE WILL 2.0!!! THEIR LAST SCENES OF THE MONTAGE WERE OF TEAM FREE WILL 2.0!!! I LOVE IT!!! 

AND THAT ENDING SCENE!!! THE IMPALA!!!

“We got work to do.” 

GUYS!!! GUYS!!! GUYS!!!

COULD THAT HAVE BEEN ANY BETTER OH MY GOD!!! 

I LOVED IT!!! 

I LOVED IT I LOVED IT I LOVED IT!!! 

GUYS I MORE OR LESS CAN JUST JUMP RIGHT INTO THIS BECAUSE I’M ACTUALLY HAPPY CRYING NOT EVEN SAD CRYING OMG!!! 

I! LOVED! THIS! EPISODE!! 

THIS! WAS! SO! GOOD!! IT WAS PERFECT!! I HONESTLY DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW NEXT WEEK IS GONNA LOOK NOW!! That felt SOOO final, and I honestly wasn’t expecting that! 

I mean, I knew that this episode was intended to be the season finale, with next week being the series finale, but guys...that felt so final oh my god. And it was SO! GOOD!!! I FREAKING LOVED IT!! 

So, as I often do, I scrolled through Tumblr and other various social media posts to see what people thought, and I was so surprised to see that so many people didn’t like it! While I admit that the episode had a couple little flaws, and while there are still a couple of pieces missing, guys...there’s still one episode left. They can tie up the final loose ends (Cas and Eileen being the two big ones there) then. 

And for a “season finale”?? This. Was. BEAUTIFUL!! The way they tied up Chuck’s storyline was SUCH a Winchester thing, and it was beautiful. And Jack?? BECOMING THE NEW GOD AFTER ALL?! PERFECT! And the way they said goodbye?? STELLAR!! 

AND THEN THE MONTAGE??!! You can’t POSSIBLY tell me that that wasn’t the BEST THING EVER and didn’t make you cry and feel so happy and content!!! BECAUSE IT WAS PERFECT!! 

There was SOOO much about this episode to LOVE, and so much to break down, so the rest of this analysis is gonna be so freaking long, but gosh darnat, I’m ready. 

Okay, I’ll start out with the (very few) negatives so I can end with the amazing positives, though, frankly, I’m ‘bout to combat most of those negatives, because guys, this was too perfect. Don’t even with me. 

So, actually, when I’m focusing just on my own opinion here, the only, only thing that I didn’t really like about the episode was that they randomly brought back Lucifer only to kill him right away again. I get why they did it, but it’s not my favorite plot point. I had the same problem when they did it with Gabriel back in Season 13. If you’re not actually gonna keep them, then don’t bother bringing them back. Find something else. 

That said, I was really happy to see Lucifer, and it made me so happy to see Mark Pellegrino on the screen again. So, in the end, it was worth it, especially with EVERYTHING ELSE they did in return! <3 <3 

Alright. Now I want to address my thoughts on some of the things other people didn’t like about the episode.

First of all, yes, there was not a ton of talk about Cas’s death. But here’s the thing: we didn’t need it. Character-wise, and story-wise, a ton of talk about it wouldn’t make sense. Dean is emotionally stunted. He isn’t going to outwardly react here. In fact, it was pretty obvious that he was trying to be the strong one, but the fact that he couldn’t even try to comfort Jack other than an “I’m sorry” just proves how much he was really struggling inside. Plus, his binge-drinking later just furthers that. Ever heard of show not tell? We don’t need to sit there and listen to them talk about Cas’s death, because we can see how much it’s affecting them--especially Dean and Jack. 

Jack is heartbroken. From the second Dean tells him, we see how much he’s hurting, and it doesn’t go away--not even at the end. Even when he says goodbye, and everyone’s (theoretically) happy, the second he says Cas’s name, his voice breaks a little (more on that ending later). It’s so sad, but so beautiful. 

And Dean? I mean, come on people. The drinking and everything about his face is our first sign. Plus, when he and Sam went to Chuck to make a deal, Dean specifically emphasized that he needed Cas back in order for this deal to go off--and the emotion in his voice when he said it was beautiful. Plus, on top of all of that, there was that scene. You know, the one where he thinks it’s Cas, when there is no way it could be Cas, but he’s so desperate for it to be Cas that he loses all sense of logic and books it up the stairs?? THAT SCENE? Yeah. I’d say he’s pretty heartbroken, and lost, and confused without Cas. PLUS, he actually listened to every word that Cas said to him. Because, after Chuck tried to tell him that all he was was a killer? HE! SAID! NO! And that was because of Cas. 

And THEN, on top of all of that, THEY PUT CASTIEL ON THE TABLE!! (Side note: I’m pretty sure the fandom has collectively decided that the only reason it said “Castiel” is because the writers didn’t want to end on a “Cas” vs “Cass” debate, and I freaking love that, because I agree. XD) There would’ve been no better way to honor his death without bringing him back (more on that later). I! FREAKING! LOVED! IT! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

Alright. Now, let’s break down that ending, positives, negatives, and everything in between. 

Let me start by saying--and I cannot say this enough--I LOVED this ending. LOVED! IT! I thought it was a perfect end for Chuck, for Jack, for the boys--everyone. It was so beautiful and well-thought out, and the way they portrayed it was extra special. I thought it was amazing. 

Now, before I talk about what I loved about that ending, let me address the haters. And, be warned, I know I’m gonna get a little defensive here, but just remember: all of you are entitled to your opinions, and that’s totally fine. These are just my own thoughts--even if some of them might come off a little harsh--because I really do appreciate what the show did with this episode, whether other people do or not. And yes, I know Bucklemming wrote it, and they’re nobody’s favorite, but honestly, I thought they did really well with this one. It was AWESOME. 

For starters, we don’t know that the boys didn’t check in on all of their friends. We really can’t assume that. We went from the boys being in the middle of whatever town they were in (there were so many locations...I kind of lost track of where they ended up at the end...was it still Minnesota?) to them being in the Bunker. We have no idea what happened on the ride back, and my guess is probably that they did exactly that--checked in on everyone. Sam probably called Jody and Donna and Bobby and Charlie and all of them to make sure they were back and okay, because you’re right. They would. And they probably did. But the thing is, we didn’t need to see that, because we can assume that. Jack brought everybody back. Why do we have any reason to think that the boys’ closest friends and family wouldn’t be part of that list? They disappeared, and Jack brought back the people that disappeared. It makes sense to me. 

Second of all, Cas. Look, Destielers. I ship it too, okay? I do. How much I ship it depends on the day, but I do ship it. And I’m gonna say it, and you’re all going to hate me, but I am okay that Dean didn’t immediately ask Jack to bring Cas back because I think it works. I’m gonna be honest--I don’t think Cas is coming back. At least, not in the way everyone wants him to, and I think that’s good. I mean, the whole point of that scene was that Cas was sacrificing himself so Dean could live a life. It’s exactly what Jack was gonna do for Sam and Dean in 15x17, but the difference is that Jack was doing it out of guilt (and love, but mostly guilt). Cas was doing it completely and utterly out love. Sacrificing himself in the way he did led to everything that happened in this episode. It meant Sam and Dean being together to make the plan that let Jack become God. It meant letting the rest of his family live so that they could save the world. And guys...that sacrifice is amazing. Put the Destiel in it, take the Destiel out of it, do whatever, but that is exactly what Cas’s character has always been about. He’s been about protecting humanity and, especially, protecting Dean. And he did exactly that. I know I’m talking a lot about 15x18 right now, but I swear it connects. 

The thing is, if Jack brings Cas back, what does that do? I mean, yes, Dean would get him back, but...Jack isn’t even coming home. He’s God now. He’s protecting the world. And...as sad as it is, he doesn’t need his dads. They taught him so much, and now he’s able to be who is because of that. And Sam and Dean? They’re okay. They’re able to live their lives now. And guys, please don’t hate me, but Cas...doesn’t need to be in the story. His sacrifice was what brought them to where they are, and that is a beautiful thing. And I think Sam and Dean and Jack know that too. I mean, where do you think the “to everyone that we lost along the way” came from? 

Plus, in a much more real sense, think about this. The Empty’s mad at Cas, and the Empty is pretty dang powerful. What happens if Jack brings him back? Don’t you think that would open up a whole new world of problems? Wouldn’t that just put the Empty on our tail again? Yes, the Empty can’t come to Earth, but honestly, I’d be more bothered if they just pulled him back and didn’t address the problems that could cause from the Empty’s perspective. 

Guys. I know it sucks. I miss him too. But story-wise, it actually makes sense, whether we want to believe it or not. And again: we still have one episode left. They’re not just gonna leave it at that. I have faith that Cas is going to come back in some form--maybe not back back, per se, but probably as a memory or, as I mentioned before, maybe even in Dean’s Heaven. Whatever it is, Cas is still going to play a part in those final scenes, because our boys wouldn’t be who they are without him. And the show isn’t going to let him be forgotten. No one is. 

Lastly, those of you who are complaining about it being a bronlies ending...just...stop. XD 

Look. I love Team Free Will. I love Team Free Will 2.0. My favorite character is Jack. I am all for the expansive Winchester family. I love our new characters and our new family. 

But guys...the core of this show still is and always will be the Winchester brothers. Yes, their family got bigger. And yeah, that’s the most special thing ever. But their relationship will always, always be what drives this show. It’s what this show’s been about since Day 1, and even with their extended family, it’s still what this show has always been about--two brothers, saving people and hunting things together. So, yeah, the ending’s gonna be about the bros. Even next week, the ending is probably gonna be the bros. Because that’s what this show is. And it’s not like they forgot about their family. Guys, their names were ON THE TABLE. That right there proves how much of a family they all were. But in the end, it’s still always Sam and Dean. Always. And that’s how it should be. I”m not saying don’t include Cas and Jack. I’m not saying don’t include all of the other characters. For gosh sake, please, include all of the other characters. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MONTAGE WAS FOR?! But, in the end, the story only wraps when Sam and Dean’s story wraps, because that’s what this story is. And, to reiterate, it isn’t actually over. So. That’s what I have to say to that. 

Now that I have gotten all of that out of the way (holy frick I can’t believe I have more to say--can you imagine how long this is gonna be next week??), let me break down, from my perspective, how BEAUTIFUL that ending was. Piece. By. Piece. 

That entire twist was EPIC. That was the most Winchester ending to ever Winchester. The convolution. The fact that Sam and Dean knew about Jack, and knew about Michael, and used all of it to their advantage was so unbelievably THEM, and I loved it. And on top of that, the fact that Jack wound up being the pivotal turning point in that whole fight was BEAUTIFUL. Chuck’s clear panic and desperation and Jack just LAYING HIM! AMAZING! 

Those last lines between Sam and Dean and Chuck were SO. BEAUTIFULLY. WRITTEN. Chuck wanted a poetic ending--his characters being stronger than him and killing him in the end. But no. Because Sam and Dean and Jack are better than that. And the fact that Dean KNEW THAT, BECAUSE OF CAS?! “That’s not who I am.” Beautiful. And THEN! THIS:

“Then I think it’s the ending where you’re just like us. And like all the other humans you forgot about.” 

“It’s the ending where you grow old, you get sick, and you just die.” 

“And no one cares. And no one remembers you. You’re just...forgotten.” 

Because GUYS! 

THAT. IS. PERFECT.

Not only is that the best justice that Chuck could have possibly received after all of the crap he’s pulled, but think about that last line for a minute. “No one cares. No one remembers you. You’re just forgotten.”

That is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the legacy Sam and Dean will be leaving behind. It’s the exact opposite of the legacy of this show and its characters, because none of them will ever be forgotten. They think they will, but they won’t. That line says so much about this show, and that is absolutely amazing. 

And then, after all of that, everyone comes back because of Sam and Dean and Jack and what they did, and that just furthers that line of legacy even more. 

And oh my gosh. Jack. That proud little smile. The amount of wisdom that he has at freaking three years old--all because of his dads. I mean, let’s just think about that for a second. Jack was born with the entire world convinced that he was going to destroy it. But because of two salty hunters and a fallen angel, he became the new protector of everyone and everything, and he knows how to do it right. BECAUSE OF THEM. He knows how to care, how to treat people, and how to make the world a better place. All. Because. Of. Them. 

And yeah, he didn’t go back home, and it hurts a little bit, knowing that the little family isn’t together anymore. But Jack’s exactly right--they are together, and they always will be. Because they’ll always be in each other’s hearts. Jack won’t ever be far, and Cas will always be there in spirit. Always. 

And Sam and Dean? They’re gonna have each other until the day they die, just as they should. 

And to end all of that with the most beautiful freaking montage I have ever seen. Guys, I thought the Swan Song montage was the best thing in the world. But that? That left it completely behind. “To everyone that we lost along the way.” And, to all the people who are still in our hearts. To show all those characters, to show all those moments, and to show how they all impacted our boys...And then to end it with the boys driving off together towards their new future? Their free future? It. Was. Perfect. 

And, I will say this. Was everything completely wrapped up? No. Was it pretty dang close? Heck yeah. If this had been the official ending, I would’ve been a little disappointed, but it would’ve worked. Obviously, there are definitely a few key character and emotional pieces missing, but that’s why we have next week--one more to try to tie up our last little bits of emotion, and really truly finish out the story. But in all honesty, that was a BEAUTIFUL ending for the season, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better for this episode. 

In the beginning of Season 15, I started getting nervous. I started wondering: what if the ending sucks? I mean, I can name several shows that went on for so long with so many great things and then had a terrible ending that ruined it for fans. I was worried it would happen to Supernatural too. 

But after seeing that semi-ending--after seeing their season finale--I have total faith in them, as I should’ve from the beginning. I know that there’s no way that this ending could be bad. Not when they just delivered that to us. Between the storytelling, the acting, the cinematography, the editing, the music--all of it. It was such a BEAUTIFUL episode, and honestly, it’s already in my top ten. 

Say what you want about Bucklemming. Say what you want about the lack of Destiel. Say what you want about this episode. But to me, this episode was beautiful, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect way to end the Season 15 storyline. 

I am so, so excited to see what they give us next week. It’s going to be amazing. 

My Rating: 30/10

P.S. I...want to react to the 15x20 promo, but...there isn’t really much to react to, because they’re really trying to keep us from knowing what’s gonna happen I guess. So, I’m gonna wait and see if anymore promotional material comes out and then do it all at once. 

#spn spoilers #15x19 #spn 15x19 #spn season 15 #inherit the earth #supernatural #spoilers #episode reactions #my reactions #my thoughts #my review #season finale #the end of the end #one episode left #spn reactions

[heckyeahitsnick]

Her Soul is Like Magnolia

Written By: @heckyeahitsnick​

Pairing: Harry Styles/OC

Word Count: 20,979

Warnings: Some explicit/foul language

Summary: 

Magnolia “Mags” Rahman believes in hard science, has a tendency to stick her foot in her mouth, and is a lover of all things horror and Halloween. Harry Styles likes to toe the line between fact and fiction, strangers and friends, and normal and paranormal.  

Harry Styles has a ghost problem.

Mags has a Harry Styles problem.

An au where seeing is believing and everyone is trying their best to treat each other with kindness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 1: October 24th, a week from Halloween

“You’re stepping on my foot.”

Mags broke herself out of her stupor, visibly shaking her head. She stared at the person the voice belonged to, trying to orient herself and gather her bearings, and saw that it was her coworker, Liam. “Oh,” she murmured apologetically, “Sorry.” She was so exhausted at work, counting down the minutes until her shift was over at the campus bookstore so she could go home and curl up with Pumpkin, the adorable black cat she adopted only a month ago when it was love at first sight. Grad school was a vicious beast that she had yet learned how to slay. She probably hadn’t slept in the last 48 hours, busy with school, work, and occasionally binging B-rated horror movies on Netflix with Pumpkin. In her drowsy state, she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions, like accidentally charging the last customer the wrong price, shelfing the Twilight series under the Biography section, and stepping on her coworker’s foot. She was just so tired.

“Okay? Thanks for apologizing? But you literally haven’t moved. You’re still stepping on my foot!” He pointed at her white sneakers atop his (knock-off) Timberlands.

She gave him a playful glare and replied, “You’re so high-maintenance,” before shifting away from him.

“Okay, well, I just came to tell you I’m headed home a little early,” he paused to eye her with vague concern, “Are you sure you’re okay to close up?”

She snorted, “Does my answer even matter? It’s not like you’re gonna offer to close up for me.”

He grinned good-naturedly, “Yeah you’re right. Makes me feel like less of a dick though.” Putting on his coat and gathering his backpack, he quickly headed for the door as if the devil was chasing him, ignoring the peace sign Mags threw at his retreating figure. Probably eager to go home and chug some beer, or like start a fire, or whatever it was that boys like to do. Mags wouldn’t know. She couldn’t possibly even attempt to understand the male psyche.

Like for example, Mags looked at the only customer in the bookstore, frantically pacing through the aisles and muttering incomprehensibly to himself. His curly hair was tussled and frayed, not in the intentional bedhead way that some people, like her ex-boyfriend, styled it in an attempt to look good but actually coming off as a douche, but in a way that indicated he’s probably been constantly running his hand through it. Probably exam stress, she mused, considering the boy’s current state. He was tall too, she observed, but that was overshadowed by his hunched shoulders, head facing down, and of course the frantic pacing.

“Dude. Are you okay?” Mags called out in a voice slightly louder than usual.

No answer, as if he didn’t even hear her. She realized she should probably be a bit more cautious. The customer honestly was acting very strange. He could probably be planning to rob the bookstore. She was the only employee left, her slight build and big brown eyes (which her friends called doe-eyed but Mags herself considered to look more like a fish) weren’t enough to intimidate anyone. She laughed softly to herself. Like anyone would rob this bookstore. College students never paid with cash and Mags probably had negative three dollars to her name and an even lower will to live. If someone held her at gunpoint asking her to hand over her wallet, she’d probably wouldn’t be able to stop herself from bursting into laughter. Besides, he looked like a college student himself. An English major, she guessed, considering his pretentious wool coat and heeled boots. She did a double take. Glittery, heeled boots apparently. She would know, she’s dated her fair share of them.

You’re being so foolish, Maggie-Girl, she scolded herself with the affectionate nickname she gave herself and that no one (read: especially Niall, her roommate’s, Marisol’s, boyfriend) was ever allowed to address her as.

The draft Liam let in earlier caused her to shudder. Wrapping her yellow cardigan tightly across her chest, she longingly gazed out the window. The weather was the perfect crispy fall weather, with orange leaves littering the sidewalks and she sighed, wistfully thinking about the brisk air sure to greet her as she biked home. If only the boy would leave, she could be on her way!

She glanced at her watch and decided, screw her self-preservation. She stepped out from behind the check-out counter and headed towards the boy. He barely noticed her, continuing to drag his fingers frantically through the spines of the books on the shelf. Mags just now realized they were standing under the horror section of the store. Weird.

“Hey, um, dude. Are you okay?” She asked with a voice that she hoped sounded professional and confident but probably came across as a mix of “wow-I-don’t-get-paid-enough for this” and “maybe I don’t wanna die?”

Her presence seems to finally break him out of whatever trance he was in. He looked up at her, taking Mags aback. He’s kind of cute, she thought, if she ignored the bluish-purple bags under his green eyes and his pink lips twisted into a frown. Potentially a robber, possibly a murderer who likes to creep out female employees in bookstore by having a near breakdown in the horror section, sure, but at least he was nice to look at.

“What?”

Mags gave him an ironic smile in return. “Ah, you speak! Thank god. I was beginning to think your only talents were to burn a hole through the carpet.”

His brows furrowed in confusion, “What?” he repeated in frustration.

Maybe I gave him more credit than he deserved she thought to herself. Out loud, she said, “Look. Technically, we’re closing in 5 minutes. You looked like you needed help. What’re you looking for? Maybe then we can both get out of here.”

His eyes darted nervously to the side. “A book,” is his brilliant reply.

“Yeah? I figured?” She said, stretching out her word because at this point, who cared if the boy could tell she thought he was ridiculous. This was definitely a strange scenario and she wondered if her own sleep-deprivation caused her to dream up this handsome boy with vague answers and possibly three functioning braincells. She briefly had a thought that this was like a reverse You situation, where he was the Joe to her Beck, but she quickly stopped her overactive imagination “Any book in particular?”

“Yeah, um,” the boy quickly straightened up and looked her in the eyes, as if he finally came to the realization that he was coming off a little odd, “I’m looking for a horror book. Obviously. But like, something non-fiction? Like about, y’know. Ghosts.“

“Ghosts?” She cautiously prodded, “but non-fiction? Like…paranormal accounts?”

“Yes! Like, I dunno, spooky shit. Stuff, sorry. Paranormal stuff about like haunted houses,” His eyes brightened, and his word tumbled out faster with a tinge of hope. “Hey! You wouldn’t happen to have a How-To book about how to cleanse a house that’s haunted?”

Mags tried. She really did try. Not the fake trying like when she tries to make it to her 8 am class every Tuesday morning and ‘accidentally’ snoozes her alarm. Not even the fake trying she does when Marisol makes her do sit-ups at the gym for their weekly (read: monthly) workout and she taps out after 5. But even trying her hardest meant she could not stop the laughter that escaped her mouth.

“Haha, I’m sorry, what?” She laughed, her face in disbelief and amusement, clutching her stomach, “You want what? What is this? Did you end up watching too many episodes of Buzzfeed Unsolved ‘cuz honestly, I’m not sure you got the right bone structure to be Shane. You’re funny though, I’ll give you that!”

The laughter and words began to trail off because the boy, his face completely changed. The hopeful, pleading gleam that was in his eyes suddenly hardened in anger. Mags quickly tried to reign herself in, registering that he was not amused, and she’d accidentally offended him.

“I –“ She began, ready to start apologizing because she realized she completely read the room wrong.  “Forget it!” He cut her off, quickly stuffing the book he had in his hands back into the bookshelf.

“Whatever.” He peered at her nametag disdainfully, “Don’t offer to help if you don’t intend to, Magnolia,” spewing her name out like it was poison in his mouth.

“Wait! I’m sor – “

“Forget it. Sorry I asked!” He exclaimed, abruptly walking past her, his shoulders jostling hers and she whipped around to try and apologize once more.

But he left just as quickly as Liam did. Like the devil was chasing him.

Mags turned around and pulled out the book he had in his hands (and totally shelfed in the wrong place), trailing her fingers across the blue leather bound and golden imprinted letters. “Exorcism: Encounters with the Paranormal and Occult,” she muttered to herself, and then looked up at the door that the boy had exited from. “Nonfiction.”

She slumped against the bookshelf, mentally kicking herself. Why don’t you ever think before you speak?! She berated herself morosely. Had she taken a second to assess the situation, she would’ve registered his worried eyes and another emotion that she couldn’t quite place. Could it have been…fear? She eyed the book in her hand. What could that boy possibly be afraid of?

Her phone dinged with a text message. She pulled it out of her pocket and immediately groaned reading the message from Marisol.

Pumpkin just shat (shitted? shatted?) on the living room carpet J  Can’t wait ‘till ur home.

If Mags was an English major, she’d probably see an irony in this. Or like a metaphor, because she shat all over that boy’s concerns and like the shit was representative of like…. being a dick? But she wasn’t an English major. Obviously.

The only thing her soon-to-be-chemist brain could come up with was: well, fuck, isn’t karma a bitch.

_______________________________________________________________________

Day 3: October 26th - 5 days until Halloween

“Be honest with me. Am I gonna die?”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Niall!” Mags exclaimed, shifting her backpack onto her other shoulder, “For the last time! I. Don’t. Know.”

“But look closely!” He pestered, shoving his arm into her face, whining. “Tell me this rash doesn’t look bad. It’s red! And like, rashy! And it itches, Mags, it itches so bad! I think it’s infected!”

She backed away from him and shoved the offending arm away, quickly muttering an apology to the guy in a suit and tie behind her, before facing Niall again with widened eyes (well, wider than usually because Fish Eyes, remember?). “Seriously, Niall, I really can’t deal with you before I’ve had my morning tea.”

“But I – “

She cut him off. “And rashes can’t be infected! Now can we puh-lease talk about something else? Anything else. I’ll literally discuss your sex life with Marisol right now if it means we can stop talking about your nasty-ass rash!” This time, she ignored the glare from the man in the business suit; she can’t be blamed for his eavesdropping.

While Niall, in typical Niall fashion (taking everything literally), began to recount a tale about his midnight rendezvous with Marisol, Mags let her mind wander. She impatiently tapped her foot against the floor, sparing another glance at her watch, while also giving her own mental nod of approval at the store’s festive decorations (fake spider webs and caution tapes that adorned the doors and counter). For a chain that had a slew of ridiculous redundant names for their drinks (she will always bemoan the fact that people don’t realize that a chai tea is literally translated to tea tea), they sure knew how to get into the Halloween spirit. The line at Starbucks was long she noted, and with four people ahead of them, she and Niall would be late for their lecture if things didn’t speed up. Mags just knew she should’ve made her own cup of chai this morning, but it never tasted the same as when her mom made it, and all it would do is make her more homesick.

Niall briefly interrupted her train of thought with a quick interjection, “Yo, Maggie are you listening to me,” to which she responded with a quick lie, “Yes!” followed by a “And don’t call me that!” with a soft jab to his ribs.

The gears in her mind shifted, wandering to the boy from the bookstore last night. She couldn’t stop thinking about him last night on her bike ride home, during her stern lecture with Pumpkin about the importance of using the litter box, all the way until she finally went to bed. What was he so scared of? She pondered while also still scolding herself for handling the situation absolutely in the worst way. Though she didn’t mean to, she doesn’t ever intend to come across as so rude and aggressive. She just had a knack for blurting out the wrong thing that made it hard for people to see that she actually had a heart of gold.

Well, maybe not gold, she thought. That was giving herself too much credit. To be sure, she interrupted Niall’s ramblings with a quick interjection, “Hey quick question. Would you say I have a heart of gold or like…a heart of bronze?”

He was used to her antics; his blue eyes didn’t even hesitate before meeting hers. “Are we using an Olympic scale? Like gold would be first place and like the kindest person ever?” Acknowledging her nod, he held his fingers to his chin, making the universal thinking face as he mulled over her question.

She barely heard his answer (“Maybe a happy medium, like a silver heart? You suck at first impressions but once ya get to know ya, you’re super sweet,” the blonde mused in the background) because something, or more like someone, caught her eye. She watched him walk past her, exiting the Starbucks. Her eyes locked in on a pair of glittery boots and trailed up a pair of black jeans, a burgundy hoodie, and finally, green eyes that looked even more sleep-deprived than last night if that was possible, until she stopped at the black beanie that did little to contain the escaping brown curls.

It was the boy! The boy from last night!

“It’s him!” She shouted to Niall, dragging him by the arm so she could catch the boy before he left, ignoring Niall’s cries (“Wait, we were next in line!”)

“Hey!” Mags shouted, ignoring the grimace of the man in the suit, as she chased after the boy with a disgruntled Niall slowly trailing behind. She followed the boy outside, desperate to get his attention. “Ghost boy!” she shouted, somewhat hysterically, “Wait!”

Finally, he turned around, just registering that the crazy girl running on the sidewalk was trying to get his attention. His eyes widened in surprised and then narrowed with recognition, as he frowned.

“I - What did you just call me?” He said, his voice huskier than Mags recalled.

“Um, I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name last night. I needed to get your attention! I needed to apologize.” Her eyes took in his appearance. He looked even more haggard than yesterday. His face seemed sunken in and his skin dull. He was still really handsome, if her heartrate was any indicator, but he looked worse for wear.

“Look,” she continued, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to like, laugh at you or anything. Let me make it up to you! I can probably help you find the book you’re looking for! My conscious is like, really annoying, and I couldn’t sleep last night ‘cuz I felt so bad and I looked up a shit ton of books about hauntings. Nonfiction ones! For whatever mysterious reason you need them for.”

His brows furrowed and his frown deepened, “What?” He shook his head from side to side, as if to shake away his confusion, “Look s’all good. It’s fine. I’ll figure it out on my own,” He turned as if to walk away before adding as an afterthought, “You curse a lot, y’know?”

Before she could even respond, she was interrupted again (which was probably a good thing because her knee-jerk response was to say “No shit sherlock”) by Niall coming to a stop beside her.

“Mags, what the actual fuck? We were next in line!” He bent over slightly, resting his hands against his knees as he paused to catch his breath from the strenuous five steps he took from the Starbucks door to where she and the boy were standing. He looked up and nodded, “What’s up, Harry?”

“Hey Niall,” the boy, Harry, said as he eyed the pair of them cautiously, like he didn’t want anyone to think he could be associated with them. “I’ll catch you later.”

“Wait, Harry!” Magnolia cried out, making immediate use of his name, “Seriously, tell me what’s wrong! I can help!” But her cries fell to deaf ears as she watched Harry walk off, his shoulders in his seemingly perpetual slump, one hand jammed into his pocket and the other holding his coffee cup as he crossed the street.

“So,” Niall began, “Couple of things to unpack here. We don’t have coffee, I’m a little more out of shape that I thought I was, and we’re definitely late for class so I suggest we should just skip it and grab some food.” He finally straightened up and looked at Mags, as if was an afterthought, “Wait. How d’you know Harry? Did you sleep with him?”

_______________________________________________________________________

Day 4: October 27th, 4 days until Halloween

On days like this, Mags truly does take a second to appreciate the finer things in life. The fall foliage that lined the paved pebble pathways on the university’s campus only contributed to the magical spell of October. As maple leaves fluttered downwind and the cool wind blew against her skin, she embraced the enchanting atmosphere of the autumnal weather, taking in the beauty as college students hurried past her, a colorful, warm blend of red scarves, brown coats, olive sweaters, and all. The breeze that blew through her dark hair didn’t even bother her, when usually she’d be grumpy considering how long it takes her to tame the thick, wavy locks into an acceptable amount of frizz. Despite having an o-chem midterm waiting for her, she slowed her pace to truly enjoy the bliss she was in. Mags paused on the cobblestone to close her eyes and breathe in the cold air, a small smile slowly forming on her face. Nothing could ruin the feeling of contentment that she was feeling right now and –

“What’re you doin’?”

A deep baritone disrupted her. She stands corrected. Maybe she could be bothered. She took a longer second to herself, keeping her eyes closed and steadying her breathing before planning to huffily face whomever (whoever? Whomstever? Times like this really made Mags rejoice at the fact she wasn’t an English major) decided to ruin her moment of peace.

The same voice let out a chuckle. “Hey, are you planning to open your eyes anytime soon?”

It took her a second, but Mags recognized that voice. Ghost Boy! Harry! She whipped around towards the voice, her hair following along and sharply striking her face and shoulders as she settled her brown eyes on Harry. She was so happy to see him, even if he did ruin the coming-of-age, dramatic introspective Bollywood moment she was having to herself. Magnolia gazed at him, taking the surprisingly peaceful silence between them to truly assess him. His green eyes peered back at her, glistening from the cold breeze, pronounced by the dark purple bags that seemed to have worsened overnight. His cheekbones jutted out just below, and lower, his pink lips settled in an expression she couldn’t quite decipher, but she’d guess wistful if she had to. He seemed to be in better spirits, dressed in a chunky caramel cable-knit sweater. Maybe it was how cozily he was dressed or perhaps it was the softness enhanced by his sleepy demeanor, but Mags was hit by a sudden wave of endearment for him. For a boy she hardly knew! She shook off the weird feelings that washed over her and broke the silence.

“Harry!” She quickly recalled all their past encounters and decided to approach this conversation with a little less well-meaning aggression and exuberance. “Harry,” she calmly tried again, “I’m so glad you’re here. I really, really need you to listen to me. I am really and truly sorry I laughed at you the other day.” He opened his mouth to respond, but Mags bulldozed on, not wanting to lose her chance. “I – look, I have knack for saying the wrong thing but I promise that I really want to help you with –“ She paused as she realized she never knew what exactly seemed to be plaguing him, but persevered nevertheless, “with whatever it is that’s bugging you. I pinky promise I can help - somehow!”

He broke into an amused smile, one that Mags couldn’t help notice was a very nice smile at that. “Pinky promise, huh?” He prodded, “That’s pretty serious for someone who quite literally just met me and doesn’t even know what my problem is.”

“Well, whatever it is, just tell me! I won’t laugh!” Mags pleaded.

“Do you promise not to laugh?”

“I promise!” She said solemnly, her face somber, nodding with earnestness.

“Do you,” he paused, inhaling a deep breath, as Mags leaned in closer to listen, breath baited, eyes unwavering, “do you pinky promise?”

“Oh!” She swatted at him with a free hand as she realized he was teasing her, as he stepped away laughing.

“Sorry,” he smiled, not looking the least bit apologetic, “Couldn’t help m’self.”

They shared a small moment, each looking at the other with their own, soft smiles before

Harry suddenly straightened up, his smile vanishing just as Mags began to welcome the sight. His tone sobered, “I did wanna say m’sorry for being kinda a dick to you. I’m dealing with…something right now and I really didn’t mean to take it out on you, Magnolia.”

“Mags,” she instinctively corrected, “Magnolia is reserved for customers that I don’t insult.”

“Mags,” he repeated wryly, “I like that. Well anyways, just happen to pass you and wanted to say that.” He gestured to the papers she had forgotten were clutched in her hands, “Anyways, looks like you’ve got a test on…” He trailed off, squinting at her neat penmanship of carefully copied formulas and calculations, “rocket science or quantum physics or whatever those horrible numbers mean. Just looking at it is giving me a headache. I’m sure you’ll do well though.  G’luck!” He said, turning to leave.

“No wait!” She was not going to lose another chance. Truly, she did feel awful about how she treated Harry, but also, she didn’t want him to go for reasons she couldn’t quite explain. She liked his presence and didn’t want the conversation to end just yet. “Will you seriously tell me what’s wrong? Please?”

He considered her, his guarded eyes boring into hers for what felt like eternity, not even breaking contact when a boy with rounded hipster coke-bottle glasses and a plaid coat bumped against her shoulder without so much as an apology (friggin’ English majors she briefly lamented).

“Yeah, okay,” he conceded, running his hands roughly through his brown curls, “You think I’m crazy anyways and it’s not like my life can get any weirder.” He pursed his lips as he formulated his thoughts. Mags tried to be patient, resisting the urge to check her watch because she did actually care about her grades and she did have a midterm to get to after all and Niall was such a push-over he wouldn’t be able to save her a seat for much longer, but she had to hear what he had to say. Just as she was going to (gently, she swears) prompt Harry, he broke his contemplative silence.

“Um. Okay so basically,” he stalled, scratching at his hairline before spewing out in anxious, bullet-fast speech, “I um, pretty-sure-I-accidentally-summoned-like-a-demon-or-ghost-or-some-evil-otherwordly-spirit-in-my-house-and-now-I’m-being-haunted.

Brown eyes blinked in his directions. To her credit, Mags remained composed despite her thoughts that ranged from what the actual fuck, this boy is psychotic to my minority ass is not equipped for this situation to aww he looks kinda cute when he’s nervous.

“Yes,” in reality is how she responded, trying to maintain neutral as she organized her thoughts, her voice robotic, “I understand.”

“Yeah, see, I knew this was a mistake. I didn’t really expect you to believe me,” his hopeful expression fading to disappointment, belying his words.

“No! Okay, yeah I don’t believe you,” she confessed, “but,” brandishing her speech with wild gestures, “I can help you prove that your house isn’t haunted! That’ll like give both you and I peace of mind! Not right now, because I really do have to go kick some o-chem ass but like, later tonight? Take my number, text me your address, and we can like ghostbust the fuck out of your non-haunted home!”

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Harry nodded in agreement, albeit reluctantly but hey, she’d take it, Mags quickly gushed out her cellphone number as Harry’s thumb clumsily attempting to enter each digit and keep up.

Mags raced away, peeking at her watch and sparing a parting glance at Harry and calling out, “I’m serious Harry, if I don’t get a text, I will haunt you myself! And I am way more annoying than a ghost!” He smiled fondly in response, “I don’t doubt that. I swear I’ll text you,”

“Promise?” she shouted, as she retreated further away from him to her awaiting exam.

“Pinky promise.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Same day, later that evening

Mags leans against the bay window in the living room, watching the rain drops splatter against the window. A cup of chai in one hand, a worn murder-mystery novel in the other, with Pumpkin curled up against her feet hidden under thick socks, she truly felt content. Marisol had thrown a quilt over Mags legs earlier as the former left for work. Mags was so immersed in the book’s plot she barely gave the other girl an appreciative smile but she was sure Marisol knew.

She was pretty sure she aced her midterm exam earlier that day (and Niall was fairly confident that he didn’t fail so it was a win-win for all) and she was able to make some progress with Harry. The curly haired boy, whom she met for the first time a mere three days ago, seemed to consume a lot of her free time and thoughts.

He was just so curious, and skittish, and he genuinely did seem scared of something. Mags was a firm believer in science, statistics, hard, factual data. Give her an equation to solve or a statistical analysis to decipher over an essay any day. Even if she wasn’t a believer, she knew better than to laugh at others, even if her actions didn’t always reflect that. She had never believed in Santa Claus, being Muslim and all, but she’d been the one to comfort Kevin Vo in the first grade when the classroom bully had tried to convince others that Santa was fictitious. Likewise, even though she didn’t truly know Harry, she did believe that something was scaring him, and she was determined to figure out what it was. But one thing was sure, she positively knew it was not a ghost.

Her phone rang out with a small chime, alerting her of a text message.

Hey, It’s Harry. Harry Styles.

Before she could respond, her phone dinged again.

Or as you like to call me, Ghost Boy.

harry!! im so glad u txted!!!

I keep my promises. Are you sure you want to come to my house that is DEFINITELY haunted?

yes i do wanna come to ur house that is definitely NOTT(!!) haunted. send me ur addy.

Once receiving his address, Mags began to root through her closet for a warmer coat and umbrella. She grabbed her keys, gave Pumpkin an affectionate kiss on her furry little forehead, and gave herself one last look at the mirror. She almost found herself reapplying her mascara and running a brush through her hair, but she fought the urge. This is what she always looks like, and she wasn’t sure why she cared so much about her appearance for this friendly little demonic (but not really) excursion she was about to partake in. Certainly, she’s looked worse before. Liam has seem her adorned in her older brother’s shapeless, oversized sweaters as she hastily arrived seconds before her shift and Niall had seen her when she hadn’t showered in days, bra forgotten, her clothes stained, and remnants of last night’s dinner on her face (although, granted it had been Finals week).

As her blonde companion came to mind, as an afterthought, she shot one more text to Harry; just as a precaution because as attractive as he was, she didn’t know him that well yet. Though she doubted his heart was anything but sincere and good, she had to be safe.

also im bringin niall. the more the merrier rite?? (((:

Niall and Mags stood side by side on the property, their sneakers and boots respectively crunching the orange leaves that littered the lawn, as they gazed up. The house was huge, intricate, a stark contrast against the cloudy gray sky, and beautiful. Hauntingly so. If she believed in ghosts, Mags could envision how one would think this particular house was haunted. The brown and orange wood that made the exterior seemed to indicate that this house could creak when it wasn’t supposed to, the broken shutters revealing that the house holds secrets from its past, the surrounding black iron gates emitting a foreboding sense of doom.

But, she knew how to deal with facts. And the facts were that this house was old as shit and old houses liked to creak. She was sure that Harry probably just had an overactive imagination, which she was here to quell.

“Holy hell, you’re tellin’ me that Harry lives here? In this friggin’ place?” Niall let out a low appreciative whistle, “I’m definitely gonna have to convince him to host a house party here.”

She snorted in response, “Right? He couldn’t have lived in shitty student housing like the rest of us?”

They made their way to the porch, carefully side-stepping planks of rotting wood and loose nails. As Niall knocked, Mags sent a quick text to Harry alerting him of their presence. She’d filled Niall in when she picked him up for this adventure, letting him know that Harry was scared that this house was haunted and that they, soon to be scientists, were going to prove that it was all just hodgepodge. Blasphemous.  A figment of his imagination. And of course, Niall was game, as he always was, his laidback and flexible personality among the many traits that Mags loved about the Irishman. The door creaked open, groaning under the movement of shifting wood, as Harry greeted them with an appreciative smile.

“Hey. Come in. Thanks for doing this, honestly,” he ushered them inside, into the house, “though I’m not sure how smart this idea is, or why you’d be more equipped to tell if this house is haunted more than me, considering one of ya have literally drank yourself into a drunken stupor and became convinced that Big Bird was a part of a larger conspiracy theory.”

“Falsifications!” Niall boasted, while Mags yelled in her defense, “Hey that was literally ONE time!”

Both Harry and Niall shot her a concerned look. “Right,” she realized, “You were referring to Niall because we just met and how could you possibly know that about me? Haha. Moooving on.”

Niall and Harry amicably bickered in the background and Mags wandered off to take in her surroundings. She had every intention of taking off her heavy coat as she surveyed the house, taking in the wood floors, antique furniture, mosaic windows, and high ceilings, but there was a chill in the air, despite the burning fire crackling in fireplace. She turned to question Harry about the temperature, and his eyes were already on her, watching her take everything in with an unidentifiable emotion. Recovering from his unexpected gaze, she questioned, “Why’s it so cold in here? Trying to save money on bills?”

Harry seemed validated by her question, “See! So you notice that too! No matter how much I crank the thermostat or feed wood to the fireplace, it is always chilly in here.”

Niall nodded sagely, “Ah yes. A very common indicator that a house is haunted,” which caused Harry to nod enthusiastically in agreement in having found his kindred spirit and Mags to shoot Niall a look of annoyance.

“Or,” she interjected, “It could mean literally anything else. Climate change can be linked to more severe, harsher winters and this has certainly been a record-breaking cold October.” This, in turn, prompted Niall and Harry to shoot each other a look, as if to fondly say they found her adorable. Huffing slightly, she continued, “Okay, Harry, let’s get down to business. What else is making you think you’re haunted? Tell me everything.”

Harry nodded, “It’s a long story. Let’s get settled on the couch, I’ll grab us some drinks. This is going to be an interesting evening.”

Wine in hand (and a beer for Niall), bodies settled, and fire crackling, the trio sat on the rug and couch, eyes on Harry. He cleared his throat, an odd hush falling over them as he began his tale, “Well, let’s start from the beginning. The reason I even can afford to live in this house is because Bertha, the old widow who owns the place. She used to live here and took a liking to me, so she charges me cheap rent after her granddaughter took her to another state to live with her.”

“Gilf,” Niall responded nodding, as Mags inquired, “Wait, how did you even know Bertha?”

“We played Bingo together,” Harry clarified, which raised more questions, but he didn’t elaborate, “Anyways, I lived here for about a month, no problems other than the usually leaky faucets and the sorts. But one evening,” he broke off, lowering his head to focus on the arms of his sweater stretched over his palm, his fingers twiddling anxiously.

He looks so sad and worried. Mags instinctively reached out and placed a comforting hand on his knee, the warmth of his skin felt through his jeans, causing Harry to look up as she smiled in reassurance.

“Right,” he persisted, “Well, one evening, about a week ago, my friend Louis and I were having drinks and watching horror movies, as a little farewell celebration because he was going to study abroad the next day. Getting into the Halloween spirit y’know? We were drunk and shootin’ the piss, and Louis suggested we hold a séance as he had a Ouija board in his car.”

“He just happened to have a Ouija board in his car?” Mags questioned in disbelief.

“He’s odd like that,” Harry explained, coinciding with Niall’s comment “Yeah, that checks out. Sounds like Louis!” Once again, reminding Mags that Niall was such a social person, and of course he somehow knew this Louis character.

“So we were just being stupid, lighting candles and asking the Ouija board silly questions and really just goofing off,” the sound of the rain grew louder, the droplets slapping against the wooden house and glass windows, prompting Harry to raise his voice to be heard, “And off Louis went to Brazil the next day to study abroad. And over the next few days, things kept happening.”

“Things?” Mags encouraged.

“Things like…I would hear sounds in the night. The wood creaks like someone is walking through the house and I hear strange sounds like scratching on the walls. The lights randomly flicker,” He takes in a shuddering breath, his hands absentmindedly pulling at a loose thread form his sweater in apprehension, “and I dunno, a painting literally fell off the wall in the dead of the night. That is not normal! Sometimes, there’s a weird smell in here, like rotten eggs, and it doesn’t go away no matter how hard I clean or how much air freshener I buy. It is always so cold in here and I haven’t been able to sleep in days, because I feel like something is just…watching me. If I can sleep, it’s only for a little because I’ll have nightmares, or I find myself waking up in the middle of the night.” Harry’s voice gets louder and louder, becoming more agitated and fearful as he recounts, “I can’t take it anymore, but I’m stuck here until the next semester but I’m not sure how much longer I can last.”

A quietness overtakes them, as everyone processes the story. Once again, Harry breaks the silence, “I dunno what we did that night, but I think. I think we definitely woke something.”

Mags stared at him, her heart feeling for him and she so desperately wished she could just give him the answers. Her brain was in overdrive, considering what could be source causing all the strangeness. Sleep deprivation can cause a lot of symptoms, her mind raced, delirium, hallucinations, your cognitive functions skewed because of being loopy. Because she believed, that while he may believe everything he said to be genuine, there were other plausible explanations. Ones that didn’t include the paranormal.

“Well, we’re here for ya mate,” Niall promised as Mags murmured in agreement. “We ain’t leaving ya alone tonight and we’ll be here to hear anything strange.”

Harry exhaled in obvious relief, releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. “Thanks mate,” he said, as Niall cheered and went off to grab himself another beer, leaving the pair alone, “And thank you, Mags. I just, can’t explain it, but I feel better just having you here.” Mags looked at him, the fire dancing in the reflection of his eyes. His words were sincere and made her feel warm despite the chill, alighting her nerves. “Of course,” was all she could muster in response, her voice thick with emotion.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Day 5: October 28th, 3 days until Halloween

The rest of last night had passed in a similar fashion. They watched a B-rated cult classic on the Sy-Fy channel, played a rousing game of scrabble in which Niall of all people emerged victorious (the winning word with triple points: craic), and just swapping stories about their lives. It was fun, and Harry had looked the most relaxed that she had ever seen him. But when they woke in the morning, the mood was somber. Niall and Mags hadn’t heard a single peep the entire night, sleeping peacefully until morning, leaving Harry to fret over two options: the fear that he had gone crazy or that they wouldn’t believe him.

Mags was quick to dissipate both fears, assuring him that she would go home, shower, pack herself a bag, and come back again after work. If anything, she knew just having someone there with him helped Harry sleep better than he had in days, and although Niall wouldn’t be able to make it as he had a date night planned with Marisol, Mags wanted to be there for Harry. Harry was kind, Mags discerned, the way he had draped a blanket over her snoring figure last night and had given Niall his extra pillow. And the way she felt when he looked at her? She couldn’t describe. It was unlike any feeling that not even her past boyfriends made her feel, and it was simply small touches and gazes. She felt like a Victorian woman in the early ages, having to fan herself at the slightest contact, becoming undone and exhilarated when Harry had reached to embrace her in a hug earlier that day, his sweater rising to revealing his tanned, taut stomach and a peek of tattoos.

She drifted through work in a haze. She barely could recall any of the customers and she wouldn’t be able to you what she and Liam chatted about throughout her shift. She would get off in the evening, since she was closing again, and Harry insisted on coming to pick her up so they could walk back together to his home. Pumpkin lazily stalked through the aisles of the store, darting between the shelves and under tables as Mags watched in amusement. Mags wanted to bring Pumpkin along for their sleepover, and Harry thought it was a great idea because in his words, “A black cat would totally be able to sense if something was off.” Her bosses were never in the store and she knew Liam didn’t mind Pumpkin’s presence, if the fact that he had spent the latter half of the day cooing at her pink nose and soft paws, giving her belly rubs and half his lunch to share was any indicator.

Though she knew she was being silly, she mused as she kneeled on the worn carpet and shelved a stack of books, she couldn’t help feeling the anticipation and nervousness that usually precedes a date. But it wasn’t a date. She was just feeling this way because Niall wouldn’t be there and it would be just her and Harry in that big old house, alone together. If she was being honest, she would admit that she did wish it was a date. She found herself drawn to Harry, his caring personality and really taken by his dimples and all. His husky, low voice stirred something deep in her stomach, and when she heard the baritone in his throaty voice, coated with sleepiness earlier in the morning? She felt flush and wonderstruck, all at once.

But it wasn’t a date. Facing facts is what she did best. It was just two people on their way to becoming friends, working to prove that his house was not being inhabited by any spirits, that’s all. Completely platonic, normal stuff.

When it was 8 minutes to closing, Mags began to make sure that everything was put away so she could leave on time considering there probably wouldn’t be any last-minute customers, noting that Pumpkin was now currently snoozing near the cash register. She was deep in thought, dusting a particularly dusty shelf, secretly becoming more and more excited at the thought of spending more time with Harry.

“Boo!”

“Holy shit!” Mags’ heart jumped out of her chest, as she whirled around in fear, only to be met with a laughing Harry, one hand outstretched and grasping the bookshelf, the other across his stomach as he doubled over in laughter.

“You’re an idiot!” She declared, without malice, shoving her shoulders against his. “Absolutely awful.”

“Y’know, for a girl who says she isn’t afraid of ghosts, you sure are quite jumpy.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m a girl, Harry. I have real things to fear. Like creepy men that come in here to harass me!”

His eyes flashed with amusement as he leaned against the shelf. “If you want me to leave, just say the word.”

Mags just smiled to herself in response, choosing to ignore his comment. “I’m almost finished up here and then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Y’know,” said Harry, his tone become dramatic and teasing, “This is where we first met. When you first accosted me here, in this very aisle – “

“I did NOT accost you! You have to admit you were acting so suspicious!” Mags exclaimed indignantly. She straightened out one of the books and wondered aloud, “But it’s a bit crazy innit? That we just came into each other’s lives a mere four days ago?”

“Crazy,” Harry agreed, his sudden low and husky tone causing Mags to look up at him. “Feels like I’ve known you forever.” His eyes caught her with an unrecognizable expression, and Mags stared back, unable to look away. It’s like she was in a trance. Harry takes a step towards her, closing the small gap between them, standing so close that she could feel the warmth exuding from his chest, could see the freckles that dotted his green eyes, could practically hear his heart beating in his chest. Now was it just her or was his heart beating very, very fast?

Another second passes between them and Harry brings up his hand, placing it affectionally against her cheek, as Mags impulsively nuzzles against his palm. He leans in, closing the virtually non-existence gap between, his eyes focused on her lips, and all she could think was Is he going to – Is this really happening?

“Please tell me you guys are still open!” An unfamiliar voice shouts, as a male college student races in, eyes frantic and voice desperate.

Harry and Mags spring apart, their bodies separating as they turned to face the newcomer.

“I’ve got a paper due tonight on a book that I haven’t read. Please tell me you’re open and that you have Shakespeare!”

“Y-yes,” Mags answered, her voice a little shaky as she avoids looking at Harry, “Technically, we’re still open for another 2 minutes. You said Shakespeare? Which one?”

The boy looks around, scanning the books in the aisle before answering, “William, I think.”

She lets out a huge sigh before finally looking at Harry. “I’m just gonna help this last customer and then we can lock up and head out.” “I’ll be waiting.”

She guides the customer to the classic literature section; On the outside, she was explaining how prolific of an author Shakespeare was but internally, she was still thinking about her interaction with Harry. They were already becoming so close. When people get close, Mags discovered from her 23 years on Earth, they find the things they like and appreciate about you. But it’s a double-edge sword. That kind of intimacy also reveals the unpleasant things, it gives the other an opportunity to see the all the little things that makes a person real. Real was messy and not always pleasant. What if Harry saw all the little things that made Mags real – her tendency to ramble, her need to always have opinions about everything that she often loudly expressed, her struggle to be emotionally vulnerable with others – and decided that she’s easier to admire from afar. It was always a fear of hers, one of those doubts deep within her heart that she’d never expressed, never spoken into existence, but that still dwelled profoundly within; the fear that the more you got to know her, the harder she’d become to love.

In the middle of asking the customer probing questions, and finally being able to deduce he was looking for Othello, she turned to look at Harry who was across the shop. Just like countless times before, she found that his eyes were already on her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Okay,” Mags twisted the key into the lock and pulled the door of the bookstore before turning to face Harry, “We are good to go.”

It took Mags seemingly forever to get the last customer checked out and out of the store. She and Harry seemed to have an unspoken agreement to not speak of whatever it was that almost happened between them.

Harry lifted the cat carrier up into his arms as Pumpkin let out an adorable little mewl, begging for attention. Harry stuck his finger between the bars, laughing as Pumpkin’s pink tongue darted out to lick his finger. “Well, how about this? We go drop Pumpkin off at my house and let her get settled. And then how about you and I go grab some dinner. There’s a diner nearby and I’m sure you’re famished,” Harry suggested, all the while playing with Pumpkin and not meeting her eye.

On the outside, Mags was cool, calm, and collected and she offhandedly remarked, “Sure” in agreement. But on the inside, she was a whirlwind of emotions. Dinner? Like a date? I’m not ready for this. I mean, I know I was just wishing this was a date but maybe I should have wished that I’d have the foresight to have changed into a top that didn’t have a coffee stain on it or to have applied some gloss before coming to work today. She felt so unprepared.

But then Harry’s looked at her when she responded affirmatively, his eyes shining happily and a broad grin overtook his face, and suddenly, she didn’t quite feel so panicked. It was as if he was nervous that she’d shoot his idea down. Anew with confidence, she stated, “Lead the way.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The diner that Harry had chosen was very kitschy, decorated in a way that heavy handedly embraced the retro 80’s vibe, with neon signs and polyester covers on the booths. The diner even got into the Halloween spirit, as evident by the fake bats that were hung all around the place, and the jack-o-lantern tablecloths covering each tabletop. Harry and Mags were seated across from each other, staring at the menu, as a male artist’s voice crooned from the juke box, singing about holding hands.

“So,” Mags began as she finished assessing the menu, “My options are either a hamburger or a cheeseburger. How ever will I decide?”

Harry laughed at her reaction to the limited food options. “What can I say? Don’t need really need too many options when everything tastes amazing.” Ordering a cheeseburger and coke for herself, Harry followed suit, and Mags inquired, “You come here often?” “Yeah,” Harry admitted, his fingers interlocked and resting atop the table, “I just really like the vibes. It’s also a 24-hour diner and I’ve been coming here more often within the past week, since I’ve been having trouble sleeping.”

Right. Harry’s haunting problem. She’d almost completely forgotten, but she wasn’t really to blame. Was she really supposed to stay focused when she and Harry had walked to the diner, their arms intertwined, chatting about anything and everything? When he sat only a few feet across from her, trying to catch her eye but also nervously looking away?

“Hopefully, you can finally start getting some rest soon enough. Maybe we’ll finally be able to put this whole ghost business to rest tonight,” she suggested optimistically.

He gave her a sad smile in return. “Hopefully,” he said, his voice betraying the fact that he didn’t really believe that to be true.  

Her heart ached for him once more, so she decided to change the subject. “What song is this anyway? I kinda like it. It’s cute and – what?”

Harry regarded her strangely. “What’d ya mean who is this? It’s the Beatles.”

“Like the bug?” she joked, before quickly admitting, “I’m kidding, I know of the Beatles. I just don’t usually listen to this kind of music, now don’t go and have a heart attack,” she explained as Harry eyes had initially widened at her statement.

“So, what kind of music do you usually listen to?”

“I’m definitely a top 40’s kind of girl,” Mags responded, shifting in her seat. She thanked the waitress, who adorned a festive witch’s hat, as she set down their cokes and began to work on unwrapping her straw, planning to blow the wrapper at an unsuspecting Harry’s face.

“Top 40’s? What’s that?”

“Y’know,” she responded, “Like, the top 40 songs that are most popular on the charts. The songs that are always playing on the radio.” Harry held his hand against his chest, as if he couldn’t fathom anything worse. “You are so pretentious!” She laughed, “Those songs are popular for a reason!”

Harry laughed too, making sure to let Mags know that he was really just teasing her, no malice behind his mockery. “And just when I thought there was absolutely nothing wrong with you, you go ahead and admit to that.”

Mags couldn’t help her own smile from creeping across her face. “I’m far from perfect Harry.”

There’s a look of affection that seems to flash in Harry’s eyes and Mags flushes, not really sure how to deal with it. “Yeah?” he responds, looking down to swirl the condensation pooling at the bottom of his glass of coke, “Could’ve fooled me.”

The rest of their dinner passed by in a similar fashion. Comfortable jokes, casual conversations, and longing looks passing between them. It was the first time that Mags had ever seen Harry look truly happy. She decided it was a good look on him, and right then and there, she made a silent vow to herself that she would do everything in her power to keep that happiness. Even if it meant she’d have to face the devil himself.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although Harry’s house was cold, it was still much warmer than the bitter icy wind howling outside. Entering his home, Mags immediately took off her shoes and coat, with Harry following suit. She looked to him to see where she should place her coat, and when he removed his dark peacoat and tossed it over an armchair, so did she. He was wearing a cranberry colored crew neck sweater, and he wore it well, leading Mags to ponder if his closets were just an endless supply of comfy clothes, each cozier than the last. Not wanting to be caught eyeing him, she shuffled into the living room, pausing to scratch Pumpkin under her chin, just like she liked it, and to drop her duffle bag onto the floor.

“There a bathroom just down the hall, if you’d like to change into your pajamas there,” Harry offered. He scratched the back of his neck, “I’m just gonna, um, go in my room and change into mine to give you some privacy. I’ll meet you back out here and maybe we can watch a movie or something?”

“Sure,” she replied, somewhat amused. In the bathroom, she changed into her pajamas, which consisted of an old Maroon 5 shirt she had from years ago and a pair of soft fleece pajamas. When packing earlier that day, she had briefly considered wearing something a bit more flattering, but she realized it was futile because she liked to be comfortable when she slept, let alone the fact she didn’t actually own any proper sleepover, her pajama wardrobe made of oversized promotional t-shirts unsuitable for public wear. She washed her face and turned to face her reflection in the mirror. She gazed at her big, brown eyes, droplets of water tinting the tips of her lashes. Her warm tawny brown skin seemed dull and washed out under the harsh fluorescent bathroom lighting. Her dark hair was due for a haircut, and in its windswept state, wasn’t doing her any favors. She swept back her hair into a high ponytail, the stubborn baby hairs quickly reclaiming their rightful spot by framing her face.

Mags was never one of those girls that couldn’t acknowledge that she was pretty (not that girls who struggled with their beauty were less than, everyone had their own struggles. Mags was a large supporter of girls and wouldn’t speak ill of her sisters). She found that she did quite well with the male population, garnering attention when she so desired, and sometimes unwanted attention as well (looking at you, creepy Walmart man that had the audacity to comment on her big boobs just because she wasn’t wearing a bra). But then men she usually gave the time of day weren’t men of substance. Usually, she sought them out for something physical sans the intimacy. But something about Harry had her feeling self-conscious, unnerved. Raw. It was like he was appreciating her outer beauty but also truly seeing her, erratic enthusiasm and all. And even more baffling? He seemed to like what he saw.

Mags broke out of her reverie and found Harry lounging on the couch, remoted aimed at the tv as he flipped through channels. He looked up and automatically offered her one of his signature smiles, “You look lovely,” he commented nonchalantly.

“Thanks,” she responded reservedly. She joined him, careful to sit on the other end of the couch and looked around. “Where’s Pumpkin?”

“I put her on my bed,” Harry confessed, “Figured it’d be more comfortable than the hardwood floor.” “You’re gonna spoil her,” Mags snickered, “She’s used to sleeping atop the rusty radiator in my apartment.”

Harry and Mags quickly decided they should watch a movie, both wanting to stay in each other’s presence for a little while longer but struggling to find the words to express as such. Picking a movie, however, was a more difficult challenge as Harry felt that he’d had enough horror in his life to last a lifetime and couldn’t bear to suffer through another horror film, prompting Mags to put on “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” partially because she wanted to annoy Harry and partially because she just thought the move was really cute, okay? The joke was on her, because apparently Harry loved romance films and was really into the movie.

As entertaining as the movie was, both found their eyes wandering from the screen, looking at each other and quickly glancing away. Mags was very hyperaware of Harry’s presence on the couch, aware of his every movement. It was like her body was in tune with his. Meanwhile, Harry couldn’t help himself. He automatically gravitated to her, like he was seeking out warmth that only she could give. Mid-movie, they found themselves to be sitting side by side, practically no space between them. If Harry wanted to, he could reach out and enclose her hand with his.

And he wants to. And so he does.

And she doesn’t pull away.

They don’t speak, just hold hands, the only source of light illuminating from the television. Neither saying a word in fear of breaking the moment. Harry finds that for the first time in a while, he feels safe. Safe and happy. He hopes she feels the same way. 

Needing to hear her voice, to get some reassurance, Harry breaks the silence once again, his eyes never leaving the scene playing out on the television. “I don’t get this part. Why is Lara Jean so scared to be with Peter? She’s so hesitant when he obviously cares for her and she does too.”

“I think it makes sense. It’s pretty accurate,” Mags responds, shrugging slightly. “Yeah? Why’s that?” “Because,” Mags bites her cheek in contemplation, “Love is scary, y’know? And letting yourself fall for someone? That’s…well, it’s terrifying.” “Not if it’s the right person,” Harry said with all the sincerity of an honest man, before quickly adding as an afterthought, “And obviously, Peter is the right person for Lara-Jean.” “Right, for Lara-Jean,” Mags agreed a little too quickly, “But it’s still scary nonetheless. Some guys aren’t all that great. It’s hard. To trust someone else, to trust them with your vulnerability, to let them know every part of you, and trust them not to hurt you.”

Harry broke the spell. He no longer referred to the characters and implicated himself. “Y’know I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you, right? I…I care about you. You do know that, don’t you?”

As she peers up at him through her lashes and meets his widened eyes, she becomes mindful of how close they had leaned towards each other. She fidgets under his intense gaze, his green eyes piercing through her own. She feels the warmth of his hand on her thigh as he inches closer until his forehead rests against her. A loose stray curl tickles her cheek and his lips just barely brush against hers. She hesitates for only a moment before deepening the kiss, pressing her lips against his forcefully. He pulls away, his pupils blown and the smallest of smiles playing on his lips, and his eyes scan her face for reassurance. Whatever he’s looking for, he must find because he rushes to close the gap and his soft lips captures hers again. She responds eagerly and her hand cups the nape of his neck. His tongue lightly sweeps across her bottom lips before slipping into her mouth, making her hum in approval.

He gently pushes her back until she’s lying on the couch. He breaks the kiss for only a moment to pull off his t-shirt and toss it carelessly across the room before swinging his legs over her until he’s practically straddling her. One hand flies to his head, pulling at his curls as the other rakes it’s fingernails into his shoulder. She angles her head back and lets out a sharp intake of breath as he leaves a trail of wet kisses down her neck. She feels the hand resting on her lower back slide up and swiftly unclasp her bra. His hands explore her body until he’s palming her breast, grazing her nipple and rolling it between his fingers, making her gasp. Harry always thought of himself as an ass man, but now, in this moment, he has a newfound appreciation for breasts. Her tongue darts between his lips hungrily and he pulls his body closer to hers, grinding steadily. She can feel her whole body on fire, the tingling sensation spreading to the pit of her stomach. Her hands immediately go for the band of his pants, but she breaks away suddenly, and he outwardly moans at the loss of contact.

“What – What is it? Are we moving too fast?” Harry questions, panting rapidly.

Mags places a hand against his chest, as Harry allows her to push him upright and she follows suit, both now sitting up.

He would never forgive himself if he had pushed her and scared her away. “We can slow down. I didn’t mean to –“ “No, shhhhh,” Mags harshly shushed him. “Don’t you hear that?” And suddenly, they’re still, unmoving like stone. The house just as quiet as the two, the only sound filling the air is their own ragged breathing stabilizing. In the silence, just as suddenly, another loud creaking resounded against the wooden interior.

“Okay,” Harry said anxiously, his eyes wandering upwards from where the sound was seemingly coming from, “I heard that.” “Do you think it’s Pumpkin?”

“I’m gonna go with no, considering Pumpkin’s right there by the fireplace.” And sure enough, Mags turned to see her kitten had at some point, bounded into the room and found comfort beside the warm flames.

Then an even more frightening sound could be heard. Mags would describe it as heavy, a hefty thumping sound that was very different from something that could be explained away, like the light scurrying of a rat.

Harry would describe it as footsteps.

It was irrational. Mags couldn’t explain it. She didn’t know what making that sound, but she did know that the sound was frightening her. She couldn’t rationally chalk it up to the characteristic creaking of an old house or wood settling, the thumps were too loud, too sporadic. Logically, she knew she should use the flashlight on her phone and go straight to the sound source. But the fact of the matter is, she’s scared. 

Just when she began to steady her racing heart rate and begin to think she could work up the nerve to go investigate the sound, a sudden crash came from the other side of the room, causing her to yelp in surprise and clutch Harry’s arm in fear. One of the picture frames that Harry had hung on the wall fell on to the ground, the glass shattered from the impact. It just fell. Nothing to cause it, as if the material had literally leaped from the wall to its untimely death. “Fat load of good you are,” Mags glared at Pumpkin who, unbeknownst to the danger, was playing with a discarded bottle cap.

Harry put in quick work to shrug his sweater over his shoulders, and then taking care to ensure that Mags wasn’t too frightened. “Well, at least now you believe me?”

“Believe you?” Mags asked in disbelief, facing him “I more than believe you. I think, I think we should get outta here. Let’s just go stay at my place.” She frantically stood up, brushing her stray hairs from her face, trying to clear her mind so she could form rational thoughts. Harry stood up just as suddenly, standing next to her, holding her elbow and shoulder, pulling her towards him in a comforting hug. 

“We need to come up with a game plan,” she said, her breath slightly muffled as she nuzzles her face against his sweater clad chest. “I think it’s best if we just spend the night at my apartment. And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Harry questioned encouragingly. 

“We’re going to do whatever it takes. A cleansing. Research. Anything to un-haunt this house, because this shit? It’s scary.”

They both spared one last glance upwards, to where the sound was coming from, an array of emotions filling the room; frightened (Mags, because ghosts can’t exist, they just can’t. It transcends the rules of physical science!), agitated (Harry because how could he be so dense as to put Mags in danger, though he figures that once she sets her mind to something, there’s no stopping her), and confused (Pumpkin, wondering why the humans were looking up when she was right here, as she softly mewls from the lack of attention).

_______________________________________________________________________

Day 6, October 29th, 1 day until Halloween.

The sun filtered in through the linen curtains, illuminating the white sheets beside her, warming her skin and giving her a bronze glow. Mags slowly peeled her eyes open, immediately noticing Harry’s absence. His side of the bed was empty, and Mags wasn’t sure how to feel. Was it really just a few hours ago that her world was shook by the presence of ghosts? If science wasn’t solid, then what else was there to rely on?

Once they got to her place, they were both too strung-out and tired to do anything. They shuffled under the covers and slept in her small bed, sleeping together in the most innocent way possible. The only touching was the hand holding that occurred under the bed, which although much less risqué than what happened last night had it not been for the potential ghost encounter, the thought of which still made Mags warm and blush. Stretching out her limbs and gathering her relentless hair into a manageable bun, she created an itinerary for herself. Bathroom first. Find Harry, second. Figure out what happened last night, third. Although she wasn’t so sure about the last one. Did she want to figure out the ominous sound they heard or figure out exactly what happened between her and Harry last night? All she knew was, it was way too early for this.

Once emerging from the bathroom, she tuned into the sounds of pots and pans clanging in the kitchen, immediately deducing Harry’s whereabouts. She knew it couldn’t possibly be Marisol, because she’d never be up this early, and she knew she had spent the night at Niall’s place.

His back was facing her, his shoulders moving as he poured batter into a frying pan, Pumpkin nuzzling against his ankles. Mags didn’t even know they owned a frying pan. Marisol and Mags mainly lived off of frozen dinners, take-outs, and Niall’s generous discounts at the café where he occasionally moonlights as a waiter.

“G’morning,” she croaked, alerting Harry to her presence. She cleared her throat and tried again, “Mornin’, Harry. What’s all this?” “I’m making pancakes,” He turned, greeting her drowsy appearance, his voice thickened with lack of use, guttural and raw. “Ran out to the convenience store this morning and grabbed some ingredients. Figured we could both use a hearty breakfast.”

Mags hummed in appreciation, rubbing a sweater-clad fist over her dreary eyes, sleepily offering help which Harry firmly denied and directed her to sit at the small kitchen table. “Are the pancakes chocolate chip?” “Is there any other way?” Harry responds, smiling warmly at her sleepy antics. He sets a plate of scrambled eggs and chocolate chip pancakes in front of her, placing a bottle of syrup within her reach without her having to ask.

Mags suddenly felt out her element. She wasn’t used to this kind of treatment with any guy she had ever been with, and she technically hadn’t even been with Harry. Was she meant to kiss him in appreciation? He was so tender in everything he did, always putting her needs and comfort first. The situation was foreign to her, so domestic and comfortable that it made her feel uncomfortable. “Um, thank you – It all looks delicious,” she finally managed to stammer out.

Harry carried his own plate of food in one hand, his other opening the fridge to grab a carton of orange juice. Witnessing how comfortable he seemed to be in her small apartment made her unnerved, but it was also exciting. Thrilling.

As he sat across from her, their eyes met once again. “I figure,” Harry began, “I mean, I think that we should probably talk about what happened last night. Don’t you?”

“Yes,” Mags agreed, nervously wringing her fingers, “Good idea. It…scared me. Um, I didn’t like it.”

Harry’s face blanched for a moment before he smoothed his features into an expressionless façade. “You didn’t?”

“Of course, I didn’t, it was just so…I don’t know how to put it. It all happened so fast, one thing after the other. It’s a lot to process.

Harry nodded slowly, gently, as if Mags was fragile and he was handling the situation delicately, although she couldn’t figure why. “It is a lot. And it was a bit fast. Maybe we need to just slow down and figure out what it meant?” He suggested nervously.

Mags eyed him in confusion, his apprehensive demeanor puzzling her, as she continued speaking. “It was just so unexpected. I didn’t think that was going to happen when I went to your place last night. It was so awful.” Harry’s brows furrowed together, looking wounded, as he murmured, “I mean, well me neither but I don’t think it was necessarily a bad th-“ “What do you mean you weren’t expecting it?” Mags probed, pausing to chew her scrambled eggs, “it certainly seems like you were positive that it would happen.”

Harry’s face, despite his efforts, flashed with hurt. “Well, I mean, I hoped it would happen but of course I wasn’t expecting anything. I just –” Abandoning his food, he rubbed his hands over his curls, then dropped them to rest against his knees, palms up as if pleading, “Look, I really, really like you and obviously it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way but I really thought - ”

“Who says I don’t feel the same way?” Mags questioned in confusion, wondering if perhaps Harry, as cute as he was, might’ve been a few screws short. Guess people truly can’t have it all.  

Meanwhile, Harry’s own face contorted in confusion, his voice borderline hysterical. “What do you mean who says, you says! I mean, you just said that you didn’t like what happened last night.”

“Right,” Mags nodded empathetically, “The noise we heard really scared me and I think it’s quite normal to not like the fact you have an actual fucking ghost in your house.”

A beat passed. Then another.

“Did you think I was talking about, whatever happened between us?” Mags clarified, gesturing at their bodies. When Harry offered a sheepish look in response, Mags smiled with fondness, putting her fork down on her plate. “You’re silly. Let me be clear. Ghosts? Bad. Harry and Mags? Good. I’m not sure exactly what happened between us last night, but I like you. I think it should happen again, minus the paranormal encounter. Not just the, erm, the touching part. The diner part. The talking part too. We can table that for now and come back to it when we aren’t in fear of lurking ghosts. We can figure that part out together.” The relief that washed over Harry couldn’t have been more evident. “Oh thank god, I’m so happy to hear you say that,” and when Harry was happy, Mags couldn’t help but think that the sun was trapped within him, warmth, comfort, and blinding brightness and all. “And um, what about the other thing? The ghost thing?” Mags beamed at him, at the 6-foot boy that towers in her small apartment but looks over at all five feet of her with concern and care, before replying, “We can figure that part out together too. I have a game plan.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the tenderness and confusion of their morning breakfast, Harry and Mags got dressed for the day, each renewed with a determination to solve this ghost problem of theirs once and for all. It wasn’t just Harry’s problem anymore. Harry’s safety and happiness were now Mags’ priority as well. Cleaning up and getting dressed took a little longer than usual, as they spared moments to steal glances and accidental touches. By the time they made it out of her apartment, the sun was brilliantly shining in the sky, for once the skies clear of any clouds, and it was noon.

Mags truly did have an anti-ghost plan. And she intended to put it to use before tomorrow. It was as she explained to Harry, that tomorrow was Halloween, and everyone knows that on All Hallows Eve, the world between the paranormal and normal collided. Her extensive repertoire of horror movies led her to confidently assert that the if the dead were to roam the earth, then Halloween would be the best night to so do. She figured that now since science and everything she’s ever known has changed; she might as well rely on literature to guide them through this ordeal.

“So, first on our agenda is to seek out a priest,” Harry commented, eyes squinting at the sun, hand firmly holding hers. “Which church should we go to?” “Askin’ the wrong person here,” Mags chuckled while gesturing to herself, “Nearest mosque, I could help ya with. But church?” “Right,” he said, blushing despite her obvious joking tone, “Well, I guess we’ll have to trust google?”

Finding the church was easy enough. Getting the minister to believe that they weren’t pulling a prank was a little trickier. After much clarification and pleading, they left the church armed with some information.

“I dunno about you, but this bottle of holy water has me feeling a bit indestructible,” Harry joked, wagging the holy water tauntingly. Mags owns hands clutched the pewter candlestick holders and candles the church had generously donated to them. Though they had initially hoped for the church to interfere with their dilemma, the resources and tips they provided would just have to do. “Although,” Harry said, raising his eyebrows, “I must say, I’m surprised.” “Why? ‘Cuz I thought of such a brilliant plan?” “No. I’m shocked that you were able to last that entire trip to the church without swearing even once.” Mags opened her mouth, feigning offence, before shoving him. “So, what’s next?” Harry questions, after composing his laughter, “A psychic?”

“A medium,” Mags corrected.

“Oh, I didn’t know there was a difference,” Harry admitted good-naturedly.

“Me neither,” Mags confessed, but google sure did.

As they followed the GPS directions to the location of where the medium was located, Harry had another question. “How’d you pick this medium? Does she specialize in ghosts and exorcisms?” “Hmm?” She said, looking up, “Oh no, she just had the best Yelp rating.” She scrolls through her phone, thumbing through the device before presenting it to Harry. “And, she’s got a Halloween special going on right now. 50% off for her services. Pretty crafty of me, huh?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The medium, a woman named Clair LeMadeline, had looked relatively normal. Her red hair curled into define ringlets and her eyes were a piercing blue. She was wearing a simple pea blouse and black slacks. The only thing that was even considerably odd about her appearance was her green eyeshadow, bold and unnaturally glittery. She was a stark contrast from what Mags was expecting, which was a woman, possibly raven haired, with a crystal ball in a dark room with thick purple drapes.

Even more so, she had hoped the woman would be able to help them out a bit more. For someone who claimed to have a unique ability to hover between two worlds and a connection with spirits without a physical body, she wasn’t really helpful.

Mags recalled the only bit of information that was slightly useful. Clair had taken Harry’s hands into her own, hoping to get a ‘read’ on his aura.

“Ah yes,” she had said, her sharp nails outlining the lines on Harry’s palm, “I’m sensing something here. I see that recently in your life, you’ve come upon some suffering.”

“Yes!” Harry fervently nodded, with Mags reservedly watching from his side.

“Your future,” Clair continued melodramatically, her eyes tightly shut as she focused, “it’s blurry. Unclear. I see, red liquid. Lots and lots of red. It’s staining your shirt, dripping onto your shoes, there’s so much red.”

Harry’s face pales, dread overcoming him, as he frantically tightens his hold on the medium’s own hands. “Is it blood?”

“Hard to say, but my best guess is that it is indeed blood. Yes, I can see that. And, you’ve suffered a great loss. I also see here that you’re a widower.”

“Erm, no,” Harry confessed, pulling his hands back slightly, “I’ve never even been married. Way off base.”

The medium had looked slightly put out with that comment, “Well, I never. Surely you must’ve been married. With those dimples and a body like that, you’ve probably had your fair share of wives. You don’t have to lie to impress your little girly over here,” she harrumphed, gesturing towards Mags.

“Okaaay,” Mags announced, offering the medium a tight polite smile, “I think we’re done here.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“That was a waste of time,” Harry groaned. “She was obviously a scam artist. Also, I’m pretty sure she was hitting on me.” He glanced at his watch and groaned even more audibly, “And we’re running out of daylight. Halloween is tomorrow. What are we gonna do?”

“That woman certainly was…a lot of things,” Mags said, carefully choosing her words, “But she was surprisingly helpful.” Harry brows furrowed, his face distorting in disbelief. “Think about what she called you,” Mags explained, answering his unasked question. “She said that you were a widower.” “And you believed her?” He explained, “Mags, I’ve never – “ Huffing slightly, she interrupted his speech, “Okay, no. Obviously, I’m not an idiot. But that just got me thinking. Didn’t you say Bertha was a widow? Do you know anything about her husband? Maybe we can look into his death. Maybe his spirit was awoken by the Ouija board and it’s restless for some reason and unless we help him with his unfinished business, he can’t pass over to the other side.” “You’re a genius,” Harry commented, which prompted Mags to thank him and inform him with sincerity that it was all because she watched a lot of Buzzfeed Unsolved. “I don’t know much about her husband, but I know how we can find out more.”

And that’s how Harry and Mags found themselves standing on the steps outside the town’s public library. Harry’s idea was brilliant, Mags had to admit. The town newspaper always printed the obituaries for residents that passed. Older editions of the newspaper could be accessed using the microfiche. Even more promising was that if Bertha’s late husband had passed under unusual circumstances, the paper was sure to have done a story over it. But even with a great idea put into action, and their hopes and spirits renewed, Mags couldn’t help the nauseous pit growing in her stomach.

As they embarked up the steps, Harry looked over at Mags in concern. “You okay there? You look a little green.”

“Hmm?” She feigned ignorance, “No, I’m fine.” Harry opened the door, ushering her inside before stepping into the heated building. “Must’ve been something I ate.” “My pancakes have you feeling nauseous?” Harry exclaimed in concern.

Oops. Right, Mags had forgotten that the only thing she’d eaten today was Harry’s cooking. This was why she hated lying – she was bad at it.

“Hush, Harry,” is the route she decided to go with, “We’re in a library. We don’t wanna disturb the other patrons.” She gestured to the room, mentally groaning when she saw that the library was jam-packed with three other people, a young girl and her mother were fiddling on the computers, and an old man that was sleeping on one of the armchairs. Or, at least Mags hoped he was sleeping. One would think the library would be more popular on a Friday night.

Harry shot her another concerning look but chose to drop the matter, for now. In fear of being shushed again, he gestured to the circulation help desk, indicating that they should ask one of the library assistants where they could find the catalogued newspapers. As they approached the desk, Mags legs felt like they were heavy lead as she dragged them across the carpeted floor. She just needed an excuse to slip away for five minutes and then this upcoming crisis could be averted.

She stopped in her tracks, spinning around to face Harry. “I, um, need to go to the bathroom. It’s an emergency. Not that you asked,” She nervously chuckled. “Anyways,” she pushed Harry’s back towards the help desk, “Why don’t you ask where we can find the newspapers while I’m gone and I’ll just meet you there and – ” “Magnolia?” The voice came from behind her, just as smoky and honeyed as she remembered.

She froze in her tracks. This cannot be happening. I’m a good person she thought, I fast during Ramadan. I try to be nice to others. I’m fairly sure that I pay all my taxes. Why is this happening to me? Would it be too late for her to make a run for it? She could just tell Harry it was an emergency and then meet him back at his house once he acquired the information.

Just as she began to inch towards the exit, the voice called out again. “Magnolia, that is you! I thought it was. I’d recognize you anywhere. ” Ignoring Harry’s look of confusion, she turned around reluctantly. She looked at the other boy, his dark hair perfectly styled atop his head, not a strand out of place. His cheekbones sharp and proudly protruding, his lips slightly turned into a familiar smile. Unlike her, his brown skin didn’t seem to have a problem with dulling under florescent lights, as he was golden and glowing. One tatted arm reached out to embrace her in a hug, pulling her softly against his chest, before pulling back to get a look at her. “You look good,” he professed, looking at her intently form head to toe, “Beautiful like always.” From her peripheral, she could see that Harry certainly didn’t like that, if his body language was any indicator as he crossed his arms and shifted his stance to stand closers to Mags.

“Zayn,” she greeted, trying to modulate her voice and stifle her feelings of panic. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” “At the library?” Zayn questioned, “Where I work?”

“Must’ve slipped my mind,” She nervously answered. Just as she was going to grab Harry’s arm and steer them away from the upcoming train wreck, Harry himself piped up. “I’m sorry. Mags hasn’t introduced us. Who are you?”

Zayn looked at Harry, as if he just registered that Mags wasn’t alone. “This is Zayn,” Mags answered quickly, “He’s my –”

“I’m Magnolia’s ex-boyfriend,” Zayn interrupted, reaching over to shake Harry’s hand, muscles tightening, jaw clenched, “She and I used to date.”

“He knows what ex means,” Mags hissed.

“Oh really?” Harry responded, his face unreadable, “Funny. Mags actually hasn’t even mentioned you.” His emphasis on her preferred nickname was evident to both Zayn and Mags, because Harry was as subtle as horse. “I’m Harry.”

Mags, despite the train wreck happening before her very eyes, was relieved that Harry introduced himself. She didn’t know what title she would’ve given him. She didn’t even know what they were. They were in some weird limbo until this ghost mess was past them. What would she have said? Harry piping up saved her from the verbal onslaught that would’ve been sure to follow. Hi, yes Zayn, my ex-boyfriend who broke my heart, this is Harry, a boy that I almost slept with and really want to sleep with but haven’t yet because I was cock-blocked by a ghost. Anyways, can you point us to the non-fiction section?

“Um,” Mags spoke, breaking the palpable tension, “While we have you here Zayn, we could actually use your help with some questions.”

Ignoring Harry’s disgruntled expression and Zayn’s self-satisfied smirk, she continued on. “Aren’t you doing your senior thesis on like witchcraft or something of that nature?”

“It’s on magical realism and occult fiction,” He clarified, before giving her a sly smile, warmer and more comfortable than his smirk, looking more like the Zayn she knew. “Y’know, all that haram and Jinn stories that used to bother the hell out of ya.”

Despite not wanting to, she couldn’t help but smile in return. “Right,” she warmed at the mention of their insider, “Well, we could use your help. For your research, did you come across anything about how to perform an exorcism on a house that’s possessed by a ghost?”

Zayn, to his credit, didn’t bat an eye at her odd question. He was used to Mags’ antics. “Yeah, from what I’ve read, the best bet is to light some sage. Ask the ghosts what they want and try to get them what they need, and they’ll leave.” He paused as if he truly registered what he just asked her, and then eyed Harry suspiciously. “But I know you. You don’t believe in that kinda stuff.”

“It’s nothing,” Mags lied, wanting to end this conversation, like, five minutes ago. “Can you tell us where the newspaper archives are? Ones from like 10 years ago?”

Heading towards the corner of the library that Zayn pointed them to, Harry and Mags walked in silence. Unable to take it anymore, Mags spoke up. “So, that was Zayn. My ex-boyfriend. But you already know that.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Harry assured her. And it seemed like he truly meant that sentiment, his voice unwavering and genuine He didn’t seem the slightest bit accusatory, no hint of sarcasm lining his tone, which was so unlike what she was used to when she was dating Zayn. Not that she was dating Harry, but she and Zayn had a knack for being able to get under each other’s skin. Had the roles been reversed, Zayn wouldn’t have let that interaction go, hounding Mags for more answers to impossible questions until they’d inevitably get into another one of their infamous fights. Zayn was an English major, through and through, envious and passionate. He felt deeply as an artist and fought just as dramatically too.

It was the fact that Harry was nothing like Zayn that encouraged her to share. “No, I want to explain,” She insisted, as they carried a stack of newspapers to a table, ready to dive into their town’s obituaries. “Zayn and I, well, he and I dated for a good while. It was one of those things where, when it was good, it was really good, y’know? But when it was bad? It was awful.”

Harry encouragingly nodded, his green eyes looking to her in sincerity, letting her tell the story at her own pace. “Well,” Mags exhaled, “It was serious. One of the most serious relationships I’ve ever had. But it didn’t work out. Obviously. We were just too different. We both retreated when we were hurt and angry instead of talking things out. And it wasn’t just his fault, it was both of ours. It wasn’t anything dramatic or serious. We just broke up because we never really tried our best, never gave our best effort to fix our problems.” She recalled the months after the end of their relationship, Mags tried her best to hold it together, but it really did wound her. “The break-up still sucked though,” she admitted. She may act collected and composed, but when she does let someone into her heart, it’s different. If it wasn’t for Niall and Marisol, she wasn’t sure if she’d have gotten through it.

Harry placed his hand atop of hers, taking care to look into her eyes. “He’s the guy that broke your heart, isn’t he? The reason that you’re scared to be vulnerable with someone.”

Mags kept her gaze on the stack of newspaper, unable to meet his eyes, wordlessly nodding in affirmation.

“Well, thank you for sharing that with me,” Harry said earnestly, reaching over to put a finger under Mags chin, turning her face so they were looking at each other. “Thanks for being vulnerable with me.” Mags raised her gaze, smiling at the kindness of the boy who sat across from her, unsure how to respond.

She needn’t worry though because she didn’t have to reply. “Anyways,” he continued, “We have a ghost to get rid of. Let’s get to looking through this decade’s worth of obituaries.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As they started to head back to the house, Mags was a ball of nerves, filled with anticipation. The trip to the library had been a success. Mags was able to find Bertha’s late husband, Tom’s, obituary. It simply stated that he passed due to a head contusion, with no information on how it occurred. News must’ve been slow that week because Harry then found the real treasure: an investigative article that revealed more information about Tom’s death. They discovered that Tom and Bertha had gotten into an argument, over something silly as she had to remind him multiple times to check the circuit breaker in the basement. Tom had begrudgingly gone to do so when one the wires in the breakers shocked him with a small current of electricity. The electrical shock didn’t kill him, but it did surprise him enough so that he stepped back, falling over and hitting his head on the edge of his workbench. The death was quick and painless, the article assured readers, but Mags still felt awful while reading it. Poor Tom, she thought, and poor Bertha. Even more so, it was a bit unsettling to Harry that a death had occurred in the house in which he was currently living.

As they had prepared to leave the library earlier, armed with knowledge and a secure plan to conduct their exorcism, Zayn had caught up with them, giving Mags a bottle of sage that he had lying around in his office that he acquired during his thesis research.

Now, she and Harry trekked back to the house, loaded with goodies that would hopefully guarantee an end to the paranormal activities; bottle of holy water, pewter candlesticks, and a bottle of sage, not to mention everything that they learned throughout the day. As she mentally recounted the day’s hectic and odd events, she voiced her thoughts. “Wasn’t that medium funny? The things she so-called predicted about you were so wild.” Mags laughed, brandishing her speech with air quotes.

“Heh, yeah,” Harry said, uncharacteristically without elaboration. There was a small pause, and then, “Actually, she wasn’t all wrong.” “How’s that?” Mags inquired, wondering how much longer their walk would take. She was so ready to deal with the ghost. Especially now since she knew it was Tom and he probably didn’t mean them any harm.

“I actually, uh, well you know how she said I suffered a great loss?” Harry reached over to rub the back of his neck before continuing, “Well. She wasn’t wrong about that. My uh, my dad passed away. Not too long ago really.” “Harry,” Mags said, concern and sympathy and sadness all intertwined in her voice, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. We don’t have to talk about it.”

“We don’t,” Harry agreed, but then he looked at her. And if Mags had to guess, the look in his eyes showed that he felt comfortable with her. Safe. “But I want to. My dad was an okay guy, not the best husband but a good father. He passed quickly – cancer, but not painlessly. It was tough for my sister and mom. Tough for me too.” He cleared his throat, sneaking a peek at Mags before looking down at his feet. “I just, I wanted you to know that about me. I like sharing things with you. You’re easy to talk to.”

Usually, Mags was quick to stick her foot in her mouth. Her special talent of saying the wrong thing reared its ugly head when it was most unwanted and in the most awkward situations. But surprisingly, that didn’t happen this time. Mags took one look at how exposed and open Harry was, how he shared his sorrow and confided in her, and she knew exactly what she wanted to say. “He must’ve been a great father,” Mags noted, “To have helped raise someone as wonderful like you.”

They shared a smile. A small one that meant that whatever this was, whatever was happening between them, it was going to be big. The shared smile revealed that there were wonders and adventures yet to come between them. But it would all have to wait until after tonight, when they would finally leave Harry with a ghost-free home.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Harry unlocked the door to his house, they didn’t waste time in removing their shoes or coats and got straight to work. Harry began to burn the sage and Mags set the candle around the room, lighting the wicks and igniting flames. They worked in silence, the magnitude of what’s to come weighing heavily on their shoulders. When finished with their respective duties, they met back at the center.

Harry’s grip on the bottle of holy water tightened. “You don’t have to do this, y’know? I won’t hold it against you.” He was offering her an out, not wanting to put her in any unnecessary danger.

Mags rolled her eyes, before reaching over to grasp his free hand. “I’m not that easy to get rid of. I’m not going anywhere.”

Just then, the awful thudding and heavy footsteps could be heard from above. It was loud, the steps so heavy that it caused bits of wood shavings to fall from the ceiling. It was now or never.

“Hello?” Mags called out, her voice trembling at the unknown. “Is that you Tom? I mean Mr – “ “Bleakman,” Harry helpfully supplied.

Mags gulped, “Mr. Bleakman. If that’s you, can you give us a sign?”

Was it her imagination, or had the room suddenly gotten colder? The inside of the house seemed to be even more freezing that the harsh winds outside. It was chilling. Goosebumps began to dot her arms and an uneasy feeling settling around her.  She held her coat closer to her exposed neck, her grip tightening in Harry’s intertwined hand.

“Mr. Bleakman?” Now it was Harry giving it a go. “If you can hear me, I just want you to know. I’m Harry. Your wife, Bertha, rented this house to me. She’s a real sweet woman.” “They play Bingo together,” Mags offered.

“We did. We played a lot of Bingo together and – “ “Which isn’t a euphemism by the way!” Mags exclaimed, before mouthing an apology to Harry when he shot her an exasperated look.

“Right. Well, Mr. Bleakman. Tom. I was hoping that you could stop haunting this house. The thing with the Ouija board the other day? It wasn’t very cool of me and I won’t do it again.” The thudding didn’t stop. The cold air didn’t seem to warm. In fact, things began to worsen. Mags and Harry looked around just as the lights began to flicker, casting an ominous lighting around the room. Just as suddenly, the lights went out all together and everything was dead silent. In the dim lighting, with the candles their only source of light, Mags eyes struggled to adjust. A chill ran down her spine, causing her to tremble. She clumsily reached out for Harry, having let go of his hand earlier, and then let out an audible sigh of relief when his hand found hers instead, squeezing it once as reassurance.

The thumping sound stopped. The only sound that could be heard was their shallow breathing that seemed deafening in an otherwise silent room. They waited, breath baited, for something to happen. It couldn’t be that easy Mags thought. There’s no way.

And though she didn’t want to be, she was right. No sooner has she mentally expressed that sentiment that there was a loud smashing sound that came from the right of her, followed by a loud bang of something crashing to the ground. She screamed, backing up into Harry, who immediately pulled her behind him, trying to shield her from whatever danger that lurked. Before they could even question what caused that smashing sound, a sudden gust of cold air could be felt, causing Mags to shudder and simultaneously, and all the flames in the candles went out. They were trapped in pitch darkness.

The front door slammed open, and the pair whirled around to look at the entrance. A hooded figure could be seen, face hidden, a blunt object in his hand.

This time, both Mags and Harry screamed bloody murder.

The figure screamed back.

A voice thick with an Irish accent resounded in the room. “Why’re ya screaming?! It’s just me!”

“Niall?” Mags questioned desperately, while Harry shouted, “What’s wrong with you? You don’t just bust into someone’s home like that!” The latter’s voice sounding suspiciously scared in a falsetto.

As if this was a playwright and not reality, the lights flickered back on, almost on cue. The lights revealed that it was indeed Niall, as he pulled down the hood from his jacket and stepped into the room. The large object in his hand was just a scroll of paper, rolled up into a tight cylindrical shape.

Mags took long strides to cross the room and stand before Niall before not so lightly pounding him on the arm repeatedly. “What is the matter with you?” “Ouch!” The Irishman exclaimed, wincing and rubbing him tender arm. “I’m here because I’ve found the answer to Harry’s problem.” He was met with unimpressed stares. “Yikes, tough crowd. Look, why don’t you guys take a seat?”

Mags and Harry shared a look, and then walked over to the couch, sitting close to each other, practically on the same cushion, not wanting to be apart after what they’d just witnessed. Once settled, all eyes were on Niall, who physically claimed the center of the room.

“I have found the solution to this haunting,” Niall began. Mags noticed that he was using the same rambunctious, haughty voice he employed when he had to present a subject in class over something that he hadn’t done the reading on, but she ignored calling him out as he actually had piqued her interest. Could he truly have the answer to stop all this madness?

Harry hunched over and ran his palms across his face, and Mags instinctively reached out to rub his shoulders comfortingly. “Oooh! When’d this happen?” Niall asked excitedly, pointing at them.

Mags eyes just flashed in irritation.

“Right!” Niall exclaimed, as if he suddenly remembered he was in the middle of something important. “The solution.”

He began to pace the length of the living room rug, his hands tied behind his back, the rain droplets from his jacket dripping onto the floor. “I’ve been thinking long and hard about everything that Harry had said about this house. All the things that spooked him. I didn’t know what to make of it, so I did some digging of my own.”

He bent over and unfolded the roll of paper, and Mags and Harry reached out to hold opposite edges to keep it straightened.

“Erm, what exactly are we looking at here?” Harry questioned, his head cocked to the side trying to make sense of the white lines and measurements adorning the navy-blue page.

“I went to the town hall and asked for a copy of this house’s floorplan. You mentioned it was old, Harry, something in Bertha’s family for a while so I figured they would have it. If you look closely, right about here,” he pointed to a section on the paper of what Mags deduced was the living room that they were currently in, “that’s the room we are in right now. And if you follow the measurements of the floorboards, you’ll see that they don’t quite align.”

From Harry’s squinted eyes, it was clear he hadn’t caught on yet. But Mags had. The paper showed the square footage, measurements, and scales; Numbers! She was back in familiar territory! She excitedly traced the area that Niall pointed out. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered, “This bitch is built crooked.”

“What?” Harry exclaimed, exasperated at being out of the loop. “What is this even showing me?” Niall seemed gleeful at Mag’s realization, validating his findings. “The house, while structurally sound, was built crooked. The plot of land it’s on is uneven. The left dipping lower than the right. Which is why sometimes,” Niall threw his arm out to point at the right wall, splattering Mags and Harry’s faces with more water droplets that flew off his sleeve, “the painting from that wall falls off periodically.” They all looked to where he pointed. The sound Mags and Harry had heard moments ago, the loud banging in the darkness, had been a picture frame that fell off the wall. That’s all it was. Mags felt just the tiniest bit of air fill back into her lungs in relief.

“B-but,” Harry nodded his head side to side in apparent puzzlement, “But how does that explain the lights? We – “He nodded his head at Mags, “We found out that Tom, Bertha’s husband, had died while messing with the breaker in the basement. The flickering lights has to be his ghost.” Niall only patted Harry’s head in response. “Oh, you silly lad! If only that were true. In actuality, Bertha forgot to tell you that in the winter months, the house needs a scheduled appointment with the town’s electrician. The house is old, the wiring is faulty, and it needs a nice tweak now and then in the cold weather.”

Niall stood up once again with a flourish, one finger raised and poised in the air, “And how would I know that? Fret not Harry,” to which Harry deeply exhaled in frustration. “I looked up Bertha, found her granddaughter on Instagram. She’s a fittie by the way, has a boyfriend though. Real shame.” A swift kick to his shins from Mags got him to stop his harmless flirting and get back on track. “Right, so I reached out to her. She relayed that information to me. She also pointed out something else that she thought we’d ought to know.”

He treads to the other side of the room, to the wall that has four large windowpanes covered by thick, velvet drapes. Grabbing the curtain from one corner, he peels it back, loudly exclaiming “Ta-daa!”, his hands outstretched as if he was presenting something fascinating to them, a magician in front of an audience.

Eyes blinked back at him. “There’s nothing even there!” Harry exasperatedly noted.

“What?” Niall did a double take, and then chuckled to himself. “Oops, wrong window.” He repeated his same dramatic motions, this time uncovering a window with a large, crack on it. On the corner, was a missing shard of glass. “Bertha had been meaning to get this fixed. The neighbor’s kid accidentally threw a baseball through the window. She got really forgetful towards the end, according to her granddaughter, which is why she whisked her away.”

Mags nodded excitedly, “That’s what’s been causing the drafts.” She turned to Harry, eyes glowing with relief, “That’s why it always so damn cold in here. Your thermostat can’t compete with that.”

“Hopefully the flickering lights will offset how high your electivity bill is going to be,” Niall joked.

Harry seemed unconvinced. “What about that smell then, huh? It smells something dreadful in the kitchen and I’ve cleaned the place spic and span.”

Mags turned to Niall in wonder, looking at him in a whole new light, as if he was an all knowing being that held all the answers.

“Follow me,” Niall said, leading the trio into the kitchen while continuing his monologue. “I called up our dear friend Louis. Hard guy to keep track of, that lad, with the time zones and all. I told him about the smell, and wouldn’t you know it? Our friend remembered the fact that when he was here, he had drunkenly tried to make himself scrambled eggs for breakfast when you,” he pointed accusingly at Harry, “were passed out on the couch. What he actually did was drop an egg on the ground. In his drunken state, he simply just kicked the egg yolk under the fridge, like ice, and promised to clean it later.”

Niall leaned against the fridge, arms crossed dramatically. “As we know, no follow-through that one. He forgot to clean his mess. So that smell you smelt? The scent of rotten eggs? It actually was a rotten egg. Disgusting but true.”

“I –” Harry couldn’t believe it. Gently pushing Niall away from the fridge, he knelt down on one knee, sinking onto the cool tile. Sliding his phone out of his front pocket, he turned on his flashlight app and shined in under the fridge. Niall and Mags also leaned in to get a closer look. Audible gasps could be heard from all three of them. There, under the dusty and sticky tile bottom of the fridge, wedged between a dust ball and an expired coupon, was a broken, rotten egg.

Mags pinched her nose, unable to take the scent anymore. “Niall, you’re an absolute genius,” she complimented nasally.

Before Niall could bask in his glory for long, Harry interrupted once again. “You’ve explained the lights. The painting falling off. The cold. The smell. But,” his eyes bleary and red, his arms flailing in frustration “what about the sounds coming from the ceiling? The footsteps?”

He turned around and looked at Mags frantically for support. “Mags heard it too! The night that she stayed over and we – um, she just heard it too!” while Mags nodded feverishly in the background.

Niall looked away, breaking eye contact. “That’s the only part I can’t explain,” the blonde confessed, scratching his scalp. “But the blueprints show this house has an attic. Let’s all go search up there together.”

Emboldened by Niall’s other explanations, everyone geared up for their excursion, which really meant that everyone had their phones in hand, flashlights shining. Once again, Niall lead the way, stopping in the middle of the hallway. It was no wonder Harry had never noticed it before. There, on the ceiling, was a subtle outline of an attic door and a very small chain dangling. It was so high up that Niall and Harry took turns hopping and trying to reach the latch, while Mags didn’t even try, watching the boys struggle because she know her attempts would be futile. Eventually Harry was able to grab ahold of the chain and pull the attic door open, as the wooden steps fell along with it. Harry looked back at Mags, feeling a surge of affection for this girl that was willing to risk everything for him, and then looked at Niall, the friend who jumped through hoops to help a friend. Inspired by the love and support around him, Harry took the lead, climbing up the steps as Niall and Mags respectively followed.

“Please don’t be a creepy man that’s been hoarding and hiding in Harry’s attic for shelter,” Mags whispered, climbing the last steps “Because I WILL die of shock, and that’s a promise.”

Niall and Harry helped her up, and she stood upright. They each flashed their lights at different corners of the attic, trying to find something amiss among the dusty boxes of forgotten belongings and storage.

“Wait,” Harry whispered, pointing in the opposite corner. “Look over there. Something’s glowing.”

And sure enough, Mags saw it too. Something was glowing and moving. Two little round balls of light.

“I think,” Harry began, taking a step closer to the source when all Mags wanted to do was drag him back to safety, “Oh wow, it is.” “Is what?” Niall exclaimed, unable to handle the suspense.

“It’s a family of possums!” Harry cried in relief, “It’s just a mama possum and her babies. It’s not a ghost!”

“Awww,” Niall cooed.

The release that everyone felt was almost palpable, the relief tangible. There was no ghost after all! No otherworldly being! All of this was caused by a forgetful old woman, a drunk friend, and a family of critters.

Mags could almost cry tears of joy. Science was valid. Her whole wasn’t flipped upside down. Numbers were important, her beliefs restored. Rationale could explain everything unusual that had occurred within the confines of this house. Without being too dramatic, she could firmly declare that once again, her life had meaning.

She took a few minutes to herself to truly appreciate that there was no haunting before finally speaking up. “I hate to ruin the moment,” Mags said as Harry and Niall admired the critters, “but mama possums are very territorial and will attack if she feels threatened.” When neither Harry nor Niall made any intentions to move, she added, “And possums are at high risk to carry strains of rabies.”

“And that’s our cue!” Harry quipped, as Niall vehemently added, “Yup!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Day 7: October 31st, Halloween!!!

Mags beamed with content, relaxing every muscle in her body as she laid on the bookshop’s couch, her head resting on Harry’s warm thigh, his face partially obscured by a book, reading snippets from the murder-mystery novel she had started but never got to finish given how hectic the past few days had been. His other free hand was draped across her shoulder and chest, and Mags divided her attention, taking turns to hold his hand and running her fingers across his forearm, despite Harry’s constant claim that it tickled.

It was Halloween, the day that she had first anticipated because she loved all things horror and it was her favorite holiday, and then the day that she had started to dread when she believed that Harry’s house was being haunted by a ghost. Now, she was back to loving her favorite holiday again, the world was ruled by science, and everything felt right. And it truly did. Ever since last night, when Niall was able to demystify all of the strange occurrences, Mags felt lighter than she had ever before. She let out an exhale as she relaxed into her position, nuzzling closer to Harry as his low voice rumbled, reading aloud to her, and embraced the pleasant sound.

She was so comfortable, so relaxed, she felt could fall asleep right here and now. A little nap was well-deserved at this point, she decided as she closed her eyes contently, considering the hell she’d been through this past week.

“Do not fall asleep,” a voice demanded.

She inhaled deeply in frustration, peeling one eye open to see Liam passing by. He eyed her, irritated, though Mags knew he wasn’t truly annoyed. “You’re still on the clock, y’know?” Liam said, “Just checking in to make sure you’re all set to close up.” He paused to nod at Harry in greeting, because apparently it was really a small world and Mags had found out that Liam and Harry actually knew each from freshman year history class.

Mags sat up, running her fingers through her hair in a futile attempt to tame it. “I don’t understand why you always ask me that when you never offer to actually help close up.”

Liam laughed in response. “I’m nothing if not consistent.” He reached over to give Harry one of those boy handshakes that would always elude Mags. Why couldn’t boys just say goodbye normally? “Anyways, I’ll see you at Harry’s place tonight. I’ve got a wicked costume planned,” he concluded as a farewell.

It wasn’t hard for Niall to convince Harry that he should host a Halloween party at his house, to celebrate the fact that he wasn’t haunted, but also because it was a great excuse to bring everyone together and get drunk. Mags, always eager to wear costumes, agreed with his sentiments and thus, they were hosting a last-minute Halloween party with no invitations spared.

Mags twisted her body to face Harry, his eyes already on her. “I probably should get up and start to close up.” She straightens herself up, ready to check inventory and cash out the register. “Before another student comes rushing in last minute again. Or God forbid, an English major,” she jokes.

“Um,” Harry treaded cautiously, “You know I’m an English major, right?” “You’re a what?” Mags eyes widen in shock. “Nope. No way.” She shakes her head vigorously. “Absolutely not.”

Harry smirks in amusement. “Unfortunately, yes. Sorry to break it to you, hon.”

Mags froze, flabbergasted. She guessed she really did have a type. Karma really was a bitch. “I’m so glad you decided to reveal your major after the fact,” she joked, “Or else it might’ve been a deal breaker.”

“Oh!” She exclaimed, changing the subject, “Don’t forget! I’ll need to rush home and put on my costume before meeting you at the house.” “Ooh,” Harry resounded in excitement, “Can you pretty please bring Pumpkin with you? I haven’t seen her all day.” She rolled her eyes in response. “I’m beginning to think you’re only dating me for my cat,” she joked amicably.

And that is what they were doing. Dating. As soon as all the ghost nonsense was put to rest, she and Harry finally had the opportunity to address everything that happened between them. Though their coming together was unconventional, the feelings were real and strong, and they decided to give their relationship a try. Mags felt good about it. They way Harry made her feel made her think they were in it for the long haul and she was excited about their future holds.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adjusting her halo that fell askew when she threw her head back to take a shot, Mags looked around the kitchen in happiness, the kind that fills your heart when you’re in a party, surrounded by close friends and loved ones, loud music thumping from a distance and filled with good vibes. Alcohol definitely plays a part too.

Suddenly, two tattooed arms reached out to envelop her, careful to avoid smushing her wings. She leaned her weight against Harry’s chest, allowing him to support her, as she turned her face slightly towards him. He lowered his head to her ears, his breath tickling her skin and making her blood rush. “You look so good,” Harry murmured, “I’ve got half a mind to call the cops on my own party so they can kick everyone out. Want you all to myself.”

Despite rolling her eyes, Mags couldn’t help the pleased smile that snaked across her face. “Easy there, I’m spending the night anyway.” She turned around so that her wings were no longer a barrier between them, wrapping her arms around Harry from the front, her face against his chest, as he placed his head affectionally atop hers, the wisps on her Halo tickling his cheeks.

Mags had chosen an angel as her last-minute Halloween costume, mainly because it was an easy outfit, but also because the white contrasted well with her golden-brown skin and this particular outfit did wonders for her boobs. A fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Harry, if the look he gave her when she first made her entrance was any indication. On the other hand, Harry had chosen to dress as a devil. Or at least, a very lackluster devil. He had a red sweater on earlier, but the warmth from the house crowded with bodies caused him to abandon that hours ago, and he was left with a white t-shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of devil horns hastily placed atop his mass of curly hair. It was mysterious the way the world worked. Just a week ago, she imagined that on Halloween she would be at home, watching the Scream movie series with Niall, Marisol, and Pumpkin, with a bag of Halloween candy to pass out to trick or treaters. And now, she was celebrating her favorite holiday with her friends and her boyfriend with a fun party.

As the Monster Mash played deafeningly in the background, and they were jostled from people entering and exiting the kitchen to get punch, they swayed to their own silent music, content to be lost in their world for just a moment.

A moment that was interrupted by Niall. “Seriously Harry? You were supposed to grab Mags so we could play charades!” To which Harry muttered an insincere apology. Niall turned to Mags, “It’s a Halloween version of charades. I know how competitive you get. You and Harry can be on the same team. It’ll be a true test of your love!” He declared, his speech slow and slurred.

Mags was game. “Oh, we are so gonna win!” She declared, already leaning into her competitive streak.

“Great!” Niall declared enthusiastically, his arms sloppily flailing in excitement. Unfortunately for him, and for Harry, Niall had forgotten about the cup he was holding and just emptied its entire content onto Harry. His white shirt was completely stained with red punch.

Niall avoided Harry’s harsh glare as Mags slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Oops! I’ll just let ya take care of that before our game,” he announced, adjusting his fake leprechaun beard before hurriedly making his exit.

“Great,” Harry groaned, dabbing his shirt with a paper towel in vain, “I have to go change my shirt.” Unexpectedly, Mags was hit with a sudden realization. “Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed in a tone of wonder. “You’re completely covered in red liquid.”

It took Harry a moment, but then his eyes flashed with recognition. “That crazy old psychic was right!”

Mags laughed at the absurdity of it all. “I wonder,” she began, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, “If she was right about two things so far, I’m starting to suspect that she was right to warn me. I’ll bet you are a widower! How do I know I’m not dating a married man?” She teased.

Harry just looked at her fondly in response, at the crazy girl that he called his girlfriend.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buzz! The electronic buzzer resounded, indicating that Mags and Harry’s turn was over. She threw her arm up in frustration. “Seriously Harry? The word was Leatherface! It’s the killer in Texas Chainsaw Massacre!” “How was I supposed to get that?” He howled with laughter.

“I was pointing at Zayn’s leather jacket!” She explained, pointing at the boy dressed as a Greaser, “And I was miming a chainsaw!”

“A chainsaw?” Harry questioned, as Niall guffawed, “I thought you were chopping vegetables!”

Mags sat back next to Harry, arms crossed, and lips pouted in pretending to sulk. “It’s okay baby,” he comforted her, “We’ll get them next round.”

“You promise?” She teased.

His pinky reached out to capture hers. “Pinky promise.”

Mags had chosen a seat next to Marisol and Niall, her main competition in this game. She had squeezed Liam’s shoulder as she passed to get to her seat and shot Zayn a smile in greeting, noticing other familiar faces in the room. It seems that the people that she was the closest with had chosen to join the game.

Niall observed Mags and Harry tangled within one another, as she sat close to Harry, her back to his chest, his arm slung around her shoulders as they waited for their next turn. “You guys are so cute. We should go on a double-date!” He exclaimed, the alcohol causing his enthusiasm to increase ten-fold, “Marisol,” he called, turning to his girlfriend, “Let’s all get brunch tomorrow morning!” Marisol shared a knowing look with Mags, to say Gosh my boyfriend is so cute but such an adorable handful when he’s drunk. “Sweetie,” she began understandingly, as if she was speaking to a toddler, “Y’know I have church in the morning. The church on 3rd street holds their sermons really early on Sunday mornings.”

“Oh, the one with Pastor Mike?” Mags questioned, “He’s super nice!” Marisol looked over at her roommate in concern. “Why do you know that?” She questioned in exasperated confusion, the synthetic hair from her blue Coraline wig slipping over her eyes as she narrowed them at Harry suspiciously, who was busy playing with the ends of Mags hair, the long strands skirting against the small of her back. Marisol lowering her voice in a drunken whisper that wasn’t actually that quiet, “Is he trying to convert you?”

Harry looked offended at the accusation and Mags bubbled over in laughter, unable to explain to Marisol. She didn’t even know what’d she say. Yes, I know Pastor Mike is really kind because he helped Harry and I with an exorcism.

As Marisol and Niall got distracted because it was their turn, Mags turned to admire the mantle above the fireplace. When rooting through the basement for Halloween decorations, she and Harry had found a beautiful picture of Bertha and Tom. They felt it was appropriate to have it up, as a reminder of the love that once filled this house, instead of the horror they previously feared. “I guess I’ll have to go out and buy another frame,” Harry commented, following Mags eyes to see what got her attention. “Why’s that?” Mags asked curiously.

“For a picture of us, of course!” Mags shoved his arm playfully. “Harry, we’ve literally been officially dating for one day, why are you like this?” In turn, he dropped all pretenses of joking, carefully looking into her eyes. “When you know, you know,” he explained, his words firm and laced with adoration. He reached out to tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ears, his actions tender and careful, his gaze unwavering. This time, Mags didn’t have to guess what expression was on his face, wasn’t confused about the look in his eye. As he ducked forward, dipping down to touch his nose against hers, she recognizes the emotion that all the signs point to: love.

Just as Harry’s lips are about to make contact with hers, Liam speaks up boisterously, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. “After this,” he boldly proclaims, his once carefully applied zombie makeup now smudged and his speech imprecise due to the effects of the punch, “we should all get into the true Halloween spirit by playing the ultimate spooky game.”

His proclamation is meet with cheerful jeers of encouragement and questions about what the game was.

“Great!” He all but shouts in enthusiasm, “I’ll just go and find us a Ouijia board.”

Time stood still. Everything seemed to move in slow-motion.

Completely in sync, their motions fluid and graceful, contradicting the amount of alcohol consumed between the three of them, Niall, Harry, and Mags jumped up from the couch in harmony, bellowing a resounding chorus of “NO!”

The End. (or isss iiiiiit?)

(Just kidding, it is.)

#1dff #1dff challenge #harry styles #one direction #1d fic #one direction fic #harry style fic #one direction au #zayn mailk #louis tomilson #niall horan #liam payne #1d au #harry styles au #Louis tomlinson #spooky

[haikyuu-loves-thiccies]

Third Year!Chubby!Reader x Kageyama Tobio

Wee woo I wrote the thiiiiiiiiing. it’s 4 am and I’m big sleepy so forgive any bad thiiiiiiings. Also there aint no smut smut in this but it is definitely crude sooooooooooooooo >:)

    Y/n was a casual friend of Daichi Sawamura's. They never really hung out, but they were friendly during school hours and often sitting in the same group during lunch. Once highschool kicked in and Daichi took into the boys volleyball team, what friendship they had had drifted. It didn't bother y/n, but what did bother her was that in this year, her final year of highschool, she was standing in front of the tall senior, asking for her to join as Karasuno's volleyball manager- almost half way through the school year.

   “Umm.. Y/n...” Daichi was hesitant, a little confused and almost concerned as to why now someone- this someone, was asking to be a manager for the team. “You can apply, talk to Takeda-Sensei, I guess... But why now? I-If you don't mind me asking! It's just.. We already have Shizumi, and she's training a first year to take over after we all graduate.”

   “Yeah, well. I... Want to do something.” Y/n swallowed hard, tapping the tips of her pointer fingers together. “This is hard to admit, okay? But I just haven't done like.. Anything.. Throughout highschool. I know it'll only be for less than a year, but I'm tired of being... Bored.” A deep breath made it's way out of Y/n's lips, her body relaxing ever so slightly. “That, and, all the other clubs rejected my late entry. For literally every position.”

   “Oh, oh.” Daichi rubbed the back of his neck, not really surprised that her late entry applications weren't accepted. He understood, and was mildly concerned, by what Y/n's motive was. Boredom can drive someone mad and extreme cases, can make someone feel completely empty. It was a sorrowful thought, that Y/n might be feeling that way when in only a couple months she'd be graduating and life would open up with so many new things to experience. But still, Daichi could understand the need for something in the now, rather than later.

   Y/n looked up at the captain, suddenly feeling flushed with shame.

   “I'm sorry if that's like... Not a good reason to want to join- or if it's wrong or, offensive.. Or something.”

   “No, no! It's fine. It's not usual, but I guess on a technicality, we're all just doing things to fight boredom, right?”

    While not exactly true, Y/n appreciated the effort her old friend had made to ease her discomfort.

    “I can take you to Takeda-Sensei, like I said, but I really can't promise anything, okay?”

    A bright, hopeful smile spread on the young girl's face, one Daichi recognized all too well.

    “Okay!”

    It was a miracle, and nothing less. Y/n was as aware of this fact as she was grateful that Daichi had managed to convince the volleyball team's Senseis to give her a shot. It was like new life was breathed into the girl, no more of that awkward, isolated unknown, but the girl Daichi had known before highschool had blossomed back larger than life itself.

   Y/n had settled into Karasuno's pack with ease. She was full of an uplifting spirit and cheerful demeanor, along with a mind full of snarky comments, that the underclassmen seemed to just eat up. Sugawara had never met Y/n personally, neither had Asahi, but both took to her almost as quickly as the second and first years.

   Now, Y/n was refilling the first year boy's water bottles, taking note on whose is whose. The first years, outside of Tsukishima Kei, had the same casual yet not durable style. Hinata's was orange, much like his hair, with it's brands logo on the front. It was plastic- as was Yamaguchi's, while Tsukishima and Kageyama had stainless steel ones. Yamaguchi's was simply green and black, Kageyama's was dark blue with a black stripe down it's front, and Tsukishima's was the odd one out- It had a whole ass dinosaur head on it's cap. Completely decorative, and totally out of left field in Y/n's mind.

   It was hard not to giggle when she was handling the tall middle blocker's cup, but she managed not to make a mess of the others and carry them all back in one piece. Now, she thought, comes her favorite time of the day. The boys were all taking a break, toweling of the sweat and grime from practice, the boys who had their water were already downing it, the first years awaiting their own.

   “Alright sugar-honeys, here's one round of water.” Passing around the bottles, Y/n was giving each of the youngest boys playful, loving winks, flustering up three of the four.

   “Here's one for you, Yamaguchi.” She fluttered around the freckled boy, who blushed and thanked the girl with a soft stutter. Yamaguchi was the easiest boy to truly fluster up. Part of Y/n knew it was because he wasn't used to female attention. Let alone having a third year be so sweet and touchy with him.

   “And here's yours, Hinata baby~” Ruffling the orangette's hair, Y/n dropped the bottle down beside him, which he snatched up instantly and began sucking it down, his face bright red from the chosen pet name the upperclassman gave him.

   With a swift movement from Tsukishima, who muttered a stoic “thanks” quicker than she could drop any lovey-dovey comments, Y/n's final bottle to give was to the raven haired setter who had stolen her heart.

   “Here we are, Kageyama.” Y/n leaned down, allowing her school uniform's top to show off her breasts. Her fuller frame complimented her uniform, from showing her plush cleavage to her ass peaking out ever so slightly from her skirt whenever she bends over. Knowing full well what was happening, she squished her arms together ever-so-slightly, pushing her breasts further out. She saw, immediately, Kageyama's eyes were bouncing from her chest to the bottle, back and forth, quick and panicky movements that gave Y/n all the information she needed.

   Kageyama's hand shakily moved to get his water bottle, when his whole body went frozen stiff. A sly smirk traveled Y/n's lips, and she looked down knowing full well what she'd see.

   “You okay, baby?” Y/n whispered softly, not moving from her position in front of the sitting boy.

   “I-, you- my-” Unable to form a sentence, Kageyama gulped, shutting his eyes tight and crossing his legs ever so slightly, pulling his volleyball bag onto his lap.

   “It's okay, I wont tell~” The setter's head jumped up, a blush spreading on his cheeks and along with it, a bead of sweat. Thankfully, the other boys were deep into a conversation- planning their next moves to practice, who'd be having what for dinner, and other things that Kageyama's head couldn't fit in his mind, when his body was laser-focused on the girl in front of him. Kageyama tried to fumble out an apology, embarrassed and ashamed at his body's reaction to his upperclassman manager, but the girl shushed him with a gentle coo.

   “You don't have to apologize to me honey, you're alright~ Besides.” The girl stood up, relief flooding over Kageyama instantly. “I think you're cute like this!~”

   Kageyama cringed, her comment brought attention from some of the others.

   “Huh??? Kageyama?? Cute?!!” Hinata jumped up into the space between the girl and boy. “Since when?!!?!” He demanded, puffing out his cheeks almost in a manor of jealousy. Kageyama wanted to kick the boy, shove and shout at him for insulting him, but found that he was still glued to his chair, afraid to move a muscle and have someone noticed his little problem trying to force its way up.

   “Since, like, ever! But don't worry, you're cute too pookie-pie~” Y/n brought out the worst of her attacks, the comment embarrasses anyone it reaches just from the sheer force of how aunty-at-a-family-reunion it is. From behind her, Tsukishima snickered. Hinata shrunk away from Y/n, smiling very shakily.

   “O-Oh..” Was all he could manage.

   Finally, Kageyama stood up, his problem tamed for the moment. He took the opportunity and bowed to his upperclassman crush.

   “Thank you for the compliments Y-Y/n-san.” With that, he excused himself and staggered off, making awkwardly cautious strides to the bathrooms. He didn't know until it was too late, but Y/n was following him.

   At the doors of the bathroom, he finally noticed the girl shadowing his footsteps. Kageyama looked at her like a deer in the headlights, and gulped.

   “U-Um, I'll be back in a minute Y/n, I just have to pee.”

   Y/n cracked an amused grin, this boy really doesn't know how to talk to girls.

   “One sec, Kageyama. I wanted to talk to you privately.”

   “I-if this is about-”

   “It's not, well it is, but not completely.” Y/n rested her back against the brick wall of the hallway, looking at Kageyama with an air of cool confidence, despite internally very anxious for what she was going to say next. “Listen, if... If I make you like, super uncomfortable, I'm sorry. I just think you, all you first years, are really cute and stuff..” Y/n palmed the back of her neck, feeling the heat off her own body. “Especially you. I like you a lot, Tobio. Haha.”

   When Y/n looked up at the first year, she wasn't expecting the deadpanned expression he was giving her. It gave her a moment of panic, but soon relaxed her body, knowing this was just... How he tended to look.

   “You like me?” Kageyama whispered, testing out the sentence quizzically.

   “Well, yeah. And trust me-” Y/n's arms went up in the air defensively. “I know you're super busy and focused on volleyball. I get that you aren't exactly super available for dating and stuff, and I'm okay with that. But like, I dunno... If you wanna... Maybe we could give it a shot-”

   “Yes.”

   A stark, sudden answer. Y/n needed only a few seconds to register the blunt honesty in his reply.

   “Wait, really?” She laughed, pleased but also amused by his sudden energy.

   “Yes. I'd like to date you, Y-Y/n-san.” Kageyama nodded his head quickly, blush covering his face to his ears.

   “Well, then.. I hope your gym shorts are ready, cause if we're gonna start dating, there's gonna be a looooot more action going on in there~!” Too casual. Kageyama thought, watching his now date skip swiftly back to the gym, leaving him there flustered up and processing everything that had just happened.

   When Y/n reached the gym doors, she placed her hands on them and gave one last glance at Kageyama, only to fight the urge to crack up laughing.

   He was staring down at his dick in absolute pure wonder.

#haikyuu x chubby reader #third year x first year series #kageyama tobio #kageyama tobio x reader #haikyuu fic

[0asis-sanctuary-0wn]

tarot cards predict my future husband..

i think it was in feb when a tarot reading video came on to my feed in youtube. i watched one and i honestly cannot remember the exact video i watched. so yeah and then i watched many videos about my love life but not consecutively.. it was during different times and i actually watched on different youtube channels to see if there will be a consistent message the universe wants to send me regarding my alleged future husband HAHA 

and to be honest these readings were at random. i chose from different piles of cards so it is not all the same. but luckily there is some similarities from the readings.

1. HOW WILL YOU MEET YOUR SOULMATE? (yt channel: supermoon tarot)

Cleaning house (getting life together), chariot, queen of swords, 6 of cups, 5 of cups, wheel of fortune, devil, strength card, queen of pentacles, king of pentacles, Cleaning creates momentum, the queen of sword in the chariot making it happen, no more excuses, has a plan, time that i am focused, six of cups (absolute satisfaction), they seem to pop up starting an event that benefits others, extremely satisfying that's when soulmate pops up 

Soulmate: opposite, breaking an addiction, loss, developed a bad negative habit, masked feeling

2. WILL YOU MEET YOUR SOULMATE IN 2020? (yt channel: charmed intuition tarot)

quick, unexpected, big yes

Tarot: The fool, wheel of fortune, 9 of cups

Other cards: let your friends help you, wedding, New beginning, adventure card, moon card (gaining momentum), transformation card, lily (positivity from each other, chance card (when u least expect it), expansion card (grow together, long term)

Charms: flexibility, go with the flow, unexpected surprise, letter I, spiritual connection, contrasting na hindi quick slowly din to open up, strong friendship, little getaways

3. WHO WILL I MARRY? (yt channel: charmed intuition tarot)

Cards: King of wands, king of pentacles (doctor, hard worker, perfectionist, very protective), excellent leader, magnetic personality, engagement card (territorial, propose quickly), let go of control issues, controlling, very passionate and romantic, bond over music, very financially well of, hard work paid off, hates being bored/lazy, treasure island (focused on my needs), 9 of pentacles (very focused on needs), very handsome, self confident, charming, excellent family man, work oriented, loyal, say things quickly, hyena card (very funny, sense of humor), jealous at times, possessive, head over heels, protective

Charms:Fire sign, masculine, passionate energy, family oriented, hard worker, focused on fantasy, committed, letters: DR doctor????? 

Physical feature:Black hair, green eyes, 

4. WHO WILL YOU MARRY? (yt channel: vision quest amal)

Already met?, pale skin, white skin?, north card, king of water (blue eyed fair skin), horse card (works out, likes to eat, strong, tall), king of swords, goblin (younger looking) baby face, mature, high up in career, very wise person, very hardworking, earth energy, very ethical at work, very happy at work, work with hands, loss card (alone for a long time), not a party animal, solitude card, high priestess, lost someone in the past, matured a lot, abundant, super super similar, sarcastic, sense of humor, way of talking, the bard card (really good at talking, history) king of sword (storytelling), older person, got stories to tell, immersed in their circle, different culture or country, very romantic, person wants you, cultural difference, religion in the way, conflict with family, 9 of cups, exciting relationship, great friends, high priest, immersion 

Words: Dream, coming, in time, beautiful, leave, old, game, bond, try

5. WHO IS YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE? (yt channel: vanessa somuinya) 

cards; Earth sign, crystals, water earth sign, persistent about goals (perform as well as possibly can), focused and determined, laser sharp focus, very passionate, im going to feel it, a lot of talents (never fail to suprise), new info that surprises you, done so many things, very responsible, family man/ person, nightingale spirit, flamingo spirit(embrace in between life), fire energy, very happy with their life, last minute type of person, think on their feet, nothing stresses them out, makes everything work, solution oriented, delight card, leadership card, loves responsibility, leader genuinely feel they protect others, gonna make you smile, loves to protect and guard love ones, not afraid to start a fight, strong protective instinct, healthy life (getting rid of toxicity), dont have an addictive personality 

6. How will you recognize your future spouse? (Lunar light tarot) 

Very focused on you, 8 of cups, high priestess in reverse, moon in reverse, blindsided, show up out of the blue, like a secret revealed, not gonna see it coming, the tower, claim relationship, gonna shake things up in your life, 2 of cups (amazing connection, full of surprises, spontaneous), cautious and nervous, high priestess inn reverse, meet in something not obvious, three cups in reverse unconventional place, unexpected, moon in reverse, nine of swords, might be at work, do similar work, someone has a change of job, king of pentacles, shift something for you, attentive, change things to fix things, prove through action that he deserves in your life, have anxiety and soothe that for you, really care for you, loving, caring, might give gifts, take to dates, do most of work in the relationship, lift you up in this relationship, 

Light colored hair, light colored eyes, life of the party, full of energy, full of life, passion, energy 

7. Who will you marry? (Brook waldorf tarot) 

Todoroki group

Fire sign, magician (manifesting), princess of wands (maid in waiting), waiting where is he/she, go out, go do something, get out more, two of wands (new path or old path, optimistic and getting out more) flipping of perspective, more optimistic, leo sagittarius aries, masculine energy, in charge, entrepreneur, self employed, humble person, very grateful, friendly, lovers card, commitment, instant connection, really balance with you, work well together, both want commitment, Step out of your comfort zone, manifesting this person, listen to intuition, peaceful resolution (maybe didnt work in the past life), heart to heart conversation, soulmate card (instant connection), fear of vulnerability, 

Hair: Light brown, dirty blonde, light platinum blonde

Eye color: wears colored contacts, brown

Zodiac: fire signs (leo, sag, aries)

Personality: tough love, cold, aloof (think todoroki), intense, compassionate/gentle, 

Style: average, high fashion 

Your wedding will be like: april and andy (parks and rec) Quick courtship, spur of the moment, simple and sweet, close friends and family only, marry your best friend

8. How will you meet your soulmate (charmed intuition tarot)

Anchor charm

Nine of wands, star card, world card, action, choose love, express you love

Beginning of something new, courage, feeling strong against the odds, after major shift and life change, major turning point in life, both had major change, relief, wish coming true, good connection, feeing hopeful and renewed, be more optimistic, least expected, dont prevent yourself from finding a person, very exciting, suspicious, nervous, new person, surprise, least expecting, fully being yourself, open and honest, Yes met at somepoint, hasnt been with similar experiences, 

Dive/action : you are gonna make the first move, 

recharge: January/February 2021

Charms: time, fire sign, initial contact thru phone, transformation, growth, finances, career, 2020 focused on goals, start talking this year, 5 of pentacles, feeling of loss, stuck, 2 of cups, 4 of swords (patience) rest, 2 horses, both single and independent, new beginning, spend a lot of time, new kind of person, working out with anxiety, pull from someone from the past, very understanding, wish come true, 

Rescue: helping you in a sense, 

J & W

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Otomate Party 2017 Collar x Malice Drama Translations

My first content post of the month... at 5:22 am for some ungodly reason i guess.... but I’ll start by asking you to please support me if you can either on ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/V7V2W0HO) or through paypal (paypal.me/KumoriYami )…. also let me know if you have any hakuoki drama cds that you’d be willing to share that are on my looking for list since i don’t have the audio for those…..

Anyway I finally managed to finish this. Seriously wish i had translations for this as text instead of off a video since snipping everything than converting the pics of the subtitles into text is a serious pain in the ass.... As this is the first and only thing that I have translated for the cxm fandom, I will state:

I do not speak Japanese so this was translated from Chinese based on my bad Chinese and various mtl help (my limit on Japanese is the tiny bits picked up from anime... which I haven’t watched since 2009)

“[” and “]” are what I normally use for translator/personal notes/ways I think the text sounds better 

normal brackets and italics are usually used for alternate text suggestions based on the translated words themselves without extra words added or scene transition notes

My Chinese, in my opinion, is not particularly good when it comes to reading so there will probably be mistakes or things lost in translation (especially since this relied on finding someone else’s work of them translating this from Japanese into Chinese)

I will edit this later so expect grammar mistakes (I left quite a lot of those since I didn’t get punctuation for +75% of this) or things being left weirdly phrased.

I have taken images from the drama itself and put them into this post so that this makes more sense. 

Enjoy?

Collar x Malice Otomate Party 2017 Drama Translation [”ブレイクタイにプロフアイリング” Don’t have a Chinese translation for the name]

Translation by KumoriYami based on this video: https://www.bilibili.com/video/av25769645?from=search&seid=9170920068184056875

Yanagi (monologue): December. The serial murder incidents known to he world as X-Day.

During our investigation of the serial murders known to the world as the X-Day incidents, we believe the mastermind of the terrorist organization is targeting a woman named Hoshino Ichika, who is investigating them together with us.

Ending up in a situation/stalemate with no progress(/large breakthroughs) [is/will certainly?]-----

(stage lights up)

Enomoto: It's awful! Something's wrong!

Sasazuka: Shut up

Yanagi: Enomoto, open the door quietly.

Enamoto: Ah, sorry..... No, this is a big deal Yanagi-senpai!

Sasazuka: Yanagai-san.  Yanagi: Nn?

Sasazuka: Today's cookies aren't bad.

Yanagi: Okay/Yeah, having Sasazuka's approval sets me a ease. Can also give these to Hoshino---- [These can also be given to Hoshino---]

Enomoto: Please don't ignore me!

Enomoto: Anyway, Shiraishi-san he....!

Shiraishi: Miao~

Enomoto: (He's) become/turned into a cat! 

From a while ago/A moment ago, (he's) only been making cat sounds (and) not speaking----- [recently, he hasn't been saying anything aside from cat sounds]

Yanagi: Ha... Shiraishi, stop messing around with Enomoto.

Shiraishi: Really how cold.

Shiraishi: I think you should learn how to cooperate, Enoki-kun 

Enomoto: My name is Enomoto!

[I don't know Japanese but the subtitles left those bits in Japanese... so I just copied them over into the TL here. Also, according to Hermy The Wormy or nancy cheerleader #6 on the Otogetranslations' japanese-qa discord, the first kanji of Enomoto's name can be read as enoki, and enoki dake are a type of mushroom. ]

Enomoto: Hey, are you messing around with me again!?

Sasazuka: Today this brainless idiot is the same as usual.

Shiraishi: But/However, this type of person is unable to act [like a/n] food/idiot. /these type of people are not//cannot be fools by accident. [be stupid by accident]

Shiraishi: Also you two.... the [your] investigation(s) have stalled right?

Yanagi: What happened/What's going on for you to unexpectedly say/ask this? [literally: What happened, suddenly/unexpectedly, you do you want to say?]

Shiraishi: It's necessary to take a break from time to time. Shiraishi: When faced with a puzzle, fixed concepts/ideas/views/impressions can be the greatest enemy.

Yanagi: You only want us to vent our stress/release pressure, right? [take a break]

Shiraishi: haha, [you've] guessed correctly.

Shirashi: Even so, I'm also suffering from a lot of work/very distressed from work/worried about how busy I am. And because of this today, I was given advanced notice from a gentleman thief lupin [?????]

Shirashi:Oh, just like the one who is collared/so the one who is collared [rephrase later]

Shirashi: She seems to have gone out with Okazaki-kun to change her mood/mind [change of pace?]

Sasazuka: That stupid cat? Truly that's rare. /Truly how rare./That's rare.

Sasazuka: She's the type who seldom relaxes right?

Shiraishi: Yeah/that's right. As a result, she's become unwell.

Okazaki-kun found out and then handled it by going out.

Yanagi: Indeed, it's better for Hoshino to relax from time to time

Yanagi: Although he's an SP, being accompanied by Okazaki. That's....

Shiraishi: After all he is a police officer, I don't think he'll leave any evidence behind.

Enomoto: Nooo, that's not a way to rest?!

Shiraishi: let's go back to the earlier topic/let's go back to the previous conversation shall we?  I want to experiment you using criminal deduction/reasoning [Audio sounds more like profiling in ENG]

Yanagi: If you want to relax [have fun, go find someone else [go bother someone else]. Don't involve us.

Shiraishi: You need my ability as a criminal profiler don't you? Wouldn't it be a shame if I couldn't use it at a critical moment?

Sasazuka: Yanagi-san. I think constantly fighting this is a waste of time.

Yanagi: Ha.....Indeed. [do?] whatever you want.

Shiraishi: Nnn. First of all, [let's] use a drawing to analyze your underlying psychology.

Shiraishi: Draw two cats under a tree. Here, pen and paper.

Sasazuka: unexpectedly it's a psychology test, how boring.

Shiraishi: I'll give you donuts so draw.

Enomoto: [????? no text for 1 sec. sounds like eh, show-toh]

Enomoto: Okay, okay/all right, all right! Finished/done drawing!

Shiraishi: .….[How] unexpected/Unexpectedly. Enomoto-kun is pretty/very good at drawing.

Sasazuka: I've finished drawing [here?] too.

Enomoto: What the hell is this, you're unmotivated aren't you?

Shiraishi: eheh! [seeing] someone's personality being expressed is fun/It's fun to see/show your personality/individual personalities/traits

[Then] Yanagi-kun? Just a moment ago/from the start , you were wearing a really complicated expression. [for a while, you have had a really complicated expression]

Yanagi: No...... don't. let me think about it for a night.

Sasazuka: It doesn't take that long./It shouldn't need to take that long.

Yanagi: Ah, wait, Sasazuka....!

<dramatic scary music starts>

shiraishi and enomoto: .....ah....

Sasazuka:.....A cursed drawing? [Is this a cursed drawing?]

Shiraishi: Ah hahahahaha, so it turns out that Yanagi-kun had such a talent for drawing. This is a new discovery ahhahahaha!

Enomoto: No, no it's okay, Yanagi-senpai! How to say this, it's like a Picasso, an ultra-realistic style of painting......[rephrase later]

Yanagi: Stop, I don't need you to say anything.

Shiraishi: Commenting now on these results [rephrase later],

Shiraishi: It's an ideal family that can show how people describe themselves/It's how someone can show off their ideal family [probably 2nd].

Enomoto-kun hopes for warm family/household that lives with your significant other/hopes to live together with your important person in a warm family/household.

Sasazuka-kun is probably living a life not bound by anyone,

Yanagi-kun is.......how to say this, the family/household would probably collapse.

Yanagi: you, just say what you want.

Shiraishi: I have a good understanding/insight based on these references. Alright, let's move on to the next one one. What appearance /type of person would be the person who brought you your wallet /You've lost your wallet. What kind of person is the one who brings it back to you [??????]?

Shiraishi: A. A very dynamic noisy person 

B. A friendly older brother

C. A nervous elder sister

D. A high school student in their rebellious phase.

Sasazuka: D is obviously in a rebellious phase yet returning a wallet would [make them] feel very good.

Enomoto: I’ll say, B.....feel it's an average response.

Yanag: Then.... I'll go an choose A

Shiraishi: Actually, this is a psychological test to determine your romantic tendencies.

Sasazuka: There's no need/intention to/of pretend/ing to do this for criminal deduction anymore [??says profiling in audio]

Shiraishi: Who chose A----

Enomoto: Hasn't that guy seen this countless times/Hasn't this guy done countless [of these] interviews?!  

Shiraishi: Yanagi-kun, who has chosen A, is cautious about/when it comes to [his] romance/love.

Shiraishi: But once invested [says something to the effect of 'gone deep'], rationality will not be followed/obeyed/maintained.

Shiraishi: So it says.

Shiraishi: Eeeeeh , Yanagi-kun forgetting his reason/rationality, I really want to see this/that.

Yanagi: You say some random things/whatever you want... but, you also haven't said anything wrong.

Shiraishi: Here are the recommended type of things to say for confessing/confessions [says TYPE in ENG].   It's rare for me to make impression images [<---- not sure about that but the audio says IMAGE].

Yanagi: Ha? Impression image...?

(lights darken, spotlight on Yanagi VA)

Yanagi: ........If I get serious, you'll be troubled. I don't want to scare you, [and] I don't want to hurt you even if I think that..... I am unable/incapable to/of stop/ping my desire of monopolizing your heart .....Have you truly chosen me? I already can't do this anymore/hold myself back/stop these feelings [probably 3rd - also i have no tl for what it says on the image]

(cg off)

Sasazuka:...What just happened Yanagai-san, are you back to normal?

Yanagi: N-no, it/that wasn't me. Impression image he voluntarily [did]/automatically----- [??? guessing: That impression he voluntarily did----]

Shiraishi: Next is the person who chose B

Enomoto: Unexpectedly I've seen that guy before.

Shiraishi: B which was chosen by Enomoto-kun, who is a serious romantic, and although he is committed to his love/ Enomoto-kun who chose B, is/will be a serious romantic who follows his heart, but if he ends up with an unrequited love, his twilight years will end miserably/he will be awfully miserable in his old age, so it says.

Enomoto: I don't need you worrying about me being at an old age!? Wait, based on this evaluation, don't tell me that I also...

(light darkens, spotlight on Enomoto)

Enomoto: Seriously loving someone, surely pain can become happiness/it's possible for pain to be changed into happiness/it's like pain has become happiness.

After meeting you, for the first time I know.... no matter how many times I say it you're the best in the world, [and] I love you the most.

(light focus +cg off) Eeeehaha [weird scream that doesn't really work with text], 

how/indeed/truly bogus/phony/fake! [??? that's so/really fake?] how can you say such lines [these types of things]?! Ah, but isn't this/that line too handsome/elegant!? [cool]

Yanagi: Indeed/truly optimistic/hopeful [how positive?]......Oh? Sazazuka, where are you going?

Sasazuka: Heading back. I don't want to accompany you guys anymore/disturb you guys anymore.

Shiraishi: Sasazuka-kun after all [is someone] who came back from abroad, are you not accustomed to sweet [more on the romantic side] lines?

Sasazuka: This thing, can't just be shown casually to others.

Enomoto: Love can only be spoken of when two people are alone.... kuh. keh, you damn American returnee!

Shiraishi: Regarding Sasazuka-kun's romantic tendencies, they are----

Sasazuka: Don't continue without permission [ ?????  says what sounds like stop in audio... so im assuming 'just stop right now'] he's actually the sis-con type.

Shiraishi: D, which was chosen by Sazuka-kun, is the awkward self-centred type. Unable to verbally express [one’s feelings], [though] contrary to the inner-most/profound feelings/thoughts. This is popular with tsunderes right?

Enomoto: These, these types of confession/declaration of love lines are!?

(cg up + spotlight on Sasazuka)

Sasazuka: You, don't you think you're stupid for thinking that we're unsuited for each other? It's not anyone else, I've chosen you, so be confident in this, just like this/that's all. ......You, have long been my woman/since before you've been my woman Just be good and stay at my side Idi~ot~

(back to normal)

Enamooto: Uwohoho....... This American custom.... aren't/wouldn't you feeling/feel embarrassed/shy?

Sazazuka: Not really, even if this is just an impression image, this sort of thing is common.

Yanagi: Shiraishi.... You've really [even] made an image impression specifically for this sort of thing.

Shiraishi: It's funny [audio sounds like *interesting*]isn't it? The pictures were made by someone I know [These] question and answers were something that I had good reference for since it nicely matched a document/literature's contents.

Sasazuka: To begin with, what literature/study was this from? Was there ever a study/book written/published on this?

Shiraishi: It was the book "Romantic ☆ Psychology Evaluations" [Emotional affecting/heartbeat/heart rate/heart throbbing? ☆  psychology tests..... probably leave it at the first interpretation unless i come up with a better sounding title name here]

Enomoto: Ah! The new book I bought yesterday! I haven't read it yet!

Yanagi: mah.... I think it's the same [one]./I think the same way.

Sasazuka: [I'm] Tired, I really have to go.

Shiraishi: Yeah, I should also be heading back to the station.

Yanagi: : Seriously/give me a break. [i/we] don't know when another incident will occur.

(screen changes to outside the detective agency with Shiraishi)

*footsteps*

Shiraishi: Nn? You, the collar's/collared.... Ah right, right,/yes, yes, hoshino-san

Yanagi-kun and the others seemed to be heading back. 

How's the state of your mind doing? [How are you doing?]

Eh.... or did you go to a crime scene/still going to see a crime scene?

It's really serious.

How is the investigation going?

Like before, the criminals still have the upper hand. 

Pushing aside the police, really. [Going around the police...?]

......You display such strength/You're very strong.

But, isn't it scary?

Eh? having us [around makes you] feel relieved?

Mm, that's weird. 

The enemy might be lurking around in an unexpected place somewhere.... like me, for example.

Haha, do your best not to die.

What kind of outcome will come after this.... let me look forward to it. 

The End....?

------------------------------

Well, after doing this..... I can say that I don’t have any intention to translate anything else in the fandom that relies on a video cuz as it is truly excruciating to snip all the subtitles off the vid, photoshop said clips and either whiten or blacken the background so that an image to text converter can read it, have the image converted to text, add in all the words and correct whatever wasn’t converted into text properly, and then get to actually translating whatever it is (i’ve also hand-written more than +4000 Chinese characters from coping subtitles from a different video so i’m not going to be doing that ever again either).....Which means I will probably not be looking at whatever the 2018 cxm secret mission thing is as I have only found Chinese tl for that on a video from bilibili.... plus I’m not certain if there’s an actual drama in it (I have no interest in translating non-drama/story stuff).

Anyway, as I’m not particularly confident in my translation for this - at least when compared to the other stuff that I’ve done, I’m not entirely sure if I’m going to do a subbed video for this since I don’t want to post anything without a personal confidence level of at least 85% in any translation I do for a video (my level for this is probably somewhere between 60-70%).... and on another note, I realllllly need a better way to phrase “impression image,” since that looks and sounds really weird..... also if anyone wants to help me with my lack of language skills for this drama, send me a message plzzz!  >_<

if i ever do get to making a video, final edits will be done then since i know i left this drama tl not exactly worded well... 

#collar x malice #CollarxMalice #otomate party #collar x malice drama translation #collar x malice translation #CxM #yanagi aiji #Sasazuka takeru #shiraishi kageyuki #enomoto mineo #to be edited later

[journeysintowebcomics]

Worm Liveblog #104

UPDATE 104: Some Peace for Once

Last time Skitter defeated the Azazel suit all by herself, and that defeat led Dragon to pull all the suits out of Brockton Bay. Now Coil has ordered everyone to stop gallivanting around in their suits, so for once they all have a few free days! Will they be able to enjoy them, or will things happen because there’s no rest for the Worm characters? Let’s see.

Imp wants to throw a part and rub it in a little, show the heroes they can’t do a thing against the villains controlling this city. Wow, that’s a monumentally bad idea, especially because Coil ordered everyone to not be out wearing their costumes. Sure’s going to be suspicious if a bunch of teenagers are partying and using fireworks for no discernable reason. The Travelers wouldn’t mind a party, and neither does Regent, so I really hope the rest of the Undersiders have enough common sense to reject this horrible idea.

Maybe a private party would be fine, though...if they all feel comfortable hanging out without costumes. I can’t imagine the Travelers would want to, though, even though the Undersiders have already seen their faces, if I recall correctly.

Skitter hasn’t been paying attention to the discussion, and here I’m waiting for her to reject the party idea.

I sighed and confessed, “I’m… I guess I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Isn’t that what happens?  The second things start to go right, the next disaster strikes?  Empire Eighty-Eight, Leviathan, The Nine, Dragon…”

Ahahaha, nice, Skitter can see a pattern where it exists. She’s already bracing herself for any trouble that’ll come now that things are supposedly going well. It’s a bit hard to imagine what kind of trouble there’ll be now, though. All major threats are gone and the heroes won’t make a move so soon. Still, something’s going to happen, right? Right?

In Genesis’ opinion, if whatever’ll happen now is very dangerous, then they can’t plan or do anything until they’re attacked, and if it’s not so dangerous, they’ll be able to fight back anyway, so there’s no point in worrying right now. Famous last words, really, but she’s got a point. It’s impossible to predict what exactly is going to happen and it’s not like there are any worldwide threats about to make a move. It’s not like Nilbog’s going to come out of his personal city anytime soon, and Cauldron’s closest forces are heroes, so...yeah, no big threats I can think of.

Nobody else except Grue is nearly as cautious as Skitter, so I’m pretty sure once everyone goes their separate way there’s going to be a few private celebrations. Skitter will be a responsible villainous caretaker and check on her territory, to make sure the recent attack Dragon made didn’t make them so discontent they’ll try to shank her the moment she shows her costumed face around. Hey, they won’t dare to say a word or be discontent once they find out what Skitter did, really. So that’s that. Time for everyone to go their separate ways!

What did it say about me that my metaphors were tending towards that kind of violent imagery?

You’re getting jaded, that’s what it means. After everything that has happened it would be surprising if you weren’t, hah.

Since there’s no TV and she can’t go party around, Regent invites Imp to go play videogames with him, much to Grue’s displeasure. He doesn’t hesitate to start voicing his displeasure, only to get interrupted.

“You’ve said enough!  You don’t want me to celebrate my first legit win where I was actually fucking useful?  Fine!  Don’t want me to go on patrol?  Fine! I’ll accept that shit because I’ll take orders from the guy who actually pays me.  But if you’re going to whine because I want to play video games with a teammate, I’m not going to stand here and listen to it!  Deal!”

Honestly I have to agree with Imp on this one. I definitely can support telling her not to be reckless, or defy Coil’s orders, but telling her not to socialize with a teammate – although it’s Regent, who isn’t really known for having good judgment and careful demeanor – is a tad too much. Let her have this much, pal.

So that’s it. Now they’re all going to do what they can. So I suppose this means this chapter will feature Skitter checking on her territory, unless she gets attacked along the way, but I’m intrigued what she’ll do afterwards.

Since they’re done with Coil’s orders, Trickster decides he’ll go check how Coil’s favor for the Travelers is progressing.

“Don’t get on his case,” Genesis said. “Whatever his plan is, he’s under a lot of pressure right now.  I’d rather wait another few days and then talk about it with him than push it now and risk upsetting him.”

“The difference between us,” Trickster said, terse, “is I’m not willing to wait.”

You know, ever since it was revealed the Travelers really aren’t in the best of terms with each other and with Trickster so many things show that clearly and without any room for doubt. It kind of makes me wonder if in the past I missed any foreshadowing about the state of their group. Perhaps I even missed signs of clear enmity. Sure wouldn’t be the first time I don’t notice something, haha

Once only Heckpuppy, Grue and Skitter are left, Heckpuppy asks if the other two are dating, and when that’s confirmed she sounds smug. Hah! Even she could notice it, I remember she noticed it loooong ago. She’s invited to tag along, as if dear Heckpuppy here would love to be the third wheel in this pair. As if! Of course she rejects the idea. She’ll spend her night taking care of her dogs and playing with them. She really doesn’t like being with people. Nothing too surprising over here, I’d have been even more surprised if she had been willing to stick around with them.

So, date night? Date night! Quite the start for her few free days!

Looks like the main reason Taylor wanted to keep Rachel around is because she wants to avoid talking about how she’s taking over the group’s leadership. I thought it was established Brian didn’t care about that too much? Or at least he didn’t seem bothered. Wasn’t there a conversation about this already? Did I imagine it?

Thank goodness, despite Dragon’s attack it seems the meal was finished. Nobody was able to work properly, but it wasn’t a terrible disaster, so let’s count it as a brief impasse and continue working the next day.

I set two servings worth of the pork onto one plate and put it in the microwave.  “They may come back, but that’ll be a little while coming.  What I’m worried about is my territory.  Were people upset?”

“Yeah,” Sierra said.  “A few people got shocked by those floating flying saucer things.”

“The drones,” I said.  My heart sank a little.  My promise to protect my people had been broken yet again.

Oh for the love of—Taylor Hebert needs to stop blaming herself for everything. I know that’s just how she is, and that showing how the residents of her territory are very important to her, but she really needs to stop torturing herself for it, or at least it needs to stop being integrated onto the text. Compared to everything else that has happened to everybody here, this classifies as a rather minor inconvenience. Getting shocked is not pleasant, but this is Dragon, who would never dare to harm a civilian. Taylor doesn’t have to blame herself for what happened as if the drones went by and chopped a few heads off.

I don’t know, her tendency to blaming herself has happened so often I just am starting to get kind of ticked off by it. Personal taste, pretty much. It just feels to me like every single arc for a while already has to forcibly include that.

Either way, nobody was seriously hurt, and Taylor tells them she’ll have to work from the background. I’m kind of worried how the residents will react when they don’t see Skitter around for a while. They may think she abandoned them. Neither Charlotte nor Sierra are confident about handling things by themselves, too, the main reason that they don’t want to be seen doing work for a criminal. Reasonable, yup. Instead of insisting, Taylor decides to give them money and ask them to get someone who can do it, because she trusts their judgment.

I’m not entirely certain how that’ll go. Not a lot of people are willing to work for a criminal just like that. I suppose there might be a chance of finding someone like that here in the territory, though.

That aside, Taylor also asks them to tell those who fought Dragon’s drones to never do that again, because getting hurt for her sake is not kosher. Reasonable, too. Makes me wonder what kind of people were the ones that fought the drones.

Something I really like of Skitter and her leadership style is that she does her best to listen to her employees’ concerns and shows a sincere desire to leave her doors open to them, wanting to know what they think and feel. That’s something admirable. Charlotte is okay with all this, but I’m pretty sure Sierra would rather bail at some point, so I’m glad that’s an option for her, and I’m sure she’s very glad about that too.

Once they go upstairs, they talk a little about how Taylor handles her employees. It’s a good way, and Grue wishes he could do the same, buuuut nobody wants to work for Grue and Imp because they’re hella intimidating. Who’d have thought the guy with the mask/helmet shaped like a skull and darkness flowing out of him like miasma was intimidating? And Imp is unnerving, hah! But yeah, they’re not getting any employees. Hmmm...the only option would be getting employees through Coil, no? But in that case they’re not Grue’s employees, they’re Coil’s. It’s just not the same, and if Coil ever gets kicked out or defeated, Grue would lose his henchmen too. He’s kind of hopeless when it’s about getting employees.

“Right.  If we had to worry about keeping our employees, it’d be good, because it’d mean we actually had some.  I’m not sure how to get underway on that front.  We’re intimidating.”

“I’m intimidating,” I said, admittedly defensive.

“You are.  But I’d say you’re more intimidating as an idea than you are in person.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Oh, but that’s actually good, no? I mean, it’s what makes the residents actually accept her and not mind too much – nowadays – her presence. I’m sure if she was more standoffish or uncaring they’d be thinking of ways to make her good away. They already showed willingness to fight Dragon’s drones, those same people would try to fight her, wouldn’t they? I bet they would.

“But my point is that people are more likely to run than stick around and talk when I’m approaching.  You can take your bugs off the table, make it clear they aren’t a threat, and people feel less threatened, they’re willing to hear you out.”

“Maybe.  But if that’s the case, don’t give them a chance to run.”

“What?  Pop out from around a corner, scare the living daylights out of them, then offer them a job?”

I had to reread these few lines because I thought I had misread something, but no, I didn’t. Goodness, Taylor, you can’t scare the bejeebers out of someone and then offer them a job. Either they faint on the spot or they leave at the first opportunity. Leaving cards in their apartments is even worse, makes you look like a stalker.

This all brings up the point if the prospective hires can’t deal with a little weird threatening crap from Grue, then they’re not cut for the job. She’s not wrong, but it’s still a tad of a weird recruitment plan, haha. That aside, mercenaries is the other option, but that ensures you’re going to get zero or very low loyalty. It’d be good for Grue and Imp to get employees with a modicum of loyalty. Mercenaries are trained and will cooperate as long as the money is flowing, though, so that’s something to consider, compared to untrained civilians. I guess in the end this all depends on if Grue manages to hire anyone.

Enough talk about villainous stuff, it’s relaxing time, says Taylor! Getting DVDs ready for a night of movies. Brian doesn’t get the message, because he brings up the topic of the leadership of the group. Hah! I suppose Taylor was pressing to watch movies because it meant maybe they wouldn’t talk about this, but it failed. It was a valiant effort. Anyway, Brian asks if she wants to take the leadership permanently, Taylor doesn’t want to. She’s just very concerned.

“When I was getting really obsessive about what I was doing, when I was losing sleep and making mistakes, I deferred control.”

“To Trickster,” Brian said.  I could see a shadow pass over his expression.

“Yeah.  And that’s a bad example because it didn’t work.  It’s just that we both know you’re not getting enough rest. So maybe I can pick up the slack in the meantime.”

She’s right, she’s very right! And among everyone in both teams, Taylor is the only one with competent leadership and planning skills. Sure wouldn’t want to let Trickster plan anything ever again, he’s just not good. Still, this doesn’t make Brian very happy, so Taylor offers them to have some sort of joint leadership so he doesn’t have a heavy burden. Her idea is that she can handle Heckpuppy – not too bad of an idea, they seem to be getting along better, somehow – and anything that involves improvisation, while Brian handles everything else. It’s a good idea! Come on, Brian, take it.

He knows she’s right, but that just makes him feel so bad. Brian has always been in an environment where showing signs of weakness means you’ll get backstabbed, and he has been on the backstabber side more than once. His current demeanor is a bit of a recent development, thanks to Aisha pointing out he was being a major jerk, to put it lightly. This pretty much means he started taking burdens onto himself, trying to help others he works with and watch out for them, and now the tables have turned and boy does he hate that.

“So it isn’t just about me trying to adjust.  Christ, it’s me having my world turned upside down.  It’s others protecting me, others helping me, others covering me in a fight, others taking charge.  Aisha’s the one fixing things for me.”

It’s rather understandable, really. Brian is used to being strong and reliable and ready to tackle anything, both for his own sake and for the sake of those he cares about. Now it’s backwards, everyone’s taking care of him and he perceives himself as not having what’s needed to be reliable or strong anymore. The mental trauma from what Bonesaw did is rather debilitating, yeah, but I’m starting to think maybe he perceives he’s being coddled or something, like they don’t trust him to handle anything and instead push him aside so he’s safer and/or doesn’t get in the way. Of course this would bother him so much.

In his opinion, Taylor seems to be taking for granted things will go well and Coil will fulfill his part of the deal, and then they all will continue to handle their territories, and everything will be peachy keen for a while. He’s pretty wrong about what Taylor’s thinking, that’s just the impression he has, and he’s afraid he won’t be able to help if things go wrong all of a sudden. Leaving aside how things going wrong all of a sudden is almost a certainty, I think Brian’s situation can only go in two ways: either he manages to give help and he realizes he hasn’t lost his touch, or he fails at that and sinks deeper into the disappointment he feels at himself. Hard to predict what it’ll be, though.

Since there’s no point in worrying about dangers that you don’t even know what they are, Taylor repeats everything Genesis said and encourages him to relax until trouble arrives. Not worrying about it is easier said than done, but they do manage to leave it aside for now, just to relax, watch movies, and generally build the romantic relationship that has been teased for so many arcs by now.

Oooh, now that their minds are off the leadership stuff Brian isn’t exactly being coy here! Nobody’s going to watch movies if he keeps dragging fingertips and kissing Taylor like this. Good for them! It’s a bit difficult to know what to say about their romantic moves, as there’s something a tad weird about commentating this as if I’m a two-bit voyeur watching from the corner of the room, so I think I’m cutting this here, haha. Oh well. Continuing next time, with the next chapter.

Next time: next update

#worm #worm liveblog #webserial #liveblog #webserial liveblog

[mewtonian-physics]

Hello!! A, T, and Y for the ask game?

Hello! :D 

Let’s see.

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

Let’s see! I can think of three ships that I absolutely love, from two different fandoms. I mean, I have more ships that I love than that, but these are the ones I’ll scream intensely over at the slightest provocation…

First of all, we have Death Note’s Matt/Mello, which I’m a shameless fan of and will scream about night and day if given the chance. Start off with a character generally characterized as a bit of an emotional wreck and then give him someone who can pretty much get characterized however anyone wants due to his lack of official characterization… the fandom doesn’t often disappoint me. Generally it ends up as a lovely little relationship with plenty of fluff, angst, and humor to go around.

…a lot of people can’t resist adding some smut in there which does put me off of the works in question but there’s enough safe ones that I am still quite happy.

And then there’s the ones where people decide that it’s got to be dysfunctional and even downright abusive. I… don’t really like those. But to each their own I guess. 

But you’re here for the BSD ships, am I right? ;)

BSD has the honor of having two of my absolute favorite ships right now!

Full disclosure: I’m very basic. I ship popular ships. I don’t ship ALL popular ships but the ones that I do ship are generally popular. That said… Soukoku! I love them! That’s just how it is!

I love the fact that they trust each other with their lives even though they’re at each others’ throats half the time. I love their dynamic and the back-and-forth they can have. I love everything about them, really. Whether it’s snarky or sweet, Soukoku works give me life. (Do you know that one where Chuuya’s walking on the ceiling because he’s stressed out? A comic got made of it. It’s amazing. Or there’s this wonderful little story that I read by this one absolutely brilliant author where Dazai loses his eyes– /hit)

Secondly, Ranpoe! They’re so CUTE. The popular dynamic, as far as I can tell, is Ranpo being his brilliant yet almost entirely non-functional, egotistical little gremlin self and Poe as a shrinking violet who also can’t function but for entirely different reasons… And I love it. It makes me so absurdly happy. I love how much Poe admires Ranpo and is willing to put up with his quirks. (Well, the way I see it, it’s Poe accepting and accommodating Ranpo’s autism. I’ll never let go of that headcanon. Never.) 

And I’m also of the firm belief that it’s at least halfway canon… I haven’t caught up on the manga but from what I’ve seen so far, Poe has a very strange idea of what a rivalry is like… 

Or maybe I’ve just had the shipping goggles on for so long that they’ve melted straight onto my face. That’s also a likely possibility.

One bonus point in favor of the ship is… look how well their names fit together! It makes me so happy! I adore it.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

As mentioned before… Edogawa Ranpo is autistic. Full stop. Is it projection? Yeah. Do I care? No. I don’t get enough canonically autistic characters and Ranpo just screams it at me. (Death Note’s L is another of my ‘this character is totally autistic and you can’t change my mind’ characters. The two of them have some similarities that I have fun with, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Dazai’s whole ‘happy fun silly mode’ is basically a giant coping mechanism. That’s also projection. I also don’t care.

In direct contrast to what some of the fandom seems to think, I don’t think that Odasaku could have ever had any sort of romantic feelings for Dazai. I think he would’ve been more likely to unofficially adopt him, if anything.

Evillious Chronicles’ Kiril Clockworker is not the cinnamon roll everyone seems to think. After all, he did have Hereditary Evil Raiser syndrome. At some point he must have done something.

I don’t think I have any others… not that come to mind anyway. 

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

I’m becoming more and more familiar with Mo Dao Zu Shi, haha. One of these days I’ll actually get in on it.

BSD was a secondhand fandom but now it is a firsthand fandom. Oops, but not oops.

SAO, Fate, Symphogear, Fairy Tail, and JJBA are also some things I know a lot more about than I otherwise would due to having friends into them. I don’t plan on getting into them myself as they’re not really my style, but I like that my friends feel comfortable enough around me to infodump! ^-^ They let me infodump back at them as well. Friends like that are the best kinds.

I also have been learning some about Noragami! I think I’ll get into that eventually, or at the very least I’ll try. Though I’ll have to be careful as it seems it has some content in it that won’t mix well with the whole trauma thing. That just means I have to be super cautious! 

Finally, I have a couple of friends who like Mystic Messenger a lot and as a result I know lots about that, but I probably won’t ever actually play it myself as I’m not really that into dating sims in general and the cult stuff kind of scares me away. Plus I want to have a normal sleep schedule and I hear that game is very bad for such things. :P

Thank you for sending this! ^-^ I hope the answer is satisfactory!

#ask meme #hypermoyashi #death note #bungou stray dogs #miscellaneous other fandom stuff #shipping stuff #nya speaks #more like nya SCREAMS #nya nya nya nya

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to FiveThirtyEight’s weekly politics chat. The transcript below has been lightly edited.

micah (Micah Cohen, politics editor): With former President Barack Obama’s return to the campaign trail in the last week or so, here’s our overarching question for today: Who does Obama motivate more in 2018, Democrats or Republicans?

I’m thinking first we talk a bit about what we know about Obama’s sway among Democrats. Then we dive into his standing among Republicans. Then we see how they compare. Sound good?

nrakich (Nathaniel Rakich, elections analyst): But I have numbers, Micah. Numbers that will obviate the need for this chat in the first place.

micah: $100 says that’s not true.

In any case, to start with what may be a dumb question: Democratic voters love Obama, right?

clare.malone (Clare Malone, senior political writer): Well, his role seems to be that of elder statesman and moral force. Most Democrats seem to be ignoring for now that they really hated (or were at least less than thrilled with) some of his policies … drone strikes and some immigration policies, for example.

But the Obama-is-above-reproach sentiment is en vogue for Democrats right now because there’s lots of stuff to reproach President Trump for. Obama’s very feel-good.

perry (Perry Bacon Jr., senior writer): According to the Pew Research Center, 51 percent of Democrats say Obama is the best president of their lifetime. That’s way above Bill Clinton at 19 percent.

So, yes.

nrakich: Or, to take a different measure, look at this June 2017 poll by Gallup (the latest I could find crosstabs for): 95 percent of Democrats had a favorable view of Obama.

micah: So how do we reconcile those numbers with the tension Clare mentioned? Like … the party does seem to have clearly become more liberal since Obama’s days.

clare.malone: I think most voters probably think of him as a lot more liberal than his policies actually were.

Obama was a pragmatist in many ways, but he also had an uncanny ability to communicate and be an empath for the moment.

nrakich: Yeah, issues are overrated as a determinant of how people feel about politicians — or even how they vote.

And the party may have moved left, but presidents almost always get more popular after they leave office, and I think that’s the stronger signal here.

Obama himself is up to a 63-36 retrospective job approval rating.

clare.malone: Issues are always overrated!

People vote with their gut.

perry: Look at this poll from YouGov. The Obama vision is way more popular among Democrats than the Bernie Sanders one.

micah: Wow.

Those YouGov numbers are really interesting — they sorta suggest that personality is the stronger force even than the “antiestablishment” pull of the moment.

nrakich: Isn’t being antiestablishment all about personality?

clare.malone: Well, no.

But it’s certainly important to have the rhetoric to back things up. Obama, of course, isn’t antiestablishment anymore. And Sanders is in some ways moving into the policy mainstream.

nrakich: Right, but the antiestablishment movement is built strongly on personality.

As we’ve said many times, style and approach (the establishment vs. insurgent divide) is different from ideology (the progressive vs. moderate divide).

micah: Is no one else surprised that Sanders gets less than a third there?

That’s worse than he did in the 2016 Democratic primary.

perry: I was surprised by the Sanders number. I would have guessed something like 40 percent of Democrats would have preferred the Sanders-style candidates to Obama ones.

Sanders is extremely popular among Democrats.

micah: IDK, maybe that poll result is more about Obama’s near-deity status in the party more than any problems with Sanders.

perry: Yeah, Obama is a deity among Democrats. I think that’s right. And Bill Clinton has the #MeToo problem now and Hillary Clinton lost, so he’s not in as strong of a position as Obama in terms of ex-Democratic presidents able to help the party in the future. I also think the median Democratic voter is not particularly supportive of ideas like “abolish ICE” and has more establishment/centrist views, like Obama.

clare.malone: There is anger out there, though. People have a lot to be angry about in the post-financial-crash world. And Sanders is good at evoking it. Obama made history, and it’s hard to not like that if you’re a Democratic voter — and also, to Perry’s point, he doesn’t have personal problems that will tarnish him. And he’s young and will be a force in the party for years. I think that’s probably comforting on some level to people.

perry: Democrats favor abolishing ICE by only 43 percent to 34 percent. Obama is personally way more popular with Democrats than abolishing ICE is.

micah: OK, so you run into a liberal friend at a coffee shop and they say, “Hey, I saw Obama was campaigning for Democrats in California — do you think he’ll help the party in 2018?”

What do you say?

perry: I would start by saying that most Democrats are pretty motivated already.

nrakich: I don’t know, Perry. I feel like Obama could help at the edges — say, with African-American voters, whose lower turnout was a problem for Democrats in 2016.

micah: Obama campaigned with Clinton, Nathaniel!

perry: Nathaniel, how much did Obama’s appearances in Alabama help Doug Jones with black turnout? (Note: Obama did not go to Alabama in person, and Doug Jones did very well with black voters in that race.)

Micah and I are making the same point. We will be more polite next time. We love you.

nrakich: Haha.

clare.malone: Shameless plug re: black voters and Jones.

nrakich: I am open to the argument that campaigns just don’t matter all that much. But then, again, that would mean there’s no more need for this chat!

#lolnothingmatters

micah: I think it matters, but the effect is just more marginal?

perry: Obama is really popular among millennials (of all parties, although millennials lean to the left). So he could help turnout among that group.

clare.malone: Because millennials like to watch inspiring viral videos on Facebook and Obama is great fodder for that. He’s perfect for a generation of people or an era of politics that’s Upworthy-ish, right? He pulls on emotion.

micah: And he could definitely help the specific candidates he campaigns for with

too?

perry: Yes. And media attention.

Like I’m sure those House candidates in California were happy to have him Obama come to campaign for them.

So I don’t think Nathaniel is wrong — I think Obama can be a help.

micah: But on the margins.

perry: Very marginal.

clare.malone: Here’s a question: Will whoever turns out to be the Democrats’ 2020 front-runner need the Obama benediction?

perry: What do you mean by benediction, Clare?

And do you mean in the primary or the general?

clare.malone: Primary.

micah: I don’t think he’ll endorse in the primary, though.

clare.malone: Yeah, or will he stay out of the primary and not tilt the scales and adjust after?

perry: If it’s down to Michael Avenatti vs. Joe Biden, Obama endorses Biden.

I mean, Obama all-but-endorsed Clinton in 2016, and I would assume that helped Clinton with black voters, a group she overwhelmingly won in the primary.

micah: Oh, yeah.

clare.malone: See.

micah: But what if it came down to Sanders vs. Elizabeth Warren?

perry: First, he’ll have to pretend not to dislike them both. (Obama had sharp tensions with Sanders and Warren when he was president.)

micah: Or Sanders vs. Biden?

nrakich: If it’s Sanders vs. Biden, he’ll do what he did in 2016.

perry: I doubt that.

clare.malone: I’m not sure he won’t endorse … he probably won’t. But he was reportedly very interested in the shadow primary of the Democratic National Committee leadership election … getting Tom Perez elected, etc.

He cares about the party direction.

nrakich: Yeah, Clare, I generally think ex-presidents are a little too cautious/tradition-bound about sticking their necks out. Why shouldn’t Obama be a little more muscular about the future direction of the party? His legacy is on the line.

micah: I think Sanders is more mainstream now than he was in 2016, so I don’t think Obama could do the same thing again.

perry: If it’s Sanders vs. Biden, Sanders might win. And I don’t think Obama wants to be on the losing side.

nrakich: But he’ll still have plausible deniability because he didn’t formally endorse.

perry: “I love Joe Biden. He was a great vice president. But I’m going to let the voters sort it out.”

I assume he would say something like that.

micah: OK, let’s take a hard turn here …

REPUBLICANS!

micah: I saw a lot of

takes after the Obama speeches that were like “#actually, Obama could hurt Democrats because Republicans hate him and Obama’s involvement in 2018 will rally the GOP base.”

Anyone buying that?

nrakich: Not really, Micah.

perry: Were any of those takes from people who aren’t “Republican strategists.”

micah: haha

nrakich: Look, it’s not rocket science. Obama has a 63 percent approval rating. That has to include a big chunk of independents and at least a non-trivial number of Republicans.

According to the 2017 poll I referenced earlier, Obama was seen favorably by 22 percent of Republicans. That’s not awful.

micah: That’s better than I expected, actually.

nrakich: And, according to a Gallup poll from February, 38 percent of Democrats now approve of George W. Bush! Some of that is the Trump effect, but in general, partisans cool their jets once their mortal enemy stops being their mortal enemy.

perry: So the data suggests that unlike 2006, 2010 and 2014, both the opposition party and the president’s party are pretty motivated. I think GOP enthusiasm is already high, as conservatives view this election as defending Trump. And that was before Obama got more involved.

nrakich: The bottom line is that Republicans don’t love Obama, but they don’t hate him the way Democrats

LOVE

him.

perry: I do think Obama has to be somewhat careful about where he campaigns. My guess is that his approval rating is higher with California Republicans than Georgia Republicans, for example. I don’t have data to prove that, but it’s my intuition.

nrakich: For sure.

I’m basically saying, Obama should look at his personal approval rating in each state or district. If it’s above water, campaign there. If not, don’t.

perry: Amy McGrath, the Democratic candidate in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, should not have Obama campaign for her.

nrakich: Right.

micah: Wait a sec, Nathaniel — you think Democratic

for Obama > Republican

?

nrakich: Absolutely.

We talk a lot about Trump’s “strongly” approve and “strongly” disapprove numbers.

Basically, a lot more people strongly disapprove of Trump than strongly approve.

For Obama, at least when he was leaving office, it was the reverse.

perry: Interesting.

nrakich: The final Washington Post/ABC News poll of Obama’s administration found that 42 percent of Americans strongly approved of him and 27 percent strongly disapproved. (His overall approval spread was 60-38.)

The same pattern shows up in other polls, like Rasmussen and YouGov.

micah: Wow. OK, so that suggests that more Democrats strongly approve of Obama than Republicans strongly disapprove of him?

nrakich: Yes. In the WaPo/ABC News poll, 77 percent of Democrats strongly approved of Obama on his way out the door; 60 percent of Republicans strongly disapproved.

micah: Aha!

nrakich: And among independents, 35 percent strongly approved of his job performance and 26 percent strongly disapproved. (Overall, independents approved 61-37.)

micah: And those numbers, if anything have probably gotten better for Obama in the time since.

OK, so …

Dem

> GOP

nrakich: And don’t discount the independent

.

micah: Those

takes are stupid. Or, at the least, the evidence suggests (if anything) the opposite.

nrakich: With swing voters, especially 2018’s swing voters, Obama is probably pretty popular.

perry: And he presumably has some appeal with Obama-Trump voters too.

nrakich: Exactly.

And I have no data to back this up, but I bet Romney-Clinton voters are pretty favorably disposed toward him too. They may not have voted for him, but they’re the kind of genteel suburbanite who probably misses his even keel.

clare.malone: OK, so let’s move out of numbers for a second and say that in practical terms this means what? That Obama must choose over the next months (and years) where he campaigns based on what?

The basic approval numbers of Democrats?

The tentative approval numbers of Obama-Trump voters?

Does he leave states like Alabama to more local pols who can turn out, say, the black vote, without turning it into a national thing when he visits?

I think he’s got an interesting thicket to pick through.

perry: Sen. Cory Booker, not Obama, went to Alabama. And that was probably best for Jones.

My guess is Kamala Harris/Booker/Sanders go to Georgia, and that is best for Stacey Abrams.

micah: I guess all these numbers make me think it’s less of a thicket than I originally thought.

But still a thicket, of course.

nrakich: Right. I think someone (you, Perry?) put it well in an earlier chat: Send the mid-level pols who will get coverage/chatter in the circles you want, like the campus newspaper or the local black community, while not breaking through into the mainstream coverage that reaches everyone. A visit by Obama would get state- or district-wide coverage, which would probably hurt Democrats in a state like Alabama or Georgia that are still majority-Republican.

micah: Would you send Obama to Obama-Trump counties?

perry: No.

nrakich: If I had the resources, I would poll them to see how his image there is holding up.

clare.malone: Well, he’s going to Cleveland to stump for Richard Cordray, who’s running for governor.

perry: So the answer is yes.

I was going to say Obama may not go to Iowa or Wisconsin. But Ohio …

clare.malone: A mostly black part of the city. But, yes, Ohio.

He’s not in, say, Youngstown.

perry: Yeah, Iowa is very white and I think sort of old.

nrakich: Take Iowa. I think he probably wouldn’t hurt Democrats there. He did, after all, win there six years ago. But to our earlier point, I think he helps Democrats more actively in more base places — areas with lots of millennials, nonwhite voters, etc.

micah: OK, final thoughts?

nrakich: I think, in general, we shouldn’t overthink this: Obama is quite popular and therefore would be an asset on net. But it definitely depends on geography.

perry: Obama will be an interesting case. He is popular. He is young. He will be able to campaign for Democrats for years and years. His presidency was not considered unsuccessful (like Jimmy Carter’s was). His wife is not planning to run (like Bill Clinton’s was when he left office). In fact, Michelle Obama is really popular too. But at the same time, it doesn’t seem like Democrats did very well in 2010, 2014 or 2016, when he was the chief surrogate. It seems like his political magic is in some ways personal to him.

micah: Will Obama have a bigger role in 2018 or 2020?

clare.malone: 2020, baby!

2018 is just the initial proving ground.

nrakich: ^^This.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #A FiveThirtyEight Chat