#probably feel better next week or somethin but enjoy this scheduled post!
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A Kiss From a Nixie
Here’s a follow-up to the ficlet I posted the other day, where, in a Mystery Trio-style AU, Stan meets a frog-lady and falls in love with her. In this ficlet, we learn about the origins of Stan’s frog-lady, as well as the proper term for her species. I’m very happy about this scenario and have been enjoying it a lot. Hopefully, y’all enjoy it, too~
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Stan and Angie stared silently at each other. Angie suddenly turned beet red.
“Stanley. I’m naked,” she whispered. Stan felt himself flush at the reminder. He spun around so that she could get dressed without him watching. “Thank you.”
“What- how-” Stan stammered, still with his back to Angie. He took a deep breath. “First question. Is Fiddlenerd a frog too?”
“No. He’s not.”
“Did the frog gene skip him?”
“I wasn’t born like this. It happened while I was at college.” A million more questions immediately formed on Stan’s tongue. “You can turn ‘round again.” Stan turned. Angie was now wearing a flannel top and some jeans. She pulled on a pair of boots. “And no, Fidds don’t know. Actually…” There was a beat. She looked up at Stan. “Yer the first person to know.”
“Wait. Really?” Stan asked. Angie nodded. “Geez.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I…I wasn’t expecting that. I mean, you and Fiddlenerd are annoyingly close.”
“You’ve known Fidds fer a lil while. How do ya think he would react to findin’ out his precious baby sister is sometimes a frog?” Angie asked dryly. Stan winced, already imagining the freakout. “That’s why.”
“Fair enough. How’d you turn into a…I dunno, merfrog?” Angie snorted.
“Merfrog. I like it.”
“I don’t know the real word for…” Stan gestured vaguely at Angie. “…whatever you are.”
“I don’t know it, either. The person what turned me didn’t exactly share that information.”
“Who turned you?”
“A full-time frog person what lived in the pond just off campus.” Angie scowled. “They befriended me, then offered to kiss me. That kiss was what did me in.”
“Why’d you agree to kiss a frog person?” Stan asked. Angie turned pink.
“I sometimes have poor impulse control,” she said quietly.
“Been there.” Stan frowned. “Hang on. A kiss from a frog person turned you into one?” Angie nodded. “I feel like it’s supposed to go the other way around. At least, according to fairy tales.”
“Well, I know the kiss was what did it, ‘cause immediately I started changin’, and the frog person told me that they were excited fer me to live with ‘em.” Angie sighed heavily. “I’ve been a frog ever since.”
“But you can turn human.”
“Yessir.”
“Huh.” Stan looked at Angie thoughtfully. “Y’know, Ford would have a field day with this.”
“Oh, hell no. I ain’t tellin’ yer weird brother. No offense.”
“None taken.” Stan walked over to Angie. “You got somethin’.” He pulled a clump of mud out of her hair. Angie turned bright red again. “Want me to give you a ride back to the house?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
“No problem.” Stan headed back towards the Stanleymobile, Angie close behind. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”
“I wasn’t expectin’ to be here very long. Certainly not long enough that I would have a reason to tell someone my secret. But, I don’t know, somethin’ ‘bout Gravity Falls makes me feel pretty content.” Stan glanced back. Angie was looking around, admiring the surrounding trees. “I might want to move up here, to be honest. I can do my research or even help Stanford with his. He was tellin’ me the other day that he wants to hire a biologist.”
“Gravity Falls is nicer than I expected,” Stan agreed. He cleared his throat. “Do you have to go to the pond every day or something?”
“Geez, yer full of questions, ain’t ya?”
“The frog-lady I’ve been chatting up for the last two weeks just turned into my brother’s partner’s little sister,” Stan said dryly. “Duh.” Angie chuckled softly.
“Fair enough.” They emerged from the trees and made a beeline for the Stanleymobile. “I have to shift into my frog form and submerge myself in water fer at least an hour every day. Ideally, I spend more time like that. That’s just the bare minimum to keep myself healthy.”
“Did the frog person who turned you tell you that?”
“Nope. Figured it out through trial and error. Since I got to Gravity Falls, I’ve been sneakin’ out of the house after everyone’s asleep and goin’ to the lake to sleep in there.” They came up to the car. Stan pulled out his key to unlock it. Angie got into the passenger seat, beaming. “I even made myself a nice little hole in the mud to sleep in.”
“You’re not worried about Fiddlenerd wondering where you are?” Stan asked, getting into the driver’s seat. Angie shook her head.
“I’m a deep sleeper with a specific sleep schedule. Fidds knows better ‘n to mess with that.”
“Makes sense.” Stan started the car. “So, you-” Angie sighed loudly.
“Look, I understand that ya have a lot of questions. I’ll answer all of ‘em at some point, but right now, I can only answer one more.”
“Fair.” Stan pulled out of the parking lot. He frowned thoughtfully. “Okay. I know what I wanna ask.”
“Hit me.”
“Did you eat my bait?” Stan asked. Angie looked away hurriedly, though Stan could see a flush spreading across her features, down to her neck. “When I opened my tacklebox after you returned it, the fresh bait was gone.” He held up a hand. “I’m not judging you for eating worms. You’re part frog. But I just wanna know if you ate them.” Angie stayed silent. “Come on, you said you’d answer my question.” After a long pause, she finally replied.
“No comment.”
-----
Angie giggled at Stan’s joke. He grinned proudly, warmth spreading across his cheeks. After spending the day moving Angie into her new house in Gravity Falls, he was happy to have quality time with his sort-of frog sort-of girlfriend. They were at the lake so that Angie could be in her frog form, though Fiddlenerd and Ford thought they were still at Angie’s house.
“Still can’t believe Stanford actually supported leaving us alone together,” Angie remarked. To Stan’s amusement, it wasn’t just the tone of her voice that changed in her frog form. Her thick southern accent was also nearly nonexistent. At first, he thought it was because she was disguising herself. But even after coming clean about who she was, she didn’t have an accent in frog form.
“Ford thinks that I’m more responsible and take better care of myself when I’m dating someone,” Stan said with a shrug. “I’m not surprised he’s encouraging me to ‘woo’ you.” Angie giggled again, a sound like a babbling brook. Stan dug around in the bag of snacks they’d picked up at the gas station on the way over. “Hungry?”
“Yes,” Angie said eagerly. Stan pulled out the container of live bait and set it on the wood of the dock. He lifted the lid. Angie reached out a webbed, frog-like hand and daintily grabbed one of the wriggling worms. Stan opened his bag of chips, smiling fondly at her.
A few days ago, Angie had finally confessed that, since becoming a merfrog, she had developed a taste for bugs and worms. Stan had already known, but he appreciated that Angie trusted him enough to tell him. After all, she was visibly embarrassed by her cravings for creepy-crawlies.
It’s probably ‘cause she was raised to be a proper southern lady or whatever. Angie popped a worm into her mouth. Good thing I don’t care about that.
“Stanley?” Stan looked over his shoulder. Ford was walking down the dock towards him. Angie gasped softly. There was a splash. Without looking, Stan knew she had gone underwater before Ford could see her up close. “What are you doing here, talking to a nixie? I thought you were helping Angie settle in.”
“Nixie?”
“Yes.” Ford sat next to Stan. “That was the creature you were speaking with.” His eyes widened. “Is she the frog-lady you were talking about a few months ago?”
“Duh.”
“I would have believed you if you told me she was a nixie!”
“Wh-” Stan scoffed. “Do I look like someone who knows what a nixie is?”
“Did she not tell you?”
“It’s racist to ask someone what they are, Sixer,” Stan said flatly. Ford let out a soft laugh. “Angie sent me out to grab some snacks, so I figured I stop by the lake to talk to Rana while I was out.”
“Her name is Rana?” Ford asked. Stan nodded. “Fascinating.” He stared at the spot where Angie had been. “Would you be willing to tell me more about her?”
“Nope.” Stan stood up. “You didn’t believe me when I first asked you, and now I’ve learned that she’s an actual person, not some weird ‘anomaly’ for you to study.” He pulled his car keys out of his pocket. “And Angie’s probably waiting for me at her place, so I better get going.”
“You’re forgetting something,” Ford said, pointing at the bait still sitting on the dock. A webbed hand quickly grabbed the bait and brought it underwater. Ford’s jaw dropped. “Remarkable.”
-----
It was yet another peaceful, misty morning at Lake Gravity Falls. Stan sighed.
“Enjoying the quiet?” Angie asked from her spot in the lake. Stan nodded. “Have the Fords been especially loud lately or something?”
“The Fords?”
“It’s shorter than saying their full names,” Angie said. Stan snorted in amusement.
“Nah, they’ve actually been quieter than usual. I don’t trust it. They’re up to something.” Angie snickered. “Have you finished the research Ford wanted you to do?”
“Oh, yeah.” Angie floated on her back, staring up at the dusty blue sky. “I finished it real quick. It’s pretty easy to get information from magical creatures when you’re one of ‘em.”
“Maybe you should give Ford a big smooch. Turn him into a frog. He’ll finish his research in record time,” Stan joked. The only response was a soft splash. Stan looked over. “Ang?” Angie was gone. “Something wrong?” Nothing happened. Stan sighed. “What did I say?” Angie slowly surfaced.
“I…” She took a shuddering breath. “I love you.” Stan’s heart stopped. “But I-” Angie covered her face with her large, webbed hands. “I can’t- I can’t act on any of my feelings.” Stan scooted closer, his legs dangling over the edge of the pier.
“What do you mean?” he asked quietly. Angie let out a sob.
“I want to kiss you more than- more than anything. But if I do, then you’ll- you’ll be like me. And I don’t want to turn you into a- into a frog!” she wailed.
“Hey.” Stan took one of Angie’s hands. She looked up at him. “That’s my decision to make, okay? If I wanna risk turning into a frog so that I can kiss you, I’ll do that.”
“R-really?” Angie asked in a tremulous voice.
“Remember how you said you kissed that nixie ‘cause you had poor impulse control?” Angie nodded. Stan grinned. “You’re not the only one.” He pulled Angie close. Just as his lips met Angie’s, there was a loud shout.
“Wait!”
-----
Further attempts to pry information out of Stan about the nixie he’d befriended had failed. So, Ford had to resort to collecting his own data. This translated into watching from afar as, every day at dawn, Stan sat on the dock and spoke with the nixie. Fortunately, Ford was skilled enough at camouflage by now that he wasn’t seen. Unfortunately, he was unable to get close without risking being spotted.
That morning, he wasn’t alone at the lake. He had dragged Fiddleford out of bed to come see the nixie for himself. Fiddleford wasn’t pleased.
“Stanford, yer lucky I ain’t the kind of sleeper my sister is,” Fiddleford groused as they hid in the bushes, watching Stan talk to the nixie. “Last time someone woke her up ‘fore she was ready, they got a broken nose fer their trouble.”
“Yes, yes, I’m very lucky,” Ford said. “Now, please, be quiet. It looks like they’re talking about something serious.”
“You won’t hear any of it, no matter how quiet I get. We’re too far away,” Fiddleford pointed out. Ford ignored the logical argument, focusing intently upon the conversation at the dock. The nixie seemed emotionally distraught over something. Stan leaned in, visibly affected by her distress. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Then, to Ford’s horror, Stan kissed the nixie.
“Wait!” Ford shouted, bursting out of the bushes. Stan and the nixie jumped. Ford sprinted over to his brother and the magical creature, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind racing.
No. No. This isn’t good. Ford hadn’t had the chance to study a nixie properly yet, but he had read enough about them and other water sprites to know that even touching one could have serious consequences. Stanley, you idiot! Aren’t you dating Angie, anyways? I didn’t think you were the kind of person to cheat! Still frozen in shock, the nixie and Stan hadn’t moved by the time Ford arrived.
“Stanley, what was that about?” Ford demanded. “You shouldn’t just kiss random magical creatures!”
“She’s not random,” Stan said. His articulation was sloppier than usual, almost like he was slurring a bit. The nixie looked at him with sudden concern. “I know her.”
“Yes, but-” Ford ran his hands through his hair. “Kissing a nixie can have unforeseen side effects!”
“I know!” Stan’s speech was definitely slurred. He gestured drunkenly to the nixie. “That’s how she got stuck in this situation!” Ford looked at the nixie. His fingers itched for a pen and paper. Up close, she was just as eerily beautiful as she’d seemed from a distance. Her green, mottled skin glistened from lake water. Large, webbed ears poked out from her short, black hair. But most distinctive were her kind eyes, a soft shade of blue that Ford immediately recognized. He saw those eyes every time he looked at Fiddleford.
Everything clicked into place.
I was right. Stan would never cheat on Angie, even for a magical creature.
“Angie?” Ford croaked. Angie, for he was certain that the nixie was Angie, ignored him. She pulled herself onto the pier, revealing the same hourglass shape she had as a human, but lacking any mammalian features.
That makes me feel much more comfortable with the fact she’s unclothed.
“Stanley, are you all right?” she asked. Stan grinned at her. His eyes were unfocused.
“Yeah, babe.” He leaned closer to her. “I liked that kiss. Go ahead and give me another one, okay?”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What?” Stan seemed blindsided. “Why not?”
“You’re acting either stoned or plastered and I’m not sure which one,” Angie said. Ford’s eyes widened.
“Your accent is gone!”
“I- yes- it- I don’t know why, maybe it’s ‘cause when I first turned frog, I was hiding my accent a lot. But that’s not important right now!” Angie snapped. “Something happened to Stan!”
“Well, you kissed him while in nixie form,” Ford pointed out. “If you’d kissed him in human form, I doubt there would have been any reaction at all.” Angie stared at him. “I’ve never heard of a nixie being able to switch between their native form and a human one.”
“I- my native form is human, you dingus! I wasn’t always part frog!”
“Fascinating,” Ford breathed. Angie groaned loudly. She took Stan’s hand.
“Stanley, sit down for me, okay?” she said. Stan sat down heavily. He grinned at her. “Oof. Uh. Your eyes are dilated something fierce, darling.”
“You’re fierce,” Stan slurred. He winked. Angie grimaced. Footsteps sounded on the deck. “Ang, you’re the prettiest frog in the world.” The footsteps stopped.
“Angie?!” Fiddleford shrieked. Angie immediately dove into the lake, disappearing into the depths. Stan leaned over the edge of the pier.
“Come back, Angie!” he called.
“I have to agree,” Fiddleford said, quickly catching up to Stan and Ford. “Banjolina Quinn McGucket, get back here!”
“Heh.” Stan giggled. “Banjo.” He leaned further. “Banjo!” He fell forward. Before Ford or Fiddleford could grab him, a webbed hand shot out of the water to nudge him back onto the pier. Angie emerged from the lake. Fiddleford fell to his knees.
“Oh, Lord,” he breathed. “I’d recognize that face anywhere. Angie, what happened? How did you become this?”
“I…” Angie swallowed. “Stan can tell you.” Stan leaned over the edge of the pier again.
“I heard my name,” he purred. Angie surfaced further until she and Stan were face-to-face. She stroked his cheek. “Hey, gorgeous.”
“I’m- I’m sorry I did this to you. Rest up.” She looked at Fiddleford. “Take care of him.”
“Angie, you can’t just leave without explainin’ anything!” Fiddleford protested. Angie closed her eyes.
“I need- I need a minute.” She sunk underwater.
“Angie, no!” Stan cried out. Ford and Fiddleford grabbed him before he could jump into the lake. “No!” Stan slumped back and began to sob. “She’s gone. Forever.”
“Stanley, once she’s had some time to collect herself, she’ll be back,” Ford said calmly. “Now, we should probably find some sort of antitoxin to counteract that kiss.” He pulled Stan to his feet. Stan immediately leaned against him. “Fiddleford, a little help?” Fiddleford was still staring at the lake. “Fiddleford?”
“Oh, yes.” Fiddleford came over. He looped one of Stan’s arms over his shoulders. “Don’t worry, Stan, Ford’s right. Angie will be back.” He scowled. “If I have to drain this whole godforsaken lake to find her.”
#there's a lot more developed for this Scenario#so.....if anyone is curious about it and has Questions....my inbox is open c:#Mystery Trio AU#Stanley Pines#Angie McGucket#Stanford Pines#Fiddleford McGucket#Stangie#ficlet#my writing#my stuff#speecher speaks#Nixie AU
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Part I: Going Home
Author’s Notes: This is the first chapter of my first Joel Miller fic. As mentioned in an earlier post on my main page, my desire was to veer away from canon and it does...like a lot. It still keeps enough details to make it familiar, but I rearranged it to fit the plot that I had in my head. This takes place after the events of TLOU. It does utilize some scenes at the end of the first video game, but most of the plot is inspired by the second game. The reader, you, is replacing Ellie. Instead of a father/daughter relationship, there is a romantic relationship between Joel and a more age appropriate OC/reader. The reader is still younger than him but an adult. Its up to your imagination how much of an age difference there is. I try to keep things vague regarding the physical description of his romantic interest to make it easily relatable for a variety of readers. It’ll probably get more specific in later chapters to help with imagery of certain scenes *wink wink*. I’ve proof read it, but let me know if things don’t make sense. Please show love if you enjoyed reading it! Even if no one reads this, I enjoyed pouring out my love (and lust) for Joel.
Genre: Fluff, Angst
Summary: Joel drove you to Jackson to live a more stable and comfortable life. It was his best way to protect you; that and lie about what really happened at the Fireflies hospital. His goal was to move on from anything Fireflies related, but you couldn’t quite do that. So many questions ate at you which caused your emotions to conflict. You wanted to trust Joel; you felt something deep for him. Unbeknownst to you, he came to terms with his love for you when your life was threatened at the hospital. It was you or them and he chose you.
Ship: JoelxReader
“They stopped looking for a cure. I’m taking us home.” Joel said before falling silent on the car ride to Jackson.
It was a long ride from the hospital in Utah to Maria’s settlement in Wyoming. You would drift in and out of sleep in the back of the car Joel was driving. Home. He said it so naturally as if Jackson was the destination the whole time. A home felt comfortable. The word gave you warm feelings as it was something you hadn’t known for a very long time. That sense of content mingled with the anesthesia allowed you to push away any more questions you had.
They were still there, however; popping up more frequently in your head. After the car ride, Joel was careful not to mention anything related to the Fireflies or the hospital around you. His lack of transparency caused you to be a bit hesitant. The words just wanted to roll off your tongue; it was so close, you could taste it. Tell me everything. What did the test results say? Where are the other immune? How could they have given up? You remember the look in the eyes of the Fireflies back east. They were so eager to find a cure.
Just a week ago, there was no one in the world you trusted more than Joel. Being around a group of strangers in a state that you’d never been in, Joel was a crutch. He trusted the place because of Tommy, so you knew you should too, but it wasn’t that easy. At the same time, however, you had the instinct to keep your distance from Joel. He caused an inner conflict with you.
The settlement itself was easy to love though. The running water, electricity, stable of horses, fresh food and the list went on. It wasn’t easy to maintain these resources, but it was damn better than hunting and gathering out there everyday. Joel picked out an empty house within the settlement walls large enough for the two of you. He fully expected you two to sleep in separate rooms but he did not expect you to reject the house altogether. He may have been your social crutch, but you just felt better being in your own four walls. Being protective, he preferred to have you close, so the two of you made a compromise by agreeing that you live in the garage. It was quite large as it was a two-car. After a little while, you were able to make it up in a way that suited you. Soon enough, the only thing you had to share with him in the main house was the bathroom. It wasn’t that you wanted to avoid him completely. In fact, he peaked a certain interest in you which furthered the inner conflict.
Having space from Joel was difficult because you hadn’t yet made friends. Between the anesthesia weakening your body and Joel’s air of mystery, people tended to tread lightly around you.The only other people you really talked to outside of him were Maria and Tommy. It was surprisingly easy to fall into a domestic routine of sorts. The two of you ate together, walked around outside together, patrolled together. Watching Joel sit on the porch or relax on the couch after a long day gave you a glimpse into how he must have looked before the world went to shit. After all that he’d been through, watching him rest warmed your heart. He deserved it, you thought. He didn’t smile often, but you caught him smiling more since arriving home.
Laying in your bed, you thought back to the period right before you arrived at the hospital. It was probably the best part of the whole journey. The weather was just starting to get warm again, the scenery was lush and most impactful of all, the two of you were getting along. Not just in a civil way, but in a ‘something more’ kind of way. At least that’s what you felt and you couldn’t help but tread across those waters. Joel became more open with you. He would play into your flirtatious antics as if he wanted more. Despite knowing that the journey was nearing its end, Joel allowed himself to enjoy your company as you did his. You remembered that he even asked if you wanted to continue the journey further, at one point. He said that the two of you could turn back now and head north to Jackson. Sometimes, you wish that you had chosen that option instead, but you know that you’d just regret not choosing the hospital even more.
Seeing Joel’s guard fall down, slow as it was, still is sometimes, made you happy because you liked the person that you saw underneath it all. It was still a struggle some days, though. A hardened look would appear on Joel’s face at the mention of the Fireflies, even if it was unrelated to you. Moments like those reminded you of the questions that formed not too long ago in your head. Moments like those prompted you to form new questions. Why did he look so defensive? What was he hiding behind those darkened eyes?
After a few months of living in Jackson, you had finally mustered up the courage to talk to Joel about that day back in Utah. What was the worst that could happen? You were comfortable around him and he cared about you. He never said those words, but you knew that he did. You wouldn’t be in Jackson if he didn’t.
“Joel?” You shout from downstairs. You entered the house from the back door without knocking like you usually did. He wasn’t scheduled for patrols today so you were hoping that he was home.
“M’up here.” His voice responded from upstairs. You walked up the steps until you reached the hallway. The only door open was that of his craft room.
“You making something?” You gestured to the raw piece of wood in his hand. He looked up from his whittling knife and turned to face you standing in the doorway.
He shook his head. “I dunno what I should make,” He offered up a half smile. “Just shavin’ off pieces ‘til I figure somethin’ out.” He sat the knife down onto the workbench. “What is it, (Y/N)?”
You shrug casually. “Just wanted to see what you were up to.” You moved into the room and found a place to sit. Joel scoffed at his dinged up piece of wood before setting that down too. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you.”
“Shoot, darlin’.” His pet name for you always made the nerves that you had melt away, to an extent. You would constantly tell yourself that there was no reason to be nervous around him, but you saw the way he looked when he was triggered by certain words.
You let out a breath. “You know, back in Boston when I was bitten, I was not alone. My friend was there. She was my best friend actually.” You look down at the wooden floor. “Well, she got bitten too. We didn’t know what to do. We were scared. So she says, ‘Let’s just wait it out. We can be all poetic and just lose our minds together.’ She...I didn’t…” You shake your head. “I’m still waiting for my turn.”
“(Y/N)” Joel began before you cut him off.
“It was her, then everyone else I attempted to get close to after that. Why do I get to live when they don’t? Each time, others have had to take my turn for me and I don’t know why?” You pause. “Why am I immune?” It was the first question you had for the Fireflies but everything happened so quick and next thing you knew, everything went black.
“(Y/N), that’s not on you.” Joel said gently. “I’ve struggled for a long time with survivin’.” He let out a sigh. “No matter what, you gotta keep finding somthin’ to fight for.” He made sure to look you in the eyes, even if you didn’t want to meet his.
“You don’t under---” You start.
Joel cuts in. “Now, I know that’s not what you wanna hear right now, but it’s---”
You speak up. “Back at the hospital...” You watched as his face began to harden. You contemplated what to say next. “Just swear to me. Swear that everything you said about the Fireflies is true.” He repositioned himself in the chair, never breaking eye contact with you.
His voice turned gruff. “I swear.” You stared at him for a long moment to read his face. He looked you dead in the eye and gave you his word. How much could you trust a man that would do that and still lie?
“Okay.” You nodded your head and left him alone in the room. Joel had half a mind to go after you, but decided best to give you space. You asked him to swear and he did.
*****
“(Y/N), You comin’?” Joel asked from the other side of the garage door after knocking. You didn’t forget that Tommy had invited the two of you over for dinner. After talking to Joel, however, you weren’t much in the mood.
“I’m coming.” You said with a huff.
You quickly threw on something nicer than what you usually wore and opened the door. You found him standing there waiting. He turned to you and smiled as if the most intense conversation you’ve had with him in months hadn’t just occurred. You offered a tight lined smile in return before walking off. The air was crisp and the temperature was just right. It didn’t take much for him to keep pace with you. Joel took glances at you every so often. You would only look back at him when he wasn’t. The thing was, you weren’t sure if he was actually lying. You could only translate the feeling in your gut. You stopped on the stoop of Tommy and Maria’s house as Joel lifted his knuckles to rasp the door. He waited a moment and glanced at you again.
“Hey!” Tommy exclaimed after opening the door. “Come on in.”
“Thanks, Tommy.” Joel muttered as he walked in.
“Yeah, thanks for having us.” You followed.
“Of course. It’s not often we all have a night off at the same time.” Maria chimed from the dining room. Joel grunted in agreement.
“C’mon, have a seat in here.” Tommy guided us out of the hallway. “Dinner’s just about ready, right hun?”
“I hope y’all like duck! I tried my best with it. I’ve never cooked duck before.” She brought a large roasting dish into the room and sat it in the middle of the table. “If not, there’s still mashed cauliflower and gravy right there and then some lima beans over there.”
“I’m sure it’ll taste really good, Maria.” You said.
“Now, where did y’all find a duck?” Joel inquired as a way to make conversation.
“I went hunting, brother mine.” Tommy replied, patting his older brother on the shoulder before sitting. Joel rolled his eyes and gave Tommy a pointed glare to which he chuckled. “Jesse told me about a new pond he discovered while out on patrol and well, you know, where there’s water, there’s life. So I decided to go see for myself and I took my rifle with me.”
“Shoulda told me. I would’ve gone with you.” Joel responded. He held out his glass as Maria came around with a pitcher of water. He nodded at her in gratitude.
“Nah. Wanted it to be a surprise for the dinner here. You ever had duck?” Tommy turned to you.
“No.” You shook your head. Tommy could sense there was something up between you two but he knew better than to bring it up at the dinner table. He wondered if Maria had caught on.
“Duck.” Tommy stated with a sigh, trying to think of something else to say. “Always thought it was a rich man’s food. Now look at us.” He carved into the breast of the roasted duck and began to serve portions.
“Next time, I’ll bring some caviar.” You spoke up. You saw what Tommy was trying to do, so you in turn tried your hand at comic relief. Luckily for you, it worked. The room broke out in laughter.
Maria sat down and grabbed her husband’s hand to her right and yours to her left. This prompted you to take Joel’s hand into yours. “We are rich in our blessings. We have food and we have each other.”
Maria quickly said grace before everyone at the table dug in. For something you’d never tasted before, it was good. It wasn’t your favorite meat but the dinner as a whole was delicious and fulfilling. You think back for a moment on how your full belly now contrasted to that of yours a year ago. The four of you sat at the table for an hour after finishing the meal. You had to admit that it was an awkward start but these were the people that you were most comfortable with in the whole town. That had to mean something. Even things with Joel subsided, if just for the evening.
The rest of the night was spent in the living room. The four of you caught up with each other. At times, the conversation included everybody and at others, it was just between Tommy and Joel which elicited Maria to spark up a conversation with you.
“How’s things going?” She gestured her head toward Joel. She caught on. “If you guys need anything, you know all you have to do is ask. We’re happy to do what we can.”
“Oh, we’re fine. I’m fine. I’m sure Joel’s fine but thank you.” You replied.
She looked at you for a moment. “Is there something going on between you two? I’ve seen the way Joel looks at you. Even the first time y’all came around to Jackson. I saw it back then and I know you live with him.”
You glanced up at him then shifted back to Maria. “Well technically I don’t...um no. There’s nothing between us. We’re friends.” You shrugged as if you had no idea what she was talking about. “I guess after traveling so far for so long, you just grow attached to each other, but that’s it.”
“I think he’s grown more than attached to you.” She shrugged as well. “But if he’s not who you want, then that’s fine. Just please don’t hurt him. Tommy has told me things about his past all the way down to their childhood. I don’t know what he’s shared with you, but he’s had it rough.” To this day, Joel hadn’t shared much with you, but you didn’t need to know exactly what happened in his past to know he’s had it rough. Everybody’s had it rough in different ways.
“I could never hurt him.” You meant it. You just hoped that he could say the same about you. “I was wondering if I could ask you something.”
“Go ahead.” She replied.
“How do I go about changing my patrols? I don’t want to stop going out with Joel, but I would like to do it with other people. Make some new friends.”
She smiled. “I think that’s a good idea. Jesse is one of the patrol leaders as well as Tommy of course. Talk to one of them about it. They can pair you up with an experienced patroller to start you off. I know you’ve got experience patrolling with Joel, but it's just protocol when someone takes a different route than usual.” She paused for a moment to down the rest of her water. “Hell, Jesse might even take you out himself. He’s a good kid.”
“Thanks.” You replied.
#Joel#Joel Miller#TLOU#TLOUS 2#The Last Of Us#Ellie#Troy Baker#fanfic#fanfiction#tlou fanfic#joel x reader#joel miller x reader#reader insert#oc#fandom
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give me literally All Headcanon for that post for Mysterio p l e a s e (also, for the one of my choosing, whether or not you hc he commentates movies while watching them or insists on ABSOLUTE SILENCE)
:D!!! my sweet boy, BLESS you nonnie!
◉ whether or not you hc he commentates movies while watching them or insists on ABSOLUTE SILENCE IS A FANTASTIC QUESTION IVE BEEN LITERALLY LAUGHIN ABOUT IT ALL DAY THANK YOU
Both actually! if you try to comment on the plot or react to an actor, immediately you get rudely shushed with the most scorching glare because how DARE you, focus on the ~ART~ you heathen!!! but also the Moment a slightly more advanced special effect takes place, he is all hoppin on his seat excitedly explaining how it’s done and how genius that is, how would he improve on it and how another movie dealt with it, the dialogue for the big plot reveal goin on the screen be damned :’D Also as the movie advances, he starts gettin more and more into long passionate rants either complaining about the lack/surfeit of respect the creators got, how arrogant this one actor is and how he doesnt respect his cues and so on….. lots of the stuff he says is actually pretty interesting but yeah, if you counted on just enjoying the movie, tough luck
He really likes watchin movies with people but prefers to see the movie first on his own at least once, to really focus on it. Often, he will watch a movie in the livin room while others do their own thing and he will comment on the good scenes, however if you agreed to actually watch somethin with him and got distracted during screening or worse, was on your phone?? you are dead to him. (and you can expect some …unpleasant surprises in the upcoming days)
im gonna put the rest under the readmore cuz this is gettin long ^^;;
[ask meme]
☾ - sleep headcanon
Beck is the UGLIEST sleeper, he is the worst. He snores loudly, drools, moves, KICKS, mumbles and has the most vivid wildest dreams. (it happens rarely but sometimes he’ll dream about somethin, wake up and for a while be convinced it actually happened, you know like when you dream about arguing with your friend and being mad at them the next day etc) On the other hand, sometimes, all his features relax, he loses the scowl and looks surprisingly peaceful and happy… oh and he hogs the blanket.
His sleep schedule is a fuckin mess, he is able to go like the whole week on few hours of sleep total when he is workin on a project but other days he gets grumpy if he doesnt get his 10h of beauty sleep every night..
★ - sad headcanon
uhhh i dont actually have much sad stuff for this boy yet, he brings me so much joy that i dont have the heart for that :’’’D (also i like him and chameleon team ups and Dmitri brings enough angst to the table for the both of them)
He really actually died that one time and went to hell (though in Patchwork, im not gonna keep everythin about that Daredevil plot, i really like Mysti being dangerous and actually a worthy opponent but most of it was too fucked up for my tastes…) and well… it wasnt great :’D it mostly targeted his insecurities about his own talent he buried so deep he almost stopped believing them, the lack of respect and recognition and him willingly throwing away any chance he had at those by becoming Mysterio and of course everything that happened with his ex Brick Johnson…
☆ - happy headcanon
blease consider: autistic Quentin !!!!!!
☠ - angry/violent headcanon
he doesnt have a hair trigger temper like Ock or Electro but Damn does this boy holds grudges over literally everything :’D lots of overcomplicated, carefully crafted revenge plots just for eating the last yogurt in the fridge… He gets frustrated easily, getting snappy and rude, especially if people are not listening to him, but it’s often about the pettiest things, the bigger stuff doesnt affect him as much.
He doesnt enjoy violence for the sake of violence but he is not above it either, everythin is allowed for his big performance…… he can be quite a good n friendly boss if you listen to his orders and work well but can just as much set you up to die in an explosion, all while smiling and patting you on the back…
✿ - Sex headcanon
my Mysterio is gay as hell but also somewhere on the ace spectrum… not sex-repulsed but definitely not a high drive either (he feels oddly smug about that, like look at those fools trying to get into each others’ pants, how pathetic, *I* in the meantime have time for things that Truly matter, like recreating every Xmen battle ever with only straws and gum.)
■ - Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon
listen, i basically grew up on those “the entire villain team lives in a single place - shenanigans ensue” fics so im not givin up on the Sinister Six HQ, okay. (Chameleon usually finds them a suitable house with enough rooms, as luxurious as their current fonds allow, and he prides himself in putting in lil personal touches that he knows the sin six members would enjoy, for Quentin it’s often very obscure movies, rare memorabilia from his favorite ones, stuff for his illusions, a stolen Oscar…)
When these are unavailable (aka superheroes got them busted) or when he aint in the middle of a crime job, he usually stays at one of the Cham’s safehouses (with or without him) and in a few of them, he already has his own dedicated room with some of his fav old tricks on display. Speakin of which, he has a BIG warehouse with most of his setups and stages or at least models. He doesnt really plan on reusing them but he likes having them all together
♡ - romantic headcanon
((jakjgkfajga im a loser and ended up shippin him with Chameleon and everythin i’ve thought off so far is EMBARRASSING AND CHEESY AS FUCK :’’’’D so im gonna leave those for another time))
Beck being an Extra Bitch he is, lives for the Big Romantic Gestures like in the movies and he often gets so caught up in the prep he.. kinda disregards the person he was makin it for, the making of the effect means more for him than the actual sentiment behind it…
(ok maybe One mysteleon hc, while it pains him, Quentin knows Chammy Would Not Enjoy being a target of such grand display… he gotta be more subtle, creating a scene where he could play in disguise and dupe some superheroes mayhaps…)
♥ - family headcanon
like 99% of the villains and their grandma, his family wasnt great, mum left when he was very young with another guy, his dad considered his passion for movies a great waste of time and let lil Quentin know how disappointed he was at every occasion both vocally and physically.. After the first few broken models and ripped tapes with stop animations that took weeks to complete, Quentin stopped tryin to impress and convince his father about the greatness of special effects.. He joined a boxing club and learnt some other martial arts but as soon as he could, he left to join a proper film school which led to his father dropping both financing and all contact with him.
☮ - friendship headcanon
Im not even gonna start about Chameleon’s and Mysterio’s friendship because that shit is canon and i cry about it on a daily basis.
Despite his penchant for Dramatics, the constant Need for Validation and Backstabbing and other Throwing Shit in the Fan just cuz it was narratively better, Quentin actually has quite a few friends? He gets along quite well with everyone from the Sin Six and many other villains and even has some ‘normie’ pals from the film industry or just neighborhood…
One of his most surprising is actually Doc Ock with whom he gets along even outside of business partners/partners in crime basis. Though maybe not so surprising, Mysterio is quite vocal with his praises when he feels like they are deserved and Doc as well actually admires and recognizes Beck’s talent while it is still enough specific for him not to feel threatened in his superiority (once he tried to improve them and show them to Quentin with his usual arrogance and flair and that was the biggest fight they ever had and they werent on speaking terms for a loooong while after that… Oct cant stand not having the last word so he still modified some of Mysterio’s tricks even after that but he actually cares about their friendship enough to not tell Mysti about it.. Not like he would ever admit that to Quentin’s fishbowl face)
♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon
like 99% of everythin Mysti does is Somehow related to special effects/film or the Drama in general but my boy is a nerd in general, theater, books, comics, manga, roleplaying games, you name it. He especially likes flashy stuff obviously.
He really enjoys learning new techniques and figuring out how to make something happen. When he was younger, he was viciously against CGI but later he started to sorta respect it as its own category that needs talent and effort… he still prefers to use the traditional techniques of course :’D (…as traditional as HYPNOTIZING PEOPLE WITH NEURAL GAZ IS)
☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon
He has a very Complicated relationship with the film industry……. on the one hand, he loves the behind the scenes, the rush, the Action…. but on the other hand, he hates it with a fiery passion, everythin from how you get treated like dirt and the pretentious prizes being awarded just for the Big names and hollywood and everythin turning around the money an-…., he has a very long list and it is alphabetized. (While he has a point for many of those complaints, the fact HE himself never got any pretentious award remains probably the main issue…)
he absolutely despises people making fun of D-grade shitty movies in the “this shitty horror is so cheesy and dumb it’s funny and i love it” way, either because the people workin on it were good and trying their best but the money or the producers etc ruined it (his experience) and then it’s an unfair critique or because the creators just didnt try hard enough and that’s even worse in his books and this movie should not get Any Attention much less a positive one..
he likes complaining and being snarky :’D he enjoys the challenge Spidey sets for them and loves playing tag with him (even when he loses..) He loves the prep before his big shows both alone or with help, the adrenalin when actually pulling it off and when he discusses it with Cham in details. He lives for the applause and recognition and ~Fame~
▼ - childhood headcanon
not as much as hc as adopting the Webspinners’ aproach: he spent most of his childhood daydreaming, hiding himself behind the stories and special effects….. not many friends aside from Betsy but he didnt really need them, he wanted audience not pals.. In the film school he started to be more social and communicative, he met Brick there and they started goin out…
∇ -. old age/aging headcanon
hhhhh im conflicted, there are like 3 comics where Q is retired because he has enough of superheroes beating him up and he Really doesnt want to go back to it.. I cant see him actually givin up on it totally tho… idk idk
♒ - cooking/food headcanon
Like with sleep, it oscillates wildly. He can forget to eat when he is hypefocusin on a particular project (one single chip suffices as nourishment) or he just subsides on ramen for a month but on the other hand he is quite a capable cook. Nothing Extraordinary but he can make enough diverse simple meals. When livin with Chammy, they both enjoy eating out so they do that as much as the budget allows (so not that much, illusions arent cheap…)
☼ - appearance headcanon
im still thinkin about that one post that described Quentin as a “toenail of a man” and i couldnt agree more :’D very short, pig nose, hairstyle à la Spock, stocky built and weirdly beefy, like this guy’s thigh is bigger than some heads… (for a nerd he is surprisingly strong what the fuck)
All Mysterios are Good Mysterios but my preferred ones have a bigass ROUND fishbowl, the longest cape and somethin as a belt, preferably sash..
ൠ - random headcanon
he actually isnt….. that great of an actor nor director nor creator………………….. (im sorry baby i love you but it’s tru….) he unconsciously copies a lot of stuff he has seen elsewhere, he follows overused tropes, his work is packed with cliches and cheesy over the top pathos… his special effects mastery n creativity with workin out his illusions is absolutely INCREDIBLE dont get me wrong, it’s just… the plot/ideas…….. at first he lived in denial about this still believing 100% his work is Wonderful and Perfect and he is just a misunderstood author… later he decided to embrace it and he is livin the life now :D
#mysterio#sinister six#quentin beck#chameleon#marvel#spidey#anon#ask meme#patchwork#thank you again!!!!!!! have an infodump!! :D#k
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