#otgwxreader

[travlersjoy444]

Midnight Dreary (Beast! Wirt x Witch! Reader)

  Pretty much just what it says in the title. 2k-ish words, mostly fluff (?)

Gender neutral reader, plus a semi optimistic perspective on the bad end friends' Beast Wirt.

*******

There was a knock on the door late at night, as the cliche goes. 

  It was past midnight, and the rain lashed at my windows. I sipped my tea, the scent of the roses I dried over summer wafting through the air. The knocks returned.

  I sighed, admitting defeat. Whoever was out there was determined. There was a piercing squeal as I pushed my stool away from the counter and slid across the cold wood floor.

  The door swung open to a shadowy figure, veiled by the darkness outside. But not even the night could hide its glowing eyes. It’s colorful eyes that seemed to swallow me…

  I closed the door. I didn’t want to deal with the beast, not tonight. It would return, it always did, but maybe it would spend the night in the town and come back for me next October.

  It knocked again. I froze. Usually it would resort to trickery, lure me out with the face of a child it had swallowed, but not knock after I closed the door. It never did that.

  I cursed my stupidity, but stepped towards the door again. 

  “What do you want?” I sighed, making sure to stay on my side of the threshold.

  “Shelter.” It whispered. I was prepared to turn it down when I realized how high its voice was. The beast always had a deep voice, one that seemed to trap you in his web of darkness and lies…

  But this voice was higher. It was said with a hint of elegance, as if it belonged to someone who was once incredibly civilized. Mostly, it sounded defeated. Sad. Too sad, too real.

  “What are you?” I whispered, staring at its familiar eyes.

  “Wirt.” He murmured. “I’m Wirt. I’m not quite myself nowadays, but I need a place to stay…”

  I sighed. I must be the stupidest person west of Pottsfield.

  “C’mon in, I guess.” I sighed, retreating to the counter. 

  He unlaced his mismatched boots and sat ridgedly on the couch. His edelwood antlers scraped the ceiling- the boy wasn’t very tall, but the antlers made up for it easily.

  “So, why’d you need shelter here anyways?” I started, but when I looked at him again, I saw he was asleep.

  I went upstairs. Sleep came quickly for me, and I fell into a dreamless rest.

*******

  I opened my eyes to an overcast sky, as per usual for autumn. I laced my stays and tied my apron, nodding at the mirror. This would work fine. I pinned my cloak and grabbed my basket. I was going to forage today, one of the last trips before winter.

   I wondered how my uninvited guest was doing. Perhaps he’d be gone when I came downstairs. 

  I found him asleep on the couch, body curled and lantern held close. I felt bad for disturbing him, but it had to be done.

  “Oi, Wirt, wake up. Y’can’t stay here forever, lad, and the rain has stopped. Out.”

  His eyes blinked open, revealing his colorful scleras.

  “Right-of course, Thank you for letting me stay here, really.” He murmured, awkwardly rising from the velvet couch.

  I nodded. “Not a problem. Do you know your way home?”

  He nodded too fast. “...Yes. It’s…uh…Pottsfield. Yeah, Pottsfield.” 

  “It’s a long walk to Pottsfield from Kenops Bay, you know that? I’ll pack you some things.”

  I surveyed my items, and gave him a cloth bag full of bread and herbs. Then I led him out of the forest.

  He thanked me and left, and I returned to my homestead. What a strange boy.

*******

  Well, I thought that would be the last I saw of him. But a few weeks later, I found myself awake at night again.

  It’s hard to sleep on full moons, with the wolves howling and light shining through the window. But when I heard a human sounding scream, I had a funny feeling that sleep would be the least of my worries.

  I lit my lantern and pinned my cloak. Humans got lost here often, and I had taken it upon myself to guide them away from the wolves. It was my duty. I made sure my satchel was full of herbs and potions- one for shock, one for nerves, one for physical ailments- and laced my boots. 

  I shoved the door open. Into the unknown.

  It wasn’t a very good night to be lost. The fog was heavy, and the creatures were restless…Luckily, it wasn’t too long before I found footprints that resembled boots. They’re fresh. Thank goodness.

  There was another shriek in the distance. My heart raced, and I began to run. The trail of footsteps led me through the woods, and the smell of something metallic filled the air. I reached a clearing.

  Wolves. 

  “Oi!” I screamed. The largest wolf turned towards me. “What did I say about humans?!”

  ...To not hurt them. The wolf answered. But this one isn’t human, (Y/N). This one reeks of something darker.

  “We’ll see about that.” I decided. The wolves stepped aside, revealing an unconscious body. I moved closer, recognizing the antlers.

  “Wirt?” I whispered. What was he doing here?

  Are you going to drag him back to the hut? Asked one of the wolves.

  “Is he dangerous?” 

  Not to you, not anymore. But if you’d let us…well, he’d be delicious-

  I sighed. Wolves have incredibly one-track minds.

  “No, you idiots. Go raid Ms. Brimsby’s pie stand or something if you’re hungry.”

  It’s still open?! One of the wolves barked, leading to a chorus of excited barks and howls. 

  I rolled my eyes and took a swig of a strength elixir. Time to carry Wirt home.

*******

  I reached the house at about one in the morning. 

  The rain pattered on my roof, and I lit the fireplace. Time to figure out the extent of the damage. I propped Wirt’s unconscious body up on the couch. I unbuttoned his cloak, and hung it to dry near the fire. There was blood dripping all over, and I tried not to cringe as it hit the ground and soiled my floors.

  Well, the first order of business was cleaning him up and surveying the damage….

 Woah…it’s pretty bad. I winced. He’d probably be here for a while….

*******

  I awoke to a panicked yelp.

  Naturally, it’s pretty panic-inducing to wake up in a house decorated with skulls and strange bottles decorating the shelves, especially if the last thing you remember was getting attacked by wolves. I snorted. There was an extra couch in my potions room, and I thought it would be funny to have Wirt wake up there.

  I dragged myself out of bed and pulled my stays on over my shift. I looked presentable, I guess. I wrapped a soft orange shawl around my shoulders and headed to the potions room.

  “Welcome back.” I waved, leaning on the doorframe.

  “Oh- It’s you. Did you save me or something?” After the initial moment of panic, he returned to his quiet and emotionless monotone.

  I thought back to chastising the wolves.

  “...yes. And it was…very dangerous and perilous. Yeah.” I lied.

  “Thanks…um, I’d best be going. Sorry to inconvenience you.”

  I scoffed. “Yeah, that isn’t happening. You really shouldn’t start fights with wolves-check under your shirt.”

  He glanced at me weirdly, and turned towards the wall to unbutton his freshly cleaned top.

  “Oh god.” He muttered, staring at the bloody bandage wrapped around his stomach.

  “Your arms aren’t a lot better, so…careful.”

  He stared at his forearms, and then looked back at me. He looked ill.

  “Where’s my lantern?” He whispered, eyes wide.

  “Downstairs. I re-lit it, I hope you don’t mind.”

  He nodded. “No, that’s perfect.” He still sounded strained. (Should I say something?)

  There was a beat of silence. He picked at his bandage. “So…uh..thanks.” He finished, shrugging. 

  I stared at him for a few seconds.

  “...are you okay?” I asked, taking in his pale skin and eye bags. “You seem rattled. I can make a shock potion or something to help with it- I know it isn’t every day you end up at a witch’s house, I get why you'd be scared-”

  “No, n-no, it isn’t you- I mean…I guess I’m just….well, I’m just…uncomfortable in general lately. It isn’t personal…I mean, maybe it’s personal against me, since I’m judging me- Ahem. Sorry. I’ll just….um. Stop talking and stuff. Sorry.”

  I smiled lightly. The scary beast of the woods was being a total dork. 

  “Nah, don’t do that. I’m gonna whip up a potion to speed the healing process, and it gets a bit boring here…so yeah, please talk. For my sake.”

  He watched me, raising an eyebrow. “Uhh…okay. Cool. Cool, cool. I can do that…sorry. I haven’t actually talked to…well, anyone in a long time…”

  I shrugged, reaching for the asphelroot. “Start there then. Why haven’t you talked to anyone?”

  “Well, because I’m scary. And…well, apparently evil? Which I’m not! I’m just scary…I wasn’t always like this.” He said glumly.

  “What were you like before?” I asked, stirring the mix.

  “Well…I was a boy…”

  “You are a boy.” I pointed out.

  “Yeah, well…I was a human boy. And I had normal brown eyes.”

  “What did you do? That’s to say…what were you like, what did you enjoy doing, y’know.” I said absentmindedly, flipping through the tome in front of me.

  “Well…I liked interior design?” He began uncertainly. “And…uh…stupid comics- not the cool ones with superheroes, but the ones with dumb teens being unrealistic yet entertaining.”

  I nodded, not sure what comics were. 

  “And…poetry. I miss writing poetry.” He continued, sounding less shaky. “I recorded my poetry on a tape recorder- but you don't know what that is, do you. I…I’m sorry. I’ll talk about something else…”

  “What sort of poetry?”

  “Oh, y'know…just sappy…um romantic stuff…for this girl I liked…”

  “What was she like?”

  “Oh, she was really cool, and really cute…” He continued.

I smiled softly as I stirred the potion, listening to him ramble.

  ...Maybe having someone else here wasn't so bad after all.

*******

Author's note: Sup Wirt simps! If you follow my other stories, then you already know that I'm actually not into boys...but y'know, I like the comfort of writing these. I've been absent in the fandom for a while, and I miss it. It's nice here.

#over the garden wall #over the garden wall x reader #otgwxreader #wirt #otgw wirt #bad end friends #beast wirt #beast wirt x reader

[travlersjoy444]

Anemoia (Over the Garden Wall x fem! reader) Pt. 9

   Author's note: So it's been a long year for me, dudes. 

My mom beat cancer (Woo!), I started going to a fancy art high school (It's actually pretty normal), I re-learned clarinet, I came out as trans-

Oh. Um. That one is...actually rather important. I've said it in my other non-completed books, but I'm...a boy now! I'm a boy who doesn't actually romantically like boys! 

But in my mind, telling a good story is more important than relating as an author, so...I'm updating to say that I'm gonna fix book two. I was unsure last time I updated it, but now I can confidently say that it needs help, and I need passion....which I now have. I've deleted the previous ending to this story, and the entirety of 'Fleeting Austice' will be removed from my masterlist. (but I'll leave it on my profile as a momento.)

So here goes it, guys. I know not many of you still keep up with this journey, but hey, if you read this...it'd be rad if you stuck along with me :)

*******

I trudged forward. Snow had been burning my nose off for hours now, and we hadn’t even found civilization, much less Greg. Was our quest as useless as finding a needle in a haystack? One boy in a giant wood…I wished we were back and Erin and Eli’s, locating Greg would be so much easier with her witchy powers. But I left the birches long ago, and had no clue how to get back. 

   Wirt and I hadn’t really spoken since I promised we’d find his brother, as neither of us could muster the energy to do anything but continue onward. But we held hands to remind ourselves that we weren’t alone. At least we had each other on this wretched, perilous journey. (Speaking of Wirt, hanging around him is starting to make me think in fancy words. Ugh.)

   “AhhHH!” Wirt suddenly screamed, jumping back.

   “AHH!” Something I can’t quite see screamed back. A tiny silhouette flew towards us, about to crash into Wirt! 

   “Beatrice!” I grinned, scooping up the little bird. 

   “(Y/N)! (Y/N), Wirt, I’m so glad I found you guys!”

   “Beatrice? Wha-What’re you doing out here in the blizzard?” Wirt asked.

   “I saw Greg!” she exclaimed.

   “What?!”

   “Where?!” Wirt and I stumbled over each other’s responses excitedly.

  “I saw Greg. He was w-with someone. This way!” She began to fly, but paused. “Or wait. Um…”

  “Beatrice, you should go home.” Wirt murmured.

  “I can't -- not yet. Not until Greg is safe.” She answered.

  “Okay.” Wirt nodded.

  “Guys, we should hurry.” I frowned. The sun was sinking far too fast…

  “I- I think it was that way.” Beatrice decided, flying over to perch on my shoulder.

  “Thank you, Beatrice.”

*******

  “Greg? Greg!” Wirt yelled, surging ahead of the group. I chased after him, trying to see what sparked his interest.

  “(Y/N), Beatrice!” He said between pants. “L-look.” He pointed to the ground. “ A light.” 

   A lit lantern sat there on the ground. I looked a bit closer. Huh. Come to think of it, that lantern is my symbol on the Bill Cipher prophecy.

  “A lantern. I-it looks like the woodsman’s.” He added, picking it up. Oh yeah, that too. 

  The light revealed a clearing full of fallen trees and black oil. 

 “Woah.” I whispered. “What happened here?”

  I froze as my eyes fell on a figure in the middle of the clearing. Wirt ran to it, gasping.

 “Greg! Greg! Are you…” He panicked, eyes wide as he ran to his brother.

 We found Greg.

  I walked up to the little guy, frozen with horror.

  “Wirt?” he whispered.

  “Oh, Greg!” Wirt’s voice cracked, on the verge of tears.

  “Wirt, I did it. I beat the beast.” Greg coughed. A few leaves fluttered out of his mouth.

  “Aw, geez, the leaves are even growing inside of him.” Beatrice said softly.

  “No. I was just eating leaves.” Greg paused. “I'm sorry, Wirt.

  “No, no, Greg.” Wirt sobbed, wiping his eyes. “It's my fault we ended up here. Everything's been my fault. I-I should have been more-” He cried harder, gipping the handle of the lantern. Beatrice and I sat beside him, wishing there was something we could do.

 “No, I mean my rock facts rock.” Greg corrected. 

 “What?” Wirt paused.

 “I-I stole it, Wirt. I stole it from Mrs. Daniel's garden. I'm a stealer.” He waved the rock, and spoke in a deeper voice. “And that's a ro-ock fact.” I blinked back tears. It was such a Greg thing to say…

 “Oh, Greg, that doesn't matter.” I said, smiling bittersweetly.

 “It does matter.” he coughed. “You have to return it for me, okay?” No…

 “No, you can give it to her yourself. Come on, we got to get Jason Funderberker home, right?” Wirt said hopefully, lifting up the frog.

 “Jason Funderberker…the perfect...frog name.” Greg whispered.

 “Greg? Greg?!” Wirt panicked.

 “Let's get him out of this!” I exclaimed, pulling at the edlewood.

 “Yeah. Yeah!” he nodded, joining me. “Come on!” he grunted, yanking at the wood.

 “It's gonna be fine, Wirt.” Beatrice assured him. I nodded in agreement.

 We ripped and pulled at the edelwood, breaking off pieces of wood, trying to save the poor kid from it’s grasp.

 My heart ran cold though as a voice spoke from the forest.

 “Give me my lantern.” 

  I spun around. The beast.

  “Your lantern?” Beatrice paused.

  “No way. We need this thing.” I said, more confidently than I felt.

  “Yeah, I'm keeping this. I have to get Greg home.” Wirt declared, tightening his grip on the lantern’s handle.

  “Your brother is too weak to go home.” it snarled. “He will soon become part of my forest.”

  “I won't let that happen!” yelled Wirt, with a confidence I had never seen in him before.

  “Well, then, perhaps we better make a deal.” the creature suggested, in that tone I had grown to recognize as a trap.

  “Deal?” Apparently Wirt doesn’t see it as a glaring red flag.

  “Ohh no…” whispered Beatrice.

  “Wirt…” I muttered, but it came out too quiet for him to hear.

  “I can put his spirit in the lantern. As long as the flame stays lit, he will live on inside. Take on the task of lantern bearer...or watch your brother perish. Come here.”

   No, no, no, nononono….

   Wirt sighed. “Okay.”

   Beatrice gasped.

  My breath hitched. “ Wirt, no. No, no, no, no….”

  He stopped. “Wait. that's dumb.” 

  “What?”

  “That's dumb. I'm not just gonna just wander around in the woods for the rest of my life.”

  YES! WIRT! I grinned. Wirt, I’m so, so proud of you right now.

  “I'm trying to help you.” the beast lied.

   “You're not trying to help me. You just have some weird obsession with keeping this lantern lit.”

   Souls in lanterns….huh, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say…

   I nodded. “Yeah, it's almost like your soul is in this lantern.”

   It growled, moving towards us. “Are you ready to see true darkness?”

   Wirt panicked for a moment. I stared at him, wide eyed…and instinctively, I stuck out my hand. He took it, meeting my eyes for a second. I nodded. I trust you. He squeezed my hand  and turned to glare right back at the beast, moving the lantern to his face. “ARe you? Ahem.” his voice cracked. “Are you?” he said in a stronger tone. He unlatched the lantern cover, and prepared to blow it out. YES!

  “Don't! Don't!” it screamed. The world went dark around us, as the woods were engulfed in it’s screaming. My ears rang, and I resisted the urge to shiver. It only lasted a few seconds, but those seconds felt like an eternity.

  Wirt scoffed, and closed the lantern. “Woodsman, I've got my own problems to take care of. This one's yours. My brother, my best friend, and I are going home.” he squeezed my hand again, smiling softly.

  I grinned, hugging him. “I am so proud of you, you genius, brave little dork!” 

  He chuckled, pulling Greg up onto his back. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “Wirt, (Y/N)...” Beatrice sighed, landing on my finger.

  I pulled her close, impulsively. “Come with us, Beatrice. We love you, too.”

  “Aw (Y/N)...I’d love to, but I’ve got to go home, too. Y’know, admit to my family it's my fault they're bluebirds…”

  Wirt coughed.

  “What?” she said, tilting her head.

  “Oh, y’know..just the scissors that'll make your family human again.” Wirt smirked, pulling a pair of stork shaped embroidery scissors out of his pocket.

  “You had them all along!?” Beatrice squeaked.

  “We-we used them to escape Adelaide, and then--then…yeah, I-I was sort of mad at you.”

  “Oh, you wonderful mistake of nature!” Beatrice exclaimed, laughing.

  I paused. I swear, I hear something in the distance… “Hey guys..listen. Do you hear that?” 

  “..you'll never see your daughter again, woodsman. Are you really ready to go back

to that empty house? No! Woodsman!”

 There was a sharp blowing sound, and a clatter as the lantern hit the ground.

 “He won.” I beamed. “You guys…the beast is gone.”

  And sure enough, the forest did feel lighter.

*******

  The aftermath was messy, but we survived. Apparently my theory was right, as it turned out we had fallen into a creek and were drowning. 

  I thought it must have been a dream…the whole thing, the unknown, and for a moment I felt like the most lonely person on the planet. 

 But my striped dress was there, hanging on the door when I woke up in a hospital bed. I remember turning to Wirt, and realizing that he wasn’t a stranger, no…he was my real friend. I had thrown my arms around him, whispering, “Wirt, it was real. Wirt, you’re my best friend! Gods, it was real!”

  He had gasped. “You mean…you mean it wasn’t just me?! You’re…us..our friendship…it was real?!” 

  “Yes! Wirt…Yes!”

 “Yes!” 

  And the two of us had sat there, laughing and grinning and hugging, because we hadn’t imagined it! We really had each other!

And Greg joined us, singing about beating the beast, about how his brother was a ‘real-live superhero’. 

  As we left the hospital, I looked around Nowere and its rainbow of Autumn colors…well, I still miss Gravity Falls, but home is where you make it, right? And if the people I love are in Nowere, then maybe…maybe I feel at home here, too.

*******

  But it wasn’t to last, the peace and joy that we were all happy with. The first sign that something was still wrong was when Wirt found himself nervous around trees. Next was when we found a gravestone marked ‘Beatrice’. And the nail in the miserable coffin was an early holiday surprise from my family…

  “We’re moving back to Oregon!”

  “What?!” I looked up from my dinner as Mom swung the door open. She grinned manically, waving some envelope in the air.

  “What- what’s going on?! What does that mean?! I don’t want to!” I panicked, standing up.

  It was a week after Halloween, and my parents had freaked out about the incident in the Lost Creek. Mom had begun working tirelessly on something, and I guess the news was meant to make me feel good, but…

  “I wanna stay here, Mom…” I said weakly, stepping towards her.

  “What?” She faltered. “But…(Y/N)...I thought you hated it here? I…well, almost losing you made me realize that I want you happy….we’ve already made the flight arrangements, and I…  I wanted to surprise you…”

  I sighed softly. “But…I can’t live like this, just moving from one place to the next, Ma. We’ve been here for what, three months? I…I need to stay here, I can’t just up and leave Wirt-”

  “Tch. Wirt? That boy who drowned with you? What’s so special about him?”

  “A lot.” I scowled. “He’s my best friend.”

  “You said that about Dipper too, (Y/N). Wouldn’t you rather see Dipper again than some kid you just met?” Mom pleaded.

  I shook my head, sighing. “It’d…It’d be nice to see him again, but…well, he’s in Piedmont! And well…well. There’s no way out of this, I take it?” 

  Mom shook her head, eyes wide. “I’ve made the arrangements and took a position that’s Oregon based already…and well….we all missed it too…” She murmured.

  I sighed again, swinging the backdoor open. “Well…great. Fantastic. Thanks Mom. I’m gonna go outside now. For no particular reason.”   

  I stepped outside and screamed. Mom stared at me through the door, and I gave her a thumbs up, smiling fakely.

  She shook her head, waking out of my line of sight. 

  I sighed softly as she left,  rainwater dripping down my face as the cold of November finally set in.

  What was I gonna do…

#otgwxreader wirt wirt x reader otgw wirt over the garden wall x reader over the garden wall

[travlersjoy444]

Wirt: I am strong! I beat Dipper at arm wrestling!

(Y/N): Anyone can beat Dipper at arm wrestling!

Dipper: Hey-

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader #dipper pines x reader #gravity falls #gravity falls dipper #dipper pines #dipper #gravity falls x reader #over the garden wall x gravity falls #over the garden wall incorrect quotes #over the garden wall x reader incorrect quotes

[travlersjoy444]

Sweater Weather (Wirt x reader)

Just a fluffy Wirt x reader oneshot :)

*******

“Oh my GOD, why can’t something just GO RIGHT for once?!”

I slowly took another bite of my energy bar as I stared at him. Math had never been Wirt’s strong suit, but I wasn’t sure if he was angry at the math or angry at the fact that the pencil he had tried to snap had refused to break.

He chucked the pencil across the room and flopped onto his pillow with a strangled screech.

“...Rough day?” I asked.

“...Yes..” He mumbled into the pillow.

“..Wanna talk about it?” I offered.

“Nah…I don’t want to annoy you.”

“Oh, shut it. You’re allowed to talk about your feelings- letting it out is good, you know.” I shook my head.

“Seriously. It’s stupid.” He sighed. “It’s just….I’m smart, right?”

I nodded, raising an eyebrow. Wirt was very booksmart.

“See? So why can’t I understand NUMBERS? ….I don’t know…I guess I just expected to be in calculus by now, but I’m struggling on pre-algebra.”

“Ah, gifted kid burnout syndrome.” I nodded, taking another bite of energy bar.

“Yeah. Dad wanted me to be, like, a neuroscientist or something, but instead he gets a dumb poet who hates sports.” He mumbled.

I patted his shoulder. “Tough. It sounds like you’re-”

“Stupid?” He whispered.

“-No, I was gonna say ‘in need of therapy’, but instead I’m gonna take matters into my own hands.” I smirked. A plan was beginning to brew already.

Wirt paled. “Wait- no. (Y/N), last time you ‘took matters into your own hands’, I ended up with, like, twelve bee stings and some gross tasting honey.”

I scoffed. “That was in eighth grade, my friend. New years, new me, new schemes.”

“(Y/N), that’s bonkers- you’re insane. No schemes or trickery or…or..or tomfoolery, just…”

“...Therapy?” I teased.

“No, just…normal things?”

“Wirt, we take aesthetic autumn pictures for Tumblr. We’re far past normal.”

“Okay, but that was your idea too.”

“And you got really into it, and now it’s a weekly thing we do for fun PG rated bonding time.”

“Why would you say it like that?”

“Hey, I said PG- not my fault that you’re dirty minded!”

“It kind of is though! I was perfectly innocent till I met you.”

“Shut up, you’re a high schooler. None of us are innocent- if it wasn’t me it’d be someone else. But be glad it’s me, because you wuv me.” I giggled, unable to take my own words seriously.

“...and this is what I get for thinking you were cool.”

I snorted. “I am cool. I take aesthetic autumn pictures for Tumblr.”

*******

I mulled over the pros and cons of my latest scheme as I biked home. I was trying to help Wirt embrace the fact that he was kind of sensitive- that’s to say, he was fond of more quiet and intimate hobbies. And although he thought he was hiding it well, it was quite obvious that he was insecure about it. And as someone who really liked him, I wanted to show him that they were awesome.

I shook my head as I lugged my bike into its spot, remembering the time Wirt cried on my shoulder after Sara rejected him, but quickly pulled away and apologized. He said he was being sensitive again, and to ignore it. Obviously, that wasn’t gonna happen, but he needn’t know that…

I thought again about Wirt’s biological dad. I had met him once, when Wirt invited me to come with him to his dad’s place in Oregon last summer. His dad was cool for the most part, but he was absolutely a ‘buck up, buttercup’ sorta guy. He thought Wirt was a pansy, apparently, and wanted him to join the Portland Summer Football League- Wirt declined, instead opting to spend those summer days showing me through the world’s largest independent bookstore and drinking far too much caffeine.

Nonetheless, he still had hints of that mindset towards himself. And being one of Wirt’s closest confidants, I was determined to prove exactly how wonderful his sensitivities were. I loved them, so why couldn’t he?

But how to go about it was the question…hmm. This would be tough. I wish my problems would just disappear all of a sudden so I wouldn’t have to deal with them.

“Hey, do you wish your problems would just disappear all of a sudden, so you won’t have to deal with them?”

I jumped and spun around, locating the voice.

“Ugh. Ads.” Muttered my sister, muting the TV.

“Waitwait- play that one.” I demanded.

She shrugged but turned the volume up.

“....well, we can’t help you! But we CAN teach you to knit!”

The ad faded and my sister’s video turned on. I frowned. Hmm…I wanna knit. I like sweaters. Oh, so does Wirt…

*******

“Wait, this is…a knitting class?” Wirt frowned, looking around the room.

“Yes. And I’m gonna make a sweater- actually, we’ll both make things together!”

“Gre-eat. (Y/N), don’t you think this is a bit….um…feminine?”

I rolled my eyes. “Only if your masculinity is thin as paper. Anyways, this class is run by a guy, so shut up. He’ll hear you.”

“Alright, alright. Fine. But tell no one.”

“Mm. Fine.”

I sat down in an empty chair, and Wirt sat next to me. He surveyed the room as though making sure that no one from school was here. I snorted. He looked like he was a secret agent that sucked at acting, with his head quickly moving back and forth. It was ridiculous.

As the teacher walked to the front of the room and began his spiel, I fooled around with the knitting needles.

“Psst, Wirt. Lookit. Weapons.”

He laughed quietly as I discreetly pretended to stab the stranger next to me.

I grinned, hoping my plan would work.

*******

I hate knitting.

I had been seated in the same place for the past hour, and I’d gotten nowhere. We were supposed to make chain stitches, but all I got was a knot. Wirt wasn’t doing much better. He stared at the mess of yarn splayed out in front of him, trying and failing to get farther than square one.

The clock ticked. An hour passed.

I sighed. It was time to go, and neither of us had done anything.

“Sorry Wirt,” I frowned, re-wrapping the knotted yarn into its ball. “I guess this was a stupid plan after all. You were right.”

“O-Oh well. Yeah, I guess nothing came of that. Too bad.” Wirt shrugged.

“Yeah…maybe knitting is stupid after all.”

“Yup, totally stupid. Yeah. Well, see you later, (Y/N)!” Wirt said quickly, and left the room.

Weird. Is that normal for Wirt, or is he just strange today?

Whatever.

I sighed and headed home. I had hoped that knitting something he was proud of would help Wirt understand that his quieter hobbies were just as cool and valid as…playing sports or something.

*******

Wirt

Unsurprisingly, (Y/N) had dragged me into another scheme. That kid must have some sort of mind control abilities, because every time I join in I swear it’s the last time, that I won’t do it again…but something about (Y/N) is irresistible. I blame the high charisma, or the charming grin, or the adorable laugh- wAit- (Y/N) is hard to say no to, that’s all. Yeah.

But this time, the plan fell through. I’m really not sure why (Y/N) suddenly wanted me to knit, but I know (Y/N) had been wanting a sweater. And I have the yarn, don’t I?

I went upstairs to my bedroom and took out the yarn I stole, painfully aware that (Y/N)’s impulsiveness was rubbing off on me.

The knitting class sucked, but I still had the supplies, so…

Knitting tutorials on youtube…wikihow…personal blogs…Well, after an hour of reading through instructions, this doesn’t seem impossible. I picked up the needles, feeling kinda stupid.

I should be…like, exercising right now. Man, Jason Funderberker probably does things like win football games to impress his crush. Not that (Y/N) is my crush, but-

Ahem. Anyways.

I knitted until my fingers hurt. It didn't look amazing, but it wasn’t awful. Whatever. I decided to work on it later.

*******

I didn’t quite plan on knitting again, but I got sudden inspiration from a video call with my friend Wendy. She had been wearing a sweater that her friend knitted for her, and I was reminded of my own knitting project. When I mentioned it, she offered to get Mabel to instruct me on how to finish the sweater.

And now here I was, listening to a thirteen year old covered in glitter give me some amazing tips.

“So, who’re you making this for anyways?” She asked as I finished the first sleeve.

I shrugged. “My friend (Y/N). We both wear a lot of sweaters, and I thought it’d be…thoughtful..”

Mabel grinned. “Are they cute?”

I blushed. “Wait-(Y/N)? Well…yeah, but-”

“Are you guys, like, secretly in love?”

I scoffed. “Nah. (Y/N) would never like me…I’m not very…like, tough, you know? I like poetry, and…knit sweaters. (Y/N) would probably want someone who plays football or…I don’t know, plays guitar or something.”

Mabel raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

“I mean…that’s what you guys look for in boyfriends, right? …manly guys? With muscles and angsty backstories?”

Mabel snorted. “You sound just like my brother. But trust me, I’d much rather have someone knit me a sweater than someone who plays football or something…although admittedly abs are a plus, they’re unnecessary. Anyways, it looks like you’re almost done with that sweater!”

I paused, not quite done processing what Mabel said. But sure enough, I was nearly done with the sweater. Just a few more stitches annnd…

“Ha! I’m done!” I exclaimed.

“Perfect timing, ‘cause I gotta go. It looks great, Wirt! (Y/N) is gonna love it!” She hung up.

I flopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. I didn’t…like like my best friend, did I? I mean…it’s not like I write poetry about (Y/N) or anything….Okay, maybe I do, but it’s like…platonic poetry about how being together makes my life feel brighter and like we can do anything….oh, good grief. Even my poetry is betraying me.

My phone rang. (Y/N)! I answered it.

“Wirt! You wanna come over and hang out? I’m bored, and you're fun!”

Perfect timing! “Uh-Sure! Sounds great!” I grinned, reaching for the sweater. “I’ll be there in ten minutes!”

*******

“YOU MADE ME A SWEATER? Wirt! I knew I liked you for a reason!” (Y/N) grinned, pulling it out of the bag.

“Yeah, I…I hope you like it. I guess that knitting class wasn’t a complete waste of time, huh?”

“Definitely not, because this is so awesome!” (Y/N) beamed and gave me a hug.

I blushed and hugged back. “Thanks. I’m really glad you like it.”

(Y/N) pulled away, hand still on my shoulder. “Of course I do. I’m lucky to be friends with someone like you.”

“I’m lucky to be friends with you too.”

I smiled, trying to ignore that sinking feeling as I realized Mabel was right. I have a crush on my best friend….shoot.

*******

(Y/N)

I wore the sweater Wirt made me. It was perfect, and I was proud of him. I thanked him again before turning on a show on my laptop. I was grateful for the darkness of my room, because I was blushing. Wirt really was an amazing friend, but I wished I could share how I truly felt.

Well, maybe some other time, I decided. Right now, it was nice to just know I meant enough to him for him to learn to knit.

*******

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader

[travlersjoy444]

Peppermint Wind and Coffee at Midnight (Wirt x reader x Dipper)

So here's the oneshot for that ask! I opted for a cozy coffee shop AU, hope you don't mind :)

*******

(Y/N) sat cross legged on the stool by the window, eating a cinnamon pastry from behind the counter.

“You know ‘the Beast’ is gonna be pissed if he finds out that you’re stealing those, right?” Wirt said, drumming his fingers on the table he was wiping. He was right, their boss would have her head if he found out…

“Which is exactly why you’re not telling him, right?” (Y/N) grinned.

“I technically have to.” Wirt rolled his eyes.

“But you won’t.” (Y/N) said in a sing-song voice.

“And why won’t I?” He said, failing to hide the smile in his eyes.

“Because I'm your favorite co-worker, of course!” She chuckled, handing him the remains of the croissant.

He shrugged and took a bite. “Naw, the only reason why I’m not telling him is because I’m guilty now, too. Wouldn’t want that guy on my case…I swear, his shadow has horns or something.”

“Aw, are you scared?”

“Uh, yeah, we call him ‘the Beast’ for a reason…ugh.” he shivered. “The guy creeps me out.”

(Y/N) frowned. “You know what creeps me out? The fact that he pays us so much to do the graveyard shift, and yet no one ever comes at this time of night.” she pursed her lips, staring out the window. It was that time of night that windows made her uneasy, as the glass became a mirror. It was hard to tell what was out there, staring in…watching the pair of underpaid college students.

“Maybe there are customers this time of night, but they’re like, all ghosts or something.” she continued.

Wirt jolted, suddenly hyper-aware of his surroundings. “W-why would you say that?! My night was going just fine until now!”

(Y/N) restocked the fire, watching as dying embers sparked into a cozy flame.

“Maybe because it’s true and I know something you don’t.” she said in a husky voice. She absentmindedly dusted off the ornaments littered around the shop for the holidays, ignoring her co-worker’s look of panic. “..or maybe it’s because you’re super easy to scare.” she finished, turning to him with a cheshire cat grin.

“Oh- seriously, (Y/N)? It’s creepy enough in here as is…now I’m picturing, like, a serial killer with an axe breaking in and killing us- a-as serial killers do…where would we hide if that were to happen-no, no, I don’t wanna think about this. Stop it, Wirt.” He sighed and sat on the couch, rubbing his temples.

(Y/N) faltered. “Hey, man, I didn’t mean to actually scare you…” she scooted over to him on the couch. “Trust me, no one is coming in here tonight-I mean, you hear that wind out there? It’s freezing. And plus, no sane person would come out here at-what is it, midnight? In four inches of snow, just for a coffee.” she patted him on the back reassuringly.

“Yeah, yeah…you’re right- I guess I am rather…paranoid, huh?” he laughed lightly.

CREEAAAK

The door swung open. A silhouette was outlined in the snow storm. (Y/N) froze, her heart racing. Wirt yelped. The silhouette paused.

“Oh, are you guys closed?”

(Y/N) paused too, and started laughing.

“I’m so sorry! We were just telling ghost stories, and you happened to come at just the right time to absolutely terrify us!” She stood up and headed to the register. “Now, is there anything I can get you on this dreary night?”

They nodded and stepped into the cafe, revealing themself to be a brunette guy in a pine tree trucker hat, with a giant laptop in tow. She estimated him to be maybe…a couple years younger than her and Wirt.

“Uh…yeah.” he studied the menu. “..do you have anything with peppermint and a ton of caffeine?”

(Y/N) nodded and began showing him the menu, chattering away in her ‘customer service’ voice.

Wirt shook his head and went back to wiping tables, trying to ignore his intrusive thoughts. He tried to focus on how cozy the place was, with the wooden walls and vintage holiday music, and the Christmas tree, decked with cream-colored lights that he and (Y/N) put up last week…

“..so do you guys mind if I stay here for a bit? I’ve got some work to do.” The guy (He said his name was..what…Pip? Ripley? Ripper?) asked (Y/N).

“Oh, sure! Go ahead!” she said, grinning too hard.

He smiled. “Thanks.” He set up his oversized laptop on one of the tables by the window as (Y/N) slipped into the kitchen. Wirt followed after her.

“Hmph. That was a weird coincidence.” The broom fell and hit him in the head. He shoved it back.

“Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” (Y/N) said, walking past him to grab the sugar. She knocked the broom down.

“That guy weirds me out a bit- I mean, who has a name like ‘Ripper’?” Wirt put the broom back again.

“His name is ‘Dipper’, actually.” (Y/N) smiled, mixing the peppermint syrup into the paper cup.

“Still…I dunno, it’s just too much of a coincidence.” Wirt walked over to the window. “I bet when I look out there, he’ll be gone and this place’ll be haunted and we’ll get fired-or cursed! What if he cursed us?!” he rambled, tripping over the broom. It fell down again.

“Wirt, Dipper is a normal customer. You’ve just been up for the past seventy-two hours, cramming for that dumb test.”

He frowned, putting the broom into the closet. “Maybe.”

(Y/N) set the drink down. “Wirt, I’ll tell ya what. If we see him again, and he’s secretly in like, the shadow government or is secretly a gnome or something, I’ll handle all the graveyard shifts alone but still pay you for it. But if I’m right, which I am, then you have to…hmm…tell me who you’re in love with.” She smirked, stirring the latte.

“I-I’m not in love with anyone!” plus, he didn’t want to make (Y/N) do graveyard shift alone. A part of him liked it, even if it was creepy. He wasn’t kidding when he said (Y/N) was his favorite co-worker…

“So, the deals on?” (Y/N) grinned, swinging the door open to give Ri-Dipper his drink.

His mouth betrayed him.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

*******

They were on graveyard shift again tonight.

(Y/N) stared out the window as she strung up some more holiday lights. The snow was really building tonight, perhaps there’d be a white Christmas!

“Are you looking for(what was it)...Tipper again?” Wirt said, from his spot on the table behind her.

“Pfft. No. Yes. Maybe.” She grinned, taping the wire into place. So far, Dipper had come to the coffee shop every few days, always at about midnight. He would come in, work for about an hour, and then disappear into the night. They had talked briefly- he seemed pretty cool, although his status as a member of the shadow government remained unknown. (Y/N) decided she was fond of him.

“Why do you even care?” He sighed, in that way he did when he wasn’t actually annoyed. It was too light, too close to a laugh to be exasperated. (Y/N) knew he thought it was convincing though.

“Hmm, maybe I’m curious. Maybe I really wanna know who you’re in love with, possibly because my roommate has a creepy collection of photos of you under her bed. Or because the fifteen year old who works here on Thursdays has a major crush on you. Or maybe I’m in love with you, fancy that!”

“Maybe,” he started, in an impression of her voice, “Maybe you’re a total tease.”

“Perhaps!” She laughed, climbing off the chair, as she noticed someone outside.

“Welcome back, Dipper!” she said, swinging the door open.

“Hey (Y/N)!” He waved, smiling.

“The usual, I presume?”

“Yup, peppermint latte. And staring at this thing for the next hour…”

“What do you do, anyways? I mean, you’re what, eighteen years old? Nineteen?”

“I track anomalies!” He said, too excitedly. “In-uh-weather patterns. Like this..uhm…cold front we’re having! So weird, so worthy of being…umm..tracked!” he laughed nervously.

(Y/N) laughed with him, pretending it wasn’t slightly suspicious.

“Alright, I’ll go get started on that latte!”

*******

Dipper took a deep breath and stepped into the cafe again. He had been coming for a couple weeks, always late at night…it had admittedly become his new comfort spot. The cozy wood interior reminded him of the Mystery Shack, and the people..a person there was nice to talk to.

He had to track the ‘weird’ front that had been coming in from Oregon. Strange things had been happening all over the country, from a spike in cryptid sightings, to literally raining cats and dogs in Kansas a few days ago. Ford and Stan were off fixing it, but Dipper was trying to help as much as he could from New York, while Mabel did what she could from college in L.A.

He talked briefly with the cute barista- (Y/N), and tried to ignore the other worker, who liked to glare at him.

As he opened his laptop tonight though, there was a clicking sound. The screen flashed and went dark. As did all the lights in the shop. The only light that remained was the light of the fireplace. There was a sound of someone cursing from the kitchen, and after a moment, (Y/N) stepped out, shrouded in the light of an old vintage lantern.

“Hey, Dipper! I’m sorry, but it looks like the power went out!” She grinned in a customer service sorta way.

“Ah, that’s frustrating-you don’t need to pretend you’re not annoyed, y’know..”

“Really? Thank you. I reALLY NEED TO PUNCH SOMETHING RIGHT NOW.”

“...how about the couch?” he suggested.

“Excellent.”

Wirt stepped out of the kitchen. “Uh…(Y/N), remember how the beast said that beating up the pillows in front of customers is bad etiquette?”

“Screw-the-beast.” She grunted between punches. “This-excellent-gorgeous-brilliant-and promising young man gave-me-permission.”

Dipper blushed, glad that it was dark so no one could see him. “Yeah, no, I don’t mind.”

Wirt muttered something under his breath. “Yeah, whatever.” he added, sitting on the couch.

“Also, isn’t the beast gonna be mad that you’re using his lantern? I-It was on the ‘no touch wall’...”

“Hmm, I’m sure he won’t find out.” Dipper said. “At least, he won’t find out from me!”

“Ugh, of course not.” it was too dark to see Wirt’s face, but Dipper could hear the eyeroll in his voice. What is this guy’s problem?

“Uhm…okay. I’m gonna…I’m gonna make hot chocolate or something, Wirt…and you can…chill out, I guess. C’mon, Dipper.” Dipper could only see a vague outline of (Y/N), but he definitely felt her taking his hand. Once again, he was grateful that the power was out and she couldn’t see how red his face was.

She led him to the kitchen by lantern-light.

“I’m sorry about my co-worker. I don’t know why he’s so…ornery tonight.” She sighed, hopping onto the counter.

“It’s-it’s fine.” Dipper laughed nervoursly, suddenly aware of how sweaty his palms were.

“So.” she said in the darkness. “What’re you doing here in our cafe on winter break? Most folks head home this time of year, and I’ve got a funny feeling you’re not from Brooklyn.”

“Ha, yeah, I’m from Piedmont, California. A-And Oregon. I usually spend my summers in Oregon.”

“That’s cool, you ever see any…creatures? I’ve heard Oregon is like, cryptid paradise.”

“Oh, um…y-yeah, actually! N-Not that’d you’d…believe me, as it’s totally absurd and seemingly impossible…” Dipper trailed off, cursing his stupid eagerness. He facepalmed.

“Hmm, I believe you.”

He stared up in shock. She-she’s joking, right?

“You…do?”

In the darkness, it was impossible to read her expression. “I might be trying to talk to you alone for a reason. Let’s just say you’re not the only one to encounter the strange and unusual…or, more clearly…my sister and I used to go on monster hunts, back in Glass Shard Beach New Jersey…well, why do you think I’m working here?”

“To…make coffee?”

“Nah. The guy who runs this shop is a demon, and I’m here to protect my friend- Mr.Worry-Wirt out there-from his grasps.”

“You’re a monster-hunter too?!?” Dipper gasped.

She shrugged. “Yeah, Mr. fellow monster hunter.”

“How’d you know I’m a monster hunter?”

“I’ve only met one other person with a computer like that…you ever heard of Ford Pines?”

He grinned. “Yes! I-I’m Dipper Pines! He’s my uncle!”

“Oh my gods, really?!” (Y/N) fangirled, breaking her ‘cool’ facade.

“Yeah! That’s what I’ve been working on here!”

“Cooool!” She grinned, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Guys, you done in there?” Wirt’s voice came from the main room.

“Oh, uh…yeah! Almost!” (Y/N) said nervously. She lowered her hand, and for some reason, Dipper wanted her to put it back.

“Well, this is awesome. We should compare notes sometime!”

“Yes! Oh my gods, that would be great!” she paused, “ Alright, I’m gonna get started on the hot chocolate…you’d probably better get back to work, but this was so cool!”

*******

Dipper stepped back out into the main room, feeling like he was floating.

Wirt stared at him, eyebrow arched. “You, uh…talked to (Y/N)?”

“Yeah! She’s so awesome, you’re lucky you get to work with her.” Dipper sighed, opening his laptop. Here wasn’t much he could do on it without power, but he could write that essay he was supposed to turn in last week.

“Lucky….yeah.” Wirt sounded wounded. (Like-twisted ankle level wounded, so not terribly wounded, but still.)

“Honestly, she’s brilliant. The way she makes you feel like-”

“..like you’re her favorite person in the world?” Wirt finished, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

“Uh…yeah, actually.” Dipper paused. “How…how’d you know that?”

“Because,” Wirt said, voice tight. “Because that’s exactly how I feel around her.”

*******

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader #dipper pines x reader #gravity falls #gravity falls dipper #dipper pines #dipper #gravity falls x reader #over the garden wall x gravity falls

[travlersjoy444]

(Y/N): Man, crushes are dumb.

Wirt: I know. Whenever I’m near the person I like I just start acting stupid.

(Y/N): But you’re always acting stupid?

Wirt: ...

Wirt: Yeah, don’t think about that too hard.

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader #over the garden wall incorrect quotes #over the garden wall x reader incorrect quotes

[travlersjoy444]

Six of Swords (Wirt x reader)

*******

Authors note: Yeah, this is kind of for a prompt? I dunno anymore. I just started writing something without actually thinking much, so have a fluffy oneshot with Wirt and pumpkin patches and a slightly witchy (Y/N)

P.S.

It's in Wirt's POV, and the only pronoun I used for the reader is (Y/N). About 3k words of fluff and a very dense boy

*******

I frowned and looked into the mirror. I wanted to dress ‘nice’, but not too nice. Casual. But nice. And this jacket wasn’t quite doing it….ugh. The blue kinda offset the olive green in my sweater, and- actually, scrap the sweater, it’s not a good color for warmer tones like my unglossed maple complexion- and now I’m thinking in interior design terminology. Great.

Would a sweater vest be too dorky? Hoodies are cool, right- I…I don’t have any hoodies. Uhm….

My phone rang! Shoot- I ran to pick it up.

“Wirt! Hey! We’re about fifteen minutes away from your place, okay? Be ready! We’re gonna have the best night ever!”

“Ha, yeah! Best night, yeah. Uh, y-yeah, I’ll be ready, just gotta…you know, finish packing. So we won’t have to pay for- uh…snacks. A-and that’s it. Yup, basically ready!”

“Free snacks? Aw, you’re the best, man! See you soon!”

“Ha, you too!! T-thanks, (Y/N), see you in like fifteen minutes!”

I hung up the phone. How was I gonna be ready in fifteen minutes?!

We were off to the All Hallows Eve festival in Salem, and had rented a little beach house for the rest of the weekend. ‘We’ being the drama club- and more importantly, (Y/N) (L/N).

(Y/N) was by far the coolest person in the clarinet section, the coolest person in the drama club, and…well, the coolest person I’d ever met, actually. And it was this (Y/N), most awesome person ever (Y/N), who got me into theater in the first place. And invited me to events. And not just events, but even one-on-one hiking trips or coffee hangouts or that one poetry festival! And now we were off to spend a weekend at an indie festival, and hopefully we’d stare at the stars and talk about life….And I had a plan. A terrible plan that would probably go wrong….but a plan. I wanted to tell (Y/N) about my true feelings……I don’t know if I’ll be able to summon the guts for that, but….

But I definitely wouldn’t be able to do that if I didn’t get ready now!

I sighed. This wasn’t going well, and I haven’t even started.

Alright. Ditch the sweater…

I reached for a white button down in the closet. It would do fine for a top.

Uhh…gray jeans or gray trousers, gray jeans or gray trousers….wear the jeans, but pack the trousers to wear tomorrow.

I nodded. So far so good.

And now….what jacket.

I tried the denim jacket….ugh, no. …Maybe a trenchcoat! No, too dressy…And then a thought dawned on me. Dad’s old jacket! It should be in the attic…

I bounded up to the attic and rifled through the old stuff. There were a lot of clothes up here from…ages ago. After grandma died, dad inherited all the stuff in her antique store. And amongst the frilly dresses and union cloaks was a bomber jacket, from World War two- with me and (Y/N)’s shared love of vintage aesthetics, and the fact that it made me look like I actually had shoulders, it was the perfect choice for tonight! I tugged it on. YES!

I finished packing the bag in a panic, hoping I had grabbed everything. And- oh god, I almost forgot the tape… I ran back upstairs to grab the tape recorder and some blank cassettes. And- socks! Yeah, I probably need those…

By the time the van rolled up, I was somehow ready.

“Hey Shakespeare! Get in here!” Waved John from the driver’s seat. He was a tall, strong-looking guy- I’d have pegged him for more of a jock type if he hadn’t played the anxiety ridden Claudio in the production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.

“Ha, yeah, coming!” I nodded, and stepped into the van.

“Wirt! My best boy!” (Y/N) grinned. “C’mere, there’s room in the back if you don’t mind being squished between everyone’s overnight bags and yours truly.”

“O-of course not! I mean, yeah, no, that’s perfect- not perfect, but you know, good, yeah….I’ve been talking for too long…” I cringed.

“Yeah, a bit…happens to the best of us though. Now, you brought your tape recorder, right?” Said (Y/N).

“Of course!”

“Great! I wanted to show you this recording I made the other night, and I forgot to bring mine.”

I smiled. Ever since I showed (Y/N) my tape recorder, we’ve recorded tapes for each other- usually mixtapes, but sometimes (Y/N) recorded songs and I recorded poetry. I popped the tape in, and we each put on an earbud.

*******

The next thing I knew, I was waking up. The chatter of the other theater kids was rampant as ever, and I wondered how I even managed to fall asleep with all the noise. I guess it’s possible…For some reason, this car is way more comfortable than most…actually, why is it so-

Oh no. I bolted upwards- I had fallen asleep on (Y/N)’s shoulder.

(Y/N) stirred, and yawned.

“Hey Wirt…”

”Hi!” I smiled.

“Sorry, I’m really tired…stayed up too late last night, y’know?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, no, we’ve got time, might as well sleep, right?”

I got a small hum in response. (Y/N) leaned on my shoulder, and I felt my face heat up…The coolest person I know is asleep. On. My. Shoulder.

CLICK!

I looked up to see Ash, the sound technician, taking a picture of us.

“Hey, what the heck?!” I said indignantly.

They grinned. “You two are adorable.”

UH OH. This is bad, this is bad, no no no no no no no….

“Uh, n-no we’re not! We’re not dating, I-I don’t like (Y/N)!”

“What?”

I winced. Of course (Y/N) chose this moment to wake up! Oh no, uh..

“I mean, I-I like you, (Y/N), a-a lot, but-”

Ash grinned. “Yeah (Y/N), he mumbled your name when you guys were sleeping earlier!”

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, but what in the world is going on right now?”

“Wirt’s confessing his love!” Ash smiled. AHHHHH!

“NO!”

The entire van went silent, as everyone paused their conversations to turn and stare at us.

“Ha, that-that came out louder than I meant it to…I…hmm. Uh…nothing to see here, guys, really.”

“Oh, Wirt, you’re finally telling (Y/N) your true feelings?” Asked Kathleen. NOOO…

“No, because we’re just friends!” I snapped.

“But Greg said-”

“That was…a different (Y/N)! One that doesn’t go to this school, so don’t worry.”

“It was?” (Y/N) said, sounding wounded.

“Yeah, s-so it’s fine! Everything…is fine.” I sighed.

The chatter resumed, and Ash shook their head and went back to talking to Shae.

(Y/N) looked away from me and stared out the window.

…should I say anything? Is…is (Y/N) okay? My heart panged as I realized that (Y/N) was probably embarrassed that people thought we were dating. (Y/N) is way out of my league, I’m an idiot for even trying….What would someone cool do right now? ….Ha, someone cool wouldn’t even be in this situation…

I stared at my hands. The jacket was a bit too big, and the end of the sleeve had swallowed my palms. Suddenly I didn’t feel cool anymore. I felt like a dumb little kid, one who was masqurading as a highschooler…

“Hey, nice jacket.” (Y/N) said, turning back to me. “It suits you.”

Wait, what?

I smiled. “Thanks. I…well, it was my dad’s.”

“Well, he has good taste in fashion.”

“Thanks! I wasn’t sure about it, but…well, thanks.”

(Y/N) nodded and put the earbuds back on, once again staring out the window. My face felt like it was on fire.

Maybe tonight would go well after all.

*******

We pulled into the festival at about five o��clock. It was in the middle of an old pumpkin patch, surrounded by orange trees. There were teens and adults of all sorts everywhere. My eyes followed a girl in a full on Victorian dress as she held hands with an emo boy in fishnet stockings. A pair of middle aged men dressed in classic monster costumes carried their sleeping daughter who was dressed as a werewolf. There were even a couple people who wore newly carved pumpkins on their heads, reminding me of Pottsfield…And although they all looked so, so different, they all seemed like the sort to enjoy dancing under the October moon.

“C’mon, Wirt! Let’s go to the vendors!” Grinned (Y/N), grabbing my hand.

The vendors were full of a wide variety of things, from t-shirts to handmade leather bags. (Y/N)’s eyes sparkled at the sight of it all….I wish they would sparkle like that for me, but I don’t deserve that…

Anyways.

“Ooh, look! Apple cider!”

Ah, of course (Y/N) was drawn to that stall. It stood out amongst the basic vendors, in that it was decorated with autumn leaves and smelled strongly of pumpkin….again, it brought me back to Pottsfield, with the unpaved trails, the fields of autumnal bounty, and the sounds of people singing as they danced through the night…

“Hey Wirt? You done?”

I snapped out of my thoughts.

“Ahh! Oh, um. Yes, sorry, I-I’m sorry about that-”

“Perfect! Try this!” (Y/N) said, handing me a doughnut. “It’s pumpkin flavored. You’ll love it.”

“He-ey, I’m not that crazy about pumpkin flavored things…” I chuckled, biting into the doughnut.

“Hmmm, then why is it that you always order pumpkin spiced lattes, always pick pumpkin pie over apple, and always smell like pumpkins?”

“What? No I don’t.” I said, but smelled my shirt anyways. I didn’t smell anything, but whatever.

But shoot, it was really good. Like….like pumpkins tend to be.

“Man, I am so glad the play sold so well,” (Y/N) sighed, taking a sip of apple cider.

So was I. It was the ticket revenue that was paying for this whole trip, well, that and the fact that the actress for Hero was filthy rich, and she offered to pay for the house.

There was something mesmerizing about festivals, something that almost felt dizzy. Despite the chill of the October night, I felt myself sweat as (Y/N) took my hand again. We laughed like children, taking in the sights and sounds of the autumn field. Everything seemed to be singing. I felt nearly overpowered by the nostalgia, although I couldn’t say why…And before I knew it, somehow we were dancing. There was truly something blurry about tonight, from the grainy polaroids to the roar of the music, and I felt chaotic. Unbound.

Wirt, you’re being immature! (Y/N) will think you’re stupid! My brain argued.

Shut up, Wirt. My heart answered.

*******

I found myself sprawled out in the grass a few hours later. I could only ignore my brain for so long, and my anxieties returned with a vengeance. My thoughts were still rendered a little vauguer than usual though, and although the music had wound down, the festivities were still in full swing.

(Y/N) returned then, with a blanket and a basket full of stuff.

“Well, glad I found you again, Shakespeare! I brought snacks and I’m willing to share them…on the condition that you share this blanket with me.”

I blushed and nodded. Of course I was willing.

“Perfect!” Answered the grinning teen. I felt the blanket on my shoulders as (Y/N) wrapped it around us, and tried to hide my even bigger blush at how close together we were now.

“Well, as promised, here’s your reward,” (Y/N) said, handing me a chunk of bread.

“Thanks.” I smiled, and took a bite. It was really good bread.

I looked around the field. People were mostly gathered around bonfires, with (Y/N) and I being part of the minority that wasn’t.

“Hey Wirt, you wanna do somethin’ fun?”

“Yeah, what?”

(Y/N) grinned, pulling a pack of cards out of the snack basket.

“How ‘bout a little glimpse into the future?”

Ohhh, tarot cards.

“You ever done this before?”

“No…what do I do?” I asked curiously. The cards were really quite pretty, with gold and blue moon designs on the back. My brain churned with fascination. I had always been curious about tarot, but with how religious my mom was, I had never had the chance.

“Well, you ask a question. Anything works, really, but you’ve gotta really feel it. Don’t ask me how, as I frankly don’t have a clear answer, but you’ll know what question is best.”

I nodded slowly. “Sh-should I tell you my question, or…”

(Y/N) shrugged. “You can, if you want, it’s really up to you…but I can offer insights and help you understand the meaning of the card in your specific circumstance. It can be unclear sometimes, it’s like deciphering a prophecy at Delphi.”

“Hmm. Okay…I guess I have a question.” I began, feeling awkward. “Uhh…how will I manage to do what I set out to do tonight?”

(Y/N) shuffled the cards and fanned them out for me.

“Pick the one that you feel drawn to, okay? Again, it’s all very personal, but when you know, you know.”

I reached for one that was partially obscured by another card. I tugged it out of the deck, and handed it to (Y/N).

“The six of swords?” I shrugged.

“Ooh, this one should be helpful…unlike a lot of cards, this one is pretty specific. It basically means to let go of what’s holding you back, and you’ll find yourself headed to calmer waters…It’s a nifty card for the indecisive, like myself.” (Y/N) chuckled, and tapped the cards back together.

Huh. I guess that makes….a lot of sense. I sighed. It made too much sense.

“So, does that answer your question?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I think I know what I should do now, I just don’t know if I have the guts to do it.”

“Well, I’m sure you do- you’re brave, and witty- if anyone can do it, I’m sure it’s you, Wirt- besides, it’s written in the stars!” (Y/N) chuckled, waving the tarot cards dramatically.

“What’s your favorite constellation?” I asked impulsively.

“Huh, never been asked that one before…I like (your favorite constellation). It’s pretty, I guess. But I think I just like stars in general.”

I nodded. “I like stars too. Isn’t it weird to think that we’re sitting under the same sky as…like, the ancient Greeks, who named the constellations? And all the sailors who used them as a map? They’re like…like a relique, you know?” I chuckled nervously as I realized I had been rambling.

But (Y/N) nodded, eyes lighting up.”They are! It’s comforting, to know that even though nothing lasts forever, the stars will come quite close….. Do you think that hundreds of years ago, there were two teenagers, just like us, who sat under these same stars?”

I smiled. “Definitely. And one of them was probably really cool, and played the lead role in the play or something. And, like, listened to tape recorders with the idiot they have to deal with all the time.”

“Aw Wirt, they didn’t have tape recorders back then….nah, the idiot was probably really cute and played clarinet, and liked spending time with the first idiot.”

I shook my head. “No, the first one wasn’t an idiot…they were way too fun to be stupid.”

“Wirt, everyone is an idiot!” (Y/N) laughed. “Like that guy over there, with the turtleneck and tweed blazer? He’s a complete doofus. And that lady, with the labcoat? She recently learned that credit cards aren’t just free money. And that child, the one with over there by the hay ride? That’s the dumbest one of them all. Although, I could be biased- he stole my candy apple.”

I grinned. “(Y/N), you’re not an idiot, so I don’t think you get to talk.” (Y/N) snorted. “Sure. If I weren’t an idiot, then why am I doing this?”

I raised an eyebrow. (Y/N) wasn’t doing anything, just staring at me.

“Doin’....what?”

(Y/N) groaned. “See, this is exactly what I mean. I meant to give you a hug and knock us both onto the ground, but…I’m an idiot, and kinda froze up.”

“Why…why would you want to do that?” I mumbled, trying to hide my blush.

“Because I like idiots, mostly,” (Y/N) shrugged. “Well, one specific idiot, really…”

“You like someone?” I gasped. My heart sank. Of course…

“...Yeah, but I’m afraid to tell him.” (Y/N) murmured, leaning onto my shoulder.

I sighed. My stomach hurt, and I felt dizzy…of course….but I need to be a supportive friend. Even if that’s all I am…(Y/N) deserves that. A good friend, prepared with a decent pep talk, and I guess I was that friend…that’s okay. I’d rather (Y/N) be happy than ruin it by wallowing. I reminded myself to wallow alone later, but it the meantime…

“Well, why’s that? No sane person would say no to you,” I promised, sqeezing (Y/N)’s hand.

(Y/N) smiled. “I don’t think he’ll say no to me…actually, I’m pretty sure he has a crush on me. It’s fairly obvious.”

“So what are you afraid of?” I said softly.

“I…I just don’t know how to tell him.”

“Well, what’s he like?”

(Y/N) laughed quietly. “He’s a lot like you. Actually, Wirt, how would you want to be asked out? ‘Cause chances are, that’s how he’d want to be asked out.”

I searched for an answer. “I…I don’t know. I’ve never really been asked out.”

(Y/N) scoffed. “Bull. You’re too good looking to not get asked out.”

I shrugged. “Unless you count the times I’ve gotten love notes, I haven’t really been asked out.”

“You gotten confession notes?! Why didn’t I know that? I don’t think I knew that. But yes, that counts. Anyways….I don’t know, I feel like I’ve been dropping hints….”

I frowned. “And he still hasn’t noticed? I know you said you like idiots, but are you sure he isn’t too dumb for you?”

(Y/N) snorted, trying to stifle a laugh. “I-I mean, he’s super smart, jus-t- ha- he’s re-eally dense..”

“Maybe be blunt? Like, make it totally obvious and clear.” I suggested.

(Y/N) took a deep breath. “Okay. Uhm…Wirt? I…I love you.”

I nodded. “See, perfect! Now just tell him that. Only someone like that dumb kid who stole your apple would misinterperite that.”

(Y/N) facepalmed. “You’re lucky I like idiots.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Why…why’s that?”

“Good lord, Wirt. You’re making me question my taste in boys.”

(Y/N) pulled me forward and looked into my eyes.

My face burned as I met those (E/C) eyes staring into mine. “Uhm…hi!”

“Wirt. I know you like me. Seriously, it’s obvious.”

I nodded, looking away. “Well…yeah. I…I’m sorry (Y/N)...I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, and I figured I’d rather be your friend than not have you at all, but I get that you like another boy, and obviously that’s okay, I wouldn’t want to make things weird-”

“Shut up, you dork. I appreciate that, but I need to cut you off…”

And then there were lips on mine. I felt my heart swell, and I stared forward in shock…and joy. Euphoria.

After what felt like an eternity, (Y/N) pulled away. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”

I nodded. I was certainly struck dumb, that’s for sure.

“And you like idiots.” I smiled, reaching for (Y/N)’s hand. “God, you’re freezing.” I added.

“...well, dancing warms you up, right?”

“Hmm, it does, doesn’t it…”

“...let’s go.” (Y/N) smiled.

And so off we went, another pair of teens under the stars on a foggy autumn night, the same stars that were there thousands of years before we came and would be there for almost forever….eternally glimmering as they watch souls dancing under the October moon.

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader

[travlersjoy444]

(Y/N): Why’re you so cheerful today, Beatrice?

Beatrice: Does there have to be a reason? Can’t I just be happy?

Wirt: *Sighs* I fell down the stairs today.

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader #over the garden wall incorrect quotes #over the garden wall x reader incorrect quotes

[travlersjoy444]

(Y/N): How do you take your coffee?

Wirt, trying to be cool: Black, like..uhm, my soul?

(Y/N): …

(Y/N): Wirt, your soul is straight up milk

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader #over the garden wall incorrect quotes #over the garden wall x reader incorrect quotes

[travlersjoy444]

Forgotten Leaf (Wirt x reader oneshot)

*******

Childhood friends with Wirt for the ask, wound up very fluffy with a hint of angst if you squint.

*******

(Y/N)

I stepped out of the second grade classroom. Stupid tears were in my eyes again. I didn’t mean to trip dumb Jason, but Mrs. Jonsentok didn’t believe me. Hmph. I sat on the time out chair, and crossed my arms. I heard my cousin say that if you get mad enough, you might get powers and ‘seek revenge on those who wronged you’, and I dunno what ‘venge means, but it sounds good. I hope I’ll be mad enough.

Creaaak.

The door to the other classroom swung open. A boy that I’d seen around before stepped out-he’s the guy who wears sweaters I think. He’s probably here to make fun of me. Ugh.

I glared at him so that he would think I already have those powers, and not mess with me.

But wait. He hasn’t even seen me yet! Good.

Wait-why is he crying?

“H-hey, boy in the sweater?” I said, trying to not scare him.

“Huh?! Oh-um-I’m sorry, I just-I’m gonna go to the bathroom or something-”

“But…you’re crying.”

“N-no! No, I’m just-um-No I’m not!”

He is, though. Why is pretending not to? He…he isn’t a good liar.

I patted his shoulder. “It’s okay to cry, sweater-guy. I cry too, but only when I fight with my sister. Or when Mrs. Jonsentok yells at me. Actually, that’s why I’m out here right now!”

“It’s just…stupid. A-and I feel bad, like my stomach is sinking. I-I’m sorry to bother you…”

“(Y/N).”

“(Y/N)?”

“My name!” I giggled. “And what’s your name, Mr. Sweater?”

“Oh! Um…I’m Wirt. Wirt Thomas, except my mom’s name isn’t Mrs. Thomas, because she wants to use my step dad's name instead. I might do that too, because McLaughin is the name of my favorite brand of tape.”

Tape? Like, for presents? Why would you have a favorite tape? It’s just…clear stuff.

I frowned. “Is it, like, colorful?”

“No, like cassette tapes.”

“What’s a cassette tape, Wirt-sweater-Thomas-McLaughlin?” I said, confused.

“Oh, it’s this!” He took a clear rectangle out of his pocket. “Somehow, when you put it in a magic black box, it plays music! Like a tiny VHS!”

“Ooh, or like a music box!” I nodded. How cool!

“Yeah! This one has my favorite songs on it, they’re all from, like vintage times. Like the 1990s-my dad calls it ‘alt-rock’, whatever that means.”

“Woah. Your parents let you play with antiques? Lucky.” I sighed, remembering those shoes mom won’t let me play with because they’re from the 1800s or something.

The door swung open to Mrs. Jonsentok.

“(Y/N), you can come in now if you’re ready to apologize to Jason Funderberker.”

I sighed. “All right. I will..” I tried to hide how annoyed I was. “See ya, Wirt-sweater-Thomas-McLaughlin.”

“Oh, just call me Wirt.” He waved.

I waved too as I went back to the stupid classroom.

*******

Wirt

I stood outside the school. My mom hasn't come yet. What do I do?! I clutched my cassette tape until my knuckles turned white. Jason is getting picked up, Sara has been picked up, even Rohndi has been picked up, and her dad is always late!

“Hey, look!” an older kid pointed at me as he stepped into his mom’s car. “Wart hasn’t been picked up yet! Is your mom too busy crying over the divorce to come get you?”

No she isn’t! She’s tough! And..she probably…just forgot me.

My stomach felt queasy, and my eyes were wet again. Ugh.

“Hey!” Yelled the kid. I looked up to see that someone had thrown a cupcake at him! It had stuck to his hair.

Another kid stepped out of the bushes and walked over to me. (Y/N)? What’s (Y/N) doing here so late?

“C’mon, Wirt. you can walk home with me, you live nearby.” (Y/N) paused, smirking. “Plus, I have cupcakes.”

I nodded as I felt a grin spread across my face. “Okay.”

*******

I grinned. It was the first day of fith grade. And (Y/N) and I got matching backpacks this summer, so I knew it would be a good year. They were really cool backpacks, with leather straps and dark blue canvas bodies, and best of all, they were covered in stars and moons and suns.

Now all I had to do was wait for (Y/N) to arrive at the bus stop.

“Hey, Wirt?” said a familiar voice. I looked up.

“Hi (Y/N)! You’re here!”

“This…this might not be the best year ever after all.”

What? What's wrong?! I stared wide-eyed at my friend.

“Well….my mom got sick, so I’m being sent to live with my aunt in England. Spare the innocence or something like that, I dunno.”

But…but that’s dumb!

“You-you can’t move to England! That sounds too much like something from a fairytale, and this isn’t a fairytale! And-and I’ll miss you! Who’ll throw cupcakes and listen to music with me? And who’ll teach me how to play clarinet? And….(Y/N)! I…”

(Y/N) patted my shoulder. “I don’t want to leave either. But I’ll write you letters an’ send you gifts and stuff, probably…..”

“That’s not very reassuring.” I sobbed.

“Hey, it’ll be okay, Wirt, ‘cause someday I’ll come back and we’ll write poetry together in the woods. It’ll be exactly like a fairytale, but it’ll be our fairytale, okay?” I felt a familiar cardigan on my shoulders.

“Now, I’ll need you to keep this safe for me, alright? My sister says that sweaters aren’t allowed in England. Only jumpers.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

*******

(Y/N)

I stared at my new room sadly. There wasn’t a lot in it, but it was pretty big. That was good.

“Hey, kid!” Said Aunt Zoe. “I found some old stuff in the attic if you wanna decorate your room- add a personal flair, y’know?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Zoe’s house was big and creepy. Supposedly it’s Victorian, which means it’s probably haunted. It was pretty though, for the most part.

“So, we’re renovating the house soon,” she added, “I hope you don’t mind a bit of noise.”

Noise. Ugh.

I sighed and began to write Wirt a letter.

‘This place is spooky at night. And everything smells like apples for some reason. And it’s cold. But Aunt Zoe is kind of nice, I guess. She has a girlfriend who’s good at cooking. She gave me a bunch of cookies. I hope she marries her, because cooking skills are rare around these parts. I mean, they might not be. I haven’t actually been around these parts yet, because get this! We don’t have any neighbors! If I were to get murdered here, no one would hear me scream! Instead of neighbors, we have an empty courtyard. It sucks.’

But before I knew it, it somehow….stopped sucking at Aunt Zoe’s. As the years went by, I found myself fitting in well. I found that I no longer stared out the window, dreaming about home, because…somehow, I was home, here in the English countryside with my eccentric aunt and her equally eccentric girlfriend, Luna.

And it was nice-more than nice. It was…almost perfect. So slowly, I forgot about my old home, and the people there…

*******

Wirt

“So, why do you care about this (Y/N) person anyways? You two haven’t spoken in years, right?” Beatrice said, raising an eyebrow.

I groaned. “You don’t get it! (Y/N) is the one who would walk home from school with me, defending my honor with flying cupcakes! And we would read poetry together!”

“...and you haven’t corresponded at all since you were, what, twelve? So, like, in seven years?”

“Well, that doesn’t matter, because we’re best friends. And now that (Y/N)’s Aunt is getting married here in New England, we’ll get to see each other again!”

Sara patted my hand gently. “Wirt, her point is…it’s been years. You’ve changed, I’ve changed, (Y/N) has probably changed too.”

I sighed, collapsing onto my bed. “Yeah, I guess so…this is dumb, huh? I’m just…I’m just idealistic, I guess. And delusional.”

Beatrice paused. “Well, it’s worth a try, isn’t it?”

I sat up. “You think?”

“Definitely.” Sara smiled.

I smiled softly. My friends were definitely only saying that to make me feel better, but, y’know…it’s working.

“Anyways, considering we’re still your friends after seeing you eat paper that one time-”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” I yelped, my face burning.

“...Well, weirder things have happened, that's all.” Beatrice laughed.

*******

I went upstairs after Sara and Beatrice left, up to the attic. It was where I stored (Y/N)’s old letters…Beatrice was right, (Y/N) and I hadn’t talked in years. I wondered if we’d ever be as close as before, whispering secrets, climbing roofs, wandering through the woods after school…

I tugged out the plastic bin. It was full of the fancy stationery (Y/N) used to collect….how was that collection doing? Was there still new paper being added to it, or was it on a dusty shelf, not fully forgotten or remembered? Was it still loved and treasured, or was it collecting dust, another momento of a forgotten time?

Was I like the forgotten paper?

We used to write all the time, I would get letters every other day. Sometimes there would be little gifts- a book I had been eyeing, some stationery of my own, little antiques and trinkets that made (Y/N) think of me…But the letters were a gift in themselves. They were full of poetry, short-stories, anecdotes…It was like being in the head of another person, escaping my boring life and wandering into a fairytale of a Victorian mansion and the souls within it….

But then the letters came every other week. And then it was every month… I got less and less letters until the day I got my last one.

It read:

‘Hey Wirt. I know, it’s been a while since I’ve written to you, but y’know-life has been busy, hope you don’t mind. We finished the courtyard today-I helped design the maze. Wish you could see it, it’s based on Alice in Wonderland-our old favorite film, remember? But we’re not gonna paint these roses red-it’s much easier to just plant red ones, haha. I wrote a short story based on the maze-I won’t send the whole thing, but here’s a snippet.’

‘I walked through the maze, and as I did, the world seemed to melt. All my struggles and fears faded, as I found myself lost in a new world. And with it, I began to grow, like the garden walls around me. Perhaps it would be faster if I were to go over the walls, but I think it’s somehow nicer to just….wander….’

And that was it. After that, (Y/N) disappeared from my life, appearing only in my mind. And I was on my own again.

It got better after that-I made new friends after a strange Halloween in freshman year, I figured out myself a bit more-but there was still a (Y/N) shaped hole in my heart. And now that I was coming close to graduating, I was determined to fill it- after all, this was my last year of being a kid, and I want to tie all the loose ends. (Except for the ‘Unknown’ experience, where I met Beatrice. I’ve decided that no amount of thinking would tie up that one.)

And as much as I’d like to say I’ve forgotten about my old friend, as I’ve probably already been forgotten, I still really miss (Y/N). Sarah and Beatrice are great, but they don’t quite get me in the same way. And maybe it is stupid. Maybe we’ll talk again and find we have nothing in common, that we’ve truly grown apart. And as scary as that is, at least I’d get some closure…but still. I hope we’ll get to talking, I hope we’ll still have good chemistry, I hope (Y/N) still likes me.

I dug through the old letters until I found the backpack buried underneath it all. It was dark blue and covered in stars and moons-the blues and golds and creams of the celestial print were shockingly just as pretty as I thought they were as a kid, to my surprise.

I dragged the bag back down to my room, and emptied it. There was a cassette tape of (Y/N) and my favorite song in the bag, and I popped it into my tape player. It wasn’t my current favorite song, but I still liked it-and as I listened, I remembered how much we related to the lyrics as kids. It was an old-ish rock song from 1990, about wanting to grow up but discovering you were already grown up. We related to the prior part, but now….now I was starting to understand the feelings of the latter.

I’m eighteen now somehow, and I still have no clue what I want to be, or who I want to be. I wonder if (Y/N) has it figured out by now. I don’t know…maybe (Y/N) doesn’t need me anymore.

I remembered sitting here in this room, listening to music and channeling our non-existent eleven year old angst, talking about how we’d move away from here someday-our ultimate goal was living in the woods behind the train tracks, as underwhelming as it sounds in retrospect.

I chuckled softly as I recalled how we used to sit- with me sprawled out on the bed, and (Y/N)’s arm draped over my shoulders. Every time. I used to write poetry about the two of us, and I would daydream about someday taking (Y/N) to high school prom….we might have both crushed on each other, it might’ve just been me, maybe there were no crushes at all…I don’t really remember, but it never mattered. It was just great to have such a good friend.

*******

(Y/N)

I re-read the guestlist. Aunt Zoe and Aunt Luna both said I didn’t need to worry, but, y’know…this would be my first time actually seeing people from the place I grew up! I wanted to review everyone, remember who was nice and who was horrible, try not to hurt any feelings, and make sure I didn’t somehow accidentally ruin the wedding.

Well, to be fair, there wasn’t a real guestlist. Luna and Zoe didn’t want a big fancy wedding-they just posted an invitation on all their socials, and made the location a public place-the woods behind the train tracks. The guestlist was just the folks who RSVPed, and, of course, family members who did get an actual invite. The wedding gift request just said ‘bring food! Or don’t, whatever you want!’

I asked why we were going to Nowere for the wedding, as the British woods by our house were just as pretty, but Zoe said, ‘There is nothing more beautiful to me than woods where I grew up, especially during Autumn.’ And Luna just thought it was a gorgeous destination, especially since the wedding night was on a full moon. And I kinda missed my hometown, so I found myself agreeing. In fact, I had a funny feeling that that was the real reason why they picked this venue- they know how much I miss home.

Now we were setting up decor- fairy lights, witchy broomsticks and hats, vintage trinkets were scattered around the table artfully, and I draped the wedding arch with gauzy fabric and stars and moons.

*******

The ceremony was a success! Now onto level two, the hard part. Surviving the reception.

I only vaguely remembered the people here…

So my plan was to pretend like I knew everyone! Smile, nod, say ‘Great to see you again!’. It wasn’t a perfect, or even remotely good plan, but it was…something!

I tried to remember that once I actually reached the crowd.

Something. yeah…I’m gonna be sick.

“(Y/N)!” Waved Luna. “C’mere, dance with us, kid!”

I fake-grinned. “Sure, great!”

And so I somehow wound up on the dance floor.

*******

Wirt

I stood at the edge of the party, watching as Sara and Beatrice mingled and laughed as if it was easy or something. Ha, some things never change, I guess. But I was mostly looking for (Y/N). I had dressed nicer than usual and combed my hair, although it stubbornly stuck up no matter what I did…oh well.

I fidgeted with the gift I had brought. I figured it’d be a nice way to re-introduce myself, although I hope it’s not too much. Or too little, what if it’s too little?! I hadn’t even considered that! Was this a bad idea? This might be a bad idea, maybe I should’ve stayed home…yeah, I could just slip away, no one would notice.

No. I sighed. I had been dreaming of this for so long…I can’t lose my only chance.

I hesitantly stepped out onto the dance floor.

And there’s (Y/N), on the other side of it! My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a bit dizzy. This was really happening.

I walked across the floor, heart pounding.

I waved. “Hey, (Y/N)!” I smiled, sticking out my hand. “You-uh…wanna dance or something?” I blushed.

(Y/N) smiled and took my hand. “Sure! It’s great to see you again!”

It is?! Oh my god, this is working!

“Wow, I-I feel the same!” I stuttered, grinning.

“Yeah, we’ll have to catch up later!” (Y/N) added, before moving to a new dance partner.

“That’d be great!” I called after, beaming.

But then my heart sank as I overheard (Y/N) saying the exact same thing to someone else.

I sighed. Of course it was too good to be true.

I slowly slipped off the dance floor.

I’m such a fool.

Of course I was forgotten.

*******

I wanted to slip out of the party then and there, but something stopped me.

It was Beatrice. Beatrice stopped me.

“Wirt, you can’t just leave!” She said stubbornly. “You two haven’t really talked yet!”

I groaned. I just wanted to leave, not deal with this.

“Well, (Y/N) evidently couldn’t care less.” I muttered.

“Maybe you just haven’t given it a proper chance! This is like…this like that time you were with the beast! You were all like ‘okay, I’ll dO THiS thiNg-oh wAIt, it’s DUmB! So I’ll do sOMethiNg ELse!’”

“What even was that voice?” I scoffed.

“My impression of you!”

I glared at her. “Oh, thanks.”

Sara laughed. “But seriously Wirt, maybe pull (Y/N) aside-use that gift as an excuse! Say, like, ‘Hey (Y/N), I want to give you a welcome back gift!”

“You guys aren’t gonna let me leave if I don’t, are you.”

They laughed. “Nope!”

I sighed. “Alright, alright….okay. Yeah. I’ll do it. Hopefully.”

*******

(Y/N)

“Aw, it’s great to see you again!” I said, waving to someone I’d never met. I followed it with a fake laugh. By the end of the day, I swear I’ll be better at fake laughing then an A-list actor, or a celebrity or something.

I mean, in the worst way possible, I kinda felt like a celebrity. Don’t get me wrong, I love attention, but this is…too much. Just…too much of everything, noise, lights, people…ugh.

“Hey, (Y/N)?” said a voice behind me. I spun around.

The owner of the voice was a fair-skinned guy with dark hair and eyes. He wasn’t particularly tall or short.

Hmm, he has a nice jumper.

“Uh, hi!” I waved, in a fake cheerful manner.

“Hi! Do you-uh…do you remember me?”

Hmmmm….I don’t know. He seems familiar, very familiar, but I can’t quite place where.

I wrinkled my nose. “..Maybe?”

He sighed. “Look, if you don’t mind, could I- um, could I talk to you for a little?”

I shrugged. Anything to get out of this party for a moment!

“Sure, lead the way.”

He smiled, fidgeting nervously. “Great! I-I mean, cool, yeah, sounds good to me.”

We headed to the edge of the party-close enough that everyone was in clear view, but far enough that we could carry a conversation without screaming.

“So, mystery man,” I grinned, “How do I know you?”

He shrugged, not meeting my eye. “We…ah, we used to hang out after school.”

“Hmm. That’s pretty vague…well, what’d you want to talk about?”

“I just…I just wanted to give you something. Like, nothing creepy! Nothing creepy of course, just…umm…Here.”

He handed me a parcel covered in pretty wrapping paper. I tore it off gently, not wanting to rip it too much.

And inside the paper was…a blue backpack, covered in stars and moons.

Wirt.

I hugged the backpack close to my body. We picked out these fancy matching backpacks that summer…

I looked up.

“Wirt. Wow, you’ve changed a lot, I didn’t recognize you!.”

He blushed. “Oh, uh..sorry?”

“Don’t be,” I laughed, “You look good.”

“Thanks!” He chuckled. “You…well, so do you.”

“I know, right? Puberty hit me like a truck!” I joked.

“Aw, I thought you were cute when we were kids too- ImeanwhydidIsaythatI’msosorry-”

I smiled. “Still talk fast when you’re nervous, sweater guy?”

He took a deep breath, slowing down. “Very much so, yes.”

“Well, now that I know who you are, let’s dance for real.” I said with a confidence I didn’t know I had.

“I’d love to,” He smiled, taking my outstretched hand.

And so we did.

*******

And then we spent the rest of the night talking, catching up, making up for lost time…

We were seated in the back of the van, joking about something dumb, when suddenly a song came on the radio.

I paused. “Wirt, isn’t this..isn’t this the song we used to listen to all the time?”

He grinned. “Ha, it is!” He met my eyes for a moment. “Hey…(Y/N)?”

“Yeah?”

“I really missed this- I really missed you. I…I was so sad when I stopped getting letters.”

“Oh. I’m sorry about that, I guess I just kind of…forgot.”

He grimaced. “That’s okay, I mean we’re here now, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

I wrapped my arm around him in a weird little side hug.

“I missed you too.”

*******

Wirt

I smiled as (Y/N)’s aunts listened to the story of how we re-met.

Zoe jumped up, nodding. “That is an excellent, adorable story. I fully endorse this ship.”

Luna nodded. “Yes, (Y/N) x Wirt. Please, go do cute couple-y things, but deny that they’re romantic for a bit.”

(Y/N) sighed. “Guys, Wirt and I aren’t dating.”

I fought the urge to point out that that statement fell in line with Luna’s odd advice.

*******

We stepped out into the London air. We were vacationing here for a bit, (Y/N)’s aunts and the two of us. I was so glad to be friends again. Sure enough, I was worried about nothing, as we basically picked up right where we left off.

(Y/N) sighed. “Isn’t it stupid that they think we’re dating? I swear, everyone does.”

My heart gave a quick pang. But I ignored it, instead opting to smile and nod.

“..although…come to think of it, what if we..were to date?”

“Like…each other?”

“Yeah.”

I paused. How to respond….

I shrugged. “I think…I think it maybe wouldn’t be…terrible?”

(Y/N) nodded slowly. “Yeah…maybe it would actually be kinda…nice?”

“You- uh…do you want to maybe…give it a shot?”

“Actually…yeah. Wow.”

I smiled. “So….we’re dating?”

“Yeah, I guess we are!” (Y/N) beamed.

And we walked down the street, hand in hand, reunited at last.

Two wayward leaves that somehow found each other again.

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader #wirt fluff #wirt x genderneutral reader #genderneutral reader

[travlersjoy444]

Wirt: The clock is ticking! We don't have time for this asinine tomfoolery!

Beatrice: This unmitigated poppycock?

(Y/N): Extravagant hogwash!

Wirt: Okay, stop.

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader #over the garden wall incorrect quotes #over the garden wall x reader incorrect quotes

[travlersjoy444]

Anemoia (Over the Garden Wall x Fem!reader) Part 1

I pulled my thin cloak tighter. The wind was burning my nose off, I swear it wasn’t this cold earlier...maybe...

“How about Peanut Butter?” Greg, my classmate’s younger brother, grinned as he shoved his currently unnamed frog in my direction.

“Uh, sure Greg!” (I’m pretty sure that he already suggested that name)

“Greg, stop bothering her.” Says Wirt flatly. I didn’t realize he had been listening, his expression made him look miles away.

“Nah, it’s no big deal. I’m happy to discuss frog names if you want to!”

“Great! I’m thinking Tobias or Strawberry or Candy or even Frederick.”

I felt a bit bad for saying that- it did undermine Wirt’s authority over his brother, but honestly, I was grateful for Greg’s talking. It distracted me from the ominous gravity of our situation. We were in the woods, we had no food or water, and ‘we’ happened to be Wirt and Greg McLaughlin and I. Now this would be great if I actually had interacted with them before… but I was new to New England, and hence… utterly clueless.

We were still in New England, right?

“...But then again,” Greg continued.

“ I also think that Waddles would make an excellent name, or maybe Stanford! Any ideas, Grim Reaper?”

“(Y/N) literally looks nothing like a grim reaper, she's not even wearing her hood.”

I do look less like the grim reaper with my hood off. And the grey dress I have under the cloak reads more ‘torn-up pillowcase’ than ‘Grim Reaper’ to be honest.

Wirt and Greg had started to argue, (okay, Wirt was arguing, Greg was looking at leaves) so I let myself fall behind. I focused on remembering how we got to the woods in the first place, the last thing I remember was falling off the railroad tracks into a pond...but we should be out of the woods by now, it feels like we’ve been here for hours and there aren’t too many real woods near town…

SLAM!

..And I walked right into Wirt.

“Oh, sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going!”

“It’s fine.”

He kept walking.

I couldn’t tell if he was shy, cold, stressed, or a mix of the three, but I was not having an easy time talking with him. So far he had spent the entire time nagging Greg, stomping on leaves, and quietly muttering poetry I don’t recognize.

I should talk to him more conversationally, maye then we’d come up with a plan for getting home instead of just wandering.

“So,” I start, feeling like a fool, “You think we should find a place to rest for the night?”

“Probably…” He paused and looked towards the sky. “The sun is pretty far west, we definitely don’t have much daylight left...”

“Do you have any idea where we are?”

“Um, no...I hoped you did.”

“Yeah…no.”

“I don’t actually know if that’s west or not.” He admitted. Then he stopped walking.

“Wait. Uh, guys? ...Where are we?”

“In the woods!” Greg declared.

“I mean...what’re we...doing out here?”

“Walking home?” I shrug.

“(Y/N), I think we’re lost. We sh-should’ve left a trail or something…” Wirt stutters, looking around more sharply than before.

“I can leave a trail of candy from my pants!” Greg grins, tossing brightly colored candies on the forest floor. I think about commenting on how that’s pollution, but Greg looks so happy that I hold my tongue.

“Uh, maybe I have something we can use in my backpack! I don’t remember if I brought my compass or not…” I suggest, praying that past (Y/N) doesn’t disappoint me.

Ah, no..only items that don’t help the situation at all.

“No luck unless anyone wants a handful of vintage photographs or a bottle of soda.”

“So we really are lost then.” Wirt says, staring at the ground. He looks up again.

“What kind of soda?”

I stifle a giggle at the abrupt change of topic.

“Sprite?”

“Ah, I’ll pass. Thanks for the offer though.”

“What else is in your bag, Grim (Y/N)?” Greg grins hopefully.

“Uh, candy, my journal, a box cutter, and some tea bags. Don’t ask.”

“Can I have your sprite?”

“Yeah, I guess so..” As I hand Greg the sprite, Wirt’s mumbling gets louder.

“...though I am lost, my wounded heart resides back home, in pieces, strewn about the graveyard of my lost love…” More poetry. I don’t think he realizes that we can hear him.

THUMP.

I tripped at the sudden sound, heart racing. Wirt spins around.

“Did you guys hear that?!”

I nod, eyes wide.

“Yup.”

The two of us grab Greg and dive behind a tree. The wood path looks empty, but the sound can’t come from nowhere...my mind races with possibilities...killers...wild animals… the zombie apocalypse…

“Do you think it’s some kind of deranged lunatic with an axe waiting in the dark for innocent victims?!” Wirt voices my fears. But before we can do anything, Greg frees himself from our grip, running towards the source of the sound.

“Greg, G-Greg! No!” Wirt wimpers, but follows him. “Greg, you’re gonna get us into trouble again..” I fight my instincts for a moment before darting out to join the brothers.

We find ourselves staring at an old woodsman in Victorian clothes, working a few hundred feet away from us. How peculiar.

“We should ask him for help!” said Greg. Wirt looks almost offended at the idea.

“No, we should NOT ask him for help!” He whisper-shouted.

“But-”

“Shh!”

“You shush!”

“You shush!”

“Uhh...guys, he just left.”

Wirt stares at his retreating lantern light.

“Shoot. Do you think we should have asked him for help?”

I facepalmed.

“Yeah, we definitely should’ve. This is just bloody brilliant.”

(Okay, I’m being a little mean, but at this point I no longer have the capacity to be polite) I watched the spot where the woodsman vanished longingly...we could have gotten food and sleep if we asked for help…

“Maybe I can help you.”

I jump as if electrocuted and Wirt grabs onto my cloak, both of us taken by surprise at the unfamiliar voice behind us. I look around, but all I see is a bluebird.

“I mean, you guys are lost, right?”

The bluebird was talking. I sat there staring, jaw dropped. There’s a gasp from beside me.

“What in the world is going on?!” Wirt’s voice was an octave higher than usual.

“Well, you’re slapping yourself, (Y/N) is pretending to be a statue, and I’m answering your question!” Of course, Greg is unphased. Nothing is too weird for this kid.

“No, I think he means-”

“Bird’s brains aren’t capable of-”

“Birds don’t talk-”

“-they’re not capable of cognizant speech, Greg!”

We stumbled over each other’s answers, but I think we got the point across.

The bird glared at us, or at least as close to a glare as a bird can get.

“Hey, what was that?”

“I mean, I’m just saying you’re-you’re weird, like...not normal.” He facepalms, mumbling the last bit. “Oh my gosh, stop talking to it, Wirt….”

“It?” The bird says incredulously.

“Uh, uh..”

“Uh, sorry for the offense...bird?” I say, trying to smooth things over. (with a freaking bird)

But my apology was cut short by a beam of lantern light.

“What are you doing here? Explain yourselves!” The woodsman.

“..And I’ll see you guys later, byyye!” the bird flies away. (lucky) I hold my hands up feigning innocence as Wirt steps forward tentatively.

“Cal-Calm down mister. Whatever you’re doing here is your business, we just wanna get home with all our arms and legs attached.”

“The woods are no place for children. Don’t you know the beast is afoot?”

I stepped in, trying to sound confident. “We don’t know about the beast, we’re just trying to get home. Do you know where we are?”

His grave answer sent chills down my spine.

“Welcome to the unknown, children. You’re more lost than you realize.”

*******

The woodsman had led us to his home, an old mill he had found and repurposed, though he didn’t say for what. I had immediately flopped onto the couch as Wirt and the woodsman talked about torches and Edel-something-or-anothers. Greg was dropping candy on the ground and singing.

I stared at the wall for a bit, feeling silly in my halloween costume. I had liked it as a costume, but now that I couldn’t change out of it, it had started to bother me. I fiddled with the velcro on the black cape as I watched the fire rise in the fireplace. Maybe there were clothes upstairs- the woodsman did find this place abandoned, after all…

“(Y/N)?” Wirt’s voice cuts through my musing. I feel a pang of disappointment as I remember that we’re still lost in some unknown Live-Action-Roleplay event where no one tells us anything.

“Do you think there really is a beast out there, or is that guy just messing with us?” Oh, the woodsman left. Didn’t notice that.

“Honestly, I think this is like a renaissance faire or something like that, and there’s lore about a beast, y’know? That woodsman guy is an annoyingly good actor…What do you think?”

“I guess that’s possible....I guess he would have done away with us by now if that were his plan, and he did light that fire for us, so that’s pretty cool…” Wirt glanced towards the couch, and I scooted over to offer him a spot. He sat down, but then went pale.

“But what about the talking bird?”

“Shoot, well there goes my theory. In that case, I got nothing.”

“Then there might be a beast I guess...I dunno.” His eyes glaze over, he’s off in his own world.

“Sometimes it feels like I’m a boat upon a winding river, twisting towards an endless black sea...further and further from where I want to be, who I want to be…” I resist the urge to say ‘mood’ or something.

“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Says Greg as he reaches into his satchel. “Did you know that if you soak a raisin in grape juice it becomes a grape? That’s a rock fact!”

“Right…” I say, clamoring off of the couch. “I’m gonna explore upstairs. See ya!”

*******

I dusted off the old mirror to see my new outfit.

I had found a wardrobe full of nice old-timey clothes in one of the abandoned bedrooms, all in excellent condition. My favorites were the stripey dress that reminded me of Sleepy Hollow, the warm brown cloak with a skull cameo pin clasp, the brown leather lace-up boots, and the leather satchel that I would absolutely ditch my backpack for. I spun around in the technically stolen garments, feeling straight out of a Tim Burton film. Perfect.

Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived as a giant beast broke through the floor. I jump back and feel the back of my new cloak being pulled towards the ladder.

“(Y/N)!” Wirt's panicked voice says. “We’re going to the roof!”

I nod and join him on the ladder.

“Where’s Greg?!” I yelp, realizing I haven’t seen him in the current scene.

“Already up there!” He dodges a large black paw. “Run, (Y/N)!” (I noticed later that he had said run despite the fact that you can’t run on a ladder) I heed his advice and find myself on the roof with Greg. As Wirt appears at the hatch, I grab him and yank him up with us. There’s a sickening CRASH and the creature has burst through the roof, sending bits of wood and thatch everywhere. It’s eyes glow as it steps towards us, growling...

“How do you boys feel about jumping off the roof?!” I whimper, my voice cracking.

“Uh, uh, Greg! Give it more of your candy!” Greg digs through his satchel and pants but comes up with nothing.

“Oh!” I point to the colorful wrapper on Wirt’s cloak. Greg pulls it off and chucks it off the roof.

I watch in a stunned silence as the beast jumps off the roof after it, and gets caught in the water wheel. There’s a split second of peace before the wheel and the beast fall into the river. Taking the roof with them...and us.

*******

The next thing I know, my vision is blurry. Huh. Oh wait, I just fell in a river. Right. Perhaps I should resurface. That seems necessary for survival- My train of thought is cut short by a sudden rush of cool air and a shout of “(Y/N)!” in a now-familiar voice.

“Hullo, Wirt.” I cough.

“You okay?”

“Better now that I’m not in mortal danger! Wait- we’re safe now, right?”

“Well, the beast turned into that.” He gestured towards a ginger and white dog that Greg is riding.

“Weird. Thanks for saving me, anyways- from drowning in the river, I mean.”

“Of course.”

We’re distracted from the increasingly awkward conversation by Greg falling off of the dog as it ran back into the woods.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” He calls after it, but it vanishes. “Well ain’t that just the way.”

The woodsman appears in the doorway of the now-broken mill, and my heart sinks. We just destroyed this guy’s home… This'll be a fun conversation. He steps over the rubble, face pale in a state of shock.

“The mill is obliterated, the oil-all gone!” Hands trembling, he picks up a shard of glass from the mess. Wirt guiltily tries to smooth things over.

“Well, at least we got, y’know, the beast thing solved, right?”

“The dog? That is NOT the beast! The beast can’t be mollified like some farmer’s pet!”

“You’re always messing up, Greg.” Wirt mutters, which makes me wonder more about what happened.

“Boy, you have it backwards! You’re one of the elder children, you’re both responsible for your brother's actions!” He waves in my direction, despite the fact that I don’t really look like their sister.

“I’m-I’m-I’m sorry. Maybe I can...fix it? I-I can’t fix it.” His voice cracks, I feel bad for him. He looked so defeated.

“C’mon Wirt.” I tug on his cloak. “We can’t do anything here anymore.”

“Go north. Look for a town.”

I nod. “Yeah, thanks. Terribly sorry for...well, everything. Uhm...yeah.”

Our strange trio turns from the mill to cross the step-stones over the river as the woodsman gives us one last word of wisdom.

“One last thing. Fear the Unknown! Fear the beast! Leave these woods...if you can. It is your burden to bear!”

“Right. Yeah, uh, got it.”

“Cool, thanks..sir.”

“And you, little one.” He finishes. “You captured that frog, give him a proper name.”

“Okay!” Yells Greg, cheerful as ever.

*******

“Wirt, I think I thought of a new name for our frog. I’m gonna call him ‘Wirt’.”

Wirt shakes his head. “That’s gonna be really confusing.”

“No. I’m gonna call you ‘Kitty’.”

“What? Maybe I’ll call you ‘candypants’”

The kid’s eyes light up. “Woah. Yeah.”

I grin. “Do I get a nickname?”

“hmm..Grim (Y/N)!”

“Huh, after I ditched the cloak, too.”

“That one will not be soon forgotten.” Says Wirt with a small smile.

“Um, speak for yourself, Kitty!”

And as we wander further into the night, I find that I’m enjoying myself, as strange as it sounds. If I’m lost in the woods with a beast on the prowl, at least it’s with Wirt and Greg.

Sorry, I meant Kitty and Candypants.

*******

Pt.2 is here!

#over the garden wall #over the garden wall x reader #otgwxreader #wirt #otgw wirt

[travlersjoy444]

Fleeting Austice (Over the Garden Wall x Fem!reader) Part 1

*******

Anemoia, Book 2

******* I tugged my sleeve. It was a bit too short to completely cover my hand, so instead I crossed my arms. Their temperature didn’t change. I sighed. Why were hospitals so cold? Especially considering this was right outside the room of a hypothermia patient. You’d think they’d want it as warm as possible. I checked the clock. Twelve twenty-eight….Only two more minutes till I was allowed into the room….Twelve twenty-nine… The door swung open to a somber looking couple. Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin, and their child, the human elephant. That is, at least he wants you to think he’s the human elephant. I try not to question the kid, as he’s surprisingly wise despite his quirks. Or maybe he’s wise because of his quirks-again, I’m not questioning it. “Grim (Y/N)!” He grinned, waving his pet frog. “Hey Greg!” I smiled lightly, although I’m not sure how genuine it was. “Are you coming over again today?” Greg asked. “Oh, Greg, honey, we have to let (Y/N) be, okay? She’s already done so much for us lately, let’s give her a break!” Mrs.McLaughlin chided. It was true, I had babysat for Greg all week, and I’d brought them groceries…it was the least I could do. Because while it wasn’t my fault that their eldest son couldn’t do those chores anymore, someone had to. And I still felt guilty, even though I tried my best to save my friend from the beast. I should’ve….I should’ve stopped him, somehow…I should’ve done something. But I sat there, helplessly sobbing as my best friend got consumed by a being so powerful that I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I heard myself saying something about how I’m happy to babysit tonight if it helps them out, but it sounds as if I’m underwater. Mr.McLaughlin thanked me and I nodded and grinned, my head still a jumbled mess. The Mclaughlins left the ward, except one. I sighed, almost alone in the hospital room, depending on whether or not you consider unconscious people to be company. “Hey Wirt.” I said, sitting down at the chair by the bed. “I’m back again,” I paused. “I know you can’t hear me or anything, but…well, y’know. It’s…well, I’m scared for you. And I-I don’t know…” My voice broke. I sighed and looked away. “I wish you could hear me. I…wish I had done..something. I wish I could’ve found a way to save you…” In books, the hero is supposed to find a way to save everyone….god, I wish we were in a book…. I grabbed his hand. It was cold, as always…it had been, since Halloween. Now it’s winter break…the doctors say that everything has stayed exactly the same, no better or worse. I guess he’s still out there, the Beast. I wonder what happened when Wirt took that stupid lantern. I hope that the lack of improvement or decline just means that he’s safe in the unknown, which I’ve decided is probably some form of afterlife-and the Beast some sort of demon. It makes sense, I guess…but then what if the people and creatures we encountered were just more puppets, talking heads, a means to an end? A manipulative tactic that’ll slowly drive Wirt insane, led on by the lovely lies and empty promises of the Beast… I sighed and shook my head. I was thinking like Wirt again, dramatic and pessimistic…funny how much sway he had over me without either of us noticing a thing. I wonder if I had the same effect on him. But it wouldn’t matter if I did, as I’m here in Nowere and he’s practically dead. I noticed a patch of muted orange under the bed. Wirt’s sweater. Huh, I guess Greg must’ve brought it in. Still cold, I tugged it on, hoping Wirt wouldn’t mind. It smelled like vintage stores and old books, a fitting scent for my poetry loving friend. I reached for my bag and read a bit from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, unaware that my eyelids were getting heavy. ******* I open my eyes to a cemetery full of snow-The Eternal Garden, a place I had explored a few times now. I try to step, but instead I zoom forward as if there isn’t any gravity. Gravity had fallen, ha. I lean forward a bit more, and move so fast that I can’t stop. I’d panic if it weren’t a dream, which I was sure of now. I fly right

through the cemetery wall and towards the train track. There was a train on them, but as the phantasmal consciousness I was right now, I went through it with ease. I zoom over the lake we had fallen into, towards the hiking trails in the New England wilderness. I fly towards a familiar mill in the woods… ******* When I opened my eyes again, I was cold. I jumped, trying to figure out what was happening. There was snow on the ground, and it was definitely not the hypothermia ward. The snow wasn’t a big surprise- it had been snowing for weeks in Nowere- no, the surprise was the fact that this wasn’t Nowere. No, I was in the woods. I wondered if this was another dream. Uhm….this is stupid, but…I slammed my hand into a tree. If this was indeed a dream, my hand would go right through. Instead, I was met by pain, coursing through my nerves like fire. Sh*t, that was stupid. I cradled my hand and looked around a bit more. The woods felt familiar. Was that the creek I fell in? A-and that the tree we walked across…maybe? I studied my clothes- The black skirt I had been wearing when I fell asleep had gone from a stretchy polyester fabric to wool. I was still wearing Wirt’s sweater, but instead of the Nightmare Before Christmas t-shirt, there was a white button-down shirt with poofy sleeves underneath. Huh. Unsurprisingly, my brown boots and satchel were still there. They always were. Hmm…I walked towards the creek, as I caught a piece of parchment glowing in the corner of my eye. The ink was runny and torn, but still legible…Erin’s map? It looked to be, I recognized the birch tree symbol on the paper’s corner. According to what I could make out on the map, I was indeed at that creek that claimed most of my possessions. That means I’m about two days away from the old grist mill! Cool. That’s doable, maybe I can stay there for a bit. I checked my satchel, happy to find my book, my knitted fingerless gloves, and, best of all, the snacks I forgot to unpack. (I might have stolen them from a party) That should hopefully cover my rations for the next couple of days…I slipped the gloves on, grateful for more warmth. ******* I had been walking for about an hour when it began to get dark. Shoot. In the dark, my map was rendered useless, and I had completely forgotten that it gets drastically colder by night. The wind nipped my nose and my feet felt like ice. I need to find a shelter… My toes hurt…my nose wouldn’t stop running…. And just when I felt like I was about to be frozen to death, I saw a flickering light. A part of me was wary, as I know the stories of travelers led off course by floating lights. But as I followed it, I discovered that it was no Will-o-wisp, but the light of a window. Maybe someone here will let me stay for the night… I approached the house apprehensively, torn between anxiety and…well, not freezing to death. Actually, come to think of it, there’s an obvious right answer to this. I sighed and knocked on the door. It swung open to reveal a girl about my age, with dark hair and light skin. She looked to be from the seventeenth century based on her clothes. “Hello traveler, what are you doing here this time of night?” “H-hi,” I said, teeth chattering. “I-I’m look-king for a friend o-of mine who got…lost in these woods, b-but It’s too c-cold for me to press on. I-I was wondering i-if you’d be so kind a-as to give me sh-shelter for the night?” She nodded. “I’m happy to help you, Miss! I’ll need to check with my Auntie Whispers first,but in the meantime you may warm yourself by the fire.” “Thank you s-so much ma'am.” “Of course.” She smiled kindly and slipped upstairs. I sat by the fire, waiting for my shivering to subside. ******* Lorna came back about five minutes later, and by now I was substantially warmed. “She says you’re welcome to stay in this living room, if you wish, Miss…” “Oh, (Y/N).” I said, realizing I hadn’t actually given her my name yet. She paused. “(Y/N)...hmmm, I’ve heard that name before…” “Uh.. yeah, maybe it’s a common name around here or something.” “See, that’s

just the thing, it isn’t! If only I could place it…it’s on the tip of my mind, I swear…” She froze. “Ohhh…you’re Wirt’s friend, the one who he called ‘unique’ and ‘tough’! Well, you do live up to expectations, I must say.” Aw, he called me that? That’s sweet. Wait, Wirt was here! “Oh, you’ve met him? Cool! H-how long ago was that?” “Ah, it was a-wait. Is Wirt the friend you’ve been tracking?” “Uhm…yes.” “Oh, Miss…I’m afraid you’re a bit late, for the last time I encountered Wirt was three winters ago, he saved me from a horrible spirit.” My heart and head raced. Three years ago?! Wirt’s only been out for a month! But then I remembered how those few minutes in the lake had stretched into a month on this side of the veil, and suddenly the claim seemed perfectly reasonable. I sighed, disappointed by the lost lead. “That’s all right, thanks anyways ma'am.” She shook her head, not meeting my eyes. “But it isn’t all right…oh, (Y/N), that was the last time I encountered him. There’s rumors, now, of the beast’s new minion…he hides in the shadows with antlers of Edelwood curving from his head, and a ragged black cloak that blows in the wind…If Wirt is out in the woods still…” “Sh*t.” I groaned. “Yeah. It is pretty awful…” I sighed and went to option two, trying not to worry about what might have happened to Wirt. “Well, there’s one other friend I’m looking for, do you know where I could find a family of…well, this sounds weird, but talking bluebirds?” “Yes! Well, sort of. A girl with red hair came through here a year ago, who claimed she used to be a bluebird. I’m starting to get the funny feeling that she was also looking for Wirt- her name was Beatrice, and she came from the old mill up north from here.” “That is her. Thank you so much.” I nodded, relieved for the first time in this whole conversation. We talked for a bit longer, before she headed upstairs to sleep. I watched the flickering flames as I tried to do the same, but found I was too lost in thought to get any rest. How am I back in the Unkown? I thought…I thought Greg and I were done here…am I dead? Am I dying? I thought I just fell asleep in the hospital! How am I here?! I groaned and shook my head, chiding myself. No use in worrying much, bottom line is that I’m here now. And so is Wirt. Because I had a funny feeling that Wirt was in danger of that new creature, but I was also pretty sure that the danger wasn’t an outside threat. No, I had a bit of an inkling that the new creature and Wirt were one and the same. My god, I hope my intuition is wrong. I mean, of course it’s wrong…this is…this is stupid. Mind racing, I pulled his sweater closer, wishing everything was as simple as it was last time I was here. ******* The boy stares wide eyed at the old grist mill. He hadn’t meant to drop the lantern…He has to get out of here. He can’t fix it…hands burning, he runs into the flames and retrieves his burden. He wishes he could tell the girl and her family how sorry he is. They’ve been nothing but kind to him, and now they’re house has burned because of him. He wishes the other girl were here. The one with the stormy eyes. The one who’s lovely lies convinced him that all would be okay. But she was dead, so it wasn’t okay. Nothing would ever be okay again… I sat by Beatrice as she tried to convince her (now human) family to let me stay. Usually I’d be brimming with anxiety, but I couldn’t find the will for that right now. Greg was gone. (Y/N) was gone. The beast got two trees with one stone…I pulled my cloak tighter, and for a moment, I was home again. A little kid who wore this cloak all the time…Dad didn’t like it when I used it, saying that children shouldn’t play with antiques. But when my parents split up, Mom kept the cloak. And so I kept the cloak. I’d forgotten about it for a long time, but I needed a Halloween costume that night. (Y/N) liked Halloween a lot. I liked (Y/N) a lot…Heh, (Y/N) liked me a lot, too. So did Greg. Greg. I never treated him well…god I’m a terrible brother…. “Aw, are you okay?” Beatrice’s mom-Betsy-asked me,

breaking my train of thought. “Huh?” “Mum, of course he isn’t okay!” Beatrice snapped, putting a hand on my shoulder. “His brother just died!” She handed me a handkerchief, using another one to dry her own eyes. “Greg a-and (Y/N)...” “That pretty young girl in your striped dress?” Huh, right, (Y/N) did get her outfit here in the old grist mill. “Yes! She’s gone, dead, vanquished from the face of the Earth.” I flinched involuntarily. Gone, dead, vanquished. Greg. (Y/N). Gone, dead, vanquished. The words marched around my head, filling it until I couldn’t think of anything else. Gone, dead, vanquished. Beatrice shook me out of the damned parade storming through my head. “Wirt, I’ll handle this. You go to my room and warm up, okay?” I felt myself nod. “Okay.” I tightened my grip around the lantern’s handle, and headed up the stairs. Beatrice showed me around the house before we got to her family, so I knew it was somewhere around here. Ah. Here it is…I thought, recognizing the door. On the floor of the room, I noticed a pile of black clothing…and a torn black cloak. (Y/N)’s Halloween costume. I was suddenly aware of the hot tears pouring from my eyes. And of how much I missed her. I had been stunned before but now…I dropped to my knees, head pounding. This was worse than what happened at Adelaide’s. Greg and (Y/N) were gone. The harsh reality of our fairytale hit me like a boulder. How could I be the hero of this story?! Heroes are supposed to win and live happily ever after. Happily ever after, but they’re gone, he’s gone…she’s gone! How could I- why didn’t I- My head spun, heart pounding. I wanna go home. Home. I sobbed harder as I found myself sprawled out on the ground. How can I go home if I don’t even know where home is?! I crawled towards the lantern, and the swirling spirits of Greg an (Y/N). Two silhouettes, dancing in the fire…. “I-I’m so sorry. I fa- I failed…Oh Greg, I-I’m not a hero….and (Y/N), I’m not special….you guys were…you were wrong about me.” And then there was fire. It was just everywhere, in an instant. No! I ran out, hoping at least to save Beatrice, embers at my heel. To save her, even if I’m not a hero. *******

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader

[travlersjoy444]

Anemoia (Over the Garden Wall x Fem! reader) Pt.5

“Here, nephews, is my second grand library..or is it the third? This house is so big I sometimes wonder...Is there a fourth? I’m not too sure...but yes, you can stay here till breakfast, precisely at seven...that is, if you can find the dining hall...or if I can...but anyways, the couch here is pleasant...yes..”

I nod, pretending I understood what he said- ‘He’ being the half-mad owner of the mansion we found in the woods. Quincy Endicott.

The library is stunning, and with rain lashing at the window and the fireplace burning bright, I really want to collapse on the couch and sleep forever in this cozy dark academia paradise. Apparently Greg has the same idea, as he’s already asleep on a plush chair. As Quincy rambles about...something or another, I find Greg a soft blanket. Poor kid has been out in the rain for hours, and unlike Wirt and I, he doesn’t have a cloak.

Wirt. I’ve learned a few things about Wirt as of late, but I really don’t have the energy to ponder them right now, so instead I daydream.

Rain beats down on a coffee shop window. There’s someone across the table from me, drinking a pumpkin spiced latte with far too much cream and sugar. They’re rambling about a passion they have, and their eyes light up. We laugh at stupid things that wouldn’t be funny to anyone else. ‘I love you’ I want to say. ‘I love this place’ is what I say instead, but it’s not quite untrue...with them, every place is perfect.

I’m not sure if I’m dreaming about my future or just a scene to write someday. Either way, it’s better than thinking about super serious things, like the enigma that is Wirt McLaughlin.

“Are there any poetry books here?” Asks Wirt, hopefully.

“Books? Oh, I never read them myself, I’m not too sure..” Endicott frowns.

“Oh. Did you know that books used to be blue, until they’re red? That’s a rock fact...” murmurs Greg, waking up briefly to wave his ‘rock facts’ rock.

“Hmm, I didn’t know that one. Did you know that there's more ways to shuffle a deck of cards than there are stars in our sky?” I responded.

“That’s cool..stars are-” Greg paused to yawn. “Stars are nice..” He closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

“Right, well you all can wait here till seven..or was it-was it seven thirty- well, till it gets light out, only a couple hours….sleep I suppose, as that’s what I’ll be doing….yes, well, goodbye nephews and..others...sleep well..” Quincy Endicott says, almost nervously backing out of the library.

“Hmm. He seems crazy.” Says Wirt.

“Looks like we do get a bit of good luck then.” Beatrice smiles.

“How is that good luck?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.

“Heh, you two will find out in due time….right, I’m going to explore the library.”

“She sounds like a disney villain.”

I nod in agreement. “So, you wanna look for poetry books?”

“Yeah-Yes! Definitely, absolutely. Yeah.” He looked away, blushing. “If it’s not, like, odd or anything.” He adds, still studying the floor.

“Lovely. I wonder if these are arranged in any particular way…” I trail off as I wander down an isle.

“Hey, here’s one!” Wirt says after a few minutes of quiet searching. “Weird...I don’t recognize this author. Or..any of these poems.”

I walk over to see the book.

“‘A Long Hike and Thoughts That Occured During Said Hike’ That title is...quite a mouthful.”

“Written and illustrated by...Sadme Endicott? Weird.”

Wirt laughs. “Grim, the first poem is called ‘Ode to Endicott’s Tea’! I mean, I don’t like making fun of art, but..”

“I can’t tell if it’s satire or not!” I giggle, flipping to a page titled ‘Salt is Delicious (and Other Observations)’

“Oh..that reminds me of this dumb thing I did as a kid…” Wirt snorts.

“Do share!”

“Well...when we moved to my step-dad’s house, I decided-” He chokes back a laugh. “-I decided to be a- a ‘Rebel’.” He does air quotes “And I went about this b-by...well, every night, a bit before dinnertime, I poured- I poured a little salt on the cushion of every-every single chair..and no one noticed until there was like a centimeter of salt on everyone’s chair...I blamed it on Greg, who couldn’t even walk yet back then, much less pour salt on chairs..” He wheezed, trying to contain laughter. I feel myself grinning too.

“On..chairs? That’s-that’s so..random!’

“Heh, I was a weird kid. I did a ton of stuff like that- getting in trouble for the oddest things...like ‘painting’ the neighbor's fence with toothpaste...or stealing boxes and secretly mailing my toys and clothes to random addresses…”

“You two are dorks.” Beatrice says, landing on my shoulder.

“I mean, you’re not wrong...join us, Beatrice!” I say, throwing my hands back dramatically.

“Absolutely not.” She fluttered off again.

*******

Wirt and I spent the next hour-ish wandering through the library and sharing dumb anecdotes. He seemed to be getting more comfortable around me, and I suppose I’m more comfortable around him, too.

I was knee deep in stacks of fantasy books when I noticed that the window was actually a little balcony.

“Hey Wirt! Check this out!” I say, stepping outside.

“Woah...lookit the sunrise!” He stares off the balcony into the sea of peachy clouds in the distance. Last night’s rain had faded into autumn mist, and another leaf floated by. It was still freezing, though.

“(Y/N)?”

“Yeah?”

“How do you think we’ll get home?”

“I don’t know. I don’t...I don’t understand this place, this...unknown. Perhaps I’ll wake up and it’ll all be a dream, and I won't actually know you at all. That would suck.” I like knowing you, I consider saying. “ I like this place, weirdly.” Is what I say instead.

“I-I like this place too. It annoys me, and I don’t get it, but...it makes me nostalgic, in a weird way. Obviously I’ve never experienced eras like these, but…”

“You know, there’s a word for that, in the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows… ‘Anemoia’, nostalgia for a time you’ve never lived. One of my favorite words, actually.”

“Hmm. I like that word.”

Wind rushes by me. “God, it’s cold out here.”

“Oh, um..” He shrugs his fire-warmed cloak off and offers it to me.

“Wirt, that’s so cliche!” I giggle, taking the wool cloak.

“Oh! Sorry, I-I didn’t-”

“Nah, it’s a good cliche, but I can’t just leave you to freeze. C’mere.”

He steps towards me hesitantly. I smile. “C’mon Wirt, I don’t bite, I assure you I only stab.”

I throw part of the cloak over his shoulders and part of it onto mine.

“See?”

“Uhm, yeah.” He looks straight ahead, ears and face red.

“Hey, if you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to-”

“No! No, it’s not that. I just…” He looks back to me, eyebrows knit together. “I’m just not used to….well, close physical contact. I don’t..I dunno what to do with my hands….”

“Just don’t think too hard about that, y’know? I mean, I’m not gonna judge you. And frankly, no one else will, we’re all too busy worrying about ourselves. Well, except Beatrice, but I think she just likes judging people…”

“Hmph. Not you.”

“Really? I figured-”

“I think she thinks you’re a vampire or witch or something. You scare her.”

“You’re-you’re kidding. Why would she-”

“You kinda have a scary resting face, all intense and stern...but, like in a cool way! Like a ‘don’t mess with me, I’m a force of nature’ sorta thing...that- that was probably rude, I'm sorry! I-I didn’t mean-” He says, his voice cracking.

“Yeah, that was incredibly rude, Wirt! I’m so offended!” I step back in mock anger. “Honestly, I can’t believe you would say that!”

He looks at me, flustered and ashamed. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit mean.

“I-I’m so sorry, I swear I didn’t mean to-”

I sigh and duck back into the cloak.

“Wirt, I’m messing with you. I’m flattered you think I’m intimidating!” I ruffle his hair, grinning.

“Oh-you-...hmph.” He crosses his arms, pouting.

“Wirt, (Y/n), it’s breakfast time!” Says Greg, shoving the balcony door open. “Are you guys hugging?”

Wirt and I both shove the cloak off and jump away.

“Nope!”

“Definitely not!”

“So, what’s for breakfast?” I say, changing the subject.

“Banana nut duck bread! Or maybe eggs and pancakes! I just hope it isn’t cat food, Kitty hates cat food. And that’s a rock fact.”

*******

“Yes, tea! Tea is my trade!”

“Mm, I love tea. Do you have any here?” I ask. I could really go for some hot tea.

“Ugh. Never touch the stuff myself.”

Never mind, then.

“Bleh. Me either.” Greg agrees.

“Ha ha! Yes! It's all for the money! Yes, the money takes my mind off my troubles... the deep soul-crushing loneliness….” Endicott stares off into space for a moment, lost in his head. He shivers.

“Yes, the more money I make, the bigger my mansion gets, the more lost I feel.. why, this house is so big, I sometimes don't even know where or who I am! Heh, heh..”

“Yeah, well, I’m glad your nephews here were able to pay a visit.” Beatrice says, putting emphasis on the word ‘nephews’.

“Yes, what a - what a pleasure it is to have company - a perfect pleasure. A perfect pleasure, lads! A per-- yes, yes. yeah, yeah.” He laughs vacantly.

“Ha ha! Yeah! Ha ha! Perfect pleasure, Heather…” Greg agrees.

“Um, Beatrice, are you ever going to tell me why you’re pretending I'm this guy's nephew?” Wirt whispers.

“We need money.” Beatrice shrugs.

“We're scamming him?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“I was thinking more like flat-out stealing from him.” Okay, that makes sense..Endicott obviously has enough money to go around.

“What? No way.” Wirt shakes his head.

“Why not? We already stole a horse.” I point out.

“Hey, guys!” Says Fred.

“No, we didn't. Fred's a talking horse. He can do whatever he wants.”

“I want to steal!” Fred cheers.

“Ah, Beatrice, we’ve taught him well.” I chuckle. We do a weird high five/fist bump thing.

Wirt gasped. “What?! You guys are bonkers!”

“If we're going to Adelaide's, we need two cents.” Beatrice says decisively.

“Well, you guys do what you - two cents? Only two cents?”

“Yeah, we need two pennies to take the ferry to Adelaide's pasture.”

“Come, everyone! Let us retire to the parlor and enjoy my unnecessary excess of wealth and luxury!” Endicott says loudly.

“Well, maybe he just has some loose change somewhere he wouldn't mind us taking…” Wirt sighs.

*******

“Behold, nephews, the majesty of wealth!”

We all ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ as we enter the parlor. Everything in it is probably more expensive than my house, and admittedly is quite pretty- I guess Endicott has some taste.

“What was that?! Uh-” Endicott looks around nervously.

“What's wrong Unkie Endicott? Your forehead is all sweaty.” Greg says.

“M-my nerves. My -- my -- my ner-- heh, my nerves are a bust these days.”

“How come?” I ask. Maybe this guy is dangerous...

“Uh, yes, yes. Maybe it would be -- be good to -- to talk to someone. Well, y--actually, it all began one day when I was exploring my exceedingly large and labyrinthine manor here. I happened upon a section of the house I didn't even recall building. Isn't that funny? Must've been the old wing, but it was lit in a rather sort of eer-- eerie -- eerie light. And I pressed on, and then I-I saw the painting of the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and that's when things took a rather strange turn. From that day on, I was obsessed with the woman in the portrait. She con-- consumed my every thought. I'd fallen in love- ha ha --with a ghost. Oh, I must sound crazy, mustn't I? Perhaps it's time for you all to leave my treasure-filled home…”

“No!” Wirt, Greg and I chorus.

“Yeah, Unkie! I want to see the ghost!” Greg cheers. “To the painting!”

“Yes, yes!” Endicott nods.

“Ooh, boy! Ghost hunt!”

I smile. All the talk of ghost hunts brought me back to last summer...there was the time at the convenience store, the time at the Northwest’s manor…

“Fred, go with them. Buy us some time.” Beatrice mutters.

“While I'm at it, I’ll steal!”

*******

“Ooh, Beatrice! Look at this!” I grin, pulling out an old spellbook looking thing.

There’a crash, and I look over to see Wirt and Beatrice broke another vase.

“...Seriously guys?”

Wirt rolls his eyes. “Aren’t we just supposed to be looking for loose change?”

“We are,” I shrug,”We’re just also accident prone curious idiots. Like I was saying, look at how cool this is!” I flip the book open. “Sha-bam! ‘A Study of Zombies’! Oops, wrong page, sorry.” I flip to the actual zombie page. “Sha-bam, zombies, not gnomes. And look, there's spells! Like, this one turns animals human!”

“Wait-animals human?” Beatrice says, flying towards the page.

“Eh, it’s probably not real, but it’s still cool.” I slam the book shut and put it back on the shelf.

“Yeah...it’s probably not real.” Beatrice nods, but if I’m reading her right, she looks slightly...disappointed? But as soon as it’s there, it’s gone. Must’ve been a trick of the light.

She shakes her head. “Hey, we didn’t check the armoire.”

The three of us step into the armoire, scouring the ground for loose change.

Tap...tap...tap…

I tense up. “Guys..do you hear that?”

“Endicott’s back!” Beatrice whisper-shouts.

“Uh-um-here!” Wirt slams the armoire’s door shut, leaving us in complete darkness.

We sit quietly for a minute or so, and the footsteps fade into the distance.

“Okay, I think he’s gone...Guys? You there?” Wirt whispers.

“Of course we are, smart guy.” I can hear the eyeroll in Beatrice’s voice.

“Alright, let’s look for coins.” I say, checking the coats for pockets.

“Well, I-I don't think these coats have pockets.” Says Wirt. Shoot.

“Check the lining! Maybe somebody sewed money into the fabric.”I suggest, recalling a weird historical fact I read somewhere.

“Nope. Do people even do that?” Wirt responds.

“I've done it on my clothes..” Beatrice mutters.

Wait, what?

“You wear clothes? Like a little bird vest or something?” Wirt laughs. “Or little bows?”

“When I was a human, fool.” Beatrice says, sounding annoyed.

“You used to be human? Did I know that? I-I don't think I knew that.”

“Me neither! Is it backstory time?!” I say giddily.

“Jiminy cricket! Let's just find some coins, all right? Someone open the door.”

“It's stuck.” I lied.

“Well, guess we have to spend some quality time together!” Wirt says innocently.

“Oh no..someone save me.”

“So how did you become a bluebird?” I grin.

“Hey, what’s that?” Beatrice ignores my question.

“Don't change the subject,”

“Look, there's a breeze coming out of here!”

“Oh, yeah. Whoa!” Wirt says excitedly.

“What?!”

“A secret entrance!”

“Nice!” I try to high-five him, but hit him in the face.

“Ooh, sorry! I didn’t mean-”

“No big deal. So, Beatrice, about your dark secret.”

“Hey, how about you two tell me your dark secrets instead, huh?”

“My secrets are too secret.”

“And mine are illegal to share. Like, if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me, and the government would kill all of us.”

“Jeez, what are you hiding, (Y/N)? Hey, look. light.” Wirt points ahead, and sure enough, there is light. I wander towards it.

“Whoa. Oh, and now who's avoiding the question?” Beatrice says, glareing at us as we step into the light. I look around, we’re in a small room with some sort of vent at the top that lets in enough light for us to see.

“You.” Wirt answers.

“Fine. I threw a rock at a bluebird, and it cursed me and my family, and now we're all bluebirds.Happy? Now you go.”

“Whoa. Y-your whole family?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that why you're going to Adelaide's -- to fix things?” I ask.

“That was the plan, but - yeah, that was the plan.”

For some reason, her hesitation worried me. I might have to bug her a bit more later, when she’s not in an emotionally vulnerable state.

“It'll all work out.”

“Yeah, we’ve made it this far, right?”

“All I know is I am never going back till I can make them human again. I'd do pretty much anything.”

Pretty much anything...ugh, why does that bother me so much?!

Wirt sighed. “All right. My turn, huh? Okay. Well, it's weird to admit it, but, well, I-I think I have a crush on this girl.”

“Ooh, go on…” I say, pulling myself out of my thoughts.

“That's all.”

“That's all?” Beatrice says, disappointed.

“And I think about her a lot, and I play clarinet.”

“Ohh, that’s why you gave Sara that cassette!” I smirk.

“Umm..yup. I...yeah.”

“Wirt! You gotta be kidding me.” Beatrice groans.

“And I secretly whisper poetry to myself in my room at night.”

I ruffle his hair. “Wirt, that stuff's not weird.”

“Those are just- well, the poetry thing is weird. But those are just character traits.” Beatrice sighs.

“You played clarinet?” I ask, clamoring out of the vent.

“Sort of.”

“What else do you do?”

“I don't know.”

Ah, there it is again. Wirt doesn’t seem to like defining himself, I’ve noticed. Which is probably why he was so eager to accept the tavern-goers’ label- pilgrim. Easier for him then self discovery, I guess, to just let others choose his identity.

“Uh -- hey.” He continued. “Does this room look different to you?”

“uh, how so?” Beatrice asks.

“It's like French-rococo style. That doesn't really seem in line with Endicott's Georgian sensibilities.”

“How -what? Who on Earth am I talking to right now?” Beatrice spluttered.

“Should I not know that sort of stuff?”

“No, you’re right. The paintings, the color-scheme...it’s very ‘Beauty and the Beast’ made historically accurate. And I guess Beatrice means that most teenage boys don’t notice stuff like interior design, but it kinda makes sense for your personality. Ooh, look! A silver hairbrush! I’ve seen these at antique stores!” I say, distracted by the shiny artifact.

I pick it up and trace the filigree designs- I’ve always liked these. I’m tempted to slip the brush into my..technically stolen satchel...ugh, Grunkle Stan must’ve rubbed off on me.

“(Y/N)? Y-you there?” Wirt waves a hand in front of my face.

“Huh?”

“Any thoughts on Wirt’s theory?”

“Heh...I wasn’t actually listening? Uh..knowing Wirt, it’s probably outlandish yet brilliant, or outlandishly paranoid?”

“Uhm, thanks-ish? I was saying that...well, w-what if the ghost Endicott was talking about was actually...another person?”

“Okay, it’s sounding outlandishly paranoid so far, but please continue..”

“Look around! The place is totally different, and Endicott said that he found a place he didn’t recognize. You found a silver hairbrush, used by women in Rococo France- which he is not. And we got here really weirdly. I think they- Endicott and the ‘ghost’ - just built their mansions so big that they connected!”

“Outlandishly brilliant it is! Wirt, that’s genius!”

********

We found our way back to Greg, Fred, and Endicott, where they’d met the ‘ghost’ lady of the house- Ms.Margueritte Grey, Endicott’s business competitor.

With all our stuff packed up and a decent amount of daylight left, we were about ready to continue on our way to Adelaide’s.

“Well, Greg, my boy, I can't thank you enough for helping me to face my fears. You're a sweet boy with good sense. Take this penny and start your fortune.” Endicott smiled as we left.

“And here's one from me, as well.” Ms.Grey added.

“Hey, nice. Now we can ride the ferry.” Wirt grins. We high-five.

“Bye guys! Thanks for everything!” I wave.

“Don’t forget to buy Endicott brand tea!”

“We won’t, thanks Fred!” I nod. Fred was staying behind as an ‘official tea horse’, whatever that means.

I smile as the autumn breeze blows through my hair. Wirt and Beatrice were muttering something behind me, Greg was skipping towards a fountain, and we were almost home...all is well in the world, at least right now.

Wait, is Greg throwing the pennies into the fountain?!

“Greg! Our pennies! Why did you do that?!” Wirt shrieks.

Greg responded in a deep voice. “ ‘Cause Uncle Endicott pegged me all wrong. I've got no ‘cents’, no ‘cents’ at all.”

I sigh. “I guess we’ll sneak onto the ferry then, huh. Bloody brilliant.”

*******

I stared off the railing of the ferry we snuck onto, watching the sun- it was close to setting, but not quite there yet. The whole place was bathed in golden light, and everyone was singing and dancing- except Beatrice. But I guess that’s normal enough for her…

Speaking of Beatrice, she’s flying towards me right now.

“Hey, (Y/N).”

“Hullo! Anything interesting happen? Did someone give Wirt alcohol or something?”

“What? No, of course not. Why would I- whatever.”

“You seem distracted, or...wistful. Everything okay?”

“I..no. I mean, yes. I- it’s nothing.”

“You sure? You can trust me, you know.” I pull away from the rail.

“Can I?” She glared at me with steely eyes.

“Of-of course! Why wouldn’t I be trustworthy?!” I snap.

“I mean, you never shared your secrets back there…” She paused, the fire in her voice fading. “I don’t know. I’m sorry (Y/N), I think I’m just...I’m just tired or something.”

“Okay. You wanna hear my secrets? Well I’ll tell ya, if you say what’s bothering you. Because I have a funny feeling there’s more here than meets the eye….c’mon, let’s find someplace more...private.”

*******

And so I shared. I’m not sure why, but I did. I told her about every paranormal thing I’d seen in Gravity Falls, how I didn’t want to be in New Jersey, how many times I’d considered just buying bus tickets and running away, how I’m pretty sure I know where ‘the Unknown’ is. I gave her all of it, even how much I missed Dipper, and how awful I felt for missing his thirteenth birthday. I’d never told anyone that. And she was a surprisingly good listener, nodding along and asking questions….but before I knew it, there was nothing else to say. The words had all flowed out of me, leaving me to feel...empty? No...lighter. Freer.

“So. Yeah. You can trust me.” I conclude, finally.

“Well….have you ever had to make a choice? A really big choice, where neither option is good?”

“I suppose I have..”

“Right, well, (Y/N) swear to me that you won’t tell Wirt what I’m about to tell you. The guy’s a total basket-case, he won’t take it well...which is fair, I guess, considering...just, please, promise me.”

“I solemnly swear it, but..jeez, should I be worried?”

“A bit, yeah..” She says gravely. “I guess...I guess I’m just hoping you can help. You’re level-headed and decently clever…”

*******

I stepped out of the closet, taking a deep breath. Beatrice and I had managed to make a plan, sort of...She was right though, Wirt couldn’t know, at least not till later….suddenly the ferry ride felt less serene….

#otgwxreader #wirt #wirt x reader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall x reader #over the garden wall

[travlersjoy444]

Anemoia (Over the Garden Wall x Fem! reader) Ending 1

The happy ending version. Angsty ending leads into book two though

*******

I trudged forward. Snow had been burning my nose off for hours now, and we hadn’t even found civilization, much less Greg. Was our quest as useless as finding a needle in a haystack? One boy in a giant wood…I wished we were back and Erin and Eli’s, locating Greg would be so much easier with her witchy powers. But I left the birches long ago, and had no clue how to get back.

Wirt and I hadn’t really spoken since I promised we’d find his brother, as neither of us could muster the energy to do anything but continue onward. But we held hands to remind ourselves that we weren’t alone. At least we had each other on this wretched, perilous journey. (Speaking of Wirt, hanging around him is starting to make me think in fancy words. Ugh.)

“AhhHH!” Wirt suddenly screamed, jumping back.

“AHH!” Something I can’t quite see screamed back. A tiny silhouette flew towards us, about to crash into Wirt!

“Beatrice!” I grinned, scooping up the little bird.

“(Y/N)! (Y/N), Wirt, I’m so glad I found you guys!”

“Beatrice? Wha-What’re you doing out here in the blizzard?” Wirt asked.

“I saw Greg!” she exclaimed.

“What?!”

“Where?!” Wirt and I stumbled over each other’s responses excitedly.

“I saw Greg. He was w-with someone. This way!” She began to fly, but paused. “Or wait. Um…”

“Beatrice, you should go home.” Wirt murmured.

“I can't -- not yet. Not until Greg is safe.” She answered.

“Okay.” Wirt nodded.

“Guys, we should hurry.” I frowned. The sun was sinking far too fast…

“I- I think it was that way.” Beatrice decided, flying over to perch on my shoulder.

“Thank you, Beatrice.”

*******

“Greg? Greg!” Wirt yelled, surging ahead of the group. I chased after him, trying to see what sparked his interest.

“(Y/N), Beatrice!” He said between pants. “L-look.” He pointed to the ground. “ A light.”

A lit lantern sat there on the ground. I looked a bit closer. Huh. Come to think of it, that lantern is my symbol on the Bill Cipher prophecy.

“A lantern. I-it looks like the woodsman’s.” He added, picking it up. Oh yeah, that too.

The light revealed a clearing full of fallen trees and black oil.

“Woah.” I whispered. “What happened here?”

I froze as my eyes fell on a figure in the middle of the clearing. Wirt ran to it, gasping.

“Greg! Greg! Are you…” He panicked, eyes wide as he ran to his brother.

We found Greg.

I walked up to the little guy, frozen with horror.

“Wirt?” he whispered.

“Oh, Greg!” Wirt’s voice cracked, on the verge of tears.

“Wirt, I did it. I beat the beast.” Greg coughed. A few leaves fluttered out of his mouth.

“Aw, geez, the leaves are even growing inside of him.” Beatrice said softly.

“No. I was just eating leaves.” Greg paused. “I'm sorry, Wirt.

“No, no, Greg.” Wirt sobbed, wiping his eyes. “It's my fault we ended up here. Everything's been my fault. I-I should have been more-” He cried harder, gipping the handle of the lantern. Beatrice and I sat beside him, wishing there was something we could do.

“No, I mean my rock facts rock.” Greg corrected.

“What?” Wirt paused.

“I-I stole it, Wirt. I stole it from Mrs. Daniel's garden. I'm a stealer.” He waved the rock, and spoke in a deeper voice. “And that's a ro-ock fact.” I blinked back tears. It was such a Greg thing to say…

“Oh, Greg, that doesn't matter.” I said, smiling bittersweetly.

“It does matter.” he coughed. “You have to return it for me, okay?” No…

“No, you can give it to her yourself. Come on, we got to get Jason Funderberker home, right?” Wirt said hopefully, lifting up the frog.

“Jason Funderberker…the perfect...frog name.” Greg whispered.

“Greg? Greg?!” Wirt panicked.

“Let's get him out of this!” I exclaimed, pulling at the edlewood.

“Yeah. Yeah!” he nodded, joining me. “Come on!” he grunted, yanking at the wood.

“It's gonna be fine, Wirt.” Beatrice assured him. I nodded in agreement.

We ripped and pulled at the edelwood, breaking off pieces of wood, trying to save the poor kid from it’s grasp.

My heart ran cold though as a voice spoke from the forest.

“Give me my lantern.”

I spun around. The beast.

“Your lantern?” Beatrice paused.

“No way. We need this thing.” I said, more confidently than I felt.

“Yeah, I'm keeping this. I have to get Greg home.” Wirt declared, tightening his grip on the lantern’s handle.

“Your brother is too weak to go home.” it snarled. “He will soon become part of my forest.”

“I won't let that happen!” yelled Wirt, with a confidence I had never seen in him before.

“Well, then, perhaps we better make a deal.” the creature suggested, in that tone I had grown to recognize as a trap.

“Deal?” Apparently Wirt doesn’t see it as a glaring red flag.

“Ohh no…” whispered Beatrice.

“Wirt…” I muttered, but it came out too quiet for him to hear.

“I can put his spirit in the lantern. As long as the flame stays lit, he will live on inside. Take on the task of lantern bearer...or watch your brother perish. Come here.”

No, no, no, nononono….

Wirt sighed. “Okay.”

Beatrice gasped.

My breath hitched. Wirt, no. No, no, no, no….

He stopped. “Wait. that's dumb.”

“What?”

“That's dumb. I'm not just gonna just wander around in the woods for the rest of my life.”

YES! WIRT! I grinned. Wirt, I’m so, so proud of you right now.

“I'm trying to help you.” the beast lied.

“You're not trying to help me. You just have some weird obsession with keeping this lantern lit.”

Souls in lanterns….huh, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say…

I nodded. “Yeah, it's almost like your soul is in this lantern.”

It growled, moving towards us. “Are you ready to see true darkness?”

Wirt panicked for a moment. I stared at him, wide eyed…and instinctively, I stuck out my hand. He took it, meeting my eyes for a second. I nodded. I trust you. He squeezed my hand and turned to glare right back at the beast, moving the lantern to his face. “ARe you? Ahem.” his voice cracked. “Are you?” he said in a stronger tone. He unlatched the lantern cover, and prepared to blow it out. YES!

“Don't! Don't!” it screamed. The world went dark around us, as the woods were engulfed in it’s screaming. My ears rang, and I resisted the urge to shiver. It only lasted a few seconds, but those seconds felt like an eternity.

Wirt scoffed, and closed the lantern. “Woodsman, I've got my own problems to take care of. This one's yours. My brother, my best friend, and I are going home.” he squeezed my hand again, smiling softly.

I grinned. “I am so proud of you, you genius, brave little dork!”

He chuckled, pulling Greg up onto his back. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Wirt, (Y/N)...” Beatrice sighed, landing on my finger.

I pulled her close, impulsively. “Come with us, Beatrice. We love you, too.”

“Aw (Y/N)...I’d love to, but I’ve got to go home, too. Y’know, admit to my family it's my fault they're bluebirds…”

Wirt coughed.

“What?” she said, tilting her head.

“Oh, y’know...just the scissors that'll make your family human again.” Wirt smirked, pulling a pair of stork shaped embroidery scissors out of his pocket.

“You had them all along!?” Beatrice squeaked.

“We-we used them to escape Adelaide, and then--then…yeah, I-I was sort of mad at you.”

“Oh, you...wonderful mistake of nature!” Beatrice exclaimed, laughing.

I paused. I swear, I hear something in the distance… “Hey guys..listen. Do you hear that?”

“..you'll never see your daughter again, woodsman. Are you really ready to go back

to that empty house? No! Woodsman!”

There was a sharp blowing sound, and a clatter as the lantern hit the ground.

“He won.” I beamed. “You guys…the beast is gone.”

And sure enough, the forest did feel lighter.

*******

The aftermath was messy, but we survived. Apparently my theory was right, as it turned out we had fallen into a creek and were drowning.

I thought it must have been a dream…the whole thing, the unknown, and for a moment I felt like the most lonely person on the planet.

But my striped dress was there, hanging on the door when I woke up in a hospital bed. I remember turning to Wirt, and realizing that he wasn’t a stranger, no…he was my real friend. I had thrown my arms around him, whispering, “Wirt, it was real. Wirt, you’re my best friend! Gods, it was real!” He had gasped. “You mean…you mean it wasn’t just me?! You’re…us..our friendship…it was real?!”

“Yes! Wirt…Yes!”

“Yes!”

And the two of us had sat there, laughing and grinning and hugging, because we hadn’t imagined it! We really had each other!

And Greg joined us, singing about beating the beast, about how his brother was a ‘real-live superhero’. I’m not sure what happened to the cassette tape, but I guess it fell out in the stream, which I told Wirt later, regretfully. He had shrugged, saying it didn’t matter too much…he had backup tapes. But for some reason, he never did give one of those backups to Sara.

As we left the hospital, I looked around Nowere and it’s rainbow of Autumn colors…well, I still miss Gravity Falls, but home is where you make it, right? And if the people I love are in Nowere, then maybe…maybe I can feel at home here, too.

*******

“That’s so cool…I wish I had been there.” Dipper said, eyes glowing as he jotted down notes in his new journal.

We were back at the Mystery Shack for summer, and it felt like I’d never left.

Wirt shook his head. “Yeah, it was certainly something. I wouldn’t believe it if it hadn’t…well, if it hadn't happened to me, obviously.”

I nodded dramatically, flopping down next to Mabel. “T’was an ordeal, that’s for sure.” I grinned, wrapping my arm around Wirt’s shoulders. “But I’m sure glad it happened.”

He grinned, blushing a bit. “Me too.”

Mabel squealed. “Aww, you guys are so cute! I ship it!”

I chuckled. “Aw, Mabel, you once shipped a piece of wood with a ball of yarn.”

Wirt blushed harder. “We- we don’t like each other like that- I mean, just because (Y/N) is prettier than the moon and has a heart of pure gold and looking into her eyes is like looking into a perfect storm- uhm, ahem. I’m gonna stop talking now.”

Aww, he thinks I’m pretty? That’s…so sweet! I mean, I feel the same….He’s definitely adorable, but I already knew that- wait. I looked away, suddenly awkward. What if…what if she’s right?

“See?! This is exactly why I ship it! It’s so cute…I mean, gorgeous brave badass plus cute nerdy artist who’s usually anxious and quiet but finds the courage to defeat a terrifying monster in his true love…Dipper, c’mon, don’t you ship it?!”

Dipper answered without looking up from his notes. “Uh, sure, they’re definitely…uh…standing next to each other…Mabel, you once shipped a monster we found in the falls with that kid who’s still in pool jail.”

Of course she isn’t right. I don’t…I don’t like like Wirt, do I?

Mabel sighed. “Yeah, and they were perfect for each other! I’m so unappreciated.”

I slipped on a facade to hide my unease. “Oh well! Guess you’ll just have to find a new ship!” I grinned, shrugging. “Right, I’m climbing the roof.” I added, slipping out of the room to gather my thoughts.

*******

I sat on the roof like I had a million times before, but my mind was still in last Autumn. Wirt and I had laughed and talked until dawn, perched on the roof of Langtree’s schoolhouse. I think that was about when we really became friends, if I remember correctly…in a weird way, I’ve started to miss the Unknown. I miss traveling through the woods with Beatrice, Wirt, and Greg. I miss the excitement of adventure, and the nostalgia the place reeked of. I thought I would be happy, now that I’m home…back in Gravity Falls, and I am…but I miss Autumn. I miss that feeling of being in a children’s storybook.

Creeeeaak.

I spun around. Someone had pushed open the trapdoor to the roof.

“Hey (Y/N).” his voice grunted, as he clambered onto the roof.

“Hey Wirt.” I smiled softly. There was one thing that never changed- that feeling I get when I see Wirt.

He grinned, summer sun shining on his dark hair.

“I brought you something.” He sat down next to me, handing me a bright red popsicle.

“Thanks man. What else are you doin’ up here though?”

He blushed. “W-what, I can’t give my best friend a popsicle on a hot day?”

“Wirt…”

“Fine. Mabel and Greg ate like twenty popsicles and are acting completely bonkers, so I’m hiding.” He admitted. “Besides, I kinda wanted a bit of quiet. Don’t get me wrong, your friends are great, but…I dunno. I miss the comfort of just rambling to you, I guess- mind you, you are totally allowed to tell me to shut up if you get bored or something, I-I mean, I’m probably annoying you again, and-”

I smiled and shook my head. Some things never change, thank god.

“Wirt.”

“-and I’m really sorry about that, but like I-I can stop maybe, and….”

“Wirt.” I covered his mouth. He stared at me in shock. “Shut up.”

“Mmph?”

“Oh Wirt, you glorious use of space, how ‘bout you show me some of your new poetry?”

His eyes lit up as I removed my hand. “..really?!”

I shrugged. “Sure, I haven’t heard it for a while! Any new flights of fancy, wistful wallows, damsels in distress?”

He shook his head, paused, and then nodded quickly. “Y-yeah, actually... It’s called ‘Home.” He paused. “It’s…uhh…it might be based on something.” he added quickly.

That means it’s totally about real life. I smiled. “Go on…”

“Okay, you sure you wanna hear it? C-cool, great. Uhm..here goes..

‘A pilgrim came knocking upon the traveler’s door, crying ‘I don’t want to look for my home anymore..’. And she must’ve seen his face someplace before, for she offered to let him inside.

He followed her down the spiraling stairs, and she spoke rather lightly of her horrid nightmares, then she entered a room with two empty chairs, and pulled one for him to sit down.

She said, ‘Here we are now, we’re so very young, yet we see battles lost more than battles won. But I solemnly swear that you still can have fun…we’ll find you a home.’

‘It can be hard to find a place to belong. You follow your heart, yet your heart might be wrong, but together we might be a little more strong…come travel to the woods with me.’

And he looked into her eyes and he saw something new. A feeling he never really knew…and he nodded and said ‘Okay, I trust you…’ and they looked for a home hand in hand.”

Is…is this about us? Am I just wishing that it were, or…is it?

“And as they walked things began to get rough, obstacles, creatures…they had to be tough. But he learned that having her felt like enough…he found a home at last.”

It is about us! I grabbed his hand as he finished the poem.

“And he’s sitting here trembling in his boots, hoping upon hoping from his head to his roots. That the traveler sitting here up on this roof might just feel the same.”

His face flushed as he met my eyes. I stared into them- big, round, dark eyes…they kinda remind me of a deer or something. I..I think I do feel the same.

I looked away, shaking my head. “Wow, friends to lovers..”

His eyes widened more. “I mean, you don’t have to- I’m so s-sorry if-”

I sighed. “Friends to lovers…my favorite trope, perfect to share with my favorite person.”

Wirt fidgeted with his sweater sleeve. “(Y/N), I…I think Mabel was right. I didn’t think I liked you like that, but now…”

“Yeah, same.” I smiled softly.

“So…wanna be my girlfriend?” He said in a barely audible tone.

“Yeah. Yeah!” I grinned.

I wrapped my arms around him, and he hugged me back.

“Thanks for being…you, Wirt.” I whispered into his sweater.

“Thanks for being there for me, (Y/N)...for being talented and smart….I- I love you, I think.”

“I love you too, ya brilliant dork.”

*******

Suddenly there’s a crash of lightning. I jump back, and so does Wirt. I close my eyes, unsure of what’s going on…and when I open them, I’m not sure we’re still in Oregon.

“(Y/N)....how come the leaves here are all orange? I thought it was the middle of summer….”

*******

Author's note: This is the first of two endings. This one is fluffy and happy, while the other is angsty but more in character. The second ending leads into Book Two, so...I'm more excited for the angsty version >:)

and let's face it, this is a pretty weak ending

#otgwxreader #otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #wirt otgw #wirt x reader #over the garden wall x reader #otgw x reader

[travlersjoy444]

Anemoia (Over the Garden Wall x Fem! reader) Pt.2

The sun burns my eyes for a moment as I realize it’s practically morning. Normally my feet would hurt from walking so long, but luckily they don’t right now for some inexplicable reason. Maybe it’s because I’m wearing mismatched shoes. (Which wasn’t intentional, I noticed it about an hour ago much to my chagrin) I turn back to see how my companions are faring and chide myself for letting Greg bother (Y/N)- she shouldn’t have to deal with my pesky brother. But honestly, I don’t want to deal with him either.

(Y/N). What do I know about (Y/N)...she’s new to town and kinda popular because of it, she’s in the drama club, and she’s terrifying. She’s probably about the same height as me give or take a few inches, but she gives off the aura of someone taller. She was like an...ocean? No...a vampire...or a siren...I’ll think of a good simile later, but something like I’m very beautiful, but I’m also powerful and will gladly kill you. A ruthless, wild beauty.( No, actually, that’s too poetic- it’s almost cheesy.) And she probably hated me.

So naturally I never talked to her. But Sara talked to her, so I would occasionally overhear things about (Y/N). She was from Gravity Falls, Oregon. She likes tea and Tim Burton movies. She has a cat…

I’m not sure what I think of her. In a weird way, I’ve only recently started processing her as a human rather than a concept… But I guess that’s just what happens when you get lost in the forest with only the scary girl and your brother for company.

Speaking of which…

“It’s almost morning, we should have found a town by now. This is the direction the woodsman told us to go, right?”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to respond, but Greg cut her off by blowing a raspberry.

“Have you listened to anything I’m saying? For the last few hours I’ve been saying pllfft!”

I roll my eyes. “Well that settles it, (Y/N) and I are walking ten feet ahead of you.”

(Y/N) shrugged. “He’ll be fine, right?”

“Yeah, he wanders off on his own all the time- he’ll be fine if we’re walking faster than he is.”I explain.“Sorry about him,” I added.

She smiled. “Honestly Wirt, you’re the only one annoyed by your brother. But I get it, siblings are annoying, and even more so when no one else finds it annoying.”

“Ugh, yeah.”

“Hey guys? I hear something!” Greg has caught up with us. Lovely.

“It’s probably nothing, Greg- Oh! Hey, look!” As I turned to look at Greg, I spotted a sign! “‘Pottsfield, one mile’! A Town! Let’s go this way!”

(Y/N) grins. “And it’s by a pumpkin patch!” She gestures towards the field full of pumpkins and other autumnal bounty.

“Okay, let’s go this way.” Greg turns and runs in the opposite direction.

“Not-ugh…”

“Well on the bright side, we found a town!” (Y/N)’s eyes are still shining even as we backtrack to follow Greg.

“Yup. Looks like this adventure is over!” I agree.

“Maybe they have real food! Like the kind that isn’t candy!”

She sounds so carefree that for a moment I nearly forget that I’m afraid of her. That moment is killed quickly though when we find Greg talking to a bush as if it’s sentient.

“Greg, stop talking to a bush.”

“Okay!” As he does, he pulls out the bird. The talking bird that I’ve been trying to forget about.

“Thanks,” Says the bird. “I owe you a favor. So you three are lost kids with no purpose in life, right?”

“Yup!” Says Greg eagerly.

“Ouch..” (Y/N) looks about as annoyed as I feel. No purpose in life...

“How about I bring you to Adelaide of the pasture, the good woman of the woods? She could help you get home.”

I was most certainly not in the mood for this….magic birds, good witches..and we were so close to civilization, too..why couldn’t people- I mean Greg- just listen?

“N-no, no. No no. No, no, no, no, no. Magic talking birds leading us to fairy godmothers in the mysterious- I’m going to Pottsfield.” I start to walk off.

I hear (Y/N) saying something I can’t quite hear, but what I did hear was Greg talking with the bird. At one point Greg introduced me to her, and all she said was ‘who cares?’ Which...well, is fair, but I gave her a glare nonetheless.

We reach the summit of yet another hill, only this time there is a little town with old colonial houses at the bottom. Finally!

“Aha! Civilization, see? Now-” There's a squishing noise, and I look down to my feet to see that I’ve stepped in a pumpkin. “...seriously?” It had kinda killed the dramatic effect of my statement, but whatever. “All right, let’s rejoin society!”

But as we head down the hill, there is an apparent lack of people.

“Hello? Anyone there?” As I look around, I see a figure in the field near me. It steps closer and closer and whispers a language I don’t recognize and when it’s face to face with me it throws off it’s hood and-

“Rar!”

“And you wonder why we call you ‘Grim (Y/N)’.”

She had doubled over laughing, before becoming more serious.

“I found this black cloak in the field back there, evidently someone lives here...god, I hope it’s not just one person in an abandoned town. Although I guess I wouldn’t be surprised…”

“Shoot, you could be right. That’s...that wouldn’t be good. “

“Maybe they’ll have a phone!” (Y/N)’s eyes lit up momentarily.

“I mean, I hope so, but honestly I’m not...I’m not sure. Things are weird here- I mean these houses are all colonial houses, and the mill also had rather colonial architecture...as well as the fact that the woodsman wore old style clothes...and the outfit you found upstairs is also kinda old...do-do you think we time traveled or something?” I felt my face get hot as my voice had cracked again. Hopefully she doesn’t notice.

“That’s...actually a good theory, but..how?...life is weird.”

I nod. Life is weird. As I opened my mouth to respond, Beatrice (as that was the bird’s name apparently) flew by us and landed on (Y/N)’s shoulder. ( I couldn’t tell if (Y/N)’s expression at that was supposed to read ‘annoyed’ or ‘flattered’)

“Did you two find anything?”

“No.” I answered. “Where's Greg?”

There’s a rustling sound by my feet as Greg climbs out of a haystack.

“Do you hear that?”

“Huh?” I paused. Sure enough, I could hear faint music coming from...the barn at the edge of the field?

The three of us and Beatrice rush towards the barn. It’s red paint is chipped and the doors creak as I shove them open, and sure enough, music is pouring from it, escaping through each chip and crack in the wood.

The source of the music was what looked like a harvest festival. Sure enough, there were crowds of people laughing and dancing. Looks like that’s why the town is empty. But the strange thing was, everyone seemed to be made of...pumpkins and corn husks…?

“What the…”

“Should I even be surprised at this point?” Muttered (Y/N).

I watched in shock as another pumpkin person squeezed through our group to join the festivities.

“Oh, pardon me there. Say, you folks ought to don your vegetables and celebrate the harvest with us.”

Don your- ohhh.

“You’re wearing costumes!” I realized.

“Of course! Pumpkins can’t just get up and move on their own, can they?”

“Ha, no. Yeah, no.” I nod in relief.

“Good thing I didn’t take this off.” Says Greg, stomping around with the pumpkin he stepped in earlier still on his foot.

“..You guys think this is creepy too, right?” Says Beatrice.

“Uhh..I think it’s sorta cute, in like, a nostalgic way, y’know? Like Halloweeen themed storybooks- creepy, but cozy creepy. But maybe I’m just weird.” (Y/N) shrugs.

I nod. “Yeah, they seem nice enough.”

Beatrice shakes her head. “Okay, you two are delusional. Cool.”

“Right,” I begin, trying to regain control over the situation. “Maybe someone here will give us a ride home. Greg, try to stay out of trouble, and Beatrice, thanks, but you can leave. (Y/N), you’re good with words.. uh...help me find a ride home?”

Beatrice answered before her. “Hate to say it, but I’m honor-bound to help you guys-uh, bluebird..rules.”

“Woah, that’s a thing? Do you have like-little bluebird towns and law systems?” Asked (Y/N).

“Nope.”

*******

(Y/N) and I wandered through the crowd. We were supposed to talk to people and ask for a ride home, but...anxiety. I didn’t want to bother anyone, y’know? I wasn’t sure why (Y/N) wasn’t doing anything though, she didn’t seem like the sort to be..afraid of people. I mean, back home, she’s usually surrounded by the popular girls who all have six-foot tall boyfriends. (Does (Y/N) have a significant other?)

“So.” I start. “Should we ask for help then?”

“Uh. Yeah...probably, yeah. I just…well..” She looked away uncomfortably. “Right. Um, I guess I’ll ask....her-”

She was cut off by a feminine voice.

“Say, aren’t you two a bit early?”

...Um.

“What do you mean?”

The pumpkin girl shrugs “Well, it doesn’t seem like you’re quite ready to join us yet.”

(Y/N) nods. “No, we’re not, we were just heading home and got kinda lost. We don’t plan on staying too long….”

“Well, folks tend to stay at Pottsfield, you know.”

I smile nervously. “Oh...yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s nice here!”

“Ehm, we’re actually just trying to leave as fast as possible?”

But I feel myself go pale as silence washes over the festivities. An old looking pumpkin person lumbers towards me-no, us.

“Who’s talking about leaving Pottsfield?”

Greg, in a classic display of horrible timing, runs toward us.

“Oh, we’re leaving already?”

“I’m-I’m just trying to get home.” I say weakly. The crowd has us surrounded. There’s a creak from the shadows as the apparently sentient maypole sways forward. Their leader, I guess.

“Enoch, what shall we do about them?” asked the old pumpkin man.

“Let’s see here, newcomers. How did you end up in this town of ours?”

I look over to the group in hopes that someone else will answer. Beatrice seems to have flown away, I don’t trust Greg to give a good answer, and (Y/N) is gripping her cloak pin so hard that her knuckles are white. I swallow.

“Well, we were trying to get home. We came into town from the woods. Uh, we saw your town and thought, ‘oh look! Here’s a normal place with normal people!”

“And we both stepped on pumpkins!” Greg adds, tugging on my cloak. (Y/N) nods, wringing her hands as she joins in. “Well, we heard the music from the barn and hoped someone could help us get home, like, maybe with a map or something. But I really think we’d best be going now, as evidently we’ve caused quite the disturbance...terribly sorry about that. We should’ve knocked or something.”

“Now let me get this straight. You come into our town, trample our crops, disturb our private engagement, and expect to just leave?”

(Y/N) nods with a surge of confidence. “That just about sums it up, yes.”

Her voice grew stronger and colder as she continued. “Is there any way for us to make up for our terrible transgressions before we wander off on our merry way?” All of Pottsfield seemed to hold its breath as (Y/N) stole Enoch’s control over the conversation. See, this is what I mean. (Y/N), despite her initial nervousness, is a little terrifying.

“A few hours of manual labor, perhaps? Frankly, even that’s a bit much, but take it or leave it..” She suggested loftily

If I thought it was quiet before, then this was the next level of it.

“...I suppose that should do.”

And the spell was broken. (Y/N) seemed to almost deflate as her body relaxed, and I realized she had been standing rigidly for the whole thing.

“Thank the gods that worked.” She muttered.

*******

I clipped another pumpkin off the vine as I watched (Y/N) and Greg in the distance. They were supposed to be painting the barn, but Greg was painting corn and (Y/N) was pretending to work- as she put it, “I just got this outfit, I refuse to ruin it with paint.” Beatrice, (who had been promptly caught trying to fly away and had to work too) was also pretending to work, because as she put it, “This is your fault so you will fix it. I will eat corn.”

(Y/N) and Greg put away the paint and walk towards the field where we are.

“Hey Wirt, Beatrice. I hate red paint.” Says (Y/N) angrily.

“And why’s that?” says Beatrice, sounding bored.

“Because someone-” Greg pointed to his frog as she spoke. “-poured it on my lunch!”

I shrugged and handed her an ear of corn.

“Thanks Kitty.”

“You got it, Grim (Y/N).”

Greg chuckled. “Hehe, nicknames. Do you have a nickname Beatrice?”

“No. And you will not give me one.”

“Hmm, what about Bee? Or Maggots?”

“Absolutely not.”

(Y/N) laughed softly at their antics.

“C’mon Wirt, let’s go get started on loading that stupid cart while they bond.”

“Uh, sure..cool.”

We work quietly for a bit before I decide to attempt a conversation.

“So..so how’re you liking Nowhere?”

“Eh, it’s okay. I mean, it’s-it’s nice, don’t get me wrong, it just doesn’t feel like..home yet, y’know?”

I think back to my home. Technically it hadn’t moved, but after mom remarried…

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

She shrugs. “Everyone says it’s natural or whatever, but still...I just miss going to the Mystery Shack- this rubbish old tourist trap I used to work at- after school, hanging out with my old friend group, all the over the top Wanderlust bumper stickers, flannels...and, god, it always smelled like pine trees. I had a friend who would always wear a pinetree hat...I missed his thirteenth birthday, ‘cause we moved here...well, not Pottsfield, but y’know...New England…” Her eyes were glossy and her voice was a bit strangled. I set down the pumpkin and sit next to her on the cornhusks.

“-and the rain...everyone complained about it, but I loved it. Overcast rainy days...they are-well, were the best. Ha, sorry Wirt..I’m totally rambling, aren’t I…”

I awkwardly nod. “I mean, yeah, a bit...but I don’t mind, I ramble all the time too..I get how it’s embarrassing though, like, especially ‘cause I stutter a lot or forget what I’m saying mid-sentence and that’s pretty weird. I mean, that’s probably why no one likes me at school, anyway… now I’m rambling, heh…”

She raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean no one likes you at school?”

“I mean, it’s true. Sarah- I mean girls think I’m weird and nerdy, and plus I’m awkward around her- them. Boys are all cooler than me and don’t read poetry for fun...you didn’t- don’t like me much either, or at least I thought-”

She put her hand on my shoulder, and I felt my face get hot. She may not be Sarah, but still, she’s a girl and she’s touching me.

“I always liked you, Wirt. You were interesting-looking, unique. I mean, Sarah showed me that tape you gave her on Halloween, and I was like ‘Woah, a tape. Of course Wirt would still use tapes! That’s so different, it’s cool!’”

I’m not exactly sure if being ‘unique’ was a good thing, though. I wasn't unique, I was a mess. But I nod anyway- maybe ‘unique’ is good in Oregon.

“Thanks, (Y/N). I- well, I..thanks.” I finished. My face was burning, so I picked up the pumpkin again as an excuse to break eye contact.

“Oh, Wirt?”

“What?”

“It’s nice talking to you. You remind me of someone I used to know, someone...yeah. Someone. And I hope that whenever we get home, we’ll be..friends?”

“Yeah, no, I’d like that. You’re..you’re cool, (Y/N). Sorry, that’s probably a lame compliment. I guess what I mean is...well, as far as people to be lost in the woods with, you’re not half bad.”

And it’s true, although she still kinda scares me.

Wait, she knows about the tape?

Has Sarah listened to it?

Uh oh.

*******

We’re almost done with our last task. I stand waist deep in soft earth and try to think of poetry, but it all came out like emo lyrics much to my annoyance. (Y/N) has been dragged off by Greg a few feet away, leaving me with Beatrice.

“See Beatrice? Sure these folks are a bit weird, but we’re practically done!”

“And then what are you gonna do- just wander around this way and that way through the woods forevermore?”

“ Uh... uh- maybe we'll just stay here in Pottsfield. It's nice here.” I chuckle for a moment. But deep down, I know we can’t stay in Pottsfield. I sigh.

“I don't know. I don't know!” ”

“ Why do they even have you digging these holes?”

“Planting seeds or something.”

“Maybe they're gonna bury you out here!” She says cheerfully in a rather un-Beatrice like tone. I roll my eyes.

There’s a ‘whoo’ from behind us, and I spin around to see Greg running towards me.

“We found buried treasure!”

(Y/N) calls weakly from behind him.

“I was joking- Greg- It’s...not treasure, it's...sarcasm...Wirt! Uh...bad news, dude….” She clamors out of the hole she was digging. Greg bounces excitedly.

“Lookit! See? Treasure!”

(Y/N) smiles in a way that looks more like a grimace as her hand emerges from the hole.

“Fancy recreating Hamlet?”

“Ahh!” I unintentionally yelp.

My heart drops as (Y/N) reveals a human skull.

Panic rises as I hear music in the distance. My mouth has gone completely dry.

“We’re digging our own- '' I force back a whimper. “Our own...I-I-I was wrong. I was wrong all along. I-I don’t know how to get us home! Beatrice, use your little feet to pick the locks!”

“Oho, now you want my help?”

“I don’t want your help-”

“Not helping, Kitty!” Says (Y/N) shrilly. “And yes, yes we do want your help! Wirt just- he just- Yes we want your help!”

I nod aggressively. “Beatrice, please, seriou-”

A shadow falls over us. Enoch.

“Your time is up!”

“Aah!” I yelp and fall backwards. (Y/N)’s posture straightens as she tries to look as powerful as she did earlier. The old pumpkin man steps forward, and as I fidget with the shovel I notice my palms are sweaty.

“Have the holes been dug?”

“Uh... yeah…” I grin unconvincingly, but waver as (Y/N) seems to be telling me something in charades.

“Splendid! Well then-”

I promptly figured out what she was saying.

“...But, no.”

“No?”

“Uh…”

(Y/N) nods. “No. We were delayed.”

“Psst!” I look down to see Beatrice tapping at my chains with her tiny shovel. “Keep stalling!”

I give her a thumbs up and start improvising.

“Right. Delayed-yeah, uh, you know, we were digging, and there were too many rocks. You guys don't like rocks, right?”

They quietly confer before coming to their conclusion. “No, we don't like rocks.”

Thank god.

“See? So we were like, "We should get rid of these rocks." Beatrice hops to Greg's hole to pick his lock in my peripheral vision.

“Well, that's a good idea.” Agrees the old pumpkin man.

Okay. We’re doing good. This is going well.

“Right? Yeah. So we were getting rid of the rocks when-” My stomach drops as I turn a bit and see..

“They..left me?” My face feels warm. Even (Y/N) left, and I was just starting to like her, too.

“So what happened to the rocks?”

I inhale sharply. “Uh, the rocks. They were..” I freeze as something cold grabs my arm. A familiar voice next to me speaks.

“We disposed of them. But now your holes are dug, and I reckon we’re free to do as we plea-”

But (Y/N) is cut off as the townsfolk excitedly wave towards the hole...the hole where Greg found those human bones. Now the bones are standing on their own.

“What in nine realms…” Mutters (Y/N).

“Skeletons.” I realize. “They’re all skeletons!”

A few townsfolk wave at us. “Thanks for digging up the life of the party!” Even Enoch seems to be smiling.

“So.” (Y/N) whispers. “Why’re you still here?”

“You guys left me!”

“Not in a million years. You’re just unobservant apparently.”

I look down. Sure enough, my chains are unlocked.

“...oh.”

“C’mon, I’ll race you back to the woods!”

******

“I’ve got it!” Says Greg enthusiastically. “I wish Wirt Jr. had fingernails to play guitar better!”

“Hmm. I’d wish for a piece of pizza that regenerates whenever you take a bite. Or, my old friend did when he was granted a wish.”

“Ooh, how’d he get his?”

“...time travel and something called Globnar. My hometown is weird, don’t question it. I’ll have to show you someday, you’d probably like it. And that’s hopefully a rock fact!”

I smile softly as (Y/N) and Greg talk. Beatrice flies ahead of us a bit, and golden Autumn light filters through the trees.

Then a thought dawns on me.

(Y/N) knows about the tape.

Shoot.

*******

Pt.3:

Pt.1:

#otgw wirt #over the garden wall #wirt #over the garden wall x reader #wirt x reader #otgwxreader