#julie joyful x fem reader

[djljpanda]

Do you have any headcannons about dating Julie joyful?

You call her jewels or JJ

She loves all the nicknames you give her

I honestly see you guys as the sunshine and sunshine protector

Always trying new hair styles with you

She is there for you when you are feeling down

I feel like she would always try to dress you up as if you were her own doll

Late night calls every night

You both def have a hair routine or more like a night and morning routine

She does bake for you every chance she gets

I feel like Julie has a diary and in that diary your whole relationship is documented

Julie remembers and knows everything about you from you favorite color all the way to what you dream about at night

Morning walks together is a thing between you after making a delicious breakfast together

She does arrive to dates with different hair styles

She does appreciate when you help her with her hair

You did get to meet all of her siblings and yes they did give you the TALK

Sometimes you do go with her to visit her family at the beginning of you guys relationship but soon her family just wants to see you

She confessed to you on Valentine's day with some chocolates

She is a great listener and is always the shoulder you have when you need to cry and she is happy to be that for you

She would defend you if anyone would upset you in any way

I feel like your guys relationship is really a fairytale kind and one of the healthiest I know

#julie joyful x gn reader #julie joyful x fem reader #julie joyful welcome home #julie x reader #welcome home x reader #welcome home arg x gn reader #welcome home arg x reader #julie joyful x male reader #julie joyful x reader #welcome home julie x reader #welcome home julie joyful x reader #welcome home headcanons #welcome home imagines #fem reader #gn reader #male reader #reader insert

[darkgodcomplex]

Home Sweet Home

Wally Darling X Reader

CW: Manipulation, Obsession, Horror, Psychological Horror, Violence

Word Count: 11,754

AO3 Link

Wattpad Link

Here's the story:

You stand with hands on your hips, the sleeves of your baggy old college sweatshirt rolled up as you admire your new house. This is it... a new start.

Tying your hair back into a ponytail, you get to work. This might be your dream, but it doesn't come easy. The house you've chosen was cheap and definitely a fixer-upper. You leave the U-Haul with all your boxes parked in the driveway while you head up to the door.

You step inside, which immediately brings you to a dimly lit mudroom. The wood paneling is rotting. It's going to have to be replaced.  You kick off your shoes onto the dirt-encrusted floor, leaning your hand on the doorframe. When you peel it away, it comes back filthy.

Ugh. You need a sink.

Going further into the house, you head into the kitchen. The outdated orange shag carpet alone makes you groan. Plus, who puts carpet in the kitchen?

You head over to the large metal sink set up on the bright yellow countertops to wash your hand of the dirt. You turn the handle of the faucet.

Nothing.

You turn it more. Then off again and then on again. Still, no water comes out. You sigh, wondering if the water was shut off or if the sink is just another of the busted household items this house will provide.

The living room offshoots the kitchen. What was once probably beautiful white and flowered wallpaper has now yellowed and peels off the walls in large stripes. Several windows are cracked, but it doesn't look like it's from force. You guess it's probably from improper care in the cold.

There's a bathroom. As you creak open the door, you see something dash out. You shriek, scrambling back wildly as you watch the mouse slip away into a crack in the wall. You breathe heavy. You're definitely going to have to go buy some mouse traps tonight. Still, you cautiously enter the bathroom. When you turn on the sink, you're relieved to find that it runs.

You wash the dirt away, then flick your wet hands at the sink. Even if there were towels in the bathroom, you wouldn't trust them to dry your hands.

There's an upstairs, which you expect that you'll set up your bedroom up there. The stairs themselves though are awfully steep and seem to be littered with staples that stick out from the floorboards. You opt to avoid that for now and continue to explore the ground floor. There's a small closet filled with spiderwebs and a door that leads to the basement, though when you flick the lightswitch no light turns on down there.

You sigh, leaning your head against the door to the basement. Can you really do this? This is going to be so much hard work. You've scraped together all of your savings for this?

There's one more door at the end of the hall. You discover it's an office. It's still rough around the edges like the rest of the house, but it has a large window that takes up almost the whole wall. It looks out into the neighborhood.

You stand in front of it, admiring the view. You can see many houses, each one brightly painted with jolly colors, their lawns perfect. Butterflies and hummingbirds float near the bushes of flowers that are planted under the window. The sky is a brilliant blue, clearer than you've ever seen it before. This place truly is paradise.

One thing the realtor really sold you on was the neighborhood. She said that the community bands together in a way that she's never seen before. Seeing it now, you can already tell that these people are special. How can they not be when they create such a beautiful environment?

Yes, this will be your painting room. Just standing here now you feel a rush of inspiration. You want to paint this moment. You rush to the front door, eager to grab your painting supplies before the mood runs out.

As you open the door, you jolt back, you had not been expecting any visitors. You have an entire welcome crew at your front door.

"Hello neighbor!" A man with a stunning blue pompadour steps forward, extending a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Wally Darling."

You gingerly take his hand, face flushing. He's clearly a charmer. His grip is firm but delicate.

"It's nice to meet you too."

"These are our other neighbors here, we have Julie, Eddie, Frank, Barnaby, Poppy, Howdy, and Sally!" Each one waves as he says their name.

"We wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood!" Poppy raises up a cake she's been holding. In fancy cursive font, it reads:

Welcome Home.

"Poppy is our resident baker." Wally grins. "She's who you want to cater all your events!"

"Oh, Poppy, will you do my birthday!" Julie chimes in.

"Of course." Poppy laughs at Julie, then turns back to you. "Here you are, dear." She hands you the cake.

You smile, this is so sweet of them! It truly makes this miserable house better. "Thank you! Um, my place is a wreck right now, but please, come in."

They all shuffle into your kitchen. Luckily the previous owners left you a kitchen table and some chairs so that your guests can sit. You set the cake on the table.

"So where are you from?" Frank asks, taking a seat.

"I actually came a long way." You give a nervous chuckle. "Wanted to start fresh... I'm from a little town in the middle of nowhere."

"Oh that's where I'm from too!" Eddie bursts out excitedly, then hesitates. "Wait, no." Frank pats Eddie on the back.

"This place seems like it needs a bit of work." Wally notices, hands in pockets as he leans on the counter.

Howdy nods along with him. "I have a bunch of supplies in my shop if you ever need anything." He says. "On the house for a new neighbor."

"Oh, I can help too!" Sally says. "I work on my sets all the time!"

"That would be awesome!" You suddenly have a bit more hope for this place. "Only if it's not an inconvenience for you guys of course."

"It's no issue." Wally promises, looking down at you with his half lidded eyes. "It's all a part of being in the neighborhood."

"When are we having cake?" Barnaby suddenly asks, eyeing it.

"Oh, um-" You glance around the kitchen. "All my kitchen utensils are still packed in the car..."

Everyone puzzles over this for a minute. Then, Barnaby reaches out and takes a handful of cake. His paws smear with frosting and he brings it up to his mouth to take a bite.

"What are you doing!" Frank demands.

"No plates and no utensils." Barnaby shrugs.

There's another pause. Then, you reach out and grab a handful too. The cake is squishy and messy between your fingers, but when you bring it to your mouth, it's delicious. Slowly, everyone is scooping up the cake, laughing as they play with it in their palms.

"This is ridiculous." Frank says, crossing his arms. "I refuse to act so childish!"

"Aw, come on, Frank." Barnaby says, leaning over. "Oh, you got something on your face."

"What? Where-"

"Right... there." Barnaby smushes some cake onto Franks face, smearing it down. Frank sits in shock for a second, then reaches a finger up to wipe the frosting at his cheek. He sticks the finger in his mouth, sucking at the frosting.

"Well... at least the cake is delicious." He admits. Everyone laughs, but soon it devolves into everyone tossing the cake. Julie and Frank team up to get Barnaby, Sally tosses the cake in the air while Eddie tries to catch it in his mouth, and Howdy and Poppy try to down as much cake as they can. Wally still leans on the counter, watching the chaos with a small smirk.

You slide next to him, cake still in hand.

"Sure you don't want a bite?" You grin, intending to smash it on his face. Before you can though, he takes his index finger and swipes it through the frosting, bringing it to your face and gently smearing the frosting onto the tip of your nose. He brings his finger back to suck on the small bit of leftovers.

"You can have it all, my dear." He says, returning to his casual, laidback position.

Eventually, all the cake the gone. Whether more is in your bellies or streaked along your floor, table, and walls, you're unsure. It's a mess, but somehow it makes the old house feel less dreary than before. Your guests head home, promising to come help with the house.

"Oh!" Julie turns back as she leaves, grasping at your hands. "We're having a barbeque tomorrow. You simply have to come!"

"I don't know." You chuckle. "I still have to unpack."

"Well, please keep us in mind." She lets go, giving a warm smile. "I had a lot of fun today." With that, she turns and scurries down the steps.

It's Wally's turn next. He gives you another one of his signature warm smiles. It makes your stomach flutter.

"I'm just in the Home over there." He says, pointing towards a peppy little red house down the street. "Come down whenever you need me."

"Thank you again." You say. He gives a polite nod before stepping away.

When everyone is out of sight, you sigh. It's already sunset and you haven't done any unpacking. One by one you bring the boxes in. Then, you puzzle over how you're going to get your larger furniture inside. In the end, you decide you don't need to bring in the couch, the desk, or the TV in tonight and that you can ask for help tomorrow, but you have to bring the mattress in now. It's a struggle, but eventually you manage.

That's it. That's all the work you're doing today. You can take all your stuff out of the boxes tomorrow.

However, there is one box that you unpack, labeled painting supplies. You set up in your new office, putting the easel in front of the window. It's pitch black out now, so you decide to paint the quiet calmness of the neighborhood at night. It seems as if everyone is already asleep, there's not a single window light on down the street. You throw a canvas on the easel, digging through your oil paints to find the right ones.

You notice Wally's house is right near your window, you have a perfect view of it. It only adds to your inspiration, using the darkness as a metaphor in your painting. It's the mystery... the curiosity... the intimacy. Despite being in two separate homes, you can't help but feel like you're glimpsing into his soul by painting his house.

It's nearly three in the morning when you finally finish your painting. It's crude and hastily done, but you enjoy it's charm. As you lay it on the floor to dry, you notice an odd detail that you don't remember adding.

There's a single light on in Wally's attic.

_____

Despite promising yourself that you'll get completely unpacked today, by midmorning you're already exhausted. You take a break, steaming yourself a cup of tea. So far in your packing, you've only uncovered one of your coffee mugs, so you're left sipping out of a chipped mug that reads: I DESTROYED THE UNIVERSE AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID MUG.

In the very least, a couple of things are coming along nicely. You hesitate to unpack everything right away, since you'll surely soon be tearing up carpet and painting over walls, but the essentials are out. Still, there is work to do.

Although...

You glance at the time. The barbeque is going to be soon... should you go? While they were all very king to you yesterday, you really don't know any of them.

Maybe this is your chance though. You'd particularly like to know that Wally fellow a little more.

You've decided it. You're going.

You glance down at your work clothes, a ragged old sweatshirt and worn out jeans with paint splattered all over. You're going to need to dress better than this. 

Which box are your clothes in?

You spend another while digging through boxes. While you don't find dress clothes, you do find your stash of mugs. You set them in the kitchen. Eventually, you opt to just wear your paint splattered jeans but with a hole-free tee shirt. 

You make your way outside. As you exit the house, the warm summer air hits you and you take a deep breath in, enjoying the season. It's absolutely beautiful in this town. You're surprised no one outbid on the house in a place like this.

Walking along the street, you spot a picnic spot set up in Wally's backyard. It seems you're the last one to arrive. The delectable smell of fresh meat cooking on the grill catches your nose. 

"Yay, you came!" Julie practically jumps into your arms. 

You laugh, "I figured I could take a lunch break." 

Two picnic tables are set up next to the large grill where Poppy and Barnaby flip meat patties and turn hot dogs. At one table is Sally, Howdy, and Wally while the other is Frank and Eddie. Julie leads you over, taking a seat next to Frank.

"Hello neighbor!" Wally pats the seat next to him. "Come sit with us." 

You take your seat, giving a polite smile.

"How was your first night at your new home?" Sally squeals excitedly, leaning over the table. 

"It was fine." You shrug. "A little uncomfortable since my mattress was on the floor because I haven't set up my bedframe yet."

"Oh dear!" Howdy exclaims.

"What?" Eddie asks from the other table.

"It's nothing, Eddie." Sally rolls her eyes at him. "So when do we get to come help! Oh! What colors do you want to paint your walls? I was thinking bright! We can magenta or chartreuse or turquoise or-"

"Easy there." Howdy laughs, patting Sally on the shoulder. "I think we'll need to do some repairs before we can get into the decor aspect." 

"What needs to be fixed?" Wally asks you in his usual chill manner. "So that we can help."

You raise your eyebrows, mind scanning through the plethora of problems in that house. "The sink doesn't run, there are staples in the stairs, the basement light doesn't work, there are mice and god knows what else, and some of my windows are broken." 

Those are just the ones you've discovered so far.

Howdy runs his hand along his chin, "Some of those don't sound too bad. We can take some pliers to the stairs, then hopefully the light just needs replacing and isn't an electrical issue..." He trails off in thought.

"Food is ready!" Barnaby announces. Poppy sets down plates while Barnaby hands out the food. 

"Hotdog or hamburger?" Barnaby asks when he gets to you.

"Hotdog please."

Barnaby loads up your plate, "Say, how does the enthusiastic man eat his hotdog?"

"Huh?" You ask, staring up at him.

With a large grin, Barnaby leans in and whispers, "With relish."

You blink, taking a minute to process the joke. Then, you laugh.

"Thank you, I'll be here all week." Barnaby prides himself while sliding Wally a burger.

"When can I get you on stage with me, Barnaby?" Sally bites into her hotdog.

Barnaby shrugs, "Alas, my stardom is meant for small crowds."

Sally shakes her head, "One day I'll convince you."

"I'd love to see it." 

You bite down on your hotdog. It's probably the most delicious you've ever had. Does everything in this town taste amazing or are it's residents just master chefs?

"We have to go play lawn games!" Sally yells as she finishes her food. "Wally, you're on my team!"

"What are we playing-"

Sally grabs Wally by the arm, dragging him out to the field before he can protest. 

"Want to team up?" Howdy wipes his mouth with a napkin. 

"I think I need to digest my food first." You tell him, patting your belly. "Sorry."

"All good." Howdy leans over to the other table. "Hey Edds, you and me?"

"You know it!" Eddie says through a mouthful of burger. He shoves the rest in his mouth, hurrying to stand up. Barnaby and Poppy team up as well, heading over to the group.

That leaves Julie and Frank. Neither seem interested in joining the games. You move over to their table.

"Why don't you just ask him, Frank!" Julie whispers as you sit down. 

Frank looks at you nervously, "Julie! There's someone else here!"

Julie sighs, looking over at you. "You can keep a secret, right?"

You nod.

Julie looks at Frank expectedly. He sighs, hands fiddling with a book he keeps in his lap. "Fine."

"Frank likes Eddie!" Julie giggles excitedly. "And Eddie SO likes him back!"

"You can't say that for sure." Frank fidgets. "I was reading a study where they found that people are very unreliable in determining if they are being flirted with or not!" 

"But it's so obvious!" Julie groans. 

You glance over at the game being played. It seems to be some weird hybrid of croquet and tennis. Your eyes can't help but wander over to Wally, who is holding his mallet like he's never played a sport before. His hooded eyes meet yours, giving you a dazed smile. You quickly look away. 

"I just want to wait." Frank shifts uncomfortably. "Just to make sure that he likes me."

"How many signs do you need?" Julie shakes her head. 

Frank doesn't answer, he's too busy staring. You look over at where his gaze lands. It seems as if Howdy and Eddie won, as Eddie is jumping up and down in excitement and Howdy is doing an awkward victory dance. They lock arms, swinging around happily. 

Eddie trots over to the picnic table, breath heavy from all the jumping. "Did you see that winning shot?" He taps his foot happily, eyes glancing around the table. 

"Oh, I missed it!" Julie complains.

"It was a good shot." Frank looks up at Eddie. "Are you good at geometry? The angle on that shot was quite amazing to see."

Eddie gives him a goofy grin. "Angels? No, I'm not really religious." He pauses. "But if you want to talk about it more I'd listen."

Frank perks up, then starts on a long winded explanation about math. You take the opportunity to slip away.

Wally waves you over, making your stomach do a somersault. It seems Frank isn't the only one with a stupid little crush. The way you're practically drooling over him has you embarrassed, it's like you're a middle schooler again. You jog over.

"Want to play?" He asks, holding up a mallet.

"I thought you were in a team with Sally?" You glance over to see Sally standing with Howdy.

"She didn't want to be on my team anymore." He says casually, looking up at the sky. "Apparently I couldn't hit a brick wall even if I ran into it."

You can't help but laugh. Upon seeing you laugh, he laughs along too.

"Well I don't know how to play either, so we'll be quite the team."

"You two ready?" Sally swings her mallet over her shoulder. Howdy has his baseball cap on backwards.

You and Wally line up. What ensues is the most pathetic beatdown you've ever seen. Not only are Sally and Howdy more acquainted with the game, they're also just quicker and more agile than you and Wally. The two of you also have absolutely no coordination skills, constantly bumping into each other and dropping the ball. Wally just plainly face plants several times. Somehow, he always manages to laugh it off though. 

When Sally scores the winning point, she leaps into the air, grabbing Howdy by the arms. 

"Yay!" She squeals.

"Two victories!" Howdy grins. 

Wally dusts the dirt off his clothes. He had tripped again. "I'm afraid I dragged us down." He says, tilting his head as he looks down at you. 

You shake your head, "Did you see me out there? I think we're a perfect match." You blush, realizing what you've said. "I mean... perfect match as a team, of course."

"Yes." He echoes. "Perfect match." There's a hidden smile in his words. 

You glance over to see Howdy and Sally still celebrating. 

"I want to show you something." Wally diverts your attention back to him. 

"Oh, should I get the others?" You turn, but Wally grabs your wrist.

"No, I want it to be the two of us."

You and Wally slip away. You feel slightly bad that you're abandoning everyone, but Wally assures you that it won't be for long.

"Right through here." Wally ducks through a small passage in the bushes. The greenery is absolutely stunning here. Are plants usually this green? 

As you step from the shrubs, you're greeted with more stunning scenery. Before you are acres and acres of beautiful apple trees. The bright red apples dangle from each tree while fallen ones scatter the ground. It feels like something out of a storybook.

"I like to come here." Wally reaches up, picking you a nice plump apple and gingerly setting it in his hands. "I thought you'd like it too."

"This is so pretty." You stroll through the trees, fingers rubbing over the apple in your palm. This is something you'd like to paint.

"So you're a painter too?"

You pause for a second, wondering if Wally can read your mind. "Huh?"

"Your pants." He points and you follow his gaze. Ah, that's right, you're wearing your shitty painting jeans. 

"Yes, I paint." You tell him, turning. He follows behind you as you walk, hands tucked respectfully behind his back. You feel like a fancy Victorian woman and he your eager suitor. "You do too?"

"I do."

"What do you paint?"

He ponders on this. "Still life, mostly." He shrugs. "Apples." He picks one up from the ground, then tosses it. "They're my muse, one could say."

"Oh I see, a muse." You tease him. "Most artists' muses are pretty women or handsome men, you know."

"Does a handsome apple count?"

You laugh, "No."

"Since you clearly have a strict idea of what a muse should be," He trots to catch up so that he walks by your side. "Who is the lucky fellow that is occupying your thoughts and paintings?"

"I don't have one." You tell him very matter-of-factly. 

He shakes his head, smiling. "Perhaps you just haven't met someone handsome enough to be your muse."

"Perhaps." You smile back and finally take a bite of the apple. It's ripe and juicy.

"We should paint together." Wally shoves his hands in his pockets. 

"Apples?" You ask, raising a brow.

He laughs, "No, not apples... well, unless you want to." 

You hold your half eaten apple in front of you, pretending to study it like it's a piece of modern art. "I don't know... maybe I'm starting to see the complexity of it."

"Look a little harder." Wally nudges you playfully. "Maybe you'll finally find your muse."

"This apple is starting to look a little handsome."

"I knew you would eventually see my side of things." He watches as you take another bite.

"Tomorrow for painting then?" You ask. "Apples as our muse?" 

"Sounds like a plan." 

_____

Beautiful emerald green paint rolls onto the wall as you work. Somehow, it's even more stunning than the sample paint swatch. Your living room is going to look positively royal.

Beside you, Sally leans up, jabbering away, "-And then Julie had to come rescue me from out of the dumpster! Not only that, but the lawnmower was nowhere to be found!" She finishes her story, shaking her head as she applies more paint. "I still wonder what happened to it."

Howdy is on the floor, removing staples from where the ugly shag carpet once was. When he peeled it up, you were thrilled to find out that there were beautiful hardwood floors underneath. 

"Do these crazy things happen to everyone in Home, or just you?" You ask with a smile. It's still funny to you how the town is named Home, just another example of how perfect the place is. 

"Oh you should see all the trouble some of them get into." Howdy rolls his eyes. "It's only if you're looking for it."

"Have a little adventure, Howdy!" Sally teases. 

Howdy pulls out a particularly difficult staple with a grunt, "I've had enough adventure, particularly from that Wally fellow."

You perk up.

Sally laughs, "Do you remember that time he tried to sew his own clothes and got caught in the sewing machine?"

"How did he do that?" You laugh along with her.

"The idiot thought that he had to sew them right onto his body." The corners of Howdy's mouth twitch up. 

Sally continues chatting, "There's also this weird thing about Wally, be warned he-"

Howdy cuts her off with a cough, communicating something with his eyes that you don't quite understand.

"Err, I mean, he's just so naïve sometimes." Sally says. 

"That's true." Howdy adds. 

A silence falls over the room, the only sound being the occasional splash as you and Sally dip your rollers into the paint. It gives you time to wonder what Sally was going to say. Wally just gets so... what?

Your thoughts are interrupted by a loud thud, making you jump. Then comes more thudding. You blink, processing the noise for a second before realizing that it's knocking. 

"Oh!" You set down your paint roller. "I'll go get it!"

You rush over to the door, slipping through the kitchen. You fling open the door, out of breath from your jog over. 

It's Wally, dressed just as dapper as usual. No, he seems more dapper today. His necktie a little straighter and his hair more precisely groomed. The minute his eyes lock on yours he smiles, glancing down at your clothes.

"Painting without me?"

"Well, only my living room." You say, slightly flustered to find yourself in indecent clothes around him once more. You wish you would've been able to change into something nicer. "I wasn't expecting you so soon-" You glance at the clock you had hastily hung in the mudroom. "Oh wait, it's already noon? I'm so sorry, I meant to be ready-"

"It's no worry." Wally assures you, as casual as ever. 

"Are you coming back?" Sally yells from the other room. 

Wally tilts his head, eyes casting towards the noise. "Oh? There's someone else here?"

"Yeah." You feel bad about losing track of time. You sincerely were looking forward to painting with Wally! "Sally and Howdy are just helping me paint." 

"Let me just step in and say hi." 

You invite Wally in, leading him to the living room. It's nearly finished. 

"Oh, hi Wally." Howdy plucks out another staple. 

"You should've invited me, I would've done quite a nice job with the paint." Wally says casually. "It looks nice though, you all did a good job."

"It was kind of a last minute thing." You explain. 

Sally sets down her roller, "We had fun doing it! You would've been more help by assisting Howdy with the staples."

"Hey! I can do it by myself-"

You laugh, "I really appreciate the help, guys."

"That being said, I think I have her claimed for the afternoon." Wally slides in. "We're going painting."

 Howdy and Sally both take the hint. 

"Oh! We can come back later and help." Howdy stands, stretching out his back.

"Bye!" Sally gives a cheerful wave as they exit. "We gotta hang out again!" 

You wave back eagerly and they leave through the front door. You turn back to see Wally leaning on the doorframe to the living room, watching you with his relaxed eyes. 

"You really did you a nice job on this living room." His voice is ever so soft. 

You sigh, placing your hands on your hips. "This place still needs a lot more work."

"I know you can breathe some life into this place." Wally's eyes seem to sparkle. "Homes are very special, you know."

You shake your head, "Are we painting at the orchard?"

"Best place to find apples."

It's not long after that you and Wally have your easels set up in the orchard, plenty of fresh apples on display for references. Wally stands across from you, paint at the ready. 

"I'm still not so sure that I understand apples as a muse." You tease, reaching up to tree to grasp an apple. It's just out of your reach. "I bet you think they're complex or something." You mock like you're some kind philosopher, " Apples... the thing that made Newton discover gravity, the so called forbidden fruit."

"Or maybe they're not." Wally reaches up and grabs the apple for you, placing it in your palm. "Maybe they're just apples. Simple."

You take a bite of it.

"I guess I'm getting too deep about apples." You say in between bites, smiling. 

He smiles along with you, "Perhaps we should just paint."

"Let's."

You pour over your canvas, examining the half eaten apple with rigor. They are surprisingly difficult to get right. The small spots and stripes make the work tedious. 

"How are you doing the shading?" You ask, trying to peek at Wally's work. He shies away, turning his canvas so that you can't see.

"You'll see." Wally smiles. "I want to see your own interpretation, no outside influences."

"Is my work going to professionally assessed?" You tease, still struggling over the shading. "Should I be nervous?"

"Oh, very nervous." Wally replies. After a brief pause, he speaks up again. "What do you think of Home so far?"

"I really like it." You tell him enthusiastically. "I love the views, I love the weather, I love the people."

"I'm glad you like it." He says. 

"It's quite lucky I got that house too." You say. "It's insane that there were no other bidders when it's such a lovely place. I'm sure that someone with more money than me could've easily fixed it up and loved it here."

Wally merely smiles and the two of you fall into concentrated silence once again.

You fall into the trance of painting. It's not a feeling you're unused to. There's something about concentrating on the details that just makes you lose track of time. Eventually, you tune back in, taking a step back as you finish your painting. 

You're proud of it, you think. You've painted a small, half eaten apple resting in the grass, the field of orchards sprawled out behind it. It's a simple but elegant painting.

"I'm done." You say with a breath, looking up to see Wally watching you carefully. "How much do you have left?"

"Oh, I've been done for a while." Wally beams at you. "I'm very curious to see what you've produced."

Wally saunters over to look at your canvas. His eyes scan the painting, noticing the small efforts you put in. There is truly something amazing about another artist studying your work.

"It feels... happy." He says. "A simple kind of happy."

You pause, then slowly nod. "That's how I feel here in Home, I think." You chew at your lip. "I like it."

Wally takes your arm, leading you over to his painting. 

It's... you. You're leaning over a canvas, paintbrush in one hand and apple in the other. Your hair spills in your face and paint covers your clothes. It's clear where he put the most effort in though, in your face. Your expression is one of focus and concentration as you're hunched over, eyebrows scrunched and mouth slightly agape. 

It feels happy.

_____

Wally walks you home after you finish painting. He gifted you his painting and you gifted yours to him. He seems quite proud to own your artwork, even if it inferior to his. You're in awe at his skill honestly. 

"I had fun today, Wally." You tell him as you reach your house. 

Wally lights up, "I had fun too." He lingers at the door for a second, hands shoved into his pockets and painting tucked neatly under his arm. "I'll see you again tomorrow?" He asks. "I'll even help with house, if you want." 

You laugh, "That sounds great."

He flashes you a charming smile, "Goodnight, then." He does a half bow, turning and trotting away. You watch him go, heart pumping in your chest. 

As you close the door behind you, you can't help but jump and squeal excitedly. This neighborhood is truly everything you dreamed it would be. Your house is coming together nicely, you've got wonderful new friends, and now you've got the attention of a handsome guy! 

Nothing could ruin this.

You walk further into your house, stepping into the living room. It's a perfect start, you feel a sense of pride. 

Picking up a hammer, you head to a free space on the wall, pounding in a nail. You hang your new painting up, stepping back to admire it. 

You turn around, patting the doorframe of the living room before heading upstairs to bed. You've had a long day today and you're sure that tomorrow is going to be just as busy. Your bedroom is less put together than the living room, but the fact that you've made progress prevents you from feeling bad. 

As you slip into bed, you hear an odd noise. 

You perk up, pausing and listening for the noise again. 

It almost sounds like footsteps. 

Your heart pounds in your chest as you peek out from your room. The sound echoes up the stairs. It sounds like it's coming from either the kitchen or the living room. You grab the nearest heavy object, which just so happens to be a leg of an easel that you had taken apart for the move. It's a strong wooden beam. You hold it up high on your shoulder.

"Hello?" You call.

The only answer you get is more footsteps. 

Your hands tremble as you make your way down, placing your steps carefully. Your mind races through a million scenarios of robbery, kidnapping, and murder. 

When you reach the bottom of the steps, you decide to make sure you surprise this intruder. You come into the living room swinging. 

There's nothing. 

You stop and listen for a minute.

The noises are gone. No more footsteps.

You breathe a sigh of relief, running your hand through your hair. It wasn't even footsteps at all, must just be the old house settling. You laugh at yourself, shaking your head as you prepare yourself to go back to bed. Before you do though, you notice something amiss.

Wally's painting had fallen off the wall.

The next morning you're awoken by the sound of loud, unrelenting knocking. You groan, startled and tired. After the incident last night you hadn't gotten much quality of sleep. You know you're just being paranoid, but for some reason it really stuck with you. 

You roll out of bed, quickly throwing on clothes and heading downstairs. You wonder if Wally has come to help you fix the house up more. 

"Oh my god, hey!" Julie throws her arms around you, giving you a big hug. "I was worried you might not be home!" 

"Well, here I am."

"It's break time!" Julie tells you. "No more working on the house, you and I are going out."

You laugh, "Well, I would have to start working for it to be considered a break-"

Julie tugs on your arm, "Pleaseee go out with me?" She blinks up at you with wide eyes. "We'll have so much fun!" 

You glance back at your unfinished house, still reluctant to leave. Yet, you grab your coat anyways, stepping out into the sunshine. "Where are we going?"

Julie lights up, "You'll see."

You're lead through the neighborhood. As you walk, you're given the full tour by Julie.

"There's the supermarket." She points. "Oh and that there is Barnaby's house. He's still sleeping at this time of day."

You check your watch. It's nearly noon already.

"That's my house!" She points at a lovely flowered red house. "You're invited anytime, just so you know."

"How long did it take you to fix that up?" You ask, marveling at how elegant yet simple it is.

Julie thinks on it for a second, "Fix it up?" She asks. "It's just... always been that way."

You scrunch your face up, "You bought it like that?" 

"Bought it...?" Julie looks up, considering this. "I think... I've always lived here."

She seems confused, so you decide not to press it any further. Has Julie lived here her whole life? Where is her family?

That's when another odd thing strikes you. The entire town consists of single individuals that live alone in homes. You've never heard of such a thing. Sure, a few individuals here and there in homes is normal, but an entire town?

You notice Julie has gone quiet. It's an unusual change from her normally peppy self. You fear that maybe you pressed into something personal.

"This is the post office." Julie gestures, suddenly speaking up again. Her previous demeanor is forgotten now and her lively energy is returned. "That's where Eddie works."

You notice another familiar face poking about.

"Frank!" Julie bounces up and down excitedly, waving her hand. 

Frank jumps from the sudden noise, head swiveling to find the source. He relaxes slightly when he sees it's only Julie. 

You and Julie trot over to him.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, chin raised pompously. 

"What are you doing here is the real question." Julie teases. "Have you come to see Eddie?"

"No!" Frank tenses, eyes looking around nervously. "I just have a letter to send and wanted to make sure that it got here. Mailboxes and so unreliable-"

"Uh huh." Julie can't control her grin. "Sure, Frank."

Frank opens his mouth to say something else, but Eddie comes around the corner just as he does. You thought that Frank already looked nervous, but that is nothing compared to how he looks as he and Eddie make eye contact.

"Oh hey Frank!" Eddie gives a toothy grin, cheeks scrunched up and head tilting to the side. 

"Eddie!" Frank holds his envelope to his chest. "I-I've been looking for you!"

Eddie seems to perk up, "You have?"

"Yes!" Frank shoves out the letter. "I just needed to mail this."

"Oh." Eddie takes the letter. "Frank, you know I could've picked it up at your house, right?" 

"Well, he wanted to hand deliver it." Julie nudges Frank playfully and receives a glare in return.

"I'll take good care it, Frank, I promise." Eddie tucks the letter into his pouch. 

Julie coughs, "Well, we better get going, right?" She looks at you.

"Uh, right." You echo.

"You know, Eddie, I think Frank was talking about lunch?" Julie says. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he was hungry! You two should go eat somewhere!"

"Julie!" Frank hisses.

"That sounds fun!" Eddie inputs.

"Perfect!" Julie grabs your arm. "Have fun guys! Bye-"

The two of you quickly stumble away. You can't help but laugh at Julie's blatant matchmaking attempt, Eddie's innocent obliviousness, and Frank's adorable embarrassment. Julie giggles along with you, leaning on you for support. 

When you're both far enough away, Julie speaks up, "Do you think Eddie will ever take the hint?"

You shrug, "Only if Frank tells him directly."

"Like that'll ever happen." She lets go of your arm, standing up straighter. "Oh! We're almost there?"

"There?" 

"The reason I brought you out!"

"Oh." You reply, following behind her as she picks up speed. "I thought the tour was why you brought me out here."

"Don't be silly!" Julie suddenly stops. "I brought you out here for this!" 

You're not quite sure what you're looking at. The bright summer colors of Home are here. They are present in the brilliant green trees with fresh fruit and in the yellow dandelions and white daises and baby blue forget me nots. You've always adored the vividness of the neighborhood, but here...

It just stops.

It's like there's a line drawn in the forest. The fresh flora wilts and dies along it, the line marking there on out as dead. 

"Was there... a fire?" You ask.

"No fire."

Even the sky looks bleaker on the other side.

You step back, "Some sort of parasite?"

"No parasites. No fires. No droughts, floods, locusts, or diseases."

You step forward again, gaining a bit of courage. Slowly, you reach out, sticking it beyond the line.

Nothing happens. You feel normal.

"Why?" You finally ask. "Why is this here?"

"I can't say."

When you finally return to your house, it's later than you would've liked. It's past dinnertime and you haven't even eaten yet. As you approach, you notice a familiar face sitting on your porch.

"Hey!" Wally stands quickly, brushing off his pants. "I've been waiting for you!" He adds with a playful tease.

"I like to play hard to get." You prod him back, unlocking the door and welcoming him in.

His large eyes flick over you. You feel like you're being examined. "Where have you been?" 

"I'm sorry, Julie took me out on a tour of the town." You tell him. "I saw the market, the post office, Barnaby's house-"

"And you stayed in town the whole time?" He presses. "I looked for you, I didn't see you."

You chuckle, "You didn't have to come searching for me, I'm sure you have more important things to do." You avoid the original question. You're not sure why, but you feel like the forest is a secret between you and Julie. 

"You are the important thing." Wally follows behind you as you clean up the kitchen. 

You pause, then quickly resume your work. "Am I?" 

As you reach up to tuck a mug into the cupboard, Wally takes the mug from you, reaching up with ease to place it for you, "I would've imagined that you would've taken the hint by now, but it seems that I must take the liberties myself." 

Wally leans on the counter and faces you, "Do you find me attractive?" 

You're not sure what to say to that, you sputter out nonsense, "Well, err-"

"I find you attractive. Every part. I find your quips and teasing attractive, your laugh and the way your cheeks scrunch up when you smile, the curve of your lips and the paint droplets on your pants." He takes a second to breathe. "And honestly, there's nothing more in the world that I would like to do right now than to help you paint your house or whatever else you would ask of me." 

You wait a moment, processing his words. 

"Whatever I ask of you?"

He looks earnest, "Whatever."

You tug him into a kiss, closing your eyes. He seems surprised at first and the kiss is slow and hesitant, each of you too afraid to do much. You're slightly surprised, for such a smooth talker, Wally doesn't really seem to know what to do. Has he kissed someone before? 

You decide to take the lead. His lips are soft and gentle as you mouth over his bottom lip, tongue sticking out to play around. 

Wally's hands find their way to your waist, gripping you tight as if he's checking that you're real. His thumb rubs small circles at the small of your back.

He seems to mimic you, tongue poking out to prod at yours, eventually making it's way into your mouth to feel around. He's gentle, but he is slowly growing more confident by the second. Wally tugs your waist in tighter and tongue going deeper into your mouth almost possessively. 

The intensity of the kiss escalates quickly and you find yourself having to pull away to catch a breath. You open your eyes to find him staring down at you, his normally half lidded eyes wide open and exhilarated, a faint blush scattering his cheeks.

"I liked that." Wally says quietly. "We should do that more often."

_____

Life is great.

You've gotten quite a bit done on the house, mostly with the help of all the neighbors. The living room, kitchen, and bedroom are all finished and you've honestly never felt more at home. When you go to the supermarket, Howdy always greets you with a warm hello and a free sample of whatever the special of the day is. In the mornings, Eddie stops by for idle chat as he brings the mail. Whenever Poppy makes a new treat she comes over to give you some. Even with just a stroll through the neighborhood you're always greeted and smiled at by the other neighbors. 

 You sit in your backyard, cross-legged in the grass with your canvas propped up awkwardly on your legs. Your brush glides along the canvas, curving around to get the details just right. You bring the brush up to your face for a moment, biting on the wooden end as you think. 

"You look cute when you're concentrating."

You blink up in surprise to see Wally leaning on the side of your house, arms crossed. 

"How long have you been there?" You smile at him, setting down your canvas and standing up.

Wally merely shrugs with a grin. You run over to him, throwing your arms around his neck. He grips onto your waist, lifting you up and spinning around once before setting you back down and planting a gentle kiss to your forehead. You hug him, taking a moment to enjoy his masculine cologne scent before pulling away. 

Yes, life is great. Wally Darling is yours.

“I was thinking you and I could spent the day together.” He hums.

You nod, “Let me just clean up my painting supplies-“

“Let me help.” Wally follows, carefully taking your paintbrushes as you grab your wet canvas. He trails behind you as you go inside, setting up your canvas to dry in your art room as Wally washes the brushes in the kitchen sink. 

When you return, you find Wally with his head tilted and eyes cast towards the ceiling, frozen at the kitchen sink. He doesn’t seem to notice your presence.

“Is… something wrong?”

Wally blinks, snapping out of it and turning his head to smile at you warmly. “No, of course not.” He replies. “I was just thinking.”

“Oh?” You ask, walking up beside him as he finishes washing the last brush.

“You haven’t been to my Home yet.” His half lidded eyes cast towards you. 

“No, I suppose I haven’t.” You say. “Odd, considering you’re over here all the time.

Wally chuckles, “Well, would you like to go?”

Before you know it, you’re inside Wally Darling’s house. It’s somehow exactly how you expected it to be. Everything is neat and tidy, carefully placed and well maintained. There’s an old charm to the house, as if it stepped out of the 60’s. 

“It’s weird being in here.” You say, wandering through his living room. There’s framed photos on the walls of Wally and his friends. You take the time to examine them.

“Why so?” Wally watches you with warm amusement.

“It just feels so…” You stare at a picture of Barnaby holding Wally in a tight hug. Wally looks like he’s being squished. “Personal.”

Wally laughs, “Well, it is personal.” He wraps his arms around you from behind, resting his head on your shoulder as you continue to stare at his pictures. 

“No, it’s different.” You tell him. “Somehow it feels like I’m getting a glimpse into your soul.”

There’s a pause.

“Well maybe you are.”

Wally lets go, turning and heading up a set of stairs. “Let me show you my painting room.” You follow after him.

He leads you to a large, beautiful room. With the high ceiling and long window sill big enough to lounge on, the room looks elegant. Coupled with the mass amount of paintings lining the walls and easels of the room, it looks like a modern art gallery.

“Wow, Wally.” You stare at his work, secretly jealous of his technique. 

He seems proud of himself. “I think-“

There’s a sudden loud crash from downstairs. You jump.

Whipping your head around, you turn back towards the door. “Did something fall?”

Wally merely frowns. “Yeah. Something fell.” He says, turning his eyes up.

“Oh.” You say. Clearly Wally seems to not be concerned with it, so you won’t be either.

“Why don’t we go back downstairs.” Wally suggests, taking your hand.

The two of you settle down on the couch. You giggle and tease Wally for his old school television. You swear that thing probably is still in black and white.

As you chat, you both slowly inch closer together. It starts with a simple finger brushing at your thigh, then an arm is popped around your neck, and then finally Wally is leaning in and kissing you. 

You let yourself be taken by the kiss, planting your hand at the back of his neck and brushing your finger along the base of his soft hair. Wally places his hand on your cheek and you press into it, tilting your head more into the kiss. 

Your chest flutters, eyes blinking open for half a second so that you can stare at him. To your surprise, his eyes are already open and watching you. He squints happily at you, smiling into the kiss as he deepens it, tongue pressing further into your mouth.

Wally’s other hand trails down your arm, causing goosebumps all the way. He flicks his tongue against the sensitive roof of your mouth before retreating back. 

You feel words pressed against your lips but you can’t hear them. They’re hardly even a whisper, more like he is just mouthing words. 

No, he’s repeating something. You try to understand him.

“I love you.”

You blink, pulling away from him.

“I love you too.” You whisper.

Yes, life is great.

Until it isn’t.

_____

Lightning cracks, illuminating the room as you finish up moving some furniture around. You stand with your hands on your hips, staring out at the freshly decorated art room. Finally, the work on your house is all done.

You could hear the wind beat about outside and the hard rain hit your windows. There was something odd about it all, though you couldn't quite put your finger on it. Storms are natural, after all.

Though, there hadn't been a single storm since you moved in.

Walking through the finished halls of your house gives you a sense of accomplishment. Patting the wall, you glance at the clock.

It's nearing time for you to meet up with Wally. The two of you had planned a date out to the pond to feed ducks, though you suppose that the rain ruined those plans.

You near the window, watching the dreary sky. It's midafternoon, but it looks like it's the middle of the night. Your eyes sweep over the neighborhood, making eye contact with Wally's house.

Wait, no, not eye contact. It's a house, it doesn't have eyes.

Still, the lights are on and now you have this odd feeling in your stomach.

As you look back up at the sky, you think the clouds don't look like regular rainclouds. They seem a sickly black color and you remember the forest that Julie had showed you. The dark clouds remind you of the baren land.

Is this a sign it's spreading? The lump in your stomach grows heavier. You feel dumb for forgetting about it.

You glance at the clock again. Perhaps there's enough time to check before Wally arrives. You rush to your mudroom, tugging on your rain coat and rubber boots.

As you trek through the rain, you wonder if you should've just stayed in your house. The wind moves you about, making you stumble over your heavy boots. The rain blows sideways, rendering your raincoat nearly useless as you're soaked anyways.

It's never rained this bad in the neighborhood. Actually, now that you think about it, it's never rained at all in the neighborhood.

Soon enough you reach the edge of the neighborhood, where the rot stretches as far as you can see. You were right, it seems to be spreading. The rot has crept forward, consuming what was once a small woodsy park path. 

You stare down at where the sidewalk ends and the forest starts. Why does the sidewalk stop?

Where is the road to lea-

"What are you doing out here?"

You startle, flipping around quickly. Wally stands in his usual attire, his navy hair and knitted overcoat soaked from the rain.

"I just wanted to explore in the rain." You lie. You don't even know why you lie. You trust Wally.

Right?

Wally glances towards the forest, scrunching his brows, "Did somebody tell you something?"

You quickly shake your head, "No, I was just walking around and... I found this." You gesture toward the forest. "What is this, Wally?"

Wally frowns, looking at you, not the forest. "It's been so warm lately, there was a small fire that lit up the grass around here." He looks up. "We really needed this rain."

It's a lie. Your stomach turns in knots. Wally is lying to you. This rot has been here a while. If it had been a fire, new green growth would've sprang up ages ago.

"We should get out of this rain." Wally says, water dripping down his face and arms. "So much for feeding ducks, huh?" He extends his hand.

You take it, though hesitantly. Before, you hadn't suspected that he would be a part of this, but now nothing makes sense.

"Wally, how did you find me out here?" You ask as you walk with him. "We were supposed to meet up at my house."

"Hm?" His eyes cast upwards as he thinks for a moment. "I suppose I just... had a feeling."

This makes you even more wary and you feel bad for it. You love Wally, and yet you're now doubting his motivations. You don't even know how he would have anything to do with the forest's color. 

You and Wally arrive back at your house. You grab a towel for him to dry off with and he rubs it over his plush skin. 

Plush skin?

You hadn't thought about it before, but isn't that weird? You look at your own hands. You are definitely not plush.

Wally throws the towel over his head, wringing out his hair. You stare at him and the more you look, the more unsettled you get. He has no nose, is that normal? Something in the back of your mind is telling you it isn't.

Wally's intense eyes peek from behind the towel. "Everything okay?"

"Yes." You shake your head, turning away. "I was just watching you."

He gives a lazy smile, eyes relaxing. "Well, I like watching you too."

You give a laugh, "Thanks, Wally." 

He stands, walking over and hugging you from behind. Before, it used to feel gentle and safe, but now it feels like entrapment. He nuzzles into your neck, pressing soft kisses. 

"What shall we do now that our plans have been ruined?" He smiles, hot breath on your neck. 

You pull away from him, "Actually, I'm feeling a little tired. Maybe rain check?"

Wally's face falls, then suddenly lights back up again, "We could nap together-"

"No, no, I mean, I just want to be alone right now." You tell him. "I just... had a rough night's sleep."

Wally stares at you for a long moment, wide eyes peering into your conscience. Finally, he smiles, "Oh, no worries, neighbor." He hands you back your towel. "We'll do something tomorrow when it's less rainy, right?"

"Right." You nod, watching him head to the door.

Wally grasps the doorknob, turning to you at the last second, "Oh, one more thing." He leans towards where you stand in the kitchen doorway. "I wouldn't go exploring in the forest anymore, too many nasty things out there, if you ask me. Wouldn't want anyone getting hurt." He gives a light smile, opening the door and heading out. 

You watch him go, hurrying to the window. You keep your eye on him until he is home. 

Something is not right in the neighborhood. 

You throw your rain attire back on, determined to get to the bottom of this. You take a deep breath, patting the side of your house.

"We got this." You whisper.

As you step outside, you notice that the rain seems to have worsened. You hold onto the hood of your raincoat, pushing past the wind. When you reach the edge of the forest, you don't stop. Instead, you trudge forward into the rot.

It's squishy against your feet, with the occasional odd lump of hardness. Everything is wilted and scorched. You wonder what could possibly be the cause.

As you wonder, you start to really think about the circumstances in the neighborhood. You lift your hand again, staring at it.

Flesh. You have flesh. Not felt or feathers or fur. 

How did you move into a neighborhood with such creatures?

No, wait, how did you move into the neighborhood at all?

You bought the house... but you don't remember any real estate agents or documents.

You... you haven't even been working. What have you been doing? You've just been playing around the neighborhood. In fact, nobody in the neighborhood seemed to have jobs. 

Your brain feels fuzzy. None of this makes sense.

You're still hiking through the decay, finding nothing of note. That is, until you see green in the distance. You perk up, sprinting forward.

Yes, there is green grass ahead. Whatever the decay is, it isn't very big luckily. 

As you get closer, you furrow your brow. 

Somehow, you've ended up on the other side of the neighborhood.

How?

You step onto the grass, realizing you've ended up by the post office. 

That doesn't make sense. You walked away from the neighborhood, there's no possible way you ended up on the other side of it.

Perhaps you got mixed up. You turn around, jogging through the diseased wood. 

This time, you end up near Julie's. 

How do you walk away from something and end up back at it? 

Walk around the world.

The hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Wally wanted you away from the forest for a reason. This is his world, and you're in it. 

You sprint up to Julie's house, pounding on the door. "Julie!" You yell. "Julie!" 

You get no answer, so you move over to the window, shielding your eyes against the glass to see inside.

There's no one there.

You tug your raincoat closer to your body, looking up at the ever blackening clouds. 

You have to confront Wally. 

Back at your house, you prepare to face him. You're not sure what to expect, but you want to be ready for anything. You dig through your belongings, procuring a baseball bat and a box cutter.

Your house whines against the wind, creaking and settling in the powerful storm. You sit for a minute, putting your head in your hands. All this work on your house, all this friendship, and is any of it real? Nothing seems to make sense. Why? Why is any of this happening?

As you leave, you sigh.

"I'll be back." 

The wind catches on your house and it whines louder. 

When you arrive at Wally's house, you go to knock on the door only to find it already open. You press it open, keeping your guard up as you grip the baseball bat. 

"Wally?" Your voice echoes off the walls as you step inside. It seems awfully dark in Wally's house. 

Lightning cracks, illuminating the front windows of Wally's house. For a moment, they are eyes, observing you. The lightning then leaves darkness and you hear the front door slam shut. You turn back towards the door, tugging on the doorknob only to find it locked.

"Caught the snitch."

You turn to see Wally illuminated in the darkness, a figure hanging over his head.

It's Julie. She hangs from strings, her limbs twisted and broken. Her jaw hangs unnaturally slack, face bloodied. 

"In fact, I caught everybody." More lights irradiate from the darkness, casting large shadows on the wall as they illuminate the bodies of the other neighbors, all in similar states. 

Wally walks towards Howdy, "Too much talking lately, really a shame. I wanted to have you willingly."

You stand frozen, hands still on your baseball bat.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He laughs. "Plus, they're fine." He gestures towards the bodies on strings above him. "I just took away their will. Clearly they couldn't be trusted with it on their own." He clicks his tongue, shaking his head disapprovingly. 

The edges of your eyes crease up. You still don't understand. 

"Come, let me explain." He gestures to the couch. You don't move. "Please, sit."

You don't.

Wally looks up. "Home?" 

To your amazement, a chair glides over, moving behind you and slamming into your legs, making you tumble down onto it. It slides over to where Wally now sits.

You clutch the edges of the chair in fright. 

"That's Home." Wally explains. "Home is... the source of it all. A manifestation of desire, if you will." 

You swallow, "It's alive?" 

Wally grins. It's wider and realer than any grin you've seen before. "Of course." He crosses one leg over the other. "It's alive just like you and me are alive."

"But you're plush." You tell him.

"I'm built on the desires of thousands of young children across the nation that watched my show." Wally looks nostalgic. "Oh, you were such a dedicated little viewer, you know that?"

"Huh?" Show? What is he talking about.

"You used to sit every night in front of the TV, you know that?" Wally continues. "And you would say, 'Okay, Mr. Wally, show me how to draw!' I taught you everything you know about painting."

 ... Yes, the show. How could you forget? The theme song starts to play in your head. You loved that show as a kid.

"You loved me so much." Wally sighs. "And I loved you, and then you went away."

"I was an adult." Of course you went away, you couldn't sit around watching TV all day. You had a job, you had a family... your family! How long have you been gone? "I had responsibilities." 

"I desired you." Wally looks at you desperately. "You desired a place you belonged! I watched you, how you struggled to fit in, the long hours at work, the family arguments. I made it all go away! You've been so happy-"

"They were struggles, but they were my struggles!" You shout, standing up. "You don't get to decide for me!"

Wally sighs, head falling to the side. "See, this is why I wanted you willingly." He casts his hand up. "Oh well."

You feel tightness tug at your arms. No, it's tugging at your bones. You look, thin wire strings protrude from your arms and spring from your legs, pulling you up towards the ceiling. 

"I'll just take away your free will for a while." Wally runs a hand through his dark hair. "Then you'll want to play along." 

You can feel the strings scraping against your bones under your skin. You struggle against them, getting yourself tangled in the process. 

"What shall we act out first?" Wally stands, pacing around the room. "We did have that pond date-"

You twist, reaching your hand towards your back pocket, where the box cutter is stashed. It's an awkward reach, but you manage to grasp it, pushing it open with your thumb and slashing at your strings. You fall to the floor, grabbing the bat and taking off running for the door.

Wally clicks his tongue, "You were so docile before you knew the truth. I'll have to stamp this disobedience out of you now."

You ram the baseball bat into the door, denting the doorknob until the lock falls apart and you can run out the door.

There's no exit. The forest loops. Surely there must be a way out, right? Where, where...

Wally laughs, "Where are you running to? There's no where to go!"

You don't know, but away from here. You sprint, running towards the only place where you feel safe, your house.

"My little viewer." Wally sounds agitated now. "Enough games. If you come back now, I'll go easy on you."

Over your dead body. You're out of breath by the time you reach your house, slamming the door shut and locking it, back pressed against the door as you pant and Wally begins to bang on the door.

Surely there must be something of use to you. Think, think... where is the exit out of this place? 

You hear Wally start to kick down the door. It cracks and starts to splinter with each kick. 

One of the neighbors' houses? No, they might've said something. 

Wally is stronger than you thought. With a final kick, your door crumbles, swinging open. Wally looks even more deranged now, eyes large and locked on you. 

"My dear," he breathes. "Let's be reasonable, come back with me." 

He extends his hand. When you don't take it, he frowns, moving forward. He grasps you by your face, fingertips digging bruises into your cheeks as he pulls you closer.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" 

You press your hands against his chest, trying to push him away. This only angers him more. Wally lifts his hand, readying it to fall down on your face. You close your eyes, preparing yourself for the eventual hit.

It doesn't come. 

You open your eyes to see Wally's hand still in the air. Except... there's a string attached to it. Wally's expression has changed from anger to fear, he stares at his arm as another string appears on his opposite arm. You back away from him.

Wally looks at you, "Please, don't-" He reaches for you, only to have his hand yanked away before he can. 

It's... your house. It dawns upon you quickly and more strings appear from Wally's skin. He struggles, the strings dragging him.

"Please, please, I can't-"

You look up at your house, reaching and patting the wall. "Take him away."

"Please-" 

Wally screams as the strings scratch against his bones, dragging him kicking and screaming towards your basement. 

_____

"Oh, I have some drinks in the fridge, let me grab you one!"

You weave your way through the bustling party, dodging Barnaby as he throws grapes in the air and catches them in his mouth and sliding past the way-too-handsy Frank and Eddie.

You're celebrating your finished house, and the party is going spectacularly. Two guests still haven't arrived, but you're not too worried.

You snatch up glass bottles of soda that you bought at Howdy's shop earlier that day and toss one to Sally, who gracefully catches it.

"You've put a lot of work into this place." Howdy says with a smile, leaning on the counter.

You glance over, "Yeah, I couldn't have done it without you guys though, thank you all for your help."

"Oh, you did most of it!" Sally waves her hand.

"It's just what neighbors do." Howdy shrugs.

The doorbell rings and you rush to the door, throwing it open to reveal Julie, holding a small present in her hands.

"Sorry I'm so late, I had to wrap your gift!"

"You didn't have to get me a gift!" You laugh, throwing your arms around her for a big hug. She squeezes you tight before you both pull away from each other.

"No, I really had to." She holds out the gift. "After everything you've done for all of us."

You gently take the wrapped gift as she steps into your house, waving at everybody.

"Hello everybody!" Julie squeals, making her way over to nudge Frank playfully. "And hello, Frank and Eddie!"

Frank turns a deep red, shying away. "It's really nothing-"

Eddie gives a wide smile, gripping Franks hand tighter, "Almost losing all your control makes you confess things."

Julie gives a light smile, "Well, we never have to worry about that again."

You politely set the gift on the counter for later, turning back towards everybody. "Then I propose a toast!"

"We'll need bread for that." Barnaby grins, nudging you playfully. You shake your head with a laugh, gently shoving him away.

Everyone raises their sodas, letting you speak.

"To freedom, to free will, to all of us. It's what lets us choose our paths, chase our dreams, and live life to our own terms. To making our choices, learning from our own mistakes, and creating our victories."

Everyone cheers.

"Most importantly, to you." Julie adds in, pointing her raised glass to you. "You've made this neighborhood a wonderful place."

This makes everyone cheer louder. You bump glasses with everyone, letting Barnaby rub your head affectionately and Sally rope you into a side hug.

"Now open the gift!" Julie claps.

You laugh, grabbing the gift and tearing it open. Sitting inside in a beautiful framed picture of everyone in the neighborhood.

Well, everyone except-

The doorbell rings again, and you politely excuse yourself to answer it.

It's Wally. He looks rough. Dark bags underline his eyes and his usually tidy hair is in disarray. He looks up at your house nervously.

"Oh, hello Wally." You watch him carefully. If you look close enough, you can see the strings buried in his arms and neck.

He holds out flowers, which is nice, you guess. You take them, opening the door for him to come inside. He hesitates, then steps in.

You linger, your eyes following him as he greets everyone else. He got what he wanted, you're stuck here. There's no way out.

You can see his stiff movements, the fish line strings tugging at his skin and bones, uncomfortably present at all times.

"Are you coming?" Julie yells. "Poppy's going to bring out the cake!"

"I'm coming!" You shut the door, rushing over.

It's all okay, because he's trapped too.

#fanfic #fanfiction #wally x reader #wally darling #wally fanfic #yandere wally darling #yandere #welcome home fanfic #welcome home #julie joyful #frank frankly #eddie dear #poppy partridge #sally starlet #howdy pillar #wally x you #wally darling x reader #welcome home wally #manipulation #obsession #pining #romance #horror #psychological horror #fem reader #reader #x reader #yandere x reader

[sunflower1experiment]

“Alright everyone sit down.”

Poppy claps excitedly while Sally posed elegantly to show a poised quality within her acting career.

Barneby tilts his head with Wally but then their eyes sparkle at the sight of a feminine figure but then the sound of a deep voice filled the room. “I must say dear Sally, this place is quite extraordinary. Might I add that this beautiful place of beauty and homeliness is exactly what a model like myself was in need of.”

“This is (Y/N) Dream, they’re my friend and they help tend to the sleeping masses! Haha! They actually represent the moon but here we are! A lamp!”

They hold their hip as they speak Cooley, “yah, is you ever need my assistance just call me. We can have a bubble bath, drink some chai, while I set up the meditation room and sleep room.”

Everyone gave them a strange look before [Name] winks to the crowd. “I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”

They were very relaxed, skinny as a stick yet held themselves to a confident composure.

“Hi neighbor.” Wally smiles up at [Name], “I heard you enjoy tea parties, so Barnaby and I are inviting you for tea.”

[Name] walks with Wally, holding the smaller puppet’s hand while he looks to the dog puppet. “Barnaby. I have the neighbor.”

“Good job buddy! Heya [Name]! Wally tell you about the party?” They sit down next to him while he takes the time to lean on their arm. “Mhm, my precious Darling would never forget about his Dream bestie.”

“[Name] helps me sleep, though they do sleep without breathing.”

“I do!? And you never told me.”

“You said I took your breath away.” [Name] starts laughing aloud, giggling softly while Barnaby chuckles. “Good one buddy! You even made the right punchline!”

“Ha ha ha ha!” Wally’s eyes go wide when they kiss his cheek after. “Thank you Wally Darling. And you Barnaby!!”

Frank crosses his arms, “Now now, where’s the tea? You all invited us yet I see no signs.”

“Hmph! I hope it’s strawberry. It’s my favorite! Oh and some of those sweet tiny cakes!” Julie grabs one and eats it happily while Poppy poured the tea in their small cups.

“Dearies I hope you don’t drink to much, we need them for dinner. Oh and here is your apple Wally.” Wally hums as she placed it down for him to admire but then he noticed [Name] admiring the apple as well.

“Do you also like apples?”

“I actually enjoy those sweet star fruits more than anything but yes. Apple’s, especially pink ladies are quite delicious!”

“Can I have some of those mini cakes?” Frank takes one after Eddie hands it to him. They both look so in sync, handing one another some sugar cubes while one are some cake bite.

“After the tea party we could mediate and I can teach you all the ways of the moon. Specifically the full moon.”

Sally squeals and hugs them, “Yessss! We’ll learn about how the full moon is also the moon of romance!”

“Ha ha, man in the moon is a romantic. He’s full of himself.” Barnaby winks as [Name] starts laughing at the joke again.

“Haha good one, good one!”

Later on

[Name] sets their notebook down, walking towards their lamp. They reach out, pull the string to the lamp then head to bed.

“Goodnight everyone…”

#x black reader #x black fem reader #welcome home wally #wally darling #frank frankly #sally starlight #howdy pillar #julie joyful #poppy welcome home #barnaby b beagle

[thattiredanimator1t0mblr]

Platonic girl’s night with Julie? (i.e. painting nails, talking about crushes, pillow fights, hair rollers, spa face masks with cucumber slices on the eyelids, the works!)

OMG- I've been waiting my entire life for this! :DDD This is the best day everrrrr :]]]

(Sorry if this isn't what you expected or wanted, I've never had a girls night :( )

Julie joyful doing a girls night with a fem!reader (Platonic) [small hcs]

Okay let's start with nails,

Even if your nails are super short or bitten, she will find a way to stylize them.

She for some reason, has all colors of nail polish!

I mean- every COLOR. EVERY SINGLE ONE.

She'll talk about literally anything while doing your nails

Or if you want, you can do her nails!

She'll mostly talk about wally and whatever happened during her day

She'll say "omg- don't tell anybody about this buuuut" whenever she's gonna spill the tea🍵

She doesn't say anybodys secrets ofc, but will talk about gossip and drama going on

She is amazing with her hands, she can probably do any design and style

"TIME FOR HAIIIRRRRR!" Quote by Julie after your nails FINALLY DRYED.

She has a bunch of different hair products for every different type of hair, wavy,curly,straight,tangled,etc

If you have straight hair, she's more then happy to pull out her curling iron :)

Or braid your hair!

(Not to mention hair rollers..)

If you have curly hair or wavy hair, she can straighten it if you want

Very soft hands

You won't even feel her brushing your hair!

Probably watches all studio ghibli movies together.

Alot of face masks. I mean alot.

You'll probably have like 20 on your face and stuff, she'll still insist that you need more XD

Moisturiser.

No I will not elaborate.

After all the faces masks, your skin will look more flawless then it already is :)

She will talk about anything. I mean it.

(Random hc of mine) she has 2 Nintendo switches, she'll give you the cuter one so you can both play animal crossing together, she already bought it for you :D

You two probably do play animal crossing or call of duty. There is no in between.

Most likely while waiting for the faces masks to work. (Most take 15-20 mins)

She got the best snacks and food.

Ramen. Chips. Fries. Pizza. McDona-

Has a very large water bottle for drinking because staying hydrated is healthy.

Like it has times and how much to drink on it.

Like 2pm, 5pm, etc.

She loves giving you random accessories!

.

#random tired answers #random tired writings #welcome home #welcome home x reader #welcome home arg x reader #welcome home julie #julie x reader #julie joyful #julie joyful x reader #welcome home julie joyful x reader #welcome home arg julie joyful x reader #wh arg #hc #headcanon #hcs #headcanons #girls night #fem!reader #x fem!reader #x female reader #female!reader #x reader hcs #x reader

[annaberunoyume]

Headcannons about being in a mutually exclusive throuple with Wally Darling and Julie Joyful (Fem! Bi! Reader in mind, but you can apply it to your gender if you want.)

Julie was the first to fall in love with you. Wally took a little more time. He was always flirty with you, but one fine day, he realised it was more than mere amusing flirting. He truly admired you and loved you. It was helped by the fact that his darling Julie had practically adopted you. More love means more happiness.

Julie was more than happy to show you around in the Neighbourhood. You two became very sisterly friends at first. You both bonded on your love of crafts and giving back to community.

Wally, ever the flirt, always liked to tickle your hand or just scratch your head as he went away, just to see you blush.

You fell hard for Wally and his gallant, old school ways of going about his life (you are a vintage aficionado). He never fails to put you in a happy little trance when he sings to you or does his doe eyes.

They always insist that you sleep in the middle of the queen bed. But you sometimes do cajole Wally into taking place in the middle, some nights. He's an expert at cuddling with two harms, almost like a player (though the concept of players would disgust him). You love to smell Julie's candy-perfumed hair when you spoon her. And you are soothed by Wally's heartbeat and low voice when he hums as you spoon. When it's Julie in the middle, both Wally and you loves to tickle her.

Your neighbours at first found it peculiar, but they all embraced you three when they saw how happy you were.

Eddie married you three: ''By the power invested in me and Home's permission, I now pronounce you husband, wife and wife. You may now kiss each other (cue you three kissing, using both of Wally's cheeks and then Wally french-kissing Julie and you.).''

One fine day, Julie was now pregnant. You were more than happy to be that child's second mother. You named the child Julina.

#wally x julie x reader #wally darling #julie joyful #welcome home #wh #throuple #polygamy #polyamory #mutually exclusive polyamory #marriage #fem reader #bi reader #female reader #bisexual reader #happy marriage #child #julina #headcannons

[experimentfae]

Julie Joyful x Fem Puppet! Reader

MASTERLIST

It wasn’t long ago when you moved into the welcome home, you have came due feeling a need to change and especially change your surroundings.

It was 3 weeks since you moved in and the same day that you meet Julie joyful, the 2nd person to welcome you into the neighborhood of course the first person being Wally darling.

From what you can tell she seem to like games mostly the one’s that she invented you had to admit, she was good and making up games.

Over these 3 weeks you both got close you, you two bonded over fashion, music and more.

As of right now you where shopping at howdy’s bodega getting two slices of cake one for you and one for Julie.

You wanted to confess your feeling’s for her today, you got her favorite cake, knit her a scarf and got flowers that you picked yourself. You hoped you weren’t over doing it but you really liked her and wanted to express that the best you could.

“Huh flowers and two cake’s That seems sweet who are you giving it to?” Asked howdy, you begin to get pink in the face “well it’s for someone special.”

He looked surprised but smiled “oh look at you (y/n) finding love well I’m happy for ya and because of that it’s on the house.”

You eyes widen in surprise “Really because I had this joke I been wanting to tell.” He chuckled “no it’s fine save the joke for next time and besides it’s for love.” You smiled.

“Thanks howdy I really appreciate this.” You took the stuff and headed straight to Julie’s place practicing your lines “ok I got this.” You said with confidence but then you saw junkies home at the distance “so I got this?”

You felt hesitant now but kept going then you definitely felt anxiety when you where at the front door “… I don’t got this.” You said in a hushed whisper you turn around but you heard the door open.

“(Y/n)? Oh I’m so excited you’re here!” She jumped in happiness, despite you nervousness you seeing her so happy made you smile “yeah I’m here I wanted to tell you some-

She grabbed your hand and dragged you inside “you know I’m glad that you showed up (y/n) I wanted you to teach me to crochet, I even bought the supplies!”

As you listen to her talk about you’re crocheting skills you couldn’t help but feel that you should change your mind, ‘why would she want to date a girl like me?’ Something you that you couldn’t stop thinking about.

Even though you knew the girl would never reject you in a cruel way, but you wouldn’t be surprised if she rejected you as gentle as she could. You prepared yourself for that possibility.

“Oh who are these for?” She asked in wonder looking at the flower, cake and the scarf “the scarf is lovely!” She praised “you made this?”

You nodded my head for yes feeling you’re self feeling pride being praised by someone you have a love for does give you little bit of a boost of confidence “is it for someone special?” She asked tilting her head to the side.

You nodded again looking away feeling her palms get little sweaty. “Oh… well I’m happy for that lucky person.” He looked up at her again but she looked upset, why?

“Well it’s not just anyone.” She looked back at you still seeming to have a forced smile “it’s… it’s you.” You looked down clutching your hands together “huh?!” She asked in surprise thankfully didn’t seem upset anymore.

“Yeah I get if you don’t want to to go on a date, I just wanted to explain how I felt… I like you more than just a friend.” You stood frozen feeling your nerves all over the place.

Despite that you looked at her again but to you’re shock she looked happy, happier then you have ever seen her “oh (y/n)!” She ran to you giving a hug and you hugged back bewildered.

“Yes, yes a thousand time yes I’ll love to go on a date with you.” She stated as she kept hugging you this only made you smile and made you twirl Julie around which revived the little gasp in surprise.”

“I’m so happy you want to go on a date I hope you like what I got you.” You replied hoping to hear a good answer “yes it’s all lovely you even remembered my favorite flowers and cake flavor.” She grabbed the items from you looked at them with fondness.

You blushed bashfully “yeah I know this might sound weird but I would write the things I knew you liked so I could remember them.” You really wished you didn’t sound creepy.

She chuckled “well I’m glad you did I would do that even thought I remember what you like, but for others it just slips.” She admitted.

“Well when do you want to go out?” You asked “well we could go out this Thursday she suggested “perfect I’m not busy that day.” You agreed “oh! Maybe we can wear matching outfits! Or Maybe we can double date with frank and Eddie!”

You smiled at her suggestion “well the double date I think should wait, but I don’t mind the matching outfits you did always have a eye for fashion anyway.” You replied.

She smiled “ok can’t wait for Thursday.” She spoke you took one of the cakes and she grabbed hers “yep but for now let’s eat cake and hang out.”

You both enjoyed cake while talking about you’re latest things both of you have done. Feeling proud of yourself for finally showing how you felt.

<- Back to MasterList or back to welcome home

#welcome home #welcome home julie #julie joyful #welcome #welcome home puppet show #welcome home arg #welcome home x reader #welcome home Julie x reader #julie joyful x reader

[nearest-dearest]

Sunny (Wally Darling x fem!reader!)

Just a story about a day dreaming girl always in melancholy. Finding her sun in the most quaint little neighborhood. (If you got the references I used in this story let me know 👀.)

(Y/n) three prizes so far. That means there's a lot more to find. At least that's what she assumes. The world she travels to is quite vast, they say that the world is small, but people really under estimate how much a single world can keep some people from seeing each other again. And it's not uncommon for objects that got lost during an adventure to be never found again. Unless you look a little closer to places where you would last look for it. But (Y/n) found no urgency in collecting all the prizes, she just wants to explore and see what this world has to offer. But that will have to wait, for (Y/n) found herself opening her eyes once more. The world turns into her small little room, with the sun rays peeking though the curtains of the window.

She's awake. . .

And she has a story to write.

The neighborhood is as warm and peaceful as it always is. The residents began to emerge from their sleep. Julie Joyful starts her morning off by giving Frank Frankly a surprise visit to rattle on about a new game she had created. Eddie started sorting out mails and letters to be delivered, Howdy Pillar gets his store ready for the day and the rest start off their morning with a cup of coffee. Such resident includes the neighborhood painter, Wally Darling. As he waits for inspirations to come to mind, he caught a peculiar sight outside his window.

(Y/n), dressed in a lovely (F/c) summer dress and carrying her signature leather journal. She must be off to write another story by the woods. Albeit it's a bit too early, but Wally understood. Artists often create art when the inspiration is fresh before they forget.

Speaking of inspiration. One had just came to Wally, and it requires the help of the presence of a certain author. Finishing his cup of coffee, he began to get ready for the day and gather his art supplies.

No matter how (Y/n) thinks and write away, she couldn't get that image out of her head. The way the blonde girl turned into a strange dark creature, (Y/n) already doodled the strange creature on her journal, and it did nothing to calm her urge to fall asleep and find that house where the blonde girl lived. She needed to see that creature again. So her curiosity can be satisfied. So she could complete her dream journal and eventually, complete her story.

The rustling of the bushes had (Y/n) looking up from her journal. A small dread tugged on her stomach at the prospect of a dangerous woodland creature. Dread into relief quickly took place in (Y/n)'s face when she saw familiar blue hair and a painting easel sticking out of the green background like a sore thumb.

"Howdy Neighbor!" Wally greeted as he got out of the bushes and dusting off any leaves that caught on his lovely hair and clothes.

"Wally! Hello, what brings you here today?" (Y/n) asks as Wally walks over until he's next to you.

"Oh nothing much, just trying to look for inspiration for my paintings. And I thought nature would be the perfect theme."

"Sounds great Wally."

"It does, but I don't know what to paint though."

"What?" (Y/n) looked up from her journal again.

Wally continues "Should I paint flowers? The trees? A rock? Or should I try painting all of them? What do you think neighbor?"

"Hm." (Y/n) pondered for a moment "Maybe you should do all of them in once scenery, it would be nice to see the forest painted."

"Great! Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try painting the scenery before me."

Wally then began, sketching , all while (Y/n) focuses on her writing.

It's always been like this with Wally and (Y/n). With both being artists of different mediums, silence is a given, as focus and patience is needed to complete the project at hand the project at hand. And sometimes basking in a fellow artist's presence is enough. The sound of pen and pencil scribbling tangled with the forest ambience. Wally likens the atmosphere to the first time (Y/n) came to the neighborhood.

A shy demure fellow she was, but after spending time with Julie, (Y/n) slowly but surely, came out of her she'll. Reveling her hobbies and interests, and also began writing stories for the neighborhood. The first time Wally ever got to really know her, was when he got out of his house for the a night time stroll. Why? Because he spotted (Y/n) walking around the neighborhood with nothing but a lantern to guide her way.

Curious as ever, Wally got out and started following (Y/n) was as easy as pie.

"Why so Gloomy neighbor?"

We're the first words he asked when he approached (Y/n). Who's expression is akin to that of a rainy day. Given that though, her carrying an umbrella everyday made some sort of sense, rain or shine, gloomy gray clouds always follow her everywhere she goes. If (Y/n) was a weather, Wally believes that she will be rain. But that was a long time ago, Wally can see that gloominess is still a part of her, but she's now more akin to a cloudy day. Cold, but warmth can still be found.

"Is that a new story you're writing neighbor?"

(Y/n) shook her head "No, it's just a dream journal, I've been getting a lot of strange dreams lately."

"Oh? What kind of dreams?"

(Y/n) shrugs "Just a vast world with a touch of surrealism that is. It's just that there are so much traveling there, and if I were to have those dreams again, at least I where I left off."

Wally laughs a little "Well I hope your endeavors bare fruit. Does it make you happy?"

"Of course! I love traveling new places."

"Then cherish your adventures."

"Don't worry Wally, I will."

At least Wally understood, or rather, at least respect your hobbies. Your old neighbors would've called you silly for it. Wally is just like that, understanding for those around them (Unless it involves apple pie.). Maybe that's why she was completely comfortable with telling him what she said on that night he accompanied her on her walk.

"I'm not really fond of sunny days."

Naturally, Wally wanted to know why. And wanting someone to listen to her problems, (Y/n) says why.

"The sun just irritates my skin, that's all. I was born with sensitive skin, that's why I carry an umbrella at all times."

(Y/n) sighs "I never knew what the warmth of the sun felt like."

And Wally gave you nothing but understanding and support, which was already more than enough for (Y/n).

If only (Y/n) could clarify, if only she can reveal that she finally knows what the warmth of the sun feels like. All thanks to Wally Darling. She started making friends, because of Wally introducing her to the whole neighborhood during a picnic. She started out more despite her condition, thanks to Wally taking her to the forest to gain some inspiration. She started opening up more, thanks to Wally.

They say that the break of dawn can mean a new beginning. Well, (Y/n) finally left the eternal night and into daylight. (Y/n) likens Wally to the sun that shined his bright light, by just being a good friend and neighbor.

Though, you wouldn't caught her saying all of these. Even if you pried her lips open.

All she needed is someone who understands or respect her, and Wally is willing to provide that.

"What's got you smiling (Y/n)?" Wally asks and (Y/n) answers.

"Just thought of a story in my head."

"Is it a funny one?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Awe come on, I can keep a secret."

(Y/n) laughs a little at Wally's attempt to get a sneak peek of the story.

"Sorry Wally, but not today."

Wally will know one day, or maybe he won't. Regardless of what happens, (Y/n) is just glad to have him as a friend.

#welcome home #wally darling #wally x reader #wally darling x you #wally darling x y/n #fanfic #wally darling x reader #open ended #wally darling my beloved

[junosmindpalace]

Hi there! It's my birthday 🎂 (July 31) so I was wondering if I could get a senku x fem reader on what he would do for his crush on her birthday

hi there anon! I hope you had a wonderful birthday!! it took me almost two whole months to put this out i am SO sorry. regardless i hope you enjoy!

p.s., honestly…the stone world gift was an excuse for me to write about a tiktok i saw on fireworks. i know technically they arent birthday gifts but they still represent celebrations!.....

synopsis: how he celebrates your special day.

wc: 930

warnings: corny

Birthday? Oh, yeah. He totally forgot.

Just kidding! Of course he didn’t- that’s just how he acts.

In reality, he’s known your birthday is fast approaching and has been contemplating what to do for you on your special day.

In both modern and stone age, Senku’s gifts aren’t the most direct, and if they are, it’s in the most casual and lighthearted way possible. No, his gifts are more so phenomenons, something spectacular or useful that he just so happens to present on your birthday.

MODERN WORLD:

Before the petrification, Senku had a lot more convenient birthday gift options. Clothing, accessories, merchandise, equipment for anything and everything- and all of it could come with a gift receipt! And yet you still have to be really attentive if you want to figure out what his gift is and when he presents it to you, because it isn’t always obvious. 

Maybe one year, he’ll show you that a science project you two’ve been working on for weeks is finally finished (because he worked his ass off in his free time prepping it), and the two of you can witness the product of your hard work on your special day.

Maybe the year after that, he’ll tell you about this super cool opportunity to get involved in something that’s of interest to you; maybe some convention, competition or workshop. Hell, he might even tag along if he thinks he can learn a thing or two!

And maybe the year after that, he’ll invite you to that ramen joint he loves to visit with his dad and treat you to anything you’d like on the menu, but only because he’s been dying to go and definitely not because he wanted to give you a nice birthday meal. 

But for as long as you’ve known him, you know that Senku likes to use your birthday as an excuse to indulge in something science related, and this will probably be the only time he’s  upfront with a gift. He might tinker with items of yours, invite you over to make something techy, or build you your very own science equipment, such as a telescope, because you’re always complimenting his. It’s sitting cross legged on the floor of Senku's bedroom, talking animatedly about a new science concept that brings a joyful end to your day, whether it was good or bad overall. You walk home with a little skip in your step as you reflect on the time you spent with your friend and the thoughtful day he had organized for you. 

“Thank you for the birthday gift.”

“Oh, that was today? Completely slipped my mind. Yeah, let’s count that as your gift.” 

STONE WORLD:

He’s the only one who knows the exact date off the top of his head before civilization was rebuilt. He’s been keeping a mental calendar for thousands of years, unlike most of the others who were petrified. With so much work to be done and learning to adjust to your new lives, your birthday just didn’t seem that important to you. 

And Senku wholeheartedly agrees with your logic- but it was still your birthday. 

Of course, he’s dropping no sign that he even knows what day it is. He spends the entire day treating you and everyone around him as he normally does- giving out instruction, some science lessons and contributing to construction. It’s during the late evening when the sun has fully set that Senku’s birthday gift shines brighter than any star in the night sky. 

Senku had asked the villagers days ahead to help him contribute to your gift without letting on that it was for you. He had the brawn of the group collect materials and asked the rest of the team to help him with the chemistry and design. He thought hard about what would leave an impression, but not seem too personalized. Something that the entire Kingdom of Science could indulge in. He thought back to his previous “gifts”- ramen, a furnace, a brilliantly decorated tree…

Ding ding! He had a winner as soon as he remembered the look on yours and all the other villagers’ faces when the dozens of lights decorated on the tree were first lit.

The Kingdom of Science is in collective amazement as they marvel at the tons of fireworks lighting up the sky, the deafening crackles and pops pulsing through the air. Even those who had seen spectacular light shows were dumbfounded by the rockets that shot up and exploded into ropes of brilliant gold and silver light. Gasps, praises and mutters went around the group, but Senku’s gaze only swept across the others before settling on you. 

Little fireworks exploded in your widened eyes and made them shimmer, reflecting your inner feelings of surprise. Senku observed carefully as your mouth, wide open in disbelief, slowly morphed into a smile; a big, glowing smile that conveyed all of the happiness and excitement you were feeling that was almost as bright as the colors fading in and out of the sky above. The scientist didn’t need any words of praise from you- he could tell he was successful in creating a memorable gift just by watching you marvel over it. 

You were too enamored with the sight in front of you to notice Senku gently place his hands on your shoulders and move you to the side, just a little further back from your previous spot, so you could get a better view past the great forest surrounding you. He stared at you only for a brief couple of seconds before dropping his hands and admiring the view for himself with a small smile.

“Happy birthday, by the way.”

#dr stone scenarios #dr stone headcanons #dr stone x reader #dr stone senku #dr stone fanfiction #dr stone oneshot #dr stone hcs #senku ishigami x reader #senku headcanons #senku x reader #senku x you #senku ishigami oneshot #senku ishigami headcanons #senku ishigami fluff #senku fluff #senku hcs

[ratskindacute]

HELLO!! I saw your blog right and LOWKEY LOVING THE AESTHETIC 🫶

BUT ANYWAY I was also wondering if you would be comfortable doing Wally (Human or puppet either one is fine with me!) x (Gn or fem?) Elegant Lolita! Reader? (ALSO SUPERR SORRY IF THIS IS A LIL TOO DEMANDING but could you also make the dress white? OFC IF YA DONT MIND)

Anyway, you have a LOVELY day, awesome evening, wonderful night, AND A GREAT YEAR🫶🤭

Amazing elegance 𓆩𓆪 Wally x Lolita!reader 🦢

Thanks for requesting this !! I hope you enjoy and that it’s to your liking!

Also to the other person who had requested I may have to drop your request (I’m srry) since I’m a new writer I feel like I don’t have the confidence to work on something as detailed as that ! I’m sure someone else can do it for you though! Don’t give up 🫶🏾

WARNING ⛔️ : when a character talks there text is IN COLOR so if you don’t want to be spoiled i recommend scrolling down the page SLOWLY

You have always been the talk of the town for your sense of fashion and for the way you acted. It not like they were talking bad about you ! You enjoyed the way you were always recognized in the neighborhood! You loved them and they loved you.

With the way you dressed you always stood out from the others. White silks, fabric and lace meant that you dressed pretty much like a doll ! Including with the way you acted , you were like a swan so sweet and delicate.

But you never knew that these little actions would catch the attention of another popular resident, Wally Darling. When you first introduced yourself into the neighborhood he seemed a bit confused about your fashion style until you finally explained to him that it’s something called “Lolita” and how it originated from Japan back in the 1990s !

(A/N : I looked it up @;) )

You were walking back home from picking up groceries from Howdy’s bodega with your parasol in your other hand enjoying the amazing weather. You had heard that Julie was hosting a tea party today and wanted to look your absolute best !

You had some new dresses come in the mail and wanted to show them off for the occasion! You dash to your closet after setting your grocery’s down and started to look for the white laced dress.

(Dress link : Gothic White Lolita Dress Chiffon Lace Ruffles Tiered Lolita - Etsy if the dress is not to your liking then I’m sorry!)

You looked in the mirror , pleased at yourself, you twirled around while the dress bounced around at the movement. You grabbed your gloves and parasol and head over to Julie’s house for the tea party !

You gently knocked on the door and not even 2 seconds later the door opened wide and you were greeted by a joyful Julie smiling ear to ear.

“Welcome (NAME) ! You’re the last person to arrive!” “Oh dear! I’m sorry for being so tardy!” You replied. “It’s alright!” She then took a glance at your outfit . “Is that a new dress?” She asked “yes it is ! I’m glad you noticed!” You said smiling at the girl. She then proceeded to take your hand and bring you to the back yard where everything was set up at.

There wasn’t many seats so you had no choice to sit next to , yes you guessed it , Wally. You took a quick glance at him before you finally did sit down . “Is that another new dress?” He asked while feeling the fabric of the dress. You blushed lightly not expecting for him to actually touch the dress . “Ah ! Yes it is !”

Julie then got back from the kitchen with sandwiches and strawberry shortcake in the other . “I finally brought out the food everyone!” She announced. She then placed everything down in the center of the table so everybody could have access to it.

You didn’t notice it until later when you looked over at Wally and noticed that happened to be staring at you . “Is there something you need ?” You asked. “Oh it’s nothing ! I just noticed how your (YOUR HAIR TYPE HERE ) frames your face perfectly and couldn’t keep my eyes off of you !” He said . You blushed deeply at his comment, not expecting a compliment. You didn’t know what to say except for stare at him.

He didn’t seem to mind and stared back at you with adoration in his eyes.

“ Are you alright neighbor? You seem to be awfully red !” “ Ah ! I’m ok !” You said while taking your glove off and feeling your face. Only to feel heat from your face.

You sighed as you turned back to your plate taking a bite into the sandwich in frustration. You then heard a little giggle from the side of you only for it to be Julie who happened to see the whole moment that just went down between you and Wally .

You blushed even harder out of embarrassment. Now you feel even more confused about how you feel about the little guy. You were crushing on him but your mind was telling you otherwise.

You couldn’t help but fiddle with the whistle lace bow that was on the waist of your dress.

“Are you alright doll ?” You heard a voice ask. You looked up for it of course to be Wally looking at you dead in the eye. “Y-yeah I’m fine” you said tugging at your dress not even noticing the nickname he gave you “would like to take a walk so you can get fresh air ?” He said while standing up and holding his hand out to you . “I would love to!” You said while taking his hand , walking off from the rest of the group you two decided to take a spot in the forest and watch the stars above.

(A/N : Don’t mind it randomly turning nighttime)

They seemed so bright tonight. As if someone was controlling them just for this occasion between you and Wally.

You could help but look at his eyes as the stars reflected off the void of his eyes. “You must really like to stare at people’s eyes .” He questioned while smiling brightly at you. “I can’t help it. “ you said feeling as if you’re about to confess right now but something told you to keep it down for a bit longer.

He grabbed your hand as you both sat under the moonlight. No words were spoken between you two but all you need was each other’s presence. He never let go of you hand either. And you never let go of his…

I hope you enjoyed!! And sorry if it’s not to your liking ! 📕🖍️

EDIT : I later on came back to re-read this and found some grammar mistakes 😭

Sorry for the people who read this before I changed it

#idk what to tag help #welcome home #wally x reader #welcome home fluff #welcome home wally #wally darling #Ria writes 🫶🏾

[puppeteerparty]

Beginning, and introduction.

Greetings, and hello to all my lovely neighbors!

I'm so excited to be sharing with you all my love for this wonderful ARG! This introduction here is being multi-posted, as this is originally on my AO3 book!

So! Before we dive right in here, I'm going to state a few things very quickly so you have an idea of what's going on.

So, along with the drabbles I’m providing, I’m ripping them directly from my book so keep that in mind! Things are going to be shifted around to better adjust to Tumblr’s layout, so keep that in mind!

Without further ado, I'll be listing a few rules very quickly to get you all nicely accustomed! [Sorry that they’re a bit lengthy, I would like to note. I’d just rather go in depth so they’re understood better, so feel free to skim!]

☻Little Things To Note☻ ✎_ These drabbles are just for fun and to pass time, so the quality may not be what you expect from my usual works! When it comes to oneshots, I tend to be more loose so that it doesn't feel more straining, and so my motivation doesn't tank before I can update whatever main gig I may have on the back burner. And unlike my main work, this will be a bit more humor filled for the sake of my own sanity. So please do keep this in mind! ✎_ If you're wondering one important thing, then I'd like to say yes! You can request! Here, or on my AO3 book! You can flood my inbox as much as you'd like! Do be aware though, I may not do every single request that's given to me. Just want to put that out there so I don't accidentally disappoint anyone. Again, I don't want to strain myself too much and accidentally end up doing little to nothing when it comes to requests. ✎_ Before requesting though, let me state that I'm not looking to do anything "yandere" related, or things in a similar fashion for any of the characters. Just a personal preference of mine. To get more into detail, I won't be writing drabbles where somebody like Wally is killing all of his friends or being mean to them because of your existence. Nor will I be doing anything like the mentioned character going to the extremes and stalking, manipulating, and all that sort of stuff. As much as I'm fine with characters with some sort of flaws to them, it's just not the case when it comes to this. And I hope you can respect that. ✎_ If you are requesting, be aware that this is meant for Reader pairings! Along with that, please do keep things like the gender of the reader, or certain attributes you want given to the reader, or attributed to the love interest specified! So if you want a drabble about something akin to the reader having a fascination with bugs, or the love interest to be shy, then let me know! I, unfortunately, don't have the ability to read minds. A shame, really. ✎_ As most writers, I'm completely open to LGBTQ+ pairings! You want an Eddie x Masc Reader? You got it! Julie Joyful x Fem reader? You got it! Gender neutral, or something specific like Nonbinary (and anything under the umbrella), or even a trans reader is completely fine with me! I encourage it even, ha ha! ✎_ Stating this just in case because I've noticed certain things within the fandom by far, I'm not going to write anything that's.. questionable, to put it lightly. I'm not going to write any of the listed. Rape/Non-Con, Underage/Pedophilic, Incestuous (hard to do, but nevertheless), and things that are along those lines. That's final. I believe that's all! Thank you for taking the time to read through this! I hope to provide lovely little fictions for you all to enjoy!

#Welcome Home #Welcome Home Fanfiction #Welcome Home Oneshots #Welcome Home Drabbles #Okay now for the relationship tags HELP GOD #Wally Darling x Reader #Howdy Pillar x Reader #Julie Joyful x Reader #Frank Frankly x Reader #Barnaby B. Beagle x Reader #Barnaby B Beagle x Reader #With and without the . Ha Ha! #Poppy Partridge x Reader #Eddie Dear x Reader #Sally Starlight x Reader #I believe that's all #Anyways! #Send requests arghhh !!

[mochie85]

Moodboards Masterlist

A collection of moodboards and banners that I've created.

Most of the moodboards I've created are for series that I've written. You can find those with the corresponding fic.

These moodboards don't have a story attached to them.

Some are for challenges.

Some, I've created for friends.

DM me if you'd like one done. 🥰

Navy & Roo's Slumber Party Challenge

Week 1: Test Your Palette Challenge "A Night With The Captain" Week 2: Outside the Box Challenge "Salt Shaker" Week 3: Artistic Liberties Challenge "On An Island, In The Sun" Week 4: What's Your Aesthetic Challenge "Blood & Honey" April Challenge: Mob AU "Bucky and Rosaline" May Challenge: Free-For-All "Strawberries" June Challenge: Summer Vibes "Wanderlust" July Challenge: Christmas in July "Wanderlust: The Redwoods"

Date Night with Loki and Bucky

Moodboards I've done for Friends

@michelleleewise "Worthy" Dark!Thor x Female Reader "Chocolates and Promises" Loki x Female Reader

@springdandelixn "Against The Tide" Dark!James Conrad x Female Reader

@joyful-enchantress Loki and Adam Masterlist

@muddyorbsblr "Relinquish The Crown" Asgard!Loki x Female Reader

@lokiprompts "Appropriate" Loki x Female Reader

@lokisgoodgirl "Hostile F*cks Collection" Avenger!Loki x Female Reader

@ijuststareatstuffhereok89 "Don't Fear The Reaper" SoftDomLoki x Female Reader

@holdmytesseract "Baby Fever AU" Avenger!Loki x Avenger!Female Reader

@sarahscribbles Page Banner

@give-me-a-moose "Charmspeaker Collection" Avenger!Loki x Fem!Charmspeaker!Reader

#masterlist #mochie85masterlist #moodboards

[djljpanda]

Julie joyful x reader, reader getting sick?

When julie had learned you were sick she rushed over to your house to make sure you were somewhat okay.

She didn't want to leave your side saying she will be your nurse today. She was happy to be the one taking care of you as she had the longest crush on your for awhile now.

She would make you some soup, tell stories, even asking some new crafting ideas. You were happy to have her there with you as you loved how julie can really make your day joyful.

You soon started to get sleepy as she made sure you were comfortable. You closed your eyes trying to calm yourself to go to sleep.

That was until you felt a hand on yours as you cab tell it was julie. "I hope you get better soon, I dontknow what to do with out you, sweet dreams I love you Y/n".

After hearing that you felt warm and happy, you went to sleep after that. You felt guilty learning that Julie got sick right after you so to pay her back you decided to help her out too.

You made her food, made sure she was comfortable, telling her jokes. And just like you she got tired and was ready to fall asleep that wad until you put your hand on hers and said. "I don't what I would do without you too, I love you sweet dreams", you said shocking julie but she smiled as she rested falling asleep.

So that is how you and Julie confessed to each other.

#julie welcome home #welcome home julie #welcome home x reader #welcome home x gn reader #welcome home x fem reader #welcome home x male reader #julie x reader #julie joyful welcome home #julie joyful #julie joyful x reader #julie joyful x fem reader #julie joyful x gn reader #julie joyful x male reader #sick reader

[awkotaco24]

hii! i'd like to request a steve x fem!reader fix please :> so it's a soulmate au fic and i've seen an idea about the first sentence they're going to say to you is written on you. maybe it will turn into gold when it's said to you with a tingling feeling so you know he's your soulmate. and as steve works at family video, for reader, it's a spoiler of a movie line about a character dying maybe, but she doesn't know that, so she says that that's what the death or dying part in her line said. so like a meet cute maybe thank youu <33

This is such a cute concept! I hope you liked it! This is the second time attempting to post this so hopefully it works this time

Requests are open

Word count: 600

When a person turns ten years old, the first words their soulmate will ever say to them appears on their wrist. Once those words are said, they turn gold. Some people say they got a tingling feeling shoot up their arm, others say they feel a warm feeling settles deep in their chest. But everyone always says they feel a massive amount of relief when they find their person.

Though some people never find their person and are destined to be alone. And that’s what Y/N thought for herself. She never thought she would find her person. Until one hot day in Family Video

~*~

Y/N walked into Family Video, sighing in relief to be out of the blistering head. July in Hawkins was like walking on the face of the sun. In short, it was hell. Wiping sweat from her forehead, Y/N walked further into the fantasy section, hearing a girl yell out,

“Welcome to Family Video. Let us know if we can help in any way.” Y/N continued on her way, picking up movies every now and then to read the description, only to put them back down. She wanted to find the perfect movie she can watch over and over so she doesn’t have to leave the comfort of her A/C-cooled apartment until this heat wave passes Hawkins, which wouldn’t be for another week. So Y/N was on a mission to find the best movie this store had to offer.

Across the store, Steve and Robin stood behind the checkout counter, each fiddling with their own fan, Steve out of anxiety, Robin out of boredom.

“I’m telling you, Rob, I’m destined to be alone for all my miserable life!” Steve said to his platonic soulmate. Steve thunked his head down onto the counter, Robin wincing at the force of the smack, running her hand through Steve’s hair.

“And this is why you’re a dingus. You’re only twenty years old, Steve. You have plenty of time to find her.” Robin replies, sighing again when Steve grunts. “Well, I’m going on break, help this customer out please.” Robin says, walking to the back.

Y/N walks up to the counter, setting her movies down and smiling up at Steve. He gives her a smile back, looking at what movies she picked out.

“Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.” Steve says, smiling at the tapes in front of him.

“W-what?” Y/N asks, a tingle shooting up her arm. Steve’s smile falters, looking back up from the counter.

“It’s from the movie.” Is all Steve replies with. He gets a warm feeling settling in his chest, prompting him to look down at his soulmate words, seeing them glowing gold, a slight glow lighting up his face. “It’s you! You’re my soulmate!” Steve exclaimed happily. Y/N’s smile widened, flinging her arms around Steve, and pulling him into a hug.

“I never thought I would find you. I’m so happy I finally found you!” Y/N cried, burying her face in Steve’s neck. Steve let out a joyful laugh, pressing a kiss to the crown of Y/N’s head.

“Hang on, wait right here. I’m going to see if Robin will cover the rest of my shift so I can stay with you. Get to know each other.” Steve smiled, letting go of Y/N to go find Robin and tell her the news.

Y/N thought she would be leaving Family Video with only a few movies, not with her soulmate.

Funny how life works somehow…

#stranger things #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #reqs open #request #i tried my hardest #i tried my best #i don't know what tags to use

[where-fantasy-meets-reality]

“Reflections of A Distant Past” Chapter 3

Masterlist             Chapter 2 

Pairing: Ben Kenobi x Fem. Reader (second person) 

W/C: 7.9K

Warning: Angsty Ben and a lot of it. Other than that nothing that I can think of.

A/N: Hello everyone! I apologize for the disappearance but as I am nearing the end of my grad program and focusing on my thesis, my appearances and updates will be less frequent. I took advantage of the blip of free time that I had during spring break and wrote this. I hope you all enjoy it, I really liked the second half of the chapter and the relationship and world-building that it allowed me to explore. I haven't forgotten about this story (or any of the others) and think about them daily... so one day I will return to continue and finish them. For now, enjoy this surprise update, and as always thank you for the support. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

There was something about the golden sun’s rays of late July that were different than other times of the season.

The last days of the hot summer that came with August, along with the dread that every school child felt, weren’t exactly alive yet. However, neither was the joyful optimism that everyone felt at the beginning of June, the idea of a whole summer filled with possibilities and untapped potential for a good time and everlasting memories.

You remembered those days fondly, having been a child and then a college student that relished the free time that the summer brought them.

Now though, as a business owner, summer vacations only met more customers who came in for their beach reading.

This particular week had been busy but today was quiet; after the rush of the prior days, you weren’t complaining. Running a “one-man show” could be stressful during those times, but you still wouldn’t trade it.

Due to all the foot traffic that the store had experienced, things were looking a little rough. The carpets and floors needed a good vacuum and sweeping, and the shelves needed to be reorganized (people had a bad habit of just putting a book down anywhere) and dusted. And you needed to prepare for the inventory that would arrive in the next few days.

Grabbing the feather duster, you decided to get to work on the shelves first. Walking to the speaker that was kept on the back counter behind the register, you put it on and opened up the music app on your phone. Cranking up the music a tad bit louder than you should have, you started cleaning.

It was after the lunch rush and before the after-work rush. If you got one customer an hour during this time, especially in the summer, you’d be very lucky.

Therefore, taking some time to self-indulge in a great playlist on shuffle while you cleaned would be more than okay.

You were about halfway through “100 years” by Five for Fighting when you heard the little belle on the door jingle.

“....I’m 33 for a moment….” you were singing along to the song.

As you were still singing along you turned toward the entrances of the store. “Hi welcome…”

Ben Kenobi stood by the counter, hands tucked into the pockets of his dark jeans casually. He had on a dark green t-shirt today that contrasted so nicely from his mesmerizing blue eyes. “Hi, Emma.”

Oh… that accent stopped you in your tracks every single time. If you were going to start interacting with him more, you were going to have to do better at preparing yourself for stuff like this… even the small stuff, like his accent.

“Hey Ben….How are you?” You asked as your brushed your hair out of your face. Before he could answer you reached into your pocket and grabbed your phone lowering the music.

“That’s an interesting song….100 years right….” He jutted his chin out toward the phone, indicating to the music.

“Yeah….an oldie but a goodie….”

Ben’s smile widened with understanding.

“....I remember when it came out, I used to listen to it nonstop, literally.”

“Haha, oh yeah, how come?” Walking towards him you leaned against the counter, resting all your weight on one arm.

His eyes broke contact with yours and he bounced nervously on his feet as if your question made him feel uncomfortable.

You were starting to notice a slight pattern with him, anytime he was asked an overly personal question, he shifted the topic of conversation or he shied away from it.

Which left you with two observations. 1) he was either extremely insecure and shy or 2) Something had happened in his past and he didn’t like answering questions about himself because of it…or he couldn’t talk about it.

Judging by how this man carried himself, you were betting it was the second theory….which only deepened your burning curiosity about this intriguing individual.

“Ahhh…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “...You know how it is when you are young, you latch onto a song and just wear it out without understanding what it's really all about….I’m sure you did that as a young one.”

Nodding your head animatedly, you smiled brightly. “Oh yeah, that’s for sure. My parents would beg me to find a new song sometimes because they were tired of hearing the same one over again….that was the summer they caved and got me a walkman.”

When he smiled, a real genuine smile, you could tell because it reached his eyes and changed his whole expression. Gone was the standoff-ish shy person and the confident, warm and sincere person that Ahsoka had described him to be was in front of you.

“Anyways, that was a long time ago….I assume you are here for the book?”

He gave you a tight head nod. “Yes ma’am, I sure am….. I apologize for not answering your call, I was unavoidably detained.”

Circling behind the counter, you waved your hand where he could see it. “Not to worry Ben, most people don’t answer their phones these days. At this point, I expect to get people’s voicemails and then am stunned if they pick up.”

Grinning, he now leaned on the counter with both arms. “I will bare that in mind.”

Rising, you placed the box on the counter. “There we are….the collector’s version of A Study In Scarlet….just give me one second to update the store’s inventory, saying that you picked up the book….” glancing at him sideways, your lip perked up in a crooked smile, “...not that I would forget you stopping by, I just like to be thorough.”

“Of course….This business is important to you, and I wouldn’t want to see it disrupted by me….but I shall indulge in the fact, with your permission of course, that my stopping by is a memorable event.”

You were blushing, you could feel the heat rising in your cheeks.

“Of course it is.” You muttered, daring not to move your eyes away from the screen.  “Alright, all set there….now let’s switch over here, I’ll cash you out, and then your good to go.”

“I can’t thank you enough for going the extra mile and ordering this for me….as I said to you last week, this book means a great deal to me, and there are many fond memories attached to it…I greatly appreciate it.”

Punching in the amount he owed you into the register, you shrugged your shoulders. “It is my pleasure Ben. That’s part of the services we offer…if there is ever any book out there that you want that I don’t have in stock, I am more than willing to help it get into a reader’s hands in any way I can.”

When you looked up from the register, about to tell him his total, you caught him staring at you.

“Kind, witty, helpful, and beautiful….is there no limit to the qualities you possess?”

Pursing your lips, you ignored him with a smile and gave him the total.

Reaching into his back pocket, he grabbed his wallet and pulled his credit card out.

As you swiped the card and closed out the transaction you finally gave him an answer. “Well thank you…..but you flatter me way too much….”

Handing him the receipt and his card, you noticed how his fingers diligently brushed against yours. His skin was incredibly warm again.

About to comment on it, you decided against it. You didn’t want to bombard him with too many questions and you knew that he was not big on talking about himself so you didn’t bring it up.

Ben put his receipt in his pocket and his credit card back into his wallet. He sighed as he finished. “Well, I guess this is it then….unless I just decide to come back tomorrow and order the rest of the Sherlock Holmes collection.”

You put your hands in mock surrender, “hey, I don’t tell you how to spend your money but I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it…seeing you is always a pleasure.”

“Shit.”  that last part had slipped out.

Yet, to your delight, he didn’t seem put off by it. His smile only grew brighter.

Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his phone. Typing in a passcode, he briefly looked up. “Why don’t I get your number if that’s alright with you….that way if there are any other books I choose to order, I can be in touch with you easily.”

Not bothering to say anything, you practically grabbed his phone out of his hands and created a contact for yourself.

Ben arched an eyebrow as you were typing furiously. “Do you have an out-of-state number?”

“Nope. I am giving you both the number to the store and my personal cell…I don’t have a house phone or I’d give you that too…that way whenever book inspiration strikes, you can find me.”

“Perfect.” His voice was warm and soft.

Taking his phone back from you, he picked up the package from the counter. “Seriously Emma…Thank you again.”

Walking out from around the counter, you smiled ear-to-ear. “As I said before, it was my pleasure Ben. Just promise not to be a stranger, okay?”

A twinkle passed through his ocean-colored eyes. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ben sat on the front steps of the old craftsman-style house, a cup of coffee in his hand. It was quiet, a sweet-smelling summer evening and the stars were sparkling in the vast, inky-colored sky.

He loved to sit on the porch at night and look at the stars. Growing up in London, stars were something he only caught glimpses of, the city fog and smog always covering the sky in thick blankets. But here….now…he took every opportunity he could to sit and enjoy their beauty. It also helped that this was the space and time he used to clear his head and center himself…a self-check-in type thing. Being alpha, a clear head was an important thing to have… fogginess or uncertainty could have unintended consequences or cause other members to be restless.

On the nights when there was no deep brooding that was he being done, he still came to this place just to enjoy the agreeable weather and the outdoors.

Sometimes he brought a book or a crossword puzzle. On rare occasions, an audiobook…although that was not his favorite option, as he felt it distorted from the beautiful sounds that outdoors had to offer.

Tonight though, he just sat in silence, pensively staring at the sky, enjoying everything the natural world had to offer.

Crickets chirped to their own melody and in the distance, the owls joined in chorus with their soft hoots.

Every so often, a firefly would pass by, glowing brightly.

The moon was still and large, a silvery glowing orb that hung menacingly in the night sky….well, for him it was menacing.

Before, like every kid in the 19th century, the moon was one of the world’s greatest mysteries and wonders…. and just looked really darn cool.

But now….for him, the moon represented something completely different.

Scoffing at the orb, he shifted and leaned against the white wooden collum that was attached to the red brick front steps.

For a pack headquarters, the house wasn’t much by any means. A lot of werewolf alphas he knew lived in large, grand houses that were big enough for their whole packs to live in if they needed to.

Yet, that wasn’t what Ben wanted, and additionally, he already lived with his entire pack. Any closer and the four of them would start snarling at each other due to dominance issues. Packs like to be close and tight-knit, but a wolf still needs their freedom to run.

This time around, when they had moved into town, he had picked the house they were to live in. He had chosen an older craftsman home that was built in 1912, one of those Sears home catalog houses that had come in a package with the precut lumber and everything needed to assemble.

At 4,000-ish square feet, a three-car garage, four bedrooms, and two floors, she was pretty much perfect in his eyes. A double wooden front door with a large, beautiful front porch, lots of big pretty windows, and made out of sturdy wood and stone, it had not taken him much to convince the others that this should be the place they settle down in this time.

All these years later, with some modern upgrades, the house was still standing soundly. Sure, it creaked now and again, and sometimes the wifi had issues, but he appreciated her quality and her charm. It also reminded him of the simpler times he was desperate for.

And, at the end of the day, the house was four walls and a roof that kept them safe, warm, and together. It wasn’t large or grand, but just right for a pack of four unsuspecting werewolves who wanted to go unnoticed in the world they lived in. And, it was a heck of a lot better than some of the other places they had lived in…by a long shot…

The location had been perfect too. They were right on the edge of town, but not so far out in the boonies where getting to the city was a hassle. The house sat on a decent size of land, enough for them to have more than enough privacy.

Ben sighed as swished the contents of his mug around. Checking his watch, he realized he had been sitting out there for a while…which would explain why his coffee had gone cold.

He gave a “hmp” as his mind went back to the original reason that brought him outside with nothing but his thoughts.

But before he could too lost in his own thoughts, from inside the house Ben could hear footsteps approaching the door, and by the gate of the person walking and their sent, he already knew who it was. He took a deep breath to center himself in preparation.

The door swung open quickly.

“Crying out loud Ben….How loudly are you going to brood out here? Any more of it and I’m going to stage a full-scale pack intervention.”

Anakin stood in the doorway, half hanging out of it, looking at his oldest friend who hadn’t even bothered to turn around and acknowledge him.

Ben chuckled softly. “I haven’t even said a word.” His voice was calm and soft, communicating to Anakin that hadn’t been rattled by his intrusion.

He heard the door click closed and Anakin’s footsteps about a half second before the man sat down next to him.

“Yeah, well that’s not what the pack bonds say…I can feel and hear half of your thoughts remember?”

Ben rolled his eyes, “Don’t remind me,” he groaned.  

Anakin shifted and leaned his back against the stones that made up the side of the house. “Seriously….why all the moodiness? She’s a girl, not a banshee….”

Ben just choose to stare into his coffee cup and ignore the comment.

Nudging the other man’s foot with his, Anakin inclined his head. “Come on, you definitely need to talk to someone…let it be me… you are always there for me, let me return the favor….Plus…” he pursed his lips, “I think I’m the only person that can help….”

Ben gave a loud sigh, allowing the breath he had been holding in to escape and causing his shoulders to relax. Out of the corner of his eye could see the bright blue eyes of his second beaming at him. Finally smiled. “Oh, alright….fine….Yes….You know me pretty well at this point…and you do have a lot more relationship experience than I do….”

“And I’m a werewolf,” Anakin said pointing his index finger in the air.

Slightly nodding his head up and down, he continued not to look at Anakin. “That too.”

A silence fell over them as both men sat leaning against opposite sides of the house, one continuing to swirl the contents of his coffee cup in his hand, the other expectantly looking at the other man, waiting for him to say something and open up.

Even though it was not his intention, Ben was really starting to irk Anakin with the silent treatment.

“Well?!” He huffed with a wave of his hands.

“Well, what?!” Ben sighed defensively, his accent more British than he meant to be.

The younger man (although they physically looked the same age) pursed his lips into a straight line. “...Ben….You’ve got something on your mind…and I know it’s got to do with several things but the girl is a big part of the angst….. so just start from the beginning and skip the “I hate being a werewolf part” because I am well versed in your version of that internal battle.”

Finally turning toward him, Ben looked at him with an expression Anakin couldn’t initially place.  “You never hated it or struggled with it…..being this monster?”

His voice was quite like he was ashamed to ask such a question.

“Not for a second…I choose this remember?…and I don’t consider myself a monster”

“Because of me…You choose this lifestyle because I corrupted you to it…” Ben huffed irritatedly.

Anakin bobbed his head back and forth in thought. “Debatable….arguable…but ultimately…I don’t think it was all you so don’t give yourself all the credit….I mean, you raised me, took me in when I was a 10-year-old orphan on the streets….so yeah, there was that connection…as a kid, I got to watch you run around and do all these cool things as a wolf that I couldn’t wait to do and wanted to do so badly”

“I wouldn’t call them cool” Ben whispered under his breath

“….and when the time came…the thought of getting to spend eternity as a supernatural creature with my best friend…well…no brainer…” Anakin spoke to his friend.

Ben shook his head. “I have never once felt that way, ever.” His expression glum.

Anakin opened his mouth and closed it, thinking before he said something.

“....I think the way it happened to you has everything to do with your thoughts and emotions tied to being a werewolf….and honestly…I think if I was in your situation…I might feel that way too…”

Raising his eyebrows and looking back at his cup again, Ben murmured, “...at least it’s not only me who came to that conclusion…”

“No it’s not….but what does all that have to do with Emma? If you have felt that way from the first day, why is that particular emotional battle conflicting you more so than usual….and whats her connection?”

Wide-eyed, Ben turned to Anakin, “Seriously?.... It has everything to do with her….”

His head flew back and Anakin let out a tiered groan, “Oh please, tell me the connection isn’t  “I’m a werewolf, and she is a human, it’s dangerous crap…”

Ben scoffed at Anakins imaptientness.

“....Come on man!…you were human once too, you still look like one… People can be attracted to something different…..it’s not so bad…. Padme was a human when I met her….”

“Something I was expressly against,” Ben mumbled firmly as he took a sip of his coffee.

“And Im so glad I didn’t listen to you!… She ended up being my mate…..think about for a second Ben….a once-in-a-billion chance for our kind, something that some of us never find….I found my mate….and had I listened to your sour self, I would have lost that opportunity.”

“Emma is not my mate, so that argument does not apply….” His eyes stared off into the distance as if he was waiting for something to appear in the middle of the street by magic.

“How do you know?” Anakin fired back, growing more impatient.

“Because she’s not.”

Leaning forward, Anakin moved into Ben’s vision, settling in for a long lecture. “Are you so sure? You’ve told me you just say things around her that you don’t mean to say, that she relaxes you and makes you comfortable in a way that no humane ever has, before or after your change….she gives you a feeling of hope like everything is okay in the world….That your wolf responds to her positively….”

Ben just shrugged his shoulders.

“Ugghhhh!!!!....I got news for you pal, anytime that thing inside us responds to anyone positively, they’re a keeper….Our wolves are predators by nature, they don’t like people that aren’t pack and he likes her….add all that together and it sounds like a very, very strong match, or…just maybe…you found your mate…”

Ben’s shoulders sunk lower and his head dropped. “...But I had someone already who I loved….I was engaged….”

He turned his head away so Anakin couldn’t see the glossy shine that had formed on his eyes or his lip quiver. It was a foolish attempt though… through the pack bonds not only could Anakin feel Ben’s burst of emotion, but he could feel the intense sadness creeping over him.

A hand touched Ben’s shoulder. “.....Ben…. it has been over 130 years, your devotion is admirable…but….I think you are okay to love again…I don’t think there is a person on this earth or beyond it who would fault you…I bet if you could ask Shopie what she thought, she would tell you to go for it…”

Ben openly flinched at the mention of her name…He didn’t often speak it out loud… but he didn’t answer Anakin; mainly because the younger man kept going.

“....And….” Anakin stiffened his stance, braced for a verbal or physical attack…. Or possibly both depending on how Ben took the next thing he said…. “...You know you weren’t actually engaged, right?….you had only bought the ring just that day…You never actually proposed.”

He winced, expecting the wolf to take over the man and react violently…

but he had braced for an attack that never came.

Ben instead was looking up a the sky, his stance calm, his breathing even, and his eyes were the crystal blue that belonged to the man, not the golden color of the wolf. When he did speak his voice was hoarse…“But in my mind, I was already committed to her…I had been mentally for some time….I had known her since she was born, our families were always together…it was always hinted that one of my brothers or I would marry someone in their family….”

The silence hung between them, like an oppressive blanket attempting to smother them both.

Collecting his courage, Anakin broke the silence. “Did she ever marry?”

For all the time he had known Ben, he never discussed his human life at length because it always brought him great pain. It had literally taken Anakin about 100 years to get Ben to give fuller, more intricate depictions of his life before the change.

Ben shrugged his shoulders. “I do not know….I assume….I never bothered to follow up on what happened to anyone from old life because…well….because…”

He frowned. “...I hope she did, as much as that stings…she didn’t deserve to be alone because of my fate and stupidity…She was so wonderful…no one that wonderful deserves a lifetime of loneliness and servitude.”

“So why should you be punished? Why should you suffer a fate you wouldn’t wish on her?”

Ben was silent, trying to control his sadness and growing anger that was fueled by bitterness. The wolf wanted to spring out of him and fight with his second in command until he learned his palace, to never question his alpha again….

But that's not who Ben was….not the man, who strived to keep alive every day. The human Ben was open to different opinions, diplomatic and understanding, he would want the input and advice of someone as loyal as Anakin.

Stilling himself, he eventually came back to his original argument.

“….We are monsters…. Even you have to admit there is a degree of danger that comes with dating a human….Around me, she is a liability to herself and she doesn’t know it, and she could become a target for so many other things…”

“That we can protect her from,” Anakin interjected.

Ben eyed him strongly. “We’re not a big pack, we can easily be outnumbered.”

“And that’s because of you Mr. Alpha.” Anakin snapped.

Ben shot him another warning look, now a hint of gold in his eyes, and Anakin scooted back a bit and raised his hands.

“Hey, I’m just saying…we’ve been around a long time” his head gestured back and forth between the two of them… “ …even longer for you, as much as you hate being what you are now, you’ve met a lot of others who are just like us…You could have made our pack a lot bigger and more powerful, not that I’m complaining, I like it just us…”

“I am not a leader, not when it comes to being a werewolf….on a good day I am not even overly joyed at my situation and my anger towards it is something I’ve never let go of…”

Anakin reached out and put a hand on Ben’s shoulder again, attempting to change the direction of the conversation. “I think you should go for it with Emma and let go of this pain….We would have your back no matter what and we want you to be happy, as your family and as your pack..…. Plus, you know what they say, happy alpha, happy pack….”

Despite Anakin’s attempt at a joke to break the tension, Ben was still solemn.

“I’m just so afraid of what could be…what potential dangers live on the horizon….and so ashamed of what I am…I feel that she deserves better…I can never give her a normal life….I am afraid that my very association with her will bring her harm…or us harm…a human can be a problem for a wolf pack if she ends up connected to the pack bonds and something happens to her….”

“Ben, you're spiraling….first off…asking her out on one date isn’t going to change the fate of the universe. Secondly, we’ve done this all before, with Padme…This is the same scenario, she was a human, and I was a werewolf…. we made it work and we can do it again, we already know what to expect..… Just think, we didn’t even have Ahsoka when we brought Padme in, and now we have an extra wolf fo….”

Ben interjected. “Yeah, but you changed Padme within a year and then you two got married…”

“So, we can do the same to her if she wants…” Anakin exclaimed with excitement.  

Yet….by the time Anakin realized that there was the potential opportunity to change Emma into a werewolf, he remembered that was the wrong thing to say at this moment…. but it had been too late.

Ben had perfected control over his inner beast a long time ago, but at Anakin’s suggestion, the yellow that shined through his eyes would make anyone think that was a lie.

“NO!” he growled, the sound coming from low and deep in his chest. “She will never be what we are...”

That wasn’t Ben talking….that was his wolf…..

Inside a werewolf, there would always be a dominance battle between the human soul of the person, and the wolf…..Kind of like two people sharing the same space but being connected as one… Even the wolves who were very old and considered themselves to have “dominated” their beast still had to deal with another presence inside of them all the time.

Sometimes a trigger, like what Anakin had said to Ben, could cause the wolf to rise to the surface in an attempt to dominate the situation.

That was never a good thing, that was when werewolves were the most unpredictable.

Very slowly, Anakin backed away slowly realizing that this time he really had ticked his superior off. A smarter person would have taken that as the cue to stop pushing the topic….but Anakain never considered himself that person. He was as dominant as his alpha…possibly even more so. His desire not to lead and stay carefree was what caused his master to assume the role that he had.

Unlike Ben, he was a realist. Anakin kept his voice and body language neutral… “Ben…if you get close to her and you two do…you know, really fall in love..she may want the change so she can be around for…well as long as you are…Padme wanted it when we decided to marry…who are we to stop her….”

“NO!” Ben snarled loudly as the cup in his hands shattered. Coffee and blood covered his hands as the pieces of the broken ceramic clanged on the brick steps as they hit the ground.

The door from the house opened and Padme came outside and handed Ben a wet towel for his hands. She knew bandages weren’t necessary. In a few minutes, the cuts would scab and by the time he went to bed, his hands would be completely healed.

She took the spot Anakin had been occupying and sat down, leaning her shoulder against the house like he had. “As much as I know you don’t want to hear it Ben, Annie is right….I wanted to be with the man I fell in love with forever…his version of forever.”

Ben rolled his eyes.

“....And I was against that….He took your life away Padme…” Ben snarled as he wiped his hands. “...I will not ruin her life that way….and turn her into some kind of vicious creature that she’ll be constantly at war with…no, never.”

Padme was an omega…always the lowest ranking member of any pack, but by no means submissive. Because of her status in the pack, she wasn’t a credible threat to Ben’s wolf and his dominance, thereof she was probably the only person who could or should be talking to him right now about this topic or with him in this state. The fact that she was married and mated to the pack's second….was something that could be ignored at the moment.

Werewolves were tricky. They were very aggressive creatures who liked tradition and hierarchy. Yet, due to the human that he was, Ben had worked hard to negotiate with his wolf and do things differently than other packs did…well, not so different that it was new… but it was enough that it took the wolf half of him some getting used to.

The human side of Ben wasn’t a possessive, aggressive, or territorial person, the opposite really. But Ben was dominant, even as a man. At first, the battle between man and beast had been a brutal one, an inner war that raged and wore Ben out and had taken him years to win.

Eventually, the two beings learned to get along and came to agreements on what each would tolerate.

That was one of the problems in Ben’s pack had that no other pack had….or at least out of the ones that he had come across.

All four pack members were dominant beings, making their wolves more of the leadership type.

Their rankings in the pack were split by hairs; making it very easy for one member of the group to overstep their boundaries…something that could be very dangerous for a werewolf.  

For example, Ahsoka technically outranked Padme in dominance, but because Anakin and Padme were married and he was the pack’s second in command, Padme took her rank from her husband.

Sometimes it caused problems, as there were so many dominant people in a small social group. But for the sake of family, they all had learned to control their wolves and stick together as a unit. At the end of the day, pack was important.

“Do you still feel that way now Ben? Are you still against me being in the pack?” Padme's voice was a whisper as her warm eyes stared at the sky.

Anakin smirked, he loved how his wife was so quietly clever, he could see the trap she was laying for Ben, who was too busy brooding and cleaning his bloodied hands to notice.

“Of course not Padme…You’re Anakin’s mate and you’ve become like a sister to me…I value you and your company…I love you…” He said without skipping a beat, his attention focusing on his task had allowed him to speak from the heart.

Leaning forward, she kissed Ben on the cheek, a slightly dangerous thing to do with his wolf so close to the surface; but she trusted him. Another dumb thing for her to do.

Never trust a human whose wolf is that close to the surface.

“And I love you too…You are a brother and alpha all in one….You are my family as much as you are Anakin’s. And, because of that, I want to see you happy…Just give it a chance Ben, if it doesn't work out, we move….”

He sighed. “I don’t want to move just now, not again…Ahsoka just finished her junior year of high school and is about to go into her senior year…”

Anakin rolled his eyes, “Yeah for…what…the thousandth time?”

Padme giggled. “I think she’s gone through 15 high school graduations…Sure, she’s attended more years than that, but she only made it to actual graduation 15 times…”

“Exactly,” Anakin said as he shifted and put his hand on Padme’s shoulder. “If we move I think she will be okay…”

Ben shook his head. “No, a responsible alpha looks after his pack in all areas….she has friends this time, she’s getting good grades for the first time in two decades, and she’s taking care of herself during full moons…. She has a job at the cafe and she enjoys it… she’s fitting in socially, which historically has been hard for her to do…and she really likes it here….”

He shook his head. “No, I put my pack first….”

“And your pack wants you to be happy…Yes…there is no denying that Ahsoka would find it hard to leave, but there’s nothing saying we can’t come back in a year or two… it’s not like she couldn’t stay in touch with the friends she made…she was always good at surviving by herself…Plus….it’s not like she’ll be able to keep up with them…Eventually, we’ll have to move or they will enter into a phase of life that she can not…” Padme’s voice trailed off as she considered the eventual reality.

“But she knows this.” Anakin butted in hoping to save the conversation from becoming sad again. “She was around way before she joined our pack….She’s had connections with people that she’s had to let go of and she knows what to expect…. it's a fact that every werewolf comes to terms with.”  

Ben looked at the couple. “Sometimes I forget that she survived 40 years on her own…without us…at times she just…looks so young and helpless….”

As if being summoned by magic, Ahsoka’s tiny indigo-blue Toyota Corolla pulled into the driveway.

One perk of having a mechanic in the family was that Anakin was able to fix any car that was needed or wanted. While the car may not be the newest or the prettiest and they could definitely afford better, Ahsoka had fallen in love with the color and spunk of the little car, which she ended up demanding that her older “brother” turn it into a reliable car.

Stepping out into the warm summer air, she took off the cap that had the coffee house logo on it. Her blue and white blond striped hair shimmered in the moonlight. She looked at them skeptically. “What are you all doing out here? Or are you waiting for something to fall out of the sky?... Which you don’t have to cuz, here I am.” She said with a wide grin.

Anakin smiled and gave her a small wave. “No, we’ve been sitting out here a while despite having heard your car about a mile down the road…I know the way that engine purs anywhere.”

“Ugh, weirdo.” Ahsoka teased as she walked up to the steps of the house.

Looking at the towel in Ben’s now scabbed hands, she became suspicious of why they were really sitting out there. “You okay? You were brooding pretty badly about 45 mins ago..”

Ben threw his head back frustratedly. “Not you too,” he mumbled grumpily.

Shifting her backpack and putting a hand on her hip she gave him a full wave of hr “tude” as Anakin called it. “...Hey, it’s cuz we care….You were the only alpha I agreed to join up with after decades of being a lone wolf, remember that.”  Ahsoka crossed her arms. “...Lots of macho creeps had tried to get me into their packs, but I choose you three misfits.”

“That’s cuz you love us.” Padme beamed from below.

“Wholeheartedly.” Ahoksa winked at her.

Turning back to Ben again, she addressed him. “If this is about Emma, you already know how I feel. I am all for it…I really like her and I’ve gotten to know her in the almost two years she’s consistently been coming by the cafe… she is a good soul….”

“Which exactly is the problem.” Ben rasped, to everyone’s collected groans of frustration.

“Oh please Ben, if she wasn’t you wouldn’t be interested. You’ve never even considered anyone else but Sophie…yes, I know…you were “engaged” to her all those years ago, I think you are overdue for something good..…and Emma has dated her fair share of losers, she is overdue for something good as well…” Ahsoka snapped... “I don’t know…,” she threw her hands in the air, “do what you want, but I’d like to see the two of you make each other happy.”

She leaned forward and grabbed his shoulders, looking her alpha in the eye. “The girl quotes Sherlock Holmes readily and owns a bookshop….what more of a green light do you need?”

If Ben was a different type of alpha, Ahsoka’s actions could have had a very different effect and result on the situation…it could have been seen as a challenge or an act of aggression….but Ben wasn’t “that alpha” ….or that type of man.

In fact, it made everyone giggle, even him.  

Stepping away from him, she rolled her eyes.

“I’m going to bed, work starts early tomorrow….don’t brood too loudly or please shield your thoughts…Oh, better yet, here's a wild idea….  JUST GO CALL HER.”

“Good night Ahsoka.” Ben drolled.

She shook her head as she maneuvered the steps in between everyone.

“Oh!” She turned around as she reached the door,, “I almost forgot…my friend Hera is having a sleepover Sat. night with some of the girls from the school, can I go?”

“Do you need to ask?” Ben turned to look at her, sporting an amused expression.

Ahsoka blushed. “Not really, no...but…I like to…it just…feels right when I dot.”

Everyone smiled softly. She may be 83 years old in actuality, but there was a part of her that would always be the 17-year-old girl she looked like…..it also meant that after all these years, the lone wolf was starting to enjoy her pack bonds.

“I have no objections,” Anakin whispered.

“Just promise to be safe and keep your phone with you.” Padme pointed her finger at her.

“I promise.” Ahsoka blurted out as her eyes darted to Ben, who as alpha really had the final say.

“Who else is going?” He questioned.

He already knew his answer, but he just wanted some details…sneaky dad-type stuff.

“These two other girls from 4th-period math last year…Sabine, and Bariss….they’re really nice actually… it’s refreshing for people from this generation…”

Ben nodded his head slowly. “Will her parents be home?”

Ahsoka’s eyebrow arched. “....Yes they will, her dad is kinda strict in fact….but I can promise you, no matter the level of harmless mischief we get up to…I am in no danger whatsoever…Trust me, this isn’t that sort of group.”

This was true…if anything, Ahsoka was a danger to all of them. But he knew her and trusted the level of control she had over her wolf…he just liked to make sure she was safe.

Softening his expression, he smiled a toothless smile, his lips pressed together.

“I’m okay with you going as well….Just remember to at least text us before you go to bed so we know everything is all well and good… the sleepover will be taking place the day after tomorrow and the moon will still be relatively full…”

Ashoka squealed before Ben could finish. She leaped forward and hugged him from behind. “Thanks dad! I promise I will.”

Darting into the house and running up the stairs, she hadn’t even fully closed the door behind her. Ben blushed at the term of endearment as he shifted on the steps.

He would never be her father, but it wouldn’t stop him from looking at her like his daughter.

Nodding towards the open door, Ben eyed Padme and Anakin. “See…perfect example, Ahsoka at a sleepover…There was a time when we couldn’t get her to even talk to the other students at lunch…let alone sleep over at their house.”

Anakin surrendered in defeat and got up to go into the house without saying anything. He had enough of trying to persuade Ben for one evening.

Padme scooted closer to her alpha. “I understand, and I agree…I am just as thrilled as you are to see it…but all that means is that everyone is finally secure. Anakin and I are always going to be okay so long as we have each other…Ahsoka is blossoming…so that now means you are the only one left to finally become settled…you have to take care of yourself every now and then…”

She leaned in and kissed the top of his head. “Just be patient with yourself and be open…give her a text and then actually give her a chance…even if you go slow and become friends first, a special friend is a nice thing to have if that's all it ends up being.”

Knowing that Padmes’s words were true in the sense that she believed them and meant them only in goodwill, he decided to put the topic away for the evening, as he knew they weren’t going to reach a unanimous consensus, at least not tonight. For the time being, they would all silently have to agree to disagree.

He smiled. “Ture…thank you, darling, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Don’t stay out here too long.” She muttered as she went inside and closed the door gently behind her.

Ben snorted a short laugh. This is the one place that would be quiet if he stayed home tonight. Ahsoka was most likely either watching tv or listening to music before she went to sleep…and Padme and Anakin were…well… he knew their nighttime routine before they went to bed.

The joys of supernatural hearing and a small house.

If he stayed outside he would be able to actually think, and he certainly had been given a lot to think about.

He debated changing forms and going for a run to clear his mind….but he knew it would only cause him to dwell further…

Maybe his pack mates had been right.

- - - - - - - - - -

Ben plopped down on his bed, staring at the snow-colored ceiling. Having given up and tired of fighting his restless energy, the nighttime jog he went for around the neighborhood in human form had been what he needed.

He had been agonizing and going back and forth over this decision with himself since everyone had retired for the evening. After coming back, he showered and retreated to the solidarity of his room.

It was 9:00 PM…he knew he needed to do this before it became any later and he appeared rude or awkward.

And waiting till tomorrow wasn’t an option.

He’d be tossing and turning throughout the night, restless as all hell if he put it off any more than he already had… and he had a long day of research ahead of him tomorrow at work.

Picking up his phone, he opened the texting app and choose the correct contact.

The blinking cursor taunted him as it was impatiently blinking, waiting for him to type what he wanted it to say.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he knew it was now it never….he had come to the conclusion that until he just did it and took the leap of faith, he wouldn’t know how it all go.

“What if?” would haunt him. That if he didn’t do it and never found out what could have been between them….then that would really add to his continuous self-loathing and guilt…and drive his curiosity absolutely crazy.

What he had told Anakin was true, he had felt engaged to Sophie long before he bought the ring… in his mind, he had been Shopie’s future husband and she had been his future wife since he started seriously courting her.

That’s how it was back then….You only made serious advances at people you intended to marry.

Even back then when the gesture of a fan or an invitation for a dance meant so much more, Ben wasn’t the type to string girls along or court just to give society something to gossip about….He had believed all the hubbub that had been drilled into him as a child, that marriage was permanent and very serious.

But that had been in the 1870s-80s…..The rules of courtship and dating changed so drastically since then, and he had paid so little attention to that scene after he changed.

Sometimes if he wondered if he could even do it, date like a modern man?

He had 130-ish years to think about something that left him hollow and broken on the inside. How different things were then compared to now…what his romance was like…

But did he really know Shopie…beyond the ideals of a Victorian courtship that is? Did he know her the way couples knew each other today when they got engaged?

No, he didn’t.

He and Sophie had never even been alone longer than 5 minutes without either of their siblings or parents present, or some other third party….he only knew about the person she presented herself to be in public….Not that he imagined the real Sophie was much different…..

As children they had spent more time together in closer contact…it was until they became older that society's rules and expectations for their friendship “changed”....but did that mean she did? The little girl he knew was kind, intelligent, and loved to laugh…the young woman had seemed to be all those things but so much more….reserved.

Being a historian had given him the opportunity and excuse to study the world in which he had grown up in through the eyes of history. From a civilization that advanced and moved on in every way…and he was further in a unique position….he had his own memories that he could compare against books, records, personal accounts….

What had seemed like a rational dating practice in 1885 now seemed obscured….people back then were flying on a wing and a prayer compared to couples today, who were allowed to be themselves….

He had spent 130 years thinking about this, more than any human could have spent.

9:05 P.M.

Now even the clock was taunting him.

Everyone was right….

He had reasoned with himself to the point of madness, this choice was never going to get any easier to make… it was simply now or never…do or do not….

he knew what he needed to….what he wanted to do.

@nanagoswife @transcending-time @sillynilly27 @thewhitedannimal @kirstenvldfan21 @the-clones-and-me @hugmekenobi​ @naughtyry​ @nicole-lightfoot​ @janebby​

#Obi-Wan Kenobi #obi wan kenobi #obi wan #obi #obi-wan #obi wan fanfiction #Obi-wan Kenobi X Reader #obi-wan kenobi fanfic #obi-wan X reader #obi-wan kenobi x you #Ben Kenobi #obi-wan Kenobi imagine #obi wan x reader #obi-wan needs a hug

[thattiredanimator1t0mblr]

~MASTERLIST 3~

In order of oldest to newest. The ones at the top are the oldest and the ones at the bottom are the newest.

Starts of exactly where the last masterlist left of.

(Dark deception) Gold watchers with a gn!s/o who has a 3rd eye both physically and magically and can see the future but has to mediate daily (very short) hcs :

(Beastars) | plant fertiliser. | beastars OOC!tem x murder!plantobsessed!insane!human!reader | PLATONIC.| :

(Welcome home arg) | Shelfs | Howdy pillar x gn!Reader | really short fanfic | :

(Welcome home arg) Howdy pillar with a reader/ s\o that just came into the neighbourhood [headcanons] :

(Welcome home arg) Howdy pillar with a reader who can be very skittish at times hcs :

(Welcome home arg) Julie joyful and howdy pillar (separate) with a short s/o:

(Welcome home arg) Julie joyful & fem!reader doing a girls night hcs:

(Dark deception) Spoiled cotten! ||dark deception x child!gn!human!reader|| malak,Agatha & gold watchers || OOC! :

4th MASTERLIST (starts right where it left off) :

-

#masterlist

[experimentfae]

Julie joyful

Fanfics:

Coming soon

Oneshots:

Julie Joyful x fem puppet! reader (1/1)

Julie joyful x GN human! Reader (1/1)

Headcanons:

Coming soon

<- Back to MasterList or back to welcome home

#welcome home arg #welcome home #welcome home fandom #welcome home puppet show #julie joyful #welcome home julie x reader #julie joyful welcome home