#((more on this shocking development at 11))

[arrenlebanen777]

💫AQUARIUS/URANUS 💫

💫I want to say something about aquarian energy, people and more about Uranus:

♒️When there's a strong presence of Aquarius in a birth chart, Aquarius degrees(11,23) or significant aspects to Uranus, the individual tends to be an idealist. They often treat people well and build friendships with those who align with their ideals. However, when relationships no longer fit their vision, they may disconnect or "ghost" others. While they are unique, this drive for distinctiveness can sometimes reflect a deep insecurity or a compulsive desire to live in an imagined perfect world. Usually they live a lot in their heads and are pretty disconnected from reality, not from society(since society is just a mental construct/belief system). ♒️In mythology, Uranus, the god of the sky, was an idealist obsessed with perfection. He violated Gaia, the Earth, in pursuit of creating perfect offspring. However, when he saw that his children were titans, he found them monstrous and cast them into the underworld. This myth reveals Uranus' extreme nature—pursuing ideals at any cost, even the suffering of others. Until Saturn was born, then Gaia asked her son Saturn for help, so Saturn went to his father Uranus and cut off his balls so he would stop doing all his idealistic and murderous abuse. That’s why it is said among some astrologers that Saturn was the first feminist. This myth reflects the behavior of those with strong Uranian influence: the relentless pursuit of ideals, often without consideration of the emotional impact on those around them. They may act recklessly, driven by an idea, without realizing the psychological harm they cause.

♒️Aquarians are known for their intelligence and innovation, but these traits do not necessarily equate to emotional maturity or compassion. Intelligence, after all, is not synonymous with wisdom, as history has shown us. It’s important to recognize that even though Aquarians may be socially adept and blessed with expansive social circles due to Uranus' transpersonal influence, this does not inherently make them more grounded or compassionate.With maturity, Aquarians often come to realize that much of their social engagement is shaped by collective trends and the unconscious connection to societal movements. As they grow, in the best scenario, they develop a deeper sense of humility and compassion, recognizing that they are not separate from others but part of a larger whole. It is through this awareness that they begin to embody the true humanitarian and altruistic potential that their sign is capable of.

♒️Aquarius rules society and has the power to lead it, but when undeveloped, Aquarians can become rebels without a cause, sowing chaos in their desire to stand out or disrupt. This is why Saturn, the ruler of integrity, discipline, and structure, is crucial in tempering the impulsive, rebellious nature of Uranus. Without Saturn’s influence, Aquarians may focus on shock value and unnecessary rebellion, failing to understand the true consequences of their actions. Saturn provides the stability and grounded wisdom that Aquarians need to balance their vision with the real world. And sometimes this is through karma.

“This applies particularly to individuals with personal planets or Lilith positioned at 11°, 23° degrees, as well as those with strong Uranus influences or significant aspects to Uranus”

[loveerran]

LDS Doctrine, 8yr-old Transgender Children and Policy

One of the most shocking things about the new LDS policies for transgender children, is the policy that appears to deny or severely restrict their access to baptism. I discussed that briefly here (last year and recently). This post looks more at the doctrinal side of the question.

LDS doctrine has been amazingly clear and consistent on the treatment of little children prior to the age of accountability (defined as 8yrs-old in Doctrine & Covenants 68) from the very early days of the church. I honestly feel this issue has some nuance, but the church has been absolutely unwavering in stating the tenet that children under the age of 8 cannot sin, or even if they can their sin is swallowed up in the atonement of Christ automatically.

I might personally believe that accountability for actions is a continuum based on the light and law an individual has received (2 Nephi 9:25-6, Luke 12:47-9, Romans 4:15, 5:13, DC 137:7 – a continuum applying to all individuals, regardless of age). However, LDS doctrine and statements are emphatic in declaring the complete innocence of little children, and that the atonement covers them completely until the child is 8 years old:

Moroni 8:8,11-2,14,19 (verses 20+ are much harsher) “...wherefore little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin… their little children need no repentance… little children are alive in Christ, from the foundation of the world… little children cannot repent; wherefore it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them…”

DC 20:71 “No one can be received into the church of Christ unless he has arrived at the years of accountability before God, and is capable of repentance”

DC 68:27 “And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands”

DC 74:7 “But little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Christ; and this is what the scriptures mean”

See also Mosiah 3:16, Mosiah 15:25, DC 29:46-7, DC 137:10, JST Genesis 17:3-11, etc.

Taken together, little children are whole and clean through Jesus Christ until they arrive at the years of accountability and are capable of repentance. And that age is 8 years old. Church leaders have repeatedly restated this:

Dallin H Oaks: “We understand from our doctrine that before the age of accountability a child is ‘not capable of committing sin’” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Sins and Mistakes,” Ensign, Oct. 1996, 65)

Bruce R. McConkie “There comes a time, however, when accountability is real and actual and sin is attributed in the lives of those who develop normally. It is eight years of age, the age of baptism.” (Bruce R. McConkie, “The Salvation of Little Children,” Ensign, Apr. 1977, 6)

And we can even see this in the policies laid out in the current General Handbook of Instructions:

31.2.3.1: Children who are Members of Record

(note: children of record are children whose names are on the rolls of the church prior to baptism at age 8)

"In the interview, the bishopric member ensures that the child understands the purposes of baptism (see 2 Nephi 31:5–20). He also ensures that the child understands the baptismal covenant and is committed to live by it (see Mosiah 18:8–10). He does not need to use a specified list of questions. This is not an interview to determine worthiness, since 'little children need no repentance' (Moroni 8:11)."

(bold emphasis mine)

But for the first time in our history, we have an exception to this rule, and it applies only if the child is transgender. Instead of a meaningful interview with the local bishop or one of his counselors about following Jesus, a transgender child (and only a transgender child) who dresses differently or uses a different name and pronouns must have a worthiness interview with the regional Stake President directly. There is no other ‘sin’ that calls for this, even when little children have somehow perpetrated horrible crimes. If the Stake President finds the child worthy (is this even possible under the new guidelines??), he recommends the child for baptism to the First Presidency. The First Presidency is the highest council/court in the church, from which there is no appeal. The First Presidency then chooses whether or not to permit the child to be baptized. This new policy is spelled out in the Handbook:

38.2.8.9: Individuals Who Identify as Transgender

"Any exception to this policy requires the approval of the First Presidency. To request approval, the mission president, or the stake president for an eight-year-old, interviews the person. If he finds the person to be worthy and if he recommends baptism and confirmation, he submits a request for approval to the First Presidency using LCR."

(bold emphasis mine)

In the past, the church has denied baptism to the children of polygamists and to the children of gays (possibly others). In those cases, it could always be said the child’s parents were at fault, not the child themselves. This new policy is a marked departure from that and, in my opinion, is inconsistent with the church’s doctrine. I hope to see this policy adjusted as other policies have been when they do not align well with our core values and doctrines.

Love,

Erran

[thealisflore]

Sahejul Moments from Season 1

Episode 8:

Kamille refers to her crush on Rainah as a forbidden romance, which also suits Julia (especially because she has "forbidden thoughts" regarding Sahed throughout season 1)

Episode 10:

Sahed pins Julia against a caravan, and makes her blush

Episode 11:

Sahed leans in and whispers in her ear. Julia's blushing intensifies, and then she runs away thinking „my heart is racing. This guy really is... terrifying” while imagining Sahed with a shoujo filter on lol. *She blushes

Episode 17:

„that boy has charmed her with those seductive eyes”*she blushes at the thought of his eyes

Episode 18: whole episode

Episode 19:

„and...to be honest, he's ...he's kinda...” [...] „Shoo, forbidden thoughts!” *she blushes

Episode 20:

Sahed: „Kamille? Shes in my room.”

Julia (blushes): „WHAT? Did you sleep together?!”

[...]

Sahed (grabs Julia): „how's your investigation of our favorite killer clown going?”

Julia (blushes, frees her arm from his grip): „Let me go! Someone is going to find out, idiot!” (she walks up the stairs thinking) „Forbidden thoughts! Forbidden thoughts!”

Episode 24:

Sahed (packs Julia): „with your (Tonny's) permission, I'm taking the pretty lady!”

(Julia thinks) „noooo! Kamille, it's not what it looks like! We're already on bad terms, this is only going to make it worse!”

Julia (screams): „Kamille, I'm not trying to steal your maaaaan!”

[...]

Sahed shows her the best view. And there is a close up of them holding hands.

Sahed (leans over her): „Im going to show you many more things.”

Julia: „What are you going to show me?”

Sahed: „everything”

Julia blushes at his answer.

Episode 25:

(Julia stands on a balcony and looks in the direction of Sahed's window/balcony (?) and wonders) „Ah, he turned on the light. He's in his room then. He's weird....what did he mean by showing me everything...?” she blushes „Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but...” Kamille Interrupts her thoughts, Julia realizes that she almost thought something she "shouldn't" and tries to make the thoughts disappear „What the heck am I thinking?! He is the guy Kamille Likes! Sahed stinks! He stinks, Julia, get it through your head!”

Episode 28:

Sahed (flirts/teases Julia): „that's a cute outfit. You shouldn't ruin it by wearing a blouse underneath.”

Julia (flustered): „why don't you mind your own business?”

Sahed: „Business is why I'm here. Look [...] As soon as it gets dark, I want you to go to that bridge and do the task I'm going to ask you. And then meet me in my room.”

Julia (blushes): „You want me to go to your room? At night?”

Episode 30:

Julia calls Sahed an Ah'kon instead of three eyes.

Episode 31:

Julia changes to Sahed's clothes, he dries her. (Julia blushes slightly and thinks to herself) „that was unexpectedly kind of him. It feels nice.”

Episode 32:

Sahed (blushes slightly): „That was pretty cool, huh?”

Julia (blushes): „Absolutely not! It was terrifying!

Sahed: „Deep down, I'm sure you like it.”

Julia: „I don't!”

Episode 34-36:

Her development. The Jathar situation. Sahed being surprised/shocked by her reaction/her change

Episode 40:

Rainah: „Ah, Julia! Are you here to see Sahed?” she thinks to herself „I don't know if these two have some sort of romance or planning another nationwide crime. Knowing Sahed, it could be both.”

[...]

Sahed: „You did great. Thanks for saving me, pretty girl.”

Julia (blushes): „Don't call me that!”

[...]

Julia: „Sahed...you do trust me then.”

Sahed: „huh?”

Julia: „It's the first time that you've explained something to me, instead of talking in riddles.”

Sahed: „Ah...yeah, I guess I do.”

Julia blushes, looks away and changes the conversation

Episode 42:

(Julia thinks to herself) „Wait. So Kamille doesnt like Sahed?” (She blushes intensely)

All the reasons that held her "forbidden thoughts" back, couldn't withstand them anymore

Episode 44:

Sahed: „Shhh! Be quiet!”

Julia: „Sahed! You scared me!”

Sahed (looks down, blushes slightly): „...What a cute outfi-”

Julia (blushes): „Not now, Sahed!”

He then asks her how she's feeling, and suggests that he could kill Tonny instead.

[...]

Julia: „Okay...take me back home...after saving Jathar.”

Sahed: „Yes...after that.”

Episode 46:

Dotty: „Aww, that's cute! I guess planning a murder can be romantic if you put enough macabre imagination into it.”

If there is something I forgot/ missed you can add it. Season 2 (the first few episodes will be next for now)

[the-forests-blessing]

The Forest's Blessing - Master Post

Authors

EndenAgolor and SoaringHopes

Rating

M - Mature Audiences

Summary

This story takes place in an alternate universe 10 years after the events of season 2.

Lukas has been travelling the world, studying biomes, cultures, and all the nature they each have to offer. BeaconTown has been on his list of destinations he's always wanted to visit, but when he finally gets there, he's shocked to find it's not all the tales and rumors have lived up to be. The BeaconTown he's been told of is no more. Many mysteries await him in town, and in the forest beyond it's border.

Relationships

Jesskas - Forest Deity Jesse/Lukas

Characters

Jesse, Lukas, Petra, Aiden, Radar, Nell, Jack, Maya, Gill

More characters will be added as story develops.

Tags

Mute main character, Slow Burn, Blood and Injury, Fear, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Action/Adventure, Mild Gore, Mystery

More tags to be added as story develops.

Chapter List

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21

[prettyboykatsuki]

miss faNGGGGG!!! MISSS !!!! FANGGGGG!!!!!! please spare some thoughts on brothers best friend oliver 🧎‍♀️im on my knees. cz like i think hed get a thrill out of the indecency of it and maybe sendo would deem you off limits cz you’re too “clean” for a guy like oliver and itd only fuel him harder…

SDJLFJDFLK g*d. i hate this guy.

i think.... with sendo.... you guys are like total opposites. sendo grows up as like.. the perfect athlete jock type son. super popular and stuff.

i know you say clean here but in my mind im imagining ur sort of alternative u just keep to yourself to yourself a lot you know.... like bear with me but because sendo is so in the spotlight u sort of develop your own thing and tend to have your own individual style. very Different i suppose. you're a little weird and otherwise super straight-laced. got bullied for being different at one point or another but found a few close friends in school etc

sendo is sendo so he's always been super popular. u drifted apart when he played soccer more and so while u know of oliver u dont rlly get to know him until he's already a slut lol. sendo tells oliver that u probably wont be his type (not to be an asshole but u are not usually like who he dates) and to not be around you in general.

oliver sort of assumes that u have some experience though. like you have a certain look and style of dress that makes u stand out. so imagine his shock and surprise when he tries talking to you and you're kind of meek. you're like super doe-eyed which makes it even worse. and olivers like. oh. i have to make it my lifes mission to fuck this kid.

and so he starts coming over and texting you a lot. you're . so naive. which makes sense considering all that sendo has told you. but he really gets off on just how easily you seem to trust him. guys lie you know? don't you have any sense of danger. but guys have never been interested in you and you don't think oliver is either.

you guys meet on accident in a 7/11 near your house once and he sort of. jumps on the chance to be alone with you. you just make it way too easy. like way way way too easy. he doesn't even have to get you drunk he just asks if you have any kissing experience and then asks if he can kiss you when you say no. and you're like oh i mean. i guess. and you're super clumsy and it gives him a weird boner.

you lose your virginity in an alleyway and in the filthiest way possible. no condom either. baggy hoodie stuffed into your mouth, basketball shorts down at your ankles, socked feet pushed up out of your sandals and your hands on the wall with oliver fucking you in public - squirt and cum running down the inside of your thigh. he's fucking you hard too, no mercy just his hands on his hips while he moans about how good your pussy feels around his dick

he's kinda horrible because he keeps teasing you the entire time. and then when you give him a fucked out look over your shoulder and ask if you can kiss again he nearly cums right there.

you're like drooling and your thighs are trembling. you nearly fall down in the middle of it because your legs are so weak. he ends up taking you home after the first round and fucking you some more after that.

weirdly i do think oliver in this scenario ends up dating you in secret. he gets off way more on your sex innocent reactions and hiding it than he thought. sendoes gonna fucking kill him later but well, it's not his fault you make such a noise when he fucks you face down ass up yk

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - it was a pretty darn good time, frankly

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Feb 2024 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 12fin - Everyone looked like they were having a lot of fun in the fight sequences. I’m very happy for them. I’m not surprised they shot Khem and Chart. A little shocked it wasn’t also Yai, TBH.

I found this final episode rushed. According to rumors, The Sign was originally slated to be 14 eps, and it probably should’ve been. And I don’t say that often about Thai BL. But we all knew it was getting too bloated for its britches, so I'm not surprised they fumbled the ending. For me personally, it just wasn't that bad. It was fine and I was fine with it.

Tho, Billy does not look good with facial fur, messes up those gorgeous angles.

I was ultimately amused that the solution to the mythology thread was simply to talk to the river god and persuaded him to give up... off screen. It felt very old school wuxia. Or like Aeschylus or something. I did adore the stinger, Saint was basically like “I want wings too”. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

This show is literally everything (except straight) all at once. It's BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, PNR, fated mates, police procedural, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and slasher. It’s the king of genre mash-up chaos. Sure, it's madness but there is genius in it. Was it a crazy unhinged mess +1 roll for damage? Yes. Yes it was. Did it manage to hold all those tangled threads together? No it did not. Was it also a charming, sexy, engaging, non-stop piece of entertainment? Sure thing. I think this show is basically my KinnPorsche, and frankly I’ve been chasing that dragon naga since KP aired. Is it perfect? No. But it was balls to the wall FUN and that gets a 9/10 from me.

I'm thinking of doing a full recap review (partly because I have so many great screen shots.)

Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube grey) ep 10-11 of 12 - Since this series is following the yaoi so closely, I knew these were the separation eps. (Also I knew with would be a soft non-doom ep 11, Japan rarerly does these.) I like that they used it to show improve communication and development in all relationships, but, frankly, TayNew are just best when they are TayNew together on screen. So yeah. Let’s keep them back together, please?

Meanwhile, TayNew gifted us a gorgeous loving sweet sex scene. Thanks OG for doing us a solid. 

I wanna add, it sure is fun to see New play as soft and vulnerable character, I feel like he hasn’t done that since SOTUS. 

(Read all about distribution issues here.)

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) ep 12fin - 1/3 of this is a sweet romance about a student doctor falling in love with a student chef, and the rest of it is utter dross. Look the OffGun bits were GREAT.. In fact, I think they’re better AS A PAIR in this show than in any of their other BLS. And I'm a hard sell on any OffGun being better than PickRome. Saying that, how can I review a show where I could only tolerate 1/3 of it? Because I didn’t like any other aspect of this show, no other pairs and no other plots. That gives me: 9/10 for the OffGun bits, 5/10 for everything else. Frankly it probably should be an 8 but I gotta go with my gut and it's upset about this so 7/10. Sorry boys. It’s GMMTV’s fault. Your heart was in this show, mine wasn’t. 

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 4 of 12 - These two are so good at making heart eyes at each other. It’s ridiculous. They don’t need any cartoon images or noises. Moot crush but "I wanna flirt and court more" is so flipping awesome. I love this for them… and us. 

1000 Years Old ep 2 of 12 - It’s very silly and we have been gifted with the dorkiest vampire ever. But... the smell thing makes me so happy. And I like that the vamp uses chan/nai or tan = v old fashioned. Nahlak. I love our ghost girl. Did you notice she wasn’t in the room with them but they left an empty chair for her? Also nahlak.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Perfect Propose (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 5 of 6 - Kai was pretty much just “you're a workaholic but I basically married you whether you like it or not.” SMOOCH. What can I say? I'm a sucker for this dynamic.

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - How is this show so cute? How do they both love and hurt each other so much. They are both just scared of loosing each other. Gah.

Unknown (Taiwan Sat Youku YouTube) 1 of 12 eps - Youku dropped the first ep to their YouTube channel but I doubt we can expect that to continue. Still, it was nice to be able to watch it in a convenient way. I enjoyed it. But I am cautious about it. Of course this is possibly two of my favorite tropes of all time (stepbrothers or a variation + hyung romance). So I’m looking forward to the romantic thread, but from the gritty style, it feels a lot more like a Taiwanese short. Which means it could go very dark and may not end happy. 

Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - I just don’t know if the main couple should be a couple. But when they finally get around to talking to each other, they sure are lovely. Also how great is it to see a uke initiate a kiss? Even if it’s not a very good kiss. 

My Strawberry Film (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 2 of 8 - I am still not sure about this one. I am not contesting its quality, just saying it’s not for me. Also I’m not wild about what amounts to basically a redo of everything that already happened in the first episode from a different perspective. I know it’s a tall order with Japan, but I would like (when it’s a short series) for each new installment to actually move the plot (such as it is) along in someway. Am I asking too much?

It's done but I have no time

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - will binge when I have any spare time. 2024 is crazy busy for me so far.

The Servant and the Young Master - from Vietnam, it's on YouTube. I will give it a try when I have a window of time.

Began Beginning (Myanmar YouTube) - A Burmese BL? @heretherebedork vouched for it, so I will give it a watch.

It's airing but...

Dead Friend Forever (Thai iQIYI) - rumors are it's interesting but full of unlikable characters. I'm waiting to know how it ends.

Ossans Love Season 2 (Japan Gaga) - 5 years later, will anything have changed? This is Japan so… probubly not. I won't be watching this. I disliked Season one and actively hated the follow ups. No thank you.

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 14 eps - Dear Playboyy, it's not you, it’s me… I hate you. You’re about as deep (and as palatable) as a shot glass of cum. While I'm sure you’re someone’s kink, you're my weakest link. Goodbye. I DNFed this at ep 5. Frankly I'm impressed with myself for getting that far. Ends next week TF.

Time the series (Tue Gaga/YT) 10 eps - dropped it at ep 4.

A Secretly Love (Thai WeTV) - I tried but I can't get into my WeTV account anymore and I'm way too lazy to figure it out. Should I bother to go grey for it?

To Be Continued (Thai C3 Thailand YT) - High school sweethearts who had a bad break up reunite when both of them have full time jobs but coming out is still a problem. You can watch this on YT but it has no Eng Subs.

Next Week Looks Like This:

We're light on content right now, but frankly I'm so busy with work I don't really mind.

3/6 Born to be Y (Thai ????) 10 eps - 14 contestants who audition to compete in Born To Be Y, a program that searches for the best couple of the year to work together on a giant project. Described as semi-reality series. So I probably won't bother.

3/7 Deep Night (Thai iQiyi) 10 eps - Multiple romances set in a host clubs. Nice to see First back on my screen but this is not my favorite setting.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

The eyes have it.

Your random BL moment brought to you by my ult-bias being a hyung smartass to his maknae.

(Last week)

[saiintvalentiine]

Summary: Parrot and Wifies have a talk some time after the fallout of Parrot finding out Wifies is a clone. A follow up to Ken's POV in Part 1.

notes: this is once again not edited, this was the result of some quick writing last night and a wrap up today. it's more like practice for Parrot's voice which i think i did a shit job at but it's here and u can now judge me urself. enjoy. or dont idk. divider from here

word count: 2568. just slightly less than the previous installment.

11:49

Parrot has picked through his feathers so many times he thinks he’s developing a bald spot in his left wing. He's usually better at waiting, has patience for his plans to go through, but today there is no plan, just waiting. He stares at his comm, open in his hand as he rereads the chat over and over again.

[Wifies]: Would you be open to talking with me today?

[Parrotx2]: yes

[Parrotx2]: of course

[Parrotx2]: what’s up

[Wifies]: I was actually wondering if we could meet up.

[Parrotx2]: yeah wherever you want

[Wifies]: I’ll open up my world.

[Wifies]: How does noon sound?

[Parrotx2]: perfect

[Wifies]: I’ll send you the IP then.

[Parrotx2]: great!

Great! He sounds like a loser.

So Parrot is waiting for the clock to strike noon on his comm to go. Part of him wonders if he's going to spawn into a pit, or straight into lava, or in an escape room, something that would make Wifies feel better to watch him go through after the hell Parrot raised. Parrot would be fine with that. Honestly, he hopes Wifies is mad. He's only going to feel worse if he's met with Wifies’s carefully thought out words and blunt kindness.

11:54

He stops touching his wings. He's been trying to organize his thoughts so he doesn't say something incredibly stupid to Wifies again. There’s a script now.

I’m sorry for reacting so harshly, I was shocked and didn’t know how to process what I was hearing. I felt hurt because I thought you didn’t trust me with the truth, but now I see why you wanted to keep it to yourself. I should have never acted that way. You’re so important to me, and I should have thought about all the trust between us. I always trust you.

11:55

It’s simple, but it’s straightforward, and he wants to be as clear as possible. He also wants to be sincere, but sincerity is scary. His sincerity is blue, bruised, gushes forward like an open wound and stains the world in his blood.

11:56

But he can do sincerity. He can do it for Wifies. He could probably do a lot for Wifies, but Wifies never asks for anything. He didn’t even ask to be freed from the chunkban. He just waited. Trusted Parrot, and waited for Parrot, and was happy to see Parrot after everything. Wifies is always trusting and waiting and happy.

11:57

And Parrot ruined it for what? Catharsis for his fears? A moment to let that horrible feeling of being second, third, fourth in someone's life tear through everything he’s done? Is that even the reason why?

11:58

God. When Wifies starts asking questions, Parrot is going to crumble like a house of cards. It'll be Parrot's unjust luck to be forgiven.

[Wifies]: IP XXXXXXXXXX

Parrot jolts and almost drops his comm. He scrambles to copy the IP down and flick through his comm settings. He pastes it into the server IP box and hovers over the connect button.

12:00

He clicks connect.

Landing softly onto a carpet of podzol in a chilly spruce forest, Parrot lets out a plume of ashen breath. There are a few cabins in a semicircle in front of him, warm light spilling out of each window and from the branches of the towering spruce trees. The afternoon sun barely breaches the canopy, but it speckles the ground just enough to give the world a surreal atmosphere.

There's a campfire pit to one side surrounded by log benches, and there sits Wifies. He looks brilliant in the firelight, dark hair loose without his headband and violet eyes muted.

“Parrot,” Wifies calls out as he stands up. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Parrot says lamely, hesitating for a moment before making his way over to Wifies. The campfire warms him up, but the chill doesn't go away. “How are you?”

“It’s going to rain soon, so I’m feeling it in my joints,” Wifies says, lighthearted as he rubs one of his shoulders. “Sit with me.”

So Parrot does. He’s not in the business of denying Wifies much of anything. He sits on one end of the log bench, and Wifies sits two feet away, turned towards Parrot, and Parrot looks at him, and his mind just— it blanks. His script dissolves like salt in the sea.

“I wanted to start with saying that I am a clone of the original Wifies,” Wifies says, giving Parrot space to try and reboot his brain. “He was. . . making clones for the sake of content, and I was the most successful one. I never knew. And one day, Ken showed up to what I thought was my single player world, and. . . it’s a very long story, but he got me out of there and we, um, we killed the original. He. . . wasn’t going to let me just leave. And those are the main points of my story. I just wanted you to know the important bits before we talk further.”

“Clones for content,” Parrot echoes, eyebrows scrunching up. “Clones for content? He was— what?”

“Making clones to put them into escape rooms for quick video production.”

“The— what the fuck?”

Wifies smiles awkwardly, but doesn’t speak again. He keeps rubbing his shoulder over and over, self soothing maybe, or maybe it’s just that painful from the onset of the rain.

“I'm sorry for how I acted. I don’t care that you’re a clone,” Parrot says, flinching at his own sharpness. He looks away and into the crackling fire. “I care about you. The clone stuff is— is whatever. Or not whatever, I’ll care about it as much as you want me to care about it.”

“Parrot, don’t make me promises you know you can’t keep.”

Wifies’s voice is gentle. It is so, so gentle, with no hint of disappointment or scolding. Parrot’s stomach churns. He wishes again for Wifies’s anger, pointed and cold, instead of this. Anger is easy. This stings like salt in a wound.

“Why do you think I can’t keep to that?”

“Not knowing drives you crazy.”

“You not being there has driven me more crazy.”

“Until you forget, and it starts bothering you again.”

Parrot deserves it, but his heart is heavy and he feels like he’s been shot right through it. Wifies isn’t even being cruel, just honest; he’s right, eventually it will drive Parrot crazy to not be able to talk about the whole situation, to understand Wifies better by prying into his life.

“I don’t like talking about it. It was a bad time for me. I also don’t know everything about. . . myself. About what you’ll eventually ask.”

Parrot has to physically bite his tongue. Wifies doesn't know everything. What if he gets sick? Or badly hurt? What if he starts feeling like something is wrong, and there's nothing to be done for it, because nobody knows? What if—

“This is why I never want to tell anyone,” Wifies sighs out, curling in on himself in the corner of Parrot’s eyes. “If nothing else, just promise me you won't tell anyone?”

“Never,” Parrot says firmly. That's a promise he can keep. “I would never.”

“Thank you, Parrot.”

Their conversation tapers off. The sunlight is disappearing little by little, the promised rain clouds rolling in from far away, far above. Parrot’s feathers puff up a bit at a slight, churning breeze that cuts through the forest.

“I'm sorry, for what it's worth. For lying this whole time.”

“I see why you did. I just ended up proving why lying was the right choice. Nothing to be sorry about.”

“It's funny,” Wifies says in a voice that promises to be anything but funny. “When I'm scared, everything hurts again. I can never remember how they got here, but all the little pains come back again, like the reminder of fear should pull a memory or two up. But there's nothing. I don't remember how I hurt my shoulder this badly. I don't remember how it got fixed. All I remember is that it’s hurt forever. I don't remember a life without pain, and when this all came to light, my reality went from a life where pain existed to a life that was lived with pain.”

Rain begins to dribble through the leaves around them. The campfire hisses and sparks but doesn't extinguish, too large and hot to be daunted by such a pathetic display. The canopy is too dense for the rain to punch through in earnest.

“What are you scared of?” Parrot forces himself to ask. Please don't be afraid of me.

“Losing another part of my life to this. I can never seem to escape the factory. What a lousy escapist I've become, huh?”

Wifies pulls his feet up into the log, resting his chin on his knee and watching the fire. Parrot doesn't remember turning towards him, but he inches closer. The space between them is too large. His hand is too far from Wifies’s own.

“You don't have to lose anything,” Parrot says. “There's nothing to be lost. You can always come back to the server. Nobody there will ever know except for Ken.”

“No matter how this plays out, I lose you.”

“I'm right here. I'm right next to you, right now, what do you mean?”

Parrot feels pathetic, but he doesn't care. Wifies won't look at him, is talking about losing him like Parrot isn't about to crawl out of his skin just so Wifies won't leave him again. The rain thickens the air around them with the promise of more force, and Parrot stretches a wing over Wifies’s head without a single thought.

“You'll always think about the fact I'm a clone. I lost my status of human. I lost our relationship. It took so long for me to feel normal, and now it's all gone.”

“Wifies, look at me please.”

Wifies does. He does, because he still cares, and Parrot is going to be sick at the resigned look in Wifies’s eyes. Parrot is close enough now, so he reaches out and holds Wifies’s face in both hands. He can feel the way Wifies’s jaw works, the thrum of his slow heartbeat in his throat, the way his breathing is shallow and quick. His eyes are a little glassy, a little red, and Parrot adds another wretched tally to the list of times he's made Wifies cry.

“No matter what, you are human, okay? To me, and to Ken, and I'm sure to whoever you were talking to that day as well. Don't ever doubt that.”

Wifies’s expression softens and he just barely nods, which is a small relief for Parrot.

“All I ever think about when you're gone is when you're coming back,” Parrot says. His sincerity bleeds, red and blue smudged across each word. He’ll bleed for them, every drop if that’s what it takes. “And all I've been thinking about this whole time is how I'm going to make it up to you. How I really, really want to do whatever it takes for you to stay. I want you to stay. And not a single one of those thoughts had anything to do with whether you're a clone or not.”

Wifies breathes in. It shakes something horrible. Parrot will crawl his way back into being trusted until he has no more body to move with.

“All of those thoughts had to do with how you've always been with me. Funny, kind, snarky, quick, the only person in this world I've ever been able to close my eyes next to knowing that I've got everything I need right there. That the only way I'll ever be apart from you is by being torn. And none of that, none of it, has changed. I still think all that about you. All that's been added is that I'm an asshole who definitely doesn't deserve your loyalty, but I'm too greedy to let it go so easily.”

That makes Wifies giggle, the sound wet and cracking. Parrot presses the pads of his thumbs under Wifies's eyes. If he's going to make Wifies cry, the least he can do is clean it up too.

“The only thing I ever need you to do is believe in me,” Parrot says, pressing his lips to Wifies’s forehead. It's easier somehow to speak like this, wetness pooling against Parrot’s fingers. “Believe that I love you so much. Believe that I'm going to make this right between us. Believe that learning this has done nothing to change how I feel about you. And if you can't, please believe in me anyway.”

“Of course I believe in you Parrot,” Wifies murmurs, voice crackling. “Why else would I follow you everywhere?”

“I'm that persuasive?”

“Hardly.”

“Hey, not even a little?”

Wifies laughs. It’s a sweet sound. When Parrot pulls back to look, Wifies has his eyes closed, and he’s not quite smiling, but he’s not frowning either, which is a win. 

“You’re determined and direct,” Wifies says, letting the full weight of his head loll into Parrot’s hands. Parrot raises his other wing so they're encompassed by green and red and blue. “Which is what made me agree to help you at first. But then. . . I don’t know. You can be charming when you want to be. Not often, but on occasion.”

Parrot squawks indignantly just to hear Wifies laugh again. Wifies blinks his eyes open, and Parrot wipes away a stray tear.

“Do you know how touchy you are?” Wifies asks suddenly.

“Should I let go?”

“No, I just wonder if you know that. When you were upset, you made a real effort to not reach out. That’s how I knew it was serious.”

“Well, now you know it’s not serious.”

“Mm, this is serious too in its own way. You’re serious that you want me to stay.”

Parrot lifts Wifies’s head so that they’re eye to eye, bloodshot violet to his own green-blue blur, and says, “Deadly serious. I don’t want to be separated like this again. Knowing I had hurt you and couldn’t make it better? The absolute worst time of my life, I think.”

“It sucked,” Wifies agrees, finally cracking a smile. “It’s over now though. I think.”

“Of course it's over now, you're never allowed to leave me like that again,” Parrot scolds him entirely lighthearted and Wifies snorts.

“Don't yell at me again and I won't.”

“I won't, I'm sorry for yelling.”

Wifies laughs again, and despite the fact he's clearly reveling in having Parrot wrapped around his finger like this, Parrot can't even pretend to be annoyed. Wifies won't leave him again. It's all that matters right now. Any question or doubt dies a quiet death when Wifies reaches up to hold both of Parrot’s wrists in a loose grip.

“This is weirdly nice,” Wifies says, closing his eyes again. “I don't think anyone's ever touched my face so gently. I can't remember the feeling.”

“You just say when,” Parrot replies.

He's not being entirely selfless here— there's something soothing about running the pads of his thumbs over Wifies’s skin, like a promise that this moment is as real as when he left. Wifies can't leave him when they're like this, tangled up under Parrot’s wings under the rain.

“Then for just a bit longer,” Wifies says, and Parrot agrees. Just a bit longer.

[goldenlikedayl1ght]

you're the one - j. cage

a/n: not proud of where my life has taken me, honestly. but this is for the love of my life, luca. hope you all enjoy! likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated! warnings: kissing, suggestive comments, johnny being like the worlds biggest flirt, nothing too crazy, but definitely a lot of sexual innuendos, teasing, inappropriate workplace relationship, kind of, light angst with a happy ending word count: 3.1k summary: you're johnny cage's assistant babysitter agent, and you're his opposite. and yet, he finds himself unapologetically into you. pairing: johnny cage x gn!reader now playing: you're the one - greta van fleet "you're the one i want/you're the one i need/you're the one i had/come on back to me"

You decide you can never be with Johnny Cage in a dingy bar on a Saturday at 11:19 PM.

You’d been his agent for around three months at this point, and you’re always with him, to the point where it became weird that you know so little about each other. And really, it’s a wonder that you lasted so long given how different you are.

You’re awkward, and there’s no harm in it, but you find yourself standing to the side of every movie set, glancing down to your phone to try and find a reason to send an email to someone to distract yourself.

Your relationship history is far and few between, you’ve only started dressing well recently, and you find yourself struggling in crowds and public speaking terrifies you.

Johnny is electric. He has no problem finessing a crowd, has no problem being the center of attention. He’s just unlike anyone you’ve ever met.

So really, you can’t say you’re shocked when you wake up one day and realize that you have in fact, developed feelings for him. It isn’t a tough thing to do, not when he’s always flirting with you.

After a rather large slump in his career, Johnny’s new movies have been doing well in both the box office and with movie watchers all over the country. Really, you became his agent at the perfect time because right after you started, he really became quite the star. Maybe the change of pace behind the camera worked out rather well.

He sort of feels bad, that you’re constantly with him. He doesn’t know when you sleep, because if he isn’t on set or doing press or getting ready to do either, he’s asleep, but every day when you show up to the set, you have a new agenda for him to follow.

When you do it, while also sleeping, eating, and taking care of your own obligations, he doesn’t know.

But one night, after three months of your help, he asks you to grab a drink with him.

(“This isn’t a ploy to get me alone and drunk is it, Cage?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”)

And that’s how you wound up here. You’re dressed more casually than he’s ever seen you, sporting this old band tee and some rather casual jeans. He can’t stop looking at you, and he’s a little confused about it.

He doesn’t get star struck often, but he has this thought, that maybe in one of Liu Kang’s alternate universes, you two ends up together. Maybe he fixes boats in a coastal town, maybe you work at the diner there, maybe you have a dog together. Maybe, in another universe, you and Johnny have a quiet life, where you don’t have much, but you have each other, and that’s enough.

“So how did someone like you end up in a place like this?” he asks, charmingly. You roll your eyes and take another sip of your beer.

“Well, this asshole I work for—”

“Hey!”

“He asked me out for a drink, and I don’t know if it’s because I felt obligated because he pays me, or because I genuinely wanted to, but I went out with him.”

“You’re so mean to me.”

“You make up for it, always flirting with me.”

“Can’t say you don’t like it, sweetheart—”

“Listen, Cage—"

“But you never answered my question. How’d you end up in Hollywood? We spend all this time together, yet I feel like I barely know my own assistant.”

“Agent.”

“Whatever. Answer the question.”

It’s a loaded one, no doubt, but not one you aren’t willing to answer. You find yourself unable to really keep anything from him, he just needs to know where to look for it, how to interpret it.

“I moved here from home, never

had much of anything—Family, Money, Whatever—Got an internship and before you know it, I’m networking my way to being Johnny Cage’s babysitter—”

“Agent.”

“Whatever.” You shoot back, a goofy grin on your face.

“Okay, let me ask you this,” He poises, “Favorite movie?”

You exhale, finding that a near impossible question.

“Oh, and none of mine! Then, it would be too easy!” He grins, and you shoot him this look.

You have a lot of favorite movies.

You take a few minutes before deciding on one.

“Paddington 2.”

“What?!”

“Paddington 2!”

“You cannot be serious!” He gawks. “Paddington 2 over, what? The Shawshank Redemption? Gladiator? Better than Aliens?!”

You take a minute.

“I’ve never seen Aliens.”

“What?! Big alien, tiny girl, Ripley!” He says the main character’s name in this high pitched, annoying tone.

It makes you burst out laughing, and he just laughs at your laugh.

“Nope, never seen it.”

“Oh my god! How do you work in Hollywood, and you’ve never seen Aliens?”

“Stop asking me if I’ve never seen Aliens, you know what the answer is!”

You both laugh again, and for a moment, it is perfect. There is no one else in the world except you and him, and there’s no reason to feel as if this isn’t real. There’s no reason to deny yourself the rather simple pleasure of admiring him, and there is certainly no reason to stop looking at him like you are right now.

And then this beautiful blonde woman strolls up to him. Even you can admit that she’s gorgeous.

“Excuse me,” Her voice is that of a songbird, “I don’t mean to bother you, but are you Johnny Cage? Like, the actor?”

“Indeed, I am, how can I help you?”

“I was just wondering if I could buy you a drink. Maybe we can go back to my table?”

You’re full of jealousy. You feel awful for it too, because in no way is Johnny yours.

“Uh, you know what..” He glances back at you, and you give him this weak smile.

“Go, it’s fine. Have fun, it isn’t like this is a date or anything.”

He grins at you and puts a fifty on the bar to pay for your drinks and leave the bartender a rather nice tip.

“You’re the best wingman ever, man! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

You finish your drink bitterly as Johnny goes off to flirt with, and eventually sleep with, that nice woman. You take notice that when the two of you are alone, you’re ‘sweetheart’ but when another woman strolls in, you’re ‘man’.

And that’s it. It’s 11:19 PM and in that dingy bar, you decide that you can never be with Johnny Cage. You know it will never be what you want it to be. That if it does happen, it’ll be like it is with this woman. A one-night stand, never to be brought up again. You’ll get him all to yourself for one night, and then after that, he will never be yours again. He’ll go back to being no ones, back to being the spotlights. Back to belonging to everyone, except you.

• • •

To tell you the truth, you snuck up on Johnny. After you made it clear the first day you met that you had no intention of sleeping with him, he sort of wrote you off other than flirting.

And one day he woke up and realized how desperately, horribly in love he is with you.

It happens a few weeks after your night at the bar. You were supposed to spend the night filming an outdoor scene, but it rained so hard that the stunts wouldn’t have been safe, so here you are in his living room. He had sold his mega mansion for something less expensive—Still lavish, but not nearly as expensive.

“So, do you want to go over the script and make those edits that the studio suggested or—”

“Nope.” He comes out of the kitchen holding a big bucket of popcorn. “We’re watching Aliens.”

You sigh and plop the script down on his coffee table.

“Johnny—” you say in this exasperated tone.

“Darling,” He echoes, in that same tone but more sarcastically. What a dick. You can’t help but want him. He sits with you and puts the popcorn between you, as he turns on the TV and brings up the movie. “Say what you want, but you’re my assistant, so you have to do what I say!”

“Agent.”

“Whatever! C’mon, take one night off, just watch this movie with me!”

You glance over to him and sigh. Why do you do the things you do for him? You’ll never know.

“Fine. One movie, and that’s it!” You tell him and curl up on the couch, your hand reaching to the popcorn to grab a fistful.

One thing no one ever told you was how God damn scary this movie was! You aren’t a big gore or horror person, so it takes you by surprise.

It’s really good, though you’d never admit it to Johnny, just fucking scary.

At some point throughout the movie, one of you moved over the popcorn bowl, slowly closing the gap between the two of you.

During a particularly scary scene, you find yourself jumping, right into his side, gripping his arm. Your heart is racing, but you’re so totally glued in.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” You gasp, your clutch on his arm growing tighter.

“Pretty cool, right?” He grins, noticing your grip on his arm.

“It’s fine.” He chuckles and shakes his head, leaning back on the couch.

And that was it. He was hooked. He knew how his image had been around Hollywood, and he knew that you saw him as this playboy. Which wasn’t entirely untrue, especially since his divorce.  But he wanted to make a change, wanted you to see the change, but he just couldn’t put his finger on how.

The rain is still pouring when the movie ends, when you finally pull yourself off his arm.

“I should be heading out.”

“What? You can’t drive in this.” He doesn’t want you to leave.

“It’s not that bad.”

“Just stay the night.”

“Johnny, I don’t even have clothes to—”

“I’ll give you some of mine. You can take the bed.”

You pause.

“Don’t think that this means I’ll sleep with you.”

He grins.

“Sleep in the same bed as me? Yeah. Let me do all these dirty things that I—”

You get up and head towards his room.

“I’m not on the clock, I’m not dealing with you.”

He grins and follows you.

“I don’t hear a no in there, hot stuff—”

“I swear to god, Johnny—”

You’re too busy bickering to get much sleep that night.

• • •

The movie comes out in two weeks, so on your agenda for today is fitting him for a new suit. You’re sitting, sipping a rather crisp mimosa when he comes out in this one suit. He does a nice twirl and holds his arms out, expecting approval.

He looks good. Like, good enough that you almost break that rule you made at the bar that night.

It’s been a month since you stayed at his place, and since then, things have just been different. You no longer must watch him go off and flirt with other people, because he seems to have some sort of change of heart.

You grin gently.

You put your drink down and stand up, going over to him and adjusting his tie.

He wears this black suit, except the suit coat is a deep blue velvet that is soft to the touch.

“You look great.” You tell him. He grins.

“Only missing my signature shades, good lookin’. That way you can’t tell when I’m looking at your—”

“Eyes, right, Johnny?”

“And ass.”

You laugh and shake your head, unable to comprehend that you feel anything except great love for that comment.

“So, what are you gonna wear?” He asks.

“What? To where?”

“To the premiere?”

“Johnny, I’m not going to the premiere—”

“You have to! You’re my assistant!”

“Agent!”

“Whatever!” His hands come to the dips of your hips. It’s a little too past platonic. You say nothing. “We need to get you an outfit.”

You groan. You hate shopping for clothes. You hate fancy clothes especially.

“Let me go order this to be tailored, and then we can go shopping for you. I’m thinking either blue, to match me, or gold, to compliment—”

“If I’m going to the premiere, It’ll be quietly behind all the cameras, not—”

“Then come as my date. Not as my agent, not as my assistant, not as my babysitter. As my date.”

“Don’t you want to go with someone pretty?”

He frowns.

“You’re pretty.” He tells you.

“Johnny—”

“No argument on this one, Darlin’, we’re going shopping,” he quickly kisses your forehead and walks off to go get changed and pay for his suit.

So that’s how you find yourself awkwardly fitting into this gold outfit, with black accents and the right curves to fit your body shape just right. It isn’t your body that fits awkwardly into it, it’s you. You’re not used to this level of formality.

“Come on out, sweetheart, I won’t bite!” Johnny calls from outside your dressing room.

“You’re gonna be mean to me!”

He gasps, “I would never!”

You sigh and adjust the outfit before walking back out of the dressing room.

“Don’t laugh—” But he isn’t laughing. He’s just looking at you. “You don’t like it.”

“Nononono—” he says, walking towards you and putting his hands on your shoulders. He smooths out the shoulders of your outfit, his thumb gently rubbing over your collarbone. “You look amazing.”

“I feel like a barbie.”

“You look great.”

“I’m not used to this.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be a natural.”

“Besides, it won’t matter, everyone will be looking at you.”

He hums and shrugs.

“Everyone will be looking at you, I think.”

Your face goes red.

“Johnny!”

“I know you’re uncomfortable, but you do really look amazing, honey.”

You take his word for it.

• • •

When you get to the premiere two weeks later, it’s overwhelming. People are taking photos of you two, yelling his name, asking who you’re wearing. His hand does not leave yours.

“Just relax,” He tells you gently, “Just smile, it’s all you have to do.”

You do your best, trying to focus on the feeling of his arm around you as you pose. He glances down at you, tilting his shades down to the end of his nose. You can just make out his eyes. His hand comes up to your face and tilts your chin up.

He leans in and kisses you, as the crowds around you scream even louder. It occurs to you, at this moment, that he’s only kissing you to get publicity. That maybe he’s just taking advantage of the fact that you could be his mysterious new beaux. That he doesn’t want you, doesn’t want to kiss you, doesn't want anything to do with you.

You kiss back, not having any ability to resist how badly you want him anymore. You don’t care if it’s just for the cameras. You have no desire to pull away from him, no matter how pretend it may be.

When he does pull away, you make your way off the red carpet and into a secluded corner of the room.

“I’m sorry,” he starts.

“It’s okay, I get it, it didn’t mean anything—”

“What are you talking about?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry for surprising you so suddenly, it wasn’t where I wanted to do that, but I just.. I couldn’t help myself. You’re looking so good right now..”

“Not where you wanted to do that?”

“I’ve been meaning to kiss you for a while.. I just wanted it to be romantic and amazing, like you deserve, but I just couldn't help myself.”

“Like I deserve?”

“You have a lot of questions for someone who just got kissed by me—”

“Ugh, you’re the worst!”

“Does that mean you don’t want me to kiss you again?”

“…No.”

“That’s what I thought,” he leans to kiss you again, and you gladly let him. You only break off the kiss to take his sunglasses off his face, before kissing him again. Now that you had him, the want didn’t dissipate. Especially when you feel his hands on your hips again, and you only lean further into the kiss.

You can’t believe you waited so long to kiss Johnny Cage. Why would you ever deny yourself the right to make out in some quiet corner of a blockbuster movie premiere?

• • •

A week later, you’re sitting in that bar again. This time, you and Johnny have this booth in the back of the bar, and you’re leaning against him while he tries your extremely fruity drink and cringes at how sugary it is.

“I don’t know how you drink this shit.”

“I need to get nice and drunk after the day I had. Boss was being mean.”

“Sounds awful.”

“Yeah but He’s a great kisser, so.”

He grins and presses a kiss to your head. Somehow, He is more comfortable than he has been in a long time, feeling more like himself than he has in… years, maybe.

“It’s getting late, we should get you home soon.”

“Mm, But I like drinking. Besides, when did you become the responsible one?”

“When you ordered that fourth margarita.”

“Touche.” You finish your drink and sigh. “You’re not gonna let me have another, huh?”

“Not tonight, baby.” He says, patting your thigh gently. “C’mon, get up, I’ll go pay our tab and we can get some fresh air.”

You hum and get up, leaning against him as he makes his way to pay, and then you head outside to lean against the wall. Johnny keeps you up right as you try to breathe through the liquor. Then this girl comes up to you, and grins at your boyfriend.

“Are you Johnny Cage?” She asks. He bites back a sigh and smiles to her.

“I am, Hi—”

“I love your movies! Do you want to go grab a drink with me?” she asks, flirtatiously. You’re literally standing there leaning against him, with his arm around your waist.

“I’m sorry, you seem very nice, but I have to get my partner here home.” He says, “Have a nice night.”

She seems a little sad, but she bids you guys goodnight respectfully and heads into the bar.

“Your partner?” You ask, drunk on sugary drinks and love for this man.

“Yeah, they’re pretty nice.” He hums. “A pretty great assistant. An even better kisser.”

You frown.

“Agent!”

“Whatever.”

He leans in and kisses you to shut up before you can argue with him anymore. For once, you don’t mind his interruption.

[nevertheless-moving]

STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE AU MASTERLIST

List will be updated with links if/when AUs develop For my Star Wars AU Masterlist: Please See Here As always, people are more than welcome to play with any of these ideas! just please link back to me so I can see! Seriously if you want to write stuff in any form with ideas from any of these aus I will love you forever! 1 to 20: Words of Radiance AUS 21 to 30: Non Words of Radiance AUs (note: these might also be WOR AUs) 31 to 40: Post Winds and Truth Wild Speculation (that may or may not also be a WOR AU)

1 to 20 Words of Radiance AUS

[EDIT, Previous #1 Now #28]

2. High oath Hesina willshaper aus. This is actually many many AUs because the "Mom??" Reveal is great in all contexts. Concept, WOK Era Outline, Brief Fanfic

3. Renarin asks Kaladin for help with radiant stuff during WOR. Secret training. Everyone thinks they're fucking. Chapter 1 and Outline/Meta

4. Elhokar drunk orders kaladin to bedchambers, begs for help keeping away nighmare creatures. Kaladin nearly kills him before scary spren realization, then goes into serious radiant mode when syl gets ambiguously concerned. Everyone thinks they're fucking.[Note: I might be too easily entertained by this trope]. Kaladin is deeply pained by this but also has  people saving thing and really doesnt want to reveal the radiant thing to the whole camp. Earlier third oath. Eventual fucking optional, see above au, except with a bit more pity than vibeing for option a.

5. Crack. AUs 3, 4, and 9 at same time so people just think Kaladin is the Kholin Rhysadium. Bridge 4 offers government overthrow if he's being pressured. kaladin assures them that's not it. Now people keep trying to high five him. Kaladin with head in hands while Moash snarks over his shoulder "you know when i said fuck the lighteyed i didn't -" Kaladin definitely asexual in this one.

6. Hesina and lirin come to shattered planes, shocked/thrilled/emotional to find kaladin. Bridge 4 desperately trying to get approval of [bugs bunny meme our] parents. Lirin reluctantly adopting renarin who wants to learn about healing now for some reason. Blackthorn surgeon mutual loathing/ jealousy son swap hilarity. Lirin is having a time. 

7. Kaladin wasn’t on guard duty the night of szeth arrival. Still warned by syl about assassin, but has to dead sprint while glowing to get across camp fast enough, soft reveal to anyone outside. Only barely figures out wall running on the way over to crash in window just in time. Szeth freaks out and runs away after very short, mildly anticlimatic interaction. And now Kaladin has to deal with Everyone.

8. Kaladin further along in powers during initial szeth fight. Battle of champions degrading to slap fight when they run out of stormlight and get stuck on the plains. Concept/ Ask, Funny Severed Leg

9. Manufactured rumors about adolin/ kaladin. Effective political mudslinging for most of WOR. Shallan plays up things about her relationship with Jasnah to be a more appealing beard. [Previous #9 Is Now #33]

10. Kaladin has a meltdown in prison, breaks out of his cell. Just a little bit more stormlight...Shouts of alarm. Aaah glowing Assassin in white! Kaladin panics more. Adolin handles the situation like a champ. Kaladin maybe briefly kidnaps him.

11. Nale goes after kaladin instead of lift. Ohhh so many thoughts for parallels.

12. Syl immediately dive bombs pattern when kaladin and shallan meet. Really early radiant reveal but just to each other. Kaladin does not trust her but doesn't want to reveal his own status so just watches her super intensely...since she's also constantly watching him too, yes, this gets misinterpreted. See au 3 through 5 but more discreet. Veil is the one draggng him from the barracks for late night 'training sessions' [these are actually training sessions but veil flirts outrageously with kaladin when anyones in earshot. So.] that distracts things a bit.

13. Adolin, suspicious after the Assassin in White fight, was secretly following kaladin at night. Sees him step off a ledge into a chasm (I just reread the section and was like?! You glanced over your shoulder once?!). Adolin spends the whole night stewing in regret, anger, grief, guilt (I was there. I could have yelled. Should have done something. I didn't realize...I didn't know. I didn't know anything). Next morning Kaladin is on guard duty and adolin flips his shit, suddenly remembering that the whole reason he was suspicious of this guy was because he inexplicably survived a several hundred foot drop.

14. Kaladin barely manages to hold it together just long enough to out himself as radiant right after prison. Part One, Part two

15. Kaladin does NOT hold it together after getting arrested.

16. Kaladin swears third oath early. Next few weeks involve a lot of hiding glowing bridgeman squire antics and gaslighting people about kaladin's intermittently light eyes.

17. In the initial confrontation with Szeth, Kaladin pushes a bit harder about the radiants being back, Szeth spirals a bit more, crashing realization that he isn't truthless...

17a.  Earlier radiant reveal: szeth surrenders the honor blade and then immediately collapses into the ground. Kaladin drags him and the blade upstairs. Has to reveal himself now because 1) kaladin what the fuck how and 2) the assassin is mumbling about radiants. 17b ANGST: szeth surrenders the honor blade and immediately kills himself with kaladin's weapons. Kaladin takes honorblade, collapses on way back because it's draining his stormlight, maybe messing with sylbond. When he wakes up hes injured, surrounded by lighteyes and a handful of his men...handles it badly because Very Specific Shardblade Winning Trauma. Crazy two nickles moment. Downside: cries a lot in front of people he'd rather not have cried in front of. Upside: dalinar believes him about amaram now. Public windrunner powers, but obscured Radiant reveal because glowing assassin sword is very clearly granting magic powers. Weird interactions of honorblade bond and nahel bond. Lot of interesting fallout from Dalinar having his very own Mystical Assassin now.

18. Kaladin sends Syl to spy on the 'horneater princess', one sided radiant discovery. When she sends pattern to spy on bridgeboy, he somehow notices. Shallan does not handle it well. 

19. Something something people put together all the impossible stuff Kaladin's done with all the impossible stuff the Blackthorn did as a youth, combined with one of bridge four drunkenly talking about their best theories for the Captains 'mysterious backstory,' combined with Dalinar literally calling Kaladin son and seemingly overnight the warcamps are convinced that Kaladin is Dalinar's bastard child.

20. (COLLABORATIVE with @gnecrognomicon) Instead of being thrown in prison, Elhokar orders Kaladin be strung up for the Stormfather's judgement. Part One, Part Two

21 to 30 Non Words of Radiance AUs

22. Way of kings au where the beggars of alethkar are rounded up for the war effort. Jezrian, of course, ends up on bridge four.

23. Kaladin time travel au to way of kings only the transition is a bit like a spren going through the cognitive to material realm transfer. Not all there. Heartwarming bridge four bonding slightly to the left - sure the mans crazy but he just looks so...disappointed when we dont help with the injured, and he shares his food like an idiot. How does someone seven foot tall and stronger than a chull make axehound pup eyes. We're not following him though. He's not our lead - holy heralds balls is he glowing??  Bit more of a symbol than a friend, but a symbol that you take turns holding at night because he has such bad nightmares and also hes clingy. 

24. COLLABORATIVE / stone soup with @sweetteaanddragons : adolin and kaladin time travel to way of kings. Kaldin brooding about how to escape AND save all his men AND the world until adolin barges in and buys everyone. 

'Thank the almighty,' Kaladin thought with almost painful relief, watching Adolin argue haughtily with a growing swarm of Thadeus's lighteyes. 'I never thought I'd actually appreciate having a rich friend.' He would, of course, rather die than admit this. "I had it handled," he growled, when the two finally managed to speak inconspicuously, each weaving amongst a thousand confused former bridgeman, speaking quietly with several, until they were able to meet in the middle with reasonable subtlety, all things considered. "That's great, Kal," Adolin said cheerfully, clearly not buying a word. "Say, how would you feel about doing some, you know..." He waved a hand, earning a raised eyebrow from Kaladin. "Glowy stuff for my Father," his voice dropped from a subtle hush to a slightly conspicuous whisper. "So he doesn't disinherit me. I did not have permission for this."  Both pairs of eyes flicked to the side, the Blackthorn's towering figure approaching like a Stormwall. "Uh. Sooner rather than later perhaps."

26. Oathbringer/row au. Adolin doesn’t kill sadeus. Mostly just excuse to dunk on Sadeus for trading one (1) shardblade for mythical warrior who can make his own shardblade. oh look more of your former slaves are glowing now. and THEY make shardblades too!

27. Elhokar and Kaladin time travel from Elhokar's death in oathbringer to way of kings. Part one, Part Two

27B. Elhokar solo time travels back from Oathbringer death to Way of Kings

28. Moash tells kaladin about beef with elokhar early. This derails the entire plot of the series. [EDIT, This au was previously #1, before I abruptly realized it was WOK, Not WOR]

31 to 40 Post Winds and Truth Wild Speculation

31. Szeth kaladin pity fuck time travel au words of radiance. Bridge four roasts the shit out of kaladin. Kaladin is doing everything in his power to avoid implying "knowledge of future" which makes the timeline of their relationship deeply confusing.

32. Szeth kaladin time travel au post book 5, they get their memories back in the high storm right before canon first meeting. Szeth sort of stumbles in, halfheartedly attempting a confused assassination.

33. [EDIT: Previously AU Number 9] Kaladin time travel back to wor, book 5 gone wrong. Deeply terrifying from outsider pov. Captain of the Kholin guard, bridgefour leader, is suddenly Full fourth oath windrunner talking about how humans are the voidbringers, they actually need to support the parshendi in bringing one last controlled desolation, and then kill the heralds and also god. Don't worry not our god. Different god. Our god is already dead. If someone else travels back with him then it swings around to a lil bit funny.

34. Post winds and truth, pre sunlit man, crossover with the twilight of mistborn era 2 (i think the cosmere timeline could make sense but if not, oh well). Kaladin gets a boon from his god(s). Requests to learn more about mental health. Has to go to another planet to do so, because mental health research on Roshar sucks. Scadrial's god seems (relatively) friendly and their planet has developed antidepressants AND wellness seminars. Shenanigans with Very Old Wax and the gang.

35. Jasnah, Dalinar, and Renarin (surviving Kholin Radiants) travel from End of World to right after Gavilar's death. Crack. Outline

All of the above (plus other fandoms if you keep scrolling back) will be tagged with 'my au' The above, plus my canon stormlight and other cosmere meta, technically canon compliant fanfic drabbles, or other things that i've written but don't fit in an au will be tagged 'nevertheless cosmere'

[catastrophicalcat]

Catwoman's Love Interests, Ranked

No. 1. Batman. Predictable? Perhaps. Correct choice? Absolutely. They work purrfectly together. I may roll around to write a similar post for Bruce, but from Selina's perspective, he is an equal to her, values her independence, and helps her believe in herself.

(From the double date in Batman (2016) # 37, where Lois is wearing Selina's outfit)

No. 2-10. Selina herself. She is independent! But seriously, one of the things I loved the most from her 90s run was how not romance-focused she was! It was a lot of fun and refreshing to see female main character just not give a fuuuuck about romance.

(Look at her, just slapping this creep away as a squirrel laughs at him! From Catwoman (1993) #30).

No. 11. Christopher Castillo "Blondie". From Selina's adventures in Rome, the Blond was enamoured, charming, and helpful. Also, it wasn't clear if the attraction was truly reciprocal, or if Selina just got a fun vacation boy toy.

(Catwoman, When in Rome #6)

No. 12 Dean Hadley. I am not sure he really qualifies as a love interest, since I don't think that Selina was into him, but at least he died heroically trying to protect her.

(Can't compete with Batman, dies tragically, from Catwoman (2018) # 34)

No. 13 to 20. Selina on her own some more! Can't get enough of this girl on her own! Love the storyline where she unknowingly has a crush on a serial killer in a dog mask. You know what she did when she found out the truth about her crush? That's right, clawed the shit out of him!

(Catwoman (1993) #53. I think this storyline counts as her loving herself than being into this guy - she barely had any qualms about dumping him once she found out; none of that "but maybe I can fix him" for this cat!)

No. 21. The Riddler. Shocking choice, I know! But I'm thinking here of the Lonely City version - Batman is dead, time has passed, he made amends, they found each other. Doesn't work in other continuities, was fun here.

(Catwoman: Lonely City #3. The reveal that Eddie was a coke addict makes SO.MUCH.SENSE).

No. 22. James Thien. I guess he was fine. I didn't like it because her interest into him was really jarring - this was during the post-wedding break-up period when Selina was generally falling apart. But James was neither fish nor fowl. There wasn't enough development for her to be genuinely interested in him, and her interest was portrayed more like genuine interest than a random hook-up.

(Literally, I think that this is all the development there is! And then I don't remember what happened to him. Maybe he also died? That kind of seems to happen to her love interests a lot. Catwoman (2018) #12)

Nos. 22-90. Selina on her own some more! And Eiko. And others. Never enough of Selina being on her own! I also think that Eiko goes somewhere here probably, if not in my earlier "Selina on her own spot" - I just haven't read the New 52 run so I dunno. Other possible contenders in this range:

Onyx (but I don't think they had enough development)

The Trickster (Reddit tells me he's a Catwoman love interest but I don't remember it so it must have been neither good nor bad)

Spark (also new 52, so I dunno).

OK, this is where we get to bottom of the barrel, where unfortunately most other folks are. BTW, what's up with Selina having so many relationships with older mentor figures?

No. 91. Frank Baz. Some mafioso with whom Selina was hanging out in Italy. Ranked so low since he seems like a bad guy, there was a big age difference with her being really young, and he didn't do that much.

No. 91. Slam Bradley Sr. I think that Brubaker did a decent job making the romance between Selina and Slam Sr. work. I like how the run addressed how messy this relationship was, and how Slam was kind of preying on Selina's vulnerable emotional state. (Slam shouldn't have won that argument, but at least it was raised!) But unfortunately this is ranked so low since Slam becomes kind of a chump later on in the run and Selina's relationship with his son makes this very creepy.

(From Catwoman (2001) #17. Their relationship was actually pretty good in the beginning, but quickly got icky...)

No. 92. Wildcat/Ted Grant. I really like the backstory of Selina learning boxing from Wildcat. It's a sweet little bit setting up her eventual super-heroics, plus, Wildcat is awesome! He's a grumpy old man who is respected by everyone, even Batman (whom he also trained). Which is why I hated when Wildcat/Catwoman wrote her to have a crush on him. Gross! Did I mention that he's old?

(Catwoman/Wildcat #3. The art in this book is really 90s)

No. 92. Slam Bradley Jr. I totally get that hot people in costumes would have one night stands on rooftops after adrenaline rush situations. And the poor guy died right after sleeping with Selina! Nonetheless, ranked so low because it's sooo weird since she slept with his dad - which I think he knew - plus I'm pretty sure that their relationship started really antagonistic. Principles before hoes, bro! Also, not his fault but I don't like how he messed up Helena's paternity story some more.

(Catwoman (2001) #61. No idea why Selina tells the dad the story about how she banged his son?)

No. 93. Cat cult person who kidnapped Selina, dressed her up as princess Leia, and tried to marry her. Forgot this dude's name. Considering the stuff he did, he was a pretty nice dude. But - the stuff he did is pretty despicable!

(Catwoman #31. I really hated this storyline, so I feel like he should be lower, but I also really hated Stark and Valmont, so where can it go? Also not sure that kidnapping and forced marriage qualifies as a "love interest"; may rethink including him altogether but I also wanted to emphasize how much I don't like Stark or Valmont).

No. 94. Stark. Criminal who took Selina under his wing when she was still an underage sex worker, and slept with her. He's also a murderer. Pretty gross person overall, really creepy relationship.

(Selina's Big Score)

No. 95. Valmont. I really hate Valmont, OK? I wrote a whole giant post already about how much I hate him!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Old news, but something people should remember

Never let them tell you "We didn't know covid was so bad" or "It's mild for kids." We knew.

Also preserved on our archive

By John Anderer

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The news about coronavirus and children just got a lot worse. A troubling study by researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reports a “high proportion” of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 show elevated levels of a biomarker tied to blood vessel damage. Making matters worse, this sign of cardiovascular damage is being seen in asymptomatic children as well as kids experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Additionally, many examined children testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 are being diagnosed with thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). TMA leads to clots in small blood vessels and has been linked to severe COVID symptoms among adult patients.

“We do not yet know the clinical implications of this elevated biomarker in children with COVID-19 and no symptoms or minimal symptoms,” says co-senior author David T. Teachey, MD, Director of Clinical Research at the Center for Childhood Cancer Research at CHOP, in a media release. “We should continue testing for and monitoring children with SARS-CoV-2 so that we can better understand how the virus affects them in both the short and long term.”

The complex connection between kids and COVID It’s fairly well established at this point that most children who contract coronavirus experience little to no symptoms. However, a small portion of young patients develop major symptoms or a post-viral inflammatory response to COVID-19 called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

TMA in adults has a connection to more severe cases of COVID-19. Scientists believe the component of the immune system called “complement cascade” helps to mediate TMA in adults. The complement cascade is supposed to enhance and strengthen immune responses when a threat is present, but it can also backfire and lead to more inflammation. Up until now, the role of complement cascade during childhood TMA hadn’t been investigated.

To research the topic of “complement activation” in kids with SARS-CoV-2, researchers analyzed a group of 50 pediatric COVID-19 patients between April and July 2020. Among the group, 21 showed minimal to no symptoms, 11 experienced severe symptoms, and 18 developed MIS-C.

To search for complement activation and TMA among each patient, researchers used soluble C5b9 (sC5b9) as a biomarker. Scientists have used this substance for quite some time to assess the severity of TMA after stem cell procedures. In brief terms, the higher the level of sC5b9 in a transplant patient, the greater their mortality risk.

No symptoms doesn’t mean there’s no problem Study authors discovered elevated levels of C5b9 in both patients with severe COVID-19 and MIS-C. While this didn’t surprise researchers, they did get a shock from seeing high levels of C5b9 among even asymptomatic youngsters.

Some of the lab data regarding TMA had to be obtained after the fact. This meant researchers didn’t have a complete dataset to work with for all 50 studied patients. Among 22 patients researchers did have complete data for, 86 percent (19 children) were diagnosed with TMA. Every child had elevated levels of sC5b9, even those without TMA.

“Although most children with COVID-19 do not have severe disease, our study shows that there may be other effects of SARS-CoV-2 that are worthy of investigation,” Dr. Teachey concludes. “Future studies are needed to determine if hospitalized children with SARS-CoV-2 should be screened for TMA, if TMA-directed management is helpful, and if there are any short- or long-term clinical consequences of complement activation and endothelial damage in children with COVID-19 or MIS-C. The most important takeaway from this study is we have more to learn about SARS-CoV-2. We should not make guesses about the short and long-term impact of infection.”

The study is published in Blood Advances.

Study Link: ashpublications.org/bloodadvances/article/4/23/6051/474421/Evidence-of-thrombotic-microangiopathy-in-children

[lai-mar]

I think. For me L+M is another example of a male+female pairing that seems a little too straightforward to ship in canon and hence some fans view it as “boring” and “low hanging fruit”, and as a result the ship is less popular despite having canon crumbs that you can interpret in a shippy way. So the ship being low hanging fruit turns around? In canon they have a strong friendship and lots of moments, and that’s what I like them as, friends (and they are canonically friends). Shipping these “straightforward straight pairings” can be a bit squicky (because I tend to think they are more interesting nonromantically) but it turns out in the end I will blatantly blaze through my squicks because I am desperate for content. And also because shippers actually care about them and their bond.

However, for these pairings people SOMEHOW usually impose a familial interpretation (siblings, in-laws) even though they are not related in canon either by blood or marriage. It’s more acceptable in DM because F/M certainly gets a lot of crumbs but it also kinda makes me salty to see people reduce L+M to being in laws only, like their only connection is through Falin, and that is just plain wrong. I have seen so many male+female pairings that get stuck in the fanon “sibling-coded” area and it’s like… guys it’s okay to not like them as a ship and not make them siblings. Guys. Not every kind of love has to be romantic or familial. I think sibling coding is fun and all that but sometimes it does feel like a “gotcha! I totally do not ship them because they’re like SIBLINGS to me and if you ship them you’re WEIRD”.

L+M would still be funny if it’s the fanon “lesbian elf teams up with her gf’s autistic brother and they squabble but work together to save the day” but canon L+M just drives me crazy because they obviously develop a bond outside of the other people they love, and they’ve basically known each other for two years only which is short even for a tallman lifespan, let alone Marcille’s. Actually I think what really gets me about L+M is that every time they get a moment that can be interpreted as shippy (eg. succubus, M wearing the dress in the Golden Country, even M knitting in the room with L in the Kensuke extra just like her mom used to do with her dad), there might be a few blushes and nervousness, but they quickly return to the status quo of being comfortable and physically affectionate with each other. Which you can interpret them as not seeing each other romantically, in deep denial, or they’re just so comfortable with each other that they don’t need to define their relationship, they just are.

Tbh the widespread DM fanon did mislead me a bunch, I thought we would get obvious F/M shipping or even confirmation after the bath scene but nope. I thought L+M would kinda stay the way they were pre Ep 11 and have a fun back and forth bit noooo they had to go and save each other and learn about each other’s deepest desires. I was shocked that they weren’t being discussed on such a widespread level considering how much screentime and importance they both get. Saw someone say “the romance between F/M is the catalyst and main plot driver” and I want to bang my head against the wall. DM has ship crumbs for a ton of ships but nothing has ever been confirmed canon and I’m happier because of it and it’s fun to explore.

I would say L+M needs better PR but honestly just read the manga, it does all the PR lmao. I can forgive anime onlies but if you read the manga you surely cannot ignore the elephant in the room.

[doberbutts]

My apologies about the weird ask! I saw pictures of ballet dancers bloody feet and let it color my view of it, figured if its painful for people with five toes it would be hell for anyone with more than that. Not that they couldn’t or shouldn’t do it, but that it’d be harsher on their feet. As someone who has wide feet that has a hard time with pointed shoes I was wincing 😅 sorry again should’ve kept it to myself

Oh, you're talking about images like this?

Tbh this is fairly extreme and mostly you see this with ill-fitting shoes or with professionals who don't give their feet a break (bc they can't, bc this is their livelihood). Dancing small time competitions in the local rec center shouldn't do this to your feet unless your shoes really suck or your instructor is very hard on you (by ballet standards- ballet instructors are stereotypically fairly tough anyway).

However, ballet does permanently change the way your foot is shaped and the way your joints work.

Not just your feet but your whole body. Especially when started very young, so since I started at 4 and I have a bazillion things wrong with me anyway I was kind of pre-destined to have some problems from ballet later in life. Don't get me wrong, there were also many benefits, and I LIKE ballet, but ballet and foot problems later in life kind of go hand in hand regardless of what your foot was shaped like when you were born.

It's a rigorous discipline and people don't take it seriously because it's seen as hyperfeminine and also because they see how effortless the dancers make the moves look, and they don't see the work it takes to create that visual. So it's very shocking when non-dancers happen upon images or discussions of the drawbacks.

As said before, I never went en pointe due to ankle weakness I couldn't quite fix, so that photo where her ankle is bent at an extreme angle? Yeah my instructor wouldn't let me go en pointe bc she was afraid I'd snap the bones in my ankle the second I tried that move. Ballet flats aren't nearly as bad on your feet as pointe shoes (pointe shoes are in each of those photos), so it wasn't the shoe itself that beat up my feet but the wear and tear of executing the dance moves.

These are flats- much more flexible than pointe shoes and what young children learn on before their skill and development reaches a safe point to graduate to pointe shoes. They're really just a piece of soft leather or satin held on by a stretchy band. Little kids should never be in pointe shoes and I genuinely caution anyone whose instructor told them it was safe before hitting double digits to find a different instructor for whatever kid before they do massive, permanent damage to their feet. Pretty much every medical study out there says you should be at least 11, and preferably 13-15, before you move off of flats.

My instructor believed the same. I stopped ballet because I was tested twice before being allowed to go en pointe and both times failed due to ankle weakness, at about 13-15. So in high school I switched disciplines because otherwise I'd be a teenager dancing with a bunch of little kids still in flats.

THAT BEING SAID I do feel the need to clarify that I have not had extra toes or fingers after my first week of life, because they were banded pretty much immediately after birth and fell off shortly thereafter. So I wasn't some 6-toed kid forcing myself into an unforgiving wooden shoe, I was a 5-toed kid in effectively soft leather moccasins that just happened to have slightly wider feet than you'd expect. I'm not putting photos of my feet on this blog but unless I point it out you wouldn't really be able to tell I was born with extras until I show you the remnants of the little "shelf" where the extras would have grown out of.

I do appreciate the concern- just keep in mind how it might be coming across next time.

[cool-fancier]

Tipsy Confessions

Synopsis: At an event, your rival Bada confessed her feelings for you in the bathroom while slightly drunk, let’s see if you both remember it.

A/N: sorry I rushed it.Hipe you guys at least like it.

The spectacular event, a gathering of elegance and sophistication, was in full flow. You'd chose a magnificent floor-length satin dress in your favourite colour, a rich and deep purple. You couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as you stood in front of the bathroom mirror, applying mascara. The dress clung to the form in all the right areas, and you looked stunning.

As you admired your reflection, the bathroom door swung open, and in walked none other than your rival, Bada. This was an odd interaction because Bada's normal greeting for you was cold, often accompanied by glares and sarcastic remarks. This time, however, something was different. She entered the bathroom with a smile, which was both surprising and confusing.

You tilted your head, puzzled by her sudden change in behaviour. "Are you fine, Bada?" You're usually all... mean."

She continued to smile, her expression unusually warm. "I've been at the bar," she confessed. "You're so lovely, y/n." Like, I don't get it. I think I hate how perfect you are."

As you put down your mascara wand, your suspicion lingered. "You're drunk, Bada. You don't mean any of that."

But Bada kept her smile, and she looked determined to make known her actual thoughts. "But that's the thing, y/n! I do! I really mean it! It's ridiculous how much I adore you! It's all about you! "You're perfect!"

Your cheeks flushed as you took in her words, still finding it impossible to accept. "Perfect for me, though. Only me. "Only me."

Bada's confession put you both in an unusual and vulnerable position. Her drunken state had caused her to confess her actual feelings. She appeared genuine, but the booze masked the seriousness of the situation.

You tried to reassure her with a warm smile and a soft touch on her hand. "If you can remember this conversation tomorrow, I'll confess my feelings."

You left the bathroom and returned to the party, leaving Bada to digest her own statement.

Dancing, laughter, and conversations continued throughout the evening. You had a good time chatting with the other guests, but you were nervous about the message you could get from Bada. The possibility of a potential confession kept your mind occupied.

As the night came to an end, you found yourself checking your phone for Bada's message. It was 11:28 pm, and you couldn't help but wonder if she would remember the conversation.

At last, your phone vibrated, and you saw Bada's message:

11:28 pm:

Bada🌊🧜‍♀️: "If you can also remember the conversation we had tonight,tomorrow, I'll confess my feelings."

A wave of nervousness and excitement washed over you. You put your phone away, deciding to give yourself some time before responding to Bada.

The next day was filled with excitement. You had to wonder if Bada remembered her passionate confession. You were conflicted about her developing love for you because you had always been rivals.

Later that evening, Bada approached you with a smile, looking more composed than the night before. "Do you remember our conversation in the bathroom?"

Your heart was beating as you nodded. "I do."

Bada inhaled deeply, her eyes filled with a mixture of worry and determination. "Y/n, I meant every word I said. I like you and would love to be with you."

Her genuineness and the courage it required to reveal her feelings shocked you. Given your rivalry, it was difficult to process Bada's words, yet they struck your heart.

After a moment of thought, you replied with a smile. "I like you, Bada. I've also realised something. I've had feelings for you for quite some time."

Bada's eyes widened with shock and happiness, and a broad smile spread across her face. "You do?"

You nodded, closing the gap between you. "I do."

With that, the two of you began a new chapter in your relationship, leaving behind the competitiveness and rivalry and embracing the love and connection that had been waiting to grow.

Your confession to each other marked the beginning of a love story that surpassed all expectations, proving that even rivals can find their way into one other's hearts.

[diazguzman]

Part 7 : Interviews and articles focused on Buck/Oliver, Eddie/Ryan and Tim Minear

24/11/07 9-1-1 boss promises major 'confessions' from Buck, Eddie, Tommy, and Maddie tonight (exclusive preview)

24/11/07 9-1-1′s Oliver Stark Reacts to Tommy’s Insane Reveal, That ‘Profound’ Glee Reference and Buck’s Last Scene With Eddie

24/11/07 9-1-1’s Ryan Guzman on How an Underwear Dance and Shaving His ‘Stache Sparks Eddie’s Search for ‘Joy’ (Exclusive)

24/11/07 ‘9-1-1’s Gavin Stenhouse On The Hot Priest’s Return, Eddie’s Emotional Confessions, And More

24/11/07 ‘9-1-1’ Boss on Tommy’s Wild Revelation, Buck & Eddie Figuring Themselves Out

24/11/07 RIP Eddie Diaz’s ‘9-1-1’ Mustache, The End Of An Era *

24/11/07 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 6 Review: ‘Confessions’ *

24/11/07 ‘9-1-1’: Ryan Guzman Talks ‘Risky Business’ Dance, New Version of Eddie Going Forward

24/11/04 9-1-1's Ryan Guzman on Eddie's Risky Business dance and mustache shave

24/11/07 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 6 Pulls Buck and Tommy In Different Directions *

24/11/07 9-1-1's Oliver Stark on Buck and Tommy's shocking relationship developments

24/11/07 9-1-1's Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman break down that Risky and touching 'Buddie' final moment

24/11/07 ‘9-1-1’ Star Oliver Stark Breaks Down Buck’s ‘Devastating’ Breakup and That Abby Twist

24/11/07 ‘911’: Oliver Stark on That Relationship Shocker and the “Unexpected, Delicious Way” He’ll Move Forward

24/11/07 ‘9-1-1’ Star Oliver Stark on That Ex Twist, Tommy’s Choice and Why Buck Went to Eddie for Comfort

24/11/07 9-1-1 Post Mortem: Ryan Guzman Talks Eddie’s Confession, Self-Love, That Risky Business Moment & More

24/11/07 9-1-1's Ryan Guzman on Dancing in His Underwear Like Tom Cruise

24/11/07 Ryan Guzman Addresses Whether 9-1-1 Season 8 Will Provide The Answer To Eddie's Happiness: "He's Asking The Right Questions"

24/11/07 9-1-1 Star Ryan Guzman Breaks Down Buck & Eddie's Final Scene In Season 8, Episode 6

24/11/07 Lou Ferrigno Jr. on Saying Goodbye to 9-1-1, That Breakup and What’s Next

24/11/08 ‘9-1-1’s Lou Ferrigno Jr. Reflects On Tommy And Buck’s “Heart-Wrenching” Breakup And Why The Role Was A “True Blessing”

24/11/08 ‘9-1-1’ Boss Teases ‘Full Circle’ Midseason Finale, Talks ‘Hotshots’

24/11/11 9-1-1 Star Ryan Guzman Previews His Character's Journey Of Self-Discovery & What's Next For Buck And Eddie In Season 8

Does Eddie know who he is, and he's just been trying to hide it, or is it that he hasn't taken the steps to discover what's out there?

Ryan Guzman: I don't think he's known who he is. I think he's just figuring that—not even figuring that out. I think he's starting to ask the right questions. I believe that there's so much left to explore with Eddie. I think he has a generalized idea of where he wants to go, but I think anything you do new, you're not really good at it in the beginning.

[blackypanther9]

Alastor teaches M/n how to hunt – Father!Human!Alastor x Son!Reader

WARNING!: Killing Deer, bathing someone (Don’t you dare make this sexual, eww.), mentions of weapons (rifle to hunt and hunting knife), Angst AND MORE ! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!

A/N: If any of you make this one bathing scene sexual so HELP ME THE RADIO DEMON !! *Gets out the rolled up newspaper ready to smack your perverted heads* (Pic belongs to rightful owner)

TAGLIST: @l0liamk @dilucragnvindr-my-beloved @moiravim @meg-giry1 @wen01203

Words: 8 792

If Alastor hated one thing dearly, it was being compared to his Father. That’s why he NEVER acted like that vile man did. His Father forced him to learn how to hunt already when he was an 8 year old kid, for example.

M/n, his Son, was 11 years of age now, but he hated thinking about teaching him how to hunt. He knew it is important. Who knows if M/n will have to use that knowledge one day... But he deemed him way too young still. He loved animals.

Why was Alastor even thinking about this ? Because M/n asked him, for 3 months by now, if he could join him and learn how to hunt.

Alastor had to go today, but he didn’t want to drag M/n along. M/n knew that and with that locked all the doors to get outside and then hid Alastor’s house keys. Without them he can’t go, besides he wants to climb out a window and then be locked out by his Son.

“Please, Papa !”, M/n begged with big eyes.

“Mon petit (My little one), you are way too young for that.”, the Radio Host denied again.

“Why am I too young for it, Papa ? I wanna learn !”

“Cher, do you even know what hunting means ?”

“Umm...that you go out with a gun and look around ?”, M/n said in confusion.

Alastor chuckled and ruffled his Son’s hair.

“Almost, mon petit. But not correct !”

M/n pouted.

“Then TEACH me ! YOU are MY teacher and my FATHER !”, M/n reminded his Father.

The Radio Host eyed his Son for a long while. He was very unsure, he doesn’t want to be like his own Father was... He forced Alastor to learn and witness everything at a very young age. He was glad when he finally died.

“Are you absolutely sure about this, Cher ?”, he asked M/n gently.

His Son held pure determination in his eyes. Something the older male admired.

“I am very sure, Papa. I wanna learn everything you know.”

Alastor gave him a confused smile.

“Why ?”, he asked the kid.

M/n gave him a big smile.

“Because I wanna be just like YOU, when I grow up ! I wanna be as funny as you, skilled as you, nice as you, I even wanna do the same job as you when I grow up !”

The Radio Host was shocked, but felt very touched that his own Son wanted to be just like him. At the same time it was silly. He chuckled and ruffled M/n’s hair.

“Mon petit, you don’t have to be just like me. I want you, to be yourself. But...I would lie, if I wouldn’t say that I would love to teach you everything I know.”, the older male gave in.

His Son’s eyes sparkled.

“Does that mean you’ll teach me ?!”

Alastor sighed and then nodded, smile still present. M/n jumped up and down in happiness and the adult chuckled at his adorable display. He was nothing like his Father, his Father never cared to make Alastor happy. He never gave him time, as a child, to develop an interest in what he did, while his Mother did.

“Alright. So, hunting is not something that is taken lightly.”, Alastor started.

M/n instantly sat down on his Father’s bed, next to Alastor, listening intently. The Radio Host was almost amused by that display.

“Yes, hunting takes part in taking a hunting rifle outside with you and walking around, but you don’t do that to waste your time away. You are on the search of something.”

“And what is that, Papa ?”, M/n asked in curiosity.

“Food.”, Alastor answered and looked at his Son.

“Food ?”, the boy asked in confusion.

“Why yes. You know...the meat we consume, like chicken and fish...are animals. Living things. Our food.”, Alastor explained.

M/n looked at his Dad.

“I mean...I knew that, but why hunt it ? They die by themselves and then we eat them, right ? We find them and they are already dead.”

Alastor shook his head and laughed gently.

“No, no, no, Son. We hunt these animals, kill them and then we take the meat from them. We don’t wait for them to die, god knows if they had diseases that ended them. Some diseases can pass onto us as soon as we consume them, so we hunt them instead.”

M/n’s eyes were wide.

“What ? But what about the babies ?!”

Alastor smiled softly.

“There is a season for that. When the time arrives where babies are supposed to come, you are not allowed to hunt and kill animals. After the hunting season is back on track, you have to watch out and be careful that you don’t take away the Mother from a newborn. That does every hunter worth their salt.”

He looked at his Father worried.

“And the Fathers ?”

Alastor chuckled awkwardly.

“Well, most animal species only mate once and they usually don’t care about their newborns. As sad as that sounds, usually the males then leave and can even hurt the newborn. And when the newborn is a male and grows up, they might fight for dominance.”

“Oh...”

“Hey, don’t be so sad, Son. One animal leaves and three new ones are already there. Animals don’t die out that fast.”

He looked at his Dad.

“What are we hunting, Papa ?”

“I was going for a Deer. You want to tag along ?”

M/n nodded. He was sad about the animals, but first...they tasted good and second he wanted to learn.

“Okay then.”

Alastor got up and then left the room, when he came back he had a small hunting outfit in his hands and handed them to his Son. He took them.

“Put these on. They were formerly mine, when I was 12, but I don’t fit into them anymore and they might fit you.”

M/n nodded and left his Father’s bedroom, went to his own and dressed up. The clothes fit him perfectly.

As he showed up, his Father smiled brightly.

“Splendid ! They fit you perfectly !”, Alastor said happily and then grabbed his Winchester 1898 rifle hunting gun.

Then M/n saw, that his Father had a hunting knife in his belt too, sheathed.

“Papa ?”

“Yes, mon petit ?”

He pointed at the sheathed knife.

“What do we need the knife for ?”, he asked his Dad.

“That is a hunting knife. You never leave the house without it, in case you need it.”

“Oh. Okay !”

He smiled at his Son, then put on his coat and they both left.

“Rule number one, Son: You have to know where they might be.”

“Do you know where the Deers are ?”

“Always near the same location, yes. Just follow me.”

He did as told and after a while, which was 2 hours of walking, they arrived at a small river and saw a Stag, eating grass all alone, the birds were chirping very loudly, perfect. They can use that to their advantage. Alastor crouched down, behind a bush and M/n followed his example.

The Radio Host continued in a whisper, so the Stag won’t be alarmed.

“Rule number two and three: Don’t make any loud noises and never let the prey spot you. They hear you, they run away. They see you and they also run away. Deer are very jumpy and fast.”, he taught his Son.

M/n nodded at that. Then he watched his Father, very carefully, grab and pull his rifle, from his back, to his chest. He silently opened his gun and put two bullets inside it. He looked at M/n.

“Do you want to shoot it ?”, he asked his Son in a whisper.

M/n nodded gently. Alastor came closer and carefully handed M/n the rifle, positioned his hands where they had to be and then gently guided his hands and the rifle through the bush. He looked over the edge of the bush and saw the Stag still eating.

“There is a little hole on the top of the gun, you look through it with your right eye. You will have more focus and aim on the Stag then. Aim for the head.”, Alastor instructed, still in a whisper.

M/n did as he was instructed, with the help of his Father. Alastor was behind his Son, had his head next to his Son’s left side of the head, and focused his eyes too, to see if the front of the rifle lined up with its target. He smiled when M/n had it.

“Perfect, mon petit. Before you pull the trigger, I need to warn you. The rifle will have a strong recoil. Keep your arms relaxed, then the gun will recoil in your hands and your arms will be pushed up and you might fall back, but you won’t get hurt.”

“What if I stiffen my arms ?”, M/n whispered his question.

“Then you will seriously hurt yourself.”

“Oh...Okay.”

“I will be here and support you.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s shoot it together, mon petit.”

M/n nodded and then they both checked again. Everything was still perfect, Alastor took the safety off, then M/n and Alastor pulled the trigger together.

BANG !

M/n’s arms were in the air with the rifle, his ears ringing, the recoil made him fall into his Father’s chest and they heard a heavy drop.

“Oof !”, M/n let out as he collided with his Dad’s chest.

“I told you, I will catch you.”, Alastor said smugly.

M/n giggled and then looked over the bush. His eyes widened in happiness.

“I got it ! I got it, Papa !”, M/n cheered.

On the floor, was the Stag, dead. They got it good. The Radio Host chuckled and got up.

“That you did, Son. Good job. Now let us take it home, so I can skin it and store the meat, for us, away.”

“Okay ! Can I help ?!”

Alastor looked at his Son, his smile a bit tighter. He knew that M/n was definitely NOT ready for that.

“No. When you are older, I promise. Skinning and storing the meat away from an animal...is not a nice sight. For that, you really are still too young. Trust me, mon petit.”

M/n lost his smile and looked at his Dad in concern.

“Oh...okay... You’ll be okay ?”

“Cher, I skinned a lot of Deer, way before you even arrived !”, Alastor chuckled out.

He ruffled the boy’s hair.

“I’ll be okay, Cher.”, he said gently.

Then Alastor went to the Stag and heaved it up, then put his head under it and stood up, his right hand held its hind legs, his left hand held its front legs and behind his neck was its belly. With that he started going back home and M/n followed.

“Isn’t the Stag heavy ?”, M/n asked in concern.

“It is, but I carried a lot of animals and other things, so I have enough muscle to carry it. Don’t worry, Cher.”

“Okay...”

Alastor gave his Son a bright, proud smile.

“Hey, Son ?”

“Yes, Papa ?”, M/n replied.

“I know, I said it already, but...you did a spectacular job today. Your first time hunting and you got a Deer ! Normally kids that start hunting won’t even catch anything ! You caught a Stag. Deer are very hard to catch, without them running away before you can get them ! Congratulations.”, Alastor praised highly.

His Son smiled and it went brighter when he continued to praise him for a job well done.

“Thank you, Papa. It means a lot, coming from you.”, he replied with a big smile.

Alastor wanted to reply and had a warm smile on his face, as he suddenly felt something wet hit his nose. He froze up at that, his smile frozen. M/n got a wet drop on his forehead and they looked at each other, then up, into the sky.

More drops hit them and Alastor muttered under his breath.

“Oh, applesauce...”

They were still far away from home, they walked for like two hours.

“We should speed it up a bit, mon petit ! It is raining !”, Alastor said and fastened his steps, which M/n did too.

-Time skip-

It was raining heavily and it felt like buckets of water was poured over them, when they finally arrived at home. Alastor quickly unlocked the door and M/n rushed in, he took his soaked coat, shoes and socks off, then he opened the basement door, for his Dad.

Alastor brought the Stag into the Basement and then came back up, taking off his own soaking coat, boots and socks, then they both rushed upstairs and decided to dry off with towels, then put on comfortable clothes.

M/n was the first one to be in the living room and he decided to light up the chimney, so they will warm up faster. He wore extra clothes under his hunting clothes, while Alastor didn’t. He was soaked to the bone and came down, rubbing his arms, to warm up. As he saw the chimney lit, he sat down on the couch, in front of the chimney, and warmed up there.

His Son in the meantime was in the kitchen and turned on the stove, warming up the leftovers from their Lunch that day. It was enough for Dinner and they both hated food going to waste.

So while M/n was busy in the kitchen, warming up their Dinner, Alastor sat near the chimney and warmed up. Tomorrow he had to go to work again too. It was Sunday and the Radio Host hasn’t taken a day off ever since M/n turned eight years of age. It was pretty good for his record, after all, his NEW Boss was even stricter with him. Worst ? It was a woman...

A woman, M/n HATED. She couldn’t take a fucking hint.

After a few more minutes M/n dressed the table in the dining area and looked at his Dad.

“Dinner is ready, Papa.”

“Thank you, mon petit. I will be there shortly.”, the Father replied softly, voice sounding weak.

‘Did he get sick ?’, M/n thought worried.

He went to the table and poured his Father already the bowl, then his own. They had Gumbo. It didn’t take long and Alastor arrived too, sat down in his seat and they both ate Dinner.

What worried M/n the most though, was that his Dad immediately went to bed after. He never does that. He usually stayed up an hour longer after Dinner, played a game with M/n and then sent him off to bed. He was VERY worried. He cleaned the dishes and the empty pot, where the Gumbo was inside, and then went to bed himself.

-The next day-

M/n woke up and looked at his clock. He saw the time and sighed, getting up. His Dad should be in the kitchen already, making Breakfast. He got dressed and freshened up for the day at his Dad’s studio and then went down the stairs. He was confused as he saw the kitchen spotless and no smell of food was there.

‘Where is he ? Is he still sleeping ?’

He went back up the stairs and knocked gently at his Father’s door. No response. He opened the door and looked inside.

“Papa ?”, he gently called out.

In the bed was movement and a weak groan came from it too. M/n entered the room and stood next to his Father’s bed. He took a closer look at him and saw a red nose, cheeks flushed and his eyelids were red. M/n put his hand on Alastor’s forehead and pulled it back again. He was burning up.

He let his Father sleep and went to the phone. He called the Radio Station.

“Yes, Alastor ?”, a female replied.

‘Great...the pompous Bitch of a Boss...’

“Hello, Miss Ducasse. I am calling for my Father, Alastor Hazbin.”

“Oh...M/n Hazbin...what do you have to tell me, that your Father can’t, hmm ?”, she asked rudely.

“My Father is sick. He has a very high fever and I wanted to ask if I can call him in sick today, so we can get a doctor and get a look at how long and how serious his fever is. His forehead is burning up, but I don’t have a temperature yet. I would send you the testament and sick leave as soon as I have it.”, M/n promised.

It was silent at the other line, then she sighed, annoyed.

“Fine. But you better keep your word, otherwise your Father will be in big trouble and I won’t let this happen again.”, she threatened.

‘Sure you Bitch... You just want to get into my Father’s pants. Whore..’, he thought, rolling his eyes in anger and disgust.

“I will. I promise. Thank you and have a lovely day, Miss !”, M/n said happily.

She hung up, aggressively. M/n looked at his phone and scoffed.

“Rude.”

Then he dialed a doctor’s number. It was almost instantly answered.

“Hello, this is Dr. Thomas Hugo. How can I help you ?”, a man answered.

“Mr. Hugo ! Just who I needed, do you remember me, Sir ?”, M/n asked, glad it was his Father’s house doc.

“M/n ! What do you need, child ?”, the man asked surprised.

“I need you to come to my Dad’s house. I think Papa caught a very high fever and I need someone to check how bad it is and what I need to do, how long it might take. My Papa’s Boss wants a sick leave and testament as fast as possible. Can you make it ?”, M/n asked in an urgent and pleading tone.

The other line was silent for a bit, then he heard rustling.

“I am on my way, Kid. I’ll be there in 15 minutes, okay ?”, Hugo informed.

M/n smiled brightly.

“Okay ! Thank you so much !”, M/n said.

“Always, Kiddo. See ya in a bit.”

“Be careful !”

Then they both hung up and M/n went back to his Father’s room. Alastor was still in bed, sleeping, looking very sick. The boy made sure that his Father was wrapped in his blanket, then he opened his window, letting fresh air inside.

He stayed by his Father’s side, until the door knocked. M/n jumped up and rushed down the stairs. He opened the door and smiled brightly as he saw Dr. Thomas Hugo standing there. He hugged him tightly and then let him inside.

“Thank you for coming here on such a short notice. My Dad is still asleep. I opened the window for fresh air and he is covered by his blanket, so he shouldn’t get worse.”, M/n explained as he led the Doctor up the stairs.

“That was very good thinking, Kid. Fresh air clears the room of the bad and used air, chasing the bacteria and viruses away, cleansing the room.”, Dr. Hugo praised.

M/n smiled brightly, then he opened his Dad’s bedroom door and let the Doctor enter it before him. They both went inside and M/n closed the door behind himself. The Doctor was already approaching Alastor’s bed on the right side and took a look at his face.

“Puffy eyelids, red swollen nose and red cheeks...”, the man muttered.

He put a hand on Alastor’s forehead and pulled it away.

“Burning forehead...”

M/n waited for the diagnosis. Dr. Hugo pulled his bag next to himself and opened it, pulling out a thermometer. He turned it on and then gently opened Alastor’s lips, then put it into his mouth. The sick adult groaned, but didn’t do anything else.

After a few minutes, Dr. Hugo pulled it out and took a sharp inhale.

“That is serious. Deadly serious.”

“Why ? How high is it ?”, M/n asked.

“Before I tell you...How did he get sick ?”

“I think it was from yesterday. We took a walk and we were two hours away from home as it started to rain and it turned into a heavy one. I was dressed with two layers, Papa wasn’t. He only wore one layer and he was soaked through.”, M/n explained.

Hugo nodded.

“Okay, makes sense... Your dad has a very high fever. His temperature is 41°C. A normal one would be between 36, 5°C – 37,4°C.”

M/n stared at Thomas in shock.

“How do I get it to come down ? What do I have to expect ?”, M/n asked worried.

“He will be sluggish. He might have a cough, a cold, scratchy throat, a headache and stomach pains. He could also feel sick to his stomach, so he might not eat much. You need to go to a Pharmacy and get him something against his pains, stomach and cough. I will write you some recipes. Give him much water and tea, don’t leave him out of your sight, help him to the bathroom and everywhere else, air the room a lot and put a cold rag on his forehead. I will give him a sick leave for 7 days and then I will come back, to check on him.”

“Okay. Can I get the sick leave twice ? Papa’s Boss sometimes let the sick leaves of Dad’s disappear.”

Thomas nodded and made him two sick leaves, signed them and then made a testament twice too, then he wrote M/n the recipes for the medications. He also wrote a few tea kinds down and what food Alastor should be able to consume while he is sick. Then he gave it all to M/n.

“If you run out of the medication too fast, give me a call and I will get more and come over, okay ?”, Thomas told the boy.

“Okay. Thank you so much, Dr. Hugo.”

The Doctor smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“No problem, Kiddo. I hope you know what to do from here on. Do you need money ?”

“No, Sir. I know where Dad has some, that I can use.”

“Good, alright. Be careful when you go shopping and don’t get in trouble, yeah ?”

“I will, I promise.”, M/n swore as he led Thomas out of the house again.

“Good. Good luck, Kid. Take good care of your Dad.”

“I will. Be careful on your way back and I hope you will have a lovely day.”

The Doctor smiled and then left. M/n closed the front door, then he dashed to his own room and dressed up, to go out. He then rushed to his desk and wrote a note for his Dad.

‘I’m shopping and giving the annoying Boss your sick leave. You have very high fever and are written sick, I’ll get the medication. Stay in bed ! Love you, Papa !’

He took the piece of paper and put it next to his nightstand, then left a sick leave and testament from the Doctor there, in case his Dad needs to look it over. He also put his glasses there, so he can reach them better and doesn’t have to move too much, then he went to his Father’s black dress pants and pulled out his wallet.

He took out a 50 dollar bill and three 20 dollar bills. He hoped that was enough. He took the second testament and sick leave from Dr. Hugo after that, with the medication recipes and notes, the Doc made. He snatched his Dad’s house keys, and then left, locking the front door, then left for the town.

His first stop was his Father’s Radio Station. He entered it and got greeted instantly by his Dad’s coworkers, warmly.

“Hello, M/n ! Where is Alastor ?”, a friendly fellow asked.

His name was Francisco Zuft. He was a good friend of Alastor’s.

“Hello, Mr. Zuft. My Father is sick. He caught a high fever. I am here to bring the Boss his sick leave.”, M/n replied friendly.

“Oh dear... Wish him well from me.”

“I will, Sir.”

With that they parted ways and M/n knocked on Miss Ducasse’s door.

“Come in !”, she called.

M/n opened it, after an eye roll of annoyance. He peaked his head inside.

“Miss Ducasse ?”, he called out gently.

She looked up.

“Ah, M/n. What have you gotten for updates for me ?”, she asked rudely.

‘I want her so dead...’

“My Father has a high fever of 41°C. He was written sick for a week, for now. Then he will be checked up on again. Here is the testament and the sick leave from his house Doctor.”, M/n said and gave her the papers.

She took them and read through them. She sighed and nodded.

“Alright. This is serious, your Father is excused. Thank you for bringing the papers to me. You may leave.”, she said with distaste.

‘Bitch.’

“Thank you. Have a lovely day, Miss.”, he politely said and then left.

As he was about to leave, a lot of Alastor’s coworkers swarmed M/n and asked him to send him their get well wishes and they wanted M/n to come back tomorrow. They had something planned for Alastor. He agreed and then left, wishing them all a lovely day.

He rushed to the Pharmacy. A kind, young Lady looked at him.

“Can I help you, little boy ?”, she asked gently.

“Yes...umm...”, he answered and nervously fumbled in his coat pockets.

He pulled out the notes and recipes. He handed her the recipes for the medications he needed.

“I need these medications for my Dad. He has a very high fever and I am taking care of him. Do you have any of these or maybe something that comes close ?”, M/n asked, politely.

She took them and read through them. She smiled at the boy and nodded.

“We do have these medications, wait here for a bit.”

Then she left and came back after a few minutes. She had small and big versions of the medications.

“Do you want the big ones or the smaller ones ?”, she asked.

“Depends on the price, Miss. Can we look how much ?”, M/n asked gently.

“Of course.”, she replied kindly.

She scanned the small ones and they made 26.78 Dollars in total. Then she scanned the big ones and they made 40 Dollars in total. M/n took his chance.

“I will take the big ones.”, he chose.

“That would be 40 Dollars. Do you want a bag, Kiddo ?”, the woman asked.

He gave her a smile.

“That would be nice. Yes, please.”, he said politely, while he pulled out two 20 Dollar bills.

She nodded and pulled out a bag, putting the medications inside the bag, then she took his money and she gave him the bag.

“Have a good day, Kiddo and take good care of your Dad.”, she told him with a warm smile.

He smiled back.

“Thank you, Miss. I hope you will have a lovely day.”

Then he left the Pharmacy and rushed to the store. He took a shopping cart and rushed through the aisles, taking what he needed for the food, his dad can consume, looking at the price tags and calculating the price in his head. Some stuff was lowered in the price, which was positive ! He saved up money.

He needed vegetables A LOT of them, some seasonings they ran low on them, then he bought chicken meat, some crackers without salt, Rusk, eggs, milk, a lot of water and some other small things his Dad can snack on.

For all of that stuff, he had to pay 30 Dollars, then he bagged it all, shoved the cart back into its place and rushed home with the bought goods.

-Time skip-

M/n was home and unlocked the door, he carried the food inside the house and into the kitchen, then he stored it away and rushed up the stairs, while opening his coat. He entered his Father’s room and saw that he was NOT in his bed, but a lot of tissues were on the floor. He looked around the room and then heard the flush of the toilet in his bathroom.

The door opened five minutes later and his Father walked out, looking like death warmed all over him. He knocked on the door and it caught Alastor’s attention. He looked at him and gave him a weak smile.

“Hey, mon petit. Did you get everything ? Have you had any trouble ?”, he asked with a hoarse voice, quietly.

“Hey, mon papa malade (My sick papa). I did get everything and I had no trouble. I got the medication and took the big packs. I took 110 Dollars from you and gave out about 70 Dollars. They had a lot of prices reduced, so I saved a lot. The medications were 40 Dollars, but the small packs would have costed more in the long run. They were all together almost 27 Dollars.”, M/n explained gently, minding his voice.

Alastor sat down on his bed, coughed and nodded. He held his head, his head was pounding horribly.

“I gave your sick leave and the testament to your Boss. I asked Dr. Hugo to make us two, in case she makes your sick leave disappear again.”

“That’s good, Cher.”, Alastor weakly said, proud of his Son.

“I will make you some soup now, lay down and try to get some more sleep. After you ate something, you can take the medications.”

“Of course, mon petit. Thank you.”

“No problem, Papa. Leave it all to me. I will take care of you.”

With that he left the room and went back into the kitchen. He took out a bottle of water, he had to stop a few times to continue and carry the heavy package, but he was proud he got it so far, then he brought the bottle of water to his Father’s room, with the remains of the money he took and a cold, wet rag.

His Father was laying down again, under the covers. M/n put the bottle on his side table next to his bed, then he brushed his Father’s hair back and put the cold rag on his forehead and put the remaining 40 Dollars onto his desk in his room.

“Thank you, Fils (Son).”, Alastor rasped out, sighing in relief at the coolness on his head.

“No problem, Papa.”

Then M/n left and entered the kitchen. He searched through the cupboards for his Grandmother’s recipe book. He found it and opened it, looking for a chicken soup recipe, after he found it, M/n read it.

Then he pulled out a cutting board, knife, a pot, the ingredients he needed and two bowls. Then he got to cutting the vegetables first and put them in the first bowl, after that he cut the chicken meat and put it into the second bowl.

He put butter into the pot and turned on the stove, heating up the pot.

-Time skip-

 He loved his Grandma, even though he never got the chance to meet her. Her recipe was perfect, it tasted amazing and he didn’t burn down the kitchen ! The soup was done and he filled a bowl, for his Papa and put a spoon inside it. He brought it to his Father’s room and saw him sleeping.

He seemed to be sleeping better than before. He put the bowl of soup down on the nightstand and then left again, getting the medicine and his own bowl of food. He sat down next to his Dad and took the wet rag off of his forehead.

“Papa...wake up...”, M/n called gently.

“Mmmnnn... Five more minutes...”, Alastor sleepily replied.

The boy giggled.

“Papa, the food is getting cold.”, he informed the adult.

The adult sat up carefully at that, eyes very small from sleep. He yawned.

“Already ?”, he asked his Son.

“Yes, I cooked for a while.”

Alastor put on his glasses and then looked at the clock.

“Huh.”, he said in shock as he saw how late it was.

Then he coughed.

“Barely awake and coughing already.”, M/n said in pity.

Alastor weakly waved it off and then grabbed his own bowl. He smelled it and looked at his Son in shock.

“You...You made Mama’s recipe ?”, he asked with a cough interrupting him.

“I did. I looked through the cabinets and cupboards just to find the cook book of Grandma. She wrote it so detailed, that I had no trouble making it. I hope you will like it. Oh, and your coworkers wish you all a get well soon greeting.”, M/n informed.

Alastor smiled and weakly ruffled his Son’s hair.

“Thank you, mon petit. What would I do without you...”

“Probably be in agony right now.”, M/n replied jokingly.

Alastor let out a raspy chuckle, then a cough.

They dug in together and Alastor had to admit, M/n cooked it exactly like how his Mother used to cook it. Not even Alastor could get the head on the nail, but his Son did it. He remade it and it felt like his Mother made it.

He ate two bowls of it, while M/n ate three, he received his medications after and took them. Cough syrup, something against his cold and stomach and then a painkiller for his head. Then he was back to sleeping, with a new cold rag on his forehead.

As Alastor woke up again, he saw that M/n left him a bag with snacks he should be able to consume. He smiled. His Son knew him too well.

It was nighttime and he needed the bathroom. The sick Radio Host winced as he felt his bladder, almost exploding. His Bedroom door opened and in came his Son, checking on him. He turned the lights on, making Alastor groan and shut his eyes tightly.

“Sorry, Papa. I thought you were still sleeping. I wanted to open your window again, for fresh air. Night air is always the best.”

“It...It’s alright, Cher.”, he replied with a cough.

“Do you need anything ?”, the kid asked.

“Bladder...”, the man got out.

M/n nodded, quickly opened the window and then went over to his Dad. He helped him out of the sheets and the bed, guiding him to the Bathroom door. He could feel how weak his Father was, he could barely hold himself on his own legs...

“Yell if you need my help. I will wait outside of the door and then heat up the soup again, for Dinner, then you get your medications again and then it is back to sleep for you.”, M/n told his Father, like he scheduled it.

Alastor smiled and chuckled weakly in amusement. His Son really was strict with him, so he can recover just fine.

“Alright, Son.”, he agreed and then shut the door into the Bathroom.

While he was in the Bathroom, using the toilet, M/n was worried sick.

‘Am I doing this right until now ? Papa would have been the same with me...The few times I was sick he was very strict, but it helped...Am I cornering him too much ? But he didn’t complain yet...Does this mean that I am doing this right ?’

The boy never had to take care of his Dad, like this, before. Alastor had small colds, small coughs and once or twice a small stomach bug, but he usually could always handle himself and just asked M/n for small things. Like a bucket, new pack of tissues, heating up food, a bottle of water or even paper towels. Alastor never was so weak, that he couldn’t handle himself. This was entirely new to M/n and he was scared that he is fucking it all up...

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard his Father retching. The boy instantly opened the door and saw his Dad vomiting into the toilet. It hurt his little heart. He left and started to get the medicine, a bottle of water, a glass and some paper towels, in case he wasn’t fast enough and some was on the floor. When he returned, the toilet was flushed and Alastor leaned against the wall of the Bathroom, looking absolutely miserable.

M/n looked at the toilet and saw that some sick was on the floor and stained his Father’s shirt. He seemed very weak, so he decided to help his Father, as uncomfortable as it was going to be for the both of them...Alastor couldn’t stay in his soiled clothes.

He wiped away the stain on the floor and threw it into the trashcan in the room, then he looked at his Father.

“You need a bath. You look like death warmed all over you, Dad. And that is the nicest way to tell you, how miserable you look. Not even your smile is still there.”

“And who will undress me ? I am far too weak, Son.”

“You are speaking to the answer.”

The man’s eyes widened, in shock and slight worry.

“Absolutely not, M/n.”

“I am supposed to take care of you, Dad. You are my responsibility. You helped me with everything too, when I was sick. Now...it’s my turn to help. This is nothing new to us, just the roles are reversed.”, M/n reasoned with his Father.

He looked at his Son, still not convinced.

“Your body is too weak to handle itself properly. Your shirt is covered in sick, you are sweating terribly too, which causes you to smell bad later. Let me help you wash up and all is well. I won’t be scarred. I admit, it is weird and uncomfortable, but I want to help you feel better. We are both guys. It is nothing we haven’t seen.”

Alastor eyed his Son for a while and then he sighed.

“Alright...BUT, as soon as we feel too uncomfortable, I want us to stop.”, he said with a few coughs in between.

M/n nodded softly, then he let water into the Bathtub and some bath foam, for bubbles. After the water was running he turned to his Father, who still sat on the floor, back leaned against the wall. The boy rolled his own sleeves up and then approached his Father.

“First we get your arms out and then we pull it over your head, so the sick won’t get in your face and you don’t have to hold your arms up for long.”

M/n grabbed his Father’s left arm and maneuvered his arm out of the sleeve, then he did the same with the right arm, then M/n grabbed the front of the shirt, careful to not touch the stain of sick, and pulled the shirt over his Father’s head. After the shirt was off, M/n folded it and put it away, so he can wash it later.

“Now, stretch your legs out and lift your hips, we pull it all off in one go.”, M/n instructed.

Alastor did as told and soon enough he had only socks still on. M/n took them off and then helped his Father up. He guided him to the Bathtub and helped him inside, gently. As he sat in the tub, M/n put the ruined clothes away, while Alastor sighed in comfort at the warm water.

“I’ll be right back. I am going to get you towels and a new set of Night wear.”, M/n informed his Father.

“Alright.”, he replied weakly.

The boy left and started to collect everything, while Alastor relaxed in the bathtub, turning off the faucet. As he returned with the towels, new set of Pyjamas and a measuring cup, for the hair wash, he saw his Father relaxed. That made him happy.

He put everything on the cupboard near the sink and then approached the bathtub again. He took a washing cloth and wettened it. Alastor opened his left eye, lazily.

“Hey, Son.”, he weakly got out.

“Hello again, Papa.”, the kid greeted back.

He took his Father’s favorite soap and gently lifted the parent’s left arm, then he put some soap on it and started to spread it with the cloth, washing him. Alastor felt uncomfortable at first, but he slowly started to relax into it. This was his Son, he wouldn’t do anything perverted to him.

M/n washed his Father everywhere. Arms, back, chest, neck and he washed the armpits twice too. The two of them agreed that Alastor will wash his legs and man parts himself. M/n helped his Father sit up and held his legs up, because his body was too weakened to do that all itself for longer than 10 seconds. He was grateful to have his Son right now.

The Radio Host got cold in the water and M/n turned the hot water on, to fill the tub a bit more, warming up the bath. When Alastor said it was good enough, the kid shut the water off again and he washed his Father’s hair. The grown up would lie, if he said, that he hated having his hair washed.

M/n massaged his head, while he washed his hair. It felt nice and relaxing. He almost fell asleep, but before he could even think about nodding off, M/n washed his hair out and then got the toilet seat ready, for Alastor to sit down on.

“Alright, now you gotta get out, Pa.”, M/n said.

Alastor sighed and carefully got up, then used M/n as support. Even though the child was just 11 years old, he was strong and wise. He carefully got out of the tub and M/n wrapped a towel around his waist, never once looking and seeing his Father’s tool (Quite the achievement), then he guided him to the toilet seat and sat his Father down. He grabbed a smaller towel next and wrapped his Father’s hair in it, then got a bigger one and started to dry his back, chest, neck and arms.

“Do you want to dry the rest ?”, he asked his Dad.

“Yes.”

M/n nodded. He decided to turn his face to the wall next to him and shut his eyes.

“If you need standing support, I am here. I won’t look.”

Alastor did need the support as he got up. He used the towel around his waist and started to dry the rest of himself, always holding onto M/n when he felt unsteady. After he was dry, he held the towel in front of his crotch.

“I’m done, Cher.”

“Okay. I will turn back around and give you, your underwear.”, M/n informed.

“Okay.”

M/n did as he told Alastor and turned away again, letting his Father use him as support, so he can put on his underwear. After that M/n told his Father to sit back down and he put his pants on him and helped him into his shirt, then he put new socks on his Father too. He smiled as they were finished.

“All done now. Look at you. You are sparkling clean, in new clothes and you look way better than you did a few minutes ago, Papa ! Now we need to style your hair.”, M/n said happily.

Alastor smiled and chuckled. M/n instantly got to work, having watched his Dad do his hair multiple times.

-The next day- (Damn is this shot long...)

After M/n helped his Father into the Bathroom and back into his bed, in the morning, made sure he ate, took his medications, had some food in his stomach and a new bottle of water, with a glass, tissues and a bucket filled with water, he decided to leave the house and head back to the Radio Station.

As soon as he arrived, he was swarmed with his Dad’s coworkers. They lead him into a small room and he was confused. He saw nothing changed, so why were they there ?

“Guys...what did you plan on doing ?”, M/n asked them.

“Don’t worry ! We are getting everything ! You’ll love it, M/n ! We hope it will be helpful to you and your Father too.”, Tony said happily.

Tony Justa was another coworker that was close with Alastor. They weren’t friends per say, but they got along very well and acted, most of the times, like Brothers. It was surprising that someone, who was white skinned, liked Alastor so much. But here Tony was, a white skinned man and he had no problems with M/n’s Papa. He found the whole racist stuff absolutely stupid. M/n couldn’t agree more with him.

“Okay then. You better have something good planned for your petit frère platonique (platonic little Brother).”, M/n teased Tony.

Tony chuckled and rubbed his neck with a soft look. No one knew, but Tony was two years older than Alastor and while they never officially called each other Brothers, they behaved like Brothers. There was no term for such a bond yet, so M/n called them platonic Brothers.

Soon enough the other coworkers came inside and all of them had small baskets or bags in their hands. Francisco gave Tony his bag and then he left M/n’s side and stood in – between the small group and M/n, who looked confused.

“We all wanted to help you and Alastor back to health, so we decided to make small gift bags with get well cards !”, Tony announced.

At that M/n’s eyes went wide in surprise. He didn’t expect that. The others just nodded with big smiles.

“Why would you all do that, you saps ?”, M/n asked gently.

Another coworker chuckled, Peter Geraldo.

“Because, silly, you and your Father brighten up the days here and always make us laugh or at least smile. Without you two here...it’s just not the same. You two always gave us something when you were here, so now it’s our turn.”, Peter stated.

The others nodded. M/n smiled at them and chuckled.

“You are such thoughtful good friends and coworkers. Thank you.”, M/n said softly.

The group smiled and then started to give M/n the bags. They always told him what was in them and M/n couldn’t be happier. One of the discs Alastor had his eyes set on for a while, teas, juices, get well cards, fruit in a lunch box, vegetables, teas they made at home themselves, fruit pies, small snacks for Alastor to munch on and more.

Peter, Francisco and Tony were the last ones. They had the biggest bags.

Peter gave M/n his bag first.

“In there are two cards. One is for him and one for you, Kiddo. Some sweets you like and some things your Dad likes. There are two kinds of tea inside too and two big boxes of different juices.”, he told the boy.

He smiled at Peter and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, Pete.”

“No problem, Kid. You need some appreciation and care too.”, he replied and rubbed the kid’s back.

Peter stepped back and Francisco was next. M/n gently took it from him.

“There are some homemade teas inside, two recipes that Alastor would love to have they will also power up his Immune System, some homemade spices, a small Coupon that holds 30 Dollars, a strong homemade juice, some tissues, a few sweets for you, some cut fruits in a lunchbox and a little something for you to keep around, Kiddo.”, he said, winking at him.

M/n was curious, but decided to wait until he was at home. He smiled brightly and hugged Francisco.

“Thank you, France.”, M/n said.

“No problem, Kiddo. Peter was right, you also need some appreciation and care.”

How did M/n just get so lucky, with Alastor and now his friends and colleagues, become his too ? Just how lucky was he ?

They parted from the hug and Tony was last. He had a big, gentle grin on his face and handed M/n the big bag.

“There are two juices for each of you two. Two are for your Dad and his Immune system and two are for you to just enjoy and stay healthy with, they are all four homemade too. Two of your favorite teas, homemade, are also in there, some sweets and snacks for you and Alastor, I baked you some of your favorite pastries yesterday too, I know how much you love them. Then I bagged two packages of your Dad’s favorite Coffee in there and I gave you, for food shopping, two 50 Dollar Coupons. I also went around and got you and Alastor each a small little surprise. I hope you two will like them.”

M/n had small tears in his eyes with a big smile. He hugged Tony tightly, which he returned.

“Thank you so much, Oncle (Uncle) !”, M/n said happily.

Tony froze for a split second and then tightened his hug, a big, warm smile on his face.

“No problem, Neveu (Nephew).”

They parted and M/n looked at the time, his eyes widened a slight bit.

“Applesauce ! I need to get home, before Papa wakes up ! Whenever he wakes up he needs me to help him around !”, M/n said, cursing. (Yes, he cursed by saying Applesauce, just like Papa.)

“Is he that weakened ?”, Tony asked worried.

M/n sighed and nodded.

“He has a very high fever and it is hard to get it down...His body is not coping very well with it and he can barely move around on his own. He is...pretty weak right now.”, he told the three still in the room.

“He gets his Medicine ?”, Francisco asked.

“Yes, he does. I always give him his medications when he ate something. Even if it was a small piece of bread.”, M/n answered.

Tony hummed in thought, trying to think of something that might help his, platonically claimed, little Brother. Then he came up with a few things.

“You will need Peppermint tea, it will help with his throat and the coughs, it gives him better rest and his body will relax a bit more. Peppermint has also antiviral properties, and can help to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and clear congestion. It has the trait to warm you from the inside out. Chamomile tea is also good. It reduces cold symptoms, boosts the immune system, and reduces inflammation. Also if his eyes hurt a lot or they even start to fester, just drown a piece of paper towel in the tea and put it over his eyes, it works wonders. I also would recommend Hibiscus Tea. It will give him a lot of Vitamin C, which his body will need.”, Tony listed off.

Francisco, Peter and M/n stared at him in awe at his knowledge.

“What ? I had to take care of my parents a few times and my Sister. I researched where I could.”, Tony defended himself with a small pout.

M/n smiled and hugged him again.

“Can you write it down for me ?”, he asked the adult.

“I will do you one better. After work, I will get it and come visit. I will help you with Alastor. How does that sound ?”, Tony offered.

M/n looked at him with big eyes.

“But I was supposed to take care of him. What if he makes you sick too ?”

“You will still take care of him, but with a bit of help, so you don’t have to stress yourself around, Kiddo. And if I get sick, I have my Family to look after me AND I will get a break from work. It is a win for me.”

M/n put his finger on his chin and hummed in thought, then he looked at him again and nodded. Okay, deal !

Tony smiled brightly.

“Then I’ll see you later. Now rush home, before Al realizes you ran off.”

The boy nodded and then ran off as fast as he could, yelling Goodbye. Tony chuckled.

“This kid is just what Al needed. Now he has someone that will take care of him again.”, he said to Peter and Francisco.

“Yeah. It’s nice to see that Alastor has someone else to care for him now. After all, we all aren’t getting younger.”, Peter replied with a chuckle and a warm smile.

Francisco nodded, smiling brightly. Then they got back to work. While M/n was home in record time, before his Father woke up and even realized he was out.

Masterlist HERE !

A/N: Yes, it is finally out and I am out of the WIP for part two ! ^^ YASSSS !!!