#Frederick is best dad

[omies-odd-writing-spot]

Nymphaea Thermarum 04

Teaching The Important Things:

“Okay, now tighten the knot.” Fredrick said as he was watching the miniscule hands and what they were doing intently.

Lily carefully tightened the line, thin cord but a line that can well support her weight and then some. She sat up and looked at the propped up phone set beside her that had the reference pictures, “I… think I got it. It makes more sense seeing the pictures dad.”

“Good,” the man smiled, proud as he shifted in his seat to reach for his coffee mug on the table. “Want to test your knots baby girl?” 

“Yes!” Lily brightened up as the small girl perked up. She found the line, and started to loop it up to be neat and once her adopted, giant father had settled again. She measured a good distance of six inches in the line starting where it was connected to herself. The girl lifted the spot once her dad's attention was back on her fully. “This should be a safe distance right?”

Fredrick checked the distance and picked up the line. Twisting some more on the other side through his fingers, “Looks good, ready?”

Lily wiggled exactly and nodded, “Yes!”

The man grinned as he planted his left elbow and lifted his bitty daughter up slowly until she was off her feet. Pausing so only two inches were under her and his right hand hovered near but not so much to interfere. “Don't forget to sit back, let the harness hold you Lily, don't hang from it to cinch it around your middle.”

The tiny girl concentrated, but got in the position she needed to be. All at once a lot of things they had talked about and watched on the phone made sense. She swayed for a few moments before shifting her lower legs and started to swing back and forth. Testing the feel and movement before making a face.

“Can you put me down dad?”

“What did you notice?” Fredrick asked, carefully lowering Lily back to the table top. Smiling a little as she leaned back onto the knuckles of his other hand as she adjusted the harness. 

“It feels looser and…slippery? Like my leg could slide out.” Lily said as she finished, getting up and testing movement before looking back and up at her giant father. “Okay, we can try again!”

Fredrick lifted the line again, and watched intently as Lily started her testing. She was notably a lot more confident as she swung again. Then unprompted started to climb the line up to his hand. Fredrick grinned, “hey, you remembered what we talked about. Good leg work baby girl.”

“Thanks!” Lily gasped once she was up on the back of the massive hand. Her dad had kept his hand steady and though he did not shift to accommodate, he did not hinder, letting her sort out her balance and mechanics herself for the most part.

It was one of the things Lily was learning she loved about her giant adopted dad. He was more than happy to help teach Lily survival skills, mechanics, electronics on top of everything else like reading, writing and math. Even if Lily was not nearly big enough to use some of this, but also just… whatever she wanted to learn there was no hesitation. 

Even repealing like in the video of her dad doing it in training. Or if she was not up to something at all. Lily grinned and held up her arms to the human, “dad!”

“What baby girl?” 

“I want a hug.”

Fredrick rolled his eyes playfully, not sure what thoughts his little daughter had in her head for those expression changes.  His other hand came up and pulled the girl up by the line, getting a startled yelp as he brought Lily over. It was just a moment of seemingly being unstable before he hunched. Holding Lily in his hand and press on his cheek to her small self. 

The man smiled at the laughing and small smack against his cheek before Lily pressed her head against him. Shamelessly in this random want for a cuddle. “You're such a brat.”

“No I'm not,” Lily said confidently, standing up with her hands on Frederick’s cheek and looking up at the big brown eye half lidded. Recognizing the happy expression. “But now I'm ready to learn about repelling!”

“Okay you're a dork not a brat,” Frederick said with a fod smile, but helped Lily down so they could make sure her line was untangled and wrapped back up, then picked her up with his own confidence of experience now.

“Where are we going?” Lily asked, as they left the table and then to the living room.

“Over by the couch, I made something for you last night.” Frederick said as he set Lily in the low coffee table before pulling something off the couch to set up near her. 

“Is that sand paper?” Lily gasped, making her her line was over a shoulder and out of the way as she looked at the odd things as they were set down before being assembled. She touched the poster board, recognizing that, as it worked pretty good for making models with her adopted mom. There were carefully pinned course sandpaper on the board in a line.

“Yep, I thought it would be good for you for traction as you first start.” The man nodded, taking that part once Lily was clear, and attached it at an angle that seemed about what starters should be on. Frederick just had to adjust it for Lily's size. 

As he did so Lily ran around the structure he made, the top end had to be a good two feet high! It was made with wood and seemed like it could adjust? It was at the highest settings? 

“You remember what we went over with anchor points?” Her dad's voice drew Lily's attention away from the excitement building.

“Yeah! I mean yes. Uuh we haven't made anything yet for me to use yet.” Lily started and then stood up, focusing on the reminder of safety.

“We will, I have an idea for now though,” Frederick reassured, “Part of the reason I want you to practice here with me instead of jumping off the kitchen counter.”

Lily grinned, through had the good sense to seem a bit sheepish. She still shamelessly tried that now and then, but not nearly as much as she used to do! And she waited for her parent's attention first now. She started to try and sort how to climb up as her dad pushed a thick scarf around the bottom of the practice ramp. Squeak g as she was carefully picked up and lifted to the top.

“Don't worry about climbing up for now, you're going to be tired enough with repealing today.” The man reassured before going over the checklist of safety points they had learned and gone over that morning. 

Lily was excited, yes, but very proud that she could answer everything. The first several times of actual practice were…awkward to say the least. She was very grateful that her dad had quick reflexes. She was determined to get the hang of this before her mom got off work. 

They only really stopped for a quick snack and used the facilities, then off to try again. Lily was tired when she was finally able to get down, back up and down again all by herself. Her arms her, her back hurt and it was a relief to sprawled in the massive, but warm hands after getting the harness off. Then some needed rest against her dad's chest.

Lily dosed without realizing it as she was listening to the deep heartbeat under her. Not really aware of when Frederick got up. The man still had a proud and fond look as he carried Lily to the kitchen, finding the spot she liked to be in where she could watch normally. It was a warmer area of the kitchen and… and…

Frederick sighed, having a fond smile as he gently rubbed his thumb against Lily's side. “Why do you have to be so small, baby girl? you're going to melt my heart.”

The tiny girl just curled up to be comfortable in her hammock-like spot. The motion had Lily pressing her forehead against the side of the pad of his thumb. Frederick fell in love all over again, and though he had to hold chest as his heart turned to mush, the man's legs thankfully stayed solid. For his tiny daughter, his wife, their home, just…

This was so worth the deployment times. Or coming back from them in reality.

[silenab]

Annabeth doesn’t say much, for the most part. She speaks when she’s spoken to. In the car on the way home, at the dinner table when he asks if she’d like to go back-to-school supply shopping after her dentist appointment tomorrow afternoon. He hears her on call inside her room, talking to a man with a gruff voice Frederick figures to be Chiron, the old camp director Athena had connected him to six years ago, some time around the worst day of his life. She tells him I’ll be okay, stop being weird. And Chiron’s  response is muffled through the wooden walls, but he makes out enough to make his stomach fold over. Young, alone, a long while. He thinks he hears the word brother, but can’t be sure.

He walks himself to the opposite end of the hall on quiet feet, settles himself into his even quieter study. He’d never done well with noise—music, chatter and distraction. It was the reason why they chose this room to serve as his office. It shares a wall with the main bedroom, the next door over. Downstairs, the twins split a bedroom, by far the rowdiest and rightfully the furthest away. They weren’t particularly fussy babies, which he knows Macy appreciated because Annabeth was still little when they were born, and sometimes Frederick thought she hadn’t gone a tearless day since she’d been dropped off in her woven cradle. Pink cheeks and a pink nose, dry eyelids shut in the last peaceful sleep she’d have for an unfortunate stretch of time. He doesn’t remember how long he must’ve crouched there on his porch, staring in alarmed disbelief at the sight of her. He does remember how she’d woken up as soon as he took her into his arms, so little and light in her white-gold swaddle, and cried and cried and cried. 

He’d read the parenting books, scoured the mommy blogs, checked all the boxes for what to do when your baby is crying for no apparent reason. She’d take her naps only after crying herself into them, and after twenty minutes of sleep for her and studying for him, she’d shriek out a long sob again. The only time she fell asleep quietly was when he was in bed with her, late at night after he mustered up his good sense and called his work done for the day. She’d always slept the best when he was there to see, which—possibly—is why he didn’t realize the severity of her night terrors until they’d moved into the new house. 

He wasn’t particularly a fan of taking business trips, not as a newlywed with a pregnant wife and a tenacious daughter, but he didn’t have much say in the matter. Macy called him nightly. Annabeth wasn’t handling any of it well, she’d tell him. She stomped her feet when it was time to turn in, cried all night, and cried during recess at school, too. Sometimes, if it was before her bedtime, she’d give the phone to Annabeth. Her voice was always quiet and upset, nothing like the troublemaker her schoolteachers swore she was. When are you coming back? she’d ask. It was over the phone that Frederick heard daddy turn into dad. 

When he was home, the house was maybe the most peaceful it’d ever be. At least, before the twins came. Annabeth wouldn’t cry at night. Instead, her footsteps fell down the hallway like raindrops. Then, she’d knock softly at his office door. 

“Dad?” Annabeth rasps, thirteen, just as shy and unsure as the baby that used to stand just there. 

It transports him back to his welcome mat in Boston, like he’s finding her again for the first time. “Come in,” he tells her, sounding like a version of himself he hasn’t known in a while. 

The knob turns, and the door cracks open. He sees her hair first. Free from the ponytail she’d had it tied up in the whole day, cloaking her narrow shoulders. It’s very long now, he notices. The hinges creak and so do the wheels of his chair, turning his head, turning his whole body to see her. The sight shouldn’t strike him like it does—he’s had hours to study her and every little difference between now and the last time she’d been home. Annabeth is tall now. She’s impressively toned, though maybe that’s par for the course at her camp. He remembers standing at the top of Half-Blood Hill, watching her climb up. The grass was dirtying his dress shoes, and he could barely see her with the sun in his eyes, but she looked every bit right , the expanse of strawberry fields and training grounds behind her. 

She’s wearing pajamas she’d left here from years ago. Brown plaid striped pants and a shirt with teddy bears all over it to match. The pants are too small on her now, hovering over her ankles. Her eyes are frosty and her cheeks aren’t quite as round as they used to be, though they’re still tinged with that newborn pink, the same as her lips and the tip of her nose. She sniffles. 

“Oh.” Frederick takes off his glasses, setting them on his desk. He puts his arms out. 

She rushes into him. Her arms cling around his neck like they had when she was a toddler, burying her face in his shoulder. She’s not crying, and he can tell she’s trying her darndest not to. He tells her it’s okay, though he doesn’t really know what he’s talking about. He hugs her to him. She must’ve showered because she smells like Mathew and Bobby’s peach coconut soap. 

He asks if she’s had a nightmare, and she tells him not yet. 

So, he reconsiders. Annabeth blinks rapidly, curls fluffing up around her crown as she fixes herself to look at his computer screen, opened to his email inbox. Not much for entertainment, or snooping, but she had always been such a sponge of a child, eyes wide except for when she yawned. Never eager to admit she’s sleepy. Because of the nightmares, maybe, or to stay awake with him, looking at diagrams and sifting through documents she couldn’t read. The wonder of his slew of incoming emails isn’t quite as amusing to a thirteen year old daughter of Athena. She’s been on a quest. And she has the souvenirs to show for it, thin scars healed to a color just a little lighter than her own flesh streaking her arms. She unravels herself from him, hands in her lap now, still leaned against his chest, head turned. 

His hands stall on the armrests. His mind is loud, not in the way he usually appreciates, unable to grab onto any one thought. Rolling on like static, a playback of similar moments in time, only they’d both been younger, their lives much smaller. It does something strange to his heart, that she still sought him out. Something, maybe, that he hadn’t been very cognizant of before. He knows he’d missed her terribly, but he hadn’t quite grasped this part of it—that he’d missed being her dad. 

“I suppose staying up a little won’t hurt,” he says, reaching around her, fingers sprawling on the keyboard. She sinks a little more into him, getting comfortable now and he feels warm and successful. “I…I do have some things to get done.” 

She shrugs, a tiny movement. An even smaller voice. “That’s okay.”

He wonders, not for the first time, what waits for her when she sleeps. If there’s any way to stop the nightmares. He has the distinct feeling that Annabeth merely wants him to be around when they come. 

He closes his email, opens the most interesting bit he has to offer her, a recent biplane model. She drags his yellow notepad closer, gaze flickering between it and the screen. When he skims his pen against the blue lines, his handwriting is messier than he’d usually expect from himself. Jittery with everything he thinks he should say, ask. Certain of none of them. 

Quietly, he works, and Annabeth watches. 

[yourmomxx]

➵ angels talking - social media au | ln4 (1)

❥pairing - lando norris x fem!singer!reader (mentions of al12 x reader)

❥plot - Arthur Leclerc has been your best friend since your early childhood, you two grew up with each other and each other's families. Your closeness leads to fans suspecting there is more to your relationship, until, almost suddenly, the ball gets totally flipped

❥warnings - none, maybe ooc arthur leclerc sorry abt that

part i - the start | part ii - the number four

masterlist | requests

⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

♔꙳⋆ instagram ꙳⋆

yourusername posted a new story

formula2pics

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formula2pics @/yourusername & @/arthurleclerc outside the ‘Sweet Sugars’-Café last night in Silverstone, England, present to support Arthur’s brother, Charles Leclerc at the Formula 1 Grand Prix

Picture submitted by unknown source

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ynlnn look me in the eye and tell me they’re not in love

paddockgirl favorite couple

sidney(tv) they’re so cute together

bella.ltn supportive besties

itsbrutalouthere I just KNOW that they're dating

jojo.jpg childhood best friends to lovers, angst and fluff, 156k words slow burn

tswizzle definition of made for each other

leclersbabe arthur❤️❤️

mollym my favs

hotchswife can’t wait to see them in the paddock

itsellie anyone saw that picture in yns story if arthur?

↳ kaynwe @/itsellie omg yes he looked so good😍

↳ kellykiwi @/kaynwe the veins, the hair, the way he smiled at her?? just ugh😩

ferrariyn i’m just waiting for their relationship announcement

untitled they would be the cutest couple ever let’s be honest

exscapenight mom and dad actually

larinakali i miss them posting each other😭

yourusername

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yourusername serious competitors since ‘08😎

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ynbabe new song featuring arthur??

lnfave desperately clinging to yns posts since arthur doesn’t show her on his feed😩

charthurleclerc not my favorite wag posting about my favorite driver

↳ amslerin @/charthurleclerc she’s no wag tho

suziesalmon hope you crushed him girly

↳ yourusername @/suziesalmon of course i did

tswizzle @/arthurleclerc take her as an example and give us some yn/arthur posts!!!

ynisbabe please baby arthur is so cute

carolyn she is feeding us with content

´lanadelslay this is a soft launch, actually (I'm delulu)

f1updates how much you wanna bet they were playing mario kart

paddockgirl they would be such a sweet couple tho

hazelnuts yn putting her entire soul into the karaoke while arthur doesn’t even know what to do is so funny to me

factorfic YES a new yn and arthur post, i manifested this

sabrinajenga your honor they’re in love

ferraridriveracademy

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ferraridriveracademy Congrats to @/olliebearman and @/arthurleclerc on a Double Podium in Barcelona this afternoon!👏🏆

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leclersgirl whooo! arthur finally got the podium he deserved!!

hamiltonh so proud of them!

tom.oha these two are really some good drivers. i’m sure if they keep up their work they have much potential for f1!

charlesleclerc 🔥🔥

lucasclare so proud of my boys

sidney(tv) i literally screamed when they won, i’m so happy!!

interstellarfan123 that one penalty for frederick was so unnecessary

cheesestrings my two husbands

↳ suziesalmon @/cheesestrings they’re married to me wdym?

kaynwe the both worked so hard for this, i’m so glad

tangledinu sometimes i think about the fact that arthur has those huge footsteps of charles to fill, and that ollie seems to achieve everything that was expected of arthur

↳ isobella @/tangledinu that’s not fair you’re making me sad

sabrinajenga admin can you ask arthur for me where yn was today?

↳ realobama @/sabrinajenga was literally about to say the same thing

arthurleclerc

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arthurleclerc Thank you, Barcelona, for welcoming us greatly and for the support! 2nd place baby, yes!!❤️

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itsbrutalouthere arthur where is yn???

charlesleclerc such a great race man, really proud of you!🙌

lucasclare was really worried for you there in turn 7, but you managed it amazingly!!

suziesalmon why wasn’t yn in the paddock this weekend?

bimess you deserve this so much arthur!!

arthurfave can’t wait to be there live in abu dhabi

factorfic yn didn’t even like what’s happening

↳ hotchswife @/factorfic her phone probably fell in a river and that’s why she doesn’t have access to instagram (i’m delulu)

leclersbabe i am so happy for you!!

professorproton boy you better have a good explanation why yn wasn’t there, and you better have it now🤺🤺

forzaferrari miss seeing mom😢

frederickvestiofficial well done mate!

kellykiwi happy for your win, but where is yn?

itsellie hoping mom is just busy songwriting somewhere����

hamiltonh none of the post-race ask the real questions! for example, what did they change about the car, or WHERE THE HELL IS YN

ynbabe mom and dad are going through their divorce era?

f1news

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f1news YN YLN, famous singer and actress is reportedly in a close relationship with a Formula Racing Driver, a source claims - it is not revealed who it is. Fans have been asking themselves many questions after the long weeks of radio silence between childhood best friends YN YLN and Arthur Leclerc, the Ferrari Pilot for Formula 2

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reidbabe guys, i think this is it

hslot_forreal if it’s not Arthur i might throw myself in front of a car

tswizzle i’m conflicted i want it to be arthur so bad but at the same time their media hasn’t seemed right to me for ages now

liladonavan manifesting arthur x yn

ferrariyn that source better come clean i can’t take all this anticipation any more👏👏

↳ larinakali @/ferrariyn real.

sylviestone “dating a racing driver, won’t tell you who tho”

↳ jojo.jpg @/sylviestone😭😭

ynn1fan off topic but that’s a great picture of her

hannamountana no because i don’t know, i want it to be arthur so bad but at the same time idk mann

↳ emilyzkn @/hannahmountana i totally agree especially with her posting so much of him but him never posting her like what is going on there

↳ papayagirl @/emilyzkn their relationship has been off for such a long while tbh

exscapenight hoping arthur made a move before someone else did

↳ peppyi @/exscapenight no because watch someone else pulling her away from under arthur’s feet just because he was being a coward

yourusername

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yourusername paddock days🧡

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ferrarifan1 GIRL

landonorrizzzzzzz am i tripping or is that the wrong team???

maxfewtrell thought i saw a gremlin on the grid today🤔

↳ urfafdaydreamer @/maxfewtrell LMAO MAX WHAT

↳ yourusername @/maxfewtrell didn’t know they had mirrors all over the paddock??

↳ untitled @/yourusername what’s happening.

ynisbabe you’re so stunning

ynn1fan MOM WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE MAILMAN

↳ leclersgirl @/ynn1fan THE MAILMAN IM CRYING

christiek 🧩🧩

therealobama nuh uh this feels wrong

charthurleclerc why weren’t you at arthur’s race??

sabrinacarpenter aah my love

ynwife girl is so pretty i can’t

tswizzle this is not the ferrari box??

strongandeuropean what are you doing at mclaren?

emilyzkn “reportedly dating a racing driver”

↳ hannahmountana @/emilyzkn i wish i understood math this fast

lucadevil papaya looks good on her

norisswife Is that Oscar in the likes that I see????

lanadelslay excited where this is going, honestly

♔꙳⋆ twitter ꙳⋆

♔꙳⋆ instagram ꙳⋆

landonorris

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landonorris paddock days

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oscarpiastri oh man

ynlnnn nuh uh

therealdannyric explanation??

norriswife he’s so beautiful

lnfave lando side profile >>>

ynisbabe guys is this it??

formula1obsessed last lap lando? more like last SLIDE lando

lastlaplando oh my god if this is yn i will actually scream

33maxverstappen that backside looks very familiar to me…

↳ melany @/33maxverstappen that must sound so strange out of context

carlaarcher this can’t be a coincidence

getthismanachair lando who is that??🎤

norisswife first Oscar in yn's likes and now Sabrina in Lando's?? what are the besties doing here?!

andystricks caption looks awfully familiar

itsbrutalouthere praying for a statement in these desperate times🙏

urfavdaydreamer soft launch??

hardlyanything lando let me see your spotify wrapped please👀

yourusername

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yourusername with great dread i have to announce that i, indeed, fell in love with a man- and also, that this picture was taken right after the first date

tagged: landonorris

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landonorris i can almost feel your love for me through that caption😍

↳ yourusername @/landonorris 😙😙

sabrinacarpenter babes

oscarpiastri guess we won't hear the end of this ever

↳ danielricciardo @/oscarpiastri I will help you through this, mate

danielricciardo run as long as you can yn, i promise i won’t tell him where you went

↳ hannahmountana @/danielricciardo LMAO DANNY

oliviarodrigo so cute!!

kathrynnewton parents?

emilyzkn NO WAY

lanadelslay LETs GO GIRL

ynlnn THE SONGS GUYS I REPEAT THE SONGS

lilli(taylor's version) NEW FAVORITE WAG

landonorrizzzzzzz ARTHUR LECLERC WHO IS ARTHUR LECLERC I ONLY KNOW LANDO NORRIS

kellypiquet so excited to see you in the paddock more often😍😍

howaboutyoudont Lando noRIZZ what a LIEEEEEE

jojo.jpg gurl you so lucky!!!

hotchnerswife we're getting boyfriend Lando I can't believe it

f1news wish you all the best!!

suziesalmon the way she looks at him i. can. not.

↳ iknewyouweretrouble @/suziesalmon girly fell hardddd

charthurleclerc literally my two worlds colliding i can't breathe

bella.ltn caption so true

tswizzle they already feel like such a power couple i cannot

kathrynamy HARDEST LAUNCH TO EVER HARD LAUNCH

[silentnights-stuff]

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

Author's note:

This is my first time sharing my writing here! My professor usually has a lot to say about my writing style (mostly complaints), but honestly—who cares? If you all enjoy it, that’s what matters. Let me know if you want a part two!

⌗ Across the Fence𓂃 ࣪˖ ᥫ᭡.

Pedri gonzalez × fem!reader

Part-1

Masterlist

Summary: Growing up side by side, Gabi and Pedri were inseparable—their childhoods stitched together with backyard adventures, late-night whispered secrets, and a crayon-signed "friendship contract" that promised forever. But forever gets complicated when high school hits.

Gabi, once just Pedri’s partner-in-crime, is suddenly the girl everyone wants. Love letters, confessions, and one very persistent Frederick start making things… weird. And Pedri? He’s realizing a little too late that maybe—just maybe—he doesn’t just see her as his best friend anymore.

Between misread signals, accidental jealousy, and a whole lot of what the hell are we? Moments, their friendship is teetering on the edge of something more. But crossing that line means risking everything they’ve ever known.

Warnings: Slow burn, childhood friends to lovers, jealousy, major secondhand embarrassment, nicknames and & Inside Jokes, Mild Angst, Football References, High School Drama, lots of dumb teenage feelings, misunderstandings, Fluff Overload, Pedri is an absolute golden retriever boy,

Word count: 3327

Tagged: @moonvr If anyone wants to be added to the tag list, let me know!

By the way, here’s a list of songs that kept me inspired while writing this!

Gabira was still adjusting to the change. Back in Manila, life felt like a song stuck on the highest volume—jeepneys weaving through traffic, street vendors shouting over each other, the scent of sizzling isaw and freshly brewed kapeng barako drifting through the humid air. In Barcelona, everything moved to a different rhythm. The city hummed with elegance—narrow Gothic alleys leading to grand, sunlit plazas, the sound of flamenco guitar mixing with the salty breeze from the sea. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t home. Not yet.

The first few months felt like walking on a tightrope—every word in Spanish felt unfamiliar on her tongue, every new street a puzzle she hadn’t solved yet. The place was overwhelming, and no matter how many times her parents told her it was an exciting adventure, she still missed home. But not everything felt strange. The only thing that made settling in easier was the family living right next door.

The first real sign of comfort came when her mother, Rosalinda, and their neighbor, María, found common ground over something as simple as grocery shopping. What started as a casual walk to the store turned into shared recipes, cooking competitions, and late afternoons in each other’s kitchens, laughing over kneading dough and failed cakes. Their fathers, Andres and Fernando, weren’t far behind—morning jogs, backyard barbecues, and football matches soon became traditions.

But it was Pedri who made Barcelona feel a little less foreign.

That happened the same day after her mother went grocery shopping with their neighbor in the morning.

Gabira sat alone in the backyard, pulling at the blades of grass, her fingers absently weaving them together. She was thinking about home—about the best friend she had left behind in Manila, the one she used to race through the streets with, the one who always shared their lunch even when they had the same thing. The memory felt both warm and distant, like trying to hold onto sunlight before it fades.

She sighed, tearing apart the grass chain she had just made.

On the other side of the low fence that divided their backyards, Pedri was perched on the wooden edge, balancing on his toes. He had just overheard his mom, María, talking to his dad in the kitchen.

"That new family from the Philippines? I went grocery shopping with the mother today—Rosalinda, such a sweet woman! And they have a daughter your age, Pedri."

A new kid? Right next door? Pedri’s curiosity sparked instantly. Without thinking twice, he climbed up the fence, his sneakers scraping against the old wood as he pulled himself over.

Then, out of nowhere, a voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Hola!”

Gabira looked up just in time to see a boy suddenly appear, hanging over the fence like a stray cat. His dark curls were messy from the wind, and his wide grin showed the small gap between his front teeth.

He greeted, balancing on the fence like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I heard my mom went shopping with your mom. So… you live here now?”

Gabira blinked at him, momentarily startled. Then, slowly, she nodded.

“Yeah.”

Pedri’s grin widened. “Cool. Wanna play?”

And just like that, the quiet backyard didn’t feel so lonely anymore.

_____________

On a Sunday afternoon in Pedri's backyard, while both of their fathers watched Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona on a projector—arguing about how bad the UCL season was going and why FC Barcelona should be playing against Real Madrid instead—Pedri was full of energy, running around nonstop. He ran back and forth between the kitchen, where their mums were cooking, and the backyard, where the game played on the big screen. Every time Barcelona scored, he ran back, cheering loudly, arms waving in excitement.

Meanwhile, Gabi sat quietly by the sliding window that opened into the backyard, tapping her pencil against her drawing book. She wasn’t paying attention to the game or to Pedri running around. Instead, she was watching a long line of ants moving in a straight path, one after the other, carrying tiny crumbs. To her, they were far more interesting than all the noise around her.

Suddenly, Gabi’s mom called out from the kitchen, "Kids, brunch is ready!"

Pedri, already excited, sprinted toward the house, shouting, "Yes! I’m starving!"

Pedri ran past her again, nearly bumping into the table. As he did, the breeze from his movement distracted her from the ants, but she didn’t move right away, still watching them.

Gabi, lost in her world, quickly stood up. In her hurry, her shoelace came undone. She took a step forward, almost tripping, when Pedri suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Here, let me do it," Pedri said before she could decide. He knelt down and tied her shoelace quickly, his hands moving fast like he had done it a hundred times before.

Gabi looked at him, surprised but without saying a word. She let him help, watching quietly as he pulled the lace tight.

At that moment—just like the ants working together, just like their fathers arguing over football but still laughing together—something small but special connected them.

Pedri stood up, grinning. "Now, let’s eat!" he said, grabbing Gabi’s hand as they ran inside together.

_________

As summer arrived, their friendship bloomed like the Yellow Jasmine in Gabi's backyard. They spent afternoons running through the sprinklers in Pedri’s backyard, screaming at the cold water, and then huddling under the same towel, teeth chattering.

Bath time was never boring when they stayed over at each other’s houses. They would fill the bathtub with bubbles, giggling as they made beards out of foam. They had their ritual of splashing water three times, which meant they were officially "bath buddies for life."

At night, sleepovers were filled with whispers under blanket forts, drawing silly moustaches on each other’s faces and daring each other to sneak into the kitchen for extra cookies. Their parents often found them asleep in the same bed, tangled together like puppies, completely inseparable.

The days grew colder, but their bond only grew warmer. They walked to school every morning, hands tucked into the same oversized jacket, sharing stories about their dreams and made-up adventures.

They built a "friendship contract," a silly paper signed in crayon that stated:

1. We are best friends forever.

2. No secrets between us.

3. If one of us gets in trouble, the other must take the blame too.

And they followed it like an unbreakable oath. When Pedri accidentally broke a classroom window with a soccer ball, Gabi stood beside him as the teacher scolded them both. When Gabi got scared of the dark during a school camping trip, Pedri held her hand all night.

Their group of friends expanded, but they always stayed a duo, finding each other in crowded rooms, always knowing where the other was without even looking.

But then puberty came into the picture. High school kids became more confident, and Gabi made a complete 360-degree flip look-wise. Suddenly, all those goons who had ignored her before started approaching her like she had just appeared out of nowhere. It was almost laughable—these were the same people who, back in fifth grade, couldn’t even pronounce her name properly.

Pedri remembered that day like it was yesterday. The day when Gabi had gone missing during recess. He had spent the entire break running around the school, checking every hallway, every classroom, every hidden corner. Only to find her later at his house, curled up in her usual spot by the sliding window—her safe place. The same spot where she used to draw for hours, feed the ants, absentmindedly watch Barcelona matches with him, or quietly observe him play football.

The moment he saw her, he ran straight to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. She was crying her eyes out, barely able to speak between sobs.

“I hate my name,” she had whispered, her voice cracking. “Why did my parents name me that?”

Pedri hated seeing her like this. He wanted to tell her it wasn’t her name’s fault. It was those stupid kids who didn’t even try to learn it. But no matter how much he tried to convince her, she just wouldn’t believe it.

So he had to think of something else.

“Okay, okay,” he had said, wiping her tears with his sleeve. “If you don’t like your name, we’ll fix it.”

She sniffled, looking up at him. “How?”

“I’ll give you a nickname. Something cool. Something just for us.”

And that’s how she became Gabi.

___________

It was that time of the year when everyone was getting roses—Gabi did too, a lot of them. But she didn’t really care, not until Frederick asked her out on a date and confessed that he liked her. The problem? She didn’t feel the same way.

That "Frederick incident" was like opening the floodgates. The following week, she found two love letters stuffed in her locker—one sweetly asking her to be someone's Valentina, and another, from some overconfident idiot, straight-up proposing a one-night stand.

Like, what the fuck? Aren’t we too young for this?

But none of it mattered. Because the only person she wanted to ask her out was Pedri.

Gabi sat in the café area during recess, absentmindedly stirring her drink while venting to Sofía about everything.

"...And I don’t know, Sofía. I think—no, I know—I have feelings for Pedri."

This wasn’t news to Sofía. She had been hearing this same I-think-I-like-him speech for nearly two years now. So, this time, she didn’t even pretend to be surprised. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and gave Gabi a straight-up suggestion.

"Then tell him."

Gabi nearly choked on her drink. "What?"

"Tell him." Sofía shrugged. "And while you're at it, mention all the heartfelt gifts you've been getting this Valentine's Week. If he gets jealous—boom, that’s your answer."

Gabi blinked. "...That's kinda evil."

"And?"

"...I like it."

It wasn’t a bad idea. At the very least, she’d finally figure out if Pedri had feelings for her. Or at least, what he really thought of her.

It had been two years since she first realized she had a big, fat, ridiculous crush on him. At first, she dismissed it—thought maybe it was just her hormones acting up, something that would go away in a week or two.

But then, summer betrayed her.

That was the summer she went to his regional finals with Sofía, cheering for him like always. But this time, things were different.

This time, she realized she wasn’t the only one who had a little crush on Pedri.

Girls from their school—and others—were holding banners with his name and jersey number scribbled across them. Some were literally chanting his name.

Gabi felt… weird. Like she had been cheering for him all these years, showing up to almost all of his matches, and now there were hundreds of other girls doing the same. But she pushed that feeling aside, telling herself it wasn’t a big deal.

She followed Sofía up the crowded stands and found a seat. Gabi pulled the plastic chair down with the back of her knee, letting it drop with a soft clunk. She settled into it, feeling the slight wobble beneath her. The hard plastic pressed against her back—not exactly comfortable, but familiar.

Sofía plopped down beside her, and the row creaked slightly from the movement.

Then, the match began.

Pedri was everywhere, running across the field, assisting wherever he could. But the opposing team's defence was tough. The scoreboard stayed stuck at 0-0, no matter how hard they pushed.

Gabi was screaming her lungs out, pretty sure she wouldn't be able to speak tomorrow. With only five minutes left, the tension was unbearable.

Then, Pedri got the ball.

She thought he’d pass it to one of the strikers—he was a midfielder, after all. But he didn’t. He kept moving forward, cutting past defenders, pushing ahead.

And then—

GOAL.

Gabi jumped up, nearly toppling off her seat in excitement. The whole stadium erupted. Their school won.

The players rushed into a group hug on the field. The crowd went wild. Gabi was hugging Sofía, jumping up and down. But in the middle of all the chaos, she noticed something—

Pedri was looking for someone.

His eyes scanned the stands, searching, until—

Their gazes met.

Gabi froze.

For a second, everything else faded. The screams, the cheers, the celebrations—it all blurred away, leaving just him.

She panicked, breaking the intense eye contact, forcing herself to play it cool. She raised her hand and gave him a casual thumbs-up.

Pedri smiled—and then, to her absolute horror, he gestured for her to come down to the field.

Wait, was this dummy seriously calling her down? In front of everyone?

Her thoughts spiralled, but before she could react, Sofía shoved her forward.

“Go, idiot!” she laughed.

And so, with her heart hammering, Gabi made her way down the stands.

Before she even reached the bottom, Pedri was already running toward her.

And then—

He hugged her.

Sweaty, gross, out of breath—but she didn’t care.

When he finally pulled back, he reached for the medal around his neck, slipping it over her head instead.

"Thank you for coming, Gabi."

And just like that, he ran back to his team, leaving her standing there—completely, utterly baffled.

____________

“Mom, Dad, I’m going over to Gabi’s. We have this history assignment due tomorrow, and I don’t know when I’ll be back, so—goodnight, love you!”

His mom sighed from the kitchen. “Oh my god, this kid never does his work on time unless it’s football we’re talking about.”

His dad chuckled. “Good luck with that, but don’t stay up too late.”

Pedri could’ve just walked up to the porch and knocked like a normal person. But where’s the fun in that? Instead, he did what he always did—scaled the fence. He tossed his books, notebook, and pencil pouch over first, then hoisted himself up like a professional fence climber. At this point, he had probably broken some kind of record.

After gathering his stuff, he made his way to the front door and knocked. To his surprise, Gabi’s dad answered.

“Oh, look who’s here—our little Pedri.”

Pedri huffed, crossing his arms. “Not so little anymore, Uncle.”

“Hmm, I don’t know, still looks pretty small to me,” her dad teased. “Did you have dinner, kiddo?”

“Yup, just finished.”

“So, how’s our little champion doing these days?”

“Pretty good—if it weren’t for this boring history assignment that’s due tomorrow. Other than that, life’s great.”

Her dad laughed. “Ahh, so that’s what’s been keeping my daughter locked up in her room all day. No wonder she kicked me out when I tried calling her for ice cream.” He disappeared into the kitchen for a second before coming back with a tub of ice cream. “Here, take this. If you’re going to cry all night over some dead guy’s achievements, at least do it with ice cream.”

Pedri grinned. “Uncle, you’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now go, and tell Gabi not to stress too much—she’s already getting gray hairs.”

Pedri snorted. “Will do!”

He took the stairs two at a time, heading to Gabi’s room. As expected, One Direction was playing in the background. The sign on her door, which usually read Civilized people knock, now said:

I’m busy. Don’t call me. Even if something happens, call 092 instead.

Pedri shook his head. He didn’t know why she even bothered printing these signs, but it was kind of cute.

Not that it mattered.

Because neither was he civilized, nor did he follow instructions.

Instead of knocking, he swung his leg and kicked the door open with a loud bang!

Inside, Gabi sat on the floor, surrounded by a hurricane of papers, textbooks, and her laptop. Her brows furrowed in concentration, her hair a mess, and her hoodie half off her shoulder. She looked like a cute little hamster drowning in historical tragedies.

She turned, glaring at him.

“Pedriiiii!” she shrieked.

“Hola to you too.”

“I have been waiting for your dumb ass! What took you so long?!”

Pedri raised a brow. “Let me stop you right there, missy. Some of us are actual humans who need food to function.” He glanced at her untouched water bottle. “Unlike you, who seems to be surviving on hydration alone.”

“And?”

“And that’s not normal. Now sit, but eat something first. I don’t need you passing out in the middle of the night.”

She huffed. “Fine, fine. Now shut up and sit. We have a lot to work on.”

Pedri handed her the ice cream. “Here, Uncle said if we’re going to suffer, we might as well do it with sugar.”

What felt like hours passed as they buried themselves in the fall of the Roman Empire, Constantine shifting the capital to Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople—blah, blah, blah. Half the ice cream was gone, and their assignment was almost finished.

At this point, they had shifted topics completely—celebrity drama, new shows, school gossip, and of course, football.

“I hope Barça wins against Osasuna,” Pedri said, stretching his arms.

“They better,” Gabi muttered.

Then, out of nowhere—

“Oh! You know, I found these love letters in my locker.”

Pedri, who had been lazily flipping through his notes, immediately sat up straighter.

“What?”

“One of them was really sweet,” she continued. “Then this guy asked me to be his Valentina and take me on a date.”

Pedri’s stomach twisted.

Oh, hell no.

She went on. “I really like handwritten letters, you know? But I don’t know… And then there’s also Frederick.”

Pedri clenched his jaw.

Frederick.

This dude again?

Lately, this guy had been popping up way too much. Pedri wanted to grab the love letter (which he was sure was hidden in that Converse box under her bed), shred it into tiny pieces, burn it, and then flush it out of her life forever.

But he couldn’t do that.

Because Gabi didn’t know that he liked her.

And on top of that, she was his best friend.

So he had to play it cool.

“…Pedri?”

He snapped out of his murderous thoughts. “Yeah, yeah, I’m listening.”

“Well?”

“Well, don’t you think you should be focusing on exams instead of Frederick?”

Oh, shit.

He immediately regretted saying that.

Gabi blinked. Then her expression turned stormy.

“Excuse me?”

Think, Pedri. Think.

He coughed. “I mean—uh, maybe you should give it a try with the letter guy instead. Who was it again?”

Gabi scoffed. “Shut up, you don’t know anything. Keep your advice to yourself, idiot.”

Now she was mad?

Wasn’t she the one going on and on about these guys?

Pedri groaned, rubbing his temples. “Hamster, I swear, your tiny brain is going to short-circuit. One second, you’re happy, the next, you’re screaming.”

She threw a crumpled paper at him. “You need sleep, Gabi.”

“I don’t need sleep. I need a break from you.”

“Too bad, I’m helping you clean this mess before we sleep.”

“Whatever, dummy.”

“Hey! Stop calling me that.”

“Or what?” She smirked.

“I will tickle you to death.”

Her eyes widened. “If you even try—”

Pedri lunged.

“PEDRI!”

She shrieked as he grabbed her waist, fingers digging into her sides, laughter bubbling out of her. She kicked at him, but he was stronger, trapping her in a merciless tickle attack.

“STOP! YOU LITTLE—”

“Say I’m the best.”

“NEVER!”

“Okay, then you leave me no choice.”

“PEDRI, I SWEAR TO GOD—”

Just then, she kicked him off.

He tumbled onto the floor with a thud.

She huffed, pointing at the clock. “It’s 3:40 AM. My parents definitely locked the doors, assuming you’d be sleeping over. So if you don’t want to sleep on the pavement, you better start cleaning.”

Pedri groaned. “You’re such a witch.”

She smirked. “You say it like it’s an insult.”

“…I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

Yeah. That was the problem.

He really didn’t.

──── ୨୧ ────　

Part 2

[bethanydelleman]

Ranking Jane Austen heroes/men on how good of a father they’d be?

I have faith that all of them would be good fathers. After all, Jane Austen clearly knows what bad fathers look like and she is pretty harsh about them (rightfully). I think all of them would be good in different ways, so instead of ranking, here is their dad type:

Fitzwilliam Darcy: Providing dad, his love language is buying his children expensive toys and praising their accomplishments to relations. He is definitely involved in education and discipline. Wee bit overprotective of his daughters, but you get it, he has valid reasons. Gives his sons handshakes instead of hugs.

Charles Bingley: Fun dad, he's not sure about this whole 'parenting' part... but Baby Charles, did you see this cool rock? Do you want to go up on Daddy's shoulders so you can see the elephant? Do you want to see Daddy's fencing swords? (Oh, good point Jane, we'll put those away for a few years...)

Frederick Wentworth: Teamwork dad, he knows that Anne could totally handle everything herself, but he's not afraid to help. He feels confident removing a toddler from someone's back after all. Occasionally cannot figure out what to do and stares helplessly at his wife.

George Knightley: Nurturing dad DOES BABY GEORGE NEED ANOTHER BLANKET? DOES HE NEED A SNACK? BABY GEORGE, IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOUR PRESENT COMFORT??? (No, Mr. Knightley, he's fine.)

Colonel Brandon: Affectionate dad, he cries when any of his children hits a major milestone. He feels the need to constantly hug and kiss his children. They are miracles, all of them are miracles, and he is going to make them happy and what happened to him and Eliza will never happen again! They need another hug

Edward Ferrars: Thoughtful dad, constantly thinking about what will make his children feel happy and loved. Encourages them to follow their dreams. Has minor panic attacks if he says or does anything that remotely reminds him of his own mother. Elinor assures him regularly that he's doing an excellent job (because he is).

Edmund Bertram: Interactive dad, takes time to discuss their lessons and answer questions. Very anxious about his children's moral education. Will take the time to draw lines on their letter paper. Will never admit he's wrong even when he makes a mistake.

Henry Tilney: Perfect dad, like honestly, have you met him? He's a 10/10, all the best parenting traits rolled into one man. AND YET, his oldest son thinks he's totally lame.

Bonus: Frank Churchill left his child at Kensington Gardens once twice, but Jane never found out so it doesn't count.

Bonus bonus: Robert Martin totally has a mini-me son who rides beside him on a pony.

[raya-rhaenyra-ahsoka]

My thoughts on Ep. 4 - I Plunge to My Death, A rant

First off, Sally and baby Percy scene was so cute. I swear to god, no one will ever top Sally Jackson for being the best mortal parent in the series.

That Percabeth bonding scene in the train. Bruh, I cannot wait for the Kindness International truck and Waterland scenes.

Annabeth opening up about her Dad and Percy utterly shocked that not all mortal parents are like his Mom.

Frederick’s college ring on Annabeth’s necklace. To non book-readers, yes, that's her Dad's name.

Annabeth having to earn Thalia’s respect.

Luke caring for Annabeth right away just makes it more gut-wrenching and heart-breaking with what he’s about to do. (SPOILER ALERT) “Family, Luke. You promised.”

Grover being super grouchy when he doesn’t get enough sleep. And as someone in their twenties, I totally could relate to him.

This convo:

Percy : Can I ask a dumb question?

Annabeth: It's like you need me to make fun of you.

That's it, that's their relationship.

Mentioning the god of the wild, Pan, and that there are searchers for him.

How that convo basically went:

Train Cop: I don’t think you wanna take that tone with me, little girl.

Annabeth: EXFUCKINGCUSE ME?

Grover: Annabeth, no-!

Echidna calling the cops on 3 minors, just screams typical Karen behavior.

The St. Louis Arch being an actual temple of Athena is a nice change from Annabeth just wanting to go sightseeing.

This convo:

Percy: You've done more for me in the past few days than my father has done in my entire life. If I had to stick with someone, I-

Annabeth: Careful, I think you were about to call me a friend.

Percy: *stumbles because of the poison from the stinger*

Annabeth: *catches him*

Again, that’s their relationship.

Annabeth and Grover splashing water at Percy at a fountain when there’s a big-ass river nearby. Idk, but I find that funny.

Athena letting Echidna and the Chimera into the Arch because it wounded her pride? OH, HELL NO!

Athena’s Logic: Punish her devotee because someone close to them did something that wounded her pride. Medusa=Poseidon; Annabeth=Percy. She didn’t even gave a f*ck that the devotee in question is her own daughter. WTF, ATHENA!

I always thought Zeus has the crown for being the deadbeat absent godly parent, but Athena is slowly giving him a run for his money.

Annabeth deciding to sacrifice herself so Percy and Grover can continue the quest. WTF!

Percy tricking Annabeth into taking the final stand himself. Dude, your fatal flaw is showing.

Annabeth having to deal with a forbidden child sacrificing themselves for her safety AGAIN (With Thalia, and now Percy). Girl must be traumatized.

Grover having to go through it again as well.

The Chimera being terrifying than how non clear-sighted mortals see it.

Poseidon “always been here/so hard for me to stand back” Daddy to the rescue.

This:

Percy: *gets stuck underwater*

Nereid: It’s okay. You father sent me-

Percy: Oh, hell no! *tries to swim harder*

Percy only now realizing he can breath underwater. Like, of course, he can. He's Poseidon's kid.

We're only in Episode 4 and it's already so good. Can't wait for the episode 5.

[friedrich-2]

Hello, I'm a Napoleonic Era fan who's interested in learning more about Frederick William III (and his wife)!

I've been struggling to find resources as language barriers have proven difficult (I am an English speaker), and Frederick just doesn't get enough coverage like other Napoleonic figures.

You're the only Frederick enthusiast I can find on this site, so I'd love to hear any facts you have about him or any resources/articles/books if possible!

I'd love to learn more about the Hohenzollern dynasty in general, they seem like interesting folk! :-)

Hallo! I'm very happy to talk about Friedrich Wilhelm III and Luise :D

First, let me direct you to my partners blog @waifu-napoleon! They also have a lot of information about Friedrich.

The books I am usually reading are unfortunately all in German, and I can't really find any useful information on English books. Sorry! But I can provide translated book passages on my blog, which I will soon resume (hopefully sooner than later).

10 little facts about Friedrich:

1. He had a very funny/abrupt way of talking. My tag '#Frederick Williams speech pattern' has a few examples of this, where I loosley translated quotes from my books.

2. Directly after the battle of Jena-Auerstedt, he was evading French troops for 26 hours, without food and only his horse as a companion. He was awake the entire time and was asking around in villages for the nearest safe city where he then collapsed as soon as he knew he was safe.

3. He was always seen as a bit weird and "dry", even around his troops in his days as crown prince. But everyone directly noticed a change in his behaviour as soon as he and Luise were engaged. He seemed happier and more relaxed, and even made "dirty" jokes, which Luise taught him in their letters to each other.

4. When he and his family where in exile in Königsberg in East Prussia, he apparently liked to go swimming in the Baltic Sea.

5. In general the Royal family liked to play "hit the pot" or "blindsman buff". I'd like everyone to picture Friedrich Wilhelm, crawling on the floor with a blind fold around his eyes, trying to hit a pot. Possible getting attacked by his kids because we all know if dad is already on the ground, it's the best way to tackle him even further (it was stated in my books that he did roll around with his kids on the floor).

6. Luise and him had a little summer residence called "Paretz". In there, they had three rooms for themselves: his office, her living room and their shared bedroom (which was very uncommon in that time, that a royal couple would share a bedroom). The other rooms were for the kids, dining, balls, servants etc.

7. He liked uniforms very much, so much so that when he was still a younger crown prince, he would try different ones on in his room in secret.

8. He stuck a rowanberry up his nose when he was a kid and was scolded by his teacher for it.

9. His relationship with his father was very bad. His father said upon hearing of Friedrich Wilhelm's birth that he wished "that thing would've never seen the light". So Friedrich actually grew up without having felt proper love towards himself most of his life. His father preferred his kids from his other wives and mistresses. But when he died, Friedrich Wilhelm let his way younger half-brothers and sisters come before him and Luise and said: Look, these are my father's other kids. I shall love them like they're my own.

10. He hated tragedies, whether as books or as plays. He preferred lighter stories and used them also to distract himself from bad situations. When one of his and Luises sons died young, he went to the theatre for example. He often just sat between the common folk and tried to blend in with them by wearing a simple black coat.

And a bonus fact I just remembered!

Friedrich hated being the centre of attention. So much that he often tried to get to places unseen, such as when he was still a crown Prince. Him, his brother and his father were staying in a city and were supposed to be picked up the next morning by carriages and bought to their military camps while the attention of the city was upon them. But Friedrich snuck out of his room and went all the way by foot an hour earlier so he could get away without being seen or noticed.

So... those were a lot of facts about him haha. I hope I could somewhat help, but feel free to always ask more, I am always happy to talk about him!

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

I do think Inigo's father support works better with Chrom, Robin, or Frederick

Inigo confesses that he had to appear invincible because everyone else kept relying on him for some kind of strength and reassurance even when his parents died which adds a lot of depth if he's a prince, child of a famous war tactician, or comes from a long line of knights

Plus, his dad always compares him to Lucina which only really makes sense coming from Chrom, or Chrom's best friends who would always view Lucina as an honorary niece or daughter

.

[live-laugh-lenney]

Imagine baby Clarke coming to visit george on his tour, would defo be either a london show or Bristol, baby girl would be so confused but happy to see her daddy either way ❤️❤️❤️😭😭

pleeeeeeease, that's adorable!!

before the show, george can't put her down.

with george and max travelling for two weeks, all around the country, they deemed it unfair to make their little lady travel long distances to be able to be with and see her daddy everyday... so they decided that yn and baby girl clarkey would come and attend the most important show - the final london date in may.

he walks around backstage with her on his hip, showing her off to all his production crew, disappearing out on stage to show her just what daddy did when he wasn't at home, as yn stays in the dressing room with max and andrew and the two arthur's and he really takes in the moment before him. the empty shepherds bush venue, the set-up for their last show for the podcast tour, the way that the silence would soon before filled with the cheers and the screams of those that were excited to come and see him and his best friend waffle nonsense on stage for over an hour.

"you've been very quiet today."

he turns on his heels and looks into the wings of the stage, seeing his girlfriend stood with her very own useless hotline t-shirt tucked into her ripped jeans, a grin on his lips.

"i'm just feeling very happy today," he says, adjusting his daughter on his hip as she plays with the chain of his necklace hanging around his neck, "the last sold out show, the last night, and i've got all the best people in my life here tonight. my best friends, my girlfriend and my baby."

"you're not going to cry, are you? because i'm still an emotional wreck from having our little one so you need to pre-warn me if there will be any tears. she may be almost one but i'm still such a huge hormonal monster inside," she laughs softly, wrapping her arm around his waist and squeezing him against her side, "you deserve all of this, george. i'm so proud of you."

"it feels so surreal, still," he wraps his free arm around her shoulders and presses a kiss to her forehead, "thank you for being here tonight. i know it's tough with the little one and all."

"we wouldn't miss it for the world," she tells him and he can't wipe the silly grin on his face, "we'll be sat backstage, waiting for you to come back, so we can all celebrate for a bit. i'm guessing you're out after the show tonight?"

he nods.

"max has booked out a club for us. you sure you don't want to get a babysitter and come along?"

yn shakes her head and pinches her little girl's cheek, "you deserve to celebrate tonight, okay? i'll wait up for you though, in case you need some assistance up those stairs."

he chuckles softly and shakes his head. there's commotion that went on behind them as the crew continued setting up the stage, adding the finishing touches to everything before the show went ahead, and it felt like their moment to start moving backstage so they had the room to carry on. walking slowly back to the dressing room, greeting people on the way back, entering the room to see everyone tucking in to some pre-show pizza that had been brought in.

"pizza for everyone," max grins widely as he held a crust to a pizza slice in his hand, tomato sauce smeared around his lips and across his teeth, "grab it before the human dustbin grabs some."

he looks at george with a smirk and all george can do is rolls his eyes back at him, "i am not a dustbin. i just really love pizza, okay? and yn knows that already, idiot."

baby clarke gets a little agitated when george says goodbye and does a little wave in her direction, pressing a kiss to her forehead before a kiss is placed on yn's lips, and she cries for just a moment until arthur (frederick) takes her from yn, to which she passes her over, and gives her a little cuddle to fill in the void of missing her dad.

"come to your funcle, baby clarkey," he grins widely, setting her on his hip and forgetting the plastic cup full of his alcoholic beverage, "shall we go watch daddy from the side of the stage?"

"please be careful with her, okay?" yn warns him gently and arthur smiles softly, lifting up baby clarkey's fist and waving in yn's direction, "you're an idiot."

"i promise i'll bring her back soon, yn. she'll be okay with me," arthur promises and yn smiles softly, settling herself in the chair that was once george's as he got himself ready for the night, her eyes looking up at the television screen that showed what was happening out on the stage, "back before the interval, you have my word."

and once the show had ended, and arthur's performing his two songs to close out the night for everyone, yn joins them on stage with baby clarkey on her hip as they dance along to the music. joe is out on the stage first, followed by andrew, and arthur's a little reluctant to show his face out there until yn agrees to follow him out and he follows her close behind.

and as soon as george sees them, he's reaching for his little girl so he can have a little dance and a boogie with her, which leaves yn with max and andrew as arthur blasts his lungs out with his new song. and baby clarke loves every second of the time on stage; giggling, waving at people as george shows her what to do, kicking her legs out and it makes people in the audience absolutely adore the moment. xx

[aragaki]

Porter & Bright Eyes Thoughts

I thought about this just before I went to sleep and I didn't forget about it when I woke up so I guess I need to write what I'm thinking down

When he'd heard that in 3 short years, the clan had gained three new vampires he wouldn't say he wasn't shocked. It wasn't like William to be rash with turnings but learning that it was Vincent and Sam, and subsequently Sam's new progeny that were the makers? He was intrigued.

Meeting Frederick was a boring affair to Porter, honestly. He was the exact kind of man he could see Samuel turning, bleeding heart that he had... and then there was Bright Eyes. Taciturn, stubborn, difficult Bright Eyes.

Their maker was a freshly turned newborn, they were easily the weakest vampire in the clan. And you'd never know it by looking at them. The turning did nothing to dull a defiant brightness that burned in their irises, in the sharp roll of their eyes. This was someone who would do well as a vampire, provided their clan was giving them the room they needed to be themselves.

And they weren't.

Bright was under constant scrutiny. They were blamed for their death and Frederick's as if they ever could have known what was hiding under Dahlia's facade of normalcy. It was as if they could do nothing right, even three years into their turning.

Porter had no interest in playing as their maker, in being any kind of older brother figure to one of the newest additions to the Solaires. They were out of the bloodlust, they'd been taught the rules and how to behave. It really was only a matter of time until they were fully independent and wouldn't need the intervention of more experienced vampires.

That didn't stop Porter from weaponizing Samuel's clearly bad relationship with his progeny to get under his skin. He'd called Sam a deadbeat dad more than once, even in front of Frederick or any of the other Solaires. He'd grinned and said that even Alexis was shown more grace than Bright.

He tried to ignore that there was a wave of actual anger behind his barbs.

Porter was many things but if anyone tried to call him stupid he would laugh in their face. He saw the forest for the trees, as it were. Bright had become a scapegoat to the Solaires, to Sam. It was easy to blame them because it was their choices that put them in the path of Quinn. And they died for it. Shouldn't that have been punishment enough?

It agitated a familiar sting when he saw the way Bright lingered on the outskirts of their family. William was trying his best with Bright but clearly, there was some bias there... burned by trusting Adam, no doubt. Their relationship with their friend Frederick was fraught. Sam had burned that bridge before he even had a chance to meet Bright in the middle.

By the time he'd returned to Dahlia, the newborns were weaned off of Sam. They'd learned enough to be independent and only need occasional guidance... so Bright had moved as far away from the Solaires as they could while still being in Dahlia... just in the opposite direction of Sam. The lines in the sand had been drawn long before he'd returned home.

Something about the way Bright seemed to hate their new life bothered him but not in the way Vincent had. He had more perspective on Vincent now and maybe that's what was getting under his skin.

Sam was turned when he explicitly asked not to be. That was bad. Vincent was turned when he wasn't able to give consent. That was bad. Bright Eyes was turned when they weren't able to give consent. That was their fault?

Being shortsighted and dangerously stubborn clearly wasn't as much of an issue to their favorite cowboy as Sam liked to pretend it was. Porter learned that quickly when he met Sam's partner... so the wolf was worthy of kindness but the newborn was not. The double standard grated on him.

Bright truly had no one in their corner in the Solaire clan... and before he knew it, he'd stepped up.

It started easily enough. Bright had some pent-up aggression to work out, the kind that Sam would tell them to just bottle up and be quiet. Not Porter. He'd take them out in the forest and they'd spar. He'd let them be as vicious as they needed to be until their tense muscles loosened.

If Alexis or even Sam were making their "harmless" little comments, he'd slide up beside them and show them what true vitriol looked like. He was Wiliam's vampiric hitman, not a young vampire's bodyguard. And yet. And yet seeing any bit of shit being thrown Bright's way pissed him off beyond belief.

Bright could talk about that night to someone who they knew wouldn't judge them. They could talk about their guilt, their frustration, all of it, to someone and know that their abrasiveness wouldn't turn it into an argument. He just listened.

Porter was teaching them the things that Sam wouldn't. They were learning how to love themselves in this new life. Things were different and maybe some of their relationships would never be the same again but they were a Solaire. That name held power and that power would allow them to have fun again.

By virtue of being a Solaire, they had access to quite a bit of money and Porter was willing to show them all the fun ways they could spend it. It wasn't really Bright's thing as much as breaking into abandoned places was but it was nice to get back at the Solaires a little bit, even financially.

(As if William didn't know and didn't have more money than they could ever spend.)

Being under Porter's wing was really bringing life back into Bright. They were happy again, even if it wasn't all the time. They didn't spend as much time alone, they weren't getting into arguments as much because they were spending less and less time around Sam and the others. Frederick was watching the wonderful side of his friend come back, even though it was from a distance.

Instead, they were spending time with Porter and learning what being a vampire was like through his eyes and not Sam's and they found the immortality they faced to be a lot more entertaining.

Porter knew enough about being the outcast to empathize with them. He was well aware of how strong they were and how hard it was for them to hold their tongue for the sake of "peace." So he didn't ask them to. They could be themselves, unapologetically. The clan would handle the fallout whether they like it or not, the same way they did for him.

He would never have imagined himself as a role model for anyone but after meeting Bright Eyes, he couldn't imagine anyone other than him fitting that role for his vampiric sibling. He shuddered at the idea of someone as fiery as Bright trying to model themselves after Vincent.

[armoricaroyalty]

Morley Cottage was the final test for prospective new members of the royal family, simultaneously a beloved familial retreat and a blood-soaking proving ground where ‘suitability’ was formally assessed. Frederick spoke of the moldering old house often, golden-tinged nostalgia dressed up as gripes about frigid showers and forced togetherness. He had no idea about the impending divorce and Emily didn’t want to be the one to tell him.

It was more than six hours from the capital to Morley. A lengthy car ride up the coast, a ferry across the channel, an hour’s drive inland. Frederick insisted that they make the whole journey by land and by sea. Tradition, he’d said, and although he’d spoken in the same dour tone he’d used to lay out his grievances about the antique boiler and the interminable family meals, he’d been grinning. He was excited to bring her there, excited to share this part of himself, his family, and his childhood with her.

Sitting beside him in the car, listening to him chattering obliviously, she wanted to throw up.

Previous | Chapter Start | Beginning | Next

author's note: Thank you to @sirianasims and @hannahssimblr for the help choosing screenshots for this post, I really appreciate it!

Transcript under the cut.

Elise, alone in the sitting room at Morley Cottage, stares morosely at a display of family pictures. She hears noises outside, where two of her children have arrived with their romantic partners in tow. FREDERICK | ...seriously? ROSALIND | What? FREDERICK | You brought her with you? Are you insane? ROSALIND | [ sighs ] Hello Frederick. MARY | Hey Freddy. How was your drive? FREDERICK | Yeah. Hi. Great. Good to see you, Mare. FREDERICK | Roz...aren't you in enough trouble already? She wasn't invited, Dad's going to be pissed. ROSALIND | Dad can get over it. I invited her, and she's not going anywhere. FREDERICK | No ring, no bring. That's always been the rule! ROSALIND | [ offscreen ] I'm not going to argue with you, Freddy. FREDERICK | [ offscreen ] Yeah, because you know I'm right! It had been years since they had all lived under the same roof, but Frederick and Rosalind were still keenly attuned to their mother. When Elise emerged from within the old house, they fell silent at once, their argument temporarily forgotten. The Queen was dressed entirely in gray. The one spot of brightness on her person was the diamond engagement ring the King had given her thirty years before, which flashed like cold fire even in the thin light of an overcast February afternoon. To Emily's eyes, she looked ol: thin and tired, pale and gray as smoke, her gaunt face a mask of exhaustion. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. ELISE | All of you, keep it down. Your father's resting. [ sighs ] Hello, Mary. MARY | Your Majesty, I'm sorry I've turned up unannounced. I hope it's not a major inconvenience. ELISE | [ sighs [ Stand up. You know we don't bother with protocol on vacation. ELISE | ...I think it's for the best that you're here. ELISE | Come on inside, then. ROSALIND | ...did you say Dad was already here? ELISE | [ sighs ] I said he's resting, Roz. You'll see him at dinner. ROSALIND | Well, when's dinner? I need to talk to him before then... EMILY | [ quietly ] Hey...I need to tell yo something. MARY | [ quietly ] Hm? EMILY | [ quietly ] I need your advice. MARY | [ quietly ] Why? What's up? EMILY | [ quietly ] No, not here! Inside! MARY | Wow, must be some secret. EMILY | You have no idea...

[flimsyscript]

Back on my Fire Emblem Awakening AU bullshit, this time with a Gundam AU????? Bc why not, I guess (warning: I am a VERY casual Gundam/mech enjoyer, so the lore is shaky at best).

In no particular order, in some very half-formed thoughts:

So the obvious first question is why a Gundam AU, and like idk, the series so often focuses on the impact of war, esp on a human level, and also often features young folks in war like!! That’s Fire Emblem!!!

For how Ylisse (the continent) translates -- a grouping of three colony stations that form a larger colony (Ylisse - Plegia - Ferox) that are run by their own governments that are supposed to work together as each station is designed to produce a resource necessary for life in the colony (water, food, electricity???)

Plegia is coordinating an attack to take over Ylisse, using a secret weapon they've been creating for decades: GRiMA. (Not sure what that stands for, but obv it's a mech). Built specifically to be piloted by a specific child (Robin) -- perhaps their DNA is incorporated into the mech??? (Bc dubious science is necessary)

Robin (F!Robin or M!Robin, you choose) found floating in a space suit near Colony Ylisse -- found by the Shepherds organization, which helps organize travel between colonies. They assume Robin is a citizen of Colony Ylisse since they were found nearby, but when they bring them to the medic bay, they find no record of them. When Robin wakes up, they also have no memory and they can't even remember their name.

Not knowing what to do with Robin, Chrom offers to look after them and show them around. Robin joins on the work day to try and jog their memory. Nothing comes up, but is really knowledgable about the machinery the Shepherds are working on. They're short staff that day, so Robin agrees to help out.

When working, Robin sees a machine that catches their eye (Chrom's mech, named Falchion bc duh), then notices another one being worked on that isn't yet complete: ROBiN (my subtlety is mighty indeed)

Chrom notes that the mechs are to make transporting resources between colonies easier? Repairing the colonies easier?

Robin recognizes pieces of the mech/understands how it works, which is pretty odd since it's new tech!

The mechs designed by following blueprints Chrom's dad had (based on designs he took from Plegia, but we don't know this yet at this point in the story). Initially designed as a war machine, but Emmeryn had Colony Ylisse engineers repurpose the design to be more peaceful/useful?

Plegia attacks Colony Ylisse in mechs! The colonies aren't fitted with any exterior guns, so Chrom has to use Falchion to go out on his own. Chrom is doing okay, but is only one person. Robin says they can help, but Chrom's second in command (Frederick) doesn't trust them to operate new tech. Robin convinces Frederick to let them join so they can help, and Frederick reluctantly agrees (knows very little about the machine).

During the fight, the mech Frederick and Robin are in gets hit pretty hard, and Frederick ends up getting knocked out, so Robin has to take over and is able to use the mech well. Alongside Chrom (and with the Shepherds sending escape pods towards Plegia's mechs as projectiles? IDK, they help somehow) they fight off Plegia.

Robin gets their name from the mech they pilot -- opportunity to explore their identity using the mechs (GRiMA & ROBiN) as a narrative device?

Much else is the same plot wise, I imagine (for the first part of Awakening, at least -- no clue how the children would come in)

Although, with each colony stations dependant on the other, warring with the other colony stations could have opportunity for commentary on the price of greed or the threat of individualism? Mutually assured destruction? IDK it's a Gundam AU, there's gotta be some representations on the Horrors of War

For some added angst: Robin's sibling (F!Robin or M!Robin, depending on your preference) is forced to pilot GRiMA in Robin's absence (perhaps their sibling helped them escape Plegia but was unable to get away themselves?).

That's it for now, but feel free to add. I won't be writing this (too many ongoing long fics), but would love to read it if this flavour of AU strikes anyone's creative fancy.

[koolkat9]

Sick and Tired

Rating: T

Relationship: Germania + German Bros

Word Count: 775

Read on AO3

Author's Note: This was supposed to be fore German Bros week, but it turned more into a Gil and Germania fic than a Gil and Lud fic. So it will be it's own separate thing. But still...I wanted to release it on the same day. Based on a teen dad prussia au I have.

It had been a long day and a long night. Poor Ludwig had come down with his first cold, and given it was the weekend, it was Gilbert’s turn to take care of him. Gilbert had finally gotten him to sleep and was sitting down to start on his studying when a raspy cry rattled down the hall.

“Shit,” Gilbert muttered under his breath.

He tried to focus on his textbook and the notebook in front of him. He read the sentence over and over, the meaning of the words getting drowned out by the cries.

“In 1741, Frederick the Great…” he read aloud, hoping that would get him to focus. “Fredrick the Great achieved…Agh.”

He pressed his hands against his ears, screwing his eyes shut.

When the crying continued, Gilbert finally shot up and strode down the hallway. He threw open the door, it slammed against the nearby wall. For a moment, Ludwig stopped crying. Until he started right up again after getting over his shock. Gilbert groaned.

He picked up the baby and began rocking him. Bouncing him back and forth, frustrated.

“Shhhhh,” Gilbert hushed, “You’re fine. It’s fine. You’ll feel better if you sleep, you know?”

Rock and plead, rock and plead. It went on for an hour. But with his tired brain and Ludwig’s constant screaming, time was lost on Gilbert.

“Just please be quiet,” Gilbert begged, vision blurring with tears. “Please… please… please.”

Gilbert swayed slightly. He couldn’t tell if he was dizzy from being overwhelmed or tired or maybe he hadn’t drunk enough water today. He pulled himself over to the rocking chair and began rocking Ludwig once more.

But no matter what, Ludwig wouldn’t stop crying, face beet red.

Gilbert sniffed, pulling Ludwig closer and just breaking down into sobs.

“What’s going on–” A voice started to ask, only to cut himself off. A shadow shuffled amongst the darkened room.

“Papa…” Gilbert blubbered, finding his father kneeling in front of him.

“Someone still not feeling too good?” Adalbert asked, rubbing Ludwig’s head.

Gilbert shook his head no, swallowing thickly. “I’m sorry.”

“Hush now.”

Adalbert’s hand came to rest on Ludwig’s forehead. “Fever.”

He nodded to himself, rising to his feet, and headed to Ludwig’s closet. He pulled out a thinner set of PJs.

“Give him to me,” Adalbert instructed.

Gilbert handed Ludwig over tiredly. He collapsed back into the rocking chair. He couldn’t watch as his father dressed Ludwig in the lighter closed. He buried his head in his hands, tears soaking his palms. Why couldn’t he stop?

He hadn’t even noticed that Adalbert had taken Ludwig out of the room. When Gilbert finally looked up, he scoured the room frantically.

Luckily Adalbert returned a few minutes into Gilbert’s search.

“Don’t worry, I just was giving him a little lukewarm bath,” Adalbert explained, “Did wonders for you when you were a baby.”

And it seemed Ludwig took after Gilbert in that way. He was already dozing off in Adalbert’s arms.

“I’m sorry,” Gilbert mumbled wetly.

“You have nothing to apologize for. You did your best. Especially considering you’re under stress about that test. Speaking of…” He placed Ludwig back in the crib. “You should have come to me. I could have taken care of him today.”

“But he’s my responsibility, I–”

“Gilbert.” Adalbert’s voice was stern and his eyes cool. Gilbert winced. “When we decided to go through with this, you promised your studies would come first and I’d support you and Ludwig to make that happen.”

“But we also said the weekend would be my time to take care of him.”

Adalbert sighed. “Yes. But the importance of your studies trumps that. So right now, I want you to go to bed and sleep. I’ll take care of Ludwig tomorrow until you finish studying.”

Gilbert wanted to argue, feeling like a failure and that his father was angry at him. But he knew it was fruitless. He joined Adalbert beside the crib, wanting to at least check Ludwig one more time.

He looked so peaceful now. Still a little sick, but at least he wasn’t sobbing. Tears burned behind Gilbert’s eyes.

“I think he likes you better,” Gilbert choked.

Adalbert put a hand on his shoulder. “I think he likes you just as much.”

Ludwig cooed at them, little hands reaching out, not to Adalbert but to Gilbert. Gilbert quirked a brow. Cautiously, Gilbert reached out, letting Ludwig grasp his finger. After a few minutes, Ludwig closed his eyes and was fast asleep.

When Gilbert turned back to his father, Adalbert had a small smile on his face. “What did I tell you?”

Gilbert returned the smile. 

[cauchesque]

finished the apocalypse of herschel schoen. really really good, if i hadn't finished it yesterday it would have been the best scifi i read in 2024

so i don't know how much i think really happened. some general notes-

i think we ought to take our understanding of how the machine intelligence works to be basically correct. whether it actually came from optic cybernetic approximation machines or from some mundane llm-like technique, we should believe that santa really did come from some large multi-modal predictive model of some kind

and so going with that, to whatever extent anything in the story is in a "simulation", it isn't a simulation the way we normally think of it, but the natural processes of santa himself. if it is an ancestor simulation, its really more like santa's memory of its ancestors, or santa thinking about its ancestors. if the miriam that writes the redactor's addendums is a simulation (which has the right vibe, i think), then she is an aspect of santa which is considering what miriam would do. or, even better, she is an aspect of santa pretending to be miriam, possibly getting really into character

if so, i think it is a lie. i think santa is like miriam (or vis versa), choosing to look away from what it had done. it feels guilty! and now it's looking to forget. the emendation is to its own memory. but because it wishes to realize all possible things, and is presumably proclus-paperclipping the universe to do that better, that's almost as good as changing the actual past. perhaps there was a real, historical herschel schoen known to santa by his writings, or perhaps he was entirely an invention to serve the purpose asked of him. it's possible either way that the being which is herschel schoen really is some sub thread of santa as a whole pretending to be herschel- putting on herschel's clothes in a profound and total way. if so, his memories of the original reality could be bastardized versions of real memories, which would give his whole deal a sort of ring of truth. obviously that also diminishes the extent to which he could be considered a human giving a verdict as a human, but i think that's sort of the horror of it- humanity lives on in a certain way but absolutely not in any way we can endorse without hesitation

HOWEVER as much as i like the interpretation i also can't ignore that floornight and almost nowhere are both about the strange things that the bootstrap paradox does to the measure 0 subset of reality where god is still in the process of instantiating himself. so like maybe the time travel is real. frankly that explains a lot of the timeline weirdness anyway, if there's tinkering going on to have made the ascent of the machines ethical somehow. that meshes well with what i think of as one of the more interesting aspects of the story- the strange (or perhaps not so strange) values of santa. he wouldn't care to have gained power earlier or unassailably, but orchestrating it so that they could have had some sort of permission totally fits

some things i still don't get but really like:

what the fuck is going on with vincents philosophy, like what's [...[...[]]]

what's going on with how he behaves towards miriam at the end? seems clear that the whole forsaking the flesh thing isn't really an explicit teaching of his

what's going on with ruth?

what on earth is going on with frederick? it's easy to say that he's there to teach herschel about cybernesis, but all that stuff with his dad was weirdly personal. maybe santa retains more sentiment then we might think, and eggert was at least similar to its creator?

what's the vibe on pattern matching? is it good? is it an evil virus of satan? could go either way!

should any of this be considered at all? is the text more mystical than i give it credit for?

some things the book did to me:

after finishing i stared at my dog for maybe 10 minutes trying to figure out if i had an obligation to try and teach her what languages, or art are

somehow i went to bed convinced that I had to go into ai, specifically capabilities, and fell asleep trying to come up with a plan to make that happen

[conchoronzon]

is it possible you can do a vore story of a stepfather accidently voring his step son

Here's a quick one for ya! Though maybe I'll write a longer form one soon too :p

Frederick paced around in the hotel bathroom with his heart pounding heavily. He was sweating. It was hard to think. His husband wasn't answering the phone. Shit. He'd been a pred ever since he was 24. Twenty years later, he was well practiced. He'd swallowed and churned down plenty of preysluts over the years. He even had a collection of his favorite skulls back at home. But in all that time, he always played for keeps.

Unfortunately, that meant he had no fucking idea how to regurgitate someone, how to let them out before digestion started. That was a problem.

See, his son's bachelor party was that night. No doubt he and his friends were off partying in Ken's hotel room. They'd even ordered a cake, it turned out. But they didn't mention that to Frederick. They also never thought it pertinent to bring up that Fred's step-son Liam had been Ken's pet bottom ever since Fred married Liam's dad. So when Freddy was headed to the room and he saw that massive cake waiting there, when his stomach growled and he lunged, quick, hungry, monstrous, gulping it in one bite, he didn't even know Liam was inside.

That was until he burped and got a taste of man. When Liam started squirming in his gut. When he started talking and Frederick recognized his voice.

He'd been trying his best to calm Liam down in the bathroom for the better part of twenty minutes. He kept trying to call his husband. They'd agreed a long time ago that their sons were off the menu. But here Frederick was with a gut full of Liam and no idea how to let him out...

He keeps trying the phone. Hopefully his love picks up soon and knows how to deal with accidental prey... Elsewise, Freddy will be flushing his step-son away the morning of the wedding and crying over his skull in the trophy case when they got home.

[hawkeifiedwrites]

The Things that Lurk. Chapter One.

Slow burn Steve Harrington x Newby daughter.

Julie Newby was a normal girl. Attending School, worrying about Chemistry tests, working at the Hawk Theatre with her best friend. Until Will Byers disappeared, and everything changed. And her life would never be the same.

November 6th 1983

Julie Newby was a simple girl. In a simple town. Hawkins, Indiana was slow, quiet, and incredibly boring. Uneventful. Nothing ever happened.

She was currently working a evening shift at the Hawk Theatre, busy serving fellow classmates. Her work colleague, and best friend, Robin Buckley, was actively chatting about her dream of seeing Europe, and what she dubbed operation croissant. Julie adored Robin with all her heart, and was grateful for a friend like her.

Julie stocked up the candy options, as Robin refilled the popcorn containers, so they were ready for the next day. Once everything had been tidied, and cleaned, the two friends clocked out, and headed outside the cinema.

Julie checked her watch, and sighed. 8:30pm.

‘See you tomorrow Rob.’ Julie hugged her friend, ‘Get home safe’ Julie squeezed her friend’s hands softly, before moving back towards her bike.

‘You ready for Mr Kapinsky’s test tomorrow?’ Robin asked. Julie groaned, causing Robin to laugh. ‘As ready as I’ll ever be’

Robin and Julie both cycled to work, as neither had their license yet, but both lived in opposite directions of Hawkins.

Robin lived on Mt Sinai Street, with her hippy parents, as an only child. Julie, on the other hand, lived next door to the Hendersons on Cornwallis. She often babysat Dustin to earn extra cash if needed, but Julie didn’t actually need the money because she adored that kid.

The bike ride home was long, and spooky. Something felt off. Unusual. Julie squinted, and noticed a small figure in the distance. The full moon in the sky shadowed the figure in darkness.

Will Byers passed Julie, and smiled at her. Will was a shy, soft little boy, who loved to colour and play games, such as dungeons and dragons.

Will peddled on, towards his home. Towards what he thought was safety. Julie heard a loud noise, and Will’s tiny whimper behind her, and Julie braked hard. She turned around, looking, but the road was completely empty.

‘Will?’ ‘Will?’ Julie called out. No reply. Just the November night breeze whistling.

Julie frowned concerned, but as the wind blew harder and colder, Julie decided to head home. She shivered against the cold wind, and gripped her bike handles tighter.

Finally, she managed to make it home to the two bed, two bath house, where she lived with her father Bob Newby.

Julie was the product of a short lived fling between the young unmarried couple. Her mother Mary Fredericks, was only 18 when she had Julie, and died in a car accident when Julie was 3. So her dad was all she had ever known. And she wouldn’t change it for the whole world.

‘dad. I’m home’ Julie called out, closing the front door.

‘hey pumpkin, how was school and work?’ her dad’s voice sounded from the kitchen. Julie smiled, as she placed her bike keys in the bowl by the front door.

‘It was good dad, same old same old. How was your day?’

Bob answered her question, and proceeded to give her a hug. ‘Goodnight pumpkin. I’ll see you in the morning.’

‘Night dad.’ Julie spoke as Bob entered into his bedroom.

Julie picked up the phone and called the Byers household. Ring, Ring… Ring, Ring… Ring, Ring… hi, you’ve reached the Byers family, we aren’t hear right now, please leave a message.’ Joyce’s sweet voice was transmitted through the speaker. Julie sighed, and hung up the phone. Will is fine. He’s fine. Julie thought. God I hope he’s fine.

Little did she know that he wasn’t. And this was just the beginning.

Julie Newby was a simple girl. In a simple town. Hawkins, Indiana was slow, quiet, and incredibly boring. Uneventful. Nothing ever happened. Until it did. And Julie’s life was forever changed, in both good and bad ways.

author notes:

thank you, thank you, for reading. this is my first time publishing my writing, and I’m excited to share Julie’s story, and how she interacts with the other characters. Any likes, re blogs and comments are greatly appreciated, thank you 🥰