#*like work has big holidays but I still need to study in them

[mwydyn]

I really want to get a summer internship because it'll be a really good opportunity but I've realised with the length most of them are and with work I just won't have a break from summer 23 to autumn 25

[duskyvenus]

Super Blue Moon: What you need to hear right now

This is a general intuitive reading meant for entertainment purposes. Take whatever resonates. I am still practicing my intuitive ability so feedback would be really helpful :))

Pile 1

You might be wanting peace, a quiet life. I'm seeing walks in the nature, consuming healthy unprocessed food, lots of fruits. You might like red or orange colored fruits (could be any). I'm sensing changes in lifestyle. Maybe you will relocate or renovate your home (changing your aesthetics and style). Your soulmate(romantic) or current partner or future partner(whatever resonates) is sending you messages of affirmation. Also they might like to stare at you and admire your features lol. I'm hearing: It's all about the little things. Maybe this is something you believe in or it is about to become a theme in your life in the near future. A short trip or holiday might soothe your nerves a bit, preferably somewhere cooler. Overall, I think change is coming your away; there's this picture of letting things go and relaxing in a lodge in the mountains while sunlight creeps in through the window. Yeah lots of sunshine imagery in this pile. It's about how the sun slowly warms you up. Slowly and surely you will be moving to the next stage.

Pile 2

Similar to pile 1, I think you might be in need of some sunlight lol. I'm seeing something about hobbies, so maybe you need to get back to them? You might not have completed a previous painting, book, blanket or whatever. I'm also seeing cakes which means some kind of celebration. It might be your friend's birthday soon. Yeah I'm hearing about a dear friend, someone you think is your soulmate (for some of you, they are :] ). Or maybe a connection where either person has romantic feelings and the other feels neutral. Some of you might be studying hard and preparing for your future job and you're trying to keep a positive mindset. I see so many drawings and scribbles in a notebook. This is the student pile. I'm also seeing baked food and the aroma of cafes. Maybe you like to do your work in a cafe with a cup of coffee and some cake. Also you might be secretive and like to keep things to yourself. Might be a homebody. You are working to chase a reward and you're feeling frustrated because the path is so long. Don't be too hard on yourself. Set small goals and reward yourself for finishing them.

Pile 3

Whimsical and airy vibes for this pile. I'm hearing that you might have witnessed something paranormal? Or something that just can't be real. Hmm existential crisis? Questioning the universe? Questioning yourself? I'm seeing wings. You might be wanting to just fly away lol. Or they could be angel wings. You might be feeling lonely. Recently you might have ended a friendship or relationship OR you might have lost someone so you feel empty. I'm really sorry for your loss :( A big phase of your life suddenly came to an end so you're feeling lost. Old memories flashing in your head. Though I also feel that someone wants to approach you with hopes of making new memories with you. They seem like a very doting person and also calm. 'Calm'; your head is a mess and you feel like you're not able to think clearly. You might be asking yourself, "Am I seeing/hearing things?", "Why am I not able to do such a simple task?" Maybe your spirit guides or guardian angel want(s) to communicate with you and for that I'm hearing lavender and mint. Meditation may also help you to sort out your thoughts.

Pile 4

This is the happy-go-lucky pile. I'm seeing you have so much fun with your friends! You seem like the type to uplift people's moods. It feels empty when you're not around. You might feel pressured to keep up this cheerful image. Lately someone might have been rude to you or accused you of something or just bad-mouthed you. You might have felt taken aback because of this and tried to reflect on yourself. Don't worry, they're just jealous. Maybe you started thinking about the time when your demeanor was very different from now; you were not a cheerful person to begin with, but you started acting this way because you wanted to be treated differently. Now that there has been a sudden rejection that is asking you to re evaluate your choices, you are considering reverting back to your old self. Or maybe you think a lot about your friendships and just feel overwhelmed by the love :( This is so wholesome. You feel deeply and often wonder about the outcomes of your actions. I think that's why you wanted change, you genuinely wanted to be of help to someone. Your friends really appreciate it even though they won't admit openly (for some of you, your friend is a tsundere lol)

Pile 5

An ethereal energy in this pile. Stargazing and being mesmerized. You know that feeling you get when you look up at the stars and wonder if someone is watching you? I think your guardian angels want you to know that they are always there for you. If not a guardian angel then a deceased loved one. You have big aspirations but you often feel intimidated. You may have doubts about the path you're choosing. I just want to say that you have the star quality and you're blessed. I'm hearing fate and good luck. If you have been manifesting, try using candles or star shaped objects. You can even use them as a lucky charm. "You drew stars around my scars" - this may apply to you and someone you know. Something about light at the end of the tunnel. 'Hope' ; someone or something gives you hope to keep going. You're working really hard, you just wonder if you'll get the results. This kind of reminds me of pile 2 so you might want to check that out. "Funny how all dreams come true"

Pile 6

You might be talking to someone and you don't really know where this is going? You can say it's a situation-ship. Or you're crushing hard on someone. Either way this is making you giddy. You might also be transforming yourself and so all the changes are making you feel giddy. A very new feeling. You're trying to look at things differently. You're trying to concentrate. You're craving some form of affection. The message I'm getting is that self care will help you get that faster. Also I'm hearing that you have a vibe that is easy to mesh with. People often find you attractive even when you're not doing anything. "Aphrodite's blessings" - you may get the glow-up you've been waiting for. Similar starry night vibes as pile 5. You're also really good at giving compliments and appreciating the beauty of the smallest things. You are a very loving person if you are given the space to do so. "Hang in there baby." - your future partner could be very devoted to you.

A channeled message for everyone: Please eat well !! And have some good sleep!! Take your vitamins!!

[unkat]

chilaios medical au idea i have been bouncing in my head (will not be written until after my current one is done)

i am thinking of a like firefighter/paramedic story for these guys. where laios is a new shift commander/chief at a small middle of nowhere station and chilchuck is a medic from a big city who keeps getting reassigned because he is trying to recruit for a union and the company is trying to make his job unworkable/find a reason to let him go.

laios was promoted because of his work ethic and ability to teach other people about the ins and outs of emergency medicine, not because he wanted to be in charge. he is too new and disinterested in the company politics to throw him under the bus for other people, and by the time someone explicitly says he needs to fire him, he has gotten attached.

"he's reliable, does good work, and catches things nobody else here would have. i know he cussed out the family trying to get into the rig, but he had already told them no and they should be grateful he saved their daughter instead of filing a complaint! even if i were to discipline, he deserves a verbal warning and not dismissal. You were not there, and i am his direct superior."

(wins the argument and walks away trying not to hyperventilate)

also falin is a surgeon and marcille is a research fellow who abandoned her big-city super-focused projects to come out into the country and work with subpar equipment and an incompetent assistant. im not thinking like full rural hospital here, but closeish to it. could be an academic satellite hospital and she switched from like gene therapy trials to studying exposures/population/histology stuff.

shifting the touden hyperfixation from monsters->medical fascination i think would still get across the same vibes. falin is very nice and pleasant but she treats everyone nicely and pleasantly without actually empathizing with them. shes one of those surgeons who went to shadow a heart transplant in college and cried because it was so beautiful and then got a bunch of scholarships plus student loans for med school.

laios hunts and has a big appreciation for the lives of things he kills and butchering/using everything he can. then it translates to him being fascinated by the human body as an object more than as a being that is different and special from other animals that he is a part of. he is a fantastic emergency responder because of this- people are a pile of flesh that is broken somewhere, and he wants to figure out why. (this is something that I'm like. not sure if it is okay for me to include because it can be squicky/triggering. but i feel like when I'm unsure if I'm going too far that is when i am reaching the line i want to?)

the touden siblings still go hiking and mudding and spend their time off in the woods (marcille wears white shorts and sandels on a hike leaving laios to be very explicit and offering clothes to chilchuck when he offers him to join. chilchuck borrows his shirt and it is way too big, but he keeps it for a while.)

chilchuck is extra divorced. he facetimes with the girls a couple of times a week and gets them on rotating holidays. sometimes ex-mrs. tims invites him over for dinner because she feels sorry for him and her new boyfriend is also there. it's awkward but they both know he's harmless, just annoying and closed off. he smokes but has tried to quit 7-8 times. started when he was an emt and couldn't shake it because it helped him destress. he only knows how to drive well enough to pass his vehicle license renewals and still doesn't know what the buttons in his car do. the ac has been "broken" for a week before a station mechanic pushes the button to turn it back on (they should put a subway around here, stupid cars).

laios respects his experience and history of being at a constantly busy station that saw a variety of crazy shit. chilchuck initially resents him for being so out of touch, but grows to respect his leadership abilities. laios also always follows up on cases at the hospital to figure out the outcome and reflect on best practices.

he is the first person to get chilchuck to actually debrief after a shitty call and chil cries and never wants to talk about it again. but its like a seal in a dam has been breached, and opens up when they are cuddling on the couch. they spend more time off shift with each other. chilchuck crashes on laios' couch and initially feels like he needs excuses to do it until laios says he really likes talking with him and having him there. he tells him about the company's EAP coverage and that he encourages everyone to take advantage of it.

in the end, they hit that threshold of basically living together, and one of them would need to change their station (superior/employee romance) after they go from making out off shift in secret to seriously considering having laios meet his daughters in person. (they already think they're married because laios is always there when they call now)

[snek-eyes]

Good Omens fic recs

Hello all! Wanted to share a few of my longtime faves. These are all pre-s2, might do another with my post-s2 recs? Narrowed it down to 10, since that's the max links tumbl lets you have in a post.

Any Way You Want It

Author: Justkeeptrekkin Words: 27,500 Chapters: 5/5 Rating: Mature Mood: Vacation, soft but introspective After finally getting heaven and hell off their backs (at a cost) Crowley and Aziraphale go on holiday to a cottage in Scotland. Fluffy with fun snappy dialogue, the two really feel like best friends here! Aziraphale struggles with his tendency to go slower than even he wants.

Instructions Not Included

Author: Atalan Words: 68,000 Chapters: 13/13 Rating: Teen Mood: Detective / Gen (There are feelings but it earns that slowburn tag) My "if season 2 isn't good, this is my season 2" fic. Now, I liked season 2, but this is still SO good. After the notpocalypse, Aziraphale and Crowley start a detective agency investigating supernatural happenings together. New characters include Raphael (who totally missed the apocalypse haha whoops), and a big spooky dog (whomst I adore). Note that while this fic stands just fine on its own, there is an unfinished sequel that imo doesn't leave off anywhere stressful.

When in Rome

Author: Kedreeva Words: 4,000 Rating: General Mood: The liminal space of nighttime conversations What happens after Aziraphale invites Crowley to oysters: Wings and reading. Tentative and innocent in those early days.

the deft, sweet gesture of your hand

Author: deadgreeks Words: 12,000 Rating: Explicit Mood: Hurt/Comfort, introspection A few years after the failed apocalypse Crowley shows up badly injured at the bookshop. Aziraphale has to help heal Crowley and save them both, and still finds the time to knit his feelings.

Chemistry

Author: Twilightcitysky Words: 122,000 Chapters: 19/19 Rating: Explicit Mood: Y'ever want a side of learning something with your romcom? After realizing they might need their own corporations to heal themselves now that they're not working for heaven and hell, Aziraphale and Crowley turn on all their bodily functions. All of them. What could be a silly premise is played out very satisfyingly, the actual biology of hormones at play here is fascinating. (this is not really at all related but: has anyone else read Peeps by Scott Westerfeld? Because the format reminded me of this in that it did a similar thing of playing straight the concept of "what could cause vampires to be real" that drew on inspiration from real life parasites interspersed between the chapters. I dig it. Anyway!)

Reservations

Author: AnnetheCatDetective Words: 10,000 Chapters: 3/? (Technically unfinished, but leaves off in a satisfying spot) Rating: Not Rated Mood: Meta (Character study as story) “There's some competition for Aziraphale and Crowley's usual table at the Ritz…” A couple of miracles bend reality and, well… you ever been like, “The boys need therapy, but who could possibly give it to them?” I love crossovers where the TV boys meet other versions of themselves, this one is my favorite.

i can't say the words, so i wrote you into my verse

Author: mygalfriday (BrinneyFriday) Words: 5,000 Rating: Teen Mood: Snapshots through history "Crowley has tattoos and every few centuries, Aziraphale discovers a new one." Simple and paints a lovely picture.

By Definition

Author: idiopathicsmile Words: 3,000 Rating: Explicit Mood: Smutty but fond A night together after the Ritz fic where Aziraphale is asexual and Crowley isn’t and how that works for them. The dialogue here is positively delightful.

Bark Dust

Author: rfsmiley Words: 8,000 Rating: Mature (mostly for injuries) Mood: Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Historical Crowley is very badly injured in a battle, and Aziraphale has to figure out how to save his life.

Tell Me A Story

Author: brilliant_or_insane Words: 5,000 Rating: Teen Mood: Soft and warm Aziraphale likes telling stories and Crowley likes to listen. But when the demon is dissatisfied by sad endings and can't relate to the happy ones, Aziraphale decides to move them forward by telling a new story. (Of course, Crowley isn't entirely satisfied with the angel's perspective on that one either.)

[leiflitter]

More

Hello from Blighty thoughts about Saltburn

As a continuation from my reply to @armands-eyefuckery because BRAIN

Aight gang let's have a lil sit down because there is a big ol angle to the film that I think is getting missed by a lot of folks who aren't from the UK because it's a very uh...

British Thing.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT OLIVER IS FROM THE NORTH.

Cut because Length.

Now look. I am not going to go into Thatcher and Her Crimes, but it's worth a google. I do bring it up in You're Almost Home because...

Lots of people are saying Oliver is upper middle class, and honestly? That doesn't track for me. At all. Yes, his parents have a detached house in a nice suburb and they went on holidays, but there's a lot of Very British Context to them that I really want to point out. Also remember, it's 2006/2007. That is also important.

First of all- Oliver's parents probably never went to University.

Really listen to them. How gullible they are- they believe that Oliver can study at Oxford, and be on the rowing team, and be in plays, and be top scholar. He's always been so clever. If Oliver was anything near upper middle class, his parents would be educated professionals. Oliver probably has dockworkers not even three generations back- his dad has management vibes, but he probably worked his way up in the 70s when all you needed was a good attitude and not to be an obvious murderer.

Secondly- let's talk about the house.

As someone from Down South who has also lived Up North, Oliver's Parent's house would not have been as expensive as people think. Let's assume they bought it in the 1980s- we ALL know that house prices are through the roof NOW, but even today there is a huge gap between house prices in the south and the north. 200k down South might get you a one bedroom flat, if you're lucky. 200k in Prescot can get you a 4-bed, semi-detached HOUSE. Check rightmove.

It is also important that the house is relatively new-looking, because over here Upper Middle Class people aren't really into new build houses- if Oliver was upper middle class, he'd be living in something Victorian or Edwardian. Probably somewhere with a good link to London, especially in 2007. It also means that Oliver's parents may not have even bought it outright- my parents got on the housing ladder via a shared ownership scheme. Oliver's parents aren't rich.

Now, the holidays. Mykonos. Another fun Brit thing is the package holiday. Here's a pretty interesting article about them;

Two adults and three kids could absolutely have gone to Mykonos every year in the late 80s/90s for far less than you'd expect, especially if they paid in installments each month.

I also mentioned about Ollie being from Merseyside specifically, but again. CONTEXT. Although Oliver isn't Liverpudlian (it's important, he's from NEAR Liverpool but not Liverpool itself) the North of England as a whole has routinely been fucked over by those in power. The government AND the royals and the very wealthy. It's still ongoing today- again, another fun source.

Remember when Mr Eats-Crunchies-Sideways called him a Bootlicker? That's fucking IMPORTANT. To many folks he IS a bootlicker. He is highly unlikely to have been raised to grovel at the feet of those with hereditary titles and wealth, and honestly he doesn't. I've written before about how Oliver Denies Felix Things and how that dynamic is important. Oliver likely hasn't been raised with any real deference to The Rich (except Princess Diana).

It also effects Oliver's response to Felix, because goddamn it THATCHER again- it is HIGHLY likely that Oliver has lived through a lot of homophobia. Internalised a lot of it. Felix's parents do not give a shit, but that was not the norm. Again, tried to hit on it in YAH, because times have changed since the 90s/2000s and people change with them, but no fuckin wonder Oliver never responded to Felix chirpsing him like a maniac. He's fucking REPRESSED when he's in Oxford, pals. It also makes sense with that weird Tumblr Dom shit he pulls; he's still fuckin weird about it, he's just being In Charge so he doesn't need to be vulnerable in any way. He is only vulnerable for Felix, and even then he can't SHOW felix that, that would be gay.

Leiflitter over'n'out

[ashleyfableblack]

A Mother's Day Eternal Courtship Jam. Love is complicated. Love takes work. For a Big Mama Bughorse with a family spanning several species it can take alot. A hard tale about love and family some may find all too familiar. TW in hashtags

"THERE'S my SPECIAL Boy..." Chrysalis beamed a grin of gleaming, razor-keen fangs at Pharynx as the guards shut the balcony bay doors behind them. She levitated a bunch of grapes from a nearby table of assorted dishes and goblets, offering them. "MY Pharynx. Come. Sit with me. Something to eat?" Pharynx politely refused with a reserved smile. "No, thank you, My Queen." Purple grapes. Very plump, ripe ones at that. He wasn't surprised that she knew his favorite fruit. Though he'd gotten to spend very little time with her since The Exodus of their people, he had little doubt that her agents were still hidden among his Lovebug kind. She likely knew more of their affairs than he did. Making his way to the heap of cushions she was lounging upon he climbed the pedestal and sat. "Happy Mother's Day." He gave a sheepish grin. After last years celebration he hadn't been sure what to expect from her. 'Mother's Day' wasn't a changeling concept. Every Day was Mothers Day as far as The Hive was concerned. His people's decision to adopt the pony holiday as a lovebug tradition was received awkwardly at best. But Chrysalis was a Queen and the Mother of her entire race and she was certainly making a go at it for her sons sake. She was looking healthy. No doubt she was eating very well. Her pony wife had made it very clear that she alone would give her wife all the love she needed. She had always been large, so tall, beautiful and majestic in an indefinable way, by changeling standards. But she seemed larger still, these days. Her chitin gleamed, dark and smoky. The pitting of her limbs seemed reduced. Her mane of spidersilk seemed more like the hair of a pony. Her shape even seemed different. Her plot, in particular seemed rather... round. He wondered if she was unconsciously adapting her form to suit her wife or maybe to fit more closely with their pony subjects? It was a common enough trait among changelings in deep-cover. Her eyes shifted between her two sets of irises as she looked him over, examining him both visually and taking note of his emotional state. "I trust your trip was well. Hmmn." She could see he was particularly troubled but spoke nothing of it. Decorum was to be observed. She was a Queen. "Where is your idiot brother?" Pharynx chuckled. "Heh. He got pulled into a discussion on some artsy-craftsy garbage about 'decorative baking' with one of Queen Twilights advisors. The bubble-headed pink one." "Ah." Chrysalis nodded. "That would be Pinkie-pie." "That's the one. Ugh." Pharynx shifted uneasily on the pile of assorted cushions and royal-blue throw rugs. Some creatures would say that all ponies looked alike. He knew this to be untrue. Though he was a lovebug he still had a changelings eye for fine detail. Ponies of any tribe were very distinct, visually. Their personalities on the other hoof, on that he could definitely see their point. They were all so cloying, so irritating. They all just blended into one big blur of annoying, bouncy, frivolous children to him. Tasty as food but still, annoying. "I told him to just go on with her and he could meet us later. Seemed just as well."

"Indeed." She pursed her lips, studying him. The Queen took a sip from an ornate silver goblet. "She has a way with most creatures, one I would imagine fitting your brother's demeanor all too well." Pharynx regarded the view. He could see why his Queen-Mother had chosen to make this balcony into a receiving area. From here, New Canterlot castle had an impressive view of the surrounding land. From the peaks of far-off Yak-Yakistan to the tides coming in off the Celestial Sea. This perch was as tactical as it was deceptively pleasant. She could plot out an entire campaign from here as easily as charm unassuming diplomats. He sighed. He missed those days as a changeling agent. Chrysalis broke his drift into the past with her sharp, multi-tonal Hive voice. "But you desired a private audience." It wasn't a question. She knew. "Yes." He cleared his throat, straightening himself. "Yes, My Queen." Her emerald snake eyes stared expectantly. Most of his life those eyes had been a place of comfort to him. She was his Queen-Mother, the source of all life for his people. However, in this moment, he would almost be anywhere else than in their gaze. Still, he had planned. He had prepared. This was the time and this was his moment. He was going through with this. "I wished to speak with you on a personal matter, My Queen." Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. "Pharynx, it's not like you to be so nervous. Speak." "I needed to-" he paused. His deep, gravelly voice cracking, he cleared his throat. He couldn't believe it but he was actually trying to recall Thorax's 5-5-5 rule for dealing with his anxiety. Or was it 3-3-3? UGH. He would have to punch him when he saw him next time- more than he usually did. "I needed to apologize... to you, My Queen."

Chrysalis furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" She adjusted her irises to study the shimmering pattern of emotions emanating from her lovebug son. Guilt, radiated from him like smoke from a oil-fire, guilt, shame and a deep, black loathing. She craned her neck and drew slightly closer. "You've nothing to apologize for." Pharynx visibly shrank. The words and the feeling behind them hit him like fists. "Respectfully, My Queen-" his lavender eyes glanced to her "I feel I do." Pharynx sighed hard. It had been years in the build-up. He'd finally opened the door. Nothing to do for it now but walk through. "Mother... I failed My Hive. I failed our people. I failed myself. Most of all, I failed you." His lips pursed as her struggled to contain the breaking dam inside his chest. Chrysalis straightened herself. She narrowed her eyes, her intense gaze could cut through stone. Her ears flitted as she listened intently. "Continue." Pharynx stared into the floor. His eyes looked to the same past his voice spoke from, a time some decades ago now. He could almost see the timeline in front of them, the chain of events which led him to this moment. "Look after her." He paused. The word, the identifier, it stung his tongue to say it. "That's what you said to me. The first thing you ever said to me. Look after her. You ordered me to protect my idiot younger sister, my broken, faulty twin." Pharynx sighed. "She was born wrong. You knew it. I knew it. She wasn't like the rest of us. From the moment I crawled out from our egg and looked back at her, still wobbling around, she was silent in the hive-mind. Not a ghost, not a whisper, just nothing. But rather than just leave her to our sisters to be eliminated, you ordered me to protect her. You seemed to value her, maybe me as well, if by proxy." He looked into his hooves as if searching for the secrets of his past in them. "You didn't give us designations like our sisters. We were different. We got names. I would be Pharynx. She was Thorax." He bit his lip. The dam was stressed but holding. "I wanted you to be proud of me. My Queen. My Mother. So, I protected her, the idiot. The coward. The weakling. Our sisters knew she was born wrong and they hated her, wanted her gone, if not dead. She was not of The Hive. She smelled wrong, tasted wrong. None of us could hear her in the Hive Mind." Pharynx gritted his tiny nub fangs "But I protected her from them. I kept her safe. When they bullied her, I fought her fights. When she failed missions, I cleaned up her mess. When she betrayed us, ran away like the traitor she..." He paused, the words caught in his throat. The dam was cracking. "The traitor he was. I still obeyed. I kept the patrols from finding him. I guided any incidental seekers from his pathetically obvious hiding spots. I even masked the scent of his fear in the air- THAT took ingenuity. But All for you, My Queen. All for The Hive. I protected him even up until..'" Pharynx shuddered. He hesitated to even say the words. The name his changeling people had given to the day of their near-genocide. The day their home was destroyed and the lovebugs were born. "The Exodus. I could have stopped him. I could have stopped all of them. The cowards." He gritted his teeth, hooves clenched against his thighs like fists. "The ingrateful, treasonous scum. The filthy pony intruders, that stupid draconequis-thing, my traitorous brother. I could have stopped them but I didn't." Pharynx looked to his Mother, His Queen. He owed her the respect of looking her in the eyes when he said this. When he admitted to the price of his shame. "I had a choice to make. In that moment I had to choose. To be the perfect daughter for you like I always wanted to be..." The weight of his guilt was crushing. The dam was breaking. Held back for the last thirty years The edges of his eyes moistened. "Or be the... the worthless... Son... I always knew I had needed to be."

His shoulders shook with the pressure of containing the tears. Gritting his teeth he continued. "I hated him. He wasn't a Changeling. He wasn't one of us. I hated him for being weak. I hated him for being different. I hated his stupid smiling face. I hated his stupid feelings, his selfishness, his self-important, self-righteous- OH, he was SO much better than the rest of us, he was better than The whole HIVE. He was so special, like those stupid pathetic little ponies. But I-" Pharynx choked. "He... He was braver than me. He was Thorax. He was... your son. And I made my choice." His lips quivered. The hot stinging droplets formed. His vision blurred and he looked away, sending the tears to patter against the cushions. "I could've stopped him, Mother. I could've saved you from all that. I could've saved all our sisters. I should've stopped him. I wanted to. I... I wanted to be strong for you. I swear I did. I swear I- but I couldn't- had to- I had to be- Ff- Ff- Ph-" Years of self-loathing buried the rest in a mass of sobs as he pressed his face into his hooves. The dam was broken now. Pharynx was broken. His chitinous body convulsed as he wailed. Like a tiny foal, he shrieked, loosing out the tears of self-hatred he'd held deep inside for decades. The venom within him had rotted away, cold and black, like tar on his heart for years. Pouring out from his eyes now, it burned, searing like fire. His lips curled back, baring his tiny lovebug faux-fangs. They were not the fierce, dagger-like sabres of a changeling. He chattered them together, trying to finish his thoughts but all that came out was a gibbering, wailing mess. To his shock Chrysalis pulled him to her barrel. Without thinking, he threw his hooves around her, hissing his tears into his Mother's chitin in thick, painful sobs. Several minutes passed as years of hate poured forth, drenching her chest. Not as The Changeling Queen-Mother but as his Mother, she held him firm and steady. Several minutes passed as years melted away between them. Finally, enough of the pain drained off, Pharynx found his words again. "Mom? Do you... hate me?" Chrysalis stared back at him with her giant serpents eyes. In all these years, he had never called her that. No drone had. 'My Queen'. 'Majesty'. 'Excellency'. 'Queen-mother.' 'Perfect One'. 'Exalted One' 'Our Beloved Perfection.' Never 'Mom'. She considered the question in silence. Her horn glowed. In a small eruption of emerald flames a trinket appeared in Pharynx lap. Her multi-tonal voice cut through the tense silence between them. "Do you know what this is?" He looked to the trinket. A fine golden chain set around a series of opaque transparent flakes of shimmering, almost crystalline material, chitin from a changeling. As many times as he'd seen his alicorn mother-in-law wear it, of course he knew what it was. "This is the wedding token you gave to Queen Twilight." "And its significance?" He swiped away a bubble of snot with the back of his forelimb. "It's an ancient pony practice- unicorn, specifically, to give an expensive token of affection to a mate." She starred expectantly.

He expanded- "Adapted during the fusion of their 3 tribal cultures to include the Terrestrials... Err... colloquially, 'Earth Pony' tradition of an exchange of a family heirloom ... one holding a more personal value than one dependent on the unicorn system of material worth." Chrysalis nodded. A smile began to warm her lips. "And what is this?" "It's your token to your mate- Queen Twilight." The Queen gave a small huff of impatience, touching the article with her pitted hoof to accent each word. "What. Is. This?" Pharynx wasn't certain what his mother was asking him. He lifted the article carefully in his hoofs and examined it. He'd never actually seen it this close before. He could see now the small plates of chitin were quite old. He had always thought they were just tiny clippings his Mother had made from her wings, emulating the pegasus practice of giving their mate one of their primary feathers. But that couldn't be. They were far too old for that. Their translucent quality was caused not by their age, but by their structure. No only that, they were slightly curved and shaped irregularly, each slightly smaller than the last. They were fitted plates. "These are..." he straightened as the realization dawned on him, suddenly taking even greater care to be very gentle with the artifact in his grasp. "These are the plates of a grub's first molting." She nodded again, her smile growing to expose her fangs. "They're yours."

Chrysalis draped a hoof around his shell. Pharynx fought to find the words. "Mine? But... How? Mine? They're... How did y-" "Your idiot brother saved the discards of your first molting. Don't ask me how he secreted them away or where he hid them. None of your sisters ever knew." She looked from the tiny bracelet to the astonished Pharynx. He stared at the jewelry as if it were speaking to him in a foreign tongue. "I've never found the knowledge in the Hive Mind, anyways. " She gave a wistful sigh. "I remember. You had both just completed your nymph molt a few days before. He came to me, all puffed up and smiles, and presented me with a set of baubles he'd made. A necklace and a bracelet. He'd managed to cobble together the materials from one of our caches of acquired valuables. I'm still not sure how he learned the skills required to craft them, half-dumb as he was. Still, he did. A necklace from his own remnants..." She lifted the trinket in her green flames. "...and this, from yours." In an implosion of magic the matrimonial token vanished, teleported back to Twilight's dresser. Pharynx stared in silence. She'd held onto such a thing, all these years, in secret. With a gentle touch of his angular cheek, Chrysalis regarded him. "I gave this to Twilight, my immortal love, as an act of trust, to honor the ancient custom of her people. It was only a thing but it was my most precious of things. And if I could trust her with this thing I could trust her with my hearts." She stroked his cheek, drawing close. "I am your Queen. I designate you all with purpose." Her snakes eyes held him like a helpless little grub. "When you hatched, I knew it. You were never born wrong. But you were born different. You weren't like any of our kind, ever, more like..." She paused, catching herself as if to keep a secret. "Yes, I named you. I knew what you were, as I have all my children from the dawn of our kind. Your foolish, flighty brother, he was Thorax, 'my heart'. You..." She smiled in a warmth he had never seen from her before. "...you were stronger, fiercer stuff. Pharynx, 'my voice'." As she smiled down at him the tears came again. He didn't fight them this time. "I've never hated you. In all The Hive, I've thousands of drones. Infiltrators, Warriors..." She wiped at his cheek with her pitted hoof. "But I've only one Pharynx. One you. You are my son."

He returned her smile, wiping at his cheeks.

They sat in silence. Maybe for the first time in their lives, they were truly Mother and Son, as Pharynx would see it. "Any other questions?" She gave a playfully irreverent smirk. still draping a hoof over his shell. "Heh... Maybe... Another hug? My Q-" She cut him off, pulling him into her hooves and squeezing her son tightly. He embraced her in return. He could almost taste the love in the air around them. It was an unusual feeling, this warmth. Was this 'acceptance'? It was alien but certainly not unwelcome. If this was what Thorax was always going on about Pharynx could get used to this 'family' business. The balcony-bay doors creaked open. A guard broke the tender silence of their moment with her announcement. "My Queen. Prince Thorax awaits Her Grace." Chrysalis looked to the guard, then to Pharynx. He smirked, making to hop up. "I'm gonna go pound him." The Queen rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Don't pick on your brother." Pharynx sniffled and froze. He had an almost pouty quality to his silent obedience. She sighed in resolution. "Fine. You're brothers..." Pharynx leapt up with a burst of energy and sprinted for the door. From the halls Chrysalis could hear the sounds of things being broken and shouting of various slurs of endearment. She chuckled and took a large mouthful of the grapes, chomping them down hungrily with a smug, self-satisfied smile. "Best. Mom. EVER."

[chevvsgotanumbrellatattoo]

I haven't even seen the full season, but from Tumblr alone (yall are troopers), I am devastated. Even my shitty fic from 2020 made more sense than this shit (before you ask, no I will not sharing /gen /nm. My writing pre-4-years-of-creative-writing-classes was AWFUL)

Also, the true ending was revealed to me last night in a dream:

Viktor owns and runs his bar. Sissy is alive and well. The two of them and Harlan (kid aged, like S2) live on a farm and go to the record store every Saturday. Mr. Pickles comes along each time. Harlan has no powers.

Ben was never in jail bc crypto currency can't exist when the best phone tech is a rotary phone??? Anyway, he goes to art school, hones his craft, and makes up with the family by inviting them to his first art show. He visits Klaus on Mondays for lunch.

Five works at the CIA. He truly loves solving big puzzles, he learned that from the Commission. After work, he comes home to human!Delores and helps her cook supper. They talk about science and how Five's boss keeps telling him to pick up a new hobby for stress relief. Delores smiles over her glass of wine and suggests picking his guitar back up.

Klaus lives in a 2 bedroom apartment with Dave. His OCD and anxiety is still rampant, but with Dave's support, he gets on meds (which Dave holds onto and administers for him since pills make him nervous) and gets a handle on it. He and Dave have movie nights every Friday and talk about tarot. Dave makes the best menudo Klaus has ever had.

Allison lives happily with Claire and Ray. She learns to manage her guilt and anger, apologizing at length to the family and vowing to herself to be a better person. Claire needs a better role model than the person she'd been. Ray and Allison take Claire for picnics with the at least one of the Uncles once a month. Claire looks forward to it every time.

Diego and Lila are happy. They have their 3 little nuggets and love them to pieces. Diego learns that his father-in-law has a friend at the archery range in the next town over. He drives over with him one day and decides to pick up knives again. It takes a long time to make peace with the fact that his aim will never be marigold-perfect, but Diego is entirely happy with his progress.

Lila is ELATED to have her parents. She talks to them daily and plays Twister with little Grace and the twins while her Mom and Dad take turns spinning the Twister wheel. She goes to the gym to scratch the itch of adventure she sometimes finds herself needing and talks to Diego when something is bothering her. Diego does the same. They call it 'Thick-Headed Therapy Thursdays' and they get ice cream afterwards.

Luther lives in a lovely house with Sloane. He studies space and cooking at the local college and helps Sloane kickstart her fashion designs (based off when she made her KILLER wedding dress in like,, no time at all). They have a small dog named Moon-Moon McGee. Sloane keeps her moon-rock wedding ring safe in a small box in her nightstand.

Grace works at a daycare and is the favorite of kids and grownups alike. She visits Diego and Lila on Sundays and makes little Grace and her siblings pancakes and chocolate milk for breakfast (Lila and Diego partake in this as well).

Pogo works at the library. He prides himself on neat bookshelves and loves when people ask him for help. He calls everyone "Master," "Miss," or even "Mx." and asks politely for preference and pronouns before doing so.

None of them have their powers.

Reginald Hargreeves still has a heart attack and kaputs. Abigail never bothers the Brellies.

The family all make it to little Grace's birthday party. The piñata breaks when she hits it. The cake is gone within an hour. Little Grace and Harlan are damn near inseparable. She makes Mr. Pickles hats for the holidays, much to Harlan's delight.

Case in point, they're all so happy and love each other! They each go to therapy and work out their own issues and don't take it out on each other!! The kids love all their aunts and uncles!! Everyone wins!! (Except Reggie bc FUCK YOU).

[donnabenevientosimpingzone]

Professor Benevientos notes cuz I spent way too much time thinking about this AU

Donna

- sticks mostly with @shortstrawberry’s AU which originally inspired this

- Botanist and Toxicologist professor, teaches both undergrads and grads

- Still a doll maker that does it as a hobby, takes commissions at her own leisure online for extra cash

- In charge of the greenhouses, she designs the labs in there too

- She’s also conducting her own research in there for her PhD

- Is usually very on-top of students, she’ll reach out to students she notices not doing well in the class and do her best to assist in their success

- Surprisingly prefers teaching toxicology, but that’s mostly because she gets to work with Claudia for those lessons

- Workaholic, she’ll drown herself in grading papers or reading research papers and needs constant reminders to eat

- Most students are intimidated by her lol

Claudia

- Trauma surgeon and a licensed family doctor, she works these during weekends and holidays

- She teaches Anatomy and Physiology, as well as Biochemistry every other year

- Also an instructor in the organic chemistry labs if she can fit it in her schedule

- In charge of the cadaver labs

- Mostly teaches undergrads

- A pretty laid back professor, she definitely has the belief of “you’re paying for this, you’re choosing to be here, and you choose to do well or not”

- That doesn’t mean she’s an unfair professor. She is constantly reworking and reorganizing lessons and exams to make them as fair and educational as they can be

- Tells the best stories if class finishes early. She has the most students that remember her and bond with her out of the sisters

- Sews in her free time, loves making outfits when she can find the time

- Loves bothering the fuck out of her younger sister in staff rooms and meetings (Donna secretly loves it)

Bernadette

- Psychology and Neurology professor, works as a licensed therapist

- Helps with Donna in the greenhouses

- Mostly teaches grad students

- In charge of the Anatomy and Physiology labs

- Has a fair approach with students, she’ll reach out to those who are struggling but doesn’t pursue them

- Use to be on the board but has stepped down since then to make more time for her family

- She will take runs on campus between classes, sometimes Claudia joins her

- The heaviest tea drinker between the sisters, almost always seen with a bottle or flask

- Donna often weaves flowers into her hair and she’s not taking them out for the rest of the day, she’ll rather spread dirt and petals and insects around campus than throw out a flower her baby sis gave her

Angie

- human in this one! Claudia’s daughter

- She’s studying music at the campus, hoping to make it big like movie scores or video game soundtracks

- The building the classes she takes are close enough to the buildings her mom and aunties teach in so she often stops by to visit them

- Definitely privileged- she gets access to back offices and free stuff- especially when Donna is around

- Knows the guitar from her mom, got taught the piano by Bernadette, and both her and Donna learned the violin together. She’s self teaching herself the drums.

- Knows the loopholes around campus rules and abuses the shit out of them

- If there’s a new rule that’s added to campus, it’s because of her

- Doesn’t dorm, she lives with her family- it’s free food, rent, transport, and she doesn’t have to do chores most of the time- why wouldn’t she? (The real reason is that she loves them too much to leave but you won’t hear it from her)

- But she does have a group of friends who are all musicians and all dorm together so when she’s not home she’s with them

[christinesficrecs]

What are your favorite festive/Christmas fics? 🥹

Oh goodness! There are so many! Here are a few to start.

A Royal Christmas Engagement by  skoosiepants | 25.6K

Young omega Warden Lord Mieczysław Stilinski, given the royal request of marrying Crown Prince Derek Hale of Triskelion, predictably messes the whole entire thing up.

The flamingo in the yard by  Vendelin | 6.1K

It isn't fair that Stiles needs to work Christmas, when his dad is on the other side of the country. Or that his really hot, next door neighbour is around for the holidays as well. Or that there's a power outage that makes things even worse. Or better.

Deck the Hales with Mistletoe and Holly by tryslora | 32.8K | Mature

The one where Stiles manages to somehow imply that he might be dating his exceedingly hot TA for freshman lit, and ends up inviting him home for the holidays (along with his two crazy sisters) and really hopes that Lydia doesn't find out he was lying and kill him before maybe he can make it so he's not lying after all...

Layover by  dr_girlfriend | 3.6K

Big, serious brown eyes were staring right into his from only a few inches away. The child had clambered half over the arm of Derek’s chair to study him at close range, her little rosebud mouth pursed in concentration.

“Uh.” Derek couldn’t look away as the girl reached out one pudgy hand and patted him gently on the cheek. Her scent was soft and sweet and somehow a bit familiar, just enough to keep Derek from shying away. Derek didn’t know too much about kids but he guessed this one was probably three years old or so, head still oversized in proportion to the short limbs and round little belly.

She seemed fascinated with Derek’s beard, eyes widening further under incredibly thick lashes as she petted Derek’s cheek some more, smoothing down the short stubble. Finally she grinned widely. “Good wuff.”

Derek jerked upright, hands clenching on the edge of his seat. Did she just say?...

“CJ!” The child was suddenly gone, lifted up by a strong, tattooed forearm around her little potbelly. “You scared the he— heck out of me! What have I told you about wandering — Derek?”

nom de plume by  bleep0bleep | 3.9K

There are no more chapters. 22 is the last one. Derek groans in despair. He has to know what happens.

Glad Tidings by stilinskisparkles | 24.1K | Mature

“Eight people are going to be descending on our home in a mere matter of days, Derek.” Stiles grabs the pizza box, uses it to gesture at the pile of books and papers under the table, away and towards Derek’s sneaker collection. “You want them to think we live like this all the time?”

“We do live like this all the time,” Derek huffs, stretching lazily.

Mistletoe Never Lies by CarolineLahey | 19.2K | Explicit

Derek Hale loves his family, he really does. He just wishes they weren't so determined to set him up. When he finally blurts out that he has a boyfriend, and quickly gives his mother the name of the barista at his local coffee shop as his "boyfriend", he figures that buys him a little peace. He probably should have been paying attention to the part of the conversation where he agreed to bring Stiles home for Christmas to meet the family.

My World Is Filled With Cheer And You by bleep0bleep | 10.8K

“It was a last minute decision. Single parents with children draw attention to themselves in this type of neighborhood, and this department didn’t have a big budget to relocate all the werewolf and werewolf sympathizers that were targeted on this list. We’ve combined a lot of our relocation assignments. It ended up working out that another family, Mr. Stilinski and his son, looked like a good fit for you guys, so you’ll be sharing a home with them for the time being.” Markowski grins at him. “Congratulations! You’re married!”

The Christmas Raffle by mikkimouse | 10.3K | Explicit

Every year, the royal Hale family raffles off a Christmas dinner with Prince Derek to raise money for charity. But this year, the winner is the second chance Derek didn't know he was looking for.

With A Little Christmas Magic by Ashabadash | 10.6K

Stiles is jobless this Christmas and as a last resort, is stuck playing one of Santa’s elves at the mall. The job is a bust, and Stiles isn’t really in the Christmas mood, until he finds salvation in the Starbucks at the food court, not only in hiding from kids, but in one very sexy barista named Derek. ((Or: In Wich Stiles in an Elf and Derek is a Christmas Coffee Magician))

[sugarsnappeases]

KARAAAA BARTYLILY LIBRARY FIC PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE-

LAURIE MY LOVELY YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT FROM ME ANYTIME YOU WANT!!!!!!

bartylily library is my silly little fic which i think about constantly and which is probs like. one of the most ambitious things i've ever decided to write.... it has Chapters.... i'm so bad at Chapters. but i love her anyway. she stems from this post i made in like december and she's been stewing beautifully in my head and has developed a lot since then so this post is just gonna be like. general deranged rambling lol

so. lily's coming back to her volunteering job at the library in her hometown after having been away at uni (she's second year, just finished the spring term and she's studying english lit). the library has always been a Big Part of her life, she would visit literally at least once a week and not just to get books but also for all the events that they put on like craft things and holiday clubs and film nights and the like.

and she's been volunteering there for the last five years, since she was fifteen, bc like. obviously she has. it's a bit of like trying to please her parents and demonstrate how responsible and brilliant she is, but also just the inevitable next step for a girl who semi-grew up in the library, but also something that will look good on her cv, but also something simple, easy, uncomplicated. it's a routine that she knows like the back of her hand, it's something into which she can fall after how intensely stressful her terms at uni are and something to which she can escape from the whole Petunia Scenario going on at home. and she's good at it and she loves it and she needs it.

this holiday. however. there's an Issue in the shape of one Bartemius Crouch Junior. who literally couldn't care a whit about the library or lily's routine or the ease and simplicity that she's been craving all term. he's a Nuisance. a Menace. a Bother. and he's ruining her life and she hates him but he's also an Enigma. and lily has always liked studying. analysing things. pulling apart words and actions. it's literally what she does for her degree.

also. as shown in the snippet i just posted, lily's trying to hold onto the hope that she can fix him and set the library to rights again but this doesn't really last very long bc he's just so entirely resistant to any attempt on her part to change him. like she's showing him seven times that these books go here, it's easy, it's dewey decimal, and yet he still insists on putting them in the wrong place and she knows he's just trying to rile her up and it's working bc he's just SO infuriating!!

but then also on top of that he's so Interesting!! like he's so charming, a little outrageous but still charming, to all the library-goers and to madam pince (the main librarian), and she's watching him when he's wandering around the stacks and taking mental notes of and then going around and looking at all the books that he had paused and looked at, surreptitiously checking out the ones she hasn't read

and when she comes into study on wednesdays (bc she's lame and three days in the library per week is Not Enough) he's wandering over to bother her but also chatting w her about the things she's studying (which i've decided is gonna reflect what the english students at my uni (it's all i know!!!) study in the summer term of second year. which is shakespeare. so i'm gonna have to come up w lots of things to say about ol' shakesy p. haven't studied him since i did my a level so this could be interesting... i do think that the hardest part about this fic is gonna be the Intellectual Literature Conversations, which i think there are gonna be a few of, bc the literature i have intellectual things to say about nowadays is all in italian and decidedly unhelpful for lily's english lit degree. although i'm planning to bring up michelangelo at one point. i just can't help myself i'm sorry. they're gonna discuss the silkworm poem...)

anyway. they eventually kiss lol. in the back room of the library where lily is trying to lecture barty on how he can't just endlessly point the old men in the wrong direction bc if he isn't careful they'll keel over before they find the books they're looking for. yk the vibe. and then there's a lot of visits to the park right next door to the library. it has a little duck pond in it, if you were wondering. and they go to a gig. and he skives off from the library to hang out w her.

oh also! his community service is like. two months and he's been there for a month already so he's got four weeks left. and lily's holidays are five weeks so there's a little goodbye thing for him at the library when lily's still gonna be there for a week if that makes sense. and then he shows up again to visit on the next monday grinning at lily like 'did you miss me?' and then she skives off one day and they go to the cinema and like wander around the shopping centre and she goes to his flat and has to walk of shame it into the library the next day. it's all very like. normal. but lily's never really had that and she feels a little like she's a girl in an american rom-com getting swept off her feet. like she's a little giddy and it's so easy, simple, uncomplicated etc etc etc

and anyway then she goes back to uni x

seriously tho i think about them all the time and this fic is gonna be such a labour of love and i'm so so so so excited about it!!! hope this like. makes sense and is interesting thank you so much for asking i love youuu

[orchideous-nox]

KATIEEEE tell me about an underrated character you love I wanna hear you yap

I will always yap for you, my love < 3

I feel like I can no longer pick Evan as an underrated character because I swear half of my posts are about him/Rosekiller. Which means I also can't pick Barty. Shit. I've already yapped about Pandora and Xeno...

So here's some yapping about Marlene!

I think Marlene grew up in Manchester with a muggle mother and pure-blood father, maybe in the Salford area, and is very much that person who says "Manchester is waaaay better than London anyway" every year when they go down to get the Hogwarts Express.

Marlene has two older brothers (Damien & Carl) who are 5 and 9 years older than her and a sister (Heidi) who is 2 years younger. They grew up in a 3 bedroom house so the 2 boys and the 2 girls share until both boys have moved out and Marlene gets her own room which she says was the best day of their life (until their first kiss with Dorcas).

Weekends were spent going to Man United matches with her dad and brothers, tagging along to go to the pub with her dad where she sits by the jukebox asking people to give them a pound so they can choose a song, and as a teenager during school holidays she'd get the tram into the city centre to get some fries and a milkshake from Maccies and sit in Piccadilly Gardens. Marlene 100% would dip her fries in the milkshake.

When she went to Hogwarts, Marlene found herself questioning gender and sexuality a lot. By the start of third year they'd accepted being a lesbian but gender was still a big thing for them. At the end of third year, Marlene has developed a big fat gay crush on Dorcas but doesn't do anything about it for 2 years. At 14/15, Marlene cuts her hair short-ish and gets called a boy for the first time. It doesn't feel right but it sparks something. Marlene has always been a tomboy but begins to find joy in androgyny. It makes me very sad that Marlene didn't live to see the film Paris is Burning (1990) because I think Marlene would have loved it. I could see Marlene getting into drag and being a drag king? Stealing clothes from the boys and dressing up in the common room and singing along to whatever music is on, standing on the tables.

In a modern AU, I could see Marlene being really into Oasis and I've previously mentioned how loud and enthusiastically they sing along to Chelsea Dagger. She'd be a big Sam Fender fan and worships the ground Joan Jett and Chrissie Hynde walk on.

One day in 5th year, the library is packed with students studying for exams and there is one table that is empty enough for Marlene to be able to work at. They recognise the person sat there, a Slytherin girl who is friends with Sirius's brother. She sits down and has the need to fill the silence with awkward yapping. Somehow, she manages to charge this girl into agreeing to go to the last Hogsmeade trip together but Marlene doesn't really realise it's a date and Dorcas is lowkey pissed because Mary and Lily are there. Marlene lies and says the other two girls are going out and it's a double date and makes them go along with it. They have their first kiss on the train at the end of the school year and they write to each other over summer. Dorcas is the first person Marlene talks to about gender and its something they help each other with.

Thank you for the ask!!

[theficpusher]

Kiwi by dimpled_halo | M | 6080 The last place Louis expects to see Harry again after ten years is performing at a music festival in Chicago.

the one who stays and the one leaving you by dragmedown | M | 10315 Fuck. He had just slept with none other than Harry Styles. ⛸️ OR the stolen hoodie and lost panties AU

A Few Very Good Mistakes by louisandthealien | nr | 12172 He almost wishes there were a better story. "Fucked up pop star ends five day bender by wandering into a dive bar alone and passing out in public." That would've generated press, he thinks, and if there's one thing that's constantly on his mind (or more accurately, on the mind of everyone else around him) it's that all press is good press, and good press is good press but bad press is great press. Besides, he's 25 and trying to do the whole transition from boyband to solo pop star. He's pretty sure a press-fueled meltdown is, like, a right of passage. The truth, alas, is a whole lot more boring. --- Louis falls asleep in Harry's bar. Harry takes him home to hang out.

Prelude to Forever by AlwaysAqua | M | 13503 @StylinHarry: So I kinda fell for a boy yesterday at #ChiPride. Kissed & fireworks went off. Literally. He’s a drama teacher. Goes by “Louis” but I prefer Sunshine. Very pretty. The prettiest. Got separated & I’m a fucking idiot who forgot to get his number. Anyone know him? #helpfindsunshine Or, Louis and Harry meet at Pride in Chicago and spend the day falling for each other before getting accidentally separated.

Soup Of The Day by jacaranda_bloom | E | 19958 It had been the single minded goal for them since college and seemed simple enough. 1. Study hard. 2. Open their dream restaurant. 3. Take the culinary world by storm. What could possibly go wrong? Or the Restaurant AU where Louis and Niall are chefs, Chicago is windy, and cracking the big time is harder than they ever imagined. But when a mysterious man starts grading Louis' soups by leaving little piles of rocks, could it be just the thing they need to get them on the road to success?

i talk out loud like you're still around by vaultingus | M | 24693 photographer!louis / model!harry chicago, u.s. louis sighs into empty air and takes pictures for indie labels and promises himself he’ll be better this time. harry still has pink lips but they used to smile so much more and he does his best work when he’s in a war with the camera. it’s hard to be found when you don’t think you’re lost.

Bitter Ends Turn Sweet by allwaswell16 | E | 30164 It had been four years since Harry first heard the song his ex wrote about him and far longer since they broke up. He forgave Louis long ago, and now his life was focused on his career, his family, and especially his son, Max. But Louis was back in Chicago, after all this time, and he’s not an easy man to ignore. Or a songfic inspired by the song Chicago

You're the Light by allwaswell16 | E | 31285 Before beginning a new graduate school in the fall, Louis Tomlinson decides to spend the summer working in Chicago as an editor’s assistant for the Chicago Tribune newspaper and staying with his old college roommate. What he finds on his first day of work is a tall, gorgeous editor named Harry who has the most beautiful green eyes he’s ever seen—and who also happens to be his new boss.

In The Name of Being Honest by sunflouwerhabit, therogueskimo | M | 123563 Back at his desk, Louis closed his eyes for a moment, trying to settle into the reality of this. He was leaving the UK for only the second time in his life. Suddenly, the holiday he took to Spain three summers ago felt like it paled in comparison. He was going to the U.S. - for work, it was true, but still - alone. He’d been all for seizing the moment when his boss had been looking at him with a gaze of steel, but now he felt vaguely nauseous. Louis took several shaky breaths, feeling like the air was being sucked from the room, and opened the manila folder, laying it flat on his desk. His breath caught as he saw the destination, centered in a large, block font at the very top of the first page: Robinson Publishing - Chicago, Illinois, United States of America. ~~~ After two years of living in an everlasting cycle of work, sleep, and regret, Louis finds himself wandering brand new streets perpetually haunted by the ghosts of his past. The Chicago Fic.

[justmultifandom]

Kidge fall event 2024!!!

Day 2: Pumpkin!

Modern singleparent Keith! AU

Halloween was the most pointless holiday Keith had ever known: he had never seen anything funny about it as a child, and even now, as an adult, he was annoyed by the children who kept ringing his house at 11 p.m. But his daughter Nat adored him. Natalie had had to stay with him for the entire period from his birthday to Thanksgiving that year, because her mother, not his ex-wife, had decided to ditch everything and everyone for a month and go on vacation to Dubai with yet another sexy divorced millionaire lover. It wasn't that Keith didn't enjoy Nat's company, but she was always silent and sullen towards him, perhaps because she had felt abandoned when she was entrusted primarily to the care of her mother, who could give her a lot of money, but would never fill the gaps of indifference that she reserved for her daughter.

This year, however, Keith was going to do things differently: he was going to use the month they were together to fix a pretty bad father-daughter relationship and start with Halloween, her favorite holiday. If Keith hated Halloween, Nat LOVED it: he often received emails from his ex-wife about payments for scary clothes and masks, and flashy decorations, but this year he was going to go with something different. In fact, this morning he had taken some well-deserved vacation time to buy a real pumpkin to carve with her, as soon as she got home from school.

He was walking back and forth between the rows of pumpkins, studying them carefully, looking for the perfect one, but they all had at least one flaw: that one was too small, that one was wormy, this one too pale, another one not ripe enough... It was a tough choice! And then, after 15 minutes of searching, he found THE pumpkin: beautiful, big and fat, shiny. He already imagined it, two carved eyes and a mouth, lit by the dim light of a candle, in the dark of the night, on the terrace, with Nat proud of their work and a huge smile. Yes, it was perfect.

He approached, he was so close, and yet, two hands grabbed it. Keith looked at the woman who had taken, stolen, HIS pumpkin: she was small, younger than him, but not too much, maybe she was still in college or about to graduate, shiny hair, light brown mixed with ash, ash-colored eyes, freckles, glasses, pale skin with a warm tone. She was pretty, without makeup, and with simple oversized winter clothes.

"Did you want it?": the woman asked, looking at him.

"No, you can keep it, it's just a pumpkin after all...": he sighed, surrendering to his fate. She also sighed, offering it to him.

"No, take it, it's just a pumpkin after all, you shouldn't even technically choose..." she shrugged.

"Well, actually every pumpkin in this field is different..."

"Wow, you're an expert? They all look the same to me...": she shook her head.

"No, but I'm just very observant. I was just looking for the perfect pumpkin for my daughter..." he blushed.

"Oh, your daughter will be happy, then. I'm more of a girl who has a good eye for systems and computers...": she nodded.

"You must be very smart, then..."

"Pidge, everyone calls me Pidge"

"Well, Pidge, you seem like a smart girl, I'm sure you don't need to distinguish pumpkins in life" : they chuckled: "I'm Keith, by the way"

She smiled and nodded, but her phone started to vibrate, she took it, opened it and then closed it again.

"I have to go now, Keith, but it was a pleasure": she picked up a pumpkin not far away: "I have some work to do, and I wouldn't want your wife or girlfriend to find me around..."

"I don't have either of those, so you can rest easy about that last one, Pidge...": he smiled.

"Okay, that's fine, Keith": she giggled, then waved her hand: "See you around, then..."

She smiled once more, looking at him, then she left for the register. Keith smiled too, feeling somehow different: usually with strangers it took a long time to open up, but instead, with her he immediately felt at ease. Perhaps the only person he had felt this way with was Nat, and once, also his ex-wife. Since they separated he had never dated anyone else and had not been in a relationship for years. He looked at his pumpkin again, turning it around to see if there were any dents he hadn't seen before, and found, to his surprise, a green business card.

"K-12 Math and Science Tutoring by Katie Pidge Holt"

With her phone number and email.

Oh, shit.

[gallavichfanficlibrary]

✨ Hey guys! ✨

Just wanted to share some recent fics that you may have missed out on :) Just some stories we enjoyed in the last few months. 

First of all, I want to mention several new-ish authors whose works we loved. I'll link some fics but check out their other stories too!

sam_writes_fics

sending my love (from the other side) - post 10x05: ian visits mickey in prison.

hey brother - mid-11x10: mickey and lip talk post-fight.

lalazee

The Thing About Living - AU. In which Ian Gallagher donates a kidney just to get a date with Mickey Milkovich. That’s it, that’s how it goes. Everyone gets a happy ending. (Genuinely one the rawest, most beautiful stories I've read recently. Don't let the heavy theme turn you off.)

Of Going Home - Superpowers AU. A famous superhero Ian is forcibly put on leave from his job and returns to the Gallagher house, a failure all over again. Not only does he not know what Mickey does when the world goes dark, he doesn't know that Mickey is still living southside at all.

pinkpantherman

burnt by fire without trial - they get each other off on a couch. their couch. that's it

look at the situation they got me facin’ - Set in S1, Mickey's POV. PWP with bottom Ian.

roseapothecarys

quiet - 5 times Mickey lets his guard down, as observed by various third parties.

OnlyFans!Mickey series - What happens when your roommate comes home and finds you making a solo sex tape in the living room for your hordes of horny online followers?

***

And some fics separately!

One-shots:

hold steady - Those big hands hold a special place in Mickey’s heart.

to be gentle, to be soft - a series of four vignettes from their third year of marriage.

call me what you want - Post-canon. Ian's POV one night when he can't sleep in their new apartment. A great character study.

Full of it - Mickey knows he hasn't had the best track record, but is tired of the constant surprise from people when he can do normal things.

counting the heartbeats - It’s been a month and three days since their first kiss.

Hot Sugar - To settle a petty argument, Ian, Mickey, Lip and Carl end up at a shooting range and Mickey discovers he has quite a bit of a competence kink.

Drive-by BJ - The nice thing about driving a converted ambulance is all the "head" room it affords you.

Pushing Luck - All about their second kiss. Set after the robbery and before the-sleepover-we-don't-talk-about.

Thirteen Hours - Ian has known for thirteen hours that he’s not crossing the border with Mickey, so he makes the most of the time he has left with him.

all i need in this life of sin (is me and my husband) - Ian wants the two of them to have more friends. Mickey doesn’t.

27 - Ian Gallagher is another year older, Mickey knows exactly how to celebrate.

The Demon Made Me Do It - Mickey allows a demon to possess him, but the demon-Ian-has different ideas about what that means.

baby don't stop - Post-canon. Ian and Mickey settle into the ups and downs of domestic life.

How To Bag A Baddie - Wrong number AU. Ian gets a threat from an unknown number. He gets curious.

and he says, “it’s no big deal,” - Frank headbutts Ian again, and Mickey witnesses the outcome. Needless to say, he’s more than pissed.

The Taming of Mickey Milkovich - Mickey has missed Ian and is being a brat. Ian takes care of that.

Like sunrise on a summer day - Mickey is a famous painter, specialised in doing portraits and Ian is a vampire who hasn't seen his own face in over a century and would very much like to change that.

Warmth - It's a lazy winter Sunday.

WIPs:

Mickey The Unfriendly Ghost - Ian is finally in a position to move out of the Gallagher family home and into somewhere by himself. Things start to go downhill when strange things start happening in his new house.

The Exchange Student - Ian is a British exchange student in Chicago, and Mickey is his 'holiday fling', as much as they can ever have a fling, that is.

Africa - AU. When Ian lands himself an internship with famous wildlife photographer Mickey Milkovich he can't believe his luck. Spending one month traveling through South Africa with his big hero is a dream come true.

second chapters - When Mickey’s PO assigns him a job at the local library, he’s pleasantly surprised—not that he’d ever admit it. Practically lived in the prison library, and what better way to start his new life than with a career he might actually enjoy.

Finished fics with several chapters:

Designs on You - Ian has just moved out of his family home to live on his own for the first time. Working as a paramedic, he’s finally happy, stable, and moving forward with his life. But first, there’s one last remnant of his past self that he needs to let go of: his accidental porn tattoo of his late mother.

Dead Meet - Online dating AU. Ian's life is great but he feels lonely and doesn't want to be single anymore.

We do Each Other’s Laundry in our Hearts Sometimes - A very sweet hybrid AU where the Gallaghers are all bird hybrids and the Milkoviches are all wolf hybrids.

Prelude Motel - AU. When Mickey’s secret spot is infiltrated by an intriguing stranger, all the warning signs are there. Despite the voice in the back of his head telling him to disengage, he can’t help but bite off more than he can chew, running straight back to the spot and the stranger when a job leaves him injured.

***

There are many more fun stories that's been written over the past six months, take a deep dive in the ao3 ;) Plus, we're patiently awaiting the Gallavich Week 2023 to start... So, happy reading! ^^

[vettelsbitch]

Hellooo, hope you're doing alright!! I wanted to check in and ask if you think Bez and Cele in the kidfic universe would go to a Christmas market?

Either pre relationship with Bez's hands being cold and Cele warming them up? Or post getting together when Matteo is walking with both of them holding one of his hands? Or mix it all together and Teo is the one with cold hands and needs both of them close to him and each other?

Thanks in advance, and don't feel pressured!!! <3

Bestie, babe, I HAVE thought about this, I think Xmas time can have such potential for a kidfic AU. And of course this is no different.

At first I was going to answer this with a series of thoughts and ideas about what could happen, but then it started growing and growing. So I went for a blurb... that also grew and ended up being 2.5k words.

But, merry christmas and happy holidays, there you go, enjoy this unbetaed mess (and as always thanks to @dobbiamo-capire for helping me keep it italian enough)

....

Marco stops for a second in his walk down the building stairs, Matteo in his arms, his eyes drifting to Cele's closed door a little ways down the hallway. They haven't seen each other quite as much, and Matteo has started asking about him. Well, more than usual. He wonders if they should walk up to the door and knock, but what would he say? 'Hey, Teo has been asking about you, and I also miss you a lot'. So instead he just keeps walking down, Cele is probably studying for his exams. 

Marco had asked for the day off at work so they could go walk around the Christmas market a week ago. But the mechanic shop was very busy with people wanting to make sure their car was ready for long trips home or up the mountains for the holidays. So it took a bit, but finally, they are on their way to spend a whole day walking around. 

When they get to the street, Marco lowers Teo to the ground. He readjusts the backpack on his shoulders, full of juice packs, sandwiches, and some of Teo's favorite snacks, and drops to one knee in front of his kid. 

"You have to put on your hat, Teo," he says, reaching for the lump of knit fabric in Matteo's hands. 

"I don't like it, papà!" 

"It's cold, and your ears will fall off if you don't use it," he says, tugging one of his small ears, prompting a giggle out of Teo. Then he brushes Teo's curls back to make sure they don't get in his eyes when he puts the hat on, tying the little ear covers under his chin and fluffing his scarf so his cheeks get some coverage from the chilly wind too. "How excited are you for the market?" 

Matteo throws his arm open and his hands as far apart as he can stretch them. "This much!" 

"Wow, that's a lot."

Marco stands up again, offering his hand for Matteo to grab onto, and they start walking slowly towards the city center. His little gloved hand in Marco's big one makes him smile, excited to see him enjoy the holiday spirit that covers the city.

…………………

They reach the market twenty minutes and a juice pack later. It's filled with people chatting and laughing, looking at the stands offering anything from sweets to Christmas decorations, and Matteo seems to fill back up with energy at the sight of it all, pulling on Marco's hand to go to the closest stall and look at the wooden toys in it.

Every vendor is nice, and the whole square smells of wood and spices. An old man with gray hair, big round glasses, and an apron with a chocolate bar printed on it gives Matteo a little chocolate candy for free, and that makes sure his smile stays firmly in his face while they walk between wooden stalls.

Marco recognizes one of the girls tending the coffee stand, she had brought her car to his job to get a bump fixed not long ago, and she strikes up a conversation while still helping customers, which is quite impressive if you ask him. She's telling him how she can't go back home this year when he feels Matteo pulling his hand insistently. He looks down to see him pointing somewhere in the distance, throwing an apologetic smile at the girl.

"Papà, look, 'ele!"

Marco's eyes snap up immediately, looking towards where Teo is pointing. Between the rows of people having a good time, he can see the archway that serves as an entry to the ice rink, and next to it, in another of the wooden winter stalls, there's Cele. If Matteo hadn't pointed him out, it could have taken Marco a second to realize it was him, his long black curls hidden by his hat. But it's clearly him. Matteo tugs at his hand again.

"C'mon, papà, let's go see 'ele."

Marco smiles at him again, letting himself get dragged away from the coffee stall. He turns around to wave to the girl, and she just smiles back at him quickly before turning around to the next person in line. Teo walks in a straight line, his little hand tight around Marco's fingers. He can see people entering the rink, but Cele seems to not be busy when they get to him, he's talking to another young man next to him. Both of them have the same jacket on, with the university logo on the chest. Marco goes to clear his throat to catch his attention when Teo beats him to it.

"Hi 'ele!"

Marco feels his heart skip a beat when Cele turns around, his nose and his cheeks are flushed red. He's smiling immediately, looking down at Teo and then glancing at Marco. His eyes are crinkling, and his irises are so dark that they reflect the light hanging around him.

"Hey guys! What brings you here?" He says, dropping to his elbows on the stall to look down at Teo more comfortably.

Marco pats Matteo's head, the hat warm against his cold hands. "I promised to take him to the market some time ago, and we finally managed."

Matteo steps closer, rising on his tiptoes to put his hands on the edge of the wooden table. "Look, Cele! I've got Spiderman gloves!"

Cele bends over further, getting close to Teo, and Marco feels like his lungs are on fire for a second, seeing him smiling at his kid, his face soft and open, immediately praising his gloves. He puts his hands in his pocket before he does something dumb, like caressing Cele's cheek. 

"Do you guys want to try the rink? Skating is pretty fun," Cele says, pointing at the archway.

Marco looks at the mass of people skating around and then at the list of prices for the rented skates, feeling Teo turn around. Cele must notice because he speaks up. "Friends and family discount, of course," he says with a wink. Marco almost chokes on his own breath.

 "Can we papà?"

Bez looks down, patting his head again. "There's too many people, Teo, and you're small, it can be dangerous."

Matteo pouts, his bottom lip pushing forward and his big eyes looking up at him, and Marco knows he's doomed. He can never say no to his kid when he pulls the puppy eyes; even at three years old, he knows it. He looks up to Cele, looking for help, only to be faced with his crooked smile and big eyes filled with twinkling lights. And before Cele can fully open his mouth to speak, he is really doomed. 

"I get my break at around 13, in less than an hour, if you guys wait until then, we can all go in, and then there are fewer people since it's lunchtime," he says, tilting his head a little for the full puppy eyes effect.

Marco sighs, shaking his head, the curls poking out under his beanie bouncing with the movement. "Okay, we'll keep looking around and come back then. Thank you, Cele." 

"Thank you, 'ele!"

…………………………………

After another walk around the market, a sandwich, two juice packs, and a trip to the bathroom in the mall next to the market, they make their way back to the rink. Cele is no longer standing behind the wooden table, a blonde girl is in his place. Marco is about to walk up and ask when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

"You're here, guys, just in time," he says, dropping to one knee to talk with Matteo. "Are you ready to skate?"

Matteo nods quickly, his smile a little tight with equal parts excitement and nerves. Marco feels nervous himself, butterflies causing a ruckus in his stomach when Cele looks up at him.

"Okay, I need your shoe sizes for the skates," Cele starts walking towards the wooden stall as soon as Marco stumbles through telling him the two numbers.

When they reach him, he's struggling to carry three pairs of skates to the bench next to the archway into the rink. It's cute, how excited he also looks to be skating with them, and the butterflies in Marco's stomach start dive-bombing once again.

"Wait, I haven't paid yet," Marco says, helping Teo onto the bench, his legs a bit too short to jump by himself.

Cele shakes a hand in front of his face. "Don't worry about it, friends and family discount, remember," he says as he turns back towards Matteo, kneeling in front of him to help him get his shoes off and the skates on. When he tickles his little socked toes and they both giggle, Marco feels his chest burst with affection. 

He's still standing, his skates waiting for him next to Cele's, so he sits down to put them on before he says something dumb. Or incriminating. Like how pretty Cele looks with his cheeks pink from the cold.

Once they're all skated up, their shoes safely back in the hands of the blonde girl, Cele gives them some quick pointers with the ease of someone who's probably been doing it for some days already. When he's done and asks if they have any questions, Matteo raises his hand. Marco can see Cele's mouth tighten to contain a giggle.

"Cele, papà doesn't have gloves!"

Marco feels his cheeks heat up under Cele's gaze. He shakes his head, opens his jacket, and starts digging around in the pockets of the hoodie he has on underneath.

"Well, that can't be, right, Teo? The good news is I always carry extra because I also forget them all the time," he says, pulling another pair of gloves, dark gray like the ones he's wearing, from his pocket. "So I can lend them to your papà while we skate."

Marco grabs the gloves, immediately putting them on under the focused gaze of his kid. They're slightly warm to the touch, probably from Cele's body heat, and feel like heaven going over his freezing-cold fingers. He wiggles his fingers, they're a little big for him, and they look snug on Cele, but he has a bit of extra room at the tips of his fingers. His brain floods with the realization that Cele has bigger hands than him. He's never cared about that, and now his eyes keep glancing at the other's hands.

When they're fully ready, Cele guides them through the archway carefully, Matteo gripping their hands tight to stay upright on the suddenly much more slick surface. The rink is much emptier than before, some couples and one group of teens are the only ones skating around. They start slowly, Cele giving pointers to their form, and quickly enough they're skating around, Matteo grabbing their hands with a huge smile on his face.

Marco looks over at Cele, on the other side of his kid, and mouths his thanks. He swears he sees Cele's cheeks flush darker, but that's probably from the ice underneath their feet.

"So, Teo, have you written your letter to Babbo Natale already?"

Matteo nods, sliding a bit with the momentum but catching himself easily with Cele's help. "Yes, papà is helping me, writing is a bit hard."

"It is, you're right there, Teo."

Matteo starts going on about what he's asking for, and what he's sure he will get because everyone says he's a good boy. Marco feels warm all over—the swirling lights around them, his kid's hand in his, soft gloves, and softer eyes across the ice.

"Cele," he says in a lull of their conversation. "How is it that you're working here? Don't you have exams?"

Cele nods, smiling. "I do, but I can revise here easily, that's why I asked to be at the front instead of in here. Also, the extra cash is nice, I'm not going home until New Year's Eve, so I had the time."

"So you're here for Christmas?"

"Yes, this year is a bit complicated with scheduling, so I can't get up there until afterwards. But it's okay."

Marco knows what he's going to say before he can reel it in and stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. "We're going to Rimini for Christmas, you could come with us and spend the day together," he says. "If you want, I don't want you to be alone."

He can see it hit Cele, the moment the words sink into both of them, at the same time as he loses his footing on the ice, sliding backwards. He lets go of Matteo's hand, not wanting to bring his kid down with him, but it's too late for himself, his limbs flying, trying to catch himself, and Cele moving towards him to try to help.

One second later, he's flat on his back, his ass sore from the fall, the warm, solid weight of Cele on top of him, and his dark eyes worried. "Are you okay, Marco?"

He wants to bury himself in the ice, let the embarrassment pass, he wants to pull Cele closer, he wants to run away. He's stalling until Matteo's laughter next to him brings him back. Teo's sitting down on the ice, giggling up a storm at his dad's fall.

Cele moves back, getting up, and Marco has to stop himself from tugging on his sleeve, so he lays on top of him again. The cold is starting to seep into his back, so he should get up too.

With the help of Cele, they all get back on their feet and skate slowly back to the entrance. There was nothing other than a sore butt and a dent in his cool persona to cry about. When they get their shoes back, Matteo's legs are a bit wiggly from the change back to solid ground, and he starts imitating his dad falling on his ass and laughing loudly.

"Yes, yes, I fell. Very funny," he says.

Cele has been a bit quiet since the fall, so he turns towards him, grabbing his arm and squeezing. "Hey, the offer stands, I think Matteo would really like to have you there, and you shouldn't be alone for Christmas."

He sees him stutter, looking down at Teo, before nodding with a shy smile on his face. "Okay, if you insist, thank you, Marco."

The blonde girl at the stall calls Cele's name, his break is up.

"I had a great time with you guys, I need to go back now."

"Oh, right," says Marco. "Thank you, Cele, we had a lot of fun."

Matteo hugs his legs, thanking him too. Cele's hand comes down to ruffle his head through his hat. Marco finds himself unable to shut up again. "We're going to walk around until they turn on the lights if you want to go see them with us later. When do you get out?"

Cele's smile widens. "My shift ends at 17, and I'd love to go with you guys," he says, walking backward towards the stall.

"We'll be here," Marco says, letting Matteo tug him back to the market.

He squeezes his kid's hand, his chest feeling raw with emotion, and his brain is busy thinking about how he's going to tell his mom that she needs to add another plate to Christmas lunch. He's still wearing Cele's gloves.

[13a07s]

Actions Are Indefinite

(Tetsuro Kuroo)

[Artwork is not mine! Credit to Pixiv Id]

Requested by: No One

Word Count: 3,825

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

Toxic Relationship (Not sure how but it is)

Alcohol

Sexual Tension; "Good Girl"

Boss/Employee Relationship

———————————————————————

Vibrations fight with the weight of the liquor in my system to etch their way into the skin of my hand. My phone wins, momentarily pulling my attention away from the man speaking gibberish to Morisuke and me. Well, to Morisuke, I just happen to be present.

My brother is back in the country on a short trip, no surprise there. He's usually only home for holidays or something to do with volleyball. I don't mind though, Morisuke has his ways of being present in my life without physically being present. Daily calls, weekly FaceTimes, gifts, random grocery deliveries, wiring money, and a lengthy text lecture if my bank account gets a penny below a thousand.

My brother has always been a bit of a... well, a helicopter parent. Micromanaging everything at all times if it has anything to do with my life or the lives of our younger brothers. Lucky for Morisuke, the youngest of our siblings is in his last year of high school, studying abroad in Russia. Aka, always under the watchful eye of our oldest brother. My fellow middle child is also studying abroad, his first year of college in England. Aka, the least micromanaged of us because of his college choice.

     I'm stuck in a happy medium. Far enough not to have Morisuke breathing down my neck, but still in our home country. Aka, he can pop in whenever he feels like it and has enough connections to help me move forward or - his personal favorite - to track every aspect of my life. The top dog in that running being Tetsuro Kuroo.

Tetsuro, who I've been shadowing and interning for. Like the older man, I hope to have a career in sports media. Unlike him, I want to be a journalist, not a promoter. Tetsuro, who bent me over his desk, even though he's technically my boss and one of my brother's longest-lasting friends. Tetsuro, who had no shame using the fact he's 'watching over me' to tattle to my brother that a big-time journalist was 'being a little handsy' at our lunch meeting about my next internship and the possibility of it being with his magazine.

Tetsuro, who's calling me for the tenth time tonight. Tetsuro, who I've been ignoring for the past two days. Tetsuro, who dug his heels when I requested time off until my brother informed him why I was requesting time off; to prepare and come to this dumb party to celebrate Russia's and Japan's official match. Tetsuro, who declared our moment - more like an hour - in his office, on his desk was a mistake, a lapse in judgment. Tetsuro, who said it meant nothing and wouldn't be happening again. Ever.

     I smash the big red decline button, sending his call to my overflowing inbox. Each message is laced with his voice. Some disguised as work calls, some simply telling me to call him back, and others telling me I'm acting like a spoiled brat.

I am a spoiled brat, Morisuke made sure of that. He's spent my whole life, even up to this very moment, making sure he - not our father - was the foundation of what I searched for in a man. Before I even utter a want or need, my brother takes care of it. Whether it's something as small as a back rub or something as big as moving to Russia with him; a selfish want of his that he's been not so discreetly dropping hints about. My brother's selfish want that doesn't seem so bad at the moment.

"Morisu - "

Before his name is fully off my lips, his hand is waved at a waiter, beckoning them to fetch me another drink to add to the long line of glasses I've left in my wake tonight. My brother doesn't bat an eye or stumble over his words as he sends out the order. From an outsider, it would look like his full attention is on his teammate. It's not.

     The lengthy tab under his name and the lack of lectures about 'being presentable' and 'not getting sloppy drunk' tip me off that Morisuke knows something's wrong. The fake unawareness of my alcohol intake lets me know he hasn't a clue in the world what it is. Actions, his specificity, are indefinite, always telling the true meaning of someone's thoughts and feelings.

It's good he doesn't know what's going on, at least in my book. The last thing I need is his image getting tainted because he punched his friend's teeth out. However, I'd give just about anything to curl up in Morisuke's arms and cry over the heartache consuming my chest.

Just as the waiter is coming back with my sixth - or maybe it's my seventh - cranberry vodka, my phone vibrates again, forcefully shaking in my hand. I snatch the cup from the staff rougher than I should have but I don't care for long. The weight and chill of the glass on my lips paired with the burning and sour taste seeping down my throat eases my empathy as soon as it bubbles in my chest.

     "He's been calling you a lot tonight," Morisuke mutters, plucking the empty glass from my fingertips when I tip it away. "The only time he's called even Kenma more than twice is when he's overslept. He's called you eleve - " My phone starts vibrating again, cutting my brother off. "Twelve. He's called you twelve times tonight."

     My eyes skirt down to my phone, denying Tetsuro once again. "You know how Kuroo gets. He's a workaholic. He probably just misplaced a file and wants to know if I know where it is," I try to lie, forcing my words out slowly so I make sure they come out properly and not heavy like my tongue feels.

     After my voice stops, I hold my breath in hopes Morisuke will believe me. He stares at me, unblinking, for a few moments before snapping his mouth into motion. "Call him back so he'll leave you be. Stop at the bar on your way back too. Your words are coming out tanged."

On the one hand, I'm glad he believed me. On the other hand, I don't want to call Tetsuro back, but my brother is as right as always, even if he didn't fully say it. I won't stop receiving calls until I answer or call back.

Like clockwork, as soon as I step out of my brother's bubble, my phone shakes and lights up with the picture of him and his high school friend again. It's an outdated picture, one of the millions taken at their graduation, but it's the last photo I have of the two.

Reluctantly, I press the green button instead of the red one. "Mr. Kuroo," I grumble into the phone, the tips of my ear feeling hot against the chilly glass. My eyes snag on the bar, my brother's voice ordering me to stop at it ringing in my mind. Technically, he just said to stop at the bar, he didn't say what to order even if it was insinuated he wanted me to get a glass of water.

     "The fuck did you just call me?" He asks, voice even, steady, and deadpanned. Tetsuro might not ever raise his voice loud enough to yell at me, but he has other ways to get his point across if his cursing wasn't enough. "In the ten years I've known you, Buttercup, you've never once referred to me as Mr Kuroo. Kuroo-San, ya, but not Mr Kuroo."

     "In the almost ten years I've known you, Mr Kurro, you've never once thought about fucking me on your desk and yet here we are," I respond, echoing his phrasing to mock him. The liquor on my tongue helps smooth the words out easier. It helps me slide into the barstool at the counter easier too. Vodka, two. Me, also two. Tetsuro, zero.

     One of his chuckles rings across the line. Not his light airy business laugh or his crackle used around his friends. No, this one is dark and almost warning, a noise that reminds me of smooth whiskey. "Buttercup, since the first day of my second year, since your first day of high school. Since I walked into class and you were perched on Yaku's desk in that short little skirt that showed off how your thighs spread like butter on the laminate. All I could think about is fisting your hair and sinking my dick into you bent over that goddamn desk."

     My heart flutters at the confusion, and not the heart pounding in my chest. I must not be drunk enough if the stupid bed-head can still get a rise out of me. "Forgive me for talking out of line, Sir, but you're full of shit right now, Mr. Kuroo," my hand flies up as I degrade my boss, waving at the waiter that brought me the last drink I had.

     "Actually," I start up again once the waiter nods, turning to start working on my next drink. "Don't forgive me, seeing how you're interrupting my personal time and according to my year contract as your intern, before the hour of seven in the morning or after the hour of five in the evening I'm not to be contacted for any of your needs. Mr Kuroo."

     I know it's petty of me to call him that again and that it'll crawl under his skin, but that's the point. Tetsuro wants to keep a professional relationship? Fine, I'll remain professional.

     When the waiter walks over with a chilled glass and my steady drink of the night, the relief of being tipsier almost erases the man on the other end of the phone. Almost. "If even a drop of that alcohol touches your lips I'll make sure that flirty little waiter doesn't work another promotion event of any kind," Tetsuro's icy voice echoes through my phone, the coldness of it not taking away the evenness.

     My hand snaps away from the glass, my eyes darting around the event room in search of the ex-winged spiker. "He's not being flirty and I'm old enough to decide if I want alcohol or not," I whisper, as if that'll make searching for him any easier.

     Tetsuro is full of shit right now. I bet he's not even here. I bet he took an educated guess on what I'm doing or has Kenma or one of the players feeding him updates on what I'm doing. The thoughts help me relax, my body turning back toward the bar as my free hand wraps around the glass again.

     "It's not common to freeze a glass for a cranberry vodka, Buttercup. If Yaku tabbed out his bill right now, how many of your drinks do you think Mr Wandering-Eyes 'forgot' to ring in?" Okay, maybe he's not full of shit. Maybe he is here somewhere.

     "If I told my brother you fucked me in your office like a pornographic secretary, how many of your teeth do you think he'd knock out?" I counter, raising the glass off the bar and slowly trailing it toward my lips. I might not be able to see him, but he sure can see me. Fine Mr Kuroo, do you want to test each other? Let's test each other. Words might sound pretty, but actions are indefinite.

     A hand slips over the opening of the glass, the knuckles of it pressed against my lips because of the short opening between the rim of the cup and my mouth. "Every last one of them, Buttercup, and I'd spend the whole time thinking about the way you begged me to choke you harder with your lanyard." Tetsuro's whisper cracks over the call at the same time it's whispered in my unoccupied ear, shooting chills up my spine.

     Actions are indefinite, words are not, and Tetsuro is whispering in my ear, the back of his fingers pressed against my lips to keep the alcohol I ordered parted from my tastebuds.

     He slowly pushes the cup down until it ticks against the counter again, his fingers sliding down the side to rest on top of mine. The dinging of the call ending rings in my ear for a moment or two before his voice is paired with it. "You've had enough to drink tonight, so, you have two options. You can float back over to your brother and ignore those soaked panties of yours - "

     "I'm not wet." Lie. Big, fat, fucking lie. My thighs are drenched, the material of my underwear clinging to my pussy because of my arousal. I've been dripping since he asked what I called him.

     Tetsuro's hand not wrapped around the glass snakes over my back, fingertips looping against the material of my dress before sliding down my rib cage. "You have two options," he repeats, his hand settling on my thigh, clawing at the skirt of my dress to hike it up my legs. "You can go back over and let Yaku take care of you, ignoring the sweetness you're wasting on this barstool."

     His fingertips brush against bare skin before rolling down, fingers prancing over me before settling on my mess. "Or you can let me take care of you," he mutters my second option, a single finger slowly ghosting up and down my clothed cunt, making me squirm on the stool secured under me. "Are you going to come with me to finish my important conversations like a good intern or are you going to continue sulking next to your brother as you try to drink away the feeling of my hands on your skin?"

     My tongue feels heavy again, weighed down with pounds made of vodka and lust. "I suppose starting to network will help me later on." My voice is so low I'm convinced he doesn't hear me, at least until his soft, normal laugh caresses my ear.

     "If you do tag along, it means no more drinking for the night, Buttercup, and some water to help sober you up." I grumble but don't put up a fight as he flags someone over.

Tetsuro's aura darkens as the same guy returns, the waiter's eyes jumping between the two do us. "Ms Yaku, how can I help you?" The man asks, his attention settling on me.

"She'd like a water," Tetsuro answers for me, his hand falling from the air to rest around my throat, his fingertips slightly digging into my flesh. Actions are indefinite, and at this moment his actions seem to counter his words from the other day. It wasn't a lapse of judgment, it was a lapse of self-control. The same gap is happening now.

"Isn't that right, Sweetheart?" He asks, words cool but tone laced with venom as he glares at the waiter. Tetsuro's head tips down, lips brushing behind my ear before his teeth snag on my earlobe, gently tugging on it before he pulls back again.

"Ya," I exhale, eyes locked on the waiter to help keep myself grounded. The worker has a mix of a pissy attitude and annoyance on his face before he turns away, grumbling to himself about 'high-class women'.

As soon as the waiter walks away, Tetsuro takes a step away from me, his hand and lips equally pulled from me. "It's repulsive a man like that thinks he stood a chance."

"You don't have to be so mean," I snap at him, turning my head to glare at the lengthy man. "Don't forget not that long ago we both attended one of the poorest schools in our district. What's gotten into you? Acting all prissy and like you're this big flirty guy. I've seen you stumble over your words ordering a coffee from a cute cashier."

A spark of the usual happy-go-lucky Tetsuro flickers through his eyes before getting snuffed out. "His bank account isn't why he doesn't stand a chance. He won't show you even an inkling of the respect your brother does. As for the other half of your complaining, I've embarrassed myself enough times in front of you that I can't do much worse. Besides," his voice drops to a hush and his head tilts down, his lips next to my ear again. "I already know what you think of me, Buttercup. That's a luxury I don't have with most people."

     Once again, Tetsuro pulls away from me, just in time for the waiter to set my glass of water down a little more aggressively than needed. I let the moment roll off my back as the water rolls down my throat, banished to mix with the too much vodka and too little food in my stomach.

     "Good girl," he whispers when I set the glass back on the counter. His hand cups my chin as his thumb rubs at the corner of my mouth, cleaning up a drop trying to escape.

     Tetsuro's fingers move slowly, tracing the lining of my jawbone, feathering over the skin of my neck, and caressing my shoulder before falling down my arm. Goose bumps are left in his wake, decorating my skin in tiny hills and my nerves with a soft chill. "Let's go finish up my business," he orders again, his hand cupping mine to help me off the barstool.

As soon as my heels click against the floor, his hand tugs mine upward, resting it on his bicep to sandwich my fingers between his arm and his side. If I didn't know any better, I'd think Tetsuro was using me as eye candy.

My stomach swishes as I'm led away from the bar, efficiently starting the war between the water and liquor in my system. My attention is focused on not getting sick on the shiny floor or the dress so expensive Morisuke refuses to tell me how much he paid for it.

At least, my attention is on my stomach until my name is called. "Ms Yaku," an older man in a suit similar to Tetsuro's calls; a huge grin on his face as he looks down his nose at me. His face seems familiar but I can't quite put my finger on it. "I assumed you'd be wrapped up with Russia's libero instead of our promoter." Ah, he must be one of the endless businessmen playing a hand with the Japanese official team; one of the men constantly filtering in and out of the office.

"I'm sure my brother has carved out time for me after his match," I respond, putting extra weight on the word 'brother'. Somehow, our parents mastered having four children that look nothing alike. Pair that with my last name and people lacking the understanding of Morisuke's behavior being rooted in trauma and not romance, and it leaves me in a sticky situation with my brother, on multiple occasions.

Confusion, disgust, and then understanding flicker across the man's face. "I was starting to wonder what the deal with the flowers was. Forgive me but the name 'Morisuke' didn't ring any bells."

That's another one of my brother's habits; sending a bouquet every Wednesday to the office, usually paired with a passive-aggressive note. Most of the time it's about not letting his friend overwork me or to drink water. This week's note was actually pleasant, Morisuke gushing about seeing me again after three months apart.

     The man's attention dies away from me, amping up as he talks to Tetsuro about Hinata's and Kenma's recent video together. I don't mind though, it gives me the time to focus on keeping the contents of my stomach in my stomach.

The next hour stays about the same. Tetsuro whisking me away after his conversation just to run into another suit-tailored man or floor-length dressed woman itching to talk about the players or promotion plans or the upcoming game. The whole time I focus on not getting sick and try to ignore the heat beckoning my skin to coat itself in a dewy sweat.

"Well I appreciate the offer, I think my date needs some air," Tetsuro's words rise above my inner voice trying to will my body heat to drop even a degree.

Date? Who's Tetsuro's date? My eyes scan the room, especially the space near the two of us. He didn't have a woman when he found me, though I don't know where he popped out of so maybe he did. Where's my brother? I should find him and ask him to drive me home.

The water quickly lost its battle with the liquor, no matter how much or how often Tetsuro was pouring it down my throat. My body is starting to feel that loss, most notably, my body heat is feeling it.

"Come along, Buttercup," he whispers in my ear, checking my grip on his arm before I'm pulled away from the small group of people he was speaking with. "We need to cool you down before you overheat."

"What about your date?" I ask, my words sounding slushy even to myself.

His usual chuckle fills the air, softer than the one he uses with his friends but deeper than the laughter he's been using all night. "My date's brother wasn't on the ball as much as usual. He let her drink more than I thought. Maybe we should have her throw up instead of just using water."

"Me?" I murmur, keeping my tone low as I fight off another wave of nausea. I shouldn't have had so many drinks, it's unprofessional for one, and for two, it doesn't feel too nice anymore.

"Yes, you, Buttercup," Tetsuro coos, holding the bathroom door open as he ushers me in. I slide past him, the chilliness of the room instantly coating my sticky skin. He follows after me, taking a second to lock the door before his hand is present on my stomach.

His head tips for the millionth time tonight, lips pressed against my ear as he paints out the agenda for the rest of the night. "After we let you get sick and get you cleaned up, we're going to go outside. I'm going to watch you bounce on my dick in the back of my car like you're craving so bad, of course, not without punishing you for ignoring me the past few days. Then, I'll return you to Yaku and we can finish off tomorrow when you come into work."

My stomach churns, but this time it's not caused by my overuse of vodka. I've been so focused on not getting sick on myself or any of Tetsuro's business partners that I've almost forgotten my uncared-for needs at the bar top.

Almost. Every flex of his bicep or long glance my way overrode my sickness for arousal, the same way it's doing now. "Is that what you want, Buttercup?" He whispers in my ear, pairing it with a dragged kiss behind my ear.

     "Yes."