#I know that canonically there’s nothing going on

[psychemochanight]

So... Dick can sing.

This is canon, he actually can sing and it's pretty good at it.

I like to think that he sings to the hostages when he rescues them, especially to the frightened children that he helps.

So... How his siblings found out? Not by hearing him humming, or by hearing him comfort a scared child, na-ah.

The siblings were in Dick's apartment, going through the things he had told them they could see if they wanted anything, since he was going to throw away some of the things he no longer needed.

In a box, Jason pulls out a CD, looking at the name written on it with a frown.

Jason: "Dick's performances"? What is this? School presentations?

Dick, not at all impressed by the taunt, looks up at the CD: Oh, I forgot that existed. Alfred recorded that. It's when he was singing on the radio.

Absolutely everyone falls silent.

Steph, who was invited to join them and now it's just stunned: You did what?

Dick: What? Singing on the radio?

Duke: Are you a singer?

Dick: No? I mean, only with sung commercials and some other music that people asked for. Nothing actually serious.

Tim, completely offended because I didn't know about this CD: Let's listen to it.

Dick, rolling eyes: It's awful.

It's not, not at all. Even Damian is impressed.

Cass asks him to sing after that, and Dick complies with his little sister's wishes.

[neverenoughmarauders]

Yes - I agree - but Sirius has to explain this to Peter:

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!" "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

It was a friendship but it wasn’t an equal one. Sirius and James are the closest (canon), they’re frequently arrogant about, and a little mean to, their friends (and each other but the equality between them makes this far less problematic than when they throw insults at Peter or belittle what Remus goes through with the full moon).

“How thick are you, Wormtail?” said James impatiently. “You run round with a werewolf once a month — ”

“Put that away, will you?” said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer. “Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement.”

They do let Peter hang around them in a slightly patronising way (interview canon and also clear from canon):

Pettigrew, who they, in a slightly patronizing way, James and Sirius at least, who they allowed to hang round with them, it turned out that he was a better wizard than they knew

Why does Sirius choose Peter as a secret keeper?

"I thought it was the perfect plan ... a bluff. ... Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they’d use a weak, talentless thing like you."

Yes there is some anger and hindsight bias but nothing we see from their earlier years seem to contradict the idea that Sirius and James thought less of Peter’s capabilities.

Sirius and James show their love in larger than life acts - like becoming illegal animagi. Remus knows therefore that the love is there, should he ever doubt it. But Peter, I don’t think he knew just how far they’d go for him (not that I think that would change how he acted).

Final note, the few times I try to write pre-GOF wolfstar I realise how impossible it is to do that canon complaint (sorry wolfstar shippers!) because in a way, part of the ‘he was their friend’/‘equality’ thing is the fact that he was as close, if not closer, to Sirius and James than Remus.

“Pettigrew . . . that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them [Sirius and James] at Hogwarts?” said Madam Rosmerta.

So it’s not so much that Sirius and James went around being nice to him all the time or made him feel always included as much as the fact that they weren’t necessarily more or less inclusive to him than Remus (which is difficult to capture if Sirius is dating Remus).

I’m not saying the OP is (or isn’t) suggesting otherwise but I think it’s as inaccurate to portray the group as four equal friends as it is to exclude Peter altogether.

Sirius Black would have died for Peter ! In his own words !! There were 4 marauders !!! That’s what makes it hurt so much !!!!

[kirain]

Your headcanon that Emmrich's right arm is always gloved because he has scars from when he tried to pull his parents out of a collapsed burning building is now OFFICIAL canon as far as I'm concerned. Can we please get a fic of Emmrich being self conscious about the scars? 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Oh wow, thank you! 🥺 Here you go, anon!

The fire crackled in the hearth, filling the room with an ominous orange glow that seemed to taunt Emmrich. Vae sat opposite of him, her hands resting in her lap as she waited. Though usually cheery and confident, Emmrich trembled ever so slightly, his head bowed as though the weight of the moment pressed heavily on his shoulders.

"All right," he whispered.

Vae reached out, her touch light as she took his gloved hand in hers. "I'll go slow," she said softly.

Despite her promise, Emmrich's breath hitched, his back tensing. As she began to slip off the ornate rings and bracelets that adorned his fingers and wrists with a gentle tug, his eyes squinted shut, his brow furrowed and twitching. When the last piece of jewelry fell into her palm, he flinched, and Vae paused, worry overtaking her curiosity.

Quickly, her hand moved to cup his cheek. "It's all right," she soothed, her thumb brushing against his skin. "You're all right."

His breathing steadied just enough for her to continue. Carefully, she removed the heavy bracer next, the worn leather scraping against the golden rim as it slid free.

"You're doing great," Vae praised as she set it down on the night stand. "We're almost there."

But when she reached for his glove, Emmrich suddenly pulled his arm away. "I'm sorry," he wheezed. "I can't."

Vae froze, her heart twisting at the anguish in his voice. His expression was one of shame, his face turning away from her. After a moment, she reached out again and guided him back.

"Emmrich," she said, her tone laden with compassion. "Look at me. Please." He hesitated, but opened his eyes to meet hers, the vulnerability in his gaze almost too much for her to bear. "I won't push you," she vowed. "But you need to know—nothing about you could ever disgust me."

He sighed deeply, shivering under the weight of his self-doubt. "The scars... they're unseemly," he warned, gripping his wrist so hard it caused Vae to wince. "It's already a miracle you want to be with an old codger like me. My body is—"

"Stop," Vae pressed, forcing a playful smirk. "You're in better shape than I am."

A weak chuckle escaped him, though it carried a deluge of sadness. For her, he was trying to push through, masking the pain beneath, but she realised the truth.

He wasn't ready.

"All right," she said, rising to her feet. "Let's get some dinner, then."

"Vae?"

"Sweetheart, I said I'm not going to push you. I never wanted to make you uncomfortable, but you clearly are." She gestured to the door without a hint of malice or disappointment. "I can wait, however long it takes. For tonight, let's forget this and have a nice—"

Before she took a step, Emmrich's hand shot out, grasping her wrist with surprising persistence. "Wait," he begged, his voice cracking.

She turned back, startled to find him glaring up at her with wide, pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry," he stammered, releasing his grip. "I do want to do this. It's just... I'm frightened it will change the way you see me."

Vae's expression softened, and she knelt before him, placing a tender hand on his knee. "Emmrich, do you really think so little of me?"

He froze, guilt flickering across his face. "What? No, of course not! I only meant—!"

His jaw clenched, the contradiction hitting him like a bolt of divine judgement. Vae was young, but she was a woman, and she had chosen to be with him—for better or worse. To assume she would leave him over his past, over some marred skin, was indeed an insult to her character.

But it wasn't true. He trusted her. However difficult, however loudly the voice in his head screamed that she'd recoil at the sight, he trusted her, and he wanted to prove it—even though he knew she'd never demand it. Slowly, he took a breath and offered his arm, the motion hesitant but resolute.

Vae gasped, staring up at him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he whispered. "I'm sure."

"All right, then. Stop me, if it's too much for you."

With the utmost care, Vae began to unbutton the long glove, her fingers working indulgently until the fabric slipped free. What lay beneath made her heart ache: a web of burn scars stretched across the top of Emmrich's hand, climbing up and around his forearm. The angry, uneven texture spoke of unimaginable pain and resilience.

"Darling..."

There were so many things she wanted to say, but as the image of an innocent boy crying out for help flashed in her mind, all she could do was stare; not with disgust, but with sorrow for the suffering he had endured.

But Emmrich misunderstood her silence, and his incessant need to fill the quiet overwhelmed him. "It got pinned under debris," he explained, his voice shaking. "Burning rubble, when I tried to clear the wreckage for my parents. I know it's hideous. I have full mobility, but the epidermis never healed quite—"

Before he could finish, Vae leaned in and pressed her lips to the top of his discoloured knuckles. The simple act silenced him, his words catching in his throat.

When she pulled back, she hugged his arm to her chest, holding it like a precious artefact. "I love you, Emmrich," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Scars and all. They're a part of you, and they make you even more beautiful in my eyes."

He whimpered, then pulled her into a tight embrace, his scarred hand cradling her head. Though his reaction was unexpected, Vae smiled and leaned into his chest, her arms wrapping around him like a vice.

"Thank you," he sobbed, his scorched fingers quivering in her hair. "Thank you, my darling."

"You silly man," she moaned, her own eyes welling with tears. "You have nothing to thank me for."

In that moment, the pain Emmrich always seemed to feel disappeared, the weight lifted. His whole life, he'd seen those gruesome marks as a reminder of his failure, but Vae saw something else entirely.

A symbol of his devotion and bravery.

[afreakingdork]

Weak Spot Donnie Ref Sheet

Y'all genuinely have no idea how happy I am right now. With many, many years of work, the Weak Spot Donatello ref sheet is finally done and @garbagemilkshake is truly one of the greatest people to ever grace this planet. I say with full honesty that WS would not have near the same visual impact without their art. Now that this treasure is finally a reality, I'm holding nothing back. Below I breakdown all kinds of detail about what you see above and all I can say before that is thank you to each and every one of you who've been kind enough to read my work! This one goes out to you!

Villain's Mark Reference Sheets:

S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. - Donatello - Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael

PREFACE TIME!

Now it may seem like way overdue from the outsider perspective, but let me tell you, I have been trying near non-stop to get this damn thing done. Interest in getting WS Donnie's ref sheet made dates all the way back to around Chapter 9ish of Weak Spot, but very technically to April of 2023. An artist was commissioned to make it and all I will say on that matter is that they decided they could not continue. Thus began my new search. There was a ton of criteria: Someone willing to make a ref sheet of this size, someone willing to associate with NSFW content, and someone willing to do mechanical props.

Unfortunately, I would fruitlessly search until eventually I had Garbage on as a chapter artist. I eventually asked if Garbage was up to it (they totally were) and we decided to test out the other turtle's ref sheets first. It may not seem like it, but a ref sheet of this size is an ENORMOUS undertaking. I seriously cannot praise Garbage enough. As you all know, the other turts ref sheets were stunning. We planned out what was needed for Donnie's and starting May 2024, work began. Garbage would routinely take time off of doing chapter art or what need be (I'm too discombobulated to remember when their vacation was). Their happiness and life takes top priority in my book and after all the time I'd spent searching for someone just to do the ref sheet, I did not mind it getting sidelined in the slightest. Garbage was doing me a huge favor after all, commission or not!

BUT WHO CARES!! WE'RE HERE AND IT'S DONE!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Let's get into it with the turnaround!

The turnaround! Finally we have the definitive collection of Donnie's scars! it was tricky and we ended up needing to label him like some anatomical model to get all the mentions in. Some scars will look a little familiar to you and other's might not, but dang, I sure did a TON of scar research. From hypertrophic (raised scars) to atrophic (scar that don't have enough scar tissue to heal and are sunken in comparison) to how sharp blades versus dull ones cut skin raise what kind of scars. I have a bunch of gorey references for all that, but I doubt anyone wants to see that. Instead let's go into inspirations and the like:

First off, in spot 4, Donnie's electrical scars!

You probably think I ripped them off from Replica or Unknown and that wouldn't be totally wrong, but it wouldn't be right. Obviously I'm a huge fan of both artists (go support their patreons), but my thoughts were always more in the camp of getting Villain Donnie from A to B. I was planning alongside a canon timeline and my thoughts were he would have definitely created himself a pair of show goggles, but there was no way, with what he went through, that those would make it to adulthood. When I considered where he was mostly likely to lose them and that I wanted him to give himself laser eye surgery (again, show accurate, he had glasses once!) that I could knock both out if he were to have damaged the goggles, rendering him deaf and needing cochlear implants.

Now spot 2, the body augmentation, reaches outside the fandom and to Megalo Box of all things!

I only watched an episode or so, but the way Joe scrapped together gear was something that stuck with me. When I was conceptualizing WS Donnie and came to the conclusion he didn't have ninpo, I thought a lot about what he would do when the others got there. The logical conclusion was turning towards his tech and Megalo Box was right there with the idea.

Donnie's body augmentation gear has not been depicted as of yet, but it absolutely looks like something out of Megalo Box. I additionally did research into other wearable tech and came across the ExoArm.

Studying their information on what nerve points and muscles needed to be hit was what helped me ultimately decide where the extraction points on Donnie's arm would be. The starbursts on Donnie's arm are where the pins for the device were forceably torn out when they 'failed' him. The lines between them are where the wires that connected pin points were similarly torn out. They created finer scars.

I want to highlight the barely seen spot 7, Neural Implant, with an extreme close up:

It may seem like just the curvature of his noggin, but it's actually Donnie's one clean scar. It was his only surgery he was truly careful with as it chanced his brain stem and spine if he messed up. Without his ninpo, he implanted a chip to coordinate with his tech more seamlessly. It's inspired by the fic Switch by unorthodoxx, which shout-out! Again, if someone comes up with a neat concept, that stuff sticks with me!

Spot 6, Mystic Chains aka where Donnie got his foot ripped off and it might not be for the reason you think. I wanted to make mention here, that you might remember the chapter art from chapter 43 of Weak Spot and that Donnie did not have a port sticking out back then. That's growth kids because it took me until after to realize that he would need something inserted to connect to a working prosthetic.

Finally, it was tough to figure out how best to depict all of Donnie's shell damage. It's reveal is such a huge moment in Weak Spot and I knew he would have what was basically insurmountable damage to have made it a specific weak spot to him (if you know what I'm saying ��) The number 8, spike holes are just that, Donnie hit some spikes. Think of him having been shut in like an iron maiden or maybe trapped by a spike wall that was reminiscent of the ones in the Maze of Death in the Minotaur Maze episode of canon.

As for spot 10, Shredder, we see this Donnie suffered for not having a bulkier battle shell. When he was attacked by shredder in this moment:

His shell took that damage directly.

The last spot I want to touch on is 9, the Odachi marks, the larger blob one is when Leo attempted to, but held back from severing Donnie's spine and the other is from Leo trimming Donnie's spines (aka from being a Spiny Softshell). I made this extremely helpful infographic to explain to Garbage at one point exactly what was trimmed off in the latter:

Moving on to outfit variants and expressions!

I hope this section is pretty self explanatory, but I did want to make a note: Donnie wears his wraps as seen in Lounge Looks around his arms and neck under all his clothing and at most hours due to his constant pain. Also, the examples of Donnie's emotions are something that only came around during Weak Spot. He hardly emoted before he met reader.

Last, But Not Least we got prop close-ups!

The prosthetic shown here is specifically Donnie's comfiest, aka the one he uses at home. I didn't bother adding any other prosthetics because his others are either shoe prosthetic (aka the shoe is fit so it directly attaches to is port) or a prosthetic that is made to perfectly replicate what his foot looks like (which visually looks like he just has his real foot). His prosthetic is actually a straight rip off of a real one!

When researching prosthetics, I found this one and it struck me as so similar to the turtle's actual feet (with the 'two toes' and heel) that I thought this had to be Donnie's prosthetic.

We get a good look at Donnie's glasses. As a reminder, the arms (temples) of Donnie's glasses attach to his head via magnets. He's got a little metal in his head from the electrical burns and cochlear implant so he made use of it when he made a facsimile of his goggles. The whole point of his glasses is they mimic the vision specs/knowledge he needs to access without them being a danger to his person. They are meant to be easily removable and they do not have lenses. The color projected in them is just that (a projection) and it only works if it's close enough to Donnie's neural implant and he wills them to be turned on.

Our final order of business is WS Donnie's battle shell! This is the first time it's ever been depicted! I always knew he was going to have a different sort of battle shell when I was created this version of Donnie. His show shell is just too bulky for what this Donnie could afford. Since he dabbled a lot of easily concealable tech, I took a lot of inspiration from Iron Man. The battle shell, as we know from Weak Spot, can grow and resize to its user. I specifically had this gif in mind whenever I thought about how the battle shell grows on one's back:

I did a ton of research into body armor itself, since that is what Donnie would specifically need it for and found this specific piece that I thought fell perfectly in line with both the Iron Man idea and utility of a realistic battle shell for this Donnie.

and that's just about everything! Again, thank you to anyone who made it this far. Thank you for reading my works! Thank you for literally everything! Round up thanks to my betas, to Garbage, to everyone dangit!

[leftoverghosts]

✩ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ · won't forget my name, not today (part one)

will you cast me to the wayside? · · ─── · boyfriend!pat x girlfriend!user x pining!art

Art has been secretly in love with you since last summer, and Patrick decides now’s the time to fix that. He drags you to Art’s guest room, revealing Art’s obsession with you through a Polaroid photo. What starts as a playful moment quickly escalates when Patrick challenges you to push your boundaries, leaving you questioning how far you’re willing to go to keep him happy.

i lose control when you're not next to me · · ─── · divorced!art x f!theonewhogotaway!user

A chance reunion with Art in your hometown grocery store sparks a new connection, leading you both to question what might have been. After years apart, tentative smiles and an old promise resurface, as you and Art realize the possibility of more than just friendship. With the weight of past regrets and the pull of unfinished business, you wonder if fate has brought you back together for a second chance at love. (you are going to have to tell art your hometown, i left that open.)

my dream maker, heartbreaker · · ─── · atlanta!art x exgirlfriend!user

You supported Tashi and Art through many key moments, but missed the shift in their relationship when your best friend got hurt. Years later, you learn that Art and Tashi are engaged. When you cross paths, Art’s regret is clear, but his bitterness surfaces when he sees her with Patrick over your shoulder. (i needed angst!!)

breakin' my heart, you make a mess of me · · ─── · nepohobo!patrick x babymama!user

You're successful and proud of your life as a mother and a self-made woman, but Patrick, your ex, still clings to his unfulfilled tennis dreams. As the reality of your past choices hits, you can’t help but feel frustrated by the only failure on your record—letting him into your life at all.

moon river, wider than a mile, crossin' in style · · ─── · rookietennisplayer!pat x gn!succubus!user

Patrick Zweig accidentally summons a succubus while playing with a Ouija board, hoping for a laugh. To his shock, the demon appears, offering him a taste of the extraordinary and a night full of temptation and danger. Pat’s disbelief quickly turns to intrigue as he faces the unexpected consequences of his curiosity. (succubus bot, but pat's version!)

cradle me so i can see if i'm doomed · · ─── · stanfordtennisplayer!rafe x f!tennisplayer!user

Rafe is captivated by strength, precision, and confidence in women, qualities he sees in you. He becomes deeply protective, drawn to your drive and the way you embody his ideals. His love for you grows all-consuming, his thoughts constantly on how to shield you from harm, wanting nothing more than to be the one who keeps you safe and close. (heavily inspired by season one, episode two of euphoria, as i tweaked the speech about nate to fit tennis!rafe.)

i lost my mind, i don't mind · · ─── · stanfordtennisplayer!rafe x f!tennisplayer!user

You hadn't wanted to come to the frat party, but like most things Rafe wants, he gets. Caught up in the heat of the moment, you find yourselves dancing in the middle of the crowd. With his jealousy bubbling to the surface, Rafe warns you about the men staring, claiming they want you. Eventually, he pulls you away to the bathroom, the tension between you both growing with each step.

i hit 200 followers on c.ai, so here's another bot drop! this is part one and mostly canon-esque in story. as always, let me know what you think. xoxo. alternate universe bots will be posted tomorrow, along with the second part of obsessed!crownprince art.🍀💚

[love-byers]

SO random but I have been wanting to say this but I dont post and want to stay anon. From an actor's (been acting for 7 years and have a literal agent) perspective I will be SHOCKED if byler isnt canon. This is because if you go to literally any byler scene ESPECIALLY in season 4 and recreate mikes facial expressions, they are all expressions that would be used when talking to the person you are in love with. Part of acting is feeling the emotion so when you replicate Mike's character in the scenes with will it is undeniable that he feels nothing but love.

i do not know much about acting but yes!! i once made a post telling people to try and recreate mike's facial expressions and take note of how they feel, or what they think could make them react that way. bc its pretty crazy if you actually try it

i dont know why milevens discredit finn's facial expressions so much as if finn isn't voluntarily controlling his facial muscles lmfao he's not just twitching

[sqh3e]

who would say i love you first in RIIZE

⊹ ࣪ ˖ most likely to least likely ! : 𑁤

riize ot7 : nonidol!riize x reader ♡ head canons !

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

most likely

sungchan :

he’s definitely not afraid to admit he loves you, imagine you two have been dating for a about 2-3 months now and you both have seen eachother at your worst and your best. he would 100% be upfront about his feelings not beating around the bush with you, telling exactly what he wants, which is you. i don’t think this would be something he plans i think it would slip out and he’d just go with it. but of course if you don’t say it back he’d press you about it, not in a serious way but more in a playful way. if you don’t feel the same way he does he would just want to know.

seunghan :

he’d also be open about his feelings towards you, it’s something he isn’t necessarily used to but for you he’ll do anything. he knows that he loves you so why wait to say it? imagine you two have been together for a month now, it would be something he planned to say like the “perfect” way to say i love you. but nothing goes according to plan which would make him visible upset throughout the date until he just eventually says it.

anton :

he would DEFINITELY say it first idk, i think one day he’d get a strong wave of confidence and just say it. i could name a thousand scenarios of how it would go and how he would say it, anton would say it and say it and say it and say it. i feel like after he officially says it any little thing you do he’ll say he loves you, i don’t think this is something he would plan out i think he’d let whatever happens happen. i imagine you both been together a few months now, you were wondering why he didn’t say it yet so you were planning on saying it but he beat you to it.

shotaro :

he’d definitely get shy saying it for the first time, i think he’ll warm up to getting more and more comfortable saying it as the days go by he knew from the first few weeks of you both dating he loves you but he felt like there was never a right time until he realized there will never be a “right time” so he just went for it. i think he would be hesitant being the one to say it first just cause he wants to know if you feel the same way and vice versa which is why he just said it, i he wouldn’t beat around the bush about his feelings he just gets flustered talking about them.

wonbin :

he’s 100% confident with his feelings but he just feels like saying “i love you” is the next step in your relationship, he wants to take the lead and say it but he’s just to shy, he would get flustered just thinking about saying it to you. no matter how much he plans and thinks about it he just can’t seem to gather the confidence to say it, it’s not his feelings it’s just him overthinking things. eventually you tell him you love him and he says it back with no hesitation, makes you think he’s been wanting to say it.

eunseok :

oh i 100000% believe eunseok would NOT hesitate to tell you he loves you, but i also believe he’d want to hear you tell him first idk i get that vibe from him, it’s really 50/50 he’d want you to say it first but he’d also let his pride over take him and he’d want to beat you to it, like he’d want you to say it first but if you actually do it he’d probably go somewhat insane. he knows you love him and vice versa, imagine you two been together for about month and he’s been ready to say the words but never do wait for you too say then then you finally do.

sohee :

sohee wouldn’t tell you he loves you first, he’d be overly shy quickly flustered. even when you tell him i feel like he’d bury his face in your neck, he’d love the affection and of course he’d say it back i don’t think he would say it back the same day or even the next day. he’d say it back though i think he’d be overwhelmed by the affection he likes it, but saying “i love you” is something he’d want to ease into. he’s sure about his feelings but he’s also doesn’t want to feel like he’s rushing something you both aren’t ready hence is why he wouldn’t say it first.

least likely:

authors notes: guys i’m in a riize drought… i miss them so much i’m finna jump AHHH. hope you all are having amazing day or night 🩷

riize taglist (open) : requests (open)

© sqh3e

[cha-melodius]

#16, Alex/Henry?

(Also requested by @firenati0n. I feel like there were two obvious options for this one: post-leaks in canon, or post-rescue mission of some kind. You can probably guess which one I chose. 😂 read all the hug ficlets)

Firstprince, 16: The “it’s okay, I’m here” hug.

Add’l note: This is more or less a tiny sequel to So Close to Something Better Left Unknown. You don’t have to have read the fic to read this ficlet, but it does contain minor spoilers for the very end of said fic.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

When Henry gave him the watch, it was half a joke and half because Henry’s in love with him and his hopeless heart latched onto the slim chance to keep an eye on him, at least from a distance. He’d expected Alex to leave it behind, or disable the tracker, or at the very least not wear it, but as far as he can tell, Alex had done none of those things. The tracker bops around the globe, giving Henry far too much information on CIA missions merely through its location. Not that Henry would ever pass on that information to his own agency, or anyone else for that matter.

That Alex trusted him not to, to keep his secrets… Well, it means a lot.

He assumed that at some point his own work would bring him within striking distance of Alex again, and he’d make use of the tracker to find him and… oh, hell, he doesn’t know. Say hello? It sounds absurd for a spy, but it’s pretty much all he could hope for. But before that happens, the tracker gets stuck for a week in a remote part of Guatemala, and Henry starts to get worried. Maybe Alex just lost the watch, or abandoned it for some reason. That’s the most reasonable explanation. Even so, Henry quietly requests recent satellite images of that area and zooms all the way in on the watch’s coordinates.

It’s a high-security compound of some sort. Not good.

He tries not to let his imagination run wild. The tracker he’d left in the watch is extremely high resolution, and he watches it occasionally move around the compound, as if someone was wearing it, though mostly it stays in one place. Alex could have traded it or gifted it as part of an operation; it was a valuable watch, after all. Still, it nags at Henry. He’s not going to be able to rest until he finds out what actually happened. The most straightforward way would be simply asking, but he has no way of contacting Alex except a burner phone he has no reason to believe Alex would be monitoring.

He sends a message anyway, but after a few days without a response, he can’t take it anymore.

It’s completely mad, he knows it is, but he makes up an excuse about tracking down a lead on a long-cold operation and books a ticket to Guatemala City. He covertly watches the outside of the compound for three days, keeping track of the men who come and go, and sends photos of them to Bea with a request to run facial recognition and not ask any questions. (She does, of course, but she doesn’t push, even when they come back with the names of some very bad people.)

Finally, once the compound’s primary resident leaves and takes with him what should be the majority of his armed muscle, Henry makes his move. The watch is still inside, and Henry follows the tracker’s signal down into the basement of an outbuilding, taking out a handful of guards with tranquilizers as he goes. The building is dark and dank, and the series of locked metal doors he finds do nothing to help the cold, hard knot that’s settled into his stomach. His hands don’t shake as he picks the lock on the one the watch is resting behind, but that careful composure slips when the door finally swings open to reveal a miserable lump curled on a thin mattress, a head of matted curls just visible through the murky darkness.

Alex flinches away when Henry first reaches out for him, scrambling into the corner, but then his eyes land on Henry and his mouth drops open. He blinks rapidly, scrubs frantically at his eyes, and blinks again.

“Henry?” he croaks in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for you, love,” Henry tells him, holding his hands out in front of him as he slowly moves closer. “I’ve come to get you.”

There’s a beat of silence, then another, then Alex surges toward him. Henry almost shies away himself, unsure of what Alex means to do, but then Alex is grabbing him and wrapping him up in a hug so tight it squeezes the air out of Henry’s lungs, and Henry can do nothing else but curl his arms around the trembling man now occupying his lap.

“It’s ok, I’m here,” he murmurs, rubbing a soothing hand down Alex’s back.

“How?” Alex chokes out. “How did you…?”

His voice trails off as he raises his left arm and looks at his own wrist, where a bit of watch strap peeks out beyond the filthy cuff of his shirt. Inexplicably, his captors had let him keep it, though that becomes more understandable when his sleeve slips further down and Henry sees how he’s smeared it with mud. The exquisite Patek Philippe now looks like a beaten up piece of junk.

“I didn’t want to lose it,” Alex says, his voice cracking over the syllables. He drops his arm and tries to bury his face in Henry’s chest. “That probably sounds dumb.”

“No, love, it doesn’t,” Henry says, holding him tighter. It’s torture to pull away, but eventually he must. “Come on,” he says, tipping Alex’s chin, now covered in a scraggly beard, up so their eyes meet. “Let’s get you out of here.”

[oh-my-wolfstar]

@wolfstarmicrofic

Jan 19, prompt: first kid

word count: 528

*swearing. also, I changed the timeline a bit, so Tonk's birth is about 3 years later than in canon.*

"She's beautiful, Andy." Remus smiled, watching his boyfriend coo over his cousin Andromida's new baby, Nymphadora. Sirius had been dying to see the infant since her birth two months ago and so he and Sirius (being the only two of the marauders who could apparate) had snuck away from a Hogsmeade weekend to visit. Now they sat in the small living room of Andy and her husband Ted's house. They both looked a bit tired, but positively glowing with joy.

Remus had never been around small children much, being an only child, but he found that he quite liked baby Dora. Although perhaps that was because he quite liked Andromeda. She had amazing taste in music and always sent Sirius the best records, which won her major points in Remus's book. But she was also the only one of Sirius's relatives who was actually decent, and thus the only one who knew about their relationship. Sirius had been so nervous to tell her, and when he finally sent the letter, he had almost broken down. Andromeda had sent a reply the next day, and she was ecstatic. Nothing could compare to the smile that split Sirius's face as he read the letter, and Remus couldn't help but adore the woman who had put it there. Remus was pulled from his happy thoughts by the sound of the baby crying. Andy swept in and scooped her from her bassinet, rocking her and making soothing noises.  Remus smiled, but when he turned back to Sirius, he found the boy standing rigid, blinking rapidly.

"I've got to go to the loo," Sirius said in a rush before disappearing into the hall. Remus caught Andy sharing a concerned look with her Ted and felt his brows draw together. After a couple minutes, it became evident to Remus that Sirius was definitely not in the loo.

"I'm gonna…" Remus trailed off, unsure of how to finish his explination. Andy just nodded, seeming to understand what he needed to do. Remus followed the hall past a sharp tun and to a back door, which was slightly open. Indeed, when he pulled the door open he found sirius sitting on the porch step, face burried in his knees. 

"Pads," Remus said gently, dropping down next to Sirius. "what is it?" Sirius looked up at him, eyes slightly red, a tear trailing down his cheek.

"She's going to be loved, Moony. That baby in there is going to be loved, and even though the world is on the brink of war shes ging to grow up knowing she's safe." Sirius whispered. Oh. Remus felt his heart crack.

"She's going to have a normal childhood, she'll get to be a kid." Sirius's voice cracked as he spoke. "She's- she's the first kid in my family who'll won't have to be a Black, or deal with any of that pureblood bullshit." Tears were running down his face anew but he was smiling. Remus pulled Sirius into a tight hug and Sirius clung to him, burying his face in Remus's shoulder. "Andy broke the cycle," Sirius whispered against Remus's skin, "Dora gets to grow up free."

[bluespiderlully]

My Hashiras - Gallery (Not canon)

Hello! I wanted to conclude my gallery series, I had fun making character sheets with Niji Journey and I decided to add eight more characters to my cast. These ones aren't to consider "canon" at all because they're too many now and this is just a matter of completeness. This is just a gallery post and nothing more, you'll probably see them again in a post with their backstories.

🌋 Enkai Ikeda (Magma Hashira)

⏳️ Obara Kazehara (Sand Hashira)

🍃 Sora Aoyama (Leaf Pillar)

🕷 Tomoe Tsumugi (Spider Hashira)

💫 Seijiro Atushi (Star Hashira)

⚗️ Isana Kurosawa (Venom Hashira)

⚱️ Kuro Hanazumi (Cinder Hashira)

💨 Reika Yamigawa (Steam Hashira) ...yeah, I wanted a Jinx looking character

As I said earlier, yes, you're probably going to see them one more time for their backstories, but I don't plan to take them extra seriously, I'm 100% sure I won't make a personal post for each one as I did with the characters I "canonically" accept in my AU. I don't know when I will post about them again but until that moment thank you for everything!🩵

Gallery: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

[wayward-stardust]

isat fanfic idea i'll probably never write:

twohats. loop wins. and actually goes through with their whole "kill siffrin and take their place" plan.

and then siffrin loops back.

(yes i know he uses up all the wish craft energy during the bigfrin fight. let me have my canon divergent au.)

cue the most complicated siffrin & loop relationship ever.

because sif knows why loop did what they did. he understands. but they also did kill him. and now they're back in the meadow they'd hoped to never see again.

and then loop just wanted things to be over and nope! the universe must be laughing at them even now! because nothing's changed! they're back here, again! except now it's definitely their fault and stardust hates them now and they ruin everything they touch, don't they and they're definitely not mentally spiraling over this at all.

and then also on top of that there's the whole matter of figuring out a way to break the loops without going through act 5. because siffrin's not going through that again.

and. it's siffrin. so just explaining everything that happened to their party isn't going to be the first option, if it's an option at all.

and are they even certain that that was the end? it's all over if you talk to her, after all, and they hadn't done that yet. how do they know that there's an escape at all?

[justallihere]

Okay, I did some laundry, I've had lunch, I've breathed fresh air and taken some deep breaths (did not touch any grass because it's covered in snow), and we're back. My wrap up thoughts of Onyx Storm are below! Be warned it's chock full of spoilers, and these are all my honest opinions. I haven't even given this a rating yet because I don't really know what I want to rate it! Nothing's really in order so sorry about that. But I look forward to hearing everyone else's thoughts!

I loved that the importance of the bond between dragon and human was emphasized so heavily in this book. That Asher called Aimsir Lilith's first love, Violet telling Tairn he's the gift of her life, that even Halden knew that the true barrier to her would be the dragon bond - and especially that when Xaden channeled again, in a way that he knew would irreversibly damn him, he did it for Sgaeyl. To keep her safe, because she chose him before and above everyone else.

I adored the Riorgail of it all. They were open and honest with each other, saying I love you practically every other breath, declaring their loyalty and devotion to each other in front of anyone who would listen. I loved that we got them as a team, facing stuff together and trusting that what they couldn't the other could handle it.

On the other hand, it may just be me but they didn't quite feel like themselves. Maybe because it was the first time we've truly seen them be public about their feelings, but they didn't feel like the same Xaden and Violet from the previous two books. Xaden felt so intense that everything he said gave me anxiety, devoted to the point of obsession. I would actually call Violet morally gray here, but it came out of nowhere; there wasn't a great transition into that change in her character, none of the hesitation or guilt I'd expect.

In short, they kind of felt like my Xaden and Violet and not canon? I loved them, but I'm not sure it matches what we know of them from FW and IF and the change in character didn't feel entirely smooth.

But Xaden IS her sword!!!!

The worldbuilding was ridiculous. Violet was dropping facts left right and center like the details of the aristocracy and politics at play were common knowledge - and maybe they are in world, but if they're that obvious then I feel like those details should've been worked into earlier books. I felt like I was floundering trying to keep up with all the new names and titles and roles.

In the same vein, the lore about magic made no sense. So only the Continent has magic but why? Was it drained from other places? Does it only occur naturally in certain areas? Dragons don't have magic that exists within them - they also draw from the source which? Hello hypocrites much? That was another thing that was said so casually, but that should've been one of those things we learned in Fourth Wing, at Threshing or right after.

There was too much happening with the plot to the point that I lost it completely. The trips to the isles were overwhelming. I know the venin and the irids were tied together, but those two things competed so much that I kept forgetting about whichever one we weren't talking about. Literally just. . . forgot about the venin there for a bit in the middle. We were looking for a cure but we were looking for Andarna's kind but we were trying to stop the venin and we were also gathering allies and making trade deals and none of those points were fleshed out completely.

The ending was vague and confusing in a way that made me frustrated instead of interested or anticipatory. I read the last two chapters three times and I still don't know what the fuck was going on there. So the Sage is. . . Fen? Is Garrick the one who also turned? Bodhi? Brennan? Ridoc? Fuck if I know. I understand the point of the marriage, to give Violet control over Tyrrendor legally, but I'm also pissed at the way it happened.

I know we don't want anyone to actually die, but I literally didn't even flinch when Mira's throat got cut open because I figured she'd be fine. There were no important deaths. Trager and Quinn didn't hit that hard. Not putting any of the main characters in significant danger makes the stakes feel lower than they should.

The fan service made me roll my eyes. I get it to a certain extent, but there were several times when I legitimately kind of felt like RY had been in fandom spaces or someone on her team was just feeding her popular theories to include.

The marked ones having second signets was. . . not my favorite choice, because logistically it doesn't make much sense. We should statistically see at least one of them go mad from the power instead of developing a second signet. And I actually think if that had been included it would have been more interesting! I'd like to see the reality of the risks that were taken to make the rebellion happen, but instead they just got really really lucky a bunch of times?

The use of the word Riorgail in print sent me to the fucking moon. No.

Violet's second signet. . . I don't want to talk about it.

Actually no I do. Since when are signets based on situational need and not who a person is at their core? Was that not what we were told previously? Am I tripping? I don't mind the power itself but I am confused.

Professor Riorson had me on the ground laughing. What the hell was that. There are enough barriers to their relationship, and that one felt too forced (but great fodder for smutty fic).

The characters and their relationships are the standout of the book and the series. I already said I loved Xaden and Violet here, but I also loved their friendships and how real especially the relationship with Brennan and Mira and Violet felt. The humor and the quips and the squad's constant support of each other was wonderful.

I'm holding onto those Sloane and Dain crumbs like a teddy bear you all have no idea. I love them.

Aaric being the one with precognition I didn't see coming, but I surprisingly liked it! I loved him stepping more into his role as prince and seeing how cunning and smart he really is.

Halden was unnecessary but I live for possessive and jealous Xaden.

Overall I think the pacing was crammed and the worldbuilding left me with more questions than answers, but did I still like it? Yes! I don't think it's my favorite in the series but it still was an enjoyable read. I'll want to read it again at some point I think, but not immediately!

[anthurak]

One uncomfortable truth a lot of CFVY novel readers don't like to confront is the fact that Vacuo is canonically an authoritarian dictatorship.

Okay, so I'll be honest. That feels like a bit of a stretch. I mean just from simple narrative logistics from what we see in the V9 Epilogue and the Beyond shorts, if Vacuo was just straight up Atlas 2.0, would it really make sense that the likes of Qrow, Oscar and Robyn Hill would apparently be working pretty well with Theodore?

That being said, I do agree with you that there ARE a lot of red flags surrounding Theodore and Vacuo as a whole.

I think what's actually being set up is something along the lines of 'Vacuo is not Atlas 2.0... YET', and 'Theodore is not Ironwood 2.0... YET'.

I think the point of Theodore as a character is that on the surface, he seems like the Headmaster who has learned from the mistakes of all the others. The one who looks at Ironwood and says 'I am NOT going to be like that!'

Yet, we have already seen a LOT of red flags that Theodore could easily become an Ironwood 2.0, and is likely already on that path. Likewise, Vacuo as a whole makes a big deal about how they are NOTHING like Atlas, even as there are red flags that they could easily become an Atlas 2.0

And a big part of Volume 10 will be our heroines working to stop that from happening.

I think the central 'big' conflict of Volume 10 is that the conflicts and problems facing Vacuo are essentially reflections and repeats of problems we've seen in previous volumes: Theodore is on his way to becoming an Ironwood 2.0. Jax has all the signs of being an Adam 2.0. And Salem's forces are looking to take advantage of these conflicts, just as they have so many times before.

Except this time, our heroines KNOW this game. At this point, Team RWBY and their friends have seen this play out before. And THIS time, they are going to STOP it.

I think Volume 10 is where we see our heroines put what they've learned from Beacon, Haven and Atlas into practice. And this time actually STOP both Salem's machinations and the conflicts that she is always trying to exploit.

Which means stopping Theodore from becoming an Ironwood 2.0, and stopping Jax from ending up like an Adam 2.0 and diffusing the conflict with the Crown, and ultimately uniting EVERYONE against their true enemy.

SALEM.

Which of course leads into Volume 11 and what I imagine is the big 'Return to Vale and Retaking Beacon' volume.

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler Evidence Every Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Day 18: Mike's Bedroom Scene . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Everyone knows this scene, everyone here LOVES this scene (or they better love it). It's so ripe for analysis in every single way, not even just for byler, but for things that happen later on in the season. I think shots like this are extremely thought out. They chose a wide angle shot to show you Mike's bedroom for a reason. They also showed you this bedroom right after seeing El's, to show the contrast between their two lives and how they view each other.

I've already talked about this contrast between their two rooms and the fact that Mike has nothing from El in his room in this post.

1. Rainbow Letter + Closet

I want to talk about something else before the glaringly obvious queer coding first: and that is the fact that El has her own stationary specific for writing Mike's notes, while it is canon that Mike just writes his letters to El on some scrap pieces of paper, showing the unequal amounts they are putting into their relationship:

Anyways, back to El's letter to Mike having literal rainbows on it. For El, this is some clear foreshadowing for her being in the rainbow room, and we can all agree on that right?

So if we can agree on that, then I think we should agree that it could also be true this is queer coding for Mike. It's the first thing you see in this scene, even before you see a shot of Mike himself. Also the fact that the next shot of the scene is Mike next to the open closet with the light on, kind of implies or foreshadows his story being tied to queerness for the rest of the season.

Having the light on in the closet is also to draw your attention toward it. I've talked before about how often in film it is to use light to mean truth, meaning this would imply that being in the closet is the truth that Mike is hiding, since a lot of this scene is taken up by the fact El's lying to him. So what does he have to hide? The set designers utilise light in this scene very carefully, which I will touch on in the later sections <3

2. Posters

This is such a famous piece of evidence that I feel like I don't really need to say anything here lmaooo, like we can see in multiple different shots that instead of having posters of literally anything else on his walls, he has posters of men. Specifically buff men (or a dragon if u wanna be pedantic guys).

This seems so on the nose that it has to be queer coding, just like the scene where Mike goes to the wrestling gym while on his search for a DND replacement for Lucas, and stuff like this has been used on many different queer coded characaters in media for a long time.

I've heard people argue that there is also a girl character in the Conan the Barbarian poster, but honestly, if you watch the film you would know why this is not a great thing to say or equate women to lmao... Basically this film does not shy away from the fact that men in this time period treated women like property so I'd be careful saying that.

If you want to go past talking about the fact this CtB poster is just a poster of a buff man, I'd say that it could symbolise Mike's need to be normal and fit into the "male role" in society that we saw in S3. To be honest, if I saw a guy with this poster, I'd.....run, girl RUN

So anyways, not only is there one poster of a buff guy, there is another. The one on the left is a poster designed by Rick Ruhman, whose other posters can be seen in the show, like in Reefer Rick's house. Buff dragon poster you'll always be famous <3

This is two instances already of Mike being associated with buff men, um, and to be honest that should be enough, but it's funny that there are two other instances of this happening in the show. Another is literally in episode 1 of S4, where Mike goes to the wrestling gym, and another is when he mentions Superman in relation to El for some reason, rather than calling her 'Supergirl' like Argyle does 10000 times.

This is a pattern, everyone. And can be compared to the fact that other male characters who were around the same age as him have posters of women surrounding them in different scenes.

In Steve's room: he was 17

In Lucas's scene with the other basketball guys: he is same age as Mike

3. His Noticeboard

thanks to @runninguplenorahills for this very good photo haha

First of all, want to establish that the lamp is placed next to this notice board on purpose, in order to draw your attention towards it, just like his closet earlier on (and later, you shall see). So you are meant to view this notice board as having little hints on it.

And there are! Not just towards his queerness. and they are pretty much confirmed to be foreshadowing for some of the plot points in S4, so other stuff in his room could also be foreshadowing , but for his queerness too.

These Garbage Pail Kids cards clearly foreshadow some events of S4. I think Heavin Steven may have something to do with Steve literally biting the head off of a demobat, which makes sense, or it could be about him randomly pouring his heart out to Nancy in the caravan. Evil Eddie obviously foreshadows that everyone thinks Eddie is the head of an evil cult and has murdered a woman, which is what's happening in the card. Live Mike is either a reference to Eddie playing his guitar later on, or it could be a reference to Mike's monologue where there are many lightning strikes at the most interesting times... Finally, Mad Max's card shows a brain being outside someone's head, foreshadowing her mind visiting Vecna's mindscape and her being braindead by the end of the season.

Also on his notice board are:

Escape Fun City: reference to California

Pizza Sticker: foreshadowing his time in the surfer boy pizza van and the pizza place.

Will's Drawings: obviously showing that he places more care in Will's drawings than El's letters which I talk about on one of my previous posts. He also still has Will's drawings in his basement.

So how is this byler evidence? Well, I really think this proves just how much thought and care went into making Mike's room foreshadow some later plot points, because the audience can hardly see what's going on here, but it still foreshadows stuff. This leads me onto....

4. The One Way Sign ;)

This one is a classic, and if you don't know this already, then I guess you must be new here hello

I just want you guys to think for a second about the intentionality of this. And I want you to imagine people setting up his room for filming. Because it wasn't just created out of nowhere, people genuinely thought about each decision. Imagine this just being written off as a coincidence, because let's lay out some facts here:

A light has been set up in Mike's closet

That light has been pointed so that it is a beam towards Mike

The closet door has been opened for no practical reason

A one way sign has been ordered, put on the wall in this specific spot.

A one way sign does not foreshadow any other plot points in S4.

I am baffled when I talk to people and they don't think this type of stuff is intentional. It's a blink and you miss it hint, yes, but those types of hints are supposed to be subtle so that when you look back on them, they make a lot of sense.

Overall, this shot of Mike's room is the perfect introduction to his character this season and makes the most sense. There is no other way that he could have been introduced in S4, in my opinion. It's subtlety is only for people who care enough to look, but it heavily queercodes him nonetheless. Just because they're small, doesn't mean they are insignificant.

[doodler16]

Hi!

I'm working my way backwards through the critical tag + major fandom discourse events and especially through Viv's comments/endless word of god/public meltdowns and I had two questions

Is she addicted to correcting/avoiding further controversy? I saw that at one point she clarified Barbie's drug lacky in HB wasn't underage which is an insanely specific thing to speak out about even in the current overall fandom climate? So many things I keep reading have little "Word of God/said outside canon" tags on them like jesus

What are the major like "she needs to log off" moments? I know Poison being leaked was a big one, I wasn't even watching either show and I saw that first hand. I also remember the 2024 Vday merch wank but I don't think she commented on that.

Thanks in advance, I'll keep back reading too I'm just curious about specific things like how she mostly left Twitter after Posion leaks

1. Vivziepop, like most people is addicted to Twitter. Nothing wrong with her using Twitter as it’s the main social media platform that most people use to get their information, connect with fans, and update their followers, etc.

Yes, Vivziepop is addicted to correcting a lot on Twitter whether it’s Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss. For example, she clarified that Mimzy isn’t a Jewish stereotype but based loosely off a chicken.

Sometimes, it would be beyond that and she would info dump instead of putting the information into her show. For example: Vivziepop made a thread about Millie, how’s she more than Moxxie’s wife, and how there is more fun stuff coming for her, etc, etc, blah, blah. Or Vivziepop saying that Satan was lying on Twitter.

Vivziepop sucks at avoiding controversy, for the most part there is drama in both Hazbin and Helluva.

2. Vivziepop’s major log off moments (off the top my head):

- Angel Dust’s leaked mini poison sequence. On Instagram Threads and Twitter she was arguing with a bunch of SA victims.

- Limus situation where Vivziepop comments how uncomfortable she is with Limus’ actions

- “I am Caine, I am your bitch” (aka people making fun of Vivziepop shows; more specifically the swearing/(insert show if it was written by Vivziepop)

- Hazbin Hotel season 2 leaks ( One of the few times, I wished Vivziepop stopped using Twitter)

- Anything involving Valentino & Joel

- Vivziepop & Lackadaisy donating drama

- Scott Cawthon (I don’t know the full context but I do remember seeing images of it backfiring hard for Vivziepop)

I was going to add a few more but I assume you want ones that are super recognizable.

[more-than-tender-curiosity]

There’s nothing better than thinking of Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby’s different accents slipping out at the oddest times. Nick is new to New York so he’s prone to slipping more than Jay Gatsby but he makes a commendable effort to hide it when he moves to New York and it only slips when he’s exhausted or emotional. Jay Gatsby’s would probably only slip if he was drunk. But not tipsy, I’m talking like ‘I’m gonna forget this in the morning’ drunk.

I am of the opinion that regardless of the time period, Jay speaks with a pretty startling trans-atlantic accent that he gained partially On Purpose from Oxford and partially because he spends a lot of time with Meyer on Broadway with the actors of the shows he’s producing (as a denizen of Broadway). He thinks it makes him sound Old Money. Vaguely European. Absurd Formality. That sort of thing.

It’s not so immediately startling in canon era, but he still does it in any of my modern aus, which I imagine is jarring for anyone who meets him. Except for nick of course who’s like 🥺🥺🥺 Hes so Quirky And Misunderstood ♥️♥️♥️

It’s fucking ridiculous.

And there are times where Jay will slip up a little. Say behg instead of bag. Or ope instead of Oh Dear. And he prays nobody notices.

Except.

Nick…knows where the Off button is.

He can get Jay to not only drop the fucking façade but blurt out just about any heinous curse I’m sure was made available to him in the fishing camps or aboard the Tuolomee or in the trenches.

And that’s all I’m going to say about that. Little secret between neighbors.

As for Nick, I think his family is mostly older and he spent more time with them than he really wants to think about, so even if the younger folks don’t tend to carry such a strong accent as the earlier generations, he still sounds like a Fargo extra. And he has no idea.

Not a fucking clue. Even the New Haven cunts and his fellow troops neglected to mention it to him.

So imagine nick’s stress when he arrives in New York and people start snickering with the first “You betcha”. “Oh no yah fer sher” gets him some strange looks. He asks for a bag at the grocery store and the clerk snickers and asks “a behg?” And nicks like “yah” and the clerk’s like “that’s five cents per bag” and nick says “oh no that’s too spendy but thanks” and rushes out before he can incriminate himself as Thee Midwesterner any further. Making sure, of course, to “lemme just sneak right past ya real quick” at the person who’d been waiting behind him in line.

It’s a harrowing experience for everyone involved. And I like to picture Chester McKee teaching Nick how to New York properly. For hours and hours and hours…