#Household: Contrary

[tj-crochets]

Hey y'all! Does anyone have a link to somewhere I can compare the ingredients of the new Moderna and Pfizer boosters? All the articles I'm finding are along the lines of "no, it won't change your DNA", and are unhelpful for "does this contain acetic acid*"/allergy purposes I know the Moderna bivalent booster did contain acetic acid, and I had a severe-but-not-requiring-hospitalization allergic reaction to it, and I'm trying to figure out if I should go with Moderna again this time (pros: did not end up in the hospital. cons: did have a pretty severe allergic reaction) or try Pfizer (pros: have not reacted to it yet! cons: have not tried it yet, could be mega-allergic) Edit: Thanks everybody! It looks like the Pfizer booster does not contain acetic acid, so I will probably go with that one. I still might be allergic to something else in it, but at least I won't be deliberately injected with something I know I am allergic to?

*I know it's weird, but I am allergic to acetic acid. It might be a mast cell degranulation trigger rather than a true IgE-mediated allergic reaction, but calling it an allergy is shorter and requires less explanation (every time I mention my vinegar allergy I get someone in the notes saying it can't be a true allergy, so I guess I should say calling it an allergy is shorter everywhere but tumblr lol)

[icewindandboringhorror]

A very interesting cloud formation!

[platinumaspiration]

One of my favorite families, the Contrary household!

Starting off the round, Opal and Edward ignore Jade.

Opal: Oh, Watcher. Here she comes. Edward: Just ignore her, my love. Opal: She's so loud, though. Jade: Mom! Dad! I got an A+ on my assignment! Opal: What did we say about nicknames, Jade? Jade: Oh... sorry, Opal.

Jade invites friends and Rick over for her birthday!

And she literally grows up into an angel. Thank you @isabella-goth for your glorious replacements of Opal and Edward! The Traveller kid on the other hand... I only have myself to blame 😥

Rick can't help but make out with Violet. There's just something about her! Hopefully Angela won't find out.

Jade celebrates with another A+ and Opal takes the opportunity to also invite over the worst headmaster. She's accepted! (thankfully Jade can cook)

[ladymacbeths]

my god.

[ozzgin]

Content: gender neutral reader, monster smut, NSFW!

I’m harping on that arranged marriage trope again, but imagine being kidnapped as a spouse for a monstrous demon lord who has a thing for humans. You’re not the first attempt, but the household servants have truly lost count on how many humans crossed their threshold. Some ran away, some were eaten alive: none of the poor, frail mortals could handle the grotesque creature and his equally terrifying temper.

They guide you to the sleeping chambers with a pitiful gaze. They expect to pick up your scattered body tomorrow morning and scrub the dried blood off the floors.

What no one took into consideration was that you’re a shameless monster fucker. One glance at the beastly husband, and you fumble to remove your clothes with trembling hands. This is going to be good, you tell yourself, face flushed in obvious arousal. His unholy majesty certainly didn’t expect you’d hop straight on his dick, no questions asked. Not that he’s complaining much; on the contrary, it takes mere seconds for him to become completely feral.

The next day, you peacefully sip on your tea, pretending not to notice the baffled stares of the servants. If that wasn’t shocking enough, their master walks in with a genuine smile on his face.

Who would’ve thought, all he needed was a good fuck.

[More Monsters] | [Part 2]

[wakingfromthewater]

I think the guy from Heaven Help Us should go to Hell and find the guy from Never Want Again waiting for him there.

[blinkbones]

looked up lemon piggies and apparently it goes back to at least the late 19th century (appears in books). I kind if expected it to go back much farther, if I'm honest? It also seems to never had made its way to france as a new year tradition (although today it will!) because if you look up any combination of cochon and citron you just get a bajillion recipes lol.

[demonic0angel]

Damian Fenton Story Idea (click for clarity)

A story idea where fourteen year old Jazz finds a four year old Damian out on the streets and then takes him in. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, she doesn’t think of him as a brother, but instead, as a son, and declares that she’s now his mother. Thankfully, her family is just as unhinged as her and they take it in stride.

The plot of Danny Phantom still ensues, but now Damian is also being raised in the Fenton Household. It doesn’t change much, but some dynamics do shift a lot as the characters grow up. Danny grows to love his nephew, and Jazz mellows out quickly and focuses more on Damian (probably causing some jealousy within Danny, but they have a moment about it and bonds grow stronger). Damian finds out about Danny’s identity but helps keep it a secret with Jazz.

Damian grows up to be a happy, carefree child (with a scary amount of intelligence and recklessness from living with mad scientists, odd skills in weaponry and fighting, and several geese as pets), but everything changes when the family enters Gotham and Damian meets the Bats…

[saerotonins]

actor!toji headcanons

ft. fushiguro toji x reader

content warnings: fluff, parent!reader, megumi is yalls son, just overall cuteness

wc: 918

note: this is my apology for that nanami angst i posted days ago heh

jjk actor au masterlist

as an actor:

very intimidating man, from his aura to his build, oh boy, who wouldn't be scared

but to everyone's surprise, he's actually just a really goofy and adorable man with a really good resting bitch face lmfao

is actually a household name in the acting industry! definitely those types of actors that once casted into a show, it's guaranteed to get hella VIEWS AND RATINGS

has been in the acting industry for YEARS and has a ton of experience but is still very humble

is actually very shy when his co stars tease him whenever his fans thirst for him whenever he's on screen and he's just a blushing mess LOL

i mean he's a literal dilf so 

believe it or not, this man has been in more romance shows and movies than action, especially as a VILLAIN

his fans couldn't believe it either

so when he was first casted in jjk as a villain who kills CHILDREN they were so ecstatic!

and boy were they so happy when toji SURPASSED their expectations because he was so good!

also so happy that he was casted together with his son, megumi, in the same show!

they usually go to the shoot together and even when he doesn't have a scene to shoot and only megumi does, he drives him off to the shooting site whenever his time permits

it's actually so adorable 

in contrast to jjk!toji, he's really a hands on father to him and is actually very supportive of megumi going to the same career path as him

megumi is also the definition of nepo babies who deserved what they got but that's another discussion 

at first though, he is kind of hesitant especially knowing how toxic can it get with the industry but when he saw his son's determination, he eventually gave him a green light and supported him along the way

this man is so fucking strong OML the producers are so grateful the most of the time he helps cleaning up with the equipment once filming is done

literally lifts them up like it's nothing BYE

listen, this old man is RIPPED and really likes to work out 

he's like pedro pascal who is like really chill but really cheeky when it comes to fanservice LOL he is so adorable 

megumi is kinda cringing though 😭 it's understandable though because that's literally your father trying to act cute and he's a teenager so i don't really blame him

also a big gentleman, again, contrary to his role, he is actually very good with the ladies and often checks with his co stars especially when a fight scene is being filmed

profusely apologized to satoru when their fight was filmed because he literally has to do the stunts himself and make everything believable as much as possible 

has ig and twitter but barely posts unless it's a promotion or a thank you post for the team

he's very active in stories though 😭

and i mean VERY VERY active

you know that point where a person posts too much stories and the lines above almost look like dots??? 

yeah that's him 😭

mostly posts the behind the scenes and his family there!

has a pet chicken that he posts there too

no he's not vegan... he just doesn't eat chicken 😭

as a husband:

oh yeah another married man on set sorry ladies he’s off the market

a very romantic and private lover

especially when you're the only one in the family who is not involved in show business

looks forward to coming home to you all the time

the type of husband who says, "i miss my spouse," on set out of nowhere and his co stars just sigh in faux annoyance 

this man is WHIPPED 

his lines is always and SHOULD always be practiced with you, because aside from his fans (not really though since he's already an established actor), the only approval he looks for is from his lover

is really happy and giddy (almost like a teenage boy like SIR you guys are already married for YEARS) when you praise him and has this really boyish smile which happens very often btw

he's such a fucking sap please

as mentioned, he is kinda shy about the thirst but is not uncomfortable and actually goes along with it

you on the other hand GO HAM with it LOL

you're one of the fans lmfaoooo

a very BIG ONE

unlike him who is not active on twitter, you actually reply to fans and agree what they were saying and fangirl/boy with them which is actually so adorable LOL

his fandom is having a field day of you gushing about your husband like you're not married to him and have a literal CHILD with him bye

both megumi and toji, especially toji, are very protective of you so any slanderous rumors from the tabloids and any defamation will immediately face a lawsuit 

and fans love it when y'all fight back!!

if they stan either toji or megumi, it's immediately a given that they also stan you LOL

your boys both find it cute that even you have a very supportive fanbase like theirs

[sunshowersanddandelionwine]

au where soap is medically discharged and doesn’t really have a “purpose” anymore. He enlisted so young, and had been in the military for so long that he’s got no fucking idea what to do next. In the end, he moves in with his oldest sister and her kids after his brother-in-law passes away suddenly.

While getting his feet back under him, he takes up drawing again. More seriously this time than just doodles on paperwork and scribbles on briefing notes. But real illustrations. It starts as a way to keep his hands occupied while idle at home, but then it becomes an actual hobby of his. He gets better and better, watching YouTube tutorials to learn things he wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.

It’s his 15 year old niece that gets everything rolling. She (without his knowledge) sets up a social media account to share his art. But a very specific series of art. See, he started illustrating the stories his 5 year old nephew told him. And the art, just like the stories, are mindblowing. Soap didn’t do it for recognition, but his niece insisted on sharing his work with the world.

The account starts to get a following, and when his niece shows it to him he nearly has a breakdown. But then he sees the comments. Parents of kids who feel seen in his art. Young self taught artists feeling seen through him. A whole community of people who connected with his work on such a deeper level than anything he’d expected. So, begrudgingly, he lets her continue to post.

Then comes the storefront. With prints and merch and all sorts of wild ass things he’d never dreamed of. And while the income is modest, it still an income. For a while, a part of him had felt guilty for “mooching” off his sister (despite her protests to the contrary) and now he can really start contributing to the household. Plus, a little bit of each sale gets squirreled away for his niece and nephew. Since without them, this whole thing wouldn’t be happening.

And then the email comes. It’s innocuous at first, something he’s gotten a number of times. The sender asks him if he’s willing to illustrate for an upcoming project with a children’s book author. They’d seen his work online and thought his style would match perfectly with the book. Initially, soap was going to politely decline the offer. As much as he’d come to accept the minor fame he’d gotten online, he didn’t think he was good enough to actually illustrate something for a traditional publication. But then he sees the sender’s signature.

S. Riley.

Not much was known about Riley as a person. Their personal life, much like their first name, was kept down tight under lock and key. But their books were beloved by so many, including Soap and his family. Riley wrote on topics that not a lot of other children’s book authors dared to touch, and not with the deft and delicate hand necessary to properly tackle them. Things like parental abuse, neglect, trauma, death; there wasn’t a subject Riley was scared of, and there wasn’t a subject that they handled with anything less than the utmost grace. Their book on dealing with grief and loss had gotten Soap’s niblings (and his sister, to be perfectly honest) through those first few months after their father’s death.

So, despite his misgivings and anxieties, soap accepts.

(Across the country, one Simon Riley waits with bated breath to see if his nephew Joseph’s (and his) mysterious favorite artist will say yes. For no other reason than professional curiosity. It definitely has nothing to do with the briefest glimmer of a bright blue eye caught in the corner of a recent post.)

[okwonyo]

（ 标题 ） KINDA HOPE THEY CATCH US.

PREC𝒾S ⠀⟡​⠀you and your colleague share a heated moment.

( 엔하이픈 성훈 ) ୨୧ f .. r 1OOO. fluff secret relationship ── flirting kissing skinship ⠀ ｡｡ ⠀ recue𝒾l

( ˊᗜˋreblogs&feedbacks · C𝑙𝑖CK )

지아 ㅤ𓈒ㅤ𓈒ㅤ i can’t change themes without dropping a work huhu enjoy, mwahmwah 🎀

there has never been a bigger sigh of relief than the one you let out of your chest a few millisecond prior. 

the feeling of your entire body relaxing, your fingers leaving the keyboard, the sound of its touch finally stopping and your back finally hitting the back chair, there is nothing greater. 

your hands’ muscles hurt from tapping for over an hour and the black your eyelids provide to your eyes relaxes them after a while not leaving the bright screen. you join both of your hands and stretch your arms all the way to the ceiling— it does so good to your back, you let out a soft groan. 

when you finally open your eyes, they are facing the ceiling just like your palms. you put your arms down and do the same with your gaze.

and a heart attack almost causes your end when you see your coworker, sitting on the desk right in front of you, looking at you. 

he smiles when you finally pay attention to him, as if he has been waiting for this for a while. to be fair, you haven’t been paying attention to anyone for three hours. too occupied with your documents.

his glasses slide down his nose in the slightest and with the way his face was originally facing the paper on his table, he is looking up at you with a well too deep look for your liking. 

“what?” you mouth, going for annoyed but the more he looks at you, the more a small grin draws itself on your face. 

he shrugs as he mouths a back a less than convincing, “nothing” with a smirk that says all the contrary. 

you are the one to look away first, going back to your godforsaken document that you have been filling since the beginning of time. you send it to the printer and, before pushing on your heels and getting up, shoot a look to your coworker (that is totally not an invitation to follow you!).

the sound of your heels against the floor resonate in the entirety of the hall. there are other steps that are not yours coming fast behind you after a while. they are fewer yet getting closer, like the person is much taller than you.

you can feel the presence of the individual behind you right after you walk past the tiny room with all the household products. and before you can get too far from it, a strong hand holds your forearm and pulls you in.

a yelp leaves your mouth when your back hits the door and before you can say anything a hot mouth finds yours. 

you can’t help but smile and sigh as you slide your palms on his neck, “sungoon,” before kissing him back. 

he slides one of his arms around your waist, making you have no contact with the door, as he hums against your mouth. he steadies himself with his free hand planted on the wooden exit. 

you think you shouldn’t let a man drag you wherever he wants like that, you also think his glasses are about to crack if he doesn’t take them off. but you would let sunghoon drag you anywhere he wants and the kiss is too good to act on the last thought. 

“i’ve been,” he says between two kisses, your hand sliding in his hair. “thinking about you,” he continues, leaving your lips to trail kisses on your jaw, “all day long.”

he is all over your mouth again before you can even respond to that declaration that made butterflies erupt in your stomach. his teeth sink gently on your bottom lips, asking you to open your mouth for him. 

it is like your legs evaporate when he slides his tongue inside your in between your lips. he explores, licks everything in it and electricity runs all over your body when both of your tongues connect. 

his huge hand on your lower back presses you impossibly closer to him. your fingers grip his hair and the man only smiles as he tilts his head to the side, to get his tongue further into your mouth. 

kissing sunghoon at work must be the best feeling ever. the adrenaline the thought of getting caught creates in your being is amazing. his lips against yours is like a drug that soothes and energizes you at the same time. 

alas, today is way too busy to mess around like that. 

it takes about ninety percent of the strength in your body to break the kiss by turning your head to the side. the fact that sunghoon is completely unbothered and focuses on your neck with no shame and no less fervor doesn’t help. 

“someone is going to catch us,” you whisper to him, still smiling at the hot contact of his mouth on your skin. 

you should know by now that this is the last thing he cares about, “i hope they catch us,” he responds against you. 

you bite down your lip while he keeps leaving pecks on your jaw, down to your neck. one of his hands slowly comes to your buttoned shirt’s first button: you immediately push him away. 

“no,” you firmly state, with an accusatory finger that doesn’t go well with your huge grin. 

he holds his hands in surrender, the same grin mirroring on his face. his hair is messy, his glasses aren’t in a straight line and there is lipstick all over his mouth. the last ten percent of your strength is put in not kissing him again.

“no more kisses for me?” he asks as he steps one step closer to you, too close.

he is overing you again. he smells like fresh coffee mixed to his cologne. his badge hangs around his neck like a necklace, following the line of his black tie.

you push him away— again— before you can even think of wrapping your fingers around this tie and pull him in another mouth to mouth, “no.” 

then you leave the small room. the fresh air hitting your lungs as soon as you step outside of it. sunghoon has the capacity of taking your capacity to breathe normally away. 

with a hand on your fast-beating heart, you walk toward the printer to take your papers, “we are not done,” you hear his voice loud, you stop in your tracks and take advantage of the fact he doesn’t see you to smile. when you start to move again he adds : “you’ll see tonight!”

ㅤㅤ𓈒ㅤㅤ𓈒 taglist open

[radiance1]

So, Ghost Prince Danny. Except that he also, ALSO, is Damian's younger twin brother who was sent to keep an eye on the Fentons because of their discovery of a substance that looked like Lazarus Water yet isn't Lazarus water.

In truth, it was really just Talia's way of getting Danny out of the way because he lost against Damian in the battle of heirs (No Danny did not hold back, Damian was just better than him) and she didn't want him dead so that was the next best thing.

Danny does pop up in the League at odd times, mostly to report about the research done by the Fentons. When he became half dead he's around a lot more, mostly to be monitored for his unique condition (somehow someway they don't know about Vlad) and because Danny can just come and go as he pleases cause ghost powers.

So, Danny gives Damian a flute that he handcrafted himself as a birthday present because really, what can he buy that Damian himself couldn't? Also, because he didn't actually want to spend money on his older brother.

They're brothers, but they don't have the most cordial relationship. They don't hate each other, but they don't like each other either.

So, Damian takes this flute and is like: "Fuck you gimmie this for I don't need this shit."

And then Danny is like: "Just take the gift you stupid ahh fruitloop."

So, Damian takes it while berating that Danny would give him something as stupid as this, but then does a full one 180 by keeping the thing on his person at all times.

Not that Danny knows that, really.

So, cut forth to Damian being known by Batman and taken in. Trying to kill Tim and being an overall little shit, I can see one of the Batfam coming across this flute just, randomly really, and then Damian is fucking pissed that they dared to touch it and then takes it back.

Leaving basically everyone stumped over the significance this random ahh wooden flute has but decides not to touch that landmine.

So then the Batfam don't know that Damian has a half sibling (Danny came from Jack and Talia, so he isn't blood related to Bruce but is to Damian) running around out there and Damian isn't gonna say anything and you already know Talia isn't since Danny AIN'T his kid.

Plus, he got a job to do that being with Bruce Wayne would make harder.

So then Damian becomes robin an allat, then the entire Batfam pull up to the Justice League for some big threat and then both Constantine and Zatanna are like: Yo why do you kid carry round an item drenched heavily in death energy to the extreme

Batman is obviously like: Excuse me?

Damian, meanwhile, just does not give a fuck about the flute given to him by his half-brother on his birthday is apparently drenched in death energy to the extreme because that is his and he isn't going to just give it up.

So then one way or another Damian ends up playing it, maybe he was told to play it by both Batman and Constantine just to make sure it isn't actually anything dangerous or whatever and also because Damian wouldn't let anyone else hold it, let alone play it.

Which Damian smirks at because he's played it before and literally nothing happened aside from very good music, but Damian hasn't played it since he came to the Wayne household and has missed it. So he reminisces over how he got it, thinking of his half-brother and their relationship.

He plays it, but this time, since he genuinely thought about Danny death energy just condenses in waves. Damian couldn't see it since he was too focused on playing and reminiscing, everyone isn't really that calm and tries to get him to stop but the death energy blocks them.

Then a summoning circle appears in front of Damian and Constantine recognizes it as being from the Infinite Realms category and it seemed to be a high-level summon circle too so he's like: Well fuck.

Then, contrary to their expectations of some eldritch abomination, it's just Danny. Who, fun fact, was in the middle of his coronation as prince and such, dripped out in royal wear.

Safe to say, Constatine goes: Well double fuck.

The tension is just broken, as all Danny does is cry. Like, genuinely, he just cries because Damian still kept his flute that he made, he genuinely thought the guy just threw it away since he hated it so much.

Danny: Ancients, my big brother actually liked what I made this is making me emotional.

Damian: Why the hell are you crying this thing is still trash btw.

Danny: Yea whatever you say big bro, you love it.

Batman: What do you mean big brother?

Danny: Who in the hell is that-

Damian: Right, I never told him about you.

[hallietblr]

Your Love Feels Like Forever | Jack Hughes x Fem!Reader

warnings! mentions of fighting, divorce, slight angst. word count: 6.8k

summary: Y/N grew up next to the Hughes Family, sharing their love over the sport of hockey. Jack and Y/N are each others lifelines until distance brings them apart. Despite numerous attempts to see each other, it seems like life drives them apart until an open window to final be together after years apart.

a/n: Hi! This is my first hockey fic and I'm so sorry if it's not any good but I just had this story idea in my head forever and finally decided to write it and post it. I hope you enjoy!

-----

Since she was a little girl, she was full of love, smiles, laughter, and what seemed like an unlimited vocabulary with a side of love towards sports. Growing up in the outskirts of Toronto, she was seen chasing a ball with her hockey stick on the streets in the summer months and gliding across the ice during the winter. On the other hand, if she was not found outside her family home, Y/N was likely to be found lost in the story of her novels or scribbling away in her notebook.

She loved the way that the simple motion of opening a book can be a gateway to an alternate universe, whether it be a fantasy world with magic and fairies or diving into a beautiful story of romance. Y/N cherished the ways authors used words to comprise an empire of imagination - motivating her to hopefully be able to do the same one day.

Currently, little 10-year old Y/N was out in the harsh Toronto winter with her dad as they skated across the neighbourhood outdoor rink chasing after the small black puck. She was fortunate to have her dad to keep her company with her different hobbies, though sometimes she felt guilty for constantly craving being active.

David, her father, was a single dad after her mom ultimately deciding that this family no longer was fulfilling what she wanted in her life. The early years of Y/N's was rocky with her parents constantly arguing over the different views they had on what a "perfect life" looked like. It's been almost 3 years since her mom packed her things into a few suitcases and slammed the front door shut, never to see her daughter again. Y/N, at that young age, didn't understand the gravity of the situation and what it meant to no longer have her mom in her life. On the contrary, she was lucky to have the Hughes Family that lived next door.

During those nights where David and his (now ex) wife used to raise their voices, determined to prove themselves correct, Y/N would run to the Hughes' home. Ellen and Jim had a fraction of an idea of what was occurring behind the walls of the L/N household, and they were more than happy to provide the young girl with a safe place to stay.

Y/N sat at the top of the staircase, her hands covering her ears as her parents were yelling at each other yet again. She couldn't understand why they couldn't agree on... whatever it was that they were fighting over again. She just wanted to read in peace since it was too dark outside for her to continue playing ball hockey with the other neighbourhood kids.

She huffed in frustration as she finally stood up from her spot and walked back to her baby blue bedroom. She grabbed her under armour backpack, marked with her hockey club's logo and her jersey number #86. Y/N grabbed her novel, her hoodie, and of course her beloved bunny jellycat - quickly shoving it into her bag

She quietly crept down the staircase and towards the front door where she slid on her runners and quickly slipped out of the house. Besides, her parents were clearly not concerned with what their daughter was up to at the moment of a heated argument.

Y/N stood on her front porch, scanning over her front yard which faced the rest of her neighbourhood, trying to determine what her next move would be. Her shoulders slumped, feeling a bit lost in her decision. She pursed her lips, her hands gripping onto the straps of her backpack a bit tighter. Her eyes landed on the white painted home which belonged to the Hughes.

She's never stepped foot inside that home, she only really knew Mrs. Hughes from provided kids with lemonade in the summer and her three sons. Quinn, the eldest who was 9, Luke, the youngest at 5 years old, and then Jack - the middle child who was the same age as her. They were all friends from playing soccer at the park or ball hockey in the warmer months and playing hockey at the ODR in the colder months.

Without much thought, Y/N walked over to the white home and rang the doorbell. In seconds the door opened to reveal Jim, who seemed surprised to see a young girl at his front door.

"Hi Y/N, how can I help you?" He said kindly to the girl. Jim figured that she was likely asking if he wanted to buy Girl Scout cookies or maybe donate to her team. It was a few moments before he realized that she was completely alone, which was unusual.

She shrugged at him, not exactly knowing what to say to the man, "Um, can I read my book here?" Y/N asked him, her hands pulling the straps of her bag closer to the middle of her chest, "My mommy and daddy are fighting, I think... I don't know but they're so loud and I can't focus."

Jim's facial features softened as the words that left the girl's mouth, he was going to respond before,

"Honey? Who is it?" Ellen called out from the dinner table.

"Of course you can come in, Y/N," He told her as he opened the door wider to allow the small girl to step into the warmth of his home, "Have you had dinner yet?"

She quickly shook her head, "No, I've been waiting since I had to stop playing ball hockey because the street lights went on. My parents were yelling, so I was waiting in my room."

Jim watched Y/N as she kicked off her shoes as he closed and locked the door shut. He grabbed the backpack off of her, "Here, I'll take this off of you."

She smiled at him and nodded at him, he motioned her to follow him down the small hallway. At the other end was the dinner table where the rest of the Hughes family sat. Four sets of eyes all looked up at the girl, she froze in her spot - suddenly feeling awkward for intruding their family dinner. Jim placed her bag near the wall, "Y/N is going to join us for dinner, no questions asked, alright boys?" He stated, looking at his sons.

They all nodded before resuming back to their eating. Ellen immediately stood up from her seat at the other end of the table, "Hi sweetheart, come with me! I'll fix you a plate." She told her as she walked into the kitchen, Y/N stood next to Ellen as she made a dinner plate.

"Can I wash my hands before I eat?" Y/N flashing a small smile, Ellen chuckled,

"God, of course you can honey. I wish you could teach my sons the same habits," Ellen commented as she placed the plate at the empty seat next to Jack, "The bathroom is to the right of the front door"

Y/N nodded her head before walking towards where the bathroom was. As soon as the adults heard the door close, Jim spoke quietly to his wife, "She asked if she could read here, she said her parents are fighting and... yelling."

Ellen frowned, "Awh, that's terrible"

"She also said she's been waiting since the streetlights came on to eat dinner and was hiding in her room until the yelling stopped"

A frowned etched onto Ellen's face, but was quickly wiped off as Y/N returned and she sat next to Jack.

"Are you sleeping over?" Jack asked her as she started eating, "We could watch a movie or play a game or something! Actually, it's perfect since we will have even teams!"

"Jacky, she just got here!" Quinn exclaimed at his brother, "Give her a second to settle in."

"Um... I don't know" Y/N answered, "I just want to read my book"

Luke perked up, "Like a bedtime story? Quinny stopped reading those to me a long time ago."

She giggled, "I don't know if you want to hear about wizards and witches before you go to sleep."

Luke only shrugged, "I think they're cool."

Dinner progressed and Y/N quickly melted into the dynamic of the Hughes family. They discussed hockey together, activities they did at school, and whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich.

It was late and the four kids were cuddled up on the large couch, all of them focused on the movie that played on the screen. Ellen's heart melted at the sight of Y/N squeezed between Jack and Luke, and her little Luke's head resting on her shoulder.

"I'll send a text to David to let him know that Y/N is here and is on the brink of falling asleep," Jim mumbled to Ellen as he pulled out his phone, "Plus, I don't want to send that girl back into that house if they don't have their argument resolved." Ellen agreed quickly.

The rooms were then split to Jack and Luke sharing Luke's room, giving Y/N Jack's bed for herself. She crawled into his bed, clutching onto her stuffed animal and read her book with the light of his night lamp on. She sniffled to herself, feeling a bit sad that she was completely alone. The whole house fell silent at the late hour, only she was awake and lost in the story. The door to the bedroom cracked open, catching her attention. She quickly wiped the stray tear away from her cheek as Jack tip toed in, "Hi" He waved shyly.

"Hi Jack," She waved back, "Are you okay?"

He only shrugged, "Lukey keeps hogging the blanket, I was coming to steal my extra to sleep on the couch."

"No way," She scoffed, "You are not sleeping on the couch in your own home."

"Well, I'm not gonna make you sleep on the couch either."

Y/N sat in a moment of thought before she perked up, "Just sleep here! I curl into a small ball when I sleep, I promise I won't hog the blanket either."

Jack grinned at her, "Sounds good!" He climbed onto his bed and tucked himself underneath the blanket, "Whatcha reading?"

"Harry Potter," She told him, "Wizards and witches and stuff"

"Can you read it to me?"

And so she did. The two seven year olds stayed up into the late hours of the night as Y/N read out loud the words of her novel. Jack was quickly immersed into the story, holding onto his blanket as she read to him - voice soft and spoke eloquently. He quickly realized that he could probably listen to her talk forever. They giggled at the funny parts and she explained the details that he missed from earlier. The two quickly fell asleep together. Harry Potter falling off the edge of Jack's bed, and the start of a beautiful friendship blooming.

Their friendship formed into playing street or ice hockey together (always on the same team), sitting together at school so they can giggle between each other, and reading books together when they were feeling more mellow. They cherished each other deeply as they always understand the other. Jack protected her, when he closes his eyes, he often sees the small little girl that awkwardly stood in front of his entire family during dinner that one night. If she was happy, he was happy. The same goes for her. They shared emotions, they understood each other perfectly. They kept each other's deepest secrets, swearing to never tell another soul as they locked pinkys.

"Forever?" She asked him as his pinky wrapped around her.

"Forever." He promised, locking it.

Her father was glad that his daughter content and happy despite the hardships she went through in her childhood. She found solace in the shape of the Hughes brothers. She was good friends with Luke and he always helped her bake when she did. Luke always thoroughly enjoyed when she would read to him since he claims that books are only good when she tells them. He often looked up to her as the big sister he never had.

Quinn always kept an eye on her whenever they would play with the other neighbourhood kids; some of them often claiming that "Girls can't play sports" or "No girls allowed", which he was always quick to shut them down. The two would also discuss different books with each other as they were both big readers.

Y/N and Jack were now entering their teen years, both at the ripe age of fifteen. Hockey both played such a large role in their lives as each of the Hughes brothers and Y/N both played competitively. Y/N would do her best to watch each of their games when she could, and the same goes for them.

The sound of her stick contacting the puck, sending it flying straight into the net. The red light behind the goalie turning on as the horn blares, signalling the end of the game.

Her arms flying up into the air as she scored the final goal of the game and the stands erupted into cheers. She undoes the clasp of her helmet, pulling it off while gliding past the glass where she flashes her infamous bright smile at the sight of the Hughes family standing up in the audience. Ellen was standing with her phone out, clearly taking photos of Y/N's win.

"You were amazing!" Jack exclaimed as she walked out of the change rooms with her large hockey bag dragging behind her, "You were the best on the ice!"

She grinned at her best friend while approaching him, immediately wrapping her arms around his neck when he was within reach. He responded like it was a reflex, his arms around her waist and lifting her slightly off her feet.

"What can I say? I have a good personal coach" She teased, commenting on the fact that Jack was constantly helping her improve.

"Good game kiddo," Quinn told her, his hand ruffling her hair, "None of the other girls stood a chance."

She sighed in contentment, Jack's arm around her shoulders while Jim took her hockey bag off of her hands. Y/N felt so surrounded by love from the family that wasn't her own, the only question being: "Where is my dad?"

They all moved as a unit towards the van, all kids stumbling into the back seats while the adults took the front seats. Jokes were cracked throughout the drive and constant comments about her performance were made.

Jim pulled into the driveway, Y/N swift on her feet to grab her bag, "Thank you guys for coming, it means a lot" She told the family.

Ellen's hand squeezed her shoulder, "Of course, honey. We'll always be supporting you even if it's from a distance."

Her eyebrows furrowed, "...What do you mean by that?"

Ellen and Jim look at each other before turning back to the kids, before sharing the news that will cause a shift into their worlds,

"We're moving sweetheart," Jim broke the news, "We're moving to Michigan."

The air shifts and Y/N feels her stomach drop, "W- What?"

"Wait what?!" The brothers yell out, "When?"

"Since when?"

"Why?"

Questions were shot left, right, and centre from the kids while Y/N stood frozen in place. The Hughes... weren't going to be her neighbours anymore?

"I should go home..." She mumbled, looking down at her feet.

Jim and Ellen ushered their boys into the home while they continued protesting as Y/N slowly dragged her feet back to her own house. She slumped against the closed door, bag dropping to her feet. For the first time in a while, she didn't know what was to come.

-----

The transition was, without a doubt, hard on her. Jack and Y/N sat on the bed of the packed away bedroom, tears falling down her cheeks faster than he could wipe away. They swore that they will remain as each other's best friends, no matter what happens. They promised to text each other every day, and FaceTime when they were able to.

"You'll always be my number one girl, okay?"

"Forever?"

"Forever."

She stood alone on their driveway as she watched their car turn the corner and out of her view, her arms hugging herself. Everything was about to change.

-----

Y/N was now sixteen, her sweet sixteen. Yet she felt so alone. Of course she had other friends at school but nothing filled the hole that was left behind by Jack moving.

She shifted as a person. She quit hockey since money was getting tight for her and her dad. Rather, she delved into the depths of writing - more specifically writing about sports. She quickly became the writer for her high school's newspaper for the sports column. Writing gave her a new sense of freedom, so much more different from how she felt when she used to write little story books for Luke as a kid.

Maybe it was because she was at the peak of her teenage years. Maybe it was because it is the prime time to learn more about yourself. Try new things, maybe it won't hurt. Or maybe it was her urge to find something that will stay. Writing about sports could be her future. Maybe this won't leave her the same way that her ability to play competitive hockey did, or the way Jack moved across the border and left her behind in Toronto.

Regardless, the two stayed close over the past year away from one another. They kept their promise of texting each other daily.

But as it happens, Jack and Y/N drift slightly as their schedules get busier with his heightened hockey practices and her increase in school work. Responses become further apart, their windows to catch up over FaceTime slims. Long distance friendships are anything but easy.

Deep down, although it hurts, she knows that he will always be there for her and plus she is so happy for Jack. During the countless late night conversations, he would tell her how badly he wanted to play in the NHL. It is his dream to play in the major leagues. This was just a step closer to him achieving it.

Y/N continues to write for the school paper but quickly gains attention from parents,

"Hi, I'm so sorry if this is strange," a woman said as she sits next to Y/N, who is observing the Varsity Boys Hockey team belonging to her high school, "But are you by any chance, Y/N L/N?"

Her eyes widened at the question and nods, "Yeah, I am! Can I help you?"

The lady's shoulders relaxed while adjusting in her seat, "I'm Lynda, it is such a pleasure to meet you. I have been reading your sports columns since my daughter has been bringing the school paper home and I can't help but be so impressed with your talent!"

Y/N's face flushed red from the compliment, she wasn't used to attention aside from the typical ones made by Jack.

"Really?" She asked, trying to read Lynda's face to see if there was any sign of lying but none to be found, "Thank you so much, I appreciate that a lot actually."

"I'm only telling you the honest truth," Lynda chuckled, "I write for town newspaper and I wanted to offer you the opportunity to write outside of your school's paper."

"Are you serious?!" Y/N's jaw dropping at her words

"Absolutely! I think it could be a fun learning experience for you whether or not you decide to pursue sports journalism in university or college." Lynda explained to her, "You can write similar to how you do for your current paper but you can branch out to the club teams and even the competitive ones if you want. It probably won't be a large section just because you still are in high school, however, experience is experience nonetheless!"

Y/N immediately took Lynda's offer on the spot. The two exchanged contact information and soon Y/N's world of journalism expanded even more. Weeks past and Y/N found herself excited and eager to get out of bed to go to school, learn, go watch some hockey, and spend her free time writing about it.

It was like a collide of her worlds, athletics and her love for books and writing in one.

She flopped onto her bed, rolling onto her side to keep her phone propped up, "It's been unreal, Jacky"

Jack grinned from the other side of the screen, "That sounds so awesome, smiley, seriously. You're awesome."

Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she looks at her best friend on her phone screen, she feels her heart flutter at his words - was it always like this?

"How are you though?" She asked, tugging on her hood of her sweater, "I feel like we haven't talked in forever."

He sighed, "Busy, really busy but it's been a blast. Although, I wish I had you writing weekly news columns for me." Jack joked while she playfully rolled her eyes, "Also, I can't visit you this summer anymore... I know we've been talking about it, but you know, hockey camp and all..."

Y/N feels a small frown tug at her lips, a pang of disappointment punching her gut but she hides it. She shoved down her emotions, appearing unaffected to his news, "That's okay, I get it."

"I'm really sorry, Smiley," He told her, his own disappointment painted across his face, "I haven't seen you in a year."

"I know, but at least we have FaceTime!" She responded, "Plus, this is going to be so good for you! You're going to have such an amazing time!"

The two best friends continue talking about everything and anything for the following hour or so before hanging up. Y/N settled further into her bed before allowing herself to feel the weight of her emotions. No Jack until who knows when, is this the new normal? Just the inability to see each other in person until the one day that they will cross paths again?

-----

Years passed, the two graduating high school and although they weren't able to physically attend each other's ceremonies, at least they were watching over the phone. Luke held up his phone at Jack's graduation, giving Y/N a perfect view of Jack walking across the stage to receive his diploma. Y/N, as always, being his number 1 cheerleader.

Jack moves onto playing for the New Jersey Devils in the NHL, Y/N watching him from her TV in her hotel room at the night before her father's wedding night.

David remarried to Liz, Y/N watching from the view of the bridal party that her father is finally having a marriage that makes him truly happy. Liz was a loving and one of the kindest woman that she's ever met. From the moment Y/N met Liz, she knew that this woman was made for her dad. All she wanted was her dad to be happy for the sake of himself, and not for his daughter. While growing up, her dad gave her everything in attempts to give her somewhat of a normal childhood. It was never an easy task for David to mimic being a mother to his teenage daughter, but he still managed to pull through for Y/N - and she was forever grateful to have him as her father. Although he missed the majority of her hockey games or seeing her before each homecoming, at least he tried to be there for his daughter. She watched the love grow between her dad and his now wife, and after everything her dad had gone through with his divorce and having to raise his daughter alone, she was buzzing with excitement for her dad's start at a new life. He gets to live his life for himself for the first time in so long as Y/N was moving into the big busy city for university. It was bittersweet, but neither one could be happier at the moment.

Y/N continued onward to attending the University of Toronto to study Sports Media and Sports Journalism, finally finding what fulfills her. With Jack being busy with his rookie year, she is able to fully focus on her studies and striving towards her dream. She often finds herself thankful for the opportunity offered by the sweet woman, Lynda and giving her the experience to write in the town's paper. It gave her a leg up in comparison to her school mates as she learned so much from Lynda.

Her life feels align and perfect, except for the fact that she's watching the life of her childhood best friend through the media. They try their bests to call or see each other whenever the Devils are playing the Leafs, but it is always a slight miss.

"Hey! I'm in Toronto for tonight until tomorrow around noon," Jack explained over the phone as he pulled his luggage out of the bus, "We should see each other, it's been so long!"

She smiled to herself at the sound of his sweet voice, oh, how much she missed him, "I know, we should! I have this paper due tonight so I can see you around 8?"

He groaned at the time, "I'm playing until like 10, what about after?"

"I can maybe stay out until 11? I have work in the morning so I need to be in bed by a certain time," Y/N sighed, knowing once again, it probably won't work, "And before you say anything, no, I cannot skip work because unlike you, I need this for my future." She teased

"Oh come on! You know if you just ask, I would pay for everything for you, you won't have to work another day for the rest of your life!"

"As tempting as that sounds, I refuse to be a sugar baby," Y/N laughed, putting her phone on her desk to continue typing away at her assignment.

"I'm literally in your city right now."

"I know that."

He rolled his eyes as he stepped foot into his hotel room, "Just come to the arena, please? Even if its for an hour, I want to- I need to see you."

Warmth filled her chest, it has been forever.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be there."

Y/N found herself standing where Jack told her to wait over the phone, the game ended half hour ago and the Devils won. She kept checking the time on her phone anxiously, waiting to hear something from him. She continued pacing on the spot, where was he?

The time on her phone hit 11PM, yet she still wanted to wait... at least for a bit longer. She wanted to see Jack so badly. With time progressing and the stress of her other obligations, and the annoyance crawling on her skin that Jack wasn't coming - Y/N decided to leave, even though her heart begged for her to stay and just wait.

As she sent her text to let him know that she was in fact back home after standing around for over and hour and ultimately deciding to order an Uber back home, she felt a wave of frustration.

Jack sounded so eager to see her, it had been years. He was in her city and although the time was tight, they were willing to make it work to see each other. But, he didn't show up. He got caught up with the media crew and his teammates, so he pushed her aside.

It's fine, she told herself while waiting for her body to go to sleep.

She stayed in touch with the Hughes family, often sending short and sweet messages on birthdays or during the holidays. Y/N knew that they were always rooting for her, even from Michigan. Ellen calls her more often than the rest, because in Ellen's eyes, Y/N is her daughter. She stays in the loop of Y/N's life, whether it be her school, home life, or the different experiences that she comes across in Toronto, Ellen wants to hear it all.

Luke also reaches out to Y/N more often than he would like to share, but in different ways in comparison to his mom. It's more TikTok's and Snapchats that they send to each other. He misses her more than anything else he left behind in Toronto.

Unfortunately, at every one of their attempts to visit or see each other, life comes in the way. It can't be helped considering the elite levels of hockey at Jack, Quinn, and Luke all partake in or the fact that Y/N is constantly swamped with the load of work from university. But for this summer, Luke is determined more than ever to bring the band back together.

It's nearing 7 years since the Hughes have seen Y/N, but with summer around the corner and the plans of the annual boys trip to the lake house and Y/N graduating with her bachelor's - it's essentially the perfect plan.

-----

Y/N looked around at the bustling airport of people searching for their suitcases, but she was looking for one person. Her chauffeur, Luke Hughes. It wasn't a difficult task since he stood out with his height and his New Jersey Devils hoodie.

His eyes locked onto hers and a massive grin drew upon his face and his arms opened as she immediately jumped into them, "Lukey!"

"Oh god fucking god," He said into her hair as they embraced each other for the first time in 7 years, "It's been way too long, like criminally too long"

"You're so tall now! You were so tiny the last time I saw you," She laughed as they pulled apart, "It is so good to see you."

He chuckled, "I can't believe you're here and not a figment of my imagination."

The two leave the airport and start their trip to the lake house, catching up on life on the drive.

"By the way," Luke turned to look at her as they reach a red light, "No one else knows you're coming. It's a surprise."

Y/N's eyes widened, "What?"

"Everyone wants to see you, okay? But if Jack knows then god knows something is going to come up, I swear something always does."

Suddenly, this trip is much more nerve-racking than she initially anticipated. What if they don't want her there? It's an annual boys trip and she's crashing it. Luke seems to notice her sudden change in behaviour and gives her shoulder a comforting squeeze,

"It's going to be perfect, trust."

Their car rolls into the driveway of the lake house and she is in shock. It is beautifully breathtaking. The sun shining through the leaves of the trees, and the gorgeous house that stood before her.

"Here goes nothing!" She breathed out, bracing herself for what could be the worst. Luke guided her towards the door to the house, abandoning their luggage in the trunk of the car.

Luke opened to door, "I'm here!" He called out while tucking Y/N behind himself to hide her.

A series of multiple loud footsteps approach them,

"Hey Lukey!" She can hear Quinn's voice, "You made it."

"Lil Hughes!" Another voice that she can't exactly place but sounded familiar to old FaceTime calls she had with Jack.

"Jack! Lukey's here!" A third voice shouts, before the one voice she was used to hearing over the phone chimes in,

"Took you long enough!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Luke chuckled, "Had to make a lil detour."

"For?" Jack questioned before Y/N stepped out from behind Luke, "Y/N?"

"Hi Jack" She offered her signature smile, suddenly whatever nerves that were racing through her bloodstream diminished. In milliseconds she was engulfed into the tightest hug she'd ever been in. The soft scent of his shampoo mixed with the muskiness of his cologne surrounded her, blinding her sense. She wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist as he spun them in circles.

He breathed her in, finally. The sweetness of her perfume and the warmth of her embrace. She was here.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're here." Jack mumbled into her hair, placing multiple kisses on her temple as he careful put her back on her feet, "Look at you! My pretty girl!"

Y/N blushed while also staring at him and how beautiful he is in person. The waves of his hair and how the sun seemed to perfectly land on him, almost like a halo. It was evident that he'd been in the sun prior due to the gorgeous tan he had and the freckles sprinkled across his features. Her stomach did hundreds of flips as she took him in,

It didn't last long before she was pulled into another hug, a bear hug from the eldest Hughes brother, "You've grown up so much, Y/N. Last time I saw you, you were the star hockey player and now you're a university graduate."

Tears welled up in her eyes while she squeezed Quinn, "Says you, Captain Q!"

He released her and ruffled up her hair like how he always did, "Lukey, you outdid yourself with this surprise."

Luke laughed, "I know I did. Also, Y/N, this is Trevor and Cole!" He quickly introduced to her.

"Hi guys, it's so nice to finally meet you," She beamed, finally putting the pieces together that she has in fact met both of them over FaceTime with Jack.

"Rowdy! You never told me how jawdroppingly gorgeous Smiley is, holy shit" Trevor exclaimed as he hugged her, "Please tell me you're single."

Jack shook his head in disapproval, "Off limits, Z, you know that."

"Nice to meet you too, Smiley!" Cole said, he also greeted her with an embrace, "Come, you and Lukey need to catch up with the drinking! What do you drink? White Claw? Beer? We have it all!"

The six of them stood around the kitchen island while chatting and sipping away at their drinks. Jack stood next to Y/N, keeping an arm around her shoulders and wanting to keep her close to him.

She leaned her head on his shoulder while she laughed at whatever joke Trevor was making.

"Come on, what are we doing inside? There's still sun out!" Luke pointed out and marched his way outside, the rest followed and they seated themselves around the fire pit. Quinn and Luke busied themselves with building the fire whilst Jack and Y/N sat next to each other, Trevor and Cole opposite to them.

"So tell me, Smiley," Trevor grinned, bringing his beer to his lips, "How come Jacky has never introduced us before?"

"Maybe because this is the first time we've seen each other since we were like... fifteen?"

Cole's eyebrows shot up, "Fifteen? Jesus, that's like forever!"

"Is that why he can't keep his hands to himself?" Trevor teased, pointing his bottle towards Jack, who kept an arm on the back her chair while adjusting the hat he was putting on.

"Oh come on now," Jack rolled his eyes, "She's been busy! Little miss prestigious Canadian university"

She gasped dramatically and lightly shoved his shoulder, "At least I have a degree! Something that noooone of you guys have."

"Oh, you hurt me, Y/N!" Cole cried jokingly, "Good for you though, I honestly... Could never!"

The sun began to lower and the six sat in their chairs, listening to her stories of university and her plans for work after summer ends. Jack brought up old stories of her history with hockey, poking at the fact that she could have gone pro if she wanted. She only brushed off the comments, claiming that she would rather write than to play the game.

"In all seriousness," Quinn started, looking directly at the girl who he still could not fathom was fully grown to be a woman rather than a teenager, "We're all really happy to have you here. I know things haven't been easy since we moved away from Toronto and who knew that we would be here together now."

She smiled softly at Quinn, "Thanks, Q. I'm glad to be here, it's something I think I needed for the longest time."

Luke pulled out the ingredients to make s'mores, him, Trevor, and Cole competing with each other on who can make the best one. The breeze picked up and Y/N shivered slightly, wishing she had grabbed her sweatshirt beforehand,

But, as per usual, Jack understood her without her even having to say a thing.

"Need another beer?" He asked Quinn, who nodded. Jack got up to grab another beer from the kitchen while also picking up one of his hoodies. He returned, handing his brother another tall boy and placing his sweater in Y/N's lap.

She looked up at him before carefully putting it on, "Thanks J"

His smell imprinted on the material, she only wished that she could bottle it up and keep it forever.

"You know I got you," He smiled while sitting back down. Jack moved his chair to be right next to hers so she could snuggle into his side.

"Lukey, that shits burnt!" Y/N laughed as Luke pulled his marshmallow away from the fire, to see that it was in fact completely charred.

They all stayed out for while longer, listening to Zach Bryan play off the speaker while talking about life. Slowly, one by one, they shuffled into the house to head to bed, leaving just Y/N and Jack outside.

"Do you want to go to bed? You had a long day," He said in a hushed tone, she tilted her head to look up at him - only realizing now how close their faces were.

"Maybe," She hummed, "I just like being here with you."

"Come on, it's getting cold." He told her while standing up, offering her his hand, "We can still hang out inside, yeah?"

They walked side by side, their arms brushing against each other as they entered the home. Once Jack had shut the glass door, he pulled her into another loving embrace,

"I still cannot believe you're actually here, you know. I think I've spent everyday missing you. No matter where I was, I was always missing you" Jack whispered, his lips brushing her forehead, "Every game, every event, fuck, like every day, all I wanted was for you to be there with me. I know you've been crazy busy, little miss bachelor's degree" She could feel his smile on her skin, and she melted a bit more to his touch,

"I was always thinking about you and what we missed out on by moving away. I always thought that one day we would be a smoking hot hockey couple in high school. Like, both are amazing at hockey plus you were so pretty but now you're even more gorgeous. I see every photo you send me or my mom or even post on Instagram and I don't think any of them did you justice for how beautiful you are."

"Jack..." She breathed out. She didn't know what to say but somehow these were the exact words that she had been waiting to hear for years.

"Maybe we lost our shot in our teenage years but hey, you have your degree, so many our chance is now. You can work in Jersey, I can pull strings for you. 'Cause right now, I don't want to even think about you being away from me ever again."

He looked down at her, seeing the runaway tear slip from her eye. His hands softly cupping her face, the pad on his thumb gently wiping it away. Just like how he did when they were just kids, "I want you with me all the time, you know what I mean?"

She nodded quickly, a quiet sob leaving her lips, "I know."

"What do you say pretty? You've been by my side forever but from a distance. No more distance, just you and me against the world?"

Y/N smiled through her glassy eyes, "I can be your sugar baby?" She joked, referencing an old phone call they shared earlier in the year. He laughed, carefully brushing away her tears,

"Yeah, baby, if thats what you want."

"A shot at forever, eh?" She beamed, placing a gentle kiss on his palm.

Jack place another kiss on her hair, "Forever."

"I think I can work with that."

[platinumaspiration]

Rick cures his sickness with a medicine he bought from Goth's Rx.

Mortimer gets his freak on. Meanwhile, Circe beats up on Benjamin Baldwin. Must be run off frustration from Psychotron's BS at the house.

Lucky SHACK Cards and Drinks is always a good time for Rick! I literally read whatever I want to read, regardless of reality. I was shellshocked it was actually Shack and not Shark lol

Erin Beaker meets Olive Specter's cat, Grimoire. Erin is a pet lover through and through.

[johnbrand]

True Test

My nephew Brandon grew up in a deeply conservative household, where masturbation was strictly forbidden. He had been raised just like his father and I had been by our own parents, and their parents before them. We were built by traditions, maintaining them as they had maintained us throughout our childhood and adolescence. Certain words were never said in the house, certain ideologies never acknowledged. 

It had been my brother’s hope for Brandon to never see a naked woman before marriage. Everything had appeared to have been going to plan, for by the time Brandon reached his 22nd birthday, he was still exceptionally shy around the whole topic. My brother and I had been so proud; his little boy had made it through all of college without being tainted by “progressive” ideas or gone astray from our values. Unfortunately, that image was shattered when I arrived at  Brandon’s room to fetch him for cake, finding him jerking out a quickie to hardcore gay porn on his laptop.

Both of us stood in shock for a moment, unable to move as the realizations hit us. I had discovered his secret, he believed his perfect facade was about to collapse. Brandon opened his mouth to explain but I had already left the doorway. By the time we got downstairs, everybody had been waiting for us. They had no idea what I was about to tell them.

“Before Brandon blows out the candles, I have one last birthday gift to give him.” Brandon rushed in behind me, his face red with embarrassment. My brother eyed me, caught off guard by this sudden announcement. “After college, he will stay with me out in the country for a few months to learn some more physical skills. All expenses covered by me, just one last hurrah before Brandon’s adulthood begins!”

Brandon’s eyes grew wide as the room cheered. My brother gave me a solid pat on the back, laughing and thanking me for such a great opportunity, insisting it was too much. I argued the contrary, watching as my nephew hesitantly paced over to his cake.

———

What none of my family knew, not even my brother, was that my property out in the country also doubled as a conversion camp. My institution had stayed afloat for three primary reasons. First, my property was an exclusive institution. I worked one-on-one with my clients, meaning my property was truly intimate. This tied in my second aspect, privacy. It was not special that no one in my family knew of my alternate career, as I kept my side gig well under the wraps of a decent, average country farm. Finally, I had never had a complaint. All my clients converted perfectly to my standards.

When Brandon had arrived at my farm for the summer, he had assumed there would be a combination of heavy farm work and awkward conversations. To be fair, at the surface level this was true. I had my nephew working from dawn to dusk every day, filling him with hearty, animal protein-heavy meals that along with the exhaustion would knock him out immediately after dinner was served. 

There was no time for anything but labor and my conversations with Brandon. I also allowed no devices beside my work computer, which was off limits anyway, meaning not only did my nephew have no time to jerk off, but nothing to jerk off to. Eventually, Brandon’s brain became too overworked from the constant tug of war between exertion and exhaustion, forcing his will to fall back in line. It became easier to just listen and absorb, to sponge up my opinions rather than react to them.

Over the summer months, I watched as my nephew’s slim, faggy form bloated into that of a man. He grew taller, broader, muscles slowly piling on thanks to the proper diet and obnoxious amount of exercise and training. One by one I replaced his articles of clothing with more appropriate attire: cheap tees that could get dirty, thrifted jeans, my old boxers already stretched to fit his thickening size. Brandon had not made any comment when his razors had disappeared, nor when his shoes were replaced with much larger, well-worn boots. His growing feet had needed them anyway.

The mental changes were harder. Our conversations, which eventually became nothing more than lectures, where discussions focused around the family's values. I spent the majority of our time peeling back Brandon’s progressive ideology, stripping down to the traditional conservative roots. In between it all, I would constantly scatter in mentions of girls, vulgarly tossing tits and pussy language so that it became all my nephew heard. At first it pissed him off, but once Brandon began to simply ingest it all, I knew the conversion had already begun. 

By our last week together, Brandon had become an entirely different man. The 22-year-old now physically resembled our family pride, his masculinity now at par with the textbook definition. As a final test of my work, I brought my nephew into my office and sat him next to the sole computer on the property. I instructed Brandon to open the screen, stepping away as the old monitor booted up a lesbian porno I had already booted up.

“Like what you see?” 

I chuckled as Brandon’s cock hardened, completely mesmerized. Thanks to the lack of exposure, my nephew’s brain was flooded with waves of sexual pleasure forgotten to him, now redirected with my instruction. With his instincts realigned, Brandon’s former life would be no more. I reached over and quickly turned off the monitor, knowing his aching cock threatened immediate release.

“You’ve passed the test,” I announced. “You’re a real man now, Brandon.”

I motioned towards the open bathroom, Brandon's massive cock still throbbing for the opposite gender. I offered my permission without saying a word, grabbing for the door. To my surprise, and delight, my nephew cockily questioned my expertise.

“I disagree, uncle,” his voice was deep and authoritative. “The true test will come after I lose my gold star.”

[thrashkink-coven]

Occultists, witches and spiritualists really need to stop peddling the lie that spirituality, witchcraft, paganism, etc. isn’t a psychological phenomenon as well as a mystical one. Your psychology will in fact, fundamentally inform your experiences with spirituality.

And we also need to stop pretending that spirituality and witchcraft are somehow contrary to mental illness. Or that having a mental illness means you can’t do witchcraft.

I’ll be completely honest with you guys and say that certain people with certain afflictions are more predisposed to different “mystical” experiences than others. I don’t think it’s a great coincidence that I am so great at visualization given that I was raised in a severely neglectful household. It doesn’t surprise me that many pagans are lonely people. This doesn’t mean to say that spirituality is “filling” a hole within anyone (although if it is, that’s great for you) but more so that, well, this path is unpopular for a reason. Alternative subcultures are alternative for a reason, and outcasts and rejects usually find a home there for a reason.

This also doesn’t mean to say that people who engage in witchcraft and spiritualism are inherently mentally ill. There is still a difference between hallucinations and spiritual encounters. And there was never any rule that said that both of these things cannot happen to a single person. For the safety of yourself and others we should be aware of the warning signs of dissociation and hallucination, but that doesn’t make anyone “wrong” for experiencing those things. And experiencing those things doesn’t mean you cannot explore spirituality or do witchcraft.

I hate it when “spiritualists” who are actually just anti-vax conservatives push the narrative that people with mental health issues cannot participate in spirituality. I also despise the notion that mental health issues are inherently a sign of an energetic imbalance. We’re all walking around with a special concoction of brain soup in our heads, it doesn’t surprise me that Ares devotees tend to have BPD, that many Aphrodite devotees struggle with self harm, that many people who work with angels have paranoia or generalized anxiety.

There was never any rule that said that you cannot use your deities or magic to help you cope with your mental health. I know some people will say “the Gods aren’t here to be your friend or hold your hand through life” but I’ve seen no evidence to suggest that’s true. I see no reason why a God like Ares couldn’t help his devotee with BPD come down after a bout of rage, I see no reason why Dionysus couldn’t help his devotee with their alcoholism or substance abuse, I see no reason why Aphrodite couldn’t help a devotee with relapse or negative self talk.

Witchcraft and paganism were historically used as a tool for survival, to bring people ease, to help people feel safe and secure, blessed and protected. That applied to all people, including those with mental health issues.