#Little Shamrock bar

[ezrajstanley]

Little Shamrock history

[signalstatic]

maybe im redoing my sunny gem au a little. just a smidgen.

lore details below the cut. warning im autistic. i will surely make more

The Gang is a group of Homeworld gems who found themselves settling in Empire City after the war is over and Earth & Homeworld have unified. They own and operate a bar for humans and torment the surrounding cityfolk.

Shamrock Spinel was made to cheer up a neurotic aristocratic Gem (based on Bonnie,) who's companion was shattered in the fight for Earth and she quickly became dependent on him for stability. The moment things shifted on Homeworld & all the subordinate Gems were liberated he ran away to Earth without a second thought despite having no real experience or knowledge about the planet prior.

Panther Jasper never self identifies by his full name anymore because he finds Earth connotations with the color pink to be embarassing. He was also never on Earth during the war but he chooses to wear Crystal Gem insignias so he can steal valor & brag to humans about saving their planet.

Gold & Yellow were made in the same batch, but their Diamond (based on Barbara...) named them seperately because she considers Yellow to be a disappointment and a mistake. They both make the largest effort among the group to pass as human and hate their Gem heritage.

Purple Agate was made early in Pink Diamond's rule to run her army. His defects had him set to be shattered, but Pink found him so amusing she fought to keep him intact, and he was instead sent to watch over a weapons manufacturing facility. His aggressive personality outsizes him physically and he never had a problem maintaining his status, despite his "quirks."

[gardens-light]

Finding Peace

Taking shelter in an abandoned petrol station, tension builds between you and your family. As blame and arguments raise- not like you didn't feel guilty enough already. You didn't ask for this- any of this! You just wanted to help Optimus. And it's not like the Autobot leader didn't have problems of his own. Being hunted down by humans for reasons yet unknown was bad enough- but ignoring the yearning of his Spark has slowly become problematic. Occasionally shaking his helm attempting to get you out of his processors, trying to convince himself that a 'Sparkmate' was nothing but a romancide idea that the younger bots came up with. Or is it?...

Content: Minor coarse language. Event's take part in Transformers- Age of Extinction. (Leading to major spoilers in Part 4.) Optimus x Human F/Reader. Fluff. (Reader insert.)

Sparkmate Series- Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5

"Well... on the bright side." Tessa's voice lowly spoke, while sitting upon a dusty bar. Playing with some fairy lights. "You two have finally met.."

"Where's he from?"

"I told you. He's a driver from Texas."

"Texas?" Cade scoffed at Tessa's words. "Where? Dublin, Texas? Shamrock, Texas? So why does he sound like a leprechaun?"

Shane's brows knitted together, as he leaned against the bar. "You'd get your ass kicked in Ireland for saying that."

"Well we're not in Ireland, Lucky Charms. We're in Texas." Cade's attention turned back onto Tessa. "So he drives? What's that supposed to mean? Like he drives for a living?"

"Yeah... at least he makes a living."

Tessa's words caused Cade to fall silent. His eyes flickering up to you, frowning as you tried to avoid him.

"How old are you?" Cade challenged, approaching Shane.

"Twenty."

"And my daughter is seventeen. So as far as I'm concerned, this can go two ways." Cade leaned on the other side of the bar, glaring at Shane. "One, I punch you in the mouth right here, right now. And you call the police on me."

"Dad!-"

"Or two. I just call the cops on you because this is illegal. She's a minor!"

Steady... Steady... your thoughts wandered, while trying to focus on making a 'house of cards' out of beer coasters.

"We're protected by the 'Romeo and Juliet laws'-"

"We dated for a little while." Tessa explained, cutting Shane off. "I was a sophomore, and he was a senior. It's fine."

"We've got a pre-existing juvenile foundational relationship. Statute 2705-3." Shane took out his wallet, showing Cade the small card stating the law. "We're above board."

Cade sighed, "Romeo and Juliet, huh? Do you know how they ended up?"

Just... one more coaster...

"In love-"

"Dead." Cade turned to you. "And you, Y/N?"

Shit...

An unamused expression fell across your features as the coasters came tumbling down.

"Don't look at me like that, young lady. How long have you known about this?"

Cade rubbed his temples as you silently responded with a small shrug. "Well tell me. Days? Weeks?-"

"Months."

"Months...? And you didn't think that I would of wanted to know about this?-"

"Dad. Tessa is a full grown ass adult." You groaned. "She's capable of learning from a mistake or two."

"I trusted you. Both of you-"

"To what?" Tessa butted in. "Never have fun. Take a risk. Be a normal teenager like you?"

"I am your father, okay!" Cade firmly spoke, turning his attention onto Tessa. "And I've been busting my ass to take care of you and your sister!-"

"Oh so is that why I'm busting a gut trying to juggle two jobs?" You scoffed. "And here I thought, I'm the one who took care of this family."

"Is that what you were doing when you continued working on that damn truck?" Tessa spoke to you. A frown forming upon her lips, "all you had to do was report it.-"

"You know I couldn't do that-"

"And now we're forced into hiding. And my life is over! So 'thank you', Sis. You've taken 'real good' care us-"

"None of this would of happened! If you just kept your fucking mouth shut!-"

"Don't talk to your sister like that!" Cade stepped in.

"Sure Dad. Take her side... you always do."

"Y/N-"

"Look! I get it!" you raised onto your feet. "I know I'm 'the disappointment', 'the let down'-"

"Sweetie, I've never said that-"

Your eyes wandered over your dad's disappointed expression. "You didn't had to..."

---

Sitting upon the petrol stations' roof, the gentle breeze of the cool night air felt refreshing against your skin. Soft chirping of crickets eased your headache, your eyes gazing out into the dark empty road. The sound of small grunts and sighs caught your attention, briefly gazing over your shoulder. Rolling your eyes, once seeing Tessa struggling to climb the ladder with a mug in hand.

"What do you want?" you sighed, turning your attention back onto the road ahead.

"I thought- ouch!- that you could do with a hot drink."

The sound of the metal roofing warping and creaking, under Tessa's feet suddenly felt loud. As she approached you, taking a sit upon the roof's edge, leaving a small gap between you.

"I made your favourite." She kindly spoke, handing you the hot beverage. "I couldn't make it exactly to your liking, but it's the thought that counts. Right?"

Her weak smile faded as you remained silent. Speechlessly accepting the mug from her and holding it in your hands.

"You're not a disappointment." Tessa spoke after a brief hesitation. "For if it wasn't for you, we would of lost our home ages ago."

Tessa bit her lip before continuing, "I... did tell a friend about the truck. B-But I honestly didn't think he would believe me! If I knew- I wouldn't of..."

Your side glance caused her voice to trail off into silence.

"Well... what I'm trying to say... is that I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Sipping the hot beverage, feeling the gentle warmth fill you inside. Tessa followed your gaze, a small smile returning to her lips.

"You're worried about him. Aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes." Tessa teased. "Like a lovesick girl."

You returned her smile, playfully pushing her away. "Oh shut up. You're talking nonsense, I'm just concerned about him. That's all."

"Uh-huh?" Tessa raised an eyebrow. Seeing a glimpse of you trying to hide a shy smile behind the mug.

"So... What's Dad doing?" you asked, trying to change the subject.

"Playing with some drone that he stole from the one of the guys. Dad's convinced that they would of truly killed us."

Tessa's heart sank as she watched you pull your legs close to your chest, hugging your knees a little while resting your mug against them.

"B-But that's just Dad's crazy thought." Tessa's guilt weighed on her heart a little more. Starting to wish she never said anything.

"Everything would of been fine, if only I watched what I was saying." You buried your head, resting your forehead against your knees and hiding your face. "I-If I didn't panic..."

"Shhh. Shhh." Tessa cooed, closing the gap between you. Placing her arm around your shoulders and resting her head against yours. "It's not your fault. You have a big heart, Y/N. Never be ashamed of that."

She gently pulled away, cupping your tearstained face and making you face her. "You are a rare treasure, and that Transformer better know that."

Finally smiling through your tears, Tessa rested her forehead against yours. The sound of a horn blaring in the distance broke the silence, while bright headlights burned the darkness away. You quickly raised onto your feet, causing Tessa to catch the falling mug while the hot beverage spilled onto the ground below.

You placed both hands against your chest, while gazing at the oncoming truck. Feeling it flutter with joy, as the sound of a faminular engine came to your ears.

Tessa rose onto her feet, giving you one last soft glance before leaving. A knowing smile forming upon her lips. You've got it bad...

Optimus carefully reduced his speed, as he walked out of his altmode. Trying to slow the pulsing rhythm of his spark as he approached you. Being mindful of each step he took, so it didn't appear like he was in a rush to be beside you again.

"Optimus..." your voice was low. Trying to hide the excitement within your tone.

"My deepest sympathies for your home." His soothing tone washed away the doubt and worries, that had been building up inside you. "And for leaving you so promptly. But I had to confirm we weren't followed."

You speechlessly nodded, trying to hold a relaxed expression as your eyes took in the sight of him.

Oh my...

Rust and dirt no longer coated his exterior, instead deep blue metal plates framed his chrome fisque, like pieces of armour. Your heart skipping a beat as your eyes wandered over him, taking in every detail of his broad shoulders and strong biceps.

Red flames danced across the gauntlets, but it was his torso you couldn't look away from. Your cheeks matched the warmth of Optimus' spark, as you gazed at his chest plate. Hands clutching onto your shirt, stopping the urge to reach out and run your fingertips over his toned form. Knowing that your touch wouldn't just stopped at that chromed waist of his.

"Loving the upgrade." Forcing the words out of your mouth, after swallowing your nerves.

Optimus got down on one knee, as you edged a little closer to the side of the roof. His blue optics studied you for a moment.

"You've been crying..."

Something inside him ached a little, as you temporarily turned away from him.

"It's nothing." You assured, brushing the dried tears off your cheeks. "I've just been... a little worried that's all."

"And I admittedly have been concerned about you."

That little sentence erupted butterflies in your stomach. Simply gazing up at him with wondering eyes.

How the stars sparkled in your eyes almost caused Optimus to choke on his own breath. Warmth begun to build beneath his metal plates, as his yearning spark called out for you.

His head tilted slightly as his scanners picked up something. Your body froze as he slightly hesitated before reaching out to you. Optimus' servo curled into a relaxed fist, your eyes peering down at it as he gently placed the knuckle of his index digit under your chin. While his thumb rested against your cheek.

His spark skipped a beat as a loving sigh slipped out of your mouth. Enjoying the cool touch of his metal against your soft skin.

Optimus carefully turned your head from side to side, studying your features. His scanners picking up the bruise that begun to form upon the bridge of your nose.

"That bastard hurt you." The small underlying anger within his tone caught you off guard. "I promise... I'll make him pay for what he's done to you."

"Optimus." You cooed, placing your hand on the back of his servo. Bringing it to the side of your face, resting your head against his digits.

His fans tried to push the warm air out of Optimus' vents, as the heat beneath his plates begun to build. His spark aching with a yearn he could no longer deny.

Closer... The word played on his processors. Causing him to fully kneel against the concrete ground, leaning in a little more.

Your loving eyes met the soft glow of his optics, as his servo slowly trailed down towards your waist. His thumb tracing the curves of your thighs, hips and waist.

The butterflies in your stomach tangled your nerves, your heart fluttering against your chest as a small gasp slipped from your lips. Eyes lingering over his features before closing, as you rested a hand against his chest plate.

As your heart matched the beat of Optimus' spark, syncing in harmony. A beautiful glow enveloped the pair of you, creating a warmth that made you almost forget about the world, as your lips ghosted over one another.

"Mr. Leader of the Free Galaxy is back!" an unknown mechanical voice caused you to quickly jump away from Optimus. "I knew you'd make it! I never doubted."

Crosshairs... Optimus' processors sighed. Trying to hide his disappointed expression as the leader faced his joyful Autobots. The sound of their roaring engines calming, before stepping out of their altmodes.

"We've got your warning." Drift greeted, "we've been waiting."

"Hell yeah! Boom time!" Hound cheered. "We've got the gang back together."

Drift tilted his head to the side, as his blue optics switched between you and Optimus. Smiling to himself as his processors picked up, the afterglow that slowly faded from the pair of you.

Optimus cleared his throat before speaking, "Autobots. The humans have asked us to play by their rules. Well... those rules have just changed."

"Humans, bunch of backstabbing weasels." Hound groaned, causing the ground to shake as he disarmed. Throwing heavy weaponries onto the floor.

"Hound, find your inner compass. Loyalty is nothing but a flower in the winds of fear and temptation."

Hound raised a brow at Drift's wise tone, "what the hell are you saying?"

The blue Autobot smiled, "it's a haiku-"

"Cut the crap! Before I drop a grenade down your throat."

You backed away from the edge of the roof, as Drift unsheathed his swords. "Try it" he challenged, "you'll be dead."

"Oh please do it." Hound taunted. "I wanna see you do it."

"You know what?" Bumblebee's radio buzzed, "it save us so much time."

Optimus gave you an unimpressed expression, as you gazed up at him, raising an eyebrow. A small chuckle left you as he speechlessly gestured to his Autobots. As to say, 'look what I have to put up with.'

"Well raise your hand, if you're thoroughly disenchanted with our little 'Earth vacation.'" Crosshairs spoke, while circling the petrol station. His green optics studying you, "so who's the spy?"

"Whoa! Whoa! Put those things away!" you yelped as Hound and Crosshairs immediately withdraw their guns, and pointing them at you.

"Stop, Hound! Both of you!" Optimus commanded, stepping in front of the building.

Both Autobots gave their leader a puzzled expression, as he continued. "Y/N, risked her life for mine. We owe her..."

Drift gave Bumblebee a playful nudge, discreetly pointing at you and Optimus. While Hound and Crosshairs briefly looked at one another, and turning their attention back onto their leader. Watching him stepping aside, and silently encouraging you to return to the roof's edge.

"Has there been... any sign of the others?" Optimus asked.

"No..." Hound sighed, withdrawing his weapon and settling himself upon the ground. "We're all that's left."

"They're picking us off, one by one!" Crosshairs explained.

"We're the pathetic, dirty foursome." Hound joked, "and you make five."

"Is this our best-case scenario?" Shane's teasing voice questioned you. Your eyes gazed at him, watching the Irishman climb onto the roof. "Autobot witness protection?"

"Hey Lucky Charms." you spoke, placing a hand upon your hips. "You're welcome to leave at anytime."

"Well, for the record, Super Sister. I'm not hiding with you." Shane gestured towards Optimus, "I'm hiding out with that big guy."

Tessa and Cade followed Shane's lead, as the three of them approached your side. All looking at the Autobots and they chatted among themselves.

"Sensei, with your fate unknown Bumblebee has held command." Drift's optics gazed at the yellow scout.

Bee fist bumped the air, while Drift rolled his optics. "Despite his complete and total lack of anything resembling warrior discipline."

An annoyed whirl weeze out of Bumblebee, as his optics narrowed on his comrade.

"He's like a child-"

"This 'child' is about to kick your ass!" Bee's radio buzzed. Landing the first hit against Drift's helm.

"Cage fight." Hound whispered to you, slightly leaning against the petrol stations' roof.

"What's the matter with them?" Tessa lowly asked, reaching out for your hand.

"They're on edge." You briefly explained, allowing her hand to slip into yours. "Who could blame them? They're being hunted."

"Am I the only one who sees through this puppy-dog act of yours?" Drift taunted Bee, while holding him in a headlock. "It's beneath you."

"Yes, I've been waiting for them all to dispatch each other." Crosshairs cheered. His servos gently clapping, "so I could take charge with no trouble at all. Just me. Reporting to me."

"Well, it sure looks like you've been missed." You said to Optimus.

"Autobots, humans are hunting us down. We need to know why."

"Listen..." Cade spoke, stepping towards Optimus. "I don't know why, but I might have an idea about who..."

---

"This drone I stole recorded footage of an Autobot raid." Cade explained.

You placed an affectionate hand upon Optimus' knee, as he sat cross-legged upon the floor. His servo clenching into a fist, as the dragonfly-like drone projected the video footage.

"It's in pieces, but watch what happens here." Cade pointed out, "they ripping them apart."

"That's Leadfoot." Hound spoke, as he placed a part of his helm over his spark. Feeling the saddened energy sink within his chest plates. "Savages."

"And later, this truck comes to haul him off to K.S.I. Kinetic Solutions." Cade continued. "They're creating defenses, aerospace, government contracts. They designed this drone."

"So these government guys are hunting you down, and then passing you of to this K.S.I?" Shane questioned.

"Do you know anything else?" Optimus asked.

"Only that their company headquarters is in Chicago." Cade spoke.

Perhaps... There's a chance of the Autobots being taken there. You thought.

"No way to get inside without a battle." Hound thought out loud.

"What if you had some human help?" everyone looked at you.

"Sweetie, no." Cade protested. "Besides, what are you two partners now?"

"Dad, we're targets now too." You spoke, feeling his worried stare on you. "We need to know why, or we'll never get our lives back."

"Y/N. You have done more than any of us could've asked for." Optimus kindly spoke. "I do not-"

"I'm coming." You gently argued. Seeing Tessa's encouraging smile from the corner of your eye.

"It's going to be dangerous." Drift warned, as he lend towards you.

The blue Autobot stiffed as you placed a comforting hand upon his knee. Giving him a warm smile, "you're important Optimus. Therefore, you're important to me.

A suttle warmth radiated from underneath Drift's metal plates.

"Autobots." Optimus spoke, as he raised onto his feet. "I have sworn to never kill humans."

"Big mistake." Hound mumbled

"But when I find out who's behind this. He's going to die..."

Tag List

@ursamajor17

@crowleysthings

[c00kietin]

It's the 17th of March, so y'know what that means-

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you all! I know the majority of you probably don't celebrate, which is fair, BUT I decided I wanted to talk a little more about the country I was born and raised in- the Emerald Isles of Ireland!! :D

If you're just here for the art, well here ya go! However, if you want to learn more in a VERY long post:

Just to start off, here's the Irish flag and the Ivory Coast flag! Wanted to add this because they can get easily mixed up (I got them muddled up a LOT when I was younger-)

Since it is Saint Patrick's Day, I should probably elaborate what that's about- what I've been taught in school is that Saint Patrick preached the Gospel to the Irish, one method including the shamrock to represent the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Of course, and the whole "he drove the snakes out of Ireland" but don't worry. There are still snakes in Ireland. And I'm pretty sure "snakes" is a metaphor anyway. And, turns out, he wasn't even originally from Ireland- he was British! Oh yeah, and he was kidnapped by pirates to become a slave when he was a teenager for 6 year s -

Here are some stereotypes or the first things that pop into your mind when you think of "Ireland"- leprechauns, short gingers, "Top of the mornin' to ya" and our love for spuds and beer. And, to tell you some stuff about them too!

Leprechauns originally wore red! They pop up in fairy tales quite often too.

Ireland is second when it comes to having the highest percentage of gingers with 10%, with Scotland having 13%. As for being short, I reassure you, there are plenty of tall and/or lanky people around. (A lot of my teachers are like this-)

I've heard no one say this as a greeting. The only Irish person I can think of who does is Jacksepticeye. You might be more likely to hear "How's it going?" or "What's the crack?"

As for loving beer, we are one of the highest consumers for it, but there are many other higher consumers! Also, I don't know if this is a thing in America or not, but we tend to call them pubs. Bars are a bit more...fancy? I don't know how to describe the difference.

And for loving potatoes? Okay. This is probably true lol. Almost everyone I know likes potatoes (with some exceptions). And, of course, who can forget the Great Famine when blight destroyed the potato crop and killed around a million people- spuds were a huge source of food back then.

And now, for language! Here are some I'm used to hearing quite regularly (and use often, too!)

Another two that I want to add are more Cork exclusive, but saying "boy/girl" at the end of sentences and using "like" a lot is quite common (especially the like one- I say "like" all the time ;v;).

And now, Irish itself! Now, I'm not going to tell you anything major (I'm not a teacher) but I will try my best to explain a little!

Irish is not the main language of Ireland but in some particular areas (shown in the right image) there are regions called Gaeltacht districts which predominantly speak Irish. Their Irish would be a lot better than my school-knowledge based Irish :'D Another thing to add is that different provinces (the provinces shown in the middle image) have different versions, or pronunciations of some words. Being from the province of Munster, I've been taught the "Munster" pronunciations and words.

So..."Tá mé éan sásta" would mean "I am a happy bird" :D

I apologise for how messy my writing looks-

OKAY. ONE MORE THING I WANTED TO COVER IN THE IRISH LANGUAGE IS THE NAMES, because I've seen plenty of people online and in real life joking lightheartedly how hard Irish names are pronounced. So here are some Irish names!!

Saoirse - this one is brought up quite a bit- It can either be pronounced as "seer-sha" or "sair-sha"!

Róisín - "roh-sheen" !

Eoin - even I had a hard time pronouncing this when I was younger- it's pronounced as "owe-in" like "owing" but without the g!

Fódhla - I remember this appeared in the newspaper once and a family member was baffled by it- it's said as "foh-la" :]

Another I want to mention is Eilish- you probably know it thanks to Billie Eilish, which is pronounced as "eye-lish"- but it can also be pronounced as "eye-leesh"!

Last one, Sinéad- you may have seen this one once or twice as is pronounced "shin-aid" :D

And now, some more quick stuff!!

Musicians from Ireland!!

On the left you have Hozier (love his music!! :D) and the right is the Cranberries!!

Some other Irish artists you may be familiar with are U2, Thin Lizzy, Westlife and Sinéad O' Connor!

Some popular Irish snacks!!

crisps/chips!! (I love em both dearly)

of course, how can I not bring up Irish bread: soda bread and blaas :D

Hot chicken rolls!! (seriously how are these not more popular elsewhere-) and spice bags!! (chips with spices, peppers. maybe chicken)

Animal wise, we haven't got anything too crazy, but we do have one of the largest breeds of dog, the Irish greyhound and the now extinct largest deer, the elk.

I think I'm beginning to run low on space, so I'll end it there!! If you're also Irish, free to add on facts/words!!

I don't usually say this but I would kinda appreciate reblogs since I felt like I put a bit more effort into this ;v;

So uh, yeah- Happy Saint Patrick's Day!! :D

[slutforsilverfoxes]

What Happens In New York... The Remix

In which Aaron & Sean’s bff meeting for the first time gets ✨reimagined✨ (essentially an AU with a different meet cute)

“Yo, Hotch!” The blonde popped his head around the corner to peek into the break room where you were perched on a stool and hunched over the table, tongue peeking out between your lips while you concentrated on the project laid out before you. “Come take a look at this.” You flipped your design around with a flourish and a quiet, “Ta da!,” revealing the name of the bar where you worked, The Edinburgh, in sprawling cursive writing with a shamrock dotting the “i”.

“Kid.” Sean clicked his teeth with a shake of his head before declaring, “Your talents are wasted here. This looks amazing!”

“We’re not that old,” you laughed. “Art school is still in the cards for me, don’t you worry your pretty head.”

“She thinks I’m pretty,” he cooed to no one in particular, then chucked your chin affectionately while you fought to grab a hold of his wrist before biting down on his hand.

“And you taste good, too,” you hummed. “Spill some Jameson on yourself?”

“Shut up and go man the bar, Y/L/N.” You shied away from Sean’s pinching fingers, then slung a towel over your shoulder and followed the din of patrons in the bar to your section. It was a relatively slow Wednesday night for a New York summer, but you weren’t bothered by the unhurried pace. In between serving craft beers and specialty mixed drinks, you busied yourself polishing the wood paneling along the cabinetry and ensuring all bottle labels were facing outward for ease of customer selection. With that task completed, you resigned yourself to peeling a lemon into artful shapes while you waited for another patron to approach your end of the bar.

“Penny for your thoughts?” A honeyed voice carried confidently over the steady drone of bar chats, and you looked up with a smile. Everything about the man before you screamed professional, from the dark locks swept off his forehead to his sharp suit and tie to the placement of his clasped hands on the bar with a thick silver watch adorning his left wrist. There was a certain stoicism about him that was undeniably intriguing, and you could sense a sadness behind the warmth in his chocolate brown eyes. A shot of adrenaline coursed through you as you held his gaze, and you wanted nothing more than for him to open up to you.

“He loves me not,” you joked, tossing the lemon rind that you were forming into a rose aside. Leaning on your elbows on the bar top, you tilted your head back and forth while studying him. “Scotch on the rocks?”

He breathed out a laugh and conceded, “I wasn’t planning on it, but that actually sounds great.”

“Got it in one,” you sang playfully, back turned while you poured the beverage. You could feel his intense gaze roving over your form, and you suppressed the shiver threatening to run down your spine. You placed a napkin down before him with a flourish, then presented his drink. “Now, how about a penny for your thoughts?”

He clicked his teeth and shook his head in a suspiciously familiar way before asserting, “Nobody wants to take a peek in here,” with a tap to his temple.

“I do,” you answered genuinely. “That’s why I love this job. You can tell me whatever’s on your mind, judgment free.” As you swept a stray ice cube off the bar, you tacked on, “Unless you tell me you’re a serial killer, of course. Then I think I’m obligated to report you, at least in most states.”

He leaned in conspiratorially and you met him halfway. “You’re a little too good at this,” he confided in a whisper.

You let out a mock gasp and questioned in an equally hushed tone, “So you are a serial killer?”

He shook his head with a small smile. “I hunt them.” The simple statement accompanied by the flash of defiance in his eyes sent a bolt of heat through your body that you didn’t care to unpack at this time. Instead, you directed the conversation back to him.

“Detective?”

“Agent.”

That sense of familiarity from earlier hit you like a ton of bricks. “Don’t tell me you’re big brother Hotchner.”

He laughed at the incredulous lilt to your statement and admitted, “Guilty as charged. So you know Sean, then?”

“More intimately than I care to admit on days that end in ‘y’,” you huffed through a smile.

“Girlfriend?”

“Best friend,” you corrected him pointedly, then carried on, “Roommate. Therapist. Personal chef. The list of my many talents goes on.” You offered him your hand to shake and formally introduced yourself, receiving a polite, “Aaron,” in response with a smile that stole the very breath from your lungs. His palm was surprisingly soft in opposition to his firm grip, and you reluctantly retracted your hand after a prolonged moment. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course,” he answered seriously after a mouthful of scotch. “Brother-brother’s best friend slash roommate slash therapist slash other miscellaneous job title confidentiality is sacred.” You snorted out a laugh and immediately slapped a hand over your mouth at the ridiculous sound, covering it up with a poorly faked cough. Aaron, for his part, was kind enough to studiously avoid eye contact with you while he smiled down at the bar. “So that secret?” he prodded gently.

“You’re not nearly as boring as Sean makes you out to be.”

Aaron threw his head back in a laugh that warmed you from the inside out, and you committed the ebullient sound to memory, determined to hear it again.

A pinch at your side had you squealing out an indignant, “Hotch!” You noticed Aaron’s eyebrows raising at the nickname before you directed your attention (and a swatting of your towel) to the younger Hotchner brother, then pressed a kiss to his bearded cheek.

“I see you two have met,” Sean noted in a carefully measured tone, his hand resting possessively on your hip.

“We have,” Aaron answered just as evenly, raising his glass to his lips again as the temperature in the bar dropped several degrees.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence, Aaron? Got a case in town, or did you just want to remind me I’m still not living up to the Hotchner name?” The genuine nature of your best friend’s question was poorly masked by his usual sarcastic cadence.

The brunette’s visage pulled into a frown for the first time since he entered the bar, and you immediately missed his easygoing smile. “He came to see me, dummy,” you asserted with an elbow to Sean’s side, breaking the tension as the brothers released a collective breath. “And blondie, we’re gonna have to work on your descriptive skills. You did not do your big brother justice.”

“And that,” you declare in the present, swiping an experimental coat of plum-colored nail polish over your daughter’s thumbnail before shaking your head with a frown and grabbing the remover, “is how your badass mom singlehandedly saved the integrity of the Hotchner family. The power of humor!”

“Sounds like the power of flirting,” your mini-me counters with a wicked grin reminiscent of her beloved uncle while you hunt through the basket of mani/pedi essentials for a more suitable shade.

“Nah,” your husband further contests from his spot on the couch, head buried in a case file and reading glasses dangerously close to sliding off the bridge of his nose. “Your mom wasn’t a great flirt. She would just snort-laugh at my jokes until I figured out she liked me.”

“You mean this twerp inherited that from Mom?” Jack lovingly ruffles his little sister’s hair on his way back from the kitchen and she barks at him in response, unable to retaliate physically while you’re working on her hands. “You’re so fucking weird sometimes.”

“Watch your fucking language,” you admonish your seventeen-year-old. “Is this purple better?”

Aaron and your kids look up for precisely one second before answering in unison. “Too light.”

“Y’all are a pain in my ass,” you declare with a grumble, giving up on shuffling through the bottles of lacquer in favor of upturning the entire basket on the living room floor.

Your husband stands with a groan and comes over to press a kiss to your forehead, then your daughter’s, before placing Purple with a Purpose in your awaiting palm. “That’s what you get for singlehandedly saving the integrity of the Hotchner family.”

__________

[A/N: Y'all seemed to really enjoy What Happens In New York, so I thought exploring a different meeting would be fun :) I think we can all agree that CM did the Hotchner brothers dirty so I shall continue to live in my world where they amend their relationship as adults thank u very much]

AH tags 🖤 @gothwifehotchner

[desertfangs]

Drifting Across the Moon [AO3]

Armand/Daniel - Mature - 3,817 words

A St. Patrick's Day Story! Daniel returns to Chicago, the last place he was alive as a mortal, trying to figure some things out.

This is probably the epitome of "wrote it for myself but hope others will like it" so I hope you like it! I love exploring the weird time between Daniel's turning and when he and Armand finally split "for good" (or what Armand thinks is for good, anyhow). Plus vampire drunk is a fun thing to play with.

Short Excerpt:

The bar smells of sweat and stale beer. Drinks have been sloshed all over the floor which makes Daniel’s shoes stick to it as he walks. It’s barely after 10 pm, but everyone in Tom O’Doyle’s Irish Pub is wasted. They’ve all been drinking since early afternoon and the detritus of their celebrations litter the bar: discarded green leprechaun hats and green plastic glasses on tables, headbands and pins shaped like shamrocks scattered around, forgotten as their previous wearers down another pitcher of Guiness, another shot of Jameson. 

Daniel wears a green zip-front sweatshirt and jeans and a pair of thickly rimmed glasses he bought recently with a slight yellow tint to their lenses to help hide the preternatural glow of his eyes. He likes wearing glasses again, it feels right somehow. 

In a booth in the back room of the bar, past the shuffleboard tables and dart boards, Daniel finds a guy passed out. He’s wearing a green beaded necklace and a shirt that says “Kiss Me, I’m Irish.”

Don’t mind if I do, Daniel thinks wryly. Daniel slides into the booth next to him and checks his pulse. Alive, just drunk as hell. Well, Daniel has been there plenty of times. 

He searches the room but no one is paying attention to this poor guy. If he came here with friends, they aren’t worried about leaving him to sleep off the whiskey shots. 

Daniel’s fangs pierce the man’s throat and the blood floods into his mouth, rich and metallic, tinged with the acrid taste of alcohol. He drinks deeply as the blood buzzes into his veins and makes his heart hammer in his chest. This is his third drink from a reveler here and when he pulls away, his head swims. The edges of his vision go soft and he leans back against the booth.

Vampire drunk is not like mortal drunk. It doesn’t warm his belly or last nearly as long. But it does give him a pleasant little buzz that dulls the sharper edges of the world. 

Read the Rest on AO3!

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Fourteen

College is cancelled as the snow gets worse, so Claire and I spend the week in our apartment hanging out with each other, just like we used to during the long weekends of our 6th year, nobody but each other. We agree to leave the heating on all day because it’s a weather emergency and I try not to think too much about the bill, justifying that if I’m not going out to bars and clubs I’m saving money, so I can funnel it into keeping our cold feet warm during the storm.

We take her big feather down duvet from her bed and watch nineties chick flicks on the couch all day, eating through every last morsel of food in the apartment so that we don’t have to brave the weather to get supplies from the nearest supermarket, which has already been raided of all its bread and eggs as the hysterical Irish have once again entered panic mode over five inches of snow. 

We send Shane on a mission to Marks & Spencers on Henry Street to get fancy food to make up for the miserable offerings of the local Tesco Express, but even the trains have stopped by now, so he has to cycle from Clonskeagh. When he arrives hours later we rejoice. Claire kisses him all over his face while I dive for the carrier bags, pulling out the fancy oven dinners we requested, huge bars of Dairy Milk chocolate, Percy Pigs and gourmet crisps with fancy flavours like flame grilled steak and sour cream and shamrock.

“I’ve another thing for you as well, Evie.” He says, and throws something at me which I fail to catch. “Happy birthday.”

I dive for it, a small soft packet that’s ended up under the kitchen table. “You shouldn’t have.” I say. “What is it?”

“Well you’ll find out if you open it.” He says. 

“Right.” I rip open the clumsily taped paper and there’s a cute little knitted hat inside. It’s red, my favourite colour, and I gasp with surprise and hug it to my chest. It’s so warm and soft to the touch. “Oh wow! Did your mam make this?”

“I asked her to yeah. You said you needed a new hat so…”

“I love it.” I pull it over my ears and pull a model face for Claire who laughs. I don’t get up and try to hug Shane because I know how much he would hate it, so I settle for beaming at him until he goes a bit red instead. “I always wanted her to teach me how to knit.”

“She’d definitely do it, just ask her sometime.”

“I can see it, me becoming someone who knits stuff, like big ugly lumpy scarves and horrible mittens.” I sigh. “I miss your mam.” 

“I’d say she probably misses you as well.” 

Our conversation is interrupted by my phone buzzing in my pocket and my heart instantly does an anxious skip when I feel it, but then I’m just frustrated to see another message from Dean. 

Bored. Do you want to hang out?

I sigh and stuff it back into my pocket. I’ve been trying to ignore him all week but he’s texted me three times now, and the more he sends the more obvious it is that I’m trying to avoid him, which I’m sure he will consider some sort of childish drama.

“Who’s that?” Claire wants to know, and I admit to her that it’s Dean, which makes a muscle twitch in Shane’s jaw. 

“What’s he want off you?” He asks tersely.

“Just to hang out.” I say. 

“Are you saying no, or?”

“Well, I’m saying nothing at all. I don’t know how to approach it, you know, like, giving him a hard ‘no’. It seems harsh.”

Shane takes the bag from the table and starts unpacking the groceries. “It’s spelled N O.” He explains. “Very easy.”

“Yes but I feel bad, like I couldn’t explain to him why I suddenly don’t want to see him, because really, it’s out of pure awkwardness, and I just can’t face him at the moment.”

“Can’t you say ‘I don’t hang around with boys who… do drugs’?” Claire offers, delivering the word “drugs” in that uncomfortable way that a mother would. I shake my head. “Well, no, because I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know that already, considering how obvious it apparently was.” I sigh, flashing back to the vigour with which he was rubbing his nose at my party. “I suppose it’s not really him, it’s me.”

“Nah I’d say it’s him, probably.” Shane says as he shoves the crisp packets into the cupboard beside the oven. “Just leave it, don’t talk to him anymore.”

I lope over to the couch and flop down onto it heavily. “It must be very easy to be you, Shane.” I say. “Able to just say whatever you’re thinking to anybody who annoys you.”

“As can you.”

“I couldn’t.” I insist, because whenever I do something that causes somebody to dislike me I feel the desire to move towns to get away from seeing them. Or I wish I was never born. Whichever. “I don’t want any conflict.” 

“You know that sometimes conflict isn’t a bad thing, don’t you?”

“Shh.” I say, grabbing the remote and turning up the volume of whatever movie we had playing in the background. “I’m watching TV.”

 The next day, Friday, I finally venture out of the apartment in pursuit of a coffee, also to stretch my legs and get some exercise after being entirely sedentary for the bones of four straight days, but mostly for a coffee as I’ve got wind of a rumour that a café on Dame Street is still open. 

The outside world is crisp, clear and shockingly bright, a thick white shawl over the city, shaken out of the arms of the trees and grown on the roofs of buildings like moss. It crunches underfoot as I make my way past the park where a group of children are taking turns on a plastic sled, and further up the street where the paths have been salted and the snow has turned into slush there are more of them building a lumpen snowman that is more brown than white, snow mixed with the dirt from the ground.

One boy yanks another out of my way as I pass them. “Get out of the way of the lady.” He scolds, and it makes my eyebrows shoot up my forehead. Since when do people see me as a lady? It’s freaky to think about a society that is increasingly thinking about me in terms of being a woman when in fact I feel as much like a girl as I ever have. I shuffle on towards the promise of hot coffee. 

It turns out that the rumours were true, and a small café and bookshop is miraculously open despite the weather. The snow outside has been cleared from the path and the icy ground salted so the whole thing is this inviting haven, the smell of coffee beans wafting out into the frosty air as I approach it. 

I order a flat white, which is this new, fancy Australian coffee that all the hipsters are into, and I settle into a soft armchair at the window, cradling the little cup in my cold hands and looking out over the flurries of soft snow that have begun to fall outside.

I look at my phone then, lingering on the messages from Dean again and I realise that this whole situation makes me feel a bit sick. I’m confused. It’s clear that he made a fool of himself at my party, it’s clear that my friends vehemently disapprove of him and it’s also clear that I deserve better than him and yet it’s hard for me to shake the feelings I have for him. It’s not like I’m in love with him or anything, not by a long shot, but I haven’t felt much of anything for anybody in what feels like the longest time. It’s hard to let it go. My thumb lingers over the keyboard, almost ready to tell him that I’m free and willing to see him again, but then I stop myself and take a book from the shelf behind me so I can keep my hands distracted. 

The caffeine leaves me feeling a bit jittery and anxious when I leave the café and head back outside, so I decide to take a brisk walk down the street and into the Christchurch Cathedral grounds, where the same flower beds that bloomed with tulips last week are covered in a thick sheet of snow. The roof of the cathedral is dusted in white and gives the entire building the quaint, nostalgic appearance of a gingerbread house, an ostentatiously festive scene considering it’s early spring now. I do a lap of the grounds, my feet sinking into the virgin snow with a satisfying crunch. 

Prev // Next

[simdertalia]

🍀 Saint Patrick’s Set 🍀

I was extra excited about this one, I hope you enjoy! I made this set with decorating an Irish pub in mind, for Saint Patrick’s Day. I am most excited about the little gnome, he is a recreation by me of Roy G. Biv from Sims 4 Mobile.

15 items | Sims 4, Mostly base game compatible. The 2 windows & the door edit require Get Together. Set contains: -Shamrock Door Plaque | 1 swatch -Hat Deco | 1 swatch -Coat Rack | 3 EA swatches -Cane | 1 swatch -Shoes Deco | 1 swatch -Rug | 1 swatch -Shamrock Juice | 1 swatch -Roy G. Biv Gnome | 1 swatch -Wall Art Rainbows | 24 swatches (12 image, 2 frame color) -Wall Art Long | 21 swatches (7 image, 3 frame color) -Posters | 9 swatches -Blando Bar Counter Door (forgot to take pic) | 5 EA swatches, no footprint -  it is to give the look of a flap door for the side of a bar, but sims can walk through it. -Windows of Legend Irish Pub Edit | 11 EA swatches -House on a Hill Windows Irish Pub Edition | 11 EA swatches -Medieval Entry Door recolor (smaller hinges) | 1 swatch

Always suggested: bb.objects ON, it makes placing items much easier. For further placement tweaking, check out the TOOL mod. Type “Saint Patrick’s” into the search query in build mode to find quickly. You can always find items like this, just begin typing the title and it will appear.

💗 Anyone here via SimFinds, please see THIS POST

📁 Download all or pick & choose (SFS, No Ads): https://simfileshare.net/folder/182047/

📁 Alt Download (still no ads): https://mega.nz/folder/5wRn1YYQ#3-APJMz_rvfAwjOwDJD3Fw

As always, please let me know if you have any issues! Happy Simming!

~I take no credit for the stock images used for the art recolors, all credit goes to the artists.~ ✨ If you like my work, please consider supporting me:

★ Patreon  🎉 ❤️ |★ Ko-Fi  ☕️  ❤️ ★ Instagram  📷

Thank you for reblogging ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ @sssvitlanz​​  @maxismatchccworld​​ @mmoutfitters​​  @coffee-cc-finds​​  @itsjessicaccfinds​​  @gamommypeach​​  @stargazer-sims-finds​​  @khelga68​​  @suricringe​​  @vaporwavesims​​ @public-ccfinds

[askaniritual]

I hope this isn't too outside of your purview in regards to you liking sollux but do you have any thoughts about how sollux killing aradia informs his character and any potential relationship to terezi given her relationship to Vriska (and how he might think of Vriska)? Sorry if this is not clear but sollux tbh is not a character I think too much about in this chain of events, the focus is usually terezi and vriska (and my personal fave aradia) in the cycle of revenge.

i could hardly declare myself the worlds foremost solrezi enjoyer (which i have, on multiple occasions) if this type of pondering were outside my purview. i got so excited about this question i had to go for a little walk to collect my thoughts.

i definitely think that sollux fuckin hates vriska and there's no world in which they could ever be cool, but i also think the rules vis a vis how acceptable it is to kill another person are like. at least somewhat different on alternia. so even though i dont think terezi could be quadranted to vriska and sollux (at least in any kind of canonverse) i also dont think sollux would necessarily hold terezi's relationship with vriska against her. to me this is also partially because i think he blames himself for the aradia thing more than he blames vriska. like he definitely thinks he should have been strong enough to stop it, and thats what eats him up more than vriska taking petty revenge.

honestly like. to me solrezi is allll about vriska and aradia. sollux and terezi are both characters i understand as fundamentally haunted by these relationships from their past that have become difficult/complicated but that they can't quite bring themselves to end. like they're both characters who had a relationship go wrong and now they have decided they are going to let this define them forever.

so to me solrezi is interesting when they see each other as somebody who is working very very hard to maintain a front because if they let the facade drop for even one second and genuinely let someone else in, then they are going to be opening themselves up to more trauma. and thats why i think they would work really well as moirails because they can be two people who can really understand each other and they are the only person the other trusts not to let their current relationship become a retread of their previous relationship. also i think they would like. chew on each other a little, you know? theyre definitely in a bar bathroom doing lines of experimental research chemicals that sollux bought off the Troll Dark Web tm and terezi wakes sollux up at 4 am so that he can float them both to mickey d's because she's fiending for a shamrock shake. nobody will go near their pile because it's made of shredded legal textbooks and old honeycomb and it is weirdly sticky.

anyway i hope that at least kind of answered your question! i have of course more thoughts abt the (imo) lackluster way that sollux/aradia comes up in canon and fanon i think to both sollux and aradia's detriment and i think it sucks that aradia has to be dead for sollux to make any of his other quadrants available. he deserves more than to be Aradia's Wife Guy and she deserves more than Tragic Dead Girlfriend

[dominicraven]

continued from here - @xrhettmatthews​

“Great for a college kid, ya gotta find your own drink of choice or at least a preference eventually.” Dominic shook the young man’s hand, grinning when the bartender put the two drinks in front of them, accompanied by little green umbrellas with shamrocks. Festive. “Well, didn’t think the salt and pepper would attract so much attention. I’m Dominic or Dom works too. So, we gonna cheers to something or just go for the first sip?” This was a drink to savor and not chug unless you wanted to be under the bar before midnight.

[dramatisperscnae]

The box is waiting on Roy's nightstand when his alarm goes off; don't ask how Dick managed to put it there without being noticed, he has his ways. According to the back of the card the box contains: One raspberry-filled milk chocolate truffle with semisweet drizzle and dried raspberry accent One solid rose chocolate star One bar of milk chocolate with matcha filling, topped with dark chocolate drizzle and candied ginger accent One solid matcha shamrock One milk chocolate 'diamond' with hazelnut filling One milk chocolate cherry cordial

Also on the card is scribbled a brief note: the little fox and puppy-dog plushies are for Lian.

[fuzzydreamin]

Random Headcanons for: Cait

☘ Despite taking a lot of hits to the face in her time she's only had her nose broken like twice. It's pretty soft and flexible. She is missing teeth though.

☘ Big ‘childless aunt’ energy. She doesn’t really want or feel qualified to have kids of her own, but she does sorta like the little buggers and won’t mind the occasional babysitting duty. Just expect to get the kids back hyped up on sugar, in need of a nap, and showing off the new swears they picked up. But hey, they were safe, fed, and happy.

☘ Has several tattoos. They include things like a fairy pinup girl in a style reminiscent of Classic Americana, a clover, and random other shit she didn't put too much thought into. She later gets a Claddagh band on her arm, as a symbol of her friendship (or more) with Sole.

☘ Post BI and moving into Sanctuary to continue her recovery she grows a good relationship with Tina De Luca, who is able to connect with Cait on a similar personality wavelength, commiserate over personal failures, and discuss the horrors of addiction openly together. Tina helps her stay clean, who probably also sees it as a bit of repentance for her brother.

☘ Cait also gains a great respect for Mama Murphy, both for her own battle with addiction but also for the stories of her youth as a punchy young woman who took no shit herself. Cait hopes to be half as badass as Mama when she's old and grey, should she make it there.

☘ As she starts cleaning her life up more post BI she takes an interest in learning how to cook, at first just to be able to look after herself better but she quickly finds she enjoys it. She is assisted in this endeavour by the companions who already have a skill with cooking, like Preston, Gage, and Nick.

☘ Has Danse teach her about power armour. She's always thought it was cool and now without drugs in her system she's more aware of the damage she takes in fights. Also learns about power fists and super sledges, how to properly use them all to maximum efficiency without hurting herself.

☘ A few years down the line Cait eventually moves out of Sanctuary, she cleans up the Shamrock Taphouse and starts running it as a bar and restaurant. Alcohol only, no chems. She reconnects with Tommy Lonegan to help her run the business side of it, while she takes up a more active role, switching between bartending and cooking, connecting with her customers, and of course being the bouncer. It's a very popular establishment.

NSFW

☘ Cait would try to jump in bed with a romantic partner very quickly, it's all she knows other than fighting and would be her default for trying to get the attention of someone she cared for. A partner would actually have to fight with Cait to have her realise her worth beyond sex, and that they would honestly just enjoy spending time with her without it necessarily ending up in the bedroom (or anywhere else with clothes off).

☘ Definitely into being dominant. She's had that taken away from her too much and so being in charge, getting to decide what happens and when something stops, helps her feel safer in the situation.

☘ If her partner is really soft and caring with her she'll break down and that'll ruin the mood for her but she'll also be immeasurably happy that they actually care about her and her comfort. It'll take her some getting used to before they can mix comfort and sex without her breaking down or freaking out in some way.

[theoriginalladya]

Shepard asks: 4, 22, 39 for Caleb?

Ahhhh, my boy!!! Thank you for asking about him! <3

Questions are from this list

4. Is your Shepard any good at poker?

Hmmm. Excellent question! I don't think Caleb's bad at poker, necessarily, but I don't think it's really his thing. When he sees a deck of cards, he's not thinking of the games he could play with it but is wondering if he should be doing a card reading for himself (or someone else nearby) instead. :D That said, he is good enough to beat Donnelly in ME2. Maybe with a bit of assistance from Gabby. ;) (shh, it's a secret between them! lol)

22. What’s the last thing Shepard ate before the final reaper showdown?

Honestly? He forgets to eat. He's so damned busy trying to make sure everything's ready, etc. he doesn't even think about eating. Kaidan, of course, has him figured out by this point and gives him a protein bar on the way down to the shuttle bay before they land on Earth and will NOT let him off the lift until he's eaten it. Caleb (still getting used to the requirements for biotics) doesn't argue and eats it.

39. Do they keep around any sentimental items?

What kind of Irishman would he be if he didn't have anything sentimental? LOL He has several things, actually.

a) the St. Senan's medal he wears with his dog tags that Athair gives him as he's leaving Ireland when he's 18. It gets lost in the shuffle somewhere after Alchera and he goes all of ME2 without it, but Athair (thanks to a little finagling from Anderson) comes to see Caleb when he's incarcerated and gives him a new one.

b) the deck of cards that Saoirse gives him back during his Reds days when she teaches him how to read them. These are also lost over Alchera. When Abby figures that out (probably because of something Tali or Garrus or Joker says), she gets him a new deck of cards to use.

c) A small book of Irish poetry he and Ashley find on the Citadel together during ME1. He'd bought it for her after their talk about poetry, but when she's lost on Virmire, he holds onto it. He gives it to Abby just after the Battle of the Citadel (they meet on Earth). She has it when she comes on board the SR2 in ME2 and leaves it with him.

d) I suppose you could say his N7 tattoo on his right arm is sentimental, in a way. He doesn't get it just because he's made N7, but because he and Coats go out to celebrate, get slightly sloshed and when a waitress gets the two of them confused (they look enough alike to cause confusion with a quick glance), they decide to get tattoos to tell them apart. Coats suggests the N7 design, Caleb adds the Celtic braid. (in reverse: Caleb arranges for Coats to get one on his ass with a shamrock that says "kiss me I'm Irish" around it)

e) after the war, when he and Kaidan and the kids are back at the Alenko orchard, there are others. Their wedding rings (claddagh rings) are definitely sentimental to the both of them. The moose things that Abby sends them because apparently the moose becomes a 'thing'. The piano that Kaidan gets Caleb their first Christmas together. etc.

Thank you so much for such wonderful questions about Caleb!!!

[notanothermacdennisblog]

It's Always Sunny in Tarodelphia 2: Electric Boogaloo

(trying out some new names)

more sunny analysis using tarot lets gooo

prev reading: The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis

Episode: Mac Finds His Pride

For: Mac

Spread: 5 Card Lenormand

Some background on the Lenormand deck as it works a little differently than other tarot decks: There are 36 cards, each with their own meaning. Spreads are usually in a line or sometimes a grid for bigger ones. What makes the Lenormand special is that along with the individual meanings of the cards, you interpret the the relationship between cards that are next to each other. So a five card reading like this one has nine opportunities total for interpretation, adding this extra layer of analysis.

Deck I'm using: Homemade Lenormand Deck

I made these from a regular playing card deck (so no fun art sorry) because each card is also associated with a specific number/suit. There are no reversals with Lenormand decks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Lily: age, wisdom, maturity, things that take a long time, sensuality, sex, virtue, morality, ethics

2. Clover: luck, small fortune, a win, a fortunate opportunity, surprises, lightheartedness, small happinesses, being untroubled, comedy

Lily + Clover: enjoying sensual pleasures, contentment in simplicity

3. Key: solution, a "yes," positive outcome, access, success, openness, revelation, unlocking, achievement, liberation, resolution

Clover + Key: an easy way out, taking an opportunity

4. Scythe: accidents, hasty decisions, danger, a warning, speed, reckoning, cutting away, abrupt damage, shock, violence, a swift act

Key + Scythe: opening oneself to danger, opening oneself to put an end to something

5. Ship: depart, farewell, distance, voyage, travel, journey, adventure, movement, vacation, foreign shores, international travel, physical journeys

Scythe + Ship: a painful goodbye, end of a journey or trip

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(words that appear within the reading are bolded in the analysis)

I love this episode as a culmination of Mac's journey accepting his sexuality. I need to go more in depth with the dance specifically in another post because there's too much to go into here, but instead I'll relate the episode in its entirety to the reading.

The Lily has a paradoxical symbolism, one of purity, morality, and innocence, alongside themes of sensuality and sex. It parallels the duality of the Madonna-whore complex, itself being this impossibly fine line between the faithful and the faithless. In this case it represents Mac's budding sexuality along with the Catholic morality ingrained in him since childhood. The fear of eternal damnation is enough to repress and recontextualize these early homoerotic feelings as a sort of brotherly love for Dennis and Charlie that evades the need to analyze those feelings further.

The Clover representing luck could be the bar purchase with Dennis and Charlie, noting that the clover is an Irish symbol and that Mac has a shamrock tattoo on his thigh. This opportunity also puts him in the position to build his life alongside Dennis, and for those perhaps confusing feelings of the Lily's paradoxical nature to flourish.

Jump forward to the present, where the Key provides the solution to these feelings coming to a head: coming out. He did this with the gang last season, finally no longer feeling the pressure to hide a part of himself around his friends. This pressure to conform was still present with his father, however, for whom he has spent his entire life desperately trying to please and be accepted by, in the form of touting an air of exaggerated masculinity.

So with Frank's help, he took the opportunity of having his father face to face to show him in his own way who he is, one where the facade of performative masculinity breaks down and instead is replaced with a feat of strength, beauty, and vulnerability. Which brings us to the Scythe. Separation, swift destruction. A breaking. His father getting up and walking out, just as he's done time and time again. And the crushing moment Mac almost gives up on the whole dance. There's a finality to this moment, staring truth in the face, with nowhere left to hide. He opened himself up to rejection in the rawest way possible and in doing so, left no room for misinterpretation.

This goes hand in hand with the Ship, where Luther has not made an appearance since this episode, marking this as his painful goodbye. The Key and the Scythe together note, however, that this separation needed to happen in order to find closure and conclude this chapter of his life. Only now can he move forward knowing the truth, that is until he finds another way to delude himself into thinking there's a way to win him back.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

side note i am working on a project related to this episode, so the dance analysis will probably go along with that

anyway next up Dennis gets analyzed in The Storm of the Century

[smallbusinessesbiglegacies]

Local Restaurants Built on Small Town Charm

Viking Pizza and McGuiggan’s Pub  may not share all of the same menu items and follow similar design aesthetics, but they do encompass the same small town charm aspects that attract countless local residents daily. One specializes primarily in takeout serving pizza, salads, sandwiches and calzones and the other stems from Ireland serving comfort pub dishes in a cozy and warm environment. Despite Viking Pizza and McGuiggan’s Pub looking like polar opposites on the outside, they seem to inhabit numerous similar aspects that have turned them into all time towny favorites.

Viking Pizza- 34 Bedford St, East Bridgewater, MA

Located in the center of town, Viking Pizza is a local favorite for all EB residents. This hotspot is named after East Bridgewater’s beloved mascot, The Vikings, and emulates the town’s spirit in every way. For low prices ranging from $10-$20 for a meal, you’ll receive a lot of bang for your buck at Viking. Since 1988, Viking Pizza has made it easy for customers to enjoy their meal in comfort by offering quick delivery and takeout services as well as smaller in person dining options. With pizza being a prominent aspect in their name, it’s no surprise that pizza is their specialty dish. 

Viking Pizza offers 36 large specialty pizzas for the appropriate price of $16.95, as well as customizable options, and $3.50 giant slices of any pie you could dream of. Some of their most intriguing pizzas include the California BLT pizza - alfredo sauce, mozzarella, cheddar, tomatoes, bacon, and romaine lettuce with house dressing, as well as the Amore Pizza - white, mozzarella cheese, ricotta, and spinach and artichoke hearts, and their Pizza Spanko - white, mozzarella, cheddar, garlic, chopped spinach, red onion, gyro style beef, black olives and feta cheese crumbles. On top of their perfectly crafted pizzas, Viking offers a variety of calzones, salads, subs, sandwiches, chicken wings, french fries, quesadillas, wraps, gyros, pastas, and beverages. With their lengthy menu, you’re guaranteed to find something you like regardless of allergies or dietary preferences. Viking Pizza is the perfect option when you want an easy meal on the couch, on the go, or out on the town.

Although I love the amazing food Viking has to offer, I value the customer service even more. Like many other East Bridgewater residents, my family and I order takeout and delivery from Viking at least once a week (sometimes even more). Everytime we encounter an employee, they simply exude kindness and respect. Tony Mamouzellos, long time owner of Viking Pizza, even goes out of his way to make relationships with his patrons. Oftentimes, my family and I will have long and meaningful conversations with Mamouzellos when picking up our food, and will find out when we get home that he slipped in extra slices of pizza, calzones, and pockets of pita bread, free of charge. Even though the food at Viking Pizza is absolutely incredible, the staff and their kindness encourages us to keep coming back.

McGuiggan’s Pub - 546 Washington St, Whitman, MA

Inside the heart of Whitman, MA lies a small restaurant that simply exudes charm. McGuiggan’s Pub may be little with only fifteen tables and three hightops, but it is the perfect place to make memories. I can recall visiting the pub after countless dance recitals and birthday celebrations, and sitting down to enjoy the most consistently delicious bar pizza in the world. McGuiggan’s Pub is entirely Irish, from the name to the obsessive interior design. The pub is stacked full of shamrocks that will entice you to sit at the 54 foot mahogany bar and order a traditional Guinness out of their famous ‘boot’ glass. Not to mention, the staff is extremely friendly from the bartenders to the chefs, with two servers working the dining room at all times, and a host that greets you with a smile at the front door. Although, I may have a slight bias as hostessing at McGuiggan’s Pub was my first ever job. However, this provides me with all the more accuracy in my review.

Moving on to the dishes, you’re guaranteed to find at least one meal you like, with a five page long menu. My personal favorite dish of theirs is the classic cheese pizza, which is objectively the perfect size for one customer priced at just $8.75. The sauce to cheese ratio is unmatched by any other nearby pub which makes it a consistent crowd favorite. Another fan favorite is the traditional Irish shepherd’s pie. There’s something enlightening about the mashed potato and minced meat combination that patrons of McGuiggan’s Pub go crazy for, especially for the affordable price of $18.99.

Another interesting aspect of McGuiggan’s is the live music and bingo events they’re constantly holding. Every Friday and Saturday Night, the pub has local singers and bands perform live to bar and restaurant guests which instantly brings the restaurant’s spirits up. Although the performances usually start late at night around 8 or 9 p.m., the bar fills up fast with customers excited to enjoy their meal while receiving live entertainment. Not to mention, Wednesday nights McGuiggan’s holds SINGO competitions, in which an entertainer comes in and hosts bingo games with famous hit songs instead of calling out numbers. In my two years hostessing during SINGO nights, it’s safe to say Wednesdays are extremely packed, and customers of all ages go absolutely crazy for this game. Owner, Richard Rosen, guarantees a different experience at McGuiggan’s Pub than other nearby restaurants with numerous exciting aspects for his customers to enjoy. From the familiar comfort food, to the nightly entertainment and inviting environment, McGuiggan’s Pub is a charming local spot for both food and fun.

Despite only existing in the realm of Plymouth County, Viking Pizza and McGuiggan’s Pub have made a reputation for themselves based on their all around fantastic aspects. Whether you’re trying out the food, looking to socialize, or are in need of a fun night, Viking Pizza and McGuiggan’s Pub are the perfect restaurants for you.

[marjaystuff]

Guest Review: Murder at the Blarney Bash

Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Book 5

Darci Hannah

Kensington Pub

Jan 23rd, 2024

Murder at the Blarney Bash by Darci Hannah is filled with St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans. Readers will be delighted with shamrock sugar cookies, green icing, green beer, and Guinness cupcakes.  

“I decided to write a St. Patrick’s Day mystery, but I am not Irish. I do not drink green beer.  I love Irish lore, leprechauns, which I see as super funny. LOL:  I was inspired for this story by the box of “Lucky Charms.”  I would ask my mom if I was Irish. I wanted to explore the background of the main character’s love interest Rory.  He has this fun-loving and charming Irish uncle. My son gave me this crazy good idea for the story including a child’s leprechaun parade.”

The plot begins with leprechauns, something that the main character, Lindsey’s boyfriend, Rory’s Uncle Finn is obsessed with. He recently relocated with his daughter Colleen and their dog Bailey from Ireland to open a pub and bar, The Blarney Stone. As the characters are celebrating the Irish holiday, in comes Uncle Finn, gleefully revealing a pot of real gold he claims he took from an actual leprechaun. But things go from good to bad when he is arrested for supposedly bludgeoning a small man dressed as a leprechaun with the murder weapon his missing shillelagh. Now everyone in Lindsey’s circle of friends must put their head together to figure out how to prove Uncle Finn’s innocence. 

“I looked at Irish lore. 2000 years ago, when a child had a deformity, they would be left out for the fairies. I also looked through medical journals. In my neighborhood when I was growing up there was this banker who was embezzling.  I used this as to why there would be a murder with a pot of gold. Rory’s uncle had a faith and belief in the old ways and believed he saw a leprechaun. When I was doing the research there is this place in Ireland that claims they have the remains of a real leprechaun. The skeleton has bones of a small person and had worn green clothing. The remains were found with some gold coins.”

Readers get to know a little more about Kennedy, the supporting character and best friend of Lindsey. “Kennedy is now doubting herself, dependable, trustworthy. She is the most polarizing character I write about. She is an influencer, likes to market, and involved in fashion. In the last book, Pumpkin Pageant, she nearly lost her life and does not know what she wants anymore. She is a loose cannon. Right now, she was with a wealthy English man instead of Tuck, the policeman. But he is a liar, thief, shifty, and calculating.  Kennedy was wooed by him and his willingness to supposedly help her business. He would say anything for a business deal. The main character, Lindsey can see through him more than her friend, Kennedy.”

It is such a fun read that will make readers laugh with the antics of the characters. There is also a murder mystery to solve that readers do along with the clues found out by the amateur sleuths. The story is amusing, with an Irish accent and many twists and turns.